The West Fears Russia’s Success in Syria - Not Its Failure

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The Western response to the Russian air campaign in Syria provokes a sense of deja vu.

In every respect it is identical to the Western response to the Russian campaign in Chechnya in 1999. In the weeks following the start of that campaign Western pundits made a host of claims and predictions. They claimed the Russian airforce was bombing civilians, and accused Russia’s leadership of war crimes. They said Russian military action would radicalise the population, turning it against Russia. They predicted more terrorist attacks against Russia, and predicted Russia’s defeat.

All these claims and predictions proved wrong.

Nigeria’s Christians borrow Boko Haram tactics, destroy traditional African religious shrines & art

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Sixteenth and 17th century artefacts made in Benin: Fundamentalist Christians and Boko Haram share a common hostility to ancient African art. (Photo/AFP).

More than 500 traditional-worship sites have been burned down, and worshippers have handed over art worth $500m to pastors.

SAMUEL Nwankwo drove past a mob in the southeastern Nigerian town of Umuoji unaware that it was heading to attack his home.
As the chief priest of a traditional religion in the area, he’d become a target of a crowd of Christian youths who left a revival meeting where several preachers condemned the veneration of ancestral gods. They were bent on eradicating all symbols of such worship in the town of about 30,000 people.
“They ransacked the Udume Abor shrine where we worshiped, then went to my house where they took religious objects and burned them,” Nwankwo, a 45-year-old former Christian pastor, said in an interview. “The entire house would have burned if neighbors didn’t put out the fire.”

Syrian Militants Surrender in Droves to Daraa Governorate

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Over 450 Syrian militants and 250 criminals wanted by government have laid down their arms and return to peaceful life in the south-west of war-torn country.


Roughly seven hundred armed militants and criminals surrendered themselves to the local authorities in the Syrian Daraa Governorate that is situated next to the border with Jordan in the last two days, national Syrian Arab News Agency Sana reported.
Hundreds of militants and other law offenders decided to hand themselves over to authorities under the terms of a national reconciliation program.

Breaking News: Russian Aviation Hits ISIL Training Center, Munition Depot Near Al-Tabqa

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Russian Air Force has conducted 20 flights overnight targeting 10 ISIL facilities near the Syrian city of al-Tabqa, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday.

"Su-34 bombers attacked the ISIL special training camp and munition depot with KAB-500 aviation bombs near Al-Tabqa, Ar-Raqqah province. As a result of explosion of the munition depot, the terrorist training camp was completely destroyed," Konashenkov told reporters.


Russian Su-25 jets have also attacked training camp of the Islamic State in Syrian Idlib governorate destroying workshop for explosive belt production.

Russian Air Force Operation to Help Root Out Terrorism in Syria - Egypt FM

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Russia's pinpoint airstrikes on Islamic State positions in Syria contribute to the eradication of terrorism in this country, Egypt's Foreign Minister said.

CAIRO  — Russia started carrying out airstrikes against ISIL in Syria on Wednesday, following the request of President Bashar Assad.

"Russia's entry into this struggle [with ISIL], with its [Russia's] potential and opportunities, in our judgment, will contribute to reduction of the terrorism in Syria, and its eradication," Sameh Shoukry said in an interview with the Saudi Al Arabiya broadcaster.

Russian Aviaton in Syria Smashes ISIL With Kh-29L Air-to-Surface Missile

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The Kh-29L air-to-surface missile used by Russian planes against ISIL in Syria is a weapon that strikes targets with a precision less than two meters, give or take.


LATAKIA — The Russian air group in Syria is using a Kh-29L air-to-surface missile to conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State militants, the Russian military said Sunday.

"A Kh-29L surface-to-air missile is equipped with a semi-active laser guidance system. When the launch is conducted, a pilot illuminates a target with a laser sight. At the same time an aircraft can continue the flight," Aerospace Forces spokesman Col. Igor Klimov said.

'Russia hasn't killed a single civilian... the West lies to justify their own failures' says Syrian scholar

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© Reuters/ Khalil ashawi

No Syrian civilians were killed as a result of Russian airstrikes, as they're carried out with extreme precision, Deputy Director of the Damascus Center for International and Strategic Studies Dr. Taleb Ibrahim told Sputnik.

According to Ibrahim, Russians act very professionally and base their airstrikes on a series of sophisticated data taken from satellites, images from reconnaissance planes and intelligence services.

"All these Western media reports about Russians killing civilians are pure lies. During airstrikes, Russia hasn't killed a single civilian," Ibrahim said.

Very bad news for the Anglo-Zionist Empire: Russia tightly closed the sky over Syria for any aircraft, other than its own

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http://vg-news.ru/n/117388 , 3 October 2015 at 10:12:

“… An American military expert, a former Colonel of the U.S. army Jack Jacobs said that the United States can’t stop Russians in Syria, because Russia has de facto established a closed zone over it, blocking the access to any aircraft with the help of its air defense systems, deployed both on land and on ships of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean.

On Friday, 2 October, Saudi news published an interview with former U.S. Colonel Jack Jacobs, who announced that the United States can’t stop the Russians in Syria, as Russia has established a “closed zone” over it. This means that any military aircraft entering the zone of hostilities, can be immediately shot down as a threat to the Russian Air and space forces.

Dreams of a sleeping alligator – dream one

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Dear friends,
Yesterday, I went hiking across the famous Paynes Prairie in Central Florida which was a rather unique experience because due to the heavy rains most of the trail was actually flooded by a foot of water.  I ended up wading across much of it using my walking stick to test the ground ahead of me.  I saw plenty of beautiful alligators during this hike (I love them), including one which was peacefully resting in what looked to me like a dreams-filled sleep.  I took a photo (see above) and I decided to call my short letters to you, my friends and readers, the “dreams of a sleeping alligator”, because I write them from a ‘land’ (both real and imaginary) were there are plenty of alligators and plenty of rest.

Photo of the day: Quality vs. quantity:

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Quality vs. quantity: while the US continues to accuse Russia of striking US-trained rebel areas in #Syria, Russia is destroying #ISIL HQs and training camps...

By Bombing Terrorists in Syria Russia Hits Washington's Raw Nerve

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Russia is undoubtedly bombing insurgents supported by the US, but that is only because Washington has intentionally supported Al Qaeda and ISIL in Syria, geopolitical researcher Tony Cartalucci remarks.

Smoke rises from a base controlled by rebel fighters from the Ahrar al-Sham Movement, that was targeted by what activists said were Russian airstrikes at Hass ancient cemeteries in the southern countryside of Idlib,
Along with some other Western reporters Australian journalist Lauren Williams notes in her recent piece that Russia has launched its airstrikes on Homs and Hama regions which are "not ISIS [ISIL] hotspots."

Despite Video Evidence, Pentagon Slams Moscow for Using 'Dumb Bombs' to clears its proxies in Syria

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In Washington’s ongoing attempt to discredit Russian airstrikes in Syria, a senior US Air Force official has claimed Moscow lacks the technology for precision-guided missiles. Footage of the strikes proves his statement to be demonstrably false.

"To me, it was representative of what you’d expect from dumb bombs, being dropped from airplanes at medium altitudes, which is not that impressive," Lt. Gen. Robert P. Otto, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, told reporters on Thursday.

US Launches Information War Against Russia’s Anti-ISIL Airstrikes

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As Russia launches airstrikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group in Syria, the United States has already begun its disinformation campaign. Frustrated with its own failures in combating IS, Washington is misrepresenting Moscow’s efforts.

On Wednesday, Russian combat jets launched pinpointed strikes against IS targets in Syria. Almost immediately, Western media outlets carried reports of civilian casualties.

Russia Moves to Stabilize the Mideast Region not ‘Destroy It Like US

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Russia has conducted its first airstrike against ISIL militants in Syria. The Russian Ministry of Defense says the operation took place in the Arab republic’s third largest city of Homs, which is a central link between the interior cities and the Mediterranean coast.

The operation came hours after the Russian Parliament approved the use of the country’s armed forces abroad.


According to Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Ivanov, the decision was made after Syrian President Bashar Assad requested military assistance from Moscow in the fight against terrorism.
While speaking to journalists on Wednesday morning, Ivanov also added that the move does not foresee any ground troop operations.

As China Rises, US Deploys Most Advanced Aircraft Carrier to Boost Japan

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The US Navy deployed one of its most advanced aircraft carriers to Japan to strengthen ties between Washington and Tokyo.

The USS Ronald Reagan, carrying a crew of 5,000 sailors and around 80 aircraft, docked at Yokosuka naval base on Thursday.

The nuclear-powered Reagan, which is equipped with the latest targeting and defense radars, integrated weapons systems and command and communications technology, marks an upgrade from the ship it is replacing, the USS George Washington.

Russia Approves Use of Armed Forces in Syria

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Russia’s Federation Council unanimously approved the use of the country’s armed forces abroad.
Russia’s upper house of parliament on Wednesday approved the country’s armed forces to be used abroad.

The decision includes only the use of the Air Force and does not foresee any ground troops operations, Kremlin Administration Aide Sergei Ivanov said Wednesday.

Speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the UN 70th General Assembly (Updated with transcript!)

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Transcript:

Mr. Secretary General,

Distinguished heads of state and government,

Ladies and gentlemen,

The 70th anniversary of the United Nations is a good occasion to both take stock of history and talk about our common future. In 1945, the countries that defeated Nazism joined their efforts to lay a solid foundation for the postwar world order. Let me remind you that key decisions on the principles defining interaction between states, as well as the decision to establish the UN, were made in our country, at the Yalta Conference of the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition.

We came, we saw, He Died: How will Washington react if Assad repeats fate of Gadafi ?

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Following the death of Muammar Gaddafi then-US State Secretary Hillary Clinton jokingly said: "We came, we saw, he died." However, now amid the massive migrant crisis in Europe, Washington would unlikely react the same way if Syrian President Bashar Assad repeats the Libyan leader's fate, author Brian Cloughley believes.

The US invasion in Iraq, as well as NATO-led airstrikes in Libya and support of the so-called Syrian moderate rebels have backfired. Not so much on Washington, but its ally Europe, which is suffering from the largest migrant crisis since World War II, with hundreds of thousands fleeing violence in war-torn regions in the Middle East and North Africa, author and expert in political and military affairs Brian Cloughley noted. According to Brian Cloughley, the US war in Iraq has displaced about 1 in 25 Iraqi citizens, while the violent expansion of the ISIL jihadist group contributed to more Iraqis fleeing their homes.

Interesting but ambiguous video

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This video was supposedly made near Homs and supposedly shows a “large Russian aircraft and 4 escorts”.  Maybe.  The large aircraft could be either Il-76 (transport) or Il-78 (refueling).  The four smaller aircraft are not escorts, but probably SU-24, and if that guess of mine is correct, then this is interesting.    Careful now!  Iran also has Il-76 and SU-24s, so we don’t know for sure that these are Russian.  But if these are, indeed, Russian SU-24s that would significant as the Syrian Air Forces does not have such aircraft.

Iceland Counters US Military Claims of 'Russian Flights'

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Iceland's foreign ministry countered US defense department claims that Russia has increased activity around the country and that it is interested in "military cooperation."

The US government attempted to convince Iceland to accept a higher US military presence over what it called increased Russian military flights in the region, Icelandic media reported.

Iceland's foreign ministry released figures showing that Russian military flights anywhere near the country's airspace have actually decreased more than five times compared to 2007. None of the flights breached Icelandic airspace.