southfront--2020-08-19--As UAE Makes Peace With Israel, Israeli Planes Bomb Gaza

Attacks on Gaza continued on Tuesday for the seventh straight night as Israeli warplanes targeted Hamas observation posts in what the Israeli army said was a response to Palestinian fire balloon attacks across the border .
Meanwhile , the head of Israel ’ s foreign intelligence service has visited the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) for security talks .
Mossad chief Yossi Cohen visited the UAE just days after the countries agreed to establish diplomatic ties , where he discussed “ cooperation in the fields of security ” with the UAE ’ s national security adviser , Sheikh Tahnoun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cohen ’ s trip to Abu Dhabi marked the first visit to the UAE by an Israeli official after the announcement last week that the two countries had agreed to normalise relations .
As part of the deal , Israel agreed to suspend the annexation of territories in the occupied West Bank , although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had only agreed to a ‘ delay ’ and that the controversial plan was still under consideration .
Palestinians protested against the deal , seeing it as a betrayal of their cause by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has broadly held that normal ties with Israel are only possible once the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved .
The UAE is only the third Arab State , after Egypt and Jordan , to sign a peace deal with Israel .
LINK Meanwhile , in Palestine the Israeli air force continued to pound Gaza for the seventh straight day even as visiting Egyptian security officials strove to defuse the latest round of violence .
Gaza security sources and witnesses said Tuesday ’ s raids hit Hamas lookout posts at Rafah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beit Lahia in the north .
Tensions have been high for more than a week , with Israel accusing Hamas of firing rockets and launching bundles of balloons across the border fitted with incendiary or explosive devices .
Israel has closed the Karem Abu Salem ( Kerem Shalom ) goods crossing with the Gaza Strip , imposed a ban on fishing off the Gaza coast and staged nightly air raids for seven consecutive nights .
A Hamas source told AFP news agency that the group held talks with the Egyptian delegation in Gaza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings with the Israelis and the occupied West Bank-based Palestinian Authority .
It was expected to return to Gaza after those talks , the source added .
No casualties have been reported from the latest night of air raids .
Despite a truce that was negotiated last year – and backed by Egypt , Qatar and the UN – tensions between Hamas and Israel have not abated .
Hamas says Israel has not honoured previous understandings which stipulated that Israel ease the blockade it has imposed on Gaza since 2007 and allowed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
Egypt has collaborated in Israel ’ s blockade against Gaza , sealing off Gaza ’ s only other border with the outside world .
The only power plant in Gaza shut down on Tuesday due to Israel ’ s cutting of fuel supplies , exacerbating the power crisis and leaving Gaza ’ s two million residents with about four hours of electricity a day .
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Attacks on Gaza continued on Tuesday for the seventh straight night as Israeli warplanes targeted Hamas observation posts in what the Israeli army said was a response to Palestinian fire balloon attacks across the border. Meanwhile, the head of Israel’s foreign intelligence service has visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for security talks.
Mossad chief Yossi Cohen visited the UAE just days after the countries agreed to establish diplomatic ties, where he discussed “cooperation in the fields of security” with the UAE’s national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday.
Cohen’s trip to Abu Dhabi marked the first visit to the UAE by an Israeli official after the announcement last week that the two countries had agreed to normalise relations.
As part of the deal, Israel agreed to suspend the annexation of territories in the occupied West Bank, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had only agreed to a ‘delay’ and that the controversial plan was still under consideration.
Palestinians protested against the deal, seeing it as a betrayal of their cause by a major player in the Arab world, which has broadly held that normal ties with Israel are only possible once the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved. The UAE is only the third Arab State, after Egypt and Jordan, to sign a peace deal with Israel. LINK
Meanwhile, in Palestine the Israeli air force continued to pound Gaza for the seventh straight day even as visiting Egyptian security officials strove to defuse the latest round of violence.
“Fighter jets and [other] aircraft struck underground infrastructures belonging to Hamas in the Gaza Strip,” an Israeli military statement said, linking the attack to “explosive and arson balloons launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel”.
Gaza security sources and witnesses said Tuesday’s raids hit Hamas lookout posts at Rafah in the south of the territory and Beit Lahia in the north.
Tensions have been high for more than a week, with Israel accusing Hamas of firing rockets and launching bundles of balloons across the border fitted with incendiary or explosive devices.
Israel has closed the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) goods crossing with the Gaza Strip, imposed a ban on fishing off the Gaza coast and staged nightly air raids for seven consecutive nights.
A Hamas source told AFP news agency that the group held talks with the Egyptian delegation in Gaza on Monday before the delegation left for meetings with the Israelis and the occupied West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. It was expected to return to Gaza after those talks, the source added.
No casualties have been reported from the latest night of air raids.
Despite a truce that was negotiated last year – and backed by Egypt, Qatar and the UN – tensions between Hamas and Israel have not abated.
Hamas says Israel has not honoured previous understandings which stipulated that Israel ease the blockade it has imposed on Gaza since 2007 and allowed for large-scale projects to help revive the collapsing economy. Egypt has collaborated in Israel’s blockade against Gaza, sealing off Gaza’s only other border with the outside world.
The only power plant in Gaza shut down on Tuesday due to Israel’s cutting of fuel supplies, exacerbating the power crisis and leaving Gaza’s two million residents with about four hours of electricity a day. LINK
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southfront--2020-08-19--A Closer Look At Belarusian Opposition’s Heavily Anti-Russian National Policy Plans

Before being taken down , the election campaign website of Belarus Presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya had an entire program for the future development of Belarus as a country .
In a relatively hidden section , it has a section named “ National Policy ” which reveals the opposition ’ s plan for Belarus eventual entry into NATO and the EU .
The website has since been taken down ; however , it can still be found on web archive .
“ I am a presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya and this is my letter to all citizens of Belarus .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in Polesie .
Graduated from the philological faculty of the Mozyr Pedagogical University .
I am fluent in Belarusian , Russian and English .
A year ago , my husband Sergei Tikhanovsky created his own project “ Country for Life ” and went to Belarus .
Sergey gave people the opportunity to speak up .
They talked about what worries them , what they feel , what they think about Belarus .
People talked about their difficult life and dreamed of living in a free and rich country .
I was amazed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People began to be threatened , fired from their jobs , and thrown into prisons .
It turned out that the opportunity to speak out can wake up society .
When Sergei was deprived of the opportunity to participate in the elections , having unjustly accused and arrested him , I decided to replace him and go to victory .
For myself , for my husband , for all of us , for our children .
As a wife , as a mother , I understand that in a family one for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to be the same in our country.
” That ’ s how it begins , then moves on to what she would like for Belarus to become in the future .
“ I want to become the President of the Republic of Belarus , but not for the sake of a position , but in order to return you the right to choose .
We are building a country not only for ourselves , but also for our children .
I want our children to receive a good education , medical care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good job , start a family and have their own home .
So that they stay to live here , on their land , and not want to leave in search of a freer and more just country .
I want us to feel love and respect for ourselves , have the right to choose and be proud of our country to live in .
I want Belarus to be respected in the world , so that we look for friends , not enemies .
I want to see the vile tradition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing of the past.
” Then she looks into the National Policy which was constructed with the assistance of Victor Babariko and Valery Tsepkalo , as well as “ the best experts , parties and public organizations.
” Babariko and Tsepkalo had a website , which contained the National Policy , but it appears to be gone now – reformby.com , it is available on Web Archive .
Tsikhanovskaya linked the website in her campaign website – essentially the National Policy wasn ’ t even part of her own campaign , but a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website , as it was likely made by individuals outside of her campaign party .
The main directions of reforming the existing state policy are : withdrawal from integration associations with the participation of Russia ; preservation and development of the national cultural heritage , the Belarusian language ; sustainable economic growth ; high level and quality of life of citizens ; democratic system of government .
Below are the issues that the improved national security needs to deal with : To implement its revisionist , imperial plans , the Kremlin is actively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elite and society , • falsification of history in order to manipulate the public consciousness , The Russian leadership is using the concept of “ Russian peace ” to strengthen Moscow ’ s control over Belarus .
The basis for this is often the Russian language and the Russian Orthodox Church .
The Kremlin is actively using soft power methods : NGOs , thought factories , the media , bloggers , social networks , exchanges and internships in Russia .
• Lack of democracy , freedom of speech , freedom of assembly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under severe pressure .
Civil society and the political opposition face severe restrictions on their activities and persecution .
There have been no free and fair elections in the country for more than two decades .
• Low level of national consciousness and dominance of the Russian language .
The complete inability of state ideologues and state media to compete with the propaganda of the Russian media : Russian television and radio actually dominate the information field of Belarus .
• The problematic state of the Belarusian economy .
The Belarusian economy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technological backwardness not only from world leaders but also from its neighbors – the EU .
• Membership of Belarus in integration supranational entities , dominated by Russia – the Union State , the CSTO , the EurAsEC , the CIS .
As part of the CSTO , Belarusians are threatened with involvement in armed conflicts in Central Asia and around the world .
Through participation in the CSTO , there is a threat of the use of Asian or Russian troops in our territory .
Belonging to the CSTO also hinders the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priorities and emphases in the foreign policy of the European Union .
The EU is facing unprecedented migration challenges and the consequences of Brexit .
Many EU countries are looking for compromises with the Kremlin .
The United States is not a real guarantor of Belarus ‘ independence , despite progress in bilateral relations and Washington ’ s firm commitment to Belarus ’ independence and sovereignty .
Following are the main goals and objectives of the reform : The main goal of reforming the national security sector is the immediate mobilization and consolidation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sovereignty .
• unification of society on the basis of democratic values and the idea of building an independent Belarus ; • reduction of the Kremlin ’ s influence on Belarus through informational , economic , integration and humanitarian factors ; This will all be implemented with the following steps : • withdrawal from the “ Union State ” , the Eurasian Union , the Customs Union and other integration entities dominated by Russia ; • banning pro-Russian organizations whose activities run counter to national interests , as well as Russian foundations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • criminalization of public statements challenging the existence of a separate Belarusian nation and / or its historical right to its own state .
Introduction of criminal liability for public insults to the Belarusian language ; • monitoring by civil society forces of pro-Kremlin initiatives in Belarus ; • border and customs control on the border with Russia .
• Prohibition on sale of Belarusian infrastructure facilities to Russian companies .
• liberation of independent media from state pressure and control , ensuring media freedom and freedom of speech in Belarus ; • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs created by Russian TV channels in Belarus ; • inclusion in the standard TV package of mandatory public TV channels of Latvia , Lithuania , Poland , Ukraine ; • resumption of permanent activities of the Public Coordinating Council in the field of mass media .
• withdrawal from the CSTO , return of full control of Belarus over its own air and missile defense systems ; • withdrawal from the territory of Belarus of Russian military facilities – a communication center in Vileyka and a radar station near Baranovichi ; • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ army ; • translation of educational work in the army into Belarusian ; • development of border infrastructure at the borders with EU countries , increasing the capacity of border crossings .
• ban on commissioning and closure of new harmful industries in Brest , Mogilev , Svetlogorsk ; • publication of comprehensive truthful information on the construction , safety and operation of the Astravets NPP ; • holding a broad public discussion on the fate of the Astravets NPP .
• raising wages and improving the working conditions of health and education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a bias in the XIX and XX centuries ; • popularization of Kastus Kalinouski as a political founder of the modern Belarusian nation , as a symbol of the struggle of Belarusians for freedom and independence and as a figure that should consolidate around all those committed to the values of national revival and independence .
These steps generally need to be fulfilled by 2025 and 2030 respectively , when the plan is for Belarus to finally enter NATO and the EU .
The plan by 2030 also includes strengthening cooperation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sea community , formation and organizational design of the relevant regional intergovernmental bloc .
Additionally , diversifying energy supplies by 2030 is also important : a limit on the share of suppliers in any of the countries to a maximum of 30 % of total energy imports .
This is specifically aimed against Russia , but is obviously not achievable in the very-short term , that is why it is not mentioned in the immediate steps to be taken .
Naturally , Tsikhanovskaya would also need outside help , and she issued an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Summing up the plans and actions of the Belarusian ‘ opposition ’ , it becomes evident that its main goal is to seize power with the support of Western backers by any means and then just turn Belarus into Ukraine 2.0 .
The Belarus sovereignty , economy and interests of Belarusian citizens will be sacrificed for the interests of a small group of Western-funded ‘ activists ’ and ‘ politicians ’ and the country will be sold off to Euro-Atlantic structures .
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Before being taken down, the election campaign website of Belarus Presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya had an entire program for the future development of Belarus as a country.
In a relatively hidden section, it has a section named “National Policy” which reveals the opposition’s plan for Belarus eventual entry into NATO and the EU.
The website has since been taken down; however, it can still be found on web archive.
“I am a presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya and this is my letter to all citizens of Belarus. I am 37 years old. She was born in Polesie. Graduated from the philological faculty of the Mozyr Pedagogical University. I am fluent in Belarusian, Russian and English. A year ago, my husband Sergei Tikhanovsky created his own project “Country for Life” and went to Belarus. Sergey gave people the opportunity to speak up. They talked about what worries them, what they feel, what they think about Belarus. People talked about their difficult life and dreamed of living in a free and rich country. I was amazed at how scared the authorities were. People began to be threatened, fired from their jobs, and thrown into prisons. It turned out that the opportunity to speak out can wake up society. When Sergei was deprived of the opportunity to participate in the elections, having unjustly accused and arrested him, I decided to replace him and go to victory. For myself, for my husband, for all of us, for our children. As a wife, as a mother, I understand that in a family one for all and all for one. I want it to be the same in our country.”
That’s how it begins, then moves on to what she would like for Belarus to become in the future.
“I want to become the President of the Republic of Belarus, but not for the sake of a position, but in order to return you the right to choose. We are building a country not only for ourselves, but also for our children. I want our children to receive a good education, medical care, so that they can find a good job, start a family and have their own home. So that they stay to live here, on their land, and not want to leave in search of a freer and more just country. I want us to feel love and respect for ourselves, have the right to choose and be proud of our country to live in. I want Belarus to be respected in the world, so that we look for friends, not enemies. I want to see the vile tradition of persecuting people for the truth become a thing of the past.”
Then she looks into the National Policy which was constructed with the assistance of Victor Babariko and Valery Tsepkalo, as well as “the best experts, parties and public organizations.”
Babariko and Tsepkalo had a website, which contained the National Policy, but it appears to be gone now – reformby.com, it is available on Web Archive. Tsikhanovskaya linked the website in her campaign website – essentially the National Policy wasn’t even part of her own campaign, but a link to an outside, third party website, as it was likely made by individuals outside of her campaign party.
The main directions of reforming the existing state policy are: withdrawal from integration associations with the participation of Russia; preservation and development of the national cultural heritage, the Belarusian language; sustainable economic growth; high level and quality of life of citizens; democratic system of government.
Below are the issues that the improved national security needs to deal with:
Aggressive foreign policy of the Kremlin.
To implement its revisionist, imperial plans, the Kremlin is actively using:
economic and energy blackmail,
information pressure,
spreading fake news and misinformation,
toxic effects on the elite and society,
falsification of history in order to manipulate the public consciousness,
artificial provocation and incitement of internal conflicts.
The Russian leadership is using the concept of “Russian peace” to strengthen Moscow’s control over Belarus. The basis for this is often the Russian language and the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Kremlin is actively using soft power methods: NGOs, thought factories, the media, bloggers, social networks, exchanges and internships in Russia.
Lack of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and other basic freedoms.
Independent media is under severe pressure. Civil society and the political opposition face severe restrictions on their activities and persecution. There have been no free and fair elections in the country for more than two decades.
Low level of national consciousness and dominance of the Russian language.
The complete inability of state ideologues and state media to compete with the propaganda of the Russian media: Russian television and radio actually dominate the information field of Belarus.
The problematic state of the Belarusian economy.
The Belarusian economy is facing significant depreciation of fixed assets and technological backwardness not only from world leaders but also from its neighbors – the EU.
Membership of Belarus in integration supranational entities, dominated by Russia – the Union State, the CSTO, the EurAsEC, the CIS.
As part of the CSTO, Belarusians are threatened with involvement in armed conflicts in Central Asia and around the world. Through participation in the CSTO, there is a threat of the use of Asian or Russian troops in our territory. Belonging to the CSTO also hinders the modernization of the army.
Changing priorities and emphases in the foreign policy of the European Union.
The EU is facing unprecedented migration challenges and the consequences of Brexit. Many EU countries are looking for compromises with the Kremlin.
The United States is not a real guarantor of Belarus ‘independence, despite progress in bilateral relations and Washington’s firm commitment to Belarus’ independence and sovereignty.
Following are the main goals and objectives of the reform:
The main goal of reforming the national security sector is the immediate mobilization and consolidation of society in order to protect independence and sovereignty.
Tasks:
strengthening national identity, increasing patriotism and national dignity;
unification of society on the basis of democratic values and the idea of building an independent Belarus;
reduction of the Kremlin’s influence on Belarus through informational, economic, integration and humanitarian factors;
withdrawal from post-Soviet integration associations dominated by Russia;
integration into Western political, economic and military structures (EU, NATO).
This will all be implemented with the following steps:
In the political sphere:
withdrawal from the “Union State”, the Eurasian Union, the Customs Union and other integration entities dominated by Russia;
banning pro-Russian organizations whose activities run counter to national interests, as well as Russian foundations and organizations that fund such structures;
criminalization of public statements challenging the existence of a separate Belarusian nation and / or its historical right to its own state. Introduction of criminal liability for public insults to the Belarusian language;
monitoring by civil society forces of pro-Kremlin initiatives in Belarus;
border and customs control on the border with Russia.
Prohibition on sale of Belarusian infrastructure facilities to Russian companies. In the information sphere:
liberation of independent media from state pressure and control, ensuring media freedom and freedom of speech in Belarus;
ban on broadcasting journalistic socio-political and news programs created by Russian TV channels in Belarus;
inclusion in the standard TV package of mandatory public TV channels of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine;
resumption of permanent activities of the Public Coordinating Council in the field of mass media.
In the military sphere:
withdrawal from the CSTO, return of full control of Belarus over its own air and missile defense systems;
withdrawal from the territory of Belarus of Russian military facilities – a communication center in Vileyka and a radar station near Baranovichi;
expansion of patriotic education in the Belarusian army;
translation of educational work in the army into Belarusian;
development of border infrastructure at the borders with EU countries, increasing the capacity of border crossings.
In the environmental sphere:
ban on commissioning and closure of new harmful industries in Brest, Mogilev, Svetlogorsk;
publication of comprehensive truthful information on the construction, safety and operation of the Astravets NPP;
holding a broad public discussion on the fate of the Astravets NPP.
In the social sphere:
raising wages and improving the working conditions of health and education workers.
In the cultural sphere:
popularization of national heroes with a bias in the XIX and XX centuries;
popularization of Kastus Kalinouski as a political founder of the modern Belarusian nation, as a symbol of the struggle of Belarusians for freedom and independence and as a figure that should consolidate around all those committed to the values of national revival and independence.
These steps generally need to be fulfilled by 2025 and 2030 respectively, when the plan is for Belarus to finally enter NATO and the EU.
The plan by 2030 also includes strengthening cooperation and formation of strategic partnership within the Baltic-Black Sea community, formation and organizational design of the relevant regional intergovernmental bloc.
Additionally, diversifying energy supplies by 2030 is also important: a limit on the share of suppliers in any of the countries to a maximum of 30% of total energy imports. This is specifically aimed against Russia, but is obviously not achievable in the very-short term, that is why it is not mentioned in the immediate steps to be taken.
Naturally, Tsikhanovskaya would also need outside help, and she issued an appeal to the European Council for assistance.
Summing up the plans and actions of the Belarusian ‘opposition’, it becomes evident that its main goal is to seize power with the support of Western backers by any means and then just turn Belarus into Ukraine 2.0. The Belarus sovereignty, economy and interests of Belarusian citizens will be sacrificed for the interests of a small group of Western-funded ‘activists’ and ‘politicians’ and the country will be sold off to Euro-Atlantic structures.
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southfront--2020-08-19--Five Indian Security Personnel, Three Militants Killed In Clashes In Kashmir

Five Indian security forces and three militants were killed in related incidents in Kashmir on Monday and Tuesday , in one of the deadliest clashes in the disputed Muslim-majority region since its autonomy was revoked by India ’ s central government last year .
According to Indian authorities militants attacked a security checkpoint at Suchpora Kreeri , north of the main city of Srinagar , on Monday morning and killed one local policeman and two officers from the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force .
In a counter operation by security forces , two militants were killed while a soldier also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday morning the number of militants killed in the encounter had gone to up to three while five security forces personnel were also killed .
The security forces personnel killed during the clash include two army soldiers , two CRPF personnel and a policeman .
Police identified the third militant killed in the operation as Usman , a Pakistani national and a top Lashkar-e-Taiba ( LeT ) commander .
They said he was one of the two militants who killed BJP leader Waseem Bari , his father and his brother in Bandipore in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on July 12 , to have killed Usman and two more militants in an operation in Sopore ’ s Reban village .
On that occasion police had said that Usman was involved in the firing on paramilitary forces , resulting in the death of a CRPF man and a civilian .
LINK In recent weeks , militants have intensified attacks on village council members and other leaders in Kashmir .
Five councillors have been shot dead in the past three months , prompting police to move 1,000 village leaders to high-security zones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) .
LINK On Tuesday of this week an army spokesperson confirmed that three militants had been killed in the operation while two more soldiers , in addition to the three security personnel killed yesterday , had died from their wounds .
One AK 47 rifle and three pistols have been recovered from the encounter site .
Indian authorities claim that militant commander Usman was among the top commanders of LeT and with the death of both Sajad alias Hyder and Usman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has suffered a significant loss .
Last week , two policemen were killed in a militant attack on Friday .
This month Kashmir , claimed by both India and Pakistan , marked one year since New Delhi revoked its constitutional autonomy , infuriating the people of Kashmir and inflaming religious tensions in the region .
Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 .
Both countries claim it in full but rule it in part .
Many Kashmiris want independence and consider the occupying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unwanted guests .
The move to revoke Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir ’ s special constitutional status and autonomy is widely seen as as another step in the erosion of Kashmiri and Muslim rights by India ’ s Hindu-nationalist government .
New Delhi rejects that argument and claims that the changes will promote economic development and bring the region closer to the rest of the country .
Earlier this month , Indian authorities imposed a strict curfew in Kashmir in anticipation of protests ahead of 5 August – the day last year that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kashmir ’ s status guaranteed by Article 370 of the Indian Constitution .
The state was split into two federally-administered regions and its semi-autonomous status and system of government were revoked , as well as abolishing restrictions on the ownership of land in the region .
Officials said that the curfew was meant to prevent violence by groups planning to observe 5 August as ‘ black day ’ , and additional troops were deployed to the region to enforce the lockdown .
Last year , thousands of Kashmiris were detained during the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision was announced , and a communications blackout was imposed that included severing all internet access in the region , in a pre-emptive move to thwart protests .
Due to the strict lockdown and the detention of thousands of people , including three former chief ministers of the state , protests against the move were largely controlled .
The state was under curfew-like conditions for months following the revocation of Kashmir ’ s special constitutional status .
And then , when things started getting back to normal , the pandemic struck .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for most of the year .
LINK MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Taliban car bomb leaves at least 7 intelligence officers dead in Eastern Afghanistan

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Five Indian security forces and three militants were killed in related incidents in Kashmir on Monday and Tuesday, in one of the deadliest clashes in the disputed Muslim-majority region since its autonomy was revoked by India’s central government last year.
According to Indian authorities militants attacked a security checkpoint at Suchpora Kreeri, north of the main city of Srinagar, on Monday morning and killed one local policeman and two officers from the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force.
In a counter operation by security forces, two militants were killed while a soldier also died in the initial clashes. By Tuesday morning the number of militants killed in the encounter had gone to up to three while five security forces personnel were also killed. The security forces personnel killed during the clash include two army soldiers, two CRPF personnel and a policeman.
Police identified the third militant killed in the operation as Usman, a Pakistani national and a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander. They said he was one of the two militants who killed BJP leader Waseem Bari, his father and his brother in Bandipore in July.
Indian police had previously claimed, on July 12, to have killed Usman and two more militants in an operation in Sopore’s Reban village. On that occasion police had said that Usman was involved in the firing on paramilitary forces, resulting in the death of a CRPF man and a civilian. LINK
In recent weeks, militants have intensified attacks on village council members and other leaders in Kashmir. Five councillors have been shot dead in the past three months, prompting police to move 1,000 village leaders to high-security zones. Many of those attacked belong to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). LINK
On Tuesday of this week an army spokesperson confirmed that three militants had been killed in the operation while two more soldiers, in addition to the three security personnel killed yesterday, had died from their wounds. One AK 47 rifle and three pistols have been recovered from the encounter site.
Indian authorities claim that militant commander Usman was among the top commanders of LeT and with the death of both Sajad alias Hyder and Usman in the Kreeri operation, the LeT has suffered a significant loss.
“Two top commanders of the LeT outfit have been eliminated in the Kreeri operation. The terrain and the topography of the area delayed in concluding the operation fast. The security forces lost five jawans in the operation,” he said. “Drones were also used in the operation, however, since the area was dense, dotted with trees, the drones could not yield the desired result.” LINK
Last week, two policemen were killed in a militant attack on Friday.
This month Kashmir, claimed by both India and Pakistan, marked one year since New Delhi revoked its constitutional autonomy, infuriating the people of Kashmir and inflaming religious tensions in the region. Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both countries claim it in full but rule it in part. Many Kashmiris want independence and consider the occupying forces of both countries to be uninvited and unwanted guests.
The move to revoke Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and autonomy is widely seen as as another step in the erosion of Kashmiri and Muslim rights by India’s Hindu-nationalist government. New Delhi rejects that argument and claims that the changes will promote economic development and bring the region closer to the rest of the country.
Earlier this month, Indian authorities imposed a strict curfew in Kashmir in anticipation of protests ahead of 5 August – the day last year that the central government announced it was revoking Kashmir’s status guaranteed by Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The state was split into two federally-administered regions and its semi-autonomous status and system of government were revoked, as well as abolishing restrictions on the ownership of land in the region.
Officials said that the curfew was meant to prevent violence by groups planning to observe 5 August as ‘black day’, and additional troops were deployed to the region to enforce the lockdown.
Last year, thousands of Kashmiris were detained during the lockdown that was imposed in the days after the decision was announced, and a communications blackout was imposed that included severing all internet access in the region, in a pre-emptive move to thwart protests. Due to the strict lockdown and the detention of thousands of people, including three former chief ministers of the state, protests against the move were largely controlled.
The state was under curfew-like conditions for months following the revocation of Kashmir’s special constitutional status. And then, when things started getting back to normal, the pandemic struck. The communications blackout has been in place for most of the year. LINK
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southfront--2020-08-19--AGM-86 ALCM Air-Launched Strategic Cruise Missile (Infographics)

Yup , this is the cruice missile that slammed into the PentaGoons head quarter , remeber the 9/11 shitshow , and they claimed it was an airliner , an 737 or whatever , but the impack zone is to smal and the residues found after where , somewhat the same they showd us after the plain crash in the open field , witch in both cases where riddicilously faked , but the videos of the PentaGoon attack shows exactly this one .
https : //www.youtube.com/watch ?
v=0SL2PzzOiF8 Stop the video an 0.5 seconds , and I found this one a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linked to before should show a bit more , but this one have been cutted down and is showing more of the impackt than what the previous one I linked to but never the less , this one shows the Amg 86. an white one without any other signs , despite the low quality of the images .
So , there are two gate guard boxes standing in this video , and 3 road cones , what I want you to foucs on is in the right side , in this video its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first red cone , and the Amgs nose slightly tuches the uper part of the first gate box ( I call it that since I am not native english and I dont bother to look for the real name on this things ) , and extends into the edge of this video , thats all you see , because this type of old security videos cuts into sequences , and is not always showing an continuing filming .
If you dont stop , you see nothing , this is in other videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone but in that video its just in one single frame .
To then drool something about wether this is an 757 or whatever is just bullshit , this is not an or in any way an airlines , its simply to smal and moves to fast this close to the ground .

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The AGM-86 ALCM is a subsonic air-launched cruise missile built by Boeing and operated by the US Air Force. The main launch platform is Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers.
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southfront--2020-08-19--US Troops Occupying Koniko Gas Field Came Under Rocket Attack

On August 18 evening , US troops occupying the Koniko gas field area on the eastern bank of the Euphrates @ @ @ @ @ rocket attack , according to Arab media and local sources .
Several unguided rockets reportedly @ @ @ @ @ but did not cause any casualties .
Just a few hours ago the US military @ @ @ @ @ Reaper ( it may appear that two ) over Idlib .
More about the incident @ @ @ @ @ found HERE .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • MQ-9 Reaper Of US Military Was @ @ @ @ @ Video ) • Russian Major-General Died , Two Servicemen Injured In Roadside Blast In Syria

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On August 18 evening, US troops occupying the Koniko gas field area on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in Syria came under rocket attack, according to Arab media and local sources.
Several unguided rockets reportedly hit the US positions, but did not cause any casualties.
Just a few hours ago the US military lost at least one MQ-9 Reaper (it may appear that two) over Idlib. More about the incident with US drones could be found HERE.
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southfront--2020-08-19--Is Lukashenko Losing Battle For Belarus?

Belarus has been passing through a deep political crisis strengthened by the complicated economic situation and Western-backed regime-change attempts .
On August 18 , pro-Western forces continued their pressure campaign on the Lukashenko-led government seeking to force Alexander Lukashenko to resign .
Western mainstream media and opposition propaganda structures ( funded and controlled from the EU , first of all Poland ) argue that the demonstrations showed signs of expanding , with more factory workers joining the protests and hundreds of people gathering outside factories and a jail where the husband of the country ’ s main opposition figure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pro-Western opposition is currently focusing on the following directions : • The further expansion of protests across the country ; • The promotion of the nation-wide strike with the goal of stopping all main industrial facilities of Belarus , including the direct blockade of key administrative and industrial objects ; • The psychological pressure on citizens , government workers , diplomats and security forces personnel in order to force them to break the ties with the Lukashenko government and declare the public support to the opposition ( even if this goes contrary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The creation of an alternative system of governance , including the government in exile led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya that is now in Lithuania .
The number of protesters participating in daily events and especially plants involved in the ‘ nation-wide ’ strike is intentionally overestimated by Western-funded propaganda structures .
At the same time , it should be noted that the real coordinators of the ‘ grassroots ’ protest use the created opposition ‘ strike force ’ very effective .
The video below shows what ’ s happening near the entrance to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MTZ ) and what a plant worker sees when he leaves the plant .
All these people that gathered near the plant and were waving opposition flags and screaming were not plant workers .
This is an organized gathering designed to threaten and psychologically pressure the plant ’ s workers , as well as the rest of the population ( depending on the location of event ) , and force them to accept the ‘ new reality ’ – i.e .
the self-declared victory of the opposition .
The actions of these protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrative objects under the command of their coordinators are aimed at forcing people , regardless their real position , to declare the public support to the regime change efforts .
In other cases , this crowd signals , people will face negative consequences ( including threats to life ) as ‘ supporters of the regime ’ .
Earlier , this approach was already employed during the coup in Ukraine in 2014 .
Nonetheless , the Belarusian case is slightly different because Belarus has kept its industrial potential and the industrial sector and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s economic and social life .
Therefore , they become a target of a coordinated attack .
At the same time , the establishment of control over Belarusian plants and their further looting in the field of interests of the leaders of the Belarusian ‘ democratic opposition ’ and its sponsors .
The dominance of the opposition in the media sphere and on the street have become almost unconditional .
At least , this situation will remain in this filed as long as there are no looting and violent actions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities .
However , even in this case , the reaction of the Lukashenko government will likely be painted as the suppression of ‘ peaceful protesters ’ .
The international community is very concerned by the situation in Belarus : In own turn , after the first days of riots , when the government successfully and extensively used force to suppress them , President Lukashenko demonstrated that currently he has no understanding on what to do with the ‘ nonviolent resistance ’ campaign and does not control the situation .
If nothing changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governance system and the fall of Lukashenko is the matter of the next few weeks .
Meanwhile , the entire policy of Lukashenko and a majority of his recent actions were apparently aimed at causing the maximum damage to Belarus ’ main military ally and de-facto economic sponsor , Russia .
For a long time , Lukashenko had made regular and hostile statements towards Moscow and had contributed extensive efforts to undermine the relations with Russia .
Just ahead of the elections , Lukashenko provoked a new public conflict with Russia regarding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more unconditional support by blackmailing Moscow in various fields ) .
Then , Lukashenko employed a harsh anti-Russian rhetoric ahead and during the presidential election .
The Lukashenko government staged and participated in the provocation with detention of ‘ Russian mercenaries ’ that allegedly came to destabilize Belarus ( spoiler – no ) .
After this , the Lukashenko government allowed the main public figure of the opposition , Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , to flee to Lithuania , where he , under the patronage of Lithuanian , Polish and US special services , immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the situation went out of control and Lukashenko felt that his political regime is crumbling , he found out that he ’ s an ally of Russia and Belarusians are the ‘ Russian people ’ .
So , he started fiercely speculating that Moscow will support his political regime at any cost , including the military intervention .
In fact , no such statements were made by the Kremlin and the only declaration of the military support was related to the protection of Belarus from a foreign intervention as a member state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite this , the behavior of Lukashenko created conditions for the anti-Russian hysteria among the pro-Western opposition in Belarus as well as in Western mainstream media .
The refusal of Lukashenko to make political reforms and his determination to remain in power at any cost prolong the ongoing crisis and play into the hand of the Western-controlled opposition .
Every day , the political and public campaign run by pro-Western forces gains momentum .
The ‘ alternative ’ governance system controlled from the abroad and consisting of clearly anti-Russian and pro-Western figures is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As to Russia , over the past weeks , Moscow has demonstrated that it has no active policy towards the crisis in Belarus .
The Russian leadership may have decided that it has no tactical opportunities that will allow it to secure its interests .
Therefore , Moscow may have opted a more prolonged strategy that includes into the consideration the possible victory of the pro-Western opposition and its expected negative consequences ( looting of the industrial complex and the collapse of the economy ) .
In this case , Russia will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Belarus using the dissatisfaction of the population with the deterioration of the social and economic situation under the Western rule in 2-3 years .
In the event of a larger crisis and the start of a nationalist-initiated bloodbath in Belarus , Russia may opt to employ a peace-keeping force to put an end to the violence .
In this scenario and in the case of success of the peace-restoring operation , the political and economic integration of Belarus with Russia as a part of the Union Sate will be relaunched and Belarus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only on paper ( since 1996 ) , but de-facto .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Polish Psychological Operations Unit On Guard Of ‘ Democracy ’ In Belarus

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Belarus has been passing through a deep political crisis strengthened by the complicated economic situation and Western-backed regime-change attempts.
On August 18, pro-Western forces continued their pressure campaign on the Lukashenko-led government seeking to force Alexander Lukashenko to resign. Western mainstream media and opposition propaganda structures (funded and controlled from the EU, first of all Poland) argue that the demonstrations showed signs of expanding, with more factory workers joining the protests and hundreds of people gathering outside factories and a jail where the husband of the country’s main opposition figure, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, is being held.
The pro-Western opposition is currently focusing on the following directions:
The further expansion of protests across the country;
The promotion of the nation-wide strike with the goal of stopping all main industrial facilities of Belarus, including the direct blockade of key administrative and industrial objects;
The psychological pressure on citizens, government workers, diplomats and security forces personnel in order to force them to break the ties with the Lukashenko government and declare the public support to the opposition (even if this goes contrary to their real views);
The creation of an alternative system of governance, including the government in exile led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya that is now in Lithuania.
The number of protesters participating in daily events and especially plants involved in the ‘nation-wide’ strike is intentionally overestimated by Western-funded propaganda structures. (MORE ABOUT THEM HERE AND HERE) At the same time, it should be noted that the real coordinators of the ‘grassroots’ protest use the created opposition ‘strike force’ very effective. The video below shows what’s happening near the entrance to the Minsk Automobile Plant (also known as MTZ) and what a plant worker sees when he leaves the plant.
All these people that gathered near the plant and were waving opposition flags and screaming were not plant workers. This is an organized gathering designed to threaten and psychologically pressure the plant’s workers, as well as the rest of the population (depending on the location of event), and force them to accept the ‘new reality’ – i.e. the self-declared victory of the opposition. The actions of these protest groups that deploy near key industrial and administrative objects under the command of their coordinators are aimed at forcing people, regardless their real position, to declare the public support to the regime change efforts. In other cases, this crowd signals, people will face negative consequences (including threats to life) as ‘supporters of the regime’.
Earlier, this approach was already employed during the coup in Ukraine in 2014. Nonetheless, the Belarusian case is slightly different because Belarus has kept its industrial potential and the industrial sector and its workers play an important role in the country’s economic and social life. Therefore, they become a target of a coordinated attack. At the same time, the establishment of control over Belarusian plants and their further looting in the field of interests of the leaders of the Belarusian ‘democratic opposition’ and its sponsors.
The dominance of the opposition in the media sphere and on the street have become almost unconditional. At least, this situation will remain in this filed as long as there are no looting and violent actions that could justify the usage of force by authorities. However, even in this case, the reaction of the Lukashenko government will likely be painted as the suppression of ‘peaceful protesters’.
The international community is very concerned by the situation in Belarus:
Asked if he supports protesters in Belarus, Trump mishears the reporter and offers a Freudian slip — "protesters and terrorists?" Then, after paying lip service to democracy, he takes the opportunity to bash "so-called peaceful protesters" in Portland. pic.twitter.com/NvulVR26zi — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 18, 2020
In own turn, after the first days of riots, when the government successfully and extensively used force to suppress them, President Lukashenko demonstrated that currently he has no understanding on what to do with the ‘nonviolent resistance’ campaign and does not control the situation. If nothing changes, the collapse of the current Belarusian governance system and the fall of Lukashenko is the matter of the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, the entire policy of Lukashenko and a majority of his recent actions were apparently aimed at causing the maximum damage to Belarus’ main military ally and de-facto economic sponsor, Russia. For a long time, Lukashenko had made regular and hostile statements towards Moscow and had contributed extensive efforts to undermine the relations with Russia.
Just ahead of the elections, Lukashenko provoked a new public conflict with Russia regarding the gas supplies and economic questions (demanding more unconditional support by blackmailing Moscow in various fields). Then, Lukashenko employed a harsh anti-Russian rhetoric ahead and during the presidential election. The Lukashenko government staged and participated in the provocation with detention of ‘Russian mercenaries’ that allegedly came to destabilize Belarus (spoiler – no). After this, the Lukashenko government allowed the main public figure of the opposition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to flee to Lithuania, where he, under the patronage of Lithuanian, Polish and US special services, immediately started creating the government in exile. When the situation went out of control and Lukashenko felt that his political regime is crumbling, he found out that he’s an ally of Russia and Belarusians are the ‘Russian people’. So, he started fiercely speculating that Moscow will support his political regime at any cost, including the military intervention. In fact, no such statements were made by the Kremlin and the only declaration of the military support was related to the protection of Belarus from a foreign intervention as a member state of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Despite this, the behavior of Lukashenko created conditions for the anti-Russian hysteria among the pro-Western opposition in Belarus as well as in Western mainstream media. The refusal of Lukashenko to make political reforms and his determination to remain in power at any cost prolong the ongoing crisis and play into the hand of the Western-controlled opposition. Every day, the political and public campaign run by pro-Western forces gains momentum. The ‘alternative’ governance system controlled from the abroad and consisting of clearly anti-Russian and pro-Western figures is being formed under the brand of Tsikhanouskaya.
As to Russia, over the past weeks, Moscow has demonstrated that it has no active policy towards the crisis in Belarus. The Russian leadership may have decided that it has no tactical opportunities that will allow it to secure its interests. Therefore, Moscow may have opted a more prolonged strategy that includes into the consideration the possible victory of the pro-Western opposition and its expected negative consequences (looting of the industrial complex and the collapse of the economy). In this case, Russia will have an opportunity to restore its influence in Belarus using the dissatisfaction of the population with the deterioration of the social and economic situation under the Western rule in 2-3 years. In the event of a larger crisis and the start of a nationalist-initiated bloodbath in Belarus, Russia may opt to employ a peace-keeping force to put an end to the violence. In this scenario and in the case of success of the peace-restoring operation, the political and economic integration of Belarus with Russia as a part of the Union Sate will be relaunched and Belarus and Russia will become the Union State not only on paper (since 1996), but de-facto.
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southfront--2020-08-19--Taiwan And US Sign Agreement For Purchase Of 90 F-16 Aircraft

Taiwan has signed a 62-billion-dollar deal to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the United States .
The deal is the biggest weapons sale to have been concluded between Washington and Taipei and is sure to further increase the already extremely high tensions with China .
Under the deal , which was announced by the Pentagon last Friday , the US has agreed to sell 90 F-16 fighter jets from US-based aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin to Taiwan over a span of about 10 years .
The self-ruled island , which China considers part of its territory , obtained the green light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new generation F-16s to modernize its air force , however no agreement was concluded at the time .
The deal marks the first time since 1992 that advanced fighter jets have been sold to Taiwan and is expected to infuriate China , which has repeatedly warned Washington against selling advanced weaponry to Taipei .
Following media reports of the agreement last year , a spokesperson for China ’ s Foreign Ministry called on the US to “ refrain ” from selling the “ fighter jets to Taiwan and stop arms sales to and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Chinese side will surely make strong reactions , and the US will have to bear all the consequences.
” China claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan under the “ One China ” policy , and most countries recognize that sovereignty , saying the island is part of China ’ s territory awaiting reunification .
The US also recognizes Chinese sovereignty over the island but at the same time maintains relations with Taipei as a bargaining chip in its geopolitical rivalry with Beijing .
Although Washington has no diplomatic relations with Taipei by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s largest weapons supplier and has been a consistent supporter of Taiwan ’ s secessionist-minded president Tsai Ing-wen .
Tsai has rejected Beijing ’ s stance that Taiwan is part of “ One China ” and instead views the island as “ already independent.
” Washington also regularly conducts military patrols and exercises around the self-governed island , including regular over flights and sailing its warships through the strategic Taiwan Strait , which separates Taiwan from China .
Relations between the United States and China have hit the lowest level in decades under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries are at loggerheads over a range of issues , including trade , Hong Kong , Taiwan , the South China Sea , and the coronavirus pandemic .
Last week , the US navy said in a statement that a strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan had conducted military exercises in the South China Sea .
According to the statement , the strike group carried out flight operations as well as high-end maritime stability operations and drills at the disputed sea .
LINK China does not rule out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under its full control , and if Taiwan and the US take their relations and joint military cooperation much further China may well consider that it has no choice but to use force to occupy the island .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • US Secretary of State dedicates major address to China baiting

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Taiwan has signed a 62-billion-dollar deal to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the United States. The deal is the biggest weapons sale to have been concluded between Washington and Taipei and is sure to further increase the already extremely high tensions with China.
Under the deal, which was announced by the Pentagon last Friday, the US has agreed to sell 90 F-16 fighter jets from US-based aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin to Taiwan over a span of about 10 years.
The self-ruled island, which China considers part of its territory, obtained the green light from Washington last year to buy 66 new generation F-16s to modernize its air force, however no agreement was concluded at the time.
The deal marks the first time since 1992 that advanced fighter jets have been sold to Taiwan and is expected to infuriate China, which has repeatedly warned Washington against selling advanced weaponry to Taipei.
Following media reports of the agreement last year, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry called on the US to “refrain” from selling the “fighter jets to Taiwan and stop arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan.” “Otherwise, the Chinese side will surely make strong reactions, and the US will have to bear all the consequences.”
China claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan under the “One China” policy, and most countries recognize that sovereignty, saying the island is part of China’s territory awaiting reunification.
The US also recognizes Chinese sovereignty over the island but at the same time maintains relations with Taipei as a bargaining chip in its geopolitical rivalry with Beijing.
Although Washington has no diplomatic relations with Taipei by law, it is the island’s largest weapons supplier and has been a consistent supporter of Taiwan’s secessionist-minded president Tsai Ing-wen.
Tsai has rejected Beijing’s stance that Taiwan is part of “One China” and instead views the island as “already independent.”
Washington also regularly conducts military patrols and exercises around the self-governed island, including regular over flights and sailing its warships through the strategic Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan from China.
Relations between the United States and China have hit the lowest level in decades under US President Donald Trump. The two countries are at loggerheads over a range of issues, including trade, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, the US navy said in a statement that a strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan had conducted military exercises in the South China Sea. According to the statement, the strike group carried out flight operations as well as high-end maritime stability operations and drills at the disputed sea. LINK
China does not rule out the use of force to bring the island under its full control, and if Taiwan and the US take their relations and joint military cooperation much further China may well consider that it has no choice but to use force to occupy the island.
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southfront--2020-08-19--Egyptian Parliament Approves Maritime Agreement With Greece, Germany And US Step Up Diplomatic Effor

Egyptian Parliament Approves Maritime Agreement With Greece, Germany And US Step Up Diplomatic Efforts In Libya

On Monday the Egyptian parliament ’ s legislative and constitutional affairs committee approved a deal demarcating maritime borders with Greece .
The deal was signed by the ministers of foreign affairs of Egypt and Greece in Cairo on 6 August .
A report prepared by the committee said that MPs approved the deal after they had ensured that it is consistent with Egypt ’ s constitutional and legal requirements .
The report said the deal aims at partially demarcating the maritime borders between the two parties in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea .
The report indicates that the EEZ will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ E West ” and in line with attached geographical formulations and that it forms an integral part of the deal .
The report said that any change of the geographical formulations between point “ A to the East ” and point “ E to the west ” will be concluded only under a bilateral agreement between the two countries .
The deal also states that if natural resources , including hydrocarbons , are found in an extension area between the EEZ of the two countries , there should be a new deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that any disputes in this respect shall be settled through diplomatic channels .
Egypt and Greece signed a maritime demarcation deal on 6 August .
Egypt ’ s Foreign Minister Sameh Soukry said in a press conference that the provisions of the deal are in line with international law and the United Nations Convention On The Law Of The Sea .
Shoukry pointed out that the new agreement paves the way for more regional cooperation between the Egyptian and Greek sides in the field of energy , given the membership of the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Turkey ’ s foreign minister claimed on the same day the Egypt-Greece deal was signed that it is baseless and that it falls in the area of Turkey ’ s continental shelf .
Reuters quoted the ministry as saying that Turkey considers the agreement null and void and that the deal also violates Libya ’ s maritime rights .
Tensions were already high between Greece and Turkey over the exploration of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean .
Greece has stated that it would not hesitate using force to stop Turkey ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
LINK Meanwhile , in Libya German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made an unannounced visit to Tripoli on Monday , saying that the world must not be fooled by the ‘ deceptive calm ’ ’ in Libya at the moment and should take the initiative to find a way to end the conflict .
Maas said in a statement upon arrival in the North African country that he was meeting with officials in the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) in the capital to “ talk about ways out of this very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the bloody civil war are being armed by international allies .
Germany has been trying to act as an intermediary , and in January held a summit in Berlin where participants from both sides agreed to respect an arms embargo and push Libya ’ s warring parties to reach a full cease-fire , but the agreement has been repeatedly violated .
Maas will also travel to Abu Dhabi to meet with his counterpart there to urge him to use the UAE ’ s influence with Hafter to end hostilities ‘ in line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defence ministers of Turkey and Qatar were also in Libya on Monday , but it wasn ’ t immediately clear whether the German foreign minister met with them , and the Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a query .
Turkey signed a military accord with the GNA late last year , as well as a memorandum of understanding on maritime boundaries , that was rejected by Egypt , Greece and Cyprus .
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and Chief of Staff General Yasar Guler were in Tripoli on Monday to ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation deal with Libya , Turkey ’ s defence ministry said .
LINK Last week , US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland visited Cairo last for talks with Egyptian officials and the speaker of the Tobruk-based Libyan House of Representatives , Aguila Saleh , on means of resolving the Libyan conflict .
In an interview with Norland said Washington aims to “ get forces to pull back ” and “ find some sort of neutral security arrangement ” for Sirte .
He revealed that one of the ideas suggested during talks involved the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that the political dimension of the Cairo Declaration on 6 June offers an opportunity for new voices to emerge from Libya ’ s east to engage with the GNA in Tripoli and initiate a Libyan political dialogue with a new approach to seek a negotiated solution to the conflict .
“ One of the ideas we are suggesting is supporting some sort of a demilitarised solution around Sirte .
We are not the only ones who suggested that , but if we can use our influence to do so , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The aim is to get forces to pull back , to find some sort of neutral security arrangement for the city itself , and to avoid the risk of Sirte becoming a flashpoint for an expanded conflict… We have an opportunity here to consolidate a long-term ceasefire , and I am not going to say whether I am optimistic or pessimistic , but I think it is an opportunity that rational parties support and will continue to do so .
The reason is that the alternative is a serious regional conflict.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made to attempt to forge a preliminary agreement between the main belligerent parties that could pave the way to broader negotiations over the future of the Libyan State .
If they fail , it is just a matter of time until hostilities break out again , with the serious risk of direct clashes between Turkey and Egypt that could draw in other countries in the region as well .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Ripple effects Greece and Turkey open new northern front on Libyan conflict • Al Sisi says Egypt has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect Sirte al Jufra • A reconsideration of domestic challenges to achieving a peaceful settlement in Libya

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On Monday the Egyptian parliament’s legislative and constitutional affairs committee approved a deal demarcating maritime borders with Greece. The deal was signed by the ministers of foreign affairs of Egypt and Greece in Cairo on 6 August.
A report prepared by the committee said that MPs approved the deal after they had ensured that it is consistent with Egypt’s constitutional and legal requirements.
“The deal between the two republics of Egypt and Greece also go in line with international law,” the report states, adding that “it also includes establishing an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between the two countries.”
The report said the deal aims at partially demarcating the maritime borders between the two parties in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
“The demarcation of these borders will be completed when necessary and once consultations between the two countries on point ‘A’ and point ‘E’ are finished in line with international law.”
The report indicates that the EEZ will be between point “A East” and “E West” and in line with attached geographical formulations and that it forms an integral part of the deal.
The report said that any change of the geographical formulations between point “A to the East” and point “E to the west” will be concluded only under a bilateral agreement between the two countries.
“If any of the two parties seeks to sign an EEZ with a third country sharing maritime borders with the two countries, it shall inform the other party in advance and ahead of signing the deal with the third country,” said the report.
The deal also states that if natural resources, including hydrocarbons, are found in an extension area between the EEZ of the two countries, there should be a new deal on how to utilise these resources and that any disputes in this respect shall be settled through diplomatic channels.
“It can be modified under an agreement between the two parties and that it goes into effect once the ratification documents are exchanged between the two countries,” said the report.
Egypt and Greece signed a maritime demarcation deal on 6 August. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Soukry said in a press conference that the provisions of the deal are in line with international law and the United Nations Convention On The Law Of The Sea.
Shoukry pointed out that the new agreement paves the way for more regional cooperation between the Egyptian and Greek sides in the field of energy, given the membership of the two countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum.
The forum’s members are Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. The forum was established in January 2019 to “create a regional gas market, optimise resource development, cut the cost of infrastructure, offer competitive prices, and improve trade ties,” according to Egypt’s petroleum ministry. Shoukry added that “the friendly relationship between Egypt and Greece is a key pillar to preserving the security and stability of the Eastern Mediterranean and countering the threats stemming from irresponsible policies that support extremism and terrorism.”
Turkey’s foreign minister claimed on the same day the Egypt-Greece deal was signed that it is baseless and that it falls in the area of Turkey’s continental shelf.
Reuters quoted the ministry as saying that Turkey considers the agreement null and void and that the deal also violates Libya’s maritime rights.
Tensions were already high between Greece and Turkey over the exploration of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greece has stated that it would not hesitate using force to stop Turkey’s illegal exploration works in the Mediterranean. LINK
Meanwhile, in Libya German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made an unannounced visit to Tripoli on Monday, saying that the world must not be fooled by the ‘deceptive calm’’ in Libya at the moment and should take the initiative to find a way to end the conflict.
Maas said in a statement upon arrival in the North African country that he was meeting with officials in the Government of National Accord (GNA) in the capital to “talk about ways out of this very dangerous situation'” where both sides in the bloody civil war are being armed by international allies.
Germany has been trying to act as an intermediary, and in January held a summit in Berlin where participants from both sides agreed to respect an arms embargo and push Libya’s warring parties to reach a full cease-fire, but the agreement has been repeatedly violated.
Maas will also travel to Abu Dhabi to meet with his counterpart there to urge him to use the UAE’s influence with Hafter to end hostilities ‘in line with the Berlin summit’.
The defence ministers of Turkey and Qatar were also in Libya on Monday, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether the German foreign minister met with them, and the Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a query.
Turkey signed a military accord with the GNA late last year, as well as a memorandum of understanding on maritime boundaries, that was rejected by Egypt, Greece and Cyprus.
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and Chief of Staff General Yasar Guler were in Tripoli on Monday to ‘observe the operations’ under a military cooperation deal with Libya, Turkey’s defence ministry said. LINK
Last week, US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland visited Cairo last for talks with Egyptian officials and the speaker of the Tobruk-based Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, on means of resolving the Libyan conflict.
In an interview with Ahram Online Norland said Washington aims to “get forces to pull back” and “find some sort of neutral security arrangement” for Sirte. He revealed that one of the ideas suggested during talks involved the establishment of a demilitarised zone around Sirte, and that the political dimension of the Cairo Declaration on 6 June offers an opportunity for new voices to emerge from Libya’s east to engage with the GNA in Tripoli and initiate a Libyan political dialogue with a new approach to seek a negotiated solution to the conflict.
“One of the ideas we are suggesting is supporting some sort of a demilitarised solution around Sirte. We are not the only ones who suggested that, but if we can use our influence to do so, we would like very much to do that. The aim is to get forces to pull back, to find some sort of neutral security arrangement for the city itself, and to avoid the risk of Sirte becoming a flashpoint for an expanded conflict… We have an opportunity here to consolidate a long-term ceasefire, and I am not going to say whether I am optimistic or pessimistic, but I think it is an opportunity that rational parties support and will continue to do so. The reason is that the alternative is a serious regional conflict.” LINK
A concerted diplomatic effort is being made to attempt to forge a preliminary agreement between the main belligerent parties that could pave the way to broader negotiations over the future of the Libyan State. If they fail, it is just a matter of time until hostilities break out again, with the serious risk of direct clashes between Turkey and Egypt that could draw in other countries in the region as well.
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southfront--2020-08-19--Map Update: Ansar Allah Liberated 1,000 km2 From Al-Qaeda And ISIS In Central Yemen

I ’ m starting to learn arabic .
I want to reach more information about this war .
It seems @ @ @ @ @ that the balance can tip at any moment in favor of the Resistance here and @ @ @ @ @ ’ s struggles .
Marib seems in a very weak position now and it ’ @ @ @ @ @ the Houthis said they were going after it months ago , and now it ’ @ @ @ @ @ Having so many odds against that ’ s a huge accomplishment .
Also bringing a @ @ @ @ @ Taiz seems like something totally within Houthis capabilities .
I don ’ t know , @ @ @ @ @ information or point of view about this would be very much appreciated , and an @ @ @ @ @ beyond words .
SF maybe ?

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On August 19, Ansar Allah (the Houthis) announed that they had liberated 1,000km2 ISIS and al-Qaeda in the central Yemeni province of al-Bayda. MORE HERE
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southfront--2020-08-19--Uncovering Faces Of Belarusian Opposition

The crisis in Belarus does not seem coming to the end but rather deepening with opposition forces actively creating structures alternative to the existing governing system of the country .
The Coordination Council of the Belarusian opposition , formed under the brand of former presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya hiding in Lithuania , released on August 19 demanding the Lukashenko government to annul the result of the presidential election , release all ‘ political prisoners ’ , and hold a new ‘ fair ’ presidential election .
The ‘ coordination council ’ presidium includes the following persons : Svetlana Alexievich is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Literature received thanks to her hardcore anti-Soviet and anti-Russian views .
Lilia Vlasova and Maxim Znak are ‘ lawyers ’ affiliated with Western-funded network of ‘ non-government organizations ’ and influence groups created in Belarus .
Sergei Dylevsky is a member of the Minsk Tractor Works ’ strike committee .
The psychological pressure on workers and the sabotage of work of large Belarusian plants are among the key goals of the ongoing anti-government campaign .
Olga Kovalkova is former presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya ’ s authorized representative .
Maria Kolesnikova is one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the formal link between the ‘ Belarusian opposition ’ and the ‘ presidential candidate ’ hiding in Lithuania .
Pavel Latushko is the former director general of the Janka Kupala National Theater , well known for his active participation in the Lukashenko-initiated Belarusization campaign in Belarus designed to push out the Russian language and culture from Belarus .
An overwhelming majority ( over 90 % ) of the Belarusian population speaks Russian as a main language and self-identify themselves as Russian-speaking people or ethnic Russians .
Belarus entered the August 9 presidential election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak of protest sentiments .
The cornerstone of this situation is the existing economic and social problems , the general dissatisfaction of the population with the ruling of Alexander Lukashenko and apparent falsifications during the election ( 80.10 % of votes gained by Lukashenko is at least unlikely ) .
As the recent weeks demonstrated , this situation was successfully exploited by forces that destroyed Ukraine and earlier Serbia .
Besides the obvious demands of the full political surrender of Alexander Lukashenko , the August 19 statement of the opposition includes an interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy course of Belarus .
A person that knows little about the internal political situation in Belarus and the real foreign policy course of the Lukashenko administration may consider this as a signal of the supposed intention of the opposition to keep constructive and allied relations with Russia , the main military ally and economic sponsor of Belarus .
In fact , the Belarusian state exists in the current form only thanks to a constant flow of Russian economic support , trade preferences and even direct donations .
Nonetheless , the Lukashenko regime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards Russia for decades .
The video below demonstrates how ‘ Belarusian patriots ’ use Polsih flags during the opposition rally in Grodno .
The work Polish propaganda structures in support of the opposition is not even a secret .
The ‘ pro-Russian ’ Belarusian leader , Alexander Lukashenko , has become an initiator of a wide-scale campaign against pro-Russian media , pro-Russian political activists and even against the Russian language and culture .
The forceful Belarusization ( while a majority of the population barely speaks ‘ thousand-year ’ Belarusian language ) of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lukashenko regime created a foothold for the creation of a strong network of various anti-Russian and pro-Western influence groups and non-government organizations .
They formal ideology varies from the radical Belarusian nationalism ( like Ukrainian neo-Nazi ‘ patriots ’ ) to the Western mainstream neo-liberal agenda , but all they are united by the anti-Russian , anti-Soviet and pro-Western sentiments .
Lukashenko and his circle cultivated these ideologies and influence groups as a bogeyman for the Kremlin and used them to prevent the growth of ‘ Russian influence ’ that he saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The work of Western-funded ‘ non-government organizations ’ and psychological operations of Euro-Atlantic structures were in fact allowed in Belarus , while any pro-Russian organization was immediately suppressed and destroyed .
The personality and scale of influence of Vladimir Makei , who is often called the ‘ second person ’ in Belarus , are another factor allowing to get a more realistic look at Lukashenko ’ s Belarus .
Makei has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus since 2012 and kept his position even after the August 9 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely known as a supporter of the pro-Western foreign policy course and a person with deep ties with the Euro-Atlantic establishment .
The foreign ministry headed by such a person became a tool of influence of Euro-Atlantic structures inside the Belarusian government .
The recent public declarations of mid-level foreign policy officials in support of the opposition signals about the ideological characteristics of the ministry ’ s staff .
Members of the foreign ministry staff declare support to the opposition : Once again , the history gives a lesson that any strong leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal and develop a fruitful cooperation with the neo-liberal-dominated West leads his country to chaos and often dies himself .
The cases of Slobodan Milosevic , Muammar al-Gaddafi and even Saddam Hussein that was destroying his ballistic rockets on cameras in an attempt to please the US-led ‘ international community ’ appeared to be not enough for Lukashenko .
Therefore , if the opposition says that it has no intention to change the ‘ foreign policy course ’ , it means that it is going to do what Lukashenko is already doing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coordination council is also attempt to compensate the public damage from the spread of its official national security strategy that presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya was promoting during the campaign .
This national security strategy directly states about the need to break ties with Russia , withdraw from ‘ Russia-led ’ structures and move towards NATO and the EU .
This is fully in the framework of statements made publicly by representatives of the opposition leadership on a daily basis .
Rhetoric of Polish and Lithuanian-oriented opposition media and activists have a clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrates that it is not seeking to intervene into the Belarusian internal policy and even became a target of provocations organized by the Lukashenko regime .
Despite the fact that these hardcore pro-Western and anti-Russian views are supported less than 5 % of the population , this small group receives the direct financial , diplomatic , media and clandestine support from the West .
This anti-Russian rhetoric , revealing the real face of the opposition leadership is needed for the particular purpose : to fuel the anti-Russian hysteria in order to not allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Euro-Atlantic structures overthrow Lukashenko and start looting billion-worth industrial facilities of the country .
This works like an ordinary corporate raid , when the raider ( Euro-Atlantic financiers ) exploits the pseudo-ideology and the protest in order to seize properties of a third party .
The only party that has means and facilities to prevent this scenario or became a competitor to this raider is Russia .
This is why the opposition has already started the nationalist-driven anti-Russian propaganda campaign .
However , the history can make a tough joke on them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existence of conditionally independent Belarus , Russia did not interfere in the country ’ s internal politics , including the ideological policy of Lukashenko , who de facto supported Belarusian nationalism .
Nonetheless , the Belarusian nation was among the most affected by the Nazism during the Second World War .
The people well know what ’ s the good and what ’ s the evil .
The early revelation of the real goals of the ‘ forces of democracy ’ may give Russia a juridical and moral right to intervene in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the usage of police forces , a limited military force or even a direct annexation of the territory .
As of August 19 , the situation in Belarus remains very complicated with contradictory tendencies in the internal political sphere .
On the one hand , protests continue and the media , financial and organization support of protests from foreign actors have been growing .
On the other hand , almost 2 weeks passed since the August 9 presidential election and the maidan coup scenario failed .
Even the national-wide strike remains the mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affecting the entire country .
If one compares this with the agenda of the Polish Telegram channel NEXTA , the media pillar of pro-Western nationalist agenda of protests , he would find that the opposition goal was to trigger the destructive scenario , including the fall of the Lukashenko regime or at least the start of the civil conflict , by August 12-13 .
Additionally , supporters of Lukashenko held several rallies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities in the past few days .
These rallies collected mostly residents of small towns and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarus .
However , they played an important role demonstrating that the opposition narrative about “ 3 % support ” of Lukashenko is a lie .
The fate of Belarus and the outcome of the ongoing crisis will like be determined within a month .
At the same time , the danger of a direct civil conflict and chances of a direct military clash of external actors on the territory of Belarus have been increasing .
In any scenario , as a result of the crisis , Belarus will lose a part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its industrial potential .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Polish Psychological Operations Unit On Guard Of ‘ Democracy ’ In Belarus

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Click to see the full-size imageThe crisis in Belarus does not seem coming to the end but rather deepening with opposition forces actively creating structures alternative to the existing governing system of the country.
The Coordination Council of the Belarusian opposition, formed under the brand of former presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya hiding in Lithuania, released on August 19 demanding the Lukashenko government to annul the result of the presidential election, release all ‘political prisoners’, and hold a new ‘fair’ presidential election.
The ‘coordination council’ presidium includes the following persons:
Svetlana Alexievich is a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature received thanks to her hardcore anti-Soviet and anti-Russian views. Lilia Vlasova and Maxim Znak are ‘lawyers’ affiliated with Western-funded network of ‘non-government organizations’ and influence groups created in Belarus. Sergei Dylevsky is a member of the Minsk Tractor Works’ strike committee. The psychological pressure on workers and the sabotage of work of large Belarusian plants are among the key goals of the ongoing anti-government campaign. Olga Kovalkova is former presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya’s authorized representative. Maria Kolesnikova is one of Tikhanovskaya’s associates. They represent the formal link between the ‘Belarusian opposition’ and the ‘presidential candidate’ hiding in Lithuania. Pavel Latushko is the former director general of the Janka Kupala National Theater, well known for his active participation in the Lukashenko-initiated Belarusization campaign in Belarus designed to push out the Russian language and culture from Belarus. An overwhelming majority (over 90%) of the Belarusian population speaks Russian as a main language and self-identify themselves as Russian-speaking people or ethnic Russians.
Belarus entered the August 9 presidential election and the days following it amid the peak of protest sentiments. The cornerstone of this situation is the existing economic and social problems, the general dissatisfaction of the population with the ruling of Alexander Lukashenko and apparent falsifications during the election (80.10% of votes gained by Lukashenko is at least unlikely). As the recent weeks demonstrated, this situation was successfully exploited by forces that destroyed Ukraine and earlier Serbia.
Besides the obvious demands of the full political surrender of Alexander Lukashenko, the August 19 statement of the opposition includes an interesting part regarding the constitutional system and foreign policy course of Belarus.
“The Coordinating Council does not aim to change the constitutional order and foreign policy course,” the statement said.
A person that knows little about the internal political situation in Belarus and the real foreign policy course of the Lukashenko administration may consider this as a signal of the supposed intention of the opposition to keep constructive and allied relations with Russia, the main military ally and economic sponsor of Belarus. In fact, the Belarusian state exists in the current form only thanks to a constant flow of Russian economic support, trade preferences and even direct donations. Nonetheless, the Lukashenko regime has been providing a consistent hostile policy towards Russia for decades.
The video below demonstrates how ‘Belarusian patriots’ use Polsih flags during the opposition rally in Grodno. The work Polish propaganda structures in support of the opposition is not even a secret.
А вот теперь серьезно…Это митинг змагаров в Гродно, городе, чья администрация пошла на уступки змагарам. И что мы видим? ПОЛЬСКИЕ флаги. Я это называю – РАСЧЕХЛИЛИСЬ. Я говорил уже, что Майдан в Белоруссии идет быстрее, чем на Украине. Они не выдержат игру вдолгую. Цейтнот. pic.twitter.com/jCHuv4Uzs1 — Borisenko (@borisenkodmitr) August 19, 2020
The ‘pro-Russian’ Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has become an initiator of a wide-scale campaign against pro-Russian media, pro-Russian political activists and even against the Russian language and culture. The forceful Belarusization (while a majority of the population barely speaks ‘thousand-year’ Belarusian language) of the media and political sphere provided by the Lukashenko regime created a foothold for the creation of a strong network of various anti-Russian and pro-Western influence groups and non-government organizations. They formal ideology varies from the radical Belarusian nationalism (like Ukrainian neo-Nazi ‘patriots’) to the Western mainstream neo-liberal agenda, but all they are united by the anti-Russian, anti-Soviet and pro-Western sentiments.
Lukashenko and his circle cultivated these ideologies and influence groups as a bogeyman for the Kremlin and used them to prevent the growth of ‘Russian influence’ that he saw as a threat to his political regime. The work of Western-funded ‘non-government organizations’ and psychological operations of Euro-Atlantic structures were in fact allowed in Belarus, while any pro-Russian organization was immediately suppressed and destroyed.
The personality and scale of influence of Vladimir Makei, who is often called the ‘second person’ in Belarus, are another factor allowing to get a more realistic look at Lukashenko’s Belarus. Makei has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus since 2012 and kept his position even after the August 9 election. During this period, he become widely known as a supporter of the pro-Western foreign policy course and a person with deep ties with the Euro-Atlantic establishment. The foreign ministry headed by such a person became a tool of influence of Euro-Atlantic structures inside the Belarusian government. The recent public declarations of mid-level foreign policy officials in support of the opposition signals about the ideological characteristics of the ministry’s staff.
Members of the foreign ministry staff declare support to the opposition:
Once again, the history gives a lesson that any strong leader that believes that he can make a deal and develop a fruitful cooperation with the neo-liberal-dominated West leads his country to chaos and often dies himself. The cases of Slobodan Milosevic, Muammar al-Gaddafi and even Saddam Hussein that was destroying his ballistic rockets on cameras in an attempt to please the US-led ‘international community’ appeared to be not enough for Lukashenko.
Therefore, if the opposition says that it has no intention to change the ‘foreign policy course’, it means that it is going to do what Lukashenko is already doing, but better. The aforementioned statement of the coordination council is also attempt to compensate the public damage from the spread of its official national security strategy that presidential candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya was promoting during the campaign. This national security strategy directly states about the need to break ties with Russia, withdraw from ‘Russia-led’ structures and move towards NATO and the EU. This is fully in the framework of statements made publicly by representatives of the opposition leadership on a daily basis.
Rhetoric of Polish and Lithuanian-oriented opposition media and activists have a clear anti-Russian direct despite the fact that Moscow demonstrates that it is not seeking to intervene into the Belarusian internal policy and even became a target of provocations organized by the Lukashenko regime. Despite the fact that these hardcore pro-Western and anti-Russian views are supported less than 5% of the population, this small group receives the direct financial, diplomatic, media and clandestine support from the West.
This anti-Russian rhetoric, revealing the real face of the opposition leadership is needed for the particular purpose: to fuel the anti-Russian hysteria in order to not allow it to intervene when the Western-controlled opposition and Euro-Atlantic structures overthrow Lukashenko and start looting billion-worth industrial facilities of the country. This works like an ordinary corporate raid, when the raider (Euro-Atlantic financiers) exploits the pseudo-ideology and the protest in order to seize properties of a third party. The only party that has means and facilities to prevent this scenario or became a competitor to this raider is Russia. This is why the opposition has already started the nationalist-driven anti-Russian propaganda campaign.
However, the history can make a tough joke on them. Throughout about 30 years of the existence of conditionally independent Belarus, Russia did not interfere in the country’s internal politics, including the ideological policy of Lukashenko, who de facto supported Belarusian nationalism. Nonetheless, the Belarusian nation was among the most affected by the Nazism during the Second World War. The people well know what’s the good and what’s the evil.
The early revelation of the real goals of the ‘forces of democracy’ may give Russia a juridical and moral right to intervene in the situation in Belarus to the extent of the usage of police forces, a limited military force or even a direct annexation of the territory.
As of August 19, the situation in Belarus remains very complicated with contradictory tendencies in the internal political sphere. On the one hand, protests continue and the media, financial and organization support of protests from foreign actors have been growing. On the other hand, almost 2 weeks passed since the August 9 presidential election and the maidan coup scenario failed. Even the national-wide strike remains the mostly propaganda construct rather than the real strike affecting the entire country. If one compares this with the agenda of the Polish Telegram channel NEXTA, the media pillar of pro-Western nationalist agenda of protests, he would find that the opposition goal was to trigger the destructive scenario, including the fall of the Lukashenko regime or at least the start of the civil conflict, by August 12-13. Additionally, supporters of Lukashenko held several rallies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities in the past few days. These rallies collected mostly residents of small towns and villages and was especially strong in eastern Belarus. However, they played an important role demonstrating that the opposition narrative about “3% support” of Lukashenko is a lie.
The fate of Belarus and the outcome of the ongoing crisis will like be determined within a month. At the same time, the danger of a direct civil conflict and chances of a direct military clash of external actors on the territory of Belarus have been increasing. In any scenario, as a result of the crisis, Belarus will lose a part of its sovereignty and suffer a major blow to its industrial potential.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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