Puppet Masters
The SAS, as well as the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), are reportedly ready to deploy from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus should the need arise.
The Daily Express reported Monday that the missions would focus on areas popular with tourists and that troops would be cleared to use lethal force if the rescue operations were interfered with.
Leaflets with directions to the four safe passages out of the areas under siege have been distributed around the neighborhoods.
"To avoid unintended casualties among peaceful citizens, the Syrian government is asking you to leave the blocked areas. The Aleppo governor gives you an opportunity to exit through the routes specified in the scheme. Save your life and the lives of your loved ones," reads a leaflet obtained by RT.
Those fleeing Aleppo are advised to raise their hands with the leaflet while approaching checkpoints, to move slowly and to follow the commands of the Syrian military. Once near checkpoints, they will be required to turn around to demonstrate they do not have explosives on them.
Aleppo governor Mohammad Marwan Olabi said makeshift centers equipped with medical services are ready to take the refugees, SANA reported.

Residents queue to receive new and second-hand clothes as part of humanitarian aid at a school in Aleppo. File photo
"We have repeatedly called on the warring parties to reconcile, but the militants violated the silence mode each time, shelled villages, attacked the positions of government troops. As a result, a tough humanitarian situation has developed in the city of Aleppo and its suburbs," Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday.
"To assist civilians taken hostage by terrorists, as well as militants who chose to lay down their weapons, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties, together with Syrian authorities, will open three humanitarian corridors there," Shoigu added.
"I want to emphasize that we are taking this step, first and foremost, to ensure the safety of Aleppo residents," the minister said. He has also urged international organizations to take part in the humanitarian operation in Aleppo.
According to the minister, the fourth corridor for the passage of fighters in Aleppo is being set up only because the US has not provided Russia with data on the al-Nusra Front terrorist group, which has recently been attempting to merge with other armed opposition groups in Syria.
Russia and the Syrian government have launched a joint large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians and one for militants wishing to lay down arms, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday.
Meanwhile Russian online newspaper Vzglyad notes that the operation on the liberation of Syria's largest city would have been long over if not for one problem - namely the US.
On Tuesday, an unnamed source told Sputnik that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) destroyed an al-Nusra Front command center located in the al-Zahraa neighborhood of Aleppo as Damascus-led forces were trying to take full control of the city.
Comment: More on the current situation in Aleppo:
- Russia and Syria launch mass humanitarian operation in Aleppo
- Syrian Army: Militants in Aleppo are trapped, it is time for them to surrender

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Voters expect CNN and others to tilt American elections. What’s new is that social media and even video games are getting in on the act.
At a press conference in Florida broadcasted on American television, Trump was asked if he was ready to recognize Crimea as Russian territory and begin to consider lifting the sanctions imposed on Russia.
"We'll be looking at that. Yeah, we'll be looking," Trump said without going into detail. Meanwhile, the official program of the Republican Party includes the preservation and possible strengthening of sanctions against Russia and not recognizing Crimea as Russian territory.
The Republican nominee also stated that he would prefer to be friends with Russia so that "we can go and knock out ISIS together with other people and with other countries."
Western media have gone into hysterics over Trump's words on NATO and Russia. The Russian parliament has already reacted to the words of this American politician and called for appraisals not to be rushed into. "Donald Trump is still a dark horse for us. He is popular now, 'riding the wave.' It is hard to say just how much we can trust his words, but time will tell," the first deputy head of the International Committee of the Federation Council, Vladimir Dzhabarov, said to RIA Novosti. In Dzhabarov's opinion, if Trumps claims victory in the election, then "it will be interesting to work with him."
Comment: It must be interesting to be in Russia watching the US 'dog and pony election' reality show.
"Trump says he wants to run the nation like he's running his business? God help us. I'm a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one," Bloomberg said in a speech endorsing Hillary Clinton.
Bloomberg really did not skimp on the criticism towards Clinton's Republican competitor this evening.
Bloomberg spoke of Trump as a "dangerous demagogue" and a bad businessman who would be the same as the president. "Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy," Bloomberg said.
Comment: A 'con'...does it take one to know one? Or is there some pearl of wisdom here? What we do know: 'The Donald' is, so far, a whole lot of "show and tell."
Bloomberg also said Trump is a "risky, reckless and radical choice" (so is the Hill), "can't afford to make that choice" (same for the Hill), "need a problem solver not bomb thrower" (such as the Hill), "select a sane, competent person, a unifier who is mature to reach out for advice" (not the Hill), "make it harder for small business to compete" (as would the Hill), "erode our influence around the world" (bingo the Hill), "game the system" (as has the Hill, for decades).
Even before it kicked off, a Reddit moderator warned users that the session would be a little different/boring in order to discourage "troublemakers," defeating the entire purpose of an AMA.
"For this AMA we have temporarily taken extra security measures to keep our community free from troublemakers. We built the wall 10 ft taller, you might say," well at least they haven't lost all sense of humor.
Participants were warned that comments would only be accepted from established users and any comments from accounts less than 30 days old would be automatically deleted.
Comment: Reddit was acquired by Condé Nast and has since become a direct subsidiary of the parent company, Advance Publications - a mega grouping of news outlets, magazines and websites, ranking 44th largest company in the US. When it says "moderate," the subsidiary says "yes sir."
SOT, Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia (Russian): "Today we receive confirmed information about the plans of gang leaders currently in hiding in a number of Middle East countries, to continue their terrorist activities and try to incite North Caucasus militant organisations, whose activities we have managed to suppress, disunite and mainly neutralise the key players. Being forced to operate from abroad, functionaries of international terrorist organisations learned to effectively and remotely control their terrorist networks. They use all available communication tools from contact agents to satellite communication systems, including the internet."
SOT, Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia (Russian): "The gang leaders do not only recruit the militants, but also actively use encryption programs and popular instant messengers such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Viber. They send their supporters detailed instructions for terrorist activities, tactics, specify the purpose of carrying out the terrorist attacks and also provide information about forms and methods of the security services' work."
SOT, Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia (Russian): "In our opinion, the most important thing is to put professional interests in the first place without politicisation of the issues of combating international terrorism. We appeal to our partners to focus their attention on the investigation, detention and the extradition of terrorists to their countries, not to third parties. In that regard, I want to draw your attention to the fact that Russian enforcement authorities issued an international wanted list of more than 260 people, whose continued intensive organisation and preparatory work for the transfer of its terrorist activity to Russia and a number of other states."
Comment: A constructive and effective approach, applicable to a unified international effort to cut off the multiple heads of the snake. Want to bet on which countries choose not to step up? Could they be the same ones who support, fund and slither? Just a wild guess.
With the Clintons having already announced that they are going to carry on with their Clinton Foundation and "take large inflated speaking fees from overseas," the nation can expect that their paychecks will keep growing, Peter Schweizer, author and executive producer of the Clinton Cash documentary said.
"As an ex-president he [Bill Clinton] was making $175,000 a speech. She [Hillary Clinton] becomes secretary of state - literally overnight that triples. That will increase even more if she becomes president, so we are going to expect more of the same: larger flow of money, because, of course, when you are paying the spouse of the president you can expect more in return than when you're paying the spouse of the secretary of state," he suggested.
The testimonies of only three "informants" in relation to Russian doping are not subject to any court decisions. Furthermore, upon studying the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) records (available online) it becomes evident that the Russian team was tested twice as many times as any other, and still turned up only a 0.91% positive result.
Comment: According to WADA's own records, Russia still had fewer dopers than Belgium, South Africa, India, Korea, Sweden, France, Poland, Norway, and Spain (among others), and just slightly more than Australia and Canada. Telling, no?
Don't miss: Cultural warfare: US attempt to ban Russia from Olympics for 'cheating' is rank hypocrisy













Comment: Russia and Syria launch mass humanitarian operation in Aleppo