southfront--2020-10-19--Last Stand Of Armenian Forces In Battle For Nagorno-Krabakh

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have been developing their advance on Armenian positions in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Recently , they captured 13 more villages in the Jabrayil district .
The capturing of Soltanli , Amirvarli , Mashanli , Hasanli , Alikeykhanli , Gumlag , Hajili , Goyarchinveysalli , Niyazgullar , Kechal Mammadli , Shahvalli , Haji Ismayilli , Isagli was personally announced by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev .
Azerbaijani forces also reached the town of Tumas and engaged Armenian units deployed there .
Pro-Azerbaijani sources insist that the town fell into the hands of Baku already .
The country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recent clashes that Azerbaijani forces destroyed a number of enemy troops , and at least 2 T-72 tanks , 2 BM-21 “ Grad ” MLRS , 1 D-30 , and 1 D-20 gun-howitzers , and 11 auto vehicles .
On October 19 , pro-Armenian sources for the first time provide a video evidence that they had shot down at least one of Bayraktar TB2 combat drones operated by the Azerbaijani military and Turkish specialists .
Meanwhile , the Armenian Defense Ministry claimed that 5 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Armenian side , the total number of Azerbaijani casualties in the war reached 6,259 .
195 UAVs , 16 helicopters , 22 military planes , 566 armoured vehicles , 4 multiple rocket launchers of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan were allegedly destroyed .
Yerevan claims that Armenian forces have repelled two powerful attacks in the northern part of Karabakh , while intense fighting has been ongoing in the south .
Nonetheless , Armenian military officials avoid confirming the recent Azerbaijani advances and insist that the recent developments are just a part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these claims , the political leadership of Armenia tries to hide that the Azerbaijani advance along the Iranian border faced little resistance .
The Azerbaijani progress was mostly complicated by a limited number of mobile Armenian units , which were avoiding a direct confrontation and focusing on ambushes and mine warfare .
According to reports , the Armenian side is now reinforcing its positions in the area of the Akari River seeking to prevent the further Azerbaijani advance towards the Armenian state border and the Lachin corridor .
On the other hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overcome this resistance and to develop the current momentum to reach the Lachin mountain pass thus threatening to cut off the shortest route between Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh .
In the event of the success , this would predetermine the Azerbaijani victory in the war .
Taking into account the advantage of the Azerbaijani-Turkish bloc in manpower , artillery , heavy military equipment and , the most important , their air dominance , Armenian forces have a limited number of options to repel the ongoing attack into the heart of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , Armenian forces will likely increase engineering works on their main defense lines simultaneously conducting regular counter-attacks with maneuverable units on the advancing Azerbaijani forces .
In these conditions , ambushes , mine warfare , anti-tank guided missile strike and sniper work will be the main weapons of the Armenian side .
Armenian units will also avoid a direct confrontation with overwhelming forces of Azerbaijan to avoid additional ‘ not needed ’ casualties .
It should be noted that the mountainous terrain will play into the hands of the Armenians .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fortified points surrounded by mine fields and employ the needed counter-drone measures ( by deploying additional air-defense means and increasing the work to cover positions of its artillery and logistical points ) , they will increase their chances to slow down or even stop the Azerbaijani advance in the most important directions .
The military hostilities are ongoing amid another round of the international diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation and return the sides to the negotiating table .
President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azerbaijani leader even said that his country is ready to halt the operation if Armenia demonstrates a constructive approach .
Nonetheless , the ‘ constructive approach of Armenia ’ in the view of Azerbaijan is the full and public surrender of Karabakh .
Such an agreement will mark the collapse of the current political leadership of Armenia and unlikely to be accepted .
Therefore , the war will likely continue until the military victory of one of the sides and this side would likely be Azerbaijan .
Baku has already achieved an impressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current situation with local military escalations of the previous years .
As to Armenia , it will not likely be able to turn the tide of the conflict if it continues limiting its response to indirect support of forces of the Republic of Artsakh instead of a direct military action to repel the Azerbaijani-Turkish bloc .
Clashes of the previous weeks already demonstrated that Baku has an upper hand in the current format of the military standoff in Karabakh .
Therefore , if Yerevan really wants to change something , it should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if this would create additional risks for Armenia itself .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • New ‘ Humanitarian Ceasefire ’ And Prospects Of Azerbaijani-Armenian War

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The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have been developing their advance on Armenian positions in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Recently, they captured 13 more villages in the Jabrayil district. The capturing of Soltanli, Amirvarli, Mashanli, Hasanli, Alikeykhanli, Gumlag, Hajili, Goyarchinveysalli, Niyazgullar, Kechal Mammadli, Shahvalli, Haji Ismayilli, Isagli was personally announced by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijani forces also reached the town of Tumas and engaged Armenian units deployed there. Pro-Azerbaijani sources insist that the town fell into the hands of Baku already.
Weapons and ammunition captured by Azerbaijani forces:
The country’s defense ministry claims that in the recent clashes that Azerbaijani forces destroyed a number of enemy troops, and at least 2 T-72 tanks, 2 BM-21 “Grad” MLRS, 1 D-30, and 1 D-20 gun-howitzers, and 11 auto vehicles.
On October 19, pro-Armenian sources for the first time provide a video evidence that they had shot down at least one of Bayraktar TB2 combat drones operated by the Azerbaijani military and Turkish specialists. Meanwhile, the Armenian Defense Ministry claimed that 5 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down during the evening of that day only.
According to the Armenian side, the total number of Azerbaijani casualties in the war reached 6,259. 195 UAVs, 16 helicopters, 22 military planes, 566 armoured vehicles, 4 multiple rocket launchers of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan were allegedly destroyed.
A part of the allegedly downed Bayraktar-TB2 drone:
Yerevan claims that Armenian forces have repelled two powerful attacks in the northern part of Karabakh, while intense fighting has been ongoing in the south. Nonetheless, Armenian military officials avoid confirming the recent Azerbaijani advances and insist that the recent developments are just a part of the modern maneuverable warfare.
By these claims, the political leadership of Armenia tries to hide that the Azerbaijani advance along the Iranian border faced little resistance. The Azerbaijani progress was mostly complicated by a limited number of mobile Armenian units, which were avoiding a direct confrontation and focusing on ambushes and mine warfare. According to reports, the Armenian side is now reinforcing its positions in the area of the Akari River seeking to prevent the further Azerbaijani advance towards the Armenian state border and the Lachin corridor. On the other hand, the goal of the Azerbaijani-Turkish bloc is to overcome this resistance and to develop the current momentum to reach the Lachin mountain pass thus threatening to cut off the shortest route between Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. In the event of the success, this would predetermine the Azerbaijani victory in the war.
Taking into account the advantage of the Azerbaijani-Turkish bloc in manpower, artillery, heavy military equipment and, the most important, their air dominance, Armenian forces have a limited number of options to repel the ongoing attack into the heart of the Nagorno-Karbakh region.
In the coming weeks, Armenian forces will likely increase engineering works on their main defense lines simultaneously conducting regular counter-attacks with maneuverable units on the advancing Azerbaijani forces. In these conditions, ambushes, mine warfare, anti-tank guided missile strike and sniper work will be the main weapons of the Armenian side. Armenian units will also avoid a direct confrontation with overwhelming forces of Azerbaijan to avoid additional ‘not needed’ casualties.
It should be noted that the mountainous terrain will play into the hands of the Armenians. If they are able to create a network of fortified points surrounded by mine fields and employ the needed counter-drone measures (by deploying additional air-defense means and increasing the work to cover positions of its artillery and logistical points), they will increase their chances to slow down or even stop the Azerbaijani advance in the most important directions.
Armenian forces strike advancing Azerbaijani units:
Azerbaijani troops are in Mataghis:
The military hostilities are ongoing amid another round of the international diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation and return the sides to the negotiating table. President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that they are ready to meet in Moscow. The Azerbaijani leader even said that his country is ready to halt the operation if Armenia demonstrates a constructive approach. Nonetheless, the ‘constructive approach of Armenia’ in the view of Azerbaijan is the full and public surrender of Karabakh. Such an agreement will mark the collapse of the current political leadership of Armenia and unlikely to be accepted. Therefore, the war will likely continue until the military victory of one of the sides and this side would likely be Azerbaijan. Baku has already achieved an impressive breakthrough on the frontline if one compares the current situation with local military escalations of the previous years.
As to Armenia, it will not likely be able to turn the tide of the conflict if it continues limiting its response to indirect support of forces of the Republic of Artsakh instead of a direct military action to repel the Azerbaijani-Turkish bloc. Clashes of the previous weeks already demonstrated that Baku has an upper hand in the current format of the military standoff in Karabakh. Therefore, if Yerevan really wants to change something, it should change the rules of the game even if this would create additional risks for Armenia itself.
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southfront--2020-10-19--SouthFront Now In Spanish

SouthFront Now In Spanish

SouthFront : Analysis & Intelligence has launched a new YouTube channel in Spanish .
To watch our videos in Spanish @ @ @ @

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SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence has launched a new YouTube channel in Spanish.
To watch our videos in Spanish follow the link:
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southfront--2020-10-19--Unprecedented Russian Investment In Crimea

The Russian Federation ’ s investment in the development of the Crimean peninsula is unprecedented .
In only 6 years after the reunification of the peninsula with the Russian Federation , many projects were implemented in the shortest possible time , such as the resumption of work of a number of factories , the opening of world-class hotels , the reconstruction of urban infrastructure , etc .
Among the largest projects , the new international airport was built in the capital of Crimea , Simferopol .
Its investment project amounted to 32 billion rubles .
Construction work started in may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2017 .
The need for such a rapid construction was caused by the fact that the old terminal could not cope with the flow of citizens due to the termination of any air and railway communication from Ukraine to the Crimea .
The opening of the new Crimean bridge connecting the Kerch peninsula with mainland Russia was of historical significance .
With a total length of 19 km , the Crimean bridge is the longest bridge ever built by Russia and is often called the longest in Europe .
Not only the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation , but also the railway connection , which was opened in 2019 .
According to official data , the cost of the bridge is 228 billion rubles .
The Tavrida highway , which runs along the entire peninsula and has a length of 250 km , was officially opened in August .
Only half of the route runs on existing roads , while the second part was newly put .
The construction of the highway , cross-road elimination structures and other neighbouring facilities requested about 200 billion rubles .
In the spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ construction of two helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy worth about 100 billion rubles was signed with the Crimean shipyard “ Zaliv ” ( “ Bay ” ) .
On July 20 , 2020 , the laying of these carriers took place .
In 2017 , Ukraine completed the construction of a dam in the Kherson region , which completely blocked the fresh water supply for the Crimean peninsula .
To solve the problem of fresh water supplies , Russia is implementing a large-scale project of the Crimean water pipeline .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that the government of the Russian Federation will allocate 8.2 billion rubles for the construction of desalination facilities for the Crimea and Sevastopol .
According to official documents , 7.8 billion rubles for these projects will be allocated from the Federal budget , and 400 million rubles from the regional budget .
The government of the Russian Federation will allocate about 50 billion rubles to implement a comprehensive plan to ensure reliable water supply to Crimea .
The construction of facilities is planned to be completed the project by 2022 .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already invested and sponsor more than 1 trillion rubles ( about $ 17 billion ) in the Republic of Crimea , including funds that were deployed within different Federal programs .
Despite the fact that at the time of Crimean unification with Russia , the GRP of Crimea represented only about 0.25 % of Russia ’ s annual GDP .
At the end of 2019 , the budget revenues of the Republic amounted to 46.7 billion rubles .
The current level of investment in Crimea is comparable only to the Soviet Union global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its peripheral territory like the Baltic States , Ukraine , and Kazakhstan .
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The Russian Federation’s investment in the development of the Crimean peninsula is unprecedented. In only 6 years after the reunification of the peninsula with the Russian Federation, many projects were implemented in the shortest possible time, such as the resumption of work of a number of factories, the opening of world-class hotels, the reconstruction of urban infrastructure, etc.
Among the largest projects , the new international airport was built in the capital of Crimea, Simferopol. Its investment project amounted to 32 billion rubles. Construction work started in may 2016 and was completed by the end of 2017. The need for such a rapid construction was caused by the fact that the old terminal could not cope with the flow of citizens due to the termination of any air and railway communication from Ukraine to the Crimea.
The opening of the new Crimean bridge connecting the Kerch peninsula with mainland Russia was of historical significance. With a total length of 19 km, the Crimean bridge is the longest bridge ever built by Russia and is often called the longest in Europe. Not only the road section has already been put into operation, but also the railway connection, which was opened in 2019. According to official data, the cost of the bridge is 228 billion rubles.
The Tavrida highway, which runs along the entire peninsula and has a length of 250 km, was officially opened in August. Only half of the route runs on existing roads, while the second part was newly put. The construction of the highway, cross-road elimination structures and other neighbouring facilities requested about 200 billion rubles.
In the spring of 2020, a contract for the construction of two helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy worth about 100 billion rubles was signed with the Crimean shipyard “Zaliv” (“Bay”). On July 20, 2020, the laying of these carriers took place.
In 2017, Ukraine completed the construction of a dam in the Kherson region, which completely blocked the fresh water supply for the Crimean peninsula. To solve the problem of fresh water supplies, Russia is implementing a large-scale project of the Crimean water pipeline. In addition, on September 19, it was announced that the government of the Russian Federation will allocate 8.2 billion rubles for the construction of desalination facilities for the Crimea and Sevastopol. According to official documents, 7.8 billion rubles for these projects will be allocated from the Federal budget, and 400 million rubles from the regional budget. The government of the Russian Federation will allocate about 50 billion rubles to implement a comprehensive plan to ensure reliable water supply to Crimea. The construction of facilities is planned to be completed the project by 2022.
In just a few years, Russia has already invested and sponsor more than 1 trillion rubles (about $ 17 billion) in the Republic of Crimea, including funds that were deployed within different Federal programs. Despite the fact that at the time of Crimean unification with Russia, the GRP of Crimea represented only about 0.25% of Russia’s annual GDP. At the end of 2019, the budget revenues of the Republic amounted to 46.7 billion rubles.
The current level of investment in Crimea is comparable only to the Soviet Union global projects aimed at the industrial development of its peripheral territory like the Baltic States, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.
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southfront--2020-10-19--Weapons Of Karabakh War: 2S3 Akatsiya Self-Propelled Howitzer

The first two prototypes of the 2S3 were completed by late 1968 and testing continued through to 1969 but problems were encountered with contamination in the turret so an additional four improved systems were built .
The system was accepted for service with the Russian army in December 1971 although production had commenced the previous year .
The 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya is designed to engage enemy personnel in the open and under shelter and to wipe out the adversary ’ s weapons , military equipment and other targets to the depth of a division limit of advance .
The 2S3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed forces and is used by several other countries in the world .
Two of these countries are Armenia and Azerbaijan , who both use the weapon system against each other in Nagorno-Karabakh .
The 2S3 Akatsiya is armed with the 2A33 152mm howitzer , which is a modified variant of the D-20 towed howitzer but with a bore evacuator added behind the muzzle brake .
The barrel has a double-baffle muzzle brake , fume extractor and a gun barrel traveling lock .
The 2S3 Akatsiya can fire at a rate of 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per hour .
The 2S3 can fire a wide range of ammunition including the HE-FRAG OF-540 , which is fitted with an RGM-2 fuze , weighs 43.5 kg , contains 5.76 kg of TNT , has a maximum muzzle velocity of 655 m/s and a maximum range of 18,500 m. Other types of projectiles fired include BP-540 HEAT-FS ( also referred to as HEAT-SS , for spin-stabilised ) , HE/RAP ( High-Explosive Rocket-Assisted Projectile ) with a range of 24,000 m , AP-T , illuminating , smoke , incendiary , flechette , scatterable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Krasnopol laser-designated projectile covered in the entry for the 152 mm 2S19 .
The 152 mm gun has an elevation of +60° and depression of -4° .
Driver ’ s and engine-transmission compartments are located in a front part of a hull , fighting compartment with rotatory turret – in middle and rear parts of the hull .
A single door is mounted to the right side of the turret .
The hull bottom carries a turntable mounted on a ball race resting on five rollers .
The 152.4 mm L/27 howitzer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from -4° to +60° with a turret traverse of a full 360° .
The all-welded steel hull of the 2S3 provides protection for the crew against the firing of small arms and shell splinters .
The 2S3 has infra-red night vision equipment and an NBC system .
According to Russian sources , the NBC system also keeps the turret clear of fumes when the gun is fired .
An infrared searchlight is mounted to the left of a 7.62 mm machine gun .
Earthmoving equipment is attached to the front part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected position .
The 2S3 Akatsiya can cross 0.7 m high vertical obstacles , 3.0 m wide trenches , 1.05 m fording depth , and climb 30° gradients .
Two vehicles can be transported by the military transport aircraft Antonov An-22 .
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The 2S3 Akatsiya is a Russian-made 152 mm self-propelled howitzer tracked armored vehicle.
The first two prototypes of the 2S3 were completed by late 1968 and testing continued through to 1969 but problems were encountered with contamination in the turret so an additional four improved systems were built.
The system was accepted for service with the Russian army in December 1971 although production had commenced the previous year.
The 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya is designed to engage enemy personnel in the open and under shelter and to wipe out the adversary’s weapons, military equipment and other targets to the depth of a division limit of advance.
The 2S3 is always in service in the Russian armed forces and is used by several other countries in the world.
Two of these countries are Armenia and Azerbaijan, who both use the weapon system against each other in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The 2S3 Akatsiya is armed with the 2A33 152mm howitzer, which is a modified variant of the D-20 towed howitzer but with a bore evacuator added behind the muzzle brake.
The barrel has a double-baffle muzzle brake, fume extractor and a gun barrel traveling lock. The 2S3 Akatsiya can fire at a rate of 30 rounds in 10 minutes or 75 rounds per hour.
The 2S3 can fire a wide range of ammunition including the HE-FRAG OF-540, which is fitted with an RGM-2 fuze, weighs 43.5 kg, contains 5.76 kg of TNT, has a maximum muzzle velocity of 655 m/s and a maximum range of 18,500 m.
Other types of projectiles fired include BP-540 HEAT-FS (also referred to as HEAT-SS, for spin-stabilised), HE/RAP (High-Explosive Rocket-Assisted Projectile) with a range of 24,000 m, AP-T, illuminating, smoke, incendiary, flechette, scatterable mines (anti-tank and anti-personnel) and the Krasnopol laser-designated projectile covered in the entry for the 152 mm 2S19. The 152 mm gun has an elevation of +60° and depression of -4°.
Driver’s and engine-transmission compartments are located in a front part of a hull, fighting compartment with rotatory turret – in middle and rear parts of the hull. A single door is mounted to the right side of the turret.
The hull bottom carries a turntable mounted on a ball race resting on five rollers. The 152.4 mm L/27 howitzer D-22 (2A33) can be elevated from -4° to +60° with a turret traverse of a full 360°. The all-welded steel hull of the 2S3 provides protection for the crew against the firing of small arms and shell splinters.
The 2S3 has infra-red night vision equipment and an NBC system.
According to Russian sources, the NBC system also keeps the turret clear of fumes when the gun is fired.
An infrared searchlight is mounted to the left of a 7.62 mm machine gun. Earthmoving equipment is attached to the front part of the hull allows the 2S3 to self-dig hull-down protected position. The 2S3 Akatsiya can cross 0.7 m high vertical obstacles, 3.0 m wide trenches, 1.05 m fording depth, and climb 30° gradients. Two vehicles can be transported by the military transport aircraft Antonov An-22.
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southfront--2020-10-19--Intermediate Results And Prospects Of Armenian-Azerbaijani War

The Armenian-Azerbaijani war , which started on September 27 , continues in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region despite international diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict .
Offensive operations of Azerbaijani forces continue at the same time as the Azerbaijani government claims that it is committed to the ceasefire regime .
The first humanitarian ceasefire entered force in Karabakh on October 10 and collapsed on the next day , while the second one started on October 18 with the same result .
The Armenian side also insists that it is committed to the ceasefire while simultaneously conducting counter-attacks against the advancing Azerbaijani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation is further complicated by the fact that the current Armenian leadership is not ready to ( or does not want to ) employ all of its means and forces to fight back the Azerbaijani advance .
Instead of this , Armenian forces involved in the conflict are limited to those of the Nagorno-Karakbah Republic .
The government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has so far limited its support to Karabakh to supplying weapons , sending volunteers ( instead of regular forces ) , complaining in the media and calling on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an independent state , while Armenia itself has made no steps in this direction .
As of October 19 , the situation on the frontline demonstrates that the Azerbaijani-Turkish side has been slowly but steadily taking an upper hand in the war .
Azerbaijani forces have achieved a series of tactical successes in the northern and southern part of the region , capturing two dozen small towns and villages .
The most important of them are Fuzuli , Jabrayl , Hadrut , Madaghis and Talish .
Azerbaijani forces also advanced in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past few days , especially heavy clashes were taking place near the town of Hadrut , from which Armenian forces withdrew after Azerbaijan took control of the surrounding heights .
Fuzuli experienced a similar fate as the Hadrut heights in fact overlook its countryside as well .
The Azerbaijani military extensively uses its advantage in air , artillery and manpower .
The advance is also supported by militant groups deployed by Turkey from the northwest of Syria , Turkish special forces and specialists ( especially in the field of EW operations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These factors , especially the air dominance , allowed Azerbaijan to deliver notable damage to Armenian forces destroying multiple pieces of their military equipment , destroying fortified positions and manpower .
The outdated air defense forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic appeared to be unable to deal with the threat from Azerbaijani military aircraft , while Armenia also seems to be unable to or has no political to will to employ its air defense .
Just recently , on October 17 , the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry released a video of strikes on a S-300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the Azerbaijani military conducts intense strikes on civilian infrastructure in the Nagorno-Karabakh region .
Despite the public claims of the Azerbaijani leadership that the conflict has no ethnic grounds and that there is no threat to the Armenian population , in fact , Baku seeks to not only dismantle the self-proclaimed Armenian state , but also to remove Armenians from this territory .
The Armenian side responds in a similar manner regularly shelling settlements and towns in Azerbaijan .
While some of these strikes may be considered as accidental , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Azerbaijani city of Ganja with ballistic missiles are for sure not an accident .
According to Azerbaijani authorities , 13 civilians were killed and more than 40 others were injured in the attack on the city .
The strike was likely conducted with the Soviet R-17 Elbrus tactical ballistic missile complex , which is in service with Karabakh forces .
It is likely that the Turkish-Azerbaijani bloc will develop its advance further along the Iranian border aiming for the towns of Qobadli and Zengilan .
For Azerbaijan , it will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will allow it to use its advantage in air power and manpower .
Meanwhile , the terrain in this part of the region is less complex than that in the center or the north .
In the event of success , such an advance will allow Azerbaijan to undermine the entire southern flank of Armenian forces deployed in Stepankert and Shusha .
This will also create a threat of cutting off the so-called Lachin corridor , a mountain pass within the de jure borders of Azerbaijan , forming the shortest route between Armenia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direction of the possible advance is Martakert and Agdam .
Nonetheless , in this case , even if Azerbaijani forces achieve a success there , a further advance will be more complicated due to the more complex terrain .
The humanitarian ceasefire announced on October 17 seems like another attempt of the Minsk group , led by France , Russia and the United States , to de-escalate the conflict .
Nonetheless , the position of the current Armenian government , which was for years undermining its relations with Russia , and the hardcore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already felt the flavour of potential military victory will likely not allow the parties involved to find a ‘ constructive ’ solution of the situation .
Thus , Ankara and Baku will continue demanding a full surrender of Armenia over the Karabakh question , which the Armenian government ( even if it wants to do so ) can not accept because this will lead to the immediate collapse of the Pashinyan regime and instability inside Armenia itself .

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The Armenian-Azerbaijani war, which started on September 27, continues in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region despite international diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict. Offensive operations of Azerbaijani forces continue at the same time as the Azerbaijani government claims that it is committed to the ceasefire regime. The first humanitarian ceasefire entered force in Karabakh on October 10 and collapsed on the next day, while the second one started on October 18 with the same result. The Armenian side also insists that it is committed to the ceasefire while simultaneously conducting counter-attacks against the advancing Azerbaijani forces.
For the Armenian side, the situation is further complicated by the fact that the current Armenian leadership is not ready to (or does not want to) employ all of its means and forces to fight back the Azerbaijani advance. Instead of this, Armenian forces involved in the conflict are limited to those of the Nagorno-Karakbah Republic.
The government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has so far limited its support to Karabakh to supplying weapons, sending volunteers (instead of regular forces), complaining in the media and calling on other countries to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as an independent state, while Armenia itself has made no steps in this direction.
As of October 19, the situation on the frontline demonstrates that the Azerbaijani-Turkish side has been slowly but steadily taking an upper hand in the war. Azerbaijani forces have achieved a series of tactical successes in the northern and southern part of the region, capturing two dozen small towns and villages. The most important of them are Fuzuli, Jabrayl, Hadrut, Madaghis and Talish. Azerbaijani forces also advanced in the direction of the Khudaferin Reservoir.
Over the past few days, especially heavy clashes were taking place near the town of Hadrut, from which Armenian forces withdrew after Azerbaijan took control of the surrounding heights. Fuzuli experienced a similar fate as the Hadrut heights in fact overlook its countryside as well. The Azerbaijani military extensively uses its advantage in air, artillery and manpower. The advance is also supported by militant groups deployed by Turkey from the northwest of Syria, Turkish special forces and specialists (especially in the field of EW operations, intelligence and air domain warfare).
These factors, especially the air dominance, allowed Azerbaijan to deliver notable damage to Armenian forces destroying multiple pieces of their military equipment, destroying fortified positions and manpower. The outdated air defense forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic appeared to be unable to deal with the threat from Azerbaijani military aircraft, while Armenia also seems to be unable to or has no political to will to employ its air defense. Just recently, on October 17, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry released a video of strikes on a S-300 system in Armenia.
At the same time, the Azerbaijani military conducts intense strikes on civilian infrastructure in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Despite the public claims of the Azerbaijani leadership that the conflict has no ethnic grounds and that there is no threat to the Armenian population, in fact, Baku seeks to not only dismantle the self-proclaimed Armenian state, but also to remove Armenians from this territory. The Armenian side responds in a similar manner regularly shelling settlements and towns in Azerbaijan. While some of these strikes may be considered as accidental, as Armenian sources claim, the recent strikes on the Azerbaijani city of Ganja with ballistic missiles are for sure not an accident. According to Azerbaijani authorities, 13 civilians were killed and more than 40 others were injured in the attack on the city. The strike was likely conducted with the Soviet R-17 Elbrus tactical ballistic missile complex, which is in service with Karabakh forces.
It is likely that the Turkish-Azerbaijani bloc will develop its advance further along the Iranian border aiming for the towns of Qobadli and Zengilan. For Azerbaijan, it will be profitable to extend the frontline because it will allow it to use its advantage in air power and manpower. Meanwhile, the terrain in this part of the region is less complex than that in the center or the north. In the event of success, such an advance will allow Azerbaijan to undermine the entire southern flank of Armenian forces deployed in Stepankert and Shusha. This will also create a threat of cutting off the so-called Lachin corridor, a mountain pass within the de jure borders of Azerbaijan, forming the shortest route between Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. Another direction of the possible advance is Martakert and Agdam. Nonetheless, in this case, even if Azerbaijani forces achieve a success there, a further advance will be more complicated due to the more complex terrain.
The humanitarian ceasefire announced on October 17 seems like another attempt of the Minsk group, led by France, Russia and the United States, to de-escalate the conflict. Nonetheless, the position of the current Armenian government, which was for years undermining its relations with Russia, and the hardcore posture of Azerbaijan and Turkey that have already felt the flavour of potential military victory will likely not allow the parties involved to find a ‘constructive’ solution of the situation. Thus, Ankara and Baku will continue demanding a full surrender of Armenia over the Karabakh question, which the Armenian government (even if it wants to do so) cannot accept because this will lead to the immediate collapse of the Pashinyan regime and instability inside Armenia itself.
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southfront--2020-10-19--SouthFront Survival Is Not Possible Without Your Support

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southfront--2020-10-19--Military Situuation In Yemen On October 19, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen : • Clashes between Ansar @ @ @ @ @ reported in the Moris area ; • Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the @ @ @ @ @ coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Zaher area ; • The Liaison and Coordination @ @ @ @ @ loyal to Ansar Allah ) reported 248 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah over the past 24 @ @ @ @ @ TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:
Clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-led forces were reported in the Moris area;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Haradh area;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 4 airstrikes on the Rahbah area;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Baqim area;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 3 airstrikes on the Kitaf area;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted an airstrike on the Zaher area;
The Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 248 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah over the past 24 hours.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-10-19--Global Hunger, COVID-19 And Corporations Controlled World

In recent weeks and months , countries around the world appear to be bulking up their food stocks .
This is the case in Jordan , which built up record reserves .
It is also the same in Egypt , which is the world ’ s biggest buyer of grain , and began buying grain from international markets , even during its local harvest .
Cairo has boosted its buying by 50 % since April 2020 .
Taiwan said it will increase strategic food stockpiles , and China has been buying to feed its growing hog herd .
This behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result of various causes .
The most obvious one is COVID-19 , the hysteria and lockdown brought forth by it .
Global shipments were disrupted due to the lockdowns , and there ’ s concerns that if there is a sharp increase in cases of COVID-19 there could be more restrictions incoming .
The pandemic has so far led to food being abandoned at ports , since there ’ s nobody to transport it , there were trucking delays , as well as jams at warehouses , since storage space is scarce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those that can provide the full package also do not shy away from providing it at a very high price .
The situation appears to have deteriorated dramatically with either a complete lack of food supplies , or them being provided at a very high price .
Countries that wish to bulk up their food stocks and have the resources to do so are fortunate .
However , increased purchasing also means that the price is going up , and those countries that have less resources , or too many people to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further exacerbated by the fall of the population ’ s real incomes , and this relates to almost every country – US and Western Europe included , citizens appear to be making more money , but they can actually buy less .
The entire global financial and economic situation is in a state of disaster , which was initiated by Saudi Arabia ’ s crude oil price war , the disruptions in supply chain and , virtually , every sphere of life , by COVID-19 have brought forward the accumulated structural problems of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling and it shows its biggest proponents are willing to sacrifice lives in order to keep the economy afloat .
This was all caused not so much by actual issues , but rather by fearmongering and widespread hysteria , which continues in the 4th quarter of the year .
This has led to an unconditional increase in hunger-related mortality , either due to reductions in necessary rations , or due to the forced consumption of low-quality ( and as a result cheap ) food which leads to various diseases such as diabetes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One would say that there have been hungering people in Africa and Asia for decades , how is that different now ?
It ’ s different because it doesn ’ t relate to Africa anymore .
It relates to traditionally rich countries such as the United States .
In the United States , 14 million children regularly miss their meals every day .
That is three times more than during the Great Recession and five times more than before the pandemic .
It ’ s even worse for Latino and Black families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiked to 25 % and 30 % .
Even before the pandemic , the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 37 million people in America struggled with hunger and nutrition .
The Centers for Disease Control reports 76 % of people killed by COVID-19 had at least one underlying condition , most of which were diet-related .
Diet-related diseases also fuel skyrocketing health care costs , which rose from 5 % to 28 % of the federal budget in the past 50 years .
And one would say that is an issue caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13.7 million households , or 10.5 % of all U.S. households , experienced food insecurity at some point during the year .
For about a third of these households , access to food was so limited that their eating patterns were disrupted and food intake was reduced .
The rest were able to obtain enough food to avoid completely disrupting their eating patterns , but had to cope by eating less varied diets or utilizing food assistance programs .
38 million people used SNAP in 2019 .
One in nine people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assistance Program ( also known as food stamps ) — in 2019 , according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities .
During COVID-19 , many Americans report that they do not have enough to eat .
This is not a problem limited to certain populations or regions .
Approximately 1 in 5 Black and Latinx adults say they do not have enough to eat , as do 1 in 14 white and Asian adults .
In the vast majority of states more than 1 in 10 adults with children don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , the government ’ s hunger-relief plan known as the Farmers to Families Food Box program is starting to wind down .
The supplemental $ 600 a week in jobless benefits authorized by Congress in late March expired in July , and lawmakers are still wrangling over another large stimulus bill .
School lunch programs were already struggling to meet rising demand before the pandemic .
With COVID-19 now keeping children out of school , many don ’ t have access to school lunches at all .
If the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the planet can not feed its population then what ’ s left for the others ?
A study by the United States ’ Food Research and Action Center looked into how COVID-19 exacerbated the food crisis .
It provided some notable insight for inside the United States .
Such as that it ’ s not just the poorest families who are facing this struggle ; among those who don ’ t have enough to eat , 1 in 4 have usual incomes above $ 50,000 per year .
Additionally , many other spheres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , and have negatively impacted access to food .
Those who report not having enough to eat are also experiencing other aspects of economic turmoil .
As shown in Figure 8 below , a majority of those without enough to eat say they expect to lose employment income in the next month .
One-third say that they are not at all confident that they can make their next housing payment , and nearly half are not at all confident that they can afford the food they need over the next month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not make their last housing payment .
More than 80 % of those without enough to eat reported experiencing bad mental health symptoms at least half of the days in the prior week , including nervousness/anxiety , inability to stop worrying , little interest in doing things , and feeling down , depressed or hopeless .
Rates of bad mental health symptoms among those without enough to eat are 20 to 30 percentage points higher than those among the population overall .
There is also another side to every situation , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is a chance for others .
Who benefits the most ?
Some obvious and very apparent beneficiaries immediately jump to mind – Big Pharma , Biotechnology companies , as well as Western food industry corporations .
More than ever they are pushing towards producing even more genetically modified foods , artificial meat and other ‘ tweaked ’ products .
Biotechnology is one of the praised “ food for all ” technologies , that would guarantee that no child ( or adult ) suffers or dies of hunger in the 21st century .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks into how it can be done .
The Green Revolution means less land being used for agricultural and animal rearing , so that there is less soil erosion and so on .
According to him , 2020 has proven that this is necessary .
Additionally , the above-mentioned biotechnology approach is largely safe for humans , according to reports , but there are some risks .
Also there are threats of viruses , but at this point how much of a novelty would that be ?
And the last risk relates to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having super-resistant vermin that destroy natural and artificially created food , but how is it no worth it when there ’ s billions , or even trillions to be made in profit ?
Gordon Conway concludes with the following : Essentially his proposal is such that individuals in rural areas should be stripped of their livelihood , and be given the chance to become “ analysts , designers and experimenters , ” as unlikely as it sounds .
Another solution would be – either eat more of the food they produce and as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of affording basic utilities and commodities , or “ earn the income ” to purchase the extra food they need , how that would happen remains a mystery for an individual who earns income by producing food .
This is only one direction , in addition to developing biotechnology , there are requests to fully open the global market of all developing countries , which would lead to even worse crisis in all of them , or potentially including small producers in the global networks ( which means that they will simply be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neoliberalism is openly being promoted , with the idea of traditional communities leaving the rural areas , and them being entirely abandoned , since the big cities always need more consumers or untrained labor .
As mentioned earlier , this is not a problem for the US alone , according to the United Nations World Food Program ( which won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize ) , the global pandemic has the chance to double the number of people experiencing acute food insecurity , from 135 million in 2019 to 265 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the livelihood , and little is more frightening than hunger , as such , a massive change of direction and the establishment of a new order to follow is made much simpler – after all , if it ’ s not implemented and followed through on , millions , or even billions would die a death of starvation .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Who ’ s The COVID-19 Winner ?
Corporations .
Who ’ s The Loser ?
Everybody Else • Trump Denounces China ’ s COVID-19 ‘ Lies ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At US “ Bully Of The World ”

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In recent weeks and months, countries around the world appear to be bulking up their food stocks.
This is the case in Jordan, which built up record reserves.
It is also the same in Egypt, which is the world’s biggest buyer of grain, and began buying grain from international markets, even during its local harvest. Cairo has boosted its buying by 50% since April 2020.
Taiwan said it will increase strategic food stockpiles, and China has been buying to feed its growing hog herd.
This behavior is not an accident, it is a result of various causes. The most obvious one is COVID-19, the hysteria and lockdown brought forth by it.
Global shipments were disrupted due to the lockdowns, and there’s concerns that if there is a sharp increase in cases of COVID-19 there could be more restrictions incoming.
The pandemic has so far led to food being abandoned at ports, since there’s nobody to transport it, there were trucking delays, as well as jams at warehouses, since storage space is scarce.
Supply chains are vulnerable, and those that can provide the full package also do not shy away from providing it at a very high price. The situation appears to have deteriorated dramatically with either a complete lack of food supplies, or them being provided at a very high price.
Countries that wish to bulk up their food stocks and have the resources to do so are fortunate. However, increased purchasing also means that the price is going up, and those countries that have less resources, or too many people to cover will begin to struggle.
This is further exacerbated by the fall of the population’s real incomes, and this relates to almost every country – US and Western Europe included, citizens appear to be making more money, but they can actually buy less.
The entire global financial and economic situation is in a state of disaster, which was initiated by Saudi Arabia’s crude oil price war, the disruptions in supply chain and, virtually, every sphere of life, by COVID-19 have brought forward the accumulated structural problems of the global economic model.
Capitalism is struggling and it shows its biggest proponents are willing to sacrifice lives in order to keep the economy afloat.
This was all caused not so much by actual issues, but rather by fearmongering and widespread hysteria, which continues in the 4th quarter of the year.
This has led to an unconditional increase in hunger-related mortality, either due to reductions in necessary rations, or due to the forced consumption of low-quality (and as a result cheap) food which leads to various diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, metabolic diseases and more.
One would say that there have been hungering people in Africa and Asia for decades, how is that different now?
It’s different because it doesn’t relate to Africa anymore. It relates to traditionally rich countries such as the United States.
In the United States, 14 million children regularly miss their meals every day.
That is three times more than during the Great Recession and five times more than before the pandemic.
It’s even worse for Latino and Black families, whose rates of nutrition insecurity have spiked to 25% and 30%.
Even before the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 37 million people in America struggled with hunger and nutrition.
The Centers for Disease Control reports 76% of people killed by COVID-19 had at least one underlying condition, most of which were diet-related. Diet-related diseases also fuel skyrocketing health care costs, which rose from 5% to 28% of the federal budget in the past 50 years.
And one would say that is an issue caused by COVID-19, but in 2019, some 13.7 million households, or 10.5% of all U.S. households, experienced food insecurity at some point during the year.
For about a third of these households, access to food was so limited that their eating patterns were disrupted and food intake was reduced. The rest were able to obtain enough food to avoid completely disrupting their eating patterns, but had to cope by eating less varied diets or utilizing food assistance programs.
38 million people used SNAP in 2019. One in nine people in the U.S. used SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as food stamps) — in 2019, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
During COVID-19, many Americans report that they do not have enough to eat. This is not a problem limited to certain populations or regions. Approximately 1 in 5 Black and Latinx adults say they do not have enough to eat, as do 1 in 14 white and Asian adults. In the vast majority of states more than 1 in 10 adults with children don’t have enough to eat.
In the U.S., the government’s hunger-relief plan known as the Farmers to Families Food Box program is starting to wind down. The supplemental $600 a week in jobless benefits authorized by Congress in late March expired in July, and lawmakers are still wrangling over another large stimulus bill.
School lunch programs were already struggling to meet rising demand before the pandemic. With COVID-19 now keeping children out of school, many don’t have access to school lunches at all.
“The other thing that COVID has done is it’s really affected kids a lot in terms of food insecurity,” Guardia said. “One of the things we’ve noticed across the board is that households with children are more food insecure. And we believe that also has to do with school closures. So a lot of kids get their nutrition from school meals, and that’s been disrupted.”
If the world’s superpower, the richest country on the planet cannot feed its population then what’s left for the others?
A study by the United States’ Food Research and Action Center looked into how COVID-19 exacerbated the food crisis.
It provided some notable insight for inside the United States. Such as that it’s not just the poorest families who are facing this struggle; among those who don’t have enough to eat, 1 in 4 have usual incomes above $50,000 per year.
Additionally, many other spheres of live have been made worse by the pandemic, and have negatively impacted access to food.
Those who report not having enough to eat are also experiencing other aspects of economic turmoil. As shown in Figure 8 below, a majority of those without enough to eat say they expect to lose employment income in the next month.
One-third say that they are not at all confident that they can make their next housing payment, and nearly half are not at all confident that they can afford the food they need over the next month. More than one-third report that they did not make their last housing payment.
More than 80% of those without enough to eat reported experiencing bad mental health symptoms at least half of the days in the prior week, including nervousness/anxiety, inability to stop worrying, little interest in doing things, and feeling down, depressed or hopeless.
Rates of bad mental health symptoms among those without enough to eat are 20 to 30 percentage points higher than those among the population overall.
There is also another side to every situation, and every crisis for some (or many) is a chance for others.
Who benefits the most?
Some obvious and very apparent beneficiaries immediately jump to mind – Big Pharma, Biotechnology companies, as well as Western food industry corporations.
More than ever they are pushing towards producing even more genetically modified foods, artificial meat and other ‘tweaked’ products.
Biotechnology is one of the praised “food for all” technologies, that would guarantee that no child (or adult) suffers or dies of hunger in the 21st century.
Gordon Conway, of Imperial College London looks into how it can be done.
“Hitherto, the success of the Green Revolution has depended on working with blueprints of “creating” desirable new plant and animal types through painstaking conventional plant breeding. Biotechnology, and especially genetic engineering, offers a faster route. Moreover, it will be essential if yield ceilings are to be raised, excessive pesticide use reduced, the nutrient value of basic foods increased, and farmers on less favored lands provided with varieties better able to tolerate drought, salinity, and lack of soil nutrients.”
The Green Revolution means less land being used for agricultural and animal rearing, so that there is less soil erosion and so on.
According to him, 2020 has proven that this is necessary.
Additionally, the above-mentioned biotechnology approach is largely safe for humans, according to reports, but there are some risks.
“The most serious environmental risk is the likelihood organic varieties escaping from cultivated crops into wild relatives (or contaminating organic varities on nearby farms). This is a justified concern. Genes from existing commerical crops can and do pass to organic crops, and vice versa, and genes from both transfer to wild relatives Even self-pollinated crops. such as rice, will cross with wild rices. The question is whether the genes remain in the wild relatives and whether they result in adverse ecological effects, such as the production of superweeds. Only extensive, well-designed, and monitored field tests will provide answers.”
Also there are threats of viruses, but at this point how much of a novelty would that be?
“Another potential hazard arises from plants containing genes from viral pathogens that confer resistance to these same pathogens. Expressing the viral genes in plants somehow disrupts the virus infection process. But exchange of these genes with other viral pathogens may be possible, creating entirely new virus strains with unknown properties.”
And the last risk relates to bacteria becoming resistant to toxins and then having super-resistant vermin that destroy natural and artificially created food, but how is it no worth it when there’s billions, or even trillions to be made in profit?
“A third significant risk-the potential for pests to evolve resistance to the toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes-is well known, as are some of the counterstrategies, One answer is to employ refuges of non-Bt crop plants. Another uses two or more toxin genes each with a different molecular target. Experience indicates the need to anticipate the eventual breakdown of control. Introduction of Bt into a wide range of crops implies a much higher selection pressure than from spraying the insecticide on a single crop. Insect populations need to be carefully monitored for resistance and alternative strategies continuously developed.”
Gordon Conway concludes with the following:
“It is possible to provide food for all in the 21st century, but there is no simple or single answer. It is not just a matter of producing more or enough food. If hunger is to be banished, the rural poor either have to feed themselves or to earn the income to purchase the extra food they require. This means a new revolution in agricultural and natural resource production aimed at their needs, which cannot be achieved by ecology alone or by biotechnology alone or by a combination of the two. It requires participatory approaches as well-involving farmers as analysts, designers, and experimenters.”
Essentially his proposal is such that individuals in rural areas should be stripped of their livelihood, and be given the chance to become “analysts, designers and experimenters,” as unlikely as it sounds. Another solution would be – either eat more of the food they produce and as such make less money and be incapable of affording basic utilities and commodities, or “earn the income” to purchase the extra food they need, how that would happen remains a mystery for an individual who earns income by producing food.
This is only one direction, in addition to developing biotechnology, there are requests to fully open the global market of all developing countries, which would lead to even worse crisis in all of them, or potentially including small producers in the global networks (which means that they will simply be bought out and then resold). Neoliberalism is openly being promoted, with the idea of traditional communities leaving the rural areas, and them being entirely abandoned, since the big cities always need more consumers or untrained labor.
As mentioned earlier, this is not a problem for the US alone, according to the United Nations World Food Program (which won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize), the global pandemic has the chance to double the number of people experiencing acute food insecurity, from 135 million in 2019 to 265 million in 2020.
After all, this relates to the livelihood, and little is more frightening than hunger, as such, a massive change of direction and the establishment of a new order to follow is made much simpler – after all, if it’s not implemented and followed through on, millions, or even billions would die a death of starvation.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-10-19--Military Situation In Syria On October 19, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria : • The Syrian Democratic @ @ @ @ @ two ISIS elements in the al-Busayrah area ; • According to pro-rebel media , unidentified @ @ @ @ @ pro-government forces positions near al-Bukamal ; • Turkish forces stationed in Murek observation post reportedly @ @ @ @ @ , in preparation for leaving it ; • A Turkish convoy transporting Turkish equipment from @ @ @ @ @ attacked .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Map Comparison : Progress Of Azerbaijani Advance @ @ @ @ @

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested two ISIS elements in the al-Busayrah area;
Syrian Arab Army (SAA) artillery shelled Turkish-backed forces positons in Kansafra and Kafr Uwaid villages;
Turkish-backed forces artillery shelled SAA positons in the Dar al-Kabira area;
According to pro-rebel media, unidentified warplanes targeted the SAA and pro-government forces positions near al-Bukamal;
Turkish forces stationed in Murek observation post reportedly started disassembling the observation post, in preparation for leaving it;
A Turkish convoy transporting Turkish equipment from the Morek post was reportedly attacked.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-10-19--Sloppy Methodology: Social Media, Censorship and New York Post’s Hunter Biden Story

It was highly probable .
Given the howls of concern that social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook nurse and nurture a bias ( every choice on content entails one ) , a gift was made to critics to show just that .
Last Wednesday , Twitter prevented users from posting links to a story .
The story , claimed Twitter , was “ potentially unsafe , ” replete with “ hacked materials ” .
Those attempting to post links to the article faced a terse message .
“ We can ’ t complete this request because this link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners as being potentially harmful.
” Facebook followed suit by restricting the story ’ s spread , placing it in the hands of third-party fact checkers .
The article in question featured Hunter Biden , making mention of an alleged email from April 2015 suggesting that he had introduced his father , Democratic presidential contender and former Vice President Joe Biden , to Vadym Pozharskyi , an executive of Burisma Holdings , a Ukrainian energy firm .
“ Dear Hunter , ” goes this email supposedly obtained by the , “ thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an opportunity to meet your father and spent [ sic ] some time together .
It ’ s realty [ sic ] an honor and pleasure.
” The email correspondence had been purportedly obtained from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden , though the owner of the computer repair store who passed on the material to the FBI and one Rudy Giuliani was unsure if Hunter had left the computer with him .
Thin stuff to go on .
Father Biden repeatedly claims to have never discussed his son ’ s “ overseas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden election campaign has also denied that the meeting ever took place .
“ We have reviewed Joe Biden ’ s official schedules from the time and no meeting , as alleged by the , ever took place.
” At another time , the move by the platform might have caused a shrug of indifference .
But Biden is leading in the polls .
Every anti-Trump agitator is concerned to ease the pathway for the president ’ s defeat .
Every advocate for Trump is keen to ensure that flames are lit under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golden opportunities , using a narrative long deployed by the Democrats against the Trump administration and the GOP : that social media platforms had become the unwitting , or even witting accomplices to electoral interference and misinformation glee .
“ This is a power grab from big tech billionaires drunk on their own power , ” fumed Texas Senator Ted Cruz in a Saturday press call .
“ This is a direct act of electoral interference , ” asserted GOP House Whip Steve Scalise ( R-LA ) .
“ We ask : did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign ?
Did the Joe Biden campaign have any communications with Twitter , Facebook ?
” Kayleigh McEnany , the White House press secretary , could also lay some claim to being victimised – in a fashion .
Her personal Twitter account was locked after she posted the article late on Wednesday .
On Thursday , Twitter momentarily blocked a link to a House Judiciary Committee webpage .
It was all too much for the Republican National Committee , which filed a Federal Election Complaint against Twitter on Friday arguing that censoring ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-kind political contribution ” to Biden ’ s campaign .
Twitter , the complaint argued , had “ engaged in arguably the most brazen and unprecedented act of media suppression in this country ’ s history , and it is doing so for the clear purpose of supporting the Biden campaign.
” For his part , President Donald Trump released a few volleys of rage .
“ So terrible that Facebook and Twitter took down the story of ‘ Smoking Gun ’ emails related to Sleepy Joe Biden and his son Hunter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can only be seen as another twist of Cleo ’ s irony , Trump again suggested the repeal of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , the very same provision his detractors also argue should be confined to legislative oblivion .
The section grants legal immunity to internet platforms for enabling users to post content .
It also provides a “ Good Samaritan ” clause enabling platforms to remove or block material deemed offensive .
Earlier this month , the Trump administration issued a scrappy , clumsy proposal to reform section 230 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while sparing others .
The proposal attempts to challenge company immunity for hosting material provided by a third party .
Platforms , or “ interactive computer services ” would only be able to claim immunity from suit if they removed or restricted access or availability to such content falling within a range of objectionable categories .
These include material “ promoting self-harm , ” and “ promoting terrorism or violent extremism ” though definitions are left begging .
As to how one is to arrive at such a standard , it is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden is of like mind – at least in terms of his loathing for section 230 .
The stance there , as it has been for the entire anti-Trump coterie , is holding social media companies to account for knowingly disseminating misinformation and falsehoods .
( The knowing element tends to be the problem . )
In his January interview with , Biden argued for its immediate revocation .
“ For [ Mark ] Zuckerberg and other platforms.
” A company such as Facebook was not “ merely an internet company .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false.
” There was “ no editorial impact at all.
” It was “ totally irresponsible.
” The decision by Twitter and Facebook regarding the article recklessly adds fuel to GOP claims .
While it was being celebrated by Kevin Roose in as an indication that Facebook and Twitter were “ finally starting to clean up their messes , ” there was little by way of elucidation .
Cristina Tardáguila of the International Fact-Checking Network had a few questions for Facebook .
What was their methodology in such cases ?
“ How do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distributed ?
” Could such decisions ever eschew partisanship ?
Twitter ’ s decisions had not been well-argued or well-reasoned .
The episode moved chief executive Jack Dorsey to an admission .
“ Our communication around our actions on the @ nypost article was not great .
And blocking URL sharing via tweet or DM [ direct message ] with zero context as to why we ’ re blocking : unacceptable.
” The storm duly caused a change of heart .
The high priests of social media went about their business of tinkering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocking of URLs was wrong , ” Dorsey reiterated , “ and we updated our policy and enforcement to fix .
Our goal is to attempt to add context , and now we have capabilities to do that.
” Vijaya Gadde , speaking for the Twitter collective as the company ’ s global lead for legal , policy , and trust and safety , claimed “ that labelling Tweets and empowering people to assess content for themselves better serves the public interest and public conversation .
The Hacked Material Policy is being updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to Gadde , Twitter would no longer remove hacked content except the sort “ directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them ” .
Not exactly a rousing change .
Tweets would also be labelled “ to provide context instead of blocking links from being shared on Twitter.
” Contextualised editorialising – of a sort .
The implications for such a decision are not small fare .
Twitter ’ s decision to limit dissemination of the article for having content supposedly hacked was a scolding gesture to the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terror of foreign interference , bias and how electoral contests might tip in favour of or against the ogre in the White House , perspectives on what can be discussed and spread have been skewed .
What of purloined material that exposes state or corporate misdemeanour , the bread and butter enterprise of such groups as Anonymous ?
With this rationale , as Glenn Greenwald noted with characteristic seriousness , reporting on everything from the Pentagon Papers to the Panama Papers would find itself restricted , if not blocked altogether .
A real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College , Cambridge .
He lectures at RMIT University , Melbourne .
Email : bkampmark @ gmail.com MORE ON THE TOPIC : • The Stormtroops Of Regime Change And Counter-Revolution

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Submitted by Dr. Binoy Kampmark
It was highly probable. Given the howls of concern that social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook nurse and nurture a bias (every choice on content entails one), a gift was made to critics to show just that. Last Wednesday, Twitter prevented users from posting links to a New York Post story. The story, claimed Twitter, was “potentially unsafe,” replete with “hacked materials”. Those attempting to post links to the article faced a terse message. “We can’t complete this request because this link has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially harmful.” Facebook followed suit by restricting the story’s spread, placing it in the hands of third-party fact checkers.
The article in question featured Hunter Biden, making mention of an alleged email from April 2015 suggesting that he had introduced his father, Democratic presidential contender and former Vice President Joe Biden, to Vadym Pozharskyi, an executive of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy firm. “Dear Hunter,” goes this email supposedly obtained by the Post, “thank you for inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent[sic] some time together. It’s realty[sic] an honor and pleasure.”
The email correspondence had been purportedly obtained from a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, though the owner of the computer repair store who passed on the material to the FBI and one Rudy Giuliani was unsure if Hunter had left the computer with him. Thin stuff to go on.
Father Biden repeatedly claims to have never discussed his son’s “overseas business dealings” with him. The Biden election campaign has also denied that the meeting ever took place. “We have reviewed Joe Biden’s official schedules from the time and no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place.”
At another time, the move by the platform might have caused a shrug of indifference. But Biden is leading in the polls. Every anti-Trump agitator is concerned to ease the pathway for the president’s defeat. Every advocate for Trump is keen to ensure that flames are lit under his opponent.
Republicans saw horror and golden opportunities, using a narrative long deployed by the Democrats against the Trump administration and the GOP: that social media platforms had become the unwitting, or even witting accomplices to electoral interference and misinformation glee. “This is a power grab from big tech billionaires drunk on their own power,” fumed Texas Senator Ted Cruz in a Saturday press call. “This is a direct act of electoral interference,” asserted GOP House Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA). “We ask: did anyone at Twitter communicate with the Biden campaign? Did the Joe Biden campaign have any communications with Twitter, Facebook?”
Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, could also lay some claim to being victimised – in a fashion. Her personal Twitter account was locked after she posted the article late on Wednesday. On Thursday, Twitter momentarily blocked a link to a House Judiciary Committee webpage.
It was all too much for the Republican National Committee, which filed a Federal Election Complaint against Twitter on Friday arguing that censoring Post’s article constituted an “illegal corporate in-kind political contribution” to Biden’s campaign. Twitter, the complaint argued, had “engaged in arguably the most brazen and unprecedented act of media suppression in this country’s history, and it is doing so for the clear purpose of supporting the Biden campaign.”
For his part, President Donald Trump released a few volleys of rage. “So terrible that Facebook and Twitter took down the story of ‘Smoking Gun’ emails related to Sleepy Joe Biden and his son Hunter, in the @NYPost.”
With what can only be seen as another twist of Cleo’s irony, Trump again suggested the repeal of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the very same provision his detractors also argue should be confined to legislative oblivion. The section grants legal immunity to internet platforms for enabling users to post content. It also provides a “Good Samaritan” clause enabling platforms to remove or block material deemed offensive.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration issued a scrappy, clumsy proposal to reform section 230 that would penalise companies for removing material while sparing others. The proposal attempts to challenge company immunity for hosting material provided by a third party. Platforms, or “interactive computer services” would only be able to claim immunity from suit if they removed or restricted access or availability to such content falling within a range of objectionable categories. These include material “promoting self-harm,” and “promoting terrorism or violent extremism” though definitions are left begging. As to how one is to arrive at such a standard, it is that of an objective, reasonable belief.
Biden is of like mind – at least in terms of his loathing for section 230. The stance there, as it has been for the entire anti-Trump coterie, is holding social media companies to account for knowingly disseminating misinformation and falsehoods. (The knowing element tends to be the problem.) In his January interview with The New York Times, Biden argued for its immediate revocation. “For [Mark] Zuckerberg and other platforms.” A company such as Facebook was not “merely an internet company. It is propagating falsehoods we know to be false.” There was “no editorial impact at all.” It was “totally irresponsible.”
The decision by Twitter and Facebook regarding the New York Post article recklessly adds fuel to GOP claims. While it was being celebrated by Kevin Roose in The New York Times as an indication that Facebook and Twitter were “finally starting to clean up their messes,” there was little by way of elucidation. Cristina Tardáguila of the International Fact-Checking Network had a few questions for Facebook. What was their methodology in such cases? “How do they identify what needs to be less distributed?” Could such decisions ever eschew partisanship?
Twitter’s decisions had not been well-argued or well-reasoned. The Post episode moved chief executive Jack Dorsey to an admission. “Our communication around our actions on the @nypost article was not great. And blocking URL sharing via tweet or DM [direct message] with zero context as to why we’re blocking: unacceptable.”
The storm duly caused a change of heart. The high priests of social media went about their business of tinkering and readjusting content policies. “Straight blocking of URLs was wrong,” Dorsey reiterated, “and we updated our policy and enforcement to fix. Our goal is to attempt to add context, and now we have capabilities to do that.”
Vijaya Gadde, speaking for the Twitter collective as the company’s global lead for legal, policy, and trust and safety, claimed “that labelling Tweets and empowering people to assess content for themselves better serves the public interest and public conversation. The Hacked Material Policy is being updated to reflect these new enforcement rules.”
According to Gadde, Twitter would no longer remove hacked content except the sort “directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them”. Not exactly a rousing change. Tweets would also be labelled “to provide context instead of blocking links from being shared on Twitter.” Contextualised editorialising – of a sort.
The implications for such a decision are not small fare. Twitter’s decision to limit dissemination of the article for having content supposedly hacked was a scolding gesture to the way material is obtained. In the miasmic terror of foreign interference, bias and how electoral contests might tip in favour of or against the ogre in the White House, perspectives on what can be discussed and spread have been skewed. What of purloined material that exposes state or corporate misdemeanour, the bread and butter enterprise of such groups as Anonymous? With this rationale, as Glenn Greenwald noted with characteristic seriousness, reporting on everything from the Pentagon Papers to the Panama Papers would find itself restricted, if not blocked altogether. A real boon for the censors.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com
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southfront--2020-10-19--As UN Arms Embargo Expires, Iran Celebrates “Clear Reality” Of US Defeat

Today the United Nations weapons embargo on Iran expires which has been in effect for 13 years but was negotiated to end on Oct.18 as a key stipulation of the 2015 nuclear deal ( JCPOA ) brokered under Obama .
The Trump administration has tried to fight the expiration of the embargo tooth and nail while claiming authority to enact snap back sanctions .
Iranian officials on Sunday hailed it as a “ clear reality ” of the defeat of the US on this front , with the ambassador to to the UK quoted in state-run IRNA saying , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support for multilateralism and openly opposed to the U.S. attempt to prevent the implementation of one of the significant achievements of international diplomacy.
” He underscored that “ The US has been defeated in its diplomacy and this is a clear reality.
” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also celebrated the ‘ victory ’ .
He said on Twitter it was a “ momentous day ” as it marks the “ normalization ” of Iran ’ s defense cooperation with the world .
“ A momentous day for the international community , which— @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UNSC Res .
2231 and JCPOA , ” Zarif wrote in a Twitter post .
“ Today ’ s normalization of Iran ’ s defense cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region , ” he said .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of course was quick to assert this is not the reality , telling the US stands ready to act with swift retribution against any country poised to transfer arms to Iran : “ The United States is prepared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual or entity that materially contributes to the supply , sale , or transfer of conventional arms to or from Iran , as well as those who provide technical training , financial support and services , and other assistance related to these arms , ” he said .
In the past months both Russia and China have strongly hinted that they ’ ll be among the first to do weapons deals with Iran .
Given the poor state of relations between the US and both these countries , which can be argued has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with both , there appears little leverage that Washington has at this point to prevent such transfers from these two major powers eager to show their cooperative defiance .

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
Today the United Nations weapons embargo on Iran expires which has been in effect for 13 years but was negotiated to end on Oct.18 as a key stipulation of the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) brokered under Obama. The Trump administration has tried to fight the expiration of the embargo tooth and nail while claiming authority to enact snap back sanctions.
Iranian officials on Sunday hailed it as a “clear reality” of the defeat of the US on this front, with the ambassador to to the UK quoted in state-run IRNA saying, “Today the international community once again expressed support for multilateralism and openly opposed to the U.S. attempt to prevent the implementation of one of the significant achievements of international diplomacy.”
He underscored that “The US has been defeated in its diplomacy and this is a clear reality.”
Weaponry exhibition in Tehran, via AFP
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also celebrated the ‘victory’. He said on Twitter it was a “momentous day” as it marks the “normalization” of Iran’s defense cooperation with the world.
“A momentous day for the international community, which— in defiance of malign US efforts—has protected UNSC Res. 2231 and JCPOA,” Zarif wrote in a Twitter post.
“Today’s normalization of Iran’s defense cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region,” he said.
A momentous day for the international community, which— in defiance of malign US efforts—has protected UNSC Res. 2231 and JCPOA. Today's normalization of Iran’s defense cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region. pic.twitter.com/sRO6ezu4OO — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) October 17, 2020
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of course was quick to assert this is not the reality, telling Newsweek the US stands ready to act with swift retribution against any country poised to transfer arms to Iran:
“The United States is prepared to use its domestic authorities to sanction any individual or entity that materially contributes to the supply, sale, or transfer of conventional arms to or from Iran, as well as those who provide technical training, financial support and services, and other assistance related to these arms,” he said.
In the past months both Russia and China have strongly hinted that they’ll be among the first to do weapons deals with Iran.
Given the poor state of relations between the US and both these countries, which can be argued has reached a low point in recent history with both, there appears little leverage that Washington has at this point to prevent such transfers from these two major powers eager to show their cooperative defiance.
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