southfront--2020-08-02--Poland’s Defence Minister Announces Additional 1000 US Troops To Permanently Deploy There

The United States will establish a permanent military presence in Poland as it deploys around 1,000 additional U.S. troops there , Poland ’ s Defence Ministry said on Friday .
Whether or not they will be transferred directly from Germany or re-routed remains unclear .
Poland ’ s political leadership has been eager to host additional US troops in the country for some time .
On June 12 last year during a meeting at the White House , US President Donald Trump reached an informal agreement with Polish President Andrzej Duda to send 1,000 more troops to his NATO ally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the troops would be stationed and how much Poland would pay have dragged on for years .
“ We did it .
We have finished the negotiations on military cooperation , ” Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said in a statement .
Poland currently hosts a rotating contingent of over 4,000 US troops .
A permanent presence , which the statement says will now number at least 5,500 troops , is likely to cost Poland substantially more .
The deal also involves the development of expertise for Polish forces in the areas of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more US forces being deployed to Poland in case of an increased threat environment , the statement said .
The financial details of the new deal were not revealed in the ministry ’ s statement .
Last week the US military provided some more details on its plans to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany and had already indicated that some of them could be moved to Poland or the Baltic states .
While Friday ’ s statement did not specify where the additional 1,000 troops would come from , and whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is the most likely scenario .
Neither Poland ’ s Defence Ministry nor the US embassy in Poland were prepared to provide additional details.. On other occasions , US officials have insisted that the agreement with Poland and the decision to pull some US troops out of Germany are separate matters .
LINK In a related development , Defense.one reports that , as part of the reduction of troops in Germany , U.S. Africa Command , which is based in Stuttgart , Germany , will be transferred to another location .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there have always been grumblings that AFRICOM should be located in…well…Africa .
Or somewhere in the US , similar to how US Central Command , which oversees almost all troops from Turkey to Afghanistan , is based in Tampa , Florida .
At the time , there were concerns that locating a major US military command base would break the seal on the unwritten rule against the “ militarization of Africa.
” That sentiment may seem quaint now , given the United States ’ extensive military operations across the enormous continent , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s headquarters will be relocated somewhere on the other side of the Mediterranean .
( Moreover , it is quite possible that US military commanders and defence department bureaucrats also much prefer to pass their overseas deployment time in Europe than in Africa . )
In their words : “ In response to the President ’ s direction , efforts are now underway to develop plans and options to relocate U.S. Africa Command headquarters and forces from Germany , ” AFRICOM said in its statement .
“ The command will look first at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will consider options in the United States.
” Defense.one further notes that “ Trump ’ s Germany Troop Withdrawal Could Take Years to Execute , ” Foreign Policy reported Thursday in a story that sounds much more like the US military we have come to know .
According to FP , “ Some units that are moving back to the United States , including the 2nd Cavalry Regiment , based in Vilseck , Germany , have been told that the move will ‘ likely take months to plan and years to execute.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how this will play out , ” one US official said .
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The United States will establish a permanent military presence in Poland as it deploys around 1,000 additional U.S. troops there, Poland’s Defence Ministry said on Friday. Whether or not they will be transferred directly from Germany or re-routed remains unclear.
Poland’s political leadership has been eager to host additional US troops in the country for some time. On June 12 last year during a meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump reached an informal agreement with Polish President Andrzej Duda to send 1,000 more troops to his NATO ally.
But negotiations on the details of where the troops would be stationed and how much Poland would pay have dragged on for years.
“We did it. We have finished the negotiations on military cooperation,” Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said in a statement.
Poland currently hosts a rotating contingent of over 4,000 US troops. A permanent presence, which the statement says will now number at least 5,500 troops, is likely to cost Poland substantially more.
The deal also involves the development of expertise for Polish forces in the areas of reconnaissance and command, with the possibility of more US forces being deployed to Poland in case of an increased threat environment, the statement said.
The financial details of the new deal were not revealed in the ministry’s statement.
Last week the US military provided some more details on its plans to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany and had already indicated that some of them could be moved to Poland or the Baltic states.
While Friday’s statement did not specify where the additional 1,000 troops would come from, and whether some would be reassigned from Germany, this is the most likely scenario. Neither Poland’s Defence Ministry nor the US embassy in Poland were prepared to provide additional details..
On other occasions, US officials have insisted that the agreement with Poland and the decision to pull some US troops out of Germany are separate matters. LINK
Military.com reported of the announcement:
“American defense leaders said Wednesday that the U.S. will bring about 6,400 troops home and shift about 5,600 to other countries in Europe. The decision fulfills President Donald Trump’s announced desire to withdraw troops from Germany, largely because of what he considers its failure to spend enough on defense.” LINK
In a related development, Defense.one reports that, as part of the reduction of troops in Germany, U.S. Africa Command, which is based in Stuttgart, Germany, will be transferred to another location.
US Africa Command “has been told to plan to move,” its commander said Friday morning, two days after Defense Secretary Esper announced the US military’s Germany drawdown. Said AFRICOM Commander US Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, “While it will likely take several months to develop options, consider locations, and come to a decision, the command has started the process.”
The report comments that from its beginning, there have always been grumblings that AFRICOM should be located in…well…Africa. Or somewhere in the US, similar to how US Central Command, which oversees almost all troops from Turkey to Afghanistan, is based in Tampa, Florida. At the time, there were concerns that locating a major US military command base would break the seal on the unwritten rule against the “militarization of Africa.”
That sentiment may seem quaint now, given the United States’ extensive military operations across the enormous continent, but it doesn’t mean AFRICOM’s headquarters will be relocated somewhere on the other side of the Mediterranean. (Moreover, it is quite possible that US military commanders and defence department bureaucrats also much prefer to pass their overseas deployment time in Europe than in Africa.)
In their words: “In response to the President’s direction, efforts are now underway to develop plans and options to relocate U.S. Africa Command headquarters and forces from Germany,” AFRICOM said in its statement. “The command will look first at options elsewhere in Europe, but also will consider options in the United States.” Defense.one further notes that “Trump’s Germany Troop Withdrawal Could Take Years to Execute,” Foreign Policy reported Thursday in a story that sounds much more like the US military we have come to know. According to FP, “Some units that are moving back to the United States, including the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, based in Vilseck, Germany, have been told that the move will ‘likely take months to plan and years to execute.’” “Nobody really has any idea how this will play out,” one US official said. LINK
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southfront--2020-08-02--Lebanon’s President Says The Country Is Prepared To Defend Itself Against Israeli Attacks

Lebanon is prepared to defend itself against Israel ’ s attacks , which are in violation of the 2006 UN Security Council ( UNSC ) resolution , Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Saturday .
In a televised address , the president said Israel ’ s attacks in southern Lebanon had once again flouted UNSC Resolution 1701 , which calls for full cessation of hostilities and Israel ’ s withdrawal from southern Lebanon .
Aoun declared that Lebanon remains willing to abide by the resolution and to resolve all disputes under UN supervision .
“ We are committed to defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and our authority .
We will not compromise on this matter , ” he said .
The president ’ s comments come after Israeli forces bombed the border town of Kafr Shuba on July 27 alleging a “ security incident.
” On the same day , Lebanon said it would lodge an official complaint with the UNSC .
The Israeli military claimed it had “ thwarted an infiltration attempt by Hezbollah ” in the Jabal Ros area .
Hezbollah , however , denied the claim , saying : “ There was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the events that took place today on the southern border in Lebanon , but rather it was only one party which was the fearful , anxious , and tense enemy.
” Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for the killing of one of its members by an Israeli airstrike in Syria ’ s capital Damascus last week .
Israel has substantially increased the number of troops along its northern borders in anticipation of retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah .
LINK Meanwhile , on Friday the US House of Representatives passed an aid package to Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for assistance to Israel in missile defence .
The financial aid will mostly go towards the Iron Dome , David ’ s Sling and Arrow missile defence systems .
The funds allocated are part of the 2016 MOU between the countries , worth $ 38 billion over a decade .
Out of the total budget , $ 47.5 million will be allocated towards anti-tunnel technology cooperation , $ 4 million for new US-Israel collaboration on coronavirus research and $ 6 million for joint US-Israel cooperative programs in energy and water .
The bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate .
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Lebanon is prepared to defend itself against Israel’s attacks, which are in violation of the 2006 UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Saturday.
In a televised address, the president said Israel’s attacks in southern Lebanon had once again flouted UNSC Resolution 1701, which calls for full cessation of hostilities and Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Aoun declared that Lebanon remains willing to abide by the resolution and to resolve all disputes under UN supervision. “We are committed to defend ourselves, our land, our water, and our authority. We will not compromise on this matter,” he said.
The president’s comments come after Israeli forces bombed the border town of Kafr Shuba on July 27 alleging a “security incident.”
On the same day, Lebanon said it would lodge an official complaint with the UNSC.
The Israeli military claimed it had “thwarted an infiltration attempt by Hezbollah” in the Jabal Ros area. Hezbollah, however, denied the claim, saying: “There was no clash or shooting on our part in the events that took place today on the southern border in Lebanon, but rather it was only one party which was the fearful, anxious, and tense enemy.”
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for the killing of one of its members by an Israeli airstrike in Syria’s capital Damascus last week.
Israel has substantially increased the number of troops along its northern borders in anticipation of retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah. LINK
Meanwhile, on Friday the US House of Representatives passed an aid package to Israel valued at $500 million designated primarily for assistance to Israel in missile defence.
The financial aid will mostly go towards the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow missile defence systems.
“$500,000,000 shall be for the Israeli Cooperative Programs…for the procurement of the Iron Dome defense system to counter short-range rocket threats…for the Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense (SRBMD) program… for co-production activities of Arrow 3 Upper Tier systems in the United States and in Israel,” the bill proclaimed.
The funds allocated are part of the 2016 MOU between the countries, worth $38 billion over a decade.
Out of the total budget, $47.5 million will be allocated towards anti-tunnel technology cooperation, $4 million for new US-Israel collaboration on coronavirus research and $6 million for joint US-Israel cooperative programs in energy and water.
The bill has not yet been considered by the Senate. LINK
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southfront--2020-08-02--Ex-Vatican Advisor Exposes The Rise Of Neo-Nazism Among Uniates And The Vatican’s Apathetic Doublesp

Ex-Vatican Advisor Exposes The Rise Of Neo-Nazism Among Uniates And The Vatican’s Apathetic Doublespeak

A video of one of the Uniates have attacked Orthodox Christians and seized Churches , in October of 2017 .
These sorts of attacks never make it into the anti-Orthodox Western media , and are swept under the rug .
—I don ’ t think he cares very much .
I think this Roman Pontiff is fixated on other issues , especially which concern today ’ s Latin America .
He ’ s very involved now with this Amazonian Synod , which is , extremely suspect because of its syncretistic aspects , and I don ’ t think he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ —Including apparently the suffering of people whom he tries to call “ brothers ” ?
That is disastrous , even from the point of view of ecclesiastical diplomacy .
But , he does not seem to be a very intellectual pope , if I may say .
—Also , in the not so distant past , many Galician Uniates supported Nazi Germany during the Second World War .
We already talked about the Bandera movement among the emigration in London prior to this .
So , would you say that sympathy for Nazism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uniates of the 1930s , 40s , and onward ?
—Well , during the 1930s , among the Ukrainian Uniates , animus was directed mostly against the Poles and the Jews .
It was a fascist movement , but at the time , I would not say they were… well… there were ties with the Germans .
There were ties , and the movements were similar , but they were still distinct .
It was not until the Germans invaded Galicia that… What completely turned the Galicians into rabid let ’ s say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous occupation of Galicia by the Red Army .
—You are talking about the Soviet Invasion of Poland , around the time the Nazis also invaded Poland , in the fall of 1939—when the godless authorities occupied Galicia ?
—Yes .
The Red Army had occupied Galicia , then they retreated after the Germans attacked the Soviets , then the Germans occupied Galicia , and then once again the Red Army came .
So , it was the first occupation of Galicia by the Red Army , especially by Jews , who occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectual elite among the Uniate Ukrainians at the time .
—Ah yes .
So , it was the Jewish Soviet godless officials who persecuted Galicians , and this is what made Western Ukrainians perhaps so Russphobic ?
Or just Anti-Soviet ?
Is there a difference ?
—For the Galicians , to be Russian at the time was to be Communist .
—Quite sad considering that the founding First Hierarch of ROCOR was the Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia , and we have a very “ Ukrainian ” character , to all the jurisdictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also .
Many figures , perhaps even the bulk of our American “ Russian ” Orthodoxy , came from what is now the Ukraine .
So , it ’ s quite sad that there is this confusion there .
In Lvov at one time there were more Russophiles than in Saint Petersburg !
—Well of course , yes !
—In 1988 , underground Uniate Bishops Pavel Vasylyk and Philemon Kurchaba met with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli .
On February 1 , 1990 , Archbishop Lazar ( Shvets ’ ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting of Russian bishops one of those underground Catholic bishops : “ Orthodoxy does not have a place in Western Ukraine ; they must resettle in the eastern regions .
We will create here a Catholic Ukrainian Republic.
” This was preserved in Russian State Archives .
So , were the Uniates receiving or expecting support from the Vatican on this ?
Or were they acting on their own ?
—They were acting on their own .
But they have done so consistently , since the time of Andrey Sheptytsky—and that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always projected this missionary impulse towards what they call “ the East ” .
Uniate Metropolitan of Galicia Andrey Sheptytsky , lived 1892-1944.—And perhaps this relates to building that very ugly building on the other [ east ] side of the Dnipro , which mars the view anytime I want to relax in Kiev… —Yes , but what about their diocese or eparchies , which they have opened in places like Kharkov , where the Uniate population is completely minimal ?
They do not realize an important fact—that the Ukrainian nation is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It has never been a Catholic nation .
Catholics are five percent of the population !
—I understand ; we had talked before about how you were a Catholic essentially by chance or circumstance , due to your parent ’ s compromise between the Orthodoxy of your mother and Protestantism of your father , but in your heart , you always felt Orthodox .
—And I can feel that .
It seems quite obvious .
So , then , here ’ s the rather interesting question : How much control does the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic Church , currently led by Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk ?
—Well , let us say he can not really .
As I said before , he consistently makes moves to befuddle any sort of positive development between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church .
But let us say , he must do it in a rather , well… You see , Shevchuk is a rather strange person .
Even other bishops and the clergy say that he ’ s quite prone to hysterical outburst and tantrums .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a nationalist of course , but very much aware of his own importance .
Of course , he can not be completely disobedient to the Vatican ; that would be scandalous .
But today , after the Vatican Council , bishops are known to be quite disobedient to the Curia in the Vatican .
Now , you do know that the Curia and the Vatican has never accepted him as Patriarch ?
All the posts that are sent to him are addressed to him as “ Major Archbishop ” —and yet he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
I don ’ t think he replies that way to the Vatican directly , but to his faithful , he does .
And there was even talk of him protesting against that fact—that they send posts to him addressed as Major Archbishop and not as Patriarch .
—Then to summarize , would you be saying then that the Vatican does not really hold much influence over Shevchuk ?
—Not really .
Especially not in his public pronouncements .
—In 1988 , the Russian Orthodox Church possessed 8,500 parishes and 20 monasteries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were located in Ukraine .
In 1990 , there were reported to be 2639 Orthodox parishes in Galicia .
Between 1990 and 1997 the Greek Catholics seized around 2000 churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church .
Uniates have been among the most active in Ukraine .
of a Uniate priest literally calling for “ terror and assassination ” against their enemies , as well as many Uniate priests serving funerals for member of the SS Galicia Division and their neo-Fascists decedents .
 A Uniate priest serving at a Nazi-styled funeral .
Note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uniate Chaplain Nikolai Medinsky assaulted believers while seizing a church in October 2017 , and he was forcefully shoving aside elderly women , calling the people Moscow pigs , lifeless biomass , and not even human .
These are just some common examples of assaults and persecution committed by Uniate leaders , which raises several questions .
Firstly , seeing that these videos are available to anyone on the internet , is it right to say that the Vatican and Uniate Hierarchs are fully aware of these crimes committed by their clergy ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , but it is just quite difficult for me to understand how these assaults from Nazis in broad daylight are available on YouTube .
Are the hierarchs just not aware of this , or… —I ’ m sure they share those sentiments .
Uniate “ Priest ” Nikolai Medinsky in Kolomyya demonstrating how strong a man he is by shoving aside elderly women and stealing their churches .
Photo taken from a video by the Union of Orthodox Journalists .
—The Uniate leaders of course share them , but what about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t think many of the higher clergy in the Vatican are even informed about those things .
—So , they can just ignore what ’ s happening there ?
—Remember that usually the worst things are happening in isolated villages , and so many of them in the Vatican are poorly informed , and to some degree , informed by the Uniates themselves , who don ’ t speak of those things to the Vatican .
—So , you think none of this persecution is making it to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of it is , but not all of it .
The Vatican usually denies most of that , and denies most of the takeovers of the churches , and says that the Orthodox are also aggressive , etc .
—So , how does that affect the relations the Vatican is trying to build with the Russian Church ?
On the one hand , they come and shake hands with us and say they are our friends , while on the other hand , they just deny that anyone is seizing our churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And certainly , there are some individuals , who can tell them .
You mentioned for example the Ukrainian Orthodox priests who studied in Rome .
Don ’ t they inform the Vatican ?
It seems to me they ’ ve had enough opportunities and possibilities to find out what ’ s happening .
—The students really have very little opportunity , except for one , to come into contact with cardinals or members of the curia who would be influential in such issues .
—And so why is there no outcry ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ why isn ’ t he suspending these priests ?
—To the contrary—Shevchuk is not suspending those priests , but his predecessor Liubomyr Huzar was suspending and defrocking priests who proclaimed themselves , traditional Uniates .
There is a movement among the Uniates of traditional Uniatism .
Did you know that exists ?
The Uniate so-called “ Patriarchal Cathedral ” interior , a modernistic style championed by deceased Uniate leader Huzar , which is a break from both traditional Orthodox and Catholic styles of architecture .
Huzar championed a very modernistic style throughout North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a movement among the Uniates , a group of Uniates who reject all of the Byzantine accretions to the liturgy that were imposed after the Uniate Church in Ukraine became free .
They want to celebrate with all of the Latinizations , ( things like Bishops with gloves , and all those accretions that they had in the nineteenth century ) ; and those priests were quite violently opposed to Huzar , Shevchuk ’ s predecessor , who suspended and I think even defrocked some of them .
Then there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were interested in quasi-charismatic exorcism phenomena , and that also created quite a stir among the Uniates .
And I believe these problems concern the curia of Shevchuk much more then violent displays of nationalism .
He himself is a violent nationalist .
—So , when we see for “ death to the enemies ” , [ or Mikhaylo Arsenych ] , obviously this is beyond any scholastic debate ; it is anti-Christian devilry .
So why doesn ’ t Shevchuk do anything about this ?
Doesn ’ t he even feel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for PR reasons that he shouldn ’ t appear openly as a Nazi ?
—Well .
I don ’ t think he cares very much .
—But I have another example for you .
You remember I told you about that bishop in England ; do you know what eventually happened to him ?
—Yes , do you know what eventually happened to him ?
—Let me tell you what eventually happened to him .
He defended the Vatican , and what is known as the Oriental Congregation , to the hilt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , for whatever reasons , good or bad , but he defended them !
He defended them , and eventually he lost almost all his parishioners [ to Slipyj ] .
And at that time , the Pope was John Paul II , who rather appreciated that Slipyj and that movement—not the nationalistic movement , as John Paul II was Polish and the Poles are against Ukrainian nationalism—but let ’ s say he was more tolerant of them ; and during his pontificate , everything seemed to be forgiven—all the abuses that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the diaspora .
Because what had been happening in England is that instead of going to the churches , these Uniate Banderite sort of nationalists were gathering in the Ukrainian clubs , which were really taverns , and having suspended priests—suspended priests !
—come from Rome to celebrate for them .
They were having these masses in the clubs .
And of course , the Bishop in England , Hornyak , was completely against that ; he said they were all suspended priests , and was defending the Oriental Congregation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul II , after the reopening of the Uniate church in Ukraine , somehow all was forgiven , and those priests were reinstated .
Pope John Paull II with Cardinal Josyf Slipyj at the episcopal consecration of Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky , Dec. 11 , 1979 .
Somehow one of them , a ringleader by the name of Ivan Muzychka , was made rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Rome .
Moreover several of the leading patriarchal clergy were given high positions in the hierarchy under John Paull II .
And what happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and essentially demoted by the Oriental Congregation and sent into forced retirement , although he defended the Oriental Congregation for years !
Is that any way to behave , to treat him ?
—I shall tell you another story about why I became Orthodox , and why I did not stay in the Oriental Institute teaching Russian students .
You know we had a very famous Jesuit who taught liturgy in the Oriental Institute .
His name was Miguel Arranz ; he was a Spanish Jesuit , who belonged to the Roman Province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making several trips to the Soviet Union .
He was a great friend of Metropolitan Nikodim ( Rotov ) , who gave him an honorary doctorate from the Leningrad Theological Academy .
Arranz taught liturgy at the Oriental Institute .
I have to say , he was a great friend of Orthodox bishops , he knew the patriarch very well .
But his last years were spent in a very lonely state .
He alienated himself from the Oriental Institute , and was in part alienated by the Jesuits in the institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care for him .
And he died very embittered and alone , in the Jesuit infirmary in Rome ; and he was not even given a Byzantine-rite divine liturgy for his funeral , because he died in the summer when the students of the Russicum were on vacation .
He was given an ordinary Latin , very quick mass .
He died very embittered , and I think he felt what very sorry that he had not made the move to Orthodoxy , as I later did .
I meditated very much about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want that to happen to me.
” I want to live my dream—to become Orthodox and to live in Russia , with Russian people .
I have always been much more able to understand Russians then I have Italians or Germans , or other Western Europeans .
It ’ s always been much easier for me .
And that was another reason I decided to leave Rome , and the teaching position .
—Rome didn ’ t have any issue with that ?
Well , their loss is our gain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicate with me , of course .
And the Oriental Institute does not communicate with me .
I am a pariah , let ’ s say .
—Well , their loss is our gain , because as far as I am concerned , you came home .
—Yes .
I am very satisfied , I love Moscow , I love being here in the monastery , and I love the liturgies .
I love all the liturgies that go on here , and I love the choir , and how the liturgies are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to be a complete Orthodox fanatic when I was a Catholic .
Wherever I was , I always visited Orthodox Churches .
But the Orthodox Churches in the emigration very often seemed to me to be lacking something , especially in the music—very bad choirs .
Except in Paris and a few other places .
—You should see the choir of St. Sergius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland , Ohio .
My friend is the choir director there ; he was the former Choir Master of the Hierarchal Choir of Holy Dormition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He came to America a while ago for rather serious lung surgery—a double lung transplant .
But I am happy to report that he still sings magnificently , and never fails to amaze Hierarchs and visiting guests .
His choir at St. Sergius is just excellent ; his name is Father Serhii Chebotar .
—So , you know another one of my good friends then .
Wonderful .
You know , the Orthodox world , especially the clergy and families of clergy like my own , are all just a few steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one giant family .
We are so happy you came home to Orthodoxy !
The Catholic Church seems to be plagued these days… —Well the Catholic Church… I have one more thing to say about that , and about its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate .
During my last two or three years as a professor at the Oriental Institute , I visited the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy at the invitation of His Eminence , Archbishop Amvrosy , and I gave a talk there , after which I gave an interview .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I said that I believe the Catholics who are proselytizing in Russia do this against the will of the highest authorities in the Vatican , and the that Orthodox should not—in the opinion of the highest authorities of the Vatican—be proselytized to or made into Roman Catholics .
I said that , and it was published a few months later .
After having returned from Australia , I received a letter from the General of the Jesuit Order , and an attached letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding the proselytizing to the Orthodox .
He also complained about my use of the terms for the Uniate movement , which were declared at Balamand—because I quoted —and also the term “ sister Church ” for the Russian Orthodox Church .
—So , they complained about your use [ of a declaration they themselves agreed to ] ?
They complained that you said the position of the leadership Catholic Church is to not try to convert Russians to Roman Catholicism ?
—Yes , they complained about my use of those terms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , those terms should not be used , and that it was not the doctrine of the Roman Church !
I said the term , “ sister Church ” should be used , there should be no proselytizing , and that the Orthodox should not become Roman Catholics !
And that was the policy of the Vatican !
And that was denied !
Denied by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith , or by their representative , and I had to apologize and write letters to the General of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doctrine of the Faith , who said that those were not the policies off the Roman Pontiff or the Vatican .
And this was during the time of Ratzinger ( Pope Benedict XVI ) , who was quite friendly to the Orthodox Churches .
So , I must say that in my opinion , there is a sort of doublespeak in the Vatican , constantly with regards to the Orthodox Churches .
It says one thing and does another !
It says one thing to someone , but says something completely contrary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when I wrote an article for La Civilta Cattolica , which is the official mouthpiece for the Catholic church in Italy—it is a Jesuit journal—and in that journal , I wrote something about the state of the Macedonian schism .
And I was rebuked by Cardinal Archbishop Colasuonno , who later on was official representative of the Holy See in Moscow , and told that : “ Even if what you wrote was true , it should not be written.
” Those were his exact words !
—That sounds like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really shows the attitude there .
—Shevchuk once said that the goal of the ecumenical movement is to create a single Ukrainian Patriarchate recognized by both Rome and Constantinople .
But based on this , I wonder how much of this translates to reality .
Would Rome or Constantinople be interested in this compromise ?
Shevchuk and Pat .
Bartholomew of Constantinople meeting in the Vatican —This is a ridiculous proposition , which dates from the time of Sheptytsky .
But it was just as ridiculous at the time of Sheptytsky , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be their patriarch , which was also a ridiculous idea , because there is a difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church , and they do not seem to realize that .
For the Roman Church , any Ukrainian Church , any united Ukrainian Church must be under the jurisdiction of the pope—there is no other way for the Roman Church .
No other way !
Rome might even be inclined to give way on such topics as the Filioque , but it is not inclined in any way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Papal Primacy .
Never on Papal Primacy !
—So , from a true Catholic perspective , there can be no church which isn ’ t under the pope , and from a true Orthodox perspective , there can never be a church [ i.e .
the entire universal church ] which is under the pope .
—So , it ’ s an impasse .
This whole movement certainly is ridiculous then .
One thing I seem to remember , especially given the current events , is that Patriarch Bartholomew studied at the Pontifical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time there ?
—Oh yes .
He gave a speech even in the Institute .
Now I have one comment to make about that , on something I recently heard on the Spas TV Station .
They were speaking about the fact that Bartholomew was a student of the Institute , and was influenced by Catholic Theology , and that was the reason why he was doing the things that he is now .
That is ridiculous .
—So , you don ’ t feel his actions are influenced by Catholic Theology ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not by Catholicism .
He is Anti-Catholic .
Bartholomew is , in the dogmatic sense of the word , anti-Catholic .
He spoke about the ontological differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism at Georgetown University , at which Catholics were scandalized , because they thought he was… well… All his ideas about being the “ ” are his own political ideas .
It ’ s true that Catholics would like him to become the , because then it would be easier for them to deal with the Orthodox Churches , because it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in that sense , it would be easier for them ; but that Bartholomew was influenced by Catholic theology is absolute nonsense .
In fact , I think during the time that he was studying in the Institute it was more likely that the Catholics were influenced by him .
—Thank you , I appreciate the perspective , because I often hear one side , but I have never heard this unique insight on the issue .
—He studied canon law .
It was at the time when there was no Uniate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been published , so he studied canon law—but canon law is not Theology .
I don ’ t even know if he took any courses in Theology there .
—So why , first of all , are there very many Orthodox clergy studying in the Oriental Institute—or are they mostly Eastern Catholics ?
—At one time there were very few , but then the communist countries opened and then there was a flood of students .
At one point there were many Ukrainians and Romanians .
They were not prepared to study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Today there are fewer .
When I was studying there were almost equally Uniates and Orthodox , but Orthodox from many Churches .
There were some Serbs , there were many Romanians , there were Greeks , and there was a Bulgarian .
—So , what would motivate Orthodox clergy to study in theological institutions of a different faith ?
—The library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute is one of the best , if not the best library , on Eastern Christian studies in the world .
—I see , so archivism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the library , especially the library .
It is also for Greeks , I may say ; and I must make a negative comment , because many of the students did not use the library , and that was the most important thing .
—So , out of curiosity , what would happen in the institute when they discuss things like papal primacy , or the essence vs. energies dispute at the time of St. Gregory of Palamas ?
How are conflicting Orthodox and Catholic views handled ?
—On another topic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ openly homosexual media tycoon , a member of the GOARCH and a , sponsors a center for Orthodox-Catholic dialog at the Jesuit Loyola University in California .
There ’ s also the website Public Orthodoxy from Fordham University , which publishes and —for example , pro-homosexual content .
So , is there a lot of cooperation between Jesuit universities and Orthodox institutes ?
—In the United States , Jesuit universities really no longer exist .
All the Jesuit universities , with very few exceptions , are in the hands of lay people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the president is usually a Jesuit , but he has very little power .
Georgetown University , which had a very good academic program , is one of the most liberal universities , and was recently forbidden to use the name Catholic in its title because of its openness to homosexuals , lesbians , and the various sort of sexual perversities which go on in the West .
I don ’ t know very much about Loyola .
The only thing I know is that Kirill Hovorun is teaching there .
—Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” : Some schools within Orthodoxy apply the term , “ by the great theologian Father Georges Florovsky .
I always found it regrettable that some Orthodox people of what we could call a “ Pietistic ” trend , are allergic to anything perceived as Western—for example , even the Latin language itself .
Many Orthodox Saints used this language , and my “ favorite ” saint , Peter Mohyla , could even converse in Latin .
St. John of Shanghai highly venerated many ancient Western saints , and was extremely knowledgeable about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people .
Saint John ( Maximovitch ) of Shanghai celebrating the Western Rite with Western Rite Orthodox in Paris .
The concept of the Western Rite itself is canonical , but this does not mean all Western rite groups have the blessing of St. John , or are without issues .
Sadly , many Orthodox only seem to focus on the glorious single period of Byzantine saints , and often are unaware of the lives of more obscure saints , and this is unfortunate .
I am thinking particularly of ancient Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , for the sake of emphasizing the universality of the church , Orthodoxy is not an Eastern European phenomenon—it is neither an Eastern nor Western church .
It is Catholic , Ecumenical—which is to say , a universal faith .
We confess the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church , not the One Holy Greek Church or One Holy Muscovite Church .
So , what do you think , should there be more awareness of ancient pre-schism Western saints ?
—I think that the question is valid .
I think there should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can venerate those saints whom one wishes provided they ’ re Orthodox .
venerates them , and uses this Western Rite liturgy , the La divine liturgie selon Saint Germain de Paris ( The Divine Liturgy according to St. Germanus of Paris ) .
I have to say this : I find the idea wholesome and good .
Unfortunately , many of those , who are attracted to such things , have not lived up to expectations .
Unfortunately , many eccentrics are involved with these groups .
And there are all sorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which make me slightly suspicious when I look at the Western Rite .
Also , that Mass of St. Germanus of Paris is not a historically authentic thing , but something which has been put together ; I don ’ t think it ’ s a bad thing , I don ’ t think that certain things they ’ re trying to do with the rood screen , for example , are bad—I think they ’ re very beautiful .
But because of the fact that those groups are usually prone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal in France , where they admitted several members of the theosophical society , accepting eclecticism and esotericism , I view all of that with a grain of suspicion .
—And of course , I know that you always personally preferred the Slavonic liturgy and language .
—Oh yes , I prefer only the Slavonic Liturgy and only in Church Slavonic .
I have been immune to—by my experience in the Western [ Roman Catholic ] Church—all temptations of liturgical renovation , or modification , or so-called reform .
In the Western church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to the ruin of what was once a beautiful tradition .
—I absolutely disagree with those who want to have the liturgy in Russian .
I am not for the removal of the iconostasis , I am not for any of those strange innovations that were advocated by the obnovlenci ( Renovationists ) .
No , I am very conservative in liturgical matters .
—So , what do you think will happen now that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has recognized the Ukrainian schismatics ?
Will it lead to a broader schism ?
—Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question to you as an American of Ruthenian or Ukrainian decent who received Orthodoxy and became a very much beloved hieromonk here in Moscow .
Our whole community here very much appreciates your service and your self-evident love for Orthodoxy and the Slavonic language .
What words do you have for the faithful of the Ukrainian lands , and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians around the world , in these times of crisis ?
I am sure they would love to hear from you , as an American who is also one of their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would you have for them ?
—Stay true to Orthodoxy and Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine !
—Thank you very much Father Dr. Constantin !

A video of one of the many times Uniates have attacked Orthodox Christians and seized Churches, from Kolomyya in October of 2017. These sorts of attacks never make it into the anti-Orthodox Western media, and are swept under the rug.
—I don’t think he cares very much. I think this Roman Pontiff is fixated on other issues, especially which concern today’s Latin America. He’s very involved now with this Amazonian Synod, which is, extremely suspect because of its syncretistic aspects, and I don’t think he’s very interested in Eastern Europe.
—Including apparently the suffering of people whom he tries to call “brothers”? That is disastrous, even from the point of view of ecclesiastical diplomacy.
But, he does not seem to be a very intellectual pope, if I may say.
—He is not.
—Also, in the not so distant past, many Galician Uniates supported Nazi Germany during the Second World War. We already talked about the Bandera movement among the emigration in London prior to this. So, would you say that sympathy for Nazism and Russophobia was high among the Ukrainian Uniates of the 1930s, 40s, and onward?
—Well, during the 1930s, among the Ukrainian Uniates, animus was directed mostly against the Poles and the Jews. It was a fascist movement, but at the time, I would not say they were… well… there were ties with the Germans. There were ties, and the movements were similar, but they were still distinct. It was not until the Germans invaded Galicia that… What completely turned the Galicians into rabid let’s say Nazi supporters at that time was the previous occupation of Galicia by the Red Army.
—You are talking about the Soviet Invasion of Poland, around the time the Nazis also invaded Poland, in the fall of 1939—when the godless authorities occupied Galicia?
—Yes. The Red Army had occupied Galicia, then they retreated after the Germans attacked the Soviets, then the Germans occupied Galicia, and then once again the Red Army came. So, it was the first occupation of Galicia by the Red Army, especially by Jews, who occupied leading roles in the persecution of the intellectual elite among the Uniate Ukrainians at the time.
—Ah yes. So, it was the Jewish Soviet godless officials who persecuted Galicians, and this is what made Western Ukrainians perhaps so Russphobic? Or just Anti-Soviet? Is there a difference?
—For the Galicians, to be Russian at the time was to be Communist.
—Quite sad considering that the founding First Hierarch of ROCOR was the Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia, and we have a very “Ukrainian” character to our Russian Orthodoxy abroad , to all the jurisdictions really, certainly the OCA, the former Metropolia, but also the ROCOR . Many figures, perhaps even the bulk of our American “Russian” Orthodoxy, came from what is now the Ukraine. So, it’s quite sad that there is this confusion there. In Lvov at one time there were more Russophiles than in Saint Petersburg!
—Well of course, yes!
—In 1988, underground Uniate Bishops Pavel Vasylyk and Philemon Kurchaba met with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli. On February 1, 1990, Archbishop Lazar (Shvets’) of Ternopil and Kremenets, quoted at a meeting of Russian bishops one of those underground Catholic bishops:
“Orthodoxy does not have a place in Western Ukraine; they must resettle in the eastern regions. We will create here a Catholic Ukrainian Republic.”
This was preserved in Russian State Archives. So, were the Uniates receiving or expecting support from the Vatican on this? Or were they acting on their own?
—They were acting on their own. But they have done so consistently, since the time of Andrey Sheptytsky—and that was before the Second World War—but they have always projected this missionary impulse towards what they call “the East”.
Uniate Metropolitan of Galicia Andrey Sheptytsky, lived 1892-1944.—And perhaps this relates to building that very ugly building on the other [east] side of the Dnipro, which mars the view anytime I want to relax in Kiev…
—Yes, but what about their diocese or eparchies, which they have opened in places like Kharkov, where the Uniate population is completely minimal?
They do not realize an important fact—that the Ukrainian nation is an Orthodox nation, not a Catholic nation. It has never been a Catholic nation. Catholics are five percent of the population!
—I understand; we had talked before about how you were a Catholic essentially by chance or circumstance, due to your parent’s compromise between the Orthodoxy of your mother and Protestantism of your father, but in your heart, you always felt Orthodox.
—Yes!
—And I can feel that. It seems quite obvious. So, then, here’s the rather interesting question: How much control does the Vatican actually hold over the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, currently led by Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk?
—Well, let us say he cannot really. As I said before, he consistently makes moves to befuddle any sort of positive development between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church.
But let us say, he must do it in a rather, well… You see, Shevchuk is a rather strange person. Even other bishops and the clergy say that he’s quite prone to hysterical outburst and tantrums. He’s quite an unpredictable character. He’s a nationalist of course, but very much aware of his own importance.
Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Of course, he cannot be completely disobedient to the Vatican; that would be scandalous. But today, after the Vatican Council, bishops are known to be quite disobedient to the Curia in the Vatican. Now, you do know that the Curia and the Vatican has never accepted him as Patriarch?
All the posts that are sent to him are addressed to him as “Major Archbishop”—and yet he replies as [a self-styled] Patriarch! I don’t think he replies that way to the Vatican directly, but to his faithful, he does. And there was even talk of him protesting against that fact—that they send posts to him addressed as Major Archbishop and not as Patriarch.
—Then to summarize, would you be saying then that the Vatican does not really hold much influence over Shevchuk?
—Not really. Especially not in his public pronouncements.
—In 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church possessed 8,500 parishes and 20 monasteries, 4,418 churches and 9 monasteries of which were located in Ukraine. In 1990, there were reported to be 2639 Orthodox parishes in Galicia. Between 1990 and 1997 the Greek Catholics seized around 2000 churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Uniates have been among the most active persecutors of Orthodoxy in Ukraine. There’s a video of a Uniate priest literally calling for “terror and assassination” against their enemies, as well as many Uniate priests serving funerals for member of the SS Galicia Division and their neo-Fascists decedents in full Nazi uniform .
 A Uniate priest serving at a Nazi-styled funeral. Note the Swastika on the Wehrmacht-style helmet.
Uniate Chaplain Nikolai Medinsky assaulted believers while seizing a church in October 2017, and he was caught on video forcefully shoving aside elderly women, calling the people Moscow pigs, lifeless biomass, and not even human. These are just some common examples of assaults and persecution committed by Uniate leaders, which raises several questions.
Firstly, seeing that these videos are available to anyone on the internet, is it right to say that the Vatican and Uniate Hierarchs are fully aware of these crimes committed by their clergy? I know we’ve talked about this, but it is just quite difficult for me to understand how these assaults from Nazis in broad daylight are available on YouTube. Are the hierarchs just not aware of this, or…
—I’m sure they share those sentiments.
Uniate “Priest” Nikolai Medinsky in Kolomyya demonstrating how strong a man he is by shoving aside elderly women and stealing their churches. Photo taken from a video by the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
—The Uniate leaders of course share them, but what about the Vatican itself?
—The Vatican? No. I don’t think many of the higher clergy in the Vatican are even informed about those things.
—So, they can just ignore what’s happening there?
—Remember that usually the worst things are happening in isolated villages, and so many of them in the Vatican are poorly informed, and to some degree, informed by the Uniates themselves, who don’t speak of those things to the Vatican.
—So, you think none of this persecution is making it to the ear of the Vatican?
—I think some of it is, but not all of it. The Vatican usually denies most of that, and denies most of the takeovers of the churches, and says that the Orthodox are also aggressive, etc.
—So, how does that affect the relations the Vatican is trying to build with the Russian Church? On the one hand, they come and shake hands with us and say they are our friends, while on the other hand, they just deny that anyone is seizing our churches, or assaulting our family members. And certainly, there are some individuals, who can tell them. You mentioned for example the Ukrainian Orthodox priests who studied in Rome. Don’t they inform the Vatican? It seems to me they’ve had enough opportunities and possibilities to find out what’s happening.
—The students really have very little opportunity, except for one, to come into contact with cardinals or members of the curia who would be influential in such issues.
—And so why is there no outcry? Why is Shevchuk not defrocked, or why isn’t he suspending these priests?
—To the contrary—Shevchuk is not suspending those priests, but his predecessor Liubomyr Huzar was suspending and defrocking priests who proclaimed themselves, traditional Uniates. There is a movement among the Uniates of traditional Uniatism. Did you know that exists?
The Uniate so-called “Patriarchal Cathedral” interior, a modernistic style championed by deceased Uniate leader Huzar, which is a break from both traditional Orthodox and Catholic styles of architecture. Huzar championed a very modernistic style throughout North America and Ukraine.
—No.
—Oh yes! There is a movement among the Uniates, a group of Uniates who reject all of the Byzantine accretions to the liturgy that were imposed after the Uniate Church in Ukraine became free. They want to celebrate with all of the Latinizations, (things like Bishops with gloves, and all those accretions that they had in the nineteenth century); and those priests were quite violently opposed to Huzar, Shevchuk’s predecessor, who suspended and I think even defrocked some of them.
Then there was another group among the Uniates, who were interested in quasi-charismatic exorcism phenomena, and that also created quite a stir among the Uniates. And I believe these problems concern the curia of Shevchuk much more then violent displays of nationalism. He himself is a violent nationalist.
—So, when we see people like Medinsky calling for “death to the enemies”, [or Mikhaylo Arsenych calling for “assassination and terror” ], obviously this is beyond any scholastic debate; it is anti-Christian devilry. So why doesn’t Shevchuk do anything about this? Doesn’t he even feel, if not as a Christian then perhaps for PR reasons that he shouldn’t appear openly as a Nazi?
—Well. I don’t think he cares very much.
—Understood.
—But I have another example for you. You remember I told you about that bishop in England; do you know what eventually happened to him?
—Do you mean Hornyak?
—Yes, do you know what eventually happened to him?
—No.
—Let me tell you what eventually happened to him. He defended the Vatican, and what is known as the Oriental Congregation, to the hilt, against all opponents; he was in it, for whatever reasons, good or bad, but he defended them! He defended them, and eventually he lost almost all his parishioners [to Slipyj].
And at that time, the Pope was John Paul II, who rather appreciated that Slipyj and that movement—not the nationalistic movement, as John Paul II was Polish and the Poles are against Ukrainian nationalism—but let’s say he was more tolerant of them; and during his pontificate, everything seemed to be forgiven—all the abuses that went on during this “patriarchal period” in the diaspora. Because what had been happening in England is that instead of going to the churches, these Uniate Banderite sort of nationalists were gathering in the Ukrainian clubs, which were really taverns, and having suspended priests—suspended priests!—come from Rome to celebrate for them. They were having these masses in the clubs. And of course, the Bishop in England, Hornyak, was completely against that; he said they were all suspended priests, and was defending the Oriental Congregation.
And eventually during the pontificate of John Paul II, after the reopening of the Uniate church in Ukraine, somehow all was forgiven, and those priests were reinstated.
Pope John Paull II with Cardinal Josyf Slipyj at the episcopal consecration of Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, Dec. 11, 1979.
Somehow one of them, a ringleader by the name of Ivan Muzychka, was made rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Rome. Moreover several of the leading patriarchal clergy were given high positions in the hierarchy under John Paull II. And what happened to Bishop Hornyak? He was summarily and essentially demoted by the Oriental Congregation and sent into forced retirement, although he defended the Oriental Congregation for years! Is that any way to behave, to treat him?
—That’s shocking!
—I shall tell you another story about why I became Orthodox, and why I did not stay in the Oriental Institute teaching Russian students. You know we had a very famous Jesuit who taught liturgy in the Oriental Institute. His name was Miguel Arranz; he was a Spanish Jesuit, who belonged to the Roman Province, and was very interested in Russia, making several trips to the Soviet Union.
He was a great friend of Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), who gave him an honorary doctorate from the Leningrad Theological Academy.
Arranz taught liturgy at the Oriental Institute. I have to say, he was a great friend of Orthodox bishops, he knew the patriarch very well. But his last years were spent in a very lonely state. He alienated himself from the Oriental Institute, and was in part alienated by the Jesuits in the institute. No one seemed to visit or care for him. And he died very embittered and alone, in the Jesuit infirmary in Rome; and he was not even given a Byzantine-rite divine liturgy for his funeral, because he died in the summer when the students of the Russicum were on vacation. He was given an ordinary Latin, very quick mass.
He died very embittered, and I think he felt what very sorry that he had not made the move to Orthodoxy, as I later did.
I meditated very much about him, and thought: “I don’t want that to happen to me.” I want to live my dream—to become Orthodox and to live in Russia, with Russian people. I have always been much more able to understand Russians then I have Italians or Germans, or other Western Europeans. It’s always been much easier for me.
And that was another reason I decided to leave Rome, and the teaching position.
—Rome didn’t have any issue with that? Well, their loss is our gain!
—Well, Rome today does not communicate with me, of course. And the Oriental Institute does not communicate with me. I am a pariah, let’s say.
—Well, their loss is our gain, because as far as I am concerned, you came home.
—Yes. I am very satisfied, I love Moscow, I love being here in the monastery, and I love the liturgies. I love all the liturgies that go on here, and I love the choir, and how the liturgies are celebrated here.
And you know I used to be a complete Orthodox fanatic when I was a Catholic. Wherever I was, I always visited Orthodox Churches. But the Orthodox Churches in the emigration very often seemed to me to be lacking something, especially in the music—very bad choirs. Except in Paris and a few other places.
—You should see the choir of St. Sergius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio. My friend is the choir director there; he was the former Choir Master of the Hierarchal Choir of Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra in Volhynia, Western Ukraine. He came to America a while ago for rather serious lung surgery—a double lung transplant. But I am happy to report that he still sings magnificently, and never fails to amaze Hierarchs and visiting guests. His choir at St. Sergius is just excellent; his name is Father Serhii Chebotar.
—Yes, I know him!
—Ah, you’ve met him!
—Yes, with our mutual friend.
—So, you know another one of my good friends then. Wonderful. You know, the Orthodox world, especially the clergy and families of clergy like my own, are all just a few steps removed. We’re all like one giant family.
We are so happy you came home to Orthodoxy! The Catholic Church seems to be plagued these days…
—Well the Catholic Church… I have one more thing to say about that, and about its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate. During my last two or three years as a professor at the Oriental Institute, I visited the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy at the invitation of His Eminence, Archbishop Amvrosy, and I gave a talk there, after which I gave an interview.
I gave an interview to the students, and I said that I believe the Catholics who are proselytizing in Russia do this against the will of the highest authorities in the Vatican, and the that Orthodox should not—in the opinion of the highest authorities of the Vatican—be proselytized to or made into Roman Catholics.
I said that, and it was published a few months later. After having returned from Australia, I received a letter from the General of the Jesuit Order, and an attached letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who had complained about my statement regarding the proselytizing to the Orthodox. He also complained about my use of the terms for the Uniate movement, which were declared at Balamand—because I quoted the Balamand Declaration —and also the term “sister Church” for the Russian Orthodox Church.
—So, they complained about your use [of a declaration they themselves agreed to]? They complained that you said the position of the leadership Catholic Church is to not try to convert Russians to Roman Catholicism?
—Yes, they complained about my use of those terms. They said those things should not be said, those terms should not be used, and that it was not the doctrine of the Roman Church!
I said the term, “sister Church” should be used, there should be no proselytizing, and that the Orthodox should not become Roman Catholics! And that was the policy of the Vatican!
And that was denied! Denied by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, or by their representative, and I had to apologize and write letters to the General of the Jesuits and to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who said that those were not the policies off the Roman Pontiff or the Vatican. And this was during the time of Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), who was quite friendly to the Orthodox Churches.
So, I must say that in my opinion, there is a sort of doublespeak in the Vatican, constantly with regards to the Orthodox Churches. It says one thing and does another!
It says one thing to someone, but says something completely contrary to someone else. It reminds me of a time when I wrote an article for La Civilta Cattolica, which is the official mouthpiece for the Catholic church in Italy—it is a Jesuit journal—and in that journal, I wrote something about the state of the Macedonian schism.
And I was rebuked by Cardinal Archbishop Colasuonno, who later on was official representative of the Holy See in Moscow, and told that: “Even if what you wrote was true, it should not be written.”
Those were his exact words!
—That sounds like the definition of doublespeak! Fascinating. That really shows the attitude there.
—Yes!
—Shevchuk once said that the goal of the ecumenical movement is to create a single Ukrainian Patriarchate recognized by both Rome and Constantinople. But based on this, I wonder how much of this translates to reality. Would Rome or Constantinople be interested in this compromise?
Shevchuk and Pat. Bartholomew of Constantinople meeting in the Vatican
—This is a ridiculous proposition, which dates from the time of Sheptytsky. But it was just as ridiculous at the time of Sheptytsky, when the Ukrainian separatist Orthodox invited him to be their patriarch, which was also a ridiculous idea, because there is a difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and they do not seem to realize that.
For the Roman Church, any Ukrainian Church, any united Ukrainian Church must be under the jurisdiction of the pope—there is no other way for the Roman Church. No other way!
Rome might even be inclined to give way on such topics as the Filioque, but it is not inclined in any way, to give way on the subject of Papal Primacy. Never on Papal Primacy!
—So, from a true Catholic perspective, there can be no church which isn’t under the pope, and from a true Orthodox perspective, there can never be a church [i.e. the entire universal church] which is under the pope.
—Yes.
—So, it’s an impasse. This whole movement certainly is ridiculous then. One thing I seem to remember, especially given the current events, is that Patriarch Bartholomew studied at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Do people remember his time there?
—Oh yes. He gave a speech even in the Institute. Now I have one comment to make about that, on something I recently heard on the Spas TV Station. They were speaking about the fact that Bartholomew was a student of the Institute, and was influenced by Catholic Theology, and that was the reason why he was doing the things that he is now. That is ridiculous.
—So, you don’t feel his actions are influenced by Catholic Theology?
—No. He is influenced by politics, not by Catholicism. He is Anti-Catholic. Bartholomew is, in the dogmatic sense of the word, anti-Catholic. He spoke about the ontological differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism at Georgetown University, at which Catholics were scandalized, because they thought he was… well… All his ideas about being the “ Pope of the East ” are his own political ideas.
It’s true that Catholics would like him to become the Eastern Pope , because then it would be easier for them to deal with the Orthodox Churches, because it would all be with one person. So, in that sense, it would be easier for them; but that Bartholomew was influenced by Catholic theology is absolute nonsense. In fact, I think during the time that he was studying in the Institute it was more likely that the Catholics were influenced by him.
—Thank you, I appreciate the perspective, because I often hear one side, but I have never heard this unique insight on the issue.
—He studied canon law. It was at the time when there was no Uniate canon law, the Uniate law had not been published, so he studied canon law—but canon law is not Theology. I don’t even know if he took any courses in Theology there.
—So why, first of all, are there very many Orthodox clergy studying in the Oriental Institute—or are they mostly Eastern Catholics?
—At one time there were very few, but then the communist countries opened and then there was a flood of students. At one point there were many Ukrainians and Romanians. They were not prepared to study, and they were very bad students. Today there are fewer. When I was studying there were almost equally Uniates and Orthodox, but Orthodox from many Churches. There were some Serbs, there were many Romanians, there were Greeks, and there was a Bulgarian.
—So, what would motivate Orthodox clergy to study in theological institutions of a different faith?
—The library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute is one of the best, if not the best library, on Eastern Christian studies in the world.
—I see, so archivism is what brings people in.
—It’s the library, especially the library. It is also for Greeks, I may say; and I must make a negative comment, because many of the students did not use the library, and that was the most important thing.
—So, out of curiosity, what would happen in the institute when they discuss things like papal primacy, or the essence vs. energies dispute at the time of St. Gregory of Palamas? How are conflicting Orthodox and Catholic views handled?
—Both things are taught.
—On another topic, Michael Huffington, who is an openly homosexual media tycoon, a member of the GOARCH and a big supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate , sponsors a center for Orthodox-Catholic dialog via his foundation at the Jesuit Loyola University in California. There’s also the website Public Orthodoxy from Fordham University, which publishes and supports many unorthodox ideas —for example, pro-homosexual content. So, is there a lot of cooperation between Jesuit universities and Orthodox institutes?
—In the United States, Jesuit universities really no longer exist. All the Jesuit universities, with very few exceptions, are in the hands of lay people. They are Jesuit universities only in name; the president is usually a Jesuit, but he has very little power.
Georgetown University, which had a very good academic program, is one of the most liberal universities, and was recently forbidden to use the name Catholic in its title because of its openness to homosexuals, lesbians, and the various sort of sexual perversities which go on in the West.
I don’t know very much about Loyola. The only thing I know is that Kirill Hovorun is teaching there.
—Now on the topic of “Western influence”: Some schools within Orthodoxy apply the term, “ Western captivity”, as in The Ways of Russian Theology by the great theologian Father Georges Florovsky. I always found it regrettable that some Orthodox people of what we could call a “Pietistic” trend, are allergic to anything perceived as Western—for example, even the Latin language itself.
Many Orthodox Saints used this language, and my “favorite” saint, Peter Mohyla, could even converse in Latin. St. John of Shanghai highly venerated many ancient Western saints, and was extremely knowledgeable about them—his response on these issues may surprise many people .
Saint John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai celebrating the Western Rite with Western Rite Orthodox in Paris. The concept of the Western Rite itself is canonical, but this does not mean all Western rite groups have the blessing of St. John, or are without issues.
Sadly, many Orthodox only seem to focus on the glorious single period of Byzantine saints, and often are unaware of the lives of more obscure saints, and this is unfortunate.
I am thinking particularly of ancient Western traditions that are completely Orthodox. After all, for the sake of emphasizing the universality of the church, Orthodoxy is not an Eastern European phenomenon—it is neither an Eastern nor Western church. It is Catholic, Ecumenical—which is to say, a universal faith.
We confess the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, not the One Holy Greek Church or One Holy Muscovite Church. So, what do you think, should there be more awareness of ancient pre-schism
Western saints?
—I think that the question is valid. I think there should be more veneration. I think one can venerate those saints whom one wishes provided they’re Orthodox. The Western Rite venerates them, and uses this Western Rite liturgy, the La divine liturgie selon Saint Germain de Paris (The Divine Liturgy according to St. Germanus of Paris).
I have to say this: I find the idea wholesome and good. Unfortunately, many of those, who are attracted to such things, have not lived up to expectations. Unfortunately, many eccentrics are involved with these groups. And there are all sorts of aberrations and abuses which go on, which make me slightly suspicious when I look at the Western Rite.
Also, that Mass of St. Germanus of Paris is not a historically authentic thing, but something which has been put together; I don’t think it’s a bad thing, I don’t think that certain things they’re trying to do with the rood screen, for example, are bad—I think they’re very beautiful. But because of the fact that those groups are usually prone to changing jurisdictions, and because of the scandal in France, where they admitted several members of the theosophical society, accepting eclecticism and esotericism, I view all of that with a grain of suspicion.
—And of course, I know that you always personally preferred the Slavonic liturgy and language.
—Oh yes, I prefer only the Slavonic Liturgy and only in Church Slavonic. I have been immune to—by my experience in the Western [Roman Catholic] Church—all temptations of liturgical renovation, or modification, or so-called reform. In the Western church, so-called reform only led to deformation and to the ruin of what was once a beautiful tradition.
—Yes. We’re both obviously liturgical conservatives.
—I absolutely disagree with those who want to have the liturgy in Russian. I am not for the removal of the iconostasis, I am not for any of those strange innovations that were advocated by the obnovlenci (Renovationists). No, I am very conservative in liturgical matters.
Hieromonk Constantin (Simon), center, holding the chalice.
—So, what do you think will happen now that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has recognized the Ukrainian schismatics? Will it lead to a broader schism?
—Well of course it will!
—My final question to you as an American of Ruthenian or Ukrainian decent who received Orthodoxy and became a very much beloved hieromonk here in Moscow. Our whole community here very much appreciates your service and your self-evident love for Orthodoxy and the Slavonic language. What words do you have for the faithful of the Ukrainian lands, and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians around the world, in these times of crisis? I am sure they would love to hear from you, as an American who is also one of their own zemlyaki (countrymen). What words would you have for them?
—Stay true to Orthodoxy and Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine!
—Thank you very much Father Dr. Constantin!
—Thank you!


southfront--2020-08-02--Portland’s ‘Peaceful’ Protesters Burn Bibles, American Flags And Pig’s Head After Feds Withdraw

We i western economics , where we are well integrated in all levels .
Fx we have 2 important tools in the new Marslander looking for life there .
As written before military power and the state are tools of many .
Most contacts are by private companies as influencers and stockholders .
So I do owe parts of USA and get paid every year into my pension foundation .
And we aæso has + in trade into USA as well as we produce a lot for and with them in USA .
USA also produce here and have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stockmarkets .
Denmark fx are the biggest producer in Insulin in the world and the majority of users are in United states .
Even we are small the USA IT companies has several of their big centers here .
We have a good investment climate and they can promote themselves by using clean electricity by Our invented WindPower plants now sold and copied all over the world .
Country borders and production here is not like Kombinates in old USA or Zaibatzus in Japan producing all parts of it .
We help each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it doesnt matter where it comes from .
You are focussed on the military part , because You are not producers and consumers as well .
And YES we are very happy being not Nazis or Communist .
Who did that .
USA didnt start WW1 as well as WW2 .
Europenas did .
Thats why we try to do something else and ceratainly never will go backto , what You seemes to prefare .

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
After federal agents withdrew from Portland late last week, neo-Marxist ‘youts‘ broke out the lighter fluid and began torching Bibles, American flags, and a severed pig’s head donning a police hat.
Left-wing activists bring a stack of Bibles to burn in front of the federal courthouse in Portland. pic.twitter.com/lYWY0x8n8P — Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 1, 2020
'F*ck Trump!' | Bible and US flag set alight on 65th night of protests in #Portland pic.twitter.com/3c60egqEa3 — RT (@RT_com) August 1, 2020
Antifa protesters dumped a bloody severed pig's head on an American flag outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland. They put a cop's hat on it and set all of it on fire. #PortlandRiots #antifa pic.twitter.com/qfAOT4ItxP — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 31, 2020
More flag burning at the antifa/ BLM gathering in downtown Portland. Video by @FromKalen. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/okngG7eRYK — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 1, 2020
Meanwhile, over 150 rounds were fired at a shooting downtown, striking a woman in the arm who was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Of course, the Washington Post is out with fresh propaganda with the headline “Calm returns to Portland as federal agents withdraw.”
Right…
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southfront--2020-08-02--Military Situation In Yemen On August 1, 2020 (Map Update)

What result should be expected from a rich powerful state , against a poor country farmers and herders ?
It @ @ @ @ @ stalemate .
The suadi forces are cutting their own throats , on a road to @ @

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Khab and Shaaf areas;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 4 airstrikes on the Majzar area;
Saudi-led coalition artillery shelled Ansar Allah positions in the Munbah border district;
According to the Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah), Saudi coalition violated the ceasefire agreement in al-Hudaydah 2895 times during the month of July.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Turkey Deployed 27,000 Syrian Militants, Jihadists In Libya: Monitoring Group

Turkey has been deploying Syrian militants and jihadists of different nationalities in Libya to support the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) revealed in a report on August 1 .
According to the London-based monitoring group , a new batch of Syrian militants and jihadist arrived in Libya in the last few days .
The SOHR estimates that Turkey has deployed more than 17,000 Syrian militants , including 350 children , in Libya so far .
At least 6,000 of them returned to Syria in the recent few months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deploying its Syrian proxies , Turkey also transported around 10,000 Jihadists of different nationalities to fight for the GNA in Libya .
At least 2,500 of them are Tunisian .
Turkey began sending Syrian militants and jihadists to Libya last year .
This step boosted the offensive capabilities of the GNA and allowed its forces to repel the Libyan National Army attack on the capital , Tripoli .
These achievements came at a high cost for Syrian militants .
According to the SOHR , 481 Syrians were killed in Libya .
34 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Turkey appears to be determined to increase its military presence in Libya .
Recent reports revealed that Ankara is planning to establish permanent bases for its forces in the Arab country .
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Turkey has been deploying Syrian militants and jihadists of different nationalities in Libya to support the Government of National Accord (GNA), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed in a report on August 1.
According to the London-based monitoring group, a new batch of Syrian militants and jihadist arrived in Libya in the last few days.
The SOHR estimates that Turkey has deployed more than 17,000 Syrian militants, including 350 children, in Libya so far. At least 6,000 of them returned to Syria in the recent few months after receiving the full payment.
“Turkey continues to bring more factions’ fighters, mercenaries, to its camps and train them,” the SOHR’s report reads.
Besides deploying its Syrian proxies, Turkey also transported around 10,000 Jihadists of different nationalities to fight for the GNA in Libya. At least 2,500 of them are Tunisian.
Turkey began sending Syrian militants and jihadists to Libya last year. This step boosted the offensive capabilities of the GNA and allowed its forces to repel the Libyan National Army attack on the capital, Tripoli.
These achievements came at a high cost for Syrian militants. According to the SOHR, 481 Syrians were killed in Libya. 34 of them were under the age of 18.
Turkey appears to be determined to increase its military presence in Libya. Recent reports revealed that Ankara is planning to establish permanent bases for its forces in the Arab country.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Turkish-Backed Militants Leak Alleged Recording Of Egyptian Troops In Syria

On July 31 , Arabi 21 shared a voice recording claiming to be of Egyptian troops recently deployed around the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib .
The news outlet said the recording was provided to it by Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud , a spokesman for the Turkish-backed Syria National Army ( SNA ) .
The spokesman claimed that the SNA intercepted calls between Egyptian troops in western Aleppo .
The 33-second voice recording is supposedly a call between two Egyptian service members in Syria .
However , nothing in the recording indicates that those speaking in Egyptian dialect are soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Turkish Anadolu Agency reported on July 30 that Egypt deployed troops around Greater Idlib to support the Syrian Arab Army .
According to the SNA , 148 Egyptian service members were deployed in southern Idlib and western Aleppo .
The service members were supposedly flown from Cairo and Ismailia to Hama Air Base in central Syria on July 26 and 27 .
Pro-government sources and the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights denied any Egyptian deployment in Syria .
However , Cairo is yet to comment on these claims .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 that Egypt may have deployed troops in Syria as a political message to Turkey .
Last year , Ankara defied Egypt by intervening in Libya .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Free Love And Liberal Values : Thermal Video Documents Turkish-backed Rebels Having Gay Sex At Idlib Frontline

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On July 31, Arabi 21 shared a voice recording claiming to be of Egyptian troops recently deployed around the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib.
The news outlet said the recording was provided to it by Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud, a spokesman for the Turkish-backed Syria National Army (SNA). The spokesman claimed that the SNA intercepted calls between Egyptian troops in western Aleppo.
The 33-second voice recording is supposedly a call between two Egyptian service members in Syria. However, nothing in the recording indicates that those speaking in Egyptian dialect are soldiers or that they are indeed in Syria.
The Turkish Anadolu Agency reported on July 30 that Egypt deployed troops around Greater Idlib to support the Syrian Arab Army.
According to the SNA, 148 Egyptian service members were deployed in southern Idlib and western Aleppo. The service members were supposedly flown from Cairo and Ismailia to Hama Air Base in central Syria on July 26 and 27.
Pro-government sources and the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights denied any Egyptian deployment in Syria. However, Cairo is yet to comment on these claims.
A source in the Syrian opposition told Arabi 21 that Egypt may have deployed troops in Syria as a political message to Turkey. Last year, Ankara defied Egypt by intervening in Libya.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Military Situation In Afghanistan On August 1, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan : • According to the @ @ @ @ @ that at least 9 civilians were killed and 50 others were wounded in Pakistani forces @ @ @ @ @ district , Kandahar province ; • At least 14 people were wounded in an explosion @ @ @ @ @ the city of Herat .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan:
According to the Afghan Ministry of Defense claimed that at least 9 civilians were killed and 50 others were wounded in Pakistani forces artillery attacks on Spin Boldak district, Kandahar province;
At least 14 people were wounded in an explosion in the Tank-e-Mawlawi area in the city of Herat.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Free Love And Liberal Values: Thermal Video Documents Turkish-backed Rebels Having Gay Sex At Idlib

Free Love And Liberal Values: Thermal Video Documents Turkish-backed Rebels Having Gay Sex At Idlib Frontline

Militants in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib were caught having gay sex in public in a newly-released video .
The Syrian Military Capabilities Facebook pages released the video , which was recorded with a thermal surveillance system , on August 1 .
The video shows two militants engaging in a sexual conduct at the rooftop of a building near a frontline with the Syrian Arab Army .
A source familiar with the video told SouthFront that the footage was recorded in the vicinity of the town of Enkawi in Idlib ’ s southern countryside .
The town is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Sham ( HTS ) and the National Front for Liberation .
While Greater Idlib militants promote themselves as being Islamic and conservative , their acts say otherwise .
Various sexual scandals regularly erupte in the miltiant-held region .
Last month , many scandalous photos of Bilal Abdul Kareem , a propagandist for al-Qaeda , surfaced online .
HTS was accused of leaking the photos .
These scandals expose the hypocrisy of factions that control the ‘ opposition-held ’ part of Greater Idlib and claim that they fight Damascus in order to implement Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : • Former U.S.-Backed Rebel Who Rejected Reconciliation Assassinated In Syria ’ s Daraa

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Militants in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib were caught having gay sex in public in a newly-released video.
The Syrian Military Capabilities Facebook pages released the video, which was recorded with a thermal surveillance system, on August 1. The video shows two militants engaging in a sexual conduct at the rooftop of a building near a frontline with the Syrian Arab Army.
A source familiar with the video told SouthFront that the footage was recorded in the vicinity of the town of Enkawi in Idlib’s southern countryside. The town is controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the National Front for Liberation.
While Greater Idlib militants promote themselves as being Islamic and conservative, their acts say otherwise. Various sexual scandals regularly erupte in the miltiant-held region. Last month, many scandalous photos of Bilal Abdul Kareem, a propagandist for al-Qaeda, surfaced online. HTS was accused of leaking the photos.
These scandals expose the hypocrisy of factions that control the ‘opposition-held’ part of Greater Idlib and claim that they fight Damascus in order to implement Islamic Sharia laws.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Israel Informed Hezbollah That It Will No Longer Target Its Fighters In Syria – Report

Israel has informed Hezbollah that it will no longer target its fighters in Syria , the Palestinian al-Hadath newspaper reported on August 1 , citing Israeli media reports .
According to the newspaper , Hezbollah was informed of the Israeli decision in a message that was delivered by the UN .
Hezbollah lost one of its fighters in the July 20 Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital , Damascus .
Since then , Israel has been anticipating an attack by the Lebanese group , which is well-known for responding to such incidents .
Al-Hadath said the new Israeli message to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aviv warned the group that it will strike “ six sensitive targets ” in response to any attack from Lebanon on its territory .
This was the second Israeli message to Hezbollah since July 20 .
In the first message , Israel told the group that it didn ’ t intend to kill its fighter in the recent airstrikes on Damascus .
Tel Aviv also warned the group from responding .
Israel ’ s promise to stop its attacks on Hezbollah fighters in Syria may de-escalate tensions with the group .
Nevertheless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand-off with Israel .
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Israel has informed Hezbollah that it will no longer target its fighters in Syria, the Palestinian al-Hadath newspaper reported on August 1, citing Israeli media reports.
According to the newspaper, Hezbollah was informed of the Israeli decision in a message that was delivered by the UN.
“The occupation [Israeli] government sent a message to Lebanese Hezbollah, through the UN, saying it will refrain from targeting Hezbollah fighters in Syria once and for all,” the al-Hadath’s report reads.
Hezbollah lost one of its fighters in the July 20 Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital, Damascus. Since then, Israel has been anticipating an attack by the Lebanese group, which is well-known for responding to such incidents.
Al-Hadath said the new Israeli message to Hezbollah also included a threat. Tell Aviv warned the group that it will strike “six sensitive targets” in response to any attack from Lebanon on its territory.
This was the second Israeli message to Hezbollah since July 20. In the first message, Israel told the group that it didn’t intend to kill its fighter in the recent airstrikes on Damascus. Tel Aviv also warned the group from responding.
Israel’s promise to stop its attacks on Hezbollah fighters in Syria may de-escalate tensions with the group. Nevertheless, Hezbollah has never backed down from a stand-off with Israel.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Military Situation In Iraq On August 1, 2020 (Map Update)

ISIS is still alive and well in Iraq .
means of pressure to the Iraqi government maybe ?
to behave @ @ @ @ @ else…… .

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq:
As a result of ISIS attacks in the Mukayshifa area one Iraqi Federal Police officer was killed and 3 others were wounded;
The Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) seized several explosive barrels and rocket launchers belonging to ISIS terrorists northeast of Baquba;
Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced snap parliamentary elections on June 6, 2021;
According to US CENTCOM, ISF cleared more than 250 villages and sites during the 4th phase of Operation “Iraqi Heroes” in Diyala Province;
The Iraqi Air Force conducted air strikes at ISIS locations in Wadi Al-Shay south of Kirkuk.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Combat Footage: Houthis Destroy Saudi Vehicles, Positions With ATGMs & Recoilless Rifles

On August 2 , the Houthis ’ media wing shared videos of recent attacks by the Yemen group on the @ @ @ @ @ .
The first three videos show Houthi fighters destroying six armored personnel carriers and armed @ @ @ @ @ in the northern Yemeni province of al-Jawf and the Kingdom ’ s southern province of @ @ @ @ @ ( ATGMs ) .
Houthi fighters used Konkurs ATGMs , which were either directly supplied @ @ @ @ @ Saudi-backed forces in recent battles .
The remaining two videos show the Houthis shelling Saudi @ @ @ @ @ ammo depot in Najran with B-10 82 mm recoilless rifles .
The Houthis stepped up @ @ @ @ @ line with Saudi Arabia in the last few months in response to the Saudi-led coalition @ @ @ @ @ .
The Saudi-led coalition and its Yemeni allies have been attempting to secure the border @ @ @ @ @ of the war in 2015 .
Nevertheless , the Houthis are still dominating the border @ @ @ @ @ of the rough terrain and superior tactics .
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On August 2, the Houthis’ media wing shared videos of recent attacks by the Yemen group on the Saudi military and its proxies.
The first three videos show Houthi fighters destroying six armored personnel carriers and armed pickup trucks of Saudi forces in the northern Yemeni province of al-Jawf and the Kingdom’s southern province of Najran with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).
Houthi fighters used Konkurs ATGMs, which were either directly supplied by Iran or captured from Saudi-backed forces in recent battles.
The remaining two videos show the Houthis shelling Saudi troops, positions and an ammo depot in Najran with B-10 82 mm recoilless rifles.
The Houthis stepped up their operations on the border line with Saudi Arabia in the last few months in response to the Saudi-led coalition intense aerial attacks on Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition and its Yemeni allies have been attempting to secure the border with Yemen since the outbreak of the war in 2015. Nevertheless, the Houthis are still dominating the border thanks to their better understanding of the rough terrain and superior tactics.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Fingers Point At SDF After The Assassination of Another Prominent Tribal Leader In Deir Ezzor

On August 2 , sheikh Mutashar Hammoud al-Havel , a prominent leader of Al Uqaydat Arab tribe in northeast Syria , was assassinated .
Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the sheikh ’ s car in the town of al-Hawaij in southeast Deir Ezzor in the morning .
The sheikh and his driver were killed on the spot .
Another leader of Al Uqaydat , sheikh Ibrahim Khalil Aboud al-Jadaan al-Havel , was injured .
In a statement , Al Uqaydat held the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) , which controls southeast Deir Ezzor , responsible for the assassination .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the matter .
Several activists went as a far as accusing the U.S.-backed SDF of orchestrating the assassination of sheikh Mutashar Hammoud al-Havel .
Al-Havel is the third Arab tribal leader to be assassinated in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside this week .
On July 30 , sheikh Suleiman al-Kassar of Al Uqaydat was killed by ISIS .
A day later , an attack claimed the life of sheikh Ali Alwis of Al Baggara .
The situation in southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside is slowly spinning out of control .
ISIS influence there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to secure the region , so far .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Turkish Forces Opened Fire At Civilian Traveling On M4 Highway In Northeast Syria ( Video )

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On August 2, sheikh Mutashar Hammoud al-Havel, a prominent leader of Al Uqaydat Arab tribe in northeast Syria, was assassinated.
Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the sheikh’s car in the town of al-Hawaij in southeast Deir Ezzor in the morning. The sheikh and his driver were killed on the spot. Another leader of Al Uqaydat, sheikh Ibrahim Khalil Aboud al-Jadaan al-Havel, was injured.
#د24 :
صورة توضح السيارة التي كانت تقل الشيخ “امطشر حمود جدعان الهفل” والتي تعرضت لإطلاق رصاص عند مفرق الرغيب في بلدة #الحوايج في ريف #ديرالزور الشرقي. pic.twitter.com/ZzgqYZn6il — ديرالزور24 (@DeirEzzor24) August 2, 2020
In a statement, Al Uqaydat held the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls southeast Deir Ezzor, responsible for the assassination. The Kurdish-led group is yet to commented on the matter.
“There should be a stand against this act, and all other cowardly acts in the region,” the statement reads.
Several activists went as a far as accusing the U.S.-backed SDF of orchestrating the assassination of sheikh Mutashar Hammoud al-Havel.
Al-Havel is the third Arab tribal leader to be assassinated in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside this week. On July 30, sheikh Suleiman al-Kassar of Al Uqaydat was killed by ISIS. A day later, an attack claimed the life of sheikh Ali Alwis of Al Baggara.
The situation in southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside is slowly spinning out of control. ISIS influence there is increasing. The SDF has failed to secure the region, so far.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Military Situation In Libya On August 2, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya : • Field Marshal Khalifa @ @ @ @ @ of Turkish forces from Libya is the LNA ’ s primary goal and promised to @ @ @ @ @ ; • According to the SOHR , Turkey deployed at least 17,000 Syrian militants to @ @ @ @ @ the LNA ; • Turkey is increasing its military and security cooperation with Niger aiming @ @ @ @ @ the Libya-Niger border .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya:
Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar declared that the expulsion of Turkish forces from Libya is the LNA’s primary goal and promised to give Turkish-backed forces a lesson;
According to the SOHR, Turkey deployed at least 17,000 Syrian militants to support the GNA battle against the LNA;
Turkey is increasing its military and security cooperation with Niger aiming to create a foothold on the Libya-Niger border.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Closes Criminal Proceedings Launched Against Poroshenko Of Inciting Religious Hatred

The Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation ( SBI ) has closed the criminal proceedings it launched against former President Petro Poroshenko on suspicion of inciting religious hatred .
The decision was announced by the SBI press service .
The criminal case was opened against Poroshenko on suspicion of inciting sectarian hatred by his actions during the obtaining of a Tomos ( religious decree ) granting autocephaly to the ‘ independent ’ Ukrainian Orthodox Church .
During the process of creating this pseudo-church organizations officials from the Poroshenko administration , including Poroshenko himself , repeatedly made statemetns inciting religious hatred aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Moscow Patriarchy ) .
This became the reason of the criminal investigation .
Nonetheless , as new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ’ s policy was shifting towards copying his predecessor approaches and using ethnic and religious hatred as a common tool of policy , the SBI made a logical step of closing such a case against Poroshenko .
The closure of the criminal case against Poroshenko is a strong signal of the policy employed by the Zelensky administration .
Instead of promoting the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and fiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainain society , the Zelensky team continues the Poroshenko path .
The Kiev regime continues to pressure Russia-speaking population , organizations that stand against the escalation of the conflict in the east and the deterioration of relations with Russia , and the canonic Orthodox of Ukraine .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Ex-Vatican Advisor Exposes The Rise Of Neo-Nazism Among Uniates And The Vatican ’ s Apathetic Doublespeak

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The Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has closed the criminal proceedings it launched against former President Petro Poroshenko on suspicion of inciting religious hatred.
The decision was announced by the SBI press service.
The criminal case was opened against Poroshenko on suspicion of inciting sectarian hatred by his actions during the obtaining of a Tomos (religious decree) granting autocephaly to the ‘independent’ Ukrainian Orthodox Church. During the process of creating this pseudo-church organizations officials from the Poroshenko administration, including Poroshenko himself, repeatedly made statemetns inciting religious hatred aimed against the canonic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (Moscow Patriarchy). This became the reason of the criminal investigation. Nonetheless, as new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s policy was shifting towards copying his predecessor approaches and using ethnic and religious hatred as a common tool of policy, the SBI made a logical step of closing such a case against Poroshenko.
The closure of the criminal case against Poroshenko is a strong signal of the policy employed by the Zelensky administration. Instead of promoting the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and fiding solutions of the deep crisis in the Ukrainain society, the Zelensky team continues the Poroshenko path. The Kiev regime continues to pressure Russia-speaking population, organizations that stand against the escalation of the conflict in the east and the deterioration of relations with Russia, and the canonic Orthodox of Ukraine.
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