Middle East

Russia, Jordan to coordinate actions on Syria via Amman-based center, others invited
Russia and Jordan agreed to create a coordination center in Amman, which will be used by the two countries to share information on the counter-terrorism operations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. Russia is already in touch with Iran, Iraq and Syria through a Baghdad-based center used for the same purpose. [...]
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Merkel’s Faustian embrace of Turkey
Turkey is pressuring Germany to create “safe zones” inside Syria as a “price” for alleviating the EU’s refugee crisis. It’s a Faustian bargain that could escalate the Syrian conflict, where NATO forces could end up pitted against Russia’s military. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hot-footing to Istanbul last weekend was capped with a U-turn regarding Turkey’s much sought-aft [...]
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Iraq’s ruling bloc wants Russian airstrikes, politician tells RT ‘lack of trust’ between Iraq & US
Iraq's ruling alliance has written to the country’s prime minister, requesting Russian help in the fight against ISIS terrorists. An Iraqi politician told RT that the public wants Russian involvement and there is breakdown in trust with the Americans. [...]
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Beheading of 5 foreigners in Saudi Arabia triggers outcry from human rights campaigners
Human rights groups have condemned Saudi Arabia after the beheading of five foreigners this week. Experts warn 2015 will mark a dramatic increase in public executions, as 80 people have already been killed, compared to 88 in the whole of 2014. [...]
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Assad to Putin at Moscow talks: Terrorists would seize larger areas if Russia did not act
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad held talks in Moscow on Tuesday. The Syrian leader said Russia’s actions have prevented the terrorists from seizing larger areas in his country. “Yesterday evening Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived in Moscow for a working visit,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday. [...]
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Dr. Strangelove is naked
The whole Global South is now informed about how the Russian campaign in Syria has swiftly smashed all of ‘Exceptionalistan’s’ elaborate plans for a “Greater Middle East.” These plans span everything from the Wolfowitz Doctrine to Dr. Zbig “Grand Chessboard” Brzezinski’s categorical imperative of preventing the emergence of a strategic competitor across Eurasia. [...]
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US-led airstrikes kill 52 Syrian civilians in a day, not 1 ISIS fighter – monitor
US-led airstrikes have killed 52 Syrian civilians in one day, a monitoring group reports. There was fighting in the vicinity, but the strike allegedly failed to kill even a single Islamist fighter. The US military, however, denies the report.   [...]
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Russia, US sign cooperation deal on Syria airstrikes
Russia and the US have signed an agreement regulating the operations of the two countries' air forces in Syria. The deal is aimed at preventing incidents and providing for the smooth operation of the two nations' aircraft, and for mutual aid in critical situations. [...]
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‘Blair’s role in destroying Iraq will follow him to his grave’
The unearthing of classified memos, revealing that Tony Blair committed Britain to following the US into the war in Iraq, regardless of its legality, suggests the net may finally be closing in on a man whom many consider a war criminal. The UK tabloid, the Mail on Sunday, has published damning memos that show the former British PM had agreed to the invasion of Iraq a full year before it had be [...]
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Blair promised UK support to US in Iraq 1 year before invasion – report
Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, committed the UK to joining the US invasion of Iraq a year before it began, a newly disclosed White House memo reveals. The US documents obtained by the Daily Mail and published on Sunday are part of the batch of emails from the private server of former US State Secretary, Hillary Clinton, which US courts have made her disclose. [...]
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Russian airstrikes in Syria ‘redrawing battlefield lines’, sending ISIS fleeing (VIDEO)
Russian bombers and assault planes have attacked 49 terrorist targets, making a total of 33 sorties over the last 24 hours. All the planes have successfully returned to the Khmeimim air base in Latakia, Russia’s Defense Ministry reports. The airstrikes hit targets in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Idlib and Latakia. [...]
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Syrian jihadists feud & bomb each other over funds as Russian jets destroy supply lines
Russian attack jets have hit 51 Islamic State targets in Syria in the past 24 hours, including four command posts, six arms depots, a mortar battery, two underground bunkers, 32 field camps and six outposts. The strikes took place in the Latakia, Aleppo, Hama and Damascus provinces. [...]
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Senior Al-Qaeda leader killed in Syria airstrike
A senior leader from Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, has been reportedly killed alongside two other members of the terrorist group in the province of Aleppo. Sanafi Al-Nasr, who was allegedly killed in an airstrike near the town of Dana, was Al-Qaeda’s senior strategist and an important power broker, the Iranian Fars news agency reports, citing jihadist sources close to the kill [...]
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Why does Western public opinion support Russian ops in Syria?
Polls have revealed the Russian military operation in Syria, which has been skeptically covered by the Western media, is supported by ordinary people in the US and Britain. Do these surveys reflect a general opinion, and why does it appear the public and media disagree? While the Russian operation in Syria is met by a great deal of scepticism in the Western media the results of polls by the US [...]
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‘US occupation has done nothing for Afghanistan’s people’
The longest US occupation has done nothing for the Afghans; there’s no security in the country and President Obama is passing the problem on to the next administration, Sara Flounders, of the International Action Centre told RT. President Obama said Thursday the military presence in Afghanistan will be extended beyond 2016. [...]
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Demoralized ISIS militants deserting en masse amid Russian airstrikes – Defense Ministry
Growing numbers of Islamic State militants in Syria have become discontent with their command and deserted the ranks of the militant group amid the Russian anti-terror operation, Moscow's Defense Ministry said on Friday. "The majority of armed gangs are demoralized. Discontent with field commanders is growing amid the fighters, and there are instances of disobeying orders," senior Russian Gener [...]
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Obama says he was ‘skeptical’ of Syria rebel boondoggle from the start
The failed $500 million program to set up a proxy army in Syria was a test, US President Barack Obama told ’60 Minutes’, adding that he had doubts about the project from the start. He also ruled out sending US troops to Syria. “I've been skeptical from the get-go about the notion that we were going to effectively create this proxy army inside of Syria,” Obama said in the interview. [...]
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US to make ‘condolence payments’ to compensate Kunduz hospital bombing victims’ families – Pentagon
The US Department of Defense will work on compensating the families of the victims killed in a deadly American airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, MSF) hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. The strike “mistakenly” killed 22 [...]
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Putin: Russia has no intention of mounting Syria ground operation, wants to see political compromise
Using ground troops in Syria is out of the question, the Russian president said in an interview with Rossiya 1 TV. Russia’s air operation has been thoroughly prepared and is aimed merely at aiding the Syrian Army’s offensive, he said. “Whatever happens, we’re not going to do this [ground operation] and our Syrian friends are well aware of it,” President Vladimir Putin said in an inter [...]
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Putin Issues Ultimatum to Turkey: Stop Supporting ISIS or Face Break in Diplomatic Relations
Tells Erdogan to “Go to Hell”; Threatens “Big Stalingrad” for Turkish and Saudi-Backed Fighters in Syria; Russia Will Work with Iran and China to Save Syria from Hypocrite Dictator Erdogan; Moscow Concern Reflects Cold Coup by US ISIS Czar Allen to Push Terrorist Forces East Towards Iran and Russia; Americans Must Demand #FireAllen4ISIS Now! Webster Tarpley is an American [...]
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‘US hoisted on its own petard over its Assad stance’ – Col. L. Wilkerson
Defeating ISIS should be the first priority for everyone and only once it’s solidly accomplished, should work on a more representative Syrian government begin, says Lawrence Wilkerson, retired US Army Colonel, ex-chief of staff to Secretary Colin Powell. What do you think about the western media’s reaction to Russian airstrikes in Syria? Would Russia’s involvement, as western media claims [...]
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Saudi employer reportedly chops off Indian maid’s hand after she asked for pay
An Indian maid is in serious condition as a result of her Saudi employer allegedly chopping off her hand after she reportedly told officials about physical and mental harassment and torture she was subjected to at work. Kasthury (Kasturi) Munirathnam, (aged 50-58) from Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India, left for Saudi Arabia in July this year to work as a housemaid. [...]
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