Following is a thread of quotes from #TheGlobalJigsaw latest episode on the #IRGC, #Quds force, #Basij militias - and th ideological blueprint for #Iran so called Axis of Resistance. Whole episode here:
He was already a notorious figure around the time of the Arab Spring and the outbreak of the #Syrian civil war.
In #Syria first it was #Soleimani 's role in ensuring that the #IRGC propped up the govt of Bashar al #Assad after the outbreak of civil war - he reportedly personally convinced the supreme leader, who he had a direct line to, to intervene in Syria on Assad's behalf. And then again, reportedly goes to #Moscow to convince #Putin to intervene in Syria on Assad’s behalf.
(cont.)
The #IRGC is essentially the life saver of the #Syrian government. You can't really look at it any other way. But #Assad now has oil rich Gulf friends: #Saudi Arabia, the #UAE Iran cannot allow the Saudis to take a space If it thinks it has a chance to get in there.
It looks like #Israel is deliberately escalating the whole situation. I mean, striking Iranian targets (with a lot of Syrian 'collateral' damage) in #Damascus and #Aleppo is asking for escalation. It wouldn't surprise me if they do this as a distraction for their crimes in #Gaza, now that multiple Western allies hesitantly start asking questions.
Al Jazeera: Israel’s war on Gaza live: Troops denied leave as Iran threatens revenge
"The Israeli military halts leave for all combat units, calls up reservists, and blocks GPS coordinates in the country as Iran threatens retaliation for deadly strikes on its consulate in Damascus, Syria."
While in #Lebanon, Dimitri Lascaris caught up with Laith Marouf, a #Canadian of #Palestinian#Syrian origin. Marouf has long been an outspoken #defender of the Palestinian cause & a prime target of #Canada's #ZionistLobby#CIJA. During their visit to the Beqaa Valley, Lascaris & Marouf talked about #Zionists' extraordinary efforts to silence Marouf.
"[T]he typical #Iraqi#Hanukkah sweet zalabia — a delicious fried, yeasted funnel cake soaked in a sticky and intensely sweet syrup — is essentially the same as #Syrian zalabiah (although theirs is a different shape) and #Indian jalebi, both also eaten on Hanukkah."
With the exception of some #Turkish Airlines flights that appear to possibly be performing aerial surveillance over northern #Syria, the international carrier flight paths seem to be avoiding #Syrian airspace.
Active Conflict Zone Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011. The ongoing conflict, as well as Turkey & Russia bombing Kurds make the airspace over Syria highly dangerous and volatile.
Risk to Civil Aircraft: There is a high risk to civil aircraft. Syrian AD systems may misidentify aircraft, which may be targeted in error or caught in crossfire during ongoing air attacks involving Russia, Iran. Missiles may erroneously lock on to civil aircraft.
There have been incidents where civil aircraft were caught in dangerous situations. In Feb 2020, an A320 enroute OSDI/Damascus was caught in crossfire during an attack by 4 Israeli F-16’s, forcing it to divert to a Russian controlled air base.
Russia props up Syrian dictator. Putin, Erdogan kill Kurds.
Sedoy means grey haired in #Russian . #Troshev -a ret colonel- participated in the #Afghan , #Syrian and #Chechen conflicts. Yesterday #Putin met him - likely the closest to a confirmation of his significant role in the #Wagner story.
'absorption into #Redut is now one of the many options for Wagner’s future and we know that Troshev, alongside several other defectors, has been trying to lure over Wagner fighters into that military company.'
' #Russia maintains significant military presence in #Syria and its air power and political support over the past decade have been essential in aiding President Bashar Al #Assad and his govt and shifting the tide of the conflict. Over the years, #Wagner has been involved in combat missions and security for #oil installations in Syria.'
'there have been reports that #Syrian officials have already told Wagner to integrate with the Russian army or leave by October'
A #Syrian website 'reported murky investments in the Syrian #oil and #gas sector, including stakes in Mercury and Velada. These are companies that were granted contracts for oil exploration in #Syria , approved by the Syrian parliament. And according to #Russian media outlets, these companies were owned by #Prigozhin'
A few days ago Russian media reported that Velada has changed hands. According to Vyorstka, it is now owned by a 27 yo ex-policeman in St Petersburg' https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5hlb
Syrian opposition figures (medium.com)
Syrian opposition figures...