Recently got a hard drive that was in my parents' home 8000 miles away. Photos that I thought were boring at the time (in 2009) are now so nostalgic, given the circumstances:
A photo of Palmyra, the famous Roman ruins in Homs, Syria, in 2009 before ISIS blew it up.
Mastodon + fediverse need to expand beyond northern Europe and the Anglophone world, and consider what emergency response on this platform would look like; the lives of people in Asia, Africa, Latin America, etc. can’t be reliant on a billionaire’s whims
Russian intelligence is operating a systematic program to launder pro-Kremlin propaganda through private relationships between Russian operatives and unwitting US and western targets, according to newly declassified US intelligence....
For a week straight now, there have been ongoing protests in the #Syria city of #Suwayda. I’d link to news, but it seems to be mostly reported via Twitter.
There have been on-and-off protests in Syria for years despite the brutal repression of the 2011 movement, but this length of protest is unprecedented since then, and the demands—the release of the 130,000 disappeared, the fall of the regime—are broad.
So that you know, this video posted today by #SyrianGirl account with description “Yemen Houthi forces Score a direct hit in US destroyer” gained nearly 700k views, 2.3k shares and 7k likes… and it’s entirely false.
Users quickly identified the original as 2013 video from Norway naval exercise. The “Syrian Girl” account only added some subtitles in Arabic.
The account has been posting such fakes for years, starting from inventing incredible conspiracy theories to discredit the official OPCW investigation into #Assad chemical attacks against civilians in #Syria and then every single fake, mostly produced in #Russia.
Remember: In 2019, Trump suddenly withdrew US forces from Syria. He betrayed America's Kurdish allies, who had lost 11,000 soldiers fighting against ISIS. He left our brothers in arms to be beheaded by Erdoğan's jihadists, and he left thousands of ISIS prisoners to escape. "Five years of work—undone."
Why did Trump do it? What did he get in return?
Nothing. He did it because he's Erdoğan's bitch, and Erdoğan told him to.
According to the U.K. Ministry of Defense intelligence update on Aug. 9, the Russian merchant tanker Sig was "attacked and disabled near the Kerch Strait" on Aug. 4 by a sea drone, or Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV).
Erdogan: “Turkey will take 'necessary action' against shooting down of its drone by US”
#Erdogan annihilated the water & power infrastructure for 3+ million people in Syria.
Turkey targeted 200+ locations in areas held by the #AANES, including power stations, water & energy facilities, hospitals, & schools.
The destruction of #Kurdish infrastructure amounts to war crimes and cannot be described as anything less than that.
Turkey is a terrorist state. Why is Turkey committing genocide in Syria?
Brazil's President Lula da Silva at #BRICS: "It is very hard to combat #ClimateChange while so many developing countries are still dealing with #hunger#poverty and other #violence."
Well, it's difficult to deal with developing nations while BRICS's Terrorist Russian Federation unleashes #WarCrimes daily in #Ukraine#Syria and #Africa.
And it's difficult to fight poverty while #PutinWarCriminal bombs grain in Ukraine.
2019 #Putin denies any links between "private military companies" and #Russia state when asked about "Wagner" in #Syria
2023 Putin moans about Russian state spending 84 billion rubles for "Wagner" from state and defense budgets, plus additionally moans about "the owner" earning through catering contracts with Russian state.
Yet another lesson that whatever Putin says and swears today he will say exactly the opposite tomorrow without even blinking.
Bashar al-Assad, who’s benefitted from russian military assistance, is seeing a second week of mass protests against his regime in formerly quiet government-controlled parts of #Syria
The UN Human Rights Office estimates that over 306,000 civilians were killed 2011-21.
The russian military played a key role in turning the tide of the civil war when it started its air campaign in Syria in 2015.
Ukraine believes that #Starlinks SpaceX's satellite internet device, are used by Russia. Musk has denied this.
Although Starlinks are 'geofenced', #SpaceX can control where operate, recent tweets from #Musk and SpaceX have not mentioned any investigation in Ukrainian claims.
Ukrainian intelligence reports that #Iran and #Hezbollah are training Russian #droneoperators in #syria The training also involves Syrian mercenaries Russia wants to deploy in Ukraine.
This is a further strengthening of political/military relations between Russia, Iran and Assad’s regime in Syria.
Look: British and American fighter jets are now shooting down Iranian #drones (#Shahed) over #Israel, #Syria and #Jordan. And yet they are not in a direct war with #Iran.
Why can't we shoot down exactly the same Shahed drones over #Ukraine, just like that - without a state of war?!
"Opening trade war, Turkey imposes restrictions on Israel until Gaza ceasefire
Ankara’s trade ministry lists 54 items that will not be exported to Israel, which says it will draw up its own ‘extensive’ inventory of Turkish products it will ban"
"On this day 13 years ago, the Syrian people took to the streets in peaceful protest to demand their freedom and respect for human rights. The #Assad regime met these protests with a ruthless campaign of oppression and atrocities that continues to this day. Since March 2011, the #Syria conflict has led to the deaths of more than 500,000 people, and the forced displacement of more than half of the Syrian population" https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thirteenth-anniversary-of-the-syrian-uprising-joint-statement
[News] Newly declassified US intel claims Russia is laundering propaganda through unwitting Westerners | CNN Politics (www.cnn.com)
Russian intelligence is operating a systematic program to launder pro-Kremlin propaganda through private relationships between Russian operatives and unwitting US and western targets, according to newly declassified US intelligence....
UK Defense Ministry: Russian tanker supplying Syria attacked by sea drone (kyivindependent.com)
According to the U.K. Ministry of Defense intelligence update on Aug. 9, the Russian merchant tanker Sig was "attacked and disabled near the Kerch Strait" on Aug. 4 by a sea drone, or Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV).
Kyrgyzstan brings back 95 ISIL wives, children from Syrian internment camps (www.aljazeera.com)
The government of Kyrgyzstan has said 95 wives and children of ISIL (ISIS) fighters have been repatriated from internment camps in Syria....