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Terrorists called 'moderate rebels' used toxic gas in recent Aleppo attack in Syria: Russian military report


RT
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 17:05 UTC
Aleppo gas attack
© Abdalrhman Ismail / Reuters
Syrian fighters from a rebel group considered 'moderate' by Washington are responsible for using toxic gas shells that killed seven and injured 23 in Aleppo on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense. "On August 2, 2016 at 19 hours 05 minutes militants from the Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki group, considered by Washington as 'moderate opposition', launched poisonous materials from the Sukkari district towards the eastern part of Aleppo," the ministry said.

It added that the territory is under rebel control and that shells were fired towards "the residential area" of the Salah-Eddin district. Moscow informed Washington of the use of toxic shells on Monday, Lieutenant-General Sergey Chvarkov, head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, said. In the statement, the official added that terrorists in the area are hampering the efforts of locals trying to flee the embattled eastern parts of the city.

Comment: There are multiple possible sources where that gas could have come from:
The main foreign support group for the Syrian Islamists, Jabhat al Nusra, were reported to have seized a chemical factory near Aleppo in December 2012 (Gerard Direct 2012). Then in March the Syrian Government complained to the UN that sarin gas had been used in a major battle with the Islamists at Khan al Assal, west of Aleppo.
See also:

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Dominoes

Pepe Escobar: Say hello to China's New Silk Roads partnership with SE Asia

Pepe Escobar
RT
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:42 UTC
high speed rail
© Jason Lee / Reuters
It's not only China vs. the US in the South China Sea. Few in the West realize that two completely different, intersecting stories are developing in maritime and mainland Southeast Asia.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague denied China's historic rights to waters in the South China Sea within its nine-dash line; it also ruled that the Spratly Islands are not islands, but "rocks"; thus they cannot generate 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zones (EEZs).

These decisions were taken in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Now comes the real nitty-gritty - which is a mix of diplomatic ballet and classic Beijing opera.

The framework under which Beijing is ready to negotiate is somewhat detailed here. But the problem at the starting gate is that Beijing stipulates - as a precondition to any negotiation with the Philippines - that The Hague's decision should not be discussed. Chinese nationalism has been deeply wounded in The Hague, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) knows it will be very hard to tame it.
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Attention

"Because 9/11": U.S. bombing Libya again, using 9/11 as justification

Edward Curtin
Global Research
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 17:17 UTC
Libya destroyed
© AP Photo/ Manu Brabo
In a previous article (published on July 29) I focussed on Hilary Clinton's involvement in the destruction of Libya in 2011. (Happy Fifth Anniversary, Hillary Clinton, You've Destroyed Libya... We Await Your Next War) In that piece I wrote that Libya had disappeared from mainstream media coverage, but that it will reappear if US/NATO forces decide to bomb again. I suggested that such bombing may be fast approaching.

That bombing has arrived quicker than I thought; it commenced on Monday, August 1, and some MSM have reported it, although not prominently. The prime minister of Libya's western-backed government based in Tripoli, Fayez Serraj, said that he requested that the US assist his troops by bombing Islamic State forces in Sirte, Libya's main petrochemical port, where the Tripoli government's soldiers are engaged in a ground offensive to retake Sirte from ISIL.

Comment: For American war whores, 9/11 is the gift that keeps on giving.

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Wolf

Is Saudi Arabia setting a trap for Moscow again?

Peter Lvov
New Eastern Outlook
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:49 UTC
saudi minnister foreign affairs
© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir is a diplomat who has been Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs since 29 April 2015.
Apparently, Washington has decided to crush Russia along with Iran and Syria, without waiting for the arrival of Hillary Clinton as a newly elected head of state. It looks like behind the scenes, rulers of America are afraid of the possible victory of Donald Trump during the upcoming election. Therefore, they are in a rush to achieve their primary strategic goal - to bring down Vladimir Putin and induce regime change in Russia at any cost. In a bid to achieve this goal they are relying on two strategies - the dropping of oil prices and the undermining of Russia's and Iran's positions in Syria. The recent scandal with the Olympics, brilliantly organized by Washington, London, Paris and Berlin, has struck a painful blow to Moscow's reputation. A possible defeat in Syria could be even more painful, especially if it is accompanied by continuously decreasing oil prices, which would undermine Russia's economy. These days, America has no time to spare, and it's not only presidential elections that forces Western think tanks to work around the clock. Washington is fairly concerned with the situation in Turkey. Ankara apparently decided to turn to Russia. There has also been a constant string of terrorist attacks in Europe. In this respect the recent attacks in Germany sound particularly troublesome for Washington, since this European power has remained for years, a stronghold of European security. For sure, Washington is turning yet again to Saudi Arabia, without which Washington has no chances to push Russia out of global oil markets.

Comment: Russia has demonstrated the ability to learn from her mistakes, i.e. abandoning Hussein or not vetoing the no-fly zone over Libya. It's pretty sure they are fully cognizant of the perfidy the Saudis could exercise on behalf of their masters in Washington. As the author stated, Russia currently holds all the cards in the region. They have no need to bargain with the Saudis or listen to the braying of the Atlanticist fifth column at home.

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Megaphone

Milosevic vindicated: ICTY exonerates assassinated leader for war crimes, says he wanted peace - no news media covering the story


InSerbia
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:50 UTC
milosevic
The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague has determined that the late Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic was not responsible for war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

In a stunning ruling, the trial chamber that convicted former Bosnian-Serb president Radovan Karadzic of war crimes and sentenced him to 40 years in prison, unanimously concluded that Slobodan Milosevic was not part of a "joint criminal enterprise" to victimize Muslims and Croats during the Bosnian war.

The March 24th Karadzic judgment states that "the Chamber is not satisfied that there was sufficient evidence presented in this case to find that Slobodan Milosevic agreed with the common plan" to permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from Bosnian Serb claimed territory.

The Karadzic trial chamber found that "the relationship between Milosevic and the Accused had deteriorated beginning in 1992; by 1994, they no longer agreed on a course of action to be taken. Furthermore, beginning as early as March 1992, there was apparent discord between the Accused and Milosevic in meetings with international representatives, during which Milosevic and other Serbian leaders openly criticised Bosnian Serb leaders of committing 'crimes against humanity' and 'ethnic cleansing' and the war for their own purposes."

Comment: Further reading:

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Quenelle

Ukrainian official resigns, citing Ukraine's deplorable treatment of journalists, lack of freedom of speech


RFE/RL
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:40 UTC
Tetyana Popova
Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Information Policy Tetyana Popova has announced her resignation, citing what she described as attacks on journalists and freedom of speech.

"I am resigning. I don't agree with attacks on journalists and attacks on freedom of speech by political organizations and individual political officials. I can't tolerate the absence of a proper reaction to that kind of attacks," she wrote in a Facebook posting on August 3.

"As a protest, I am leaving the government, but will continue fighting for the Maidan ideas, for freedom and democracy as a citizen and a volunteer. I'll continue fighting for everything our patriots are fighting for at the front line," she said.

In a later interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Popova linked her resignation to the massive disclosure of journalists' personal data -- including her own -- by a website called Myrotvorets (Peacekeeper) in May.


Comment: The evidence is there for all to see: Maidan was a joke. It did not lead to freedom and democracy in Ukraine. It was an engineered coup to get pro-U.S. lackeys into power. Ukraine has become the toilet of Europe thanks to its failed experiment with "Western democracy".

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Chess

New regional realities emerging after Turkey's failed coup

Viktor Mikhin
New Eastern Outlook
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:14 UTC
Turkey coup
Hardly had the failed coup attempt come to an end when numerous facts emerged that allow us to make far-reaching conclusions on the new realities that have formed in the region.

First, for example, is the news that the international media have actively broadcast that the UAE played a rather active role in the Turkish coup. Just a few days ago, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan made an announced visit to Doha, where he held secret talks with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Moreover, neither the UAE nor Qatari media covered the event and the Qatari television channel, Al Jazeera, was no exception. Famous Turkish journalist, Ismail Basha, pointed out that the purpose of Al Nahyan's visit was to persuade Qatar to act as mediator in negotiations between the UAE and Turkey on settling relations. According to some media reports, the UAE authorities financed the military coup in Turkey, which is evidenced by published details of the conspirators' plan.

If this assertion is true, there is no doubt that the UAE, which cannot be considered an independent player on the world stage, particularly in the Persian Gulf area, are backed up by other countries, in this case, Saudi Arabia and the United States. In particular, the TV channels Sky News and Al-Arabiya, sponsored by Saudi Arabia, spoke out in support of the insurgents and the coverage of events in Turkey showed Sky News and Al-Arabiya journalists pleased to report on the success of the coup, and that President Erdogan intended to flee the country. A further argument supporting the idea of Saudi Arabia's involvement in the coup is demonstrated by the fact that Riyadh took 15 hours to react to the events in Ankara and Istanbul while many others immediately expressed their condemnation for the attempted uprising.

Comment: The growing closeness of Russia, Iran, and Turkey must have the Washington warmongers in a tizzy. More unintended consequences for the Empire of Chaos.

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Eye 2

Defense forces report terrorists in Aleppo using chemical weapons against civilians


Sputnik
Tue, 02 Aug 2016 19:38 UTC
militant shelling aleppo
© Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy
Terrorists have fired shells filled with a toxic gas in the Syrian city of Aleppo, killing five civilians, local popular defense forces told RIA Novosti.

"Terrorists have used a weapon causing asphyxia and damaging the nervous system. Five people have died from suffocation," a militia member said.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups.

Aleppo is partially controlled by Jabhat Fatah al Sham (previously known as the al-Nusra Front), an terrorist group outlawed in Russia and other countries along with Daesh.

Comment: It should be pretty clear where these terrorists are getting their chemical weapons. The US has been supporting ISIS financially and arming them, so supplying them with chemical weapons wouldn't be too much of a stretch. It's especially ironic, since the US at one point claimed the Assad government used chemical weapons against its own people, and use that as a pretext for "regime change". It was a claim that was proven false, and now the groups they are supporting are doing exactly what they were claiming Assad was doing.

Update: Local officials now report that at least 7 civilians have died and 25 more are injured from shells containing toxic gas:
A terrorist attack on the Old City of Aleppo on Tuesday with "shells containing toxic gas" led to the death of five and suffocation of eight more civilians, the outlet quoted the city's health director, Mohamad Hazouri, as saying.

A local police source told SANA that terrorist groups fired rocket shells on the al-Hamadaniyeh neighborhood, injuring six. They also targeted the Salah-Eddin neighborhood, killing two and injuring 11 more.
"During the day in the province of Aleppo, terrorists fired mortars at the town of Ansar and two heights in the surrounding area, [and the] neighborhoods [of] Hai al-Ansari, Leramon, al- Khalidia and a shopping center "Castello" in the city of Aleppo were also targeted,"the statement reads.


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Arrow Up

Highest civilian casualties in a year: UN document on war in eastern Ukraine


RFE/RL
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:17 UTC
Donbass Ukraine war soldiers tanks

Destroyed Ukraine military hardware and the bodies of slain soldiers near Debaltseve. February, 2015.
The United Nations says the number of civilian casualties in fighting in eastern Ukraine is back to last year's highs.

Fighting between government forces and Russia-backed separatists has killed more than 9,400 people since April 2014.


Comment: RFE/RL has no journalistic integrity. In fairness, this sentence might read, "between American-backed forces and Russian-backed separatists". Or, "coup-junta-supporting forces vs. coup-junta-rejecting forces". Or, "neo-Nazi terrorists vs. anti-fascist freedom fighters." Any would be better than what they actually wrote.


The UN Human Rights Office said on August 3 that it documented 69 civilian casualties in June, including 12 dead.

This is nearly double the figure for May 2016 and the highest figure since August 2015.

The figure rose further to 73 civilian casualties in July, including eight dead.

More than half of all the casualties recorded in the past two months were caused by shelling, according to the UN Human Rights Office.

"Civilians are once again having to flee to improvised bomb shelters in their basements, sometimes overnight, with increasing frequency," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said.

A cease-fire deal signed in Minsk in February 2015 was meant to halt the fighting, but many of its key points -- including the complete withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line -- have not been implemented.

Comment: What you won't hear in Western propaganda reports is that the vast majority of civilian deaths are caused by Ukrainian forces indiscriminately shelling residential areas in east Ukraine. There would be NO civilian deaths if Ukraine abided by the Minsk agreements. End of story.

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Bomb

Syrian army repels terrorist counter-attack in Aleppo, Russians pound them with airstrikes

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Tue, 02 Aug 2016 15:53 UTC
aleppo
Round the clock bombing by the Russian air force, brings rebel attack aimed at breaking siege, to standstill.

News about the shooting down of a helicopter supposedly carrying relief supplies to Aleppo with the death of 5 Russians has drawn attention away from the progress of the battle around the city.

The rebels responded to the encirclement of 5 - 10,000 rebel fighters (accounts of the precise number differ) in the eastern suburbs of the city by launching a large-scale counter-attack intended to break the encircling lines. According to most reports as many as 5,000 rebel fighters, mostly belonging to Jabhat Al-Nusra or to groups allied with it, were involved in the assault.

The rebel counter-offensive in its early hours seems to have gained some ground. However it predictably brought down on itself the weight of the Russian air force. Round the clock bombing by Russian air force bombers seems to have blunted the rebel assault, with latest reports saying that the Syrian military has regained some of the ground it initially lost.

Comment: See also:

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