A French court sentenced Tyler Vilus, a Frenchman who converted to Islam and fought for ISIS in Syria, to 30 years in prison. The prosecutor had asked for a life sentence for the defendant. It is France’s first successful prosecution of an Islamist militant for crimes committed in Syria.
Category: Syria
Russia Waits as Turkey to Resume Operations in Idlib
According to Russian news outlet avia.pro, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that it is time for Turkey to actively continue its military operations in Syria’s Idlib province. The publication quoted him as saying that the Turkish military will continue to fight all “terrorist organizations” that pose a threat to Turkey’s security, whether inside its borders or outside them.
Israel “Likely Responsible” for Airstrike in Syria
Eastern Syria has once again witnessed an airstrike. AFP reported on Saturday that Lebanon had reported an airstrike on one of the positions of forces affiliated with Bashar al-Assad’s government in eastern Syria. The attack is said to have killed six members of the Syrian army and forces backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Syria — Millions Below Poverty Line, U.S. Tightens Sanctions
United Nations relief agencies warned Friday that Syria is facing an unprecedented food crisis, as more than 9.3 million people lack adequate food. This comes at a time when the outbreak of the Coronavirus may accelerate in the country, although it appears to be under control.
State Says Iran “Foremost Sponsor of Terrorism”
In its annual report, released on Wednesday, the US State Department described the Islamic Republic of Iran as the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. According to the report, “traces of Iran’s support for terrorism can be traced from Gaza to Pakistan.”
World Comes Out Against Israeli Annexation
The State of Israel was established in 1948. The United Nations recognized its independence, but its borders were never secure. The Arab states surrounding Israel— Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria– also gained independence prior to this, after the expiration of British and French mandates, each one with its allocated borders.
Germany Arrests Syrian Doctor for Crimes Against Humanity
A Syrian doctor, who was practicing his profession in Germany and entered the country as a refugee, was arrested on Friday. The suspect, known as Alaa M., is accused of involvement in torture and “crimes against humanity” he committed in his country against detainees in the prisons of the Assad regime.
UN: Nearly 80 Million People Displaced Worldwide
Nearly 80 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes due to war and conflict, fear of terror and violence, as well as economic collapse and poverty. According to a recent report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Thursday, the number of refugees in the world has reached 79.5 million.
Russia, Turkey, and Libya – What is their Strategy?
On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu flew to Turkey, and are holding meetings pertaining the situation in Libya. Since the overthrow and killing of the Libyan leader, Muammar al-Gaddafi, in 2011, Libya became a divided state.
Israel Roundup — Return to Normalcy Continues, Annexation on Hold
Israel, in the last two weeks has made an attempt to return to normalcy. Schools have been reopened. The children are required to wear face covers and obey social distancing. Synagogues are active, for the most part, allowing up to 50 congregants again, so long as they wear face masks and obey social distancing.
Protests Against George Floyd’s Death Go Global
Following the brutal murder George Floyd, a 44 year-old African American, by a policeman who knelt on his neck, many demonstrations have since ensued globally in protest against the beastly act. The protests are not only confined to the United States, but have since spread to various parts of the world.
Putin and Erdogan Plays “Syria Game” in Libya
The recent crackdown on rebel leader General Khalifa Haftar’s forces in Libya has made it increasingly clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to take over covert control of the country’s future. Turkey provides military assistance to support of the government in Tripoli, while Gen. Haftar’s army has several thousand Russian “mercenaries.”
Border Police Kill Unarmed Palestinian, Riots Feared
The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a policeman has caused a severe reaction by the American public. Already, violent demonstrations are taking place in cities throughout America. George Floyd was held down by a policeman who strangled Floyd with his knee on his neck until suffocation.
Russia Expanding Military Bases in Syria – Is Africa Next?
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an order to the Russian Defense and Foreign ministries to discuss with Syria the transfer of additional real estate and water areas to the Russian military. The Russian government approved the draft Protocol No. 1 to the agreement on the deployment of the Russian aviation group in Syria on August 26, 2015. After reaching an agreement with the Syrian side, the agencies must sign it on behalf of Russia. Changes are allowed to the document that do not have a fundamental character.
Asylum Centers Become Coronavirus Hotspot in Germany
“The situation is very bad,” Farhad, an Afghan refugee, describes the atmosphere at the refugee reception center in Sankt Augustin, western Germany. Since news spread about the infections of 165 people residing in this center, anxiety has become the master of the atmosphere in the center, he says.
The Future of Syria
A peaceful uprising against president of Syria seven years ago has turned into a full-scale civil war. Protesters in Syria demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. The people demanded political and socioeconomic changes, fair election.
The conflict has left more than 350,000 people dead, devastated cities and got other countries sucked into it. The Syrian conflict has created the most humanitarian crisis of our times. Half the country’s pre-war population – more than 11 million people – have been killed or forced to flee their homes.
Israel Roundup — Returning to Normal, Constantly Under Threats
Israel is celebrating Jerusalem Day on Friday, in memory of the day in which Israel took possession of East Jerusalem and the Western Wall during the Six Day War. The State of Israel also observed its 72nd year of independence last month. After three elections, Israel was finally successful in making a united coalition emergency government.
Abdulnasser al-Qirdash, ISIS Leader, Captured
Iraqi intelligence services have arrested one of the top leaders of the Islamic State, Abdulnasser al-Qirdash, a possible successor to the group’s former leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The news of the terrorist leader’s arrest was made public on Wednesday through a brief statement by the Iraqi intelligence.
Syria — Moscow, Damascus “Deliberately Targeted” Civilians
Amnesty International said on Monday that Syrian and Russian forces have targeted schools and hospitals during their air and ground attacks in Syria. The human rights organization said, in a report published yesterday, that the Syrian and Russian forces in the northwest of the war-torn country carried out 18 such attacks between May 2019 and February 2020.
Russia Deployed Rezonans-NE Radar Systems Near Israeli Border
Concern is rising over reports of Russian Armed Forces deployment of Resonans-NE radar systems near the Israeli border. The Resonans-NE radar system is designed for long-range detection, tracking, determination of coordinates and movement parameters of a wide class of modern and promising targets, including cruise and ballistic missiles, hypersonic aircraft, even those manufactured using stealth technology.
Israel Roundup: High Court Affirms Coalition, COVID-19 Cases Decline
After failing to form a coalition government in three elections, it was decided that the two sides— Benny Gantz’s Israel Resilience Party, and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud— should compromise. The compromise was made in the light of the emergency created by the Coronavirus.
Israel Roundup— Life Returning to Normal, New Government Formed
Bank Hapaolim, a major Israeli bank, agreed to pay $30 million in fines over its involvement in a scandal involving soccer’s world governing body, FIFA. Bank employees agreed to lauder kickbacks and bribes from December 2010-February 2015, which were given in exchange for broadcasting rights for sports marketing executives.
Coronavirus: Syrian Refugee Shot Dead by Turkish Police
A 17-year-old Syrian refugee, who allegedly failed to comply with the country’s coronavirus curfew restrictions, was shot dead by police. Ali el Hemdan was returning home after work on Monday when the police arrested him on a routine check, according to several testimonies collected by a section of the nation’s local media.
Coronavirus: Mossad Delivers More Equipment to Israel
The Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, has flown a sizeable consignment of coronavirus equipment into the country. It includes Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) kits, which will boost testing capacity. Israeli healthcare facilities will now be able to carry out over 1,000 coronavirus tests daily.
Israel Roundup: Yom HaShoah Observed Online, Country Begins Easing Restrictions
April 21 is Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, in Israel. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, Remembrance Day was celebrated in Israel from Yad Vashem digitally without attendance. The speech by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was made live online, without attendance, from the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.
Israel Roundup: Vaccine to be Tested on Rodents, Citizens Strain Under Restrictions
In February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel Institute of Biological Research to join fight against the coronavirus pandemic. They are making “significant progress,” and are now commencing animal trials, using rodents. The laboratory is located in Nes Ziona, in central Israel, and hopefully positive results will come from these tests.
Russia and Syria Accuse US of Using Coronavirus Aid to Help Rebels
The Kremlin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad‘s government accuse the United States of using humanitarian aid to supply rebels. The interdepartmental coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria said that the US, against the background of the situation with the spread of COVID-19 in the world, plans to transfer cargo to the militants under the guise of humanitarian assistance.
Pompeo Says Russia Killed Dozens of Turkish Soldiers
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed Russia for the death of 34 Turkish soldiers following an airstrike that took out Turkey’s military positions in Idlib last month. He made the following statement about the incident on Tuesday during a news conference with reporters.
Iran Denies the Holocaust in Europe and in Syria
The holocaust in which 6 million Jews died in Nazi work camps is difficult to deny. It happened only eighty years ago and it is all recorded in history and even filmed. Not only that over 40 million people died in World War II which began with Hitler imprisoning Jewish children in Germany and all of Europe. Many countries including Britain ignored the persecution of the Jews before World War II not considering it important.
Israel Roundup: Country in Lockdown, Gantz to Become PM
With the news of a shut down in California, the most highly populated state in America, there is no other way to receive this news in Israel but with shock. Israel and America are partners in the work of building this world to last for another thousand years with peace and health. President Trump began his administration with the goal of reaching global peace but received opposition from the liberal Democrats.
Causes of Coronavirus Pandemic
The world faces the corona virus epidemic and with the help of God soon will be found medicine and a vaccine which will make Corona virus like other plagues and epidemics past history. The more recent epidemics, to mention The Spanish Flu in 1918, killed millions, the Hong Kong Flu in 1968 killed 1,000,000, HIV Aids which began in the Congo has killed millions.
Coronavirus Forces Turkish, European Leaders to Conference from Home
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s four-day summit with European leaders was scheduled to take place in Istanbul, but was cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Instead, the meeting was held by video conferencing. Heads of state and government discussed ways to send humanitarian aid to Idlib, in northern Syria, and the issue of Syrian refugees.
Demonstrators Flocked to Russian-Turkish Patrols Road in Idlib
Hundreds of protesters flocked to the Aleppo-Lattakia road in Idlib Governorate to protest against the Russian-Turkish patrols on the way. Hundreds of civilians flocked to the international road near Arihah and set tires to prevent the passage of Russian-Turkish joint patrols along the M4. Dozens had been in tents erected three days ago on the road, and there were calls for a demonstration in the area.
Erdogan Calls for European Support in Syria, EU Refuses to “Succumb to Blackmail”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that resolving the migration crisis requires European support in Syria, as new clashes between refugees and police on the border with Greece began. “If European countries want to resolve the issue, they must support Turkey’s efforts for political and humanitarian solutions in Syria,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara on Wednesday.
Turkey Accuses Greece of Firing on Migrants; One Dead, Several Injured
Tensions between Turkey and Greece remain high after Ankara decided last week to open its borders with Europe. In order to find a solution as soon as possible, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell continues his tour of the Turkish capital.
Who Will Be First to Start Covert Action in Turkey to Remove Erdogan, USA or Russia?
A voluminous 300-page report released last month by the RAND Corporation released titled “Turkey’s Nationalist Path-Implications For The US-Turkish Cooperation Strategy And The US Army” indicates that the Turkish government’s decision to dismiss hundreds of army officers after the failed 2016 coup in Ankara caused widespread discontent in the country’s armed forces.
Idlib Crisis: Moscow Does Not Want War with Turkey
The crisis surrounding the Idlib region in northern Syria has put the fragile Russia-Turkey alliance under new stress. Moscow neither wants a direct military confrontation with Ankara, nor does it want to break away from Idlib’s assessment of terrorist lairs, and certainly not from the support of the Syrian regime.
Turkey Opens the Gates, Greeks Meet Migrants with Tear Gas
The troops of the Greek Army conducted extensive target practice on the islands east of the Aegean Sea and the river Evros on Monday. This is a report by the Greek national television station, quoted by the Ministry of Defense of Athens. From the commentator’s point of view, the exercise was Athens’ response to the increase in the number of immigrants transferred from Turkey to Lesbos, Chios, and Samos the previous day.
Proxy Russia-Turkey War in Syria – What’s Next?
Russia and Turkey have been at war for awhile. However, it is a proxy war. Pro Turkish Syrian fighters supported by the Turkish military are fighting Pro-Russian Syrian fighters, who are supported by the Russian Army and the Kremlin. It is a war fought by using others to reach their objectives. Nevertheless, the war will turn into full blown conflict; at this time Turkey can’t afford blatant war with Russia.
Turkey Opens the Gates to Europe After Syrian Attack in Idlib
Senior Turkish officials say Turkey will no longer stop Syrian refugees from reaching Europe after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike in northwestern Syria’s Idlib area. The opening of the border may lead to a repeat of the immigration crisis in 2015-2016, when more than one million people will reach Greece by sea and walk across the Balkans, until Turkey and Iran close the border after reaching an agreement.
At Least 33 Turkish Soldiers Killed by Syrian Air Attack in Idlib
At least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike carried out on Thursday by the Syrian regime in the north-west of the country. It is a record number of fatalities for Turkey in a single day since 2016. This episode represents a serious escalation in the direct conflict between Turkey and the Russian-backed Syrian regime forces that has been fought since the beginning of February.
NATO Council Meeting Wrapped Up – What Are the Options in Syria for Turkey and Russia?
At the request of Turkey, NATO held an emergency council meeting. The Turkish Newspaper Yeni Safak published an article titled “The NATO crisis meeting has ended. Stoltenberg: we will protect Turkey from the air-air attacks from Syria will stop.” Yeni Şafak is a conservative Turkish daily newspaper that always supports Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AK Party. Overall, it has close ties to the Turkish government and could be considered a Turkish pro-government propaganda paper.
Islamic Jihad Fires Dozens of Rockets in Israel-Gaza Violence
More border clashes have broken out in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The group fired over eighty rockets on Israel in two days, Sunday and Monday. The Iron Dome defense system successfully intercepted 90% of these missiles. In response, the IDF struck Islamic Jihad terror targets near Damascus, Syria, and the group’s headquarters in Khan Younis.
Turkish Death Toll Rises to 16 in Idlib
A Turkish soldier was killed in a bomb attack by the Assad regime in Syria’s Idlib area, becoming the sixteenth Turkish soldier to die in the area this month. A statement issued from the Turkish province of Gaziantep said that the deceased was a tank repairman. Turkey has sent thousands of soldiers and military equipment to areas south of its borders to resist the attack by Assad forces in order to regain control of areas controlled by opposition fighters.
Turkey Faces Major Idlib Dilemma
Unsuccessful negotiations between Russian and Turkish diplomats, and the UN Security Council have doused all hope of easing tensions in Idlib, Syria. In anticipation, Ankara has asked the United States to deploy Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to the Turkey–Syrian border. The U.S. Embassy in Turkey has, however, declined to comment on the matter.
German FM Discusses Regional Issues with Saudis, Presses for Reforms
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met in Berlin Friday. Maas said that Germany and Saudi Arabia agreed to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear bomb. At a joint press conference with Prince Faisal, Maas said that talks between the two sides centered on conflicts in the region, including Libya, Syria, and Yemen, and Iran’s violation of the nuclear agreement.
Turkey Analysis – Will Kremlin Retaliate with a Covert Operation Against Erdogan?
The results of the new survey are available pertaining to the approval of the head of state of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The poll results were posted on Twitter by the @Metropol. The survey posed a straightforward question of whether or not the public approves of the current head of state’s activities. Thus far Erdogan is at a 41.9% approval rate.
Russian-Turkish Talks End with no Result
Thе first dау of the Ruѕѕіаn-Turkіѕh tаlkѕ on Idlіb еndеd Mоndау іn Moscow wіth no rеѕult. Ankаrа соntіnuеѕ tо transfer іtѕ mіlіtаrу еԛuірmеnt tо northern Syria аnd соntіnuеѕ to demand the іmmеdіаtе wіthdrаwаl оf the Syrian аrmу frоm its роѕіtіоnѕ. Moscow bеlіеvеѕ thаt Ankаrа fаіlеd the tаѕk of ѕераrаtіng thе tеrrоrіѕtѕ аnd the аrmеd орроѕіtіоn, but at thе same tіmе, thеу аrе tаlkіng about full undеrѕtаndіng between the Ruѕѕіаn аnd Turkіѕh mіlіtаrу.
Israel Roundup: Elections, Airstrikes, Blacklists
Israel elections are scheduled for March 2, and each citizen has already received notice of wherein this election he will vote. The presentation of the Deal of the Century is a big factor in the new elections. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu have both received the proposal with favor, but the other parties, who will be important to complete the required coalition, have different opinions about the Trump Plan.
Israel Roundup: IDF Develops Laser System, Former PM Shoots Down Deal of the Century
Israel continues to attempt to try to postpone an all-out war in the hope that a peaceful solution will come. U.S. President Donald Trump has entered into the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a referee. Referees can sometimes be blamed for making mistakes. Since introducing the Deal of the Century, tensions in Israel and Palestine are growing. Referees have an important place in sports. People want sometimes to put the blame on the referee, others accept that being a referee is difficult and necessary.
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