Trump orders attack on Syria, asks for other countries to join him.

Aeneas said:
So if Trump did do this as a 'smart' move to pull one over the neocons, I doubt that he took the time to consider all the consequences especially the likely unknown consequences of such a move and how such a message would be perceived around the world. It sure has the potential to send chills down the spine and the move could have been 'cooked up' in the 40 day timeframe that the C's alluded to. By whom is perhaps the question.
If Trump is impeached, he will have lost a lot of his voters to come out and fight for him, whether in the streets or in the papers.

I agree. Trump may think it was a strategic move, but if so, it was a move of one who is losing the game and retreating. He lost much terrain to the war crazies just for the sake of getting some temporary relief from them and their media. I hope he is not playing the part of the arab who let the camel just an inch into his tent at first, and ended outside in the sandstorm in the end after the camel took it all little by little.

Alternatively he had no strategy at all and he just wanted to show the world he can be a bad*ss if he wants to. Thus the non-nuke nuke he dropped and the aircraft carriers off North Korea. That's no good news either.
 
Aeneas said:
So if Trump did do this as a 'smart' move to pull one over the neocons, I doubt that he took the time to consider all the consequences especially the likely unknown consequences of such a move and how such a message would be perceived around the world. It sure has the potential to send chills down the spine and the move could have been 'cooked up' in the 40 day timeframe that the C's alluded to. By whom is perhaps the question.
If Trump is impeached, he will have lost a lot of his voters to come out and fight for him, whether in the streets or in the papers.

I was thinking the same thing because of the "Trump supporters" I follow on Twitter like Paul Joseph Watson and Stefan Molyneux, but I think they represent a small, fairly well informed minority. Based on the latest polls I doubt he's lost a large percentage of his base. I don't think we can trust poll results these days but they are still suggestive of trends IMO. Recent polls seem to be showing widespread support for the attack in Syria:



Republicans Love the Same Attack on Syria They Hated When Obama Considered It
nymag.com - April 11, 2017
A new Post-ABC poll finds that 86 percent of Republicans support Donald Trump’s decision to launch strikes on Syria for the same reason. Only 11 percent are opposed.

63% of American voters want more US intervention in Syria – poll
RT - April 12, 2017
A new poll has found that the majority of American voters, 63 percent, want the Trump administration to do more in Syria. It was conducted as the Trump administration carried out a missile strike on Syria over allegations of a chemical gas attack.
The new Morning Consult/Politico poll published on Wednesday found that 31 percent of Americans believe the US should be doing “much more” in Syria, while another 32 percent believe the US should be doing “somewhat more.”
The poll also found that 66 percent of respondents supported the Trump administration’s decision to launch a missile strike on the Syrian Army’s Shyrat Airbase last Friday.

Poll: Slim majority supports strikes on Syria
The Hill - April 9, 2017
A HuffPost/YouGov survey finds 51 percent of Americans support the president's decision to order the airstrikes in retaliation for a chemical attack last week that killed civilians in northern Syrian.

Thirty-two percent of Americans are opposed to the strikes and 17 percent are uncertain.

Among Trump voters, 83 percent support the president's decision, while just 11 percent oppose it.

About 40 percent of Americans think the strikes were an appropriate response, compared to 25 percent who think they were too aggressive and 10 percent who think they were not aggressive enough.
Still, only about one-third of Americans though think the airstrikes will be even somewhat likely to deter the future use of chemical weapons.

Poll: Voters back Syria airstrikes
Politico - April 12, 2017
Voters support the initial U.S. airstrikes in Syria ordered last week by President Donald Trump, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll — but there is less backing for an escalation of hostilities that includes ground forces.

Nearly two-thirds of voters, 66 percent, support last week’s airstrikes on a Syrian air field, the poll shows. That includes 35 percent who strongly support the strikes, and 31 percent who somewhat support them. Only 24 percent oppose the strikes, and 10 percent don’t have an opinion.

Support for the strikes is fairly bipartisan, the poll shows. While 82 percent of Republicans back the strikes, so do 57 percent of Democratic voters and 59 percent of independents.



These articles cite four different polls: a "Post-ABC poll", a "POLITICO/Morning Consult poll", a "HuffPost/YouGov survey", and a "Morning Consult/Politio poll" and they represent a pretty broad political spectrum. I think the takeaway message is that most "Trump voters" support the airstrikes and even many "Democrats" support them.

Mr. Premise said:
bjorn said:
[quote author= Mr. Premise]It will help him with his popularity. Killing brown people always does.

Just shows how fake Liberals are. They are social justice warriors at home and 'anti racist'. But killing brown people oversees is a okay. There is litterally no antiwar movement anymore in the US. Liberals are not antiwar at all.
No, the people who react positively to this are definitely not the social justice types. The social justice types hates these attacks. What people who don't live in the US don't know is that the social justice types are a tiny minority. It's more the average "low information voter" as well as the authoritarian follower types that respond well to this. You add these two groups together and you get to about 60% of the population.
[/quote]

I think these results really support Mr. Premise's conclusion from last week. It looks like ~60% of the population supports the attacks, maybe a bit more. A higher percentage (~80%) of "Republicans" appear to be supporting Trump, probably because he is "on their team" and vice versa for "Democrats".

IMO this is an important conclusion and its something important for us to keep in mind. The forum here and in many ways the internet in general can be a bit of an echo chamber, so its easy to forget that most people are not well informed. The "average low information voters and authoritarian follower types" make up the majority of the population and to make matters worse the more informed people are split into different, often warring, ideological factions.
 
Windmill knight said:
Aeneas said:
So if Trump did do this as a 'smart' move to pull one over the neocons, I doubt that he took the time to consider all the consequences especially the likely unknown consequences of such a move and how such a message would be perceived around the world. It sure has the potential to send chills down the spine and the move could have been 'cooked up' in the 40 day timeframe that the C's alluded to. By whom is perhaps the question.
If Trump is impeached, he will have lost a lot of his voters to come out and fight for him, whether in the streets or in the papers.

I agree. Trump may think it was a strategic move, but if so, it was a move of one who is losing the game and retreating. He lost much terrain to the war crazies just for the sake of getting some temporary relief from them and their media. I hope he is not playing the part of the arab who let the camel just an inch into his tent at first, and ended outside in the sandstorm in the end after the camel took it all little by little.

Alternatively he had no strategy at all and he just wanted to show the world he can be a bad*ss if he wants to. Thus the non-nuke nuke he dropped and the aircraft carriers off North Korea. That's no good news either.

Trump might not play "Chess" but Putin is a Master! If by some slim chance, there is behind the scenes collaboration, chances are Putin and his staff put together a game plan, and by mutual consent - Trump is just playing a part? It's a high stakes game - even for Putin.

Putin's successful strategy in Syria, now has other Countries asking for his help "with the terrorist" namely Iraq and Afghanistan. I would imagine, Putin doesn't want to spread his military influence beyond what he is already involved in with Syria - without compromising his own position and that of Russia - with NATO (heavily armed) at his Borders and the on-going fiasco in Ukraine? I have noticed, Lavrov has been doing a lot of the leg work in getting groups organized and trying to work with the U.N. in setting up Peace negotiations.

At the time the U.S. Navy fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian Shayrat airbase, China's President Xi Jinping was visiting Trump's Mar-a-lago. The "timing" seems strange? Was it Trump's "security blanket" that China wouldn't start bombing the U.S.? Or - with China's close ties to Russia, is it possible, assuming something is going on behind the scenes with Putin and Trump, that Jinping was advised of developments and why? I haven't come across any reports in the media (unless I missed something) of China or Jinping commenting on the Shayrat airbase bombing?

Then there's the "timing" of Tillerson visiting Russia on Thursday, when the US ‘Mother of All Bombs’ was dropped in Afghanistan? Just so happens, the following day, Deputy Foreign Ministers from 12 countries were in Russia to resolve the Afghan problem in facilitating the peace process in Afghanistan? Now, how's that "for timing?"

Four Senior Daesh Commanders Killed in Afghanistan by US ‘Mother of All Bombs’ (Bomb dropped on April 13, 2017)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201704151052669901-daesh-afghanistan-bomb-commanders/

Four senior commanders of Daesh were killed as a result of the US use of the big bomb known as the "Mother of All Bombs," media reported on Saturday.

On Thursday, a 22,000-pound GBU-43, or MOAB bomb, which is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US military arsenal, was dropped from a C-130 military airlift aircraft, targeting an underground complex and tunnels in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province believed to be used by Daesh.

Nangarhar officials reported that the bomb killed at least 94 terrorists including four senior commanders, the Tolo news media outlet reported.

And: US Drops 'Mother of All Bombs' on Afghan Tunnels It Once Funded
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201704151052664075-us-superbomb-afghanistan/


Russia Not Going to Use Armed Forces in Afghanistan Amid US MOAB Strike
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201704151052666055-russia-afghanistan-conflict/

Deputy foreign ministers of 12 countries were meeting in Moscow on Friday in an effort to build up genuine regional cooperation on facilitating the peace process in Afghanistan.

“In February, Moscow organized six-party consultations by representatives of Afghanistan, India, Iran, China, Pakistan and Russia, and now we added to this a quintet of Central Asian countries, plus the United States,” Goncharov added.

“As for the United States, it continues to play a central role in the ongoing peace process in Afghanistan, even though it doesn’t look like the Americans are too eager to resolve the Afghan problem,” Pyotr Goncharov noted.

Ahead of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit to Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that “what the US is going to do with Afghanistan remains anyone’s guess.”

On Thursday, the Pentagon used the largest non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal against a large group of Daesh terrorists in Afghanistan.

At least 82 militants were killed as a result of the bomb strike, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial governor’s office.

Then after the U.S. blames Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people and the U.S. uses the excuse to bomb the Syrian Shayrat airbase, (on the same day as the US MOAB Strike in Afghanistan,) US Airstrike's bomb a Syrian warehouse (Daesh hang out) in Deir ez-Zor that contains chemical weapons. It nullifies the excuse and exonerates Assad of any wrong doing? So - was it all an elaborated scheme - with a hidden agenda?
Then Trump calls Assad "an animal?" Wow, real fighting words?

Alleged US Airstrike in Deir ez-Zor 'Sheds Light on Chemical Weapons in Syria' (Air strike on April 13, 2017)
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201704151052669535-us-syria-chemical-weapons/

On Thursday, the Syrian General Staff claimed that the United States-led coalition bombed a Daesh warehouse presumably containing toxic materials, as a result killing and poisoning hundreds of people, including civilians.

The alleged strike, which took place in Deir ez-Zor province, followed another reported chemical incident in Syria on April 4.

In a Syrian Army command communique obtained by Sputnik, the military said US-led coalition planes struck a warehouse where Daesh fighters were present. "A white cloud formed at the place of impact, then a yellow one, which indicates the presence of a large number of toxic agents," the communique read.

This article brings out a good point, that Trump hasn't developed a foreign policy strategy yet. Part of it is due to sabotage, in one form or another.
Dmitry Mikheyev, a political analyst points out "that Trump has no specialists on Russia" which brings to mind Russian ambassador to UN Vitaly Churkin untimely death, a day before his 65th birthday on Feb. 20, 2017. Again, the "timing" of Churkin's sudden death and in the manner in which he died - at his office in the U.N. and of an apparent heart attack?

Trump 'Lacks Specialists on Russia', Faces 'Sabotage' in Washington
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201704141052642460-trump-russia-policy/

In an interview with Radio Sputnik, Dmitry Mikheyev, a political analyst and specialist in US politics, suggested that the US presidential administration lacks experts and advisors on Russia to elaborate its foreign policy strategy.

With all Trump’s actions and statements, it is clear that he has not yet formed the foreign policy team in the State Department. This means there are no specialists on Russia who would offer recommendations. Trump and Tillerson have no experience in the field. Tillerson’s visit to Moscow was expected to facilitate the development of Trump’s foreign policy strategy," Mikheyev pointed out.

The expert said that currently it is difficult for Trump to "designate the scope for maneuvering" because his domestic positions are weak.

"Some forces [in Washington] are openly trying to sabotage his presidency. This is why Trump cannot find specialists for the State Department. He doesn’t know who he can trust," Mikheyev said.

At the moment, VP Pence is in South Korea and will be spending Easter with U.S. troops there. I'm not really sure what his visit entails but with all the media hype of the U.S. wanting to bomb NK and eliminate Kim Jong-un, I'm hoping that Pence is there - so things don't get out of hand? I know - wishful thinking - considering the U.S. is the one lighting the fuse? What I do know, South Koreans go to the polls on 9 May to elect a new president. At present, there is a caretaker, transitional government in place until the results of the election are made known.

US Vice President’s Visit to Seoul to Send ‘Clear Message’ to Pyongyang
https://sputniknews.com/world/201704131052606353-south-korea-pence-visit/

"As Vice President Pence's South Korean visit comes at a very sensitive time… A clear message on joint efforts in terms of the South Korea-U.S. alliance against North Korea will be sent out," the spokesman said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency, stressing that this will be the first visit by Pence to Asia since taking office.

The agreement between the United States and South Korea on deploying the THAAD system on South Korean soil was reached in July 2016 with the first components of the system arriving in the country on March 8 in response to North Korea’s ballistic missile tests, part of the deployment began in early March 2017.

Mike Pence to Spend Easter With US Troops in South Korea on Sunday
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201704151052661010-pence-south-korea-easter/

On Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence will depart Washington, DC on Air Force Two en route to Anchorage, Alaska. There, the plane will be refueled before departing for Seoul, South Korea," the schedule issued on Friday stated.

And if things aren't confusing and convoluted enough ......

Trump Starts Preparing for Next Election Campaign - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/us/201704151052672846-trump-election-campaign-reports/

Trump has raised $7.1 million from January to March, in addition to $23 million collected by the Republican Party, starting preparations for the next presidential election, earlier than any other US president in recent history.
 
angelburst29 said:
[...]
If by some slim chance, there is behind the scenes collaboration, chances are Putin and his staff put together a game plan, and by mutual consent - Trump is just playing a part? It's a high stakes game - even for Putin.

Thinking about it a bit more and trying to put myself in the shoes of Putin, knowing quite a bit now about his personality and convictions and real loyalty to his country and people, I just don't think that he would ever even go as far as risking to having anykind of backround plan together with Trump or any other "leader of the empire" for that matter. Pragmatically speaking, it would be far to risky for Putin to have such a plan, in which both parties know exactly what the common deal is, and working together on it.

Putin has to think primarily about the wellfare of his country and people, and judging from past experiences and probably a lot of spy intel of what is really going on, he knows full well that it would be very stupid to blindly trust anyone, especially people so high up the ladder in the empire.

He would run a very great risk of shattering pretty much everything he has worked for by taking that risk and thus putting his country at the real risk to fully fall under the command of the empire. In that regard, Putin isn't a risky person at all I think but very pragmatical, plans things very carefully and sets them up in a way, so that not even the slightest chance for blackmail and food against his country can even be traced or established. He probably wouldn't even play with a full deck, if he would know for certain that a president is really a good person that tries to create good things, since he knows full well that this "deep state" is very powerful and could use it against his (or rather his countries) advantage.

If anything, he might be playing people high up in the empire via "stalking the petty tyrant", so that they reveal things on their own, thanks to their own greed and/or for creating situations were they shoot themselves in the foot. I think that is the most Putin would ever risk there at this point.
 
Afghanistan's President and US National Security Adviser Herbert McMaster have discussed issues related to security and counterterrorism during a conversation.

US National Security Adviser Arrives in Afghanistan Days After MOAB Strike
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201704161052689321-us-afghanistan-moab-strike/

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani met with US National Security Adviser Herbert McMaster to discuss issues related to security and counterterrorism, Ghani's office said Sunday.

"Pres.@AshrafGhani &US #NSA #McMaster discussed bilateral ties, security, counter terrorism, reforms & development in today's meeting in #Arg," the president's office wrote on Twitter.

​McMaster's visit to Kabul came shortly after the US bomb strike on Afghanistan’s eastern province.
 
Pashalis said:
Pretty intersting reporting here from RT about the Tillerson Lawrow/Putin meeting:

Really interesting video. I also read on Twitter that the Kremlin did not speak of this meeting between Putin and Tillerson on their Twitter account. _https://twitter.com/KremlinRussia_E
 
At the U.N. Security Council meeting today-- called to vote on yet another anti-Syria resolution by the UK, France and the USA--the truth rang out that, the aim of Britain's foreign policy is to destroy any chance of the United States and Russia working together. This was said forcefully by Russian Deputy envoy to the Security Council, Vladimir Safronkov, directly to British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who had just denounced Russia for backing Bashar al Assad in Syria. Safronkov told Rycroft he was acting to thwart the peace efforts of U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Steffan De Mistura, and sow confrontation in the Security Council, because, "you are afraid that we might work with the U.S. This is what you lose sleep over."

U.S. and Russia To Establish a "Working Group;" British Are Furious; Plus, More Truth Comes Out Exposing Lies Against Syria
_https://larouchepac.com/20170412/us-and-russia-establish-working-group-british-are-furious-plus-more-truth-comes-out

In effect, the Russian diplomat nailed the evil nature of the dying British Empire, which is intervening to play off East vs. West, and each against all, in attempt to stay on top of the heap, even to the point of risking provoking nuclear war.

In Moscow, the very thing Britain fears so much, came about today, even if in small measure. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, then with President Vladimir Putin. At the joint press conference afterward by Tillerson and Lavrov, it was announced that a "working group" would be established between the two nations, to be made up of envoys that Russia and the United States will designate. The mandate is to take up lesser matters, given so many differences; but the consultative process will be underway.

Lavrov said that the two nations share a "special responsibility" for the "strategic responsibility" for the world. Tillerson spoke of how today's meetings, "represent a continuation of our communications and discussions and dialogue that began in Bonn" [at the G20 Summit in February.]

It was explicitly stated by both officials that deep differences remain on Syria. But Mr. Lavrov reported that it was discussed with President Putin, to potentially restore the memorandum on deconfliction, given certain conditions.

At the same time, experts internationally are coming forward to expose the British-orchestrated lies about the Syrian government gassing its people. This backs up the growing demand for a real investigation of the charges against Syria, on which pretext the April 4 U.S. bombing of the Shayrat airbase in Syria was done. Russia is filing for such an investigation with The Hague. The British have already responded to that, with Rycroft announcing today, they will "be at The Hague" tomorrow, opposing an investigation.

Today a powerful study was issued, refuting the four-page White House document released yesterday, which falsely asserted that Syria is conclusively guilty of using chemical weapons on its people. Theodore Postol, a technology expert, Professor Emeritus of M.I.T., wrote a 14-page "A Quick Turnaround Assessment" of the four-page White House April 11 paper; Postol included satellite images and detailed analyses. He states that, "I believe it can be shown, without doubt, that the [White House] document does not provide any evidence whatsoever that the U.S. government has concrete knowledge that the government of Syria was the source of the chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun, Syria...on April 4, 2017." Postol's refutation is now getting international attention.

Finally, not only has a critical new connection been made between Russia and the United States--despite all the British Empire filthy tricks, but likewise there is the China-United States connection. It is important that today, President Xi Jinping and Pres. Donald Trump spoke by phone on the very dangerous situation regarding North Korea, and also discussed Syria.

These are the key developments on the eve of the historic Schiller Institute international conference in Manhattan--"One Belt, One Road: The Promise of A New Economic Platform for the World."


Moscow’s representative at the UN Security Council launched an extraordinary attack on his British counterpart, using some decidedly undiplomatic language, at a tense session ahead of a vote on a Syria resolution.

‘Don’t you dare insult Russia!’: Moscow envoy chides UK counterpart at UNSC meeting (Video)
https://www.rt.com/news/384540-russia-uk-envoy-unsc/

Speaking earlier in front of the 15-member circle, Britain’s envoy Matthew Rycroft accused Moscow of supporting "a murderous, barbaric criminal” – Syrian President Bashar Assad – “rather than with their international peers.”

The envoy also stated that sarin, a nerve gas, had been found at the site of last week’s alleged government-orchestrated chemical attack on a rebel-controlled area in the north of the country.

Vladimir Safronkov, Russia’s deputy envoy to the UN, and one of several diplomats, who has stood in for Vitaly Churkin since his sudden death two months ago, was next.

“His [Rycroft’s] address shows only that he intends to hamper [UN Syria special envoy Staffan] De Mistura’s efforts to resolve the crisis, and to bring confrontation and enmity to the Security Council,” said Safronkov.

You lose sleep over the fact that we might work together with the US. You are scared, and you do everything to undermine it.”

“Don’t turn away your eyes! Look at me! Why are you averting your eyes?” continued the Russian diplomat, using the familiar ‘you’ form in the Russian language, used for talking to friends and children, and almost never in public addresses.

Rycroft, who was earlier shaking his head ruefully, appeared unmoved by the speech, continuing to look away, before acknowledging the words with a sardonic smile.

Saying that the UK “had done nothing” for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis, Safronkov claimed that Rycroft “ignored” de Mistura’s speech and instead chose to “insult Syria, Iran, Turkey and other states.”

“Some of the members of the Security Council are treating their chance to participate irresponsibly, and offensively, resorting to unbecoming language. Don’t you dare insult Russia!” said Safronkov.

In the face of warnings from the US that Moscow was “isolating” itself from the international community with each violent incident, the Russian representative accused the West of harboring terrorists, and becoming “tangled up in their regime-changing ideologies.”


A closer look at photos from the town of Khan Shaykhun shows that the chemical attack site was tampered with and that the US report blaming the Syrian government can’t be true, says the MIT professor skeptical of the White House narrative.

MIT professor exposes ‘egregious error’ & evidence tampering in US report on Syria sarin incident
https://www.rt.com/usa/384800-syria-gas-professor-addendum/

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Theodore Postol, who wrote a preliminary review of the US government claims earlier this week and shared his findings with RT, examined photographs of the attack site and concluded that the report endorsed by the White House “could not be true.”

Senior US administration officials who briefed the media on Tuesday admitted the White House intelligence was partly “based on the pro-opposition social media reporting,” which “tells a very clear and consistent story about what we think happened.”

Postol’s six-page addendum, made public on Thursday evening, “unambiguously shows that the assumption in the [White House report] that there was no tampering with the alleged site of the sarin release is not correct.”

That assumption was “totally unjustified,” wrote Postol, “and no competent intelligence analyst would have agreed that this assumption was valid.”


By implication, the report was not reviewed and released by competent intelligence experts – “unless they were motivated by factors other than concerns about the accuracy of the report,” the professor added.

Postol’s key argument is a series of photographs of the crater where the container holding sarin was supposedly air-dropped. He pointed to a photograph of several men inspecting the site, wearing loose clothing and medical gloves.

“If there were any sarin present at this location when this photograph was taken everybody in the photograph would have received a lethal or debilitating dose of sarin,” he wrote. “The fact that these people were dressed so inadequately either suggests a complete ignorance of the basic measures needed to protect an individual from sarin poisoning, or that they knew that the site was not seriously contaminated.”
 
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said that a trilateral Russia-US-UN meeting on Syria is being planned in Geneva, it may take place next week.

Geneva May Host Russia-US-UN Syria Talks Next Week - Russian Deputy FM
https://sputniknews.com/world/201704171052702925-russia-geneva-syria-talks/

A trilateral Russia-US-UN meeting on Syria is being planned in Geneva, it may take place next week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdnov said Monday.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov could represent Russia at the meeting, according to Bodganov.


Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed plans for a trilateral meeting on Syria that would bring together representatives of Russia, the United States and the United Nations.

Russia to Hold Trilateral Meeting on Syria with US and UN
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/russia-to-hold-trilateral-meeting-on.html

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, said that the tripartite meeting is scheduled to take place in Geneva next week, adding that the Russian side will be represented by Gennady Gatilov, another Deputy Foreign Minister.

The Russian diplomat also said that the Russian side is awaiting confirmation from United States on holding the meeting.

Previously, the special UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, announced the proposal for the sixth round of Geneva talks on the settlement of Syrian crisis, however, the date was not yet specified as it awaiting approval.


Carter Page, former Trump's adviser, denied Sunday that US President Donald Trump had links to Russia that were reportedly outlined in a dossier prepared by a British intelligence agent.

Former Trump Adviser Calls 'Russian Dossier' on US President 'Completely False'
https://sputniknews.com/us/201704171052700406-trump-adviser-denies-ties-russia/

The unverified dossier on US President Donald Trump's ties to Russia, circulated in the media in January and reportedly compiled by a former intelligence officer from the United Kingdom, was "completely false," according to Page, who was mentioned in the memos.

Page told the Washington Times newspaper on Sunday that the dossier, containing information about his meetings with Russian businessman Igor Sechin and high-ranking Russian official Igor Diveykin, was "completely false" and "full of lies."

According to the outlet, Page stressed that he never met either of the men and denied the other two allegations from the memos: conspiring with former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and being offered money by Sechin. "The mistakes are so laughable and humorous they’re beyond words," Page was quoted as saying.

Last Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that the FBI obtained a court order in 2016 to trace any possible contacts between Page and Russia.

The US Congress is currently looking into alleged ties between the Trump administration and Russia.

Moscow rejected having any secret ties to Trump and repeatedly refuted allegations of interference in the US elections. Trump has also rejected claims of undercover dealings with Russia.


PUTIN HELPS TRUMP AVOID A COUP D’ETAT FROM THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST HILLARY CLINTON AND SOROS, FIRE THOSE TOMAHAWK MISSILES BABY!
http://novorossia.today/putin-helps-trump-avoid-coup-detat-wicked-witch-west-hillary-clinton-soros-fire-tomahawk-missiles-baby/

Here we are, three quarters into the first 100 days of Donald Trump and the euphoria created not only by his presence in the White House but by the absence there of Hillary Clinton, has also dissipated. But euphoria is a very dangerous feeling, and when disappointment came in its place a lot of Trump supporters fell into the opposite extreme, as the main result of these 75 days was the understanding that the Wicked Witch of the West will stop at nothing to overturn the result of the 2016 election. It has become clear that she is planning to crash all the traditions of American political culture and then blame it on her political opponents. For instance, there is a tradition in the United States to go easy on a new President for the first hundred days and this “gentlemen’s agreement” also features a spirit of bipartisanship, necessary to govern. But witches love to bust all gentlemen’s accessories, including this “gentlemen’s agreement” and the first half of this grace period were marked by wild attacks on him and some serious attempts to find (or manufacture) grounds for impeachment, while, the second half so far was marked by a very serious attempt to strip power from him without having to resort to impeachment.

As an example, a week ago on April 5, 2017, Clinton-backing network PBS presented John Carlin, a former member of Obama’s Justice Department, who was very clear that professional investigators in the national security department of the FBI are ready to implement special protocols allowing them to arrest the President of the United States for colluding with America’s enemies. Meanwhile, one day before that, Al Jazeera reported a gas attack in the city of Khan Sheikhoun in the Syrian province of Idlib, which is controlled by the so-called moderate opposition. The report showed absolutely heart-breaking pictures of children poisoned by sarin. Simultaneously with this report, the chief anti-Clinton strategist of Trump, Steve Bannon, was asked to leave the National Security Council.

All this activities made this gas attack in Syria to fit almost perfectly into Hillary Clinton plan to execute Coup d’Etat 2.0 if one considers Obama’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton 2 hours after talking to Bernie Sanders about 2 million votes stolen from him in California, to be Coup d’Etat 1.0,
But considering the style of the former Secretary of State, the words “almost perfectly” can easily be dropped. Indeed she demonstrated this very recognizable style first in Serbia where, as an all-powerful First Lady, now and then she was beating up the President of the United States, running with her daughter under sniper fire and meeting with General Clark the chief commander of NATO forces in Europe who later ordered the NATO British soldiers to attack the Russian army in Kosovo. Later, she demonstrated this style during the Arab Spring in Egypt, Libya, Iraq and Syria, and in each and every case the Islamists turned these countries into bloody messes in order to save children and freedom fighters from bloody tyrants elected by the people of these countries against the will of Hillary Clinton.

And the next day after the John Carlin announcement, it appears that the United States will have to go through this same turmoil. It became patently obvious after David Nunes recused himself from investigating the Trump campaign’s connections with Russian hackers, following the accusation by Congressman Schiff that Nunes criminally cooperated with the U.S. government, that very few people in the U.S. had any doubts that the Deep State, under the glorious direction of Hillary Clinton, had finally overcome its enemies.

On top of that, everybody was absolutely sure that the bloody tyrant Putin and his puppet Donald Trump would pay dearly for their love of the bloody tyrant Assad. For instance, Alex Jones, of the site Infowars, who supported Trump from the beginning of his campaign, started to call on the NRA to exercise its right to organize a militia according to the Constitution of the U.S. and cheered up his listeners with very interesting stories about Jean-Claude Juncker, the unelected head of the European Union, being a direct descendant of Junkers, the owner of the plant where bombers were built to destroy Europe and the rest of the world during World War II. Meanwhile, standing behind Alex Jones, whose relatives came to the New World on the Mayflower, are WASPs, who are responsible not only for the failures of the U.S., but also for the most glorious achievements of this great country. The American people that elected Donald Trump president were offered an evil choice: to either relax and enjoy what’s coming, or enjoy the bloodbath of a second Civil War.

Please understand ~ there is war now in the USA, The Government And The Secret Government, dangerous, very deadly where Trump can wind up being another Kennedy! Also understand, there is a group, a group for peace and business ! And this group is within the Government, a American And Russian Alliance ! ~ A group that remembers the year 1862 ! ~ Zak Novak

But the next day 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles manufactured in 2015, costing $1.5 million each, ruined the infrastructure of Al-Sharyat military airbase along with six Syrian MIG-23s manufactured in 1980, as from this airbase, according to Trump, the evil sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun began. Of course, the hypothesis that the bombs were armed with sarin does not stand up to even the slightest critique. Consider the dead giveaway in the video released by the White Helmets, who are actually the cannibals of Al Nusra who decided to become philanthropes: a man saving of victims of the supposed sarin attack wearing sandals with no socks, and no gloves on his hands. But Russia’s first press release about chlorine tanks on the munitions in Khan Sheikhoun that were bombed by Syrian planes doesn’t stand up to critique either, as two days later, after the Tomahawks ruined the airbase, the surviving planes started another bombardment on Khan Sheikhoun that was twice as intense as the one that caused all this trouble. Senator Lindsay Graham was absolutely correct in saying that the continuing bombardment of Khan Sheikhoun originating from the same exact airfield is a way of Assad saying “F-U” to Trump.

But this is not the point. The point is that if Russia or Syria had any grounds to believe that continuing the bombardment could again release chlorine from a gas tank, this continuing bombardment would never happen. President Assad is quite in the process of successfully finishing off his opposition with conventional weapons and has no need to use chemical weapons against them/ But it is very difficult to exclude the possibility that one of the Syrian generals was paid a lot of money to arm one of the planes with chlorine bombs in order to drop them on poor Khan Sheikhoun. This fits perfectly with the style of Hillary Clinton described earlier, as well as the furious campaign in the United States to arrest Donald Trump, which was just entering its final stage the day before the gas attack happened.

But woops! … and the cruise missile attack on the practically empty airbase of Al-Sharyat radically changed the situation: Putin’s puppet Donald Trump suddenly became the hero of the Free World and for all practical purposes began to enjoy “President of the World” status. And if he would implement Obama’s plan to convince Congress to officially declare war on ISIS, he would enjoy war powers on top of this, making him a true dictator, and the words “for all practical purposes” could be dropped. Then those who were planning his arrest would have to remember the Trading with the Enemies Act, which put Prescott Bush, the father of Bush 41 and the grandfather of Bush 43, into prison during World War II.

Meanwhile, the extremely happy face of Rex Tillerson leaving the G7 conference after his NATO friends, outraged by his question – why American taxpayers should pay for establishing a Nazi regime in Ukraine - refused to support NATO’s plan to give an ultimatum to Moscow, forces one to think that the bombardment of the Syrian airfield was actually a bucket of water thrown on the Wicked Witch of the West. And the fact that Russia was warned ahead of time and that 36 of the 59 missiles disappeared without a trace proves that their disappearance was actually a demonstration to the flying monkeys that in a situation much more serious than this, when some witch will ask them to fly armed with nuclear measles missiles, they might be susceptible to contracting Krasnukha, which is the name of a Russian electronic warfare system as well as a very contagious childhood disease.

The only thing that puts this stylistic analysis in doubt is that this bombing campaign doesn’t fit Trump’s style: The President of the United States, in this situation, would simply fire the guy who threatened to overcome him on the chess board. Meanwhile, this missile attack corresponds to turning the chess board around one move before being checkmated, and this turning around of the global chess board really reminds one of the sudden referendum in Crimea that made it part of the country to which it belonged for 200 years before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, i.e. longer than the United States exists. It is also very difficult to forget that the bombardment of the Syrian airbase cost the U.S. $100 million but caused the tragic deaths of just six people, which fits in perfectly with Sevastopol becoming a Russian city again – an operation of geopolitical significance that caused the deaths of two people.

In this circumstance it was unrealistic to expect yesterday that Tillerson and Lavrov would smile after the talks end while announcing a joint fight against ISIS in Syria; however, the more gloomy their faces were after the meeting, the more sure one can be today that yesterday Tillerson was sure – talks with Putin would took place in spite of the announcement and that this talks would be stripped from the official blame-game like talks with Lavrov and concentrate on points really important to both parties. Even more than that, there are very serious reasons to believe that somebody will convince Kim Jong Un to get over his case of the measles missiles, if China fails to cure him, as it’s quite possible that all his missiles and nuclear devices have a secret back door and can be disabled by the original system designer pressing a certain radio button.


On April 13, The Syrian Observer published an article related to the fact that the chemical attack in Khan Shayhun was staged by the White Helmets.

New Facts of the White Helmets’ Stage in Khan Shaykhun
http://dissidentvoice.org/2017/04/new-facts-of-the-white-helmets-stage-in-khan-shaykhun/

Tuesday, April 4, the White Helmets activists reported the chemical attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun of Idlib province. The national coalition of the Syrian opposition and revolutionary forces was the first to report 80 dead and 200 injured.

In fact, this chemical attack was a premeditated false flag operation aimed to blame the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons against civilians.

A lot of high-ranking opposition journalists took part in this bloodcurdling staging that involved slain and drug intoxicated children and adults.

The high-quality performance was covered by the Smart News Agency and Edlib Media Center. The world’s mainstream media immediately reported this staged attack.

Moreover, photos taken from the stage were immediately posted on Twitter and Facebook and shared by the White Helmets activists and popular opposition bloggers. This plot is proved by correspondence between Mustafa al-Haj Yussef, one of the White Helmets leaders, and Sakir Khader, a well known photographer.

JAsIrX, a Malaysian hacker, has published a letter on his blog that reveals preparations for filming the damage of the alleged chemical attack. The hacker has promised to publish more information on the activity of the Syrian opposition and collaborating with it NGOs.

Thus, the revealed information demonstrates once again that there are various opposition groups who are behind such provocations. It’s worth thinking about who may benefit from this chemical attack. In the context of progress in the Syrian crisis political settlement, it is advantageous only for those who don’t want the Syrian conflict to end.


A US lawmaker has demanded the revocation of the security clearance for President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser Jared Kushner for his refusal to disclose numerous contacts with foreign officials.

US lawmaker demands revocation of Kushner's security clearance
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/04/16/518196/US-Jared-Kushner-Congressman-Ted-Lieu-Russian-contacts-Sergey-Kislyak

"Kushner's security clearance should absolutely be suspended," said California Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu during an interview with national broadcaster MSNBC on Saturday.

The legislator harshly criticized Kushner for failing to unveil numerous contacts he reportedly made with Russian officials in the months leading up to Trump's inauguration.

The development came after The New York Times reported earlier this month about the omissions from Kushner's national security questionnaire, including meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, CEO of the Russian state-owned bank Sergey Gorkov, as well as others.

"I have filled out these forms before. They are known as SF86 forms. One of the main reasons that you have this form is to figure out if this person had contacts with foreign officials," Lieu said in the interview.

The lawmaker further insisted that Kushner made the omissions "intentionally" in light of the persisting scandal regarding contacts of several top Trump administration officials and aids with Russian authorities in months leading into Trump’s presidency.

"Jared Kushner intentionally omitted his various contacts and he knew these contacts were impertinent because of the whole Russia scandal that has been developing. So he lied. And he needs to have his security clearance revoked," he said.

Kushner's attorney, however, has reportedly stated that the omissions were erroneously made and that the White House had informed the FBI the day after the submission that Kushner would provide supplemental information to the form.


“WHO IS HIDING INFORMATION FROM CONGRESS?” Jason Chaffetz Demands Answers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nOcP8tOnyY (4:54 min.) April 2, 2017

Trey Gowdy and Jason Chaffetz are in the same courtroom wondering why someone is hiding information from congress. There is a "repeating pattern"
DOJ says don’t show up to congress or dont give them information.
 
Plot thickens: Trump informed Putin of US airstrike in advance [Video]
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/plot-thickens-trump-informed-putin-of.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riwMQqSJnl4 (6:01 min.)

Published on Apr 19, 2017

The plot thickens: In the meeting with Italian President in Moscow on 11 April, President Putin said that the US “deep state” military-financial interests potentially pressured President Trump into the airstrike on Syria. “Should anything go really wrong – Trump is who they will blame” – he said. A day later, Putin revealed in an interview that he was made aware of the airstrike a number of hours in advance. Given what we know about the situation so far - 1) Russia was given sufficient warning time to remove any personnel from the airbase, both Russian and Syrian, and 2) Not only did half of the US cruise missiles fail to reach the destination, but the ones that did were seemingly off-course. Very little damage was sustained at the Syrian airbase or the aircraft, as pointed out soon after the incident, by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

This leads me to believe that the whole thing was a facade, designed to appease certain "financial-military" interests inside the US 'deep state', as originally alluded to by President Putin. The slander of #RussiaGate has seemingly disappeared since Trump became a 'war President'. The issue of 'whodunnit' over the preliminary gas attack, which served as justification for the US airstrike, remains at large.
 
angelburst29 said:
Plot thickens: Trump informed Putin of US airstrike in advance [Video]
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/plot-thickens-trump-informed-putin-of.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riwMQqSJnl4 (6:01 min.)

Published on Apr 19, 2017

The plot thickens: In the meeting with Italian President in Moscow on 11 April, President Putin said that the US “deep state” military-financial interests potentially pressured President Trump into the airstrike on Syria. “Should anything go really wrong – Trump is who they will blame” – he said. A day later, Putin revealed in an interview that he was made aware of the airstrike a number of hours in advance. Given what we know about the situation so far - 1) Russia was given sufficient warning time to remove any personnel from the airbase, both Russian and Syrian, and 2) Not only did half of the US cruise missiles fail to reach the destination, but the ones that did were seemingly off-course. Very little damage was sustained at the Syrian airbase or the aircraft, as pointed out soon after the incident, by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

This leads me to believe that the whole thing was a facade, designed to appease certain "financial-military" interests inside the US 'deep state', as originally alluded to by President Putin. The slander of #RussiaGate has seemingly disappeared since Trump became a 'war President'. The issue of 'whodunnit' over the preliminary gas attack, which served as justification for the US airstrike, remains at large.

Instead of the whole thing being designed to appease, it could also be that it was the MIC, who wanted this attack to happen, which then due to forewarning by Trump to Putin, made the result negligible. In other words the idea of the attack was not Trump's, but perhaps due to Putin's input, it turned into a situation of turning lemons into lemonade.

That could be the case, but still the battle is far from over and Trump is still very little in charge of the US as the Deep State continues to light fires all over the place, with unpredictable outcomes.
 
Aeneas said:
angelburst29 said:
Plot thickens: Trump informed Putin of US airstrike in advance [Video]
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/plot-thickens-trump-informed-putin-of.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riwMQqSJnl4 (6:01 min.)

Published on Apr 19, 2017

The plot thickens: In the meeting with Italian President in Moscow on 11 April, President Putin said that the US “deep state” military-financial interests potentially pressured President Trump into the airstrike on Syria. “Should anything go really wrong – Trump is who they will blame” – he said. A day later, Putin revealed in an interview that he was made aware of the airstrike a number of hours in advance. Given what we know about the situation so far - 1) Russia was given sufficient warning time to remove any personnel from the airbase, both Russian and Syrian, and 2) Not only did half of the US cruise missiles fail to reach the destination, but the ones that did were seemingly off-course. Very little damage was sustained at the Syrian airbase or the aircraft, as pointed out soon after the incident, by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

This leads me to believe that the whole thing was a facade, designed to appease certain "financial-military" interests inside the US 'deep state', as originally alluded to by President Putin. The slander of #RussiaGate has seemingly disappeared since Trump became a 'war President'. The issue of 'whodunnit' over the preliminary gas attack, which served as justification for the US airstrike, remains at large.

Instead of the whole thing being designed to appease, it could also be that it was the MIC, who wanted this attack to happen, which then due to forewarning by Trump to Putin, made the result negligible. In other words the idea of the attack was not Trump's, but perhaps due to Putin's input, it turned into a situation of turning lemons into lemonade.

That could be the case, but still the battle is far from over and Trump is still very little in charge of the US as the Deep State continues to light fires all over the place, with unpredictable outcomes.

I suspect, it was the MIC/Pentagon who ordered the strike in both Syria and then in Afghanistan - to appease Netantahu/Israel? I do not agree with Dr. Theodore Karasik assessment in this article below - that " the US and Russia have had a direct military confrontation " in the way Karasik states it? My impression is that Trump made contact with Putin (in some way?) to give advance notice - so that "it would not be" a direct military confrontation between Russia and the U.S.? And to convey to Russia, that it wasn't Trump who gave "the order" to bomb the Syrian Shayrat airbase?

In an exclusive video interview with RiskHedge, a long-time geopolitical expert says there is an alternate story making the rounds about the United States’ April 7 missile strike on Syria’s Shayrat Airbase in response to the Syrian regime’s alleged use of sarin gas on its own people.

Did Russia Shoot Down US Missiles In Syria
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-04-22/did-russia-shoot-down-us-missiles-syria

“Not all missiles made their target,” says Dr. Theodore Karasik, a senior advisor to Gulf State Analytics. “There were supposed to be 60. One malfunctioned on one of the ships. 36 made target, the remainder did not. And, there’s a question of where did they go?”

Dr. Karasik, a former senior political scientist in the International Policy and Security Group at RAND Corporation, spent the last decade in the Middle East and retains an extensive network in the region.

“The missing [missiles] were either brought down by S-300 battery or were taken over by Russian electronic jamming and were plunged into the sea,” explains Dr. Karasik. “Now, this alternative theory means that the US and Russia have already clashed if you will—technically—with the use of the TLAMs (Tomahawk missiles) and then being intercepted or taken over by Russian control.”

If true, this means the US and Russia have had a direct military confrontation for the first time in decades.

“This is very important,” says Dr. Karasik, “because it illustrates that we’ve had our first encounter with the Russians, and that sets the stage for potentially future encounters between Washington and Russia on the Syrian battlefield.”

In addition, the rationale for the missile strike in the first place—Bashar al-Assad’s sarin gas attack on his own people—may be based on faulty intelligence.

“Apparently, the location of the attack itself is in an industrial area where there are a lot of toxic industrial chemicals located,” says Dr. Karasik. “The attack on this location produced a toxic cloud that was deadly enough, obviously, to kill and maim hundreds. The issue here is that in this particular attack, where this industrial gas was released, this is not in any way related to a sarin-type attack.”

Dr. Karasik says sarin is an odorless agent while victims complained they smelled an odor. He also explains that medics who were treating the victims were not properly dressed to handle sarin gas.

“Yes, there was an industrial toxic agent that killed and maimed people,” says Dr. Karasik. “But, whether or not it was sarin still has not been proven.”

This alternative theory is coming from a number of different places, according to Dr. Karasik, including sources in Washington, the Gulf region, and Russia.

RiskHedge reached out to the White House, Pentagon, and Russian Embassy in Washington, DC to comment on this story. As of press time, the White House and Russian Embassy have yet to respond. Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway referred back to the press conference held by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and General Joseph Votel immediately following the Syrian missile strikes. During the briefing on April 11, General Votel said the United States “targeted 59 locations on the airfield and struck 57 of those.”

Watch the full interview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7waFEzDfS0M (15:40 min.)


US Defense Secretary General James Mattis has arrived in Israel for talks expected to focus on Iran and Syria as well the strategic relations between Tel Aviv and Washington.

Pentagon chief in Israel to discuss Iran, Syria
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/04/21/518868/Mattis-in-Israel-to-discuss-Iran-Syria

Mattis arrived in Tel Aviv Thursday afternoon from Cairo on the third leg of a week-long tour of the US allies in the Middle East.

Marking the first time he has visited Israel as the Pentagon chief, Mattis was greeted by an official honor guard at army headquarters in Tel Aviv on Friday morning.

He then met the Israeli minister for military affairs, Avigdor Lieberman, and is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.

Mattis hopes to hear directly from Israeli leaders their concerns about regional issues, with Iran’s influence topping the list.

The conflict in Syria, where the US and Israel seek to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power, is also on the agenda, according to the prime minister’s office.

Israel was one of the first US allies to salute President Donald Trump for a recent missile strike on a Syrian airbase, where they alleged a suspected chemical attack originated.


Meeting took place after U.S. defense chief Mattis sat down with Israeli counterpart in Tel Aviv, said Iran continues to threaten Israel with ballistic missiles.

Netanyahu Meets Mattis, Lauds 'Change in U.S. Leadership, Policy' in Mideast
_http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.784851

Apr 21, 2017 - U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Jerusalem on Friday.

Prior to the meeting Netanyahu said that he sees a "great change" in the direction of U.S. policy in the Middle East, lauding Mattis and President Donald Trump's recent statements on Iran as well as U.S. action against Syria's use of chemical weapons. "It's appreciated around the world and in our region," Netanyahu said, according to a press release.

"I think this is a welcome change, a strategic change in U.S. leadership and policy," the prime minister said, according to the press release.

Netanyahu also said that Israel and the U.S. both face the "double threat" of "radical Islam," referring to Iran and ISIS.

[...] Earlier, Mattis met with Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Tel Aviv to discuss the situation in the Middle East, with a focus on Syria and Iran.

In a press conference, Mattis said that Iran continues to threaten Israel and its neighbors with ballistic missiles. Mattis said that while the nuclear agreement with Iran is being enforced, the Islamic Republic maintains operations in the Middle East, including cooperation with Hezbollah to support Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Lieberman asserted that "the axis of evil between North Korea, Tehran, Damascus and Beirut" is the primary problem for Israel and for the entire world. He accused Iran of trying to destabilize the Middle East.

Both defense chiefs confirmed at the press conference that Syria's Assad used chemical weapons.

Mattis said that Assad has clearly retained chemical weapons in violation of an agreement to get rid of its entire stockpile.

Mattis said that Assad has clearly retained chemical weapons in violation of an agreement to get rid of its entire stockpile.

"There can be no doubt in the international community's mind that Syria has retained chemical weapons in violation of its agreement and its statement that it had removed them all. There is no longer any doubt," he told reporters.

Lieberman expressed support for the U.S. strike on a Syrian airbase in response to the chemical attack earlier this month, saying it "sent a strong message to the regime." He declined to comment on reports that Israel believes Syria still holds between one ton and three tons of chemical weapons.

Lieberman said that Israel and the U.S. share the same values, and that with U.S. support Israel can "overcome the threats and bring peace and stability to the region."


Militia says casualties of Quneitra attack were Syrian soldiers.

Three Reportedly Killed in Israeli Strike on pro-Assad Militia in Syria
_http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.785024

Sunday Apr 23, 2017 - Three people were killed in an alleged Israeli strike on a pro-regime miliita in Syria on Sunday.

A statement by the militia, the Syrian National Defense Forces, said the casualties of the attack near the border town of Quneitra were soldiers. The militia fights along the Syrian army in support of President Bashar Assad.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitoring group, also said an attack had taken place, but said it remained unclear if the source of the bombardment was an air strike or shelling.

Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen reported that two were also wounded in the attack. The Israeli army refused to address the reports.

Rebel groups fighting President Bashar Assad's government in the Syrian conflict hold swathes of Quneitra, while the army and pro-government forces control another part of the province.

On Friday, the Israeli army attacked militant positions in the Syrian Golan Heights after three mortar shells exploded on the Israeli side of the border. The Israeli army said it was likely that the fire was not intentional, but was spillover from the Syrian civil war.

Mid-March saw an unusual exchange of fire between Israel and Syria, when the Israeli air force attacked several targets across the border and Syrian air defense launched several anti-aircraft rockets in response. One of the rockets entered Israeli airspace and was shot down by an Arrow missile. Following the incident, Israel made a rare statement admitting to the airstrikes in Syria.
 
Russia has restored its 2015 memorandum of understanding on Syrian air operations with the United States at the request of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Russia's Izvestia newspaper reported Tuesday.

Russia Restores Syria Flight Safety Memorandum With US at Tillerson's Request
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201704251052965996-russia-us-flight-safety-memorandum-restored/

Tillerson visited Moscow earlier in April to meet Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin. The sides dealt with a number of issues on the bilateral agenda, including Syria, shortly after a surprise US strike on Syrian army facilities that resulted in Russia suspending its air safety memorandum with Washington.

Russia restored the memorandum on April 13, just a day after Tillerson's visit, the Izvestia newspaper reported citing a Russian Foreign Ministry source.

The memorandum was singed in October, 2015, shortly after Russia started its counter-terrorist campaign over Syria at the request of Damascus. The US-led coalition had by then spent a year striking terrorist targets in Syria without approval by the country's government.

The memorandum features specific instructions for pilots which help avoid air incidents and ensure flight safety amid the two parallel campaigns. A round-the-clock communication channel was also opened between the two countries' military personnel.


US lawmakers sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking that he detail the legal basis for the strike against the Shayrat airbase in Syria on April 6th, according to US Senator Tim Kaine's press office.

US Lawmakers Ask Trump to Show Legal Basis for Syria Missile Strike
https://sputniknews.com/us/201704251052985305-us-syria-missile-trump-legal/

President Donald Trump must provide a detailed account of the legal reasons for his strike against the Sha'irat airbase in Syria on April 6, US Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Adam Schiff said in a letter to Trump, according to a press release from Kaine's office on Tuesday.

"Yesterday, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Senate Foreign Relations Committees, sent a letter to President Trump asking that he detail the legal basis for the strike against the Shayrat airbase in Syria on April 6th, which has yet to be provided to Congress and the American people," the release stated.

The release noted that without a full understanding of the legal basis for the strike, the US Congress will be unable to exercise its constitutional abilities.
 
Back
Top Bottom