Turkish Drone Strike Targeted Civilian Factory In Syria’s Al-Qamishli

Late on August 6, a Turkish combat drone targeted electric cables factory in the district of Qanat al-Suis, east of the city of al-Qamishli in northern al-Hasakah.

According to the Hawar News Agency (ANHA), a worker was severely injured in drone strike, which also caused material damage. The targeted factory reportedly employs dozens of locals and provide civilian products only.

“A drone flew over the facility for several hours, then the facility was targeted with a projectile,” Sheikh Zain, a worker in the factory, told the agency.

Photos released by the ANHA indicate that a MAM-L small-diameter laser-guided munition was used in the strike. The munition, which is made by Turkey’s Roketsan, can be launched from TAI Anka and Bayraktar TB2 combat drones.

The Turkish military is intensifying its operations in northeastern Syria. A day earlier, Turkish shelling killed two fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Raqqa.

These attacks are a blatant violation of Turkey’s agreements with the U.S. and Russia on northeastern Syria. Under the agreements, Ankara committed to de-escalate tension in the region.

The SDF is not responding to Turkish attacks on northeastern Syria. Nevertheless, tension is mounting in the region. A serious confrontation between the Kurdish-led group and Turkish forces may soon break out.

https://southfront.org/turkish-drone-strike-targeted-civilian-factory-in-syrias-al-qamishli-video-photos/

Bolivia: Confrontation Deepens As Negotiations Fail, National General Strike And Blockade To Continue

The Central Obrera Boliviana (COB – Central Trade Union Confederation) and Pacto de Unidad (Unity Pact) civic organizations, which are a part of the alliance of social movements and organizations making up the Movement to Socialism (MAS), the political party of former president Evo Morales, announced on Tuesday that they will continue to intensify the mobilizations, however, they instructed the blockaders to allow ambulances and medical supplies and personnel to pass through.

COB executive Juan Carlos Huarachi urged blockaders to allow the passage of essential health services and equipment, a call that was subsequently reiterated by the organization’s intercultural executive, Henry Nina, who ratified the instruction to allow the passage of ambulances due to the health situation that the country is going through.

The announcement was made after the government reported that the blockages are preventing the passage of oxygen tubes, which are vital for treating COVID-19 patients.

Tuesday marked the second day of protests called to demand that the forthcoming national elections be held on September 6 as originally agreed between the major political factions after two previous delays. The electoral commission is attempting to postpone the election until 18 October.

The social leaders estimated that as of Tuesday there were more than 50 major blockade points throughout the country.

The executive of the Confederación Sindical Única de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia (Single Trade Union Confederation of Agricultural Workers of Bolivia, CSUTCB), Jacinto Vega, announced the organizations’ decision that it will also “continue to join” the protests and not back down.

The social movements and organizations that have organized the nationwide blockade of major transport routes apologized to the Bolivian people for the inconvenience caused by the blockades, but emphasized that they are necessary to ensure that national elections are held to re-establish a legitimate government.

The leader of the COB leader further stated that the de facto government is not meeting the urgent needs of the population regarding the health crisis and the economic recovery. LINK

Late on Wednesday, after five hours of meetings between representatives of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and the social organizations protesting the postponement of the elections, the respective sides announced that no agreement had been reached.

Consequently, the indefinite national general strike and roadblocks will continue for the time being.

The executive secretary of the Federation of Trade Unions of Mining Workers of Bolivia (FSTMB), Orlando Gutiérrez, reaffirmed that the miners are ready to expand the mobilization in the event of any attempt by the police or military to end the blockade by force.

The leader of the COB, Juan Carlos Huarachi, expressed his regret that no agreement has been reached. “Unfortunately, there is no will from the TSE. We have spent five hours justifying the people’s request, covering the social reasons for the demand and legal arguments,” he said after the meeting amid cheers and calls of ‘elections now’ outside the TSE building, in the Plaza Abaroa in La Paz. LINK

https://southfront.org/bolivia-confrontation-deepens-as-negotiations-fail-national-general-strike-and-blockade-to-continue/

State Department says Russia is pushing coronavirus conspiracy theories online

A new report says the Kremlin is peddling conspiracy theories online with a handful of coordinated proxy websites

U.S. officials contend that Russia is employing an online operation – including the disseminating of conspiracy theories and disinformation – to create confusion about the coronavirus, according to a new State Department report.

The report described a Russian-based misinformation cycle that peddles sensationalist information via U.S. social media conversations and proxy websites. The department found that the Kremlin has focused its most recent efforts on conspiracy theories about the pandemic.

The sites appear as standard-seeming news outlets, but in reality are tied to the Kremlin and Russian state-funded media.

State-funded media outlets in Russia often publish similar stories to the ones seen on these deceptive sites. Furthermore, officials in China and Iran, in addition to Russia, often share the claims found on these sites on their social media feeds, the report found.

The head of the State Department's Global Engagement Center, Lea Gabrielle, told the Associated Press that what makes the Russian disinformation strategy effective is that "it's difficult for the average person online to look at these sites and know the Russian affiliation."

Most of the sites examined by the State Department were directly connected to the Kremlin in one way or another. One site, Canadian-based Global Research, frequently publishes articles written by fabricated authors created by the GRU – Russia's military intelligence service. A different site, NewsFront, is registered to the Russian government.

Some of the theories being peddled include the idea that the novel coronavirus was created in a lab as a bioweapon; billionaire Bill Gates is planning to use the global pandemic as a way to insert microchips into people; and that the effort to create a coronavirus vaccine is merely a ploy for pharmaceutical companies to generate a profit.

The report did not look at whether Russia is again attempting to exert influence online over the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Though Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday announced that the U.S. is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that will help lead the department to individuals working with foreign powers to interfere in the election.

https://justthenews.com/government/security/state-department-says-russia-pushing-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories-online

Trump Signs Executive Order Banning TikTok, WeChat

President Trump signed an executive order banning U.S. residents from doing any business with TikTok or the apps’ Chinese owner ByteDance 45 days from now.

Trump said the U.S. "must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security".

The EO comes as Trump has demanded the divestment of the popular video app, citing national security risks to the U.S, and threatens penalties on any U.S. resident or company that engages in any transactions with TikTok or ByteDance after the order takes effect.

"This mobile application may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the Chinese Communist Party," Trump said in the order, released Thursday by the White House and seen by Bloomberg.

The data collection through TikTok “threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information – potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage."

TikTok has denied accusations it is controlled by or shares data with the Chinese government.

The order released today reads: "I, Donald J Trump President of the United States of America, find that additional steps must be taken to deal with the national emergency with respect to the information and communications technology and services….Specifically, the spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by companies in the People's Republic of China continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy.

"At this time, action must be taken to address the threat posed by one mobile application in particular, Tik Tok."

He has also banned WeChat.

The President claims the app's data collection "threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americas' personal and proprietary information - potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage."

And now we wait for China's response to this latest escalation, even if so far Beijing has indicated it is willing to be a pushover when it comes to Trump's pre-election campaigning and is unwilling to aggressively pursue any retaliation.

In kneejerk reaction, Tencent shares dropped after signed an executive order “addressing the threat posed by WeChat." The stock fell as much as 1.5% in opening minutes of Hong Kong trade. It remains up 46% YTD.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trump-signs-executive-order-banning-tiktok-wechat

AG Bill Barr Has Driver Turn Around and Park So He Can Get Out and Thank Protesters for Supporting the Police in Virginia

Attorney General Bill Barr had his driver turn around after he saw a group of protesters on the side of the road protesting in support of police officers.

AG Barr told his driver to turn around and park and he got out and thanked the protesters.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/epic-ag-bill-barr-driver-turn-around-park-can-get-thank-protesters-supporting-police-virginia-video/