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

What Putin says and what Putin does
http://katehon.com/article/what-putin-says-and-what-putin-does

On July 24th, Tashkent will host the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The largest military-political organization on the Eurasian continent is preparing to become even greater. In this year, SCO will include India and Pakistan, while Syria and Israel are also ready to start cooperation. Russia also intends to accelerate Iran’s accession to the SCO. In fact, Russia is creating a bloc of countries centered around it and China which will inevitably challenge US hegemony. And if the US is now trying to win over India, then Russia, through the SCO, is trying to find a compromise between Iran and Syria on the one hand and Israel on other. The SCO is becoming not only a Central Asian, but a Pan-Eurasian entity. And this organization is not only tying itself to the Middle East. Earlier, it was stated that applications for membership in the SCO had also come from Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.

A week ago, while speaking at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is beginning the construction of "greater Eurasia":

Now we are proposing to consider the prospects for more extensive Eurasian partnership involving the EAEU and those countries with which we already have close partnership - China, India, Pakistan and Iran - and certainly our CIS partners, and other interested countries and associations.

The updated SCO is to become a military-political union providing security to a large space of Eurasia. Thus, this common security space will be built where the US has no place.

At the same time, for the first time ever, Putin declared the USA to be the sole superpower:

America is a great power, today perhaps the only superpower. We accept this. We want to work with the United States and we are prepared to. No matter how these elections go, eventually they will take place. There will be a [new] head of state with extensive powers. There are complicated internal political and economic processes at work in the United States. The world needs a powerful country like the United States, and we also need it.

Is there a contradiction between Putin's words on the USA and the trend of creating extended Eurasian partnership? In fact, there is. The change in Putin's rhetoric demonstrates the changing balance between word and deeds in Russia’s stance on multipolarity. In the late 1990’s, when Evgeny Primakov became the Russian foreign minister and then prime minister, the term 'multipolarity' was introduced into the Russian political language for the first time. Putin inherited this concept and although he declared the course towards multipolarity, in the first years of his presidency Russia was not very opposed to the USA. Moreover, Russia participated in the American “war on terror” and assisted the US in Afghanistan. Russia spoke about multipolarity while acting as if the USA were the sole superpower. Things started to change after the American invasion in Iraq and the color revolution in Ukraine in 2004.

Then the balance between more independent Russian foreign policy and the multipolar discourse of Russian leadership was established. Russia dared to blame the US and at the same time gradually built a network of multipolar persuasion, albeit not challenging directly US hegemony ...

After 2008 and the war with Georgia over North Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia demonstrated that it had become a solid regional power. But the most structural change occurred only after 2014. Crimea, the war in Ukraine, and especially Russian engagement in Syrian war showed that Russia was becoming global power. This greatly increased the weight of this struggle.

Now we are seeing a situation in which Russia’s positions are the exact reverse of what they were in the 2000’s. In the field of realpolitik, Putin’s Russia is acting more and more independently, but is compensating this with a decrease in anti-American rhetoric paired even with a verbal recognition of the United States’ status as the sole superpower. If in the 2000’s, Russia combined multipolar rhetoric with pro-American policies in the spirit of peripheral realism, then nowadays it is merging the realization of a completely changing world with more moderate rhetoric. The results of the SCO meeting reveal that Russia is not changing its ultimate goal, but is merely moderating its rhetoric the more dangerous steps it takes.

Earlier, we pointed out a combination of two trends of Russian foreign policy under Putin: one of “peripheral realism” and the other one of global proportions.

The specificity of Russian peripheral realism is the exploitation of the pulses and the initiatives of global realists. Since 2008, Russia has put critical challenges before itself, overcome them, and then used this opportunity to trade up for a more favorable place in the US-centric world.

But now the game is changing. Due to geopolitical circumstances, Russia has been forced to opt for a worsening of relations with the West, but in order to preserve its hegemony the West cannot opt for a total worsening of relations with Russia. Russia is not challenging the ideology of the West and is not fighting hegemony in the field of public discourse. As an old school realist, Putin primarily believes in hard power, not in ideology or the promotion of multipolar discourse. Therefore, if Russia’s position will be strengthened by hard power, this may very well be accompanied by concessions in the field of discourse, which the Russian government considers to be least significant. Thus, the rhetoric of peripheral realism may be used in order to promote the agenda of global realism.


The leader of moderate Syrian opposition bloc Syria’s Tomorrow, Ahmad Jarba, will visit Moscow to discuss Syrian settlement with Russian officials, member of the bloc's General Secretariat Kassem el-Khatib told Sputnik on Friday.

Syrian Moderate Opposition Leader to Discuss Crisis Settlement in Moscow
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160624/1041907356/syria-moderate-opposition-moscow.html

Jarba announced the formation of the Syria's Tomorrow movement in Cairo in March on a platform of decentralized rule in Syria. He previously headed the Syrian National Coalition opposition group. Syria’s Tomorrow emerged in March in a new bid to unite liberal opposition forces under one umbrella organization.

"Ahmad Jarba, head of the Syria’s Tomorrow, will visit the Russian capital in the end of this month under the official invitation to meet Russian officials," el-Khatib said.

He added that the upcoming meeting was of utmost importance as Russia "controls Syrian dossier on the international arena."

El-Khatib specified that Jarba and the Russian counterpart would discuss the political settlement in Syria and the necessity to protect the civilians from the horrors of war.


While the Syrian Arab Army has retreated in the western part of Raqqa province after Daesh's blitz-offensive, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces advance has got bogged down in Manbij region. It remains unclear which army will reach Raqqa first. What is at stake is Syria's integrity, experts say.

Race for Raqqa: What is Behind US-Backed Rebels' Plan to Seize Manbij
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160624/1041889492/raqqa-manbij-syria-rebels-daesh.html

The two separate advances launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian Arab Army against Daesh's northern foothold in Syria have stalled: the SDF are yet to expel the terrorist group out of Manbij, Daesh's strategic gateway to the Turkish border, despite the US-led coalition's air support, while the SAA was forced to retreat along the Raqqa-Ithriya highway in western Raqqa province.

According to Lebanese Al-Mayadeen broadcaster, the Syrian government forces came under chemical attack launched by Daesh as part of the jihadists' blitz-offensive against the SAA on June 20-21.

Al-Masdar News wrote Friday that Daesh has reportedly captured the Palmyra Grain Silos and is now "at the eastern fringes of Palmyra (Tadmur) which is within striking distance of the imperative military airport [the T-3 Military Airport] that was just reopened by the Syrian Air Force."

Commenting on the issue, Russian journalist and political analyst Eugeni Krutikov noted in his analytical report for online newspaper Vzglyad that the retreat of the SAA in western Raqqa province was caused by a series of tactical errors.

"This [Daesh] attack aimed at the government forces' front stretched along the highway was predictable," Krutikov writes, adding that by June 20 jihadists accumulated enough military force in the region to launch a counterattack against the SAA.

The analyst narrates that Daesh used its "basic tactic": a number of suicide bomber trucks attacked the SAA and allied militias' checkpoints; although some trucks were destroyed while approaching their targets, the SAA's defense positions were dismantled. As a result, in about 24 hours Daesh has retaken 15-20 kilometers of territory gained by the Syrian Army in the course of its advance towards Tabqa airbase in Raqqa province.

Krutikov remarks that the assistance of Russia's Aerospace Forces had not saved the day for the Syrian Army: in addition to suicide bomber trucks, Daesh used a very limited number of tanks during the attack, making airstrikes against the elusive military vehicles unproductive.

In this light the SAA's decision to retreat was right, as the Syrian armed forces faced the encirclement threat from the terrorist group.

Suffering from the lack of manpower, Daesh, however, jumped at the opportunity to attack the SAA's excessively stretched front, Krutikov explains.

In addition, jihadists have kicked off a simultaneous strike in the direction of Palmyra. However, according to the analyst, jihadists' alleged gains in eastern fringes of Palmyra "are not critical" and pose no threat to the city.

"With Manbij fully besieged for two weeks, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are yet to wrestle the city from the Islamic State despite extensive US coalition air support," Al Masdar News reported Thursday.

"Manbij is strategically important as it represents a gateway for ISIS [Daesh] into its last border areas with Turkey, a country often used by ISIS to smuggle foreign fighters and weapons into the Islamic State caliphate," the media outlet emphasized.

On Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the Syrian Arab Coalition (SAC), supported by the US-led coalition, is determined to retake Manbij from Daesh.

"Syrian Arab Coalition (SAC) elements have consolidated their position around Manbij in anticipation of the next phase of operations to secure the city," CENTCOM stated.

Earlier, some analysts assumed that there could have been coordination between the Syrian government forces and the US-backed SDF, which launched two separate offensives against Daesh's northern foothold in Syria.

However, according to Semyon Bagdasarov, Director of the Moscow-based Center for Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, the US-backed SDF, comprising mostly Kurdish militants, is pursuing its own geostrategic goals in the region. The offensive on Manbij is part of a plan aimed at eventual division of Syria, the expert told Russia's Svobodnaya Pressa media outlet.

Bagdasarov called attention to the fact that after announcing its advance on Raqqa, the SDF suddenly changed its plan, marched towards Manbij, and encircled the city. The expert believes that it is a neither deceptive maneuver nor a dramatic strategic shift: the SDF's advance on Raqqa continues, while the upcoming takeover of Manbij's is part of a comprehensive US-Kurdish plan.

"Apparently, they decided to capture Manbij first, then [to seize] a border city of Jerablus [Jarabulus] that lies within a few dozen kilometers away [from Manbij]. Then they would be able to move to another border city — Azaz — and so far they would gain access to Afrin, in alliance with the Free Syrian Army and other opposition groups," Bagdasarov suggested.

According the expert, in the result of these maneuvers, a large territory in northeastern and northwestern Syria would be carved out of the country. Two stumbling blocks lying in the way of the rebels and their Western backers are Aleppo and Idlib provinces, he added.

Timur Dzhukayev of Vzglyad newspaper echoes Bagdasarov's stance.

If Kuridish militants liberate Raqqa it will most likely become part of Rojava, or so-called Western Kurdistan, the journalist suggests, adding that the SDF and the People's Protection Units (YPG) may also become Washington's proxies in the country.

"One cannot rule out that support for Greater Kurdistan could be one of the key components of Washington's strategy in the Middle East. In this context, the Syrian Kurdistan will become a driving force of Syria's federalization, a process that the US will benefit from," he believes.


On Thursday, Colombia's government and the FARC group signed a ceasefire deal thus putting an end to more than 50 years of hostilities.

Russia Welcomes Colombia-FARC Ceasefire Deal Ending 50 Years of War
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160624/1041894630/colombia-farc-ceasefire-russia.html

Russia welcomes the ceasefire deal between Colombian authorities and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and believes this agreement is a decisive step toward a final peace treaty, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.

"We consider the signing of this important document by Colombian President J.Santos and FARC leader T.Jimenez to be a decisive, historical step on the path to signing a final peace agreement in the near future, which will put an end to five decades of armed conflict," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia is ready to provide "any necessary assistance," including through the UN Security Council, the ministry said.

On Thursday, Colombia's government and the FARC group signed a ceasefire deal at an official ceremony held in Havana.

FARC is one of the world’s oldest Marxist insurgencies, formed in 1964 when it launched a war to overthrow the government of Colombia and install a revolutionary regime.

The latest effort to end the conflict in Colombia began with negotiations between the two parties in November 2012. Since then, the government and FARC have reached a number of agreements, including a plan to remove landmines, redistribute land to peasants as well as remove fighters under the age of 15 from jungle bases.


The agreement was organized with the mediation of Cuba, and should put an end to the 50-year war.

Colombian authorities and rebels sign a ceasefire agreement
http://katehon.com/agenda/colombian-authorities-and-rebels-sign-ceasefire-agreement

The meeting between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and leader of the neo-Marxist group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) Timoleon Jimenez took place in Cuba. The process lasted for more than three years.

According to the agreement, after 180 days the rebels would have to completely disarm and return to civilian life, and ordinary soldiers can expect full amnesty. However, for those who have committed serious crimes, there will be a tribunal procedure. It is likely that because of this part, the insurgents will be forced to flee to the forests or to create an autonomous structure, which will refuse to submit to the current leadership of the FARC.

FARC was established in 1964 as the military wing of the local Communist Party. In its ranks are up to 20,000 people. The group acts mostly in remote mountainous areas, carrying out attacks on public infrastructure. FARC is also are suspected of having links to drug cartels. During the years of conflict, which is the longest in Latin America, more than 200,000 people have been killed in Colombia.


South Korean, Japanese and US deputy defense minister-level officials have discussed coordinating the three countries' responses to North Korea’s test of two intermediate-range ballistic missiles carried out earlier this week, Korean media reported Friday.

South Korea, Japan, US, Coordinate Response to North Korea's Missile Test
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160624/1041923170/korea-us-missile-test.html

On Thursday, South Korean media reported that Pyongyang carried out a successful launch of the medium long-range strategic ballistic missile named Hwasong-10. North Korea claimed that the test-firing, attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was successful.

"The three nations shared the view that North Korea's provocations will further strengthen the international community's resolve to press the North to stop such behavior," the South Korean Defense Ministry said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Kelly Magsamen reaffirmed Washington's commitment to defending South Korea, while all three officials condemned North Korea's violation of the UN Security Council resolution prohibiting the country from using ballistic technology, according to the news outlet.

In early January, North Korea successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test, putting a satellite into orbit a month later, in violation UN Security Council resolutions.

In March, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that imposes additional sanctions on North Korea, aiming to affect multiple sectors of the country’s economy. The same month, North Korea conducted multiple short and medium-range rocket launches.

Last month, Pyongyang urged Seoul to accept its offer to hold military talks and called for joint steps to carry out measures for national unity, citing the need to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. South Korea rejected the proposal, demanding "a real turn" toward denuclearization.
 
Neoliberalism and The Globalization of War - Michel Chossudovsky on GRTV
GlobalResearchTV
Published on Jun 23, 2016

https://youtu.be/HCTF7iPnAjM
As NATO forces conduct full-scale military exercises on Russia’s doorstep, the world’s attention once again turns to Eastern Europe. But as Professor Michel Chossudovsky, author of Towards A WWIII Scenario and The Globalization of War points out, in this era of total warfare the real threat is not just a military one and its scope is truly globa

Al-Masdar
Hezbollah deploys more commandos to southern Aleppo
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/hezbollah-commandos-flood-southern-aleppo/ | Al-Masdar News
By Leith Fadel -
24/06/2016
Sources from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) reported the arrival of a large Hezbollah force in the strategic town of Al-Hadher on Friday morning. The Hezbollah force was comprised of veteran commandos that have participated in several battles across Syria, including the first offensive in southern Aleppo. Hezbollah recently increased their presence in southern Aleppo after taking a three week long hiatus to concentrate their forces along the Syrian-Lebanese border. These commandos arrived just hours before the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, announced during his live broadcast that the Lebanese organization will present its largest force in southern Aleppo. The Hezbollah leader stated that 26 Hezbollah soldiers have been killed this month as a result of the ongoing battle in the southern Aleppo countryside. Sayyed Nasrallah further added that 617 jihadist rebels were reportedly killed while attempting to advance against the government forces in southern Aleppo.

Syrian Army 4th division reinforcements pour into Aleppo city
Al-Masdar News
Published on Jun 23, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7P9tIXlDnY

Al-Masdar News
24/06/2016
Syrian Army captures over 25 farms in southern Darayya: map By Leith Fadel -
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-captures-25-farms-southern-darayya-map/
CZrQ__vUkAAGXdH.jpg
 
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen called on Russia to report on the movements and the number of its troops, local media reported Sunday.

German Defense Minister Urges Russia to Report on Troops Movement, Numbers
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160626/1041963615/nato-russia-troops-movements.html

On Thursday, German Federal Foreign Office's coordinator for intersocietal cooperation with Russia, Asia and the Eastern Partnership countries said that a further escalation of tensions between NATO and Russia should be prevented.

Earlier in June, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier blamed NATO member states for saber rattling, provoking much criticism from German politicians, including from the ruling Christian Democratic Union.

"It would be wise if NATO and Russia would publicly reported on the movements and the number of its troops within the framework of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]. Such a proposal has been made a long time ago by NATO, which is exclusively a defensive alliance," the minister said in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag.

The German minister supported the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) strategy in response to the "Russian aggression."

She noted that there is a need to improve the relations with Russia, but insisted that Moscow must adhere to international rules.


German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen's insistence on Russia reporting about the movements and the number of its troops surprised the Russian Defense Ministry, because Moscow is informing its European partners about all snap drills and large-scale exercises for two years, according to the ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

Moscow Says Surprised at German Request to Report on Troop Movements
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160626/1041984676/russia-army-troops-nato.html

The Russian Defense Ministry is surprised at German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen's insistence on Russia reporting about the movements and the number of its troops, the ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday.

German media reported earlier on Sunday that von der Leyen said NATO and Russia should publicly report on the movements and the number of its troops within the framework of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). She added that the initiative has long been promoted by NATO, stressing that the alliance is a defensive organization.

"The German defense minister's statements have surprised us. She is possibly unaware that we have, at our initiative, been informing our European partners about all snap drills and large-scale exercises for two years, which is something we are not obliged to do under the Vienna Convention," Konashenkov said.

The spokesman commented on the German defense minister's remark on the defensive nature of NATO by recalling the alliance's "dramatic" campaigns in Yugoslavia and Libya.

"Will Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen be able to explain to the world how selflessly the alliance defended itself without sparing ammunition," he said.


Earlier this month, Norway's government announced a new defense plan, amounting to the largest military modernization since the Cold War, directed against Russia. Commenting on the initiative, journalist Sviatoslav Knyazev suggested that the country's government has chosen to forget decades of good-neighborly relations between Oslo and Moscow.

After Decades of Russian Goodwill, Norway Builds Up Military Against Moscow
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160626/1041982707/norway-anti-russian-military-buildup.html

Last weekend, Norwegian media reported on the country's most ambitious plans to modernize the country's armed forces since the end of the Cold War.

The government plans include the purchase of at least 52 Lockheed Martin F-35 fifth-generation multirole fighter jets, four submarines (presumably Swedish-built diesel subs), and six coastal patrol aircraft. Plans also include the construction of five new frigates and six corvettes.

Overall, the defense budget of the country of five million is expected to increase by 165 billion kroner (about $19.4 billion US) over the next 20 years.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg did not mince words as to who exactly the buildup is directed against, stating that "we have an increasingly unpredictable neighbor to the east which is strengthening its military capacity, and showing willingness to use military force as a political tool."

Solberg's comments followed on promises by Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide in February 2015 that her country would be reorganizing its armed forces to counter the so-called 'Russian threat'. At that time, the official candidly admitted that Russian forces had "not breached our territory," but added that Oslo was worried over the increase in the range and number of Russian military aircrafts' flights near the country.

On the border between Norway and Russia, Oslo is deploying a new army unit, consisting of 200 rangers, to be deployed in the Sor-Varanger municipality in Finnmark county, strengthening a several-hundred strong contingent of border guards. These units, equipped with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, will be based in the direct vicinity of the Russian town of Pechenga.

Commenting on the buildup in a piece for the online news and analysis portal PolitRussia, independent journalist Sviatoslav Knyazev recalled that "even before the modernization, the Norwegian Armed Forces were relatively powerful."

"The per capita defense costs of the Kingdom are the highest in Europe. The armed forces are small enough (about 30,000 on active duty and some 45,000 in the reserve) but well prepared and equipped. Taking
account of mandatory military service and its high prestige, a large portion of the population has military training. In the event of a hypothetical conflict, Norway can put several hundred thousand people under arms."

Listing off the inventory of the country's armed forces, Knyazev recalled that its ground forces have 52 Leopard 2A4 tanks, along with 20 older Leopard 1A5s, along with 315 M113 armored personnel carriers, 104 Swedish-made CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, and 80 SISU XA-185 and XA-203 armored personnel carriers. The army also has about 200 multi-purpose armored vehicles, and a number of self-propelled guns and multiple launch rocket systems.

The Air Force, for its part, has 57 F-16 multirole fighters, while the Navy has five frigates, six corvettes and six submarines.

With these figures and the government's latest plans in mind, the journalist pointed out that Norway is "effectively planning to double the strength of its Navy and Air Force (or completely modernize it). We are talking about billions of dollars of spending, a lot even for a wealthy country like Norway."

For a start, the journalist pointed out, the Russian Empire was one of the first to recognize Norway's independence, soon after the country broke off from Sweden in 1905. Later, after the collapse of the Russian Empire and the emergence of the Soviet Union, diplomatic relations were established in short order, with relations established in 1924.

"In 1944," Knyazev recalled, "its was the Red Army which fought to liberate [northern] Norway from the Nazi invaders. Thousands of Soviet soldiers and officers paid with their lives for the country's freedom. After that, the Soviet Union, itself ravaged by war, helped to restore its northern neighbor. The USSR provided food rations, and Red Army engineering units helped rebuild ruined buildings. Moreover, the Soviet Union did not even try to create a zone of influence in Norway or to reshape its borders. In September 1945, having assisted its neighbors with aid, Soviet troops voluntarily left the country."

For a start, the journalist pointed out, the Russian Empire was one of the first to recognize Norway's independence, soon after the country broke off from Sweden in 1905. Later, after the collapse of the Russian Empire and the emergence of the Soviet Union, diplomatic relations were established in short order, with relations established in 1924.

"In 1944," Knyazev recalled, "its was the Red Army which fought to liberate [northern] Norway from the Nazi invaders. Thousands of Soviet soldiers and officers paid with their lives for the country's freedom. After that, the Soviet Union, itself ravaged by war, helped to restore its northern neighbor. The USSR provided food rations, and Red Army engineering units helped rebuild ruined buildings. Moreover, the Soviet Union did not even try to create a zone of influence in Norway or to reshape its borders. In September 1945, having assisted its neighbors with aid, Soviet troops voluntarily left the country."

Later, in the 1970s, a territorial dispute broke out between Moscow and Oslo over the maritime border in the Barents Sea, rich in offshore hydrocarbon reserves and fishing resources. "However, in 2010, Russia voluntarily ceded half of the disputed territory and signed a treaty 'On Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean.'"

In 1949, the journalist bitterly recalled, the Norwegian government "thanked" the USSR for its contribution to the country's liberation by joining the NATO alliance. "Now, it seems, we are being 'thanked' for the [2010] territorial gift, the shelf and the hydrocarbons worth tens of billions of dollars…"

"First, Norway introduced sanctions against us over a war unleashed by Washington in Ukraine [in 2014], then caused a scandal because of our Deputy Prime Minister's visit to Svalbard [in 2015], and now they are up in arms and creating new military units directed against us."

Meanwhile, Knyazev lamented, "Jens Stoltenberg, the same former Norwegian Prime Minister who earned political capital through the 2010 demarcation agreement, is now directing the NATO bloc's aggressive anti-Russian activities. Today, he is calling for strengthening NATO's presence in the Baltic and Black seas, suggesting that the anti-Russian missile defense system in Eastern Europe is nothing out of the ordinary, and calling for 'deterrence' against Russia, which in actuality is not planning to attack anyone."

Ultimately, the journalist suggested, "Norway, unfortunately, is a new example of the fact that befriending Western countries and doing them good is quite a thankless occupation…"


Italy's political establishment favors keeping the traditionally strong ties between Italy and Russia in place despite soured EU-Russia relations, Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergei Razov said.

Italian Politicians Concur on Need to Maintain Strong Ties With Russia
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160626/1041966999/italy-russia-eu-realtions.html

Italy's political establishment favors keeping the traditionally strong ties between Italy and Russia intact despite soured EU-Russia relations, Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergei Razov said.

On Wednesday, a group of Italian lawmakers from the Five Star Movement (M5S) suggested holding a parliamentary vote on lifting anti-Russian sanctions before July 31, ahead of the EU summit that is due to decide on the matter.

The initiative is an important indicator of public mood in Italy, Razov stressed, noting that other major political parties have a similar stance to the M5S, including Forza Italia, Lega Nord and the National Alliance, as well as such prominent figures as former prime ministers Silvio Berlusconi and Romano Prodi and a number of regional legislative assemblies, which have voted or plan to vote on the issue.

In June, speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Russia, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi stated that he would oppose the automatic renewal of EU anti-Russian sanctions. Renzi attended the forum alongside European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and led a high-profile Italian business delegation. The prime minister also met Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which he said that both Europe and Russia must make efforts to solve the existing problems in bilateral relations.

The ambassador was highly positive in evaluating the results of the SPIEF, stressing that Renzi's appearance and meeting with Putin indicate Italy's desire to minimize damage to Italian-Russian ties amid the crisis in EU-Russian relations.

"At the same time, reality must be acknowledged. Italy is an EU and NATO member, and it is subject to the demands of block discipline and euroatlantic solidarity," Razov said.


The Al-Nusra Front terrorist organization, banned in Russia, continues to hamper truce in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry stated Saturday.

Al-Nusra Front Shells Five Districts in Aleppo With Mortars
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160625/1041960299/nusra-front-aleppo-shelling.html

The Al-Nusra Front terrorist group has carried out attacks using multiple rocket launchers and mortars in five districts of Aleppo an in a number of locations in the Damascus and Aleppo provinces, according to the statement.

Al-Nusra Front is an affiliate of al-Qaeda and a rival of Daesh in Syria and Iraq. Al-Nusra Front is regarded as the second most powerful group after Daesh. Julani has been commander of the terrorist group since 2012.


The Daesh Takfiri terrorists claimed responsibility Sunday for the execution-style killing of five Syrian journalists they kidnapped in Dayr al-Zawr in October 2015.

Daesh claims execution-style killing of Syrian journalists
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/26/472310/Syria-Daesh-journalists

The terrorist group published a video in which the victims, who were all from Dayr al-Zawr, are shown.

The people were abducted in the city and killed between November and December last year, said the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"The video was only published now because IS (Daesh), who are losing ground in Syria, want to send a message that they are still strong," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the chief of the observatory. One of the victims had worked with the group.

Daesh terrorists, who have declared the northern city of Raqqah as their de facto capital in Syria, had previously claimed the killing of several citizen journalists working in a furtive manner in areas under the control of Daesh, including Raqqah.

The observatory said on June 24 that the terrorists kidnapped 900 people from a Kurdish city in the northeast of Aleppo province. The abductees were spirited away from 15 villages and a township.


A five-year-old girl has been killed by Takfiri militant shelling in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.

Five-year-old girl killed by militant shelling in Syria’s Idlib
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/26/472183/child-killed-shelling-Syria

According to the website of Lebanon’s al-Manar’s television network, Rital Hajj Hussein died on Saturday when terrorists shelled the town of al-Foaa, located in Idlib’s northern countryside.

Four other people were injured in the attack which was lunched despite a ceasefire being in place in the country.
 
Way too many pages to read, but after coming across this little note, thought I'd put it in here for reference... if it hasn't already been noted... didn't show up on a search under the title, but :/ :/

From http://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-075-secret-world-tom-clancy-part-ii-government-connections/
[...]
That was a clip from Hunt for Red October where Comrade Sean Connery who is about to defect to the US, talking to Comrade Ivan Putin and then killing him because he is not in on the defection plot. It is curious that the one loyal Russian we see in the film is called Putin, especially given that Putin is not a common name. The only famous Putins I can find are all relatives of Vladimir Putin, who at this time was not a public figure in any way, he was working for the KGB in Leningrad. Amusingly, Putin in the film is played by Peter Firth, who goes on to play Harry Pearse in Spooks.
[...]

======
Interesting.
 
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has had an iftar dinner with government troops on the frontlines of their battle with terrorism.

Syria’s Assad attends iftar on frontline with troops: Photos
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/26/472333/syria-assad-iftar-troops

Assad joined the troops on Sunday at Marj al-Sultan Airport, located in Kharabou area in the Eastern Ghouta region of Damascus.

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk and break their fast in the evening (iftar).

“To me, this meal is the most delicious meal in my life,” said Assad after visiting several areas liberated from the Takfiri terrorists.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian forces, supported by popular fighters, restored security to the village of Ramlia, near Salamiyah city, and the village of Zur al-Sus, in the western province of Hama.

Syrian army units also inflicted losses on the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in Talat Rasiya al-Hamra to the east of the town of Moufaker in Salamiyah countryside.

Syrian forces are currently fighting terrorists on several fronts, including in Aleppo province, which borders Turkey.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has also displaced over half of the Arab country’s pre-war population of about 23 million.


Over six tonnes of humanitarian aid, including flour, food sets and confectioneries have been delivered to low-income families in the Syrian provinces of Hama and Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Russian Military Delivers Over Six Tonnes of Aid to Syrian Hama, Aleppo
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160627/1041990691/russian-aid-hama-aleppo.html

Earlier in June, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered the Hmeimim airbase command to increase assistance to the Syrian population, especially to those trapped in settlements blocked by terrorists.

"Low income families of Akrad Ibrahim (Hama province) and Lehait (Aleppo Province) have received six tonnes of humanitarian cargo. Food products and flour were the basis of the cargo," the Russian Hmeimim-based reconciliation center in Syria said in a statement on Sunday.


A journalist investigation has revealed that Jordanian intelligence officers kept stealing US-provided arms intended for Syrian rebels and sold them on the black market for their own profit.

Jordanian Intel Stole US Arms for Syrian Rebels on Regular Basis
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160627/1041991137/Jordanian-US-Arms-Syrian-Rebels.html

A joint investigation by the New York Times and Al Jazeera revealed a messy scheme of arms theft that Jordanian intelligence service (the General Intelligence Directorate, or GID) officers used to smuggle weapons provided by the US and Saudi Arabia for Syrian rebels trained on Jordanian soil.

The CIA reportedly conducted Syrian rebel training programs for decades. One, the less effective, was intended to train Syrian fighters to fight against Daesh. This program was shut down after it reportedly managed to train only a handful of fighters. The second one, though, trained fighters to fight against Syrian government of Bashar Al-Assad. This one, reportedly, was way more effective.

Since 2013, both the United States and Saudi Arabia shipped weapons, which included assault rifles, RPGs and mortars, to Jordan, to arms the rebels. However, a group of Jordan intelligence officers siphoned truckloads of the weapons worth millions of dollars from the stocks, and they ended up on a black market, where criminal networks and rural Jordanian tribes, as well as foreign smugglers, provided a stable demand.

These weapons were used in a recent shooting when Anwar Abu Zaid, a Jordanian police captain, gunned down two American contractors. The FBI investigation into the shooting included weapon numbers tracking, which led to the revelation of the whole scheme.

The existence of the rebel training program is classified, as are all details about its budget. It is — or was, apparently — also a state secret in Jordan.

Representatives of the CIA and FBI declined to comment.

Mohammad H. al-Momani, Jordan's minister of state for media affairs, however, said allegations that Jordanian intelligence officers had been involved in any weapons thefts were "absolutely incorrect."

He said GID is "a world-class, reputable institution known for its professional conduct and high degree of cooperation among security agencies." It is unclear whether the current head of the GID had knowledge of the theft.

Notably, news of the weapons theft and eventual crackdown has reportedly been circulating inside Jordan's government for several months. Husam Abdallat, a senior aide to several past Jordanian prime ministers, said he had heard about the scheme from current Jordanian officials.

The theft scheme ended a couple of months ago, after the Americans and Saudis complained about the theft. Investigators at the GID arrested several dozen officers involved in the scheme, but they were ultimately released from detention and fired from the service, but were allowed to keep their pensions and money they gained from the scheme, according to Jordanian officials.

According to the New York Times/Al Jazeera report, Jordan provided grounds for US covert operations for decades, thanks to its key position in the Middle East, in exchange for massive monetary support provided to the Jordanian government since the second half of twentieth century.


Emergency servicemen are already working at the site of the accident.

Ultralight Plane Crashed in Penza Region, Russia
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160627/1041989614/Ultralight-Plane-Crashed-Penza-Russia.html

A Lilienthal Bekas ultralight crashed in the easternmost part of Penza Region.

The emergency call came at 22:25 Moscow time.

At least one man reported dead. The exact number of victims is currently under investigation.


At least six people are killed and 13 others are wounded in explosions in eastern Lebanon.

Six people killed in Lebanon blasts
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/27/472354/Lebanon-blast

The blasts occurred as several people detonated their explosives in a crowded area in al-Qaa Village, a few kilometers from the border with Syria, Lebanese Al-Manar reported.

Lebanon has occasionally seen the infiltration of Takfiri elements from neighboring Syria into its territory, where they attack the civilian population or security forces with bombings.

On June 12, a bomb explosion rocked the western part of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, but did not cause any casualties.

Last November, however, more than 40 people were killed and dozens of others wounded after two bombings, claimed by the Takfiri Daesh militants, targeted a security post in the Bourj el-Barajneh area in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.


Two suicide bombers blew themselves in a village in Eastern Lebanon, local media reported.

Two Suicide Bombers Kill Six People and Injure 13 in Eastern Lebanon
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160627/1041992661/lebanon-suicide-bombers.html

The explosion occurred in the village of Qaa, located near the Syrian border — on the road leading to the Syrian Homs.

In August 2014, the Lebanese army clashed with Daesh and the Al-Nusra Front, in the town of Arsal. Extremists kidnapped 30 soldiers and policemen as they withdrew. An exchange was later made for 16 captives and the release of extremist prisoners jailed in Lebanon.

Since the start of the five-year civil war in Syria, Lebanon has become home to over a million Syrian refugees.
 
Not sure, have not seen other reports on this (going back to June 23/2016): http://www.voltairenet.org/article192492.html

The Syrian army withdraws in the face of chemical weapons

In the province of Rakka, while the Syrian Arab army was advancing and liberating villages held by Daesh and its allies, the enemy has used sarin gas, or more precisely its most dangerous version: VX gas.

The Syrian army was forced to withdraw.

To protect Qatari supporters, Saudi and Turkish jihadists, the Atlanticist propaganda assures that Syrian forces are exhausted by years of war.
 
Wow new Logo.............yawn.. :zzz:
NATO
photo.jpg

Danish forces prepare to join NATO’s spearhead force, the VJTF
Published on Jun 27, 2016

https://youtu.be/vMzoiIMlyZM
Deep in the Lithuanian woodland, 1,400 Danish troops with 500 vehicles take part in exercise White Sword with soldiers from America, France, Germany, Lithuania and Luxembourg. For the Danes, it’s a chance to face-off against a simulated opposition, as well as to coordinate tactics and communications. Next year, this brigade will form part of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, or VJTF.

Lithuanian Military
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania#Military
In March 2004, Lithuania became a full member of the NATO. Since then, fighter jets of NATO members are deployed in Zokniai airport and provide safety for the Baltic airspace.
800px-LithuaniaHistory.png


RT
Putin calls out NATO’s ‘insecurity agenda’
6-23-16
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/347991-threat-putin-nato-military/

Sputnik
NATO Forces ‘Play With Fire’ Near Russia’s Borders
16:35 26.06.2016
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160626/1041979345/nato-russia-border-balance.html
A recent military parade held in Estonia that involved two US Air Force B-52 strategic bombers flying thirty kilometers away from Russia’s border could be considered a demonstration of NATO’s role in Europe, but also may not have been the wisest move, considering the current situation.
 
c.a. said:
Wow new Logo.............yawn.. :zzz:
NATO
photo.jpg
[/quote]

What is likely an unfortunate design fail is nonetheless disconcerting in the wake of the military coalition’s major buildup along the Russian border, led by German troops.

NATO Unveils New Headquarters Inspired by the Nazi SS Lightning Bolts (Video)
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160628/1042050232/nato-nazi-ss-brussels-hitler.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBcHUHF4wYs

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) caused a stir in recent weeks with the announcement of its newly constructed headquarters "for you and for future generations." The building features a design pattern eerily reminiscent of the Nazi "SS" lightning bolts.

The Nazi imagery comes in the footsteps of Germany leading the massive Anaconda War Games. Involving over 30,000 NATO troops, the drills will take place in Poland on the 75th anniversary of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

The provocation is the single largest buildup of foreign troops in Poland since World War II, and is also the first time German soldiers have been stationed in the Eastern European nation since the fall of the Nazi regime.

While former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called the build-up on the anniversary of the Nazi invasion a "serious mistake," the alliance’s most recent use of Hitler-inspired imagery has mostly just led to widespread mockery by social media pundits asking if it was purely coincidence.

This isn’t the first time that the US-led military coalition has been marred by Nazism — intentional or otherwise. A shocking video was previously posted to YouTube that allegedly shows a range of German SS symbols being worn by NATO troops.

There also exists a history of Nazi inclusion amongst NATO leadership, despite public relations efforts portraying the groups as diametric opposites. Notably, Adolf Hitler’s Chief of the General Staff of the Army Adolf Heusinger also served as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 1961 to 1964.


The Canadian frigate Charlottetown will participate in Operation Reassurance 2016, a US-led multinational effort to conduct constant air, land and sea operations in Eastern and Central Europe.

Canadian Frigate Sails in Support of NATO Operations in the Baltic Sea
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160627/1042043238/us-nato-canada-russia.html

The Canadian frigate Charlottetown set sail from Halifax, Nova Scotia in support of NATO maritime operations in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic, the Royal Canadian Navy said in a statement on Monday.

The Charlottetown will participate in Operation Reassurance 2016, a US-led multinational effort to conduct constant air, land and sea operations in Eastern and Central Europe.

The Charlottetown is the fifth ship of its type and the third modernized Halifax-class frigate retrofitted with upgraded radars, communications systems and missiles.

Russia has warned that amassing troops and equipment on its borders and conducting exercise constitute provocative acts that can destabilize the region and potentially cause global destabilization.


The guided missile destroyers Spruance, Momsen and Decatur from the US Third Fleet’s Pacific Action Surface Group (PAC SAG) took part in the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) in the South China Sea, according to the US navy.

US Third Fleet Destroyers Sail Into South China Sea for OMSI Exercises
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160627/1042034395/us-navy-destroyers-china.html

The guided missile destroyers Spruance, Momsen and Decatur from the US Third Fleet’s Pacific Action Surface Group (PAC SAG) participated on Monday in the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) in the South China Sea to ensure stability and strengthen coordination with partner nations, the US Navy said in a press release.

The OMSI is a Department of Defense program designed to mesh the US Coast Guard’s operations in Oceania with those of the US Navy as well as regional maritime allies.

The latest OMSI exercises took place amidst disputes over territorial and maritime claims China has made in the South China Sea.

Tensions have increased in anticipation of a ruling by an arbitrations panel created under the jurisdiction of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to resolve competing claims by the Philippines and China.

The United States has challenged China’s claims by conducting freedom of navigation exercises and military flights in the South China Sea, and by merging ships of its Third and Seventh fleets in the region.

However, the United States has not signed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but China has.


The Nusra Front militants in the north of Syria got 100 surface-to-air (SAM) missiles, designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aerial targets, in particular, aircraft or other missiles, according to local media.

Nusra Front in Northern Syria Receives 100 Surface-to-Air Missiles
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160627/1042039582/syria-nusra-missile.html

The Nusra Front militants in the north of Syria have received 100 surface-to-air (SAM) missiles, Almayadeen television channel reported Monday.

No details on the supplier or the kind of missile was immediately provided by the broadcaster.

The SAM is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aerial targets, in particular, aircraft or other missiles.


Arms shipments by the US and Saudi Arabia to Syrian rebel groups have ended up on the black market instead, but the situation was completely predictable, Middle East analyst Catherine Shakdam told Radio Sputnik.

US Loses 'Dangerous Game' Delivering Arms to Syrian Rebels
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160627/1042022031/syrian-rebels-us-arms-theft.html

Arms shipments by the CIA and Saudi Arabia to Jordan which were intended to be delivered on to Washington-backed Syrian rebels were systematically stolen by Jordanian intelligence operatives and sold to arms merchants on the black market, American and Jordanian officials told the New York Times on Sunday.

The theft includes millions of dollars of weapons, some of which were used in a shooting in November that killed two Americans and three others at a police training facility in Amman.

Catherine Shakdam, Middle East analyst and director of programs for the Shafaqna Institute for Middle Eastern Studies, told Radio Sputnik that the issue of weapons supplies falling into the wrong hands was a predictable one.

"It has been going on for years, and it really underscores the question that Russia has warned about, that you can't expect to be putting weapons into such a dangerous and very fluid area – Syria and Iraq – and not expect these kinds of things to happen," Shakdam said.

"It's a very dangerous game to arm people left, right and center. I think that Russia has done things the right way by going through the official channels and handling things openly rather than operations which get out of hand very quickly."

Shakdam said that the same chaotic situation happened in Yemen, Iraq and Libya, when the West backed rebels there. She also warned that the multitude of countries supplying weapons means that nobody actually knows what weapons the rebels actually have.

Jordan’s minister of state for media affairs has denied the claim that Jordanian intelligence agents were responsible for the thefts. Shakdam said that the kingdom has been put in a difficult position by the events that have unfolded around it, and is "in the eye of the storm."

"Jordan has been put in a very difficult situation anyway, they have had to open up their border to training camps and so on."

"Back in 2011, Jordan was potentially on the brink of an uprising, and there is a desire to control public perception and public fears."


Six F-16 fighter aircraft, which departed from Kleine Brogel Air Base in Belgium, will be based in Jordan and will perform reconnaissance and surveillance tasks for six months in Syria and Iraq, according to local media.

Six F-16 Jets Depart Belgium to Assist Anti-Daesh Coalition in Syria, Iraq
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160627/1042033252/syria-iraq-belgium.html

Six F-16 fighter aircraft left Belgium on Monday for Jordan to help the US-led international coalition in its fight against Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militants in Syria and Iraq, media reported.

The planes, which departed from Kleine Brogel Air Base in Belgium, will be based in Jordan and will perform reconnaissance and surveillance tasks for six months in Syria and Iraq, according to the RTL broadcaster.

The Belgian fighters are due to replace Dutch planes at the air base in Jordan used by the coalition.
 
Local sources said on Monday that several terrorists were killed or wounded in clashes between the ISIL and al-Nusra Front rival terrorist groups in the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp in the Southern parts of the capital.

Syria: Scores of Terrorists Killed in Infighting near Damascus
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950407000478

"The ISIL terrorists struck the strongholds of al-Nusra Front in al-Mogharebeh neighborhood in Yarmouk and took its control, which also inflicted a heavy death toll on al-Nusra militants," the sources said.

"In the meantime, the al-Nusra pushed the ISIL back from residential areas in Haifa street in the camp, which claimed the lives of several militants from both sides."

Reports said earlier this month that the ISIL strengthened its foothold in Southern Syria by merging three of its affiliated groups.

Members of Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade terrorist group announced that they grow united with Jamaat al-Mujahedeen and Harakat al-Muthanna under a coalition named Jeish Khalid Bin Walid which is affiliated with the ISIL.


The Syrian army helicopters dropped leaflets over the regions controlled by militants in the town of Bareh in Idlib province to give the Takfiri terrorists a last chance to lay down their arms and surrender to the authorities as soon as possible.

Syrian Helicopters Drop Surrender Now Leaflets over Terrorists' Positions in Idlib
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950407000302

The Syrian planes and helicopters dropped thousands of leaflets over the terrorist group's strongholds in the town of Bareh in Zavieh Mountain in the Northwestern province of Idlib.

"Surrender now; leave your weapons and return to your families," read the leaflets.

Yesterday, the Syrian Air Force and artillery units pounded the terrorists' positions inside the strategic town of Kabani in rugged areas of Northern regions of Lattakia Province, as they prepare to retake the town from the terrorist groups.

"Recapture of Kabani will result in the liberation of large regions in al-Ghab plain and the strategic city of Jisr al-Shoughor in Idlib province," they further added.


The Syrian army aircraft targeted several water pumps and other water facilities used by the ISIL in Western Qalamoun at Lebanon-Syrian border, facing the terrorist-held region with shortage of water.

ISIL Water Supply System Destroyed in Syrian Airstrike
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950407000382

The Syrian fighter jets bombed the ISIL water facilities in al-Zamrani valley in Jaroud al-Jarajir, which not only destroyed the entire pumps and treatment and transferring facilities but ended in the killing or wounding of several ISIL members guarding there.


Saudi Arabia has sent new cargoes of weapons and financial aid to the terrorists in Aleppo in Northern Syria to strengthen them against the Syrian army and its allies' fresh attacks, a source said.

Source: S. Arabia Sends New Weapons to Terrorists in Aleppo
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950407000164

"The Saudi regime has recently sent small arms and new equipment, including 5 drones, to the terrorists in Syria," the source said on Sunday.

To this end, Riyadh has sent one of its ranking officers to the regions controlled by terrorists in Northern Aleppo to supply them with money and arms to intensify attacks and open new fronts against the Syrian army and popular forces, the source added.

A battlefield source said on Sunday that the Syrian army troops and popular forces, backed by the Syrian Air Force, continued advances in the Southern regions of Aleppo province, managing to recapture the al-Asamat region from terrorist groups.

“Pro-government forces engaged in a series of fierce clashes with militant groups in al-Mallah Farms, killing a number of the terrorists as they recaptured Asamat area,” the source noted on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, the Syrian army and popular forces backed by the Russian air force hit the terrorists' military positions in Aleppo, and managed to disconnect their supply routes in the Northern province.

The Syrian army destroyed the military bases of the Takfiri terrorists in Bani Zeid region, Al-Mallah farms, Handarat camp and Castello road while cutting their supply routes in al-Lairmoun road.

Meantime, the military centers of Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham terrorists groups in Tal Mossayebin and Kafar Joum villages in the Western part of Aleppo came under the Syrian army attack.

The army units also hit the terrorists' military positions in Hayan and Hraytan villages.


The Russian air force traced the terrorists' fresh forces heading towards the Syrian army positions in Aleppo and targeted them with heavy fire.

Russian Fighter Jets Surprise Terrorists in Aleppo
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950407000434

The Russian warplanes launched surprise attacks on the al-Nusra Front and Ansar al-Din Movement's newly-recruited forces in Aleppo, killing dozens of them and injuring others.

The fresh terrorists were sent to repel the Syrian army attacks and prevent its advance towards al-Malah, Haritan and Anadan villages.

The airstrikes were launched as the Syrian army troops and popular forces, backed by the Syrian Air Force, continued advances in the Southern regions of Aleppo province, managing to recapture the al-Asamat region from the terrorist groups, a battlefield source said.

“Pro-government forces engaged in a series of fierce clashes with militant groups in al-Mallah Farms, killing a number of terrorists as they recaptured Asamat area,” the source noted on Sunday.
 
A US destroyer violated international and bilateral agreements by approaching a Russian ship dangerously close this month, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

US Destroyer Committed ‘Gross Violation’ in Encounter With Russian Ship
http://sputniknews.com/military/20160628/1042078009/russia-us-sea-destroyer.html

The Russian ship was following its course and didn't violate any international law standards:

"US destroyer Gravely made a close encounter with a Russian warship in the eastern Mediterranean on June 17 at a distance of 60-70 meters [197-229 feet] on the port side and crossed the Yaroslav Mudry’s course along the bow at a dangerous distance of 180 meters [590 feet]," the ministry said.

It brought to the Pentagon's attention the "gross violation by the Gravely destroyer's commander and crew" of International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and a similar Russian-US intergovernmental agreement.


Unlike its terrorist forerunners in the Middle East, who were hell-bent on religious issues, Daesh relies heavily on Western-style propaganda to winthe hearts and minds. Daesh's propaganda videos are authored in the language of Western filmmaking, and are professionally shot from dramatic angles using state-of-the-art equipment.

Daesh Jihadist Forces Fueled by Professionally-Rendered Propaganda
http://sputniknews.com/art_living/20160628/1042058254/daesh-professional-propaganda-hollywood.html

Daesh appeals directly to young radicals using a language they already know from Hollywood movies and computer games. Today, there is no doubt that trained video directors and filmmakers are behind Daesh's videos, which are vastly superior to those produced by al-Qaeda ten years ago.

"Daesh utilize common media tricks that are familiar to end users. Propaganda that is professionally made resonates with a greater public and ultimately has a greater impact on the receivers," Thomas Elkjer Nissen, a military analyst at the Danish Defense Academy, specializing in strategic communications, told Danish Radio.

The videos Daesh distribute through a number of web portals are not all violent and brutal and include everyday reporting, such as news from a marketplace in Syria or information on how the health system in the Daesh-controlled city of Raqqa works. Such videos aim to convince the recipient that Daesh is succeeding in developing a civil society within the so-called "Caliphate."

"The way they use angles, multiple cameras, as well as music and effects overlaying the narrative reveals considerable media professionalism," Nissen stated after seeing dozens of Daesh propaganda videos, pointing to computer games 'Call of Duty' and 'Grand Theft Auto' as possible sources of inspiration.

According to Thomas Elkjer Nissen, half of Daesh's battle is being fought online. Therefore, identifying their approaches might be as crucial as sending troops to Syria, detecting traffickers or limiting the terrorists' oil revenues.

"One must understand their media tactics, because more than half of their overall strategy is to produce propaganda," Thomas Elkjer Nissen said.

Meanwhile, the US State Department has been pumping millions of dollars into attempts to solve the "Daesh equation." Part of the money went to a think-tank at the University of Chicago, who after watching hundreds of Daesh videos managed to discern the same dramaturgical structure as in epics like "Titanic," "Star Wars" and "Wizard of Oz," the news outlet The Daily Caller previously reported.


Commenting on the buildup of NATO forces on Russia's borders and the increasing frequency and scale of military exercises, French journalist Christine Bierre, editor-in-chief of the Solidarite & Progres newspaper, warned that the situation is reminiscent of a Cold War-era conflict which brought the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation.

NATO Buildup on Russian Border is Like Cuban Missile Crisis Only in Reverse
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160628/1042078796/nato-buildup-against-russia-french-analysis.html

In a recent analysis for the paper, the official organ of the French political party of the same name, Bierre warned that "when we talk about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, only in reverse, this is not just rhetoric. Nearly 60,000 soldiers of NATO and allied countries have been participating in four series of maneuvers in the Baltic countries, Romania and Poland."

"The most provocative among these exercises were the recently completed Anaconda-16 drills in Poland," the journalist suggested. "Moreover, they were not organized by NATO, but by Poland itself, which the British and Americans have been inciting against Warsaw's old Russian enemy. In total, these exercises involved around 31,000 troops from 24 countries, making them the largest the country has seen since the collapse of the Warsaw Pact in 1991."

As if that weren't enough to escalate tensions between Moscow and NATO, Anaconda-16 is being complemented by Baltops-16, Saber Strike-16, and Swift Response-16, the latter involving Germany and Poland. "The chart published by the Department of Defense…speaks for itself," Bierre noted.

But it was in the eastern Mediterranean and Black seas that the Russians and Americans could find themselves nose to nose," the journalist added.

"Facing Russian fighter jets which have repeatedly made it clear to US ships deployed too close to their borders in the Baltic and Black seas that Russia would like them to go play somewhere else, the United States has decided to respond with a show of strength."

On June 6, the US Aegis-armed destroyer USS Porter entered the Black Sea and docked in Bulgaria's Varna. "At the same time, the [aircraft carrier] USS Dwight D. Eisenhower entered the Mediterranean from the Atlantic, joined by the USS Harry Truman, which unexpectedly arrived in the Mediterranean on June 3 through the Suez Canal. The highest ranking officer of the USS Truman confided to the Wall Street Journal that the goal was "a demonstration of capability."

Meanwhile, an anonymous official was even more blunt, telling the paper that the Truman's deployment "provides some needed presence in the Med to check…the Russians. The unpredictability of what we did with Truman kind of makes them think twice."

In effect, Bierre noted, "this NATO show of force became a prelude to the upcoming summit in Warsaw, where the European allies will be asked to approve the deployment of additional troops and equipment in the Baltic countries, Romania and Poland."

"As for Russia, while taking care not to overreact to the delirious discourse of the United States, it has taken countermeasures, including [the planned] deployment of new RS-28 Sarmat hypersonic intercontinental ballistic missiles, scheduled for between 2018-2020," she added. "These can carry between 10 and 15 nuclear warheads, and are equipped with advanced electronic systems; their goal is to break through the US missile shield in Europe."

Against the background of this escalation, the most informed observers have been active in calling a spade a spade, Bierre added, pointing first and foremost to recent comments by German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier.

In an interview for Bild am Sonntag two weeks ago, Steinmeier warned that "there is no need to aggravate the situation with the clatter of arms and militant rhetoric. Anyone who thinks that symbolic tank parades on the eastern border of the alliance will create more security is mistaken. Military exercises simulating the response to 'Russian aggression' are counterproductive and dangerous."

Moreover, Bierre pointed to a recent opinion piece in The Washington Times by Russia experts Edward Lozansky and Gilbert Doctorow, which denounced the demonization of Russia by the media and called for the beginning of a 'perestroika' in the USA.

According to the two experts, "the impending failure [of US foreign policy] and our going off the cliff into World War III has to be the country's first concern. Come nuclear war, which, sadly, is more likely now than at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962," all other political debates and priorities "will go out the window."

The authors suggested that like the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s, the United States today is in desperate need of 'glasnost' and 'perestroika' – transparency and open discussion, in order to abandon a disastrous foreign policy which threatens both US and global survival in the 21st century.

Meanwhile, Bierre warned, the recent proposal by Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments official Evan Branden Montgomery on the creation of an Asian NATO "leaves no doubt about the US's willingness to maintain their supremacy by force. It proposes extending the US nuclear arsenal in South Korea and Japan by creating a Nuclear Planning Group, under which some allies will receive permission to use these weapons."

"In this context," the analyst suggested, "extreme tensions and an almost complete absence of dialogue between Russia and the United States mean that even the most minor incident can result in a fatal chain of events leading to war."

As far France is concerned, Bierre pointed out that there are still signs of hope: As on the question of anti-Russian sanctions, France has its own view on NATO's buildup in Eastern Europe. "Following the National Assembly vote in April, the Senate adopted, with a large majority (302 votes vs. 16) a resolution [calling] for 'a progressive and sectorial lifting' of sanctions on June 8."

Meanwhile, she added, "if military journalist Jean-Dominique Merchet is to be believed, France deliberately ignored the Anaconda-16 exercise in Poland… As the military analyst suggested in France's l'Opinion newspaper, France's participation was "not immediately useful."

In his article, Merchet argued that "the French military is concerned primarily with the southern flank: Africa and the Middle East," and "hardly interested in the East," and Russia. Explaining this, he pointed to the "historical tendency on which the imperatives of the fight against terrorism and the pro-Russian sentiments in part of the military hierarchy, along with sympathies from right-wing supporters of French sovereignty for Russia's leader, and a perception of the Poles and the Balts as countries" which suffer from "a fever of paranoia."

Ultimately, it is unknown how today's world leaders will respond to what Bierre dubbed the 'reverse Cuban missile crisis'; however, maybe it's time for US leaders to take a hint from Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's playbook, when the latter pulled Soviet missiles out of Cuba and thus pulled the world back from the brink of catastrophe.
 
The US military has tested an Israeli short-range missile for possible use in its European network of missile systems to deter Russia, says a US Army general.

US to deploy Israeli missile system on Russian borders: General
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/28/472575/US-Russia-Tamir-Israel-Iron-Dome-Patriot

Major General Glenn Bramhall of the US Army’s Air and Missile Defense Command made the comments on Monday, as he visited the occupied Palestinian territories.

Bramhall said his units needed a reliable system to counter less powerful missile threats as a third tier beside the Army’s array of midrange Patriot and THAAD missile systems.

“Patriot and THAAD are great systems that do what they were designed to do. But I don’t think we would want to waste a Patriot or a THAAD missile on something that can be affected by something that’s lower cost and is actually designed for that job itself,” the general told Reuters.

For that purpose, he said the US military has test-launched a variant of the Israeli “Tamir” rocket which is incorporated to the Tel Aviv regime’s so-called Iron Dome missile system.

Jointly manufactured by American and Israeli firms, each Tamir battery, consisting of a radar unit, missile control unit, and several launchers, is worth $50 million, with each missile costing about $100,000.

“I think we are looking at something that is similar to Iron Dome. We have looked at the Tamir as a possible missile,” Bramhall said. He was due to inspect an Iron Dome unit on Tuesday.

Russian deterrence - Elsewhere in his remarks, the American general noted that the Israeli missile system is being considered mainly as a deterrent against what he called Russia’s military buildup in Europe.

“With all that is happening in Europe, especially the fact that Russia has really awakened itself and has really decided to rebuild its military and is really posing a threat, we are looking at how we can do the multi-tiered defense,” Bramhall said.

Military tensions between Russia and the US further heightened in May, when American and NATO officials activated a land-based missile system in Romania, despite Russia’s warning against US-led arms deployments near its borders.

The missiles’ activation marked the penultimate step in the completion of a missile shield, which Washington proposed nearly a decade ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly criticized the system’s deployment, vowing to neutralize any threats against his country’s security.


All 17 people aboard a military helicopter that crashed in a mountainous area in Western Colombia were found dead when searchers reached the site, the army said.

17 Colombia Soldiers Killed in Helicopter Crash
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950408000228

The statement said the accident occurred in a rural zone of Pensilvania province Northeast of the capital, Bogota. The dead included the aircraft’s five crew members and 12 soldiers, Toronto Star‎ reported.

The army said it appeared that reduced visibility due to bad weather may have been a factor in the crash, but added that investigators had not yet made a finding.

Authorities said the troops killed were involved in an operation against guerrillas of the National Liberation Army, which is the second largest rebel movement involved in the country’s five-decade civil conflict. The main movement, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, is in negotiations with the government that are believed close to producing a formal peace accord.


At least 17 military personnel have been killed in Colombia after an army helicopter crashed apparently due to “bad weather.”

Military helicopter crash kills leaves 17 dead in Colombia
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/28/472515/Colombia-Helicopter-

The MI-17 military helicopter went down in Caldas Department on Sunday while it was travelling from the western department of Choco to the central Tolemaida military base, officials said.

The army confirmed the death toll on Monday, saying rescuers “are carrying out procedures to remove the bodies of our military personnel from the scene of the accident.”


“The first assessments indicate that the accident could have been linked to the bad weather in the area, but experts will confirm or refute that assumption,” said an army statement.

President Juan Manuel Santos also expressed regret over the fatal incident.

The victims were providing support for operations against the leftist insurgent group known as the National Liberation Army (ELN), according to the president.

In August, 16 police officers were killed as the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed due to a mechanical failure during an anti-drug operation in the northeast of the country.


An investigation by the Brazilian Senate into allegations against suspended President Dilma Rousseff has found her innocent of fiscal wrongdoing.

Senate report finds Brazil’s Rousseff innocent of fiscal wrongdoing
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/06/28/472539/Brazil-politics-Dilma-Rousseff-impeachment-trial

A team of independent auditors, comprised of career Senate budget technicians, released a 224-page report on Monday, which concluded there is no evidence that Rousseff participated in budget manipulation, one of the allegations that led to the opening of an impeachment process against her.

The report also said there is no reason to continue the impeachment against Rousseff.

The group concluded that Rousseff was not personally to blame for the delay in transferring funds to state bank Banco do Brasil, a lapse that her opponents say breached Brazil’s fiscal rules and justifies her removal from office.

“There was not any identified act by the president that would have contributed directly or indirectly to the delays,” the report said.

The group also cleared Rousseff of any fault with a fourth presidential budget decree, arguing that it did not impact fiscal targets, and therefore was not illegal.

However, the report concluded that she authored three 2015 decrees releasing additional credits without Congress’ consent.

The report was presented on Monday to the Senate Impeachment Commission, which has 72 hours to analyze it. The body will also start to interview the analysts from July 5.

The senators, however, do not have to follow the findings in a Senate trial scheduled to be held in August, to convict or acquit Rousseff.

Back in May, Brazil’s upper chamber of the National Congress voted to suspend Rousseff for allegedly breaking fiscal laws and begin an impeachment trial against her.

Acting President Michel Temer stepped up from the post of vice-president and replaced her.

Rousseff has repeatedly asserted that she has fallen victim to a plot by the extreme right, saying that they “want to come to power by an easy route and not through popular election for which we have fought.”

She has vowed to call early elections if survives the impeachment trial and is reinstated president.

If the trial in August acquits her, she will be allowed to serve out her term until 2018. Rousseff has said she would call a referendum on holding early elections if she is reinstated as president.
 
Видео: эсминец ВМС США опасно «подрезал» фрегат ВМФ России в Средиземном море
28.06.2016 - 16:05
http://rusvesna.su/news/1467117203

Министерство обороны России обвинило моряков эсминца ВМС США Gravely в опасном сближении с российским сторожевым кораблем, фрегатом «Ярослав Мудрый» в Средиземном море 17 июня 2016 года. Действия экипажа американского судна грубо нарушают международные правила, и российско-американские соглашения, заявили в российском оборонном ведомстве.

«В восточной части Средиземного моря американский эсминец Gravely допустил опасное сближение с российским боевым кораблем на дистанцию 60–70 метров по левому борту и пересек курс движения СКР „Ярослав Мудрый“ по носу на опасной дистанции 180 метров», — сегодня сообщили в Минобороны России.

При этом фрегат ВМФ России «следовал в международных водах постоянным курсом и скоростью и какого-либо опасного маневрирования по отношению к американскому кораблю не осуществлял», уточняет пресс-служба МО РФ.

Российские военные обращают внимание Пентагона на грубое нарушение командиром и экипажем эсминца Gravely международных правил предупреждения столкновений кораблей и двухсторонних соглашений между нашими странами от 1972 года, указав конкретные пункты, нарушенные экипажем судна Военно-морских сил США.

«Американские моряки проигнорировали правило №13 («Обгон»), предписывающее каждому кораблю, осуществляющему обгон, «держаться в стороне от курса обгоняемого судна», и правило №15 («Ситуация пересечения курсов»), где четко определено, что «никакое последовавшее изменение во взаимном положении 2-х судов не освобождает от обязанности обгоняющее судно держаться в стороне от обгоняемого до тех пор, пока последнее не будет окончательно пройдено и оставлено позади», – сказано в сообщении российского оборонного ведомства.

Кроме того экипаж корабля ВМС США нарушил пункт 1 статьи 3 российско-американского межправительственного соглашения, в котором говорится о том, что суда, идущие недалеко друг от друга, «должны оставаться на достаточном удалении, чтобы избежать риска столкновения».
На опубликованных кадрах хорошо видно, что американский корабль подставлял сначала борт, а потом и корму под нос нашего сторожевика. При ударе острым носом фрегата ВМФ России у Gravely были бы большие проблемы.

Translation
Video: USS dangerous "undercut" the Russian Navy frigate in the Mediterranean Sea
06/28/2016 - 16:05

Russian Ministry of Defense accused the sailors of the destroyer Gravely US Navy in dangerous proximity to the Russian patrol ship, the frigate "Yaroslav the Wise" in the Mediterranean 17 June 2016. American ship crew actions violate international rules, and the Russian-American agreement, said the Russian Defense Ministry.

"In the eastern Mediterranean the USS Gravely made a close encounter with a Russian warship at a distance of 60-70 meters on the left side and crossed the TFR rate movements" Yaroslav the Wise "on the nose at a dangerous distance of 180 meters", - reported today in the Ministry of Defense of Russia.

At the same time the Russian Navy frigate "followed in international waters a constant course and speed and any dangerous maneuver against the US ship is not carried out", said the press service of the Defense Ministry.

The Russian military pay attention to the flagrant violation of the Pentagon and the commander of the crew of the destroyer Gravely International Regulations for Preventing Collisions ships and bilateral agreements between the two countries from 1972, to indicate the point of disturbance crewed ship of the Naval Forces of the USA.

"American sailors ignored the rule №13 (" Passing "), requires that each ship is carrying out overtaking," stay away from the course of the vessel being overtaken ', and Rule №15 ( "crossing situation"), which clearly stipulates that "any subsequent a change in the mutual position of 2 vessels are not exempt from the obligation of overtaking vessel to keep away from being overtaken as long as the latter is finally past and clear ", - the report says the Russian defense Ministry.

In addition the US Navy crew had violated article 1, paragraph 3 of the Russian-US intergovernmental agreement, which states that vessels sailing close to each other, "must remain at a sufficient distance to avoid the risk of collision."
On published frames it can be clearly seen that the American ship substituted a first side, and then the stern under the nose of our patrol boat. When you hit a sharp nose of the Russian Navy frigate in Gravely would be a big problem.
 
The fate of Russia's anti-terrorist legislation draft will be decided by President Vladimir Putin, who is aware of the criticism it has received, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

Putin Aware of Criticism Over Proposed Russian Anti-Terror Bills - Kremlin
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160629/1042140156/putin-russia-bills.html

The package of amendments, passed by Russia's lower house and due to be voted on later on Wednesday in the upper house, creates additional mechanisms to counter-terrorism threats.

"We are aware of the specific remarks made by mobile operators and social activists, and other public organizations, they are now being considered. A decision will be made by the president once he has received [the bill] for signing… The president has the right to sign or not to sign [the bill]," Peskov told reporters.

In accordance with the proposed legislation, convicted terrorists can be sentenced to life in prison. Involvement in terror attacks or their financing can be punished by up to 15 years in prison.

The bill restricts the movement of those suspected in being engaged in terrorism or extremism and lowers the age threshold for terrorism-related crimes to 14 years.

It also obliges mobile operators to store call records and messages for seven years.

When introducing the draft package of amendments to the parliament, lawmaker Irina Yarovaya said that the aim of the bill was to ensure Russian citizens were better protected and not to restrict their rights and freedoms.


A recent meeting of NATO defense ministers has been largely focused on ways to counter Russia instead of steps needed to tackle terrorism or deal with the refugee crisis. This serves as an indication that the North Atlantic Alliance and the United States "have no idea" how to respond to real threats, analyst Alexander Khrolenko asserted.

NATO, Washington 'Have No Idea' How to Respond to Real Threats
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160629/1042175633/russia-nato-us.html

Hardliners in the US and NATO have repeatedly accused Moscow of posing an "existential threat" to the United States and its allies. Earlier this month, NATO's former supreme allied commander General Philip Breedlove urged the White House to "increase the resources available to [US] forces in Europe and recognize Russia as the enduring, global threat it really represents."

David Kramer, a former US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor in the George W. Bush administration, shared this sentiment. "NATO needs to demonstrate seriousness of purpose at Warsaw vis-à-vis Putin's Russia and the ongoing threats it poses," he said.

The North Atlantic Alliance is ready to do just that. The upcoming summit in the Polish capital will see the bloc taking measures to increase its military capabilities and enhance its capacity to "project stability," as NATO calls it.

These policy decisions will come at a time when the US has put the first Aegis Ashore missile defense complex online in Romania. The second base is currently under construction in Poland.

Russia has been extremely concerned with NATO's increasing assertiveness on the bloc's eastern flank. Things will hardly improve following the summit. The North Atlantic Alliance could well drastically increase its military presence and activities close to Russia's borders after Warsaw, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu warned on Wednesday.

Apparently, even these activities are not enough for NATO. At least this is an impression one gets from a piece in Die Zeit.

"Even after almost 20 years of joint foreign deployments, the western alliance still doesn't manage to operate like a single set of troops. It remains a pact of national and technical islands," the German national weekly noted. It also compared the bloc to a house that "is still standing only because wallpaper holds up the walls."

If this description looks like a major exaggeration that's because it could well be. After all, in recent months NATO officials have been on an offensive to secure increased budget spending. Only five member states spent the required 2 percent or more of their GDP on defense in 2015 and some, including US defense chief Ashton Carter want to convince the others to deliver.

In the meantime, the bloc will most likely continue to warn of the non-existent threat emanating from Russia.


The Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, approved on Wednesday a bill which bans the cultivation and breeding of genetically modified plants and animals in Russia, with an exception for scientific research.

Federation Council Approves Bill Banning GMO Products in Russia
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160629/1042182714/gmo-russia-ban.html

The bill also prohibits GMO products from being imported in Russia based on the results of their effect on humans and the environment. Countries where GMO products are produced that wish to export to Russia will be required to undergo registration procedures according to the bill.

The bill also envisages administrative liability for those caught using GMOs.

The legislation presupposes fines of up to 500,000 rubles (about $7,800) for violation of the rules for GMO use.


A total of 107 Nobel laureates have signed a letter that urges Greenpeace to stop its campaign against genetically engineered crops and feeds.

Over 100 Nobel Winners Urge Greenpeace to End Campaign Against GMOs
http://sputniknews.com/art_living/20160629/1042184025/nobel-greenpeace-gmo.html

On Thursday, they plan to address the issue at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC.

Greenpeace believes that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been insufficiently studied to assess risks and warns of "genetic pollution" their release into nature may cause.

Scientists – including medics, chemists and economists – have accused the environmental watchdog of misrepresenting risks, benefits and impacts from GMOs and supporting the "criminal destruction" of field trials.

"How many poor people in the world must die before we consider this a ‘crime against humanity’," the letter published on the Support Precision Agriculture campaign website read.

Scientists said that "golden rice," a genetically modified crop with plenty of blindness-preventing vitamin A, is a case in point. They cited the World Health Organization (WHO), which estimates that 250 million people around the world suffer from vitamin A deficiency.

However, Greenpeace argues that, far from being a quick-fix, the golden rice can potentially contaminate traditional rice varieties to unexpected effects and threaten food safety.
 
Moscow is against NATO being dragged into the situation in Syria, Russia's envoy to the alliance told Sputnik on Thursday.

Moscow Against Dragging NATO Into Syrian Conflict
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160630/1042216919/russia-nato-syria.html

He underlined that NATO air patrols along the Syrian border must be carried out in strict compliance with existing Russia-US agreements on the prevention of incidents.

"We are against NATO being dragged into the situation in Syria. One should take into account that only one country is acting in accordance with international law in Syria, and that is Russia," Alexander Grushko said.

In October, US and Russian officials signed a memorandum of understanding concerning safety procedures for the two countries’ aerial missions in Syria to avoid any conflicts.

A US-led coalition of 65 nations has been bombing Daesh terrorist group's targets in Syria since September 2014, but without the approval of the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.

Russia launched airstrikes against terrorist groups in Syria in September 2015 at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. On March 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to withdraw most of Russia's military contingent from Syria after objectives of the operation had been accomplished.


The United States is discussing NATO involvement in the US-led coalition operations against Daesh in Syria with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said at a congressional hearing on Thursday.

Plot Thickens: US Discussing NATO Involvement in Syria With Alliance Chief
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160428/1038787745/us-nato-syria-involvement.html

The defense secretary emphasized that the United States does favor NATO involvement in the global coalition against Daesh.

"I think NATO as NATO could make a contribution. That’s being discussed with the Secretary-General [Stoltenberg] right now," Carter told the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

Carter further explained that European NATO members have not yet asked the organization to join the operations, but member states have individually made significant contributions to the coalition.

Earlier this month, Stoltenberg said during a visit to Washington, DC that NATO has no intention of conducting direct military intervention in Syria within the framework of the anti-Islamic State campaign.


According to the Russia's envoy to NATO, Russia is unhampered in deploying Iskander ballistic missile systems in Kaliningrad.

Russia Unhampered in Deploying Iskander Missile Systems to Kaliningrad
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160630/1042213283/nato-iskander-russia.html

Russia is not restricted in deploying Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems in its exclave region of Kaliningrad, but will have to assess the situation to ensure the country's national security, Russia's envoy to NATO said Thursday.

"We do not have any restrictions on the systems deployment. In any case, we will have to carefully assess the military situation and define a set of the most appropriate measures that will firmly ensure our security and defense capabilities," Alexander Grushko told reporters.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern over the deployment of Iskander-M missile complexes in Kaliningrad.

According to Major General Mikhail Matvievsky, chief of Strategic Missile Forces and the Artillery of the Russian Ground Forces, a missile brigade redeployed to the Kaliningrad region would be equipped with Iskander-M complexes before 2018.

The Iskander-M (also referred to as NATO's reporting name SS-26 Stone) is characterized by high mobility and maneuverability, as it takes just 20 minutes to place the system in operational readiness.

The system is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 500 kilometers, with a precision of around 30 centimeters. It can hit adversary troops or underground command centers, depending on the warheads placed on the rockets.

The system can also fire high-precision R-500 cruise missiles.


A confidential database used by the world’s largest banks to help them judge who to take on as clients was leaked online, the company’s operator has confirmed.

Massive Leak of Database Used by World's Banks
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409000970

Chris Vickery, an internet security researcher, posted a Reddit message saying that he had been able to access a mid-2014 version of World-Check, the database run by financial information giant Thomson Reuters, Middle East Eye reported.

He said the copy of the database, also used by intelligence agencies and law firms, has more than 2.2 million records about individuals and organizations, under categories ranging from terrorism to corruption to organized crime.

The database raised controversy last year when Middle East Eye contributor Peter Oborne and BBC journalist Anne Meisel first revealed that the HSBC bank accounts of several Muslim institutions and individuals, including the chairman of the Finsbury Park Mosque, were closed after they were listed under the terrorism category on the database.

Journalists cannot get access to World-Check, but a client gave Oborne and Meisel access for 30 minutes during which time they were able to confirm how the groups and individuals had been labelled.

World-Check stresses on its website that “accuracy of the information found in the underlying media sources should be verified with the profile subject before any action is taken” and that the decision to open or close accounts lay with the banks.

While profiles on the database are created from publicly available information that anyone can access, questions remain about whether banks and others can always reach an informed decision about clients based on World-Check's information.

Vickery, who did not disclose how he obtained the copy in his Reddit post, said he is considering whether he should leak the database, soliciting opinions from readers.

“At the very least, this should jump-start a little online conversation regarding the appropriateness of having private entities maintain lists utilised by government agencies and banks,” he wrote.

In comments he added later to his post after he said he had talked with Thomson Reuters, Vickery noted that the company is not the only one gathering the kind of data stored in World-Check. "They may be a leader in the industry, but it's not fair to vilify them as if they were the only company in the market," he said.

In a statement on Wednesday, Thomson Reuters said it was grateful to Vickery for alerting them to the leaked information and has “acted with the upmost urgency to contact the third party concerned with whom we are now in contact in order to secure the information”.


The terrorist groups of al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham have disassembled a large number of devices and facilities of a power plant in Idlib province and have transferred them to Turkey to sell them to Turkish traders, local sources said.

Terrorist Groups Smuggle Syrian Power Plant's Equipment to Turkey (Photos)
http://en.farsnews.com/imgrep.aspx?nn=13950409000711

The terrorist groups of al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham have disassembled a large number of devices and facilities of a power plant in Idlib province and have transferred them to Turkey to sell them to Turkish traders, local sources said.


Seven civilians were killed and 25 other were injured, most of them in critical condition, in a terrorist car bomb attack in Tal Abyad city North of Syria’s Raqqa province on Wednesday.

7 Civilians Killed, 25 Injured in Terrorist Car Attack in Syria's Tal Abyad
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409001191

Local sources in the city said that the terrorist bombing occurred at the center of the city in front of Teachers Syndicate, SANA reported.

Besides the casualties, the attack also caused great material damage to the Syndicate’s building and nearby houses, according to the locals.

Tal Abyad city is located about 100 km North of Raqqa city.


Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have found a series of documents in the Russian language in a newly-liberated position in Manbij in Northeastern Aleppo that prove close cooperation of the ISIL with the Turkish traders, informed sources said Wednesday.

Syria: Documents Found in Manbij Reveal Turkey's Support for ISIL Terrorists
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409000975

"As soon as capturing and cleansing Manbij silos, the SDF fighter found the house of a senior Russian commander of the ISIL," the sources said, adding, "The SDF found further a series of secret documents, including bill of lading, proforma invoice and other financial documents, that show the ISIL had imported a large number of items from Turkey."

"Based on these documents, the Turkish trading company of Anvar Kargo Firma in Gaziantep was involved in exports of various kinds of goods to the ISIL-held regions in Syria," the sources went on to say.

"In the meantime, the documents show that Anvar company had been exporting its cargos to ISIL-held city of Mosul in Iraq," they further added.

The secret reports of the Turkish police indicated on Tuesday that the Al-Nusra Front and ISIL terrorists used Turkey's both legal and illegal border crossings to transfer weapons and ammunition to Syria.

"Certain elements linked to terrorists in Syria are still shipping weapons and supplying their logistics from Turkey," the Turkish-language daily, Karshi, cited a police report to the country's public prosecutor about its operations in the city of Diyarbakir.

The newspaper, meantime, said that certain communities also provided financial supports for the terrorists fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The daily also said the Al-Nusra and ISIL terrorist groups established bases in Turkey to train recruits, adding that many explosive devices were even manufactured and assembled on Turkish soils.


The ISIL terrorist group pulled the remaining pockets of its forces back from a strategic airport in Eastern Deir Ezzur under the heavy offensive of the pro-government forces and after sustaining large casualties.

ISIL Withdraws from Key Airport near Euphrates River East of Syria
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409000842

The anti-terrorism fighters stormed the ISIL strongholds around al-Hamdan airport five kilometers to the West of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq and captured the airport following hours of non-stop battle.

In relevant developments in the province on Tuesday, the Syrian Army troops, backed up by the country's warplanes, repelled ISIL's offensive on government forces' positions in the Southern side of the city of Deir Ezzur, forcing them to retreat.

The Syrian soldiers fended off ISIL's attacks to break through the government forces' defense lines in al-Tharda mountain, which inflicted a heavy death toll of the terrorists.


The Syrian and Russian warplanes, in a fresh round of joint combat flights, bombed heavily a long convoy of militant groups' vehicles near the border of Idlib province with Turkey, inflicting major damage on the column.

Terrorists' Military Column Targeted by Russian, Syrian Jets North of Idlib
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409000348

The Syrian and Russian fighter jets traced and targeted long convoy of the terrorist groups' military vehicles carrying a large volume of arms and fresh forces near Turkish border.

Most of the vehicles were damaged and several militants were killed or wounded in the air attacks.

Also on Monday, the Syrian army helicopters dropped leaflets over the regions controlled by militants in the town of Bareh in Idlib province to give the Takfiri terrorists a last chance to lay down their arms and surrender to the authorities as soon as possible.

The Syrian planes and helicopters dropped thousands of leaflets over the terrorist group's strongholds in the town of Bareh in Zaviyeh Mountain in the Northwestern province of Idlib.

"Surrender now; leave your weapons and return to your families," read the leaflets.


The Syrian Army troops and National Defense Forces fended off attacks of the Takfiri terrorists in Northern Lattakia, forcing the militants to retreat from the battlefield without any gain.

Lattakia: Terrorists' Offensives Repulsed by Syrian Army near Border with Turkey
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409000296

The Syrian pro-government forces repelled the Takfiri terrorists' assaults on army checkpoints near Nahshaba in the mountainous regions of the coastal province, killing and wounding several militants.

The terrorists' military hardware also sustained major losses in the failed attacks.


The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its arms depot sustained major losses in Syrian military forces' offensive in Northeastern Sweida.

Syrian Army Inflicts Major Losses on ISIL Positions in Sweida
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409000246

The Syrian army men stormed the ISIL concentration center near the village of al-Qasr, which not only claimed the lives of several terrorists but destroyed their depot of ammunition and weapons.

In relevant developments in the province during Last week, several oil tankers of the ISIL terrorist group came under attack and were damaged by the Syrian Army troops in Eastern Sweida.

"The Syrian soldiers tracked and targeted a long convoy of ISIL's vehicles, including nine oil tankers and three 4WD vehicles driving on a road near al-Shi’aab village, and inflicted major damage on the convoy," the sources said.

"Several guards of the convoy were also killed or wounded in the attack," they added.

The ISIL had stolen the fuel consignment from oilfields in al-Badiyeh.


An Australian mosque was vandalized and firebombed on Tuesday evening, as hundreds of Muslims, including children, were inside for their evening prayers.

Australian Mosque Firebombed as Hundreds Prayed Inside
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160630/1042196715/australian-mosque-bombed.html

The vandals spray painted the words “F**k Islam” on a wall outside the mosque at the Australian Islamic College in Thornlie, near Perth, before setting a car on fire with an accelerant.

After hearing the cars explode, worshippers rushed outside to see vehicles ablaze and three people fleeing the scene. Authorities believe that a gasoline bomb was used inside one vehicle, which spread and damaged four others.

Luckily, nobody was injured during the attack, which was also in a heavily populated residential area.

The way I see it, it was more targeted at people praying than the school, because the school was not in operation at that time,” Dr. Abdullah Khan, principal of the Australian Islamic College, told Perth Now.

The school is not caving to the act of hate, however, and will continue to operate normally.

“We have given [the parents] instructions that it is business as usual and children should come to school as they do every single day,” Khan said.

The school has been vandalized repeatedly over the last few years, but parents of students are now concerned about an increase in violent attacks.

“We get a lot of hatred, just racism really,” Zahra Alasadi, a mother of a student, told Perth Now.

Mosque Imam Yahya Adel Ibrahim took to Facebook on Tuesday to speak out about the incident, noting that it was the act of a few individuals and not an entire portion of society.

“Thankfully our community won't start hating and playing blame games and singling out groups of people in our society. This, undoubtedly, is a criminal act of hate, but it is the act of a person or group not the greater whole,” Ibrahim wrote.

Despite what just transpired, everyone stayed to finish their prayers refusing to give into the terror that had just occurred,” he continued. “I know the outpouring of support from the community will be overwhelming because Perth has the best, kindest, and most warm-hearted people.”

During a press conference on Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stated that he "cannot condemn strongly enough any attacks of that kind."


A firebombing attack happened outside a mosque in the Australian city of Perth while hundreds of worshipers were attending a prayer service inside.

Australia Mosque Hit by Firebombing Attack
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950409000388

The blast destroyed a car parked outside the Thornlie mosque and Australian Islamic College in Perth’s suburb of Thornlie. No one was injured in the incident, Perth Now reported.

The mosque's Yahya Adel Ibrahim said on his Facebook page that the Perth community had been visited by “hate”.

According to a police spokeswoman, three people were seen running down a way near the mosque after the blast.

"It is believed an accelerant was used to start the fire," the spokeswoman also said, adding that three other vehicles were damaged in the explosion.


Trying to sabotage regular US-South Korea joint military drills, North Korea transmitted over 2,000 jamming signals against its southern neighbor in the last six years, threatening to down hundreds of passenger airplanes, a South Korean MP revealed Wednesday.

Pyongyang Jams S Korea's GPS Signals Over 2,000 Times
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160630/1042202333/north-korea-jamming-south.html

A total of 2,143 jamming attacks on South Korea have been launched from the territory of the DPRK since 2010, Minjoo Party member Jun Hyeon-hee said, as quoted by JoongAng Ilbo newspaper. The jamming signals were sent from sites in five North Korean provinces, including Haeju, Yonan, Pyonggang, Kumgang and Kaesong.

While North Korea's jamming attacks haven't led to any major incidents to date, four South Korean planes in 2012 failed to land on the first pass as a result of navigation system issues, according to the country's Ministry of Transportation information.

"[There have]not yet been an accident involving a commercial airliner, but because of GPS interference there have been planes that had to reattempt [landings]," Jun said to reporters.

The GPS jamming attacks on South Korea coincide with military exercises in the country, ordinarily co-participated by the US military.

The first time the jamming was detected by the South Koreans was during the Ulchi Focus war games in 2010. Then, attacks befell the US-led Key Resolve drills in 2011 and Washington-Seoul joint air force training in 2012. The latest jamming instances occurred between March 31 and April 6, 2016. At the time, annual large scale-drills involving 15,000 American and 300,000 South Korean troops took place in the vicinity of the North Korean border.

During the drills over a hundred cases of jamming were reported, Yonhap News Agency wrote, adding that some 962 planes and 700 fishing boats experienced troubles with their GPS systems.

South Korean authorities claimed that the Inertial Navigation System (INS) used in all the country's aircraft prevented critical disruptions of equipment and subsequent incidents.

Later the Seoul the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) wrote a letter to Pyongyang warning it of its jamming activities as potentially dangerous to commercial flights. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that such a reaction from ICAO was "much stronger" than that in previous years.

To address the potential jamming threats coming from Pyongyang Jun called for a "proactive response system" in South Korea.


The US Marine Corps will move one of its amphibious expeditionary groups from the west coast of the United States to the Asia Pacific as early as 2019, according to reports on Wednesday.

US Marines to Deploy Amphibious Battle Group to South China Sea
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160630/1042194726/marines-deploy-south-china-sea.html

There will be "additional amphibious capability on multiple 90-day patrols in and around the Asia Pacific," Marine Corps Forces Command commander Lt. Gen. John Wissler was quoted as saying by DOD — BUZZ.

Portions of the South China Sea are contested by China, the Philippines, Japan and Vietnam, each making overlapping claims on island chains and navigation rights. China has been constructing artificial islands on top of the coral reef habitats of the Spratly Islands, a group of more than 750 islands and reefs, over the past year. Beijing claimed sovereignty over the land and the 12 nautical mile zone surrounding the islands.

The United States has repeatedly warned it does not recognize the Chinese claims of sovereignty over the man-made islands, and has engaged of freedom of navigation exercises in the region. The US Navy has positioned two aircraft carrier strike groups — the Stennis and Reagan — in the Pacific in a show of force.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Force stationed in Japan is responsible for conducting 90 day patrols in the Asia Pacific region. The additional amphibious group will provide the US Marines and Navy greater reach. US Marines based in Australia and Okinawa may join the new battle group, according to the report.
 
The Russian Defense Ministry said that militants from Jaysh al-Islam Islamist group have opened fire on a UN humanitarian convoy in Syria's Damacus province, seriously injuring a truck driver.

Jaysh al-Islam Militants Attack UN Humanitarian Convoy in Syria
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160630/1042258725/jaysh-islam-attacks-syria-un-convoy.html

Militants from Jaysh al-Islam Islamist group have opened fire on a UN humanitarian convoy in Syria's Damacus province, seriously injuring a truck driver, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

"Militants of Jaysh al-Islam grouping, which had claimed to belong to the opposition, carried out shellings of the UN humanitarian convoy in Eastern Harasta (Damascus province). Driver of a vehicle, which had been rented for delivering humanitarian aid, has been seriously wounded," the ministry said in a daily bulletin posted on its website.


A 37-truck convoy managed to deliver relief supplies to two besieged zones in Syria for the first time since 2012, but a driver for the Syrian Red Crescent is recovering in a Damascus hospital after being shot through the chest by a sniper, International Syria Support Group Humanitarian Task Force adviser Jan Egeland told reporters on Thursday.

Sniper Shoots Aid Worker After Milestone Delivery to Besieged Area in Syria
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160630/1042254772/syria-aid-sniper.html

The convoy, a joint effort by UN relief agencies, the Syrian Red Crescent and the International Red Cross, delivered the first batch of supplies to the two areas for the first time since November 2012, Egeland noted.

"A milestone in that regard was reached in Syria last night because areas number 17 and 18 out of the 18 besieged areas on the UN list was reached," Egeland said.

"On its way out there was a sniper attack at the convoy," Egeland explained. "One of the drivers from the Syrian Red crescent was shot through the chest he is now thankfully under good care in a hospital in Damascus."

Egeland pointed out the incident was a "very close call," which further shows "how risky this work is because there is no cessation of hostilities in too many places now in Syria."

With last night’s delivery, all 18 areas targeted by United Nations for relief supplies have been supplied at least once, Egeland revealed.

Nevertheless, he said that only 60 percent of civilians trapped by Syria’s five-year-old civil war have received some form of humanitarian aid.


Former US ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst claims that President Bashar Assad should remain in office to prevent Islamic extremists from taking power in Syria.

Ex-US Diplomat: Assad Should Stay to Prevent Extremists From Taking Over
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160701/1042264158/usa-diplomat-assad-stay.html

President Bashar Assad should remain in office to prevent Islamic extremists from taking power in Syria, former US ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst told Sputnik.

"I think Russia is right on this very specific point that the only alternatives right now to Assad are Islamic extremists," Herbst said on Thursday. "I think Assad is a tyrant, he is brutal, but he is not as bad as the Islamic extremists."

Herbst stated he believed the US government had been "a little bit unrealistic" regarding the Assad regime, and Washington needed to adjust to acknowledge the Syrian government’s survival.

"I think Assad regime will have power in Syria for a while. It will be foolish for us to get rid of him because the only thing we would do if we got rid of him would be to allow Islamic extremists to come to power," he maintained.

Herbst also noted that the United States and Russia had similar interests in Syria, and could cooperate.

"It may be possible to cooperate, but there is a very serious problem in this area, and that is, most of the Russian military activities are directed against not the Islamic extremists, but against the very weak forces that are supported by the United States," he claimed.

However, if Russia stopped supporting military action against US-backed groups in Syria, the way would be open for greater cooperation between Washington and Moscow, Herbst maintained.

"If Russia were to stop doing that, I think it is possible for the United States and Russia to work together against ISIS [Daesh] against Jabhat al-Nusra and other extremist Islamists," he added.


Russian Ambassador to Syria Alexander Kinschak said that the Western media are biased when cover the Syrian conflict and present a one-sided picture on the issue.

Western Media Coverage of Syrian Conflict Biased
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160701/1042259588/western-media-syria-biased.html

The Western media are biased when cover the Syrian conflict and present a one-sided picture on the issue, Russian Ambassador to Syria Alexander Kinschak said Thursday.

"The fact that they [Western media] are quite heavily biased when cover the Syrian conflict is not a secret for anybody. And besides, the information quite often deliberately presents a one-sided view," Kinschak told Rossiya 24 television.

He added that the example with Syrian Palmyra was very illustrative of the Western attitude towards coverage of news in Syria.


In a push to modernize their navies, Germany and Poland have agreed to work together, establishing a joint submarine operating authority.

Germany, Poland Make 'Historically Unique' Deal to Combine Submarine Fleets
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160630/1042256456/germany-poland-join-submarine.html

The memorandum signed by both countries will establish a joint operational control center in Glucksberg, Germany. The Polish Navy also intends to connect its submarine fleet to the German military’s broadcast control system.

Two Polish naval officers will be permanently stationed in the city.

"It’s a very special step, to pass the control of an important national strategic asset like a submarine in common hands," said Vice Admiral Andreas Krause, inspector of the German Navy, according to Defense News.

A spokesman for the German Navy called the arrangement "historically unique."

Combined, the two countries operate 11 submersibles, with six class 212A vessels in the German fleet, and five U-boats in the Polish Navy.

The spokesman also indicated that other countries could eventually be added to the joint authority. An offer has already been extended to Norway, and given the existing relationship between the three countries, it doesn’t seem farfetched to assume Oslo will accept. Four of Poland’s U-boats were acquired from the Norwegian Navy, and Berlin expects to replace six of its subs with ones from the Scandinavian country.

The joint operations center could serve as a model for NATO. Germany intends to build a new operations center in Rostock, along the western edge of the Baltic Sea. This could serve as a command center for the alliance’s Multinational Maritime Component Command, according to the German spokesman.

The Rostock center could, theoretically, include representation from all NATO members along the Baltic.

This would be the latest example of the alliance’s eastward expansion. NATO already intends to boost its troop presence along Russia’s borders, and will open a new Aegis Ashore missile defense system in Poland in 2018.

Moscow has condemned these moves as an unnecessary provocation.

"The military-political situation along [Russia’s] western borders remains unstable. The United States and other NATO members continue to build up military capabilities, primarily in countries neighboring Russia," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

"These actions by Western colleagues tend to undermine strategic stability in Europe and force us to take a retaliatory measures, primarily in the Western strategic direction."


Canada plans to create a NATO battlegroup to enhance the alliance's defense posture in Eastern and Central Europe.

Canada to Create NATO Battlegroup to Enhance Defense in Eastern Europe
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160630/1042250570/canada-nato-europe.html

Canada will establish a rotational NATO battlegroup to enhance NATO’s defense posture in Eastern and Central Europe, Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement on Thursday.

"As a responsible partner in the world, Canada stands side by side with its NATO Allies working to deter aggression and assure peace and stability in Europe," Sajjan stated.

Canada’s Department of National Defense said the details of the new contribution will be unveiled during the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland on July 8-9.

Ottawa has become the fourth Framework Nation to commit to the deployment, along with the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Earlier on Thursday, the Canadian media reported that Ottawa will send hundreds of military members to Latvia to serve in the new NATO high-readiness brigade.


Lithuania denied in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that the country hosted to a secret US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prison, where terrorist suspects allegedly were detained, the Lithuanian deputy justice minister said Thursday.

Lithuania Denies Existence of Secret CIA Prison Before ECHR
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160630/1042238491/lithuania-cia-prison.html

In August 2009, ABC News made a claim that Lithuania provided the CIA with a building near Vilnius to detain and possibly interrogate eight al-Qaeda members during the period 2004-2006.

"We told the ECHR judges that no secret CIA detention center exists in Lithuania," Paulius Griciunas told a national radio station.

In November 2009, the Lithuanian parliamentary committee on National Security and Defense conducted an investigation and concluded that there were conditions for the existence of a secret CIA prison, adding that in 2005 and 2006 the CIA planes that landed in the country were not inspected by Customs. The United States did not cooperate with the Committee on the issue and so the question of whether al-Qaeda militants were ever transferred into Lithuania remains unresolved.

Griciunas said that during the period in question the United States brought communications equipment for an intelligence facility located near Vilnius.

On Wednesday, the ECHR held a public hearing in the lawsuit brought by Guantanamo Bay detainee Abu Zubaydah against Lithuania. Abu Zubaydah claims that he was subjected to inhuman conditions and torture in a secret CIA prison in Lithuania. Zubaydah is accused of involvement in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.


A total of 81 percent of Russians approve of the work carried out by Vladimir Putin as the Russian president, a poll revealed Thursday.

Over 80% of Russians Approve of Putin’s Work as President – Poll
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160630/1042230237/putin-work-rating.html

Last year, a similar poll suggested that some 89 percent of Russians were in favor of Putin’s policies.

According to the poll conducted by the non-profit Levada Center, 51 percent of Russian nationals approve of the work carried out by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, while only 48 percent of Russians are satisfied with the work of the government as a whole.

Half of the respondents said that the country was moving "in the right direction," while 33 percent expressed the opposite point of view and the rest could not give a definite answer.

Just over 50 percent said they were happy with the work of the governors, according to the poll. The State Duma’s work was approved by 41 percent of the respondents.

This year’s list of most trusted politicians was headed by Putin, with 51 percent of support. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov followed suit, with 24 and 17 percent of public trust respectively, the poll revealed.

The survey was conducted on June 23 — 27 among 1,600 people aged 18 years and older across 137 settlements of 48 regions of the country.
 
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