Vladimir Putin's New Year Address: Russia Never had Helpers & Never Will

New Year Address to the Nation, by President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, December 31, 2018.

23:55, The Kremlin, Moscow

Source: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59629

Video: unz.com/sayedhasan

Transcript:

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Dear itizens of Russia, dear friends,

A new year, year 2019, is right around the corner. Behind us is the busy month of December, when we rushed to complete all our urgent tasks, finalised our plans for the future, and of course, got ready for New Year celebrations. Filled with excitement and hope, we are now waiting for the New Year to arrive. We see the eyes of our children shining with enthusiasm. We feel the joy of our parents and grandparents, if the entire family is together at this moment. Their hearts are warmed by the tenderness and attention, and they can experience the New Year magic created by the generosity of our spirits. This generosity is essential not only when we celebrate, but also in our daily lives, when we are there to support those who need our help, those who are alone or not well. After all, we must be responsive to the misfortunes of others, and care is always repaid in kindness and gives us the joy of involvement.

Dear friends, 

While our expectations at this very moment may differ, what we all want is for our loved ones to be healthy, our home to be full of harmony, our children to bring us joy, our life to be peaceful, and our dreams, even the most sacred ones, to come true.

Just like in our childhood, on New Year’s Eve we make wishes and expect this night to bring us luck and success. May all this come true. At the same time, we all know for sure that only through our own efforts and by working together can we build a better life for ourselves, our families and our homeland.

We face many pressing tasks in the economy, research, technology, healthcare, education and culture. What matters the most is that we make steady progress in improving the wellbeing and quality of life in Russia, so that all its people, each and every one of us, feel the change for the better as soon as next year.

We will succeed, but only if we are able to work together. We never had any help in these endeavours, and never will. For this reason, we must form a team that is united, strong and acts as a single whole. Let the friendship and good hopes that bring all of us together accompany us moving forward and help us in our work and in achieving our common goals.

Dear friends, 

The New Year is just a few seconds away. Let us wish happiness to those next to us. Let us say the warmest words to all those we treasure, thank our parents, give a tender hug to our children, and open our hearts to each other. After all, when millions of people share these wonderful feelings, the world is filled with love and trust.

From all my heart I wish joy and wellbeing to you, and success and prosperity to our homeland, to our beloved Russia.

Happy New Year 2019!

Anthem of the Russian Federation

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Warning of an IDF General: a War would be a Disaster for Israel

Al-Manar Report (Hezbollah channel), December 27, 2018.

Source : http://program.almanar.com.lb/episode/43243

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

Transcript:

Al-Manar Journalist: By the admission of a Zionist General, the Israeli army is not ready for war, and the Israelis will pay a huge price. 

Report: The testimony comes from their own ranks: the Israeli army is not ready for war, and Israelis will pay a huge price because of dangerous lies about the security situation. Contrary to what was happening before, the response of the spokesman for the soldier's affairs, General Isaac Brek, was scathing and public, following claims of the Army and Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense in the Knesset, who said that the Army was ready for war. Brek attacked violently these claims, as if he wanted to publicly wash his hands, saying that no one could claim that he had not warned (everyone about the dangers of the Israeli adventurism).

Zionist Analyst: Brek says in his (open) letter that Israeli citizens will pay a huge price because of dangerous lies from the military institutions, and no one can say he did not warn the public about this. And he insisted again on the many flaws and gaps in the supply level and ability of the ground forces, who are not ready to face the next war.

Report: And in his position that reveals the truth about Israel's capabilities, Brek confirms that the claims about the army's readiness do not reflect the dangerous reality of the army in the field.

Zionist Analyst: When paying attention to detail, we see many similarities between the assertion of the internal committees of the army and Isaac Brek. The committees talk about problems in the readiness of the army and in the coordination (of the forces), and they know that there is a problem in the human element, evoked by Brek. Brek said many true things.

Report: Faced with this situation, Brek then describes what is happening as a lack of responsibility among senior government officials of the occupant entity.

Zionist Analyst: We should talk about the insufficient capacity of the infantry, which represent a complex challenge requiring a lot of money and stability. And this persistent problem is very important, as these forces have sometimes received the required funding, and sometimes not. And when that does not happen, the fall is very hard. The specific cases in 2014 and 2015 raised by Brek relate to drastic budget cuts that have heavily burdened the infantry forces.

Report: This confession became a heated debate within the Zionist entity, and describes the real situation of the Israeli army, sharply weakened, leading to strong fears and anxiety for any future confrontation.

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Christmas Strikes in Syria: Panic in Israel following the Russian reaction

Report of Al-Manar TV, Hezbollah channel, December 27, 2018.

Source : http://program.almanar.com.lb/episode/43243

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

Transcript:

Al-Manar Journalist: Zionist security sources responded to Moscow's Statement that the latest Israeli strikes in Syria endangered two civilian planes over Lebanon by saying that Moscow has not kept its commitments regarding the Iranian presence there, and Zionists analysts have recognized that freedom of action in Syria is dramatically reduced.

The occupying entity has clearly expressed its discomfort with the Russian position which has denounced the endangerment of two civilian planes over Lebanon during its aggression against Syria on Tuesday evening. This position was expressed to the Associated Press by an anonymous Zionist security source who accused Russia of not having kept the promise to repel Iranian forces at 80 km from the border with the occupied Golan, thereby acknowledging that the Zionists were responsible for the recent strikes against Syria.

Ayhud Ya'ri, Zionist analyst of Arab affairs: This is the first time that Russia described the Israeli attack as a provocation, and this clearly indicates that the Russian Ministry of Defense has lost patience. And Syrian sources claim that the anti-aircraft missiles that were fired against Israeli planes could fall, next time, accidentally or intentionally, on the positions of the Israeli army in Mount Hermon (occupied Syrian territory). 

Rouni Daniel, Zionist analyst of Arab affairs: The Russian position brings us to a critical point, because they absolutely refuse the Israeli freedom of action and want to end it. And I do not think that Israel is able to respond favorably to this request.

Report: The Yediot Aharonot commented the Zionist aggression in Syria by saying that in light of the end of the chaos there, Israel's ability to conduct attacks against Syria without paying a price is over.

Tzveka Yahzkalay, Zionist analyst of Arab affairs: The opportunities for action in Syria are closing inexorably, and it is doubtful that Israel could carry out attacks whenever it wishes, because such windows of action disappear, and the question is this: will Israel manage to prevent the Iranian presence after the US withdrawal? It is difficult to say at 100% that Israel will succeed.

Report: Unlike the usual practice, Zionist analysts acknowledged that the Syrian air defense system is now able to face the Zionist missiles over Syria, and intercepted a number of them during the last attack near Damascus.

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Christmas Strike Against Syria: Israel Hides Behind Civilian Airliners, Preventing Use of S-300

Rossiya 24 Report, December 26, 2018.

Source : https://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=3099794&cid=4441

Video: unz.com/sayedhasan

Transcript:

Journalist: "Prolonging the conflict and supporting the terrorists". This is a statement by the Syrian Foreign Ministry regarding the probable, as the local diplomats and politicians see it, goals of the Israeli missile attack against Syria. Last night, for 1.5 hours, the outskirts of Damascus were under fire from the direction of Lebanese airspace. The air defense system shot most of the targets down but there are still some victims; an ammunition depot was damaged.

"Basically, this is a rude violation of Syrian sovereignty and the terms of a UN Security Council Resolution". This is the reaction by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Duma members from the Committee on Friendship with the Syrian Parliament agree with that, saying that this is an obvious attempt to destabilize the situation and that this is obviously helpful to the militants whom Israel claims to be fighting.

Another important detail from the Russian Defense Ministry: As it turned out, the Israeli strikes took place just when civilian planes were landing in the Beirut and Damascus airports.

We'll ask Vadim Zavodchenkov: What's the point of such tactics? Vadim, greetings. 

Vadim Zavodchenkov: Good evening.

Journalist: Were they using the civilian planes as cover? 

Vadim Zavodchenkov: Well, Alexey, the initiators of the attack surely knew that their actions posed a danger to civilian planes and passengers.

Here's data from FlightRadar24.com about the traffic in the sky above Syria just before the attack on Damascus. One can see that there are both transit airplanes and the planes that took off from the capital in the south of the country.

Of course, the Damascus airport traffic can't be compared to the traffic of Israeli airports or other Middle Eastern countries. Nevertheless, 15 planes in total were to depart and arrive this day, heading to Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. The Syrian flight operators had to urgently reroute a civilian plane to the alternate airfield of Khmeimim because of the American-made aerial bombs which Israel had used before.

GBU-39 is equipped with folding wings and is capable of gliding, which dramatically increases its combat range. Despite the fact that it's considered to be a small diameter precision bomb, the results of its use may turn out to be rather big.

Victor Zabolotsky, honored test pilot: "If air traffic control doesn't warn the pilot that there's something odd in the area near you, for example, a missile attack or something else, then the only thing that's left is to leave the area because no one knows where they will strike, whether it's the airport, a hangar, or some warehouses. Even if they blow up a depot, the fragments may disperse as far as 15 kilometers and so on".

The latest version of the American bomb is capable of eliminating even moving targets. Such a capability is granted by the joint use of GPS, infrared and radar homing. However, even such advanced munitions can't stay undetected by Syrian air defenses.

According to some data, the Syrian government forces could have used the Pantsir S-1 air defense complex. It was used many times earlier, for example, to fight terrorist drones. The Pantsir S-1, operating on the move, is capable of eliminating a target flying at a speed of 1,000 meters per second. It's almost impossible to evade it. The Pantsir is capable of detecting a target up to 80 kilometers away, it can acquire up to 10 targets per minute, and track up to 4 targets at the same time.

However, they had to limit the deployment of air defense systems and electronic countermeasures systems due to the threat to civilian planes. The goal of electronic countermeasures is to interrupt the satellite signal, thus leaving the missiles or aerial bombs without any way to home in on their targets. However, due to radar jamming, civilian planes can also go blind because their course is corrected with the help of GPS.

Alexey Leonkov, military expert of Arsenal Otechestva magazine: "The means of electronic countermeasures work on certain frequencies and can affect civilian planes. They started the attack right when the planes started to land. Those were the civilian planes near Damascus, they attacked the Damascus airport. Officially, there is no war there anymore, so there were no restrictions for landing".

Thanks to the precise, selective implementation of the Syrian air defense systems, 14 out of 16 guided aerial bombs were destroyed. Alexey.

Journalist: Thank you. Vadim Zavodchenkov about the goals and means.

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Vladimir Putin about Trump's declaration: We see no sign of the US leaving Syria

Vladimir Putin's annual press conference, December 20, 2018.

Source: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59455

Video: unz.com/sayedhasan

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Transcript:

[...] Rachel Marsden: President Putin, Rachel Marsden with the Tribune Publishing out of Chicago, United States.

Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the American troops from Syria. He also announced that, in his opinion, the United States defeated ISIS in Syria, he made that very clear.

What is your position with respect to his statements, both on the withdrawal of the American troops from Syria and also with his statement regarding the defeat of ISIS by the United States?

And, secondly, do you have concern that the American troops will remain in some form? There has been much discussion, for example, around the presence, potentially, of contractors in other jurisdictions where the United States is either out of militarily or might want to be out of militarily but in a more discreet way.

Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: As concerns the defeat of ISIS, overall I agree with the President of the United States. I already said that we achieved significant progress in the fight against terrorism in that territory and delivered major strikes on ISIS in Syria.

There is a risk of these and similar groups migrating to neighbouring regions and Afghanistan, to other countries, to their home countries, and they are partly returning.

It is a great danger for all of us, including Russia, the United States, Europe, Asian countries, including Central Asia. We know that, we understand the risk fully. Donald is right about that, and I agree with him.

As concerns the withdrawal of American troops, I do not know what that is. The United States have been present in, say, Afghanistan, for how long? Seventeen years, and every year they talk about withdrawing the troops. But they are still there. This is my second point.

Third. So far, we have not seen any evidence of their withdrawal but I suppose it is possible, the more so because we are progressing towards a political settlement. The current issue on the agenda is building a constitutional committee.

By the way, when we met in Istanbul – I mean Russia, Turkey, France and Germany – we agreed to make every possible effort to create this constitutional committee and Russia, for its part, has done everything in its power for this to happen.

As strange as it may seem, we fully agreed on the list of members with President al-Assad, who designated 50 people and was involved in selecting 50 more from civil society. Despite the fact that he is not happy with everything, he agreed with this.

Turkey, which represents the interests of the opposition, also agreed. Iran agreed. We submitted the list to the UN and, as Minister Lavrov reported to me just yesterday, unexpectedly, prompted by our partners – Germany, France and the United States – UN representatives (Mr de Mistura) decided to wait and see.

I do not understand what is going on there but at any rate, I want to believe that this work is in its final stage. Maybe not by the end of this year but in the beginning of the next the list will be agreed and this will open the next stage of the settlement, which will be political settlement.

Is the presence of American troops required there? I do not think it is. However, let us not forget that their presence, the presence of your troops, is illegitimate as it was not approved by a UN Security Council resolution. The military contingent can only be there under a resolution of the UN Security Council or at the invitation of the legitimate Syrian Government. Russian troops were invited by the Syrian Government. The United States did not get either of these so if they decide to withdraw their troops, it is the right decision.

There is another very important component in this process. Despite all the disagreements, our specialists, our military personnel, security services and foreign ministries have established a rather constructive dialogue to address acute issues in combating terrorism in Syria. Overall, we are satisfied with our cooperation. [...]

Operation "Northern Shield" at the Israeli-Lebanese Border: Why Nasrallah Remains Silent

The operation "Northern Shield" was launched with great fanfare by the Israeli occupier on December 4, allegedly aimed at "exposing and neutralizing the cross-border attack tunnels that Hezbollah dug from Lebanon to Israel". Indeed, the Lebanese Resistance has repeatedly promised to no longer be on a defensive position in case of aggression or war, and carry the fighting inside occupied Palestine, or even to liberate Galilee. Spokesmen of the Israeli government ostensibly congratulated themselves on what they presented as thwarting the plans of the dreaded Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli propaganda and its docile Western media relays presented the operation as a large-scale military offensive that would strike a huge blow to the Party of God, as if the Zionist entity had entered Lebanese territory (or was about to do so), whether on land or underground. A speech by the Hezbollah Secretary General was announced for the same day by the Israeli and Western media, which would have seemed to confirm the importance of the Israeli operation. And given Hezbollah's silence, it was ultimately said that this silence was due to the shock in which the Lebanese Resistance found itself after this surprise operation that would have ruined its most secret plans.

But what is it all really about? First and foremost, it is ridiculous to equate drilling and excavation work taking place inside occupied Palestine, and not encroaching in any way on Lebanese territory, with some kind of offensive, or even a military operation. Heavy construction, earthworks and fortification work on the northern border of Israel have been conducted by the IDF since 2015, with the aim of creating a Maginot-kind line of defense against Hezbollah (to emphasize its anachronistic character, Al-Manar nicknamed it The Wall of Illusion).

If the Israeli and Western media refrained from any mediatization on this subject, it is because these works of engineering did not serve the propaganda of Israel, underlining on the contrary its weakness: the Zionist entity is indeed cornered to a defensive position for the first time in its existence. But Hezbollah itself has clearly boasted about this upheaval, notably by organizing a media tour in April 2017 to expose the Israeli measures to the world. The promise of February 16, 2011, in which Hassan Nasrallah announced to his fighters that they must be ready to receive, one day, the order to liberate Galilee, has indeed been taken very seriously by Israel. Even more so after the war in Syria, where Hezbollah has acquired and demonstrated its offensive capabilities by liberating vast areas of territory from the presence of ISIS, leading battles that, by their nature, extent and deployed personnel and weapons, are no longer guerrilla warfare. Hezbollah's offensive capabilities have never been based on the existence of tunnels, as evidenced already by the cross-border capture of Israeli soldiers in July 2006, and are now more similar to operations launched by conventional armies, as Hassan Nasrallah pointed out in an interview on August 19, 2016:

When Hezbollah intervenes in the war in Syria, and fights as a very large formation, and with very different armaments, or as part of a very large formation with various armaments, and participates in major and very extensive offensive operations, when he manages to repel armed men (ISIS terrorists), who are not normal combatants, especially foreigners, fighters of such a level (of commitment, ready to die), when Hezbollah expels them from very large geographical areas, it means that Hezbollah gains an offensive experience, a vast experience of liberation of territory through continuous and direct military operations, and not through guerrilla warfare. And Hezbollah did not have such experience before the war in Syria.

This is where Israel is frightened and terrified. Because what Hezbollah does in Syria, if a war is launched against it, it will do it in Galilee. [...] If Hezbollah emerged from the (2006) July war as a regional power, it will emerge from this war (in Syria) as a true military power representing a force capable to liberate (huge) territories not only through guerrilla warfare, but even in a war that looks much more like the classic wars (between national armies).

Hezbollah is not Hamas, and believing that their strategies and tactics are the same while their abilities and experiences are immeasurable is both an illusion and a hoax to which, of course, Hassan Nasrallah did not deign reply.

Why was this show-operation launched now? Netanyahu, who is altogether Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Health, is more discredited than ever in Israel, because of the recent military failure against Gaza –after which his Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman resigned, almost taking down his government–, and of his innumerable legal probes, which led the Israeli police to ask, at the beginning of December, his indictment as well as that of his wife in an umpteenth corruption case. The Israeli opposition, from the first days, openly expressed doubts as to the true goals of the Operation "Northern Shield", as did Tzipi Livni, who denounced the overdramatization of this operation:

We are not now in a situation where our soldiers are behind enemy lines. We are talking about engineering activity within the sovereign territory of the state of Israel. Netanyahu is blowing the incident out of proportion. He made a defensive engineering event into a dramatic military operation. This was done for one of two reasons -- either the Prime Minister is himself panicking, or he wants to sow panic to justify his actions both in delaying elections and abandoning the residents of southern Israel [against the rockets of Gaza].

But we must not rely on the Western media to bring to our knowledge this easily accessible data. For them, only the official Israeli propaganda is worthy of credit.

More weak than ever, Netanyahu wants to present himself as a strong man against Hezbollah, but the operation launched against alleged tunnels, a preposterous maneuver to divert the attention of the Israeli press and public opinion, reveals only the powerlessness of Israel against the Party of God. Hezbollah is well aware that Netanyahu will not dare to launch a war of aggression against Lebanon, and that against Hezbollah, Israel has no other recourse than Washington's sanctions and its own appeals to international institutions –these same institutions and laws trampled on by Tel Aviv for decades– to condemn the alleged violations of Israeli sovereignty by Hezbollah –while Israel continues to violate Lebanese airspace daily– and take action against him.

In the face of such childishness –the Israeli army is more likely to find Digletts and other underground Pokemon than operational tunnels of Hezbollah–, Hassan Nasrallah was wary not to provide any fuel to Netanyahu's show: any speech on his part would have added credibility to this hyped pseudo-operation. Hezbollah media and Lebanese civilians took care of responding, widely ridiculing the operation, mocking Israel on social media, and picnicking with family on the border to taunt Israeli soldiers on the war footing.

A clip called "We'll meet up in Haifa", subtitled in Hebrew, was directed by a Lebanese artist, parody of a famous Israeli song celebrating the Balfour Declaration. Hezbollah fighters can be seen reaching Haifa by tunnel, and spying on Netanyahu in his own home.

For its part, Hezbollah's war media published a picture of Israeli troops taken from behind, inside Israeli territory, while they were facing the Lebanese border, thus proving that even when the enemy is on high alert, its territory remains easily accessible.

Moreover, Hezbollah fighters have stolen two FN MAG machine guns under the noses of Israeli soldiers (the Israeli media have widely reported this theft), weapons that will certainly reappear in their hands at the most opportune moment to humiliate the Israeli army and its government.

 

And on December 12, Hezbollah released this video subtitled in Hebrew and recalling the reality of the situation: it is Israel that fears Hezbollah and takes all measures to guard against it, not the other way around.

It is unlikely that the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah will turn into war in the near future. But psychological warfare continues to rage, and the electronic battalions of Hassan Nasrallah demonstrate day after day their superiority.

Sayed Hasan

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Hezbollah Warns Israel: 'If You Dare Attack, You Will Regret it' (VIDEO)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwqjQdeIrj8

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

On the evening of Friday, November 30, Hezbollah's war media broadcasted this video addressed to Israel and subtitled in Hebrew, in response to recent Israeli military exercises simulating an aggression against southern Lebanon, an escalation of violations of Lebanese airspace –from which aggressions against Syria are usually carried out– by Israeli drones, and new threats to assassinate Hezbollah Secretary General. The statement in the video is excerpted from the latest speech by Hassan Nasrallah on November 10, 2018, and the footage shows in particular the precise coordinates of Israeli military bases that would be targeted in case of aggression. Let us remind that Hezbollah's policy is to target exclusively the military, and to hit the colonies and cities of the enemy only in response to the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanese civilians. The civilian/military ratio of the victims of the 2006 war was 1/10 on the Israeli side, and 10/1 on the Lebanese side, a striking proof of the fact that Israel strikes civilians above all, and that Hezbollah favors military targets.

Despite the August 2006 ceasefire, Lebanon and Israel remain in a state of war, and if direct clashes have ceased, information & psychological warfare continue to rage, as are indirect clashes in Syria or even Yemen, where Israeli planes are directly involved in the conflict. At a time when the Gulf countries are openly engaging in the normalization policy of relations with Israel, when yet another futile attempt to strangle Iran economically is at work, and where MBS is touring North Africa to promote Israel's peace agreement with Israel, Hezbollah recalls that its hostility to Israel remains irreducible, demonstrating its solidarity with the Resistance in Gaza that has recently scored a new victory, which foreshadows a real disaster in the event of a confrontation with such a powerful actor as Hezbollah. Hassan Nasrallah has several times announced as imminent the Great War to Liberate Palestine, in which the extended Resistance Axis (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Iraq and Yemen) would participate.

This video made headlines in Israel Friday night and throughout the weekend, and senior military officials of the Zionist entity reacted to it. In accordance with its policy of anti-Nasrallah censorship, Youtube immediately deleted this video broadcast, among others, by Al-Manar (French) and Sputnik (English) for alledgedly “violating Youtube's Terms of Service”, but Israeli media like Ynet were able to broadcast it on the platform without fear of censorship –proof that the content itself has no valid reason to be censored according to the Youtube's Terms of Service. Only sources that are a priori favorable to Hezbollah are tirelessly hunted down by IDF cyber-soldiers and deleted.

Sayed Hasan

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Hamas Unveils Thwarted Israeli Operation in Gaza that Sparked Recent Escalation

Report of the Lebanese channel Al-Mayadeen, November 12, 2018.

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

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Starving Yemenis Reduced to Eat Tree Leaves

Report of the Lebanese channel Al-Manar, November 13, 2018.

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

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See also: From Palestine to Yemen: honour and shame of the Arab world

Hassan Nasrallah: In Yemen's Quagmire, West Only Cares About Rescuing Saudi Arabia

Speech by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah on November 10, 2018, on the occasion of Martyr's day, commemorating the November 11th, 1982 attack on Israeli Barracks in Tyre (South Lebanon), killing 76 officers.

Source: Middle East Observer

Revision & subtitles: unz.com/sayedhasan

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Transcript:

[...] Thirdly, I will speak about an important development in the region, before talking about the internal situation (in Lebanon). From about one month and a half ago, the world became preoccupied with the heinous crime which was perpetrated against the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The whole world was also astonished by the details of the crime: the kidnapping, killing, dismemberment with a saw, and the melting (of the corpse) with acid, and the throwing out of what was melted in the sewerage. The world is right to be astonished, amazed, and to condemn (this crime).

Hassan Nasrallah: We have all the missiles we need, Israeli soldiers desert combat units

Two extracts from August 26 and September 20, 2018.

Speech by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah on August 26, 2018, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Liberation of Lebanon against terrorist groups.

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

Transcript:

[...] I want to tell you, on this first anniversary of the (Second) Liberation (of Lebanon against terrorist groups in August 2017), that in these battles against the Al-Nusra Front on the one hand, and ISIS in the Jurd (Ersal) on the other hand, the number of our fighters was higher than what was required in numbers on both fronts. And I asked the military officials, “Why do you bring so many forces?” I was concerned above all by the preservation of the blood (life and health) of our brothers, and I also cared about the fact that each of them would open fire, and it would have a price in terms of ammunition and money, but my main concern was to preserve the blood of our brothers. They said that they could not prevent the youth (Hezbollah fighters) from coming (voluntarily and massively in Syria). Especially because it was summer and there was no school or university courses, which is why the majority of fighters were (Hezbollah) students in universities and high school, because our practice is not to allow young people under 18 to fight, and there was therefore a significant number of young people among our martyrs.

Hassan Nasrallah threatens Israel: we have enough missiles to redraw the map of the Middle East

Speech by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah on September 20, 2018, on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

Transcript:

[...] Sixth, regarding Israel, we must always stay on alert, my brothers and sisters. The Israelis are angry, the Israelis are worried. They are angry because their project in the region collapsed. The Israelis had high hopes on what was happening in Syria and Iraq. In the past, they had high hopes on what was happening in Lebanon. But all their illusions were scattered to the four winds. The Israelis know that the Resistance Axis will come back (to face them) stronger than ever. The Israelis know that new countries (Iraq, Yemen) are now part of the Resistance Axis, and that (whole) peoples who were outside the sphere of the struggle against the Israeli enemy are now within this sphere, in a strong, active and integrated manner. Israel is angry, Israel is worried, and that is why we must all stay on alert. I am not speaking of assumptions (of aggression) here and there, but I know that no one should allow himself to be reassured concerning this enemy, or even with the analyzes (about it), even if, as I have always confirmed to you, he fears any confrontation in the region, especially against Lebanon. And he knows well that any battle, any war he would launch could have a huge impact on the region. He knows he now has weaknesses that have become exposed (to everyone), and he knows very well our strengths.

Vladimir Putin: ISIS holds American and European hostages in Syria, but the West remains silent

Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary session of the 15th anniversary meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, October 18, 2018.

Source: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/58848

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

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Transcript:

[...] Fyodor Lukyanov: The Valdai conference from three years ago (in 2015), took place exactly two weeks after the military operation began in Syria.

I remember one of our colleagues asked you a question: “Was it actually worth being involved at all? Because of the costs, the casualties, and it is not clear how it will end.” And you said your branded phrase, which was quoted a lot later: “Fifty years ago, I learned one rule in the streets of Leningrad: if the fight is inevitable, be the first to strike.”

Well, we struck, and three years later, the situation in Syria has indeed changed dramatically, but it is still impossible to say that the problem has been resolved. Recent events make both positive and negative impressions. So I would like to repeat the question from three years ago: “Maybe it was not worth the risk, because the casualties have proven serious?”

Vladimir Putin: In case of nuclear war, we will go to paradise as martyrs

Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary session of the 15th anniversary meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, October 18, 2018.

Source: http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/58848

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

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Transcript:

[...] Fyodor Lukyanov: Ok, Vladimir Vladimirovich, then it is agreed that Russia should not be destroyed. But you also made one very harsh statement not long ago.

Vladimir Putin: Pestering me with these statements again.

Fyodor Lukyanov: Well, I'm sorry, it’s my job, they pay me for it.

Vladimir Putin: Will there be just the two of us debating?

Fyodor Lukyanov: One minute please. Everything in its time.

Can you please explain to me? You didn’t say this at Valdai: “Why do we need the world if Russia isn’t in it?” Many interpreted this in their own way, that you meant “after me, the deluge,” you know the expression. Is this what you meant, or, I suspect, you meant something else?

Hassan Nasrallah: ISIS is over, Israel on its own against Iran, Syria & Hezbollah

Speech by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah on September 19, 2018, on the tenth night of the Islamic month of Muharram, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.

Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan

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Transcript: 

[...] Next point, the third point. I think this year is the year of the military liquidation of ISIS in our region, God willing. In Lebanon, we're done. In Iraq, ISIS is finished militarily, but it reappears sporadically in some provinces. In Syria, ISIS remains residually present in the hills of al-Safa, in Al-Suwayda Governorate, and on the Euphrates, East of the Euphrates, and in truth, it is the US policies that have maintained it there. But I think this year, God willing, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq will finish off the ISIS military danger. And of course, this will be a major, very large and very important victory, saving the region from a great historical trial.

Ilyushin Il-20 downed in Syria: Did Putin Bow to Israel?

See below the full transcript of statements by the Russian Ministry of Defense and Vladimir Putin about the incident.

By Sayed Hasan
 
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Following an unprecedented raid of four Israeli fighter jets that deliberately endangered Russian personnel and installations in Syria, an Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft carrying 15 Russian servicemen was accidentally shot down, apparently by Syrian anti-aircraft defenses. The statement of the Russian Defense Ministry, of a rare firmness, clearly identified Israel as the only responsible, reserving "the right to respond accordingly".

However, the subsequent statement by Vladimir Putin seems to diminish the importance of this incident, and even clear Israel of any responsibility, simply speaking of a "series of tragic circumstances". How to reconcile these two statements? And what are the causes and the foreseeable consequences of this event?

Let us recall the context. After seven years of a global hybrid war, Syria is in the process of being completely liberated from the terrorist presence, confined to the Idlib region. This will definitely bury the project of destruction of Syria carried by the United States, Israel and their vassals from Europe and the Gulf. This victory will allow the Syrian forces and its allies of the Resistance Axis to devote themselves fully to the fight against Israel, which they have never lost sight of. A nightmare for Tel-Aviv, who, fighting against fate, strives to push back this inevitable deadline and perpetuate the war in Syria.

Since the liberation of Aleppo and the south, Syria's enemies are desperate to derail any political or military resolution of the conflict. Their aim is, if not to provoke a large-scale conflagration, at least to create the slightest incident-pretext that can justify strikes that will seriously weaken the Syrian Arab Army and the government of Bashar al-Assad. On the eve of this incident, Israel carried out a similar act, hitting an Iranian cargo plane and killing its co-pilot. Such provocations do not reveal a position of strength or even a rational actor, but rather a beleaguered country that does not shrink from the most insane acts bearing the most dangerous consequences (entering into direct confrontation with Iran, then with Russia), as futile as they are, because it is impossible to prevent the final liberation of Syria or even the transfer of arms within the Resistance Axis. France has also participated in the aggression-provocation against Syria, and the Russian radars have recorded missile fire from the Frégate Auvergne against targets that remain unspecified. In vain.

Russia, Syria and their allies will not be distracted from their priority to liberate Idlib, which they prefer to delay rather than allow chemical masquerades or other humanitarian pretexts. They will not respond to provocations indiscriminately and will not be dragged into escalation, knowing the importance of being patient and waiting for the most favorable circumstances to be met, both in Syria and on the international scene -mid-term elections in the United States, which will be held in early November, are an important deadline, after which US strikes would be less likely. The agreement between Russia and Turkey must also weaken the terrorists in Idlib, as Turkey is charged with implementing a demilitarized zone that will drive away hostile forces on the Syrian government and focus them in a smaller area. In the meantime, Syria continues to rebuild, strengthen, and rally more fighters for reconciliation, while preparing for the inevitable final offensive. 2018 will most certainly be the last year of Daesh / Al-Qaeda, and see the liberation of all Syrian territory.

Unlike Israel and the imperialist countries, Putin is not a follower of the rhetoric of bravaches (let us remember that neither France nor Israel took responsibility for their strikes) and cares little for appearances. He prefers to advance his pawns discreetly, even if he seems weak, rather than indulging in epidermal reactions, discovering his intentions or playing the adversary's game. He prefers to take him by surprise, to reassure him falsely before striking him (directly or indirectly), or even to threaten him to better rally him. It is enough to remember his particularly virulent reaction to the incident of the Russian plane shot down by Turkey, which had not been followed up (Turkey apologized and joined, to a certain extent, the Russian-Iranian alliance), or the apparent passivity that followed the coup in Ukraine, before the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation that no one had seen coming -just like the Russian intervention in Syria. It is only when all the pieces are in place that Russia takes action, focusing on the battlefields and not on public relations. It is enough for Putin to be consistent in his foreign policy and loyal to his allies.


The same goes for the allies, who are also aiming for the medium and long term and know that time is in their favor. Have we seen Hezbollah, Iran or Syria respond to the innumerable provocations of Israel by striking inside the Zionist entity? Very few (Hezbollah in January 2015 and Syria in May 2018). But as Israel is well aware, the Resistance Axis, now extended to Iraq and Yemen, is stronger than ever, and still committed to liberate the occupied territories, starting with the Golan, on which he already has his eyes riveted on, actively preparing for the Great War of Liberation of Palestine.

Russia is in Syria to end the terrorist presence and guarantee the stability of the Syrian State, and has no desire to take part in a regional war or cause a third world war. But with regard to this particular incident, Putin clearly emphasized 1/ that he fully endorses the statement of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which was coordinated with him; 2/ that he awaits the results of a thorough investigation before pronouncing his decision definitively; 3/ that there will be a level of reaction that will be immediately visible to all, implying that other measures will not be (immediately) known to the public. No need to imagine Russian anti-aircraft defenses shooting down any Israeli aircraft flying over Syria or Russian installations; but we can be sure that the Syrian defenses, which have already proved their worth, will be greatly strengthened, and that the Syrian and Lebanese skies will become ever more dangerous for Israel.

It is certain that this tragedy will not be forgotten in Russia, and will only strengthen its alliance with the Resistance Axis and distance it from Tel Aviv, both in terms of diplomatic relations and within the Russian public opinion, legitimately outraged by this heinous criminal act -warning Russian forces less than a minute before the strikes is typical Israeli chutzpah. Israel loses nothing to wait, on the contrary, even if its murderous -or rather suicidal- hybris seems once more forgiven.

Sayed Hasan