veteranstoday--2020-03-03--Bloomberg’s Goal: World War III

Bloomberg’s Goal: World War III

Bloomberg and Buttigieg—aka , B & B , the Usurer and the Sodomite—have been the candidates being advanced by the Deep State to steal the Democratic Party nomination for president from Bernie Sanders .
Of course we don ’ t know yet if Zombie Joe Sanders ’ South Carolina victory will allow him to limp back into the race , but it really doesn ’ t matter .
One way or the other , Sanders ’ populist revolution must be stopped .
Buttigieg ’ s Deep State handlers have now ordered him out of any more primaries .
After South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their money .
But he has served his purpose , having taken multiple sniveling shots at Sanders on his way to the exit .
Presumably he will remain on the shelf somewhere , perhaps a Wall Street equity firm , until needed again , though he has been shown to be too goofy and repugnant ever to be elected to national office .
A lot of Americans really do have some real values .
Whether Bloomberg or Biden is eventually nominated , whether either can defeat Trump , or whether Sanders ’ supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split the party don ’ t really matter .
The fix is in , so long as Sanders can be prevented from winning the nomination with a majority vote of delegates in Milwaukee .
After all , the Deep State already runs the country with a majority of eligible votes not bothering even to show up at elections .
The loss of a few more million—Sanders ’ constituency—won ’ t make any difference .
And if any of them take to the streets , what was done to the Occupy Wall Street movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Totalitarianism learns its lessons well .
The underlying goal of all these machinations is to give the Deep State a free hand in prosecuting the world war against Iran , Russia , and China that is already well underway .
The war has been mandated by Satan ’ s own Money Power that is intent on enslaving all humanity to the evil matrix of usury , debt , fiat currency , and sexual deviance .
Working hand-in-glove are the occult leaders of British Freemasonry , Zionism , U.S. Evangelism , Muslim Wahhabism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulling out all the stops .
In high gear is the anti-Sanders blitz by corporate-owned cable news channels , TV networks , websites , and print media .
Each of these has its own Deep State minders who assure that only approved talking heads and columnists have a voice .
Alternative voices may be heard at only a handful of internet sources .
As an example of the Deep State ’ s strategy , check out an article last Sunday appearing in The Hill by someone named Douglas Schoen entitled “ A Battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” https : //thehill.com/opinion/white-house/485368-a-battle-between-trump-and-sanders-cuts-democracy-out At first glance the reader might think that the article criticizes the way Trump and Sanders became candidates for the presidency , assuming Sanders is the Democratic Party nominee .
But we know that if the two run against each other , it is because their respective parties nominated them through voting by the electorate—democracy at work .
So what is Schoen talking about ?
Here is the real gist .
Both Trump and Sanders are , according to Schoen , enamored of authoritarian figures .
For Trump it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Russia , says Schoen , is “ an autocratic country whose leaders Trump has refused to condemn.
” For Sanders it ’ s long-ago statements made about Castro and the Nicaraguan Sandinistas .
The upshot for Schoen is that if either Trump or Sanders is elected , the U.S. might abandon its time-honored historic mission of promoting “ democracy ” around the world .
I guess he means what we today call “ regime change ” wars .
“ Democracy ” to people like Schoen means destruction of a nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base–and its replacement by U.S.-supported generals and oligarchs on the payroll of Western banks , corporations , and extractive industries .
So heaven help us if a re-election of Trump or the first-time election of Sanders could bring a halt to the Deep State ’ s most cherished objective : World War III .
So who is Douglas Schoen ?
Check out his bio on Wikipedia .
Schoen is a long-time political hack who worked for Bill and Hillary Clinton , is a consultant for many foreign governments , particularly Israel , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a Ukranian oligarch .

By Richard Cook for VT
Bloomberg and Buttigieg—aka, B&B, the Usurer, and the Sodomite—have been the candidates being advanced by the Deep State to steal the Democratic Party nomination for president from Bernie Sanders. Of course, we don’t know yet if Zombie Joe Sanders’ South Carolina victory will allow him to limp back into the race, but it really doesn’t matter. One way or the other, Sanders’ populist revolution must be stopped.
Buttigieg’s Deep State handlers have now ordered him out of any more primaries. After South Carolina, he’s just wasting their money. But he has served his purpose, having taken multiple sniveling shots at Sanders on his way to the exit. Presumably, he will remain on the shelf somewhere, perhaps a Wall Street equity firm, until needed again, though he has been shown to be too goofy and repugnant ever to be elected to national office. A lot of Americans really do have some real values.
Whether Bloomberg or Biden is eventually nominated, whether either can defeat Trump, or whether Sanders’ supporters will walk out of the convention or split the party doesn’t really matter. The fix is in, so long as Sanders can be prevented from winning the nomination with a majority vote of delegates in Milwaukee.
After all, the Deep State already runs the country with a majority of eligible voters not bothering even to show up at elections. The loss of a few more million—Sanders’ constituency—won’t make any difference. And if any of them take to the streets, what was done to the Occupy Wall Street movement won’t be difficult to repeat. Totalitarianism learns its lessons well.
The underlying goal of all these machinations is to give the Deep State a free hand in prosecuting the world war against Iran, Russia, and China that is already well underway. The war has been mandated by Satan’s own Money Power that is intent on enslaving all humanity to the evil matrix of usury, debt, fiat currency, and sexual deviance. Working hand-in-glove are the occult leaders of British Freemasonry, Zionism, U.S. Evangelism, Muslim Wahhabism, etc.
The Deep State is pulling out all the stops. In high gear is the anti-Sanders blitz by corporate-owned cable news channels, TV networks, websites, and print media. Each of these has its own Deep State minders who assure that only approved talking heads and columnists have a voice. Alternative voices may be heard at only a handful of internet sources.
As an example of the Deep State’s strategy, check out an article last Sunday appearing in The Hill by someone named Douglas Schoen entitled “A Battle Between Trump and Sanders Cuts Democracy Out.”
At first glance the reader might think that the article criticizes the way Trump and Sanders became candidates for the presidency, assuming Sanders is the Democratic Party nominee. But we know that if the two runs against each other, it is because their respective parties nominated them through voting by the electorate—democracy at work. So what is Schoen talking about?
Here is the real gist. Both Trump and Sanders are, according to Schoen, enamored of authoritarian figures. For Trump, it’s Putin and Philippine President Duterte. Russia, says Schoen, is “an autocratic country whose leaders Trump has refused to condemn.” For Sanders, it’s long-ago statements made about Castro and the Nicaraguan Sandinistas.
The upshot for Schoen is that if either Trump or Sanders is elected, the U.S. might abandon its time-honored historic mission of promoting “democracy” around the world. I guess he means what we today call “regime change” wars. “Democracy” to people like Schoen means the destruction of a nation’s indigenous leadership–particularly if it has a populist base–and its replacement by U.S.-supported generals and oligarchs on the payroll of Western banks, corporations, and extractive industries.
So heaven help us if re-election of Trump or the first-time election of Sanders could bring a halt to the Deep State’s most cherished objective: World War III.
So who is Douglas Schoen? Check out his bio on Wikipedia. Schoen is a long-time political hack who worked for Bill and Hillary Clinton, is a consultant for many foreign governments, particularly Israel, and at one time was/is a registered lobbyist for a Ukrainian oligarch.
Today Schoen is a paid consultant for Michael Bloomberg.


veteranstoday--2020-03-03--Why is Anyone Shocked that Putin Listened to Erdogan and ‘Stepped Aside’ in Idlib?

All credible reports indicate that the Turkish Armed Forces ( TAF ) are giving the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) an unprecedented pounding after President Putin seemingly listened to President Erodgan ’ s request yesterday and “ stepped aside ” in Idlib so that the two neighboring countries can finally fight one another face-to-face , but nobody should be shocked by any of this since it was obvious this entire time that Moscow wasn ’ t going to ever go to war with Ankara over Damascus , especially not since the Arab Republic already gave the Eurasian Great Power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in exchange for saving the capital from Daesh .
The Alt-Media Community is shocked that President Putin seemingly listened to President Erdogan and “ stepped aside ” in Idlib upon the latter ’ s request yesterday so that his country can finally fight Syria face-to-face , which credible reports such as those from Syrian journalist Danny Makki indicate has seen the Turkish Armed Forces ( TAF ) give the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) an unprecedented pounding over the past day .
The false expectation that was propagated around for the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential “ wishful thinkers ” was that Russia would go to war with Turkey for Syria ’ s sake if push came to shove despite it eschewing this dangerous scenario back during the infamous November 2015 Sukhoi incident .
Part of the reason for this collective delusion rests in the caricature that these “ perception managers ” have made of President Putin as supposedly being some diehard anti-Western fanatic who ’ s willing to have countless numbers of his countrymen die just for the sake of “ justice ” , which they regard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ankara ’ s forces from the Arab Republic ( among other objectives ) despite all three of them and Tehran legitimizing their presence there ever since the first Astana Agreement from January 2017 .
For as laughable as the aforementioned description of these folks ’ mentality might be for what the author presumes to be the majority of his sober-minded audience , the uncomfortable fact is that a critical mass of people on social media bought into this dogma and still stubbornly cling to it despite overwhelming evidence debunking it .
The author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s regional strategy in his analysis last month about “ The Mideast ’ s Place In Russia ’ s Great Eurasian Partnership “ , which followed his piece from early January about how “ The Latest Putin-Erdogan Summit Synchronizes Their Regional Strategy “ .
He also observed two weeks ago that “ The Russian-Turkish Partnership Is Strong Despite Aleppo ’ s Full Liberation “ , arguing in all three pieces that Russia ’ s much larger strategic interests with Turkey overshadow the comparatively smaller ones that it has with Syria , thus creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are unlikely to ever clash over that third country despite the presence of their military forces there and their governments ’ support of opposing sides in that conflict .
Nevertheless , the Alt-Media Community by and large “ wishfully ” interpreted the natural disagreements that each party had from time to time as “ proof ” that a “ falling out ” was “ imminent ” .
Although anything can of course happen given the “ fog of war ” and the unexpected impact of non-state actors such as those that were responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sputnik Turkey , it ’ s extremely unlikely that Russia and Turkey will ever go to war with one another over Syria , especially since the Arab Republic already gave Moscow everything that it wanted in the country and therefore doesn ’ t have anything left to offer it in exchange for more support .
Syria granted Russia exclusive rights to produce oil and gas in the country as of February 2018 , and Moscow also controls the strategic port of Tartus .
In addition , the Eurasian Great Power now only has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it needs , and “ Russia ’ s Reshaping Syria ’ s ‘ Deep State ’ In Its Own Image ” as part of its strategy of gradually reducing Iranian influence over that shadowy institution .
That latter objective is being pursued per the Russian leadership ’ s independent assessment of what constitutes their national interests but interestingly overlaps with the goal of its unofficial “ Israeli ” ally , which the author explained in several relevant analyses such as the ones titled “ Russia ’ s Middle East Strategy : ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ It ’ s No Big Deal That There Are Some Limits To Russian- ‘ Israeli ’ Co-op In Syria “ .
It must always be remembered at all times that Russia only chose to militarily intervene in Syria so as to stop Damascus from falling to Daesh and to eliminate latent anti-Russian terrorists from the Caucasus and Central Asia that were training there with that group .
It never had any intention whatsoever of protecting the SAA , let alone the internationally recognized borders of the Syrian Arab Republic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Israel ” and Turkey .
To the contrary , despite its occasional rhetoric whenever either of its two de-facto strategic partners carry out a globally publicized attack , Russia never takes any tangible action to stop them or credibly threatens to impose meaningful costs upon them in order to get them to reconsider their actions .
As a case in point , the SAA still hasn ’ t used the much-hyped S-300s against either of those two aforementioned actors ’ warplanes , leading to convincing speculation that Russia has prohibited them from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his piece about “ It ’ s Time To Talk About The S-300s , ‘ Status Symbols ’ , And The ‘ Savior Complex ’ “ .
Put in simple terms , Russia already got all that it wanted from Syria , and it has much more to retain and gain from “ Israel ” and Turkey by facilitating the attainment of their strategic goals in the Arab Republic .
The conclusion that the reader might be arriving at on their own by this point is that Russia “ sold out ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the author ’ s previously cited piece about “ Russia ’ s Middle East Strategy : ‘ Balance ’ vs. ‘ Betrayal ’ ?
” , that ’ s an inaccurate assertion to make since Moscow never promised to put the lives of its servicemen on the line in order to protect the SAA and Syria ’ s territorial integrity .
All that the Russian Aerospace Forces aimed to do was save Damascus from falling to Daesh and eliminate latent terrorist threats , the first-mentioned of which was such an urgent objective for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it eagerly gave Moscow everything of military and economic significance that it asked for .
Russia never felt like it “ owed ” Syria for any of this since it believed that it already paid its costs in taxpayer-funded military aid and the blood of its servicemen , hence why it didn ’ t even help its partner during its crushing fuel crisis last year , as the author explained in his piece at the time rhetorically asking “ Why Isn ’ t Oil-Rich Russia Helping Its Syrian ‘ Ally ’ Survive The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Syria to lead the peace process towards reaching a political solution to the conflict , though when it unveiled a Russian-written “ draft constitution ” in January 2017 , it was ignored .
That moment was pivotal for the Russian-Syrian relationship .
The first-mentioned was terribly offended that its extensive efforts to broker a “ compromise ” to the crisis weren ’ t appreciated , while the second couldn ’ t believe that its “ ally ” would treat its “ rebel ” enemies as equal to the democratically elected and legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” with both of them at the same time , to say nothing of its more controversial “ suggestions ” that the author analyzed in his piece at the time titled “ Syria : Digging Into The Details Of The Russian-Written ‘ Draft Constitution ’ “ .
The unquestionable trust that had hitherto defined their bilateral ties would never be restored to the same level again , with each side beginning to drastically diverge over their envisioned end game to the war .
Russia , realizing that it could capitalize on its position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ balance ” the Mideast in the wake of America ’ s strategic retreat and thus most confidently build the emerging Multipolar World Order that it envisages , insisted that Syria “ compromise ” whereas Damascus consistently maintained that it will end the war only on its own terms .
The SAA ’ s latest offensive in Idlib , however , might just have been the proverbial straw that broke the Russian camel ’ s back .
President Putin ’ s spokesman Peskov prevaricated when asked to respond to President Erdogan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step aside ” so that the TAF can fight the SAA face-to-face , repeating the refrain that “ Russia is the only country which has troops in Syria on a legal basis and at the request of the legitimate Syrian government ” and reminding everyone of his country ’ s commitment to defeat the terrorists who regularly target its nearby airbase from the Idlib “ de-escalation zone ” under Turkey ’ s control .
He did not , however , deny the credible reports such as the earlier cited one from Syrian journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intents and purposes complied with Turkey ’ s request for its own reasons , making one wonder whether it ’ s doing so in order for its counterpart to “ teach Syria a lesson ” .
The author asked over a week ago , “ Is Assad ‘ Pulling A Saakashvili In Northwestern Syria ?
“ , concluding that he wasn ’ t at the time but warning that anything that his forces do with the intent of drawing Russia into a conventional war with Turkey would probably end very badly for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week after the SAA killed 33 Turkish servicemen in Idlib .
After Turkey promised revenge , Russia evidently decided to “ step aside ” and not get involved in what comes next .
The Turkish war machine is smashing through Northwestern Syria as the SAA seems almost powerless to stop it without Russian support , which thus far hasn ’ t been forthcoming because Moscow sees no reason to risk the lives of its servicemen after President Assad might have tried to “ pull a Saakashvili ” in Idlib late last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conventional war with Turkey .
That said , Russia must also have some unstated “ red lines ” that it probably communicated to Turkey before the commencement of what Ankara is calling “ Operation Spring Shield “ , meaning that Moscow might be compelled to act if its counterpart crosses them throughout the course of its counteroffensive against the SAA .
The “ fog of war ” is such that anything can happen , though the author did his best to explain the latest developments over the past few days which have left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of shock and even cognitive dissonance .
It ’ s therefore extremely difficult to predict how all of this might end , but it could be the case that the SAA is weakened to the point where Damascus finally just does whatever Moscow tells it to do in order to have Turkey ’ s “ punishment ” stop , thus quickly ending the war with a “ compromise ” settlement , albeit not to the liking of Syria ’ s patriots .

By Andrew Korybko, American political analyst
All credible reports indicate that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) are giving the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) an unprecedented pounding after President Putin seemingly listened to President Erodgan’s request yesterday and “stepped aside” in Idlib so that the two neighboring countries can finally fight one another face-to-face.
But nobody should be shocked by any of this since it was obvious this entire time that Moscow wasn’t going to ever go to war with Ankara over Damascus, especially not since the Arab Republic already gave the Eurasian Great Power everything that it wanted in the country in exchange for saving the capital from Daesh.
Alt-Media’s Ridiculous Alt-Reality
The Alt-Media Community is shocked that President Putin seemingly listened to President Erdogan and “stepped aside” in Idlib upon the latter’s request yesterday so that his country can finally fight Syria face-to-face, which credible reports such as those from Syrian journalist Danny Makki indicate has seen the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) give the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) an unprecedented pounding over the past day.
The false expectation that was propagated around for the past couple of years by a network of influential “wishful thinkers” was that Russia would go to war with Turkey for Syria’s sake if push came to shove despite it eschewing this dangerous scenario back during the infamous November 2015 Sukhoi incident.
Part of the reason for this collective delusion rests in the caricature that these “perception managers” have made of President Putin as supposedly being some diehard anti-Western fanatic who’s willing to have countless numbers of his countrymen die just for the sake of “justice”, which they regard as being served by Moscow forcibly removing Ankara’s forces from the Arab Republic (among other objectives) despite all three of them and Tehran legitimizing their presence there ever since the first Astana Agreement from January 2017.
A Timely Reality Check
For as laughable as the aforementioned description of these folks’ mentality might be for what the author presumes to be the majority of his sober-minded audience, the uncomfortable fact is that a critical mass of people on social media bought into this dogma and still stubbornly cling to it despite overwhelming evidence debunking it.
The author much more calmly elaborated on Russia’s regional strategy in his analysis last month about “The Mideast’s Place In Russia’s Great Eurasian Partnership“, which followed his piece from early January about how “The Latest Putin-Erdogan Summit Synchronizes Their Regional Strategy“.
He also observed two weeks ago that “The Russian-Turkish Partnership Is Strong Despite Aleppo’s Full Liberation“, arguing in all three pieces that Russia’s much larger strategic interests with Turkey overshadow the comparatively smaller ones that it has with Syria, thus creating a situation where the two Great Powers are unlikely to ever clash over that third country despite the presence of their military forces there and their governments’ support of opposing sides in that conflict.
Nevertheless, the Alt-Media Community by and large “wishfully” interpreted the natural disagreements that each party had from time to time as “proof” that a “falling out” was “imminent”.
Syria Fulfilled Russia’s Wish List
Although anything can, of course, happen given the “fog of war” and the unexpected impact of non-state actors such as those that were responsible for this weekend’s incident with Sputnik Turkey, it’s extremely unlikely that Russia and Turkey will ever go to war with one another over Syria, especially since the Arab Republic already gave Moscow everything that it wanted in the country and therefore doesn’t have anything left to offer it in exchange for more support.
Syria granted Russia exclusive rights to produce oil and gas in the country as of February 2018, and Moscow also controls the strategic port of Tartus. In addition, the Eurasian Great Power now only has the ideal number of military bases there that it needs, and “Russia’s Reshaping Syria’s ‘Deep State’ In Its Own Image” as part of its strategy of gradually reducing Iranian influence over that shadowy institution.
That latter objective is being pursued per the Russian leadership’s independent assessment of what constitutes their national interests but interestingly overlaps with the goal of its unofficial “Israeli” ally, which the author explained in several relevant analyses such as the ones titled “Russia’s Middle East Strategy: ‘Balance’ vs. ‘Betrayal’?” and “It’s No Big Deal That There Are Some Limits To Russian-‘Israeli’ Co-op In Syria“.
“Israel” + Turkey > Syria (For Russia)
It must always be remembered at all times that Russia only chose to militarily intervene in Syria so as to stop Damascus from falling to Daesh and to eliminate latent anti-Russian terrorists from the Caucasus and Central Asia were training there with that group.
It never had any intention whatsoever of protecting the SAA, let alone the internationally recognized borders of the Syrian Arab Republic, from attack by the conventional forces of “Israel” and Turkey.
On the contrary, despite its occasional rhetoric whenever either of its two de-facto strategic partners carries out a globally publicized attack, Russia never takes any tangible action to stop them or credibly threatens to impose meaningful costs upon them in order to get them to reconsider their actions.
As a case in point, the SAA still hasn’t used the much-hyped S-300s against either of those two aforementioned actors’ warplanes, leading to convincing speculation that Russia has prohibited them from doing so like the author elaborated upon in his piece about “It’s Time To Talk About The S-300s, ‘Status Symbols’, And The ‘Savior Complex’“.
Put in simple terms, Russia already got all that it wanted from Syria, and it has much more to retain and gain from “Israel” and Turkey by facilitating the attainment of their strategic goals in the Arab Republic.
“Balance”, Not “Betrayal”
The conclusion that the reader might be arriving at on their own by this point is that Russia “sold out” Syria, but once again and recalling the author’s previously cited piece about “Russia’s Middle East Strategy: ‘Balance’ vs. ‘Betrayal’?”, that’s an inaccurate assertion to make since Moscow never promised to put the lives of its servicemen on the line in order to protect the SAA and Syria’s territorial integrity.
All that the Russian Aerospace Forces aimed to do was save Damascus from falling to Daesh and eliminate latent terrorist threats, the first-mentioned of which was such an urgent objective for the Arab Republic’s leadership that it eagerly gave Moscow everything of military and economic significance that it asked for.
Russia never felt like it “owed” Syria for any of this since it believed that it already paid its costs in taxpayer-funded military aid and the blood of its servicemen, hence why it didn’t even help its partner during its crushing fuel crisis last year, as the author explained in his piece at the time rhetorically asking “Why Isn’t Oil-Rich Russia Helping Its Syrian ‘Ally’ Survive The Fuel Crisis?”
Russia was invited by Syria to lead the peace process towards reaching a political solution to the conflict, though when it unveiled a Russian-written “draft constitution” in January 2017, it was ignored.
“Constitutional” Chaos
That moment was pivotal for the Russian-Syrian relationship. The first-mentioned was terribly offended that its extensive efforts to broker a “compromise” to the crisis weren’t appreciated, while the second couldn’t believe that its “ally” would treat its “rebel” enemies as equal to the democratically elected and legitimate government by sharing the “draft constitution” with both of them at the same time, to say nothing of its more controversial “suggestions” that the author analyzed in his piece at the time titled “Syria: Digging Into The Details Of The Russian-Written ‘Draft Constitution'”.
The unquestionable trust that had hitherto defined their bilateral ties would never be restored to the same level again, with each side beginning to drastically diverge over their envisioned end game to the war.
Russia, realizing that it could capitalize on its position as the Syrian kingmaker in order to “balance” the Mideast in the wake of America’s strategic retreat and thus most confidently build the emerging Multipolar World Order that it envisages, insisted that Syria “compromise” whereas Damascus consistently maintained that it will end the war only on its own terms. The SAA’s latest offensive in Idlib, however, might just have been the proverbial straw that broke the Russian camel’s back.
“Stepping Aside” To “Teach Syria A Lesson”?
President Putin’s spokesman Peskov prevaricated when asked to respond to President Erdogan’s request for the Russian leader to “step aside” so that the TAF can fight the SAA face-to-face, repeating the refrain that “Russia is the only country which has troops in Syria on a legal basis and at the request of the legitimate Syrian government” and reminding everyone of his country’s commitment to defeating the terrorists who regularly target its nearby airbase from the Idlib “de-escalation zone” under Turkey’s control.
He did not, however, deny the credible reports such as the earlier cited one from Syrian journalist Danny Makki that Russia has for all intents and purposes complied with Turkey’s request for its own reasons, making one wonder whether it’s doing so in order for its counterpart to “teach Syria a lesson”.
The author asked over a week ago, “Is Assad ‘Pulling A Saakashvili In Northwestern Syria?“, concluding that he wasn’t at the time but warning that anything that his forces do with the intent of drawing Russia into a conventional war with Turkey would probably end very badly for him, which might be what happened late last week after the SAA killed 33 Turkish servicemen in Idlib. After Turkey promised revenge, Russia evidently decided to “step aside” and not get involved in what comes next.
Concluding Thoughts
The Turkish war machine is smashing through Northwestern Syria as the SAA seems almost powerless to stop it without Russian support, which thus far hasn’t been forthcoming because Moscow sees no reason to risk the lives of its servicemen after President Assad might have tried to “pull a Saakashvili” in Idlib late last week by attempting to drag Russia into a conventional war with Turkey.
That said, Russia must also have some unstated “red lines” that it probably communicated to Turkey before the commencement of what Ankara is calling “Operation Spring Shield“, meaning that Moscow might be compelled to act if its counterpart crosses them throughout the course of its counteroffensive against the SAA.
The “fog of war” is such that anything can happen, though the author did his best to explain the latest developments over the past few days which have left many in the Alt-Media Community in a state of shock and even cognitive dissonance. I
t’s therefore extremely difficult to predict how all of this might end, but it could be the case that the SAA is weakened to the point where Damascus finally just does whatever Moscow tells it to do in order to have Turkey’s “punishment” stop, thus quickly ending the war with a “compromise” settlement, albeit not to the liking of Syria’s patriots.


veteranstoday--2020-03-03--The Billion-Dollar Disinformation Campaign to Reelect the President

Story by McKay Coppins for the Atlantic Monthly One day last fall , I sat down to create a new Facebook account .
I picked a forgettable name , snapped a profile pic with my face obscured , and clicked “ Like ” on the official pages of Donald Trump and his reelection campaign .
Facebook ’ s algorithm prodded me to follow Ann Coulter , Fox Business , and a variety of fan pages with names like “ In Trump We Trust.
” I complied .
I also gave my cellphone number to the Trump campaign , and joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MAGA diehards , one of which required an application that seemed designed to screen out interlopers .
To hear more feature stories , get the Audm iPhone app .
The president ’ s reelection campaign was then in the midst of a multimillion-dollar ad blitz aimed at shaping Americans ’ understanding of the recently launched impeachment proceedings .
Thousands of micro-targeted ads had flooded the internet , portraying Trump as a heroic reformer cracking down on foreign corruption while Democrats plotted a coup .
That this narrative bore little resemblance to reality seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ websites amplified every claim .
Pro-Trump forums teemed with conspiracy theories .
An alternate information ecosystem was taking shape around the biggest news story in the country , and I wanted to see it from the inside .

Story by McKay Coppins, Atlantic Monthly
One day last fall, I sat down to create a new Facebook account. I picked a forgettable name, snapped a profile pic with my face obscured, and clicked “Like” on the official pages of Donald Trump and his reelection campaign. Facebook’s algorithm prodded me to follow Ann Coulter, Fox Business, and a variety of fan pages with names like “In Trump We Trust.” I complied. I also gave my cellphone number to the Trump campaign and joined a handful of private Facebook groups for MAGA diehards, one of which required an application that seemed designed to screen out interlopers.
To hear more feature stories, get the Audm iPhone app.
The president’s reelection campaign was then in the midst of a multimillion-dollar ad blitz aimed at shaping Americans’ understanding of the recently launched impeachment proceedings.
Thousands of micro-targeted ads had flooded the internet, portraying Trump as a heroic reformer cracking down on foreign corruption while Democrats plotted a coup. That this narrative bore little resemblance to reality seemed only to accelerate its spread. Right-wing websites amplified every claim. Pro-Trump forums teemed with conspiracy theories. An alternate information ecosystem was taking shape around the biggest news story in the country, and I wanted to see it from the inside. Read the Full Article at TheAtlantic.com


veteranstoday--2020-03-03--Lessons on how Turks fight and how Russians fight them until they run away, only to try again

Everything , including artillery fire , infantry movements , launch of drones , rockets and refugees , even losses of territory and men , is planned by three Turks – President Tayyip Recep Erdogan ( lead images ) ; Defence Minister and former head of the Turkish General Staff , Hulusi Akar ; and Hakan Fidan , head of the National Intelligence Organization ( in Turkish , MIT ) .
Call them the Sultan and the Ugly Viziers ( SUV ) .
An SUV is never as serious as it would like to appear .
This Turkish SUV also planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ankara .
Nothing they do , including the sacrifice of large numbers of their own people , will result in a military coup to remove them , no matter how costly their mistakes .
Those Turks who can calculate their mistakes are in jail or dead .
The SUV has decided to fight for Syria outside the lines of the Sochi agreement .
With artillery firing from the Turkish side of the Syrian border , they decided to fight a new battle for Saraqib , east of Idlib , and succeeded .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulars ; the Syrian Army lost more than a thousand .
The Syrians have gained in the south of Idlib ; they have lost Saraqib .
They must retake it and hold it ; they will ; they have done so .
Russian forces have now established a cordon around the city .
They have restored air cover for the Syrian Army , and just as importantly , extended their electronic counter measure ( ECM ) defences to the frontier and further .
The drones on which the SUV depended for targeting their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ units have been neutralized .
The Russian resupplies now arriving by sea and air are more than a match for the small force the SUV has committed so far .
Defeat makes the SUV keener than ever to hide their weakness .
Akar has retreated from his field headquarters in the south to Ankara , as the SUV prepares to meet Putin and the Stavka [ 2 ] on Thursday in Moscow .
A Russian military analyst reports the General Staff assessment awaiting him : “ General Akar should keep himself in check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflate the enemy ’ s losses somewhat and pass off old videos as fresh ones .
It ’ s quite another to write fiction novels in the context of information war.
” The SUV responds to force of arms more than to the force of money .
They calculate President Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin advisors are the opposite .
The SUV will continue to operate NATO AWACS aircraft for attempting the same ambush tactics they used against the Russian Air Force in November 2015 [ 3 ] .
The SUV will try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not hazard in a losing fight .
The Turks will push against the cowardice they have come to expect from the Greek Government in Athens and President Nikos Anastasiades in Nicosia .
This has been a winning strategy for the SUV until they overreached with force instead of bluff .
When the SUV goes through the Spassky Gate on Thursday , for the first time in the four hundred years since the Ottoman siege of Vienna , a single army , Russia ’ s , is defending all of Europe .
Left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erdogan ( 2018 ) ; Minister Akar with Hakan Fidan ( 2019 ) .
On March 1 , Akar announced Operation Spring Shield .
He said this was retaliation for “ the heinous attack [ on Turkish troops ] on February 27.
” He struck at the Syrian lines of least resistance , encouraging the armchair warriors reporting in English to claim [ 4 ] “ the situation there will not likely improve due to the lack of any decisive action by Damascus and its allies.
” In London , a well-known international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ had walked into a trap over a worthless piece of Syrian sand – and just when business with Russia was showing signs of recovery.
” That ’ s money talking the way the SUV thinks it should .
Elements of the Iranian and Lebanese Islamic forces responded also , reporting through Elijah [ 7 ] Magnier .
He claimed “ Russia made a mistake in not preventing the Turkish drones from attacking Syrian-controlled territory in Idlib .
Moreover , Russia made another grave mistake in not warning its [ Syrian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Moscow had declared a one-sided ceasefire , exposing partners in the battlefield and denying them air cover .
This is not the first time Russia has stopped a battle in the middle of its course in Syria.
” Russian sources say these claims are false .
There was no Russian ceasefire , but the Syrians moved beyond air and electronic cover , the sources say , and were unable to return fire against Turkish artillery firing from Turkish territory .
Yevgeny Krutikov reported the General Staff assessment in Moscow : “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primarily due to the fact that the Syrian government army was not ready to withstand the level of fire support provided to the militants by Turkey .
In addition … the most efficient parts of the Syrian army were withdrawn from the first line and they began to be transferred to the al-Gaab valley in the southern part of Idlib , where a successful SAA [ Syrian Arab Army ] operation is developing in parallel .
The reservists who remained at the first line did not even begin to ‘ equip engineering structures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to dig trenches .
The positions were not covered by air defence , as a result of which Turkish drones simply terrorized the Syrians .
At the same time , the Turks themselves actively used electronic warfare , which further complicated the communications of the Syrian army .
The effect of surprise was also effective — no one was expecting something like this from the Turks.
” The Russian count is that Turkish troops in Akar ’ s operation around Idlib amount to four or five battalion groups of no more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Special forces and instructors have been inserted into the local jihadi units to improve their intelligence , coordinate movement and multiply firepower .
Strike , cut and run from the field – this , according to another report from Vzglyad [ 8 ] , is the SUV ’ s tactic .
“ In their ranks there are one or two Turkish Leopard tanks , which , after shooting a little , depart in the direction of the ‘ observation posts ’ of the Turkish army .
Turkish armoured personnel carriers are working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the front line .
Thus , under the cover of Turkish artillery , the militants of Tahrir al-sham ( former alQaeda ) are approaching the Syrian positions as quickly as possible and entering into close combat .
This is visible to the naked eye , but the Turkish side does not transmit the coordinates of the location of its troops to the Russian side .
It is impossible to separate the soldiers of the Turkish army from the Turkish proxies during the battle – the fighters of the NFO ( National Liberation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uniforms — unless they have beards .
So losses among Turkish military personnel are inevitable.
” With and without beards , the combination is too weak to withstand the Russian-Syrian counterattack , however .
Read more of Krutikov ’ s battlefield report [ 9 ] .
The SUV has now reinforced the Russian assessment that , as Krutikov reported on Monday , “ the situation in Idlib has no solution other than military .
You can negotiate with the Turks as much as you like , about anything from joint patrols to ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is only possible to destroy all militant groups that are not ready to integrate into the new Syrian society .
Yes , the brutal battles for Saraqib were provoked precisely by the political and historical ambitions of Turkey , which continues to consider northern Syria its ‘ hereditary ’ territory .
But in general , the problem of Idlib is not so much the Turks – they have their ambitions — but the presence of the jihadi gangs in their nests.
” “ Given the fact that there is very little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designated date for talks in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan – we can expect a new attempt by the militants , supported by Turkish artillery and drones , to recapture Saraqib from government troops for the third time .
Since the tactics of the militants and the Turks have not changed , it will all turn into a meat grinder again.
” Putin has responded , according to the Kremlin communiqués [ 10 ] , by talking by telephone to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ; French President Emmanual Macron ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian paratroops .
What is Putin explaining to the Europeans in NATO ?
The Greeks and Cypriots are now subjugated as they have never been since the civil war of 1946-49 or the junta rule of 1967-74 .
They have no will – and no permission from US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt in Athens — to attack the Turkish drive of refugees towards the mainland border at the Evros River , and in even larger numbers at the Aegean islands from the Turkish coast .
Instead , last week the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its forces to fire on the Greek islanders of Lesbos and Chios who were protesting against plans to expand refugee camp capacities , and against the failure of the Greek military to resist the Turkish weaponizing of the refugees .
So far , there is no sign that the Greek military options against the Turkish refugee operations will be launched .
That there are such options is the best kept military secret in Greece since March 1987 [ 3 ] , when the Greeks used armed force by surprise to defeat the Turks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou ’ s operation , in coordination with President Todor Zhivkov of Bulgaria .
Then Europe meant Greece and Bulgaria .
Now it means France , Germany , and UK in that order of increasing feebleness .
The Greek veto [ 13 ] cast at the NATO Council last week after Turkey had triggered an Article 4 consultation , was something less than brave – it was aimed as much at France , Germany , and the UK as at the Turks .
Even then , the Greeks agreed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ 14 ] : “ Today ’ s meeting is a sign of solidarity with Turkey… [ The NATO ] Allies offer their deepest condolences for the death of Turkish soldiers in last night ’ s bombing near Idlib .
Allies condemn the continued indiscriminate air strikes by the Syrian regime and its backer Russia in Idlib province .
We call on them to stop their offensive .
To respect international law .
And to back UN efforts for a peaceful solution.
” Read this again : Europe , including Greece and Cyprus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the offensive had originated and from whom .
The next day , February 29 [ 15 ] , when Putin spoke to Macron , he was too polite to tell him that if that ’ s what the French really think , they are welcome to defend themselves on the Greek line from Evros to Chios , and further the south with the French aircraft carrier and its squadron steaming between Limassol and the Syrian coast .
That ’ s an operation Macron is calling Foch [ 16 ] , after the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a serious enemy , when he couldn ’ t , and didn ’ t [ 17 ] .
Source : tweeting by the French Embassy in Cyprus [ 18 ] At Putin ’ s last meeting with the Security Council on February 28 , the Stavka assessment prevailed .
The communiqué [ 19 ] was the most explicit to condemn the Turks to which Putin has ever agreed : “ The meeting participants emphasised that Russia did everything in its power during the Syrian offensive against terrorists to ensure the safety of Turkish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No Turkish military personnel stationed there were injured or exposed to danger .
The tragic cases when Turkish soldiers lost their lives occurred during the terrorists ’ offensive operations .
It was pointed out that Turkish military personnel was not supposed to be anywhere outside their observation posts in Idlib.
” Not even on November 25 , 2015 , when the Turks ambushed and shot down a Russian Air Force Su-24 was Putin as explicit in his condemnation .
“ We take a very serious view of what has happened ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Days later , when the Security Council convened and Putin was fully briefed , all he agreed to announce was : “ The discussion focused on the increased tensions around Syria and Turkey ’ s aggressive and unpredictable action.
” Unpredictable ?
That ’ s not the Russian view of Turkish behaviour .
The Security Council in session , November 27 , 2015 ( left to right ) : Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Rashid Nurgaliyev , Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov , Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov , Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev , the President , Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov , and permanent member of the Security Council Boris Gryzlov .
Source : http : //en.kremlin.ru/ [ 21 ] Russian sources expect that at this Thursday ’ s meeting with the SUV , Putin can not offer to negotiate a return to the Sochi agreement lines of disengagement .
This is because even if Erdogan consents , there is no Russian trust in Turkish undertakings of any kind .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threshold of pain is for the SUV now .
Colonel Cassad [ 22 ] ( Boris Rozhin ) comments [ 23 ] : “ Turkey ’ s loss figure will not only grow in Syria .
Interesting to ask – how many coffins from Syria and Turkey will stimulate serious questions to Erdogan from inside Turkey itself .
It seems that Turkish society definitely has a certain pain threshold.
” “ Erdogan has essentially driven himself into an extremely narrow space for solutions , where he must either raise the casualty rates or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of extremely dangerous scenarios.
” • tweeting by the French Embassy in Cyprus : https : //twitter.com/FranceaChypre/status/1231253734488973312 ?
ref_src=twsrc % 5Egoogle % 7Ctwcamp % 5Eserp % 7Ctwgr % 5Etweet

By John Helmer, Moscow, JohnHelmer.com
Everything, including artillery fire, infantry movements, launch of drones, rockets and refugees, even losses of territory and men, is planned by three Turks – President Tayyip Recep Erdogan (lead images); Defence Minister and former head of the Turkish General Staff, Hulusi Akar; and Hakan Fidan, head of the National Intelligence Organization (in Turkish, MIT). Call them the Sultan and the Ugly Viziers (SUV).
An SUV is never as serious as it would like to appear. This Turkish SUV also planned the July 2016 coup in Istanbul and Ankara. Nothing they do, including the sacrifice of large numbers of their own people, will result in a military coup to remove them, no matter how costly their mistakes. Those Turks who can calculate their mistakes are in jail or dead.
The SUV has decided to fight for Syria outside the lines of the Sochi agreement. With artillery firing from the Turkish side of the Syrian border, they decided to fight a new battle for Saraqib, east of Idlib and succeeded. In the battle they lost up to 60 regulars; the Syrian Army lost more than a thousand. The Syrians have gained in the south of Idlib; they have lost Saraqib. They must retake it and hold it; they will; they have done so.
Russian forces have now established a cordon around the city. They have restored air cover for the Syrian Army, and just as importantly, extended their electronic countermeasure (ECM) defences to the frontier and further. The drones on which the SUV depended for targeting their long-range guns and for attacking Syrian Army units have been neutralized. The Russian resupplies now arriving by sea and air are more than a match for the small force the SUV has committed so far.
Defeat makes the SUV keener than ever to hide their weakness. Akar has retreated from his field headquarters in the south to Ankara, as the SUV prepares to meet Putin and the Stavka [2] on Thursday in Moscow. A Russian military analyst reports the General Staff assessment awaiting him: “General Akar should keep himself in check because it is one thing to inflate the enemy’s losses somewhat and pass off old videos as fresh ones. It’s quite another to write fiction novels in the context of information war.”
The SUV responds to force of arms more than to the force of money. They calculate President Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin advisors are the opposite. The SUV will continue to operate NATO AWACS aircraft for attempting the same ambush tactics they used against the Russian Air Force in November 2015 [3].
The SUV will try to threaten with US weapons the Pentagon will not hazard in a losing fight. The Turks will push against the cowardice they have come to expect from the Greek Government in Athens and President Nikos Anastasiades in Nicosia.
This has been a winning strategy for the SUV until they overreached with force instead of the bluff. When the SUV goes through the Spassky Gate on Thursday, for the first time in the four hundred years since the Ottoman siege of Vienna, a single army, Russia’s, is defending all of Europe.
Left to right: General Akar with President Erdogan (2018); Minister Akar with Hakan Fidan (2019).
On March 1, Akar announced Operation Spring Shield. He said this was retaliation for “the heinous attack [on Turkish troops] on February 27.” He struck at the Syrian lines of least resistance, encouraging the armchair warriors reporting in English to claim [4]“the situation there will not likely improve due to the lack of any decisive action by Damascus and its allies.”
In London, a well-known international banker was convinced that Putin, he said, “had walked into a trap over a worthless piece of Syrian sand – and just when business with Russia was showing signs of recovery.” That’s money talking the way the SUV thinks it should.
Elements of the Iranian and Lebanese Islamic forces responded also, reporting through Elijah [7] Magnier. He claimed “Russia made a mistake in not preventing the Turkish drones from attacking Syrian-controlled territory in Idlib. Moreover, Russia made another grave mistake in not warning its [Syrian Army] allies that the political leadership in Moscow had declared a one-sided ceasefire, exposing partners in the battlefield and denying them air cover. This is not the first time Russia has stopped a battle in the middle of its course in Syria.”
Russian sources say these claims are false. There was no Russian ceasefire, but the Syrians moved beyond air and electronic cover, the sources say, and were unable to return fire against Turkish artillery firing from Turkish territory. Yevgeny Krutikov reported the General Staff assessment in Moscow: “The loss of Saraqib on February 28 was primarily due to the fact that the Syrian government army was not ready to withstand the level of fire support provided to the militants by Turkey. In addition … the most efficient parts of the Syrian army were withdrawn from the first line and they began to be transferred to the al-Gaab valley in the southern part of Idlib, where a successful SAA [Syrian Arab Army] operation is developing in parallel.
The reservists who remained at the first line did not even begin to ‘equip engineering structures’; that is, simply speaking, to dig trenches. The positions were not covered by air defence, as a result of which Turkish drones simply terrorized the Syrians. At the same time, the Turks themselves actively used electronic warfare, which further complicated the communications of the Syrian army. The effect of surprise was also effective — no one was expecting something like this from the Turks.”
The Russian count is that Turkish troops in Akar’s operation around Idlib amount to four or five battalion groups of no more than five thousand men, plus 80 tanks. Special forces and instructors have been inserted into the local jihadi units to improve their intelligence, coordinate movement and multiply firepower.
Strike, cut and run from the field – this, according to another report from
Vzglyad [8], is the SUV’s tactic. “In their ranks, there are one or two Turkish Leopard tanks, which, after shooting a little, depart in the direction of the ‘observation posts’ of the Turkish army. Turkish armoured personnel carriers are working as taxi drivers to deliver the militants…closer to the front line.
Thus, under the cover of Turkish artillery, the militants of Tahrir al-sham (former al-Qaeda) are approaching the Syrian positions as quickly as possible and entering into close combat. This is visible to the naked eye, but the Turkish side does not transmit the coordinates of the location of its troops to the Russian side. It is impossible to separate the soldiers of the Turkish army from the Turkish proxies during the battle – the fighters of the NFO (National Liberation Front) are dressed in Turkish military uniforms — unless they have beards. So losses among Turkish military personnel are inevitable.”
With and without beards, the combination is too weak to withstand the Russian-Syrian counterattack, however. Read more of Krutikov’s battlefield report [9].
Source: https://vz.ru/ [9]
The SUV has now reinforced the Russian assessment that, as Krutikov reported on Monday, “the situation in Idlib has no solution other than military. You can negotiate with the Turks as much as you like, about anything from joint patrols to ‘disarmament’. But on the ground, it is only possible to destroy all militant groups that are not ready to integrate into the new Syrian society.
Yes, the brutal battles for Saraqib were provoked precisely by the political and historical ambitions of Turkey, which continues to consider northern Syria its ‘hereditary’ territory. But in general, the problem of Idlib is not so much the Turks – they have their ambitions — but the presence of the jihadi gangs in their nests.”
“Given the fact that there is very little time left until March 5 – the designated date for talks in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan – we can expect a new attempt by the militants, supported by Turkish artillery and drones, to recapture Saraqib from government troops for the third time. Since the tactics of the militants and the Turks have not changed, it will all turn into a meat grinder again.”
Putin has responded, according to the Kremlin communiqués [10], by talking by telephone to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani; French President Emmanual Macron; and presenting himself at ceremonies to honour Russian paratroops.
Source: Kremlin.ru [11]
What is Putin explaining to the Europeans in NATO?
The Greeks and Cypriots are now subjugated as they have never been since the civil war of 1946-49 or the junta rule of 1967-74. They have no will – and no permission from US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt in Athens — to attack the Turkish drive of refugees towards the mainland border at the Evros River, and in even larger numbers at the Aegean islands from the Turkish coast.
Instead, last week the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens was ordering [12]its forces to fire on the Greek islanders of Lesbos and Chios who were protesting against plans to expand refugee camp capacities, and against the failure of the Greek military to resist the Turkish weaponizing of the refugees.
So far, there is no sign that the Greek military options against the Turkish refugee operations will be launched. That there are such options is the best kept military secret in Greece since March 1987 [3], when the Greeks used armed force by surprise to defeat the Turks and US forces simultaneously; that was Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou’s operation, in coordination with President Todor Zhivkov of Bulgaria.
Then Europe meant Greece and Bulgaria. Now it means France, Germany, and UK in that order of increasing feebleness. The Greek veto [13] cast at the NATO Council last week after Turkey had triggered an Article 4 consultation, was something less than brave – it was aimed as much at France, Germany, and the UK as at the Turks. Even then, the Greeks agreed to this language in the final NATO communiqué [14]:
“Today’s meeting is a sign of solidarity with Turkey… [The NATO] Allies offer their deepest condolences for the death of Turkish soldiers in last night’s bombing near Idlib. Allies condemn the continued indiscriminate airstrikes by the Syrian regime and its backer Russia in Idlib province. We call on them to stop their offensive. To respect international law. And to back UN efforts for a peaceful solution.”
Read this again: Europe, including Greece and Cyprus, attacked Russia by deliberately misstating where the offensive had originated and from whom. The next day, February 29 [15], when Putin spoke to Macron, he was too polite to tell him that if that’s what the French really think, they are welcome to defend themselves on the Greek line from Evros to Chios, and further the south with the French aircraft carrier and its squadron steaming between Limassol and the Syrian coast. That’s an operation Macron is calling Foch [16], after the last French general to believe he could defeat a serious enemy, when he couldn’t, and didn’t [17].
Source: tweeting by the French Embassy in Cyprus [18]
At Putin’s last meeting with the Security Council on February 28, the Stavka assessment prevailed. The communiqué [19]was the most explicit to condemn the Turks to which Putin has ever agreed: “The meeting participants emphasised that Russia did everything in its power during the Syrian offensive against terrorists to ensure the safety of Turkish military personnel stationed at the observation posts.
No Turkish military personnel stationed there were injured or exposed to danger. The tragic cases when Turkish soldiers lost their lives occurred during the terrorists’ offensive operations. It was pointed out that Turkish military personnel was not supposed to be anywhere outside their observation posts in Idlib.”
Not even on November 25, 2015, when the Turks ambushed and shot down a Russian Air Force Su-24 was Putin as explicit in his condemnation. “We take a very serious view of what has happened”, Putin said [20]then. Days later, when the Security Council convened and Putin was fully briefed, all he agreed to announce was: “The discussion focused on the increased tensions around Syria and Turkey’s aggressive and unpredictable action.”
Unpredictable? That’s not the Russian view of Turkish behaviour.
The Security Council in session, November 27, 2015 (left to right): Deputy Secretary of the
Security Council Rashid Nurgaliyev, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev,
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the President, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive
Office Sergei Ivanov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu,
Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov, and permanent member of the Security Council Boris Gryzlov. Source: Kremlin.ru [21]
Russian sources expect that at this Thursday’s meeting with the SUV, Putin cannot offer to negotiate a return to the Sochi agreement lines of disengagement. This is because even if Erdogan consents, there is no Russian trust in Turkish undertakings of any kind. Instead, the Russians will probe what the threshold of pain is for the SUV now.
Colonel Cassad [22](Boris Rozhin) comments [23]: “Turkey’s loss figure will not only grow in Syria. Interesting to ask – how many coffins from Syria and Turkey will stimulate serious questions to Erdogan from inside Turkey itself. It seems that Turkish society definitely has a certain pain threshold.” “Erdogan has essentially driven himself into an extremely narrow space for solutions, where he must either raise the casualty rates or look for opportunities to dig himself out of extremely dangerous scenarios.”
Source: JohnHelmer.net


veteranstoday--2020-03-04--Russian Defense Ministry: EAQ (Erdogan Al Qaeda) merged with Turkish ‘Observation Posts’-Now Legitim

Russian Defense Ministry: EAQ (Erdogan Al Qaeda) merged with Turkish ‘Observation Posts’-Now Legitimate Targets for Russian Aerospace Forces

VT Says : Any Turkish formation or observation post within 3000 meters of a terrorist group is a target .
Any Turkish formation that fires on Syria or launches planes that attack Syria or launch missiles into Syria , their bases and supply lines , are legitimate targets under the Astana agreements .
RT/Moscow : Turkey has allowed its observation posts , established under a 2018 deal with Moscow , to virtually merge with terrorist bases in Idlib , Russia ’ s Defense Ministry said , amid a Turkish assault against advancing Syrian forces .
Turkey ’ s observation posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe haven for terrorist attacks on Russian forces inside Syria .
“ The fortified areas of the terrorists have merged with the Turkish observation posts deployed under the 2018 Sochi agreement , ” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said early on Wednesday .
Attacks and mass artillery fire on neighboring civilian settlements and the Russian airbase at Khmeimim turned from sporadic to daily .
ALSO ON RT.COMTurkish soldiers were with ‘ terrorist groups ’ when they were hit by Syrian military – Russian MoD Europe and the United States have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abide by the 2018 deal , the spokesman continued , stating that neither is “ interested in the actual humanitarian situation inside and around Idlib.
” All of Russia ’ s official requests to the UN and Western countries – who delivered humanitarian aid across the Turkish border and all of it went not to refugees , but to terrorists – remained unanswered .
All we heard were the lamentations about the need to ‘ preserve the Sochi agreements at all costs.
’ Despite repeated attacks on civilians and clear links to known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Idlib ’ s armed factions into so-called ‘ moderates , ’ the spokesman said .
“ Where among these supposedly ‘ opposition ’ fighters in the Turkish-controlled zone was [ Abu Mohammad ] al-Julani – the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra , a terrorist group officially recognized by the UN – together with his nearly 20,000 cutthroats ?
” he asked .
At a click of the finger , all of Idlib ’ s terrorists became supposedly the ‘ representatives of the moderate opposition ’ in the Western media .
However , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was recently ‘ pinpointed ’ and killed , according to the US , amid all these ‘ moderates.
’ Ankara ’ s ongoing attacks on the Syrian Army as it advances on the terrorist groups amounts to a “ violation of international law , ” and yet has gone utterly “ unnoticed by anyone in the West , ” Konashenkov said , despite the latter ’ s professed commitment to a ‘ rules-based order .
’

“The fortified areas of the terrorists have merged with the Turkish observation posts deployed under the 2018 Sochi agreement,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said early on Wednesday.
Attacks and mass artillery fire on neighboring civilian settlements and the Russian airbase at Khmeimim turned from sporadic to daily.
ALSO ON RT.COM Turkish soldiers were with ‘terrorist groups’ when they were hit by Syrian military – Russian MoD
Europe and the United States have consistently ignored Turkey’s failure to abide by the 2018 deal, the spokesman continued, stating that neither is “interested in the actual humanitarian situation inside and around Idlib.”
#Syria I think, since Turkey giving its armored equipment to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorists, all Turkish armor should be a legitimate target. Same goes to Turkish observation posts that are fired even a single shot at Syrian government forces pic.twitter.com/1UDw98DW9f — R&U Videos (@r_u_vid) February 26, 2020
All of Russia’s official requests to the UN and Western countries – who delivered humanitarian aid across the Turkish border and all of it went not to refugees, but to terrorists – remained unanswered. All we heard were the lamentations about the need to ‘preserve the Sochi agreements at all costs.’
Despite repeated attacks on civilians and clear links to known terrorist groups, Western media have transformed Idlib’s armed factions into so-called ‘moderates,’ the spokesman said.
“Where among these supposedly ‘opposition’ fighters in the Turkish-controlled zone was [Abu Mohammad] al-Julani – the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, a terrorist group officially recognized by the UN – together with his nearly 20,000 cutthroats?” he asked.
At a click of the finger, all of Idlib’s terrorists became supposedly the ‘representatives of the moderate opposition’ in the Western media. However, it is not clear how the ISIS chief al-Baghdadi was recently ‘pinpointed’ and killed, according to the US, amid all these ‘moderates.’
Dropping the mask. RT: “The fortified areas of the terrorists have merged with the #Turkish observation posts deployed under the 2018 Sochi agreement,” #Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenko, said early on Wednesday. #Syria pic.twitter.com/vP37wmqsmP — abu ali الديراني (@abualihussein19) March 4, 2020
Ankara’s ongoing attacks on the Syrian Army as it advances on the terrorist groups amounts to a “violation of international law,” and yet has gone utterly “unnoticed by anyone in the West,” Konashenkov said, despite the latter’s professed commitment to a ‘rules-based order.’


veteranstoday--2020-03-04--EAQ, ‘Erdogan Al Qaeda’- NATO’s Second Strongest Army learns painful lessons in Idlib

Units of the Russian Military Police entered the town of Saraqib in eastern Idlib following the second liberation of the town from al-Qaeda terrorists and Turkish forces .
According to the Russian military , the deployment took place at 5:00pm local time on March 2 and was intended to provide security and allow traffic through the M4 and M5 highways .
In fact , the Russians came to put an end to Turkish attempts to capture the town and cut off the M5 highway in this area .
At the same time , the Syrian Army repelled attempts of al-Qaeda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kafr Nubl in southern Idlib and recaptured several nearby villages , including Hazarin and Dar al-Kabirah .
According to pro-government sources , at least 15 units of military equipment belonging to Turkish proxies were destroyed in the recent operations .
The Turkish side responded to the developments on the ground with a new batch of victorious statements .
In reality , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is going to Moscow on March 5 in order to negotiate a ceasefire .
“ My only wish is to end this struggle with victory and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cease-fire .
For this , we are using all our diplomatic channels , along with our struggle in the field , ” Erdogan told a gathering of ruling Justice and Development Party officials .
So , just a few days ago supporters of the Turkish operation were claiming that the mighty Turkish forces had already defeated the Assad regime and would soon enter the cities of Damascus and Aleppo .
Now , the same sources are admiring the clever and forward-looking policy of the Turkish leader not to escalate the situation any further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going the Turkish way in Idlib .
When Erdogan and Putin reach another ceasefire , which will formally put an end to Ankara ’ s goal to push the Syrian Army out of the recently cleared areas , the same sources will likely declare this a Turkish victory .
The 2nd strongest army in NATO appeared to be not capable of defeating Syrian forces , which are exhausted by a nearly 10-year long conflict , without suffering unacceptable losses .
The balance of power in Greater Idlib has once again changed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some unexpected breakthrough , for example the capture of Maarat al-Numan , immediately , the main efforts of Turkish diplomacy will likely be focused on reaching an agreement that would prevent a Syrian advance on Idlib .
This city is the main stronghold of al-Qaeda and the last really large urban center in the hands of militant groups in the region .
The fall of Idlib into the hands of the Syrian Army would destroy all Turkish hopes to solidify its own influence in this part of Syria .
However , even a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not put an end to the anti-terrorism efforts of the Syrian Army and its allies .
The town of Jisr al-Shughur , located near the M4 highway , is among possible targets of the upcoming operations .
The town is currently controlled by the Turkistan Islamic Party , an al-Qaeda-linked group consisting of foreigners .
So , mainstream media outlets can start preparing to defend another group of ‘ moderate rebels ’ that would be oppressed by the brutal Assad regime .

Units of the Russian Military Police entered the town of Saraqib in Eastern Idlib following the second liberation of the town from al-Qaeda terrorists and Turkish forces.
According to the Russian military, the deployment took place at 5:00pm local time on March 2 and was intended to provide security and allow traffic through the M4 and M5 highways. In fact, the Russians came to put an end to Turkish attempts to capture the town and cut off the M5 highway in this area.
At the same time, the Syrian Army repelled attempts of al-Qaeda and Turkish forces to capture the town of Kafr Nubl in southern Idlib and recaptured several nearby villages, including Hazarin and Dar al-Kabirah. According to pro-government sources, at least 15 units of military equipment belonging to Turkish proxies were destroyed in the recent operations. The Turkish side responded to the developments on the ground with a new batch of victorious statements.
According to the March 2 remarks by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the number of ‘neutralized’ Syrian troops since the start of Operation Spring Shield reached 2,557. This is approximately 350 Syrian soldiers higher than was claimed on March 1. The main question is: “Does the Turkish defense minister really believe in the numbers that he provides?” It probably would be useful to not make such claims personally. Thus, he would be able to avoid blushing with shame. If the Syrian Army really suffers such casualties in only a few days, Turkish-led forces would easily achieve their declared goal of expelling Syrian troops of southern and eastern Idlib.
In reality, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is going to Moscow on March 5 in order to negotiate a ceasefire. “My only wish is to end this struggle with victory and prevent further bloodshed, with a permanent cease-fire. For this, we are using all our diplomatic channels, along with our struggle in the field,” Erdogan told a gathering of ruling Justice and Development Party officials. So, just a few days ago supporters of the Turkish operation were claiming that the mighty Turkish forces had already defeated the Assad regime and would soon enter the cities of Damascus and Aleppo. Now, the same sources are admiring the clever and forward-looking
policy of the Turkish leader not to escalate the situation any further. It would appear that things are not going the Turkish way in Idlib. When Erdogan and Putin reach another ceasefire, which will formally put an end to Ankara’s goal to push the Syrian Army out of the recently cleared areas, the same sources will likely declare this a Turkish victory. The 2nd strongest army in NATO appeared to be not capable of defeating Syrian forces, which are exhausted by a nearly 10-year long conflict, without suffering unacceptable losses. The balance of power in Greater Idlib has once again changed. If the Turkish Army does not achieve some unexpected breakthrough, for example, the capture of Maarat al-Numan, immediately, the main efforts of Turkish diplomacy will likely be focused on reaching an agreement that would prevent a Syrian advance on Idlib. This city is the main stronghold of al-Qaeda and the last really large urban center in the hands of militant groups in the region. The fall of Idlib into the hands of the Syrian Army would destroy all Turkish hopes to solidify its own influence in this part of Syria. However, even a Russian-Turkish deal on Idlib city will likely not put an end to the anti-terrorism efforts of the Syrian Army and its allies. The town of Jisr al-Shughur, located near the M4 highway, is among the possible targets of the upcoming operations. The town is currently controlled by the Turkistan Islamic Party, an al-Qaeda-linked group consisting of foreigners. So, mainstream media outlets can start preparing to defend another group of ‘moderate rebels’ that would be oppressed by the brutal Assad regime.


veteranstoday--2020-03-04--Male Northern White Rhino is Extinct: Now Only to Be Seen in Voxels

The Northern White Rhino Went Extinct , but for Two Minutes at a Time , the Animal Makes a Digital Comeback He first appears as a crude collection of 3-D pixels—or voxels .
Soon , he looks like a conglomeration of blocks morphing into the shape of an animal .
Gradually , his image evolves until he becomes a sharp representation of a northern white rhino , grunting and squealing as he might in a grassy African or Asian field .
There comes a moment—just a moment—when the viewer ’ s eyes meet his .
Then , the 3-D creature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which due to human poaching is disappearing into extinction .
The Substitute , a digitally projected artwork , was produced by British artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg .
Cooper Hewitt , Smithsonian Design Museum and a Dutch museum , the Cube Design Museum , commissioned the work , and Cooper Hewitt recently displayed it as part of the exhibition “ Nature—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial.
” The work is now newly acquired into the Cooper Hewitt collections .
The last male northern white rhino , Sudan , died in 2018 , and the two surviving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scientists have used sperm from Sudan and another male that died earlier to fertilize two eggs from the females , Fatu and Najin , who now reside at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya .
The hope is ….read more :

The Northern White Rhino Went Extinct, but for Two Minutes at a Time, the Animal Makes a Digital Comeback
by Alice George/Smithsonianmag.com
He first appears as a crude collection of 3-D pixels—or voxels. Soon, he looks like a conglomeration of blocks morphing into the shape of an animal. Gradually, his image evolves until he becomes a sharp representation of a northern white rhino, grunting and squealing as he might in a grassy African or Asian field. There comes a moment—just a moment—when the viewer’s eyes meet his. Then, the 3-D creature vanishes, just like his sub-species, which due to human poaching is disappearing into extinction.
The Substitute, a digitally projected artwork, was produced by British artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and a Dutch museum, the Cube Design Museum, commissioned the work, and Cooper Hewitt recently displayed it as part of the exhibition “Nature—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial.” The work is now newly acquired into the Cooper Hewitt collections. The last male northern white rhino, Sudan, died in 2018, and the two surviving females are too old to reproduce. Scientists have used sperm from Sudan and another male that died earlier to fertilize two eggs from the females, Fatu and Najin, who now reside at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The hope is…
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator. She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues. Carol’s Archives 2009-2013


veteranstoday--2020-03-04--Are You My Mother?

Are You My Mother?

In December 2018 , researchers at the Gir National Park in India stumbled upon a lioness who appeared to have adopted a baby leopard as one of her own .
The little male cub , who was around two months old , was seen nursing from the lioness , feeding from her kills and playing with her two biological cubs , who were around the same age as the leopard .
This rare case of interspecies foster care left the researchers entirely befuddled ; pulished in the journal Ecosphere , they describe the lioness ’ behavior as plainly “ bizarre.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the offspring of another animal doesn ’ t make much sense .
Raising young—nursing them , gathering food for them , making sure they stay safe—requires a lot of time and energy , and is typically done in the interest of propagating one ’ s own genes .
It ’ s not unheard of for animals to look after non-biological offspring of the same species , but “ such acts directly help in boosting the [ caregiver ’ s ] lifetime reproductive success , ” the study authors write .
Female cheetahs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adopt orphaned male cubs that , once they reach adulthood , form large coalitions with the mother ’ s own offspring .

Brigit Katz/Smithsonianmag.com
In December 2018, researchers at the Gir National Park in India stumbled upon a lioness who appeared to have adopted a baby leopard as one of her own. The little male cub, who was around two months old, was seen nursing from the lioness, feeding on her kills and playing with her two biological cubs, who were around the same age as the leopard.
This rare case of interspecies foster care left the researchers entirely befuddled; published in the journal Ecosphere, they describe the lioness’ behavior as plainly “bizarre.”
From an evolutionary perspective, caring for the offspring of another animal doesn’t make much sense. Raising young—nursing them, gathering food for them, making sure they stay safe—requires a lot of time and energy, and is typically done in the interest of propagating one’s own genes.
It’s not unheard of for animals to look after non-biological offspring of the same species, but “such acts directly help in boosting the [caregiver’s] lifetime reproductive success,” the study authors write. Female cheetahs, for instance, are known to adopt orphaned male cubs that, once they reach adulthood, form large coalitions with the mother’s own offspring.


veteranstoday--2020-03-04--Florida’s ‘Treasure Coast’ Gives Up 18th Century Spanish Shipwreck Loot

Treasure hunters on Florida ’ s southeastern coast have discovered 22 silver coins dating to a 1715 Spanish shipwreck , reports Denise Sawyer for CBS12 News .
The coins , valued at an estimated $ 5,000 to $ 6,000 , washed up on Florida ’ s “ Treasure Coast ” when a storm system moved across the Gulf of Mexico and over the state on February 22 , per Jan Wesner Childs of the Weather Channel .
As winds of up to 40 miles per hour swept through the area and 13-foot-tall waves crashed offshore , friends Jonah Martinez , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to search the beach for newly unearthed artifacts .
“ It takes an element like that from mother nature to move the sand away in such a way that we can get down to the stuff from the 1700s and 1600s , ” Martinez tells the Weather Channel .
“ … Maybe [ just ] four times [ per ] year I can go out and pick up items from that era.
” As Martinez explains to WPTV , major storms carry away much lighter sand and leave heavier metal artifacts in shallow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be recovered with the help of a metal detector .
Previously , the trio of treasure hunters has discovered belt buckles , pieces of porcelain , cufflinks and cutlery…..read more :

by Theresa Machemer/Smithsonianmag.com
Treasure hunters on Florida’s southeastern coast have discovered 22 silver coins dating to a 1715 Spanish shipwreck, reports Denise Sawyer for CBS12 News.
The coins, valued at an estimated $5,000 to $6,000, washed up on Florida’s “Treasure Coast” when a storm system moved across the Gulf of Mexico and over the state on February 22, per Jan Wesner Childs of the Weather Channel. As winds of up to 40 miles per hour swept through the area and 13-foot-tall waves crashed offshore, friends Jonah Martinez, Cole Smith and Jeremy Prouty set out to search the beach for newly unearthed artifacts.
“It takes an element like that from mother nature to move the sand away in such a way that we can get down to the stuff from the 1700s and 1600s,” Martinez tells the Weather Channel. “ … Maybe [just] four times [per] year I can go out and pick up items from that era.”
As Martinez explains to WPTV, major storms carry away much lighter sand and leave heavier metal artifacts in shallow water by the beach, where they can be recovered with the help of a metal detector. Previously, the trio of treasure hunters has discovered belt buckles, pieces of porcelain, cufflinks and cutlery…


veteranstoday--2020-03-04--Why is Anyone Shocked that Putin Listened to Erdogan and ‘Stepped Aside’ in Idlib?

All credible reports indicate that the Turkish Armed Forces ( TAF ) are giving the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) an unprecedented pounding after President Putin seemingly listened to President Erodgan ’ s request yesterday and “ stepped aside ” in Idlib so that the two neighboring countries can finally fight one another face-to-face .
But nobody should be shocked by any of this since it was obvious this entire time that Moscow wasn ’ t going to ever go to war with Ankara over Damascus , especially not since the Arab Republic already gave the Eurasian Great Power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in exchange for saving the capital from Daesh .
The Alt-Media Community is shocked that President Putin seemingly listened to President Erdogan and “ stepped aside ” in Idlib upon the latter ’ s request yesterday so that his country can finally fight Syria face-to-face , which credible reports such as those from Syrian journalist Danny Makki indicate has seen the Turkish Armed Forces ( TAF ) give the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) an unprecedented pounding over the past day .
The false expectation that was propagated around for the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential “ wishful thinkers ” was that Russia would go to war with Turkey for Syria ’ s sake if push came to shove despite it eschewing this dangerous scenario back during the infamous November 2015 Sukhoi incident .
Part of the reason for this collective delusion rests in the caricature that these “ perception managers ” have made of President Putin as supposedly being some diehard anti-Western fanatic who ’ s willing to have countless numbers of his countrymen die just for the sake of “ justice ” , which they regard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ankara ’ s forces from the Arab Republic ( among other objectives ) despite all three of them and Tehran legitimizing their presence there ever since the first Astana Agreement from January 2017 .
For as laughable as the aforementioned description of these folks ’ mentality might be for what the author presumes to be the majority of his sober-minded audience , the uncomfortable fact is that a critical mass of people on social media bought into this dogma and still stubbornly cling to it despite overwhelming evidence debunking it .
The author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s regional strategy in his analysis last month about “ The Mideast ’ s Place In Russia ’ s Great Eurasian Partnership “ , which followed his piece from early January about how “ The Latest Putin-Erdogan Summit Synchronizes Their Regional Strategy “ .
He also observed two weeks ago that “ The Russian-Turkish Partnership Is Strong Despite Aleppo ’ s Full Liberation “ , arguing in all three pieces that Russia ’ s much larger strategic interests with Turkey overshadow the comparatively smaller ones that it has with Syria , thus creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are unlikely to ever clash over that third country despite the presence of their military forces there and their governments ’ support of opposing sides in that conflict .
Nevertheless , the Alt-Media Community by and large “ wishfully ” interpreted the natural disagreements that each party had from time to time as “ proof ” that a “ falling out ” was “ imminent ” .
Although anything can of course happen given the “ fog of war ” and the unexpected impact of non-state actors such as those that were responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sputnik Turkey , it ’ s extremely unlikely that Russia and Turkey will ever go to war with one another over Syria , especially since the Arab Republic already gave Moscow everything that it wanted in the country and therefore doesn ’ t have anything left to offer it in exchange for more support .
Syria granted Russia exclusive rights to produce oil and gas in the country as of February 2018 , and Moscow also controls the strategic port of Tartus .
In addition , the Eurasian Great Power now only has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it needs , and “ Russia ’ s Reshaping Syria ’ s ‘ Deep State ’ In Its Own Image ” as part of its strategy of gradually reducing Iranian influence over that shadowy institution .
That latter objective is being pursued per the Russian leadership ’ s independent assessment of what constitutes their national interests but interestingly overlaps with the goal of its unofficial “ Israeli ” ally , which the author explained in several relevant analyses such as the ones titled “ Russia ’ s Middle East Strategy : ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ It ’ s No Big Deal That There Are Some Limits To Russian- ‘ Israeli ’ Co-op In Syria “ .
It must always be remembered at all times that Russia only chose to militarily intervene in Syria so as to stop Damascus from falling to Daesh and to eliminate latent anti-Russian terrorists from the Caucasus and Central Asia that were training there with that group .
It never had any intention whatsoever of protecting the SAA , let alone the internationally recognized borders of the Syrian Arab Republic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Israel ” and Turkey .
To the contrary , despite its occasional rhetoric whenever either of its two de-facto strategic partners carry out a globally publicized attack , Russia never takes any tangible action to stop them or credibly threatens to impose meaningful costs upon them in order to get them to reconsider their actions .
As a case in point , the SAA still hasn ’ t used the much-hyped S-300s against either of those two aforementioned actors ’ warplanes , leading to convincing speculation that Russia has prohibited them from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his piece about “ It ’ s Time To Talk About The S-300s , ‘ Status Symbols ’ , And The ‘ Savior Complex ’ “ .
Put in simple terms , Russia already got all that it wanted from Syria , and it has much more to retain and gain from “ Israel ” and Turkey by facilitating the attainment of their strategic goals in the Arab Republic .
The conclusion that the reader might be arriving at on their own by this point is that Russia “ sold out ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the author ’ s previously cited piece about “ Russia ’ s Middle East Strategy : ‘ Balance ’ vs. ‘ Betrayal ’ ?
” , that ’ s an inaccurate assertion to make since Moscow never promised to put the lives of its servicemen on the line in order to protect the SAA and Syria ’ s territorial integrity .
All that the Russian Aerospace Forces aimed to do was save Damascus from falling to Daesh and eliminate latent terrorist threats , the first-mentioned of which was such an urgent objective for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it eagerly gave Moscow everything of military and economic significance that it asked for .
Russia never felt like it “ owed ” Syria for any of this since it believed that it already paid its costs in taxpayer-funded military aid and the blood of its servicemen , hence why it didn ’ t even help its partner during its crushing fuel crisis last year , as the author explained in his piece at the time rhetorically asking “ Why Isn ’ t Oil-Rich Russia Helping Its Syrian ‘ Ally ’ Survive The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Syria to lead the peace process towards reaching a political solution to the conflict , though when it unveiled a Russian-written “ draft constitution ” in January 2017 , it was ignored .
That moment was pivotal for the Russian-Syrian relationship .
The first-mentioned was terribly offended that its extensive efforts to broker a “ compromise ” to the crisis weren ’ t appreciated , while the second couldn ’ t believe that its “ ally ” would treat its “ rebel ” enemies as equal to the democratically elected and legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” with both of them at the same time , to say nothing of its more controversial “ suggestions ” that the author analyzed in his piece at the time titled “ Syria : Digging Into The Details Of The Russian-Written ‘ Draft Constitution ’ “ .
The unquestionable trust that had hitherto defined their bilateral ties would never be restored to the same level again , with each side beginning to drastically diverge over their envisioned end game to the war .
Russia , realizing that it could capitalize on its position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ balance ” the Mideast in the wake of America ’ s strategic retreat and thus most confidently build the emerging Multipolar World Order that it envisages , insisted that Syria “ compromise ” whereas Damascus consistently maintained that it will end the war only on its own terms .
The SAA ’ s latest offensive in Idlib , however , might just have been the proverbial straw that broke the Russian camel ’ s back .
President Putin ’ s spokesman Peskov prevaricated when asked to respond to President Erdogan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step aside ” so that the TAF can fight the SAA face-to-face , repeating the refrain that “ Russia is the only country which has troops in Syria on a legal basis and at the request of the legitimate Syrian government ” and reminding everyone of his country ’ s commitment to defeat the terrorists who regularly target its nearby airbase from the Idlib “ de-escalation zone ” under Turkey ’ s control .
He did not , however , deny the credible reports such as the earlier cited one from Syrian journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intents and purposes complied with Turkey ’ s request for its own reasons , making one wonder whether it ’ s doing so in order for its counterpart to “ teach Syria a lesson ” .
The author asked over a week ago , “ Is Assad ‘ Pulling A Saakashvili In Northwestern Syria ?
“ , concluding that he wasn ’ t at the time but warning that anything that his forces do with the intent of drawing Russia into a conventional war with Turkey would probably end very badly for him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week after the SAA killed 33 Turkish servicemen in Idlib .
After Turkey promised revenge , Russia evidently decided to “ step aside ” and not get involved in what comes next .
The Turkish war machine is smashing through Northwestern Syria as the SAA seems almost powerless to stop it without Russian support , which thus far hasn ’ t been forthcoming because Moscow sees no reason to risk the lives of its servicemen after President Assad might have tried to “ pull a Saakashvili ” in Idlib late last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conventional war with Turkey .
That said , Russia must also have some unstated “ red lines ” that it probably communicated to Turkey before the commencement of what Ankara is calling “ Operation Spring Shield “ , meaning that Moscow might be compelled to act if its counterpart crosses them throughout the course of its counteroffensive against the SAA .
The “ fog of war ” is such that anything can happen , though the author did his best to explain the latest developments over the past few days which have left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of shock and even cognitive dissonance .
I t ’ s therefore extremely difficult to predict how all of this might end , but it could be the case that the SAA is weakened to the point where Damascus finally just does whatever Moscow tells it to do in order to have Turkey ’ s “ punishment ” stop , thus quickly ending the war with a “ compromise ” settlement , albeit not to the liking of Syria ’ s patriots .