Syria September 8 and 9 SITREP

SitRep by Scott Humor

Russian Ministry of Defense reported that “On September 8, 2019 two F-15 USAF airplanes delivered strikes on Hajin using white phosphorus incendiary munitions. The strikes resulted in severe fires. Casualty toll is being verified.

The Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Conventions prohibits use of  white phosphorous containing munitions.”

As to the history of the United States use of the prohibited methods of war against civilians see: The Legality Of The Use Of White Phosphorus By The United States Military During The 2004 Fallujah Assaults, By Roman Reyhani

“The use of white phosphorous in Fallujah violates the purposes and principles of the CWC, and the obligations the United States had as occupying power under Resolution 1483 and the Geneva Conventions. Although the United States was authorized to restore public order and safety, such measures could not involve the indiscriminate killing of civilians. Furthermore, the killings were a violation of Articles 27 and 29 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which require that civilians receive humane treatment and protection from violence. The authorization from the Iraqi Interim Government is irrelevant as such actions could never be authorized under the guise of law enforcement.

Furthermore, the types and quantities of the white phosphorus were not consistent with use for law enforcement purposes. Allegedly, white phosphorous was fired from mortar positions some distance from the target. It was used, not as a smokescreen for US Marines to evade enemy fire, but to force the enemy from their protected positions. The fact that the military had such large quantities of white phosphorus munitions available at its disposal may point to a pre-meditation on the part of the military as to the manner that white phosphorus would be used. Law enforcement cannot use mortars and explosives to restore public order.’79 As such, the types and quantities of white phosphorus were inconsistent with law enforcement purposes.

In summary, the use of white phosphorus smoke is use of a chemical weapon. It was used as a method of warfare during military operations in Fallujah. The lawful use of chemicals for law enforcement purposes does not apply in the Fallujah assault because of the methods and means of the engagement. The United States has violated the CWC by using a chemical weapon in Iraq.”

 

A Pentagon spokesman denied that U.S. planes dropped phosphorus bombs. “At this time, we have not received any reports of any use of white phosphorous,” said Commander Sean Robertson. “None of the military units in the area are even equipped with white phosphorous munitions of any kind.”

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On September 9th, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov has discussed with the foreign Minister of Jordan Amman al-Saadi the situation of Syrian refugees.

“During the conversation, the ministers the situation in Syria with an emphasis on the return of Syrian refugees and temporarily displaced persons, including those in areas located near the Syrian-Jordanian border.”

The parties also discussed the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.

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Syrian state YouTube channels have been shut down on September 9th with all the videos lost just as the Syrian Army’s ground offensive has officially begun.

This includes the following now terminated Syrian state and media channels: Syrian President, Syrian MoD (Ministry of Defense), SANA, and Sama TV.

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Assad is, apparently, a C.I.A. agent who wants the US to attack the Syrian Army and the Russian troops.

Otherwise, how do you explain the following Sunday night “news.”

US Says Assad Has Approved Gas Attack In Idlib, Setting Stage For Major Military Conflict

“The Wall Street Journal has just published a bombshell on Sunday evening as Russian and Syrian warplanes continue bombing raids over al-Qaeda held Idlib, citing unnamed US officials who claim “President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has approved the use of chlorine gas in an offensive against the country’s last major rebel stronghold.”

And perhaps more alarming is that the report details that Trump is undecided over whether new retaliatory strikes could entail expanding the attack to hit Assad allies Russia and Iran this time around.”

That’s right, unnamed US officials are now claiming to be in possession of intelligence which they say shows Assad has already given the order in an absolutely unprecedented level of “pre-crime” telegraphing of events on the battlefield.

And supposedly these officials have even identified the type of chemical weapon to be used: chlorine gas.

The anonymous officials told the WSJ of “new U.S. intelligence” in what appears an eerily familiar repeat of precisely how the 2003 invasion of Iraq was sold to the American public (namely, “anonymous officials” and vague assurances of unseen intelligence) — albeit posturing over Idlib is now unfolding at an intensely more rapid pace:

Fears of a massacre have been fueled by new U.S. intelligence indicating Mr. Assad has cleared the way for the military to use chlorine gas in any offensive, U.S. officials said. It wasn’t clear from the latest intelligence if Mr. Assad also had given the military permission to use sarin gas, the deadly nerve agent used several times in previous regime attacks on rebel-held areas. It is banned under international law.

It appears Washington is now saying an American attack on Syrian government forces and locations is all but inevitable.”

And further:

The Pentagon is crafting military options, but Mr. Trump hasn’t decided what exactly would trigger a military response or whether the U.S. would target Russian or Iranian military forces aiding Mr. Assad in Syria, U.S. officials said.

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The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen TV reports that Terrorists’ Chemical Weapons Expert Escapes from Northwestern Syria to Turkey

Quoting in full

“A notorious commander and expert of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) terrorist group’s chemical warfare has left Idlib province for Turkey as the terrorist group and pro-militant White Helmets are preparing to stage a fake chemical attack in the province, a media outlet reported on Sunday.

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen TV Channel quoted a well-informed source as disclosing that one of the commanders of Tahrir al-Sham that supervises chemical-armed missiles has escaped Jisr al-Shughour to Turkey.

It went on to say that the commander has left the terrorist group’s missile unit for Turkey, but said the missiles are still stored in the village of Halouz in Jisr al-Shughour.

The TV channel said that the missiles have been armed with chemical warheads with a high degree of lethality.

Tahrir al-Sham, White Helmets and their foreign backers are preparing to stage a false-flag chemical attack in Northwestern Syria to later accuse the Damascus forces and pave the ground for the US-led coalition forces’ raid on Syria ahead of the government forces’ major operation in Idlib province.”

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Turkey, Russia and Iran reached an agreement on the use of the national currency in mutual trade as stated by the spokesperson for the head of the Central Bank of Iran Abdunnazyr Himmety

Abdunnazyr Himmety noted that a productive tripartite summit with the participation of the Presidents of Turkey and Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, was held on September 7 in Tehran, the capital of Iran, during which issues such as trade in oil, gas and basic consumer goods, as well as banking activities .

According to Himmeti, the three countries agree on abandoning the use of the dollar in mutual trade and moving to local currencies at a fixed rate.

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Russian aerospace defense company Almaz-Antey plans to supply high-tech equipment  for three Syrian airfields in Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia starting next year, said Deputy General Director of “Almaz-Antey” Alexander Vedrov. This will include an entire range of modern equipment for safe air traffic, including radars, systems of meteorological and air traffic systems.

Almaz-antey” also negotiating the delivery and installation of its digital television systems.