2020-02-20: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-20). 'Asking for trouble?' VIDEO shows American APC pushing Russian army jeep off road in Syria. rt.com Footage from Syria purports to show a US armored personnel carrier pushing a Russian military jeep off the road; relations between Moscow and Washington remain tense. | A video, posted on social media on Wednesday, shows what appears to be a Russian military convoy moving alongside an American one. At one point, a Russian Tigr heavy jeep tries to overtake an Oshkosh M-ATV armored vehicle with a US flag on its roof. The M-ATV responds by maneuvering to the right, pushing the Tigr further away from the road. | Narrowly evading collision and nearly hitting a pedestrian in the process, both vehicles stop, and o…

South Front (2020-02-20). Video: Syrians Are in Desperate Race to Outrun Brutal Regime Offensive. globalresearch.ca Syrians are in a desperate race to outrun the offensive of the brutal Assad regime. The ruthless government forces are aggressively destroying helpless mines and car bombs, treacherously restoring roads, schools and residential houses, cruelly launching road patrols, and (oh, …

sputniknews (2020-02-20). Syrian Arab Army Units Repel Terrorist Attacks in Idlib – SANA Reporter. sputniknews.com In December, Syrian government forces launched an offensive to recapture areas of Idlib Province, the last remaining rebel stronghold in the country. Tensions in the region escalated further after Syrian government forces shelled a Turkish observation point on 3 February, killing seven military personnel and one civilian contractor.

sputniknews (2020-02-20). Pickup Truck Bomb Explodes in Central Damascus – Reports. sputniknews.com There were no immediate details about the number of casualties in the explosion. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast yet.

Susan Price (2020-02-20). Syria: Refugee crisis as Assad's forces advance. greenleft.org.au

pip.hinman (2020-02-20). The climate crisis and the need for peace. greenleft.org.au

Andre Vltchek (2020-02-19). Could the Latest Outburst of Ankara's Temper lead to Escalation in Syria? dissidentvoice.org So far Turkey, militarily the second mightiest NATO country, has been able to get away with virtually anything it has chosen to brew in the Middle East. The reason why is simple: to confront Turkey's bullying and expansionism militarily would be like confronting the United States or Israel; thousands of innocent people would die as …

news.un (2020-02-19). Amid 'devastating scale' of suffering in Syria's north-west, UN Security Council urged to find political way forward. news.un.org With progress stalled on both the peace and political fronts in Syria, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen urged ambassadors in the Security Council on Wednesday to "put their weight" into finding a solution to end nearly nine years of conflict.

South Front (2020-02-19). Video: Towards The Liberation of Idlib City. globalresearch.ca Syrian government forces did not stop their operation in Greater Idlib with the success in the western countryside of Aleppo city, and continued making gains in the province. During the past 24 hours, they took control of over 10 settlements….

Staff (2020-02-19). U.N.: Thousands Fleeing Syrian Offensive, Kids Dying in the Cold. truthdig.com UNITED NATIONS — Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing a Russian-backed Syrian offensive are being squeezed into ever smaller areas near Turkey's border "under horrendous conditions" in freezing temperatures that are killing babies and young children, the U.N. humanitarian chief said Wednesday. | Mark Lowcock told the U.N. Security Council that "the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe" in northwest Idlib province, which is the last major rebel stronghold, has "overwhelmed" efforts to provide aid. | He said nearly 900,000 people have been displaced since Dec. 1 when the government offensive began, more than…

teleSUR (2020-02-19). Erdogan Says Turkish Military Operation in Idlib is 'Imminent'. telesurenglish.net Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Wednesday that his country's armed forces have made their final preparations for a military operation to expel the Syrian government troops from the Idlib province. | RELATED: | "We are counting down and making our final warnings … An operation in Idlib is imminent," the president said while addressing his party's members at the parliament. | Erdogan said that t…

teleSUR (2020-02-19). Russian Minister Accuses U.S. of Openly Plundering Syrian Oil. telesurenglish.net The United States openly controls and plunders the oil fields belonging to Syria and its people, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday. | RELATED: | "The Syrian oil fields, the territories where the precious substance is produced, are controlled by the United States. There is shameless plundering of the riches that belong to Syria and the Syrian people," denounced Russia's defense minister in Rome, Italy.

teleSUR (2020-02-19). Syria Completes First Flight to Aleppo Airport in 8 Years. telesurenglish.net The first flight from Syria's capital Damascus to the northern city of Aleppo took off on Wednesday for the first time in eight years. | RELATED: | Officials and reporters were onboard the flight, which had been suspended due to the presence of rebels in the western countryside of Aleppo, which threatened the international airport of Aleppo. | Over the past two months, the Syrian army launched a wide-scale offensi…

news.un (2020-02-18). UN chief calls for immediate ceasefire in Syria's war-battered north-west. news.un.org Alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in north-west Syria and the tragic suffering of civilians, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing fight that has displaced more than 900.000 civilians since early December.

Resistance News Unfiltered (2020-02-17). IRGC Aerospace Forces Commander's Debriefing about Iran's Strike against Al-Assad US Airbase. dissidentvoice.org The assassination of the martyr Hajj Qassem Soleimani was one of the greatest strategic mistakes in the history of the United States. These strikes were only the beginning of considerable transformations and developments in the region and around the world. The vengeance of the blood of the martyr Soleimani and our other dear martyrs lies …

news.un (2020-02-17). As north-west Syria violence reaches 'horrifying' new level, UN relief chief says ceasefire is only option. news.un.org The crisis in north-west Syria has reached a "horrifying new level", the UN Humanitarian Affairs chief warned on Monday.

Staff (2020-02-17). Headlines for February 17, 2020. democracynow.org Americans Aboard Cruise Ship Repatriated as 71,000 Global Cases of Coronavirus Confirmed, 1,100+ Ex-DOJ Staff Call on Attorney General Barr to Resign, Sen. Klobuchar Can't Say Name of Mexican President, Sen. Sanders Calls Out Bloomberg on Campaign Trail, Bloomberg's Company Faced Years of Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Lawsuits, LGBT Activists of Color Call Out Pete Buttigieg for Ties to Big Money, Conservative Positions, Airstrikes Kill 31 People, Including Children, in Yemen, Intensifying Syrian Gov't Offensive Has Displaced 800,000 Civilians Since December, Airstrike Kills 8 Civilians in Afghanistan as U…

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.

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…

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.

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…