Ukraine, Crimea, Syria, Israel, Iran, Turkey, Putin, China, and World War III

[Hervé]

Turkey Detains Russian Ships In Black Sea, Blasts Moscow For Brandishing Rocket Launcher In Strait

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 12/06/2015 10:59 -0500


Exactly a week ago, we warned that Turkey does have one trump card when it comes to dealing with an angry Russian bear that’s hell bent on making life miserable for Ankara in the wake of Erdogan’s brazen move to shoot down a Russian Su-24 near the Syrian border. Turkey, we explained, could move to close the Bosphorus Strait, cutting one of Moscow’s key supply lines to Latakia.

We went on to explain, that such a move would probably be illegal based on the 1936 Montreux Convention, but as Sputnik noted, "in times of war, the passage of warships shall be left entirely to the discretion of the Turkish government."

Obviously, Turkey and Russia haven’t formally declared war on one another, but the plane “incident” marked the first time a NATO member has engaged a Russian or Soviet aircraft in more than six decades and given the gravity of that escalation, one would hardly put it past Erdogan to start interfering with Moscow’s warships, especially if it means delaying their arrival in Syria where the Russians are on the verge of restoring an Assad government that’s Turkey despises.

Well sure enough, the tit-for-tat mutual escalation that’s ensued since the Su-24 crash has spilled over into the maritime arena with Moscow and Ankara detaining each other's ships.

After five Turkish vessels were held at the port of Novorossiysk for “inspections,” Turkey retaliated on Friday by holding four Russian ships at the Black Sea port of Samsun. The following table reveals a hilarious list of the Russian vessels’ alleged infractions which apparently include fire safety violations, pollution prevention violations, and problems with “life saving appliances.”:

One of the vessels - the cargo ship Crystal - has yet to be released.

"Six ships with a Russian flag were checked at Samsun Port on Dec. 5. The ships were found to be in compliance with Port State Control (PSC) rules, a series of international standards that all ships are required to meet, but some problems were subsequently detected in four of the ships," Hurriyet says, adding that "three of the ships consequently met the requirements and were permitted to leave, but the remaining vessel has not yet been permitted to depart."

The Crystal apparently lacks the "required documents."

Obviously, Russia and Turkey are engaged in a bit of petty mutual escalation here, but it's worth noting that Samsun isn't far from the Bosphorus:

And while Turkey now appears content to harrass Russian cargo vessels, one shouldn't discount the possibility that Erodgan will look to do something more provocative now that it looks like the UN will ultimately be dragged into the ISIS oil smuggling debate.

Indeed, Moscow seems to be taking the Bosphorus issue quite seriously because as Hurriyet reported just hours ago, when the Russian warship Caesar Kunikov made its way through the strait on Saturday, a Russian soldier stood on deck with a shoulder ground-to-air missile at the ready.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's response: "For a Russian soldier to display a rocket launcher or something similar while passing on a Russian warship is a provocation. If we perceive a threatening situation, we will give the necessary response."" Indeed.

And meanwhile, three NATO warships have dropped anchor off Istanbul’s Sarayburnu coast: Portugal's F-334 NRP Francisco de Almeida, Spain’s F-105 ESPS Blaz de Lezo, and Canada's FFG-338 HMCS Winnipeg.

[Baby Steps]

Attachment 32199

Attachment 32200

Just viewing the USA as the reckless Hegemon, controlled by an evil hidden hand and sowing mayhem and destruction around the world may not be the full story.

we know that Iraq was invaded because Saddam Hussain was threatening to move to selling oil in Euros.

Saudi Arabia is a great Ally of USA, and heavily armed by USA & UK. IF THEY THREATENED TO START SELLING OIL IN ANOTHER CURRENCY it is bye bye dollar!

by the same token, if others move to reduce the importance (de-dollarisation) of the world reserve currency, the currency inevitably tanks, and Saudi income collapses as the Dollar falls. In other words if one set of counties drop the dollar, it incentivises the SAudis to follow.

So there is a large positive feedback mechanism on de-dollarisation.

From the above it is obvious that Saudi can exert a very heavy influence over the USA financial establishment (like a knife to the throat)

On to Israel.
They have their eyes on a huge new oil find in the Golan Hights. This territory is currently Israeli controlled but legally Syrian Territory. Assad was the one who effectively was resisting this and attempting to recover sovereign Syrian territory.

DO SAUDI AND ISRAEL WORK TOGETHER?
You bet!
Check out the footage of low yield nuclear weapons illegally used against the YEMENI people. These weapons almost definitely came from Israel or USA via Israel.

So we have a convergence of strategy and interests between Saudi and Israel (secret alliance?)

This is the gruesome twosome that is partially controlling USA. USA is being used as a soldier state for foreign interests.

[Cidersomerset]

'Washington targets Syrian govt because of fear to lose to Russia'

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Zo8PwIBp6c4

Published on 7 Dec 2015


Damascus has sent a complaint to the UN Security Council regarding a suspected
Western-coalition air strike on army positions in Syria. Catherine Shakdam, Middle
East expert, joins RT to discuss this issue.

RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air

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‘Turkey gets impunity for whatever it does’: Turkish troops deployed in N. Iraq

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UhhP8eHwWII

Published on 7 Dec 2015

The Arab League has condemned deployment of Turkish troops in northern Iraq,
saying it amounts to “an intervention.” Iraq has demanded that Ankara withdraws
its troops, saying it will go to the UN Security Council if they remain.

[Hervé]

Pentagon Denies US-Led Coalition Strikes on Syrian Army Facilities

19:03 07.12.2015
(updated 20:42 07.12.2015)

© AP Photo/ U.S. Air Force via AP

According to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, four US-led coalition aircraft launched nine missiles at Syrian Army facilities on Sunday evening killing three and injuring another 13, as well as destroying numerous military vehicles, weapons and equipment.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Army spokesperson Col. Steve Warren denied on Monday that US-led coalition airstrikes hit Syrian government military facilities on Sunday as claimed by Damascus.

"The coalition conducted four strikes in the Deir ez-Zor province yesterday, all against oil well heads," Warren stated. "We did not strike any vehicles or personnel targets. We have no indication any Syrian Soldiers were near our strikes."

The Syrian Foreign Ministry sent an official protest to the UN Security Council accusing the US-led coalition of hitting Syrian Army facilities in Deir ez-Zor province, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported Monday. Damascus added that the attack on the military post hinders efforts to fight terrorism and highlights the US-led coalition's lack of "seriousness and credibility" in countering terrorism.

A US-led international coalition has been conducting airstrikes against Daesh, also known as ISIL or the Islamic State terrorist group, in Syria since 2014 without the approval of the UN Security Council or the Syrian government.


Related:
Syria Sends Protest to UN Over US-Led Coalition Strike on Army Facilities

[Cidersomerset]

CrossTalk: Syria's Wheel of Fortune

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ADL27SYBFB8

Published on 7 Dec 2015


The Syrian Civil War is a place of cruel realities and western illusions. The only
moderate force on the ground is the Syrian Arab Army – fighting for Syria’s
sovereign survival. This is unacceptable to the Washington Consensus. For the
sake of false pride, is Washington willing to destroy everything in its path?..

CrossTalking with Jonathan Steele, Brian Becker, and Yunus Soner.

[Hervé]

NATO's jihad: Turkey invades ISIS-occupied Iraq, U.S. attacks Syrian forces

Harrison Koehli
Sott.net Tue, 08 Dec 2015 00:21 UTC

© Tim Anderson

Reading the news over the last couple of weeks, you'd be forgiven for thinking that some players on the world stage are doing their best to provoke all-out war.

On November 24, Turkey committed an act of war against Russia and Syria, violating Syria's airspace to shoot down a Russian jet flying anti-terrorist missions in northeastern Syria. Turkey had the audacity to call it "self-defense against Russian aggression."

Immediately after the shoot-down, Turkish-born and Turkish-backed terrorists committed a war crime, violating the Geneva Conventions by executing the Russian pilot as he parachuted to the ground. The U.S. called it "legitimate self-defense against Russian aggression."

On December 4, Turkey invaded the territory of Iraq, sending over 100 troops and 25 tanks into northern Iraq - in ISIS-controlled territory. By December 7 that number increased to over 900 troops. After repeated warnings and complaints from the Iraqi government, Ankara told Baghdad that "no further forces will be deployed". They have yet to remove the troops that were deployed.

On December 6, the U.S. committed an act of war against Syria, violating Syria's airspace to launch four airstrikes on the Syrian army near Deir Ezzor, killing three soldiers and severely injuring another 13. (Photos of the damage here.) The U.S. denied the strikes, saying they targeted oil well heads in the same area: "We have no indication any Syrian Soldiers were near our strikes." They can claim this because they routinely refuse to acknowledge such indications, just as they claimed they could not "see" the evidence provided by Russia of Turkey's complicity in the illegal ISIS oil trade.

In addition to these acts of naked aggression, Turkey is currently constructing an airbase in northern Iraq without the Iraqis' prior knowledge or consent. The U.S. is reportedly doing the same in northern Syria.

On the interpersonal level, this type of behavior is called picking a fight. The aggressive party engages in taunts and provocations, wishing the other party to 'take the bait'. This might include insulting the opponent's mother, 'getting in their face' by invading their personal space, and escalating the level of physicality, e.g., with an aggressive poke or a light shove. The goal, of course, is to get the other party to throw the first punch.

Turkey and the U.S. are now responsible for the deaths of 2 Russian soldiers and 3 Syrian soldiers. They have both sent troops into Iraq and Syria without the permission of those states and unilaterally 'set up shop', constructing military bases there. This is not just rude; it is cause for war. So far, Russia, Syria, and Iraq have shown remarkable restraint. World wars have started over less.

Now take a look at these maps. First, the locations of the illegal airbases in Syria and Iraq, along with the locations of the Turkish troops in Iraq.

Now take a look at the image provided by the Russian Defense Ministry showing the routes where ISIS oil is smuggled into Turkey.

© syria.mil.ru

This must be a coincidence; 'our' team would surely never side with terrorists.

This nexus where the borders of Turkey, Syria and Iraq meet has long been a crucial region for Western control of the Middle East. This location is the center-point where the country of Kurdistan would, and arguably should, exist, if if had not been for the deliberate gerrymandering of borders by Western imperialists during and after World War 1, which trapped them between three countries.

In nearly every regional conflict since then, Western intel. has used and abused Kurdish freedom fighters/terrorists as it plays the Kurds against each state, and thus each state against each other. The 'promise' of statehood has been the carrot that kept Kurds in the game, while Western military support and 'looking the other way' has given the states a green light to repress the Kurds.

Turkish troops have recently entered Syria and Iraq illegally, allegedly to "train" certain 'forces' there. The real reason for this incursion however is to prevent the Syrian and Iraqi Kurds from taking more land and possibly establishing an independent Kurdistan across northern Iraq, Syria and possibly into parts of Turkey. This is a scenario that Turkish governments, in particular that of Erdogan, have strenuously fought against for decades.

Obama recently 'prophesied' "pockets of ceasefire" in Syr-aq, aka Islamic State. I think he was obliquely referring to US-NATO military efforts to secure control of bits of Syria and Iraq for themselves, effectively taking over stewardship of the so-called 'Islamic State' from the terrorists. Maybe by 'creating new facts on the ground' in this way, the Empire anticipates using its de facto control of 'safe, ceasefire zones' as leverage in the Vienna talks on the region's future.

On the other hand, something else entirely could be brewing. The Imperial Exceptionalists HATE it when things don't go their way. Syria was scheduled to be obliterated as Libya was. Russia has so far blocked that from happening, but that doesn't mean the obliteration of Syria is off the table.

[Hervé]

Where will the Ukrainian bombs explode?

By ORIENTAL REVIEW Tue, Dec 8, 2015

On Dec 7 the Cyber-Berkut made public another set of evidence exposing preparations for false flag attacks in Syria by the Ministry of Defense of Qatar. According to a hacked mail by Anton Pashynskyi, a SpetsTechnoExport (official Ukrainian arms trader) functionary, on Oct 21, 2015 he wrote to his Polish partner Level 11 the following:

Good afternoon! There is a new proposal. The Qatari military want to buy 2 thousand High Explosive Fragmentation bombs OFAB 250-270. The issue is urgent, they are ready to pay US$2100 per item. Consider how to deliver ASAP. The final recipient is the Ministry of Defense of Qatar. EUC is enclosed.

OFAB 250-270 is the unguided 250-kg bomb currently used by the Russian jets SU-25 and TU-23M3 to hit the positions of Daesh and sister subversive groups in Syria:

The Qatar Air Force consists of French Mirage multirole fighter jets and Alpha light attack jets. None of them can be equipped with OFAB 250-270. So the legitimate question is:

Why does the Qatari Minitry of Defense want to buy enormous arsenal of the air bombs, not only unfit for their aircrafts, but at a price 3 times (!) higher than the market one? (normally OFAB 250-270 is sold at US$700-800 per item)

The answer is horrifically simple: to make an OFAB 250-270 explode you do not need to drop it from a jet – it can be done right on the ground. Any Qatar-linked terrorist group can drive it to a highly-populated area in Syria and stage a “merciless strike by the Russian aviation”.

No doubt that a number of absolutely independent forensic experts would promptly conclude that this type of bomb is widely used by the Russian AF in Syria.

At the end we have to note that some pro-Kiev bloggers are harping on the allegations about “Russian aviation recklessly using unguided bombs close to civilian areas in Syria” since early October.

Below is the End-User Cerficate proved by the Ukrainian seller to the importer.

Anton Pashynskyi, photo taken from his personal Facebook page.

P.S. Anton Pashynskyi is the 25-years old son of Sergei Pashynskyi, who is known for his controversial role in the shootings during February 2014 coup in Kiev. The latter is currently a member of Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nErNAbcWymc

[Hervé]

Iraqi parliament defense committee calls to review & cancel security agreement with US - MP

Published time: 9 Dec, 2015 10:52
Edited time: 9 Dec, 2015 11:48

Iraqi soldiers train with members of the U.S. Army 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, at Camp Taji, Iraq. © Sgt. Cody Quinn / Reuters

The Iraqi parliament's Security and Defense Committee has called for a review and cancellation of the agreement with Washington on security, a committee member has stated.

Iraq needs either to overhaul the terms of the agreement on security or annul it, Hamid Mutlak, an Iraqi Parliamentarian and member of the Defense and Security Committee told Sputnik.

“The [Iraqi] government and the parliament need to be review its security agreement with the US, because Washington is not serious about its implementation. We will demand its cancellation,” Mutlak stated.

He also commented on the deployment of the Turkish troops in Iraq.

"Iraq will be defended only by its sons, but Turkey will withdraw [its troops], since the land of Iraq is sacred, and its sovereignty is a red line. We have a right to give this issue an international character and to demand from the UN Security Council the withdrawal of Turkish troops," he said.

Recent media reports of Turkish troops deploying to a base near the Islamic State-held city of Mosul created a stir in Baghdad. Although Turkey maintains that the troops were part of a training mission coordinated with the Iraqi officials, Iraq's Prime Minister Haider Abadi said on Sunday that if Ankara did not withdraw its troops within 48 hours, Baghdad would take the matter to the UN Security Council.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter added fuel to the fire when he recently stated that the US military would deploy a new special operations force to Iraq.

"Iraq does not need foreign ground forces and the Iraqi government is committed not to allow the presence of any ground force on Iraqi land," Abadi replied in a statement.

Hadi Amiri, the head of one of Iraq's most powerful Shiite militias, the Badr Organization, warned that any US base in Iraq would be then considered a "target," AP reported.

There are currently some 3,500 US troops in Iraq on a training and support mission designed to help Iraqi forces fight Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

The Iraqi parliament's Security and Defense committee plans to ask for cooperation with Russia in carrying out airstrikes against IS, another member of the committee, Iskander Watut, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"Soon, a meeting [of the committee] with Prime Minister Haider Abadi will be held, at which we will propose cooperating with Russia in carrying out airstrikes against IS and in the fight against terrorism in Iraq," he stated.


Related:
Baghdad ultimatum to Ankara expires, Moscow to discuss Turkish military invasion at UNSC

[Cidersomerset]

Iraq vs Turkey: Baghdad issues ultimatum, threatens with NATO, UN

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=zRq7hIChdPo

Published on 9 Dec 2015

In the wake of Turkey disturbing deployment of troops in Iraq, Moscow
hopes that Ankara will avoid escalating situation in the region with any
further reckless actions, including in the territory of Syria, said Russia’s
UN envoy following a UN Security Council meeting.

==========================================

Unidentified jets attacked Syrian army, US-led coalition suspected - Russia MoD

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=LPgtUGdKRHs

Published on 9 Dec 2015

Four Western coalition warplanes were spotted over the Deir az-Zor
area in Syria on December 6, when a Syrian Army camp came under
attack. No Russian warplanes were in the region, says the Russian
Defense Ministry.

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Hopefully, no nukes needed in fight against ISIS – Putin

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KvE9kSzNrXY

Published on 9 Dec 2015

The downing of a Russian Sukhoi bomber by the Turkish Air Force was sufficient
reason to start a war, but Moscow chose not to respond symmetrically, says
Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Russian S-300 missile defense systems deployed to Arctic military base

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rETW4zIxWCo

Published on 9 Dec 2015

Kola’s new surface-to-air regiment began their anti-aircraft duty in combat
readiness at the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The regiment is equipped with the
upgraded S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, which are capable of hitting the
enemy targets in a radius of several hundred kilometres. The surface-to-air missile
regiment are the first full-fledged military unit of the Northern Fleet, formed on the
islands of the Arctic Ocean.

===================================================

‘Our enemies live in our own country’ - Mayor of refugee-flooded town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnJzZ8B5Wws

Published on 9 Dec 2015

The political breakthrough for France's far-right National Front in Sunday's regional
elections has been widely interpreted as a 'shock'.But a closer look suggests some
of the results were actually fairly predictable.

[Cidersomerset]

CrossTalk: Syrian chessboard

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=yfbzAKnbJVw

Published on 9 Dec 2015
Recent claims that the US bombed a Syrian military installation may be
a telling example of how Washington and its allies intend to escalate their
war on the Syrian regime and NOT against terrorists. It would appear
Assad remains target number one.

CrossTalking with Martin Jay, Marcus Papadopoulos, and Ivan Eland.

RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air

[Morbid]

bbc propoganda full frontal:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35050183

note that the british correspondent, un forces and the so called 'rebels' scramble together to leave homs. bbc is not even trying to hide the fact that they support those that fight alongside isis..

[Cidersomerset]

Pentagon demands more from action anti-ISIS coalition allies

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=9FhWRCPxMTI

Published on 9 Dec 2015

The Pentagon Chief says America's allies in the anti-ISIL coalition must do
more in their efforts to fight the jihadists. Ash Carter was giving testimony
before the Senate on Wednesday, and agreed Islamic state has not been
contained, despite previous claims.

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ISIS Oil Empire: 'It's not smugglers with donkeys, it's huge business with Turkey
main conduit'

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_7iS5w7vYvg

Amid a discord in relations over a serious violation of Iraq’s sovereignty by Turkey’s
deployment of ground troops, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi accused its
neighbor of being a hub for the “majority” of illegal oil smuggling operations by
ISIS terrorists.

[Baby Steps]

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE FOLLOWING YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO HAVE A BALANCED UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

• The Qataris have purchased thousands of old Russian dumb bombs from Ukraine. The plan is to drop them on civilian areas and blame the Russians.
• The only intervention in Syria that is legal is the Russian one.
• Other countries attacks are illegal under the Nuremberg Principles
• ISIS was created by the CIA and MOSSAD
• ISIS is funded and armed by the USA and various Gulf states
• The external provocation to create a civil war was started because Assad agreed to run a gas pipeline from Iran, via Iraq, into Syria and on to the Mediterranean.
• Assad enjoyed 80% approval amongst the Syrian people before the trouble started
• The moderate opposition was around 10% at that time
• The USA has been illegally attacking Syria for more than 1 year, in that time NOT ONE OIL FACILITY was bombed
• The Turks are running a huge illegal oil theft from both Syria and Iraq
• Turkish troops are illegally based in Northern Iraq (meaning NATO troops)
• The USA is actively preventing the Kurds from arming themselves
• Vladimir Putin is contemplating using nuclear weapons against ISIS
• Israel is preparing to exploit a large new oil field in the Golan Heights, located within territory that is legally Syria.
• Israel and Jordan have been assisting ISIS with medical care and training.
• The Russians have deployed their latest anti-aircraft missiles to protect their Syrian base. These missiles could hit NATO planes approaching the area.
• Assad has stated that he does not wish for NATO airstrikes, as they have so far, been indiscriminate, ineffective, and many civilians have died. NATO has deliberately targeted Syrian civil facilities within the Government controlled areas of the country.
• Syria under Assad is one of the few countries left who issue currency to the populus without private bank debt being created.
• The Iraqis have requested US forces to leave Iraq.
• Russian bombing of ISIS and AL QAEDA targets has enabled large areas to be liberated and some refugees are already returning to their homes.
• According to Amnesty international approximately 75% is ISIS weaponry is USA made.
• Assad, the legal leader of Syria, has promised elections once the fighting stops.
DO NOT BELIEVE THE ABOVE, RESEARCH THE ABOVE!
IF STOPPING THE WAR AND PROTECTING THE SYRIAN PEOPLE WAS OUR FIRST PRIORITY , NATO WOULD WITHDRAW, & THE RUSSIANS WOULD PAINT THEIR HELMETS BLUE!

[Hervé]

Is Erdogan's Mosul Escapade Blackmail For Another Qatar-Turkey Pipeline?

Posted by b on December 7, 2015 at 02:26 PM

Update: Iraqi sources confirm to Elijah J. Magnier that Turkey is indeed blackmailing Baghdad to get a Qatar-Turkey pipeline. The blackmail also has a water resource component. I wrote on that here back in August. I recommend to read the above linked Magnier piece together with my speculations below.

---

The Turkish move to annex Mosul is further developing into a serious conflict. Iraq has demanded that Turkey removes its soldiers and heavy weapons from the "training base" near Mosul within 48 hours. It asserts that these were put there without asking or informing the sovereign Iraqi government.

Turkey first denied that any new troops arrived in Iraq. It then said that the troops were only a replacement of the existing training force. Then it claimed that the new troops were there to protect the training force:

Turkish sources say the reinforcement plans were discussed in detail with Brett McGurk, U.S. President Barack Obama’s counter-ISIL fight coordinator, during his latest visit to Ankara on Nov. 5-6. “The Americans are telling the truth,” one high-rank source said. “This is not a U.S.-led coalition operation, but we are informing them about every single detail. This is not a secret operation.”

The U.S. was informed but Iraq was not? That makes it look as if the U.S. is behind this. Brett McGurk has also said that this is not a "U.S.-led coalition" operation but is otherwise playing "neutral" on the issue.

But Reuters now stenographed some other Turkish source which suddenly claims that the tanks and artillery are part of the coalition:

Turkey said on Monday it would not withdraw hundreds of soldiers who arrived last week at a base in northern Iraq, despite being ordered by Baghdad to pull them out within 48 hours. The sudden arrival of such a large and heavily armed Turkish contingent in a camp near the frontline in northern Iraq has added yet another controversial deployment to a war against Islamic State fighters that has drawn in most of the world's major powers.

Ankara says the troops are there as part of an international mission to train and equip Iraqi forces to fight against Islamic State. The Iraqi government says it never invited such a force, and will take its case to the United Nations if they are not pulled out.

The force to be trained is under control of a former Iraqi state governor who is, like the Kurdish ex-president Barzani, a Turkish tool:

The camp occupied by the Turkish troops is being used by a force called Hashid Watani, or national mobilization, made up of mainly Sunni Arab former Iraqi police and volunteers from Mosul. It is seen as a counterweight to Shi'ite militias that have grown in clout elsewhere in Iraq with Iranian backing, and was formed by former Nineveh governor Atheel al-Nujaifi, who has close relations with Turkey. A small number of Turkish trainers were already there before the latest deployment.

The former policemen who ran away when the Islamic State took over Mosul are not and will not be a serious fighting force against their Islamic State brethren in Mosul. They are just a fig leave for the Turkish occupation.

There are rumors, not confirmed yet, that Turkey now uses the presence of its force to blackmail the Iraqi government. Turkey, it is said, wants agreement from Baghdad for a gas pipeline from Qatar through Iraq to Turkey.

Map via Fer G

The original plan was to have such a pipeline run through Syrian desert flatland to Turkey and on to Europe. The gas from Qatar would be sold there in competition with gas from Russia. President Assad had rejected that pipeline and preferred one from Iran through Iraq to the Syrian coast. Qatar and Iran collectively own a huge gas field in the Persian Gulf. Whoever gets his pipeline going first will have a big advantage in extracting from the field and selling its gas.

The rejection of the original pipeline project was one reason why Qatar engaged heavily in the regime change project in Syria. The Plan B would have the pipeline go through the rather rough east Anatolia - more expensive than the Syria route but feasible. The U.S. supports the Qatar project. Anything that would make Europeans dependent on gas from a U.S. controlled regime is preferable to Europeans who do independent business with Russia.

Erdogan visited Qatar on December 1 for two days and the two countries signed a number of "strategic agreements". The Turkish troops moved to Mosul on December 4 and 5. This makes the pipeline extortion that Turkey is said to try with Iraq at least plausible.

But Iraq and its Prime Minister Abadi can not agree to the pipeline project. Its allies in Iran, Russia and Syria are all against the Qatar-Turkey-(U.S.) project and would see that as treason. Shia militia in Iraq, especially the Badr brigade, have threatened to destroy the Turkish force near Mosul. They would remove Abadi from his office if he would fold under the Turkish-Qatari-(U.S.) extortion scheme.

Possibly related to the Turkish escalation is today's attack on a Syrian government position near Deir Ezzour:

Syria's government said the U.S.-led military coalition has carried out a deadly airstrike on a Syrian army camp, but officials from the alliance said the report was false. Syria said four coalition jets killed three soldiers and wounded 13 in the eastern Deir al-Zor province on Sunday evening, calling it an act of aggression, the first time it has made such an accusation.
...
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported earlier that jets likely to be from the coalition hit part of the Saeqa military camp near the town of Ayyash in Deir al-Zor province, killing four Syrian army personnel.
But a U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States is certain that Russia was responsible for the deadly strike on the Syrian army camp .

The official flatly dismissed claims that U.S.-led coalition jets were responsible.

Brett McGurk, U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy to the coalition, also denied claims of coalition responsibility, saying on his Twitter account: "Reports of coalition involvement are false."

Damascus insists that four jets entered Syria from Al-Bukamal, Iraq and fired 9 missiles against al-Saeqa military base in Ayyash near Deir Ezzour.

The U.S. accuses Russia to have committed the strike. I very much doubt that. There have been accidental "friendly fire" strikes by the Russian air force against Syrian troops and against Hizbullah. But those accidents were always immediately admitted and investigated within the 4+1 alliance. The Russians say they did not do this strike and Damascus agrees.

But notice the weasel word in the U.S. statements: "U.S.-led coalition". The Turks in Mosul are not part of the "U.S.-led coalition" even if they first claimed to be. If the air strike in Syria today were not done by the "U.S.-led coalition" it could mean that some country committed these air strikes on its own without the strike being officially within the "U.S.-led coalition" framework. Could that country's name start with a Q?

The U.S. will know who really launched this strike. In both, the Turkish aggression on Iraq and the airstrike in Syria today and even with the earlier mountain ambush on the Russian jet, the U.S. is likely "leading from behind" the curtain. All these events are, like the now forming new alliance with Jihadis, part of Obama's bigger plans and designs for Syria and the Middle East.

[Hervé]

---

The mis-direct from the above scheme:

Turkey eyes Israeli gas to replace Russian imports
Thu Dec 10, 2015 11:44AM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards ceremony at the presidential palace in Ankara, on December 9, 2015. (AFP photo) Turkey is considering gas imports from Israel, with the Tel Aviv regime's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the two sides have already discussed the possibility.


Full article: http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/12...ia-row-tension

[Dennis Leahy]

Hervé, the thanks button is not enough. Excellent reporting. You're keeping your eye on the ball. :~)

[animovado]

Some ideas of Thierry Meyssan that give an additional perspective to the above posted articles by Hervé:

The unavowable project for a pseudo-Kurdistan

by Thierry Meyssan

Paris and London are multiplying their categorical declarations against Daesh, its programme of ethnic cleansing and its terrorist attacks. And yet they are preparing in secret for the ethnic cleansing of Northern Syria with a view to creating a pseudo-Kurdistan, and the re-localisation of Daesh to Al-Anbar in order to create a « Sunnistan » there. Thierry Meyssan analyses this plan, and underlines the numerous contradictions in the official discourse.


Is the military intervention by France, Israël and the United Kingdom in Syria legal ?

On the 20th November, in order to launch their new war in Iraq and Syria, France, Israël and the United Kingdom forced the Security Council to adopt resolution 2249 [1]. In the opinion of the French representative at the UNO, who is the author of the text, the resolution authorises collective action in accordance with article 51 of the United Nations Charter, in other words, as a means of « legitimate defence ». For the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, it supports « any action against this murderous and diabolical sect, both in Iraq and Syria » [2].

However, according to the experts of the Research Service of the Library of the House of Commons, this is entirely false. After a careful study of the legislation concerned, Arabella Lang states that the resolution in no way authorises the use of force, but enjoins everyone who has the legal possibility to do so to redouble their efforts [3]. This means that the resolution only applies to states which have been requested to intervene by Iraq and Syria.

For the purposes of the cause, Iraq therefore addressed a letter to the General Secretary and the Security Council confirming that they were under attack by Daesh from Syrian territory, even though the Islamic Emirate was founded in Iraq. Since France and the United Kingdom had been solicited by Iraq, the two states – excluding Israël - pretend that they are exercising their right to « legitimate collective defence ». Besides this, each of them pretend that they have been attacked by Daesh from Syria, and therefore claim they also have an individual right to legitimate defence. Unfortunately, these arguments are only valid if Paris and London can provide proof that Daesh is preparing imminent attacks from Syria, which is not the case [4].

Consequently, military intervention in Syria by France, Israël and the United Kingdom remains illegal in the absence of prior agreement from the governement of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Let us remember that the United Nations Charter and the pertinent resolutions of the General Assembly formally prohibit military support for non-state groups seeking to overthrow members of the UNO. This is why France and the United Kingdom have long been pretending that they were sending only defensive equipment to the armed groups in Syria. Unfortunately, these groups also receive large quantitites of offensive weaponry – notably rifles, mortars, anti-tank and ground-to-air missiles, explosives, and even combat gases. In August 2014, French President Hollande admitted, in an interview with Le Monde, that he had delivered offensive weapons to the Syrian « rebels » [5]. He later specified, in interviews with journalist Xavier Panon, that he has been delivering [6] 20 mm cannons, machine guns, rocket-launchers, and anti-tank missiles since 2012, which unambiguously violates international law, and drags France down to the level of a « gangster state » [7].

Full article: http://www.voltairenet.org/article189562.html

(following chapter titles:
- The unavowable project of France, Israël and the United Kingdom
- The Juppé plan
- Kurdistan and Syria
- Who are the Kurds ?
- The destruction of the Russian Soukhoï 24 by Turkey
- The Franco-British intervention)

[Callista]

From RT https://www.rt.com/news/325583-putin-isis-threat-syria/
(also on TASS and PressTv)

Any targets threatening Russian forces in Syria must be immediately destroyed - Putin
Published time: 11 Dec, 2015 10:28
Edited time: 11 Dec, 2015 11:42



Jihadists in Syria pose a direct threat to Russia, Putin has told a defense meeting in Moscow, adding that any targets threatening the country's military there should be destroyed. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Islamic State’s influence in Syria continues to expand.

The Russian military’s actions in Syria are being coordinated with Russian special services such as the FSB, who are disclosing terrorist cells, including Islamic State, Putin said.

All forces threatening Russian servicemen in Syria should be destroyed, according to the Russian president.

"Any targets threatening our [military] group or land infrastructure must be immediately destroyed," Putin said, speaking at a Defense Ministry event.

Putin said more 5,000 members of the Free Syrian Army are operating on the terrorists’ side.

"In general, the actions of the Russian groups deserve high praise. This is a result of work by the Ministry of Defense, General Staff officers, Russian Air Force pilots and the Russian Navy," he added.



‘ISIS influence expanding in Syria’ - Russian Def Min

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu added that Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) controls about 70 percent of Syria’s territory, adding that in Syria and Iraq there are about 60,000 militants.

"The Islamic State area of influence is expanding," he said, “There is a threat that their actions will be transferred to Central Asia and the Caucasus.”

To date the Russian military has carried out about 4,000 sorties, striking around 8,000 terrorist facilities in Syria, he added.

Drones have proved a necessary part of the military operation against the terrorists, according to Shoigu. He said that Moscow has an about 1,720 drones at its disposal.

Both Putin and Shoigu took part in the Defense Ministry board meeting, which apart from the Syrian operation touched upon such issues as nuclear strategy, NATO expansion and Arctic military bases.

"Special attention should be paid to strengthening the combat potential of the strategic nuclear forces and implementing defense space programs," Putin said during the meeting.

Russia needs to "arm all the components of the nuclear triad with new armaments, raise the efficiency of the missile attack warning and aerospace defense systems,” the Russian president said.

Shoigu added NATO has significantly expanded in Europe.

The US has sited at least 200 bombs in the Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, Italy and Germany, according to the defense minister.



BREAKING: Russian Kilo-class sub with cruise missiles in Mediterranean off Syria - reports http://on.rt.com/6ytg
Embedded image permalink

[Sophocles]

Why is the US Aiding and Enabling Saudi Arabia’s Genocidal War in Yemen?

October 8, 2015
Counterpunch
Michael Horton



The humanitarian crisis in Yemen rivals the crisis in Syria. After six months of war and the imposition of a naval blockade designed to starve the country into submission, 90% of Yemen’s population of more than 24 million are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. More than 6000 people, nearly 90% of which are civilians, are dead and most of Yemen’s already limited infrastructure is in ruins. Sana’a, the capital of Yemen and home to 3 million, is under continuous aerial bombardment by Saudi Arabia and its partners who have targeted schools, hospitals, and homes in densely populated urban areas.

The US, along with the UK, is providing intelligence and logistical support to Saudi Arabia and its partners. Both countries are also supplying Saudi Arabia with weapons. The US is equipping the Saudis with internationally banned cluster munitions which now litter large swaths of the Yemeni countryside where they will kill and maim for years to come.

Beyond arms manufacturers, the only real beneficiary of this bloody war are takfiri groups like al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State (IS) which is making inroads in Yemen.

So why is the US supporting a war that has achieved little beyond further empowering groups like AQAP and IS?

Yemen and its people are being offered up as a kind of sacrifice for Saudi Arabia’s and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s support for the nuclear arms deal with Iran. Most importantly US support for Saudi Arabia’s war has ensured a steady stream of new weapons orders. US-based arms manufacturers have sold 8 billion USD worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia since it launched ‘Operation Decisive Storm’ six months ago. This is a figure that adds almost ten percent to the 90.4 billion USD worth of weapons that US arms manufacturers have sold to Saudi Arabia since President Obama was elected.

In exchange for tepid Saudi support for the nuclear arms deal with Iran—support that the US does not need given that both Russia and China back the deal—and billions of dollars in weapons sales, the US has turned a blind eye to what can only be called state sanctioned genocide in Yemen. US support for Saudi Arabia’s disastrous war in Yemen is likely to have profound and lasting consequences for not only Yemen but also for the region, and in particular for Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi led war in Yemen was launched on the pretense of re-installing the exiled government of Yemeni President Hadi. The real aim of the war is to destroy Yemen’s Houthi Shi’a rebels which Saudi Arabia views as Iranian proxies. The Houthis are Zaidi Shi’a, a sect which is doctrinally closer to Sunnis than Iran’s Twelver Shi’a. The Houthi movement is deeply rooted in the socio-cultural context of north-west Yemen and while it undoubtedly has a relationship with Iran, it has never been—and likely never will be—an Iranian proxy. The Houthi movement and its leadership are fiercely independent.

Saudi Arabia’s fears about growing Iranian influence in the region have led it and its partners into a war that will consume their blood and treasure for years to come thereby guaranteeing years of healthy profits for US and British arms manufacturers. Yemen’s mountainous terrain and complex political landscape rival those of Afghanistan. The Houthis, while at the other end of the religious spectrum, are comparable to Afghanistan’s Taliban in terms of their capabilities as guerilla fighters. In many respects, they are superior.

The Houthis will not be defeated by an aerial campaign and a limited number of ground troops. Neither Saudi Arabia nor its partners have the capability to deploy and sustain the thousands of troops that it will take to defeat the Houthis and their allies. Nor do they have enough political capital to absorb what would be an extremely high casualty rate for their soldiers. In 1962, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser sent troops into Yemen for what he thought would be a quick victory over Royalist forces fighting for the Zaidi Imam who ruled north Yemen. By 1967, at least fifteen thousand Egyptian soldiers had been killed in Yemen.

By enabling Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, the US is not only ensuring the destruction of Yemen and the empowerment of AQAP and IS, it could also be inadvertently further tipping the balance of power in the Middle East in favor of Iran. The government of Iran can only be delighted as it watches Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates plunge ever deeper into the quagmire that is Yemen. The war, which, if negotiations are not pursued, could go on for years, will only weaken the governments of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. During a period in which oil prices are low and may head lower, both governments will be forced to pour billions of dollars into a war that will have no victors beyond groups like AQAP and IS—both of which will—and have—targeted the Gulf monarchies that now view them as useful proxies.

In the case of Saudi Arabia, the war has already spread across its long, rugged, and largely unguarded border with Yemen. Houthi fighters and Yemeni Army units allied with them have launched numerous successful attacks on Saudi border posts. For short periods, Saudi Armed Forces have lost control of towns and villages in the Saudi provinces of Jizan and Najran due to Houthi incursions.

Most seriously for Saudi Arabia, there are rumblings of discontent in the House of Saud with King Salman and his son and defense minister Muhammad bin Salman. Muhammad bin Salman—who at age 30 is the youngest and least experienced defense minister in the world—has broken with a foreign policy that has long been cautious and careful. The young defense minister who is also second in line to the throne is viewed by many members of the House of Saud as reckless. As Saudi Arabia is drawn deeper into what could well be its Vietnam, discontent with the current leadership will undoubtedly increase.

US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and helped erase fifty years of progress in Yemen. As the war grinds on for what could be years, it will produce blowback as significant as that generated by the US’ own ill-conceived invasion of Iraq which altered the balance of power in the Middle East and ultimately spawned the Islamic State. This is undoubtedly welcome news for arms manufacturers.

Source

[Cidersomerset]

100,000 foreign troops including Americans to be deployed in Iraq, MP claims


The US is to send some 10,000 troops to Iraq to provide support for a 90,000-strong
force from the Gulf states, a leading Iraqi opposition MP has warned. The politician said
the plan was announced to the Iraqi government during a visit by US Senator John McCain.

During a meeting in Baghdad on November 27, McCain told Prime Minister Haider Abadi
and a number of senior Iraqi cabinet and military officials that the decision was
‘non-negotiable’, claimed Hanan Fatlawi, the head of the opposition Irada Movement.

“A hundred thousand foreign troops, including 90,000 from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar
and Jordan, and 10,000 troops from America will be deployed in western regions of Iraq,”
she wrote on her Facebook page.

She added that the Iraqi prime minister protested the plan, but was told that “the decision
has already been taken.”’

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0D2pBptPDUY

https://www.rt.com/news/325477-arab-army-iraq-plan/

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Who’s ‘unprofessional’ now? RT’s Gayane Chichakyan gets criticism instead of answers

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=2VkxiuhVGUc

Published on 10 Dec 2015

Iraq is furious at Turkey’s military incursion, but the US State Department doesn’t
seem too concerned. Its spokesman stonewalled RT’s questions about the Iraq-
Turkey row, getting personal in the process.

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More Blair spin & BS......



Tony Blair defends advice to Colonel Gaddafi during Libya conflict
2 hours ago

From the section UK Politics


Tony Blair met former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2007

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35069842