Syria Hit With Massive Sustained Attack from Sea [2018-09-17]

[Hervé]

Syria hit with massive sustained attack: Russian S-400 defenses possibly active In huge escalation - UPDATES

Tyler Durden ZeroHedge
Mon, 17 Sep 2018 22:42 UTC

Update: The Pentagon has formally denied that tonight's massive sustained attack on Syria had US involvement.

US-funded VOA News reports a Pentagon spokesman issuing the following statement: "I can unequivocally say this is not us," said Navy Cmdr. Sean Robertson.

Regional sources report, citing Syrian officials, that Monday night's attack involved "cruise missiles fired from the sea".

The Intel Crab‏ @IntelCrab 4h4 hours ago

The Intel Crab Retweeted Syrian Strategic Researches

This would be huge if confirmed.

The Intel Crab added,
Syrian Strategic Researches @Syrian_SR
Both #Syria/n #Russia/n AD systems are engaging targets over #Latakia and over the sea I can confirm an S-400 launch.
Show this thread
14 replies 46 retweets 62 likes

• Carla Babb‏Verified account @CarlaBabbVOA

Replying to @IntelCrab
Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr. Sean Robertson tells VOA on Syrian claims of engaging missile targets over #Latakia "I can unequivocally say this is not us." #BREAKING @VOANews

1:34 PM - 17 Sep 2018
7 replies 152 retweets 79 likes

* * *

Earlier:
Another attack on Syria has occurred tonight on multiple locations in what is the largest sustained series of what are believed to be Israeli or possibly US air strikes in months. But hugely significant is that early reports suggest Russia's S-400 anti-missile missile defense system engaged the inbound rockets.

On Monday night Syrian state-run SANA confirmed multiple missiles fired "from the sea into Lattakia city" in "an aggression from unknown source" which state media says involved successful intercepts by Syrian missile defense.

British-Syrian journalist Danny Makki, currently reporting from the ground, says the attack "lasted for a total of 1 hour 30 minutes" and missiles soared over four cities including Latakia, Tartus, Homs and Hama - with rockets and explosions lighting up the sky especially over the coastal towns.

Though it appears another Israeli strike - as it came less than two days following an attack near Damascus - the details are still unknown, and some observers are speculating it could be an American attack, given that at least some of the missiles were fired from the sea.

SANA reports "an aggression on Lattakia has targeted the Technical Industries' establishment" adding that "the air defenses intercepted and downed a number of the missiles".

Multiple journalists in the region further said that Syrian air defenses were activated across four provinces including Latakia and Tartus on the coast, as well as over Homs and Hama which are more inland.

The initial major strike on Latakia, located on the Syrian coast, reportedly targeted a Syrian Scientific Research Center (SSRC) facility, and newly published video and images from Syrian sources show massive fireballs lighting up the sky.

maytham‏ @maytham956

#Syrian_Air_Defenses #Tartous #Syria

1:37 PM - 17 Sep 2018
2 replies 37 retweets 24 likes

But significantly the location of the strike is in the vicinity of Russia's Hmeymim airbase, and there are early unconfirmed reports that Russia engaged the inbound assault via its advanced S-400 system.

According to the Middle East Institute's Charles Lister, "Reports suggest Russia air defenses in Hmeymim participated in attempting to repel tonight's strikes in Latakia."

Lister continued, "*IF* that's true, that'd be a significant development. Some reports also say strikes came from sea; leading to accusations of a U.S naval cruise missile attack."

Unconfirmed local eyewitness accounts say that two hostile aircraft were shot down during the lengthy assault.

A number of videos are circulating on Syrian social media which purport to show successful Syria or Russian missile defense intercepts during the sustained attacks.

As yet, there's been no confirmation of who carried out the attack; however, a report early this month cited Tel Aviv sources who confirmed that Israel's Air Force has conducted 200 attacks on locations inside Syria over the course of the past 2 years alone, according to Reuters.

The major escalation comes just after Russia's Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Monday to announce that a demilitarized zone in Idlib will be formed by October 15.

Developing...

More from RT:

Syrian port city Latakia 'attacked by missiles from sea' - local media

Syrian air defenses have engaged missiles targeting the area of Latakia, a city in the coastal province that is the home of Russia's Khmeimim Air Base. Seven people were reportedly injured in the attack.

According to the state SANA news agency, the attack targeted the Technical Industries Agency headquarters in Latakia, owned by the Syrian military. Reports from the area refer to "powerful explosions" heard in the city. According to Syrian military sources, the strikes also targeted a power station and an aluminum factory.

The attack began around 10 pm local time. Photos posted on social media show tracers and missile plumes streaking across the night sky above Latakia, as well as several explosions.

Air defense activity was also reported in Homs and Tartous provinces, where Russia maintains a naval base.

Syrian media report that a "number of missiles" have been shot down. Multiple reports from the area speak of an attack by missiles launched from drones. It is unclear whether only the Syrian air defense batteries have been engaged, or if the Russian air defenses around Khmeimim are taking part as well.

Seven people were injured in the attacks, Ahmad Kazem of the Syrian Human Rights Network told RIA Novosti.

Multiple local reports have accused Israel of launching the strikes, but there has been no independent confirmation of that. Another possibility suggested by local media is that the drone attack came from the jihadists in Idlib. SANA reported the missiles targeting Latakia came "from the sea," citing military sources.

The attack comes just hours after Russia and Turkey negotiated a partial demilitarization of the Idlib province, which is the last remaining stronghold of anti-government militants, including the Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (also known as the Jabhat Al-Nusra).

Update 1: Sputnik reports missile launch from French frigate in Mediterranean:

Russian airspace control means registered missile launches from French frigate in Mediterranean late on Monday, Russian military reported.

Russian defence ministry said that Russian airspace controls means have detected several missile launches from French frigate in Mediterranean late on Monday.

Syrian media reported a missile attack on the coastal city of Latakia Monday evening. Some missiles hit parts of the city, according to local media, many of them were reportedly downed by Syrian air defense systems.

Earlier in the day, Russia and Turkey reached an agreement over a partial demilitarization of the Idlib province, which is the last remaining stronghold of anti-government insurgency and al-Qaeda-linked terror groups in Syria.

Update 2: RT reports disappearance of Russian aircraft from radar during attack:

A Russian military Il-20 aircraft with 14 service members on board went off the radars during an attack by four Israeli jets on Syria's Latakia province, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Air traffic controllers at the Khmeimim Air Base "lost contact" with the aircraft on Wednesday evening, during the attack of Israeli F-16 fighters on Latakia, said the MOD.

Russian radars also registered the launch of missiles from a French frigate in the Mediterranean on the evening of September 17.

Fourteen people were on board the plane at the time of the disappearance. A search and rescue mission is underway.

An hour-long attack on Latakia began around 10 pm local time, and targeted a power station as well as two facilities belonging to the Syrian military. Syrian officials said the attack was "foreign" and came "from the sea," but could not initially confirm rumors that Israel was behind it.

The attack on Latakia came just hours after Russia and Turkey negotiated a partial demilitarization of the Idlib province, which is the last remaining stronghold of anti-government militants, including the Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (also known as the Jabhat Al-Nusra).

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

Apparently, there was no need for any alleged chemical purported attacks...

[ichingcarpenter]

And this coincidence struck me....not

Russia and Turkey agree on Demilitarized Zone in Idlib today ........ meanwhile missiles from the west

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lLuLsd891J8

[shaberon]

On France24, they are denying involvement. So no one admits to it. Will be interesting to see how that unfolds especially with loss of a Russian plane at the same time.

Yes, I think the state actors are going to do whatever they want regardless of a chemical attack or if it is exposed.

According to Fars and Sputnik, this includes the U. S. getting out of Al Tanf: http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970626000943

Which sounds a little strange considering how much was just added to the area, so we'll see.

These missiles were obviously not the little ones the guys fly in on drones every few days, and one picture suggests the final bump and possibly first stage detonation a frigate launched cruise missile would do after flying at low altitude, and it's possible that one or more Zionists are lying about doing it.

[Eric J (Viking)]

https://www.rt.com/news/438686-syria..._notifications

Russian Il-20 downed by Syrian missile after attacking Israel’s F-16s used it as cover – Russian MoD


Edit

The Russian military accused their Israeli counterparts for causing the shot-down of a Russian Il-20 plane by the Syrian air defense forces, which were responding to an Israeli air raid on Latakia.
The Israeli Air Force launched their surprise night attack on Latakia in a way that put the Russian plane in harm’s way, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. They must have known they were setting up the Russian plane to be hit by a Syrian counter-attack, but neither changed their approach to targets in Syria nor gave Russia enough time to move the Il-20 to a safe area.

“We consider these provocative actions by Israel as hostile. Fifteen Russian military service members have died because of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military. This is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership,” the statement stressed. “We reserve the right for an adequate response.”

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Viking

[WhiteFeather]

One of the main contributors to the economy in Syria is its energy industry. Along with crude oil fields, Syria is home to a wealth of natural gas reserves. The fields are estimated to contain 8.5 trillion cubic feet ofnatural gas. It is one of Syria's richest natural resources

[Hervé]

Russian military plane downed by Syrian missile after attacking Israel's F-16s used it as cover

RT
Tue, 18 Sep 2018 08:34 UTC

An Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet. © Baz Ratner / Reuters

The Russian military say the Israeli raid on Syria triggered a chain of events, which led to the shooting down of a Russian Il-20 plane by a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile. Moscow reserves the right to respond accordingly.

On Monday evening four Israeli F-16 fighter jets attacked targets in Syria's Latakia after approaching from the Mediterranean, a statement by the Russian defense ministry said on Tuesday. The Israeli warplanes came at a low altitude and "created a dangerous situation for other aircraft and vessels in the region", it said.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=YEioP7zJzMc

The military said the French Navy's frigate "Auvergne" as well as a Russian Il-20 plane were in the area of the Israeli operation.

"The Israeli pilots used the Russian plane as cover and set it up to be targeted by the Syrian air defense forces. As a consequence, the Il-20, which has radar cross-section much larger than the F-16, was shot down by an S-200 system missile," the statement said.

Map of the incident on September 17 in Syria provided by the Russian defense ministry.

The Russian ministry stressed that the Israelis must have known that the Russian plane was present in the area, which didn't stop them from "the provocation". Israel also failed to warn Russia about the planned operation in advance. The warning came a minute before the attack started, which "did not leave time to move the Russian plane to a safe area," the statement said.

The latest statement gives a larger death toll than earlier reports by the Russian military, which said there were 14 crew members onboard the missing Il-20. It said a search and rescue operation for the shot-down plane continued.

Israel did not comment on the reports about the air raid in Syria which is consistent with its usual policy on such matters. Israeli officials earlier acknowledged hundreds of airstrikes conducted in Syria over the past years. Israel claims its interventions are necessary to fight Iranian presence in the neighboring country.

Related:

• Syria hit with massive sustained attack: Russian S-400 defenses possibly active In huge escalation
• As the West threatens to escalate war against Syria, Israel bombs target near Damascus

-----------------------------------------------

UPDATE: Russia has formally complained to Israel about the incident, laying the blame "squarely on the Israeli side":

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu spoke to his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman on the phone about the downing of the Russian Il-20 plane on Monday night. He relayed Moscow's position on the incident, which blames the Israeli military for setting up the Russian plane to be shot down by Syrian air defenses responding to an Israeli air raid, an official statement from the Russian military said.

Shoigu reiterated that Israel failed to notify Russia of the impending attack in a way that would give the Russian military to move the Il-20 out of harm's way. Instead the warning came one minute before the Israeli F-16 fighter jets launched their attack.

"The blame for the downing of the Russian plane and the deaths of its crew members lies squarely on the Israeli side," the Russian minister said.

"The actions of the Israeli military were not in keeping with the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership, so we reserve the right to respond."

-----------------------------------------------

SOTT Comment:

"The Israeli pilots used the Russian plane as cover and set it up to be targeted by the Syrian air defense forces"

This is indeed very typical of Israel, setting someone else up to take the hit for something Israel did.

We can also draw a parallel with IDF forces in Palestine using Palestinians as human shields. Here the people on the Russian plane were used as human shields.

This comes after a night of Israeli bombardment of targets in Syria including Latakia, Tartus, Homs and Hama - with rockets and explosions lighting up the sky especially over the coastal towns. According to the Middle East Institute's Charles Lister, "Reports suggest Russia air defenses in Hmeymim participated in attempting to repel tonight's strikes in Latakia." That would suggest the S-400s stationed there may have been involved.

This morning's shoot down of the Russian spy plane happened as it was, possibly, helping Syrian air defenses to target the missiles fired by the Israeli jets, and possibly the jets themselves (although the Russian Min of Def. says the plane was coming in to land). It's doubtful, however, that the Russians would provoke the Israelis by deliberately targeting their jets, although there is the possibility of plausible deniability that, if that were to happen, it was the Syrian's simply defending themselves.

The "fog of war" they call it.

Whatever the case, the Russians will likely use this, not to 'lash out' at Israel but rather to put pressure on the Israelis to stop their attacks on Syria, which ultimately are in support of jihadi terrorists.

Israel, run by cowards and psychopaths, still has not even commented on the strike. That's the way they roll. Americans at least try to come up with excuses and rationalizations before they bomb foreign nations. Israel just bombs them, then refuses to comment. They are a lawless nation - arrogant, belligerent, and without conscience.

[mountain_jim]

Israel, run by cowards and psychopaths, still has not even commented on the strike. That's the way they roll. Americans at least try to come up with excuses and rationalizations before they bomb foreign nations. Israel just bombs them, then refuses to comment. They are a lawless nation - arrogant, belligerent, and without conscience.

Exactly the view I have come to hold after many years of evidence.

And the number of dual-citizens in the US political system and many other influences allows this lawless nation to influence US policy and actions in many destructive ways.

Mossad + US neocons = 9/11.

[Foxie Loxie]

IMO there should be NO(0) dual citizenship members in the House or Senate. Money talks, right?!!

Love your reasoning mountain_jim!!

[Eric J (Viking)]

I can't believe there's nothing on mainstream...

Or maybe I can.

Viking

[Deux Corbeaux]

Posted by ichingcarpenter (here)
And this coincidence struck me....not

Russia and Turkey agree on Demilitarized Zone in Idlib today ........ meanwhile missiles from the west

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lLuLsd891J8

A week ago Erdogan said Turkey could no longer take in any more refugees from any new assault in Idlib........

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/Russ...ia-idlib-62819

Nor could Europe !

[Flash]

Yes nothing in French of France newspapers either.

We have to go east, in order to have some different news. So I went to the Hurriett newspaper of Turkey, English version, and a soft news about this has been found (American please, read foreign newspapers, you will have some news):

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rus...strikes-136959

Russia says Syria shot down one of its military planes, blames Israel
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON – Reuters
Russia says Syria shot down one of its military planes, blames Israel
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Sept. 18 that the Syrian military had accidentally shot down a Russian military plane over Syria, but said it blamed the incident on Israel, the RIA news agency reported.

The ministry accused Israeli military planes of deliberately creating a “dangerous” situation near the Syrian city of Latakia - which is close to a Russian air base where it said the Il-20 aircraft was preparing to land, RIA reported.

The Ministry of Defense said 15 Russian military service people had died because of what it described as Israel’s irresponsible actions. It said Israel had only warned it one minute before launching the strikes.

A Russian military aircraft vanished from radar screens over Syria at the same time as Israeli and French forces were launching strikes on targets in Syria, Russia said on Sept. 18.

A U.S. official said Washington believed the aircraft, an Il-20 turbo-prop plane used for electronic reconnaissance, was inadvertently shot down by anti-aircraft artillery operated by Moscow’s ally, the Syrian government.

Around the time the plane disappeared, the Syrian coastal city of Latakia - near a Russian airbase to which the Il-20 was returning - came under attack from “enemy missiles”, and missile defense batteries responded, Syrian state media reported.

France denied any involvement in the plane’s disappearance.

The defense ministry in Moscow said the aircraft was returning to the Russian-run Hmeymim airbase when, at about 11:00 p.m. Moscow time on Sept. 17, it lost radar contact.

The plane was over the Mediterranean Sea about 35 km (20 miles) from the Syrian coastline, Russia’s TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

“The trace of the Il-20 on flight control radars disappeared during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets on Syrian facilities in Latakia province,” the statement was quoted as saying.

“At the same time Russian air control radar systems detected rocket launches from the French frigate Auvergne which was located in that region.”

Israel’s military declined to comment.

“We deny any involvement,” Colonel Patrik Steiger, a spokesman for France’s military, told Reuters.

Russia’s military operation in Syria, which began in late 2015, has turned the tide of the conflict in favor of Moscow’s ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in his fight against rebels.

But it has come at a cost to Russia.

In December 2016, a Russian plane carrying dozens of Red Army choir singers, dancers and musicians crashed into the Black Sea on the way to Syria, killing all 92 people on board.



In March this year, a Russian military transport plane crashed when coming in to land at the Hmeymim base, killing all 39 people on board.

Several countries have military operations underway around Syria, with forces on the ground or launching strikes from the air or from ships in the Mediterranean. In some cases, those countries are backing opposing sides in the Syrian conflict.

The United States, France and Britain launched scores of missiles at the heart of Syria’s chemical weapons program in April in retaliation for a suspected poison attack.

The French frigate Aquitaine was involved in those strikes.

[Deux Corbeaux]

In this video, Luke Rudkowski of WeAreChange gives you the latest breaking news on the breaking news of a Russian military spy plane being shot down recently which many people believe was carried out by Israel and France. Meanwhile, CNN and Ryan Browne are reporting a different story from an anonymous U.S official.


https://dlive.io/video/lukewearechan...6-0242ac110003

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=7c3wuT8S0j8

[Bob]

Posted by Flash (here)
Yes nothing in French of France newspapers either.

We have to go east, in order to have some different news. So I went to the Hurriett newspaper of Turkey, English version, and a soft news about this has been found (American please, read foreign newspapers, you will have some news):

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rus...strikes-136959

Russia says Syria shot down one of its military planes, blames Israel
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON – Reuters
Russia says Syria shot down one of its military planes, blames Israel
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Sept. 18 that the Syrian military had accidentally shot down a Russian military plane over Syria, but said it blamed the incident on Israel, the RIA news agency reported.

The ministry accused Israeli military planes of deliberately creating a “dangerous” situation near the Syrian city of Latakia - which is close to a Russian air base where it said the Il-20 aircraft was preparing to land, RIA reported.

The Ministry of Defense said 15 Russian military service people had died because of what it described as Israel’s irresponsible actions. It said Israel had only warned it one minute before launching the strikes.

A Russian military aircraft vanished from radar screens over Syria at the same time as Israeli and French forces were launching strikes on targets in Syria, Russia said on Sept. 18.

A U.S. official said Washington believed the aircraft, an Il-20 turbo-prop plane used for electronic reconnaissance, was inadvertently shot down by anti-aircraft artillery operated by Moscow’s ally, the Syrian government.

Around the time the plane disappeared, the Syrian coastal city of Latakia - near a Russian airbase to which the Il-20 was returning - came under attack from “enemy missiles”, and missile defense batteries responded, Syrian state media reported.

France denied any involvement in the plane’s disappearance.

The defense ministry in Moscow said the aircraft was returning to the Russian-run Hmeymim airbase when, at about 11:00 p.m. Moscow time on Sept. 17, it lost radar contact.

The plane was over the Mediterranean Sea about 35 km (20 miles) from the Syrian coastline, Russia’s TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

“The trace of the Il-20 on flight control radars disappeared during an attack by four Israeli F-16 jets on Syrian facilities in Latakia province,” the statement was quoted as saying.

“At the same time Russian air control radar systems detected rocket launches from the French frigate Auvergne which was located in that region.”

Israel’s military declined to comment.

“We deny any involvement,” Colonel Patrik Steiger, a spokesman for France’s military, told Reuters.

Russia’s military operation in Syria, which began in late 2015, has turned the tide of the conflict in favor of Moscow’s ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in his fight against rebels.

But it has come at a cost to Russia.

In December 2016, a Russian plane carrying dozens of Red Army choir singers, dancers and musicians crashed into the Black Sea on the way to Syria, killing all 92 people on board.



In March this year, a Russian military transport plane crashed when coming in to land at the Hmeymim base, killing all 39 people on board.

Several countries have military operations underway around Syria, with forces on the ground or launching strikes from the air or from ships in the Mediterranean. In some cases, those countries are backing opposing sides in the Syrian conflict.

The United States, France and Britain launched scores of missiles at the heart of Syria’s chemical weapons program in April in retaliation for a suspected poison attack.

The French frigate Aquitaine was involved in those strikes.

That matches what RT video ch 321 (DirecTV Satellite) is saying.. Their reporters are saying Israel coordinated with the US, and (it, the hiding behind a Russian aircraft) and 'that' was supposed to send a message to "Russia". I didn't hear what the assumed 'message' was supposed to be, any interpretation of that?

[Flash]

No Bob, no interpretation that I have seen yet.

turkish newspapers must only report facts, no opinions, being in a sandwich position.

However, I was not aware of the French, US and British attack in April in retaliation for presumed chemical attacks. Either I missed it, or we were never told by the media.

Turkey is in a difficult position, between the US and Russia, plus the fact that the US has tried to overthrow their government 2 years ago, government that has been re-elected last year (you have to not know Turks to try to overthrow their government, even if most do not approve Erdogan, they will re-elect him just to make sure American do not try again to control them).

[shaberon]

Ah, ok. Israel admits it, or got caught after their denial, but at the same time, it is everyone else's fault according to them. Pretty obvious they used the Il-20 as cover for exactly this purpose.

It didn't affect Syrian momentum, instead, Russia gets one degree tougher.

The April attack was mostly theater as the targets were designated by Russia and mostly abandoned and gave the U. S. an opportunity to lie about their effectiveness, whereas Russia received Tomahawk cruise missiles intact and has reverse engineered them. Israeli attacks are more genuine and do cause damage to the extent they succeed. Israel's only real message appears to be proving themself as war mongering thugs and increasingly being rejected by the rest of the world.

The Auvergne might slip out of this somewhat unaffected, but, should it like to be targeted, Syria has enough anti-ship missiles to scuttle it at will. Having been in a line with Israeli and Russian planes, it is hard to say for sure if it participated, radar and targeting can get mis-aligned, as it obviously picked the wrong thing to shoot down. I don't think Russia is kidding about blaming Israel for the loss, no matter how many weasel words and deflections are spewed out.

[norman]

It could be an inside (in the know) tit-for-tat between Israel and Russia.


Allegedly, Russia sank an Israeli submarine in 2013.

[ThePythonicCow]

According to some sites, most of which I have not heard of before, Russia and Syria are increasing their resolve against Israel:

• Syria Imposes New Rules of Engagement on Israel (UpRootedPalestinians)
• RUSSIA IMPOSES “NO-FLY” ZONE FOR ISRAELI MILITARY AIRCRAFT AROUND SYRIA (Whistleblower Jeff)
• Russia Imposes No-Fly Zone For Israel Around Syria (CoercionCode)
• Russia to beef up air defenses, aircraft to curtail Israeli air operations in Syria (Whistleblower Jeff)
• RUSSIA IMPOSES "NO-FLY" ZONE FOR ISRAELI MILITARY AIRCRAFT AROUND SYRIA (Hal Turner)
• IRAN 747 IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW BRINGING S-300 ANTI-AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS TO SYRIA ! (Hal Turner)

If these sites are correct (I don't know their reliability) then Russia and Syria are imposing a no-fly zone over Syria, below 19,000 feet, and bringing in Russia's more advanced S-300 anti-aircraft systems to Syria, which will quickly improve Syria's ability to defend it's airspace against unwanted intrusions (such as bombing from Israel).

Israel is not known for meekly backing down from a fight. If Israel considers the presence of Russia's S-300 systems in Syria to be an "existential threat", then Israel has only a few days to act, with extreme violence, to stop this S-300 deployment.

This could get nasty (nastier) in the near future.

[ThePythonicCow]

Posted by Paul (here)
Israel is not known for meekly backing down from a fight. If Israel considers the presence of Russia's S-300 systems in Syria to be an "existential threat", then Israel has only a few days to act, with extreme violence, to stop this S-300 deployment.

This could get nasty (nastier) in the near future.

Ken over at http://redefininggod.com/ reminds us to:

be on the lookout for an “Iranian” provocation between now and Trump’s Security Council meeting on the 26th. It would likely be an Israel-targeting false-flag like the “cruise missiles out of Yemen / ballistic missiles out of Iraq” op.

In other words, as sure as the sun rises in the east, if Israel decides that extreme violence is called for, they will start it with a false flag, and in the present circumstances, I'd expect that Iran would be the one that Israel tried to frame with that false flag.

[ThePythonicCow]

Meanwhile, Fort Russ News has an unconfirmed report that, in addition to the no fly zones (see my above Post #17), Russia has also closed off portions of the eastern Mediterranean around Cypress and the nearby Syrian coast.

In response to the what Putin has called a ‘tragic incident’ that caused the death of the crew of the radio reconnaissance aircraft and the IL-20 VKS RF warhead, Rusvesna reports that the Russian military has made a major move.

Effective September 19th, the Russian Federation has announced the closure of a large area of ​​the eastern Mediterranean for the movement of military aircraft and ships until the 26th of September.

According to the official version, this step is justified by the beginning of unscheduled maneuvers of the navy and aviation off the coast of Syria.

[ThePythonicCow]

However, Israel seems to be in the midst of what might be a major shift from close ties with the Anglo-American empire, to closer ties with Russia and China.

Over just the last few days, several websites, including Newsweek, Haaretz, YNet News, Veterans Today, the Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel have reported that China has begun construction of new port facilities in Israel's major port city of Haifa, which is close to the northern end of Israel's coastline, not far from Lebanon and Syria. China has a deal to operate Haifa port facilities for 25 years, under full Chinese control, from 2021 until 2046, as part of the development of their Belt Road Initiative. This deal was originally signed between China and Israel about two years ago, and in this last week, Chinese construction firms have begun development of major new port facilities in Haifa as part of this project.

Also I recall reports last month that China was increasing its military support of Assad's regime in Syria.

Perhaps what we are seeing unfolding is a lot of drama, and but not so much a major escalation in actual military conflict, as the Rothschild's Israel shifts alliances from the Rockefeller dominated Anglo-American empire, to the Eurasian families and empires.

If so, then it would not surprise me to see the political career of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu come to a conclusion in the not too distant future, perhaps after an embarrassing military misadventure. Bibi strikes me as being more of the CIA-Bush-Clinton-McCain-Rockefeller-Saudi-ISIS-Wahhabi mold, and that mold seems to be experiencing some serious stress fractures of late.