The leaders of quasi-state are declaring the inclusion of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and partly Thailand into their caliphate. Those militants who have been fighting in Syria are now coming back and forming the bone, the forward squad [of the quasi-state].He cited terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka in April 2019 as an example of the revived threat in the region, which had been relatively dormant for several years. "High activity of extremist organizations is now registered in the region, around 60 of such have been designated as terrorist groups," the minister added.
A convoy of armoured personnel carriers is flanked on all sides by irate Kurds shouting "No America" and "America liar" in English while one resident can be heard describing US troops as fleeing "Like rats... America is running away," in Arabic.But despite the withdrawal from the northeast, Trump is reportedly thinking of keeping around 200 US troops in eastern Syria to "fight Daesh":
The angry citizens appear to be firing potatoes at their departing former allies but the Rudaw news agency reports that tomatoes were the projectile of choice.
According to the [NYT], in addition to the main goal — to prevent the resurgence of Daesh in Syria or neighbouring Iraq — it is important for the United States to assist the Kurds in maintaining control of the oil fields in the east.Russias Defense Minister Shoigu says that there's a risk many foreign terrorists will repatriate as a result of Turkey's incursion:
Three representatives of the presidential administration and the Department of Defence confirmed that senior US politicians and commanders had discussed such a plan. Trump, according to The New York Times, is now hesitating between two options, either to achieve the ultimate goal and send the US military home from Syria and end the war or to make sure that the containment and weakening of Daesh continues. Per some officials, Trump may say that the deployment of the small contingent is a reasonable way to ensure security in the region and in the United States, without breaking his promise.
Commenting on the possibility of leaving a small number of military personnel in eastern Syria, the White House said that this was not a change of policy, because the main purpose of the withdrawal was to protect the people.
"As a result of the actions of the Turkish army in Syria, eight refugee camps and 12 prisons for foreign militants remained unprotected. This could lead to a surge in the so-called reverse migration of terrorists to their historical homeland," Shoigu said at a plenary meeting of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum.He also made the following proposal:
"There is a need to consolidate the efforts of the entire world community to counter terrorists' challenges, their ideology and propaganda. The Russian Defence Ministry has gained vast experience in this area, which we are ready to share with our partners in the Asia-Pacific region," Shoigu stressed.
"We very much hope that the steps that are being taken now — our cooperation with Turkish and US colleagues — will allow regional security and stability to improve instead of degrading. The events of the past few days, are, unfortunately, seeding unoptimistic thoughts", Shoigu told participants of a security forum in Beijing.On a positive note, Turkish officials have confirmed that Kurdish militants have begun to leave the regions near the Turkish border. If they don't complete their withdrawal within the 35 hours left in the 5-day pause, Turkish forces will resume their operation. Lavrov says Russia will back a revised Adana Pact if both Ankara and Damascus deem it necessary:
He also noted that Moscow sees this as a problem which "should be solved immediately, and not only at the Russia-Turkey-US level".
"This is the existing international legal framework that has been recently confirmed by both parties, including in the context of current events. If the parties, in the course of contacts, consider it necessary and mutually acceptable to clarify or amend this agreement in any way, this will be their decision, we will certainly accept and support it," Lavrov said at a press conference.For previous updates, see:
Lavrov further noted that all the Kurds present in Syria should be covered by the new Syrian constitution in order to guarantee the absence of any threat coming from the Syrian territory against Turkey.
"All the Kurdish structures on the Syrian territory should be solidly covered by the Syrian legislation, the Syrian constitution, so that there are no illegal armed groups on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, and so that no threat to security of the Republic of Turkey and any other nation comes from the Syrian territory," Lavrov said at a press conference after talks with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zakharieva.
The minister further noted that Russia had no plans to host a Syria-Turkey security meeting amid existing tensions over Turkey's offensive in the north of the neighbouring country
"A representative of the presidential administration has already commented on planned contacts between Syrian and Turkish representatives in Sochi. We do not plan such contacts," Lavrov said at a press conference.
"I'm not making any predictions, but I think they've got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate," Clinton said in a transparent reference to Gabbard. "She's the favorite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far. And that's assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not because she's also a Russian asset."Clinton provided no evidence for her outlandish claims, because she does not have any. Gabbard has repeatedly denied centrist conspiracy theories that she intends to run as a third-party candidate, a claim which establishment pundits have been making more and more often because they know there will never be any consequences when their claims are disproven. There is no evidence of any kind connecting either Jill Stein or Tulsi Gabbard to the Russian government.
Apple is not only major horticulture produce of Kashmir but is also the backbone of the rural economy across the Valley, Jammu and Kashmir. It is the highest employment generator in Kashmir. Kashmir produces about 20 lakh metric tons of apples annually and contributes 10 per cent to the state's economy.
In the last few years, the horticulture area under apple crop has increased from 81,116 hectares in 2001 to 146,016 hectares in 2018 in Kashmir and production has also inclined from 894,019 metric tons to 18,60,663 metric tons.
Kashmir not only has the best weather conditions to produce apples, but apples from Kashmir are also preferred in the local and international market for its taste, colour and quality. The farmers believe apples are the best cash crop.
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But 2019 has not been so fruitful for apple farmers in Kashmir after the abrogation of provisions under Article 370. In last one week, three attacks have taken place on apple traders.
The attacks on a truck driver and two apple traders from Punjab in south Kashmir's Shopian district has left apple farmers and traders in panic and fear. Due to the emerging situation, no outside apple traders are returning to area which is resulting in less purchase price for apples to the farmers.
Speaking to Mail Today, Muzafar Ahmad said, "Last year, I sold my apples at Rs 700 per basket (22 kg). This year, the local traders are not even ready to pay Rs 400 per basket."
When Mail Today asked one of the local apple traders, Mohammed Amin for the decline in apple prices, he said, "We are facing a lot of problems in transportation of apples to the fruit markets or outside the state. Truck drivers or other transporters charge 50 per cent more as they transport the produce on risk."
"They feel that they can be targeted by the militants after the recent attack on a driver in Shopian. The government announced that they will buy apples but they are at different offices. How we can put our lives at risk and go to them with apples? If the government wants to but our crop, why do not they directly come to our orchards and purchase the crop," Mohammed Amin said.
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