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

Turkey and Russia to discuss removal of Kurdish militia from Syrian towns
A Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighter walks near Ras al Ain Town, Syria October 19, 2019. REUTERS/Aboud Hamam
Turkey and Russia will discuss the removal of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from the northern Syrian towns of Manbij and Kobani during talks in Sochi next wee Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday.

Erdogan says Turkey to resume Syria offensive if truce deal falters
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan salutes during a gathering in Kayseri, Turkey, October 19, 2019. Mustafa Kamaci/Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Turkey would press on with its offensive into northeastern Syria and "crush the heads of terrorists" if a deal with Washington on the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters from the area was not fully implemented.

Turkey Occupies Strategic Syrian City After Kurdish Retreat
Turkey Occupies Strategic Syrian City After Kurdish Retreat

Sun Oct 20, 2019 - The Turkish Army and Ankara-backed militants occupied the Kurdish-held town of Ras al-Ain on Sunday in line with an agreement that calls for the Kurdish militias' withdrawals 20 miles to the South from Syria's border with Turkey during a 120-hour-long ceasefire.

Russia doesn't rule out new contract to supply air defense systems to Turkey: IFX

FILE PHOTO: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov speaks during a meeting in Caracas, Venezuela October 5, 2019. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero
Russia does not rule out reaching a new contract to supply its air defense missile systems to Turkey, Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov as saying on Saturday.

All U.S. troops withdrawing from Syria expected to go to western Iraq: Pentagon chief (Late news - reported over a week ago?)
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper addresses reporters during a media briefing at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., October 11, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Saturday that all of the nearly 1,000 troops withdrawing from northern Syria are expected to move to western Iraq to continue the campaign against Islamic State militants and "to help defend Iraq."

Coming Back to Another Warzone: US Troops Leaving Syria Will Find ‘Home’ in Western Iraq
Coming Back to Another Warzone: US Troops Leaving Syria Will Find ‘Home’ in Western Iraq

Sun Oct 20, 2019 - President Donald Trump recently insinuated that troops stationed in Syria would be returning home, but it appears
that more than 700 troops leaving the country are actually destined for another Middle East warzone: Iraq.

Esper told reporters that he would not rule out the possibility that the American troops could conduct cross-border missions into Syria from their new home in Iraq.


Explaining his decision to pull US troops out of Syria, Trump argued earlier this month that it was “time to bring our soldiers back home” – but it now appears that this won’t be happening any time soon.

US Withdrawal from Syria's Aleppo, Raqqa Completed
US Withdrawal from Syria's Aleppo, Raqqa Completed

Sun Oct 20, 2019 - The United States has fully pulled it servicemen back from its compounds in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Raqqa after President Donald Trump declared that American troops stationed in the war-ravaged country would be returning home.

US Army Moving ISIL Terrorists out of Syria's Hasaka in Heavy Heliborne Operation
US Army Moving ISIL Terrorists out of Syria's Hasaka in Heavy Heliborne Operation

Sun Oct 20, 2019 - The US army helicopters have been sighted in heavy operation in Syria's Northern province of Hasaka since Sunday morning as eyewitness accounts said the choppers are taking large groups of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS or Daesh) Takfiri terrorists away.

Reviving Destroyed Oil, Gas Fields Begins in Syria's Raqqa After Years of US Bombardment
Reviving Destroyed Oil, Gas Fields Begins in Syria's Raqqa After Years of US Bombardment

Sun Oct 20, 2019 - Recovery works at oil and gas fields in the Syrian province of Raqqa as well as in the "triangle" between the freed provinces of Raqqa, Hama and Homs have begun, head of the state-run al-Saura field management Ali Ibrahim stated.

“The restoration of the fields will require a lot of work and the involvement of large companies,” he told RIA on Sunday as all oil wells and the entire infrastructure at the treatment plants of the fields were completely destroyed, while the pipelines were partially destroyed.

Ibrahim stressed that the destruction was caused by the American coalition's airstrikes, which bombed territories under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS or Daesh) terrorist group and fired rockets at each well.

In late July, colonel general Sergei Rudskoy, the chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said American private military companies, numbering over 3,500 personnel, are plundering Syrian oil facilities under the cover of the US-led coalition, TASS news agency reported.

“Aside from training militants, the US entities in Syria are involved in plundering oil facilities and deposits in the area across the Euphrates that belong to the legitimate Syrian government. Lately, US private military companies have been observed to actively beef up their personnel. Today, the mercenaries of the private military companies in Syria exceed 3,500 people,” Rudskoy noted.

The senior Russian general further revealed that US military companies are involved in the illegal production and sale of Syrian crude oil from al-Omar, Conoco and al-Tanak fields.

A criminal scheme of Syrian crude cross-border deliveries is in effect. Actually, Syrian national wealth is being plundered,” Rudskoy added. “All this activity by US private military companies is conducted under the cover of the international anti-terror coalition.
In actual fact, this is smuggling business seized by the Americans from Daesh,” the Russian general stated.

Rudskoy then accused the United States of providing various Arab and Kurdish militia groups in Northern Syrian with different kinds of ammunition in exchange for assistance in the illegal trafficking of Syrian oil to the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

Syrian Army Recaptures More Kurdish-Held Regions as Ceasefire Between Kurds, Turkey Not Holding
Syrian Army Recaptures More Kurdish-Held Regions as Ceasefire Between Kurds, Turkey Not Holding

Sun Oct 20, 2019 - Syrian army units continued their deployment in Hasaka countryside, entering Yalda castle and fortifying their positions in Tel Tamar-Al-Ahras area, while clashes were reported between Turkish-supported militants and Kurdish militias in the Northern parts of the war-torn country.

Russia Thinks Strategy, Purpose of US Presence in Syria Incomprehensible
Russia Thinks Strategy, Purpose of US Presence in Syria Incomprehensible

Sun Oct 20, 2019 - Moscow cannot understand the strategy and objective of Washington’s presence in the conflict area in the Middle East, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.

"In general, we cannot grasp the strategy and purpose of Washington’s presence in the conflict zone [in Syria]. Like in Afghanistan, they either pull in or pull out [forces], either stay or drag on, and then again pull out. That is how things stand with the international coalition’s so-called solution to the Syria conflict," she said on Russia’s NTV channel on Saturday

The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson underscored that within the coalition "there has been no unanimity on the issue".
 
'No it isn't, but it's an act of 'democracy'. You were under US 'democracy' all the time.'

SDF Slams Trump's Remarks on Syria Ceasefire
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ERBIL - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has slammed the remarks made by US President Donald Trump on a recently declared ceasefire in northeast of Syria, in which, he said that the "new areas being resettled with Kurds."

By Ali Murat Alhas - 20.10.2019

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@thorbiorn 's post:
In short the #US is willing to steal the Syrian oil from the Syrians and sell it publicly via their puppets the #SDF

Not too obvious now is it? The U.S. empire has no problem with looting oil from Syria and supporting Israel. Of course while they are doing that they must heliborne more ISIS terrorists to their "homeland" or probably somewhere in Iraq just in case they're needed later.

Lindsey Graham just loves it...he only wishes John McCain was still alive to see the glorious developments. :evil: :mad: :headbash:
 
The Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the current situation in Syria with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone.

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By Ruaa al-Jazaeri - 21 October, 2019

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Lindsey Graham just loves it...he only wishes John McCain was still alive to see the glorious developments.

Poor Lindsey, Mother Pelosi left the Den - to fly the friendly skies in the Middle East - leaving him "Home Alone" and he's acting confused?

Syria critic Lindsey Graham reverses stance, says Trump's policy could succeed
FILE PHOTO: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announces a bipartisan agreement on Turkey sanctions during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 17, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott
Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump's decision to move U.S. troops out of northeastern Syria, said on Sunday he now believed "historic solutions" were possible.

Wary foes Turkey and Syria hold covert contacts to avoid conflict (???)
FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises from a building near the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain as seen from the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov/File Photo
Turkey is holding covert contacts with Syria's government to avert direct conflict in northeast Syria where both sides have deployed their armies,
Turkish officials say, despite Ankara's long-standing hostility to President Bashar al-Assad.

Putin, Erdogan to discuss Turkey's operation in Syria on Tuesday
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during their meeting in Ankara, Turkey September 16, 2019. Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan will discuss Turkey's operation in Syria during their meeting on Tuesday Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow on Monday.

Erdogan says to take next steps in Syria after meeting Putin
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a gathering in Kayseri, Turkey, October 19, 2019. Mustafa Kamaci/Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday Turkey would take "necessary" further steps in northeastern Syria after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the day that a five-day Washington-brokered ceasefire expires.

Trump: U.S. troops won't immediately return from Syria, ceasefire could be extended
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with China's Vice Premier Liu He in the Oval Office at the White House after two days of trade negotiations in Washington, U.S., October 11, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he did not want to leave any American troops in Syria,
but that U.S. forces leaving the country now would deploy elsewhere before eventually returning to the United States.

Some U.S. troops may stay in Syria: Pentagon chief
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper addresses reporters during a media briefing at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., October 11, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photo

The United States is considering keeping some troops in northeastern Syria to stop oil falling into the hands of Islamic State or others
but no decision has yet been made, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said.

'Horror and shame': U.S. senators, Kurdish leader call for Turkey sanctions
FILE PHOTO: Turkish army vehicles are moving on a road near the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov/File Photo
U.S. lawmakers kept up their push on Monday to impose sanctions on Turkey if it does not end its offensive
in northeastern Syria, and a leading Kurdish politician called on President Donald Trump to stop the "ethnic cleansing" of her people.

Russia says militants in 12 Syrian prisons left unguarded due to Turkish incursion: Ifax
FILE PHOTO - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu looks on after a meeting of the Russian-French Security Cooperation Council in Moscow, Russia, September 9, 2019.  REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
Twelve Syrian prisons holding foreign militants as well as eight refugee camps have been left unguarded as a result of Turkey's operation in northern Syria,
the Interfax news agency cited Russia's defense minister as saying on Monday.

U.S. troops cross into Iraq from Syria
A convoy of U.S. vehicles are seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, at the Iraqi-Syrian border crossing in the Sahela border in the northern province of Dohuk, Iraq, October 21, 2019. REUTERS/Kawa Omar
United States troops have crossed into Iraq from Syria through the Sahela border crossing in the northern province of Dohuk,
witnesses said on Monday.

Iraqi Kurds appreciate U.S. forces despite Syria pullout, president says
FILE PHOTO: Kurdish region's Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani speaks during a news conference in Erbil, Iraq November 20, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

Iraqi Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani said on Monday that the United States pulling out of Syria was "undesirable" but that the semi-autonomous region appreciated the U.S. historical role in protecting it.

U.S. mulls leaving some troops in Syria to guard oil: Pentagon
A convoy of U.S. vehicles is seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, at the Iraqi-Syrian border crossing in the outskirts of Dohuk,, Iraq, October 21, 2019. REUTERS/Ari Jalal
The Pentagon is considering keeping some U.S. troops near oilfields in northeastern Syria alongside Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
to help deny oil to Islamic State militants, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday.

Kurdish-led forces say they have pulled out of Syria border town
Vehicles travel along a road in Raqqa, Syria October 20, 2019 in this still image taken from video. Video taken October 20, 2019.  Syrian TV via REUTERS

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday said they had withdrawn from the border town of Ras al Ain under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, but a spokesman for Turkish-backed Syrian rebels said the withdrawal was not yet complete.

Displaced by war, Kurdish families stuck at Syria-Iraq border point

Displaced Kurds stuck at a border after a Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria, wait to try cross to the Iraqi side, at the Semalka crossing, next Derik city, Syria, October 21, 2019. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
Made homeless when Turkish shells slammed into his house in northern Syria, Kurdish day labourer Suleiman Mohamed and his family spent 10 days in desperate search of shelter nearby.

Germany proposes security zone for northern Syria
FILE PHOTO: Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer speaks during the Christian Social Union (CSU) party meeting in Munich, Germany, October 19, 2019. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Monday suggested the creation of a security zone in northern Syria to protect displaced civilians and ensure that the fight continues against Islamic State militia.

In Putin call, French president urges ceasefire extension in Syria
FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he holds a news conference at the end of the European Union leaders summit dominated by Brexit, in Brussels, Belgium October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo
French President Emmanuel Macron said that it was important to extend the ceasefire in northeast Syria
in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
 
The Syrian President Bashar al-Assad branded his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a thief who has stolen oil and wheat from Syria.

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Ongoing discussion between Putin and Erdogan about Syria.

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Speaking of NATO:

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Calling Erdogan a 'thief', Syria's Assad tours Idlib frontline near rebels
Syrian President Bashar al Assad visits Syrian army troops in war-torn northwestern Idlib province, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on October 22, 2019. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
Syrian President Bashar al Assad visits Syrian army troops in war-torn northwestern Idlib province, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on October 22, 2019. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

Syrian President Bashar al Assad on Tuesday denounced Turkey’s leader as a thief for attacking the northeast of his country and reiterated a pledge to retake all areas lost to Damascus in years of civil war, state media reported.

Assad made the remarks as he made a rare visit to a frontline of Syria’s conflict, touring an area in war-torn northwestern Idlib province close to the last major bastion of Turkey-backed rebel forces.

Assad was seen surrounded by army commanders and soldiers in the town of Hobeit, which the army took in August as part of a Russian-led offensive to capture Idlib and its surroundings. .”Erdogan is a thief and is now stealing our land,” state media quoted Assad as saying, referring to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey this month began an assault against its Syrian Kurdish militia enemies in Syria’s northeast with the help of rebel forces who control swathes of territory north of Idlib.

With the war now in its eighth year, capturing the Idlib area would be an important victory for Assad, who has steadily recovered control of rebellious areas with Russian and Iranian support.

“We said and continue to say that the Idlib battle is the core to decisively end chaos and terrorism in all of Syria,” Assad was quoted as saying.

Idlib enjoyed a lull in air strikes after Damascus and its ally Moscow declared a ceasefire on Aug. 31 following five months of bombing which the United Nations says killed hundreds of people

Just before the ceasefire, the offensive, aided by Iranian backed militias, made its most significant advance by seizing the strategic city of Khan Sheikhoun. The campaign also expanded state control of parts of a highway that stretches from the capital Damascus to the city of Aleppo.

Turkey and Russia had brokered a de-escalation zone deal in 2017 to curb fighting in Idlib. It does not cover jihadist militants who are the dominant force in the area.

Many of the 500,000 people uprooted by the fighting in the northwest have fled toward the Turkish border.

The violence in Idlib province and a strip of nearby Hama has marked the biggest military escalation between Assad and his insurgent enemies since last summer.

Assad Calls Erdogan Land Thief
President Bashar al-Assad branded his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "thief" who has attacked and occupied the Northern parts of his country, stressing that he is stealing the land belonging to the Damascus government.

Russia says Turkey's operation violates Syria's territorial integrity: Ifax
Turkish soldiers in trucks return from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, as they are pictured on the Turkish-Syrian border in Akcakale, Turkey, October 21, 2019. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that Turkey's incursion into northern Syria was violating Syria's territorial integrity,
the Interfax news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov as saying.

German minister: Some allies irritated by proposal for Syria security zone
FILE PHOTO: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Berlin, Germany, October 16, 2019.     REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday Germany had received questions and some irritation from allies after Germany's defense minister suggested creating a security zone in northern Syria.

Turkey may resume Syria assault as some Kurdish fighters yet to withdraw: Erdogan
Turkish soldiers on an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) drive near the Turkish-Syrian border in Ceylanpinar, Turkey, October 22, 2019. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir

Hundreds of Kurdish fighters remain near to Syria's northeast border despite a U.S.-brokered truce demanding their withdrawal and Turkey could resume its offensive in the area when the ceasefire expires, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said.

Turkey replaces four more pro-Kurdish mayors as crackdown widens
Turkey has replaced four mayors from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) with state officials,
the offices of two provincial governors said on Tuesday, part of a widening crackdown on local councils controlled by the party.

Syrian Democratic Council Seeking Union with Damascus after US Betrayal (Is that Netanyahu's new game play?)
Syrian Democratic Council Seeking Union with Damascus after US Betrayal

Co-Chair of the Syrian Democratic Council Riad Hammoud Darar, after being disappointed by the US, said that the council is now pursuing real cooperation with Damascus to achieve an understanding that would bring stability to the country.

Darar, who co-chairs the Syrian Democratic Council (the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is largely comprised of Kurdish militias), in an interview with the Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar, said that the rapid developments in Northern and Eastern Syria will cost more territorial disintegration of Syria in favor of Turkey’s interests, adding that the US offered new land to Turkey to rectify its strained relationship with Ankara and return it to NATO.

He added that the agreement between the US and Russia is based on the fact that the resolution of the Syrian crisis will be achieved in a step-by-step process which would require all sides give up their extreme positions.

"Syrian democratic forces have always been discussing future relations with Damascus in order to reach a real and meaningful cooperation that would provide stability and give all Syrian groups and tribes the right they deserve," he said.

Darar emphasized that the experience of autonomy and self-management which was used to fill the administrative void in Northeast Syria is subject to debate and reform to achieve a mutually beneficial structure fit for all parties.

The head of the Syrian Democratic Council voiced hope that Russia’s mediation would lead to agreements that would reward them political contribution and participation through fair and respectful elections.

“The [new] accord that allows the Syrian army to enter into Kurdish-controlled areas is to promote the constructive role of the Syrian Armed Forces in protecting its sovereignty and borders, and Syrian democratic forces will ultimately be part of the Syria's National Army,” he highlighted.

On the other hand, Commander the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Kobani met with a Russian delegation on Monday at the Qamishli airport in al-Hasakah province. The delegation’s visit to Qamishli was for conveying the Kurdish demands to Damascus and strengthening military cooperation between the Syrian government and the Kurds, having an eye on the possibility of converting it into a comprehensive agreement.

A Kurdish official, in an interview with al-Akhbar, said that the US decision to keep part of its troops on Syrian soil was meant to encourage Kurds not to give Damascus more concessions.

Al-Akhbar wrote that considering fast developments undergoing in Northeast Syria and with the truce between Turkey and the Syrian Democratic Forces looming to its final hours, all eyes are now set on a meeting between the Turkish and Russian presidents who are expected to lay out plans for the future of North and East Syria.

While the Kurds are optimistic about the new US position on keeping some of its troops in Northern Syria, they also feel concerned about an imminent military operation by Ankara to threaten areas along Ras al-Ain to al-Maliki, and even reach the borderline between Syria and Iraq through Al-Maliki and even extend its reach to Deir Ezzur and al-Raqqa.

According to the report by the Lebanese paper, if Turkey continues to press on, Washington will give up its decision to stay close to oil wells, which will put the Kurds back on track with the Syrian government. However, Kurdish sources familiar with the course of meetings between the Russians and the Kurds believe that the situation is not going to escalate significantly and Russia is trying to broker an agreement in a near future to secure the border with Turkey at al-Hasakah.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington will deploy a small number of its troops in Syria, near the border with Jordan.

"US forces leaving Syria will initially be moved to other areas but will eventually return to the United States," he added.

"The US has never promised to stay in Syria for 400 years to support the Kurds," Trump said.

US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Monday that some units of Washington’s troops may remain in the areas near the oil fields in Northeast Syria to protect them against possible attacks by the ISIL and extremist groups.

Al-Akhbar added that although Esper did not specify a time limit for the deployment of troops in Syria, his statement indicates that they remain at their bases near the Conoco, Al-Amar and Remilan oilfields in Deir Ezzur and al-Hasaka.


Ditch Kurds, Grab Oil? Trump Says US ‘Never Committed’ to Syrian Allies, But SecDef Says Washington Still Committed to Oil
Ditch Kurds, Grab Oil? Trump Says US ‘Never Committed’ to Syrian Allies, But SecDef Says Washington Still Committed to Oil

President Donald Trump stated that the US never committed to the security of Kurds in Northern Syria,
ahead of the end of the Turkish ceasefire. His defense secretary meanwhile noted that the US troops had a job to “secure the oil”.

“We never gave a commitment to the Kurds,” Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting on Monday, RT reported.

While the presence of US troops in Northern Syria guaranteed the safety of Kurdish militias operating there, Trump defended his decision to pull the troops out, and even appeared sympathetic to the Turkish argument that these militias are “terrorists”.

“You have to look both ways,” Trump told reporters.

“Plenty of Turks have been killed because of conflict on their borders,” he added, repeating his assertion that the Kurds are “no angels”.

Pompeo: Trump ‘Fully Prepared’ for Military Action Against Turkey (Big-Bad-Bully Pompeo! )
Pompeo: Trump ‘Fully Prepared’ for Military Action Against Turkey

Tue Oct 22, 2019 - US President Donald Trump is “fully prepared” to use military force against Turkey if “needed”, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared, qualifying the statement by insisting Washington prefers to use its “diplomatic powers”.

“We prefer peace to war,” Pompeo told CNBC in a taped interview that aired Monday afternoon.

"But in the event that kinetic action or military action is needed, you should know that President Trump is fully prepared to undertake that action," Pompeo noted.

He stopped short of revealing what action on Turkey’s part would constitute such a “need”.

Pompeo added that Washington would use economic and “diplomatic powers” before breaking out the heavy artillery. He did not want to “get out in front of the president’s decision about whether to take the awesome undertaking of using America’s military might,” he said, indicating that it was up to Trump to decide whether Ankara had crossed the line.

Trump had earlier touted the wisdom of giving Turkey some space to enact its campaign on the border of Syria against Kurdish groups Ankara considers to be terrorists.

Sometimes you have to let them fight a little while, then people find out how tough the fighting is,” he quipped at a campaign rally last week, noting, “Sometimes you have to let them fight like two kids in a lot, you gotta let them fight, and then you pull them apart.”
 
Talks between Putin, Erdogan continue for five hours so far
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin Mikhail Mettsel/TASS

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin © Mikhail Mettsel/TASS

SOCHI, October 22, 2019 - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are currently holding talks in Sochi, which have lasted for five hours so far. About 140 reporters are expecting a joint press conference between both leaders.

Russia's Putin explains results of talks with Turkey to Syria's Assad
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (not pictured) following Russian-Turkish talks in the Black sea resort of Sochi, Russia October 22, 2019. Sergei Chirikov/Pool via REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin has explained to Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad by phone the results of his talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Assad says Syria will continue to fight terrorism by all legitimate means: Syrian presidency

Syrian President Bashar al Assad visits Syrian army troops in war-torn northwestern Idlib province, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on October 22, 2019. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in northern Syria in a phone call on Tuesday with his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian presidency said in a statement.

Russia says Syrian Kurdish YPG to withdraw from Syrian border
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, September 2, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow and Ankara had agreed that the Kurdish YPG militia would pull back 30 km (19 miles) from the Syrian border in a deal he heralded as one that would end the bloodshed in the region.

Turkey, Russia strike deal to remove Syrian Kurdish YPG, launch joint patrols
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attend a news conference following their talks in Sochi, Russia October 22, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS
Turkey and Russia agreed on Tuesday to remove the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to beyond 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, after which their troops will jointly patrol a narrower strip of land in a "safe zone"
Ankara has long sought in northern Syria.

Russia, Turkey actively support launch of Syrian Constitutional Committee — Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov © Mikhail Metzel/TASS

SOCHI, October 22, 2019 - Moscow and Ankara have reaffirmed their commitment to the Astana process on Syrian regulation as both sides will continue to facilitate the launch of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday on the outcomes of the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"The strong commitment to the Astana format and political regulation [is maintained], and with this aim, we will actively support the Syrian Constitutional Committee, which launches next week and which has been established due to the joint efforts of Russia, Turkey and Iran — the guarantors of the Astana process", Lavrov said.

Erdogan, after sealing Russia deal, says U.S. has not kept promises on Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) following Russian-Turkish talks in the Black sea resort of Sochi, Russia October 22, 2019. Sergei Chirikov/Pool via REUTERS
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday the United States has not fully kept its promises agreed in last week's temporary truce in northeastern Syria, according to Turkish broadcaster NTV.

Russia, Turkey reach deal to remove Kurdish YPG from Syria border
Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighters gesture as they ride on a vehicle near the border town of Tal Abyad, Syria, October 22, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi     TP
Syrian and Russian forces will deploy in northeast Syria to remove Kurdish YPG fighters and their weapons from the border with Turkey
under a deal agreed on Tuesday which both Moscow and Ankara hailed as a triumph.

Turkey, Russia reached deal for 'terror-free safe zone': Turkish official
Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighters sit at a back of a truck near the border town of Tal Abyad, Syria, October 22, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Turkey reached an "excellent" agreement with Russia to establish a "terror-free safe zone" in northern Syria, senior Turkish official said on Tuesday after President Tayyip Erdogan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.
 
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has informed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the outcomes of the meeting with the Turkish leader Erdogan.

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By Ruaa al-Jazaeri - 23 October, 2019

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BEIRUT, LEBANON (6:00 P.M.) – An aircraft belonging to the Swedish Air Force made a bizarre flight near Russia’s primary airbase in Syria this week, the Russian aviation publication Avia.Pro reported.

“Despite the significant remoteness of Scandinavia from the Middle East, two days earlier, a Swedish military reconnaissance aircraft was seen near the Russian military bases in Syria,” the publication reported.

“According to experts, the reason for flying over a distance of several thousand kilometers was the interest of the Russian air defense systems located at the Khmeimim Airbase,” they pointed out.

The Swedish Air Force has not made this type of flight before, which is why it was surprising for many military observers when one of their reconnaissance planes approached the Khmeimim Airbase.

“Experts believe that military reconnaissance aircraft appearing next to Russian military base intended to obtain as much information as possible about Russian air defense systems, which creates at least a potential danger,” they added.

The Swedish Ministry of Defense has not commented on these claims from the Russian media.

Yes, it seems crazy that Sweden approaches a Russian base in Syria. Then again, the way things are proceeding in Sweden with support for ISIS and returning ISIS warriors, massive immigration intake, no-go zones etc. one wonders if in a few years Sweden will become the Islamic State, that ISIS has been wanting for the last few years. This could even happen via the ballot box.

Sweden is also a big weapons manufacturer, so testing Russia's air defence system could well be with the aim of developing ways to counteract those.
 
The Russian Defense Ministry has published a patrolling map of the Russian military police in northern Syria.

23 OCT, 2019

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23 OCT, 2019

23 OCT, 2019

23.10.2019

Oct 23, 2019

23.10.2019

23.10.2019

2019-10-23

23.10.2019

23 OCT, 2019

23.10.2019
 
Trump says Turkey's ceasefire in northern Syria now permanent
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a statement on the conflict in Syria in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Turkey has said it is stopping combat and making a ceasefire in northern Syria permanent, prompting the United States to lift recent sanctions it had imposed on Turkish imports in response to the violence.

Russia says oil sites in Syria should be controlled by Damascus: RIA
The Syrian government should get back control of all oil facilities in the north-east of the country,
the RIA Novosti news agency cited Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying on Wednesday.

Russia warns Syrian Kurdish YPG to pull back as its forces move in
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attend a news conference following their talks in Sochi, Russia October 22, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS
Russian military police arrived in the strategic Syrian city of Kobani on Wednesday as Moscow warned Kurdish YPG forces that they face further armed conflict with Turkey if they fail to withdraw from Syria's entire northeastern border.

Russia says hopes Syrian Kurds will leave border areas voluntarily: Ifx
Moscow hopes that the Kurds will voluntarily pull out from regions near the Syrian-Turkish border, without bloodshed,
Interfax quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying on Wednesday.

Erdogan: YPG will not stay in Syria border region in 'regime clothes'
FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) following Russian-Turkish talks in the Black sea resort of Sochi, Russia October 22, 2019. Sergei Chirikov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin assured him that Kurdish YPG militants will not be allowed to remain in Syria along the Turkish border wearing "regime clothes."

Turkey to re-evaluate plan for NE Syria observation posts: sources

Turkey will re-evaluate its plan to establish 12 observation posts in northeastern Syria, Turkish security sources said on Wednesday after Ankara and Moscow struck a deal calling for a Kurdish militia to withdraw from the border area.

Syria to establish 15 posts along border with Turkey: Ifax
Syria's government will establish 15 posts along its border with Turkey,
the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Russia's Defence Ministry.

Russian military police arrive in Syria's Kobani: TASS

A column of Russian military police arrived in the city of Kobani in northern Syria, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday, the TASS news agency reported.

U.S. forces found evidence of war crimes by Turks in Syria, says U.S. official
Turkish military vehicles drive in the town of Tal Abyad, Syria October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

President Donald Trump's special envoy for Syria said on Wednesday that U.S. forces had seen evidence of war crimes by Turkish forces in Syria, during their recent offensive against Kurds.

Syrian Kurd sets himself on fire outside U.N. refugee agency: police

The Rigot collective shelter for asylum-seekers is pictured near the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) where a Syrian Kurdish man in his 30s set himself on fire is seen in Geneva, Switzerland, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Marina Depetris
A Syrian Kurdish man in his 30s set himself on fire outside the United Nations refugee agency headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday and was quickly airlifted to hospital after the flames were extinguished, police said.


>>> NATO tactics to interfere with mutual agreements made during the Putin-Erdogan meeting ...

Germany discussed idea of northern Syria security zone with NATO's Stoltenberg
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds a news conference ahead of a two-day NATO defence ministers meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday he had spoken to German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer about her idea to create a security zone in northern Syria, saying he welcomed any proposals on a way towards peace.

German defense minister wants U.N. mandate for Syria safe zone: source
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer arrives the weekly German cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, October, 23, 2019.    REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
Germany's defense minister has told lawmakers she wants to get the U.N. Security Council to approve a safe zone in northern Syria,
a source said on Wednesday.

U.S. welcomes German security plan for Syria, unlikely to take part
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison briefs the media ahead of a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 2, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo
The United States and NATO cautiously welcomed on Wednesday a German proposal for a security zone in northern Syria, though Washington's envoy to the alliance saying it should be for Europe to take charge and not U.S. forces.

EU lawmakers reject Turkey's 'safe zone' in Syria, eye sanctions steps
A Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighter is seen nest to the Syrian opposition flag near the border town of Tal Abyad, Syria, October 22, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
European Union lawmakers on Wednesday condemned Turkey's offensive to carve out a "safe zone" in northeast Syria
and prepared the way for new EU financial sanctions against Ankara.

Russia rejects German vision for security zone in northern Syria: RIA
Russia does not see any need to establish a security zone under international control in north-eastern Syria, an idea aired by Germany,
the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
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