BEWARE!! WILL THIS BE THE FUTURE OF EUROPE? The Saudi Arabia-Yemen War of 2015

 

 

 

BEWARE!! WILL THIS BE THE FUTURE OF EUROPE?

 

Refugees were moved from illegal camps around Austerlitz station and by the town hall in the 18th arrondissement The migrants were offered 'temporary accommodation' at refugee centres and their shelters were destroyed France has already agreed to take thousands of mainly Syrian migrants into the country over the coming months But the destruction of the camps today has raised questions about where the French intend to put the refugees  Two of the biggest illegal refugee camps in Paris have been evacuated and by police as France steps up its efforts to deal with Europe's worst migrant crisis since the Second World War. UK-bound migrants from Eritrea and Sudan were among those moved on from the tents and other shelters around Austerlitz station, and by the town hall in the 18th arrondissement. The destruction of the camps has raised questions about where the French intend to put the thousands of refugees from war-torn countries such as Syria that it has pledged to look after. +16 On their way: UK-bound migrants from Eritrea and Sudan were among those moved on from the tents and other shelters around Austerlitz station, and by the town hall in the 18th arrondissement +16 While the 500 made homeless today have been offered 'temporary accommodation', it is only guaranteed for a short period +16 Resting: French authorities evacuate more than 500 migrants from tent camps in and around the capital Paris +16 Dismantled: The destruction of the camps has raised questions about where the French intend to put the thousands of refugees +16 France has agreed The destruction of the camps has raised questions about where the French intend to put the thousands of refugees from war-torn countries such as Syria that it has pledged to look after. +16 A migrant is seen holding a spare pair of shoes as he waits to board a bus evacuating him from one of the illegal tent camps While the 500 made homeless today have been offered 'temporary accommodation', it is only guaranteed for a short period. A city hall official said: 'Buses were laid on for all refugees. They will be taken to designated social care centres, where they can stay for a month or so.' Despite such offers, many of the migrants could be seen moving on to other illegal camps around Paris. Many of the care centres are well away from the city centre, and unsuitable for refugees who want to get to the UK, where they will claim asylum or disappear into the illegal economy. The razing of camps is commonplace in France, with judges happy to grant destruction orders. Today's combined operations started around 6am, with social workers helping the police. +16 Migrants wait in line near their tents during the evacuation from a camp under the Charles de Gaulle bridge near the Austerlitz train station +16 Soon to disappear: The razing of camps is commonplace in France, with judges happy to grant destruction orders +16 Migrants carrying their belongings leave their tent camp in Paris after being evacuated by police officers earlier this morning +16 Waiting to leave: Migrants carrying their belongings line up as they leave their tent camp in Paris +16 A refugee loads his belongings into the luggage hold of a coach taking migrants to specialist housing centres +16 Evacuated: Migrants carry their belongings as they leave their tent camp in Paris earlier this morning Many of the migrants involved already had their bags packed following warnings that the authorities would be arriving. Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, played down claims that everything was being done for newly arrived Syrian refugees, while migrants camped out in France for months were being badly treated. Mrs Hidalgo said: 'It would be abhorrent to say those who arrive will be dealt with quickly, while others will be left outside. I want to reassure them.' Many of the displaced Paris migrants end up in Calais, where a vast illegal camp nicknamed 'The Jungle' remains in place. A legal centre for the migrants will soon be established, with critics arguing that it will become a magnet for thousands who want to enter Britain. +16 Several hundred migrants who occupied makeshift camps near the Gare d'Austerlitz in Paris were evacuated earlier this morning +16 Migrants carry their belongings during the evacuation of a regfugee camp under Charles de Gaulle bridge near Austerlitz train station +16 Migrants carrying their belongings leave their tent camp in Paris after being evacuated by police officers earlier this morning +16 A migrant carrying several suitcases holding all of his worldly belongings leaves his tent camp in Paris this morning The European Parliament today backed plans to relocate 120,000 refugees around the EU to help the frontline states of Greece, Hungary and Italy, in a move that hiked pressure on ministers to adopt the proposals next week. In an emergency vote called after EU interior ministers failed to back the scheme on Monday, lawmakers approved the plans by the European Commission - the EU's executive - by 372 votes to 124 with 54 absentions. The ministers meet again next Tuesday to discuss the plans with a possible summit of EU leaders also on the cards. Parliament had to approve the plans but would normally have done so after EU states had backed the plan. 'We are very grateful to the European Parliament for understanding the urgency of this matter,' European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said before the vote in Brussels. Timmermans said the vote meant that both the Commission and parliament 'can say to the Council that the moment to act is now.' He was referring to the European Council, the 28-nation bloc's minister-level body.   The leader of the whole anti-Christ and overthrow of Europe by those coming in is Erdogan the revival of the Persian Empire…supplying them with bogus papers. The goal is to over throw the western Christian world and Obama is going to let them migrate over here as well, be very careful what you wish for….Iran will push this movement from their end….stonehillady   The European  crisis will not stop until it copies tough stance on people-smugglers Tony Abbott insists tough line on migrants is the only way to stop deaths Said army should be deployed to prevent asylum seekers arriving on land He has ordered Australian military to turn back boats carrying migrants Controversial move has seen near-daily arrivals fall significantly, with no reported deaths at sea off the coast of Australia so far this year Europe has been urged to copy Australia's military-led 'stop the boats' policy to avoid migrant tragedies in the Mediterranean. Australian PM Tony Abbott – who sends naval gunboats to turn back asylum seekers before they reach Australia – said the EU should 'urgently' follow his lead. His hardline policy has proved controversial but Mr Abbott said it was the only way to prevent disasters such as the loss of 900 lives when a fishing boat capsized on Saturday night. +11 Hardline: Tony Abbott, whose conservative government introduced a military-led operation to turn back boats carrying asylum-seekers before they reach Australia, said harsh measures are the only way to stop deaths +11 +11 Haunted: Surviving immigrants who escaped the boat that capsized in the Mediterranean Sea killing up to 900 people appear deep in thought as they arrive in the Sicilian port city of Catania yesterday morning +11 Solemn: A young man, bows his head as he makes the short walk from the rescue boat's deck to the Catania shore where hundreds of people had gathered +11 New life: Members of the Italian Police look on as a migrant who survived the ship sinking off the coast of Libya walks the ramp of an Italian Coast Guard's vessel upon arrival at Catania's port yesterday morning He said: 'The only way you can stop the deaths is to stop the boats. 'That's why it is so urgent that the countries of Europe adopt very strong policies that will end the people-smuggling trade across the Mediterranean.' Conservative Mr Abbott won power in 2013 on a 'stop the boats' pledge, and not a single one has breached his ring of steel in 18 months. Operation Sovereign Borders involves the Australian Navy intercepting boats filled with migrants at sea, and either turning them back or towing them back to where they came from. Mr Abbott has previously said he was sick of being lectured to by the United Nations over Australia's obligations to refugees, saying his policy was the 'most decent, most compassionate' solution. In the Mediterranean, callous people smugglers have been exploiting a willingness by European nations to rescue migrants rather than send them back. Last year, Italy scaled back its rescue operations because it feared they were only encouraging migrants to gamble with their lives. But the horrific loss of life over the past week in a spate of migrant shipwrecks has prompted calls to urgently reinstate the rescue missions. EU leaders including David Cameron are meeting tomorrow in what charities are calling a 'life or death' summit to solve the problem. Save the Children warned that 2,500 youngsters could die in the Mediterranean this year. Chief executive Justin Forsyth said: 'EU leaders hold the lives of thousands of desperate people in their hands when they meet. 'With every day that they prevaricate and delay restarting search and rescue operations, the risk grows that more people will die.' +11 Taken to safety: An unknown survivor of the Mediterranean migrant tragedy is wheeled off an Italian coastguard ship in the Sicilian city of Catania +11 Horror: A man carries the body of a dead child onto the Greek island of Rhodes after a boat carrying dozens of people ran aground, killing at least three in one of a number of tragedies involving migrants in recent days +11 Chaos: Video footage shows a large, wooden double-masted boat with people packed on board, just metres away from the Greek island of Rhodes in the eastern Mediterranean Sea Lucky rescue for migrants stranded on rock at sea in Turkey AUSTRALIA'S HARDLINE POLICY Migrant boats approaching Australian waters are turned back by the Navy or sometimes even towed back to where they came from. Any vessels which manage to get close are taken under naval escort to the Pacific islands of Nauru or Papua New Guinea, where they are detained while migrants' asylum claims are processed. Migrants are then matched with a country that will resettle them. Those detained on Nauru are sent to Cambodia, which is paid to take them by the Australian government. A similar arrangement exists with Papua New Guinea for those detained there. Any migrants who actually make it to Australia by sea are automatically blocked from staying – even if they are found to be genuine refugees. The controversial scheme – which began 18 months ago has been attacked by human rights advocates who say it violates Australia's international obligations. However the government says it has greatly reduced the number of illegal immigrants arriving on Australian shores. Yesterday Mr Cameron pledged the UK would 'make a contribution' to search and rescue operations. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said refugees also needed to be persuaded to stay in their home countries in the first place. 'We've got to start in the upstream countries. We've got to deal with the traffickers,' he said, adding he 'absolutely' supported a 'more formidable operation on the sea'. Ed Miliband said the Government's policy of 'leaving people to drown' had been 'wrong'. The Labour leader said: 'Frankly I think it is a stain on Europe to have these things happening. 'We've got to act on search and rescue, and that is about basic humanity and I think that people all around the country will recognise this.' London Mayor Boris Johnson said Britain had a 'moral duty' to do more. 'I think it is an absolute tragedy and obviously we must do whatever we can to help the humanitarian response,' he said. One of the architects of Australia's tough border policies, retired Army Major-General Jim Molan, said European leaders were guilty of 'incompetence'. Mr Molan said the tragedies were 'worsened by Europe's refusal to learn from its own mistakes and from the efforts of others who have handled similar problems'. In the Mediterranean, the tide of human misery has only worsened. Saturday's disaster was the most catastrophic in a series of migrant shipwrecks that have claimed more than 1,700 lives this year – 30 times higher than the same period in 2014. In the past week alone, more than 1,000 have died. Border chiefs have warned that one million migrants are waiting to set sail off the coast of Libya, with the need for drastic action to address the crisis greater than ever before. Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has warned of a 'genocide' and said: 'Europe will be judged harshly for its inaction.' +11 +11 Rescue: A woman is laid to the ground after being rescued by Greek men as she tried to reach Europe aboard a wooden boat which ran aground on the island of Rhodes, killing three people +11 Saved: Three people died after a boat carrying dozens of migrants ran aground on the Greek island of Rhodes Infra-red camera shows rescuers trying to locate survivors UP TO 1,000 FEARED DEAD AFTER WEEKEND OF WORST MARITIME DISASTERS FOR DECADES Sunday morning: Italian coastguard responds to migrant ship after it capsizes off the coast of Libya with 700 passengers unaccounted for Sunday afternoon: Passengers accounts of the ship say as many as 950 people may have been on board with 300 locked in the hull. Another boat is rescued off Sicily carrying 100 Syrian refugees. They are all brought to safety Monday morning: A boat runs aground on the Greek holiday island of Rhodes killing a man, woman and child Monday afternoon: Italian and Milanese coastguards respond to two distress calls off the coast of Libya from boats thought to be carrying up to 400 people. EU heads of state call for urgent action to ease the migrant crisis with an emergency summit called for later in the week Monday at midnight: The surviving passengers of the Libyan boat arrive in Catania, Sicily. Among them is the crew's Tunisian captain and his Syrian crew member. Both were arrested and charged with 'favouring illegal immigration'. The captain was additionally charged with multiple manslaughter. Australia begins controversial policy of processing asylum seekers AT SEA: New rules mean migrants are dealt with without ever setting foot on land A group of Vietnamese asylum seekers sailing to Australia were rejected before they had even reached land - thanks to a new immigation policy Down Under. But the screening of immigrants while they were at sea was condemned by the United Nations, which said they should be properly assessed on land. Until now, Australia has forced boat migrants to live in detention centres across the Pacific in Nauru and Papua New Guinea while their claims are processed. Scroll down for video +4 The Australian navy ship HMAS Choules transported the Vietnamese immigrants back to Vietnam this month The latest policy of not allowing migrants to disembark anywhere came to light a day after Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott urged Europe to adopt his tough immigration policies. He claimed these would stop the boat-loads of migrants currently making their way across the Mediterranean from Africa. According to the UN's refugee agency UNHCR, the group of 46 Vietnamese migrants set sail to Australia in March. They were detected by the Australian navy earlier this month and assessed at sea. All of them were rejected and transported back to Vietnam on the navy's landing vessel HMAS Choules. The two-week mission by the navy vessel, pictured in Sydney harbour last year, is thought to have cost £1.5m The migrants were offloaded in the port city of Vung Tau, south of Ho Chi Minh City, last Friday, according to Australia's ABC News. The two-week mission by HMAS Choules is said to have cost the navy around £1.5million. The Australian government today refused to comment on 'operation matters'. But the Opposition accused Mr Abbott's Liberal Party of a 'new low' with regards to the secrecy surrounding what happens to asylum seekers. +4 Boat migrants found and rescued in the Mediterranean yesterday are taken to the Italian port of Salerno by an Italian navy ship (pictured). So far this week the crossing has claimed the lives of 1,700 asylum seekers +4 Rescued migrants picked up by another Italian navy ship yesterday line up after disembarking in Sicily +4 Tough stance: Australia's PM Tony Abbott this week The operation was also criticised by UNHCR. Its spokeswoman Vivian Tan said: 'We're concerned that people may not have had access to proper procedures. 'We are concerned that the group wasn't screened and assessed in a way that's fair and effective, that somehow their lives may be at risk.' And Phil Robertson of the international campaign group Human Rights Watch echoed those concerns, saying: 'I think that probably these people had no access to counsel or [were not] able to prepare their case. 'And certainly they had no access to appeal.' Yesterday Mr Abbott lectured Europe on how to deal with the migrant-boat crisis in the Mediterranean. This week alone, the perilous crossing from Africa has claimed 1,700 lives. The captain of one boat, Mohammed Ali Malek, 27, was charged with multiple manslaughter after his vessel capsized on Monday, claiming the lives of up to 900 people. Yesterday new images were released of Italian navy vessels rescuing more asylum seekers and taking them to Italian ports. Mr Abbott told European leaders on Tuesday: 'The only way you can stop the deaths is to stop the boats.' He won power in 2013 on his pledge to stop immigrants entering Australia by sea. Their vessels are now turned away or towed back - and occupants are sent to the Pacific detention centres. There is also a guarantee that they will never be able to live in Australia. In the last 18 months, not a single boat has breached the country's ring of steel.   Syria Army Clears Hasakah of ISIL Terrorists Syria Army Clears Hasakah of ISIL Terrorists The Syrian army announced on Saturday that it has full control over the eastern city of Hasakah after eliminating the last remnants of terrorists from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) who infiltrated into the city’s neighborhoods on June 25, Al-Alam News Network reports. The Syrian army, air force, and the paramilitary National Defense Force on Saturday conducted a number of operations against ISIL terrorists in different provinces of the Arab country. Field sources told SANA reporter in Hasakah Saturday that last night and early morning Saturday, an army unit conducted intensive operations against ISIL positions in Al-Zohour neighborhood on the southern outskirts of the city, which resulted in killing and injuring dozens of terrorists. During last month, ISIL terrorists perpetrated massacres and crimes against the civilians of the province, destroyed a number of their houses and burnt SADCOP Company’s oil tanks which caused the loss of 16,200,000 liters of diesel. Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently controlling parts of it, mostly in the east. The terrorist group claims as an independent state the territory of Iraq and Syria, with implied future claims intended over more of the Levant, including Lebanon, occupied Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus, and Southern Turkey. The US and its regional allies have been supporting the militants operating inside Syria for more than four years. Syrian Army establishes control over Hasaka, areas in Hama, kills terrorists Provinces, SANA, The army, air force, and national backing forces conducted Saturday a number of operations against terrorists in different provinces in the contry, establishing control over some, clear others, and destroy terrorists’ vehicles and dens. Hasaka The Syrian Arab Army, in cooperation with national supporting forces, established full control over the eastern city of Hasaka after eliminating the last gatherings of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria “ISIS” terrorists who infiltrated into the  city’s neighborhoods on June 25th. Field sources told SANA reporter in Hasaka Saturday that an army unit conducted, last night  and early morning Saturday, intensive operations against ISIS dens in the Faculties of  Economy and Civil Engineering to the east of Al- Zohour neighborhood on the southern  outskirts of the city, which resulted in killing and injuring tens of terrorists. The army units, backed national forces, checked and cleared the two faculties from explosive devices which ISIS terrorists planted in the facilities of the both faculties. ISIS terrorists sabotaged and destroyed the infrastructure of both faculties and looted  equipments and teaching devices, the reporter said. ISIS terrorists perpetrated, during last month massacres and crimes against the civilians of  the province, destroyed a number of their houses and burnt SADCOP Company’s oil tanks which  caused the loss of 16,200,000 litres of diesel. Daraa Units of the army and the armed forces on Saturday destroyed dens and hotbeds  of the Takfiri terrorist  organizations in the southern Daraa province. A military source told SANA that all members of a terrorist group were killed and their arms and ammunition were destroyed in a special operation carried out by an army unit on Friday night to the northwest of Tal al-Za’atar, 8 km from Daraa city. The source added that many terrorists were also killed, most of them from Jabhat al-Nusra,  in an operation carried out by a unit of the army against their hotbeds in the surroundings  of al-Banin School in Daraa al-Balad neighborhood. Meanwhile, the Takfiri terrorist organizations admitted on their pages on the social networking websites that a number of their members were killed. On Friday, army units killed more than a hundred terrorists during operations against their dens and gatherings in Daraa city, al-Meleiha al- Gharbiya and the eastern outskirts of the city, Quneitra A number of terrorists were killed and their military equipment destroyed in operations carried out by the army units against their dens in al-Hamidyia village in the southern Quneitra province. The source added that an army unit also destroyed arms and ammunition belonging to the Takfiri terrorists, killing scores of them in Jibbat al-Khashab village. An army unit also carried out intensive bombardments against positions of the terrorist organizations in Ovania village, inflicting heavy losses upon them personnel and equipment. Aleppo The army air force destroyed the supply routes of Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist organizations in the countryside of the northern Aleppo province. A military source told SANA that the army air force carried out intensive airstrikes against positions and supply routes of the Takfiri terrorist organizations on the direction of Bshantara –Kafr Dael in the western countryside of the province. The source added that a convoy of terrorists’ vehicles was destroyed in the strikes and all terrorists onboard were killed, some of the vehicles were equipped with heavy machineguns. Lattakia 50 Terrorists killed, most of them of non- Syrian nationalities, in strikes by the Army air force against dens and gatherings of terrorist organizations in Dweirshan, al-rawda, al-wadi and al-Durra in the northern countryside of Lattakia. Hama Units of the army establish control over Zaizoun station in the north western countryside of Hama after killing a number of terrorists and destroying their arms and ammunition. On Friday, the army units established  control over Ziyadia and Zayzoun towns in the countryside of Hama province after inflicting heavy losses among terrorists in personnel and weapons. Field sources told SANA today that a unit of the army destroyed a gathering for terrorists in al-Madeq citadel town to the north-west of Hama. The sources added that scores of terrorists were killed in the operation, among them leader of a terrorist group nicknamed as “Abu al-Dardar.” Turkish warplanes kill civilians in Kurdish region’s Qandil ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkish fighter jets launched a fresh attack against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Saturday, killing 10  civilians and injuring 11 others in the Qandil Mountains of the Kurdistan region, a Rudaw reporter at the scene said. “We were all sleeping when the Turkish fighter jets bombarded our village,” Ismail Abdula Ghader, one of the injured civilians,said by phone this morning. The bombing targeted Zargali village in Rawanduz district, which is on the outskirt of the Qandil Mountains. The PKK was used the area as a stronghold for many years. Ghader said the fighter jets dropped bombs over the civilians’ houses and killed six civilians instantly and injured seven others. The Hurriyet Daily News reported Friday an intelligence source saying that 30 F-16 warplanes shelled 130 targets in the Qandil Mountains both inside the Turkey and in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The source also claimed that Turkish airstrikes have killed 190 PKK guerrillas and injured at least 300 others. The PKK has previously confirmed the death of four members because of the recent aerial attacks in Qandil. Turkey claims its attacks are “in retaliation” for the killings of two Turkish police officers last week, for which the PKK claimed responsibility. The latest conflict has possibly brought to a halt a peace agreement reached between Ankara and the PKK two years ago. Since July 24, Turkish air force jets and artillery have kept up a wave of attacks against the PKK, including five rounds of airstrikes on Saturday that targeted the Qandil Mountains. Syrian Army foils a terrorist attack at Tha’ala air port, establishes control over town in Hama, kills terrorists in other areas Provinces, SANA- The army and armed forces units continued Friday combating terrorism in different areas of the country, killing and injuring scores of them and destroy their vehicles and weaponry. Sweida A Syrian Arab Army unit foiled a terrorist group’s attempt to infiltrate into the vicinity of al-Tha’ala airport in the countryside of Sweida province. A military source told SANA that the clashes resulted in killing and injuring all of the assailants and destroying their vehicles and weaponry. Another army unit prevented an infiltration attempt by terrorists from the direction of Tal Saad and the dump towards Tal Bouthaina, located around 35km northeast of Sweida city, killing many terrorists and destroying their weapons and ammo. Daraa More than a 100 terrorist killed in Daraa Army units killed more than a hundred terrorist during operations against their dens and gatherings in Daraa city, al-Meleiha al-Gharbiya and the eastern outskirts of the city, after the units launched intensive strikes against terrorists’ gatherings south of Syriatel Buliding and the area surrounding Electricity Company in Daraa al-Balad in Daraa province, killing many of terrorists and destroying their ammo and weaponry. The Army destroyed dens of “Jabhat al-Nusra” and” al-Muthanna Islamic Movement” in the southeastern part of al-Mliha al-Gharbia in the northeast countryside of Daraa. A number of terrorists were killed, others were injured and their weapons and ammunition were destroyed during the operation. An army unit eliminated many terrorists and destroyed their weapons in the area surrounding Tal al-Sheikh Hussein northeast of Daraa. To the north of Daraa city, the army targeted with intensive strikes terrorists’ convoys in Ibta’a town and destroyed their vehicles, some of them equipped with machineguns. Another army unit killed a number of terrorists and destroyed their weapons and ammunition during accurate strikes against “Saudi Palace” on Daraa Taffas road in the northern countryside. The Army also killed many terrorists, injured many others and destroyed their weapons in the area surrounding Zimrin village to the northwest of Daraa city. Army units killed members of “Jabhat al-Nusra” and” al-Muthanna Islamic Movement” and destroyed many of their vehicles during intensive strikes against their dens in Ataman town, east of al-Qassr al-Abyad rest stop and in Daraa neighborhood. Quneitra A number of terrorists were killed and others were injured during army operation against their dens and gatherings in Mashara village to the north of Tal al-Harra in Quneitra. Lattakia Meanwhile, other army units killed a number of terrorists in the villages of al-Kabir, al-Helweh and al-Durra in the northern countryside of Lattakia province. An Army unit destroyed a mortar launcher and killed all its staff during intensive strikes against their gatherings in al-Kabir village in the northern countryside of the province. Mohamed al-Sheikh Ali and Rajab al-Haj Jom’a were among those killed. Homs In central Syria,Army units eliminated several terrorists in Unk al-Hawa, Rahoom, al-Shandkhania al-Shamalia and al-Rastan in Homs countryside. Aleppo A military source said that army units destroy terrorist hideouts around the Air Force Academy and the Scientific Research center and in al-Rashidin, al-Mansoura, New Aleppo, al-Lairamoun, and Khan al-Assal in Aleppo and its countryside. The source added that the army also prevented infiltration attempts by terrorists from in the directions of Khanasser, al-Safira, and Family House in the province. Idleb The Army’s Air Force eliminated a number of terrorists and destroyed their vehicles in Abu al-Duhour, Ariha, Jisr al-Shughour, Tal al-Sahn, Jannet al-Qura, al-Hamidiye, and Marj al-Zuhour in Idleb and its countryside, a military source said. Hama Army establishes control over Ziyadia and Zayzoun towns Army units established control over Ziyadia and Zayzoun towns in the countryside of Hama province after inflicting heavy losses among terrorists in personnel and weapons, the military source affirmed. Earlier on the day, army units eliminated large numbers of terrorists and destroyed their vehicles in Zeizoun, the Zeizoun station housing area, and al-Madiq Citadel in Hama countryside. Syria: Dozens of Militants Killed in Failed Terror Attack TEHRAN (FNA)- A failed terror attack on a makeshift army base outside the Syrian city of Aleppo has left at least 25 militants dead, reports said Saturday. Three senior militant commanders were among 25 terrorists killed late Friday, said the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fuelled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 230,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year. Over 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the crisis. According to reports, more than seven million Syrians have become internally displaced. Syrian Army Retakes 2 Towns in Hama TEHRAN (FNA)- Syrian army retook 2 towns in the countryside of Hama from the foreign-backed Takfiri militants. The army regained control over the towns of Ziyadia and Zayzoun, and inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists, a military source said Friday. Earlier, the army forces killed large numbers of terrorists, and destroyed their vehicles in Zayzoun, the Zayzoun station housing area, and al-Madiq Citadel in Hama countryside. Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fuelled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 230,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year. Over 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the crisis. According to reports, more than seven million Syrians have become internally displaced. Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Repels Terrorists’ Attack on Strategic Airport in Sweida TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army thwarted an attempt by the terrorist groups to take control of a strategic military airport in the province of Sweida. The foreign-backed terrorists were pushed back from the surrounding areas of al-Tha’ala Military Airport in Sweida. Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured in heavy clashes with the army over the control of the airport. Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army made new gains in the countryside of Hama by winning back three strategic regions. The army units seized back al-Masoura and Kharba al-Qanous towns as well as Savame al-Hoboub area in Sahl Dasht region in Hama countryside. The Syrian army started fresh military operations against the Takfiri terrorists in Hama countryside on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, army units destroyed the terrorists’ strongholds in Qastoun, al-Ankawi, Kafar Zeta in Hama countryside. Also the local sources said that the army killed the so-called leader of Al-Nusra Front named Hassan al-Mohammad in al-Madiq Citadel in the Eastern parts of Hama. Elsewhere, the Syrian Army gained the upper hand against the militants of al-Nusra Front and the ISIL in some parts of the Southern province of Dara’a. Informed sources said that the Syrian soldiers’ operations against Takfiri terrorists of the ISIL in the nearby areas of Atman town in the Northern countryside of Dara’a province resulted in the killing and injuring of a number of them. The army also inflicted heavy losses upon al-Nusra Front terrorists in the Eastern countryside of Dara’a city. Abdel Qader Abdel Rahman al-Sharif, a senior rebel commander, was among the killed terrorists in the battlefield. Meantime, informed military sources in the Southwestern province of Quneitra said that the Syrian Army cut the supply route of al-Nusra Front in the Northern parts of the province. The sources said that the Syrian army has intensified its operations against strongholds of al-Nusra fighters in Quneitra and hit one of their main logistic routs near Taranja village. The source added that the army also destroyed terrorists’ positions in the town of Mas’hara in the Eastern side of the province. Also, the Syrian Army and popular forces, in joint operations, stormed the positions of al-Nusra Front across the costal province of Lattakia, and killed or wounded several fighters, the military sources announced. The sources said that the country’s soldiers and popular forces pushed back Nusra militants from the nearby areas of al-Furolouq forests and Tal al-Araz in the Northern countryside of Lattakia and killed scores of them. Elsewhere, scores of al-Nusra Front rebels were killed or injured in the joint operations of the Syrian Army and Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement in Zabadani. The military sources said that the Syrian and Hezbollah forces seized control over Barada mosque and a number of buildings in the Southern edge of the city, killing a number of terrorists in the battlefront. The army and Lebanese resistance advanced towards al-Shalah region into the direction of Za’atout street near al- Mahata and tightened the grip on the terrorist organizations. The army operations ended up with the killing of a number of al-Nusra terrorists, including Mohammad Dalati, Mohamad Shahada and Osama Ali Hamdan. Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fuelled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 230,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year. Over 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the crisis. According to reports, more than seven million Syrians have become internally displaced.

The Saudi Arabia-Yemen War of 2015   The recent civil war in Yemen prompted neighboring Saudi Arabia to intervene militarily six weeks ago, launching airstrikes, bombing targets from border stations, shelling from the sea, and establishing a blockade. Rebels recently overran the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, and forced the Western-backed president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, to flee the country. To halt the uprising, the Saudi government formed a coalition of Arab nations including Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Bahrain, with the support of the United States in the form of weapons, intelligence, and naval blockade enforcement. For months now, numerous groups have been battling each other inside Yemen, including factions of ISIS and Al Qaeda, but the main belligerents are the Iran-allied Houthi movement, fighting the Hadi government, backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States. In Yemen, loyalties are mixed, even among government soldiers, and the situation on the ground is chaotic and bleak. Refugees are fleeing by the thousands, as the U.N. reports that nearly 650 civilians have been killed in hundreds of airstrikes in the past month.  Today, Saudi Arabia proposed a five-day ceasefire to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid, on condition that fighting across Yemen stops, while the Houthis demand a complete end to the airstrikes as a condition for UN-sponsored talks. A Saudi soldier fires a mortar towards Houthi positions, at the Saudi border with Yemen on April 21, 2015. #     The sky over Sanaa, Yemen, is illuminated by anti-aircraft fire during a Saudi-led airstrike on April 17, 2015. #   Explosions at a military site after it was hit by an air strike on the Faj Attan mountain of Sanaa on March 30, 2015. #   Smoke billows on the horizon as supporters of exiled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi block a road in al-Mansura, east of the southern Yemeni city of Aden, as they try to make advances on the Khor Maskar area of the city held by Shiite-Houthi rebels on April 29, 2015. #   People stand around a crater near the site of houses destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, on May 1, 2015. #     A Yemeni man grabs a child by his clothes as he searches for survivors under the rubble in houses destroyed by an overnight Saudi-led air strike on a residential area in Sanaa on May 1, 2015. #   Smoke billows during an airstrike on the Republican Palace in Yemen's southwestern city of Taiz on April 17, 2015. #   Armed militiamen, allied to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, clash with opponents and Houthi rebels in the port city of Aden's Dar Saad suburb, on April 22, 2015. #   The body of a militiaman loyal to Yemen's President Abderabbo Mansour Hadi lies in the middle of a street, during reported clashes with Houthi rebels in the port city of Aden's Dar Saad suburb on April 25, 2015. #     A Southern Popular Resistance fighter fires a weapon mounted on a truck during clashes with Houthi fighters in Yemen's southern city of Aden on May 3, 2015. Between 40-50 Arab special forces soldiers arrived in Aden on Sunday and deployed alongside local fighters against the Houthi militia, a spokesman for the Southern Popular Resistance said. #   Men on a motorbike rush a man, who was injured in crossfire between tribal fighters and Shiite rebels, to a hospital, in Taiz, Yemen, on April 26, 2015. #   Smoke billows as supporters of exiled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi continue to clash with Shiite Houthi rebels in the Khor Maksar neighborhood of Aden on May 3, 2015. #   A picture taken on May 5, 2015, shows the wreckage of a Yemeni air force military transport aircraft on the tarmac of the rebel-controlled international airport of Sanaa, a day after it was destroyed by an air strike of the Saudi-led coalition. #     Displaced Yemenis shelter in a man-made underground water tunnel after their houses were destroyed by air strikes carried out by the Saudi-led alliance, in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on April 29, 2015. #   A Yemeni man who was wounded in an airstrike rests in an underground water tunnel where he is taking shelter with his family after their houses were destroyed by air strikes carried out by the Saudi-led alliance in Sanaa, on April 30, 2015. #   A girl rests next to her mother (not pictured) inside an underground water tunnel with other displaced Yemeni families, after they were forced to flee their home due to ongoing airstrikes in Sanaa on May 2, 2015. #   Saudi soldiers look toward the border with Yemen, at a military structure in Najran, Saudi Arabia, on April 21, 2015. A cross-border attack on Saudi Arabia by Yemeni rebel forces resulted in late-night clashes on April 30, 2015 that left three Saudi soldiers and "dozens" of Yemeni rebels dead, according to the Saudi Defense Ministry. #     A Saudi sniper takes up a position at the Saudi border with Yemen on April 13, 2015. #   Supporters of the Shiite Houthi movement brandish their weapons as they take part in a demonstration in the capital Sanaa on May 1, 2015, against the Saudi-led air campaign targeting Houthi rebels and their allies in Yemen. #   A stadium, destroyed by an air strike in Yemen's central city of Ibb, on April 13, 2015. #   A man holds a projectile fragment after a Saudi-led airstrike against Houthi rebels hit a weapons cache in Yemen's capital on April 20, 2015. #     Loyalists of exiled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi gather next to tanks on a road on the outskirts of the southern city of Aden, on April 30, 2015. #   A boy looks out of the window of a Yemen Red Crescent vehicle as he leaves an underground water tunnel with other displaced people, after they were forced to flee their homes due to ongoing airstrikes in Sanaa on May 2, 2015. #   Smoke rises during an airstrike on an army weapons depot on a mountain overlooking Yemen's capital Sanaa on April 20, 2015. #   A Houthi militant holds his rifle at the yard of the residence of the military commander of the Houthi militant group, Abdullah Yahya al Hakim, after an airstrike destroyed it in Sanaa on April 28, 2015. #     A boy searches rubble in a damaged a street after an April 20 airstrike that hit a nearby weapons depot, in Sanaa, on April 21, 2015. #   Walaa Hussien al-Hutroum, 9, sits in a hospital where she is being treated for injuries she sustained in an airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 25, 2015. The girl was hit with shrapnel from a missile that struck a nearby checkpoint on a road she and her family were travelling on as they were fleeing their home in Yemen's northwestern province of Saada a week ago, medics said. #   A member of the Popular Resistance Committee cries as another closes the eyes of a comrade who died at a hospital of injuries he sustained during clashes with Houthi fighters in Yemen's southwestern city of Taiz on April 27, 2015. #   A man walks toward a house that was damaged during an airstrike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in Faj Attan village, Sanaa, Yemen, on May 7, 2015. The air strikes in this part of Sanaa have forced the village's population to flee their homes. #     A worker throws a stuffed toy to another as they move furniture from a house damaged after an airstrike struck a nearby missile base, in Yemen's capital Sanaa, on April 23, 2015. #   A member of the airport security force walks in front of a destroyed Felix Airways plane, after it was hit in an airstrike, at the international airport of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on April 29, 2015. Coalition warplanes destroyed the runway at Sanaa's rebel-held airport after an Iranian plane "defied" a blockade on Yemeni airspace, the spokesman for the Saudi-led alliance said. A man walks past writing on a wall along a street damaged by an airstrike in Sanaa on April 21, 2015. The writing reads, "Death to Al-Saud", referring to Saudi Arabia's royal family. #   A girl sits inside her house which was damaged by a shell which landed from a nearby missile base after the base was struck by a Saudi-led coalition air strike, near Sanaa, on April 23, 2015. #     Saudi army artillery fires shells towards Houthi movement positions at the Saudi border with Yemen on April 15, 2015. #   A boy holds up a weapon as he joins followers of the Houthi group demonstrating against the Saudi-led air strikes in Sanaa on April 22, 2015. #   Smoke rises after a Saudi-led airstrike hit a site where many believe the largest weapons cache in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, was located on April 20, 2015. Powerful explosions rocked the Yemeni capital early Monday morning during the strike, shattering windows and waking residents. #   Southern Popular Resistance fighters react as one of their tanks fire at a Houthi position during fighting in Yemen's southern city of Aden on May 7, 2015. #     A doctor examines a bullet wound on the head of Farah Abdallah, seven-year-old Yemeni refugee, at a hospital in Djibouti on May 5, 2015. Farah was shot in the head by a sniper in Aden before fleeing with her mother by boat to Djibouti. Farah has been offered financial assistance from a Yemeni benefactor to pay for her flights for critical brain surgery but no country will currently accept her. Doctors say she is at risk of death any day. #   People use a tug boat to flee Yemen's southern port city of Aden amid fighting between Houthi fighters and the Southern Popular Resistance Committees on May 5, 2015. #   A man carries an elderly woman from a ship carrying people fleeing violence in Yemen, at the port of Bosasso in Somalia's Puntland region, on April 16, 2015.   Putin Issues Ultimatum, Threatens War Over Erdogan’s Support of ISIS Gordon Duff, Senior Editor on August 4, 2015 Putin issues an ultimatum to Turkey, "End all military support for ISIS"   Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting with the Turkish Ambassador issued a verbal ultimatum calling for an immediate end to Turkey’s support for ISIS and violations of Syria’s sovereignty.  In doing to, Putin has drawn a red line over Syria, after weeks of escalating NATO moves against that beleaguered nation. In a startling move, Russian President Vladimir Putin castigated Turkish President Recep Erdogan, calling him a “dictator” and threatening to sever diplomatic ties with Turkey over what Putin claims is Erdogan’s continued support of the ISIS terror organization. It is believed that this is in response to Erdogan’s claim, pasted across the western press yesterday, that Putin had told him Russia was no longer going to support Syria in their war against al Qaeda, ISIS and their western backed sister organizations. Putin summoned Turkish Ambassador to Moscow, Umit Yardim to the Kremlin for what turned out to be a two hour diatribe by Putin with fiery accusations returned by the Turkish Ambassador.  This is the best translation of key statements made by Putin: “Tell your dictator Erdogan to go to hell and that unless he stops well established and easily proven support for ISIS, Russia will sever diplomatic relations.  We are  prepared to turn Syria into a big Stalingrad for Turkey and her Saudi allies and their vicious little gang of Hitlers. Your little dictator is a hypocrite, attacking the military coup in Egypt while, at the same time, he is trying to overthrow the elected government of Syria. As it stands, China, Iran and Russia will guarantee the survival of Syria.” In an article by the Moscow Times, a publication controlled by CIA contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, a different version is given with Ambassador Yardim shouting down Putin and blaming Russia for all of Syria’s ills. The meeting is said to have lasted over two hours and to have been behind closed doors.  The version we have of statements made were leaked by sources close to President Putin. We believe the statements quoted above are to be considered an ultimatum Yesterday, President Obama announced that the United States would provide air support for US trained jihadists fighting inside Syria.  The White House statement may well have been misquoted by the Murdoch owned Wall Street Journal.  The Journal, in another case of “mission creep,” quoted spurious anonymous sources in the Pentagon embellishing the president’s statement to include air attacks on Assad forces. It is very possible that the White Houses’ failure to demand a retraction for the WSJ story until early this morning Washington time may have been a contributing factor to Putin’s rage.  To a large extent, the Wall Street Journal has become an organ of Netanyahu’s schemes since Murdoch bought the publication  in 2011. Netanyahu has long seen himself as the ultimate winner in any military confrontation between Russia, China and NATO and Japan. The Plot Thickens One other possible contributing factor in Putin’s attack on Erdogan is the issue of the downing of MH17, the Malaysian Airlines flight shot down over Ukraine.  Last week, Russia vetoed a move in the United Nations Security Council to set up an unprecedented investigative tribunal to adjudicate the issue based on the yet to be released results of the Dutch (NATO) investigation. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov made it clear that he has no confidence in a NATO run investigation and that Russia sees this as an attempt by the west to spin what Russia sees as a Kiev backed false flag terror attack into a propaganda victory against Russia. Russia sees the continued attempt to blame the downing of MH17 on a Russian BUK missile when no evidence whatsoever exists supporting that scenario, one the western press has adhered to unflinchingly. Russia has tried to present evidence, backed by German based forensic investigators, that MH17 was shot down by a Kiev based SU25 seen by multiple radars closing in on the Boeing 777 aircraft immediately prior to its downing. The west has refused to consider this evidence much as the west had refused to accept evidence of Turkey’s use of chemical weapons against civilians inside Syria. In 2012, Russian investigators attempted to present scientific evidence of the use of Turkish sarin gas by al Nusra forces near Aleppo.  The west refused to look at the evidence even when Turkish prosecutors had ordered the arrest of both Turkish nationals and foreign backed terrorists who were operating sarin production facilities inside Turkey. It wasn’t until the possibility of military confrontation between the US and Russia became a reality that President Obama accepted the Syrian version of events.  Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh outlines this confrontation and Erdogan’s role in the use of sarin gas against Syrian civilians in his book, The Red Line and the Rat Line. In June 2015, Erdogan failed to win a majority in a national election, one swayed from Erdogan by a large Kurdish opposition vote.  Erdogan has continued to rule without forming a government giving credibility to President Putin’s claim of Erdogan’s dictatorial rule. It is estimated that a minimum of 25,000 ISIS fighters have transited Turkey into both Syria and Iraq since 2011. In the last 18 months, a number of Turkish officers have been killed or captured inside Syria.  Additionally, most ISIS and al Nusra fighters captured by Syrian, Kurdish and Iraqi forces have told of Turkey’s full complicity in their terror operations. It should be noted that the terror attack of June 20, 2015, purportedly by ISIS against Erdogan’s Kurdish political opponents in the town of Suruc, was used to provide a rationale for the Turkish air assault on Syria and Iraq.  Turkey has flown hundreds of sorties against Kurdish villages along with providing air support for ISIS terrorists fighting against Kurdish forces of the YPG and PKK. Another major factor involves a sea change in Saudi relations in the Middle East.  In an article today from the Fars News Agency in Tehran, we read the following: “In the context of the Russian initiative to sustain the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement, KSA Intelligence Chief may visit Damascus by the end of August, according to well-informed sources. More than 200 Saudi are arrested by the Syrian authorities over their terrorist activities as 700 others have joined the militant groups which are fighting the Army, Al-Manar reported. The sources added that the Russian side has managed to convince the Saudi leaders that battling ISIL and all the terrorist groups is of a great importance for all the regional countries. Russia considers that preserving the Saudi-Syrian-Egyptian triangle will preserve the political and security situation in the Middle East and that if the terrorist groups manage to destroy this formula, terrorism will invade the whole region and reach Europe, according to the sources. The sources note that the Saudi-Syrian convergence is expected to reach fruitful results yet that it needs time for KSA to arrange its internal files in preparation for a strategic change.” Erdogan’s Fail With NATO moves in the region, including air defense weapons for Latvia, the militarization of Poland and America’s silence on Kiev’s continued violation of the Minsk peace accords, Putin may well have chosen Erdogan as the “weak underbelly” of NATO.  With Erdogan’s domestic political problems and his possible complicity in staged false flag terror attacks against political rivals, civil war in Turkey is a very real possibility. With NATO voting last week to back Turkey’s moves against Iraq and Syria “without question,” Putin may well be extracting payment from the United States for 14 years of unreasoning bellicosity.   Saudi Arabia to buy 600 Patriot missiles for $5.4 billion By Jim W. Dean, Managing Editor on July 30, 2015 This is really an economic war where the US is fully committed to using its military to win … from Russia Today,  Moscow Advancing missile technology is major arms race now [ Editors Note:  I did an interview with Press TV this morning to try to point out that these defensive Patriot missile sales are to replace older models. Obama is playing this card now, trying to take the wind out of the Congressional NeoCons’ new spin that once Iran becomes the economic power in the region, it will arm itself to the teeth and attack westward. This is a ridiculous ploy with not a shred of proof behind it, what we call “fear porn.” The main modern combat record the West has with Iran is the one million casualties inflicted on it by America’s proxy at the time, having Saddam engage in the long war with them. American chemical weapons were illegally field-tested on both the Kurds and the Iranians during that war. So who the real WMD threat has been in the region is part of history. That did not work out too well then, nor did it when we invaded Iraq versus seeking a diplomatic solution. Our methods have destabilized most of the region, impoverished large numbers of Americans, destroyed veterans’ families, and enriched some special interests. This is really an economic war where the US is fully committed to using its military to help win, and to economically subjugate the rest of the world so the special interests behind the scenes can continue their concentration of wealth. Americans have become cannon fodder in this plan, but a notch above the throw-away jihadis that are being used for cheap “boots on the ground” substitutes… no VA benefits, no college, no disability payments, no pensions. Rumsfeld would love all this. The rest of Americans or their children look forward to a reduced standard of living, but have yet to focus on who is really behind it. More should read VT…Jim W. Dean ] ________________________ –  First published  …  July 29,  2015  – Washington is set to approve a $5.4 billion sale of 600 advanced Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia. More such sales are expected in the coming months, defense analysts say, as Gulf nations react to the Iran nuclear deal by buying US weapons systems. According to a notice sent to Congress by the Pentagon on Wednesday, the State Department has approved a request by Saudi Arabia to purchase $5.4 billion worth of PAC-3 missiles. “The proposed sale will modernize and replenish Saudi Arabia’s current Patriot missile stockpile, which is becoming obsolete and difficult to sustain due to age and limited availability of repair parts,” said the Pentagon’s notice to Congress. “The purchase of the PAC-3 missiles will support current and future defense missions and promote stability within the region.” PAC-3 stands for the third generation of the Patriot Advanced Capability missile, the interceptor famously deployed during the first Iraq War. Made by Lockheed Martin Corp, the PAC-3, is advertised as the “the world’s most effective air and missile defense interceptor” against aircraft, cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles. “Lockheed Martin is supporting the US government and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as they discuss the potential sale of additional PAC-3 Missiles as part of the upgrade of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force,” the company said in a statement. Saudi Arabia already bought a $2 billion shipment of Patriots in April, while the Pentagon purchased $1.5 billion worth of Patriots intended for Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, South Korea and the Saudis just last week, according to Defense One. Gulf Arab states are eager to purchase US counter-missiles, as embargoes on conventional weapons and missiles against Iran are expected to be lifted in the next five to eight years under the terms of a nuclear deal reached in Vienna on July 14. “We’re going to see more of this,” Thomas Karako, a missile defense expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington told Defense One.  “So long as the Iranian missile threat exists, GCC and other countries in the region are going to have to invest in counters, offensive and defensive.” The GCC consists of six Persian Gulf nations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. At a summit with GCC envoys in May, President Barack Obama assured his Arab allies that the US would “stand by our GCC partners against external attacks.” A joint statement adopted at the summit committed the US and the GCC to work towards increased security cooperation, particularly “on fast-tracking arms transfers… counter terrorism, maritime security, cybersecurity and ballistic missile defense.” The United Arab Emirates have already acquired a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, with a greater reach than the Patriot’s. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also expressed interest in the THAAD, while Qatar is now likely to proceed with the purchase of a missile-tracking radar system.   Moscow ready to supply weapons to Iraq to help fight ISIS By Jim W. Dean, Managing Editor on May 24, 2015 ISIS Shock and Awe tactics open doors for East and West arms ISIS Shock and Awe tactics open doors for East and West arms … from Russia Today,  Moscow Ramadi will divert any attack on Mosul for some time [ Editor’s Note: There is something not right in Iraq on this Ramadi story. Troops usually break and run when the officers take off — and take off they do in most third world fighting, where leadership medals are given out for everything but actual fighting, where dying in combat is considered a display of poor judgment. The news in the last paragraph below, that ISIL used 30 suicide car bombers in their takeover  of Ramadi was the shock and awe. Manning a checkpoint is no fun when it is raining suicide bombers. Add to this is the US, after its Wednesday announcement of 1000 anti-tank missiles being sent to combat these attacks, doubled the number on Thursday to 2000. I assume this was to not let the Russians help scoop the US’ “good help press” the day before. But the wild card for me is that the last time I looked, 50 cals and twin 20mm cannon tore a car bomber up in short order. They have the range and punch. All I can think of is that the gunners can’t hit anything, as they have been used to mainly put spray-patter fire on a position. When mounted on a Toyota, the suspension is bouncing around like a circus ride, quite detrimental to one’s aim. But for a head on attack with decreasing range, I would rather be the gunner than the bomber. But the Baghdad Bob award for the week goes to Marine Brig. Gen. Thomas D. Weidley for his comment about ISIS losing and on the run. If this were true, they never could have taken Ramadi…   Coalition airstrikes seem to be missing a lot of these convoys –  First published …  May 21,  2015  – Moscow and Baghdad have been expanding military cooperation, President Vladimir Putin said, and Russia is ready to supply weapons to Iraq to aid the fight against Islamic State militants’ advance in the region, said Russia’s FM Sergey Lavrov. “We will make all efforts to meet [Iraq’s] possible requests, to ensure it has the defense capability and the ability to drive out of its territories Islamic State [formerly ISIS, or ISIL] and other terrorists,” Lavrov told reporters, speaking ahead of talks in Moscow between Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi on Thursday. “We have very close and tight military-technical cooperation [with Iraq],”he said. “Unlike some other countries, we are ready to supply weapons to Iraq without preconditions, based on the fact that Iraq, Syria and Egypt are on the forefront of the struggle against terrorism.” Iraq has been Russia’s longtime partner and over the past two years bilateral trade turnover has grown 10-fold, Putin said at the meeting with Iraq’s PM on Thursday. “Iraq has been our longtime and reliable partner in the region. Despite all the hardships in the world economy and difficulties in the region, our relations have been developing successfully,” Putin said. Putin said that Russia has been implementing major projects in Iraq and Russian investments there are estimated at billions of dollars. He added that Moscow will continue civilian, military and technical cooperation with Iraq. Meanwhile, in a major setback, Iraqi forces have retreated from a compound they used as a command center in Ramadi, losing control of Anbar’s provincial capital to Islamic State militants. Local security officials said that the militants carried out mass killings of Iraqi security forces and civilians, AP reported Monday. The two days of fighting in Ramadi this weekend had displaced around 8,000 people according to the International Organization for Migration. On Wednesday, IS militants captured Syria’s historic city of Palmyra, a UNESCO landmark, after gaining full control over the city. The group already controls wide areas in Syria’s north and east. This was the first time the jihadists have taken a large population center directly from Syrian pro-government forces. Despite the IS advance in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon has until recently continued to insist that the US-led air campaign is working. “We believe across Iraq and Syria that Daesh [the Arabic acronym for the militant group] is losing and remains on the defensive,” said Marine Brig. Gen. Thomas D. Weidley, chief of staff for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve on Friday. The US began its bombing campaign in Iraq in August 2014 and in Syria the following month. Syrian President Bashar Assad repeatedly pointed out that the bombardments are an illegal intervention unauthorized by a UN Security Council resolution, and so violate the sovereignty of Syria. He also said that the Syrian army has been conducting ground operations as well as airstrikes against terrorists which are larger than that those launched by the alliance. In a separate development, the Pentagon said Thursday that the US will deliver 2,000 AT-4 anti-tank rockets to Iraq as soon as next week. This is double the number announced on Wednesday and is intended to help the beleaguered Iraqi army combat suicide car bombings used by Islamic State. The Islamic State carried out about 30 suicide car bombings in taking the Iraqi city of Ramadi last weekend. Spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said that the anti-tank rockets would help the Iraqi army stop approaching suicide bombers, driving vehicles packed with explosives, from a distance. Relying on small arms fire to accomplish the same task requires killing the driver or taking out the engine.