http://www.radio4all.net/files/anonymous@radio4all.net/16-1-USRegimeChangeSparesNoLie.mp3

Hands Off Syria strongly condemns the massacre of 62 Syrian soldiers by Australian Defence Forces.

Australia’s military has admitted involvement in the US-led bombing raids in Deir eZorr, Syria, which killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers and wounded 100 others. The soldiers were engaged in defending their country from the ISIS terrorist group.

Whether the massacre was ‘accidental’ or deliberate should be determined by an independent war crimes tribunal. Assertion by the perpetrators ‘sorry, we didn’t mean it’, is completely inadequate. Further, there are many circumstances which suggest the attack was deliberate.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop must explain two things:

– on what legal basis have any Australian armed forces engaged in bombings on Syrian territory, without an invitation from or coordination with the Syrian Government?

– will the Australian Government hand over to the Syrian authorities or the International Court of Justice those Australians who were accomplices in this atrocity?

– to what extent does the USA share intelligence with Australian Defence Forces, when it asks Australian personnel to become involved in assassinations and bombings?

The Deir eZorr massacre of 17 September 2016 is material for an independent war crimes trial, and these are some of the initial questions Australian officials would have to answer.

The anonymous Defence statement (see below) is insulting in its trivialisation of the first major war crime co-authored by Australian forces in Syria.

Hands Off Syria
18 September 2016

The Australian Defence Department is reported as saying:
“Australian aircraft were among a number of international aircraft taking part in this Coalition operation … Australia would never intentionally target a known Syrian military unit or actively support Daesh (IS). Defence offers its condolences to the families of any Syrian personnel killed or wounded in this incident … While Syria remains a dynamic and complex operating environment, Australia would never intentionally target a known Syrian military unit or actively support Daesh (also known as ISIL).”

By Brandon Turbeville
Source: Activist Post
If there was ever any doubt that the United States was supporting and protecting the most feared terrorist organization in the world, that doubt is now erased as a result of the recent U.S. strike on Syrian military forces in Deir al-Zour on Saturday.

The attack took place as a battle between the Syrian military and ISIS forces was raging in Deir al-Zour when the United States swooped in with air strikes against Syrian military forces killing “dozens” of Syrian soldiers, allowing ISIS to advance. Some outlets put the death toll as high as 80 while others suggest 62 soldiers were killed.

The United States claims that it did not knowingly strike the Syrian military and that it confused the SAA with ISIS fighters. However, illegal violations of Syrian national sovereignty aside, claims that the United States could not decipher SAA forces from ISIS forces is hardly plausible since the former is easily identified by the fact that it is in battle with the latter.

Either the United States is incredibly incompetent or it intentionally targeted the Syrian military in order to act as the ISIS Air Force such as it has been since the terror group’s creation.

This time, the U.S. bombing allowed ISIS to take control of the Thardeh Mountains. As al-Masdar reported at the time:

The U.S.’ airstrikes on the Syrian Arab Army’s positions allowed the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) to capture the strategic Thardeh Mountains that were originally under government control.

According to local activists, the U.S. attacked the Syrian Arab Army’s positions with phosphorous bombs, killing several soldiers and paving the way for the Islamic State to capture the whole area.

The attack was conducted by 4 U.S. warplanes that were flying west from the Iraqi border.

This is the second time this year that the U.S. Air Force has attacked the Syrian Arab Army in the Deir Ezzor Governorate.

Thankfully, the Syrian military via the al-Qassem forces (Special Forces) have managed to recapture a number of areas seized by ISIS by virtue of the U.S. intervention.

The U.S. is now claiming that it halted its strikes against the Syrian military after the Russians informed them of the SAA presence. The U.S. reiterated that it would not knowingly strike the Syrian military (despite the fact that it has done so before).

The BBC reported:

The US Central Command statement said the coalition believed it was attacking positions of so-called Islamic State and the raids were “halted immediately when coalition officials were informed by Russian officials that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military”.

It said the “Combined Air Operations Center had earlier informed Russian counterparts of the upcoming strike”.

It added:

Syria is a complex situation with various military forces and militias in close proximity, but coalition forces would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit. The coalition will review this strike and the circumstances surrounding it to see if any lessons can be learned.

The Russians have stated that, even if the U.S. bombing was an actual error, it would be because the U.S. has refused to cooperate with Russia in terms of reporting military positions.

Russia has officially stated that the U.S. action jeopardizes the ceasefire agreement and is now calling for a United Nations Security Council meeting.

“If the American side does not take the necessary measures to carry out its obligations… a breakdown of the ceasefire will be on the United States,” said Russian General Viktor Poznikhir.

The United States and the so-called moderate groups they control have not met a single obligation they assumed in the framework of the Geneva agreement.

Brandon Turbeville – article archive here – is the author of seven books, Codex Alimentarius — The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident, volume 1 and volume 2, The Road to Damascus: The Anglo-American Assault on Syria, and The Difference it Makes: 36 Reasons Why Hillary Clinton Should Never Be President. Turbeville has published over 850 articles on a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville’s radio show Truth on The Tracks can be found every Monday night 9 pm EST at UCYTV. His website is BrandonTurbeville.com He is available for radio and TV interviews. Please contact activistpost (at) gmail.com.

This article may be freely shared in part or in full with author attribution and source link

Source: Fort Russ
Updated at 10:05 pm UTC – The US used phosphorous bombs on human targets – a war crime. Putin and Lavrov have called an Emergency Session of the UN Security Council

Updated at 7:51 pm UTC

BREAKING – The General Command of the Army and Armed Forces said that US alliance aircrafts targeted a Syrian Arab Army position in al-Tharda Mountain in the surroundings of Deir Ezzor Airport, at 5 PM on Saturday, causing losses in lives and equipment and clearly paved the way for ISIS terrorists to attack the position and take control of it.

“US alliance aircrafts targeted at 5 PM on Saturday a Syrian Arab Army position in al-Tharda Mountain in the surroundings of Deir Ezzor Airport, causing losses in lives and equipment,” the official SANA news agency quoted the General Command as saying.

“This act is a serious and blatant aggression against the Syrian Arab Republic and its army, and constitutes conclusive evidence that the United States and its allies support ISIS and other terrorist organizations,” SANA quoted a Syrian military statement as saying.

“This act reveals the falseness of their claims of fighting terrorism,” it added.

The US-led coalition has yet to comment on the attack.

Confirmed reports were that as many as 65 soldiers were killed in the bombing attack, with over 100 wounded.

This number has just been updated at 7:51 pm UTC to have climbed to nearly 100 killed.

Russia’s official RT news website said the planes were US coalition aircraft that had crossed over from Iraq.

“Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and over 100 injured in the airstrike by the US-led coalition,” it quoted Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov as saying, citing information from the Syrian General Command.

“The aircraft which carried out the bombings had entered Syrian airspace from the territory of Iraq. The airstrike against Syrian positions was performed by two F-16 jet fighters and two A-10 support aircraft,” RT quoted the defense ministry in Moscow as saying.

These and similar acts of aggression by the US and of the various terrorist groups operating under the false flag as ‘Syrian Opposition’, and therefore protected under the terms of the fragile 48-hour ceasefire, are sign that the ceasefire has essentially been ended. The ceasefire was agreed by Russia and the United States and came into force on Monday evening and was extended for another two days on Wednesday.

Syria intended to use the short ceasefire to focus away from Aleppo and turn their attention to cleaning up ISIS positions in other parts of the country. ISIS was not formally protected under the ceasefire. The US attack has essentially provided air cover for ISIS terrorists.

It has just been reported that the Syrian Arab Army has responded by bombing the Daesh (ISIS) positions set to capitalize on the US attack.

The airport serves an important strategic position, the Syrian Arab Army having previously been successful in taking it from ISIS.

Source: Sputnik
White House regrets “unintentional loss of life”
An Obama administration official offered an official statement of regret for the loss of life caused by a US-led airstrike against Syrian Army positions in violation of a ceasefire — an attack that led the Russian Foreign Ministry to wonder whether the White House is aiding Daesh.

The Obama administration offered a formal apology for the “unintentional loss of life” after an airstrike conducted against Syrian forces on Saturday killing at least 80 soldiers loyal to the Assad regime.

The airstrike came only five days into the breakthrough ceasefire agreement between the United States and Russia that called for the two parties to coordinate strikes and for the Obama administration to levy more pressure against the so-called moderate rebels to disband from al-Nusra Front terrorists.

The attack was immediately condemned by both the Russian and Syrian Foreign Ministry, but the diplomatic row intensified after the US Central Command released a statement saying that while the airstrike was unintentional, they had previously notified Russia of the intent to strike. Russia vehemently denies the claim that they were notified that a strike was pending against the Syrian Army base in Deir Ez-Zor.

In the statement, the White House also expressed a commitment to adhering to the ceasefire agreement despite the tragic airstrike.

Speaking before the United Nations Security Council during an emergency meeting on Saturday, the United States Ambassador to the international body Samantha Power reiterated America’s apology for the unintentional Syrian military deaths reiterating the word “regrets.”

Source: Press TV
Russia says 62 Syrian forces have been killed in airstrikes by US-led coalition jets on army positions near Dayr al-Zawr military airport.

“Warplanes from the international anti-terrorist coalition carried out four airstrikes today against Syrian forces surrounded by the Daesh group in the Dayr al-Zawr air base,” the Russia army said in a statement. “Sixty-two Syrian soldiers were killed and a hundred others were injured in these strikes.”

Two F-16 and two A-10 jets entered Syrian air space from Iraq to carry out the attacks, according to the statement.

It added, “Straight after the coalition’s strikes, Daesh militants launched an offensive.” “If these strikes were due to an error in the target coordinates, that would be a direct consequence of the US’ refusal to coordinate with Russia its fight against the terrorist groups in Syria.”

The Syrian General Command referred to the incident as a “serious and blatant aggression” against the Syrian army, adding that it was also “conclusive evidence” that the US-led coalition is supporting Daesh militants.

Confirming the reports, the US military says it halted the attack after Russian officials said the targets were Syrian government forces and not Daesh Takfiri militants.

“Coalition forces believed they were striking a Daesh fighting position,” said the statement.

It added that the coalition would never intentionally attack Syrian forces, and that it will review the bombing and circumstances which led to it.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 80 soldiers were killed in the attacks.

Immediately after the US attack, Daesh launched a major offensive in the region and briefly took control of it before Syrian forces managed to retake it.

Emergency UNSC meeting

Following the attack, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it is calling for a Security Council emergency meeting. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the attack had also jeopardized a Russian-US agreement on Syria.

“We demand a full and detailed explanation from Washington. That explanation must be given at the UN Security Council,” said Zakharova during a televised broadcast.

“The Russian ambassador to the UN has been tasked with convening an urgent meeting of the Security Council over this issue,” she added.

On September 9, Moscow and Washington agreed on a milestone deal on the Syrian crisis after some 13 hours of marathon talks in the Swiss city of Geneva. The truce went into effect at sunset on September 12. The deal’s initial aims included allowing humanitarian access to the war-hit regions and joint Moscow-Washington attacks against militant groups that are not part of the truce agreement, namely  Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

“We are reaching a really terrifying conclusion for the whole world: That the White House is defending Daesh…Now there can be no doubts about that,” she stressed.

Before Russia’s announcement, Syria’s foreign ministry called on the UNSC to condemn the attacks and to make the US respect Syria’s sovereignty.

“The Syrian Republic demands that the UN Security Council condemn the American aggression and force the United States not to repeat it and to respect Syria’s sovereignty and the unity of its land and people,” said a statement.

US warplanes have been conducting airstrikes against Daesh in Iraq since August 2014. Some Western states have also participated in some of the strikes in Iraq.

Since September 2014, the US and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out airstrikes against Daesh inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.

The US-led coalition has done little to stop Daesh’s advances in Syria and Iraq. Some analysts have criticized the US-led military campaign, saying the strikes are only meant to benefit US weapons manufacturers.

The US-led aerial campaign in Syria has also been criticized for lack of efficiency and high civilian casualties. In July, a US airstrike reportedly killed at least 70 civilians, mostly women and children near Manbij in northern Syria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHdknYHZAE4