U.S-BACKED FORCES SEIZE RAQQA’S OLD CITY FROMISIS BUT A TOUGH FIGHT LIES AHEAD

Sourced : The Washington Post By Liz Sly U.S.-backed forces in Syria have captured the Old City of Raqqa, the latest milestone in their ongoing assault against the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State’s rapidly shrinking territories, according to a U.S. military statement on Monday. Kurdish and Arab fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces secured… Continue reading U.S-BACKED FORCES SEIZE RAQQA’S OLD CITY FROMISIS BUT A TOUGH FIGHT LIES AHEAD

DER SPIEGEL : ALMOST 60 SYRIAN MILITIA FIGHTERS ENTERED GERMANY AS REFUGESS

Sourced : DW Almost 60 former fighters from a Syrian militia group linked to al Qaeda came to Germany posing as refugees, German news weekly Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. The former fighters are thought to have been members of the Owais al-Qorani Brigade and to have fought on various sides of the Syrian war.… Continue reading DER SPIEGEL : ALMOST 60 SYRIAN MILITIA FIGHTERS ENTERED GERMANY AS REFUGESS

RUSSIA HAS SPY SHIP THAT TAPS UNDERSEA INTERNET CABLES

Sourced : Asia Times By Asia Unhedged The Russian Navy has been operating an advanced spy ship that’s suspected of tapping into undersea internet cables and carrying out other intelligence missions on the ocean floor, according to an updated story by Covert Shores, a specialist website dedicated to analysis of maritime special forces and submarines.… Continue reading RUSSIA HAS SPY SHIP THAT TAPS UNDERSEA INTERNET CABLES

CHINA AND INDIA : A LESSON IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Sourced : The Diplomat By Amitai Etzioni China and India just reminded the world – especially those who have seen the slaughter in the killing fields in the Middle East and Africa – that differences among people can be settled without firing a shot, without anyone getting killed. The dispute began when China started to… Continue reading CHINA AND INDIA : A LESSON IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION

ISIS “FINANCE EMIR FOR MOSUL” RELOCATED TO TURKEY, USA SAYS

Sourced : Long War Journal By Thomas Joscelyn On Aug. 29, the Treasury Department announced that a senior Islamic State official, Salim Mustafa Muhammad al-Mansur, had been added to the US government’s list of specially designated global terrorists. The move was carried out in conjunction with the Iraqi government, which seeks “to bar Mansur from… Continue reading ISIS “FINANCE EMIR FOR MOSUL” RELOCATED TO TURKEY, USA SAYS

JIHADIS AT SEA

001029-M-0557M-011 The USS Cole (DDG 67) is towed away from the port city of Aden, Yemen, into open sea by the Military Sealift Command ocean-going tug USNS Catawba (T-ATF 168) on Oct. 29, 2000. Cole will be placed aboard the Norwegian heavy transport ship M/V Blue Marlin and transported back to the United States for repair. The Arleigh Burke class destroyer was the target of a suspected terrorist attack in the port of Aden on Oct. 12, 2000, during a scheduled refueling. The attack killed 17 crew members and injured 39 others. DoD photo by Sgt. Don L. Maes, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

Sourced : Commentary Magazine By Michael Rubin On July 16, 2015, a fishing boat off al-Arish on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula radioed a distress call. The nearest ship, an Egyptian navy frigate responded. As it approached, terrorists launched antiship missiles crippling the Egyptian vessel. The Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) claimed responsibility for the ambush. The… Continue reading JIHADIS AT SEA

NEW SYRIAN MISSILE FACTORIES LOOK A LOT LIKE ONES IN IRAN

An ballistic surface-to-surface missile is fired by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, during a maneuver, in an undisclosed location in Iran on Wednesday.

Sourced : The Drive/The Warzone By Joseph Trevithick Satellite imagery appears to confirm earlier reports that Syria is building a new ballistic missile production complex near the city of Baniyas. Various features at the site suggest that the Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad is actively working with the Iranian government on its construction and… Continue reading NEW SYRIAN MISSILE FACTORIES LOOK A LOT LIKE ONES IN IRAN

JAMES MATTIS PLEDGES ERDOGAN US SUPPORT AGAINST PKK

Sourced : Al Monitor By Amberin Zaman US Secretary of Defense James Mattis pledged support to Turkey in its ongoing fight against rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) during talks with the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish and US officials said today. The daylong visit was intended to help smooth fraught relations between… Continue reading JAMES MATTIS PLEDGES ERDOGAN US SUPPORT AGAINST PKK

RUSSIA TO RESPOND TO POSSIBLE US INCREASE OF MILITARY PRESENCE IN UKRAINE

Sourced : Sputnik The United States clearly intends to bolster its military presence in Ukraine, which will cause Russia to retaliate and reinforce its borders as a response, a senior Russian lawmaker told Sputnik. Earlier in the day, US Defense Secretary James Mattis, during his Kiev visit, said that Washington planned to strengthen its relations… Continue reading RUSSIA TO RESPOND TO POSSIBLE US INCREASE OF MILITARY PRESENCE IN UKRAINE

ROYAL NAVY SHIPS CHASE OFF SPANISH VESSEL IN GIBRALTAR WATERS

Sourced : UK Defence Journal By George Allison Royal Navy ships off the coast of Gibraltar have reportedly chased off Spanish boats illegally fishing in British waters for the third day in a row.Reports also suggest an alarming attitude in response to these events with a spokesperson saying: “This is nothing unusual, these things happen… Continue reading ROYAL NAVY SHIPS CHASE OFF SPANISH VESSEL IN GIBRALTAR WATERS