Donetsk Republic Estimates War Damage at $1 Bln

Click banner for more info

The cost of Kiev's military crackdown will weigh heavily on the besieged region of Donetsk, with war damage estimated at about $1 billion, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said Wednesday.

US in De Facto Alliance With Iran to Fight IS Threat: Expert

Click banner for more info

 The United States has de facto formed an alliance with Iran to fight the Islamic State (IS) movement, despite the strong reluctance by US officials to admit it, the former director of the Iraq program at the National Security Council told RIA Novosti.

"We are in a unique position where, in the extremely short term, our interests and Iran's inside Iraq are almost identical," said Douglas Ollivant during a New America web discussion on Wednesday.

"So, de facto we're in an alliance with Iran. Now, I don't expect anyone in a position of power in the US government to ever say that," he said, continuing that much of the realities and facts of the region are "politically inconvenient to say."

Continue..

Ukraine SITREP October 8th, 16:00 UTC/Zulu: The calm before the storm?

Click banner for more info

Military situation

The situation in the Ukraine and Novorussia is a very tense and could lead to a major resumption of hostilities.

The Junta Repression Forces (JRF) have used the ceasefire to lick their wounds, get reorganized, concentrate their forces, bring in much needed reinforcements, prepare defensive fortifications and bring in new units.  The Novorussian Armed Forces (NAF) have done the same but, unlike the JRF, the NAF suffer from a lack of equipment, possibly made worse by a reduction of the flow of weapons, in particular heavy ones, from Russia (the so-called voentorg).  In terms of personnel, the influx of volunteers to the NDF has remained steady and strong.
Continue..

Australian Air Force Launches First Airstrikes Against IS Positions in Iraq

Click banner for more info

The Australian Air Force has launched its first airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Iraq, the country’s Defense Ministry said in a statement early on Thursday.
“Overnight the Australian Air Task Group operating in the Middle East attacked its first target in Iraq. Two bombs were dropped from an F/A-18F Super Hornet on to an ISIL facility,” the ministry said.
Continue...