Strelkov's September 11 Statement Laid Out Openly and Plainly: The Meaning of Novorossiya and the Minsk Protocol

The essential meaning of Igor Strelkov’s statements made on September 11, 2014 in Moscow plain and simple

1.      Strelkov was removed from his position of the Commander in Chief of the Donetsk People’s Republic by Moscow, but that does not mean personally or directly by Putin.

2.      Moscow forced Strelkov to resign at a dangerous moment when “the city of Donetsk and the entire grouping of the DPR armed forces were in an operational encirclement.”

3.      No politically and militarily authority wishing well would do this to the command of an army in such circumstances.

4.      The same forces that removed Strelkov from his post also let Kiev dictate the political demands or conditions contained in the Minsk Ceasefire Protocol of September 5.

5.      The Minsk Protocol was an attempt “to eliminate the People’s Liberation Movement of the Russian people of Novorossiya.”

6.      In fact, Strelkov’s removal from Novorossiya by a fifth column within the Russian government was part of the preparation and necessary condition for the Minsk Protocol—capitulation and surrender of Novorossiya in the guise of “ceasefire.”

7.      The Minsk Protocol was designed to a) reverse nearly all the gains of the offensive of the Army of Novorossiya, b) effect barely concealed capitulation and treason. In Strelkov’s words: “To the punitive army that was on the precipice of total defeat they immediately extended a ‘helping hand’ by arranging a ceasefire and attempting, in the course of the negotiations, to surrender literally all the gains made by those who rose up; placing them at the mercy of the Kiev Junta. It is simply impossible to come up with more disgraceful covenants that those currently being discussed in Minsk.”The Minsk Protocol was disgraceful and treasonous.

8.      The forces that made Strelkov resign and that were also behind the Minsk Protocol are described by Strelkov as follows: “The web of numerous agents that for many years successfully masqueraded in the sheep’s clothing of “patriots” and “statists”, and under this guise infiltrated the highest echelons of power, and even the entourage of the President of Russia … these traitors nevertheless continue brazenly to assert that they are the President’s “friends”, and to portray their frankly subversive activities and sabotage as the only true measures to strengthen Russian sovereignty.” Strelkov calls them “traitors.”

9.      This fifth column is led by oligarchs and by people who are part of the Russian government:  “[T]hey havie a strong presence in the leadership and considerable financial resources …”

10.  Early “Russian military aid … could – almost without bloodshed – lead to the liberation of all the Russian-speaking regions.” But this was sabotaged by the very forces described in #9 and 10.

11.  The heaviest charge against hits fifth column and the identification of their political center of gravity within the Russian government is here: “While the punitive forces were burning people alive in Odessa, bombarding Slavyansk with heavy artillery and urgently forming a combat-capable army, their accomplices, who penetrated the foreign policy leadership of Russia, not only sabotaged any and all military and political assistance to the Militia, but also – in complete understanding with Poroshenko, Turchinov, Akhmetov, Taruta, and other representatives of the Ukrainian oligarchy – worked to split the ranks of the Militia’s leadership; preventing the creation of a unified command, and through joint efforts attempted to lure the President of Russia into the traps laid by them.”

12.  Strelkov says: “Real help from Russia [then] finally reached its addressee. The Militia commenced its offensive.” In other words, aid did come and it came just in time for the offensive that started in later August.

13.  The strategic plan of the US-pursued war on Russia and the role of the fifth column within Russia’s political structures is as follows: “Western countries … [and] Islamist militants controlled by the United States … are preparing to fight Russia for a long time and in earnest. The West and the Fifth Column make virtually no secret of their plans to overthrow President Putin; and subsequently to completely dismantle Russia. Their agents of influence use all means at their disposal to convince the leadership of the country that reconciliation is not only possible, but also singularly necessary. The fact that nothing but Russia’s complete capitulation will appease its enemies is being carefully concealed from the public and, possibly, even from the President.”

14.  The task given to this fifth column, which exercises a good deal of influence over Russian foreign policy is “the betrayal of the Russian people of Novorossiya, followed by the laying of all responsibility therefor on the President himself.”

15.  “The traitors hope eventually to bring the situation to the conclusion of a most shameful and humiliating peace treaty, accompanied by the betrayal of the Russian population of Ukraine … [and then] to bring about a Moscow Maidan … [this] follows the scheme of ‘shameful defeat – economic crisis – discrediting of the authorities – popular uprisings – palace coup’ is once again in action.”

16.  To preserve Novorossiya means to preserve Russia. To defend Novorossiya is to defend Russia: “If we are able to secure a victory there – we will preserve Russia. If we lose – we will accordingly lose the remnants of our Fatherland. In this struggle there can be no compromises, and he who tries to convince otherwise is, consciously or not, grist to the mill of the enemy.”

17.  Vladimir Putin is and has been Strelkov’s Commander-in-Chief.

18.  The purge of the fifth column is the urgent task of the moment. The situation demands it. Russia’s survival depends on it. So does the survival of Novorossiya.  The conflict is not an “internal” Ukrainian conflict.

19.  “We must expose and remove from power those of Novorossiya’s ‘well-wishers’ that have brought us to the brink of military defeat.” 

Michael Green used the word "stunning" in response to the presentation of the core of Strelkov's statement from September 11. The word "stunning" is very precise. Now, when with an understandable delay of few days, the sense of Strelkov's statement dawned upon us and made its way deeper into the mind. For me, it, indeed, happened precisely at the moment when I was waking up today. And I can almost tangibly feel and sense the stunned atmosphere around, which follows such explosions.

So there is silence, here and there some rear-guard attempt to offer a small diversion or distraction or belittle what happened. The fact remains, to paraphrase Goethe, there was a Word, Strelkov's word, and the word has become deed and action, from which a new world might come to be.

Translation used here is by Gleb Bazov, edited by S. Naylor from slavyangrad.org

Kiev's War Crime: Avakov's FB Angry Outburst and the Case of Suddenly Missing 200 Prisoners of War in the Hands of the Kiev Junta

On September 13, sources from the Army of Novorossiya announced the following:

“The prisoners exchange has stalled due to the fact that during a (new) registration of the cellars of the Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) and cages of all sorts of Naz-battalions, a large number of people from the official lists submitted [by the Kiev regime] to the authorities of Novorossiya have not been found. SBU, covering their eyes, reported to the negotiators that ‘these people are no longer in their hands.’ In reality, this means that they are after being captured, these people died from the beatings or were executed. Naz-battalions [which are commanded by Arsen Avakov, Kiev’s minister of interior] have especially distinguished themselves in the killings of prisoners. These Naz-battalions practice widespread torture and extrajudicial executions of prisoners and suspected supporters of the militias [of Novorosssiya]. Now in Kiev they are trying to find a quick way of how to wriggle out of this situation. One ‘option,’ which they are considering, is to declare that the disappeared POWs ‘escaped from captivity.’ The other option under review is to announce that these vanished POWs ‘repented and refused to return.’ It is reported that we are talking here of at least two hundred people.”

Russian original text:

"Обмен пленными застопорился в связи с тем, что при проведении "реестра" подвалов СБУ и "зинданов" всякого рода "нацбатов" не найдено огромное число людей из списков, переданных властями Новороссии. В СБУ, пряча глаза, доложили "переговорщикам", что "этих людей больше нет в их руках". В реальности это означает, что они после попадания в плен умерли от побоев или были расстреляны. Особенно в убийствах пленных отличились "нацбаты", которые массово практикуют пытки и бессудные растрелы пленных и заподозренных в помощи ополченцам. Сейчас в Киеве срочно решают, как вывернуться из этой ситуации. По одному «варианту» предлагается объявить "ненайденных" "сбежавшими из плена". По другом предлагается объявить их "раскаявшимися и отказавшимися возвращаться". Говорят, что речь идёт, как минимум, о двух сотнях человек."

This horrific news was later in the day also reported by Anna News in their daily report (at 0:50 of the video):

“In Ukrainian captivity, at least two hundred PWOs were disappeared without a trace. This means that the disappeared PWOs may no longer be alive. Furthermore, all the captured soldiers [who were exchanged] have been found in terrible conditions. They were not fed for weeks. They don’t know where they were kept for they were held blindfolded.”

"В украинском плену пропало без вести минимум двести человек. Это значит, что пропавших, возможно, уже нет в живых. Помимо этого, пленные ополченцы были все в ужасном состоянии. Их не кормили неделями. Они не знают, где их держали, так как были с мешками на голове."

Ominously, less than 24 hours before this horrifying news made its way to the public, Arsen Avakov who is in charge of the aforementioned National Guard battalions (he spent the day with the Azov battalion in Mariuopol, the same battalion that is not even hiding its Nazi character by displaying Nazi Wolfsangel in its coat of arms) made this posting on his personal Facebook page:

“We have twice caught and imprisoned villain Topaz (nome de guerre). First time the Kharkov court released him under house arrest, from which he escaped and took part in the burning of the Kharkov Regional State Administration, the seizure of the SBU Lugansk headquarters, he then fought in the gang of Girkin (Strelkov). Then we caught him again and was returned to prison. And today, the court, at the request of the Prosecutor's Office (!!!) released Topaz ‘in consideration of his personal circumstances.’

I understand many things, but everything has its limit, and the decisions made ​in this way are destroying peace and trust in stability in Kharkov and in the country. This is folly, blunder, and, if you excuse me, just a screw-up.

And do not justify, you, the makers of this, with the need to exchange our prisoners! I do not see this scoundrel being exchanged for pilot Savchenko by Russia. What I see is tearing up of common sense in Kharkov, assistance to the traitors, and betrayal of Kharkov Euromaidan.

Interior Minister of the Ukrainian government from Kharkov, I do not understand and do not accept such decisions. I do not understand how such decisions can be made.
I think this decision is criminal, unacceptable and it shortchanges Ukraine!”

Original text in Russian:

“Мы дважды ловили и сажали в тюрьму негодяя Топаза. После первого раза харьковский суд освободил его под домашний арест, с которого он сбежал и учавствовал в поджоге Харьковской ОГА, захвате луганского СБУ.. воевал в банде Гиркина.. Мы его поймали еще раз. Вернули в тюрьму. И сегодня суд, по ходатайству прокуратуры(!!) освободил Топаза " под личные обязательства"..
Я все понимаю,но всему есть грань.. решения принятые таким образом уничтожают мир и веру в стабильность в Харькове, да и в стране. Глупость, ошибка, просто простите бл*дство..И не прикрывайтесь, авторы этого, необходимостью обмена на наших пленных. Я не вижу возвращенной в обмен на этого негодяя летчицы Савченко из России. И вижу взорванный здравый смысл в Харькове, подыгрыш гепам и допам, предательство харьковского Евромайдана..Я, министр украинского правительства, харьковчанин - не понимаю и не принимаю ТАКОГО решения. Не понимаю механизма его принятия.Считаю такое решение преступным и недопустимым разменом Украины в розницу!

You might also have noticed that one of the replies to Avakov's postings says: "Give me a machine gun, the address of the court and the name of the judges!" This response received over 260 likes.

So what we have here is the case of 200 PWOs whose existence was officially confirmed by Kiev and who are suddenly gone, and literally less than a day before this happening, we have a public statement by Avakov himself who is venting his anger that such prisoners ought to be released live ever again.

In the face of these very strong indications of a committed war crime and a public avowal of motive and attitude toward these POWs in the form of an angry outburst of Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, we have here compelling reasons for demanding an immediate investigation for a possible war crime committed by the Kiev junta right in front of the eyes of the international community. Here it would be advisable for Russia and Novorossiya to start this investigation immediately. OSCE can be and should be invited, but the investigation and unveiling of the crime should not be made dependent on OSCE willingness and ability to help.

In this connection let's recall another Avakov's recent public confession from a week ago or so. In an interview with local TV channel, Avakov said that, if I knew how events will unfold in the South-East of Ukraine, he would have blown up the building of the Donetsk administration along with the supporters of federalization inside. "It would be a sad, bloody page. There would be 50 people have died, for example, the terrorists who seized the building. The building would have collapsed. But thousands of its inhabitants in the Donbass and would be safe," said Avakov in an interview to a Ukrainian national TV.

Štefan Füle: How Does One Get from MGIMO to Spawning "Beautiful" Lies for Banderite, Nazi Oligarchs in Kiev and Saying It Is All for Dignity's Sake?

Štefan Füle, originally from Karlovy Vary, just 11 km from my native town, my former MGIMO classmate and colleague from the Czechoslovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs and now European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, delivered a dinner talk on the "Meaning of Maidan" to European "distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen" on "the Meaning of Maidan" Brussels, 11 September 2014.

The speech was specifically advertised and praised by US Ambassador Geofrrey Pyatt in his twitter:

Štefan Füle tried to lie as beautifully as he could. So here is the highlight:

"If you ask me what Maidan means, I would say it was first of all about dignity. Lack of accountability and accumulation of wealth in the hands of few at the expense of the prosperity of the whole country made people to show massive support for reform and modernisation. They demonstrated for a better future for their own country, a future free of corruption and where rule of law and human rights are respected. For many, this corresponded with a future based on European values, which as Europeans themselves, they share. ...  I also strongly encourage the Ukrainian authorities not to lose contact with the people of Eastern Ukraine ... In some cases friends and families are split because they feel under pressure to choose between two sides in the conflict. They need your understanding of their suffering and reassurance that there is no need to make such a choice.  ... Maidan has created a chance for a better life. ... We in the European Union do not run revolutions. ... I am sure the values Maidan has fought for will prevail and Maidan itself will be remembered as one of Europe's defining moments."

Amen and good riddance.

In addition to "dignity," Füle also glorifies himself, the EU, and Banderite hatred for the Russians with "integrity." In fact, he sees himself, the EU, and Ukraine thieving oligarchs united with the Right Sector, the Svoboda/Social National Party, and Azov Battalion Nazis as defenders of sovereignty, dignity, human rights, a better life and integrity:

"Let me also want to use this opportunity to send a strong message of support to the people in Eastern Ukraine who have suffered so much during the conflict. No matter where you are, be it in Kharkiv, Mariupol, or Donestsk, our thoughts are with you and all those defending the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine."

Almost every single sentence cries of such heavy hypocrisy and inversion of reality and values that to evoke and claim "dignity" and "integrity," as does Füle here for Maidan, its sponsors and himself, means to have no integrity or dignity left. And Füle does all this not only on behalf of the European Union and its undemocratic bureaucrats, but also on behalf of the Czech nation, which, in my view, is even significantly worse.

VS

The Minsk Protocol as Brilliant Short-Term Sabotage and Achievement of the Impossible

1.     .     What were originally just few paragraphs inspired 8-10 pages of Saker’s piece on “facts and opinions.” I will just try to see what new key points or arguments that rebuttal or apology for the Minsk dead offers.
   
   
   2.      Saker: the Minsk Protocol sabotaged by Russian diplomacy meant to “to create enough friction inside NATO and the EU to prevent what was supposed to be a "historical summit" come up with anything useful.”
   
   
   3.      Did the Protocol do that? Did the might alliance ‘s ability to “come up with anything useful” because of how supposedly Russian diplomacy worded the Protocol? Simple answer with no evidence to the contrary is No.
   
   
   4.      But Saker thinks otherwise:”As far as that goal is concerned, I would say that it has been fully achieved. All that this so-called "historical summit" produced was hot air.” Do we know that? And all that because of the “sabotaged” Minsk Protocol? 
   
   
   5.      Saker: the Minsk Protocol is “something useless and impossible to implement.” Why did Putin and Poroshenko in their telephone conversations agreed on the need of implementing the supposedly “impossible to implement”? Lavrov, moreover, clearly said: “Russia is AGAINST ALL that may hinder the implementation of the Minsk accords.  … We hope the ceasefire regime will be consolidated in the coming days.” http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/748713 Do then both Putin and Lavrov insist on implementing the impossible and the useless? One can also try to explain away the signature of the Russian Ambassador on the Minsk Protocol and the text of the Protocol as sabotage or trick, but international obligations do matter and to declare one’s text and signature as a trick or sabotage just few days after one forces the leadership of Novorossiya to commit themselves to it does not help. To say the least. It does help even the argument.
   
   
   6.      Saker: “The plan was designed to prevent changes on the ground. That worked.” Empirically, this is wrong. Just review the situation on the ground and its changes as they transpired since Friday 5. I recommend militarymaps.info and reviews of the battle maps for those days by Vadim Petrov at https://www.youtube.com/user/MrVadimpetrov/videos
   
   
   7.      Saker: “The plan was designed to rapidly collapse on its own. That worked.” No evidence of this. There is no evidence of the “rapid collapse” of the Protocol—not so much with respect to ceasefire--fighting has deescalated, but not ceased, but mainly with respect to the actually politically most serious demands of the Protocol such as keeping Novorossiya merely at a level of some regions inside Nazi and oligarchic Ukraine, etc. On these political demands prejudicial to Novorossiya see, for example, Mikhail Belyayev, “The Twelve Clauses of Betrayal,” at slavyangrad.org. One of these provisions stipulates that the Kiev regime will be making a “Law on the special status” of the regions within Ukraine currently under the people’s republics.
   
   
   8.      Saker: “What does the JRF have inside Mariupol?  The same source provides the following figures: 3200 soldiers, 50 tanks, 150 armored vehicles, 120 mortars, 140 artillery guns, 70 MLRS.”
   
   
   What is missing here is the fact that, before the ceasefire and the Minsk Protocol, the junta had only about one third of this manpower with hardly any heavy weapons. The beefing up of this force took place after the ceasefire.  
   
   
   9.      Saker: “Agreement are worse than one would have happened if the NAF had pushed further or attempted to take Mariupol, which I think they were about to do, and successfully so, but at the cost of creating a cauldron for themselves in fact cutting off the best and most capable part of the NAF from the rest of the NAF forces in Novorussia at a time when the Ukies were threatening from at least three directions (Schastie, Debaltsevo, Volnovakha).” Fact: before the ceasefire, it was the Ukrainian army that had a portion of its troop encircled in the so-called Elenovka pot, which, thanks to the ceasefire, was transformed from a cauldron to a salient now threatening the army of Novorossiya with having its Mariupol group cut off and encircled. At that point, Novorossiya even controlled the highway going through Volnovakha and the town too. Not anymore.
   
   
   10.  Saker: “Now let me ask you this: let's suppose just for a second that I am correct and that the NAF forces in and around Mariupol would be "cauldroned-off" by a JRF counter-offensive along the Mariupol-Novoazovsk highway or an attack from Telmanovo towards Novoazovsk.” Fact: Right upon concluding the ceasefire, the Ukrainian troops went and occupied Telmanovo. A portion of their convoy had to be destroyed to push them out again. But Telmanovo and the highway there too are now vulnerable.
   
   
   11.  Saker: “Mariupol is not fully surrounded anyway and the Ukies are reinforcing their garrison there through corridors on the northeast of the city.” Fact: this is the situation now, after the ceasefire. Before the Minsk ceasefire was introduced, the army of Novorosiya did take Mariupol into a ring from the east, the north, and the west.  Once the ceasefire came into force, the army of Novorossiya lost or ceded the territory west and north of Mariupol, thus, without fight, creating for itself a precarious new situation.

The Brave New World of the Minsk "Ceasefire" Protocol

The sum result of the essentially unilateral "ceasefire" in Novorossiya is that the "ceasefire" is turning into a stealthy and not-so-stealthy comeback and advance of the junta back unto portions of the territory that was controlled by the army of Novorossiya.

The loss that is taking place, especially over the last three days, is rather significant--the whole portion of the territories west and north of Mariupol has been reoccupied by the junta and ceded by Zakharchenko's command. The junta also started moving deeper into northern part of the front between Debaltzevo and Lugansk. At the same time, shelling of the cities of Novorossiya continues and it also includes white phosphorus shells.

On the face of it, it looks that Putin-initiated "peace plan" has been a deal on returning a significant portion of Novorossiya's territories, signing away Novorossiya's sovereignty (see the provisions of the Minsk Protocol, which say exactly that), and putting the army of Novorossiya on ice or in a sleeping mode. At the same time, there is no evidence of any notable gain by Novorossiya in return.

There might be some unknown or intangible benefit, but the other very significant tangible harm of this deal and situation is the demobilization and politically adverse affect which this state of affairs and leadership is causing. Zakharchenko's authority and charisma is in the abyss, and Russian foreign policy looks as poorly as it did when Russia voted for sanctions against Yugoslavia or for the bombing flight zone in Libya and when Russia continued supplying gas to the anti-Russian Nazi junta in Kiev for more than three months for free.

As I reported elsewhere, Zakharchenko went out into Donetsk today and he gave there an interview, in which he happened to disclose that ceding Mariupol was demanded by the junta before they made him together with Moscow sign the Minsk Ceasefire Protocol as "a guarantee" ... presumably as a down-payment on the withdrawal and accepting the Protocol's provisions which say that "regions [no Novorossiya] of Donetsk and Lugansk" will have merely some "special status" within the Banderire junta-controlled Ukraine and that the Nazi junta in Kiev will at some point make some "law" for these regions. The Protocol also requires new "local elections"--apparently under the sovereignty and hence control of the same junta.

It does almost look that someone, and someone very high, in Moscow made a decision that Novorossiya means revolution and that revolution is what Moscow cannot afford. Or seven millions of Russians who voted on their referendum just as the people in Crimea did--but without any Russian bases in Donbass or "polite men"--and who don't want to see their fields being used for launching pads of NATO missiles aimed at Moscow and who don't want to live under rule of pro-Nazi oligarchs.

It is incomprehensible that the victory of the Novorossiya Armed Forces offensive would be used as a bargaining chip to be given away or undone through inter-oligarchic tete-a-tete behind closed doors.

ISIS and the Making of Its Head at Camp Bucca in Iraq

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS (IS) spent some five years in U.S. military detention in Iraq at Camp Bucca (2004/2005-2009).

Although, there are reports suggesting that he might have spent only 10 months at this camp in 2004. If so then he had to be kept at some other undisclosed locations till his release from US custody in 2009.

Former inmates of Camp Bucca said this US military center was an “Al Qaeda school."

An al Jazeera article based on interviews with inmates of Camp Bucca offers this testimony on the conditions under which the current leader of ISIS was held there:

Extremists held in a US-run detention centre in Iraq were allowed to teach fellow detainees how to use explosives and become suicide bombers, a former inmate has told Al Jazeera. Adel Jasim Mohammed, a former detainee of Camp Bucca near Umm Qasr, said that US officials did nothing to stop radicals from indoctrinating young detainees at the camp. "Extremists had freedom to educate the young detainees. I saw them giving courses using classroom boards on how to use explosives, weapons and how to become suicide bombers," Mohammed said. "For the Americans we felt it was normal. They did not stop them [the radicals]." ... "In 2005, an extremist was sent to our camp. At first, Sunnis and Shias rejected his teachings. But we were told that he was imposed by the prison authority," he said. "He stayed for a week and recruited 25 of the 34 detainees - they became extremists like him." 

On the Eve of Obama's Speech on Syria: Rescuing "Pragmatic" Alliance with al Qaeda in Syria

World War IV propagandist outlet Business Insider (nice name, isn't it?) inadvertently revealed thereason behind the timing of the "ISIS campaign" and the real motive for Obama's speech and policy to be announced tomorrow on Syria.

It is all about saving the invasion army built around two main branches of al Qaeda, al Nusra and ISIS, the task of which was to spread chaos, overthrow a government, and destroy a country.

ISIS and al Qaeda-associated forces, whom the US (and Business Insider) continues to call falsely "secular and moderate" (as still in this very article) are "on the brink of their biggest defeat yet" in Syria. They are being to be defeated in Aleppo, Syria's city second in importance after Damascus.

A report by the Empire's International Crisis Group  on September 8 warns that if the US-built invasion, mercenary army's on the city is close to being broken and that, as a result, "the U.S. and its allies would lose their most valuable partners on the battlefield, a fighting force with local credibility and years of experience fighting both ISIS and Assad." The "fighting both ISIS and Assad" is, needless to say, a shameless lie. ISIS and al Nusra have been the leading forces of the US-driven regime change.

Nevertheless, Business Insider also inadvertently reveals that this jihadist army dominated by al Nusra and ISIS (both al Qaeda progeny) is and has been fed, supplied, and supported from Turkey, a key NATO state and US ally: "The Assad regime is on the verge of severing the last rebel supply line linking it to Turkey." 

According to Business Insider, "the very survival" of the US-ordered regime change by al Qaeda proxies or "the Syrian revolution, depends largely on its ability to hold Aleppo."

The article also reveals that the failure of last year's false flag chemical attack "effectively destroyed any chance of game-changing U.S. support against Assad, a development that the Crisis Group says fractured the rebel coalition and forced certain factions into a pragmatic alliance with al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al Nusra." Pragmatic alliance with pragmatic al Qaeda responsible for 9/11 under US aegis?

"What's at stake in Aleppo is not regime victory, but opposition defeat," the report states.

In other words, the US under Obama is scrambling for saving al Qaeda-led invasion force from the jaws of its defeat in the name of fighting one of its monsters, which its war against Iraq had nurtured there before its expansion into Syria as part of the merger between the War on Terror and the War of Terror.