WAR Regional conflict brewing in the Mediterranean
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Well considering the Turks are actively working to annex Syria into an Ottoman Redux, this is definitely not going to end well for all involved...
jward
passin' thru
February 12, 2020 / 2:57 AM / Updated 6 hours ago
Haftar's forces in Libya ban U.N. flights to embattled capital
Ayman al-Warfalli, Ulf Laessing
4 Min Read
BENGHAZI, Libya/CAIRO (Reuters) - Eastern Libya forces will not allow the United Nations to use the only functioning airport in the capital Tripoli, a spokesman for the group that has been trying to capture the city from the internationally recognized government said on Wednesday.
The U.N. earlier warned flight restrictions by commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces known as the Libya National Army (LNA) were hampering humanitarian and mediation efforts in the oil-producing country embroiled in a conflict between loose alliances from western and eastern Libya since 2014.
The LNA, which is backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, has been trying since last April to take Tripoli but has failed to breach the city’s defenses.
However, it has air superiority thanks to UAE-supplied combat drones, which cover the whole of Libya via a satellite link, a U.N. report said in November.
LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari told reporters in the eastern city of Benghazi that the United Nations would have to use other airports such as Misrata because it could not guarantee the safety of flights into Tripoli Mitiga airport as Turkey was using it as a base.
Turkey has supplied combat drones to Tripoli operating in the past out of Mitiga and also sophisticated air defenses for the capital.
On Wednesday, the 15-member U.N. Security Council passed its first resolution on Libya since the Tripoli war broke out, expressing “grave concern over the exploitation of the conflict by terrorist and violent groups” and demanding that the parties commit to a lasting ceasefire according to terms agreed by the country’s Joint Military Commission.
It expressed concern over the growing involvement of mercenaries in Libya.
David Schenker, the senior U.S. diplomat for the Middle East and North Africa, told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee the task of bringing the Libyans back to the negotiating table had been complicated by the involvement of external actors.
“Libya is not the place for Russian mercenaries, or fighters from Syria, Chad and Sudan. It is not the place for the Emiratis, Russians, or Turks to be fighting battles on the ground through intermediaries they sponsor or support,” he said in prepared testimony.
The Joint Military Commission includes five senior officers from the LNA and five aligned with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
The rival factions began U.N.-led talks in Geneva last week aimed at securing a ceasefire, but a first round failed to yield an agreement.
The U.N. mission in Libya (UNSMIL) earlier said the LNA had in the past three weeks several times blocked U.N. flights carrying staff to and from Libya.
A humanitarian source said Haftar was imposing a “no-fly zone” for Tripoli and there were concerns that U.N. flights could be a possible target.
U.N. envoy Ghassan Salame has been mediating between Haftar and the Tripoli government.
Relations have been difficult as UNSMIL has condemned air strikes blamed on the LNA, though mostly without mentioning the force by name.
Ties worsened when the U.N. said in a report last month that Haftar’s main stronghold Benghazi had turned into a “hub for illicit economic activities, including the sale of drugs and arms”. The U.N. also criticized activities of armed groups in western Libya.
The LNA’s Mismari again accused Salame of being biased against the LNA, a charge denied by the United Nations.
UNSMIL has a base in Tripoli and also provides humanitarian relief for migrants and people displaced by the conflict with about 170 staff spread between Libya and neighboring Tunisia.
Reporting by Omar Fahmy, Ulf Laessing, Ayman al-Warfalli and Emma Farge; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Grant McCool and Christopher Cushing
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
posted for fair use
www.reuters.com
Haftar's forces in Libya ban U.N. flights to embattled capital
Ayman al-Warfalli, Ulf Laessing
4 Min Read
BENGHAZI, Libya/CAIRO (Reuters) - Eastern Libya forces will not allow the United Nations to use the only functioning airport in the capital Tripoli, a spokesman for the group that has been trying to capture the city from the internationally recognized government said on Wednesday.
The U.N. earlier warned flight restrictions by commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces known as the Libya National Army (LNA) were hampering humanitarian and mediation efforts in the oil-producing country embroiled in a conflict between loose alliances from western and eastern Libya since 2014.
The LNA, which is backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, has been trying since last April to take Tripoli but has failed to breach the city’s defenses.
However, it has air superiority thanks to UAE-supplied combat drones, which cover the whole of Libya via a satellite link, a U.N. report said in November.
LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari told reporters in the eastern city of Benghazi that the United Nations would have to use other airports such as Misrata because it could not guarantee the safety of flights into Tripoli Mitiga airport as Turkey was using it as a base.
Turkey has supplied combat drones to Tripoli operating in the past out of Mitiga and also sophisticated air defenses for the capital.
On Wednesday, the 15-member U.N. Security Council passed its first resolution on Libya since the Tripoli war broke out, expressing “grave concern over the exploitation of the conflict by terrorist and violent groups” and demanding that the parties commit to a lasting ceasefire according to terms agreed by the country’s Joint Military Commission.
It expressed concern over the growing involvement of mercenaries in Libya.
David Schenker, the senior U.S. diplomat for the Middle East and North Africa, told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee the task of bringing the Libyans back to the negotiating table had been complicated by the involvement of external actors.
“Libya is not the place for Russian mercenaries, or fighters from Syria, Chad and Sudan. It is not the place for the Emiratis, Russians, or Turks to be fighting battles on the ground through intermediaries they sponsor or support,” he said in prepared testimony.
The Joint Military Commission includes five senior officers from the LNA and five aligned with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
The rival factions began U.N.-led talks in Geneva last week aimed at securing a ceasefire, but a first round failed to yield an agreement.
The U.N. mission in Libya (UNSMIL) earlier said the LNA had in the past three weeks several times blocked U.N. flights carrying staff to and from Libya.
A humanitarian source said Haftar was imposing a “no-fly zone” for Tripoli and there were concerns that U.N. flights could be a possible target.
U.N. envoy Ghassan Salame has been mediating between Haftar and the Tripoli government.
Relations have been difficult as UNSMIL has condemned air strikes blamed on the LNA, though mostly without mentioning the force by name.
Ties worsened when the U.N. said in a report last month that Haftar’s main stronghold Benghazi had turned into a “hub for illicit economic activities, including the sale of drugs and arms”. The U.N. also criticized activities of armed groups in western Libya.
The LNA’s Mismari again accused Salame of being biased against the LNA, a charge denied by the United Nations.
UNSMIL has a base in Tripoli and also provides humanitarian relief for migrants and people displaced by the conflict with about 170 staff spread between Libya and neighboring Tunisia.
Reporting by Omar Fahmy, Ulf Laessing, Ayman al-Warfalli and Emma Farge; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Grant McCool and Christopher Cushing
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
posted for fair use
Haftar's forces in Libya ban U.N. flights to embattled capital
Eastern Libya forces will not allow the United Nations to use the only functioning airport in the capital Tripoli, a spokesman for the group that has been trying to capture the city from the internationally recognized government said on Wednesday.
www.reuters.com
jward
passin' thru
Aleph
א
@no_itsmyturn
Turkish army deployed large number of MLRS to the border line. In addition, a big SOF reinforcement went to Idlib. #SyriaVia
@lummideast
View: https://twitter.com/lummideast/status/1227883133707702272?s=20
א
@no_itsmyturn
Turkish army deployed large number of MLRS to the border line. In addition, a big SOF reinforcement went to Idlib. #SyriaVia
@lummideast
View: https://twitter.com/lummideast/status/1227883133707702272?s=20
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Turkey at risk of more confrontations with Syria and Russia
By SUZAN FRASER2 hours ago
1 of 4
Turkish military convoy is seen near the town of Idlib, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Turkey will attack government forces anywhere in Syria if another Turkish soldier is injured. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Direct clashes between Turkish and Syrian troops amid a Syrian government offensive in the last rebel stronghold of Idlib province are threatening to escalate into a full-blown conflict between the two neighbors and also shatter an alliance forged between Turkey and Russia.
Intent on halting the advance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to take military action “everywhere in Syria” if another Turkish soldier is killed or wounded. Earlier, he warned Syrian government forces that they have until the end of February to retreat to the limits of a previously agreed cease-fire line in Idlib.
Turkey and Russia are simultaneously rivals and allies in different parts of the Middle East, including in Syria and Libya. Their interests align when it comes to gas supplies and weapons trade, even if they find themselves on opposite sides of proxy wars. And they both have a shared interest in defying U.S. influence in Syria.
Turkey and Russia had been working together to keep the calm in Idlib, negotiating cease-fires between the Moscow-supported Syrian government and the rebels, who are backed by Ankara. So far, talks between the two have failed to lift the impasse in Idlib.
As Syrian government forces advance with Russia’s support, Turkey has refused to abandon its military posts in Idlib and has threatened to pressure Syrian forces to retreat. That has boxed Turkey into a corner and leaving it with few options but the possibility of a confrontation with both Syria and Russia.
The Idlib crisis comes as Turkey finds itself in the middle of an economic downturn and increasingly isolated internationally. In the eastern Mediterranean region, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Israel have reached agreements on hydrocarbon exploration.that exclude Turkey. That has forced Turkey to reach widely criticized maritime and security deals with Libya’s U.N.-recognized government.
Emre Ersen, an expert on Turkish-Russian relations at Istanbul’s Marmara University, says Turkey and Russia were engaged in posturing, trying to “strengthen their hands” before they reach a new accord on Idlib, which he called “inevitable.”
“Turkey would be loath to trigger a new crisis with Russia like in 2015,” Ersen said, referring to punishing Russian sanctions after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane over Syria.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War noted last week that “Russia has alternated between military and diplomatic phases in the campaign, slowing its progress, but facilitating Russian and pro-regime gains, both territorially and diplomatically.”
“Erdogan does not bluff,” said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara . “Whenever he has threatened an intervention in Syria, he has carried it through.”
Unluhisarcikli said he does not think Syria, even with its backing by Russian air power, will be able to put up resistance against Turkey’s military, the second-largest army in NATO.
He added that Turkey may have been emboldened by recent statements from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who condemned Syrian attacks in Idlib, and James Jeffrey, the U.S. special representative for Syria, who visited Ankara on Wednesday and voiced Washington’s support.
Erdogan’s threat drew a quick rebuke from Moscow, where top officials blamed Turkey for the tensions.
It remains unclear, however, whether Turkey would risk using all its military might against Syria. Russia’s military help has allowed Syrian President Bashar Assad to reclaim control of most of the country, and with the Kremlin’s blessing, Assad now wants to extend his control to Idlib.
Russian officials have argued that the Syrian offensive in Idlib became necessary because Turkey has failed to honor its obligations to rein in al-Qaida-linked militants who have mounted regular attacks against the Syrian army there and also have launched raids against a Russian base in Syria.
“The exacerbation of tensions is rooted in coordinated attacks by terrorists on neighboring regions of Syria that triggered retaliatory action by the Syrian government forces,” the Russian Defense Ministry said. It charged that the militants in Idlib used civilians as shields, adding that Turkey exacerbated the situation by sending in troops and weapons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Turkey’s failure to “neutralize terrorist groups in Idlib” encouraged their attacks. “This is inadmissible,” he said.
Turkey considers Idlib strategically important and is determined to maintain its military presence in the province to prevent a possible influx of refugees at its borders. The country, already home to 3.6 million Syrian refugees, believes that Damascus is deliberately driving displaced Syrians toward the border as a way to punish Ankara.
There are fears that after it takes Idlib, the Syrian army will advance to Turkish-controlled “secure zones” along the border, where Turkey hopes to resettle some of the refugees.
A Turkish presence in Idlib also gives it leverage in talks on Syria’s future that could potentially help minimize security threats from its southern neighbor. Turkey is also concerned that a Syrian government victory in Idlib would end U.N. and other diplomatic efforts for a political resolution of the conflict.
“Everything on the ground shows that the only obstacle in front of regime forces are the Turkish soldiers,” wrote columnist Barcin Yinanc in Hurriyet Daily News newspaper. “So, basically, Turkey is giving the message that it will not leave Syria, because if it were to leave Syria then it will not have a meaningful say for the future of Syria.”
Assad’s forces have been on an offensive for weeks to retake Idlib and parts of nearby Aleppo province, with backing from Russia and Iran.
The advance has unleashed a humanitarian crisis, with about 700,000 people fleeing their homes and surging north toward the Turkish border.
Two separate clashes between the Syrian and Turkish troops killed at least 13 soldiers on each side, including five Turkish soldiers who were killed Monday.
Pressing ahead with their advance, Assad’s forces on Wednesday took the strategic M5 highway that runs through the rebel-held territory and links the capital to northern Syria, opening up supply routes.
For its part, Turkey has been massing troops in Idlib, rolling in armored vehicles while repeatedly calling on Russia to intervene to halt the Syrian government aggression.
The Syrian army has said the Turkish threats “will not dissuade the (Syrian) army from continuing its operations in Idlib and western Aleppo province to cleanse them of terrorism.”
Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told The Associated Press this week that four out of dozen observation posts that Turkey set up in Idlib to monitor the cease-fire are surrounded by Syrian troops.
A Russian delegation arrived in Turkey for talks on the tensions but failed to reach an agreement on a new truce. Erdogan discussed the escalation in Idlib with Putin by telephone Wednesday, hours before he reiterated his threat to attack Syrian targets.
The Russian Defense Ministry said top military officers of Russia and Turkey discussed Idlib in a phone call Thursday. No details were released.
In his column, Yinanc said Erdogan is forcing Putin’s hand.
“Does he want to be the only power to call the shots in Syria’s future?” Yinanc asked. “The consequence of that might be military confrontation with Turkey, which ironically currently stands as the most pro-Russian country among NATO members. Or will he accept a compromise solution whereby Turkey will continue to have a say in Syria’s future?”
apnews.com
By SUZAN FRASER2 hours ago
1 of 4
Turkish military convoy is seen near the town of Idlib, Syria, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Turkey will attack government forces anywhere in Syria if another Turkish soldier is injured. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Direct clashes between Turkish and Syrian troops amid a Syrian government offensive in the last rebel stronghold of Idlib province are threatening to escalate into a full-blown conflict between the two neighbors and also shatter an alliance forged between Turkey and Russia.
Intent on halting the advance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to take military action “everywhere in Syria” if another Turkish soldier is killed or wounded. Earlier, he warned Syrian government forces that they have until the end of February to retreat to the limits of a previously agreed cease-fire line in Idlib.
Turkey and Russia are simultaneously rivals and allies in different parts of the Middle East, including in Syria and Libya. Their interests align when it comes to gas supplies and weapons trade, even if they find themselves on opposite sides of proxy wars. And they both have a shared interest in defying U.S. influence in Syria.
Turkey and Russia had been working together to keep the calm in Idlib, negotiating cease-fires between the Moscow-supported Syrian government and the rebels, who are backed by Ankara. So far, talks between the two have failed to lift the impasse in Idlib.
As Syrian government forces advance with Russia’s support, Turkey has refused to abandon its military posts in Idlib and has threatened to pressure Syrian forces to retreat. That has boxed Turkey into a corner and leaving it with few options but the possibility of a confrontation with both Syria and Russia.
The Idlib crisis comes as Turkey finds itself in the middle of an economic downturn and increasingly isolated internationally. In the eastern Mediterranean region, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Israel have reached agreements on hydrocarbon exploration.that exclude Turkey. That has forced Turkey to reach widely criticized maritime and security deals with Libya’s U.N.-recognized government.
Emre Ersen, an expert on Turkish-Russian relations at Istanbul’s Marmara University, says Turkey and Russia were engaged in posturing, trying to “strengthen their hands” before they reach a new accord on Idlib, which he called “inevitable.”
“Turkey would be loath to trigger a new crisis with Russia like in 2015,” Ersen said, referring to punishing Russian sanctions after Ankara shot down a Russian warplane over Syria.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War noted last week that “Russia has alternated between military and diplomatic phases in the campaign, slowing its progress, but facilitating Russian and pro-regime gains, both territorially and diplomatically.”
“Erdogan does not bluff,” said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara . “Whenever he has threatened an intervention in Syria, he has carried it through.”
Unluhisarcikli said he does not think Syria, even with its backing by Russian air power, will be able to put up resistance against Turkey’s military, the second-largest army in NATO.
He added that Turkey may have been emboldened by recent statements from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who condemned Syrian attacks in Idlib, and James Jeffrey, the U.S. special representative for Syria, who visited Ankara on Wednesday and voiced Washington’s support.
Erdogan’s threat drew a quick rebuke from Moscow, where top officials blamed Turkey for the tensions.
It remains unclear, however, whether Turkey would risk using all its military might against Syria. Russia’s military help has allowed Syrian President Bashar Assad to reclaim control of most of the country, and with the Kremlin’s blessing, Assad now wants to extend his control to Idlib.
Russian officials have argued that the Syrian offensive in Idlib became necessary because Turkey has failed to honor its obligations to rein in al-Qaida-linked militants who have mounted regular attacks against the Syrian army there and also have launched raids against a Russian base in Syria.
“The exacerbation of tensions is rooted in coordinated attacks by terrorists on neighboring regions of Syria that triggered retaliatory action by the Syrian government forces,” the Russian Defense Ministry said. It charged that the militants in Idlib used civilians as shields, adding that Turkey exacerbated the situation by sending in troops and weapons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Turkey’s failure to “neutralize terrorist groups in Idlib” encouraged their attacks. “This is inadmissible,” he said.
Turkey considers Idlib strategically important and is determined to maintain its military presence in the province to prevent a possible influx of refugees at its borders. The country, already home to 3.6 million Syrian refugees, believes that Damascus is deliberately driving displaced Syrians toward the border as a way to punish Ankara.
There are fears that after it takes Idlib, the Syrian army will advance to Turkish-controlled “secure zones” along the border, where Turkey hopes to resettle some of the refugees.
A Turkish presence in Idlib also gives it leverage in talks on Syria’s future that could potentially help minimize security threats from its southern neighbor. Turkey is also concerned that a Syrian government victory in Idlib would end U.N. and other diplomatic efforts for a political resolution of the conflict.
“Everything on the ground shows that the only obstacle in front of regime forces are the Turkish soldiers,” wrote columnist Barcin Yinanc in Hurriyet Daily News newspaper. “So, basically, Turkey is giving the message that it will not leave Syria, because if it were to leave Syria then it will not have a meaningful say for the future of Syria.”
Assad’s forces have been on an offensive for weeks to retake Idlib and parts of nearby Aleppo province, with backing from Russia and Iran.
The advance has unleashed a humanitarian crisis, with about 700,000 people fleeing their homes and surging north toward the Turkish border.
Two separate clashes between the Syrian and Turkish troops killed at least 13 soldiers on each side, including five Turkish soldiers who were killed Monday.
Pressing ahead with their advance, Assad’s forces on Wednesday took the strategic M5 highway that runs through the rebel-held territory and links the capital to northern Syria, opening up supply routes.
For its part, Turkey has been massing troops in Idlib, rolling in armored vehicles while repeatedly calling on Russia to intervene to halt the Syrian government aggression.
The Syrian army has said the Turkish threats “will not dissuade the (Syrian) army from continuing its operations in Idlib and western Aleppo province to cleanse them of terrorism.”
Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told The Associated Press this week that four out of dozen observation posts that Turkey set up in Idlib to monitor the cease-fire are surrounded by Syrian troops.
A Russian delegation arrived in Turkey for talks on the tensions but failed to reach an agreement on a new truce. Erdogan discussed the escalation in Idlib with Putin by telephone Wednesday, hours before he reiterated his threat to attack Syrian targets.
The Russian Defense Ministry said top military officers of Russia and Turkey discussed Idlib in a phone call Thursday. No details were released.
In his column, Yinanc said Erdogan is forcing Putin’s hand.
“Does he want to be the only power to call the shots in Syria’s future?” Yinanc asked. “The consequence of that might be military confrontation with Turkey, which ironically currently stands as the most pro-Russian country among NATO members. Or will he accept a compromise solution whereby Turkey will continue to have a say in Syria’s future?”
Turkey at risk of more confrontations with Syria and Russia
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Direct clashes between Turkish and Syrian troops amid a Syrian government offensive in the last rebel stronghold of Idlib province are threatening to escalate into a full-blown conflict between the two neighbors and also shatter an alliance forged between Turkey and Russia.
apnews.com
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Iranian commander: We're ready to strike the US and Israel
Head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if they give it any reason to do so.
Elad Benari, 14/02/20 04:07
Major General Hossein Salami
Reuters
The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Thursday warned that Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if they give it any reason to do so.
"If you make the slightest error, we will hit both of you," Major General Hossein Salami said in a speech at a ceremony marking the 40th day since the death of top commander Qassem Soleimani, according to Reuters.
Soleimani, who was head of the Quds Force, a branch of the Guards responsible for operations outside Iran, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3 along with Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Earlier on Thursday, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards said the killing of Soleimani will lead to the liberation of Jerusalem.
"The cowardly and craven assassination of commander Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the Americans will lead to the liberation of Jerusalem, by the grace of God," the spokesman, Ramezan Sharif, said, according to Reuters.
Iranian officials have upped their rhetoric against both the US and Israel in recent days.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry warned that Iran “will give a crushing response that will cause regret to any kind of aggression or stupid action from this regime against our country’s interests in Syria and the region.”
Previously, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned in a TV interview that Iran will "raze Tel Aviv to the ground" if it is attacked by the US.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei regularly threatens Israel and has several times in the past threatened to "annihilate" the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa.
In November, he stressed, however, that his country is not against the Jews, only against the “Israeli regime” and the State of Israel, which he described as an "imposed state".
www.israelnationalnews.com
Head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if they give it any reason to do so.
Elad Benari, 14/02/20 04:07
Major General Hossein Salami
Reuters
The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Thursday warned that Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if they give it any reason to do so.
"If you make the slightest error, we will hit both of you," Major General Hossein Salami said in a speech at a ceremony marking the 40th day since the death of top commander Qassem Soleimani, according to Reuters.
Soleimani, who was head of the Quds Force, a branch of the Guards responsible for operations outside Iran, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3 along with Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Earlier on Thursday, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards said the killing of Soleimani will lead to the liberation of Jerusalem.
"The cowardly and craven assassination of commander Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the Americans will lead to the liberation of Jerusalem, by the grace of God," the spokesman, Ramezan Sharif, said, according to Reuters.
Iranian officials have upped their rhetoric against both the US and Israel in recent days.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry warned that Iran “will give a crushing response that will cause regret to any kind of aggression or stupid action from this regime against our country’s interests in Syria and the region.”
Previously, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned in a TV interview that Iran will "raze Tel Aviv to the ground" if it is attacked by the US.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei regularly threatens Israel and has several times in the past threatened to "annihilate" the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa.
In November, he stressed, however, that his country is not against the Jews, only against the “Israeli regime” and the State of Israel, which he described as an "imposed state".
Iranian commander: We're ready to strike the US and Israel
Head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if they give it any reason to do so.
www.israelnationalnews.com
danielboon
TB Fanatic
US warship seizes Iranian weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, Navy says
By Bradford Betz | Fox News
U.S. officials have confirmed to Fox News Thursday that a U.S. Navy warship intercepted Iranian-made weapons from a vessel in the Arabian Sea earlier this week.
Crew members from the USS Normandy seized a huge cache of weapons from a dhow – a small vessel with lateen sails – on Sunday while conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. Central area of operations.
The weapons and weapon components were intended for the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to officials.
The crew of the USS Normandy seized an illicit shipment of advanced weapons and weapon components intended for the Houthis in Yemen, aboard a dhow during a maritime interdiction operation in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations, Feb. 9, 2020.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael H. Lehman)
Among the weapons seized were 150 “Dehlavieh” anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), which are Iranian-manufactured copies of Russian Kornet ATGMs.
Other weapons were also Iranian design and manufacture, including three surface-to-air missiles, thermal imaging weapon scopes, components for unmanned aerial and surface vessels, as well as other munitions and advanced weapons parts.
Many of the weapons were identical to those seized by the USS Forest Sherman in the Arabian Sea in November. Those weapons were also determined to be of Iranian origin and assessed to be destined for the Houthis in Yemen – a violation of UN Security Council Resolution that prohibits direct or indict supply, sale, or transfer of weapons to the Houthis.
PENTAGON BUDGET INCLUDES MORE SPENDING ON NUKE ARSENAL, LESS ON SHIPBUILDING
The weapons seized Sunday are now in U.S. custody awaiting final disposition. The assessment of the material will be an interagency and international effort. International partner nations and organizations have also been invited to inspect the cache.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The operation is ongoing, and further information will be shared as it becomes available.
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. US warship seizes Iranian weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, Navy says
By Bradford Betz | Fox News
U.S. officials have confirmed to Fox News Thursday that a U.S. Navy warship intercepted Iranian-made weapons from a vessel in the Arabian Sea earlier this week.
Crew members from the USS Normandy seized a huge cache of weapons from a dhow – a small vessel with lateen sails – on Sunday while conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. Central area of operations.
The weapons and weapon components were intended for the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to officials.
The crew of the USS Normandy seized an illicit shipment of advanced weapons and weapon components intended for the Houthis in Yemen, aboard a dhow during a maritime interdiction operation in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations, Feb. 9, 2020.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael H. Lehman)
Among the weapons seized were 150 “Dehlavieh” anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), which are Iranian-manufactured copies of Russian Kornet ATGMs.
Other weapons were also Iranian design and manufacture, including three surface-to-air missiles, thermal imaging weapon scopes, components for unmanned aerial and surface vessels, as well as other munitions and advanced weapons parts.
Many of the weapons were identical to those seized by the USS Forest Sherman in the Arabian Sea in November. Those weapons were also determined to be of Iranian origin and assessed to be destined for the Houthis in Yemen – a violation of UN Security Council Resolution that prohibits direct or indict supply, sale, or transfer of weapons to the Houthis.
PENTAGON BUDGET INCLUDES MORE SPENDING ON NUKE ARSENAL, LESS ON SHIPBUILDING
The weapons seized Sunday are now in U.S. custody awaiting final disposition. The assessment of the material will be an interagency and international effort. International partner nations and organizations have also been invited to inspect the cache.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The operation is ongoing, and further information will be shared as it becomes available.
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. US warship seizes Iranian weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, Navy says
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Pentagon tit-for-tat with Iran goes on
Jack Detsch February 13, 2020
ARTICLE SUMMARY
A Katyusha rocket strikes an Iraqi base where US troops are housed and the US Navy intercepts an apparent Iranian arms shipment for Yemeni rebels as the conflict between the United States and Iran and its proxies continues.
REUTERS/Fars News
An Iranian warship and speed boats take part in a naval war game in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, southern Iran, April 22, 2010.
The Pentagon announced that a rocket struck an Iraqi base housing American troops today and that US forces had intercepted a Yemen-bound dhow carrying Iranian-designed weapons days earlier, extending the ongoing military tit-for-tat with pro-Iranian forces.
A defense official told Al-Monitor that the K1 base in the oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk was hit by a Katyusha rocket at 8:45 p.m. local time today, causing no injuries.
The Iraqi media also reported today that troops found the launch pad and 11 rockets near the base, but had not tracked down the perpetrators. A rocket attack from Iranian-backed forces killed a US contractor at the base Dec. 27, sparking a cycle of violence that culminated in Iran’s Jan. 8 ballistic missile attack on Al-Assad airbase.
Today's strike came after the US Navy seized a cache of Iranian-origin weapons bound for Yemen’s Houthi rebels Feb. 9, the Pentagon said today, and just hours before the Republican-led Senate voted to limit President Donald Trump's ability to undertake offensive strikes against Iran in a 55-45 bipartisan vote.
ALSO READ
ISRAELI ELECTIONSIsrael’s Gantz dismisses the Joint List, shooting self in foot, again
Trump allies Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., notably crossed party lines today alongside six other Republicans.
Experts said the Katyusha strike and the interception of Iranian equipment were signs that a more normal pace of conflict had resumed after the Jan. 8 and Dec. 27 missile strikes against the United States and the Jan. 3 US drone strike that killed Quds Force chief Qasem Soleimani, a top general in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“An elevated new normal is a good way to describe it. We're back to business as usual, which was expected after the events of the past couple of months,” said Ariane Tatabani, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation who follows Iran. “Iran was never going to just conduct a few direct strikes and call it a day.”
Tatabani said Iran has been careful about attacks following the Jan. 8 ballistic missile strikes that left 109 US troops with mild traumatic brain injuries. “The point was to make sure they bookended it so they could resume proxy action with a certain degree of plausible deniability,” she said.
The bevy of weapons captured by the Navy included 150 anti-tank missiles and other arms "of Iranian design and manufacture" such as surface-to-air missiles, weapon scopes and drone parts. The US Central Command said many of the systems “are identical” to Iranian components seized by the United States in November.
The developments could set the tone for more congressional pushback on the Trump administration’s "maximum pressure" campaign to rein in Iran’s use of proxies in nations such as Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is finally set to testify in front of the House’s powerful foreign affairs panel Feb. 28, a House aide and a former US official told Al-Monitor.
While the top US diplomat failed to appear for two scheduled hearings in the wake of the drone strike that killed Soleimani, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said late last month that Pompeo had agreed to testify on the Quds Force leader’s death. No date was named at the time.
Ahead of his testimony, Pompeo told travelling reporters today he plans to continue to scrutinize Iran-backed attacks in the region. The top US diplomat will visit Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq refining facility that the Trump administration suspects that Iran targeted with a massive drone and missile strike Sept. 14.
The attack led the Pentagon to deploy two F-15 fighter squadrons, an air expeditionary wing, three Patriot missile defense batteries and a THAAD air defense battery to Saudi Arabia. The United States has added 20,000 troops to the Middle East since tensions surged with Iran after the Trump administration ended sanctions waivers for importers of Tehran’s oil in May.
But with Trump repeatedly hinting that the United States won’t retaliate against Iran unless an American is killed in the military back-and-forth, experts say that Pompeo will have to reassure US partners in the Middle East who are worried that the United States won’t come to defend them if Tehran opts to put another country in the crossfire.
“The US does have a threshold for sure, but it is one that both allies and adversaries understand is high,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which advocates for tough US policy on Iran. “Under such a scenario, allies will always be wondering, ‘Will Washington have our back if Iran comes after us?’ This is precisely the sort of doubt the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] sought to sow with the [June 20] downing of the US drone as well as the attack on Abqaiq in 2019.” Pentagon tit-for-tat with Iran goes on
Jack Detsch February 13, 2020
ARTICLE SUMMARY
A Katyusha rocket strikes an Iraqi base where US troops are housed and the US Navy intercepts an apparent Iranian arms shipment for Yemeni rebels as the conflict between the United States and Iran and its proxies continues.
REUTERS/Fars News
An Iranian warship and speed boats take part in a naval war game in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, southern Iran, April 22, 2010.
The Pentagon announced that a rocket struck an Iraqi base housing American troops today and that US forces had intercepted a Yemen-bound dhow carrying Iranian-designed weapons days earlier, extending the ongoing military tit-for-tat with pro-Iranian forces.
A defense official told Al-Monitor that the K1 base in the oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk was hit by a Katyusha rocket at 8:45 p.m. local time today, causing no injuries.
The Iraqi media also reported today that troops found the launch pad and 11 rockets near the base, but had not tracked down the perpetrators. A rocket attack from Iranian-backed forces killed a US contractor at the base Dec. 27, sparking a cycle of violence that culminated in Iran’s Jan. 8 ballistic missile attack on Al-Assad airbase.
Today's strike came after the US Navy seized a cache of Iranian-origin weapons bound for Yemen’s Houthi rebels Feb. 9, the Pentagon said today, and just hours before the Republican-led Senate voted to limit President Donald Trump's ability to undertake offensive strikes against Iran in a 55-45 bipartisan vote.
ALSO READ
ISRAELI ELECTIONSIsrael’s Gantz dismisses the Joint List, shooting self in foot, again
Trump allies Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., notably crossed party lines today alongside six other Republicans.
Experts said the Katyusha strike and the interception of Iranian equipment were signs that a more normal pace of conflict had resumed after the Jan. 8 and Dec. 27 missile strikes against the United States and the Jan. 3 US drone strike that killed Quds Force chief Qasem Soleimani, a top general in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“An elevated new normal is a good way to describe it. We're back to business as usual, which was expected after the events of the past couple of months,” said Ariane Tatabani, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation who follows Iran. “Iran was never going to just conduct a few direct strikes and call it a day.”
Tatabani said Iran has been careful about attacks following the Jan. 8 ballistic missile strikes that left 109 US troops with mild traumatic brain injuries. “The point was to make sure they bookended it so they could resume proxy action with a certain degree of plausible deniability,” she said.
The bevy of weapons captured by the Navy included 150 anti-tank missiles and other arms "of Iranian design and manufacture" such as surface-to-air missiles, weapon scopes and drone parts. The US Central Command said many of the systems “are identical” to Iranian components seized by the United States in November.
The developments could set the tone for more congressional pushback on the Trump administration’s "maximum pressure" campaign to rein in Iran’s use of proxies in nations such as Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is finally set to testify in front of the House’s powerful foreign affairs panel Feb. 28, a House aide and a former US official told Al-Monitor.
While the top US diplomat failed to appear for two scheduled hearings in the wake of the drone strike that killed Soleimani, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said late last month that Pompeo had agreed to testify on the Quds Force leader’s death. No date was named at the time.
Ahead of his testimony, Pompeo told travelling reporters today he plans to continue to scrutinize Iran-backed attacks in the region. The top US diplomat will visit Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq refining facility that the Trump administration suspects that Iran targeted with a massive drone and missile strike Sept. 14.
The attack led the Pentagon to deploy two F-15 fighter squadrons, an air expeditionary wing, three Patriot missile defense batteries and a THAAD air defense battery to Saudi Arabia. The United States has added 20,000 troops to the Middle East since tensions surged with Iran after the Trump administration ended sanctions waivers for importers of Tehran’s oil in May.
But with Trump repeatedly hinting that the United States won’t retaliate against Iran unless an American is killed in the military back-and-forth, experts say that Pompeo will have to reassure US partners in the Middle East who are worried that the United States won’t come to defend them if Tehran opts to put another country in the crossfire.
“The US does have a threshold for sure, but it is one that both allies and adversaries understand is high,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which advocates for tough US policy on Iran. “Under such a scenario, allies will always be wondering, ‘Will Washington have our back if Iran comes after us?’ This is precisely the sort of doubt the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] sought to sow with the [June 20] downing of the US drone as well as the attack on Abqaiq in 2019.” Pentagon tit-for-tat with Iran goes on
danielboon
TB Fanatic
If assad responds to this it will be game on
danielboon
TB Fanatic
jward
passin' thru
; )
....been evesdroppin' on these threads long nuff now to see why every other post is "tic toc" or "this won't end well" : (
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
56
EndGameWW3 (@EndGameWW3) Tweeted:
Jerusalem is Turkey’s red line, says Erdoğan @ahval_en Jerusalem is Turkey’s red line, says Erdoğan | Ahval View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1228385525767319554?s=20
....been evesdroppin' on these threads long nuff now to see why every other post is "tic toc" or "this won't end well" : (
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
56
EndGameWW3 (@EndGameWW3) Tweeted:
Jerusalem is Turkey’s red line, says Erdoğan @ahval_en Jerusalem is Turkey’s red line, says Erdoğan | Ahval View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1228385525767319554?s=20
jward
passin' thru
i *think* it still stands at "just"the second shot down. However, some Twitter-verse confusion is out there, leading some to claim theres been three. I guess it probably doesn't appreciably alter the import tho, eh
danielboon
TB Fanatic
well one day it is going to go boom ; ); )
....been evesdroppin' on these threads long nuff now to see why every other post is "tic toc" or "this won't end well" : (
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
56
EndGameWW3 (@EndGameWW3) Tweeted:
Jerusalem is Turkey’s red line, says Erdoğan @ahval_en Jerusalem is Turkey’s red line, says Erdoğan | Ahval View: https://twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1228385525767319554?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Indeed. lemme know, got my bic ready to flick and my hair is ready:
jward
passin' thru
David M. Witty
@DavidMWitty1
5m
Report that US tells Iraqi officials it is ready to withdraw from Shia areas in Iraq such as Balad Airbase & Baghdad, except forces to protect US Embassy. US will not, under any circumstances, withdraw from Ein al-Asad Airbase in Anbar Province. http://mobp.as/zJhxq
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
شفق نيوز - 2/15/2020 11:48:15 PM - GMT (+3 )
شفق نيوز/ كشف موقع "مدل ايست آي" الاخباري البريطاني عن قيام الجيش الاميركي بتقديمه عرضا لمسؤولين أمنيين عراقيين كبار بالانسحاب الجزئي للقوات من العراق استجابة لتصويت برلماني في كانون الثاني الماضي لقرار يدعو الى مغادرة القوات الاجنبية البلاد.
ويشير الموقع الى ان اجتماعا على درجة عالية من الكتمان عقد الاسبوع الماضي بين الجانبين قد فهم منه بان واشنطن مستعدة مبدئيا، لمناقشة موضوع الانسحاب .
وأخبر ممثل عن الجيش الاميركي، المسؤولين العراقيين الحاضرين بأن الولايات المتحدة مستعدة لمغادرة مواقع داخل او قرب مناطق ذات غالبية شيعية، مثل قاعدة بلد الجوية، التي تقع على بعد 80 كم شمال بغداد وتضم مدربين ومتعاقدين أميركان.
وتم اخبار المجتمعين العراقيين أيضاً بأن واشنطن قد تفكر أيضاً بتقليص تواجدها في بغداد.
وأخبر الممثل عن الجيش الاميركي نظراءه العراقيين قائلا "نحن مستعدون لمغادرة بعض المناطق ذات الغالبية الشيعية، مثل القاعدة في بلد. وربما قد نقلص من تواجدنا في بغداد". حيث فهم العراقيون من ذلك بان التواجد الاميركي في العاصمة بغداد قد يقلص بما يكفي لحماية سفارتها والمطار.
مع ذلك استبعد الجانب الاميركي وبشكل قطعي انسحابهم من قاعدتهم الجوية الاكبر حجما في العراق وفي الشرق الاوسط، قاعدة عين الاسد. بالنسبة للجانب الاميركي قاعدة عين الاسد تعتبر " خط أحمر".
وقال ممثل الجيش الاميركي "حتى انني لا يسعني أن اتحدث عن موضوع انسحاب من تلك القاعدة. الانسحاب من هناك أمر لا يمكن التطرق له".
كون هذه النقاشات تحمل جانبا سريا وحساسا، فقد عُقدت بعيدا عن العراق. وعلمت مدل ايست آي ان الاجتماع قد عقد في مقر الاقامة الخاصة للسفير الكندي في العاصمة الاردنية عمان.
وكان حاضرا في الاجتماع ممثل عن الجيش الاميركي ومسؤول في حلف الناتو ومستشار امني عراقي رفيع المستوى.
العرض الخاص الذي تم تقديمه للعراقيين في عمان يخالف ما صرح به وزير الخارجية الاميركي مايك بومبيو، قبل شهر بانه ليس هناك نقاش مع العراقيين بخصوص انسحاب للقوات.
وكان رئيس الوزراء المستقيل عادل عبد المهدي، قد طلب من واشنطن ارسال وفد لمناقشة انسحاب ما يقارب من 5,200 جندي اميركي متمركز في البلاد.
ومن جانبه رد وزير الخارجية الاميركي بومبيو على عبد المهدي بالقول "يسعدنا ان نستمر بحوارنا مع العراقيين بخصوص الهيكلية الصحيحة التي يجب ان تكون عليها القوات"، مشيرا الى ان مهمة القوات الاميركية في العراق هي لتدريب القوات العراقية لمحاربة تنظيم داعش وتقديم المشورة وان هذه المهمة ستستمر.
إقرأ المزيد
@DavidMWitty1
5m
Report that US tells Iraqi officials it is ready to withdraw from Shia areas in Iraq such as Balad Airbase & Baghdad, except forces to protect US Embassy. US will not, under any circumstances, withdraw from Ein al-Asad Airbase in Anbar Province. http://mobp.as/zJhxq
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
شفق نيوز - 2/15/2020 11:48:15 PM - GMT (+3 )
شفق نيوز/ كشف موقع "مدل ايست آي" الاخباري البريطاني عن قيام الجيش الاميركي بتقديمه عرضا لمسؤولين أمنيين عراقيين كبار بالانسحاب الجزئي للقوات من العراق استجابة لتصويت برلماني في كانون الثاني الماضي لقرار يدعو الى مغادرة القوات الاجنبية البلاد.
ويشير الموقع الى ان اجتماعا على درجة عالية من الكتمان عقد الاسبوع الماضي بين الجانبين قد فهم منه بان واشنطن مستعدة مبدئيا، لمناقشة موضوع الانسحاب .
وأخبر ممثل عن الجيش الاميركي، المسؤولين العراقيين الحاضرين بأن الولايات المتحدة مستعدة لمغادرة مواقع داخل او قرب مناطق ذات غالبية شيعية، مثل قاعدة بلد الجوية، التي تقع على بعد 80 كم شمال بغداد وتضم مدربين ومتعاقدين أميركان.
وتم اخبار المجتمعين العراقيين أيضاً بأن واشنطن قد تفكر أيضاً بتقليص تواجدها في بغداد.
وأخبر الممثل عن الجيش الاميركي نظراءه العراقيين قائلا "نحن مستعدون لمغادرة بعض المناطق ذات الغالبية الشيعية، مثل القاعدة في بلد. وربما قد نقلص من تواجدنا في بغداد". حيث فهم العراقيون من ذلك بان التواجد الاميركي في العاصمة بغداد قد يقلص بما يكفي لحماية سفارتها والمطار.
مع ذلك استبعد الجانب الاميركي وبشكل قطعي انسحابهم من قاعدتهم الجوية الاكبر حجما في العراق وفي الشرق الاوسط، قاعدة عين الاسد. بالنسبة للجانب الاميركي قاعدة عين الاسد تعتبر " خط أحمر".
وقال ممثل الجيش الاميركي "حتى انني لا يسعني أن اتحدث عن موضوع انسحاب من تلك القاعدة. الانسحاب من هناك أمر لا يمكن التطرق له".
كون هذه النقاشات تحمل جانبا سريا وحساسا، فقد عُقدت بعيدا عن العراق. وعلمت مدل ايست آي ان الاجتماع قد عقد في مقر الاقامة الخاصة للسفير الكندي في العاصمة الاردنية عمان.
وكان حاضرا في الاجتماع ممثل عن الجيش الاميركي ومسؤول في حلف الناتو ومستشار امني عراقي رفيع المستوى.
العرض الخاص الذي تم تقديمه للعراقيين في عمان يخالف ما صرح به وزير الخارجية الاميركي مايك بومبيو، قبل شهر بانه ليس هناك نقاش مع العراقيين بخصوص انسحاب للقوات.
وكان رئيس الوزراء المستقيل عادل عبد المهدي، قد طلب من واشنطن ارسال وفد لمناقشة انسحاب ما يقارب من 5,200 جندي اميركي متمركز في البلاد.
ومن جانبه رد وزير الخارجية الاميركي بومبيو على عبد المهدي بالقول "يسعدنا ان نستمر بحوارنا مع العراقيين بخصوص الهيكلية الصحيحة التي يجب ان تكون عليها القوات"، مشيرا الى ان مهمة القوات الاميركية في العراق هي لتدريب القوات العراقية لمحاربة تنظيم داعش وتقديم المشورة وان هذه المهمة ستستمر.
إقرأ المزيد
jward
passin' thru
Small Wars Journal
@smallwars
48m
Washington Examiner Op-Ed - Senate's Iran Resolution Has a Special Operations Problem
View: https://twitter.com/smallwars/status/1228832901669761024?s=20
Dan Crenshaw
@DanCrenshawTX
57m
The Senate voted to limit the President’s powers against Iran this week. This vote was based on faulty assumptions and shallow reasoning, and is a win for the Iranian regime’s propaganda arm. Listen to my full explanation here:
View: https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1228830305106169861?s=20
@smallwars
48m
Washington Examiner Op-Ed - Senate's Iran Resolution Has a Special Operations Problem
View: https://twitter.com/smallwars/status/1228832901669761024?s=20
Dan Crenshaw
@DanCrenshawTX
57m
The Senate voted to limit the President’s powers against Iran this week. This vote was based on faulty assumptions and shallow reasoning, and is a win for the Iranian regime’s propaganda arm. Listen to my full explanation here:
View: https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1228830305106169861?s=20
Zagdid
Veteran Member
Yemen: Houthis claim downing of Tornado fighter jet; 30 killed inspecting wreckage
The Houthi rebel group claimed on Saturday that it downed a Tornado fighter jet belonging to the Arab coalition, reported Anadolu Agency. Speaking on Houthis-run Al-Masirah television, spokesman Y...
www.middleeastmonitor.com
Yemen: Houthis claim downing of Tornado fighter jet; 30 killed inspecting wreckage
February 16, 2020 at 11:46 am Published in: Middle East, News, Yemen fair use
The Houthi rebel group claimed on Saturday that it downed a Tornado fighter jet belonging to the Arab coalition, reported Anadolu Agency.
Speaking on Houthis-run Al-Masirah television, spokesman Yahya Saree said the jet was downed in Al-Jawf governorate in northern Yemen by a ground-to-air missile launched by air defense systems.
No statement has yet been made from coalition forces, regarding the claim.
Shortly afterwards, Al-Masirah reported that dozens were killed in an airstrike, at the location of the downed jet.
“Thirty people were killed as an initial death toll as a result of the raids,” Yusuf al-Hadiri, a spokesman for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, said in statements cited by Al-Masirah television.
According to the Houti-run television, the Saudi-led coalition conducted air strikes, targeting a group of people checking the wreckage of the Tornado fighter jet downed.
Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.
The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.
Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including numerous civilians, believed to have been killed in the conflict since then, while another 14 million are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.
jward
passin' thru
Danny Makki
@Dannymakkisyria
18m
Turkish military position near Sheikh Akil in northern Aleppo is being shelled by the Syrian military
Well this is definitely not going to stop at that....
jward
passin' thru
aww go ahead n say it, "this isn't going to end well
"
danielboon
TB Fanatic
You just did.aww go ahead n say it, "this isn't going to end well
danielboon
TB Fanatic
.
Turkey hits back at Russia claims over Syria's Idlib
.
Turkey hits back at Russia claims over Syria's Idlib
.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Attacks in Syria’s Idlib must end, Turkey tells Russia
Feb 16 2020 10:27 Gmt+3
Last Updated On: Feb 16 2020
Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said on Sunday he told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that attacks in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib must stop immediately and a permanent ceasefire must be established, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
"We told (Russia on Saturday) ...that the aggression in Idlib must stop and that a lasting ceasefire has to be achieved now," the Turkish minister told reporters during a briefing at the Munich Security Conference, adding that Turkish and Russian officials will discuss the issue in Moscow on Monday.
Çavuşoğlu’s statements arrive after President Tayyip Erdogan said his military will drive back Syrian forces if they do not withdraw out of Idlib by the end of the month.
Turkey, which backs rebels looking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, has been outraged since Syrian attacks in the region killed 13 Turkish troops in two weeks as part of an intensifed attack since January in the region by Russia-backed Syrian government forces.
Around 1,800 civilians have also died in other various attacks as millions of Syrians to flee towards the Turkish border, threatening an influx of refugees into Turkey, already home to 3.6 million Syrian refugees.
Russia and Turkey signed the Sochi deal in September 2018, in which both countries agreed that Idlib would remain a war-free zone in Syria.
Meanwhile, other main Assad backer Iran has called on Turkey to remain committed to the Sochi agreement, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Sunday.
"Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed [under the Sochi memorandum] to stay committed to two things," Russia TASS news agency quoted Rouhani as saying."First, Syria’s entire territory is to be controlled by Damascus. Second, it is necessary to continue fight against terrorists."
Çavuşoğlu called on the U.N. to create an international monitoring mechanism in Idlib, which would maintain the former ceasefire and thus prevent most lives from being lost and civilians displaced.
Turkish and Russian officials are to meet in Moscow on Monday to further discuss the situation in Idlib.
Feb 16 2020 10:27 Gmt+3
Last Updated On: Feb 16 2020
Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said on Sunday he told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that attacks in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib must stop immediately and a permanent ceasefire must be established, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
"We told (Russia on Saturday) ...that the aggression in Idlib must stop and that a lasting ceasefire has to be achieved now," the Turkish minister told reporters during a briefing at the Munich Security Conference, adding that Turkish and Russian officials will discuss the issue in Moscow on Monday.
Çavuşoğlu’s statements arrive after President Tayyip Erdogan said his military will drive back Syrian forces if they do not withdraw out of Idlib by the end of the month.
Turkey, which backs rebels looking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, has been outraged since Syrian attacks in the region killed 13 Turkish troops in two weeks as part of an intensifed attack since January in the region by Russia-backed Syrian government forces.
Around 1,800 civilians have also died in other various attacks as millions of Syrians to flee towards the Turkish border, threatening an influx of refugees into Turkey, already home to 3.6 million Syrian refugees.
Russia and Turkey signed the Sochi deal in September 2018, in which both countries agreed that Idlib would remain a war-free zone in Syria.
Meanwhile, other main Assad backer Iran has called on Turkey to remain committed to the Sochi agreement, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Sunday.
"Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed [under the Sochi memorandum] to stay committed to two things," Russia TASS news agency quoted Rouhani as saying."First, Syria’s entire territory is to be controlled by Damascus. Second, it is necessary to continue fight against terrorists."
Çavuşoğlu called on the U.N. to create an international monitoring mechanism in Idlib, which would maintain the former ceasefire and thus prevent most lives from being lost and civilians displaced.
Turkish and Russian officials are to meet in Moscow on Monday to further discuss the situation in Idlib.
Jonas Parker
Hooligan
"There will be wars and rumors of wars"...
jward
passin' thru
aww go ahead n say it, "this isn't going to end well
yeah, but I'm tryin' to get that other fella to smile n laugh once in a whileYou just did.
...in spite of things like this
Turkish troops target regime forces in west Aleppo countryside, amid intensive Russian aerial bombardment
19/02/2020
Less than a minute
SOHR sources report that Turkish forces carried out a rocket attack this morning, on areas controlled by regime forces on frontlines west of Aleppo city. No casualties were reported to date. Meanwhile, Russian jets continued intensive raids on the perimeter of Al-Atareb and the outskirts of Dara Izza and and other places in west Aleppo countryside. on the other hand, regime forces continue rocket attack on those areas.
Yesterday, the Syrian Observatory reported that Russian jets carried out more than 120 airstrikes, targeting Termanin, Ariha and Mhambel in rural Idlib, in addition to the perimeter and the outskirts of both Dara Izza and Al-Atareb in rural Aleppo. While Syrian regime jets also carried out yesterday at least 12 raid targeting areas near M4 road.
View: https://twitter.com/syriahr/status/1230042639040438272?s=20
jward
passin' thru
صحيفة المرصد الليبية
@ObservatoryLY
#ERDOGAN: "#Turkey cannot be confined within the 780,000 km2 border. #Misrata, #Aleppo, #Homs & #Hasaka are outside our actual borders, but they are within our emotional & physical limits, we will confront those who limit our history to only 90yrs." #Libya
View: https://twitter.com/ObservatoryLY/status/1229718540057534465?s=20
jward
passin' thru
AFP news agency
@AFP
10m
#BREAKING Erdogan threatens 'imminent' operation in Syria's Idlib if Damascus fails to withdraw behind Turkish positions
View: https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1230058703337984000?s=20