Russian military advisor killed in Syria

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From Fort Russ

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
4th February, 2016

A Russian military Advisor killed in Syria has been presented with a state award.
This was reported by the Ministry of Defense. “The Russian military adviser in Syria was instructing the Syrian army in the development of new weapons included in the framework of existing interstate contracts of military-technical cooperation”, reported the military. On 1st February, as a result of a mortar attack by terrorists of the Islamic State (group banned in Russia) at the military garrison, which is stationed one of the compounds of the Syrian army, the officer received a fatal wound. The soldier was presented the state award posthumously.
[O.R: It is not yet known whether this incident is related to the round of Turkish artillery fire on 1st February on the border.]

VISA lifts sanctions against Crimea

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From Fort Russ

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
1st February, 2016

GenBank, the largest financial institution of the Republic of Crimea under the anti-Russian Western sanctions, resumed work with the cards of Visa, the international payment system.
They now accept payment with cards from Russian issuing banks. The operation takes place through a national system of payment cards (NCBI) – all points are connected to the system of GenBank in Crimea and Sevastopol. They are also accepted for Visa services at ATMs. Earlier, the Peninsula started to use the Chinese system UnionPay.
An event all the more curious is that GenBank, the main Bank of the government of Crimea, 50% of its share capital belongs to the Executive authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan. There are more than 170 branches, 580 ATMs and POS terminals 960 of the Bank.
International payment system MasterCard and Visa stopped working within Russian Crimea at the end of December 2014. It was one of the first strikes of the sanctions, which was inflicted on the rebellious Russia by the United States.
It seems that times are changing. According to the authoritative American Agency Bloomberg, France and Germany are nervous about Ukraine, as are the USA.
Journalists, analysts and officials that were interviewed have predicted that the lifting of sanctions against Russia will happen later this year.
“The signs are obvious after the statement of U.S Secretary of State John Kerry, saying that in the coming months, the Minsk agreements will be implemented and it will to come to the point where sanctions could be lifted. After Kerry — not in Davos — German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and France’s Economic Minister Emmanuel Macron both said: “Europe needs to maintain close ties with Russia to resolve the Syrian conflict. They repeated what the Secretary of State said about the sanctions in exchange for the Minsk agreements”, — wrote Bloomberg.

New rules of engagement on the Syrian battlefield and in the diplomatic arena

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From Fort Russ

Translated by Sufyan Jan for Fort Russ
1st February, 2016
Written by Elijah J. Magnier (@ejmalrai)

Abstract

  • Russia upgraded & refurnished 9 Syrian MiG-29 into Fulcrum MiG-29SMT.
  • Russia imposed new rules of engagement on the Turkish-Syrian borders.
  • Russia put an end to the Syrian – Turkish 1998 agreement

A source who’s a senior officer within the joint operation command consisting of Syria, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah has said “Russia has established new rules of engagement on the Syrian-Turkish border, and has retained the upper hand for the Syrian air force and the Syrian army, Russia also refurbished and upgraded custom made Syrian MiG29SMT, to protect the Russian air force squadrons, with clear orders to shoot down Turkish planes that enter the Syrian air space”

The source goes on to say to Al Rai, “The agreement previously concluded with Turkey during the presidency of the late Hafez Assad in 1998, which says no Syrian air force units should come within 15 Km of the Turkish-Syrian border on Syria’s side (the agreement by which Syria expelled the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, after Turkey, having amassed 10,000 soldiers, threatened to invade Syria), the agreement also included that no army battalions are to be deployed, and that only officers and border control personnel are allowed, this has all gone down the drain”, adding “gone is the time of retracting the statement “Iskandaron strip will be liberated” from school books, gone also is the time of Turkey downing a Syrian air craft and/or helicopter. Turkey’s dream of creating a safe zone is dead in the water, and with it the supply lines to send men and arms to the Syrian Turkmen to undermine Damascus. After Russia’s direct intervention in Syria, there has been drastic changes, especially after the downing of the Russian bomber Sukhoi Su-24 by Turkish F16’s last November, thus making this particular bomber the costliest of its kind, causing strategic and economic losses to Istanbul”

The source further explains “that Russia since the downing of its plane, brought in Sukhoi Su-30, which will deliver to the Russians air-supremacy that was missing before, also posting the anti-aircraft S400 missile system, Russia has further deployed heavier assault weapons and regained most of the Latakia governorate, it has broken the Syrian Turkmen militias that’s considered the military arm of Turkey, most importantly it has given the SAA a moral boost, having upgraded the MiG29 to MiG29-SMT, installing them with ZHUK-M radar that is able to track 10 targets, and engage with 4 at one particular moment, covering 120Km having 5Km width, it is now able to launch the lethal R77 missiles, also installed on these air crafts along with other gadgets is a radio jamming device, and the upgrading enables it to carry other highly developed missiles and bombs such as the KAB-500S-E. These upgrades make the MiG29-SMT the most advanced in the fourth generation line up”.

The senior source confirms “Russia has requested from Syria to conduct around the clock patrols on the Syrian-Turkish border, to ensure the safety of the Russian bombers, Russia having established new rules of engagement have authorized the Syrian air force, specifically the MiG29-SMT squadron, to engage with any Turkish targets that have violated Syrian air space or attempts to violate. By doing this Russia has given Syria its sovereignty back having lost it in 1998, and completely losing it in 2011 at the start of the revolution in Syria, as of today Syria air forces have a mandate to strike any violation without confirming with HQ, this in turn has given the Syrians a boost of morale, especially as they have been given a mandate by a super power like Russia that is physically present in Syria”

Adding “On the battlefield, there are many media reports, citations on social media networks, as well as Intelligence reports, that conclude that the insurgents are turning on each other due to the defeats incurred on them by the SAA, accusing each other of treason, and not supporting the many fronts that were lost to Hezbollah and SAA in Latakia, Hama,  Aleppo, and Dara’a. It is expected that several military units within Al-Nusra and the Army of Conquest (Al Qaida) will defect. On the other side, the SAA and NDF volunteers have increased with large numbers having graduated, pro-government forces are increasing, conversely the number of insurgents joining the cause is steadily decreasing, since Amman has stopped assistance to the southern front, this happened as Russia reached an agreement with the Jordanians, it is also Russia’s intent to shut the porous borders with Turkey and Jordan, to prevent any reinforcements to reach the insurgents, even the region West of the Euphrates where both the Russians and Syrians are bombing the supply routes to hinder any military or non-military assistance to arrive.

Russia has taken the initiative in Syria and established its dominance on the full breadth and width of the country. Politically, in Geneva on Monday the Russians are determined not to yield to the opposition anything that would endanger the grounds gained on the battlefield, and not to accept anyone who has been or still is in communication with Salafi-Jihadis ( Al-Nusra, Ahrar Al-Sham, and whoever pledged their allegiance to them or fights within their ranks). Furthermore Russia will not halt any military advancements during the Geneva talks as stated in the UN resolution, especially now that Damascus and the Kremlin hold all the cards”.

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/01/new-rules-of-engagement-on-battlefield.html

“It was you who created ISIS!”; John Kerry almost beaten up in Rome

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From Fort Russ

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
4th February, 2016

The voyage of US Secretary of State to Italy almost ended in him getting a black eye. Having arrived on the Apennine Peninsula to talk about the victories of American democracy around the world, Kerry was not expecting such a warm reception.
Officially the purpose of the visit of the Secretary was a “small group meeting of the international coalition to combat “Daesh”. During his visit, he met with Italian foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, representatives from 23 countries and authorized persons of the EU. What they said actually, for me personally, is a mystery, because to discuss their “coalition successes” would take two seconds: “We fight? Fight! Thanks everybody, all are free to leave.”
Although, it’s likely that they discussed the cost of increasing support to “moderate opposition”, the kind like Jabhat al-Nusra, reducing the debit on the loan and everything. Kerry, as I see it, passionately spoke about the necessity of completing an unconditional victory over Assad, called to democratise the whole of Syria and not to pay attention to victims among civilians as a result of the “accurate” bombing of the coalition forces. But what do I know.
The most interesting thing happened at a joint press conference between Kerry and Gentiloni. When the Secretary of State said all of his memorized phrases on combating international terrorism and the Assad regime, and the Ministers were about to leave the room, suddenly one of the journalists sitting in the front row raised a banner denouncing the U.S. policy rhetoric, shouting at him “It was you who created ISIS!” and tried to charge at him with her fists.
Naturally, the woman was immediately pounced on by the carabinieri, a scuffle ensued. But she quickly left the room.
To be honest, I am saddened. Saddened by the fact that temperamental Italian women who spoke the truth in the face of even the US Secretary of State, was so quick to shut up. Even more frustrating is the fact that brave Italian macho kept silent in a rage and allowed the women to be insulted. It would be great if at least one of them completed the plans of the Italian journalist and gave John Kerry a black eye. It’s the least they could have done.

Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and National Defense Forces “pound” al Nusra terrorist groups in Ratyan

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By South Front
Global Research, February 04, 2016
South Front 3 February 2016
International Military Review – Syria & Iraq

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) supported by the National Defense Forces (NDF), the Iraqi paramilitary groups of Kata’eb Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba have completed a siege of the militant groups in the town of Ratyan. Now, the Syrian artillery and warplanes are pounding the militants in the area. According to the battlefield reports, most of the trapped militants are members of the Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate, al-Nusra.

The Russian and Syrian Air Forces conducted a joint operation targeting the militant groups’ strongholds in al-Tamoura and near the Azaz-Aleppo highway. The pro-government sources report about heavy loses among the terrorist forces. However, this isn’t confirmed yet.

The main supply line of the militants, connecting the towns of Hayyan, Anadan, Haraytan and Maayer, was cut off in the Syrian army attack on Feb.2. The cut-off supply line creates a major problem in the Northern and Western parts of the Aleppo province amid a massive operation of the Syrian forces aimed to liberate Nubl and al-Zahra.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah fighters and Syrian troops from the besieged Shi’ite towns of Nubl and al-Zahraa have reportedly stormed the outskirts of Bayanoun. The clashes are going there. If Bayanoun is liberated, approximately 35,000 predominately Shi’ite civilians in Nubl and al-Zahraa will be rescued after 3-years long siege by the terrorists. This will also allow the Syrian forces to improve its logistic lines which will positively impact the military situation in the province.

Six people were killed and more than two dozen others injured in separate bomb attacks in and around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, security and medical sources said on Feb.2.

Two self-declared governors of ISIS terrorist group have been killed in separate incidents in Iraq. On Jan.31 Mohammad al-Vaziri, the ISIS governor of the province of Kirkuk, was reportedly killed in a joint aerial operation by the Iraqi Air Force and the US-led coalition. Over 30 other members of Daesh were also killed in the raid. Another ISIS governor, known as Abu Hamzah, was killed along with five other terrorists during infighting in the province of Anbar.

If you like South Front‘s work, and if you have the possibility, please donate to South Front via PayPal: southfront@list.ru or via: http://southfront.org/donate/ or via: https://www.patreon.com/southfront

 

French documentary unmasking Euromaidan airs on TV

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By Oriental Review
Global Research, February 04, 2016
Oriental Review 3 February 2016

The hard-hitting documentary by Paul Moreira “Ukraine, les masques de la révolution” [Ukraine: Masks of the Revolution], released on Monday night by Canal+, created a turmoil both in Ukraine and France well before the premiere.

On Sunday the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported in Facebook that their Ambassador in France had sent an outraged letter to Canal+ where he condemned  the documentary as a “a pamphlet at the height of the worst disinformation traditions” “using primitive methods of journalistic manipulation, including the handling of comments of respondents, distorted in translation and facts and purely fabricated images“. The same day Le Monde doubled the pressure on Canal+.

Paul Moreira has calmly and respectfully responded to his critics by a detailed post translated into English here. To the credit of Canal Plus’ management, the documentary was screened in time:

(the English subtitles are available)

Please watch it attentively. And let’s try to understand why it has infuriated the Kiev regime

To be fair, the masterpiece did not reveal anything new.

So far there were a lot of separate investigations by international organizations, NGOs, concerned individuals etc on different aspects of the “Revolution of Dignity“: who actually killed the “heavenly hundred“, what happened in Odessa in May 2014, what is going on in the zone of “anti-terrorist operation” in the South-East of Ukraine, where are the “Russian troops” and where are the Western mercenaries there… But most of them were successfully ignored by the mainstream Western media, stick to their comfortable myths about Euromaidan.

The principal danger of Paul Moreira’s heartbreaking 50-minutes long documentary is that it exposed all critically important lies and silenced facts about “Revolution of Dignity” and its agents in a concentrated form at the established French TV channel.

Paul Moreira did not do anything but showed a simple and honest truth – there was no dignity in that “revolution”. There is no “free civilizational choice” and “independent and legitimate authorities” in today’s Ukraine. There are gangsters licensed to kill and rob, psychopaths and criminals in the “democratic parliament”, parallel Nazi-inspired army, foreign officials who manipulate the political process in a sovereign country, media under total nationalist control etc. His argumentation and picture are so evident, eloquent and bright that there is no reasonable way to refute them. Here is the cause of hysteria and calls to ban (which paradoxically has triggered unprecedented public attention to the movie far beyond France) – they understand that an open and fair discussion would lead further undesirable revelations against the interim rulers in Kiev.

One more pleasant outcome of this story is that the rumors about clinical death of the independent journalism in the West are apparently somewhat exaggerated…

Who owns the Zika virus?

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By Guillaume Kress
Global Research, February 03, 2016

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus a global health emergency on Monday (February 1) without providing much detail on the disease. So here are some facts until we receive more information:

This sexually-transmitted virus has been around for 69 years and is a product of two companies: LGC Group (headquartered in the UK) and ATTC (headquartered in the US).

The LGC Group is:

“…the UK’s designated National Measurement Institute for chemical and bioanalytical measurements and an international leader in the laboratory services, measurement standards, reference materials, genomics and proficiency testing marketplaces.”

One of its branches, LGC Standards, is:

“…a leading global producer and distributor of reference materials and proficiency testing schemes. Headquartered in Teddington, Middlesex, UK, LGC Standards has a network of dedicated sales offices extending across 20 countries in 5 continents and more than 30 years experience in the distribution of reference materials. These high quality products and services are essential for accurate analytical measurement and quality control, ensuring sound decisions are made based on reliable data. We have an unparalleled breadth of ISO Guide 34 accredited reference material production in facilities at 4 sites across the UK, the US and Germany.”

LGC Standards entered into a partnership with ATCC, of which the latter is:

“…the premier global biological materials resource and standards organization whose mission focuses on the acquisition, authentication, production, preservation, development, and distribution of standard reference microorganisms, cell lines, and other materials. While maintaining traditional collection materials, ATCC develops high quality products, standards, and services to support scientific research and breakthroughs that improve the health of global populations.”

This “ATTC-LGC Partnership” is intended to facilitate:

“the distribution of ATCC cultures and bioproducts to life science researchers throughout Europe, Africa, and India and […] to make access to the important resources of ATCC more easily accessible to the European, African, and Indian scientific communities through local stock holding of more than 5,000 individual culture items supported by our local office network delivering the highest levels of customer service and technical support.”

And who owns the patent on the virus? The Rockefeller Foundation!

Source: http://www.lgcstandards-atcc.org/products/all/VR-84.aspx?geo_country=es#history

Why has the issue of patent ownership of the Zika virus not been the object of media coverage?

Lest we forget the words of David Rockefeller in an address to a Trilateral Commission meeting in June of 1991

“We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost 40 years. … It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supernational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”

Is the ownership of the Zika Virus by the Rockefeller Foundation part of that agenda of “supernational sovereignty [dominated] by an intellectual elite and world bankers…”?

Of significance, the Zika virus is a commodity which can be purchased online from the ATCC-LGC for $599.00, with royalties accruing to the Rockefeller Foundation.

The original source of this article is Global Research

Copyright © Guillaume Kress, Global Research, 2016
http://www.globalresearch.ca/who-owns-the-zika-virus/5505323

Conference in Israel to study Israeli EROS satellite pictures of Russian Air Force build-up at Latakia

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From Fort Russ
Il Fatto Italiano,  February 1, 2016

Translated from Italian by Tom Winter, February 2, 2016

“In Latakia, the hunt for Russian missiles”. Israeli Institute publishes satellite photos. Moscow: “That’s how we fight jihadists.”

 The images, which will be shown on Tuesday by the Fisher Institute* at a conference on space research in Herzlyia, Israel, show how Moscow has deployed eleven Sukhoi 24s, ten Sukhoi 25s, seven Sukhoi 34s and four Sukhoi 30 – all combat aircraft, plus S400 batteries and SA22 missile systems. It has been known for months that they were, but now they will also be visible.

Moscow has deployed a large number of warplanes and missile batteries in Latakia, Syria, where Russia has pledged to support the regime of Bashar Al Assad. This is revealed by a series of satellite photos that will be displayed Tuesday by the Fisher Institute at a conference on space research at Herzlyia.

In particular pictures show S400 missile batteries as well as SA22 missile systems. On the tarmac there are 30 Russian fighter jets.

The Israeli institution said in a communique that it has been analyzing the photographs which were taken days ago by the Israeli satellite Eros, which is run by the ISI (ImageSat International).

According to the director of the Tal Inbar Space Research Center, the S400 batteries are now operational, and SA22 batteries are in place beside them. It is an upgrade of the defensive measures, due perhaps – the director feels – to the fear of a possible military escalation with Turkey.

On the day that the photos were taken, according to the Fisher Institute, on the Latakia tarmac were noted eleven Sukhoi 24s, ten Sukhoi 25s, seven Sukhoi 34s and four Sukhoi 30s — all Russian air combat planes.

According to analysts, it is possible that on that day there were other planes not on field, but out flying missions. Among the gear that the Kremlin’s military leaders have placed in Latakia are some Sukhoi 24s that have been re-engined due to wear during the repeated attacks carried out against the Islamic State and the rebel forces that are fighting the Damascus regime.

The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed deploying its newest jets in Syria, the Su35s, spearhead of the Russian Air Force. The ministry has also let it be known that its use of long-range bombers prevented the jihadists from “assaulting” the area of Deir ez-Zor.
________________________________
*Founded by the Israeli Air Force Association. For more on the Fisher Institute, click here.

 

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/02/conference-in-israel-to-study-israeli.html

Indigenous Alaska-Hawaii alliance asks United Nations to recognize U.S as “occupiers”

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By Ollie Richardson
Global Research, February 02, 2016
Fort Russ 31 January 2016

The indigenous peoples of Alaska and Hawaii appealed to the international community through the United Nations with a request to ensure their right to self-determination. The letter was circulated in Geneva.

In the address, the representatives of the peoples of Alaska and Hawaii urged UN members to raise the issue on May 11th in the framework of the consideration of the UN Council on Human Rights of the periodic review of the human rights and freedoms in the United States, according to TASS.

The appeal emphasizes that the sale of Russian Alaska to the United States in 1867 did “not mean the transfer of sovereignty over Alaska to the United States” and the “US invasion of Hawaii in 1893 was a violation of bilateral treaties and international law.”

“The territory of Alaska and Hawaii in 1959 were absorbed by the United States through deception and deliberate breaches of the mandate and UN principles, and the process of self-determination”, – stated the document.

Residents of the two U.S. States urged the UN “to fix the mistake” and use peaceful means to achieve a referendum for the self-determination of Alaska and Hawaii. For a more effective action in this direction, even set up a joint working group – “Alliance of Alaska-Hawaii for self-determination.”

“They’re taking our land and are mining mineral resources in huge quantities, causing damage to the environment. We believe that the Russians can help us. The year 2017 will mark 150 years since the sale of Alaska by Russia to the USA. If we could, working with the Russians, provide the truth about what really happened in history and to reject the distorted concepts about Alaska and our people, I think it would be a good way to rectify the situation,” – said the representative of Alaska in the working group “Alliance Alaska-Hawaii for self-determination” Ronald Barnes to the meeting in the Swiss press club in Geneva.

“Our culture is suppressed. However, US actions are directed not only against our culture but also of world peace, because Hawaii hosts the military base of Pearl Harbor. During military exercises they pollute our land and water. From this people get sick. This is an abuse of our land and people. We don’t want to be a part of the war machine”, – said the representative of Hawaii Leon Siu.

In an interview with TASS, Barnes stressed that Alaska and Russia have a lot of common in history, culture and religion. “I am Orthodox”, he said in Russian. Continuing in English, he said that many of his relatives have Russian names and Russian words are used, for example, “handkerchief” and “oil”..

“We believe that Russia could help us.”

..According to Barnes, Alaska could become “a neutral state lying between Russia and the West”.

Recall that Alaska became part of the USA in 1867. Prior to that, it was under the control of the Russian-American company, but was sold by the Tsarist government. The state is home to 88 thousand representatives of indigenous peoples, including Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians.

The Hawaiian Islands were annexed by the USA in 1900. They received statehood in 1959, before the island functioned as a self-governing territory. The proportion of remaining indigenous population in Hawaii does not exceed 10% of the 1360 thousand total population of the Islands.

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
Also, http://novorossia.today/tag/alliance-of-alaska-hawaii-for-self-determination/

Syria ‘negotiates’ with new attacks on terrorist supply routes

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By Moon of Alabama
Global Research, February 02, 2016
Moon of Alabama 1 February 2016
531px-Syrian_Arab_Army_Flag.svg

The Syrian Arab Army launched a significant new offensive in north Aleppo today. It is another move in the battlefield negotiations that will decide this war.

The likely objective of the offensive is the creation of a corridor from north-west Aleppo to the besieged towns of Nubol and AlZaraa. The towns are under siege from Jahat al Nusra (al-Qaeda in Syria) and Ahrar al-Sham and are regularly shelled. Such a corridor would also cut through the insurgents main supply route from south-west of Aleppo to Turkey.

The offense has been in preparation for some time and runs in parallel (vid) with other operations in Latakia near the Turkish border, east of Aleppo and in the south. To protect against any Turkish adventure Russia beefed up the available air power. Four brand new Russian Su-35S multi-role fighters arrived in Syria. Russia would like to demonstrate their capabilities. Nine Syrian Mig-29 fighters have been upgraded (recom. reading) with new active electronically scanned (AESA) radars and new missiles. They now fly protective cover for Russian and Syrian ground attack fighters and helicopters against Turkish air interdiction. Syrian T-72 tanks have been upgraded with new defense measures against U.S. anti-tank weapons.


Map by @PetoLucem – bigger – full HD

Throughout the last weeks several thousand newly trained troops arrived in the government held north Aleppo industrial zone. These have now launched the fresh attack in the north western direction (red arrows on the map) and already captured several villages. The attack was prepared by massive ground attack airstrikes which hit the frontline positions of the foreign supported insurgents’  as well as their ammunition transports (vid). (Interestingly the destroyed convoy was on a narrow, small road. That proves that major supply roads are no longer available or safe for the insurgents.)

The attack today forestalled planned counterattacks by various insurgent groups and Jabhat al-Nusra. The attacked insurgent units issued urgent requests for reinforcements.

There have been significant skirmishes between Turkey and Syria/Russia in the last days. Turkey claimed that Russian jets intruded its airspace which the Russians denied. It is quite possible that small intrusion happen as the Russian and Syrian ground attack jets bombard insurgents near the Turkish border in Latakia. But the Turks now have to watch out for ready-to-shoot Russian and Syrian air superiority fighters who only wait for a chance to avenge the earlier Turkish ambush of a Russian plane.

Today Turkish artillery fired (vid) against Syrian army positions in Latakia. The 1998 Turkish-Syrian Adana agreement which provided for largely demilitarized Syrian side of the border up to a depth of fifteen kilometer is clearly no longer in effect. Syrian artillery is active against insurgent groups which hide in “refugee camps” near the border. The Turks claim that these are ethnic Turkmen civilians but the video showing the damage in such a camp was released (vid) with the insignia of Jabhat al-Nusra. Some other fighters in the area are Turks from the fascist MHP party.

When the Syrian army and its supporters have cleared the Latakia area near Turkey Russia will install a new far reaching radar and a listening post on one of its hilltops. Such a station will allow the observance of all air and sea movements for hundreds of kilometers into Turkey. It will be part of the price Turkey and NATO have to pay for the ambush of the Russian plane.

Some people think that Turkey would invade Syria if the Kurds move further into the supply corridor north east of Aleppo the Islamic State uses for its dealing with Turkey. I very much doubt such a move as any intrusion into Syria would risk open war with Russia. The Turkish army would only launch that war under a explicit, written order. NATO would not support such a move and Erdogan alone would carry the full responsibility. Most Turkish people are well aware of the economic losses that follow Erdogan’s aggressive policies and would likely not support such a hopeless adventure.

Erdogan’s grandstanding and interference is no longer effective. The current UN talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and a Saudi supported group of the radical insurgents are a side show. The real  negotiations are on the battlefield and there the Syrian government and its supporters continue to improve their already superior position.

The original source of this article is Moon of Alabama
Copyright © Moon of Alabama, Moon of Alabama, 2016
http://www.globalresearch.ca/syria-negotiates-with-new-attacks-on-insurgency-supply-routes/5505185