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☆ Russian troops are likely still at their key bases in Syria, and it will be 'obvious' if they try to leave: senior analyst
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia hasn't mass-evacuated troops and gear out of its key bases in Syria. Russia said it's trying to work out a deal for its bases with the new Syrian government. The Russian military is still stationed at its Syrian bases after the fall of Bashar Assad's government, and analysts say an evacuation will be easy to spot. According to Russian state media, rebel forces now control the Latakia province, where these bases are located. "When Russian forces deployed to Syria in 2015, they flew almost 300 sorties in two weeks, and that was before base expansion," Massicot added.

Persons: it's, Bashar Assad's, Assad —, Dara Massicot, you'd, Massicot, Dmitry Peskov, Assad, Mohammed al, Bashir, Hayat Tahrir, Abu Mohammad al, Al, who's Organizations: Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Financial, Institute for, Kremlin, Tartus Locations: Russia, Syria, Africa, Latakia, Tartus, Washington, Khmeimim, Moscow, Assad Syria, Hayat, Al Qaeda

CNN —Russian forces are now just three kilometers (1.9 miles) from the outskirts of the key eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk after making advances Wednesday, according to Ukrainian mapping service DeepState. They have also destroyed or captured Ukrainian positions near the city, a Ukrainian army spokesperson said. Ukrainian military bloggers have reported that the village has fallen to the Russians, a claim that has not been confirmed by Ukrainian or Russian officials. Data from DeepState, a Ukrainian monitoring group and mapping service, showed Russian soldiers just three kilometers from the southern outskirts of Pokrovsk Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear that his goal is to seize the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Persons: Nazar Voloshyn, Voloshyn, ” Donetskoblgaz, Roman Pilipey, Pokrovsk, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Donald Trump, Antony Blinken, Biden, CNN’s Ivana Kottasová, Jennifer Hansler, Haley Britzky Organizations: CNN, Getty Locations: Ukrainian, Pokrovsk, Vidrodzennia, Novotroitske, Shevchenkove, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Ukraine, AFP, Russia, Ukraine’s Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Moscow, Russian, Luhansk, United States

☆ Here's what we're seeing Russia's warships and aircraft doing in new satellite images of Syria amid regime change
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Newly captured satellite imagery shows what the Russian military in Syria is doing following the collapse of the Assad regime. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesCrowds and traffic at the civilian airport adjacent to Khmeimim on December 9. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesIt is unclear at this time if assets have already left and whether Russia will hold its position at this base. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesThe vessels are missing in this December 10 image. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesAnother Russian frigate was spotted off the coast of Syria on December 10.

Persons: Assad, Syria's, Bashar Assad, Al Organizations: Russian, Maxar Technologies, Business, Ukraine, Assad International Airport, BI, Institute for Locations: Syria, Russia, Tartus, Damascus, Moscow, Ukraine, Africa, Latakia, Khmeimim, Russian, US

☆ Russia's access to crucial military bases in Syria hangs in the balance, threatening its role in the region
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The downfall of Assad has threatened Russia's military presence in Syria along with its wider strategic objectives. Russia's bases in Syria made it a major diplomatic player in the Middle East. AdvertisementThe fall of Bashar Assad has thrown Russia's military presence in Syria into question. Russia has been a close ally of Syria and has leases on two military bases in the country, giving it a strategic foothold in the Middle East. Advertisement"I think it will rattle some folks in the Kremlin to see just how quickly Russia's military had to withdraw," Dailey said.

Persons: Assad, Bashar Assad, Tahrir, Sham, Syria's, Edmund Fitton, Brown, Andreas Krieg, Ann Marie Dailey, doesn't, Dmitry Peskov, Wagner, Dailey, Vladimir Putin, Ali Bilgic, Putin, Cristian Nitoiu, Nitoiu, Loughborough University's Bilgic, Donald Trump, Bilgic, they've Organizations: Russia, Counter, Institute of Middle Eastern, King's College London, RAND, BI, Planet Labs PBC, Russian, Institute for, UK's Loughborough University, Loughborough University, US, UN, Loughborough Locations: Syria, Africa, Russia, Gulf, Tartus, Soviet, USSR, Ukraine, Qatar, Turkey

☆ Top Russian official says internal corruption surged in 2024, with 30,000 officials caught for graft this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He told state media that 30,000 officials were disciplined for corruption in 2024. AdvertisementRussia's prosecutor-general said on Monday that detections of corruption among officials have jumped this year, with a 30% increase in bribery cases compared to 2023. Igor Krasnov told state media that almost 30,000 Russian officials were caught and disciplined for breaking anti-graft rules in 2024. Krasnov said that at least half of all corruption cases involved bribery and that almost 19,000 such crimes were discovered in the first nine months of 2024. That's nearly as many as the 20,300 bribery cases his office found in 2023, Krasnov added.

Persons: Igor Krasnov, Krasnov, That's, DIB, Vladimir Putin, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Sergei Shoigu, Mark Galeotti Organizations: hemming Russia, US, Reagan National Defense, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Drone strikes UN vehicle on way to inspect Ukrainian nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Daria Tarasova | Michael Rios | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An armored vehicle belonging to the UN’s atomic watchdog was hit by a drone strike on its way to inspect a Ukrainian nuclear power plant on Tuesday, in an attack President Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed on Russia. “The driver of a second IAEA vehicle in the convoy saw the Kamikaze drone coming from behind and slamming into the targeted vehicle,” the agency said. “I have said in the past that attacking a nuclear power plant is a no-go. Attacking those who care for the nuclear safety and security of these plants is also absolutely unacceptable,” he said. Following the drone strike Tuesday, the IAEA said its personnel eventually reached the nuclear plant to complete a staff rotation.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Rafael Mariano Grossi, “, ” Organizations: CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ How world leaders and countries are reacting to Assad being toppled in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Western leaders view Assad's fall as a hopeful opportunity, not an outright victory. AdvertisementAs Bashar Assad's regime collapsed over the weekend, world leaders and countries issued statements on Syria. Here's how the world's been reacting to Assad's fall. Russia: Foreign MinistryIn a statement on Sunday, Russia's foreign ministry said it was monitoring Syria "with extreme concern." There is no serious threat to their security at the moment," the foreign ministry said.

Persons: Bashar Assad's, Tahrir, Assad, Abu Mohammad al, Al, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump Trump, Vladimir Putin, Trump, Ursula Von der, Von der Leyen, Keir Starmer Starmer, Starmer, Chancellor Olaf Scholz Scholz, Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Justin Trudeau Trudeau, Hakan Fidan Fidan, Fidan, it's Organizations: Syrian Democratic Forces, ISIS, EU, European, UN Security Council, Foreign Ministry, Islamic, Foreign, Russian Federation, Hmeimim Air Base, Tartus, Base Locations: Syria, Al Qaeda, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Damascus, Germany, France, Canada, China, Iran, Foreign Ministry Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, West Asia, Turkey, Ankara, Moscow, Africa

☆ Satellite images show Russia's warships missing from its base in Syria after the Assad regime fell
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's warships are no longer at its base in Tartus, Syria — a critical facility for Moscow. AdvertisementRussia's warships are missing from its base in Syria a day after rebel forces ousted the country's longtime dictator, Bashar Assad, new satellite imagery obtained by Business Insider shows. It is unclear if the Russian warships have left for good. Open-source intelligence accounts pointed out the unusual naval activity on social media, sharing images that suggested the Russian warships were loitering off the coast of Syria. Losing both of these facilities would be a major blow to the Russian military.

Persons: Bashar Assad, Syria's, they're, Alexander Zemlianichenko, It's, they've, Assad, Hayat Tahrir, Sham, Al, —, Biden Organizations: Business Insider, Planet Labs PBC, Planet, Planet Labs PBC Russia's, AP, Biden, Lebanese Hezbollah Locations: Tartus, Syria, Moscow, Russian, Africa, Al Qaeda, Damascus, Russia, Iran, Lebanese, Ukraine, Israel

☆ From Trump and Turkey, to Russia and Iran — Syria's regime change has huge global consequences
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

TOPSHOT - This aerial picture shows a bullet-riddled portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad adorning Hama's municipality building after it was defaced following the capture of the city by anti government fighters, on December 6, 2024. Omar Haj Kadour | Afp | Getty ImagesThe dramatic toppling of Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime at the hands of rebel forces this weekend could have far-reaching consequences for the Middle Eastern country, global alliances and markets, according to analysts. An anti-government fighter holds a weapon as he keeps position near a defaced portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in the city of Hama after forces captured the central Syrian city, on December 6, 2024. Omar Haj Kadour | Afp | Getty Images"The rapid collapse of the Assad regime in Damascus will have repercussions well beyond Syria. Russia weakenedThe other most notable "loser" from Assad's overthrow is his ally and backer Russia, which has helped prop up Assad's regime since the start of the civil war.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Omar Haj Kadour, Sham, —, Holger Schmieding, Schmieding, Donald Trump, Bill Blain, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Julien De Rosa, Blain, Piccoli, Tayyip Erdogan, Thaier, David Roche, Trump, Iran's, " Roche, Vladimir Putin, Louai Beshara Organizations: Afp, Getty, Berenberg Bank, U.S, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, sudani, Reuters, Quantum, Russia, Russian Federation Locations: Hama's, Damascus, Russia, Syria, Iran, Syrian, U.S, Turkey, Israel, Hama, Lebanon, Europe, Elysee, Paris, Ankara, Dubai, United Arab, Gaza, Ukraine, Moscow, Hmeimim, Syria's, Tartus

☆ Bashar al-Assad bails on Syria. Does it change Putin’s calculus on Ukraine?
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“Putin has thrown Assad under the bus to prolong his war in Ukraine,” commented former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “His resources are scarce, and he is not as strong as he pretends.”For observers of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Assad’s departure raises some striking historical parallels. And unlike Assad, whose forces appeared to surrender Damascus without a fight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held fast as Russian troops approached Kyiv. Assad’s flight from Syria was more than a moment for Ukrainians to revel in a symbolic setback for Putin. He will insist that it is now up to the West and Ukraine to change their stance,” she said, noting Trump’s calls on Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Vladimir Putin’s, “, Putin, ”, Ilya Yashin, “ Putin, Dmytro Kuleba, Viktor Yanukovych, Mezhyhirya, Yanukovych, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ashraf Ghani, revel, Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Trump’s, Trump, nodded, Assad – “, Omar Sanadiki, Putin’s, Tatiana Stanovaya, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Assad, Yanukovych, Notre Dame Cathedral, Kyiv, West, International Criminal Court Locations: Moscow, East, Russian, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Damascus, Mezhyhirya, Kyiv, United States, waver, Afghanistan, Syria, France, Tartus, Hmeimim, Syria’s Latakia, Syrian, Iran, Crimea, Ukraine’s Donbas

☆ Ukraine's changing up its Black Sea attacks on Russia with drone boats armed with machine guns and flying exploding drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The naval drones used in these recent engagements were said to have been equipped with new weapons and strike capabilities, highlighting Ukraine's innovation in this space. Ukraine typically loads its naval drones with explosives and drives them directly into targets; they detonate on impact. Докладноhttps://t.co/xGrVFNsBIr pic.twitter.com/WnfNSnYaDl — Військово-Морські Сили ЗС України (@UA_NAVY) December 7, 2024This strategy depicted in the video essentially saw the naval systems converted into drone-carrying motherships. The SBU said that its newly modified Sea Baby drones had been equipped with large-caliber machine guns and automatic target acquisition. Ukraine fields several different variants of its domestically produced naval drones, including the Sea Baby platforms used by the SBU last week.

Persons: ince, Украни вцеадмрал, Олексй Нежпапа Organizations: Russian, Ukrainian Navy, BU, ВМС, ЗС Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Crimean, Kyiv

☆ Russia fired 4 times as many drones and missiles at Ukraine in the past 3 months as it did a year earlier: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Hannah Abraham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia launched more than 6,000 drones and missiles this fall, per The Wall Street Journal. AdvertisementRussia fired four times as many drones and missiles at Ukraine in the past three months compared to the same time a year ago, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal. Using data from the Ukrainian Air Force Command, the report said that Russia launched more than 6,000 drones and missiles in the war during September, October, and November. However, Russia has used a variety of tactics to overcome Ukrainian air defenses, including hitting Ukraine with a variety of drones and missiles at the same time. On Sunday, the Ukrainian air force said it shot down 28 out of 74 drones launched by Russia in a night attack targeting Ukraine.

Persons: HUR, George Barros, — they've, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Street Journal, Russia, Wall Street, Ukrainian Air Force Command, Ukraine, Institute for, Sky News Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine's Dnipro

☆ We compared satellite images of Russia's naval base in Syria before and after Assad's fall. The warships are missing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's warships are no longer at its base in Tartus, Syria — a critical facility for Moscow. It is unclear if the Russian warships have left for good. AdvertisementOpen-source intelligence accounts highlighted the unusual naval activity on social media, sharing images that suggested the Russian warships were loitering off the coast of Syria. Meanwhile, Moscow uses nearby Khmeimim to shuttle military forces in and out of Africa. Losing both of these facilities would be a major blow to the Russian military.

Persons: Bashar Assad, Syria's, Assad, they're, BlackSky, Alexander Zemlianichenko, It's, they've, Hayat Tahrir, Sham, Al, —, Biden Organizations: Business Insider, Planet Labs PBC, Ukraine, Planet, Planet Labs, BI, Russian, AP, Biden, Lebanese Hezbollah Locations: Tartus, Syria, Moscow, Russian, Russia, Africa, Al Qaeda, Damascus, Iran, Lebanese, Ukraine, Israel

☆ Meet the Press – December 8, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +64 min

ANNOUNCER:From NBC News in Washington, the longest-running show in television history, this is a special edition of Meet the Press with Kristen Welker. KRISTEN WELKER:We’re going to —PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:For what they did –KRISTEN WELKER:Yeah –PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:– honestly, they should go to jail. PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:For what they did –KRISTEN WELKER:Everyone on the committee you think –PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:I think everybody –KRISTEN WELKER:– should go to jail? KRISTEN WELKER:But you --PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:I want to stop--KRISTEN WELKER:– have talked about --PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:Let me tell you what --KRISTEN WELKER:– the other world leaders. PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:We're talking about --KRISTEN WELKER:You won't touch Medicare --PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:– theft --KRISTEN WELKER:– Social Security?

Persons: KRISTEN WELKER, Donald Trump, PRES, DONALD TRUMP, Joe Biden, he’s, Carol Lee, “ Playbook ”, Eugene Daniels, Marc Short, Mike Pence, Jen Psaki, Kristen Welker, Grover Cleveland, Decker, AutoZone, it's, Covid, Justin Trudeau, Jerome Powell, Will, –, You've, Biden, who's, We're, they’re, we've, – KRISTEN WELKER, they've, should've, Tom Homan – PRES, Tom Homan, you've, I've, John McCain, Collins, would've, – it's, That's, could've, Obamacare, we're, Roe, Wade, I'm, Trump, Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel, he's, Hillary Clinton, Bill Barr, Christopher Wray, Pam, Pam Bondi, Kash, that's, Trey Gowdy, “, Joe Biden – PRES, We'll, Jack Smith, I’m, ”, Hunter, Everything's, Fani Willis, Fani, Adam Schiff, Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney, Cheney, Bennie Thompson, We’re, – PRES, Assad, Putin, Israel wouldn't, Ukraine would've, Russia's, Ukraine's, Biden should've, Elon, Trump's, Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk, You’re, couldn't, Joe, MAGA, There's, McLaughlin, Fabrizio, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, It’s – KRISTEN WELKER, Politico Playbook, Carol, It's, CAROL LEE, Kristen, they'll, Eugene, EUGENE DANIELS, “ Bennie Thompson, Marc, Johnson's, Trump isn't, JEN PSAKI, Kamala would've, He's, she's, Jen, he'd, Vladimir Putin, Tulsi Gabbard Organizations: Capitol, NBC, Staff, White House Press, Press, Trump, Walmart, Black, Biden, Canada, Mar, Federal Reserve, Democrats, Department, FBI, Truth, Mr, NATO, SpaceX, Government, Social Security, Medicaid, Justice Department, White, Service, America, Politico, Republican, MARC, Republicans, QAnon, Dreamers, Democratic, Ukraine Locations: PRES, Washington, New York, United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Canadian, Liberty, Venezuela, Colorado, Colorado . PRES, America, United States of America, Hegseth, Russia, Hague, Florida, Mar, Damascus, Ukraine, NBCNews.com, Syria

☆ Russian state news agencies say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad is in Moscow and given asylum
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday, Russian media reported, hours after a stunning rebel advance took over the capital of Damascus and ended the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule. The Russian agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source on Assad and his family being given asylum in Moscow, his longtime ally and protector. RIA also said Moscow had received guarantees from Syrian insurgents of the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. Syrian state television broadcast a rebel statement early Sunday saying Assad had been overthrown and all prisoners had been released. They called on people to preserve the institutions of "the free Syrian state."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, Bashar Assad, RIA, Russia's, Dmitry Polyansky, Abu Mohammed al, Ahmad al, Bassam, Anas Salkhadi Organizations: Tass, RIA, Associated Press, Kremlin, . Security, Golani, U.S, Islamic Locations: Sochi, Moscow, Damascus, Syria, Russia, Turkey, Kurdish

☆ As Syrian rebels topple President Assad, difficult times lie ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

People walk near razor wire at Masnaa Border Crossing, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Lebanon, on Dec. 8, 2024. "We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains," the rebels said. Underscoring the lightning changes, Iran's embassy was stormed by Syrian rebels, Iran's English-language Press TV reported. The Syrian rebel coalition said it was continuing work to complete the transfer of power in the country to a transitional governing body with full executive powers. Russia, a staunch Assad ally, intervened decisively in 2015 to help Assad during Syria's civil war.

Persons: Syria's Bashar al, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Bashar al, Assad, Abu Mohammed al, Golani, Benjamin Netanyahu, Assad's, Emmanuel Macron, Asma, —, Mohammad Ghazi al, Jalali Organizations: Syrian, Reuters, Islamic, Press, Revolutionary Guards, Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry, Golani, Hezbollah Locations: Assad, Lebanon, Damascus, Russia, Iran, Syria, Israel, Turkey, United States, Islamic State, Iraq, Syrian, Ukraine

☆ President-elect Trump says Ukraine to 'possibly' receive less military aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In an exclusive interview with Donald Trump on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, the president-elect told NBC News' Kristen Welker that Ukraine will "possibly" receive less military aid once he takes office. Trump told Welker of support that has gone to Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. All told, the U.S. has committed more than $62 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the conflict started nearly three years ago. The comments suggest that Zelenskyy's diplomatic skills were to credit for the tens of billions of dollars in U.S. military aid packages, rather than the country's actual needs. "Europe is in for a fraction, and war with Russia is more important for Europe than it is for us," Trump told Welker.

Persons: Donald Trump, Britain's Prince William, Kristen Welker, Trump, Welker, Lloyd Austin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that's, Putin Organizations: Notre, Dame de, Cathedral, NBC, . Defense, NATO, U.S Locations: British, France, Paris, Ukraine, Europe, U.S, Russia, Russian

Syrian rebels claimed to have seized a key southwestern city close to the border with Jordan as on Saturday they pressed on with a lightning-fast offensive that threatens to further destabilize a region already convulsed by war. "Once they get Homs, then really Damascus is cut off and they'll all be centered around Damascus and Latakia on the coast." But Hellyer said there was not yet a definitive outcome to the conflict despite the rebels' rapid advance. The collapse of government control in Daraa and the threat to Homs signals a growing vulnerability in Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s hold on power. The observatory says more than 820 people, including 111 civilians, have been killed across the country since the rebels began their offensive.

Persons: “, Bashad Al, Assad, OMAR HAJ KADOUR, Hellyer, hasn't, Bashar Al, Deir, Israel Organizations: NBC, Syrian, Human Rights, ”, Getty, Royal United Services Institute, NBC News Locations: Jordan, Daraa, Hayat Tahrir, U.K, “, ”, Hama Saturday, BAKR, AFP, Syria, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Russia, Iran, Tartus, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, H.A, London, Latakia, Idlib, Raqqa, Jaber, Golan

☆ Democrats and Republicans in Congress worried that Gabbard might leak information to Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

The aides were concerned Gabbard might leak the name of the defector, who had hidden his identity out of fear of reprisals from the Assad regime. In the past, Caesar had spoken privately to members of Congress without his face covered when Gabbard was not present. The Assad regime brutally crushed peaceful political protests in 2011, firing on unarmed demonstrators and carrying out mass arrests and torture. As the war intensified, Gabbard’s sympathetic statements about the Russian-backed Assad regime raised eyebrows and alarmed her colleagues. “She basically completely adopted the Assad regime propaganda, where she suggested falsely that the U.S. was supporting terrorist extremists in Syria, and didn’t mention that the Assad regime had been slaughtering fellow Syrians there,” the former official said.

Persons: Assad, Tulsi Gabbard, Bashar al, Caesar, ”, Gabbard, Tulsi doesn’t, Mouaz Moustafa, Donald Trump, Alexa Henning, Donald Trump’s, Henning, Seth Moulton of, nodded, Moustafa, “, ” Moustafa, Josh Rogin, Drew Angerer, ” Henning, Obama, Ryan Grimm, Trump, Republican Sen, James Lankford of, Bashar Assad, we’ll, ” Lankford, Nikki Haley, Gabbard’s, that’s, ” Haley Organizations: House Foreign Affairs, Democratic, Republican, Syrian Emergency, Force, NBC News, Trump, Army Reserve, U.S . House, Representatives, Gabbard, Capitol, Democratic Party, Army National Guard, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Moustafa, ISIS, Washington, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Lebanese Hezbollah, Capitol Hill, U.S, Ambassador, United Nations, Organization for, Chemical Weapons, CNN, United, Republicans, Senate Intelligence, NATO, Sirius XM Locations: Syrian, Damascus, U.S, Russia, Syria, Iranian, Iraq, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Turkish, Gaziantep, Gabbard, Lebanese, Lebanon, United States, Washington, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Carolina, Ukraine

☆ Syrian rebels say they are surrounding Damascus, threatening Assad's hold on power
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A rebel commander said opposition forces had begun to encircle the Syrian capital, Damascus. Damascus is the seat of power for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Rebel forces have already seized the key cities of Aleppo and Hama and are advancing on Homs. AdvertisementAnti-government forces said Saturday they had begun to encircle Damascus, Syria's capital, threatening President Bashar Assad's hold on power. "Our forces have begun implementing the final phase of encircling the capital, Damascus," rebel commander Hassan Abdul-Ghani said in a post on social media.

Persons: Bashar Assad, Bashar Assad's, Hassan Abdul, Ghani, Hayat Tahrir, Al, Assad's, Vladimir Putin's, Assad, Israel, Donald Trump, Obama, Trump Organizations: Hudson Institute's Center for Peace, Security, STATES Locations: Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Syria's, Syria, Assad's, Russia, Iran, Moscow, Africa, Russian, Ukraine, Tehran, Baghdad, Beirut, Lebanese, Israel, United States

☆ Distant wars waged by Israel and Russia changed Syria’s fortune. What comes next is impossible to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But the war of attrition has left Russia “incapable” of assisting Assad, even President-elect Donald Trump noted on Saturday. But this is one seized by Turkey, a NATO member which has dealt with the most fallout from Syria’s turmoil. Adem Altan/AFP/Getty ImagesThe unknowable impact of vast, fast change left Syria mired in half-policies and US inaction before. This may prove the swift and severe change that Syria needed to stabilize – a shaking of the carpet that leaves society smoother. Syria’s past 13 years have been so brutal it deserves exactly that.

Persons: George W Bush, Obama, Donald Trump, Bashar al, Assad, Ghaith, Sergei Lavrov, ”, Hayat Tahrir, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Erdogan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Adem Altan, Barack Obama, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, US, NATO, Syrian Democratic Forces, ISIS, Getty Locations: Syria, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Ghouta, Beirut, Donetsk, Syrian, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Ankara, Turkish, Ireland, Afghanistan, AFP

☆ U.S. unveils $988 million aid package for Ukraine including rockets and drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The United States unveiled a $988 million aid package of new arms and equipment to Ukraine for its ongoing fight against Russia's invasion on Saturday. The USAI funds will be put toward buying ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) made by Lockheed Martin as well as drones and spare parts to maintain artillery equipment, according to the Pentagon. The Biden administration has often used Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorizes President Joe Biden to transfer excess articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency. The USAI funds are separate and will go to purchase new weapons from industry. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the U.S. has committed more than $62 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Biden's, Biden, Lockheed Martin, Joe Biden, congressionally Organizations: Defense, House Appropriations, Department of Defense, Capitol, United, Russia's, Ukraine Security, Initiative, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Lockheed, Pentagon, Reagan National Defense, Authority Locations: Washington, United States, Ukraine, U.S, California, Russian

☆ Fighting in Ukraine is giving rise to a new kind of drone warfare: hit-to-kill intercepts
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Jake Epstein | Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The grinding Ukraine war has seen a rise in hit-to-kill drone interceptions of other drones. Combat footage from the war in Ukraine has repeatedly captured these hit-to-kill intercepts in which a cheap drone slams into another unmanned aircraft. A Ukrainian FPV drone destroyed a russian Lancet drone that tried to escape its fate. Related storiesAn outfit that makes combat FPV drones posted in August that its modified drones had taken out 100 Russian UAVs. Interceptor drones are limited in range and altitude and often carry less explosive power than more traditional air defenses like missiles.

Persons: 📹:, roop, ake, ars., sy, nes to Organizations: unt, BI Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Syrian rebels close in on Damascus, threatening Assad's hold on power
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Bashar Assad, Bashar Assad's, Hassan Abdul, Ghani, Hayat Tahrir, Al, Assad's, Vladimir Putin's, Assad, Israel, Donald Trump, Obama, Trump Organizations: Hudson Institute's Center for Peace, Security, STATES Locations: Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Syria's, Assad's, Russia, Iran, Moscow, Syria, Africa, Russian, Ukraine, Tehran, Baghdad, Beirut, Lebanese, Israel, United States

HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani speaks to CNN in an interview. “When we talk about objectives, the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime. Then on Friday, streams of civilians have been seen fleeing Homs, ahead of potential hostilities between regime forces, and rebel forces who charged towards the city. Human rights warnings: Syria’s rebel fighters have a shared goal of crunching Assad’s dynastic grip on power. Human rights advocates also raised concerns over HTS’ recent treatment of political dissidents in Idlib, in northwestern Syria.

Persons: Abu Mohammad al, Bashar al, Assad, apace, ” Abu Mohammad al, Hayat, ”, Jolani, crunching, – Organizations: CNN, United, Terrorist Organization Locations: Hayat Tahrir, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, al Qaeda, Idlib, Syria, United States

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