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

[angelburst29]

Amateur footage surfaced on Thursday from the rebel-held countryside of northeastern Aleppo where a local man was accused by Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants of being a thief after which he was tortured for his alleged crimes.

Turkish-backed forces beat up man, drag him behind car in rural Aleppo
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/disturbing-video-turkish-backed-forces-beat-man-drag-behind-car-rural-aleppo/

The young man, whom appeared to have been shot in his leg, was tied to the back of a Toyota truck and dragged several hundred meters along the ground, causing excruciating pain judging by his calls for help.

The militants, some of whom whore the Turkish flag on their uniforms, are believed to be part of a Turkmen-led FSA faction which enjoys backing from Ankara and fought alongside the Turkish Armed Forces during their Euphrates Shield offensive in 2016.

The fate of the alleged thief remains unbeknownst to Al-Masdar News.

Russian warplanes reportedly destroyed more than 1,250 strongholds of ISIL terrorist group during a week of military operations in Syria.

Russian Planes Wipe Out 1,250 ISIL Targets in Syria in One Week
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960826000159

A Russian newspaper affiliated with the Defense Ministry reported that Russian warplanes destroyed over 1,250 assets of the ISIL in past week.

The planes made over 500 sorties to find and engage targets of the ISIL, an infographic published in the Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper revealed.

During the same period, Russian spy drones flew more than 300 reconnaissance missions, detecting 432 ISIL's targets.

A sum of 25 ISIL field commanders were killed in the Syrian Air Force's combat flight over terrorists' position in the town of Albu Kamal in Southeastern Deir Ezzur, a dissident-affiliated website reported on Friday.

Twenty Five Terrorist Commanders Killed in Syrian Airstrike in Eastern Deir Ezzur
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960826000600

The Arabic-language al-Darar news website reported that 25 notorious ISIL commanders were killed in the army air raid on the venue of a meeting of ISIL's local leaders in Albu Kamal.

Senior ISIL commanders, including field commander Abu Roqaya al-Faransi and security commander Sadam al-Jamal had participated in the meeting.

Hazem al-Barqash, a member of ISIL's consultative council, and 13 other religious leaders, including Mola Hami, Haytham al-Qazi nom de guerre Tak Tak, Foras al-Homsi nom de guerre Abu Ayesha, Abu Asma al-Shami, Abu Walid Faloujah, Abu Torab al-Turkistani, Abu Davoud al-Tajiki and Abu Talha al-Shishani were among the dead terrorists in the raid.

In the meantime, a well-informed source said that ISIL's military and security emirs were not injured in the attack because they had left the meeting before the attack.

Field sources said that the army troops resumed their operation in the Western flank and managed to deploy Northwest of Albu Kamal parallel to al-Hamdan airport.

The Syrian Army managed to fight off Ahrar Al-Sham’s attack on Regiment 46 base in Harasta region in Eastern Damascus last night, a military source said Friday.

Terrorists Suffer Heavy Losses at Strategic Base in Eastern Damascus
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960826000264

The source said that Ahrar Al-Sham and their allies from the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) Al-Rahman Corps began the assault by storming Regiment 46 base from their positions at the recently captured Syrian Army command post.

Unable to penetrate the Syrian Army’s frontlines, Ahrar Al-Sham and their allies were forced to retreat in order to avoid sustaining anymore casualties near Regiment 46 base.

Field reports said that hundreds of soldiers from the army have arrived at the vehicle base and Regiment 46 to counteract their recent losses in Eastern Damascus.

The Syrian Army is expected to launch a counterattack in the coming hours.

The area is located near the city of Deir ez-Zor that has recently been fully liberated by the Syrian army.

Daesh Car Bomb Reportedly Kills 20 at Site for Displaced Families in East Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711171059200323-daesh-car-bomb-dispaced-syrians/

According to Syrian state media SANA, a Daesh car bomb has killed 20 at a site where displaced families are located in the country's east.

A source told Sputnik, "According to the initial information, 20 people have been killed and 28 more people have been injured as a result of the explosion of a bomb-laden car by the Islamic State [ISIS, Daesh, banned in Russia] terror group in Al Faraj village … which is under control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)," adding that the death toll was likely to increase.

The attack took place near al-Jafra area located south of the Deir ez-Zor city.


RETRACTION: Israel did not attack Syrian Army positions as reported yesterday
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/retraction-israel-did-not-attack-syrian.html

DAMASCUS, Syria - On Wednesday Fort Russ News reported on an apparent Israeli airstrike against Syrian Army positions to the southwest of Damascus that at the time could not be verified.

Then yesterday following the reports by the Syrian Arab Army’s 42nd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division, Fort Russ News reported that the Israeli military on their forces in the Golan Heights has been confirmed.

This has however been proven to be incorrect with the Syrian Army Command denying the allegations made by the 42nd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division.

Fort Russ News would like to apologize for the publication that was not correct but ensures that we work closely with our mostly highly reliable sources to provide breaking and accurate news.

 

[angelburst29]

On Saturday, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire toward Syrian government forces. On Sunday, a similar incident took place.

Israeli Tank Fires Warning Shot Toward Syria For a Second Time In 2 Days - IDF
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711191059244576-israel-syria-golan-heights-idf/

On Sunday, Israeli troops once again fired a warning shot in the direction of Syrian forces carrying out protective works in the demilitarized zone on the Israeli-Syrian border, Israel Defense Forces press service said. Similar incident had occurred the day before.

"In the last few hours, the Syrian Armed Forces violated the 1974 ceasefire by strengthening a military post in the demilitarized zone between Syria & Israel. In response, an IDF tank fired a warning shot towards the area," the press service said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the Israeli-Syrian relations are strained, particularly over the disputed region of Golan Heights, which serve as a center of conflict between the two Middle Eastern states. The two countries so far have multiple time exchange reciprocal attacks along the border. During the 1967 Six-Day War with Syria Israel occupied the Golan Heights and annexed the territory in 1981. However, this act has stipulated severe criticism from the international community and it has not recognized the Israeli annexation. In 2008, even the United Nations Organization has called Tel Aviv to return the 'annexed territory'. The Golan Heights buffer zone was created according to the ceasefire agreement in 1974 following the 1973 Yom Kippur war between Israel on the one side and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria on the other side.

Additionally, The latest IDF attack on Syria occurred in September 2017, when the IDF attacked Syrian Arab Army forces in the province of Hama. However, the Israeli Defense Forces refused to comment on that incident.

Terrorist groups' missile units targeted a mill in the Northern countryside of Homs city, killing 7 civilians and wounding 44 more, field sources reported on Monday.

Syria: Over 50 Civilians Killed, Wounded in Terrorists' Missile Attack in Homs
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960829000293

The sources said that terrorist groups' missile units, deployed in Northern Homs, hit al-Walid Mill in the Northern countryside of Homs city with two missiles, killing 7 workers and wounding 44 more.

The attack, which is a new breach of de-escalation zone agreement in the Northern countryside of Homs, also caused massive material damage to the mill, the sources said.

Head of the Health Directorate in Homs Dr. Hassan al-Jundi said that the death toll is likely to rise as many of the wounded have sustained serious injuries.

Director of the Mill Samir Salameh said that the mill went out of service completely due to 75 percent of material damage. The production capacity of the mill was one ton daily.

Washington has called on terrorist groups to leave al-Tanf base in Southeastern Homs near the border with Jordan and deliver it to the Syrian Army following advances of the pro-government forces in Syria's Badiyeh (desert) in recent months, dissident-affiliated websites reported on Monday.

US-Backed Militants Likely to Hand over Al-Tanf Base to Syrian Army
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960829001062

The websites reported that the US Forces Command in al-Tanf base has recently declared to the terrorist groups that their mission has ended and they must leave their positions in al-Tanf for other terrorist-held regions in Northern Syria.

The websites said that there are only now the two terrorist groups of Aswad al-Sharqiyeh and Kata'eb Ahmad Abdu in Badiyeh that have rejected the US demand for evacuation to Northern Syria, adding that Moscow and Washington have agreed on ending the US forces' presence in Eastern Syria.

Relevant reports said on Sunday that the army troops pushed terrorists back from the entire hills between the towns of Hineh and Kafr Hoor in Jabal al-Sheikh region in Southeastern Damascus near the border with Quneitra province.

The Turkish Army has dispatched a new convoy of soldiers and equipment to Idlib province to provide support for the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) to prevent the Syrian Army's advance towards key airbase in Eastern Idlib, a media outlet reported on Monday.

Turkey Supporting Terrorists to Prevent Syrian Army Advances in Idlib Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960829000962

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news network reported that a new of column of the Turkish army, including 90 soldiers and 8 military vehicles and five personnel carriers crossed border of Atmah into Northern Idlib heading towards the village of Kafr Lousin that is home to Turkish soldiers' base.

Al-Mayadeen quoted local sources as saying that a long convoy of Al-Nusra was accompanying the newly-arrived Turkish column up to the village of Sheikh Aqil in Western Aleppo overlooking Kurd-held villages in the region.

The local sources told al-Mayadeen that over 1,500 Turkish soldiers have deployed in several regions in Idlib and Aleppo near the regions that are controlled by the Kurdish fighters, adding that a large number of Al-Nusra fighters are also deployed near the Turkish forces' position in the region.

It went on to say that the Turkish army has embarked on providing military back up for Al-Nusra to prevent the Syrian Army men's advances towards Abu al-Dhohour airbase in Eastern Idlib, adding that Al-Nusra has received a large volume of ammunitions from Turkish's based in Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

Hawar news reported last month that the Turkish army troops deployed in the Northwestern territories of Aleppo province in an agreement with Nouralddeen al-Zinki terrorist group.

Hawar news reported that the Turkish army reached an agreement with Nouralddeen al-Zinki and deployed in the village of Sheikh Aqil in Northwestern Aleppo.

In the meantime, some other sources in Idlib province reported that 14 armored and military vehicles of the Turkish army along with 3 fuel tankers left Turkey-Syria border for Aleppo, adding that the convoy is about to deploy in Sheikh Aqil.

Also, Spokesman for Nouralddeen al-Zinki Abdulsalam Adbulrazaq said that they reached an agreement with the Turkish troops over the deployment of Turkish soldiers at monitoring positions in Western Aleppo.

The Syrian Army troops found ISIL's depot of arms and ammunition and a laboratory for making explosives and toxic materials in their mop-up operation in the Eastern city of Deir Ezzur city, military sources reported on Monday.

Syrian Army Discovers Terrorists' Poison-Making Lab in Deir Ezzur
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960829000363

The sources said that the army soldiers have found a fully-equipped lab that was used by the ISIL to make explosives and toxic materials, adding that the lab contained materials for making explosives such as concentrated monophosphate, triphosphate, silver nitrates, C4 and various sizes and shapes and the improvised explosive devices remote detonators.

The sources further said that the army men also found a large number of shells including mortar rounds, various types of machineguns, shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, explosive belts and detonators inside another ISIL's hideout in the city.

Relevant reports said earlier this month that the army troops seized a large quantity of weapons from the retreating ISIL forces in Deir Ezzur province.

The army soldiers uncovered several storage facilities in ISIL's positions amid the terrorist group's retreating from the battlefields in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzur.

The new attack against the embassy will not shake Moscow's determination to bring its operation against terrorists in Syria to a victorious end, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in the wake of the shelling.

Terrorists Shell Russian Embassy in Damascus
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711201059269092-russian-embassy-damascus-shelling/

"A shell fired from terrorists' positions on November 20 hit the fence of the Russian Embassy close to a living quarters building. As a result of a 122mm shell explosion, walls, power lines and the water supply system were damaged. No embassy employee was hurt," the ministry stated.

Moscow "resolutely" condemned yet another attack on Damascus and reaffirmed that such provocations "will not affect Russia's determination, together with partners, to complete the destruction of the terrorist hotbed on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, to help restore peace and security in Syria, to strengthen its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity".

The Russian Embassy has experienced a number of mortar attacks since the beginning of Moscow's campaign on September 30, 2015.

The Pentagon is preparing for a new generation of stealth bombers, this time inspired by Star Trek and shaped as bats, the Times newspaper said.

Pentagon introduces its Star Trek-inspired bat stealth bombers
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/pentagon-introduces-its-star-trek.html

The B-21 Raider is a very long-range, stealth strategic bomber that is capable of delivering conventional or thermonuclear weapons.

The US Department of Defense has assigned its engineers working in the field to design and build new generation of stealth bombers that will greatly enhance the capabilities of the US Air Force, protect pilots from risk and limit the ability to identify US bombardments and the (illegal) incursions as the aircrafts are capable of making themselves partly invisible.

The newspaper pointed out that for now Russians are considered to be the most prominent in the field of air defense, noting that Russian air defense systems can detected aerial targets within the range of 340 miles.

According to the newspaper, the B-21 bomber, which will cost about $550 million per unit, will be developed at Plant 42, a heavily guarded facility in the Californian desert northeast of Los Angeles.

The plant is run by Northrop Grumman, the company that won the $ 80 billion contract for bombers (and whose exact quantity remains top secret).

The company currently has some 3,000 employees working at the site, with their number expected to almost double by 2019 in order to ensure that the next- generation bombers will be ready for delivery by mid- 2030.

“The bombers will have a range of functions to operate independently, will be able to fly deep into enemy territory when necessary and make themselves partly invisible and thus remain undetected by radars”, said Col. Carpenter.

The US government released a new study on its next-generation long-range bomber program in response to concerns raised about transparency - but the new report is heavily redacted and provides little useful information.

US B-21 Raider Long-Distance Bomber Program Remains Shrouded in Secrecy
https://sputniknews.com/military/201711201059275009-us-b-21-bomber-shrouded-secrecy/

So little is known about the B-21 Raider program that the Department of Defense (DoD) won’t even reveal how much it costs out of fears that adversaries might learn too much. On November 8, a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that a 2015 DoD audit of the program provided only one recommendation, namely to create a centralized platform to track changes to the program.

The audit, originally having a “secret” classification, said the review was meant to determine if the program was on track to meet a milestone B requirement, but information about what exactly the requirement is was redacted due to security concerns, Insider Defense reports. The audit found that program planning had been “adequate” and that the program management office was “taking steps to develop a cost-effective and efficient acquisition strategy and well-defined requirements.”

In May, Congress requested the DoD’s inspector general conduct an audit of the B-21 Raider program, Scout Warrior reported. The US Air Force at that point planned to “balance program classification with the transparency we are shooting for to make sure we are not releasing too much or hindering too much information flow,” Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch said May 15

Many US lawmakers have been kept in the dark about the details of the program, except that the Pentagon wants the plane to be able to take off from the continental US and be able to strike anywhere in the world without being detected. Mock-ups of the B-21 show a plane that looks similar to the B-2 Spirit, with its “flying wing” configuration.

Matthew Donovan, a former aide to Senator John McCain who joined him in strongly advocating for the Air Force to reveal cost information about the B-21, flipped his position after taking on the role of US Air Force undersecretary. “It’s funny because [the USAF] knew I was the guy that was always pushing” for releasing more B-21 program info “from the Senate side,” the official said in October.

In California, fragments of a vessel have been found, which most likely belong to the Russian vessel "Lubov Orlova."

Spooky: Russian ghost-ship sails to the shores of California
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/spooky-russian-ghost-ship-sails-to.html

It's considered to be a "ghost-ship", missing in the North Atlantic since January 2013. There are fears that the ship is inhabited by rats, which can be a source of disease. In addition, during all these years, the rats would not have eaten anything but their own.

The two-deck ship named after the actress Lyubov Orlova, in January 2013, left Canada's St. John's for the Dominican Republic. There, the ship was to be dismantled, since its service life exceeded 40 years. However, its tow-cable tore and vessel went into drift. It does not have identification lights, it is uncontrollable remotely, an there are no people on board.

 

[angelburst29]

A few days ago, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Hamad Bin Jassim in an interview with the BBC announced that his country had been providing all sorts of assistance to the armed opposition groups in Syria through Turkey for years. At the same time, Doha wasn’t alone to show its supports to anti-Assad forces, as it was joined by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE and Turkey itself. All this began back in 2007 after Israel suffered a humiliating defeat in South Lebanon, while being unable to overcome Hezbollah’s resistance in 2006. According to the former Qatari Prime Minister, Qatar was in charge of the so-called “Syrian Dossier” on behalf of the US and Saudi Arabia, adding that he had access to both American and Saudi paperwork on the staging of a so-called “Syrian civil war.”

Revelations of a High-Profile Qatari Official Reveal a Wider anti-Syria Conspiracy 18.11.2017
https://journal-neo.org/2017/11/18/revelations-of-a-high-profile-qatari-officials-reveal-a-wider-anti-syria-conspiracy/

Hamad Bin Jassim announced that weapons and equipment was distributed to all sorts of opposition groups via Turkey. These operations were a common routine of American, Turkish and Saudi military personnel in this country. At the same time, the Incirlik Air Force base would host a joint operational headquarters, where intelligence officers from the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco, Jordan, Israel, France and Great Britain would coordinate the course of proxy operations in Syria. Washington has gone as far as to dispatch 6 special reconnaissance satellites for those officers to observe the entire territory of Syria 24 hours a day non-stop. This operational command center was in charge of military operations in the north of Syria. As for the operations in southern parts Syria, to coordinate those Washington created a similar command center at the King Hussein Air Base in Jordan , where officers from Jordan, Israel, the United States, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar would join their efforts in a bid to outsmart Syria’s government.

The former Prime Minister of Qatar announced that a total of 137 billion dollars was wasted on the attempts to topple Assad’s government since the beginning of the war, while some of these funds were stolen by various field commanders that became millionaires overnight. In addition, considerable resources were wasted on the attempts to bribe Syria’s military brass, in attempt to persuade them in betraying their country or desert their positions. On average, a Syrian officer would receive from 15 to 30 thousand dollars for betraying his country.

The former Qatari official would announce that the ex-Prime Minister of Syria Riyad Farid Hijab was persuaded in fleeing Syria by his cousin, who had been a Jordanian resided for a long while. For this betrayal, Riyadh would pay him a handsome sum of 50 million dollars. In addition, the former commander of the Republican Guard Manaf Tlass would trade his home state for a chance to seek support of the UAR due to his sister’s successful attempts to persuade him into leaving. The sister, Madihi Tlass enjoyed French citizenship ever since she became the widow of the Syrian-Saudi businessman Akram Aja. This fact allowed French intelligence services to approach her to carry out the above mentioned operation.

According to Hamad Bin Jassim, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri played a major role in fomenting the Syrian conflict with an extensive support of a number of pro-Saudi Lebanese officials. In addition, the former Qatari Prime Minister mentioned the role that Iraqi Kurds played in the formenting of the so-called Syrian “civil war”, especially Massoud Barzani. At the conclusion of the interview, he announced that his government played a big role in the destruction of Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen, while acting on Washington’s behalf.

It’s hard to say what prompted such a figure to make those revelations. Most of the facts he mentions were known to those analysts who have been following the Syrian events closely. But this time, instead of seeing reports from “from certain trusted sources”, but a true confession made by the man who was behind the so-called color revolutions movement in the Arab world. Perhaps he was following the orders of the sitting Emir, who has turned against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, breaking all diplomatic relations with the Persian Gulf monarchies.

But then the question arises: why did the former prime minister talk about the role of the US and Turkey, the states Doha has been enjoying close ties for a long while? Today Hamad Bin Jassim has found himself in a difficult situation. The Qatar Investment Fund has become legendary throughout the Arab world for its corrupt practices. Both the US and British intelligence services have accumulated enough discriminating files to blackmail the former official for life. And with Riyadh, there’s no point in spoiling the relationship further, given that King Salman is about to abandon his post in favor of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed. And Qatar will have a chance of finding common language with Saudi Arabia then.

However, Jassim’s reasoning behind these revelations is far less interesting topic than the reluctance of international agencies to open an international investigation of all the circumstances of the overthrow of legitimate governments of a handful of Middle Eastern states, along with the continuous attempts to destroy Yemen and Syria, which constitute a gross violation of the norms of international law and the UN Charter. And all officials from the countries mentioned by the Qatari Prime Minister including himself are to be subjected to arrest and tried in the International Criminal Court for their actions that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. It is clear that those agencies have compromised themselves a long while ago, but justice deserves a try. Or at least one could attract wider attention to the interview of the Qatari officials. Such revelations must not be ignored.

 

[angelburst29]

Historical moment in time ...

Assad Tells Putin at Meeting: Syria Was Saved as a State Thanks to Russia 21.11.2017 (Photos - Videos)
https://sputniknews.com/world/201711211059282666-russia-syria-assad/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJv2LEoICRc (0:41 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g27KpNu_UJQ (3:14 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cud49a8vYAk (0:30 min.)
https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/932838751205814274

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who flew to Russain city of Sochi for a working visit. The two leaders discussed the situation in Syria.

Vladimir Putin congratulated Bashar Assad for his success in fighting Islamist militants, saying "Syria is striving in the fight against terrorist groups," adding "the Syrian people are going through very difficult trials and are gradually approaching the final, unavoidable rout of terrorists."

You know, we are actively working with other countries as well, with Iraq, the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan. And we are in constant contact with this partners," Putin said at a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Putin expressed hope that the fight against terrorism in Syria will conclude in the very near future.

"Thanks to the Astana process we managed to create de-escalation zones, which served to start a real and deep dialogue with the opposition, pretty much for the first time," Putin stressed.

"Vladimir Putin also introduced Bashar Assad to the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, who were present in Sochi for the next round of meetings on the issues of military construction and the State Armaments Program," as quoted in Tuesday's statement of the Kremlin press service.

Bashar Assad said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that the aerial support provided by the Russian Aerospace Forces had been key to resolving the conflict in Syria through diplomacy: "I am very pleased to meet with you two years and a few weeks after Russia launched the operation, which is very successful… It must be admitted that this operation allowed us to advance the political settlement in Syria.”

Syria's President added that Damascus is ready to hold a dialogue with all who are interested in a political settlement in Syria.

Also, Bashar Assad stated that he relies on Russia's support in ensuring that external players don't interfere in the political process in Syria.

Over this period, great success has been achieved, both directly on the battlefield and in political terms. Many areas of Syria have been liberated from terrorists, and Syrians who were forced to leave them earlier could return to these areas," Assad added.

The meeting between Russian and Syrian leaders took place on Monday in the Russian resort city of Sochi.

The presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey will meet on November 22 at the trilateral summit in Sochi, where they will discuss "the entire Syrian agenda,” according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Syria's Bashar Assad made a surprise visit to Russia to express thanks for Moscow’s help in the fight against terrorism. At a meeting with President Putin, which began with an embrace, the leaders discussed the Syrian political settlement ahead of Moscow's talks with Iran and Turkey.

Warm embrace: Assad in surprise Putin meeting ahead of Moscow’s talks with Turkey, Iran 21 Nov, 2017 (Photos - Videos)
https://www.rt.com/news/410467-putin-assad-meet-syria/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCEiPt3g0iA (1:29 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ke3CGKKvjU (3:22 min.)

The visit by President Assad to the Black Sea resort of Sochi was not revealed until Tuesday, after he had already left Russia. Footage and photos released by the Kremlin after the event show the Syrian leader, dressed in a dark grey suit and light grey tie, embracing Vladimir Putin and shaking his hand on the porch of a presidential residence in the southern Russian city. The two leaders then moved inside for a photo op and formal greeting speeches, before a nearly three-hour round of talks behind closed doors. Afterwards, Putin took his Syrian guest to meet Russian generals who were in Sochi to take part in defense-related government talks.

“I’d like to introduce you to the people who played a key part in saving Syria,” Putin told Assad as he introduced the men in green uniforms. “Of course, Mr. Assad knows some of you personally. He told me during our talks today that thanks to the Russian Army, Syria has been saved as a state.”

Assad used the opportunity to relay the gratitude of his government and the Syrian people to those involved in the two-year operation in the war-torn nation. “I would like to underline the effort made by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, the sacrifices they have made,” he said.

In 2015, Russia sent its warplanes to help Damascus fight against extremist Islamist forces trying to overthrow the government. The operation prevented a collapse of the secular Syrian state, and paved the way for a political dialogue with opposition groups who see a future for Syria not based on extremist ideology.

The joint Russian-Syrian military operation took place in parallel with diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire in large parts of Syria and facilitate direct negotiations between the government and moderate opposition. Turkey and Iran played a crucial role in negotiating the so-called “de-escalation zones” and are actively involved in furthering a political transition in Syria.

The Monday visit by Assad comes two days ahead of a meeting between Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Sochi. The meeting with Assad was intended to ensure that “whatever decisions would be reached [with Erdogan and Rouhani] are viable,”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Tuesday.

Also on Monday, Syrian opposition figure Riyad Hijab announced his resignation as chair of the Saudi-backed umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC). Several other members also left, in a move welcomed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.

“The retreat of radically minded opposition figures from playing the main role will make it possible to unite this motley opposition – internal and external – on a more reasonable, realistic and constructive platform,” Lavrov told journalists.

The resignations came as the committee was gathering for a meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday. The HNC is expected to select a delegation for the upcoming round of UN-sponsored Syria peace talks in Geneva next week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting in Sochi with Syrian President Bashar Assad, spoke about the success of the operation in the Arab republic, but stressed that terrorism has not yet been eradicated.

Putin-Assad Meeting Huge Breakthrough in Stabilization in Syria - Lawmaker
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201711211059285188-putin-assad-meeting/

The statements made at a meeting of Russian and Syrian presidents Vladimir Putin and Bashar Assad indicate a "huge breakthrough in the process of military and political stabilization of the situation in Syria," First Deputy Chairman of the Russian upper house's Defense and Security Committee Frants Klintsevich told Sputnik on Tuesday.

He added that the statements at the Putin-Assad meeting meant that the fight against the Daesh (banned in Russia) terrorist group in Syria would be completed by the year-end and Russia would be able to withdraw its Aerospace Forces.

Russia is in for a number of difficult, serious efforts in this direction, in a number of international areas, including in the UN," former chairman of the Russian upper house's Committee on Defense and Security Viktor Ozerov said, commenting on the Putin-Assad meeting.

Syrian leader Bashar Assad paid a one-day visit to Russia on Monday. He held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and also met with the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The leaders of the two countries noted the quick defeat of terrorists in Syria, and also discussed the principles of holding the Syria national dialogue congress in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

At the request of the Syrian leader Bashar Assad on September 30, 2015, Russian Aerospace Forces conducted their first air strikes against terrorists in Syria. Since then, Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed 28,000 terrorists and the extensive infrastructure of the Daesh in Syria.

 

[angelburst29]

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel in phone talks on Tuesday recent developments in Syria and further cooperation in various projects, including security and energy sectors, the Kremlin press service said in a statement.

Russian, Saudi, Israeli, Egyptian Leaders Discuss Security Issues in Phone Talks
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711221059311236-russia-putin-security-middle-east/

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed interest during phone talks on Tuesday in building up cooperation in various areas, including between the respective security services, the Kremlin press service reported.

"The leaders expressed interest in the further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas, including contacts between security services," the press service said.

Putin and Netanyahu have also pointed out the progress in the fight against terrorism in Syria.

"A substantive exchange of views was held on the prospects for the development of the situation in the Middle East region, primarily in the context of the final stage of the fight against international terrorism in Syria," the press service said in a statement.

Putin, Sisi Discuss Progress of Anti-Terrorism Fight in Syria - Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi discussed in phone talks on Tuesday the progress made in Syria and further efforts in the political settlement of the Syrian conflict, the Kremlin press service said.

"Vladimir Putin informed the Egyptian leader in detail about the Russian assessments of the latest developments in the situation in Syria in the context of the final stages of the military operation to destroy terrorists in that country and discussed the results of the recent talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad," press service of the Russian president said.

Moreover, Russian President and Egyptian Leader have discussed in phone talks on Tuesday major joint projects, including in the nuclear energy sector, press service said.

"The topical issues of the bilateral agenda were touched upon, with focus on the implementation of major joint projects, including in the nuclear energy sector. The sides reaffirmed mutual satisfaction with the overall development of friendly Russian-Egyptian relations," the statement said.

Russian President, Saudi King Discuss Syrian Conflict Settlement - Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation in Syria in phone talks with Saudi King Salman on Tuesday.

"The leaders continued the exchange of views on the situation in the Middle East region and discussed issues related to the prospects for a long-term settlement of the Syrian conflict in light of recent successes in the fight against terrorist groups there," the press service said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Russian president noted that the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, to be held in Sochi, will give impetus to the intra-Syrian contacts and to the settlement of the Syrian conflict in general, as well as stimulate work under the UN aegis in Geneva.

The Kremlin press service also said in a statment that Putin has informed all of his counterparts about the Monday meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, as well as about the main issues on the agenda of the upcoming summit of the countries-guarantors of the Astana process — Russia, Iran and Turkey — in Sochi on November 22.

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Donald Trump of the US, who had arranged a telephone conversation, discussed the pressing aspects of the Syrian problem with accounts of the completing military operation against terrorists in Syria, the Kremlin press service said.

Russian and US presidents discuss Syrian crisis — Kremlin
http://tass.com/politics/976763

The presidents expressed satisfaction with the conversation that the Kremlin press service called "businesslike and meaningful".

"Putin stressed readiness to facilitate a durable political settlement process in Syria on the basis of the UN Security Council's Resolution 2254 in the spirit of agreements reached in the Astana format and provisions of the Joint Statement the two Presidents endorsed on November 11 at the APEC summit in Vietnam," the report said.

Hassan Rouhani congratulated Iraq, Syria and Lebanon for the ‘great achievement’

Iranian president says the Islamic State, ‘fed and armed’ by the West, has been defeated in Syria Tuesday, November 21st 2017
https://scroll.in/latest/858678/iranian-president-says-the-islamic-state-fed-and-armed-by-the-west-has-been-defeated-in-syria

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday accused western countries, including the United States, of having “fed and armed” the Islamic State, which he said had now been eradicated in West Asia. He congratulated Iraq, Syria and Lebanon for the “great achievement”.

Rouhani’s speech, broadcast live on state TV, came a day after Syrian forces reclaimed the town of Albu Kamal, the last urban stronghold of the Islamic State.

Terrorist groups such as the Islamic State had brought malevolence, misery, destruction, barbarism and massacre, Rouhani said, while accusing the United States of sponsoring terrorism. Terrorists had looted museums in Iraq and Syria, sold girls, burned people alive in cages, and cut the throats of youth, he said.

“We never imagined that such savage and criminal acts could be committed by world powers, western countries, US as well as the Zionist regime in the 21st century,” President Rouhani said. “ISIS is a terrorist group that was fed and armed by major world powers and some reactionary countries of the region, outperforming historic criminals by their crimes.”

The capture of Albu Kamal comes weeks after the Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the United States-led coalition, got control of Raqqa city from the Islamic State after a four-month offensive. The terror outfit had declared Raqqa its headquarters after taking control of it early in 2014.

The Islamic State group first lost its Iraqi stronghold in Mosul in July. In the nine months of fighting that preceded this victory in Iraq, more than a million people were killed, thousands of civilians were displaced and large parts of the city were destroyed.

The Russian diplomatic mission in France is working to facilitate the release of Senator Suleiman Kerimov, who was detained in Nice late on Monday. Moscow has called the move “a provocation.”

'Provocation': Moscow demands release of Russian senator detained in France
https://www.rt.com/news/410542-russian-senator-detained-nice/

Russia’s foreign missions in France are currently in constant contact with the French authorities, pushing for an immediate release of Kerimov,” Anna Slychkova, spokeswoman for the Russian embassy in France, said.

According to Slychkova, the member of the Russian upper house was detained and “transferred to a police station” after arriving from Moscow to Nice late on Monday.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that it has informed French authorities that Kerimov is a Russian senator with a diplomatic passport, and as such, entitled to immunity.

Kreimov was arrested as part of a tax evasion probe, the French Prosecutor's Office told Reuters.

"He is being held for questioning in a case related to laundering of tax fraud proceeds," an official at the prosecutor's office said.

Frants Klintsevich, the Deputy head of the Committee for Defense and Security in Russia's upper house, told Interfax the arrest of the senator “may be viewed as a provocation.”

Kerimov has represented his native Republic of Dagestan in the Federation Council of Russia since 2008. He’s ranked as the 21st wealthiest man in Russia by Forbes magazine, with a net worth of $6.3 billion. The 51-year-old shot to international prominence after he bought Russian football club, Anzhi Makhachkala in 2011, buying start players such as Roberto Carlos and Samuel Eto'o to play for his side.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has on many occasions said that “a hunt for Russian citizens abroad is underway.” The last time she referenced this trend was in July, when she spoke on the arrest of Russian tech entrepreneur Aleksandr Vinnik in Greece, with Athens acting on the orders of the US.

The United States has repeatedly blocked the UN Security Council statement condemning the shelling of the Russian embassy in Damascus, Fyodor Strzhizhovsky, press secretary of Russia’s permanent mission to the UN, said on Tuesday.

US blocks UN Security Council statement condemning shelling of Russia’s embassy in Syria
http://tass.com/politics/976561

"The draft of the UN Security Council statement for press that was proposed by Russia and condemns the attack of terrorists on the building of the Russian embassy in Damascus on November 20, has been blocked by the US delegation again, he said.

The diplomat drew attention to the fact that this is "not the first time when the leaders of the so-called coalition use double standards with regard to the terrorist acts that had Russian foreign institutions as targets."

"We would advise them to show such consistency in eradication of armed groups that endanger the work of diplomats of different countries in Syria and the region as a whole," he said.

According to him, Russia "will continue to fight terrorists in Syria and will contribute to the establishment of peace and security in the Syrian Arab Republic."

On Monday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry reported that Russia’s embassy in Damascus came under mortar shelling from terrorists’ positions. No one was hurt. The building’s wall, electricity lines and water supplies systems were damaged, the ministry said.

Moscow expects that Western countries at the UN Security Council not leave the incident without attention, the Foreign Ministry said.

Russia repeatedly sought adoption of statements by the UN Security Council condemning the shelling of its embassy in the Syrian capital. In a number of cases, these attempts were blocked by Western countries, insisting on the inclusion of provisions in the text that are unacceptable for Russia.

JERUSALEM, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday he had requested an additional 4.8 billion shekels (1.37 billion U.S. dollars) for the defense budget due to recent changes in the region.

Israel demands extra 1.37 bln USD for defense budget over Syria situation
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-11/21/c_136767089.htm

"There has been a major and dramatic change that led us to request a supplement to the defense budget," the minister said during a briefing for reporters.

According to Lieberman, the main changes included a deep Russian involvement in Syria, in addition to Iranian presence and the introduction of more accurate missiles owned by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese militia.

Under a multi-year agreement between the Defense Ministry and the Finance Ministry in 2015, the Defense Ministry could not request to expand its budget unless a major security development had occurred.

Officials of the Finance Ministry told Channel 10 that the office will deny the request, saying the recent developments do not justify the addition.

Israel has been lobbying Russia and the United States against the establishment of permanent Iranian bases in Syria. However, according to local media reports, a ceasefire agreement promoted by the United States and Russia does not include a ban on Iranian military presence in Syria.

Israel and Syria share a disputed border in the Golan Heights, a territory that Israel seized from Syria in the 1976 Middle East War and annexed it later, in a step never recognized by the international community.

Israel has been carrying out occasional airstrikes against Syrian army positions, usually in response to errant fire from the six-year war between the Bashar Assad regime and rebel groups.

 

[angelburst29]

An Arab TV channel said Iran's IRGC Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani came to pick up leadership in the capture of ISIL's last stronghold, Albu Kamal, after the US staged a sophisticated plot to force the Syrian army back and win the upper hand in the region.

Arab Media: US Leadership Broken by General Soleimani's Presence in Albu Kamal Operations Room
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960830001277

"Declaration of Albu Kamal's liberation and then rapid withdrawal (of the Syrian army forces) from the same town created a new and major challenge for the Americans; therefore, they attempted to weaken the Syrian army and its allies in the battle in the city," al-Mayadeen reported on Tuesday after the Syrian army won back Albu Kamal.

It quoted a field commander in Albu Kamal as saying at the time of the capture that "when we declared liberation of Albu Kamal, we were still in the T2 Station but we were forced to declare its liberation to prevent the (US-backed) Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from entering the town".

"Today, we were near Albu Kamal from three sides; the Americans were trying to prevent air flights over the region and they were after weakening us in Albu Kamal but we were determined to fully liberate it," he added.

Al-Mayadeen said the field commander's remarks show why the operations room control was entrusted to General Soleimani, explaining that the resistance front was trying to foil the US plots to seize leadership in the region.

Earlier today, General Soleimani in a message to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday declared the end of ISIL control over Syria and Iraq.

General Soleimani in his message blamed the US for all crimes committed by the ISIL terrorist group in the regional states, and said the Iraqi and Syrian governments and armies as well as the Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi popular forces) and the Lebanese resistance group led by Seyed Hassan Nasrallah certainly played a decisive role in defeating the ISIL.

"Definitely, the valuable role of the nation and servant government of the Islamic Republic, specially the honorable president, parliament, the defense ministry and the military, law enforcement police and security organizations of our country in supporting the aforementioned governments and nations is appreciable," he added, stressing the important role of the wise leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei and senior Iraqi Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani in the victory over the ISIL terrorist group.

"...Having accomplished the Albu Kamal liberation operation, the ISIL's last stronghold (in Syria), pulling down the US-Zionist (ISIL) group's flag and hoisting the Syrian flag, I declare the end of" ISIL control, General Soleimani concluded.

The Defeat of ISIS (November 21, 2017) - Syrian War Update Video Map
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpWYlieYn2E (4:47 min.)

Russia’s Chief of General Staff and First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov said on Monday that the active phase of Russia’s counter-terrorism operation in Syria is coming to an end.

General Staff: Active Phase of Syria Military Operation Nears End
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960830001604

During the trilateral meeting with the Chiefs of General Staff of Turkey and Iran, Hulusi Akar and Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, Gerasimov thanked General Bagheri for the idea to hold the meeting on fine-tuning a joint strategy to fight against terrorism, TASS reported.

"I expect that today we will find common approaches to continue further work in the Syrian direction," Gerasimov said.

The general noted that the three countries’ joint efforts helped to preserve sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, stop the civil war and create conditions to restore peace and bring refugees back home.

Despite certain difficulties, it is important that agreements are reached.

"The active phase of the military operation in Syria is nearing end. Although some issues are yet to be solved, this stage is coming to its logic end,"
he stressed.

Before launching the post-conflict settlement process in Syria, there is a need to secure the previously achieved military gains to prevent terrorists from returning to the country, Gerasimov said.

According to Gerasimov, "Russia and Iran have done much to resolve the Syrian crisis."

"Thanks to our joint efforts, terrorists are being wiped out from the Albu Kamal area in Eastern Syria and the Syrian-Iranian border will soon be taken under control," he added.

"Completely eradicating militant groups, which is only a matter of time, will allow us to move to the post-conflict settlement. But before we do that, we need to secure the previously achieved military gains to prevent terrorists from returning to Syria," the chief of the Russian General Staff stressed.

The ISIL terrorist group has called on the US and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to help them leave Deir Ezzur after the collapse of the terrorist group's last stronghold at the border with Iraq, a field source reported on Tuesday.

ISIL Demands Washington for Evacuation from Eastern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960830000817

The source said that the ISIL is only in control of two regions as large as 14,000 sq/km on the Western and Eastern banks of the Euphrates River after the recent liberation of the town of Albu Kamal in Southeastern Deir Ezzur by the army men.

The source further said that there is no more militarized region or an operation area under ISIL's control in Eastern Syria after the recent advances of the army soldiers.

The source added that non-Syrian members of the ISIL known as Mohajereen are in close contact with the US forces and are asking them to be evacuated from Eastern Syria as full collapse of the ISIL is approaching in the region.

Also, some of the ISIL members have been evacuated from the region to the borders with Turkey by human traffickers' assistance in Badiyeh (desert) via the Euphrates River.

In the meantime, local fighters of al-Ansar militant group have contacted the SDF to negotiate the terms of surrender.

Military helicopters of the US-led coalition carried out another heliborne operation in Eastern Deir Ezzur to evacuate several senior non-Syrian commanders of the ISIL terrorist group from the region, militant-affiliated websites released on Tuesday.

US Army Conducts Heliborne Operation to Take ISIL's Foreign Commanders Away from Deir Ezzur
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960830000582

The websites reported that three US helicopters carried out heliborne operation in al-Layez neighborhood of the town of Qaranij in Eastern Deir Ezzur on Friday. The websites further said that the US troops on the helicopters took ISIL's foreign commanders away, but killed eight militants who were mostly Syrians.

Field sources confirmed on Monday that the Syrian Army troops captured another ISIL-held region in Eastern Deir Ezzur, killing tens of terrorists.

The sources said that the army men drove ISIL out of the small town of al-Kashmah (Tishrin) after they captured the town of al-Salehiyeh in Eastern Deir Ezzur.

Hassan al-Saleh al-Najam, one of the most notorious commanders of the ISIL terrorist group, has escaped from Deir Ezzur to Turkey after the rapid advances of the Syrian Army troops in the region, dissident-affiliated websites reported on Tuesday.

Another Senior Terrorist Commander Escapes from Eastern Syria to Turkey
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960830000550

Hassan al-Saleh al-Najam, a senior ISIL commander in the town of Mouhassan in Southeastern Deir Ezzur, left the battlefield to Turkey via the regions that are under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and other terrorist groups in Northern Syria.

Field sources confirmed on Monday that the Syrian Army troops captured another ISIL-held region in Eastern Deir Ezzur, killing tens of terrorists.

The ISIL terrorist group has transferred the centers where it sold Ezadi girls to Turkey after its huge defeats in Syria and Iraq, a Russian media outlet reported on Tuesday.

ISIL Moves Slave Market to Turkey
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960830000481

The Arabic-language website of Russia's state news agency, Sputnik, quoted Ali al-Khansouri, an Iraqi media activist, as saying that ISIL has hidden Ezadi girls and children among its gunmen's family members that had been evacuated from Iraq and Syria to Turkey.

It went on to say that ISIL is selling Ezadi children and girls in its slave markets in the towns of Gaziantep, Urfa and even Ankara city.

Sputnik added that ISIL has allowed the kidnapped Ezadi girls and children to phone their families from Turkey to ask for money.

Relevant reports said in July that the ISIL was selling a number of women it enslaved in areas South of Mosul city in a slave market Southwest of Kirkuk city in Iraq.

The source who requested anonymity said that the ISIL was selling a number of women to the terrorist group's leaders at different prices in a slave market in the town of al-Huweija just to the South-West of Kirkuk.

The source went on to say that the ISIL kidnapped the women from the village of Imam al-Qarbi, adding that the terrorist group was to hold some of the women as its slaves in command centers in Huweija.

The emir (commander) of Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham in the east Damascus suburb of Harasta was reportedly killed last night in a deadly airstrike by the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF).

Ahrar Al-Sham’s top commander killed in east Damascus
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ahrar-al-shams-top-commander-killed-east-damascus/

According to a military report, the Syrian Air Force killed Saleh ‘Antar (Ahrar Al-Sham emir) and two of his sons after scoring a direct hit on a militant bunker in Harasta.

In addition to killing the emir and his sons, the Syrian Air Force also killed three more Ahrar Al-Sham field commanders and several other combatants that were present inside this bunker.

The military report added that ‘Antar and his associates were planning another attack on the vehicle base in Harasta before the strategic airstrike by the Syrian Air Force killed them.

 

[angelburst29]

On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin is set to host Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi. Moscow, Tehran and Ankara are sure that the days of Daesh are numbered and it is expected that moves towards a final political settlement of the conflict will top the agenda.

Russian, Iranian, Turkish Presidents to Meet in Sochi: To End the Syrian Game?
https://sputniknews.com/world/201711221059330931-putin-erdogan-rouhani-meeting-sochi/

The presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran, the three countries which act as guarantors of the observance of the ceasefire Syria and Astana peace talks on the settlement of the crisis, are set to meet in Sochi on Wednesday.

After the tripartite meeting, Vladimir Putin is also scheduled to hold a separate meeting with Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani.

Earlier in November, he has already met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the same city.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his opening remarks at a meeting with Czech President Milos Zeman that Syria’s government troops control nearly 98% of the country’s territory and the terrorists’ remaining pockets of resistance are shrinking.

Russian President: Syria’s Government Troops Control Nearly 98% of Territory
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960901001058

"You are quite right. It is true that government troops in Syria control more than 98% of the territory," he said, TASS reported.

"Pockets of resistance remain, but they are shrinking under the strikes of our Aerospace Force and the Syrian allies," Putin added.

At the beginning of the meeting Zeman mentioned Putin’s talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad last night.

"You’ve attained victory in Syria. He [Bashar Assad] is in control of practically the whole territory of Syria, except for some small areas," Zeman said, adding that "Lastly, he is a democratically elected president."

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have excavated several historical regions in Aleppo province and have transferred a number of artifacts to a US-run base in the Northern part of the province, an Arab media outlet reported on Wednesday.

SDF Transfers Syria's Artifacts to US-Run Base in Northern Aleppo
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960901000788

The Arabic-language al-Watan online quoted well-informed sources as reporting that the SDF started to dig in several regions close to the town of Manbij in Northeastern Aleppo.

It went on to say that the SDF's excavation operation was carried out mainly near the al-Feran al-Ehti'yati (the reserve furnace) region in the town of Manbij, adding that the SDF did not allow any civilians to enter or ever approach the excavation sites.

Al-Watan further said that a large ancient inscription on stone was unearthed in excavation operation, adding that the SDF later transferred the inscription stone by several trucks to a US-run base near the small town of Tharin close to Manbij.

Relevant reports said in July that the US forces were stealing Syria's artifacts and antiques under the cover of constructing new military bases in the war-hit country.

The Arabic-language al-Hadath news quoted local source near one of the US military bases between Jiroud and al-Dhumayr airport in Damascus province as saying that the US helicopters observed suspicious flights as they landed many time without any cargo in the base and then took off carrying large volumes of cargoes.

A local witness told al-Hadath that the US helicopters were transferring huge digging machinery which would certainly be used in excavation operations in historical sites.

In the meantime, an artifact trader told al-Hadath that the region where the US forces concentrated was a historical area and home to the buried treasures of golden coins and antiques weighting tens of tons.

The Turkish Army has dispatched a long convoy of military vehicles to Idlib province to utilize them in a possible war against the Kurdish fighters, local sources confirmed on Wednesday.

Another Military Convoy of Turkish Vehicles Enter Northern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960901000835

The sources reported that a long Turkish Army convoy entered Idlib province from Hatay.

In the meantime, the opposition media outlets reported that the Turkish military convoy established a 3rd observation post in al-Aqil Mountain near the Anadan Plain in Western Aleppo.

According to reports, the Turkish Army has now positioned themselves at two separate areas near the Kurdish-controlled Afrin Canton in Northwestern Aleppo.

The Arabic-language al-Manar news channel reported on Thursday that the Turkish army sent the military convoy to Kafar Lousing in Northern Idlib.

It added that the convoy consisted of 6 personnel carriers and nearly 50 soldiers, noting that the Turkish army is preparing to enter Idlib and the Western parts of Aleppo.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been monitoring closely the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) recent advances near the occupied Golan Heights, a military source in Damascus told Al-Masdar News this morning.

Israel watches closely as Syrian Army troops tighten siege on Beit Jinn near the Golan Heights
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/israel-watches-closely-syrian-army-troops-tighten-siege-beit-jinn-near-golan-heights/

According to the military source, the IDF has occasionally fired artillery shells towards the Syrian Army’s positions near the Beit Jinn pocket in an effort to halt their advance against the Al-Qaeda linked Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham terrorist group.

While Israel’s actions have not gone unnoticed, the Syrian Arab Army has chosen to ignore the IDF’s aggression and continue their operations in the Beit Jinn pocket.

Any response from the Syrian Arab Army would likely be met with a powerful attack from the Israeli forces, which will further prevent them from finally clearing this pocket in the western countryside of Damascus.

Furthermore, the Syrian Army has reached a critical stage in their Beit Jinn offensive, as their forces managed to impose fire control over the northern part of this pocket.

The Israeli military does not want the Syrian Army to retake Beit Jinn because they perceive the latter’s success as a victory for Iran and Hezbollah; however, at the same time, their options are limited because they will not commit their ground forces in this battle.

A US Navy aircraft crashed into the Philippine Sea with 11 crew and passengers on board. In a statement, the US 7th Fleet commander says a search operation is underway involving the USS Ronald Reagan.

US Navy Aircraft with 11 on Board Crashes Into Ocean Southeast of Okinawa
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960901000978

It is understood the aircraft went down southeast of Okinawa at approximately 2:45pm local time on Wednesday. The US Navy says the names of those involved are being withheld until their family and next of kin can be notified, World News reported.

The aircraft was en route to the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), which is currently operating in the Philippine Sea. The cause of the crash is not yet known.

The crash is the latest in a series of series US Navy incidents this year. Less than a week ago, a destroyer collided with a Japanese tugboat in Sagami Bay, off the east coast of Japan. In June, seven soldiers were killed when the USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippines container ship in the middle of the night southwest of Yokosuka.

The USS John S. McCain crashed into a commercial vessel in the Strait of Malacca off the coast of Singapore in August. Ten sailors drowned as seawater filled sealed compartments of the ship. In all, there have been six such incidents since the start of 2017.

A U.S. Navy transport plane carrying 11 people crashed in the Philippine Sea south of Japan on Wednesday as it flew to the aircraft carrier the Ronald Reagan, the U.S. Seventh Fleet said.

U.S. Navy plane crashes in Philippine Sea; three missing
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-usa-crash/u-s-navy-plane-crashes-in-philippine-sea-three-missing-idUSKBN1DM0Q5

Eight people had been rescued, with the remaining three unaccounted for, it said, adding that all of the rescued personnel were transferred to the Ronald Reagan for medical evaluation and were in good condition.

“Search and rescue efforts for three personnel continue with U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships and aircraft on scene,” the U.S. Seventh Fleet said in a news release. “The incident will be investigated.”

The aircraft was conducting a routine transport flight carrying passengers and cargo from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to the carrier, which was operating in the Philippine Sea as part of an exercise with Japanese forces, it said.

Japanese Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera told reporters the U.S. Navy had informed him that the crash in the Philippine Sea may have been a result of engine trouble.

The propeller powered transport plane, a C-2 Greyhound, carries personnel, mail and other cargo from mainland bases to carriers operating at sea.

C-2 aircraft have been in operation for more than five decades and are due to be replaced by the long-range tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft.

US military officials and FBI agents traveled to Niger this month and found more human remains determined to be those of slain US Army Sgt. La David Johnson, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.

Officials Find More Remains of US Army Soldier Killed in Niger Ambush
https://sputniknews.com/military/201711211059310145-officials-more-remains-soldier-niger/

On October 4, Johnson and three other US soldiers, Staff Sgts. Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson and Dustin Wright, were killed after engaging in a firefight with up to 50 Daesh-linked fighters, an incident widely described as an ambush.

"We can confirm that the Armed Forces Medical Examiner has positively identified these remains as those of Sgt. Johnson," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White told CNN.

Johnson may have been held prisoner before being executed. The soldier's body apparently wasn't found until 48 hours after the attack, and was ultimately discovered a mile away from his fallen brothers-in-arms. Reports said his hands were bound, indicating he may have been wounded in the battle, taken captive and executed.

Johnsons's widow, Myeshia Johnson, said the government wouldn't let her see her fallen husband's body, and the lack of government transparency about the circumstances under which he died has only added to the family's suffering.

Russian Federation Council lawmaker and businessman Suleiman Kerimov was arrested in Nice on Monday in connection with a tax evasion case, the French prosecutor's office has said.

Detained Russian Lawmaker Kerimov Entered France Without Diplomatic Passport
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201711221059319869-france-russian-lawmaker-detention/

Russian Federation Council lawmaker Suleiman Kerimov, who is being detained in France, entered the country without a diplomatic passport, as he was not on a business trip, a source in the Federation Council told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"A diplomatic passport may be handed to a senator only in case of an order to send him on a business trip. There was no such order," the source added.

 

[angelburst29]

The trilateral Russian-Iranian-Turkish statement urged the Syrian government and opposition groups, which are committed to sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, to constructively participate in the National Dialogue Congress.

Russia, Turkey, Iran Statement Lays Ground for Political Settlement in Syria 23.11.2017
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711231059350035-russia-iran-turkey-syria-settlement/

The statement of the presidents of three ceasefire guarantors on Syria after their meeting in Sochi on Wednesday lays practical ground for the political settlement in Syria and gives a push forward to the Geneva negotiations process, leader of Moscow platform of the Syrian opposition Qadri Jamil told Sputnik.

“I believe this statement is very important, I can compare its importance only with the creation of the Astana platform, which helped the Geneva process from a military perspective. Now there are difficulties in the Geneva process, that is why a political process in Sochi starts helping and giving a fresh impetus to the Geneva process. I believe that this meeting and decision are very important because that means for us that a ground for the practical launch of the political process in Syria has been laid. We have already come to an end of the fight against the IS and terrorism and these results must be supported — but they can be supported only with the political process," Jamil said.

He also expressed no concern over some groups' decision not to visit the National Dialogue Congress.

"Given what is happening in Raqqa now… I think that the extremist [opposition] groups that have not understood the balance of power will not attend [the meeting in Sochi]. Let them miss the meeting, let them be in isolation. But there are other groups, including those in the armed opposition, that signed the ceasefire agreement and want to take part in the political process. That is why I think that the Sochi process will not be less important than the Astana process, which was positively assessed by three presidents," Jamil added.

The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran have also agreed that they would continue cooperation until the final defeat of the Daesh terrorist organization.

Meantime, some Syrian opposition parties have already chosen their delegates who will take part in the National Dialogue Congress that will be held in the Russian city of Sochi, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The Syrian National Dialogue Congress is being prepared. According to the reports from opposition in Syria, the meeting of Russian and Syrian presidents in Sochi on November 20 was lively discussed. In course of sessions, some oppositional parties have elected delegates to the Syrian National Dialogue Congress," the ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation said in its daily bulletin.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said that with the help of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation 36 people had left the al-Taymadah-Albaltarya temporary facility for displaced persons for the settlement of Qum-Khana in the province of Hama where the civil infrastructure has been partially reconstructed.

"Another 330 people are being prepared to make their way back home from the al-Taymadah-Albaltarya temporary housing area. Over the last 24 hours, 95 people have made their way back home in the provinces of Aleppo (45), Hama (36) and Homs (14)," the statement said.

Within last 24 hours 238 people received medical aid provided by the Russia Defense Ministry with 53 of them having got surgical care.

"The Russian Centre for reconciliation of opposing sides has held a humanitarian action to deliver food supplies (rice, flour, canned meat, sugar) for the citizens of Rasm al-Alam [Aleppo province]," the statement added.

Washington has started dissolving the militant groups affiliated to the US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) deployed at a base in Southeastern Homs near the border with Jordan, an Arab media outlet reported on Wednesday.

US Dissolving FSA-Affiliated Terrorist Groups in Southern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960901001651

The Arabic-language al-Hadath news reported that the FSA-affiliated group of Jeish Maqavir al-Thowrah has fired 180 members from the US-established al-Tanf base in Southeastern Homs after paying them $2,000 each.

In the meantime, some sources disclosed that Washington intends to end supporting the FSA and provide back up only for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Analyst believe that heavy defeats the terrorist groups have suffered in battle against the Syrian Army troops and the militant group's inefficiency to meet the US' objective have been the main causes behind Washington's decision to cut cooperation with the anti-Damascus militant groups.

Spokesman for the Maqavir al-Thowrah Abu Athir Khabouri denied dissolution of the FSA-affiliated groups under pressure by Joran and the US, and claimed that the move has been done to get rid of those fighters who violated the group's rules.

Dissident-affiliated websites reported on Monday that Washington called on terrorist groups to leave al-Tanf base in Southeastern Homs near the border with Jordan and deliver it to the Syrian Army following advances of the pro-government forces in Syria's Badiyeh (desert) in recent months.

The websites reported that the US Forces Command in al-Tanf base recently declared to the terrorist groups that their mission ended and they had to leave their positions in al-Tanf for other terrorist-held regions in Northern Syria.

The websites said that only the two terrorist groups of Aswad al-Sharqiyeh and Kata'eb Ahmad Abdu in Badiyeh that rejected the US demand for evacuation to Northern Syria, adding that Moscow and Washington agreed on ending the US forces' presence in Eastern Syria.

The ISIL terrorist group once again struck the positions of their rivals, the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in Northeastern Hama and captured three more villages on Wednesday.

Syria: ISIL Storms Al-Nusra Positions in Hama Province, Captures Three More Regions
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960901001125

The ISIL drove the Al-Nusra terrorists out of the villages of Abu Marwah, Abu Khandeq al-Qabli and Sarouj in Northeastern Hama.

The dissident-affiliated websites reported on Tuesday that ISIL clashed with Al-Nusra in al-Sa'an region in Northeastern Hama and pushed them back from the villages of Talihan, Ma'asaran, Abu Hariq and Abu al-Kasour.

Amid reports of militants running low on ammunition and anti-tank weaponry, Islamist rebels based in the East Ghouta pocket tried to smuggle tons of armaments into the opposition-held farmland, located on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, on Wednesday.

Syrian Army stops huge shipment of weaponry from being smuggled into Damascus (Video)
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/video-syrian-army-stops-huge-shipment-weaponry-smuggled-damascus/

After a truck driver was bribed by opposition forces, he reportedly drove his vehicle from Sweida Province and crossed into the Rif Dimashq Governorate before reaching the outskirts of the East Ghouta. However, at a checkpoint near the frontline, security forces discovered a hidden compartment inside the truck where hundreds of anti-tank missiles, anti-tank mines and improvised explosives were stored.

Footage of the captured armaments were then broadcasted on Syrian state television: (Video)

Despite denying any knowledge of the hidden weapons, the truck driver was arrested and will face prosecution shortly. He stands charged for aiding and abetting terrorism.

Several similar incidents have occurred in and around Damascus throughout 2017, but somehow jihadist militants in the East Ghouta continue to fight on, causing some analysts to speculate that corrupt army officials are turning a blind eye to the smuggling in return for cool cash, most of which is said to come from Saudi Arabia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the Russian military to enhance its mobilization readiness after weaknesses were exposed in the course of the Zapad-2017 exercise.

Putin calls for the Russian military to enhance its mobilization readiness
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/putin-calls-for-russian-military-to.html

"The Zapad-2017 exercise identified certain shortcomings," Putin said. "They must be studied closely and extra measures worked out to enhance mobilization readiness," he continued.

"The economy’s ability to promptly increase the output of defense products and services in wartime is one of the key conditions for ensuring the military security of the state. All strategic and large enterprises regardless of the forms of business and ownership must be prepared for this," Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked to "increase the mobilization potential of the economy", during a meeting with the leadership of the Defense Ministry in the Kremlin.

Putin asks to "prepare Russian economy for mobilization"
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/putin-asks-to-prepare-russian-economy.html

"More measures are needed to increase mobilization readiness. The ability of the economy to rapidly increase the volume of defense products and services at the right time is one of the most important conditions for ensuring the military security of the state," the president said.

At the same time, all "large enterprises irrespective of the form of ownership" should be ready to switch to "military mode", and an analysis will also be carried out on the capabilities of "defense enterprises for the rapid increase in the volume of production of military products."

The national defense budget is 17% of the federal budget, or every sixth ruble spent by the state. A year ago, amendments were adopted that allow the Finance Ministry to redistribute 10% of the total federal budget for other defense or law enforcement at any time - without voting on it in the State Duma.

The Riyadh II conference will bring together 144 delegates

Riyadh opens Syrian opposition conference – media
http://tass.com/world/976841

The formation of a single delegation for direct talks with the government tops the agenda of the Syrian opposition conference, which began in Riyadh on Wednesday. The Al Ekhbariya TV channel broadcast the event’s opening. According to the information available, the forum participants will elect new members of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which will express the interests of the entire Syrian opposition.

Riyadh II (the first conference was held on August 21-22 - TASS) was convened after the resignation of HNC Chief Coordinator Riyad Hijab and a group of the most irreconcilable opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. According to Al-Arabiya, 10 officials, including Mohammed Sabra and Khaled Khoja, have left the committee.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday commenting on the move that the resignation of Hijab and his supporters would make it possible to unite the disparate internal and external opposition on a reasonable, realistic and constructive basis.

Representative of the Cairo group, Firas Al-Khalidi, told the al-Hayat pan-Arab newspaper that the conference participants would agree on a policy document to rely on while holding talks with the government delegation at the eighth round of peace talks in Geneva scheduled for November 28. According to Al-Khalidi, the discussion will center around two issues, namely, the fate of President Bashar al-Assad during the transition period and the constitutional reforms.

The Riyadh II conference will bring together 144 delegates. Of these, 22 will be delegates from the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, 21 from the armed groups, 14 from the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change (NCC, a leading internal opposition group), 10 from the "Cairo" group and 7 from the "Moscow" one. About 70 participants will have independent delegates’ status.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and Russian Presidential Envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, will take part in the consultations.

The Moscow group did not travel to Riyadh to take part in the Syrian opposition conference, however, it is not ruling out possibly of joining its decisions if other participants abandon their radical approach, Chairman of the Moscow group Qadri Jamil told TASS on Wednesday.

"We are not taking part [in the conference - TASS], because we have reached no consensus on the final statement, which contains unacceptable conditions, which contradict the letter and spirit of UN Resolution 2254," Jamil said.

He explained that these disagreements concern the political fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "There is one clause there, a precondition, as usual, about the president’s resignation. We proposed to postpone this issue, because there is no agreed stance on it and enshrine this in the statement.

He added that an observer from the "Moscow" group, Alya Arafat, is attending the conference in Riyadh. "If there are changes in the stance of the extremist forces on the final statement, we will change our position and give our observer the authority to represent the group, and, if we have enough time, we will come," Jamil noted. "We are open to further dialogue and are ready to work together to form a single delegation."

Riyadh conference - The Riyadh II conference that brought together the key Syrian opposition groups began its work on Wednesday and will last for two days. Its participants are expected to discuss the formation of a single delegation and agree on a document to rely on while holding talks with the government delegation at the eighth round of peace talks in Geneva scheduled for November 28.

About 140 opposition members are taking part in the event. Of these, 22 are delegates from the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, 21 from the armed groups, 14 from the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change (NCC, a leading internal opposition group) and 10 from the Cairo group. About 70 participants have independent delegates’ status.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and Russian Presidential Envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, are participating in the consultations.

In the run-up to the conference, head of the opposition’s High Negotiation Committee (HNC) that purported to be the only Syrian opposition representative, Riyad Hijab and a group of the committee’s senior officials stepped down. They said they did not intend to give up demands for Assad’s resignation. However, in spite of these moves, the clause stating that the Syrian president has no role in the country’s future was added to the conference’s draft final statement.

The US Navy has officially dropped the practice of blowing pepper spray in the faces of its sailors every three years as part of its training by order of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson.

US Navy Abolishes Practice of Pepper Spraying its Sailors Every Three Years
https://sputniknews.com/military/201711231059350742-navy-drops-pepper-spray-practice/

"One and done! Effective immediately we are ELIMINATING the 3-year recertification requirement for pepper spray as part of our force protection training," Richardson wrote in a Facebook post with a video.

"You have to get pepper sprayed in the face every three years, and as I was talking with the team on [the USS Gridley destroyer], it seemed to me that once is enough there," Richardson said in the video.

"Once you get that experience you'll never forget it, and you'll be able to fight through pepper spray for the rest of your career," he added.

According to previous doctrine, the experience was supposed to be renewed periodically to keep memories fresh.

A report from 2007 published on the US Navy website described in color how cool it is to get some oleoresin capsicum (OC) in your face.

"I feel a lot more confident now having completed the course. Should the situation arise where I come in contact with [OC], I'll still be able to do my job well," the website quoted Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Jennifer Johnson saying at the time. "It was intense, but as difficult as it was, I'm still happy to be a part of GW security."

"If they've never experienced the shock of being sprayed, then it's possible that they wouldn't have the confidence necessary to fight through the pain and do their job," Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class (AW/SW) Pete Ingram said in the report.

"If they quit during the testing they're not qualified to use OC spray," he added.

Pepper spray can cause difficulty breathing, uncontrollable coughing and severe eye burning that may render a person effectively blind for 30-45 minutes.

"I couldn't breath and it felt like my eyes had glass and like pepper in it," one sailor said, describing the training back in 2015, according to Fox News.

According to Stars and Stripes, the measure is "evidence that [Richardson] listens to sailors when he meets with them, and that sometimes changes can occur quickly as a result."

 

[angelburst29]

Russia is set to "significantly" reduce its military contingent in Syria, keeping two military bases, an airbase in Humeimim and a naval base in Tartus and the reconciliation center there, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced.

Russia to 'Significantly' Reduce Military Presence in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960903000137

The announcement came in the wake of the meeting between leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran, who adopted a joint statement, in which the three ceasefire regime guarantors urged to continue de-escalation efforts in Syria in the framework of the Astana process, with President Vladimir Putin saying that the Arab Republic's collapse has been prevented, while the civil war has almost stopped, Sputnik reported.

"After the completion of the military tasks […] a decision will be made by the supreme commander-in-chief and the contingent will be reduced,"

Wednesday's negotiations came just a day after Syrian President Bashar Assad had paid a one-day visit to Russia to hold talks with Putin and meet with the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, during which the leaders of the two countries noted the quick defeat of terrorists in the country and discussed the principles of holding the National Dialogue Congress in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

While over 90 percent of the Syrian territory has been freed from terrorists, Assad noted that the aerial support provided by the Russian Aerospace Forces had been a key to resolving the conflict.

The Syrian opposition has sent a message that it is ready to enter serious direct talks over a political transition in Syria and has a unified position and a vision for the future of Syria,"

Syria opposition meeting in Riyadh fixed on transition without Assad
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syria-opposition-meeting-riyadh-fixed-transition-without-assad/

Syria’s main opposition emphasized on Thursday its demand that head of Syrian regime Bashar al-Assad assumes no part in an interim period under any UN-sponsored peace deal, despite hypothesis it could ease its stance on account of Assad’s military strength.

More than 140 members from a wide range of Syria’s mainstream opposition held a gathering in Saudi Arabia, seeking to unify their stance ahead of UN-backed peace talks after two years of Russian military intervention that backed Assad’s recapture of Syria’s main cities.

“The Syrian opposition has sent a message that it is ready to enter serious direct talks over a political transition in Syria and has a unified position and a vision for the future of Syria,” Reuters quoted opposition spokesman Ahmad Ramadan as saying.

An opposition communique said the participants supported a UN-based process that would allow Syria to undergo “a radical political transition” from an “authoritarian system” to a democracy where free elections would be upheld.

They also blasted Iran’s military presence in Syria and called on Iran-backed militias to leave the country, the communique added, underlining that these militias sowed “terrorism and sectarian strife” between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims.

UN peace talks mediator Staffan de Mistura, preparing for a new round of Geneva talks, will visit Moscow on Friday, where he is expected to discuss the situation in Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a congress of the Syrian government and opposition to draw up a framework for the future structure of the Syrian state, adopt a new constitution and hold elections under UN supervision.

But he has also said that any political settlement in Syria would be finalized within the Geneva peace talks process overseen by the United Nations.

The US continues to supply the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with armored vehicles and heavy weapons in Syria, the SDF Spokesman said.

Syria: US Continues Arms, Heavy Vehicle Shipments to SDF
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960903000316

"The US sent us 120 armored cars and weapons, including submachine guns, howitzers, mortars from Northern Iraq, then fetched to Hasaka city in Northeastern Syria, and from there they were taken to Eastern Deir Ezzur,” the SDF spokesman told Sputnik Turkey.

In addition to weapons, the spokesman said that the SDF received a large number of Hummer armored vehicles.

“This time, in addition to weapons, a large number of Hummer armored vehicles were delivered as we are experiencing a significant need for them,” the spokesman said.

According to previous reports, since the decision was made to provide military assistance to the SDF, the US has supplied them with a total of 1,900 trucks full of heavy weapons and armaments.

The Syrian army's anti-terrorism units discovered and seized a truck containing a large number of weapons and ammunition, including US and French missiles, dispatched to the terrorists in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus.

Syrian Army Seizes US, French Missiles Sent to Terrorists in Eastern Damascus
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960902000677

The cargo was sent from the Northern parts of Sweida province to the terrorists stationed in Eastern Damascus.

A military source said that the seized vehicle was carrying a large number of weapons, ammunition, US-made LAV missiles, the French Milan missiles, at least 3 Konkurs missiles, Czech-made 75-mm RPGs and Soviet-made 22-mm and 26-mm RPGs which were earlier sent from Jordan and supplied to the terrorist groups by the US and Saudi forces.

Meantime, the cargo included 3 air-to-air R60 missiles and it seems that the terrorists intended to make some changes to them to be used for attacking aerial targets from the ground.

The Jeish al-Islam terrorist group in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus is selling ISIL the humanitarian aid sent to the Yarmouk camp, media reports said.

Jeish al-Islam Selling Global Humanitarian Aid to ISIL
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960902000944

The Arabic-language al-Hadath news quoted a source in Yarmouk camp as saying on Thursday that based on an agreement between the two terrorist groups, a passageway will be opened to the Yarmouk camp to send the humanitarian aid to the ISIL.

The source added that the government forces had earlier closed al-Qadam passageway and forced the terrorist groups to block al-Aroubeh corridor as Jeish al-Islam and other terrorists smuggled the humanitarian aid sent to Ghouta and sold them at high prices to the ISIL in Yarmouk camp.

According to the report, trade exchanges between the terrorist groups in Ghouta and the ISIL are not merely confined to humanitarian aid and a number of them are also selling different weapons to the ISIL terrorists after a green light from their commanders.

In a relevant development on Wednesday, the Syrian army troops stormed the positions of two main terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta and pushed them back from more lands, killing a senior militant commander, field sources confirmed.

The Turkish army flew its fighter jets over the Kurdish forces' positions in Northern Aleppo after Ankara sent several military convoys to the region.

Turkish Fighter Jets Fly over Kurdish Positions in Northern Aleppo
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960902000820

Hawar news reported on Thursday that the Turkish bombers have flown over the towns of Afrin and al-Shahba in Northern Aleppo.

It added that the reconnaissance drones are also flying over the two regions in addition to the fighter jets.

Meantime, Ankara has sent several military convoys to the positions of the Kurds in the region for a possible battle against them.

Terrorist groups' missile and artillery units shelled a thermal power plant and residential units near it on Friday.

Syria: Terrorist Groups Hit Power Plant, Residential Areas in Southern Hama
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960903000550

Al-Zara thermal power plant and its residential units in Southern Hama came under heavy attack of the terrorist groups' artillery and missile units.

No more details have emerged on damage to the power plan and possible casualties.

A military source confirmed on Wednesday that the Syrian Army forwarded a large number of fresh soldiers to Northeastern Hama, adding that a group of terrorists joined the Al-Nusra Front to slow down army advances.

The source said that the army sent a large number of fresh forces, including elite fighters, to accelerate its advances against the Al-Nusra terrorists.

The terrorist groups' artillery units targeted heavily residential areas in Eastern Ghouta, killing a number of civilians, including two children, local sources reported on Friday.

Syria: Children Killed in Terrorists' Heavy Attacks in Eastern Damascus
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960903000589

The sources reported that two children from a single family were killed after the terrorist groups conducted over 30 rounds of artillery attacks on residential areas in Eastern Ghouta. A number of civilians were also injured in the attacks, the sources confirmed.

Relevant reports said on Wednesday that the army units drove the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) out of Tal (hill) Halaf Shour close to the villages of Beit Saber and Beit Timan and Tal al-Maqla'a West of the village Kafr Hoor in Southwestern Damascus.

The Islamic State’s (ISIS) three year long reign over western Iraq and eastern Syria is coming to a swift end, as the terrorist group finds themselves on their last legs in both Deir Ezzor and Al-Anbar.

Full battle map of Syria and Iraq
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/full-battle-map-syria-iraq/

With their recent losses at Albukamal and Al-Rawa, the Islamic State no longer controls any major cities or towns in Iraq and Syria.

However, as their self-proclaimed ‘caliphate’ dwindles in size, the terrorist group will likely shift their attention to their sleeper cells that are believed to be located inside several cities in Iraq and Syria.

Most recently, an Islamic State sleeper cell carried out an operation within Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham’s lines in the northeastern countryside of Hama, seizing over ten towns from the Al-Qaeda linked jihadist group.

The Syrian military is already making preparations to combat these ISIS sleeper cells by training and deploying several counter-insurgency units across Syria.

 

[angelburst29]

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad traveled to Sochi in Russia on a Russian plane via Turkey's airspace, Turkish media reported.

Media: Assad Traveled to Sochi on Russian Plane via Turkish Airspace
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904001193

Ankara which doesn’t allow the Russian defense ministry to use its airspace to enter Syria permitted a Russian military fighter jet last week for the first time in four years to fly over its sky," the Arabic-language Russia Today news channel quoted the Turkish media as reporting on Saturday.

The report also said that Assad has most likely flew over the Turkish airspace on a Russian plane, adding that the fighter jet was a Tu-154M which had flown from Moscow to Hmeimim airbase in Syria's Lattakia province via the Turkish airspace before picking up Assad, and transferred him to Damascus from Sochi after flying over the Eastern Turkey airspace.

Assad made a secret visit to Sochi last Monday, only his second trip outside of Syria since 2011, and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for three hours to discuss a potential political settlement for Syria’s future.

The Russian and Syrian leaders struck triumphant note as they assessed that the Syrian regime was moving “towards the final and inevitable defeat” of the ISIL.

Putin ordered Russian forces to intervene in Syria on Assad’s behalf in late 2015. Over the course of two years of fighting, Russian forces could take most of the Syrian lands from the terrorist groups.

The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syrian reported on Saturday that the Syrian government has reached an agreement with the militants to dispatch humanitarian convoys to Eastern Ghouta.

Syrian Gov't Inks Agreement with Militants on Humanitarian Aid to Eastern Damascus
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904001044

Head of the Russian Center Sergei Koraliko said that Damascus and militant groups, after a series of negotiations, agreed on gunmen's commitments to ceasefire and restoring security to the corridors of transferring humanitarian convoys to Eastern Ghouta.

Koralinko further pointed to the talks with militants to establish an extra humanitarian corridor South of the de-escalation zone in Eastern Ghouta and added that the corridor will pave the way for dispatching easier aid convoys to the residents of the militant-held settlements and regions of Jesrin, Kafr Batneh, al-Mohammadiyeh and army-controlled regions of al-Sahiyeh, Jermana, Zabdin and al-Batalah.

Local sources reported on Friday that the terrorist groups' artillery units targeted heavily residential areas in Eastern Ghouta, killing a number of civilians, including two children.

The sources reported that two children from a single family were killed after the terrorist groups conducted over 30 rounds of artillery attacks on residential areas in Eastern Ghouta. A number of civilians were also injured in the attacks, the sources confirmed.

It is impossible to begin humanitarian deliveries to the Rukban refugee camp in Syria because the US side has not submitted to the United Nations documents necessary for that, Chief of Russia’s center for reconciliation of the warring parties Sergei Kuralenko said on Friday.

Russian Reconciliation Center Unable to Deliver Humanitarian Aid to Rukban Camp Dur to US' Weak Cooperation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904000687

Kuralenko said that humanitarian deliveries are to be conducted in conformity with the requirements of international law, TASS reported.

"The Russian reconciliation center continues efforts to organize humanitarian deliveries to the Rukban refugee camp. But, despite the earlier agreements with the US force command at al-Tanf, the UN has received no consent from the US side, which makes it impossible to begin practical actions to organize humanitarian convoys," he said.

"Humanitarian aid should be delivered directly to people living in the camp to prevent its seizure by members of terrorist organizations acting in and around the refugee camp," he stressed.

People in the town of Manbij in Northern Aleppo took to the streets after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) started forced recruiting, dissident-affiliated websites reported on Saturday, adding that the people threatened the SDF to leave their town.

Civilians in Northern Syria Threaten SDF to Leave Region
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904001230

The websites reported that the Albu Bana tribe in a statement condemned the arrests of the youth and forced recruiting in the town of Manbij by the SDF.

The websites further said that the statement further gave a 24-hour-long ultimatum to the SDF to release the arrested people and announced that the tribe will not allow the SDF to arrest women in the region.

The statement added that if the arrested people are not freed before the ultimatum, the Albu Bana tribesmen will do whatever they can, including popular uprising or demonstration, to free them from the detention.

The Albu Bana tribesmen have also called on other tribes to stand stance over the anti-Arab policies of the SDF in the region.

The websites reported earlier this month that people in Manbij and several villages demonstrated against forced recruitment by the SDF in the region.

The shops and businesses in the region were also closed to oppose the SDF's move, the websites reported.

The websites further said that following the strikes, demonstrations and tensions in the region, the SDF threatened Manbij's resident that it would arrest women as recruits if men do not obey the forced recruitment rule approved by the Kurdish Forces Legislative Council.

Mikhail Ulyanov, the director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control at the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the US tried to pass an extremely tough anti-Syria resolution, but the resolution was rejected by the OPCW.

US Proposal on Syria Rejected by OPCW Executive Council
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904000498

"An extraordinary session of the OPCW's executive council ended in the Hague […] during which the US tried to pass an extremely tough anti-Syrian draft resolution, which resulted in long-term diplomatic battles eventually resulting in the US having to withdraw its draft document because it did not get the necessary number of votes," Ulyanov told Sputnik on Friday.

The statement comes after the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism on the use of chemical weapons in Syria presented a report to the UN Security Council, claiming that the Syrian Air Force had carried out the chemical attack against Khan Sheikhoun that killed around 100 people.

Moreover, the report alleged that the sarin nerve gas used in the attack was drawn from stockpiles that the Syrian government had claimed had been destroyed as part of a 2013 deal with the US and Russia — a process the OPCW itself signed off on as having been completed that November.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the report focused solely on justifying the conclusions presented by the US.

Separately, the Permanent Mission of Russia to the UN stated the report looked more like an amateur document and was based mostly on assumptions, and selective use of facts.

The Syrian government, in its turn, has strongly rejected the report's results, stating that the experts had not conducted any investigations directly at the scene of the incident in Khan Sheikhoun.

Russian strategic bombers targeted ISIL terrorist group's command posts and movements on the Western bank of the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzur province in Eastern Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry announced.

Russian Strategic Bombers Hit ISIL's Positions, Ammunition Stockpiles in Deir Ezzur Again
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904000457

Six Tu-22M3 strategic bombers took off from an airfield in Russia towards the vicinity of Abbas town on the Western bank of the Euphrates River and targeted ISIL's command posts, inflicting major damage on the terrorist group's positions, the Russian Ministry said, Syria's state news agency, SANA, reported.

The Ministry said that all the Russian warplanes returned safely to their bases after completing the mission, adding that the UAVs which were already flying in the area recorded the results of the bombardment.

"Su-30SM fighter jets based at the Humeimim airbase provided backing for the bombers in Syria’s airspace. All Russian aircraft returned to their home bases when the mission was completed," the ministry added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again accused the United States of increasing military pressure, saying that Washington was providing assistance to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), listed "not only with weapons but with personnel as well."

Trump Tells Erdogan He Ordered to Stop Arms Supplies to Kurds
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904000886

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has announced that US President Donald Trump reassured his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he had ordered to cease supplies of the US armaments to the Syrian Kurds. However, no confirmation from Washington has followed so far, Sputnik reported.

"According to his [Trump's] words, it would have been better to put an end to this foolishness. We welcome this decision and will monitor its implementation," Cavusoglu told a press conference.

The reported decision by the US president comes after Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has reiterated that Ankara expected the US to stop supplying Syria's YPG not only with weapons after Daesh's defeat.

At the same time, representatives of the YPG and Democratic Federation of Northern Syria said that Kurds "were determined to retaliateagainst Turkish invasion of Afrin" amid the recent military buildup on the Syrian-Turkish border near the Kurdish-controlled city.

According to a new Pentagon report, the US military footprint in the Middle East has swelled some 33 percent in just the past four months.

US Military in Middle East Grows 33 Percent in Four Months
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904000437

Since the beginning of July, the 40,517 troops and US Department of Defense (DoD) civilian population prosecuting war and other security missions in the Middle East has grown to 54,180, a rise of 33 percent, according to DoD personnel and workforce report data, World News reported.

The numbers do not include a sharp increase in US troops — from some 11,000 to 15,000 according to military.com — deployed to hotspots in Afghanistan, where Washington has been at war for over 16 years.

The publicized troop increases in one of the most unstable parts of the world are thought to herald further escalations, as observed by the largest US troop deployment to the region in five years.

Pentagon numbers detailed in the November 17 quarterly report show that every country in the region that hosts a US military presence has seen a significant recent increase in DoD civilians and US troops.

The most recent DoD statistics reveal the current numbers by country: Egypt, 455; Israel, 41; Lebanon, 110; Syria, 1,723; Turkey, 2,265; Jordan, 2,730; Iraq, 9,122; Kuwait, 16,592; Saudi Arabia, 850; Yemen, 14; Oman, 32; United Arab Emirates, 4,240; Qatar, 6,671; Bahrain, 9,335, cited by Newsweek.

The US media outlet helpfully also detailed the previous June figures to reveal the expansion: Egypt, 392; Israel, 28; Lebanon, 99; Syria, 1,251; Turkey, 1,405; Jordan, 2,469; Iraq, 8,173; Kuwait, 14,790; Saudi Arabia, 730; Yemen, 13; Oman, 30; United Arab Emirates, 1,531; Qatar, 3,164; Bahrain, 6,541, according to Newsweek.com.

The moves are seen to be consistent with projected Pentagon policies.

"It now has more to do with long-standing preferences of [US DoD Secretary James Mattis] and senior military officials," foreign policy expert Dr. Micah Zenko, with London-based Chatham House , detailed.

Mattis and an old-guard of retired generals and military advisors surrounding US President Donald Trump "contend [that] all America's enemies can be militarily defeated, by doing more of everything," Zenko added, cited by Newsweek.

 

[angelburst29]

Washington has set up a number of military training camps for terrorists in the regions that are under the control of the Kurdish fighters to pave the ground for the disintegration of Syria, a Turkish media outlet reported on Sunday.

US Turns Kurdish-Held Regions in Syria into Training Camps for Terrorists
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960905001155

The Turkish-language Yeni Safak daily reported that the US has continued to arm the Syrian Kurds although annihilation of the ISIL in most of the country. In the meantime, the US has established more military bases in the regions controlled by the Kurds.

The paper said that the US forces have deployed over 7,000 soldiers in 13 military bases in a region as large as 38,000 sq/km, adding that the US army is providing weaponry and logistic supports for 15 terrorist groups.

The daily quoted well-informed sources as saying that nearly 5,000 foreign terrorists are under military training at the US bases in the Kurdish-held regions to carry out terrorist operations.

A report said last month that many analysts wondered about the Kurds' refusal to reveal any details over the scale of US support to the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the number of military facilities the US set up in Northern Syria.

The US continues to arm the Syrian Kurds, even after the announced retaking of Raqqa from ISIL.

Nuri Mahmud, an official representative of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the primary component of the US-backed SDF force which conducted Raqqa operation, confirmed that the US was supplying them with arms since the liberation of Kobani in 2015, the Sputnik reported.

Mahmud, however, refused to reveal the scale of the arms provided by the US, only noting that it was relatively humble and not enough in comparison with the weaponry it supplied to the Iraqi army for the liberation of Mosul.

The Kurdish official called their relationship with Washington a "strategic alliance" and confirmed that the US was setting up military bases on territories which the Kurds take under control.

According to Nuri Mahmud, these facilities were used for the fight against ISIL. However, he refused to give the exact number of operating US bases. "We can't discuss this issue. It is none of our business," he told Sputnik.

Abdulaziz Yunus, the SDF representative in charge of foreign affairs, also confirmed that the US continues supplying arms to SDF, and remains the only power which was supporting Kurds militarily.

The Kurdish official, however, as well as Nuri Mahmud, refused to reveal the amount of weaponry they received. "The US is supplying us with ammunition based on our demands. Apart from coalition forces, no one else supports us with weaponry. We won't disclose the exact volume of the provided arms but hope that the deliveries will increase as it will enable us to liberate other regions from terrorists," he explained.

Abdulaziz Yunus stressed that the interests of SDF coincide with those of the US, and that they would continue their cooperation.

Washington had supported the Free Syrian Army, but this didn't yield any results. That is why, after the liberation of Kobani, the US decided to support them and has been satisfied with this arrangement, he concluded.

The Syrian Army troops fended off a heavy offensive of the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in the Southwestern province of Quneitra on Sunday.

Terrorists Suffer Heavy Defeat in Clashes with Syrian Army in Quneitra Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960905000379

The army men clashed fiercely with Al-Nusra terrorists that had attacked the government forces' strongholds close to the village of al-Dalafah and Qors al-Nafal area from Ahraj Jabata al-Khashab region and repelled their attack.

The Al-Nusra suffered heavy casualties and its military hardware sustained major damage in the failed attack.

An Arab media outlet reported earlier this month that members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) started heavy infighting in Quneitra province in Southwestern Syria over the distribution of Israeli-supplied aid packages.

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily quoted dissident-affiliated websites as saying that a number of the FSA militants started infighting over how to distribute aid as they were receiving three Israeli vehicles with a cargo of flour bags from Commander of Tajamo al-Ahrar Abu Yazan al-Jabileh and Commander of Tajamo Abu Hamza al-Na'eimi Abu Tariq al-Qadir at gates of al-Dareeyat region.

It added that the Israeli missile units shelled the road connecting the villages of al-Ma'alaqa and al-Rafid in Southern Quneitra following the escalation among the FSA terrorists. The road was cut off due to the heavy fire of Israeli forces, al-Watan added.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield forces reportedly exchanged gunfire near the large town of Al-Bab in northeastern Aleppo.

Syrian Army, Turkish forces exchange gunfire in northeast Aleppo
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-turkish-forces-exchange-gunfire-northeast-aleppo/

According to opposition activists, their forces fired on the Syrian Army troops south of Al-Bab; this prompted the latter to respond with their own barrage of gunfire. Neither side reported casualties despite the violent exchange.

It is not uncommon for the Syrian Army and Euphrates Shield forces to exchange gunfire near Al-Bab, as this has become a weekly occurrence in northeastern Aleppo.

A massive explosion rocked the town of Darat Izza in the western countryside of Aleppo, tonight, Syrian opposition activists reported.

Massive blast rocks west Aleppo town located near Turkish Army positions
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/massive-blast-rocks-west-aleppo-town-located-near-turkish-army-positions/

According to the opposition activists, a car bomb was detonated by unknown assailants at the entrance of Darat Izza.

Darat Izza is currently controlled by forces loyal to the Turkish Army and part of the de-esclation zone agreement.

Earlier this week, a convoy consisting of 80+ Turkish Army soldiers arrived in western Aleppo and positioned themselves near Darat Izza.

Foza Yusuf, executive council co-chair of the self-proclaimed Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (DFNS) and Nuri Mahmud of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) signaled that the Kurds will defend the town of Afrin in Northwestern Aleppo against the Turkish invasion.

Kurdish Forces Threaten to Attack Turkish Army in Northwestern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960904001567

Kurdish political and military forces are determined to retaliate against any aggression towards the Syrian town of Afrin, Foza Yusuf said amid the military buildup on the Syrian-Turkish border near Kurdish-controlled Afrin, the AMN reported.

“In Afrin we will stand on the defensive and oppose invaders like we did in Kobani,” Yusuf said referring to Ankara’s threats to invade the Kurdish enclave in Northwestern Syria.

“We will defend Afrin, based on the inalienable right to defense. There is nothing more natural than protection against aggression. Nobody gives flowers in response to being shelled,” Nuri Mahmud, an official representative of the YPG said.

It has been reported that groups of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) are making the final preparations for the forthcoming advance. In response, the YPG and the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which are comprised of fighters from Kobani, Qamishli, Manbij and al-Hasaka are amassing heavy weapons and further reinforcements in order to defend the city.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have approached the Syrian Army troops' positions near the border with Iraq, intensifying the possibility of direct confrontation with the pro-government forces in Deir Ezzur province, a Kurdish media outlet reported on Sunday.

Direct Confrontation Growing More Likely between Syrian Troops, SDF Near Border with Iraq
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960905000721

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported that the SDF have advanced 40 km Eastward from the al-Tanak oilfield and have reached Deir Ezzur's border with Iraq.

The Hawar news added that the SDF have deployed at a distance only 9 km away from the army-controlled town of Albu Kamal, intensifying the possibility of direct confrontation between the SDF and the army men that are advancing in Albu Kamal's countryside after they captured the town a couple of days ago.

Dissident-affiliated websites reported earlier this month that the ISIL terrorist group handed over Syria's second largest oilfield in Deir Ezzur province to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) within the framework of an agreement.

The websites reported that the ISIL delivered control of al-Tanak oilfield, Syria's second largest oilfield, to the SDF without any clashes in line with an agreement tat envisages surrendering their positions to the US-back forces. The oilfield is located 35km East of Deir Ezzur city.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) confiscated a large cache of weapons left behind by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) before they fled Deir Ezzor City last month.

US-made missiles seized from ISIS by Syrian Army in Deir Ezzor – video
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-made-missiles-seized-isis-syrian-army-deir-ezzor-video/

According to a military report, the Syrian Army was combing through the Al-Arfi and Al-Hawiqah districts of Deir Ezzor when they uncovered a large weapons cache that was left behind by the Islamic State.

Among the weapons uncovered by the Syrian Army were several American-manufactured missiles that the Islamic State was planning on using to defend their positions inside the provincial capital.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) released footage of this weapons cache on Saturday – please see below: (Video - 4:47 min.)

The Al-Qaeda linked Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham terrorist group was found to still be operating inside the Dara’a Governorate, carrying out periodic offensives against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their allies, the Russian Reconciliation Center announced on Saturday.

Tensions rise in southern Syria as HTS is found operating in Daraa
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/tensions-rise-southern-syria-hts-found-operating-daraa/

According to the Russian Reconciliation Center, their forces monitored the terrorist group inside the locality of Bayjan in the southern de-escalation zone this week.

Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham is forbidden from operating inside any agreed upon de-escalation zone because they have been designated by the Russian and Syrian governments as a terrorist group.

While the Syrian and Russian forces have refrained from carrying out attacks in this designated de-escalation zone, HTS’ time seems to be running out as the former has made it clear they will not allow the terrorist group to operate anywhere inside Syria.

Norwegian defense officials were surprised to learn of one unadvertised feature in new F-35 fighter jets they have recently received from US company Lockheed Martin that the pricey plane relays sensitive data back to its US manufacturer.

Norway’s Pricey F-35s Caught Sending ‘Sensitive Data’ to US
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960905000706

The Royal Norwegian Air Force recently received the first three of the 40 F-35 fighter jets it ordered from Lockheed Martin. Major General Morten Klevar, the director of Norway’s F-35 program, has described the fabled fighter jet as “crucial to the continued modernization of our armed forces and our ability to preserve Norwegian and allied security and interests,” Southfront reported.

But while pouring billions of dollars into the troubled jet, the Scandinavian nation may have got more than it bargained for.

Norway is the first foreign country to acquire the F-35 mission data file from the US Air Force’s (USAF) 53rd Electronic Warfare Group’s Partner Support Complex, software which allows the aircraft to perform its primary missions and provides the pilot with “an extraordinary situational awareness”. But Norwegian defense officials soon discovered that their fancy fleet of F-35s also automatically transmit sensitive data to Lockheed Martin’s servers in Fort Worth, Texas, after each flight.

Due to national considerations, there is a need for a filter where the user nations can exclude sensitive data from the data stream that is shared by the system with the manufacturer Lockheed Martin,” said Defense Ministry senior consultant Lars Gjemble, as cited by Norway’s ABC Nyheter.

Although Gjemble hailed the F-35 as a major upgrade for Norway’s air capabilities, he also stressed that the data being beamed to Fort Worth could potentially compromise the security of the pilot, likening Lockheed’s data leeching to “information your iPhone shares with the manufacturers.”

Norway has committed to buying 40 F-35 fighter jets, and is expected to purchase an additional 12, altogether totaling NOK 67.9 billion ($8.36 billion). Some of the details surrounding the deal have already raised eyebrows. In what has been described as a “blunder of epic proportions,” it was revealed earlier in November that the pricey aircraft will be housed in tents until proper hangars can be constructed, a project expected to be completed in 2020.

An explosion in a port city South of Shanghai on Sunday killed two people and injured at least 30 others as it knocked down buildings and left streets littered with damaged cars and debris, the government and news reports said.

Two Killed, 30 Injured as Huge Explosion Rocks China Port
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960905000906

The early morning explosion struck a riverfront neighborhood in Ningbo, one of China’s busiest ports, Xinhua reported.

It occurred at a factory but a police statement said the cause was under investigation. Two people were killed and two more seriously injured, the district office announced on its social media account. It gave no details of the deaths.

At least 30 others were taken to hospitals, according to Huanqiu.com, a website operated by the newspaper Global Times. It gave no details of their injuries.

China suffers frequent deadly fires and industrial accidents, often blamed on negligence.

An explosion has hit the Chinese city of Ningbo, killing two people. The injury toll has reportedly reached 30 people.

Blast in Eastern Chinese Port City of Ningbo Claims Lives of 2 People (VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201711261059440881-china-explosion-death-toll-ningbo/

An explosion, which took place in China’s eastern port city of Ningbo earlier in the day, has claimed the lives of two people, while two others remain in critical condition, local police wrote on their official page on the Weibo social network.

Earlier in the day, the blast occurred at a plant in Jiangbei District at around 8:50 local time [00:50 GMT] and destroyed some buildings, the CGTN broadcaster reported, citing the city’s fire department.

Over 30 people were previously hospitalized with injuries following the blast in Ningbo, which is located in China's Zhejiang province, according to the broadcaster.

The firefighters are working at the scene, while the local police are investigating the incident. The reasons of the blast still unknown. According to local authorities, the plant building was uninhabited, but at the time of the explosion, many people were working in it and in the area nearby. A shock wave blasted out the windows of neighboring houses.

 

[angelburst29]

Respected investigative journalist, Seymour Hersh, has claimed that Hillary Clinton sold nerve gas to Syrian terrorists whilst she was acting as secretary of state.

Seymour Hersh: Hillary Clinton Sold Nerve Gas To Syrian Terrorists To Use Them As an Excuse to Invade Syria 22 November 2017
http://www.awdnews.com/index/seymour-hersh-hillary-clinton-sold-nerve-gas-syrian-terrorists-use-excuse-invade-syria/

Hersh claimed that the Obama Administration falsely blamed the Government of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad for the sarin gas attack, which they were hoping to use as an excuse to invade Syria.

Hersh also claims that the Obama administration assisted in approving the transfer of deadly chemical weapons from Lybia to terrorists who were operational in Syria.

According to Zero Hedge: “By the terms of the agreement, funding came from Turkey, as well as Saudi Arabia and Qatar; the CIA, with the support of MI6, was responsible for getting arms from Gaddafi’s arsenals into Syria. ”However, now, for the first time, Hersh has implicated Hillary Clinton directly in this ‘rat line’.

In an interview with Alternet.org, Hersh was asked about the then-US-Secretary-of-State’s role in the Benghazi Libya US consulate’s operation to collect weapons from Libyan stockpiles and send them through Turkey into Syria for a set-up sarin-gas attack, to be blamed on Assad in order to ‘justify’ the US invading Syria, as the US had invaded Libya to eliminate Gaddafi.

Hersh said: “The ambassador who was killed, he was known as a guy, from what I understand, as somebody, who would not get in the way of the CIA.As I wrote, on the day of the mission he was meeting with the CIA base chief and the shipping company. He was certainly involved, aware and witting of everything that was going on. And there’s no way somebody in that sensitive of a position is not talking to the boss, by some channel. ” Hersh responded by saying that the US tradition in that regard has long been to ignore civilian casualties; i.e., collateral damage of US attacks is okay or even desired (so as to terrorize the population into surrender) – not an ‘issue’, except, perhaps, for the PR people.

interviewer asked why Obama is so obsessed to replace Assad in Syria, since “The power vacuum that would ensue would open Syria up to all kinds of jihadi groups”; and Hersh replied that not only he, but the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “nobody could figure out why”.

He said, “Our policy has always been against him [Assad]. Period”. This has actually been the case not only since the Party that Assad leads, the Ba’ath Party, was the subject of a shelved CIA coup-plot in 1957 to overthrow and replace it; but, actually, the CIA’s first coup had been not just planned but was carried out in 1949 in Syria, overthrowing there a democratically elected leader, in order to enable a pipeline for the Sauds’ oil to become built through Syria into the largest oil market, Europe; and, construction of the pipeline started the following year. But, there were then a succession of Syrian coups (domestic instead of by foreign powers – 1954, 1963, 1966, and, finally, in 1970), concluding in the accession to power of Hafez al-Assad during the 1970 coup.

And, the Sauds’ long-planned Trans-Arabia Pipeline has still not been built. The Saudi royal family, who own the world’s largest oil company, Aramco, don’t want to wait any longer. Obama is the first US President to have seriously tried to carry out their long-desired “regime change” in Syria, so as to enable not only the Sauds’ Trans-Arabian Pipeline to be built, but also to build through Syria the Qatar-Turkey Gas Pipeline that the Thani royal family (friends of the Sauds) who own Qatar want also to be built there.

The US is allied with the Saud family (and with their friends, the royal families of Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, and Oman).Russia is allied with the leaders of Syria – as Russia had earlier been allied with Mossadegh in Iran, Arbenz in Guatemala, Allende in Chile, Hussein in Iraq, Gaddafi in Libya, and Yanukovych in Ukraine (all of whom except Syria’s Ba’ath Party, the US has successfully overthrown).

 

[angelburst29]

The aggravation of the international situation compels the Russian leadership to prepare the country for a possible war.

Putin urges Russian economy to prepare for war - even the oligarchs November 26 , 2017
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/putin-urges-russian-economy-to-prepare.html

The set of measures includes not only regular exercises conducted by the Ministry of Defense, but also preparing the economy for full mobilization.

According to Vladimir Putin, if necessary, all large enterprises of Russia should be ready to increase the production of military requirements at any time. This applies not only to the public sector, but also to private business.

"The ability of the economy to rapidly increase the volume of defense products and services at the right time is one of the most important conditions for ensuring the military security of the state. All strategic and simply large enterprises should be ready, regardless of the form of ownership," the supreme commander-in-chief emphasized.

He also recalled that in 2015-2016, instructions were given to modernize production facilities, build up a reserve of material and technical resources and ensure the smooth running of the transportation of troops.

In autumn of 2016, during exercises in the Caucasus, a new wartime control system was tested, encompassing the subordination of governors, FSB and police to the leaders of the Defense Ministry. The new management structure was created as per the "Defense Plan of the Russian Federation for 2016-2020".

If for the public sector, Putin's task of mobilization looks natural, then to private business it may look a little imposing. Many of them consider defensive spending to be an evil that hinders economic growth. Among them, the head of the Council of the Center for Strategic Research Alexei Kudrin, who suggested to the president a reduction in defense spending.

The head of the Party of the Great Fatherland, writer Nikolai Starikov assesses the President's mobilization message from the point of view of an ordinary Russian citizen.

- Our president said things that should be obvious to any Russian citizen. First: we live in a troubled world and a military conflict sooner or later, can break out. Second: the economy of our country is capitalistic. And this means that there are state-owned enterprises and there are private ones. And the third: in case of a military conflict, both the first and the second should work together for victory. That is, now, in peacetime, all the preparation necessary for this must be done.

According to Valentina Katasonova, professor at the Department of International Finance at MGIMO , Russian history teaches that private capital does nothing for the country's defense capability.

- This, of course, was a good statement of the president. But it seems to me that it was poorly thought out. Time will prompt the next steps. In the meantime, in order to understand the current problems, it is worth recalling the story of a hundred years ago, when Russia, poorly prepared, was drawn into the First World War. At that time, Russia was forced to import almost half of its weapons. Mostly from the United States.

A part of the military components produced at Russian enterprises were very expensive. Because the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of that time were private. As a result, private entrepreneurs, or, more simply, the capitalists, perceived the war as a way to make good money.

Finally, through trial and error, by the end of 1915 and beginning of 1916, they realized that it was impossible to ensure the country's defense capability, relying on private enterprises. The construction of state-owned factories began, some private military plants began to be quietly nationalized and only then Russia overcame the shell famine. There were new kinds of ammunition and weapons. But unfortunately, it was too late.

Head of the Laboratory of Military Economics of the Institute of Gaidar, Vasily Zatsepin, considers it reasonable to combine state coercion and material benefits.

- There are mobilization plans and everything is written down. However, it is secret and we do not know what is in there. In wartime, state enterprises and private enterprises will participate in the production of military products. And even those who have never thought before that they can do something for defense - they will.

That is, the enforcement mechanism will be used. No one will ask them if they want to work in the interests of defense?

- Material benefit, too, can be had. Work will not be done for free. Even in the Soviet period, for example, a tank was worth very specific money.

In turn, the economist and chairman of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation from 1995 to 2000, Yury Boldyrev believes that the announcement of the president is incompatible with Russia's 'offshore economy.'

- This statement of the president was late, by at least, ten years, or even a full twenty! I recall that Putin's Munich speech was in 2007. In addition, I think this statement is pre-election PR. Because the real activity on this topic does not begin with a statement about the need for mobilization, but with a strict suppression of the withdrawal of money offshore.

Indeed, according to recently published data, the export of capital over the past year has almost tripled. "Mobilization must start with the concentration of resources in the country." - Boldyrev concluded.

Minutes ago, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) achieved a major breakthrough near the occupied Golan Heights, capturing several sites from the Al-Qaeda linked Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham terrorist group.

Syrian Army breaks through jihadist defenses near occupied Golan Heights
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-syrian-army-breaks-jihadist-defenses-near-occupied-golan-heights/

Led by the 42nd Brigade of the 4th Division and 7th Armored Division, the Syrian Arab Army broke-through HTS’ front-lines at strategic hilltop of Tal Bardayah, seizing many points after a short battle this afternoon.

According to a military source in Damascus, the Syrian Army has surrounded Tal Bardayah from several axes, putting them in prime position to capture the hilltop and impose fire control over the town of Magher Al-Mair.

The source added that at least ten militants from Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham were killed during this swift advance this afternoon.

Sheikh Akram al-Ka'abi, the leader of Iraq's Hezbollah al-Nujaba, underlined his forces' preparedness to cooperate with the Syrian Army troops to liberate the Golan region occupied by Israeli forces, an Arab media outlet reported on Monday.

Iraq's Hezbollah Al-Nujaba Ready to Liberate Syria's Golan Heights
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960906000411

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news network quoted al-Ka'abi as saying that al-Nujaba fighters are well-prepared to take part in an operation to liberate the Golan Heights from Israeli occupation if Damascus asks for al-Nujaba's assistance.

In the meantime, al-Ka'abi pointed to the presence of ISIL and other terrorist groups in Wadi Hooran and Wadi al-Qadaf regions in Anbar desert near the border with Syria, adding that the terrorist group has been provided with intelligence support by the US-Arab intelligence services as the US forces are preventing Iraqi planes from approaching the terrorist-held regions in the Western part of the country to identify and record their movements.

Al-Ka'abi said in February that the ISIL terrorist group was implementing an Israeli-initiated road map under the supervision of the US with the cooperation of Turkey and Arab states of the Persian Gulf in the region.

"And our presence in Syria is aimed at resisting against this plot," Ka'abi underscored.

He further underlined Iraqi al-Nujaba movement's full readiness to take part in a war to liberate Israeli-occupied Golan Heights shoulder to shoulder with the Syrian Army soldiers.

The U.S. military was filmed on Monday delivering more than 100 Humvees to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria.

US delivers 100+ Humvees to Kurdish forces after assuring Erdogan no more weapons to SDF, YPG (Video)
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-delivers-100-humvees-kurdish-forces-assuring-erdogan-no-weapons-sdf-ypg/

This move by the U.S. military comes just two days after Donald Trump assured Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan that his nation was no longer aiding the Kurdish-led forces in Syria.

The U.S. military is still deeply embedded with the Kurdish-led forces in Syria and do not appear to be leaving their camps anytime soon.

For the U.S. regime, this latest Humvee delivery will likely increase tensions with Ankara, who has already accused Washington of aiding the Kurdish forces on a number of occasions.

Russian Ka-51 choppers were filmed flying low over the western countryside of Aleppo to observe the newly established Turkish Army checkpoints in the area.

Russian choppers fly low over west Aleppo to observe new Turkish Army checkpoints – video
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-choppers-fly-low-west-aleppo-observe-new-turkish-army-checkpoints-video/

The Russian chopper was seen flying over Hayyan and ‘Anadan, which have long been under the control of the Islamist rebels in west Aleppo.

In the video above, the person filming stated at one point that rebel fighters in the area were firing on the Russian aircraft with their rifles.

According to the Russian reconciliation center, their jets and choppers flying over this region are specifically observing the de-escalation zone; they do not intend to attack any rebel force, so there would be no reason for the latter to fire upon the aircraft.

The Syrian Army troops, backed up by the Russian Air Force, managed to advance against terrorists in several flanks in Eastern Ghouta, field sources reported on Monday.

Terrorists Pinned Down under Syrian Armed Forces' Heavy Attacks in Eastern Damascus
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960906000256

The sources said that tough battle has been underway between the army soldiers and terrorists along the road connecting Jobar to Ein Terma region and fruit market management center in Harasta region, adding that the army's missile and artillery units have been pounding the terrorists' positions in the region.

Also, the army men drove terrorists out of several buildings in Jobar after carrying out a surprise attack on terrorists' positions in al-Arab neighborhood, advancing towards other militant-held regions.

In the meantime, the army soldiers stormed the positions of Faylaq al-Rahman and Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in areas near the fruit market management center in Harasta to recapture lost lands, the sources said, adding that heavy fighting is underway in the center.

Terrorists engaged in fierce clashes with each other in Abu al-Dhohour airbase in Southeastern Idlib as the Syrian Army troops are preparing for a large-scale operation to enter Idlib and capture the base, an Arab media outlet reported on Monday.

Infighting Erupts among Terrorists in Southeastern Idlib amid Syrian Army Advances in Region
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960906000133

The Arabic-language al-Watan online reported that members of the Islamic al-Turkistan party clashed with the rival terrorists of Ansar Turkistan in the Abu al-Dhohour airbase in Southeastern Idlib for the first time.

The al-Watan quoted sources close to the warring sides as saying that differences over how to lead the war against the army caused the infighting between the Islamic al-Turkistan party and Ansar Turkistan.

It added that the army troops have deployed only 17 km away from the airbase from its Eastern direction.

Al-Watan went on to say that al-Turkistani party has recently joined the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board), participating in battle against the army men close to the village of al-Mastariheh.

Military sources said on Saturday that the army troops were in final stages of military-logistic preparations to kick off a large-scale anti-terrorism operation in Idlib province from different directions amid the government forces' advances in Hama and Aleppo.

The sources said that the army put a large number of its elite force on alert in Northeastern Hama and Southern Aleppo to kick off the final phase of an imminent operation to capture the strategic Abu al-Dhohour airbase.

The sources said that the first phase of the army operation would end after purging Northeastern Hama and Southern Aleppo of terrorists.

The sources further added that the army was not expected to face much resistance in its operation in Idlib as rifts were recently widened among terrorist groups in the region.

Ankara-backed terrorist groups exchanged heavy fire in Northern Aleppo amid the Syrian Army troops' preparation to kick off an imminent operation in Southeastern Idlib, media activists reported on Monday.

Turkey-Affiliated Militants Fight Each Other in Northern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960906000295

The sources said that members of the North Brigade-Free Army clashed fiercely with Ahrar al-Sham rival terrorists in the town of Jarabulus in Northeastern Aleppo that inflicted several casualties on both warring sides.

The sources added that the Turkish Army has placed its forces on alert following the clashes in Jarabulus.

Relevant reports said last month that heavy infighting between the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) and ISIL terrorist groups in Northern Syria claimed the lives of scores of militants from both sides.

A sum of 15 members of FSA militants were killed and 35 more were injured in clashes with the ISIL Takfiri terrorists, who for their part, suffered a heavy death toll in the clashes.

The Syrian Army troops and militants affiliated to the Turkish Army hit each other's positions in Northeastern Aleppo, local sources confirmed on Monday.

Syrian Army, Turkey-Backed Terrorists Exchange Heavy Fire in Northeastern Aleppo
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960906000447

The sources reported that the Syrian Army units and the Ankara-led Euphrates Shield forces reportedly exchanged gunfire near the town of al-Bab in Northeastern Aleppo.

Militants opened fire at the Syrian army troops South of Al-Bab, while Damascus forces responded with their own barrage of gunfire.

Neither side reported casualties regardless of the fierce exchanges.

Media reports said earlier this month that Ankara ordered transfer of the Chinese terrorists in Idlib to the regions controlled by Turkey-backed militants in Northeastern Aleppo.

Syria's al-Watan newspaper quoted sources close to the terrorists in Aleppo and Idlib as saying that Turkey ordered the Turkestani terrorists to transfer the family members of Chinese Uyghuri militants who were almost 3,000 people from Idlib, specially Jisr al-Shaqour, to areas in Aleppo and Jarabulus which were controlled by the Turkey-affiliated forces.

The sources explained that Turkey embarked on the move for the fear of possible reactions by the local people who are enraged by the terrorists' repeated attacks on infrastructures in the province.

The Chinese terrorists recently intensified attacks on railways, infrastructures, historical monuments and properties of the local people to sell them in the market.

The humanitarian situation in Syria's At Tanf is extremely difficult, as refugees in the neighboring Rukban camp cannot get access to humanitarian and medical aid due to the US' actions, according to the Russian military.

US Traps Over 50,000 People by Sealing Zone Around Its Base in Syria - Moscow
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711271059479644-us-attanf-isolated-refugees-rukban/

The US has banned anyone from coming within 55 kilometers of its military base in At Tanf, Syria, on the nation's border with Iraq, depriving more than 50,000 refugees in the Rukban camp, which is located in close proximity to the base, from getting humanitarian assistance, Head of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation Sergei Kuralenko said during a news briefing.

Kuralenko added that "despite the consultations held earlier, the American side has still not provided access to the Rukban camp for humanitarian agencies."

Earlier the US expressed its willingness to allow humanitarian assistance deliveries but noted that it was the Syrian government who had impeded these efforts.

In the beginning of November, Russia accused the US of establishing a training camp near Rukban to forge a new moderate opposition, calling US actions "a war crime," since they prevented the Syrian government from setting up a safe corridor for deliveries of humanitarian supplies for refugees.

However, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Ryan Dillon refuted the accusation as "false" and "baseless," assuring that the coalition's partner force allowed deliveries to pass.

The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly warned that refugees living in the Rukban camp were being used as a "human shield" for the US military base near At Tanf. The base has twice been used to strike Syrian government-aligned forces fighting Daesh militants.

The military base, which was established without the government's permission by the US in April 2017 near the town of At Tanf on the Syria-Iraq border, has become a problem for Syrian forces fighting the Daesh terrorist group. The United States justified the setting up of a military base there in terms of the need to carry out operations against Daesh. However, since the establishment of the base, there have been no reports of American anti-terrorist operations, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Trilateral relations between Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel has witnessed several clashes over the recent years and their relations are deteriorating.

Israeli MoD: Iran Has No Military Presence in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711271059470981-israel-defense-ministry-iran-syria/

Iran does not have a military presence in Syria now and Israel's goal is to prevent its appearance in the country, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday.

"There are no [Iranians] in Syria, contrary to what is being said. Yes, there is a pool of experts, advisers and so one there. Iran has not been present in Syria so far and our main goal is to prevent [Iran] from being present as a real military force," Lieberman said in an interview with Russian-language Channel 9, an Israel broadcaster, adding that Iran had not managed to establish its own military bases in Syria.

Iran wanted to set up its own ports, sea and airports, military bases next to Russia. They have not managed to do that either," Lieberman said.

Iran has been accused by Israel on numerous occasions of delivering weapons to terrorist organizations and of attempts to use the Syrian conflict in order to further establish itself in the region and turn Syria into an enemy state for Israel. In particular, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Iran's actions in the region posed a threat not only to the Middle Eastern region but to the whole world and pledged to respond to these actions by all possible means, including the ones based on the use of force.

Saudi Arabia has long had a difficult relationship with Shia Iran but a full-blown power struggle has developed between the two in recent months.

Meanwhile, Iran and Saudi Arabia have clashed recently over Lebanon and Tehran has also been accused of supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen.

 

[RedFox]

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and white helmets have popped up again.

Moscow dismisses reports of Russian strikes on Syrian village
https://www.rt.com/news/411088-russia-dismisses-airstrikes-reports/

Russian military has denied media reports of alleged airstrikes on a Syrian village of Ash Sha’fah. The Russian Air Force strikes only terrorist-held targets based on conclusive intelligence, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

“No airstrikes by Russian Airspace Forces were conducted in the village of Ash Sha’fah in the province of Deir ez-Zor,” the Ministry said on Monday.

Reports of alleged strikes emerged on Sunday, citing the controversial UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The organization claimed that the Russian Air Force hit “residential buildings” in the village of Ash Sha’fah on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, killing at least 53 civilians, many of them children. The Observatory did not provide any proof to back up the report.

The Russian Air Force exclusively targets objects controlled by international terrorist organizations, the Defense Ministry stated. Moreover, they do not conduct strikes in densely populated residential areas, it added.

“The information on such [terrorist-held] objects is checked prior to strikes and is verified in real time through several channels, both from the ground and from the unmanned aerial means of objective control,” the Ministry elaborated.

“The reports by the UK-based ‘Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ on the alleged strikes on the Ash Sha’fah village conducted by the Russian planes are yet another fake,” it concluded.

SOHR, run by an individual residing in the UK, has been reporting on the Syrian conflict for years, claiming to have a wide network of contacts on the ground. Despite the shady sources and lack of proof, the Observatory’s reports have been given widespread coverage in Western media.

I wouldn't have mentioned it, except for the fact that UK Channel 4 news is running with a story today with lots of White Helmets footage of (apparent) injured people, and some pretty strong anti-Russian/Assad sentiment.

Firstly on the 23rd

Airstrikes in Syrian province reportedly left over 100 dead in the last week
_https://www.channel4.com/news/russia-likely-to-reduce-troops-in-syria

When it comes to Syria, Russia has been doing a great deal of diplomatic leg work in recent days, meeting with Iran and Turkey to broker a post-conflict settlement. Today, a top Russian general said Russia was likely to reduce troop numbers in Syria. But the Russians and the Syrian regime also seem in a hurry to change the facts on the ground before the next round of peace talks begins. Ferocious airstrikes have reportedly left over 100 dead in one province in the last week, nine of them today.

This report from our foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Rugman contains images that some viewers may find distressing.
[video I can't embed]

And again today 27th

Syria: Shocking new pictures reveal the agony eastern Ghouta
_https://www.channel4.com/news/syria-shocking-new-pictures-reveal-the-agony-eastern-ghouta
They are under siege. They are under constant bombardment. Now shocking new pictures reveal the agony of life in the Damascus suburb of east Ghouta, under government blockade, where activists say 19 civilians died in a wave of attacks by Syrian forces yesterday. Rebels fired several mortars into a Damascus neighbourhood in response.
[video I can't embed]

Found CNN covering the same thing, updated on the 26th.

Airstrikes kill 57 in Syria two days before peace talks
_http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/26/middleeast/syria-conflict-airstrikes/index.html

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

(CNN)Airstrikes and shelling killed at least 57 people Sunday in two separate towns in Syria, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory For Human Rights (SOHR).

The continued fighting on Sunday came two days before a fresh round of United Nations-facilitated peace talks were to start Tuesday in Geneva, to be followed by a second session in December.

In the ISIS-held village of al-Shaafa, in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province, Russian airstrikes killed 34 civilians, including 15 children, SOHR said in a statement.
Al-Shaafa sits on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, one of the last areas occupied by ISIS in the region.
Many of those wounded in the airstrike are in critical condition, which could cause the death toll to rise, SOHR added.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced a series of airstrikes by six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers on ISIS targets in northeastern Syria, according to Russian state-run news agency Sputnik News.

In their statement, the the Russian Defense Ministry says the airstrikes were aimed at ISIS strongholds, ISIS militants and ISIS military equipment.
It is unclear whether these Russian airstrikes were the same as the ones that hit the village of al-Shaafa.
Separately, in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held suburb of Damascus, Syrian regime airstrikes and shelling killed 23 people, including six children, SOHR said.
Various Islamic rebel groups control Eastern Ghouta and the suburb has been surrounded by Syrian regime forces for more than four years.
Eastern Ghouta is part of the four de-escalation zones in Syria which were negotiated by the Russian, Iranian and Turkish governments in May.
In theory, residents in the area should be in a safe zone free from airstrikes, shelling and fighting.
However, the situation inside Eastern Ghouta is dire, with the UN reporting severe food and medical shortages.
Earlier in November, the World Health Organization estimated that up to 400,000 people remain besieged in Eastern Ghouta, with no way out.

"For months, the people of Eastern Ghouta have been subjected to sustained deprivation, restrictions on humanitarian access and serious human rights violations," said Elizabeth Hoff, WHO Representative in Syria. "We have now reached a critical point where the lives of hundreds of people, including many children, are at stake. If they do not immediately get the medical care they urgently need, they will most likely die."
Since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, an estimated 400,000 civilians have been killed, according to the United Nations.
The ongoing violence against civilians has been condemned by the Arab League, the European Union, the United States and other countries.
More than 5 million Syrians have fled the country and 6.3 million people have been displaced internally, according to the UN.

Aljezera seemed to be the only other news agency vaguely covering this - and it seems to be Saudi backed rebels that are dying in Ghouta.

 

[angelburst29]

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and white helmets have popped up again.

Moscow dismisses reports of Russian strikes on Syrian village
https://www.rt.com/news/411088-russia-dismisses-airstrikes-reports/

Russian military has denied media reports of alleged airstrikes on a Syrian village of Ash Sha’fah. The Russian Air Force strikes only terrorist-held targets based on conclusive intelligence, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

“No airstrikes by Russian Airspace Forces were conducted in the village of Ash Sha’fah in the province of Deir ez-Zor,” the Ministry said on Monday.

Reports of alleged strikes emerged on Sunday, citing the controversial UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The organization claimed that the Russian Air Force hit “residential buildings” in the village of Ash Sha’fah on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, killing at least 53 civilians, many of them children. The Observatory did not provide any proof to back up the report.

I wouldn't have mentioned it, except for the fact that UK Channel 4 news is running with a story today with lots of White Helmets footage of (apparent) injured people, and some pretty strong anti-Russian/Assad sentiment.

Firstly on the 23rd

Airstrikes in Syrian province reportedly left over 100 dead in the last week
_https://www.channel4.com/news/russia-likely-to-reduce-troops-in-syria

When it comes to Syria, Russia has been doing a great deal of diplomatic leg work in recent days, meeting with Iran and Turkey to broker a post-conflict settlement. Today, a top Russian general said Russia was likely to reduce troop numbers in Syria. But the Russians and the Syrian regime also seem in a hurry to change the facts on the ground before the next round of peace talks begins. Ferocious airstrikes have reportedly left over 100 dead in one province in the last week, nine of them today.

This report from our foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Rugman contains images that some viewers may find distressing.
[video I can't embed]

And again today 27th

Syria: Shocking new pictures reveal the agony eastern Ghouta
_https://www.channel4.com/news/syria-shocking-new-pictures-reveal-the-agony-eastern-ghouta
They are under siege. They are under constant bombardment. Now shocking new pictures reveal the agony of life in the Damascus suburb of east Ghouta, under government blockade, where activists say 19 civilians died in a wave of attacks by Syrian forces yesterday. Rebels fired several mortars into a Damascus neighbourhood in response.
[video I can't embed]

Found CNN covering the same thing, updated on the 26th.

Airstrikes kill 57 in Syria two days before peace talks
_http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/26/middleeast/syria-conflict-airstrikes/index.html

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

(CNN)Airstrikes and shelling killed at least 57 people Sunday in two separate towns in Syria, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory For Human Rights (SOHR).

Aljezera seemed to be the only other news agency vaguely covering this - and it seems to be Saudi backed rebels that are dying in Ghouta.

Great observation, RedFox! Not sure what's going on but there's a feeling 'something is brewing?" Don't know, if what you posted has anything to do with tomorrow's (Tues. Nov. 28) eighth round of intra-Syrian talks, where there is also a Conference being held by the Swiss Press Club on the activities of the White Helmets? (No doubt, to glorify the WH's acting skills?)

]Media Watchdog Demands Cancelation of Conference on White Helmets' Activities
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201711261059451835-white-helmets-no-conference-demand/

The conference is set to take place in the Swiss Press Club on November 28 amid the beginning of the eighth round of intra-Syrian talks. UK independent journalist Vanessa Beeley, who has carried out her own investigation into the White Helmets ’ activities, was invited to participate in the conference alongside French journalist Richard Labeviere, expert in the Middle East and international terrorism, and Marcello Ferrada de Noli, chair of Swedish Doctors for Human Rights (SWEDHR) non-governmental organization.

After the date of the event has been announced, Swiss club’s Director Guy Mettan received a letter from Gerard Tschopp and Christiane Dubois, the president and the director of RSF Switzerland, both members of the Swiss Press Club. The officials have asked Mettan to cancel the conference, saying that it "damages the image of the Swiss Press Club," while the participants of the meeting "serve Russian propaganda." Tschopp and Dubois claimed that they did not want their organization’s name to be associated with the meeting, and threatened to withdraw their Swiss Press Club membership, if the conference is not canceled.

"I am amazed. I have never seen that an organization in charge of protection of the freedom of press requires from me censorship in relation to a press conference. Usually, pressure aimed at prohibiting a press conference comes from a country with tough dictatorship. It is the first time that such a request has been voiced by the organization, protecting the rights of journalists, from a democratic country," Mettan told Sputnik, adding that he did not plan to cancel the conference, and noted that he had received many messages in support of the event.

There were, however, negative opinions about the conference. Particularly, former US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford wrote on Twitter on November 21, that some people were likely to participate in the event just to get free drinks at its conclusion. Also, the Syria Campaign movement tweeted on the same day, that by holding the conference, the Swiss Press Club was helping to promote individuals working to muddy the truth on Syria.

This article was just published .. apparently to demonize Russia?

It became known how much the EU will spend on the information war with Russia
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/it-became-known-how-much-eu-will-spend.html

More than a million euros will be allocated annually by the European Union to finance the working group on strategic communications East Stratcom,
established in 2015 to combat propaganda.

For the first time since the creation, the funds - 1.1 million euros per year - will be allocated directly from the EU budget, and not collected from EU member states or sought through cutting other items of expenditure.

The funding of this working group is already laid in the EU budget for 2018-2020, writes The Guardian. This was preceded by the warning of the head of the European Council Donald Tusk: he said that one of the real problems of Europe is "cyberattacks, fake news and hybrid war."

Tusk's words refer to the recent speech of British Prime Minister Theresa May, who accused Russia of interfering in the elections and placing fake news in the media in order to "turn information into weapons" and sow discord in the West.

The British government is expected to deny further funding to its Armed Forces, diverting the much-needed funds to cyber security measures that are likely to target Russia in a move that split Theresa May's Conservative Party.

Depleted British Military Faces More Cuts for May's Cyber War Against Russia
https://sputniknews.com/military/201711271059467616-uk-mod-cuts-cyber-russia/

A new report by the Telegraph revealed that the latest National Security Review has delivered a striking blow to the British military, whilst allocating significant chunks of the budget to cyber warfare.

The statement from the U.K. came on the heels of this:

Putin Signs Amendments to Law Allowing to List Media as Foreign Agents
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201711251059431072-putin-law-foreign-agents/

Moscow has previously vowed response to the forced registration of RT America under FARA after the US Justice Department's demand.

President Vladimir Putin has signed amendments, which had been previously approved by both chambers of the Russian parliament, to a bill allowing to list some foreign media outlets operating in the country as Foreign Agents.

The US and EU efforts to silence Russian news outlets through enforcing the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and launching the East StratCom unit to counter so-called Russian propaganda evoke strong memories of George Orwell's "1984," Eric Van de Beek, editor of Novini, the Netherlands' geopolitical magazine, has told Radio Sputnik.

Editor Explains How NATO, EU Benefit From Silencing Russian Media
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201711271059480847-eu-us-russia-media/

Eric Van de Beek: It's totally clear to everyone [that] the East StratCom is very biased, it is fully committed to countering Russian ‘fake news.' Why this obsession with fake news from Russia? It's clear there is a political agenda behind this.

Google officially responds to Russian watchdog's questions
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/google-officially-responds-to-russian.html

The Federal Service for the Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media received a response from Google where to clarify its plans to change the algorithm for the delivery of news content for Russia’s RT television channel and Sputnik news agency, it reported on its website.

"In response to your letter, we’d like to inform you that by speaking about ranking of web-sources, including websites of Russia Today and Sputnik, Dr. Eric Schmidt was referring to Google's ongoing efforts to improve search quality," the statement said.

"We don’t change our algorithm to re-rank individual websites," the statement said.

Russian Military Denies Claims of Airstrikes on Village in Syria
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711271059473001-russian-military-denies-airstrikes-village/

The UK-based Human Rights Observatory has reported that airstrikes, allegedly by Russia, hit residential buildings in the village of Al-Shafah in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province.


Russian military denies SOHR claims of airstrikes on Deir Ezzor village
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-military-denies-sohr-claims-airstrikes-deir-ezzor-village/

The UK-based Human Rights Observatory has reported that alleged Russian airstrikes hit residential buildings in the village of Al-Shafah in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province.

The Russian Defense Ministry dismissed on Monday allegations of attacks by the Russian combat planes on a settlement in Syria.