southfront--2020-05-26--GNA Announces Operations Against Haftar’s Forces Halted For 2 Days Suggesting Behind-The-Scenes Dipl

GNA Announces Operations Against Haftar’s Forces Halted For 2 Days Suggesting Behind-The-Scenes Diplomacy

On May 26th , the Government of National Accord announced that it is stopping operations against LNA for 2 days .
It is unclear if its everywhere , or only in Tripoli .
This , more than likely , suggests that there are some behind-the-scenes diplomatic developments .
Entirely in the area of speculation , this could relate to the reports that “ Russians are withdrawing from Libya , ” even though there ’ s no evidence of them being there to begin with .
More likely , it suggests that Egypt is dissatisfied with the situation in Libya , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the country .
Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar is currently very obviously on the back foot , despite reports of successful airstrikes , which suggests that Cairo may move in and provide some more tangible support , in the form of a direct intervention , such as carrying out airstrikes .
Turkey , which supports the GNA has little interest in confronting Egypt , since it is clearly the most military-capable Arab state and a pillar of stability in two regions – both the Middle East and Northern Africa .
Egypt , together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar interest and long-term aspirations for Libya .
Namely – stabilization of the situation in the region with the strengthening of sovereign power under a single Libyan government .
Turkey , on the other hand , is also nterested in long-term stabilization in Libya , but under control of “ moderate ” Islamists from the GNA .
In the absence of its own energy resources , the escalating international relations and the global crisis , Ankara ’ s neo-Ottomanism views Libya as its oil province .
How effective that would be is questionable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success against the LNA was limited , but with Haftar on the back foot , the tides may turn rapidly given the proper support coming from the Field Marshal ’ s allies .
Tarhuna is currently not being attacked , despite al-Watiya being captured and rapid progress being made eastward .
Bani Walid is not being attacked , and it is receiving equipment and purportedly more forces .
Of course , these , according to MSM relate to the “ Wagner PMC ” with transport and cargo planes arriving and departing frequently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planes , likely Su-24 , arrived near Benghazi , they are quite large and it is unclear what they ’ ve brought forward to support the LNA .
The LNA is shelling the area in Gharyan , and downing Turkish UAVs meanwhile .
The GNA , for the last 3 days , has undertaken very little , if anything , after capturing Gharyan and the surrounding area .
It could be recuperating its forces , with Turkish C-130 cargo planes arriving in Misrata , or as mentioned earlier waiting on diplomatic developments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Forces Carry Out Wide Airstrike Operation In Response To GNA ’ s Advance

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On May 26th, the Government of National Accord announced that it is stopping operations against LNA for 2 days.
It is unclear if its everywhere, or only in Tripoli.
#Libya ordusu, güneye çekilen Hafter milislerine dönük operasyonları 2 günlüğüne durdurdu. — Yaser Emre (@yasiremres) May 26, 2020
This, more than likely, suggests that there are some behind-the-scenes diplomatic developments.
Entirely in the area of speculation, this could relate to the reports that “Russians are withdrawing from Libya,” even though there’s no evidence of them being there to begin with.
More likely, it suggests that Egypt is dissatisfied with the situation in Libya, with Islamists having a chance to expand throughout the country.
Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar is currently very obviously on the back foot, despite reports of successful airstrikes, which suggests that Cairo may move in and provide some more tangible support, in the form of a direct intervention, such as carrying out airstrikes.
Turkey, which supports the GNA has little interest in confronting Egypt, since it is clearly the most military-capable Arab state and a pillar of stability in two regions – both the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Egypt, together with Russia and the UAE have a similar interest and long-term aspirations for Libya. Namely – stabilization of the situation in the region with the strengthening of sovereign power under a single Libyan government.
Turkey, on the other hand, is also nterested in long-term stabilization in Libya, but under
control of “moderate” Islamists from the GNA. In the absence of its own energy resources, the escalating international relations and the global crisis, Ankara’s neo-Ottomanism views Libya as its oil province.
How effective that would be is questionable, since, until recently, its success against the LNA was limited, but with Haftar on the back foot, the tides may turn rapidly given the proper support coming from the Field Marshal’s allies.
Tarhuna is currently not being attacked, despite al-Watiya being captured and rapid progress being made eastward.
Bani Walid is not being attacked, and it is receiving equipment and purportedly more forces.
Of course, these, according to MSM relate to the “Wagner PMC” with transport and cargo planes arriving and departing frequently, but with unclear contents.
هبطت قبل قليل طائرتي شحن بمطار بني وليد ، ودخول رتل جميعه من المرتزقة الروس للمطار . — FARAJ SHITAW (@farajshitaw1) May 26, 2020
Four cargo planes, likely Su-24, arrived near Benghazi, they are quite large and it is unclear what they’ve brought forward to support the LNA.
four birds too large to fit into these tiny shelters at al-Khadim airbase https://t.co/LLDGl2NS0k Su-24? (24 May 2020) pic.twitter.com/s0oxYPxNbf — Samir (@obretix) May 25, 2020
The LNA is shelling the area in Gharyan, and downing Turkish UAVs meanwhile.
The GNA, for the last 3 days, has undertaken very little, if anything, after capturing Gharyan and the surrounding area. It could be recuperating its forces, with Turkish C-130 cargo planes arriving in Misrata, or as mentioned earlier waiting on diplomatic developments.
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southfront--2020-05-26--Venezuela’s Attorney General Requests Supreme Court Declare Juan Guaido And His Party “Terrorists”

On May 25th , Venezuela ’ s Attorney General Tarek William Saab asked the Supreme Court to declare opposition leader and US-Proclaimed President Juan Guaido ’ s party a “ terrorist organization , ” blaming it for the ridiculous failed sea invasion .
Tarek William Saab accused the Voluntad Popular ( “ Popular Will ” ) party and its leader Guaido of promoting destabilizing actions during the coronavirus pandemic .
In a state TV broadcast , Saab said his office had asked the court “ to determine if the Voluntad Popular political organization is a terrorist organization.
” Both US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry , from Silvercorp USA , were charged with terrorism .
Guaido responded by accusing Maduro ’ s government on Twitter of protecting “ irregular groups , ” such as the Colombian ELN guerrillas , as well as Jesus Santrich , the former head of the disbanded FARC rebels .
In the days leading up to the Attorney General ’ s request , Venezuela continued investigating the failed raid , and even offered the US Congress help in investigating the situation .
The Venezuelan Prosecutor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House of Representatives President Nancy Pelosi whereby the South American country offers its collaboration so that the lawmakers can make an exhaustive investigation about the failed raid against Venezuela .
The official said that the letter sent to Pelosi “ has been received in formal terms ” and that it provides “ quality information about the events that have surrounded the so-called “ Operation Gideon ” , the name given by the U.S. mercenaries to their failed raid .
In the letter addressing Pelosi , the Venezuelan prosecutor explained that he appeals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Constitution .
Saab mentioned that Silvercorp and former U.S. military personnel have not only “ violated laws within Venezuela but also in the U.S. territory.
” Saab wondered whether U.S. Vice President Mike Pence , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , and Special Envoy for Venezuela Elliot Abrahams “ were aware ” of Silvercorp ’ s operations and “ had their approval or participation.
” On May 21st , Venezuelan Vice President for Communications Jorge Rodríguez gave a briefing , in which he presented a “ Guaido – Trump – Silvercorp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. mercenary Luke Denman , who confirmed Guaidó ’ s participation in the operation .
Denman explained that the idea of hiring Silvercorp was conceived by the opposition lawmaker , over the conception that the owner of this enterprise , Jordan Goudreau , had close ties with U.S .
In a conversation between Cliver Alcalá and Deputy Hernán Alemán presented by Rodriguez , it is pointed out that Jordan Goudreau was managing the “ Venezuela Chapter.
” MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Venezuela : US ‘ Maximum Pressure ’ Continues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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On May 25th, Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab asked the Supreme Court to declare opposition leader and US-Proclaimed President Juan Guaido’s party a “terrorist organization,” blaming it for the ridiculous failed sea invasion.
Tarek William Saab accused the Voluntad Popular (“Popular Will”) party and its leader Guaido of promoting destabilizing actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a state TV broadcast, Saab said his office had asked the court “to determine if the Voluntad Popular political organization is a terrorist organization.”
Both US mercenaries that were arrested by Venezuelan authorities – Luke Alexander Denman and Airan Berry, from Silvercorp USA, were charged with terrorism.
Voluntad Popular “categorically rejected the accusations” in a statement.
Guaido responded by accusing Maduro’s government on Twitter of protecting “irregular groups,” such as the Colombian ELN guerrillas, as well as Jesus Santrich, the former head of the disbanded FARC rebels.
In the days leading up to the Attorney General’s request, Venezuela continued investigating the failed raid, and even offered the US Congress help in investigating the situation.
The Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives President Nancy Pelosi whereby the South American country offers its collaboration so that the lawmakers can make an exhaustive investigation about the failed raid against Venezuela.
“Our institution will do what is necessary for justice to be done and commits itself as necessary to collaborate as a sovereign power with any U.S. institution,” Attorney General Tarek William Saab said.
The official said that the letter sent to Pelosi “has been received in formal terms” and that it provides “quality information about the events that have surrounded the so-called “Operation Gideon”, the name given by the U.S. mercenaries to their failed raid.
In the letter addressing Pelosi, the Venezuelan prosecutor explained that he appeals to the high values of the supreme respect for the Constitution.
Attorney General @TarekWiliamSaab, in a letter to @SpeakerPelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, present elements of the foiled mercenary invasion against Venezuela. We ask for a serious investigation that determines the responsibility of the Trump Administration. https://t.co/tkauUyoi1x — Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) May 21, 2020
“We cannot but expect from you an exhaustive and transparent investigation for both nations and in coherence with international law.”
Saab mentioned that Silvercorp and former U.S. military personnel have not only “violated laws within Venezuela but also in the U.S. territory.”
“The evidence gathered shows links between Trump and the mercenary forces,” Saab said.
Saab wondered whether U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Special Envoy for Venezuela Elliot Abrahams “were aware” of Silvercorp’s operations and “had their approval or participation.”
On May 21st, Venezuelan Vice President for Communications Jorge Rodríguez gave a briefing, in which he presented a “Guaido – Trump – Silvercorp Trio.”
#ENVIVO | @jorgerpsuv : tenemos audios de Clíver Alcalá en los que se evidencia parte de la conspiración que realizaban contra el Gobierno de @NicolasMaduro https://t.co/tqMKHfl0b4 pic.twitter.com/RE2LNdC0lu — teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) May 21, 2020
Rodriguez showed the video statements of U.S. mercenary Luke Denman, who confirmed Guaidó’s participation in the operation.
Denman explained that the idea of hiring Silvercorp was conceived by the opposition lawmaker, over the conception that the owner of this enterprise, Jordan Goudreau, had close ties with U.S.
In a conversation between Cliver Alcalá and Deputy Hernán Alemán presented by Rodriguez, it is pointed out that Jordan Goudreau was managing the “Venezuela Chapter.”
“The idea of hiring Silvercorp worked as a scapegoat, for in case of failure, we had to blame someone outside politics. Otherwise, the U.S. administration would provide the air force for the operation,” Denman confessed. “When it comes to bad calls blame is on Guaido, I think he disoriented a bunch of people.”
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southfront--2020-05-26--Sir Richard Branson’s Cosmic Girl Rocket Fails Its “Virgin” Flight

On May 26th , Virgin Orbit ’ s Cosmic Girl rocket failed on its debut flight .
The jumbo jet took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the desert north of Los Angeles and flew out just beyond the Channel Islands , where the drop occurred .
The booster was released from under the wing of one of Sir Richard Branson ’ s old jumbo jets which had been specially converted for the task .
The rocket was supposed to fall for a few seconds before the first of its two stages ignited and hurtled it down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its demonstration payload into a low Earth orbit .
The purpose of the flight was to gather data on every step of the launch process rather than to have a useful satellite in orbit ; the demonstration payload was described as an inert mass and the intended orbit was very low to avoid contributing to the problem of space junk .
As such it only partially fulfilled its objectives , because it failed to reach orbit at all .
How the setback will affect the company was not immediately clear .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its factory .
Virgin Orbit ’ s goal is to try to capture a share of the emerging market for the launch of small satellites .
It ’ s not clear at this stage precisely what went wrong but the firm had warned beforehand that the chances of success might be only 50:50 .
“ Test flights are instrumented to yield data and we now have a treasure trove of that .
We accomplished many of the goals we set for ourselves , though not as many as we would have liked , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Nevertheless , we took a big step forward today .
Our engineers are already poring through the data .
Our next rocket is waiting .
We will learn , adjust , and begin preparing for our next test , which is coming up soon.
” The interesting part is that Virgin Orbit ’ s launch technology differs greatly from the conventional ground-based launching .
The first test-launch was 5 years in the making , starting back in 2015 .
And since the chance for success was 50:50 the flight was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • U.S. Space Force ’ s Identity Crisis : What To Name Its Members ?
• U.S. And Russia Trade Accusation Of Space Militarization , To Organize Work Group

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On May 26th, Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl rocket failed on its debut flight.
Here's a quick shot from takeoff. pic.twitter.com/7nt1u58ogs — Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) May 25, 2020
Good morning, world! Today is a momentous occasion for the Virgin Orbit team: operations for the first orbital launch demonstration of our LauncherOne rocket are well underway. ? pic.twitter.com/P51cYc1nFi — Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) May 25, 2020
The jumbo jet took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the desert north of Los Angeles and flew out just beyond the Channel Islands, where the drop occurred.
The booster was released from under the wing of one of Sir Richard Branson’s old jumbo jets which had been specially converted for the task.
The rocket was supposed to fall for a few seconds before the first of its two stages ignited and hurtled it down the coast toward the South Pole for insertion of its demonstration payload into a low Earth orbit.
The purpose of the flight was to gather data on every step of the launch process rather than to have a useful satellite in orbit; the demonstration payload was described as an inert mass and the intended orbit was very low to avoid contributing to the problem of space junk.
As such it only partially fulfilled its objectives, because it failed to reach orbit at all.
How the setback will affect the company was not immediately clear. It has six additional rockets under construction in its factory.
“The team’s already hard at work digging into the data, and we’re eager to hop into our next big test ASAP,” the company tweeted. “Thankfully, instead of waiting until after our 1st flight to tackle our 2nd rocket, we’ve already completed a ton of work to get us back in the air and keep moving forward.”
Virgin Orbit’s goal is to try to capture a share of the emerging market for the launch of small satellites.
It’s not clear at this stage precisely what went wrong but the firm had warned beforehand that the chances of success might be only 50:50.
“Test flights are instrumented to yield data and we now have a treasure trove of that. We accomplished many of the goals we set for ourselves, though not as many as we would have liked,” said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart. “Nevertheless, we took a big step forward today. Our engineers are already poring through the data. Our next rocket is waiting. We will learn, adjust, and begin preparing for our next test, which is coming up soon.”
After taking off from Mojave, Cosmic Girl will fly due southwest to our drop point just south of the Channel Islands. Once we reach the drop point, we'll enter into a loop that we call the "racetrack" as we wait for final go/no-gos. pic.twitter.com/mg3Bdc1Hek — Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) May 25, 2020
The interesting part is that Virgin Orbit’s launch technology differs greatly from the conventional ground-based launching.
The way that we support and launch our rocket is quite different from vertically launched platforms, so here's a handy guide to the various trailers that make up our mobile ground support equipment. pic.twitter.com/SvZJLfAvRG — Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) May 25, 2020
The first test-launch was 5 years in the making, starting back in 2015.
Since opening the doors to our Long Beach facility in 2015, a tremendous amount of work has gone into designing, manufacturing and testing LauncherOne, an air-launched vehicle built specifically to serve small satellite customers around the world. pic.twitter.com/jND6CfCmDh — Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) May 25, 2020
And since the chance for success was 50:50 the flight was not livestream.
After a promising pre-flight briefing this morning, weather remains favorable for our target launch window today. As a reminder, we will not be livestreaming this flight — but stick around and refresh this feed for updates as the action happens. pic.twitter.com/pKzlStVnNi — Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) May 25, 2020
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southfront--2020-05-26--Iran Bans Use Of Any Israeli Technology, Announces “Virtual Embassy” In Palestine

On May 22nd , Iran celebrated the International Quds Day and its parliament passed several laws aimed at Israel .
One of these bills was to make illegal any cooperation and “ spying ” for Israel is forbidden .
According to al-Monitor , “ Iran ’ s parliament has passed a law criminalizing any prearranged contact with Israelis .
The punishment , depending on the background of the defendant and the prerogative of the judge , could include anywhere from six months to two years in prison , 31 to 74 lashes or 20-80 million tomans ( about $ 1,200- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also other less severe forms of punishment at the judge ’ s disposal that include depriving the guilty party of benefits such as housing , state pensions and state education for a period of six months to five years.
” Iranian media such as Fars News Agency weren ’ t as specific about the punishments and the sort , so it comes down to speculation whether this is fact or not .
However , in a somewhat questionable move , Iranian lawmakers banned all business with Israel , as well as using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Naqavi Hosseini said that following the approval , “ any cooperation or spying for the Zionist regime is equal to enmity towards God and corruption on earth and activities of the Israeli software platforms in Iran and using its hardware and software products is forbidden.
” The new bill also bans transferring the goods produced by the Israeli companies via the Iranian territories as well as participation of the Israeli nationals and firms in the exhibitions held inside Iran .
Another decision undertaken to commemorate the International Quds Day was that Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The foreign ministry is required to make necessary arrangements to form the Islamic Republic of Iran ’ s virtual embassy or consulate ( in Palestine ) and submit the results for approval to the cabinet , ” one of the paragraphs of the bill to ‘ confront Israel ’ s hostile acts against the peace and security ’ said .
“ The foreign ministry is required to adopt necessary measures ( to this end ) in consultations with other countries , ” it added .
The law was adopted unanimously by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was no clarification as to how its provisions would be implemented .
Iran has marked al-Quds Day since the start of its 1979 Islamic Revolution by the late ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini .
Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians .
The decision to ban the use of any Israeli technology , and if the report by al-Monitor is factual , the laws may be rather excessive , but time will show how these will actually be enforced .
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On May 22nd, Iran celebrated the International Quds Day and its parliament passed several laws aimed at Israel.
One of these bills was to make illegal any cooperation and “spying” for Israel is forbidden.
According to al-Monitor, “Iran’s parliament has passed a law criminalizing any prearranged contact with Israelis. The punishment, depending on the background of the defendant and the prerogative of the judge, could include anywhere from six months to two years in prison, 31 to 74 lashes or 20-80 million tomans (about $1,200-$4,800) in fines. There are also other less severe forms of punishment at the judge’s disposal that include depriving the guilty party of benefits such as housing, state pensions and state education for a period of six months to five years.”
Iranian media such as Fars News Agency weren’t as specific about the punishments and the sort, so it comes down to speculation whether this is fact or not.
However, in a somewhat questionable move, Iranian lawmakers banned all business with Israel, as well as using any Israeli technology – software or hardware.
“Based on the first article of the bill, all Iranian bodies are required to use the country’s regional and international capacities to confront the Zionist regime’s measures, specially its warmongering and terrorist moves, siege (of Gaza), settlement construction, displacing the Palestinian people and occupation of countries’ lands, including Golan,” Rapporteur of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Seyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini told Fars.
Naqavi Hosseini said that following the approval, “any cooperation or spying for the Zionist regime is equal to enmity towards God and corruption on earth and activities of the Israeli software platforms in Iran and using its hardware and software products is forbidden.”
The new bill also bans transferring the goods produced by the Israeli companies via the Iranian territories as well as participation of the Israeli nationals and firms in the exhibitions held inside Iran.
Another decision undertaken to commemorate the International Quds Day was that Iran would establish a virtual embassy in Palestine.
“The foreign ministry is required to make necessary arrangements to form the Islamic Republic of Iran’s virtual embassy or consulate (in Palestine) and submit the results for approval to the cabinet,” one of the paragraphs of the bill to ‘confront Israel’s hostile acts against the peace and security’ said. “The foreign ministry is required to adopt necessary measures (to this end) in consultations with other countries,” it added.
The law was adopted unanimously by all legislators present, Fars reported. There was no clarification as to how its provisions would be implemented.
Iran has marked al-Quds Day since the start of its 1979 Islamic Revolution by the late ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians.
As described by Fars, “the International Quds Day is an annual event opposing Israel’s occupation of Beitul-Muqaddas. Anti-Zionist rallies and demonstrations are held on the last Friday of Ramadan in Muslim and Arab countries around the world, specially in Iran, as well as a large number of non-Muslim states.”
The decision to ban the use of any Israeli technology, and if the report by al-Monitor is factual, the laws may be rather excessive, but time will show how these will actually be enforced.
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southfront--2020-05-26--Type 075 Landing Helicopter Dock (Infographics)

The construction speed of their first LHD was mind-boggling .
Soon we ’ re going to see the navalised version @ @ @ @ @ Chinese variant of the UH-60 .
AFAIK , the problem for the Chinese would be @ @ @

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The Type 075 landing helicopter dock is a class of Chinese amphibious assault ships. Currently, two warships are under construction by the Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding company.
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southfront--2020-05-26--SouthFront’s New YouTube Channel

SouthFront’s New YouTube Channel

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southfront--2020-05-26--Hezbollah Releases Video Showcasing Training Of Its Special Forces

I see several problems with your argument : -Israel is still in Lebanon , it ’ s called the Shebaa Farms , in contravention of the relevant UN Resolution still calling for its withdrawal .
And it oddly happens to be the only place in the whole of the Arab country where Hezbollah still retaliates to Israeli action while you ’ ll notice that it usually remains on the side and does not intervene or position itself when the UNIFIL comes in to stop the IDF from making forays into the Lebanese side of the separation line , which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is widely documented fact , you can see it everywhere .
Speaking of which , the UNIFIL has only been condemning Israeli actions for the past several years , as Hezbollah has been confirmed as compliant when it comes to staying clear from that area , not busy trying to break the status-quo like the IDF .
And as we discussed prior , you can not even quote me one documented instance of Hezbollah hitting first since 2006 , as they know it would constitue the direly needed Casus Belli for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it all once more and try to secure water-rich Southern Lebanese lands for the third time , this time with international legitimacy to act , which Hezbollah would be beyond foolish to allow , and thus never will .
We all know you ’ re after their ressources , don ’ t kid yourself thinking people believe your “ security requirement ” , in what is considered the “ Lebanese Golan ” in the region .
You occupied it tirelessly for 17 years straight , the Litani shores were your prime target again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a resistance force potent enough to beat you out on both occurrence and I ’ m completely fine with that , along with International Law and the UN Charter , whichs grants them that right .
And your claims of them acting first in 2006 is biased , and to this day , remains unverified .
-No matter how many times and how hard you want to call them and portray them as “ terrorists ” , it will remain technically false and they are viewed by most world governments ( bar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany and Great Britain ) as a military group with a political wing as such .
More importantly , they are Lebanese , and part of the national fabric .
Your army is practically a miniature version of the US , provided and financed by the US , its technology transfers , its army present in bases on your country ’ s soil to man some of the ABM defenses and X-band radar here , and of course its political class ( you practically own Congress , voting at 99 % in favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even sometimes in defiance of the President ) .
Hezbollah is the same , it is a recognized military force with funding and support coming from a foreign power , in our case Iran , a sovereign country as far as I know if we dismiss Israel ’ s unilateral perception , and it enjoys widespread support among Lebanese society as a whole , encompassing both Chias and Christians ( 50 % of each according to regular polls ) .
The main reason being that the Lebanese Army that you seem to like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most basic rights of self-defense , namely air-defense , that both he US and Israel systematically oppose them getting their hands on , along with an air-force .
The idea of giving them both and in exchange integrating Hezbollah brigades that would disband from the Iran-backed status into the armed forces were flatly rejected right after the 2006 war , so don ’ t complain trying to have it both ways .
-Err , you “ tried to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza ” is that some kind of joke ?
you completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , prevent them from getting building materials to this day and shoot their fishermen + seize their boats regularly , made massive used of banned ordnance such as cluster bombs and white phosphorous everywhere you pleased , practically flattened entire concentrated neighborhoods Grozny style and using the same “ human shield ” excuses that Moscow did to justify your massacre .
500 children died in a matter of weeks and only international pressure stopped you from a full ground invasion that would have killed hundreds of thousands more , plus you systematically bombed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day have demonstrated they weren ’ t in close proximity of ANY Palestinian missiles launcher brigades .
Your list of criminal deeds decried by the UNHCR is miles long here as well and only massive US involvement and lobbying shielded Israel from being investigated and condemned .
-You say we can not compare the French Resistance to Hezbollah since the Nazi were genociding people ?
two problems here as well : 1 -the ideological manifesto of a given fighting force is irrelevant to our debate .
The Israeli army was an illegal occupying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 17 years straight and used the so-called Lebanese National Army as a proxy collaboration force to do part of its bidding during all that time , working against Lebanese interests and allowing them to do child labor and human trafficking in the South .
I see what 95 % of Lebanese saw at the time : the need for a capable military group to boot you out of the area once and for all , the only treatment your soldiers deserved in here considering what they were busy doing , not without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their invasion a year prior .
You employ cowardly tactics as a doctrine for Christ sake : you bomb the hell out of everything in sight without stepping foot on their soil and fight their best soldiers like men in , and every time you are ambushed , you suffer greatly at their hands .
And hiding behind civilian airliners to conduct occasional airstrikes in Syria is a war crime on top of being unspeakably weak , militarily .
2 -why does your government never miss an occasion to call Iran the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the New Hitler ” , and going as far as pretending that Persians have always massacred Jews in know history , disregarding the fact that King Cyrus actually freed the slave Jews and gave them citizenship , then modern Iran provided fake passeports and shelter to Jews fleeing the Nazis from part of the middle-east and North Africa the German approached ?
how about the fact that Iran to this day hosts the biggest Jewish community in the middle-east after Israel itself , where they enjoy state funding for their upholding their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new Synagogues , have their holidays recognized , and enjoy full parliamentary representation at the Majlis ( the Iranian Parliament ) ?
would Hitler ’ s Germany allow the same to its Jewish community , you sure of that ?
Considering the above , them trolling you as “ fascist occupiers of Arab lands ” seems fair game to me .

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On May 25, Hezbollah released a video showcasing the training of its special forces.
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southfront--2020-05-26--Kim Jong Un Oversees Meeting To Increase NK’s ‘Nuclear War Deterrence’

Still on his public appearance ‘ return ’ tour after last month ’ s ‘ where ’ s Kim ?
’ false alarm , North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted a meeting of top generals on the country ’ s nuclear policy Sunday the first appearance since his May 1st tour of a factory quashed persistent rumors about his health .
State media asserted Pyongyang would continue to bolster its nuclear capabilities undeterred , amid stalled nuclear talks with the White House , at the meeting of the Workers ’ Party of Korea Central Military Commission ( CMC ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at efforts to “ reliably contain the persistent big or small military threats from the hostile forces , ” according to Reuters .
The report emphasized the country would increase its “ nuclear war deterrence ” .
“ Set forth at the meeting were new policies for further increasing the nuclear war deterrence of the country and putting the strategic armed forces on a high alert operation , ” the state media outlet continued .
The state-run outlet noted that officials also took “ crucial measures for considerably increasing the firepower strike ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said to have signed seven related orders : Since denuclearization talks with Washington stalled last fall , the regime has ramped up its short and medium range missile tests , with no less than six launches from the end of February through late March .
The last provocative test included a projectile fired into the sea off the coast of Japan , and was seen as a direct challenge to Washington and its regional allies .

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
Still on his public appearance ‘return’ tour after last month’s ‘where’s Kim?’ false alarm, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted a meeting of top generals on the country’s nuclear policy Sunday — the first appearance since his May 1st tour of a factory quashed persistent rumors about his health.
State media asserted Pyongyang would continue to bolster its nuclear capabilities undeterred, amid stalled nuclear talks with the White House, at the meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Military Commission (CMC).
KCNA reported the meeting was aimed at efforts to “reliably contain the persistent big or small military threats from the hostile forces,” according to Reuters. The report emphasized the country would increase its “nuclear war deterrence”.
“Set forth at the meeting were new policies for further increasing the nuclear war deterrence of the country and putting the strategic armed forces on a high alert operation,” the state media outlet continued.
The state-run outlet noted that officials also took “crucial measures for considerably increasing the firepower strike ability of the artillery pieces.”
Kim is said to have signed seven related orders:
The orders concerned “enhancing” the responsibility and roles of major military educational institutions, reorganizing the military command system “to meet the mission and duty of the security institutions” and promoting the military ranks of commanding officers, KCNA said.
Since denuclearization talks with Washington stalled last fall, the regime has ramped up its short and medium range missile tests, with no less than six launches from the end of February through late March.
The last provocative test included a projectile fired into the sea off the coast of Japan, and was seen as a direct challenge to Washington and its regional allies.
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southfront--2020-05-26--Turkey Dives Into Libyan Conflict

Turkey Dives Into Libyan Conflict

Main playlist with id 1941 does not exist !
The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord ( GNA ) and Syrian militants supported by the Turkish military have achieved more gains in their battle against the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar .
GNA forces have captured the areas of Asabiah and Mazdah from the LNA and besieged the town of Tarhuna .
On May 23 , pro-Turkish sources even claimed that alleged Russian private military contractors operating on the side of the LNA were withdrawn from Tarhuna to Bani Walid and then were evacuated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GNA claimed that a Russian military contractor was killed in the area of Salah ad-Din .
On top of this , the LNA lost two Chinese-made Wing Loong II combat drones supplied by the UAE which crashed near Bani Walid and Qaryat .
The total number of LNA fighters killed or injured in recent clashes in Libya ’ s northwest , according to pro-GNA sources , is over 100 .
However , clashes that erupted north of Tarhuna early on May 24 demonstrated that LNA forces are not going to surrender the town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of Turkish-backed Syrian militants killed in Libya reportedly reached 311 .
Additionally , the LNA claimed that its forces had shot down 13 Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles during the last 3 days .
According to the LNA spokesperson , Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Mesmari , the army is now relocating its troops and preparing for a push to once again take an upper hand in the battle against Turkish-backed forces .
The LNA also shared a video documenting Turkish actions to supply military equipment and deploy members of Syrian militant groups in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military involvement in the conflict grows on a daily basis .
Just recently , Ankara reportedly deployed a MIM-23 Hawk medium-range air defense system and military specialists in the city of Misrata .
Turkish military actions are a cornerstone of the recent GNA successes on the ground .
At the same time , the very same approach is instigating instability in the region .
Egypt and the UAE , which support the LNA , see the Turkish expansion and the strengthening of the GNA as a direct threat to its vital interests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ radical militant groups operating under the brand of the GNA reach the Egyptian-Libyan border , they will become a constant source of the terrorist threat in Egypt itself .

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The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and Syrian militants supported by the Turkish military have achieved more gains in their battle against the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
GNA forces have captured the areas of Asabiah and Mazdah from the LNA and besieged the town of Tarhuna. On May 23, pro-Turkish sources even claimed that alleged Russian private military contractors operating on the side of the LNA were withdrawn from Tarhuna to Bani Walid and then were evacuated from the country. arlier, the GNA claimed that a Russian military contractor was killed in the area of Salah ad-Din. On top of this, the LNA lost two Chinese-made Wing Loong II combat drones supplied by the UAE which crashed near Bani Walid and Qaryat. The total number of LNA fighters killed or injured in recent clashes in Libya’s northwest, according to pro-GNA sources, is over 100.
However, clashes that erupted north of Tarhuna early on May 24 demonstrated that LNA forces are not going to surrender the town without a battle. Meanwhile, the number of Turkish-backed Syrian militants killed in Libya reportedly reached 311. Additionally, the LNA claimed that its forces had shot down 13 Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles during the last 3 days. According to the LNA spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Mesmari, the army is now relocating its troops and preparing for a push to once again take an upper hand in the battle against Turkish-backed forces.
The LNA also shared a video documenting Turkish actions to supply military equipment and deploy members of Syrian militant groups in Tripoli. The scale of the Turkish military involvement in the conflict grows on a daily basis. Just recently, Ankara reportedly deployed a MIM-23 Hawk medium-range air defense system and military specialists in the city of Misrata.
Turkish military actions are a cornerstone of the recent GNA successes on the ground. At the same time, the very same approach is instigating instability in the region. Egypt and the UAE, which support the LNA, see the Turkish expansion and the strengthening of the GNA as a direct threat to its vital interests. Cairo is also concerned that, if radical militant groups operating under the brand of the GNA reach the Egyptian-Libyan border, they will become a constant source of the terrorist threat in Egypt itself.
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southfront--2020-05-26--Apocalypse Soon? US Still Scrambling And Surging To Develop New High-Tech Weapons Systems

Amidst the social and economic turmoil and critical shortages of food , medical supplies and other essential goods , the US leadership has not wavered in the slightest from its mission to secure and maintain the holy grail of planetary ‘ full spectrum dominance ’ and control of all possible theatres of war and conflict , which covers all possible physical , geographical , social , psychological , economic and technological dimensions and realms from outer space to the centre of the Earth and beyond .
This dangerous manic obsession poses enormous existential risks not just for the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ‘ full spectrum dominated ’ if the objective can be realized , but for the people of the United States itself as the basic needs , welfare and immediate security of its citizens are neglected – most of them at least , as no doubt in a worst-case scenario the political , military and financial/ corporate leadership will be safely ensconced in their deep military bases , Armageddon-proof bunkers or spaceships .
This raises the additional question as to who exactly makes up this privileged group of those to be saved : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ( assuming of course he is not killed in the initial conflagration ) , or will the Establishment nobility decide that they would rather not live locked up with him every day for eternity in a concrete cave deep underground .
A Newsweek article from March of this year discusses some possible alternatives , reviewing some of the known elements of the ‘ continuity of government ’ strategy and contingency plans that would provide for the designation of all governance functions and powers in the US .
Apart from the horrifying destructive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the very real risks of accidental or deliberate cataclysms being unleashed , the headlong rush to develop the ‘ perfect weapon ’ – a lot of them – must inevitably incur the risk that extremely complex , dangerous , untested technologies can get out of control as scientists and engineers experiment with their destructive potential and attempt to convert them into deployable weapons systems .
To take just one example , the number and gravity of nuclear accidents , incidents and near misses is disconcerting to say the very least .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known cases : LINK 1 , LINK 2 , LINK 3 In 2015 USA Today published extensive research relating to the ongoing safety issues in biological laboratories in the US and elsewhere .
The vast scale and inherently secretive , fragmented , compartmentalized nature of R & D programs makes even the most minimally effective forms of rational oversight and control impossible , and the apocalyptic Hollywood scenarios of Artificial Intelligence robots , nuclear , biological or some other type of cataclysmic weapons wreaking havoc seem ever more plausible .
There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities going on beyond those actually involved in the projects and their military and corporate overseers , not just in terms of the technical details but in terms of the fundamental aspects of objectives , goals and assessing the inherent risks of the programs , whether at the local , national or international level .
The Coronavirus outbreak is a case in point .
Who can say whether it is a natural mutation or a laboratory invention that escaped or was deliberately released ?
Gilad Atzmon has written a thought provoking piece on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s analysis contains many pertinent preliminary points in this respect : “ We have recently heard from frontline medical physicians that the current global health crisis is something they have not been trained to deal with nor do they fully understand the spectrum of symptoms they encounter in hospitals and emergency centres… One would assume that if the virus at the centre of the current epidemic was an unsavoury present from ‘ mother nature ’ we would be able to trace its evolution .
We likely would have seen the gradual appearance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught our medical establishment unprepared .
It doesn ’ t seem this happened .
In the view of many medical practitioners the new disease is in a category of its own .
It is a novelty .
This means that it is possible that the Corona virus wasn ’ t created by nature but by creatures who believe themselves to be greater than nature .
Since we do not know its provenance , we should treat the current epidemic as a potentially criminal act as well as a medical event .
We must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be at the centre of this possible crime of global genocidal proportions .
While medical diagnosis is defined by : • a determination of the nature of the cause of a disease .
• a concise technical description of the cause , nature , and/or manifestations of the symptoms .
Criminal investigations are primarily engaged with the human element .
The criminal investigator seeks to ascertain the methods , motives , and identities of criminals , the identity of victims and may also search for and interrogate witnesses to the crime .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ would mean searching for possible offenders : individuals , institutions , or states that may have created the lethal virus as part of a research program or more directly , as an agent of biological warfare .
Law enforcement agencies often allocate dozens of investigators , officers , detectives and agents to untangle a single homicide .
One would expect that following the deaths of tens of thousands around the globe , every police force , government and intelligence agency would join forces in the attempt to identify the possible culprit ( s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
We may be dealing with a negligent or criminal event on a massive scale… A number of scientists have commented that laboratories and research centres have been engaged in the study of corona viruses and experimented with models that resemble the current virus .
Specifically , some have pointed to a North Carolina laboratory that experimented with the viruses extracted from bats in 2015… In 2014 the US National Institute of Health removed its funding of gain-of-function ( GOF ) experiments involving the influenza , SARS , and MERS viruses… Treating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ought to include a visit by the FBI to the office of the National Institute of Health and a careful review of all the files related to American laboratories conducting GOF experiments with Coronavirus .
This investigative procedure must be exercised in every region and country in the world that has engaged in GOF experiments .
As soon as the Corona virus became the new disaster , Dany Shoham , a former Israeli military intelligence officer , was quick to point to China ’ s biowarfare program as a possible originator of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exception of President Trump and his Pompeo character , not many are convinced that Covid-19 is a Chinese Virus ( as Trump refers to it when he wants to annoy progressives ) .
A criminal investigation would have to examine Chinese as well as Russian , British , French , German , etc .
laboratories and their safety records .
It should also verify whether Dany Shoham had any evidence for his assertion regarding China or whether he was attempting to divert attention from another possible suspect in this Corona affair .
Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and WMD facilities must also be subject to thorough scrutiny… ” Several detailed investigative reports by Dilyana Gaytandzhieva provide considerable sources of information and preliminary evidence ( LINK ) , as do numerous reports filed by Veterans Today ( see , e.g.
, LINK 1 , LINK 2 ) .
There are of course many , many others , all of which must be collated and cross-checked , verified or dismissed .
A ‘ crime scene ’ based analysis must consider all possible culprits , to start with all countries that possess knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology and research , development and production , until and unless it has been demonstrated to everyone ’ s satisfaction that they can be eliminated from the list of suspects .
Any countries that are prepared to make allegations against others ( such as the US and China , which have been exchanging mutual accusations for some time now ) must either disclose their evidence and reasons behind their accusations for independent verification by the world community or shut up .
All formal and documented accusations must be thoroughly and transparently investigated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and highly qualified scientific , medical , forensic and other experts to investigate the characteristics and impacts of the virus in their country as well as contribute to the international investigation .
Their efforts must be subject to thorough peer review as well as full and informed public analysis and debate – the world can not afford more of the ‘ national security ’ , ‘ Security Council veto ’ , ‘ diplomatic immunities and privileges ’ , ‘ commercial confidentiality ’ , ‘ trade secrets ’ , ‘ it ’ s too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullshit .
In at least some cases , possibly many , a country has established military and scientific bases and research facilities in other countries ; these must of course be included .
The US is undoubtedly the most prolific in this regard , engaging in many secretive bilateral agreements , contracts and partnerships to conduct nobody seems to know what exactly – least of all the citizens of ‘ host countries ’ affected .
The links to the investigative reports above provides a wealth of starting points .
But it is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is most important to include all facilities and activities of the sprawling financial-military-industrial complex involved in related activities .
Some of these corporate-industrial-scientific behemoths are probably the only institutions that are even close to matching the capabilities of ‘ The Pentagon ’ to outsource , offshore and camouflage programs and installations for the research , development and production of materials related to biological weapons .
This would include all of the biochemical , pharmaceutical , etc .
giants , as well as all other major research and development foundations of all types @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The development of international and national lead agencies and fusion centres There are numerous possible contenders for the necessary task of establishing some sort of world-wide ‘ lead agencies ’ or ‘ fusion centres ’ to plan , coordinate and supervise the international investigations , and facilitate cooperation with regional and national-level investigations ( each with their own respective ‘ fusion centre ’ ) .
However , I would suggest that none of the existing institutions is adequate in itself to assume full control over the investigation .
The enormity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community of nations , it can not be put under the control of some exclusive , self-appointed ‘ international community ’ institution behind multiple screens of exclusion , secrecy and confidentiality .
As just one example , the Biological Weapons Convention does not provide even remotely viable mechanisms or procedures to address such possibilities ( and if a regime such as that of the OPCW existed , how effective could it be in the world of , as is apparent from its hopelessly compromised investigations into the use of chemical weapons in Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe the parties to the Biological Weapons Convention can consider this when they next meet in another 4 or 5 years .
The 73rd annual session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva ( the decision-making body of WHO ) urged member States to establish an “ impartial , independent and comprehensive evaluation ” of the World Health Organization ’ s ( WHO ) response to the pandemic as well as the identification of the “ zoonotic ” source of the coronavirus .
The potential parameters and scope of the proposed investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals as possible sources of the virus , excluding all other possible sources , vectors and contributing factors before even beginning ) .
Moreover , according to a report , only 116 of the 194 member States were in favour of the resolution .
Notwithstanding the difficulties and deficiencies of existing international institutions and the broader geopolitical conditions in which they must operate , some of the possible major contenders as contributors and focal points for research and investigation projects include the WHO , some measure pursuant to the Biological Weapons Convention ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verification , investigation and research capabilities ) , a Security Council and/ or General Assembly resolution or joint investigative mechanism , as well as other relevant UN or international institutions .
The US ’ full spectrum dominance objective has received major setbacks over the last few years as the Russian military in particular , working closely with patriotic industrial and technological sectors , have outperformed the US Department of ‘ Defense ’ and associated sprawling and astronomically expensive US financial-military-industrial complex in many crucial sectors .
( LINK ) Nonetheless , the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined , and are rolling out new research and development initiatives to match and surpass the high tech weapons systems of its rivals , adversaries and ( potential ? )
enemies .
As reported last week , the newly created US Space Force is cutting its teeth with a space flight by the experimental ‘ space plane ’ X-37B , which will in turn launch at least one autonomous military satellite on behalf of the US Air Force Academy and is equipped with modules for the conduct of scientific experiments by NASA and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will probably last for about one and a half to two years .
Another such program is a ‘ Skyborg competition ’ launched by the US Air Force .
The website Flightglobal reports of the program : Another high-priority area is hypersonic vehicles and weapons systems , with the US military and high-tech sectors scrambling to develop a response to Russia ’ s ‘ Avanguard ’ hypersonic glide vehicle .
As far as is known , the US has neither a similar offensive weapon nor the means to defend itself against such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ while the Pentagon has several hypersonic weapons programs in development , Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in August that it will be “ a couple of years ” before the U.S. can deploy a weapon of this caliber.
” ( LINK 1 , LINK 2 ) The most recent Congressional Research Service review on hypersonic systems , completed on 4 March 2020 , had a restrained and prudent tone as it pondered developments and requirements : However , senior military officials , bureaucrats and corporate executives are much more aggressive and extravagant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has created a “ war room ” to ramp up production of hypersonic weapons from a handful of prototypes over the last decade to “ hundreds of weapons ” in the near future , a senior official said Wednesday .
Those weapons will range from huge rocket-powered boost-glide missiles , fired from Army trucks and Navy submarines at more than Mach 10 , to more compact and affordable air-breathing cruise missiles , fired from aircraft at a relatively modest Mach 5-plus .
“ It isn ’ t an either-or , ” said Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & D chief Mike Griffin .
“ It isn ’ t rocket-boost air-breathing , we actually want both , because those systems do different things.
” Right now , however , US combat units have neither .
Inconsistent focus and funding over the years means that “ we had a number of programs in the department that were very solid technology development programs , but at the end of those programs , we would have prototypes and we ’ d have weapons in the single-digit counts , ” Lewis said during a webcast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitchell Institute .
“ If you ’ ve got a program that delivers eight missiles and then stops , well , which of the thousand targets in our target set are we going to use those eight missiles against ?
” With hypersonics now a top priority for both Undersecretary Griffin and Defense Secretary Mark Esper , the Pentagon is trying to improve that stop-and-go track record with a new “ hypersonic acceleration plan ” – no pun intended , Lewis said .
Griffin likes to compare the effort to the Cold War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear weapons infrastructure capable of building complex components by the tens of thousands… ” Their corporate counterparts are similarly bullish about the prospective benefits , market potential and profits of associated R & D , production and deployment ( probably including ongoing operational management and maintenance contracts in most cases ) ( LINK ) , which promises to lock them into a spiralling cycle of lucrative confidential cost-plus contracts for many decades to come .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • SpaceX : Camel ’ s Nose under the Tent of Space Militarization

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Amidst the social and economic turmoil and critical shortages of food, medical supplies and other essential goods, the US leadership has not wavered in the slightest from its mission to secure and maintain the holy grail of planetary ‘full spectrum dominance’ and control of all possible theatres of war and conflict, which covers all possible physical, geographical, social, psychological, economic and technological dimensions and realms from outer space to the centre of the Earth and beyond.
This dangerous manic obsession poses enormous existential risks not just for the rest of the world, which will of course be ‘full spectrum dominated’ if the objective can be realized, but for the people of the United States itself as the basic needs, welfare and immediate security of its citizens are neglected – most of them at least, as no doubt in a worst-case scenario the political, military and financial/ corporate leadership will be safely ensconced in their deep military bases, Armageddon-proof bunkers or spaceships.
This raises the additional question as to who exactly makes up this privileged group of those to be saved: would Trump be ‘in the loop’ (assuming of course he is not killed in the initial conflagration), or will the Establishment nobility decide that they would rather not live locked up with him every day for eternity in a concrete cave deep underground. A Newsweek article from March of this year discusses some possible alternatives, reviewing some of the known elements of the ‘continuity of government’ strategy and contingency plans that would provide for the designation of all governance functions and powers in the US.
“Continuity of government and protection of the presidency began in the Eisenhower administration with the possibility emerging that Washington could be obliterated in an atomic attack. The need to plan for a nuclear decision-maker to survive even a direct attack led to the building of bunkers and a maze of secret procedures and exceptions, many of which are still followed to this day. Congress was also folded in – at least Congressional leadership – to ensure that there would always be a Constitutional successor. And then the Supreme Court was added (along with ‘other important figures’)… All of these plans are the responsibility of U.S. Northern Command (or NORTHCOM), the homeland defense military authority created after 9/11. Air Force General O’Shaughnessy is NORTHCOM’s Colorado Springs-based commander.” (LINK)
Apart from the horrifying destructive potential of existing weapons of mass destruction and the very real risks of accidental or deliberate cataclysms being unleashed, the headlong rush to develop the ‘perfect weapon’ – a lot of them – must inevitably incur the risk that extremely complex, dangerous, untested technologies can get out of control as scientists and engineers experiment with their destructive potential and attempt to convert them into deployable weapons systems.
To take just one example, the number and gravity of nuclear accidents, incidents and near misses is disconcerting to say the very least. Just a small selection of reviews of the known cases: LINK 1, LINK 2, LINK 3
In 2015 USA Today published extensive research relating to the ongoing safety issues in biological laboratories in the US and elsewhere.
“Vials of bioterror bacteria have gone missing. Lab mice infected with deadly viruses have escaped, and wild rodents have been found making nests with research waste. Cattle infected in a university’s vaccine experiments were repeatedly sent to slaughter and their meat sold for human consumption. Gear meant to protect lab workers from lethal viruses such as Ebola and bird flu has failed, repeatedly.” The report revealed that “hundreds of lab mistakes, safety violations and near-miss incidents have occurred in biological laboratories coast to coast in recent years, putting scientists, their colleagues and sometimes even the public at risk.” Safety failures in biological laboratories aren’t just a problem in the US. “A small, deadly outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in China in 2004 was traced to lab workers at the National Institute of Virology in Beijing. In 2007, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease among cattle in England that required herds to be slaughtered was blamed on leaking drainage pipes at a nearby research complex.”
Accountability and supervision
The vast scale and inherently secretive, fragmented, compartmentalized nature of R&D programs makes even the most minimally effective forms of rational oversight and control impossible, and the apocalyptic Hollywood scenarios of Artificial Intelligence robots, nuclear, biological or some other type of cataclysmic weapons wreaking havoc seem ever more plausible. There is no supervision and accountability for the experiments and activities going on beyond those actually involved in the projects and their military and corporate overseers, not just in terms of the technical details but in terms of the fundamental aspects of objectives, goals and assessing the inherent risks of the programs, whether at the local, national or international level.
The Coronavirus outbreak is a case in point. Who can say whether it is a natural mutation or a laboratory invention that escaped or was deliberately released? Gilad Atzmon has written a thought provoking piece on this. (LINK)
Atzmon’s analysis contains many pertinent preliminary points in this respect:
“We have recently heard from frontline medical physicians that the current global health crisis is something they have not been trained to deal with nor do they fully understand the spectrum of symptoms they encounter in hospitals and emergency centres… One would assume that if the virus at the centre of the current epidemic was an unsavoury present from ‘mother nature’ we would be able to trace its evolution. We likely would have seen the gradual appearance of some of the new symptoms that have caught our medical establishment unprepared. It doesn’t seem this happened. In the view of many medical practitioners the new disease is in a category of its own. It is a novelty. This means that it is possible that the Corona virus wasn’t created by nature but by creatures who believe themselves to be greater than nature. Since we do not know its provenance, we should treat the current epidemic as a potentially criminal act as well as a medical event. We must begin the search for the perpetrators who may be at the centre of this possible crime of global genocidal proportions. While medical diagnosis is defined by: a determination of the nature of the cause of a disease. a concise technical description of the cause, nature, and/or manifestations of the symptoms. Criminal investigations are primarily engaged with the human element. The criminal investigator seeks to ascertain the methods, motives, and identities of criminals, the identity of victims and may also search for and interrogate witnesses to the crime. Treating the Corona virus as a crime would mean searching for possible offenders: individuals, institutions, or states that may have created the lethal virus as part of a research program or more directly, as an agent of biological warfare. Law enforcement agencies often allocate dozens of investigators, officers, detectives and agents to untangle a single homicide. One would expect that following the deaths of tens of thousands around the globe, every police force, government and intelligence agency would join forces in the attempt to identify the possible culprit(s) at the root of the coronavirus crisis. We may be dealing with a negligent or criminal event on a massive scale… A number of scientists have commented that laboratories and research centres have been engaged in the study of corona viruses and experimented with models that resemble the current virus. Specifically, some have pointed to a North Carolina laboratory that experimented with the viruses extracted from bats in 2015… In 2014 the US National Institute of Health removed its funding of gain-of-function (GOF) experiments involving the influenza, SARS, and MERS viruses… Treating the Corona virus outbreak as a crime ought to include a visit by the FBI to the office of the National Institute of Health and a careful review of all the files related to American laboratories conducting GOF experiments with Coronavirus. This investigative procedure must be exercised in every region and country in the world that has engaged in GOF experiments. As soon as the Corona virus became the new disaster, Dany Shoham, a former Israeli military intelligence officer, was quick to point to China’s biowarfare program as a possible originator of the virus. By now, with the exception of President Trump and his Pompeo character, not many are convinced that Covid-19 is a Chinese Virus (as Trump refers to it when he wants to annoy progressives). A criminal investigation would have to examine Chinese as well as Russian, British, French, German, etc. laboratories and their safety records. It should also verify whether Dany Shoham had any evidence for his assertion regarding China or whether he was attempting to divert attention from another possible suspect in this Corona affair. Israel, with its extensive biological warfare laboratories and WMD facilities must also be subject to thorough scrutiny…”
Several detailed investigative reports by Dilyana Gaytandzhieva provide considerable sources of information and preliminary evidence (LINK), as do numerous reports filed by Veterans Today (see, e.g., LINK 1, LINK 2).
There are of course many, many others, all of which must be collated and cross-checked, verified or dismissed.
A ‘crime scene’ based analysis must consider all possible culprits, to start with all countries that possess knowledge and capabilities in all related fields of technology and research, development and production, until and unless it has been demonstrated to everyone’s satisfaction that they can be eliminated from the list of suspects.
Any countries that are prepared to make allegations against others (such as the US and China, which have been exchanging mutual accusations for some time now) must either disclose their evidence and reasons behind their accusations for independent verification by the world community or shut up.
All formal and documented accusations must be thoroughly and transparently investigated, with all countries contributing their most experienced and highly qualified scientific, medical, forensic and other experts to investigate the characteristics and impacts of the virus in their country as well as contribute to the international investigation. Their efforts must be subject to thorough peer review as well as full and informed public analysis and debate – the world cannot afford more of the ‘national security’, ‘Security Council veto’, ‘diplomatic immunities and privileges’, ‘commercial confidentiality’, ‘trade secrets’, ‘it’s too complicated for the plebs to understand’ bullshit.
In at least some cases, possibly many, a country has established military and scientific bases and research facilities in other countries; these must of course be included. The US is undoubtedly the most prolific in this regard, engaging in many secretive bilateral agreements, contracts and partnerships to conduct nobody seems to know what exactly – least of all the citizens of ‘host countries’ affected. The links to the investigative reports above provides a wealth of starting points.
But it is not just Nation-States that must be considered. It is most important to include all facilities and activities of the sprawling financial-military-industrial complex involved in related activities. Some of these corporate-industrial-scientific behemoths are probably the only institutions that are even close to matching the capabilities of ‘The Pentagon’ to outsource, offshore and camouflage programs and installations for the research, development and production of materials related to biological weapons. This would include all of the biochemical, pharmaceutical, etc. giants, as well as all other major research and development foundations of all types involved in activities in potentially related fields.
The development of international and national lead agencies and fusion centres
There are numerous possible contenders for the necessary task of establishing some sort of world-wide ‘lead agencies’ or ‘fusion centres’ to plan, coordinate and supervise the international investigations, and facilitate cooperation with regional and national-level investigations (each with their own respective ‘fusion centre’). However, I would suggest that none of the existing institutions is adequate in itself to assume full control over the investigation. The enormity of the task requires full participation by the world community of nations, it cannot be put under the control of some exclusive, self-appointed ‘international community’ institution behind multiple screens of exclusion, secrecy and confidentiality.
As just one example, the Biological Weapons Convention does not provide even remotely viable mechanisms or procedures to address such possibilities (and if a regime such as that of the OPCW existed, how effective could it be in the world of realpolitik, as is apparent from its hopelessly compromised investigations into the use of chemical weapons in Syria, see, e.g., LINK). Maybe the parties to the Biological Weapons Convention can consider this when they next meet in another 4 or 5 years.
The 73rd annual session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva (the decision-making body of WHO) urged member States to establish an “impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation” of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) response to the pandemic as well as the identification of the “zoonotic” source of the coronavirus. The potential parameters and scope of the proposed investigation are thereby limited (to only consider animals as possible sources of the virus, excluding all other possible sources, vectors and contributing factors before even beginning). Moreover, according to a Reuters report, only 116 of the 194 member States were in favour of the resolution.
Notwithstanding the difficulties and deficiencies of existing international institutions and the broader geopolitical conditions in which they must operate, some of the possible major contenders as contributors and focal points for research and investigation projects include the WHO, some sui generis measure pursuant to the Biological Weapons Convention (which as currently constituted has extremely limited verification, investigation and research capabilities), a Security Council and/ or General Assembly resolution or joint investigative mechanism, as well as other relevant UN or international institutions.
Ongoing US high tech weapons projects
The US’ full spectrum dominance objective has received major setbacks over the last few years as the Russian military in particular, working closely with patriotic industrial and technological sectors, have outperformed the US Department of ‘Defense’ and associated sprawling and astronomically expensive US financial-military-industrial complex in many crucial sectors. (LINK)
Nonetheless, the US political, economic and military leadership remain determined, and are rolling out new research and development initiatives to match and surpass the high tech weapons systems of its rivals, adversaries and (potential?) enemies. As reported last week, the newly created US Space Force is cutting its teeth with a space flight by the experimental ‘space plane’ X-37B, which will in turn launch at least one autonomous military satellite on behalf of the US Air Force Academy and is equipped with modules for the conduct of scientific experiments by NASA and the US Naval Academy. The flight will probably last for about one and a half to two years.
Another such program is a ‘Skyborg competition’ launched by the US Air Force. The website Flightglobal reports of the program:
“The US Air Force (USAF) has launched a competition to design the artificially intelligent software, called Skyborg, that would control its planned fleet of loyal wingman unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The service intends to grant indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts worth $400 million per awardee to develop the software and related hardware, it says in a request for proposals released on 15 May. The USAF is looking for technical and cost proposals from companies by 15 June 2020 and intends to award multiple contracts… Skyborg would be artificially intelligent software used to control the flight path, weapons and sensors of large numbers of UAVs. Automating flight control, in particular via artificial intelligence, is seen as necessary to allow a single person, perhaps a backseat operator in a fighter, to command multiple UAVs at once. In particular, the USAF wants Skyborg software and hardware to control ‘attritable’ UAVs; aircraft with limited lifespans that are cheap enough to be produced in large numbers and could be affordably lost to combat attrition. Those UAVs could be used as loyal wingman aircraft alongside manned fighters, bombers and support aircraft.
The US Air Force Research Laboratory is leading development of these aircraft through its Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstration programme. That effort has produced the Kratos Defense & Security Solutions XQ-58A Valkyrie, a UAV that has completed several demonstration flights. Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force also have developed a loyal wingman called the Airpower Teaming System. That UAV’s first flight is expected later this year… (The USAF says) “The Skyborg core will be a best-of-breed combination of industry and government solutions… Low-cost unmanned vehicles are envisioned to augment high-end manned systems through a series of next-generation UAVs that are affordable, effective, quickly designed and produced… There will also be a large need to offer a short development cycle so that variants could rapidly be procured as needed.” The UAVs are to have modular hardware and software payloads that use a common Skyborg autonomy mission system, and enable manned and unmanned teaming. The USAF wants to use the modularity to quickly plug and play software and hardware changes that would be needed to defeat new threats from near-peer militaries, such as China or Russia. Previously, the USAF has said it wanted a Skyborg-controlled UAV reaching early operational capability as soon as 2023…”
Another high-priority area is hypersonic vehicles and weapons systems, with the US military and high-tech sectors scrambling to develop a response to Russia’s ‘Avanguard’ hypersonic glide vehicle. As far as is known, the US has neither a similar offensive weapon nor the means to defend itself against such a weapon. Last year cnbc reported; “while the Pentagon has several hypersonic weapons programs in development, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in August that it will be “a couple of years” before the U.S. can deploy a weapon of this caliber.” (LINK 1, LINK 2)
The most recent Congressional Research Service review on hypersonic systems, completed on 4 March 2020, had a restrained and prudent tone as it pondered developments and requirements:
“The Pentagon’s FY2021 budget request for all hypersonic-related research is $3.2 billion—up from $2.6 billion in the FY2020 request—including $206.8 million for hypersonic defense programs. At present, the Department of Defense (DOD) has not established any programs of record for hypersonic weapons, suggesting that it may not have approved either requirements for the systems or long-term funding plans. Indeed, as Assistant Director for Hypersonics (Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering) Mike White has stated, DOD has not yet made a decision to acquire hypersonic weapons and is instead developing prototypes to assist in the evaluation of potential weapon system concepts and mission sets. As Congress reviews the Pentagon’s plans for U.S. hypersonic weapons programs, it might consider questions about the rationale for hypersonic weapons, their expected costs, and their implications for strategic stability and arms control…” (LINK)
However, senior military officials, bureaucrats and corporate executives are much more aggressive and extravagant in their projections:
“The Pentagon has created a “war room” to ramp up production of hypersonic weapons from a handful of prototypes over the last decade to “hundreds of weapons” in the near future, a senior official said Wednesday. Those weapons will range from huge rocket-powered boost-glide missiles, fired from Army trucks and Navy submarines at more than Mach 10, to more compact and affordable air-breathing cruise missiles, fired from aircraft at a relatively modest Mach 5-plus. “It isn’t an either-or,” said Mark Lewis, modernization director for Pentagon R&D chief Mike Griffin. “It isn’t rocket-boost or air-breathing, we actually want both, because those systems do different things.” Right now, however, US combat units have neither. Inconsistent focus and funding over the years means that “we had a number of programs in the department that were very solid technology development programs, but at the end of those programs, we would have prototypes and we’d have weapons in the single-digit counts,” Lewis said during a webcast with the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute. “If you’ve got a program that delivers eight missiles and then stops, well, which of the thousand targets in our target set are we going to use those eight missiles against?” With hypersonics now a top priority for both Undersecretary Griffin and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the Pentagon is trying to improve that stop-and-go track record with a new “hypersonic acceleration plan” – no pun intended, Lewis said. Griffin likes to compare the effort to the Cold War, when the US had a massive nuclear weapons infrastructure capable of building complex components by the tens of thousands…”
Their corporate counterparts are similarly bullish about the prospective benefits, market potential and profits of associated R&D, production and deployment (probably including ongoing operational management and maintenance contracts in most cases) (LINK), which promises to lock them into a spiralling cycle of lucrative confidential cost-plus contracts for many decades to come.
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southfront--2020-05-26--As Lebanon Celebrates 20 Years Since End Of Israeli Occupation, Resistance Forces Spread And Multipl

As Lebanon Celebrates 20 Years Since End Of Israeli Occupation, Resistance Forces Spread And Multiply

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the end of Israel ’ s occupation of Lebanon , the second-in-command of Lebanon ’ s Hezbollah resistance movement , Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem , has hailed the liberation of southern Lebanon from the Israeli occupation in 2000 as a “ turning point ” in the history of the Middle East , saying the victory shattered the Israeli military ’ s myth of invincibility .
Lebanon celebrates Resistance and Liberation Day on the 25th of May each year .
In May 2000 , the Israeli regime was forced by Hezbollah to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly two decades of occupation of the country ’ s south .
Hezbollah was established following the 1982 Israeli invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon .
Since then , the movement has grown into a powerful military force , as proven by Hezbollah ’ s successful resistance to Israel ’ s failed invasion attempt during the 33-day war in July 2006 .
The years of assisting the Syrian people during the ferocious armed conflict that has ravaged the country in recent years have given the resistance movement ’ s fighters extensive combat experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their already formidable arsenal of defensive and offensive weapons .
In comments reported by Lebanon ’ s Arabic-language al-Manar television network , Qassem said the liberation of southern Lebanon opened the way for the subsequent victories of Lebanon , Palestine and the people of the entire region against the Zionist regime and US plots and intrigue , which many in the region suspect includes the creation of the Daesh terror group .
The historic triumphs of 2000 and 2006 also helped strengthen the faith of the young generations in resistance and fighting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupiers .
The Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also described Israel ’ s expulsion from southern Lebanon as a major “ turning point , ” for the region , adding that the defeat deepened the Israeli regime ’ s existential crisis .
The comments of Hezbollah ’ s second in command are supported by other developments , both in the troubled Middle East as well as further afield .
As reported by South Front over the last week , ‘ the Resistance ’ is spreading from its cradle in Lebanon and the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions as Israel ’ s and the US ’ reckless and extremely dangerous threats and military and paramilitary attacks against other countries are drawing increasingly determined and coordinated responses from the victims .
The statements of Venezuela ’ s foreign minister as Iran ’ s fuel shipments to that country approached are one example of this , as he declared : Venezuela has borne the brunt of the US Southern Command ’ s provocations in Latin America as the US leadership persists with its efforts to overthrow the Venezuelan government and install a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in detail in SouthCom ’ s strategic document ‘ Master Stroke – Plan to overthrow the Venezuelan dictatorship ’ , leaked by the press 2 years ago ( first reported by Stella Calloni at Voltaire Network ) .
Apart from the economic and financial blockade and an assassination attempt by two drones against the Venezuelan president in 2018 as he attended a military parade , Venezuela has suffered frequent sabotage attacks against key infrastructure such as the national electricity grid and oil refineries , incursions , well-organized contraband activities and armed attacks by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even escorted self-declared ‘ president ’ Guiado across the border last year where he was met in Colombia by members of the Colombian president ’ s security detail and flown to Cucuta by helicopter for the staged ‘ humanitarian ’ intervention ) , and earlier this month the failed maritime mercenary incursion ( which followed the US offering a reward of $ 15 million for Maduro ’ s capture , presumably a motivating factor behind the failed maritime attack ) .
The provocative US actions and their readiness to flagrantly violate international laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in both regions extremely unlikely , as is apparent from the Iranian leader ’ s statement last week that it is inevitable that the US will be forced to retreat from Syria and Iraq if they do not leave voluntarily .
Meanwhile , the latter remarks received further confirmation yesterday in Iraq as the Popular Mobilization Units ( PMU ) , better known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha ’ abi , once again denounced the US military presence in the country , adding : “ There is a national and courageous will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign troops on Iraqi soil .
There have been talks of US intentions to withdraw from Iraq , but we doubt them , ” Qais al-Khazali , leader of Asa ’ ib Ahl al-Haq , which is part of the PMU , was quoted as saying by Iraq ’ s Arabic-language al-Ahad TV network on Monday .
He added , “ The US [ military ] presence in Iraq is meant to protect the security and interests of the Israeli regime .
Neither are we warlords nor thirsty for blood , but rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Iraqi nation.
” The spokesman for the PMU also praised the sacrifices made by Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani , the commander of the Quds Force of Iran ’ s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps , and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , the deputy head of PMU , who were assassinated along with their companions in a US airstrike authorized by President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport early on 3 January 2020 .
Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill two days later , demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On the 9th of January , former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi called on the United States to send a delegation to Baghdad tasked with formulating a mechanism for the move .
The 78-year-old politician said Iraq rejected any violation of its sovereignty , particularly the US military ’ s violation of Iraqi airspace in the assassination airstrike .
In a related development , a member of the Iraqi Parliament ’ s Security and Defence Committee has stressed the need for drawing up a roadmap aimed at the pullout of US military forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its military bases from a strategic perspective , which best serves their interests in the entire Middle East region , ” Karim Allawi said in an interview with Arabic-language Baghdad Today news website on Monday .
He also declared that “ the exit of US troops [ from Iraq ] is impossible without pressure from multiple sides…There must be a roadmap in order to get them out , the first stage of which is to lodge a complaint to the United Nations , reiterate the fact that Iraq is in a situation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign forces , and that the threat of Daesh is restricted to certain areas , which security forces can confront and defeat.
” Other complementary measures could include filing a complaint with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ( OIC ) .
Meetings should be held as well with [ officials from ] Arab and regional countries to expedite the pullout of US forces , and people should be prepared to support the diplomatic measures through massive peaceful demonstrations .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Iran Bans Use Of Any Israeli Technology , @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the end of Israel’s occupation of Lebanon, the second-in-command of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement, Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, has hailed the liberation of southern Lebanon from the Israeli occupation in 2000 as a “turning point” in the history of the Middle East, saying the victory shattered the Israeli military’s myth of invincibility.
Lebanon celebrates Resistance and Liberation Day on the 25th of May each year. In May 2000, the Israeli regime was forced by Hezbollah to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, ending nearly two decades of occupation of the country’s south. Hezbollah was established following the 1982 Israeli invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon. Since then, the movement has grown into a powerful military force, as proven by Hezbollah’s successful resistance to Israel’s failed invasion attempt during the 33-day war in July 2006.
The years of assisting the Syrian people during the ferocious armed conflict that has ravaged the country in recent years have given the resistance movement’s fighters extensive combat experience as well as an opportunity to upgrade their already formidable arsenal of defensive and offensive weapons.
In comments reported by Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Manar television network, Qassem said the liberation of southern Lebanon opened the way for the subsequent victories of Lebanon, Palestine and the people of the entire region against the Zionist regime and US plots and intrigue, which many in the region suspect includes the creation of the Daesh terror group.
The historic triumphs of 2000 and 2006 also helped strengthen the faith of the young generations in resistance and fighting for the liberation of Palestine from the Israeli occupiers.
“We are currently in the midst of a war and there is still a need for resistance,” said the Hezbollah official, emphasizing the necessity for the resistance front to stay fully prepared for any future scenario, adding that events in the region over the past years have proved that the purported solutions offered for regional conflicts by Israel and its legion of pro-Israeli Western powers cannot be trusted.
The Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also described Israel’s expulsion from southern Lebanon as a major “turning point,” for the region, adding that the defeat deepened the Israeli regime’s existential crisis.
The comments of Hezbollah’s second in command are supported by other developments, both in the troubled Middle East as well as further afield.
As reported by South Front over the last week, ‘the Resistance’ is spreading from its cradle in Lebanon and the Middle East to find formidable allies in other regions as Israel’s and the US’ reckless and extremely dangerous threats and military and paramilitary attacks against other countries are drawing increasingly determined and coordinated responses from the victims. The statements of Venezuela’s foreign minister as Iran’s fuel shipments to that country approached are one example of this, as he declared:
“Venezuela and Iran continue to be points of reference for revolutionary processes in Latin America and the world. We are sure that with the cooperation and solidarity of the Iranian people we will advance together to guarantee the full freedom and happiness of our sister nations.”
Venezuela has borne the brunt of the US Southern Command’s provocations in Latin America as the US leadership persists with its efforts to overthrow the Venezuelan government and install a compliant regime. The plans are described in detail in SouthCom’s strategic document ‘Master Stroke – Plan to overthrow the Venezuelan dictatorship’, leaked by the press 2 years ago (first reported by Stella Calloni at Voltaire Network).
Apart from the economic and financial blockade and an assassination attempt by two drones against the Venezuelan president in 2018 as he attended a military parade, Venezuela has suffered frequent sabotage attacks against key infrastructure such as the national electricity grid and oil refineries, incursions, well-organized contraband activities and armed attacks by Colombian paramilitary groups (one of which even escorted self-declared ‘president’ Guiado across the border last year where he was met in Colombia by members of the Colombian president’s security detail and flown to Cucuta by helicopter for the staged ‘humanitarian’ intervention), and earlier this month the failed maritime mercenary incursion (which followed the US offering a reward of $15 million for Maduro’s capture, presumably a motivating factor behind the failed maritime attack).
The provocative US actions and their readiness to flagrantly violate international laws and norms make a reduction in tensions in both regions extremely unlikely, as is apparent from the Iranian leader’s statement last week that it is inevitable that the US will be forced to retreat from Syria and Iraq if they do not leave voluntarily.
Meanwhile, the latter remarks received further confirmation yesterday in Iraq as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), better known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, once again denounced the US military presence in the country, adding:
“There is a national and courageous will, which rejects the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil. There have been talks of US intentions to withdraw from Iraq, but we doubt them,” Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, which is part of the PMU, was quoted as saying by Iraq’s Arabic-language al-Ahad TV network on Monday. He added, “The US [military] presence in Iraq is meant to protect the security and interests of the Israeli regime. Neither are we warlords nor thirsty for blood, but rather patriots concerned about the dignity and sovereignty of the Iraqi nation.”
The spokesman for the PMU also praised the sacrifices made by Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of PMU, who were assassinated along with their companions in a US airstrike authorized by President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport early on 3 January 2020.
Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill two days later, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country. On the 9th of January, former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi called on the United States to send a delegation to Baghdad tasked with formulating a mechanism for the move. The 78-year-old politician said Iraq rejected any violation of its sovereignty, particularly the US military’s violation of Iraqi airspace in the assassination airstrike.
In a related development, a member of the Iraqi Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee has stressed the need for drawing up a roadmap aimed at the pullout of US military forces.
“American forces view Iraq and its military bases from a strategic perspective, which best serves their interests in the entire Middle East region,” Karim Allawi said in an interview with Arabic-language Baghdad Today news website on Monday. He also declared that “the exit of US troops [from Iraq] is impossible without pressure from multiple sides…There must be a roadmap in order to get them out, the first stage of which is to lodge a complaint to the United Nations, reiterate the fact that Iraq is in a situation that does not need the presence of any foreign forces, and that the threat of Daesh is restricted to certain areas, which security forces can confront and defeat.”
Other complementary measures could include filing a complaint with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Meetings should be held as well with [officials from] Arab and regional countries to expedite the pullout of US forces, and people should be prepared to support the diplomatic measures through massive peaceful demonstrations.
“If American forces do not take heed of peaceful means with regards to their withdrawal from Iraq, we will resort to resistance. This is a legal and legitimate right, which no one opposes. The Iraqi nation will not accept the presence of any foreign troops against its will,” Allawi also stated.
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southfront--2020-05-26--Kh-35UE Turbojet Subsonic Cruise Anti-Ship Missile (Infographics)

a few of these on the deck of one or more of the american aircraft carriers and the day is @ @ @

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The Kh-35UE is an export variant of the Russian/Soviet turbojet subsonic cruise anti-ship missile.
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