Author: newsroom2

How Will the Trump Administration Handle China’s Military Capabilities? The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that the Chinese military continues to make steady progress in updating its conventional capabilities. However, it still suffers from chronic issues related to the quality of its leadership and personnel, as well as a lack of experience in areas like urban warfare and long-term logistics. The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on Beijing’s military power highlights that the Chinese military faces deep-rooted problems associated with corruption. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Heino Klinck, stated that China’s military buildup over the last few years…

The $10 Million Bounty on Al-Julani: Story and Recent Developments On Friday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf announced that the United States has decided to cancel a $10 million bounty previously offered for information leading to the arrest of Ahmed Al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammad Al-Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which played a pivotal role in overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This announcement came after a diplomatic visit by a delegation led by Leaf to Damascus, marking the first such visit by American diplomats since the fall of Assad’s government.…

U.S. Cancels Bounty on Syrian Leader Ahmad al-Sharaa On Friday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, informed the new Syrian leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, that Washington has canceled the financial reward previously offered for information leading to his arrest. Leaf told reporters after meeting al-Sharaa in Damascus that, “Based on our discussions, I conveyed to him that we will no longer pursue the ‘Rewards for Justice’ program offer that has been in place for several years.” She clarified that the decision to cancel the bounty was political, aligning with talks with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regarding…

What are the options for Ankara, Damascus, and Washington in dealing with the “SDF”? Despite Western calls for Turkey to calm the situation in Syria, Ankara has declared its determination to eradicate what it considers terrorist organizations in Syria, specifically referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). After the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Ankara seeks to weaken the US-backed Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, which might put it at odds with its Western allies, primarily Washington. Turkish political analyst Hamza Tekin confirmed that there are no agreements between Ankara and the SDF,…

Syrian National Conference Set for Early 2025 Political sources in Syria revealed on Friday that the new leadership in Damascus is working towards organizing an extensive national dialogue meeting that will bring together all segments of the Syrian populace at the beginning of next year. Mahmoud Marai, the General Secretary of the Democratic Front and head of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, confirmed the plan for a meeting that includes a number of personalities and political forces within Syria in coordination with the Political Operations Administration. He stated, “We are discussing the organization of a national conference inviting over…

Pentagon Reveals Actual Troop Numbers in Syria The U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, disclosed yesterday, on Thursday, the actual number of its forces in Syria, indicating that it exceeds double the previously announced figure. The U.S. Defense Department clarified: “There are actually 2,000 troops in Syria, a number significantly higher than the previously announced figure of 900 troops.” It added: “The additional soldiers serve as temporary forces sent to support the mission of combating ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in Russia and several other countries).” Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesperson, noted that he does not know exactly…

Maher Al-Assad and Ali Mamlouk Fled to a Regional State The Saudi newspaper “Okaz” revealed that Major General Ali Mamlouk, the former head of Syrian National Security, fled to a regional state just an hour after the ousted President Bashar Al-Assad escaped. The sources, described by the newspaper as informed, stated that Mamlouk did not take anyone from his private office with him, except for his family and some close relatives. Ali Mamlouk, born in Damascus in 1949, is known as an intelligence officer close to Assad, originating from a family supportive of the regime. He was appointed head of…

Who are the Iranians that Russia Evacuated from Syria? A senior commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was quick to deny earlier statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, who claimed that Russia had airlifted 4,000 Iranian soldiers from Syria to Tehran. Mohammad Jafar Asadi, the former commander of Iranian military advisors in Syria and deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, stated: “A large number of Iranians have been living in Syria for a long time, and Russia has relocated most of them to Iran.” Asadi added, “These were not part of the Iranian advisory forces. We withdrew…

Syria.. First Decision by Mohammad Al-Bashir’s Government Mohammad Al-Bashir, the head of the Syrian caretaker government, issued his first decision since taking office as Prime Minister on Thursday. Al-Bashir’s decision involved the termination of Khaled Haboubaty’s tenure as the head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and appointing Mohammad Hazem Mohammad Sharif in his place. Al-Bashir was appointed to lead the transitional government in Syria until March 1, 2025, by a decision from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Abu Mohammad al-Joulani. Al-Bashir previously headed the Salvation Government, established by the opposition before the rapid attack that lasted 12 days and…

Russian Defense Ministry: Ukraine Strikes Facility in Rostov with ATACMS and Storm Shadow Missiles The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that Ukrainian forces attacked a facility in Russia’s Rostov region with six US-made ATACMS missiles and four Storm Shadow missiles. According to the ministry’s statement, “On December 18, a missile strike was launched from Ukraine targeting the ‘Kamenetsky Combine’ in Rostov region.” It was confirmed that the attack involved “six American-made tactical missiles of the ATACMS model and four Storm Shadow missiles.” During the anti-missile battle, Russia’s air defense systems, including S-400, Buk-M3, and Pantsir, successfully intercepted all six…