Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) resumed on December 15 its combat operations against terrorists’ positions in the so-called Greater Idlib region in northwest Syria. According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), Syrian attack helicopters carried out in the early morning a series of airstrikes on the towns of Alteh and Ma’ar Shoreen in the southern Idlib countryside. Terrorists’ fortifications around the town of Kabani in the northern Lattakia countryside were also targeted with several airstrikes. Earlier this week, the SyAAF halted its combat and even reconnaissance operations over Greater Idlib as a result of bad weather…

Saudi oil giant Aramco is planning to invest in one of Syria’s largest oil fields in the governorate of Deir Ezzor, the local Deir Ezzor 24 blog reported on November 14. According to the blog, which is well-known for its connections in Deir Ezzor, a team of Aramco’s experts has already visited and inspected the al-Omar oil fields in southeastern Deir Ezzor. “The investment will be done through contracts that will be signed by Aramco and the U.S. government, whose forces control the majority of oil and Gas fields in northeast Syria,” Deir Ezzor 24 quoted a source as saying.…

By: Mikhail Khodarenok To avoid any potential incidents, Americans should simply withdraw and end the unlawful presence of their forces in Syria. And abstain from alarmist headlines foreshadowing a shooting war. American commanders in Syria are scrambling to protect their forces from an expected surge in activity by military units from Turkey, Russia, Iran and the Syrian government. They believe these countries pose a greater danger than Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) forces, the New York Times reports. Anonymous sources, questionable statements According to anonymous Department of Defense officials, “commanders have requested guidance outlining how American forces might deal with an attack…

The Turkish government has sent to the parliament the text of a military agreement it reached with Libya’s internationally-recognized government for approval, moving closer to military support for the Tripoli-based unity Government of National Accord (GNA). Since 2014, Libya has been divided between two rival governments: the House of Representatives based in the eastern city of Tobruk and the GNA, led by Fayez al-Sarraj. Renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar, who is commander-in-chief of the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), supports the eastern government. In April, he launched an offensive to capture the capital Tripoli and oust the GNA. Despite intense and deadly clashes…

Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Raya El-Hassan has ordered the country’s law enforcement agencies to open a “rapid and transparent” inquiry, after dozens of people were wounded in clashes during recent demonstrations that had erupted in a barricaded central district of Beirut. In a statement released on Sunday, Interior Minister Raya El-Hassan demanded the identification of those responsible for the most violent episode since the largely peaceful anti-government protests began on October 17. “I have asked the command of the Internal Security Forces to conduct a speedy and transparent probe to identify the culprits and the responsibilities in order to take…

Two gas fields with a capacity of one million cubic meters, located to the east of the Syrian city of Homs, were put into operation, the Syrian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said on Sunday. “Local specialists in record time … provided one million cubic meters of gas by putting into operation and connecting to the common network of the Sharifah-2 and Sharifah-104 fields east of Homs”, the ministry said in a press release seen by the media The ministry added that due to the growing demand for gas, it took 15 days to connect the fields to the…

Russian military police continued on Saturday to patrol Syria’s provinces of Aleppo and Hasakah, Major General Yuri Borenkov, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry’s Reconciliation Centre in Syria, said. “Patrols by the Russian military police continued on routes Qamishli -Tel Abu Ras Ain, Ain Issa – Mabruk, Qamishli – Mabruk in Hasakah province, Ajami – Karakozak and Ajami – Bozgekli in Aleppo province”, he said. Earlier in the month, an improvised explosive device has gone off in front of a Russian police armoured police vehicle near Kobane injuring three servicemen. Patrols are part of the Russia-Turkey deal on a buffer zone in northern Syria…

The Open Society Foundation, an NGO created by US billionaire George Soros, has been repeatedly accused of meddling in the domestic affairs of several countries, including Ukraine, where the fund reportedly donated to a number of prominent politicians. The Ukrainian news network Vesti has ranked billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros the country’s second most influential person after President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vesti noted that they had decided to include Soros in the list on “an experimental basis”, given that local politicians and analysts consider him “the inspirer” of a number of neoliberal government reforms in Ukraine affecting the economy, healthcare,…

When the US and Taliban peace talks were on the brink of a deal in September, President Trump declared the process dead, angered by one of the recent Taliban attacks. No ceasefire was ever in place, but US officials said the attack suggested it proved the Taliban didn’t want peace. Having just gotten back to the table for talks this month, the US delegation has once again declared the entire process paused, in this case because of a Taliban suicide attack against Bagram Air Base. The Wednesday morning Bagram attack was not highly newsworthy. An explosive-packed vehicle hit the exterior gate …

by Svetlana Ekimenko Former beauty pageant finalist Amaani Noor was arrested in November 2018 after allegedly making a donation to a terrorist organisation. Noor, who used to date a Liverpool FC player, admitted sending the cash but denied she knew or suspected it would be used for terrorist purposes. Former UK beauty contestant Amaani Noor has been found guilty of funding terrorism, reported the Independent. According to the Liverpool Crown Court, Noor made a $45 (£35) donation using the name Margaret Allen to an organisation called The Merciful Hands, via Paypal, in May 2018, while having “reasonable cause” to suspect it might be used…