Syria

Iran's foreign minister warned Saturday on a visit to Damascus that Turkish military action in Syria would destabilise the region after Ankara threatened to launch a new offensive on Kurds in the country's north. "Any Turkish military action in the north of Syria would be a destabilising element in the region," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told a press conference in Damascus, according to a simultaneous translation from Farsi to Arabic. Iran is a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and an important trading partner for Turkey. However, Tehran is eager to find a diplomatic solution to prevent Ankara from invading. Turkey has launched successive offensives in Syria since 2016 targeting Kurdish militias as well as Islamic State group jihadists and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier this year he wanted to encourage one million Syrian refugees to return to their country by building the housing and … [Read more...] about Iranian foreign minister opposes “any military action” in Syria

The Russian armed forces have downed a drone near their base in northwestern Syria, a restive region recently beset by deadly violence between the country's military and neighboring Turkey. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that one of the military's Panstir-S surface-to-air missile and gun systems deployed to Hmeymim Air Base in Latakia successfully shot down a small unidentified drone approaching the Russian-run facility from the nearby Mediterranean Sea. The unmanned aerial device approached at night but was intercepted by the base's radars and then eliminated. "The target was destroyed by the Panstir-S missiles at a distance from the airbase. No one was hurt. No material damage was done," the ministry said, adding that the airbase is operating routinely, according to the state-run Tass Russian News Agency. Militant groups in neighboring Idlib province have previously sent drones to attempt to attack Russia's coastal military positions, mostly without success. The … [Read more...] about Russia shoots down drone amid unrest after Syria-Turkey tensions turn deadly

Iraq and Syria, two Middle Eastern powers where U.S. troops are deployed in active combat zones, have come out against President Donald Trump's Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, further raising questions about Washington's foreign policies at a time of heightened tensions across the region. The political side to Trump's " Vision for Peace, Prosperity and a Brighter Future " that was introduced Tuesday envisages giving Israel control over internationally-unrecognized Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem along with the Jordan Valley eastern border region in exchange for some new Palestinian desert territories in the southwest and a tunnel linking the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinians would also be given a path to potential statehood with a prospective capital in East Jerusalem, but—particularly controversially—on the outskirts of the holy city, almost all of which would remain under Israeli control. The proposal was immediately rejected by Palestinian … [Read more...] about Iraq, Syria oppose Trump’s Mideast peace plan, creating further tensions where U.S. troops deployed

Taliban and al-Qaeda could ‘join up’ warns security expert Sign up HERE for science breakthroughs in health, business and more that matter SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The news comes as Takfiri terrorists continue to disrupt stability in eastern Syria, with several groups still enjoying relative ability to operate in the region in spite of US presence. The US continues to maintain a security presence in the region, with Syria still a volatile point in West Asia. Related articles Al Qaeda leader seen ALIVE in new video Brother of murdered David Haines told ISIS killer 'I forgive you' Pictures of the aftermath of the incident have been distributed online. The images show the high-level … [Read more...] about US ‘Ninja’ drone strike wipes out al-Qaeda terrorist leader on motorbike in Syria

The Russian military has blamed American soldiers for Wednesday's deadly clash at a checkpoint in northeastern Syria, claiming that only the presence of Russian troops stopped further bloodshed. An altercation broke out Wednesday after a U.S. convoy was stopped by a checkpoint manned by fighters loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the city of Qamishli. Locals and armed men argued with the American troops before a firefight broke out. At one point, a bystander stole a U.S. flag from one of the armored vehicles and was filmed shouting at troops, "What do you want from our country? What is your business here?" A Russian military patrol also arrived on the scene. Video of the incident showed a Russian vehicle and soldiers pulled up close behind the armored U.S. convoy, which was under fire from armed men who took cover behind a building just yards away. A Russian military daily bulletin issued Thursday claimed that its troops prevented further violence. The statement, … [Read more...] about U.S. clash in Syria was the fault of Americans deviating from their route, Russian military claims

Russian President Vladimir Putin jokingly suggested that President Donald Trump should visit Syria during a candid moment with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who appeared to approve of hosting the U.S. leader. The remarks are in footage that has recently surfaced in Russian-language media from Putin's trip last week to Syria , where he met Assad at the Russian military headquarters in Damascus before touring a number of religious and cultural sites for Eastern Orthodox Christmas. At one stop, the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, the two leaders could be seen on camera laughing alongside Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch. "If Trump arrives along this road, he will be a good man," Assad said, to which Putin laughed before replying, "He will change for the better." After a brief pause, the Russian leader added, "Invite him, he will come." Assad laughed and responded, "I will tell him." Though previous presidents have met with Assad, and his father before him, the … [Read more...] about Russian President Vladimir Putin jokes Trump should visit Syria, Assad says he will host him

I guess a Nuremburg trial might have been a better place to sort out the minutiae of the Blair-Bush crimes we committed to go to war in the Middle East. We brought about the deaths of up to half a million people, most of them Muslims who were as innocent as Blair was guilty. A Nuremburg-style court might thus have concentrated more on the mass Arab victims of our criminal expedition than the heinous guilt and “profound regret” – his words, of course – of Lord Blair of Kut al-Amara. Sure, Blair lied about the intelligence on weapons of mass destruction before going to war, then lied about the Foreign Office warnings of the chaos that would overwhelm Iraq and now – today – pretends that the Chilcot report has proclaimed him innocent when in fact it says he is quite the opposite. But a prolonged study of the report, rather than the necessarily swift precis we have been fed these past few hours, may produce lines of enquiry far more distressing than the conclusions in the … [Read more...] about I read the Chilcot report as I travelled across Syria this week and saw for myself what Blair’s actions caused

A mass grave thought to contain the bodies of British hostages beheaded on video by Jihadi John has been found in Syria. Forensic teams uncovered the site after the interrogation of two British Islamic State fighters who were part of the notorious four-man “Beatles” terror cell. Intelligence officers searching for the bodies of Western hostages murdered by IS say they now have their best breakthrough. Former London drug dealer Alexanda Kotey, 34, and fellow Londoner El Shafee Elsheikh, 29, were captured by Kurdish forces while trying to flee to Turkey. The body of David Haines is thought to be buried in the grave ( Image: Daily Record) Along with British aid worker Alan Henning ( Image: PA) They have provided new information about a mass grave where Jihadi John’s victims are buried along with hundreds of others slaughtered by IS. They include Yorkshire-born aid worker David Haines, 44, and Manchester cabbie and charity driver Alan Henning, 47. … [Read more...] about Mass grave ‘containing bodies of British hostages beheaded by Jihadi John found in Syria’

President Donald Trump has saved about one day's worth of the U.S.-led coalition's battle against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) by canceling an upcoming U.S.–South Korea military exercise he has criticized as being too costly. In an estimate confirmed Monday by spokesperson Colonel Robert Manning III and relayed to Newsweek via phone call, the Pentagon has said that Trump's decision last month to suspend the Freedom Guardian war games would save about $14 million. Trump called the drills " provocative " after a historic meeting with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un last month and argued the U.S. would " save a fortune by not doing war games " in a tweet. As of February, the Pentagon estimated that same amount to be the daily cost of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led battle against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, according to Reuter's reporter David Alexander. Overall, the U.S. has reportedly spent about $18.2 billion since beginning the anti-ISIS mission in … [Read more...] about Trump saves $14 million by canceling Korea drills. That’s the daily cost of fighting ISIS

The only surviving attacker from the 2015 terrorist massacre at the Bataclan theater and other sites in Paris has been convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole — the most severe sentence possible in France, and very rare. Salah Abdeslam was the chief suspect in an exceptional trial over the 2015 attacks, which killed 130 people and were claimed by the Islamic State group. The judge in a special terrorism court Wednesday found him guilty of murder and attempted murder in relation to a terrorist enterprise. The court found that his explosives vest malfunctioned, dismissing his argument that he ditched the vest because he decided not to follow through with his attack. A special French court on Wednesday also found 19 other men guilty of involvement in the attacks on the Bataclan theater, Paris cafes and France's national stadium in the deadliest peacetime attacks in French history. Of the defendants besides Abdeslam, 18 were … [Read more...] about Lone surviving attacker from 2015 Paris attacks sentenced to life in prison without parole