southfront--2020-12-05--U.S. Congress Included Mandatory Sanctions On Turkey In 2021’s National Defense Authorization Act

On December 4th , the US Congress included mandatory sanctions on Turkey in the 2021 Defense Budget for its purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system .
The final version of the $ 740bn annual US defense spending legislation would oblige the White House to select from a list of sanctions over the S-400s , which Washington says are incompatible with NATO operations .
US President Donald Trump who is in his last few weeks in office , vowed to veto the 4,517-page National Defense Authorization Act , or NDAA , over separate provisions .
He will still need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this would be the first veto of the sort in 6 decades .
The bill also includes authorization for the US military to use the six F-35 aircraft that had been accepted by Turkey before the country was expelled from the F-35 programme over the S-400 purchase .
The sanctions aren ’ t final or imposed at all , but the threat itself sent Turkish lira tumbling down .
Ankara , however , has cause for worry since President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be tougher on Turkey than Trump .
The defence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ( CAATSA ) , which are designed in part to deter cooperation with Russia .
The US president would select from a list of mild to harsh possible sanctions .
Senate foreign relations committee ranking member Bob Menendez was among lawmakers praising the move .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used his final NATO meeting this week to sharply criticise Turkey , saying its purchase of the Russian weapons system was “ a gift ” to Moscow , five diplomats and officials told Reuters .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it risked sanctions under CAATSA if the S-400 system were activated .
Trump , however , has held back on implementing the sanctions amid hopes Erdogan will not go ahead with activating the missiles .
Just days prior to December 4th , prior to this vote , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey wouldn ’ t be sanctioned over the S-400 .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , in October , challenged the U.S. to impose sanctions over its involvement in the now-quiet conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh .
MORE ON THE TOPIC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Iran To Deminstrate Restraint Amid Assassination Of Nuclear Scientist Near Tehran

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On December 4th, the US Congress included mandatory sanctions on Turkey in the 2021 Defense Budget for its purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system.
The final version of the $740bn annual US defense spending legislation would oblige the White House to select from a list of sanctions over the S-400s, which Washington says are incompatible with NATO operations.
US President Donald Trump who is in his last few weeks in office, vowed to veto the 4,517-page National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, over separate provisions.
He will still need support from Congress, as well as this would be the first veto of the sort in 6 decades.
The bill also includes authorization for the US military to use the six F-35 aircraft that had been accepted by Turkey before the country was expelled from the F-35 programme over the S-400 purchase.
The sanctions aren’t final or imposed at all, but the threat itself sent Turkish lira tumbling down.
Ankara, however, has cause for worry since President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be tougher on Turkey than Trump.
The defence bill includes sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which are designed in part to deter cooperation with Russia.
The US president would select from a list of mild to harsh possible sanctions.
Senate foreign relations committee ranking member Bob Menendez was among lawmakers praising the move.
“Incredibly proud to have helped secure inclusion of a provision in the NDAA to do what President Trump refused to do: Officially determine on behalf of the U.S. [government] that #Turkey took delivery of Russian S-400 defence systems and therefore will be sanctioned under existing law,” the Democrat said in a tweet.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used his final NATO meeting this week to sharply criticise Turkey, saying its purchase of the Russian weapons system was “a gift” to Moscow, five diplomats and officials told Reuters.
For months, the U.S. warned Ankara that it risked sanctions under CAATSA if the S-400 system were activated. Trump, however, has held back on implementing the sanctions amid hopes Erdogan will not go ahead with activating the missiles.
Just days prior to December 4th, prior to this vote, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey wouldn’t be sanctioned over the S-400.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in October, challenged the U.S. to impose sanctions over its involvement in the now-quiet conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We stepped in for the F-35, you threatened us,” Erdogan told a televised ruling party congress in the eastern city of Malatya. “You said, ‘Send the S-400s back to Russia.’ We are not a tribal state. We are Turkey.”
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southfront--2020-12-05--Nikol “The Basement” Pashinyan Continues Blaming Everybody But Himself, Azerbaijan Establishes “Patr

Nikol “The Basement” Pashinyan Continues Blaming Everybody But Himself, Azerbaijan Establishes “Patriotic War Memorial Complex”

In order to celebrate the victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh War , on December 3rd , Azerbaijan ’ s President Ilham Aliyev has signed an Order on the establishment of the Patriotic War Memorial Complex and the Victory Museum in the city of Baku .
Under the presidential Order , the Patriotic War Memorial Complex and the Victory Museum will be designed to demonstrate the unprecedented heroism and glorious historic victory of the Azerbaijani people in the Patriotic War and to perpetuate the memory of Azerbaijani martyrs .
Azerbaijan ’ s Ministry of Defense also released a video showing the Yanshag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armenia , protests against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are continuing .
He issued another statement , this time saying that the idea was for power to “ remain with the people ” and that would be achieved by him not resigning and hold onto power , somehow .
Furthermore , in his statement he described the following : “ We are accused of not being able to avoid war .
Were you avoiding 2016 ?
You could not avoid it , you could stop the war based on the verbal promise to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a video message , since he is still largely in hiding .
“ And we did not succeed in the same , as we were told that Armenia had promised to return the territories several times before , but did not return , now it can only be in writing and only by mentioning the time .
It was possible to stop the war only by signing a document like on November 9 , before or at the beginning of the war , he said .
“ On the very first day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribune of the National Assembly that I could stop the war right now and at what cost , why didn ’ t you make statements at that time that the war should be stopped ?
It turns out that everyone was in favor of handing over the lands with the 5 + 2 formula … Why didn ’ t you hand it over in 2016 , 2017 ?
Why didn ’ t you hand over and prevent the war then ?
” , Pashinyan said .
Some people think that Azerbaijan would accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happily , but , according to Pashinyan , it still had to be discussed .
“ At the moment when Armenia agreed to some option , Azerbaijan would want more – Shushi , Lachin , etc .
And I am amazed at some who , considering themselves great diplomats , do not understand these simple things ” , said the Prime Minister .
“ We are accused of Turkey ’ s involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict .
Turkey got involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a result of football diplomacy , when after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not establish relations with Armenia as long as the territories of Azerbaijan are occupied .
This happened 10 years ago ” , said Nikol Pashinyan .
As expected , his excuses are endless , and this is all a fault of every possible side , but his own .
“ The war was lost , among other things , due to the fact that the overwhelming part of the elite , which is now politically active , over the past 20 years has done nothing but personal enrichment , ” Pashinyan said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pashinyan denied that on the third day of the war , he stopped the mobilization .
“ We have searched and continue to search for this solution , but we can ’ t find it .
This is the time , you can tell any lie and go further , ” Pashinyan said .
Meanwhile , the Armenian president is of the opinion that Pashinyan should resign and that elections should be held .
President Armen Sarkissian , previously little more than a figurehead , has in the weeks after the war with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key political player .
He has distanced himself from the controversial ceasefire agreement , called on the government to resign , and made a “ private ” visit to Moscow .
On November 16 , in an unprecedented address to the nation , Sarkissian formally called for the government to resign and for a national unity government to rule until new elections could be held .
He called it “ the only responsible approach ” to the crisis .
Sarkissian ’ s proposal spoke to a concern among many Armenians that the fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the need to address the deep crisis in which Armenia has found itself following the war .
It is also quite likely that if he wasn ’ t the President of the country , and if he didn ’ t have immunity , he would be arrested , similarly to how various opposition figures are also being arrested in Armenia for protesting against Pashinyan ’ s government .
Separately , the UK-based The Syrian Observatory for human rights ( SOHR ) found out that the Azerbaijani authorities categorically refused to allow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This possibility was stated by the human rights organization Afrin-Syria : allegedly , Bedouin families from the provinces of Aleppo , who will be able to confirm their Turkic roots , are being prepared to move to the territory of Karabakh .
According to estimates from SOHR , more than 2.5 thousand mercenaries were transferred from Syria to Karabakh .
More than 800 militants may still remain in Karabakh .
During the Karabakh war , at least 541 Syrian mercenaries who fought on the side of Azerbaijan were killed .
Such information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the activities of Pro-Turkish militants throughout the Middle East .
Moreover , more militants were killed in Karabakh than in Libya , where SOHR estimates that 468 mercenaries from Syria and Tunisia have been killed since January .
While in Libya , mercenaries receive a monthly salary in the region of $ 2,000 , in Karabakh , the fee ranged from $ 1,000 to $ 3,500 .
The larger number of payments is probably due to the greater intensity of the fighting in Karabakh .
On December 3 , Russian Foreign Minister Sergey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen Biegun and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian demanded that all foreign mercenaries be immediately withdrawn from Karabakh .
Finally , the UN Secretary-General urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to resume negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE ’ s Minsk Group Co-Chairs to reach a lasting peaceful settlement .
He encourages the Governments and the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan to embark on a path of dialogue to foster regional peace , stability , and prosperity , Stephane Dujarric , Spokesman for the Secretary-General said .
The Russian peacekeepers are continuing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility , clearing out mines , making it possible for students to return to school , and providing medical assistance to the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh .
MORE ON THE TOPIC :

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In order to celebrate the victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh War, on December 3rd, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has signed an Order on the establishment of the Patriotic War Memorial Complex and the Victory Museum in the city of Baku.
Under the presidential Order, the Patriotic War Memorial Complex and the Victory Museum will be designed to demonstrate the unprecedented heroism and glorious historic victory of the Azerbaijani people in the Patriotic War and to perpetuate the memory of Azerbaijani martyrs.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense also released a video showing the Yanshag village in the Kalbajar region.
In Armenia, protests against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are continuing. He issued another statement, this time saying that the idea was for power to “remain with the people” and that would be achieved by him not resigning and hold onto power, somehow.
“The goal of our activity is not to keep us in power, but to keep the people in power. The 2018 election was the only one where no political force contested the result. But certain forces are now doing everything to ensure that those elections remain the only honest expression of the will of our people. We won’t allow it,” Pashinyan said.
Furthermore, in his statement he described the following:
“We are accused of not being able to avoid war. Were you avoiding 2016? You could not avoid it, you could stop the war based on the verbal promise to return the territories”, Pashinyan said in a video message, since he is still largely in hiding. “And we did not succeed in the same, as we were told that Armenia had promised to return the territories several times before, but did not return, now it can only be in writing and only by mentioning the time. It was possible to stop the war only by signing a document like on November 9, before or at the beginning of the war, he said. “On the very first day of the war, I said from the tribune of the National Assembly that I could stop the war right now and at what cost, why didn’t you make statements at that time that the war should be stopped? It turns out that everyone was in favor of handing over the lands with the 5 + 2 formula … Why didn’t you hand it over in 2016, 2017? Why didn’t you hand over and prevent the war then?”, Pashinyan said. Some people think that Azerbaijan would accept the 5 + 2 resolution easily and happily, but, according to Pashinyan, it still had to be discussed. “At the moment when Armenia agreed to some option, Azerbaijan would want more – Shushi, Lachin, etc. And I am amazed at some who, considering themselves great diplomats, do not understand these simple things”, said the Prime Minister. “We are accused of Turkey’s involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkey got involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a result of football diplomacy, when after the failed diplomacy it announced that it would not establish relations with Armenia as long as the territories of Azerbaijan are occupied. This happened 10 years ago”, said Nikol Pashinyan. As expected, his excuses are endless, and this is all a fault of every possible side, but his own. “The war was lost, among other things, due to the fact that the overwhelming part of the elite, which is now politically active, over the past 20 years has done nothing but personal enrichment,” Pashinyan said in his message to the people. Pashinyan denied that on the third day of the war, he stopped the mobilization. “We have searched and continue to search for this solution, but we can’t find it. This is the time, you can tell any lie and go further, ” Pashinyan said.
Meanwhile, the Armenian president is of the opinion that Pashinyan should resign and that elections should be held.
President Armen Sarkissian, previously little more than a figurehead, has in the weeks after the war with Azerbaijan tried to position himself as a key political player. He has distanced himself from the controversial ceasefire agreement, called on the government to resign, and made a “private” visit to Moscow.
“In any country where a tragedy like this [the defeat in the war] happens, there is a solution: the government that is responsible has to resign,” he told members of Russia’s Armenian diaspora on November 28 during his Moscow visit. “If a politician is strong enough he can come back later. The last elections took place two and a half years ago. Now we are living in a different country.”
On November 16, in an unprecedented address to the nation, Sarkissian formally called for the government to resign and for a national unity government to rule until new elections could be held. He called it “the only responsible approach” to the crisis.
Sarkissian’s proposal spoke to a concern among many Armenians that the fighting between Pashinyan and the opposition has distracted from the need to address the deep crisis in which Armenia has found itself following the war.
“There is not a single force that can handle this crisis alone,” he elaborated in a later interview. “It is essential to us that the government that works is not busy every day responding to its opponents, organizing counter-protests, responding to fake news or fakes, but is busy rebuilding the country and overcoming the crisis from morning to night.”
It is also quite likely that if he wasn’t the President of the country, and if he didn’t have immunity, he would be arrested, similarly to how various opposition figures are also being arrested in Armenia for protesting against Pashinyan’s government.
Separately, the UK-based The Syrian Observatory for human rights (SOHR) found out that the Azerbaijani authorities categorically refused to allow the settlement of Syrians in the Karabakh lands.
This possibility was stated by the human rights organization Afrin-Syria: allegedly, Bedouin families from the provinces of Aleppo, who will be able to confirm their Turkic roots, are being prepared to move to the territory of Karabakh.
According to estimates from SOHR, more than 2.5 thousand mercenaries were transferred from Syria to Karabakh. More than 800 militants may still remain in Karabakh.
During the Karabakh war, at least 541 Syrian mercenaries who fought on the side of Azerbaijan were killed. Such information is provided by SOHR, which tracks the activities of Pro-Turkish militants throughout the Middle East.
Moreover, more militants were killed in Karabakh than in Libya, where SOHR estimates that 468 mercenaries from Syria and Tunisia have been killed since January.
While in Libya, mercenaries receive a monthly salary in the region of $2,000, in Karabakh, the fee ranged from $1,000 to $3,500. The larger number of payments is probably due to the greater intensity of the fighting in Karabakh.
On December 3, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian demanded that all foreign mercenaries be immediately withdrawn from Karabakh.
Finally, the UN Secretary-General urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to resume negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE’s Minsk Group Co-Chairs to reach a lasting peaceful settlement.
He encourages the Governments and the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan to embark on a path of dialogue to foster regional peace, stability, and prosperity, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General said.
The Russian peacekeepers are continuing their activities in securing their respective zones of responsibility, clearing out mines, making it possible for students to return to school, and providing medical assistance to the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-12-05--Imperfect Releases: Andrew Hastie, War Crimes Reports and Australia in Afghanistan

If one were to get into the head of Australian government MP Andrew Hastie , a security tangle of woe would no doubt await .
Having been a captain with the Special Air Services and having also served in Afghanistan , he has been none too thrilled by the publicity soldiers he served with have received .
The report by New South Wales Court of Appeal Justice Paul Brereton has now been mandatory reading ( or skimming ) for political and military watchers .
Known rather dully as the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry Report , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were inflicted on non-combatants by Australian special service units when operating in Afghanistan .
Of interest is where the report goes from here .
A fair guess is that it will not venture too far into waters of reform .
Hastie , for one , would have preferred it never to have been published , or at least not released in the “ imperfect ” way it was .
He takes particular issue with the connected work of consultant Samantha Crompvoets , a sociologist commissioned by the Special Operations Commander of Australia ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review ” of the Special Operations Command in mid-2015 .
In many ways , the work of Crompvoets , which is drawn upon and referenced heavily by the Brereton Inquiry itself , is more significant .
It is less tightly hemmed by qualifications and speaks to the broader tactics and methods of Australia ’ s Special Forces .
In her January 2016 report , she refers to body count competitions and the use of the Joint Priority Effects List ( JPEL ) .
Euphemised for battle , the JPEL effectively constituted a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were massaged .
She notes methods of war common to counter-insurgency operations during the Cold War .
From Algeria to Vietnam , those who often came off second best were villagers for the butchering .
Slaughtered villagers were often designated “ squirters ” when fleeing the arrival of Special Forces via helicopter .
Excuses were concocted for the generous bloodletting : the squirters “ were running away from us to their weapons caches ” .
Clearance operations would also be used after the initial massacre .
The village would be cordoned off ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They would be bound up .
Torture would ensue for days .
These men and boys would then be found dead , shot in the head or have their throats slit .
In one instance , Crompvoets notes soldiers of the SASR driving along a road and sighting two 14-year-old boys .
The soldiers quickly concluded they had come across Taliban sympathisers .
The boys were stopped and seized .
Their throats were slit .
Their bodies were bagged and discarded in a river .
Such occurrences were not infrequent ; Special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a means of bonding , to “ get a name for themselves ” .
The death of the two Afghan boys has now become the stuff of diplomatic provocation .
On November 30 , Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted a mocked up image of an Australian soldier ready to apply a blood soaked knife to the throat of an Afghan boy , holding a lamb .
“ Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers .
We strongly condemn such acts & call for holding them accountable.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Scott Morrison , who took issue with its repugnance .
But for Hastie , it went further .
Australia , he claimed in his speech to fellow parliamentarians on December 3 , had let its guard slip .
His springboard was an opinion piece by Alan Jones , that most opinionated of broadcasters , less focused on the tweeted image than the prime minister ’ s reaction to it .
“ When will you , ” bellowed Jones , “ apologise for your language and that of your Generals that condemned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best of the best , to the charge of criminal behaviour from a report you haven ’ t read and before any of them have access to the full weight of the law ?
’ For Jones , innocence had been impugned by Australia ’ s political and military leaders .
China has simply furnished the Morrison government with suitable headlines of distraction , to “ have them off the hook ” even as Australia ’ s soldiers were being defamed .
Hastie ’ s speech advanced a few points .
He spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing .
He then embraced a tactic of minimisation : the alleged atrocities were localised , select .
Australia was “ seeking to be honest and accountable for alleged wrongdoing by a small number of individuals entrusted to wear our flag.
” He also attacked the work of Crompvoets and the author herself .
He grounds of contention were various : the appearance of the author on four days prior to the release of the Brereton Report ; the leak of her report two weeks prior to the publication of the Inquiry ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unredacted Crompvoets report alongside the redacted Brereton Report .
“ The Crompvoets report detailed unproven rumours of Australian soldiers murdering Afghan children .
It may have prompted the Brereton Report , but its evidentiary threshold was far lower .
The Brereton report neither rules these rumours in or out .
So why are they out in the open for our adversaries to use against us ?
” Doing so had “ undermined public confidence in the process and allowed the People ’ s Republic of China to malign our troops.
” Hastie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : containment .
Despite professing a belief in the rule of law and transparency , the overwhelming sense from the politician who chairs the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security is that the Inquiry should have been kept indoors .
Such bloodied laundry should never have been aired .
That , at the very least , would have avoided public discussions about the egregious methods of Australia ’ s elite warriors , and the decisions behind deploying them in the first place .
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RMIT University , Melbourne .
Email : bkampmark @ gmail.com MORE ON THE TOPIC : • U.S .
Claimed To Keep Major Bases In Afghanistan Amid Breakthrough In Government , Taliban Peace Talks

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Submitted by Dr. Binoy Kampmark
If one were to get into the head of Australian government MP Andrew Hastie, a security tangle of woe would no doubt await. Having been a captain with the Special Air Services and having also served in Afghanistan, he has been none too thrilled by the publicity soldiers he served with have received. The report by New South Wales Court of Appeal Justice Paul Brereton has now been mandatory reading (or skimming) for political and military watchers. Known rather dully as the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry Report, it makes the claim that 39 alleged murders were inflicted on non-combatants by Australian special service units when operating in Afghanistan.
Of interest is where the report goes from here. A fair guess is that it will not venture too far into waters of reform. Hastie, for one, would have preferred it never to have been published, or at least not released in the “imperfect” way it was. He takes particular issue with the connected work of consultant Samantha Crompvoets, a sociologist commissioned by the Special Operations Commander of Australia (SOCAUST) to conduct a “cultural review” of the Special Operations Command in mid-2015.
In many ways, the work of Crompvoets, which is drawn upon and referenced heavily by the Brereton Inquiry itself, is more significant. It is less tightly hemmed by qualifications and speaks to the broader tactics and methods of Australia’s Special Forces. In her January 2016 report, she refers to body count competitions and the use of the Joint Priority Effects List (JPEL). Euphemised for battle, the JPEL effectively constituted a “sanctioned kill list” with numbers that were massaged.
She notes methods of war common to counter-insurgency operations during the Cold War. From Algeria to Vietnam, those who often came off second best were villagers for the butchering. Slaughtered villagers were often designated “squirters” when fleeing the arrival of Special Forces via helicopter. Excuses were concocted for the generous bloodletting: the squirters “were running away from us to their weapons caches”.
Clearance operations would also be used after the initial massacre. The village would be cordoned off; the men and boys taken to guesthouses. They would be bound up. Torture would ensue for days. These men and boys would then be found dead, shot in the head or have their throats slit.
In one instance, Crompvoets notes soldiers of the SASR driving along a road and sighting two 14-year-old boys. The soldiers quickly concluded they had come across Taliban sympathisers. The boys were stopped and seized. Their throats were slit. Their bodies were bagged and discarded in a river. Such occurrences were not infrequent; Special Force soldiers would commit such unsanctioned killings as a means of bonding, to “get a name for themselves”.
The death of the two Afghan boys has now become the stuff of diplomatic provocation. On November 30, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted a mocked up image of an Australian soldier ready to apply a blood soaked knife to the throat of an Afghan boy, holding a lamb. “Shocked by murder of Afghan civilians & prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts & call for holding them accountable.”
This was too much for Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who took issue with its repugnance. But for Hastie, it went further. Australia, he claimed in his speech to fellow parliamentarians on December 3, had let its guard slip. His springboard was an opinion piece by Alan Jones, that most opinionated of broadcasters, less focused on the tweeted image than the prime minister’s reaction to it. “When will you,” bellowed Jones, “apologise for your language and that of your Generals that condemned all our men in Afghanistan, the best of the best, to the charge of criminal behaviour from a report you haven’t read and before any of them have access to the full weight of the law?’
For Jones, innocence had been impugned by Australia’s political and military leaders. China has simply furnished the Morrison government with suitable headlines of distraction, to “have them off the hook” even as Australia’s soldiers were being defamed.
Hastie’s speech advanced a few points. He spoke approvingly of Morrison’s response to Beijing. He then embraced a tactic of minimisation: the alleged atrocities were localised, select. Australia was “seeking to be honest and accountable for alleged wrongdoing by a small number of individuals entrusted to wear our flag.” He also attacked the work of Crompvoets and the author herself. He grounds of contention were various: the appearance of the author on 60 Minutes four days prior to the release of the Brereton Report; the leak of her report two weeks prior to the publication of the Inquiry’s findings; the decision to release the unredacted Crompvoets report alongside the redacted Brereton Report.
“The Crompvoets report detailed unproven rumours of Australian soldiers murdering Afghan children. It may have prompted the Brereton Report, but its evidentiary threshold was far lower. The Brereton report neither rules these rumours in or out. So why are they out in the open for our adversaries to use against us?” Doing so had “undermined public confidence in the process and allowed the People’s Republic of China to malign our troops.”
Hastie’s speech has a throbbing subtext: containment. Despite professing a belief in the rule of law and transparency, the overwhelming sense from the politician who chairs the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security is that the Inquiry should have been kept indoors. Such bloodied laundry should never have been aired. That, at the very least, would have avoided public discussions about the egregious methods of Australia’s elite warriors, and the decisions behind deploying them in the first place.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com
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southfront--2020-12-05--Iran Showcases Almost Exact Copy Of US-Made AGM-41 Hellfire Missile

Iran has apparently managed to somehow , almost entirely , copy the infamous US-made anti-tank guided missile – the AGM-41 Hellfire .
The ATGM is the standard armament of the AH-64 Apache , AH-1Z Viper , OH-58 Kiowa helicopters , as well as the MQ-1 Predator , MQ-9 Reaper attack drones .
The created clone , designated Ghaem-114 , is currently on display at an exhibition of achievements and promising developments for the naval forces in Tehran .
As noted by military expert Yuri Lyamin , the existence of such weapons became known in February 2020 , when missiles were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the modernized Bell-214A helicopters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps .
But then they were shown from afar , and now they can already be seen in close-up .
Given that the US has been actively using the Hellfire for years in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan , it probably didn ’ t take much for the Iranians to get hold of them .
Judging by the photo , the four missiles shown have different guidance heads : thermal imaging , television , semi-active laser and , as it is assumed , active radar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recreate the fourth option , which is capable of acting on the “ fire-and-forget ” principle , then this can be considered a great achievement of the Islamic Republic ’ s military industry .
On December 4th , additional reports surfaced that Iran had , in fact , got under its possession a US-made AGM-41 Hellfire .
Where and how such trophies were obtained is not specified .
Nevertheless , it is noted that as a result of the study of American ammunition and their copying , an Iranian missile appeared , now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The copied American missile has practically the same shape and size , but according to available data , Tehran was able to successfully modify the functionality of the shells to suit its needs .
It remains only to speculate how Iran was able to obtain the Hellfire missile .
It is possible that the American drone was shot down in the skies over Syria , although there is information that the missile was transferred from the territory of Yemen , where the Houthi rebels with the help of Iranian weapons were able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Air Force .
These missiles were attached to some of the devices .
This is not the first time that American technology has been reverse engineered .
The Iranians are known to have successfully copied the M47 Dragon and BGM-71 TOW .
The latter are produced in various modifications , including those with tandem cumulative warheads .
These ATGMs have been used in Syria , Iraq , Lebanon and Yemen .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Iran Approved Bill To Intensify Nuclear Activities , Identified Those Behind Fakhrizadeh ’ s Assassination

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Iran has apparently managed to somehow, almost entirely, copy the infamous US-made anti-tank guided missile – the AGM-41 Hellfire.
Couple photos of Iranian Ghaem 114 air-to-ground guided missile. pic.twitter.com/7fO0mDmfUg — Yuri Lyamin (@imp_navigator) December 1, 2020
The ATGM is the standard armament of the AH-64 Apache, AH-1Z Viper, OH-58 Kiowa helicopters, as well as the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper attack drones.
The created clone, designated Ghaem-114, is currently on display at an exhibition of achievements and promising developments for the naval forces in Tehran.
As noted by military expert Yuri Lyamin, the existence of such weapons became known in February 2020, when missiles were noticed in the photographs of one of the modernized Bell-214A helicopters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. But then they were shown from afar, and now they can already be seen in close-up.
Given that the US has been actively using the Hellfire for years in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan, it probably didn’t take much for the Iranians to get hold of them.
Judging by the photo, the four missiles shown have different guidance heads: thermal imaging, television, semi-active laser and, as it is assumed, active radar.
If Iran has indeed managed to recreate the fourth option, which is capable of acting on the “fire-and-forget” principle, then this can be considered a great achievement of the Islamic Republic’s military industry.
On December 4th, additional reports surfaced that Iran had, in fact, got under its possession a US-made AGM-41 Hellfire.
Where and how such trophies were obtained is not specified. Nevertheless, it is noted that as a result of the study of American ammunition and their copying, an Iranian missile appeared, now being produced under the designation Ghaem-114.
The copied American missile has practically the same shape and size, but according to available data, Tehran was able to successfully modify the functionality of the shells to suit its needs.
It remains only to speculate how Iran was able to obtain the Hellfire missile. It is possible that the American drone was shot down in the skies over Syria, although there is information that the missile was transferred from the territory of Yemen, where the Houthi rebels with the help of Iranian weapons were able to shoot down several UAVs of the American Air Force. These missiles were attached to some of the devices.
This is not the first time that American technology has been reverse engineered. The Iranians are known to have successfully copied the M47 Dragon and BGM-71 TOW. The latter are produced in various modifications, including those with tandem cumulative warheads. These ATGMs have been used in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
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southfront--2020-12-05--Hezbollah Releases Drone Footage Of Israeli Bases In Upper Galilee

On December 4 , the Lebanese al-Manar TV aired footage of Israeli bases in Upper Galilee , which were filmed by a Hezbollah drone .
The footage was showed as a part of the series dubbed “ the Secrets of the Second Liberation.
” The series documents Hezbollah ’ s support for the Syrian government and the movement ’ s battles against terrorist groups in the region .
A base of the Israel Defense Forces ( IDF ) in Brannite and a command center in Rowaysat al-Alam can be seen in the footage , which were apparently taken by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hezbollah Air Force filmed it on the second day of the IDF ’ s “ Lethal Arrow ” large-scale drills , which were held in northern Israel .
The Hezbollah Air Force operates a variety of drones , some with combat capabilities .
Reports say that the Lebanese movement established its air force with a direct support from Iran .
On December 4 of 2014 , Hassan al-Laqqis , the mastermind behind Hezbollah ’ s drone program , was assassinated in Beirut ’ s Southern Suburb .
The al-Qaeda-affiliated Free Sunnis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nevertheless , Hezbollah said that Saudi Arabia and Israel may have been involved in the assassination .
Despite the permanent threat from Israel and the general pressure from the US-led bloc , Hezbollah continues to develop its offensive capabilities .
Today , the Lebanese movement is better trained and equipped than many armies around the world .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Israel Fears That Dimona Nuclear Reactor And Its Staff May Be Target Of Iranian Retaliation Strike

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On December 4, the Lebanese al-Manar TV aired footage of Israeli bases in Upper Galilee, which were filmed by a Hezbollah drone.
The footage was showed as a part of the series dubbed “the Secrets of the Second Liberation.” The series documents Hezbollah’s support for the Syrian government and the movement’s battles against terrorist groups in the region.
A base of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Brannite and a command center in Rowaysat al-Alam can be seen in the footage, which were apparently taken by a small drone.
According to al-Manar, the Hezbollah Air Force filmed it on the second day of the IDF’s “Lethal Arrow” large-scale drills, which were held in northern Israel. The Hezbollah Air Force operates a variety of drones, some with combat capabilities. Reports say that the Lebanese movement established its air force with a direct support from Iran.
On December 4 of 2014, Hassan al-Laqqis, the mastermind behind Hezbollah’s drone program, was assassinated in Beirut’s Southern Suburb. The al-Qaeda-affiliated Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack. Nevertheless, Hezbollah said that Saudi Arabia and Israel may have been involved in the assassination.
Despite the permanent threat from Israel and the general pressure from the US-led bloc, Hezbollah continues to develop its offensive capabilities. Today, the Lebanese movement is better trained and equipped than many armies around the world.
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southfront--2020-12-05--Dozens Of ISIS Militants Raided Town In Philippines (Video)

A few dozens of ISIS-linked militants attacked a town in Maguindanao province of in the Philippines on December 3 night @ @ @ @ @ about 50 heavily armed members of the ISIS-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Forces ( BIFF ) @ @ @ @ @ Piang town , formerly called Dulawan .
“ Dulawan , Datu Piang is now like @ @ @ @ @ the town center , ” Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan , a senior executive at the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ posted on social media at 10:34pm on December 3 .
Militants atacked an army company @ @ @ @ @ the town ’ s police force , but the attack was repelled until back-up forces @ @ @ @ @ to withdraw from the town .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • US May Launch @ @ @ @ @ In Philippines

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A few dozens of ISIS-linked militants attacked a town in Maguindanao province of in the Philippines on December 3 night.
According to reports, about 50 heavily armed members of the ISIS-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Forces (BIFF) captured the center of Datu Piang town, formerly called Dulawan.
“Dulawan, Datu Piang is now like Marawi. ISIS-inspired BIFF attacked the town center,” Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan, a senior executive at the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture, posted on social media at 10:34pm on December 3.
Militants atacked an army company stationed in the municipality and the town’s police force, but the attack was repelled until back-up forces arrived. This prompted militants to withdraw from the town.
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southfront--2020-12-05--How It Really Happened In Syria: A PMC Overly-Dramatic Retelling With Bonus ISIS Hunting Stories

On December 2nd , the outlet Meduza published an interview with a Russia-linked private military contractor , who allegedly took part in the Russian campaign in Syria .
The person in question is an individual named Marat Gabidullin , who , according to Meduza , was a member of the mythical Wagner PMC .
He even wrote a book about it .
Gabidullin talks about the experiences behind his memoir , how he came to the decision to go public about authoring the book , and why he hopes the publication will bring the Wagner PMC ’ s alleged owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also known as “ Putin ’ s Chef ” — “ to his senses.
” The interview , and Gabidullin ’ s entire book is a nice preview of the current narratives in mainstream media regarding “ Wagner ” , Russia-linked PMCs , and the greatness of US soldiers and Apache helicopters that are impossible to defeat , and more .
According to his story , he spent 5 years in Russia ’ s Airborne Forces , and then he allegedly became a PMC in 2015 .
He reportedly signed a contract with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to billionaire oligarch Evgeny Prigozhin , which is allegedly under contract with the Syrian government to liberate and protect oil fields in Syria .
It is interesting , however , that Evro Polis was formed in the summer of 2016 , but he somehow signed a contract with it in 2015 .
“ Evro Polis OOO is a company based in Russia , with its head office in Krasnogorsk .
It operates in the Coal Mining industry .
The company was established on July 13 , 2016 , ” as the website EMIS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatic .
Meduza ’ s article is filled with claims about Wagner , about Prigozhin and more .
Notably , in the entire interview Gabidullin doesn ’ t mention the word Wagner , not even once .
He doesn ’ t mention it in the English version , nor in the much longer Russian version of the interview .
According to the interview , it even turned out that Prigozhin himself read a part of his book , and asked for the entire thing .
He even gave him ideas for his creative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the book for quite some time : “ Back in 2017 , when I was working as his assistant , he familiarized himself with the draft .
At first I gave him a piece about Palmyra — he read it and asked for the entire book : ‘ Everything you wrote , give it here ’ .
” I just wanted him to read it .
[ This ] proceeded from the fact that there was a lot of happening in Syria that he didn ’ t really know about .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on [ to the PMC ] and were actually stealing money from Prigozhin — only he never wanted to admit it .
Somehow he had this wild conviction that he was doing well .
Although our logistics services bought knee pads for working in the garden instead of tactical ones .
These were honestly pillows for roaming vegetable patches — you [ can ’ t ] fall on rocks in these , but according to the documents they were the real deal .
Explicit theft !
” And Prigozhin , who is allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evil overlord Vladimir Putin ” actually wanted “ the truth to come out ” – the truth for his alleged clandestine PMC which he vehemently and continuously denies is even remotely related to .
Below are some quotes from the book : In Libya , according to Gabidullin , Russia-linked PMCs lost quite a bit of fighters .
Meduza says Wagner lost members , but the interviewee himself never mentions that name .
According to the interview , the PMC leader allegedly stopped being a “ commander ” and began being a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions asked about the contractors that were allegedly sent to Libya : Then he alleged that PMCs were doing the brunt of the fighting in Syria , not the Russian military .
In his interview then he partakes in some more insults regarding the Russian armed forces : In 2019 , Gabidullin allegedly was in Khmeimim Airbase and was responsible for taking care of the bodies of contractors who have died in the fights , according to his story .
He then , couldn ’ t really say anything but tell the Riga-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kremlin , since this was the legacy of the previous , Soviet regime .
Gabidullin said that it ’ s “ our only legacy passed on from one regime to another : hiding the truth from ourselves.
” The Russian version of the interview has some more interesting claims that were not translated into the English one .
Notably , he insulted Suheil Hassan , the commander of the Tiger Forces .
According to Gabidullin , Hassan was “ a parasite ” who was simply being protected by Russia ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his story , the Tiger Forces , one of the most adequate Syrian factions in the fight against the terrorists in the hot phase of the war in Syria , were actually freeloaders and PMCs did the fighting .
Other stories that somehow didn ’ t make it in the English version , likely because they sounded a bit too far-fetched .
His scariest fight was allegedly versus the US , because the Apache helicopters were so impressive that they were impossible to hit .
The ISIS Hunters also did no fighting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palmyra after the PMCs won the fight .
Some commanders allegedly took half the bonuses and gave no funds to their subordinates .
The entire interview is filled with quite a bit of inconsistencies , and as mentioned Gabidullin makes no mention of actual Wagner or anything of the sort , this is added entirely by Meduza .
After Meduza published the Gabidullin interview , more than 20 websites , including Express Gazeta , Pravda.ru , and Dni.ru , published articles claiming that Vladimir Lorchenkov — a Canadian writer of Russian origin — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsehoods ” in the mercenary ’ s story .
Furthermore , the publishing house that was to publish the book said that the author himself decided to stop the publication .
According to Meduza , of course , that ’ s just the regime operating to censor it , despite the ‘ owner ’ of the mythical Wagner PMC – Yevgeny Prigozhin allegedly encouraged the author to do so .
It is interesting to recall how “ Reverse Side Of the Medal ” , a Telegram and YouTube channel known connections to Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prigozhin , “ Putin ’ s Chef ” , reacting to the interview .
Below is a direct translation of how “ Reverse Side Of the Medal ” describes him .
“ An attempt to link the personality of businessman Prigozhin and PMC Wagner : Listen , neither we nor any of our comrades have ever seen him , except in the photo in your investigations .
He did not give us battle tanks .
I did not see off the last journey .
Didn ’ t meet me from the plane .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ papers .
( He ) didn ’ t hand over chocolates .
All the tools we use and the prizes received for their use were donated by the Syrian side as a token of gratitude .
We are sure that if this Prigozhin was not somewhat close with Putin , no one would be interested in his personality at all , the binding of his person is simply politically beneficial .
And , even assuming that Prigozhin , of whom you never cease to dream , has some connection to this organization and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sponsor , then it turns out that he is not an oligarch ( as you write ) , but a patron of the arts .
Who else in Russia gives private money for the fight against terrorism ?
But this is us figuratively .
Let ’ s repeat where we started – we are not familiar with him.
” The existence of Russia-linked private military contractors and their participation in the conflict in Syria and developments in some other countries around the world are an open secret .
In Syria , where Russia-linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other terrorists , they operate in the so-called ‘ gray zone ’ as officially they do not exist ( private military companies are banned in Russia ) .
At the same time , in the event of Syria , these PMCs are used as a useful tool of the war on terror and the implementation of the Russian foreign policy in the region .
In most other regions where they were spotted , these PMC groups have a similar role .
This is the key difference between Russia-linked PMCs and their Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight for any side that pay money , Russia-linked contractors are often the providers of the interests of Russia-linked business and , in some cases , even the Russian state .
At the same time , the shady status of these PMCs plays its own negative role allowing mainstream organizations to fuel various speculations and create fairy tales about the ‘ Big Bad Russians ’ that came to destroy ‘ democracy ’ ( it remains unclear where they found it ) in the Middle East and Africa .
As always in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be effective on the battlefield , but weak in propaganda .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • U.S. To Declare Russian “ Jetfall ” In Libya

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On December 2nd, the outlet Meduza published an interview with a Russia-linked private military contractor, who allegedly took part in the Russian campaign in Syria.
Meduza is a neo-liberal website based in Riga. However, its content is exclusively in Russian. It is heavily anti-Russian biased and receives funding for its propaganda work against Russia from Western special structures. It also has links with Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is hiding in London and sponsoring various neo-liberal organizations and grant-suckers to promote anti-Russian narratives inside Russia.
The person in question is an individual named Marat Gabidullin, who, according to Meduza, was a member of the mythical Wagner PMC. He even wrote a book about it.
Gabidullin gave an interview to Meduza special correspondent Liliya Yapparova.
The interesting fact is that Gabidullin himself did not use the term “Wagner” in the interview. The open secret is that such ‘private military company’ does not officially exist and this is just a brand adopted by Western diplomats and mainstream media to call groups of Russia-linked private military contractors that operate around the world. Nonetheless, this does not stop the ‘democratic press’ from spreading the ‘Wagner’ myth.
Gabidullin talks about the experiences behind his memoir, how he came to the decision to go public about authoring the book, and why he hopes the publication will bring the Wagner PMC’s alleged owner — Russian catering magnate Evgeny Prigozhin, also known as “Putin’s Chef” — “to his senses.”
The interview, and Gabidullin’s entire book is a nice preview of the current narratives in mainstream media regarding “Wagner”, Russia-linked PMCs, and the greatness of US soldiers and Apache helicopters that are impossible to defeat, and more.
According to his story, he spent 5 years in Russia’s Airborne Forces, and then he allegedly became a PMC in 2015. He reportedly signed a contract with Evro Polis — a Russian firm linked to billionaire oligarch Evgeny Prigozhin, which is allegedly under contract with the Syrian government to liberate and protect oil fields in Syria.
It is interesting, however, that Evro Polis was formed in the summer of 2016, but he somehow signed a contract with it in 2015.
“Evro Polis OOO is a company based in Russia, with its head office in Krasnogorsk. It operates in the Coal Mining industry. The company was established on July 13, 2016,” as the website EMIS sets out.
“Their openness and directness was immediately to my liking,” he recalled in conversation with Meduza. “Nobody hid the possible consequences — they spoke honestly: ‘Guys, you’re destined for war [in places] where our state has interests. Prepare yourselves for the fact that this could turn out badly for you. Fatally.”
His tale is quite dramatic.
Meduza’s article is filled with claims about Wagner, about Prigozhin and more. Notably, in the entire interview Gabidullin doesn’t mention the word Wagner, not even once. He doesn’t mention it in the English version, nor in the much longer Russian version of the interview.
According to the interview, it even turned out that Prigozhin himself read a part of his book, and asked for the entire thing. He even gave him ideas for his creative pseudonym.
“Prigozhin came up with this pseudonym for me. ‘Martin’ is the name of my alter ego in the book, and ‘Ded’ was my own call sign. They called me that because I was the oldest [in my unit]: I was [born] in 1966 after all. My beard is already gray.”
Prigozhin has allegedly known about the book for quite some time:
“Back in 2017, when I was working as his assistant, he familiarized himself with the draft. At first I gave him a piece about Palmyra — he read it and asked for the entire book: ‘Everything you wrote, give it here’.” I just wanted him to read it. [This] proceeded from the fact that there was a lot of happening in Syria that he didn’t really know about. At the time a lot of people had latched on [to the PMC] and were actually stealing money from Prigozhin — only he never wanted to admit it. Somehow he had this wild conviction that he was doing well. Although our logistics services bought knee pads for working in the garden instead of tactical ones. These were honestly pillows for roaming vegetable patches — you [can’t] fall on rocks in these, but according to the documents they were the real deal. Explicit theft!”
And Prigozhin, who is allegedly one of the many subjects of “evil overlord Vladimir Putin” actually wanted “the truth to come out” – the truth for his alleged clandestine PMC which he vehemently and continuously denies is even remotely related to.
Below are some quotes from the book:
In Libya, according to Gabidullin, Russia-linked PMCs lost quite a bit of fighters. Meduza says Wagner lost members, but the interviewee himself never mentions that name. According to the interview, the PMC leader allegedly stopped being a “commander” and began being a “businessman.”
“As a tactician and a strategist he covers all of our generals. But there were times when he could have demanded more resources for fulfilling tasks from the senior leadership. But he didn’t use this commander’s right: he simply didn’t want to argue with his superiors. And the guys just ended up turning into cannon fodder. In 2017, for example, you couldn’t go take oil fields with such weapons and amounts of ammunition — it’s simply impossible. But the military said to go. When the mortar operators just don’t have enough mines and you drive people “forward and forward,” you aren’t a commander any longer. You’re a businessman: take the [oil] fields and you’ll receive a prize. In the end, the soldiers stopped trusting their commanders — and this isn’t even the only reason. Since 2018, some of the commanders have taken up half the bonus funds allocated to the unit, and the rest — crumbs — is distributed to the combatants.”
He even had some shocking questions asked about the contractors that were allegedly sent to Libya:
“In 2019, I got an order to send Syrians from our “ISIL Hunters” unit to Libya immediately. When they got there, I got a call from “Pioneer” [a commander]: “Listen, those ones you sent, can they be used as suicide bombers?” What kind of normal person asks that! Moreover, about my guys.”
Then he alleged that PMCs were doing the brunt of the fighting in Syria, not the Russian military.
“For a second week, “Martin” was at the Khmeimim military base among Russian soldiers — clean, well-groomed, and well-fed ones. The residential units had air conditioning, sports facilities, showers, cafes — legionnaires could only dream of such conditions. The tank museum, which was organized on taxpayers’ money, had pedestals and obelisks — all of these strange decorations caused the mercenary to ask only one question: “What, they have nothing else to do? The eastern bank of the Euphrates has been lost, for the second year you can’t come within 200 kilometers outside of Idlib!” Later, a colonel admits to “Martin” that he joined the prestigious Syrian trip thanks to a bribe amounting to a first month’s salary in a hot spot.”
In his interview then he partakes in some more insults regarding the Russian armed forces:
“The paratroopers and marines are lazy bones who are swimming in fat on that base,” Gabidullin said, when asked about Russian air base operating in Khmeimim, Syria. “I heard how our soldiers in Khmeimim boasted of their exploits: ‘We completed such a task: we sat in secret all night!’ That means they were sitting in a security outpost.”
In 2019, Gabidullin allegedly was in Khmeimim Airbase and was responsible for taking care of the bodies of contractors who have died in the fights, according to his story.
“I was immediately faced with the fact that as it turns out, we can’t bury our soldiers in a dignified manner. We [at the base in Khmeimim] didn’t have any options — only a refrigerator. They had to be taken to the hospital in Latakia, so that the Syrians could wash them with a hose, put them first in antediluvian zinc coffins, and then into plywood boxes. Of course, there was no one to apply makeup or bring the body back to a normal state. I never thought it would be so difficult to do this work. […] How many people died like that? Providing exact data is like giving the government agencies a reason to make claims against me. But many people died.”
He then, couldn’t really say anything but tell the Riga-based outlet that these deaths were hidden by the Kremlin, since this was the legacy of the previous, Soviet regime.
Gabidullin said that it’s “our only legacy passed on from one regime to another: hiding the truth from ourselves.”
“They were ashamed to say that there were deaths in Czechoslovakia [in 1968], they were ashamed to say that there were deaths in Afghanistan. The whole world knows that a Russian PMC is fighting — only our people wouldn’t recognize us,” he says. “And after that no one will give the dead a star posthumously, no one will provide for their relatives.”
The Russian version of the interview has some more interesting claims that were not translated into the English one.
Notably, he insulted Suheil Hassan, the commander of the Tiger Forces.
According to Gabidullin, Hassan was “a parasite” who was simply being protected by Russia’s “GRU”.
“Or the same Suheil. Our relationship with him began with Akerbat: the PMC took him, but the guys were ordered to retreat to the starting point – and then Suheil’s column approached and began to clear the empty city under television cameras.”
So, according to his story, the Tiger Forces, one of the most adequate Syrian factions in the fight against the terrorists in the hot phase of the war in Syria, were actually freeloaders and PMCs did the fighting.
Other stories that somehow didn’t make it in the English version, likely because they sounded a bit too far-fetched.
His scariest fight was allegedly versus the US, because the Apache helicopters were so impressive that they were impossible to hit.
When asked which was his worst battle, he said the fight with US forces near Deir ez-Zor on February 8, 2018,
"Of course, on the Euphrates. Because I felt just, helpless". He said they couldn't see the enemy because they were facing US helicopters (Apaches). 19/ pic.twitter.com/AU41oPTEh2 — Rob Lee (@RALee85) December 3, 2020
The ISIS Hunters also did no fighting, they actually took photos of themselves in Palmyra after the PMCs won the fight.
He mentions the ISIS Hunters, which he says is entirely composed of Syrians. He says he trained them in 2018-2019, but before that he says they mostly only did PR stunts and didn't take part in any real fighting. 17/ pic.twitter.com/f34EvuRUvN — Rob Lee (@RALee85) December 3, 2020
Some commanders allegedly took half the bonuses and gave no funds to their subordinates.
He says that some commanders have been taking half the bonuses for their units and specifically mentions the Serbian commander who extorted members of the international platoon. He also says the commander of the unit during the operation in Ghouta had no combat experience. 16/ pic.twitter.com/ytYbICcdmi — Rob Lee (@RALee85) December 3, 2020
The entire interview is filled with quite a bit of inconsistencies, and as mentioned Gabidullin makes no mention of actual Wagner or anything of the sort, this is added entirely by Meduza. After Meduza published the Gabidullin interview, more than 20 websites, including Express Gazeta, Pravda.ru, and Dni.ru, published articles claiming that Vladimir Lorchenkov — a Canadian writer of Russian origin — “uncovered a lot of inconsistencies and falsehoods” in the mercenary’s story. Furthermore, the publishing house that was to publish the book said that the author himself decided to stop the publication. According to Meduza, of course, that’s just the regime operating to censor it, despite the ‘owner’ of the mythical Wagner PMC – Yevgeny Prigozhin allegedly encouraged the author to do so.
It is interesting to recall how “Reverse Side Of the Medal”, a Telegram and YouTube channel known connections to Russian PMCs, described the role of Yevgeny Prigozhin, “Putin’s Chef”, reacting to the interview. Below is a direct translation of how “Reverse Side Of the Medal” describes him.
“An attempt to link the personality of businessman Prigozhin and PMC Wagner: Listen, neither we nor any of our comrades have ever seen him, except in the photo in your investigations. He did not give us battle tanks. I did not see off the last journey. Didn’t meet me from the plane. His name was not seen on any papers. (He) didn’t hand over chocolates. All the tools we use and the prizes received for their use were donated by the Syrian side as a token of gratitude. We are sure that if this Prigozhin was not somewhat close with Putin, no one would be interested in his personality at all, the binding of his person is simply politically beneficial. And, even assuming that Prigozhin, of whom you never cease to dream, has some connection to this organization and is (in your words) its sponsor, then it turns out that he is not an oligarch (as you write), but a patron of the arts. Who else in Russia gives private money for the fight against terrorism? But this is us figuratively. Let’s repeat where we started – we are not familiar with him.”
The existence of Russia-linked private military contractors and their participation in the conflict in Syria and developments in some other countries around the world are an open secret. In Syria, where Russia-linked PMCs played a role in defeating ISIS and other terrorists, they operate in the so-called ‘gray zone’ as officially they do not exist (private military companies are banned in Russia). At the same time, in the event of Syria, these PMCs are used as a useful tool of the war on terror and the implementation of the Russian foreign policy in the region. In most other regions where they were spotted, these PMC groups have a similar role. This is the key difference between Russia-linked PMCs and their Western counterparts. While Western PMCs are ready to fight for any side that pay money, Russia-linked contractors are often the providers of the interests of Russia-linked business and, in some cases, even the Russian state.
At the same time, the shady status of these PMCs plays its own negative role allowing mainstream organizations to fuel various speculations and create fairy tales about the ‘Big Bad Russians’ that came to destroy ‘democracy’ (it remains unclear where they found it) in the Middle East and Africa. As always in the recent years, the Russians appeared to be effective on the battlefield, but weak in propaganda.
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southfront--2020-12-05--Saudi-led Forces Are About To Lose Another Stronghold In Central Yemen

On December 4 , a large explosion rocked the Saudi-led coalition ’ s Tadawin camp in the central Yemeni province of Ma ’ rib .
Yemeni sources speculated that the explosion was caused by a Houthi missile strike .
Last week , the Yemeni group , formally known as Ansar Allah , targeted the camp with a guided missile .
Eight Saudi service members , including officers , were reportedly killed .
Houthi fighters are slowly closing in on the Tadawin camp .
Clashes between the Yemeni fighters and Saudi-backed forces are taking place in the area of Raghwan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ west of the camp .
The Saudi-led coalition appears to be aware of the threat posed to the Tadawin camp .
On December 4 , the coalition withdrew some of its equipment from the camp .
In an attempt to place more pressure on the Houthis , the Saudi-led coalition is stepping up its airstrikes on Ma ’ rib and other parts of Yemen .
On December 4 , coalition warplanes carried out 22 airstrikes on the following areas : • The districts of Baqim and al-Dhaher in Saada ; • The districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ma ’ rib ; • The districts of Khabb wa al-Sha ’ af and al-Hazm in al-Jawf .
Despite the intense airstrikes , Saudi-backed forces continue to retreat in central Yemen and are failing to secure the border line with Saudi Arabia .
If the Houthis impose control of the Tadawin camp , the road will be open for them towards Ma ’ rib ’ s city center .
The city is located only 10 km south of the camp .
This would be another major blow for the Saudi-led coalition .
MORE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Saudi Proxies Urgently Set Up Defenses In Face Of Incoming Houthi Attack On Marib City

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On December 4, a large explosion rocked the Saudi-led coalition’s Tadawin camp in the central Yemeni province of Ma’rib.
Yemeni sources speculated that the explosion was caused by a Houthi missile strike. Last week, the Yemeni group, formally known as Ansar Allah, targeted the camp with a guided missile. Eight Saudi service members, including officers, were reportedly killed.
Houthi fighters are slowly closing in on the Tadawin camp. Clashes between the Yemeni fighters and Saudi-backed forces are taking place in the area of Raghwan, which is located 40 km to the west of the camp.
The Saudi-led coalition appears to be aware of the threat posed to the Tadawin camp. On December 4, the coalition withdrew some of its equipment from the camp.
In an attempt to place more pressure on the Houthis, the Saudi-led coalition is stepping up its airstrikes on Ma’rib and other parts of Yemen.
On December 4, coalition warplanes carried out 22 airstrikes on the following areas:
The port city of al-Hudaydah;
Sanaa International Airport;
The districts of Baqim and al-Dhaher in Saada;
The districts of Medghal, Majzar and al-Abdiyah in Ma’rib;
The districts of Khabb wa al-Sha’af and al-Hazm in al-Jawf.
Despite the intense airstrikes, Saudi-backed forces continue to retreat in central Yemen and are failing to secure the border line with Saudi Arabia.
If the Houthis impose control of the Tadawin camp, the road will be open for them towards Ma’rib’s city center. The city is located only 10 km south of the camp. This would be another major blow for the Saudi-led coalition.
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southfront--2020-12-05--Israel Weaponizes WhatsApp To Terrorize Senior Syrian Officers

Israel has warned senior officers of the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) in the southern region from cooperating with Lebanon ’ s Hezbollah in messages sent directly to their mobile phones , al-Akhbar reported on December 4 , citing sources with knowledge on the matter .
The messages were directly sent from a number hosted in Cyprus to the officers ’ mobile phones over the WhatsApp messaging application .
A source in the SAA told the al-Akhbar newspaper that this was the first time ever Israel sent a threat directly to senior Syria officers .
Earlier this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s southern region , warning senior officers of the SAA ’ s 1st Corps from cooperating with Hezbollah .
On November 18 , Israeli airstrikes destroyed the office of Major General Akram Hawija , the commander of the 1st Corps ’ 7th Division .
Hawija was one of the officers named in the leaflets .
A source in Iranian-backed forces in southern Syria told al-Akhbar that the relationship with the SAA was not harmed by the recent Israeli threats .
According to al-Akhbar , the SAA ’ s 1 Corps is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s capabilities on the frontline with the occupied Golan Heights .
Syria ’ s allies , Iran and Hezbollah , are backing these efforts .
New military camps and fortified positions are being built along the frontline .
Some of the new positions were struck by Israel in the last few months .
Al-Akhbar ’ s source stressed that the work in Syria ’ s southern region will go on , confirming that Iranian-backed forces are present in the region “ as much as the plans dictates.
” Israeli hopes that its pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or at least push Iranian forces out from the country ’ s southern region .
This will not likely happen anytime soon .
By warning Syrian officers , Tel Aviv is doubling down on this failed strategy .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Is Second Battle For Greater Idlib Near ?
• Iranian-Backed Forces On Syrian-Iraqi Border Are On High Alert Over Expected Israeli Attacks

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Israel has warned senior officers of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the southern region from cooperating with Lebanon’s Hezbollah in messages sent directly to their mobile phones, al-Akhbar reported on December 4, citing sources with knowledge on the matter.
The messages were directly sent from a number hosted in Cyprus to the officers’ mobile phones over the WhatsApp messaging application.
“Hezbollah and Iran are taking advantage of you to operate on the border against Israel, you bear responsibility and you won’t be away from our responses,” the message reads.
A source in the SAA told the al-Akhbar newspaper that this was the first time ever Israel sent a threat directly to senior Syria officers.
Earlier this year, the Israeli military dropped leaflets over Syria’s southern region, warning senior officers of the SAA’s 1st Corps from cooperating with Hezbollah.
On November 18, Israeli airstrikes destroyed the office of Major General Akram Hawija, the commander of the 1st Corps’ 7th Division. Hawija was one of the officers named in the leaflets.
A source in Iranian-backed forces in southern Syria told al-Akhbar that the relationship with the SAA was not harmed by the recent Israeli threats.
“A very good and close relationship has been formed between the two sides as a result of years of fighting side by side,” the source, who described the relationship as “excellent,” said.
According to al-Akhbar, the SAA’s 1 Corps is now leading the efforts to rebuild Syria’s capabilities on the frontline with the occupied Golan Heights. Syria’s allies, Iran and Hezbollah, are backing these efforts.
New military camps and fortified positions are being built along the frontline. Some of the new positions were struck by Israel in the last few months. Al-Akhbar’s source stressed that the work in Syria’s southern region will go on, confirming that Iranian-backed forces are present in the region “as much as the plans dictates.”
Israeli hopes that its pressure will force Iran out of Syria, or at least push Iranian forces out from the country’s southern region. This will not likely happen anytime soon. By warning Syrian officers, Tel Aviv is doubling down on this failed strategy.
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southfront--2020-12-05--Is Second Battle For Greater Idlib Near?

On December 4 and 5 , the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) deployed fresh reinforcements around the northwestern region of Greater Idlib where several terrorist groups roam free right under the eyes of Turkish forces .
The reinforcements , which included personnel and equipment , were deployed in the al-Ghab Plains in the northwestern Hama countryside , according the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other sources .
The deployment of the reinforcements coincided with intense SAA artillery strikes on militant positions near the towns of Kansafra , Al-Bara , Al-Fterah , Sfuhen , Fulayfel and Bayanin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Idlib ’ s southern countryside .
Greater Idlib is currently dominated by a coalition of al-Qaeda-linked factions and Turkish-backed groups led by Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham .
Two days ago , the Turkish Armed Forces deployed large reinforcements in Greater Idlib , where they maintain more than 60 military positions .
The military buildup in Greater Idlib may be a sign of a near battle in the region .
Exactly nine months ago , a fierce battle in the region ended with a Russian-Turkish de-escalation agreement .
Ankara has not honored its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Iranian-Backed Forces On Syrian-Iraqi Border Are On High Alert Over Expected Israeli Attacks • How It Really Happened In Syria : A PMC Overly-Dramatic Retelling With Bonus ISIS Hunting Stories

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On December 4 and 5, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) deployed fresh reinforcements around the northwestern region of Greater Idlib where several terrorist groups roam free right under the eyes of Turkish forces.
The reinforcements, which included personnel and equipment, were deployed in the al-Ghab Plains in the northwestern Hama countryside, according the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other sources.
“Military vehicles carrying large military and logistical supplies and soldier were seen arriving in al-Amaqiyyah and Tanjarah in al-Ghab Plains,” the monitoring group said in report.
The deployment of the reinforcements coincided with intense SAA artillery strikes on militant positions near the towns of Kansafra, Al-Bara, Al-Fterah, Sfuhen, Fulayfel and Bayanin, all located in the al-Zawiyah Mount in Idlib’s southern countryside.
Greater Idlib is currently dominated by a coalition of al-Qaeda-linked factions and Turkish-backed groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
Two days ago, the Turkish Armed Forces deployed large reinforcements in Greater Idlib, where they maintain more than 60 military positions.
The military buildup in Greater Idlib may be a sign of a near battle in the region. Exactly nine months ago, a fierce battle in the region ended with a Russian-Turkish de-escalation agreement. Ankara has not honored its commitments under the agreement, thus far.
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southfront--2020-12-05--In Video: Russian Sappers Use Uran-6 Mine-Clearing Robot In Karabakh

Click to see the full-size image Russian sappers continue their demining operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh region .
MORE ON THE @ @ @ @ @ The Basement ” Pashinyan Continues Blaming Everybody But Himself , Azerbaijan Establishes “ Patriotic War @ @ @

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Russian sappers continue their demining operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
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southfront--2020-12-06--Turkey Pounds SDF In Ain Issa Amid Alleged Russian Demand To Surrender Town To Syrian Army (Video)

Tensions between the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) and Turkish forces continue to ramp up around the town of Ain Issa in northern Raqqa .
On December 5 , the Turkish military and its proxies shelled Ain Issa and its outskirts with more than 150 artillery shells , according to the Hawar News Agency .
The shelling , which lasted for eight hours , didn ’ t result in civilian casualties .
Nevertheless , a number of sources said that one to three fighters of the SDF were killed as a result of the shelling as well as minor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensified their attacks on Ain Issa in the last few months .
A center of the Russian Military Police and a number of Syrian Arab Army positions are located in the region .
According to recent reports , Russia warned the U.S.-backed SDF over a nearing Turkish attack on Ain Issa .
Russia allegedly asked the group to hand over the region to Syrian government forces in order to prevent the attack .
The SDF reportedly rejected Russia ’ s proposal .
However , it reportedly showed willingness to play down its influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A Turkish attack on Ain Issa will be a violation of Ankara ’ s agreements with both Russia and the U.S .
Such an attack will also further complicate the humanitarian situation in northeastern Syria .
Last year , a Turkish attack on the region left thousands civilians without shelter .
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Tensions between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish forces continue to ramp up around the town of Ain Issa in northern Raqqa.
On December 5, the Turkish military and its proxies shelled Ain Issa and its outskirts with more than 150 artillery shells, according to the Hawar News Agency. The shelling, which lasted for eight hours, didn’t result in civilian casualties.
Nevertheless, a number of sources said that one to three fighters of the SDF were killed as a result of the shelling as well as minor clashes near Ain Issa.
Turkish forces intensified their attacks on Ain Issa in the last few months. A center of the Russian Military Police and a number of Syrian Arab Army positions are located in the region.
According to recent reports, Russia warned the U.S.-backed SDF over a nearing Turkish attack on Ain Issa. Russia allegedly asked the group to hand over the region to Syrian government forces in order to prevent the attack.
The SDF reportedly rejected Russia’s proposal. However, it reportedly showed willingness to play down its influence in the region in favor of Damascus.
A Turkish attack on Ain Issa will be a violation of Ankara’s agreements with both Russia and the U.S. Such an attack will also further complicate the humanitarian situation in northeastern Syria. Last year, a Turkish attack on the region left thousands civilians without shelter.
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southfront--2020-12-06--Map Update: Military Situation In Nagorno-Karabakh On December 6, 2020

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh region : • On @ @ @ @ @ military began rehearsals for their victory parade .
The event will include the showcase of @ @ @ @ @ Armenian vehicles and equipment ; • As of December 5 , 693 bodies of Armenian @ @ @ @ @ the conflict zone , according to the spokesman of NKR ’ s State Service of @ @ @ @ @ of December 5 , 6 hectares were demined in the area of Stepanakert and 11 @ @ @ @ @ destroyed .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Azerbaijan ’ s Troops Practice Victory Parade @ @ @ @ @ Attempt To Practice Their Civil Right To Protest

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A brief overview of the recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh region:
On December 5, the Azerbaijani military began rehearsals for their victory parade. The event will include the showcase of some of destroyed and captured Armenian vehicles and equipment;
As of December 5, 693 bodies of Armenian soldiers have been recovered in the conflict zone, according to the spokesman of NKR’s State Service of Emergency Situations;
As of December 5, 6 hectares were demined in the area of Stepanakert and 11 sites and 29 explosives were destroyed.
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Trump Exits Somalia

These are things that might have been done earlier .
During the last , flickering days of the Trump administration , activity is being witnessed across countries which have a US troop presence .
Numbers are being reduced .
Security wonks are getting the jitters .
Is the imperium shrinking ?
Will President elect Joe Biden wake up and reverse the trend ?
With the Beltway foreign policy Blob advising him , most likely .
In November , acting defence secretary Christopher Miller announced that the number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq would fall from 4,500 to 2,500 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been added to the list of countries which will see US withdrawals in some number .
The current troop presence stands at 700 , tasked with assisting an African Union-backed peacekeeping force combat the al-Shabaab insurgency .
A good number are also there to train and support Danab , the Somali special forces with eyes on capturing and killing leaders of the insurgent movement .
The ultimate objective of US Africa Command in East Africa , then , “ is one in which terrorist organizations are not able to threaten the US homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destabilize the region.
” This is a conflict that has a relentless air of eternity to it .
Al-Shabaab counts itself as yet another , albeit more formidable militant group , that has thrived in Somalia ’ s unruly environment .
Its claim to radicalised fame came with Ethiopia ’ s December 2006 invasion of the country .
It was encouraged by the Somalian transitional government , with the intention of ousting al-Shabaab and the Islamic Courts Union from Mogadishu , captured by the fundamentalist alliance that June .
According to Robert Wise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a small relatively unimportant part of a more moderate Islamic movement into the most powerful and radical armed faction in the country.
” Yet another salient lesson in the perils of foreign intervention .
US administrations might have feared the messiness of the Somali scene .
The death of 18 US soldiers in October 1993 in a failed effort to capture the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid in Mogadishu stung .
Cruise-missile humanitarians and interventionists would have to wait for the republic to find its feet again .
The attacks of September 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , incarnating the global terrorist phenomenon and the pretext for an international deployment of US forces , officially and covertly .
On March 19 , 2003 , the capture and interrogation of Suleiman Abdallah heralded the return of US troops to Somalia .
During the Obama administration , US drone strikes , with all the accompanying problems of legality and accountability , were the favoured weapon of choice against the group .
These were also accompanied by ground raids .
Killings , such as those of its leader , Ahmed Abdi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrated as triggers for an eventual collapse that never came .
“ Godane ’ s removal is a major symbolic and operational loss to the largest al-Qaida affiliate in Africa , ” came the confident assessment from the White House , “ and reflects years of painstaking work by our intelligence , military and law enforcement officials.
” Godane ’ s slaying was a spur , rather than a deterrent , for the organisation .
Attacks on African peacekeeping forces increased ; suicide bombings were used liberally , culminating in the slaughter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilians dead .
In the earlier stage of his administration , President Donald Trump showed a marked interest in deepening US involvement in Somalia .
The rhetoric of disentanglement was nowhere to be found .
In March 2017 , he approved a proposal from the Pentagon to expand operations against militants in the country .
Commanders were no longer required to obtain high-level vetting of al-Shabaab targets in designated “ areas of active hostilities ” .
As General Thomas Waldhauser of US Africa Command described it , “ It allows [ us ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fashion.
” In 2018 , 47 US drone strikes were executed .
Last year , the number climbed to 63 .
This was not to last .
Trump began to cool to the US involvement .
Earlier this year , the US pulled out from the cities of Bosaso and Galkayo .
The now departed defence secretary Mark Esper was not enthused by the change of heart , and preferred continued engagement .
Trump , for his part , preferred Kenyan security forces to have a greater role .
The statement from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will affect audiences differently .
The overall theme of the exit is change without difference .
“ The US is not withdrawing or disengaging from Africa .
We remain committed to our African partners and enduring support through a whole-of-government approach.
” This is not the case of US soldiers returning home to celebratory fanfare for a disentangling republic .
Many will find themselves in neighbouring Kenya , which has had its fair share of problems with al-Shabaab .
“ As a result of this decision , some forces may be reassigned outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining forces will be repositioned from Somalia into neighbouring countries in order to allow cross-border operations by both US and partner forces.
” Somali President Mohamed Abdullah Mohamed is none too keen on the move , suggesting that his brittle government has gotten used to a particular diet of assistance .
In October , he took to Twitter to claim that US “ military support to Somalia has enabled us to effectively combat Al-Shabaab and secure the Horn of Africa .
A victory through this journey and for Somali-US partnership can only be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building support.
” Senator Ayub Ismail Yusuf called the decision to remove US forces “ untimely.
” Well attuned to the language that has kept Washington engaged in foreign theatres since 2001 , the true enemy was terrorism .
“ The fight against global terrorism is still ongoing and we must still win this battle for peace and security to prevail.
” Colonel Ahmed Abdullahi Sheikh , Danab ’ s commander for three years till 2019 , is convinced that making such a withdrawal permanent “ will have a huge toll on counterterrorism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far rosier picture of US involvement and Somali government successes .
The US Defence Department Inspector General is far more measured in the July-September 2020 report .
“ Despite many years of sustained Somali , US , and international counterterrorism pressure , the terrorist threat in East Africa is not degraded : al-Shabaab retains freedom of movement in many parts of southern Somalia and has demonstrated an ability and intent to attack outside of the country , including targeting US interests.
” For the devotees of the imperial footprint , there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exit is poor ; the imperium ’ s interests will be harmed .
William Lawrence from the American University in Washington , D.C. does not even shy away from a pseudo-colonial message .
“ The blow from the US operations standpoint is that over time , it will lose its ability to Americanise on the ground and to have more interaction with Somali troops.
” Somalia would suffer a “ real blow ” with the departure of US personnel .
“ There is no good military or strategic reason for this move.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Selwyn College , Cambridge .
He lectures at RMIT University , Melbourne .
Email : bkampmark @ gmail.com MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Trump Administration Fights Iran In Middle East As Qods Force Expands In U.S. Backyard • Iranian Nuclear Program Gains Steam Following Assassination Of “ Nuclear Soleimani ” Near Tehran

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Submitted by Dr. Binoy Kampmark
These are things that might have been done earlier. During the last, flickering days of the Trump administration, activity is being witnessed across countries which have a US troop presence. Numbers are being reduced. Security wonks are getting the jitters. Is the imperium shrinking? Will President elect Joe Biden wake up and reverse the trend? With the Beltway foreign policy Blob advising him, most likely.
In November, acting defence secretary Christopher Miller announced that the number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq would fall from 4,500 to 2,500 and 3,500 to 2,500 respectively. Somalia has been added to the list of countries which will see US withdrawals in some number. The current troop presence stands at 700, tasked with assisting an African Union-backed peacekeeping force combat the al-Shabaab insurgency. A good number are also there to train and support Danab, the Somali special forces with eyes on capturing and killing leaders of the insurgent movement. The ultimate objective of US Africa Command in East Africa, then, “is one in which terrorist organizations are not able to threaten the US homeland, US persons, international allies or destabilize the region.”
This is a conflict that has a relentless air of eternity to it. Al-Shabaab counts itself as yet another, albeit more formidable militant group, that has thrived in Somalia’s unruly environment. Its claim to radicalised fame came with Ethiopia’s December 2006 invasion of the country. It was encouraged by the Somalian transitional government, with the intention of ousting al-Shabaab and the Islamic Courts Union from Mogadishu, captured by the fundamentalist alliance that June.
According to Robert Wise, the Ethiopian occupation transformed al-Shabaab “from a small relatively unimportant part of a more moderate Islamic movement into the most powerful and radical armed faction in the country.” Yet another salient lesson in the perils of foreign intervention.
US administrations might have feared the messiness of the Somali scene. The death of 18 US soldiers in October 1993 in a failed effort to capture the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid in Mogadishu stung. Cruise-missile humanitarians and interventionists would have to wait for the republic to find its feet again. The attacks of September 11, 2001 on the United States furnished the moment, incarnating the global terrorist phenomenon and the pretext for an international deployment of US forces, officially and covertly. On March 19, 2003, the capture and interrogation of Suleiman Abdallah heralded the return of US troops to Somalia.
During the Obama administration, US drone strikes, with all the accompanying problems of legality and accountability, were the favoured weapon of choice against the group. These were also accompanied by ground raids. Killings, such as those of its leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, in September 2014, were celebrated as triggers for an eventual collapse that never came. “Godane’s removal is a major symbolic and operational loss to the largest al-Qaida affiliate in Africa,” came the confident assessment from the White House, “and reflects years of painstaking work by our intelligence, military and law enforcement officials.”
Godane’s slaying was a spur, rather than a deterrent, for the organisation. Attacks on African peacekeeping forces increased; suicide bombings were used liberally, culminating in the slaughter of October 2017 in Mogadishu leaving almost 600 civilians dead.
In the earlier stage of his administration, President Donald Trump showed a marked interest in deepening US involvement in Somalia. The rhetoric of disentanglement was nowhere to be found. In March 2017, he approved a proposal from the Pentagon to expand operations against militants in the country. Commanders were no longer required to obtain high-level vetting of al-Shabaab targets in designated “areas of active hostilities”. As General Thomas Waldhauser of US Africa Command described it, “It allows [us] to prosecute targets in a more rapid fashion.” In 2018, 47 US drone strikes were executed. Last year, the number climbed to 63.
This was not to last. Trump began to cool to the US involvement. Earlier this year, the US pulled out from the cities of Bosaso and Galkayo. The now departed defence secretary Mark Esper was not enthused by the change of heart, and preferred continued engagement. Trump, for his part, preferred Kenyan security forces to have a greater role.
The statement from the Pentagon was packed with those reassurances that will affect audiences differently. The overall theme of the exit is change without difference. “The US is not withdrawing or disengaging from Africa. We remain committed to our African partners and enduring support through a whole-of-government approach.”
This is not the case of US soldiers returning home to celebratory fanfare for a disentangling republic. Many will find themselves in neighbouring Kenya, which has had its fair share of problems with al-Shabaab. “As a result of this decision, some forces may be reassigned outside of East Africa. However, the remaining forces will be repositioned from Somalia into neighbouring countries in order to allow cross-border operations by both US and partner forces.”
Somali President Mohamed Abdullah Mohamed is none too keen on the move, suggesting that his brittle government has gotten used to a particular diet of assistance. In October, he took to Twitter to claim that US “military support to Somalia has enabled us to effectively combat Al-Shabaab and secure the Horn of Africa. A victory through this journey and for Somali-US partnership can only be achieved through continuous security partnership and capacity building support.”
Senator Ayub Ismail Yusuf called the decision to remove US forces “untimely.” Well attuned to the language that has kept Washington engaged in foreign theatres since 2001, the true enemy was terrorism. “The fight against global terrorism is still ongoing and we must still win this battle for peace and security to prevail.” Colonel Ahmed Abdullahi Sheikh, Danab’s commander for three years till 2019, is convinced that making such a withdrawal permanent “will have a huge toll on counterterrorism efforts”.
Such comments suggest a far rosier picture of US involvement and Somali government successes. The US Defence Department Inspector General is far more measured in the July-September 2020 report. “Despite many years of sustained Somali, US, and international counterterrorism pressure, the terrorist threat in East Africa is not degraded: al-Shabaab retains freedom of movement in many parts of southern Somalia and has demonstrated an ability and intent to attack outside of the country, including targeting US interests.”
For the devotees of the imperial footprint, there is no way around it. The decision to exit is poor; the imperium’s interests will be harmed. William Lawrence from the American University in Washington, D.C. does not even shy away from a pseudo-colonial message. “The blow from the US operations standpoint is that over time, it will lose its ability to Americanise on the ground and to have more interaction with Somali troops.” Somalia would suffer a “real blow” with the departure of US personnel. “There is no good military or strategic reason for this move.”
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com
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