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

[angelburst29]

The US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane was approaching the Russian state border in the Black Sea, according to Moscow.

Russian Fighter Intercepts US Spy Plane in Black Sea
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201711281059497941-russia-fighter-intercept-us-reconnaissance/

The Russian military had to scramble a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft (NATO reporting name: Flanker-C) on November 25 after detecting an aerial target approaching the Russian border, the Russian Southern Military District's press service said in a statement.

In order to intercept the target, a Su-30 fighter was scrambled from… the Southern Military District. The Russian fighter flew over the aerial object and visually identified it as American reconnaissance aircraft P-8A Poseidon," the Russian statement read.

In the wake of the incident, CNN reported, citing Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza, that Russia's Su-30 had made an "unsafe" intercept of a US P-8A Poseidon maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

US European Command Spokesman Juan Martinez explained that the maneuver was dubbed "unsafe" since the Russian jet made a close approach with full afterburners on, while the P-8A was "conducting a routine operation in international airspace."

The Russian military reported that, after being detected by the Russian fighter, the US reconnaissance aircraft changed its trajectory to move away from Russia's airspace.

Such encounters occur on a regular basis, however, it is the first intercept reported as unsafe since June when a Russian jet came close to a US aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

A Russian Su-30 fighter's intercept of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea has given rise to concerns in the Pentagon, which complained about the Russian jet's "unsafe" behavior. Military observer Vladimir Kozin opined on what the Pentagon might do to avoid such incidents in the future.

Russian Jet vs. US Plane: 'Instead of Whining, US Should Stop Provoking Russia'
https://sputniknews.com/military/201711281059506792-russian-jet-intercepts-us-navy-plane-commentary/

Speaking to Sputnik about the incident, Vladimir Kozin, a professor at the Russian Academy of Military Sciences, said it was worth noting, for context' sake, that the US has been actively engaged in aerial espionage missions all along Russia's borders recently. "According to authoritative military sources, US intelligence-gathering activities on our borders have increased ten-fold in recent years," he observed.

The Russian military scrambled to intercept the US plane on Saturday after spotting an aerial target approaching Russia's border, the press service of the Southern Military District said in a statement Tuesday. The Russian military confirmed that the Su-30 flew over and visually identified the American plane. Earlier, a Pentagon spokesperson complained to CNN that the Russian jet intercepted the US Navy plane in an "unsafe" manner with its after burners engaged. "The US aircraft was operating in international airspace and did nothing to provoke this Russian behavior," the spokesperson said.

Regarding the Pentagon's claims about "unsafe" Russian "behavior," Kozin suggested that all of this was just "noise."

"There were no dangerous interceptions, and will not be any. Our pilots are responsible people, and understand that any dangerous interception can end badly for both sides. Therefore, instead of raising all this noise, the US military should just stop its provocative flights near our territory," the expert said.

"Reconnaissance [by specialized aircraft like the P-8A] may be interpreted by our military as part of preparations for possible military operations, because military aviation doesn't just fly around for no reason. This was not just some civilian drone monitoring road traffic or crop conditions," Kozin warned.

As for what the Pentagon might to do to avoid similar incidents in the future, it's simple, the academic insisted: if the US stops its reconnaissance flights near Russia's borders, the Russian Aerospace Forces will stop their intercepts. "Earlier, when the US didn't engage in these shenanigans, there were no interceptions," he noted.

The Russian Defense Ministry has noted a major uptick in US and NATO flights near Russian territory in recent months. In mid-November, the Ministry reported that jets were scrambled three times in one week to chase away foreign recon planes. In the seven day period, twelve spy planes were caught approaching Russian airspace, including six on the western borders, three in the Russian Arctic, one on the southwestern flank and two from the east. A week before that, 17 foreign aircraft were reported to be patrolling the border, with Russian planes scrambled twice to intercept.

FOX News
Russian jet buzzes US Navy spy plane over Black Sea
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/11/27/russian-jet-buzzes-us-navy-spy-plane-over-black-sea.html

A Russian Su-30 fighter jet buzzed a Navy reconnaissance plane flying in the Black Sea while conducting a routine patrol in international airspace Saturday, an official told Fox News.

The Russian jet crossed 50 feet in front of the Navy P-8 in full afterburner causing “violent turbulence,” the official said. The provocation lasted 24 minutes.

It appears to be the first known incident of this type since June, when an armed Russian fighter jet buzzed a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The Russian Su-27 jet had air-to-air missiles under its wings and approached the U.S. Air Force RC-135 recon jet "rapidly," coming within 5 feet of the American aircraft, officials said.

Once alongside, the Russian jet was “provocative” in its flight maneuvers and flying “erratically,” according to another official.

Earlier this month, U.S. fighter jets intercepted Russian nuclear bombers approaching the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan off the coast of North Korea.

Multiple U.S Navy F/A-18 jets were dispatched to escort two Russian TU-95 bombers away from the ship currently stationed near North Korea and operating in the Sea of Japan, according to Navy officials.

The Russian bombers, capable of executing a nuclear strike, were intercepted merely 80 miles away from the ship, said Navy officials.

Lt. Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman described the incident with the Russian air force as “safe and professional,” according to Military.com.

Saturday's incident, which CNN was first to report, came just weeks after the Russian foreign ministry called the U.S. an “occupying force” in Syria.

There are roughly 2,000 U.S. troops on the ground in Syria, although the Pentagon acknowledges only 500. It’s unclear how many will remain following the defeat of ISIS in Raqqa, the terror group’s so-called capital.

There are approximately 3,000 ISIS fighters left in Iraq and Syria according to U.S. officials after reaching a height of nearly 40,000 fighters two years ago.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief spokesperson has acknowledged that his country is already engaged in "psychological and media warfare" against Lebanon's Hezbollah and that the head of the movement, Hassan Nasrallah, "would be a target for assassination" in any war between them.

Israel Promises Hezbollah Head Will Be 'Target for Assassination' in 'Next War'
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711281059503658-israel-lebanon-hezbollah-war-nasrallah-assassination/

Brigadier General Ronen Manelis was participating in a panel discussion at a conference for Israeli journalists in the southern city of Eilat on Monday, where he addressed the issue of media warfare and methods for influencing an enemy via both mainstream and social media.

The chief spokesperson noted that the IDF is already engaging in "psychological and media warfare against Hezbollah." Warning of upcoming conflict, he said, "there won’t be a clear victory picture in the next war," although it is clear that Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the movement, "would be a target for assassination" in any military operation.

"It is clear that if he dies, it will influence the [military] campaign," Manelis specified.

Hassan Nasrallah, in turn, has repeatedly warned Tel Aviv against escalating tensions with his country, promising that Lebanese armed forces are more than ready for any potential conflict.

Manelis, however, dismissed the warnings suggesting that the next war, "Will look different. The intelligence and operational capabilities of the IDF, their movement and firepower, means that if it is difficult in Israel — in Lebanon it will be much worse."

The two countries have already fought two bloody conflicts in 2006 and 2000. Commenting on the possibility of another military clash, the Hezbollah leader said last month that the Israelis “do not have the correct picture about what is awaiting them if they head towards the idiocy of this war.”

Earlier in November, Lebanon’s army chief Commander, General Joseph Aoun, ordered soldiers onto combat alert on the southern border of the country to be able to respond to the Israeli military’s "threats and violations."

A political standoff in Lebanon continues to intensify, with the country's Prime Minister yet to decide whether he will finally resign or not.

Stay Neutral or Else! Lebanese PM Hariri Issues Stern Warning to Hezbollah
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711281059496362-lebanon-prime-minister-hariri-hezbollah/

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has made it plain that he will step down if the Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah refrains from paramilitary activity.

Hariri pledged to remain Prime Minister in case Hezbollah "accepted to stick by the state policy of staying out of regional conflicts," according to the French news network CNews.

"They know we have to remain neutral in the region. I don't want a political party in my government that interferes in Arab countries against other Arab countries," CNews quoted him as saying.

The remarks came after Hariri returned to Lebanon following his visit to France last week.

At the time, he announced his decision to "postpone" his previous self-proclaimed resignation, pending talks with the rest of the Lebanese government after President Michel Aoun said he would not consider Hariri's resignation until after a personal meeting.

Hariri announced his resignation in a video address from Saudi Arabia on November 4, in which he accused Iran and the Hezbollah movement of attempting to destabilize Lebanon and the Middle East, something that was rejected by Tehran.

He said back at the time that he would not tolerate Hezbollah's positions that "affect our Arab brothers or targets the security and stability of their countries," according to his press office statement.

Due to Lebanon's religious diversity, the country's government includes the representatives of the three main religious groups — Sunni, Shiite and Maronite Christian. As for Hezbollah, it remains the most powerful wing of Lebanon's executive branch.

Since 2012 Hezbollah fighters have fought on the side of the government's armed forces in the Syrian civil war. The movement is classified as a terrorist organization in the US, Israel, the European Union and the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council.

 

[angelburst29]

According to the US government’s own data, the real number of American troops deployed to Iraq and Syria exceeds the Pentagon’s official figures by thousands.

US Troops in Syria, Iraq Far More Than Pentagon’s Claims
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960907001419

While the Pentagon insists that it has only sent 503 troops to Syria, a quarterly report by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) puts the number at around 1,720, more than three times higher, World News reported.

The DMDC is the US Defense Department’s personnel agency and collects data on American troops are serving in individual states and overseas countries.

The same report, issued in September, showed that there were 8,992 American troops in Iraq, almost 3,500 more than the Pentagon’s official tally of 5,262.

Colonel Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, questioned the credibility of DMDC’s numbers, downplaying them as initial estimates for given locations that also factored in short-term deployments and troop rotations in other countries.

“The DMDC numbers are not the official deployment count, the numbers that we provided -- the approximately 500 in Syria and approximately 5,000 in Iraq is the official deployment count,” Manning said.

“There are several other things that go into those numbers, it is a snapshot in time and have to also consider that number is quarterly ... our official deployment count has not changed," he added.

Earlier this year, US Defense Secretary James Mattis ordered a review of the actual number of US troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria to see how many troops had been deployed in those countries beyond the maximum force levels authorized under former President Barack Obama.

So far, however, only the troop numbers for Afghanistan have been publicly disclosed and the Pentagon has no intention of doing the same for the other two countries.

“Some of that is based on operational security, some is based on agreements with partners and allies," Manning said, adding that “We’re not at a point where we can make an announcement that differs from the numbers we previously stated.”

Nevertheless, the same discrepancy in official numbers can be seen in Afghanistan, where the Pentagon puts the number at 14,000 versus the DMDC’s 15,282. There are also 1,202 Pentagon civilians in the country, according to the DMDC.

The data is meant to be just an initial estimate and starting point," a Pentagon official told ABC News, stressing that "In addition to the permanently assigned personnel in a country, the data assisted in looking at the possible number of deployed personnel in an area."

Abdulaziz Yunus, who is in charge of foreign affairs of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has revealed to Sputnik that the US and the coalition continue have never stopped arms supplies, despite earlier reports that President Trump promised President Erdogan to put an end to deliveries to the Syrian Kurds.

Hundreds of Trucks Loaded With Weaponry’ Reach SDF Despite Trump’s Promise
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711281059508694-us-sdf-arms-supplies-trump-promise/

The US and its coalition continue providing their military aid. Any reports that the US has halted its arms’ supplies are wrong and do not reflect the situation on the ground," Abdulaziz Yunus told Sputnik Turkiye.

He further specified that, only a day before, Washington had sent "hundreds of trucks loaded with weaponry," all of which have been brought from Qamishli, a city in northeastern Syria on the border with Turkey, to the districts of Deir ez-Zor, where the SDF is currently launching a military operation against Daesh.

"At the moment, the US has not made any announcement that they intend to stop sending arms. On the contrary, they have voiced their intention to facilitate the cooperation with us and increase the volume of their aid to the SDF. This is their current strategy. We, in turn, also hope this support will continue," the SDF foreign affairs official told Sputnik.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump promised his Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Pentagon would stop arming the Syrian Kurds, who form the backbone of the SDF.

Clashes with terrorists continue in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta, which is why it is impossible to declare a ceasefire there, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Kremlin spokesman explains why ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta is impossible
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/kremlin-spokesman-explains-ceasefire-eastern-ghouta-impossible/

“Clashes with terrorists continue there,” he said when asked if a ceasefire could be declared in the area. “There have been no clashes with the armed opposition, it is terrorists from ISIL [the former name of the Islamic State terror group outlawed in Russia – TASS] who are active there,” he stressed.

“An operation against terrorists goes on, there is no way to make a ceasefire agreement with ISIL,” the Kremlin spokesman added.

According to Syria’s SANA news agency, on Thursday, militants active in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus fired shells at the city center, killing six and leaving 35 wounded.

Eastern Ghouta is included in one of the de-escalation zones established in compliance with an agreement made by the guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire – Russia, Iran and Turkey – on May 4. The Syrian army command announced a cessation of military activities in the area on July 22, but, according to SANA, militant groups have been violating the ceasefire, shelling the country’s capital.

The Islamic State (IS) and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to a one month long ceasefire in the Al-Hasakah Governorate (Wilayat Al-Baraka), a recently discovered ISIS document revealed.

US-backed forces involved in one month long ceasefire with IS in Hasakah (Photo of document - claim not verified )
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-backed-forces-involved-one-month-long-ceasefire-hasakah/

According to Middle East analyst Aymenn Al-Tamimi, the agreement between the two parties was confirmed by the Islamic State activist Abu ‘Imad Al-Nayrabi.

“Among terms of the cease: oil wells still controlled by IS remain under its control, fighters can leave for treatment, no obstruction of entry and leaving of goods to territory of either side, hotline to coordinate ceasefire and minimize risk of mistakes etc. document found in 1 of isil offices talks about apparent ceasefire agreement for a month with the Syrian Democratic Forces in Wilayat al-Baraka aka Hasakah province,” Tamimi added.

Aymenn J Al-Tamimi @ajaltamimi
Replying to @ajaltamimi

I have put a note of caveat just in case. If the agreement isn't real or broken, then of course IS' Wilayat al-Baraka media feed or Amaq News item will mention clashes/ops against SDF.

Aymenn J Al-Tamimi @ajaltamimi

Among terms of ceasefire agreement: oil wells still controlled by IS remain under its control, fighters can leave for treatment, no obstruction of entry and leaving of goods to territory of either side, hotline to coordinate ceasefire and minimize risk of mistakes etc.

4:47 PM - Nov 27, 2017

While the Islamic State does not have a relatively large presence in the Al-Hasakah Governorate anymore, they still control several small villages in the eastern part of the province. The official spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces has not commented on this alleged agreement with the Islamic State.

On Tuesday, several media outlets released a document that allegedly included provisions about a month-long truce between the Daesh terrorist group and the Kurdish-dominated SDF.

Syrian Democratic Forces Call Reports About Ceasefire With Daesh 'Ludicrous'
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711281059505037-syrian-democratic-forces-daesh-ceasefire/

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said in a Tuesday statement obtained by Sputnik that it denies the existence of ceasefire agreements with Daesh militants, labeling the reports ridiculous, adding that SDF units will continue its struggle against terrorism.

"Several forces that have suffered from the defeat of terrorism are trying to worsen the reputation of our forces or to distort [the impact of] our victories by spreading false statements at every turn in order to insult us or to boost the morale of the terrorists on the brink of defeat… The document spread by media that it is allegedly a ceasefire… can be classified only as ludicrous," the statement said.

The rebuttal comes after the BBC broadcaster reported earlier in November that the SDF, supported by the US-led international coalition, ensured the withdrawal of about 250 Daesh militants from the city of Raqqa.

Syria's Permanent Mission to the United Nations said that it had sent letters to the UN secretary-general and to the chairman of the UN Security Council saying that the US-led coalition had ensured withdrawal of Daesh terrorists from Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.

The Syrian city of Raqqa that Daesh militants had called their self-proclaimed capital was liberated by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. However, Damascus still considers Raqqa occupied until it comes under the control of the Syrian government army, amid reports that some unknown forces are operating in the city now.

The Islamic State (IS) terrorists were filmed by pro-government media retreating from their former stronghold of Albukamal to the areas controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

IS terrorists filmed retreating from Albukamal towards US-backed SDF lines
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/terrorists-filmed-retreating-albukamal-towards-us-backed-sdf-lines/

A video released by the pro-government channel, Al-Watan, claimed that the Islamic State terrorists slipped out of Albukamal by crossing the Euphrates River and reached the front-lines of the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Al-Masdar is unable to verify the authenticity of the video, nor has the Syrian Army commented on this claim by Al-Watan.

The Islamic State did in fact cross the Euphrates River after abandoning Albukamal, but their whereabouts following the retreat are unknown.

This latest video comes just hours after a document was leaked claiming the Islamic State and SDF have an ongoing ceasefire in the Al-Hasakah Governorate.

The Turkish Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, stated during his press conference with his British counterpart, Monday, that lasting peace in Syria is unrealistic as long as Assad remains in power.

Lasting peace in Syria ‘unrealistic’ with Assad in power: Turkish PM
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/lasting-peace-syria-unrealistic-assad-power-turkish-pm/

“Peace in Syria is not a realistic prospect with Assad in place,” the Turkish PM claimed.

Yildirim’s comments come a few days after Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told Russia that he is open to speaking to Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad.

The Syrian government has not yet commented on this statement by the Turkish premier.

 

[Mr Meowgi]

It's about time. I keep things short sweet and to the point. My arthritis kills me some days. Working on it.

 

[angelburst29]

The US military and intelligence services are likely to succeed in blocking President Donald Trump’s efforts to end US military support for rebel groups in Syria, former foreign policy adviser to Senate Republicans Jim Jatras told Sputnik.

Pentagon, White House aids to foil Trump’s plan to stop arming Syrian Kurds, opposition
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/pentagon-white-house-aids-foil-trumps-plan-stop-arming-syrian-kurds-opposition/

On Monday, the White House said the United States is now in a position to stop providing military support to opposition groups in Syria given the Islamic State terrorist group (Daesh) has been crushed.

The military and the intelligence community — are used to calling the shots the way they want,” Jatras said on Tuesday when asked about the possibility Trump might cut off defense provisions to the Syrian opposition.

US Cuts Aid to Free Syrian Army Due to Disappointment Over Syrian Army Gains?

However, Jatras cautioned that Trump had surrounded himself with hawks like Secretary of Defense James Mattis, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster all of whom were committed to fighting the ongoing wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It doesn’t help that Trump has appointed virtually nobody to the top of his team who seems to agree with him on basic security strategy,” he said.

Trump had made clear he wanted to end US support for Islamist extremist groups fighting to topple the legitimate government of Syria and had been trying to implement that policy, Jatras acknowledged.

Recently Trump had informed Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the United States would no longer support the Kurds since Daesh as a physical caliphate was almost destroyed, Jatras recalled. “That was immediately disputed from the military,” he said.

The US armed forces and intelligence community were also determined to retain the massive physical infrastructure they had built up within Syria under the guise of supporting the rebel groups and a fighting Daesh, Jatras noted.

“The US has a dozen-odd bases illegally on Kurdish-controlled Syrian territory. Defense Secretary Mattis says we are not leaving. Trump is under pressure from the Saudis and Israelis to break the Iran-Iraq-Syria-Hezbollah ‘land bridge.’ It’s anybody’s guess who’s running US policy on this,” he said.

However, trump still appeared determined to career through his election pledge and pull US forces out of Syria once Daesh had been destroyed, Jatras recalled. “Trump seems to know where he wants to go: destroy IS, work with Russia — and now, Turkey — to wind down the war and declare victory over terrorism,” he said.

Jatras said the United States can accept that the Syrian government along with Russia and Iran have won and seek to influence the end game or stay embedded in Syria, arm various groups to “keep the pot boiling” even though it will not change the overall outcome.

Lt. Gen. Viktor Sevastyanov, a senior Russian air force commander, said that by intercepting a US Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea, the crew of a Russian Su-30 fighter jet helped US colleagues avoid an international scandal that would have broken if they violated Russia’s state border.

Senior Russia Commander: Intercepting US Plane by Su-30 Crew 'Helped Avoid International Scandal'
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960908000884

On November 25, the Russian military had to scramble its Su-30 fighter aircraft after detecting an aerial target approaching the Russian state border in the Black Sea. The Russian fighter flew over the object and visually identified it as a US reconnaissance aircraft P-8A Poseidon, Sputnik reported.

According to Lt. Gen. Viktor Sevastyanov, the Commander of the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army of the Russian Southern Military District, the interception was carried out only after the US reconnaissance plane flew about 10 kilometers closer to the state border of Russia. The Poseidon was forced to change its trajectory, move away from Russia's airspace, and the Russian fighter jet escorted it as it returned to the base.

Sevastyanov pointed out the professionalism of the Su-30 crew, adding that this was the standard practice of preventing the violation of the air border.

"Our pilots, in actual fact, helped US colleagues avoid an international scandal that would have broken if they violated Russia's state border», Sevastyanov said.

In the wake of the incident, CNN reported citing Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza that Russia's Su-30 had made an "unsafe" intercept of a US P-8A Poseidon maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

US European Command Spokesman Juan Martinez explained that the maneuver was dubbed "unsafe" since the Russian jet made a close approach with full afterburners on, while the P-8A was "conducting a routine operation in international airspace."

Speaking to Sputnik about the incident, Vladimir Kozin, a professor at the Russian Academy of Military Sciences, referred to the Pentagon's claims about "unsafe" Russian "behavior" as just "noise."

"There were no dangerous interceptions, and will not be any. Our pilots are responsible people, and understand that any dangerous interception can end badly for both sides. Therefore, instead of raising all this noise, the US military should just stop its provocative flights near our territory," the military expert said.

He added that recently the US has been actively engaged in aerial espionage missions all along Russia's borders and that if Pentagon wants to avoid similar incidents in the future, the US should halt that practice.

Former CIA and US Army intelligence officer Philip Giraldi says that the United States would wind down or phase out its support for some rebel groups in Syria that had proven militarily useless, but also would still maintain a significant military presence in the country.

US may keep bases in Syria despite ending support for rebels
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-may-keep-bases-syria-despite-ending-support-rebels/

The United States will retain its military bases and presence in Syria and continue to militarily support Kurdish forces there despite saying it will end its backing for rebel groups, former CIA and US Army intelligence officer Philip Giraldi told Sputnik.

“The US presence in Syria is not going away,” Giraldi said on Tuesday. “The Turks claim that there are now 13 US bases in the country, some of which appear to be permanent.”

The United States is in a position to stop providing military support to opposition groups in Syria as Daesh terror group is being crushed in the country, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said during a press briefing on Monday.

However, Giraldi cautioned that the US government was determined to maintain a significant military presence in Syria to ensure it had influence on the negotiations that would end the six-year-long civil war, which has cost an estimated 600,000 lives. “Washington will stay so it will have a presence at any negotiations that take place to end the civil war,” he said.

The United States would wind down or phase out its support for some rebel groups that had proven militarily useless and that had failed to win any public popular support, Giraldi acknowledged.

However, the move had primarily been taken in response to angry pressure from Turkey, a key US ally in NATO, which has a massive Kurdish minority of between 13 million to 15 million people, or 15 to 20 percent of the total population, Giraldi pointed out. “They [United States] are partly serious, but it is largely a response to Turkish pressure to stop arming the Kurdish militias that make up the bulk of the American supported forces in Syria,” he said.

Washington was determined not to abandon the Kurds, who enjoy strong support in Congress and in the US media, Giraldi observed. “They will seek to find other ways to continue to arm and fund the Kurds without making the Turks crazy,” he said.

The Kurds have felt increasingly isolated since Iraq’s central government launched a military drive against Iraqi Kurdistan across the border from Syria ha after its leader Masoud Barzani held a referendum that in which 90 percent of those voting called for full independence from Baghdad.

Abdulaziz Yunus, who runs foreign affairs for the Syrian Democratic Forces, has revealed to Sputnik that the US and the coalition have never stopped arms supplies, despite earlier reports that President Donald Trump promised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to end deliveries to the Syrian Kurds.

Yunus further specified that Washington has sent hundreds of trucks loaded with weaponry from Qamishli, a city in northeastern Syria on the border with Turkey, to Deir ez-Zor, where the SDF is launching a military operation against Daesh.

The Russian Federation’s Defense Committee announced on Wednesday that their military will remain inside Syria to monitor the ceasefires and de-escalation zones across the country.

Russian military to remain active in Syria
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-military-remain-active-syria/

According to the Defense Committee, Russia will keep their jets, helicopters, and armored vehicles in Syria, along with their military personnel.

The Russian military will keep their S-400 systems in the Syrian port-city of Tartous and Hmaymim Military Airport near Jableh, the Kremlin’s Defense Committee on Wednesday.

Russia to keep S-400 missiles in Tartous, Hmaymim Airport
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russia-keep-s-400-missiles-tartous-hmaymim-airport/

This statement by the Russian Federation’s Defense Committee comes just two months after the Kremlin secured the sale of their S-400 systems to the Turkish regime.

The S-400 systems were first moved to the port-city of Tartous in late 2015 after the Turkish military downed a Russian Su-24 fighter jet in the northern countryside of the Latakia Governorate.

Since then, the Russian military has kept the S-400 systems on the Syrian coast in order to protect their forces inside the country.

The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria announced on Wednesday that Chinese Special Forces are to arrive soon in Syria to take part in combat against terrorist groups.

Chinese Elite Forces to Arrive in Syria Soon to Join War on Terrorists
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960908000584

The Russian center said that the Chinese forces will soon arrive in Syria to intensify attacks on the Islamic al-Turkistani Party that have been detected by the Syrian Army troops.

The center quoted sources in the Chinese Defense Ministry as saying that the Chinese Army's Night Tigers and Siberian Tigers affiliated to counter-terrorism forces will soon arrive in Syria to attack Eastern-Islamic Turkistan Movement in Damascus province.

The Arabic-language al-Watan online reported on Monday 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.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) stormed the western part of Taloul Barda’yah this morning after successfully capturing the eastern slope of this large hilltop.

Syrian Army storms last jihadist bastion near occupied Golan Heights
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-storms-last-jihadist-bastion-near-occupied-golan-heights/

Backed by heavy artillery, the Syrian Arab Army’s 42nd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division stormed the western slope of Taloul Barda’yah, where they confronted by the Al-Qaeda linked Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham terrorist group.

While no advance has been made thus far, the Syrian Army is attempting to seize this entire hilltop in order to impose fire control over this large jihadist pocket that is located near the occupied Golan Heights.

While the 42nd Brigade attacks the Beit Jinn pocket, the Quneitra Hawks Brigade and Golani Regiment are beefing up their numbers near the strategic town of Hadar, as rumors of another big assault by HTS is looming.

The Syrian Army resumed its military operation near the occupied Golan Heights, storming the Western part of Tal (hill) Bardaya after successfully capturing the Eastern slope of the large hilltop from Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board).

Syria: Al-Nusra Withdraws from Positions in Golan Heights
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960908001078

The army men, backed up by the artillery and missile units, stormed Al-Nusra's strongholds in the Western direction of Tal Bardaya and managed to push the terrorists back from more positions.

According to a battlefield source, the Syrian Army is attempting to seize the hilltop to impose fire control over the large pocket of militants near the occupied Golan Heights.

Also, a field sources reported that the army has dispatched a number of forces and equipment to the Western slope of the hill to repel terrorists' possible attacks.

A fresh wave of arrests of notorious Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) commanders has started under the supervision of the Turkish army in Idlib province, an Arab media outlet reported on Wednesday.

Northwestern Syria: Al-Nusra Commanders Arrested under Turkish Army Supervision
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960908001157

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news network reported that the Al-Nusra has intensified arrest and incaceration of its senior commanders in Idlib province.

In the meantime, local sources said that the Al-Nusra has arrested Abu Mas'ab Libiya'yee, Abu Abdul Rahman al-Maleki, the emir of Al-Nusra's Epic Soldiers and Abu Khadija Ordoni, the emir of border units and seven other commanders in training centers and 11 muftis (religious leaders) that had previously worked with Jund al-Aqsa along with tens of senior members of the group.

The sources further pointed to the differences between Al-Nusra Commander-in-Chief Abu Mohammad al-Julani and other dissident commanders that were ideologically close to Al-Qaeda and have opposed the Turkish army's plan to enter Idlib.

They added that the arrest of the dissident commanders by Al-Nusra was carried out at the order of the Turkish army to end riot in Al-Nusra's ranks.

The sources, meantime, disclosed that the Turkish intelligence service supervised the capture of the commanders and a patrolling vehicle of the Turkish army accompanied Al-Nusra's convoy of vehicles in the terrorist group's attack on the neighborhoods of al-Qosour, al-Thowra and al-Rana Idlib.

Websites reported on Tuesday that the Al-Nusra Front arrested several senior commanders that were ideologically close to Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri, the current leader of al-Qaeda, in Idlib province.

The websites reported that Al-Nusra arrested Abu al-Qassem al-Ordoni, the former deputy of Abu Mas'ab al-Zarqawi, Sami al-Aridi, Al-Nusra's former mufti, Abu Hammam al-Souri, a former commander of Al-Nusra and Abu Jalbab al-Ordoni, the senior commander of Al-Nusra after their opposition to the terrorist group's thoughts.

The websites further added that the arrested commanders were ideologically close to al-Zawahiri.

They went on to say that Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, had called on the commanders before their arrest to take part in a reconciliation session, but the commanders were arrested and sent to an unknown location after taking part in the meeting.

Ankara said it could expand its military mission in Syria to two other provinces, potentially bringing its forces into confrontation with US-backed Kurdish fighters, the Turkish National Security Council announced in a statement on Wednesday.

Turkey Mulling over Intensifying Siege of Kurds in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960908000485

The statement said that Ankara is about to expand it monitoring centers in regions close to the town of Afrin in Aleppo province that is under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

“It’s been considered that the observation mission of the Turkish armed forces in the Idlib de-escalation zone continues successfully, and such a mission being performed near Western Aleppo and Afrin would provide a real environment of peace and safety,” the statement added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had stressed that Ankara needed to clear the Afrin region of Northwest Syria of Kurds as the military operation in Idlib province is largely complete.

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported earlier this month that the Turkish soldiers crossed Nahr (river) al-Aswad that streams between Bakur Kurdistan and Afrin and crossed the borders of Afrin near the village of Akbas in Raju region. It said that the army built a bridge over the river to transfer its vehicles in case it comes under attack.

In the meantime, the Turkish forces dug trenches adjacent to the village of Heidarku in Hatay province in Southwestern Turkey.

Hawar news said that the Turkish forces' move was aimed at setting up military positions at border with Raju region to deploy heavy military equipment there.

 

[angelburst29]

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

Despite Western-Funded NGO’s Boycott, Vanessa Beeley Exposes White Helmets At Swiss Press Club November 29, 2017
https://www.activistpost.com/2017/11/despite-western-funded-ngos-boycott-vanessa-beeley-exposes-white-helmets-at-swiss-press-club.html

Despite the best efforts of State Department/Soros-funded Reporters Without Borders, the Swiss Press Club refused to cave to RWB’s grandstanding, threats, and bullying and the event surrounding the truth about the White Helmets continued as scheduled.

Rather than attend the event to ask questions and present its side of the argument, RWB responded with insults and hid away under the guise of boycotting the panel. Pouting in the corner and refusing to take part in the discussion, however, did not stop the discussion from taking place.

As 21st Century Wire reports,

The western-driven myth of the White Helmets continue to disintegrate. Despite the efforts of alleged ‘free speech’ advocate NGO Reporters Without Borders to shut this event down, Swiss Press Club head Guy Mettan went ahead as scheduled. Reports Without Borders even went as far as to draft a formal complaint demanding the event be cancelled, alongside protestations by UK-based ‘Syrian opposition’ group Syria Campaign.

Today at the Swiss Press Club in Geneva, 21st Century Wire Associate Editor Vanessa Beeley(pictured above) presented a dossier on the dubious UK-backed NGO known as the ‘White Helmets’ which included up-to-date information on their links to al Qaeda affiliates in Syria, as well as exposing the western propaganda organisation’s many bogus claims, including having ‘saved 99,220 lives‘ since the western-funded construct based in Turkey was created in late 2013.

The press event featured presenters Beeley, along with Richard Lebaviere and Prof. Ferrada De Noli from Swedish Doctors for Human Rights. A factual film (in contrast to the Netflix fiction) exposing the White Helmets was shown to attendees and media, followed by presentations by the three aforementioned speakers with a Q&A session.

 

[angelburst29]

China to fight ISIS in Syria? No, and here's why FRN didn't run that story (FRN = Fort Russ News)
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/china-to-fight-isis-in-syria-no-and.html

Over the last two days, news sites ran a story claiming that China was going to be sending units to Syria. We didn't run the story because something wasn't right. When we tried to get to the bottom of the claim, which on our radar screens originated in the English language from the generally reliable Middle-East Monitor. Their story was here.

That story in turn referred to a Gulf state news site called the New Khaleej. But they didn't give a link to the source story. But the New Khaleej in turn isn't the official mouth-piece of China. And on Xinhua news, which is China's official news, there was nothing relating to that story.

All stories that ran subsequently an any number of sites, including on TeleSur, seem to go back to sources which in turn end up citing the New Khaleej story.

Since our editorial team is made up not of stenographers of power educated in western 'Journalism School' but rather mostly of university educated political scientists with a background in IR, we know already that China has a very conservative policy about deploying units outside of a very limited and well known possible area. The border with India is a hot-spot today, and in 1950 there was the liberation of Tibet, and in 1979 China invaded Vietnam in response to Vietnam moving into Cambodia. What these all have in common is that they border China. China's defense policy is generally focused on changing the composition of its forces, generally under the pretext of what it calls informationization and mechanization of its forces, which should see a reduction in army size in exchange for the deployment of force multiplying technologies by 2020.

Internally, the Chinese self-narrative and other factors relating to how their legitimacy story is explained to its people, generally works against really foreign deployments.

We should add that it is also probable that China is using the conflict in Syria to allow some of its most 'rambunctious' Uyghur Salafist extremists to find some other place and way to meet their end. China has the security and intelligence apparatus in place to pre-emptively arrest and detain these extremists before they leave China. But contrary to Western mythology, China would then be in the position of having to treat rather decently, rehabilitate, and then release these extremists back to the public - and so there are very limited number of reasons to explain Chinese policy on allowing these Uyghur Salafists to leave to fight in Syria.

This would mirror Russian policy on dealing with the vast bulk of Ukrainian armed neo-nazi extremism which saw a tremendous reduction in numbers in the famous Debaltseve cauldron in January 2015. The meat-grinder there not only reduced NATO proxy Ukrainian force capacity, but perhaps just as importantly - if not more - reduced a great number of political agitators, who in turn influence the culture at large as well as voters. 'Martyrdom' doesn't work well as an organizing strength when, say, 80% of your movement is 'martyred'.

China is chiefly a soft-power actor, and any news that they are deploying their admittedly impressive defensively oriented army anywhere, should always be met first with skepticism. It's rising global hegemony is not based on military adventurism.

We chose not to the run the story because based on all the above, though we could have run a version of the story with the proviso that we are still seeking confirmation about that. When the reliable Al Masdar ran the story, their chief editor wrote the story himself with the important proviso that they were still seeking confirmation from Syrian military officials. This is the right way to cover such a story, should an agency choose to cover it.

Predictably, when Al Masdar's team received word back from the Syrian officials - the result was as we expected:

Leith Abou Fadel
✔ @leithfadel

Just spoke to a Syrian Army source, they denied Chinese troops deploying to Syria.

7:23 AM - Nov 30, 2017

With all that said, a few minders. For one, it's likely that China has had a few military experts on the ground, from time to time to observe real-time actions. These would be active or retired ranking military who likely are instructors at military academies in China. War games are a great way to see how various doctrines and technologies play out in reality. But far superior to this are observing actual conflicts.

Secondly, the weather balloon factor. There have now been several stories that have suddenly appeared about China set to deploy troops to Syria. The last notable one was from 2015. These don't appear without cause.

In many spheres of social life, governments, corporations, organizations, etc., may have others close to them go on ahead and leak a proposed new policy or product (one they have no plan for), etc., just to gauge public or international, even internal, reception. At some point in time, in the future, China may be compelled to deploy as far away from it's primary sphere of interest as Syria and beyond, and these stories serve as an excellent way to gauge, and prepare for, the response.

Fort Russ News has no problem printing a retraction, but we'd rather avoid that when we know beforehand that we'd later have to. There's a cynical saying inside the news world, that news only has to be true for a day. We aren't interested in that. Maintaining readership and building trust as a credible paper, emerging as a paper of record, is a long-term and principle-based project, and this means not covering a sensational story that gives a short term boost to ratings.

The Syrian Arab Army has seizes yet another huge cache of weaponry and military material from ISIS in Deir Ezzor province. This was reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

VIDEO: Huge ISIS weapons cache seized in Deir Ezzor
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/video-huge-isis-weapons-cache-seized-deir-ezzor/

The Syrian army reportedly seized the weapons from fleeing ISIS forces as the terrorist organization retreated from the Deir Ezzor Governorate in eastern Syria. Specifically, the weapons were found in caches and bases in the towns of Al-Salhiyah, Al-Asharah and Sabekhan, all three of which were liberated by the Syrian elite Tiger Forces led by Colonel Suheil al-Hassan last week.

The weapons seized included heavy artillery, heavy-duty machine guns, an abundance of self-designed armored vehicles and technicals, and hundreds of assault rifles.

Terrorists in the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus have called on Washington to set up an airbase in the region, media sources said on Thursday.

Terrorists Demand US to Establish Airbase in Damascus
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960909000509

The Russian Reconciliation Center revealed on its facebook page that at least two terrorist groups in Eastern Damascus have officially demanded the US to establish an airbase in the region.

Noting that the demand has been raised with the aim of weakening Russia's role to end the clashes in the region, the Center said that any move by the US in this regard contradicts the international laws and will delay efforts to establish peace in Syria.

In a relevant development in the same province on Wednesday, the Syrian Army stormed again the strongholds of the Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in Southwestern Damascus, coming closer to the terrorists' largest bastion in the region, military sources confirmed on Wednesday.

The sources said that the army soldiers clashed fiercely with Al-Nusra terrorists close to Bardaya hill and managed to seize control over the Eastern direction of the hill covering a region from Northeast of Beit Jinn farm up to the Southwest of the village of Kafr Hoor.

A large number of Al-Nusra fighters were killed and their military equipment was destroyed in the attack, they said.

The sources went on to say that the Bardaya hill is of paramount importance and its capture by the army will enable the government forces to access Beit Jinn farm that is one of the largest bastions of Al-Nusra in Western Ghouta.

In the meantime, the Al-Nusra's missile and artillery units targeted army positions in Tal al-Sha'ar region in Eastern Quneitra to back up their comrades in Beit Jinn and slow down the army's advances in the region.

Russia published the draft agreement between their nation and Egypt that would allow their fighter jets to use Egyptian airbases.

Egypt to allow Russian fighter jets to use Egyptian airbases
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-egypt-allow-russian-fighter-jets-use-egyptian-airbases/

This latest agreement with the government in Cairo would allow Russian fighter jets to fly out any airbase within Egyptian territory.

The agreement comes just 24 hours after the Russian Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoygu, made an official visit to Cairo to meet with Egyptian President ‘Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and his Defense Minister. No further details were released.

The Jordanian-US-British operations room has decided to fully end its support for the terrorists in Southern Syria, media sources reported on Thursday.

US, Jordan, Britain Stop Support for Terrorists in Southern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960909000198

The Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper reported that 'Syria Media Center' affiliated to the terrorist groups in Southern Syria was closed after a decision taken by the US-British-Jordanian operations room called al-Mouk.

The Syrian daily said the Center was the mouthpiece of the terrorists in the Southern front and was directly supported by the Jordanian government and al-Mouk, "but they have withdrawn their support for the media center in the past few months".

Meantime, a source close to the Center confirmed the shutting down of the Center, adding that the al-Mouk operations room wants to fully stop support for the terrorist groups in Syria.

Also, news websites affiliated to the terrorists reported that plots to form a High Military Command Council consisting of terrorists stationed in Southern Syria, al-Qalamoun region and Eastern Ghouta in Damascus have failed.

Reports coming out of Syria suggested in May that a joint military force of US, British, and Jordanian troops, equipped with tanks and helicopters, were reportedly been deployed in the war-torn country's Southern border areas from Jordan's Northern region.

The troops were positioned in a long strip region across the border zones of Syria's southern provinces of Dara'a and Sweida, from Tel Shahab rural area, just a few hundred meters from the Jordanian border, to al-Nasib Border Crossing and Khirbet Awad village.

Over 400 U.S. Marines will be leaving Syria after a two and a half month long deployment, the Spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve reported today.

Over 400 US Marines to leave Syria: Coalition
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/400-us-marines-leave-syria-coalition/

“1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment arrived here Sept. 15 this year, replacing a previous unit. The Marines supported Coalition partner forces with precise artillery in the fight against ISIS in Raqqah, Syria. With the city liberated and ISIS on the run, the unit has been ordered home. Its replacements have been called off,” the OIR statement began.

 

[angelburst29]

Israel has fired several missiles into western Syria tonight, targeting several sites near the Iranian base in the Kesweh area, a source told Al-Masdar News.

Israeli missile hits target near Iranian base in west Damascus 02/12/2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/israeli-missile-hits-target-near-iranian-base-west-damascus/

According to the military source, at least one Israeli missile struck its intended target, while the rest were intercepted by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles (SAM).

Another missile was just fired by the Syrian Air Defense at approximately 1:10 A.M. (Damascus Time).

One of Iran’s largest military bases in Syria is located in western Damascus; however, it has never been targeted by the Israeli forces.

Al-Masdar News has just learned that the Israeli forces fired several missiles towards the 1st Division ammo storage in the western countryside of Damascus.

Update: Israeli missiles targeted strategic Syrian Army ammo storage in west Damascus
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/update-israeli-missiles-targeted-strategic-syrian-army-ammo-storage-west-damascus/

According to a military source, several missiles were fired towards this ammo storage, with some of them intercepted by the Syrian Air Defense before they hit the target.

However, some of the missiles did reach their intended target, causing loud explosions between the towns of Kesweh and Sahnaya.

Moments ago, another Israeli missile was fired towards the ammo storage, but it was reportedly intercepted by the Syrian Air Defense.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) launched a powerful attack in the West Ghouta region of Damascus, tonight, targeting the Beit Jinn pocket that is controlled by the Al-Qaeda linked Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham terrorist group.

Syrian Army storms jihadist bastion near the Golan Heights after Israeli attack
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-storms-jihadist-bastion-near-golan-heights-israeli-attack/

Backed by the 7th Armored Division and Liwaa Suqour Al-Quneitra, the Syrian Army’s 42nd Brigade of the 4th Division stormed Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham’s positions at the town of Mughar Al-Mir from the recently captured hills of Taloul Barda’yah.

According to a military report, the Syrian Army is now advancing at several axis in the Beit Jinn pocket as they look to take control of Mughar Al-Mir.

The Syrian Army’s attack on the Beit Jinn pocket came just minutes after the Israeli military fired several missiles towards the 1st Division’s ammo storage in western Damascus.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) uncovered a large web of tunnels belonging to the so-called Islamic State (IS) this week while combing through the liberated city of Albukamal in southeast Deir Ezzor.

IRGC uncovers large web of IS tunnels around liberated Albukamal (Video)
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/irgc-uncovers-large-web-tunnels-around-liberated-albukamal/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3T_2UkKENM (1:57 min.)

The large web of tunnels led from Albukamal to the city’s outskirts and several other sites in southeast Deir Ezzor; this allowed for several Islamic State terrorists to flee before losing the entire area to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their allies.

The IRGC unit placed explosives inside the tunnels and detonated the bombs in order to destroy entire web so that the Islamic State could no longer use them.

The video footage shows above shows the tunnels the IRGC uncovered this week in Albukamal – the Syrian Army still believes several other tunnels exist in this part of Deir Ezzor.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has posted a video on his Facebook page, explaining his policy on Iran as well as the Syrian conflict.

Netanyahu Says Israel Won't Allow Iran to 'Entrench Itself Militarily' in Syria (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712031059645589-netanyahu-wontallow-iran-in-syria/

Israel will not allow Iran to have military a presence in Syria or its own nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed shortly after an alleged Israeli strike on a target in Syria.

Let me reiterate Israel's policy. We will not allow a regime hell-bent on annihilation of the Jewish state to acquire nuclear weapons, we will not allow that regime to entrench itself militarily in Syria as it seeks to do for the express purpose of eradicating our state," Netanyahu said in a video message posted on his Facebook on Saturday.

According to local media reports that haven't yet been officially confirmed by either Damascus or by Tel Aviv, Syria has repelled an Israeli attack on a "military position" near Damascus. Some media outlets speculated that the possible target may have been an Iranian base and several Iranian troops may have been injured in the attack allegedly carried out by Israel.

Tehran has repeatedly denied reports of having a base in Syria as well as conducting military operations there, however, stressed its cooperation with the country's leadership in the fight against various terrorist groups, including Daesh, and acts as one of the guarantors of the ceasefire in the Arab Republic jointly with Russia and Turkey.

While Syria and Israel, which have never signed a peace treaty, have repeatedly exchanged multiple tit-for-tat attacks, Netanyahu along with the country's defense minister stated that Tel Aviv is free to act in Syria for the sake of its security.

Netanyahu's video was reportedly taped on Thursday and is expected to be shown in full on Sunday at the Brookings Institution’s annual Saban Forum in Washington.

Syrian Army units discovered a huge pile of US- and European-made weapons inside Daesh dens in Deir ez-Zor’s countryside.

Syrian Army Displays Foreign Weapons Seized From Daesh Near Deir ez-Zor (VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712021059642170-syria-army-foreign-weapons/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edLs1sMwPFk (6:04 min.)

The Syrian military demonstrated an arsenal of weapons seized in areas southeast of the province of Deir ez-Zor, with a video being published on the YouTube channel of SANA news agency.

The arsenal includes a thousand small arms, a stock of barrels for anti-aircraft installations and large-caliber tank machine guns. In addition, the footage shows that the army units captured several trucks with artillery guns.

Earlier, the Syrian Army reported that the weapons found in the warehouses were manufactured by US and European companies.

In October, local media reported that Syrian troops had found weapons in the city of Mayadin, which had been the largest Daesh stronghold in the region, that were from Belgium, Great Britain and Israel. As the Syrian military noted, the jihadists allegedly received these weapons, which were allegedly purchased under Pentagon programs, in order to help the allies.

The United States will cease weapons supplies to the Kurdish People's Protection Units as was promised earlier to the Turkish leadership, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said amid Ankara's demands to provide documented evidence of cuts.

Mattis Confirms US Commitment to Halt Arms Deliveries to Syrian Kurds
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712031059645850-usa-stop-syrian-kurds-arms-supplies/

On Friday, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz told Sputnik that Washington was yet to prove it is cutting its arms supplies to Syrian Kurds with documented evidence as the statements from White House continued to differ on the issue.

Yeah. We are going to go exactly along the lines of what the president [Donald Trump] announced," US Defense Secretary James Mattis Mattis said on Friday, while answering the reporter’s question whether the United States would stop arming the Syrian Kurds.

 

[Cosmos]

Checkmate! For now Syria is safe and free again, thanks to Putin. Next step, helping the country to come back online; Rebuilding:

http://<iframe width="854" height="...w="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The future of Syria, has perhaps been decided on November 22, during the talks of the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey in Sochi. On the agenda of the meeting was a political settlement in this country, after the defeat of ISIS. The United States was not invited to the show, but it can still intervene in the plans of the Moscow coalition.

Turkey and Iran are of course on the opposite sides of the Syrian conflict - so to bring both sides to the round-table is quite the achievement of Russia.

An important part of the preparation for the summit was Putin’s meeting with Bashar Assad on November 20 in Sochi. The Syrian President thanked Russia for saving his country, claimed the defeat of the rebel factions and announcing the forthcoming political process.

At the same time, expecting the US to fundamentally change its position on Syria is a long shot – the “Assad must go” rhetoric is not off the table when it comes to the Western coalition. The US media reproaches its president for the lack of a counter strategy in the Middle East. "The United States has renounced the role of an influential diplomatic player in Syria, passing it to Russia. Ultimately, the US contributes to a political process in which Russia will be the main engine, and does not meet the strategic goals of America, " writes Wall Street Journal.

 

[angelburst29]

Israel has not revealed any response measures to the rocket fired from Syria.

Israel's Army Reports About Rocket Fired From Syria at Golan Heights
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712031059658040-israel-military-golan-heights-missile-fire/

A projectile launched from Syria fell on the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights without causing any damage, the Israeli army's press service has reported.

However, the military thinks that the rocket launch was not deliberate and was allegedly "stray fire from the internal fighting" in Syria between the government and opposition forces.

No plans on response measures have yet been reported.

The accident took place a day after several Israeli ground-to-surface missiles were intercepted by Syrian forces in an area south of Damascus, while a few others reportedly hit an ammunition depot of the Syrian Army, causing explosions in an area between the towns of Kiswah (Kesweh) and Sahnaya.
The missile attack, however, was not confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces when contacted by Sputnik.

In a recent video posted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his Facebook page, he explains the country's policy on the Syrian conflict, claiming that Iran was planning to extend its military presence in Syria and thus provoking Tel-Aviv to respond.

Tehran has repeatedly denied reports of having a base in Syria as well as conducting military operations there, however, stressed its cooperation with the country's leadership in the fight against various terrorist groups, including Daesh, and acts as one of the guarantors of the ceasefire in the Arab Republic jointly with Russia and Turkey.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Israel have had suspicious coordination to campaign against ISIL in Southern Syria amid Tal Aviv's repeated attacks on Syrian territories and government forces' positions, an Arab media outlet reported on Sunday.

FSA, Israel Coordinating to Hit ISIL in Southern Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960912001009

The Arabic-language al-Watan quoted well-informed sources as saying that the representatives of Israel and FSA have had several meetings in recent days to coordinate attacks on the positions of Jeish Khalid Bin Walid affiliated to the ISIL in Hawz al-Yarmouk region in Southern Syria.

The daily went on to say that Israeli agents had assured FSA of regular intelligence and aerial back up for them in the incoming operation against ISIL.

The sources told al-Watan that the Israeli forces are due to support the FSA with their drones and mid-range ground-to-ground missiles.

The Israeli drones backed up the FSA in a battle with the ISIL codenamed Ahl al-Arz near the town of Tasil in Western Dara'a on November 28.

The FSA won the battle in Tasil.

Some of the analysts believe that recent meetings between the FSA and Tel Aviv representative testify deep relation between the terrorist group and Israel that is providing significant supports for the terrorists in the region.

An Arab media outlet reported in mid-November that members of the FSA started heavy infighting in Quneitra province in Southwestern Syria over the distribution of Israeli-supplied aid package.

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.

Israeli forces have been providing financial, logistic, weaponry and medical supports for the terrorists in Southern Syria.

In the meantime, the Israeli hospitals have been admitting and curing a large number of Syria's injured terrorists.

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on Damascus on Saturday. Details of the attack are still unclear, as the first reports were in the Israeli media, and within a matter of hours were removed.

Why Israel Attacks Syria?
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960911001635

The Israeli reports claim the strikes targeted the “Iranian base” South of Damascus. This military facility has never been confirmed by anybody as actually belonging to Iran, but Israeli outlets played that narrative up as part of the so-called “Iranian threat.”

This isn’t entirely unusual within Israel, as the military censors often compel the media not to report stories. It is unusual, however, for them to let the story out and then recall it after the fact. This is while media outlets outside of Israel reporting on the incident make no mention of an “Iranian base,” saying that what was targeted was a Syrian Army ammunition depot.

Since neither cross-border violence nor the threats are new, the question remains: Why does Israel attack Syria, including routine attacks in the form of rocket fire - as well as assassinations and air raids carried out exclusively by Israel - that have intensified since the US-led war on Syria began in 2011 – of course, with a helping hand from the terrorist group of ISIL, among other proxies?

Surely, Israel is climbing up too high a tree over Iran’s presence in Syria:

1- According to Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, “There is no Iranian military force in Syria. Iran is not on our border. It’s true that there are some experts and advisers, but there is no military force there.” This is the same Lieberman who only two weeks ago, while visiting the Israeli army’s Northern Command, warned that “Israel would not allow an entrenchment of Shiite and Iranian forces in Syria. Anyone who doesn’t understand what I mean would do well to try and understand.”

2- The Zionist regime’s officials accuse Iran of trying to establish a military foothold in Syria, where Tehran has been supporting Damascus's fight against ISIL and other terrorists with major results. Benjamin Netanyahu claims the goal is “using Syria as a base from which to destroy Israel.” His remarks seem baseless, as Iran has never attacked any nation in the past 200 years. Besides, Iranian military advisors are in Syria upon an official request from Damascus and they will stay there as long as they are wanted. Unlike the US forces, Iranians are not there to occupy Syria permanently. Then again, if Israel tries to compel the Iranians to leave, it could lead to military friction which could deteriorate into a wider conflict.

3- Israel's attacks on the Syrian Army happen intentionally. There is also intentional 'spillover' by US-backed terror proxies to prod Israel to attack the Syrian military. They never take place because of stray fire falling within the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, or when arms convoys pass near the border. There are no Iranian fighters launching rocket fire into the occupied Golan Heights, either. All these lies and more are fabricated by Israel and company for one purpose only: to prolong the violence in Syria and protect Israel.

4- True, the violence has spilled over the border and into occupied Palestine. But blowback was inevitable. In fact, the violence even affected the security in Europe and beyond. Virtually every country in Western Europe has reported that some of its Muslim citizens have gone to Syria. A small but significant number have died in the war, mostly from the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and other states with sizable Muslim minorities. Americans are now fighting in Syria as well.

5- In the case of stray fire, the Israeli regime and its American-Arab allies are responsible. They are the ones that turned Syria into a failed state and it is Damascus that under international law has every right to retaliate. The warmongers better accept spillover.

6- Syria and Israel have technically been in a state of war since 1948, after the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli war that ensued that year. In 1967, Israel occupied the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights and continues to occupy part of it to this day. The two countries signed a disengagement agreement in 1974 following the 1973 war between Israel, Syria and Egypt. The border region has remained relatively quiet since then, but the eruption of the war on Syria unleashed a new chapter in Israeli-Syrian relations. The fact that the US-led war on Syria failed is critical to understanding the increase in Israeli attacks over the past few months.

7- The US-backed terror proxy forces were making substantive gains in the first leg of the war, and the intervention of Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah on the side of Syrian armed forces, tipped the scales in the government's favor. The growing power and influence of the allied forces, mainly Iran and Hezbollah, is why Israel is now concerned - a fear that it does not conceal. From now on, the focus in the Muslim world will once again be on Palestine and their legitimate struggle for freedom and self-determination. Muslims are now taking a more severe view of the daily activities associated with Israel’s occupation, including the deaths of many Palestinian civilians in the rounds of war in Gaza.

8- Netanyahu claims that Iran intends to turn Syria into a base of military entrenchment and use Syria and Lebanon as war fronts to eradicate Israel. By attacking Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys the usurper regime cannot escape its fate. It will be the Palestinian people and not foreign armed forces who will soon turn the tables in favor of Palestine.

At any rate, the collapse of ISIL rule in Syria and Iraq is further indication that the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia no longer have the upper hand in the region and can no longer strike any target they want in Syria. They are free to collaborate with terrorist groups and use their stray fire as an excuse to target the Syrian government and allies. But they are wrong to assume they can still win the failed regime-change war. Surely, there is no light at the end of ISIL tunnel.

The ISIL war was concluded without Israel’s input – and its new strikes show how Israel can no longer continue to shape the Syrian battlefield on its own. It also sends a message to the Trump administration that any political resolution of the Syrian conflict will not take into account Israel’s long-term security interests.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said othe Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a security alliance of former Soviet republics, will not take the path of ultimatums and blackmail, typical of NATO.

Lavrov: Unlike NATO, CSTO Not to Opt for Ultimatums, Blackmail
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960912001253

"I strongly believe that the CSTO will not take this path. We do not blackmail anyone and do not issue ultimatums to anyone," Lavrov said, TASS reported.

"We are concerned about own security within the territory of the CSTO members. We have enough problems and we are not trying to play geopolitical games." Lavrov is convinced that "NATO still exists artificially."

"Following the collapse of both the Soviet Union and Warsaw Treaty, the alliance forfeited its raison d’etre," the top diplomat said. "Our counterparts across the ocean were the ones to support the military and political bloc of the North Atlantic Alliance aspiring not to lose leverage over Europe."

First, to justify the meaning of "their unity," NATO employed the theme of Afghanistan, afterwards "the Russian Federation ‘has turned up’ as a country that defends its interests in close cooperation with its allies in the territory that historically belongs to us."

"It caused frustration, primarily, because we voiced disagreement with NATO’s gross breaches of the agreements adopted in the 1990s, which are as follows: security is indivisible, NATO will not expand to the East, and a later compromise that NATO’s expansion to the East will not include deployment of considerable combat forces in the new member countries," Lavrov said.

"NATO has trampled in the grossest way on all the agreements and they have tried to trap all our neighbors in a double bind - either they side with Russia or with the West," the Russian foreign minister said. "We can see in Georgia and Ukraine what has been brought about."

The CSTO is not limited to solving only military or political issues, Lavrov said.

"A big policy of integration is included, mostly ensuring security in our common space in all its meanings and dimensions - anti-terrorism, anti-drug and anti-crime," he said.

 

[angelburst29]

The so-called Islamic State (IS) downed a Syrian fighter jet over the southeastern countryside countryside of Deir Ezzor, (Monday) night, the terrorist group’s media wing reported.

IS downs Syrian jet near Iraqi border Monday 04/12/2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-downs-syrian-jet-near-iraqi-border/

According to the report, IS fighters shot down the fighter jet while it was conducting a mission over the strategic border-city of Albukamal, which is located near Iraq’s Al-Anbar Governorate.

The report added that the terrorist group also captured the Syrian pilot alive.

Al-Masdar has reached out to the army to confirm this report.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has made remarkable progress inside the West Ghouta region of Damascus recently, capturing several sites from the Al-Qaeda linked Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham terrorist group.

Israel watches close as the Syrian Army swiftly advances near the occupied Golan Heights
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/israel-watches-close-syrian-army-swiftly-advances-near-occupied-golan-heights/

Led by their elite 42nd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division, the Syrian Army has managed to take control of the most important hilltops inside the jihadist-held Beit Jinn pocket.

With the hilltops of Taloul Al-Barda’yah captured, the Syrian Army has effectively established fire control over the town of Mughar Al-Mir, which is the last site before jihadist stronghold of Beit Jinn.

Watching the Syrian Army’s advance from afar is the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), who can often be seen monitoring the situation near the occupied Golan Heights.

While Israel is not able to do much besides provide artillery and missile support to Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham, the recent advances by the Syrian military near the occupied Golan Heights are likely to upset the Tel Aviv regime, as a victory in Beit Jinn will secure the Iranian base and end the jihadist presence in western Damascus.

More importantly, once Beit Jinn is captured by the Syrian Army, they will shift their attention to the Golan Heights, where they will look to secure their stronghold of Hader near Mount Hermon.

 

[angelburst29]

Israel has not revealed any response measures to the rocket fired from Syria.

Israel's Army Reports About Rocket Fired From Syria at Golan Heights
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712031059658040-israel-military-golan-heights-missile-fire/

A projectile launched from Syria fell on the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights without causing any damage, the Israeli army's press service has reported.

However, the military thinks that the rocket launch was not deliberate and was allegedly "stray fire from the internal fighting" in Syria between the government and opposition forces. No plans on response measures have yet been reported.

The accident took place a day after several Israeli ground-to-surface missiles were intercepted by Syrian forces in an area south of Damascus, while a few others reportedly hit an ammunition depot of the Syrian Army, causing explosions in an area between the towns of Kiswah (Kesweh) and Sahnaya.
The missile attack, however, was not confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces when contacted by Sputnik.

The Israeli military fired at least seven missile towards the Syrian military’s positions inside the west Damascus town of Jamraya tonight.

First scenes from the Israeli missile strike on west Damascus (Video)
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/first-scenes-israeli-missile-strike-west-damascus/

The Syrian Air Defense at the Mezzeh Airbase were able to down three of the Israeli missiles, while the remaining managed to destroy their intended target at Jamraya in west Damascus.

Video footage of the Syrian military downing one of the missiles was released by Syria based news network, Damascus Now, shortly after the Israeli attack.

Tonight’s attack by the Israeli military was likely conducted in retaliation for a projectile missile that landed inside the occupied Golan Heights on Sunday.

At least two massive explosions ripped through the Syrian capital moments ago as battles for two rebel-held bastions in eastern Damascus continue.

Huge explosions rock Syrian capital 04/12/2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-huge-explosions-rock-syrian-capital/

While the reasons for the explosions are still unidentified, some local activists spoke of Israeli airstrikes that hit Jamraya area (located 3 miles ti northwest of Damascus) where the facility of a very important government-run facility – namely the Scientific Research – is located.

However, eyewitnesses reported that at least two missiles were fired from the Syrian Army airbase in Mazzeh against what is believed to be Israeli targets.

A militant group in the East Ghouta region of Damascus fired several missiles into the densely populated Al-‘Abassiyeen suburb, today, killing and wounding many civilians.

Militants fire missiles into densely populated suburb of Damascus, 2 killed
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/militants-fire-missiles-densely-populated-suburb-damascus-2-killed/

According to an Al-Masdar field correspondent in Damascus city, at least two civilians were killed and another seven were wounded when the militant missiles hit the Al-Abassiyeen Bus Station near the Jobar axis.

Among the dead and wounded were several women and children, the field correspondent added.

The Al-‘Abassiyeen suburb has been the target of several militant attacks in the past due to its proximity to the East Ghouta region.

The Syrian Arab Army and allied paramilitaries have endured yet another bloody day in southern Deir Ezzor province after ISIS forces launched a series of brutal car bomb attacks against their positions and gatherings today.

Bad day for Syrian Army as ISIS launches waves of car bomb attacks, pushing back Abu Kamal offensive
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/bad-day-syrian-army-isis-launches-waves-car-bomb-attacks-pushing-back-abu-kamal-offensive/

Over the last 24 hours, the Islamic State terror group, struggling to maintain the last twenty kilometers of territory it holds along the western Euphrates shore, has launched at least two car bomb attacks against Syrian pro-government forces.

At the present time it is unclear if ISIS managed to achieve direct hits on positions of either the Syrian Army or allied militias and if so, what the casualty count for pro-government forces is.

The attacks come one day after the Syrian Army launched the last phase of its strategic operation to clear ISIS from the western bank of the Euphrates River.

The new army offensive, aimed at clearing the remaining ISIS-occupied settlements between Salhiyah and Abu Kamal, achieved spectacular results yesterday, however today’s attacks by ISIS appear to have deterred further attacks by pro-government forces until they can re-group and adjust their tactical strategy in the area.

A militant car bombing operation against civilians in Damascus was foiled today after Syrian security forces operating in the capital’s eastern countryside discovered and defused a vehicle loaded with explosives.

VIDEO: Militant car bomb operation against Damascus city stopped just in time by Syrian security forces
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/video-militant-car-bomb-operation-damascus-city-stopped-just-time-syrian-security-forces/

According to military-affiliated sources, Syrian security forces discovered the car bomb in the countryside of eastern Damascus and have since deduced that weapon was to be driven into the capital’s residential areas and blown up.

Earlier today, Syrian authorities released video footage showing the vehicle which was to be used in the attack as well as its attached explosives and detonation equipment. It has become apparent that the vehicle was set to detonate via wireless control.

The vehicle was noted to have (in proportion to its size) been packed with an unusually large amount of high-explosive material that was hidden inside the doors and under the seats.

It remains unclear which militant faction operating in the east Damascus area was planning the attack. In any case, the weapon likely either belonged to the Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham (Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate) terrorist group or Ahrar al-Sham (although less likely so).

In coming days the whole Syrian territory to the east of Euphrates River will be fully liberated from terrorists, according to statement made after a meeting in Deir ez-Zor, which was attended by 23 delegates representing the interests of all ethnic and confessional groups populating the area.

Russian MoD: Kurds Ready to Ensure Russian Servicemen Security East of Euphrates
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712041059693491-russia-kurds-euphrates/

The Russian Center for Syria’s reconciliation has announced, "Co-chair of the committee Nuri Mahmud, who represents the Kurdish militias, stated that the Kurdish units were ready to ensure the security of the Russian servicemen, deployed along the eastern shore of the Euphrates."

According to the statement, Mahmud has also stated that the Kurdish militants had effectively fought against Daesh terrorist group and thanked Russia for its assistance in bringing peace to Syria.

Mahmud stressed that the members of the Committee considered the eastern territories of the province of Deir ez-Zor to be an integral part of Syria.

"In coming days the whole Syrian territory to the east of Euphrates will be fully liberated from terrorists," the statement read.

In his turn, the Russian military envoy, Maj. Gen. Yevgeny Poplavsky, said that the operation against Daesh was approaching completion.

"The actions of people's militia units against Daesh terrorists are supported by Russian combat planes…All actions of the armed militia on the eastern bank of the Euphrates are coordinated from Hmeymim-based headquarters of the Russian military contingent in Syria," Poplavsky added.

The announcement was followed by the statement by President Vladimir Putin, who saying that nearly all of Syria's territory, including areas populated by Christian groups, have been liberated from the terrorists with the support of the Russian military.

The first meeting of the members of the Committee for the Governing of the Eastern Territories of the Euphrates was held on December 3 in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province, which was attended by 23 delegates representing the interests of all ethnic and confessional groups populating the eastern bank of the river.

The main tasks of the committee will be setting up local governing bodies, organizing the delivery of humanitarian aid, and ensuring safe return of refugees to the areas liberated from terrorists, as well as demining of the territory and restoring the infrastructure.

The UK government has suspended a Syrian aid program to investigate reports that the money is ending up in the wrong hands.

UK Halts Syria Aid Program Amid Reports That It Funds Terrorists
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960913001469

A government spokesperson broke the news on Sunday, hours after a BBC investigation revealed that the cash used to form an unarmed police force in militant-held areas was being diverted to extremist groups, presstv reported.

According to the report, officers from the force, known as the Free Syrian Police (FSP), have been caught cooperating with militant groups. This contravenes the force’s main obligation, which was supposed to be an unarmed civilian police force.

The government spokesman said Prime Minister Theresa May and her team took the allegations "extremely seriously."

"We take any allegations of co-operation with terrorist groups and of human rights abuses extremely seriously and the Foreign Office has suspended this program while we investigate these allegations,” he said.

The FSP officers are accused of handing over funds they had received in cash to an extremist group controlling the area.

Such cases were prevalent in Aleppo province, where officers paid at least 20 percent of their salaries to the Nour al-Din al-Zinki group, which controlled the area.

The UK-backed officers had helped the group "by writing up warrants, delivering notices, and turning criminals over to the court."

The BBC report alleged that extremist groups handpicked some FSP officers while dead and fictitious people were included on the police payroll in some areas.

Citing ASI’s own documents, the report stated that the organization’s staff were unable to find any officers during a 2016 visit of a police station in Idlib province, where 57 officers were expected to operate from.

There was also evidence that some of the officers had been appointed by the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham – previously known as the Nusra Front – terrorist group.

Adam Smith International (ASI), the organization that has been running the project since October 2014, said it "strongly refutes” the allegations.

"We have managed taxpayers' money effectively to confront terrorism, bring security to Syrian communities and mitigate the considerable risks of operating in a war zone," the government spokesman said.

"ASI has managed the project successfully alongside our partner in an extremely challenging, high-risk environment under the close supervision of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and five other governments," he added.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in April that the UK was going to set aside £4 million more to fund the UK-run Access to Justice and Community Security (AJACS) scheme that includes the FSP.

 

[angelburst29]

Syrian War Report – December 4, 2017: Israeli-Iranian Tensions Gain Momentum
https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-december-4-2017-israeli-iranian-tensions-gain-momentum/

On December 2, Israeli forces launched between 4 and 6 missiles on the supposed Iranian military facility in the area of al- Kiswah in southern Damascus. According to pro-government sources, the Syrian Air Defense Force (SADF) fired several Buk-M2E surface-to-air missiles from its position in the Mezzeh airbase and intercepted at least 3 Israeli missiles. At least one Israeli missile hit the target.

On November 12, Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to destroy the supposed Iranian base in al-Kiswah and said Israel “will not allow the Shi‘ite axis to establish Syria as its forefront base.”

On December 3, Syrian government forces, led by the Tiger Forces, liberated 8 villages from ISIS in the Euphrates River Valley, in the area southeast of the city of Deir Ezzor.

The SAA and the Tiger Forces re-established control over Salhiyah, al-Jadleh, Qusur Um Saba, Safsafeh, Ajrama, Wadi al-Worod, Maan Al-Sabkha and al-Shamr al-Layeh. They also entered and secured the al-Ward oil field.

On the same day, six Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers delivered a massive strike on ISIS targets in the valley. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the strike destroyed munitions depots, command posts, manpower and hardware of ISIS.

On December 4, clashes continued between government troops and members of ISIS in the village of al-Qut’ah located in about 16km from al-Bukamal. As soon as the Tiger Forces reach al-Bokmal, the ISIS members remaining in Syria will be besieged in the Homs desert.
The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq also claimed that members of ISIS have downed a Syrian warplane in the outskirts of al-Bukamal. ISIS allegedly captured two pilots near the village of Al-Buq’an.

On December 3, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) released an official statement declaring that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have established a full control over the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside. The YPG and its female version, YPJ, are a core of the US-backed SDF.

In the statement, the YPG also thanked to the US-led coalition and the Russian military for the assistance in operations against ISIS. YPG General Commander Sipan Hemo met with representatives of the Russian military. According to the Russian side, the Russian Aerospace Forces have conducted 627 combat sorties and destroyed over 1,450 ISIS targets supporting operations of the YPG and local tribal forces against the terrorist group.

The sides has a joint operation room in Salhiya in order to coordinate efforts of the Russians, the YPG and tribal forces against ISIS. The Russians also provide assistance in establishing a committee, which will be responsible for restoring peaceful life in the eastern part of the province of Deir Ezzor. Russia is also working on the issues of aid deliveries to the area.

In northeastern Hama, the SAA continued its limited efforts to establish a foothold for the widely expected advance towards the Abu al-Dhuhur Airbase controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda). Government forces have liberated the villages of Zabadi, Qasr Shutayb and Zaferiyah and advanced on Shutayb and Albu Layl.

In Eastern Ghouta, Faylaq al-Rahman has carried out few attacks against the SAA positions in Jobar and Ayn Tarma. The SAA responded with artillery strikes. The sides have conducted no major operations each against other.

In southern Syria, clashes between the SAA and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) are ongoing southwest and northeast of the HTS-held town of Beit Jinn.

In a piece published by RT on November 8, Colonel General Leonid Ivashov, a former top Russian defense ministry official, pointed to the growing NATO military potential in eastern Europe and claimed that the alliance and Washington were preparing to start a war with Russia.

Top Russian General: U.S. and NATO ‘Preparing to Start a War’ with Russia in Europe December 04, 2017 (Photos - Video)
_https://www.polygraph.info/a/russian-general-says-us-and-nato-preparing-war-in-europe/28896584.html

Referring to NATO’s deployment of tactical groups to the area and their potential expansion into divisions, Ivashov said: “It indicates that they, the Americans in the first place, are preparing to start a war in Europe, and you can wage a war in Europe against Russia only.”

The statement came a day after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on the alliance to improve civilian infrastructure to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment. Ivashov characterized the suggestion as “a bad signal,” one indicating that “the Americans want Europe and Russia to battle each other in the European theater.”

NATO Secretary General Pre-Ministerial Press Conference, 07 NOV 2017, Part 1/2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8fdWY5C6Ps (6:41 min.)

NATO Secretary General Pre-Ministerial Press Conference, 07 NOV 2017, Part 2/2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUpteUoB9cI (34:26 min.)

Contrary to Ivashov’s claims, the latest U.S. and NATO initiatives are not seeking to start or provoke a war between Europe and Russia, according to NATO officials and U.S. experts. Rather, they aim to ensure military preparedness and collective defense, deter an aggressor, and prevent a war – all against the backdrop of Russia’s recent and ongoing military operations on Europe’s doorstep.

As Stoltenberg stressed ahead of the November 8 NATO defense ministers meeting: “Our ability to move forces is essential to deterrence and collective defense … We also need to ensure that roads and bridges are strong enough to take our largest vehicles, and that rail networks are equipped for the rapid deployment of tanks and heavy equipment.”

NATO and U.S. forces face major gaps in their deterrence posture in Europe in general, especially on the eastern flank, where Russia has amassed considerable military capabilities.

​Until recently, the U.S. military was focused on preparations for fighting insurgencies rather than “peer” or “near-peer” state actors. That had been the case since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which removed the threat of a Soviet attack on and in Europe.

But Russia’s war with Georgia, annexation of Crimea, and ongoing operations against Ukraine in the context of its increased military modernization have brought the threat of state-to-state armed conflict back on the radar of U.S and NATO defense planners. Analysts say neither Washington, Brussels, nor individual NATO members are now sufficiently prepared.

Scott Ritter, a former intelligence officer, highlighted the challenge: “The Americans like to quantify the Russian Army as being ‘near peer’ in terms of its capabilities; the fact of the matter is that it is the U.S. and NATO armored forces that are ‘near peer’ to their Russian counterparts, and there are many more Russian tanks in Europe today than there are NATO and American.”

In case of a conflict in Europe, he continued, Russia’s supply lines would be short, while “those of the United States would stretch back thousands of miles.”

Ritter stressed that “[w]arfare under these conditions would be madness,” concluding that only Russia’s military capabilities make it ready to fight and win a war in Europe today.

According to the Heritage Foundation, the U.S. Army would need at least 21 Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) to fight, let alone prevail, in a major regional war – a far cry from current three U.S. BCTs in Europe and the four NATO multinational battle groups that are forward-positioned near Russia’s borders.. This is at a time when the capabilities of the largest and wealthiest western European states -- not to mention the eastern European states -- are drastically diminished.​

Steven Pifer, an arms control and Russia expert at the Brookings Institution and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, says Ivashov’s comments “strain credibility,” adding that NATO is merely exploring “ways to more rapidly flow reinforcements” to eastern Europe “in a crisis.”

“Battalion-sized tactical groups (1000-1500 troops) are not going to invade Russia, and NATO has no plan to expand them into brigades or divisions,” he told Polygraph.info. “NATO instead plans to rely on an enhanced capability to reinforce those tactical groups in a military crisis.”

He added: “Gen Ivashov’s comments also ignore the history of the drawdown in NATO forces and declining defense budgets from the early 1990s. Those trends only changed in 2014 following Russia’s use of military force in Crimea and the Donbas.”

U.S. forces are down drastically in Europe from troop levels during the Cold War. The U.S. Army counts total U.S. troops in Europe at 64,440 at the end of 2016. At the end of the Cold War, the number stood at nearly 285,000. In 1962, the Pentagon said it had more than 424,000 soldiers stationed in Europe.

Sergey Samuilov, who heads the Russia-based Center for U.S. Foreign Policy Studies, urges a calm response to NATO’s recent deployments. “Today their number [in Europe] is about 60 thousand. With such a potential, the Americans and NATO will not attack Russia,” he recently wrote.

Another Russian expert on international security, Prokhor Tebin, cautiously concurs: “The buildup of the U.S. and NATO presence in Eastern Europe does not yet pose a direct threat to Russia but are an alarming and vexing factor, especially in the context of the continued deployment of U.S. missile defense in Europe and disagreements over the INF Treaty.”

Clearly, as “a deterrence-based alliance” geared for collective defense against external aggression, NATO is merely enhancing its defense posture because its members perceive Russia’s rapidly modernizing and resurgent military as a conventional military threat.

As German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated in 2016, while calling for dialogue with Moscow in order to provide “permanent security in Europe,” Russia weakened European security in “words and deeds” by violating Ukraine’s borders, and “profoundly disturbed” NATO’s eastern members, who “therefore require the unambiguous back-up of the alliance.”

General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of United States European Command, underscored the need for U.S. investment to bolster the readiness of U.S. forces and “the security and capacity of our U.S. partners,” as part of the U.S. European Deterrence Initiative for 2018.

Estimated at $4.8 billion (up $1.4 billion from 2017), the initiative will focus on ensuring a more robust rotational U.S. presence, increased readiness and interoperability training, strategic placement of assets, improved infrastructure, and enhanced partnership capacity.

The United States is also reassuring NATO allies of its commitment to collective security thought its Atlantic Resolve initiative launched in 2014 after Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Operation Atlantic Resolve - Overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T0IFGcYQsA (3:01 min.)

However, the European NATO members’ low military spending and weaker military capabilities, especially in eastern Europe, continue to hamper NATO’s deterrence efforts.

Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, says both parties should recognize each other’s justifications for their positions.

“The Russians have to acknowledge that Moscow’s response to the Kiev Maidan [protests in Ukraine's capital in 2014, the ouster of then Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych from power, and perceived U.S and NATO geopolitical encroachments close to Russia]…materially challenged the global system presided over and guaranteed by the United States, and delivered a shattering blow to the concept of a peaceful European order,” he wrote. “…The West needs to acknowledge that the standoff with Russia is not merely the result of Russia turning authoritarian, nationalistic, and assertive.”

200,000 active troops overseas in 177 countries.

U.S. Military Personnel Deployments by Country (Charts - Map) March 18, 2017
_http://www.visualcapitalist.com/u-s-military-personnel-deployments-country/

There was no shortage of cuts proposed in Trump’s budget for 2018, which was released earlier this week.

However, one of the few departments that did not receive a haircut was the Department of Defense. If the proposed budget ultimately passes in Congress, the DoD would be allocated an extra $54 billion in federal funding – a 10% increase that would be one of the largest one-year defense budget increases in American History.

To put the proposed increase in context, the United States already spends more on defense than the next seven countries combined. Meanwhile, the additional $54 billion is about the size of the United Kingdom’s entire defense budget.

Military Spending (2015)
United States $596 billion 35.8%
China $215 billion 12.9%
Saudi Arabia $87 billion 5.2%
Russia $66 billion 4.0%
United Kingdom $55 billion 3.3%
India $51 billion 3.1%
France $51 billion 3.1%
Japan $41 billion 2.5%
Germany $39 billion 2.4%
South Korea $36 billion 2.2%
Others $427 billion 25.6%

With over half of all U.S. discretionary spending being put towards the military each year, the U.S. is able to have extensive operations both at home and abroad. Our chart for this week breaks down military personnel based on the latest numbers released by the DoD on February 27, 2017.

In total, excluding civilian support staff, there are about 2.1 million troops. Of those, 1.3 million are on active duty, while about 800,000 are in reserve or part of the National Guard.

On a domestic basis, there are about 1.1 million active troops stationed in the United States, and here’s how they are grouped based on branch of service:

Army 394,236
35%
Navy 283,499
25%
Marine Corps 149,992
13%
Air Force 249,738
22%
Coast Guard 38,659
3%
Total 1,116,124
100%

Internationally, there are just under 200,000 troops that are stationed in 177 countries throughout the world.

Here are the top 20 countries they are stationed in, as well as an “Other” category that represents the rest:

#1 Japan 39,345
#2 Germany 34,805
#3 South Korea 23,468
#4 Italy 12,102
#5 Afghanistan 9,294
#6 United Kingdom 8,479
#7 Kuwait 6,296
#8 Iraq 5,540
#9 Bahrain 5,504
#10 Guam 3,831
#11 Spain 3,256
#12 Qatar 2,976
#13 Turkey 2,234
#14 Djibouti 1,961
#15 Jordan 1,759
#16 United Arab Emirates 1,079
#17 Belgium 842
#18 Cuba 806
#19 Romania 667
#20 Greece 407
Other / Unknown 34,834
Total 199,485

In 2015, Politico estimated that there are 800 U.S. bases abroad, and that it costs up to $100 billion annually to maintain this international presence.

 

[angelburst29]

The Russian Armed forces have fulfilled their objective of destroying the military forces of the Daesh terrorist group in Syria, the head of the Russian General Staff Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi said on Thursday.

Russian Armed Forces Complete Mission to Destroy Daesh in Syria - Gen. Staff 07.12.2017
https://sputniknews.com/world/201712071059791931-russian-troops-completed-daesh-destroying-syria/

"The task of destroying the Daesh militia in Syria by the Russian Armed Forces has been accomplished," Rudskoi said, speaking at a press briefing.

Over 550 militants, six tanks and 14 jihad-mobiles were destroyed in Syria while storming the terror group's last strongholds, Rudskoi added.

The senior officer emphasized that to date, not a single settlement or district remains under the terrorist group's control in the country. However, small pockets of militant resistance may continue to be found, subject to destruction by Syrian government forces, he added. The last major concentrations of Daesh militants were defended by heavily-armed terrorists as well as mercenaries.

Now that terrorist group has been eliminated from Syria, Russian troops will concentrate their efforts on restoring peaceful life in the country and observing the parties' ceasefire, Rudskoi said.

According to Rudskoi, the past month saw the liberation of the city of Abu Kamal, along with a number of settlements on the western bank of the Euphrates River. Over the past week, Syrian government forces supported by Russian air power had completely liberated the area northwest of the city of Abu Kamal, covering a total area of roughly 2,500 square km.

The officer revealed that the final stage of the operation to free Syria from the jihadists involved the concentrated use of the Russian Aerospace Forces, including long-range aviation, with Russian aircraft carrying out a hundred or more sorties daily and upwards of 250 individual air strikes. Strikes included use of Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bombers, which carried out 14 concentrated strikes over the last month.

Syria and Russia are likely to widen cooperation with China to fight the terrorist groups in the Arab country, the Russian media reports said.

Damascus-Moscow-Beijing Triangle Shaping to Fight Terrorists in Syria, Chinese Elite Forces to Join Anti-Terror War
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960916000621

"The number of Chinese Special Forces in Syria is likely to hit 5,000," the Russian-language Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily reported.

The Russian newspaper pointed to the scarce presence of the Chinese army in its extraterritorial conflicts except for few during the past century, and wrote that the Chinese army by rendering military assistance to the Syrian government has gained experience of real war and it will test it modern weapons in Syria as the Russian army did there.

It noted that the Chinese military units not only will cooperate with Damascus, but they will also fully coordinate with the Russian military forces.

The newspaper wrote that a joint military unit might be formed among China, Russia and Syria.

In a relevant development on Wednesday, the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria announced that Chinese Special Forces are would arrive soon in Syria to take part in combat against terrorist groups.

The Russian center said that the Chinese forces will soon arrive in Syria to intensify attacks on the Islamic al-Turkistani Party that have been detected by the Syrian Army troops.

The center quoted sources in the Chinese Defense Ministry as saying that the Chinese Army's Night Tigers and Siberian Tigers affiliated to counter-terrorism forces will soon arrive in Syria to attack Eastern-Islamic Turkistan Movement in Damascus province.

The Arabic-language al-Watan online reported on Monday 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.

 

[Ant22]

The Russian Armed forces have fulfilled their objective of destroying the military forces of the Daesh terrorist group in Syria, the head of the Russian General Staff Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi said on Thursday.

Russian Armed Forces Complete Mission to Destroy Daesh in Syria - Gen. Staff 07.12.2017
https://sputniknews.com/world/201712071059791931-russian-troops-completed-daesh-destroying-syria/

"The task of destroying the Daesh militia in Syria by the Russian Armed Forces has been accomplished," Rudskoi said, speaking at a press briefing.

Over 550 militants, six tanks and 14 jihad-mobiles were destroyed in Syria while storming the terror group's last strongholds, Rudskoi added.

The senior officer emphasized that to date, not a single settlement or district remains under the terrorist group's control in the country. However, small pockets of militant resistance may continue to be found, subject to destruction by Syrian government forces, he added. The last major concentrations of Daesh militants were defended by heavily-armed terrorists as well as mercenaries.

Now that terrorist group has been eliminated from Syria, Russian troops will concentrate their efforts on restoring peaceful life in the country and observing the parties' ceasefire, Rudskoi said.

According to Rudskoi, the past month saw the liberation of the city of Abu Kamal, along with a number of settlements on the western bank of the Euphrates River. Over the past week, Syrian government forces supported by Russian air power had completely liberated the area northwest of the city of Abu Kamal, covering a total area of roughly 2,500 square km.

Complete liberation of Syria from ISIS has also been reported by RT:

https://www.rt.com/news/412149-syria-liberated-isis-terrorists/

The Russian General Staff has declared the liberation of Syria from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), stating that all territories previously under terrorist control were liberated in the final push by the Syrian Army.

“All terrorist units of ISIS on Syrian soil have been destroyed, and the territory is liberated,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov said.

“Therefore, as of today, there’s no territory controlled by ISIS in Syria,” he added. Gerasimov made the announcement during an annual briefing for foreign military attachés.

After being briefed on the successful military operation on both banks of the Euphrates River in Syria by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, President Vladimir Putin said that the political process and organization of the Syrian people’s congress in Sochi, agreed upon by Russia, Iran, and Turkey last month, must now become the focus. Among other goals, Putin named the drafting of a new constitution, and, eventually, parliamentary and presidential elections.

“Naturally, there might be some spots of resistance, but the military work has been largely completed in the area and at the time. Completed with a full victory, I repeat, with a victory and defeat of the terrorists,” Russian leader said.

The peace process, however, will be “a very big and lengthy job,” Putin cautioned. For this to happen though, the bloodshed in Syria must stop completely, he said. Securing the recent achievements and reinforcing the fragile de-escalation zones should be the first steps to that end, Russia’s president added.

Russia began providing support to Syria following an official request from Damascus in 2015 to prevent the terrorists from overrunning the country completely. Russia’s help allowed the Syrian Arab Army to turn the tide and liberate large areas of the country previously occupied by the jihadists. Smashing the blockade of Deir ez-Zor, an IS stronghold in eastern Syria, represented a turning point in this year’s campaign against the terrorists, ultimately leading to their demise.

 

[Hesper]

Complete liberation of Syria from ISIS has also been reported by RT:

https://www.rt.com/news/412149-syria-liberated-isis-terrorists/

The Russian General Staff has declared the liberation of Syria from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), stating that all territories previously under terrorist control were liberated in the final push by the Syrian Army.

“All terrorist units of ISIS on Syrian soil have been destroyed, and the territory is liberated,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov said.

“Therefore, as of today, there’s no territory controlled by ISIS in Syria,” he added. Gerasimov made the announcement during an annual briefing for foreign military attachés.

Can't help but be reminded of the 'Ride of the Rohirrim' from Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. What Russia has done for the Syrian people is truly heroic.

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