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

[angelburst29]

19/02/2019 - ISIS bride Shamima Begum faces move from UK Home Office to revoke citizenship, says family's lawyer
ISIS bride Shamima Begum faces move from UK Home Office to revoke citizenship, says family's lawyer

March 3, 2019 - ISIS teen's Dutch husband seeks return to Netherlands
ISIS teen's Dutch husband seeks return to Netherlands

The Dutch husband of Shamima Begum, a British-born teenager who fled to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), wants to live with her in the Netherlands, he said in an interview out Sunday (March 3) from detention in Syria.

Yago Riedijk, who is being held in a Kurdish-run detention centre in northeast Syria, married Begum days after she arrived in territory held by ISIS when he was 23 and she was 15, he told BBC television.

A high-ranking source in the Israeli government said several other countries will be part of the working group as well.

Feb. 28, 2019 - Russia, Israel to set up working group on removing foreign forces from Syria — source
Russia, Israel to set up working group on removing foreign forces from Syria — source

Russia and Israel will set up a working group with several other countries to consider the issue of removing all foreign forces from Syria, a high-ranking source in the Israeli government told reporters on Wednesday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Moscow.

Head of the Russian reconciliation center Sergei Solomatin said the US turned down the joint request of Russian and Syrian refugee centers to allow the convoy to pass through the Al-Tanf security zone.

March 3, 2019 - US forces in Syria bar entry to convoys sent to Rukban camp — Russian defense ministry
US forces in Syria bar entry to convoys sent to Rukban camp — Russian defense ministry

© Konstantin Machulsky/TASS

The United States has not allowed the transport convoys dispatched to evacuate refugees from the Rukban camp to pass through the Al-Tanf zone controlled by US troops, Lieutenant General Sergei Solomatin, the chief of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the conflicting sides in Syria, told reporters on Saturday.

"Despite the fact that the authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic have successfully finished all preparations for refugees’ evacuation from the Rukban camp to the places of pre-war residence, the US turned down a joint request of the Russian and Syrian inter-departmental coordination centers for relocation and accommodation of refuges to allow the transport convoys into the Al-Tanf zone," Solomatin said.

On Friday, buses were sent to the Djleb checkpoint to evacuate refugees from the Rukban camp to their permanent residence places in the settlements of Al Khalidiyah, Al-Amarah, Palmyra, Mhin, Al Karyatein, and the outskirts of Damascus, Homs and Aleppo.

Certain hotbeds of terrorist presence remain in the country, said Russian Foreign Minister.

March 3, 2019 - Moscow encourages Ankara to fulfill memorandum on Idlib - Lavrov
Moscow encourages Ankara to fulfill memorandum on Idlib - Lavrov

Russia is calling on Turkey to meet its commitments under a joint memorandum on de-escalation in Syria’s Idlib, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Sunday.

"Certain hotbeds of terrorist presence remain in the country. First of all, this concerns the Idlib de-escalation zone, where most territory is controlled by militants from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (one of names of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) carrying out provocative raids against civilians, Russian and Syrian military," Lavrov recalled. "Against this background, it is necessary to continue efficiently fighting against terrorism. We encourage our Turkish partners to meet their commitments under the September 17, 2018 memorandum on stabilizing the situation in Idlib."

Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launched car bombs and suicide attackers against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) assaulting Baghouz, in a last-ditch effort to stave off defeat in its final patch of territory, fighters from the US-backed force said on Sunday (March 3).

March 3, 2019 - On brink of Syria defeat, ISIS unleashes car bombs
On brink of Syria defeat, ISIS unleashes car bombs

A vehicle burning at the site of a suicide car bomb attack in Syria's Hasakeh province on Jan 21, 2019. The Syria Democratic Forces said ISIS launched suicide attacks to stave off defeat, on March 3, 2019.PHOTO: AFP

Capturing the village in eastern Syria will be a milestone in international efforts to roll back the militants, whose self-styled "caliphate" covered roughly one-third of Syria and Iraq at its height in 2014.

But it is universally accepted that the group, which has been in territorial retreat since then and suffered its major defeats in 2017, will remain a security threat as an insurgent force with sleeper cells and some desolate pockets of territory.

The SDF had said it expected a "decisive battle" on Sunday after advancing gradually for 18 hours to avoid land mines sown by ISIS, whose fighters are also using underground tunnels to stage ambushes and then disappear.

According to a new report from the pro-opposition Syrian News Activists, seven U.S. soldiers were allegedly wounded in eastern Syria on Saturday.

March 2, 2019 - Over 5 US soldiers allegedly wounded in eastern Syria: Opp. activists
Over 5 US soldiers allegedly wounded in eastern Syria: Opp. activists

Activists from the SNA alleged that the U.S. soldiers were wounded near the town of Baghouz after the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) terrorists in the area fired an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) at their positions.

The Islamic State reportedly carried out the attack on the U.S. soldiers inside the Khanafra District of Baghouz Fouqani. Neither the U.S. Coalition nor their allies from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have corroborated these claims from the SNA.

The Turkish military has added a half dozen observation posts in the northwestern region of Syria recently in an effort to block the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) from launching a new offensive inside the Idlib Governorate.

March 2, 2019 - Turkish military adds new observation posts to block Syrian Army offensive in Idlib
Turkish military adds new observation posts to block Syrian Army offensive in Idlib (map)


According to a report from southern Idlib last week, the Turkish military met with the residents of several towns inside and near the demilitarized zone that was established during the Sochi meeting on September 17th, 2018.

The report said the Turkish military offered to rent the lands from the residents so that they could construct more observation posts and block any future Syrian Army offensive inside the Idlib Governorate.

Since this meeting, several new Turkish military observation posts have been seen in southern Idlib.

However, the largest concentration of these observation posts is in the Abu Dhuhour area of southeast Idlib.

This large concentration of observation posts is likely due to the Abu Dhuhour humanitarian crossing that is currently manned by their forces and the Russian military.

Last night, the U.S. Coalition dropped internationally banned white phosphorous on the last Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) enclave in eastern Syria.

March 3, 2019 - Watch: US drop white phosphorous on ISIS in east Syria (embedded video)
Watch: US drop white phosphorous on ISIS in east Syria


According to reports from eastern Syria, the U.S. Coalition specifically dropped the white phosphorous on the Islamic State’s positions inside the Baghouz camp.

Video footage of the U.S. Coalition dropping white phosphorous on the Islamic State’s positions was captured by ‘Ayn Al-Firat (Eye of the Euphrates) on Saturday:

 

[goyacobol]

Feb. 28, 2019 - Russia, Israel to set up working group on removing foreign forces from Syria — source
Russia, Israel to set up working group on removing foreign forces from Syria — source

The idea that Israel wants to remove "foreign forces" from Syria seems very unlikely to me.

"It was decided to set up a working group with participation of Russia, Israel and several other countries to work on the issue of removing foreign forces from Syria," the source said. He did not provide any additional details and refused to name other countries that will be part of the working group.

Sounds like a political move on Netanyahu's part for the upcoming elections and his scandals issues.

 

[angelburst29]

Sounds like a political move on Netanyahu's part for the upcoming elections and his scandals issues.

We know from past reports, Netanyahu uses Iran and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group as an excuse to waltz into Syria to bomb key Syrian positions. Netanyahu is hell-bent on a direct war with Iran and Iran needs Hezbollah, so there's no separating them. On the other hand, Netanyahu just lost another push to get possession of the Golan Heights, which Politically would have given him a platform to stay in his position but there seems "to be trouble in Paradise" and he might be bumped off his high pedestal?

UN Rejects US Move to Recognize Golan Annexation by Israel
UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen underlined Syria’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, rejecting a US congressional motion to recognize Israel's annexation of the occupied territory.

Israel ‘Crime Minister’ Netanyahu in Unprecedented Trouble
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an increasingly tough time ahead as his biggest political opponent overtakes him in popularity and as calls mount for him to resign over looming corruption charges that could effectively end his political career.

Germany to strip IS fighters of citizenship under certain criteria: report

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners have agreed a plan to strip some Germans who fight for the Islamic State militant group of their citizenship, a German newspaper reported on Sunday.

Timeline: The rise and fall of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria

Islamic State faces territorial defeat as U.S.-backed Syrian forces attack its final, besieged enclave near the Iraqi border. This timeline chronicles the lightning rise, cruel reign and gradual fall of Islamic State.

SDF Frees Hundreds of ISIL Terrorists from Jail in Eastern Euphrates
Around 300 ISIL terrorists have been released from the prisons of the Syrian Democratic Forces in areas under SDF's control after the US-led coalition and the Kurdish forces reached an agreement with the militants on exit of the latter from there, media reports said.

Over Dozen Ankara-Backed Militants Killed in Clashes with Kurds in Aleppo
Several Turkey-backed terrorists were killed in tough battle with the Kurdish fighters in Northern Aleppo, sources said.

Ankara Warns Tahrir Al-Sham: Syrian Army's Military Operations in Idlib Imminent
The Turkish government has warned Tahrir al-Sham al-Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) that the Syrian Army will soon kick off its long-waited assault on the terrorist groups in Idlib province, media reports said.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

The Syrian air defense units have been placed on high alert after the Israeli Defense Forces carried out an attack on their positions in the Al-Quneitra.

Israeli forces attack Syrian Army troops in Al-Quneitra
2019-03-03

Update: Syrian air defense on high alert as Israeli warplanes emerge along Lebanese border
2019-03-03

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Some interesting developments after Bibi said during talks with Putin that Iran is the biggest threat to the Middle East.

US Deploys THAAD Missile System to Israel (PHOTO, VIDEO)
04.03.2019


US AIR FORCE DEPLOYED F-117A STEALTH ATTACK AIRCRAFT IN SYRIA AND IRAQ. ONE OF THEM WAS INVOLVED IN IN-FLIGHT EMERGENCY: REPORT
04.03.2019

https://www.facebook.com/Scramblemagazine/posts/2670767592949758

Turkey urges Muslim states to stand up against Israel
04.03.2019

 

[sToRmR1dR]

'The de-escalation zone (Idlib) is a part of the portal?'

'ALL is being done' = From 'We are leaving Syria!' to 'Let’s be there together!'

Trump: 'I agree 100%' to keep US troops in Syria
05.03.2019

U.S. mulls options for proposed Syria safe zone
Written by Suleyman Ozeren on March 06, 2019

Turkish defense minister Akar, US Syria envoy Jeffrey discuss Syria
March 06, 2019

France deploys aircraft carrier to eastern Mediterranean for Syria mission
2019-03-05

 

[Windmill knight]

'ALL is being done' = From 'We are leaving Syria!' to 'Let’s be there together!'

Trump: 'I agree 100%' to keep US troops in Syria
05.03.2019

On this issue:

Two months after declaring all U.S. troops are leaving Syria, President Donald Trump wrote to members of Congress that he now agrees "100%" with keeping a military presence in Syria.

A bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives wrote to Trump on Feb. 22, applauding his decision to keep a small residual force in Syria.

"We support a small American stabilizing force in Syria," the group wrote, adding that a force "which includes a small contingent of American troops and ground forces from our European allies, is essential to ensure stability and prevent the return of ISIS."

In a copy of the letter obtained by NBC News, Trump highlighted a paragraph in the letter about the U.S. goals in Syria, which said, "Like you, we seek to ensure that all of the gains made in Syria are not lost, that ISIS never returns, that Iran is not emboldened, and that we consolidate our gains and ensure the best outcome in Geneva for American interests."

"I agree 100%. ALL is being done," President Trump responded, writing directly on the letter and signing it.

I find this really annoying. Well, I suppose it was to be expected that he wouldn't be allowed to fully step out - but still, the fact that he is now using this tone is not a good sign. It will be so easy for him to change his opinion a bit more further down the road, and then we'll be back to 2,000 troops. Troubling, especially if we read it in the context of his position on Venezuela. As I commented on that threat, it's like we're going back to the Dubya years! Oh wait - the crazy neocons are back in the White House, aren't they? Duh.

 

[angelburst29]

A large number of Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers were killed on Sunday, making yesterday the deadliest 24 hours of 2019.

Over 30 Syrian soldiers killed in deadliest 24 hours of 2019 2019-03-04

According to a military source in Damascus, over 30 Syrian Arab Army soldiers were killed across northwestern Syria on Sunday.

Of the 30+ killed in northwestern Syria, at least 20 soldiers were killed during a fierce battle with the jihadist rebels in northern Hama. The remaining Syrian Arab Army casualties were reported from the northern countryside of the Latakia Governorate.

Since these clashes, the Hama and Latakia fronts have remained relatively calm, with the occasional artillery shell being launched by both sides.

Russian satellites’ images have uncovered a cemetery with 300 fresh graves near the Rukban refugee camp in Syria, Russia’s Defense Ministry told journalists on Tuesday.

Russian satellites uncover 300 new graves near Syria’s Rukban Camp 2019-03-05

“A fresh cemetery with 300 fresh graves has been uncovered on the southern side immediately outside the camp’s fence,” the ministry said.

The satellite data suggest that most structures in the Rukban camp are makeshift settlements and unfit for the living of people in the winter period and a part of refugees simply had to live under open shelters. Anti-sanitary conditions reign in the camp: garbage dumps are located close to the housing while food storage and meal facilities are absent.

Foodstuffs and other products are exchanged at makeshift mini-markets that are controlled by militants. The Rukban camp is surrounded by a mound and a fence, beyond which militant groupings controlled by the United States do not let anyone out, the ministry said.

“Actually, the Rukban camp has long lost its status and turned into a reservation area where hostages are held forcibly,” Russia’s Defense Ministry pointed out.

The command of the US forces in the al-Tanf area where the Rukban camp is located prevents refugees from exiting the camp while militants are forcibly holding them inside, demanding large sums of money in US dollars to let them out.

At the same time, the UN data show that more than 35,000 Syrians want to return to the territory controlled by the Syrian government.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the fact that US forces allegedly do not let people leave the Rukban refugee camp leads to the “very unpleasant idea” that the camp is needed to justify the US’ “illegal military presence” in Syria.

2019-03-06 - US needs Rukban camp to justify ‘illegal’ presence in Syria – Lavrov
US needs Rukban camp to justify 'illegal' presence in Syria - Lavrov

He made the comment at a press conference following talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah in Kuwait City on Wednesday.

Lavrov went on to say that according to a survey, up to 95 percent of the Rukban camp population are “voluntarily willing to return to their homes.”

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah mentioned that Syria is “one of the founders of The Arab League,” adding “We stand on returning Syria to normal life, on returning Syria to the Arab family.”

Lavrov’s tour of the Middle East will finish on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates.

Russia's military alongside their Syrian and Turkish counterparts are taking practical steps, the top diplomat noted.

2019-03-06 - Lavrov: Russia and Turkey team up to separate terrorists from opposition in Idlib
Lavrov: Russia and Turkey team up to separate terrorists from opposition in Idlib

© Alexander Scherbak/TASS

Russian and Turkish militaries are taking practical steps to separate the units of Syrian armed opposition from terrorists in Idlib, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Our military service members alongside Syrian counterparts and Turkish counterparts are taking practical steps which might allow implementing this decision," Lavrov said.

Moscow is concerned that the final report issued last week by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria's Douma ignores facts provided to the investigators by Russia and Syria, the Russian foreign ministry stated.

Russia Bashes OPCW Report on Alleged Syria's Douma Attack as Justification of Aggression Mar 05 2019

"We are concerned that the mission prefers to completely ignore the substantial information provided by the Russian and Syrian parties confirming that this chemical incident had been staged by the pseudo-humanitarian organization White Helmets", the foreign ministry said, Sputnik reported.

It also expressed concern that the information provided by a number of Western journalists on the staged nature of the incident had been ignored.

The vague conclusions of the report suggest that the document was seeking to justify the airstrikes by the US-led coalition shortly after the reports on the Douma attack, the foreign ministry added.

"Russian experts in the field will carefully study the final report of the OPCW [Fact-Finding Mission in Syria] on the incident in the city of Douma and will soon share their assessments and considerations on this matter in detail with the international community", the foreign ministry noted.

According to Moscow, the evasive conclusions made by the OPCW experts about the fact that there are "reasonable grounds" that chlorine had been used as a chemical weapon in the city of Douma, unfortunately suggest that the only purpose of the report was to justify an act of aggression, held in mid-April 2018 by the United States, the UK and France in violation of the UN Charter against a sovereign state.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

The top idiot commander says that 'war IS far from over and our DELIBERATE withdrawal mission remains the same.'

US Top Commander Says War Against IS "Far from Over"
07/03/2019

US to Retain Residual Ground Forces in Syria, Details Being Developed – CENTCOM
07.03.2019

 

[goyacobol]

US to Retain Residual Ground Forces in Syria, Details Being Developed – CENTCOM

This comes after President Donald Trump has ordered a withdrawal of about 2,000 US combat troops from Syria following the recapture of territory previously controlled by the Daesh terror group.
However, Trump has also agreed to leave a residual force behind. US officials have said a continued American presence is needed to protect Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces from a threatened incursion by Turkey.

Could it be a save-face gesture to the Kurds who should by now see what pawns they have been all along? After using Iraq as a staging area to protect ISIS and heliport the ISIS leaders out of harms' way they then have no problem eliminating some of the lower level terrorists to show the US is valiantly fighting the terrorists.

They probably hate to give up all those terrorists just in case they are needed for a last ditch effort to maintain a foothold in Syria. It really looks like things are not well in neocon land. It could mean some more stupid mistakes lie ahead. I just hope the casualties are minimized.

 

[angelburst29]

Russia will carry it out along the borders of Idlib while Turkey will do this in the areas where arms have been seized from terrorists.

Russia, Turkey to start joint patrols in Syria’s Idlib
Russia, Turkey to start joint patrols in Syria’s Idlib

© Ugur Can/DHA via AP

The armed forces of Turkey and Russia will start joint patrols in the Syrian region of Idlib in the country’s north on March 8, Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said at a meeting with editors of the Anadolu news agency on Friday.

Syrian Kurds want secure border strip, reject Turkish 'safe zone'
The Kurdish-led authorities in northern Syria want a multinational force to deploy at the Turkish border and reject the creation of a large "safe zone" that Turkey hopes to control, a Kurdish politician stated.

Kurdish Fighters Destroy 3 Ankara-Backed Terrorists' Centers in Northwestern Aleppo
Several Turkey-backed militants were killed and injured and three of their bases were destroyed in the Kurdish military operations against them in Afrin region in Northwestern Aleppo.

Baby of Islamic State teenager in UK furor dies

The infant son of Shamima Begum, a teenager who left London to join the Islamic State group in Syria, has died, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday. The family’s London-based lawyer on Friday said the baby’s death had been confirmed, after saying earlier that there were strong but still unconfirmed reports of the infant’s death.

Austria tells militant fighters looking to return: You're on your own

Austria said on Wednesday it would not help repatriate any citizens who fought for Islamic State and other militant groups, as countries across the West wrestle with how to deal with returning militants.

Austria to withdraw consular protection for IS fighters: newspaper
Austria is to withdraw consular protection for citizens who have fought for the Islamic State militant group, Die Presse daily reported on Wednesday, rejecting a call from the United States for allies to take back captured fighters and put them on trial.

Iraq leader says Islamic State foreign fighters may face death penalty: interview

Iraqi President Barham Salih said foreign Islamic State fighters tried in Iraq could be handed death sentences, according to an interview published by Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National on Friday.

Bosnian women struggle to return female relatives, children from Syria

A quarter of a century after their own country was devastated by war, three Bosnian women are struggling to bring home loved ones caught up in Syria's ruinous conflict and the collapse of Islamic State rule.

Swiss won't help bring jihadist fighters home
Switzerland will not help bring home adult citizens who joined up with jihadist fighters in Syria and Iraq, the government said on Friday, insisting national security was paramount.

Lawyers hope refugees' case against Damascus will be breakthrough

Lawyers representing Syrian refugees in Jordan have asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Syria for alleged crimes against humanity in what they hope will be a breakthrough after previous initiatives have failed.

Russia, Syria call on US to revise its position on Rukban refugee camp
‘We are again calling on the United States to revise its position on Syrians suffering without any guilt in the Rukban camp. It should take the courage and finally make a decisive step towards mercy and humanity, granting mothers and their children in the camp the freedom and the possibility to build a bright future in their home places," the document says.

Syria: Refugee Children Die Due to Unfavorable Conditions of US-Backed Militants' Camp in Hasaka
Over two dozen Syrian children have died as a result of deteriorating conditions in al-Houl Camp run by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), media sources said.

US suspected of deploying avenger drones to Syria for mystery missions

Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have hacked into over half a dozen US drones flying over Syria and Iraq in recent years.

“A certain government agency” has been flying missions in Syria using the Q-11, a variant of the General Atomics Avenger drone also known as the Predator C, The Drive has reported, citing statements by the drone’s manufacturer.

“We know for a fact that a handful of Avengers are flying under some classified umbrella for a certain government agency and that they have been active in the Middle East, and Syria, in particular,” the outlet alleged.

Published on Jun 18, 2012 (6:08 min.)

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Russia will carry it out along the borders of Idlib while Turkey will do this in the areas where arms have been seized from terrorists.

Russia, Turkey to start joint patrols in Syria’s Idlib
Russia, Turkey to start joint patrols in Syria’s Idlib

'Erdogan is saving his face or saving his ass?'

Turkey ‘Saves Face’ As Joint Patrols With Russia Of Syria’s Idlib Region Begin Today
By Joaquin Flores On Mar 8, 2019

Turkey Wants Both Patriot And S-400 Systems In Case Of War With NATO Or Russia
By Joaquin Flores on Mar 8, 2019

 

[Voyageur]

Going it alone, again - no Syrians required. Wonder where all that 'mobilized' financial aid actually goes...

Damascus Not Invited to Brussels Conference on Syria - EU Source

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - Representatives of the Syrian authorities are not invited to the third international donor conference on Syria in Brussels, a EU source told Sputnik on Monday.

sputniknews.com

Damascus Not Invited to Brussels Conference on Syria - EU Source
© REUTERS /
Middle East
04:43 05.03.2019Get short URL
5215
BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - Representatives of the Syrian authorities are not invited to the third international donor conference on Syria in Brussels, a EU source told Sputnik on Monday.
The Brussels conference, devoted to mobilizing financial aid for the war-torn country, will be held on March 12-14. The second conference on Syria, which was held in Brussels last April with the participation of representatives from 57 countries, managed to mobilize $4.4 billion in financial aid for Syria for 2018 and $3.4 billion for 2019-2020.
"The list of participants is constantly updated. However, it is similar to those in the previous two years. As in previous years, neither the Assad regime nor the Syrian opposition are invited," the source said.

© AFP 2018 / LOUAI BESHARA


He also expressed confidence that the conference would provide a meaningful contribution and a very large presence of the Syrian civil society.
Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari said earlier that his country did not receive any invitations to conference in Brussels.

 

[angelburst29]

Going it alone, again - no Syrians required. Wonder where all that 'mobilized' financial aid actually goes...

Very interesting question? Could it be - they support a regime change?

Third Brussels Conference on the future of Syria
“Protection is our number one challenge. This is particularly true in countries hosting more than 5.5 million Syrian refugee – they are the pillars of the humanitarian response. Without an inclusive, viable political solution, displacement and suffering will continue. Our top priority is to cover the pressing needs of 13 million affected people inside Syria. It is vital that we all remain at the forefront of the humanitarian response in Syria and it is essential that we all stay on the track of the Brussels Conferences in 2017 and 2018” said Commissioner Stylianides.

The European Union will continue mobilizing all political and humanitarian tools at its disposal in support of the Syrian people, to finally reach a negotiated political solution and help create the conditions for a brighter future for all Syrians. The EU remains the leading donor for Syrians, with over €10.8 billion mobilized collectively in humanitarian, development, economic and stabilization assistance for Syrians inside Syria and in neighboring countries since the onset of the conflict.

The United Nations refugee agency should have a bigger presence inside Syria to observe and help refugees returning from abroad and from displacement within the war-torn country, UNHCR Commissioner Filippo Grandi said on Saturday.

09/03/2019 - U.N. agency calls for more access in Syria to help refugees return
U.N. agency calls for more access in Syria to help refugees return

"It is important that in areas of return, organizations like UNHCR are present and can observe the return, can have access to the returnees and can help them address some of the problems they face," Grandi said in Beirut, as the Syrian conflict approaches its eighth anniversary next week.

Grandi said there are "big challenges" preventing people from returning to their homes including security, legal and administrative issues, housing, schools, water and healthcare.

He said UNHCR was working with the Syrian government and its Russian ally on these matters.

Britain's foreign office minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt said on Saturday the Syrian government had not so far done enough to make Syria a safe place for returnees.

"It is clear (Assad) does not want to see many of his refugees return," Burt told the BBC's Today radio program. "It is essential there will be no reconstruction support from UK and EU until there is a political settlement that goes some way to meeting the needs of those people," he added.

The situation in the camp remains disastrous, its residents have to survive in the most difficult conditions, the statement reads.

March 9, 2019 - Russia, Syria say children cannot survive in Rukban refugee camp
Russia, Syria say children cannot survive in Rukban refugee camp

The disastrous humanitarian situation in Syria’s Rukban camp, where US-backed militant groups are forcibly keeping refugees, leaves children no chance to survive, the heads of the Russian and Syrian inter-agency coordination headquarters, Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev and Hussein Makhlouf, said in a joint statement.

"The situation in the camp remains disastrous, its residents have to survive in the most difficult conditions, facing militant violence on a daily basis. Children are the ones who suffer the most. Given the lack of food and medical care, as well as dire sanitary condition and the spread of infectious diseases, nursing babies have little chance to survive. According to the family members of people living in the camp, most of those who die in Rukban every day are children under the age of two," the statement reads.

According to Russian and Syrian representatives, Syrian nationals have been held in the camp for 1,773 days and while the United States demands Damascus create ideal conditions for temporary displaced persons, it may happen so that soon there will be no one to rescue.

"We once again call on the US to take steps to dismantle the Rukban camp and ensure the safety of those refugees who wish to return to their places of permanent residence, and leave the illegally occupied areas of Syria," the statement says.

Mizintsev and Makhlouf also welcomed the Jordanian government’s determination to provide comprehensive assistance to Syrians residing in Jordan in returning to their home country. "We expect that our Jordanian colleagues will continue participating in the implementation of initiatives concerning the return of Syrian refugees and the dismantling of the camp," the document notes.

Allegedly, “US occupation forces in the Syrian al-Jazeera area made a deal with Daesh terrorists, by which Washington gets tens of tons of gold that the terror organization had stolen, in exchange for providing safe passage for the terrorists and their leaders from the areas in Deir Ezzor where they are located.”

Fri, 03/08/2019 - Syria Accuses US Of Stealing Over 40 Tons Of Its Gold (by Eric Zuesse via The Strategic Culture Foundation,)
Syria Accuses US Of Stealing Over 40 Tons Of Its Gold

ISIS was financing its operations largely by the theft of oil from the oil wells in the Deir Ezzor area, Syria’s oil-producing region, and they transported and sold this stolen oil via their allied forces, through Turkey, which was one of those US allies trying to overthrow Syria’s secular Government and install a Sunni fundamentalist regime that would be ruled from Riyadh (i.e., controlled by the Saud family). This gold is the property of the Syrian Government, which owns all that oil and the oil wells, which ISIS had captured (stolen), and then sold. Thus, this gold is from sale of that stolen black-market oil, which was Syria’s property.

The US had done the same thing when it took over Ukraine by a brutal coup in February 2014: It grabbed the gold. Iskra News in Russian reported, on 7 March 2014, that “At 2 a.m. this morning ... an unmarked transport plane was on the runway at Borosipol Airport” near Kiev in the west, and that, “According to airport staff, before the plane came to the airport, four trucks and two Volkswagen minibuses arrived, all the truck license plates missing.” This was as translated by Michel Chossudovsky at Global Research headlining on 14 March, “Ukraine’s Gold Reserves Secretly Flown Out and Confiscated by the New York Federal Reserve?”

The load was said to be “more than 40 heavy boxes.” Chossudovsky noted that, “The National Bank of Ukraine (Central Bank) estimated
Ukraine’s gold reserves in February to be worth $1.8 billion dollars.” It was allegedly 36 tons. On 14 November 2014, a Russian youtube headlined “In Ukraine, there is no more gold and currency reserves” and reported that there is “virtually no gold. There is a small amount of gold bars, but it's just 1%” of before the coup. Four days later, Zero Hedge bannered “Ukraine Admits Its Gold Is Gone: ‘There Is Almost No Gold Left In The Central Bank Vault’". From actually 42.3 tons just before the coup, it was now far less than one ton.

The Syria operation was about oil, gold, and guns. However, most of America’s support was to Al-Qaeda-led jihadists, not to ISIS-jihadists. As the great independent investigative journalist Dilyana Gaytandzhieva reported on 2 July 2017:

 

[angelburst29]

Hunkered near one of Syria's hottest front lines for seven years, the eastern Ghouta district of Ein Terma sustained more damage than most areas in the conflict.

Long recovery ahead in former Syria rebel enclave eastern Ghouta

A man rides on a bike past rubble in Ein Terma, a district of eastern Ghouta, Syria February 26, 2019. Picture taken February 26, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

As the eighth anniversary of the civil war arrives this week, Ein Terma’s battered streets attest to the long road ahead for Syria’s war-smashed towns and cities.

Many inhabitants have lost neighbors, friends or relatives as the population scattered through years of conflict. Despite government work, rubble still clogs many streets and the water and electricity supply is only partial.

Jobs are scarce, and for people who stayed in the area when it was controlled by the rebels, family paperwork for births and deaths in that period must be done anew.

President Bashar al-Assad’s forces retook eastern Ghouta during a fierce offensive under massive bombardment.

As the rebels surrendered, people who did not want to come back under government control left to opposition-held Idlib in Syria’s far northwest.

According to the United Nations commission of inquiry on Syria, up to 50,000 people were “evacuated” in this way to the northwest.

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