Submitted by Brad Hoff via The Libertarian Institute,
A newly declassified CIA document explored multiple scenarios of Syrian regime collapse at a time when Hafez al-Assad’s government was embroiled in a covert “dirty war” with Israel and the West, and in the midst of a diplomatic crisis which marked an unprecedented level of isolation for Syria.
Russia has vowed to veto a draft U.N. resolution calling for sanctions against Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians. The UN Security Council resolution was drafted by the US, Britain and France. Following a closed-door council session, Russian Deputy U.N. Envoy Vladimir Safronkov told reporters: “I just explained our position very clearly to our partners.
Submitted by Saxo Group's Jack Davies, via TradingFloor.com,
President Donald Trump has ordered the CIA to halt all support for ISIS militants in Syria, in a show of solidarity to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The White House told the Central Intelligence Agency to halt arming groups associated with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) – a rebel group opposed to Assad that has strong ties with ISIL. Intelnews.org reports: For several years, the CIA has provided training and other forms of assistance to rebel groups in Syria, such as the New Syrian Force, which operate under the umbrella of the FSA.
Senator John McCain secretly visited Syria last weekend to meet with American military officials and discuss the campaign against ISIS. On Wednesday a spokeswoman for the Republican Senator confirmed that McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, made a visit to the Syrian town of Kobani. She said: “Senator McCain traveled to northern Syria last week to visit U.S. forces deployed there and to discuss the counter-ISIS campaign and ongoing operations to retake Raqqa” His trip comes as the Trump administration debates plans for an increased military campaign against ISIS.