Would you be surprised to learn that US media and government lied about the Venezuela elections?
Would the government that gave genocidal maniac Bibi a standing ovation lie? YES! Would the people who gave us bogus “president” Juan Guaido lie about Venezuela? YES!
Give a listen:
Text:
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2024/07/31/venezuela-elections-media-lies/
Venezuela elections media lies
**
Scott Ritter: Escalating global conflict. Ukraine attacked Russian territory under US direction.
That means the US is directly involved in an attack on Russia, BIG mistake, could lead to a nuclear strike by Russia. It is not advisable to play cat and mouse with a nuclear power.
**
Israel-Palestine News: Netanyahu’s speech is a gift to future genocide historians
https://israelpalestinenews.org/netanyahus-speech-is-a-gift-to-future-genocide-historians/
https://us11.campaign-archive.com/?e=ebbe9c8233&u=70b9fc567465118fa0b7b6e67&id=defbecd349
**
US Bishops decry Christian Zionism
A RESOLUTION condemning Christian Zionism has been passed by the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States, during the 81st General Convention, being held this week in Louisville, Kentucky.
by Madeleine Davies, Church Times, 28 June 2024
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/28-june/news/world/us-bishops-decry-christian-zionism
**
Here’s your daily air strike update for Aug 1, 2024
You will have noted for some time now that these air strike updates are longer than before and contain more reports of strikes in different places all in one night.
This is because Russia is working at an accelerated pace to make as much progress before Ukraine beefs up its manpower and also before it receives more F-16s and trains pilots to fly them.
In fact, this whole F-16 project is not turning out as planned. It has been found recently that only about 7 pilots are ready for combat.
One of the main problems is that the trainees are having major problems mastering English, the language of instruction. I wonder if the language courses are sufficiently systematic. If not, there will be major problems.
I also wonder whether it has occurred to anyone on the Western side to add some instruction in Ukrainian or Russian. Our famous Western Russophobia may be getting in the way of this as many Westerners in government or military have a twisted attitude toward the Russian language.
Learning a new language takes a LOT of time as my own experience attests. Further, it takes time in-country under everyday circumstances, not just classroom situations. Americans think it is a simple process and shouldn’t take a lot of time. Perhaps that is because so few of us tackle new languages with a serious attitude and approach, and sad to say, not all of us have the necessary aptitude for language learning. There is also the problem that older students have more difficulty due to the natural mental and emotional barriers (I assume many of the trainees are beyond the age at which language learning comes easier. After about the age of 11, it gets progressively harder to learn a new language).
Well, you can’t rush these things. As they are finding out the hard way.
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
August 1, 2024
Russian Armed Forces missile burned down Ukrainian Armed Forces radio-technical company: SMO [special military operation] news for the evening of August 1
Video of air strike: https://vk.com/video-133441491_456277032
Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces launched a missile strike on the location of the Ukrainian army radio-technical company in the area of the special military operation, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.
The department noted that the strike was carried out near the settlement of Polyana in the Nikolaev region. During the operation, a Kh-35 cruise missile was used.
"As a result of the precise missile strike, an ST-68 radar station, a combat control cabin, a vehicle, a diesel power plant and up to 25 Ukrainian Armed Forces militants were destroyed," the report says.
Precision-guided munitions of the Russian Armed Forces have become the main weapon against Abrams tanks
The American Abrams tanks that have come into the possession of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have proven defenseless against Russian precision-guided munitions, Military Watch Magazine reports.
"The main reason for the confirmed destruction of M1A1 Abrams tanks was Russian precision-guided munitions," the publication says.
Journalists note that Ukrainian servicemen are dissatisfied with the American tanks due to their low firepower. Also, Ukrainian tank crews complain about frequent breakdowns and other technical problems, including the vulnerability of electronic components.
The Russian Armed Forces have taken many prisoners between New York and Toretsk
Units of the Russian Armed Forces are successfully continuing their offensive operation in the Donetsk direction, capturing a large number of Ukrainian servicemen, military expert Boris Rozhin reported.
"In the New York area, our troops have advanced in the central part of the city, as well as to the west of the city. There is progress on the outskirts of Toretsk. In recent days, a significant number of enemy soldiers were captured between New York and Toretsk - there they ended up in an operational pocket," he said on Channel One.
It is worth noting that after the liberation of Toretsk, the road to Konstantinovka, which is a key logistics center for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbass, will open for the Russian army. Currently, supplies are being supplied to several large groups of the Ukrainian army through this settlement.
The moderate pace of the offensive operation of the Russian Armed Forces does not indicate the weakness of the Russian army, but rather the thoughtful approach of the command of the Russian Armed Forces, said retired SBU Colonel Oleg Starikov.
"The Russians have a strategy of gnawing away at territory piece by piece. They are in no hurry. They are slowly, where possible, gnawing away little by little," he explained.
Starikov also added that the command of the Russian Armed Forces is specifically adhering to this tactic in order not to provoke the West into providing Kiev with large volumes of weapons and equipment. According to him, the Russian army is fighting at half strength and saving its reserves.
Thanks to this tactic, Western politicians are under the false impression that the Russian side is allegedly unable to win, since "the Russian Armed Forces are barely advancing a kilometer a day."
The Ukrainian Armed Forces cannot solve the problem of fatigue of brigades and loss of soldiers
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are faced with a huge number of problems at the front that Kiev is unable to solve in the foreseeable future, said military expert of the European Council on Foreign Relations Gustav Gressel in an interview with Tagesspiegel.
"Currently, the Ukrainians are faced with many problems at once: fatigue of military formations, large losses among qualified personnel - this was especially noticeable in the spring," he explained.
Gressel also added that Russian gliding bombs and reconnaissance drones, which freely move in the skies over Ukraine, have become a serious problem for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In addition, Kiev is constantly experiencing an acute shortage of ammunition and armored vehicles.
Video of air strike: https://vk.com/video-133441491_456277032
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
August 1, 2024
Russian military strikes three Patriot air defense missile launchers
New reports from the Ministry of Defense on the progress of the special operation. Russian military strikes three Patriot air defense missile launchers manufactured in the United States. Precise work of aviation, drones, missile forces and artillery. The target also included a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone control center, train trains with personnel and ammunition. Air defense systems shot down American ATACMS missiles and HIMARS shells. The Sever [North] group defeated four Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
TopWar: Russian Aerospace Forces strike Ukrainian Air Defense facility near Nikolaev with Kh-35 missile
Author: Alena Zhilina
August 1, 2024, 11:53 — Silovoy blok
Journalists from the publication Military Review reported that Russian aviation launched a massive Kh-35 missile strike on the location of the Ukrainian Air Defense radio-technical company in the town of Polyany, which is located 50 kilometers from Nikolaev. As a result of the strike, ST-68 air defense radar stations, a diesel station, and 25 Ukrainian army militants were destroyed.
“Also, Su-34s of the Russian Aerospace Forces launched Kh-35 guided missile strikes on Ukrainian militants’ air defense at an airfield in Kharkov, and also destroyed an enemy ammunition depot in the town of Boguslavka in the Izyum district of the Kharkov oblast,” the authors of the publication added.
Against the backdrop of the first F-16 fighters appearing in Ukraine, the Russian army has increased the intensity of shelling of strategic objects of Kiev, which are located in the regions under its control. As reported by journalists of the Telegram channel Voyennaya khronika [Military Chronicle], immediately after the statements about strike aircraft, reconnaissance drones of the Russian Federation that were spotted at the airfield in Mirgorod. In the coming days, we should expect a series of missile strikes on key air bases of Ukraine, where fighters may be based. Earlier, Siovoy blok reported that after the F-16 tests, "Iskanders", "Kalibrs" and 100 UAVs struck Ukraine.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
Russian troops hit three Patriot air defense systems and military infrastructure facilities in the SMO zone
01.08.2024
Combat work of the BM-21 Grad MLRS and the 2S19 M2 Msta-S self-propelled gun in the Svatovo-Kremny region - Sputnik South Ossetia, 1920, 01.08.2024
TSKHINVAL, August 1 - Sputnik. Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of Russian troop groups struck three Patriot air defense system launchers, a UAV control center, railway trains and concentrations of manpower and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.
"Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups hit three launchers of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system made in the USA, a UAV control center, railway trains with personnel and ammunition, concentrations of enemy manpower and military equipment in 147 areas," the department noted.
In addition, air defense systems shot down one operational-tactical missile made in the USA, 14 HIMARS rockets made in the USA and 61 unmanned aerial vehicles in 24 hours.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the enemy's losses amounted to: 631 aircraft, 278 helicopters, 28,795 drones, 559 air defense systems, 16,734 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 1,395 MLRS combat vehicles, 12,666 field artillery pieces and mortars, 24,250 units of special military vehicles.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
"Half of them stayed here forever": militants reported that a Russian missile hit a train
House of a fugitive Russian oppositionist in Kiev was grazed by an unknown drone
Russian "Geran" missiles visited Dnipropetrovsk, Kiev, Zaporizhia, Nikolaev, Cherkasy and Kharkov oblasts again last night. The focus is on military factories and, as always, deployment points. In a completely unexpected way, the Russian opposition politician who fled to Ukraine, Ilya Ponomarev (included in the list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring), declared himself a victim of the night raids. A drone fell near his house. Whose is unclear. But the three-story mansion where Ponomarev lived in Kiev now looks completely unpresentable...
The house of the fugitive Russian oppositionist in Kiev was grazed by an unknown drone
Already late on Wednesday evening, several short lines appeared in the Telegram channel "Sheikh Tamir": "Dnepropetrovsk. Double hit. According to locals, a very powerful explosion." By the morning, details appeared. The coordinator of the Nikolaev underground, Sergei Lebedev, as usual, analyzed in detail the results of the night work of the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to his data, in Dnepropetrovsk, the Makarov Machine-Building Plant, or more simply, Yuzhmash, where they are still trying to produce ballistics and fuel for combat missiles, was hit. In Zaporozhye, explosions were heard from the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant: "The plant was repairing equipment, equipping pickups with turrets," Lebedev writes. In the Nikolaev oblast, militant locations came under attack. "Novy Bug, Mykolaiv oblast, a location with Banderites [Neonazis] was struck. Not enough, there are still many there... Mykolaiv oblast, strike near Snigirevka (where the Ukrainian Armed Forces reserve is also stationed. - Ed.)," the military observer's Telegram channel reports. In Bila Tserkva, Kiev oblast, the "strike" hit railway warehouses: "Strong detonation." Also, according to Lebedev, in Brovary near Kiev there was a hit, apparently at the location: "After the strike, more than a dozen ambulances went towards the northern outskirts." And already in the morning there was an explosion in Cherkasy oblast. "03:16 they reported an explosion in Cherkasy oblast. There are no specifics, but doctors were warned that they would bring many wounded, some of whom were stabilized," the channel reports.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian portal Politika strany [Politics of the Country], citing "Ukrzaliznytsia", also reports an attack on a railway station in Kharkiv oblast. We may be talking about the Kupyansk Uzlovaya station: footage of the destruction from there is posted by Ukrainian military personnel, who report on camera that "half of them stayed here forever." Apparently, the hit was on the military personnel. The Telegram channel "Currently in Kharkov" reports on a strike on the temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and equipment in Volchansk - in the industrial zone near the Elevator. And about a FAB [high-explosive aerial bomb] strike "on the hangar with equipment and personnel of the enemy's UAV operators." Against this background, Ponomarev's mangled house looks strange. Although the fugitive himself assures that it is his "second birthday" and that this is the "fifth attempt at an attack," which "was the most unconventional and most successful, against which it was difficult to defend." However, the Ukrainian media themselves write that it is still unknown whose drone disturbed Ponomarev's peace. It is reported that a few days earlier he had a big fight with his "wards": the "Free Russia" legion and the Kapustin RDC (organizations recognized as extremist and banned in the territory of the Russian Federation). These fighters could have directed the drone at Ponomarev's house...
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
UNPRECEDENTED TACTICS OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY: UKRAINE WAS BURNING ALL NIGHT. 4 WAVES OF STRIKES - A RECORD NUMBER OF UAVS
Military facilities in Ukraine were hit by both missiles and drones. Fires raged all night, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations is still clearing the rubble. It is reported that the Russian army used unprecedented tactics, the results of which can be seen today. 4 waves of strikes - a record number of UAVs
Last night, a massive attack was launched by the Russian army on military facilities throughout Ukraine.
It is reported that close to midnight, the Russian fleet launched several Iskander OTRK missiles at once at Ukrainian airfields and enemy manpower concentrations. In addition, they also fired Kalibr missiles.
Iskander missile strike from Crimea at Ukrainian Armed Forces airfields in Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk and Krivoy Rog. "Iskanders" on Izyum and Kupyansk, - Condottiero reported.Kiev
War correspondents of the channel "Geran Tsvetushaya" also report several launches at once:
Launches from the waters of the Sea of Azov. Looks like "Kalibrs". Missiles on Kiev. Air defense in the Kiev region is working on "Gerans" and reconnaissance aircraft.
Arrivals were recorded in the Kiev region and Izyum, Kharkov region.
War correspondents of the channel "Channel of the Visionary" reported the use of new unprecedented tactics, which were used by Russian troops. It consists in the fact that the "Geraniums" did not strike in a group, as is usually the case, at certain objects, but were launched at military facilities throughout the territory of Ukraine: "New tactics for using "Gerans". Last night, Ukraine was attacked by a record number of "Geran" UAVs - 89. The flights were mainly from Kursk and Crimea, but the strikes were not massive, not concentrated, the targets were scattered throughout the territory of Ukraine. How effective this new tactic of the Russian Armed Forces was is still unclear, there is no video recording of the results on the networks. According to the Ukrainian side, all UAVs were shot down." [It is standard practice in Ukraine to report shootdown of all incoming munitions. This is totally unreliable information] War correspondents of "Geran Tsvetuyuschaya" refute the information that all the targets were shot down - the overwhelming majority flew in at the targets. They attacked in four waves.
In addition, part of the new tactics is the launch of "pseudo-gerans". Today's unusual mass night attack of aircraft-type UAVs on Ukraine has been explained: they were decoys to wear down the Ukrainian air defense. It was not the heavy Gerans that were used en masse, but their light, outwardly similar copies made of plywood and plastic: the new Gerbera UAVs. They are relatively cheap ($10,000), are manufactured in Alabuga, like the Gerans, and are more likely to perform reconnaissance functions than strikes. The Gerberas had already participated in a test attack on Kiev on the night of July 20 and now successfully imitated a massive Geran attack, the source concluded. And after the air defense missiles were almost completely depleted, the Iskanders and Kalibrs were used.
**
Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]
Russia has captured Pokrovsk. Here’s why Pokrovsk is important
Pokrovsk is not a major city – about 60,000 people lived there before the war and many have left since the start of the full-scale invasion. But it serves as a key hub for the Ukrainian military, thanks to its easy access to Kostiantynivka, another military center. The road connecting the two is used by the Ukrainians to resupply troops on the frontlines and evacuate casualties toward Dnipro.
More here.
…
"PREPARATIONS ARE IN FULL SWING": JOINT BATTALIONS, WHICH ARE UNREPORTED, WILL BE BREAKING OUT. ZELENSKY IS ALREADY NEAR VOLCHANSK
[Mr. Ze actually visited the battlefield]
Tsargrad collage
Krasnogorovka was lost in three months, the troops retreated to the suburbs. The West named the reason why the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not be able to return the lost territories. The F-16s transferred to Kiev will be armed with American missiles and advanced weapons. We have studied the official reports of the Ministry of Defense in detail and did not see any separately highlighted information. Therefore, we offer unofficial reports and news from the fronts of the special military operation. Our war correspondents and commanders helped in its compilation.
The Russian army liberated Krasnogorovka. This is recognized by both Western and Ukrainian experts. Thus, military expert Yuriy Butusov stated that the large city was lost by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in literally three months. At the same time, official Kiev is openly afraid to talk about this.
Recently, the 110th Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces daringly broke through to the northwestern entrance from Krasnogorovka. Our soldiers completed the capture of the entire city limits. Now the Ukrainian army maintains a presence only in the suburbs.
After three and a half months of intense fighting, the Russian army occupied all parts of the city of Krasnogorovka (previously with a population of 16 thousand residents) in the Donetsk direction. The offensive began on April 15 with the revival of the widely discussed "turtle tanks", said military analyst of the German publication Bild Julian Röpke.
Krasnogorovka was the closest point for shelling the center of Donetsk. Therefore, after the liberation of the city, shelling of the capital of the DPR should decrease. And this is a very important task for the Russian leadership - to protect the population of the huge Donetsk from daily shelling from artillery. Political scientist Sergei Markov drew attention to this:
Krasnogorovka is, it seems, the last fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which was built before the SMO [special military operation]. It took several years to build, thousands of tons of concrete were pumped into it. Now the enemy is left with only new fortifications that were built in a hurry during the special operation. They are weaker. So it should be easier from now on.
Russia is winning
Against this background, pessimistic articles in the West are not surprising. The German publication Berliner Zeitung writes that the Russians are winning and no one believes that Kiev will return the lost territories. The consequences for Ukraine will be dramatic. They say that the Russians are already 15 km from the strategically important city of Pokrovsk on the Donetsk front. [This marks a changed tone in the West, which until recently, had indicated that, for example, the new shipments of F-16s could be a game changer. No one believes this any more]
Western military analysts attribute Russia's current successes to its improved ability to exploit weak spots in the Ukrainian defense lines, which were thinned due to a lack of personnel and weakened by Russian attacks along the front line, which stretched for over 1,200 km.
At the same time, changes in our [Russian] tactics played a decisive role. Thus, before an offensive using a large number of troops and armored vehicles, the Russian Armed Forces observe enemy positions for a long time, analyze weak points and purposefully attack them during the troop rotation phase. [Troop rotation means the withdrawal of exhausted troops and their replacement with fresh ones. When the Russians interfere with troop rotation, they make it very difficult for fighting to continue]
Journalists traditionally place responsibility for the failures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the weakness of the Ukrainian military leadership. They say that if it were not for this, then nothing like this would have happened. [It’s a lie, of course]
Hunting season is open
According to Bloomberg, the first batch of F-16 fighters from NATO allies has arrived in Ukraine. This is confirmed by both photos and videos from that side.
The photo was allegedly taken in Lviv. If this is so, then the [Russian] hunting season for big game can be considered open, war correspondent Alexander Kots points out.
In turn, The Wall Street Journal, citing its sources, writes that the F-16s transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be armed with American missiles and advanced weapons. And this despite the fact that the United States "has limited reserves and production capabilities." F-16s for Kiev will receive air-to-ground munitions, high-precision bomb guidance kits and modern air-to-air missiles.
F-16s will probably perform the following tasks
hunting for our bombers;
bombing the front line with Western high-precision glide bombs;
can be used to attack Crimea and Sevastopol.
At the same time, there are reports that Moldova can be used as the main base for F-16 fighters. This will allow NATO countries to avoid becoming targets for Russian missiles, but at the same time provoke the Kremlin to a harsh reaction. [Any F-16 that enters Ukraine from a NATO country and continues to fly on to its combat area will be seen as an attack by NATO enabling Russia to legally attack the country of origin! Theoretically, this could start WW III – with a nuclear power no less. Note, however, that Moldova is not a NATO member. At any rate, the West is courting disaster] This will increase the escalation and take the conflict in Ukraine to a new level, using Moldova for this. This is what "Resident" writes:
Preparations for the autumn counteroffensive are in full swing. In August, we should expect the first use of fighters at the front.
Zelensky near Volchansk
In the Kharkov direction, our troops are able to advance in the high-rise buildings of Volchansk, as well as take individual positions in the area of the village of Glubokoe. Heavy fighting continues along the entire section of this front.
The 92nd separate assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is urgently being staffed with rear battalions of territorial defense due to huge losses. The enemy is actively transferring special forces units through the Kharkov oblast, which have not fully restored their combat capability after recent battles. This is reported by va mayora [Two Majors]:
The staffing of these units is no more than 50%. The enemy will form combined battalions from them to break through the defense of the North [Sever] group in one of the directions, followed by the introduction of a strike group into battle.
In the meantime, some insiders write that Zelensky is already near Volchansk [Russian version of name]. He demanded that the Ukrainian Armed Forces command at any cost drive Russian troops from their positions in the Kharkov oblast. However, the "meat assaults" of the Ukrainian army in Vovchansk [Ukrainian version of name] and near Glubokoe showed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not yet been able to achieve success on the battlefield.
Our fighters are fighting fierce battles with the enemy day and night, not sparing their lives to protect their people. And no matter what insidious plans the enemy tries to implement, they are not destined to come true, notes the author of the Telegram channel Severny veter [North Wind].
**
استهداف العراق بالتزامن مع حدثيين مفصليين.. قرار أميركي-إسرائيلي بالتصعيد (alkhanadeq.org.lb)
Wednesday 31 July 2024 04:09
Targeting Iraq in conjunction with two pivotal events: an American-Israeli decision to escalate
American bombing on Jurf al-Sakhar
The Popular Mobilization Forces - Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades - announced at dawn on Wednesday that an explosion had occurred in its "47th Brigade" in the Jurf al-Sakhar area in Babil Governorate in central Iraq, resulting in martyrs and wounded among its ranks. The statement issued by the Brigades added that the targeting occurred "by a drone launched from the Ali Al-Salem base in Kuwait to target a group of drone experts who were conducting new technical experiments to raise the efficiency of the level of reconnaissance drones to monitor the borders of Holy Karbala and its external roads." The Brigades called on the Iraqi government to "work hard to end the presence of the occupation forces."
On the other hand, American forces admitted to carrying out the attack, considering it “self-defense.” [A dirty LIE! The US forces are there illegally and have no right to self-defense. They need to leave] American officials stated that the strike “targeted militants, who were estimated to be looking to launch drones, and who pose a threat to American forces and international coalition forces.” [Bullshit]
This attack ends months of relative calm between the American forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, as attacks against the American forces in Syria and Iraq stopped at the beginning of last February, with the exception of some military operations, such as targeting the Ain al-Assad base with two drones without causing casualties or damage on July 16. /Last July. This attack comes in conjunction with two pivotal, non-separable events, carried out by the Israeli entity in coordination with the United States of America: the attack on the southern suburb of Beirut with the possible assassination of Hajj Mohsen Shukr, and the assassination of the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital, Tehran. In this context, the Popular Mobilization Forces stated, “The attack on our forces coincided with the assassination of Haniyeh, exposing the enemies’ plans to ignite the region and expand the circle of war and aggression, and the blood of the martyr Haniyeh will not be in vain.” He added, "The enemy's assassination of the great leader Ismail Haniyeh expresses his inability to confront resistance methods on the battlefields." [We Westerners are brainwashed into believing that these resistance groups, including Hamas, are terrorists. The only terrorists in the region are the Israelis and the US forces that defend their genocide!]
The coincidence of the three events confirms an American-Israeli decision to escalate the confrontation with the axis of resistance, and indicates the unity of the aggressive approach and the broad coordination between the two parties, which goes beyond comprehensive military, intelligence and political support for Israel in the Gaza war, and in confronting the support fronts, and the last days have witnessed multiple talks between senior officials. Israeli security personnel and their American counterparts, in addition to a meeting between Netanyahu and Biden after his speech in the US Congress, to activate cooperation between the two countries and draw a map for the next stage to confront the axis of resistance. [Under international law, resistance against an occupier is legitimate. The occupier (Israel and US in this case) have no right to self defense against resistance because their actions are illegal]
In conclusion, the Popular Mobilization Forces [an Iraqi resistance group] said in its statement today in response to the attack, “Day after day, the forces of evil and arrogance continue to shed blood and violate sovereignty through blatant attacks.” He added, “The brutal aggressive operation that took place against our forces in the north of Babil Governorate calls on us to carry out all our responsibilities.” National, legal and legitimate in defending the sovereignty and dignity of Iraq and unifying efforts to take an immediate decision to withdraw foreign forces from our country.”
Writer: Editorial room
**
الاغتيال في الضاحية.. كسر الخطوط الحمر (alkhanadeq.org.lb)
Thursday, August 1, 2024 02:49
Assassination in the Suburb.. Crossing the Red Lines
The place where the martyr Fouad Shukr was assassinated
Netanyahu is trying to present what happened as a response to Majdal Shams so that the Israeli public does not say that it is an operation to lure him into war, and the pressure on him increases with the failure to end the war on the fronts inside Palestine. [The air strike on Majdal Shams was NOT done by the resistance (Hezbollah). If it had been a retaliatory action for the assassination of a resistance leader, Hezbollah would have admitted it. Retaliation is both punitive and a warning. You can’t warn an enemy against aggression if you deny the retaliation. Hezbollah ALWAYS takes credit for its retaliatory actions for this reason. It is believed that the air strike on Majdal Shams was an accident, ie, caused by stray Israeli air defense missiles. The Israeli officials are notorious liars. BTW, Majdal Shams is stolen Syrian territory and the struck victims were Arabs, ie, Druze, who consider the Israeli occupiers enemies. The Israelis are lying saying they are Israelis! Thus, the Israeli strikes were a kind of false flag event conducted for the purpose of widening the war. And ultimately, all these Israeli strikes are being conducted for the purpose of keeping the scumbag Bibi in power because if he were not at war, he would be prosecuted for crimes. He is wanted for crimes against his own people!] Throughout the war, he relied on procrastination and throwing the ball towards the other court to relieve himself of the burden of bearing responsibility and evading accountability. The Israeli attack on the southern suburb and targeting the leader Hajj Fouad Shukr, Mr. Mohsen, violated international laws and exceeded the rule of proportionality in war, as it crossed the red lines and broke the existing rules in the following lines:
- The leadership level of the targeted figure
- The place of targeting, specifically the suburb
- Targeting civilians
The Hebrew statements indicate that the entity believes that the targeting cornered Hezbollah in terms of response and held it responsible for the escalation rolling into war, considering that the Israeli announced that it does not want escalation and that the strike is over. The Israeli-American calculations do not determine the path of the resistance nor impose any decision on it, and it has the right to determine the time and nature of the response, especially after the recent escalation of the Israeli occupation in the deterrence scale. [What the Israelis are trying to do is like a bully beating up a victim, then walking away and declaring that the fight is over so that the victim and his friends will not retaliate. But we can rest assured that the Resistance WILL retaliate. The Israelis’ problem is that their dirty war has weakened them and they can’t afford to keep fighting for much longer. But now they will be forced to keep fighting because they have provoked the Resistance] The resistance will not accept or allow the equation of the suburbs in exchange for Majdal Shams, which the party had previously denied responsibility for. It may be important to read the contexts surrounding the targeting decision, including the challenges and circumstances in the context of analyzing the scene of moving towards escalation at this level.
Challenges to the entity
- The north: The dilemma of the northern front and the threats of Hezbollah and the safe zone for the party inside Palestine.
- Pressures: A group of American, international and internal pressures (the deal, the day after the war on Gaza, the release of hostages, the return of settlers)
- Deterrence: Cumulative failure on more than one level and in more than one direction, especially with what the Hoopoe messages revealed about the penetration of Israeli intelligence, and with the Jaffa march and the threat to Tel Aviv.
- Stopping the support: The support fronts posed a dilemma and a challenge to the entity, which sought during the ten months to separate the fronts [this ploy didn’t work]
- Improving the lives of the residents of the north [of Israel, which is targeted by the Resistance because the settlements there are illegal and on stolen land]: This is a primary goal for the entity [Israel]. The return of the settlers has posed an obsession and a challenge for the entity, especially with the economic, social, security, moral and psychological consequences of the issue.
Surrounding circumstances and factors
Limited benefit: The entity suffers from limited benefit and limited effectiveness of achievements to date, especially at the level of deterrence.
Reducing pressure: Netanyahu was freed from American pressure with Biden's withdrawal and Harris's position supporting the protection of the entity in the context of electoral points, in contrast to Trump, who is indifferent [But Harris also reminded in her statement following her meeting with Bibi, that the Palestinians are suffering and she vowed not to be quiet about this]. Reducing pressure resulted in room for Netanyahu to move in which he crosses the red lines. Netanyahu believes that relieving or treating internal pressure on him can be done by targeting specific resistance targets. The miscalculation that will appear in the increasing level of pressure, the problem of the north will not be solved, the problem of restoring deterrence will deepen, and other challenges that will remain pending and their danger will increase in the path of the threat. [Bibi is underestimating the Resistance, which is strong and determined. The best informed US pundits are predicting that Israel will lose the fight against the Resistance and will collapse]
No change in the field of restoring deterrence: Throughout the months of war, failure accumulated, and all plans, procedures, and policies did not witness any positive change in terms of restoring deterrence. On the contrary, the time factor and the continuation of the war at this pace and in light of the limited results constituted a factor of threat towards more losses and collapses. The turning point represented by the incident of the attack on the suburb and the assassination of Commander Hajj Shukr will result in more changes in the equation of deterrence.
Tel Aviv's entry into the scope of targeting: Israeli observers considered the day of the Yemeni Jaffa march that struck Tel Aviv to be "Al-Aqsa Flood 2". Hezbollah's equation also determined striking Tel Aviv in exchange for striking Beirut. This threat was increasing day after day with the inability to control deterrence and escalation in parallel with the continuation of the war on Gaza and Hezbollah's adherence to its position of ending the war on the southern Lebanese front when the war on Gaza stops.
Achievement in terms of image: The entity suffers from a complex strategic problem that it cannot get out of, and is trying to address it with tactical solutions of media and moral value. It is trying to come out with media victory images; In it, he resorts to media and propaganda campaigns to promote the entity's narrative and push the Israeli people to believe it, such as the Majdal Shams incident, which rejected the United Nations (UNDOF) investigation into the incident, in order to hide evidence and field proof and to appear as an avenger. In the assassination of Commander Hajj Shukr, the Hebrew media focused on presenting the assassination as if it were a service to the Americans who have been pursuing the martyr for years. [Only the brain-dead “Christian” Zionists will buy into Bibi’s lies and games]
Summary of the scene analysis
Throughout the past period, analysts and politicians have warned of the lack of guarantees that would prevent the war from escalating into a comprehensive war as a result of the ongoing escalation and the gradual levels of exchange of responses. The American claimed that he rejects a large-scale war and that he is pressing to reach a deal in Gaza, but without stopping supporting the entity with weapons, funding and cover in any attack. Today, the degree of risk that Netanyahu and his team have taken reflects the extent, depth and complexity of the strategic dilemma resulting from the offensive initiative that began on October 7. The Israeli, and most likely the American behind him, have fallen into miscalculation and suffer from cognitive and estimation suspicions, as happened in targeting the Iranian consulate in Syria. The degree of internal and external pressure on the occupying entity has increased dramatically over the past ten months, and today the region is witnessing the effects of these pressures and the Israeli response to them. It is clear that Netanyahu has taken a new path in the direction of the war, the ceiling of the confrontation, its form, the scope of its geography and locations, the nature of the targets in it and the type of weapons. This is an indication of the size of the upcoming battle and the seriousness and danger of the stage, given that the war is long and is in stages. It can be said that with this action, Netanyahu will not restore deterrence, will not protect the entity [Israel], and will not change the role of the support fronts. Quite the opposite, the action is in one place and the results are in another.
Hezbollah, at various levels of leadership, warned against crossing the red lines, and set the equation of Tel Aviv versus Beirut, the airport for the airport, and the port for the port; that is, the equation of a proportional and parallel response to any aggression. Hezbollah has the right to respond to the aggression and change the equations, and it has emphasized the inevitability of responding in the event of targeting, and has presented a set of military options in Haifa, the Ramat David base, and others. The war has entered a new level and a new path in the war, and has opened a space to change the weight of the equation and has given impetus to changing the balances, perhaps in new areas such as the Upper and Lower Galilee and the Haifa region. What is certain is the steadfastness of the resistance and the unity of the fate of Lebanon, Gaza, and Palestine. The resistance will benefit from the entity's cumulative crises and from its strategic dilemma resulting from the flaw in assessment, results, and treatment, in choosing the type of response to the aggression and putting pressure on the entity and achieving the goals of the war, even if at the level of gradual escalation in the war and not going to a large-scale war. The axis leadership may see it in its interest to maintain the war objectives and continue the upward path of escalation and continue building cumulative points but at a pace with a qualitative leap in the form of confrontation.
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