2020-02-14: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-14). 'Maybe it was the Belgians': Netanyahu claims ignorance after reports of missiles fired over Damascus. rt.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed reports that his military launched a missile attack on the Syrian capital, Damascus, saying that perhaps the "Belgian Air Force" was responsible. | In an interview with Radio Haifa on Friday, Netanyahu said he didn't know "what happened last night" and that "maybe it was the Belgian Air Force" that launched missiles over Syria. | "I don't comment on one operation or another," he added. | Syrian state media reported Thursday night that its air defenses had thwarted a missile attack and intercepted several "hostile targets" launched from the Israeli-occupie…

RT (2020-02-14). Syrian military helicopter shot down near Aleppo, crew killed — state media. rt.com A Syrian Army helicopter was destroyed by a missile during an operation against anti-government forces near Aleppo, and its crew was killed, Syrian state-run media reported. | Citing a military source, SANA said the chopper was hit by "a hostile missile" on Friday afternoon in the area where Turkish-backed groups operate. The Syrian troops were clearing the militants' hideouts in the vicinity of Aleppo that day. | Turkish outlet Anadolu said that the helicopter was brought down within the Idlib 'de-escalation zone' set up by Russia and Turkey, which borders Syria's northwestern Aleppo Province. | Footage, circ…

Aaron Mate (2020-02-14). New Leaks Shatter OPCW's Attacks on Douma Whistleblowers. globalresearch.ca Facing accusations that it issued a doctored report alleging a chemical attack in Syria, the OPCW has released an inquiry attacking two whistleblowers as rogue actors. Leaked documents obtained by The Grayzone reveal serious distortions in the OPCW inquiry as …

South Front (2020-02-14). Video: Syrian Army Gives Turkey "Flick on Nose" in Nayrab, Secures Entire Aleppo-Damascus Highway. globalresearch.ca For the first time in about 8 years of the war, Syrian government forces have established control of the entire M5 highway, which runs from the border with Jordan through Damascus, Homs and Hama to Aleppo. | During the first half …

South Front (2020-02-14). Video: Battle of Idlib and Prospects of Turkish-Syrian War. globalresearch.ca In February 2020, the Syrian Army reached the vicinity of the main stronghold of anti-government forces in Syria, the city of Idlib. This development plunged into shock supporters and the leadership of Idlib armed groups and became a visual confirmation …

Almasdar News (2020-02-14). Video: Residents of Syrian Town Open Fire on US Armed Forces Patrol. globalresearch.ca A new video from the Al-Qamishli countryside was released this afternoon following a skirmish between the U.S. Armed Forces and residents of Khirbat Amo. | According to a report from the Al-Hasakah Governorate, the residents of Khirbat Amo attempted to block …

sputniknews (2020-02-14). Kremlin Believes Turkey to Ensure Russian Diplomats Safety Amid Threats to Ambassador. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Kremlin believes that Turkey will do its best to guarantee the safety of Russian diplomats and every Russian staying in the country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, commenting on threats targeting the Russian ambassador to Ankara.

sputniknews (2020-02-14). Videos of Syrian Helicopter Allegedly Being Struck by Militants Near Aleppo Emerge Online. sputniknews.com Earlier on Friday, militants reoortedly shot down a Syrian army helicopter in the country's Aleppo province, in what has become the second such downing over the past three days.

sputniknews (2020-02-14). Syrian Armed Forces Helicopter Shot Down in Aleppo – Reports. sputniknews.com Militants shot down a Syrian army helicopter in Aleppo province, according to the Anadolu news agency.

sputniknews (2020-02-14). Turkey's 'Irresponsible Statements' About Shelling of Syrian Army Escalates Tensions – Russian MoD. sputniknews.com Earlier, the Turkish military announced that it had 'neutralized' 63 more Syrian troops in Idlib province, with the two countries getting into a shooting war this week after the shelling of a Turkish observation post on Monday.

sputniknews (2020-02-14). Netanyahu on Nighttime Strikes Against Syria: 'Maybe It Was Belgian Air Force'. sputniknews.com Syrian air defences reported intercepting multiple hostile targets over Damascus on Thursday night, with the missiles said to have come from the direction of the Israeli-controlled Syrian Golan Heights.

yenisafak (2020-02-14). Assad | reporter who insulted Turkish troops, Erdogan hit by missile. yenisafak.com The vehicle of a reporter working for Syria's state agency was shot with a missile by the Syrian National Army in western Aleppo, Syria.Shadi Helwa, a field reporter at SANA news agency, the mouthpiece of the Assad regime, had recorded a video in front of a Turkish observation point in Syria and insulted Turkey's troops and its people.The reporter who called Turkish soldiers "mice", had also previously hurled insults at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Following the attack on his vehicle, he was pictured in front of a hospital with his face wounded.At least five Turkish troops were martyred and five injured…

yenisafak (2020-02-14). Toddler | displaced by Assad attacks dies of bitter cold in Syria. yenisafak.com Thousands of internally displaced Syrian civilians, who have desperately fled north toward the Turkish border due to the bloody onslaught by the Assad regime in Idlib's de-escalation zone, are battling to survive the bitter cold sweeping through their makeshift tents.Children in particular are bearing the brunt of the nine-year brutal conflict and massive exodus in the region.A forcibly displaced one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Iman Laila, tragically died on Thursday in her father's arms due to respiratory illness caused by cold temperatures while he was rushing her to the al-Shifa Hospital in Afrin.The grief-stric…

yenisafak (2020-02-14). Syrian government helicopter downed in Idlib. yenisafak.com A Syrian government helicopter was downed in a rural area west of Aleppo in Syria's Idlib region, Turkish state-owned Anadolu news agency said on Friday.On Monday, five Turkish troops were martyred and five injured in an attack by Assad regime forces in Idlib, following a similar attack last week martyring seven soldiers and a civilian contractor working with the Turkish military.The Turkish troops are in Idlib

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-02-13). Crisis in Syrian Idlib Has Firmly Put Turkey Back into NATO's Sphere. globalresearch.ca Syria was the very reason why relations between Turkey and the United States deteriorated as the latter openly backed the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), that Ankara considers a terrorist organization. …

teleSUR (2020-02-13). Drug Lab Found in Farm of the Family of Colombian Ambassador. telesurenglish.net The Police narcotics unit conducted a raid on Wednesday morning at a farm belonging to the family of Colombia's ambassador to Uruguay Fernando Sanclemente. | RELATED: | During the operation, the police inspected warehouses, mangers, offices, and forests, where they "allegedly found drugs." | On Thursday, Colombia's Foreign Minister published a statement to clarify the events that took place at the Guasca Hills estate loc…

Elijah J. Magnier (2020-02-13). Syria Imposes the Astana Deal by Force as Turkish, Russian Tensions Rise. globalresearch.ca Since 2012 the M5 Damascus-Aleppo had been under the control of jihadist forces. The Syrian Army has now liberated the M5 Damascus-Aleppo road and over 140 cities, villages and strategic hills. Turkey and the Uzbeks, Uighurs and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham …

teleSUR (2020-02-13). Turkey Vows To Strike Any Force That Violates Idlib Ceasefire. telesurenglish.net Turkey has vowed to use force against rebel groups violating a ceasefire in Syria's Idlib province, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying on Thursday in an apparent response to Russian criticism. | RELATED: | The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized Ankara on Wednesday, stating that Turkey was not doing its part to uphold the Sochi Agreement that was established in 2018. | The Russian government, which supports Syrian…

Susan Price (2020-02-13). European left and green MPs support Kurdish struggle. greenleft.org.au

Whitney Webb (2020-02-12). Scuffle Between Syrian Civilians and US Soldiers Reflects Increasing Hostility to US Troops. mintpressnews.com Though today's incident in Qamishli is a rare occurrence, it is likely a harbinger of the region-wide push that has seen countries like Syria and Iraq take a firmer posture towards the presence of US troops in their countries.

RT (2020-02-12). Scott Ritter Explains Warring in Syria WMD Lies. dissidentvoice.org Leaked documents from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) suggest that high-level officials manipulated or ignored the findings of those actually on the ground to investigate the alleged chemical attack that killed dozens of people in Douma, Syria in 2018. Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter shares his insights. He argues that …

Yves Engler (2020-02-12). Canadian Embassy: Militarily Supporting Israeli Apartheid. dissidentvoice.org Canada is celebrating the agents of Palestinian misery. Last month the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv held an event to celebrate Canadians fighting in the Israeli military. They invited all 78 Canadians in the IDF to the ambassador's residence to demonstrate their appreciation. Referring to non-Israelis who join the IDF, ambassador Deborah Lyons told the …

Aaron Maté (2020-02-11). Exclusive: New leaks shatter OPCW's attacks on Douma whistleblowers. thegrayzone.com Facing accusations that it issued a doctored report alleging a chemical attack in Syria, the OPCW has released an inquiry…

Staff (2020-02-11). Headlines for February 11, 2020. democracynow.org New Hampshire Voters Head to Polls for First Primary of 2020, Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 1,000, with Over 42,000 Confirmed Cases, Chuck Schumer Calls for Investigation into Trump's Retaliation-Motivated Firings, DOJ Reviewing Ukraine Info from Giuliani, DOJ Charges 4 Chinese Military Hackers in 2017 Equifax Breach, El Salvador President Bukele and Armed Officers Confront Lawmakers over Military Funding, Fears Mount for 5 Activists Detained in Philippines, Sinn Féin Scores Major Victory in Ireland, Syrian and Turkish Forces Step Up Attacks as 100,000s Face Humanitarian Disaster, Massive Locust Swarms Threaten Cro…

Middle East Eye (2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of "making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians."

Middle East Eye (2020-02-06). Turkey Gives Assad Deadline to Pull Back or Face Military Action. theantimedia.com Turkey has given the Syrian government until the end of this month to withdraw from recently seized territory in Idlib province.

Ben Norton (2020-02-04). HuffPost UK editor works with gov't censorship program while smearing anti-war scholars as tools of Russia. thegrayzone.com HuffPost UK ran yet another hit piece smearing academic critics of the dirty war on Syria as Russian stooges. The…

Medea Benjamin (2020-02-02). Why aren't Americans rising up like the people of Chile and Lebanon? zcomm.org The tinder for a revolutionary movement is everywhere…