As the US and NATO continue to assemble the largest military presence in Eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War, a US Navy admiral has gone on a promotional campaign, warning of an “advanced Russian submarine force” stalking the waters of the Atlantic.
In October 2014, authorities in Sweden claimed that a grainy photograph appeared to show a Russian submarine patrolling the Swedish coast. After much fanfare and handwringing, the claims were debunked.
"It was not a submarine," Ola Truedsson, commander of the naval division of Sweden’s armed forces said in a statement released in 2015. "We are doing this to clarify what was perceived to be a submarine in a photograph, but what we know with certainty was a civilian working ship."
Notwithstanding the sober judgment of the Swedish commander, Russian submarine paranoia appears to have spread to the United States. In an article for Proceedings Magazine, US Vice Adm. James Foggo III claimed that Moscow has increased its sub presence in the Atlantic Ocean, in an effort to study America’s submersible capabilities.
"Once again, an effective, skilled, and technologically advanced Russian submarine force is challenging us," he declared.
"Russian submarines are prowling the Atlantic, testing our defenses, confronting our command of the seas, and preparing the complex underwater battlespace to give them an edge in any future conflict."
For Foggo, this is proof that Moscow’s primary interest is in militarily threatening the West.
"Not only have Russia’s actions and capabilities increased in alarming and confrontational ways, its national-security policy is aimed at challenging the United States and its NATO allies and partners."
In particular, the naval spokesman is concerned with the Russian Navy’s superior stealth capabilities.
"These are the platforms that are the most challenging for us to deal with because of their inherent stealth," he said.
Some time ago it was widely believed that Aleppo was the key target for turning the tide of war in Syria. Now the Syrian military seems to reconsider its plans. It has decided to liberate the de facto Islamic State (IS) capital Raqqa – the big city under full militant control and a major base of operations for the terrorist group.It can and must be done. The recent Palmyra liberation by Russia-supported Syria forces is an inspiring example.
On June 3, the Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes launched a prolonged, full-scale offensive to oust IS from Raqqa, nearing a region where US-backed militias have also attacked the jihadist group. Thousands of the Syrian Army’s most experienced troops amassed at the town of Ithriya (in southern Aleppo). The Russian Aerospace Forces delivered strikes to hit IS-held territory in eastern areas of Hama province near the province of Raqqa, where the Syrian army was advancing.
The move is prompted by inefficiency of US-led coalition forces, which are also involved in the combat actions to make IS militants flee.
The gist of the problem is that there are two coalitions involved in combat actions to pursue the same mission – the liberation of Raqqa from IS terrorists. The group is attacked by the pro-US coalition on the one hand, and the Syrian regular army supported by Russian aviation, on the other. In a way it is reminiscent of the offensive both sides carried out against Nazi Germany during World War II. The difference is that those days there was a formal alliance between the Soviet Union and the Western allies, and that's not the case in Syria now.
It’s ridiculous that the two coalitions don’t cooperate, or at least coordinate, their actions.
Suggestions of military cooperation between the United States and Russia against the Islamic State have circulated repeatedly since the two governments agreed early this year to head a diplomatic committee pushing for a political solution to the civil war. The US has consistently refused to join forces with Russia in Syria ever since Moscow launched its campaign of air strikes in September last year.
Before the US-led coalition’s offensive to free Raqqa started, Russia had reiterated that it was ready to coordinate with US and Kurdish forces.
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters, “We do not collaborate or coordinate with the Russians on any operations in Syria. We don’t have military-to-military relations with Russia.”
The US rejection of Russia’s proposal is an example of double standards policy and irresponsibility. All the statements about the desire to achieve peace in Syria appear to be nothing but empty words. Looks like the Russia-supported operations of Syrian army are the only hope for the war-torn country. If the government forces succeed, the Syrian people and the world will clearly see who does real business and lends a helping hand in times of trouble and who mainly limits its activities to highfalutin statements never translating words into deeds.
Four illegal oil production facilities controlled by the terrorist group Daesh, also known as IS/Islamic State, have been destroyed by Russian fighter jets.
"Russian air force jets destroyed four targets of illegal oil extraction, located to the northwest of Raqqa and controlled by Daesh militants," Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Russian Su-34s have carried out a series of airstrikes against terrorist oil operations in Syria throughout the week. On Wednesday, jets took out a facilities in al-Hasakah Province. Strikes were carried out on installations near Raqqa on Tuesday, as well.
Raqqa is the self-proclaimed capital of Daesh, and believed to be a major waypoint for illegal oil making its way into Turkey.
Washington has asked Moscow not to conduct airstrikes against al-Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, for fear that members of the “moderate opposition” could also be hit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reported.
“They [the US] are telling us not to hit it [al-Nusra Front], because there are also ‘normal’ opposition groups [on those territories],” Lavrov said in an interview with local Russian media that was published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.
The minister also stressed that “such opposition groups should leave terrorist positions,” adding that “we have long agreed on that.” Russia first set a deadline for the “moderate” opposition to leave territories occupied by al-Nusra Front extremists, but then agreed to give them more time to withdraw.
In the interview, Lavrov said that Russia believes that taking specific and more effective measures to fight the Islamic State (IS, former ISIS/ISIL) and al-Nusra Front terrorist groups should be the top priority for Russia and the US if the Syrian crisis is to be resolved.
[Watch the videos, especially the second one. They speak for themselves]
Nothing major that happens in any country these days can seem to just… be… normal.
Take the opening of Switzerland’s new train tunnel. It’s the world’s largest; a 35-mile long, 2,300 meter-deep tunnel cutting through the Alps that cost €11 billion and took 17 years to build.
When it opened, it couldn’t just open with, say, a ribbon cutting ceremony and a party or something. Oh no.
It had to have an €8 million occultic opening ceremony, complete with half naked dancers and creepy winged and horned beasts. Basically a Madonna concert without Madonna.
Go ahead and figure out the symbolism in this one:
Sure, the jumpsuits may be orange, but the walk is all Metropolis…
After a bit more dancing, a bunch of people in their underwear show up… including a winged, masked topless lady flying over what is supposed to be the nine miners who died during the tunnel’s construction. Next comes an angry man with chains beating metal things. At some point it starts to look like Cirque Du Soleil meets Voodoo ritual, then the horned beasts are summoned.
And it was no small production. Some six hundred performers took part in this opening ceremony.
RT reports, “Co-ordinated by German director Volker Hesse, the performances were supposed to represent various aspects of Swiss culture, but, at times, ended up resembling a Kanye West fashion show.”
Signs proclaimed the tunnel was “on track to the future”. If the ceremony is any indication, the future is a scary place.
Yikes....just took your advice and watched the videos. Oh my, there are some seriously sick people out there. These seemed straight out of a drug induced satanic dream.
ReplyDeleteBurrrrrr.....a strange dirty feeling to start the day
Yea, I know what you mean, very strange and creepy but most definitely satanic elements IMO
ReplyDelete