southfront--2020-09-29--Leaked Documents Detail UK Government Contractors’ Key Role In Media War Against Syria

A bundle of leaked documents reveals how a plethora of Western government-funded intelligence cut-outs in the private sector trained Syrian opposition leaders in propaganda and psychological-media warfare operations , planted stories in media outlets from BBC to Al Jazeera , and ran extensive networks of journalists and media outlets to implement the propaganda operation .
A report by Ben Norton at The Gray Zone examines a stack of leaked documents that reveal how UK government contractors developed an elaborate infrastructure of media operatives , outlets and propaganda to generate expressions of support in Western and Middle Eastern media for Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Virtually every aspect of the media campaign and statements of the Western-backed Syrian opposition groups was directed and marketed by public relations firms , from the scripting of their political narratives and demands to the timing and location of their presentation to the media .
The leaked files provide detailed information on how Western intelligence cut-outs orchestrated both English- and Arabic-language media coverage of the war on Syria to generate a constant stream of pro-opposition media stories and coverage .
At one point , more than half of the stringers used by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a joint US-UK government program called Basma , which trained and advised hundreds of Syrian opposition media activists .
The Western government-funded PR firms manipulated the way the media covered Syria , and also produced their own events and pseudo-news stories which were distributed to and broadcast on major TV networks in the Middle East , including BBC Arabic , Al Jazeera , Al Arabiya , and Orient TV .
These UK-funded firms functioned as full-time PR flacks for the extremist-dominated Syrian armed opposition .
One contractor , called InCoStrat , said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more than 1,600 international journalists and “ influencers , ” and used them to push pro-opposition talking points .
Another Western government contractor , ARK , crafted a strategy to “ re-brand ” Syria ’ s Salafi-jihadist armed opposition by “ softening its image.
” ARK boasted that it provided opposition propaganda that “ aired almost every day on ” major Arabic-language TV networks .
Virtually every major Western corporate media outlet was influenced by the UK government-funded disinformation campaign exposed in the trove of leaked documents , from the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to The Guardian , the BBC to Buzzfeed .
The documents confirm previous reports by journalists including The Grayzone ’ s Max Blumenthal on the role of the public relations firm ARK , a frequent contractor for the US and UK governments , in the fabrication of stories promoting the ‘ White Helmets ’ in Western media .
ARK managed the social media accounts of the White Helmets , and helped turn the Western-funded group into a key propaganda weapon of the Syrian opposition .
Most of the leaked documents consist were produced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Commonwealth Office .
All of the firms named in the files were contracted by the British government , but many also were running ‘ multi-donor projects ’ that received funding from the governments of the United States and other Western European countries .
The documents also expose aspects of the UK government program to train and arm rebel groups in Syria , and how several Western governments worked together to build a new police force in opposition-controlled areas .
Some of the UK government contractors whose activities are exposed in these leaked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and its fanatical offshoots .
The documents were obtained by a group calling itself Anonymous , and were published under a series of files entitled , “ Op .
HMG [ Her Majesty ’ s Government ] Trojan Horse : From Integrity Initiative To Covert Ops Around The Globe .
Part 1 : Taming Syria.
” The unidentified publishers of the documents said they aim to “ expose criminal activity of the UK ’ s FCO and secret services , ” stating , “ We declare war on the British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not able to independently verify the authenticity of the documents .
However , the contents and stated aims , objectives and methodologies advocated in the documents closely correspond with earlier reports covering Western destabilization and propaganda operations being run by Western intelligence operatives and contractors in Syria .
These include a leaked UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office report from 2014 which describes a joint operation with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development to support “ strategic communications , research , monitoring and evaluation and operational support to Syrian opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrated the continuity of the program and provided additional details on the campaign to produce media narratives in accordance with the UK governments ’ stated objectives .
The UK government paid numerous PR firms to coordinate and manage the propaganda blitz , including ARK ( Analysis Research Knowledge ) , The Global Strategy Network ( TGSN ) , Innovative Communication & Strategies ( InCoStrat ) , and Albany .
In reality ARK operated in large part as an intelligence cut-out that functions as an arm of Western interventionism .
In a leaked document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , ARK said it has produced materials on the war in Syria for the governments of the United Kingdom , United States , Denmark , Canada , Japan and the European Union .
ARK also claimed to have managed $ 66 million worth of contracts to support pro-opposition efforts in Syria .
In its Syria operations , ARK worked together with another UK contractor called The Global Strategy Network ( TGSN ) , which is directed by Richard Barrett , a former director of global counter-terrorism at MI6 .
ARK apparently had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of the regime-change attempt in 2011 , reporting to the UK FCO that “ ARK staff are in regular contact with activists and civil society actors whom they initially met during the outbreak of protests in spring 2011.
” The UK contractor boasted an “ extensive network of civil society and community actors that ARK has helped through a dedicated capacity building centre ARK established in Gaziantep , ” a city in southern Turkey that has been a base of intelligence operations against the Syrian government .
ARK trained all levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from “ citizen journalism workshops with Syrian media activists , to working with senior members of the National Coalition to develop a core communications narrative.
” The firm even oversaw the PR strategy for the Supreme Military Council ( SMC ) , the leadership of the official armed wing of Syria ’ s opposition , the Free Syrian Army ( FSA ) .
ARK created a complex PR campaign to “ provide a ‘ re-branding ’ of the SMC in order to distinguish itself from extremist armed opposition groups and to establish the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disciplined and professional military body.
” In the course of one six month period , ARK reported that 668,600 of its print products were distributed inside Syria , including “ posters , flyers , informative booklets , activity books and other campaign-related materials.
” ARK emphasized that it had “ well-established contacts ” with some of the top media outlets in the world , identifying among these Reuters , the New York Times , CNN , the BBC , The Guardian , the Financial Times , The Times , Al Jazeera , Sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al Arabiya .
The Syrian opposition media war was organized within the framework of a project called Basma .
ARK worked with other Western government contractors through Basma in order to train Syrian opposition activists .
The Western contractor published a map showing the principal locations of its network of stringers and media activists and their relationships with the White Helmets , as well as the locations of the newly created police forces across opposition-controlled Syria .
In its training programs , ARK instructed opposition spokespeople , taught them how to speak with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviews with mainstream Arabic- and English-language media outlets .
The contractor ARK was also a central force in launching the White Helmets propaganda operation .
In one document ARK reveals that , back in 2011 , it worked with another government contractor called Tsamota to help develop the Syrian Commission for Justice and Accountability ( SCJA ) .
In 2014 , SCJA changed its name to the Commission for International Justice and Accountability ( CIJA ) .. Another leaked document shows that in 2018 – which was apparently the final year of ARK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billed the UK government 2.3 million British pounds for its activities .
The extensive ARK propaganda operation was directed by Firas Budeiri , who had previously served as the Syria director for the UK-based international NGO Save the Children .
Approximately 40 % of ARK ’ s Syria project team were Syrian citizens , and another 25 % were Turkish .
In the leaked documents , another UK government contractor called Innovative Communications Strategies ( InCoStrat ) boasted of building a massive “ network of over 1600 journalists and key influencers with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the firm said it been involved in other Western-backed regime change operations , including running training programs for civil society organizations in marketing , media , and communications in Afghanistan , Honduras , Iraq , Syria , and Libya .
In addition to securing contracts with the United Kingdom , InCoStrat claimed that it has worked for the governments of the United States , Singapore , Latvia , Sweden , Denmark , and Libya .
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A bundle of leaked documents reveals how a plethora of Western government-funded intelligence cut-outs in the private sector trained Syrian opposition leaders in propaganda and psychological-media warfare operations, planted stories in media outlets from BBC to Al Jazeera, and ran extensive networks of journalists and media outlets to implement the propaganda operation.
A report by Ben Norton at The Gray Zone examines a stack of leaked documents that reveal how UK government contractors developed an elaborate infrastructure of media operatives, outlets and propaganda to generate expressions of support in Western and Middle Eastern media for Syria’s political and armed opposition groups.
Virtually every aspect of the media campaign and statements of the Western-backed Syrian opposition groups was directed and marketed by public relations firms, from the scripting of their political narratives and demands to the timing and location of their presentation to the media.
The leaked files provide detailed information on how Western intelligence cut-outs orchestrated both English- and Arabic-language media coverage of the war on Syria to generate a constant stream of pro-opposition media stories and coverage.
At one point, more than half of the stringers used by Al Jazeera in Syria were trained in a joint US-UK government program called Basma, which trained and advised hundreds of Syrian opposition media activists.
The Western government-funded PR firms manipulated the way the media covered Syria, and also produced their own events and pseudo-news stories which were distributed to and broadcast on major TV networks in the Middle East, including BBC Arabic, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and Orient TV.
These UK-funded firms functioned as full-time PR flacks for the extremist-dominated Syrian armed opposition. One contractor, called InCoStrat, said it was in constant contact with a network of more than 1,600 international journalists and “influencers,” and used them to push pro-opposition talking points. Another Western government contractor, ARK, crafted a strategy to “re-brand” Syria’s Salafi-jihadist armed opposition by “softening its image.” ARK boasted that it provided opposition propaganda that “aired almost every day on” major Arabic-language TV networks. Virtually every major Western corporate media outlet was influenced by the UK government-funded disinformation campaign exposed in the trove of leaked documents, from the New York Times to the Washington Post, CNN to The Guardian, the BBC to Buzzfeed.
The documents confirm previous reports by journalists including The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal on the role of the public relations firm ARK, a frequent contractor for the US and UK governments, in the fabrication of stories promoting the ‘White Helmets’ in Western media. ARK managed the social media accounts of the White Helmets, and helped turn the Western-funded group into a key propaganda weapon of the Syrian opposition.
Most of the leaked documents consist were produced under the auspices of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. All of the firms named in the files were contracted by the British government, but many also were running ‘multi-donor projects’ that received funding from the governments of the United States and other Western European countries.
The documents also expose aspects of the UK government program to train and arm rebel groups in Syria, and how several Western governments worked together to build a new police force in opposition-controlled areas.
Some of the UK government contractors whose activities are exposed in these leaked documents were in effect supporting Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and its fanatical offshoots.
The documents were obtained by a group calling itself Anonymous, and were published under a series of files entitled, “Op. HMG [Her Majesty’s Government] Trojan Horse: From Integrity Initiative To Covert Ops Around The Globe. Part 1: Taming Syria.” The unidentified publishers of the documents said they aim to “expose criminal activity of the UK’s FCO and secret services,” stating, “We declare war on the British neocolonialism!”
The Gray Zone was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the documents. However, the contents and stated aims, objectives and methodologies advocated in the documents closely correspond with earlier reports covering Western destabilization and propaganda operations being run by Western intelligence operatives and contractors in Syria.
These include a leaked UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office report from 2014 which describes a joint operation with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development to support “strategic communications, research, monitoring and evaluation and operational support to Syrian opposition entities.”
The UK FOC stated clearly that this campaign consisted of “creating network linkages between political movements and media outlets,” by the “building of local independent media platforms.” The British government planned “Mentoring, training and coaching for enhanced delivery of media services, including digital and social media.” Its goal was “to provide PR and media handling trainers, as well as technical staff, such as cameramen, webmasters and interpreters,” along with the “production of speeches, press releases and other media communications.”
Another government document from 2017 demonstrated the continuity of the program and provided additional details on the campaign to produce media narratives in accordance with the UK governments’ stated objectives.
The UK government paid numerous PR firms to coordinate and manage the propaganda blitz, including ARK (Analysis Research Knowledge), The Global Strategy Network (TGSN), Innovative Communication & Strategies (InCoStrat), and Albany.
One of the main British government contractors behind the Syria regime-change scheme was ARK FZC, which is based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. It brands itself as a humanitarian NGO, claiming it “was created in order to assist the most vulnerable,” by establishing a “social enterprise, empowering local communities through the provision of agile and sustainable interventions to create greater stability, opportunity and hope for the future.”
In reality ARK operated in large part as an intelligence cut-out that functions as an arm of Western interventionism.
In a leaked document that had been filed with the British government, ARK said it has produced materials on the war in Syria for the governments of the United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Canada, Japan and the European Union.
ARK also claimed to have managed $66 million worth of contracts to support pro-opposition efforts in Syria.
In its Syria operations, ARK worked together with another UK contractor called The Global Strategy Network (TGSN), which is directed by Richard Barrett, a former director of global counter-terrorism at MI6.
ARK apparently had operatives on the ground inside Syria at the beginning of the regime-change attempt in 2011, reporting to the UK FCO that “ARK staff are in regular contact with activists and civil society actors whom they initially met during the outbreak of protests in spring 2011.” The UK contractor boasted an “extensive network of civil society and community actors that ARK has helped through a dedicated capacity building centre ARK established in Gaziantep,” a city in southern Turkey that has been a base of intelligence operations against the Syrian government. ARK trained all levels of the Syrian opposition in communications, from “citizen journalism workshops with Syrian media activists, to working with senior members of the National Coalition to develop a core communications narrative.” The firm even oversaw the PR strategy for the Supreme Military Council (SMC), the leadership of the official armed wing of Syria’s opposition, the Free Syrian Army (FSA). ARK created a complex PR campaign to “provide a ‘re-branding’ of the SMC in order to distinguish itself from extremist armed opposition groups and to establish the image of a functioning, inclusive, disciplined and professional military body.”
In the course of one six month period, ARK reported that 668,600 of its print products were distributed inside Syria, including “posters, flyers, informative booklets, activity books and other campaign-related materials.”
ARK emphasized that it had “well-established contacts” with some of the top media outlets in the world, identifying among these Reuters, the New York Times, CNN, the BBC, The Guardian, the Financial Times, The Times, Al Jazeera, Sky News Arabic, Orient TV, and Al Arabiya.
The UK contractor also claimed to have provided “regular branded and unbranded content to key pan-Arab and Syria-focused satellite TV channels such as Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, BBC Arabic, Orient TV, Aleppo Today, Souria al-Ghadd, and Souria al-Sha’ab since 2012.” “ARK products promoting HMG (Her Majesty’s Government) priorities by fostering attitudinal and behavioural change are broadcast almost every day on pan-Arab channels.”
The Syrian opposition media war was organized within the framework of a project called Basma. ARK worked with other Western government contractors through Basma in order to train Syrian opposition activists.
With funding from both the US and UK governments, Basma developed into an enormously influential platform. Its Arabic Facebook page had over 500,000 followers, and on YouTube it built up a large following as well. Mainstream corporate media outlets misleadingly portrayed Basma as a “Syrian citizen journalism platform,” or a “civil society group working for a ‘liberatory, progressive transition to a new Syria.’” The recently released documents have now revealed that it was a Western government astro-turfing operation to cultivate opposition propagandists.
The Western contractor published a map showing the principal locations of its network of stringers and media activists and their relationships with the White Helmets, as well as the locations of the newly created police forces across opposition-controlled Syria.
In its training programs, ARK instructed opposition spokespeople, taught them how to speak with the press, and then helped arrange interviews with mainstream Arabic- and English-language media outlets.
ARK described its strategy “to identify credible, moderate civilian governance spokespeople who will be promoted as go-to interlocutors for regional and international media. They will echo key messages linked to the coordinated local campaigns across all media, with consortium platforms able to cover this messaging as well and encourage other outlets to pick it up.” ARK also helped develop an extensive opposition media super-structure including radio stations and magazines. ARK said it was a “key implementer of a multi-donor effort to develop a network of FM radio stations and community magazines inside Syria since 2012.” The contractor worked with 14 FM stations and 11 magazines inside Syria, including both Arabic- and Kurdish-language radio. To propagate opposition broadcasts across Syria, ARK designed what it called “Radio in a Box” (RIAB) kits in 2012. The firm took credit for providing equipment to 48 transmission sites.
The contractor ARK was also a central force in launching the White Helmets propaganda operation.
In one document ARK reveals that, back in 2011, it worked with another government contractor called Tsamota to help develop the Syrian Commission for Justice and Accountability (SCJA). In 2014, SCJA changed its name to the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA)..
Another leaked document shows that in 2018 – which was apparently the final year of ARK’s Syria program – the firm billed the UK government 2.3 million British pounds for its activities.
The extensive ARK propaganda operation was directed by Firas Budeiri, who had previously served as the Syria director for the UK-based international NGO Save the Children. Approximately 40% of ARK’s Syria project team were Syrian citizens, and another 25% were Turkish.
In the leaked documents, another UK government contractor called Innovative Communications Strategies (InCoStrat) boasted of building a massive “network of over 1600 journalists and key influencers with an interest in Syria.”
InCoStrat stressed that it was “managing and delivering a multi donor project in support of UK Foreign Policy objectives” in Syria, “specifically providing strategic communication support to the moderate armed opposition.” Other funders of InCoStrat’s work with the opposition in Syria, the firm disclosed, included the US government, the United Arab Emirates, and anti-Assad Syrian businessmen… In its media war on Damascus, InCoStrat pursued a two-pronged campaign that consisted of the following: “a) Guerrilla Campaign. Use the media to create the event. b) Guerrilla Tactics. Initiate an event to create the media effect.”
In one document, the firm said it been involved in other Western-backed regime change operations, including running training programs for civil society organizations in marketing, media, and communications in Afghanistan, Honduras, Iraq, Syria, and Libya.
In addition to securing contracts with the United Kingdom, InCoStrat claimed that it has worked for the governments of the United States, Singapore, Latvia, Sweden, Denmark, and Libya.
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southfront--2020-09-29--Azerbaijani-Armenian War: Turkish F-16s Enter The Game. Armenia Threatens To Use Iskander Missiles

The Armenian-Azerbaijani war continues raging in the South Caucasus .
As of September 29 , the Azerbaijani advance in the Nagorno-Karabakh region struck the Armenian defense and Azerbaijani forces were not able to achieve any military breakthroughs .
Armenian troops withdrew from several positions in the Talish area and east of Fuzuli .
The Azerbaijani military has been successfully employing combat drones and artillery to destroy positions and military equipment of Armenia , but Azerbaijani mechanized infantry was unable to develop its momentum any further .
While both sides claim that they eliminated multiple enemy fighters and made notable gains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains more or less stable with minor gains achieved by Azerbaijani troops .
Armenian sources say that 370 Azerbaijani troops were killed and over 1,000 injured .
The number of killed Armenian fighters , according to Azerbaijani sources , is over 1,000 .
Armenian sources also note the notable role of Turkey in the developing conflict .
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said that Turkey has been assisting Azerbaijan in its war against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic with advisers , mercenaries and even F-16 fighter jets .
He added that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , the President emphasized that the Armenian nation can not allow a return to the past .
“ 105 years ago , the Ottoman Empire carried out the genocide of the Armenians .
In no case can we allow this genocide to be repeated , ” Sarkissian said .
Armenia threatens to use Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems obtained from Russia against Azerbaijani targets if Turkish F-16 warplanes are employed on the battlefield .
Meanwhile , Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan said that members of Turkish-backed Syrian militant groups have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that recently about 4,000 Turkish-backed militants were deployed to Azerbaijan .
In turn , the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan said that “ people who have arrived from Syria and other countries of the Middle East ” are fighting on the side of Armenia .
Earlier , pro-Turkish sources claimed that Armenia was transporting fighters from the Kurdish People ’ s Protection Units ( YPG ) and the Kurdistan Workers ’ Party ( PKK ) to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Thus , the sides are not only claiming that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also accuse each other of using foreign mercenaries and terrorists .
On the evening of September 28 , the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic confirmed that 84 of its troops were killed in the recent escalation .
The Armenian side also claimed that its forces had shot down an Azerbaijani aircraft .
However , this claim was denied by the Azerbaijani military .
Baku continues insisting that all Armenian claims about the Azerbaijani casualties in the war are fake news .
On September 29 , the Armenian side continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and declaring that they repelled Azerbaijani attacks .
Nonetheless , the scale and intensity of the strikes by the Azerbaijani side did not demonstrate any decrease .
On top of this , the Armenian Defense Ministry said that a Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet shot down an Armenian Su-25 warplane .
The F-16 fighter jet allegedly took off from the Ganja Airbase in Azerbaijan and was providing air cover to combat UAVs , which were striking targets in Armenia ’ s Vardenis , Mec Marik and Sotk .
Azerbaijan and Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot down the Su-25 .
So far , no side has achieved a strategic advantage in the ongoing conflict .
However , the Azerbaijani military , which receives extensive support from Turkey , is expected to have better chances in the prolonged conflict with Armenia , if Erevan does not receive direct military support from Russia .

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The Armenian-Azerbaijani war continues raging in the South Caucasus.
As of September 29, the Azerbaijani advance in the Nagorno-Karabakh region struck the Armenian defense and Azerbaijani forces were not able to achieve any military breakthroughs. Armenian troops withdrew from several positions in the Talish area and east of Fuzuli.
The Azerbaijani military has been successfully employing combat drones and artillery to destroy positions and military equipment of Armenia, but Azerbaijani mechanized infantry was unable to develop its momentum any further.
While both sides claim that they eliminated multiple enemy fighters and made notable gains, the real situation on the ground remains more or less stable with minor gains achieved by Azerbaijani troops. Armenian sources say that 370 Azerbaijani troops were killed and over 1,000 injured. The number of killed Armenian fighters, according to Azerbaijani sources, is over 1,000. Armenian sources also note the notable role of Turkey in the developing conflict.
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said that Turkey has been assisting Azerbaijan in its war against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic with advisers, mercenaries and even F-16 fighter jets. He added that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is still possible through dialogue. However, the President emphasized that the Armenian nation cannot allow a return to the past.
“105 years ago, the Ottoman Empire carried out the genocide of the Armenians. In no case can we allow this genocide to be repeated,” Sarkissian said.
Armenia threatens to use Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems obtained from Russia against Azerbaijani targets if Turkish F-16 warplanes are employed on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan said that members of Turkish-backed Syrian militant groups have been already participating in the conflict. He said that recently about 4,000 Turkish-backed militants were deployed to Azerbaijan. In turn, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan said that “people who have arrived from Syria and other countries of the Middle East” are fighting on the side of Armenia. Earlier, pro-Turkish sources claimed that Armenia was transporting fighters from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Thus, the sides are not only claiming that they are gaining an upper hand in the war, but also accuse each other of using foreign mercenaries and terrorists.
On the evening of September 28, the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic confirmed that 84 of its troops were killed in the recent escalation. The Armenian side also claimed that its forces had shot down an Azerbaijani aircraft. However, this claim was denied by the Azerbaijani military. Baku continues insisting that all Armenian claims about the Azerbaijani casualties in the war are fake news.
On September 29, the Armenian side continued reporting about Azerbaijani helicopters being shot down, and declaring that they repelled Azerbaijani attacks. Nonetheless, the scale and intensity of the strikes by the Azerbaijani side did not demonstrate any decrease. On top of this, the Armenian Defense Ministry said that a Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet shot down an Armenian Su-25 warplane. The F-16 fighter jet allegedly took off from the Ganja Airbase in Azerbaijan and was providing air cover to combat UAVs, which were striking targets in Armenia’s Vardenis, Mec Marik and Sotk. Azerbaijan and Turkey denied Armenian claims that a Turkish F-16 shot down the Su-25.
So far, no side has achieved a strategic advantage in the ongoing conflict. However, the Azerbaijani military, which receives extensive support from Turkey, is expected to have better chances in the prolonged conflict with Armenia, if Erevan does not receive direct military support from Russia.
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southfront--2020-09-29--Military Situation In Yemen On September 29, 2020 (Map Update)

A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen : • The Liaison and Coordination Officers ’ Operations Room ( @ @ @ @ @ reported 263 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah over the past 24 hours ; • Clashes between @ @ @ @ @ continue in the Jubah district .
According to local sources , Ansar Allah is advancing @ @ @ @ @ ON THE TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Rabuah area;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 7 airstrikes on the Sarwah district;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 3 airstrikes on the Rahbah district;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Maheliyah area;
The Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 263 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah over the past 24 hours;
Clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-led forces continue in the Jubah district. According to local sources, Ansar Allah is advancing in the area.
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southfront--2020-09-29--Turkey’s “Syrian National Army” Confirms Deployment Of Its Members In Azerbaijan

“ General ” Ziyad Haji Ubeyd , one of the leaders of the pro-Turkish coalition of militant groups known as the Syrian National Army ( SNA ) confirmed that the group had sent its fighters to Azerbaijan .
“ Fighters have to go to conflict in Azerbaijan to provide for their families due to bad economic conditions .
“ The economic situation in Afrin , Sere Kaniye and other regions is very bad and they can not support their families , ” Ubeyd told in an interview with Rudaw TV .
“ We are ready to fight anywhere in Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re defending our interests to realize our goals.
” The SNA commander claimed that there are 70,000 SNA members that are ready to participate in Turkish operations anywhere around the world .
Ubeyd emphasized that they are ready to go to support the Turkish Army in Azerbaijan or wherever it is , if requested .
Earlier , Armenia claimed that at least 4,000 members of Turkish-backed Syrian militant groups were deployed in Azerbaijan .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Armenia Says Tukrish F-16 Shot Down Armenian Su-25 After Ankara Vowed @ @ @ @ @

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“General” Ziyad Haji Ubeyd, one of the leaders of the pro-Turkish coalition of militant groups known as the Syrian National Army (SNA) confirmed that the group had sent its fighters to Azerbaijan.
“Fighters have to go to conflict in Azerbaijan to provide for their families due to bad economic conditions. “The economic situation in Afrin, Sere Kaniye and other regions is very bad and they cannot support their families,” Ubeyd told in an interview with Rudaw TV. “We are ready to fight anywhere in Turkey’s national interests and security. We’re defending our interests to realize our goals.”
The SNA commander claimed that there are 70,000 SNA members that are ready to participate in Turkish operations anywhere around the world. Ubeyd emphasized that they are ready to go to support the Turkish Army in Azerbaijan or wherever it is, if requested.
Earlier, Armenia claimed that at least 4,000 members of Turkish-backed Syrian militant groups were deployed in Azerbaijan.
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southfront--2020-09-29--Military Situation In Nagorno-Karabakh On September 29, 2020 (Map Update)

Fierce clashes continue in Nagorno-Karabakh .
According to the reports , the attacks targeted the territories of Armenia and Azerbaijan @ @ @ @ @ several Azerbaijani rockets had landed in its Northern Ardabil province .
A brief overview of @ @ @ @ @ : • According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry , the Dashkesan region was shelled with @ @ @ @ @ of the Vardenis region of Armenia ; • Armenian Ministry of Defense claimed that all @ @ @ @ @ recaptured from Azerbaijani forces ; • Clashes between Armenian forces and Azerbaijan forces continue in @ @ @ @ @ ; • Azerbaijani artillery shelled Armenian positions in the town of Martuni ; • According @ @ @ @ @ kamikaze UAV attacked a civilian bus near the city of Vardenis .
MORE ON THE @ @ @ @ @ Turkish F-16 Shot Down Armenian SU-25 After Ankara Vowed To Support Azerbaijan On Battlefield • @ @ @ @ @ Azerbaijani Helicopter With Faked Video

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Fierce clashes continue in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the reports, the attacks targeted the territories of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Iran also claimed that several Azerbaijani rockets had landed in its Northern Ardabil province.
A brief overview of the recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh:
According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, the Dashkesan region was shelled with artillery fire from the territory of the Vardenis region of Armenia;
Armenian Ministry of Defense claimed that all positions in southern Karabakh were recaptured from Azerbaijani forces;
Clashes between Armenian forces and Azerbaijan forces continue in the Fuzuli and Mataghis areas;
Azerbaijani artillery shelled Armenian positions in the town of Martuni;
According to Armenian sources, Azerbaijani kamikaze UAV attacked a civilian bus near the city of Vardenis.
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southfront--2020-09-29--Military Situation In Iraq On September 29, 2020 (Map Update)

A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq : • Qasem al-Jabbarin group targeted a US logistics convoy in @ @ @ @ @ a roadside bomb ; • A US logistics convoy was targeted by an IED near @ @ @ @ @ and Iraqi security forces ambushed and killed three ISIS elements in southern Kirkuk ; • @ @ @ @ @ wounded in a rocket attack on a house in Baghdad ’ s al-Karkh district .
@ @ @ @ @ action in this area at this time .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq:
Turkish army warplanes bombed PKK positions near Amedi in northern Iraq;
Qasem al-Jabbarin group targeted a US logistics convoy in Baghdad’s Latifiya with a roadside bomb;
A US logistics convoy was targeted by an IED near Hillah;
Hashad al-Shaabi and Iraqi security forces ambushed and killed three ISIS elements in southern Kirkuk;
Several civilians were killed and wounded in a rocket attack on a house in Baghdad’s al-Karkh district. Iraqi Resistance groups denied any action in this area at this time.
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southfront--2020-09-29--Armenia Says Tukrish F-16 Shot Down Armenian Su-25 After Ankara Vowed To Support Azerbaijan On Battl

Armenia Says Tukrish F-16 Shot Down Armenian Su-25 After Ankara Vowed To Support Azerbaijan On Battlefield

A F-16 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force shot down a Su-25 warplane of the Armenian Air Force in the Nagorno-Karabakh region , the Armenian Defense Ministry reported on September 29 .
The F-16 fighter jet allegedly took off from Ganja Airbase in Azerbaijan and was providing an air cover to combat UAVs , which were striking targets in Armenia ’ s Vardenis , Mec Marik and Sotk .
The incident allegedly took place in Armenian airspace .
Now , Armenia will likely make a request to the Collective Security Treaty Organization ( a post-Soviet military bloc led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military support .
Azerbaijan and Turkey denied Armenian claims that a Turkish F-16 shot down the Su-25 .
They called the Armenian statement fake news and a provocation .
Just a few hours ago , Armenia was threatening to use Iskander missile systems to strike Azerbaijan and its forces if F-16 jets were used .
Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan also made a phone call to his Russian counterpart Nikolay Patrushev claiming that there was a chance that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will expand to Armenia .
In own turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will consider any attack on Azerbaijani territory as an attack on Turkish territory and vowed to support Baku on the diplomatic arena and the battlefield .
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also claimed that it has information about the deployment of the Armenian military ’ s S-300 systems closer to the Nagorno-Karabakh region and threatened to destroy them .
The Armenian military released a video to showcase its claims about the shooting down of multiple Azerbaijani aircraft : Armenia shows impact of the clashes in the Nagorno Karabakh area : MORE ON THE TOPIC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azerbaijani Helicopter With Fake Video

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A F-16 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force shot down a Su-25 warplane of the Armenian Air Force in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported on September 29.
The F-16 fighter jet allegedly took off from Ganja Airbase in Azerbaijan and was providing an air cover to combat UAVs, which were striking targets in Armenia’s Vardenis, Mec Marik and Sotk.
The incident allegedly took place in Armenian airspace.
Now, Armenia will likely make a request to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (a post-Soviet military bloc led by Russia) to ask it for a military support.
Azerbaijan and Turkey denied Armenian claims that a Turkish F-16 shot down the Su-25. They called the Armenian statement fake news and a provocation.
Just a few hours ago, Armenia was threatening to use Iskander missile systems to strike Azerbaijan and its forces if F-16 jets were used. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan also made a phone call to his Russian counterpart Nikolay Patrushev claiming that there was a chance that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will expand to Armenia.
In own turn, Turkey once again declared that it will consider any attack on Azerbaijani territory as an attack on Turkish territory and vowed to support Baku on the diplomatic arena and the battlefield.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also claimed that it has information about the deployment of the Armenian military’s S-300 systems closer to the Nagorno-Karabakh region and threatened to destroy them.
An Azerbaijani strikes on Armenian forces:
The Armenian military released a video to showcase its claims about the shooting down of multiple Azerbaijani aircraft:
Armenia shows impact of the clashes in the Nagorno Karabakh area:
Developing
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southfront--2020-09-29--Commander Of Sham Legion Assassinated In Syria’s Aleppo Province (Map Update)

The artillery fire exchange between the Syrian Arab Army and Turkish-backed militants continues in the South of Syria ’ s @ @ @ @ @ militants ’ artillery shelled SAA positions in the Maarat al-Numan , Kafr Nubl and Hazarin @ @ @ @ @ Turkish-backed militants ’ positions in the villages of Fatirah and Kansafra ; • Two unidentified @ @ @ @ @ of the Salvation Government ’ s in Idlib , injuring two guards .
One of @ @ @ @ @ In the West of Aleppo province , unidentified gunmen shot dead the commander of Sham @ @ @ @ @ , nom de guerre “ Abu Khanjur ” , in the town of Talada .
@ @ @ @ @ rode a motorcycle and managed to escape .
A series of targeted assassinations of opposition @ @ @ @ @ areas of Greater Idlib that are mostly controlled by Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham .
@ @ @ @ @ may be responsible for the murders .
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The artillery fire exchange between the Syrian Arab Army and Turkish-backed militants continues in the South of Syria’s Greater Idlib:
Turkish-backed militants’ artillery shelled SAA positions in the Kafr Halab area;
Turkish-backed militants’ artillery shelled SAA positions in the Maarat al-Numan, Kafr Nubl and Hazarin;
SAA artillery shelled Turkish-backed militants’ positions in the villages of Fatirah and Kansafra;
Two unidentified gunmen attacked Criminal Security Department of the Salvation Government’s in Idlib, injuring two guards. One of the attackers was killed.
In the West of Aleppo province, unidentified gunmen shot dead the commander of Sham Legion, Mohammed Mustafa at-Tahir, nom de guerre “Abu Khanjur”, in the town of Talada. The perpetrators of the murder rode a motorcycle and managed to escape.
A series of targeted assassinations of opposition commanders is taking place in areas of Greater Idlib that are mostly controlled by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. ISIS cells or al-Qaeda-affiliated groups may be responsible for the murders.
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southfront--2020-09-30--Assange’s Sixteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Special Administrative Measures, Unreliable Assurances an

Assange’s Sixteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Special Administrative Measures, Unreliable Assurances and Espionage

Julian Assange ’ s defence team spent the day going over , reemphasising and sharpening the focus on what awaited their client should he , with the blessing of Her Majesty ’ s Government , make his way to the United States .
Not only will he confront 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act , he faces the prospect of imprisonment for the rest of his life in conditions that risk prematurely ending his life .
The opening expert witness was Maureen Baird , who knows a thing or two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York as its warden .
She was in little doubt that Assange will be subjected to Special Administrative Measures ( SAMs ) over and above those conditions he will already face .
She thought the affidavit by US Assistant Attorney Gordon Kromberg gave a good clue of that intention : the government tends to only mention SAMs if they intend using them .
While the US Attorney General will be the one to make that determination , advice will be sought from relevant security agencies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI , border control , together with the US Attorney and the Attorney General , ” came Baird ’ s reply to defence barrister Edward Fitzgerald QC .
Were the CIA to be involved , they would be consulted “ with the office of enforcement operations at the DOJ [ Department of Justice ] .
” With the CIA ’ s view carrying hefty weight , Fitzgerald tantalisingly floated a proposition to be revisited later in the day : that US intelligence was behind targeting Assange while he was a political asylee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baird ’ s description of inmates placed under SAMs was grim and similar to the testimony of Yancey Ellis delivered the day before : “ solitary confinement , technically , for 24-hours a day ” .
No communication with other inmates .
“ The only form of human interaction they encountered was when correctional officers opened the viewing slot during their inspection rounds of the unit , when institution staff walked through the unit during their required weekly rounds , or when meals were delivered through the secure meal slot in the door.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phone per month ( one call of 30 minutes duration , or two of 15 minutes ) , with all calls scheduled two weeks in advance and monitored by the FBI .
Mail , heavily screened , could take months to be delivered .
( In this , Baird rejected the optimistic description by Kromberg that the mail service was “ free-flowing ” in such facilities . )
As with other witnesses already called , including Joel Sickler of the Justice Advocacy Group , she agreed that SAMs were singularly “ devastating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Such measures could lead to “ severe depression in isolation , anxiety , paranoia , weight loss detrimental to physical health and detrimental to mental health.
” She thought them brutal and archaic , a relic of cruelty .
“ I am uncertain how the [ US Bureau of Prisons ] has been able to continue with these types of isolation units , given all the studies , reports and findings of the horrific physical and psychological effects they have on inmates.
” Challenging SAMs was also an adventurous , generally futile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when an inmate has a twice a year review he can challenge SAMs with a case manager , but as a case manager myself , ” Baird explained to the court , “ I saw nothing is going to happen.
” Case managers lacked “ authority to make any changes to SAMs.
” As was further explained , the Bureau of Prisons “ exercises no control/jurisdiction over SAMs imposed by the Attorney General .
Wardens are bound to abide by the SAMs imposed on an inmate.
” During her time as Warden at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never seen an inmate have his SAMs removed , only extended.
” The former warden was also certain that Assange , if convicted , would be destined for the ADX Florence supermax facility in Colorado .
If placed under SAMs , he would be kept in a segregating housing unit at the ADX .
“ As someone who spent the majority of her adult life working for the BOP and as a former Designator , who decided where inmates would serve their sentences , absent a medical requirement , or a protected Witness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with any alternative long-term options aside from the ADX , for offenders under SAMs.
” As for the sparkling portrayal of the ADX in Colorado given by Kromberg ’ s affidavits , including the presence of social and therapeutic activities for inmates , Baird could only express bemusement .
“ For anyone to suggest that an inmate assigned under SAMs would be able to participate in group counselling is baffling to me .
The main premise of assigning SAMs is to restrict a person ’ s communication and the only way to accomplish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also a scrappy , unreliable affair for SAMs prisoners .
You would have to be at death ’ s door before being transferred to a medical facility .
As for those at risk of self-harm , Baird accepted that the BOP had a robust suicide program , which was hardly a guarantee against the determined .
“ When you have suicidal ideation , the reliance on inmate self-reporting is pretty strong .
When an inmate fails to report that , it is not noticed and the inmate commits suicide.
” In cross-examination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role : the bleeding heart , concerned with prisoner welfare .
Why had Baird not done more to ease the plight of SAMs prisoners during her time as warden ?
Baird replied that leading by example was her method , not that she could compel other staff to do the same .
“ It was not uncommon for staff not to engage with inmates.
” While she had not taken the issue of treatment of SAMs prisoners up with a judge or the BOP , she rejected Dobbin ’ s assertions that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s reasoning was that of an instrument of state violence self-justified .
“ It did cause me concern , but I had to convince myself it was okay .
I honestly did not believe I could do anything .
It was [ handled ] at a higher level.
” Dobbin then suggested that SAMs inmates could alter their conditions by participating in a three phase program .
They could meet in groups of four in an area outside their cell on reaching the third level .
Baird refuted the suggestion : Phase one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prisoners , but they remained in isolation .
It had nothing to do with the actual removal of SAMs .
Permitting inmates to reach the third level would defeat “ the whole purpose of SAMs.
” The prosecution then drew upon a statement from prosecution witness Alison Leukefeld , an employee of the US Bureau of Prisons claiming , in line with Kromberg ’ s affidavits , that SAMs prisoners would have chances to engage in group therapy .
Baird was dismissive in reply : “ I think she does not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not out in the field.
” The calling of US attorney Lindsay Lewis was important in her link to Abu Hamza al-Masri ( Mostafa Kamel Mostafa ) , an Egyptian radical cleric and former imam of London ’ s Finsbury Park mosque extradited to the United States in 2012 after an eight-year legal battle .
He was accused of a suit of offences ranging from attempting to establish a terrorist training camp in Bly , Oregon to supporting terrorists in Afghanistan and kidnapping 16 tourists in Yemen in 1998 .
Hamza also faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confinement for eight years and imprisoned at the ADX Florence since 2015 .
He has not been allowed family visits since 2012 .
As Lewis outlined in her witness statement , SAMs have limited Hamza ’ s “ contacts not just with the outside world , but also with his family , other inmates and even his attorneys.
” With a Kafkaesque twist , such restrictions went so far as to hamper her own means of describing his true conditions to the court .
An example of the harsh absurdities of these administrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said to have breached them when he “ improperly tried to convey , in a letter to one of his sons , his love to his one year old grandson ” .
The grandson had not been on the list of approved contacts .
Hamza ’ s case is gruesomely remarkable for its false assumptions .
According to Lewis , assurances were given to the United Kingdom by US authorities that future prison facilities would be tailored to his fragile medical state .
Were he to spent time at ADX Florence , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
District Judge Timothy Workman of the Westminster Magistrates ’ Court , in ruling for Hamza ’ s extradition in 2007 , noted that a lengthy , indefinite period of detention at ADX Florence would result in “ inhuman degrading treatment ” in violation of Article 3 of the Convention Against Torture .
He also considered ADX Florence to have conditions “ offensive to my sense of propriety of dealing with prisoners ” .
Nothing of the sort , claimed prosecutor Dobbin in her cross-examination of Lewis , who read a declaration by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical examination and go to a medical facility if he was incapable of managing his activities of daily living ( ADL ) .
Of unflagging faith in the virtues of those she represents and the US justice system , Dobbin claimed that , “ There was no way they could have found he could have managed his activities of daily living either pre-trial or post-trial.
” Such credulity was impressive .
The UK authorities had assumed that it was “ impossible ” for a double amputee , one functional eye and suffering diabetes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fitness for detention at ADX Florence .
“ I am satisfied , ” Judge Workman declared at the time , “ that the defendant [ Hamza ] would not be detained in these conditions [ at ADX ] indefinitely , and his undoubted ill-health and physical disabilities would be considered , and at worst , he would only be accommodated in these conditions for a relatively short period of time.
” Lewis observed that Hamza , having had both forearms amputated , was a fairly obvious qualification against being sent to the ADX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US government has followed through on him receiving a full medical examination.
” Dobbin , ever the believer , wondered if Lewis was simply too trusting of Hamza .
“ He is a double amputee , ” came the reply .
“ He does not have daily nursing care four times a day as he had in the UK .
He is placed in a handicapped cell that does not have proper shower and toilet facilities.
” In 2018 , one of Hamza ’ s lawyers issued a statement asserting “ that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expectations of the European Convention on Human Rights and the promises that were made by the US government to the [ British and European ] courts as part of the extradition process.
” By comparison , the conditions at Belmarsh , a facility Assange is well acquainted with , were notably better .
Horror comes in degrees .
In anticipation of Thursday ’ s proceedings , the court also considered whether it should grant anonymity to two witnesses from the UC Global S.L .
security firm , the Spanish company charged with providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Their testimony , scheduled to be read that day , is intended to draw the political line between UC Global , their espionage activities targeting Assange in the London Ecuadorean Embassy , and the CIA .
UC Global ’ s director David Morales , is alleged in reports to have travelled to Las Vegas in 2017 , where he secured a contract with Las Vegas Sands of the casino mogul Sheldon Adelson , a notable financier of US President Donald Trump .
It is claimed that Morales handed over audio and video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers and associates while in the embassy .
Having already testified in a Spanish court case against Morales under protection , and fearing for their safety should their names be disclosed at the Old Bailey , Judge Vanessa Baraitser relented .
We also await how the prosecution will deal with their potentially juicy testimony .
James Lewis QC has yet to receive instructions from the DOJ on whether to mount a challenge , given the less than impervious “ Chinese Wall ” that supposedly exists between agencies such as the DOJ and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent politicisation .
It is one that this trial has already done a good deal to expose and scuttle .
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College , Cambridge .
He lectures at RMIT University , Melbourne .
Email : bkampmark @ gmail.com MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Assange ’ s Fifteenth Day at the Old Bailey : Solitary Confinement and Parlous Health Care • Assange ’ s Fourteenth Day at the Old Bailey : Elections , Cracking Passwords and Failures of Proof • Assange ’ s Thirteenth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health , Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies • Assange ’ s Twelfth Day at the Old Bailey : Autism , Suicide and Prisons • Assange ’ s Eleventh Day at the Old Bailey : Suicide , Hallucinations and Psychological Torture • Assange ’ s Tenth Day at the Old Bailey : Bolting Horses , Death Penalties and Plots of Eviction • Assange ’ s Ninth Day at the Old Bailey : Torture Testimonies , Offers of Pardon and Truth Telling • Assange ’ s Eighth Day at the Old Bailey : Software Redactions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act • Assange ’ s Seventh Day at the Old Bailey : Diligent Redactions and Avoiding Harm • Assange ’ s Sixth Day at the Old Bailey : US Prison Conditions and Politicised Prosecutions • Assange ’ s Fourth Day at the Old Bailey : COVID in the Courtroom • Assange ’ s Third Day at the Old Bailey : Bias , Politics and Wars on Journalism • Assange ’ s Second Day at the Old Bailey : Torture , Drone Strikes and Journalism

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Submitted by Dr. Binoy Kampmark
September 29. Central Criminal Court, London.
Julian Assange’s defence team spent the day going over, reemphasising and sharpening the focus on what awaited their client should he, with the blessing of Her Majesty’s Government, make his way to the United States. Not only will he confront 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, he faces the prospect of imprisonment for the rest of his life in conditions that risk prematurely ending his life.
Warden Baird and SAMs
The opening expert witness was Maureen Baird, who knows a thing or two about US carceral fare, having presided over the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York as its warden. She was in little doubt that Assange will be subjected to Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) over and above those conditions he will already face. She thought the affidavit by US Assistant Attorney Gordon Kromberg gave a good clue of that intention: the government tends to only mention SAMs if they intend using them.
While the US Attorney General will be the one to make that determination, advice will be sought from relevant security agencies. “It could be the CIA, the FBI, border control, together with the US Attorney and the Attorney General,” came Baird’s reply to defence barrister Edward Fitzgerald QC. Were the CIA to be involved, they would be consulted “with the office of enforcement operations at the DOJ [Department of Justice].” With the CIA’s view carrying hefty weight, Fitzgerald tantalisingly floated a proposition to be revisited later in the day: that US intelligence was behind targeting Assange while he was a political asylee of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
Baird’s description of inmates placed under SAMs was grim and similar to the testimony of Yancey Ellis delivered the day before: “solitary confinement, technically, for 24-hours a day”. No communication with other inmates. “The only form of human interaction they encountered was when correctional officers opened the viewing slot during their inspection rounds of the unit, when institution staff walked through the unit during their required weekly rounds, or when meals were delivered through the secure meal slot in the door.”
Inmates were allowed 30 minutes on the phone per month (one call of 30 minutes duration, or two of 15 minutes), with all calls scheduled two weeks in advance and monitored by the FBI. Mail, heavily screened, could take months to be delivered. (In this, Baird rejected the optimistic description by Kromberg that the mail service was “free-flowing” in such facilities.)
As with other witnesses already called, including Joel Sickler of the Justice Advocacy Group, she agreed that SAMs were singularly “devastating,” “desolate and degrading”. Such measures could lead to “severe depression in isolation, anxiety, paranoia, weight loss detrimental to physical health and detrimental to mental health.” She thought them brutal and archaic, a relic of cruelty. “I am uncertain how the [US Bureau of Prisons] has been able to continue with these types of isolation units, given all the studies, reports and findings of the horrific physical and psychological effects they have on inmates.”
Challenging SAMs was also an adventurous, generally futile hope. “Mr Kromberg suggested that when an inmate has a twice a year review he can challenge SAMs with a case manager, but as a case manager myself,” Baird explained to the court, “I saw nothing is going to happen.” Case managers lacked “authority to make any changes to SAMs.” As was further explained, the Bureau of Prisons “exercises no control/jurisdiction over SAMs imposed by the Attorney General. Wardens are bound to abide by the SAMs imposed on an inmate.” During her time as Warden at MCC New York, Baird had “never seen an inmate have his SAMs removed, only extended.”
The former warden was also certain that Assange, if convicted, would be destined for the ADX Florence supermax facility in Colorado. If placed under SAMs, he would be kept in a segregating housing unit at the ADX. “As someone who spent the majority of her adult life working for the BOP and as a former Designator, who decided where inmates would serve their sentences, absent a medical requirement, or a protected Witness Security Case, I am not familiar with any alternative long-term options aside from the ADX, for offenders under SAMs.”
As for the sparkling portrayal of the ADX in Colorado given by Kromberg’s affidavits, including the presence of social and therapeutic activities for inmates, Baird could only express bemusement. “For anyone to suggest that an inmate assigned under SAMs would be able to participate in group counselling is baffling to me. The main premise of assigning SAMs is to restrict a person’s communication and the only way to accomplish this is through isolation.”
Medical treatment was also a scrappy, unreliable affair for SAMs prisoners. You would have to be at death’s door before being transferred to a medical facility. As for those at risk of self-harm, Baird accepted that the BOP had a robust suicide program, which was hardly a guarantee against the determined. “When you have suicidal ideation, the reliance on inmate self-reporting is pretty strong. When an inmate fails to report that, it is not noticed and the inmate commits suicide.”
In cross-examination, prosecutor Clair Dobbin played an unaccustomed role: the bleeding heart, concerned with prisoner welfare. Why had Baird not done more to ease the plight of SAMs prisoners during her time as warden? Baird replied that leading by example was her method, not that she could compel other staff to do the same. “It was not uncommon for staff not to engage with inmates.” While she had not taken the issue of treatment of SAMs prisoners up with a judge or the BOP, she rejected Dobbin’s assertions that she lacked concern for them. Baird’s reasoning was that of an instrument of state violence self-justified. “It did cause me concern, but I had to convince myself it was okay. I honestly did not believe I could do anything. It was [handled] at a higher level.”
Dobbin then suggested that SAMs inmates could alter their conditions by participating in a three phase program. They could meet in groups of four in an area outside their cell on reaching the third level. Baird refuted the suggestion: Phase one and two did give extra privileges to the prisoners, but they remained in isolation. It had nothing to do with the actual removal of SAMs. Permitting inmates to reach the third level would defeat “the whole purpose of SAMs.”
The prosecution then drew upon a statement from prosecution witness Alison Leukefeld, an employee of the US Bureau of Prisons claiming, in line with Kromberg’s affidavits, that SAMs prisoners would have chances to engage in group therapy. Baird was dismissive in reply: “I think she does not have much experience with SAMs inmates and is not out in the field.”
Lindsay Lewis, Abu Hamza and false assurances
The calling of US attorney Lindsay Lewis was important in her link to Abu Hamza al-Masri (Mostafa Kamel Mostafa), an Egyptian radical cleric and former imam of London’s Finsbury Park mosque extradited to the United States in 2012 after an eight-year legal battle. He was accused of a suit of offences ranging from attempting to establish a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon to supporting terrorists in Afghanistan and kidnapping 16 tourists in Yemen in 1998. Hamza also faced the SAMs regime, kept in solitary confinement for eight years and imprisoned at the ADX Florence since 2015. He has not been allowed family visits since 2012.
As Lewis outlined in her witness statement, SAMs have limited Hamza’s “contacts not just with the outside world, but also with his family, other inmates and even his attorneys.” With a Kafkaesque twist, such restrictions went so far as to hamper her own means of describing his true conditions to the court.
An example of the harsh absurdities of these administrative measures was also given: Hamza was said to have breached them when he “improperly tried to convey, in a letter to one of his sons, his love to his one year old grandson”. The grandson had not been on the list of approved contacts.
Hamza’s case is gruesomely remarkable for its false assumptions. According to Lewis, assurances were given to the United Kingdom by US authorities that future prison facilities would be tailored to his fragile medical state. Were he to spent time at ADX Florence, it would only be for a short time. District Judge Timothy Workman of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, in ruling for Hamza’s extradition in 2007, noted that a lengthy, indefinite period of detention at ADX Florence would result in “inhuman degrading treatment” in violation of Article 3 of the Convention Against Torture. He also considered ADX Florence to have conditions “offensive to my sense of propriety of dealing with prisoners”.
Nothing of the sort, claimed prosecutor Dobbin in her cross-examination of Lewis, who read a declaration by a warden that Hamza would face a medical examination and go to a medical facility if he was incapable of managing his activities of daily living (ADL). Of unflagging faith in the virtues of those she represents and the US justice system, Dobbin claimed that, “There was no way they could have found he could have managed his activities of daily living either pre-trial or post-trial.”
Such credulity was impressive. The UK authorities had assumed that it was “impossible” for a double amputee, one functional eye and suffering diabetes to pass a medical exam on his fitness for detention at ADX Florence. “I am satisfied,” Judge Workman declared at the time, “that the defendant [Hamza] would not be detained in these conditions [at ADX] indefinitely, and his undoubted ill-health and physical disabilities would be considered, and at worst, he would only be accommodated in these conditions for a relatively short period of time.” Lewis observed that Hamza, having had both forearms amputated, was a fairly obvious qualification against being sent to the ADX. “I don’t believe the US government has followed through on him receiving a full medical examination.”
Dobbin, ever the believer, wondered if Lewis was simply too trusting of Hamza. “He is a double amputee,” came the reply. “He does not have daily nursing care four times a day as he had in the UK. He is placed in a handicapped cell that does not have proper shower and toilet facilities.”
In 2018, one of Hamza’s lawyers issued a statement asserting “that the conditions of his confinement violate the expectations of the European Convention on Human Rights and the promises that were made by the US government to the [British and European] courts as part of the extradition process.” By comparison, the conditions at Belmarsh, a facility Assange is well acquainted with, were notably better. Horror comes in degrees.
Anonymous witnesses, espionage and the CIA
In anticipation of Thursday’s proceedings, the court also considered whether it should grant anonymity to two witnesses from the UC Global S.L. security firm, the Spanish company charged with providing security at Ecuador’s London embassy. Their testimony, scheduled to be read that day, is intended to draw the political line between UC Global, their espionage activities targeting Assange in the London Ecuadorean Embassy, and the CIA. UC Global’s director David Morales, is alleged in reports to have travelled to Las Vegas in 2017, where he secured a contract with Las Vegas Sands of the casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, a notable financier of US President Donald Trump. It is claimed that Morales handed over audio and video recordings of meetings Assange had with his lawyers and associates while in the embassy.
Having already testified in a Spanish court case against Morales under protection, and fearing for their safety should their names be disclosed at the Old Bailey, Judge Vanessa Baraitser relented. We also await how the prosecution will deal with their potentially juicy testimony. James Lewis QC has yet to receive instructions from the DOJ on whether to mount a challenge, given the less than impervious “Chinese Wall” that supposedly exists between agencies such as the DOJ and the CIA. That comforting fiction is designed to prevent politicisation. It is one that this trial has already done a good deal to expose and scuttle.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-09-30--Last Day To Help SouthFront To Survive In October

The year of 2020 has been marked by a number of negative tendencies and crises .
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LAST DAY OF SEPTEMBER
The year of 2020 has been marked by a number of negative tendencies and crises. This includes the global economic crisis, the COVID-19 outbreak, the increase of chances of a US-Iranian war in the Middle East, the Armenian-Azerbaijani war and others.
These developments are accompanied by the increasing censorship against independent media organizations and activists. Euro-Atlantic structures have been contributing extensive efforts to silence independent points of view. SouthFront is one of the targets of this campaign. The pressure faced by our team is unprecedented.
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SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence Team
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southfront--2020-09-30--Over 100 Killed, Injured In Clashes Between Druze Fighters And Former Rebels In Southern Syria

On September 29 , heavy clashes broke out between Druze fighters and former rebels in the vicinity of the town of al-Qrayya , which is located on the administrative border between al-Suwayda and Daraa .
The attack began when Druze fighters , led by the so-called “ Men of Dignity ” group , launched an attack to recaptured farmlands near al-Qrayya from the Russian-backed 8th Brigade , a unit of the Syrian Arab Army 5th Corps that ’ s dedicated for former-rebels who joined the reconciliation process in 2018 .
Fighters from the 8th Brigade , which is led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the farmlands by force a while ago .
The clashes around al-Qrayya lasted until September 30 eve .
Heavy weapons , including mortars and anti-tank guided missiles were used .
The Men of Dignity , who are known for their stand against the Damascus government , failed to recapture the farmlands .
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , 16 Druze fighters were killed and at least 63 others were injured in the clashes .
The 8th Brigade lost 12 fighters while 23 others were wounded .
The situation around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new round of clashes may start soon as Druze fighters are still determined to recapture their farmlands .
The conflict highlights the state of lawlessness prevailing over southern Syria .
Government forces are slowly losing their influence over the region .
This may soon lead to more dangerous events .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Syrian Mercenaries Suffered Their First Losses On Nagorno-Karabakh Frontlines • Russian Convoy Broke Through US Barricade In Eastern Syria , Set Up A Checkpoint

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On September 29, heavy clashes broke out between Druze fighters and former rebels in the vicinity of the town of al-Qrayya, which is located on the administrative border between al-Suwayda and Daraa.
The attack began when Druze fighters, led by the so-called “Men of Dignity” group, launched an attack to recapture farmlands near al-Qrayya from the Russian-backed 8th Brigade, a unit of the Syrian Arab Army 5th Corps, that is dedicated for former-rebels who joined the reconciliation process in 2018.
Fighters from the 8th Brigade, which is led by former rebel commander Ahmad al-Auda, captured the farmlands a while ago.
The clashes around al-Qrayya lasted until September 30 eve. Heavy weapons, including mortars and anti-tank guided missiles were used. The Men of Dignity, who are known for their stand against the Damascus government, failed to recapture the territory.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 16 Druze fighters were killed and at least 63 others were injured in the clashes. The 8th Brigade lost 12 fighters while 23 others were wounded.
The situation around al-Qrayya is calm now. Nevertheless, a new round of clashes may start soon as Druze fighters are still determined to recapture the farmlands.
The conflict highlights the state of lawlessness prevailing over southern Syria. Government forces are slowly losing their influence over the region. This may soon lead to more dangerous confrontation.
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southfront--2020-09-30--Armenian Defense Ministry Claims Azerbaijan Using Turkish F-16s, France Pledges Support To Yerevan

On midday September 30th , Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said that Azerbaijan had employed Turkish F-16s in the NE and then S directions of the defense line .
She also reported that the Defensive Armenian army had achieved significant success in various directions .
This goes directly in contrast to the claims on September 29th , that Turkish F-16 fighter jets had already been deployed on the battlefield and had even downed an Armenian Su-25 .
As such it is unclear if these reports are also accurate , since it wouldn ’ t be the first time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ downed a helicopter , but used a fake video to prove it .
Separately , the Azerbaijan side released several videos showing its successes against Armenian forces .
The video below shows a strike , in the aftermath of which at least 13 bodies can be counted .
Armenian artillery shelling the positions of our units was destroyed by Azerbaijan precision fire , according to the video .
Video footage of enemy military equipment destroyed in the morning of September 30th .
Finally , the Armenian side released a hype video that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declare to Armenia and Armenians , France will play its role.
” “ I regard Turkey ’ s political statements as thoughtless and dangerous , ” Macron said at a press conference in the Latvian capital Riga .
“ France is still extremely concerned about the ” bellicose “ statements that Turkey has made in recent hours , convincing Azerbaijan that it will recapture Northern Karabakh , and we do not intend to put up with this , ” he stressed .
“ I declare to Armenia and Armenians , France will play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Syrian Mercenaries Suffered Their First Losses On Nagorno-Karabakh Frontlines • Has Pandora ’ s Box Been Opened In Trans-Caucasia ?

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On midday September 30th, the Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said that Azerbaijan had employed Turkish F-16s in the NE and then S directions of the defense line.
Today, the enemy employed Turkish F-16s in the NE and then S directions of the DA. At this moment, intense fighting continues along the entire battle line. The DA has noticeable achievements in several directions. Manpower & military-equipment losses of the enemy are increasing. — Shushan Stepanyan (@ShStepanyan) September 30, 2020
She also reported that the Defensive Armenian army had achieved significant success in various directions.
This goes directly in contrast to the claims on September 29th, that Turkish F-16 fighter jets had already been deployed on the battlefield and had even downed an Armenian Su-25.
As such it is unclear if these reports are also accurate, since it wouldn’t be the first time.
Earlier, Armenia reported that it had downed a helicopter, but used a fake video to prove it.
Separately, the Azerbaijan side released several videos showing its successes against Armenian forces.
The video below shows a strike, in the aftermath of which at least 13 bodies can be counted.
Armenian artillery shelling the positions of our units was destroyed by Azerbaijan precision fire, according to the video.
Video footage of enemy military equipment destroyed in the morning of September 30th.
Finally, the Armenian side released a hype video that they would win the war.
French President Emmanuel Macron:
“I declare to Armenia and Armenians, France will play its role.” “I regard Turkey’s political statements as thoughtless and dangerous,” Macron said at a press conference in the Latvian capital Riga. “France is still extremely concerned about the” bellicose “statements that Turkey has made in recent hours, convincing Azerbaijan that it will recapture Northern Karabakh, and we do not intend to put up with this,” he stressed. “I declare to Armenia and Armenians, France will play its role,” Macron stressed.
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southfront--2020-09-30--Syrian Mercenaries Suffered Their First Losses On Nagorno-Karabakh Frontlines

Turkish-backed Syrian militates have suffered their first losses while fighting for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the distributed region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) reported the militants ’ first causality on September 30 .
The militant was reportedly fatally shot by Arminian forces on one of Nagorno-Karabakh ’ s frontlines .
According to the London-based monitoring group , up to 320 Syrian militants are now supporting the Azerbaijani attack on Nagorno-Karabakh .
While the SOHR reported a single Syrian casualty , BBC producer , Riam Dalati , said at least nine Syrians have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far .
According to Dalati , the number of casualties could be as high as 13 .
Turkey ’ s plan to deploy Syrian militants in Azerbaijan to support a push on Nagorno-Karabakh was first revealed in July .
After months of denial , sources close to Turkish-backed militants confirmed the plan to Reuters two days ago .
Syrian militants sent to Azerbaijan are reportedly receiving a monthly salary of $ 1,500 to 2,000 .
The militants were told that their task will be to guard oil facilities .
However , they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The deployment of Syrian militants in Azerbaijan indicates that Turkey played a key role in Baku ’ s decision to launch an attack on Nagorno-Karabakh .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Has Pandora ’ s Box Been Opened In Trans-Caucasia ?
• Armenia And Azerbaijan Both Claim Heavy Losses For The Enemy , Baku Claims Armenian S-300 Destroyed

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Turkish-backed Syrian militants have suffered their first losses while fighting for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported the militants’ first causality on September 30. The militant was reportedly shot dead by Armenian forces on one of Nagorno-Karabakh’s front lines.
According to the London-based monitoring group, up to 320 Syrian militants are now supporting the Azerbaijani attack on Nagorno-Karabakh.
While the SOHR reported a single Syrian casualty, BBC producer, Riam Dalati, said that at least nine Syrians had been killed while fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh so far. According to Dalati, the number of casualties could reach 13.
Turkey’s plan to deploy Syrian militants in Azerbaijan to support a push on Nagorno-Karabakh was first revealed in July. After months of denial, sources close to Turkish-backed militants confirmed the plan to Reuters two days ago.
Syrian militants sent to Azerbaijan are reportedly receiving a monthly salary of $1,500 to 2,000. The militants told that their task would be to guard oil facilities. However, they are now fighting on Nagorno-Karabakh’s front lines.
The deployment of Syrian militants in Azerbaijan indicates that Turkey played a key role in Baku’s decision to launch an attack on Nagorno-Karabakh.
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southfront--2020-09-30--Russian Convoy Broke Through US Barricade In Eastern Syria, Set Up A Checkpoint

On September 29th , Russian troops broke through a US blockade and entered eastern Syria , erecting a checkpoint along a road in Hasaka .
The Russian military convoy , despite the opposition of the Americans , managed to break through into the eastern part of northern Syria .
Earlier , in this direction , Russian troops experienced very serious pressure from the Americans , however , Russian servicemen managed to break through to this area .
The key event is the fact that a Russian military checkpoint was deployed in this direction , completely blocking the movement of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Russian military successfully reached the city of Derik , and began the construction of a checkpoint there , deploying additional defensive means and armored vehicles .
Despite the absence of official comments , experts believe that the Russian military intends to take full control of the northeastern part of Syria , blocking any access for the Americans here and at the same time blocking the paths of smuggling Syrian oil into neighboring Turkey .
According to Syrian media reports , local residents tried to create obstacles to the Russian military , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operates in Syria with the official consent and under invitation of Damascus , the activities were carried on as normal .
The Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) also operate in the region of Hasaka in Deir Ezzor .
On September 29th , Syrian state outlet SANA reported that 2 SDF members were killed by unknown militants , following an attack on their positions in Hasaka .
On September 28th , 6 SDF members were killed in separate attacks on the axes of their movements in the vicinity of Ain Issa town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eastern countryside of Raqqa .
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On September 29th, Russian troops broke through a US blockade and entered eastern Syria, erecting a checkpoint along a road in Hasaka.
The Russian military convoy, despite the opposition of the Americans, managed to break through into the eastern part of northern Syria.
Earlier, in this direction, Russian troops experienced very serious pressure from the Americans, however, Russian servicemen managed to break through to this area.
The key event is the fact that a Russian military checkpoint was deployed in this direction, completely blocking the movement of Americans from Iraq.
The photographs presented show that the Russian military successfully reached the city of Derik, and began the construction of a checkpoint there, deploying additional defensive means and armored vehicles.
Despite the absence of official comments, experts believe that the Russian military intends to take full control of the northeastern part of Syria, blocking any access for the Americans here and at the same time blocking the paths of smuggling Syrian oil into neighboring Turkey.
According to Syrian media reports, local residents tried to create obstacles to the Russian military, however, given the fact that Russia operates in Syria with the official consent and under invitation of Damascus, the activities were carried on as normal.
The Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also operate in the region of Hasaka in Deir Ezzor.
On September 29th, Syrian state outlet SANA reported that 2 SDF members were killed by unknown militants, following an attack on their positions in Hasaka.
On September 28th, 6 SDF members were killed in separate attacks on the axes of their movements in the vicinity of Ain Issa town and near Tal al-Samen town in the eastern countryside of Raqqa.
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