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

Turkey is asking the Russia to stop bombing the terrorists in Idlib.

Turkey asks Russia to halt airstrikes in Syria’s Idlib
By Gozde Bayar / Zuhal Demirci - 10.05.2019

In a joint statement the foreign ministries of the UK, Germany and France urging Russia to stop bombing the terrorists in Idlib.

UK, Germany, France urge to reduce violence in Syria
By Muhammad Mussa and Ahmet Gurhan Kartal - 13.05.2019

'Unpublished OPCW Report' Implies 'Chemical Attack' in Syria's Douma Was Staged
13.05.2019

The Turkish backed rebels have launched an attack on Christian city in Idlib, that killed six civilians.

Jihadists in Idlib attack Christian city for 2nd straight day (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
2019-05-13

Syrian Army keeps rolling in southern Idlib, seizes 2 more towns
2019-05-13

Tiger Forces pound northwestern Hama before big advance (video)
2019-05-13
 
Gunmen plunder the ruins of the Strait museum in Hama 13/05/2019 The correspondent reported that armed factions stationed at the al-Strait fortress of Hama countryside had looted and destroyed traces in the Strait museum. The reporter also pointed out that these factions have transformed historic sites into their premises and stores for their weapons



A satellite image supposedly showing a Russian-made S-300PT air defense system in the United States has gained a wide attention in the social and mainstream media.


The picture was originally released by @border9999 in Twitter, but then it was deleted. Despite this, it’s copies are available online.

The S-300 system entered service with the Soviet military in 1979. In the following years, S-300 systems were delivered to various states, including China, Algeria, Venezuela, Iran, Vietnam, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Slovakia.

In its report on the issue, RT noted that according to some reports, the US has retained at least one S-300 installation since the early 1990s, which it allegedly acquired from Belarus amidst the turmoil following the USSR’s collapse

“The New York Times reported back in 1994 that the Pentagon’s chief military intelligence bought “components” of the S-300 in a secretive deal in order to study the system. The complexes reportedly came without electronics and radar equipment.”



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Translated from Russian by Microsoft
#Syria #Hama #Idlib #Latakia #Aleppo North of the province of Hama in the lens of our correspondents And our mountain of used Tubusov from various PTRK continues to grow, north of the province of Hama.

Translated from Russian by Microsoft
#Syria #Russia #Turkey #Hama #Idlib #Latakia #Aleppo Report from the advanced north of the province of Hama: "Nusra" loses the valley of al-Ghab

 
There was EU extends sanctions against Syria by 1 year and EU extends sanctions against Assad's Syria regime for a year. First of all I was sad to hear about such a decision, but also wondered how the decision was taken. It turns out it was the finance ministers or their appointees. Below is the search trail. After a couple of tries I found and then to:
European Council, Council of the European Union
and Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 17/05/2019 - Consilium which has the main results including
Outcome of the meeting https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/39434/st09434-en19.pdf and a list of participants
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/39422/17-ecofin-participants.pdf
The press release for the decision on Syria is:
Syria: EU renews sanctions against the regime by one year - Consilium but the wording in the above pdf with results is:
PROVISIONAL VERSION 17 May 2019 9434/19 12 EN Sanctions against Syria The Council extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until 1 June 2020. In line with the EU strategy on Syria, the EU decided to maintain its restrictive measures against the Syrian regime and its supporters as the repression of civilian population continues. The Council also removed 5 deceased persons from the list, as well as one entity which ceased to exist and one entity for which there were no longer grounds to keep it under restrictive measures. The list now includes 270 persons and 70 entities targeted by a travel ban and an asset freeze for being responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria, benefiting from or supporting the regime, and/or being associated with such persons or entities. More broadly, sanctions currently in place against Syria include an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank held in the EU, export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for internal repression as well as on equipment and technology for the monitoring or interception of internet or telephone communications. The EU remains committed to finding a lasting and credible political solution to the conflict in Syria as defined in the UN Security Council resolution 2254 and in the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.
I looked into the list of participants and this was the result:

ECOFIN Brussels, 17 May 2019 PARTICIPANTS
Belgium: Mr Alexander DE CROO Minister for Finance
Bulgaria: Ms Marinela PETROVA Deputy Minister for Finance
Czech Republic: Ms Alena SCHILLEROVÁ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance
Denmark: Mr Rasmus DEGN Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Finance
Germany: Mr Olaf SCHOLZ Federal Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Finance
Estonia: Mr Martin HELME Minister for Finance
Ireland: Mr Michael D'ARCY Minister of State at the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance
Greece: Mr Andreas PAPASTAVROU Permanent Representative
Spain: Ms Nadia CALVIÑO SANTAMARÍA Minister for the Economy and Enterprise
France: Ms Odile RENAUD-BASSO Director General of the French Treasory
Croatia: Mr Mato ŠKRABALO Permanent Representative
Italy: Mr Alessandro RIVERA Director General of the Treasury
Cyprus: Mr Nicholas EMILIOU Permanent Representative
Latvia: Mr Jānis REIRS Minister for Finance
Lithuania: Mr Vilius ŠAPOKA Minister for Finance
Luxembourg: Mr Pierre GRAMEGNA Minister for Finance
Hungary: Mr Mihály VARGA Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance
Malta: Mr Edward SCICLUNA Minister for Finance
Netherlands: Mr Robert DE GROOT Permanent Representative
Austria: Mr Hartwig LÖGER Federal Minister for Finance
Poland: Ms Teresa CZERWIŃSKA Minister for Finance
Portugal: Mr Mario CENTENO Minister for Finance
Romania: Mr Eugen Orlando TEODOROVICI Minister for Public Finance
Slovenia: Mr Janez LENARČIČ Permanent Representative
Slovakia: Mr Ladislav KAMENICKÝ Minister for Finance
Finland: Ms Marja RISLAKKI Permanent Representative
Sweden: Ms Magdalena ANDERSSON Minister for Finance
United Kingdom: Mr Tim BARROW Permanent Representative

Commission: Mr Pierre MOSCOVICI Member
Mr Günther H. OETTINGER Member

Other participants: Mr Werner HOYER President of the European Investment Bank
Mr Luis DE GUINDOS Vice-President of the European Central Bank
Mr Hans VIJLBRIEF President of the Economic and Financial Committee
I'm beginning to understand who decides what. There were other decision of interest, but to stay within the topic the above will do. People in the EU who vote on May 26, might be interested in finding parties that would not support this kind of decisions, even though it seems it is not within their control to change it.
I also thought the only reason Spain and France have not been the subject of more accusations of "repression of civilian population" is the "benevolence" of European medias.
 

May 19, 2019 4-5 minute Read / Snip:
Free thinkers: Roger Waters, Susan Sarandon, and Pamela Anderson
Finally, a number of influential, high-profile celebrities have dared to break rank and challenge the official WMD line on Syria. This latest development looks like it could be one of the final nails in the coffin of the official story of the alleged ‘chemical weapons attack’ which the US, UK and French governments claimed took place in April 2018 in Douma, Syria.

Last week, a new leaked report from a member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) revealed how the official report was carefully curated to try and hide any dissenting opinion or analysis which veered away from the narrative being propped-up by the US, UK, France and its allies. Clearly, the US and its allies are desperate to try to preserve what is increasingly looking like a fictional depiction of events in Syria, and a clear staged hoax perpetrated by the western-backed pseudo ‘search and rescue’ NGO known as the White Helmets. Their fabricated story and ‘chemical attack’ hoax was also aided and arranged on the ground by US and Gulf-backed terrorists Jaysh al-Islam, the US, UK and France launched air strikes against Syria on April 14, 2018.

Despite the complete collapse of the official Douma WMD narrative, persons and organizations affiliated with, and seemingly working on behalf of the US, UK and NATO member state interests – continue to defend the official version of events by inventing new conspiracy theories based on anonymous ‘sources’:

Incessant trolling and smears being flung by western government and NATO operatives on social media, as well as by establishment-aligned Guardian journalists – has not deterred some of the more intelligent and independent thinking celebrities from voicing their feelings on these latest developments.

RT International reports…

Susan Sarandon, Pamela Anderson and Roger Waters are leading questions over why the MSM is ignoring a leaked OPCW report contradicting the claim that Syrian President Bashar Assad carried out a chemical weapons attack in Douma.




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The terrorists launched several missiles towards the Hmeimim Airbase.

RUSSIAN AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS INTERCEPT AERIAL OBJECTS OVER HMEIMIM
19.05.2019

The Russian Defense Ministry said that no destruction or victims were reported at the Hmeimim Airbase, and that it continues to operate in a regular mode - The Russian Air Force carried out an retaliatory strike on the terrorists that attacked the Russian base.

Air defense force repels terrorist attack on Hmeymim Airbase
May 20, 2019

Russian Air Force unleashes heavy attack in northwestern Syria
2019-05-20

Turkish, Russian defense chiefs discuss Idlib, Syria
By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet - 20.05.2019
 
To our Community - celebrating Christian Holy Easter - many Blessings and Peace.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that Christians are being persecuted in different parts of the world.

Russia to continue providing assistance to Christians in the Middle East — Lavrov
Egyptian Coptic Christians pray during an Easter mass

Egyptian Coptic Christians pray during an Easter Mass © EPA-EFE/KHALED ELFIQI

MOSCOW, May 20, 2019 - Russia will continue to provide assistance to Christians in the Middle East, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"The Middle East is going through serious trials, with Christians fleeing Iraq, public executions of Coptic Christians staged in Libya, Christians being massacred by terrorists and extremists in Syria. It is only a small portion of consequences of geopolitical engineering by United States and their closest allies," Lavrov said at a reception in honor of Orthodox Christian Easter.

Moscow "continues providing assistance to the Christian population in the Middle East, from deliveries of humanitarian aid to restoration of churches and monasteries," he noted. "Our country initiated large-scale international efforts to protect Christians, including within the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe."

"Obviously, reliable protection of Christians residing in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as of people practicing other religions, can be ensured only through ultimate extermination of terrorism and through sustainable political and diplomatic solutions to numerous crises and conflicts. Russia is taking vigorous efforts to resolve these major problems," the Russian foreign minister stressed.

Lavrov noted that Christians are being persecuted in different parts of the World. "In Europe that shamefully renounces its Christian roots, an aggressive minority is persistently imposing pseudo-liberal values which are sometimes taken to absurd levels. All of this has a detrimental effect on the moral well-being of European communities, and leads to growing sectarian tensions," he added.

The Russian Foreign Minister reminded that the conflict in Yugoslavia led to the death of Orthodox Christians and destruction of Christian shrines that were on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. "Christians have suffered and continue to suffer from geopolitical experiments carried out by countries of the so-called historical West," Lavrov noted. "Twenty years ago, the North Atlantic Alliance committed an act of aggression against Yugoslavia, which resulted not only in the death of civilians, but also in an exodus of Orthodox Christians from Kosovo, in desecration and destruction of cathedrals and shrines in this Serbian land, including those under UNESCO's protection," he said.

Pontoon bridge across Euphrates restored in Syria — Russian reconciliation center
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© EPA/YOUSSEF RABIE

May 20, 2019 - Chief of the Russian reconciliation center Viktor Kupchishin said that "the bridge has made it possible to resume transport service within the province and deliver humanitarian cargoes"

The terrorists are preparing to stage a false-flag provocation in Idlib to frame the Russian military.

May 20, 2019 - Idlib-Based Uighur Terrorists Threatened Russian Forces In Syria
Idlib-Based Uighur Terrorists Threatened Russian Forces In Syria - Eurasia Future

The so-called “Turkistan Islamic Party”, the Syrian branch of the Uighur-led terrorist group previously known as the “East Turkestan Islamic Movement”, threatened to deal Russia a defeat akin to the one that its Soviet predecessor experienced in Afghanistan, demonstrating the transnational danger that this group has become and consequently explaining why Turkey needs to take decisive action against these terrorists that are operating in its Syrian “sphere of influence”.

A Growing Threat
Tens of thousands of foreign jihadists flocked to Syria during the height of “Daesh’s” caliphate and the Arab Republic’s descent into failed state status, with many of them still remaining in the country despite the dramatic military reversal that occurred since then following Russia’s decisive anti-terrorist intervention in late 2015. Nowadays these terrorists are mostly concentrated in the northwestern province of Idlib that falls within Turkey’s informal “sphere of influence” per its responsibilities in what is euphemistically described as this “de-escalation zone”, but Ankara has been unable to wield much control over the region. As a result, a new transnational security threat is growing, and that’s the one posed by the Uighur-led terrorist group previously known as the “East Turkestan Islamic Movement” (ETIM). Its Syrian branch, the so-called “Turkistan Islamic Party” (TIP), recently released a video threatening to deal Russia a defeat akin to the one that its Soviet predecessor experienced in Afghanistan.

From Afghanistan To Syria
It’s no secret that at least several thousand Uighur terrorists have been in Syria for the past few years, but their brazen threat against Russia is an unexpected escalation that also reveals a newfound confidence. The danger that they pose to Russian forces might have also explained one of the reasons for the latest anti-terrorist incursion in Idlib, too, but it also more importantly speaks to the transnational threat of terrorism across the entire Eurasian space. Back when it was still the ETIM, the group traveled to nearby Afghanistan to train for its militant anti-Chinese jihad, but the organization has since set up base in Syria and rebranded itself as the TIP after coming under attack by the Kabul authorities. It’s in this second-mentioned theater that it received the most hands-on training but also faces the greatest risks because Russia is much better equipped than the Afghan National Army is to destroy any terrorists in its official zone of military operations, especially after recently being threatened by them.

Ceasefire Politics
Curiously, Russia just announced a unilateral ceasefire in Idlib, though the reason for this likely had to do with a combination of humanitarian and political concerns. TIP is known to embed its fighters in civilian areas, therefore greatly raising the risk of civilian casualties with each targeted bombing. In addition, since Idlib is within Turkey’s “sphere of influence”, the anti-terrorist operation there is politically sensitive for the Russian-Turkish Strategic Partnership. It’s not that Turkey supports terrorism, but just that it wants to retain influence in this region and possibly enshrine its de-facto autonomy into the forthcoming Syrian constitution, something that it won’t be able to do if the Syrian Arab Army successfully liberates it before then. Instead, it can be understood that Russia was sending Turkey a signal that it needs to take care of the situation as soon as possible otherwise Moscow won’t have any choice but to continue its anti-terrorist bombings there.

The China Card
Whether by coincidence or not, China just once again called on Turkey to support its anti-terrorist campaign in Xinjiang, something that Ankara has been reluctant to do for several self-interested reasons. The timing is interesting because it could also be interpreted as China hinting that Turkey needs to also take decisive action against TIP’s “safe havens” in its “sphere of influence”, which becomes all the more pressing to do after the terrorist group just threatened Russian forces. That might be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back, but Turkey would nevertheless need to proceed with caution for self-evident military reasons but also sensitive political ones as well, seeing as how it’s regarded as the unofficial torchbearer of the pan-Turkish cause that the TIP also claims to be fighting for. Moving against the group might be seen as “betraying” this influential soft power ideal unless Turkey preemptively controls the narrative and makes it clear that it will not tolerate any organization that uses terrorism to advance this goal.

The Path To Peace
Turkey has the right to practice whatever policies its decision makers choose, but it would be wise to unambiguously distance itself from Uighur terrorists even if it decides to continue raising concerns about this ethnic group’s alleged treatment at the hands of the Chinese authorities. Transforming words into actions and physically eradicating Uighur terrorists in Idlib would go a long way towards showing how seriously Turkey takes its Chinese and Russian partners’ security, as well as maturely demonstrating that there are red lines that it won’t allow others within its “sphere of influence” to cross in pursuit of the pan-Turkish cause. As the kinetic military phase of the Hybrid War of Terror on Syria winds down and is replaced by its emerging non-kinetic political one, Idlib still stands out as the festering wound that’s holding the country back from a “compromise” solution, but the path to peace could be pioneered by Turkey if it takes action against the many terrorist groups there, especially the Uighur-led one that just threatened Russia.


Hundreds of U.S. lawmakers ask Trump administration for Syria strategy May 20, 2019
Hundreds of members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday arguing that the United States should remain engaged with the conflict in Syria, saying they were "deeply concerned" about extremist groups in the country.

“As some of our closest allies in the region are being threatened, American leadership and support are as crucial as ever,” said the letter signed by nearly 400 of the 535 members of the House of Representatives and Senate.

Many U.S. lawmakers, Trump’s fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have been deeply concerned about Syria policy since December, when Trump confounded his own national security team and allies with a surprise decision to withdraw all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria.

Trump backtracked in February, agreeing to leave a small U.S. presence to help keep pressure on Islamic State during what the U.S. military believes will be a critical stabilization phase in Syria.

The lead signers of the letter were the Democratic chairman and ranking Republican of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Representatives Eliot Engel and Mike McCaul, and the Republican chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez.

Among other things, the letter urges Trump to increase pressure on Iran and Russia with respect to their activities in Syria and increase pressure on the heavily armed Shi’ite Hezbollah movement, Iran’s Lebanese ally.
 
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