Author: Steven Sahiounie

The government in Afghanistan has decided to release thousands of prisoners to help contain the spread of the coronavirus among inmates. The fear of further spread of coronavirus among 12,000 inmates has turned into a headache for the government. Amid the dilemma, the Afghan government continues to call for foreign aid to help battle the disease.The government says some countries like China and Iran are backing Kabul by providing medical equipment such as test kits.No Taliban militant is among those prisoners who are going to be released in the coming days. The government has already released over 500 Taliban prisoners in an ongoing prisoner…

Russian Ambassador to Iraq Maksim Maksimov says Moscow is prepared to provide Baghdad with advanced S-400 air defense missile systems once the Arab country makes an official request for the military hardware. “The Russian side has, thus far, not received an official request in this regard. There is no doubt that recent developments have increased interest in [procurement of] air missile defense systems, especially the S-400 system,” Iraq’s Arabic-language al-Ahad news agency quoted Maksimov as saying on Thursday. He noted, “It is too early to set out the details. Therefore, I say that we (Russians) will meet the Iraqis’ request once they make such a bid.”…

The United States intends to allocate $49 million for the design and construction of military facilities in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. This is stated in the application of the US Army Corps of Engineers in Europe, the text of which was reviewed by RT. According to the document, the Engineer Corps intends to conclude at least three contracts for the provision of architectural and engineering services to both the Pentagon and federal agencies located on the territory of the US Department of Defense and the host country, and to support defense operations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The application states that…

On April 30, locals in the towns of Salhiyat Harb and Misherfah in the northern countryside of al-Hasakah intercepted another convoy of U.S. forces. Ahmad al-Halil, mayor of Tell Sateeh Gharbi, told Snack Syrian that U.S. forces stuck at the entrance of the two towns for 30 minutes. U.S. officers asked the locals to allow them to pass through. However, their request was rejected. “The U.S. convoy consisted of four armored vehicles and a civilian car escorting them, it was intercepted on the Junction of Salhiyat Harb and Misherfah, which are located in the sector of Howran and the municipality…

Tensions between the US and Iran in the Persian Gulf grew after American troops conducted drills in the region, despite complaining that Iranian boats had “harassed” their vessels. The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on the US and Iran to exercise “maximum restraint’ in the Persian Gulf region and not fall for provocations. “Moscow has always considered stability and security in the Persian Gulf as one of the key factors that affect the situation in the context of an entire region. We urge the sides to exercise maximum restraint and caution, not to fall for provocations and aggressive rhetoric, and to act…

The US Department of Defense has revealed that a number of American troops injured in the January 8 missile strike in Iraq carried out by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will receive Purple Heart medals following the conclusion of an ongoing review process. A US defense official confirmed to the Military Times this week that an unidentified number of US troops injured by the IRGC’s January barrage on Ayn al-Asad airbase in western Iraq met requirements necessary for a Purple Heart – a US medal awarded to service members wounded or killed in the line of duty. The IRGC strike came about…

The Lebanese governments endorsed an economic reform plan on Thursday aimed at dealing with the nation’s deepening financial crisis, President Michel Aoun said. “Today is a historic day because for the first time an economic and financial plan has been endorsed, after a lack of planning and prospects almost brought the country to ruins”, he said. Prime Minister Hassan Diab said after the cabinet meeting that the rescue plan aimed to put the country back on track toward “real reforms”, instead of hiding deficit, which he compared to a “flame hidden under ash”. A new wave of protests began in Lebanon over…

The US-Led coalition has carried out 28 airstrikes against Daesh in March, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) said in a release on Thursday. “Between March 1 and March 31, 2020, CJTF-OIR conducted a total of 28 strikes consisting of 44 engagements in Iraq and Syria,” the release said. The coalition said it launched 20 strikes in Iraq that killed ten terrorists, destroyed one cave and suppressed three locations. “In Syria, CJTF-OIR conducted eight strikes against Daesh [Islamic State] targets consisting of 16 engagements. This resulted in eight terrain denial operations,” the release said. The US-led coalition…

Libyan National Army Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar on Monday announced a withdrawal from the political agreement that led to the formation of the Government of National Accord (GNA). He said the country was coming under the control of the army. Meanwhile, the GNA has called on members of parliament in the east of the country to back it. As Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced that the Libyan National Army (LNA) was quitting the Skhirat Agreement that led to the formation of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), Sputnik spoke with Libyan experts, who have offered their views on potential future…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Hundreds of Lebanese demonstrators took to the streets with a vengeance in what they are calling ‘The Hunger Riots’. They paused their protests in March because of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 crisis, but once the spread of the virus slowed to less than 10 new reported cases per day they have resumed. The angry protesters torched and vandalized banks across the country, as they vented their frustration over the once stable Lebanese lira losing 50% of its value within six months, which caused rapid inflation. The banks responded by shutting and…