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

[angelburst29]

U.S. Backed Terrorist Groups Attacking Each Other In Damascus, At Least 50 Dead
http://novorossia.today/u-s-backed-terrorist-groups-attacking-damascus-least-50-dead/

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fighting has once again picked up in the area around the Syrian capital of Damascus, with at least 50 people killed today in fighting in the Eastern Ghouta region.

The fighting is between the Jaish al-Islam, a major faction within the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) and the Faylaq al-Rahman, a union of two other rebel factions, which Jaish al-Islam attempted to absorb back in February.

Faylaq al-Rahman controls towns closer to Damascus in the region, and Jaish al-Islam accused them of rejecting an HNC initiative to end fighting in the area. The terms of the initiative were not made public, but almost certainly favored Jaish, a major ally of the Saudis. The Observatory reported that Jaish al-Islam had refused to withdraw from a town seized previously, and which they’d agreed to leave two weeks ago, and that they were the ones who launched the new offensive.

A startling claim that the west is on course for war with Russia has been delivered by the former deputy commander of Nato, the former British general Sir Alexander Richard Shirreff.

Ex-Nato deputy commander says there soon will be a war between NATO and Russia
http://katehon.com/news/ex-nato-deputy-commander-says-there-soon-will-be-war-between-nato-and-russia

In a book published on Wednesday, 2017 War With Russia, Shirreff argues that the events in Crimea have destroyed the post-cold-war settlement and set the stage for conflict, beginning next year.

According to the scenario described in the book, starting next year Russia would first occupy Ukraine to secure a land route to Crimea and then invade the three Baltic nations, all of which are members of NATO. The move, Shirreff argued, would be driven by the perception of NATO’s weakness and Russia’s opposition to what it sees as the alliance’s attempts to encircle it.

In the book he writes: “Be under no illusion whatsoever – Russian use of nuclear weapons is hardwired into Moscow’s military strategy."

He also says Nato is increasingly lacking the capability and military hardware to match Russia’s capabilties.

​Background from Katehon: Brussels is hosting a NATO Military Committee meeting at the level of Chiefs of Defence. This body is the highest military authority of the alliance and is responsible for the development of the long-term adaptation of the alliance, enhancing its defense deterrence capabilities, as well as the implementation of the response plan.

At the moment, the main forces are directed against Russia, which may indicate the activation of the alliance's activities in the Baltic States and Poland. This is confirmed by the frequent military exercises and claims of transferring additional forces to the region.


Katehon experts comment: Anti-Russian vector of NATO is the main goal of the alliance. NATO pushes war on Russia and is getting ready for military invasion of Russia. However as always it is important for the globalist elite to get the public opinion ready. This is where the book by Alexander Richard Shirreff comes in to existence. The West forges the image of the enemy and blames Russia of aggression, this strategy is an old and obvious one.


Veneto recognized Crimea as Russian
http://katehon.com/news/veneto-recognized-crimea-russian

The Italian region of Veneto discussed the possibility of recognizing Crimea as part of the Russian Federation. The vote was held on May 18th.

Most votes were in favor of the recognition. With 27 votes "for" and only 9 "against"

Today Venice became the first European region to officially express its recognition of Russian Crimea.

Four British Royal Marines have been charged with subjecting a colleague to a brutal initiation ceremony involving “waterboarding” and other forms of torture.

Four UK Marines charged with torturing colleague
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/18/466255/UK-Royal-Marines-Torture-Nicholson

Royal Marine Ian Tennet, Lance Corporal Scott Simm, and James Taylor, a lance corporal in the Royal Marines Reserves and Former Marine Ryan Logan were charged with the ill-treatment of Carlo Nicholson (pictured below), a subordinate.

Tennet was sentenced to 11 months in jail while his two accomplices were given eight months each.

Logan (pictured below), however, was sentenced to 220 hours of unpaid community work for the "water-boarding incident"
where he placed material over Nicholson’s face and poured water over it.

Sentencing the marines at the Portsmouth Naval Base's court martial center was Judge Advocate Robert Hill, who said Nicholson was subjected to “40 minutes of depravity and naked humiliation” by members of the 45 Commando unit based at Royal Marine Condor in Arbroath, Scotland, in May 2014.

During the initiation ritual, which was witnessed by 80 drunken comrades, Nicholson was forced to drink from a paddling pool filled with urine and vomit, a practice he says has left him with “suicidal thoughts.” The initiation event, described in court as a "rite of passage", saw the victim and other newcomers to the unit being forced to run naked around the camp with milk and lemonade bottles taped to their arms. Nicholson was forced to lie down in the paddling pool containing urine and vomit while eggs were thrown at him. He also had to fight other marines while naked and covered in cooking oil.

The incident has left me feeling like I just want to be alone and I am pushing people away,” said Nicholson who is now suing the UK Ministry of Defense over his treatment.

“I feel like the water-boarding was the point where I snapped because it was a physical fear and I was panicked,” he added.

Nicholson has a daughter and has left the service ever since.

Eating spoons of chill, cinnamon and curry powder, along with dog food while on all fours were some of the other ordeals Nicholson was put through.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

US assistant secretary Nuland arrives in Moscow — embassy

http://tass.ru/en/world/876236

Russia’s foreign ministry holding consultations with Nuland

http://tass.ru/en/politics/876388

MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland has arrived in the Russian foreign ministry and the consultations are underway, a source in the Russian ministry said on Wednesday.

Nuland is expected to meet on Wednesday with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, earlier reports said.

The US embassy in Moscow said Nuland has already held consultations with Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov.

Nuland is planning to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine, further steps to implement the Minsk agreements and support the efforts of the "Normandy four" group and the Trilateral Contact Group at talks with high-ranking Russian officials, according to the US embassy. A wide range of bilateral and regional issues will also be part of agenda.

After Russia, Nuland will head for Brussels to join a US delegation led by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Moscow says Turkish FM ought to have quit after Russian plane downing

http://tass.ru/en/politics/876438

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has commented on the Turkish foreign minister's promise he would resign should Ankara’s connections with the Islamic State be proven as a hard fact

MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. For connections with the terrorist group Islamic State (outlawed in Russia) officials must not step down but go to jail, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said about Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s promise he would resign should Ankara’s connections with the Islamic State be proven as a hard fact.

"That should’ve been done after Turkey downed the Russian plane," Zakharova said on her Facebook page. "For connections with the Islamic State people go to jail, and not resign."

A Turkish fighter plane on November 24, 2015 downed a Russian bomber Sukhoi-24.

Turkey claimed that the Russian plane had briefly intruded into its airspace. The Russian Defense Ministry replied that the Sukhoi-24 stayed over Syria all the time.

The crew ejected themselves. One of the two pilots came under fire from the ground and was killed. The other pilot was rescued and taken to base. Two Russian helicopters Mi-8 participated in the search and rescue operation. One of them came under fire and made a crash landing. One Marine serving on contract was killed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Turkish fighter’s attack against a Russian plane that was involved in the anti-terrorist operation in Syria and posed no threat to Turkey was "a stab in Russia’s back."

NATO foreign ministers to discuss new meeting of Russia-NATO Council — secretary general

http://tass.ru/en/world/876457

BRUSSELS, May 18. /TASS/. NATO foreign ministers to meet on May 19 to discuss possibilities for a new meeting of the Russia-NATO Council, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.

Official: Operation in Syria was "good advertising" of Russian military equipment

http://tass.ru/en/defense/876546

According to the head of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Russian weapons proved to be the most high-precision, selective, effective at long range and in tactical depth

SOCHI, May 18. /TASS/. Head of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Alexander Fomin said on Wednesday that the Russian anti-terrorist operation in Syria was "good advertising" of Russian military equipment.

"The developments in Syria and the participation of Russia’s Aerospace Forces and other units in them, the involvement of other types of weapons inadvertently created a vivid advertising stream - our weapons proved to be the most high-precision, selective, effective at long range and in tactical depth," Fomin told reporters.

"We don’t seek this, as there should be no advertising at war, but it was a necessity - the relevant operation to establish peace in Syria and destroy the gangs, terrorist groups," Fomin said. Nevertheless, he said, "this was very good advertising for us."

Russia’s Aerospace Forces started delivering pinpoint strikes in Syria at facilities of Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, which are banned in Russia, on September 30, 2015, on a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad. On March 14, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to start, from March 15, withdrawing the main part of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ group from Syria. Putin said the tasks set before the military "have been fulfilled on the whole." Two Russian military facilities - at the Khmeimim aerodrome and in Tartus, are still operational in Syria. The Russian military continue to take an active part in the fight against terrorist groups. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said strikes on terrorists will continue to be delivered.

The conflict in Syria has lasted since March 2011. The ceasefire regime took effect in Syria on February 27. Shortly before, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution supporting a cessation of hostilities. The document drafted by Russia and the United States was backed by all 15 Security Council member states. The ceasefire regime does not cover the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organizations as well as other groups ruled terrorist by the Security Council.

 

[angelburst29]

Two Chinese warplanes have engaged in an “unsafe” intercept of a US military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, the Pentagon says.

Chinese jets intercept US reconnaissance aircraft
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/18/466305/china-us-aircraft-pentagon-intercept

According to a Pentagon statement released on Wednesday, the incident occurred in “international airspace” on Tuesday while the US jet was carrying out a routine patrol.

The statement also noted that the issue is being addressed by the Department of Defense (DoD) via the correct military and diplomatic channels.

“Over the past year, DoD has seen improvements in PRC (People’s Republic of China) actions, flying in a safe and professional manner,” it added.

Last week, the Chinese Defense Ministry said frequent US Navy patrols in the South China Sea are forcing Beijing to boost its defense capabilities in the area amid rising tensions in the disputed waters.

The South China Sea has become a source of tension between China, the US, and some other regional countries, who are seeking control of trade routes and mineral deposits there.

China has on different occasions asserted its sovereignty over the sea, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Washington has accused Beijing of attempting to take advantage of the situation and gradually asserting control over the region.

China, however, rejects the allegations and says the US is interfering in regional affairs, deliberately stirring tensions in the South China Sea.

China has flown warplanes near a disputed reef in the South China Sea to warn a US warship off the area, saying Beijing needs to strengthen its defense in the sea against Washington’s provocations.

China scrambles jets to force US ship off disputed reef
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/10/464914/China-US-sea-dispute

China's Defense Ministry said in statement on Tuesday that two fighter jets were scrambled earlier in the day to warn Guided missile destroyer the USS William P. Lawrence, which was travelling within 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross Reef, one of several islands known internationally as Spratlys while referred to as Nansha Islands by China.

Taiwan and Vietnam also lay claim to the China-controlled reef. Beijing says Washington’s intensified presence in the region is a provocation, but the US officials say the sailings are part of a general policy to prevent restrictions on navigation rights in the South China Sea, especially for smaller nations.

The statement said the jets flew sorties above the US ship while three Chinese warships told it to leave. It said the illegal US patrol threatens pace and “again proves that China's construction of defensive facilities on the relevant reefs in the Nansha Islands is completely reasonable and totally necessary.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry also reacted to the patrol, with spokesman Lu Kang calling it an illegal entry into Chinese waters.

“This action by the U.S. side threatened China's sovereignty and security interests, endangered the staff and facilities on the reef, and damaged regional peace and stability,” Lu told a daily news briefing.

US Defense Department spokesman, Bill Urban, said, however, that the navigation operation was undertaken to challenge excessive maritime claims in the area.

“These excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention in that they purport to restrict the navigation rights that the United States and all states are entitled to exercise,” Urban said.

The US says it will continue the so-called freedom of navigation operations against China’s alleged large-scale land reclamations and construction on disputed features in the region, including a 3,000-meter (10,000-foot) runway which Washington says China will use it to press its extensive territorial claims at the expense of weaker rivals.

China has acted angrily to recent such operations, including the scramble of fighter planes near the disputed Scarborough Shoal last month and overflight last November of bombers near Chinese facilities under construction on Cuarteron Reef in the Spratlys.

A US Boeing B-52 strategic bomber has crashed on Guam, the US Air Force said.

US B-52 Bomber Crashes on Guam, Crew Safe
http://sputniknews.com/us/20160519/1039857711/usa-nuclear-bomber-crashes.html

"A B-52H Stratofortress preparing to take off for a Continuous Bomber Presence mission aborted on take-off and caught fire at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time [on Thursday] on the Andersen AFB [Air Force Base] flight line," the 36th Wing Public Affairs office at Andersen Air Force Base said in a statement as quoted by ABC News.

According to the release, all seven crew members are safe and no injuries have been reported.

The Guam Fire Department said the crash does not appear to be an attack.

"The military is setting up an incident command center and they have engaged our government for help. We assure the public this does not appear to be an attack, and we highly discourage anyone from spreading assumptions, or any information that does not come from civil defense or the military itself," the Guam Fire Department said in a statement as quoted by the Pacific News Center.

An investigation into the crash is currently underway.

According to the US Air Force, the B-52 bomber was deployed to Guam, a US island territory in the Western Pacific, from North Dakota, as part of the US Department of Defense bomber presence mission in the Pacific. The aircraft crew were performing a routine training mission at the time of the accident.

An Azerbaijani cargo plane with nine crew members on board has crashed in Afghanistan, according to Azerbaijan state aviation authority.

Azerbaijani Cargo Plane With Nine on Board Crashes in Afghanistan
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160518/1039842465/azerbaijan-cargo-plane-crash.html

Azerbaijani An-12 cargo plane with nine crew members on board crashed on Wednesday in Afghanistan, a source in Azerbaijan's Civil Aviation Authority reported.

"A cargo plane belonging to Azerbaijani Silk Way air carrier crashed in Afghanistan's Helmand Province," the source told RIA Novosti.

According to Azeri local media, the plane was on loan from Silk Way to carry out cargo missions in Afghanistan, and had an international crew comprising three Ukrainian, five Azeri and one Uzbek nationals.

France is reluctant to approve NATO taking control of the US-built European missile defense system.

France Hesitant to Approve NATO Control of Missile Defense System in Europe
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160519/1039857484/france-hesitant-give-nato-control.html

France is reluctant to approve NATO taking control of the US-built European missile defense system, fearing that the system would be under the control of Washington and not the alliance, The Wall Street Journal reports citing French officials.

"It is not just a technical question, there is a political aspect," a French official told the newspaper on Wednesday.

France wants to make sure that the system is not under American control, French officials stressed. One official pointed out that the NATO command and control system was not ready.

"The C2 system is not sufficiently mature to allow NATO to control the situation," the official said.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has been reinforcing its military presence in Europe, particularly in Eastern European states, since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, citing Russia's alleged interference in the conflict as justification for the move.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations, calling NATO's military buildup near Russia’s borders provocative.

NATO heads of state are due to gather for a summit in Warsaw on July 8-9, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg describing it as coming at a crucial time for the alliance.

At the moments, researchers are doing simultaneous archeological excavations at a number of sites located along the almost 40 km-long route of the bridge.

Hoard containing Spanish silver coins found close to Crimea bridge construction site
http://tass.ru/en/science/876623

Archeologists have found a hoard of 17th century Spanish coins at the site where the momentous bridge is being built between the Crimean Peninsula and mainland Russia, the Krymsky Most (Crimean Bridge) information center said on Wednesday.

"Researchers have found a hoard of silver coins hidden in a ceramic pot a total of fifteen pieces weighing more than 300 altogether on the outskirts of an olden township," the center said. "It is believed that the coins were made at mints in Spain in the 17th century."

At the moments, researchers are doing simultaneous archeological excavations at a number of sites located along the almost 40 km-long route of the bridge. They say the rare find may arouse the interest of coin collectors and historians.

"It's important to understand how these coins ended up on the Taman Peninsula (a peninsula in the southwest of Russia'a Krasnodar territory TASS)," said Dr. Emma Zivilinskaya, the leading researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology reporting to the Russian Academy of Sciences. "Quite possibly, this is a part of treasures looted from a galleon and a reminder of vibrant trade that was conducted here in the past."

Previous finds at the sites located along the route of the bridge included labor tools, household appliances and adornments. On the Taman Peninsula alone, the archeologists have examined the land areas totaling 19 hectares occupied once in the past by ancient settlements and burial mounds.

The list of their finds included the remainders of a Roman villa, a Khazar village, a military camp dating back to the times of Tmutarakan principality, which was a constituent part of the early medieval Duchy of Kievan Rus, the villages of epoch when the area was under the Ottoman sway and more than 150 burials of various periods.

In the meantime, research at the so-called ceramic field a cluster of fragments of ceramic vessels dated dated to a broad chronological period of the 5th century BC to the 6th century AD is in full swing closer to the Crimean coast of the Kerch Strait, across which the Russian authorities are building the bridge.

Hundreds of finds recovered from the seabed to date have been handed to the History and Archeology Museum in the city of Kerch.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

US' Plan B in Syria Would 'Legitimize' Daesh

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160519/1039854159/loud-clear-syria-plan-b.html

As the United States and Russia continue to negotiate over Syria, Radio Sputnik’s Loud & Clear speaks with Islamic Human Rights Commission founder Massoud Shadjareh to discuss Washington’s true goals for the war-torn country.

"When you look at the interests of Saudi Arabia, who is pouring billions into this conflict, and…Turkey, you see that really they don’t want to have tranquility and peace in that region," Shadjareh tells Loud & Clear.

"They’d had a commitment from the beginning for regime change."

The United States and its allies maintain that their goal in Syria is to combat violent religious extremist groups like Daesh, also known as IS/Islamic State. But Western powers resist the obvious solution to that problem by insisting first on the removal Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"The [Syrian] government has to be a part of the solution. Without that sort of engagement, there’s not going to be a solution and everybody knows that."

Still, the US has struggled to develop an effective strategy in the region, it is now considering a mysterious Plan B that could broaden the conflict.

"Others are suggesting that Plan B is the division of Syria and division of Iraq into ethnic lines. That, indeed, is going to create even further problems for a very long time," he says.

"It would create enclaves which would be opposed to one another and [that] will be continuously fighting one another."

Still, the US has struggled to develop an effective strategy in the region, it is now considering a mysterious Plan B that could broaden the conflict.

"Others are suggesting that Plan B is the division of Syria and division of Iraq into ethnic lines. That, indeed, is going to create even further problems for a very long time," he says.

"It would create enclaves which would be opposed to one another and [that] will be continuously fighting one another."

A partition of this nature would turn Daesh into a de facto government.

"It would legitimize the creation of a…Daesh-type of enclave in both countries, and it’s something that has now been promoted by the Saudis and its allies," Shadjareh says. "This is really the problem of the United States…involvement in the Middle East. Wherever they…actually got involved, they have actually created bigger disasters than they were before.

"The reality is that this sort of gunboat diplomacy, trying to bring democracy [with] bombs and bullets, and supporting these insurgent groups, it’s really never going to work.

"Any fool could create this mess, but to clear it up is becoming a huge issue."

Syrian forces take control of key town near Damascus

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/19/466361/Syria-Damascus-militants

Syrian government forces, backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, have retaken a strategic town near Damascus from foreign-backed Takfiri militants, a UK-based monitoring group says.

Government troops and their allies took Deir al-Asafir in Eastern Ghouta suburbs southeast of Damascus on Thursday after a fierce battle, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The town's capture closed off a pocket of militant control in Eastern Ghouta, observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said.

It could pave the way for further government advances in the region that has long been held by a number of Takfiri groups.

Abdulrahman said Hezbollah fighters played a key role in the assault which took place near to where the group's top military commander in Syria was recently killed in a Takfiri shellfire.

Hundreds of families were fleeing the area because of the intensity of the fighting, the Observatory said.

Government forces and their allies have made some advances in Eastern Ghouta recently while terrorist groups in the area have fought among themselves.

Meanwhile, Syrian army troops repelled a counterattack by al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front militants in the Hama province, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The terrorists used tanks and mortars to attack army positions near the populated district of Marj-Sultan, it said.

Nusra militants also shelled areas in Aleppo and three other Syrian provinces, the Russian center for reconciliation of opposing sides in Syria said.

Syrian Army, Russian Marines attack the Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-russian-marines-attack-al-shaar-gas-fields/

The Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces – backed by the Desert Hawks Brigade, Russian Marines, Liwaa Abu Fadl Al-‘Abbas (Iraqi paramilitary), and National Defense Forces (NDF) – have begun their assault on the Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields this morning after a brief four hour break from battle.

The Desert Hawks and Russian Marines are currently leading the assault, striking the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham’s (ISIS) positions at the western outskirts of the Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields.

According to a military source at the T-4 Airport in east Homs, the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies are now 3 km west of the Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields after advancing along the main road from Tal Sawanah this morning.

While the infantry units attempt to reach the western flank of the Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields, the Russian Air Force is pulverizing ISIS’ defenses in the Jabal Al-Sha’ar area, killing a large number of terrorists.

ISIL on Verge of Collapse in Homs Oilfields (Video)

http://en.farsnews.com/player.aspx?nn=13950229001394

 

[sToRmR1dR]

West backing terrorist groups to topple Assad: Russia official

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/05/19/466430/Russia-Syria-Gennady-Gatilov-US-Daesh-alNusra

A senior Russian official says US-led Western governments have been using terrorism and militant groups to overthrow the government of President Bashar Assad in Syria.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Thursday that the West has closed its eyes to terrorism in order to use radical groups to topple President Assad.

“Unfortunately, it needs to be said that several years ago when we began speaking about the problem of terrorism, our Western partners tried to turn a blind eye for one single reason, which was that they attempted to use terrorism and radical groups to overthrow the Bashar Assad regime. This is obvious today,” Gatilov told journalists in St. Petersburg.

Since the Syria conflict started in 2011, the US and its allies have been providing military and financial aid to the militants who are accused of widespread war crimes.

The US has on several occasions airdropped weapons for anti-Damascus militants, which ended up in the hands of the Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

Russia rejects claims Syria violated ceasefire

The Russian official also dismissed accusations by some Western countries that the Damascus government has violated an existing ceasefire or any agreement on cessation of hostilities.

Gatilov added that the Damascus government forces solely fought Takfiri Daesh militant group and al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front that have been designated as terrorists by the international community.

"When the cessation of hostilities introduction was discussed, Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist organizations from the Security Council sanction list were excluded from the cessation coverage. Therefore, there is the full understanding that the cessation of hostilities is not applicable to these terrorist groups," Gatilov noted, adding, "From this perspective, the Syrian forces' actions are absolutely not violating the understandings achieved."

The remarks come as US Secretary of State John Kerry has recently accused the Syrian government forces of violating the ceasefire by conducting military operations against Daesh and some other terrorist groups.

Russia has announced that a truce it engineered with the United States for Syria has been violated by foreign-backed militants on numerous occasions after it took effect.

The nation-wide cessation of hostilities, brokered by Moscow and Washington, was introduced in February in a bid to facilitate dialogue between rival parties in Syria. The deal does not apply to terrorist groups such as Daesh and al-Nusra Front.

New round of Syrian talks in Geneva may begin in late May-June

The Russian official also stated that the next round of talks in between Syria's warring groups in Geneva could be held in late May or early June.

"The date of the next round has not been determined yet. As you know, a meeting of the International Syria Support Group was held, where all aspects associated with Syrian settlement and the current situation in Syria were discussed. I think Mr. [Staffan] de Mistura, who is the [UN] special envoy on Syria, will determine the next date of the intra-Syrian negotiation process following this meeting," Gatilov said.

The last round of UN-brokered peace talks, which began in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 13, were brought to a halt after the foreign-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) walked out of the discussions in protest at what it called the Syrian government’s violation of a ceasefire in the Arab country.

Damascus dismissed the accusation, saying the truce was violated by foreign-backed militants.

Damascus has long been saying that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are funding and arming anti-Syria terrorist groups, including Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

De Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict that has gripped Syria since March 2011. The conflict has also displaced over half of the Arab country’s pre-war population of about 23 million.

 

[angelburst29]

In collaboration with various terror outfits, the regime changers destroyed Syria, killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, and made more than 10 million refugees.

Modus Operandi: Western Saviourism in Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950230000971

The popular narrative is that the NATO-Arab coalition with the United States at its helm turned Syria into a failed state out of “humanitarian concern,” but this claim falls apart once the distorted lens of Western saviourism and colonialism is dropped and actual facts are presented.

In truth, the “humanitarian intervention” in Syria was predicated on the imperialist, colonialist, economic, and ideological interests of the Western-Arab states, masquerading for the world community as a democratic effort. It served to destabilize the planet, dismantle Syria as a unitary state, and recolonize it with “moderate” zealots, including ISIL and Al-Qaeda affiliates.

This becomes apparent when their economic interests (Qatar gas pipeline to Europe) and actions (proxy war, sectarianism, and regime change) in the five years leading up to the disaster named Syria are analyzed. It becomes clear that the most suffering endured by the Syrian people is the result of the actions of the United States and company, including millions of refugees still stuck behind the closed gates of EU purgatory.

No doubt, the terror proxies that today occupy some regions in Syria – and Iraq - were indeed manufactured by Western “democracy”. Designed to turn Syria into a Western colony through assassination, terrorism, destruction of public property, and other acts of ethnic cleansing, the “moderate” zealots continue to receive CIA training and arms. They also receive the majority of their funding - and many members - from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

Tragic enough, the situation in Syria did not improve when the War Party and its partners in crime decided to drop “democracy” bombs on ISIL either. The civilian toll in death and destruction is still running very high. Syria and its neighboring countries are still host to millions of refugees and displaced peoples. Although the bombing is dressed up as “against ISIL”, all it really serves to do is destroy all that remains of the civilian infrastructure and hope.

As a consequence, the peace process has collapsed and good governance is a distant dream. The cause of peace has not advanced that much either, while terrorist groups have gained as a result. The US government’s decision to support anti-democratic Arab regimes and invite “moderate” terrorist groups to the talks has been disastrous too. This is while no further military investment can make life better for the remaining population and anti-Syria fighters.

Here, far from developing a strategy to extricate the war from Syria, the Pentagon has already stated that it will keep troops in Syria, and gives every indication that they will resume a combat role despite the endless violence there. Simply put, it amounts to illegal intervention and avoidance of creative peacemaking.

This truth becomes obvious upon an investigation into how the actual bombing is being handled. The same strategy has also been practiced in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan. The results are always the same: Broader sectarian violence, terrorism, a drop in living standards if any left, a huge resentment towards the United States and NATO from the targeted population, and a profit for their weapons manufacturers.

A military delegation sent by Argentine President Mauricio Macri signed an agreement on military cooperation with the United States, which entails the establishment of a US military base in Ushuaia, the Southernmost tip of the South American nation.

Macri Gives Go Ahead to US Military Installations in Argentina
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950230000481

Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, whose boundaries extend to Antarctica. The Argentine government has justified the installation by saying scientific work" will be performed there, Telesur reported.

Earlier this week, Vice Defense Minister Angel Tello began a five-day visit to the US aimed at reestablishing bilateral defense relations between the two countries after a freeze in military ties in recent years.

Among the plans reportedly being discussed is the negotiation of another military base in Argentina's Misiones Province, located in the Northeastern corner of the country at the border between Paraguay and Brazil.

Bilateral ties between Argentina and the US had been tense in recent years as the leftist governments of presidents Fernandez and Nestor Kirchner reoriented foreign policy away from the US and toward Latin America in the name of fighting imperialism and strengthening regional integration.

But Macri came to office last year based in part on a promise to rekindle relations with the US while giving the cold shoulder to allies of Argentina’s left-wing Kirchner governments, such as Venezuela. The president has said he wants a “pragmatic and intelligent” relationship with Washington.

Spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that Russia is concerned about attempts to rename the extremist terrorist groups in northern Syria with an external support.

Zakharova: Russia concerned over attempts to rename extremist groups in Syria
http://sana.sy/en/?p=77755

Zakharova said in a press conference on Thursday that there are news about forming a new organization called al-Jabha al-Shamaliya (the Northern Front) or al-Jaish al-Shamali (The Northern Army) which includes all the armed groups in Aleppo including Ahrar al-Sham, al-Sham Brigade and Nur-Eddin al-Zinki with a declared aim to fight ISIS organization and this step is expected to get support from the US air force and the Turkish artillery.

Zakharova added it is possible that a safety zone will be established along the Syrian-Turkish borders and that there are plans by foreign powers to control it with the help of the illegal armed groups mentioned above.

Zakharova pointed out that the situation in Syria is still tense although the cessation of hostilities is still valid in general, noting that the terrorist organizations in Syria are seeking to disrupt the agreement by initiating provocations including carrying out bloody attacks against innocent civilians.

In response to Saudi statements about Plan B in Syria, Zakharova said that foreign ministers of the countries participating in the International Syria Support Group did not discuss during their meeting in Vienna two days ago this plan but they all confirmed commitment to enhancing the cessation of hostilities, the delivery of the humanitarian aid to the Syrians and supporting the political settlement of the crisis.

United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura vowed on Thursday to take the "last resort" option of air drops of humanitarian aid if land access to besieged areas in Syria is not improved by June 1.

UN vows to airdrop Syria aid if needed, eyes renewed peace talks
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/217174/World/Region/UN-vows-to-airdrop-Syria-aid-if-needed,-eyes-renew.aspx

Without improved aid access and some restoration of Syria's tattered cessation of hostilities, the credibility of the next round of peace talks would be in question, he said.

The damage to the peace talks prompted the United States and Russia to convene the International Syria Support Group of major and regional powers on Tuesday, which toughened the truce terms and endorsed a stronger push for humanitarian aid.

"We want to bring aid to everyone. If the food cannot be brought by convoys, the alternative is air drops," de Mistura told journalists in Geneva.

Air drops were "the most expensive, the most complicated, the most dangerous option", he added. "So the air drops are the last resort, but we are getting close to it."

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has made more than 30 air drops of food and other supplies to the eastern town of Deir al-Zor, besieged by Islamic State (IS) group, due to a total lack of access, but that is the only location so far.

NATO foreign ministers met Thursday to finalise the alliance's biggest military build-up since the end of the Cold War to counter what they see as a more aggressive and unpredictable Russia.

NATO finalizes military build-up to counter Russia
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/217165/World/International/NATO-finalises-military-buildup-to-counter-Russia.aspx

At a Warsaw summit in July, NATO leaders will sign-off on the revamp which puts more troops into eastern European member states as part of a "deter and dialogue" strategy, meant to reassure allies they will not be left in the lurch in any repeat of the Ukraine crisis.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the two-day meeting will address "all the important issues" to prepare for a "landmark" summit in Poland.

"We will discuss how NATO can do more to project stability ... and at the same time address how NATO can continue to adapt to a more assertive Russia to find the right balance between defence and dialogue," he told reporters.

Helping struggling countries help themselves rather than have NATO always take the lead was more effective, he said, citing growing challenges to the south, from conflict in Syria and Iraq to instability across North Africa.

The fear is that terrorist groups such as Islamic State (IS) can exploit the turmoil.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

‘EU is in process of collapsing on itself’ – Marine Le Pen to RT (EXCLUSIVE)

https://www.rt.com/news/343715-eu-collapsing-france-lepen/

The EU is on the brink of collapse, as two of its main “pillars” are “crumbling” despite the billions of euros spent on keeping the structure from falling, far-right French leader Marine Le Pen told RT, adding that the union would fail if France left it.

“The two pillars on which it’s founded – Schengen and the euro – are in the process of crumbling,” Le Pen told Marie De Douhet of RT France in an exclusive interview. “So they’re in a sort of mad downward spiral in which they’re capable of anything today to try and keep this building standing.”

The leader of France’s hard-right Front National party believes the collapse is not a matter of “if” but “when,” saying the EU “shines from the light of a dead star” while its leaders are struggling to play for time “at the cost of billions trying to hold this structure up.”

As a “revealing” piece of evidence supporting her opinion, Le Pen cited one of Brussels’ recent punitive measures.

“The threat of condemnation of countries which do not accept migrants – a €250,000 fine for each migrant not taken in – is in itself revealing,” Le Pen said.

The European Commission unveiled plans earlier in May to impose a penalty of around €250,000 per rejected refugee on countries that refuse to share the burden of Europe’s migrant crisis.

For countries such as Poland, which is adamantly opposed to taking in refugees, the new compulsory measure would result in a fine of over €1 billion ($1.1 billion), given its existing quota of 6,500 people.

“The threats, the blackmail, now used systematically by the European Union is, above all, a gigantic problem of weakness,” Le Pen said.

Commenting on the migrant crisis, Le Pen said the EU is using immigrants as a tool to drive down labor costs across the 28-country bloc.

“That’s why the European Union supports tens of millions of immigrants in the coming years which will come onto the European Union labor market to push down wages,” she said. “So, in fact they have betrayed, if you like, the working class.”

Marine Le Pen has been a vocal supporter of the UK leaving the European Union, a move that the National Front hopes would inspire a similar “Frexit” campaign.

According to a March poll, 53 percent of French citizens surveyed would like to hold a Brexit-like referendum on France’s membership in the EU.

When asked if she feared any consequences for a “Frexit,” or Brussels’ retribution if it should go through, Le Pen said, “If France leaves the European Union, the European Union no longer exists.”

Addressing the EU’s foreign policy towards Russia, Le Pen stressed that her party has consistently opposed economic sanctions and find them “stupid.”

“From the very start when these sanctions were announced, we spoke out against them in the strongest possible terms… We find them to be completely stupid, obviously I can’t but welcome the National Assembly vote that has allowed the expression of refusal of these sanctions,” Le Pen said.

She expressed doubts that President Francois Hollande will “have the courage to go against the demands of the European Union” and scrap the sanctions, however.

Le Pen added that France’s recognition of Crimea as part of Russia is “quite clear and even quite credible possibility,” particularly if she wins the 2017 presidential election.

France's Le Pen Urges to Begin Dialogue With Moscow

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160520/1039941392/le-pen-urges-dialogue-moscow.html

Marine Le Pen said she supported Russia’s position on the Syrian settlement and considered dialogue with Moscow on the issue essential.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — France’s National Front (FN) party leader Marine Le Pen said she supported Russia’s position on the Syrian settlement and considered dialogue with Moscow on the issue essential.

"On Syria, I think that the diplomatic process must be accelerated, to find a political solution to the crisis with [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad. On that I'm in complete disagreement with [French President] Francois Hollande who has no vision, apart from anything else… We must now take a decision to sit down with Russia, which has taken matters into its own hands," Le Pen told the RT television channel in an interview released Friday.

The FN leader said she was "glad" that Russia has taken the Syrian issue "into its own hands," but regretted that it was not France that did so.

Le Pen also called cooperation with the Gulf states, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, "incoherent," saying it bothered her.

"These relations must meet certain requirements. The requirement is a total break with financing of Islamic fundamentalists, at least that's what I'd do with Saudi Arabia. As for Qatar, suspension of diplomatic relations with a country which at the least can be said behaves more than ambiguously when it comes to Islamic fundamentalism," the French politician said.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with the army loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting several opposition factions and militant groups. The West, including France, and several Middle Eastern countries do not consider Assad to be the legitimate authority of Syria. Russia has repeatedly stressed that it is up to the Syrian people to decide on their leadership.

The latest round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva took place on April 13-27. The Riyadh-formed Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) walked out of the talks over the continuous fighting in Syria and the lack of progress on humanitarian issues.

Le Pen: Clinton Most 'Dangerous' US Presidential Candidate for France

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160520/1039941471/le-pen-clinton-dangerous.html

Marine Le Pen claims that former US State Secretary Hillary Clinton is the most "dangerous" for France candidate in the race for the post of the president of the county as she was has "gone hand in hand" with the US decisions that plunged the world into "chaos".

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Former US State Secretary Hillary Clinton is the most "dangerous" for France candidate in the race for the post of the president of the county as she was has "gone hand in hand" with the US decisions that plunged the world into "chaos," France’s National Front (FN) party leader Marine Le Pen said.

"There is a candidate who appears a lot more dangerous for France than the others — that's Hillary Clinton… this is a woman who has gone hand in hand with the full spectrum of American decisions which have plunged the world objectively into chaos, " Le Pen told the RT television channel in an interview released Friday.

Le Pen expressed her belief that Clinton would continue this "destructive policy, a policy of conflict, a policy of imprisonment of Europe in blinded Atlanticism, I think it's a danger for world peace."

The 2016 US presidential election will take place in November. Hillary Clinton is the frontrunner of the Democratic Party, closely followed by Senator Bernie Sanders. Business tycoon Donald Trump became the effective Republican Party presidential candidate by winning in a landslide victory the primary election in the US state of Indiana on May 3.

 

[angelburst29]

BRACE YOURSELF: Ex-Deputy NATO Commander Predicts Russia Will Start WW3 in May 2017
http://russia-insider.com/en/brace-yourself-ex-deputy-nato-commander-predicts-next-may-russia-will-invade-latvia-estonia-and

This is unbelievable. We know top NATO officers tend to be peculiar characters (recall the famous warmongers Philip Breedlove and Wesley Clark) but so far they stayed clear of claiming magical powers.

This is no longer the case British general Richard Shirreff who between 2011 and 2014 served as the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe has consulted his crystal ball and has concluded that in the fifth month next year Russia will invade Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine.

We're not joking, he really is that specific. Unless NATO bulks up its presence in Eastern Europe come this time next year Russians will be invading NATO territory and doubtlessly provoking World War III:

A startling claim that the west is on course for war with Russia has been delivered by the former deputy commander of Nato, the former British general Sir Alexander Richard Shirreff.

In a book published on Wednesday, 2017 War With Russia, Shirreff argues that the events in Crimea have destroyed the post-cold-war settlement and set the stage for conflict, beginning next year.

In a chilling scenario, he predicts that Russia, in order to escape what it believes to be encirclement by Nato, will seize territory in eastern Ukraine, open up a land corridor to Crimea and invade the Baltic states.

Shirreff, who was deputy supreme allied commander Europe from 2011 to 2014 and before that served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and the Balkans, is risking his reputation by making such a bold prediction. But
he claims his narrative is closely modelled on his NATO experience of war-gaming future conflicts.

His scenario is specific, naming Latvia as the first of the Baltic countries to be invaded, in May next year. Such specifics open him to potential ridicule.

At the book launch at London’s Royal United Services Institute, he heavily caveated the scenario by saying it was still avoidable provided Nato took the necessary steps to pre-position forces in large enough numbers in the Baltic states. Nato is planning to make a start on just such a move at a Nato summit in Warsaw in July.

Faced with scepticism from journalists at the book launch – the Baltic states, unlike Ukraine, are members of Nato, and Russian action against any of them would in theory trigger a response – Shirreff said history was full of irrational decisions by leaders.

He said Putin could invade the Baltic states and then threaten nuclear action if Nato threatened to intervene.

Now just in case you thought this was a case of lone nut:

Shirreff’s warning about the danger posed by Russia is echoed in the foreword by US admiral James Stavridis, former supreme allied commander Europe, who writes: “Under President Putin, Russia has charted a dangerous course that, if it is allowed to continue, may lead inexorably to a clash with Nato. And that will mean a war that could so easily go nuclear.”

That's right, the American Stavridis who was Shirreffs boss and top NATO military commander wrote the foreword to his assessment. Lunatics have truly taken over the asylum. – Best way to prevent WW3 is to send a lot of NATO troops into the Baltic states and make Russia a lot more nervous. Makes sense. If you're sniffing the good glue they have over at the NATO HQ.

On May 17th, 2016, news agencies reported the quite interesting news that Kiev and Ankara have become official military partners.

"Russia's lake": The Black Sea fleet vs. the new Ukrainian-Turkish naval coalition
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/05/russias-lake-black-sea-fleet-vs-new.html

The Implementation Plan of Military Cooperation has been signed between the armed forces of Turkey and Ukraine which defines the direction and scope of cooperation until 2020. The document deals with general as well as rather specific problems and issues in the sphere of defense planning, advisory and consultative assistance, and cooperation between their armed forces in general and individual sectors in particular.

Kiev has stressed that cooperation with Turkish military is a step in the direction of “NATO integration.” Experts say that this is not so much about Ukraine preparing to join the alliance as it is about NATO’s “supervision” of Ukraine’s armed forces through the medium of the Turkish military. In the coming months, in addition to the conventional “Sea Breeze” exercises in a “Ukraine-NATO” format (to be held in the Odessa and Nikolaev regions), Ukrainian-Turkish naval maneuvers will be organized in the Black Sea after which both countries plan to switch to joint patrols along their costal zones.

As far as is known, this could be a dress rehearsal for the activities of a future NATO Black Sea fleet, the creation of which is planned to be discussed on July 8th-9th at the alliance’s summit in Warsaw. The Black Sea member states of NATO and their Ukrainian and Georgian partners have supported the idea.

Following the formal approval of such a project, the American, German, Italian, and Turkish navies’ ships and aircraft will join the ranks of such a feet along with Ukraine and Georgia’s participation.
All of this will, to put it mildly, cause a disturbance at Russia’s borders.

If an examination is made of those who have already joined the “Maritime Alliance” which has a clearly anti-Russian character, then from the point of view of arms the only existing threat to Russia is presented by Turkish forces.

Ukraine: one frigate and a lot of junk Ukraine’s naval forces formally consist of 17 combat ships, but, judging by media reports, only the “Hetman Sadaydachny” frigate and a few boats are combat-capable. Ukraine’s naval aviation is essentially a fiction, represented by but a few obsolete planes and helicopters based in the village of Chornobaevka near Kherson. The Ukrainian coast guard exists mainly on paper. The only real force of the Ukrainian navy are the marines and special forces. There is a brigade of marines from Nikolaev actually serving in Mariupol, and there’s the 73rd marine center for special operations of the Ukrainian navy (in the city of Ochakov) and the 801st separate detachment for combatting underwater saboteur forces (based in Nikolaev).

Ukraine has one naval base in Odessa and two anchor points in Nikolaev and Ochakov. But even the existing, modest fleet can't really make it anywhere. All comfortable places in the waters of Odessa are occupied by commercial projects while Nikolaev and Ochakov are on the Dneproburgsky estuary from which it is a long and difficult process for ships to disembark which, moreover, if so desired, could be easily blocked.

In theory, there is a base for reviving military shipbuilding in Ukraine in Nikolaev, where there was the largest shipbuilding complex in the former Soviet Union that, in fact, was the only one capable of producing aircraft carriers. There are two shipbuilding enterprises in Kherson and Kiev, but for 25 years the factories have been plundered and no new cadre have been prepared for them, while the old ones have immigrated around the world.

The leadership of the Ukrainian Navy, however, threatens to revive the Ukrainian shipbuilding industry and put into operation 66 ships before 2020, but this is a fantasy which has nothing in common with reality. In order to realize these ambitions, more sums of money are needed than exist in the entire budget of the Ukrainian state.

Turkey: a powerful but scattered navy Everything is more complicated in Turkey’s case. Turkey boasts 16 frigates, 8 corvettes, and 14 submarines plus a marine corps and navy seals. Such a force is a delight for the enemies of Russia, but here we should make a few important points.

Firstly, comparing the entire fleet of Turkey with the Black Sea fleet of the Russian Federation is wrong. The Turkish navy is divided into the northern and southern naval zones: the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. A large part of the Turkish navy’s bases are located away from the waters of the Black Sea and are far behind the rear of Ankara. The bad relations between Turkey and Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Syria, the sea flows of migrants, and Russian ships in the Mediterranean Sea are not going anywhere. Ankara thus can’t afford to radically strengthen the Black Sea zone.

Secondly, Turkey has nothing in the sea comparable to the Russian “Moscow” missile cruiser.

Thirdly, Ankara’s naval aviation is only in an “alright” state of existence while its air force is magnitudes weaker than that of the Russian Federation.

Yet the Ukrainian-Turkish alliance has enough to make trouble for Russia. Kiev can share positions and infrastructure with its new allies as well all of those involved in the NATO fleet.

In particular, for the sake of pleasing their masters and annoying Russia, Kiev could send civilian ships out of Odessa to provide cover for radar and missile systems in the area which are located in the immediate vicinity of Crimea, southern Kherson, and the Zmeiny island. Russia would have little to rejoice about this.

Crimea: an impregnable fortress In view of existing and emerging potential threats, Russia is now rapidly strengthening the defenses of the Crimean Peninsula. In 2015, the Black Sea fleet added approximately 200 units of military equipment, including 40 ships, 30 aircraft (multi-role SU-30SM’s), and Crimea was delivered more than 100 unites of modern armored vehicles. Of all the vessels deserving special attention, there are the three latest diesel-electric submarines of the 636 “Varshavyianka” project and two ships armed with “Kalibr” cruise missiles.

Such weapons are completely solid, and in the near future the strengthening of the Black Sea fleet will be continued. Moreover, Crimea is not only defended by the marine component. The 27th combined air division is deployed on the peninsula including the deployment of Guard squadrons of long-range Tu-22 M3 bombers, and there are prospects for expanding the group to a regiment. In Dzhankoe, a separate airborne battalion is located which is also planned to convert into a regiment. Near Sevastopol, the missile-attack warning system station has been restored after being given to Ukraine in 1991 and abandoned for the last 10 years. The station just needs to obtain a centimeter range instrument in order to complement the station in Armavir which works with ultra-high frequency. This Sevastopol complex will be capable of tracking our sworn “partners’” cruise missile launches.

In addition, the coast is securely defended by the “Bastion” rocket system which allows one to destroy the ships of any enemy in most parts of the Black Sea within 10-15 minutes. It is very much so for these reasons that Erdogan called the Black Sea a “Russian lake.”

It is already clear that despite the mantras of the liberals in the friendly West, peaceful Ukraine, and tranquil Turkey, no one is going to leave us be in peace. In order for Russian citizens to be safe, the good old principle of “Si vis pacem, para bellum” (If you love peace, prepare for war) must be realized in practice. This is what is being done, and properly so, in Crimea in particular.

While there was a vote in the regional parliament of Veneto, I was in constant contact with my friends and colleagues from Lega Nord and Lista Zaia. The majority of members of Veneto Parliament, as we predicted, supported the resolution – 27 were for, 9 were against.

I predict the collapse and the end of the European Union in the near future
http://katehon.com/article/i-predict-collapse-and-end-european-union-near-future

The importance of it is extremely high. It shows clearly that we are those who are fighting for the self-determination of peoples will not allow the denial of the will of the people of Crimea. As we know, 95% decided to become a part of their motherland - Russia.

This result is very important, and I am sure that the other regions - especially Lombardy and Liguria, and others where the Northern League is represented - will follow the example of Veneto. Venetians showed firmness and determination by welcoming the Crimean right to self-determination.

Let me remind you that the delegation of Lega Nord became the first among European politicians and parties who visited Crimea after it became part of Russia. In the autumn of 2014, the head of Lega Nord Matteo Salvini and I met with the head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksenov.

Lega Nord became the first party to immediately recognize the results of the Crimean referendum. And in conjunction with the Lista Zaia and our other colleagues, we have developed a resolution that the Veneto Regional Council has received. And as I said, I hope that we will be able to carry out such resolutions also in other regions.

The vast majority of Italians are against the anti-Russian sanctions. People understand that it's just idiocy, it was a stupid and wrong decision. Russia is not an enemy of Italy, but on the contrary, it is our traditional ally, both from a political and economic point of view.

Over 2 years of sanctions, Italy has lost a total of 5 billion euros. These are not only direct but also indirect losses. Many entrepreneurs in Lombardy, Veneto, Turin, as well as in Rome and southern Italy are in despair. A huge number of companies were forced to close because we had to sanction huge trade with Russia, and hundreds of companies were involved in it. A lot of people lost their jobs. This is the result of an unacceptable and shameful policy that the Italian government adheres to, and which the Italian people and the economy have to pay for.

Our businessmen have repeatedly appealed to the Government of Italy with the requirement to lift sanctions as they are only bringing harm to the country's economy, especially now when the global financial crisis has occurred.

Both small and large businesses understand it, but the Italian Government, the President, and Prime Minister Renzi - who actually was not elected but was made head of the government by the financial elite with the support of Germany - is against Russia. Here we are not unique, the same situation is in all the European governments. The opinion of the people is of no interest to anyone, as banks and transnational corporations run all of Europe. But it is not a problem solely for Italy, but for the EU as a whole.

The situation in Ukraine is reminiscent of smoldering embers under a layer of ash. As we can see, Kiev and Poroshenko continue to press for sanctions against Russia, and at the same time, they do not hurry to comply with the Minsk Agreements. The Ukrainian government is organizing provocations.

So I'm afraid that very soon the war will resume in Donbass. There will be an invasion of Ukrainian troops. And I do not think Donbass will ever agree to recognize the authority of the Kiev government and remain a part of Ukraine.

In any case, the people's Republics have the full right to self-determination. A referendum is needed, the results of which will be recognized as expressing the voice of the people and true democracy, and not the interests of a narrow circle of the world's politicians.

In Europe, there is the coming to power of conservative and patriotic politicians: Lega Nord in Italy, Alternative for Germany, the Austrian Freedom Party, the National Front in France. Europe of ordinary people, Europe of thought, Christian Europe says "Enough!" to European bureaucracy, the strategists of global capital, ultra-liberals, and atheists. We are tired of the destruction of our cultural identity and the loss of economic sovereignty. Europe wakes up. In Germany and Austria, France and Spain, and even in Hungary there are more people and parties with the main slogan "Enough!" Nobody needs any more power that ignores the views of their citizens. And very soon the current political system will collapse completely. I predict the collapse and the end of the European Union in the near future.

The interview is made in collaboration with tsargrad.tv

 

[angelburst29]

NATO seeks new meeting with Russia ahead of Warsaw summit
https://www.rt.com/news/343785-nato-russia-council-meeting/

Germany is pushing NATO to holding a meeting with Russia ahead of the upcoming summit of the alliance in Warsaw. It comes as NATO continues to ignore Russia’s concerns over its expansion and military build-up in Europe.

“There was broad agreement yesterday that NATO should convene a new meeting of the NATO-Russia Council before our next summit in July," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Friday on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) was established in 2002 with the goal to reduce tension and resolve differences between Moscow and the alliance. The work of the council was suspended in 2014, as NATO responded to the Ukrainian crisis, which plunged relations with Russia to their worst level since the Cold War, by cutting off all practical cooperation. The body convened again for the first time in nearly two years last month, but this did little to deescalate the situation.

Russia insists that since it did not decide to cut ties with NATO, it is up to the military bloc to act. However, Moscow expressed some contempt at the presumption that it would jump to accept NATO’s suggestion for a new meeting.

“The Russia-NATO Council works on the basis of consensus," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented in response to Stoltenberg’s announcement of an upcoming council session. "If they want to discuss this, let him discuss this with us, instead of making his way to the microphone."

Germany claimed credit for pushing NATO to continuing dialogue with Russia.

Steinmeier is a vocal advocate of renewing diplomatic ties with Russian via various forums, including the NRC, the G7 and others. Germany’s position was backed by other Western European nations, such as France and Italy.

Estonia, along with other Baltic nations and Poland, are at the forefront of the US-backed campaign to put more troops in Eastern Europe. They justify the build-up by a perceived threat from Russia, which Moscow denies exists.

The Warsaw summit is expected to produce closer cooperation between NATO members and the EU, an expectation underscored by the participation of European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini in the Brussels meeting.

Some NATO members like Turkey and the US are not part of the EU, while some EU members such as Finland and Sweden are not part of NATO. The two institutions have some unresolved differences. Greece is blocking Brussels from sharing sensitive information with NATO member Turkey, while Turkey does not allow NATO to share intelligence with the EU.

READ MORE: Ex-general says NATO-Russia nuclear war ‘possible within a year’
https://www.rt.com/news/343420-nato-nuclear-war-russia/


Terrorist Organization NATO Pushing For War With Russia (Map)
http://novorossia.today/120070-2/

The ink isn’t even dry on the latest moves by the alliance’s foreign ministers to finalize the current anti-Russia military build-up, the largest since the Cold War ended, and officials are already openly talking about doing “more” to target Russia along their frontier. NATO Fascist Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters today that discussions are ongoing on how terrorist NATO can “project stability” around its borders, language which in the last few years has always boiled down to putting more troops on the Russian borders, and issuing more statements predicting an imminent Russian attack on Europe.

US Ambassador Douglas Lute said the plan is for a “very sober discussion on dealing with Russia,” insisting Russia has “thrown out the rulebook” and NATO has to respond. Lute is seen as loudly advocating more military buildups around Europe to target Russia.

And while there was some talk among European members about targeting ISIS in Libya at the ongoing NATO meetings, materially everything that was agreed to, including future talks in Warsaw, were about targeting Russia more aggressively. Even the decision to invite tiny Montenegro to the alliance was seen primarily as being about thumbing their nose at Russia for criticizing the continued expansion of NATO deeper into Warsaw Pact territory.

NATO’s attempts to change the political landscape in Europe touch upon Russia’s interests and prompt it to respond, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday. “NATO’s latest attempts at changing the military and political landscape in Europe, in particular, in the context of its outspoken policy of deterrence towards Russia, will inevitably affect Russia’s interests and force it to respond proportionately,” Zakharova said.

Russia Will Respond To Terrorist Organization NATO Blackmailing Montenegro
http://novorossia.today/120046-2/

NATO’s attempts to change the political landscape in Europe touch upon Russia’s interests and prompt it to respond, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday. “NATO’s latest attempts at changing the military and political landscape in Europe, in particular, in the context of its outspoken policy of deterrence towards Russia, will inevitably affect Russia’s interests and force it to respond proportionately,” Zakharova said.

According to the diplomat, dragging Montenegro into NATO won’t be left without Russia’s reaction.

“As for the just-signed protocol on Montenegro’s accession to the Washington treaty, it merely confirms the intention of Brussels to accelerate the admission process to the maximum extent and make it irreversible,” Zakharova said. “The efforts to artificially drag Podgorica into the alliance are proceeding against the background of backstage deals with Montenegro’s top officials in defiance of the opinion of the country’s people and in bypass of the democratic principles and procedures NATO is ostensibly firmly committed to.”

The 28 NATO foreign ministers on Thursday signed a protocol on Montenegro’s admission to the alliance in the capacity of an observer. Once the ratification has been completed, Montenegro will become the 29th member of NATO.

Montenegrins unlikely to support NATO membership in referendum The head of the Balkan countries group at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, Nikita Bondarev, told TASS in an interview that the people of Montenegro are unlikely to come out in support of the authorities’ idea to make the country a member of NATO, should the issue be put to the vote in a referendum.

He believes “there is no reason for panic, because for now the alliance admits only observers.”

“According to the most optimistic estimates, the question of their admission to NATO as a full-fledged member may approach the final phase no earlier than the end of this year.”

“In reality this may take place in the middle of 2017,” he believes.

“It goes without saying that Montenegro’s admission to the alliance as an observer is the first step towards full membership,” Bondarev said. “Whether Montenegro is a member of NATO or not does not influence anything at all. This is not a pragmatic decision that might have been prompted by some practical benefits for NATO. That’s plain politics and a flick on Russia’s nose.”

NATO’s presence in the region is quite significant: there are bases in Greece and Italy and there is a base of the US contingent in Kosovo – Bondsteel.

“In fact, it functions as NATO base already, so the prospects of Montenegro and eventually Serbia joining NATO is pure politics, nothing more,” Bondarev said. “Montenegro’s problem is the people do not wish to enter the alliance. The country suffered from NATO bombardments in 1999, so the people have no wish to join NATO, while its leaders do have such an intention.”

“Russia pays so much attention to this affair not because Montenegro’s membership of the alliance might harm us in some way, hinder something or cause certain influences, but because the leadership of a European country is dragging it into NATO against the will of its people,” he said.

Montenegro’s oppositional parties “want a referendum to be called on the issue, while the leadership is emphatically against holding it,” Bondarev said.

“In this situation Moscow would like to see the voice of Montenegro’s people heard and the procedure of its admission to the alliance be democratic and transparent and a referendum to be held,” Bondarev said. “It is pretty clear that a referendum will give NATO not the slightest chance, because the people are against.”

US and Russian officials traded warnings once again today over the growing number of military assets deployed in northern Europe, with each insisting the other bore full responsibility for the growing tensions in the area.

Warnings Over North European Buildup, Russia And The U.S. On The Brink Of War
http://novorossia.today/warnings-north-european-buildup-russia-u-s-brink-war/

Russian President Vladimir Putin centered his complaints both on the US buildup in Poland and the new US missile defense base in Romania, saying that the Americans are attempting to start a new arms race by putting strategic weapons along their frontier.

Putin insisted the attempt to start a new arms race would fail, but did say that Russia is prepared to react to “neutralize” the missile defense system, likely to mean the deployment of additional missiles into the exclave of Kaliningrad, bordering Poland.

US officials, for their part, signed a joint statement with Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway slamming “Russian aggression” in the region, centering around their holding of military drills inside Russian territory close to the frontier.

Recent reports have indicated that the Pentagon is increasingly split on the alarmist rhetoric targeting Russia, with many saying the Army is driving the allegations with an eye toward getting more of the budget with claims of unrealistic Russian military capabilities.

The resolution adopted by the regional parliament of Italy's Veneto region in favor of lifting the anti-Russia sanctions may urge the Italian government and the European Union to change its anti-Moscow stance over the conflict in Ukraine, President of Veneto Council Roberto Ciambetti told Sputnik on Friday.

Veneto Vote on Anti-Russia Sanctions May Force EU to Change Stance
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160520/1039988446/veneto-russia-sanctions.html

On Wednesday, the 51-seat council voted 27-9 to pass a resolution urging the national government to condemn the European Union’s Crimea policy and work toward lifting the sanctions against Russia.

“We do hope that the EU next June may face the Russian-Ukrainian crisis with a more pragmatic approach. I therefore believe that this resolution voted by the Regional Council of Veneto may urge the EU to change course,” Ciambetti, who is a member of the Liga Veneta-Lega Nord parliamentary group, said.

In June, the European Union is due to decide whether the sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014 in response Moscow's alleged role in the Ukrainian conflict should be extended for another six-month period, partially lifted or abolished.

Earlier this month, the French National Assembly voted by a majority to adopt a resolution that called on the administration of French President Francois Hollande to scrap the sanctions against Russia. A similar motion is now being considered by the Alternative for Germany Party in the southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics and his Canadian counterpart Stephane Dion agreed on Friday that NATO should focus on strengthening of the military alliance's southern and eastern flanks, Latvian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

NATO Should Strengthen Bloc's East, South Flanks - Latvian Foreign Ministry
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160520/1039989190/nato-flanks-.html

Earlier in the day, Rinkevics and Dion met in Brussels to discuss the upcoming NATO summit and the security issues of the Baltic states.

"The Ministers also were of one mind that under the current geopolitical circumstances the Alliance should place a stronger focus on reinforcing security on its eastern ans southern flanks," the statement published following the meeting of the top diplomats read.

It was added in the statement that the ministers agreed that the Minsk deal on Ukraine settlement should be fully implemented.

Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, particularly in eastern European countries bordering Russia, including Latvia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move.

Moscow has repeatedly rejected assertions about its intentions and actions in the region. Moreover, Russia has warned against NATO’s increasing military buildup along its borders despite previous agreements, stating such actions are provocative and threaten regional and global stability.

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo on Friday rebuked the European Commission for losing sight of the fact that Poland is a sovereign state while attempting to exert political pressure on Warsaw in relation to the recent constitutional reforms in the country.

Infighting? Polish Prime Minister Accuses EU of Exerting Political Pressure
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160520/1039984420/poland-pressure-eu.html

On Wednesday, the European Commission drafted a formal opinion on the ongoing constitutional crisis in Poland and gave the country time until May 23 to make progress on the issue.

"It is embarrassing that the European Commission cannot avoid exerting political pressure. The Polish government will never allow anyone to impose their will on Poles," Szydlo said in an address to parliament, as quoted by the TVN24 channel.

She also accused the opposition of failing to fulfill their basic obligations as lawmakers, saying that, "you [opposition] need to be reminded that the basic obligation that rests with the Polish parliamentarians is a duty to promote Polish sovereignty."

The amendments to the law on the Constitutional Court of Poland passed last December are seen by the European Union as limiting the judicial body’s powers. From now on, court decisions will require a two-thirds majority, not a simple majority to stand, and court hearings must involve 13 of the total 15 judges instead of nine as was the case in the past.

According to the Russian president, All ASEAN countries unanimously voiced support for integration with the Eurasian Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Putin: ASEAN Members Voice Support for Integration With Eurasian Union, SCO
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160520/1039984158/asean-putin-integration.html

All ASEAN countries unanimously voiced support for integration with the Eurasian Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

"All participants were unanimous. It is necessary to combine the efforts of integration associations in the areas where this is possible, in order to eliminate duplication, parallel work, and overall create more favorable conditions for business development," Putin said.

Russia and ASEAN countries have decided to continue and strengthen cooperation in fight against global terrorism as well as in efforts to create a reliable security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

Russia, ASEAN to Strengthen Security, Counterterrorism Cooperation - Putin
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160520/1039983380/russia-asean-putin.html

The Russian resort city of Sochi is hosting the Russia-ASEAN summit on May 19-20. The summit is attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of ASEAN member states, including Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Laos.

"We are planning to continue strengthening cooperation aimed at creation of a reliable and transparent security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region," Putin said at a news conference following the Russia-ASEAN summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

"We will also continue cooperation in the fight against global terrorism, transnational crime, and drug-trafficking," Putin said.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Russia proposes US-led coalition to strike Syrian terrorists with Moscow - def minister

https://www.sott.net/article/318640-Russia-proposes-US-led-coalition-to-strike-Syrian-terrorists-with-Moscow-def-minister

The Pentagon has refused to re-coordinate with the Russian military action in Syria

http://www.interfax.ru/world/509338

Moscow. May 20. INTERFAX.RU - Pentagon still does not intend to coordinate their military operations in Syria from Russia.

"We do not cooperate and coordinate our operations with the Russian side," - he said to "Interfax" the representative of the US military Michel Baldantsa.

He was commenting on a proposal by Sergei Shoigu, Russian Federation Minister of Defence together to strike with the US-led coalition on the positions of militants "Dzhabhat en-Nusra" ( banned in Russia ).

Baldantsa recalled the statement of the head of the Pentagon Ashton Carter that "Russia supports the operation and helping the Assad regime, and it's like pouring oil into the fire."

"We do not plan any operations for the liberation of Russia from Raqqa IG control ( group banned in Russia - IF ). In Syria, we focus on equipment and help local forces that motivated the fight against the IG," - said the representative of the US military.

US Not Planning Any Joint Operations With Russia to Liberate Raqqa

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160520/1039995700/operation-joint-daesh.html

The US is not planning any joint operations with Russia to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from Daesh.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States is not planning any joint operations with Russia to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from Daesh, US Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza told Sputnik on Friday.

"We are not planning any operations with Russia to jointly liberate Raqqa from ISIL [Islamic State] control. In Syria, our focus remains on equipping and enabling local, motivated forces who can take the fight to ISIL," Baldanza said.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with several opposition factions and terrorist groups seeking to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Popular defense groups ambush terrorists, confiscate smuggled weapons in Sweida

http://sana.sy/en/?p=77818

Sweida, SANA – The popular defense groups killed a number of terrorists while they were trying to smuggle weapons and ammunition near Kou Hadar in the northern countryside of Sweida province.

A source at Sweida Governorate told SANA on Friday that a popular defense unit ambushed a terrorist group in Kou al-Hadar area while it was smuggling munitions through al-Lajat towards the eastern Badiya (desert) and clashed with it, leaving a number of the group’s members dead or injured.

The source added that various types of arms and ammunition including, 60 mm mortar shells, B9 shells, RPG rounds, grenades and a shoulder-fired missile were confiscated.

Terrorists' Network of Tunnels Destroyed by Syrian Army East of Damascus

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950231000592

"The Syrian Army seized a net of tunnels used by Takfiri terrorists in the battlefields of Eastern part of Damascus," the sources said, adding, "The Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah fighter, who captured several villages from the extremist of Faylaq al-Rahman and Jeish al-Fustat on Thursday, unearthed a large network of tunnels that stretched from the villages of Sheba’a to Deir al-Assafir."

"These tunnels were heavily stocked with assault rifles, ammunition, mortar shells, missiles, maps, Saudi produced food, first aid kits, telecommunication devices, entertainment equipment, and educational pamphlets," they added.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian army units blew up a tunnel dug by the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front in the suburb of the capital Damascus, killing the entire militants inside.

The 400-meter-long tunnel, dug in Qudsiyeh Damascus' suburb by al-Nusra terrorists, was detonated by the Syrian army.

Detonation of the tunnel inflicted major losses on the terrorists.

The tunnel enjoyed a storage room, ventilation pipes and other necessary equipment.

Syrian Armed Forces, Allies Launch Fresh Anti-Terrorism Operation to Seize Back Al-Zara

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950231000711

"The Syrian Army’s 66th Brigade of the 11th Tank Division launched a new assault to recapture al-Zara and the checkpoints they lost to the terrorist groups of al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham earlier this week," the sources said.

"The Russian and Syrian fighter jets have in several sorties pounded the terrorists' positions around the Orontes River to pave the ground for the easier advances of the government forces in the battlefield," the sources said.

Earlier reports said that the Russian and Syrian Air Forces, in a fresh round of joint combat flights, targeted the concentration centers of the al-Nusra Front and its allies in the Northern part of Homs and the Southern territories of Hama provinces, inflicting major losses on the militants.

The Syrian and Russian fighter jets conducted over 20 airstrikes over the Northern part of Homs province and Southern lands of Hama province, destroying a number of sites of al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham in Hirbnafsa and al-Zara in Hama and Um Sharshouh and al-Rastan in Homs.

Dozes of the militants were killed or wounded in the attacks.

 

[Ca.]

PressTV- Sat May 21, 2016 1:41AM
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/05/21/466619/Libya-US-Dunford-troops-deployment
US military gearing up for upcoming Libya mission: Dunford

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford (AFP photo) (S's-I-S's)
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/05/21/466619/Libya-US-Dunford-troops-deployment

The US military is in a “period of intense dialogue” with the Libyan government and may deploy troops and equipment to the troubled North African country “any day” now, says the US military’s top general.

Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comments on Thursday, on his way back to the US from the Belgian capital city of Brussels, where he met with military chiefs from NATO nations.

PressTV
Russia ready for unilateral action against terrorists
Published on May 20, 2016

http://<iframe width="560" height="...T4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Russia has reacted to the US refusal to launch joint airstrikes against terrorists in Syria. Moscow says it’s prepared to strike terrorists unilaterally if they refuse to lay down their arms. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said Moscow reserves the right to eliminate terrorist groups starting on May 25 if they do not adhere to the truce in Syria. This, after Washington rejected Moscow’s proposal to carry out joint airstrikes against militants. Russia has already carried out many airstrikes on terrorists in Syria upon a request by the Syrian governm

International Military Review – Syria, May 20, 2016 (Arab, Ger Subs)
South Front
33,703
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OqojFPre3A

 

[angelburst29]

"Any targets that threaten Russian forces or our infrastructure on the ground should be immediately destroyed," Putin told a session of the Defense Ministry’s collegium.

Putin orders to destroy any targets that threaten Russian military in Syria
http://tass.ru/en/defense/843243

"I order to act very tough. Any targets that threaten Russian forces or our infrastructure on the ground should be immediately destroyed," Putin told a session of the Defense Ministry’s collegium.

The president also warned against "those who will again try to organize any provocations against our servicemen." "We have already taken additional measures to ensure security of Russian servicemen and air base. It was strengthened by new aviation groups and missile defense systems. Strike aircraft will now carry out operations under cover of fighter jets," Putin said.

Putin said that the Russian military have caused a substantial damage to terrorists in Syria, adding that the actions of the Russian Armed Forces are worthy of praise.

"The combined operation of the Aerospace Defence Forces and the Navy, the use of newest high precision weapons systems has caused a serious damage to the terrorist infrastructure, thus qualitatively changing the situation in Syria," the president said.

The president also ordered the defense ministry to coordinate actions in Syria with Israel’s command post and the US-led international coalition.

"It’s important to develop cooperation with all countries really interested in destroying terrorists. I am talking about contacts on ensuring flight safety with the command post of Israel’s air force and forces of the US-led coalition," Putin said.

According to the official, terrorists in Syria pose a direct threat to Russia and Moscow’s actions are carried out to protect the country rather than due to abstract interests.

"Our actions there are not due to any unclear and abstract geopolitical interests and the wish to get training and test new weapons systems. This is not the most important thing. The goal is to avert the threat for the Russian Federation itself," Putin said at the meeting of the Defense Ministry’s board.

Translated from Russian by Tom Winter

Original title: "Leonid Ivashov: Russia won't liberate the Europeans again"

"We need a real threat to the United States" -- Leonid Ivashov
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/05/we-need-real-threat-to-united-states.html

World
In recent years, the geopolitical situation and the military-strategic balance of forces in the world is of ever growing concern. It increasingly sounds like the situation of 1939. There's a smell in the air of a great war.

In the 90s, many representatives of the Russian ruling circles had the impression that the confrontation with the West was finally over. There was even talk about Russia's accession into NATO, "the end of history" and so on. However, all that was just so long as the elite overseas powers felt that the destructive processes generated by the collapse of the Soviet Union, would be irreversible for Russia. Do not forget that the policy of destroying Russia still continued, but was veiled in the sweet voice of friendship and cooperation.

Vladimir Putin's 2007 Munich speech was the first signal to the West to debunk the illusion of a weak Russia, the illusion it generated on its own through inertia beginning in 1991. The conflict in South Ossetia a year later came as a shock, after which Western powers took military confrontation "in a serious way."

Today we see how disturbed the parity of forces in Europe has gotten in connection with the deployment of missile defense systems in Romania and Poland: in a few years Russia will not be able to launch a retaliatory nuclear strike.

What should be the asymmetric response of Russia to the new threats and challenges of the modern world? The president of the International Center for Geopolitical Analysis, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Colonel-General, ex-chairman of the "Union of Russian People," Leonid Ivashov spoke to Pravda.Ru on these subjects.

"You have to understand that in the situation in Europe, that Europe is militarily colonized by the Americans. The Americans have advanced pro-American regimes in the Western European countries and have completely subjugated Eastern Europe. And there, with a base in Eastern Europe there is pressure on Germany, France, as well as, to a lesser extent, Britain. On the other side, the Turks are working on a flank against Europe; they, in concert with the Americans started this process with migrants of Muslim origin. And so Europe today is the victim of US policy, of transnational corporations, the Rothschilds, the Rockefellers. That is what is happening in Europe today.

Europe needs the threat of a bogeyman. And here they've made one up, Russia. And besides that, they lie so shamelessly, without paying the slightest attention to the balance of power. How could a country threaten NATO, that has several times less military capability? Especially in the western strategic direction. And in size of defense forces, and on the composition of military equipment, we are disadvantaged three or four times over, as well as in overall military equipment. Therefore, we can only be on the defensive, defend ourselves somehow, but as for offensive and striking groups, we have virtually none. But anything else is just false information and propaganda.

Our attempts to create something in the image of the Warsaw Pact have nothing to work on. We have no such countries in Eastern Europe ready to go to close military and military-technical cooperation. The Americans hold them all by the throat. But we have no need for allies like Poland, the Baltic States and Romania. It's better they will be enemies.

What we need to do in this area? "First: strengthen our military power, to bring it to the required level of defense.

"Second: become closer friends with Belarus and, of course, create a single defense space with Belarus.
In addition, there must be political and diplomatic work. It is needful to discuss with Europeans what awaits them. We are not going to free them any more from their occupation, with any military support, not from the migrants, nor from the States, nor from the Turks, they shouldn't expect it. And, of course,
work actively with the Serbs, continue to work with the Bulgarians. Throughout the Balkans we should work actively through political, diplomatic, and economic means.

"Third: it is necessary to understand that it's the Americans who are behind the whole process, the anti-Russian hysteria, and the process of increasing the power of NATO.

So we need to create a military group that is capable to work on the territory of United States. The States are actively developing the missile defense system to neutralize our intercontinental ballistic missiles. So you need to create a bundle of high-precision tools. Cruise missiles to be based within reach of the United States. So it becomes possible to neutralize the US missile defense. We need a real threat to the United States, the foundation of all these processes.

"When Americans feel threatened, as in 1962, then they themselves will be send invitations to the negotiating table and begin to negotiate."

 

[angelburst29]

Daesh terrorists have forbidden Raqqa residents from leaving the militants’ self-declared capital in Syria and have started evacuating their own families.

Daesh Bans Raqqa Residents From Leaving City Ahead of Kurdish Offensive
Daesh Bans Raqqa Residents From Leaving City Ahead of Kurdish Offensive

Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh) militants have forbidden Raqqa residents from leaving the militants’ self-declared capital in Syria and have started evacuating their own families in the direction of Deir ez-Zor, Sputnik Arabic reports citing eye witnesses and local sources.

The families of foreign mercenaries were the first ones to leave the city on Friday afternoon. Inmates have been let free from Raqqa prisons.

Meanwhile Kurdish forces have established a stronghold about 37 kilometers (23 miles) north of Raqqa.

A spokesperson of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told Sputnik Turkey on Friday that Kurds were planning to launch an offensive on Raqqa in the coming days.

A militant cell with suspected ties to Daesh jihadists was detained in Russia’s Republic of Ingushetia, the National Anti-Terrorist Committee said in a statement Saturday.

Militant Cell Linked to Daesh Jihadists Raided in Russia Ingushetia
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160521/1040024478/daesh-ingushetia-russia.html

According to the committee, he militant group’s hideout and a large weapons cache have been destroyed and all four of its members arrested.

"The FSB and Russian Interior Ministry units foiled the criminal activity of the underground conspiratorial bandit cell associated with the Daesh international terrorist organization," the statement read.

An United States Air Force RC-135 surveillance aircraft came perilously close to the Russian border over the Baltic Sea.

US Surveillance Plane Approaches Russian Border for 8th Time in 2 Weeks
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160521/1040024912/us-plane-russian-border.html

The aircraft, with registration number 64-14844 and call sign JAMES12, took off from the Mildenhall airbase in Britain and flew to the southern part of the Baltic Sea. It was expected to stay in the area for two hour, Ruposters reported.

This is the eighth time when a US surveillance aircraft has approached the Russian border near the Kaliningrad Region in the past two weeks. A day earlier, a Royal Air Force RC-135 was detected over the Baltic Sea.

A week ago, another US Air Force RC-135 aircraft approached the Russian border, over the Baltic Sea. According to media reports, a Russian Su-27 jet was scrambled to intercept the plane.

Violent clashes erupted among Daesh terrorists in Raqqa ahead of a planned Kurdish offensive to retake the city.

Daesh in Panic: Nearly 70 Terrorists Killed in Raqqa Infighting
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160521/1040027864/daesh-infighting-raqqa.html

Up to 70 Daesh militants were killed in internal fighting in the de-facto Daesh capital of Raqqa in northern Syria, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said Saturday.

"Witnesses inside Raqqa stated that violent clashes took place between the battalions of [Daesh leader Abu Bakr] Baghdadi and Qassimi, resulting in the killing of 70 militants. It is said that none of the killed militants are Syrian citizens," the PUK media center said.

Kurdish defense units were said to consolidate 23 miles north of Raqqa in preparation for a planned offensive. Daesh terrorists retreated from their positions without resistance, while unmanned aerial vehicles carried out airstrikes.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Russian envoy sees no signs of NATO-Russia relations' normalization

http://tass.ru/en/politics/877324

"I will confess honestly, I don’t know what our interlocutors mean by ‘business as usual’ when they say cooperation as earlier is impossible," Russia’s Permanent Representative Alexander Grushko said

BRUSSELS, May 21. /TASS/. Russia’s Permanent Representative to NATO Alexander Grushko said he does not see signs that the North Atlantic alliance is ready to return to normal interaction with Russia.
"I will confess honestly, I don’t know what our interlocutors mean by ‘business as usual’ when they say cooperation as earlier is impossible," Grushko said.

"From today’s meetings we only realized that on the one hand, we are called upon to return to the strategic partnership policy with the West, but NATO is saying cooperation with Russia is impossible," he said Friday evening, commenting to Russian journalists in Brussels on the results of a two-day meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers.

Grushko said "NATO unilaterally severed and terminated all cooperation projects that really strengthened the security of both NATO countries and Russia."

"If we look at what NATO’s allies were discussing at the ministerial meeting besides the Russian issue, these are Afghanistan, the situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa. But it is in these spheres of the fight against terrorism that the Russia-NATO cooperation yielded fruit," he said.

"There are no signs yet that NATO is ready to return to normal interaction that would give added value to the security of NATO countries and Russia. And this, of course, narrows the opportunities for political dialogue," Grushko said.

Military non-alignment policy is advantageous

Russia’s Permanent Representative to NATO Alexander Grushko also said that while Finland and Sweden stick to the policy of non-alignment, this continues to guarantee a certain stability in regions which are very important to ensure the legitimate interests of Russia’s security.

"We have always rather highly appreciated the policy of military non-alignment of Finland and Sweden, which provided and keeps providing for them evident advantages regarding ensuring their own security," Grushko told Russian journalists Friday evening in Brussels after a two-day foreign ministerial meeting of NATO members.

NATO should revise its attitude toward Russia

NATO should revise its attitude toward Russia to ensure confidence building measures, Alexander Grushko said.

"Yes, we really hear on the part of NATO reproaches that we are insufficiently transparent, but nevertheless, the highest transparency and predictability were ensured by the regime of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was subject to adaptation but was actually blocked by NATO countries," Grushko said.

"So they should blame not the Russian Federation but, first of all, themselves," he said commenting on the results of a two-day foreign ministerial meeting of the alliance.

"The talk today.. should be about qualitative revision by NATO of its attitude toward Russia, about giving up attempts to deter it," Grushko said.

Grushko sees no signs for NATO-Russia relations' normalization

Grushko said he does not see signs that the North Atlantic alliance is ready to return to normal interaction with Russia.

"I will confess honestly, I don’t know what our interlocutors mean by ‘business as usual’ when they say cooperation as earlier is impossible," Grushko said.

"From today’s meetings we only realized that on the one hand, we are called upon to return to the strategic partnership policy with the West, but NATO is saying cooperation with Russia is impossible," he said Friday evening, commenting to Russian journalists in Brussels on the results of a two-day meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers.

Grushko said "NATO unilaterally severed and terminated all cooperation projects that really strengthened the security of both NATO countries and Russia."

"If we look at what NATO’s allies were discussing at the ministerial meeting besides the Russian issue, these are Afghanistan, the situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa. But it is in these spheres of the fight against terrorism that the Russia-NATO cooperation yielded fruit," he said.

"There are no signs yet that NATO is ready to return to normal interaction that would give added value to the security of NATO countries and Russia. And this, of course, narrows the opportunities for political dialogue," Grushko said.

Blending politics and military planning explosive mixture

Alexander Grushko has refrained from forecasting trends of development of relations between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance.

"What trends can there be if the policy of confrontation is taking the shape of military planning? Of course, this is a serious factor that aggravates the relations between Russia and NATO, and we know from the history of the Cold War that hostile policy generates military planning which in turn starts to generate hostile policy," Grushko told Russian journalists on Saturday after the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on cooperation with the European Union.

"And the impression is that NATO is about to into this spiral because military efforts made today - if the Alliance will continue them, of course - will require some kind of ideological and political reasoning," the diplomat noted.

"We see today that the number of scary tales does not decrease, but grows. Sometimes you are just astonished when you read serious research that concludes that Russia has not yet attacked the Baltic States only because NATO had managed to deploy foreign forces there," Grushko went on.

"Blending politics with military planning is an explosive mixture, and it contains big risks for regional security and pan-European security as well," he concluded.

Russia ready for consultations on agreements on preventing incidents

There are many instruments today to prevent risks that were discussed at the two-day meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on cooperation with the European Union in the context or relations with Moscow, Grushko told Russian journalists.

"We are open for consultations on reaching bilateral agreements on preventing military incidents with all countries, including NATO member states on a bilateral basis. We already have such agreements with several countries, and they are working rather successfully," Grushko said.

However, the problem is not how Russian interceptor aircraft should fly but rather that NATO’s military activity has moved closer to Russia borders, the diplomat noted. "The question connected with our aircraft making passes near USS Donald Cook should be formed not as ‘who flew’ but rather as ‘what did USS Donald Cook, equipped with Aegis (integrated naval weapons system) and Tomahawks (long-range subsonic cruise missiles), do in 70 kilometers from our main Navy base?’" the ambassador continued.

NATO countries are responsible for deploying additional forces in regions that were the most stable and safe from the point of view of classic military threats, Grushko said. "However, NATO’s first aerial surveillance mission appeared in the Baltic States in 2005 without any reason, which, of course, cannot not lead to us taking additional security measures. I will remind that there are several minutes of flight from Amari Air Base to St. Petersburg," the diplomat added.

Syrian Army Terminates Hundreds of Militants in Hama Province

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160521/1040021994/syrian-army-destroys-militants.html

Military operations in Hama province in the west of Syria have killed more than 100 militants of the al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham terrorist groups.

Army units broke through the defense near the electric power plant which was held by the terrorists pushing them deep into the village of Hurbinafsah in the south of the province, SANA news agency reported citing a military source.

“During the operation, the military took all of the important positions to the north and east of Hurbinafsah, killing more than 100 terrorists and 10 vehicles with machine guns,” the source said.

Earlier, the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria reported that the militants of al-Nusra Front were shelling towns in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia and Damascus, staging a massacre in Homs province, after which many people fled from their homes.

The day before, the Syrian Democratic Forces announced that it will start a large-scale operation to liberate the ‘capital’ city of Daesh terrorists, Raqqa.

The Syrian Democratic Forces’ representative Tackır Kobani shared details of the forthcoming operation in an interview with Sputnik saying that, “The operation will be conducted simultaneously from three different directions from Tışrin, Şeregrar and Haseke. The coalition forces will help us with air support and weapons.”

In Syria, a ceasefire regime has been implemented since February 27. The truce does not ban organizations such as Daesh and al-Nusra Front.

Syrian Army, Allies Ready to Join Large-Scale Operations to Liberate Raqqa

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950301001081

"The Syrian military forces and popular fighters deployed in the Eastern territories of Aleppo province and the Northeastern part of Hama province mainly in Ithriya are ready to launch their joint operation against the ISIL terrorists in the capital of the self-proclaimed Caliphate," the sources said.

"The Syrian and Russian Air Forces are to carry out a large number of combat flights over the ISIL centers in Raqqa to weaken the group's defense abilities and pave the ground for the easier advances of the ground forces in the battlefield," they added.

"The Syrian government forces have been coordinating the process of such large-scale operations in the last two months and they could carry out the operations earlier but the attacks of al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham on the government forces' positions in parts of Hama, Homs and Aleppo delayed the operations," the sources underlined.

Reports said earlier today that the Syrian Democratic Forces are preparing to launch a large-scale operations in coming hours to end the ISIL terrorists' rule over the Northeastern province of Raqqa.

"The Syrian Democratic Forces that are mainly comprised of Kurdish fighters are ready to storm the ISIL terrorists' positions in the capital of self-proclaimed Caliphate," the sources said.

"In the meantime, the US warplanes dropped leaflets over the city of Raqqa on Thursday and demanded civilians to leave the city as soon as possible," they added.

More reports said earlier today that ISIL terrorists have forbidden Raqqa residents from leaving the militants’ self-declared capital in Syria and have started evacuating their own families.

ISIL has forbidden Raqqa residents from leaving the militants’ self-declared capital in Syria and have started evacuating their own families in the direction of Deir Ezzur, eye witnesses and local sources said.

The families of foreign mercenaries were the first ones to leave the city on Friday afternoon. Inmates have also been let free from Raqqa prisons.

Meanwhile Kurdish forces have established a stronghold about 37 kilometers North of Raqqa.

Lebanese Source: 2 US, French Intelligence Officers Captured by Hezbollah in Aleppo

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950301000881

"Hezbollah special forces took captive a senior field commander of the terrorists affiliated to Riyadh and two US and French intelligence officers working in the newly-founded joint operations room of Jeish al-Fatah in Aleppo in one of the regions controlled by al-Nusra Front in Aleppo," Majeda al-Haj, a prominent Lebanese journalist, wrote on al-Sabat news website today.

Al-Haj said that the joint operations room was set up so that the French, US and Saudi intelligence agents can directly command Jeish al-Fatah terrorist attacks in Aleppo and nearby regions.

She said the US and Saudi spies later designed an assassination plot and killed Badreddin in retaliation for the capture of these officers.

The development came after martyrdom of the Lebanese resistance movement's senior military commander Mustafah Badreddin near Damascus military airport in a terrorist attack last week.

After his death, a senior politician disclosed that the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement is planning to launch massive military operations against the Takfiri terrorists in Syria in retaliation for his martyrdom.

"Unique military operations by Hezbollah against Syria's Takfiri terrorists will be conducted very soon," Wahib Wahibi told FNA on Tuesday.

He reiterated that Hezbollah's response to the Takfiri terrorists' crimes will come within the framework of its counterterrorism operations.

Four civilians injured in terrorist rocket attacks on neighborhoods in Daraa city

http://sana.sy/en/?p=77897

Daraa, SANA- Four civilians were injured when terrorist groups targeted with rocket shells the residential neighborhoods in Daraa city on Saturday.

A source in the province told SANA reporter that terrorists targeted al-Sabeel, al-Matar and al-Sahara neighborhoods in Daraa city with a number of rocket shells, injuring four civilians and causing material damage to public and private properties.

Terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra, the so-called Falloujet-Houran brigade and other Takfiri organizations are active in Daraa al-Balad and al-Nuaymeh town and target the residential neighborhoods and locals in Daraa city with mortar and rocket shells.

Truck loaded with over 25 tons of field hospitals supplies coming from Turkey confiscated

http://sana.sy/en/?p=77893

Aleppo, SANA- Authorities in Aleppo confiscated a truck loaded with more than 25 tons of supplies for field hospitals coming from the Turkish territories to ISIS terrorists and other terrorist groups affiliated to it.

A source in Aleppo said in a statement to SANA reporter that after monitoring al-Yaman Turkish medical company, the security authorities seized a truck loaded with more than 25 tons of supplies for field hospitals worth more than USD 100, 000.

“Al-Yaman Company in Istanbul is sending medicine, equipment and medical supplies to ISIS organization in Manbej and Mosul and to other terrorist groups,” the source explained.

Authorities arrested the terrorist Abdul Rahman Canjo from the so-called Shohadaa al-Haq Brigade while he was transporting arms and medicine for terrorist groups in Aleppo, the source added.

Last week, Turkish media reports revealed that about 200 fighters from Jabhat al- Nusra were treated in Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey between 2013 and 2014 ordered from the so-called the Islamic Front and with the approval of the Turkish regime.

 

[goyacobol]

ASEAN ready to ‘seriously look into’ free-trade deal with Russia-led EAEU – Malaysian PM to RT
Published time: 21 May, 2016 05:58
Edited time: 21 May, 2016 15:27

Malaysia’s PM, Najib Razak, told RT that the “historic” Sochi summit showed willingness to create a free trade deal between ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union, seen by some as a counterweight to TPP, while calling anti-Russian sanctions “ineffective.”

Speaking to RT’s Daniel Bushell on the sidelines of the third Russia-ASEAN summit held in Sochi, Russia on May 19-20, Prime Minister Razak hailed the event as “significant,” saying it has provided an opportunity “to look back where we’ve come and what we’ve accomplished, but more importantly to look forward.”

One of the key outcomes was that a consensus emerged among the participants that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states should broaden their economic cooperation with the Russia and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to the extent of creating a free-trade agreement between the two. EAEU is a trade block comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

“The most important item is the consensus about ASEAN that we need to seriously look into establishing a free-trade agreement with the EAEU,” Razak said in an exclusive interview with RT, estimating the combined GDP of ASEAN and EAEU member states at $3.5 trillion and their combined populations at 755 million people.

The concept for the prospective economic union will be confined exclusively to facilitating the movement of goods within the common economic area and reducing tariffs, and will not affect “political sovereignty issues,” as in the EU, which has transformed from a purely economic into an economic-and-political union.