southfront--2020-06-26--Saudi Oil Price War Has Backfired, Oil Revenues Have Plummeted

Earlier this year , Saudi Arabia launched an attack on the oil market , flooding the market with oil in an effort to target Iran ’ s economy and force Russia to cut production .
This caused a large-scale crisis on the oil market which has also inflicted massive losses on the Saudi Kingdom ’ s economy .
Despite record oil exports in April as Saudi Arabia flooded the market with oil , the value of the Kingdom ’ s crude exports plunged by US $ 12 billion from April 2019 levels as the lowest oil prices in years hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Saudi Arabia ’ s oil exports plummeted by 65.4 % , or US $ 12 billion ( 45.3 billion Saudi riyals ) , severely affecting the value of the total exports of the world ’ s top oil exporter , data from Saudi Arabia ’ s General Authority of Statistics showed on Thursday .
China was Saudi Arabia ’ s main trading partner for merchandise trade in April 2020 , with Saudi exports to China valued at US $ 1.9 billion ( 7.16 billion riyals ) .
The Saudis flooded the market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous OPEC+ deal in early March , exporting a record 10.237 million barrels per day ( bpd ) in April 2020 , up from 7.391 million bpd in March , according to data from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative ( JODI ) .
The Kingdom ’ s total oil export revenues for the first quarter of 2020 fell by 21.9 % to US $ 40 billion , mainly due to the fall in Brent Crude prices of up to 60 % .
Under the new OPEC+ deal finalized in April , Saudi Arabia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million bpd in May , June , and July , restricting exports to some customers in Asia , and significantly cutting shipments to the United States .
Even though oil prices are now higher than they were in April , reduced oil shipments are set to continue impacting Saudi oil revenues , the main source of income for the Kingdom ’ s budget .
The International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) has revised its projections for the Saudi economy downwards .
According to the IMF estimates , the Saudi economy will crash by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an initial estimate of a 2-3 % decline , due to the cumulative economic effects of the Coronavirus and the slump in oil prices .
LINK Overall , revenue from oil is expected to generate just $ 133 billion in 2020 for Saudi Arabia , down 34 % from last year and down 58 % from its peak in 2013 , according to research by Jadwa Investment .
The multiple crises have severely impacted on the construction and tourism sectors .
Jadwa Investment estimates that 1.2 million foreign workers , many of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and construction , will leave Saudi Arabia by the end of the year .
The slump has also heavily affected the world ’ s biggest oil-producing company , Saudi oil giant Aramco , which has started laying off hundreds of employees—mostly foreign staff—across several divisions in response to the oil price crash .
Aramco , which employs nearly 80,000 people , has been reducing its staffing annually for several years , but this year ’ s job cuts are larger than before .
Aramco was also reported to have suspended production from offshore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18-billion expansion project .
LINK Moreover , as Saudi cities under curfew and with the country ’ s borders shut , the upcoming hajj pilgrimage in Mecca could be cancelled or substantially reduced .
The hajj , which starts in late July this year , has not been cancelled in the 90 years since Saudi Arabia ’ s founding .
The hajj not only provides the Saudis with immense influence and prestige among Muslims , it also generates around $ 6 billion in revenue for the government annually .
Since early April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curfew .
The Grand Mosque there housing the cube-shaped Kaaba , Islam ’ s holiest site , is closed to the public , and the smaller , year-round umrah pilgrimages have been suspended .
To cover the budget deficit , the Saudis have tapped into their foreign assets , which have dwindled from nearly $ 740 billion in 2014 to less than $ 450 billion in April .
LINK MORE ON THE TOPIC : • OPEC reaches historic deal to cut oil production as Mexico wins Mexican standoff with Saudis but its not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production cuts under OPEC deal

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Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia launched an attack on the oil market, flooding the market with oil in an effort to target Iran’s economy and force Russia to cut production. This caused a large-scale crisis on the oil market which has also inflicted massive losses on the Saudi Kingdom’s economy.
Despite record oil exports in April as Saudi Arabia flooded the market with oil, the value of the Kingdom’s crude exports plunged by US$12 billion from April 2019 levels as the lowest oil prices in years hit revenues.
In April, the value of Saudi Arabia’s oil exports plummeted by 65.4%, or US$12 billion (45.3 billion Saudi riyals), severely affecting the value of the total exports of the world’s top oil exporter, data from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Statistics showed on Thursday.
China was Saudi Arabia’s main trading partner for merchandise trade in April 2020, with Saudi exports to China valued at US$1.9 billion (7.16 billion riyals).
The Saudis flooded the market with oil after the collapse of the previous OPEC+ deal in early March, exporting a record 10.237 million barrels per day (bpd) in April 2020, up from 7.391 million bpd in March, according to data from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI).
The Kingdom’s total oil export revenues for the first quarter of 2020 fell by 21.9% to US$40 billion, mainly due to the fall in Brent Crude prices of up to 60%.
Under the new OPEC+ deal finalized in April, Saudi Arabia is reducing its oil production to 8.5 million bpd in May, June, and July, restricting exports to some customers in Asia, and significantly cutting shipments to the United States. Even though oil prices are now higher than they were in April, reduced oil shipments are set to continue impacting Saudi oil revenues, the main source of income for the Kingdom’s budget.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its projections for the Saudi economy downwards. According to the IMF estimates, the Saudi economy will crash by 6.8% this year, compared to an initial estimate of a 2-3% decline, due to the cumulative economic effects of the Coronavirus and the slump in oil prices. LINK
Overall, revenue from oil is expected to generate just $133 billion in 2020 for Saudi Arabia, down 34% from last year and down 58% from its peak in 2013, according to research by Jadwa Investment.
The multiple crises have severely impacted on the construction and tourism sectors. Jadwa Investment estimates that 1.2 million foreign workers, many of whom work in hospitality, tourism, retail and construction, will leave Saudi Arabia by the end of the year.
The slump has also heavily affected the world’s biggest oil-producing company, Saudi oil giant Aramco, which has started laying off hundreds of employees—mostly foreign staff—across several divisions in response to the oil price crash.
Aramco, which employs nearly 80,000 people, has been reducing its staffing annually for several years, but this year’s job cuts are larger than before. Aramco was also reported to have suspended production from offshore oil rigs and postponed a US$18-billion expansion project. LINK
Moreover, as Saudi cities under curfew and with the country’s borders shut, the upcoming hajj pilgrimage in Mecca could be cancelled or substantially reduced. The hajj, which starts in late July this year, has not been cancelled in the 90 years since Saudi Arabia’s founding.
The hajj not only provides the Saudis with immense influence and prestige among Muslims, it also generates around $6 billion in revenue for the government annually. Since early April, Mecca has been under a strict 24-hour curfew. The Grand Mosque there housing the cube-shaped Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, is closed to the public, and the smaller, year-round umrah pilgrimages have been suspended. To cover the budget deficit, the Saudis have tapped into their foreign assets, which have dwindled from nearly $740 billion in 2014 to less than $450 billion in April. LINK
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southfront--2020-06-26--US Urges More Maximum Pressure On Iran, Russia And China Unimpressed

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called on the UN to extend sanctions on Iran , claiming that if this is not done Iran could obtain advanced fighter aircraft from Russia or China and would be in a position to threaten Europe and Asia .
Senior officials of the Trump administration are continuing with their all-out efforts to force Iran to change its policies in accordance with US demands or face economic ruin or even a military attack .
Most recently Pompeo twitted : The US State Department ’ s ‘ Bureau of Counterterrorism ’ has also just released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a major sponsor of terrorist groups around the world : As part of the maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime – the world ’ s worst state sponsor of terrorism – the United States and our partners imposed new sanctions on Tehran and its proxies .
In April , the United States designated Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) , including its Qods Force , as a Foreign Terrorist Organization ( FTO ) – the first time such a designation has been applied to part of another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of countries in Western Europe and South America joined the United States in designating Iran-backed Hizballah as a terrorist group in its entirety .
LINK The 13-year-old arms restrictions imposed on Iran by the Security Council are due to expire in October under the terms of Tehran ’ s 2015 nuclear deal .
Senior US officials and diplomats are trying hard to persuade or force the rest of the international community to support its policy against Iran and extrend the arms embargo : Russia and China will be isolated at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ road to dystopia ” by blocking a U.S. bid to extend a weapons ban on Iran , U.S. Iran envoy Brian Hook told Reuters ahead of his formal pitch of the embargo to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday .
He further claimed : “ We see a widening gap between Russia and China and the international community.
” “ Russia and China were isolated at the ( International Atomic Energy Agency ) last week and they will be isolated in the Security Council if they continue down this road to dystopia.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to succeed as Russia and China , who are also subjected to punitive unilateral sanctions imposed by the US , have signalled they oppose extending the embargo .
A council resolution needs nine votes in favour to be adopted , and is also subject to possible veto by the United States , China , Russia , Britain or France .
Earlier this month , Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Russia and China to resist Washington ’ s push , pledging to “ increase our defence capabilities as we have been doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 35-nation board of governors on Friday called on Iran to allow the U.N. nuclear watchdog access to two sites suspected of nuclear weapons activities , and to cooperate fully .
Iranian allies Russia and China opposed that move but could not block it .
On Wednesday Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran would be open to talks with the United States if Washington apologises for exiting a 2015 nuclear deal and compensates Tehran , at the same time cautioning that U.S. calls for discussions were insincere .
The confrontation between Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal with major powers and reimposed strict unilateral sanctions on Iran ’ s economy .
Iran has refused to hold any talks with the United States unless it lifts sanctions on Tehran and returns to the original agreement .
In retaliation for Washington ’ s ‘ maximum pressure ’ policy , Iran has gradually scaled back its nuclear commitments , a process Tehran says is reversible if the European parties to the pact carry out their promises to shield Iran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however accused the European countries of surrendering to US pressure and failing to fulfil the commitments that they made to Iran in the JCPOA .
Rouhani also criticized a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency passed last Friday that called on Iran to stop denying the agency access to two suspected former nuclear sites .
Meanwhile , relations between Iran and Venezuela continue to diversify and strengthen in spite of the US campaign against both countries .
Telesur reports that a cargo ship from Iran laden with food and other consumer goods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Caracas Hojjatollah Soltani confirmed the arrival of the ship “ Golsan ” in Venezuelan waters with a food load destined to open the Islamic Republic ’ s first supermarket in the South American nation .
“ The ship , which left last May 15 from the Iran port of Bandar Abbas , is already approaching La Guaira , in Venezuela , ” Soltani said .
As part of the agreements between Tehran and Caracas , the Golsan will arrive loaded with consumer goods to supply the Persian nation ’ s first commercial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC : • As Showdown Looms Over Iran ’ s Oil Shipments To Venezuela US Nato Forces Poised For Possible Interception • Venezuela : US Maximum Pressure Continues , More Details Of Failed Mercenary Attack Revealed

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called on the UN to extend sanctions on Iran, claiming that if this is not done Iran could obtain advanced fighter aircraft from Russia or China and would be in a position to threaten Europe and Asia.
Senior officials of the Trump administration are continuing with their all-out efforts to force Iran to change its policies in accordance with US demands or face economic ruin or even a military attack. Most recently Pompeo twitted:
If the @UN Arms Embargo on Iran expires in October, Iran will be able to buy new fighter aircraft like Russia’s SU-30 and China’s J-10. With these highly lethal aircraft, Europe and Asia could be in Iran’s crosshairs. The U.S. will never let this happen. pic.twitter.com/OwV1gHFjrk — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 23, 2020
The US State Department’s ‘Bureau of Counterterrorism’ has also just released a new report which claims that Iran is a major sponsor of terrorist groups around the world:
As part of the maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime – the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism – the United States and our partners imposed new sanctions on Tehran and its proxies. In April, the United States designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including its Qods Force, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) – the first time such a designation has been applied to part of another government. And throughout the year, a number of countries in Western Europe and South America joined the United States in designating Iran-backed Hizballah as a terrorist group in its entirety. LINK
The 13-year-old arms restrictions imposed on Iran by the Security Council are due to expire in October under the terms of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal. Senior US officials and diplomats are trying hard to persuade or force the rest of the international community to support its policy against Iran and extrend the arms embargo:
Russia and China will be isolated at the United Nations if they continue down the “road to dystopia” by blocking a U.S. bid to extend a weapons ban on Iran, U.S. Iran envoy Brian Hook told Reuters ahead of his formal pitch of the embargo to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. He further claimed: “We see a widening gap between Russia and China and the international community.” “Russia and China were isolated at the (International Atomic Energy Agency) last week and they will be isolated in the Security Council if they continue down this road to dystopia.”
Nonetheless, their efforts are unlikely to succeed as Russia and China, who are also subjected to punitive unilateral sanctions imposed by the US, have signalled they oppose extending the embargo. A council resolution needs nine votes in favour to be adopted, and is also subject to possible veto by the United States, China, Russia, Britain or France.
“There is no possibility for its adoption,” said a Chinese diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, after Hook and Craft briefed council envoys. “The U.S. draft resolution is in essence a continuation of the U.S. maximum pressure policy [on Iran] and it has no value or basis for discussion.”
Earlier this month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on Russia and China to resist Washington’s push, pledging to “increase our defence capabilities as we have been doing so even under sanctions.”
The IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors on Friday called on Iran to allow the U.N. nuclear watchdog access to two sites suspected of nuclear weapons activities, and to cooperate fully. Iranian allies Russia and China opposed that move but could not block it.
On Wednesday Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran would be open to talks with the United States if Washington apologises for exiting a 2015 nuclear deal and compensates Tehran, at the same time cautioning that U.S. calls for discussions were insincere.
The confrontation between Tehran and Washington has worsened since 2018, when U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal with major powers and reimposed strict unilateral sanctions on Iran’s economy.
Iran has refused to hold any talks with the United States unless it lifts sanctions on Tehran and returns to the original agreement.
In retaliation for Washington’s ‘maximum pressure’ policy, Iran has gradually scaled back its nuclear commitments, a process Tehran says is reversible if the European parties to the pact carry out their promises to shield Iran’s economy from US penalties. Rouhani has however accused the European countries of surrendering to US pressure and failing to fulfil the commitments that they made to Iran in the JCPOA.
Rouhani also criticized a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency passed last Friday that called on Iran to stop denying the agency access to two suspected former nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, relations between Iran and Venezuela continue to diversify and strengthen in spite of the US campaign against both countries. Telesur reports that a cargo ship from Iran laden with food and other consumer goods has entered Venezuelan waters:
Iranian Ambassador in Caracas Hojjatollah Soltani confirmed the arrival of the ship “Golsan” in Venezuelan waters with a food load destined to open the Islamic Republic’s first supermarket in the South American nation. “The ship, which left last May 15 from the Iran port of Bandar Abbas, is already approaching La Guaira, in Venezuela,” Soltani said. As part of the agreements between Tehran and Caracas, the Golsan will arrive loaded with consumer goods to supply the Persian nation’s first commercial centre in Venezuela. LINK
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southfront--2020-06-26--Russian Urals Crude Oil Price Soars Amid Epic Demand Increase

The cost of oil of the Russian export grade Urals since the beginning of June 2020 in Europe has grown by more than $ 7 per barrel to $ 45-46 per barrel .
This is stated by the Argus agency in its “ Argus North Sea Date , ” price assessment .
This means that the Russian Urals crude is trading at a premium to the European benchmark Brent .
The premium is $ 1.55 per barrel in North-Western Europe and $ 2.55 – in the Mediterranean .
Argus names competition as the reason of Urals reaching such a high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions against Venezuelan oil , American refineries began to willingly buy Russian heavy oil , very similar to the one exported by the Venezuelan PDVSA .
In addition , demand for Russian oil in Asia is growing .
Russia seeks to comply with the terms of the new OPEC + agreement to reduce oil production in force since May 2020 .
Under the agreement , Russia in May-June , and after extending the 1st stage of restrictions for a month , also in July 2020 , should reduce production by 2.5 million barrels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 million barrels day , i.e .
down to 8.5 million barrels per day .
In May 2020 , Russia fulfilled its obligations almost completely – by 96 % , and in June 2020 promised to ensure 100 % compliance with the terms of the agreement .
The crude oil market crisis reveals the real value of Urals .
In accordance with the laws of the market , value is determined by demand .
Accordingly , the wider the demand for a particular product , the higher its price .
This is exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s refineries are focused under it , just as the US refineries are oriented to the heavy oil of Venezuela and Canada .
Paradoxically , two types of light oil with a very low level ( no more than 1 % ) of consumption in the world : WTI and Brent are the benchmark for the world oil price .
But one oil is produced in the USA , and the other in England .
Another Russian export-grade crude oil ESPO also trades at a premium .
ESPO shipments , out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on June 22nd were trading at a premium of $ 3.73 per barrel compared to similar contracts in Dubai , or $ 1.33 per barrel more expensive than the last July cargo .
Support for prices for light varieties in the Asia-Pacific region was provided by an increase in contract prices of Middle Eastern producers , as well as a decrease in arbitration shipments .
In addition , the demand for raw materials in the region continues to recover faster than in other parts of the world .
MORE ON THE TOPIC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Captains That Shipped Fuel To Venezuela

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The cost of oil of the Russian export grade Urals since the beginning of June 2020 in Europe has grown by more than $ 7 per barrel to $45-46 per barrel.
This is stated by the Argus agency in its “Argus North Sea Date,” price assessment.
This means that the Russian Urals crude is trading at a premium to the European benchmark Brent. The premium is $1.55 per barrel in North-Western Europe and $2.55 – in the Mediterranean.
Argus names competition as the reason of Urals reaching such a high price. After the United States imposed sanctions against Venezuelan oil, American refineries began to willingly buy Russian heavy oil, very similar to the one exported by the Venezuelan PDVSA. In addition, demand for Russian oil in Asia is growing.
Russia seeks to comply with the terms of the new OPEC + agreement to reduce oil production in force since May 2020.
Under the agreement, Russia in May-June, and after extending the 1st stage of restrictions for a month, also in July 2020, should reduce production by 2.5 million barrels per day from the base mark of 11 million barrels day, i.e. down to 8.5 million barrels per day.
In May 2020, Russia fulfilled its obligations almost completely – by 96%, and in June 2020 promised to ensure 100% compliance with the terms of the agreement.
These restrictions on oil production significantly affect export volumes.
The crude oil market crisis reveals the real value of Urals. In accordance with the laws of the market, value is determined by demand.
Accordingly, the wider the demand for a particular product, the higher its price.
This is exactly the case with Russian oil. Europe’s refineries are focused under it, just as the US refineries are oriented to the heavy oil of Venezuela and Canada. Paradoxically, two types of light oil with a very low level (no more than 1%) of consumption in the world: WTI and Brent are the benchmark for the world oil price. But one oil is produced in the USA, and the other in England.
Another Russian export-grade crude oil ESPO also trades at a premium.
ESPO shipments, out of the port of Kozmino for August futures, on June 22nd were trading at a premium of $3.73 per barrel compared to similar contracts in Dubai, or $1.33 per barrel more expensive than the last July cargo.
Support for prices for light varieties in the Asia-Pacific region was provided by an increase in contract prices of Middle Eastern producers, as well as a decrease in arbitration shipments.
In addition, the demand for raw materials in the region continues to recover faster than in other parts of the world.
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southfront--2020-06-26--Role Of Military Transport Aviation In Ensuring Strategic Mobility Of NATO Forces

Written by Colonel V. Satarov , Candidate of military sciences , Associate Professor and Lieutenant Colonel A. Makarov ; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review # 2 2019 , translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront The large-scale participation of NATO in military conflicts in Yugoslavia , Afghanistan , Libya and other countries demonstrates the increasing importance of military transport aviation ( MTA ) in ensuring the strategic mobility of the Alliance ’ s combined armed forces .
According to the provisions of the current strategic concept of the Alliance , in order to ensure the security of all participating countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be focused on three main tasks : collective defence , crisis management and international security through cooperation .
The implementation of each of them involves the active involvement of NATO forces in all conflicts affecting the interests of the Alliance , and requires a significant increase in their ability to conduct operations in remote theaters of war .
In this regard , the leadership of the bloc strives to have at its disposal a powerful and mobile force ready for deployment in any region of the world .
In particular , much attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO priority engagement force ( NATO Response Force ) , created in 2003 , which now includes more than 40,000 personnel .
The strategic mobility of the Allied Forces of the bloc is largely determined by the capabilities of military transport aviation .
Air transport is the most effective means of ensuring the rapid deployment of troops ( forces ) to any area of the world .
Currently , the strategic MTA Alliance fleet includes more than one thousand aircraft of various types .
It should be noted that the largest volume of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interests of participating countries is performed by aircraft of the US Air Force airlift command .
The majority of the MTA fleet of the bloc ’ s countries consists of tactical transport aircraft C-130 Hercules , C-160 Transall and CN-235 .
The delivery of the new MTA A400M Atlas will allow European countries , members of NATO , to significantly increase the capacity for deployments .
Its cargo compartment is specially designed for transporting various equipment and large-sized military equipment , with the exception of main battle tanks and heavy self-propelled guns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aircraft are planned to be purchased for the air forces of the bloc ( 53 – German ; 50 – France ; 27 – Spain ; 22 – Great Britain ; 10 – Turkey ; 7 – Belgium ; 1 – Luxembourg ) .
In order to increase the strategic mobility of the NATO air force , the Alliance has created a multinational formation – the strategic ( heavy ) air transport wing ( HAW – Heavy Airlift Wing ) , which is based in Hungary on the AB Papa .
The formation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bulgaria , Estonia , Hungary , Lithuania , the Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Romania , Slovenia and the United States ) .
The wing ’ s aircraft fleet includes three C-17A Globemaster-3 aircraft purchased from Boeing and the US Air Force under a collective lease .
The air wing was formed under the direction of the US Air Force , which included 50 American servicemen in its staff to organise the training of flight crews .
In total , the air wing has about 140 military personnel from participating countries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ servicing and repairing the C-17A Globemaster-3 aircraft at the Papa AB .
The responsibility for the development of plans and organisation of strategic airlift in the interests of the Alliance ’ s Allied Forces is assigned to the Multinational Transport Coordination Centre NATO ( MTCC ) , which reports to the Supreme Commander of the NATO Allied Forces ( Casto , Belgium ) .
Planning in the bloc ’ s MTCC is carried out at the strategic level and is complex .
It involves developing and coordinating the national plans of participating countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and drawing up a multinational detailed deployment plan based on them .
In addition , this centre is charged with the task of preparing requests for deployment needs , developing their design , studying possible places for unloading , as well as evaluating the results of practical deployments .
The NATO MTCC interacts with other focal points that provide air transport within the Alliance , such as the Movement Coordination Centre Europe ( MCCE ) , the European Air Transport Command ( EATC ) and the European Air Transport Fleet ( EATF ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ETCC ) is a multinational structure responsible for the coordinated use of air , sea and land transport resources of 28 participating countries ( Belgium , Canada , Czech Republic , Denmark , France , Germany , Hungary , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , Netherlands , Norway , Slovenia , Spain Sweden , Turkey , Great Britain , Luxembourg , Estonia Finland , Romania , USA , Poland , Portugal , Austria , Croatia , Slovakia and Bulgaria ) .
The ETCC , located at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military formations during planned operational and combat training activities and ongoing operations of the Alliance , as well as determining the best options for their deployment to designated areas .
The centre ’ s staff includes 32 positions , which are filled by military and civilian personnel of participating countries .
The EATC centrally manages the military transport aviation of seven European countries ( Belgium , France , Germany , Italy , Luxembourg , the Netherlands and Spain ) .
Like the ETCC , it is located at the Eindhoven Air Base in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aviation fleet includes more than 200 aircraft , consisting of C-160 Transall and C-130 Hercules .
In the future , all MTA A400 Atlas aircraft of the participating countries will be at its disposal .
In addition to coordinating the rules for the use of air transport , the EATC is responsible for training the aircrews of the national armed forces of these rules .
Command positions in this structure are filled on a rotating basis by senior officers of NATO countries .
The EATC ’ s structure consists of three divisions ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , with positions held by representatives of participating countries , whose tasks are to ensure interaction between the command and their country .
The number of personnel of the command is more than 200 people .
The European air transport fleet was established to improve the efficiency of military transport aviation in 20 European countries ( Austria , Belgium , Bulgaria , the Czech Republic , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Italy , Lithuania , Luxembourg , the Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Romania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in various types and scale of operations , as well as in response to emergencies and natural disasters .
The initiative to create this project belongs to the European Defence Agency ( EDA ) .
The solution to this problem was achieved by combining the forces and means of the MTA , as well as optimizing the conditions and procedure for their use .
In order to improve the operational compatibility of the armed forces of the project participants , training of military transport aircraft crews in air deployment tactics has been organised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to deploy troops and cargo in addition to the military transport aviation .
In the US , airlines that have agreements with the Defence Department , form a civil reserve air fleet ( Civil Reserve Air Fleet ) .
In peacetime , they get preference in the distribution of orders for the transportation of personnel and military cargo .
The mobilisation of the reserve fleet ’ s aircraft fleet for participation in armed conflicts is carried out in stages .
At the same time , more than 450 civil aviation transport and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tasks for the delivery of personnel and military equipment .
Each such aircraft transferred to the operational control of the Defence Department must have trained flight crews capable of flying for a minimum of 10 hours per day .
Currently , European NATO countries ( Belgium , Czech Republic , France , Germany , Hungary , Luxembourg , Norway , Poland , Slovakia and Slovenia ) maintain their airlift capabilities by retaining the Russian and Ukrainian heavy transport An-124-100 ( Project SALIS – Strategic Air Lift International Solution ) .
At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civil airlines of the Ukraine and Russia for the use of these machines for the delivery of oversized cargo .
In accordance with them , these aircraft can be retained for their intended purpose according to the allocated limits .
On a permanent basis , two of them are used for transportation ( the maximum load capacity is 120 tons ) .
In the event of support for a NATO air force operation to resolve a crisis , airlines must provide a guaranteed nine-day period for the use of six An-124-100 aircraft for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until the end of 2018 with the prospect of extending for another five years .
The An-124-100 air transport coordination centre is located on the territory of the ETCC at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands .
Its personnel consists of five military personnel of the consortium member countries , who are replaced on a rotating basis .
The military transport aviation plays a significant role in the maintenance of existing and the creation of new groups of NATO air forces in various regions of the world , as well as in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scale of planned actions of the Alliance forces , the importanca of the MTA as an important means of ensuring the strategic mobility of these forces will increase .
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Written by Colonel V. Satarov, Candidate of military sciences, Associate Professor and Lieutenant Colonel A. Makarov; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review #2 2019, translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront
The large-scale participation of NATO in military conflicts in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya and other countries demonstrates the increasing importance of military transport aviation (MTA) in ensuring the strategic mobility of the Alliance’s combined armed forces.
According to the provisions of the current strategic concept of the Alliance, in order to ensure the security of all participating countries, the efforts of its command should be focused on three main tasks: collective defence, crisis management and international security through cooperation. The implementation of each of them involves the active involvement of NATO forces in all conflicts affecting the interests of the Alliance, and requires a significant increase in their ability to conduct operations in remote theaters of war.
In this regard, the leadership of the bloc strives to have at its disposal a powerful and mobile force ready for deployment in any region of the world. In particular, much attention is paid to the development of the NATO priority engagement force (NATO Response Force), created in 2003, which now includes more than 40,000 personnel.
The strategic mobility of the Allied Forces of the bloc is largely determined by the capabilities of military transport aviation. Air transport is the most effective means of ensuring the rapid deployment of troops (forces) to any area of the world.
Currently, the strategic MTA Alliance fleet includes more than one thousand aircraft of various types.
It should be noted that the largest volume of air deployments of troops and cargo in the interests of participating countries is performed by aircraft of the US Air Force airlift command.
The majority of the MTA fleet of the bloc’s countries consists of tactical transport aircraft C-130 Hercules, C-160 Transall and CN-235.
The delivery of the new MTA A400M Atlas will allow European countries, members of NATO, to significantly increase the capacity for deployments. Its cargo compartment is specially designed for transporting various equipment and large-sized military equipment, with the exception of main battle tanks and heavy self-propelled guns.
In total, 170 A400M Atlas aircraft are planned to be purchased for the air forces of the bloc (53 – German; 50 – France; 27 – Spain; 22 – Great Britain; 10 – Turkey; 7 – Belgium; 1 – Luxembourg).
In order to increase the strategic mobility of the NATO air force, the Alliance has created a multinational formation – the strategic (heavy) air transport wing (HAW – Heavy Airlift Wing), which is based in Hungary on the AB Papa. The formation includes ten countries of the Alliance (Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and the United States). The wing’s aircraft fleet includes three C-17A Globemaster-3 aircraft purchased from Boeing and the US Air Force under a collective lease. The air wing was formed under the direction of the US Air Force, which included 50 American servicemen in its staff to organise the training of flight crews. In total, the air wing has about 140 military personnel from participating countries. Boeing has built a technical centre for servicing and repairing the C-17A Globemaster-3 aircraft at the Papa AB.
The responsibility for the development of plans and organisation of strategic airlift in the interests of the Alliance’s Allied Forces is assigned to the Multinational Transport Coordination Centre NATO (MTCC), which reports to the Supreme Commander of the NATO Allied Forces (Casto, Belgium). Planning in the bloc’s MTCC is carried out at the strategic level and is complex. It involves developing and coordinating the national plans of participating countries for the deployment of their armed forces and drawing up a multinational detailed deployment plan based on them. In addition, this centre is charged with the task of preparing requests for deployment needs, developing their design, studying possible places for unloading, as well as evaluating the results of practical deployments.
The NATO MTCC interacts with other focal points that provide air transport within the Alliance, such as the Movement Coordination Centre Europe (MCCE), the European Air Transport Command (EATC) and the European Air Transport Fleet (EATF).
The European Transport Coordination Centre (ETCC) is a multinational structure responsible for the coordinated use of air, sea and land transport resources of 28 participating countries (Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain Sweden, Turkey, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Estonia Finland, Romania, USA, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Croatia, Slovakia and Bulgaria). The ETCC, located at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands, coordinates the deployment of participating countries’ military formations during planned operational and combat training activities and ongoing operations of the Alliance, as well as determining the best options for their deployment to designated areas. The centre’s staff includes 32 positions, which are filled by military and civilian personnel of participating countries.
The EATC centrally manages the military transport aviation of seven European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain). Like the ETCC, it is located at the Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands. The command’s aviation fleet includes more than 200 aircraft, consisting of C-160 Transall and C-130 Hercules. In the future, all MTA A400 Atlas aircraft of the participating countries will be at its disposal.
In addition to coordinating the rules for the use of air transport, the EATC is responsible for training the aircrews of the national armed forces of these rules. Command positions in this structure are filled on a rotating basis by senior officers of NATO countries. The EATC’s structure consists of three divisions (policy and support, operational and functional), with positions held by representatives of participating countries, whose tasks are to ensure interaction between the command and their country. The number of personnel of the command is more than 200 people.
The European air transport fleet was established to improve the efficiency of military transport aviation in 20 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden) in various types and scale of operations, as well as in response to emergencies and natural disasters. The initiative to create this project belongs to the European Defence Agency (EDA). The solution to this problem was achieved by combining the forces and means of the MTA, as well as optimizing the conditions and procedure for their use. In order to improve the operational compatibility of the armed forces of the project participants, training of military transport aircraft crews in air deployment tactics has been organised.
Aircraft of civilian airlines can be used to deploy troops and cargo in addition to the military transport aviation.
In the US, airlines that have agreements with the Defence Department, form a civil reserve air fleet (Civil Reserve Air Fleet). In peacetime, they get preference in the distribution of orders for the transportation of personnel and military cargo. The mobilisation of the reserve fleet’s aircraft fleet for participation in armed conflicts is carried out in stages. At the same time, more than 450 civil aviation transport and passenger aircraft can be engaged to perform tasks for the delivery of personnel and military equipment. Each such aircraft transferred to the operational control of the Defence Department must have trained flight crews capable of flying for a minimum of 10 hours per day.
Currently, European NATO countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) maintain their airlift capabilities by retaining the Russian and Ukrainian heavy transport An-124-100 (Project SALIS – Strategic Air Lift International Solution). At the same time, contracts have been signed with civil airlines of the Ukraine and Russia for the use of these machines for the delivery of oversized cargo. In accordance with them, these aircraft can be retained for their intended purpose according to the allocated limits. On a permanent basis, two of them are used for transportation (the maximum load capacity is 120 tons).
In the event of support for a NATO air force operation to resolve a crisis, airlines must provide a guaranteed nine-day period for the use of six An-124-100 aircraft for this purpose. The contracts are signed until the end of 2018 with the prospect of extending for another five years. The An-124-100 air transport coordination centre is located on the territory of the ETCC at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands. Its personnel consists of five military personnel of the consortium member countries, who are replaced on a rotating basis.
The military transport aviation plays a significant role in the maintenance of existing and the creation of new groups of NATO air forces in various regions of the world, as well as in their comprehensive support. With the increase in the scale of planned actions of the Alliance forces, the importanca of the MTA as an important means of ensuring the strategic mobility of these forces will increase.
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southfront--2020-06-26--“Police State War Zone” In Portland

“Police State War Zone” In Portland

On June 25th , the Black Lives Matter protests continued for the 28th straight day .
There was violence , as police in Portland teargassed the streets and even apparently pulled people out of their vehicles into the gas .
At least four arrests were made , and police shot with impact rounds at violent protesters .
The police continued to push protesters , but they couldn ’ t disperse them for a long while .
There are fires on the streets in Portland .
In contrast , protests in Washington were quite peaceful .
Meanwhile any violence against individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , attempts at changing the system are on-going .
The US House of Representatives passed a sweeping police reform bill .
The legislation seeks to ban neck holds of the kind that killed George Floyd and would lift legal obstacles that shield police from lawsuits .
It would authorise $ 2.5bn for independent investigations of police abuse and open avenues for replacing some police in communities with social workers .
“ In America today , a Black American is three times more likely to be killed by police compared to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McGovern , a leading House Democrat .
“ Police shoot , arrest and imprison more people in our country than in similar advanced nations .
It ’ s the exception when an officer who broke the law when committing a fatal shooting is convicted of a crime .
It ’ s not the norm , ” McGovern said .
The White House warned on June 24th that President Trump would veto the measure .
The Senate on June 24th failed to gather votes to block a Republican-backed policing bill that would authorize nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking at the White House , US President Donald Trump said Democrats “ want to weaken our police ” .
Meanwhile , in a bid to increase their influence the Democratic Party is to vote on a historic bill that would turn Washington , D.C. in the US ’ 51st state .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined with other Democrat leaders to push for the bill to pass on June 26th .
The Speaker noted that D.C. residents pay taxes , serve in the military and contribute to the “ economic vitality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have representation .
“ How could it be ?
Whose idea was that ?
” Pelosi continued .
Concerned that the vote could be vetoed by Republicans , D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said : President Trump in a recent interview with the New York Post claimed that Democrats support D.C. statehood because the district is largely Democratic , meaning the party would automatically gain seats in both the House and Senate .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • U.S .
Senator Assaulted By “ Peaceful Protesters ” For Filming Them • US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sued By Protestors

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On June 25th, the Black Lives Matter protests continued for the 28th straight day.
There was violence, as police in Portland teargassed the streets and even apparently pulled people out of their vehicles into the gas.
At least four arrests were made, and police shot with impact rounds at violent protesters.
At least 4 arrests have been made. This arrestee was shot with impact munitions several times while on the ground. #Portlandprotest #pdxprotest #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/miiti1JQP4 — Portland Independent Documentarians (@PDocumentarians) June 26, 2020
PPB using impact munitions to clear the crowd. The protesters are no assembled on Killingsworth and MLK Boulevard. #Portlandprotest #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/Hu2pSN1eFl — Portland Independent Documentarians (@PDocumentarians) June 26, 2020
The police continued to push protesters, but they couldn’t disperse them for a long while.
Protesters are being pushed further North, but have not yet been dispersed. Teargas has been used. #PortlandProtests #pdxprotest #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/VBgrzy6NLA — Portland Independent Documentarians (@PDocumentarians) June 26, 2020
A barricade has been reestablished by protesters on the intersection of Killingsworth & MLK #PortlandProtests #pdxprotest #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/W11912JzcR — Portland Independent Documentarians (@PDocumentarians) June 26, 2020
There are fires on the streets in Portland.
In contrast, protests in Washington were quite peaceful.
Your daily reminder that the #BlackLivesMatter protests are far from over. This is Washington, DC right now. Week 4. pic.twitter.com/L083ASOVn1 — Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) June 26, 2020
Meanwhile any violence against individuals who express any counter-opinion is greatly celebrated.
Meanwhile, attempts at changing the system are on-going.
The US House of Representatives passed a sweeping police reform bill.
The legislation seeks to ban neck holds of the kind that killed George Floyd and would lift legal obstacles that shield police from lawsuits.
It would authorise $2.5bn for independent investigations of police abuse and open avenues for replacing some police in communities with social workers.
“In America today, a Black American is three times more likely to be killed by police compared to a white person,” said Representative Jim McGovern, a leading House Democrat. “Police shoot, arrest and imprison more people in our country than in similar advanced nations. It’s the exception when an officer who broke the law when committing a fatal shooting is convicted of a crime. It’s not the norm,” McGovern said.
The White House warned on June 24th that President Trump would veto the measure.
In a policy statement, the Office of Management and Budget called the Democratic bill “over-broad” and “excessive” and said it would “fail to bring law enforcement and the communities they serve closer together”.
The Senate on June 24th failed to gather votes to block a Republican-backed policing bill that would authorize nearly $7bn in new grants for police.
Speaking at the White House, US President Donald Trump said Democrats “want to weaken our police”.
“They want to take away a lot of the strength from our police and from law enforcement generally, and we can’t live with it. We can’t live with it,” Trump said at a news conference.
The left is determined to tear down America's cultural heritage and history. Not on President @realDonaldTrump's watch. pic.twitter.com/HGUifMXZDI — The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 24, 2020
Meanwhile, in a bid to increase their influence the Democratic Party is to vote on a historic bill that would turn Washington, D.C. in the US’ 51st state.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined with other Democrat leaders to push for the bill to pass on June 26th.
“Tomorrow we will right this grave injustice which is an affront to our democracy,” Pelosi said at a news conference.
The Speaker noted that D.C. residents pay taxes, serve in the military and contribute to the “economic vitality” of the U.S., but do not have representation. “How could it be? Whose idea was that?” Pelosi continued.
Concerned that the vote could be vetoed by Republicans, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said:
“Let’s fight back against the cries that we’re too liberal, we’re too black, or there are too many Democrats,” she said. “The business of America is to make sure that each person is represented fully.”
President Trump in a recent interview with the New York Post claimed that Democrats support D.C. statehood because the district is largely Democratic, meaning the party would automatically gain seats in both the House and Senate.
“They want to do that so they pick up two automatic Democrat — you know it’s 100 percent Democrat, basically — so why would the Republicans ever do that?” Trump said. “That’ll never happen unless we have some very, very stupid Republicans around that I don’t think you do. No thank you,” the president said. “That’ll never happen.”
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southfront--2020-06-26--Journalist Julian Assange Charged With New American Indictment

• The new indictment alleges Assange conspired with various hackers • It attempts to criminalize the help Wikileaks gave to Whistle-blower Edward Snowden On 24 June a US Federal Grad Jury issued a second superseding indictment against Journalist Julian Assange .
The new indictment incorporates the 18 charges from the first indictment and seeks to ‘ broaden the scope of the conspiracy ’ and asserts that Assange and Wikileaks tried to recruit hackers for the purpose of stealing secret documents from the US government .
Thirteen of the 49 page indictment are devoted to Assange ’ s efforts to recruit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference Assange is alleged to have encouraged hackers to join the CIA and then use their position to steal top secret documents .
It also alleges that Assange cajoled , encouraged and assisted Chelsea Manning in ‘ stealing ’ hundreds of thousands of secret government documents relating to the Iraq and Afghan wars as well as diplomatic cables and Guantanamo Bay detainee assessments .
The icing on the cake of this new indictment are the claims that Assange wilfully revealed the ‘ name of Human Sources and Created a Grave and Imminent Risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stolen ’ secret documents .
The tally of secret documents that Wikileaks published includes 75,000 Afghan war reports , 400,000 Iraq war reports , 800 Guantanamo Bay detainee assessments and 250,000 US diplomatic cables .
The new indictment alleges that Wikileaks published documents that revealed the names of various collaborators working with US military and intelligence agencies deliberately putting their lives in danger .
The new indictment also tries to make the help that Wikileaks gave NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden a criminal offence .
Never mind the fact that the FBI relied upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and sex criminal Sigurdur Thordarson ’ to make up bogus claims against Assange .
According to WikiLeaks Thordarson is one of the star witnesses for new indictment from the US Department of Justice .
The timing of this new indictment is suspicious .
Trump is trailing in numerous polls due to his disastrous handling of the Covid-19 pandemic that has left over 120,000 Americans dead and caused trillions of dollars worth of economic damage .
Is the new indictment a pathetic attempt to try and steer the news away from the storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has commented : Julian Assange ’ s extradition trial does not resume until 7 September .
Further outbreaks of the virus could put a spoke in that judicial frame up by the British government .
Yet it appears the entire British political class including the so called opposition Labour Party will do nothing to try and prevent Assange ’ s extradition .
Its new leader Keir Starmer , a former human rights barrister , supports the extradition process .
Pulitzer prize winning journalist Glenn Greenwald , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the US and UK , has noted the connivance of British and American politicians and media of all political colours with Trump ’ s war on whistle blowers : “ The Trump DOJ ’ s attempt to imprison Julian Assange for working with his source to publish classified documents that exposed US war crimes is the most severe US threat to press freedom since 2016 .
It ’ s sickening to watch so many journalists ignore it , & so many liberals cheer it : ” Kevin Gosztlioa of the Shadow Proof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new indictment .
He conclusion declares : “ While the conspiracy charge includes sensational claims of collaboration with hackers , it is no less of a political charge than the seventeen Espionage Act offences Assange faces for publishing information .
The additional sections in the indictment represent an attempt to give the illegitimate prosecution a greater veneer of criminality .
Unfortunately , it does not take much to scrape it off and expose the contempt for press freedom that still lies behind this vindictive prosecution.
” Ordinary people around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the release of journalist Julian Assange .
If extradited to the US he would face a show trial that would resemble the worst excesses of Stalin and Hitler ’ s courtrooms in the 1930s .
The extradition of Julian Assange by the crisis ridden American empire sends a clear warning to anyone who has thoughts about investigating or revealing US war crimes .
It represents a threat to investigative journalists and anti war activists who challenge the bloody rule of American capital which will not go down without a fight .
The persecution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the part of the American ruling class .
However , it won ’ t solve any of the social , economic and political problems facing American capitalism which is in a state of deep crisis .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Commemorations For 75th Anniversary of V.E .
Day Ignore 27m Citizens Of Soviet Union killed By German Fascism And Its Allies • Wells Fargo , ‘ a Reckless Megabank ’ , Gets Bailout Money and Is Allowed to Distribute Government Cash to Main Street

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Submitted by Dr. Leon Tressell
The new indictment alleges Assange conspired with various hackers
It attempts to criminalize the help Wikileaks gave to Whistle-blower Edward Snowden
On 24 June a US Federal Grad Jury issued a second superseding indictment against Journalist Julian Assange.
The new indictment incorporates the 18 charges from the first indictment and seeks to ‘broaden the scope of the conspiracy’ and asserts that Assange and Wikileaks tried to recruit hackers for the purpose of stealing secret documents from the US government.
Thirteen of the 49 page indictment are devoted to Assange’s efforts to recruit ‘Anonymous’ hackers. At one conference Assange is alleged to have encouraged hackers to join the CIA and then use their position to steal top secret documents.
It also alleges that Assange cajoled, encouraged and assisted Chelsea Manning in ‘stealing’ hundreds of thousands of secret government documents relating to the Iraq and Afghan wars as well as diplomatic cables and Guantanamo Bay detainee assessments.
The icing on the cake of this new indictment are the claims that Assange wilfully revealed the ‘name of Human Sources and Created a Grave and Imminent Risk to Human Life’ through publishing ‘stolen’ secret documents. The tally of secret documents that Wikileaks published includes 75,000 Afghan war reports, 400,000 Iraq war reports, 800 Guantanamo Bay detainee assessments and 250,000 US diplomatic cables.
The new indictment alleges that Wikileaks published documents that revealed the names of various collaborators working with US military and intelligence agencies deliberately putting their lives in danger.
The new indictment also tries to make the help that Wikileaks gave NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden a criminal offence. Never mind the fact that the FBI relied upon paid informants such as ‘convicted conman, and sex criminal Sigurdur Thordarson’ to make up bogus claims against Assange. According to WikiLeaks Thordarson is one of the star witnesses for new indictment from the US Department of Justice.
The timing of this new indictment is suspicious. Trump is trailing in numerous polls due to his disastrous handling of the Covid-19 pandemic that has left over 120,000 Americans dead and caused trillions of dollars worth of economic damage. Is the new indictment a pathetic attempt to try and steer the news away from the storm of negative press encircling the White House?
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has commented:
“The Trump DOJ’s new Assange indictment has all the same problems as the old one. Source communication and publishing are not crimes. They didn’t add any new charges. They didn’t really change any old ones. And the using the Espionage Act is beyond the pale.”
Julian Assange’s extradition trial does not resume until 7 September. Further outbreaks of the virus could put a spoke in that judicial frame up by the British government. Yet it appears the entire British political class including the so called opposition Labour Party will do nothing to try and prevent Assange’s extradition. Its new leader Keir Starmer, a former human rights barrister, supports the extradition process.
Pulitzer prize winning journalist Glenn Greenwald, whose reports revealed the global surveillance operations of the US and UK, has noted the connivance of British and American politicians and media of all political colours with Trump’s war on whistle blowers:
“The Trump DOJ’s attempt to imprison Julian Assange for working with his source to publish classified documents that exposed US war crimes is the most severe US threat to press freedom since 2016. It’s sickening to watch so many journalists ignore it, & so many liberals cheer it: ” Kevin Gosztlioa of the Shadow Proof news outlet has written a detailed expose of the new indictment. He conclusion declares: “While the conspiracy charge includes sensational claims of collaboration with hackers, it is no less of a political charge than the seventeen Espionage Act offences Assange faces for publishing information. The additional sections in the indictment represent an attempt to give the illegitimate prosecution a greater veneer of criminality. Unfortunately, it does not take much to scrape it off and expose the contempt for press freedom that still lies behind this vindictive prosecution.”
Ordinary people around the world must step up their efforts to secure the release of journalist Julian Assange. If extradited to the US he would face a show trial that would resemble the worst excesses of Stalin and Hitler’s courtrooms in the 1930s.
The extradition of Julian Assange by the crisis ridden American empire sends a clear warning to anyone who has thoughts about investigating or revealing US war crimes. It represents a threat to investigative journalists and anti war activists who challenge the bloody rule of American capital which will not go down without a fight.
The persecution of Julian Assange reveals a certain desperation on the part of the American ruling class. However, it won’t solve any of the social, economic and political problems facing American capitalism which is in a state of deep crisis.
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southfront--2020-06-26--Cartel Clashes In Sinaloa Leave At Least 16 Dead

On June 26th , the Sinaloa Public Security Secretariat said that it had discovered a scene of a cartel ambush , with 16 corpses .
The images are quite graphic and discretion is advised .
They can be seen here .
There is also a video showing how hitmen from the Sinaloa cartel are crossing the dam to reach a Tepuche community .
The confrontation began on June 24th , with a truck with seven dead bodies being discovered initially , and hours later , after a persecution and new exchanges of fire , “ nine more bodies were located @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Sinaloa security .
The official noted that this confrontation is part of “ a fight between two gangs of organized crime in the area , ” where since May 29th there have been eight other armed confrontations that had left no victims .
Forty large-caliber weapons , ten grenades , more than 36,000 cartridges and 24 vehicles have also been seized , Castañeda said .
The victims are men between the ages of 20 and 50 and seven of them have been identified as residents of Tepuche .
Bodies located in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bulletproof vests According to local media , these shootings involved groups linked to the sons of Joaquín “ El Chapo ” Guzmán , former leader of the Sinaloa cartel who is serving a life sentence in the United States , and Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada , considered number two of the criminal group .
There was one civilian killed in the clashes , a woman of unknown age .
Even without being attacked , 6 Mexican soldiers on a stretch of road between Tijuana and Rosario when their military vehicle was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is unclear if it was any cartel attack , but it was likely just an incident .
Once again , the photographs are graphic and can be seen here .
In an apparent impromptu cartel graveyard after a killing , 9 corpses were discovered in Lagos De Moreno , in the region of operation of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel .
Upon inspecting a 50-square-meter patio and after detecting an irregularity in the ground , the authorities of the Prosecutor ’ s Office excavated the subsoil and found the bodies of four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what appears to be the bones of five people .
In the victims ’ clothes , two identifications were also found with the name of a person reported missing .
They also identified various indications between caps , clothing , footwear , a shovel and a charred black cell phone .
In Guanajuato , a car loaded with explosives was left in front of a police station , when it detected the area was cleared out and explosives experts were called to defuse the device .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Mexican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Sister Are Arrested

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On June 26th, the Sinaloa Public Security Secretariat said that it had discovered a scene of a cartel ambush, with 16 corpses.
The images are quite graphic and discretion is advised.
They can be seen here.
There is also a video showing how hitmen from the Sinaloa cartel are crossing the dam to reach a Tepuche community.
#OJO #Culiacan #Sinaloa Así atravesaron la presa Adolfo López Mateos sicarios de "Los Ninis / Chapitos" en pequeñas embarcaciones para llegar a la comunidad de Tepuche sindicatura de #Culiacan,#Sinaloa. Cártel De Sinaloa#Guerranaloa pic.twitter.com/VNABc0mgpF — La Voz Del Pueblo ( Oficial ) (@LPueblo2) June 25, 2020
The confrontation began on June 24th, with a truck with seven dead bodies being discovered initially, and hours later, after a persecution and new exchanges of fire, “nine more bodies were located,” said Cristóbal Castañeda, secretary of Sinaloa security.
The official noted that this confrontation is part of “a fight between two gangs of organized crime in the area,” where since May 29th there have been eight other armed confrontations that had left no victims.
Forty large-caliber weapons, ten grenades, more than 36,000 cartridges and 24 vehicles have also been seized, Castañeda said.
The victims are men between the ages of 20 and 50 and seven of them have been identified as residents of Tepuche. Bodies located in the van wore tactical clothing, such as bulletproof vests
According to local media, these shootings involved groups linked to the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, former leader of the Sinaloa cartel who is serving a life sentence in the United States, and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, considered number two of the criminal group.
There was one civilian killed in the clashes, a woman of unknown age.
Even without being attacked, 6 Mexican soldiers on a stretch of road between Tijuana and Rosario when their military vehicle was turned due to an undisclosed accident. It is unclear if it was any cartel attack, but it was likely just an incident.
pic.twitter.com/rIfIALJ2Bh — La Voz Del Pueblo ( Oficial ) (@LPueblo2) June 25, 2020
Once again, the photographs are graphic and can be seen here.
In an apparent impromptu cartel graveyard after a killing, 9 corpses were discovered in Lagos De Moreno, in the region of operation of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Upon inspecting a 50-square-meter patio and after detecting an irregularity in the ground, the authorities of the Prosecutor’s Office excavated the subsoil and found the bodies of four men who were in mummified conditions and what appears to be the bones of five people.
In the victims’ clothes, two identifications were also found with the name of a person reported missing. They also identified various indications between caps, clothing, footwear, a shovel and a charred black cell phone.
In Guanajuato, a car loaded with explosives was left in front of a police station, when it detected the area was cleared out and explosives experts were called to defuse the device.
ZONA DE GUERRA X HUACHICOL #GUANAJUATO#LEON [VIDEO] Dejan explosivo en auto de policía en Cepol Oriente La zona fue acordonada y se espera el arribo de expertos en manejo de explosivos para que manipulen el artefactohttps://t.co/Jf74AtpEGb — TH3PR3D4TH0R Mxx (@fernand17704066) June 26, 2020
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southfront--2020-06-26--Iraqi Security Forces Raid Kata’ib Hezbollah Headquarters, In Attempt To Please U.S.

On the evening of June 25th , the Iraqi Security Forces raided the headquarters of Kata ’ ib Hezbollah in southern Baghdad .
Kata ’ ib Hezbollah is one of the key formations within the Popular Mobilization Units ( PMU ) , which is an official part of the Iraqi Armed Forces .
Following the raid , there are conflict reports based on anonymous sources .
A source from the PMU , and an unnamed government official , both claimed that the detained individuals ( an unknown number ) were transferred to the security branch of the PMU , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ command structure .
A second government official denied any such transfer and said the militiamen were still in the custody of other security services .
An unnamed PMU official said 19 were detained , an unnamed government source said 23 were detained .
One government official told Reuters three commanders of Kataib Hezbollah had been detained during the raid , carried out by Iraq ’ s elite Counter Terrorism Service .
One of those commanders was an Iranian , he said .
A second PMU official said no commanders of Kataib Hezbollah were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign that the government of Iraq ’ s new prime minister , Mustafa al-Kadhimi , plans to , at least formally , act as if he ’ s targeting groups that have openly expressed their hostility towards the US .
Both Tehran and Washington supported Kadhimi in becoming prime minister in May .
It should be reminded that entirely different groups have assumed responsibility for the targeting of US installations throughout Iraq , but Washington blames Kata ’ ib Hezbollah primarily .
The US also carried out a strike on December 30th , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to alleged attacks that the group took no responsibility of carrying out .
Tensions also reached a boiling point when in January the United States killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi PMU Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike at Baghdad airport .
The current raid is a very obvious a result of recent US pressure on the Iraqi government to carry out , at least some formal activity , in countering aggression against US personnel .
The contradicting reports of whether anybody at all was detained , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PMU , then that turns the raid into an entirely formal affair with no actual practical result .
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On the evening of June 25th, the Iraqi Security Forces raided the headquarters of Kata’ib Hezbollah in southern Baghdad.
Kata’ib Hezbollah is one of the key formations within the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which is an official part of the Iraqi Armed Forces.
“The raid was the most brazen action by Iraqi forces against a major Iran-backed militia group in years and targeted the Kataib Hezbollah faction, which U.S. officials have accused of firing rockets at bases hosting U.S. troops and other facilities in Iraq,” Reuters reported.
Following the raid, there are conflict reports based on anonymous sources.
A source from the PMU, and an unnamed government official, both claimed that the detained individuals (an unknown number) were transferred to the security branch of the PMU, so they were simply returned to their own command structure.
A second government official denied any such transfer and said the militiamen were still in the custody of other security services.
An unnamed PMU official said 19 were detained, an unnamed government source said 23 were detained.
Early morning today, Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militias patrolling the streets of Baghdad following the arrest of over a dozen members for plotting rocket attacks on Iraqi military bases that house US-led coalition forces. #Iraq pic.twitter.com/TkIYgdmkEo — Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) June 26, 2020
People angered by raid on Hashd take up their arms on the streets of Baghdad! pic.twitter.com/7kcHPyvPyz — ??Iraq & Middle East Updates (@IraqLiveUpdate) June 26, 2020
Large convoy of Hashd vehicles and Hashd supporters on the streets of Baghdad following the news of a ‘raid’ on Hashd office.. This is around 5:30am! pic.twitter.com/rSvSmtWpZm — ??Iraq & Middle East Updates (@IraqLiveUpdate) June 26, 2020
One government official told Reuters three commanders of Kataib Hezbollah had been detained during the raid, carried out by Iraq’s elite Counter Terrorism Service. One of those commanders was an Iranian, he said.
A second PMU official said no commanders of Kataib Hezbollah were detained.
The raid was the first sign that the government of Iraq’s new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, plans to, at least formally, act as if he’s targeting groups that have openly expressed their hostility towards the US.
Both Tehran and Washington supported Kadhimi in becoming prime minister in May.
It should be reminded that entirely different groups have assumed responsibility for the targeting of US installations throughout Iraq, but Washington blames Kata’ib Hezbollah primarily.
The US also carried out a strike on December 30th, 2019, killing dozens of members in response to alleged attacks that the group took no responsibility of carrying out.
Tensions also reached a boiling point when in January the United States killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi PMU Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike at Baghdad airport.
The current raid is a very obvious a result of recent US pressure on the Iraqi government to carry out, at least some formal activity, in countering aggression against US personnel. The contradicting reports of whether anybody at all was detained, and if they were simply given to the PMU, then that turns the raid into an entirely formal affair with no actual practical result.
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southfront--2020-06-26--Russia Deployed Its Navy Seals And Dolphins To Defend Tartus Port, Syria: Covert Shores Report

The Russian Navy reportedly deployed “ marine mammals ” to Tartus in Syria to protect the Naval base .
The animals , who were most likely seals , but could also be dolphins , were positioned next to the harbor defense units which were also being boosted around that time .
According to Covert Shores , the Russian Navy is known to train seals to carry out anti-diver operations , but these seals and/or dolphins were there to carry out harbor defense duties .
They could possibly also be used to protect the undersea pipe lines near the port which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the Google Earth Imagery , below , apparently marine pens are present on September 30th , 2018 and on November 8th , 2018 .
But they were gone on February 4th , 2019 .
They were delivered sometime around September 28th , 2018 and were removed on December 22nd , according to the outlet .
The marine mammals reportedly came from Russia ’ s Black Sea Fleet , because apparently there is a unit based near Sevastopol in Crimea .
The Black Sea Fleet regularly deploys warships to Tartus , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The photograph below allegedly show the training of combat dolphins back in 2017 in the Sevastopol harbor .
This unit , at Kazachya Bukhta near Sevastopol , was the Russian Navy ’ s main marine mammal establishment during the Cold War .
The Google Earth screenshot below provides a view of the Marine Mammal Unit .
It is unknown why the marine mammals were in Tartus and it turns out they aren ’ t there anymore .
“ It is unclear why they were there for only a few months .
Their mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fixed duration .
Or possibly it was an experimental deployment to build the Russian Navy ’ s resurgent marine mammal program ’ s capabilities .
Or possibly the deployment was not considered a success and was abandoned.
” This is more puzzling since , as Covert Shores itself describes , the Tartus port is quite well defended , even without any seals or dolphins protecting it .
“ The port is defended by an array of anti-sabotage units .
There are counter-divers armed with APS-5 underwater assault rifles and SPP-1 underwater pistols .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ boats , four assault boats and an array of smaller craft used to patrol the harbor .
Russian warships are generally equipped with pedestal mounted multi-barrel anti-diver grenade launchers.
” In June 2019 five underwater pipelines have been damaged and put out of order after a sabotage attack .
Divers placed explosives on the pipeline off the coastal town of Banias , about 25 miles north of the port .
Combat Diver Foundation on Twitter reminded that in June 2019 and January 2020 , the pipes were sabotaged .
But , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were gone by then , or possibly the pens were removed and the marine mammals were allowed to carry out their mission independently .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Russia ’ s Military Whales Appear To Be Harassing NATO-allied Fishermen From Norway

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The Russian Navy reportedly deployed “marine mammals” to Tartus in Syria to protect the Naval base.
This happened back between September-December 2018, Covert Shores reported.
The animals, who were most likely seals, but could also be dolphins, were positioned next to the harbor defense units which were also being boosted around that time.
According to Covert Shores, the Russian Navy is known to train seals to carry out anti-diver operations, but these seals and/or dolphins were there to carry out harbor defense duties.
They could possibly also be used to protect the undersea pipe lines near the port which have been targeted by opposition divers.
From the Google Earth Imagery, below, apparently marine pens are present on September 30th, 2018 and on November 8th, 2018. But they were gone on February 4th, 2019. They were delivered sometime around September 28th, 2018 and were removed on December 22nd, according to the outlet.
New article on Covert Shores. #OSINT find! #Russia deployed Marine Mammals (I think seals, could be dolphins) to Tartus, Syria. Likely for counter-diver operations. Read about it https://t.co/bLrMdOy4WV pic.twitter.com/xKg6naTL8h — H I Sutton (@CovertShores) June 25, 2020
The marine mammals reportedly came from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, because apparently there is a unit based near Sevastopol in Crimea.
The Black Sea Fleet regularly deploys warships to Tartus, as well as submarines going through the Bosporus.
The photograph below allegedly show the training of combat dolphins back in 2017 in the Sevastopol harbor.
This unit, at Kazachya Bukhta near Sevastopol, was the Russian Navy’s main marine mammal establishment during the Cold War.
The Google Earth screenshot below provides a view of the Marine Mammal Unit.
It is unknown why the marine mammals were in Tartus and it turns out they aren’t there anymore.
“It is unclear why they were there for only a few months. Their mission may have been specific and of a fixed duration. Or possibly it was an experimental deployment to build the Russian Navy’s resurgent marine mammal program’s capabilities. Or possibly the deployment was not considered a success and was abandoned.”
This is more puzzling since, as Covert Shores itself describes, the Tartus port is quite well defended, even without any seals or dolphins protecting it.
“The port is defended by an array of anti-sabotage units. There are counter-divers armed with APS-5 underwater assault rifles and SPP-1 underwater pistols. There are two Pr.21980 Grachonok Class anti-sabotage boats, four assault boats and an array of smaller craft used to patrol the harbor. Russian warships are generally equipped with pedestal mounted multi-barrel anti-diver grenade launchers.”
In June 2019 five underwater pipelines have been damaged and put out of order after a sabotage attack. Divers placed explosives on the pipeline off the coastal town of Banias, about 25 miles north of the port.
Combat Diver Foundation on Twitter reminded that in June 2019 and January 2020, the pipes were sabotaged.
This is EXTREMELY interesting given the pipeline in nearby #Banyas was sabotaged twice by #CombatDivers in June 2019 and Jan 2020!#Syria https://t.co/cP99zhc8x1 — Combat Diver Foundation (@CDFoundation1) June 25, 2020
But, according to Covert Shores, the pens and mammals were gone by then, or possibly the pens were removed and the marine mammals were allowed to carry out their mission independently.
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southfront--2020-06-26--Explosion At Iranian Military Site Known For Nuclear Testing: Official Version Is Gas Explosion

In the early hours of June 26th , an explosion took place in Parchin , east of Tehran .
At about 12:30 a.m. local time a video of an explosion was published in the social media showing a loud sound and a strange orange light that looked like a sunset .
Parchin hosts a military base in which , reportedly , nuclear activity had been carried out by Iran .
The Parchin military complex is home to Iran ’ s largest production of rockets & alleged nuclear related testing .
Defense ministry spokesman Davoud Abdi told state TV the blast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ public area ” of Parchin rather than the military base .
The fire had been put out and no casualties had been reported , he added , but gave no details about the cause of the blast .
Saudi media outlet Al Arabiya reported that the explosion took place at a military base in Parchin , east of Tehran , hedging it may have been a gas explosion , but speculation on social media soon run rampant , with some claiming that the blast was the result of a power plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disposing of a large number of munitions .
In 2014 , the military site was suspected to have been damaged by a fire or explosion but investigations by the International Atomic Energy Agency were hampered by a lack of access .
In 2015 , the IAEA concluded the following : “ A range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device were conducted in Iran prior to the end of 2003 as a coordinated effort , and some activities took place after 2003 .
The Agency also assesses that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and scientific studies , and the acquisition of certain relevant technical competences and capabilities .
The Agency has no credible indications of activities in Iran relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device after 2009.
” MORE ON THE TOPIC : • U.S .
Releases Country Reports On Terrorism 2019 : Almost Entirely Focused On Iran • Iranian President Says Tehran Ready To Negotiate With Washington If It Apologizes For Leaving Nuclear Deal

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In the early hours of June 26th, an explosion took place in Parchin, east of Tehran.
At about 12:30 a.m. local time a video of an explosion was published in the social media showing a loud sound and a strange orange light that looked like a sunset.
First video report of a massive explosion with red light around Tehran, heard by many residents. Reports of a military outpost around there. #Iran pic.twitter.com/lQT4CPFLUC — Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) June 25, 2020
They posted this locator map: pic.twitter.com/NVPV7ktBHJ — Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) June 25, 2020
Parchin hosts a military base in which, reportedly, nuclear activity had been carried out by Iran. The Parchin military complex is home to Iran’s largest production of rockets & alleged nuclear related testing.
Defense ministry spokesman Davoud Abdi told state TV the blast happened at a gas storage facility in a “public area” of Parchin rather than the military base.
The fire had been put out and no casualties had been reported, he added, but gave no details about the cause of the blast.
“Our colleagues are present on the ground and investigating the incident carefully,” Abdi said.
Saudi media outlet Al Arabiya reported that the explosion took place at a military base in Parchin, east of Tehran, hedging it may have been a gas explosion, but speculation on social media soon run rampant, with some claiming that the blast was the result of a power plant outage or a malfunction in the process of disposing of a large number of munitions.
In 2014, the military site was suspected to have been damaged by a fire or explosion but investigations by the International Atomic Energy Agency were hampered by a lack of access.
In 2015, the IAEA concluded the following:
“A range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device were conducted in Iran prior to the end of 2003 as a coordinated effort, and some activities took place after 2003. The Agency also assesses that these activities did not advance beyond feasibility and scientific studies, and the acquisition of certain relevant technical competences and capabilities. The Agency has no credible indications of activities in Iran relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device after 2009.”
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southfront--2020-06-26--US Pilot Captures New Images Of Secretive Beale Air Force Base

US civilian pilot Gabriel Zeifman recently flew his Cessna aircraft over Beale Air Force Base in Northern California , home of the U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk drones , along with the T-38 Talon trainers and a squadron of KC-135R tankers , and took a series of photos of the installation .
The images provide a fascinating view of the top secret spy plane base , and reveal one area where it appears that a major new project has been undertaken over the last year .
The images show the infamous base , which hosts the 9th Reconnaissance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its latest configuration .
It is a relatively basic airfield given its huge strategic importance , with just one runway .
It once hosted SR-71 Blackbirds , and now has a large contingent of RQ-4 Global Hawk drones .
The U-2 , which has been based at the airfield for the better part of a century , is slated to continue flying into the foreseeable future , while a substantial portion of the RQ-4 Global Hawks—the Block 30 model—that were originally intended to replace them , may meet an early retirement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Global Hawks will continue on .
Zeifman ’ s flight , which was done legally through civilian airspace with the permission of air traffic control , captured images of five Global Hawks and two U-2s , two high-flying intelligence aircraft .
He also spotted a contingent of KC-135 Stratotankers , which are Boeing 707 airliners modified to carry fuel for mid-air refuelling .
The planes enable the spy planes to stay aloft for many hours and to cover thousands of miles .
One major change on the base in recent months , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the T-38s from the northern part of the ramp with their own independent hangar , down to the central part of the ramp , where large sunshades have been erected to keep the black jets out of the baking sun .
The hangar that once supported them has also been modified over the winter , with a new roof and structural modifications , the addition of heavy environmental systems , and what looks like a large fuel tank has been constructed .
A fence now surrounds the entire facility , including its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It isn ’ t clear if parts of this fence are temporary , although a more permanent security fence could easily be installed to enclose the facility and its own apron area .
Last year posted its latest report on the so-called RQ-180 , a very stealthy , deep-penetrating , high-altitude , long-endurance , unmanned aircraft that could take on a similar role as a Global Hawk , and possibly other tasks , but it can do so in highly challenging environments .
At the time published its report , its author Guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be flying the secret aircraft is now based out of Beale Air Force base , as well as possibly a number of RQ-180s .
This would make sense , but at the time , as we pointed out , there was nowhere highly secure and modified to a low observable ( stealthy ) aircraft ’ s special needs to put such an aircraft on the base .
This may be the purpose of the modifications to the hangar mentioned above .
The hangar ’ s location is in a relatively remote part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area of the installation that has easy access to the end of the runway .
Having its own fuel supply would also be very convenient for operating a sensitive platform independently and under tight security restrictions at an active base with less sensitive operations ongoing daily .
It is possible that this facility will be used for something else .
Maybe the T-38s will return to this ramp in the near future or the facility will be used for another purpose .
But the evidence now suggests otherwise and the size of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 metres ) wide , would probably allow for at least a couple of the secretive RQ-180 drones to be housed there .
These aircraft would still exist in very limited numbers , so it wouldn ’ t be surprising for two of them to be based at Beale at this stage of the program , with more being deployed there over time as more units are built and deployed .
LINK • The US is leaving the open skies treaty

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US civilian pilot Gabriel Zeifman recently flew his Cessna aircraft over Beale Air Force Base in Northern California, home of the U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk drones, along with the T-38 Talon trainers and a squadron of KC-135R tankers, and took a series of photos of the installation. The images provide a fascinating view of the top secret spy plane base, and reveal one area where it appears that a major new project has been undertaken over the last year.
The images show the infamous base, which hosts the 9th Reconnaissance Wing of the US Air Force, in its latest configuration. It is a relatively basic airfield given its huge strategic importance, with just one runway. It once hosted SR-71 Blackbirds, and now has a large contingent of RQ-4 Global Hawk drones. The U-2, which has been based at the airfield for the better part of a century, is slated to continue flying into the foreseeable future, while a substantial portion of the RQ-4 Global Hawks—the Block 30 model—that were originally intended to replace them, may meet an early retirement. Still, the most advanced Block 40 Global Hawks will continue on.
Zeifman’s flight, which was done legally through civilian airspace with the permission of air traffic control, captured images of five Global Hawks and two U-2s, two high-flying intelligence aircraft.
He also spotted a contingent of KC-135 Stratotankers, which are Boeing 707 airliners modified to carry fuel for mid-air refuelling. The planes enable the spy planes to stay aloft for many hours and to cover thousands of miles.
One major change on the base in recent months, according to satellite imagery, is the relocation of the T-38s from the northern part of the ramp with their own independent hangar, down to the central part of the ramp, where large sunshades have been erected to keep the black jets out of the baking sun. The hangar that once supported them has also been modified over the winter, with a new roof and structural modifications, the addition of heavy environmental systems, and what looks like a large fuel tank has been constructed. A fence now surrounds the entire facility, including its access to the general apron area. It isn’t clear if parts of this fence are temporary, although a more permanent security fence could easily be installed to enclose the facility and its own apron area.
Last year Aviation Week posted its latest report on the so-called RQ-180, a very stealthy, deep-penetrating, high-altitude, long-endurance, unmanned aircraft that could take on a similar role as a Global Hawk, and possibly other tasks, but it can do so in highly challenging environments. At the time Aviation Week published its report, its author Guy Norris claimed that the operational unit that could be flying the secret aircraft is now based out of Beale Air Force base, as well as possibly a number of RQ-180s. This would make sense, but at the time, as we pointed out, there was nowhere highly secure and modified to a low observable (stealthy) aircraft’s special needs to put such an aircraft on the base. This may be the purpose of the modifications to the hangar mentioned above.
The hangar’s location is in a relatively remote part of the base and in a higher-security area of the installation that has easy access to the end of the runway. Having its own fuel supply would also be very convenient for operating a sensitive platform independently and under tight security restrictions at an active base with less sensitive operations ongoing daily.
It is possible that this facility will be used for something else. Maybe the T-38s will return to this ramp in the near future or the facility will be used for another purpose. But the evidence now suggests otherwise and the size of the hangar, roughly 200 feet (about 60 metres) wide, would probably allow for at least a couple of the secretive RQ-180 drones to be housed there. These aircraft would still exist in very limited numbers, so it wouldn’t be surprising for two of them to be based at Beale at this stage of the program, with more being deployed there over time as more units are built and deployed. LINK
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southfront--2020-06-26--WISENT 2 Armoured Support Vehicle (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The WISENT 2 is one of the German advanced multi-functional armoured support vehicle , @ @ @ @ @ an armoured recovery vehicle or an armoured engineer vehicle .
The vehicle was developed by @ @ @ @ @ ) on the basis of the Leopard 2 chassis .
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The WISENT 2 is one of the German advanced multi-functional armoured support vehicle, which can be used as an armoured recovery vehicle or an armoured engineer vehicle. The vehicle was developed by Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) on the basis of the Leopard 2 chassis.
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southfront--2020-06-26--Algeria Received First Batch Of Terminator Vehicles From Russia

Algeria has received the first batch of BMPT-72 Terminator-2 tank support combat vehicles ( TSCV ) from Russia , the @ @ @ @ @ on June 25 .
According to the report the first batch included sixty Terminator-2 TSCV @ @ @ @ @ the delivery of about 300 Terminator-2 appeared in the public space in 2017 .
Then @ @ @ @ @ the delivery of combat vehicles to Algeria will start in 2017-2018 .
However , it @ @ @ @ @ the deal was delayed by some reason .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Idlib @ @ @ @ @ Kill Each Others Under Turkish Nose

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Algeria has received the first batch of BMPT-72 Terminator-2 tank support combat vehicles (TSCV) from Russia, the Algerian media outlet Menadefense reported on June 25. According to the report the first batch included sixty Terminator-2 TSCV.
The first reports about the delivery of about 300 Terminator-2 appeared in the public space in 2017. Then, it was claimed that the delivery of combat vehicles to Algeria will start in 2017-2018. However, it seems that the implementation of the deal was delayed by some reason.
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southfront--2020-06-26--Wihout Your Immidiate Support, Our Ill-Wishers Will Win

In late April and early May , our main YouTube channel and Facebook page each with hundreds of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ In June , the pressure on SouthFront continued to increase .
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southfront--2020-06-26--Houthis Target Saudi Positions, Ammo Depot In Najran With Recoilless Rifles (Videos)

On June 26 , the Houthis ’ s anti-tank units targeted a number of military positions near the southern Saudi @ @ @ @ @ Yemeni group ’ s fighters shelled positions of Saudi forces in al-Sawh with Soviet-made B-10 @ @ @ @ @ The fighters scored direct hits .
In the al-Hamad military camp , the Houthis targeted @ @ @ @ @ of Saudi forces .
A B-10 recoilless rifle was also used .
A day earlier @ @ @ @ @ pick-up and a military bulldozer of Saudi forces in two separate attacks near the Kingdom @ @ @ @ @ Jizan , west of Najran .
The Houthis are apparently stepping up their attacks along @ @ @ @ @ .
This is likely a response to the continued attacks by the Saudi-led coalition .
@ @ @ @ @ civilians were killed in an airstrike on the southern Yemeni province of al-Bayda ’ .
@ @ @ @ @

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On June 26, the Houthis’s anti-tank units targeted a number of military positions near the southern Saudi province of Najran.
The Yemeni group’s fighters shelled positions of Saudi forces in al-Sawh with Soviet-made B-10 82 mm recoilless rifles. The fighters scored direct hits.
In the al-Hamad military camp, the Houthis targeted and destroyed an ammo depot of Saudi forces. A B-10 recoilless rifle was also used.
A day earlier, the Houthis destroyed a pick-up and a military bulldozer of Saudi forces in two separate attacks near the Kingdom’s southern province of Jizan, west of Najran.
The Houthis are apparently stepping up their attacks along the border with Saudi Arabia. This is likely a response to the continued attacks by the Saudi-led coalition. On June 25, five civilians were killed in an airstrike on the southern Yemeni province of al-Bayda’.
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