southfront--2020-09-09--Russian Warplanes Hit Militants’ Positions In Syria’s Lattakia

On September 9 , warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a series of airstrikes on Lattakia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , the airstrikes targeted militants ’ positions in @ @ @ @ @ of Kabani in the Kurd Mountain area .
No losses were reported .
The Russian @ @ @ @ @ likely a response to the militants ’ repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement on Greater @ @ @ @ @ .
The militants , including those allied with Turkey , intensified their attacks on Syrian @ @ @ @ @ in the last few weeks .
Turkish forces in the region are not taking measures @ @ @ @ @ attacks .
Under the March 5 agreement with Russia , Turkey committed to neutralize the @ @ @ @ @ and reopen the M4 highway .
Ankara ’ s failure to honor its commitments may @ @ @ @ @ its allies to act on their own and resume ground operations in Greater Idlib .
@ @ @ @ @ • Resistance To Occupation ?
US- And Turkish-Backed Forces Suffer Casualties In Northeastern Syria

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On September 9, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a series of airstrikes on Lattakia’s northern countryside.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the airstrikes targeted militants’ positions in the vicinity of the town of Kabani in the Kurd Mountain area. No losses were reported.
The Russian airstrikes on northern Lattakia were likely a response to the militants’ repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement on Greater Idlib signed on March 5.
The militants, including those allied with Turkey, intensified their attacks on Syrian government troops in Greater Idlib in the last few weeks. Turkish forces in the region are not taking measures to stop the militants’ attacks.
Under the March 5 agreement with Russia, Turkey committed to neutralize the remaining militants in Greater Idlib and reopen the M4 highway.
Ankara’s failure to honor its commitments may force the Syrian military and its allies to act on their own and resume ground operations in Greater Idlib.
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southfront--2020-09-09--SouthFront Survival Depends On You

SouthFront Survival Depends On You

The year of 2020 has been marked by a number of negative tendencies and crises .
This includes the global economic crisis , the COVID-19 outbreak , the increase of chances of a US-Iranian war in the Middle East and further .
These developments are accompanied by the increasing censorship against independent media organizations and activists .
Euro-Atlantic structures have been contributing extensive efforts to silence independent points of view .
SouthFront is one of the targets of this campaign .
The pressure faced by our team is unprecedented .
Despite this , our team is not going to surrender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survived in the previous months and even was able to keep most of its coverage ( including text analyses , exclusive videos , maps and infographics ) .
Nonetheless , the situation remains critical .
Since September 1 , we ’ ve collected 523 USD .
This is about 10.46 % of the monthly budget needed to continue SouthFront work and further .
Unlike propaganda structures funded by the Euro-Atlantic establishment , SouthFront operates thanks to the audience ’ s donations .
We will not be able to survive without your help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bitcoin and other options .
This systems accepts all types of cards , PayPal , Amazon Payments , bitcoin ( FAQ is under the main text , in P.S . )
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DEAR FRIENDS,
The year of 2020 has been marked by a number of negative tendencies and crises. This includes the global economic crisis, the COVID-19 outbreak, the increase of chances of a US-Iranian war in the Middle East and further.
These developments are accompanied by the increasing censorship against independent media organizations and activists. Euro-Atlantic structures have been contributing extensive efforts to silence independent points of view. SouthFront is one of the targets of this campaign. The pressure faced by our team is unprecedented.
Despite this, our team is not going to surrender. Thanks to your support, SouthFront survived in the previous months and even was able to keep most of its coverage (including text analyses, exclusive videos, maps and infographics). Nonetheless, the situation remains critical.
Since September 1, we’ve collected 523 USD. This is about 10.46% of the monthly budget needed to continue SouthFront work and further.
Unlike propaganda structures funded by the Euro-Atlantic establishment, SouthFront operates thanks to the audience’s donations. We will not be able to survive without your help.
SUPPORT SOUTHFRONT WORK:
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Donate via VISA, PayPal, Paysafecard, Bitcoin and other options.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Trump Plans To Announce Another Troop Withdrawal, Now From Iraq: Reports

US President Donald Trump is planning to announce a withdrawal of thousands of US troops from Iraq on September 9 , US media reported citing ‘ senior administration officials ’ .
According to reports , the announcement will also include the reduction of troops in Afghanistan .
Currently , the United States has about 5,200 troops deployed and the countless number of mercenaries deployed in Iraq .
In the previous months , the US handed over several of its bases to the Iraqi military amid the growing number of rocket and IED attacks on its forces across the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the ongoing regrouping of forces inside Iraq .
Now , some sources expect , the US may really decrease the military presence in the country .
Nonetheless , this withdrawal of US forces will not mean that the US will leave the country alone and US forces will still remain there to ‘ protect oil ’ and secure the US-Israeli interests .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • US On-Again Off-Again Partial Troop Withdrawal From Iraq : On Again ?
• Modern Iraq As Battleground Of Geopolitical Standoff In Middle East

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US President Donald Trump is planning to announce a withdrawal of thousands of US troops from Iraq on September 9, US media reported citing ‘senior administration officials’.
According to reports, the announcement will also include the reduction of troops in Afghanistan.
Currently, the United States has about 5,200 troops deployed and the countless number of mercenaries deployed in Iraq.
In the previous months, the US handed over several of its bases to the Iraqi military amid the growing number of rocket and IED attacks on its forces across the country. Nonetheless, this move was mostly a part of the ongoing regrouping of forces inside Iraq.
Now, some sources expect, the US may really decrease the military presence in the country. Nonetheless, this withdrawal of US forces will not mean that the US will leave the country alone and US forces will still remain there to ‘protect oil’ and secure the US-Israeli interests.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Afghan Vice President Survives Bomb Attack In Kabul. At Least 10 People Killed

On September 9 , at least 10 people were killed in roadside explosion targeting the convoy of First Vice President @ @ @ @ @ capital of Kabul .
At least 15 more people were injured .
The Taliban denied @ @ @ @ @ Earlier , the movement pledged not to launch attacks in urban areas under a peace @ @ @ @ @ .
ISIS cells freely operating in many government-controlled parts of Afghanistan remain the main suspect @ @ @ @ @ : • Will September 2020 Be A Historic Month For Afghanistan , Or Just More @ @ @ @

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On September 9, at least 10 people were killed in roadside explosion targeting the convoy of First Vice President Amrullah Saleh in the Afghan capital of Kabul. At least 15 more people were injured.
The Vice President escaped the attack unharmed.
The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack. Earlier, the movement pledged not to launch attacks in urban areas under a peace deal with the United States.
ISIS cells freely operating in many government-controlled parts of Afghanistan remain the main suspect.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Shots Fired, Fist Fights Resume At Chinese-Indian Border (Videos, Maps)

Tensions are once again growing at the Chinese-Indian border .
In the start of the week , India and China @ @ @ @ @ shots across the contact line in the region of Ladakh .
China accused India of @ @ @ @ @ ” claiming that Indian troops breached the Line of Actual Control and entered the Chinese-controlled @ @ @ @ @ allegedly “ opened fire to threaten the Chinese border defense patrol officers ” .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ large fist fight between Chinese and Indian troops in the area appeared online .
The @ @ @ @ @ developing tensions between the sides with both pro-Chinese and pro-Indian sources claiming to take revenge @ @ @ @ @ .
The de-escalation of tensions in the region apparently failed .
MORE ON THE TOPIC @ @ @ @ @ With First Launch Of Reusable Space Craft • US Plan To Establish Asia-Pacific ‘ NATO-type @ @ @ @ @

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Tensions are once again growing at the Chinese-Indian border.
In the start of the week, India and China accused each others of firing shots across the contact line in the region of Ladakh. China accused India of a “severe military provocation” claiming that Indian troops breached the Line of Actual Control and entered the Chinese-controlled area. These Indian troops allegedly “opened fire to threaten the Chinese border defense patrol officers”.
Meanwhile, new footage showing a large fist fight between Chinese and Indian troops in the area appeared online. The undated video contributed to the developing tensions between the sides with both pro-Chinese and pro-Indian sources claiming to take revenge for provocations of the opponent. The de-escalation of tensions in the region apparently failed.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Assange’s Second Day at the Old Bailey: Torture, Drone Strikes and Journalism

The highlights of the second day of Julian Assange ’ s extradition proceedings at the Central Criminal Court in London yielded an interesting bounty .
The first was the broader public purpose behind the WikiLeaks disclosures , their utility in legal proceedings , and their importance in disclosing instances of US extrajudicial killings , torture and rendition .
The second involved a discussion about the practice of journalism and the politicised nature of the prosecution against Assange .
Human rights attorney Clive Stafford Smith and founder of Reprieve , an organisation specialising in investigating instances of US detention , rendition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Summers QC for the defence .
The disclosures by WikiLeaks , he claimed , had been important in the issue of challenging the legitimacy of US drone strikes in Pakistan .
Successful litigation conducted in that country found such strikes “ criminal offences and that criminal proceedings should be initiated against senior US officials involved in such strikes.
” A high court in Pakistan had found that they constituted a “ blatant violation of basic human rights ” .
Stafford Smith noted how the drone assassination program “ leaked over to narcotics … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their involvement in drug trade because it was seen as funding terrorism .
I could go on… ” The statement submitted to the court by Stafford Smith also emphasised how the WikiLeaks material disclosed on the treatment of detainees in Guantánamo were “ the top of a very important discourse that would seem to be important in the public interest , about the abysmal intelligence used to detain prisoners and make important public policy decisions.
” Stafford Smith ’ s statement also volunteers a twist : that the material published by WikiLeaks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best face that the US government could put on the crimes it had committed against the Guantánamo prisoners.
” In his testimony , Stafford Smith affirmed the mixed returns of those disclosures .
The leaks initially seemed to portray “ the very worst that the US authorities confect about the prisoners I have represented ” .
He was “ frustrated ” on first reading the WikiLeaks documents , thinking “ they would leak what I get to see ” .
The mosaic , however , was pieced together to disprove the case against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussing the issue of enhanced interrogation techniques used by US personnel , Stafford Smith suggested the similarities shown in method to those used in the Spanish Inquisition .
“ As you go through the documentation WikiLeaks leaked , there are all sorts of things identified , including where people are taken and renditioned … and that was the case in Binyam ’ s case.
” In being part of an effort to hold US officials to account for war crimes , Stafford Smith had a teasing pointer on the implications for WikiLeaks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking to assist in an investigation which could lead to ICC [ International Criminal Court ] investigation , which is what WikiLeaks does ” .
It was a pointed reminder that Assange ’ s defence team could well fall within the remit of US sanctions currently directed at the ICC by the Trump administration .
In his overall assessment , Stafford Smith suggested that , “ The power and value of WikiLeaks disclosures about Iraq and Afghanistan can scarcely be understated , and are of ‘ key importance ’ to ‘ evidence war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US and its allies.
” All of this left James Lewis QC of the prosecution more than a touch cranky .
Stafford Smith had referred to cables that did not form the subject of charges against Assange .
They were , claimed Lewis , irrelevant ; the US case was only concerned with those documents that had revealed the names of informants .
The defence claim is precisely the opposite : that such documents as referred to by Stafford Smith would be covered by the charges of Assange “ communicating ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show could be the subject of a prosecution on US soil .
Cheekily , Stafford Smith suggested that Lewis was “ wrong about the way in which cases are prosecuted ” in the US .
Merely because such cables were not outlined in the indictment did not suggest prosecutors would not use them in trial .
“ You can not tell the court how this case will be prosecuted .
You ’ re making things up.
” Such legal bickering proved too much for Assange .
“ This is nonsense , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my role is to sit here and legitimate what is illegitimate by proxy.
” Cue Judge Vanessa Baraitser , who took witheringly to the intervention .
“ I understand of course you will hear things , most likely many things you would not like , and you would like to intervene but it is not your role.
” While Assange remaining in court was “ something the court would wish for ” , it “ could proceed without you.
” A feature that has stood out in the entire endeavour against Assange is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the investigation into Assange and WikiLeaks has been an organic , methodical one , building since 2010 and flowering in 2020 .
The testimony of journalism academic Mark Feldstein suggested otherwise .
He referred to a piece from November 2013 highlighting the decision by the Obama administration to not proceed .
Officials from the Justice Department did stress at the time that no “ formal decision ” had been made , as the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks remained impanelled .
But there was “ little possibility of bringing a case against Assange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity other than releasing online top-secret military and diplomatic documents.
” The implications of prosecuting Assange were evidently clear : to do so would lead to the obvious conclusion that US news organisations and journalists would also face the prosecutor ’ s brief .
This cautionary attitude was not to be found at the Federal Bureau of Investigation .
In 2017 , they were seeking a “ head on a pike ” .
By then , President Donald Trump had moved into an offensive mode against journalists ; the then director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in categorising WikiLeaks as a hostile non-state intelligence agency , while Jeff Sessions as Attorney-General was all zeal in asking prosecutors to take a closer look at the Assange case .
But the worm had not entirely turned .
Federal attorneys such as James Trump , a figure in the prosecution of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling , who had leaked classified material to journalist James Risen , and Daniel Grooms , demurred .
Both were concerned that undertaking such a prosecution would fall foul of the First Amendment , and be plagued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed home the points in his testimony in deeming the efforts against Assange political in nature .
The scope of the charges had no precedent ; the Obama administration had shown reservations in embarking on what would be a fraught process ; the wording of the superseding indictment suggested political leanings ; and Trump had shown a deep antipathy for the press .
Previous efforts to prosecute journalists , he concluded , were “ obviously highly political ” .
Undeterred , the prosecution resorted to a conventional tactic : accusing the witness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider was whether names had been revealed in the publication of such documents .
Doing so would result in harm .
If this had been the case , suggested Feldstein , the prosecution might have simply used the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 , a narrower statute for the purpose .
Instead , terms such as “ conspiracy ” and “ recruiting ” – the sort normally coupled with “ terrorist ” , had been deployed .
Besides , the issue of “ harm ” tended to be a bread and butter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove and used to conceal improprieties .
As a case in point , that most pertinent of precedents , the Pentagon Papers , was cited .
As Feldstein noted , the arguments made by prosecutors at the time about the consequences of their disclosure – possible prolongation of the Vietnam War , identification of CIA officials , exposure of war plans – were also caught up in the concept of “ immediate and irreparable ” harm .
It subsequently transpired that one prosecutor thought no harm would arise at all .
What mattered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to question the loyalty of media outlets .
Standard journalistic method , Feldstein reiterated , directs the source , asking what is needed and seeking more information as relevant .
The journalist effectively works with the source .
Criminalising that as a case of “ conspiring ” would make the “ most of what investigative journalists do … criminal.
” On the point of the journalist ’ s craft , the prosecution continued to push the precarious argument that the publishing activities of the were different from that of WikiLeaks .
Journalists did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here , Feldstein conceded , things could be murky .
“ We journalists are not passive stenographers .
To suggest receiving anonymously in the mail is the only way is wrong.
” As to whether he had engaged in publishing such information , Feldstein was unequivocal : not so much “ classified documents ” but certainly “ soliciting and publishing secret information.
” A balanced overview of the day ’ s proceedings would have found Lewis struggling with the prosecution narrative focusing on alleged harm caused by Assange , the defence resolute in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disclosures .
This was too much to expect from the pedestrian reporting of a Fourth Estate more obsessed with Assange the man .
From to the , only one thing mattered : the warning by Judge Baraitser that Assange should keep silent and avoid any outbursts .
As Kevin Gosztola observed , “ US prosecutors win the news cycle on Day 2.
” Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College , Cambridge .
He lectures at RMIT University , Melbourne .
Email : bkampmark @ gmail.com MORE ON THE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Its Efforts To Extradite Julian Assange

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Submitted by Dr. Binoy Kampmark
The highlights of the second day of Julian Assange’s extradition proceedings at the Central Criminal Court in London yielded an interesting bounty. The first was the broader public purpose behind the WikiLeaks disclosures, their utility in legal proceedings, and their importance in disclosing instances of US extrajudicial killings, torture and rendition. The second involved a discussion about the practice of journalism and the politicised nature of the prosecution against Assange.
Human rights attorney Clive Stafford Smith and founder of Reprieve, an organisation specialising in investigating instances of US detention, rendition and disappearances, was called by Mark Summers QC for the defence. The disclosures by WikiLeaks, he claimed, had been important in the issue of challenging the legitimacy of US drone strikes in Pakistan. Successful litigation conducted in that country found such strikes “criminal offences and that criminal proceedings should be initiated against senior US officials involved in such strikes.” A high court in Pakistan had found that they constituted a “blatant violation of basic human rights”. Stafford Smith noted how the drone assassination program “leaked over to narcotics … they were targeting people for death for their involvement in drug trade because it was seen as funding terrorism. I could go on…”
The statement submitted to the court by Stafford Smith also emphasised how the WikiLeaks material disclosed on the treatment of detainees in Guantánamo were “the top of a very important discourse that would seem to be important in the public interest, about the abysmal intelligence used to detain prisoners and make important public policy decisions.” Stafford Smith’s statement also volunteers a twist: that the material published by WikiLeaks on the subject seemed to be “the best face that the US government could put on the crimes it had committed against the Guantánamo prisoners.”
In his testimony, Stafford Smith affirmed the mixed returns of those disclosures. The leaks initially seemed to portray “the very worst that the US authorities confect about the prisoners I have represented”. He was “frustrated” on first reading the WikiLeaks documents, thinking “they would leak what I get to see”. The mosaic, however, was pieced together to disprove the case against his client.
When it came to discussing the issue of enhanced interrogation techniques used by US personnel, Stafford Smith suggested the similarities shown in method to those used in the Spanish Inquisition. “As you go through the documentation WikiLeaks leaked, there are all sorts of things identified, including where people are taken and renditioned … and that was the case in Binyam’s case.” In being part of an effort to hold US officials to account for war crimes, Stafford Smith had a teasing pointer on the implications for WikiLeaks. “Anyone can be sanctioned who is seeking to assist in an investigation which could lead to ICC [International Criminal Court] investigation, which is what WikiLeaks does”. It was a pointed reminder that Assange’s defence team could well fall within the remit of US sanctions currently directed at the ICC by the Trump administration.
In his overall assessment, Stafford Smith suggested that, “The power and value of WikiLeaks disclosures about Iraq and Afghanistan can scarcely be understated, and are of ‘key importance’ to ‘evidence war crimes and human rights violations by the US and its allies.”
All of this left James Lewis QC of the prosecution more than a touch cranky. Stafford Smith had referred to cables that did not form the subject of charges against Assange. They were, claimed Lewis, irrelevant; the US case was only concerned with those documents that had revealed the names of informants. The defence claim is precisely the opposite: that such documents as referred to by Stafford Smith would also be covered by the charges of Assange “communicating” and “obtaining” classified material. The whole show could be the subject of a prosecution on US soil.
Cheekily, Stafford Smith suggested that Lewis was “wrong about the way in which cases are prosecuted” in the US. Merely because such cables were not outlined in the indictment did not suggest prosecutors would not use them in trial. “You cannot tell the court how this case will be prosecuted. You’re making things up.”
Such legal bickering proved too much for Assange. “This is nonsense,” he claimed from the dock. “Apparently my role is to sit here and legitimate what is illegitimate by proxy.” Cue Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who took witheringly to the intervention. “I understand of course you will hear things, most likely many things you would not like, and you would like to intervene but it is not your role.” While Assange remaining in court was “something the court would wish for”, it “could proceed without you.”
A feature that has stood out in the entire endeavour against Assange is the stench of politics. Lewis disagrees; the investigation into Assange and WikiLeaks has been an organic, methodical one, building since 2010 and flowering in 2020. The testimony of journalism academic Mark Feldstein suggested otherwise. He referred to a Washington Post piece from November 2013 highlighting the decision by the Obama administration to not proceed. Officials from the Justice Department did stress at the time that no “formal decision” had been made, as the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks remained impanelled. But there was “little possibility of bringing a case against Assange, unless he is implicated in criminal activity other than releasing online top-secret military and diplomatic documents.” The implications of prosecuting Assange were evidently clear: to do so would lead to the obvious conclusion that US news organisations and journalists would also face the prosecutor’s brief.
This cautionary attitude was not to be found at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2017, they were seeking a “head on a pike”. By then, President Donald Trump had moved into an offensive mode against journalists; the then director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mike Pompeo was resolute in categorising WikiLeaks as a hostile non-state intelligence agency, while Jeff Sessions as Attorney-General was all zeal in asking prosecutors to take a closer look at the Assange case.
But the worm had not entirely turned. Federal attorneys such as James Trump, a figure in the prosecution of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, who had leaked classified material to journalist James Risen, and Daniel Grooms, demurred. Both were concerned that undertaking such a prosecution would fall foul of the First Amendment, and be plagued by legal and factual challenges.
Feldstein pushed home the points in his testimony in deeming the efforts against Assange political in nature. The scope of the charges had no precedent; the Obama administration had shown reservations in embarking on what would be a fraught process; the wording of the superseding indictment suggested political leanings; and Trump had shown a deep antipathy for the press. Previous efforts to prosecute journalists, he concluded, were “obviously highly political”.
Undeterred, the prosecution resorted to a conventional tactic: accusing the witness of speculating. The reality Feldstein needed to consider was whether names had been revealed in the publication of such documents. Doing so would result in harm. If this had been the case, suggested Feldstein, the prosecution might have simply used the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982, a narrower statute for the purpose. Instead, terms such as “conspiracy” and “recruiting” – the sort normally coupled with “terrorist”, had been deployed. Besides, the issue of “harm” tended to be a bread and butter response by governments that was impossible to prove and used to conceal improprieties.
As a case in point, that most pertinent of precedents, the Pentagon Papers, was cited. As Feldstein noted, the arguments made by prosecutors at the time about the consequences of their disclosure – possible prolongation of the Vietnam War, identification of CIA officials, exposure of war plans – were also caught up in the concept of “immediate and irreparable” harm. It subsequently transpired that one prosecutor thought no harm would arise at all. What mattered was the effort by the Nixon administration to question the loyalty of media outlets.
Standard journalistic method, Feldstein reiterated, directs the source, asking what is needed and seeking more information as relevant. The journalist effectively works with the source. Criminalising that as a case of “conspiring” would make the “most of what investigative journalists do … criminal.”
On the point of the journalist’s craft, the prosecution continued to push the precarious argument that the publishing activities of the New York Times were different from that of WikiLeaks. Journalists did not steal or unlawfully obtain information. Here, Feldstein conceded, things could be murky. “We journalists are not passive stenographers. To suggest receiving anonymously in the mail is the only way is wrong.” As to whether he had engaged in publishing such information, Feldstein was unequivocal: not so much “classified documents” but certainly “soliciting and publishing secret information.”
A balanced overview of the day’s proceedings would have found Lewis struggling with the prosecution narrative focusing on alleged harm caused by Assange, the defence resolute in returning to the big picture element of the disclosures. This was too much to expect from the pedestrian reporting of a Fourth Estate more obsessed with Assange the man. From The Guardian to the Daily Beast, only one thing mattered: the warning by Judge Baraitser that Assange should keep silent and avoid any outbursts. As Kevin Gosztola observed, “US prosecutors win the news cycle on Day 2.”
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com
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southfront--2020-09-09--Entire Rochester Police Command Resigns

Entire Rochester Police Command Resigns

Rochester , NY Police Chief La ’ Ron Singletary said in a surprise announcement on Tuesday that he will be retiring at the age of 40 after less than 18 months on the job , after controversy erupted over the March death of a black man while in police custody .
His deputy and the city ’ s entire command staff joined him in leaving , according to and .
Speaking via Zoom , Mayor Lovely Warren confirmed the moves , adding “ The Chief was not asked to give his resignation.
” When asked who would be in charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event of new protests , Warren said she didn ’ t know and asked for the briefing to be adjourned so that a replacement could be found .
As of Sunday , a total of 37 people had been arrested and eight police officers hospitalized amid the unrest .
-Bloomberg Singletary came under fire following news of the death of Daniel Prude , a mentally ill black man who died of asphyxiation after police attempted to take him into protective custody in March – two months before the death of George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t become public until last week , according to the .
Prude , 41 , had been suffering from a mental health episode and was running naked throughout the streets .
Once officers caught him , a ‘ spit hood ’ was placed over his head after he began spitting .
He was then held face down on the pavement for just over two minutes , after which he stopped breathing .
Prude was pronounced DOA to the hospital from asphyxia .
In a Tuesday statement , Chief Singletary said in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character , ” adding “ The events over the past week are an attempt to destroy my character and integrity.
” No successors have been announced .

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
President Trump has weighed in:
Police Chief, and most of the police in Rochester, N.Y., have resigned. The Democrat Mayor and, of courses, Governor Cuomo, have no idea what to do. New York State is a mess – No Money, High Taxes & Crime, Everyone Fleeing. November 3rd. We can fix it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2020
* * *
Rochester, NY Police Chief La’Ron Singletary said in a surprise announcement on Tuesday that he will be retiring at the age of 40 after less than 18 months on the job, after controversy erupted over the March death of a black man while in police custody.
His deputy and the city’s entire command staff joined him in leaving, according to ABC News and Bloomberg.
Speaking via Zoom, Mayor Lovely Warren confirmed the moves, adding “The Chief was not asked to give his resignation.”
When asked who would be in charge of the police department this evening in the event of new protests, Warren said she didn’t know and asked for the briefing to be adjourned so that a replacement could be found. As of Sunday, a total of 37 people had been arrested and eight police officers hospitalized amid the unrest. -Bloomberg
Singletary came under fire following news of the death of Daniel Prude, a mentally ill black man who died of asphyxiation after police attempted to take him into protective custody in March – two months before the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, yet the incident didn’t become public until last week, according to the Democrat & Chronicle.
Prude, 41, had been suffering from a mental health episode and was running naked throughout the streets. Once officers caught him, a ‘spit hood’ was placed over his head after he began spitting. He was then held face down on the pavement for just over two minutes, after which he stopped breathing. Prude was pronounced DOA to the hospital from asphyxia.
In a Tuesday statement, Chief Singletary said in part: “As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character,” adding “The events over the past week are an attempt to destroy my character and integrity.”
Wow! After 20 years LaRon Singletary retires from RPD pic.twitter.com/gLMDoCOjMe — Jazzy T (@JazzyTOnAir) September 8, 2020
No successors have been announced.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Mi-38T Multi-Mission Military Helicopter (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The Mi-38 is a transport helicopter designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and produced @ @ @ @ @ The Mi-38T is a military variant produced for the Russian Armed Forces .
MORE ON @ @ @

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The Mi-38 is a transport helicopter designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and produced by Kazan Helicopter Plant. The Mi-38T is a military variant produced for the Russian Armed Forces.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Resistance To Occupation? US- And Turkish-Backed Forces Suffer Casualties In Northeastern Syria

Several members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkish-backed militant groups were killed or injured in a series of attacks by unknown gunmen in the Syrian provinces of Homs and Raqqa .
According to Syrian state media , gunmen riding a motorcycle shelled a position of Turkish-backed forces in the vicinity of al-Zibakiya village in the northern part of Raqqa province .
At least one Turkish-backed militant was reportedly killed .
In a separate development at least one SDF member was killed by unknown persons near the farms ’ roundabout in Raqqa city , and another one was injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Darnaj and al-Tayyana towns in eastern Deir Ezzor .
Pro-SDF sources often blame attacks on their forces in northeastern Syria on ISIS and Turkish proxies , while Turkey prefers to blame the SDF , the Kuridsh People ’ s Protection Units ( YPG ; the main group in the SDF ) and the Kurdistan Workers Party ( PKK ; linked with the YPG ) .
On the other hand , the attention of Syrian state media to these attacks may indicate that Damascus would like to paint them as a kind of local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ON THE TOPIC :

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Several members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkish-backed militant groups were killed or injured in a series of attacks by unknown gunmen in the Syrian provinces of Homs and Raqqa.
According to Syrian state media, gunmen riding a motorcycle shelled a position of Turkish-backed forces in the vicinity of al-Zibakiya village in the northern part of Raqqa province. At least one Turkish-backed militant was reportedly killed.
In a separate development at least one SDF member was killed by unknown persons near the farms’ roundabout in Raqqa city, and another one was injured in an attack on the road between Darnaj and al-Tayyana towns in eastern Deir Ezzor.
Pro-SDF sources often blame attacks on their forces in northeastern Syria on ISIS and Turkish proxies, while Turkey prefers to blame the SDF, the Kuridsh People’s Protection Units (YPG; the main group in the SDF) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK; linked with the YPG).
On the other hand, the attention of Syrian state media to these attacks may indicate that Damascus would like to paint them as a kind of local resistance to the occupation forces.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Iran Seeks Revenge For Sabotage Attack On Natanz Nuclear Plant

Iran has identified the perpetrators of an act of sabotage at Natanz nuclear facility in the central part of the country in July , according to a spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran .
Behrouz Kamalvandi said that while the details of the act of sabotage are still being investigated , the security forces “ have detected the agents [ who committed the act of sabotage ] as well as the motive , methods and manner of the sabotage.
” According to the Iranian side , the saboteurs sought to disrupt the uranium enrichment process at the Natanz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this respect .
The act of sabotage reportedly caused no casualties and failed to stop the enrichment work at the facility .
The AEOI spokesman likened the current conditions facing the country to the battleground adding that security forces allegedly “ succeeded in confronting a large number of cyber attacks on its nuclear facilities.
” The AEOI for the first time described the July 2 incident at the Natanz nuclear facility as a sabotage attack on July 23 , and since then pro-Iranian sources have repeatedly vowed to take revenge for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defence Minister Amir Hatami announced that the country is working to expand its missile capabilities even further .
In particular , the military is working on air-launched cruise missiles that would be able to hit targets in the range of up to 1,400km .
These statements cause expected concern in Israel , the United States and Saudi Arabia , as the main geopolitical opponents of Iran in the region .
They also claim that Teheran has been ramping up its proxy efforts against the Saudi-Israeli-US block in Yemen , Iraq , Syria , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loud claims by Iranian officials and state-linked media , Iran is in fact not interested in an open military confrontation with the US-Israeli alliance .
Therefore , it is logical that the Iranian response to the Natanz attack will likely be asymmetric .
The recently increased IED attacks on US convoys and rocket strikes on US-affiliated facilities in Iraq could be a part of this campaign .
At the same time , Israel has been actively strengthening security measures on the contact lines with Lebanon and Syria , and continues its low intensity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Syria .
Iran can not leave attacks on its nuclear infrastructure unanswered .
Nonetheless , if the Iranian asymmetric response appears to be too successful , Israel and its allies in any case will blame Iran , even if they have no smoking gun evidence .
Therefore , the confrontation will escalate even further .

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Iran has identified the perpetrators of an act of sabotage at Natanz nuclear facility in the central part of the country in July, according to a spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. Behrouz Kamalvandi said that while the details of the act of sabotage are still being investigated, the security forces “have detected the agents [who committed the act of sabotage] as well as the motive, methods and manner of the sabotage.”
According to the Iranian side, the saboteurs sought to disrupt the uranium enrichment process at the Natanz facility, but they were not successful in this respect. The act of sabotage reportedly caused no casualties and failed to stop the enrichment work at the facility. The AEOI spokesman likened the current conditions facing the country to the battleground adding that security forces allegedly “succeeded in confronting a large number of cyber attacks on its nuclear facilities.”
The AEOI for the first time described the July 2 incident at the Natanz nuclear facility as a sabotage attack on July 23, and since then pro-Iranian sources have repeatedly vowed to take revenge for the attack.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Hatami announced that the country is working to expand its missile capabilities even further. In particular, the military is working on air-launched cruise missiles that would be able to hit targets in the range of up to 1,400km.
These statements cause expected concern in Israel, the United States and Saudi Arabia, as the main geopolitical opponents of Iran in the region. They also claim that Teheran has been ramping up its proxy efforts against the Saudi-Israeli-US block in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Despite loud claims by Iranian officials and state-linked media, Iran is in fact not interested in an open military confrontation with the US-Israeli alliance. Therefore, it is logical that the Iranian response to the Natanz attack will likely be asymmetric. The recently increased IED attacks on US convoys and rocket strikes on US-affiliated facilities in Iraq could be a part of this campaign.
At the same time, Israel has been actively strengthening security measures on the contact lines with Lebanon and Syria, and continues its low intensity bombing campaign against ‘Iranian-linked targets’ in Syria.
Iran cannot leave attacks on its nuclear infrastructure unanswered. Nonetheless, if the Iranian asymmetric response appears to be too successful, Israel and its allies in any case will blame Iran, even if they have no smoking gun evidence. Therefore, the confrontation will escalate even further.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Military Situation In Somalia On September 8, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Somalia : • Somaliland Electoral Commission @ @ @ @ @ ( Kulmiye , Waddani , Ucid ) agreed to hold the elections within nine months @ @ @ @ @ US , Kenyan and Somali troops with a car bomb in the village of Jana @ @ @ @ @ of Somali Special Forces and wounding 1 US military service member ; • According to @ @ @ @ @ military conducted an airstrike killing an al-Shabaab member in the vicinity of Kurtun Warey .
@ @ @ @ @ • At Least 17 Killed In Somalia In Suicide Attack By Al-Shabab Militants • More @ @ @ @ @ Operations In Africa

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Somalia:
Somaliland Electoral Commission and the three political parties ( Kulmiye, Waddani, Ucid) agreed to hold the elections within nine months;
Al-Shabab group targeted US, Kenyan and Somali troops with a car bomb in the village of Jana Abdalle, killing 2 members of Somali Special Forces and wounding 1 US military service member;
According to U.S. AFRICOM, the US military conducted an airstrike killing an al-Shabaab member in the vicinity of Kurtun Warey.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Turkish-backed Forces Captured Mi-8 Helicopter Of Libyan National Army (Photos, Map)

Forces of the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord ( GNA ) captured a Mi-8 helicopter of the Libyan National Army @ @ @ @ @ helicopter crash landed near the village of Abugrein , in the western countryside of Sirte @ @ @ @ @ by LNA service members .
This Mi-8 became the second LNA helicopter that was captured @ @ @ @ @ a technical malfunction .
The previous one , a Mi-17 , crash landed and was @ @ @ @ @ of Sirte in August .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Hundreds Of Syrian Militants @ @ @ @ @ GNA Declared Ceasefire

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Forces of the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) captured a Mi-8 helicopter of the Libyan National Army (LNA). The helicopter crash landed near the village of Abugrein, in the western countryside of Sirte, and then was abandoned by LNA service members.
This Mi-8 became the second LNA helicopter that was captured by the GNA due to a technical malfunction. The previous one, a Mi-17, crash landed and was abandoned by LNA forces west of Sirte in August.
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southfront--2020-09-09--T129 ATAK Attack Helicopter (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The T129 ATAK is a twin-engine , tandem seat , multi-role , all-weather attack @ @ @ @ @ on the Italian Agusta A129 Mangusta platform and was developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries with @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC :

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The T129 ATAK is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter. It is based on the Italian Agusta A129 Mangusta platform and was developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries with partner AgustaWestland.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Russia To Send 1,000 Fighters From Northeast Syria To Libya: Anadolu Agency

Russia was preparing to send 1,000 Syrian fighters to Libya to reinforce the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) , the Anadolu Agency reported on September 9 , citing local source .
The Turkish-state run news agency claimed that Russia had recruited the Syrian fighters from the northeastern city of al-Qamishli , which is located on the border with Turkey .
The city is jointly controlled by government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces .
“ They [ the fighters ] are between the ages of 20 and 45 and will each receive $ 2,000 per month to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five months , ” the Anadolu Agency quoted the sources as saying .
The Anadolu Agency claimed that Russia had so far deployed 5,000 Syrian private military contractors in Libya .
The same number was mentioned in a recent report by the Pentagon ’ s Inspector General .
In the last few months , a series of reports by Syrian pro-opposition sources and Turkish outlets have accused Russia of deploying Syrian pro-government fighters in Libya to support the LNA .
So far , there has been no evidence to back these claims .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sufficient evidence on the deployment of thousands of Syrian militants by Turkey in Libya .
The numbers are reportedly between 5,000 and 18,000 .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Russia Just Lost One Of Fighter Jets Deployed In Libya ?

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Russia was preparing to send 1,000 Syrian fighters to Libya to reinforce the Libyan National Army (LNA), the Anadolu Agency reported on September 9, citing local source.
The Turkish-state run news agency claimed that Russia had recruited the Syrian fighters from the northeastern city of al-Qamishli, which is located on the border with Turkey. The city is jointly controlled by government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces.
“They [the fighters] are between the ages of 20 and 45 and will each receive $2,000 per month to be a part of Haftar’s forces for five months,” the Anadolu Agency quoted the sources as saying.
The Anadolu Agency claimed that Russia had so far deployed 5,000 Syrian private military contractors in Libya. The same number was mentioned in a recent report by the Pentagon’s Inspector General.
In the last few months, a series of reports by Syrian pro-opposition sources and Turkish outlets have accused Russia of deploying Syrian pro-government fighters in Libya to support the LNA. So far, there has been no evidence to back these claims.
On the other hand, there is sufficient evidence on the deployment of thousands of Syrian militants by Turkey in Libya. The numbers are reportedly between 5,000 and 18,000.
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southfront--2020-09-09--Libya’s Waring Parties Agree To Find “Comprehensive Political Settlement” During Morocco Talks

Delegations of the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) and the House of Representatives ( HoR ) had agreed to reach a “ comprehensive political settlement ” to end the war in Libya during talks in the coastal Moroccan city of Bouznika , the Maghreb Arabe Press reported on September 9 .
In a joint statement , the warring sides said the talks in Bouznika were “ positive and constructive , ” revealing that important understandings have been reached .
“ The talks resulted in important understandings that include setting clear standards to eliminate corruption , stop public money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ division … Everyone hopes for good and tangible results that will pave the way for the completion of the comprehensive political settlement process throughout the entire nation , ” the statement , which was read by Mohamad Khalifa Najim , a respective of the GNA ’ s High Council of State , says .
Five members of the High Council of State and five others from the HoR are taking part in Bouznika talks , which started on September 6 .
The talks are set to end tomorrow .
According to Libyan sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree on the governor of the Libyan Central Bank , the head of the National Oil Corporation and the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) .
The GNA and the LNA led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and backed by the HoR have been at war with each other for around two years now .
The conflict drew a Turkish military intervention in late 2019 .
The low-level talks between the GNA and the HoR are witnessing some progress .
Wider high-level talks will likely follow to cement the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TOPIC : • Russia Just Lost One Of Fighter Jets Deployed In Libya ?

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Delegations of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the House of Representatives (HoR) had agreed to reach a “comprehensive political settlement” to end the war in Libya during talks in the coastal Moroccan city of Bouznika, the Maghreb Arabe Press reported on September 9.
In a joint statement, the warring sides said the talks in Bouznika were “positive and constructive,” revealing that important understandings have been reached.
“The talks resulted in important understandings that include setting clear standards to eliminate corruption, stop public money waste and end the state of institutional division … Everyone hopes for good and tangible results that will pave the way for the completion of the comprehensive political settlement process throughout the entire nation,” the statement, which was read by Mohamad Khalifa Najim, a respective of the GNA’s High Council of State, says.
Five members of the High Council of State and five others from the HoR are taking part in Bouznika talks, which started on September 6. The talks are set to end tomorrow.
According to Libyan sources, the two sides are yet to agree on the governor of the Libyan Central Bank, the head of the National Oil Corporation and the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA).
The GNA and the LNA led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and backed by the HoR have been at war with each other for around two years now. The conflict drew a Turkish military intervention in late 2019.
The low-level talks between the GNA and the HoR are witnessing some progress. Wider high-level talks will likely follow to cement the results reached in Bouznika.
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southfront--2020-09-09--International Situation In 2020: Dangers And Threats

Written by Lieutenant-General S. Afanasiev ; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review 2020 # 1 , translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront The current international situation is characterised by the growing global instability caused by the desire of the United States of America to maintain political , military and economic dominance on the world stage , while completely ignoring the norms of international law and the interests of other countries .
American elites have de facto appropriated the right to set “ red lines ” and determine how to punish “ disagreeable ” states for violating them .
By doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to replace the United Nations and reduce its role in maintaining world peace and resolving crisis situations .
The events in Venezuela , Syria , Hong Kong and Bolivia are vivid examples of the White House ’ s destructive actions in 2019 .
The United States is trying to implement a similar approach in relation to our country , consistently pursuing an aggressive anti-Russian foreign policy .
In their activities , overseas political strategists completely ignore its negative consequences not only for the global stability , but also for the national interests of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such approaches in Washington is the unwillingness of the US ruling circles to accept the concept of a multipolar world promoted by Russia , China and a number of other countries , which American politicians consider as a serious challenge to “ American global leadership ” .
Contrary to the objective needs of the international community , Washington seeks to weaken the Russian Federation as much as possible , thereby freeing up forces and means to confront the People ’ s Republic of China .
The active use of force by the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world leads to the preservation of the main hotbeds of tension in 2020 and the emergence of new threats to international stability and the national interests of countries that are “ opponents ” of the United States .
In addition , the situation is complicated by a number of factors that have a negative impact on the global security .
The most significant of them are : • acquisition of strategic properties by non-nuclear weapons ( including cyber weapons ) and “ erasing ” differences in combat effectiveness between them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ nuclear multipolarity ” as a result of the irreversible proliferation of nuclear weapons ( NW ) and the uncontrolled build-up of nuclear missile capabilities of other states ; • the dangerous decrease in the level of competence of western elites , an “ atrophy ” of the sense of responsibility , an increase in “ strategic parasitism ” – the feeling that “ peace is forever ” , a weakening of public resistance to militarism .
It is also necessary to take into account the desire of the United States to manipulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in particular to achieve a “ reformatting ” of the existing arms controls system .
American steps such as withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range and Short-Range Missile Elimination Treaty and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme , unfair implementation of the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty ( START ) , exploring the possibility of refusing to participate in the Open Skies Treaty , and unwillingness to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty significantly undermine strategic stability .
At the same time , the Start-3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a condition for its extension , Washington proposes to radically revise the content of the document .
In particular , it should include non-nuclear strategic systems , tactical nuclear weapons , and include China as a participant .
This position may indicate the intention of the United States , under the pretext of demands that are obviously unacceptable to the Russian Federation , to disrupt the extension of the agreement and get rid of the restrictions imposed by it .
The American leadership also consistently opposes the formation of an international legal framework @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military purposes .
The Pentagon sees space as a potential theater of war and is trying to ensure complete freedom of maneuver in this direction .
Last year , the United States began forming a new type of armed forces – the Space Force .
The creation of the United Space Command ( USC ) is responsible for their training and combat application .
The USC has the world ’ s largest orbital constellation at its disposal .
It is obvious that the activities of Washington and its allies , which ignore the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , create new global military dangers .
Among them must include : • prerequisites for the resumption of the “ arms race ” ; • attempts to put the new Russian systems under contractual control , such as the Poseidon Underwater Autonomous System , the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile , and the Burevestnik long-range cruise missile with a nuclear power plant ; • the desire of “ disagreeable ” -to-US regimes to acquire nuclear weapons in order to protect themselves from “ colour revolutions ” ; • Washington ’ s attempts to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia and China , by imposing unjustified restrictions and sanctions against them to curb economic growth ; • “ blur ” boundaries between military and non-military means of warfare ( including informational influence , economic sanctions , etc . )
and , as a consequence , the emergence of “ gray ” areas make it impossible to unequivocally categorise the steps of other countries as hostile , the impossibility of reliably determining the beginning of the aggression .
At the same time , Washington is increasing military spending as well as putting pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO .
In particular , the US military budget for the 2020 fiscal year is 748.8 billion dollars ( 16 times more than the Russian one ) .
According to the White House , this figure will reach 800 billion by 2024 .
The total military budget of the Alliance has already by far exceeded $ 1 trillion , but the Trump administration is seeking to bring defence spending to 2 % of GDP from the allies by 2024 .
A significant concern is the reduction of the US threshold for the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new edition of the “ US Nuclear Strategy ” ( 2018 ) allows for the possibility of its use in response to a “ significant attack using conventional means ” , which Washington considers to include “ cyber weapons ” .
This makes it possible to blame anyone for the “ attack ” , since there are currently no reliable mechanisms recognised by the international community for verifying the sources of “ cyberattacks ” .
At the same time , the United States and its allies are working to develop advanced high-tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and can provide sustained superiority over comparable military capabilities of opponents .
Such systems include hypersonic strike vehicles of various bases , autonomous robotic systems , weapons based on new physical principles ( laser , electromagnetic , etc. )
.
Information systems for military use of artificial intelligence technology are actively developed and implemented .
Applied research is carried out in the field of neurotechnology , genetic engineering , and regenerative medicine .
The results obtained can be used to increase the physical and mental potential of military personnel , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ unfriendly ” countries .
The development of these areas creates prerequisites for the emergence of extremely dangerous means of armed struggle for humanity .
In particular , the United States and NATO attach key importance to the psychological impact on the leadership of the armed forces and intelligence services of unfriendly states .
Various forms of threats , blackmail , bribery and other specific methods are used for this purpose .
This is how the United States acts against the security forces of Venezuela , where the Americans failed to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” due to the high level of support for the country ’ s leadership from the police and armed forces .
In addition , the threat of an “ unintended ” war remains in international relations , for example , as a result of the escalation of a non-nuclear military conflict between “ third countries ” – such as India and Pakistan – with the exchange of nuclear strikes .
The US course aimed at military “ containment ” of Russia is openly supported by NATO and the European Union .
In order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Alliance is implementing the “ Action Plan to Increase the Combat Readiness of the NATO Armed Forces ” and the “ concept of forward presence and reinforcement ” .
Its military potential continues to be built up , and military and transport infrastructure facilities on the Alliance ’ s “ Eastern Flank ” are being modernised .
Two new NATO Joint Command ( JC ) at the operational and strategic level have been established in the USA ( NATO JC Norfolk , Norfolk ) and Germany ( NATO JC Ulm ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ units has been increased .
Six tactical battalion groups , two of which are American , are deployed in Bulgaria , Hungary , Latvia , Poland , Romania and Estonia .
In Europe , Washington additionally deployed an armoured brigade and an army aviation brigade on a rotating basis .
In 2020 , the Alliance plans to conduct a series of command-staff and military exercises of the “ Defender ” type to work out plans for “ military assistance ” to Eastern European allies .
As part of the events , large groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( forces ) are scheduled to be deployed to the Baltic states and Poland ( for the first time in the last 30 years ) .
The United States ’ efforts to increase the combat capabilities of the European segment of the American missile defence system have a destabilising effect on the situation in Europe .
The construction of an anti-missile base in Poland , where it is planned to place Standard-3 , model 2A anti-missiles , is being completed .
It is planned to equip the existing Aegis Ashore Complex in Romania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , these systems can be quickly converted to use offensive weapons – the Tomahawk cruise missiles ( range of 2,400 km ) .
A serious threat to military security in the European region is also posed by the continuing tension is south-eastern Ukraine , where attacks , including with heavy weapons , continue on civilian infrastructures in the Donetsk and Luhansk People ’ s Republics .
Kiev continues to try to avoid clear and consistent implementation of the Minsk Agreements on overcoming the crisis in the Donbas .
In these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ukrainian authorities to disrupt the negotiation process .
In the Middle East , the policy of the United States and its main regional allies to contain Iran , as well as the ongoing Syrian crisis , has had a negative impact on the situation .
Washington , in the context of Tehran ’ s strengthening position in the Middle East , is taking steps to isolate it .
The traditional sponsors of the American administration – the management of the military-industrial complex , as well as representatives of major fuel and energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapid transformation of Iran into an independent uncomfortable “ player ” on the world market of hydrocarbons use the “ Iranian threat ” factor to obtain multibillion-dollar contracts for the supply of arms to the Middle East countries .
To justify the anti-Iranian actions , the White House uses the thesis that Tehran threatens to block energy supplies from the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz , including by organising sabotage on tankers and oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia .
In order to destroy the “ Shi ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its allies are provoking mass demonstrations in Lebanon and Iraq , urging the leadership of these countries to refrain from applying harsh measures to demonstrators .
The protest movement is directed by pro-western non-governmental organisations that “ prompt ” demonstrators to make changes in the political system of these countries that ensure the removal of “ Shi ’ ite pro-Iranian forces ” from power .
The situation in Syria remains tense , ISIL ( banned in Russia ) sleeper cells are operating in government-controlled territories , the situation remains difficult in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Idlib de-escalation zone , power is held by terrorist groups that threaten to destabilise the situation in the north-west of the country ( in total , about 20 thousand radical extremists are concentrated in this area ) .
The most efficient of them are “ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ” ( based on the organisation “ Jabhat al-Nusra ” ) , “ Haras al-Din ” and the Islamic Party of Turkestan .
The militants continue their provocations against the Syrian government forces and the Russian Hmeimim air base , firing at the civilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Idlib de-escalation zone , citing the presence of “ moderate ” opposition groups as the main argument .
To this end , they are conducting large-scale information campaigns to accuse government troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces of violating international law and deliberately attacking humanitarian targets .
In north-eastern Syria , the Russian-Turkish Memorandum of Understanding signed in Sochi on 22 October 2019 succeeded in bringing a large part of the Trans-Euphrates Region back under the control of Damascus .
In accordance with the agreements reached , a Russian-Turkish Joint Coordination Centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the two countries are patrolling the border strip .
However , the United States has not abandoned its intention to establish a Kurdish quasi-state in Syria .
To achieve this goal , Washington continues to cooperate with the Syrian Kurds and took control of the oil-bearing areas of the provinces of Hasakeh and Deir ez-Zor .
The main negative factor affecting the development of the situation in Africa was the intervention of the United States and its allies in the internal affairs of individual states to replace “ undesirable ” regimes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ establish monopoly control over the continent ’ s natural resources .
In Libya , the internal armed conflict provoked by the NATO intervention has been ongoing since 2011 .
In the absence of unified state administration and law enforcement agencies , the country ’ s territory has become a “ springboard ” for African terrorists .
At the same time , the chaos in Libya meets the interests of the United States , which seeks to prevent a reduction in the supply of cheap Libyan oil to the European market and thus replace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the Americans secretly “ encourage ” the actions of both sides in the Libyan conflict , pushing them to continue the confrontation , and trying to undermine Russia ’ s position in this country .
In the south , the main threat is the intensive activity of radical Islamists , especially ISIL , in Afghanistan and Pakistan , whose goal is to create a so-called “ Great Caliphate ” with a theocratic form of government .
The extremists ’ plans call for the inclusion of the territories of the Central Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of China in this quasi-state formation .
The Islamic Movement of Taliban ( IMT ) has the greatest influence on the situation in Afghanistan .
Its formations , which are engaged in an armed struggle with government troops and units of foreign contingents on the Afghan territory , outnumber ISIL by an order of magnitude ( about 50 thousand people against 4 thousand ) .
Not having achieved a significant advantage in the armed confrontation with the Taliban over 18 years of foreign military presence on the Afghan territory , Washington began consultations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
At the same time , the parties are not ready to compromise and take tough positions to defend their demands .
The lack of progress in negotiations keeps the level of terrorist activity in Afghanistan high .
Tensions between India and Pakistan do not decrease .
Mutual territorial claims last year led to another armed incident in Kashmir .
Strict approaches of the leadership of both countries to the settlement of inter-state contradictions and the presence of large contingents of troops in the disputed territories hinder the normalisation of bilateral relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probability of escalation of the Indian-Pakistani confrontation into a full-fledged armed conflict is low .
However , the contradictions between Delhi and Islamabad can have a significant negative impact on the prospects for cooperation in international formats with the participation of India , Pakistan , China and Russia .
In the East , the international situation is mainly determined by the confrontation between the United States and China .
The problems of ensuring stability in the Korean Peninsula remain unresolved .
Washington aims to achieve military superiority over Beijing by creating a collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , based on the American military presence and a network of military and political alliances .
At the same time , the United States actively contributes to the process of destabilising the domestic situation in China .
So , since May last year , protests have been taking place in Hong Kong , led by a coalition of opposition parties funded by overseas mentors .
The protests became radical : public transport was paralysed , the medical system was disrupted , and there were more frequent cases of clashes between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For its part , the People ’ s Republic of China pursues an active foreign policy aimed at expanding the strategic boundaries of its “ living space ” and gaining a dominant position that allows determining the direction of integration processes not only in the Asia-Pacific Region ( APR ) , but also in the world as a whole .
This is achieved through economic and cultural expansion around the globe , as well as by involving as many states as possible in the implementation of the “ One Belt , One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals so far have been achieved through a policy of “ soft power ” .
At the same time , the Chinese leadership is increasingly striving to solve foreign policy problems from the position of a “ strong state ” .
In particular , Beijing is increasing the forward presence of its armed forces , building and modernising military infrastructure in disputed areas of the South China Sea , and actively equipping the People ’ s Liberation Army with modern weapons systems .
Japan has a significant influence on the situation in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foreign policy activities of the country ’ s leadership is to strengthen its position as one of the regional centres of power .
In order to achieve this goal , priority is given to deepening military cooperation with Washington , as well as establishing a strategic partnership with NATO .
In addition , to contain its main competitor , China , Japan intends to play an active role in the implementation of the American concept of a “ Free and Open Indo-Pacific Partnership ” .
At the same time , Tokyo does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Russian island of Iturup , Kunashir and the Lesser Kuril Ridge .
The Korean Peninsula remains another hotbed of regional tension that has a significant impact on the global situation .
Pyongyang ’ s contacts with Washington and Seoul , which began in 2018 , have had a certain stabilising effect on the development of the situation .
However , further attempts by the United States to solve the problem of denuclearisation of the peninsula were in fact a failure .
Pyongyang , having failed to ease international sanctions and reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group near its borders , is threatening to end dialogue with the United States and end the “ voluntary moratorium ” on nuclear and missile tests .
In the Arctic , the military-political situation is characterised by increasing competition for control of energy resources , strategic sea and air communications between the United States , Canada , Norway , Denmark and Russia , as well as non-regional players .
In this zone , there is an increase not only in their economic activity , but also in their military activity .
Washington ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Arctic is to prevent the division of territories in high latitudes according to an unacceptable option for the American side .
The new edition of the “ Arctic Strategy of the US Department of Defense ” focuses on the position of the Russian Federation on the use of the Northern Sea Route .
The main destabilising factor is the military activity of the Russian Federation in the Arctic .
Washington ’ s readiness to ensure freedom of navigation “ in problem areas ” , if necessary , is particularly emphasized .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear multi-purpose submarines in the waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas .
Navy and Coast Guard ships serve off the coast of Alaska .
In addition , a United States marine corps unit is based in Norway on a rotating basis .
The NATO leadership is also taking measures to strengthen the Alliance ’ s “ northern flank ” .
The block ’ s intelligence capabilities are being increased .
Military formations of non-aligned states – Sweden and Finland – are actively involved in operational and combat training activities in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy of the Alliance is assigned to Norway , which has warehouses of weapons and military equipment for reinforcement of troops .
In general , the assessment of the current international situation and the forecast of its development for 2020 indicate Washington ’ s desire to create a qualitatively new world order that assumes global dominance of the United States .
It should also be noted that approaches to ensuring international stability based on maintaining strategic parity do not actually “ work ” .
In terms of their effectiveness , the new means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The proliferation of such weapons requires the organisation of international control over them in multilateral formats and the preparation of new treaties on restrictions in this area .
Thus , the international situation in 2020 still carries a significant potential for dangers and threats to the Russian Federation .
On a global scale there are still prerequisites for the escalation of crises that may involve our country .
The leading role in these destructive processes belongs to the United States and its allies , who realise their geopolitical ambitions without taking into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interests of other states .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • The Old Dependables : Russian Weapons in 21st Century Regional Conflicts

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Written by Lieutenant-General S. Afanasiev; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review 2020 #1, translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront
The current international situation is characterised by the growing global instability caused by the desire of the United States of America to maintain political, military and economic dominance on the world stage, while completely ignoring the norms of international law and the interests of other countries.
American elites have de facto appropriated the right to set “red lines” and determine how to punish “disagreeable” states for violating them. By doing so, Washington and its allies seek to replace the United Nations and reduce its role in maintaining world peace and resolving crisis situations. The events in Venezuela, Syria, Hong Kong and Bolivia are vivid examples of the White House’s destructive actions in 2019.
The United States is trying to implement a similar approach in relation to our country, consistently pursuing an aggressive anti-Russian foreign policy. In their activities, overseas political strategists completely ignore its negative consequences not only for the global stability, but also for the national interests of their allies.
The main reason for such approaches in Washington is the unwillingness of the US ruling circles to accept the concept of a multipolar world promoted by Russia, China and a number of other countries, which American politicians consider as a serious challenge to “American global leadership”. Contrary to the objective needs of the international community, Washington seeks to weaken the Russian Federation as much as possible, thereby freeing up forces and means to confront the People’s Republic of China.
The active use of force by the White House and its allies to gain hegemony in the world leads to the preservation of the main hotbeds of tension in 2020 and the emergence of new threats to international stability and the national interests of countries that are “opponents” of the United States. In addition, the situation is complicated by a number of factors that have a negative impact on the global security. The most significant of them are:
acquisition of strategic properties by non-nuclear weapons (including cyber weapons) and “erasing” differences in combat effectiveness between them and nuclear weapons;
the formation of “nuclear multipolarity” as a result of the irreversible proliferation of nuclear weapons (NW) and the uncontrolled build-up of nuclear missile capabilities of other states;
the dangerous decrease in the level of competence of western elites, an “atrophy” of the sense of responsibility, an increase in “strategic parasitism” – the feeling that “peace is forever”, a weakening of public resistance to militarism.
It is also necessary to take into account the desire of the United States to manipulate international law in favour of its interests, in particular to achieve a “reformatting” of the existing arms controls system.
American steps such as withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range and Short-Range Missile Elimination Treaty and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme, unfair implementation of the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START), exploring the possibility of refusing to participate in the Open Skies Treaty, and unwillingness to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty significantly undermine strategic stability.
At the same time, the Start-3 Treaty expires in February 2021.
As a condition for its extension, Washington proposes to radically revise the content of the document. In particular, it should include non-nuclear strategic systems, tactical nuclear weapons, and include China as a participant. This position may indicate the intention of the United States, under the pretext of demands that are obviously unacceptable to the Russian Federation, to disrupt the extension of the agreement and get rid of the restrictions imposed by it.
The American leadership also consistently opposes the formation of an international legal framework prohibiting the use of outer space for military purposes. The Pentagon sees space as a potential theater of war and is trying to ensure complete freedom of maneuver in this direction. Last year, the United States began forming a new type of armed forces – the Space Force. The creation of the United Space Command (USC) is responsible for their training and combat application. The USC has the world’s largest orbital constellation at its disposal.
It is obvious that the activities of Washington and its allies, which ignore the interests of other subjects of international relations, create new global military dangers. Among them must include:
prerequisites for the resumption of the “arms race”;
attempts to put the new Russian systems under contractual control, such as the Poseidon Underwater Autonomous System, the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, and the Burevestnik long-range cruise missile with a nuclear power plant;
the desire of “disagreeable”-to-US regimes to acquire nuclear weapons in order to protect themselves from “colour revolutions”;
Washington’s attempts to “demonise” its geopolitical rivals, primarily Russia and China, by imposing unjustified restrictions and sanctions against them to curb economic growth;
“blur” boundaries between military and non-military means of warfare (including informational influence, economic sanctions, etc.) and, as a consequence, the emergence of “gray” areas make it impossible to unequivocally categorise the steps of other countries as hostile, the impossibility of reliably determining the beginning of the aggression.
At the same time, Washington is increasing military spending as well as putting pressure on its allies to increase funding for NATO.
In particular, the US military budget for the 2020 fiscal year is 748.8 billion dollars (16 times more than the Russian one). According to the White House, this figure will reach 800 billion by 2024. The total military budget of the Alliance has already by far exceeded $1 trillion, but the Trump administration is seeking to bring defence spending to 2% of GDP from the allies by 2024.
A significant concern is the reduction of the US threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. In particular, the new edition of the “US Nuclear Strategy” (2018) allows for the possibility of its use in response to a “significant attack using conventional means”, which Washington considers to include “cyber weapons”. This makes it possible to blame anyone for the “attack”, since there are currently no reliable mechanisms recognised by the international community for verifying the sources of “cyberattacks”.
At the same time, the United States and its allies are working to develop advanced high-tech weapons systems that have qualitatively new capabilities and can provide sustained superiority over comparable military capabilities of opponents. Such systems include hypersonic strike vehicles of various bases, autonomous robotic systems, weapons based on new physical principles (laser, electromagnetic, etc.).
Information systems for military use of artificial intelligence technology are actively developed and implemented. Applied research is carried out in the field of neurotechnology, genetic engineering, and regenerative medicine. The results obtained can be used to increase the physical and mental potential of military personnel, as well as to covertly influence the ecosystems and populations of “unfriendly” countries. The development of these areas creates prerequisites for the emergence of extremely dangerous means of armed struggle for humanity.
In particular, the United States and NATO attach key importance to the psychological impact on the leadership of the armed forces and intelligence services of unfriendly states. Various forms of threats, blackmail, bribery and other specific methods are used for this purpose. This is how the United States acts against the security forces of Venezuela, where the Americans failed to ensure the victory of the “democratic forces” due to the high level of support for the country’s leadership from the police and armed forces.
In addition, the threat of an “unintended” war remains in international relations, for example, as a result of the escalation of a non-nuclear military conflict between “third countries” – such as India and Pakistan – with the exchange of nuclear strikes.
The US course aimed at military “containment” of Russia is openly supported by NATO and the European Union.
In order to put pressure on our country, the Alliance is implementing the “Action Plan to Increase the Combat Readiness of the NATO Armed Forces” and the “concept of forward presence and reinforcement”. Its military potential continues to be built up, and military and transport infrastructure facilities on the Alliance’s “Eastern Flank” are being modernised. Two new NATO Joint Command (JC) at the operational and strategic level have been established in the USA (NATO JC Norfolk, Norfolk) and Germany (NATO JC Ulm), and the number of the primary engagement units has been increased.
Six tactical battalion groups, two of which are American, are deployed in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Estonia. In Europe, Washington additionally deployed an armoured brigade and an army aviation brigade on a rotating basis.
In 2020, the Alliance plans to conduct a series of command-staff and military exercises of the “Defender” type to work out plans for “military assistance” to Eastern European allies. As part of the events, large groups of American, Canadian and British troops (forces) are scheduled to be deployed to the Baltic states and Poland (for the first time in the last 30 years).
The United States’ efforts to increase the combat capabilities of the European segment of the American missile defence system have a destabilising effect on the situation in Europe. The construction of an anti-missile base in Poland, where it is planned to place Standard-3, model 2A anti-missiles, is being completed. It is planned to equip the existing Aegis Ashore Complex in Romania with the same means in the future. In addition, these systems can be quickly converted to use offensive weapons – the Tomahawk cruise missiles (range of 2,400 km).
A serious threat to military security in the European region is also posed by the continuing tension is south-eastern Ukraine, where attacks, including with heavy weapons, continue on civilian infrastructures in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
Kiev continues to try to avoid clear and consistent implementation of the Minsk Agreements on overcoming the crisis in the Donbas.
In these conditions another armed provocation is possible from the Ukrainian authorities to disrupt the negotiation process.
In the Middle East, the policy of the United States and its main regional allies to contain Iran, as well as the ongoing Syrian crisis, has had a negative impact on the situation.
Washington, in the context of Tehran’s strengthening position in the Middle East, is taking steps to isolate it. The traditional sponsors of the American administration – the management of the military-industrial complex, as well as representatives of major fuel and energy corporations, who are dissatisfied with the rapid transformation of Iran into an independent uncomfortable “player” on the world market of hydrocarbons use the “Iranian threat” factor to obtain multibillion-dollar contracts for the supply of arms to the Middle East countries.
To justify the anti-Iranian actions, the White House uses the thesis that Tehran threatens to block energy supplies from the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, including by organising sabotage on tankers and oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia.
In order to destroy the “Shi’ite Axis” (Iran-Iraq-Syria-Lebanon) Washington and its allies are provoking mass demonstrations in Lebanon and Iraq, urging the leadership of these countries to refrain from applying harsh measures to demonstrators. The protest movement is directed by pro-western non-governmental organisations that “prompt” demonstrators to make changes in the political system of these countries that ensure the removal of “Shi’ite pro-Iranian forces” from power.
The situation in Syria remains tense, ISIL (banned in Russia) sleeper cells are operating in government-controlled territories, the situation remains difficult in the “pacified” southern provinces. In the Idlib de-escalation zone, power is held by terrorist groups that threaten to destabilise the situation in the north-west of the country (in total, about 20 thousand radical extremists are concentrated in this area). The most efficient of them are “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (based on the organisation “Jabhat al-Nusra”), “Haras al-Din” and the Islamic Party of Turkestan. The militants continue their provocations against the Syrian government forces and the Russian Hmeimim air base, firing at the civilian population.
Western countries seek to preserve the Idlib de-escalation zone, citing the presence of “moderate” opposition groups as the main argument. To this end, they are conducting large-scale information campaigns to accuse government troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces of violating international law and deliberately attacking humanitarian targets.
In north-eastern Syria, the Russian-Turkish Memorandum of Understanding signed in Sochi on 22 October 2019 succeeded in bringing a large part of the Trans-Euphrates Region back under the control of Damascus. In accordance with the agreements reached, a Russian-Turkish Joint Coordination Centre has been deployed, and military personnel from the two countries are patrolling the border strip.
However, the United States has not abandoned its intention to establish a Kurdish quasi-state in Syria. To achieve this goal, Washington continues to cooperate with the Syrian Kurds and took control of the oil-bearing areas of the provinces of Hasakeh and Deir ez-Zor.
The main negative factor affecting the development of the situation in Africa was the intervention of the United States and its allies in the internal affairs of individual states to replace “undesirable” regimes. The purpose of such actions is to establish monopoly control over the continent’s natural resources.
In Libya, the internal armed conflict provoked by the NATO intervention has been ongoing since 2011. In the absence of unified state administration and law enforcement agencies, the country’s territory has become a “springboard” for African terrorists. At the same time, the chaos in Libya meets the interests of the United States, which seeks to prevent a reduction in the supply of cheap Libyan oil to the European market and thus replace Iranian raw materials. At the same time, the Americans secretly “encourage” the actions of both sides in the Libyan conflict, pushing them to continue the confrontation, and trying to undermine Russia’s position in this country.
In the south, the main threat is the intensive activity of radical Islamists, especially ISIL, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, whose goal is to create a so-called “Great Caliphate” with a theocratic form of government. The extremists’ plans call for the inclusion of the territories of the Central Asian republics and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region of China in this quasi-state formation.
The Islamic Movement of Taliban (IMT) has the greatest influence on the situation in Afghanistan. Its formations, which are engaged in an armed struggle with government troops and units of foreign contingents on the Afghan territory, outnumber ISIL by an order of magnitude (about 50 thousand people against 4 thousand).
Not having achieved a significant advantage in the armed confrontation with the Taliban over 18 years of foreign military presence on the Afghan territory, Washington began consultations with the IMT at the end of 2018. At the same time, the parties are not ready to compromise and take tough positions to defend their demands. The lack of progress in negotiations keeps the level of terrorist activity in Afghanistan high.
Tensions between India and Pakistan do not decrease. Mutual territorial claims last year led to another armed incident in Kashmir.
Strict approaches of the leadership of both countries to the settlement of inter-state contradictions and the presence of large contingents of troops in the disputed territories hinder the normalisation of bilateral relations. At the same time, the probability of escalation of the Indian-Pakistani confrontation into a full-fledged armed conflict is low. However, the contradictions between Delhi and Islamabad can have a significant negative impact on the prospects for cooperation in international formats with the participation of India, Pakistan, China and Russia.
In the East, the international situation is mainly determined by the confrontation between the United States and China. The problems of ensuring stability in the Korean Peninsula remain unresolved.
Washington aims to achieve military superiority over Beijing by creating a collective security structure in the region controlled by the United States, based on the American military presence and a network of military and political alliances. At the same time, the United States actively contributes to the process of destabilising the domestic situation in China. So, since May last year, protests have been taking place in Hong Kong, led by a coalition of opposition parties funded by overseas mentors. The protests became radical: public transport was paralysed, the medical system was disrupted, and there were more frequent cases of clashes between residents on the basis of political differences.
For its part, the People’s Republic of China pursues an active foreign policy aimed at expanding the strategic boundaries of its “living space” and gaining a dominant position that allows determining the direction of integration processes not only in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR), but also in the world as a whole.
This is achieved through economic and cultural expansion around the globe, as well as by involving as many states as possible in the implementation of the “One Belt, One Road” concept.
China’s goals so far have been achieved through a policy of “soft power”. At the same time, the Chinese leadership is increasingly striving to solve foreign policy problems from the position of a “strong state”.
In particular, Beijing is increasing the forward presence of its armed forces, building and modernising military infrastructure in disputed areas of the South China Sea, and actively equipping the People’s Liberation Army with modern weapons systems.
Japan has a significant influence on the situation in the Asia-Pacific Region.
The main goal of the foreign policy activities of the country’s leadership is to strengthen its position as one of the regional centres of power. In order to achieve this goal, priority is given to deepening military cooperation with Washington, as well as establishing a strategic partnership with NATO.
In addition, to contain its main competitor, China, Japan intends to play an active role in the implementation of the American concept of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Partnership”. At the same time, Tokyo does not intend to give up its claims to the Russian island of Iturup, Kunashir and the Lesser Kuril Ridge.
The Korean Peninsula remains another hotbed of regional tension that has a significant impact on the global situation. Pyongyang’s contacts with Washington and Seoul, which began in 2018, have had a certain stabilising effect on the development of the situation. However, further attempts by the United States to solve the problem of denuclearisation of the peninsula were in fact a failure. Pyongyang, having failed to ease international sanctions and reduce the military activity of the US-South Korea group near its borders, is threatening to end dialogue with the United States and end the “voluntary moratorium” on nuclear and missile tests.
In the Arctic, the military-political situation is characterised by increasing competition for control of energy resources, strategic sea and air communications between the United States, Canada, Norway, Denmark and Russia, as well as non-regional players. In this zone, there is an increase not only in their economic activity, but also in their military activity.
Washington’s primary task in implementing its interests in the Arctic is to prevent the division of territories in high latitudes according to an unacceptable option for the American side.
The new edition of the “Arctic Strategy of the US Department of Defense” focuses on the position of the Russian Federation on the use of the Northern Sea Route. The main destabilising factor is the military activity of the Russian Federation in the Arctic. Washington’s readiness to ensure freedom of navigation “in problem areas”, if necessary, is particularly emphasized.
The Pentagon has organised combat duty of nuclear multi-purpose submarines in the waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas. Navy and Coast Guard ships serve off the coast of Alaska. In addition, a United States marine corps unit is based in Norway on a rotating basis.
The NATO leadership is also taking measures to strengthen the Alliance’s “northern flank”.
The block’s intelligence capabilities are being increased. Military formations of non-aligned states – Sweden and Finland – are actively involved in operational and combat training activities in the region.
A special role in the Arctic policy of the Alliance is assigned to Norway, which has warehouses of weapons and military equipment for reinforcement of troops.
In general, the assessment of the current international situation and the forecast of its development for 2020 indicate Washington’s desire to create a qualitatively new world order that assumes global dominance of the United States. It should also be noted that approaches to ensuring international stability based on maintaining strategic parity do not actually “work”. In terms of their effectiveness, the new means of armed struggle are approaching nuclear missiles. The proliferation of such weapons requires the organisation of international control over them in multilateral formats and the preparation of new treaties on restrictions in this area.
Thus, the international situation in 2020 still carries a significant potential for dangers and threats to the Russian Federation. On a global scale there are still prerequisites for the escalation of crises that may involve our country. The leading role in these destructive processes belongs to the United States and its allies, who realise their geopolitical ambitions without taking into account the norms of international law and the interests of other states.
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