More American Blunders in the Middle East: U.S. Envoys Embrace Terrorists Yet Again
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-15
The spread of the coronavirus has meant that much of the other news about developments around the world has disappeared from the normal news cycle. The situation in Syria, which involves not only the government in Damascus but also Turkey, …
globalresearch.ca/more-american-blunders-middle-east-u-s-envoys-embrace-terrorists-yet-again/5706363

Route of first Russian-Turkish patrol along key de-escalation line shortened to prevent terrorist provocation involving civilians
rt.com | 2020-03-15
Russian and Turkish forces in Syria's province of Idlib have had to shorten their first joint patrol mission aimed at maintaining truce in the area to avoid harming civilians used as human shield by terrorists. | On Sunday, Turkey and Russia set out on their first joint patrol along the security corridor in Idlib, agreed as part of a ceasefire deal reached by presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in early March. The route of the patrol went along the strategic M4 highway, which links Syria's city of Aleppo to the coastal western province of Latakia and passes through the territories held by variou…
rt.com/news/483167-joint-russian-turkish-patrol-in-syria-shortened/

Russian-Turkish patrol route in Idlib shortened abruptly to prevent terrorists attempt to use civilians as human shield
rt.com | 2020-03-15
Russian and Turkish forces in Syria's province of Idlib have had to shorten their first joint patrol mission in order to prevent extremists from disrupt it, using civilians as human shields, the Russian military said. | On Sunday, Turkey and Russia set out on their first joint patrol along the security corridor in Idlib agreed as part of a ceasefire deal reached by presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Teyyip Erdogan in early March. The route of the patrol went along the strategic M4 highway linking Syria's city of Aleppo to the coastal western province of Latakia and passing through the territories held by vari…
rt.com/news/483167-joint-russian-turkish-patrol-in-syria-shortened/

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Falsifies Report of Syria "Chemical Weapon Attack"
Carla Stea | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-15
The authority of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and similar organizations requires that its credibility be impeccable, and like Caesar's Wife, "above suspicion." Thus, the tarnished reputation of the OPCW as a result of its "unacceptable practices | …
globalresearch.ca/organization-prohibition-chemical-weapons-falsifies-report-chemical-weapon-attack-douma-syria-april-7-2018/5706334

Turkey neutralizes 3 PKK terrorists in N.Syria
yenisafak.com | 2020-03-15
The Turkish army "neutralized" three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syrian territories, the National Defense Ministry said on Sunday.In a Twitter post, the ministry said two PKK/YPG terrorists who attacked on Turkish troops in the Operation Euphrates Shield area, and another one attempting to infiltrate the Operation Peace Spring area were "neutralized."It added that the operations will continue without letup.Turkish authorities generally use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.In 2016-2019, Turkey launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-neutralizes-3-pkk-terrorists-in-nsyria-3514019

Syria: 'The tragedy is deepening' as UN figures reveal nearly 5 million children have known nothing but war
news.un.org | 2020-03-14
Syria marks a grim milestone this weekend as the tenth year of war begins, prompting the UN Special Envoy to take stock of the incomprehensible scale of suffering there, noting that with nearly a million newly displaced in Idlib, "the tragedy is deepening".
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1059471

As Syrian conflict enters 10th year, 'brutal truth' is, there is little protection for families
news.un.org | 2020-03-13
Although a fragile ceasefire agreed in northwest Syria is still holding, UN humanitarians on Friday warned of dire conditions for hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by conflict, now in its tenth year.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1059381

To Help Stem Coronavirus, Lift Sanctions on Iran
Medea Benjamin | iranian.com | 2020-03-13
Among those in Iran who have been unable to get critical medications have been patients with leukemia, epidermolysis bullosa, epilepsy, and chronic eye injuries from exposure to chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war. Now coronavirus is added to that list. The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is far from the first proof of how intertwined we are …
iranian.com/2020/03/13/to-help-stem-coronavirus-lift-sanctions-on-iran/

Exclusive: New OPCW whistleblower slams 'abhorrent mistreatment' of Douma investigators
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-12
A fourth OPCW whistleblower has emerged to defend the two veteran inspectors who challenged a cover-up of the chemical weapons…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/12/opcw-whistleblower-mistreatment-douma-investigators/

Video: Great Idlib "Rebranding" and Al Qaeda "Turkish Victories" over Russian Air Defense
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Terrorist groups operating in Idlib are preparing for a new rebranding under Turkish patronage. According to Syrian sources, Hayat Tarir al-Sham (formerly the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), the Turkistan Islamic Party (an al-Qaeda-linked group), the National Front for Liberation …
globalresearch.ca/video-great-idlib-rebranding-turkish-victories-russian-air-defense/5706145

Lebanon's Political Elite Is Responsible for the Failure to Reform
Michael Jansen | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Lebanon's decision to default on the repayment of a $1.2 billion Eurobond was inevitable. Prime Minister Hassan Diab was absolutely right to put d needs of the Lebanese over the timetable for paying the country's debilitating debts to international creditors. …
globalresearch.ca/lebanons-political-elite-responsible-failure-reform/5706160

War in Syria: 'Carnage', flouting of rights and international law, must stop: Guterres
news.un.org | 2020-03-12
UN agencies have underscored their commitment to continue supporting civilians affected by the war in Syria, which this month enters its tenth year. The Secretary-General issued a statement on Thursday, declaring that "we cannot allow the tenth year to result in the same carnage, the same flouting of human rights and international humanitarian law."
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1059281

US confirms bombing Iraq's Shia Kata'eb Hezbollah militia after rocket strike at base near Baghdad killed 2 troops
rt.com | 2020-03-12
US aircraft bombed five Shia militia targets in Iraq in retaliation for the earlier deaths of two US service members and a British nurse in a rocket attack on Camp Taji near Baghdad. | "Earlier this evening, the United States conducted defensive precision strikes against Kata'ib Hizbollah (KH) facilities across Iraq. These strikes targeted five weapon storage facilities to significantly degrade their ability to conduct future attacks against Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces," the US Department of Defense said in a statement, confirming multiple reports on social media. | Branding the raids "de…
rt.com/usa/482986-iraq-bombing-us-retaliation-taji/

US confirms bombing Iraq's Shia Kata'eb Hezbollah militia after rocket strike at base near Baghdad killed 2 troops
rt.com | 2020-03-12
US aircraft bombed five Shia militia targets in Iraq in retaliation for the earlier deaths of two US service members and a British nurse in a rocket attack on Camp Taji near Baghdad. | "Earlier this evening, the United States conducted defensive precision strikes against Kata'ib Hizbollah (KH) facilities across Iraq. These strikes targeted five weapon storage facilities to significantly degrade their ability to conduct future attacks against Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) coalition forces," the US Department of Defense said in a statement, confirming multiple reports on social media. | Branding the raids "de…
rt.com/usa/482986-iraq-bombing-us-retaliation-taji/

Russia cannot do without Turkey's cooperation in Syria
M. K. Bhadrakumar | iranian.com | 2020-03-12
The former Soviet Union was a satiated world power. It didn't have to prove anything. The Great Patriotic War (1941-45) spoke for itself. Thus, triumphalism was never a diplomatic tool in the Soviet inventory. The removal of the US nuclear missiles from Turkey in the downstream of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis was not even …
iranian.com/2020/03/12/russia-cannot-do-without-turkeys-cooperation-in-syria/

Selected Articles: In a Europe Closed Down by the Coronavirus the EU Opens Its Doors to the US Army
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Syria Chemical Attack: Douma Whistleblowers Respond to OPCW's Attempts to Discredit Them | By Dave DeCamp, March 12, 2020 | Two whistleblowers that have been speaking out about a scandal within the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have …
globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-europe-closed-down-coronavirus-eu-opens-doors-us-army/5706179

A Case Study of Corporate Media Disinformation
Stansfield Smith | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-11
Some alternative media have exposed the US government and its corporate media fake news reporting on Russian "election interference," on Venezuela, the war on Syria, China's Xinjiang and Hong Kong, Nicaragua, Palestine, among others. One of the longest running media disinformation campaigns has been directed at Cuba, well covered in Keith Bolender's Manufacturing the Enemy: …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/a-case-study-of-corporate-media-disinformation/

Afghanistan peace prospects 'slim' without women's participation: Hillary Clinton
news.un.org | 2020-03-10
There can be no sustainable peace in Afghanistan if women are not at the negotiating table, former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told ambassadors and activists at UN Headquarters on Tuesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1059091

The Battle for Idlib: Did Erdogan Capitulate to Putin in Moscow?
Phil Barbelé | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-10
There was a celebration in Syria when Russia announced a ceasefire agreement with Turkey on March 3 following a six-hour meeting between Presidents Erdogan and Putin in Moscow. Under the agreement, Erdogan agreed to pull back Turkish forces and not to contest territory that Syria had recently reclaimed from terrorist groups in eastern Aleppo and southern Idlib provinces. In fact, Turkey agreed not to intervene against Syrian troops in any of the areas from which it pulled back, in effect allowing Syrian forces to reclaim even more of its territory from terrorists in southern Idlib. | The agreement appeared to be…
mintpressnews.com/265621-2/265621/

Syria war update: Turkey's Erdogan invades Idlib, invokes re-establishment of Ottoman Empire
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-05
Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran. He discusses his recent…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/05/syria-war-updateturkeys-erdogan-seeks-to-reestablish-ottoman-empire/

Exclusive: OPCW whistleblowers confront leadership's attacks, cover-up of Douma deception
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-05
OPCW leadership tried to discredit two veteran officials who challenged a cover-up of its chemical weapons investigation in Douma, Syria. They…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/05/opcw-whistleblowers-attacks-cover-up-douma-deception/

Escalating war in Idlib creates new refugee crisis
Peter Boyle | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-05
Middle East Refugees & migrants Chris SleeIssue 1256 Syria Northern SyriaMarch 5, 2020A February 27 Russian and Syrian airstrike on a Turkish military convoy in Idlib province

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

Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive