U.S., Turkish Troops Headed For Military Showdown In Syria

US, Turkish Troops Headed For Military Showdown In Syria

Two days after we reported that Turkey valiantly demanded that US forces vacate military bases in the Syrian district of Manbij, when Turkey's foreign minister Melet Cavusoglu also said that Ankara is calling upon the US to cease any and all support to Syrian Kurdish forces and militias, not surprisingly the US refused, and on Monday a top American general said that US troops will not pull out from the northern Syrian city of Manbij, rebuffing Ankara demands to withdraw from the city and risking a potential confrontation between the two NATO allies.

Speaking on CNN, General Joseph Votel, head of the United States Central Command, said that withdrawing US forces from the strategically important city is "not something we are looking into."

Last week Turkish troops crossed into Syria in an push to drive US-backed Kurds out of Afrin. As part of the Turkish offensive, which is grotesquely code-named ‘Operation Olive Branch’, president Erdogan warned that the offensive could soon target “terrorists” in Manbij, some 100km east of Afrin.

“With the Olive Branch operation, we have once again thwarted the game of those sneaky forces whose interests in the region are different,” Erdogan said in a speech to provincial leaders in Ankara last week. “Starting in Manbij, we will continue to thwart their game.”

But not if the US is still there, unless for the first time in history we are about to witness war between two NATO members. And the US has no intention of moving.

Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesperson for the US-led coalition, told Kurdish media on Sunday that American forces would continue to support their Kurdish allies – despite Erdogan’s threats.

“Turkey knows where our forces are in Manbij, and what they are doing there, and why they are there –to prevent any kind of escalation between the groups who are in that area,” Dillon told Rudaw TV. “The Coalition will continue to support our Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against ISIS. We have said this all along, and we have said this with the Kurdish elements of the SDF. We will provide them equipment as necessary to defeat ISIS."

However, in an apparent miscommunication, US NatlSec Adviser H.R. McMaster said a day earlier that the United States would no longer provide weapons to YPG fighters or the Democratic Union Party (PYD) – sending mixed messages about Washington’s relationship with the Kurds.

The latest Turkish offensive in Syria has further strained the already contentious relationship between Washington and Ankara. A White House spokesman remarked last week that the operation "risks conflict between Turkish and American forces" in Syria. In an unprecedented step, last week the Turkish presidency went so far as to correct the White House readout of the phone conversation between Trump and Erdogan, explicitly accusing Trump of lying.

The Afrin campaign follows Erdogan’s vow to “strangle” the US-backed Border Security Force (BSF) in Syria. As discussed previously, the US-led coalition announced in January that it would help create the 30,000-strong BSF, half of which would be comprised of the Kurdish-dominated SDF.

Meanwhile, confirming that Turkey has no intention of backing down, and if anything will keep pressing on assuring an armed confrontation with the US is inevitable, Jenan Moussa with Arabic Al Aan TV, reports that "a huge story is developing right now." Namely, that a big Turkish army convoy including APCs drove thru HTS controlled Idlib in Syria heading towards AlEis, a rebel controlled frontline with Syrian gov forces &allies. Turkish army convoy was escorted whole time by Al-Qaeda linked HTS group."

PM Netanyahu Threatens To 'Stop' Iran If It Tries To Entrench Itself In Syria

Netanyahu threatens to 'stop' Iran if it tries to entrench itself in Syria

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday that if Iran continues to try and entrench itself in Syria, Israel will “stop it.”

“The question is: Does Iran entrench itself in Syria, or will this process be stopped. If it doesn’t stop by itself, we will stop it,” Netanyahu told Israeli reporters during a telephone briefing, moments before taking off Russia en route to Tel Aviv.

“We also spoke about Lebanon, which is becoming a factory for precision-guided missiles that threaten Israel. These missiles pose a grave threat to Israel, and we will cannot accept this threat,” he added.

Netanyahu said that the weapons factories are currently “in the process of being built” by Iran.

“I explained our policy. These are not idle words,” he added. “The Russians understand our position, they understand well the significance that we give to these threats,” he said, acknowledging, however, that he could not say the Russians “accepted” the Israeli position.

Israel is determined to do whatever is necessary to prevent those two developments, Netanyahu said.

The prime minister said he and Putin also discussed the nuclear deal with Iran. “I raised our objections and also those I heard from US President [Donald] Trump. I can’t speak for the Russian position, but they understood that if certain changes weren’t made, it is very possible that the US would make good on its threat” to withdraw from the deal.

Netanyahu arrived in Moscow earlier Monday and had three separate meetings, spending several hours with the Russian president. He described the talks as “frank, very straightforward, in the positive sense of the word.”

Over the past year, Israel has warned repeatedly against Iranian efforts to set up weapons production facilities in Lebanon and establish a presence near the Israeli border with Syria.

The Hezbollah terror group, a major political force in Lebanon, is widely considered an Iranian proxy group. Its troops have fought alongside Iranian and Russian forces, helping Syrian President Bashar Assad during a seven-year civil war.

Israel has also warned against the establishment of Iranian missile factories in Syria, as well as the transfer of advanced weapons from that country to Hezbollah. Dozens of airstrikes on weapons convoys bound for Lebanon have been attributed to Israel by foreign media reports.

Netanyahu to Putin: 'We'll stand up to Iran, there won't be another Holocaust'

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that Israel will not tolerate Iran’s military buildup in Lebanon, or Iranian efforts to establish a foothold in Syria.

The meeting took place a day after a senior IDF spokesman said Lebanon was being turned into “one big missile factory” in service of the Tehran regime.

"It is no longer transfer of arms, money, or advice," said Brigadier General Ronen Manelis. "De facto, Iran has opened a new branch, 'Lebanon branch - Iran is here.' The IDF is prepared and ready for all scenarios, and plans to further improve its capabilities and readiness throughout the year. As we have proven in recent years, and those who need to know about it know, our security red lines are clear, and we prove this every week. The choice is yours, the citizens of Lebanon."

Netanyahu echoed Manelis’ accusation Monday morning before he flew to Moscow, vowing to discuss with Putin “Iran’s effort to turn Lebanon into one giant missile site” for attacks on Israel.

In Moscow, Netanyahu said that Israel is "still ready to prevent any attempts of this type of ideology, in the first place Iran, which speaks of the intention to destroy us".

"We will stand before them [Iran] with all our might," Netanyahu said. "There will not be another Holocaust."

After the meeting, Netanyahu spoke with journalists, calling the meeting with the Russian leader ‘constructive’.

“This meeting took place in the midst of a larger period of change,” continued the Prime Minister. “This is a watershed moment in Syria. Will Iran establish a foothold in Syria, or will the process be halted. I made it clear to Putin that we will stop [that process]. If it won’t be halted on its own, we will take action – and in reality we are already working to stop this threat.”

“We also discussed Lebanon,” said Netanyahu, “and I told him that the threat of weapons emanating from Lebanon is a threat the State of Israel will not tolerate, and if we need to act – we’ll take action.”

Netanyahu pointed out that the missile factories in Lebanon were still in the early stages of construction, but emphasized that Iranian forces operating in the area must understand that not only Israel but also the US would not tolerate the manufacture of such weapons on Israel’s northern border.

“These factories are still in the process of being established. It is important for our enemies to understand that not only will Israel not accept the existence of these factories, but also the world powers will not accept them.”

Netanyahu to Putin: Nazis show that evil must be uprooted before it gains power

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, telling him that the lesson of the Nazis was that murderous ideologies must be stopped before they can flourish — an apparent reference to the current situation with Iran.

Ahead of their meeting, which was expected to focus on Israel’s concerns over the Iranian nuclear deal and attempts by Tehran to set up a military presence in Syria, the two leaders visited the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, where they viewed  an exhibit  dedicated to the 1943 uprising at the Nazi death camp Sobibor, in occupied Poland, that was led by Jewish inmate and Red Army officer, Alexandr Pechersky.

“We see here a very moving exhibition of documents from the Sobibor revolt, in which a Jewish officer from the Red Army, against all odds, led the successful breakout, the breakout to freedom.”

“I think that main lesson learned from the rise of the Nazis and afterwards the defeat of the Nazis, is the need to powerfully stand up to murderous ideology in time,” Netanyahu said at the museum. “That is our mission also today, that is what I want to talk to you about: our joint efforts to advance security and stability in our regions, and of course on the mutual cooperation between us, between Russia and Israel.”

Putin responded by noting the historical tie that the Russian and Jewish people have over their suffering in World War II, during which six million Jews and some 20 million Russians were killed.

“As you know, in our country there were many victims, in nearly every family,” the Russian leader continued. “Among the Jews who were murdered by the Nazis, there were many citizens of the Soviet Union. They are the ones who made a great contribution in the defeat of the Nazis. We will use this opportunity to talk about our bilateral relations and to discuss the situation in the region.”

Things To Come: National ID Card

‘Police state’ national ID card tucked in major bill

Inserted in a sweeping House bill introduced earlier this month called Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 is the establishment of a new biometric National ID card for all Americans that has privacy activists sounding alarms.

Introduced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., H.R. 4760 encompasses issues such as education, Homeland Security and the military. Buried in the 400-page legislation is the new mandatory national identification system in which citizens would be required to carry a government-approved ID containing “biometric features.”

The bill states that anyone seeking employment in the country must have the card.

The purpose of the measure, part of the legislative solution to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, is to curb illegal immigration. It specifically addresses the shortcomings of the E-Verify system, which has failed to catch an estimated 54 percent of illegal immigrant workers.

Ron Paul, the former Republican lawmaker and presidential candidate known for his libertarian views, has launched a campaign against the national ID through his non-profit Campaign for Liberty, including an online petition.

Paul, writing to his supporters, declared the proposed ID card “is exactly the type of battle that often decides whether a country remains free or continues sliding toward tyranny.”

WND asked Rep. Goodlatte and his staff at the House Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, to respond to questions regarding the privacy concerns but did not receive answers.

Proponents of the measure argue workers already are required to provide a Social Security number, which is part of a national database, and emphasize the benefits of curbing illegal immigration for American workers and taxpayers and the nation’s security.

Paul fears the national database supporting the cards “could expand to include American citizens’ gun ownership status, religious beliefs, political affiliation and virtually anything else at the stroke of a President’s pen.”

The biometric identification information on the cards, Paul warns, which could include fingerprints, retinal scans, or scans of veins on the back of hands, could easily be used as a tracking device.

Paul noted that the law would require all employers to purchase an ID scanner to verify the cards, and he fears that it would be only a matter of time that ID scans would be required for routine purchases.

The national ID card, the former congressman recalls, was a key portion of the failed “comprehensive immigration reform” bills both parties tried to pass during the Obama administration.

“Now, using the momentum behind Trump’s tough talk on immigration and border security, I’m afraid the statists believe the best way to finally enact their National ID scheme is by promoting their bill on Capitol Hill as a ‘DACA fix’ while they sell it to the GOP base as a border ‘security’ measure,” he writes.

The national ID, Paul said, doesn’t target any border but instead is meant “to create an all-out police state within them.”

Alex Nowrasteh, a fellow at the libertarian CATO Institute in Washington, said in a FoxNews.com column “a national ID hurts American workers while pretending to help them,” calling a “naked government power grab” that effectively requires every American to ask government permission to get a job.

“American workers shouldn’t have to beg or plead to anybody to get permission to work,” he wrote. “Being employed should be a private agreement between an employer and employee. Period. The government should get out of the way.”

He also argued that “carrying around government papers with biometric identification on it conjures up images of a more technologically savvy Oceania or East Germany.”

He further asserted that the system would exclude millions of legal workers by accident and fail to catch the majority of illegal immigrants.

“For instance, if E-Verify were instituted nationwide 3.6 million Americans would be denied employment each year and have to visit the Social Security Administration to correct their records. The employer either fires them or delays training. Will a biometric ID card make this system better? How does that help American workers?”

He said, along with costing businesses up to $800 to buy a scanner, it “would treat every American like a criminal by requiring them to enter their most intimate and personal data into a government database.”

Hezbollah Threatens To Open Fire On IDF Soldiers Building Border Fence, Gaza Rocket Explodes In Southern Israel

Hezbollah threatens to open fire on IDF soldiers building border fence -- report

Hezbollah has threatened to open fire at IDF soldiers if Israel does not halt the construction of a barrier along the Israel-Lebanon border, Hadashot TV reported Monday.

Israel has been building the obstacle — made up of a collection of berms, cliffs and concrete barriers — for a long time, but it has only now reportedly angered the Lebanese terror group, which last fought Israel in the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

The message was delivered to Jerusalem via the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the report said. The UN force, fearing a possible escalation, passed the message on to the US and French ambassadors, who updated the Prime Minister’s Office on the matter.

However, the Israeli government was unimpressed, and responded with a threatening message of its own, the report said. Israel said it was acting in its own sovereign territory in accordance with a Security Council resolution adopted after Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

The section Israel is now constructing, on the northern side of the border fence, is angering Hezbollah. However, in parts, the fence is built inside Israeli territory.

Israel does not intend to halt the construction, Jerusalem said, and Hezbollah will “pay dearly” if it tries to inflame tensions. “Israel’s reaction will be strong and painful,” sources in Israel’s security establishment were quoted as saying.

Earlier on Monday, a Hezbollah lawmaker struck back against a rare op-ed published in Lebanese media by an Israeli army spokesperson, saying his warnings of Iran manufacturing rockets in the country were “provocative nonsense” and that Hezbollah was now in a position to destroy the Israeli army.

Israel’s top military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, accused Hezbollah of morphing Lebanon into a branch of Iran, and turning Lebanon into “one big missile factory,” in a piece published Sunday, in Arabic, in several Lebanese news outlets.

In response, Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad, writing in Al-Hewar Al-Motamaden, one of the Lebanese blog sites where Manelis published, said, “Israel should not be unmindful and engage itself in a war that would destroy it… Hezbollah has today become stronger and has what it takes to destroy the Israeli army,” he wrote.

“Israel has become isolated internationally and regionally. Its media spins are a cover for its inability to show itself as strong,” he added.

Gaza rocket explodes in southern Israel

The “Red Alert” incoming rocket siren was heard shortly before midnight on Monday night in the Shaar Hanegev and Sdot Negev Regional Councils of southern Israel.

Shortly thereafter, a rocket fired from Gaza exploded in an open area in southern Israel.

No physical injuries or damages were reported. Security forces are searching the area.

Earlier this month, a rocket was fired from Gaza towards Israeli territory. The rocket exploded inside Gaza and therefore the incoming rocket sirens were not activated.

In late December and early January, there was an increase in rocket fire from Gaza, including one day in which there were three rocket attacks.

In one attack, Gaza terrorists fired three rockets towards southern Israel in the middle of an event marking the 24th birthday of kidnapped and murdered IDF soldier Oron Shaul, whose body has been held by Hamas since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge. The event was attended by Israeli Knesset members.

Assad To Israel: 'Attack Again, And I'll Launch A Missile At Ben Gurion Airport'

Assad threatens: 'Attack again, and I'll launch a missile at Ben Gurion airport'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today sent a threat to Israel through Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that if Israel attacked targets in the country again, Syria would respond by firing Scud missiles at Ben-Gurion Airport. "Syrian honor is above all else," Assad told Putin, who replied that he would convey the message to Israel.

About three weeks ago, the Syrian army announced that Israel had carried out a series of attacks on an Assad army base in the eastern Kalmon Mountains, north of Damascus, confirming reports by media outlets close to the regime and as reported by Mako news.

According to the army's announcement, Israel carried out three attacks with fighter jets and missiles. "The air defense forces opened fire at the sources of the fire and hit aircraft," the statement said. In Israel no confirmation was forthcoming regarding the damaging of aircraft.

According to the official Syrian report, the series of attacks began at 2:40 am when planes fired missiles from Lebanon's airspace towards the Al-Katifa area. Then, at 3:40 am, another attack was carried out using surface-to-surface missiles launched from the Golan Heights. At 4:15 a third attack was carried out by four missiles fired from the Tiberias area. 

The Syrian army also claims that in response, its air defense forces opened fire at the aircraft and the missiles, and succeeded in intercepting or destroying some of them.

Syria repeatedly warns of the dangerous consequences of Israel's attacks and promises to continue fighting the rebel groups, which are called "Israel's terrorist affiliates". 

Media outlets belonging to the Syrian opposition and rebels reported that the targets of the attack were ammunition depots in which long-range missiles were stored. The Syrian Center for Human Rights said that weapons warehouses belonging to Hezbollah and the Syrian army were damaged in the attack and that there was a fire and damage to the buildings. It also said that no injuries were reported as a result of the attacks.

About a month ago, foreign media reported an attack on the Jamariya area on the outskirts of Damascus. According to reports on the Russian television network RT and Syrian television, at around 23:30, Israel attacked a Syrian military post located on the outskirts of Damascus with missiles.

Syria's state television reported that local anti-aircraft forces had intercepted three missiles fired by Israel while they were still in the air: "Air defense forces were hit by an Israeli missile attack," the official SANA news agency reported, "The target was a military site in the suburbs of Damascus." Other media outlets in the country reported that Israeli aircraft were shot at.