ISIS Demands $ 50,000 Ransom for each of the 280 Assyrian Hostages; 3 Civilians Executed

ISIS Demands $ 50,000 Ransom for each of the 280 Assyrian Hostages; 3 Civilians Executed. (AM).

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has released another a gory video in which they brutally execute three Assyrian civilians that were taken captive during their winter offensive (February 23rd) in the Khabour River region of the Al-Hasakah Governorate.

In the video, the terrorist group threatens to execute the remaining 280 captives if a ransom of $50,000 per hostage is not paid to them in the coming weeks; this monetary demand aggregates to $14 million (U.S.) in order to release the prisoners.

Following their threat, the terrorist group summarily executed the three Assyrian captives and made another threat to execute more of the hostages if their demands are not met.

The three Assyrian men that were identified in the video are Dr. ‘Abdel-Maseeh Aniyah of Tal Jazirah (Al-Hasakah), Ashur Rustam Abraham of Tal Jazirah, and Bassam Issa Michael from Tal Shamiram (Al-Jazirah).

The final fate of the 280 hostages will be contingent on ISIS; furthermore, they have expressed no qualms with mass executions, as they have carried them out on numerous occasions. Hmmm.....I refuse to display their vids or gory photo's, i won't help them in their efforts to intimidate folks. We only have to fear fear itself.

Update: 
An other News source speaks of $ 100,000 Ransom for each of the hostages. HT: @MoscowGhost. 

Russia has ground troop battalion,"considerable and growing" naval presence, advanced tanks in Syria: U.S. NATO envoy.

Russia has ground troop battalion,"considerable and growing" naval presence, advanced tanks in Syria: U.S. NATO envoy. (Reuters).

Russia's military build-up in Syria includes a "considerable and growing" naval presence, long-range rockets and a battalion of ground troops backed by Moscow's most modern tanks, the U.S. ambassador to NATO said on Wednesday.

Speaking on the eve of a NATO defense ministers meeting to be dominated by Russia's intervention in Syria's civil war, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute said Moscow had managed a "quite impressive" military deployment over the past week to its Syria naval base in Tartous and its army base in Latakia.

"There is a considerable and growing Russia naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean, more than 10 ships now, which is a bit out of the ordinary," he told a news briefing.

"The recent Russian reinforcements over the last week or so feature a battalion-size ground force ... There is artillery, there are long-range rocket capabilities, there are air defense capabilities," Lute said. A battalion is typically around 1,000 soldiers.

"(It is) all arms, combined arms, attack aircraft, it is the attack helicopters and artillery, rocket artillery." Russia's ground forces in Syria include some of its most advanced tanks, Lute said. Hmmm......Great way to test your military hardware for real. Wouldn't surprise me to see an Iranian assault as well. Read the full story here.

Russia May Use Navy to Blockade Syrian Coast and possibly deliver artillery strikes

Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship #Moskva left Sevastopol for 'Drills' in #Mediterranean. http://t.co/yihznqYVJ9 pic.twitter.com/hMk8ji1ySa

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) September 24, 2015

Russia May Use Navy to Blockade Syrian Coast and possibly deliver artillery strikes. (SP).

Russia's Black Sea Fleet may be used in Syria to blockade the Syrian coastline and deliver armaments, as well as possibly deliver artillery strikes, the head of Russian State Duma's defense committee and former Black Sea Fleet commander Vladimir Komoyedov said.

Russia began precision strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria on September 30. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, Russia's air force has in the past two days destroyed terrorist headquarters, an explosives factory, a training camp and other targets. The targets are chosen based on Russian and Syrian reconnaissance data.

"Regarding the large-scale use of the Black Sea Fleet in this operation, I don't think it will happen, but in terms of a coastal blockade, I think that it's quite [possible]. The delivery of artillery strikes hasn't been excluded; the ships are ready for this, but there is no point in it for now. The terrorists are in deep, where the artillery cannot reach," Komoyedov said. 

Hmmmm........Seems my 'gut feeling' did not betray me ...again.Read the full story here.

@WTEpaminondas @BritsForIsrael @IsraelMatzav #ISIL meets #Russian #Tomahawk missiles? https://t.co/clxN1F2uni

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) September 24, 2015

Senior adviser to Syrian President Assad: 'Tacit Agreement' between U.S., Russia to End Syria War.

Senior adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad: 'Tacit Agreement' between U.S., Russia to End Syria War. (DS).

Russia and the United States have reached a "tacit agreement" on ending Syria's bloody crisis, a senior adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad has said.

"The current U.S. administration wants to find a solution to the crisis in Syria. There is a tacit agreement between the U.S. and Russia to reach this solution," Bouthaina Shaaban said in an interview with state television late Wednesday.

"The U.S. recognizes now that Russia has profound knowledge of this region and a better assessment of the situation," she said.

"The current international climate is heading towards detente and towards a solution for the crisis in Syria."

Shaaban said there was a "change in the West's positions" over Syria's war, which has killed more than 240,000 people and displaced millions since 2011.

Russia, a decades-long backer of Syria's regime, has said it would not accept Assad's departure as a prerequisite for launching any peace process in the war-torn country.

While the United States has called for Assad's ouster for more than four years, Secretary of State John Kerry said last week that "it doesn't have to be on day one or month one or whatever." Read the full story here.

Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva left the city of Sevastopol for 'Drills' in Mediterranean.

Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva left the city of Sevastopol for 'Drills' in Mediterranean. (RT).

The warship will take part in planned exercises in the eastern Mediterranean as part of a permanent Russian Navy tactical group.

"The crews of Russian ships…will practice the organization of anti-submarine, anti-aircraft and anti-ship defense, search and rescue missions, as well as communication training and assistance to the crews of ships and aircraft in distress at sea," the news release said.

Over 40 different combat exercises will be carried out by the group, including missile and artillery firing at surface and air targets.

Earlier this year, Russian and Egyptian navies carried out joint military exercises involving F-16 fighter jets in the Mediterranean Sea. Russia and China also conducted Mediterranean drills earlier this year.

The Black Sea Fleet is stationed in both Crimea and the neighboring Krasnodar Territory and operates in both the Black and the Mediterranean Seas. Hmmm......ISIL meets Russian Tomahawk missiles.