southfront--2020-05-20--Leaked Phone Calls Between Biden And Poroshenko Reveal How Washington Was Pillaging Ukraine

On May 19th , Ukrainian MP Andriy Derkach made public leaked audio recordings of phone conversations held by former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State John Kerry with ex-President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko .
At a press conference , Derkach said that U.S. officials asked that Petro Poroshenko ensure the dismissal of the-then Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin .
The audio shows that Ukraine is under tight external control by the Americans .
Which control a lot of key issues – from the removal of the objectionable Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin to the appointment of a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States also actively participates in agreeing on candidates for the post of prime minister of the country , “ fits ” for members of the Cambin loyal to them , and directly directs processes related to the country ’ s banking system .
From the Poroshenko-Biden tapes , the existence of the institution of “ watching ” from the USA in key departments of the country , for example , the Prosecutor General ’ s Office , becomes apparent .
It is also interesting that Obama ’ s deputy personally oversaw the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Poroshenko joyfully reported that he had overfulfilled this plan .
The very tone of the Ukrainian president on the records is extremely eloquent – every conversation with Biden is more like a report of a subordinate to the authorities .
The US Vice President asks questions , and the Ukrainian leader answers in detail and in detail .
This is clearly not a dialogue of equals – although Biden ’ s status is formally generally lower than Poroshenko ’ s .
Below are highlights from their discussions , with the respective date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear me , Peter ?
Poroshenko : Yes , it ’ s better now .
Biden : Me too .
I ’ m sorry , you said something , but I missed everything .
Poroshenko : Yes .
First of all , I am very happy to hear from you .
I really appreciate that you found the time for this conversation , even now , while in Minnesota .
My dream is to ever be with you in Minnesota .
Biden ( laughs ) : I ’ d rather be in you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thirdly , I have good and bad news .
I ’ ll start with the good ones .
Poroshenko : Joe , I have some good news for you .
Yesterday , or rather it was the day before yesterday , I met with the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin .
Despite the absence of any allegations of corruption and evidence of any unlawful actions , I specifically asked him to resign .
According to the results of our meeting , despite the support in the parliament , he promised me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position .
And an hour ago he brought a written resignation letter .
Poroshenko : This is the second step in compliance with the obligations that I have undertaken .
Poroshenko : As I expected , the “ Fatherland ” and “ Self-help ” factions left the coalition .
And the coalition has fewer than 226 votes , so we do not have a majority .
I personally , along with the Prime Minister , invited the Radical Party of Lyashko to join the majority so that formally we could remain competent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliament , nor support in society .
Biden : That is , if I understood correctly , the resolution on no confidence in the government did not pass , did you block it ?
Arsen still remains .
But then there was a vote for the reform package that the government proposed , and 247 votes were against .
Therefore , in the sense of moving forward and additional reforms that you must implement , you do not have a majority in parliament , there is no coalition for this , right ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : No , not really .
First , the parliament had to evaluate the work of the government , and he gave an unsatisfactory rating to the Cabinet of Ministers .
This was the first event .
It does not mean an urgent resignation of the government ; it is just a political assessment of its actions .
Then , when the resolution on mistrust was put to the vote , I organized in such a way that there weren ’ t enough votes in my faction and in others .
The Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , but I personally blocked the government ’ s resignation because I promised you that .
But now , when two of the four factions left the coalition , we do not have a majority in parliament .
Biden : Greetings Mr. President !
This is Joe Biden .
How are you ?
Poroshenko : Very good , really .
It is a great pleasure for me to hear your voice every time .
Biden : Good .
We need to keep in touch .
I remain open to you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you have a new government and a new Attorney General , I will be ready to publicly sign obligations of one billion dollars .
However , if you still have a need , as you guessed , to satisfy the IMF requirements and more .
Again , I do not offer you and do not want you to believe that we are imposing a course of action on you .
However , a final decision will not be made until IMF requirements are met .
Poroshenko : Very strong motivation .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the leader of my faction Lutsenko , who is a public person .
But if you think that a politically motivated person is not entirely suitable , in your opinion , I will withdraw my proposal .
No one knows what I ’ m going to offer Lutsenko .
In this situation , I will exclude all politically motivated candidates from this process .
Biden : Listen , after we finish this conversation , let me gather my team and discuss what you and I just talked about .
I agree with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter .
Biden : You work very well .
Congratulations on your election of the new Attorney General .
I know that there are many things to do .
But I think this is very good .
I understand your work with the Rada in the coming days on the adoption of additional laws that the IMF requires .
But accept my congratulations on the election of a new prosecutor general .
It will be critical for him to work quickly to correct the harm that Shokin inflicted .
I am a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new prosecutor general has been appointed , we can move on towards signing a loan agreement in the amount of one billion dollars .
And I do not know how you want to do this .
I can ’ t come to Kiev in the near future , I mean in the next month or two .
You can sign it with our ambassador .
Or you come here and we will sign an agreement .
Or , if you want , we can invite Groysman here , I will talk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invite him here for this purpose , but it all depends on you when and how you want to do it .
Poroshenko : First of all , thank you for the words of support .
Believe me , it was a difficult challenge and hard work .
The fractions of Ms. Tymoshenko and Mr. Lyashko tried to prevent this .
Therefore , we not only voted for the new Prosecutor General , but also for the fact that it took a short period of time , one day , for amending the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this law we introduced the new structure of the GOC , including the General Inspectorate , as we agreed with you .
Then I urgently invited Lutsenko and said that he should connect with your embassy .
I will be pleased if he will have a specific person either from Washington or from another country .
We have here , I don ’ t remember his name , an American prosecutor of Ukrainian origin , he is a little elderly .
I sent Jeffrey his name .
He is ready to come and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be a good experience for the American system , and he can be a trusted agent in the new prosecution system .
I believe that now is the best time to do this .
And if he is ready to come and cooperate , from the very first step , the very first minute of the new prosecutor general ’ s activity , this is exactly what I aspire to .
Biden : Give me the opportunity to contact the Department of Justice , I will get his name and find out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious that it is in our interests to provide professional assistance as soon as possible in order to set the right course .
I will make a note for myself , check everything after our conversation and let you know what I can do .
Poroshenko : Of course , thank you very much , this is what I was striving for .
Next , I want to thank you for giving me your word .
It ’ s urgent after we change the law and I will appoint a new attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as we agreed at our meeting last week in Washington , and when this happens , we can get this loan .
• More from May 13th , 2016 , Biden and Poroshenko : Poroshenko : Now I have to and I believe that we can trust each other , the party Arseniy with me .
They voted with us for the new Prosecutor General , the new government , for the IMF package , and I hope that we have a significant level of support .
Unfortunately , this is completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority in parliament .
Those who travel to the USA are Self-Help , Tymoshenko and Lyashko , who do not go there due to various reasons against this .
These are just dirty political tricks .
Exactly what I ask Jeffrey about : “ Please don ’ t give self-help grants , don ’ t give them money , because it ’ s not financing an opposition party , but financing an absolutely irresponsible political leader who is doing very bad things for the future of my country , for Ukraine and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I believe , first of all , I am very pleased with the signals that they received in Washington .
They were powerful enough and convincing .
Poroshenko : I think it would be nice if you continued to put pressure on Self-Help .
Because in relation to Tymoshenko and Lyashko it is unpromising .
On “ Self-help ” – because you support them .
In this situation , this can have a positive result , because without “ Self-help ” we can not even count on a positive result regarding changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be impossible .
If I can count on myself in the matter of finding votes for the law , the law on elections , I can find these votes .
Without Self-Help , I can not find a vote for changes to the Constitution .
It is very simple .
Biden : Good .
We will do our best to find votes .
Biden : Let me ask you one thing before I forget .
Privatbank I understand that the head of the NBU requires deciding on a specific date when to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was told , and I share this position , that it will not determine the date until it agrees with you .
And I said that you need to return to the determination of the date , and that I will talk with you about this date .
Because something is approaching that I would not want to happen .
I do not want Trump to be in a position where he seems to be ready to circumvent our policy , where the financial system could fall apart and where he is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine .
That is what it will look like until it comes to considering complex unfamiliar details .
Therefore , everything that can be done to put pressure on Privatbank to close , in order to receive the next tranche from the IMF , I would respectfully recommend as critically important for your economy and physical security .
I know that is difficult .
Kolomoisky is a pain in the ass and a problem for everyone , but it is really critical that you deal with it now .
And all will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call the head of the NBU and support her .
Let her know that you are with her when she determines the date and goes forward .
Poroshenko : It is very important what I heard from you .
I think that on November 22 , on Tuesday I will receive a final report from Ernst & Young on the audit .
And we agreed that I , the Prime Minister , the Minister of Finance , the head of the NBU .
I also invited Arseny and other security officers … We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The only reason why after November 22 , when I will have an audit report , is a vote in parliament , where Kolomoisky has a significant number of members .
The Prime Minister asked me to vote first on the budget , and then start the process .
This is confidential information , but … These are just several quotes from a 30-minute long tape of recordings from various dates , these are simply the highlights that provide a general idea of what agenda Joe Biden was pushing in Ukraine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , Petro Poroshenko And Co. Stole $ 100 Billion From Ukraine : Rudy Giuliani • Joe Biden Wouldn ’ t Pardon Donald Trump , And Other Populist Remarks Of President Hopeful

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On May 19th, Ukrainian MP Andriy Derkach made public leaked audio recordings of phone conversations held by former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State John Kerry with ex-President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
At a press conference, Derkach said that U.S. officials asked that Petro Poroshenko ensure the dismissal of the-then Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.
The audio shows that Ukraine is under tight external control by the Americans. Which control a lot of key issues – from the removal of the objectionable Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin to the appointment of a new one – Yuriy Lutsenko.
The United States also actively participates in agreeing on candidates for the post of prime minister of the country, “fits” for members of the Cambin loyal to them, and directly directs processes related to the country’s banking system.
From the Poroshenko-Biden tapes, the existence of the institution of “watching” from the USA in key departments of the country, for example, the Prosecutor General’s Office, becomes apparent.
It is also interesting that Obama’s deputy personally oversaw the issue of raising utility rates for Ukrainians. And Poroshenko joyfully reported that he had overfulfilled this plan.
The very tone of the Ukrainian president on the records is extremely eloquent – every conversation with Biden is more like a report of a subordinate to the authorities.
The US Vice President asks questions, and the Ukrainian leader answers in detail and in detail. This is clearly not a dialogue of equals – although Biden’s status is formally generally lower than Poroshenko’s.
14/ this version https://t.co/WCmkSHTeuZ has best clarity and has 9 audios, summarized below. pic.twitter.com/vOzzjFxKyu — Stephen McIntyre (@ClimateAudit) May 19, 2020
12/ the failure of Obama-Biden administration to prosecute this enormous embezzlement (while being very persistent in prosecuting oligarch Firtash for much, much smaller and less clear corruption charge in India (?!?), always seemed odd to me. — Stephen McIntyre (@ClimateAudit) May 19, 2020
Below are highlights from their discussions, with the respective date:
December 3rd, 2015, Johny Kerry and Poroshenko:
Kerry: Besides what Vice President Biden said, I would like to urge you to consider the possibility of solving the problem of changing the Attorney General Shokin, because, in my opinion, he has blocked the process of purification of the Attorney General. I know that the vice president is very concerned about this. Therefore, it would be good if we could find some solution before the vice president arrives. If possible, it is necessary to take the necessary measures to advance in this direction.
February 16th, 2016, Joe Biden and Poroshenko:
Biden: Hello, can you hear me, Peter? Poroshenko: Yes, it’s better now. Biden: Me too. I’m sorry, you said something, but I missed everything. Poroshenko: Yes. First of all, I am very happy to hear from you. I really appreciate that you found the time for this conversation, even now, while in Minnesota. My dream is to ever be with you in Minnesota. Biden (laughs): I’d rather be in you now than in Minnesota. Poroshenko: Thirdly, I have good and bad news. I’ll start with the good ones. Biden: Good. Poroshenko: Joe, I have some good news for you. Yesterday, or rather it was the day before yesterday, I met with the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin. Despite the absence of any allegations of corruption and evidence of any unlawful actions, I specifically asked him to resign. According to the results of our meeting, despite the support in the parliament, he promised me to submit his resignation, showing his state position. And an hour ago he brought a written resignation letter. Biden: Great. Poroshenko: This is the second step in compliance with the obligations that I have undertaken. Biden: I agree.
February 18,2016, Biden and Poroshenko:
Poroshenko: As I expected, the “Fatherland” and “Self-help” factions left the coalition. And the coalition has fewer than 226 votes, so we do not have a majority. I personally, along with the Prime Minister, invited the Radical Party of Lyashko to join the majority so that formally we could remain competent. But we have no formal strength in parliament, nor support in society. Biden: That is, if I understood correctly, the resolution on no confidence in the government did not pass, did you block it? Arsen still remains. But then there was a vote for the reform package that the government proposed, and 247 votes were against. Therefore, in the sense of moving forward and additional reforms that you must implement, you do not have a majority in parliament, there is no coalition for this, right? Are you talking about this? Poroshenko: No, not really. First, the parliament had to evaluate the work of the government, and he gave an unsatisfactory rating to the Cabinet of Ministers. This was the first event. It does not mean an urgent resignation of the government; it is just a political assessment of its actions. Then, when the resolution on mistrust was put to the vote, I organized in such a way that there weren’t enough votes in my faction and in others. The Prime Minister also had a hand in this, of course, but I personally blocked the government’s resignation because I promised you that. But now, when two of the four factions left the coalition, we do not have a majority in parliament.
March 13th, 2016, Biden and Poroshenko:
Biden: Mr. President, this is Joe Biden. How are you? Poroshenko: Very well. As always, when I hear your voice (recording is interrupted …) See what we are doing now? I believe that over the past three weeks we have shown really significant progress in the area of reform. We voted for 100% tariffs, despite the fact that the IMF expected only 75%. We launched the reform of state enterprises. We launched a reform regarding the cost of drugs, removing all obstacles. Biden: I agree.
March 22nd, 2016, Biden and Poroshenko:
Biden: Greetings Mr. President! This is Joe Biden. How are you? Poroshenko: Very good, really. It is a great pleasure for me to hear your voice every time. Biden: Good. We need to keep in touch. I remain open to you (the film is interrupted …) If you have a new government and a new Attorney General, I will be ready to publicly sign obligations of one billion dollars. However, if you still have a need, as you guessed, to satisfy the IMF requirements and more. Again, I do not offer you and do not want you to believe that we are imposing a course of action on you. However, a final decision will not be made until IMF requirements are met. Poroshenko: Very strong motivation. One of the possible candidates for this position was the leader of my faction Lutsenko, who is a public person. But if you think that a politically motivated person is not entirely suitable, in your opinion, I will withdraw my proposal. No one knows what I’m going to offer Lutsenko. In this situation, I will exclude all politically motivated candidates from this process. Biden: Listen, after we finish this conversation, let me gather my team and discuss what you and I just talked about. I agree with you that there is urgency in this matter.
May 13th, 2016, Biden and Poroshenko:
Biden: You work very well. Congratulations on your election of the new Attorney General. I know that there are many things to do. But I think this is very good. I understand your work with the Rada in the coming days on the adoption of additional laws that the IMF requires. But accept my congratulations on the election of a new prosecutor general. It will be critical for him to work quickly to correct the harm that Shokin inflicted. I am a man of his word, and now that a new prosecutor general has been appointed, we can move on towards signing a loan agreement in the amount of one billion dollars. And I do not know how you want to do this. I can’t come to Kiev in the near future, I mean in the next month or two. You can sign it with our ambassador. Or you come here and we will sign an agreement. Or, if you want, we can invite Groysman here, I will talk to him later today. We do not invite him here for this purpose, but it all depends on you when and how you want to do it. Poroshenko: First of all, thank you for the words of support. Believe me, it was a difficult challenge and hard work. The fractions of Ms. Tymoshenko and Mr. Lyashko tried to prevent this. Therefore, we not only voted for the new Prosecutor General, but also for the fact that it took a short period of time, one day, for amending the law. By the way, in this law we introduced the new structure of the GOC, including the General Inspectorate, as we agreed with you. Then I urgently invited Lutsenko and said that he should connect with your embassy. I will be pleased if he will have a specific person either from Washington or from another country. We have here, I don’t remember his name, an American prosecutor of Ukrainian origin, he is a little elderly. I sent Jeffrey his name. He is ready to come and be an assistant and adviser. This will be a good experience for the American system, and he can be a trusted agent in the new prosecution system. I believe that now is the best time to do this. And if he is ready to come and cooperate, from the very first step, the very first minute of the new prosecutor general’s activity, this is exactly what I aspire to. Biden: Give me the opportunity to contact the Department of Justice, I will get his name and find out who he is. Because it is obvious that it is in our interests to provide professional assistance as soon as possible in order to set the right course. I will make a note for myself, check everything after our conversation and let you know what I can do. Poroshenko: Of course, thank you very much, this is what I was striving for. Next, I want to thank you for giving me your word. It’s urgent after we change the law and I will appoint a new attorney general, and this will be Yury Lutsenko, as we agreed at our meeting last week in Washington, and when this happens, we can get this loan.
More from May 13th, 2016, Biden and Poroshenko:
Poroshenko: Now I have to and I believe that we can trust each other, the party Arseniy with me. They voted with us for the new Prosecutor General, the new government, for the IMF package, and I hope that we have a significant level of support. Unfortunately, this is completely not enough. This is almost the majority in parliament. Those who travel to the USA are Self-Help, Tymoshenko and Lyashko, who do not go there due to various reasons against this. These are just dirty political tricks. Exactly what I ask Jeffrey about: “Please don’t give self-help grants, don’t give them money, because it’s not financing an opposition party, but financing an absolutely irresponsible political leader who is doing very bad things for the future of my country, for Ukraine and for security and stability. That is why, I believe, first of all, I am very pleased with the signals that they received in Washington. They were powerful enough and convincing. Biden: Yes. Poroshenko: I think it would be nice if you continued to put pressure on Self-Help. Because in relation to Tymoshenko and Lyashko it is unpromising. On “Self-help” – because you support them. In this situation, this can have a positive result, because without “Self-help” we cannot even count on a positive result regarding changes to the Constitution. Biden: Good. Agreed. Listen up. I AM… Poroshenko: It will be impossible. If I can count on myself in the matter of finding votes for the law, the law on elections, I can find these votes. Without Self-Help, I cannot find a vote for changes to the Constitution. It is very simple. Biden: Good. We will do our best to find votes.
November 16, 2016, Biden and Poroshenko:
Biden: Let me ask you one thing before I forget. Privatbank I understand that the head of the NBU requires deciding on a specific date when to begin the process of change. I was told, and I share this position, that it will not determine the date until it agrees with you. And I said that you need to return to the determination of the date, and that I will talk with you about this date. Because something is approaching that I would not want to happen. I do not want Trump to be in a position where he seems to be ready to circumvent our policy, where the financial system could fall apart and where he is going to block the allocation of money to Ukraine. That is what it will look like until it comes to considering complex unfamiliar details. Therefore, everything that can be done to put pressure on Privatbank to close, in order to receive the next tranche from the IMF, I would respectfully recommend as critically important for your economy and physical security. I know that is difficult. Kolomoisky is a pain in the ass and a problem for everyone, but it is really critical that you deal with it now. And all will be well. I just want you to call the head of the NBU and support her. Let her know that you are with her when she determines the date and goes forward. Poroshenko: It is very important what I heard from you. I think that on November 22, on Tuesday I will receive a final report from Ernst & Young on the audit. And we agreed that I, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the head of the NBU. I also invited Arseny and other security officers … We should meet and decide on a date. The only reason why after November 22, when I will have an audit report, is a vote in parliament, where Kolomoisky has a significant number of members. The Prime Minister asked me to vote first on the budget, and then start the process. This is confidential information, but … Biden: I’ll keep it a secret …
These are just several quotes from a 30-minute long tape of recordings from various dates, these are simply the highlights that provide a general idea of what agenda Joe Biden was pushing in Ukraine.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Russia Is Testing Unmanned Regime Of Its Su-57 Fifth-Generation Fighter

Well some people brag about it , in some wiki articles about the Ustashe they even tell you that “ the most ardent members of the Ustashe where called Frankists.
” What was it yesterday , a yes this one : ‘ In 1760 , the quarrel broke out once more when some Shabbatean elements were discovered among the students of Eybeschütz ’ yeshivah .
At the same time his younger son , Wolf Jonas Eybeschutz , presented himself as a Shabbatean prophet , and was close to several Frankists , with the result that the yeshivah was closed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas von Schoenfeld , an apostate Jew who inherited his grandfather ’ s collection of Sabbatean kabbalistic works .
He eventually left the Sabbatean movement and founded a Masonic lodge called the Asiatische Bruder , one of four Illuminati lodges in Vienna .
After his uncle ’ s death on August 10 , 1791 , he was offered the leadership of the Frankist movement which he refused .
According to Gershom Scholem , the ideology of the Asiatic Brethren mixed Kabbalistic and Sabbatean ideas jumbled together with Christian theosophic doctrines.
’ https : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ von Schönfeld died under the name Junius Frey , as a Jacobin , and part of a cleanup of the French Revolution , and he is officially not the grandson of the 6. rebirth of Sabbatai Zevi – Rabbi , and chabad wunderkind , Jonathan Eybeschütz , but in geni they tell you the truth , since marriage is no prove of fatherhood : ‘ Schöndl Dobruschka was known as a patron of Moravian Sabbatians and was a close friend of Wolf Eybeschütz… ’ PS : One of the names/pasports of Alexander the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : ‘ Project Iscander was the name the Illuminati gave to the overthrow of Russia .
The name symbolized its overthrow of Russia .
The name symbolized its overthrow for an ultimate purpose – world goverment .
Iscander is the Islamic term for Alexander the Great .
It is written in the Koran that Iscander locked up the savage tribes or Gog and Magog behind walls of iron and brass ( hence the term Iron Curtain ) , and in the future they will pour out to wreak havoc .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replace Alexander the Great… ’ Page 306 , ‘ Sibling Rivalry on a Grand Scale : The Devil ’ s in the Details ’ By Robert Akers So nothing has changed .
World Goverment and the battle of Gog and Magog is still the wet dream of all masons , and their frankist brotherhood is called in French ‘ Franc-maçonnerie ’ …

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Russia is testing an unmanned regime of its Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet, Russia’s state-run news agency RIA Novisti rported on May 16 citing a source in the military industrial complex.
“An unmanned mode is being developed on the basis of the T-50 flying laboratory. The pilot is in the cockpit during the flight, but only controls the performance of all functions,” the source said. The T-50 is a designation of the Su-57 prototype created for testing and development purposes.
The first large-scale deliveries of the Su-57 fighter jet to the Russian Aerospace Forces is starting in 2020. Russia’s Sukhoi Aircraft Company signed a contract with the Defense Ministry at the Army-2019 international arms show for the delivery of 76 Su-57 multirole fighters for the Russian forces.
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southfront--2020-05-20--In Videos: Houthi Forces Hunt Down Saudi-Backed Fighters In Yemen

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southfront--2020-05-20--Turkish ‘Neo-Ottoman’ Project Shifts Focus From Syria To Libya

This week , massive Turkish military support has finally allowed the Government of National Accord to achieve some breakthrough in the battle against the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) .
On May 18 , GNA forces and members of Turkish-backed militant groups from Syria supported by Turkish special forces and unmanned combat aerial vehicles captured the Watiya Air Base in the northwestern part of the country .
LNA troops urgently retreated from it after several days of clashes in the nearby area .
They left behind a UAE-supplied Pantsir-S1 , an Mi-35 military helicopter and a notable amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air base was undermined by a week-long bombardment campaign by artillery and combat drones of Turkish-backed forces .
Additionally , pro-Turkish sources claimed that drone strikes destroyed another Pantsir-S1 air defense system near Sirte and even a Russian-made Krasukha mobile electronic warfare system .
According to Turkish reports , all this equipment is being supplied to the Libyan Army by the UAE .
Turkish sources regularly report about successful drone strikes on Libyan convoys with dozens of battle tanks .
Some of these ‘ military convoys ’ later appeared to be trucks filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the months of Turkish military efforts , thousands of deployed Syrian militants and hundreds of armoured vehicles supplied to the GNA finally payed off .
The Watiya Air Base was an operational base of the LNA used for the advance on the GNA-controlled city of Tripoli .
If the LNA does not take back the airbase in the near future , its entire flank southwest of Tripoli may collapse .
It will also loose all chances to encircle the city .
According to pro-Turkish sources , the next target of the Turkish-led advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier this year , Turkish-backed forces already failed to capture the town .
Therefore , they seek to take a revanche .
This will lead to a further escalation of the situation in northern Libya and force the UAE and Egypt , the main backers of the LNA , to increase their support to the army .
The UAE-Egypt bloc could bank on at least limited diplomatic support from Russia .
Until now , Moscow has preferred to avoid direct involvement in the conflict because it may damage the delicate balance of Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contractors that operate in Libya represent the economic interests of some Russian elite groups rather than the foreign policy interests of the Russian state .
Additionally , Turkey , which is supported by Qatar and some NATO member states , has already announced its plans to begin oil and gas exploration off Libya ’ s coast .
Ankara has ceased to hide the true intentions and goals of its military operation in Libya .
Thus , the internal political conflict turned into an open confrontation of external actors for the natural resources of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the increasing military activity of Turkey in Libya goes amid the decrease of such actions in Syria .
Thousands of Turkish proxies have been sent from Syria to Libya .
This limits Ankara ’ s freedom of operations in the main Syrian hot point – Greater Idlib .
In these conditions , Turkish statements about some mysterious battle against terrorism in Idlib look especially questionable .
Indeed , in the current conditions , Ankara will be forced to cooperate with Idlib terrorists , first of all al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham even closer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria .
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham plan to create a local quasi-state in the controlled territory and expand its own financial base by tightening the grip on the economic and social life in the region will gain additional momentum .
As to the Turkish government , it seems that in the current difficult economic conditions President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decided to exchange his “ Neo-Ottoman ” foreign policy project for expanding in some not so rich regions of Syria for quite tangible additional income from the energy business in Libya .

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This week, massive Turkish military support has finally allowed the Government of National Accord to achieve some breakthrough in the battle against the Libyan National Army (LNA).
On May 18, GNA forces and members of Turkish-backed militant groups from Syria supported by Turkish special forces and unmanned combat aerial vehicles captured the Watiya Air Base in the northwestern part of the country. LNA troops urgently retreated from it after several days of clashes in the nearby area. They left behind a UAE-supplied Pantsir-S1, an Mi-35 military helicopter and a notable amount of ammunition. The LNA defense at the air base was undermined by a week-long bombardment campaign by artillery and combat drones of Turkish-backed forces.
Additionally, pro-Turkish sources claimed that drone strikes destroyed another Pantsir-S1 air defense system near Sirte and even a Russian-made Krasukha mobile electronic warfare system. According to Turkish reports, all this equipment is being supplied to the Libyan Army by the UAE. Turkish sources regularly report about successful drone strikes on Libyan convoys with dozens of battle tanks. Some of these ‘military convoys’ later appeared to be trucks filled with water-melons.
In any case, the months of Turkish military efforts, thousands of deployed Syrian militants and hundreds of armoured vehicles supplied to the GNA finally payed off. The Watiya Air Base was an operational base of the LNA used for the advance on the GNA-controlled city of Tripoli. If the LNA does not take back the airbase in the near future, its entire flank southwest of Tripoli may collapse. It will also loose all chances to encircle the city. According to pro-Turkish sources, the next target of the Turkish-led advance on LNA positions will be Tarhuna. Earlier this year, Turkish-backed forces already failed to capture the town. Therefore, they seek to take a revanche.
This will lead to a further escalation of the situation in northern Libya and force the UAE and Egypt, the main backers of the LNA, to increase their support to the army. The UAE-Egypt bloc could bank on at least limited diplomatic support from Russia. Until now, Moscow has preferred to avoid direct involvement in the conflict because it may damage the delicate balance of Russian and Turkish interests. Russian private military contractors that operate in Libya represent the economic interests of some Russian elite groups rather than the foreign policy interests of the Russian state.
Additionally, Turkey, which is supported by Qatar and some NATO member states, has already announced its plans to begin oil and gas exploration off Libya’s coast. Ankara has ceased to hide the true intentions and goals of its military operation in Libya. Thus, the internal political conflict turned into an open confrontation of external actors for the natural resources of Libya.
The interesting fact is that the increasing military activity of Turkey in Libya goes amid the decrease of such actions in Syria. Thousands of Turkish proxies have been sent from Syria to Libya. This limits Ankara’s freedom of operations in the main Syrian hot point – Greater Idlib. In these conditions, Turkish statements about some mysterious battle against terrorism in Idlib look especially questionable. Indeed, in the current conditions, Ankara will be forced to cooperate with Idlib terrorists, first of all al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham even closer to maintain its influence in this part of Syria. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham plan to create a local quasi-state in the controlled territory and expand its own financial base by tightening the grip on the economic and social life in the region will gain additional momentum.
As to the Turkish government, it seems that in the current difficult economic conditions President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decided to exchange his “Neo-Ottoman” foreign policy project for expanding in some not so rich regions of Syria for quite tangible additional income from the energy business in Libya.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Harbin Z-19 Reconnaissance And Attack Helicopter (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The Harbin Z-19 ( also known as WZ-19 ) is a reconnaissance and attack @ @ @ @ @ Manufacturing Corporation for the Chinese armed forces .
The Z-19 is based on the combat @ @ @ @ @ helicopter .
In own turn , the Z-9 is a licence built version of the @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC :

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The Harbin Z-19 (also known as WZ-19) is a reconnaissance and attack helicopter developed by Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation for the Chinese armed forces. The Z-19 is based on the combat variant of the Harbin Z-9 helicopter. In own turn, the Z-9 is a licence built version of the Eurocopter Dauphin.
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southfront--2020-05-20--In Video: Syrian Army Troops Intercept U.S. Forces Convoy In Northern Al-Hasakah

On May 20 , Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) troops intercepted a convoy of U.S. forces near the town @ @ @ @ @ northern al-Hasakah countryside .
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency ( SANA ) , @ @ @ @ @ on the entrance of Umm al-Khair prevented the convoy from entering the town .
U.S. @ @ @ @ @ retreat .
U.S. forces faced several several similar incidents in northern al-Hasakah over the last @ @ @ @ @ cases pro-government civilians or SAA personnel were responsible .
However , on May 2 Russian @ @ @ @ @ convoy east of the border city of al-Qamishli .
These incidents have limited the movement @ @ @ @ @ al-Hasakah .
In response , the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) began to arrest @ @ @ @ @ forces from entering their towns .
The U.S. influence in northeast Syria is now being @ @ @ @ @ Damascus government .
Washington , which abandoned its allies last year by allowing Turkey to @ @ @ @ @ desperately trying to solidify its military presence there .
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On May 20, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops intercepted a convoy of U.S. forces near the town of Tell Tamr in the northern al-Hasakah countryside.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), service members manning a checkpoint on the entrance of Umm al-Khair prevented the convoy from entering the town. U.S. forces were eventually forced to retreat.
U.S. forces faced several several similar incidents in northern al-Hasakah over the last few months. In most cases pro-government civilians or SAA personnel were responsible. However, on May 2 Russian forces directly intercepted a U.S. convoy east of the border city of al-Qamishli.
These incidents have limited the movement of U.S. forces in northern al-Hasakah. In response, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began to arrest locals trying to prevent U.S. forces from entering their towns.
The U.S. influence in northeast Syria is now being challenged by Russia and the Damascus government. Washington, which abandoned its allies last year by allowing Turkey to invade the region, is desperately trying to solidify its military presence there.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Iraqi Intelligence Says It Arrested Al-Baghdadi’s Top Aide (Photos)

Late on May 20 , the Iraqi National Intelligence Service ( INIS ) announced that it has arrested Abdu al-Nasir Qurdash , a prominent commander of ISIS .
The INIS provided no information whatsoever on the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Qurdash .
Nevertheless , the intelligence service claimed that he was a “ candidate ” to succeed ISIS ’ eliminated leader Abu Baker al-Baghdadi .
Photos of Qurdash in captivity were shared .
The Iraqi statement is highly questionable .
Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi , known as “ Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi , ” was already appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was killed in a U.S. operation in northwest Syria in October of 2019 .
Iraqi sources casted more doubts on the INIS ’ claims by revealing that Qurdash was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) during the battle of al-Baghuz in southeast Deir Ezzor in early 2019 .
Qurdash , who ’ s known by nom de guerre “ Hajji Abdu al-Nasir , ” was reportedly the top aide of al-Baghdadi as well as the second man in ISIS .
According to the sources , the SDF handed over Qurdash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to Iraqi authorities .
All of this happened before the killing of al-Baghdadi .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Secret U.S.-Iran Deal Paved The Way For New Iraqi PM – Report

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Late on May 20, the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) announced that it has arrested Abdu al-Nasir Qurdash, a prominent commander of ISIS.
The INIS provided no information whatsoever on the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Qurdash. Nevertheless, the intelligence service claimed that he was a “candidate” to succeed ISIS’ eliminated leader Abu Baker al-Baghdadi. Photos of Qurdash in captivity were shared.
:: جهاز المخابرات الوطني يعلن إلقاء القبض على عبد الناصر قرداش خليفة البغدادي pic.twitter.com/FlbSslHt3w — Hamuodi | حمودي (@hr_633) May 20, 2020
The Iraqi statement is highly questionable. Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi, known as “Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi,” was already appointed as a successor to al-Baghdadi, who was killed in a U.S. operation in northwest Syria in October of 2019.
Iraqi sources casted more doubts on the INIS’ claims by revealing that Qurdash was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during the battle of al-Baghuz in southeast Deir Ezzor in early 2019.
Qurdash, who’s known by nom de guerre “Hajji Abdu al-Nasir,” was reportedly the top aide of al-Baghdadi as well as the second man in ISIS.
According to the sources, the SDF handed over Qurdash, like many other Iraqi ISIS members, to Iraqi authorities. All of this happened before the killing of al-Baghdadi.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Russian Foreign Ministry Finally Reacted To Censorship On YouTube And Facebook

On May 20 , the Russian Foreign Ministry released an official statement on the censorship of four Russian-language media organizations – “ Krim 24 ” ( Crimea 24 ) , “ Anna News ” , “ News Front ” and “ Riafan ” – on YouTube .
The YouTube channels of “ Krim 24 ” ( Crimea 24 ) , “ Anna News ” , “ News Front ” were blocked on May 19 , while the channel of “ Riafan ” was blocked on April 17 .
“ “ Krim 24 ” TV channel is one of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is a part of Crimea ’ s largest media holding “ Television and Radio Company “ Krim ” that unites five television channels , three radio stations , an information portal and two Internet sites .
The team of “ Krim 24 ” TV channel traditionally covers the most relevant major news topics in this Russian region .
As a result of the deletion of the Krim 24 account on the Youtube platform , about 30 thousand subscribers lost access to videos that had tens of millions of views .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the clearly far-fetched pretext of “ violating hosting rules.
” The fact that Youtube did not provide any convincing facts explaining its actions , as well as the fact that the appeal of the channel ’ s team still remains unanswered , is unacceptable , ” the foreign ministry said in its statement .
The foreign ministry emphasized that it considers “ the actions of video hosting as another act of discrimination against Russian-language media resources by US-controlled Internet platforms that systematically resort to arbitrary censorship of content in Russian.
” The Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Facebook deleted more than 500 pages related to Russia , including materials from the Sputnik news agency .
SouthFront can not but express solidarity with the indignation of the Russian Foreign Ministry .
Over the past years , SouthFront has repeatedly become a target of informational attacks , censorship and theft of content .
At the same time , SouthFront recalls that our YouTube channel with over 152,000 subscribers , 1,900 uploaded videos and approximately 60 million views was terminated on May 1 .
SouthFront immediately made an appeal of this decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support to various organizations .
We also sent emails to the Russian Foreign Ministry and a number of Russian mainstream media organizations .
SouthFront emails and requests were expectedly ignored .
The reason is simple .
SouthFront has no relations with the Russian government system .
Russian official bodies and mainstream media do have no influence on the editorial policy of SouthFront : Analysis & Intelligence .
Therefore , they have no motive to provide SouthFront with any kind of support or informational assistance .
On top of this , SouthFront critically covers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has never pushed propaganda in the interests of Russia or any another state .
In any case , we are glad to see that Russian media organizations that were censored on YouTube and Facebook got support from Russian official bodies .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • A Close Look At Efforts Of Pro-NATO Propaganda Units Behind the Scenes Of SouthFront Censorship

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On May 20, the Russian Foreign Ministry released an official statement on the censorship of four Russian-language media organizations – “Krim 24” (Crimea 24), “Anna News”, “News Front” and “Riafan” – on YouTube.
The YouTube channels of “Krim 24” (Crimea 24), “Anna News”, “News Front” were blocked on May 19, while the channel of “Riafan” was blocked on April 17.
““Krim 24” TV channel is one of the most popular sources of information on the peninsula. It is a part of Crimea’s largest media holding “Television and Radio Company “Krim” that unites five television channels, three radio stations, an information portal and two Internet sites. The team of “Krim 24” TV channel traditionally covers the most relevant major news topics in this Russian region. As a result of the deletion of the Krim 24 account on the Youtube platform, about 30 thousand subscribers lost access to videos that had tens of millions of views. The US platform has taken restrictive measures under the clearly far-fetched pretext of “violating hosting rules.”
The fact that Youtube did not provide any convincing facts explaining its actions, as well as the fact that the appeal of the channel’s team still remains unanswered, is unacceptable,” the foreign ministry said in its statement.
The foreign ministry emphasized that it considers “the actions of video hosting as another act of discrimination against Russian-language media resources by US-controlled Internet platforms that systematically resort to arbitrary censorship of content in Russian.”
The Russian side also recalled that in January 2019, Facebook deleted more than 500 pages related to Russia, including materials from the Sputnik news agency.
“These are just some examples of US Internet censorship of Russian information portals,” it said.
SouthFront cannot but express solidarity with the indignation of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Over the past years, SouthFront has repeatedly become a target of informational attacks, censorship and theft of content.
At the same time, SouthFront recalls that our YouTube channel with over 152,000 subscribers, 1,900 uploaded videos and approximately 60 million views was terminated on May 1.
SouthFront immediately made an appeal of this decision on YouTube and sent requests of informational support to various organizations. We also sent emails to the Russian Foreign Ministry and a number of Russian mainstream media organizations. SouthFront emails and requests were expectedly ignored.
The reason is simple. SouthFront has no relations with the Russian government system. Russian official bodies and mainstream media do have no influence on the editorial policy of SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence. Therefore, they have no motive to provide SouthFront with any kind of support or informational assistance. On top of this, SouthFront critically covers the situation and political tendencies in Russia and has never pushed propaganda in the interests of Russia or any state.
In any case, we are glad to see that Russian media organizations that were censored on YouTube and Facebook got support from Russian official bodies.
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Arctic In Flames

Of all the theaters of militarized international rivalry in the early 21st century , the Arctic promises to be the most complex and unpredictable .
In terms of domain , military operations there would be conducted on land , in the air , on the sea surface , but also in the depths of the Arctic Ocean under ice cover .
The geographic remoteness and climactic harshness of the climate and terrain mean any conflict there would be fought the gaze of international media or citizen reporters .
Next to the Antarctic , the Arctic is one of the few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet been apportioned among the major and minor powers .
And the stakes for all the players are quite high .
Military presence in the Arctic and extension of one ’ s national sovereignty over it promises to yield the interested states and alliances with several sets of benefits .
The first and most obvious is the access to copious natural resources , starting with hydrocarbons , lurking under the still relatively unexplored continental shelf there .
The second one is the surveillance and/or control over maritime shipping routes whose importance will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thirdly , the Arctic does include some militarily very valuable real estate , in the form of great many islands and archipelagoes that may be used for advanced military outposts and bases .
In all three cases , the United States is acting as the spoiler , unhappy with the current state of affairs .
It aims to extend its control over natural resources in the region , establish permanent presence in other countries ’ exclusive economic zones ( EEZ ) through the use of the so-called “ freedom of navigation operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to encircle Russia with ballistic missile defense ( BMD ) sites and platforms .
In view of the urgent and evident US preparations to be able to fight and prevail in a war against a nuclear adversary , by defeating the adversary ’ s nuclear arsenal through the combination of precision non-nuclear strikes ( including by the broad range of hypersonic missiles currently under development ) and BMD systems , it would appear that third benefit is of the greatest importance to the United States , though certainly not the only one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Navy BMD-capable AEGIS destroyers into the Barents Sea , the first such mission since the end of the Cold War over two decades ago , shows the interest United States has in projecting BMD capabilities into regions north of Russia ’ s coastline , where they might be able to effect boost-phase interceptions of Russian ballistic missiles that would be launched in retaliatory strikes against the United States .
US operational planning for the Arctic in all likelihood resembles that for South China Sea , with only a few corrections for climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theaters of war is that the decisive fighting would be in the air or at or under the sea , culminating in comparatively small amphibious operations and battles for relatively small and/or isolated islands .
Once one side prevails in the air and at sea , the outcome of these land battles would be all but foreordained .
As the experience of World War 2 “ island-hopping ” campaigns in the Pacific shows , no isolated island fortress can survive for very long once it is isolated from own air and naval support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US eventually fell , and did not require masses of troops to overcome their resistance thanks to overwhelming naval and aerial firepower US forces brought to bear .
Campaigns in the Arctic would follow a similar course , with US naval task forces pushing into the teeth of Russia ’ s submarines , land-based missile batteries , and land-based fighter and bomber squadrons .
The recently announced plans to revamp the US Marine Corps that include doing away with its tank battalions and much of field artillery , while adding land-based anti-ship missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest USMC is being tailored for such small-scale island-hopping operations in the Arctic , South China Sea , and other such theaters of war , to the detriment of its ability to conduct counter-insurgency or large-scale high-intensity combat operations .
The small size of forces used by both sides also means a premium will be placed on the element of surprise , since a small garrison on a remote Arctic island garrison could be overcome relatively quickly , in the manner similar to which the original Argentinian invasion of the Falklands succeeded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no real fighting took place .
The remoteness of these islands , the small size of the military forces , and the practically non-existent potential for collateral damage due to absence of large civilian populations also mean that the use of low-yield nuclear weapons , against both land facilities and naval forces at sea , is far easier to contemplate than in any conflict in Europe or Asia .
The remoteness of this theater of operations also means nuclear strikes would have a lower risk of strategic escalation , as long as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemy mainland .
At the outset , however , the dominant weapon systems would be intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles , launched from land-based launchers as well as aerial and naval platforms .
The US withdrawal from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty means the US Army will have a large number of ground-launched missiles with ranges exceeding 500km in service , such as the Precision Strike Missile .
The US Marine Corps is planning to organize Littoral Regiments whose armament will include Naval Strike Missiles on unmanned truck-based launchers , and which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South China Sea but also elsewhere .
Moreover , US Navy and US Air Force plan to introduce hypersonic missiles into their arsenals by the end of the decade as well .
The current US procurement plans mean that by 2030 the United States could expect to concentrate overwhelming intermediate-range missile firepower in any given single theater of operations , be it the Persian Gulf , the Pacific Rim , or the Arctic .
NATO vs. Russia or US vs the World ?
At the same time the United States will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own camp .
United States covetous eye has been cast not only on those areas of the Arctic within Russia ’ s continental shelf , but also Canada ’ s Northwest Passage and even Denmark ’ s Greenland .
The US intent to procure a small fleet of icebreakers is intended to enable “ Freedom of Navigation Operations ” in what Canada views its territorial waters , and Donald Trump actually may have revealed a state secret when he spoke of the United States buying Greenland from Denmark and setting up a Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s weakness for all the world to sea and the Europeans discovering an urgent need for unity and cooperation , United States might yet discover a unified European Union to be a formidable opponent when it comes to protecting its own interests .
The United State is slowly but steadily losing the geo-economic race in the Arctic with Russia and China .
In the situation when there is no chance to push forward own successful projects , Washington has opted the strategy of undermining efforts of other states .
The fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Route is the source of the especial concern of the US strategists .
Therefore , the US diplomatic activity and the so-called “ freedom of navigation operations ” are now mostly focused on undermining and limiting the freedom of navigation in the way that would allow to contain the Chinese-Russian cooperation in the region .
If Washington can not catch-up Moscow and Beijing in the field , it will do all what it can to at least slow down the progress of their joint projects .
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Written by J.Hawk exclusively for SouthFront
Of all the theaters of militarized international rivalry in the early 21st century, the Arctic promises to be the most complex and unpredictable. In terms of domain, military operations there would be conducted on land, in the air, on the sea surface, but also in the depths of the Arctic Ocean under ice cover. The geographic remoteness and climactic harshness of the climate and terrain mean any conflict there would be fought the gaze of international media or citizen reporters. Next to the Antarctic, the Arctic is one of the few areas of the global commons that has not yet been apportioned among the major and minor powers. And the stakes for all the players are quite high.
The Stakes
Military presence in the Arctic and extension of one’s national sovereignty over it promises to yield the interested states and alliances with several sets of benefits. The first and most obvious is the access to copious natural resources, starting with hydrocarbons, lurking under the still relatively unexplored continental shelf there. The second one is the surveillance and/or control over maritime shipping routes whose importance will only increase as polar ice cover retreats. Thirdly, the Arctic does include some militarily very valuable real estate, in the form of great many islands and archipelagoes that may be used for advanced military outposts and bases.
In all three cases, the United States is acting as the spoiler, unhappy with the current state of affairs. It aims to extend its control over natural resources in the region, establish permanent presence in other countries’ exclusive economic zones (EEZ) through the use of the so-called “freedom of navigation operations” (FONOPs), and continue to encircle Russia with ballistic missile defense (BMD) sites and platforms.
In view of the urgent and evident US preparations to be able to fight and prevail in a war against a nuclear adversary, by defeating the adversary’s nuclear arsenal through the combination of precision non-nuclear strikes (including by the broad range of hypersonic missiles currently under development) and BMD systems, it would appear that third benefit is of the greatest importance to the United States, though certainly not the only one. The recent sortie by a force of US Navy BMD-capable AEGIS destroyers into the Barents Sea, the first such mission since the end of the Cold War over two decades ago, shows the interest United States has in projecting BMD capabilities into regions north of Russia’s coastline, where they might be able to effect boost-phase interceptions of Russian ballistic missiles that would be launched in retaliatory strikes against the United States.
Island-Hopping with Nukes
US operational planning for the Arctic in all likelihood resembles that for South China Sea, with only a few corrections for climate. The key similarity of both potential theaters of war is that the decisive fighting would be in the air or at or under the sea, culminating in comparatively small amphibious operations and battles for relatively small and/or isolated islands. Once one side prevails in the air and at sea, the outcome of these land battles would be all but foreordained. As the experience of World War 2 “island-hopping” campaigns in the Pacific shows, no isolated island fortress can survive for very long once it is isolated from own air and naval support. Every Japanese outpost targeted by the US eventually fell, and did not require masses of troops to overcome their resistance thanks to overwhelming naval and aerial firepower US forces brought to bear. Campaigns in the Arctic would follow a similar course, with US naval task forces pushing into the teeth of Russia’s submarines, land-based missile batteries, and land-based fighter and bomber squadrons. The recently announced plans to revamp the US Marine Corps that include doing away with its tank battalions and much of field artillery, while adding land-based anti-ship missile capabilities for the first time ever, suggest USMC is being tailored for such small-scale island-hopping operations in the Arctic, South China Sea, and other such theaters of war, to the detriment of its ability to conduct counter-insurgency or large-scale high-intensity combat operations.
The small size of forces used by both sides also means a premium will be placed on the element of surprise, since a small garrison on a remote Arctic island garrison could be overcome relatively quickly, in the manner similar to which the original Argentinian invasion of the Falklands succeeded in routing the Royal Marine garrison so quickly that no real fighting took place.
The remoteness of these islands, the small size of the military forces, and the practically non-existent potential for collateral damage due to absence of large civilian populations also mean that the use of low-yield nuclear weapons, against both land facilities and naval forces at sea, is far easier to contemplate than in any conflict in Europe or Asia. The remoteness of this theater of operations also means nuclear strikes would have a lower risk of strategic escalation, as long as all the nuclear adversaries refrained from targeting enemy mainland.
At the outset, however, the dominant weapon systems would be intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles, launched from land-based launchers as well as aerial and naval platforms. The US withdrawal from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty means the US Army will have a large number of ground-launched missiles with ranges exceeding 500km in service, such as the Precision Strike Missile. The US Marine Corps is planning to organize Littoral Regiments whose armament will include Naval Strike Missiles on unmanned truck-based launchers, and which are intended for such island campaigns in the South China Sea but also elsewhere. Moreover, US Navy and US Air Force plan to introduce hypersonic missiles into their arsenals by the end of the decade as well. The current US procurement plans mean that by 2030 the United States could expect to concentrate overwhelming intermediate-range missile firepower in any given single theater of operations, be it the Persian Gulf, the Pacific Rim, or the Arctic.
NATO vs. Russia or US vs the World?
At the same time the United States will have to solve the problem of disunity within its own camp. United States covetous eye has been cast not only on those areas of the Arctic within Russia’s continental shelf, but also Canada’s Northwest Passage and even Denmark’s Greenland. The US intent to procure a small fleet of icebreakers is intended to enable “Freedom of Navigation Operations” in what Canada views its territorial waters, and Donald Trump actually may have revealed a state secret when he spoke of the United States buying Greenland from Denmark and setting up a Trump Tower there. With the COVID-19 revealing America’s weakness for all the world to sea and the Europeans discovering an urgent need for unity and cooperation, United States might yet discover a unified European Union to be a formidable opponent when it comes to protecting its own interests.
The United State is slowly but steadily losing the geo-economic race in the Arctic with Russia and China. In the situation when there is no chance to push forward own successful projects, Washington has opted the strategy of undermining efforts of other states. The fast development of Russia’s Northern Sea Route is the source of the especial concern of the US strategists. Therefore, the US diplomatic activity and the so-called “freedom of navigation operations” are now mostly focused on undermining and limiting the freedom of navigation in the way that would allow to contain the Chinese-Russian cooperation in the region. If Washington cannot catch-up Moscow and Beijing in the field, it will do all what it can to at least slow down the progress of their joint projects.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Large Batch Of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham ‘Special Forces’ Completes Training (Photos)

Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) announced on May 18 that the “ largest batch ever ” of its special forces , dubbed the “ Red Bands , ” has completed its training .
The terrorist group held a graduation ceremony for the new special forces personnel , who were trained to carry out raids , Inghimasi [ suicide ] attacks and sabotage operations .
The ceremony was attended by the group ’ s top military leader .
Furthermore , HTS announced on March 20 that some of its regular units have completed a “ military enhancement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released photos of the training course , which involved live fire drills .
One of the photos shows the terrorists training with a Turkish-supplied M113 armored personnel carrier ( APC ) .
It is no secret that HTS has been taking advantage of the new ceasefire in Greater Idlib , brokered by Russia and Turkey on March 5 , to rebuild its military capabilities .
Last March , HTS launched a large recruitment campaign to revive its depleted special forces and Inghimasi force .
The group also stepped up the training of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new brigades .
This military buildup is a sign that HTS is not willing to respect the March 5 agreement .
In fact , the terrorist group is clearly preparing for a new military confrontation with the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) and its allies .
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Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced on May 18 that the “largest batch ever” of its special forces, dubbed the “Red Bands,” has completed its training.
The terrorist group held a graduation ceremony for the new special forces personnel, who were trained to carry out raids, Inghimasi [suicide] attacks and sabotage operations. The ceremony was attended by the group’s top military leader.
Furthermore, HTS announced on March 20 that some of its regular units have completed a “military enhancement” training course.
The terrorist group released photos of the training course, which involved live fire drills. One of the photos shows the terrorists training with a Turkish-supplied M113 armored personnel carrier (APC).
It is no secret that HTS has been taking advantage of the new ceasefire in Greater Idlib, brokered by Russia and Turkey on March 5, to rebuild its military capabilities.
Last March, HTS launched a large recruitment campaign to revive its depleted special forces and Inghimasi force. The group also stepped up the training of new recruits and expanded its forces with three new brigades.
This military buildup is a sign that HTS is not willing to respect the March 5 agreement. In fact, the terrorist group is clearly preparing for a new military confrontation with the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Syrian Pro-Government Forces Chase ISIS Cells In Eastern Homs (Photos)

On May 19 , the al-Quds Brigade , a Palestinian group supporting the Damascus government , carried out a combing @ @ @ @ @ countryside .
During the operation , a large area between Haribshi and Faydat Umm Muyni @ @ @ @ @ The water-rich area was reportedly infested with ISIS cells .
The terrorists left behind equipment @ @ @ @ @ which were seized and destroyed .
A day earlier , the National Defense Forces ( @ @ @ @ @ reinforcements will be deployed in “ al-Badiya ” [ the central desert region ] to @ @ @ @ @ .
ISIS cells in the Homs desert intensified their attacks recently .
Last week , @ @ @ @ @ fake checkpoint on the Homs-Deir Ezzor highway .
Several Syrian service members and civilians were @ @ @ @ @ operations and reinforcements could help to counter the growing threat of ISIS in eastern Homs @ @ @ @ @ efforts will be needed to fully secure the central region .
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On May 19, the al-Quds Brigade, a Palestinian group supporting the Damascus government, carried out a combing operation in the eastern Homs countryside.
During the operation, a large area between Haribshi and Faydat Umm Muyni’a was cleared. The water-rich area was reportedly infested with ISIS cells. The terrorists left behind equipment and few pick-up vehicles, which were seized and destroyed.
A day earlier, the National Defense Forces (NDF) announced that fresh reinforcements will be deployed in “al-Badiya” [the central desert region] to clear it from ISIS terrorists.
ISIS cells in the Homs desert intensified their attacks recently. Last week, the terrorists set up a fake checkpoint on the Homs-Deir Ezzor highway. Several Syrian service members and civilians were captured then executed.
Security operations and reinforcements could help to counter the growing threat of ISIS in eastern Homs. Nevertheless, much more efforts will be needed to fully secure the central region.
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southfront--2020-05-20--In Video: Syrian Army Sends Reinforcements To Hunt Down ISIS Cells In Deir Ezzor Province

‘ ISIS ’ in Deir Ezzor effectively operate from within protective cover of US military base at al-Tanf – US @ @ @ @ @ its illegal occupation site and blocks SAA from entering and hunting terrorist factions down .
@ @ @ @ @ design , of course .

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The Syrian Army and Liwa al-Quds (a pro-government Palestinian militia) sent reinforcements from the province of Raqqa to the province of Deir Ezzor, where they will participate in the ongoing operation against ISIS cells.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Norwegian Study Finds Tracking Apps Reveal Operations And Activities Of Police And Military Personne

Norwegian Study Finds Tracking Apps Reveal Operations And Activities Of Police And Military Personnel

Every day , Norwegian officers and soldiers shout out where they are .
Without knowing it .
NRK has acquired information on the movements of Norwegians from a British company .
The company has a business address in the heart of London , and states on its website that they ‘ make accurate data available to everyone ’ .
The data NRK obtained shows accurate locations for 140,000 mobiles and tablets from 2019 .
The information comes from apps Norwegians have installed .
The data package costs 35,000 Norwegian kroners and shows how easy it is to map parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the people NRK has found utilizing the data are officers with in-depth knowledge of the Armed Forces ’ weaknesses and strengths .
Others have access to sensitive areas .
This included , among other things , a soldier who has stayed in the quarters of the Armed Forces ’ elite soldiers , and a person who has visited of the Intelligence Service ’ s stations in Northern Norway .
The information from the apps made it possible to see which houses some of them slept in , where they worked , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their spare time .
The data can be used to survey individuals , says Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute ( NUPI ) .
The NRK ’ s findings worry the top management of the Defence Force , says Vice Admiral Elisabeth Natvig .
She is the commander of the Defence Staff and is number two in the chain of command of the military forces .
She now intends to review the Armed Forces ’ routines and regulations for how military personnel use the smartphone… In the data NRK has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone numbers , but a unique identity for each mobile .
It makes it possible to see where people have moved over time .
NRK can document that over 7500 mobiles have stayed within nationally defined prohibition zones .
These are places that have extra protection against surveillance and mapping for the sake of the kingdom ’ s security .
Among these mobiles , NRK has uncovered the identity of a number of employees in the Armed Forces , who together have visited over 20 military camps .
One of the most interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led a military overseas mission in a war zone .
Also , NRK found an officer and several others using the National Security Authority ’ s ( NSM ) map of prohibition zones in Norway .
The points on the map show the movements of mobiles within prohibition zones .
The stronger it glows , the more positions are registered .
This makes it possible to see only mobiles that are probably owned by people connected to the Armed Forces .
It was also possible to follow the movements of the officer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war zone .
His positions were shared more than 1,000 times over 10 months .
His tablet was registered at a number of central defence facilities in Norway .
Among other things , two radar systems in Northern Norway .
This information indicated that the officer had central tasks in the Armed Forces , but it was not enough to find his name .
NRK investigated where his mobile phone was at night .
This is how we found what was probably his home address .
It was also possible to chart a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linking information from multiple websites with the mobile movements .
In 2019 , for example , he travelled to a cottage in another region .
It was registered with a member of the Armed Forces .
On social media it emerged that the two were friends .
NRK has been in contact with the officer and provided him with the information .
He referred all questions to the Armed Forces .
The officer is just one of many that can be mapped in this way .
NRK has identified employees in all Armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers , it only took one to two hours to map parts of their lives .
NRK has chosen to omit identifying information about the people .
For an adversary considering a military or intelligence operation against Norway , it would be extremely useful to know who is doing what in connection with the Armed Forces and all branches of the security forces .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Massive Data Leak From Russian FSB Reveals Nothing New , But Sheds Light On Cyber Security Problem

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Every day, Norwegian officers and soldiers shout out where they are. Without knowing it.
NRK has acquired information on the movements of Norwegians from a British company. The company has a business address in the heart of London, and states on its website that they ‘make accurate data available to everyone’. The data NRK obtained shows accurate locations for 140,000 mobiles and tablets from 2019. The information comes from apps Norwegians have installed. The data package costs 35,000 Norwegian kroners and shows how easy it is to map parts of the lives of military personnel. Many of the people NRK has found utilizing the data are officers with in-depth knowledge of the Armed Forces’ weaknesses and strengths. Others have access to sensitive areas. This included, among other things, a soldier who has stayed in the quarters of the Armed Forces’ elite soldiers, and a person who has visited of the Intelligence Service’s stations in Northern Norway.
The information from the apps made it possible to see which houses some of them slept in, where they worked, which addresses they visited and where they were in their spare time. The data can be used to survey individuals, says Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (NUPI). The NRK’s findings worry the top management of the Defence Force, says Vice Admiral Elisabeth Natvig. She is the commander of the Defence Staff and is number two in the chain of command of the military forces. She now intends to review the Armed Forces’ routines and regulations for how military personnel use the smartphone…
War zone missions
In the data NRK has purchased, there are no names or phone numbers, but a unique identity for each mobile. It makes it possible to see where people have moved over time.
NRK can document that over 7500 mobiles have stayed within nationally defined prohibition zones. These are places that have extra protection against surveillance and mapping for the sake of the kingdom’s security.
Among these mobiles, NRK has uncovered the identity of a number of employees in the Armed Forces, who together have visited over 20 military camps.
One of the most interesting findings concerns a Norwegian officer who has led a military overseas mission in a war zone.
Also, NRK found an officer and several others using the National Security Authority’s (NSM) map of prohibition zones in Norway.
The points on the map show the movements of mobiles within prohibition zones. The stronger it glows, the more positions are registered. This makes it possible to see only mobiles that are probably owned by people connected to the Armed Forces.
It was also possible to follow the movements of the officer who has been on foreign missions in a war zone. His positions were shared more than 1,000 times over 10 months.
His tablet was registered at a number of central defence facilities in Norway. Among other things, two radar systems in Northern Norway.
This information indicated that the officer had central tasks in the Armed Forces, but it was not enough to find his name. NRK investigated where his mobile phone was at night. This is how we found what was probably his home address.
It was also possible to chart a rich social life outside of work by linking information from multiple websites with the mobile movements. In 2019, for example, he travelled to a cottage in another region. It was registered with a member of the Armed Forces. On social media it emerged that the two were friends. NRK has been in contact with the officer and provided him with the information. He referred all questions to the Armed Forces.
The officer is just one of many that can be mapped in this way. NRK has identified employees in all Armed Forces branches. For some of the officers, it only took one to two hours to map parts of their lives. NRK has chosen to omit identifying information about the people.
For an adversary considering a military or intelligence operation against Norway, it would be extremely useful to know who is doing what in connection with the Armed Forces and all branches of the security forces.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Turkish Combat Drones Target Four Pantsir-S1 Systems In Libya (Videos)

The Government of National Accord ( GNA ) operations room “ Anger Volcano ” announced on May 20 that its combat drones had targeted four Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems of the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) .
Col. Mohamad Qununu , a spokesman for the operations room , said three of the systems were targeted in the vicinity of the town of Tarhunah , while the fourth щту was targeted near the town of al-Wishka .
The Libya al-Ahrar TV shared a video showing the destruction of two Pantsir-S1 systems near Tarhunah .
Another video shared by a Turkish outlet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system being targeted on a road near the town .
Turkish sources shared a third video showing a drone strike on a warehouse near al-Wishka , where a fourth Pantsir-S1 system was allegedly stored .
The systems were apparently targeted by Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles ( UCAVs ) .
The GNA claims that the drones are being operated by its forces .
However , local sources say that they are in fact operated by the Turkish military .
The UAE sent several of its own Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libya last year in order to counter the threat of Turkish combat drones .
It is still unclear if these systems are being operated by Emirati officers or by LNA personnel .
On May 18 , GNA forces , backed by Turkey , captured the al-Watiya Air Base from the LNA .
Inside the base , two Panstri-S1 systems , one damaged and the other completely destroyed , were found .
These recent setbacks have placed the LNA ’ s attack on the capital , Tripoli , on halt .
The GNA and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will likely increase their pressure on the LNA .
A large operation to capture Tarhunah will reportedly be launched soon .
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The Government of National Accord (GNA) operations room “Anger Volcano” announced on May 20 that its combat drones had targeted four Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems of the Libyan National Army (LNA).
Col. Mohamad Qununu, a spokesman for the operations room, said three of the systems were targeted in the vicinity of the town of Tarhunah, while the fourth щту was targeted near the town of al-Wishka.
The Libya al-Ahrar TV shared a video showing the destruction of two Pantsir-S1 systems near Tarhunah. Another video shared by a Turkish outlet, Clash Report, shows a third system being targeted on a road near the town.
Turkish sources shared a third video showing a drone strike on a warehouse near al-Wishka, where a fourth Pantsir-S1 system was allegedly stored.
The systems were apparently targeted by Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). The GNA claims that the drones are being operated by its forces. However, local sources say that they are in fact operated by the Turkish military.
The UAE sent several of its own Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems, which are based on MAN trucks, in Libya last year in order to counter the threat of Turkish combat drones. It is still unclear if these systems are being operated by Emirati officers or by LNA personnel.
On May 18, GNA forces, backed by Turkey, captured the al-Watiya Air Base from the LNA. Inside the base, two Panstri-S1 systems, one damaged and the other completely destroyed, were found.
These recent setbacks have placed the LNA’s attack on the capital, Tripoli, on halt. The GNA and its backers, that have gained momentum, will likely increase their pressure on the LNA. A large operation to capture Tarhunah will reportedly be launched soon.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Five ISIS Attacks Target Syrian Service Members, Local Commander In Southern Region

On May 19 , ISIS claimed responsibility for five recent attacks in the governorates of Daraa and al-Quneitra in southern Syria .
In statements released by its news agency , Amaq , the terrorist group summarized the attacks as follows : • On May 18 , a Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) service member was shot and killed on a road between the towns of al-Sahoah and al-Musayfrah in eastern Daraa .
Local sources confirmed ISIS ’ claims .
• On May 18 , a local man working as a “ spy ” for the Military Intelligence Directorate ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of al-Jeezah in eastern Daraa and then executed .
Local sources confirmed ISIS ’ claims revealing that the man was a rebel police commander .
• On May 19 , two SAA service members were shot and killed near the town of Kafr Shams in northern Daraa .
Local sources confirmed ISIS ’ claims revealing that at least one of the victims was an officer .
• On May 19 , a Syrian security officer was shot and killed near the town of al-Harah in the northern countryside of Daraa .
Local sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 19 , a SAA service member was shot and killed near the town of Khan Arnabeh in the al-Quneitra countryside .
Local sources didn ’ t confirm ISIS ’ claims .
These attacks became a notable threat for government forces in southern Syria .
ISIS cells are working to expand their operations in the region .
The army is currently preparing to launch a large-scale security operation against local armed groups ( not linked with ISIS ) in Daraa .
Reinforcements are being deployed in the governorate .
The operation will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ongoing talks with the governorate ’ s locals fail to find a peaceful solution .

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On May 19, ISIS claimed responsibility for five recent attacks in the governorates of Daraa and al-Quneitra in southern Syria.
In statements released by its news agency, Amaq, the terrorist group summarized the attacks as follows:
On May 18, a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) service member was shot and killed on a road between the towns of al-Sahoah and al-Musayfrah in eastern Daraa. Local sources confirmed ISIS’ claims.
On May 18, a local man working as a “spy” for the Military Intelligence Directorate (MID) was abducted from the town of al-Jeezah in eastern Daraa and then executed. Local sources confirmed ISIS’ claims revealing that the man was a rebel police commander.
On May 19, two SAA service members were shot and killed near the town of Kafr Shams in northern Daraa. Local sources confirmed ISIS’ claims revealing that at least one of the victims was an officer.
On May 19, a Syrian security officer was shot and killed near the town of al-Harah in the northern countryside of Daraa. Local sources confirmed ISIS’ claims.
On May 19, a SAA service member was shot and killed near the town of Khan Arnabeh in the al-Quneitra countryside. Local sources didn’t confirm ISIS’ claims.
These attacks became a notable threat for government forces in southern Syria. ISIS cells are working to expand their operations in the region.
The army is currently preparing to launch a large-scale security operation against local armed groups (not linked with ISIS) in Daraa. Reinforcements are being deployed in the governorate. The operation will likely begin within a few days, if the ongoing talks with the governorate’s locals fail to find a peaceful solution.
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southfront--2020-05-20--Social Protest Returns To The Streets In Argentina

Social protesters have returned to the streets in Argentina in the first major organized social/ political manifestation in Latin America since the quarantine measures were introduced in March ( there have been numerous spontaneous mass violations of quarantine measures but these were not organized demonstrations , rather people on the verge of starvation seeking food , water and other essential items ) .
Mass protests had been a regular occurrence in many countries in the region during the second half of 2019 and the first months of 2020 , however this ended as the quarantine measures were introduced .
Chile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread social rebellion since October , protesting severe inequality , deprivation and political and economic exclusion .
Although some mass demonstrations persisted for a while ( there were some memorable videos of one protest where a substantial proportion of the participants arrived wearing protective overalls and masks as the demonstrators surged through the streets ) , and there have been some isolated street actions and events on a much reduced scale , the quarantine and lockdown measures effectively quashed the street protests and mass rebellion and placed all major political developments on hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations had also been steadily increasing in scale and depth as key social sectors worked intensely on strengthening strategic planning , organization and solidarity amongst historically fragmented social classes and sectors ( including major trade unions , students , farmers , Afro-Colombians and Indigenous communities ) .
In this context a national strike and mass protest was held on 21 November 2019 with considerable success , with major demonstrations taking place in almost all major cities throughout the country .
A follow up national strike had been convened for the 25th of March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entered into effect .
All social protests were effectively terminated , occasional symbolic gestures and ‘ virtual ’ events among those with access to the internet notwithstanding , as communities went into survival mode .
The ‘ new normal ’ , ironclad social , political and economic lockdown , police and military taking complete control of the streets ( and occasionally shooting stragglers or those forced by necessity and/ or despair to venture outside ) , zero political discussion or activity of any kind , came to an abrupt end in Argentina last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at an end .
The protestors were careful to abide by measures such as wearing masks and maintaining a 2 metre distance as they met and marched , it wasn ’ t disputing the need for quarantine and other precautionary measures as such , rather to emphasize that many people are beginning to suffer from malnutrition and are facing the imminent risk of starvation .
Although the Argentine government has been much more protest tolerant than Chile or Bolivia , for example , as elsewhere the administration of President Alberto Fernandez has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that go beyond the immediate demands of the entrenched networks of political , economic and bureaucratic elites and has tended to implement support measures for big business and finance before considering how to help the rest of the Argentinian people .
Hence , last Wednesday the representatives of a diverse range of social organizations , grouped together to coordinate their demands and actions in the Front of Fighting Organizations ( Frente de Organizaciones en Lucha ) , reclaimed the streets of Buenos Aires to express their demands and dissatisfaction with many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described the event : “ All the convening organizations have been coordinating the creation of communal kitchens to provide food for the most humble and disadvantaged of their people as a gesture of pure solidarity and awareness of their plight .
For them the pretty speeches and condescending words of encouragement of certain officials are of no relevance , what counts is the daily struggle for a bowl of soup or a glass of milk for their children .
After uniting at a central plaza the demonstrators marched to the Ministry of Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luxurious offices of the transnational financial giant JP Morgan ( with the cry – ‘ Their wealth is our poverty !
’ ) .
The march comprised men and women who , in the face of the State ’ s failure to meet their most urgent needs , defied their fear of the Coronavirus and went out to fight on the street for their rights… There , in the streets , duly separated by a couple of metres … , they were showing that if there are no solutions there will be struggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureaucrats and the UIA millionaires ( of the largest trade unions ) who agreed to an officially sanctioned reduction in salaries , also defying the apologists who every day try to convince us that ‘ we must be cautious ’ and ‘ not fall into provocations ’ , when those who provoke the most are the debt vultures of financial capital , the economic hitmen of the IMF who continue to be paid for an illegitimate debt .
It is also a provocation to sign agreements with Soros and his acolytes , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to replace our sovereignty and dignity with never-ending servitude , frauds and deceptions… ” Among the core demands of the marchers were an immediate massive boost to the food assistance programs , no salary reductions , no more dismissals of workers , a basic universal income , and a substantial increase in support for other social programs .
Significantly , unlike in Chile , Bolivia , Colombia , or so many other countries where all social protests are routinely met by hoards of heavily armed and militarized riot police , the marchers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour subsequently met with representatives from the social groups and the respective parties reached preliminary agreement on some of the demands .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Iran Warns the US against Intercepting Fuel Shipments to Venezuela

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Social protesters have returned to the streets in Argentina in the first major organized social/ political manifestation in Latin America since the quarantine measures were introduced in March (there have been numerous spontaneous mass violations of quarantine measures but these were not organized demonstrations, rather people on the verge of starvation seeking food, water and other essential items).
Mass protests had been a regular occurrence in many countries in the region during the second half of 2019 and the first months of 2020, however this ended as the quarantine measures were introduced. Chile in particular had witnessed mass protests and widespread social rebellion since October, protesting severe inequality, deprivation and political and economic exclusion. Although some mass demonstrations persisted for a while (there were some memorable videos of one protest where a substantial proportion of the participants arrived wearing protective overalls and masks as the demonstrators surged through the streets), and there have been some isolated street actions and events on a much reduced scale, the quarantine and lockdown measures effectively quashed the street protests and mass rebellion and placed all major political developments on hold.
In Colombia, social protests and demonstrations had also been steadily increasing in scale and depth as key social sectors worked intensely on strengthening strategic planning, organization and solidarity amongst historically fragmented social classes and sectors (including major trade unions, students, farmers, Afro-Colombians and Indigenous communities). In this context a national strike and mass protest was held on 21 November 2019 with considerable success, with major demonstrations taking place in almost all major cities throughout the country. A follow up national strike had been convened for the 25th of March however it was cancelled as the quarantine entered into effect. All social protests were effectively terminated, occasional symbolic gestures and ‘virtual’ events among those with access to the internet notwithstanding, as communities went into survival mode.
The ‘new normal’, ironclad social, political and economic lockdown, police and military taking complete control of the streets (and occasionally shooting stragglers or those forced by necessity and/ or despair to venture outside), zero political discussion or activity of any kind, came to an abrupt end in Argentina last week as citizens manifested that their patience is at an end.
The protestors were careful to abide by measures such as wearing masks and maintaining a 2 metre distance as they met and marched, it wasn’t disputing the need for quarantine and other precautionary measures as such, rather to emphasize that many people are beginning to suffer from malnutrition and are facing the imminent risk of starvation. Although the Argentine government has been much more protest tolerant than Chile or Bolivia, for example, as elsewhere the administration of President Alberto Fernandez has found it difficult to elaborate innovative measures that go beyond the immediate demands of the entrenched networks of political, economic and bureaucratic elites and has tended to implement support measures for big business and finance before considering how to help the rest of the Argentinian people.
Hence, last Wednesday the representatives of a diverse range of social organizations, grouped together to coordinate their demands and actions in the Front of Fighting Organizations (Frente de Organizaciones en Lucha), reclaimed the streets of Buenos Aires to express their demands and dissatisfaction with many of the government’s actions. Maria Torrellas described the event:
“All the convening organizations have been coordinating the creation of communal kitchens to provide food for the most humble and disadvantaged of their people as a gesture of pure solidarity and awareness of their plight. For them the pretty speeches and condescending words of encouragement of certain officials are of no relevance, what counts is the daily struggle for a bowl of soup or a glass of milk for their children. After uniting at a central plaza the demonstrators marched to the Ministry of Labour and finally shouted their anger outside the luxurious offices of the transnational financial giant JP Morgan (with the cry – ‘Their wealth is our poverty!’). The march comprised men and women who, in the face of the State’s failure to meet their most urgent needs, defied their fear of the Coronavirus and went out to fight on the street for their rights… There, in the streets, duly separated by a couple of metres …, they were showing that if there are no solutions there will be struggle. In defiance also of the CGT bureaucrats and the UIA millionaires (of the largest trade unions) who agreed to an officially sanctioned reduction in salaries, also defying the apologists who every day try to convince us that ‘we must be cautious’ and ‘not fall into provocations’, when those who provoke the most are the debt vultures of financial capital, the economic hitmen of the IMF who continue to be paid for an illegitimate debt. It is also a provocation to sign agreements with Soros and his acolytes, when what this multinational mafia structure seeks is to replace our sovereignty and dignity with never-ending servitude, frauds and deceptions…”
Among the core demands of the marchers were an immediate massive boost to the food assistance programs, no salary reductions, no more dismissals of workers, a basic universal income, and a substantial increase in support for other social programs.
Significantly, unlike in Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, or so many other countries where all social protests are routinely met by hoards of heavily armed and militarized riot police, the marchers were not challenged and the deputy Minister for Labour subsequently met with representatives from the social groups and the respective parties reached preliminary agreement on some of the demands.
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