ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Written by  Prof Michel Chossudovsky ; Originally appeared at  Global Research In his 2018 State of the Union Address, president Trump expresses concern regarding both the opioid crisis as well as the dramatic increase in heroin addiction in America, without analyzing the underlying causes. Trump State of Union Address:  …”In 2016, we lost 64,000 Americans to drug overdoses:   174 deaths per day.  Seven per hour.  We must get much  tougher on drug dealers and pushers  if we are going to succeed in stopping this scourge. My Administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need.   The struggle will be long and difficult — but, as Americans always do, we will prevail.”  ( Trump State of the Union , emphasis added) Trump brings to the forefront the  story of the Holets family of New Mexico: “Ryan Holets is 27 years old, and an officer with the Albuquerque Police Department.  He is here tonight with his wife Rebecca.   Last ye

On February 7, Houthi fighters conducted a series of hit and run attacks at several positions of the Saudi-led collation in the Yemeni western coast, according to the Houthis media wing. The Houthis killed and injured several Yemeni fighters loyal to Saudi-backed President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Moreover, at least three armored vehicles of the UAE Army were destroyed by the Houthis with rocket-propelled grenades. The Yemeni al-Masirah TV also reported that Houthi fighters had repelled an attack by pro-Hadi forces in the western part of Taiz province. The Houthis destroyed three tanks of pro-Hadi forces while they were repelling the attack, according to the source. From its side, pro-Hadi forces announced that its fighters repelled several attacks of the Houthis in the western part of Taiz on February 7. According to the UAE-based al-Arabiya TV, pro-Hadi fighters killed 12 Houthi fighters and injured 13 others. Since the beginning of 2018, the Saudi-led coalition military operation

On February 7, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in an official statement that the US-led coalition conducted several strikes against units of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in Deir Ezzor governorate. CENTCOM claimed that the SAA was conducting “an unprovoked attack against well-established Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF] headquarters.” “The Coalition remains committed to focusing on the defeat-Daesh [ISIS] mission in the Middle Euphrates River Valley and asserts its non-negotiable right to act in self-defense.” CENTCOM said in its official statement. Illustrative image Local sources reported that the US-led coalition strikes targeted several positions of the SAA around the town of Khasham on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside. Clashes between the SAA and the US-backed SDF are still ongoing around the town, according to the sources. Earlier, Syrian opposition activists reported that the SAA is massing its forces in Khasham and