2020-02-21: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-21). Shadow of war: What are the odds Turkey will start a full-scale offensive against Syria in Idlib? rt.com Tensions are boiling over between Ankara and Damascus as Turkey vowed to take matters into its own hands and openly intervene in Syria's Idlib province, where government forces are routing the Turkish-backed militants. | The troubled north-western province is the last major bastion of the militants in war-torn Syria. It saw another round of escalating violence on Thursday. Local armed groups seeking to push back the Syrian Army from the territories along the strategic highway it recently seized were counting on support from Turkish artillery, which only stood down after Russian forces in the area intervened.

RT (2020-02-21). Turkey's Erdogan says will not withdraw from Syria's Idlib. rt.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed not to remove Turkish troops from Syria's Idlib region and said that his upcoming phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin will help Ankara determine its policies. | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed not to remove Turkish troops from Syria's Idlib region until Damascus ends "violence". Exact policies will depend on the upcoming talk with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, he said. | DETAILS TO FOLLOW…

RT (2020-02-21). Withdrawal of mercenaries and Turkish troops from Libya is a condition for end of hostilities — General Haftar. rt.com Ankara and Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) have used the truce to deploy fresh troops and mercenaries from Syria, Libyan National Army Commander Khalifa Haftar said in an interview. | Haftar told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency that his forces will halt their advance towards Tripoli if Turkish troops and mercenaries leave Libya. The Libyan National Army has been closing in on the city, which is controlled by UN-backed GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. | Ankara and allied GNA have been deploying reinforcements to Tripoli during the ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey, Haftar said. | The…

RT (2020-02-21). Reports of 'hundreds of thousands' of civilians heading to Turkish border because of hostilities in Idlib not true — Russian MoD. rt.com The Russian military has denied claims that scores of refugees are fleeing Syria's Idlib province and moving towards the Turkish border due to battles between the Syrian Army and terrorists in the area. | "There are no verifiable photos and videos, or any other data to confirm the statements that 'around a million' refugees are supposedly moving from the Idlib de-escalation zone," the head of Russia's Reconciliation Center for Syria, Rear Admiral Oleg Zhuravlyov, said in a statement. | The information alleging that 'hundreds of thousands' of civilians are heading for the Syrian-Turkish border because of battle…

WSWS (2020-02-21). Fighting mounts as Washington backs Turkish attack on Syria, Russia. wsws.org US-backed Turkish military operations targeting Syrian and Russian units in Syria could escalate into an all-out clash between Russia and the entire NATO alliance.

yenisafak (2020-02-21). President Erdogan urges 'concrete action' over Idlib in Merkel, Macron call. yenisafak.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a concrete action to prevent humanitarian crisis in Syria's Idlib in a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday.The aggression by the Syrian regime and its supporters in the country's northwestern Idlib province should come to an end, Erdogan said, stressing on more support based on concrete actions to prevent humanitarian crises.He added that Turkey was continuing work setting up housing for Syrian migrants in a 30-35 km (19-22 mile) safe zone in Syria along the border with Turkey.The trio discussed the…

sputniknews (2020-02-21). Photos: Trophy T-90 MBT Allegedly Captured From Syrian Army Again Spotted in the Field. sputniknews.com Reports that jihadist militants had captured a T-90A main battle tank first emerged last week, with the tank reportedly taken from Syrian forces intact following a battle for a village in Aleppo province.

sputniknews (2020-02-21). Turkey to Remain in Idlib As Long As Damascus Continues 'Violent Onslaught' – Erdogan. sputniknews.com Earlier this week, a Turkish delegation arrived in Moscow for talks regarding the situation in Idlib. However, Ankara announced it was dissatisfied with the negotiations, and no deal was struck. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey was fully ready for its own operation in Idlib and could launch it at "any minute."

Staff (2020-02-20). Headlines for February 20, 2020. democracynow.org Democratic Contenders Take Aim at Billionaire Michael Bloomberg in Nevada Debate, Protesters Interrupt Nevada Debate to Demand Immigration Discussion, Michael Bloomberg Made Transphobic Remarks in 2019, Bloomberg Campaign NDAs Could Prevent Reporting of Abuses, U.N. Warns of Unfolding Humanitarian Catastrophe in Syria's Idlib, German Far-Right Gunman Kills 10 in Frankfurt Suburb, China Expels Wall Street Journal Reporters over "Racist" Op-Ed, Trump Taps Ally Richard Grenell as Director of National Intelligence, As Roger Stone Faces Sentencing in Federal Court, Trump Hints at Pardon, Julian Assange's Lawyers: Trum…

Eva Bartlett (2020-02-20). Video: Aleppo City's Countryside Fully Secured, Syrians in Aleppo Celebrate the End of Terrorism. globalresearch.ca In December 2016, the Syrian Arab Army, Russia and allies liberated the northern Syrian city of Aleppo of the al-Qaeda and equally-heinous terrorists who had occupied and terrorized civilians in the city since 2012. | In subsequent years, Aleppo to a …

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, …

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-20). The War On Syria is Not Over: SAA Forces and Russia Confront US Sponsored "Jihadists", Turkey's Phony "Safe Zone", Israel Threatens "Escalated Aggression" globalresearch.ca On Wednesday, Turkey's Erdogan threatened escalated cross-border aggression against Syria. | He ignored his regime's illegal occupation of northern Syrian territory, support for anti-government jihadists, and his revanchist aims, wanting Syrian territory bordering Turkey annexed. | That's what his phony "safe zone" …

Prof. Tim Anderson (2020-02-20). The Axis of Resistance Holds Firm as Washington Faces Retreat. globalresearch.ca The shifting sands of the Syrian conflict have left many wondering what might happen next between the Kurds, the US, and Russia inside Syria. I reached out to, Professor Tim Anderson, an Australian political economist, and author of "…

Jason Ditz (2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."

news.un (2020-02-20). End hostilities, 'preserve lives': UN refugee chief makes appeal for people trapped in Syria's Idlib. news.un.org As the already dire situation in north-west Syria dramatically continues to worsen in Idlib province, the head of the United Nations refugee agency called on Thursday for an end to the hostilities and appealed for urgent action to allow the people trapped there to move to places of safety.

Mike Whitney (2020-02-20). Putin vs. Erdogan: Who's Going to Blink First? globalresearch.ca An explosive situation is developing in Idlib province where the Syrian army is conducting a major offensive that has triggered a harsh response from Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is threatening to attack Syrian forces anywhere in the country …

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

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

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.

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.

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 …

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…

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…