Suriyeli muhalif Manna: IŞİD Türkiye'de Kürt ve Alevileri hedef alabilir- BBC Türkçe

Türkiye kamuoyunun ilgisi son günlerde PKK'ya yapılan operasyonlar, PKK'nın saldırıları ve çözüm sürecine odaklanmış durumda.

Ancak kentlerde IŞİD'e yönelik tutuklama dalgası ve yakında başlayacak hava operasyonlarına örgütün nasıl cevap vereceği kritik bir konu.

Örgütün yayın organlarında ve açıklamalarında bu tutuklamalara ve hava operasyonlarına değinmemesi dikkat çekiyor.

IŞİD hakkında geçtiğimiz aylarda 'DAEŞ: Barbarlık Devleti' adlı bir araştırma kitabı yayınlayan Suriyeli muhalif ve insan hakları eylemcisi Haytham Manna (Heysem Menna), "artık IŞİD'in Türkiye'de saldırılar düzenleme vaktinin geldiği" kanısında.

http://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler/2015/07/150731_heysem_menna_isid

Qahwaji Says Army Should be Fully Ready to Confront Terror- Naharnet

Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji said in his Order of the Day on Friday that troops should be fully ready to confront terrorism and unite amid regional and local crises.

“You continued to confront terrorism relentlessly” and with “courage,” he told soldiers on the occasion of Army Day.

“The Lebanese army has reached a high level of professionalism in its confrontation of terrorist organizations,” the general said.

He urged the military “to be fully ready to confront terrorism and the Israeli enemy which continues to violate Lebanese sovereignty in different ways.”

“The strength of your institution lies in its unity,” he said, adding that troops stay at a distance from all sides and are committed to the National Accord.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/186135

El Nusra, eğit-donat’a katılan 18 muhalifi kaçırdı- Hürriyet

El Kaide’nin Suriye kolu El Nusra’nın, eğit-donat programı çerçevesinde eğitilen 18 muhalifi Azez kentinde kaçırdığı ortaya çıktı.

ABD ve Türkiye tarafından ortaklaşa hazırlanan eğit-donat programına katılan Suriyeli muhalif savaşçılardan 54'ü,  temmuz ayı başında programı tamamladıktan sonra 13 Temmuz'da Suriye içlerine geçmeye başlamıştı.

Çoğunluğu Türkmen olan söz konusu ilk grup, Suriye'nin kuzeyindeki Halepvilayetinde Azez ilçesine bağlı Malikiye beldesinde konuşlanmıştı. Türkmenlerin yoğun olarak yaşadığı ve IŞİD'in elindeki Soran beldesinin yakınında güvenli bir bölge olduğu için birliğin yerleşmesi için burası uygun görülmüştü.

Anadolu Ajansı'nın haberine göre, birliğin Türkmen komutanı Albay Nedim Hasan ve yardımcısı ile emirlerindeki 18 savaşçı, Nusra Cephesi güçlerince alıkonuldu. Örgüt, ayrıca birliğin silah, araç ve gereçlerine de el koydu.

Birliğin serbest bırakılması için Nusra Cephesi'nin ikna edilmeye çalışıldığı, Özgür Suriye Ordusu'nun (ÖSO) müzakereler için devrede olduğu ifade edildi.

Suriye İnsan Hakları İzleme Örgütü, kaçırılan kişiler arasında Nusra Cephesi'nin ABD destekli "30. Bölük" grubunun lideri Nedim el Hasan'ın da olduğunu belirtti.

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/29679815.asp

U.S. Shoots Down Idea of Syria Safe Zone- Bloomberg

Days after the U.S. and Turkey announced a breakthrough deal to fight together against the Islamic State, U.S. officials are insisting that -- contrary to reports -- there are definitely no U.S. plans for a "safe zone" inside Syria. In fact, there really is no "zone," and there is no plan to keep the area "safe."

This confusion is a microcosm of the disorganized U.S. approach to the Islamic State threat since last summer. Each incremental escalation into which the U.S. gets dragged in Syria seems poorly thought out and even more poorly explained. Until the Barack Obama administration can reconcile the different objectives among the members of its anti-Islamic-State coalition, the various partners will continue to work at cross-purposes. In this case, for the U.S., the Islamic State is the one and only priority; for Turkey, the imperative is protecting civilians from Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime and eventually forcing its exit.

For the last week, various U.S. and Turkish officials have been contradicting each other in public and private over whether or not the White House agreed to a safe zone inside Syria, something it has long resisted. Major U.S. newspapers even published makeshift maps showing what the anti-Islamic-State safe zone would cover. But in a conference call with reporters Tuesday, three senior administration officials made it clear that there are no U.S. plans for a safe zone, a no-fly zone, an air-exclusionary zone, a humanitarian buffer zone or any other protected zone of any kind.

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-07-28/u-s-shoots-down-idea-of-syria-safe-zone

Anti-ISIL Buffer Zone Plans Feared to Trigger New Middle East Violence- Sputnik News

With the NATO council meeting to discuss the recent outbreak of violence in Turkey, the US and Ankara have reportedly spoken about establishing an ISIL-free buffer zone in northern Syria. However, there are fears that such a campaign would target other groups and trigger more violence in the region.

The issue of an anti-buffer zone is thought to have been high on the agenda of today's NATO council meeting in Brussels, after Turkey experienced its greatest outbreak of violence in recent times following clashes with ISIL militants and Kurdish groups.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he was pushing for permission to initiate a bombing campaign to rid northern Syria of ISIL fighters and other terrorist groups, while also offering support to western-backed 'moderate' rebel groups in the country.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150728/1025132949.html

Jaysh Al-Fateh Captures Remaining Hills Near Jisr Al-Shughour- Al-Masdar News

The conglomerate of Al-Qaeda affiliates known as “Jaysh Al-Fateh” have regrouped and captured the strategic hills of Tal Khattab, Tal ‘Awar, and Tal Hamka; along with the towns of Frikka, Mushayrafah, Salat Al-Zuhour, and Zayzoun after the Syrian Arab Army’s 87th Brigade of the 11th Tank Division withdrew from this stretch of agricultural lands in the Idlib Governorate.

With the capture of these sites in the Al-Ghaab Plains, the Islamist groups that make up Jaysh Al-Fateh have now secured the remaining area that surrounds the imperative city of Jisr Al-Shughour; this was guaranteed after they took control of the Sawmill Barrier earlier this morning.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/jaysh-al-fateh-captures-remaining-hills-near-jisr-al-shughour/

ISIS Loses Ground in Al-Jafra After a Failed Attack on the Deir Ezzor Military Airport- Al-Masdar News

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) conducted a large-scale assault on the eastern perimeter of the Deir Ezzor Military Airport over the weekend, resulting in a series of fierce firefights with the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Brigade of the 17th Reserve Division.

However, ISIS’ large-scale assault on the Deir Ezzor Military Airport did not go as planned, due to the stiff resistance from the Syrian Armed Forces entrenched at the eastern guard tower of the  base.

Following an eight hour engagement, the terrorist group was forced to withdraw from the eastern perimeter of the Deir Ezzor Military Airport, as they sustained heavy casualties during their infiltration attempt into this airbase.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-loses-ground-in-al-jafra-after-a-failed-attack-on-the-deir-ezzor-military-airport/

'You Stink' Campaigners Back to the Streets of Beirut- Naharnet

Anti-trash activists blocked on Tuesday several roads in Beirut to protest the authorities' failure to find a permanent solution to the waste crisis.

The demonstration was planned to coincide with a cabinet session which Prime Minister Tammam Salam adjourned to pave way for more consultations.

Tuesday's protest by "You Stink" activists at Riad al-Solh square near the Grand Serail was not the first. The same demonstrators held a sit-in in the area over the weekend to protest the mountains of garbage that had piled up in Beirut and its suburbs.

The protesters then blocked the road near Mohammed al-Amin mosque where the environment ministry is located, calling for the resignation of Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq.

They later moved to Beirut's Hamra thoroughfare chanting slogans calling on the authorities to resolve the waste problem.

At one point, the demonstrators surrounded the vehicle of Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, who later severely criticized them, telling Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that the protesters were on the verge of "smashing the car's windows."

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185842

Salam Postpones Cabinet Session to Prevent its Possible Collapse- Naharnet

Prime Minister Tammam Salam postponed a cabinet session that was set to take place on Tuesday to pave way for more consultations and to avoid a further confrontation on its controversial decision-making mechanism.

A statement issued by the premiership said Salam set Thursday as a new date for the cabinet to convene.

Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat had urged him to postpone the session. They wanted the consultations carried out by the different parties to pave way for agreements to facilitate the work of the government.

Sources close to Salam told al-Mustaqbal newspaper that his resignation is still an option.

The prime minister prefers to have a caretaker government rather than keeping a cabinet that does not function, they said.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185822

Burj Abi Haidar, Cornish Mazraa roads blocked- NNA

NNA - Burj Abi Haidar and Corniche Al-Mazraa roads have been blocked by the residents of both regions in protest against the state's negligence lifting the mounting garbage from the streets. 

http://nna-leb.gov.lb/en/show-news/47218/Burj-Abi-Haidar-Cornish-Mazraa-roads-blocked

Jumblat Does Not Rule out Another Naameh Landfill Extension- Naharnet

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat did not rule out another extension for the landfill that lies in Naameh south of Beirut to find a temporary solution for Lebanon's waste management crisis.

In remarks to al-Akhbar daily published on Monday, Jumblat said that he hasn't so far seen a serious initiative to resolve the crisis which erupted when the landfill was closed on July 17 in accordance with a government decision taken earlier this year.

The landfill opened in 1997. It was meant to receive trash from the capital and Mount Lebanon for only a few years until a comprehensive solution was devised.

But the government kept extending the deadlines for its closure.

Sukleen, which is the main company in charge of collecting trash in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, stopped its work last week after it was no longer able to store waste at its facilities. Mountains of trash have collected in the capital and suburbs meanwhile.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185738

Turkish PM: No plans to send ground troops into Syria- BBC News

Turkey has no plans to send ground troops into Syria to fight the Islamic State group, the prime minister says.

But Ahmet Davutoglu said air strikes on IS positions close to the Syria/Turkey border and on Kurdish PKK separatists in Iraq could "change the game".

Turkey's actions are in response to violent attacks last week in Turkey itself, including the death of 32 activists in a bombing in Suruc.

Nato is to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the main Syrian Kurdish party, on Monday urged Turkey to stop its attacks on Kurdish units inside Syria.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33671436

Syria: President Assad admits army strained by war- BBC News

The Syrian army has been forced to give up some areas in order to retain others in the war against rebels, now in its fifth year, President Bashar al-Assad has acknowledged.

The Syrian leader also said the army faced a shortage of soldiers.

A day earlier, he declared an amnesty for draft-dodgers and deserters.

The conflict is thought to have left more than 230,000 dead and displaced millions. Vast areas are no longer under government control.

Syria's conscript army was once 300,000 strong, but has been roughly halved by deaths, defections, and a rise in draft-dodging, AFP news agency said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33669069

Turkey plans 'Isil-free zone' in northern Syria- The Guardian

Turkey has revived calls for a “safe zone” in conflict-wracked northern Syria as it takes dramatic action to counter what it claims to be a twin threat of terror attacks from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Kurdish opposition forces.

Turkish F-16 jets mounted more raids against bases of the PKK, the outlawed Kurdish separatist group, in neighbouring Iraq’s Kurdistan Autonomous Region on Saturday - an unexpected add-on to Friday’s strikes against Isil targets in Syria.

Turkish officials defended the attacks, which threaten to shatter an official ceasefire with the PKK.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11763213/Turkey-plans-Isil-free-zone-in-northern-Syria.html

ISIS blows up truck bombs at Syrian town near Turkey’s border- Al-Arabiya

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants on Saturday detonated explosive laden trucks in two villages near the Kurdish-controlled Syrian border town of Tel Abyad, with reports of casualties, a monitor that tracks the war said.

The UK-based Observatory for Human Rights said the attacks targeted Kurdish YPG checkpoints in two mainly Arab inhabited villages on the south eastern edge of the town.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2015/07/25/ISIS-blows-up-truck-bombs-at-Syrian-town-near-Turkey-s-border.html

Turkey - from reluctant observer to full player in IS fight- BBC News

What is Turkey's game?

Within a week, it has gone from a reluctant observer, abstaining from military action against so-called Islamic State, to full-blown military strikes against the group, opening up its bases to coalition attacks and, simultaneously, the first aerial bombing of PKK Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq in four years.

Why the sudden turnaround?

For months, Ankara resisted military involvement in the US-led coalition of the willing. It insisted that the attacks also target President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Washington's reply was, in effect, that the immediate concern was IS and that the "Assad problem" needed to be put on the back burner.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33664269

Syrian President Assad Amnesties Army Deserters- Sputnik News

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Syrian President Bashar Assad has issued a decree amnestying army deserters in and out of the conflict-torn country, local media cited the legal document Saturday.

"The decree grants amnesty on the full penalty for those who have deserted inside the country [and] those who have deserted outside the country," the decree, published on the Syrian TV website, stated.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, local deserters have 30 days to turn themselves in to the authorities. Deserters from abroad have a 60-day deadline to do the same.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150725/1025042833.html

Nasrallah Says No Change in Ties with Iran after Nuclear Deal, Urges Mustaqbal to Listen to FPM's Demands- Naharnet

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stressed Saturday that newly issued sanctions by the U.S. against the party's officials were only aimed at targeting the Lebanese in general and that Iran's support for Hizbullah would not change following a nuclear deal with it.

“Sanctions on Hizbullah members don't make a difference because they neither have money nor have made deposits in banks worldwide,” Nasrallah said at the graduation ceremony of the sons and daughters of Hizbullah martyrs.

“We are proud to be sanctioned by the U.S. which will remain the great Satan after the nuclear deal with Iran,” he said from the Shahed Educational Complex in Beirut's southern suburbs.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department slapped sanctions on three Hizbullah leaders and a Lebanese businessman.

The action freezes the U.S. assets of all four and prevents Americans from engaging in transactions with them, it said.

But Nasrallah said that Lebanese businessmen and businesses are being targeted by the sanctions.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185673-nasrallah-says-no-change-in-ties-with-iran-after-nuclear-deal-urges-mustaqbal-to-listen-to-fpm-s-demands

Syria army, Hezbollah fighters advancing in Zabadani- PRESS TV

Syrian armed forces backed by fighters of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah have made fresh advances in their fight against Takfiri militants to take back control of the strategic border town of Zabadani.

According to Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV, the Syrian army units and allied Hezbollah fighters succeeded in gaining more ground in southeast of Zabadani as they recaptured several residential neighborhoods there on Saturday.

Earlier, Syrian soldiers managed to retake another neighborhood from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorists.

The advance in the flash-point city came amid reports that some militant groups have decided to surrender due to the tightening siege on their positions. The allied forces have already established full control over major entrances of Zabadani as well as key plains south of the city.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/07/25/421850/Syria-ISIL-Zabadani-Kurds-YPG-Hasakah

Kurds condemn Turkish air strikes inside Iraq- Al-Jazeera

KRG leadership angered by Turkish military operation as part of its double offensive against ISIL and PKK positions.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/iraqi-kurds-pkk-condemn-turkish-air-strikes-iraq-150725155340811.html

Tension in Ain el-Hilweh Following Assassination of Fatah Official- Naharnet

Tension was high in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh on Saturday following news of the assassination of Fatah official Col. Talal al-Ordoni, a security official said.

"Al-Ordouni was shot dead by two unidentified men while he was walking in the southern part of Ain el-Hilweh," the Palestinian official told Agence France Presse.

"He was accompanied by two bodyguards, one of whom was also killed and the other was wounded."

Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said that al-Ordoni was killed by the Jund al-Sham group.

Supporters of Fatah soon opened fire in the air upon hearing the news of his death.

Jund al-Sham has yet to claim responsibility for the assassination, but VDL identified al-Ordoni's shooter as Bilal Badr, a member of the group.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185658-tension-in-ain-el-hilweh-following-assassination-of-fatah-official

Turkey's air force hits IS and PKK in Syria and Iraq- BBC News

Turkey's air force is attacking Islamic State (IS) positions in Syria and Kurdish PKK militants in northern Iraq to defend the country's security, Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu says.

Mr Davutoglu added that 590 suspected IS and PKK members had been arrested.

This follows a week which saw a bomb attack blamed on IS kill 32 people in the Turkish town of Suruc.

Subsequent clashes with IS fighters on the Turkey-Syria border led to the death of a Turkish soldier.

The PKK's military wing said it had killed two Turkish police officers on Wednesday, claiming they had collaborated with IS in the bombing in Suruc, which targeted left-wing activists.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33663005

Turkey Strikes on Kurdish Bases in Iraq Puts Truce in Danger- Naharnet

Turkey's military Saturday carried out a new wave of air and artillery strikes against both Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria and Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, putting in jeopardy a fragile ceasefire with Turkish Kurds.

The two-pronged operation against IS and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) -- two groups who are themselves bitterly opposed -- came after a week of deadly violence in Turkey the authorities blamed on both organisations.

The strikes on the PKK threw into doubt a fragile ceasefire between Kurdish separatists and Turkey in place since 2013, with the rebels saying the conditions for observing the truce had been "eliminated".

After raids overnight, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkish war planes carried out new daytime raids against IS in Syria and PKK in northern Iraq.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185608-turkey-strikes-on-kurdish-bases-in-iraq-puts-truce-in-danger

Turkey attacks Kurdish militia & ISIS positions – PM's office- RT

The Turkish PM’s office announced their forces attacked several militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets and Islamic State positions. Kurdish fighters, who have been battling the jihadists for months, say the truce with Turkey is now meaningless.

The Turkish PM’s office has said their fighter jets bombed seven militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in Northern Iraq, AFP reported.

Turkey also launched simultaneous ground attacks against the PKK and Islamic State in northern Syria, Reuters said, citing the PM’s office.

“Strikes were carried out on targets of the Daesh (Islamic State) terror group in Syria and the PKK terror group in northern Iraq,” Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s office said in a statement.

Prime Minister Davutoglu told reporters that some 590 suspected members of IS and PKK and other militant groups had been arrested in raids across Turkey that began on Friday, according to AFP.

http://www.rt.com/news/310721-turkey-attacks-isis-kurds/

Turkey joins US-led coalition against ISIS, provides jets & air bases- RT

Ankara will join the anti-ISIS coalition by providing jets and airbases as part of an agreement with the US, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement citing the growing threat to Turkey’s security posed by the jihadists.

“Turkey and the US have decided to deepen ongoing cooperation in the fight against Daesh [Arabic acronym for ISIS],” the Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said on Friday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Friday that Ankara has agreed to let the US use the Incirlik air base located near the city of Adana in southern Turkey for the coalition’s military operation against the jihadists. He told reporters that it will be used “within a certain framework.” The US Air Force contingent of about 5,000 airmen has been stationed there under an agreement between the two states as of 2002. 

“Based on the authority provided by the Parliament on Sept 2nd, 2014, the Cabinet approved the deployment of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles of the United States and some regional countries joining aerial campaigns against Daesh [ISIS] in our bases. Turkish Air Forces will also be instructed in mentioned operations,” the Foreign Ministry statement said, as quoted by the Hurriyet daily.

http://www.rt.com/news/310706-turkey-us-airstrikes-isis/

Jaysh Al-Fateh Begins Ground Operations at Al-Fou’aa and Kafraya in Idlib- Al-Masdar News

On Thursday morning, the conglomerate of Al-Qaeda linked militant groups “Jaysh Al-Fateh” (Army of Conquest) began their long-awaited retaliatory ground offensive at Al-Fou’aa and Kafraya, launching two powerful attacks at the outskirts of these predominately Shi’i towns in the Idlib Governorate.

The first assault began when Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham – alongside the Syrian Al-Qaeda organization “Jabhat Al-Nusra” and Ansar Al-Sham – attacked the Soy Farms at the outskirts of Al-Fou’aa, where they were confronted by a large contingent from the civilian-led “National Defense Forces” (NDF).

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/jaysh-al-fateh-begins-ground-operations-at-al-fouaa-and-kafraya-in-idlib/

ISIS Suffers Devastating Defeat in East Al-Hasakah City- Al-Masdar News

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has been officially kicked out of the eastern sector of Al-Hasakah City after the Syrian Arab Army’s 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard – in coordination with the Shaytat Tribesmen and the National Defense Forces (NDF) – captured the east district of the Al-Ghuweiran Quarter and the remaining territory under the terrorist group’s control in the Red Villas of Abu Bakr village.

For the first time in a month, the terrorist group does not occupy any territory inside the provincial capital’s eastern sector after their fierce firefights with both the Syrian Armed Forces and the predominately Kurdish “People’s Protection Units” (YPG) in the Red Villas and the Al-Ghuweiran Quarter of Al-Hasakah City.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-suffers-devastating-defeat-in-east-al-hasakah-city/

Turkey’s Airstrikes Kill Over 30 ISIL Militants in Syria-Sputnik News

ANKARA (Sputnik) — According to the source, the Turkish Air Force launched three airstrikes against ISIL locations in Syria earlier in the day. The bombs destroyed two command centers and a meeting-point used by the militants.

The operation marks the first time that Turkey has carried out airstrikes against ISIL on Syrian territory.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150724/1024993722.html

Rusya: IŞİD'le savaşında Suriye'ye yeterince yardım ediyoruz- Sputnik News

Ria Novosti haber ajansına konuşan Kinşçak, ''Suriye ordusunun savaşabilme kapasitesini artırmak için yeterince çok şey yaptığımızı düşünüyorum. Özellikle de onlara gerektiğinde tavsiye şeklinde yardım ediyoruz'' dedi.

'SURİYE HÜKÜMETİNE YARDIM ETMEK BİR GEREKLİLİK'

Suriye'ye terörle mücadelede yardım etmenin Rusya'nın da çıkarına olduğunu ifade eden Kinşçak, şunları söyledi: ''Teröristlerin Suriye'de zafer kazanmasını istemiyorsak —ki böyle bir şeyin sonuçları sadece bölge ülkelerini etkilemez- o halde Suriye hükümetine bu savaşta yardım etmek bir gerekliliktir.''

Tamamını oku: http://tr.sputniknews.com/ortadogu/20150723/1016713725.html

Turkey To Let U.S. Use Incirlik Air Base For ISIS Airstrikes, Officials Say- Huffington Post

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Turkey has agreed to let the U.S. military use a key air base near the border with Syria to launch airstrikes against the Islamic State, senior Obama administration officials said Thursday, giving a boost to the U.S.-led coalition amid a surge of violence in Turkey blamed on IS-linked militants.

The agreement, which President Barack Obama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone call Wednesday, follows months of U.S. appeals to Turkey and delicate negotiations over the use of Incirlik and other bases by the U.S.-led coalition - a sensitive topic in Turkey. American officials said access to the base in southern Turkey would allow the U.S. to move more swiftly and nimbly to attack IS targets.

Turkey has yet to publicly confirm the agreement, and the U.S. officials requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to comment publicly. The White House declined to confirm the agreement, citing operational security concerns, but White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama and Erdogan had discussed efforts to fight IS during their phone call Wednesday.

"The two leaders did agree that we would deepen our cooperation as we take on this ISIL threat," Josh Earnest said, using an alternative acronym for the militant group.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/turkey-incirlik-us-isis-airstrikes_55b140dee4b08f57d5d41257

The Coastal Shield Brigade: A New Pro-Assad Militia- Syria Comment

As the Syrian civil war has dragged on with no recent decisive breakthroughs for the Assad regime and the loss of many peripheral territories including all major towns in Idlib and Palmyra, the problem of avoidance of conscription into the regular armed forces has only become exacerbated. Thus, at this point, a strategy of entrenchment and defence of vital areas seems most reasonable to ensure the regime’s survival, having locals recruited instead to focus on defending and retaking territory within their own provinces. For example, this approach is now well in evidence in the predominantly Druze province of Suwayda, which has remained under regime authority but is now threatened on two fronts by the Islamic State to the northeast and the Deraa insurgency to the west, with many Druze refusing to serve in far away fronts to no avail.

The formation of the Coastal Shield Brigade (Liwa Dir’ al-Sahel) for Latakia province is part of the same trend. Indeed, Latakia also finds itself under increasing threat with the Idlib losses, and even some of the Iraqi Shi’a militias deployed in Syria, such as Liwa Dhu al-Fiqar, have played a role in contributing manpower and fighting in Latakia province in recent months.

http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/the-coastal-shield-brigade-a-new-pro-assad-militia/

Gemayel: Sukleen Taking Lebanon Hostage, it is Time for Popular Accountability- Naharnet

Kataeb party leader MP Sami Gemayel stressed on Wednesday that the time has come for popular accountability against the dump collecting company Sukleen “which has been taking Lebanon hostage for over 20 years.”

“The contract of Sukleen was extended several times since the last tender in the 1990s until today. It is time for popular accountability for a company that has been taking Lebanon hostage for over 20 years,” said Gemayel in a press conference on the waste management crisis.

The government signed a contract with Sukleen in 1994 for collecting and transporting the garbage in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The contract has been extended several times since for lack of any substitute.

“We have seen waste spreading all over the streets only when the contract of that company ended, which proves the existence of a scheme to keep the situation as it has and to keep the systematic theft of municipal funds,” he added.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185391

PKK Claims Killing Turkish Policemen in Revenge for Syria Border Attack- Naharnet

The military wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said on Wednesday it killed two Turkish police officers in a town on the Syrian border as a reprisal for a suicide bombing blamed on jihadists that killed 32.

"A punitive action was carried out... in revenge for the massacre in Suruc," the People's Defense Forces (HPG) said in a statement on its website, accusing the two officers of cooperating with the jihadists.

The two police officers were found shot dead at their home in the town of Ceylanpinar on the border with Syria, two days after the Suruc suicide attack blamed on Islamic State jihadists.

The statement by the HPG said that the attack took place at 6:00 am (0300 GMT) and that the police officers' identity cards and service weapons had been seized.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185377

Syria conflict: US strike 'kills Khorasan Group leader'- BBC News

The United States says it has killed a senior al-Qaeda militant in an air strike in north-western Syria.

A Pentagon statement said Muhsin al-Fadhli was targeted two weeks ago while travelling in a vehicle near Sarmada.

It described Fadhli as the leader of a network of veteran al-Qaeda operatives, known as the "Khorasan Group", who were allegedly plotting external attacks against the US and its allies.

The Kuwaiti was also reported to have been killed in a US strike last year.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33617316

Building for the Future: Saudi Arabia Plans to Invest Billions in Russia- Sputnik News

Saudi Arabia, usually considered a close ally of the US, plans to invest ten billion US dollars in Russia in the coming years. The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia is a sensitive geopolitical setback for the United States, DWN wrote.

Saudi Arabia and Russia are expanding their economic cooperation. The Saudis have signed a statement of intent, according to which they will invest ten billion dollars in Russia over the next five years, the newspaper reported.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150722/1024914755.html

Hezbollah and the SAA Capture Barada-Zabadani Road- Al-Masdar News

One day after capturing the Al-Zabadani Plains in the western countryside of this resort-city, the Syrian Arab Army’s 63rd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Hezbollah – imposed full control over the Barada-Zabadani Road after fierce clashes with the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” on Wednesday morning.

Following the capture of the Barada-Zabadani Road, the Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah carried out another powerful assault along Jamal ‘Abdel-Nasser Street, killing 9 enemy combatants from Jabhat Al-Nusra and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham before they were able to fight their way back to the Al-Zabadani Bus Station, which is on the outskirts of the city’s downtown.

The battle of Al-Zabadani has become a battle of survival for Jabhat Al-Nusra and their allies from the Free Syrian Army’s “Al-Zabadani Hawks Brigade

and  Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, as the Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah have relentlessly pounded this resort-city on the border of Lebanon with aerial bombardments, mortar shells, and repeated infantry attacks that have taken a toll on the Islamist rebels.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/hezbollah-and-the-saa-capture-barada-zabadani-road/

3 Spanish journalists kidnapped in northern Syria- Al-Masdar News

Three freelance Spanish journalists are believed to be kidnapped in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

The journalists identified as Antonio Pampliega, Jose Manuel Lopez and Angel Sastre, went missing since July 12 while they were working on an investigative report in the war-torn city.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/3-spanish-journalists-kidnapped-in-northern-syria/

Rusya en çok Asya ve Ortadoğu'ya silah gönderdi- Sputnik News

Rus devlet şirketi Rostec'in geçen yıl en çok Asya ve Ortadoğu ülkelerine silah ihracatı gerçekleştirdiği bildirildi. Şirketin yayımladığı raporda göre, Rusya'dan en çok silah alan ülkeler de Hindistan, Çin ve Irak olarak sıralandı.

Toplamda 59 ülkeye silah ihracatı gerçekleştirildiği belirtilen 2014 raporunda, askeri teçhizat gönderilen ülke ve bölgelerin dağılımı da şöyle verildi: Hindistan (yüzde 25), Çin (yüzde 22), Irak (yüzde 22), Suriye (yüzde 5), Venezüella (yüzde 5); Asya (yüzde 75), Latin Amerika (yüzde 9), Ortadoğu (yüzde 7).

Tamamını oku: http://tr.sputniknews.com/savunma/20150722/1016686539.html

Kilis'te 2 IŞİD üyesi yakalandı- Sputnik News

Kilis İl Emniyet Müdürlüğü 'nden yapılan açıklamaya göre, güvenlik güçleri, analiz çalışması sonucunda terör örgütü IŞİD üyesi oldukları belirlenen 2 kişiyi Elbeyli Otogarı'nda gözaltına aldı.

Şüphelilerin, Moskova doğumlu A.B. (34) ile Grozni doğumlu Çeçen uyruklu Rusya vatandaşı M.Z. (27) olduğu tespit edildi.

Türkiye'ye giriş yaptıkları pasaportları yanlarında taşımadıkları belirlenen 2 kişi hakkında, "Terör örgütüne üye olmak" suçundan soruşturma başlatıldığı bildirildi.

Tamamını oku: http://tr.sputniknews.com/turkiye/20150721/1016668299.html

Suriyeli çocuğa esnaftan dayak- Hürriyet

İzmir’de yemek yiyen müşterilerin masalarına giderek mendil satmaya çalışan Suriyeli çocuk, esnafın saldırısına maruz kaldı. Burnu kanayan çocuğa çirkin saldırı objektiflere takıldı.

Türkiye'deki Suriyeli mültecilerin sayıları gün geçtikçe artarken, yoksulluk içinde büyüyen Suriyeli çocuklar da ekmek parası kazanmak için sokaklarda mendil satıyor. İzmir’de bir lokantada yemek yiyen müşterilere mendil satmaya çalışan Suriyeli çocuk, esnafın saldırısına uğradı. 

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/29603820.asp

Lebanese, UN fallout over refugee registration- Al-Monitor

BEIRUT — The issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon is a hot topic, as are the related security, military, political, and even economic and environmental repercussions. The birth registration of displaced Syrians in Lebanon is currently debated by government agencies and the relevant United Nations bodies.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/07/lebanon-syria-refugees-unhcr-gebran-bassil-rejection.html

Regime forces tighten noose on opposition in Zabadani- Al-Monitor

DAMASCUS, Syria — The military operation in Zabadani launched by the Syrian regime and supported by Hezbollah continues into its second week. Zabadani lies in the northwest of Rif Dimashq governorate, near the Lebanese border and the road between Damascus and Beirut.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/07/syria-zabadani-regime-advance-opposition-besieged.html

Sweida’s Druze Advance in the Northeastern Countryside: Tal Mu’az Captured- Al-Masdar News

On Sunday morning, the Druze Civil Defense Forces – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) – carried out a successful assault on the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham’s frontline positions at Tal Mu’az in the northeastern countryside of Al-Sweida.

Following their counter-offensive at Tal Mu’az, the Druze Civil Defense and the National Defense Forces were able to impose full control over these strategic hills in northeast Al-Sweida, killing over 25 enemy combatants from the terrorist group, while with destroying their main hideout in the countryside.

West of Al-Sweida City, the Free Syrian Army’s “Southern Front Brigades” – in coordination with the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” and Jaysh Al-Yarmouk – conducted another assault on the Tha’lah Military Airbase’s western perimeter.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/sweidas-druze-advance-in-the-northeastern-countryside-tal-muaz-captured/

ISIS Attempts to Fight Their Way Out of Al-Hasakah City- Al-Masdar News

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has been encircled by the Syrian Armed Forces and the predominately Kurdish “People’s Proptection Units” (YPG) in the Al-Hasakah and with no outlet to retreat, they find themselves in an unfavorable predicament that will require them to either surrender or fight their way out of the provincial capital.

ISIS attempted to do the latter on Sunday morning, as the terrorist group’s armed combatants attacked numerous sites inside the provincial capital in order to find a break-through point to reopen their imperative supply lines to their entrenched fighters embedded between the Syrian Armed Forces and the YPG’s frontlines.

Flustered and exhausted, the terrorist group attempted to recapture the Red Villas in the provincial capital’s eastern outskirts; however, their assault would fail to yield any gains, as the YPG secured all points in this rural area after a two hour battle.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-attempts-to-fight-their-way-out-of-al-hasakah-city/

Suruc massacre: At least 30 killed in Turkey border blast- BBC News

A bomb attack in the Turkish town of Suruc has killed at least 30 people during a meeting of young activists to discuss the reconstruction of the neighbouring Syrian town of Kobane.

Around 100 others were wounded in the explosion, which may have been caused by a female suicide attacker from the Islamic State group, officials say.

Kobane has seen heavy fighting between IS militants and Kurdish fighters.

It was retaken by the Kurds from IS forces earlier this year.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33593615

Jumblat: Lebanon Must Pull Itself Together to Confront Economic Challenges- Naharnet

Progressive Socialist party chief Walid Jumblat stressed on Monday that Lebanon will not be able to confront the financial challenges if the waste of state funds is not controlled.

“Lebanon will not be able to confront the economic and financial challenges if it does not pull itself together and conduct radical and urgent reforms to stop the waste of money in various sectors mainly the energy sector, customs, ministries and several others,” he said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website.

He urged for serious and effective measures to be taken.

“The state of economic and social indifference in Lebanon is really strange despite the fact that suffering affects all segments of society without discrimination,” said Jumblat.

He concluded saying that “although corruption, unemployment, deteriorating public services have become chronic problems, although it is not impossible to address them with the help of a political will.”

“Lebanon's public debt is growing and has become a major threat to the social and financial infrastructure of Lebanon and the treasury,” he said.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/185202