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

[lilies]

[..]
Pentagon skips tests on key component of U.S.-based missile defense system
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-missile-defense-hot-fire-testing-20160317-story.html

** Against the advice of its own panel of outside experts **, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency is forgoing tests meant to ensure that a critical component of the nation’s homeland missile defense system will work as intended.

The tests that are being skipped would evaluate the reliability of small motors designed to help keep rocket interceptors on course as they fly toward incoming warheads.
[..]

This whole circus together with the "help us name the new bombers" news, also the snippet about building 'new' propeller-driven aircraft for bombing and the latest F-35 problems suggests the US military was / is operating mainly on a corporate level, where the highest goal is selling weapons and earning contracts to profit from the war industry. Winning any war was never in the mind of the real power people, who control the MIC. Creating perpetuated war zones as a rich weapons market was the main goal all along, I think.

It seems the top corporate heads, owners of the world don't care how many of these rocket interceptors fail during interception. Maybe they know the atmosphere will be soon filled with ash and dust. Its irrelevant in their plans, it seems. Controlled chaos and creative destruction seems to be the goal: to transform large areas of the world into military controlled Work-Camp Zones, where the enslaved population is contained.

 

[Voyageur]

Yes Hoagland seems to be his "friend". The analysis is pretty good though, despite of that...

Yes, would agree with that.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Soros-Obama-Merkel-Erdogan Win Control Of Europe

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2016/03/20/soros-obama-merkel-erdogan-win-control-of-europe.html

Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.

On Friday, March 18th, a combined effort by George Soros, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, and Tayyip Erdogan, arranged to get the EU to abandon previously sacrosanct fundamental human rights of refugees, and to transfer $6B+ to Turkey, in return for placing the refugee burden onto Turkey and getting Turkey to cooperate so as to assist the breakup of Syria, which will enable a gas-pipeline and an oil-pipeline to be built through Syria to enable Qatar’s gas and Saudi Arabia’s oil to be pipelined through Syria into the EU, so as to replace Russian oil and gas, which now fuel the EU.

Here, in my rush translations from the original German-language reports at German Economic News (Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten) are the key reports and headlines: deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de

Turkey deal: Germany could take majority of refugees

[Translated by Eric Zuesse from] German Economic News | Published:18:03:16 02:56 Clock

The most important consequence of the EU summit is not in the official statement. A plan long discussed, now finalizing: Germany takes the majority of refugees from Turkey, and oil and gas pipelines will replace Russian oil and gas to Europe by Saudi oil and Qatari gas.

Europe’s energy supply should result in future Syria.

According to Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, the leaders of the European Union mutually agreed with Turkey to cut Russia out of the EU gas market, cut Qatar [a U.S. ally] in. They agreed in the early hours of Friday on a refugee-&-gas-pipeline package to be approved by the Turkish government.

This agreement will substantially correspond to the Pact of Angela Merkel with Turkish President Erdogan. But it apparently comprises only a small portion of the prepared between Germany, Turkey and the USA.

Gerald Knaus, director of the Soros-funded think tank “European Stability Initiative” (ESI), for many months now has been advising Chancellor Angela Merkel on the refugee crisis. His ESI submitted the plan in October.

The original plan consists of two parts: On the one hand, Germany should, during the coming year, “grant 500,000 Syrian refugees asylum, who are now in Turkey.” Other European countries may participate, but on a voluntary basis. At the same time Turkey will take from Greece “all new migrants.”

Knaus, himself Austrian, told the Viennese daily the press, that “in the background, a more radical idea has already been largely negotiated” which will “probably very soon be announced“: Knaus said that a “coalition of the willing” will take 900 Syrians per day — “no matter how many Syrians come to Greece.” This would be about 300,000 people per year — slightly less than in the original Soros plan.

The reason for Europe’s acquisition of hundreds of thousands of refugees is obvious: The proposed EU summit one-to-one solution would not be enough to relieve Turkey significantly. Moreover, it’s not lawful from the perspective of the Geneva Convention, as human rights organizations have complained since the start of the Soros proposal. The coalition of the willing currently consists of Germany, Portugal and Sweden. Austria has not yet agreed. Presumably Merkel will move some other countries also to participate. Thus, the plan could be presented as a European solution.

From an organizational standpoint, Knaus thinks that consideration in Turkey of the plan will succeed in an agreement being reached. Knaus holds this to be essential. He told the newspaper Die Welt: “The acceptance, by the public, of receiving the refugees is essential. Had we in Europe started earlier with a quota solution, we’d be farther along today. I think that also Sweden and Austria would have been on our side. Unfortunately, the process in the past year fell out of control. We had no idea who is coming into our country. This fueled fears. “

The Soros plan is apparently agreed with the US government. Angela Merkel supported in this way the geopolitical plans of the Americans, who have a special interest in developing their energy policies in the region. They are planning the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Construction of TAP is pushed by the United States. This will run from the Turkish border via Greece, Albania and the Strait of Otranto to Italy. Thus, one of the main refugee routes to Europe, which is particularly overloaded after the closure of the Balkan route, will be cleared for pipelining gas into Europe.

Further destabilization of the TAP region is therefore not in the interests of the United States. They also want to ensure that Europe is supplied via a pipeline that’s under US control, not under Russian control. The US and Russia are fighting for the European energy market.

It is interesting in this context that a competing Russian pipeline through Syrian territory could also result. The surprising retreat of the Russians from Syria might suggest that there could be an agreement between Russia and the US: In this way, the geopolitical interests of both Great Powers could be safeguarded. The relationship between the pipeline projects and the war in Syria has the raw material site Oilprice.net analyzed in order that all parties want to solve the dependence of Saudi oil.

In this connection the role of the Americans is also in the media largely ignored regarding the visiting US diplomat Victoria Nuland in Idomeni. Nuland’s pithy sayings (such as “fuck the EU”) and her role in Ukraine, made her try to become known as a Goodwill Ambassador for Europe; she Thursday visited the refugee camps in the northern Greek Idomeni, reports Kathimerini .

The Turkish news portal Haberler reports what Nuland said in Idomeni: “It needs to be done for these people more. Athens has made a direct request to Washington. In this difficult situation, I’m here, for American-Greek solidarity. We will work together to solve the problem of distribution of refugees within the EU. In addition, we want to help ensure that the deal between the EU and Turkey is fair and transparent. It’s time to better accommodate the migrants. “

On 11 March, Nuland met with representatives of the Greek government in Athens to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues, including the request for assistance of Greece to the United States, in solving the migration problem, reported the US State Department.

This context could explain also why Angela Merkel has waited so long to go to the German public with a real plan for the refugee crisis — even though they have long been familiar with the Soros plan and he apparently also laid the basis with the Chancellor for Turkey jointly to launch the proposal at the EU summit: this was to help Merkel not to inflame sentiment in Germany before the state elections. Because the message that Germany could possibly be the only country to take a large number of refugees, would have a serious impact that has led even without this perspective to tectonic shifts in favor of the AFD [anti-immigrant party].

Knaus sees the axis Ankara-Berlin as crucial for geopolitical orientation against Russia. He said in an international interview that Germany made the mistake not to place undue reliance on the EU Commission: “Germany has early understood much. But it made the mistake of relying too much on the implementation by the Commission. Germany would have taken matters into its own hands earlier.”

Knaus sees the role of Germany as partners with Turkey and the USA. Here lies the common interest to host the refugees: “Germany does not expire like other states in an anti-Islam rhetoric. At the same time it sees Ankara, in a delicate geostrategic position between anti-Muslim governments in Europe and a strong Putin. A successful and connected in partnership by Berlin may be worth a lot for Turkey and its approach to Europe.”

This closes the circle for the TAP pipeline: The Americans want to snatch the European energy market away from Russia. In the absence of our own energy policy, Europeans are currently completely dependent on Russia. If both pipelines – quasi in a duopoly of the Americans and the Russians – are built, the energy policy space for the EU would increase significantly.

That led to the present situation, a murderous war that’s driven hundreds of thousands from Syria and Iraq. It had to be, from a geopolitical point of view of the parties — Russia, the US and the EU — regarded as collateral damage.

After all, the Soros plan would in fact lead to the result that the right of asylum would be respected so that immigration to Europe is not completely disordered. What guarantees that the EU gets Turkey to treat the refugees humanely, is completely unclear. It also is unclear whether the acceptance of refugees in Germany can be satisfactorily prepared. It also remains open whether the EU will have, as a result of the apparent cleavage of the project, neither the power to play as a political union, nor a role that goes beyond that of simply a large, attractive market.

---

[...]

 

[angelburst29]

Iran detains 2 U.S. Navy boats, 10 sailors in Persian Gulf
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/01/12/pentagon-2-us-navy-boats-held-iran-but-returned/78697686/

Tuesday Jan. 12, 2016 - Iran was holding 10 U.S. Navy sailors and two small Navy boats after the boats had mechanical problems and drifted into Iranian waters, but American officials have received assurances from Tehran that they will be returned safely and promptly.

WASHINGTON — Ten sailors aboard two small U.S. Navy boats were detained by Iran on Tuesday, but Tehran assured U.S. officials the crew and vessels would be promptly returned.


Pentagon: 10 U.S. sailors taken into Iranian custody to be returned (map - photo - video)
http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2016/01/12/pentagon-2-us-navy-boats-held-iran-but-returned/78698018/

Ten sailors and two boats were taken into Iranian custody Tuesday after their patrol boats drifted into Iranian-claimed waters, according to two defense officials.

The Mocking Jay: Iran to Dishonor US Sailors With Statue on Their Knees
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160320/1036632521/mocking-jay-iran-dishonors-american-sailors-statue.html

Iran is reportedly planning to erect a statue of the 10 US sailors captured in its territorial waters back in January to serve as a tourist attraction.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it is planning to build a statue of the 10 American sailors who were detained in the country’s territorial waters after their two small ships accidently drifted into the region last January.

A senior official said the monument, an obviously derogatory gesture at the US, will serve as a “tourist attraction.”

According to Britain’s Daily Telegraph, the statue will be erected at Kharg, a small Iranian island near the Persian Gulf site where the Americans were held.

The servicemen and women were arrested near Farsi Island, an outpost in the middle of the Persian Gulf that has served as a base for Revolutionary Guard speedboats since the ‘80s.

Iran released the sailors less than a day after Secretary of State John Kerry held numerous phone calls with Iranian counterparts to secure the safety of the American servicemen and women. He would later publically thank Iran for “cooperating” with the US.


New US Training Program for Syrian Rebels ‘Just Another Waste of Money’
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160320/1036635138/syria-us-rebels-training.html

The US Defense Department reportedly plans to launch a new train-and-equip effort in Syria. The new effort will focus on preparing a small contingent of rebels outside Syria.

The rebels will reportedly be trained in infantry tactics and then sent back to their homeland. The spokesman for the US-led military operation against Daesh, Colonel Steve Warren, said the new effort was part of the Pentagon’s adjustments to the train-and-equip program built on prior experience.

However, many details about the new program remain unclear, including its cost, the number of fighters it aims to train as well as the exact date of its launch, according to Foreign Policy magazine.

Michael Maloof, former Pentagon official and senior security policy analyst in the office of the Secretary of Defense, was not too optimistic about the Pentagon’s ability to learn from the mistakes, saying that his hopes for the new programs were pretty low.

“The program is very vague, no details are being given as to where the training will be conducted and smaller contingence doesn’t necessarily mean a success. The problem has been as to who would be available to fight ISIS as opposed to wanting to take down the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. That has been the problem. Also what countries would actually conduct the training, before it was Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey? Those countries generally are against the government of Syria as it now stands.”

“It is going to be questionable as to how effective this so-called revised program is going to be. I don’t hold much hope for it and it’s just another waste of money frankly at this point,” Maloof said.



EU blatantly tries to change Russian Constitution
http://www.pravdareport.com/russia/politics/18-03-2016/133862-russian_constitution-0/

The Venice Commission concluded that Russia should fulfill any decision made by the European Court of Human Rights, regardless of Russian legal norms. Europe wants Russia to change its own Constitution saying that it should be done on the basis of the Convention on Human Rights that Russia ratified in 1998 when joining the Council of Europe.

Western experts published the full text of the conclusion about amendments to the Federal Constitutional Law "About the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. The law entitles Russia not to fulfill decisions of international courts if they violate the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

The head of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation, one of the authors of the amendments, Andrei Klishas, said that the conclusion of the committee was advisory in nature and will not be executed in the near future. Both houses of the Russian parliament supported amendments to the Law "About the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation" in late 2015. According to the amendments, the agencies executing decisions of international courts are entitled to appeal to the Constitutional Court to find out whether this or that decision may violate the Russian Constitution.

Should the Constitutional court find a violation, the decision will be announced "unenforceable". The Venice Commission cracked down on the provisions of these amendments claiming that the right of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation was not compatible with Russia's international obligations. According to members of the Venice Commission, having joined the Convention on Human Rights, Russia not only pledged to ensure rights and freedoms, but also recognized the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as mandatory.

Noteworthy, President Vladimir Putin also signed an adequate law to recognize decisions of international courts unenforceable, if they contradict to the Russian Constitution. Therefore, all questions related to the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and their enforcement in Russia will have to be solved individually. The rulings of the ECHR will be handled on the basis of the supremacy of the Russian Constitution. Thus, if the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation finds a ruling of an international court impossible for enforcement in Russia, no action will be possible to make to execute this ruling in Russia.

Now the rulings of the Strasbourg Court should be executed in Russia on the basis of the supremacy of the Russian Constitution. The Russian Constitutional Court ruled that the participation of the Russian Federation in international treaties does not envisage waiver from national sovereignty. "The European Convention on Human Rights, and legal positions of the ECHR can not override the priority of the Russian Constitution," judge Sergei Mavrin said. Russia is the only country that has such an approach to ECHR decisions. The UK, for example, executes decisions of this court only if they do not contradict to domestic laws of the United Kingdom, and it is up to the British Royal court to find consistency.

 

[Laura]

Yes Hoagland seems to be his "friend". The analysis is pretty good though, despite of that...

Yes, would agree with that.

Hoagland isn't a bad guy. We've seen plenty of folks get taken in by scams or wishful thinking over the years. After all, Richard Dolan believes in the "breakaway civilization" peeps - the insiders of the Power system who are gonna jump on the stage at the last minute and fix everything for everybody.

 

[angelburst29]

WARS OF THE FUTURE, ” INVISIBILITY CLOAK ” WARFARE HARRY POTTER STYLE
http://novorossia.today/wars-future-invisibility-cloak-warfare-harry-potter-style/

British troops have tested a Harry Potter-style “invisibility cloak” that allows them to hide from the enemy, it has emerged.

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles (3 Rifles) took part in US field trials of a high-tech camouflage material called Vatec, which makes them disappear from view. The covering even hid them from infra-red and heat-seeking equipment.

British snipers were able to use the sheeting – which is now ready for use in military operations – to build hideaways on a mock battlefield.

“The lads are desperate for the Army to buy it. Instead of carrying chicken wire, spray paint and thermal sheets we can use this one item, which is really light”

Vatec can be moulded into shapes to match mountainous terrain and British troops are now calling for the UK government to invest in the state-of-the-art camouflage.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Corporal Tyrone Hoole, a sharpshooter from 3 Rifles, said: “This is an absolutely brilliant piece of kit.

The newspaper reported that the testing, by members of 3 Rifles and American troops, took place earlier this year at the US Army’s centre for experimental warfare techniques at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Those involved said they could not be seen even when other soldiers, acting as the enemy, tried to track them down with heat-seeking and infra-red gadgets.

Even more advanced camouflage technologies are reportedly being developed and are estimated to be about five years from the battlefield.

Scientists are attempting to replicate the way cephalopods, such as squid or octopus, change colour to blend with their environment and avoid predators.

Steps have been made recently towards recreating this process, called visual appearance modulation, by using an advanced material containing thousands of tiny cells that can detect surrounding colours.

Electrical signals are then used to mimic those colours using heat-sensitive dye, in a transformation that takes just a few seconds.

The technology, first developed at the University of Illinois and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could also be used to disguise military vehicles.

Engineering professor Xuanhe Zhao, based at MIT, said: “I have high hopes for its use in military camouflage. At the moment the military spends millions of dollars developing new camouflage patterns but they’re all static right now, they don’t change.

“If you put a pattern designed for the forest into the desert, it is not going to function. Dynamic camouflage would allow soldiers and their vehicles to adapt to their surroundings instantly.




America's Fake War on ISIS Grinds On
http://journal-neo.org/2016/03/21/americas-fake-war-on-isis-grinds-on/

recent US Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing considering the nominations of General Joseph Votel and Lieutenant General Raymond Thomas for command of US Central Command and US Special Operations Command respectively, exposed the absurdity of America’s war on the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS).

While the Syrian Arab Army backed by Russian airpower successfully cuts off entire armies of terrorists from their supplies abroad, while encircling and eradicating them within Syrian territory, the US appears instead to be attempting to stretch out ISIS’ existence while maintaining the illusion of fighting the terrorist organization for as long as possible.

During the hearing, several times US senators including US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) would credit US operations for the recent setbacks faced by ISIS, including pressure recently placed directly on Al Raqqa – the defacto capital of ISIS in eastern Syria.

In reality, all of these setbacks are instead a result of Syrian and Russian efforts to interdict supplies flowing into Syria primarily from NATO-member Turkey, US-ally Jordan, and back and forth from Iraq. Beyond allegedly high-profile targeted killings, little to nothing has been done by the US to actually degrade ISIS’ fighting capacity.

Russian warplanes have in particular, mercilessly bombed ISIS and Al Qaeda logistical networks to the point of drawing out from the geopolitical shadows their foreign sponsors, including Turkey which went as far as downing a Russian jet as it operated along the Syrian-Turkish border.

As Syrian and Russian forces choke off supplies crossing Syria’s borders bound for ISIS and Al Qaeda positions, the West and its regional partners have become increasingly desperate and transparent in their efforts to reverse what is the inevitable end of the conflict.

Senators and Generals Show No Interest in Stopping ISIS - The SASC hearing was particularly telling, because while ISIS was regularly brought up, it was clear from listening to the senators and the two generals providing testimony, that the real goal was still overthrowing the Syrian government and rolling back the influence of Russia and Iran in order to maintain American hegemony in the region and around the world. ISIS is merely an excuse to remain in the region to continue pursuing these goals.

Despite US participation in the recent Syrian ceasefire and upcoming peace talks, both the senators and the generals talked about removing Syrian President Bashar al Assad, as well as the next iteration of America’s train and equip program for fighters being sent into Syria to perpetuate the violence.

And even as the entire committee plotted the overthrow of the Syrian government, they continuously acknowledged not only ISIS’ presence in the country, but its expansion into other nations, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya – three nations the US has destroyed – with Libya being the latest and regarded several times during the hearing as “ungovernable.”

Libya’s “ungovernable” present state was cited as the primary reason for ISIS’ “sudden” appearance in the North African nation. None of the senators nor the two generals, however, mentioned just how Libya became ungovernable in the first place – not even Senator McCain who literally walked, hand-in-hand, with the future rank and file of ISIS in Libya as they took over the country after the overthrow of the government in Tripoli.

The failure of the US military for 16 months to target and destroy ISIS’ oil infrastructure in Syria was also mentioned, though the rest of their logistical network in Syria or beyond, or their foreign sponsors, were never brought up.




U.S. Backed ISIS On The Run, Using Chemical Weapons As Last Resort
http://novorossia.today/u-s-backed-isis-run-using-chemical-weapons-last-resort/

Syrian rebel factions are claiming “broad” numbers of defections by ISIS fighters, and officials are talking up the worsening morale among the self-described caliphate’s recruits, while predicting the less disciplined portions of their forces are going to be in full retreat soon.

These, and claims of huge losses in territory formerly held by ISIS, present a picture of the group being in dire straits. Despite this, ISIS seems to be able to launch major counterattacks, and bombings across the frontlines in both Syria and Iraq.

This has been a common theme in wars the US is involved with, and the Pentagon often claims big progress in conflicts which doesn’t seem to be borne out by the situation on the ground, and analysts are warning that the group’s capability of launching attacks both in the battlefield and abroad remains intact.

And indeed, as ISIS continues with its usual suicide attacks, the growing number of chemical weapons attacks by the ground are also looming large, and despite the US capturing a person believed to be the “mastermind” of the program, it appears ISIS remains capable of carrying out chemical attacks, and is reported to have a significant stockpile of chemical-capable shells to keep that program active for a long time.



Effort to Silence CIA Assets Begins with Tarkhan Batirashvili
http://journal-neo.org/2016/03/14/effort-to-silence-cia-assets-begins-with-tarkhan-batirashvili/

Most Chechen commanders have shelf lives, not necessarily in terms of effectiveness on the battlefield but in terms of political usefulness. It seems that another one is about to find out the hard way that Chechens are only there to further objectives they don’t actually hold themselves, not become glorious martyrs able to pass unimaginable wealth on to their families.

There are few secrets about the history of Tarkhan Batirashvili, a former Georgian army soldier who was deemed unfit for service for health reasons, including TB, and booted out. However we know a lot about him because we are supposed to swallow the versions given. Invariably, these revelations are presented as some sort of mysterious knowledge which only experts would have, which others cannot therefore contradict. There is a very obvious reason why we should be encouraged to think that any “non-official” information must be wrong.

From medically unfit to monster - Here is a recent profile of Batirashvili:

Omar al-Shishani aka Tarkhan Batirashvili (Islamic State / ISIS) (Article continues.)



US ‘Fairly Certain’ It Killed Top ISIS Leader … For The Fifth Time
http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/10/top-isis-military-leader-omar-the-chechen-may-have-been-killed-for-the-fifth-time/

The Department of Defense announced Tuesday that U.S. forces conducted an air strike on the possible location of the infamous Islamic State military leader known as Omar the Chechen, though his death has yet to be confirmed.

Omar, also known as Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili and Omar al-Shishani (the Chechen), has been remarkably difficult to kill. His death has been reported at least five times, including the latest report. He was also reported to have been captured by U.S. forces in December 2015, however, the Pentagon later denied the claim.

“A U.S. airstrike on March 4, near al-Shaddadi, Syria, targeted senior ISIL [ISIS] leader Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili, also known as Abu Umar al-Shishani, and ‘Omar the Chechen,'” said Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook in a statement provided to journalists Tuesday.

Cook described Shishani as a “battle-tested leader” who led ISIS forces in many engagements throughout Syria and Iraq.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Iraqi Shiite militias say US troops ‘forces of occupation,’ demand withdrawal

https://www.rt.com/news/336434-iraq-shia-militia-us/

Iran-backed Shiite militia forces in Iraq have strongly opposed new US troops deployed in the country. The militias warned that if Washington does not withdraw its forces "immediately," they will deal with them "as forces of occupation."

The US military are "making a new suspicious attempt to restore their presence in the country under the pretext of fighting their own creation, Daesh [acronym for Islamic State, IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL]," the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia said on its TV channel, al-Ahd on Monday, as quoted by Reuters.

The Shiite group added that "if the US administration doesn't withdraw its forces immediately, we will deal with them as forces of occupation."

Additional troops deployed by Washington on Sunday were also strongly objected to by Iraqi Hezbollah on Monday.

The Hezbollah movement in Iraq said the new deployment of US marines is a plot to help IS terrorists.

Stressing its resistance against Washington's "occupation of the regional states," Hezbollah said the US has sent its forces to Iraq to further assist IS, the Iranian Fars news agency reported, citing the al-Mayadeen news channel.

Despite Baghdad saying it doesn't need foreign assistance in fighting jihadists, the Pentagon announced the new deployment on Sunday, saying it has sent a detachment of US Marines to Iraq to bolster the fight against IS.

A group of Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), was on the ground in Iraq, the US military said, without specifying exactly how many personnel have been sent to Iraq. The move followed the killing of a US marine in an IS rocket attack last week.

Iraqi Command Denies Reports US Troops Deployed to Country to Fight Daesh

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160321/1036690032/iraq-daesh-command.html

The US detachment of the 200 marines whose deployment was announced by the US authorities, arrived to participate in joint training exercises of US and Iraqi Navy with the approval of Iraq's government, according to the Iraqi military command.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iraq has denied reports that the purpose of the deployment of a group of US troops to the country was to support Baghdad in its battle against terrorists, as the reason for their presence is to take part in training exercises, the Iraqi military command said in a press statement on Monday.

On Sunday, the US Central Command announced the deployment of marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to support Iraqi government in its fight against the Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh, outlawed in Russia) militant group.

"The US detachment of the 200 marines whose deployment was announced by the US authorities, arrived to participate in joint training exercises of US and Iraqi Navy with the approval of Iraq's government," the statement, published on Facebook, reads.

Since 2014, the United States and their allies have been conducting airstrikes against Daesh targets in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

New US Firebase in Iraq to Protect Iraqi Forces for Liberation of Mosul

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160321/1036691255/us-iraq-daesh.html

Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Steve Warren stated that US commanders decided to withhold information about the US presence of the base until it was fully operational in order to protect US and coalition forces.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States established a firebase in northern Iraq to support Iraqi forces in liberating the city of Mosul from the Daesh, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters on Monday.

"Several weeks ago, thousands of Iraqi troops began occupying a tactical assembly in Makhmour, this is part of the force generation associated with the liberation of Mosul," Warren stated. "These Iraqi forces, along with their coalition advisors, require forced protection, so we constructed a small firebase to do just that."

On March 19, US Marine Sergeant Louis Cardin was killed in Iraq during an Daesh rocket strike, the Department of Defense announced on Sunday.

US commanders, Warren noted, decided to withhold information about the presence of the base until it was fully operational in order to protect US and coalition forces.

The Islamic State, also known as Daesh, is a designated terrorist group that has taken large areas of land in Iraq and Syria, where it proclaimed a caliphate. The terror group is outlawed in the United States, Russia and in several other countries.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Syrian Military Hospital Reports 50% Drop in Casualties Since Ceasefire

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160322/1036708036/syria-military-latakia-death.html

Since the implementation of the ceasefire, the number of victims and injuries on the front-line in Syria have decreased rapidly, the head of Latakia's military hospital said.

LATAKIA (Sputnik) — The number of the wounded and killed on Syria's front lines decreased markedly last week; the head of Latakia's military hospital reports that 50 percent fewer patients had been admitted since the beginning of the national reconciliation process last month.

"Over the past week, the number of the wounded delivered to the hospital decreased significantly, with regard to what was previously witnessed. It is possible to say that we are having a break, It has been the first week in four years, when you can sigh with relief. The number of the received wounded has decreased by 50 percent," Gen. Badia Ismail Atrash told reporters.

The wounded, who were delivered to the hospital not only from Latakia, but other Syrian provinces as well, mostly received their injuries due to attacks from improvised mortars, landmines and splinters, he added.

Zuhir Mundhir, the surgeon at the hospital, confirmed that the doctors had much less work than they were used to, and expressed hope that the ceasefire would be further observed.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups.

According to UN estimates, the conflict in Syria has cost the lives of over 470,000 people, while almost two million have been wounded.

On February 22, Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria, which took effect at midnight on February 27. The ceasefire does not apply to terrorist organizations, such as Islamic State, which has been blacklisted by countries around the world, including Russia and the United States.

BREAKING:

Twin Explosions Hit Brussels Airport, Cause Unknown

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160322/1036712700/brussels-airport-explosion.html

Two explosions heard at Zeventem airport in Brussels, cause is unknown.

Several people were injured, according to witnesses.

Rail traffic to the airport suspended.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Israeli Rush to Save Secret Pact with Turkey

http://russia-insider.com/en/israeli-rush-save-secret-pact-turkey/ri13478

Truth of Turkish attack on Israeli tourist to be buried by Dore Gold

Not to be left behind the obsequious Europeans, the Israelis are rushing for their own Faustian pact with the Islamists of Turkey. In the immediate aftermath of the suicide terrorist attack in Istanbul on March 19th, which left five persons dead and scores injured, Dore Gold, Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign rushed to Istanbul. Why? is the question.

On the face of it, this rush to Turkey, before hardly any information about the nature of last week’s terrorist attack had emerged, sounded odd. Dore Gold was not close by, in Israel, at the time of the explosion.

He was in far away America to attend the American Israel Political Action Committee’s (AIPAC) "Annual Policy Conference 2016". This annual event is considered the most important meeting of pro-Israeli, American-Jewish groups in the US. Moreover, unlike all recent American Administrations, the Obama Administration has not been considered pro- Israeli enough. And the bad chemistry between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama has fuelled numerous mini- crises between Jerusalem and Washington during the Obama presidency, climaxing with the Israel’s total opposition to the American-Iranian nuclear deal.

Finally, 2016 is a presidential year in the US, and Israel is extremely worried that Donald Trump may win the Republican nomination and prevail over Israel's preferred choice, Hillary Clinton, who is expected to be the Democratic Party nominee, and all the Republican Party runners except for Trump have been invite to speak to the AIPAC conference.

Dore Gold, born in the US, is an influential Israeli and a political figure in his own right. An academic by US training – Hartford Yeshiva, Columbia University -- he was long associated with the Israeli right (Ariel Sharon). Netanyahu appointed him Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2015.

Most relevant, and the reason for his rush to Istanbul, is his concern that the bombing assassination of the Israeli tourists may derail for good Gold’s long-sought attempt at reconciliation with Turkey. In Israel he has been an ardent advocate of an axis between the two countries; he has been the architect of recent moves and secret negotiations with the Islamist regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for "happy days again" between Jerusalem and Ankara.

Reparations of $20 million were promised. For more on the Gold secrets, read this http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.662476

What is interesting and revealing is that whereas the initial reporting and official Turkish leaks to the press characterised the Saturday, March 20, attack as another Kurdish terrorist attack and that the victims were "ordinary" Turks, the Israelis knew better. They knew the victims were foreigners, mostly Israeli tourists -- and that the perpetrators were not Kurdish but Turkish Islamists. We all know now that this is the case. And that this is the second time recently that tourists have been attacked in Istanbul. Except that this time they got a bonus. They got the hated Israelis. By accident http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/erdogan-official-tweets-she-hopes-israeli-tourists-are-dead-in-istanbul-terror-attack-a6942546.html?

Noone wants to admit or even speculate that this was a deliberate attack targeting Israelis. So an official story was concocted- a bread and butter Turkish intelligence tale - that the terrorist was planning to bomb a nearby government building, and that he lost his cool and "detonated" himself, "off" his target. Moreover, he just happened to have done so "accidentally" in the midst of a crowd of tourists, and that by "chance" they happened to be Israelis. Now if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you at a giveaway price, as the Americans are fond of saying.

Significantly, while Secretary General Gold took the first flight from the US to Istanbul - probably a Turkish Airlines one, since El Al is not allowed by the Turks to fly there- Netanyahu said he has no evidence that the Israelis were targeted deliberately by Islamists. It was their tough luck, according to the prime minister. Maybe it was because they violated the Sabbath. Who knows.

So Netanyahu wishes. And so does Gold rushing to Istanbul to save the day and have his chance to lie prostrate before the Great Turk and obtain his "generous cooperation ", this time in the fight against terrorism, much like his European cousins have been doing lately. And all the while Erdogan- NATO's Hitler loving ally by his own admission- is implementing genocidal policies against the Kurds of Turkey - "his own people" as NATO might have said, but doesn't.

Israeli minister notes importance of coordination of efforts with Russia on Syria

http://tass.ru/en/world/864050

"Coordination of steps between us and Russia allows Israel to defend these interests without fear of Russian intervention, and it is extremely important not only in near, but in the long run," he says

TEL AVIV, March 21. /TASS/. Coordination between Russia and Israel on Syria is extremely important for the Jewish state, and Israel is counting on its continuation, Israeli Minister of Transport and Intelligence Yisrael Katz said in an interview published by the Israeli portal Newsru.co.il on Monday.

"Coordination of steps between us and Russia allows Israel to defend these interests without fear of Russian intervention, and it is extremely important not only in near, but in the long run." Asked if the coordination of actions would continue after the withdrawal of the main part of the Russian Aerospace Forces from Syria, Katz said, "Of course."

"Russia will retain a certain presence in the region, and, from my point of view, coordination is extremely important for Israel. Syria, Iran and Hizbullah might have expected that Russia would actively oppose the Israeli measures. This did not happen. We have our own interests in what is happening in Syria: first of all, to prevent the hotbed of terrorist activity on the Golan Heights, and also prevent the transfer of strategic weapons from Iran through Syria to Lebanon."

The minister said that "We need to remember that we have interests relating to the Golan Heights, and it is good that in the case of a settlement in Syria, we have the ability to effectively communicate with Russia."

On September 21, 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Moscow. According to Israeli media, the aim of the visit was "to prevent a misunderstanding between the Israeli Defense Army and the Russian forces" on Syria. Netanyahu said on his Facebook page then he had told Russian President Vladimir Putin about Israel's policy of striking at suspected threats from the Syrian Golan. "Given these circumstances, I came to Russia, to make clear our policy and also to enable that there be no misunderstanding between our forces."

The two countries have established a mechanism to prevent such misunderstandings, which is very important for Israel’s security, according to Netanyahu. In late November last year, Israel and Russia agreed to step up coordination of efforts in connection with the aggravation of the situation in Syria, in order to prevent mistakes and implement coordination on a large scale, the Israeli prime minister said then.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Russia, Iraq Authorities Plan Mutual High-Level Visits in 2016 - Ambassador

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160323/1036796341/russia-iraq-high-level-visits.html

Russia's Ambassador to Iraq stated that Russian and Iraqi authorities are planning mutual high-level visits in 2016 and the dates are currently being coordinated.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian and Iraqi authorities are planning mutual high-level visits in 2016 and the dates are currently being coordinated, Russia's Ambassador to Iraq Ilya Morgunov said.

"High-level visits are planned for 2016. The first took place on February 10-11, when Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin visited Baghdad… The dates for further visits are being coordinated," Morgunov told RIA Novosti.

Russian Arms Deliveries to Iraqi Kurdistan Approved by Baghdad - Ambassador

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160323/1036794033/russian-arms-deliveries-kurdistan.html

Russia's Ambassador to Iraq said that Russia is delivering arms to Iraqi Kurdistan on a schedule that is approved and coordinated with Baghdad authorities.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia is delivering arms to Iraqi Kurdistan on a schedule that is approved and coordinated with Baghdad authorities, Russia's Ambassador to Iraq Ilya Morgunov said.

"All issues regarding military deliveries to Iraq from the Russian side… are discussed with representatives of the federal Iraqi government in Baghdad or Moscow. The weapons are delivered to Iraqi customers as they are produced by Russian enterprises, in accordance with timelines outlined in contracts," Morgunov told RIA Novosti.

"If we're talking about deliveries free of charge to Iraqi Kurdistan in order to strengthen the capacity of the Kurdish Peshmerga self-defense forces, this is done in coordination with the Iraqi government in Baghdad, where Russian planes arrive for customs procedures and to obtain consent to proceed to Erbil. The Kurds are primarily supplied with small and medium firearms and ammunition," he added.

Russian companies could expand their presence in Iraqi Kurdistan and this matter was discussed at a meeting with the autonomous region's President Masoud Barzani and other top Kurdish officials, Russia's Ambassador said.

"Meetings have been held with President Masoud Barzani, Prime Minister of the regional government Nechervan Barzani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and former President Jalal Talabani… Issues were discussed regarding delegation exchange in 2016 and expanding the work of Russian companies on the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan," Morgunov told RIA Novosti.

Russian warplane carrying 160 service members leaves Syria

http://tass.ru/en/world/864420

The military service members who have left Hmeimim airbase performed the work of fueling aircraft, supplying fuel, water and aircraft ammunition, food, maintenance of equipment and communications

HMEIMIM (Syria), March 23. /TASS/. The Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft carrying 160 military service members who performed the task of materiel support of the Russian air group in Syria has left Hmeimim airbase and headed for Russia, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry has told reporters.

The military service members who have left Hmeimim performed the work of fueling aircraft, supplying fuel, water and aircraft ammunition, food as well bath and laundry support, maintenance of equipment and communications. The decision to send them to the place of permanent deployment was taken in connection with the pullout of the main force grouping and reduction in the volume of work.

The press service of the Russian Defense Ministry noted that the warplane was expected to arrive at an airfield in Russia’s Central Military District on Wednesday evening.

Besides, an Antonov An-24 Ruslan aircraft of the military transport aviation has left Hmeimim as well. It will deliver to Russia various equipment and three Mil Mi-35 helicopters that performed the task of Hmeimim airbase protection.

Syrian forces preparing for launching offensive in Palmyra

http://tass.ru/en/world/864406

Sappers are demining approaches to the ancient site, SANA news agency reports

BEIRUT, March 23. /TASS/. The Syrian government army supported by self-defense forces have regained control over the El-Hayal mountains to the south-west of ancient Palmyra, SANA news agency reported on Wednesday.

A representative of the Syrian army told SANA that the government forces are currently preparing for a decisive offensive at Palmyra in two kilometers from the city while sappers are demining approaches to the ancient site.

While destroying remaining strongholds of terrorists from Islamic State (terrorist organization banned in Russia) in El-Hayal, "a large number of militants were killed and injured, while others fled leaving their weapons behind," the representative said. The mountain rises above the oasis seized last May by IS and allows to open fire at terrorists’ positions on the approaches to Palmyra and inside the city.

Meanwhile Syrian forces delivered strikes at terrorist strongholds in the El-Karyaten oasis on the Damascus-Palmyra highway thus destroying their last base in Mkhin. Militants sustained considerable losses, their military equipment and transport were put out of order.

In Deir ez-Zor at the Euphrates river, Syrian forces repelled attacks of IS gangs that were trying to capture regions controlled by the Syrian army. Terrorists’ attacks were also repelled to the north of Latakia and in Aleppo’s industrial zone.

Kerry arrives in Moscow with third visit over last 12 months

http://tass.ru/en/world/864402

In Moscow US State Secretary will have a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. US State Secretary John Kerry will arrive in Moscow today for talks with the Russian leadership. This is the third visit of the US state secretary to Russia in the last 12 months. He previously visited Russia in May and December 2015.

In Moscow Kerry will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and have a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "US State Secretary and Minister (Sergey Lavrov) will inform the President about their contacts. During talks with the president, a rather broad range of issues will probably be discussed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov noted that Syria and Ukraine remain on top of the agenda.

US State Department said that Kerry and Russian officials "will discuss ongoing efforts of the International Syria Support Group to maintain the cessation of hostilities, provide aid and improve and expand humanitarian access, and facilitate a political transition in Syria, while also combating Daesh (Islamic State terrorist organization banned in Russia)."

Experts note that Kerry’s visit to Russia will coincide with the visit of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Moscow.

Uneasy relations

"The situation in Russian-US relations remains uneasy," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "A series of confrontational steps made by Washington under the pretext of the Ukrainian crisis, has dealt a strong blow to cooperation," the ministry added. Since March 2014, Washington suspended the work of bilateral presidential commission, limited inter-departmental dialogue, introduced in several stages visa and property sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities.

Moreover, bilateral trade turnover shrank by a third in 2015 to $20 billion.

In the framework of pre-election polemics, US from time to time voices its concerns about the "Russian threat" which does not add anything positive to bilateral dialogue.

Moscow has repeatedly noted the importance of observing the principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference into internal affairs in bilateral relations with Washington. "At the same time, we continue joint work with Washington in those spheres where such cooperation is in line with Russian interests and tasks of maintaining international security," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russia regularly raises an issue of removing irritants created by Washington in the bilateral agenda. "We insist on stopping the ‘hunt’ of US law enforcement agencies on Russian citizens in third countries. We insist on ensuring the rights of our compatriots residing in the United States, especially on duly protecting the interests of adopted Russian children," the foreign ministry added.

Geneva closely watching

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday that he pins certain hopes on the upcoming meeting between Kerry and Lavrov. "We are looking with great interest, expectation and hope that the talks in Moscow will be productive - and honestly, not everything will be solved in one day - but productive in the right direction to help us to resume the talks with much more in-depth address on the issue of political transition," de Mistura said.

Meanwhile, the situation in inter-Syrian talks remains uneasy though certain progress is being made. Discussions of political transition arise heated debates as several representatives of the opposition are trying to precede the results of consultations by setting preconditions on excluding others from the negotiations process.

Moscow repeatedly noted that only Syrians themselves should decide on the country’s future on the basis of national accord as envisaged by the Geneva communique from 30 June 2012.

Russia’s envoy to UN and other international organizations in Geneva Alexey Borodavkin told TASS that Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC) continues to insist on resignation of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The HNC’s delegation should refuse ultimatums and demonstrate more flexibility, he added.

How not to harm ceasefire

Different statements on ceasefire observation in Syria are heard from Washington. Talking about observance of the established regime of cessation of hostilities, US does not accept Russia’s proposal to coordinate the mechanism of verifying the observation of ceasefire.

In this regard, the head of the main operations directorate of the Russian General Staff, Sergey Rudskoy said that from March 22, Russia is ready to unilaterally use force against armed groups systematically violating ceasefire in Syria. "We stress that military forces will be used only after reliable evidence is received on systematic violations by armed groups of commitments made in the framework of implementing the Joint Russian-US statement on cessation of hostilities in Syria from 22 February 2016," Rudskoy said.

US State Department noted that Russian plans go against February agreements.

Lavrov and Steinmeier to discuss Syria and implementation of Minsk Agreements

http://tass.ru/en/world/864405

Frank-Walter Steinmeier will also meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier will hold talks in Moscow today. Steinmeier will arrive in the Russian capital as a current chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Bilateral relations in all spheres are on the agenda. The sides will continue exchanging opinions on key international problems, including the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, progress in the peaceful process in Syria, issues of European security, fight against international terrorism (which is particularly relevant after Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in Brussels), OSCE topics.

Steinmeier will also meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The sides will discuss economic and investment issues.

Bilateral relations

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russian-German dialogue still remains "an important factor of European and global policy that influences the resolution of many world problems." Russia and Germany continue developing inter-parliamentary and inter-regional contacts.

Last year the bilateral trade turnover continued declining. In 2015 it fell by 34.7% compared to 2014 and stood at $45.8 billion. At the same time, Russian exports to Germany decreased by 31.7% to $25.4 billion, imports - by 38% to $20.4 billion.

The number of companies with German participation fell from 6,000 to around 5,600, though Germany still remains one of Russia’s key investment partners. According to the Bank of Russia, the total volume of accumulated German investment exceeds $12.4 billion.

In social ties, the foreign ministry reminded, the Russian-German Petersburg Dialogue public forum occupies a top position as it resumed its work in 2015. The next session of the forum will take place in St. Petersburg on July 15-16.

Moscow also noted fruitful cooperation in the historical-memorial sphere. In particular, the Commission on studying modern history of Russian-German relations continue working very actively.

The German side services Soviet military cemeteries in Germany in accordance with the inter-governmental agreement on preserving military graves from 16 December 1992. There are 3,310 Soviet military cemeteries on the territory of Germany where 760,000 Russian/Soviet citizens rest.

Relations with EU

The foreign ministers will also focus on the relations between Russia and the European Union (EU) as "partnership for modernization" is going through rather rocky times because of the Ukrainian crisis. At a recent meeting with EU representatives at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow called on Brussels "to exert more serious pressure on Kiev to finally get results in the investigation of resonance cases of lawlessness, including ‘the sniper case’, tragedy in Odessa, murder of journalist Oles Buzina."

The latest statement of EU’s leadership have not contributed to improving relations as well. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called on UN member countries to impose sanctions on Russia because of Crimea. Moscow described this as "hypocrisy" adding that methods of political and economic pressure have absolutely no prospects.

Russia also criticized EU’s guiding principles in relations with Moscow that include demands to implement Minsk-2, conditions of holding dialogue on energy and intention to develop selective cooperation.

"We are used to choosing the menu by ourselves. Whether it is full-fledged is a topic for mutually acceptable agreements not for bilateral approaches," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Donbass

The current OSCE’s agenda also includes the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. Moscow claims that Kiev have being sabotaging the fulfillment of the political part of the agreements. The constitutional reform has not been adopted, and the law on local election in Donbass has not been coordinated. Kiev authorities say that they first want to regain control over the Russian-Ukrainian border, but Moscow says that Minsk-2 stipulates that this is the last point for implementation.

The "Normandy Quartet" (Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine) agreed that local election should be held in the first half of 2016. Steinmeier previously said that the security situation should not serve as justification for the sides to not work on the law on election.

The threat of escalation on the contact line in Donbass has recently emerged. "Consecutive steps of Ukrainian military on capturing ‘neutral zone’ along the contact line lead to a dangerous convergence of the positions of the sides and provoke intensification of clashes," Russia’s envoy to OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said. "We are not even talking about the fact that it goes against the Minsk Package of measures," he added.

Russia Invites EU to Abandon Geopolitical Games, Unite Against Terrorism

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160323/1036799675/russia-europe-terrorism.html

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that he hopes Europe will be able to leave behind its "geopolitical games" and unite against terrorism amid the Brussels attacks.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Speaking ahead of a meeting with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Lavrov expressed hope that Europeans would "set aside geopolitical games and unite against the terrible threat of terrorism, in order not to allow terrorists to administer affairs on our common continent."

The minister added that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) could play a key role in these anti-terrorism efforts as cooperation between Russia and NATO has been suspended.

In addition to European terrorism prevention, Lavrov said he and Steinmeier would discuss various bilateral matters, as well as international issues such as the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

"I look forward to a constructive dialogue," he said.

US State Department: Terrorists plan more attacks throughout Europe

http://tass.ru/en/world/864410

The US State Department warns US citizens of potential risks of travelling to Europe after March 22 terrorist attacks in Brussels

WASHINGTON, March 23. /TASS/. US State Department has warned US citizens of potential risks of travelling to Europe after March 22 terrorist attacks in Brussels.

The statement released by US State Department on Wednesday said: "The State Department alerts US citizens to potential risks of travel to and throughout Europe following several terrorist attacks, including the March 22 attacks in Brussels claimed by ISIL (Islamic State terrorist organization)."

"Terrorist groups continue to plan near-term attacks throughout Europe, targeting sporting events, tourist sites, restaurants, and transportation," the statement added.

"US citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using mass transportation. Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid crowded places. Exercise particular caution during religious holidays and at large festivals or events," US State Department noted.

A series of terrorist attacks hit the Belgian capital on Tuesday morning. According to the latest reports, the death toll in three bombings in Brussels has risen to at least 34, and more than 230 are injured.

Belgium hiked its terror threat to its highest level (level 4) and closed the borders.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Russia Deploys Special Forces to Syria for Reconnaissance Missions

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160323/1036849976/syria-russia-air-forces.html

Units of Russian special forces have been deployed in Syria to carry out "many tasks", including reconnaissance and target-designation, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Units of Russian special forces have been deployed in Syria to carry out a variety of tasks, including reconnaissance and target-designation, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said.

"Our special forces units are operating in Syria. They provide additional reconnaissance for Russian airstrikes, carry out aircraft target-designation in remote areas, and carry out other special tasks," Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta posted on its website on Wednesday.

Syrian Army Liberated 400 Settlements With Russia's Air Support

The government forces have liberated 400 settlements in Syria during the Russian air operation in Syria, recapturing some 10,000 square kilometers (over 3,860 sq. miles) from terrorists, the commander of the Russian military contingent in Syria said.

"During the operation, the Syrian forces with the Russian air support liberated 400 settlements," Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov said in an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta posted on its website on Wednesday.

The potential of terrorist groups has been reduced by half, they have lost initiative, while the territory under their control shrank by 10,000 square kilometers," Dvornikov stressed.

Russia supplied artillery systems, reconnaissance equipment to Syrian army — commander

http://tass.ru/en/defense/864583

Communication equipment and other technologies have also been supplied

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Russia has supplied to Damascus artillery systems, communication and reconnaissance equipment and other technologies, the commander of Russia’s group in Syria, Colonel-General Alexander Dvornikov said on Wednesday.

"Good coordination between Russian warplanes in the air and government troops and patriotically-minded forces on the ground was the main contributing factor to the success of the military operation against terrorists. For enhancing their combat capabilities we’ve provided advanced weapons and military equipment, such as artillery systems, communication and intelligence equipment and so on to the Syrian army," Dvornikov said in an interview published on the website of the government-published daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

Russia launched an operation in Syria on September 30, 2015 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Russia’s aerospace force and naval ships were used in the operation against the militants.

Since March 15, 2016 the bulk of the Russian air group has been leaving Syria. The Defense Ministry said, though, that it would go ahead with strikes against Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra militants (both organizations are outlawed in Russia as terrorist). The truce effective in Syria since February 27 does not apply to them.

Earlier, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no legal restrictions on military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Damascus. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia had received Syria’s guarantees the weapons provided would be used solely for struggle against terrorism.

Number of Syria ceasefire violations with heavy weapons use down — reconciliation center

http://tass.ru/en/world/864608

MOSCOW, March 23 /TASS/. The number of ceasefire violations involving the use of heavy weapons has been on decline in Syria of late, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in the territory of Syria has said in an information bulletin.

The document published at the Russian Defense Ministry website said that the leaderships of the Russian and American reconciliation centers had drawn the conclusion during regular telephone talks.

"It was noted that the number of breaches involving the use of heavy weapons had gone down considerably," the Russian reconciliation center said in the information bulletin.

Russia says Turkey hinders Kurds’ fight against Daesh

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/03/23/457228/Russia-Turkey-Lavrov-Syria-Kurds-YPG/

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed Turkey Wednesday for attacking positions of Kurdish fighters, saying Ankara is “frustrating” efforts made to fight the Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

“When the Kurds try and take back territory from Islamic State (Daesh) the Turkish side starts artillery strikes on the Kurdish positions frustrating their attempts to fight the terrorist organization,” Lavrov said in a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in the Russian capital, Moscow.

The Russian foreign minister also cast doubt on Ankara’s claim of battling against terrorism.

Ankara “refuses to effectively stick to the path of the fight against terrorism and more than that, is using the slogan of the war against terrorism to suppress Kurdish” forces in Syria and Turkey," he said.

Earlier this week, Lavrov also criticized Turkey’s shelling of Kurdish positions in Syria and called Ankara’s actions on the border with the Arab country “creeping expansion.” He said that Moscow has evidence that Turkish forces are on Syrian territory despite Ankara’s denial of troops’ entry into the war-torn Arab country.

Turkey, which has been among the main supporters of the militant groups operating in Syria, has been attacking positions of Kurdish People’s Protection Units, also known as the YPG, over the past few months, accusing them of having links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group.

The YPG, which is nearly in control of Syria’s entire northern border with Turkey, has been fighting against Daesh, which has seized parts of Iraq and Syria.

Elsewhere in the press conference, Lavrov said Russia and Germany agreed on the need for inclusive Syria peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland.

The German foreign minister, for his part, said there was no time to lose in peace talks on the Syria conflict, calling on all parties not to stall the negotiations.

The new round of UN-backed peace talks between the Syrian government and the foreign-sponsored opposition started in Geneva on March 14 to find a solution for the five years of conflict in the Arab country.

The negotiations have time and again failed to conclude as the opposition delegation, mainly the so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC), has made demands the government rejects. Those demands include President Bashar al-Assad’s stepping down in a future government.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

At least 400 ISIS fighters trained for attacks on Europe – report

https://www.rt.com/news/336978-isis-training-external-attacks/

Islamic State (IS, previously ISIS/ISIL) has been operating training camps for attacks on the West, providing longer training and more autonomy to its recruits, AP reported, citing European and Iraqi intelligence officers as well as a French lawmaker.

Terror cells have been reportedly set up all across Europe and their main goal is to carry out as many attacks as possible, not just to kill as many people as possible – all in order to force European authorities to spend more money, the report said.

Leaders of these terrorist cells appear to be French-speaking individuals with links to North Africa, France and Belgium, according to a European security official who talked to AP on condition of anonymity. They are usually tasked with creating new attack strategies in Europe, he said.

When IS claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attacks on Brussels, the extremist group mentioned a “secret cell of soldiers” that was sent to Brussels.

This kind of structure has also been confirmed by the EU police agency, Europol, which said in January that IS had “developed an external action command trained for special forces-style attacks.”

The training of the recruits seems to be a priority now, as it reportedly went from a short span of just a few weeks to a much longer time period. It also started to include battleground strategies, explosives, surveillance techniques and counter-surveillance, according to the security official.

“The difference is that in 2014, some of these IS fighters were only being given a couple weeks of training,” he said. “Now the strategy has changed. Special units have been set up. The training is longer. And the objective appears to no longer be killing as many people as possible but rather to have as many terror operations as possible, so the enemy is forced to spend more money or more in manpower.”

Moreover, it came to light that IS sometimes reuses terror cells. For example, IS militants who were involved in the Paris attacks have spread out across Europe, leaving for Germany, Britain, Italy, Denmark and Sweden, a senior Iraqi intelligence official said.

French Senator Nathalie Goulet, co-head of a commission tracking jihadi networks, estimated that anywhere from 400 to 600 IS fighters are being trained specifically for external attacks. She also said that around 5,000 Europeans have left the continent to go to Syria and join IS.

“The reality is that if we knew exactly how many there were, it wouldn’t be happening,” Goulet said.

The training camps are reportedly located in several countries, including Syria, Iraq and some unidentified “former Soviet bloc states.” Islamic State is also now giving its cells more control over when and how to proceed.

AP’s sources believe that the attacks on Brussels were a response to the arrest of the fugitive Salah Abdeslam, which happened just a few days earlier.

“To pull off an attack of this sophistication, you need training, planning, materials and a landscape,” Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at Kings College in London, told the news agency. “Even if they worked flat out, the attackers in Brussels would have needed at least four days.”

After the attacks on Paris in November, Abdesalam fled and managed to create a new network, while hiding out in his childhood neighborhood of Molenbeek, Belgium, which has a large Muslim population, Belgian officials said.

“Not only did he drop out of sight, but he did so to organize another attack, with accomplices everywhere. With suicide belts. Two attacks organized just like in Paris. And his arrest, since they knew he was going to talk, it was a response: ‘So what if he was arrested? We’ll show you that it doesn’t change a thing,’” Goulet added.

Belgian authorities fear that one fugitive connected to Tuesday’s attacks in Brussels might follow the same path as Abdesalam. They discovered that a man in a white jacket, who was caught conversing with two suicide attackers on security footage, was able to disappear.

Tuesday blasts that rocked Brussels’ Zaventem Airport and the city’s Maalbeek Metro station, killing at least 31 people and injuring about 300. Two Brussels airport suicide bombers have been identified as Belgian-born brothers Khalid and Brahim El Bakraoui.

The third suspect, the bombmaker, has been named as Najim Laachraoui. He reportedly made his explosives out of regular household items. French and Belgian officials told AP that Laachraoui also made suicide vests for Paris attacks. Authorities said that DNA evidence points to the likelihood that he died during Brussels attacks.

'Ordered to strike when they see fit'

An American intelligence official speaking to The Mirror estimated the number of possible independent ISIS cells in Europe at more than 100. According to the source, the FBI has been working closely with the Belgians on identifying “a wider network” of terrorists operating in Europe.

Similar to the other estimates, the Americans believe around 450 bomb makers and other experts could have already received orders to carry out attacks at will: “They are to carry out coordinated attacks in their cells, but are left to decide a time and place of their choosing,” the source told the British newspaper on condition of anonymity.

“We understand the orders these men and women have been given are basic in the extreme… They are not waiting for anyone to tell them when.”

The warning comes as the FBI continues to work closely with Belgian intelligence on combatting what the source calls “a wider network” of jihadists in Europe.

“Currently attempts are being made from the information that is being gathered on the ground in Brussels to identify a wider network of fighters Tuesday's killers were in contact with.

“It seems although there has been a concentrated allied effort to take out the head of the snake in places like Mosul, the tail is where the sting lies,” the official said.

ISIS University: American Camp Bucca in Iraq

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/03/isis-university-american-camp-bucca-in.html

Maria Podkopaeva

_https://gazeta.eot.su/article/problemy-i-osnovy-politiki-islamskogo-gosudarstva-2

Originally published on June 10, 2015

Translated by Kristina Kharlova

In the past six months reputable publications and news agencies of different countries increasingly engage in a heated discussion about whose project is ISIS. And who is responsible for the emergence and operation of this group. Discussion started late last year in the Western media of this topic can hardly be silenced. Therefore an exchange of blame is inevitable.

The main nerve of the emerging debate is the burning issue about the real relationship between ISIS and the United States. It is not easy to provide an exhaustive answer. However, much begins to make sense.

On the one hand, ISIS is conducting a campaign of threats against the U.S. and American citizens. On the other hand, Americans are already openly perceived as the handlers of ISIS. In mid-April 2015 the Iranian news Agency Fars quoted the statement of chief of General staff of the Iranian armed forces major-general Hassan Firouzabadi, who said:

"We have received reports that American planes have been landing and taking off from ISIS-controlled airports. The United States should not supply weapons, money and food to "Islamic state", and then apologize for that they allegedly did it by mistake."

A number of Western media outlets at the same time worked a completely different version of ISIS creation.

On April 18, 2015 the German edition of "Der Spiegel" published an article by Christoph Reuter, "Strategist of terror". "Der Spiegel" correspondent had studied some secret documents of the "Islamic state" which ended up in possession of the publication. As a result of this study Reuter came to the conclusion that the mastermind of the plan to seize Syria by the "Islamic state" was a former intelligence officer of the Iraqi army Colonel Samir Abd Mohammed al-Khlifavi, aka Haji Bakr, who was killed in 2014.

It is Haji Bakr, as reported by Reuter, who in 2012, together with a group of accomplices went to Syria to begin the conquest by the "Islamic state" of first Syrian, and then Iraqi territories. It is in Syria, writes "Spiegel", where Haji Bakr has created "not a Manifesto of faith, but a technically accurate plan of the "Islamic state".

Spiegel's idea to describe ISIS as a heir of Saddam Hussein's regime was expanded by British "The Times". "The Times" journalist Ben MacIntyre adds new links to this political pedigree. If you believe Mclntyre, the entire history of Islamism, patronized by the West, has nothing to do with ISIS. MacIntyre argues:

"The Godfather of the "Islamic state" is Stalin. The Soviet leader died 60 years before this inhuman fundamentalist Caliphate began to take shape in Syria and neighboring Iraq. But the architects of ISIS began to forge a new Caliphate exactly with the same methods used by Stalin, building the government of spies on fear".

Note the amazing impudence of the charges put forward here. Medieval mass public executions are not about the Soviet Union. Such methods are much closer to the events in the countries of the "Arab spring," so warmly supported by the United States. If we do a comparison, the "ISIS method" is more like the violent destruction of Qaddafi regime in Libya together with Islamists and Western aviation, from which the young children of the Qaddafi family were killed. But we certainly will not read anything like this on the pages of "The Times".

"...Bakr methods were not new. He was a product of the terrorist state created by Saddam, whose system of internal spying, in turn, was indebted to the Soviet model of repression and manipulation. Ba'ath regime of Saddam was a Stalinist dictatorship, except that it had a different name, and all the public elements were controlled using fear, uncertainty and the all-seeing intelligence services".

What is the purpose of such blatant shifting of historical responsibility to the USSR for the political monster arisen under the patronage of the West? In order to stop the different version of the origin of the "Islamic state" from emerging. What is this version?

On May 26 2015 the German "Focus" magazine (which, by the way, from the very beginning of its existence was the opponent of "Der Spiegel") published an article by Julian Rohrer, entitled "Policy of Instability".

The article reported about a seven-page RUMO document, dated August 2012. And on the pages of the document military intelligence reported: the unstable situation in the Middle East region may lead to an emergence of the Islamic state.

The authors of the document came to the following conclusion: the weakening of Assad creates the perfect atmosphere for the Iraqi Al Qaida and will allow it to return to Iraq and set up in Mosul and Ramadi. Today, says Rohrer, what was foreshadowed three years ago has become a reality— in June 2014 the Islamic state captured Mosul, and not so long ago, Ramadi.

RUMO document, of course, had no indication that ISIS will emerge in Iraq and Syria in its current form. However, it expresses the understanding that it is heading in that direction. Thus, "Focus" magazine introduces the subject of American responsibility for the creation of ISIS, at least in the context of American competent authorities understanding exactly what was going on.

However, this is not the only charge that appeared in Western media when discussing the emergence of ISIS as a result of American Middle East policy.

The claim is further developed by Adnan Khan, the author of the article "ISIS is a US proxy?", published on RevolutionObserver.com:

The origin of ISIS in its current form is not known and is covered by a veil of fog, and probably for this reason, many have suspicions... It is noteworthy that all the top leaders of today's ISIS were gathered in Camp Bucca in 2004 at the height of the insurgency against coalition forces during the war in Iraq. The British Guardian published an exclusive and thorough study of ISIS on December 11, 2014, with interviews of senior ISIS commanders. One of ISIS commanders Abu Akhmad confirmed that the United States, opening such prison, provided them with a unique opportunity: "We could never have such opportunity — not in Baghdad, or anywhere else — to gather together here. It would be incredibly dangerous. Here we were not only safe, but we were only a few hundred meters from all the leadership of Al Qaeda".

Camp Bucca is a key factor, which cannot be hidden by any misinformation campaign. More descriptions of this phenomenon of American policy in Iraq have emerged in online media.

Camp Bucca near the Iraq-Kuwait border was organized in the spring of 2003. At first it housed Iraqi soldiers captured during American military operation against Saddam Hussein's regime. Then the composition of the prison population has been expanded.

Camp Bucca housed the first leader of ISIS, the self-proclaimed Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, later released as "not dangerous". But is he the only one?

Camp Bucca housed at least nine ISIS leaders. Among the prisoners was colonel Haji Bakr, whose origin was examined by "Spiegel". Overall, 17 of the 25 most important Islamic state leaders spent time in various US prisons in Iraq between 2004 and 2011. Since the early 2000's about 25 thousand Iraqis did time in Camp Bucca and Camp Crocker. And most of them have not been charged.

In 2009, Camp Bucca ceased to exist. Prisoners were transferred to the jurisdiction of Iraqi authorities. And if the Iraqi judicial authorities did not have any charges for the prisoners, they were released.

So what does "The Guardian" say about Camp Bucca? This article emphasizes that the future leader of ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had contact with camp authorities. That these authorities relied on al-Baghdadi's reputation among the prisoners, which allowed him to engage in resolution of inner-camp conflicts. The above-mentioned high-ranking ISIS member Abu Akhmad says the following about al-Baghdadi's time in the camp:

"American military treated him with respect. If he wanted to visit people in another sector of the camp, he could do it whenever he wanted, but we were not allowed to do this. If there were no American prisons in Iraq, there would be no ISIS. Camp Bucca became a factory. It has prepared us. Our ideology was born there".

The above quoted assessment of Camp Bucca's role in the emergence of ISIS is not the only one. Opinion of this kind was cited by "Newsweek" in mid-December 2014:

"Historian Jeremy Suri described Camp Bucca as "a virtual university for terrorists". Camp Bucca was a place where a lot of jihadists got acquainted with each other, and a lot of former Baathists got connected with Islamist groups," - writes the editor of "Syrian Crisis" Aaron Land".

Middleeasteye.net in February 2015 quoted the words of Ahmad al-Rubaie, an expert on Iraqi insurgents:

Many inmates in Camp Bucca were the biggest enemies of Al Qaeda and its accomplices, supporters of the Iraqi and Arab nationalism — but when they were released, they joined the Jihad of takfiri sheikhs.

 

[angelburst29]

In Syria, Putin Smashes Terrorists Like Kutuzov Smashed Napoleon
http://sputniknews.com/analysis/20160324/1036897565/putin-syria-kutuzov-napoleon.html

Much has been said and written about the Russian military operation in Syria, from its sudden start to its abrupt halt. Few however have put it quite so 'eloquently' as The Spectator's Taki Theodoracopulos, who compared the Russian mission in Syria to Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov's successful campaign against Napoleon during the War of 1812.

In his column for the conservative British magazine, Theodoracopulos recalled the Russian field marshal's tactics during the war against Napoleon, and suggested that in one important way, they were similar to Russian President "Uncle Vlad" Putin's air operation against the terrorists in Syria: both men sought to avoid the risks of getting bogged down, and both men succeeded.

Recollecting some of the minutia of the French campaign, which ended in total disaster, Theodoracopulos noted that "Napoleon had gone into Russia [in 1812] with 500,000 men and was now leaving with fewer than 40,000."

The Russian commander, Mikhail Kutuzov, "[let] mother nature take care of the invasion," with his Cossacks "harry[ing] the retreating French, never engaging, just inflicting pin pricks, in a sort of slow torture never experienced before or since."

After the Russian campaign, the columnist wryly noted, "Napo never won anything important again. Mother Russia had defeated him as it defeated Hitler 130 years later."

"Which brings me to the present. Unlike the clowns of the EU and the bungling Americans, Uncle Vlad did a Kutuzov, went into Syria, avoided the risks of getting bogged down and, having lost only one aircraft that was shot down by a NATO power supposedly on his side, departed the quagmire with maximum results."

At the same time, Theodoracopulos sardonically added, "that fool of a Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond…warns us not to cheer because it would be 'like praising a man who stopped beating his wife'. Well, I don't beat women in general and my wife in particular, so I wouldn't know. What I do know is that Putin is authentic…the type who wins wars, a spontaneous and courageous leader who has shown up the West as a paper tiger."

"…And he didn't declare mission accomplished, a declaration that has proved fatal in the case of Iraq and Libya. This is the man the clowns in Brussels tried to bluff with Circe-like songs to Ukraine, so he took back Crimea as a bonus. His standing by Assad has shown up Uncle Sam yet again as an unreliable ally when the going gets tough."

Ultimately, the columnist suggests, "no matter how hard the Americans and Europeans have tried to show Russia as a busted flush, the joke's on them. And by leaving the playing field, Vlad has fired a shot across Assad's bow, warning him to negotiate or else."

This, Theodoracopulos writes, compares very favorably with the US's stance in Yemen, where Washington continues to look idly by as the Saudi-led coalition bombs unarmed people and hospitals in their campaign against the Houthis, their cowardice in the face of anti-aircraft fire leaving them flying too high to hit legitimate targets.



Squeezed European Banks Set to Miss Out as Russian Eurobonds Switch to Yuan
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160324/1036890068/russian-bonds-sanctions-banks-yuan.html

Some European banks may miss out on a potentially lucrative Russian sovereign bond issue worth $3 billion, because of orders from officials in Washington and Brussels not to take part in the deal, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Some European banks have ruled themselves out of taking part in Russia's issue of $3 billion worth of Eurobonds this year because they are "unwilling to upset US and European authorities," who have imposed sanctions on Russian companies and individuals, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the report, the authorities believe that the money could be used to offer financing to Russian companies that have been affected by sanctions, and have pressured banks in the EU and US not to participate.

However, the Russian Federation is not a sanctioned entity, so US or EU banks would not be breaking the law if they ignored the pressure and took part in the sale.

Officials in Russia's Finance Ministry are confident of raising the $3 billion despite the pressure; this year's bond issue is Russia's first since a $7 billion issue of Eurobonds in September 2013, a deal that was organized by a number of banks including Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, Deutsche Bank, Gazprombank, Renaissance Capital and VTB Capital.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian bonds delivered a return of 21.1 percent for investors last year, making them one of the top performers among 65 emerging countries that J.P. Morgan tracks.

The head of Russia's VTB Bank Andrei Kostin told Vesti.ru that Russian bonds remain attractive to investors despite political pressure.

"Russia's creditworthiness is not in doubt, so its sovereign bonds are a sufficiently reliable and profitable instrument for investment and there should be interest from investors," Kostin said.

"Three billion dollars is a quite a modest sum, in our opinion. Attracting that amount is possible in one issue, and in several issues of different maturities and currencies," Vishkovskiy said.

The second initiative of the Ministry of Finance is the possibility of issuing state bonds in Chinese yuan. We are discussing the possibility of attracting investors from a new segment of the market – investors from mainland China. We propose to attract this investment using Russian infrastructure, by issuing the bonds on the Moscow Exchange," Vishkovskiy said.

Earlier this month China's Industrial and Commercial Bank (ICBC) said it has filed a request to issue the Eurobonds, to be listed on Russian and Chinese financial markets.

""We took part in the bidding contest to issue Russian Eurobonds, and we have filed a request to the [Russian] Finance Ministry," Weijie Lang, the vice president of ICBC Moscow, told reporters.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Lavrov and Kerry discussed situation on Korean Peninsula — Russian Foreign Ministry

http://tass.ru/en/politics/864916

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry have touched upon the situation on the Korean Peninsula at their meeting, Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"Yes, I can briefly say that this topic was touched upon," Zakharova said. "The details will be announced after today’s negotiations finish," she added.

Moscow calls on Turkey to give up idea of creating "security zones" in Syria

http://tass.ru/en/politics/864903

The prime minister of Turkey tried to promote Ankara’s controversial initiatives to establish the so-called security zones in the territory of the sovereign Syrian state

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Turkey should abandon its attempts to push for establishment of the so-called security zones in Syria.

"Speaking about the Syrian process, we are proceeding from the necessity for all members of the international community to comply with the key agreements on that issue, including UN Security Council Resolution 2254, statements by the International Syria Support Group, and of course the Geneva Communique of 2012," Zakharova said.

"As well as to give up any steps going beyond the frames of settlement parameters approved by the UN Security Council," she said.

"The prime minister of Turkey, while commenting on the results of the EU-Russia summit, tried to promote Ankara’s controversial initiatives to establish in the territory of the sovereign Syrian state the so-called security zones," Zakharova said.

"He actually presented the idea as a solved issue and as the most important element of collective efforts to achieve a viable and long-term settlement of the migration crisis," she said.

"We would like to underscore that such zones have never been an element of international efforts to solve the migration problem," Zakharova said. "The Turkish leadership should abandon attempts to promote the initiative, all the more so without the consent of the legitimate government of Syria and the UN Security Council."

Russian warplanes deliver airstrikes at 146 facilities near Palmyra — defense ministry

http://tass.ru/en/defense/864947

Six command points, more than 320 terrorists, five tanks, six pieces of artillery, two ammunition depots and 15 vehicles were destroyed

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered 146 airstrikes on terrorists near Syria’s Palmyra between March 20 and 23, destroying more than 320 terrorists, the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warrying Sides in Syria reports.

They made 41 sorties near Palmyra, Homs province, delivering strikes on 146 military facilities of terrorists, the news-bulletin said.

"Six command points, more than 320 terrorists, five tanks, six pieces of artillery, two ammunition depots and 15 vehicles were destroyed," it added.

"No strikes were made on opposition armed groups who announced cessation of hostilities and provided information about their positions to the Russian or American reconciliation centers," the Russian center said.

Syrian government troops and self-defense forces on Thursday entered the city of Palmyra.

Militants from the Islamic State terrorist group (which is banned in Russia) seized Palmyra early in the summer of 2015. The Syrian authorities warned at that time that the unique historical complex could repeat the sad fate of the ancient Iraqi cities of Ashur and Nimrud, which had been fully ruined and eliminated by insurgents.

IS prepares offensive in Aleppo province

The Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria has been informed that IS militants are concentrating their forces in a number of areas in the Aleppo province, an indication that they are preparing a new offensive.

"According to the information received from the population of the Aleppo province, ISIS [the former name for the Islamic State -TASS] is concentrating its forces near the populated localities of Han-Hafira, Marran, Shamir, Umm-Adasa and Deir-Anta. The concentration of these forces indicates that the terrorists are preparing to launch a new offensive against the government troops positions in this province," the information bulletin said.

The Russian and US militaries have discussed problems with data exchanges on areas where Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group militants are concentrated.

"Regular talks in the regime of a telephone conference between the leadership of the Russian and American centers have been held. Problem issues have been discussed relating to exchange of information on the areas of location and activity of the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group’s gangs," the bulletin posted on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website said.

Russia joined the operation against terrorists in Syria on September 30, 2015 at the request of Syrian president Bashar Assad. President Putin ordered on Monday to start withdrawing the main part of Russia’s forces from Syria as of March 15. He said the tasks assigned to the military were generally fulfilled.

Russian lawmaker: Liberation of Palmyra will show world who confronts IS

http://tass.ru/en/politics/864939

Syrian government troops have entered the territory of the Palmyra historical and archaeological site

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council upper house Defense and Security Committee Franz Klintsevich has said that the complete liberation of Palmyra by the Syrian army will show the entire world who really confronts the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) in Syria.

Syrian television earlier reported that government troops had entered the territory of the Palmyra historical and archaeological site.

"The complete liberation of Palmyra will be a very serious success of the Syrian army," the senator told reporters.

According to Klintsevich, this victory "will not only boost their morale but will also show the entire world who really confronts ISIS [former name of Islamic State] in Syria." "One of the best-known late antique monuments is returned to humanity, but, much to our regret, completely destroyed and looted by terrorists," he said.

"I believe it is the historical uniqueness of the city as Syria’s calling card of sorts rather than its military and strategic importance that makes it possible to single out this victory of the government forces," the parliamentarian noted.

Palmyra was captured by the Islamic State terrorist group at the beginning of last summer. The Syrian authorities said at that time that the unique historical site could share the sad fate of the Iraqi cities of Ashur, Nimrud and Hatra (al-Hadr) destroyed by militants.

Most Palmyra residents left the city last May together with the troops. Now there are from 15,000 to 20,000 people there.

Putin notes Obama’s constructive position on Syria truce

http://tass.ru/en/politics/864970

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has noted Barack Obama’s constructive position on establishment of truce in Syria.

The president also said he hopes that the visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry will help the United States and Russia to narrow their differences over Syria and Ukraine.

"I do hope that your visit will help us to dovetail our positions on the Syrian and Ukrainian problems," Putin said at a meeting with Kerry after the latter’s talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russian Defense Ministry promises more evidence of Turkey’s involvement in looting Syria

http://tass.ru/en/politics/864962

The ministry has commented in its Facebook account on Thursday on the publication of a number of documents found in the Syrian city of al-Shaddadi

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. There will be more evidence of Ankara’s implication in the looting of Syria as this country is liberated from terrorists, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The ministry has commented in its Facebook account on Thursday on the publication of a number of documents found in the Syrian city of al-Shaddadi.

"The results of this work convincingly prove Ankara’s direct involvement in financing and training international terrorists operating in Syria," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

It voiced confidence that there would be far more such irrefutable evidence of Turkey’s involvement in the looting of the Syrian Arab Republic with the help of international terrorists.

A few months ago, the Russian Defense Ministry presented to reporters the data, according to which Turkey is involved in illegal trade in oil and petroleum products from Syria and Iraq as well in supplying gunmen with ammunition, weapons and manpower.

Seven truce violations registered inn Syria over 24 hours — reconciliation center

http://tass.ru/en/world/864952

Two violation were registered in Syria's Latakia province and five in Aleppo province

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Russia’s center for reconciliation in Syria has registered seven truce violations over the past twenty four hours. According to its news bulletin, there were some mortar and multiple rocket launcher bombardments.

"The cessation of hostilities regimen in Syria was observed by and large. Over the past twenty four hours there have been seven truce violations: two in Latakia province and five in Aleppo province," the Russian Defense Ministry said on its website.

In Latakia Province, Ahrar ash-Sham militants mounted mortar attacks against the villages of Sandran and Akch-Baer, the bulletin says.

In the city of Aleppo, the Liva Sultan Murad group attacked Kurdish positions in the Sheikh Maqsood district with multiple rocket launchers, stationed in the area of Ashrafiya.

Russian and Syrian warplanes dealt no strikes against opposition groups that have agreed to join truce.

 

[Keit]

Zakharova, as usual, is sharp as a razor. ;) She shared the attached image on her FB page an hour ago. Here's free translation from Russian:

Here's an inside info as a gift. :) Lavrov participates in the press conference with a piece of paper. Kerry did it with a folder. They say that the time (of speaking) for both was similar.

Original:

Дарю инсайд ))) Лавров выходит на пресс-конференцию с листочком. Керри - с папкой. По времени говорят одинаково.

Even Putin remarked on Kerry's folder, wondering jokely what secrets it may contain. Guess Russia has nothing to worry about as long as US presidents will continue to use teleprompters and their chief diplomats - folders with tons of bookmarks. :P

 

[Gaby]

Even Putin remarked on Kerry's folder, wondering jokely what secrets it may contain. Guess Russia has nothing to worry about as long as US presidents will continue to use teleprompters and their chief diplomats - folders with tons of bookmarks. :P

That is crazy! It reminds me of the countless of useless apps people carry when all that is required is to use the brain.