Author: Steven Sahiounie

By Miri Wood Syrian security forces have deprived terrorists of more than 400,000 Captagon pills. On 17 August, authorities in the suburbs of Damascus seized a truck with hidden compartments filled with a large quantity of this Amphetamine-type Stimulant (ATS) known as Captagon. Captagon pills with other drugs were confiscated by the Syrian security who were monitoring the truck heading from Central Syria at the Lebanese borders towards the south of Syria, most likely towards Jordanian borders. Upon careful inspection, the well-experienced officers discovered hidden compartments built within the container body of the large truck loaded with thousands and thousands of Captagon…

Steven Sahiounie, Middle East observer It has been six years since Manar Nakour’s brother died August 17, 2013, in Marmarita, Syria. The hurt, loss, and shock came flooding back when he saw the National Geographic Documentary Films’ Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS, by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and best-selling author Sebastian Junger and his Emmy-winning producing partner, Nick Quested. Manar was shocked to see his brother’s name, Amin Nakrour, and photo used in the film, prominently and emotionally used under the title “In Memoriam MAYA BARSHINI AMIN NAKROUR ATALLA ABBOUD IBRAHIM SAADI Killed by…

By Sarah Abed A new study published by McKinsey & Co on Tuesday found that one of the contributing factors to the U.S. racial wealth gap is the lack of banks in predominantly African American communities. Lack of access to mainstream financial services makes it difficult for African American’s to accumulate savings.  According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities the wealth gap is wider than the income gap but because incomes are easier to tax the income gap gets more traction in political discussions. Let’s first differentiate between the terms income gap and wealth gap. Income gap refers to the gap in earnings between two groups…

Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, who currently leads Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC), will head the Sovereign Council, a transitional national administration, for the first 21 months after its creation, the TMC said on Saturday. “Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan will be the head of the Sovereign Council during the first period of its work. It [the council] will also include his deputy, Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo”, a TMC spokesman told the Sky News Arabia TV channel. Meanwhile, Burhan said on Saturday, after signing the power-sharing deal with the opposition, that Sudan is entering a new, constructive, period in its development. “I stand before you…

By Andrew Korybko Russia and China, two of the most important Great Powers that are jointly working to accelerate the emergence of the Multipolar World Order, are on totally opposite sides when it comes to Kashmir, with their differing stances being explained by the existential stakes that they each see in supporting their South Asian partner of choice. Two Sides To Every Coin It’s official — Russia and China are on totally opposite sides when it comes to Kashmir. There was some serious confusion last weekend about Russia’s stance towards the issue when Indian media misreported the context in which Moscow’s…

 Airstrikes on Libya’s Zuwara International Airport that were carried out by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, were aimed at Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles, LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari said in a statement to the media. “Having collected information about the movement of the Turkish drones, it became apparent to us that they were using two hangars inside the Zuwara airport,” Mismari said. Mismari confirmed that earlier on Thursday, “Libyan air force planes hit two hangars” located inside the airport and completely destroyed them. The statement came after the Libya A-Ahrar TV channel reported that LNA…

Authorities in Gibraltar have released the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1, after receiving assurances that its cargo is not destined for Syria. The US had formally requested them to detain the vessel for a further period. Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo agreed to lift the detention on the ship, however, after Tehran gave written assurances that its cargo – 2.1 million barrels of oil – would not be unloaded in Syria. “In light of the assurances we have received, there are no longer any reasonable grounds for the continued legal detention of the Grace 1 in order to ensure compliance…

By: Michel Chossudovsky n this second edition of Michel Chossudovsky’s 2002 best seller, the author blows away the smokescreen put up by the mainstream media, that 9/11 was an attack on America by “Islamic terrorists”. Through meticulous research, the author uncovers a military-intelligence ploy behind the September 11 attacks, and the cover-up and complicity of key members of the Bush Administration. The expanded edition, which includes twelve new chapters focuses on the use of 9/11 as a pretext for the invasion and illegal occupation of Iraq, the militarization of justice and law enforcement and the repeal of democracy. According to Chossudovsky,…

Bahrain has agreed to buy the US-built Patriot anti-aircraft and missile interceptor system, the Raytheon Company said in a press release. Bahrain signed an agreement to purchase Raytheon’s… Patriot air and missile defense system from the US Army”, the release said. “This letter of offer and acceptance allows the US government to begin contract negotiations with Raytheon for… an undisclosed quantity of systems and missiles”. The release said that the venerable Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defence Systemwas designed to defend against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and manned and unmanned aircraft. “Patriot is continually modernized, enhanced and upgraded, through this 17-nation…

Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets convoying a plane with the Russian defense minister on board chased away a NATO F-18 , which tried to shadow it over the Baltic Sea. Sergey Shoigu was returning from Russia’s Kaliningrad region guarded by two Su-27 escorts, according to Zvezda TV, the television channel of the Russian Defense Ministry. In MoD footage, a NATO war plane is seen approaching Shoigu’s jet, with the camera filming the F-18 up-close. Moments later, it swerves to the left as it’s chased away by the Sukhoi. The Su-27 Flanker is a Russian fourth-generation fighter jet that has been around…