southfront--2020-11-09--Ethiopian Prime Minister Shuffles Military Leadership As War For Tigray Region, Actually, Continues

On November 8th and onward the fighting in Ethiopia ’ s Tigray region continued .
This is entirely in contrast with Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister Abiy Ahmed ’ s claim that the fighting was done , and the Ethiopian armed forces had won against the forces of the local government under the control of Tigray People ’ s Liberation Front ( TPLF ) .
Ethiopia on November 4th declared a six-month state of emergency in the Tigray region , saying that “ illegal and violent activities within the National Regional State of Tigray are endangering the constitution and constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specially threatening the country ’ s sovereignty.
” In order to make the operation more successful , the Prime Minister began replacing the individuals on leadership positions in the armed forces .
He abruptly fired a number of security chiefs without explanation .
Thus , Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ethiopia Adem Mohammed left his post .
His place was taken by a former deputy , and the new deputy chief of the General Staff was a retired general recruited to serve on the occasion of the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethiopian intelligence was fired in connection with the transfer to a new job – he became the new head of the Ethiopian police .
And intelligence was headed by the now former governor of the Amhara region .
Notably is the appointment of Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachyu as National Security Advisor .
Until 2018 , Ethiopia and Eritrea , which separated from it in 1993 after a long war of independence , were in a state of frozen conflict .
After Abiy Ahmed Ali came to power , contacts were established between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This was done thanks to the efforts of Ethiopian diplomats .
Amid the conflict in the Tigray region , reports emerged that Asmara decided to come to the aid of Addis Ababa and began recruiting fighters to participate in the conflict in the Tygrai region , intending to launch an offensive from the north .
Moreover , it is argued that Abiy Ahmed Ali and Eritrean President Isayas Afeworki could have conspired about aggression even before the start of the Tigray offensive .
These statements cast doubt on Abiy Ahmed ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In this light , the appointment of the foreign minister , who has experience of contacts with Ethiopia ’ s northern neighbor , to the post of security adviser starts making quite a bit of sense .
On November 7th , the main developments in the conflict that began with the state of emergency on November 4th are the following : • It is war , there is no use denying it , the facts are there .
On November 5 , the deputy chief of staff of the Ethiopian Armed Forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press that the country “ is at war with the Tigray schismatics.
” For the first time since his televised address to the nation on November 4 , Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made a new statement on Twitter on November 6 , emphasizing that the military operation has “ clear , limited and achievable goals.
” Among them , the federal leadership calls “ the disarmament of the regional security forces ” , “ the restoration of constitutional order and legality ” and “ bringing to justice ” of the TPLF “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air force carried out “ pinpoint airstrikes ” on the districts and suburbs of the administrative center of Tigray – Mekele .
These took place on November 5th and 6th Stating that artillery and missiles with a range of 300 km were destroyed by strikes on ammunition depots , the prime minister noted the successful completion of the first phase of the operation .
In addition , the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority has closed Tigray airports at Mekel , Shire , Aksum and Humera .
• The main battles are taking place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ border with the state of Amhara , in particular in the region of Abdurafi , numerous casualties and destruction are noted , blood donation points and field hospitals are deployed .
President of Amhara Temesgen Tiruneh , confirmed the participation of the state ’ s security forces in the operation of federal troops .
Amhara is a region that has unsettled territorial claims that compete with Tigray .
The heads of all regions in one way or another approved the operation , the regional parts of most states ( except Oromia ) were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state of Somalia .
However , the TPLF has large mobilization reserves in the form of 250 thousand police officers , special forces , militias and many of the military who have gone over to their side – the conflict runs the risk of dragging on .
• There is unconfirmed information about the participation of “ military in the Eritrean uniform.
” Earlier , Abiy Ahmed had already stated that the Eritrean uniform was specially produced in Tigray for use in provocations .
According to unconfirmed information , Eritrean President Isayas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military and party leadership on November 6th , troop movements and the mobilization of conscripts were noted ( starting from September ) .
There were also cases of desertions across the border of some Ethiopian military personnel after the seizure of the TPLF base in Mekel .
In turn , the head of the TPLF Debrezion Gebremikhael announced the passage of Ethiopian troops through the territory of Eritrea to invade Tigray in the Adiabo region .
Finally , Sudan ordered the closure of the border with Ethiopia to “ prevent infiltration of TPLF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready for dialogue , proposals for mediation of the African Union and the UN were rejected by the Ethiopian government – the TPLF is perceived as an “ existential threat ” and , according to the federal leadership , should be eliminated , or at least its 10-12 of leading politicians , and the Federation Council has already adopted resolution on the creation of an interim local government of the Tigray region .
The TPLF are being called terrorists , and painted as extremists and so on , as such a very wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of forces on both sides , as well as the support on both sides turn this conflict into one that could potentially drag on for quite a while .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Ethiopian Prime Minister Announced Success In Tigray Military Operation Less Than 24 Hours After It Began • War Comes To Ethiopia As Nobel Peace Prize-Winning Prime Minister Sends Troops Against Regional Government

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On November 8th and onward the fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region continued.
This is entirely in contrast with Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister Abiy Ahmed’s claim that the fighting was done, and the Ethiopian armed forces had won against the forces of the local government under the control of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Ethiopia on November 4th declared a six-month state of emergency in the Tigray region, saying that “illegal and violent activities within the National Regional State of Tigray are endangering the constitution and constitutional order, public peace and security, specially threatening the country’s sovereignty.”
In order to make the operation more successful, the Prime Minister began replacing the individuals on leadership positions in the armed forces.
He abruptly fired a number of security chiefs without explanation. Thus, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ethiopia Adem Mohammed left his post.
His place was taken by a former deputy, and the new deputy chief of the General Staff was a retired general recruited to serve on the occasion of the war against the TPLF.
The director of Ethiopian intelligence was fired in connection with the transfer to a new job – he became the new head of the Ethiopian police. And intelligence was headed by the now former governor of the Amhara region.
Notably is the appointment of Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachyu as National Security Advisor.
Until 2018, Ethiopia and Eritrea, which separated from it in 1993 after a long war of independence, were in a state of frozen conflict.
After Abiy Ahmed Ali came to power, contacts were established between the countries, which significantly defused the situation.
This was done thanks to the efforts of Ethiopian diplomats.
Amid the conflict in the Tigray region, reports emerged that Asmara decided to come to the aid of Addis Ababa and began recruiting fighters to participate in the conflict in the Tygrai region, intending to launch an offensive from the north.
Moreover, it is argued that Abiy Ahmed Ali and Eritrean President Isayas Afeworki could have conspired about aggression even before the start of the Tigray offensive.
These statements cast doubt on Abiy Ahmed’s claim that the TPLF started the fighting.
In this light, the appointment of the foreign minister, who has experience of contacts with Ethiopia’s northern neighbor, to the post of security adviser starts making quite a bit of sense.
On November 7th, the main developments in the conflict that began with the state of emergency on November 4th are the following:
It is war, there is no use denying it, the facts are there. On November 5, the deputy chief of staff of the Ethiopian Armed Forces, General Berhanu Jula, confirmed to the press that the country “is at war with the Tigray schismatics.”
For the first time since his televised address to the nation on November 4, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made a new statement on Twitter on November 6, emphasizing that the military operation has “clear, limited and achievable goals.”
Among them, the federal leadership calls “the disarmament of the regional security forces”, “the restoration of constitutional order and legality” and “bringing to justice” of the TPLF “militants.”
Abiy Akhmed confirmed that the air force carried out “pinpoint airstrikes” on the districts and suburbs of the administrative center of Tigray – Mekele. These took place on November 5th and 6th
Stating that artillery and missiles with a range of 300 km were destroyed by strikes on ammunition depots, the prime minister noted the successful completion of the first phase of the operation. In addition, the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority has closed Tigray airports at Mekel, Shire, Aksum and Humera.
The main battles are taking place in the Western zone, on the border with the state of Amhara, in particular in the region of Abdurafi, numerous casualties and destruction are noted, blood donation points and field hospitals are deployed.
President of Amhara Temesgen Tiruneh, confirmed the participation of the state’s security forces in the operation of federal troops. Amhara is a region that has unsettled territorial claims that compete with Tigray.
The heads of all regions in one way or another approved the operation, the regional parts of most states (except Oromia) were mobilized, while resistance was noted in the state of Somalia.
However, the TPLF has large mobilization reserves in the form of 250 thousand police officers, special forces, militias and many of the military who have gone over to their side – the conflict runs the risk of dragging on.
There is unconfirmed information about the participation of “military in the Eritrean uniform.”
Earlier, Abiy Ahmed had already stated that the Eritrean uniform was specially produced in Tigray for use in provocations.
According to unconfirmed information, Eritrean President Isayas Afeworki held a meeting with the top military and party leadership on November 6th, troop movements and the mobilization of conscripts were noted (starting from September).
There were also cases of desertions across the border of some Ethiopian military personnel after the seizure of the TPLF base in Mekel.
In turn, the head of the TPLF Debrezion Gebremikhael announced the passage of Ethiopian troops through the territory of Eritrea to invade Tigray in the Adiabo region.
Finally, Sudan ordered the closure of the border with Ethiopia to “prevent infiltration of TPLF militants.”
The parties are not ready for dialogue, proposals for mediation of the African Union and the UN were rejected by the Ethiopian government – the TPLF is perceived as an “existential threat” and, according to the federal leadership, should be eliminated, or at least its 10-12 of leading politicians, and the Federation Council has already adopted resolution on the creation of an interim local government of the Tigray region.
The TPLF are being called terrorists, and painted as extremists and so on, as such a very wide propaganda campaign is observed.
The number of forces on both sides, as well as the support on both sides turn this conflict into one that could potentially drag on for quite a while.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-11-09--The COVID-19 RT-PCR Test: How to Mislead All Humanity. Using a “Test” To Lock Down Society

Introduction : using a technique to lock down society All current propaganda on the COVID-19 pandemic is based on an assumption that is considered obvious , true and no longer questioned : Positive RT-PCR test means being sick with COVID .
This assumption is misleading .
Very few people , including doctors , understand how a PCR test works .
In medicine , we use this tool mainly to diagnose a viral infection .
Starting from a clinical situation with the presence or absence of particular symptoms in a patient , we consider different diagnoses based on tests .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viral infections , we use the RT-PCR technique to confirm a diagnostic hypothesis suggested by a clinical picture .
We do not routinely perform RT-PCR on any patient who is overheated , coughing or has an inflammatory syndrome !
It is a laboratory , molecular biology technique of gene amplification because it looks for gene traces ( DNA or RNA ) by amplifying them .
In addition to medicine , other fields of application are genetics , research , industry and forensics .
The technique is carried out in a specialized laboratory , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laboratory , even a hospital .
This entails a certain cost , and a delay sometimes of several days between the sample and the result .
Today , since the emergence of the new disease called COVID-19 ( COrona VIrus Disease-2019 ) , the RT-PCR diagnostic technique is used to define positive cases , confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 ( coronavirus responsible for the new acute respiratory distress syndrome called COVID-19 ) .
These positive cases are assimilated to COVID-19 cases , some of whom are hospitalized or even admitted to intensive care units .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ RT-PCR cases = COVID-19 patients .
[ 1 ] This is the starting postulate , the premise of all official propaganda , which justifies all restrictive government measures : isolation , confinement , quarantine , mandatory masks , color codes by country and travel bans , tracking , social distances in companies , stores and even , even more importantly , in schools [ 2 ] .
This misuse of RT-PCR technique is used as a relentless and intentional strategy by some governments , supported by scientific safety councils and by the dominant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the violation of a large number of constitutional rights , the destruction of the economy with the bankruptcy of entire active sectors of society , the degradation of living conditions for a large number of ordinary citizens , under the pretext of a pandemic based on a number of positive RT-PCR tests , and not on a real number of patients .
Technical aspects : to better understand and not be manipulated The PCR technique was developed by chemist Kary B. Mullis in 1986 .
Kary Mullis was awarded the Nobel Prize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is disputed [ 3 ] , Kary Mullis himself is said to have criticized the interest of PCR as a diagnostic tool for an infection , especially a viral one .
He stated that if PCR was a good tool for research , it was a very bad tool in medicine , in the clinic [ 4 ] .
Mullis was referring to the AIDS virus ( HIV retrovirus or HIV ) [ 5 ] , before the COVID-19 pandemic , but this opinion on the limitation of the technique in viral infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , can not be dismissed out of hand ; it must be taken into account !
As the analysis can be performed in real time , continuously , it becomes RT ( Real-Time ) – PCR , even more efficient .
It can be done from any molecule , including those of the living , the nucleic acids that make up the genes : Viruses are not considered as “ living ” beings , they are packets of information ( DNA or RNA ) forming a genome .
It is by an amplification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought is highlighted and this point is very important .
If there is DNA or RNA of the desired element in a sample , it is not identifiable as such .
This DNA or RNA must be amplified ( multiplied ) a certain number of times , sometimes a very large number of times , before it can be detected .
From a minute trace , up to billions of copies of a specific sample can be obtained , but this does not mean that there is all that amount in the organism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , the element sought by RT-PCR is SARS-CoV-2 , an RNA virus [ 8 ] .
There are DNA viruses such as Herpes and Varicella viruses .
The most well known RNA viruses , in addition to coronaviruses , are Influenza , Measles , EBOLA , ZIKA viruses .
In the case of SARS-CoV-2 , RNA virus , an additional specific step is required , a transcription of RNA into DNA by means of an enzyme , Reverse Transcriptase .
It is not the whole virus that is identified , but sequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not mean that this gene sequence , a fragment of the virus , is not specific to the virus being sought , but it is an important nuance nonetheless : RT-PCR does not reveal any virus , but only parts , specific gene sequences of the virus .
At the beginning of the year , the SARS-CoV-2 genome was sequenced .
It consists of about 30,000 base pairs .
The nucleic acid ( DNA-RNA ) , the component of the genes , is a sequence of bases .
In comparison , the human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pairs .
Teams are continuously monitoring the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome as it evolves [ 9-10-11 ] , through the mutations it undergoes .
Today , there are many variants [ 12 ] .
By taking a few specific genes from the SARS-CoV-2 genome , it is possible to initiate RT-PCR on a sample from the respiratory tract .
For COVID-19 disease , which has a nasopharyngeal ( nose ) and oropharyngeal ( mouth ) entry point , the sample should be taken from the upper respiratory tract as deeply as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saliva in particular .
ll the people tested said that it is very painful [ 13 ] .
The Gold Standard ( preferred site for sampling ) is the nasopharyngeal ( nasal ) approach , the most painful route .
If there is a contraindication to the nasal approach , or preferably to the individual being tested , depending on the official organs , the oropharyngeal approach ( through the mouth ) is also acceptable .
The test may trigger a nausea/vomiting reflex in the individual being tested .
Normally , for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered reliable , amplification from 3 different genes ( primers ) of the virus under investigation is required .
The essential notion of Cycle Time or Cycle Threshold or Ct positivity threshold [ 16 ] .
An RT-PCR test is negative ( no traces of the desired element ) or positive ( presence of traces of the desired element ) .
However , even if the desired element is present in a minute , negligible quantity , the principle of RT-PCR is to be able to finally highlight it by continuing the amplification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can push up to 60 amplification cycles , or even more !
Here is how it works : Etc exponentially up to 40 to 60 cycles !
When we say that the Ct ( Cycle Time or Cycle Threshold or RT-PCR positivity threshold ) is equal to 40 , it means that the laboratory has used 40 amplification cycles , i.e .
obtained 240 copies .
This is what underlies the sensitivity of the RT-PCR assay .
While it is true that in medicine we like to have high specificity and sensitivity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false negatives , in the case of COVID-19 disease , this hypersensitivity of the RT-PCR test caused by the number of amplification cycles used has backfired .
This over-sensitivity of the RT-PCR test is deleterious and misleading !
It detaches us from the medical reality which must remain based on the real clinical state of the person : is the person ill , does he or she have symptoms ?
That is the most important thing !
As I said at the beginning of the article , in medicine we always start from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we collect his/her symptoms ( complaints-anamnesis ) and objective clinical signs ( examination ) and on the basis of a clinical reflection in which scientific knowledge and experience intervene , we make diagnostic hypotheses .
Only then do we prescribe the most appropriate tests , based on this clinical reflection .
We constantly compare the test results with the patient ’ s clinical condition ( symptoms and signs ) , which takes precedence over everything else when it comes to our decisions and treatments .
Today , our governments , supported by their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do the opposite and put the test first , followed by a clinical reflection necessarily influenced by this prior test , whose weaknesses we have just seen , particularly its hypersensitivity .
None of my clinical colleagues can contradict me .
Apart from very special cases such as genetic screening for certain categories of populations ( age groups , sex ) and certain cancers or family genetic diseases , we always work in this direction : from the person ( symptoms , signs ) to the appropriate tests , never the other way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an article in the Swiss Medical Journal ( RMS ) published in 2007 , written by doctors Katia Jaton and Gilbert Greub microbiologists from the University of Lausanne : PCR in microbiology : from DNA amplification to result interpretation : It would be indefensible to give everyone an electrocardiogram to screen everyone who might have a heart attack one day .
On the other hand , in certain clinical contexts or on the basis of specific evocative symptoms , there , yes , an electrocardiogram can be beneficial .
Back to RT-PCR and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
In the case of an infectious disease , especially a viral one , the notion of contagiousness is another important element .
Since some scientific circles consider that an asymptomatic person can transmit the virus , they believe it is important to test for the presence of virus , even if the person is asymptomatic , thus extending the indication of RT-PCR to everyone .
This question brings us back to the notion of viral load and therefore Ct .
The relationship between contagiousness and viral load is disputed by some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proof , to date , allows us to make a decision .
However , common sense gives obvious credence to the notion that the more virus a person has inside him or her , especially in the upper airways ( oropharynx and nasopharynx ) , with symptoms such as coughing and sneezing , the higher the risk of contagiousness , proportional to the viral load and the importance of the person ’ s symptoms .
This is called common sense , and although modern medicine has benefited greatly from the contribution of science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , it is still based primarily on common sense , experience and empiricism .
Medicine is the art of healing .
No test measures the amount of virus in the sample !
RT-PCR is qualitative : positive ( presence of the virus ) or negative ( absence of the virus ) .
This notion of quantity , therefore of viral load , can be estimated indirectly by the number of amplification cycles ( Ct ) used to highlight the virus sought .
The lower the Ct used to detect the virus fragment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered to be ( high ) .
The higher the Ct used to detect the virus fragment , the lower the viral load is considered to be ( low ) .
Thus , the French National Reference Centre ( CNR ) , in the acute phase of the pandemic , estimated that the peak of viral shedding occurred at the onset of symptoms , with an amount of virus corresponding to approximately 108 ( 100 million ) copies of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA on average ( French COVID-19 cohort data ) with a variable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( from 5 days to more than 5 weeks ) [ 19 ] .
This number of 108 ( 100 million ) copies/μl corresponds to a very low Ct. A Ct of 35 corresponds to about 1 copy/μl .
Above Ct 35 , it becomes impossible to isolate a complete virus sequence and culture it !
In France and in most countries , Ct levels above 35 , even 40 , are still used even today !
The French Society of Microbiology ( SFM ) issued an opinion on September 25 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results , and it recommends to make positive up to a Ct of 37 for a single gene [ 20 ] !
With 1 copy/μl of a sample ( Ct 35 ) , without cough , without symptoms , one can understand why all these doctors and scientists say that a positive RT-PCR test means nothing , nothing at all in terms of medicine and clinic !
Positive RT-PCR tests , without any mention of Ct or its relation to the presence or absence of symptoms , are used as is by our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and justify their policy of severity , austerity , isolation and aggression of our freedoms , with the impossibility to travel , to meet , to live normally !
There is no medical justification for these decisions , for these governmental choices !
In an article published on the website of the New York Times ( NYT ) on Saturday , August 29 , American experts from Harvard University are surprised that RT-PCR tests as practiced can serve as tests of contagiousness , even more so as evidence of pandemic progression in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • COVID and Its Man-Made Gigantic Collateral Damage : The Great Reset – A Call for Civil Disobedience

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Written by Dr. Pascal Sacré; Originally apppeared at Global Research
Introduction: using a technique to lock down society
All current propaganda on the COVID-19 pandemic is based on an assumption that is considered obvious, true and no longer questioned:
Positive RT-PCR test means being sick with COVID. This assumption is misleading.
Very few people, including doctors, understand how a PCR test works.
RT-PCR means Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction.
In French, it means: Réaction de Polymérisation en Chaîne en Temps Réel.
In medicine, we use this tool mainly to diagnose a viral infection.
Starting from a clinical situation with the presence or absence of particular symptoms in a patient, we consider different diagnoses based on tests.
In the case of certain infections, particularly viral infections, we use the RT-PCR technique to confirm a diagnostic hypothesis suggested by a clinical picture.
We do not routinely perform RT-PCR on any patient who is overheated, coughing or has an inflammatory syndrome!
It is a laboratory, molecular biology technique of gene amplification because it looks for gene traces (DNA or RNA) by amplifying them.
In addition to medicine, other fields of application are genetics, research, industry and forensics.
The technique is carried out in a specialized laboratory, it cannot be done in any laboratory, even a hospital. This entails a certain cost, and a delay sometimes of several days between the sample and the result.
Today, since the emergence of the new disease called COVID-19 (COrona VIrus Disease-2019), the RT-PCR diagnostic technique is used to define positive cases, confirmed as SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus responsible for the new acute respiratory distress syndrome called COVID-19).
These positive cases are assimilated to COVID-19 cases, some of whom are hospitalized or even admitted to intensive care units.
Official postulate of our managers: positive RT-PCR cases = COVID-19 patients. [1]
This is the starting postulate, the premise of all official propaganda, which justifies all restrictive government measures: isolation, confinement, quarantine, mandatory masks, color codes by country and travel bans, tracking, social distances in companies, stores and even, even more importantly, in schools [2].
This misuse of RT-PCR technique is used as a relentless and intentional strategy by some governments, supported by scientific safety councils and by the dominant media, to justify excessive measures such as the violation of a large number of constitutional rights, the destruction of the economy with the bankruptcy of entire active sectors of society, the degradation of living conditions for a large number of ordinary citizens, under the pretext of a pandemic based on a number of positive RT-PCR tests, and not on a real number of patients.
Technical aspects: to better understand and not be manipulated
The PCR technique was developed by chemist Kary B. Mullis in 1986. Kary Mullis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993.
Although this is disputed [3], Kary Mullis himself is said to have criticized the interest of PCR as a diagnostic tool for an infection, especially a viral one.
He stated that if PCR was a good tool for research, it was a very bad tool in medicine, in the clinic [4].
Mullis was referring to the AIDS virus (HIV retrovirus or HIV) [5], before the COVID-19 pandemic, but this opinion on the limitation of the technique in viral infections [6], by its creator, cannot be dismissed out of hand; it must be taken into account!
PCR was perfected in 1992.
As the analysis can be performed in real time, continuously, it becomes RT (Real-Time) – PCR, even more efficient.
It can be done from any molecule, including those of the living, the nucleic acids that make up the genes:
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)
Viruses are not considered as “living” beings, they are packets of information (DNA or RNA) forming a genome.
It is by an amplification technique (multiplication) that the molecule sought is highlighted and this point is very important.
RT-PCR is an amplification technique [7].
If there is DNA or RNA of the desired element in a sample, it is not identifiable as such.
This DNA or RNA must be amplified (multiplied) a certain number of times, sometimes a very large number of times, before it can be detected. From a minute trace, up to billions of copies of a specific sample can be obtained, but this does not mean that there is all that amount in the organism being tested.
In the case of COVID-19, the element sought by RT-PCR is SARS-CoV-2, an RNA virus [8].
There are DNA viruses such as Herpes and Varicella viruses.
The most well known RNA viruses, in addition to coronaviruses, are Influenza, Measles, EBOLA, ZIKA viruses.
In the case of SARS-CoV-2, RNA virus, an additional specific step is required, a transcription of RNA into DNA by means of an enzyme, Reverse Transcriptase.
This step precedes the amplification phase.
It is not the whole virus that is identified, but sequences of its viral genome.
This does not mean that this gene sequence, a fragment of the virus, is not specific to the virus being sought, but it is an important nuance nonetheless:
RT-PCR does not reveal any virus, but only parts, specific gene sequences of the virus.
At the beginning of the year, the SARS-CoV-2 genome was sequenced.
It consists of about 30,000 base pairs. The nucleic acid (DNA-RNA), the component of the genes, is a sequence of bases. In comparison, the human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs.
Teams are continuously monitoring the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome as it evolves [9-10-11], through the mutations it undergoes. Today, there are many variants [12].
By taking a few specific genes from the SARS-CoV-2 genome, it is possible to initiate RT-PCR on a sample from the respiratory tract.
For COVID-19 disease, which has a nasopharyngeal (nose) and oropharyngeal (mouth) entry point, the sample should be taken from the upper respiratory tract as deeply as possible in order to avoid contamination by saliva in particular.
A
ll the people tested said that it is very painful [13].
The Gold Standard (preferred site for sampling) is the nasopharyngeal (nasal) approach, the most painful route.
If there is a contraindication to the nasal approach, or preferably to the individual being tested, depending on the official organs, the oropharyngeal approach (through the mouth) is also acceptable. The test may trigger a nausea/vomiting reflex in the individual being tested.
Normally, for the result of an RT-PCR test to be considered reliable, amplification from 3 different genes (primers) of the virus under investigation is required.
“The primers are single-stranded DNA sequences specific to the virus. They guarantee the specificity of the amplification reaction. » [14] “The first test developed at La Charité in Berlin by Dr. Victor Corman and his associates in January 2020 allows to highlight the RNA sequences present in 3 genes of the virus called E, RdRp and N. To know if the sequences of these genes are present in the RNA samples collected, it is necessary to amplify the sequences of these 3 genes in order to obtain a signal sufficient for their detection and quantification. »[15].
The essential notion of Cycle Time or Cycle Threshold or Ct positivity threshold [16].
An RT-PCR test is negative (no traces of the desired element) or positive (presence of traces of the desired element).
However, even if the desired element is present in a minute, negligible quantity, the principle of RT-PCR is to be able to finally highlight it by continuing the amplification cycles as much as necessary.
RT-PCR can push up to 60 amplification cycles, or even more!
Here is how it works:
Cycle 1: target x 2 (2 copies)
Cycle 2: target x 4 (4 copies)
Cycle 3: target x 8 (8 copies)
Cycle 4: target x 16 (16 copies)
Cycle 5; target x 32 (32 copies)
Etc exponentially up to 40 to 60 cycles!
When we say that the Ct (Cycle Time or Cycle Threshold or RT-PCR positivity threshold) is equal to 40, it means that the laboratory has used 40 amplification cycles, i.e. obtained 240 copies.
This is what underlies the sensitivity of the RT-PCR assay.
While it is true that in medicine we like to have high specificity and sensitivity of the tests to avoid false positives and false negatives, in the case of COVID-19 disease, this hypersensitivity of the RT-PCR test caused by the number of amplification cycles used has backfired.
This over-sensitivity of the RT-PCR test is deleterious and misleading!
It detaches us from the medical reality which must remain based on the real clinical state of the person: is the person ill, does he or she have symptoms?
That is the most important thing!
As I said at the beginning of the article, in medicine we always start from the person: we examine him/her, we collect his/her symptoms (complaints-anamnesis) and objective clinical signs (examination) and on the basis of a clinical reflection in which scientific knowledge and experience intervene, we make diagnostic hypotheses.
Only then do we prescribe the most appropriate tests, based on this clinical reflection.
We constantly compare the test results with the patient’s clinical condition (symptoms and signs), which takes precedence over everything else when it comes to our decisions and treatments.
Today, our governments, supported by their scientific safety advice, are making us do the opposite and put the test first, followed by a clinical reflection necessarily influenced by this prior test, whose weaknesses we have just seen, particularly its hypersensitivity.
None of my clinical colleagues can contradict me.
Apart from very special cases such as genetic screening for certain categories of populations (age groups, sex) and certain cancers or family genetic diseases, we always work in this direction: from the person (symptoms, signs) to the appropriate tests, never the other way around.
This is the conclusion of an article in the Swiss Medical Journal (RMS) published in 2007, written by doctors Katia Jaton and Gilbert Greub microbiologists from the University of Lausanne :
PCR in microbiology: from DNA amplification to result interpretation:
“To interpret the result of a PCR, it is essential that clinicians and microbiologists share their experiences, so that the analytical and clinical levels of interpretation can be combined.”
It would be indefensible to give everyone an electrocardiogram to screen everyone who might have a heart attack one day.
On the other hand, in certain clinical contexts or on the basis of specific evocative symptoms, there, yes, an electrocardiogram can be beneficial.
Back to RT-PCR and Ct (Cycle Time or Cycle Threshold).
In the case of an infectious disease, especially a viral one, the notion of contagiousness is another important element.
Since some scientific circles consider that an asymptomatic person can transmit the virus, they believe it is important to test for the presence of virus, even if the person is asymptomatic, thus extending the indication of RT-PCR to everyone.
Are RT-PCR tests good tests for contagiousness? [17]
This question brings us back to the notion of viral load and therefore Ct.
The relationship between contagiousness and viral load is disputed by some people [18] and no formal proof, to date, allows us to make a decision.
However, common sense gives obvious credence to the notion that the more virus a person has inside him or her, especially in the upper airways (oropharynx and nasopharynx), with symptoms such as coughing and sneezing, the higher the risk of contagiousness, proportional to the viral load and the importance of the person’s symptoms.
This is called common sense, and although modern medicine has benefited greatly from the contribution of science through statistics and Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM), it is still based primarily on common sense, experience and empiricism.
Medicine is the art of healing.
No test measures the amount of virus in the sample!
RT-PCR is qualitative: positive (presence of the virus) or negative (absence of the virus).
This notion of quantity, therefore of viral load, can be estimated indirectly by the number of amplification cycles (Ct) used to highlight the virus sought.
The lower the Ct used to detect the virus fragment, the higher the viral load is considered to be (high).
The higher the Ct used to detect the virus fragment, the lower the viral load is considered to be (low).
Thus, the French National Reference Centre (CNR), in the acute phase of the pandemic, estimated that the peak of viral shedding occurred at the onset of symptoms, with an amount of virus corresponding to approximately 108 (100 million) copies of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA on average (French COVID-19 cohort data) with a variable duration of shedding in the upper airways (from 5 days to more than 5 weeks) [19].
This number of 108 (100 million) copies/μl corresponds to a very low Ct.
A Ct of 32 corresponds to 10-15 copies/μl.
A Ct of 35 corresponds to about 1 copy/μl.
Above Ct 35, it becomes impossible to isolate a complete virus sequence and culture it!
In France and in most countries, Ct levels above 35, even 40, are still used even today!
The French Society of Microbiology (SFM) issued an opinion on September 25, 2020 in which it does not recommend quantitative results, and it recommends to make positive up to a Ct of 37 for a single gene [20]!
With 1 copy/μl of a sample (Ct 35), without cough, without symptoms, one can understand why all these doctors and scientists say that a positive RT-PCR test means nothing, nothing at all in terms of medicine and clinic!
Positive RT-PCR tests, without any mention of Ct or its relation to the presence or absence of symptoms, are used as is by our governments as the exclusive argument to apply and justify their policy of severity, austerity, isolation and aggression of our freedoms, with the impossibility to travel, to meet, to live normally!
There is no medical justification for these decisions, for these governmental choices!
In an article published on the website of the New York Times (NYT) on Saturday, August 29, American experts from Harvard University are surprised that RT-PCR tests as practiced can serve as tests of contagiousness, even more so as evidence of pandemic progression in the case of SARS-CoV-2 infection [21].
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southfront--2020-11-09--SouthFront Survival Is In Your Hands

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southfront--2020-11-09--Locations Of US Carrier Strike Groups – November 9, 2020

This is the newest update of the ‘ U.S .
Carrier Strike Groups Locations Map ’ exclusive series showing the @ @ @ @ @ Strike Groups .
SouthFront : Analysis & Intelligence tracks locations of U.S. aircraft carriers using @ @ @ @ @ No classified information was used in production of the map .
Carrier strike group ( @ @ @ @ @ formation of the United States Navy .
It is centered on an aircraft carrier and @ @ @ @ @ 65 to 70 aircrafts .
It ’ s composed of roughly 7,500 personnel , an @ @ @ @ @ one cruiser , a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers and/or frigates .
A @ @ @ @ @ on occasion , includes submarines , attached logistics ships and a supply ship .
Carrier @ @ @ @ @ element of U.S. power projection over the world ’ s oceans .
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This is the newest update of the ‘U.S. Carrier Strike Groups Locations Map’ exclusive series showing the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups. SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence tracks locations of U.S. aircraft carriers using the available open-source information. No classified information was used in production of the map.
Carrier strike group (CSG) is an operational formation of the United States Navy. It is centered on an aircraft carrier and a carrier air wing of 65 to 70 aircrafts. It’s composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers and/or frigates. A carrier strike group also, on occasion, includes submarines, attached logistics ships and a supply ship. Carrier strike groups comprise a principal element of U.S. power projection over the world’s oceans.
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southfront--2020-11-09--Kerry For Climate Chief, Buttigieg For Veterans, Yates For DOJ: An Early Look At The Biden Cabinet

While Trump is still far from conceding the election , whose outcome is called by the media , but by the Electoral College on Dec 14… … Joe Biden is already busy forming his cabinet , where he need to draw a fine line between the hard-left progressive in the Democratic party ( AOC has already been quite vocal in her criticism of how the Squad has been ignored ) and centrist elements .
Also , in addition to rolling out such new policies as fighting climate change and aggressively promoting women and minorities , Biden will focus on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment and business slowdown touched off by the coronavirus pandemic .
In total , as he builds out his economic team Biden will need to fill out the nearly two dozen cabinet-level positions in his administration .
Starting at the very top , Bloomberg reports that Biden will look for a Treasury secretary and other key officials “ to negotiate with Congress on more stimulus , roll back some of President Donald Trump ’ s tax cuts and mend relations with U.S. trading partners.
” Among the contenders that have emerged to fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lael Brainard for Treasury and economist Heather Boushey as director of the National Economic Council .
Other crucial jobs include naming the secretaries of Defense , State and Homeland Security , together responsible for carrying out administration policy and overseeing a federal bureaucracy with more than 2 million civilian employees .
While Biden will be mindful of the possibility that a Republican-controlled Senate would almost certainly scuttle nominees for top posts who belong to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party , liberal groups will be policing Biden ’ s choices closely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into their ranks for top positions but will instead choose “ moderate ” Democrats in his own mold .
Biden may try to tamp down that sentiment by putting a liberals in jobs that don ’ t require Senate confirmation .
Most importantly , this means that “ the swamp ” which Trump vowed to fight – and lost – is back , because in forming his cabinet , Biden will rely on an inner circle of longtime veterans from the Obama administration as well as Wall Streeters .
Finally , while Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women to lead the Defense and Treasury departments , his key White House advisers are likely to be White men .
With that in mind , here are some of the names being mentioned for the top jobs in a Biden administration according to Bloomberg : Lael Brainard , a member of the Fed board since 2014 , is the clear favorite to become Treasury secretary .
She has resisted loosening bank regulations at the Fed board , dissenting on several measures .
On monetary policy , she has been a team player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every vote .
Her experience serving on the Fed board has given her a relationship with Fed Chair Jerome Powell , who plays an important role in orchestrating with Treasury on the response to a faltering economy in the pandemic .
Brainard was undersecretary of the Treasury for international affairs during the Obama administration .
The Harvard-educated economist said in a speech last month that the biggest downside risk to her outlook would be “ the failure of additional fiscal support to materialize , ” which she said risks longer-term scarring to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harvard-educated economist has highlighted some more progressive policies recently , such as the Community Reinvestment Act .
In January , she gave a speech highlighting reform efforts necessary to encourage more lending in low- and moderate-income markets .
The Biden team is also said to be looking at Jeff Zients , who was director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama .
He was widely praised for his work to salvage the website associated with the Affordable Care Act , healthcare.gov , after a disastrous initial rollout , and was then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration .
Also on the list are Sylvia Mathews Burwell , who was secretary of Health and Human Services under Obama , as well as Sarah Bloom Raskin , a former Fed governor and Treasury official .
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , one of Biden ’ s progressive rivals for the Democratic nomination , is said to want the job , but she would be a tough sell for confirmation if Republicans control the Senate and is deeply distrusted on Wall Street and in the business community .
While Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ferguson and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic , both Black men , for the Treasury position , Bloomberg writes that Bostic is also being considered as a replacement for Powell , whose term is up in 2022 .
Ferguson was widely praised for his role coordinating the Fed ’ s response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks , when then central bank injected billions of dollars into the economy .
According to Bloomberg , Jared Bernstein , Biden ’ s chief economic adviser when he was vice president , has seen his name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernstein helped draft a rule almost doubling the salary threshold for overtime pay .
Now a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities , he is considered left of center and could be a bridge to the progressive wing of the party .
He also was an informal adviser to the campaign .
Boushey is also a possibility .
She is the president and chief executive officer of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth , a think tank launched in 2013 that focuses on inequality .
She has focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and child care .
Boushey is also being considered for NEC director .
She served as chief economist for Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 presidential transition team and was widely expected to have a prominent economic policy role had Clinton been elected .
Biden has two top candidates for secretary of state : longtime aide Antony Blinken , who served as Biden ’ s national security adviser .
Blinken is a veteran Washington foreign policy hand .
He worked as the Democratic staff director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he helped implement the Obama administration ’ s policy pivot to Asia .
He also worked in the Obama White House as special assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser .
Susan Rice , Obama ’ s national security adviser who was on Biden ’ s short list for vice president , is also being mentioned but Rice would likely not be confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate .
The odds-on favorite is Michele Flournoy , a former undersecretary of defense who was seen as Clinton ’ s pick for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
Flournoy was the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history when she was the top adviser to then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates in 2009 , and would be the first woman to run the Pentagon .
Another potential candidate is Jeh Johnson , who led the Department of Homeland Security under Obama and would be the first Black Defense secretary .
Another name being mentioned is Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois .
She served in the Army Illinois National Guard in Iraq , where she lost both of her legs in combat .
Sally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was named deputy attorney general by Obama is among those being chatted about .
She served as acting attorney general for 10 days at the beginning of the Trump administration until Trump fired her for insubordination after she refused to defend the ban on travelers from several Muslim-majority countries.d Others under consideration are Senator Doug Jones of Alabama , who lost his re-election bid , and Preet Bharara , the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who was fired by Trump .
The top candidate is Lisa Monaco , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security adviser .
He reportedly gave her the nickname “ Dr .
Doom ” because of her dark assessments of the terrorism threat .
She worked for the Biden campaign running what it called a “ network ” of teams vetting potential vice-presidential candidates .
She also served on the committee advising Biden on a response to the coronavirus .
The leading contender to head either the CIA or be Director of National Intelligence is Avril Haines .
She served as deputy national security adviser in the Obama administration .
She was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the first woman to hold the position .
In a top intelligence role , she would take the lead on rebuilding the intelligence community , aka the “ deep state ” , which has been at odds with Trump .
Biden has proposed creating a special position to oversee the response to the pandemic .
Members of the coronavirus task force Biden assembled during the campaign could be considered , including Vivek Murthy , a former surgeon general under Obama , and David Kessler , who led the Food and Drug Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said he wants Anthony Fauci , the head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases who has become a contrary voice to Trump about managing the pandemic , to have a role in his administration .
Biden is considering establishing a new climate czar to coordinate efforts to fight global warming .
Top candidates include former Secretary of State John Kerry , who helped broker the landmark Paris climate accord .
During his more than a quarter-century representing Massachusetts in the Senate , Kerry led an unsuccessful push for a carbon cap-and-trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inslee , the newly re-elected governor of Washington and self-styled “ climate candidate ” for the Democratic presidential nomination who has argued for a “ full mobilization of the United States ” to fight global warming .
Inslee , who spent two terms in the U.S. House , also left an imprint on Biden ’ s climate plans , including the president-elect ’ s marquee plan to make U.S. electricity carbon-free by 2035 .
John Podesta , former President Bill Clinton ’ s chief of staff , has also been mentioned .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advancing Biden ’ s aggressive plans for fighting climate change .
The top candidates are California air regulator Mary Nichols and Mississippi ’ s Heather McTeer Toney , a regional EPA administrator for several Southern states under Obama .
For more than 50 years , Nichols has been at the vanguard of American environmentalism , pushing clean air and climate policies in California that are a model for the nation and the 13 states that specifically adhere to them .
But the so-called “ queen of green ” could face opposition in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an environmental leader and chief foe of Trump ’ s climate policy rollbacks .
Toney was the first Black , female , and , having been elected at age 27 , the youngest person ever to serve as mayor of Greenville , Mississippi .
Now , she ’ s the national field director for the Mom ’ s Clean Air Force , a grassroots group dedicated to fighting air pollution .
Also under consideration are former Delaware regulator and National Wildlife Federation Chief Executive Officer Collin O ’ Mara ; former Connecticut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governor Christine Gregoire ; and Inslee .
The leading contenders are two women who Biden also considered for vice president : Representative Karen Bass of California , head of the Congressional Black Caucus , and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham .
Bass , who was a physician assistant before coming to Congress , has made health care a focus of her career .
Her support Medicare-for-All legislation , which Biden has rejected , could make her a tough sell for confirmation to lead the agency that administers the health care system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico ’ s secretary of health and helped build up the state ’ s public health system .
She was the first Democratic Hispanic elected governor of a U.S. state and the first female Democratic governor of New Mexico .
She has led her state ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic since the outbreak worsened in the spring .
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms , who was also on the short list as a vice-presidential candidate , is under consideration .
As a Black woman and the mayor of a majority Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the civil unrest last summer .
Phillip Washington , the head of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is under consideration , as is Sarah Feinberg , the interim president of the New York City Transit Authority and former administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration .
Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , who ran against Biden in the primary is a distinct possibility .
He was on Biden ’ s transition team and was a prominent surrogate for the nominee on the campaign trail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reserves in Afghanistan .
He would be the first openly gay head of the agency .
Duckworth was head of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs .
She was the first female double amputee elected to the Senate and first senator to give birth while in office .
A Thai-American , she would be another Asian-American woman at the top of the Biden administration , along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris , whose mother was born in India .
Duckworth , who was a lieutenant colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major U.S. conflict since the Revolutionary War .
Buttigieg has also been one of the names circulating for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations .
Serving in this post , which has been a cabinet-level job in some administrations , would serve several purposes for Buttigieg .
It would allow him to practice the seven languages he says he speaks –Norwegian , Spanish , Italian , Maltese , Arabic , Dari and French — and would burnish his foreign policy credentials should the 38-year-old decide to run for the presidency again .
Blinken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State Department , has worked with Biden since he was in the Senate .
He said recently that the next administration ’ s foreign policy would aim to reverse the U.S. ’ s withdrawal from global affairs under Trump .
“ We ’ d actually show up again , day-in , day-out , ” he told Axios in October .
Rice is also a possibility for this job , which doesn ’ t require Senate confirmation .
But she may not want it , since she had the same job in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior foreign policy position is Jake Sullivan , who served as Biden ’ s national security adviser when he was vice president and and was an adviser to Clinton when she was secretary of state .
Colin Kahl , who also served as Biden ’ s national security adviser when he was vice president , has also been considered .
Former Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota is most frequently mentioned .
She has led a Democratic rural outreach group , the One Country Project , and has been active as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other candidates include Representative Cheri Bustos of Illinois , who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ; California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross , a former chief of staff to Obama Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack , and Krysta Harden , a former Obama deputy agriculture secretary who now works with Vilsack as chief operating officer at the Dairy Export Council , are also often mentioned .
Retiring Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico is the top contender to be secretary of Interior .
His father , Stewart Udall , was Interior secretary from 1961 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major expansion in federal land protection , including the creation of dozens of wildlife refuges , national parks and recreation areas .
Udall , who says conservation is in his DNA , has laid out plans to enlist federal lands in the fight against climate change and has driven efforts to block drilling near the sandstone mesas and ruins of northwest New Mexico ’ s Greater Chaco region .
Representative Deb Haaland , another Democrat from New Mexico , and Representative Raul Grijalva , a Democrat from Arizona who leads the House Natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from environmental groups and been recommended to head the Interior Department .
The leading candidate is Ron Klain , who was Biden ’ s vice presidential chief of staff and led the Obama administration ’ s economic recovery and Ebola crisis response .
Those experiences would be particularly relevant , given that Biden would be tackling coronavirus and the resulting economic downturn upon taking office .
Steve Ricchetti is also a former Biden vice-presidential chief of staff , and was chairman of Biden ’ s 2020 campaign .
Also being mentioned is Zients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition team and a former director of the National Economic Council under Obama .
Close associates such as Ted Kaufman , Biden ’ s longtime chief of staff in the Senate who led the transition team , and Senator Chris Coons of Delaware , could also play big roles in the inner circle .
According to Politico , Meg Whitman is a likely frontrunner for the Commerce position , Ernest Moniz is seen as the most likely head of the Department of Energy .
According to Bloomberg , the close and bitter end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure on Biden to pick a Republican for his cabinet in a nod at bipartisanship , as Obama did with his first Defense secretary .
Possible contenders include two Republicans who spoke at the Democratic convention : former Ohio Governor John Kasich and Meg Whitman , a tech executive who ran for California governor .
He is also said to be considering the late Senator John McCain ’ s wife , Cindy McCain , for a role , along with Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts , former Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Victory Of Elites And Loss Of People : ‘ Global Leaders ’ And MSM Celebrate Alleged Biden Victory .
Trump Declares Resistance • Voters Dead Since 1984 And Other Interesting Joe Biden Supporters .
Georgia Started Recount Over Vote Fraud Concerns • “ I ’ m Not Saying We Won , But We Won ” : Joe Biden And The Most Suspect Election In Modern U.S. History ( UPDATED With More Vote Fraud Examples )

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
While Trump is still far from conceding the election, whose outcome is called not by the media, but by the Electoral College on Dec 14…
… Joe Biden is already busy forming his cabinet, where he need to draw a fine line between the hard-left progressive in the Democratic party (AOC has already been quite vocal in her criticism of how the Squad has been ignored) and centrist elements. Also, in addition to rolling out such new policies as fighting climate change and aggressively promoting women and minorities, Biden will focus on an economic team that will confront the surging unemployment and business slowdown touched off by the coronavirus pandemic. In total, as he builds out his economic team Biden will need to fill out the nearly two dozen cabinet-level positions in his administration.
Starting at the very top, Bloomberg reports that Biden will look for a Treasury secretary and other key officials “to negotiate with Congress on more stimulus, roll back some of President Donald Trump’s tax cuts and mend relations with U.S. trading partners.” Among the contenders that have emerged to fill the top economic-policy job are Fed Governor Lael Brainard for Treasury and economist Heather Boushey as director of the National Economic Council.
Other crucial jobs include naming the secretaries of Defense, State and Homeland Security, together responsible for carrying out administration policy and overseeing a federal bureaucracy with more than 2 million civilian employees.
While Biden will be mindful of the possibility that a Republican-controlled Senate would almost certainly scuttle nominees for top posts who belong to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, liberal groups will be policing Biden’s choices closely, fearful that he won’t reach into their ranks for top positions but will instead choose “moderate” Democrats in his own mold. Biden may try to tamp down that sentiment by putting a liberals in jobs that don’t require Senate confirmation.
Most importantly, this means that “the swamp” which Trump vowed to fight – and lost – is back, because in forming his cabinet, Biden will rely on an inner circle of longtime veterans from the Obama administration as well as Wall Streeters.
Finally, while Biden could make history by naming the first women to lead the Defense and Treasury departments, his key White House advisers are likely to be White men.
* * *
With that in mind, here are some of the names being mentioned for the top jobs in a Biden administration according to Bloomberg:
Treasury Department
Lael Brainard, a member of the Fed board since 2014, is the clear favorite to become Treasury secretary. She has resisted loosening bank regulations at the Fed board, dissenting on several measures. On monetary policy, she has been a team player, going along with the majority in every vote. Her experience serving on the Fed board has given her a relationship with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who plays an important role in orchestrating with Treasury on the response to a faltering economy in the pandemic.
Lael Brainard
Brainard was undersecretary of the Treasury for international affairs during the Obama administration. The Harvard-educated economist said in a speech last month that the biggest downside risk to her outlook would be “the failure of additional fiscal support to materialize,” which she said risks longer-term scarring to the economy’s growth potential. The Harvard-educated economist has highlighted some more progressive policies recently, such as the Community Reinvestment Act. In January, she gave a speech highlighting reform efforts necessary to encourage more lending in low- and moderate-income markets.
The Biden team is also said to be looking at Jeff Zients, who was director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama. He was widely praised for his work to salvage the website associated with the Affordable Care Act, healthcare.gov, after a disastrous initial rollout, and was then dubbed “Mr. Fix-it” in the administration. Also on the list are Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who was secretary of Health and Human Services under Obama, as well as Sarah Bloom Raskin, a former Fed governor and Treasury official.
Jeff Zients
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, one of Biden’s progressive rivals for the Democratic nomination, is said to want the job, but she would be a tough sell for confirmation if Republicans control the Senate and is deeply distrusted on Wall Street and in the business community.
Fed Chairman
While Biden is reportedly also working with ex-Fed official Roger Ferguson and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, both Black men, for the Treasury position, Bloomberg writes that Bostic is also being considered as a replacement for Powell, whose term is up in 2022. Ferguson was widely praised for his role coordinating the Fed’s response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when then central bank injected billions of dollars into the economy.
Rafael Bostic
Council of Economic Advisers
According to Bloomberg, Jared Bernstein, Biden’s chief economic adviser when he was vice president, has seen his name in contention. A labor economist, Bernstein helped draft a rule almost doubling the salary threshold for overtime pay. Now a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, he is considered left of center and could be a bridge to the progressive wing of the party. He also was an informal adviser to the campaign.
Jared Bernstein
Boushey is also a possibility. She is the president and chief executive officer of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a think tank launched in 2013 that focuses on inequality. She has focused on promoting policies such as paid sick days and child care.
National Economic Council
Boushey is also being considered for NEC director. She served as chief economist for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential transition team and was widely expected to have a prominent economic policy role had Clinton been elected.
State Department
Biden has two top candidates for secretary of state: longtime aide Antony Blinken, who served as Biden’s national security adviser. Blinken is a veteran Washington foreign policy hand. He worked as the Democratic staff director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was deputy secretary of state from 2015-2017, when he helped implement the Obama administration’s policy pivot to Asia.
Antony Blinken
He also worked in the Obama White House as special assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser. Susan Rice, Obama’s national security adviser who was on Biden’s short list for vice president, is also being mentioned but Rice would likely not be confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate.
Defense Department
The odds-on favorite is Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense who was seen as Clinton’s pick for the job if she’d won in 2016. Flournoy was the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history when she was the top adviser to then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates in 2009, and would be the first woman to run the Pentagon.
Michele Flournoy
Another potential candidate is Jeh Johnson, who led the Department of Homeland Security under Obama and would be the first Black Defense secretary. Another name being mentioned is Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. She served in the Army Illinois National Guard in Iraq, where she lost both of her legs in combat.
Justice Department
Sally Yates, a career federal prosecutor who was named deputy attorney general by Obama is among those being chatted about. She served as acting attorney general for 10 days at the beginning of the Trump administration until Trump fired her for insubordination after she refused to defend the ban on travelers from several Muslim-majority countries.d
Sally Yates
Others under consideration are Senator Doug Jones of Alabama, who lost his re-election bid, and Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who was fired by Trump.
Homeland Security
The top candidate is Lisa Monaco, who served as Obama’s homeland security adviser. He reportedly gave her the nickname “Dr. Doom” because of her dark assessments of the terrorism threat. She worked for the Biden campaign running what it called a “network” of teams vetting potential vice-presidential candidates. She also served on the committee advising Biden on a response to the coronavirus.
Intelligence
The leading contender to head either the CIA or be Director of National Intelligence is Avril Haines. She served as deputy national security adviser in the Obama administration. She was also deputy director of the CIA under Obama, the first woman to hold the position. In a top intelligence role, she would take the lead on rebuilding the intelligence community, aka the “deep state”, which has been at odds with Trump.
Coronavirus Czar
Biden has proposed creating a special position to oversee the response to the pandemic. Members of the coronavirus task force Biden assembled during the campaign could be considered, including Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general under Obama, and David Kessler, who led the Food and Drug Administration in the Obama administration.
Vivek Murthy
Biden has also said he wants Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases who has become a contrary voice to Trump about managing the pandemic, to have a role in his administration.
Climate Chief
Biden is considering establishing a new climate czar to coordinate efforts to fight global warming. Top candidates include former Secretary of State John Kerry, who helped broker the landmark Paris climate accord. During his more than a quarter-century representing Massachusetts in the Senate, Kerry led an unsuccessful push for a carbon cap-and-trade program. Another potential pick is Jay Inslee, the newly re-elected governor of Washington and self-styled “climate candidate” for the Democratic presidential nomination who has argued for a “full mobilization of the United States” to fight global warming. Inslee, who spent two terms in the U.S. House, also left an imprint on Biden’s climate plans, including the president-elect’s marquee plan to make U.S. electricity carbon-free by 2035. John Podesta, former President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, has also been mentioned.
John Kerry
Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA administrator post will be crucial to advancing Biden’s aggressive plans for fighting climate change. The top candidates are California air regulator Mary Nichols and Mississippi’s Heather McTeer Toney, a regional EPA administrator for several Southern states under Obama. For more than 50 years, Nichols has been at the vanguard of American environmentalism, pushing clean air and climate policies in California that are a model for the nation and the 13 states that specifically adhere to them. But the so-called “queen of green” could face opposition in a Republican-controlled Senate because of her high-profile status as an environmental leader and chief foe of Trump’s climate policy rollbacks. Toney was the first Black, female, and, having been elected at age 27, the youngest person ever to serve as mayor of Greenville, Mississippi. Now, she’s the national field director for the Mom’s Clean Air Force, a grassroots group dedicated to fighting air pollution. Also under consideration are former Delaware regulator and National Wildlife Federation Chief Executive Officer Collin O’Mara; former Connecticut regulator Dan Esty; former Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire; and Inslee.
Mary Nichols
Health and Human Services
The leading contenders are two women who Biden also considered for vice president: Representative Karen Bass of California, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Bass, who was a physician assistant before coming to Congress, has made health care a focus of her career. Her support Medicare-for-All legislation, which Biden has rejected, could make her a tough sell for confirmation to lead the agency that administers the health care system.
Michelle Lujan Grisham
Before becoming governor, Grisham was New Mexico’s secretary of health and helped build up the state’s public health system. She was the first Democratic Hispanic elected governor of a U.S. state and the first female Democratic governor of New Mexico. She has led her state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic since the outbreak worsened in the spring.
Housing and Urban Development
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who was also on the short list as a vice-presidential candidate, is under consideration. As a Black woman and the mayor of a majority Black city, she was praised for her response to the civil unrest last summer.
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Transportation
Phillip Washington, the head of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is under consideration, as is Sarah Feinberg, the interim president of the New York City Transit Authority and former administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration.
Phillip Washington
Veterans Affairs
Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who ran against Biden in the primary is a distinct possibility. He was on Biden’s transition team and was a prominent surrogate for the nominee on the campaign trail. Buttigieg served as in the Navy Reserves in Afghanistan. He would be the first openly gay head of the agency.
Pete Buttigieg
Duckworth was head of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. She was the first female double amputee elected to the Senate and first senator to give birth while in office. A Thai-American, she would be another Asian-American woman at the top of the Biden administration, along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, whose mother was born in India. Duckworth, who was a lieutenant colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard, has ancestors who have served in every major U.S. conflict since the Revolutionary War.
UN Ambassador
Buttigieg has also been one of the names circulating for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Serving in this post, which has been a cabinet-level job in some administrations, would serve several purposes for Buttigieg. It would allow him to practice the seven languages he says he speaks –Norwegian, Spanish, Italian, Maltese, Arabic, Dari and French — and would burnish his foreign policy credentials should the 38-year-old decide to run for the presidency again.
National Security Adviser
Blinken, who is also being considered for the State Department, has worked with Biden since he was in the Senate. He said recently that the next administration’s foreign policy would aim to reverse the U.S.’s withdrawal from global affairs under Trump. “We’d actually show up again, day-in, day-out,” he told Axios in October. Rice is also a possibility for this job, which doesn’t require Senate confirmation. But she may not want it, since she had the same job in the Obama administration.
Another strong candidate for a senior foreign policy position is Jake Sullivan, who served as Biden’s national security adviser when he was vice president and and was an adviser to Clinton when she was secretary of state.
Jake Sullivan
Colin Kahl, who also served as Biden’s national security adviser when he was vice president, has also been considered.
Agriculture Department
Former Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota is most frequently mentioned. She has led a Democratic rural outreach group, the One Country Project, and has been active as a surrogate for Biden in rural areas.
Heidi Heitkamp
Other candidates include Representative Cheri Bustos of Illinois, who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, a former chief of staff to Obama Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Krysta Harden, a former Obama deputy agriculture secretary who now works with Vilsack as chief operating officer at the Dairy Export Council, are also often mentioned.
Interior Department
Retiring Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico is the top contender to be secretary of Interior. His father, Stewart Udall, was Interior secretary from 1961 to 1969 and is credited with a major expansion in federal land protection, including the creation of dozens of wildlife refuges, national parks and recreation areas. Udall, who says conservation is in his DNA, has laid out plans to enlist federal lands in the fight against climate change and has driven efforts to block drilling near the sandstone mesas and ruins of northwest New Mexico’s Greater Chaco region. Representative Deb Haaland, another Democrat from New Mexico, and Representative Raul Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona who leads the House Natural Resources Committee, also have won praise from environmental groups and been recommended to head the Interior Department.
Chief of Staff
The leading candidate is Ron Klain, who was Biden’s vice presidential chief of staff and led the Obama administration’s economic recovery and Ebola crisis response. Those experiences would be particularly relevant, given that Biden would be tackling coronavirus and the resulting economic downturn upon taking office.
Ron Klain
Steve Ricchetti is also a former Biden vice-presidential chief of staff, and was chairman of Biden’s 2020 campaign. Also being mentioned is Zients, a co-chair of Biden’s transition team and a former director of the National Economic Council under Obama. Close associates such as Ted Kaufman, Biden’s longtime chief of staff in the Senate who led the transition team, and Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, could also play big roles in the inner circle.
Other candidates:
According to Politico, Meg Whitman is a likely frontrunner for the Commerce position, Ernest Moniz is seen as the most likely head of the Department of Energy.
What about Republicans?
According to Bloomberg, the close and bitter end to his fight with Trump will increase pressure on Biden to pick a Republican for his cabinet in a nod at bipartisanship, as Obama did with his first Defense secretary. Possible contenders include two Republicans who spoke at the Democratic convention: former Ohio Governor John Kasich and Meg Whitman, a tech executive who ran for California governor. He is also said to be considering the late Senator John McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain, for a role, along with Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, former Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona and former Representative Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania.
John Kasich
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southfront--2020-11-09--A Closer Look At Greek Air Force

A Closer Look At Greek Air Force

Written by Lieutenant-Colonel I. Malkin ; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review 2020 # 3 , translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront The Air Force is a branch of the Armed Forces of the Hellenic Republic .
The history of Greek aviation dates back to February 8 1912 , after the first flight of Emmanuel Argyropoulos .
Pilot training and the purchase of aircraft for the National Air Force were carried out from France .
In June 1912 , the Naval Aviation Service was created , and in September , a company of pilots was formed ( Larisa ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an independent branch of the Armed Forces .
During World War II , during the German invasion in 1941 , the Air Force was completely destroyed .
Several Greek squadrons formed later fought under British command .
In November 1950 , Greece participated in the United National Mission in South Korea , sending eight C-47 aircraft and 67 military personnel .
The loss of the Greek contingent was 12 officers and two aircraft .
ith the country ’ s accession to NATO , an extensive modernisation of the Air Force was carries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jet aircraft , the first of which were the American F-84 , F-86 and F-104 .
In 1974 during the Turkish invasion of the island of Cyprus , the Greek defence ministry carried out the largest operation of the national Air Force at that time to transfer special forces units .
Despite the dilapidation of the aircraft and unfavourable flight conditions , 12 or the 18 machines involved in Operation Niki landed at the Nicosia airfield .
Organisationally , the Air Force includes the main headquarters of the Air Force , three air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logistics support and maintenance , and training – as well as other units and division .
A supreme council has been established under the Commander of the Air Force , which serves as an advisory and consultative body .
It includes the Commander of the Air Force ( Chairman ) , the Commander of the TAK , and all senior officers with the rank of Major General at least .
The Supreme Council considers and makes recommendations on the operational use of aviation , combat training of units and division , appointment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discharge of officers to the reserve or retirement .
The tactical air command ( Larisa ) is an operational unit of the Greek Air Force that solves combat tasks both independently and in cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces .
It is responsible for the use of aviation , plans and controls the operational and combat training of lower-level headquarters and units , and manages their forces and means .
Units subordinate to the command are : • aviation wings ( AW ) : 110th ( 337th Squadron ) , 111th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 114th ( 331st and 332nd ) , 115th ( 340th and 343rd ) , 116th ( 335th and 336th ) , 117th ( 338th ) ; Aviation wings are considered the main combat unit .
They are not uniform in their composition , they have 2-4 aviation squadrons ( AS ) , which usually have different purposes ( fighter , bomber , mixed ) .
A significant place in the Greek Air Force is occupied by the joint aviation control centre , which is an integral part of the entire NATO air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitoring the country ’ s airspace and organising the reflection of air raids .
It closes the centres , control and warning posts , and long-range detection posts located on the continental part and large islands of the country .
The air command of logistics support and maintenance ( Eleusis ) is designed to provide airlift of troops and cargo in the interests of all types of armed forces operations , search and rescue , and logistical support units .
The organisational part of the command consists of two AW of the auxiliary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and institutions .
Units subordinate to the logistics support and maintenance command are : The 112 AW includes tactical transport aircraft ( C-27 , C-37 , C-130 aircraft ; AB-205 , AB-212 , AS-332 helicopters ) designed to transport troops and cargo by air within the South-Eastern part of the southern European region .
The aviation training command ( Dhekelia ) is responsible for the training of personnel of the Air Force .
It has two training aviation wings , a separate training aviation squadron , the Icarus Higher Military School , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 70-100 pilots graduate from educational institutions .
Initially , they were trained on T-2E aircraft .
Retraining for combat aircraft takes place directly in the aviation units .
Greek pilots are also trained in aviation training institutions in the United States and France .
An extensive network of air bases and airfields has been established in Greece to accommodate air units of national subordination and the joint NATO Air Force .
The construction was carried out in accordance with the general infrastructure development programme of the Alliance .
Most airfields meet its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are suitable for operation at any time of the year and day , and provide take-off and landing of aircraft in difficult weather conditions ) .
Many of them have special storage facilities for aviation ammunition , and the main airfields are connected by a fuel pipeline with a total length of 450 km .
The main air bases are located in the cities of Agrinio , Alexandroupoli , Andravida , Araxos , Athens , Heraklion , Kavala , Kastelli , Corfu , Kozani , Larissa , Nea Anchialos , Preveza , Thessaloniki @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eleusis .
At the same time , the Greek military aviation actively uses the infrastructure of civilian airports .
The combat training command ( CT ) is aimed at maintaining units of the country ’ s Air Force in constant combat readiness .
It is organised by the command in accordance with plans for the use of aviation in the interests of the state and taking into account NATO ’ s requirements .
During the CT exercises , competitions are held and flight skills are mastered .
In all national exercises , aircraft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performing tasks to gain and maintain air superiority , isolate the combat area , provide air support to ground forces and naval forces , and conduct aerial reconnaissance .
The Greek Air Force is equipped mainly with aircraft manufactured in the United States , France , Italy and Brazil .
In order to modernise the existing aircraft fleet , the management of the Greek Armed Forces plans the following in the medium term : work on extending the flight life of the F-16 C/D block of 50 fighters to 8 thousand hours , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons control system corresponding to the F-16 block 52+ level ; completion of the Falcon Star modernisation programme , which provides the extension of the service life of the F-16 C/D block of 30 fighters by improving jet engines and avionics to the F-16 block 52+ level ; completion of the modernisation of 19 Mirage-2000 aircraft to the Mirage-2000 5 level .
The development of the Greek Air Force is carried in accordance with the NATO Air Force development programme .
In general , they are able to work together with other branches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to solve their tasks .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Maritime Patrol Aircraft And Their Role In Modern Warfare • Poland ’ s Air Force In 2020 And Beyond

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Written by Lieutenant-Colonel I. Malkin; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review 2020 #3, translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront
The Air Force is a branch of the Armed Forces of the Hellenic Republic. The history of Greek aviation dates back to February 8 1912, after the first flight of Emmanuel Argyropoulos. Pilot training and the purchase of aircraft for the National Air Force were carried out from France.
In June 1912, the Naval Aviation Service was created, and in September, a company of pilots was formed (Larisa). In 1930, military aviation was separated into an independent branch of the Armed Forces.
During World War II, during the German invasion in 1941, the Air Force was completely destroyed. Several Greek squadrons formed later fought under British command.
In November 1950, Greece participated in the United National Mission in South Korea, sending eight C-47 aircraft and 67 military personnel. The loss of the Greek contingent was 12 officers and two aircraft.
ith the country’s accession to NATO, an extensive modernisation of the Air Force was carries out. Propeller-driven aircraft were replaced by jet aircraft, the first of which were the American F-84, F-86 and F-104.
In 1974 during the Turkish invasion of the island of Cyprus, the Greek defence ministry carried out the largest operation of the national Air Force at that time to transfer special forces units. Despite the dilapidation of the aircraft and unfavourable flight conditions, 12 or the 18 machines involved in Operation Niki landed at the Nicosia airfield.
Organisationally, the Air Force includes the main headquarters of the Air Force, three air commands – tactical (TAK), logistics support and maintenance, and training – as well as other units and division.
A supreme council has been established under the Commander of the Air Force, which serves as an advisory and consultative body. It includes the Commander of the Air Force (Chairman), the Commander of the TAK, and all senior officers with the rank of Major General at least. The Supreme Council considers and makes recommendations on the operational use of aviation, combat training of units and division, appointment of officers and brigadier generals to positions, discharge of officers to the reserve or retirement.
The tactical air command (Larisa) is an operational unit of the Greek Air Force that solves combat tasks both independently and in cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces. It is responsible for the use of aviation, plans and controls the operational and combat training of lower-level headquarters and units, and manages their forces and means. Units subordinate to the command are:
joint aviation control centre (1-3 ACC);
aviation wings (AW): 110 th (337 th Squadron), 111 th (330 th , 341 st and 347 th ): 114 th (331 st and 332 nd ), 115 th (340 th and 343 rd ), 116 th (335 th and 336 th ), 117 th (338 th );
(337 Squadron), 111 (330 , 341 and 347 ): 114 (331 and 332 ), 115 (340 and 343 ), 116 (335 and 336 ), 117 (338 ); 350th anti-aircraft missile division (21-26 SAM batteries).
Aviation wings are considered the main combat unit. They are not uniform in their composition, they have 2-4 aviation squadrons (AS), which usually have different purposes (fighter, bomber, mixed).
A significant place in the Greek Air Force is occupied by the joint aviation control centre, which is an integral part of the entire NATO air defence system. It is responsible for monitoring the country’s airspace and organising the reflection of air raids. It closes the centres, control and warning posts, and long-range detection posts located on the continental part and large islands of the country.
The air command of logistics support and maintenance (Eleusis) is designed to provide airlift of troops and cargo in the interests of all types of armed forces operations, search and rescue, and logistical support units. The organisational part of the command consists of two AW of the auxiliary Air Force, other parts, units and institutions.
Units subordinate to the logistics support and maintenance command are:
112 AW (352, 354-356, 358 and 384 Squadrons);
113 AW (383 th Squadron);
Squadron); 359 th separate squadron (Tatoi);
separate squadron (Tatoi); 31 st search and rescue squad (Eleusis);
search and rescue squad (Eleusis); 201 st and 204 th armament depots;
and 204 armament depots; factories (aviation, telecommunications and electronic equipment).
The 112 AW includes tactical transport aircraft (C-27, C-37, C-130 aircraft; AB-205, AB-212, AS-332 helicopters) designed to transport troops and cargo by air within the South-Eastern part of the southern European region.
The aviation training command (Dhekelia) is responsible for the training of personnel of the Air Force. It has two training aviation wings, a separate training aviation squadron, the Icarus Higher Military School, and the tactical aviation training centre.
Every year 70-100 pilots graduate from educational institutions. Initially, they were trained on T-2E aircraft. Retraining for combat aircraft takes place directly in the aviation units. Greek pilots are also trained in aviation training institutions in the United States and France.
An extensive network of air bases and airfields has been established in Greece to accommodate air units of national subordination and the joint NATO Air Force. The construction was carried out in accordance with the general infrastructure development programme of the Alliance. Most airfields meet its standards (they have modern equipment, are suitable for operation at any time of the year and day, and provide take-off and landing of aircraft in difficult weather conditions). Many of them have special storage facilities for aviation ammunition, and the main airfields are connected by a fuel pipeline with a total length of 450 km. The main air bases are located in the cities of Agrinio, Alexandroupoli, Andravida, Araxos, Athens, Heraklion, Kavala, Kastelli, Corfu, Kozani, Larissa, Nea Anchialos, Preveza, Thessaloniki, Souda, Tanagra, Timpaki, Eleusis. At the same time, the Greek military aviation actively uses the infrastructure of civilian airports.
The combat training command (CT) is aimed at maintaining units of the country’s Air Force in constant combat readiness. It is organised by the command in accordance with plans for the use of aviation in the interests of the state and taking into account NATO’s requirements. During the CT exercises, competitions are held and flight skills are mastered. In all national exercises, aircraft crews practiced methods of combat operations when performing tasks to gain and maintain air superiority, isolate the combat area, provide air support to ground forces and naval forces, and conduct aerial reconnaissance.
The Greek Air Force is equipped mainly with aircraft manufactured in the United States, France, Italy and Brazil.
In order to modernise the existing aircraft fleet, the management of the Greek Armed Forces plans the following in the medium term: work on extending the flight life of the F-16 C/D block of 50 fighters to 8 thousand hours, as well as installing a new onboard weapons control system corresponding to the F-16 block 52+ level; completion of the Falcon Star modernisation programme, which provides the extension of the service life of the F-16 C/D block of 30 fighters by improving jet engines and avionics to the F-16 block 52+ level; completion of the modernisation of 19 Mirage-2000 aircraft to the Mirage-2000 5 level.
The development of the Greek Air Force is carried in accordance with the NATO Air Force development programme. In general, they are able to work together with other branches of the country’s armed forces to solve their tasks.
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southfront--2020-11-09--Overview Of Azerbaijani Strikes On November 8, 2020 (Videos)

On November 8 , Azerbaijani combat drones and warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on Armenian forces in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh .
The airstrikes , which were likely carried out with Bayraktar TB2 combat drones and Su-25 close air support warplanes , hit four fortified positions of Armenian forces near the town of Martuni , known by its Azerbaijani name Khojavend .
The Azerbaijani military is apparently using Bayraktar TB2 drones to detect and designate ground targets for Su-25 warplanes .
Bayraktar TB2 drones are equipped with the Canadian Wescam CMX-15D optronic system that can illuminate ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The illuminated targeted can be , in theory , picked up by Klen-PS , a laser designator and range finder that is installed in the prow of Su-25 warplanes .
Using this tactic , Azerbaijani Su-25 can possibly deploy Soviet-made laser-guided missiles , like the Kh-25ML and the Kh-29L from a safe distance and with higher accuracy .
Precision-guided weapons have granted the Azerbaijani military the upper hand in Nagorno-Karabakh battlefield since the beginning of the war on September 27 .
Armenia claims that the Turkish Air Force is overseeing Azerbaijani aerial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THIS TOPIC : • Winter May Be Armenian Last Hope To Stop Azerbaijani Attack • Armenian Forces Shot Down Another Turkish-Made Bayraktar TB2 Combat Drone Over Nagorno-Karabakh

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On November 8, Azerbaijani combat drones and warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on Armenian forces in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The airstrikes, which were likely carried out with Bayraktar TB2 combat drones and Su-25 close air support warplanes, hit four fortified positions of Armenian forces near the town of Martuni, known by its Azerbaijani name Khojavend.
The Azerbaijani military is apparently using Bayraktar TB2 drones to detect and designate ground targets for Su-25 warplanes.
Bayraktar TB2 drones are equipped with the Canadian Wescam CMX-15D optronic system that can illuminate ground targets with laser from a long distance. The illuminated targeted can be, in theory, picked up by Klen-PS, a laser designator and range finder that is installed in the prow of Su-25 warplanes.
Using this tactic, Azerbaijani Su-25 can possibly deploy Soviet-made laser-guided missiles, like the Kh-25ML and the Kh-29L from a safe distance and with higher accuracy.
Precision-guided weapons have granted the Azerbaijani military the upper hand in Nagorno-Karabakh battlefield since the beginning of the war on September 27. Armenia claims that the Turkish Air Force is overseeing Azerbaijani aerial operations over the region.
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