The last time the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria conducted air and artillery strikes against pro-regime forces in Syria, in the oil-rich Deir Ezzor region, was on Feb. 7, when hundreds of pro-regime fighters were killed, the largest number of "pro-regime" casualties inflicted by the US-led coalition in one attack. The coalition described its action as carried out in "self defense", while the Syrian state news agency SANA described the action as an "aggression" by the coalition against "popular forces" who were fighting ISIS and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
In a bombshell update one week later, it was revealed that among the casualties were hundreds of Russian mercenaries working on behalf of the Assad regime, and hired by the Wagner PMC (Private Military Group) - a shadowy organization often referred to as Russia's answer to Blackwater. Adding to the mystery, is that the Wagner Group is believed to be funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a rich businessman close to President Vladimir Putin and also known as "Putin's Chef." Prigozhin was
recently sanctioned by the US due to his links to the eastern Ukraine separatists.
Unnamed US intelligence sources
quoted by the Washington Post said Prigozhin was in close contact with the Kremlin in the run-up to the Feb 7 assault on the Syrian Democratic Forces base in Deir Ezzor region.
According to the unconfirmed report, intercepted communications showed that Prigozhin was also involved in the operational planning with Syrian officials, ahead of the attack.
Meanwhile, amid unconfirmed reports that more than 100 Russians had been killed, the Kremlin denied that any regular Russian military forces had been involved. It admitted only that there had been "several dozen" Russian casualties, but gave no further details.
Of course, Prigozhin's name became a fixture in the media in the past two weeks, following the February 16 federal indictment of 13 Russian trolls, including Prigozhin, accusing them of "fraud and deceit for the purpose of interfering with the US political and electoral processes." The indictment said Prigozhin "spent significant funds" on the group and on the Internet Research Agency, a St Petersburg body that has been nicknamed the "Russian troll factory".
Prigozhin shrugged off the US charges, saying "Americans are very impressionable people". "If they want to see the devil, let them see him," he quipped.
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We reminds readers of this extensive back story because moments ago, Al Jazeera reported that less than three weeks after the Feb. 7 US-coalition attack on Syrian pro-regime forces, among them dozens of Russian mercenaries, the US-led coalition warplanes struck a Syrian regime unit, once again in the northern Deir Ezzor province.So far there has been no further information on the number of casualties or any details of the attack. The question, of course, will be whether any more Russian mercenaries were killed in this latest (targeted) attack by the US-coalition, what prompted the US attack, and how the Syrian military acted in response.
Needless to say, if more Russians were killed - whether mercenaries or otherwise - relations between the US and Russia are about to hit a fresh rock bottom.
Reader Comments
So I looked it up and just came across this - how's this for recent, eh?
The New Iraqi Air Force:
Defense Industry Daily
February 21, 2018*: Planned Deliveries The Iraqi Air Force will receive 13 additional F-16 aircraft in 2019, bringing to 34 the number of fighters operated by the service. Quoted by the Arabic-language satellite TV channel Al-Hurra, Brig. Gen. Andrew Croft, deputy air commander of CJTF-OIR’s land component said that the new aircraft will increase Baghdad’s capabilities in... {click to expand +}Keep reading for the whole story with recent events put in context F-16IQ (D)
(click to view full) Iraq’s military has made significant strides in recent years, and the country is ordering more advanced military equipment to match. A slew of 2008 requests aimed to spend over $10 billion to buy advanced armored vehicles, strengthen its national military supply chain, build new bases and infrastructure for its army, and even buy advanced scout helicopters. Budget shortfalls have stretched out those buys, but that situation is easing , even as Iraq’s air force continues to make progress. Anxious to complete its transformation and stand fully on its own, Iraq is pushing to begin flying its own fighters within the next couple of years – and is looking to buy American F-16s, rather than the Soviet and French fighters that made up Saddam’s air force. [Link]
Note that our F-16 is our most profitable exported plane (I would guess), like the F5A (I believe) which was a low cost supersonic fighter designed for sale to 'lesser countries' in the late 60s and 70s. The F-16, (contra the F18, F15, F22) is significantly cheaper.
Thus, we can use these guys to stick bombs in the honeycomb that the big bear is presently peacefully enjoying, perhaps to see if we can anger him enough to bring out the heretofore unknown SAM-500.10 - but Russia's far too smart for that game, and I detect that they'll just use a lot of surplus SAM-200's.... But we'll see.
As to such possible/likely US's hopes to 'poke the Bear', I say only, 'Beware of what you wish for...etc." and pray that the our enemies that the West's PTB's have created.. everywhere - will be kinder to innocent Americans SCREAMING, (as here) against this evilly controlled fascistic government - where even the SUPPOSED 'Anti Fascists' are all part of the plot/ scam.
As Steely Dan wrote, It's truly a "Royal Scam.' R.C.
* Think about it. Given the DUMB bases, does anyone here honestly believe that the MSM doesn't expect to be given quality seating in those places - no matter whether it's a true meteoric or cometary strike, or H-Bombs in retaliation from China, Pakistan, India, Israel, UK etc. - and that such MSM 'continuity' protocols are already in place? (Just like Ollie North's US Government's Rex 84 'Continuity of GOVERNMENT! I.e., CONTINUITY of the government, by the government and for the government - the people, the citizenry be damned!)
Comments welcome.
RC