MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT: Societal Chaos And Civilizations Unraveling - At Least 16 Injured In Jerusalem Bus Explosion! [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

Twitter: Danny Swibel

April 18, 2016 - JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - A bus has exploded in Jerusalem, leaving around 16 casualties, Israeli media report, citing emergency medical services.

The massive explosion occurred in Hebron Way, west Jerusalem, with police citing "a militant attack" as the probable cause of the blast.

Multiple social media posts show smoke coming out of the burned-out bus, which is standing in the middle of the road.

Initial reports indicated there were 20 casualties. Now Jerusalem Post reports 16 people were injured in the blast, with two injured "seriously," one "moderately," and five "lightly." The newspapers cite sources in the Magen David Adom emergency service.

Some of the injured were evacuated to Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Others were taken to Hadassah Hospital nearby.

The bus was reportedly not carrying any passengers when it exploded, an Israel Police spokesperson said, as cited in the media. The casualties were apparently due to being close to the blast.

“When I arrived at the scene I saw two buses going up in flames and about 10 causalities among them, one who was mortally wounded and another in serious condition,” Mickey Cohen, head of the Jerusalem emergency response service, told Haaretz.

#BREAKING: Explosion on bus in #Jerusalem. Initial reports of at least 20 injured pic.twitter.com/qL9BuDdsPT

— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) April 18, 2016

Smoke from Jerusalem bus blast pic.twitter.com/lvKRg93sBD

— Dan Williams (@DanWilliams) April 18, 2016

At least 16 wounded, two seriously, in #Jerusalem bus blast. Updates: https://t.co/cvbpVKNC4I pic.twitter.com/RxhHqkW4QU

— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) April 18, 2016

Jerusalem district police say the bus could have been blown up by an explosive device or targeted by a suicide bomber who detonated the device inside the bus, according to news outlet Arutz Sheva.

Eugenia Ugrinovich, a freelance journalist in Jerusalem, has told RT that the police confirmed "there was an explosive device at the back of the bus that caused [the] fire," saying the casualties were suffering from injuries typical for an explosion.

She added that Jerusalem will be on high alert with security tightened in public places for days to come. The bus blast was the first since 2012, Ugrinovich said, adding that lone-wolf attacks like this are very difficult to prevent and will surely happen again in future.

According to the police, the bus departed from the southern part of the city and arrived at Moshe Baram Street, when apparently an explosion was heard and the bus caught fire.

Suicide attacks on Israeli buses took place regularly in the early 2000s, and became a hallmark of the Palestinian uprising. In March 2002, a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a bus in Jerusalem, leaving 25 injured. Several months later, another suicide bomb attack on a bus in northern Israel killed 17 and injured 43, most of them IDF soldiers.

Violence between Israelis and Palestinians has abated somewhat recently after a series of stabbing attacks last year. At least 21 Israelis and 131 Palestinians were killed in that spike of violence. In early January, at least two people were killed and several others injured following a shooting at a bar in central Tel Aviv.

פיגוע בי-ם: פיצוץ באוטובוס ריק, אוטובוס לידו גם עלה באש שם נפצעו 2 קשה 3 בינוני 5 קל.
צילום מדברים תקשורת pic.twitter.com/NBOpLx3Zu6

— אלי שלזינגר (@leizersh) April 18, 2016

The gunman was described by an eyewitness as being "light-skinned and not Eastern looking," and as carrying an M-16. Further reports said the shooter, identified as 29-year-old Nashad Milkham, reportedly stole the gun from his father, who worked in the security industry.

The blast aboard the bus was caused by a bomb, Brachie Sprung, a spokeswoman for Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat, told Reuters: "It was small, but it was definitely a bomb."


WATCH: Jerusalem bus explosion.

Police say the bus explosion was a terror attack after bomb disposal experts found parts of an explosive device at the scene.

Ruslan Kandaurov, head of the Russian Embassy’s consular section, has told TASS that one of the people injured in the blast is an Israeli-Russian dual national, who is presently “in moderate condition.”

Jonathan Hessen, a political analyst in Israel, told RT that Hamas has already claimed responsibility for the attack, carried out in response "for the atrocities, as they put it, committed by the State of Israel towards Al-Aqsa mosque and the Temple Mount." He said that Israeli leadership is committed to retaliate against any threat to citizens, but added that it will not necessarily escalate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. - RT.

ICE AGE NOW: Global Cooling Continues Relentlessly - Snow Falls In Damascus, Syria; Early April To Bring Blasts Of Arctic Air And Snow In Midwestern, Northeastern U.S.; Thousands Of People Stranded By Heavy Snowfall In India!

© النشرة الجوية في الساحل السوري برؤيةإحسان أمين via Facebook

March 30, 2016 - EARTH - The following articles constitutes several of the latest reports on heavy snowfall, low temperatures and snow storms as global cooling continues across the Earth.

Snow falls in Damascus, Syria

Image above was taken in heights of Damascus area (Zabadani) at 1150 meters.

See image below of coastal area of the highlands (Cadmus) at 1,100 meters.

Thanks to Enal Hasan for these photos and this link. - Ice Age Now.

Early April to bring blasts of arctic air and snow in midwestern, northeastern US

A southward plunge of the polar vortex will direct a couple of blasts of arctic air and potential snow toward portions of the midwestern and northeastern United States during the first week of April.

The main thrusts of the cold air will aim at the Great Lakes, New England and the northern part of the mid-Atlantic at a time when many people are looking forward to increased outdoor spring activities.

Arctic air to deliver shocking cold, hard freezes to the Upper Midwest and Northeast

The first and most dramatic of the two blasts will roll southeastward from Canada this weekend.

The approach and passage of the leading edge of the cold air will be accompanied by gusty winds. Sunday could bring high winds to much of the Northeast, in addition to plunging temperatures.

"Temperatures in the Northeast will be 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, which will be the largest negative anomalies since Valentines Day," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said. "When the wind is factored in, it will feel a whopping 40-60 degrees colder than it will late this week."

Normal highs during the first week of April are in the lower to middle 50s in Minneapolis, Chicago and Boston, the upper 50s in Pittsburgh and New York City and the 60s in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

For MLB interests in Pittsburgh on Sunday, play could be challenging to say the least, due to a combination of wind and cold. Fans heading to PNC Park should dress in warm layers. Actual temperatures will be no higher than the lower 40s.

Highs may be in the 20s and 30s during multiple days from western and northern New York state to central and northern New England. AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures can be 10-20 degrees lower than the actual temperature at times. A second press of cold air is likely during next week.

The southward extent of the cold will depend upon whether or not a storm strengthens along the Atlantic coast. A strong storm near the coast could pull cold air well to the south in its wake.

It is possible for frost and freezing temperatures on one or two nights as far south as parts of the Tennessee Valley and southern Piedmont areas at the height of the cold air outbreaks.

The penetrating cold could pose a risk for budding and blossoming fruit trees, bushes and vines.

In many cases, budding and blossoming is occurring two to four weeks earlier than last year. For example, the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., reached peak on March 25 this year, compared to April 10, 2015. The average peak bloom date is around April 4, according to the National Park Service.

Snow likely to accompany cold blasts

As the arctic air passes over the open waters of the Great Lakes, rounds of lake-effect snow will erupt.

Typically, by April, lake-effect snow events are insignificant. However, since the air will be much colder than the water, bands of heavy lake-effect snow can set up downwind of the lakes.

"This is the type of setup, where a couple of snow showers could be seen east of the Appalachians to the Interstate-95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic and New England in the depths of the cold air later this weekend into early next week," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams said.

The potential for snow may go beyond lake-effect and spotty snow showers.

A couple of Alberta clipper storms will swing southeastward and could produce periods of steady snow, well away from the traditional lake-effect snow belts.
Spanning Saturday to Sunday (April 2-3), one period of snow may swing from northern Minnesota to New York state, northern Pennsylvania and New England.

Another period of snow could track farther to the south in parts of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic region spanning Sunday night to Tuesday (April 3-5).

The second clipper storm could bring snow for the MLB game on Monday in Cleveland. The second clipper has the potential to strengthen near the Atlantic coast with perhaps more extensive precipitation on Tuesday. - Accuweather.

Thousands of people stranded by heavy snowfall in India

Thousands of Kargil bound passengers in Srinagar and Jammu have been stranded after heavy snowfall in Kargil district.

The Srinagar-Leh road again closed after it was opened in the first week of March after remaining closed for three months.

The administration said many patients are still waiting for AN32 Service in Jammu and Srinagar.

J&K Legislative Council Chairman Haji Anayat Ali and MLA Kargil Asgar Karbalai had earlier demanded that IL76 army aircraft may be put in service to ferry the stranded passengers from Jammu to Leh and from Srinagar to Leh.

In response to that Government of India had managed C-17 Indian Air Force aircraft to lift stranded passengers but the passengers said the arrangements need to be made on a larger scale.

Meanwhile, an additional 64 people – including women and children – were stranded by heavy snowfall at the Nasta Chhun Pass, according to an army statement.

“On 24 March 16 in late hours, 10 light vehicle carrying 64 civilians and 12 load carriers were caught in deep snow and raging snow blizzard near Nasta Chun Pass endangering the lives of the commuters.

The army detachment at Nasta Chun Pass received the SOS call at 2200 hours from the stranded civilians and the Avalanche Rescue Team from Nasta Chun Pass was immediately sprung into action to provide assistance to the stranded civilians,” Army statement said, adding, “The team reached the incident site despite strong snow blizzards and rescued all the civilians.”

Army said the stranded vehicles were provided a safe track by manually clearing the snow. The rescue operation was again launched in the early hours to pull out twelve heavily loaded trucks using dozer of GREF. - Rising Kashmir.

INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: Nationwide Power Blackout Hits Syria - Cause Not Known?!

The Syrian civil war has claimed more than 270,000 lives (AFP Photo/Youssef Karwashan)

March 4, 2016 - SYRIA - War-torn Syria was hit Thursday by a nationwide power cut, state television reported, but the cause was not immediately known.

"Electricity has been cut across all provinces and teams are trying to determine the reason for this unexpected cut," the station reported, citing a source within the electricity ministry.

Damascus residents said power in the capital had been out since 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) and that mobile Internet connections from some private providers were also not working.

Syria's state mobile provider said its Internet service had been "partially cut due to part of the network unexpectedly malfunctioning".

Since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, various areas across the country have experienced intermittent power outages as a result of clashes or air strikes and many regularly rely on generators for power.

Syria's parliament had on Monday called in electricity minister Imad Khamis for a special hearing on the power sector.

Khamis told parliamentarians that the cost of "direct damage" to the country's power stations and the electricity network from 2011 until the end of 2015 was estimated $3.75 billion.

In statements carried by Syria's state news agency SANA, Khamis said five out of the 13 main power stations in Syria had been "directly damaged" in the war. - Yahoo.

WORLD WAR 3: Russia Warns Of "NEW WORLD WAR" Starting In Syria - After Gulf States Threaten To Send In Ground Forces!

"Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap." - Isaiah 17:1, The Bible.

February 13, 2016 - SYRIA - Russia warned of “a new world war" starting in Syria on Thursday after a dramatic day in which Gulf states threatened to send in ground forces.

Foreign and defence ministers of the leading international states backing different factions in the war-torn country met in separate meetings in Munich and Brussels following the collapse of the latest round of peace talks.

Both Russia and the United States demanded ceasefires in the long-running civil war so that the fight could be concentrated against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) - but each on their own, conflicting terms. But the Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, staged their own intervention, saying they were committed to sending ground troops to the country. Their favoured rebel groups have been pulverised by Russian air raids and driven back on the ground by Iranian-supplied pro-regime troops.

They said their declared target was Isil. But the presence of troops from Gulf states which have funded the Syrian rebels would be taken as a hostile act by the Assad regime and its backers, and a sign that they were committed to staking their claim to a say in the final Syrian settlement.

A girl asks a passerby for help to pay a medical bill, as her father sits in his wheelchair, in the Douma area of Damascus earlier this month.  Photo: Reuters

Russia issued a stark warning of the potential consequences. "The Americans and our Arab partners must think well: do they want a permanent war?" its prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, told Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper in an interview due to be published on Friday but released on Thursday night.

“It would be impossible to win such a war quickly, especially in the Arab world, where everybody is fighting against everybody.

"All sides must be compelled to sit at the negotiating table instead of unleashing a new world war.”

Earlier in the day, both Russia and the United States had demanded a ceasefire in the Syrian war.

Russia did not specify a date publicly but diplomats said that they had suggested March 1, which the Americans say would leave them another two weeks to achieve their military goals, including the defeat of “moderate” rebel forces in the north around Aleppo.

The United States countered by demanding an immediate ceasefire.

An Islamic State position on Kobane hill is taken out by an allied airstrike.

The rebels, whose main negotiators have been touring Europe in the wake of the collapse of the Geneva peace talks and the renewed assault on Aleppo, say a ceasefire can only happen in conjunction with a negotiated “political transition” - something which looks ever more unlikely in light of regime victories on the ground.

Under the United Nations security council resolution passed in December, any ceasefire would automatically exclude Isil, the local al-Qaeda branch Jabhat al-Nusra, which operates throughout rebel territory, and other UN-designated terrorist groups.

Since these are being struck by both the United States and Russia, as well as the regime, the terms of the resolution mean that the only group that would have to stop fighting under the terms of a ceasefire would be the “moderate rebels” backed by the West.

This they are unlikely to do voluntarily.

A girl carrying a toddler inspects damage, in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force, in Douma.

Saudi Arabia is said to be furious that their main regional rival, Iran, has been allowed to consolidate its power bases in both Iraq and Syria because of the civil wars in both countries and under the cover of an international air campaign supposedly targeting Isil.

Its defence ministry spokesman, Brig Gen Ahmed al-Assiri, said its decision to send ground troops to Syria was “irreversible”.

The kingdom, along with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, is offering to provide the troops the United States-led coalition are needed to take on Isil on the ground under coalition air cover.

Michael Fallon, who held talks in Brussels on the fringes of a defence ministers meeting with deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, said he welcomed the Saudi offer.

“The Saudis are leading the Islamic military coalition,” he said.

“We've always made clear this is a campaign that can't be won by western troops doing the fighting. It can only be won in the end by local forces that have the support of the local population.” That last phrase appears to refer to the undesirability in western minds of Isil being defeated from the air only for pro-regime troops to retake the territory it now holds, which is overwhelming Sunni and was previously in the hands of non-Isil Sunni-led rebels.

The Saudis are also testing American willingness to “lead from the front” in Syria in the face of the apparent defeat of their favoured rebels at the hands of an assertive Russian intervention.

“Saudi Arabia will not step back from its offer to send ground troops to Syria as part of an International Coalition operation,” Mohammed al-Yahya, a London-based Saudi analyst said.

Damaged buildings in the Douma area of Damascus.

“The strategies used to fight Isil so far have not adequately weakened it, let alone eliminated it. It has become clear that Assad and the forces allied to him, namely Hizbollah, Russia, and Iran, are focusing on fighting the Assad regime’s opposition, not Isil.” Meanwhile on the ground, Russian-backed Kurdish forces took new ground from the rebels near the Turkish border, seizing the Minnegh air base, a highly symbolic target as it was seized from the regime first by Isil and then from them by non-Isil rebels two years ago after some of the fiercest battles of the whole war.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said more than 50,000 people had now been displaced north of Aleppo in the latest bout of fighting, calling the situation “grotesque”.

“The warring parties in Syria are constantly sinking to new depths, without apparently caring in the slightest about the death and destruction they are wreaking across the country,” he said. - Telegraph.

SOCIETAL & INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: Boat Sinks Off Turkey - Up To 40 Migrants Killed, Including 5 Children!

© Giorgos Moutafis / Reuters

January 31, 2016 - TURKEY - Almost 40 people have drowned in the Aegean Sea near the Turkey’s western coast, as a migrant boat sank on its way to the Greek island of Lesbos, local media report.

A 17-meter boat was carrying at least 120 people before it sank off the coast of Ayvacik, a town across from the Greek island of Lesvos, according to the Dogan news agency. The agency says at least five of those dead are children while almost 40 dead bodies have been discovered.

"Local people woke up to the sound of screaming migrants and we have been carrying out rescue work since dawn. We have an 80-kilometre-long coast just across from Lesvos, which is very hard to keep under control", Mehmet Unal Sahin, the mayor of Ayvacik, told CNNTurk.

Turkish coast guards have managed to rescue 75 people so far near the resort of Ayvacik, located in the Marmara Region, popular with tourists.

The migrants were admitted to the hospital with hypothermia symptoms. The survivors allegedly came from Afghanistan, Syria and Myanmar.

However, the number of victims may be higher, as the rescue teams are still conducting search and rescue operation.

Over 210 people have died this year so far trying to make the dangerous sea crossing from Turkey to Greece, according to estimates by the International Organization for Migration. Last year more than 700 drowned or were reported as missing in the Aegean Sea. The organization called the Mediterranean Sea, which claimed the lives of 3,700 people attempting to reach Europe in 2015, the world’s “deadliest.”

Turkey is a primary destination for asylum seekers and migrants who want to cross to Europe. About 500,00 refugees from Syria fled the embattled country through Turkey since the beginning of the Syrian military conflict.

People, forced to abandon their homes by the perils of the war, often venture into Europe in overcrowded rubber boats, without any protection, as was in the case with Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned in September last year on his route to the Greek island of Kos. After the pictures of his body washed ashore in Turkish resort city of Bodrum, made global headlines, he became a symbol of the struggles the refugees have to endure trying to make it to Europe.

Turkey now hosts more than 3 million refugees, with about 2.5 million of them from Syria.Last November, Turkey pledged to curb the flow of migrants streaming through its territory to the EU in return for 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) of financial aid designed to provide better living conditions for the Syrian refugees already living in Turkey. - RT.

SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Civilizations Unraveling In The Middle East - 16 More People Starve To Death In Syria's Besieged Madaya And Several Dozens More Are In "DANGER OF DEATH" Due To SEVERE Malnutrition Says Humanitarian Group; Iraq Needs $1.5 BILLION In Humanitarian Aid Amid ISIS Onslaught; At Least 30 Killed And 40 Wounded In Damascus Suburb Bombings, ISIS Claims Responsibility!

A handout picture released by UNICEF and taken on January 14, 2016 shows a UNICEF employee measuring the arm of a malnourished child in the besieged
Syrian town of Madaya, as they assess the health situation of residents of the famine-stricken town (AFP Photo/)

January 31, 2016 - MIDDLE EAST - At least 16 more people have died of starvation in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya since an aid convoy entered earlier this month, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Iraq says it needs $1.56 billion in 2016 to alleviate the humanitarian crisis caused by the war against Islamic State, a government report states. Baghdad has been affected by falling oil revenues and has called on the international community for help. Two bomb blasts have struck the outskirts of Syria's capital, Damascus. Meanwhile, at least 30 people were killed and 40 wounded in twin blasts in the mainly Shi'ite neighbourhood, Syria's Interior Ministry reported.

16 more starve to death in Syria's besieged Madaya: MSF

Several dozen more residents of the town are in "danger of death" because of severe malnutrition, the humanitarian group warned.

The latest deaths were reported as the Syrian Red Crescent told AFP it had gained rare access on Saturday to Madaya and two other besieged towns to assess humanitarian needs.

MSF said the additional deaths in Madaya brought to 46 the number of people reported to have died of starvation in the town since December.

It said real toll could be worse.

"The real number is almost certainly higher, as MSF is aware of reports of people dying of starvation in their homes."Located in Damascus province, Madaya is under government siege, and its fate has been one of the sticking points for fresh peace talks on the Syrian conflict that opened on Friday in Geneva after delays.

Residents of the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya wait for a convoy of aid from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent on January 14, 2016
(AFP Photo/Louai Beshara)

Syria's opposition wants to see the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions demanding an end to sieges before committing to new negotiations.

Madaya is one of four towns included in a rare deal last year that was intended to halt fighting and allow the entry of humanitarian aid.

But despite the deal, the UN and other aid groups have had only limited access to Madaya, along with rebel-held Zabadani, and the government-held towns of Fuaa and Kafraya, which are under opposition siege.

Conditions in Madaya have reportedly been among the worst, with about 42,000 civilians there surrounded by government troops who have laid mines around the town to prevent people leaving.

While the government has some ability to airdrop supplies to Fuaa and Kafraya, the opposition has no similar capacity.

Aid groups have regularly urged continuous aid access to all four towns, as well as the evacuation of those with malnutrition or other illnesses.

- 'Unhindered medical access' -

Citing medics it supports in the town, MSF said there were at least 320 cases of malnutrition in Madaya, including 33 that were so severe that the individuals could die without prompt treatment.

A convoy of aid from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent heads to the besieged rebel-held Syrian town of Madaya, on January 14, 2016 (AFP Photo/Louai Beshara)

"It is totally unacceptable that people continue to die from starvation, and that critical medical cases remain in the town when they should have been evacuated weeks ago," said MSF's director of operations Brice de le Vingne.

"The warring parties responsible for these besiegement strategies need to allow unhindered medical and humanitarian access immediately," he added.

After the September deal for the four towns, an initial aid delivery was made, but no subsequent assistance was allowed in until January 11, after reports of deaths in Madaya.

Additional convoys of food and medicine entered Madaya, Fuaa and Kafraya on January 14, and then all four towns on January 19,

On Saturday, the Syrian Red Crescent's operations chief Tamam Mehrez told AFP it had been able to enter Madaya, Fuaa and Kafraya to carry out humanitarian assessments.

"Our teams today entered Madaya in Damascus province, and Kafraya and Fuaa in Idlib province, as part of periodic access to check on the sick and review critical situations," he said.

He said he could not provide further details until the visits were finished, but added that the teams were not delivering aid.

A UNICEF employee measures the arm of a malnourished child in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya, on January 14, 2016 (AFP Photo/)

The UN estimates around 486,700 Syrians are living under sieges imposed by the regime, rebels or the Islamic State group.

The UN's aid chief said this week that 75 percent of its requests for aid deliveries in Syria went unanswered by the government.

Stephen O'Brien told the UN Security Council that access to hard-to-reach areas was "simply not happening" and that the Syrian government had yet to give approval to most planned relief convoys. - Yahoo.

Iraq needs $1.5bn in humanitarian aid amid ISIS onslaught & funding gap

© Kareem Raheem / Reuters

The Iraqi government stated in its report, which was released Sunday, that it will only be able to provide less than 43 percent of the necessary humanitarian aid from its state budget.

"The international community is necessary for bridging the deficit or financing gap," it added, as cited by Reuters.

On Sunday, the UN issued an appeal for $861 million in order to help Iraq meet its funding gap, as it presses to help those displaced.

"With the expanding needs, the allocation through the federal budget will not be sufficient. We expect that the highly prioritised (UN) Humanitarian Response Plan will help cover part of the gap," Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displacement Jassim Mohammed al-Jaff said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The #Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan launches today seeking funding to help millions affected by conflict pic.twitter.com/sioI2drr0L

— Caroline Gluck (@carogluck) January 31, 2016

Iraq has been ravaged by the conflict with Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), after the terrorist group seized large areas of territory in the summer of 2014. The war has seen more than 3.3 million people displaced as they have tried to flee the fighting, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Meanwhile, at least 18,800 civilians were killed and 36,240 wounded in violence in Iraq from January 2014 to October 2015, according to the United Nations.

The Iraqi government allocated around $850 million in 2015 to help with the humanitarian effort. However, they were only able to find less than 60 percent of the sum, the report stated, according to Reuters.

The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) highlighted the humanitarian problem by stating that the international community may be too focused on the threat posed by IS and was ignoring the plight of millions of refugees.

The organization added that the amount of humanitarian aid should be scaled up in proportion to the escalation of military operations. MSF says that if this is not done, then the gap between the needs and the aid that is actually being provided will only widen.

Iraq’s position has been hampered by falling oil prices, but also because IS have seized some of the country’s oil wells. In October, a spokesman for the Iraq Oil Ministry said that Baghdad was losing up to 400,000 barrels of oil a day.

According to the OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report, Iraq produced 4.14 million barrels per day in September. The country is the cartel's second biggest crude producer after Saudi Arabia. However, IS has been using the oil reserves under its control, which it is selling on the black market, to help finance its reign of terror.

In December, Russia accused Turkey of helping IS in the illegal oil trade, which helps finance the terrorist group.

In October 2014, the US Under-Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen said Islamic State was earning $1 million a day from oil sales. - RT. 

At least 30 killed, 40 wounded in Damascus suburb bombings, ISIS claims responsibility 

© RT Arabic

The Islamic State terrorist group has taken responsibility for the attacks.

According to the television station of Lebanon's militant Shiite Hezbollah group, the attacks took place in the Sayeda Zeinab district, where Syria's major Shiite shrine is located.

Syrian state television reported that "two terrorist blasts, one of them a car bomb, followed by a suicide bomber," took place in the Sayyida Zeinab area.

#حسين_مرتضى
صور التفجير الارهابي عند شارع كوع السودان في منطقة السيدة زينب (ع) في ريف دمشق pic.twitter.com/4DlNq3ZXIv

— hosein mortada (@HoseinMortada) January 31, 2016

It said there was "information about deaths and injuries," but gave no further details.

The Sayyida Zeinab mosque, which contains the grave of a granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammed, is revered as a pilgrimage site by Shiite Muslims.

The site has been targeted before, including in February 2015, when a blast ripped through a bus carrying Lebanese Shiite pilgrims headed to Sayyida Zeinab, killing at least nine people, in an attack claimed by Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, AFP reported.

© RT Arabic

Also last year in February, two suicide attacks killed four people and wounded 13 at a checkpoint near the shrine.

State television showed footage of burning buildings and wrecked cars in the heavily populated area in the south of the city.

The explosions took place as representatives of Syria's government and the opposition began gathering in Geneva for the first UN-mediated peace talks in two years. The United Nations says the challenge could be six months of talks, seeking a ceasefire and finding a political settlement to a war that has killed over 250,000 people and left over 1 million injured. - RT.

INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: Iraq's Biggest Dam On The Verge Of "CATASTROPHIC COLLAPSE" - Could Result In THOUSANDS OF DEATHS!

© Ari Jalal / Reuters

January 30, 2016 - IRAQ - A hydroelectric dam near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul could rapidly collapse in the near future, resulting in thousands of deaths, a top US general in Iraq warns.

“The likelihood of the dam collapsing is something we are trying to determine right now ... all we know is when it goes, it’s going to go fast and that’s bad,” US Army Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland, the head of the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, told reporters in Baghdad.

The foundation of the dam, which is the largest in Iraq, requires constant grouting in order to maintain its structural integrity. However, this is no longer possible due to the activities of IS terrorists in the area.

The extremists seized the dam in August of 2014, provoking fears that they could blow it up and unleash a deluge on the densely populated Tigris River valley, as well as on the cities of Mosul and Baghdad, potentially killing thousands of people.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces recaptured the dam two weeks later, eliminating the threat of the demolition. However, IS militants stole all the equipment necessary to maintain the dam and chased away the technicians, leaving the edifice bedridden with structural flaws, according to US Army Colonel Steve Warren, the US-led coalition’s spokesman.

“There was a steady grouting schedule that had been maintained for a long time. When that stopped, obviously the deterioration of the dam increased accordingly,” Warren said as quoted by Reuters.

“If this dam was in the United States, we would have drained the lake behind it. We would have taken that dam out of commission,” MacFarland said in commenting on the issue, adding that Iraqi authorities understood “the potential” for a dam collapse.
He also added that the US military has developed a contingency plan to protect civilians from the impact if the dam does fail.

In the meantime, Iraqi authorities are concluding a deal with an Italian company, the Trevi Group, to upgrade the 3.6 kilometer-long dam and repair its defects. - RT.

PARADIGM SHIFT: Civilizations Unraveling And Precursors To The End Of The White Supremacy Paradigm - Billionaire Financier George Soros Warns That The European Union Is On The "VERGE OF COLLAPSE" Over The Migrant Crisis!

January 22, 2016 - EUROPE - Billionaire financier George Soros has warned that the European Union is on the "verge of collapse" over the migrant crisis and is in "danger of kicking the ball further up the hill" in its management of the issue which has seen more than a million migrants and refugees arrive in the region in 2015.

In an interview with the New York Review of Books, Soros added that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel is key to solving the crisis.

Merkel led Europe's response to the migrant crisis, opening Germany to the refugees that had travelled from the Middle East, in particular Syria, to try and find a new home in Europe. The decision by the German leader marked a sea-change in her policy. In the interview, Soros said he welcomed Merkel's move.

"There is plenty to be nervous about," the financier said.

"As she (Merkel) correctly predicted, the EU is on the verge of collapse. The Greek crisis taught the European authorities the art of muddling through one crisis after another. This practice is popularly known as kicking the can down the road, although it would be more accurate to describe it as kicking a ball uphill so that it keeps rolling back down."

"Merkel correctly foresaw the potential of the migration crisis to destroy the European Union. What was a prediction has become the reality. The European Union badly needs fixing. This is a fact but it is not irreversible. And the people who can stop Merkel's dire prediction from coming true are actually the German people. "

"Now it's time for Germans to decide: Do they want to accept the responsibilities and the liabilities involved in being the dominant power in Europe?"

George Soros.

Soros' comments come as Finland's Finance Minister, Alex Stubb, told CNBC that Germany's open policy on migrants was, "humane, that was probably the right thing to do at the time but the key issue here is that one of the fundamental freedoms of the European Union is under threat and that is the free movement of people and the whole Schengen agreement."

"On top of that, we've had a Euro crisis which is about free movement of money so two of the core pillars of European integration are under threat right now," said Stubb, to CNBC in Davos.

In his interview Wednesday, Stubb denied the idea that the Schengen zone, which allows the free passage of EU citizens through almost all of its members, is a security threat to Europe.

"We shouldn't draw parallels between [the] refugee crisis and terrorism. The roots of terrorism are much, much deeper than that."

"What we need to watch out for is radicalization. What does this mean? It means we need to get these people to work, we need to give these people employment, we need to give them hope, we need to integrate them into our societies, they need to learn our languages," said the Finance Minister, to CNBC.

Stubb, known for his fiscally hardline views, explained to CNBC why he wants to improve competitiveness in Finland.

"We basically need to do what Germany did in the late 1990s, early 2000s. We need to take some hard reforms; basically, I'm looking at a positive circle or a virtuous circle of the economy, that means number one, we become more competitive, number two, we get more exports, number three, we get more jobs, number four, we get more taxes, which I like as finance minister, and then number five, in order to finance our welfare state, we use those taxes."

Stubb also shared his thoughts on the UK referendum vote.

"I think it would be a great travesty both for the UK, economically, politically and otherwise, and a travesty for the European Union if there was a divorce," he said to CNBC. - CNBC.

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT: Societal Chaos And Civilizations Unraveling - Saudi Arabia And Iran Row Escalates; Spreads To Other Nations; Could the Diplomatic War Of Words Boil Over Into War?!

"That the year the Messiah will arrive when all the nations of the world will antagonize each other and threaten with war. The king of Persia (Iran) antagonizes the King of Arabia (Saudi Arabia) with war. The King of Arabia goes to Edom (The Western Countries, headed by USA) for advice. Then the King of Persia destroys the world (and since that cannot be done with conventional weapons it must mean nuclear which can destroy most of the world). And all the nations of the world begin to panic and are afraid, and Israel too is afraid as to how to defend from this. G-d then says to them “Do not fear for everything that I have done is for your benefit, to destroy the evil kingdom of Edom and eradicate evil from this world so that the Messiah can come, your time of redemption is now." - Yalkut Shimoni, 2000-Year-Old Rabbinic Literature.

January 4, 2016 - UNITED STATES - The fallout of Saudi Arabia's execution of a Shiite cleric is spreading beyond a spat between the Saudis and Iranians, as other Middle East nations chose sides Monday and world powers Russia and China weighed in.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran -- two Middle Eastern powerhouses -- quickly deteriorated following Riyadh's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr Saturday.

Hours after the death sentence was carried out, protesters in Shiite-majority Iran attacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. The Saudis cut diplomatic relations with Iran over the attack on its embassy.

Officials from both countries defended their positions Monday and showed no sign of backing down.

Saudi Arabia suspended all flights to and from Iran. It also sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council accusing Iranian authorities of failing in their duties to protect the Saudi embassy.

Jaberi Ansari, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, said his country is committed to protecting diplomatic missions and reiterated that no Saudi diplomats were harmed -- or even present -- during the attack.

He accused Saudi Arabia of "looking for some excuses to pursue its own unwise policies to further tension in the region."

Meanwhile, some nations picked sides while others called for calm.

Here's the latest on where things stand:

Picking sides

Bahrain announced Monday that it was severing diplomatic ties with Iran, citing Tehran's "blatant and dangerous interference" in Bahrain and other Arab countries.

The United Arab Emirates said it was "downgrading" its diplomatic relations with Iran. The UAE recalled its ambassador in Tehran and said it would also reduce the number of diplomats stationed in Iran, according to state news agency WAM. A government statement said the UAE "has taken this exceptional step in light of Iran's ongoing interference in internal (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Arab affairs that has recently reached unprecedented levels."

The diplomatic row spread to Africa, where Sudan -- a majority Sunni Muslim country -- expelled the Iranian ambassador and the entire Iranian diplomatic mission in the country. Sudan also recalled its ambassador from Iran.

The Saudi government announced the Sudanese move, saying Sudan acted because of "the Iranian interference in the region through a sectarian approach."

Russia and China, two of the biggest geopolitical players in the hemisphere, released statements calling for restraint between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

"Moscow is concerned about escalation of the situation in the Middle East with participation of the key regional players," the Russian foreign ministry said Monday. Russia called on the Saudis and Iranians to "show restraint and to avoid any steps that might escalate the situation and raise tensions including interreligious ones."

China's foreign ministry said it is paying close attention to the events and hopes "all parties can remain calm and restrained, use dialogue and negotiations to properly resolve differences, and work together to safeguard the region's peace and stability."

Could the diplomatic war of words boil over?

It had -- even before Saudi Arabia announced its decision to cut ties with Iran, said Fawaz Gerges, chair of contemporary Middle Eastern studies at the London School of Economics.

"Their conflict is playing out on Arab streets big time," he said.

Already the two nations were on opposite sides of conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain and Lebanon. Now, he said, the question is how much worse things might get.

"The situation is extremely volatile between the two most powerful states in the Gulf, Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shiite-dominated Iran. You have a war of words. You have war by proxies ... This really could get very ugly and dangerous in the next few weeks and next few months," Gerges said.

It's possible a more direct military conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran could erupt, said retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, a CNN military analyst.

"That's the key issue," he said. "This is spiraling very quickly."

Why are there tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia?

It's nothing new that the two countries aren't seeing eye to eye.

"Iran and Saudi Arabia are neither natural allies nor natural enemies, but natural rivals who have long competed as major oil producers and self-proclaimed defenders of Shia and Sunni Islam, respectively," University of South Florida Professor Mohsen M. Milani wrote in an analysis for CNN in 2011.

Both Saudi Arabia and Iran are painting themselves as victims as tensions between them escalate, Gerges said.

"What you have is not only a clash of narratives, you have basically a huge divide, a war by proxy, a cold war taking place between Saudi Arabia and Iran," he said. "It's a war about geopolitics. It's about power. It's about influence."

So why are things getting worse now?

The latest flashpoint emerged after Saudi Arabia executed dissident Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr and dozens of others over the weekend.

It wasn't long before protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran, hurling Molotov cocktails and cheering as the building caught fire. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for divine revenge against Saudi Arabia.

"It was almost inevitable that this (the severing of diplomatic relations) would follow, especially since the response from Iran, completely expectedly, was full of rage, and Iran's supreme leader essentially summoned the wrath of God against Saudi Arabia," said Bobby Ghosh, a CNN global affairs analyst and managing editor of Quartz.

But analysts say looking within Iran and Saudi Arabia gives a greater understanding of why both countries have an interest in fueling the rivalry.

"There are domestic reasons for both of these countries right now to refuse to pull punches against each other," said Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group consulting firm.

Saudi Arabia, he said, is dealing with plummeting oil prices and an internal succession battle over who will next take the throne.

Iran, he said, needs a way to block reformists and Western advances in light of the recent nuclear deal. For both sides, he said, nationalist behavior can score points at home.

"That," Bremmer said, "makes this an incredibly dangerous conflict."

What can we expect to see in the coming days?

Don't expect the heated rhetoric to die down any time soon, analysts said.

"This is Saudi Arabia saying, 'The gloves are off,'" Ghosh said.

Gerges said that could ripple across the region.

"We were hoping that a diplomatic solution could be found to the Syrian crisis in the next few months. Forget about it," he said.

"We were hoping for a diplomatic solution in Yemen. Forget about it. ... Here, you have the two most powerful Islamic states in the heart of the Middle East now basically waging a direct confrontation, as opposed to an indirect war by proxy, so ... we should be really alarmed at the escalation of the confrontation." - CNN.

PARADIGM SHIFT & THE AGE OF PUTIN: "We See Syria Fundamentally Very Similarly" - Russia And The United States Agree On Critical Issues!

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) welcomes U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia December 15, 2015.

December 16, 2015 - RUSSIA - Russia and the US have agreed on a number of ‘critical’ issues, particularly with regard to Syria, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following talks in Moscow.

“The US stands ready to work with Russia,” Kerry told journalists after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lavrov on Tuesday. He added that the two countries’ officials had “a productive day” and the discussions had been “constructive.”

“Despite our countries’ differences, we demonstrated that when the United States and Russia pull together in the same direction, progress can be made,” Kerry said.

Calling the effort “good diplomacy,” the top US diplomat said that the whole global community benefits from such cooperation.

Moscow and Washington confirmed their previous agreements to work together to fight “the evil” of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria, Lavrov told journalists, adding that some “practical steps” to advance this effort had been agreed upon at the meeting.

“We confirmed the agreements reached by the Russian and US militaries, including the agreements that also apply to the US-led coalition working against ISIL, and in practical terms agreed on some further steps which will help make our parallel work more coordinated and effective,” the Russian foreign minister said.

"We see Syria fundamentally very similarly, we want the same outcomes, we see the same dangers, we understand the same challenges," Kerry said. He added that the two nations have been “honest with differences,” but in general agree that the crisis in the Middle Eastern country “requires political process.”

“Russia and the United States agree that you can't defeat Daesh without also de-escalating the fight in Syria,” the Secretary of State said, adding that both Moscow and Washington are “focused on political process” and that “Syrians will be making decisions on the future of Syria.”


WATCH: "No isolation for Russia, world is better when we cooperate." - US Sec of State Kerry in Moscow.

Kerry also said that Moscow and Washington have found “common ground” on which opposition groups should participate in the Syrian peace talks.

RT’s Ilya Petrenko confronted Kerry with a question asking him about threats to isolate Russia, which were repeatedly voiced by Washington in the past. The head of the US State Department replied that there was no such US policy in place.

“We don’t seek to isolate Russia as a matter of policy,” Kerry said. “But we have consistently said that the world is better off when Russia and the US find common ground and an ability to be able to work together.”

Meanwhile, Lavrov has confirmed that a meeting of world powers on Syria penciled in for New York on Friday would go ahead.

A project for a resolution on Syria is expected to be ready for presentation to the UN Security Council after Friday’s meeting, Lavrov said.

“We met here today not as Russia and the US behind the back of other members of the international group on Syrian support, but as co-chairs of this group,” Lavrov said, adding that only an “inclusive format” and the collective efforts of all the members of the Syria group can lead to success in solving the crisis in the region.

Russia and the US are seeking solutions to the most critical crises together, Putin said earlier at the start of the meeting, adding that he "is happy for the opportunity to meet and talk."

“Today you’ve had comprehensive talks at Russia’s Foreign Ministry,” Putin said to Kerry, referring to an earlier meeting with Lavrov. “Minister Lavrov has reported to me in detail on your proposals and on some issues that require additional discussions. I'm very happy with the opportunity to meet with you and talk."

‘Good discussion about Ukraine’

The crisis in Ukraine was also on the agenda, with both Russian and US officials reiterating their support for the Minsk agreements.

“There are concrete ideas on how to most actively implement” the peace deal in the region, Lavrov said, adding that Moscow hopes to remain in close contact with its US partners concerning the matter.

When obligations stated in the accord are met, “US and EU sanctions can be rolled back,” Kerry said, adding that he had had “a good discussion about Ukraine” with President Putin.

“It is always better to be able to sit down in person and spend the significant amount of time that we were able to do today to hash out details and not feel the pressure of another meeting at a multi-level event,” the top US diplomat told reporters after more than three and a half hours of talks with Putin and Lavrov, after thanking them “for the amount of time both of them have afforded.”

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, the White House National Security Council's senior director for Russia Celeste Wallander and US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft were also present at the Kremlin meeting. On Russia's side, Sergey Lavrov and Putin's aide Yury Ushakov also attended.

This year, Kerry has already paid a visit to Putin in Russia. In May, the two met at the Russian president's Sochi residence. That meeting was originally planned for some 90 minutes, but lasted for over four hours.

Prior to the Kremlin meeting, Kerry was spotted wandering along the tourist hot-spot Arbat Street in central Moscow. The US Secretary of State did some souvenir shopping and was warmly welcomed by locals and fellow visitors who recognized him in the street. “I want to wish that the Russian people and the American people are good friends and that our countries come together in peace,” Kerry said when chatting to a group of people. - RT.

NEW WORLD DISORDER: Terrorism, False Flag Distractions, Societal Collapse, Wars And Civilizations Unraveling Ahead Of The Black Celestial Event - Saudi Arabia Forms 34-State Global Islamic Military Alliance, To Fight Terrorism!

Members of Saudi special forces take part in a graduation ceremnoy held in Riyadh on May 19, 2015. © Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters

December 16, 2015 - SAUDI ARABIA - A Riyadh-based “Islamic military alliance” has been formed to fight terrorism, Saudi Arabian state TV has announced. The coalition consists of 34 countries, including the Gulf States, a number of African countries, Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia and Pakistan.

The new alliance’s initiatives could potentially include troops on the ground, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters at a briefing in Paris on Tuesday.

“There are discussions [among] countries that are currently part of the coalition [like] Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain about sending in some special forces into Syria,” Adel al-Jubeir said, as cited by Reuters.

“Nothing is off the table,” the minister said, adding that “it depends on the requests that come” and that the picture should become clearer within the next few weeks.

Countries involved in the coalition aside from Saudi Arabia, include Jordan, the UAE, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Turkey, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Djibouti, Senegal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Gabon, Guinea, the partially-recognized state of Palestine, the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros, Qatar, Cote d’Ivoire, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Malaysia, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Yemen.

“The countries here mentioned have decided on the formation of a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism, with a joint operations centre based in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations,” state news agency SPA quoted an official statement as saying.

The statement added that the coalition has “a duty to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and organizations whatever their sect and name which wreak death and corruption on earth and aim to terrorise the innocent,” Reuters quotes.

The coalition’s headquarters will be based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital.

Currently, there are a number of active coalitions fighting terror groups such as Islamic State (IS, Daesh, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria and Iraq.

The US-led coalition has gathered the support of at least 65 countries. However, various media reports have claimed that fewer than a dozen states are actually contributing, with American jets carrying out most of the strikes.

Moreover, the coalition has received international criticism for being ineffective. “We can state the [US-led] coalition is simulating the fight against ISIS and real terrorism and acts on its own politicized approach to the situation, which runs counter to international law, at least in Syria. Now we can see that [this happens] not only in this country. As is known, the inactivity of the actions of the [US-led] coalition was distinctly confirmed by the growing ISIS problem,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said last week.

The US-led coalition’s airstrikes in Syria have never received permission from Syrian President Bashar Assad to enter the country’s airspace.

Meanwhile, Russia has been conducting its own airstrikes targeting IS and other terrorist groups in Syria since September 30. The strikes were launched at the formal request of Damascus. Russian jets have been carrying out sorties from Moscow’s Hmeimim Air Base in Latakia.

The Russian-led operation also involves coordinating its efforts with regional governments, including those of Syria, Iran and Iraq, which is known as the RSII coalition.

Russia has been calling for a global coalition to fight IS. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in November he wanted global cooperation to combat terrorism. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has echoed Putin’s words, stressing that countries with large Muslim populations, Russia among them, should team up against the terrorist groups.

Meanwhile, a Saudi-led coalition has been bombing Yemen as part of a campaign against the Houthi rebels that ousted president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. The latest statement from the coalition said a ceasefire is due to be established Tuesday. “The command of the coalition forces announces a ceasefire as of 12 pm Sanaa time ... while retaining the right to respond to any breach of the ceasefire,” the Saudi state news agency SPA quoted.Saudi Arabia has been carrying out assaults on the Houthis, who continue to hold the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. The conflict has created an emergency situation, with UN agencies raising alarms that millions of Yemenis are in mortal danger of starvation. Nearly 6,000 people have been killed in the Saudi-led airstrikes and fighting. - RT.

NEW WORLD DISORDER: Terrorism, False Flag Distractions, Societal Collapse, Wars And Civilizations Unraveling Ahead Of The Black Celestial Event - Putin Tells Defense Chiefs To Strengthen Russia Nuclear Forces As A Russian Destroyer Fires Warning Shots At Turkish Fishing Boat On Collision Course In The Aegean Sea!

December 13, 2015 - RUSSIA - President Vladimir Putin ordered defense chiefs to strengthen Russia’s strategic nuclear forces amid rising tensions with the U.S. over the global balance of power.

New weapons should go to “all parts” of the nuclear triad of air, sea, and land forces, Putin told a Defense Ministry meeting in Moscow on Friday. Action must also be taken “to improve the effectiveness of missile-attack warning systems and aerospace defense.”

Russia’s military will have five new nuclear regiments equipped with modern missile complexes next year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the same meeting. More than 95 percent of the country’s nuclear forces are at a permanent state of readiness, he said.

Putin’s moves to reinforce Russian nuclear capabilities are reviving Cold War tensions with the U.S. and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The U.S. warned in June that the Kremlin’s “nuclear saber-rattling” is undermining stability in an attempt to intimidate European neighbors. Russia’s nuclear arsenal, its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, in July led Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to call the country the most pressing threat to U.S. national security.

Putin said Russia’s military must continue its program of training drills and devote special attention to the “transport of troops over long distances” as well as “strategic nuclear deterrence” and the ability to airlift forces including “anti-aircraft, missile and electronic elements.”

New Weapons

About 56 percent of Russian nuclear weapons are new, including modern missiles, upgraded aircraft and a strengthened submarine capacity, Shoigu said. Russia has also expanded the military’s combat capabilities by reinforcing its western and south-western army groups and building four bases in the Arctic region, he said.

NATO’s troop presence in the Baltic states and central Europe increased sharply in the past year, Shoigu said. The U.S. also has about 200 nuclear weapons sited in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and Turkey and has plans to modernize them, he said.

Amid a conflict with NATO member Turkey over the shooting down of a Russian warplane near the Syrian border last month, Putin ordered defense officials to “react harshly” to threats to Russia’s forces operating in Syria. Any such threats should face “immediate extermination,” he said.

The Russian air campaign in Syria against Islamic State and other militants is aimed at protecting Russia from terrorism, and actions are being synchronised with operations of special forces against domestic threats, Putin said. Airstrikes are being coordinated with both President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and those of the opposition Free Syrian Army, which has more than 5,000 troops fighting terrorists with weapons supplied by Russia, he said.

Islamic State has more than 60,000 terrorists and is expanding its influence in Syria and Iraq, Shoigu said. Russian airstrikes in Syria that began Sept. 30 have hit 8,000 terrorist infrastructure targets during 4,000 combat missions, he said. - Bloomberg.

Russian destroyer fires warning shots at Turkish fishing boat on collision course in Aegean

Smetlivy anti-submarine ship © Wikipedia

A Russian destroyer had to open warning fire as a Turkish fishing vessel sailed on a collision course towards them and didn’t respond to calls from the warship, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

The incident happened in the northern part of the Aegean Sea some 12 nautical miles from the Greek island of Lemnos, the ministry said.The crew of the Kashin-class guided missile destroyer Smetlivy spotted the Turkish fishing trawler some 1,000 meters from the Russian warship early on Sunday morning, the ministry said. The ship was sailing towards the destroyer and ignored calls for radio contact and other attempts to communicate.

When the Turkish vessel approached to about 600 meters, the Smetlivy opened small arms fire at a spot in front of the trawler, taking care to avoid any risk of hitting the Turkish ship itself, the report said.

The ministry said the Turkish fishing ship changed course after that and kept about 540 meters from the Smetlivy, but didn’t contact the Russian warship.

“Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov has summoned the military attaché of the Turkish embassy in Russia in connection with the incident in the Aegean Sea,” the statement said.

There is serious tension between Turkey and Russia after an incident on the Turkish-Syrian border, in which Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian bomber plane conducting airstrikes against terrorist forces in Syria. Turkey said the move was justified by a 17-second incursion into Turkish airspace.

Russia denied the Russian warplane crossed the border and called the incident a stab in the back. Moscow accused Ankara of protecting terrorists in Syria to ensure a continued flow of smuggled oil to Turkey, which Russia says profits some senior Turkish officials. - RT.

SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Triple Terror - Up To 60 Killed, 80 Wounded As 3 Car Bombs Explode In Syrian Christian Town!

FILE PHOTO. © SANA / Reuters

December 11, 2015 - SYRIA - Three car bomb explosions in the town of Tell Tamer in Syria's northeastern Al Hasakah province killed up to 60 and injured some 80 people on Thursday.

The blasts struck near a Kurdish militia forces field hospital and in the crowded Souk Al Jumla market square, where the majority of the fatalities occurred. Most of the affected people were civilians, but there were some Kurdish and Assyrian self-defense fighters among them.

The vehicles were allegedly packed with large amounts of explosives, which also inflicted significant damage to nearby buildings and infrastructure. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.Tell Tamer is predominantly inhabited by Kurds, Arabs and Assyrians. The town, also home to an Assyrian Christian community, has become a target of numerous terror attacks and incursions by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants over the last months.

In September, IS militants organized a series of deadly terror attacks in the town of Hasakah, which killed 39 and injured more than 100. Terrorists targeted the headquarters of the Kurdish militia and pro-government forces, but most of the victims were civilians, according to TASS.

In February, IS terrorists took some 200 local Christians hostage and also destroyed five local churches.

This caused most of the residents to flee to nearby Hasakah, the governorate’s capital city some 600 kilometers from Damascus. Kurdish forces and local fighters have temporarily joined forces with the Syrian Army and cleared the region of IS jihadists.

The Syrian conflict has taken the lives of more than 250,000 people, according to UN estimates. The humanitarian crisis has internally displaced over 6.5 million Syrians and forced 4.3 million to flee the country. They have sought refuge in neighboring countries and Europe. - RT.

NEW WORLD DISORDER: Terrorism, False Flag Distractions, Societal Collapse, Wars And Civilizations Unraveling Ahead Of The Black Celestial Event - Putin Issues Deadly Command, That Any Targets Threatening Russian Forces In Syria Must Be Immediately Destroyed!

An S-400 air defence missile system is deployed for a combat duty at the Hmeymim airbase to provide security of the Russian air group's flights in Syria.
© Dmitriy Vinogradov / Sputnik

December 11, 2015 - RUSSIA - Jihadists in Syria pose a direct threat to Russia, Putin told a defense meeting in Moscow, adding that any targets threatening the country's military there should be destroyed.

Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Islamic State’s influence in Syria keeps expanding.

The Russian military’s actions in Syria are being coordinated with Russian special services such as the FSB, who are disclosing terrorist cells, including Islamic State, Putin said.

All forces threatening Russian servicemen in Syria should be destroyed, according to the Russian president.

"Any targets threatening our [military] group or land infrastructure must be immediately destroyed," Putin said, speaking at a Defense Ministry event.

Putin said over 5,000 members of the Free Syrian Army are operating on the terrorists’ side.

"In general, the actions of the Russian groups deserve high praise. This is a result of work by the Ministry of Defense, General Staff officers, Russian Air Force pilots and the Russian Navy," he added.
‘ISIS influence expanding in Syria’ - Russian Def Min

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu added that Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) controls about 70 percent of Syria’s territory, adding that in Syria and Iraq there are about 60,000 militants.

"The Islamic State area of influence is expanding," he said, “There is a threat that their actions will be transferred to Central Asia and the Caucasus.”

To the date, the Russian military has carried out about 4,000 sorties, striking around 8,000 terrorist facilities in Syria, he added.

Drones have proved a necessary part of the military operation against the terrorists, according to Shoigu. He said that Moscow has an about 1,720 drones at its disposal.


WATCH: Any threats to Russian military in Syria will be destroyed - Putin .

- RT.