southfront--2020-04-01--Turkish Navy Joins Battle In Libya, Launches Missiles At Warplanes Supporting LNA (Photos)

The Turkish Navy has officially joined the battle in Libya by targeting warplanes supporting the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) .
On April 1 morning , a warship of the Turkish Navy parked off the coast of the town of Sabratah to the west of capital , Tripoli , launched a RIM-66E-05 missile , reportedly at an unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ) supporting the LNA .
Libyan sources shared photos of the missile ’ s remains as well as of the warship , which appears to be a G-class frigate .
Eight frigates of this type , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates of the US Navy , are in active service with the Turkish Navy .
Some sources claimed that the Rim-66E-05 medium-range missile shot down one of the UAE ’ s UAVs operating in Libya .
However , this is yet to be verified .
A Brig .
Gen. Ahmad al-Mesmari , a spokesman of the LNA , confirmed that a Turkish Navy warship opened fire .
However , he claimed that the missiles launched by the frigate targeted the town of Ajaylat , near Sabratah .
These claims are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not known to has a ground-attack capability .
Turkey began a military intervention in Libya a few months ago to support the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) .
Ankara deployed heavy weapons , air-defense systems , combat drones and thousands of its proxies in Libya .
However , the situation is still in favor of the LNA , which is leading to more direct involvement by the Turkish military .
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The Turkish Navy has officially joined the battle in Libya by targeting warplanes supporting the Libyan National Army (LNA).
On April 1 morning, a warship of the Turkish Navy parked off the coast of the town of Sabratah to the west of capital, Tripoli, launched a RIM-66E-05 missile, reportedly at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) supporting the LNA.
Libyan sources shared photos of the missile’s remains as well as of the warship, which appears to be a G-class frigate. Eight frigates of this type, which is an extensively modernized versions of ex-Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates of the US Navy, are in active service with the Turkish Navy.
Information is still initial, could have been 1 of several missiles that maybe didn’t miss. In any case, this is a significant escalation but logical in the context of #GNA/#Turkey‘s efforts to achieve air superiority over #Tripoli. More pics of the RIM-66E-05 missile: 2/ pic.twitter.com/kuwVqKIX1n — Oded Berkowitz (@Oded121351) April 1, 2020
Some sources claimed that the Rim-66E-05 medium-range missile shot down one of the UAE’s UAVs operating in Libya. However, this is yet to be verified.
A Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Mesmari, a spokesman of the LNA, confirmed that a Turkish Navy warship opened fire. However, he claimed that the missiles launched by the frigate targeted the town of Ajaylat, near Sabratah. These claims are most likely false, as the RIM-66E-05 is not known to has a ground-attack capability.
Turkey began a military intervention in Libya a few months ago to support the Government of National Accord (GNA). Ankara deployed heavy weapons, air-defense systems, combat drones and thousands of its proxies in Libya. However, the situation is still in favor of the LNA, which is leading to more direct involvement by the Turkish military.
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southfront--2020-04-01--Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham Executes Former Member Of Syrian Parliament (Photos)

On April 1 , al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) executed a former member of the Syrian Parliament who was accused of spying for the government ’ s intelligence service .
The former MP , Rifaat Mahmoud al-Daqqah , was executed by HTS personnel in an unknown location in Greater Idlib .
Opposition activists shared images showing the MP ’ s dead body .
HTS is yet to announce the execution .
68-year old al-Daqqah was arrested by HTS security forces in May of 2019 .
He was accused of providing the Syrian intelligence with information on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Greater Idlib , mainly around the town of Kabani in northern Lattakia .
Al-Daqqah , originally from the town of al-Janoudiyah , “ defected ” from the Syrian Parliament in 2011 in the early days of the crisis .
Back then , militants pressured many local Syrian officials and service members to defect by threatening their families or business .
HTS arrested many civilians after accusing them of spying for the Syrian or the Russian intelligence over the last year .
In no case a real evidence was presented to back these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up executed in an ISIS-like style .
These executions are an example of HTS ’ dictatorial rule over Greater Idlib .
All of this is happening under the eyes of the Turkish military , which maintains a large force in the Syrian region .
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On April 1, al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) executed a former member of the Syrian Parliament who was accused of spying for the government’s intelligence service.
The former MP, Rifaat Mahmoud al-Daqqah, was executed by HTS personnel in an unknown location in Greater Idlib. Opposition activists shared images showing the MP’s dead body. HTS is yet to announce the execution.
68-year old al-Daqqah was arrested by HTS security forces in May of 2019. He was accused of providing the Syrian intelligence with information on militants’ positions in the southwestern part of Greater Idlib, mainly around the town of Kabani in northern Lattakia.
Al-Daqqah, originally from the town of al-Janoudiyah, “defected” from the Syrian Parliament in 2011 in the early days of the crisis. Back then, militants pressured many local Syrian officials and service members to defect by threatening their families or business.
HTS arrested many civilians after accusing them of spying for the Syrian or the Russian intelligence over the last year. In no case a real evidence was presented to back these accusations. Most of these detainees end up executed in an ISIS-like style.
These executions are an example of HTS’ dictatorial rule over Greater Idlib. All of this is happening under the eyes of the Turkish military, which maintains a large force in the Syrian region.
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southfront--2020-04-01--The World Rediscovers Cuban Medical Internationalism

Just weeks ago , in late February 2020 , US Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders was vilified by the US establishment for acknowledging education and healthcare achievements in revolutionary Cuba .
Now , as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic sweeps the globe , the island ’ s medical prowess is back in the spotlight , first because the Chinese National Health Commission listed the Cuban anti-viral drug Interferon alfa-2b among the treatments it is using for Covid-19 patients .
Effective and safe in the therapy of viral diseases including Hepatitis B and C , shingles , HIV-Aids and dengue , the Cuban anti-viral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the island has now received requests for the product from 45 countries .
Read also Hernando Calvo Ospina , “ Cuba exports health ” , Le Monde diplomatique , August 2006 .
Then , on 21 March a 53-strong Cuban medical brigade arrived in Lombardy , Italy , at that time the epicenter of the pandemic , to assist local healthcare authorities .
While images spilled out over social media , little was said in mainstream outlets .
The medics were members of Cuba ’ s Henry Reeve Contingent , which received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health Prize in 2017 in recognition for providing free emergency medical aid .
In addition to Italy , Cuba sent medical specialists to 37 of the 59 countries in which their healthcare workers were already operating , to treat Covid-19 cases .
Desperate to undermine the Cuban lesson in solidarity , on 24 March the US State Department tweeted that the Cuban motive was ‘ to make up the money it lost when countries stopped participating in the abusive program.
’ The object of its ire ?
Medical programs under which Cuban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide healthcare that is free at the point of delivery to poor and underserved populations overseas .
Reaping the benefits of socialist state investments in education and health , Cuban medical exports have emerged in the context of a punitive and extra-territorial 60-year US blockade that prevents Cuba pursuing normal international trade .
The contracts provide revenue to the Cuban state , as well as higher salaries to participants .
Under pressure from the Trump administration , Brazil , Ecuador and Bolivia have ended contracts , in order to eliminate a vital source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people without healthcare .
The strategy of sabotaging Cuban medical exports originates in the Bush-era ‘ Medical Parole Programme ’ , which encouraged Cubans to abandon missions in return for US citizenship , and was not ended by Obama until his final days in office in January 2017 .
This is not the first time that Cuba ’ s global health leadership has taken the world by surprise .
In 2014 , during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa when the WHO called for ‘ compassionate doctors and nurses , who will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barriers of wearing PPE [ personal protective equipment ] and working under very demanding conditions ’ , Cuba was first to respond and sent the largest medical contingent .
Jorge Pérez Ávila , then Director of Havana ’ s hospital of tropical diseases ( IPK ) , told me that over 10,000 Cuban medical professionals volunteered for the mission .
From these , a group of 256 were selected ; all of whom had previously faced natural disasters and disease outbreaks in developing countries .
They went to Guinea , Sierra Leone and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already operated , and quickly reduced their patients ’ morality rate from 50 % to 20 % , introducing an education program to prevent the disease spreading .
The effort was praised by the Obama administration and on announcing rapprochement with Cuba on 17 December 2014 , President Obama said , ‘ American and Cuban health care workers should work side by side to stop the spread of this deadly disease.
’ ( 1 ) Interviewed at that time in Liberia , Cuban doctor Leonardo Fernández shied away from the special praise for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuban medics combating Ebola were no different from those in Brazilian jungles , those working alone in indigenous communities for months , or serving in African villages , in temperatures reaching 48 degrees .
Indeed , the Cubans combatting Ebola were but a drop in the ocean compared to the 400,000 Cuban medical professionals who have worked overseas in 164 countries since 1960 and about whom politicians and the mainstream media have said almost nothing .
Still , since the first mission to earthquake-struck Chile in 1960 , millions of lives have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improved .
By 2014 , Cuban medical professionals had performed 1.2 billion consultations overseas , attended 2.2 million births and performed over 8 million surgeries ( 2 ) .
Some 76,000 Cuban medics had worked in 39 African countries since the early 1960s .
Cuba had sustained over 20,000 healthcare workers in Venezuela for a decade , with thousands more in neighboring countries .
Another aspect of Cuban medical internationalism has been to bring foreigners to Cuba , as patients or medical students .
Under the ‘ children of Chernobyl ’ program which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children and 4,000 adults , victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster received free medical care , accommodation , food and therapy in Tarará , 10 miles outside Havana .
Despite the severe economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet bloc , the Cubans footed the bill — an astonishing expression of solidarity that has received almost no acknowledgment .
In late 1998 Cuban medics rushed to Central America after Hurricane Mitch killed 30,000 people and left 2.5 million homeless .
Beyond the immediate devastation , they were shocked to find whole communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a consequence , in November 1999 Fidel Castro inaugurated a new Latin American School of Medicine ( ELAM ) in Havana to provide free medical training to students from the region .
The doctors graduating there , he said , would save more lives every year than those lost in the hurricane : ‘ Twenty years can pass without a Mitch and a million people will silently die in Central America without anyone taking notice ’ ( 3 ) .
ELAM was soon enrolling students from around the world , including the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 105 countries had graduated .
Half of them were young women , 75 % the children of ( agricultural ) workers , representing 100 ethnic groups .
In 2009 , then-WHO director , Dr Chan , declared : ‘ For once , if you are poor , female , or from an indigenous population , you have a distinct advantage [ in admission ] .
This is an institutional ethic that makes this medical school unique.
’ ( 4 ) In late August 2005 , Hurricane Katrina battered Louisiana , Mississippi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send three field hospitals and medical personnel .
By 4 September there were 1,586 Cuban volunteer medics ready to leave for the disaster zone .
This was when the brigade was named the Henry Reeve Contingent , in honor of a US citizen who fought with Cuban independence forces against Spain ( 1868-1878 ) .
President Bush ’ s administration ignored the offer and omitted Cuba from a list of countries that had offered help .
There was no shortage of need , however , and the Henry Reeve Contingent was despatched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October 2005 , and then days later to Pakistan-administered Kashmir following the earthquake that killed 80,000 people and left 3.3 million homeless .
Over the next seven months , 2,400 Cuban healthcare workers treated 1.7 million patients in 32 field hospitals they subsequently donated despite not having diplomatic relations with Pakistan .
Within a decade 900 Pakistani medical students had graduated from ELAM .
In January 2010 , a catastrophic earthquake hit Haiti , killing 230,000 people and leaving 15 % of the population homeless .
The Henry Reeve Contingent arrived within 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professionals already working in Haiti , alongside hundreds of Haitian physicians trained in Cuba .
Cuba-Haiti medical cooperation had been initiated 11 years earlier following Hurricane Georges in 1998 .
By 1 April 2010 , another 748 Cubans had arrived , along with 481 Haitian graduates from ELAM and 278 ELAM graduates from 28 other countries .
To compound Haiti ’ s woes , in October 2010 an outbreak of cholera began , introduced via UN peacekeepers and spread due to the unsanitary conditions in temporary camps lacking safe drinking water or sewage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centers and oral rehydration posts , set up tent-by-tent examinations and launched a public health campaign .
Why does Cuba do it ?
Cynical and superficial explanations focus on geopolitical and financial gains to Cuba : the government seeks allies and advantages in world forums — soft power ; it forces healthcare workers into foreign-service contracts to earn the country export revenues , or Cuban professionals are simply motivated by the higher earnings they receive working overseas .
More serious commentators observe that Cuban ‘ medical diplomacy ’ has been a cornerstone of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the realpolitik and economic imperatives of the post-Soviet era .
Other researchers note that Cuban missions differ from most global health security responses , which are anchored in military and defense programs and aim to protect domestic populations from external threats of disease .
( 5 ) They recognize that Cuban medical internationalism is rooted in a ‘ principle of solidarity ’ with the global population , but not the notions of responsibility , charity and altruism common in aid frameworks ( 6 ) .
The revolution of 1959 , which shaped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values of national independence hero José Martí with Marx ’ s analysis of capitalism .
Taking up battle cries from both Martí ( ‘ homeland is humanity ’ ) and Marx ( ‘ workers of the world unite , you have nothing to lose but your chains ’ ) , Cuba ’ s revolutionary leaders sought to promote a global struggle against diverse forms of underdevelopment , imperialism , colonialism and neo-colonialism .
They view global poverty and poor health as a result of those exploitative structural conditions .
The post-1959 public healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free , universal state provision was endorsed as a human and constitutional right .
Cuban medical internationalism is an extension of those principles overseas .
‘ I believe that healthcare is a human right not a privilege , ’ declared Bernie Sanders at a rally in Chicago on 7 March , just before the Covid-19 began to rip through a US population that has been systematically denied access to universal public healthcare in the name of liberty .
It is a principle for which Cuba has also been vilified .
No country in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confront the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic .
But this moment calls for global cooperation and solidarity , and on that front , Cuba provides a lesson for us all .
We can start by demanding an end to US sanctions that stop Cuba from getting access to the resources it needs to fight this deadly pandemic , both for their own population and for the global beneficiaries of Cuban medical internationalism .

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Source: Le Monde Diplomatic; Translated by Resumen Latinoamericano
Just weeks ago, in late February 2020, US Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders was vilified by the US establishment for acknowledging education and healthcare achievements in revolutionary Cuba.
Now, as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic sweeps the globe, the island’s medical prowess is back in the spotlight, first because the Chinese National Health Commission listed the Cuban anti-viral drug Interferon alfa-2b among the treatments it is using for Covid-19 patients. Effective and safe in the therapy of viral diseases including Hepatitis B and C, shingles, HIV-Aids and dengue, the Cuban anti-viral drug has shown some promise in China and the island has now received requests for the product from 45 countries.
Read also Hernando Calvo Ospina, “Cuba exports health”, Le Monde diplomatique, August 2006. Then, on 21 March a 53-strong Cuban medical brigade arrived in Lombardy, Italy, at that time the epicenter of the pandemic, to assist local healthcare authorities. While images spilled out over social media, little was said in mainstream outlets. The medics were members of Cuba’s Henry Reeve Contingent, which received a World Health Organisation (WHO) Public Health Prize in 2017 in recognition for providing free emergency medical aid. In addition to Italy, Cuba sent medical specialists to 37 of the 59 countries in which their healthcare workers were already operating, to treat Covid-19 cases.
Desperate to undermine the Cuban lesson in solidarity, on 24 March the US State Department tweeted that the Cuban motive was ‘to make up the money it lost when countries stopped participating in the abusive program.’ The object of its ire? Medical programs under which Cuban personnel are contracted by host governments to provide healthcare that is free at the point of delivery to poor and underserved populations overseas. Reaping the benefits of socialist state investments in education and health, Cuban medical exports have emerged in the context of a punitive and extra-territorial 60-year US blockade that prevents Cuba pursuing normal international trade. The contracts provide revenue to the Cuban state, as well as higher salaries to participants. Under pressure from the Trump administration, Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia have ended contracts, in order to eliminate a vital source of revenues for Cuba, leaving millions of people without healthcare. The strategy of sabotaging Cuban medical exports originates in the Bush-era ‘Medical Parole Programme’, which encouraged Cubans to abandon missions in return for US citizenship, and was not ended by Obama until his final days in office in January 2017.
This is not the first time that Cuba’s global health leadership has taken the world by surprise. In 2014, during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa when the WHO called for ‘compassionate doctors and nurses, who will know how to comfort patients despite the barriers of wearing PPE [personal protective equipment] and working under very demanding conditions’, Cuba was first to respond and sent the largest medical contingent. Jorge Pérez Ávila, then Director of Havana’s hospital of tropical diseases (IPK), told me that over 10,000 Cuban medical professionals volunteered for the mission. From these, a group of 256 were selected; all of whom had previously faced natural disasters and disease outbreaks in developing countries. They went to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, countries where Cuban medical missions already operated, and quickly reduced their patients’ morality rate from 50% to 20%, introducing an education program to prevent the disease spreading.
The effort was praised by the Obama administration and on announcing rapprochement with Cuba on 17 December 2014, President Obama said, ‘American and Cuban health care workers should work side by side to stop the spread of this deadly disease.’ (1) Interviewed at that time in Liberia, Cuban doctor Leonardo Fernández shied away from the special praise for the high-profile mission, saying that the Cuban medics combating Ebola were no different from those in Brazilian jungles, those working alone in indigenous communities for months, or serving in African villages, in temperatures reaching 48 degrees. Indeed, the Cubans combatting Ebola were but a drop in the ocean compared to the 400,000 Cuban medical professionals who have worked overseas in 164 countries since 1960 and about whom politicians and the mainstream media have said almost nothing.
Still, since the first mission to earthquake-struck Chile in 1960, millions of lives have been saved and hundreds of millions of lives improved. By 2014, Cuban medical professionals had performed 1.2 billion consultations overseas, attended 2.2 million births and performed over 8 million surgeries (2). Some 76,000 Cuban medics had worked in 39 African countries since the early 1960s. Cuba had sustained over 20,000 healthcare workers in Venezuela for a decade, with thousands more in neighboring countries.
Another aspect of Cuban medical internationalism has been to bring foreigners to Cuba, as patients or medical students. Under the ‘children of Chernobyl’ program which ran from 1989 to 2013 some 22,000 children and 4,000 adults, victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster received free medical care, accommodation, food and therapy in Tarará, 10 miles outside Havana. Despite the severe economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the Cubans footed the bill — an astonishing expression of solidarity that has received almost no acknowledgment.
In late 1998 Cuban medics rushed to Central America after Hurricane Mitch killed 30,000 people and left 2.5 million homeless. Beyond the immediate devastation, they were shocked to find whole communities lacking healthcare facilities and personnel. As a consequence, in November 1999 Fidel Castro inaugurated a new Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) in Havana to provide free medical training to students from the region. The doctors graduating there, he said, would save more lives every year than those lost in the hurricane: ‘Twenty years can pass without a Mitch and a million people will silently die in Central America without anyone taking notice’ (3).
ELAM was soon enrolling students from around the world, including the United States. By 2019, 29,000 doctors from 105 countries had graduated. Half of them were young women, 75% the children of (agricultural) workers, representing 100 ethnic groups. In 2009, then-WHO director, Dr Chan, declared: ‘For once, if you are poor, female, or from an indigenous population, you have a distinct advantage [in admission]. This is an institutional ethic that makes this medical school unique.’ (4)
In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina battered Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Within hours, Cuba offered to send three field hospitals and medical personnel. By 4 September there were 1,586 Cuban volunteer medics ready to leave for the disaster zone. This was when the brigade was named the Henry Reeve Contingent, in honor of a US citizen who fought with Cuban independence forces against Spain (1868-1878). President Bush’s administration ignored the offer and omitted Cuba from a list of countries that had offered help.
There was no shortage of need, however, and the Henry Reeve Contingent was despatched first to Guatemala following Hurricane Stan in October 2005, and then days later to Pakistan-administered Kashmir following the earthquake that killed 80,000 people and left 3.3 million homeless. Over the next seven months, 2,400 Cuban healthcare workers treated 1.7 million patients in 32 field hospitals they subsequently donated despite not having diplomatic relations with Pakistan. Within a decade 900 Pakistani medical students had graduated from ELAM.
In January 2010, a catastrophic earthquake hit Haiti, killing 230,000 people and leaving 15% of the population homeless. The Henry Reeve Contingent arrived within 24 hours, joining the 344 Cuban medical professionals already working in Haiti, alongside hundreds of Haitian physicians trained in Cuba. Cuba-Haiti medical cooperation had been initiated 11 years earlier following Hurricane Georges in 1998. By 1 April 2010, another 748 Cubans had arrived, along with 481 Haitian graduates from ELAM and 278 ELAM graduates from 28 other countries. To compound Haiti’s woes, in October 2010 an outbreak of cholera began, introduced via UN peacekeepers and spread due to the unsanitary conditions in temporary camps lacking safe drinking water or sewage facilities. The Cubans established cholera treatment centers and oral rehydration posts, set up tent-by-tent examinations and launched a public health campaign.
Why does Cuba do it? Cynical and superficial explanations focus on geopolitical and financial gains to Cuba: the government seeks allies and advantages in world forums — soft power; it forces healthcare workers into foreign-service contracts to earn the country export revenues, or Cuban professionals are simply motivated by the higher earnings they receive working overseas. More serious commentators observe that Cuban ‘medical diplomacy’ has been a cornerstone of foreign policy since the 1960s, before the realpolitik and economic imperatives of the post-Soviet era. Other researchers note that Cuban missions differ from most global health security responses, which are anchored in military and defense programs and aim to protect domestic populations from external threats of disease. (5) They recognize that Cuban medical internationalism is rooted in a ‘principle of solidarity’ with the global population, but not the notions of responsibility, charity and altruism common in aid frameworks (6).
The revolution of 1959, which shaped the Cuban view of solidarity, combined the values of national independence hero José Martí with Marx’s analysis of capitalism. Taking up battle cries from both Martí (‘homeland is humanity’) and Marx (‘workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains’), Cuba’s revolutionary leaders sought to promote a global struggle against diverse forms of underdevelopment, imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. They view global poverty and poor health as a result of those exploitative structural conditions. The post-1959 public healthcare system was constructed on those values; free, universal state provision was endorsed as a human and constitutional right. Cuban medical internationalism is an extension of those principles overseas.
‘I believe that healthcare is a human right not a privilege,’ declared Bernie Sanders at a rally in Chicago on 7 March, just before the Covid-19 began to rip through a US population that has been systematically denied access to universal public healthcare in the name of liberty. It is a principle for which Cuba has also been vilified. No country in the world will find it easy to confront the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. But this moment calls for global cooperation and solidarity, and on that front, Cuba provides a lesson for us all. We can start by demanding an end to US sanctions that stop Cuba from getting access to the resources it needs to fight this deadly pandemic, both for their own population and for the global beneficiaries of Cuban medical internationalism.
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southfront--2020-04-01--Idlib Militants Attack Syrian Army Near Saraqib Following Israeli Strike On Shayrat Airbase

Late on March 31 , the Israeli Air Force carried out a new round of airstrikes on Syria .
Israeli warplanes launched over 12 missiles from Lebanese airspace targeting Shayrat Airbase in the Syrian province of Homs .
At least 8 of them were intercepted by the Syrian Air Defense Forces .
The damage caused to the airbase by the Israeli strike remains unclear .
Pro-Israeli sources claimed that the attack was aimed at weapon depots and positions of Iranian and Hezbollah forces .
Shayrat Airbase is well known as the point used by the Syrian Air Force to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operations against al-Qaeda terrorists in Idlib .
Russian attack helicopters also use it as a prestrike staging base .
Over the past years , Israeli forces have repeatedly assisted al-Qaeda-linked militants in Syria by striking the country ’ s armed forces during ongoing important military developments .
Syrian sources say that the timing of the new attack indicates an imminent escalation in Greater Idlib , where the Turkish-Russian de-escalation agreement is slowly crumbling .
Early on April 1 , Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ( formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda ) and its supposedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army near the town of Saraqib , which is located on the crossroad of the M4 and M5 highways .
In response , Syrian artillery delivered several strikes on militants ’ positions near Afis and Sarmin .
Emboldened by the ceasefire regime and the increasing Turkish military presence in the region , Idlib armed groups are now regularly attacking Syrian Army units in eastern Idlib .
Last week , they claimed that they destroyed 3 pieces of military equipment , including a battle tank , with anti-tank guided missiles .
Such actions highlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de-escalation efforts in the region .
ISIS released a video report on its campaign against government forces in the Homs-Deir Ezzor desert during 2019-2020 .
According to the video , ISIS units continue ambushes of civilian and military vehicles , as well as separate army units , moving along the Palmyra-Deir Ezzor road .
Terrorists stage fake check points , loot civilian properties and kill those that they capture .
ISIS members demonstrate the mindset of common criminals .
The video also shows a few pieces of destroyed military equipment belonging to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to serve as a promotion piece of supposed ‘ successes ’ of the terrorist group , it in fact reveals the current poor state of ISIS cells , which are barely surviving in the Homs-Deir Ezzor desert .
If there is no more US-occupied al-Tanf zone where they can hide from Syrian Army security operations , they will have little chance of surviving in this part of Syria for another year .

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Late on March 31, the Israeli Air Force carried out a new round of airstrikes on Syria. Israeli warplanes launched over 12 missiles from Lebanese airspace targeting Shayrat Airbase in the Syrian province of Homs. At least 8 of them were intercepted by the Syrian Air Defense Forces. The damage caused to the airbase by the Israeli strike remains unclear.
Pro-Israeli sources claimed that the attack was aimed at weapon depots and positions of Iranian and Hezbollah forces.
Shayrat Airbase is well known as the point used by the Syrian Air Force to provide air cover for the government forces’ operations against al-Qaeda terrorists in Idlib. Russian attack helicopters also use it as a prestrike staging base. Over the past years, Israeli forces have repeatedly assisted al-Qaeda-linked militants in Syria by striking the country’s armed forces during ongoing important military developments. Syrian sources say that the timing of the new attack indicates an imminent escalation in Greater Idlib, where the Turkish-Russian de-escalation agreement is slowly crumbling.
Early on April 1, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and its supposedly moderate counterparts shelled positions of the Syrian Army near the town of Saraqib, which is located on the crossroad of the M4 and M5 highways. In response, Syrian artillery delivered several strikes on militants’ positions near Afis and Sarmin.
Emboldened by the ceasefire regime and the increasing Turkish military presence in the region, Idlib armed groups are now regularly attacking Syrian Army units in eastern Idlib. Last week, they claimed that they destroyed 3 pieces of military equipment, including a battle tank, with anti-tank guided missiles. Such actions highlight apparent gains from the current format of de-escalation efforts in the region.
ISIS released a video report on its campaign against government forces in the Homs-Deir Ezzor desert during 2019-2020. According to the video, ISIS units continue ambushes of civilian and military vehicles, as well as separate army units, moving along the Palmyra-Deir Ezzor road. Terrorists stage fake check points, loot civilian properties and kill those that they capture. ISIS members demonstrate the mindset of common criminals. The video also shows a few pieces of destroyed military equipment belonging to the Syrian Army.
While the video is designed to serve as a promotion piece of supposed ‘successes’ of the terrorist group, it in fact reveals the current poor state of ISIS cells, which are barely surviving in the Homs-Deir Ezzor desert. If there is no more US-occupied al-Tanf zone where they can hide from Syrian Army security operations, they will have little chance of surviving in this part of Syria for another year.
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southfront--2020-04-01--Turkish Forces Shell Positions Of  Syrian Army Near Saraqib

In a blatant violation of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib , Turkish-backed militants shelled the government-held city of Saraqib late on March 31 .
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency ( SANA ) , several artillery shells landed in the city .
The shells were fired from the nearby town of Almastumah , where an “ observation post ” of the Turkish military is known to be located .
Opposition sources confirmed the SANA ’ s report , claiming that the artillery strike was carried out by the Turkish military itself .
This is yet to be confirmed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkish forces carried out similar attacks over the last few months .
Saraqib city is located on the M5 highway linking the Syrian capital , Damascus , with Aleppo city , the country ’ s industrial hub .
The Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) managed to secure the city earlier this year following intense battles with the Turkish military and terrorist groups , including al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) .
The artillery strike on Saraqib violates the March 5 agreement between Russia and Turkey .
It is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the strike .
Nonetheless , it is not a secret that the Turkish military is preparing for a new military confrontation in the Syrian region .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Epic Of Alteration 2 : New ISIS Video Release Documents Horrifying Attacks On Syrian Army In Homs

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In a blatant violation of the ceasefire in Greater Idlib, Turkish-backed militants shelled the government-held city of Saraqib late on March 31.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), several artillery shells landed in the city. The shells were fired from the nearby town of Almastumah, where an “observation post” of the Turkish military is known to be located.
Opposition sources confirmed the SANA’s report, claiming that the artillery strike was carried out by the Turkish military itself. This is yet to be confirmed. However, it is highly possible. Turkish forces carried out similar attacks over the last few months.
Saraqib city is located on the M5 highway linking the Syrian capital, Damascus, with Aleppo city, the country’s industrial hub. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) managed to secure the city earlier this year following intense battles with the Turkish military and terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The artillery strike on Saraqib violates the March 5 agreement between Russia and Turkey. It is still unclear if Ankara’s forces were behind the strike. Nonetheless, it is not a secret that the Turkish military is preparing for a new military confrontation in the Syrian region.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-04-01--COVID-19 World Order: Gordon Brown Calls For “Interim” World Government

On March 26th , former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed a way to tackle the COVID-19 crisis , and potentially all other crises in the future : a “ world government.
” Brown is infamous for he was at the center of the international efforts to tackle the impact of the near-meltdown of the banks in 2008 .
He said there was a need for a taskforce involving world leaders , health experts and the heads of the international organizations that would have executive powers to coordinate the response .
On March 26th , and subsequently on March 31st @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting to address the situation .
The first meeting was that of G20 leaders who participated in a virtual summit to discuss cooperative efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic , safeguard the global economy , address international trade disruptions , and enhance global cooperation .
In a statement released following the summit , the G20 leaders highlight that the “ unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness and vulnerabilities.
” The statement also indicates that the pandemic “ calls for a transparent , robust , coordinated , large-scale and science-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” To fight the pandemic , the leaders committed to “ seek to ensure adequate financing to contain the pandemic and protect people , especially the most vulnerable.
” Actions such as the exchange of epidemiological and clinical data , sharing of materials for research and development , and strengthening health systems globally will be pursued .
The leaders also pledged to strengthen the World Health Organization ’ s ( WHO ) mandate in coordinating the international fight against the pandemic , including “ the protection of front-line health workers , delivery of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatments , medicines , and vaccines.
” The second meeting was that of ministers of finance and central bank governors .
They discussed the next steps that the G20 will take to develop and activate the action plan that includes the exceptional financial and monetary measures taken by all members of the G20 , defines policy recommendations to protect the international community and reduce the spread of the virus to prevent a global economic crisis , and takes medium and long-term precautionary steps and measures to stimulate market recovery and ensure the continuity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balanced and comprehensive manner .
However , according to Gordon Brown , that was not enough .
According to him , the meeting should ’ ve included the UN Security Council , as well .
Brown said the current crisis was different to the one he was involved in .
“ That was an economic problem that had economic causes and had an economic solution .
Another G20 meeting , with included developed and developing countries will take place on April 2nd , and the UNSC should be included then , in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed global working group could work on two fronts at once – to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis .
Over the past two weeks , many countries have announced economic measures and the allocation of funds to combat the virus and the crisis .
According to Brown , an “ interim global government ” could coordinate the efforts of central banks ; take measures to prevent record capital outflows from emerging market economies ; and agree on a joint approach to using government spending to drive growth .
Brown is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ear listening , back in 2008 he persuaded other global leaders of the need to bail out the banks and then hosted a meeting of the G20 in London , which came up with a $ 1.1tn rescue package .
In Brown ’ s view , back in 2008 there was resistance , but now it should be obvious that no country could tackle the issue alone .
Of course , crises like this one could come and go on a very regular basis , and what ’ s stopping the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Permanent ” one remains unclear .
Nigel Farage , the leader of the Brexit Party , and a founding member of the UK Independence Party ( UKIP ) , took issue with the former Labour Prime Minister ’ s advocacy for a world government .
But English Catholic writer Laurence England found Brown ’ s advocacy more disturbing than naive .
The Bilderberg meetings have been used as a forum for world elites since 1954 to further their vision for the world .
Attendees are free to use information from the discussions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who said what .
Other high-profile individuals who have participated in the Bilderberg meeting include elites such as David Rockefeller , Bill Gates , Bill and Hillary Clinton , Angela Merkel , Tony Blair , Emma Bonino , and Pierre Elliott Trudeau .
According to its own literature , the purpose of the annual Bilderberg Meeting is to “ foster dialogue between Europe and North America.
” At the 2009 London Summit for the G20 , Brown said , “ I think the new world order is emerging , and with it the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of international cooperation.
” MORE ON THE TOPIC : • How Did The “ Three Little Piglets ” Prepare For The “ Wolf ” : Russia , U.S. , China ’ s Response To COVID-19

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On March 26th, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposed a way to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, and potentially all other crises in the future: a “world government.”
Brown is infamous for he was at the center of the international efforts to tackle the impact of the near-meltdown of the banks in 2008.
He said there was a need for a taskforce involving world leaders, health experts and the heads of the international organizations that would have executive powers to coordinate the response.
On March 26th, and subsequently on March 31st, the G20 met in a virtual meeting to address the situation.
The first meeting was that of G20 leaders who participated in a virtual summit to discuss cooperative efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, safeguard the global economy, address international trade disruptions, and enhance global cooperation.
In a statement released following the summit, the G20 leaders highlight that the “unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness and vulnerabilities.” The statement also indicates that the pandemic “calls for a transparent, robust, coordinated, large-scale and science-based global response in the spirit of solidarity.”
To fight the pandemic, the leaders committed to “seek to ensure adequate financing to contain the pandemic and protect people, especially the most vulnerable.”
Actions such as the exchange of epidemiological and clinical data, sharing of materials for research and development, and strengthening health systems globally will be pursued. The leaders also pledged to strengthen the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandate in coordinating the international fight against the pandemic, including “the protection of front-line health workers, delivery of medical supplies, especially diagnostic tools, treatments, medicines, and vaccines.”
The second meeting was that of ministers of finance and central bank governors. They discussed the next steps that the G20 will take to develop and activate the action plan that includes the exceptional financial and monetary measures taken by all members of the G20, defines policy recommendations to protect the international community and reduce the spread of the virus to prevent a global economic crisis, and takes medium and long-term precautionary steps and measures to stimulate market recovery and ensure the continuity and sustainability of economic growth in a balanced and comprehensive manner.
However, according to Gordon Brown, that was not enough. According to him, the meeting should’ve included the UN Security Council, as well.
“This is not something that can be dealt with in one country,” he said. “There has to be a coordinated global response.”
Brown said the current crisis was different to the one he was involved in. “That was an economic problem that had economic causes and had an economic solution.
“This is first and foremost a medical emergency and there has to be joint action to deal with that. But the more you intervene to deal with the medical emergency, the more you put economies at risk.”
Another G20 meeting, with included developed and developing countries will take place on April 2nd, and the UNSC should be included then, in his opinion.
According to Brown, the proposed global working group could work on two fronts at once – to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis.
Over the past two weeks, many countries have announced economic measures and the allocation of funds to combat the virus and the crisis.
According to Brown, an “interim global government” could coordinate the efforts of central banks; take measures to prevent record capital outflows from emerging market economies; and agree on a joint approach to using government spending to drive growth.
Brown is a voice that gets quite a bit of ear listening, back in 2008 he persuaded other global leaders of the need to bail out the banks and then hosted a meeting of the G20 in London, which came up with a $1.1tn rescue package.
In Brown’s view, back in 2008 there was resistance, but now it should be obvious that no country could tackle the issue alone.
“We need some sort of working executive,” Brown said. “If I were doing it again, I would make the G20 a broader organisation because in the current circumstances you need to listen to the countries that are most affected, the countries that are making a difference and countries where there is the potential for a massive number of people to be affected – such as those in Africa.”
Of course, crises like this one could come and go on a very regular basis, and what’s stopping the “Interim” World Government from becoming a “Permanent” one remains unclear.
Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party, and a founding member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), took issue with the former Labour Prime Minister’s advocacy for a world government.
“Gordon Brown doesn’t get it,” he tweeted. “Globalisation is the cause of our problems, not our saviour.”
But English Catholic writer Laurence England found Brown’s advocacy more disturbing than naive.
“Gordon Brown does get it,” he tweeted in response. “The One World Government is about sheer power over populaces, not about helping people. They want a world of slaves. He was a key Bilderberg attendee.”
The Bilderberg meetings have been used as a forum for world elites since 1954 to further their vision for the world. Attendees are free to use information from the discussions. No one is allowed to reveal who said what.
Other high-profile individuals who have participated in the Bilderberg meeting include elites such as David Rockefeller, Bill Gates, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Tony Blair, Emma Bonino, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
According to its own literature, the purpose of the annual Bilderberg Meeting is to “foster dialogue between Europe and North America.”
At the 2009 London Summit for the G20, Brown said, “I think the new world order is emerging, and with it the foundations of a new and progressive era of international cooperation.”
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southfront--2020-04-01--Artificial Region Of Fear: Italy’s High Death Toll From COVID-19 Is A Result Of Mild Flu Season

The sky-high death reate from the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy could be a result of an ordniary flu .
According to a report by the Italian Ministry of Health , the 2019-2020 flu season , which was marked by unusually warm weather , led to the deaths of fewer older Italians than average .
In Italy ’ s northern cities that have borne the most part of Italy ’ s more than 12,000 deaths , overall mortality among people age 65 and over was 6 % below a baseline from previous years .
In central and southern Italy , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thus , elderly people and those with chronic diseases who were spared death by the flu and mild weather from November through January became an outsize target for the COVID-19 outbreak in February and March .
The report analyzed data from 19 Italian cities through March 21 .
The drop in deaths from the 2019-2020 flue season led to an increase in the pool of the most vulnerable people for COVID-19 .
So , this part of the Italians found themselves exposed to Covid-19 starting from the end of February , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impact of the epidemic on the elderly .
Additionally , epidemiologists note that the total number of elderly dead in Italy as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak exceeded the mortality rate from influenza over the past two years , but this figure still does not reach the mortality rate three years ago .
The situation in Italy became a visual demostrated that current media hysteria and crisis over the ‘ COVID-19 ’ outbreak paints the threat of the desease much higher than it ’ s in reality .
Therefore , forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purpuse their own intersts rather than having a ‘ positive motivation ’ of protecting the people .
On March 28 , SF released an article “ Pandemic of Fear ” that provides a closer look at the situation with the COVID-19 hyseteria : The world is in panic over the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) outbreak Most of the states have imposed unprecedented measures , including locking down big cities and halting international flights , to contain the pandemic .
On March 28 , the total number of confirmed COVID-19 ceases globaly reached 629,467 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while 138,085 others recovered .
These numbers show that about 4.6 % of people with confirmed COVID-19 cases died , but the real death rate from the new coronavirus remains unclear .
In many cases , people go through COVID-19 deasease without a real threat to their health and life like in the case of an acute respiratory viral infection .
So , they are not tested for the COVID-19 .
According to the study published on February 18 in the China CDC Weekly , the death rate from COVID-19 is around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New England Journal of Medicine published another study of about 1,100 hospitalized patients in China .
It found that the overall death rate was slightly lower , around 1.4 % .
Furthermore , the death rate for COVID-19 appears to vary by location and an individual ’ s age .
For example , as of March 28 in Italy there were 86,498 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 9,134 people died .
Therefore , the death rate there stands at about 10.55 % .
Such a high number is a result of the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older people ( 65yo+ ) that already have health issues and thus remain in the group of risk in the event of any new deasease .
For example , the CDC ’ s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report study says that 45 % of hospitalizations , 53 % of admissions to the intensive care unit ( ICU ) , and 80 % of deaths associated with COVID-19 were among adults aged 65 years and older .
Igor Alekseevich Gundarov , a Doctor of Medicine , professor , member of the Russian Academy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a specialist in the field of epidemiology and medical statistics , notes that the new coronavirus expansion may be linked with the previous successes in the field of combating the flue .
The new virus just filled the created vacuum .
According to him , the current crisis ( and the panic ) is a result of the specific media coverage and political-motivated decisions of particular actors .
As an example he provides the following numbers .
In the 1990s , there were 4-7 million season flue in Russia every year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reuced to 400,000-50,000 cases .
Gundarov added that 30,000-35,000 people die from the pneumonitis every year .
However , nobody announced a national-wide emergency and locked down then country in the previous years .
The death toll from the COVID-19 is also a result of the pneumonitis , which it causes .
Gundarov , says the death toll from the pneumonitis did not grow in 2020 despite the COVID-19 outbreak .
Furthemore , 30,000-35,000 people dead in Russia from the pneumonitis every yar is higher than the total current global COVID-19 death toll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes that the chaos and administrative collapse because of the COVID-19 outbreak in some European countries and even the US is a result of the wrong organizational decisions ( like attempts to move all ptients to a single hospital in the entire country ) and the lack of propper anti-pandemic measures .
For example , he claims that the concentration of all patients in a very few hospitals led to the expected lack of medical supplies and equipment in this particular area .
President Donald Trump signed an order allowing the Pentagon to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to active duty to fight the COVID-19 pandemic : The COVID-19 outbreak is an apparent threat , which can not be ignored .
However , another threat , which could be even higher than the one from the COVID-19 desease , is the current pandemic of fear fueled and instigated by mainstream media and some governments .
The modern informational society already evolved to the stage when our world turned into a kind of supernational neuronet .
The topology of this is close to the human ’ s brain .
If we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look this way : neurons – personalities , signals – flows of information that pierce through the modern world , lipoid metabolism – the monetary system .
And this supernational neuronet is currently paralyzed by the fear of the death because of the COVID-19 outbreak and the public hysteria over it .
If the panic is not overcome and the situation develops in the current direction , it may lead to the irreparable harm to this globa neuronet and instigate the already existing negative tendencies ( like the deterioration of the global security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international relations , the economic crisis , the threat of new wars ) .
However , if some powers find resources and the political will to overcome the current crisis , they will find themselves on the leading position in the ‘ post-COVID-19 ’ period .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • New York And Moscow : How Is COVID-19 Being Tackled ?
• How Did The “ Three Little Piglets ” Prepare For The “ Wolf ” : Russia , U.S. , China ’ s Response To COVID-19

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The sky-high death reate from the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy could be a result of an ordniary flu.
According to a report by the Italian Ministry of Health, the 2019-2020 flu season, which was marked by unusually warm weather, led to the deaths of fewer older Italians than average. In Italy’s northern cities that have borne the most part of Italy’s more than 12,000 deaths, overall mortality among people age 65 and over was 6% below a baseline from previous years. In central and southern Italy, the deaths were 3% below normal. Thus, elderly people and those with chronic diseases who were spared death by the flu and mild weather from November through January became an outsize target for the COVID-19 outbreak in February and March. The report analyzed data from 19 Italian cities through March 21.
The drop in deaths from the 2019-2020 flue season led to an increase in the pool of the most vulnerable people for COVID-19. So, this part of the Italians found themselves exposed to Covid-19 starting from the end of February, and that may have contributed to an increase in the impact of the epidemic on the elderly.
Additionally, epidemiologists note that the total number of elderly dead in Italy as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak exceeded the mortality rate from influenza over the past two years, but this figure still does not reach the mortality rate three years ago.
The situation in Italy became a visual demostrated that current media hysteria and crisis over the ‘COVID-19’ outbreak paints the threat of the desease much higher than it’s in reality. Therefore, forces and powers involved in this effort could purpuse their own intersts rather than having a ‘positive motivation’ of protecting the people.
On March 28, SF released an article “Pandemic of Fear” that provides a closer look at the situation with the COVID-19 hyseteria:
The world is in panic over the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak Most of the states have imposed unprecedented measures, including locking down big cities and halting international flights, to contain the pandemic.
On March 28, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 ceases globaly reached 629,467. 28,963 people died from the desease, while 138,085 others recovered. These numbers show that about 4.6% of people with confirmed COVID-19 cases died, but the real death rate from the new coronavirus remains unclear. In many cases, people go through COVID-19 deasease without a real threat to their health and life like in the case of an acute respiratory viral infection. So, they are not tested for the COVID-19.
According to the study published on February 18 in the China CDC Weekly, the death rate from COVID-19 is around 2.3% in mainland China. The New England Journal of Medicine published another study of about 1,100 hospitalized patients in China. It found that the overall death rate was slightly lower, around 1.4%.
Furthermore, the death rate for COVID-19 appears to vary by location and an individual’s age. For example, as of March 28 in Italy there were 86,498 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 9,134 people died. Therefore, the death rate there stands at about 10.55%. Such a high number is a result of the fact that many of COVID-19-infected people in Italy is older people (65yo+) that already have health issues and thus remain in the group of risk in the event of any new deasease.
For example, the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report study says that 45% of hospitalizations, 53% of admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU), and 80% of deaths associated with COVID-19 were among adults aged 65 years and older.
Igor Alekseevich Gundarov, a Doctor of Medicine, professor, member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, candidate of philosophical sciences, a specialist in the field of epidemiology and medical statistics, notes that the new coronavirus expansion may be linked with the previous successes in the field of combating the flue. The new virus just filled the created vacuum. According to him, the current crisis (and the panic) is a result of the specific media coverage and political-motivated decisions of particular actors.
As an example he provides the following numbers. In the 1990s, there were 4-7 million season flue in Russia every year. In the 2000s, the yearly number reuced to 400,000-50,000 cases. Gundarov added that 30,000-35,000 people die from the pneumonitis every year. However, nobody announced a national-wide emergency and locked down then country in the previous years.
The death toll from the COVID-19 is also a result of the pneumonitis, which it causes. Gundarov, says the death toll from the pneumonitis did not grow in 2020 despite the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthemore, 30,000-35,000 people dead in Russia from the pneumonitis every yar is higher than the total current global COVID-19 death toll.
https://youtu.be/AWxyy8LkMVo
Another Russian expert, Aleksand Evsinin notes that the chaos and administrative collapse because of the COVID-19 outbreak in some European countries and even the US is a result of the wrong organizational decisions (like attempts to move all ptients to a single hospital in the entire country) and the lack of propper anti-pandemic measures. For example, he claims that the concentration of all patients in a very few hospitals led to the expected lack of medical supplies and equipment in this particular area.
President Donald Trump signed an order allowing the Pentagon to call National Guard members and former troops back to active duty to fight the COVID-19 pandemic:
The COVID-19 outbreak is an apparent threat, which cannot be ignored. However, another threat, which could be even higher than the one from the COVID-19 desease, is the current pandemic of fear fueled and instigated by mainstream media and some governments.
The modern informational society already evolved to the stage when our world turned into a kind of supernational neuronet. The topology of this is close to the human’s brain. If we build a rough model, it would look this way: neurons – personalities, signals – flows of information that pierce through the modern world, lipoid metabolism – the monetary system. And this supernational neuronet is currently paralyzed by the fear of the death because of the COVID-19 outbreak and the public hysteria over it. If the panic is not overcome and the situation develops in the current direction, it may lead to the irreparable harm to this globa neuronet and instigate the already existing negative tendencies (like the deterioration of the global security, the collapse of the system of international relations, the economic crisis, the threat of new wars). However, if some powers find resources and the political will to overcome the current crisis, they will find themselves on the leading position in the ‘post-COVID-19’ period.
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southfront--2020-04-01--Epic Of Alteration 2: New ISIS Video Release Documents Horrifying Attacks On Syrian Army In Homs

On March 31 , ISIS released a 28-minute video documenting a series of attacks by its remaining cells in Syria ’ s Homs desert on the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) and its allies .
The video , titled “ Epic of Alteration 2 , ” opens up with footage from an attack on a convoy of the al-Quds Corps , a pro-government Palestinian group .
The attack took place near the town Resafa in Raqqa .
The convoy was targeted with heavy weapons .
Some vehicles were destroyed and two fighters were captured and executed on the spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the army west of the town of al-Sukhnah in Homs ’ eastern countryside .
However , an intervention from the Russian Aerospace Forces foiled the ambush .
ISIS cells in Homs desert appear to be very well-armed .
The terrorists can be seen using truck-mounted heavy machine guns and even anti-tank guided missiles ( ATGMs ) against SAA personnel and vehicles .
The new video also shows a series of ambushes , mostly on the Homs-Deir Ezzor highway .
The ambushes targeted SAA personnel , vehicles , a supply truck and even an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We say to the Nusayris [ a sectarian term used by Jihadists to refer to the Syrian military ] , God willing , you will be defeated and sent to hell , ” a field commander of the terrorist group says in the video as he throws a hand grenade into a damaged engineering vehicle of the SAA .
ISIS also shared footage showing the capture and execution of 18 people , including SAA soldiers , an officer , an alleged spy for the Syrian intelligence and fighters of the al-Quds Corps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two were blown up with a mine and an explosive belt , for being military engineers and a third , an army gunner , was targeted with a heavy machine gun .
Most of the attacks shown in the “ Epic of Alteration 2 ” appear to have taken place during last year , or even prior to that .
The Epic of Alteration 2 confirms that ISIS is maintaining a strong presence in the Homs desert , a strategic region linking Syria ’ s eastern region with the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the region is clearly increasing and the measures taken by the SAA and its allies to counter this threat are clearly insufficient .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • In Videos : ISIS Terrorists Set Up Fake Checkpoints , Attack Vehicles In Homs-Deir Ezzor Desert

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On March 31, ISIS released a 28-minute video documenting a series of attacks by its remaining cells in Syria’s Homs desert on the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies.
The video, titled “Epic of Attrition 2,” opens up with footage from an attack on a convoy of the al-Quds Corps, a pro-government Palestinian group. The attack took place near the town Resafa in Raqqa. The convoy was targeted with heavy weapons. Some vehicles were destroyed and two fighters were captured and executed on the spot.
A similar ambush targeted troops of the army west of the town of al-Sukhnah in Homs’ eastern countryside. However, an intervention from the Russian Aerospace Forces foiled the ambush.
ISIS cells in Homs desert appear to be very well-armed. The terrorists can be seen using truck-mounted heavy machine guns and even anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) against SAA personnel and vehicles.
Click to see full-size image
The new video also shows a series of ambushes, mostly on the Homs-Deir Ezzor highway. The ambushes targeted SAA personnel, vehicles, a supply truck and even an employee in the Syrian Parliament.
“We say to the Nusayris [a sectarian term used by Jihadists to refer to the Syrian military], God willing, you will be defeated and sent to hell,” a field commander of the terrorist group says in the video as he throws a hand grenade into a damaged engineering vehicle of the SAA.
ISIS also shared footage showing the capture and execution of 18 people, including SAA soldiers, an officer, an alleged spy for the Syrian intelligence and fighters of the al-Quds Corps.
While most captives were shot or beheaded, two were blown up with a mine and an explosive belt, for being military engineers and a third, an army gunner, was targeted with a heavy machine gun.
Most of the attacks shown in the “Epic of Attrition 2” appear to have taken place during last year, or even prior to that.
The Epic of Attrition 2 confirms that ISIS is maintaining a strong presence in the Homs desert, a strategic region linking Syria’s eastern region with the rest of the country. The group’s threat in the region is clearly increasing and the measures taken by the SAA and its allies to counter this threat are clearly insufficient.
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southfront--2020-04-01--U.S., The Kingdom And Russia To Negotiate Potential End Of Oil Price War

On March 31st , US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to dispatch energy officials to discuss oil prices as they continue going down .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovsaid Putin and Trump agreed on the call that “ current oil prices aren ’ t in the interests of our countries.
” The White House initially didn ’ t release a summary but later said both leaders “ agreed on the importance of stability in global energy markets.
” Trump said in an interview on “ Fox & Friends ” Monday that he was making the call , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the U.S. energy sector “ wiped out ” over low oil prices .
On April 1st , US WTI crude oil sits at $ 20.52 , after falling under $ 20 on the previous day .
Brent crude oil sits at $ 25.51 .
Trump , on March 31st , said that Russia and Saudi Arabia were discussing over ways to end the oil price war that Riyadh began .
He said that he would consider “ joining at the appropriate time if need be.
” The president added that he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the situation .
Then , Trump did add that the US would meet with Russia and Saudi Arabia in order to solve the crisis .
“ They ’ re going to get together and we ’ re all going to get together and we ’ re going to see what we can do , ” he said .
“ The two countries are discussing it .
And I am joining at the appropriate time , if need be.
” If it happens , it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia since the collapse of the OPEC+ coalition in early March .
Saudi Arabia continues flooding the market with its discounted crude oil , pushing prices further down .
The global benchmark crude has already plunged to record lows , posting the worst quarter in history .
Still , he celebrated the low gasoline prices brought about by the market downturn , calling them “ the greatest tax cut we ’ ve ever given.
” Naturally , it is a relatively positive scenario in the current situation in the US , since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss and is a great threat to the market .
However , Trump ’ s statement mean that Saudi Arabia ’ s bid to begin an all out price war is not feasible and needs preventive measures .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Crude Oil At 17-Year-Lowest Price , As Crisis Appears To Be Gaining Momentum

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On March 31st, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to dispatch energy officials to discuss oil prices as they continue going down.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovsaid Putin and Trump agreed on the call that “current oil prices aren’t in the interests of our countries.”
The White House initially didn’t release a summary but later said both leaders “agreed on the importance of stability in global energy markets.”
Trump said in an interview on “Fox & Friends” Monday that he was making the call, explaining he doesn’t want to see the U.S. energy sector “wiped out” over low oil prices.
“I never thought I’d be saying that maybe we have to have an oil increase, because we do. The price is so low,” he said.
On April 1st, US WTI crude oil sits at $20.52, after falling under $20 on the previous day. Brent crude oil sits at $25.51.
Trump, on March 31st, said that Russia and Saudi Arabia were discussing over ways to end the oil price war that Riyadh began.
He said that he would consider “joining at the appropriate time if need be.” The president added that he had “great” talks with both Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the situation.
Then, Trump did add that the US would meet with Russia and Saudi Arabia in order to solve the crisis.
“They’re going to get together and we’re all going to get together and we’re going to see what we can do,” he said. “The two countries are discussing it. And I am joining at the appropriate time, if need be.”
If it happens, it would be the first meeting between Saudi Arabia and Russia since the collapse of the OPEC+ coalition in early March.
Saudi Arabia continues flooding the market with its discounted crude oil, pushing prices further down.
The global benchmark crude has already plunged to record lows, posting the worst quarter in history.
“It’s not even feasible what’s going on,” Trump said, adding that the price meltdown was harming the oil industry. “You don’t want to lose an industry — you’re going to lose an industry over it.”
Still, he celebrated the low gasoline prices brought about by the market downturn, calling them “the greatest tax cut we’ve ever given.”
“People are going to be paying 99 cents for a gallon of gasoline,” he said. “It’s incredible in a lot of ways.”
Naturally, it is a relatively positive scenario in the current situation in the US, since the COVID-19 epidemic has led to great financial loss and is a great threat to the market.
However, Trump’s statement mean that Saudi Arabia’s bid to begin an all out price war is not feasible and needs preventive measures.
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southfront--2020-04-01--In Maps: Ansar Allah Forces Advancing Inside Saudi Arabia

Ansar Allah ( Houthis ) forces are advancing inside Saudi Arabia .
Over the past days , Yemeni fighters clashes @ @ @ @ @ border area in the western part of Saada province advancing in the areas of Tuwailiq @ @ @ @ @ Jarah at the border with Saudi Arabia ’ s Jizan province .
Meanwhile , Ansar @ @ @ @ @ al-Hazm in the Yemeni province of al-Jawf .
Saudi-led coalition forces retreated from the areas @ @ @ @ @ Barsh Mountain and Arfaj .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • In Videos : Houthis @ @ @ @ @ Their Military Equipment

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Ansar Allah (Houthis) forces are advancing inside Saudi Arabia. Over the past days, Yemeni fighters clashes with Saudi-led forces in the border area in the western part of Saada province advancing in the areas of Tuwailiq Mountain, Rahwan, Wadi Jarah at the border with Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province.
Meanwhile, Ansar Allah continued its advance near al-Hazm in the Yemeni province of al-Jawf. Saudi-led coalition forces retreated from the areas of Sayl, Andar, Barsh Mountain and Arfaj.
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southfront--2020-04-02--Turkish Shelling Kills, Injures Syrian Service Members In Al-Hasakah (Photos)

On April 2 , two Syrian service members were killed and five others were injured in a Turkish artillery strike on a Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) checkpoint in the northeastern governorate of al-Hasakah .
According to the Hawar News Agency ( ANHA ) , the strike targeted ‘ Abush checkpoint , located near the town of Tell Tamr in northern al-Hasakah .
One of the casualties was an SAA Captain , while the other was a Private .
The Syrian Arab News Agency ( SANA ) confirmed the incident , saying “ two martyrs fell in an aggression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mercenaries.
” Last year , the SAA established a series of positions in northeast Syria following a breakthrough agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) .
The deployment of the army put an end to a Turkish-led attack on the region .
The Turkish artillery strike on ‘ Abush checkpoint is a violation of the ceasefire in northeast Syria , which Ankara agreed to in two separate agreements with Russia and the U.S .
This violation could lead to a new round of escalation in the region .
The northwestern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is witnessing similar tension between Turkish and Syrian forces .
A day earlier the Turkish military reportedly aired a threat to the Syrian troops in region .
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On April 2, two Syrian service members were killed and five others were injured in a Turkish artillery strike on a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) checkpoint in the northeastern governorate of al-Hasakah.
According to the Hawar News Agency (ANHA), the strike targeted ‘Abush checkpoint, located near the town of Tell Tamr in northern al-Hasakah. One of the casualties was an SAA Captain, while the other was a Private.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) confirmed the incident, saying “two martyrs fell in an aggression by the Turkish occupation and its terrorist mercenaries.”
Last year, the SAA established a series of positions in northeast Syria following a breakthrough agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The deployment of the army put an end to a Turkish-led attack on the region.
The Turkish artillery strike on ‘Abush checkpoint is a violation of the ceasefire in northeast Syria, which Ankara agreed to in two separate agreements with Russia and the U.S. This violation could lead to a new round of escalation in the region.
The northwestern region of Syria, mainly Greater Idlib, is witnessing similar tension between Turkish and Syrian forces. A day earlier the Turkish military reportedly aired a threat to the Syrian troops in region.
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southfront--2020-04-02--Turkish UAV Targeted Small Military Medical Convoy (Photos)

On April 2nd , a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ) carried out an airstrike on a small military @ @ @ @ @ dropping its payload south of Bani Walid in Libya .
One Libyan National Army ( @ @ @ @ @ , 2 drivers were injured , as well as 1 civilian .
Bani Walid is @ @ @ @ @ Tripoli .
It is also located 130 kilometers southwest from Misrata , which is a @ @ @ @ @ .
Turkish UAV activity appears to be increasing in Libya , as on March 30th @ @ @ @ @ downed near Tripoli .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Made In Turkey , Destroyed @ @ @ @ @ TB2 Combat Drone Downed ( Photos , Videos )

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On April 2nd, a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carried out an airstrike on a small military medical supply convoy returning after dropping its payload south of Bani Walid in Libya.
One Libyan National Army (LNA) soldier was killed, 2 drivers were injured, as well as 1 civilian.
Bani Walid is located 180 kilometers southeast from Tripoli. It is also located 130 kilometers southwest from Misrata, which is a Government of National Accord stronghold.
Turkish UAV activity appears to be increasing in Libya, as on March 30th, a Bayraktar TB2 was downed near Tripoli.
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southfront--2020-04-02--EU Launches Operation IRINI, Impeding Turkish Arms Deployments To Libya

On March 31st , the EU launched its CSDP ( Common Security and Defence Policy ) military operation in the Mediterranean , called Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI , and its aim is to enforce the UN embargo on weapons deliveries to Libya .
“ Only political solutions and the full respect of the UN arms embargo will bring a solution to the Libyan crisis .
But diplomacy can not succeed unless it is backed by action .
This operation will be essential and a clear contribution to promoting peace in our immediate neighbourhood through a permanent ceasefire , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and President of the Council .
There is also a hype video for the operation : The core task is , as mentioned above , to implement the UN arms embargo through the use of aerial , satellite and maritime assets .
In particular the mission will be able to carry out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2292 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the following : • monitor and gather information on illicit exports from Libya of petroleum , crude oil and refined petroleum products • contribute to the capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy in law enforcement tasks at sea • contribute to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks through information gathering and patrolling by planes IRINI will be led by Rear Admiral Fabio Agostini as EU Operation Commander , and its headquarters will be located in Rome , Italy .
It is planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through to March 31st , 2021 .
Turkish state outlet Anadolu Agency reported that there are critics of the operation .
“ The EU has also been criticized for only patrolling the Mediterranean to prevent shipments of arms to Libya , while Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar , continued to receive arms through Libya ’ s land border with Egypt , according to various reports.
” “ IRINI is part of the solution , not the solution itself , ” Borrell replied to journalists ’ questions .
Notably , Turkey is supplying the Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by it , the Turkish Armed Forces , as well as various fighters it has imported into Libya primarily through sea .
Thus , it would be unfair if the EU would stop the path for weapons supplies from Turkey for the GNA , but no impede supplies for Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar ’ s Libyan National Army ( LNA ) reportedly coming from Egypt and the UAE , among others .
Meanwhile , on the ground in Libya , the LNA and GNA are clashing around Tripoli .
A Turkish navy frigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the coast of Sabratha , near Tripoli .
On April 1st , the LNA began pushing back , shelling the GNA headquarters near Husain cemetery in southern Tripoli .
LNA and GNA had heavy clashes , as Haftar ’ s forces reportedly advanced on Aziziyah in southern Tripoli .
On April 2nd , the GNA reportedly targeted a LNA supply shipment south of Bani Walid .
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On March 31st, the EU launched its CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) military operation in the Mediterranean, called Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, and its aim is to enforce the UN embargo on weapons deliveries to Libya.
“Only political solutions and the full respect of the UN arms embargo will bring a solution to the Libyan crisis. But diplomacy cannot succeed unless it is backed by action. This operation will be essential and a clear contribution to promoting peace in our immediate neighbourhood through a permanent ceasefire,” said Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and President of the Council.
There is also a hype video for the operation:
The core task is, as mentioned above, to implement the UN arms embargo through the use of aerial, satellite and maritime assets. In particular the mission will be able to carry out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2292 (2016).
Its secondary tasks are the following:
monitor and gather information on illicit exports from Libya of petroleum, crude oil and refined petroleum products
contribute to the capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy in law enforcement tasks at sea
contribute to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks through information gathering and patrolling by planes
IRINI will be led by Rear Admiral Fabio Agostini as EU Operation Commander, and its headquarters will be located in Rome, Italy.
It is planned for it to last one year, through to March 31st, 2021.
Turkish state outlet Anadolu Agency reported that there are critics of the operation.
“The EU has also been criticized for only patrolling the Mediterranean to prevent shipments of arms to Libya, while Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, continued to receive arms through Libya’s land border with Egypt, according to various reports.” “IRINI is part of the solution, not the solution itself,” Borrell replied to journalists’ questions.
Notably, Turkey is supplying the Government of National Accord, the militants hired by it, the Turkish Armed Forces, as well as various fighters it has imported into Libya primarily through sea.
Thus, it would be unfair if the EU would stop the path for weapons supplies from Turkey for the GNA, but no impede supplies for Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) reportedly coming from Egypt and the UAE, among others.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Libya, the LNA and GNA are clashing around Tripoli.
A Turkish navy frigate fired upon a LNA unmanned aerial vehicle off the coast of Sabratha, near Tripoli.
#Libya– #Turkey Navy frigate sailing off coast of #Sabratha (55 km west of #Tripoli) reportedly fired (at least one) RIM-66E-05 SAM, supposedly against an #LNA UAV, which missed and landed near al-Ajaylat, just southwest of Sabratha pic.twitter.com/KAfvfUl3Jd — Oded Berkowitz (@Oded121351) April 1, 2020
The GNA targeted LNA vehicles with UAVs.
On April 1st, the LNA began pushing back, shelling the GNA headquarters near Husain cemetery in southern Tripoli.
الله أكبر ولله الحمد خاص / سماع أصوات سيارات الإسعاف وبكثرة بعدما قامت مدفعية قواتكم المسلحة بإستهداف مقر لشركة نفط بداخله مرتزقة سوريين وتحديداً بجوار مقبرة سي حسين وأعمدة الدخان لازالت تتصاعد حتى #الآن من المقر #طرابلس #ليبيا pic.twitter.com/R9d6AGXOzP — سالم الشرقاوي (@agly1988) April 1, 2020
LNA and GNA had heavy clashes, as Haftar’s forces reportedly advanced on Aziziyah in southern Tripoli.
اشتباكات قوية وتقدم القوات المسلحة في منطقة العزيزية بتجاه مثلث ولاد تليس ورشفانة .. — غصة الخوارج (@LiBya_73) April 1, 2020
On April 2nd, the GNA reportedly targeted a LNA supply shipment south of Bani Walid.
عاجل | بركان الغضب: سلاح الجو استهدف 3 شحنات لحفتر جنوب بني وليد محملة بالذخائر وقذائف المدفعية وصواريخ الجراد pic.twitter.com/YwEEc7jVgT — ليبيا بانوراما (@lpc_ly) April 2, 2020
عاجل | بركان الغضب: سلاح الجو استهدف 3 شحنات لحفتر جنوب بني وليد محملة بالذخائر وقذائف المدفعية وصواريخ الجراد pic.twitter.com/YwEEc7jVgT — ليبيا بانوراما (@lpc_ly) April 2, 2020
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southfront--2020-04-02--Military Situation In Yemen On April 2, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen : • Clashes between Ansar @ @ @ @ @ in the southwestern part of al-Jawf province ; • Clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-led @ @ @ @ @ part of Sirwah province ; MORE ON THE TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:
Clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-led forces continue in the southwestern part of al-Jawf province;
Clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-led forces continue in the eastern part of Sirwah province;
Ceasefire violations were reported in al-Hudaydah;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck Amran province 2 times;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck the Sirwah area 3 times;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck al-Jawf province 24 times;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck Hajjah province 2 times.
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southfront--2020-04-02--Military Situation In Syria And Iraq April 2, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria and Iraq : • The @ @ @ @ @ shelled Syrian Army positions at Saraqib ; • Turkey ramped up PSYOPs efforts against Syrian @ @ @ @ @ Turkish-backed groups reached an agreement to de-escalate internal tensions in al-Bab ; • Hayat Tahrir @ @ @ @ @ him of spying for the Damascus government ; • Brig .
Gen. Esmail Ghaani , @ @ @ @ @ s Quds Force , allegedly paid an unofficial visit to Baghdad ; • The US @ @ @ @ @ attacks on its forces in Iraq .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria and Iraq:
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southfront--2020-04-02--U.S. Announces Anti-Drug Military Operation All Around Venezuela

On April 1st , US President Donald Trump announced the launching of a “ counter-narcotics operation ” which would see the deployment of US Navy ships near Venezuela , after setting a $ 15 million bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in relation to drug-terrorism accusations .
“ Today , the United States is launching an anti-drug operation in the Western Hemisphere to protect the American people from the fatal scourge of drug trafficking , ” Trump said at a press conference in the White House .
“ As governments and nations focus on the coronavirus there is a growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other malign actors will try to exploit the situation for their own gain , ” said Trump .
“ We must not let that happen.
” “ The Venezuelan people continue to suffer tremendously due to Maduro and his criminal control over the country , and drug traffickers are seizing on this lawlessness , ” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said after the president ’ s announcement .
The deployment is one of the largest U.S. military operations in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to face drug charges .
It involves assets like Navy warships , AWACS surveillance aircraft and on-ground special forces seldom seen before in the region .
The goal is to nearly double the U.S. counter-narcotics capacity in the Western Hemisphere , with forces operating both in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific .
Esper said the mission would be supported by 22 partner nations .
Venezuela ’ s communications minister , Jorge Rodriguez , called the deployment a “ desperate attempt to distract attention from the tragic humanitarian crisis ” in the U.S. caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sarcasm , he also said that for “ the first time ” in decades , the U.S. is trying to limit the supply of cocaine , which mostly comes from Colombia , one of the U.S. allies in the region .
In statements following this announcement , President Maduro called on the Trump administration to stop meddling in the internal affairs of Venezuela and called for a “ humanitarian agreement ” between all the political actors in the country to deal with the real issue , which is the fight against COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , Colombia , and Brazil were carrying out a plan for a sea and air blockade and a further invasion of Venezuela .
The report of the planned deployment comes two days after one of Venezuela ’ s naval patrol boats sank after colliding with a Portuguese-flagged cruise ship near the Venezuelan-controlled island of La Tortuga .
Maduro accused the ship of acting aggressively and said it was possibly carrying “ mercenaries ” seeking his ouster .
The announcement came just one day after the US announced its Democratic Transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls for Maduro to “ step aside ” and for the opposition-controlled National Assembly “ to elect an inclusive transitional government acceptable to the major factions ” .
This council of state would govern until it oversees elections , which Pompeo said the United States hoped could be held in six to 12 months .
It was categorically rejected by the Venezuelan government .
The Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab called for US-proclaimed Venezuelan President Juan Guaido to provide testimony on April 2nd as part of an investigation into an alleged coup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would appear , and it could be that the US is ramping up pressure in order to guarantee that the horse they bet on remains in the race .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Offshore Patrol Vessel Of Venezuelan Navy Sunk After Collision With Passenger Ship • U.S. Unveils “ Democratic Transition Framework ” For Venezuela , After Setting $ 15m Bounty On President Maduro

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On April 1st, US President Donald Trump announced the launching of a “counter-narcotics operation” which would see the deployment of US Navy ships near Venezuela, after setting a $15 million bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in relation to drug-terrorism accusations.
“Today, the United States is launching an anti-drug operation in the Western Hemisphere to protect the American people from the fatal scourge of drug trafficking,” Trump said at a press conference in the White House. “As governments and nations focus on the coronavirus there is a growing threat that cartels, criminals, terrorists and other malign actors will try to exploit the situation for their own gain,” said Trump. “We must not let that happen.” “The Venezuelan people continue to suffer tremendously due to Maduro and his criminal control over the country, and drug traffickers are seizing on this lawlessness,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said after the president’s announcement.
The deployment is one of the largest U.S. military operations in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from power and bring him to the U.S. to face drug charges.
It involves assets like Navy warships, AWACS surveillance aircraft and on-ground special forces seldom seen before in the region.
The goal is to nearly double the U.S. counter-narcotics capacity in the Western Hemisphere, with forces operating both in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Esper said the mission would be supported by 22 partner nations.
“If I was just indicted for drug trafficking by the United States, with a $15 million reward for my capture, having the U.S. Navy conducting anti-drug operations off my coast would be something I would worry about,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who has been among those calling for a tougher stance against Maduro.
Venezuela’s communications minister, Jorge Rodriguez, called the deployment a “desperate attempt to distract attention from the tragic humanitarian crisis” in the U.S. caused by the coronavirus.
In a display of sarcasm, he also said that for “the first time” in decades, the U.S. is trying to limit the supply of cocaine, which mostly comes from Colombia, one of the U.S. allies in the region.
In statements following this announcement, President Maduro called on the Trump administration to stop meddling in the internal affairs of Venezuela and called for a “humanitarian agreement” between all the political actors in the country to deal with the real issue, which is the fight against COVID-19.
Nicholas Maduro had previously warned that the United States, Colombia, and Brazil were carrying out a plan for a sea and air blockade and a further invasion of Venezuela.
The report of the planned deployment comes two days after one of Venezuela’s naval patrol boats sank after colliding with a Portuguese-flagged cruise ship near the Venezuelan-controlled island of La Tortuga.
Maduro accused the ship of acting aggressively and said it was possibly carrying “mercenaries” seeking his ouster.
“You have to be very naive to see this as an isolated incident,” Maduro said.
The announcement came just one day after the US announced its Democratic Transition Framework for Venezuela.
The US proposal calls for Maduro to “step aside” and for the opposition-controlled National Assembly “to elect an inclusive transitional government acceptable to the major factions”. This council of state would govern until it oversees elections, which Pompeo said the United States hoped could be held in six to 12 months.
It was categorically rejected by the Venezuelan government.
The Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab called for US-proclaimed Venezuelan President Juan Guaido to provide testimony on April 2nd as part of an investigation into an alleged coup attempt.
It is unlikely that Guaido would appear, and it could be that the US is ramping up pressure in order to guarantee that the horse they bet on remains in the race.
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