SYRIA UPDATE

Al-Jaafari calls on UNSC to conduct prompt investigation into int’l coalition’s crimes in Syria

“The International Coalition is fighting everything in Syria except for terrorism. Its practices prove that its goas and those of terrorist organizations are one and the same: spreading chaos, death and destruction, not to mention its continued support for ISIS terrorist organization,” he said.

“The countries backing terrorism in Syria have created an illegitimate grouping called ‘The Mini-Group on Syria’ to impede the outcomes of Astana and Sochi and obstruct the political process,” al-Jaafari added.

“How can the ‘Mini Group’ entity-which have onboard member countries that financed, trained and sponsored terrorism in Syria and others which engaged in a direct aggression against it-be feigning care for the lives of the Syrian people?”, al-Jaafari said.

https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=149048

Ryabkov: US plans to impose sanctions on participant states in Syria’s reconstruction ‘sabotage act’

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Washington’s plans to impose sanctions on the countries participating in the reconstruction process in Syria are “an act of sabotage.”

Ria Novosti quoted Ryabkov as saying on Wednesday that the essence of the US policy is still the same, represented by impeding the work of the legitimate government in Syria and the countries that are fighting ‘in deeds not words’ the terrorist threat in the country.

He affirmed that all the statements made on Washington’s interest in ‘a bright future for Syria’ are nothing but “lame excuses.”

https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=149045

Damascus Will Facilitate U.N. Aid Delivery To Al-Rukban Refugee Camp

More than 50,000 refugees are suffering from catastrophic humanitarian conditions inside the camp, which resulted in the death of several children this month. The U.N. aid plan will hopefully improve the conditions inside the camp.

Syrian opposition sources accuse the Damascus government and Russia of besieging the al-Rukban camp. However, the camp is stationed within the 55km de-escalation zone around the US-led coalition base in the area of al-Tanf, which government forces are not allowed to enter.

https://southfront.org/damascus-will-facilitate-u-n-aid-delivery-to-al-rukban-refugee-camp/

Putin: Reconstruction and intensifying efforts for return of displaced to Syria are key task

Putin made his remarks following talks held with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah in Sochi on Wednesday.

“We agreed to intensify coordination between the two countries regarding the political settlement in Syria,” Putin said.

The Russian President indicated that the task now is the reconstruction process and undertaking collective efforts for the return of the displaced Syrians to their country, in addition to forming the constitutional committee.

https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=149042

1/2

>>3511178

US-Backed Forces Struggle To Make Any Progress Against ISIS In Euphrates Valley

“In the morning, the terrorist organization attempted to carry out a counter-attack on positions of our fighters south of the village of al-Susah [north of al-Baghuz al-Fawqani], using heavy weapons, however our fighters confronted and forced them to retreat,” the SDF media center said in an official press release.

Q. Incompetent or lying?

https://southfront.org/us-backed-forces-struggle-to-make-any-progress-against-isis-in-euphrates-valley/

24-hour Ceasefire With ISIS In Al-Safa Brings Hope To Hostages

Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and ISIS cells in the area of al-Safa agreed on a 24-hour ceasefire upon a reported request from Russia. Several Syrian sources said that the ceasefire is aimed at facilitating the ongoing negotiations to free around 30 civilian hostages, who were abducted by the terrorist group two months ago.

Few hours after the beginning of the ceasefire, a group of ISIS snipers attacked a position of the SAA’s 9th Division around al-Safa injuring several soliders. The violation led to a direct response from the SAA that shelled several positions of the terrorist group, according to the al-Suwayda 24 blog. A source familiar with the situation in al-Safa told the Syria-based blog that despite the violation

https://southfront.org/24-hour-ceasefire-with-isis-in-al-safa-brings-hope-to-hostages/

Turkey Deploys More Troops In Northern Hama Ahead Of Reopening Of Vital Crossing Between Government- And Militant-held Areas

The deployment of more Turkish troops in Murak comes ahead of the reopening of a vital crossing south of the town. A source familiar with the situation told Enab Baladi that the crossing, which connects the government- and militants-held areas, will be reopened for civilians and shipping on October 18.

Earlier this month, the Turkish military said that all heavy weapons had been withdrawn from the demilitarized zone. However, several violations revealed that this claim was not true. Furthermore, radical militants have not withdrawn from the zone yet.

https://southfront.org/turkey-deploys-more-troops-in-northern-hama-ahead-of-reopening-of-vital-crossing-between-government-and-militant-held-areas-video/

Syrian War Report – October 17, 2018: Terrorists Move From Syria And Iraq To EU Via Ukraine

Image:

https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-october-17-2018-terrorists-move-from-syria-and-iraq-to-eu-via-ukraine/

2/2

Congress Members Take Firm Stance Against Press Freedom, Pen Letter to Ecuador Demanding Julian Assange Be Turned Over to Authorities

Representatives Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chair Emeritus of the Committee, have sent a letter to Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno demanding that Julian Assange be handed over to authorities.

The firm stance against press freedom comes as Ecuador is preparing to restore the Assange’s communications — with strict limitations that will not allow him to properly continue his work as a publisher.

The letter threatens that the United States will be unwilling to provide economic cooperation with Ecuador unless the WikiLeaks founder and political refugee is handed over.

“Many of us in the United States Congress are eager to move forward in collaborating with your government on a wide array of issues, from economic cooperation to counternarcotics assistance to the possible return of a United States Agency for International Development mission to Ecuador. However, in order to advance on these crucial matters, we must first resolve a significant challenge created by your predecessor, Rafael Correa – the status of Julian Assange,” the members wrote in their letter.

The threatening letter continues on to say that Engel and Ros-Lehtinen are “very concerned” with Assange’s continued asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy, which he entered in 2012.

“Most recently, we were particularly disturbed to learn that your government restored Mr. Assange’s access to the Internet. On numerous occasions, Mr. Assange has compromised the national security of the United States. He has done so by publicly releasing classified government documents along with confidential materials from individuals connected to our country’s 2016 presidential election. As you yourself have noted, he has repeatedly used his standing in the international media to meddle in the affairs of foreign governments such as Spain and the United Kingdom. This has frayed Ecuador’s relations with like-minded governments. Mr. Assange also remains wanted by British authorities for a bail violation. It is clear that Mr. Assange remains a dangerous criminal and a threat to global security, and he should be brought to justice,” the letter states.

The tone remains stern as the letter goes on to say that they want to develop “warmer relations” with Ecuador, but will not do so until they violate the aslyum granted to Assange by the previous administration.

“We fully recognize that this is a problem that your administration did not create. We are hopeful about developing warmer relations with your government, but feel that it will be very difficult for the United States to advance our bilateral relationship until Mr. Assange is handed over to the proper authorities,” the letter concludes.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/10/congress-members-take-firm-stance-against-press-freedom-pen-letter-to-ecuador-demanding-julian-assange-be-turned-over-to-authorities/

Medvedev warns West cannot sway Moscow’s stance by stoking anti-Russian hysteria

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in an interview with Euronews television channel

Dmitry Medvedev: If we look back on the current relations between Russia and the EU, let us face it, these relations are going through hard times. We believe that this is the result of rather hasty decisions made by the European Union itself. And I think EU residents are the ones paying for these decisions (I emphasize once again, we did not initiate them). Of course, this negatively affects our country as well.

Host: In the case of the Skripal poisoning. The defense given by the two suspects was mocked in Europe or outside of Russia. Are you embarrassed by that reaction? Do you think it damages Russia's credibility?

Dmitry Medvedev: Today, we have not yet talked about our friends across the ocean, for example, the anti-Russia hysteria in the United States of America. We are perfectly aware of the fact that all that is connected with Russia in the United States now has a different goal – internal political squabbles; in fact, arguments between the Republicans and the Democrats and arguments inside the Republican Party. The same can be said about the European countries. Nine times out of ten, this anti-Russia campaign is in pursuit of entirely internal political goals: to stay in power, form a government or achieve some other goal. But certainly not to influence Russia's position. It cannot be influenced, something that everyone realises very well.

Host: I want to ask you about the two Skripal suspects, just because I want to know if you really believe that they went there to see a cathedral.

Dmitry Medvedev: I do not know. I will not comment, just because I am not acquainted with those people, neither am I acquainted with the comments to a sufficient degree. I do not know. How can I know?

Host: But does Russia see itself at war with America or anyone who imposed sanctions on your country?

Dmitry Medvedev: And sanctions against the banking sector are, in fact, a declaration of trade war. These are the hardest sanctions. But without a doubt, we will be able to overcome this kind of pressure. We don’t have any doubt that our economy is able to adapt to any form of pressure. The only question is why one would need this. I mean that this tends to upset international order, including the international economic order.

We understand that, for example, the extent of the integration, or mutual dependence of the Russian and US economies is insignificant. American businesses are not much affected by the sanctions that the United States has imposed on our country because the amount of trade is modest. But European businesses have been hit hard because the amount of trade is huge. Currently, trade with the United States is estimated at about $20 billion – this is a low period, though. This is nothing. The amount of trade with the European Union is much more significant, as the European Union accounts for 45 percent of our trade. This figure runs into the hundreds of billions of euros. I will just give you one example. After the sanctions were imposed, our trade with the European Union all but halved, plunging from 430 billion euros to 220-230 billion euros at some point. So my question is: So my question is: what losses did Europe incur? Europe lost jobs. It lost revenue. It lost confidence

Host: Is Donald Trump the best thing that happened to Russia in recenttime?

Dmitry Medvedev: We did not elect Donald Trump. Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America. We respect the choice of the American people. If there were a different president instead of Trump, we would respect him no less. As far as we can see, Donald Trump is having a hard time because he is being attacked by the right and by the left. On the one hand, he is suspected of having some sort of sympathy towards our country even though he actually has not yet done anything to radically improve relations between our countries. And he is unlikely to do – due to the pressure being put on him. And on the other hand, he is being pressured in other areas.

More:

http://tass.com/politics/1026493

==What the Khashoggi Case Teaches Americans is that One WaPo Journalist Bombing Children in Yemen==

In the World of American Politics, One Khashoggi Is Worth One Million Yemeni Lives

At this point we can only assume that the Turkish version of events regarding the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi is true. As always, I’m open to being proved wrong, and it’s certainly incumbent upon Ankara to release the audio evidence of which they claim to be in possession (though this, should it come out, will naturally be dismissed by the Saudis as fabricated or doctored), but the list of plausible alternative scenarios currently stands at zero.

Khashoggi went into the Saudi consulate and was never seen again. If he had merely been kidnapped and jailed, we’d have heard from him by now. He would have appeared on Saudi state television and delivered some kind of scripted statement like Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri did last November. The House of Saud appears to prefer this time of year, autumn, for abductions and assassinations.

If Khashoggi was, in fact, whacked out by a Saudi hit squad—complete with torture and Goodfellas-style dismemberment—as the Turks maintain he was, then Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is even crazier than we thought. Since being named heir apparent by his senile father, King Salman, the crown prince has been on a mission to establish himself as the region’s chief thug. This is no small task, but MbS, as he’s blithely referred to, seems up to the challenge.

As Patrick Cockburn recently wrote, the crown prince’s list of failures, in so short a span of time, is impressive. His escalation of the war in Yemen has achieved nothing unless you count mass murder and mass famine as achievements. The Houthis are holding fast, and the country has been all but obliterated. Perhaps, though, the Saudis view Yemen’s destruction favorably. Like the US invasion of Vietnam, Saudi Arabia’s overarching goal in Yemen is to demonstrate to the region what happens when populations revolt against their oppressors. You want to upend the status quo and realize a degree of independence and self-government, you’d better be prepared to be pulverized. That’s the warning being issued by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

No sooner had bin Salman been appointed crown prince (June 2017) than the Saudi-led diplomatic and economic war on Qatar commenced. The express purpose of the surprise gambit was to punish Doha for its support for terrorism—pretty rich coming from the epicenter of Wahhabism, that diabolic interpretation of Islam upon which al-Qaeda and its numerous clones base their murderous ideologies. Of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers, fifteen were Saudi nationals; none were Qatari.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/khashoggi-yemen-saudi-journalist/

>>3511383

WRONG

>>3504230

>>3511446

>>3511383

pb sorry

New York Times Ends Saudi Tours, Keeps Iran Tours Going

The hypocritical farce of media outrage over Jamal Khashoggi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader and former pal of Osama bin Laden, is easily exposed every time you look at the media's treatment of Iran.

The New York Times just made a big huffy show of canceling its pricey tours to Saudi Arabia.

"In light of the uncertainty surrounding the disappearance of the Washington Post's Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey, The New York Times has decided to cancel all upcoming Times Journeys departures to Saudi Arabia," a New York Times spokesperson said in an email.

The New York Times "Journeys" are tour packages to destinations around the world. Tour groups are often accompanied by Times' correspondents and other experts. The journey to Saudi Arabia was advertised as "Saudi Arabia and the Emirates: The Past and Future of Oil." The 10-day tours included lodging in five-star hotels and started at a cost of $11,995 per individual. The spokesperson said refunds will be issued to those who signed up for the tours.

What a courageous commitment to human rights. Meanwhile you can still book the Iran tour.

As Jordan Schachtel notes, the New York Times cashes in on its Iran tours.

Based on publicly available data on the New York Times travel website, Conservative Review has analyzed that the organization’s “Iran: Tales from Persia” trip, which is hosted by New York Times journalists and opinion writers, is a cash cow that has reaped millions of dollars in revenue for the publication.

The Times’ travel website lists nine publicly available trips to Iran in 2018, with an average group size of 20 people. The Iran tour costs $7,895 per person (based on double occupancy. Single travelers pay an additional $1,500), plus $425 for internal airfare. The price does not include international airfare.

Based on the organization’s own data, the New York Times’ bare minimum gross revenue for for the 2018 “Tales from Persia” tours should start at about $1.5 million.

The New York Times has claimed that its tours are not an endorsement of the regime. But its cancellation of the Saudi tour to protest the alleged actions of the Saudi government show that's a lie.

So the Times is indeed okay with doing business with Iran, a regime that tortures, murders and rapes its own citizens.

Next time someone touts a Times article fulminating about Jamal Khashoggi, ask them about Iran.

https://www.frontpagemag.com/point/271669/new-york-times-ends-saudi-tours-keeps-iran-tours-daniel-greenfield

Trump Jr. Slams GOP Establishment: "They're Used To Losing"

Donald Trump Jr. took a break from campaigning for Republican Congressmen and women ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm vote to lash out at the party establishment during an interview with the Hill TV's Buck Sexton. In some of his most scathing criticisms yet of the party that his father has helped to fundamentally reshape, Trump Jr. claimed the GOP establishment was "used to losing" before his father showed up and saved them from a Hillary Clinton presidency.

"You have that typical establishment side that they're used to just losing," the president's eldest son told Hill.TV's Buck Sexton on "Rising."

"Someone calls you a name 'Oh we just give up. We fold.' That's what they do. That's been their history," he continued.

Trump Jr. followed this up by listing examples of political battles that ended in a resounding defeat for the Democrats, from staring down Democrats who briefly forced a government shutdown earlier this year over demands that DACA protections be enshrined in law, to the successful confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-10-17/trump-jr-slams-gop-establishmenttheyre-used-losing

How broken are they???

College Snowflake Calls 911 For Help: “There’s A Bunch Of Trump People… And It’s Not Very Safe Right Now”

An college student contacted campus 911 to request an escort after feeling threatened by “a bunch of Trump people.”

When the security officer asked about whether she was threatened the woman was unable to provide an answer, showing just how hypersensitive some people have become.

Student: “I don’t feel comfortable walking over there because I feel like they might jump me. I just need someone to walk me to my car.”

Security: “I’m sorry, we don’t have the personnel to do that right now.”

Student: “What should I do?”

Security: “I don’t know.”

http://www.thedailysheeple.com/college-snowflake-calls-911-for-help-theres-a-bunch-of-trump-people-and-its-not-very-safe-right-now_102018