(2021-04-19). The Saudi Lobby is Coming for You, Small Town America. juancole.com 
By Ben Freeman, Brian Steiner and Leila Riazi | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., was on the hot seat. In early March 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, oil prices collapsed and a price war broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia, leaving …
(2021-04-19). In moving UN speech, veteran diplomat confronts OPCW 'stonewalling and smear tactics' on Syria. thegrayzone.com Speaking to the UN Security Council, veteran diplomat Hans von Sponeck calls out the OPCW's "stonewalling and unacceptable smear tactics" amid growing outcry over the Syria cover-up scandal. Returning to the United Nations, veteran German diplomat and former top UN official Hans von Sponeck calls for an end to the stonewalling of accountability for the OPCW's cover-up of its April 2018 Douma chemical weapons probe. "The manner in which this serious controversy has been handled by OPCW management… has sought …
(2021-04-19). Syria to hold presidential elections in May. peoplesdispatch.org The elections will be held on May 26 amid a deteriorating economic situation, badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union and the decade of war in the country…
(2021-04-19). Syria To Hold Presidential Elections, "Moderate Opposition" Calls Them "Farce" southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | Syria is to hold presidential elections on May 26th, this is the second election to be held since war began. | The announcement was made by the Syrian parliament speaker on April 18th. | Syrians abroad will be "able to vote at embassies" on May 20th, Hammouda Sabbagh said in a statement, adding that prospective candidates could hand in their applications starting from April 19th."I call on Syrians to exercise their right to elect the president," said the Speaker, Hammouda Sabbagh, after parliame…
(2021-04-19). Military Situation In Syria On April 19, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 19, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 33 times: 15 — in Idlib province, 12 — in Latakia province, 5 — in Hama province, 1 in Aleppo province | On April 18, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions near Ain Issa | On April 18, US forces conducted a military patrol in the vicinity of the city of al-Malikiyah | On April 18, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in…
(2021-04-19). Russian Attempts To Enforce Safety In Raqqa And Deir Ezzor. southfront.org | | | southfront@internet.ru : donationalerts.com/r/southfront : gumroad.com/southfront http: //southfront.org/donate/ or via: www.patreon.com/southfront The Syrian Arab Army and its Russian support are perpetually carrying out their containment of ISIS in Syria'
(2021-04-19). Tightening The Noose Around Syria — OpEd. eurasiareview.com The US – with the help of Israel – has been repeatedly Arnous revealed that seven tankers, some of them coming…
(2021-04-18). At UN, Aaron Maté debunks OPCW's Syria lies and confronts US, UK on cover-up. thegrayzone.com In remarks to the UN Security Council, Aaron Maté of The Grayzone debunks the OPCW's lies about its Syria cover-up scandal and challenges the US and UK on their role. Speaking to the United Nations Security Council, Aaron Maté of The Grayzone takes apart the OPCW's excuses for refusing to address the organization's Syria cover-up scandal. OPCW inspectors found no evidence to support allegations of a Syrian government chemical weapons attack in the city of Douma in April 2018. But …
(2021-04-18). Syria to hold presidential elections in late May, amid decade-long war. rt.com 
The Syrian parliament has announced that presidential elections will be held in the country next month. Would-be candidates can file documents from April 19 onwards. | Syrians who live in government-controlled areas will cast their votes on May 26, the speaker of the parliament, Hammouda Sabbagh, announced on Sunday. Those who live outside the country but are registered with Syrian embassies will be able to vote at those embassies earlier, on May 20, he added. | Applications for nomination will be accepted from Monday, and potential candidates will have 10 days to submit their documents to the Supreme Constitu…
(2021-04-18). Russia tells 20 Czech diplomats to leave by Monday night in response to Prague's expulsions. rt.com 
Twenty Czech diplomats have been declared personae non-gratae and must now leave Russia before the end of April 19, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, a day after Czech officials expelled 18 diplomats to Moscow. | Earlier on Sunday, the Czech ambassador to Moscow, Vítezslav Pivonka, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, which expressed a "strong protest" over Prague's actions this weekend. Citing allegations of the involvement of the Russian intelligence in a 2014 blast at a military depot in the Czech Republic, which was initially thought to be an accident, the Czech government ordered 18 Rus…
(2021-04-18). Lebanon's energy minister blames fuel shortages on smuggling to Syria. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanon's energy minister blames fuel shortages on smuggling to Syria | Raymond Ghajar says smugglers are selling subsidised Lebanese fuel in Syria at triple the price | Sun, 04/18/2021 – 11: 01 | Many Syrians prefer to buy smuggled Lebanese fuel, at a mark-up of up to $25 per tank, instead of sometimes waiting for upwards of six hours for minimal fuel through official channels (AFP) | Soa…
(2021-04-18). Syria Kurds hand over 34 orphans of Islamic State families to Russia. middleeasteye.net 
Syria Kurds hand over 34 orphans of Islamic State families to Russia | The children to be repatriated, aged between three and 14, were handed over to a delegation headed by the Russian president's envoy for children's rights | Sun, 04/18/2021 – 17: 31 | A soldier from the Syrian Democratic Forces stands guard at the al-Hol camp, a Kurdish-run displacement camp for relatives of IS jihadists…
(2021-04-18). Syrian presidential elections slated for next month slammed as 'farce'. middleeasteye.net 
Syrian presidential elections slated for next month slammed as 'farce' | Western powers call for a boycott of the 26 May poll which comes amid a crushing economic crisis | Sun, 04/18/2021 – 13: 58 | Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's opponents say the election will not be fair (AFP) | A presidential election announced by Syria on Sunday for next month has been dismissed as a "theatrical fa…
(2021-04-18). Russian Warplanes Rain Hell On ISIS Terrorists In Central Syria. southfront.org 
FILE PHOTO: Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft before departing for its permanent base in Russia from Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. © Vadim Grishankin / Sputnik | On April 18, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) carried out a series of airstrikes on ISIS cells in the central region of Syria. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 70 airstrikes hit the central region. The airstrikes targeted the following areas: | The eastern countryside of Hama; | The outskirts of the town of Re…
(2021-04-18). Leaked Documents Revealed 11,000 Syrian Mercenaries Are Still Roaming In Libya. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | More than 11,000 Turkish-backed Syrian militants are still present in Libya despite the recent political settlement in the country, according to leaked official documents released by the Sky News Arabia on April 17. | According to the documents, a total of 11,609 Syrian militants are now in Libya. The number is double that provided by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). | So far, Turkey has withdrawn only 1,226 out of 12,835 militants of the so-called Syrian National Army from Libya.
(2021-04-18). HTS Militants Entered Town In Turkish-occupied Afrin To Open Smuggling Route With SDF. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | On April 18, four units of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de-facto ruler of the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib, entered the town of Bosoufane in the Turkish-occupied area of Afrin. | HTS units were on a mission to establish positions in the town, which is located on the frontline with the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Kurdish forces in northern Aleppo. | The attempt to occupy the town was met w…
(2021-04-18). A Demonstrator's Guide To Understanding Riot Munitions. popularresistance.org This article offers an overview of less-lethal projectiles—both chemical weapons and impact munitions. The police themselves don't bother distinguishing the two. We'll cover chemical weapons like tear gas and pepper spray. We'll cover impact weapons like baton rounds, rubber bullets, and pepper-balls. We'll cover the systems police use to apply these weapons, including air guns, sprays, grenades, grenade launchers, and shotguns. We'll cover the ways that police mark people for arrest—and the ways they probably don't. Other articles in this series discuss batons and other police weaponry. One of the mo…
(2021-04-18). The Road To US-Russian Cooperation Starts In Lebanon — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib* | Intellectuals, professionals, activists and protest groups launched an initiative on Saturday to save Lebanon from its plight. "The Last Chance" offers a comprehensive, executable and pragmatic solution that can accommodate all Lebanon's stakeholders, with two priorities — implementing reforms (the immediate necessity), and preventing violence. | The proposal is constructed in such a way as to avoid a violent internal confrontation between the different components of Lebanese society; between the people in power and the people on the street; and between Hezbollah and Israe…
(2021-04-18). Iran: Deputy Commander Of Quds Force Dies From 'Heart Condition'. eurasiareview.com The deputy commander of Iran's military wing that oversees its foreign proxy militias has died from a "heart condition." | Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hejazi's death was announced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian media reported. No further details were given about his death. | He was a senior figure in the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the IRGC, whose overall commander Qassem Soleimani was killed by a US airstrike in January 2020. | The statement said Hejazi, who was 65, was involved in operations in Lebanon where Iran supplies and funds Hezbollah. | The Quds force is considered a terrorist o…
(2021-04-18). Syria condemns U.S. and NATO military drive to Russia's border as threat to world peace. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Syrian Arab News AgencyApril 18, 2021 Syria condemns Washington and NATO step of dispatching troops towards Russian border as serious threat to international peace and securityEdited by RR Syria demands U.S. compensate it for seven years of war and plundering A decade later: U.S., Turkey renew, intensify war in Syria Damascus — Syria has condemned the U.S.'s …
(2021-04-18). Syrian Refugees In Germany Want Citizenship And Political Representation — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Even though Syrian refugees have been integrated relatively faster in Germany, social integration continues to be a challenge in the labour market.: | By Anchal Vohra* | Tareq Alaows, a Syrian who studied law and international affairs in Damascus, ended up as a refugee in Germany. Along with hundreds of thousands of others, Alaows protested against the Syrian government and called for an end to political repression, better education, and economic opportunities. But along with 5.5 million compatriots, he had to flee his home country. | Like the million-plus Syrian refugees in Europe, Alaows had hoped fo…
(2021-04-18). The US Did Not Bring Peace, Democracy, or Freedom to Afghanistan. commondreams.org Twenty years of war and U.S. interference have brought no long-term, positive gains in Afghanistan. War is not the answer—not in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria. Peace must be our demand. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/troops_1.jpg …
(2021-04-18). Iran, Russia, Syria set up operational room to help Damascus. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — An operation room has been set up between Iran, Russia and Syria to provide lasting security for Iranian and Russian ships in the Mediterranean to deliver oil and food to Syria.
(2021-04-18). Syria condemns US, NATO dispatching troops to Russian border. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — Syria condemned the US and NATO step of dispatching more military forces towards Russian borders which would pose a threat to international peace and security.
(2021-04-18). US Convoy Spotted Transporting Weapons, Logistic Materials to Its Base in Northern Syria. sputniknews.com Syrian media have reported that US forces have transported weapons, as well as smuggled oil and stolen wheat, to its bases in Syria and Iraq on multiple occasions, despite the fact that the Syrian Arab Republic has never allowed the American military presence in the country.