southfront--2020-08-11--Syria To Build Replica Of Hagia Sophia Church In Hama, With Russian Funding

A smaller replica of Hagia Sophia is to be built in Syria , with assistance from the Russian government , according to Lebanese news agency Al-Modon .
The process of preparing the architectural and construction plans for the Syrian “ Hagia Sophia ” will begin next August .
The project is led by the pro-Syrian government ‘ National Defense ’ leader Nabeul Al-Abdullah who obtained approval from the bishop of the Greek Orthodox church in Hama .
The Hagia Sophia planned for Syria will subsequently operate as an Orthodox venue .
The Syrian replica will be built in the Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide the necessary funding to build the church which will be a miniature version of the Hagia Sophia , ” says Al-Modon .
According to al-Modon , and also according to common sense , Russia is “ angry with Turkey ” over its decision to revert the sixth-century Hagia Sophia into a mosque .
The Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov told RIA that “ unlike Turkey , [ Syria ] is a country that clearly shows the possibility of peaceful and positive interfaith dialogue ” , adding that “ Orthodox Christians in Russia can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sophia also features in the exhibition Shared Sacred Sites , which is due to open at the Cer Modern contemporary art space in Ankara .
The decision follows a controversial order by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month to reconvert the Hagia Sophia , a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Istanbul that was built in 537 , into a mosque .
Erdogan ’ s decree followed a ruling by the Council of State , Turkey ’ s highest administrative court .
Meanwhile , actions of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople .
Just recently , Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke about some ungrateful children who benefited from the Church of Constantinople and yet , as he stressed , “ lifted heels of contempt against their benefactor.
” “ We have enemies , it is not that we do not have , and in fact many… .
The enemies are not only who are declare , whom we know to be our enemies , but they are also the beneficiaries of the Ecumenical Patriarchate , its descendants , its spiritual descendants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , but we embrace them all with love.
” “ You know that on the occasion of the Autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine the Moscow Patriarchate interrupted the communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate , that is , with its Mother Church .
However , the Ecumenical Patriarchate did not interrupted communion with the Church of Russia .
“ Even this morning , while officiating at St. Panteleimon in Galatas , we commemorated Patriarch Cyril of Moscow , ” Bartholomew stressed , adding that “ We continue to embrace everyone , enemies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our prayer and our understanding.
” So , according to Constantinople , all canonic churches of the Orthodox World had tosupport its adventures and projects funded by the globalist , neo-liberal elites and even follow Bartholomew ’ s appraoch towards other key questions .
In particular , Bartholomew just sold his critical position toward the turning of Hagia Sophia into a mosque for the reopening of the Sumela Monastery , in the Black Sea province of Trabzon .
Thus , the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is not happy to see how the Orthodox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and undertake own actions over the situation .
Another hot point in the relations of Bartholomew ’ s bloc with other churches is the situation in Ukraine .
There , the Ecumenical Patriarchate supported the creation of the pseudo-church structure under the brand of the ‘ independent ’ Orthodox Church of Ukraine , which is mainly tasked with fighting the Russian Orthodox Church and fueling religious tensions .
So , it is strange to see how Bartholomew pretends to be ‘ surprised ’ by the rapidly decreasing influence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Turkey Resumed Drilling In Eastern Mediterranean , Because “ Greece Didn ’ t Keep Its Promise ” • Protests In Greece Following Reopening Of Hagia Sophia Mosque In Istanbul

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A smaller replica of Hagia Sophia is to be built in Syria, with assistance from the Russian government, according to Lebanese news agency Al-Modon.
The process of preparing the architectural and construction plans for the Syrian “Hagia Sophia” will begin next August.
The project is led by the pro-Syrian government ‘National Defense’ leader Nabeul Al-Abdullah who obtained approval from the bishop of the Greek Orthodox church in Hama. The Hagia Sophia planned for Syria will subsequently operate as an Orthodox venue.
The Syrian replica will be built in the Western province of Hama. “Russia will provide the necessary funding to build the church which will be a miniature version of the Hagia Sophia,” says Al-Modon.
“This is a symbolic small church no more than four metres high and four metres wide. This small chapel will be designed to show the real face of Syria, where different civilisations and cultures coexist,” Nabeul Al-Abdullah told the news agency Ria Novosti in July. He added that the new monument will have the “symbolic name of Hagia Sophia”.
According to al-Modon, and also according to common sense, Russia is “angry with Turkey” over its decision to revert the sixth-century Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
The Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov told RIA that “unlike Turkey, [Syria] is a country that clearly shows the possibility of peaceful and positive interfaith dialogue”, adding that “Orthodox Christians in Russia can help Syria with construction”.
Hagia Sophia also features in the exhibition Shared Sacred Sites, which is due to open at the Cer Modern contemporary art space in Ankara.
The Shared Sacred Sites project focuses on interfaith dialogue “at a time when the Turkish government’s decisions are further polarizing Turkish society and simmering the fault lines between secularists and conservatives,” al-Monitor reported.
The decision follows a controversial order by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month to reconvert the Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Istanbul that was built in 537, into a mosque. Erdogan’s decree followed a ruling by the Council of State, Turkey’s highest administrative court.
Meanwhile, actions of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church seem to be finding no understanding in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Just recently, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke about some ungrateful children who benefited from the Church of Constantinople and yet, as he stressed, “lifted heels of contempt against their benefactor.”
“We have enemies, it is not that we do not have, and in fact many…. The enemies are not only who are declare, whom we know to be our enemies, but they are also the beneficiaries of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, its descendants, its spiritual descendants. “So, we also have ungrateful children, but we embrace them all with love.” “You know that on the occasion of the Autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine the Moscow Patriarchate interrupted the communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, that is, with its Mother Church. However, the Ecumenical Patriarchate did not interrupted communion with the Church of Russia. “Even this morning, while officiating at St. Panteleimon in Galatas, we commemorated Patriarch Cyril of Moscow,” Bartholomew stressed, adding that “We continue to embrace everyone, enemies and friends, with our love and our prayer and our understanding.”
So, according to Constantinople, all canonic churches of the Orthodox World had tosupport its adventures and projects funded by the globalist, neo-liberal elites and even follow Bartholomew’s appraoch towards other key questions. In particular, Bartholomew just sold his critical position toward the turning of Hagia Sophia into a mosque for the reopening of the Sumela Monastery, in the Black Sea province of Trabzon. Thus, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is not happy to see how the Orthodox community and local churches point this fact and undertake own actions over the situation. Another hot point in the relations of Bartholomew’s bloc with other churches is the situation in Ukraine. There, the Ecumenical Patriarchate supported the creation of the pseudo-church structure under the brand of the ‘independent’ Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is mainly tasked with fighting the Russian Orthodox Church and fueling religious tensions.
So, it is strange to see how Bartholomew pretends to be ‘surprised’ by the rapidly decreasing influence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and blames some ‘enemies’ for this situation.
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southfront--2020-08-11--German Uniper Warns It Might Impair Nord Stream 2 Loan If U.S. Sanctions Impede Project

German company Uniper , Gazprom ’ s partner on Nord Stream 2 appears to have frozen construction of the project .
Uniper , which is one ( not the only one ) of Gazprom ’ s financial partners in the Nord Stream 2 project , admitted that the pipeline under the Baltic Sea could potentially never be completed .
This is stated in the company ’ s report for January-June .
With the US intensifying their efforts on targeted sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 project the probability of a delay or even non-completion of the pipeline is increasing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all required actions to ensure compliance with applicable rules .
Uniper is also in constant exchange with relevant stakeholders about the updated grandfathering guidance on CAATSA ( Countering America ’ s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ) by the US Department of State .
Nord Stream 2 is working to mitigate the effects of the currently still suspended pipelaying activity and to bring the project to completion .
A completion of the project receives strong political support from several country governments as well as the EU .
The Nord Stream 2 Project failure risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk for Uniper .
In case the project can ultimately not be completed Uniper may have to impair the loan provided to Nord Stream 2 and forfeits the planned interest income.
” The company noted that Nord Stream 2 now enjoys the support of the governments of a number of countries .
However , they warned that if it becomes clear that the project will not be completed , then Uniper may have to write off the loan provided to the company , which will lead to a shortfall in the planned income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the loan .
Impairment is a permanent decline in the value of an asset .
This situation exists when the cash flows or other benefits generated by an asset decline , as determined through a periodic assessment .
If there is impairment , then the difference between the fair value of the asset and its carrying amount is written off .
A loan is considered to be impaired when it is probable that not all of the related principal and interest payments will be collected.
“ The company is one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project led by Russia ’ s Gazprom , along with Austria ’ s OMV , Wintershall DEA , Shell and France ’ s Engie .
At the end of July , the US Congress approved new sanctions against Nord Stream 2 .
These are restrictions against any vessels involved in construction .
The sanctions will also affect companies that provide insurance for ships , their maintenance , and the installation of special equipment on them .
On August 6th , a group of US senators threatened “ financial destruction ” of Fährhafen Sassnitz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mukran on the island of Rugen .
It is there that the pipes for the branches of the gas pipeline are stored , and also there are two vessels capable of completing the construction of the gas pipeline – the Akademik Chersky pipelayer and the Fortuna pipelayer .
Earlier , US President Donald Trump called the fight against Nord Stream 2 one of his achievements .
According to him , in this way he protects Germany and German taxpayers , for whom it is unprofitable to pay Russia billions of dollars for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : • Assisting ‘ Invisible Hand Of Market ’ : U.S .
Threatens German Companies Over Nord Stream 2

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German company Uniper, Gazprom’s partner on Nord Stream 2 appears to have frozen construction of the project.
Uniper, which is one (not the only one) of Gazprom’s financial partners in the Nord Stream 2 project, admitted that the pipeline under the Baltic Sea could potentially never be completed. This is stated in the company’s report for January-June.
[pdf]
“Nord Stream 2: Project Failure Risk With the US intensifying their efforts on targeted sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 project the probability of a delay or even non-completion of the pipeline is increasing. Uniper actively monitors the situation and takes all required actions to ensure compliance with applicable rules. Uniper is also in constant exchange with relevant stakeholders about the updated grandfathering guidance on CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) by the US Department of State. Nord Stream 2 is working to mitigate the effects of the currently still suspended pipelaying activity and to bring the project to completion. A completion of the project receives strong political support from several country governments as well as the EU. The Nord Stream 2 Project failure risk continues to qualify as a major individual risk for Uniper. In case the project can ultimately not be completed Uniper may have to impair the loan provided to Nord Stream 2 and forfeits the planned interest income.”
The company noted that Nord Stream 2 now enjoys the support of the governments of a number of countries. However, they warned that if it becomes clear that the project will not be completed, then Uniper may have to write off the loan provided to the company, which will lead to a shortfall in the planned income.
Uniper is not disclosing the size of the loan.
“NOTE: Impairment is a permanent decline in the value of an asset. This situation exists when the cash flows or other benefits generated by an asset decline, as determined through a periodic assessment. If there is impairment, then the difference between the fair value of the asset and its carrying amount is written off. A loan is considered to be impaired when it is probable that not all of the related principal and interest payments will be collected.“
The company is one of the financial backers of the $11.2 billion project led by Russia’s Gazprom, along with Austria’s OMV, Wintershall DEA, Shell and France’s Engie.
“We do not comment on the potential consequences of the threats of US sanctions and current legislative initiatives in the United States,” Nord Stream 2 press service commented on the matter.
At the end of July, the US Congress approved new sanctions against Nord Stream 2. These are restrictions against any vessels involved in construction. The sanctions will also affect companies that provide insurance for ships, their maintenance, and the installation of special equipment on them.
On August 6th, a group of US senators threatened “financial destruction” of Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH, the operator of the port of Mukran on the island of Rugen. It is there that the pipes for the branches of the gas pipeline are stored, and also there are two vessels capable of completing the construction of the gas pipeline – the Akademik Chersky pipelayer and the Fortuna pipelayer.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump called the fight against Nord Stream 2 one of his achievements. According to him, in this way he protects Germany and German taxpayers, for whom it is unprofitable to pay Russia billions of dollars for energy resources.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Lebanese Government Resigns Leaving A Void Many Would Like To Fill

He said that he was taking “ a step back ” so that he can stand with the Lebanese people “ and fight the battle for change alongside them.
” Essentially , this isn ’ t so much something that Diab feels responsible for , just that international aid was tied to a “ government reform ” .
Diab blames his predecessors from the massive blast in Beirut that took place on August 4th .
“ They ( political class ) should have been ashamed of themselves because their corruption is what has led to this disaster that had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
“ Their corruption created this tragedy , ” said Diab .
“ Between us and change stands a thick wall protected by their dirty tactics , ” he added .
Earlier in the day , Health Minister Hamad Hassan told reporters that Diab was heading to the presidential palace to “ hand over the resignation in the name of all the ministers.
” France urged the “ rapid formation ” of a new government in Lebanon .
“ The aspirations expressed by the Lebanese in terms of reforms and governance must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement following Diab ’ s announcement .
“ The priority must be the rapid formation of a government that can live up to the expectations of the people , whose mission will be to meet the main challenges of the country , especially the reconstruction of Beirut and reforms without which the country will plunge into economic , social and political chaos , ” he said .
French President Emmanuel Macron was the first Western leader to visit Beirut on August 6th .
France is now looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protectorate thanks to the “ government reform.
” Violent protests erupted outside the prime minister ’ s office in the run-up to the scheduled speech when he would announce the resignation .
Dozens of protesters hurled stones , fireworks and Molotov cocktails at security forces who responded with several rounds of tear gas .
Some demonstrators tried to scale the blast walls outside Parliament Square .
The void that ’ s been created in Lebanon would now mean that all sorts of international players , with France apparently being the swiftest , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and attempt to make various demands in return for assistance of some sort , financial or otherwise .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Chaos In Lebanon Marked Start Of New Round Of Israeli-Iranian Standoff • International Community Promises To Aid Beirut As Political Crisis In Lebanon Intensifies

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On August 10th, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced his government’s resignation.
He said that he was taking “a step back” so that he can stand with the Lebanese people “and fight the battle for change alongside them.”
“I declare today the resignation of this government. May God protect Lebanon,” Diab announced. “Today we are heeding the people and their demands to hold accountable those responsible for a disaster.”
Essentially, this isn’t so much something that Diab feels responsible for, just that international aid was tied to a “government reform”.
Diab blames his predecessors from the massive blast in Beirut that took place on August 4th.
“They (political class) should have been ashamed of themselves because their corruption is what has led to this disaster that had been hidden for seven years,” he added. “Their corruption created this tragedy,” said Diab. “Between us and change stands a thick wall protected by their dirty tactics,” he added.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun accepted the resignation.
Earlier in the day, Health Minister Hamad Hassan told reporters that Diab was heading to the presidential palace to “hand over the resignation in the name of all the ministers.”
“The whole government resigned,” Hassan said.
France urged the “rapid formation” of a new government in Lebanon.
“The aspirations expressed by the Lebanese in terms of reforms and governance must be heard,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement following Diab’s announcement. “The priority must be the rapid formation of a government that can live up to the expectations of the people, whose mission will be to meet the main challenges of the country, especially the reconstruction of Beirut and reforms without which the country will plunge into economic, social and political chaos,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron was the first Western leader to visit Beirut on August 6th. France is now looking to increase its influence in its former protectorate thanks to the “government reform.”
Violent protests erupted outside the prime minister’s office in the run-up to the scheduled speech when he would announce the resignation.
Dozens of protesters hurled stones, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at security forces who responded with several rounds of tear gas. Some demonstrators tried to scale the blast walls outside Parliament Square.
The void that’s been created in Lebanon would now mean that all sorts of international players, with France apparently being the swiftest, would attempt to increase their influence in the country and attempt to make various demands in return for assistance of some sort, financial or otherwise.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Explosion Hits U.S. Equipment Convoy, Iraq And Kuwait Deny It Happened Despite Video

On the evening of August 10th , an explosion reportedly targeted a convoy carrying equipment for US forces near the Iraq-Kuwait border , Reuters reported .
It was not immediately clear if there were any U.S. troops in the convoy or if anyone had been injured in the explosion .
The Iraqi military entirely denied that an explosion took place .
Kuwait ’ s Armed Forces on Twitter denied the attack on one of the outposts on its northern border with Iraq , affirming that boarders are stable and secure .
Initially , Reuters claimed , an unnamed security source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by an Iraqi Shi ’ ite Muslim militia targeting a U.S. military base near the crossing by smuggling in an explosive device , and that some staff on the base had been injured .
This was later contradicted by other security sources who said a convoy was attacked , not a base .
The Iraqi Shiite armed group group , called Ashab al-Kahf , issued a statement overnight claiming it destroyed “ equipment and vehicles belonging to the American enemy ” in a bombing targeting a border crossing south of the Iraqi city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an 11-second video clip it claimed showed the blast , according to the SITE Intelligence Group , which monitors armed groups .
The SITE Intelligence Group has referred to Ashab al-Kahf as “ reportedly an Iranian proxy unit.
” The group initially threatened U.S. forces in April and claimed an attack on a convoy in July in Iraq ’ s Salaheddin province .
The out-of-focus video shows what appeared to be an explosion and lights in the distance , with a man speaking in Arabic .
U.S. Army Maj. John Rigsbee , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military was looking into reports of the explosion .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Iraqi Resistance Now Uses MANPADs Against US Drones In Iraq

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On the evening of August 10th, an explosion reportedly targeted a convoy carrying equipment for US forces near the Iraq-Kuwait border, Reuters reported.
It was not immediately clear if there were any U.S. troops in the convoy or if anyone had been injured in the explosion.
The Iraqi military entirely denied that an explosion took place.
Kuwait’s Armed Forces on Twitter denied the attack on one of the outposts on its northern border with Iraq, affirming that boarders are stable and secure.
Initially, Reuters claimed, an unnamed security source had said that the explosion was caused by an Iraqi Shi’ite Muslim militia targeting a U.S. military base near the crossing by smuggling in an explosive device, and that some staff on the base had been injured.
This was later contradicted by other security sources who said a convoy was attacked, not a base.
The Iraqi Shiite armed group, Ashab al-Kahf, issued a statement overnight claiming it destroyed “equipment and vehicles belonging to the American enemy” in a bombing targeting a border crossing south of the Iraqi city of Basra.
Shi'a Militant Group Claims Attack on U.S. Equipment, Vehicles at Iraq-Kuwait Border Crossing https://t.co/hlSDN6GrUp — SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup) August 10, 2020
The group later published an 11-second video clip it claimed showed the blast, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors armed groups.
The SITE Intelligence Group has referred to Ashab al-Kahf as “reportedly an Iranian proxy unit.” The group initially threatened U.S. forces in April and claimed an attack on a convoy in July in Iraq’s Salaheddin province.
The out-of-focus video shows what appeared to be an explosion and lights in the distance, with a man speaking in Arabic.
U.S. Army Maj. John Rigsbee, a Central Command spokesman, said the American military was looking into reports of the explosion.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Belarus Opposition Leader Flees The Country, US And EU Express Doubt In Election Process

On August 10th , Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya fled Belarus and arrived in Lithuania to presumably be protected from the oppression President Alexander Lukashenko allegedly plans on exercising .
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said she was “ safe.
” Linkevičius had earlier said he was concerned about Tikhanovskaya ’ s safety after she went to the Central Election Commission ( CEC ) building in Minsk to formally file a complaint over August 9th ’ s election , and that she then “ seemed to disappear.
” Linkevičius told Lithuanian TV that Tikhanovskaya had been “ detained for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours .
Veronika Tsepkalo , a senior ally of Tikhanovskaya , said that she had also fled the country late on Monday evening after being told there was “ an order out for my arrest.
” At least one person was killed and dozens injured in a second night of clashes between riot police and protesters across the country .
The fighting late on August 10th appeared to escalate as police once again employed rubber bullets and stun grenades against demonstrators , while some shot back with fireworks and several Molotov cocktails .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shopping carts , fencing , breezeblocks and other items found on the street .
The US Department of State issued a statement saying that it is “ deeply concerned ” over the elections in Belarus .
The contents of the statement are very tame , but , more or less , say the exact same that they have said towards Venezuela and other countries where the US has wished to see a full or partial regime change .
Separately , the foreign ministers of Ukraine , Lithuania , and Poland released a joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Ministers of Lublin Triangle States , we are deeply concerned with escalation of the situation in Belarus after the presidential elections and call upon the authorities to refrain from the use of force and to release all those detained last night .
Respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights , including democracy and rule of law , is essential for further development of independent and sovereign Belarus , which we fully support .
We are confident that only by means of dialogue the current situation can be resolved for the benefit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In case of the need , we are open for any assistance or good offices in facilitating this dialogue .
The well-being and prosperity of Belarus and its people are important for the entire Europe and specifically our region .
We are all interested in continuing mutually beneficial dialogue as well as cooperation based upon democratic values and focused on creating conditions for a common and stable future.
” The surprising part is that Russia hasn ’ t been entirely blamed for the entire scenario that unfolded .
Meanwhile , the 33 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were allegedly planning to stir unrest appear to be entirely forgotten .
Citing a source with the Russian intelligence agencies , the Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda reported that the Russian nationals , who were detained in Belarus in late July , fell victim to a provocation orchestrated by the Ukrainian intelligence agencies .
The article depicts how the Russians were recruited .
The so-called ‘ employers ’ called from virtual numbers .
In the phone calls , they used false identities and fake positions in the Russian major oil company Rosneft .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is questionable , since he won anyway , but the protests are a reality , who , then will be blamed for the protests if the Russians who were supposed to organize them are in jail .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Ukraine-Like Scenario In Belarus : First Confirmed Death During Protests In Minsk

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On August 10th, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya fled Belarus and arrived in Lithuania to presumably be protected from the oppression President Alexander Lukashenko allegedly plans on exercising.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said she was “safe.”
Linkevičius had earlier said he was concerned about Tikhanovskaya’s safety after she went to the Central Election Commission (CEC) building in Minsk to formally file a complaint over August 9th’s election, and that she then “seemed to disappear.”
Linkevičius told Lithuanian TV that Tikhanovskaya had been “detained for a long time” — up to seven hours.
“Neither the circumstances nor the location were known,” the minister said. “When I had tried to contact her for a few hours, unsuccessfully, the search began. There was a lot of communication all night, everyone cared.”
Veronika Tsepkalo, a senior ally of Tikhanovskaya, said that she had also fled the country late on Monday evening after being told there was “an order out for my arrest.”
At least one person was killed and dozens injured in a second night of clashes between riot police and protesters across the country.
The fighting late on August 10th appeared to escalate as police once again employed rubber bullets and stun grenades against demonstrators, while some shot back with fireworks and several Molotov cocktails.
Protesters also began constructing crude barricades from shopping carts, fencing, breezeblocks and other items found on the street.
The US Department of State issued a statement saying that it is “deeply concerned” over the elections in Belarus.
“The United States is deeply concerned about the conduct of the August 9 presidential election in Belarus, which was not free and fair. Severe restrictions on ballot access for candidates, prohibition of local independent observers at polling stations, intimidation tactics employed against opposition candidates, and the detentions of peaceful protesters and journalists marred the process. We regret that OSCE/ODIHR observers did not receive a timely invitation to monitor the vote. Free and fair elections, genuinely contested, are the basis for the authority and legitimacy of all governments.”
The contents of the statement are very tame, but, more or less, say the exact same that they have said towards Venezuela and other countries where the US has wished to see a full or partial regime change.
Separately, the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland released a joint statement on the elections.
“As Foreign Ministers of Lublin Triangle States, we are deeply concerned with escalation of the situation in Belarus after the presidential elections and call upon the authorities to refrain from the use of force and to release all those detained last night. Respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, including democracy and rule of law, is essential for further development of independent and sovereign Belarus, which we fully support. We are confident that only by means of dialogue the current situation can be resolved for the benefit of the people and the state of Belarus. In case of the need, we are open for any assistance or good offices in facilitating this dialogue. The well-being and prosperity of Belarus and its people are important for the entire Europe and specifically our region. We are all interested in continuing mutually beneficial dialogue as well as cooperation based upon democratic values and focused on creating conditions for a common and stable future.”
The surprising part is that Russia hasn’t been entirely blamed for the entire scenario that unfolded.
Meanwhile, the 33 Russians that were detained in Belarus and were allegedly planning to stir unrest appear to be entirely forgotten.
Citing a source with the Russian intelligence agencies, the Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda reported that the Russian nationals, who were detained in Belarus in late July, fell victim to a provocation orchestrated by the Ukrainian intelligence agencies. The article depicts how the Russians were recruited. The so-called ‘employers’ called from virtual numbers. In the phone calls, they used false identities and fake positions in the Russian major oil company Rosneft.
It was an electoral ploy by Lukashenko, which is questionable, since he won anyway, but the protests are a reality, who, then will be blamed for the protests if the Russians who were supposed to organize them are in jail.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Turkey Negotiating With Egypt, As Haftar’s Forces Deploy More Troops To Sirte

On August 10th , a convoy of approximately 70 vehicles was spotted moving from the direction of Benghazi towards Sirte in Libya .
Around the same area , there was a S-300 allegedly moving in an unclear direction , and it is without a missile mounted .
Aguila Saleh Issa , the President of the Libyan House of Representatives , on the side of Field Marshal Khalifa ’ s Libyan National Army ( LNA ) said that Turkey was incapable of entering Sirte .
And he further added that Ankara was aware it was fighting a lost war in Libya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed a boat filled with gunmen that attempt to bypass the EEZ in the center of the country , in the waters west of Benghazi .
There are no clashes , apart from a situation in which a significant crossroad went under LNA control without any apparent fighting .
However , the GNA denied the reports saying there was no LNA presence at all .
The situation is still brewing , and Turkey appears to be hard at work on the diplomatic front , as it said that its agreements with the Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still holding and being carried out , but it is also negotiating with Egypt and conditions may change if Ankara and Cairo reach an agreement .
It also said it was in discussions with Lebanon .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Turkey Uses ‘ Brokers ’ To Recruit Syrian Refugees To Fight In Libya : Monitoring Group

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On August 10th, a convoy of approximately 70 vehicles was spotted moving from the direction of Benghazi towards Sirte in Libya.
Around the same area, there was a S-300 allegedly moving in an unclear direction, and it is without a missile mounted.
S-300 trailer-mounted launcher without missiles allegedly spotted somewhere in Libya. Reverse imagery search shows nothing, but still take it with a big grain of salt. photo via @I30mki pic.twitter.com/srOq5jkrxl — Status-6 (@Archer83Able) August 9, 2020
Aguila Saleh Issa, the President of the Libyan House of Representatives, on the side of Field Marshal Khalifa’s Libyan National Army (LNA) said that Turkey was incapable of entering Sirte.
عقيلة صالح للعربية: تركيا عاجزة عن دخول مدينة سرت الليبية #العربية_عاجل https://t.co/a1vIGVFnOW — العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) August 10, 2020
And he further added that Ankara was aware it was fighting a lost war in Libya.
عقيلة صالح للعربية: تركيا تعرف أنها تخوض حربا خاسرة في ليبيا #العربية_عاجل https://t.co/a1vIGVFnOW — العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) August 10, 2020
The LNA also said that it destroyed a boat filled with gunmen that attempt to bypass the EEZ in the center of the country, in the waters west of Benghazi.
الجيش الليبي: دمرنا زورقا لمسلحين حاول تجاوز منطقة الحظر البحري وسط البلاد #العربية_عاجل https://t.co/a1vIGVFnOW — العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) August 10, 2020
There are no clashes, apart from a situation in which a significant crossroad went under LNA control without any apparent fighting.
https://twitter.com/leventkemaI/status/1291325699329077248/likes
However, the GNA denied the reports saying there was no LNA presence at all.
في اتصال هاتفي مع احد الإخوة في الغرفة يؤكد عدم تواجد لأي قوات تابعة لعصابات #الرجمة في بلدة #القريات — ابراهيم قصودة ???? (@EbrahimGasuda) August 6, 2020
The situation is still brewing, and Turkey appears to be hard at work on the diplomatic front, as it said that its agreements with the Government of National Accord (GNA) were still holding and being carried out, but it is also negotiating with Egypt and conditions may change if Ankara and Cairo reach an agreement. It also said it was in discussions with Lebanon.
?#SONDAKİKA ▪İbrahim Kalın: ➖“Libya ile anlaşma imzaladık.”
➖“Yarın şartlar değişir, Mısır ile belli konularda uzlaşabilirsek Mısır ile imzalarız.”
➖“Lübnan ile imzalarız.” — Bedrettin (@bedbolukbasi) August 9, 2020
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southfront--2020-08-11--Ukraine-Like Scenario In Belarus: First Confirmed Death During Protests In Minsk

A protester was killed during clashes with Police in the Belarusian capital of Minsk , the country ’ s interior ministry reported on August 10 evening .
Meanwhile , clashes between security forces and protesters continue in Minsk and several other cities .
According to pro-opposition sources , protesters are trying to build barricades in Minsk .
Media reports claim that the Internet was mostly shut down in Belarus amid protests .
Nonetheless , photos , videos and other data continue surfacing online from the scene of riots .
The Pushkinski suqare is the main place of clashes in Minsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officers .
These reports remain unconfirmed .
Pro-opposition sources are also spreading the declaration of the nation-wide strike from August 11 .
If this happens , this will be a notable blow to the country , which is already in the comlicated economic situation .
Apparently , the main ‘ success ’ of the opposition is the August 10 death of the protester .
The man will likely be turned into a sacred sacrifice to fuel street violence and destabilize the country in further .
Sacred sacrifices are the important fator of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
In particular , in Ukraine in 2014 , the mass deaths of rioters ( many of them in very suspicious conditions , including repots about sniper fire by foreign mercenaries hired by supporters of the coup ) became the turning point that allowed to increase the violence to the level , when radicals supported by the West overthrew the Yanukovich regime .
In the case of Belarus , the main striking force of protesters is also radical nationalists and neo-liberal-styled Antifa groups that united their forces against the Lukashenko government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of the foothold hooligan group MTZ-RIPO ( another name Patriot ) was spotted during the ongoing protests .
In 2014 , a large number of members of this Antifa group participated in the coup in Ukraine .
Some of then even joined the so-called Azov battalion ( mostly consisting of neo-Nazis ) that participated in the conflict with local resistance forces in the region of Donbass .
Therefore , it is not the first time when Belarusian left radicals unite their efforts with their supposed enemies ( neo-Nazi groups ) .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is observed during BLM riots in the United States , where Antifa radicals ( supposedly fighting ‘ fascists ) openly cooperate with black racists motivated by ethnic hatred towards the non-black population .
The riots in Belarus develop amid the increasing media and diplomatic campaign against the Lukashenko government .
Western and even Russian neo-liberal mainstream media are actively covering the situation painting it like the popular apprising against the Lukashenko government .
Various representatives of the Russian ‘ neo-liberal community ’ even gathered to support their ‘ democratic brothers ’ in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , the protests are led by the aggressive and well-coordinated minority and does not represent the entire population .
Several Western officials , including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , already called the elections de-facto non-legitimate .
If the protests continue and the level of violence grows in the coming days , the Lukashenko government will likely face an increasing pressure on the international scene , including new sanctions , propaganda and clandestine efforts to destabilize the situation in Belarus by the Euro-Atlantic establishment .
The irony of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago Lukashenko was publicly flirting with Washington & Co and making anti-Russian statements .
Nonetheless , his new friends immediately betrayed him .
In these conditions , Russia ( as always ) remains the only guarantor of the Belarusian sovereignty and the power that is ready to assist the Belarusian leadership in its attempts to avoid the wide-scale chaos and the fate of Ukraine 2.0 .
It should be noted that the stability of Belarus is also a matter of national security for Russia .
The Ukraine-like scenario in Belarus will have all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself and set additional conditions for the destabilization of the country ahead of the 2021 parliament election .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • None Reported Belarus Protester Death Blamed On Police , Despite Video Evidence .
Authorities Deny Any Deaths ( UPDATED )

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A protester was killed during clashes with Police in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, the country’s interior ministry reported on August 10 evening.
“During the confrontation with special forces that deployed to unblock the square, one of the protesters tried to throw an unidentified explosive device at law enforcement officers. It exploded in his hand, the man received injuries incompatible with life,” a press officer of the Interior Ministry, Olga Chemodanova, said.
Meanwhile, clashes between security forces and protesters continue in Minsk and several other cities. According to pro-opposition sources, protesters are trying to build barricades in Minsk.
Media reports claim that the Internet was mostly shut down in Belarus amid protests. Nonetheless, photos, videos and other data continue surfacing online from the scene of riots.
The Pushkinski suqare is the main place of clashes in Minsk. Social media reports claim that several petrol bombs were thrown at police officers. These reports remain unconfirmed.
#Belarus: Video of a motorist running over riot police, police were reportedly attacking people's cars with batons previously. (?@MBKhMedia) pic.twitter.com/QGFyiRJfG8 — Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) August 10, 2020
Pro-opposition sources are also spreading the declaration of the nation-wide strike from August 11. If this happens, this will be a notable blow to the country, which is already in the comlicated economic situation.
Apparently, the main ‘success’ of the opposition is the August 10 death of the protester. The man will likely be turned into a sacred sacrifice to fuel street violence and destabilize the country in further. Sacred sacrifices are the important fator of most successful regime changes of the previous years. In particular, in Ukraine in 2014, the mass deaths of rioters (many of them in very suspicious conditions, including repots about sniper fire by foreign mercenaries hired by supporters of the coup) became the turning point that allowed to increase the violence to the level, when radicals supported by the West overthrew the Yanukovich regime.
In the case of Belarus, the main striking force of protesters is also radical nationalists and neo-liberal-styled Antifa groups that united their forces against the Lukashenko government. According to local sources, a large number of the foothold hooligan group MTZ-RIPO (another name Patriot) was spotted during the ongoing protests. In 2014, a large number of members of this Antifa group participated in the coup in Ukraine. Some of then even joined the so-called Azov battalion (mostly consisting of neo-Nazis) that participated in the conflict with local resistance forces in the region of Donbass. Therefore, it is not the first time when Belarusian left radicals unite their efforts with their supposed enemies (neo-Nazi groups).
The interesting fact is that a similar situation is observed during BLM riots in the United States, where Antifa radicals (supposedly fighting ‘fascists) openly cooperate with black racists motivated by ethnic hatred towards the non-black population.
The riots in Belarus develop amid the increasing media and diplomatic campaign against the Lukashenko government. Western and even Russian neo-liberal mainstream media are actively covering the situation painting it like the popular apprising against the Lukashenko government. Various representatives of the Russian ‘neo-liberal community’ even gathered to support their ‘democratic brothers’ in the front of the Belarusian embassy in Moscow. In fact, the protests are led by the aggressive and well-coordinated minority and does not represent the entire population.
Several Western officials, including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, already called the elections de-facto non-legitimate. If the protests continue and the level of violence grows in the coming days, the Lukashenko government will likely face an increasing pressure on the international scene, including new sanctions, propaganda and clandestine efforts to destabilize the situation in Belarus by the Euro-Atlantic establishment.
The irony of the situation is that just a few weeks ago Lukashenko was publicly flirting with Washington & Co and making anti-Russian statements. Nonetheless, his new friends immediately betrayed him. In these conditions, Russia (as always) remains the only guarantor of the Belarusian sovereignty and the power that is ready to assist the Belarusian leadership in its attempts to avoid the wide-scale chaos and the fate of Ukraine 2.0. It should be noted that the stability of Belarus is also a matter of national security for Russia. The Ukraine-like scenario in Belarus will have all chances to facilitate destructive trends in Russia itself and set additional conditions for the destabilization of the country ahead of the 2021 parliament election.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Higuard 6×6 MRAP Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The HIGUARD is a MRAP ( Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected ) vehicle designed and manufactured @ @ @ @ @ Trucks Defense .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Network Of NATO Centres Of Excellence @ @ @ @ @ ( Infographics )

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The HIGUARD is a MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle designed and manufactured by France’s Renault Trucks Defense.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Chaos In Lebanon Marked Start Of New Round Of Israeli-Iranian Standoff

The explosion in the port of Beirut in early August that caused thousands of casualties became a trigger point for the further development of the already existing crisis in Lebanon .
In the following week days after the August 4 explosion , a series of large-scale protests took place in Beirut .
Protesters clashed with police , hung cardboard figures of Lebanese politicians , like President Michel Aoun and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah , and stormed government buildings , including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the Ministry of the Economy , the Ministry of the Environment , the Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Water .
As of August 10 , a few dozen people have already been injured and protests continue .
A number of Lebanese politicians , who are known to be close to the West , announced their resignation from the country ’ s Parliament .
The Lebanese Minister of Information , Manal Abdel Samad , also resigned along with the Environment Minister Damianus Qitar .
According to the Lebanese media , a number of other ministers are planning to announce their resignation soon .
The Lebanese government is about to end its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests received wide coverage in Israeli media , which painted the crisis as a ‘ popular resistance ’ against Hezbollah and political parties that cooperate with it .
Various pro-Israeli sources actively speculate that the entire tragedy was likely caused due to the ‘ destructive Hezbollah actions ’ if not a Hezbollah weapon depot explosion .
The Hezbollah political wing is an official political party in Lebanon and its Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc has 13 seats .
The movement itself through its social , economic and security programs has strong popular support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known to be allies of the U.S. expectedly received less coverage .
The deepening crisis in Lebanon also caused a notable reaction on the international level , in particular with the United States and France actively offering their assistance .
US President Donald Trump , who already declared that the explosion may have been an attack , was especially active in calling about the need to find the party behind the Beirut explosions .
Taking into account the general course of the Trump administration aimed at the confrontation with the Iranian-led bloc in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Israel , it ’ s easy to suggest whom the White House will find guilty in the crisis .
At the same time , the Israeli Defense Forces ( IDF ) continued their military buildup on the contact line with southern Lebanon and in the occupied area of Syria ’ s Golan Heights .
On August 9 , Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi , Chief of the General Staff of the IDF , came with new accusations against Iran claiming that the shelling of Israeli forces on the separation line with the Syrians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech , Lt. Gen. Kochavi set the Israeli goals in what he called the “ battle between wars ” as follows : • Preventing the “ radical axis ” [ Iran and its allies ] from establishing a presence in Syria .
• Denying Israel ’ s enemies on all fronts , especially in the north , from obtaining precision-guided missiles and munitions .
IDF troops in northern Israel have been on a high alert since July 20 , when a series of Israeli strikes on the Syrian capital , Damascus , killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , the Beirut port explosions became a gift for the Israeli political leadership and its supporters giving them a chance to use the crisis to achieve their goals in Lebanon .
The observed diplomatic and media activity demonstrates that Tel Aviv and Washington have already started a campaign to undermine positions of Hezbollah , at least on the political level , and fuel tensions between supporters of the group and the relatively pro-Western part of the population .
Clandestine actions to fuel chaos in Lebanon are likely to follow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in the case of success , it may lead to a new cycle of violence and civilian casualties in Lebanon , first of all in Beirut and may even trigger the resumption of clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli contact line .
Nonetheless , this is the price that the pro-Israel bloc is ready to pay to achieve its political goals and deny the Lebanese the ability to protect its national sovereignty from foreign actors in any foreseeable future .

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The explosion in the port of Beirut in early August that caused thousands of casualties became a trigger point for the further development of the already existing crisis in Lebanon.
In the following week days after the August 4 explosion, a series of large-scale protests took place in Beirut. Protesters clashed with police, hung cardboard figures of Lebanese politicians, like President Michel Aoun and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and stormed government buildings, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of the Environment, the Association of Banks and the Ministry of Energy and Water. As of August 10, a few dozen people have already been injured and protests continue.
A number of Lebanese politicians, who are known to be close to the West, announced their resignation from the country’s Parliament. The Lebanese Minister of Information, Manal Abdel Samad, also resigned along with the Environment Minister Damianus Qitar. According to the Lebanese media, a number of other ministers are planning to announce their resignation soon. The Lebanese government is about to end its existence in its current form.
The protests received wide coverage in Israeli media, which painted the crisis as a ‘popular resistance’ against Hezbollah and political parties that cooperate with it. Various pro-Israeli sources actively speculate that the entire tragedy was likely caused due to the ‘destructive Hezbollah actions’ if not a Hezbollah weapon depot explosion. The Hezbollah political wing is an official political party in Lebanon and its Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc has 13 seats. The movement itself through its social, economic and security programs has strong popular support across the country. Slogans and chants known to be allies of the U.S. expectedly received less coverage.
The deepening crisis in Lebanon also caused a notable reaction on the international level, in particular with the United States and France actively offering their assistance. US President Donald Trump, who already declared that the explosion may have been an attack, was especially active in calling about the need to find the party behind the Beirut explosions. Taking into account the general course of the Trump administration aimed at the confrontation with the Iranian-led bloc in the Middle East and its unconditional support to Israel, it’s easy to suggest whom the White House will find guilty in the crisis.
At the same time, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continued their military buildup on the contact line with southern Lebanon and in the occupied area of Syria’s Golan Heights. On August 9, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Chief of the General Staff of the IDF, came with new accusations against Iran claiming that the shelling of Israeli forces on the separation line with the Syrians was linked with Iran. In his speech, Lt. Gen. Kochavi set the Israeli goals in what he called the “battle between wars” as follows:
The Iranian nuclear program. Preventing the “radical axis” [Iran and its allies] from establishing a presence in Syria. Denying Israel’s enemies on all fronts, especially in the north, from obtaining precision-guided missiles and munitions.
IDF troops in northern Israel have been on a high alert since July 20, when a series of Israeli strikes on the Syrian capital, Damascus, killed a fighter of Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
In fact, the Beirut port explosions became a gift for the Israeli political leadership and its supporters giving them a chance to use the crisis to achieve their goals in Lebanon. The observed diplomatic and media activity demonstrates that Tel Aviv and Washington have already started a campaign to undermine positions of Hezbollah, at least on the political level, and fuel tensions between supporters of the group and the relatively pro-Western part of the population. Clandestine actions to fuel chaos in Lebanon are likely to follow.
The main problem of this approach is that in the case of success, it may lead to a new cycle of violence and civilian casualties in Lebanon, first of all in Beirut and may even trigger the resumption of clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli contact line. Nonetheless, this is the price that the pro-Israel bloc is ready to pay to achieve its political goals and deny the Lebanese the ability to protect its national sovereignty from foreign actors in any foreseeable future.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Lights, Camera, Action: Staging Of Protests in Belarus (Videos)

In Belarus presidential elections were held .
According to the Central Election Committee , the turnout was quite high and amounted to about 84 % of the population .
The results of the exit poll confirm the victory of the current President of Belarus , Alexander Lukashenko .
The election campaign was marked by unprecedented administrative pressure and a huge number of provocations .
Shortly before the elections in Minsk were held large-scale protests in support of the main opponent of A. Lukashenko , Svetlana Tikhanovskaya .
Also , the results of the elections caused disapproval among the population .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition electorate , such a high percentage of those who voted for A. Lukashenko is suspicious .
Svetlana Tikhonovskaya said that she considers herself the winner of the presidential election in Belarus , and her team demanded the peaceful transfer of power to the elected head of state .
However , the election day in Belarus was not characterized by calm .
After their completion , violent protests began on the streets .
There are more and more videos on the Internet showing more and more large-scale confrontations with special police units involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channels claim that hundreds of protesters took to the streets .
At the same time , after analyzing of some videos , it becomes clear that many of them are staged stories .
For example , one of the first videos appeared on the Internet , which was titled as ” In Minsk , the police started detaining people .
The surrounding people rushed to fight them off.
» The video shows a group of police officers consisting of about 9 people .
Initially , they were forced to disperse in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this moment that allegedly “ surrounding people ” began to protect the protesters from the riot police .
Suspicions about the authenticity of the events on the video are primarily caused by the content of those “ passers-by ” , consisting exclusively of strong young men , most likely having no relation to the active electorate .
With shouts of “ let ’ s go at them !
” , “ Jackals !
” about 20 people come on stage .
As a result , about 20 men attack 9 police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lasts about 10 seconds , because most likely the attackers immediately ran away , for not to be detained .
Special praise is due to the work of the operator , who also seems to be not just a casual viewer , and has good skills with the camera .
It is also heard on the video .
that the exclamations of ” protestors ” containing obscene language were carefully muted .
The slightest analysis of the video allows to conclude that everything was prepared , from the situation itself to the work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police were provoked at a certain time and in the right place , where they were already waiting with cameras and prepared “ passers-by ” , ready to simulate a collision .
Similar suspicions are aroused by another video that has been widely distributed on social networks .
The video shows how provocateurs tear off their t-shirts and , on the orders of their supervisor , jump off and start provoking the police .
The supervisor himself at this time , having given the order , tried to move away , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poisons during the clashes .
It can be seen that about 40 people participated in the production , and they were arranged in two rows so that their number visually seemed larger .
For this purpose , the desired shooting angle is also selected .
Strangely , the video ends a few seconds after the collision , and another one shows the entrance to a shopping center located nearby .
It appears that a group of protesters were ordered to run away and hide in the shopping center , which is an ideal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost in the crowd .
The video also shows the few people who the police managed to catch up and detain .
Such orchestrated situations are not uncommon and are conducted by competent social engineers .
At the same time , the main task of such companies is to distribute the video as widely as possible on information platforms , in social networks and in the media .
Apparently , the provocative fake videos did their job , and hundreds of people took to the streets of Minsk .
Various information sources claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the head of the Investigative Committee of Belarus , I. Noskevich , mass unrest was observed both in Minsk and in other regions of the country .
As a result of illegal actions , dozens of policemen were injured .
There are also victims among the protesters .
Participants of the riots used garbage containers , benches , sticks , cobblestones , fragments of paving slabs , glass bottles , as well as flammable liquids , Police officers used stun grenades and tear gas .
There was the news about the deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be officially confirmed .
Most of the videos published on election day arouse suspicion .
They have common features : they are quite short and in most cases they do not show the general plan , but only a local image .
In almost all the videos , except for the general procession of protesters , we see only young strong men who act in a fairly organized manner .
The events in Minsk are very similar to what happened in Ukraine in 2014 .
There is manipulation of the position of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the results of the elections in order to organize mass riots and destabilize the situation in the country .
However , the situations in two countries differ in several ways .
In Belarus there are no prerequisites for the formation of an aggressive sub-ethnic group similar to the representatives of Western Ukraine .
In contrast to Ukraine , nationalist movements , which could become the main force for the revolution , are comparatively inactive in Belarus .
In order to carry out a coup , the assistance of at least of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces is required .
If the Security Council supported the revolution in Ukraine , at the moment the Security Committee ’ s support for the protesters in Belarus seems unlikely .
Thus , despite the efforts of social engineers who actively feed the revolutionary movement , a repeat of the “ Maidan ” in Belarus seems unlikely .
However , a long term civil confrontation based on the discontent of some voters and fueled from the outside is quite likely .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Turkey Resumed Drilling In Eastern Mediterranean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Promise

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In Belarus presidential elections were held. According to the Central Election Committee, the turnout was quite high and amounted to about 84% of the population. The results of the exit poll confirm the victory of the current President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.
The election campaign was marked by unprecedented administrative pressure and a huge number of provocations. Shortly before the elections in Minsk were held large-scale protests in support of the main opponent of A. Lukashenko, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Also, the results of the elections caused disapproval among the population. Given the scale of mobilization of the opposition electorate, such a high percentage of those who voted for A. Lukashenko is suspicious. Svetlana Tikhonovskaya said that she considers herself the winner of the presidential election in Belarus, and her team demanded the peaceful transfer of power to the elected head of state.
“The government does not hear us, it is completely detached from the people, but I must repeat that we are for peaceful changes. And the authorities should now think about how to transfer this power in a peaceful way, because at the moment they have only one way — violence against peaceful Belarusians, ” Tihanovskaya said.
However, the election day in Belarus was not characterized by calm. After their completion, violent protests began on the streets. There are more and more videos on the Internet showing more and more large-scale confrontations with special police units involved in ensuring public order. Various news channels claim that hundreds of protesters took to the streets. At the same time, after analyzing of some videos, it becomes clear that many of them are staged stories.
For example, one of the first videos appeared on the Internet, which was titled as ” In Minsk, the police started detaining people. The surrounding people rushed to fight them off.»
В Минске ОМОН начал задерживать людей. Окружающие бросились их отбивать. pic.twitter.com/iP09NhID61 — TUT.BY (@tutby) August 9, 2020
The video shows a group of police officers consisting of about 9 people. Initially, they were forced to disperse in order to detain several people, and it was at this moment that allegedly “surrounding people” began to protect the protesters from the riot police.
Suspicions about the authenticity of the events on the video are primarily caused by the content of those “passers-by”, consisting exclusively of strong young men, most likely having no relation to the active electorate. With shouts of “let’s go at them!”, “Jackals!” about 20 people come on stage. As a result, about 20 men attack 9 police officers. The collision itself in the video lasts about 10 seconds, because most likely the attackers immediately ran away, for not to be detained.
Special praise is due to the work of the operator, who also seems to be not just a casual viewer, and has good skills with the camera. It is also heard on the video. that the exclamations of” protestors ” containing obscene language were carefully muted.
The slightest analysis of the video allows to conclude that everything was prepared, from the situation itself to the work of the video operator. Apparently, the police were provoked at a certain time and in the right place, where they were already waiting with cameras and prepared “passers-by”, ready to simulate a collision.
Similar suspicions are aroused by another video that has been widely distributed on social networks.
The video shows how provocateurs tear off their t-shirts and, on the orders of their supervisor, jump off and start provoking the police. The supervisor himself at this time, having given the order, tried to move away, so as not to be in the first poisons during the clashes. It can be seen that about 40 people participated in the production, and they were arranged in two rows so that their number visually seemed larger. For this purpose, the desired shooting angle is also selected.
Strangely, the video ends a few seconds after the collision, and another one shows the entrance to a shopping center located nearby. It appears that a group of protesters were ordered to run away and hide in the shopping center, which is an ideal escape route where they can easily get lost in the crowd. The video also shows the few people who the police managed to catch up and detain.
Such orchestrated situations are not uncommon and are conducted by competent social engineers. At the same time, the main task of such companies is to distribute the video as widely as possible on information platforms, in social networks and in the media.
Apparently, the provocative fake videos did their job, and hundreds of people took to the streets of Minsk. Various information sources claimed hundreds of thousands of protesters.
According to the head of the Investigative Committee of Belarus, I. Noskevich, mass unrest was observed both in Minsk and in other regions of the country. As a result of illegal actions, dozens of policemen were injured. There are also victims among the protesters. Participants of the riots used garbage containers, benches, sticks, cobblestones, fragments of paving slabs, glass bottles, as well as flammable liquids, Police officers used stun grenades and tear gas. There was the news about the deaths among the protestors that are still to be officially confirmed.
Most of the videos published on election day arouse suspicion. They have common features: they are quite short and in most cases they do not show the general plan, but only a local image. In almost all the videos, except for the general procession of protesters, we see only young strong men who act in a fairly organized manner.
The events in Minsk are very similar to what happened in Ukraine in 2014. There is manipulation of the position of a minority of the population that is dissatisfied with the results of the elections in order to organize mass riots and destabilize the situation in the country. However, the situations in two countries differ in several ways. In Belarus there are no prerequisites for the formation of an aggressive sub-ethnic group similar to the representatives of Western Ukraine. In contrast to Ukraine, nationalist movements, which could become the main force for the revolution, are comparatively inactive in Belarus. In order to carry out a coup, the assistance of at least of a part of the state’s military forces is required. If the Security Council supported the revolution in Ukraine, at the moment the Security Committee’s support for the protesters in Belarus seems unlikely. Thus, despite the efforts of social engineers who actively feed the revolutionary movement, a repeat of the “Maidan” in Belarus seems unlikely. However, a long term civil confrontation based on the discontent of some voters and fueled from the outside is quite likely.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Military Situation In Iraq On August 10, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq : • The Saraya Thorat @ @ @ @ @ its forces had carried out an IED attack on a convoy of US-led coalition on @ @ @ @ @ 2 PMU members were injured in an IED attack near Lake Hamrin ; • Iraqi @ @ @ @ @ operation in the Al-Kour Valley near the town of Daquq ; • The 313th Brigade @ @ @ @ @ a security operation against ISIS cells west of Samarra .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq:
The Saraya Thorat Al-Ashrin Al-Thaniyah group declared that its forces had carried out an IED attack on a convoy of US-led coalition on the Nasiriyah highway;
2 PMU members were injured in an IED attack near Lake Hamrin;
Iraqi forces carried out a security operation in the Al-Kour Valley near the town of Daquq;
The 313th Brigade of the PMU carried out a security operation against ISIS cells west of Samarra.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Military Situation In Yemen On August 10, 2020 (Map Update)

a big part of the territory is surrounded by Ansar Allah now .
even the little route that you can @ @ @ @ @ claimed to be taken but not shown in the map .
all this meaning the @ @ @ @ @ are now left alone without any saudi coalition support .
they ’ re done for @ @ @ @

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Boqa area;
3 Ethiopian immigrants were killed as a result of artillery shelling by Saudi-led forces in Aqabat Al-Rakheem in the Mahliya District;
The Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 86 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah over the past 24 hours;
Ansar Allah and its allied tribes launched an operation against ISIS and al-Qaeda forces in the northwest of Baydha province, capturing several points such as Nofan mountain, Hatab and Khabza villages.
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southfront--2020-08-11--US Air Force One To Go Hypersonic

US Air Force One To Go Hypersonic

The US Air Force and the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate have announced that they have partnered with an Atlanta-based company called Hermeus to develop a hypersonic Air Force One .
Zero Hedge reports that the partnership will allow for the development of a hypersonic aircraft for the presidential fleet that can travel as fast as Mach 5 .
Hermeus successfully tested a Mach 5 engine prototype earlier this year .
A demonstrator vehicle using the Mach 5 engines could be developed within the next five years .
Mach 5 is approximately 3,300 miles per hour , about 2.5 times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hermeus press release describing the new contract to build a hypersonic Air Force One declares : “ Hermeus Corporation , the aerospace company developing Mach 5 commercial aircraft , has partnered with the U.S. Air Force and the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate to work toward hypersonic travel for the Department of Defense .
This award comes under an Other Transaction For Prototype Agreement Direct to Phase II contract through AFWERX after Hermeus successfully tested a Mach 5 engine prototype in February 2020 .
The effort is focused on rapidly assessing modifications to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidential and Executive Airlift fleet .
Early integration of unique Air Force requirements for high-speed mobility and evaluation of interfaces between high-speed aircraft and existing communications , airport , and air traffic control infrastructure lays the groundwork for a seamless transition to service .
Additionally , Hermeus will prepare test plans to reduce technical risk associated with these modifications to support Air Force requirements.
” Brigadier General Ryan Britton , Program Executive Officer for Presidential and Executive Airlift , commented on the project : “ Leaps in capability are vital as we work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By leveraging commercial investment to drive new technologies into the Air Force , we are able to maximize our payback on the Department of Defense investments .
The Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate is proud to support Hermeus in making this game-changing capability a reality as we look to recapitalize the fleet in the future.
” If their efforts prove to be successful , Hermeus ’ cofounders Blue Origin , SpaceX , and Generation Orbit are set to be the team that develops the first hypersonic aircraft for the president .
MORE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
US still scrambling and surging to develop new high tech weapons systems

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The US Air Force and the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate have announced that they have partnered with an Atlanta-based company called Hermeus to develop a hypersonic Air Force One.
Zero Hedge reports that the partnership will allow for the development of a hypersonic aircraft for the presidential fleet that can travel as fast as Mach 5. Hermeus successfully tested a Mach 5 engine prototype earlier this year. A demonstrator vehicle using the Mach 5 engines could be developed within the next five years.
Mach 5 is approximately 3,300 miles per hour, about 2.5 times faster than the Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde.
The Hermeus press release describing the new contract to build a hypersonic Air Force One declares:
“Hermeus Corporation, the aerospace company developing Mach 5 commercial aircraft, has partnered with the U.S. Air Force and the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate to work toward hypersonic travel for the Department of Defense. This award comes under an Other Transaction For Prototype Agreement Direct to Phase II contract through AFWERX after Hermeus successfully tested a Mach 5 engine prototype in February 2020. The effort is focused on rapidly assessing modifications to Hermeus Mach 5 aircraft to support the Presidential and Executive Airlift fleet. Early integration of unique Air Force requirements for high-speed mobility and evaluation of interfaces between high-speed aircraft and existing communications, airport, and air traffic control infrastructure lays the groundwork for a seamless transition to service. Additionally, Hermeus will prepare test plans to reduce technical risk associated with these modifications to support Air Force requirements.”
Brigadier General Ryan Britton, Program Executive Officer for Presidential and Executive Airlift, commented on the project:
“Leaps in capability are vital as we work to complicate the calculus of our adversaries. By leveraging commercial investment to drive new technologies into the Air Force, we are able to maximize our payback on the Department of Defense investments. The Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate is proud to support Hermeus in making this game-changing capability a reality as we look to recapitalize the fleet in the future.”
If their efforts prove to be successful, Hermeus’ cofounders Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Generation Orbit are set to be the team that develops the first hypersonic aircraft for the president.
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southfront--2020-08-11--German Frigate To Join EU Mission Monitoring UN Arms Embargo On Libya

A German frigate carrying 250 soldiers has departed Germany to start a five-month mission as part of the European Union efforts to enforce a United Nations embargo on the flow of weapons into Libya .
Germany ’ s ‘ Sachsen ’ class air-defence frigate ‘ Hamburg ’ set sail for the Mediterranean from the port city of Wilhelmshaven on Tuesday .
The German frigate will participate in the EU ’ s ‘ Irini ’ mission , launched in May , which is tasked with preventing the flow of weapons into Libya as well as gathering information on illegal oil exports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region .
Satellites and planes are also being used to monitor the arms embargo .
The Hamburg ’ s crew members are set to return on December 20 .
“ We are facing a mission that will present the ship and crew with previously unknown challenges in several respects , ” Commander Jan Fitschen said at the start of the mission .
It is taking place on “ difficult political and operational terrain ” , he said .
This is indeed the case , as there is no shortage of arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking place in Libya , and some of them are accompanied by powerful military escorts .
Countries accused of violating the embargo include Turkey , Russia and the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) .
Turkey supports the Government of National Accord and Prime Minister Fayez Serraj based in Tripoli , which is vying for power with the House of Representatives and its military commander Khalifa Haftar .
Egypt , Russia and the UAE support the House of Representatives .
Turkey has repeatedly claimed that the EU ’ s Operation Irini disproportionately targets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government of National Accord .
Recently , Germany , France and Italy for the first time threatened sanctions to enforce the UN arms embargo , which has been in place for nine years .
LINK In June , the EU asked NATO for help with its naval mission enforcing an arms embargo on Libya , after Turkey prevented one of the warships participating in the mission from inspecting a suspect vessel .
The freighter involved was accompanied by a military escort .
A senior EU official said the bloc had contacted NATO to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” with the military alliance ’ s Operation Sea Guardian in the eastern Mediterranean .
At the time NATO ’ s Operation Sea Guardian had two ships patrolling the Mediterranean to monitor shipping , deter terrorism and ‘ project stability ’ .
It gave information and logistical support to Irini ’ s predecessor , Operation Sophia , for a number of years .
However , several months later no progress has been made and it is very unlikely that either the ‘ EU ’ or ‘ NATO ’ will be able to enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Turkish navy , which has repeatedly demonstrated that it has no intention of ending the flow of weapons to its allies in Libya .
Moreover , changing the parameters of NATO ’ s Operation Sea Guardian to include assisting the Irini mission would need approval from all 30 NATO members – meaning Turkey can veto the move .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Ripple effects Greece and Turkey open new northern front on Libyan conflict • Al Sisi says Egypt has right to intervene in Libya vows to protect Sirte al @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to achieving a peaceful settlement in Libya

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A German frigate carrying 250 soldiers has departed Germany to start a five-month mission as part of the European Union efforts to enforce a United Nations embargo on the flow of weapons into Libya.
Germany’s ‘Sachsen’ class air-defence frigate ‘Hamburg’ set sail for the Mediterranean from the port city of Wilhelmshaven on Tuesday. The German frigate will participate in the EU’s ‘Irini’ mission, launched in May, which is tasked with preventing the flow of weapons into Libya as well as gathering information on illegal oil exports from the country and disrupting people smuggling in the region.
Satellites and planes are also being used to monitor the arms embargo. The Hamburg’s crew members are set to return on December 20.
“We are facing a mission that will present the ship and crew with previously unknown challenges in several respects,” Commander Jan Fitschen said at the start of the mission. It is taking place on “difficult political and operational terrain”, he said.
This is indeed the case, as there is no shortage of arms smugglers introducing new weapons into the conflict taking place in Libya, and some of them are accompanied by powerful military escorts.
Countries accused of violating the embargo include Turkey, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Turkey supports the Government of National Accord and Prime Minister Fayez Serraj based in Tripoli, which is vying for power with the House of Representatives and its military commander Khalifa Haftar. Egypt, Russia and the UAE support the House of Representatives.
Turkey has repeatedly claimed that the EU’s Operation Irini disproportionately targets Turkey’s weapons shipments to the Government of National Accord.
Recently, Germany, France and Italy for the first time threatened sanctions to enforce the UN arms embargo, which has been in place for nine years. LINK
In June, the EU asked NATO for help with its naval mission enforcing an arms embargo on Libya, after Turkey prevented one of the warships participating in the mission from inspecting a suspect vessel. The freighter involved was accompanied by a military escort.
A senior EU official said the bloc had contacted NATO to see “how we can have arrangements” with the military alliance’s Operation Sea Guardian in the eastern Mediterranean. At the time NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian had two ships patrolling the Mediterranean to monitor shipping, deter terrorism and ‘project stability’.
It gave information and logistical support to Irini’s predecessor, Operation Sophia, for a number of years.
“Allies are currently discussing how NATO could support the EU’s new maritime mission Irini,” a NATO official said. “It is important that the UN arms embargo is fully implemented.”
However, several months later no progress has been made and it is very unlikely that either the ‘EU’ or ‘NATO’ will be able to enforce the UN embargo against freighters escorted by the Turkish navy, which has repeatedly demonstrated that it has no intention of ending the flow of weapons to its allies in Libya.
Moreover, changing the parameters of NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian to include assisting the Irini mission would need approval from all 30 NATO members – meaning Turkey can veto the move.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Project 22600 Icebreaker (Infographics)

Project 22600 Icebreaker (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The Viktor Chernomyrdin is the Russian Project 22600 diesel-electric icebreaker currently under construction at @ @ @ @ @ .
The icebreaker was launched in 2016 and is set to enter service in 2020 @ @ @ @ @ :

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The Viktor Chernomyrdin is the Russian Project 22600 diesel-electric icebreaker currently under construction at Admiralty Shipyard in Saint Petersburg. The icebreaker was launched in 2016 and is set to enter service in 2020.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Taiwan Sends 200 Marines To Contested Island In The South China Sea

Taiwan is reported to have sent around 200 marines to the Pratas Islands , located in the South China Sea in an area claimed by both Taiwan and China .
The move appears to be related to concerns that China is planning a major maritime military exercise later this month , which would include a simulated takeover of Taiwanese-controlled islets .
It is anticipated that the scheduled military exercises , to be carried out by the PLA ’ s Southern Theatre Command , would be on an unprecedented scale and would involve large numbers of marines , landing ships , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a possibility that they will be joined by China ’ s aircraft carriers during an extended deployment on a course that would send them close to Taiwan ’ s shores , first revealed by a report by Kyodo news agency in Japan on 12 May , and subsequently confirmed by Chinese officials .
In the same week the US Navy posted pictures of one of its warships sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait for the sixth time this year .
picked up the reports that China is planning on deploying two aircraft carriers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its war games scheduled for August to rehearse for a future assault on the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha Islands .
News.com.au had reported that for the first time , both of China ’ s aircraft carriers , the Liaoning and Shandong , are being deployed together in Bohai Bay in the Yellow Sea to conduct combat readiness drills .
The People ’ s Liberation Army Navy ( PLAN ) carriers were said to be engaged in the second week of an 11-week simulated military confrontation that would later extend into the South China Sea .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a military source as saying that an aircraft carrier strike group will pass through the Pratas Islands ( Dongsha Islands ) on its way to the exercise site to the southeast of Taiwan in the Philippine Sea .
The Pratas Islands , consisting of one island , two coral reefs , and two banks , is located about 445km ( 275 miles ) from Taiwan ’ s southern port city of Kaohsiung and just over 300km from the Chinese mainland .
The area has been designated a national park because of its coral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no permanent civilian residents , only a coastguard garrison of roughly the same size as the detachment of marines sent to reinforce them .
The island does not appear to have significant defensive positions , so the deployment is little more than a symbolic gesture .
Taiwan ’ s defence ministry declined to confirm the Kyodo report , but Chief of Joint Operations Lin Wen-huang emphasised in May that the military would continue to strengthen combat readiness and ensure proper preparations on Taiwan ’ s outlying islands , including the Pratas Islands and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Spratly chain , where mainland China , the Philippines , Malaysia , Vietnam and Brunei all have competing claims .
On Tuesday Wang Ting-yu , a legislator from the governing Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan , said some marines had already arrived on the Pratas Islands in June .
Wang , who sits on the foreign and defence committee , did not specify the size of this detachment but stressed they had all “ received special training from the US and are capable of carrying out anti-landing and anti-parachute operations against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally only stationed coastguards instead of regular troops there to ease tensions in the South China Sea .
He added that , “ The US used to condemn Taiwan if we posted the military on the Pratas and Taiping , ” and that Vietnam and other claimants would also complain .
“ But this time there has been no objection over our posting marines there because they all want to contain China ’ s military expansion in the region.
” LINK China has suspended official exchanges with Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refused to accept the one-China principle .
Meanwhile , in a move calculated to offend the Chinese government , earlier this week the US sent the highest official to visit Taiwan since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 .
The Financial Times said on Sunday that while US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar ’ s visit to Taiwan is a sign of Washington ’ s strategic shift , it could also put the island nation at greater risk given intensified pressure from China .
LINK MORE ON @ @ @

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Taiwan is reported to have sent around 200 marines to the Pratas Islands, located in the South China Sea in an area claimed by both Taiwan and China. The move appears to be related to concerns that China is planning a major maritime military exercise later this month, which would include a simulated takeover of Taiwanese-controlled islets.
It is anticipated that the scheduled military exercises, to be carried out by the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command, would be on an unprecedented scale and would involve large numbers of marines, landing ships, hovercraft, and helicopters. There is a possibility that they will be joined by China’s aircraft carriers during an extended deployment on a course that would send them close to Taiwan’s shores, first revealed by a report by Kyodo news agency in Japan on 12 May, and subsequently confirmed by Chinese officials. In the same week the US Navy posted pictures of one of its warships sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait for the sixth time this year.
Taiwan News picked up the reports that China is planning on deploying two aircraft carriers in waters near Taiwan as part of its war games scheduled for August to rehearse for a future assault on the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha Islands.
News.com.au had reported that for the first time, both of China’s aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, are being deployed together in Bohai Bay in the Yellow Sea to conduct combat readiness drills. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) carriers were said to be engaged in the second week of an 11-week simulated military confrontation that would later extend into the South China Sea.
The South China Morning Post subsequently cited a military source as saying that an aircraft carrier strike group will pass through the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands) on its way to the exercise site to the southeast of Taiwan in the Philippine Sea.
The Pratas Islands, consisting of one island, two coral reefs, and two banks, is located about 445km (275 miles) from Taiwan’s southern port city of Kaohsiung and just over 300km from the Chinese mainland.
The area has been designated a national park because of its coral reefs and seagrass bed ecosystem and has no permanent civilian residents, only a coastguard garrison of roughly the same size as the detachment of marines sent to reinforce them. The island does not appear to have significant defensive positions, so the deployment is little more than a symbolic gesture.
Taiwan’s defence ministry declined to confirm the Kyodo report, but Chief of Joint Operations Lin Wen-huang emphasised in May that the military would continue to strengthen combat readiness and ensure proper preparations on Taiwan’s outlying islands, including the Pratas Islands and Taiping Island.
Taiping is the largest of the Spratly chain, where mainland China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei all have competing claims.
On Tuesday Wang Ting-yu, a legislator from the governing Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, said some marines had already arrived on the Pratas Islands in June.
Wang, who sits on the foreign and defence committee, did not specify the size of this detachment but stressed they had all “received special training from the US and are capable of carrying out anti-landing and anti-parachute operations against the enemy”. Wang said Taiwan normally only stationed coastguards instead of regular troops there to ease tensions in the South China Sea. He added that, “The US used to condemn Taiwan if we posted the military on the Pratas and Taiping,” and that Vietnam and other claimants would also complain. “But this time there has been no objection over our posting marines there because they all want to contain China’s military expansion in the region.” LINK
China has suspended official exchanges with Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning DPP was elected president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle. Meanwhile, in a move calculated to offend the Chinese government, earlier this week the US sent the highest official to visit Taiwan since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979. The Financial Times said on Sunday that while US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar’s visit to Taiwan is a sign of Washington’s strategic shift, it could also put the island nation at greater risk given intensified pressure from China. LINK
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southfront--2020-08-11--Military Situation In Iraq On August 11, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq : • Ashab al-Kahf group @ @ @ @ @ the attack on an US military vehicle on the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border at the Jarishan crossing @ @ @ @ @ denied any attack ; • The US military convoy was attacked by an IED near @ @ @ @ @ stormed and set fire to administrative building in Diwaniyah province ; • The PJAK armed @ @ @ @ @ its fighters were killed in recent Turkish airstrikes .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq:
Ashab al-Kahf group released a short video announcing the attack on an US military vehicle on the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border at the Jarishan crossing. Iraq and Kuwait separately denied any attack;
The US military convoy was attacked by an IED near Taji base;
Protesters stormed and set fire to administrative building in Diwaniyah province;
The PJAK armed group stated that 7 of its fighters were killed in recent Turkish airstrikes.
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southfront--2020-08-11--Military Situation In Afghanistan On August 11, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan : • President Ashraf Ghani @ @ @ @ @ 400 Taliban prisoners as it was agreed by the Loya Jirga on Sunday ; • @ @ @ @ @ killed and two others were wounded in a magnetic mine blast targeting a vehicle in @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan:
President Ashraf Ghani signed a decree to release 400 Taliban prisoners as it was agreed by the Loya Jirga on Sunday;
At least one person was killed and two others were wounded in a magnetic mine blast targeting a vehicle in Kabul city.
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