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Jet3

CNN's view from Hmeymim airbase, staging ground for Russia's war in Syria

Matthew Chance
CNN
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 13:48 UTC
Russian jet
© Russian Defense Ministry
With relentless regularity, the Russian warplanes take off from Hmeymim airbase in Latakia on northwest Syria's Mediterranean coast, the staging ground for Russia's air war against Islamist terror groups fighting for control of Syria.

Several times an hour, the base reverberates with the roar of fighter jets taking off to pound jihadist rebel groups and support the ground forces of beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Figures provided by Russia's Defense Ministry, detailing the activity here over the past 24 hours, give some sense of the intensity of Russia's air war.
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Jet2

US coalition claims to target ISIS but bombs Syrian infrastructure instead, must pay war reparations - Syrian Foreign Ministry

Mazen Eyon
SANA
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 14:10 UTC
Syria
© Unknown

Syria affirmed that the US-led coalition's warplanes have launched tens of raids on the Syrian economic facilities instead of raiding the Islamic State (ISIS) organization and its tanks that transport the stolen Syrian oil into Turkey.

"The US-led coalition's shelling of the economic facilities and infrastructure, and the unilateral coercive measures adopted by some countries on the Syrian people are the reason behind the mounting difficult conditions Syria is passing through," Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said in two identical letters sent Wednesday to the UN Secretary General and President of Security Council.

It added that in light of this deliberate destruction of the oil and economic establishments, the Syrian Arab Republic reserves its right in demanding the US-led coalition's countries to pay compensations to Syria in return for this destruction as it is a right guaranteed by the international law.

Comment: Also see: Emergency meeting to be held after U.S. gave air cover to ISIS, attacked Russian coalition

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Bomb

Iraqi Army and allies take strategic positions in Anbar Province, prepare to retake the city of Ramadi


Sputnik
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 13:52 UTC
The Iraqi Army and allied armed forces have captured strategic positions from the terrorist group in Anbar Province, in preparation for an assault against terrorist positions in the city of Ramadi.

Iraq Army
© AP Photo/ Osama Sami
The Iraqi Army and allied Popular Mobilization Forces have captured strategically important locations in Anbar Province from Daesh (ISIL/ISIS), which give them the positions to launch an operation to liberate Ramadi from the terrorists, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.

"Daesh retreated from the areas around the bridge and the Iraqi government forces took full control over it after killing and wounding many terrorists," military sources told Fars.

Comment: Hopefully the Iraqi Army will be able to retake Ramadi, despite on-going pressure from ISIS' handlers in the good ole USA:
"The US bargains and pressures on the Baghdad government have prevented accomplishment of Ramadi liberation operation," Abu Yousef al-Khazali, a commander of Seyed al-Shohada battalion, told FNA on Thursday.

"The US has long been seeking to force the government to stop using the popular forces in military operations against ISIL, specially in the liberation operations conducted in different Iraqi regions," he added.

Also, Karim al-Nouri, the spokesman of Iraq's popular forces, told FNA that the "the Americans' interference has distorted plans to free Ramadi".

He added that "the Americans are not serious about bringing the battles to an end".

Iraqi forces retake Palestine Bridge and cut last IS supply line to Ramadi
Also see:

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Stock Down

Ukraine could suspend paying back its $3 billion debt to Russia any day now: Moscow will apply to the courts


RT
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:24 UTC
Kiev city council building
© Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters
Women walk in a front of the city council in Kiev, Ukraine, October 8, 2015.
The Russian Ministry of Finance accepts it is possible Ukraine could suspend the redemption of $3 billion in Eurobonds due to Moscow on Sunday, according to Russia's Deputy Finance Minister Sergey Storchak. "That could happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," he told journalists on Thursday.


He also said the IMF recognizing Ukraine's debt to Russia as sovereign does not change anything for Russia. "For us, this does not change the situation. It changes the situation for the Ukrainian authorities, if that's what they want," said Storchak, explaining that Kiev now has a chance to reconsider its eligible debt list, approved earlier this year, which includes Russian Eurobonds on par with Eurobonds from the private sector.The deadline for the Russian debt repayment is December 20. Kiev has an additional 10-day grace period after which Moscow will apply to the courts if Ukraine fails to pay.


Comment: This isn't about making concessions to the Poroshenko regime, but about making the West responsible for the coup they pulled off in Kiev.
See also:

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Eye 2

Europe, the US and the advance of Nazi barbarism

Luciana Bohne
Counterpunch
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 00:00 UTC
Ukraine Nazis
In October of 1930, Thomas Mann made "An Appeal to Reason" inThe Berliner Taggeblatt:
This fantastic state of mind, of a humanity that has outrun its ideas, is matched by a political scene in the grotesque style, with Salvation Army methods, hallelujahs and bell-ringing and dervish-like repetition of monotonous catchwords, until everybody foams at the mouth. Fanaticism turns into a means of salvation, enthusiasm into epileptic ecstasy . . . and reason veils her face.
The appeal failed. Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, and shortly after the Reichstag fire, he passed the "Enabling Act," suspending personal freedoms, freedom of opinion, including the freedom of the press, the freedom to organize and assemble, the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications. Though subject to house searches, restrictions on property and confiscations, Germans felt free so long as they behaved like "good Germans" and obeyed the law.

Comment: From every corner of the world - including the United States - those with knowledge of World War II see many of the same familiar signs and patterns that point to the same things happening again: Now. If one knows for a fact that this is true, and that it is the "exceptional" United States that (for various reasons) is taking its turn as behemoth of world evil - what should one do? Who would one tell? How should one prepare? And where should one go? The problems and questions inherent in such a truth as this are broad and deep, but perhaps not insurmountable - but does require a good deal of knowledge - followed up by action.

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Bad Guys

Lying kills: Presidents, Prime Ministers age faster, die younger - study


The Corbett Report
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 00:56 UTC
Aging Obama
© Screenshot via YouTube/Diran Lyons
Well, it's official: presidents and prime ministers really do age more quickly and die younger than their peers. But is it the stress of "leading the country" or the stress of being a disposable puppet for the oligarchy that does them in?

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War Whore

Defense contractors congratulate themselves for driving us closer to WW3

Claire Bernish
AntiMedia
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 00:00 UTC
arms manufacturers, lobbying war, defense contractors
As if the United States required another reason to remain at war in perpetuity, defense contracting industry lobbyist group, Americans for Peace, Prosperity, and Security (APPS), recently praised itself for "driving the debate on foreign policy during the 2016 presidential election" — as though there were some debate concerning continued U.S. military involvement just about everywhere on the face of the planet.

Headed by former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, the obliquely-monikered defense industry agenda, er, interest group claims "the American president's understanding of the challenges and benefits of American leadership around the globe has been vital," in the video prominently displayed on its website's home page. "The threat-matrix facing America today has never been broader," Rogers' narration of the video continues, "from ISIS and radical Islam, a nuclear Iran, to cyber-hacking attempts to disrupt our very way of life: our presidential leadership and emphasis on American security has never been more critical."

Oh, how the smug irony — of military contractors whose interests lie in the same continuing military action that builds international resentment and fuels extremist actions against U.S. and allied troops and civilians — hurts.

Comment: These smug psychopathic warhawks are obviously enjoying their recent successes as the threat of WWIII looms ever closer.

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Arrow Down

More killing, British "humanitarian boots" on the ground in Syria

Felicity Arbuthnot
Global Research
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 01:03 UTC
Blair n Cameron
© Global Research
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and his Cabinet Ministers are rigidly consistent in one thing - their inconsistency.

On 20th July this year, Defence Minister Michael Fallon was adamant when he told Parliament that Britain would not send ground forces to Iraq or Syria as their deployment would be used by ISIS as anti Western propaganda. (1)

Fallon was stressed that:
" ... putting ground troops into Iraq or Syria would help the ISIL narrative.

"It would help further radicalise its potential supporters by showing it was foreign armies being sent to deal with ISIL."
David Cameron weighed in with the need for "boots on the ground" - but he was adamant, assuring that these would NOT be British or American boots these would be "Iraqi boots, Syrian boots."

The arrogance of dictating the security arrangements of other sovereign nations defies comment.

Michael Fallon revealed that in spite of the British public having been assured that there would also be no British bombing in Syria he: "confirmed to MPs that five pilots serving with British forces had been embedded with coalition forces carrying out air strikes in Syria in the past year", specifically with US and Canadian forces. Moreover, Britain had seemingly sent illegal insurgents in to Syria.

According to the Daily Mail: "Some seventy five other UK personnel have worked with coalition forces on attacks in Syria, Mr Fallon said."
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Dollar

Russia diplomat calls for Turkey to compensate Russia for plane shot down in Syria


Associated Press
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 21:32 UTC
Russian jet
© Getty
A top Russian diplomat said on Wednesday that Turkey should pay compensation for the Russian warplane it shot down near the Syrian border last month, a call Turkey has promptly rejected.

The downing of the Su-24 and the deaths of two Russian servicemen strained the traditionally warm relations between the two countries.

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov told state news agency RIA Novosti on Wednesday that it still expects Ankara to apologize, pay the compensation and provide guarantees that it will never happen again.

The Russian Su-24 was on a bombing mission near the Turkish-Syrian border with a two-man crew when it was shot down on Nov. 24. One of the pilots was killed, while the second was rescued. A Russian marine was killed during the rescue operation.
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Attention

Falling apart: Role of Saudi-led 'military alliance' put to question as some members reject participation


RT
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 21:37 UTC
Saudi Arabia army
© Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters
The international community has welcomed Saudi Arabia's initiative to create a coalition against terrorism. However, its "military and ideological" role has been met with confusion even among members, some of whom didn't know they were included.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced the creation of an 'Islamic military alliance' with a mission to fight terrorism. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the coalition of 34 Muslim states would fight the scourge in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan.

The coalition members are to share intelligence, train, equip and possibly even provide forces to fight against militants such as Islamic State and al Qaeda, said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.

"Nothing is off the table," he stated regarding the possibility of deploying boots on the ground.
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