southfront--2020-04-27--“We Are Moving Into The End-Game”: 27 Tankers Anchored Off California, Hundreds Off Singapore As Oil

“We Are Moving Into The End-Game”: 27 Tankers Anchored Off California, Hundreds Off Singapore As Oil Industry Shuts Down

Back in the late fall of 2014 , when Saudi Arabia broke up OPEC for the first time and unleashed a torrent of crude oil on the world despite the protests of its fellow cartel members , oil prices crashed as a result of what then seemed to be a “ calculated ” move by Riyadh which hoped to put US shale out of business amid a flawed gamble betting that shale breakeven prices were around $ 60-80 .
They , however , turned out to be much lower , which coupled with Saudi misreading of the willingness of junk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ producers , meant that despite a 3 years stretch of low oil prices , US shale emerged stronger than ever before , with the US eventually eclipsing both Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world ’ s biggest crude oil producer .
Fast forward to March 2020 , when Saudi Arabia doubled down in its attempt to crush shale , only to avoid angering long-time ally Donald Trump , the Crown Prince pretended that the latest flood of oil was an oil price war aimed at Moscow not Midland .
And this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the global economic shutdown resulting from the coronavirus pandemic , the Saudis may have finally lucked out in the ongoing crusade against US oil , because as Bloomberg writes with “ negative oil prices , ships dawdling at sea with unwanted cargoes , and traders getting creative about where to stash oil ” , the next chapter in the oil crisis is now inevitable : “ great swathes of the petroleum industry are about to start shutting down.
” As the recent OPEC summit so vividly demonstrated , the marginal price of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or cuts thereof ( such as the recently announced agreement by OPEC+ for a 9.7mmb/d output cut ) , but rather by demand , or the lack thereof , which according to some estimate is as much as 36mmb/d lower , or roughly a third of the global oil market every day , as billions of people are stuck at home instead of driving , while major corporations mothball production in a world where major economies have ground to a halt .
The economic impact of the coronavirus has ripped through the oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Javier Blas writes .
First it destroyed demand as lockdowns shut factories and kept drivers at home .
Then storage started filling up and traders resorted to ocean-going tankers to store crude in the hope of better prices ahead .
Now shipping prices are surging to stratospheric levels as the industry runs out of tankers , a sign of just how distorted the market has become .
Ironically , in its latest attempt to kill off shale , Saudi Arabia may have gone a step too far , as “ the specter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will have on jobs , companies , their banks , and local economies – was one of the reasons that spurred world leaders to join forces to cut production in an orderly way .
But as the scale of the crisis dwarfed their efforts , failing to stop prices diving below zero last week , shut-downs are now a reality .
It ’ s the worst-case scenario for producers and refiners.
” In short , the entire oil production industry is shutting down , not because it wants to – of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to Goldman , in as little as three weeks there will be literally no place left on earth to store oil , and unless oil producers want to pay “ buyers ” to hold the oil as happened on that historic date of April 20 , they have no choice but to shut in output .
“ We are moving into the end-game , ” said Torbjorn Tornqvist , head of commodity trading giant Gunvor Group .
“ Early-to-mid May could be the peak .
We are weeks , not months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us back to why in 2020 Riyadh has succeeded where it failed in 2014 : as Bloomberg writes “ in theory , the first oil output cuts should have come from the OPEC+ alliance , which earlier this month agreed to reduce production from May 1 .
Yet after the catastrophic price plunge on Monday , when West Texas Intermediate fell to - $ 40 a barrel , it ’ s the U.S. shale patch that is leading ” The best indicator of how the shale industry is reacting is the sudden collapse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation , which last week fell to a four-year low : “ Before the coronavirus crisis hit , oil companies ran about 650 rigs in the US .
By Friday , more than 40 % of them had stopped working , with only 378 left.
” And while there is a delay between total US oil production and the rig count , it is now obvious that US production is set to collapse next : “ Monday really focused people ’ s minds that production needs to slow down , ” said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trafigura .
“ It ’ s the smack in the face the market needed to realize this is serious.
” Incidentally , Trafigura , one of the largest exporters of US crude from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico , believes that output in Texas , New Mexico , North Dakota and other states will now fall much faster than expected as companies react to negative prices… … evidence US commercial storage space for physical at Cushing has run out with what inventory is left having been called for – which have persisted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market .
As detailed last week , this price shock has been especially acute in the physical market where producers of crude streams such as South Texas Sour and Eastern Kansas Common had to pay more than $ 50 a barrel to offload their output last week .
And so the US industry is finally shutting down as ConocoPhillips and shale producer Continental Resources have all announced plans to shut in output .
Regulators in Oklahoma voted to allow oil drillers to shut wells without losing leases ; New Mexico made a similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years was synonymous with the U.S. shale revolution , is witnessing a rapid retrenchment , as Bloomberg notes that “ oil producers have already closed more than 6,000 wells , curtailing about 405,000 barrels a day in production , or about 30 % of the state ’ s total.
” However , it won ’ t be just the US : output cuts can be seen from Chad , a poor and landlocked country in Africa , to Vietnam and Brazil , producers are now either reducing output or making plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to get sensational about it but yes , clearly there must be a risk of shut-ins , ” Mitch Flegg , the head of North Sea oil company Serica Energy , said in an interview .
“ In certain parts of the world it is a real and present risk.
” Then on Friday , May 1 , Saudi Arabia , Russia and the rest of OPEC+ will join the output cuts , slashing their output by 23 % , or 9.7 million barrels a day .
Saudi Aramco , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Russian oil companies have announced exports of their flagship Urals crude would drop in May to a 10-year low .
And yet , as warned here repeatedly , it may still not be enough , as every week , another 50 million barrels of crude are going into storage , enough to fuel Germany , France , Italy , Spain , and the U.K. combined , with estimates that the world will run out of land-based storage some time in late May or early June .
Meanwhile , what ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As Bloomberg ’ s Blas points out , the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday said there were so many tankers at anchor off California that it was keeping an eye on the situation .
But if the two dozen or so tankers piled up off the coast of California is bad… … and those next to Galveston , TX is worse… … what is going on in that tanker parking lot off of Singapore is absolutely insane .
There is some good news : oil traders say after plunging by a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bottom , and will start a very gentle recovery , although that also depends on how fast the US economy can reopen from the coronavirus coma .
But before even a modest recovery takes hold , the great shutdown will spread through oil refining too .
Over the past week , Marathon Petroleum , one of the biggest U.S. refiners , announced it would stop production at a plant near San Francisco .
Royal Dutch Shell has idled several units in three U.S. refineries in Alabama and Louisiana .
And across Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at half rate .
U.S. oil refiners processed just 12.45 million barrels a day on the week to April 17 , the lowest amount in at least 30 years , except for hurricane-related closures .
The closures have already sent thousands packing : the oil and gas industry shed nearly 51,000 drilling and refining jobs in March , a 9 % reduction that will only get worse in April .
March ’ s job losses rise by 15,000 when ancillary jobs such as construction , manufacturing of drilling equipment and shipping are included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a research consultancy , which analyzed Department of Labor data combined with the firm ’ s own survey data of about 30,000 energy companies .
“ We ’ re looking at anywhere between five and seven years of job growth wiped out in a month , ” Philip Jordan , the company ’ s vice president said in an interview .
“ What makes it sort of scary is this really is just the beginning .
April is not looking good for oil and gas.
” And so , as the oil industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few weeks ( or perhaps months ) – more refinery shutdowns are coming , oil traders and consultants said , particularly in the U.S. where lockdowns started later than in Europe and demand is still contracting .
Steve Sawyer , director of refining at Facts Global Energy , said that global refineries could halt as much as 25 % of total capacity in May .
“ No one is going to be able to dodge this bullet .
”

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
Back in the late fall of 2014, when Saudi Arabia broke up OPEC for the first time and unleashed a torrent of crude oil on the world despite the protests of its fellow cartel members, oil prices crashed as a result of what then seemed to be a “calculated” move by Riyadh which hoped to put US shale out of business amid a flawed gamble betting that shale breakeven prices were around $60-80. They, however, turned out to be much lower, which coupled with Saudi misreading of the willingness of junk bond investors to keep funding US shale producers, meant that despite a 3 years stretch of low oil prices, US shale emerged stronger than ever before, with the US eventually eclipsing both Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world’s biggest crude oil producer.
Fast forward to March 2020, when Saudi Arabia doubled down in its attempt to crush shale, only to avoid angering long-time ally Donald Trump, the Crown Prince pretended that the latest flood of oil was an oil price war aimed at Moscow not Midland. And this time, unlike 2014, with the benefit of the global economic shutdown resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, the Saudis may have finally lucked out in the ongoing crusade against US oil, because as Bloomberg writes with “negative oil prices, ships dawdling at sea with unwanted cargoes, and traders getting creative about where to stash oil”, the next chapter in the oil crisis is now inevitable: “great swathes of the petroleum industry are about to start shutting down.”
As the recent OPEC summit so vividly demonstrated, the marginal price of oil is no longer determined by supply or cuts thereof (such as the recently announced agreement by OPEC+ for a 9.7mmb/d output cut), but rather by demand, or the lack thereof, which according to some estimate is as much as 36mmb/d lower, or roughly a third of the global oil market every day, as billions of people are stuck at home instead of driving, while major corporations mothball production in a world where major economies have ground to a halt.
The economic impact of the coronavirus has ripped through the oil industry in dramatic phases, Bloomberg’s Javier Blas writes. First it destroyed demand as lockdowns shut factories and kept drivers at home. Then storage started filling up and traders resorted to ocean-going tankers to store crude in the hope of better prices ahead.
Now shipping prices are surging to stratospheric levels as the industry runs out of tankers, a sign of just how distorted the market has become.
Ironically, in its latest attempt to kill off shale, Saudi Arabia may have gone a step too far, as “the specter of production shut-downs – and the impact they will have on jobs, companies, their banks, and local economies – was one of the reasons that spurred world leaders to join forces to cut production in an orderly way. But as the scale of the crisis dwarfed their efforts, failing to stop prices diving below zero last week, shut-downs are now a reality. It’s the worst-case scenario for producers and refiners.”
In short, the entire oil production industry is shutting down, not because it wants to – of course – but because it has no choice. According to Goldman, in as little as three weeks there will be literally no place left on earth to store oil, and unless oil producers want to pay “buyers” to hold the oil as happened on that historic date of April 20, they have no choice but to shut in output.
“We are moving into the end-game,” said Torbjorn Tornqvist, head of commodity trading giant Gunvor Group. “Early-to-mid May could be the peak. We are weeks, not months, away from it.”
Which brings us back to why in 2020 Riyadh has succeeded where it failed in 2014: as Bloomberg writes “in theory, the first oil output cuts should have come from the OPEC+ alliance, which earlier this month agreed to reduce production from May 1. Yet after the catastrophic price plunge on Monday, when West Texas Intermediate fell to -$40 a barrel, it’s the U.S. shale patch that is leading”
The best indicator of how the shale industry is reacting is the sudden collapse in the number of oil rigs in operation, which last week fell to a four-year low: “Before the coronavirus crisis hit, oil companies ran about 650 rigs in the US. By Friday, more than 40% of them had stopped working, with only 378 left.”
And while there is a delay between total US oil production and the rig count, it is now obvious that US production is set to collapse next:
“Monday really focused people’s minds that production needs to slow down,” said the co-head of oil trading at commodity merchant Trafigura. “It’s the smack in the face the market needed to realize this is serious.” Incidentally, Trafigura, one of the largest exporters of US crude from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, believes that output in Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota and other states will now fall much faster than expected as companies react to negative prices…
… evidence US commercial storage space for physical at Cushing has run out with what inventory is left having been called for – which have persisted for several days last week in the physical market.
Until prices collapsed on Monday, the consensus was that output would drop by about 1.5MM barrels a day by December. Now market watchers see that loss by late June. “The severity of the price pressure is likely to act as a catalyst for the immediate turndown in activity and shut-ins,” said Roger Diwan, oil analyst at consultant IHS Markit Ltd.
As detailed last week, this price shock has been especially acute in the physical market where producers of crude streams such as South Texas Sour and Eastern Kansas Common had to pay more than $50 a barrel to offload their output last week.
And so the US industry is finally shutting down as ConocoPhillips and shale producer Continental Resources have all announced plans to shut in output. Regulators in Oklahoma voted to allow oil drillers to shut wells without losing leases; New Mexico made a similar decision. Even North Dakota, which for years was synonymous with the U.S. shale revolution, is witnessing a rapid retrenchment, as Bloomberg notes that “oil producers have already closed more than 6,000 wells, curtailing about 405,000 barrels a day in production, or about 30% of the state’s total.”
However, it won’t be just the US: output cuts can be seen from Chad, a poor and landlocked country in Africa, to Vietnam and Brazil, producers are now either reducing output or making plans to do so. “I wouldn’t want to get sensational about it but yes, clearly there must be a risk of shut-ins,” Mitch Flegg, the head of North Sea oil company Serica Energy, said in an interview. “In certain parts of the world it is a real and present risk.”
In emergency board meetings last week, oil companies small and large discussed an outlook that’s the most somber any oil executive has ever witnessed. For the small firms, the next few weeks will be all about staying afloat. But even for the bigger ones, like Exxon Mobil Corp. and BP Plc, it’s a challenge. Big Oil will offer an insight into the crisis when companies report earnings this week.
Then on Friday, May 1, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the rest of OPEC+ will join the output cuts, slashing their output by 23%, or 9.7 million barrels a day. Saudi Aramco, the state-owned company has already cut production, and Russian oil companies have announced exports of their flagship Urals crude would drop in May to a 10-year low.
And yet, as warned here repeatedly, it may still not be enough, as every week, another 50 million barrels of crude are going into storage, enough to fuel Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the U.K. combined, with estimates that the world will run out of land-based storage some time in late May or early June. Meanwhile, what’s not stored onshore, is stashed in tankers. As Bloomberg’s Blas points out, the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday said there were so many tankers at anchor off California that it was keeping an eye on the situation.
VIDEO: US Coast Guard says it’s keeping an eye on 27 oil tankers anchored off the coast of Southern California. Another great example of floating storage build-up as demand for oil and refined products plunge | #OOTT #Contango video via @USCGLosAngeles pic.twitter.com/B7pjWIsdnp — Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) April 24, 2020
But if the two dozen or so tankers piled up off the coast of California is bad…
… and those next to Galveston, TX is worse…
… what is going on in that tanker parking lot off of Singapore is absolutely insane.
There is some good news: oil traders say after plunging by a third, US oil consumption has probably hit a bottom, and will start a very gentle recovery, although that also depends on how fast the US economy can reopen from the coronavirus coma.
But before even a modest recovery takes hold, the great shutdown will spread through oil refining too. Over the past week, Marathon Petroleum, one of the biggest U.S. refiners, announced it would stop production at a plant near San Francisco. Royal Dutch Shell has idled several units in three U.S. refineries in Alabama and Louisiana. And across Europe and Asia, many refineries are running at half rate. U.S. oil refiners processed just 12.45 million barrels a day on the week to April 17, the lowest amount in at least 30 years, except for hurricane-related closures.
The closures have already sent thousands packing: the oil and gas industry shed nearly 51,000 drilling and refining jobs in March, a 9% reduction that will only get worse in April. March’s job losses rise by 15,000 when ancillary jobs such as construction, manufacturing of drilling equipment and shipping are included, according to BW Research Partnership, a research consultancy, which analyzed Department of Labor data combined with the firm’s own survey data of about 30,000 energy companies.
“We’re looking at anywhere between five and seven years of job growth wiped out in a month,” Philip Jordan, the company’s vice president said in an interview. “What makes it sort of scary is this really is just the beginning. April is not looking good for oil and gas.”
And so, as the oil industry shuts down – at least for a few weeks (or perhaps months) – more refinery shutdowns are coming, oil traders and consultants said, particularly in the U.S. where lockdowns started later than in Europe and demand is still contracting. Steve Sawyer, director of refining at Facts Global Energy, said that global refineries could halt as much as 25% of total capacity in May.
“No one is going to be able to dodge this bullet.”
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southfront--2020-04-27--Russian Forces Establish New Position Near Tell Tamr In Northeast Syria

On April 26 , the Russian Military Police established a new position in the outskirt of the town of Tell Tamr in northern al-Hasakah .
According to the Step News Agency , the position was established right on the contact line with Turkish forces .
The Turkish military and its proxies occupy dozens of towns in the northwestern countryside of Tell Tamr .
The Russian Military Police deployed dozens of troops and at least ten armored personnel carriers ( APCs ) in the newly-established position .
A few hours before the deployment of Russian personnel , Turkish forces shelled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outskirt of Tell Tamr .
The shelling damaged civilian houses .
However , no casualties were reported .
Earlier this month , the North Press Agency ( NPA ) reported that the Russian Military Police is preparing to establish four new positions near Tell Tamr .
Back then , a Syrian military source told the news outlet that the new positions are meant to prevent Turkish shelling on the region .
The establishment of more Russian positions around Tell Tamr is likely aimed at detering Turkish-backed militants and thus securing the town and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ :

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On April 26, the Russian Military Police established a new position in the outskirt of the town of Tell Tamr in northern al-Hasakah.
According to the Step News Agency, the position was established right on the contact line with Turkish forces. The Turkish military and its proxies occupy dozens of towns in the northwestern countryside of Tell Tamr.
The Russian Military Police deployed dozens of troops and at least ten armored personnel carriers (APCs) in the newly-established position.
A few hours before the deployment of Russian personnel, Turkish forces shelled the empty position and other points in the outskirt of Tell Tamr. The shelling damaged civilian houses. However, no casualties were reported.
Earlier this month, the North Press Agency (NPA) reported that the Russian Military Police is preparing to establish four new positions near Tell Tamr. Back then, a Syrian military source told the news outlet that the new positions are meant to prevent Turkish shelling on the region.
The establishment of more Russian positions around Tell Tamr is likely aimed at detering Turkish-backed militants and thus securing the town and its inhabitants.
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southfront--2020-04-27--SDF Security Commander Survives Assassination Attempt in Deir Ezzor

On April 26 , a senior commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) security unit , known as Asayish , survived an assassination attempt in the southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor .
According to Naher Media , an improvised explosive device ( IED ) struck the commander ’ s vehicle in the town of Jadeed Bakkarah .
“ The IED exploded on the main road in the town of Jadeed Bakkarah , it targeted a commander of the SDF ’ s Asayish , Fuaz al-Kurdi , known as Abu Hammam al-Qadisiyah , however , the damage was limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the town ’ s residents , ” the local outlet ’ s report reads .
No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt .
ISIS remains the main suspect as its cells are known to be active in this part of Deir Ezzor .
Earlier this week , the terrorist group assassinated the SDF ’ s fuel official in the governorate there .
Nevertheless , some opposition sources said that the pro-government National Defense Forces ( NDF ) may have been behind the assassination attempt .
During the last few weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of clashes with Asayish in the city of al-Qamishli .
The SDF and the U.S.-led coalition are yet to take measures to address the deteriorating security situation in southeast Deir Ezzor .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC :

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On April 26, a senior commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) security unit, known as Asayish, survived an assassination attempt in the southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.
According to Naher Media, an improvised explosive device (IED) struck the commander’s vehicle in the town of Jadeed Bakkarah.
“The IED exploded on the main road in the town of Jadeed Bakkarah, it targeted a commander of the SDF’s Asayish, Fuaz al-Kurdi, known as Abu Hammam al-Qadisiyah, however, the damage was limited to materials, according to an eyewitness from the town’s residents,” the local outlet’s report reads.
No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt. ISIS remains the main suspect as its cells are known to be active in this part of Deir Ezzor. Earlier this week, the terrorist group assassinated the SDF’s fuel official in the governorate there.
Nevertheless, some opposition sources said that the pro-government National Defense Forces (NDF) may have been behind the assassination attempt. During the last few weeks, the NDF was involved in a series of clashes with Asayish in the city of al-Qamishli.
The SDF and the U.S.-led coalition are yet to take measures to address the deteriorating security situation in southeast Deir Ezzor.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Turkish Helicopters Evacuate Injured Service Members From Syria’s Greater Idlib

On April 26 afternoon , Turkish military helicopters flew to the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib to evacuate several service members that had been injured in clashes with al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) and other terrorist groups .
The clashes erupted in the early morning when the Turkish military confronted radicals blocking the Lattakia-Aleppo highway , known as the M4 .
At least four radicals , including HTS members , were killed .
Following the clashes on the M4 , the militants targeted a battle tank , an armored vehicle and a bulldozer of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the town of al-Nerab with anti-tank guided missiles ( ATGMs ) .
The Turkish military responded to the attack , carrying out airstrikes on two positions of HTS in the town of San .
At least two militants of the group were killed .
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) , the Turkish military is currently in talks with Greater Idlib factions , including HTS , to de-escalate the situation .
The April 24 clashes demonstrate that many Idlib militants have little respect to Ankara despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Turkey .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • For First Time Ever Turkish Armed Forces Strike Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Positions In Greater Idlib

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On April 26 afternoon, Turkish military helicopters flew to the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib to evacuate several service members that had been injured in clashes with al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other terrorist groups.
The clashes erupted in the early morning when the Turkish military confronted radicals blocking the Lattakia-Aleppo highway, known as the M4. At least four radicals, including HTS members, were killed.
Following the clashes on the M4, the militants targeted a battle tank, an armored vehicle and a bulldozer of the Turkish military in an observation post near the town of al-Nerab with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).
The Turkish military responded to the attack, carrying out airstrikes on two positions of HTS in the town of San. At least two militants of the group were killed.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the Turkish military is currently in talks with Greater Idlib factions, including HTS, to de-escalate the situation.
The April 24 clashes demonstrate that many Idlib militants have little respect to Ankara despite the fact that they receive funding and weapons from Turkey.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Libyan Army Shells Airport Hosting Turkish Troops Near Tripoli

On April 26 , the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) shelled the Mitiga International Airport , according to forces @ @ @ @ @ National Accord ( GNA ) .
The airport , which is located east of the @ @ @ @ @ Tripoli , is known to be hosting Turkish troops that support GNA operations .
The @ @ @ @ @ a video showing thick smoke rising from the airport after the LNA ’ s shelling @ @ @ @ @ reported .
Earlier this year , the Turkish military deployed air-defense systems in the Mitiga @ @ @ @ @ drones are also known to be operating from the airport .
Several months ago , @ @ @ @ @ for GNA forces .
Thousands of Turkish-backed Syrian militants were deployed there , which allowed @ @ @ @ @ offensive operations .
As a result , the LNA sustained notable losses , mainly on @ @ @ @ @ of Tripoli .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Updated : Libyan Army Shoots Down @ @ @ @ @ Turkish Combat Drone Near Bani Waled ( Video )

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On April 26, the Libyan National Army (LNA) shelled the Mitiga International Airport, according to forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA).
The airport, which is located east of the country’s capital, Tripoli, is known to be hosting Turkish troops that support GNA operations.
“Haftar’s [LNA Commander in Chief] terrorist militia continue to repeatedly shell the airport and the residential neighborhoods around it with Grad rockets,” the GNA’s operations room, Volcano of Anger, said in a statment.
The Libyan Cloud News Agency released a video showing thick smoke rising from the airport after the LNA’s shelling. No human losses were reported.

Earlier this year, the Turkish military deployed air-defense systems in the Mitiga International Airport. Turkish combat drones are also known to be operating from the airport.
Several months ago, Turkey stepped up its support for GNA forces. Thousands of Turkish-backed Syrian militants were deployed there, which allowed GNA forces to conduct more offensive operations. As a result, the LNA sustained notable losses, mainly on the frontlines east and southeast of Tripoli.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Syrian Snipers Train With Homegrown Rifles In Idlib (Photos)

On April 26 , pro-government activists shared photos of Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) snipers training in the northwestern region of Greater Idlib .
The photos show the snipers , reportedly from the army ’ s elite 4th Division , were training with Syrian-made GOLAN S-01 single-shot anti-materiel sniper rifle .
First revealed in 2019 , the GOLAN S-01 is a copy of the Austrian Steyr HS .50 .
Unlike the HS .50 , which uses the NATO ’ s .50 BMG bullets , the GOLAN S-01 fires Soviet 12.7×108mm anti-materiel rifle cartridges .
The Syrian sniper have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its also equipped with a domestic scope .
Both the rifle and the scope are made by the state-owned Defense Industries Corporation ( DIC ) .
The SAA has been training and reinforcing its troops in Greater Idlib since the start of the ceasefire regime in the area on March 5 .
The army and its allies appear to be preparing for a new confrontation with the Turkish military and its proxies in the region .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • For First Time Ever Turkish Armed Forces Strike Hayat Tahrir @ @ @ @ @

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On April 26, pro-government activists shared photos of Syrian Arab Army (SAA) snipers training in the northwestern region of Greater Idlib.
The photos show the snipers, reportedly from the army’s elite 4th Division, were training with Syrian-made GOLAN S-01 single-shot anti-materiel sniper rifle.
First revealed in 2019, the GOLAN S-01 is a copy of the Austrian Steyr HS .50. Unlike the HS .50, which uses the NATO’s .50 BMG bullets, the GOLAN S-01 fires Soviet 12.7×108mm anti-materiel rifle cartridges.
The Syrian sniper have a maximum effective range of up to 1,600m and its also equipped with a domestic scope. Both the rifle and the scope are made by the state-owned Defense Industries Corporation (DIC).
The SAA has been training and reinforcing its troops in Greater Idlib since the start of the ceasefire regime in the area on March 5. The army and its allies appear to be preparing for a new confrontation with the Turkish military and its proxies in the region.
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southfront--2020-04-27--In Video: Houthis Hunt Down Saudi-led Forces In Yemen’s Al-Jawf Province

Good for the Houthis , as they now have the criminal child killing bastards on the run !
Send the @ @ @ @ @ between their legs back into Saudi Arabia and permanently !
Yemen belongs to the Yemen @ @ @ @ @ freaks that have no business in their nation and that includes the fuckers in the @ @ @ @

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The media wing of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) released a new combat video from the Yemeni province of al-Jawf. The video shows the ongoing offensive operations of the Houthis against Saudi-backed forces as well as weapons, equipment and ammunition captured from Saudi proxies.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Turkish Hard Power Vs Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Soft Power

On April 27 , Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles dropped leaflets calling on Idlib residents to support the Turkish Army and its efforts to deblock the M4 highway in southern Idlib .
uch actions by the Turkish military likely demonstrate that the negotiations with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , which were held after a military incident between the sides on April 26 , likely ended with no real progress .
If the Turkish Army continues its efforts to de-block the part of the M4 highway near Nayrab by force , it may found itself in the state of an open military confrontation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 clash between the Turkish Army on the one side and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its supporters on the other side became the first time when Turkish forces responded with a hard power to attempts of Idlib protesters to sabotage their actions by ‘ peaceful means ’ .
First , Turkish troops clashed with pro-Hayat Tahrir al-Sham protesters that were blocking the M4 highway near Nayrab .
Then , when several protesters were killed and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants joined the fight , Turkish combat drones struck a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham position in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video shows the moment of the clash between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants and Turkish troops near Nayrab on April 26 ( despite the title about civilians ) : Earlier , the Turkish Army , the US-led coalition and the Russian military intentionally avoided using military force in response to non-lethal actions by local protesters .
However , on April 26 , the Turkish Army created a precendent for the usage of force against any persons that pose even a minor threat to military contingents deployed in the county .
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On April 27, Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles dropped leaflets calling on Idlib residents to support the Turkish Army and its efforts to deblock the M4 highway in southern Idlib.
uch actions by the Turkish military likely demonstrate that the negotiations with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which were held after a military incident between the sides on April 26, likely ended with no real progress. If the Turkish Army continues its efforts to de-block the part of the M4 highway near Nayrab by force, it may found itself in the state of an open military confrontation with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
#Turkish drones dropped some leaflets on Idlib region asking people to support TSK army in order to ensure permanent stability in the area.Seems TSK preparing something against HTS.Yesterday’s negotiations were unsuccessful pic.twitter.com/DELKuetKBj — ZOKA (@200_zoka) April 27, 2020
The April 26 clash between the Turkish Army on the one side and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its supporters on the other side became the first time when Turkish forces responded with a hard power to attempts of Idlib protesters to sabotage their actions by ‘peaceful means’.
First, Turkish troops clashed with pro-Hayat Tahrir al-Sham protesters that were blocking the M4 highway near Nayrab. Then, when several protesters were killed and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants joined the fight, Turkish combat drones struck a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham position in the nearby area.
The pro-HTS propaganda video shows the moment of the clash between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants and Turkish troops near Nayrab on April 26 (despite the title about civilians):
Earlier, the Turkish Army, the US-led coalition and the Russian military intentionally avoided using military force in response to non-lethal actions by local protesters. However, on April 26, the Turkish Army created a precendent for the usage of force against any persons that pose even a minor threat to military contingents deployed in the county.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Panavia Tornado Multirole Combat Aircraft (Infographics)

The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine , variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft jointly developed by Italy , the @ @ @ @ @ primary Tornado variants are the following : MORE ON THE TOPIC :

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The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft jointly developed by Italy, the UK and Germany.
Three primary Tornado variants are the following:
Tornado IDS (interdictor/strike) fighter-bomber;
Tornado ECR (electronic combat/reconnaissance) electronic warfare mission-capable variant;
Tornado ADV (air defence variant) interceptor aircraft.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Theory VS Practice: Russian View At Modern Local Conflicts

This post is based on a video of Razvedos YouTube channel ( LINK ) and comments to him released via Telegram ( https : //t.me/vladlentatarsky ) On April 24th , Razvedos published a new video , which gives an in-depth look at combat experience , and compares theory against practice .
The video is a conversation between a practitioner and a theoretician , in a way .
It looks whether the claims “ theory without practice is dead ” and “ practice , without theory is unfeasible ” hold any water .
The video began with an explanation that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience , and that he ( and anybody with an interest in the field ) should be prepared to listen for hours upon hours to individuals with different kinds of experience .
He poses the question , what exactly is “ combat experience ” : There is a fundamental difference between a soldier who suffered enemy fire and had to take cover , and a soldier who undertook specific combat missions and carried them out .
Several examples were given of various experience : A man was in Chechnya , and for half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checkpoint , he saw no fighting , he never carried out any combat mission .
But that man went to war , “ went through it.
” He “ was there and he knows.
” He was shot at several times , from some unclear location in the brushes .
His brother-in-arms went for a walk , and stepped on his own landmine .
He pulled his brother-in-arms out , he saved him , and no was a result he has combat experience .
In terms of combat experience this person has two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a checkpoint , and how not to aimlessly walk around in a warzone .
Another man was as a volunteer in Donbass ( Eastern Ukraine ) , at first , he was , too , at a checkpoint .
But then the line moved and he had to sit in trenches , and sometimes operate a mortar .
He occasionally exchanged fire with the enemy over a distance of 1.5 – 2 kilometers .
This person teaches you what it means to live in a trench , while not being under intensive fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment .
And then there come people from Afghanistan , or Syria , and obviously their experience is incomparable , because there ’ s no two identical battlefields .
Furthermore , the given examples are the lucky ones .
Some combat experience , such as that of some GRU officers , involves having to go into the mountains and hunt for terrorists .
What experience does he have ?
You suddenly come across the enemy , what you need to do , what equipment you ’ d need to even begin to carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a close-quarters fight , at a distance of 30-50 meters , or even less .
And that person may have some valuable insight , for the situations he was in , and it is only conditionally valuable , in some situations .
Some of the people fighting terrorists tell of stories of the massive use of attack UAVs , so much as that an entire swarm attacks the squad at the same time , sometimes up to 20-30 drones .
This is the situation in the low-intensity conflicts in the Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even used , it ’ s all UAVs .
Unfortunately , the Russian Army has no such experience whatsoever .
There is no experience of attack with the help of strike UAVs ( as well as such UAVs themselves ) , thus there is little theory on how to effectively counter such a strategy on the battlefield .
And there ’ s nothing new in this , each fighter needs to have mastery over the weapons that his country has in its arsenal .
Each soldier needs to undergo basic training , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so on .
Then they noted that the distances have increased , and in the infantry , there are units who possess weapons that allow killing the enemy over a long distance .
Therefore , it is necessary to additionally to train for the ability to effectively use : • RPG-7 , as well as RPG-22 and 26 ; • GP-25 , and other kinds of grenade launchers , too ; • AGS-17 – and the ability to effectively operate a mortar , with the help of a sight ; • ATGMs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expensive , and there seems to be an abundance of them , and they also come in handy ; • Each infantryman must have the ability to detect mines , but also set mines .
Defusing mines is the work for the sappers ; • Everyone should be able to adjust artillery fire with binoculars and a map .
There ’ s no “ top-secret ” training regimen , that would teach an individual all of this .
This is basic training , and can be given by a non-war veteran instructor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn all of this , an individual needs to have the previous knowledge that there is such a thing as top leadership in an army , that thinks of strategy , and that the army isn ’ t simply a sort of group created for funny outfits and parades , and that there is also a time for that , but the primary goal is war .
No army entered any war prepared specifically for the war that began .
The exceptions are the IDF ( but they solve local problems ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Battalion Tactical Groups and Mechanized Infantry are simply updated version of what the Waffen-SS came up for World War II .
The problem of the military is that they are preparing for the past war , and not for the future .
So , the instructor who fought in a war will pass on his combat experience applicable to a specific military conflict .
Because , one person ’ s experience may dictate that intense enemy fire means the enemy is moving backwards , while somebody from the GRU who hunts terrorists would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is drawing closer .
There is no “ one-size-fits-all ” combat experience , and there ’ s no wrong or right , it ’ s all situational .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Inside Look At Elements Of Russian Task Forces ’ Training • In Video : An Inside Look At Physical Fitness Test For FSB “ Vympel ” Candidates

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This post is based on a video of Razvedos YouTube channel (LINK) and comments to him released via Telegram (https://t.me/vladlentatarsky)
On April 24th, Razvedos published a new video, which gives an in-depth look at combat experience, and compares theory against practice.
Razvedos is a retired Russian special forces officer. In his video blog, he being a high professional provides overviews and analysis of various equipment, and methods and tactics of modern warfare.
The video is a conversation between a practitioner and a theoretician, in a way.
It looks whether the claims “theory without practice is dead” and “practice, without theory is unfeasible” hold any water.
The video began with an explanation that there is no “universal” type of experience, and that he (and anybody with an interest in the field) should be prepared to listen for hours upon hours to individuals with different kinds of experience.
He poses the question, what exactly is “combat experience”:
“The shelling began, the soldier laid in a ditch. Then the shelling ended, he climbed out of the ditch. Does such a fighter have combat experience?”
There is a fundamental difference between a soldier who suffered enemy fire and had to take cover, and a soldier who undertook specific combat missions and carried them out.
Several examples were given of various experience:
A man was in Chechnya, and for half a year he was deployed at a checkpoint, he saw no fighting, he never carried out any combat mission. But that man went to war, “went through it.” He “was there and he knows.”
He was shot at several times, from some unclear location in the brushes. His brother-in-arms went for a walk, and stepped on his own landmine. He pulled his brother-in-arms out, he saved him, and no was a result he has combat experience.
In terms of combat experience this person has two valuable lessons: how to serve at a checkpoint, and how not to aimlessly walk around in a warzone.
Another man was as a volunteer in Donbass (Eastern Ukraine), at first, he was, too, at a checkpoint. But then the line moved and he had to sit in trenches, and sometimes operate a mortar. He occasionally exchanged fire with the enemy over a distance of 1.5 – 2 kilometers.
This person teaches you what it means to live in a trench, while not being under intensive fire – but it can come at any moment.
And then there come people from Afghanistan, or Syria, and obviously their experience is incomparable, because there’s no two identical battlefields.
Furthermore, the given examples are the lucky ones. Some combat experience, such as that of some special operation forces “operators”, involves having to go into the mountains and hunt for terrorists.
What experience does he have? You suddenly come across the enemy, what you need to do, what equipment you’d need to even begin to carry out the mission, what to do in a close-quarters fight, at a distance of 30-50 meters, or even less.
And that person may have some valuable insight, for the situations he was in, and it is only conditionally valuable, in some situations.
Some of the people fighting terrorists tell of stories of the massive use of attack UAVs, so much as that an entire swarm attacks the squad at the same time, sometimes up to 20-30 drones. This is the situation in the low-intensity conflicts in the Middle East and throughout Africa.
Artillery isn’t even used, it’s all UAVs.
Unfortunately, the Russian Army has no such experience whatsoever. There is no experience of attack with the help of strike UAVs (as well as such UAVs themselves), thus there is little theory on how to effectively counter such a strategy on the battlefield.
And there’s nothing new in this, each fighter needs to have mastery over the weapons that his country has in its arsenal. Each soldier needs to undergo basic training, learn the vulnerabilities of the enemy, and so on.
Then they noted that the distances have increased, and in the infantry, there are units who possess weapons that allow killing the enemy over a long distance.
Therefore, it is necessary to additionally to train for the ability to effectively use:
RPG-7, as well as RPG-22 and 26;
GP-25, and other kinds of grenade launchers, too;
PK – any 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun;
AGS-17 – and the ability to effectively operate a mortar, with the help of a sight;
SPG-9 – tripod-mounted man-portable, 73 millimetre calibre recoilless gun;
Utyos, NSV-12.7 – a 12.7mm caliber heavy machine gun;
ATGMs – as they’re not exquisitely expensive, and there seems to be an abundance of them, and they also come in handy;
Each infantryman must have the ability to detect mines, but also set mines. Defusing mines is the work for the sappers;
Everyone should be able to adjust artillery fire with binoculars and a map.
There’s no “top-secret” training regimen, that would teach an individual all of this. This is basic training, and can be given by a non-war veteran instructor.
In order to have the ability to learn all of this, an individual needs to have the previous knowledge that there is such a thing as top leadership in an army, that thinks of strategy, and that the army isn’t simply a sort of group created for funny outfits and parades, and that there is also a time for that, but the primary goal is war.
No army entered any war prepared specifically for the war that began. The exceptions are the IDF (but they solve local problems) and the German army in WWII.
Modern Battalion Tactical Groups and Mechanized Infantry are simply updated version of what the Waffen-SS came up for World War II.
The problem of the military is that they are preparing for the past war, and not for the future.
So, the instructor who fought in a war will pass on his combat experience applicable to a specific military conflict.
Because, one person’s experience may dictate that intense enemy fire means the enemy is moving backwards, while somebody from the GRU who hunts terrorists would know that intense fire means the enemy is drawing closer.
There is no “one-size-fits-all” combat experience, and there’s no wrong or right, it’s all situational.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Family Spat: Turkish Army Clashing With Turkish Proxies In Idlib

Early on April 27 , the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes on alleged Iranian targets in the countryside of Damascus .
As always , pro-Israeli sources claimed that the missile attack hit and destroyed weapon depots and HQs of Hezbollah and Iranian forces .
Syrian state media reported that 3 civilians were killed and 4 others wounded in the villages of Hujaira and Adliya as a result of the strike .
Tensions between Idlib militants and their Turkish sponsors and protectors have been growing since the last weekend .
On April 26 , the Turkish Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocking the M4 highway near the town of Nayrab .
At least 7 people were killed or injured , when Turkish forces opened fire at protesters blocking their column in the area .
According to pro-militant sources , Turkish troops tried to remove the protest camp from the area in order to expand the chunk of the highway used for joint patrols with the Russian Military Police .
Another reason is the hostile posture of Idlib protesters towards Turkish troops deployed in the de-escalation area .
Earlier in April , Hayat Tahrir al-Sham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a video threatening to behead Turkish soldiers .
Ankara likely opted to give a lesson to its restive proxies .
However , the situation went out of control .
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants shelled a Turkish observation post south of Nayrab with mortars injuring a Turkish soldier .
He was evacuated by military helicopters to Turkey .
The clashes continued with at least two drone strikes on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham positions near the village of San .
Two militants were killed in the attack .
In response to Turkish actions , militants shelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine guns and reportedly launched anti-tank guided missiles ( ATGMs ) at a bulldozer and a battle tank of the Turkish Army .
The impact of the ATGM strikes remains unclear .
These clashes became a visual demonstration that Idlib terrorists remain terrorists and are not ready to abandon their radical ideology and make concessions needed to propel Turkish interests .
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other al-Qaeda-linked groups receive funding , weapons and even direct military support , but put their own goals and plans first .
So , all the while Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Qaeda-infested black hole .
The lack of loyalty among Idlib groups forces Turkey to extensively use its own troops to keep at least a semblance of control over the situation .
Since the establishment of the new ceasefire regime in Idlib on March 5 , the Turkish military has reportedly sent 2,810 military and logistical vehicles to the region .
Pro-militant sources claim that approximately 10,000 Turkish troops are deployed in Greater Idlib .
The Syrian Army and security forces are conducting an extensive security operation in the province of al-Suwayda .
Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town of Salkhad seizing a large number of fire arms , ammunition , hand grenades and improvised explosive devices .
Despite this , the gang leader , Nawras al-Eid , was able to flee .
Pro-government sources claim that some local armed groups posing as the local self-defense forces are in fact criminal organizations .
The relative stabilization of the situation in southern and central Syria allowed the Damascus government to allocate additional resources to combat this organized crime .
Nonetheless , if large-scale military hostilities once again resume in western or northeastern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance to lift up its head in the relatively calm areas .

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Early on April 27, the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes on alleged Iranian targets in the countryside of Damascus. As always, pro-Israeli sources claimed that the missile attack hit and destroyed weapon depots and HQs of Hezbollah and Iranian forces. Syrian state media reported that 3 civilians were killed and 4 others wounded in the villages of Hujaira and Adliya as a result of the strike.
Tensions between Idlib militants and their Turkish sponsors and protectors have been growing since the last weekend.
On April 26, the Turkish Army clashed with Idlib radicals near their camp blocking the M4 highway near the town of Nayrab. At least 7 people were killed or injured, when Turkish forces opened fire at protesters blocking their column in the area.
According to pro-militant sources, Turkish troops tried to remove the protest camp from the area in order to expand the chunk of the highway used for joint patrols with the Russian Military Police. Another reason is the hostile posture of Idlib protesters towards Turkish troops deployed in the de-escalation area. Earlier in April, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants deployed at the highway and recorded a video threatening to behead Turkish soldiers. Ankara likely opted to give a lesson to its restive proxies.
However, the situation went out of control.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants shelled a Turkish observation post south of Nayrab with mortars injuring a Turkish soldier. He was evacuated by military helicopters to Turkey. The clashes continued with at least two drone strikes on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham positions near the village of San. Two militants were killed in the attack.
In response to Turkish actions, militants shelled Turkish MRAPs moving near Nayrab with heavy machine guns and reportedly launched anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) at a bulldozer and a battle tank of the Turkish Army. The impact of the ATGM strikes remains unclear.
These clashes became a visual demonstration that Idlib terrorists remain terrorists and are not ready to abandon their radical ideology and make concessions needed to propel Turkish interests. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other al-Qaeda-linked groups receive funding, weapons and even direct military support, but put their own goals and plans first. So, all the while Turkey is pouring money and resources into the al-Qaeda-infested black hole.
The lack of loyalty among Idlib groups forces Turkey to extensively use its own troops to keep at least a semblance of control over the situation. Since the establishment of the new ceasefire regime in Idlib on March 5, the Turkish military has reportedly sent 2,810 military and logistical vehicles to the region. Pro-militant sources claim that approximately 10,000 Turkish troops are deployed in Greater Idlib.
The Syrian Army and security forces are conducting an extensive security operation in the province of al-Suwayda.
Government forces neutralized a criminal gang in the town of Salkhad seizing a large number of fire arms, ammunition, hand grenades and improvised explosive devices. Despite this, the gang leader, Nawras al-Eid, was able to flee. Pro-government sources claim that some local armed groups posing as the local self-defense forces are in fact criminal organizations.
The relative stabilization of the situation in southern and central Syria allowed the Damascus government to allocate additional resources to combat this organized crime. Nonetheless, if large-scale military hostilities once again resume in western or northeastern Syria, organized crime will have another chance to lift up its head in the relatively calm areas.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Slava-Class Cruiser Moskva To Join Russian Naval Group Deployed Near Syria

You are traumatized and hard manipulated telling this conflicts is about USA only .
Where are the rest being there @ @ @ @ @ ?
?
?
My ironic comment actually is based on a Russian ship probatly bringing @ @ @ @ @ refer to the Pacific Ocean .
And well : Covid only takes 2 % .
@ @ @ @ @ to speak .

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The Slava-class missile cruiser ‘Moskva’ (project 1164), which is now returning to the Russian Black Sea fleet after passing an overhaul, will be deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean as a part of the Russian naval group involved in the operation in Syria. According to Russian media, the Moskva missile cruiser is scheduled to sail out after the overhaul in mid-May.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Saudi Puppet Government In Yemen Warns Of “Catastrophe” If Aden Moves On With Independence

On April 27th , the Saudi puppet government in Yemen has warned of a catastrophe if the country ’ s powerful separatist movement forges ahead with its declaration of self-rule over the key port city of Aden and other southern provinces .
On April 26th , the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council ( STC ) announced the self-rule of Aden city in Yemen .
Aden is the government of the Saudi-backed puppet government in the country , that ’ s fighting over the Houthis .
The Southern Transitional Council ’ s armed forces were deploying in Aden , where the seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military coalition is located .
Until now this included the STC .
The Southern Transitional Council ( STC ) declared a state of emergency and said it would “ self-govern ” the key southern port city of Aden and other southern provinces .
The council accused Yemen ’ s Saudi-backed government of corruption and mismanagement .
Muhammad Al-Hadhrami , Yemen ’ s foreign minister , said the STC ’ s latest move amounted to a withdrawal from the Riyadh agreement .
It is unlikely that the STC took the decision without UAE ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signal that Riyadh ’ s allies are losing confidence in the Kingdom ’ s abilities to settle the conflict against the Houthis .
Alkhader Sulaiman , a spokesman for the STC based in the United States , told Al Jazeera the separatist group was forced to take matters into its hands because of the government ’ s failure to provide basic services .
“ This is not an event that just sprung out of nowhere .
This is a pile-up of mismanagement , misgovernance , especially in south Yemen , which has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , things have deteriorated humanitarian wise .
The situation , in terms of basic services , is minimal , ” he said .
“ In the past few days , there has been a complete shutdown of electricity , water and sewage services.
” He accused the Saudi puppet government of failing to deliver on the Riyadh agreement and said : “ We are still calling for a ceasefire , de-escalation on all fronts .
We want things to go smoothly and we want to be able to deliver aid , battle this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be able to contain the situation.
” The UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said he found the STC move concerning .
“ Now , more than ever , all political actors must cooperate in good faith , refrain from taking escalatory actions , and put the interests of Yemenis first , ” he stressed .
This isn ’ t the first time the STC has attempted to take things into its own hands .
Earlier in April 2020 , the STC took Socotra island under its control , after which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 2019 , it started attacking the Saudi-led coalition ’ s forces in Aden in a series of clashes .
Clashes began on August 9th and ceased briefly on August 11th 2019 following a meeting between the Saudi Crown Prince and UAE .
The STC agreed to withdraw from several checkpoints it had captured during the clashes and UAE denied supporting STC ’ s clashes against the Saudi-led coalition .
STC vacated some positions in Aden on August 17th 2019 .
Clashes continued with lower intensity in Aden on August 16th 2019 after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their captured positions .
On August 21st , UAE rejected allegations that it was behind the developments in Aden .
On August 29th 2019 Saudi-led forces recaptured most of the neighborhoods they had lost to the STC , including Aden ’ s International Airport .
By the next day however STC forces recaptured most of Aden again .
The Saudi-led coalition accused UAE of launching airstrikes against its troops , killing at least 30 .
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On April 27th, the Saudi puppet government in Yemen has warned of a catastrophe if the country’s powerful separatist movement forges ahead with its declaration of self-rule over the key port city of Aden and other southern provinces.
On April 26th, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) announced the self-rule of Aden city in Yemen.
Aden is the government of the Saudi-backed puppet government in the country, that’s fighting over the Houthis.
The Southern Transitional Council’s armed forces were deploying in Aden, where the seat of the government backed by the Saudi-led military coalition is located. Until now this included the STC.
The Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared a state of emergency and said it would “self-govern” the key southern port city of Aden and other southern provinces.
The council accused Yemen’s Saudi-backed government of corruption and mismanagement.
“The Southern Transitional Council announces a self-administration rule in the south, as of midnight Saturday, April 25th 2020,” the council’s statement read.
Muhammad Al-Hadhrami, Yemen’s foreign minister, said the STC’s latest move amounted to a withdrawal from the Riyadh agreement.
“The announcement by the so-called transitional council of its intention to establish a southern administration is a resumption of its armed insurgency … and an announcement of its rejection and complete withdrawal from the Riyadh agreement,” Al-Hadhrami said in a statement. “The so-called transitional council will bear alone the dangerous and catastrophic consequences for such an announcement,” he added.
It is unlikely that the STC took the decision without UAE’s backing, so this is another signal that Riyadh’s allies are losing confidence in the Kingdom’s abilities to settle the conflict against the Houthis.
Alkhader Sulaiman, a spokesman for the STC based in the United States, told Al Jazeera the separatist group was forced to take matters into its hands because of the government’s failure to provide basic services.
“This is not an event that just sprung out of nowhere. This is a pile-up of mismanagement, misgovernance, especially in south Yemen, which has been Houthi-less for four years now. Unfortunately, things have deteriorated humanitarian wise. The situation, in terms of basic services, is minimal,” he said. “In the past few days, there has been a complete shutdown of electricity, water and sewage services.”
He accused the Saudi puppet government of failing to deliver on the Riyadh agreement and said: “We are still calling for a ceasefire, de-escalation on all fronts. We want things to go smoothly and we want to be able to deliver aid, battle this pandemic across the country and we want to be able to contain the situation.”
The UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said he found the STC move concerning. “Now, more than ever, all political actors must cooperate in good faith, refrain from taking escalatory actions, and put the interests of Yemenis first,” he stressed.
This isn’t the first time the STC has attempted to take things into its own hands.
Earlier in April 2020, the STC took Socotra island under its control, after which the Saudi-led coalition recaptured it.
In August 2019, it started attacking the Saudi-led coalition’s forces in Aden in a series of clashes.
Clashes began on August 9th and ceased briefly on August 11th 2019 following a meeting between the Saudi Crown Prince and UAE. The STC agreed to withdraw from several checkpoints it had captured during the clashes and UAE denied supporting STC’s clashes against the Saudi-led coalition.
STC vacated some positions in Aden on August 17th 2019.
Clashes continued with lower intensity in Aden on August 16th 2019 after STC forces refused to withdraw from some of their captured positions. On August 21st, UAE rejected allegations that it was behind the developments in Aden.
On August 29th 2019 Saudi-led forces recaptured most of the neighborhoods they had lost to the STC, including Aden’s International Airport. By the next day however STC forces recaptured most of Aden again. The Saudi-led coalition accused UAE of launching airstrikes against its troops, killing at least 30.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Map Update: Military Situation In Area Of Nayrab Where Clashes Between Turkish Troops And HTS Milita

Map Update: Military Situation In Area Of Nayrab Where Clashes Between Turkish Troops And HTS Militants Erupted

To say that Russia has “ nothing to do ” with this or any other major decision of Assad is flat out redicolus .
Assad is dependending on Russia , as it depends on Iran and other allies .
And all those allies forces are coordinated by Russian military , in the joint operation rooms , but with Russian coordination and control .
This is geopolitics .
Cold , hard quit pro qou ; balancing interests .
Nothing else .
Russia has been on the record again and again saying they dont have allies in the sense of former times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners ” where interests allign .
These partners include Syria , but also Turkey and Israel , which are potentially much much more valuable to Russia than Syria .
Russia obviously would prefer an agreement and alliance between Assad and Erdoan , and supported all efforts in this regard , and in Turkeys attempts to “ seperate the opposition from extremists ” , even though its clear for years all opposition is more of less extremist .
The first Idlib deals were made out of the hope of such a Assad-Erdogan agreement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia seemed to still have had hoped for this .
But at the start of this year , this had changed , which led to the massive gains of the SAA .
But when the Russians bombed and killed the 50+ Turks , and when then Turkey wreacked havoc for 24+ hours on the SAA with the drones , things went far to hot , and could have led to serious NATO-Russia confrontation .
And this is where we are now .
Turkey is now even much stronger than 1-2 months ago when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will say they implemented the agreement , MAYBE HTS and others will be “ disbanded ” meaning rebranded .
And then , as per Astana agreement , SAA will not be able to reconquer all of Idlib , at least with open Russian support .
Turks never leave any land they occupy .
And Russia will never openly support any direct and full war of the SAA against any NATO army .
That leaves , as i said , insurgency as the only real option now , as long as any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than unproven conspiracy theory of Erdogan being saved by Putin : There has never been , and there is not a single solid piece of hard evidence to support this .
And the reality of the Russian-Turkish relationship looks totally different .
Erdogan is also immensly popular , both in Turekey and abroad where Turkish immigrants live ( 65 % + voted for Erdogan in last vote ) .
It is a misconception to believe the “ poor ” Turks dont want Erdogan .
They want such a criminal , corrupt Muslim Brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ideology .
The opposition parties are nothing better .
Turkish children are being sworn in to Erdogan as their leader and to die for him in all Turkish mosques , even in all German DTIB mosques .
And that at the age before they go to high school .
To comprehend the Islamistic ideology combinded with Turkish facistic ultra nationalism is very hard for any outsider , but it is defining the majority of Turks .
Erdogan voters AND most opposition voters .
To Lybia : It will depend on the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Haftar forces to prevent more supplies and manpower by Turkey .
We have seen how the GNA greatly improved , and made gains and momentum , that most , me included , have not seen coming some months ago .
I still believe Haftar will win in the end , but it will depend on the support from his allies .
Without it , things will go badly , when the Turks are able to further their support for Jihadi GNA .

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The map above provides a general look at the military situation in the area of Nayrab, where clashes between Turkish forces and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants erupted on April 26.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Israel Scraps Programme For Maritime Patrols With USVs

The Israeli Navy terminated a programme to use unarmed and armed unmanned surface vessels ( USVs ) for maritime patrol missions .
This predominantly relates to four USVs : Rafael Advanced Defense Systems ’ Protector USV : it is the first operational combat USV in service .
It is fitted with a Mini Typhoon Weapon Station .
In 2005 , it was deployed by the Singapore Navy to support coalition forces in the Sea of Japan , and was later deployed for anti-piracy duties in the Gulf of Aden .
It ’ s been tested in operations , but will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the programme is scrapped .
Elbit ’ s Silver Marlin : it was specifically designed for maritime patrol missions .
It is equipped with a 7.62mm remote-controlled stabilized weapon station as well as observation and satellite communication systems .
It has an endurance of 24–36 hours , with a primary mission of reconnaissance , surveillance , force protection/anti-terror , anti-surface & anti-mine warfare , search & rescue , port & waterway patrol , battle damage assessment , pollution detection & treatment as well as electronic warfare .
Israeli Aviation Industry ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wide variety of homeland security and naval missions .
The vessel allows for both manual and fully autonomous operation .
The unmanned combat marine system was unveiled at Defexpo 2014 exhibition held in India in February 2014 .
A model of the USV was displayed at AUVSI ’ s Unmanned Systems 2014 show in Florida , US , as well as at Euronaval 2014 International Naval Defense and Maritime Exhibition in Paris , France .
It hasn ’ t seen combat duty .
Elbit ’ s Stingray : Stingray is a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Elbit Systems for port security and harbor defense missions .
Based on a jet ski design , the vehicle could carry a 150kg payload and was equipped with day and night electro-optical cameras .
Stingray debuted publically at the IDEF ’ 05 exhibition in Turkey .
The Israeli Navy has been experimenting with unmanned boats for many years , for example , with different versions of the Protector – since 2004 ( by the way , its export to Mexico and Singapore was reported ) .
And so , on April 14th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fairly well-known author of materials on military-technical topics , Arie Egosi , that the Israeli Navy decided to end the program of surface unmanned boats .
Tests of underwater unmanned aerial vehicles will continue , but there are practically no publications on this topic .
It also turned out that the Israeli Navy hadn ’ t bought any USVs , but rather leased them long-term from Rafael and Elbit .
Accordingly , this will reportedly end and there will be no similar programs in the future .
The decision was made as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What was determined is that the power-to-weight ratio is low , survivability is poor , and it is quite difficult to control the USVs while at sea .
It is impossible to use them along the coast of Lebanon and Syria for these reasons , and use them only off the coast of Gaza does not make much sense from an economic point of view .
Tests have shown that there are benefits from boats for underwater combat tasks , i.e .
combat submarines , search and destruction of mines .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USVs .
It is not clear whether the Navy will continue to operate these boats , or , in light of the absence of direct threats in this regard , will curtail their use in the coming years .
On April 22nd , however , Elbit announced that it had successfully integrated the Towed Reelable Active Passive Sonar ( TRAPS ) for Unmanned Surface Vessels ( TRAPS-USV ) onboard the company ’ s Seagull USV .
Integration of the TRAPS-USV enables the Seagull USV to perform on-the-move anti-submarine warfare operations , substantially extending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flexibility .
The integration of the TRAPS-USV follows the recent conversion for operation , by the Israeli Navy , of Helicopter Long-Range Active Sonar ( HELRAS ) dipping sonar onboard the Seagull USV .
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The Israeli Navy terminated a programme to use unarmed and armed unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for maritime patrol missions.
This predominantly relates to four USVs:
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Protector USV: it is the first operational combat USV in service. It is fitted with a Mini Typhoon Weapon Station. In 2005, it was deployed by the Singapore Navy to support coalition forces in the Sea of Japan, and was later deployed for anti-piracy duties in the Gulf of Aden. It’s been tested in operations, but will reportedly not be used by Israel, since the programme is scrapped.
Elbit’s Silver Marlin: it was specifically designed for maritime patrol missions. It is equipped with a 7.62mm remote-controlled stabilized weapon station as well as observation and satellite communication systems. It has an endurance of 24–36 hours, with a primary mission of reconnaissance, surveillance, force protection/anti-terror, anti-surface & anti-mine warfare, search & rescue, port & waterway patrol, battle damage assessment, pollution detection & treatment as well as electronic warfare.
Israeli Aviation Industry’s (IAI) Katana: designed for a wide variety of homeland security and naval missions. The vessel allows for both manual and fully autonomous operation. The unmanned combat marine system was unveiled at Defexpo 2014 exhibition held in India in February 2014. A model of the USV was displayed at AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems 2014 show in Florida, US, as well as at Euronaval 2014 International Naval Defense and Maritime Exhibition in Paris, France. It hasn’t seen combat duty.
Elbit’s Stingray: Stingray is a small unmanned surface vehicle (USV) built by Elbit Systems for port security and harbor defense missions. Based on a jet ski design, the vehicle could carry a 150kg payload and was equipped with day and night electro-optical cameras. Stingray debuted publically at the IDEF ’05 exhibition in Turkey.
The Israeli Navy has been experimenting with unmanned boats for many years, for example, with different versions of the Protector – since 2004 (by the way, its export to Mexico and Singapore was reported).
And so, on April 14th, 2020, an article appeared by a fairly well-known author of materials on military-technical topics, Arie Egosi, that the Israeli Navy decided to end the program of surface unmanned boats. Tests of underwater unmanned aerial vehicles will continue, but there are practically no publications on this topic.
It also turned out that the Israeli Navy hadn’t bought any USVs, but rather leased them long-term from Rafael and Elbit. Accordingly, this will reportedly end and there will be no similar programs in the future.
The decision was made as a result of long years of testing. What was determined is that the power-to-weight ratio is low, survivability is poor, and it is quite difficult to control the USVs while at sea.
It is impossible to use them along the coast of Lebanon and Syria for these reasons, and use them only off the coast of Gaza does not make much sense from an economic point of view.
Tests have shown that there are benefits from boats for underwater combat tasks, i.e. combat submarines, search and destruction of mines. These tasks were carried out mainly on Seagull USVs. It is not clear whether the Navy will continue to operate these boats, or, in light of the absence of direct threats in this regard, will curtail their use in the coming years.
On April 22nd, however, Elbit announced that it had successfully integrated the Towed Reelable Active Passive Sonar (TRAPS) for Unmanned Surface Vessels (TRAPS-USV) onboard the company’s Seagull USV.
Integration of the TRAPS-USV enables the Seagull USV to perform on-the-move anti-submarine warfare operations, substantially extending its operative range and further enhancing its flexibility. The integration of the TRAPS-USV follows the recent conversion for operation, by the Israeli Navy, of Helicopter Long-Range Active Sonar (HELRAS) dipping sonar onboard the Seagull USV.
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southfront--2020-04-27--Syrian State Media Says 2 US Soldiers Disappeared In Deir Ezzor Province

UPDATE ( 27.04.2020 , 13:54 CET ) : The US-led coalition has commented on the report by SANA .
2 @ @ @ @ @ the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor after the attack on their vehicle near the Omar @ @ @ @ @ media reported .
“ Two US troops were attacked in Deir Ezzor eastern countryside on @ @ @ @ @ unknown yet , civil sources in Deir Ezzor countryside revealed .
The sources indicated to @ @ @ @ @ attacked the Hummer vehicle carrying US occupation troops while it was traveling from al-Omar field @ @ @ @ @ vehicle was found completely destroyed and burned .
The two troops ’ fate is still @ @ @ @ @ sources .
Earlier this month , an officer in the US army and two members @ @ @ @ @ Forces ( SDF ) have been killed in an ambush carried out by unknown persons @ @ @ @ @ ’ a which is affiliated to Al-Sur Township in Deir Ezzor countryside , ” the @ @ @ @ @ agency says .

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UPDATE (27.04.2020, 13:54 CET): The US-led coalition has commented on the report by SANA.
***
2 US soldiers have disappeared in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor after the attack on their vehicle near the Omar oil fields, Syrian state-run media reported.
“Two US troops were attacked in Deir Ezzor eastern countryside on Monday as their fate was unknown yet, civil sources in Deir Ezzor countryside revealed.
The sources indicated to SANA reporter that unknown assailants attacked the Hummer vehicle carrying US occupation troops while it was traveling from al-Omar field to al-Tank field where the vehicle was found completely destroyed and burned.
The two troops’ fate is still unknown, according to the sources.
Earlier this month, an officer in the US army and two members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been killed in an ambush carried out by unknown persons near the village of al-Wasi’a which is affiliated to Al-Sur Township in Deir Ezzor countryside,” the report by the SANA news agency says.


southfront--2020-04-27--44 Boko Haram Militants Allegedly Commit “Collective Suicide” In Chadian Prison

On April 16th , 44 suspected Boko Haram militants died in a prison in Chad .
They were all poisoned and the mystery is whether they were simply murdered or they committed “ collective suicide.
” The country ’ s chief prosecutor Youssouf Tom said that the prisoners were found dead in their cells in N ’ Djamena jail .
An autopsy carried out on four of the dead prisoners revealed traces of a lethal substance that had caused heart attacks or severe asphyxiation , according to Tom .
The 44 were part of a group of 58 who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chad launched by President Idriss Deby in earlier April .
They were to be tried by a criminal court , Justice Minister Djimet Arabi said .
An unnamed source told AFP that the prisoners were all kept in a single cell and had been given nothing to eat or drink for two days .
The 14 prisoners who survived are to be questioned around the circumstances of the deaths .
Bulama Bukarti , an expert on Boko Haram at London University , told AFP the prisoners may have swallowed poison to avoid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divulging strategic information .
He did , however , say that no such group suicide had ever happened in the past .
Another possibility is that Chadian security forces poisoned the prisoners , Bukarti said , perhaps to avenge the deaths of 98 soldiers in a March 23rd attack on a base at Bohoma , in the Lake Chad area .
It was the largest one-day loss the vaunted Chadian army has ever suffered , and it prompted the massive military operation against Boko Haram .
Bukarti noted that humanitarian groups had reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boko Haram members by the region ’ s armies without due process .
“ The third possible scenario is that Chad never captured those Boko Haram fighters in the first place .
It could be that Chad exaggerated the figure of the fighters it arrested just as many see the 1,000 they said they killed as inflated , ” Bukarti said .
“ The only way to save face in this case would be to concoct a story like this.
” Furthermore , it is not unlikely that if left in prison , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would start recruiting others for the terrorist group , and they were eliminated as a result of that .
The operation in the Lake Chad area is ramping up with both the Nigerian and Chadian armies carrying out large attacks on various Boko Haram , Al-Qaeda in West Africa Province and ISIS positions in the area .
On April 10th , Chadian authorities said that approximately 1,000 Boko Haram militants had been killed in the operations which started 6 days earlier .
As a result , 52 Chadian soldiers had also been killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chadian army is limiting its operation against the militants on its own territory , as Nigeria appears to be contributing too little to the fight .
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On April 16th, 44 suspected Boko Haram militants died in a prison in Chad.
They were all poisoned and the mystery is whether they were simply murdered or they committed “collective suicide.”
The country’s chief prosecutor Youssouf Tom said that the prisoners were found dead in their cells in N’Djamena jail.
An autopsy carried out on four of the dead prisoners revealed traces of a lethal substance that had caused heart attacks or severe asphyxiation, according to Tom.
The 44 were part of a group of 58 who were captured during a major operation around Lake Chad launched by President Idriss Deby in earlier April.
They were to be tried by a criminal court, Justice Minister Djimet Arabi said.
“What happened in the meantime? We are still in shock,” Arabi said, adding that an investigation has been launched.
An unnamed source told AFP that the prisoners were all kept in a single cell and had been given nothing to eat or drink for two days.
“It’s a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” said Jean Bosco Manga, founder of the Citizens’ Movement for the Preservation of Liberties. “When the enemy is under your control, disarmed, he must enjoy all humanitarian protections.”
Mahamat Alabo, a leading opposition figure, said:
“The Chadian government is responsible for what happened to them in prison. The causes must really be determined,” he said, calling for an independent investigation.
The 14 prisoners who survived are to be questioned around the circumstances of the deaths.
Bulama Bukarti, an expert on Boko Haram at London University, told AFP the prisoners may have swallowed poison to avoid the humiliation of a trial or to avoid divulging strategic information.
He did, however, say that no such group suicide had ever happened in the past.
Another possibility is that Chadian security forces poisoned the prisoners, Bukarti said, perhaps to avenge the deaths of 98 soldiers in a March 23rd attack on a base at Bohoma, in the Lake Chad area.
It was the largest one-day loss the vaunted Chadian army has ever suffered, and it prompted the massive military operation against Boko Haram.
Bukarti noted that humanitarian groups had reported “thousands” of killings of suspected Boko Haram members by the region’s armies without due process.
“The third possible scenario is that Chad never captured those Boko Haram fighters in the first place. It could be that Chad exaggerated the figure of the fighters it arrested just as many see the 1,000 they said they killed as inflated,” Bukarti said. “The only way to save face in this case would be to concoct a story like this.”
Furthermore, it is not unlikely that if left in prison, or spread around different prisons, they would start recruiting others for the terrorist group, and they were eliminated as a result of that.
The operation in the Lake Chad area is ramping up with both the Nigerian and Chadian armies carrying out large attacks on various Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda in West Africa Province and ISIS positions in the area.
On April 10th, Chadian authorities said that approximately 1,000 Boko Haram militants had been killed in the operations which started 6 days earlier. As a result, 52 Chadian soldiers had also been killed.
There are also reports that the Chadian army is limiting its operation against the militants on its own territory, as Nigeria appears to be contributing too little to the fight.
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southfront--2020-04-28--Military Situation In Syria On April 28, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria : • Turkish and Russian @ @ @ @ @ limited patrol on the M4 highway ; • Turkish drones dropped leaflets calling on Idlib @ @ @ @ @ Army effort to deblock the M4 highway ; • Syrian state media claimed that 2 @ @ @ @ @ the Omar oil fields .
The US-led coalition denies .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:
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southfront--2020-04-28--Joint Turkish-Russian Patrol Takes Place On M4 Two Days After Turkish Army’s Clash With Hayat Tahrir

Joint Turkish-Russian Patrol Takes Place On M4 Two Days After Turkish Army’s Clash With Hayat Tahrir al-Sham In Nearby Area (Photos)

Click to see the full-size image On April 28 , the Turkish Army and the Russian Military Police held a @ @ @ @ @ the M4 highway in Syria ’ s southern Idlib .
As in the previous times @ @ @ @ @ in a limited area east of the government-controlled town of Saraqib .
The patrol took @ @ @ @ @ military incident between the Turkish Army and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that erupted during Turkey ’ @ @ @ @ @ the M4 highway near Nayrab .
MORE HERE Click to see the full-size image Click @ @ @ @ @ Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image MORE ON THE @ @

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On April 28, the Turkish Army and the Russian Military Police held a sixth limited joint patrol on the M4 highway in Syria’s southern Idlib. As in the previous times, the patrol took place in a limited area east of the government-controlled town of Saraqib. The patrol took just two days after a military incident between the Turkish Army and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that erupted during Turkey’s failed attempt to deblock the M4 highway near Nayrab. MORE HERE
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southfront--2020-04-28--No Agreements On “Killer Robots” Needed As Russia And China Won’t Keep Them: US Department Of State

On April 20th , the US State Department released a publication by Christopher Ford , US Assistance Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation .
He also carries out the duties of Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security .
The entire series of Arms Control and International Security Papers publications number 4 , in the first volume , and the one in focus is the second one – “ AI , Human-Machine Interaction , and Autonomous Weapons : Thinking Carefully About Taking “ Killer Robots ” Seriously.
” [ pdf ] The Arms Control and International Security Papers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security to make U.S. State Department policy analysis available in an electronically accessible format compatible with “ social distancing ” during the COVID-19 crisis .
This second in the “ T Series ” papers offers thoughts on the public policy challenges presented by the prospect of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems ( LAWS ) .
In this paper , Assistant Secretary Ford offers his perspective upon these issues , urging readers not to be seduced by sensationalized simplifications , and calling for careful , sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as through the work already being done by the LAWS Group of Governmental Experts .
Ford , from the get-go sets the stage , that despite being relatively new LAWS has its fair share of clichés and armchair experts .
After all , there ’ s numerous examples such as “ Skynet ” from Terminator , and when one hears killer robots , that ’ s the instant thing that pops up , for most .
And that is specifically why it is hard to talk about war-capable Artificial Intelligence , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is very emotional , as the movies are a big part of popular culture , and activists are very vocal and touch the emotional heart strings and waste no time fearmongering .
Now these popular culture and activist challenges aside , according to Ford , China , mostly , presents a very real challenge .
Beijing invests huge sums into AI development , and then claims that unnamed Chinese officials even say that AI would become the “ brain ” of future warfare – an “ AI Cluster ” entirely taking over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structure , among other things .
According to Chinese Ministry of Defense officials , Beijing must “ strengthen the research of artificial intelligence in the military field , ” in order to allow China to “ capture the ‘ new commanding heights ’ of the future battlefield , and ensure our army is built into a world-class military at an early date.
” And China isn ’ t the only one that the US should be worried about .
But Washington , according to Ford , has been adamant that developments into AI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on an ethical foundation .
According to Ford , a sort of committee should be established on AI , that would discuss possibly ethical developments and how the incoming future “ killer robots ” are actually to potentially be used against adversaries , and this includes the US , China , Russia , and every other country .
Furthermore , he said that “ sweeping policies ” shouldn ’ t be implemented , since it is still too early on in the developments for any such thing to be necessary , rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under US terms .
If Russia and China develop systems that , according to the US are unethical or unacceptable , they will be met with antagonism , possibly sanctioning and other repercussions .
He also admitted that any disarmament treaties are unlikely to happen , since one can ’ t simply trust authoritarian states for their world , while the democratic world dismantles their arsenal , similar to the situation with the nuclear weapons .
Essentially , there ’ s a lot of dangers for AI , the US , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be adhered by , and Russia and China and others should also adhere to them .
But there is no way to force them to do so with agreements , because Moscow and Beijing are dishonest from the get-go , so there is no need for Washington to even attempt to establish any such deals – because it would allegedly be the only party adhering to it .
As it has become abundantly clear with the INF Treaty , which sees Washington begin testing previously banned missiles a short time after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unwisely and foolishly ” even consider that these weapons were being developed while the ban was enforced , and Russia was being continuously accused of doing precisely that .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Development Of Robots Shifts Towards Human-Like Bodies And Actions ( Videos )

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On April 20th, the US State Department released a publication by Christopher Ford, US Assistance Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation.
He also carries out the duties of Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security.
The entire series of Arms Control and International Security Papers publications number 4, in the first volume, and the one in focus is the second one – “AI, Human-Machine Interaction, and Autonomous Weapons: Thinking Carefully About Taking “Killer Robots” Seriously.” [pdf]
The Arms Control and International Security Papers are produced by the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security to make U.S. State Department policy analysis available in an electronically accessible format compatible with “social distancing” during the COVID-19 crisis.
This second in the “T Series” papers offers thoughts on the public policy challenges presented by the prospect of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS).
In this paper, Assistant Secretary Ford offers his perspective upon these issues, urging readers not to be seduced by sensationalized simplifications, and calling for careful, sustained attention to the complexities they raised – such as through the work already being done by the LAWS Group of Governmental Experts.
Ford, from the get-go sets the stage, that despite being relatively new LAWS has its fair share of clichés and armchair experts.
After all, there’s numerous examples such as “Skynet” from Terminator, and when one hears killer robots, that’s the instant thing that pops up, for most.
And that is specifically why it is hard to talk about war-capable Artificial Intelligence, “killer robots” and such, since it is very emotional, as the movies are a big part of popular culture, and activists are very vocal and touch the emotional heart strings and waste no time fearmongering.
Now these popular culture and activist challenges aside, according to Ford, China, mostly, presents a very real challenge.
Beijing invests huge sums into AI development, and then claims that unnamed Chinese officials even say that AI would become the “brain” of future warfare – an “AI Cluster” entirely taking over from actual humans in the national command structure, among other things.
According to Chinese Ministry of Defense officials, Beijing must “strengthen the research of artificial intelligence in the military field,” in order to allow China to “capture the ‘new commanding heights’ of the future battlefield, and ensure our army is built into a world-class military at an early date.”
And China isn’t the only one that the US should be worried about. But Washington, according to Ford, has been adamant that developments into AI and specifically for war should be established based on an ethical foundation.
“In sharp contrast to the opacity so far displayed by Chinese and Russian officials on such subjects, the U.S. Department of Defense is promoting thoughtful, responsible, and human-centric adoption of AI by investing in AI systems that are resilient, reliable, and secure.”
According to Ford, a sort of committee should be established on AI, that would discuss possibly ethical developments and how the incoming future “killer robots” are actually to potentially be used against adversaries, and this includes the US, China, Russia, and every other country.
Furthermore, he said that “sweeping policies” shouldn’t be implemented, since it is still too early on in the developments for any such thing to be necessary, rather developments should be let happen, but under US terms. If Russia and China develop systems that, according to the US are unethical or unacceptable, they will be met with antagonism, possibly sanctioning and other repercussions.
He also admitted that any disarmament treaties are unlikely to happen, since one can’t simply trust authoritarian states for their world, while the democratic world dismantles their arsenal, similar to the situation with the nuclear weapons.
Essentially, there’s a lot of dangers for AI, the US, of course, is led by humanitarian values that need to be adhered by, and Russia and China and others should also adhere to them.
But there is no way to force them to do so with agreements, because Moscow and Beijing are dishonest from the get-go, so there is no need for Washington to even attempt to establish any such deals – because it would allegedly be the only party adhering to it.
As it has become abundantly clear with the INF Treaty, which sees Washington begin testing previously banned missiles a short time after the deal was scrapped. One would “unwisely and foolishly” even consider that these weapons were being developed while the ban was enforced, and Russia was being continuously accused of doing precisely that.
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