(2019-09-10). War and whiskers: Freshly-resigned John Bolton gets meme-roasting. rt.com 
US National Security Advisor John Bolton's departure from the Trump administration has been met with a mix of joy from the MAGA crowd and protests from dedicated neocons, but also with an avalanche of memes. | President Donald Trump announced Bolton's dismissal by tweet on Tuesday, saying he had "disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions," presumably meaning his advocacy for military-enforced regime change in Syria, Venezuela, North Korea and Iran. Bolton insisted that he attempted to resign before Trump's announcement. | Reaction flowed in swiftly, with some commenters in the media lamenting the war-haw…
(2019-09-10). Video: Turkey Expands Its Military Presence in Northern Syria. globalresearch.ca Turkey is increasing its military presence in northern Syria. | On September 8, Turkish and US forces carried out a first joint patrol east of the Euphrates in the framework of the 'safe zone' agreement recently reached by Ankara and Washington. …
(2019-09-10). Denmark Announces Increased Military Contributions and NATO Support in Syria and Beyond. globalresearch.ca Denmark is recognized as one of the most socially and economically developed countries in the world, which enjoys a high standard of living as well as high metrics in national performance, protection of civil liberties, and the lowest perceived level …
(2019-09-10). Damascus Strongly Condemns US-Turkish Joint Military Patrols in Northeastern Syria. globalresearch.ca On Sunday, six military vehicles from Akcakale district in southeast Sanliurfa in Turkey, crossed the border into Syria and joined a US military convoy in carrying out joint military ground patrols from Tel Abyad, Al Raqqa governorate to Ras Al …
(2019-09-10). With Strikes Against Iran, Netanyahu Risks Jeopardising his Closest Alliance. dissidentvoice.org Every Israeli prime minister — not least Benjamin Netanyahu — understands that a military entanglement with Hezbollah, Lebanon's armed Shia movement on Israel's northern border, is a dangerous wager, especially during an election campaign. It was Shimon Peres who lost to Mr Netanyahu in 1996, weeks after the former prime minister had incensed Israel's Palestinian …
(2019-09-10). Hezbollah shoots down Israeli drone. fightbacknews.org Washington DC — The progressive Lebanese political party Hezbollah announced early September 9 that its military forces had shot down an Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) over Lebanon. | In a statement, Hezbollah's media relations office said their forces "repelled with appropriate weapons an Israeli drone as it crossed the Palestinian-Lebanese border towards the southern town of Ramieh." | "The drone was downed in the outskirts of the town and now it is in the hands of the Resistance fighters," the statement added. | Israel frequently violates Lebanon's airspace and launched an August 25 drone attack o…
(2019-09-10). Netanyahu Risks Triggering an Unwinnable War to Avoid Losing Election. globalresearch.ca Every Israeli prime minister — not least Benjamin Netanyahu — understands that a military entanglement with Hezbollah, Lebanon's armed Shia movement on Israel's northern border, is a dangerous wager, especially during an election campaign. | It was Shimon Peres who lost …
(2019-09-10). Hezbollah Will Not Let Israeli Attacks Go Unanswered: Nasrallah. telesurenglish.net Hezbollah's long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah addressed a large crowd in southern Beirut on Tuesday to commemorate the "martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali" in Karbala, which is adhered to on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. | RELATED: | Following Hezbollah Attack, Israel 'Cannot Hide Anymore' | During the Hezbollah leader's address, he highlighted the recent Israeli drone attacks on one of his group's media centers in the southern suburbs of Beirut. | "The…
(2019-09-10). From a Lebanese Refugee Camp to Harvard, Ismail Ajjawi Inspires Other Palestinian Students. democracynow.org 
Today marks a week since Ismail Ajjawi, a 17-year-old Palestinian student who was denied entry into the United States, began classes with his fellow Harvard freshmen. Ajjawi was initially turned away at Boston's Logan Airport after immigration officials searched his phone and computer, and interrogated him about his religion and social media posts by friends that were critical of U.S. policy. He was then forced to return home to Lebanon, but his case provoked outrage on the Harvard campus and among some Palestinian rights and academic freedom groups. Ajjawi, who is attending Harvard on a full scholarship, was edu…
(2019-09-09). The Coming Drone War Over Lebanon. counterpunch.org 
After two civil wars, multiple invasions and political assassinations galore, you might think Lebanon deserves a break from the greatest crisis since its last greatest crisis. But no — here we were this week with the Israelis claiming the Hezbollah were running a missile factory in the Bekaa Valley and the prime minister — the More
(2019-09-09). Safe zone in Syria, Trump and the Taliban, Maduro vs. Guaido. uwidata.com Safe zone in Syria On Sunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States of attempting to use the creation of a security zone in northeastern Syria, not for Ankara's sake, but in order to protect the Washington-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDS) operating in the area. Turkey sees the SDS and the Kurdish units of …
(2019-09-09). Both Israel and Hezbollah Imagined a Horrid Black Hole and Stopped. dissidentvoice.org There are rare moments in history, when even the most determined enemies can suddenly recognize the futility of battle. Sometimes, just for a moment or two. Sometimes, for longer. Such moments of sanity may save thousands, even millions human lives. And, such moments are not expressions of weakness or cowardice; on the contrary; they are …
(2019-09-05). The War Ahead: Netanyahu's Elections Gamble Will be Costly for Israel. dissidentvoice.org On September 1, the Lebanese group Hezbollah, struck an Israeli military base near the border town of Avivim. The Lebanese attack came as an inevitable response to a series of Israeli strikes that targeted four different Arab countries in the matter of two days. The Lebanese response, accompanied by jubilation throughout Lebanon, shows that Israeli …
(2019-09-05). Crop yields are up in Syria, but higher prices still cause major strain: new UN report. un.org A new UN report on Thursday shows that while improved security and rainfall across Syria's farming areas have boosted the country's harvests, higher prices mean that many citizens are still struggling to feed their families.
(2019-09-05). Thursday's Daily Brief: Facebook rallies against vaccination 'fake news', DPR Korea UN staff cuts call, Syria crop report, crisis funding and Dorian latest. un.org A recap of Thursday's stories: Facebook and WHO work together to stem misinformation on vaccines; North Korea tells UN to cut staff; $75 million allocated for eight crises; mixed news on Syria crop production; 'digital divide' sidelines most vulnerable.
(2019-08-31). The Best Movie Ever Made About the Truth Behind the Iraq War Is "Official Secrets" theintercept.com 
"Official Secrets," which opened Friday in New York and Los Angeles, is the best movie ever made about how the Iraq War happened. It's startlingly accurate, and because of that, it's equally inspiring, demoralizing, hopeful, and enraging. Please go see it. | It's been forgotten now, but the Iraq War and its abominable consequences — the hundreds of thousands of deaths, the rise of the Islamic State group, the nightmare oozing into Syria, arguably the presidency of Donald Trump — almost didn't happen. In the weeks before the U.S.-led invasion on March 19, 2003, the American and British case for war was…
(2019-08-30). Trump Hits Lebanon Bank with His Favorite Econo-Political Battering Ram. mintpressnews.com 
The fact that the U.S. sanctions countries whenever its president pleases could in itself be considered a hostile act. Even in wartime, these sorts of collective punishments are illegal under the Geneva Conventions.
(2019-08-29). A safe zone in Syria: a renewed military crisis or a diplomatic solution? uwidata.com 
The establishment of safe zones in war-torn countries is supposed to entail a reduction in violence. However, in the present situation in Syria, US involvement in the establishment of a safe zone will lead to the direct military entrenchment of Washington, Turkey, Russia, and Syria, and will only cause the situation to deteriorate further. WHY …
(2019-08-28). Recent Israeli Attacks "Significantly Weakened" Syria's Air-Defense Systems. mintpressnews.com 
While an attack of this scale on virtually any sovereign nation aside from Syria would likely provoke a major response from the international community, this Israeli attack has barely registered.
(2019-08-20). Pentagon Officials Eager to Present a Recovering ISIS, but Facts Don't Support It. theantimedia.com The Pentagon clearly wants this to be true, because they are using it to spin a US military withdrawal from Syria as dangerous.
(2019-08-19). Turkey-Syria War on the Horizon: Airstrikes Target Invading Turkish Army Convoy. theantimedia.com Turkey and Syria could be headed for war as their armies increasingly clash on front lines in southern Idlib.
(2019-08-06). Pentagon: Any Operation by Turkey into Northern Syria 'Unacceptable'. theantimedia.com (TM) — US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Tuesday any Turkish operation into northern Syria would be "unacceptable" and that the United States would prevent unilateral incursions, as tensions between Washington and Ankara simmer, according to Reuters. On Sunday President Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan said Turkey, which already has a foothold in northwest Syria, will carry out …