"Maria W." told a German newspaper she was the lover of Andreas Lubitz, who copiloted the Germanwings flight that killed 150 people in 2015. 

Days after the crash, the German newspaper Bild published an interview with a woman who claimed that she was Lubitz's lover. Her story lined up perfectly with the emerging narrative of an unstable and destructive pilot.

"Maria W." told Bild she was a flight attendant who traveled through Europe with Lubitz. She said he had told her that one day he planned to "do something that will change the whole system, and only then will everyone know and remember my name."

A US official told CNN that another Syrian Su-22 fighter made an approach in what the military assessed as a possible bombing run on US backed-Syrian Democratic Forces near Tabqa, Syria, on Tuesday. The official said that coalition aircraft made a show of force and conducted a warning maneuver, and the Syrian fighter jet then aborted its trajectory and left the area.

“The chief of staff of the Air Force, Gen. David Goldfein, told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the de-confliction line "remains open."

     “The U.S. Air Force is ready to create a no-fly zone in Syria, as stated by General David Goldfein, Rosbalt reported”

Gen. David Goldfein, a battle-tested command pilot who flew combat missions in the Gulf War, the Afghanistan War, and in NATO's 1999 air war to force the president of the former Yugoslavia to end his campaign of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo"

The US has this month twice shot down aircraft over areas in Syria, north and south, where it has forces and allied militias fighting the Islamic State group. This may indicate that Washington is bidding to establish de-facto no-fly zones in these areas.

On June 18, a US F/A-18 Super Hornet shot down a Syrian Air Force Su-22 bomber after it dropped bombs near the northern Syrian town of Tabqa, close to a US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces position.

Ten days earlier, June 8, a US Air Force F-15E shot down an Iranian-made Shahed 129 drone, which is roughly the same size as the iconic American Predator, after it dropped bombs near a position held by US-backed Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra anti-IS fighters in Al-Tanf, on Syria's southern border with Jordan.

"We do not seek conflict with any party in Syria other than ISIS, but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves or our partners if threatened," Pentagon Spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said after the June 18 incident.

Despite this, the mid-air conflicts indicate that the US is willing to confront Damascus and its allied militia forces if it perceives them to threaten its allies or their anti-IS campaign. In Al-Tanf, US aircraft bombed pro-regime forces approaching al-Thawra positions twice - on June 6 and May 18.

Similar "no-drive zones" against regime ground forces approaching SDF positions around Raqqa may be enforced if they threaten the SDF. The Syrian Army recently made advances into the western countryside of Raqqa.

The SDF issued a statement shortly after the June 18 incident charging Damascus with carrying out "large-scale attacks using aircraft, artillery and tanks" against their forces and warning if it "continues its attacks on our positions in the province of Raqqa, we will be forced to reciprocate and use our legitimate right to defend our forces".

How long the US will maintain these de-facto no-fly/no-drive zones in these two areas is unclear. It's also unclear if they will become like the formalised no-fly zones the US imposed over Iraqi Kurdistan and southern Iraq following the 1991 Gulf War, where no Iraqi military aircraft were allowed without being intercepted and shot down by US-led coalition jets.

 “The U.S. and U.S.-backed forces are using tactics that are virtually guaranteed to raise enormous levels of casualties,” in the war in Syria, IPS Middle East expert Phyllis Bennis told The Real News Network.

In an effort to drive out ISIS from the heavily-populated—somewhere up to 200,000 civilians—city of Raqqa, the U.S. is resorting to tactics that will make what the UN  already called a  “staggering loss of life” worse"

Especially adding to the toll is the use of white phosphorus within the area

"There has been a lack of press coverage dedicated to U.S. use of chemical weapons, including white phosphorous—especially serious when considering the international outcry months ago when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was accused of using chemical weapons in Aleppo."

 There is also a lack of press focus on the escalating civilian casualties caused by U.S. airstrikes in and around Raqqa."

 “This is one of those classic examples that the deaths of innocents are far more important to cover in the mainstream U.S. press when those responsible for the deaths of innocents are our so-called enemies, rather than ourselves or our so-called friends,” Bennis said.

 

Some 470 civilians, including 137 children, died in air strikes on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil)-held cities of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria between May 23 and June 23.  

Observers claim the number is higher than those killed by Russian strikes, Isil and President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the same period. 

Human rights and monitoring groups have warned for months of the rising human cost of the coalition’s air war, particularly as the battle for Isil’s so-called capital of Raqqa intensifies.

The US, UK and other coalition members have provided air support for allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the ground.

Syria: Second SAA Jet Deterred by US Over An Obvious No Fly Zone

The Israeli Air Force attacked the Syrian government forces' tanks and artillery positions after 10 projectiles fell on the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights, the IDF said.

Israel aiding the "rebels" aka Islamist mercs at Golan is nothing new. 
Israel has been assisting these killers for years now. That FACT has been covered on numerous occasions here at this blog over the past couple of years....

 Flashback!- Sept 23/2013: Israel Sides with Syrian Jihadists

Flashback! November 2012:Who loves Islamists? Israel loves Islamists! Israel & FSA work together

August 2011: The new Syria- Pre-approved by Israel and it's supporters

Sherkoh Abbas, president of the Kurdistan National Assembly of Syria (KNAS).
Based in Washington, remember that!
Making him not the president of any National Assembly actually based in the country of Syria.
A Syrian Kurdish Opposition Leader based in Washington, not in Syria?
Speaking to an Israeli audience all about how a new government in Syria will be most beneficial and friendly to Israel.

"Many Syrian religious and tribal leaders who are now part of the Syrian Democracy Council have no problem recognizing Israel and making peace"

Friday, November 27, 2015: Kurdistan aka “Second Israel”- Ethnic Cleansing the Indigenous of the Middle East

Let's Talk About the Death/Displacement Toll on the Civilians of Raqqa, Syria

Syria: Second SAA Jet Deterred by US Over An Obvious No Fly Zone

 Israel reportedly attacked a Syrian army unit in the northern Golan Heights on Sunday after errant fire from the Syrian side spilled over into Israeli territory, the second cross-border flare-up in two days.

Israeli aircraft struck a Syrian army jeep in the Syrian Golan, a Syrian army official told the Lebanese news outlet al-Mayadeen. The Israel Defense Forces haven't confirmed the report.

Israeli Airforce "Responds" to Projectile Launch By Attacking Syrian Army

 How long before Israel makes that long planned and long prepped for move into Syria?

Let's Talk About the Death/Displacement Toll on the Civilians of Raqqa, Syria

Syria: Second SAA Jet Deterred by US Over An Obvious No Fly Zone

USS Fitzgerald

There should have been lookouts on watch on the port, starboard and stern of the destroyer Fitzgerald— sailors scanning the horizon with binoculars and reporting by headsets to the destroyer’s bridge. At 1:30 a.m. last Saturday, off the coast of Japan south of Tokyo, they could hardly have failed to see the 730-foot freighter ACX Crystal, stacked with more than 1,000 containers, as it closed in.

Radar officers working both on the bridge and in the combat information center below it should have spotted the freighter’s image on their screens, drawing steadily closer. And under standard protocol, the Fitzgerald’s captain, Cmdr. Bryce Benson, should have been awakened and summoned to the bridge to assure a safe passage long before the ships could come near each other.

But none of that happened. The Fitzgerald’s routine cruise in good weather through familiar, if crowded, seas ended in the most lethal Navy accident in years. Seven sailors lost their lives.

As investigators try to figure out what many veteran seamen describe as an incomprehensible collision, they have plenty of mysteries to unravel.

There should also be an audio recording from the bridge of the destroyer, like the harrowing tape of a 2012 collision between a different destroyer, the Porter, and an oil tanker, in which no one was injured.

Under strict orders not to talk about what they saw that night, the crew of the Fitzgerald is mostly keeping its counsel while grieving the loss of its shipmates. But one sailor, contacted via social media, offered what may endure as an epitaph for the accident.

“All I can say is,” the sailor wrote to The New York Times, “somebody wasn’t paying attention.”

On Friday, Rear Adm. Brian Fort, a veteran warship commander, was ordered to lead the Navy’s main investigation of the collision. The multiple investigations now underway — two by the Navy, one by the United States Coast Guard, others by the Japanese Coast Guard and the Crystal’s insurers — will probably provide answers. But even if the Crystal crew was asleep, Navy veterans say the far more maneuverable Fitzgerald will likely bear much of the blame.

“This is the kind of thing the Navy is brutally honest about,” said Bryan McGrath, who commanded a destroyer in the Atlantic from 2004 to 2006. “To the extent that the Fitzgerald did anything wrong, we’ll find out all about it, and there will be consequences.”

There are many signs that the Fitzgerald had almost no warning of the approaching collision: the fact that the captain was in his cabin and that no shipwide alarm had rousted sailors from their bunks. “As to how much warning they had, I don’t know,” said Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander of the Seventh Fleet, at a news conference on Sunday. “That’s going to have to be found out during the investigation.”

PennyJune 21, 2017 at 3:51 PM

Phil I have information saved regarding the maneuverability of the lumbering Crystal.. It takes that ship nearly 30 minutes to turn itself- It's a ship that does not have the capabilities to play 'chicken" or do brinkmanship.

I understand damage control and get that's what your doing- but so far... you aren't accomplishing what it is your here to do- The damage is done and people died- Members of the Fitzgerald crew, the leadership, are responsible and they should be held responsible for what happened-

If you really believe in justice for these dead persons, the leadership of the Fitzgerald have to be accountable.

Delete

The Far More Maneuverable Fitzgerald Will Likely Bear Much Of The Blame.

Link

 ACX Crystal warned Fitzgerald as it maneuvered into it's path

 "A US warship struck by a Philippines container ship in Japanese waters failed to respond to warning signals or take action before the collision took place, according to a report from the cargo ship’s captain.

The Philippines ship ACX Crystal signaled to the USS Fitzgerald with flashing lights after the US warship “suddenly” changed course to one crossing the container ship’s path, Captain Ronald Advincula’s report to Japanese ship owner Dainichi Investment Corporation states, according to Reuters.

The container ship steered to avoid the warship, but hit the Fitzgerald 10 minutes later, according to the report"

 In his report, Advincula said there had been “confusion” on the cargo ship’s bridge, and that the vessel turned around and returned to the collision site after continuing for six nautical miles (11 kilometers).

In the first detailed account from one of those directly involved, the cargo ship's captain said the ACX Crystal had signalled with flashing lights after the Fitzgerald "suddenly" steamed onto a course to cross its path.

The container ship steered hard to starboard to avoid the warship, but hit the Fitzgerald 10 minutes later

A US warship struck by a container vessel in Japanese waters failed to respond to warning signals or take evasive action

Indication no imminent collision alarm sounded

A U.S. warship struck by a container vessel in Japanese waters failed to respond to warning signals or take evasive action before a collision that killed seven of its crew, according to a report of the incident by the Philippine cargo ship's captain.

Cargo ship’s captain claims USS Fitzgerald failed to respond to warnings or change course leading up to collision

 The U.S. warship that collided with a container vessel near Japan earlier this month veered into the path of the freighter, according to the cargo ship's captain.

The captain's comments come as officials are still trying to makes sense of the collision between the USS Fitzgerald and the considerably larger ACX Crystal during the early hours of June 17. Seven Navy sailors were killed in the incident.

In a report to Japanese ship owner Dainichi Investment Corp seen by Reuters, the captain of the Philippine cargo ship, Ronald Advincula, said their vessel had signaled the USS Fitzgerald ahead of the crash. But the Fitzgerald moved "suddenly" into the ACX's path despite the flashing lights.

 "Over a year ago, an anonymous source contacted the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and submitted encrypted internal documents from the law firm Mossack Fonseca."

“The issue is, what if there’s another false flag sarin attack credited to hated SyriaTrump has upped the ante and painted himself into a corner with his decision to bomb. And do not think these guys are not planning the next faked attack. Trump will have no choice but to bomb again, and harder. He’s incapable of saying he made a mistake.”

The Pentagon on Tuesday said it detected “active preparations” by Syria for a chemical weapons attack, giving weight to a White House statement hours earlier that the Syrian government would “pay a heavy price” if it carried out such an attack

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said the U.S. had seen “activity” at Shayrat airfield that “indicated active preparations for chemical weapons use.” That is the same base from which the Syria air force launched an attack in April that the U.S. and others said used lethal chemicals to kill civilians. Syria denied the charge.

Yes, Willy Loman, It’s about Blamin’ & Framin’ Turkey & Saudi Arabia Or

Sy Hersh: "Who Controls the Past Controls the Future......."

Quoting myself here- "None the less there are some interesting aspects about  this Hersh obfuscation/demonization. I find the article sets up the parameters for future spin"

“To the dismay of many senior members of his national security team, Trump could not be swayed over the next 48 hours of intense briefings and decision-making. In a series of interviews, I learned of the total disconnect between the president and many of his military advisers and intelligence officials....

The reference, as those in the American intelligence community understood, and many of the inexperienced aides and family members close to Trump

But the president did not say: ‘We have a problem and let’s look into it.’ He wanted to bomb the shit out of Syria.”

Within hours of viewing the photos, the adviser said, Trump instructed the national defense apparatus to plan for retaliation against Syria. “He did this before he talked to anybody about it.

“And yet it was impossible for the experts to persuade the president of this once he had made up his mind. “The president saw the photographs of poisoned little girls and said it was an Assad atrocity,” the senior adviser said. “It’s typical of human nature. You jump to the conclusion you want. Intelligence analysts do not argue with a president. They’re not going to tell the president, ‘if you interpret the data this way, I quit.’”

“Mike Pompeo, the CIA director whose agency had consistently reported that it had no evidence of a Syrian chemical bomb, was not present.”

A double negative is usually produced by combining the negative form of a verb (e.g., cannot, did not, have not) with a negative pronoun (e.g., nothing, nobody), a negative adverb (e.g., never, hardly) or a negative conjunction (e.g., neither/nor).

• "He didn't see nothing."  =   "He saw something."
• "She claims she has not seen neither Paul nor John."  =   "She claims she has seen either Paul or John."

“The gist of the briefing was that Russia’s heated and persistent denial of any sarin use in the Khan Sheikhoun bombing was a lie because President Trump had said sarin had been used. That assertion, which was not challenged or disputed by any of the reporters present, became the basis for a series of further criticisms:

     - The continued lying by the Trump administration about Syria’s use of sarin led to widespread belief in the American media and public  that Russia had  chosen to be involved in a corrupt disinformation and cover-up campaign on the part of Syria.

     - Russia’s military forces had been co-located with Syria’s at the Shayrat airfield (as they are throughout Syria), raising the possibility that Russia had advance notice of Syria’s determination to use sarin at Khan Sheikhoun and did nothing to stop it.

      - Syria’s use of sarin and Russia’s defense of that use strongly suggested that Syria withheld stocks of the nerve agent from the UN disarmament team that spent much of 2014 inspecting and removing all declared chemical warfare agents from 12 Syrian chemical weapons depots, pursuant to the agreement worked out by the Obama administration and Russia after Syria’s alleged, but still unproven, use of sarin the year before against a rebel redoubt in a suburb of Damascus.

The briefer, to his credit, was careful to use the words “think,” “suggest” and “believe” at least 10 times during the 30-minute event. But he also said that his briefing was based on data that had been declassified by “our colleagues in the intelligence community.” What the briefer did not say, and may not have known, was that much of the classified information in the community made the point that Syria had not used sarin in the April 4 bombing attack.

“The issue is, what if there’s another false flag sarin attack credited to hated SyriaTrump has upped the ante and painted himself into a corner with his decision to bomb. And do not think these guys are not planning the next faked attack. Trump will have no choice but to bomb again, and harder. He’s incapable of saying he made a mistake.”

BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:50 P.M.) – The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have obstructed water to over 1 million residents of Aleppo City, today, a Syrian government source reported.

The Syrian Democratic Forces reportedly blocked the water from the Euphrates Dam that feeds into the Khafsa Pumps, halting the supply to people of Aleppo City.
While no reason was given for SDF’s actions, it is likely due to the recent tiff between their forces and the Syrian Arab Army in the southwestern countryside of the Al-Raqqa Governorate.

 "Syria want's their Dams back and pardon the pun, they have dam good reasons for wanting their water/electricity supply and rich farmland back!"

Kurdish leader "We confirm that if the regime forces continue their attacks on our sites in Raqqa governorate, it will oblige us to use our right to legitimate defense and retaliate.”

****Bonus for the interlopers (Kurd/Israel/America)- Taking the dam will enable the control of Aleppo city- Being very nearly entirely reliant on pipelines from the reservoir.

The PKK terrorist group's Syria affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) captured the three of the largest dams in Syria, where the terrorist organization already has invaded 23 percent of the country. (With plans to take 30% percent for their own) The Tishrin, Tabqa and Baath dams, all built on the Euprathes River, have the capacity to provide the majority of the entire country's water and electricity supply.

According to information gathered from the Assad regime's Irrigation Ministry, the terrorist organization was able to reach the regions of critical importance in terms of water and electricity resources, as well as agricultural fields, thanks to these dams. The dams have the capacity to supply 70 percent of the country's water requirements.

A total 60 percent of the agricultural fields in Syria are also under the domain of the PYD.

The Tishrin dam, which was taken from Daesh in 2015, has storage capacity measuring 40 meters long and provides irrigation to Manbij and Kobani.
However, the Tabqa dam, captured recently last month, has a wide energy and irrigation infrastructure with its electricity production and storage basin that measures 60 meters long. It is the largest water reserve in Syria and has the capacity to irrigate all fields from Manbij and Kobani to the Iraqi border.
Baath is the latest dam captured one among them and has the capacity to produce energy up to 75 megawatts (MWs) for a year.

The Tishrin dam can also produce electricity - to some extent - for the surrounding villages and towns. Tabqa, on the other hand, cannot produce electricity anymore due to damages incurred during conflicts between Daesh and the PYD as well as U.S. bombardments. Local sources, however, inform that the dam which was used for irrigation, has now been taken under the control of the terrorist organization in order to produce electricity. Lastly, the Baath dam is used for the irrigation of surrounding agricultural fields.

"US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday left open the possibility of longer-term assistance to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, saying the US may need to supply them weapons and equipment even after the capture of Raqqa from ISIS.

NATO ally Turkey, which views the YPG as a threat, has said Mattis assured it in a letter that the United States would eventually take back the weapons it was giving them once ISIS was defeated.

Mattis, in his first public remarks on the issue, did not directly dispute that account.

“We’ll do what we can,” Mattis told reporters during his flight to Germany, when asked about weapons recovery.

But Mattis also noted that YPG fighters were well-armed even before the US last month decided to offer more specialised equipment for its urban assault on ISIS-held city of Raqqa.

Mattis also said the battle against ISIS would continue even after Raqqa was captured and focused his answers about US weapons’ recovery on items he believed the YPG would no longer need in battle.

Asked if the Kurdish YPG forces would revert to their pre-Raqqa level of armaments once the fight was over, Mattis responded: “Well, we’ll see. It depends what the next mission is. I mean, it’s not like the fight’s over when Raqqa’s over.”

The US, Mattis said, in the near-term would be recovering weapons that the group does not need anymore as the battle advances.

“We’ll be recovering (the weapons) during the battle, repairing them. When they don’t need certain things anymore, we’ll replace those with something they do need,” Mattis said"

"We have disturbing reports on violations and abuses, including looting, kidnapping, arbitrary detention and child recruitment, committed by armed groups, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in areas under their control, such as the city of Tabqa,' he stated.

SDF is supported by the United States"

• US eyes arms for Kurdish YPG fighters in Syria even after Raqqa’s fall

• War Crime Alert- YPG/PKK Cut Off Water to Aleppo City Affecting Over 1 Million

• Let's Talk About the Death/Displacement Toll on the Civilians of Raqqa, Syria

•   Pacifying Raqqa: ‘Staggering loss of civilian life’ during US-backed siege of Raqqa – UN

• Syria: Second SAA Jet Deterred by US Over An Obvious No Fly Zone

Reyhanli bombing- Inflaming Turks against Syrians

Turkey's relations with the United States, which took a nosedive inMay 2013,(Reyhanli bombing was a US message to Turkey)  have been unable to recover in recent months. If anything, the situation is getting worse every day. Ankara started having second thoughts about Washington's reliability when former U.S. President Barack Obama's administration failed to show due interest in Ankara's security concerns,including the YPG's land grab in northern Syria and the need for an air defense system.

Erdogan's highly anticipated meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump apparently did not meet Turkish expectations either, as the incoming administration rubber-stamped U.S. Central Command's (CENTCOM) plans to enlist the YPG's services as a proxy. For some reason, U.S. officials did not seem to think that empowering the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, which Turkey and the U.S. consider a terrorist organization, was a betrayal of Ankara's friendship even though the group clearly poses an existential threat to Turkey.

In other words, it has been some time since Washington decided to let Turkey take care of itself, which is why its opposition to the S-400 purchase, citing Turkey's alliance with the U.S., does not really make sense.

To be clear, Ankara approached Washington with a number of plans to fight Daesh terrorists, including an alternative proposal to liberate Raqqa.

“But the fallout between Turkey and the United States was ultimately caused by Washington's failure to develop a coherent Syria policy since the civil war started. Although the Trump administration made it clear that it wants to contain and isolate Iran, the truth is that stopping the Iranian-backed Shiite militias without deploying more U.S. troops to Syria would be impossible. Nor is it easy for Trump to counterbalance Russia's influence in the conflict zone provided that his predecessor single-handedly turned Moscow into a game changer in Syria. At this point, alienating Turkey and pushing Ankara toward Russia and Iran will not help Washington's cause to regain control over Syria. The Trump administration, simply put, has reached an impasse”

Whether Washington decides to use the Obama play book or take a step forward to strike regime forces under the pretext of preparations for a chemical attack, the facts on the ground remain the same. If Trump opts for a decisive, long-term Syria plan, there is a good chance he will fuel fears that the U.S. military is being pulled into war again. It is no secret that Washington policymakers see military confrontation with Iran or Russia as a doomsday scenario.

The second implication of the most recent developments is that a new equilibrium emerges in Syria. Washington's short-sighted Syria policy not only consolidates the Russian-Iranian front, but also compels Ankara to work more closely with Moscow. At a time when Mattis describes his country's partnership with the YPG as a temporary necessity, Ankara can come up with a much longer list of things that justify its policy decisions, which is why the S-400 negotiations and a potential military intervention in Afrin do not necessarily signal broader change. Quite the contrary, the situation that began to emerge during Obama's presidency is becoming clearer at a faster rate under Trump. Moving forward, Ankara should be expected to take steps that Washington's new definition of partnership compels them to.

It is no surprise that the Turkish government sees McGurk as an active official working to provide Kurdish autonomy in Syria, effectively under the control of the PKK, after the defeat of ISIL. That would amount to something even more sizable than the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq after the Iraqi Kurds’ collaboration with the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Erdogan said boldly last week that trying to sooth Ankara by promising to take back arms delivered to the YPG would was useless, claiming that supplying the weapons was against NATO agreements.

In the eyes of some angry Turkish officials, McGurk’s role in all this somewhat resembles the role of TS Lawrence, or Lawrence of Arabia, 100 years ago. Some see McGurk as a kind of “Lawrence of Kurdistan.”  

Before becoming a world renowned British spy and operative, Lawrence was an archeologist with a particular interest in Arab affairs. When the First World War broke out in 1914, he was busy with excavations in Jarablus, now on the Turkey-Syria border.

In 1915 the British government decided to set up an Arab bureau in Cairo, mainly a military intelligence center under brigadier general Gilbert Clayton. The center was due to coordinate the fight against the Ottoman army in the oil-rich Arabian peninsula and Mesopotamia, still under Ottoman rule. It was Clayton’s idea to agitate, organize and team up with Arab tribes against the Turks. 

Lawrence was one of the first civilians he recruited for the military intelligence operations, having an excellent capacity to communicate with tribal chiefs, especially the Emir of Mecca, Sharif Hussein, who was also an influential figure in the Wahhabi movement.
Gertrude Bell was another person, also an archeologist, linguist and adventurer, who Clayton recruited together with Lawrence and who also had superb qualities and links within the Arab tribes. Clayton also had a strong office staff, including Lieutenant Colonel Mark Sykes, one of two men behind the Sykes-Picot Agreement to divide Ottoman territory between the U.K., France and Russia.

 Trudeau will divide this country, same as Harper did, just in a different manner.

We will suffocate under political correctness. We already did under Harper, but, it will get so much worse under Trudeau. Free speech will be further restricted

Ukraine has accused Russian security services of being behind a major cyber attack that crippled operations around the world earlier this week.

The Eastern European country said its security service, the SBU, has determined that the attack, which appeared to begin in Ukraine before spreading across the globe on Tuesday, was orchestrated by the same hackers who attacked the Ukrainian power grid in December 2016.

“The available data, including those obtained in cooperation with international antivirus companies, give us reason to believe that the same hacking groups are involved in the attacks, which in December 2016 attacked the financial system, transport and energy facilities of Ukraine using TeleBots and BlackEnergy,” the SBU said in a statement.

On Saturday, Kevin Scheid, a Department of Defense veteran, was placed in charge of NATO’s cyber operations. The appointment wouldn’t be big news if it weren’t for the fact that he’s joining the organization at a hair-raising point in history. The vicious malware triggered NATO to announce on Friday that the attack is believed to be the work of a state actor and is a potential act of war.

There was a lot of ruckus back in May when Donald Trump met with the leaders of NATO and failed to confirm that the US is committed to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. That’s the clause of the agreement that pledges the members of NATO to mutual defense. Legally speaking, if Article 5 is triggered by an attack on one member, the other members are required to join in retaliation. NATO’s Secretary General confirmed this week that a cyber operation with “consequences comparable to an armed attack can trigger Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and responses might be with military means.” But Friday’s press release emphasizes that we don’t know enough about the origin of NotPetya or the intentions behind its release at this time.

NATO researchers have concluded that the malware “can most likely be attributed to a state actor,” and if a nation is determined to be responsible, “this could be an internationally wrongful act, which might give the targeted states several options to respond with countermeasures.” What sort of countermeasures? Well, pretty much anything. Independently, the UK’s defense secretary announced this week that his country was prepared to respond to cyber attacks “from any domain - air, land, sea or cyber.”

NATO functions on strict rules. Tomáš Minárik, a researcher at NATO CCD COE writes:

    If the operation could be linked to an ongoing international armed conflict, then law of armed conflict would apply, at least to the extent that injury or physical damage was caused by it, and with respect to possible direct participation in hostilities by civilian hackers, but so far there are reports of neither.

Minárik is outlining what would justify full on IRL military conflict. That doesn’t, necessarily, mean that NATO couldn’t respond in the cyber-realm if it determined that a government was responsible for NotPetya. He continues:

    As important government systems have been targeted, then in case the operation is attributed to a state this could count as a violation of sovereignty. Consequently, this could be an internationally wrongful act, which might give the targeted states several options to respond with countermeasures.

Petya spreads from Europe to Asia


The latest threat in cyberspace, dubbed as “Petya” has spread to Asia after targeting businesses and organizations in Europe, a security firm said on Friday.

“We see that cyber attackers are compromising businesses and individuals in Asia with continued success. While the threat may have started in Eastern Europe, it has quickly spread across the world within a short time,” Symantec Corporation told The Manila Times in an email.

As stated: “Greece has incentive aplenty to provoke Turkey. Doing NATO’s bidding is a plus for Greece. Greece is NATO’s big spending lackey.  Greece has already acted very provocatively towards Turkey. Undoubtedly with a whole lot of support from Brussels. Unlike Turkey, Greece is beholden large to the banksters & the EU”

“Considering all the provocations already undertaken by NATO’s gofer, Greece, it’s safe to suggest,  that Greece could and would provoke Turkey, yet again! In some way that would portray NATO’s betrayal of Turkey as necessary for the greater good. You know, the USA as the global social justice warrior. And, isn't the US the ultimate social justice warrior?! “

 ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey dispatched three boats to the Aegean Sea on Monday after Greek coast guards fired on a Turkish freighter ship near the Greek island of Rhodes, Turkey's state-run news agency reported.

The freighter's captain, Haluk Sami Kalkavan, told Turkish media on Monday that the Greek coast guards approached his vessel in international waters,demanded that it dock at a port in Rhodes and fired on it when he refused. He said his crew counted 16 bullet holes but the vessel was not in danger of sinking.

The Greek Coast Guard said it tried to stop the vessel following "an anonymous telephone complaint" that it was carrying narcotics. It said the ship was in Greek waters.

"Warning shots were fired but the ship did not change course," the Greek Coast Guard said. "The competent Turkish authorities have been informed of the incident."

The state-run Anadolu Agency said the Turkish coast guard dispatched two boats while the navy sent an assault boat to the region. The boat was being accompanied back to Turkish waters where the crew would be questioned. (It's 5 eyes news wire, so it's claiming the ship 'went back to Turkish waters.... that's doubtful. Since I believe it was in international waters and the Captain rightly knew he had no reason to follow the edicts of the Greek coast guard)

The Greek coastguard has opened fire on a cargo ship carrying the Turkish flag in the Aegean Sea, according to local media.

The ship was moving towards the Izmit Bay in the Sea of Marmara when coastguard vessels demanded it moor at the port of Rhodes for a cargo check, according to Sputnik News.

The boats opened fire when the demand was refused, the report continues.

It is currently unclear whether anyone was injured in the incident.

Sami Kalkavan, captain of the M/V ACT told broadcaster CNN Turk the coast guard ordered him to dock at the Greek island of Rhodes for inspection, and opened fire after he failed to comply, putting 16 bullet holes in the ship.

"The coast guard asked for the ship to be docked at the port at Rhodes immediately, and we did not accept this. They wanted to check (the ship), and we didn't accept that," he said.

"They said they would fire if we didn't stop, they did what they said,"Kalkavan said without saying why he did not want the ship to be inspected. He said there was no risk of water intake from the bullet holes.

"There is no justification ... for firing on an unarmed commercial ship carrying freight between two Turkish ports,"the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Our sole consolation is that nobody was killed or injured as a result of the incident." 

A Jewish extremist has been found guilty of setting fire to a landmark Roman Catholic Church in Israel.

In 2015, Nazareth District Court accused 22 year old Yinon Reuveni of setting ablaze the The Church of the Multiplication, a church at Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee.He was found guilty on Monday.

The church is known as the place where Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, also known as the Feeding of the 5,000.
According to the BBC, the fire caused a lot of damage to a shop and other nearby buildings. It's claimed the arsonist also wrote "Idols will be cast out or destroyed" in Hebrew on the walls.

Despite the extensive damage and vandalism, the fire didn't destroy the church's 5th Century mosaic floors, which is a key feature in the church.

The church building underwent an £800,000 eight month renovation following the fire and reopened in February 2017.

According to the BBC, Reuveni said he committed arson because of his hostile feelings toward the Christian faith. Israeli media also reported the man was involved in several other hate crimes and connected with other extremists before setting the church on fire.

A second man was acquitted of the charges against him in the case.

The Times of Israel reported that a third suspect is still awaiting trial.

The prosecutor said the verdict made a strong statement on Jewish terrorism. However, the defence lawyer said he will appeal the judge's decision.

The only ones who were really pleased with the talks that White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and US envoy Jason Greenblatt held in Jerusalem and Ramallah were the envoys themselves.

The Israeli side was satisfied that a good part of the agenda in these talks was actually determined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that the US envoys initiated only a small part of the topics discussed. A senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official present during part of the talks told Al-Monitor that Netanyahu is a master at formulating agendas for such negotiations, pushing the topic list into his own home turf on which only he can win. In this case, Netanyahu turned the payments by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to families of Palestinian terrorists and prisoners into the cause celebre. He successfully convinced President Donald Trump that these payments encourage terror. In Palestinian eyes, these payments represent a social contribution to large segments of Palestinians for being victims of the conflict.

Discussing this payment issue stole the focus away from the peace process itself and Trump’s aspirations for an “ultimate deal.” In the talks with Kushner and Greenblatt, Netanyahu provided ample evidence that the PA continues the payments, knowing well in advance that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would refuse halting them.

Hours of talks were taken from what the US diplomats originally came for — to convince the parties to join a US-led regional meeting later this year in Washington. This meeting is supposed to focus on anti-terrorism and is intended also to reopen bilateral Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

According to the same Israeli official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netanyahu is not only a master of formulating convenient-for-him agendas, he is equally a master at buying time. Netanyahu agreed that in the course of 2017 he would work with the US administration on the terms and conditions for such a conference. He expressed an interest in meeting President Trump beforehand to make sure that such a gathering is a success. Netanyahu refused to detail the positions Israel will present in such a conference, except for what he had already said publicly — the recognition of a Jewish state and Israel’s long-term, full security control of the West Bank. The rest of the talks between Netanyahu and the two envoys were dedicated mainly to Iran and the common interests of both Israel and the United States to fight against the Iranian state-sponsored terror in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

The Israeli official’s impression of the US negotiation team was that they were very businesslike. They move according to talking points from their boss and they are definitely interested in progress. He noted that apparently there won’t be a US plan anytime soon on how to advance and in which negotiation framework to channel their efforts. Incremental confidence-building measures will be demanded from both parties. Israel is already planning with the PA for Palestinian construction in Area C (in the Qalqilya area), and Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Gadi Eizenkot spoke on June 20 on the improved security coordination between Israel and the PA.

The Israeli official estimates that there are two circles working on the Mideast process issue on behalf of Trump: the inner circle of Kushner and Greenblatt and the wider administration comprising of national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis. The inner circle is instinctively very much on Israel’s side; the other members of the administration are more pragmatic and attuned to the demands of Arab Sunni countries like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The official characterized Kushner’s attitude, “His heart is clearly in Jerusalem, but he has one ear directed to Washington and the other to Riyadh.”

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The Palestinian side also recognized that Netanyahu had imposed his agenda of irrelevant conditions. A senior PLO minister told Al-Monitor that Abbas remains positive and cooperative toward the US administration. He is flexible on the terms of the freeze of settlements, agreeing to construction restraint and having the United States monitor it, and he is willing to find a solution to the funding of prisoners issues by channeling the funds through unofficial channels.

In stark contrast to Netanyahu, Abbas’ main focus is on the permanent status issues. Upon Greenblatt’s request, the Palestinians prepared positions on a dozen topics related to all permanent status issues, all revolving around the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

It was also evident in Ramallah that the US envoys are very attentive to the voices from Cairo and from Riyadh (especially with the change in position of the crown prince). Abbas has asked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to play a proactive role in advance of opening a conference for a two-state solution process.

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The Palestinians were asked to send to Washington in the weeks to come a team of negotiators to further explore the issues. They believe the same invitation was conveyed to Israel. This will be the next step in the US exploration of a peace process, leaving both sides in a battle of brains leading to no progress so far.

Jewish Extremist Set Fire to Christian Church Where Jesus Fed 5,000

Greek Coastguard Opens Fire on Turkish Flagged Vessel in Aegean

Ancient City Walls of Raqqa

Raqqa walls

US-backed forces in Syria have breached the wall surrounding the Old City of Raqqa as they try to retake the city from the ISIL, the US Central Command said.

"Coalition forces supported the SDF advance into the most heavily fortified portion of Raqqa by opening two small gaps in the Rafiqah Wall that surrounds the Old City,"Centcom said in a statement on Monday night, referring to the Syrian Democratic Forces.

"Conducting targeted strikes on two small portions of the wall allowed coalition and partner forces to breach the Old City at a locations of their choosing"

"The portions targeted were 25-meter sections and will help preserve the remainder of the overall 2,500-metre wall," it added.

CENTCOM and the SDF did not specify which area of the wall was breached.

Michael Enright

British actor battling Islamic State in the Syrian city of Raqqa has said he is fighting to avenge the recent terror attack on his hometown of Manchester.   
Michael Enright, who starred alongside Johnny Depp in the blockbuster film Pirates of the Caribbean, has now swapped his cutlass for a kalashnikov.  

The 52-year-old from Moss Side is now embedded with troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are closing in on Isil jihadists in the group’s so-called capital. The SDF is dominated by the Kurdish YPG militia, which Mr Enright joined in 2015. 

Mr Enright is one of dozens of foreign fighters have travelled to the self-styled Kurdish enclave of Rojava to join the fight.

Most have a military background.

Many have been recruited via Facebook, and some have funded their airfare on crowdfunding websites. 

Tension is escalating rapidly west of the Euphrates River, especially in the area of Syria's Afrin canton controlled by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), and at Idlib, controlled by a motley collection of outfits mostly (but not entirely) backed by Turkey.

Last week, as the Turkish army continued to amass forces in the triangle of Kilis in Turkey, and Jarablus/al-Bab/al-Rai in Syria, Turkish 155 howitzers began shelling YPG targets southwest of Azaz and north of Tel Rifaat. The YPG returned fire with its 81 mm mortars at Free Syrian Army (FSA) targets in the triangle. Local sources told Al-Monitor there have been occasional clashes between the YPG and the FSA east of Tel Rifaat over the past two weeks.

The YPG issued a statement June 30 saying it plans to take from Turkey the area between Azaz and Jarablus. It offered no timeline. 

Ankara’s priority target in northern Syria is the YPG. Turkey aims to prevent the creation of a Kurdish or Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) corridor that would begin at PKK headquarters in the Qandil Mountains and extend to Afrin canton in the west via Shengal, and the cantons of Jazeera and Kobani.

The YPG issued a statement June 30 saying it plans to take from Turkey the area between Azaz and Jarablus. It offered no timeline.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently posted on his official Twitter account: “I am calling on the whole world. We will never allow setting up of a [Kurdish] state in northern Syria no matter what the cost may be.”
Ankara, when it couldn’t persuade the United States to stop cooperating with the YPG east of the Euphrates, turned its attention to west of the Euphrates. Ankara no doubt finds that Moscow is easier to work with than the United States in northern Syria. West of the Euphrates, Ankara and Moscow need each other, hence their inevitable cooperation. For a clearer picture west of the Euphrates, one needs to understand why Moscow needs Ankara at Idlib and what Ankara can get in return.
Currently, Idlib acts as the "capital" of the armed Syrian opposition in Syria. In Idlib, you will find:

• Salafi-jihadi armed groups that are generally considered "terrorists," such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance including Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra).
  
• Middle-of-the-road Salafi-jihadi armed groups such as Ahrar al-Sham, which has one foot in the radicals' camp and the other in a group considered "moderates."
  
• Sunni armed opposition that Turkey has tried to consolidate under the FSA and that provided field support to Turkey during Operation Euphrates Shield.
  

It's clear that Russia and loyalists of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are preparing for a major offensive at Idlib, as they did in Aleppo. They are telling the groups at Idlib, basically, “You have to decide if you are moderates or radicals. If you are moderates, you can either leave Idlib or comply with the rules of de-escalation. If you don’t leave Idlib and refuse to heed the rules of de-escalation, then you are terrorists and deserve to be eliminated.”

Moscow now needs the area Turkey is preparing in the Jarablus/al-Bab/al-Rai triangle for the moderates and their families who will leave Idlib. Russia also needs a reliable mediator in its relations with the groups at Idlib. Ankara can definitely be of great help in this.

Cognizant of its needs, Moscow appears to be much more accommodating to Ankara rather than Washington by trying to reconcile Ankara’s concerns with Moscow’s field requirements.
In the field, the primary issue is where to put the tens of thousands of people who will leave Idlib before the anticipated offensive. The only feasible area for these displaced people to settle will be the Turkey-controlled Jarablus/al-Bab/al-Rai triangle. But this triangle needs to be expanded. That will not be militarily feasible southward, south of al-Bab or toward Manbij in the east.
The only available territory is toward Tel Rifaat in the YPG-controlled Afrin canton.
My understanding of the situation on the ground is that, in return for Ankara’s help at Idlib, Moscow will agree for Ankara to expand, if not in the entirety of Afrin, then from Kilis-Azaz toward the southwest, to reach Tel Rifaat.

This is precisely why I predict that, should there be a Turkish operation west of the Euphrates, it will be two-pronged, one from the Kilis-Azaz line toward the south and the other from Mare in the east toward the west, with both columns linking up at Tel Rifaat. The FSA would provide the bulk of the ground forces and Turkey would provide 155 mm artillery support. To comprehend how much leeway Russia will allow Ankara, we have to see whether it will allow Turkish air force operations to move against YPG targets in the Afrin canton.
The question now is whether Ankara will be able to establish a power balance to make the de-escalation zone operational before clashes escalate at Idlib. The answer will be decided by the choices of the groups under the Ahrar al-Sham umbrella. What will be the preferences of these groups, some of them guided by former Jabhat al-Nusra forces, and others backed by Turkey?
It's not hard to guess that Ankara, in return for concessions from Moscow at Afrin, will do its best to ensure that middle-of-the-road groups such as Ahrar al-Sham will adopt the rules of de-escalation. That, however, could lead to clashes between Ankara and former Jabhat al-Nusra factions.
Because of this extremely complex scene, the fate of Idlib will affect not only the destiny of extreme Salafi/jihadi networks in Syria, but also the fate of similar networks in Turkey.
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin last month said Turkey could send 300-500 troops to the Idlib de-escalation zone.
Another interesting development is the decision made during negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, to deploy troops from other foreign countries in all de-escalation zones in Syria. Two weeks ago, there were already reports that Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan could send troops to Idlib.
Would the arrival of Kyrgyz and Kazakh troops aim only to prevent an outbreak of clashes between the Syrian government and opposition, or is there some other thinking behind it?
Many Central Asians hailing from different countries have joined Salafi/jihadi groups in the region. These people at the moment pose limited threats to their own countries. But the arrival of the troops could be seen as a major move of the states recognizing this threat. When one sees Uighur militants around Idlib, the question arises whether China will get involved in the Idlib issue.
Now, all eyes will be on the July 10 Astana summit regarding the future of Idlib, and therefore Afrin.
The main issue for Turkey at the summit will be how to reconcile its paradoxical thesis of preserving Syria’s territorial integrity while trying to expand its governance of Syrian territory of the Jarablus/al-Bab/al-Rai triangle.

PKK/YPG Smash Through Raqqa's Ancient Walls To "Fight" ISIS

"Guido Giacomo Preparata joins Our Interesting Times to discuss his book Conjuring Hitler: How Britain and America made the Third Reich. We talk about how Great Britain fomented two world wars to prevent an alliance forming between Germany and Russia and how the rise of National Socialism in Germany was not an aberration or accident of history but the result of Anglo-American financial support and intrigue"

“In this zone [in southern Daraa, Quneitra and As-Suwayda provinces] the ceasefire regime will take effect on July 9 starting 12:00 Damascus time,” Lavrov said. “The US took an obligation that all the militant groups, located there, will comply with the ceasefire.”

The ceasefire was agreed by experts from Russia, the US and Jordan, who negotiated a memorandum on the creation of a de-escalation zone in southwestern Syria at talks in Jordan’s capital, Amman.

“At first, the security around this de-escalation zone will be maintained with the help of Russian military police in coordination with the Jordanians and Americans,” Lavrov said.

The deal is separate from the draft agreement on de-escalation zones, which were to be created under a deal brokered earlier this year during Russia, Turkey and Iran-sponsored talks in Astana between the Syrian government and representatives of the armed opposition.
While the discussions on the borders and mechanisms of de-escalation zones have been ongoing this week, a final agreement has not yet been signed.

Putin & Trump at G-20

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — The United States and Russia have reached agreement on a cease-fire in southwest Syria, three US officials said Friday as President Donald Trump held his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the US in trying to resolve Syria’s civil war. Although details about the agreement and how it will be implemented weren’t immediately available, the cease-fire is set to take effect Sunday at noon Damascus time, said the officials, who weren’t authorized to discuss the cease-fire publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jordan and Israel also are part of the agreement, one of the officials said. The two US allies both share a border with the southern part of Syria and have been concerned about violence from Syria’s civil war spilling over the border.

The deal is separate from “de-escalation zones” that were to be created under a deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran earlier this year. The US was not a part of that deal. Follow-up talks this week in Astana, Kazakhstan, to finalize a cease-fire in those zones failed to reach agreement.

Previous ceasefires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it was unclear whether this deal would be any better.

Earlier in the week, Syria’s military had said it was halting combat operations in the south of Syria for four days, in advance of a new round of Russia-sponsored talks in Astana. That move covered southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida. Syria’s government briefly extended that unilateral cease-fire, which is now set to expire Saturday — a day before the US and Russian deal would take effect.

The new agreement to be announced Friday will be open-ended, one US official said, describing it as part of broader US discussions with Russia on trying to lower violence in the war-ravaged country. Officials said the US and Russia were still working out the details as Trump and Putin concluded their more than two-hour meeting on Friday.

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