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Syria allies: Why Russia, Iran and China are standing by the regime - CNN.com - 1 views

www.cnn.com/...a-iran-china-russia-supporters syria allies russia iran china middle east politics
shared by fcastro2 on 28 Jan 15 - No Cached
  • One has to do with economics; the other with ideology.
  • Russia is one of Syria's biggest arms suppliers
  • Syrian contracts with the Russian defense industry have likely exceeded $4 billion
  • ...29 more annotations...
  • Russia also leases a naval facility at the Syrian port of Tartu
  • Moscow also signed a $550 million deal with Syria for combat training jets
  • value of Russian arms sales to Syria at $162 million per year in both 2009 and 2010
  • Russia's key policy goal is blocking American efforts to shape the regio
  • Russia doesn't believe revolutions, wars and regime change bring stability and democracy
  • It believes humanitarian concerns are often used an excuse for pursuing America's own political and economic interests.
  • Putin's existential fear for his own survival and the survival of the repressive system that he and al-Assad represent
    • fcastro2
      fcastro2 on 28 Jan 15
       
      Putin is scared that the "west" will defeat Russia if Syria is defeated
  • not only driven by the need to preserve its naval presence in the Mediterranean, secure its energy contracts, or counter the West on 'regime change
  • al-Assad cannot lose because it means that one day he, Putin, might as well
  • The West handles the Islamic world the way a monkey handles a grenade," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin tweeted
  • Russia is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. It has the power to veto Security Council resolutions against the Syrian regime and has done so repeatedly over the past two years
  • religion and strategy.
  • Islamic Republic has provided technical help such as intelligence, communications and advice on crowd control and weapons as protests in Syria morphed into resistance
  • The last thing Iran wants now is a Sunni-dominated Syria -- especially as the rebels' main supporters are Iran's Persian Gulf rivals: Qatar and Saudi Arabi
  • proxy through which Iran can threaten Israel with an arsenal of short-range missiles
  • Iran counted on Syria as its only Arab ally during its eight-year war with Iraq. Iraq was Sunni-dominate
  • war between the front of hegemony and the front of resistance
  • Syrian government is a victim of international plots
  • Iran says the main objective of this plot is to make the region safer for Israe
  • Many believe Iran is Washington's greatest threat in the region, especially with its nuclear potential
  • the Americans will sustain damage like when they interfered in Iraq and Afghanistan
  • Syria's third-largest importer in 2010, according to data from the European Commission
  • maintain its financial tie
  • indicates that China sees Syria as an important trading hub
  • China has said foreign countries shouldn't meddle in Syria's internal affairs
  • Rather than siding with either Assad or the opposition and standing aside to 'wait and see,' Beijing is actively betting on both
  • China said it is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons and supports the U.N.'s chemical weapons inspectors.
  • It also said it wants a political solution for Syri
  • China is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. And like Russia, China has repeatedly blocked sanctions attempts against the Syrian regime
  • fcastro2 on 28 Jan 15
     
    Syria's allies, Russia, Iran, and China, all stand by them despite western powers opposing the Syrian government. There are different reasons to why these powers seem to stay with Syria such as Russia's ideologies, Iran's strategy, or China's trading. Either way, these government will stand by them until there is nothing left to lose. 
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Unmasking ratchets up hunt for ISIS executioner Jihadi John | Fox News - 0 views

www.foxnews.com/...g-isis-executioner-jihadi-john hunt execution Jihadi John
shared by csosa14 on 03 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • csosa14 on 03 Mar 15
     
    There is a huge hunt for ISIS executioner Jihadi John
  • csosa14 on 03 Mar 15
     
    There is a huge hunt for ISIS executioner Jihadi John
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Everything you need to know about the drone debate, in one FAQ - The Washington Post - 0 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...ut-the-drone-debate-in-one-faq
shared by tdford333 on 08 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • "drone" has come to refer to unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), which are UAVs equipped with combat capabilities, most commonly the ability to launch missiles.
  • Predators were deployed to Afghanistan almost immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and on Oct. 7, 2001 they conducted their first armed mission there.
  • The current program is jointly administered by the CIA and the Joint Special Operation Command (JSOC).
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  • Predator drones can carry up to two Hellfire missiles. Those have warheads of about 20 pounds, which are designed to pierce tank armor;
  • Reapers are another story. They feature a maximum payload of 3,000 pounds, or 1.5 tons. That means they can carry a combination of Hellfires and larger 500 pound bombs like the GBU-12 Paveway II and GBD-38 JDAM. Those have an "effective casualty radius" of about 200 feet.
  • From 2008 through October 2012, there were 1,015 strikes in Afghanistan, 48 in Iraq, and at least 105 in Libya
  • Primarily al-Qaeda and its affiliates. That includes al-Shaabab in Somalia, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (which works in Yemen), and the Haqqani Network in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
  • Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born al-Qaeda operative in Yemen, was killed in a drone strike in 2011, as was his American-born 17-year-old son
  • Ahmed Hijazi, also an American citizen based in Yemen, was killed in 2002. 
  • The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) will prepare lists of potential targets, which will be reviewed every three months by a panel of intelligence analysts and military officials. They are then passed along to a panel at the National Security Council, currently helmed by CIA director nominee Brennan, and then to Obama for final approval.
  • There is, however, substantial evidence that the percentage of casualties borne by civilians is much lower with drone strikes than with just about any other kind of military intervention
  • It derives the authority for the strikes from the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) passed in the wake of 9/11, which grants the government broad powers against al-Qaeda.
  • allows states to make war in the interest of self-defense
  • Critics, like UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, summary or arbitrary executions Christof Heyns, say that this defense is a stretch, and the killings plainly run afoul of the laws of war and international human rights treaties.
  • Only the United States and the United Kingdom (which assists in the Pakistan drone effort) currently use drones in combat
  • All told, the GAO estimates that 76 countries, at least, have drone technology.
  • The Yemeni government quietly agreed to the strikes
  • Citizens in both countries deplore the campaigns.
  • there are deeper doubts as to whether the strategy is recruiting more militants than it kills, by turning local populations against the United States.
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Car Bombs Explode Near Egyptian and U.A.E. Embassies in Libya - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...nd-uae-embassies-in-libya.html UN militias armed groups war middle east proxy car embassies nytimes
shared by allieggg on 14 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • Car bombs exploded outside the embassies of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in Tripoli, Libya, early on Thursday, apparently in a backlash against the two countries for their role in a regional proxy war playing out in Libya.
  • The side that controls Tripoli includes hard-line and more moderate Islamists, as well as non-Islamist regional or tribal groups who all say they are fighting against a return to Qaddafi-style authoritarianism. The other side, based in Tobruk and Baida, includes former soldiers loyal to Colonel Qaddafi and tribal groups who say they are fighting Islamist extremists.
  • Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have backed the anti-Islamist faction. Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and their ally, Saudi Arabia, all see Libya as a central front in a broader regional war against the forces of political Islam — a fight that began to intensify when the Egyptian military ousted President Mohamed Morsi last year.
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  • The United Arab Emirates launched a series of airstrikes from Egyptian bases against Islamist-allied militias fighting in Tripoli over the summer. And Egyptian forces have actively aided anti-Islamist military units fighting around Benghazi in eastern Libya.
  • Western diplomats familiar with intelligence reports say that Egyptian special forces have participated in raids near the airport in Benghazi, Libya, as well as at a camp near the Libyan stronghold of Derna, with mixed results.
  • Each side in Libya’s conflict now claims its own government — one in Tripoli and the other in Tobruk. The anti-Islamist government in Tobruk includes the headquarters of a recently elected Parliament, although it operates with little visibility and the number of lawmakers attending its sessions has been difficult to assess.
  • The Islamist-allied government in Tripoli contends that a recent Supreme Court decision invalidated the election of the Parliament in Tobruk. The government in Tobruk argues that the court was intimidated by the threat of militias in Tripoli.
  • allieggg on 14 Nov 14
     
    Any doubts that Libya has pivoted to a proxy war have been eliminated with the recent bombings outside UAE and Egyptian embassies as a backlash against their role in the regional "tug of war" on Thursday. Each side of the conflict has its own government as well as city headquarters. Islamists have occupied Tripoli and Haftar's forces Tobruk. The actions of regional players are escalating the civil war to the utmost extent.
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Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis - 0 views

timep.org/...ansar-bayt-al-maqdis egyptian egypt war politics
shared by malbasr on 11 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • malbasr on 11 Nov 14
     
    According to intelligence reports, the group is thought to have around 1,000 members, many of whom may have operated in other jihadi groups in the past. The group is one of the strongest and best coordinated in Egypt, and is in possession of advanced weaponry, including man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), rocket-propelled grenades, and Grad rockets.
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CIA Knew Al Qaeda Involved in Benghazi from 'Get-go' - 1 views

www.weeklystandard.com/...ed-benghazi-get-go_786435.html ISIS revolution libya war Benghazi
shared by cramos8 on 08 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • cramos8 on 08 Feb 15
     
    Former CIA deputy director Mike Morell, who also served a stint as acting director of Langley, is testifying before House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence today. The hearing focuses on the Obama administration's response to the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.
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Saudi Princess Pushes For Women's Rights - 1 views

youtu.be/6JTYiuq2k4Q women rights Saudi Arabia driving women driving equality politics
shared by mjumaia on 09 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • mjumaia on 09 Feb 15
     
    Here is a great clips that the Saudi Princess summarize the Women issues in Saudi Arabia. She has delivered the major topics in efficient positive way. Princess Amerah highlighted the areas of growth in Saudi women rights in unique and intelligent way
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Child Soldiers, or 'Cubs,' Shown in Latest ISIS Video - 0 views

www.nbcnews.com/...hown-latest-isis-video-n310646 ISIS child-soldiers
shared by kdancer on 23 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • csosa14 on 23 Feb 15
     
    ISIS Releases video of children as the new pupils of ISIS
  • csosa14 on 23 Feb 15
     
    ISIS Releases video of children as the new pupils of ISIS
  • kdancer on 23 Feb 15
     
    A new video released by ISIS on Sunday purportedly shows the terror group training children, who can be seen standing in formation, chanting, praying and participating in physical exercises. Alex Kassirer, of global security firm and NBC News consultant Flashpoint Intelligence, said the video features Al Farouk training camp for "cubs," or children, located in Raqqa, Syria.
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Foreign fighters still flowing to Syria, U.S. intelligence says - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...fighters-idUSKBN0LE2YX20150211 syria war foreign fighters
shared by fcastro2 on 23 Feb 15 - No Cached
  • fcastro2 on 23 Feb 15
     
    According to a U.S. counterterrorism official, it is estimated that more than 20,000 foreign fighters flocked to Syria, and Iraq, in order to join the Islamic State or rival militant groups in Syria. These fighters have come from more than 90 countries from all over the world with an estimate of at least 3,400 of the foreign fighters coming from Western countries.
  • fcastro2 on 23 Feb 15
     
    According to a U.S. counterterrorism official, it is estimated that more than 20,000 foreign fighters flocked to Syria, and Iraq, in order to join the Islamic State or rival militant groups in Syria. These fighters have come from more than 90 countries from all over the world with an estimate of at least 3,400 of the foreign fighters coming from Western countries.
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Make No Mistake - the United States Is at War in Yemen - 0 views

foreignpolicy.com/...war-in-yemen-saudi-arabia-iran United States Yemen Saudi Arabia Houthi Iran proxy war
shared by jherna2a on 24 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • jherna2a on 24 Feb 16
     
    The United States has began backing Saudi-led aggression against Yemen by providing targeting intelligence. There are many contradicting justifications for this provided by the NSC, the White House, the Pentagon, and Capitol Hill.
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How serious is the ISIL threat in Libya? - 1 views

www.aljazeera.com/...eat-libya-160222081244640.html ISIS Libya war Al Qaeda
shared by blantonjack on 24 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • blantonjack on 24 Feb 16
     
    The recent US air strike on a building in the western Libyan city of Sabrata, which killed more than 40 suspected Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters, highlights the growing expansion and danger of the group in Libya. Both ISIL and Gaddafi loyalists share the belief that the new political leaders in Libya are "agents of the West" brought to power by NATO. Sirte has become the first stronghold that ISIL totally controls outside of Iraq and Syria, and it is reportedly home to the group's strongest presence within Libya. For the Western powers to combat this, means many military airstrikes as well as working with Libyan forces to provide intelligence of the whereabouts of the ISIL powers
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Is the U.S.-Iran Cyber War Over? - 0 views

www.thedailybeast.com/...e-u-s-iran-cyber-war-over.html Politics Iran US cyber war security treaty
shared by mportie on 10 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • mportie on 10 Feb 16
     
    Nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran, involving the lightening of trade sanctions, hope to alleviate the quiet cyber war ongoing between the two nations. Many intelligence officials believe that espionage by both countries will continue to persist however they hope that flagrant cyber attacks will decline.
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The U.S. Should Stop Supporting the War in Yemen - 0 views

www.cato.org/...uld-stop-supporting-war-yemen' Yemen United States proxy war Saudi Arabia
shared by jherna2a on 17 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • jherna2a on 17 Feb 16
     
    While not directly intervening, the United States has been quietly aiding the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen by providing intelligence and weapons. According to the author, this comprises U.S. interests and its moral standing.
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The Overhyping of Iran's Cyberarmy - 0 views

www.thedailybeast.com/...ping-of-iran-s-cyber-army.html US Iran cyber international report security
shared by mportie on 02 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • mportie on 02 Mar 16
     
    Although Iran does have a track record of international cyber attacks a report authored by a cyber security company is being scrutinized for its lack of proper documentation and evidence for current activity. It is important to foreign relations and intelligence official of the State that information available to them is of the utmost accuracy.
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US forces captured head of Isis chemical weapons program in Iraq last month - 0 views

www.theguardian.com/...aptured-iraq-us-special-forces ISIS Syria war America
shared by blantonjack on 09 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • blantonjack on 09 Mar 16
     
    US special forces captured the head of the Islamic State militant group's effort to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq, two senior Iraqi intelligence officials have told the Associated Press, the first known major success of Washington's more aggressive policy of pursuing the jihadis on the ground. This is a huge step in obtaining more information regarding the ISIS front.
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ISIS Detainee Tells U.S. of Militants' Plan to Use Mustard Gas - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...isis-detainee-mustard-gas.html ISIS mustard gas new york times
shared by mwrightc on 09 Mar 16 - No Cached
  • The Islamic State’s use of chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria has been known, but Mr. Afari’s capture has provided the United States with the opportunity to learn detailed information about the group’s secretive program, including where chemical agents were being stored and produced.
  • Mr. al-Afari was captured last month by a new Special Operations force made up primarily of Delta Force commandos shortly after they arrived in Iraq. They are the first major American combat force on the ground there since the United States pulled out of the country at the end of 2011.
  • Until recently, the United States has largely targeted Islamic State fighters with airstrikes. But the 200-member Special Operations team has been assigned to both kill and capture Islamic State operatives, the latter for use in gathering intelligence. Military officials said the team had set up safe houses and worked with Iraqi and Kurdish forces to establish informant networks and conduct raids on Islamic State leaders and other important militants.
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  • Under interrogation, Mr. Afari, told his captors how the group had weaponized sulfur mustard and loaded it into artillery shells, the officials said.
  • Sleiman Daoud al-Afari
  • mwrightc on 09 Mar 16
     
    US special forces were able to take an ISIS member into custody. Through questioning, the military men were able to learn that ISIS is now beginning to make plans to use mustard gas as a chemical weapon. The Red Cross has been identified because of the possible use of chemical weapons.
  • blantonjack on 09 Mar 16
     
    An Islamic State detainee currently in American custody at a temporary detention facility in Erbil, Iraq, is a specialist in chemical weapons whom American military officials are questioning about the militant Sunni group's plans to use the banned substances in Iraq and Syria, Defense officials said. The member of ISIS who is probably dead at this point reports say, told the miltants that they were planning on using mustard gas with upcoming attacks planned.
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Egypt's Move to Destroy Human Rights Threatens U.S. Interests - 0 views

www.huffingtonpost.com/...es-to-destroy-i_b_9534256.html Egypt Civil RIghts Democratization
shared by sambofoster on 08 Apr 16 - No Cached
  • sambofoster on 08 Apr 16
     
    This article could not be published in Egypt. At least that's my understanding of the gag order a judge, Hesham Abdel Meguid, imposed on reporting or commenting on the criminal case against independent civil society organizations in Egypt after meeting with President Sisi and his senior intelligence and security advisors.
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