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SouthFront Offering Exclusive Digital Book ‘Syrian War Diary’

Dear friends, SouthFront has written an interesting ebook which I want to recommend to you.  Here below is their official announcement. The Saker ——- SouthFront Offering Exclusive Digital Book ‘Syrian War Diary’ The SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence project members and volunteers have prepared the original digital book, Syrian War Diary 1st Episode. The book is dedicated to the first period of the Syrian war. SouthFront: Analysis & Intelligence goal is

Week Five of the Russian Intervention in Syria: The Russians Are Digging in

This column was originally written for the Unz Review: http://www.unz.com/tsaker/week-three-of-the-russian-intervention-in-syria/ Whether this tragedy was directly linked to the war in Syria or not, there is no doubt that the downing of Kogalymavia Flight 9268 was the main event of the past week. Since I have covered this issue elsewhere, I shall not return to it in detail again here. I will just repeat here my personal conclusion that this tragedy

Islamic State Indirectly Admits Russian Airstrikes Far More Effective than ‘Coalition’ Airstrikes

by Oleg Maslov Islamic State representatives have taken many efforts to claim responsibility for placing a bomb on board a Russian Metrojet passenger airplane bound for Saint Petersburg from Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. Kogylmavia (Metrojet) Flight 9268 broke apart in the air over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, October 31, and the wreckage landed in an area roughly 20 square kilometers in size, leading to the death of all

A few thoughts about the rumors around the downing of Kogalymavia Flight 9268

Well, I tried to avoid writing about this topic until more hard facts became available.  But since this is apparently turning into a political fight between, on one side, Russia and Egypt and, on the other, the US and UK, I think that I can at least offer a few general thoughts. What we know so far is this: Kogalymavia Flight 9268 had left Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, Egypt, en

The Fallacy Of Erdogan-Style Democracy (updated version)

by Ghassan Kadi Erdogan’s AKP party has scored a monumental victory; not so much in terms of the lead in parliament though. As a matter of fact, it is a fairly narrow victory, but one that was least expected. What is monumental about it is the course that Turkey has set itself upon. A victory for Erdogan perhaps, but for Turkey itself, the outcome of this election will probably take

Ukraine SITREP, November 3rd 2015 by the Saker

It has been a very long while since I have posted a Ukrainian SITREP and there are good reasons for that: nothing much has happened there, at least nothing nearly as dramatic as the developments in the past.  In fact, ever since the crisis in Syria has taken center stage in US foreign policy preoccupations, the Ukraine appears to have been almost forgotten.  Did anybody even notice that local elections

Let’s lay down our arms, my fellow oppositionist (letter from a bona fide Putin hater)

Foreword from the Saker:  Today I am posting a really interesting document.  This is a open letter to her fellow “oppositionists” (from the Russian “oppositsioner” or “opponent”, in this case, a political opponent of Putin from the so-called non-system pro-US opposition, the folks who cannot even get a single deputy in the Duma because their rating is somewhere in 2-3% range) by a London based russophobic exile named Oksana Paksal

The Moscow-Beijing Express on The Saker: Russian Black Hat-Chinese White Hat

Their styles are 180 degrees apart, but together, as towering giants on the world’s geopolitical stage, Putin and Xi are slowly winning all the chips from Western Empire, for a new, fairer and more peaceful world. (Image by David Parkins) Russian Black Hat-Chinese White Hat The Moscow-Beijing Express on The Saker By: Jeff J. Brown, author and analyst at 44 Days Radio Sinoland Video reading at: https://youtu.be/ucXA6cQ1nyI Audio podcast at:

Week Four of the Russian Intervention in Syria: assessing the Vienna declaration

I would argue that, at least so far, Russia has achieved many important goal in her intervention in Syria.  Most importantly, the Russian intervention in Syria forced the USA to agree to a conference in which all the regional actors, including Iran, would be invited.  At the end of its proceedings the conference adopted a joint statement which I have fully reposted here: http://10.16.86.131/joint-statement-final-declaration-on-the-results-of-the-syria-talks-in-vienna-as-agreed-by-participants/ I believe that this statement represents

JOINT STATEMENT: Final declaration on the results of the Syria Talks in Vienna as agreed by participants

(red bolded color added to the original) Meeting in Vienna, on October 30, 2015, China, Egypt, the EU, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the United States [“the participants”] came together to discuss the grave situation in Syria and how to bring about an end to the violence as soon as possible. The

Syria SITREP November 2nd, 2015 by Scott

November 3, 2015 – News Alert: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Enter Rebel Stronghold in Southern Aleppo [source] It has been a long and arduous journey for the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Mechanized Division and Hezbollah in southern Aleppo, but it appears their persistency and patience has officially paid off, as they captured the eastern entrance of Al-Hadher after intense firefights with the Islamist rebels from Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Harakat Nouriddeen

The Fallacy Of Western-Style Democracy

by Ghassan Kadi Until China surpasses the USA as the world’s strongest economic power, if it hasn’t already, and until the different nations of the world make up their minds as to who is the mightiest of them all; America or Russia, the West continues to be seen leading the world in many different aspects; least of which is in its arrogance. Despite its failing family values, drug addiction problems,

Andrew Korybko’s Interview With Serbia’s “Geopolitica” Magazine (English Exclusive)

by Biljana Đorović and exclusively published in print in the magazine Geopolitica You are a brilliant young researcher who entered with rocket speed into the first-world echelon of geopolitical analysts. Your insights penetrate into the heart of the problems the world faces today. These problems can best be studied from the perspective of the nature of modern warfare: hybrid wars and network-centric wars. Present us, please, the nature of these

Dreams of a sleeping alligator – dream four: waking up

Dear friends, Looks like my so-called “break” is coming to an end.  It has been a weird “break”, to be sure.  Not only was I unable to really stay away, but I worked on a couple of big things in the background, the biggest one of which I will announce here tomorrow or Tuesday.  Tuesday will also be the day when I will re-start the blog at its normal (well,

Yemen Libya Egypt Israel SITREP October 31st, 2015 by John Rambo

Yemen: • Yemen has never been a stable country, even prior to the Arab Spring. • Currently the war is between the Houthis (supported by Iran) in the north against Hadi-loyalists (supported by Saudi-Arabia and co.) in the south and ISIL/AQAP in the east. • The Arab Spring allowed Houthi Shias in the north of Yemen to mobilize just like the rest of the region. • Al-Qaeda in the Arabian

Syria SITREP October 31st, 2015 by John Rambo

The Middle East Wars The Middle East is once again swept up in wars. Not since the early 80s has the Middle East experienced such a wide array of conflicts. Not only do we have the mother of all proxy wars in Syria but also a slew of campaigns and operations dotting the entire region and greater area from tribal skirmishes to transnational conflicts. In tangent with the Syrian crisis

Latin America SITREP October 28th, 2015 by Jack

1) Latin American Left: the Pink Tide: 1999-present? Two recent pieces on the status and prospects of the progressive governments, social movements and multilateral institutions collectively known as the ‘Pink Tide’. Raúl Zibechi: Taking stock of ‘Progresismo’ in Latin America [source] Immanuel Wallerstein: The Latin American Left Moves Rightward [source] (NB I have the utmost respect for both these writers, but the optimist in me has to say that it

South East Asia SITREP October 26th, 2015 by Joseph K

The situation in South East Asia these last two weeks has been relatively calm, but things are most certainly simmering away beneath the surface. This SITREP focuses on Vietnam’s “tightrope” diplomacy between the US and China, the situation in Myanmar as the country approaches elections, the ever-present danger of US provocations in the South China Sea, and finally, Russia’s developing relationship with ASEAN. Vietnam is changing… and so is the

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