Source: Jerusalem Post By Yami Roth/ Maariv The commander of the Syrian Air Force has decided Syria will no longer allow Iranian-backed Shi’ite factions to use its bases to store ammunition and host fighters, the Syrian opposition newspaper Zaman al-Wasl reported on Monday. The report claims that the decision was made “following recent Israeli attacks.”… Continue reading SYRIAN AIR FORCE BARS IRAN FROM USINS ITS BASES
Category: Conflict
US-TURKEY WORKING GROUP SAYS AGREED ON MANBIJ “ROADMAP”
Source: Hurriyet Daily News Turkish and U.S. officials on May 25 agreed on a “roadmap” for further cooperation to ensure the security of a Kurdish-held city which became a major headache between the NATO allies, according to a joint statement. The northern city of Manbij is held by the Syrian-Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), a… Continue reading US-TURKEY WORKING GROUP SAYS AGREED ON MANBIJ “ROADMAP”
TAIWAN AIR FORCE SCRAMBLES AS CHINESE BOMBERS FLY ROUND ISLAND
Source: Jerusalem Post Taiwan’s air force scrambled aircraft on Friday as Chinese bombers flew around the self-ruled island, just a few hours after Taiwan vowed not to be cowed having lost another diplomatic ally amid growing Chinese pressure. Taiwan is China’s most sensitive territorial issue and a potential dangerous military flashpoint. China claims the island… Continue reading TAIWAN AIR FORCE SCRAMBLES AS CHINESE BOMBERS FLY ROUND ISLAND
SWEDEN PUTS OUT EMERGENCY WAR PAMPHLET AMID RUSSIA FEARS
Source : Shephardmedia The Swedish government on 21 May presented an emergency pamphlet to prepare millions of citizens in the event of a war, natural disaster or cyber attack amid soaring tensions between Russia and the Western allies. Entitled ‘If Crisis or War Comes’, the brochure is published in 13 languages at the request of… Continue reading SWEDEN PUTS OUT EMERGENCY WAR PAMPHLET AMID RUSSIA FEARS
MEVLUT CAVUSOGLU: ISRAEL SHOULD BE TAKEN TO INTERNATIONAL COURT
Source: Hurriyet Daily News Israel should be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the recent massacre committed by Israeli security forces against Palestinians, just like any crime against humanity, Turkey’s top diplomat said, adding that Turkey has been providing all legal assistance to the state of Palestine to this end. “Israel should be… Continue reading MEVLUT CAVUSOGLU: ISRAEL SHOULD BE TAKEN TO INTERNATIONAL COURT
WHY IRAN AND ISRAEL ARE CLASHING IN SYRIA
Source: NY Times By Sewell Chan A simmering conflict between Israel and Iran escalated overnight when Israeli jets struck dozens of Iranian targets in neighboring Syria. The strikes came after what the Israeli military described as an Iranian rocket attack against its forces in the Golan Heights. The Israelis said it was Iran’s first direct… Continue reading WHY IRAN AND ISRAEL ARE CLASHING IN SYRIA
IRAN MANEUVERS AROUND GAPS TO PRESERVE INTERESTS IN SYRIA
Source: Al Monitor By Hamidreza Azizi President Donald Trump’s May 8 decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has caused international debate on Iran to be mostly focused on the implications of the US move — including the future of the nuclear deal. Yet given the recent and ongoing developments in… Continue reading IRAN MANEUVERS AROUND GAPS TO PRESERVE INTERESTS IN SYRIA
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BASHAR AL-ASSAD IN KATHIMERINI NEWSPAPER (Vid.)
Source: Kathimerini By Alexis Papachelas In an exclusive interview with Kathimerini, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied that the Syrian Army used chemical weapons against civilians, while taking aim at both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump. Saying that Syria gave up its chemical arsenal in 2013, Assad said the “Western narrative… Continue reading EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BASHAR AL-ASSAD IN KATHIMERINI NEWSPAPER (Vid.)
AN ACCOUNTING OF CHINA’S DEPLOYMENTS TO THE SPRATLY ISLANDS
Source: CSIS Satellite imagery from April 28 reveals the first image of a military aircraft, a Shaanxi Y-8, deployed to China’s base at Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands. This follows Chinese media reports from March 2018 that a Y-8 had landed on the reef to evacuate a fisherman who required medical assistance. The Y-8… Continue reading AN ACCOUNTING OF CHINA’S DEPLOYMENTS TO THE SPRATLY ISLANDS
NORTH KOREA DETAILS PLANS TO DISMANTLE NUCLEAR TEST SITE
Source: Reuters By Christine Kim, David Brunnstrom North Korea has scheduled the dismantlement of its nuclear test site for sometime between May 23 and 25, depending on weather conditions, in order to uphold its pledge to discontinue nuclear tests, the country’s state media reported on Saturday. The official Korean Central New Agency said dismantlement of… Continue reading NORTH KOREA DETAILS PLANS TO DISMANTLE NUCLEAR TEST SITE