southfront--2020-04-29--U.S. And Russian Economies Shrink, As China Invests Heavily In Infrastructure

The U.S. economy shrunk 4.8 % in the first quarter of 2020 , this is the biggest slide since 2008 and the first time it has contracted at all since 2014 .
This is a direct result of the need to close businesses to fight the spread of COVID-19 , as well as the oil market crash .
Consumer spending , which had already begun to cool in the second half of 2019 , fell at a 7.6 % rate in the first quarter of 2020 .
The second quarter is expected to be even worse , with analysts expecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the 1940s .
Bloomberg Economics has projected a 37 % annualized contraction , but UniCredit is the most bearish with a 65 % estimate .
Early hopes for a rapid rebound have faded with most analysts assuming a jump in activity once the virus passes will be followed by a slower resumption of growth .
While two quarters of contraction is considered by most to constitute a recession , the official call in the U.S. is made by the Business Cycle Dating Committee , a panel of economists at the National Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is struggling , with analysts estimating a reduction in the income of Russian oil companies by $ 18–20 billion , or about 40 % , due to a drop in oil prices and a decrease in production .
In April 2020 , oil exports are moving towards : taking into account taxes , transportation costs and operating expenses , losses will amount to $ 6–8 per barrel .
However , this will be a consequence of high duties on oil exports .
In May oil exports will become barely profitable .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duty on oil after the spring collapse will drop by $ 45.2 and amount to $ 6.8 per ton .
In April , it amounted to $ 52 per ton .
At the same time , the duty on highly viscous oil will decrease to $ 1 from $ 5.2 , for light oil products and oils – to $ 2 , for dark – to $ 6.8 .
International oil companies were initially trying to avoid reducing their production , by circumventing it through producing in countries such as Nigeria , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
BP , Royal Dutch Shell , Total and Eni showed steady production growth with an additional bonus in the form of attracting investors through generous dividends .
Now everything is different .
Most likely , the major oil companies expect the largest drop in production in decades .
BP will have to share the burden of cuts in Azerbaijan , and Kazakhstan is in difficult negotiations with Chevron , Exxon , Shell and Eni .
The cuts will exacerbate the damage inflicted by NK on low oil prices and weak fuel sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine the exact volumes of production reductions , as the largest oil companies and many countries continue to conduct difficult negotiations .
They can reach a record hundreds of thousands of b/d per company , or 5-10 % of their level of oil production .
In contrast , China appears to be handling the situation rather well .
In 2020 , it is expected that Chinese economy will grow , less than 2 % , but it will not shrink .
The median estimate for 2020 full-year gross domestic product growth from 56 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % from 3.7 % in March .
To help mitigate the coronavirus shocks , China will likely raise the annual quota for local government special bonds .
The majority of analysts expect the government to sell between 3 trillion yuan ( $ 424 billion ) and 4 trillion-yuan worth of debt , higher than last year ’ s total of 2.15 trillion yuan .
Some economists expect a 4 trillion-yuan ( $ 565 billion ) issuance of special bonds , to be spent on infrastructure in an attempt to kick-start the economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ build-out of the Sichuan-Tibet railway , a high-speed rail corridor along the Yangtze river and intercity connections in major city clusters .
Elsewhere , special bonds are being used to fund toll-road projects from Gansu province in the north west to the rust-belt of Heilongjiang .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • “ We Are Moving Into The End-Game ” : 27 Tankers Anchored Off California , Hundreds Off Singapore As Oil Industry Shuts Down • The Cushing Terminal And U.S Oil Storage Woes

Support SouthFront
The U.S. economy shrunk 4.8% in the first quarter of 2020, this is the biggest slide since 2008 and the first time it has contracted at all since 2014.
This is a direct result of the need to close businesses to fight the spread of COVID-19, as well as the oil market crash.
Consumer spending, which had already begun to cool in the second half of 2019, fell at a 7.6% rate in the first quarter of 2020.
The second quarter is expected to be even worse, with analysts expecting a shrinking of the economy not seen since the 1940s. Bloomberg Economics has projected a 37% annualized contraction, but UniCredit is the most bearish with a 65% estimate.
“It’s kind of incredible when you think about the fact that the economy was running pretty much on a normal footing for over 80% of the first quarter,” Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpont Securities LLC, said.
Early hopes for a rapid rebound have faded with most analysts assuming a jump in activity once the virus passes will be followed by a slower resumption of growth.
While two quarters of contraction is considered by most to constitute a recession, the official call in the U.S. is made by the Business Cycle Dating Committee, a panel of economists at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Russia, too, is struggling, with analysts estimating a reduction in the income of Russian oil companies by $18–20 billion, or about 40%, due to a drop in oil prices and a decrease in production.
In April 2020, oil exports are moving towards: taking into account taxes, transportation costs and operating expenses, losses will amount to $6–8 per barrel. However, this will be a consequence of high duties on oil exports. In May oil exports will become barely profitable.
As of May 1st, analysts the export duty on oil after the spring collapse will drop by $45.2 and amount to $ 6.8 per ton. In April, it amounted to $52 per ton. At the same time, the duty on highly viscous oil will decrease to $1 from $5.2, for light oil products and oils – to $2, for dark – to $6.8.
International oil companies were initially trying to avoid reducing their production, by circumventing it through producing in countries such as Nigeria, but this also is beginning to prove impossible.
BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total and Eni showed steady production growth with an additional bonus in the form of attracting investors through generous dividends. Now everything is different. Most likely, the major oil companies expect the largest drop in production in decades. BP will have to share the burden of cuts in Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan is in difficult negotiations with Chevron, Exxon, Shell and Eni. The cuts will exacerbate the damage inflicted by NK on low oil prices and weak fuel sales.
It is not yet possible to determine the exact volumes of production reductions, as the largest oil companies and many countries continue to conduct difficult negotiations. They can reach a record hundreds of thousands of b/d per company, or 5-10% of their level of oil production.
In contrast, China appears to be handling the situation rather well. In 2020, it is expected that Chinese economy will grow, less than 2%, but it will not shrink.
The median estimate for 2020 full-year gross domestic product growth from 56 economists surveyed this month fell to 1.8% from 3.7% in March.
To help mitigate the coronavirus shocks, China will likely raise the annual quota for local government special bonds. The majority of analysts expect the government to sell between 3 trillion yuan ($424 billion) and 4 trillion-yuan worth of debt, higher than last year’s total of 2.15 trillion yuan.
Some economists expect a 4 trillion-yuan ($565 billion) issuance of special bonds, to be spent on infrastructure in an attempt to kick-start the economy.
Key infrastructure projects for 2020 include the build-out of the Sichuan-Tibet railway, a high-speed rail corridor along the Yangtze river and intercity connections in major city clusters. Elsewhere, special bonds are being used to fund toll-road projects from Gansu province in the north west to the rust-belt of Heilongjiang.
“It’s common practice that local governments artificially inflate anticipated revenues of infrastructure projects in order to get approval to issue special bonds,” said Tang Fengchi, a consultant on public-private partnerships to China’s Ministry of Finance. “Special bonds can solve the funding problems, but it is no solution to local governments’ inability to make scientific decisions.”
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-29--U.S. To Fast-Track Development of Next Generation Interceptor For Anti-Ballistic Missiles

The Missile Defense Agency ( MDA ) on April 24th , 2020 published a request for proposals for the industry to create a promising Next-Generation Interceptor ( NGI ) .
The NGI solicitation allows contractors 90 days to provide proposals to the Government beginning May 1st 2020 and calls for proposal receipt of July 31st 2020 .
As Departmental guidance changes , adjustments for COVID-19 may occur based on Real World Events .
A virtual Industry Day for the NGI took place on November 26t , 2019 .
The invited companies were Lockheed Martin , Northrop Grumman , Boeing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan is to award contracts to two companies .
n the draft US defense budget for fiscal year 2021 , $ 664.1 million was allocated for the program , and $ 4.9 billion is planned for five years .
MDA chief Vice Adm. Jon Hill said in March 2020 that he wants to field the new system as soon as possible , and a timeline of 2030 , is “ unacceptable from a warfighter view ” and “ unacceptable to me as a program manager.
” But it ’ s unclear when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We want to deliver the first round as soon as possible , ” Hill continued .
“ That also means we can ’ t take shortcuts in the design or in the requirements or in the flight testing regime , because if you want to go save time that is what most programs will do , so we can ’ t afford that , but I will tell you that timeline will be driven by who we award to.
” Currently , there are 44 deployed GBI missiles deployed at missile defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fort Greeley , Alaska .
The two locations have respectively four and forty missiles .
In 2019 , the MDA requested an allocation of 20 more GBI missile defense deployments at Fort Greeley in Alaska by the end of 2023 .
Currently , the GBI missiles are equipped with warheads EKV series kinetic interceptors .
EKV stands for Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle manufactured by Raytheon Corporation , modifications of the EKV CE-I/CE-II/CE-II Block 1 .
To deploy the 20 GBI anti-ballistic missiles planned for deployment , and then replace the EKV interceptors , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create the new kinetic interceptor – Redesigned Kill Vehicle ( RKV ) .
The RKV program was part of an ambitious technology effort helmed by Boeing — though Raytheon was building the Kill Vehicles — to replace the current Exo-Atmospheric Kill Vehicle .
Both are ground-based interceptors designed to defend the US against long-range ballistic missile attacks .
The companies won ’ t have to pay back any of the billion-plus dollars the government awarded them to do the work , as Pentagon officials have said some of the effort can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Problems had been mounting in the program ’ s development for years .
The Missile Defense Agency said back in 2016 it expected the first RKV flight test by 2019 , with fielding in 2020 .
The last estimate , released with the fiscal 2020 budget request , pushed the fielding date back to 2025 .
Vice Admiral Jon Hill , MDA ’ s director , has said the homeland missile defence system – known as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense ( GMD ) – could address current threats from North Korea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and intercontinental ballistics missiles ( ICBM ) .
However , some of the system ’ s 44 legacy interceptors were built almost 15 years ago and may soon face sustainment and obsolesces issues , while others were fielded more recently .
To replace that discontinued program , a program has been launched to create the “ new generation NGI interceptor to counter advanced threats.
” NGI interceptors should be equipped on all 64 planned GBI missiles .
MORE ON THE TOPIC :

Support SouthFront
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) on April 24th, 2020 published a request for proposals for the industry to create a promising Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI).
The NGI solicitation allows contractors 90 days to provide proposals to the Government beginning May 1st 2020 and calls for proposal receipt of July 31st 2020.
As Departmental guidance changes, adjustments for COVID-19 may occur based on Real World Events.
A virtual Industry Day for the NGI took place on November 26t, 2019. The invited companies were Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon.
At the deadline, the plan is to award contracts to two companies. n the draft US defense budget for fiscal year 2021, $664.1 million was allocated for the program, and $4.9 billion is planned for five years.
MDA chief Vice Adm. Jon Hill said in March 2020 that he wants to field the new system as soon as possible, and a timeline of 2030, is “unacceptable from a warfighter view” and “unacceptable to me as a program manager.”
But it’s unclear when a system will be ready for testing. “We want to deliver the first round as soon as possible,” Hill continued. “That also means we can’t take shortcuts in the design or in the requirements or in the flight testing regime, because if you want to go save time that is what most programs will do, so we can’t afford that, but I will tell you that timeline will be driven by who we award to.”
Currently, there are 44 deployed GBI missiles deployed at missile defense facilities in Vandenburg, California, and Fort Greeley, Alaska. The two locations have respectively four and forty missiles.
In 2019, the MDA requested an allocation of 20 more GBI missile defense deployments at Fort Greeley in Alaska by the end of 2023.
Currently, the GBI missiles are equipped with warheads EKV series kinetic interceptors. EKV stands for Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle manufactured by Raytheon Corporation, modifications of the EKV CE-I/CE-II/CE-II Block 1.
To deploy the 20 GBI anti-ballistic missiles planned for deployment, and then replace the EKV interceptors, with a program that was launched in 2010 to create the new kinetic interceptor – Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV).
The RKV program was part of an ambitious technology effort helmed by Boeing — though Raytheon was building the Kill Vehicles — to replace the current Exo-Atmospheric Kill Vehicle.
Both are ground-based interceptors designed to defend the US against long-range ballistic missile attacks. The companies won’t have to pay back any of the billion-plus dollars the government awarded them to do the work, as Pentagon officials have said some of the effort can be salvaged and used on the new program.
Problems had been mounting in the program’s development for years. The Missile Defense Agency said back in 2016 it expected the first RKV flight test by 2019, with fielding in 2020. The last estimate, released with the fiscal 2020 budget request, pushed the fielding date back to 2025.
Vice Admiral Jon Hill, MDA’s director, has said the homeland missile defence system – known as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) – could address current threats from North Korea, which is known to have nuclear devices and intercontinental ballistics missiles (ICBM).
However, some of the system’s 44 legacy interceptors were built almost 15 years ago and may soon face sustainment and obsolesces issues, while others were fielded more recently.
To replace that discontinued program, a program has been launched to create the “new generation NGI interceptor to counter advanced threats.” NGI interceptors should be equipped on all 64 planned GBI missiles.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-29--In Video: U.S.-led Coalition Conducts Live Fire Drills In Syria’s Al-Tanaf

The U.S.-led coalition and its proxy , the Revolutionary Commando Army ( MaT ) , have conducted live drills in the 55-km area surrounding the al-Tanaf base in southeastern Syria .
The MaT released on April 29 a video showing a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System ( HIMARS ) of the coalition conducting a live-fire exercise as a part of the drills .
“ Accurate hits were achieved during the joint exercises at the al-Tanaf base on the use of HIMARS rockets , in the course of our operations to defeat ISIS , ” the U.S.-backed group said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition and the MaT conducted several similar live-fire drills in al-Tanaf during the last year .
While the drills are promoted as a part of the campaign against ISIS , they appear to be meant to deter Damascus and its allies .
Around 200 U.S. service members and 300 fighters of the MaT are now stationed in the al-Tanaf base that is blocking a highway linking Damascus and the Iraqi capital of Baghdad .
Earlier this month , U.S.-led coalition forces in al-Tanaf faced a blow when 27 fighters of the MaT defected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighters handed over U.S.-supplied weapons to Syrian authorities .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC :

Support SouthFront
The U.S.-led coalition and its proxy, the Revolutionary Commando Army (MaT), have conducted live drills in the 55-km area surrounding the al-Tanaf base in southeastern Syria.
The MaT released on April 29 a video showing a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) of the coalition conducting a live-fire exercise as a part of the drills.
“Accurate hits were achieved during the joint exercises at the al-Tanaf base on the use of HIMARS rockets, in the course of our operations to defeat ISIS,” the U.S.-backed group said in a short press release.
The U.S.-led coalition and the MaT conducted several similar live-fire drills in al-Tanaf during the last year. While the drills are promoted as a part of the campaign against ISIS, they appear to be meant to deter Damascus and its allies.
Around 200 U.S. service members and 300 fighters of the MaT are now stationed in the al-Tanaf base that is blocking a highway linking Damascus and the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
Earlier this month, U.S.-led coalition forces in al-Tanaf faced a blow when 27 fighters of the MaT defected and escaped to government-held areas. The fighters handed over U.S.-supplied weapons to Syrian authorities.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-29--Japan’s Hypersonic Guided Missile To Be Ready Sometime In The 2030s

Japan ’ s Acquisition , Technology & Logistics Agency ( ATLA ) began development of a hypersonic guided missile able to attack both ships or ground targets .
The missile would be a “ game changer ” according to the Japanese Defense Ministry , and it will use scramjet technology for propulsion .
According to documents released by ATLA , the combined guidance system of satellite and inertial navigation will be used to guide the hypersonic guided missile .
Radio and lightwave image seekers will be used to identify targets , and this missile will be capable of all-weather operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable of carrying a penetrating warhead to destroy the flight decks of enemy aircraft carriers and a high-density Explosively Formed Penetrator ( EFP ) warhead to suppress enemies on the ground .
According to the reports , development began in 2019 and it should complete sometime in the 2030s .
ATLA is currently in the development phase of the scramjet engine along with local company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries which won a contract for the prototype engine research .
The aim is to power the missile by a Dual-Mode Scramjet engine ( DMSJ ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( supersonic combustion ramjet ) engines , to fly at a wide range of speeds , including hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 or higher .
ATLA is now working with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) to realize the DMSJ .
The DMSJ is expected to have high engine efficiency in a wide range of speeds , between Mach 5 and 15 , because the air inhaled from the intake is compressed and combusted at supersonic speed when the missile flying at Mach 5 or higher .
Essentially , for the scramjet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to be accelerated to hypersonic speeds , and that ’ s when it comes in .
However , a large rocket booster would be required to accelerate to hypersonic speeds , which would increase the overall length of the missile , including the booster .
As a result , ATLA planned to combine the capabilities of the ramjet engine , which operates efficiently in the Mach 3 to 5 speed range , with the DMSJ to reduce the proportion of the rocket booster .
And as such , the rocket booster only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speeds , between Mach 3 and 5 and then the scramjet activates to cruise .
Hypersonic technology is something that Russia , and even China have made significant progress on , with Russia even already fielding some such weapons .
At the same time , both Japan and the US appear to be lagging behind .
Hypersonic technology could be another area in which Washington and Tokyo need to pool their efforts to compete , similarly to suggestions by the Atlantic Council that such an areas should be Artificial Intelligence and unmanned systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. And Japan Need To Cooperate On Military Innovation Against China : Atlantic Council

Support SouthFront
Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) began development of a hypersonic guided missile able to attack both ships or ground targets.
The missile would be a “game changer” according to the Japanese Defense Ministry, and it will use scramjet technology for propulsion.
According to documents released by ATLA, the combined guidance system of satellite and inertial navigation will be used to guide the hypersonic guided missile. Radio and lightwave image seekers will be used to identify targets, and this missile will be capable of all-weather operations.
The missile is expected to be capable of carrying a penetrating warhead to destroy the flight decks of enemy aircraft carriers and a high-density Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) warhead to suppress enemies on the ground.
According to the reports, development began in 2019 and it should complete sometime in the 2030s.
ATLA is currently in the development phase of the scramjet engine along with local company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries which won a contract for the prototype engine research.
The aim is to power the missile by a Dual-Mode Scramjet engine (DMSJ), a combination of ramjet and scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) engines, to fly at a wide range of speeds, including hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 or higher.
ATLA is now working with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to realize the DMSJ.
The DMSJ is expected to have high engine efficiency in a wide range of speeds, between Mach 5 and 15, because the air inhaled from the intake is compressed and combusted at supersonic speed when the missile flying at Mach 5 or higher.
Essentially, for the scramjet engine to operate, the missile first needs to be accelerated to hypersonic speeds, and that’s when it comes in.
However, a large rocket booster would be required to accelerate to hypersonic speeds, which would increase the overall length of the missile, including the booster.
As a result, ATLA planned to combine the capabilities of the ramjet engine, which operates efficiently in the Mach 3 to 5 speed range, with the DMSJ to reduce the proportion of the rocket booster.
And as such, the rocket booster only needs to accelerate the missile to supersonic speeds, between Mach 3 and 5 and then the scramjet activates to cruise.
Hypersonic technology is something that Russia, and even China have made significant progress on, with Russia even already fielding some such weapons. At the same time, both Japan and the US appear to be lagging behind.
Hypersonic technology could be another area in which Washington and Tokyo need to pool their efforts to compete, similarly to suggestions by the Atlantic Council that such an areas should be Artificial Intelligence and unmanned systems.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-29--Syrian Democratic Forces Arrest ISIS Terrorists, Search For Hideouts In Deir Ezzor (Video)

On April 29 , the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) , backed by helicopters of the U.S.-led coalition , carried out a security operation in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside .
According to the Deir Ezzor Media Center , four ISIS terrorists were captured during the operation , which took place in the town of Jadeed Ekedat .
Assault rifles as well as explosive materials were found with the terrorists .
The SDF also carried out a search operation in the town of al-Sha ’ Fah in southeast Deir Ezzor .
The Euphrates Post said a unit of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the town , looking for “ secret hideouts ” of ISIS .
It remains unclear if anything was found .
ISIS cells in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside increased their activities recently , carrying out attacks against the SDF and its affiliates on a regular basis .
In one of their recent attacks , the group ’ s terrorists assassinated the SDF ’ s fuel official in the governorate .
The SDF ’ s counter-terrorism operations in Deir Ezzor are short from what is needed to counter the growing influence of the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TOPIC :

Support SouthFront
On April 29, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by helicopters of the U.S.-led coalition, carried out a security operation in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside.
According to the Deir Ezzor Media Center, four ISIS terrorists were captured during the operation, which took place in the town of Jadeed Ekedat. Assault rifles as well as explosive materials were found with the terrorists.
The SDF also carried out a search operation in the town of al-Sha’Fah in southeast Deir Ezzor. The Euphrates Post said a unit of the Kurdish-led group dug under a house in the town, looking for “secret hideouts” of ISIS. It remains unclear if anything was found.
ISIS cells in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside increased their activities recently, carrying out attacks against the SDF and its affiliates on a regular basis. In one of their recent attacks, the group’s terrorists assassinated the SDF’s fuel official in the governorate.
The SDF’s counter-terrorism operations in Deir Ezzor are short from what is needed to counter the growing influence of the group in the region.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-29--Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham Prevented Turkish Forces From Entering Key Town In Western Aleppo – Report

Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) has prevented a Turkish convoy from entering the key town of Darat Izza in the western Aleppo countryside , the New Arab reported on April 29 .
According to the UK-based outlet , militants of the terrorist group gathered on the al-Qaturah checkpoint in the outskirt of the town , preventing the convoy from passing through .
The convoy was reportedly heading to a nearby observation post .
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) confirmed the incident .
However , no additional details were provided by the monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid tensions between Turkey and HTS .
Last week , the Turkish military clashed with HTS and other terrorist groups in the southern Idlib countryside .
HTS militants attacked a Turkish unit attempting to remove a protest on the strategic Lattakia-Aleppo highway , known as the M4 .
Turkish forces ’ fire killed four people , including HTS members .
The militants responded by shelling a Turkish observation post near the town of al-Nerab .
In response , Turkish drones struck two positions of HTS , killing more militants of the group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to de-escalate the situation .
Nevertheless , the tensions are still high in the so-called Greater Idlib region , which includes western Aleppo .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Turkish Forces Place Afrin Under Full Lock Down As Death Toll From Recent Bombing Rises

Support SouthFront
Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has prevented a Turkish convoy from entering the key town of Darat Izza in the western Aleppo countryside, the New Arab reported on April 29.
According to the UK-based outlet, militants of the terrorist group gathered on the al-Qaturah checkpoint in the outskirt of the town, preventing the convoy from passing through. The convoy was reportedly heading to a nearby observation post.
“The [Turkish military] convoy changed its route to avoid any escalation,” the New Arab’s report reads.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed the incident. However, no additional details were provided by the monitoring group.
The Darat Izza incident came amid tensions between Turkey and HTS. Last week, the Turkish military clashed with HTS and other terrorist groups in the southern Idlib countryside.
HTS militants attacked a Turkish unit attempting to remove a protest on the strategic Lattakia-Aleppo highway, known as the M4. Turkish forces’ fire killed four people, including HTS members.
The militants responded by shelling a Turkish observation post near the town of al-Nerab. In response, Turkish drones struck two positions of HTS, killing more militants of the group.
Later, a lengthy meeting was held to de-escalate the situation. Nevertheless, the tensions are still high in the so-called Greater Idlib region, which includes western Aleppo.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-29--SpaceX: Camel’s Nose under the Tent of Space Militarization

In the last several decades , and certainly in the post-9/11 environment in which the previous restrictions on the militarization of the American society largely disappeared , the US national security establishment has expand not only by creating new programs and agencies , but also by co-opting non-state actors .
Many a US think-tank is now little more than an extension of some US government agency , conducting research to validate previously arrived-at conclusions in furtherance of a specific institutional agenda .
Likewise many corporations have gone beyond being mere defense or intelligence contractors .
Rather , their business activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readily weaponizable , meshing seamlessly with the armed services and intelligence agencies .
It is not entirely clear how the process works , for there does not appear to be a system of contract awards for specific deliverables .
Rather , it seems these capabilities are developed on the initiative of specific businesses which speculate their efforts will be utilized by the US national security establishment ever on the lookout for technological “ game-changers ” .
Moreover , given the unchecked growth of the US national security budget , these entrepreneurs can operate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be financially rewarded by the intelligence and defense establishments , even if they are not commercially viable .
There have been numerous examples of initially civilian applications being put to use for the benefit of US national security institutions .
Facebook has made its databases available to various agencies to test facial recognition technologies , for example .
Google and Amazon make their cloud capabilities available to the Pentagon and the intelligence communities .
The opposition to China ’ s Huawei 5G networks and cell phones appears to be motivated by the concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the benefit of US national security state .
Elon Musk ’ s business empire has benefitted from its proximity to the US national security state .
Musk , an immigrant from the Republic of South Africa , has made his initial fortune by creating PayPal .
While Musk has sold his remaining interest in PayPal in 2002 , that entity has since then engaged in furthering US national security agendas by blocking payments to organizations which were critical of US policies .
This , however , is probably more of a reflection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the US government than of Musk ’ s original intent .
Nevertheless , the timing of Musk ’ s departure from PayPal and the entry into the space business is noteworthy .
Already in the late 1990s , there were rumblings in the United States about the desirability of militarizing space and building up anti-ballistic missile defenses , ostensibly against the so-called “ rogue states ” of North Korea and Iran .
These initiatives gained considerable impetus in 2001 , following the election of the Bush-Cheney administration which promptly moved to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the future of weaponization of space .
Space-X ’ s establishment in 2002 , the same year the ABM Treaty collapsed due to the Bush Administration abrogation , seems entirely too convenient to be a mere coincidence , even though the stated aims of the company are mainly commercial .
Still , it is easy to imagine why a firm focused on the development of low-cost , possibly reusable , space launch vehicles would be useful to the Pentagon .
Creating a government program with the same objective would have attracted unnecessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battles , congressional testimony , various forms of oversight , and the inevitable domestic and international opposition to such destabilizing and provocative initiatives .
Providing Space-X with technological assistance , allowing it to hire government specialists , then giving it access to lucrative government space launch orders , is a far more attractive proposition .
Moreover , the bypassing of the normal defense contracting system actually meant considerable cost savings , thanks to Musk ’ s red tape-cutting techniques .
Its design bureau functioned in a fashion akin to Lockheed ’ s famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambitious projects such as the U-2 and SR-71 in large part thanks to being able to fly “ under the radar ” ( no pun intended ) .
However , since that time Lockheed ballooned into a massive “ too big to fail ” defense contractor which delivers costly and poorly performing aircraft .
Musk ’ s fantasies about colonizing Mars and selling seats on orbital space flights proved a very effective cover for the corporation ’ s core military applications .
Moreover , Space-X ’ s status as a private corporation allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and development costs through genuine commercial activities .
Yet one has to wonder whether SpaceX success would have been as spectacular if it weren ’ t for privileged access to government facilities .
SpaceX has been able to piggy-back on the massive US government investment in space launch facilities .
It is able to operate out of not only Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center , but even from the Vandenberg Air Force Base .
The speed with which SpaceX was able to develop , test , and deploy several different new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merlin , Raptor , and Draco families also may be due to privileged access to technologies developed for NASA and military space programs .
Even though SpaceX was founded in 2002 , it won a $ 100 million USAF space launch contract in 2005 and the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services ( COTS ) contract in 2006 , even though the first orbital mission of the Falcon I rocket would not take place until 2008 .
USAF awarded another $ 1 billion contract to SpaceX in early 2008 , even before the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the de-facto research and development branch of NASA when it comes to manned spaceflight .
The 2014 NASA contract for the Crew Dragon has so far resulted in one successful docking with the International Space Station , though without a crew on board , and was followed by a successful splashdown .
The larger Starship reusable heavy manned spacecraft is expected to start flying in the 2020s .
Competition from United Launch Services and even Boeing notwithstanding , there is little doubt SpaceX is to US manned spaceflight what Boeing is to heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” fighters .
It has become the primary go-to contractor of such systems for both commercial and military US government applications , with the competitors being maintained in existence with occasional contracts largely as insurance against spectacular failure of SpaceX .
SpaceX portfolio of reusable space launch vehicles , manned spacecraft , and most recently also satellites means that the company is well positioned to serve as a one-stop shopping center for the newly created branch of the US armed forces .
Given the United States ’ desire to weaponize space as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deterrence of rival powers , namely the Russian Federation and the People ’ s Republic of China , there is every reason to expect SpaceX will be a recipient of considerable financial largesse from the USSF .
Arguably the most intriguing project SpaceX is pursuing is Starlink , a proposed network of over four thousand miniature satellites whose ostensible aim is to provide broadband internet service to the entire planet .
However , the interest in Starlink demonstrated by the US military suggests that , once again , this is at the very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the military ’ s interest in Starlink cite the possibility of it becoming the replacement for the aging J-STARS airborne ground target acquisition radars , suggesting these satellites ’ emissions can be used to track moving land objects..
If that is indeed the case , they could also serve the role of anti-ballistic missile warning satellites , and even be used to track stealth aircraft , since the constellation of satellites would function as a massive distributed multi-static radar array .
The mad pace of SpaceX has not been without mishaps .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of embarrassing failures , and it may yet be that the corner-cutting hell-for-leather approach the corporation may yet lead to disaster when applied to the considerably more demanding problem of manned spaceflight .
Other private entrepreneurs , such as Burt Rutan ’ s Scaled Composites and Richard Branson ’ s Virgin Galactic , either suffered fatal accidents that greatly delayed their respective programs or prompted their shut-down .
G_7 SpaceX , however , differs from them in that its main customer is the US government that is greatly interested in having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orbit in the same way as the USN dominates the global ocean by establishing large-scale permanent presence of US military personnel in space .
The US government has gambled SpaceX will deliver products necessary for such domination .
Whether it can do that still remains to be seen .

Support SouthFront
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Written and produced by SF Team: J.Hawk, Daniel Deiss, Edwin Watson
In the last several decades, and certainly in the post-9/11 environment in which the previous restrictions on the militarization of the American society largely disappeared, the US national security establishment has expand not only by creating new programs and agencies, but also by co-opting non-state actors. Many a US think-tank is now little more than an extension of some US government agency, conducting research to validate previously arrived-at conclusions in furtherance of a specific institutional agenda. Likewise many corporations have gone beyond being mere defense or intelligence contractors. Rather, their business activities are from the outset designed to be readily weaponizable, meshing seamlessly with the armed services and intelligence agencies.
It is not entirely clear how the process works, for there does not appear to be a system of contract awards for specific deliverables. Rather, it seems these capabilities are developed on the initiative of specific businesses which speculate their efforts will be utilized by the US national security establishment ever on the lookout for technological “game-changers”. Moreover, given the unchecked growth of the US national security budget, these entrepreneurs can operate in high confidence their efforts will also be financially rewarded by the intelligence and defense establishments, even if they are not commercially viable.
There have been numerous examples of initially civilian applications being put to use for the benefit of US national security institutions. Facebook has made its databases available to various agencies to test facial recognition technologies, for example. Google and Amazon make their cloud capabilities available to the Pentagon and the intelligence communities. The opposition to China’s Huawei 5G networks and cell phones appears to be motivated by the concern these systems do not have backdoors installed for the benefit of US national security state.
Elon Musk’s business empire has benefitted from its proximity to the US national security state. Musk, an immigrant from the Republic of South Africa, has made his initial fortune by creating PayPal. While Musk has sold his remaining interest in PayPal in 2002, that entity has since then engaged in furthering US national security agendas by blocking payments to organizations which were critical of US policies. This, however, is probably more of a reflection of the subservience of US tech firms to the US government than of Musk’s original intent.
Nevertheless, the timing of Musk’s departure from PayPal and the entry into the space business is noteworthy. Already in the late 1990s, there were rumblings in the United States about the desirability of militarizing space and building up anti-ballistic missile defenses, ostensibly against the so-called “rogue states” of North Korea and Iran. These initiatives gained considerable impetus in 2001, following the election of the Bush-Cheney administration which promptly moved to end the ABM Treaty as the first step toward the future of weaponization of space.
Space-X’s establishment in 2002, the same year the ABM Treaty collapsed due to the Bush Administration abrogation, seems entirely too convenient to be a mere coincidence, even though the stated aims of the company are mainly commercial. Still, it is easy to imagine why a firm focused on the development of low-cost, possibly reusable, space launch vehicles would be useful to the Pentagon. Creating a government program with the same objective would have attracted unnecessary attention. There would be budget appropriations battles, congressional testimony, various forms of oversight, and the inevitable domestic and international opposition to such destabilizing and provocative initiatives. Providing Space-X with technological assistance, allowing it to hire government specialists, then giving it access to lucrative government space launch orders, is a far more attractive proposition. Moreover, the bypassing of the normal defense contracting system actually meant considerable cost savings, thanks to Musk’s red tape-cutting techniques. Its design bureau functioned in a fashion akin to Lockheed’s famous “skunk works” which developed extremely ambitious projects such as the U-2 and SR-71 in large part thanks to being able to fly “under the radar” (no pun intended). However, since that time Lockheed ballooned into a massive “too big to fail” defense contractor which delivers costly and poorly performing aircraft.
Musk’s fantasies about colonizing Mars and selling seats on orbital space flights proved a very effective cover for the corporation’s core military applications. Moreover, Space-X’s status as a private corporation allows it to defray some of the research and development costs through genuine commercial activities. Yet one has to wonder whether SpaceX success would have been as spectacular if it weren’t for privileged access to government facilities. SpaceX has been able to piggy-back on the massive US government investment in space launch facilities. It is able to operate out of not only Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center, but even from the Vandenberg Air Force Base. The speed with which SpaceX was able to develop, test, and deploy several different new rocket engine design of the Kestrel, Merlin, Raptor, and Draco families also may be due to privileged access to technologies developed for NASA and military space programs.
Even though SpaceX was founded in 2002, it won a $100 million USAF space launch contract in 2005 and the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract in 2006, even though the first orbital mission of the Falcon I rocket would not take place until 2008. USAF awarded another $1 billion contract to SpaceX in early 2008, even before the first Falcon I flight. SpaceX has become the de-facto research and development branch of NASA when it comes to manned spaceflight. The 2014 NASA contract for the Crew Dragon has so far resulted in one successful docking with the International Space Station, though without a crew on board, and was followed by a successful splashdown. The larger Starship reusable heavy manned spacecraft is expected to start flying in the 2020s.
Competition from United Launch Services and even Boeing notwithstanding, there is little doubt SpaceX is to US manned spaceflight what Boeing is to heavy commercial aircraft and Lockheed-Martin to “fifth-generation” fighters. It has become the primary go-to contractor of such systems for both commercial and military US government applications, with the competitors being maintained in existence with occasional contracts largely as insurance against spectacular failure of SpaceX.
SpaceX portfolio of reusable space launch vehicles, manned spacecraft, and most recently also satellites means that the company is well positioned to serve as a one-stop shopping center for the newly created branch of the US armed forces. Given the United States’ desire to weaponize space as part of its effort to undermine strategic nuclear deterrence of rival powers, namely the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, there is every reason to expect SpaceX will be a recipient of considerable financial largesse from the USSF.
Arguably the most intriguing project SpaceX is pursuing is Starlink, a proposed network of over four thousand miniature satellites whose ostensible aim is to provide broadband internet service to the entire planet. However, the interest in Starlink demonstrated by the US military suggests that, once again, this is at the very least a dual-use project. Articles discussing the military’s interest in Starlink cite the possibility of it becoming the replacement for the aging J-STARS airborne ground target acquisition radars, suggesting these satellites’ emissions can be used to track moving land objects.. If that is indeed the case, they could also serve the role of anti-ballistic missile warning satellites, and even be used to track stealth aircraft, since the constellation of satellites would function as a massive distributed multi-static radar array.
The mad pace of SpaceX has not been without mishaps. The Crew Dragon, in particular, suffered a number of embarrassing failures, and it may yet be that the corner-cutting hell-for-leather approach the corporation may yet lead to disaster when applied to the considerably more demanding problem of manned spaceflight. Other private entrepreneurs, such as Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, either suffered fatal accidents that greatly delayed their respective programs or prompted their shut-down. G_7 SpaceX, however, differs from them in that its main customer is the US government that is greatly interested in having the USSF dominate the Earth’s orbit in the same way as the USN dominates the global ocean by establishing large-scale permanent presence of US military personnel in space. The US government has gambled SpaceX will deliver products necessary for such domination. Whether it can do that still remains to be seen.
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-29--Military Situation In Libya On April 29, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya : • A fire erupted @ @ @ @ @ incident was allegedly caused by shelling ; • Clashes erupted between Turkish-backed forces and the @ @ @ @ @ ) in the Ain Zara district of Tripoli ; • The LNA shelled the Dahl @ @ @ @ @ forces ; • The LNA shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces near Qabilat Bani Musallam ; @ @ @ @ @ forces on Tarhuna stalled following a series of clashes with the LNA .
MORE ON @ @ @ @ @ Situation In Area Of Libya ’ s Tripoli On April 28 , 2020 ( Map @ @

Support SouthFront
A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya:
A fire erupted in central Tripoli. The incident was allegedly caused by shelling;
Clashes erupted between Turkish-backed forces and the Libyan National Army (LNA) in the Ain Zara district of Tripoli;
Turkish-backed forces shelled the Hamza camp area south of Tripoli;
The LNA shelled the Dahl military camp operated by Turkish-backed forces;
The LNA shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces near Qabilat Bani Musallam;
The attack of Turkish-backed forces on Tarhuna stalled following a series of clashes with the LNA.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--Tension Mounts In Western Aleppo As Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham Prepares To Open Crossing With Government

Tension Mounts In Western Aleppo As Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham Prepares To Open Crossing With Government Areas

On April 29 , al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) deployed large reinforcements in the town of Maaret Elnaasan , where it is planning to open a crossing with government-held areas .
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) , dozens of angry locals are protesting in the town , which is located in western Aleppo .
The locals are blocking the main road leading to the town as well as to the crossing .
Earlier this week , the Turkish military blocked the roads leading to Maaret Elnaasan with several barriers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , the group ’ s militants removed the removed the barriers within a few hours .
HTS attempted to open a similar crossing near the government-held city of Saraqib in southern Idlib .
However , a series of protests foiled the group ’ s plan .
While HTS is hindering the implementation of the March 5 Russian-Turkish agreement on Greater Idlib by claiming that it enables the “ regime , ” it is rushing to open a crossing with the same “ regime ” to make financial gains .
This hypocritical stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power-hungry leadership .
It also explains why Turkey is working against the terrorist group ’ s plans in Greater Idlib .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC :

Support SouthFront
On April 29, al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) deployed large reinforcements in the town of Maaret Elnaasan, where it was planning to open a crossing with government-held areas.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), dozens of angry locals are protesting in the town, which is located in western Aleppo. The locals are blocking the main road leading to the town as well as to the crossing.
“This comes amid high-tension between HTS, which wants to open commercial crossing with regime areas, and Turkish forces with their loyal factions on the other side,” the London-based monitoring group said in its report.
Earlier this week, the Turkish military blocked the roads leading to Maaret Elnaasan, with several barriers to prevent HTS from opening the crossing. However, the group’s militants removed the barriers within a few hours.
HTS attempted to open a similar crossing near the government-held city of Saraqib in southern Idlib. However, a series of protests foiled the group’s plan.
While HTS is hindering the implementation of the March 5 Russian-Turkish agreement on Greater Idlib by claiming that it enables the “regime,” it is rushing to open a crossing with the same “regime” to make financial gains.
This hypocritical stance reveals the true nature of HTS’ power-hungry leadership. It also explains why Turkey is working against the terrorist group’s plans in Greater Idlib.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--U.S. To Invest $49 Million For Military Infrastructure In The Baltic States

The United States intends to allocate $ 49 million for the design and construction of military facilities in Estonia , Lithuania and Latvia .
This is stated in the application of the US Army Corps of Engineers in Europe , the text of which was reviewed by RT .
According to the document , the Engineer Corps intends to conclude at least three contracts for the provision of architectural and engineering services to both the Pentagon and federal agencies located on the territory of the US Department of Defense and the host country , and to support defense operations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ application states that the acquisition of these services will be aimed at supporting current and future missions of the US Army Corps of Engineering , implemented in Latvia , Lithuania and Estonia as part of the European containment initiative .
This program involves the deployment in Europe , bordering Russia , of several thousand NATO troops with machinery and equipment .
As stated in the alliance , such measures are taken in response to the “ aggressive actions ” of Russia .
According to the plans , design and construction work will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repair , modification or restoration of such facilities as “ airfields , railways , fuel storages and warehouses for fuels and lubricants , ammunition and explosive materials depots , barracks , housing blocks for one or many families , engineering structures , medical blocks , office buildings , workshops for maintenance and repair of mobile vehicles , facilities for operation and training military complexes , operational/reconnaissance centers , military training grounds and other facilities of the US Armed Forces.
” They plan to decide on the choice of contractor by September , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American company or to a joint venture of an American company and a host country .
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about the buildup of military capabilities of NATO countries , including the United States , and has stated its readiness to take countermeasures .
As noted by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry , Maria Zakharova , Moscow reserves the right to retaliatory actions in order to ensure the country ’ s security .
Back in October 2019 , Estonia and the US signed an agreement to enhance cooperation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Urmas Reinsalu met with this U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo and they signed the agreement .
In the document , the NATO allies reaffirmed their commitment to NATO ’ s collective defence and the need to further strengthen the military organisation .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • US Armed Forces To Construct Additional Facilities In Ukraine For NATO Coordination • It ’ s Back to Cold War Days Over the Baltic

Support SouthFront
The United States intends to allocate $49 million for the design and construction of military facilities in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.
This is stated in the application of the US Army Corps of Engineers in Europe, the text of which was reviewed by RT.
According to the document, the Engineer Corps intends to conclude at least three contracts for the provision of architectural and engineering services to both the Pentagon and federal agencies located on the territory of the US Department of Defense and the host country, and to support defense operations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The application states that the acquisition of these services will be aimed at supporting current and future missions of the US Army Corps of Engineering, implemented in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as part of the European containment initiative.
This program involves the deployment in Europe, bordering Russia, of several thousand NATO troops with machinery and equipment. As stated in the alliance, such measures are taken in response to the “aggressive actions” of Russia.
According to the plans, design and construction work will be carried out for the further construction, repair, modification or restoration of such facilities as “airfields, railways, fuel storages and warehouses for fuels and lubricants, ammunition and explosive materials depots, barracks, housing blocks for one or many families, engineering structures, medical blocks, office buildings, workshops for maintenance and repair of mobile vehicles, facilities for operation and training military complexes, operational/reconnaissance centers, military training grounds and other facilities of the US Armed Forces.”
They plan to decide on the choice of contractor by September, but a contract can only be awarded to an American company or to a joint venture of an American company and a host country.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about the buildup of military capabilities of NATO countries, including the United States, and has stated its readiness to take countermeasures.
“We expressed concern about the buildup of NATO military capabilities near Russian borders. The scale of preparations for the alliance goes far beyond the needs of self-defense, and this line leads to increased tension and exacerbated the deficit of trust,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
As noted by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, Moscow reserves the right to retaliatory actions in order to ensure the country’s security.
“We reserve the right to respond, including taking appropriate countermeasures in the interests of reliable security of our country,” the representative of the department emphasized.
Back in October 2019, Estonia and the US signed an agreement to enhance cooperation between the countries. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu met with this U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo and they signed the agreement.
“The main directions in Estonia’s foreign policy include bolstering relations with the United States and reinforcing NATO as well as encouraging further cooperation between the European Union and the United States,” Reinsalu explained. “Considering the changing circumstances in the world, the unique transatlantic bond between the United States and Europe is the most solid support for ensuring our security and protecting our values.”
In the document, the NATO allies reaffirmed their commitment to NATO’s collective defence and the need to further strengthen the military organisation.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--Mainstream Narrative Censors Any Attempts To Contain Hysteria Over COVID-19

On April 27th , the Daily Mail reported that COVID-19 may be up to 8 times deadlier than people think .
And that would mean a fatality rate of 0.85 % in Italy and 0.5 % in New York , and so on .
Official mortality in Italy is 13 % – according to the same Daily Mail .
Official mortality in China is 5.5 % .
The official mortality rate announced by WHO was 3.4 % .
Professor Nyal Ferguson , on the basis of whose predictions the UK turned its policy 180 degrees and switched from the Swedish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drones watching dog lovers in the wasteland , predicted 500 thousand corpses in the UK and 2 million corpses in the USA .
After , based on all these terrifying predictions and expert assessments , the whole West , not counting Sweden , plunged into a lockdown , antibody tests appeared .
And then it became clear how many people actually got sick and what real mortality was .
Based on tests , the mortality rate in the county of Santa Clara , California sits between 0.12-0.2 % .
In the county of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.18-0.36 % .
In the state of New York – 0.58 % , and in the city of New York – 0.86 % , while 21 % of the population there was already ill. And then the Daily Mail comes along and says that the mortality may be up to 8 times higher , not the 3.4 % that the World Health Organization estimates , but the 0.5 % .
And reports such as this that give confusing , and unclear information , but to which a large number of people have access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same with medication for COVID-19 – on March 19th , US President Donald Trump announced that chloroquine – a well-known , cheap and old cure for malaria – also helps with coronavirus .
Prior to that , Elon Musk , who ’ s quite a well-known proponent of whatever is the flavor of the month , praised it .
Elon Musk , in March cited questionable sources , saying that by the end of April there would be close to 0 infections per day in the US , and that people should sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is riding the high-tide of populism and is calling for “ FREE AMERICA NOW.
” Elon Musk hit out against the lockdowns that have kept businesses throughout the U.S. closed for more than a month in a series of tweets late Tuesday .
Musk also said that he would reopen Tesla ’ s vehicle-assembly plant near San Francisco .
Tesla has been eager to reopen after having clashed with the county and the city of Fremont over whether it was an essential business and could remain open .
Essentially , Musk , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , simply to achieve his own agenda to open his businesses , but also be on the side of the popular majority .
Dr. Didier Raoult , the famous French infectious disease specialist , creator and director of the Mediterranean University-Clinical Institute of Infectious Diseases , used it for treatment .
The results of Dr. Raoult and his institute were outstanding : by the end of March , only 10 of the 2,400 people who received treatment at his institute had died .
But , as soon as Trump said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worthless and unusable .
Nevada Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak immediately banned the use of chloroquine for treating COVID-19 with his order , while Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer threatened doctors who used the medication with administrative sanctions .
As for Dr. Raoult – he was immediately accused of quackery , totalitarianism , and sexual harassment .
But to be fair , he said that universal testing was needed and that both choloroquine and azithromycin should be used in the early stages of the disease , and then it was useless to apply them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have not found the be-all end-all of COVID-19 treatments , but rather found that ’ s needed – proper testing .
Then , the above-mentioned governor ’ s orders were immediately supported by other studies , claiming that the medication shouldn ’ t be used .
A group of scientists analyzed the medical history of COVID-19 patients in a hospital for American veterans and published a terrifying preprint .
28 % of those who received chloroquine died , and among those who did not , only 11 % died .
And then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later stages , turned into something that kills patients .
The thing is that no information was given about the study that ’ s being propagated , at least Raoult provided some evidence .
An additional adverse effect of this study was that chloroquine has been consumed for over 80 years .
This is the oldest and well-proven cure for malaria .
It is produced in tons .
Its wholesale price for Africa is 4 ( in words – four ) cents .
It is included in the WHO list of essential medicines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most needed medicines .
And it claimed that it kills people .
For 80 years , chloroquine has been a cheap , common , safe generic .
And only when it turned out that the medicine was priced at 4 cents , it was established that it couldn ’ t cure COVID-19 because it would potentially be too cheap and accessible .
Another promising drug was remdesivir , an Ebola drug developed by Gilead Sciences .
And what ?
On April 23rd , WHO “ accidentally ” posted on its website test results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The tests were carried out so incorrectly that WHO had to immediately remove the article from the site and even claim that it got there “ by mistake ” .
But the deed was done .
Gilead shares crashed .
Explanations by its scientists that the WHO-provided clinical trials were incorrect , did not interest anyone .
Media informed the whole world that the drug did not work in the “ gold standard ” trials , and the trials themselves had to be interrupted due to side effects .
The trick of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all medical rules – double blind randomized – can not be done at all in an epidemic .
And to conduct them is immoral .
During the epidemic , the doctor will not leave a whole group of patients without a medicine that , he thinks , can help them , only to check if this medicine works .
At the same time , the epidemic removed barriers to the quality of information – and articles and preprints began to appear on professional websites that would never have been reviewed .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news wouldn ’ t be taken into account because didn ’ t pass the “ double-blind randomized test ” while negative news would be immediately shared , because in an epidemic you want to get to the most audience , and it ’ s easier to believe fearmongering , since the climate itself facilitates it .
And it is possible that the vaccine testing would undergo the same treatment .
Many “ live ” vaccines tend to stimulate the innate immune system and thereby protect not only from the disease from which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wide range of infections in general .
The stimulation mechanism is sufficiently proven and studied .
Especially remarkable in this sense is not even the BCG vaccine , but the live polio vaccine , which has been used for a long time in developing countries , where it not only protected against poliomyelitis , but also reduced infant mortality from other infections by 30 % .
In the USSR , the same vaccine reduced the incidence of influenza by 75 % .
This live vaccine , perhaps , could serve as a serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year and a half , during which the vaccine itself against the virus is being developed .
The vaccine costs 10 cents .
The famous virologist and founder of the Global Virus Network , Dr. Robert Gallo , best known for his discovery of HIV , announced the start of clinical trials of the polio vaccine against COVID-19 .
A vaccine that is already ready , which costs 10 cents , which will radically reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 , and there are no side effects from it ( in children – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the anti-vaxxers say ) .
WHO – rightly – stated that it does not recommend the use of a live polio vaccine against coronavirus .
As the number of antibody tests grew and it became clear that 20-25 % of the population was already infected in New York .
And there was a danger , of people returning to the streets .
And on April 24th , the WHO stated that it is categorically against lifting quarantine for those who have been ill , because it has “ no data ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some patients , WHO warns , antibody levels are very low , and tests can give a false-positive result .
Therefore , even those who have been ill can not go to work .
So , does that mean that vaccination also doesn ’ t work ?
If , according to WHO , even after an illness there is no guarantee that antibodies will be produced , how will they be produced after vaccination ?
That is , the recommendation by WHO is translated like this : There is no cure for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , did not check , but there are a couple of preprints saying that there ’ s no cure , and it can not ignore such important evidence .
Basically , people should sit at home and , more importantly , generally keep quiet .
If people want to work so as not to starve to death , just call them a fascist .
If they raise the question that people without work will get drunk , get on drugs , commit suicide , just call them a fascist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stutter that closed hospitals will lead to a monstrous increase in mortality from cancer , from cardiovascular diseases , from diseases of the kidneys , liver , once again , just call them a fascist and covidiot .
This isn ’ t to say that COVID-19 is not a serious pandemic .
It is an astounding test of the strength healthcare systems , as seen in France and Italy , which occupy the 1st and 2nd position in the WHO ranking , and of the US , which occupies the 37th position .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ passing the test , while the US seems to be failing entirely .
All of the listed above paints a very stark picture .
This is no longer an attempt to solve a real problem , but rather an attempt to make the problem unsolvable , and the control and power of the bureaucrats is eternal .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Trump ’ s Order To Sink Iranian Boats Is Just A Way To Keep Mind Off COVID-19 ?
• Video : COVID-19 : Closing Down the Economy Is Not the @

Support SouthFront
On April 27th, the Daily Mail reported that COVID-19 may be up to 8 times deadlier than people think.
And that would mean a fatality rate of 0.85% in Italy and 0.5% in New York, and so on.
Official mortality in Italy is 13% – according to the same Daily Mail. Official mortality in China is 5.5%.
The official mortality rate announced by WHO was 3.4%.
Professor Nyal Ferguson, on the basis of whose predictions the UK turned its policy 180 degrees and switched from the Swedish version to the most severe quarantine and drones watching dog lovers in the wasteland, predicted 500 thousand corpses in the UK and 2 million corpses in the USA.
After, based on all these terrifying predictions and expert assessments, the whole West, not counting Sweden, plunged into a lockdown, antibody tests appeared. And then it became clear how many people actually got sick and what real mortality was.
Based on tests, the mortality rate in the county of Santa Clara, California sits between 0.12-0.2%.
In the county of Los Angeles, also in California – 0.18-0.36%.
In Gangelt, Germany – 0.37%.
In the state of New York – 0.58%, and in the city of New York – 0.86%, while 21% of the population there was already ill.
And then the Daily Mail comes along and says that the mortality may be up to 8 times higher, not the 3.4% that the World Health Organization estimates, but the 0.5%.
And reports such as this that give confusing, and unclear information, but to which a large number of people have access is common.
The situation is the same with medication for COVID-19 – on March 19th, US President Donald Trump announced that chloroquine – a well-known, cheap and old cure for malaria – also helps with coronavirus.
Prior to that, Elon Musk, who’s quite a well-known proponent of whatever is the flavor of the month, praised it.
Elon Musk, in March cited questionable sources, saying that by the end of April there would be close to 0 infections per day in the US, and that people should sit at home.
Now, Musk, is riding the high-tide of populism and is calling for “FREE AMERICA NOW.”
FREE AMERICA NOW — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020
Elon Musk hit out against the lockdowns that have kept businesses throughout the U.S. closed for more than a month in a series of tweets late Tuesday.
“Give people their freedom back!” Tesla Inc.’s chief executive officer said as he promoted Wall Street Journal analysis that suggested closures don’t save many lives. “Bravo Texas!” Musk tweeted, highlighting a Texas Tribune story that said the state’s restaurants and other businesses can reopen.
Musk also said that he would reopen Tesla’s vehicle-assembly plant near San Francisco. Tesla has been eager to reopen after having clashed with the county and the city of Fremont over whether it was an essential business and could remain open.
Yes, reopen with care & appropriate protection, but don’t put everyone under de facto house arrest — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2020
Essentially, Musk, is attempting to support whatever is popular at the moment, simply to achieve his own agenda to open his businesses, but also be on the side of the popular majority.
Dr. Didier Raoult, the famous French infectious disease specialist, creator and director of the Mediterranean University-Clinical Institute of Infectious Diseases, used it for treatment.
The results of Dr. Raoult and his institute were outstanding: by the end of March, only 10 of the 2,400 people who received treatment at his institute had died.
But, as soon as Trump said it would work, the medication suddenly became worthless and unusable.
Nevada Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak immediately banned the use of chloroquine for treating COVID-19 with his order, while Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer threatened doctors who used the medication with administrative sanctions.
As for Dr. Raoult – he was immediately accused of quackery, totalitarianism, and sexual harassment. But to be fair, he said that universal testing was needed and that both choloroquine and azithromycin should be used in the early stages of the disease, and then it was useless to apply them later on.
As such, Raoult may have not found the be-all end-all of COVID-19 treatments, but rather found that’s needed – proper testing.
Then, the above-mentioned governor’s orders were immediately supported by other studies, claiming that the medication shouldn’t be used.
A group of scientists analyzed the medical history of COVID-19 patients in a hospital for American veterans and published a terrifying preprint. 28% of those who received chloroquine died, and among those who did not, only 11% died. And then, the medication from not-very-effective in the later stages, turned into something that kills patients.
The thing is that no information was given about the study that’s being propagated, at least Raoult provided some evidence.
An additional adverse effect of this study was that chloroquine has been consumed for over 80 years. This is the oldest and well-proven cure for malaria. It is produced in tons. Its wholesale price for Africa is 4 (in words – four) cents. It is included in the WHO list of essential medicines, which includes only the safest and most needed medicines. And it claimed that it kills people.
For 80 years, chloroquine has been a cheap, common, safe generic. And only when it turned out that the medicine was priced at 4 cents, it was established that it couldn’t cure COVID-19 because it would potentially be too cheap and accessible.
Another promising drug was remdesivir, an Ebola drug developed by Gilead Sciences. And what? On April 23rd, WHO “accidentally” posted on its website test results that showed that remdesivir was no good.
The tests were carried out so incorrectly that WHO had to immediately remove the article from the site and even claim that it got there “by mistake”.
But the deed was done. Gilead shares crashed. Explanations by its scientists that the WHO-provided clinical trials were incorrect, did not interest anyone.
Media informed the whole world that the drug did not work in the “gold standard” trials, and the trials themselves had to be interrupted due to side effects.
The trick of all these stories is that trials by all medical rules – double blind randomized – cannot be done at all in an epidemic. And to conduct them is immoral. During the epidemic, the doctor will not leave a whole group of patients without a medicine that, he thinks, can help them, only to check if this medicine works.
At the same time, the epidemic removed barriers to the quality of information – and articles and preprints began to appear on professional websites that would never have been reviewed.
It’s a Catch-22 situation: any positive news wouldn’t be taken into account because didn’t pass the “double-blind randomized test” while negative news would be immediately shared, because in an epidemic you want to get to the most audience, and it’s easier to believe fearmongering, since the climate itself facilitates it.
And it is possible that the vaccine testing would undergo the same treatment.
Many “live” vaccines tend to stimulate the innate immune system and thereby protect not only from the disease from which the vaccine works, but also from a wide range of infections in general.
The stimulation mechanism is sufficiently proven and studied.
Especially remarkable in this sense is not even the BCG vaccine, but the live polio vaccine, which has been used for a long time in developing countries, where it not only protected against poliomyelitis, but also reduced infant mortality from other infections by 30%.
In the USSR, the same vaccine reduced the incidence of influenza by 75%.
This live vaccine, perhaps, could serve as a serious defense throughout, for example, the year and a half, during which the vaccine itself against the virus is being developed. The vaccine costs 10 cents.
The famous virologist and founder of the Global Virus Network, Dr. Robert Gallo, best known for his discovery of HIV, announced the start of clinical trials of the polio vaccine against COVID-19.
A vaccine that is already ready, which costs 10 cents, which will radically reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19, and there are no side effects from it (in children – one case in three million, despite what the anti-vaxxers say).
WHO – rightly – stated that it does not recommend the use of a live polio vaccine against coronavirus.
As the number of antibody tests grew and it became clear that 20-25% of the population was already infected in New York. And there was a danger, of people returning to the streets.
And on April 24th, the WHO stated that it is categorically against lifting quarantine for those who have been ill, because it has “no data” that all people develop stable immunity. In some patients, WHO warns, antibody levels are very low, and tests can give a false-positive result. Therefore, even those who have been ill cannot go to work.
So, does that mean that vaccination also doesn’t work? If, according to WHO, even after an illness there is no guarantee that antibodies will be produced, how will they be produced after vaccination?
That is, the recommendation by WHO is translated like this: There is no cure for this disease. That is, the WHO, of course, did not check, but there are a couple of preprints saying that there’s no cure, and it cannot ignore such important evidence.
Basically, people should sit at home and, more importantly, generally keep quiet.
If people want to work so as not to starve to death, just call them a fascist.
If they raise the question that people without work will get drunk, get on drugs, commit suicide, just call them a fascist, covidiot.
If they attempt to timidly stutter that closed hospitals will lead to a monstrous increase in mortality from cancer, from cardiovascular diseases, from diseases of the kidneys, liver, once again, just call them a fascist and covidiot.
This isn’t to say that COVID-19 is not a serious pandemic. It is an astounding test of the strength healthcare systems, as seen in France and Italy, which occupy the 1st and 2nd position in the WHO ranking, and of the US, which occupies the 37th position.
And Italy and France appear to be passing the test, while the US seems to be failing entirely.
All of the listed above paints a very stark picture. This is no longer an attempt to solve a real problem, but rather an attempt to make the problem unsolvable, and the control and power of the bureaucrats is eternal.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--In Photos: 7th Limited Turkish-Russian Patrol Held In Syria’s Southern Idlib

I ’ ll bet the Russian soldiers are drawing straws trying to avoid this 5km round trip , and I @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s a dangerous patrol , they ’ re probably doing it because they @ @ @ @ @ be seen doing anything as silly as this , a 2.5 km trip up the @ @ @ @ @ turn around and go back home again , LOL , that ’ s embarrassing , @ @ @ @ @ your binoculars , don ’ t turn Russian soldiers into laughing stocks , and more @ @ @ @ @ the terrorists a reason to gloat , everytime they see a Russian patrol make the @ @ @ @ @ probably boosts their morale and gives them a good laugh , so don ’ t @ @ @

Support SouthFront
On April 30, the Russian Military Police and the Turkish Army held a 7th joint patrol on the M4 highway in southern Idlib. As always, the patrol took place in a limited area west of the government-controlled town of Saraqib.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--Military Situation In Syria On April 30, 2020 (Map Update)

Glad to see that area north and north east of Aleppo is cleared : ) Soon the rest : )

Support SouthFront
A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--FSB Eliminated 3 ISIS Members Preparing Terrorist Attacks In Yekaterinburg (Video, Photos)

Forces of Russia ’ s Federal Security Service ( FSB ) have neutralized a terrorist cell in the city of @ @ @ @ @ to the arrest with fire arms and were eliminate by FSB personnel .
Improvised explosive @ @ @ @ @ were seized on the site of the operation .
The neutralized cell was preparing terrorist @ @ @ @ @ ON THE TOPIC : • FSB Foiled Ukrainian Intelligence ’ s Plot To Carry Out @ @ @ @

Support SouthFront
Forces of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) have neutralized a terrorist cell in the city of Yekaterinburg.
3 terrorists struggled to the arrest with fire arms and were eliminate by FSB personnel. Improvised explosive devices, weapons and ammunition were seized on the site of the operation.
The neutralized cell was preparing terrorist attacks in Russia.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--U.S Troops Who Reportedly Suffered TBI In Iranian Attacks To Be Awarded Purple Hearts

Some of the U.S. soldiers who suffered from traumatic brain injury ( TBI ) as a result of Iran ’ s attacks on the al-Asad base in Iraq are to be given Purple Hearts .
It is unclear how many service members would receive the Purple Heart for the injuries caused by 11 Iranian ballistic missiles , which struck the Iraqi base in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani .
In total , after initially reporting that there were no damages and injuries as a result of the January 8th Iranian ballistic missile strike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite a bit of damage , and 110 troops were diagnosed with TBI .
To qualify for the Purple Heart , troops must be diagnosed and treated by medical professionals for TBI as a result of an enemy attack and be removed from duty for 48 hours , Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in January .
“ A lot of people have said , well , why didn ’ t we immediately identify everybody with a traumatic brain injury ?
” Air Force Brig .
Gen. Paul Friedrichs said .
“ Because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And if you ’ re 18 or 19 or 20 years old , even though we ’ ve trained everybody who deploys downrange on what to look for , it ’ s quite common that we ’ ll have folks who will say , you know , ‘ I just was blasted ; of course I ’ m not going to feel quite right , I ’ m going to ride this out for a few days ; ’ or , ‘ I ’ m going to wait and see if this gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And then they come in , several days or weeks after the fact.
” In 2011 , the Pentagon streamlined its policy regarding criteria for the Purple Heart to allow service members with mild TBI to be eligible for the award even if they did not lose consciousness in the attack or were not immediately treated on scene by a medical officer .
“ Combat theater and unit command policies mandating rest periods or “ down time ” following incidents do not constitute qualifying treatment for concussion injuries .
To qualify as medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been directed by a medical officer or medical professional for the individual after diagnosis of an injury as indicated , ” the Army ’ s Purple Heart policy states .
“ When considering award of the Purple Heart for a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion that did not result in the loss of consciousness , ensure the diagnosed mild traumatic brain injury resulted in a disposition of ‘ not fit for full duty ’ by a medical officer for a period of greater than 48 hours based on persistent signs , symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the concussive event , ” the Air Force awards manual detailed .
“ Sailors and Marines may be awarded the Purple Heart for certain mild traumatic brain injuries that were caused by enemy action ” Jim Nierle , president , Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals , said in a 2011 news release .
“ If they suffered a loss of consciousness , or had to be given the disposition of ‘ not fit for full duty ’ by a medical officer for a period greater than 48 hours after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Purple Heart , ” Nierle explained in the release .
Back in February , Military Times reported that as many as 60 soldiers could be eligible for a Purple Heart .
It is unclear how many would receive the Purple Heart ; but this would potentially surpass the 47 Purple Hearts awarded to Marines from 2016 to 2018 supporting Operation Inherent Resolve — the U.S.-led mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria .
Prior to streamlining the awarding procedure , Purple Hearts were awarded to soldiers who were severely injured or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being awarded to soldiers who received a concussion while sitting in a bunker , in an attack that , as far as it is known , took no human life .
Furthermore , streamlining the awarding of Purple Hearts for TBI raises some question , as it could easily be used as a sort of cover-up strategy to award the medal to soldiers , under the pretext of them suffering simply minor injuries , rather than something more serious , which would remain undisclosed .
That , however , comes down entirely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Number of US Troops Injured in Iranian Attack on Al-Asad Base Is Now 50

Support SouthFront
Some of the U.S. soldiers who suffered from traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of Iran’s attacks on the al-Asad base in Iraq are to be given Purple Hearts.
Troops who suffered traumatic brain injuries dismissed by Trump expected to receive Purple Hearts, @barbarastarrcnn reportshttps://t.co/2rm95LaNMB — CNN NationalSecurity (@NatSecCNN) April 28, 2020
It is unclear how many service members would receive the Purple Heart for the injuries caused by 11 Iranian ballistic missiles, which struck the Iraqi base in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
In total, after initially reporting that there were no damages and injuries as a result of the January 8th Iranian ballistic missile strike, it turned out that there were quite a bit of damage, and 110 troops were diagnosed with TBI.
“The Purple Heart submissions remain under review by [Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve] and are being processed in accordance with Defense Department and military services regulations,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell. “Upon final approval, service members entitled to receive the Purple Heart will be notified by their leadership.”
To qualify for the Purple Heart, troops must be diagnosed and treated by medical professionals for TBI as a result of an enemy attack and be removed from duty for 48 hours, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in January.
“A lot of people have said, well, why didn’t we immediately identify everybody with a traumatic brain injury?” Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs said. “Because the signs sometimes are fairly non-specific. “And if you’re 18 or 19 or 20 years old, even though we’ve trained everybody who deploys downrange on what to look for, it’s quite common that we’ll have folks who will say, you know, ‘I just was blasted; of course I’m not going to feel quite right, I’m going to ride this out for a few days;’ or, ‘I’m going to wait and see if this gets better.’” he continued. “And then they come in, several days or weeks after the fact.”
In 2011, the Pentagon streamlined its policy regarding criteria for the Purple Heart to allow service members with mild TBI to be eligible for the award even if they did not lose consciousness in the attack or were not immediately treated on scene by a medical officer.
“Combat theater and unit command policies mandating rest periods or “down time” following incidents do not constitute qualifying treatment for concussion injuries. To qualify as medical treatment, this rest period must have been directed by a medical officer or medical professional for the individual after diagnosis of an injury as indicated,” the Army’s Purple Heart policy states. “When considering award of the Purple Heart for a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion that did not result in the loss of consciousness, ensure the diagnosed mild traumatic brain injury resulted in a disposition of ‘not fit for full duty’ by a medical officer for a period of greater than 48 hours based on persistent signs, symptoms, or findings of functional impairment resulting from the concussive event,” the Air Force awards manual detailed. “Sailors and Marines may be awarded the Purple Heart for certain mild traumatic brain injuries that were caused by enemy action” Jim Nierle, president, Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals, said in a 2011 news release. “If they suffered a loss of consciousness, or had to be given the disposition of ‘not fit for full duty’ by a medical officer for a period greater than 48 hours after a concussive event, they may qualify for the Purple Heart,” Nierle explained in the release.
Back in February, Military Times reported that as many as 60 soldiers could be eligible for a Purple Heart.
It is unclear how many would receive the Purple Heart; but this would potentially surpass the 47 Purple Hearts awarded to Marines from 2016 to 2018 supporting Operation Inherent Resolve — the U.S.-led mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Prior to streamlining the awarding procedure, Purple Hearts were awarded to soldiers who were severely injured or killed in combat, now it is being awarded to soldiers who received a concussion while sitting in a bunker, in an attack that, as far as it is known, took no human life.
Furthermore, streamlining the awarding of Purple Hearts for TBI raises some question, as it could easily be used as a sort of cover-up strategy to award the medal to soldiers, under the pretext of them suffering simply minor injuries, rather than something more serious, which would remain undisclosed. That, however, comes down entirely to speculation.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--Germany Bans All Hezbollah Activity, Designates It As Terrorist Organization

On April 30th , German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer banned Hezbollah activities in the country , his ministry spokesman said on Twitter .
He also confirmed that “ police measures are underway in several federal states concurrently , ” and added that even in times of crisis , the “ rule of law is able to act.
” The police carried out raids on four mosque associations in Berlin , Dortmund , Bremen and Münster accused of belonging to Hezbollah .
Hezbollah was also classified as a terrorist organization .
The American Jewish Committee praised Germany ’ s move to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcome , much-anticipated and significant German decision ” in a statement .
Israel ’ s Minister of Foreign Affairs , Israel Katz , issued similar praise for the decision .
In December 2019 , Germany ’ s parliament approved a motion urging Chancellor Angela Merkel ’ s government to ban all activities by Hezbollah on German soil , citing its “ terrorist activities ” especially in Syria .
On a trip to Berlin in 2019 , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped Germany would follow Britain in banning Hezbollah .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation .
German authorities estimate around 1,050 people in Germany are active members of Hezbollah , but not specifically of the armed wing .
In September , federal prosecutors were given the authority to open criminal cases against members of any foreign terror organization .
In 2013 , EU foreign ministers banned Hezbollah ’ s military wing but not its political work in Europe .
As a result , sanctions can be imposed on its military leaders .
Germany simply designated it as a terrorist organization to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out any activity in the country .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Iraqi Hezbollah Fighters Killed , Injured In New ISIS Attack On Syria ’ s Al-Mayadin • U.S. Offers $ 10 Million Reward For Information On Senior Hezbollah Commander

Support SouthFront
On April 30th, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer banned Hezbollah activities in the country, his ministry spokesman said on Twitter.
BM #Seehofer hat heute die Betätigung der shiitischen Terrororganisation Hizb Allah (Partei Gottes) in Deutschland verboten. Seit den frühen Morgenstunden laufen in mehreren Bundesländern zeitgleich polizeiliche Maßnahmen. Auch in Krisenzeiten ist der Rechtsstaat handlungsfähig. — Steve Alter (@BMISprecher) April 30, 2020
He also confirmed that “police measures are underway in several federal states concurrently,” and added that even in times of crisis, the “rule of law is able to act.”
The police carried out raids on four mosque associations in Berlin, Dortmund, Bremen and Münster accused of belonging to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah was also classified as a terrorist organization.
The American Jewish Committee praised Germany’s move to ban Hezbollah, calling it a “welcome, much-anticipated and significant German decision” in a statement.
“We now hope other European nations will take a close look at Germany’s decision and reach the same conclusion about the true nature of Hezbollah,” wrote AJC CEO David Harris. “Permitting its [Hezbollah’s] ‘political’ wing to operate on European soil allows for active recruitment, fundraising, and the poisonous spread of anti-Semitism,” the statement read.
“This is a welcome, much-anticipated, and significant German decision… We now hope other EU nations will take a close look at Germany’s decision and reach the same conclusion about the true nature of Hezbollah.” — @DavidHarrisAJC Our full statement: https://t.co/CoIvu38RyC pic.twitter.com/nbaiUNl1su — American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) April 30, 2020
Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, issued similar praise for the decision.
“In my conversations with [German Foreign Minister] Heiko Maas, he promised to help and I thank him,” Katz tweeted. “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization & must be treated as such.”
I applaud the German govt for the decision to designate Hezbollah a terror organization. In my conversations with @HeikoMaas he promised to help & I thank him. I call on other European countries & the EU to do the same. Hezbollah is a terror organization & must be treated as such — ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) April 30, 2020
In December 2019, Germany’s parliament approved a motion urging Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to ban all activities by Hezbollah on German soil, citing its “terrorist activities” especially in Syria.
On a trip to Berlin in 2019, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped Germany would follow Britain in banning Hezbollah. Britain introduced legislation in February 2019 that classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.
German authorities estimate around 1,050 people in Germany are active members of Hezbollah, but not specifically of the armed wing.
In September, federal prosecutors were given the authority to open criminal cases against members of any foreign terror organization.
In 2013, EU foreign ministers banned Hezbollah’s military wing but not its political work in Europe. As a result, sanctions can be imposed on its military leaders.
Germany simply designated it as a terrorist organization to stop the possibility of its political members carrying out any activity in the country.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront


southfront--2020-04-30--Pro-GNA Sources Release Video Supposedly Showing Turkish Drone Strikes On Libyan National Army

The Turkish-backed Government of National Accord released a video supposedly showing recent strikes by Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles on @ @ @ @ @ Army on the frontline near Tripoli and in the nearby areas .
The video was @ @ @ @ @ the Turkish-backed , Tripoli-based Government of National Accord .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • @ @ @ @ @ Than ISIS : Washington Examiner Report

Support SouthFront
The Turkish-backed Government of National Accord released a video supposedly showing recent strikes by Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles on positions of the Libyan National Army on the frontline near Tripoli and in the nearby areas.
The video was released by sources loyal to the Turkish-backed, Tripoli-based Government of National Accord.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Support SouthFront