Erdogan's Private 'Islamic youth' Army.

Erdogan's Private 'Islamic youth' Army. (Gatestone). By Burak Bekdil.

Erdogan recently took another step to enforce his defense against real and fictional enemies. In October, Turkey's religious affairs general directorate, or "Diyanet," issued a circular for the formation of "youth branches" to be associated with the country's tens of thousands of mosques.

Initially, the youth branches will be formed in 1,500 mosques. But under the plan, 20,000 mosques will have youth branches by 2021, and finally 45,000 mosques will have them. Observers fear the youth branches may turn into Erdogan's "mosque militia," like the Nazi Party's Hitler Youth organization in Germany.

Having youth branches for mosques is a dangerous idea, especially for a country such as Turkey, where societal divisions along secular and conservative Muslims lines are deeply polarized and risk violence. The mosque militia may provoke a secularist reply in the shape of "secular youth branches." Then it will be anyone's guess where and when the first spark of violence will commence.


Erdogan commands NATO's second-largest army and a huge security and intelligence organization. He does not need to build an army of pious youths to provide him personal security. This will only lead to potential violence, and in the worst-case scenario, to a civil war. He should drop the idea of a private army of pious young Sunni Muslims before it will be too late. Hmmm.....the modern version of Janissaries or Hitler Jugend?  Read the full story here.

Caucasians in the ranks of Islamic State (ISIL).

Caucasians in the ranks of Islamic State (ISIL). (CaucasianKnot).

Different sources, including the Russia's FSB, have confirmed the information that militants from Russia are fighting for the Islamic State (IS) (earlier – the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – ISIL), a self-proclaimed entity in the territory of Syria and Iraq. The material of the "Caucasian Knot" below tells about penetration of natives of the Caucasus into the conflict zone and provides estimates of the number of them.

"Islamic State": overview

The organization "Islamic State" was created on October 15, 2006, as a result of the merger of 11 radical Sunni groupings. At the same time, they adopted a draft "Constitution" entitled "Notice to Mankind about Birth of Islamic State". Until 2013, its name was "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI). The organization set a target to capture the Sunni part of Iraq and turn it into a militarized Islamic Sunni state, as soon as the forces of the international coalition led by the USA, left Iraq.

On April 9, 2013, the grouping named "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) was formed with the aim to establish an Islamic Emirate in the territory of Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. The Levant is a historical region in the eastern Mediterranean, which covers the territory of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Turkey and Cyprus.

Starting June 2014, ISIL launched an attack on several areas of Northern Iraq by organizing a large-scale offensive in Sunni provinces. By October 2014, ISIL occupied one-third of Iraq.

The terrorist organization is made up of the militants who once fought against US forces during their stay in Iraq, and against the forces of the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

By September 2014, according to the estimates of the CIA (US Central Intelligence Agency), the membership of the grouping reached some 20,000-31,500 persons. The IS troops include Mujahideens from 80 countries, including France, UK, Germany, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, USA, Canada and Russia.

Since the moment of its inception, ISIL has been closely connected with the international terrorist network "Al-Qaeda", but in February 2014 the latter declared a break-off with the "Islamic State". The reason for the split was in the quarrel of the ISIL with the official branch of "Al-Qaeda" in Syria named "Djabkhat an-Nusra".

In late June 2014, the grouping changed its name and became known as just the "Islamic State". The establishment of Caliphate was proclaimed led by militants' leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Abdullah Ibragim as-Samarai).

The "Islamic State" has been recognized as a terrorist organization by Australia, UK, Indonesia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, USA, Turkey and other countries.

On September 8, 2014, the grouping "Islamic State" was recognized as a terrorist organization by the League of Arab States. Besides, the "Islamic State" is subject to international sanctions in accordance with Resolutions of the UN Security Council passed against "Al-Qaeda" and its affiliated organizations.

Gennady Gatilov, a Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, in one of his speeches has treated the ISIL as an "extremist" organization involved in "terrorist activities".

On September 3, 2014, supporters of the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" distributed the video record, in which they accused Russia of supplying weapons to Bashar al-Assad and threatened to start a war in the Caucasus.

Islamic State and natives of the Caucasus

How many natives of the Caucasus fight for "Islamic State"?

In June 2013, Russian authorities admitted the participation of citizens of the Russian Federation in the conflict. The Russia's FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov expressed concern about the fact that some 200 militants from Russia were fighting for jihadists in Syria. The Chechen leadership also admitted that residents of the republic were taking part in the war in Syria. It was reported that from a few hundreds up to 1700 natives of Chechnya were at war in the region.

In September 2013, it became known that militants from Northern Caucasus formed a military unit named "Al-Mukhadjirin" (immigrants) in the city of Aleppo in Northern Syria. It was headed by a Chechen named Abu Abdurakhman. Most members of the unit had experience of fighting in the Caucasus.

In July 2014, Sergey Kamenny, the head of the FSB in Kabardino-Balkaria, said that more than 60 citizens of his republic were among the international terrorist groupings operating in Syria.

On September 3, 2014, supporters of the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" spread a video with a threat to start a war in the Caucasus and "liberate the Caucasus by the mercy of Allah."

According to Sergey Smirnov, First Deputy Director of the FSB, some 300-400 mercenaries from Russia, now involved in the Syrian conflict, may come back to Russia.

According to Abu Umar al-Shishani, a field commander of Chechen origin, "500 Caucasians, who had fought against Bashar al-Assad in Syria, were killed." The al-Shishani's grouping, which is at war under the banner of the ISIL, has between 700 and 1000 members; among them there are several hundreds of Caucasians.


It is noteworthy that the authors of the information-analytical bulletin prepared by the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" report that the drop in the number of victims of the conflict in Northern Caucasus, noticed in 2014, was associated with the fact that part of radicals went to Syria. Read the full story here.

Sometimes NATO 'Ally' Turkey continues to send arms, ammunition and jihadists to ISIS.

Sometimes NATO 'Ally' Turkey continues to send arms, ammunition and jihadists to ISIS. (ANF).

ISIS terrorist Abdurrahim Xalit İbrahim captured by the YPG stated that Turkey continues to send arms, ammunition and jihadists to ISIS mainly through Jarablus and Til Rai. İbrahim noted that the Turkish aid to ISIS decreased because ISIS-Turkey relations got exposed and the border between ISIS and Turkey got shorter.

Captured by the YPG after the ISIS attack on Girê Spî, ISIS gang Abdurrahim Xalit İbrahim code-named Ebu İslam Xerip spoke to ANF. İbrahim was born in Aleppo, joined ISIS two years ago, stated that ISIS viewed Turkey as an ally. İbrahim said that his main duties were to give ideological and political education, recruit new gangs, and organize the gangs that arrived in Syria via Turkey.

İbrahim was captured by the YPG in an office building near Siluk after the ISIS attack on Girê Spî.
Regarding the relations between Turkey and ISIS, İbrahim said that the two entities had shared ideologies and goals, and would never fight one another. İbrahim stated that ISIS viewed Turkey as an ally and the two entities collaborated numerous times in the past, so a war between Turkey and ISIS would never break out.

'TRANSPORTATION WAS CARRIED OUT THROUGH GIRE SPI'

İbrahim highlighted the importance of the Girê Spî border gate for ISIS and said that the majority of supplies entered Syria through here. İbrahim said that ISIS used the Girê Spî border gate and secret underground tunnels to smuggle jihadists from all around the world into Syria, and the border gate served as ISIS’ lifeline because the majority of military and food supply transportation took place through here.

İbrahim emphasized the friendly nature of Turkey-ISIS relations, and said that these relations continue today despite the YPG’s liberation of Girê Spî. İbrahim added that Turkey continues to send arms, ammunition and jihadists to ISIS mainly through Jarablus and Til Rai today, and the Turkish aid to ISIS decreased because the border between ISIS and Turkey got shorter.

'TRANSPORTATION FROM TURKEY WAS OFFICIAL'

İbrahim stated that transportation from Turkey via Girê Spî, Jarablus and Til Ria was carried out officially, and nighttime was chosen in order to avoid coalition warplanes and press coverage.

İbrahim said that couriers led the transportation of jihadists as part of the agreement ISIS had made with Turkey, and ISIS militants welcomed the incoming gangs 1 km away from the Turkish border and took them to Raqqa. İbrahim underlined that the Turkish state turned a blind eye to this route and never caused a problem, and the Turkish intelligence approved all of the border crossings.

‘JARABLUS AND THE REGION TO ITS SOUTHWEST ARE OPEN FOR US’

Captured ISIS gang İbrahim stated that ISIS sent petroleum, wheat and other materials to Turkey in exchange for arms, ammunition and supplies, and Jarablus became the only border with Turkey after the YPG’s liberation of Girê Spî. İbrahim said that Jarablus and the region to its southwest were open for ISIS, and the gangs have been using this area for logistical purposes. İbrahim noted that the YPG’s liberation of Girê Spî reduced the flow of goods and militants between ISIS and Turkey, but this flow continues today through Jarablus and Til Rai.

‘SENIOR ISIS MEMBERS IN CIVILIAN CLOTHES CARRIED OUT THE TRADE’


The captured gang stated that certain ISIS members were chosen to carry out the trade with Turkey, and hundreds of vehicles crossed the border everyday as part of this trade. İbrahim noted that ISIS gangs responsible for the trade with Turkey were senior administrators and wore civilian clothes, and ISIS sent petroleum, wheat and other materials to Turkey in exchange for arms, ammunition, supplies and the treatment of injured gangs in Turkish hospitals. 

İbrahim added that the trade between ISIS and Turkey became more secretive after the bombardment of petroleum tankers near the border and the exposure of Turkey-ISIS relations.

Part Two can be read here.

Video - Hamas PM Haniya in Friday Sermon: We Are Digging Tunnels East of Gaza.

Related: Hamas and Fatah to meet in MB Den Qatar, confer reconciliation. (Alresalah.ps)

Both Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Fatah are meeting in Qatar's Doha to discuss the pending internal Palestinian reconciliation dossiers.

Member of the Central Committee of Fatah Movement Jamal Mohesin said that a PLO delegation, headed by the Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad, will meet the leadership of Hamas movement in Qatar. Both movements will confer the advancement of reconciliation, the achievement of national unity and the presidential and legislative elections, said he.

Iraqi PM Abadi: There's No evidence Turkey wants to combat ISIS.

Iraqi PM Abadi: There's No evidence Turkey wants to combat ISIS. (Rudaw).

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says that there is no evidence to indicate that Turkey wants to fight the Islamic State (ISIS).


"The Turks are telling us otherwise, [that] they're eager to fight Daesh [ISIS]. But I'm telling them frankly, I'm not seeing evidence of that. I hope I see more evidence of that," Abadi told CNBC News at Davos, Switzerland on his visit to the World Economic Forum.


"I think they have to shift their priority from considering the Kurds as their problem, to Daesh as their major problem. I think that the bombing of some targets inside Turkey by Daesh, that's an alarm to them. They must take it seriously," he added.


Abadi went on to allege that the Turkish deployment in Camp Bashiqa in Iraq's Nineveh Province has little to do with helping Sunni and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters combat ISIS despite Ankara's assertions.


"I think Turkey is looking to go back to the Ottoman Empire thing, I don't think there's a place in the region for that. We have to keep a good relationship with our neighbour, Turkey, we've been working very hard to keep that good relationship, and as the prime minister of Iraq, I'm very keen to improve our good relationship, which we have done, but of course the extension of the crossing of Turkish military units into Iraq is not helpful at all," Abadi stated.



Turkey had initially sent trainers to Bashiqa over a year ago with Baghdad's consent. However last December a diplomatic crisis was sparked by Turkey's deployment of additional soldiers to the camp to secure it. Since then Turkey claims it was attacked by ISIS three times. Baghdad believes only one such attack took place, accusing Turkey of making the other two up. Ankara insists that having soldiers there is a necessity giving the eternal threat of an ISIS attack or infiltration into the base.

Obama Says Assad Must Go for Peace in Syria .

Erdogan Obama Says Assad Must Go for Peace in Syria as Draft U.N. Resolution Calls for January Talks. (Naharnet).

The draft text, obtained by AFP, states that the "only sustainable solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people."

The measure draws heavily on statements agreed during previous talks in Geneva and Vienna by calling for an "inclusive transitional governing body with full executive powers" in Syria.

It asks the United Nations to bring the Syrian government and the opposition to the table for formal negotiations on a political transition "with a target of early January 2016."

The draft resolution, however, does not touch on one of the most contentious issues in the peace effort: the fate of Syrian leader Bashar Assad.

Ahead of the council meeting, U.S. President Barack Obama reaffirmed the U.S. stance that Assad must leave power during his Washington year-end news conference.

"I think that Assad is going to have to leave in order for the country to stop the blood(shed), for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a nonsectarian way," Obama said. "He has lost legitimacy in the eyes of the country."

Obama said Assad's remaining in power, after having chosen to "slaughter" his people rather than pursue an inclusive political transition, "is not feasible."

"As a consequence, our view has been that you cannot bring peace to Syria, you cannot get an end to the civil war unless you have a government that it is recognized as legitimate by a majority of that country. It will not happen," he said.

The diplomatic balancing act aims to keep both Moscow and Riyadh on board as big powers aim to build momentum for peace talks and a ceasefire.

Syria's main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said however that achieving a ceasefire by January 1 was unrealistic and demanded that Russia halt air strikes as part of that truce.

Assad, in his interview with Dutch television, turned sarcastic when asked whether he was comforted that Washington's stance on his departure was seemingly softening. "I was packing my luggage. I had to leave, but now I can stay," he said.  Read the full story here.

'Islamist Turkey' - Pro-gov’t journalist claims Erdogan to become caliph if presidential system adopted.

'Islamist Turkey' - Pro-gov’t journalist claims Erdogan to become caliph if presidential system adopted. (TZ).

A journalist from the staunchly pro-government Yeni Akit daily has suggested that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be the new caliph of the Muslim world and will host representatives of Muslim countries at his palace if Turkey adopts a presidential system.

“If Tayyip Erdoğan switches to a presidential system, he is likely to appoint advisers to him from Muslim countries located in regions that are under the caliphate, and he will open representative offices for all of them in the 1,005 rooms of Beştepe [the location of the new presidential palace],” Yeni Akit columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak said in remarks published by the independent news website T24 on Saturday.

Dilipak's statements were reportedly from a speech he delivered in Toronto, Canada last week as part of the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) election campaign. His remarks came after he said that the caliphate was not completely abolished in 1924 and can in fact be resurrected by Parliament.

Caliph, "successor" in English, is a word used to describe the political leader of the global community of Muslims who claims succession from the Prophet Muhammad.

Moreover, the article claimed that the presidential palace known as "Ak Saray" was constructed to govern the provinces that will be occupied by Mahdi's army. The article also stated that Erdoğan and Davutoğlu want to be martyred fighting against enemies. Hmmm......'Sometimes NAO Ally' 'Islamist Turkey'. Rea the full story here.

Here is the video link on caliphate by @RT_Erdogan according to pro-gov't henchman https://t.co/ss7tYRhDps

— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 25, 2015

Here is my take on #Turkey's #Erdogan's caliphate dreams from last year piece https://t.co/Zj8Z7y9RuB

— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 25, 2015

Iran - Head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations Kharrazi: Bashar Assad leaving is Iran’s red line.

Iran - Head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations Kharrazi: Bashar Assad leaving is Iran’s red line. (TNA).

The head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations has said the fact that Bashar Assad should remain in office until the end of his term is one of Iran’s red lines.

Kamal Kharrazi told the Munich Security Conference Core Group Meeting on Saturday that the Syrian people should determine the future of this country.

He further said that Iran and Europe can work together on the Syrian question, adding that the time will come when everybody accepts that political dialogue should be held [to reach the stated objectives in the region].

Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Will Have Church Dedicated to Christian Martyrs executed by ISIS.

Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Will Have Church Dedicated to Christian Martyrs executed by ISIS. (Zenit).

This report is contributed by Oliver Maksan of Aid to the Church in Need.

The gruesome images of the 21 Christians who were beheaded last February by Islamic State terrorists have left a deep imprint on the memory of Christian Egyptians.

Now a new church dedicated to the martyrs—who are formally recognized as such by Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church—will honor their memory in a tangible fashion.

This week—after a long delay—work began on laying the foundations of the new church in the Coptic-Orthodox Diocese of Samalout, from which most of the martyrs came.

The project had been authorized directly by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi shortly after the tragedy, but resistance by local Muslim authorities delayed the start of construction.

Bishop Paphnutius of Samalout said: “We are extremely proud of our martyrs. Although they were forced to kneel before their executioners, they were the stronger. Their murderers were the weaker, despite their weapons. Why would they have concealed their faces otherwise? It could only have been because they were afraid,” he insisted. “Our sons by contrast were very strong and called on our Lord until their very last breath.”

Bishop Paphnutius interprets their martyrdom spiritually. “The Church has always known that the blood of martyrs is the seed of faith. It will remain so until the end of time,” he said.

“From Alexandria to Aswan, throughout Egypt, Christians have been strengthened in their faith. Muslims from all over have also told us that they are proud; they say that our martyrs have shown that we Egyptians are very strong. Their death fills all of us, Christians and Muslims alike, with pride.”

The crime’s repercussions are still felt today. After all, the martyrs have left widows and children behind. “Thanks to generous donors, we are able to provide for the surviving dependants,” stated Bishop Paphnutius.

Aid to the Church in Need is an international Catholic charity under the guidance of the Holy See, providing assistance to the suffering and persecuted Church in more than 140 countries. www.churchinneed.org (USA); www.acnuk.org (UK); www.aidtochurch.org (AUS); www.acnireland.org (IRL); www.acn-aed-ca.org (CAN) www.acnmalta.org (Malta)

The 21 Christian martyrs in Libya look at Jesus at z moment of their martyrdom & angels ready to crown them pic.twitter.com/i2Hxxks3Nw

— COPTIC NATIONALISM (@DioscorusBoles) February 22, 2015

The martyrdom of the 21 Coptic Christians is recognized by @PopeTawadros & commemorated Feb.15 http://t.co/xKb8Ti8IJM pic.twitter.com/fp7nxsDhev

— Fr. Manuel Dorantes (@TweetingPriest) February 21, 2015

YPG Comdr: Turkish MIT officers conduct the Al-Nusra and other affiliated gang groups attacks on Şêxmeqsûd.

YPG Comdr: Turkish MIT officers conduct the Al-Nusra and other affiliated gang groups attacks on Şêxmeqsûd. (ANF).

Attacks of Al-Nusra and other affiliated gang groups on Şêxmeqsûd (Sheikh Maqsoud) neighborhood of Aleppo continue. YPG Aleppo Commander Rêzan Rojhilat said the gang groups attacking the neighborhood since the first day of the Eid are fully supported by the Turkish state.

YPG Aleppo Commander Rêzan Rojhilat told ANHA News Agency that a meeting took place between the YPG and the Operation Room to Liberate Aleppo in order to protect the civilians from being harmed in the ongoing attacks of Al-Nusra affiliated groups on Şêxmeqsûd.

'SOME FORCES DO NOT WANT THE ATTACKS TO STOP'

“We undersigned an agreement at this meeting. The first article of the agreement was ‘to stop the artillery attack on the neighborhood and ensure the withdrawal of the gangs that encircled Şêxmeqsûd from the outskirts of the settlement’. The gang groups have not listened to Operation Room to Liberate Aleppo and on the contrary they increased their attacks”, he said.

Rêzan Rojhilat stressed that the YPG complied with the agreement which however didn't work as some forces did not want the the conflict and attacks to stop. He added that; “As the YPG forces, we have fulfilled all the conditions of the agreement on our part. Yet, it has been understood that there are some forces that do not want these attacks to stop and are bothered with the agreement. The gang groups receive all their support from the Turkish MIT. All these attacks are planned and conducted by Turkish military officers and members of the Turkish Intelligence (MIT). This is why Al Nusra, Sultan Murad Battalion and other gangs groups didn't stop their attacks."

Drawing attention to the cruelty of gang groups against the civilians in the neighborhood, YPG Commander they had to respond and fight in the face of the attacks by gang groups that started to bombard the neighborhood with Katyusha rockets after they encircled it recently.

'WE ARE READY TO RESPOND TO ANY ATTACK'

YPG Commander recalled that children lost their lives and many civilians were wounded in the artillery attacks of the gangs that are still going on. Rojhilat stated that YPG forces defended all the peoples in the neighborhood, and vowed to continue undertaking their responsibilities at any cost to fulfill their promises to the people.

“As much as we are ready to respond to all attacks, we also remain ready to be part of conciliation and peace”, he added. Hmmmm......No wonder Turkey is crying for help against the Russians.

PYD leader: Russia will stop 'Sometimes NATO Ally' Turkey from intervening in Syria.

PYD leader: Russia will stop 'Sometimes NATO Ally' Turkey from intervening in Syria. (AM).

What impact will the Russian moves have on Syria’s Kurds? Al-Monitor put the question to Salih Muslim, co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), who is currently in northern Syria.

Al-Monitor: Russia also says that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad needs to remain in power and it is defending the regime.

Muslim: Russia sided with the regime from the very start. This is a separate matter. But as far as Assad remaining in power, we think differently. Assad cannot remain in power as before. He may stay on during a transition period, during a period of dialogue between the conflicting parties, but in the long term it seems inconceivable that the majority of the Syrian people would accept his leadership anymore.

Al-Monitor: But isn’t there a risk that the “transition period” could morph into a “permanent period”? Having achieved so many gains you would surely seek guarantees. Can Russia be a guarantor for the Kurds?

Muslim: We have had relations with Russia for the past three years. We go back and forth to Russia, to Moscow. But the regime cannot remain as is nor can we turn back the clock. The Kurds are a reality. And we are capable of defending ourselves against the regime and others. If there is to be a resolution to the Syrian crisis, it needs to incorporate the rights of the Kurds and all other ethnic and religious groups in Syria. This could be achieved under the auspices of the United Nations. Our democratic autonomy [the three Kurdish-controlled cantons in northern Syria] needs to be recognized. And if they are not, we shall continue with our struggle. If the Kurdish problem remains unresolved, the Syrian problem will remain unresolved. We have certain demands, a system in place. Any solution that is predicated on eradicating these is wrong and cannot work.

Al-Monitor: Getting back to Russia, we are hearing reports that Russian planes are not just targeting Daesh but Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham as well. How will America respond, in your view?

Muslim: I don’t believe that America will object because [Jabhat] al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham are no different than Daesh. They are all terrorist organizations and share the same radical mentality. [Jabhat] al-Nusra is on the US [State Department’s] list of terrorist organizations. I don’t know if they will raise objections about Ahrar al-Sham, but they know who they are. There are no boundaries, no differences between the three groups. But if they were to be pushed out, the remaining opposition groups — which are very weak, including those that are fighting alongside us, that are attached to the Free Syrian Army — will be strengthened.

Al-Monitor: What do Russia’s moves spell for Turkey?

Muslim: Turkey’s Syrian policy is totally bankrupt. Two years ago I was talking to a Russian official and he asked me, “What do the Kurds most fear?” “Possible Turkish intervention,” I replied. He laughed and said, “That is not Turkey’s border [with Syria], but NATO’s,” to which I responded, “In that case you have given me relief, thank you.” Turkey cannot intervene in Syria without the blessings of the big powers.

Al-Monitor: And how will the “IS-free zone” that Turkey wants to establish west of the Euphrates River along the so-called Mare Line be affected by Russian intervention?

Muslim: Russia and the United States seem to have established their own zones of influence within Syria. The US is active in the north. The Russians will not meddle in the north. But should Turkey attempt to intervene, then they will. Russia has a joint defense agreement with Syria. They will prevent Turkish intervention not to defend us [Kurds] but to defend Syria’s border. Read the full story here.

100 ISIL terrorists reportedly enter 'Sometimes NATO Ally' Turkey for an offensive.

100 ISIL terrorists reportedly enter  'Sometimes NATO Ally' Turkey for an offensive. (FOT).

In a plan approved by ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, 100 militants were assigned to give military training to ISIL members and sympathizers in Turkey, the news agency Sputnik Türkiye reported on Tuesday.

According to the agency’s “reliable sources in Syria,” ISIL will use members in Turkey to carry out attacks in various cities if current policies are maintained by Turkey, which only two months ago took an offensive stance against the group by participating in air strikes with an international coalition, authorizing it to use important airbases.

The transfer of militants through the border provinces of Kilis and Gaziantep was executed with “great secrecy,” the report stated, adding that nine ISIL emirs (commanders) accompanied the militants as the terrorist group’s structure requires one emir for every 12 militants.

After crossing Turkey’s border from Syria in groups, 100 militants scattered to Adana, Adıyaman, Ankara, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, İstanbul, İzmir, Kilis, Konya and Şanlıurfa. The militants were instructed to avoid unnecessary communication by phone. In addition to arms training, ISIL members and sympathizers in Turkey will also be taught to make bombs.

Sputnik Türkiye also claimed the group traveled with military equipment, including Kalashnikov rifles, Bixi machine guns, pistols with silencers, binoculars, rocket launchers, grenades, mines and explosives. The report also states that some members bought weapons from smugglers in Kilis.
Hmmm......One way to disrupt the coming elections. Read the full story here.

Videos - Yazidi-American Activist Seeks Help for Refugees.

As the world confronts the Syrian refugee crisis, Yazidi activists in the United States are calling attention to the plight of their displaced people in northern Iraq. Last year, Islamic State massacred more than 5,000 members of this religious minority, enslaved more than 5,000 Yazidi women and children and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The plight of the Yazidis, a religious-ethnic minority in Iraq, drew world attention last year when Islamic State fighters drove thousands of them to a mountain refuge in Sinjar. Far away, in the Midwestern city of Lincoln, Nebraska, the largest community of Yazidis in North America took action, led in great part by Laila Khoudeida, and she she continues to seek help for her threatened people. VOA's Greg Flakus reports. Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/ya...

Hizbullah-Affiliated Daily On Russian Syria Air Campaign: 'Yesterday Russia Turned A New Page In The History Of The World'

Chairman Of The Hizbullah-Affiliated 'Al-Akhbar' Daily On Russian Air Campaign In Syria: 'Yesterday Russia Turned A New Page In The History Of The World'. (Memri).

In an article published in the Hizbullah-affiliated Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar on October 1, 2015, the chairman of the newspaper's board of directors, Ibrahim Al-Amin, predicted that Russia's air campaign in Syria will be merely a prelude to a larger military offensive involving ground operations by the Syrian Army, Iran, Hizbullah, and even the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces.

Al-Amin is known to have close ties to Hizbullah, and in the past he has proven a reliable source on matters relating to the Iran-Syria-Hizbullah axis.

This is a repositioning of Russian military force in the direct labor market of the regions of 'cold' confrontation with the U.S.-led West... Today we find ourselves before the best opportunity of putting Syria on a path to a true solution, even if it be prefaced by fire.

"As for the facts, the Russian air force carried out the first missions of a working program laid out in detailed form in an existing plan of cooperation between Moscow and its allies in the war in Syria and Iraq.

This is a plan that is coordinated down to the finest details with the two allies Syria and Iran, and consequently with Hizbullah [as well]... What happened yesterday, and which will soon reach its culmination, is a necessary preface to a larger military action that will include a land component undertaken by other forces in the alliance.

To put it more directly, [Russia's] aerial bombardment of [the rebels'] command and control centers, major weapons arsenals, and artillery positions will be a preface to a military operation carried out by the Syrian army on the ground, with direct support from Iran and Hizbullah, and even from the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces... It may be emphasized that Russia's activity yesterday means clearly that all the discussions in New York didn't change an iota in the military plan of action...

"Yesterday Russia turned a new page in the history of the world. However far its military action in the field reaches, it is the political and strategic results that will remain more important. 

These results will invite those who delude themselves in thinking that America is still the leader of the world and controller of its fate to revise their stance. Those who do not want to change their minds, let them stay as they wish, but they should take into account that they must rely on themselves more than at any time in the past. This goes for Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and even the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa!" Hmmmm..........."FLEXIBILITY" Read the full story here.

Erdogan threatening Russia: 'Turkey will not allow "terror to take root" or "fait accompli situations" next to its borders'.

Erdogan threatening Russia: 'Turkey will not allow "terror to take root" or "fait accompli situations" next to its borders'. (Jpost).

Turkey will not allow "terror to take root" or "fait accompli situations" next to its borders, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, in an apparent reference to Russian air strikes in neighbouring Syria.

Erdogan made the comment in a parliamentary speech in Ankara.

The Russian air force began air strikes in Syria on Wednesday, targeting areas near the cities of Homs and Hama in the west of the country, where President Bashar al-Assad's forces are fighting a number of insurgent groups, though not Islamic State, which is based mostly in the north and east. Hmmm.....Hmmm.... 'I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in' said the Caliph of the Muslim Brotherhood. Read the full story here.

'Send in Muslim troops to fight ISIS': Ramzan Kadyrov.

'Send in Muslim troops to fight ISIS': Ramzan Kadyrov. (DM).

One of Vladimir Putin's closest allies has called on the Russian president to deploy Muslim ground troops to fight the Islamic State.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman president of Chechnya, said Moscow should expand its operations in Syria – which began yesterday with controversial airstrikes on anti-government rebels in defiance of the West.

He said: 'I'm convinced that not only airborne should be used there, but also infantry, because the faster we finish off ISIS, the more peacefully we'll live across the territory of global community.

'We Chechens as yet, unfortunately, have no opportunity to participate in the fight against these evil spirits.'

Kadryov, a Sunni Muslim who runs the province with an iron fist and is seen as one of Putin's most loyal supporters, said Islamic fighters from Chechnya should be sent to combat the jihadis.

Kadyrov's comments will be seen as an attempt to defuse further jihadi recruitment by negating the argument that the conflict is fuelled by sectarianism.

That has also been the prevailing factor behind the West's refusal to put 'boots on the ground' in Iraq or Syria, instead choosing to support Muslim troops in combatting ISIS themselves.

Deploying ground troops, however, would plunge relations with the West into further crisis, but so far Putin has ruled out such a move, acutely aware of the Soviet Union's disastrous decade-long presence in Afghanistan.

Speaking to news outlet gazeta.ru, Kadyrov also claimed Putin had acted in line with international law in contrast to Western action in Syria.

'I'm sure that it will contribute to ensuring safety in entire world,' he added. Hmmmm.....Somehow i expected something of the kind. Read the full story.

Putin ushers in a new era of geopolitics in the Middle East.

Putin ushers in a new era of geopolitics in the Middle East. HT: UnderstandingWar.

One thing is clear: if the Kremlin had set out to design a 2015 exercise season to hone the most important skills its troops would need to conduct air support of Syrian troops with a very limited high-impact ground footprint, they could hardly have done better.

It is reasonable to expect, therefore, that the coming days will see Russian Su-25 Frogfoots, Hind helicopters, Su-24 Fencers, and Su-30 Flankers beginning to conduct air operations against rebel targets on behalf of the Syrian regime.

It would not be surprising if small groups of Spetsnaz or airborne troops began conducting targeted raids against high-value rebel targets as well. The Russians appear to have prepared their forces for these kinds of missions.

Putin is not simply intervening to attack ISIS. His stated goal and posture is to support the Assad regime and Bashar al Assad in particular. The deployment of Russian forces into Syria therefore effectively guarantees that Assad can remain in power for as long as Putin chooses to back him, thus obviating the need for Assad to make any meaningful concessions to the opposition.

Assad’s forces had been reeling from the advances of multiple rebel groups and running out of reinforcements. His regime might have faced collapse, he might have been pushed aside, or he might have felt compelled to negotiate seriously with his Syrian opponents. Now he is likely to become extremely intransigent.

The only path to ending the war thus offered by this Russian adventure is the crushing of the majority Sunni Arab population in Syria by the combined forces of Assad, Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Kremlin. It is hard to see that approach being successful.

Any serious plan for bringing peace, ultimately, to Syria requires separating supporters of ISIS and al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al Nusra from the bulk of the Syrian Sunni Arab population now working with them for lack of any better alternatives. That approach requires differentiating among the various groups fighting against Assad, identifying which ones might be lured away, and determining what would be required to lure them.

Putin, it seems clear, has no interest whatsoever in such an approach. He told U.S. networks that “provision of military support to illegal structures runs counter to the principles of modern international law and the United Nations Charter,” and made it clear that he regards the only “legitimate government entities” in Syria to be the organs of Assad’s government.

It is likely, therefore, that Russian support for Assad will take the form of an indiscriminate attack against Assad’s opponents, regardless of the degree of their affiliation with ISIS or JN. Such an effort will tend to unify the Syrian opposition with the jihadists against the Russians and Assad.

If the U.S. appears to support Russia—a position the Obama Administration seems to be steadily drifting toward—it will solidify the idea that all of the Western powers are united with Iran behind Assad and that only al Qaeda and ISIS offer international support for the struggle against the ‘Alawite government.

A blank-check support for the Assad regime of the sort Putin is ready to provide, in other words, is very likely to backfire, further radicalizing the conflict and permitting the continued commitment of war crimes by the Assad regime.

The path of least resistance for the U.S. will be gradually coming to terms with the new reality and making a virtue of necessity by cooperating, reluctantly at first and then more enthusiastically, with the RussianIranian-Syrian axis that is now forming.

It will, in other words, continue the trend of realigning the American geostrategic position the Middle East fundamentally. More remarkably, it may represent the opening of a new Russian flank against NATO and against America’s ability to operate in the region. Read the full story here.

A lot of my FSA comrades joined ISIS as Russian forces started attacking FSA killing 31 fighters today, they think it is safer to be ISIS!

— Jad Bantha (@JadBantha) September 30, 2015

That means in one month, #Russia would carry an equivalent of 1 year of the USA coalition air attacks in #Syria @Croat_Al_Assad

— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) September 30, 2015

Russian air force Rules the Skies Above Syria.

Russian air force Rules the Skies Above Syria. (AM).


On Wednesday morning, Russia’s Federation Council voted unanimously in favor of their armed forces increasing their participation in Syria; this prompted the Russian Air Force to conduct 20 airstrikes above western Syria that were primarily concentrated on Jabhat Al-Nusra’s (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) positions inside the provinces of Latakia, Hama and Dara’a.

The Russian Air Force did not wait long to launch their long anticipated airstrikes above Syria; instead, they began their large-scale aerial campaign just two hours after the Federation Council approved their participation.

Unaware of the news of Russia’s imminent assault, Jabhat Al-Nusra was surprised with three powerful airstrikes from the Russian Air Force east of the predominately Armenian city of Kassab; this resulted in the destruction of an Al-Qaeda hideout and a half dozen armored vehicles that were located near the Turkish border.

However, this was just the start of the Russian onslaught: the Air Force would target Al-Qaeda’s positions at the hills of Deir Hanna and Jabal Al-Zaweed, while also attacking the terrorist group as far south as the city of Ghannam; these airstrikes were concentrated on the Jabhat Al-Nusra corridor that stretches along the Turkish border with this coastal province.

Following their airstrikes above Latakia, the Russian Air Force concentrated their efforts on the Jabhat Al-Nusra and Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham positions inside the northern Hama cities of Al-Lataminah and Kafr Zita; these airstrikes were in response to the continued Al-Qaeda attacks on the densely populated Syrian Christian city of Mhardeh. The Russian Air Force would conclude their airstrikes above Syria at 7:30 P.M. (Damascus Time) with one last ferocious assault on the Islamist rebels in the Dara’a countryside. Hmmmm......The great 'cleanup has begun'.

Putin the 'Mr.Clean' For Syria - Russian Air Force to Strike All Terrorist Organizations in Syria.

Putin the 'Mr.Clean' For Syria - Russian Air Force to Strike All Terrorist Organizations in Syria. (SP).

Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riad Haddad said that the Russian Armed Forces will attack all the terrorist organizations present in Syria, including the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra.

Syria hopes that the Russian Air Force will carry out airstrikes against all terrorist organizations that are present in the country, Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riad Haddad told Sputnik on Wednesday.

“The Russian Armed Forces will attack all the terrorist organizations present in Syria, including the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra,” Haddad said.

Haddad also said that the Russian Air Force headquarters would be determined by the military command. Hmmmm....Sound like 'Kill them all, let God sort out his'. Read the full story here.

Confirmed #RuAF air raids today in #Syria: #Latakia: Ghamam. Bani Zayd. Deir Hanna #Homs: Rastan. Talbisieh. #Hama: Lataminah. Kafr Zita

— Hassan Ridha (@sayed_ridha) September 30, 2015

Video - Alleged footage of 4 Russian warplanes conducting airstrikes on Talbissa - Homs and Tajamu Alezza toaday

Russian pilots talks while bombing Talbisa, Homs.





HT and Source:

"Unprecedented damage, intensity of explosions, sudden qualitative development of the airstrikes, dialogues in Russian among the pilots"

— Abdurahman Harkoush (@Abduhark) September 30, 2015