US, French Forces Looting Historical Artifacts of Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- The American and French military troops are conducting excavation operations in historical sites in Raqqa province to plunder the region's valuable artifacts, a Russian media outlet reported on Tuesday.
The Arabic-language website of RT quoted media activists in Raqqa province as reporting that the American and French forces are carrying out excavation operations in historical hills in al-Mansoureh region in Western Raqqa.
It further said that similar excavation operations have been conducted Northwest of the town of Tabaqa near Ja'abar citadel and in the town of al-Jarniyeh in al-Karin region.
Northeastern and Eastern Syria are home to a precious collection of historical artifacts where ISIL had been looting its monuments and selling them to foreign countries.
The American and French forces have deployed in regions that are under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces in Northern and Eastern Syria under the pretext of war on ISIL.
The Arabic-language al-Watan daily quoted opposition sources as reporting on Sunday that the US-led coalition reinvigorated its military presence on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the second half of the current year via setting up 18 bases in the Northeastern and Eastern provinces of Syria.
The US-run bases are in Ein al-Arab (Kobani), Kharab Ashak, Manbij, Ein Issa, Raqqa and Tabaqa in Raqqa province, al-Shadadi, al-Houl, Tal Tamar, Tal Bidar and Romeilan in Hasaka province and al-Amr oilfield and al-Bahrah region in Deir Ezzur province, al-Watan went on to say, adding that some of the bases have runways for the take-off and landing of military aircraft.
It further said that the US-run bases are under tight military protection via ground and aerial patrols and are surrounded by a circle of checkpoints.
Authorities find weapons left behind by terrorists in Quneitra countryside, including US TOW missiles
5 September، 2018
Quneitra, SANA – The authorities found large amounts of weapons and medical supplies left behind by terrorists in the southern countryside of Quneitra.
The authorities discovered the weapons during the sweeping operation in al-Rafid and al-Braiqa villages.
SANA’s reporter said that the weapons include US TOW missiles, Israeli-made grenades, rocket launchers, night-vision goggles, various kinds of ammunition, RPG launchers and mortar rounds of 130 mm and 80 mm.
Amounts of medical supplies and medicines were also discovered in the area in addition to equipment for the so called “White Helmets”, including fake blood, cosmetics and plastic body organs used for media fabrications.
Terrorist groups destroy al-Twaineh Bridge in Hama countryside
5 September، 2018
Hama, SANA- In framework of targeting the infrastructure and citizens’ houses, over the past few hours, terrorist groups destroyed al-Twaineh bridge in Hama northern countryside.
SANA reporter in Hama said that terrorist groups on Wednesday morning destroyed al-Twaineh Bridge, 2 km to the west of al-Madiq Castle in the northern countryside after they planted huge amounts of high explosive materials in different parts of the bridge.
The reporter added that al-Twaineh Bridge is considered the third bridge destroyed by terrorist groups after the bridges of al-Sharyia and Beit Ras in al-Ghab Plain.
Army units continue to advance against Daesh terrorists in Sweida desert
5 September، 2018
Sweida, SANA – Syrian Arab Army units continued to advance in their operations to take out the remaining Daesh (ISIS) pockets in al-Safa hills deep in the Badiya (desert) of Sweida province.
SANA’s correspondent said that army units and supporting forces advanced from several directions and established control over more rocky slopes and vantage points at the outskirts of al-Safa hills following violent clashed with Daesh that left many terrorists dead.
The correspondent said the Syrian Air Force and artillery units targeted fortified positions of Daesh terrorists, killing a number of snipers while other terrorists fled to more difficult terrain.
The correspondent said that army units have fortified their positions and deployment, maintaining a tight perimeter around al-Safa hill, preventing an attempt by terrorists to sneak towards a military position west of hills and eliminating them.
Syria in the Last 24 Hours: Air Defense Intercepts Israeli Missiles Over Baniyas as Russia, Syrian War Planes Launch Strikes Against Terrorists in Idlib
Posted by ALEXANDRA VALIENTE on SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
4 September، 2018
Damascus, SANA
A military source said on Tuesday that the army air defenses intercepted an Israeli aggression with warplanes that infiltrated on a low altitude from west of Beirut into the north targeting a number of military sites in tartous and Hama.
The source added that the army air defenses downed a number of the hostile missiles and forced the attacking warplanes to flee.
Meanwhile, Director of Misyaf National hospital told SANA that the hospital received the body of one martyr and four wounded persons due to the Israeli aggression.
Likewise, Director of Banyas national hospital said that hospital received 8 wounded citizens due to the aggression.
Asem Saleh
A new Israeli aggression on Syria. Israeli warplanes flew over Lebanon and targeted Syrian sites in the countryside of Masyaf. Video shows the interception of one Israeli missile over Baniyas.
Russian, Syrian Warplanes Start Pounding Terrorists’ Positions in Idlib, Hama
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Russian and Syrian fighter jets carried out massive bombing raids on terrorists’ positions in Northwestern Hama and Western Idlib on Tuesday, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.
The Arabic-language Moraseloun news website reported that the fighter jets conducted a heavy bombing on terrorists’ positions in a large region stretching from Southern Idlib to the al-Ghaab Plain in an introduction to the upcoming ground assault.
In the meantime, the warplanes stuck terrorists’ strongholds in Jisr al-Shughour, Jabal al-Zawiyeh, Marowaj, al-Shaqar, Harash Basnaqoul, Anab, al-Janoudiyeh, Qani, al-Sarmaniyeh and Zeizoun, inflicting major casualties on the terrorists.
Earlier reports said that the army sent twenty tanks and BMP vehicles, floating bridges and tens of personnel carriers to the battlefields in Northwestern Syria.
In the meantime, the army’s artillery and missile units pounded the positions and movements of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) in the village of al-Jabeiryeh and in the town of al-Latamina in Northern Hama, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.
Other artillery units opened heavy fire at the movements of al-Turkistani Islamic Party in the small towns of al-Ziyara, al-Mashit, al-Zi’yadiyeh and al-Qarqour in Western al-Ghaab Plain and in the town of Badama in Jisr al-Shughour region in Western Idlib, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.
Drones Launched by Idlib Terrorists Threaten Russian Bases in Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told reporters on Tuesday that the unmanned aerial vehicles launched by terrorists in Idlib pose a danger to Russia’s bases in Syria.
“This represents a significant threat to our temporary bases, and the Russian president has spoken about this. It is from [Idlib] that various unmanned aerial vehicles are being sent which pose a threat to our temporary bases,” Peskov said, Sputnik reported.
According to Peskov, Idlib today serves as a ‘hotbed of terrorism’ which destabilizes Syria as a whole.
“The situation in Idlib continues to be a subject of particular concern to Moscow, Damascus, Ankara, and Tehran. The fact is that there is a hotbed of terrorism there, a fairly large group of terrorists has settled there. Of course, this leads to general destabilization. This undermines attempts to re-introduce political and diplomatic regulation,” he told reporters.
Moscow, Peskov added, is confident that the situation in Idlib must be dealt with.
“It’s undoubtedly necessary to deal with this problem [of terrorists in Idlib]. We know that the Syrian Armed Forces are preparing to solve this problem,” he noted.
Commenting on US President Donald Trump’s recent tweet warning Damascus and its allies not to “recklessly attack Idlib Province”, Peskov commented that “making some warnings without paying attention to the very dangerous, negative potential for the situation in Syria in general is probably not a complete, not a comprehensive approach”.
The presidential spokesman also stressed that the situation in Syria’s Idlib would be “one of the main issues on the agenda” at the upcoming trilateral peace talks in Tehran on September 7 between the Russian, Turkish and Iranian presidents, as they hope to bring the Syrian conflict to an end.
Asked to comment on reports in Western media that Russian military aircraft had allegedly struck militant positions in Idlib on Tuesday, Peskov referred reporters to the Russian Ministry of Defense, saying he does not have operational information about the situation at this time.
Terrorists Launch Drone Attack on Syrian Army Positions in Lattakia
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria reported on Tuesday that five bomber drones of the terrorist groups, deployed in Western Idlib, attacked the Syrian Army positions in Northeastern Lattakia.
Commander of the Russian Center Vladimir Savchenko reported that the terrorists, deployed in the town of Jisr al-Shughour in Western Idlib, bombed the army’s positions in the mountainous region in Northeastern Lattakia by five attack drones.
He further said that three Syrian soldiers were killed and nine more were wounded in the attack.
On Monday, Abu Abdul Haq al-Kurdi, a notorious commander of Tahrir al-Sham, was killed after terrorists’ positions in the village of Kabineh in Jabal al-Akrad in Northeastern Lattakia came under heavy missile and artillery fire by the army.
In the meantime, a drone of the terrorist groups that was carrying explosive materials was shot down by the army units in al-Mashari’a region in al-Ghaab Plain in Northwestern Hama.
Also, other artillery and missile units shelled the positions and movements of the terrorists in the small town of al-Ziyarah and in the villages of al-Qarqour and al-Mashik in al-Ghaab Plain, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.
Weapons and medical supplies uncovered by authorities in Quneitra countryside
4 September، 2018
Quneitra, SANA
Authorities uncovered amounts of weapons, medical supplies, and communication devices that had been left behind by terrorists in the villages of Jubatha al-Khashab and Beir Ajam in Quneitra countryside.
SANA’s reporter said that different types of missiles were among the discovered weapons, in addition to rifles, various kinds of ammunition, shells for tanks, mortar rounds, and communication devices.
The seized items also included medicines and medical equipment.
The reporter said that sweeping operation in the villages liberated from terrorism will continue to ensure the safety of citizens, as the locals are providing authorities with information about the presence of field hospitals, caches, or sites which had been set up and concealed by Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in the area before leaving to northern Syria.
U.S.'s Mattis says 'zero intelligence' that rebels in Syria's Idlib have chemical weapons capability
New Delhi (Reuters) - There was “zero intelligence” of chemical weapons capabilities possessed by groups opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the province of Idlib, U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said, adding that the facts did not back Russian assertions.
Syrian government forces plan a phased offensive in Idlib and surrounding areas held by rebels opposed to Assad, who has been backed by both Russian and Iranian forces in the country’s civil war.
Russian and Syrian jets hammered the rebel stronghold on Tuesday, days before the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey meet to discuss the expected Syrian government offensive that could spark a humanitarian disaster.
In the past few days, Russian officials, cited by Russian media, have said there was a plan by “militants” to stage a false chemical weapons attack in Idlib province to frame Assad.
“We have zero intelligence that shows the opposition has any chemical capability,” Mattis told reporters traveling with him to the Indian capital of New Delhi for a high-level dialogue on Thursday between the south Asian nation and the United States.
Russia’s Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said he had told U.S. officials that Moscow was concerned over signs the United States was preparing new strikes on Syria and warned against “groundless and illegal aggression against Syria.”
“We have made very clear that by putting out innuendo that somehow any chemical weapon use coming up in the future could be ascribed to the opposition, well, we want to see the data,” Mattis said. “We cannot see anything that indicates the opposition has that capability.”
He said instead there was a history of Assad’s government using such weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump has twice ordered U.S.-led strikes against targets in Syria in response to what Washington called the Assad government’s use of chemical weapons against civilians.
On Tuesday the White House said that if Assad used chemical weapons “the United States and its allies would respond swiftly and appropriately.”
Asked if he saw indications of the Syrian government preparing to use chemical weapons in Idlib, Mattis said, “ I think the best answer to that is, we are very alert.”
Sputnik, a Russian state-owned news outlet, said recently the White Helmets rescue service had delivered a large shipment of toxic substances to “local armed militant groups.”
The Pentagon said the Russian government was using a “concentrated disinformation campaign” to discredit the United States and its allies.
“That Russia is seeking to plant false lies about chemical weapons use suggests that Moscow is seeking to deflect from its own culpability when these heinous weapons are used,” Commander Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.
Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Travel Warning – Syria
Home | News & Events | Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Travel Warning – Syria
141
The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against all travel to Syria and strongly recommends that U.S. citizens remaining in Syria depart immediately. The security situation remains dangerous and unpredictable. Violent conflict between government and armed anti-government groups continues throughout the country. There is a serious risk for kidnappings, bombings, murder, and terrorism. This replaces the Travel Warning dated March 22, 2017.
<snip>
Terrorist and other violent extremist groups including ISIS and al-Qa’ida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (dominated by al-Qa’ida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusrah, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization), operate in Syria. In July 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham consolidated power in Idlib province after it clashed with other armed actors. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham control over Idlib threatens the ability of NGOs and states to deliver humanitarian aid to Syrians residing in Idlib. Moreover, Russia and/or the Syrian government initiated airstrikes in Idlib in September, which resulted in significant damage to medical facilities and dozens of civilian casualties. Tactics of ISIS, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and other violent extremist groups include the use of suicide bombers, kidnapping, small and heavy arms, improvised explosive devices, and chemical weapons. They have targeted major city centers, road checkpoints, border crossings, government buildings, shopping areas, and open spaces, in Damascus, Aleppo, Hamah, Dara, Homs, Idlib, and Dayr al-Zawr provinces. These groups have murdered and kidnapped U.S. citizens, both for ransom and political purposes; in some instances U.S. citizens have disappeared within Syria. Because of the security situation in Syria, the U.S. government’s ability to help U.S. citizens kidnapped or taken hostage is very limited.
Syrian CP, A communiqué of the meeting of the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party
9/5/18 3:50 PM
Syria, Syrian Communist Party Ar En Asia Communist and workers' parties
The Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party held its periodical meeting under the chairmanship of its Secretary-General Comrade AmmarBagdache on 3 August 2018.
Upon discussing the political situation, the Central Committee stressed the importance of the achievements of the brave Syrian armed forces to liberate large areas of the homeland. All positions which were held by the rebel gangs, in all forms, were cleared in the vicinity of the capital of our homeland, Damascus. This victory is of particular importance, not only militarily, but has significant positive and far-reaching political outcomes.
The armed presence of rebels in the center of the country, between Homs and Hama, has also been finished through negotiations. Recently, there has been a significant and visible strategic progress in liberating the southern regions of the country from the abomination of terrorist organizations. These important achievements of our armed forces have greatly strengthened the steadfastness of our country in the face of the Zionist imperialist attack. These achievements constitute a solid basis for the battle of our people for the liberation of all national territory from the occupation of the colonial countries.
The Turkish occupation has expanded over the last period. BesidesAl-Bab and Jarabloscities that were occupied by this oppressive state, the area of Afrin was occupied as well. The Turkish occupation authorities in the occupied territories apply methods which are categorically prohibited by international treaties, like demographic change, displacement and imposition of the currency of the occupying power ... This has been preceded by extensive looting of the occupied territories by the occupier and its agents. The Central Committee finds the steadfastness of the people of Afrin and theirresistance to the injustice of the occupation authorities as an important factor in the national struggle of the Syrian people. The Central Committee highly appreciates the steadfastness of our comrades in Afrin against the occupation.
The majority of Idlib governorate is under the authority and administration of Turkey. All the armed gangs in these areas are linked, in one form or another, to the administration of the Turkish occupation, implementing their aggressive and expansionist plans. The aggressive actions of the Turkish occupation authorities and their agents have caused growing of popular discontent among the masses who are under occupation, which give a hope of qualitative shift in resisting this brutal occupation.
American colonists also seek to establish their areas of influence in north-eastern Syria, especially in Aljazeera region, by maintaining and expanding the network of US military bases, and by relying on organizations that cooperate with the occupier. But the masses of our people in these areas increasingly express their rejection of the American occupation and the actions of those who deal with it. One of the most significant signs of this was the burning of American flag on many occasions, this is what the Syrian communists did in the cities of Aljazeera, expressing the feelings of citizens to insist on resisting the occupation and to emphasize their national belonging. The Central Committee highly appreciates the brave stands of our comrades in Aljazeera.
Although terrorism has been broken but the dangers of terrorist operations remain, we can see this through the series of criminal operations carried out by the terrorists in Jabal al-Arab that have claimed the lives of many citizens, including the elders, women and children. The response of the people of Jabal al-Arab was strict and clear, reflecting their long-standing national heritage. The Central Committee considered that the statement of the regional committee of our party in Swaida made an important contribution in this context.
The Central Committee emphasizes the correctness of the path established by our party for the current stage:
Struggle in defense of national independence.
To defend full national sovereignty.
Struggle for the unity of national territory.
One of the most important means to achieve this supreme national goal is the struggle for the liberation of our entire national territory from the abomination of colonial occupation.
The Central Committee calls for vigilance from Zionist and imperialist projects which aim to divide Syria or weaken its unity . The imperialist circles in general and Zionist in particular find this as a necessary introduction to achieve its expansionist project which is called "The New Great Middle East," which means the project of “Great Zion”. What is currently being heard from this or that party about the "priority of Israel's security" means to keep support for the aggressive expansionist policy of the Zionist entity, or at a minimum, to turn a blind eye to it and not confronting it.
The Central Committee is confident that Syria which is known for its long-standing national heritage and its resistance to colonial projects, will remain a major obstacle to the colonial tyranny and expansionist plans of imperialism and Zionism.
In the view of the Central Committee, the restoration of economic and social factors is of importance for strengthening national steadfastness. This requires the protection, promotion and development of national production. And the seek to reach again to the important achievements in agricultural and food security, and meet the interests of producers and the demands of the masses in general. This goal can be achieved through a complete break with liberal economic policies and to replace it by the policy of capitalist state with social impact. Which means the strengthening of the state and the public sector in the main economic fields in order to develop the national production in general accompanied by improving the standard of living of the popular masses. The role of the state must be essential in providing basic needs for the living of citizens and to support and protect the basic productive branches of industry and agriculture. All this will lead to effective, balanced and integrated reconstruction.
On what was announced to activate the anti-corruption process, and corruption in the opinion of our party means primarily the looting of the state and the people together by the parasitic bourgeoisie and bureaucratic bourgeois ,The central committee believes that in order for the anti-corruption process to be effective, it must be comprehensive and directed primarily against the bourgeoisie of the Comprador of intermediaries, brokers, speculators and representatives of the interests of foreign capital, and their partners in the State authority.
In its discussion of the international situation, the Central Committee considered that economic and political confrontations between the main imperialist centers are continuous and deep. These confrontations often take the form of armed conflicts, mostly through agents and sometimes through direct military intervention. Despite many high-level meetings on the international scene, the fundamental contradictions between the major international actors are increasing deeply. In this context, the policy of American imperialism takes a particularly dangerous position. It has been announced by the American government circles that the main enemy of the United States is the People's Republic of China, which forms the main economic rival of United States. The two sides have exchanged discriminatory measures in the economic field in general and in commercial field in particular. New US sanctions have also been applied against Russia, which is classified as the No. 2 enemy of the US administration. Also there are serious and declared tensions between American imperialism and Western European imperialism.
The United States is also launching a wide, multi-faceted attack in Latin America seeking to restore it to its "backyard". US imperialism is also acting more pressure on Iran, a pressure that is facing strong resistance. Many imperialist centers continue to exert pressure on the working masses to eliminate the gains made by the long and stubborn struggle of those who worked in these centers during the twentieth century.
All these factors bear in its burden the hallmarks of serious confrontations in the context of imperialist contradictions, as well as the contradiction between work and capitalism and the contradiction between imperialist centers and national liberation movements in capitalist states.
In this context, the resistance of Syria and its allies to the Zionist imperialist attack . As well as the national liberation war waged by the Yemeni people against the aggression of the colonial agents such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and some mercenary regimes. The struggle of the factions of the Arab national liberation movement is a subjective contribution to the liberation and revolutionary struggle of the peoples of the world against imperialism.
In the view of the Central Committee that the task of the struggle against the regimes which are agents of imperialism in our region is a major national task. Especially as the achievements of the national liberation movement will increase, the fragility of the puppet regimes will become more clear.
The Central Committee denounced the Zionist Knesset's decision to declare the Jewish character of its state. This declaration is yet another proof of the fact that Zionist Israel is an expansionist racist entity based on discrimination and oppression of the Arab Palestinian people, and on the constant aggression towards neighborliness. This procedure has resulted in the compatibility of the shape with the content. That is to say, "Zionist Israel" in its full characteristics became as South Africa in the middle of the last century- the state of racial discrimination without any ambiguity.
The Central Committee also discussed the preparations for the 12th Congress of the Syrian Communist Party. In this context, the committee reviewed the process of the electoral conferences in the organizations in preparation for the national congress. The Central Committee considered that these conferences, which took place within the framework of the principle of democratic centralism that prevails in the party's life, expressed the agreement of the comrades to the party's principled policy. This has been clearly demonstrated by the wide-ranging discussion of the subjects of the Central Committee, which handle the most important part of the Party's policy since its eleventh Congress. The Central Committee also made several decisions regarding preparations for the congress.
The Central Committee discussed the preparations of the party organizations for local administration elections. She considered that the main task of comrades during the campaign was to expand public contacts by conveying the party's policy and stands to the widest audience, as well as listening to people's concerns and expressing them in various ways. In this context, the Central Committee reassured the importance of the struggle for the interests of the popular masses. As Comrade KhaledBakdash teaches us, defending the interests of the people is the essence of the essence of the Communist Party policy.
The Central Committee also discussed the reality of partisan publishing. TheCentral Committee requested from all the party organizations to provide more articles to the newspaper of the party <<people’s voice>>, especially concerning the living and demands of the masses.
Thus The Central Committee finished its periodical meeting.
Damascus, 3 August 2018
The Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party
The Syrian Party 'gets it', no neo-Maoist there, they didn't mention Russian or Iranian 'imperialism' once. Mebbe they're dupes, like the Chinese Communist Party....
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
New details surface about terrorists’ preparations to stage chemical attack in Idleb and Hama
7 September، 2018
Idleb/Hama, SANA – More information is surfacing about terrorists and the “White Helmets” preparing to stage a new chemical incident to lay the blame on the Syrian Arab Army and elicit a Western aggression on Syria.
Several media and local sources have reported that the White Helmets have transported shipments of chlorine gas and sarin gas to three areas in the northern countryside of Idleb and Hama provinces, in addition to abducting dozens of children and taking them to an unknown location.
The sources say that militants from the “Turkistani Party” and “Hai’et Tahrir al-Cham” held on Thursday a meeting with members of the White Helmets in Jisr al-Shughour city west of Idleb, during which the roles were assigned for staging a chemical attack with the help of Western intelligence agencies.
The sources say that the White Helmets have picked three new locations for carrying out the attacks after information was leaked about the previously-planned locations, and the three locations are: al-Najia town in Jisr al-Shughour countryside, al-Hamawsh town in the northwestern countryside of Hama, and Kafr Nubbul town in Idleb countryside.
The sources affirmed that sarin gas and chlorine gas shipments have been transported to these three areas, and that dozens of children ages two to ten who had been abducted recently from a camp near Salqin now were transported from Jisr al-Shughour to an unknown location.
The sources suggest that it’s likely that the White Helmets and the armed groups will carry out a real massacre this time to avoid the inconsistencies that surfaced in the staged chemical incident in Douma.
Syria - U.S. Reveals Underpants Plan For Indefinite Occupation
Today the United States officially announced a new policy in its war on Syria. It is an equivalent to the three step business plan (vid) of the underpants gnomes:
The new U.S. plan is to: 1. keep north-east Syria indefinitely occupied, 2. ???, 3. Iran leaves Syria and the 'regime' in Damascus falls:
President Trump, who just five months ago said he wanted “to get out” of Syria and bring U.S. troops home soon, has agreed to a new strategy that indefinitely extends the military effort there and launches a major diplomatic push to achieve American objectives, according to senior State Department officials.
Although the military campaign against the Islamic State has been nearly completed, the administration has redefined its goals to include the exit of all Iranian military and proxy forces from Syria, and establishment of a stable, nonthreatening government acceptable to all Syrians and the international community.
The first major step of the "diplomatic push" is to prevent the imminent Syrian army operation against al-Qaeda aligned groups in Idleb province:
While the United States agrees that those forces must be wiped out, it rejects “the idea that we have to go in there . . . to clean out the terrorists, most of the people fighting . . . they’re not terrorists, but people fighting a civil war against a brutal dictator,” as well as millions of civilians, [U.S. special representative for Syria James] Jeffrey said. Instead, the United States has called for a cooperative approach with other outside actors.
“We’ve started using new language,” Jeffrey said, referring to previous warnings against the use of chemical weapons. Now, he said, the United States will not tolerate “an attack. Period.”
Jeffrey just visited Turkey. The intent was to stiffen Turkey's objection to the upcoming Idleb attack. The result was a plan that the Turkish president Erdogan presented today at the Tehran summit with President Putin of Russian and President Rohani of Iran. It included:
prolongation of the deescalation ceasefire
12 armed groups, including Hayat Tahrir al Sham to be disbanded
Turkey will train a new rebel force to control Idleb under Turkish command
Groups who resist will be targeted in counter terrorism operations
...
The plan is nonsense. It is a copy of the task list Erdogan was given when the deescalation zone in Idleb was established at an earlier summit in the Astana format. Erdogan failed to implement it. HTS still rules Idelb province. HTS still rejects to dissolve. The observation posts Turkey established around Idleb still depend on the goodwill and protection of HTS fighters.
Erdogan has no way to implement his plan. Accordingly today's summit in Tehran ended with a mealymouthed statement. It failed to come up with a common way forward for Idleb.
via Thomas van Linge - bigger
Syria and its allies Russia and Iran should proceed with their plans to cleanse Idleb of terrorist. The U.S. is bluffing. It has no realistic means to prevent the operation. Any U.S. attack on Syrian and Russian forces involved in it would likely escalate into a conflict between nuclear powers. That is a risk the U.S. military is unwilling to take. It knows that the forces it planted into Syria are vulnerable to attacks.
The U.S. is now screaming of imminent chemical attacks by the Syrian army on "civilians" in Idleb:
“If they want to continue to go the route of taking over Syria, they can do that,” said Nikki Haley at a UN press conference today, without explaining how a nation’s only recognized government can ‘take over’ the country it governs. “But they cannot do it with chemical weapons. They can’t do it assaulting their people. And we’re not gonna fall for it. If there are chemical weapons that are used, we know exactly who’s gonna use them.”
If a chemical incident occurs the U.S. will know who did it because it provided the chemicals to the terrorist. The Syrian army will of course not use any such weapons. Sun Tzu never gave this advice:
Chemical warfare is ineffective. That is why everyone agreed to ban it. Like in east-Ghouta the U.S. obviously plans to again fake such a "chemical attack on civilians" to have a propaganda pretext to attack Syrian forces.
Tomorrow the Russian fleet will finish its ongoing maneuver in the eastern Mediterranean. All Syrian army units have taken up their launching positions for the Idleb operation and are ready to go. The shaping operations by artillery and air forces have been ongoing for a while. Any hold off now would only deteriorate the readiness of the troops and give the U.S. more time to implement counter measures.
The Russian President Putin seems to understand that. At the press conference at the Tehran summit he said:
"Regarding a ceasefire, we consider it unacceptable when, under pretext of protecting the civilian population, they want to withdraw terrorists from being under attack, as well as inflict damage on Syrian government troops."
Russia is not in the mood to compromise. It warned the U.S. military that it would soon launch an operation against ISIS forces under protection of the small U.S. garrison in al-Tanf. Those forces recently launched another attempt to recapture Palmyra but were caught and defeated before they could achieve their aim:
Russian complaints about the presence of potential Al Qaeda or ISIS fighters in the buffer zone are not new, the US officials point out. But with an imminent Russian-backed assault by Syrian regime forces in the Idlib area in the north, there is concern Moscow could see this as an optimum time to conduct multiple offensive operations.
And there is the problem of the new U.S. strategy in Syria. The position in al-Tanf is untenable. The U.S could put a full brigade there, including anti-air assets, and it would still be too vulnerable. That is why today the U.S. launched a rescue and exfiltration exercise in al-Tanf. The place is too far away from other U.S. assets to withstand a committed attack.
In the north-east of Syria the U.S. positions is likewise endangered. Since early August 1,900 trucks brought in weapons and equipment for its Kurdish proxy forces, the SDF. The Saudis have committed to pay some money for reconstruction and the U.S. surely hopes to use the oil fields there to finance a future occupation. It will soon start to announce some 'independent' regional government that will be under its complete control.
But Turkey is against such empowerment of Kurds. The supply lines through Iraq are vulnerable. The population is diverse with many Syrian Arab tribes unwilling to live under Kurdish/U.S. control. They will resist the sectarian and ethnic cleansing the Kurds have planned. That makes it easy to instigate a guerilla war against the U.S. occupiers and their proxy forces. What happens when the U.S. forces start to take serious casualties?
The U.S. presence in Syria is costly heap of underpants with no chance to ever turn it into a profit. It was a mistake by Trump to fall for the siren songs of the neo-conservatives and Zionists who pressed for this plan. It is he who will have to pay the political price.
Posted by b on September 7, 2018 at 11:53 AM | Permalink
Syrian Ministry of Defense: Terrorists Will Announce a Chemical Attack in Rural Idlib This Evening
Posted by INTERNATIONALIST 360° on SEPTEMBER 8, 2018
Russian Ministry of Defense: Terrorists will announce an artificial chemical attack in rural Idlib this evening.
Russian Ministry of Defense: Terrorists will announce a fabricated chemical attack in the towns of Jisr al-Shughour, Sarqab, Tufatnaz and Sarmin.
Russian Ministry of Defense: The terrorists agreed at a meeting in Idlib on the seventh of this month on the scenario of a chemical attack and hold Damascus responsible.
Russian Ministry of Defense Presents Evidence of Meeting of White Helmets, Terrorist Groups, to Plan CW Attack
Posted by INTERNATIONALIST 360° on SEPTEMBER 8, 2018
The Russian Defense Ministry possesses irrefutable information that on September 7 leaders of Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham (Jabhat al-Nusra) and Hizb ut-Tahrir (Turkistan Islamic Party) met with local coordinators of the Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets) at a command post near the al-Vaha School in Idlib.
At the meeting they agreed on scenarios for staging and filming of incidents with the alleged use of chemical agents by the Syrian government forces against civilian population in the settlements of Jisr ash-Shugur, Saraqib, Taftanaz and Sarmin. All sides involved in the staging of provocations should be ready by the evening of September 8. A special team of some “foreign friends of the Syrian revolution” will give a signal for the start of the provocation in Idlib province.
The Russian Defence Ministry continues to closely monitor the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic and actions of the groups of the armed forces of various countries in the Middle East.
Syria Presents UN with Data Proving Plans for Terrorist Chemical Weapons Attack in Idlib
Posted by INTERNATIONALIST 360° on AUGUST 28, 2018
Syria’s UN envoy called on countries capable of influencing terrorists to prohibit their agents from taking any actionhttps
UNITED NATIONS, August 28. /TASS/. Syria’s permanent mission to the United Nations has presented documents proving terrorists’ plans to carry out a chemical weapons attack in the Syrian province of Idlib and put the blame on Damascus, Syrian Permanent Representative to the UN Bashar Jaafari said at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday.
According to him, the documents make it clear that the Jabhat al-Nusra terror group (outlawed in Russia) and some other terrorists pledged readiness to use chemical weapons against civilians in Idlib in order to put the blame on Syrian authorities and justify a foreign military aggression.
Jaafari pointed out that in April, the US and its allies had carried out an attack on Syria after a chemical weapons provocation. The Syrian envoy called on countries capable of influencing terrorists to prohibit their agents from taking any action.
According to him, Damascus condemned the use of chemical weapons no matter the circumstances and considered it to be immoral. Jaafari reiterated that the Syrian government did not have chemical weapons and was committed to its obligations to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which had informed the international community that Syria had implemented its obligations in that field.
The Syrian envoy said that any aggression against his country would be an aggression against a United Nations founding state, as well as against global peace and security, and would amount to supporting terrorism.
Plans for provocation
Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Monday that the United States was increasing the number of cruise missiles deployed to the Middle East, planning to target Syrian government troops following a staged chemical weapons attack that terrorists were about to carry out in the Idlib province. He added that “this is another proof of the United States’ intention to take advantage of an attack staged by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants with the support of British intelligence agencies in the Idlib province, aimed at blaming Syrian government forces for using chemical weapons.”
According to Konashenkov, on August 25, the USS Ross, a guided-missile destroyer, entered the Mediterranean armed with 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of hitting any target in Syria. The USS The Sullivans armed with 56 cruise missiles arrived in the Persian Gulf several days ago, while a US B1-B bomber equipped with 24 air-to-surface standoff missiles was relocated to the Al Udeid US air base in Qatar.
In early April, a number of non-governmental organizations, including the White Helmets, reported that Syrian troops had allegedly used chemical weapons in the town of Douma on April 7. On April 14, the United States, Great Britain and France attacked several Syrian targets, firing over 100 missiles. The three countries claimed that the attack was a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government.
US AMBASSADOR TO UN GOES WILD, CLAIMS RUSSIA, SYRIA, IRAN SEEK TO KILL CIVILIANS, DESTROY SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS IN IDLIB
1263 276 1 Share0 1 1569 Donate
US Ambassador To UN Goes Wild, Claims Russia, Syria, Iran Seek To Kill Civilians, Destroy Schools And Hospitals In Idlib
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
On September 7th, during a UN Security Council briefing, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley claimed that Russia and Syria “want to bomb schools, hospitals, and homes.”
In her statement during the UN Security Council briefing, Haley said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its “enablers,” Russia and Iran have a playbook for the war in Syria. First, they surround a civilian area. Next, they make the “preposterous claim that everyone in the area is a terrorist,” thus making all civilians targets. That is followed by a “starve and surrender” campaign, during which Syrian security forces keep attacking until the people no longer have food, clean water, or shelter. “It’s a playbook of death. The Assad regime has spent the last seven years refining it with Russia and Iran’s help.”
According to her it has happened many times before, in July 2018 it happened in Dara’a and the southwest of Syria, where Syrian forces “trapped and besieged civilians.” In February 2018, it was Ghouta. In 2017 it was Aleppo, and prior to that places like Madaya and Hama.
According to her, Assad’s government has left the country in ruins. “The atrocities committed by Assad will be a permanent stain on history and a black mark for this Council – which was blocked over and over by Russia from taking action to help,” Nikki Haley said.
She then continued that the offensive in Idlib is about to start. Airstrikes by Russia and Syrian forces have already begun despite “clear warnings of the President of the United States and other world leaders.” She further reiterated that the US has been more than clear with Russia and the broader international community: “we consider any assault on Idlib to be a dangerous escalation of the conflict in Syria. If Assad, Russia, and Iran continue, the consequences will be dire.”
She cited numbers that 3 million people are at risk in Idlib, according to her 99% are civilians. “The Assad regime must halt its offensive. Russia and Iran, as countries with influence over the regime, must stop this catastrophe. It is in their power to do so,” she urged.
She also accused Russia of claiming it seeks a political solution, however it hasn’t done anything to assist in reaching it. “If they support an offensive in Idlib, the world will know where Russia really stands when it comes to supporting peace talks.”
She also commented that the US is also concerned with the presence of terrorists in Idlib, however, according to her there are ways to target the groups without causing a humanitarian catastrophe.
She then, directly accuses Russia and Assad’s government of targeting civilians, without substantiating her claims with any proof whatsoever. “But when Russia and the Assad regime say they want to counter terrorism, they actually mean they want to bomb schools, hospitals, and homes. They want to punish the civilians who had the courage to rise up against Assad. When the regime calls the brave White Helmets terrorists, we know they are not serious about fighting terrorism. The United States will not cooperate with Russia on the Assad regime’s slaughter of innocent civilians,” she claimed.
She also claimed that Russia’s requests for the international community and the US to provide funds for the reconstruction of Syria is unacceptable. She “translated” the claims: “they want us to clean up all the roads, bridges, and homes that Russian jets, Iranian-backed militias, and Syrian shells destroyed. The United States will not consider such requests for reconstruction aid until we see concrete results from a genuine political process that ends the war and offers freedom to the Syrian people. No one else should either. That would be absurd. The U.S. taxpayer is certainly not going to subsidize Assad’s campaign of destruction.”
She further reiterated that there was still time to pursue an alternative, citing the roadmap in Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for real dialogue among Syrians and the drafting of a new constitution.
She once more commented that Russia has chosen the wrong side. “But for Russia, continuing to support this murderous dictator, and isolating themselves from the international community, is the wrong choice,” she said.
She claimed that, despite the horrible crimes she accused Russia of, it can still rectify the situation. “We urge Russia to consider its options carefully. Stop Assad’s assault on Idlib. Work with us, with the UN and international partners, to find peace at last for Syria. The Secretary-General, and the overwhelming majority of this Council, have made our position very clear. Russia needs to live up to its responsibility and put an end to the fighting,” she said.
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley’s claims during the UN Security Council briefing were substantiated by no evidence whatsoever, it was just one more step in the US fight against Assad’s rule, which it sees as illegitimate.
All of this came on the same day the US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey announced the US new strategy for Syria. According to it, US military presence in the country may continue indefinitely, until Iran completely withdraws, as well as there is a government different from that of Bashar al-Assad.
US Air Forces Strike Deir Ez-Zor With Banned Phosphorus Shells – Mod
SYRIA NEWS
On Sep 9, 2018
US Air forces Strike Deir ez-Zor With Banned Phosphorus Shells
The US Air forces ” Two US F-15 jets ” on September 8 carried out strikes using banned phosphorus bombs in Deir ez-Zor province, the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation said in a statement.
“In Deir ez-Zor province on September 8, 2018, two F-15 aircraft of the US Air Forces carried out strikes on the settlement of Hadjin with the use of phosphorus incendiary munitions. As a result of the strikes, major fires were observed. Information on victims and injured are being clarified,” Major-General Vladimir Savchenko stated, stressing that the use of weapons with white phosphorus is prohibited by an additional protocol to the 1949 Geneva Convention.
The US-led coalition, consisting of more than 70 countries, is conducting military operations against Daesh in Syria and Iraq without UN or Syrian permission.
In August, former Commander of Syria’s Deir ez-Zor Military Assembly Fayez Esmer reportedly stated that the Pentagon was preparing to set up a missile defense shield in Syria’s northeastern cities of Al Hasakah and Rmelan.
In April, media reported that Daesh had succeeded in seizing the oil fields in the province of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria, which was its former key stronghold, with the group using the oil fields to raise funds for its terror state.
The US-led coalition conducted airstrikes on Deir Ez-Zor in 2017, claiming lives of six civilians, including three children.
Damascus accused the coalition of applying white phosphorus, prohibited by international convention, to damage infrastructure and kill civilians.
