ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Repeating what Russian diplomats said  informally at the start of the week , the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday that “ too many American spies operated in Moscow ” under diplomatic cover and warned it might  expel some of them  to retaliate against Washington’s December 2016 expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats. The warning, delivered by Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova,  reflects the growing frustration in Moscow  over the Trump administration’s refusal to hand back two Russian diplomatic compounds which were seized at the same time as the Russian diplomats were sent home. “The seized objects have not been returned. Washington has not only failed to cancel the decision to expel our employees, but also refuses to issue visas to those who are to replace them,” Zakharova said and  added that at least Washington could have given access to Russian diplomats to the compounds while the issue is stalled. As a reminder, then-president Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 s

Russia had asked the Kurds in Afrin to allow the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) to deploy in Afrin and Tal Rifat to stop the Turkish attack, Bahjat Abdo, Head of Defense Authority in Afrin and a commander of the Kurdish YPG militia said in an interview to the Kurdistan24 TV channel. “Russians say if we allow the Syrian regime forces enter Afrin, they will stop the Turkish attacks,” Abdo said. “We drove the Syrian regime out of Afrin five years ago, and it is impossible to allow them back.” Abdo also criticized Russia’s policy toward Afrin. “Russians say they are supporting us when their forces enter Afrin, but unfortunately when the Russians entered Afrin, the Turkish attacks increased,” he said adding “Russians and Turks want to create more chaos and disturb people’s lives and forcibly displace them.” Kurdish sources claimed that a new meeting between Russian representatives and Kurdish forces was held in Afrin to discuss the issue of the next Turkish Operation in the north of

Written and produced by  SF Team : J.Hawk, Daniel Deiss, Edwin Watson; Voiceover by Oleg Maslov Early July 2017 saw the release of photos showing a single BMPT-72 “Terminator” tank support combat vehicle in service with the Liva al-Quds Palestinian brigade serving with Syrian government forces. So far there have been no indications the vehicle has seen combat use, and it also appears that the vehicle was sent to Syria mainly for combat evaluation rather than in response to any urgent tactical requirement. The BMPT concept represents an answer to the need to provide a high volume of suppressive fire against enemy anti-tank guided weapons and static weapon emplacements such as machine-gun nests. While modern infantry fighting vehicles are usually armed with automatic cannon which can fill that function, their inferior level of protection means they are hard-pressed to truly accompany tanks and are instead forced to provide overwatch fire with anti-tank guided missiles which limi

Jaysh al-Islam issued an official video announcing the approval of Jaysh al-Islam on the initiative launched by the Military Council in Damascus and its countryside. The goal is to solve problems between Jaysh al-Islam and the joint forces of Faylaq al-Rahman and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS; formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda). The initiative will dissolve all armed groups in Eastern Ghouta and unite them into one armed organization under any agreed name. “Despite all the attempts of military escalation against us by the alliance of Faylaq al-Rahman and the Al-Nusra Front, we haven’t been dragged into confrontation with those we see as brothers in religion, arms and revolution like Faylaq al-Rahman, and we have never stood up to any initiative to unite the ranks and heal the rift”. Jaish al-Islam spokesman Hamza Birqdar said in the video. “We declare our agreement, in the leadership of Jaysh al-Islam, to the initiative launched by the Military Council in Damascu

New data released by the Chinese government suggests trade with its restive neighbor, North Korea, has only increased by a modest degree since the beginning of the year,  rebutting criticisms from President Donald Trump and UN ambassador Nikki Haley that the world’s second-largest economy is undermining US efforts to curb trade with the North. China’s national flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium, August 8, 2008. The stadium is also known as the Bird’s Nest. Jerry Lampe/Reuters A Chinese official said Thursday that China’s trade with isolated North Korea  rose more than 10 percent in the January-June period from a year earlier,  according to  Reuters.   The data show a sharp decline in trade in April, May and June after data released by China Customs in April showed a 37.4 percent increase in trade with North Korea in the first quarter of 2017. However, data released a week ago by China’s Ministry of Commerce show t

Pro-Saudi forces have continued attempts to seize the Houthi-controlled town of Sirwah located east of Sanaa. Forces loyal to the Saudi-led coalition have captured al-Makzara, but they have not been able to capture Sirwah. An intense fighting is ongoing. The Saudi-led coalition seeks to the Sirwah area in order to get a foothold for possible advance on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. Click to see the full-size map

The Hezbollah media wing in Syria has announced the return of approximately 1,000 Syrian refugees from the Al-Nour refugee camp located in Jurod Arsal in Lebanon to their homes in Assal al-Ward village in Western Qalamoun in Syria. Fifty Syrian families returned to Assal al-Ward village on June 10. Lebanese Army has provided security to refugees during their way. According to the plan, 500 Syrian refugee families will return from Lebanon to their home in Syria, and the plan is believed to have been coordinated by Hezbollah. This week, Hassan Nasrallah, Leader of Hezbollah, has threatened ISIS and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the area of Grod Arsal. “Those in Jurod Arsal are a threat to all, including the Syrian refugees camps, because they are like ISIS that were in Mosul” and added:”It’s time to end this threat”. He said adding that the last chance to reach a compromise and said that he hoped to “Take advantage of the opportunity of compromises. Otherwise, we will face the f

Marking the first time Sweden country has ever lodged a complaint against a head-of-state, this week five members of parliament (MPs) from the Scandinavian country officially  accused  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of genocide. The MPs’ complaint alleges Erdogan has committed war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity against the Kurdish majority in Turkey’s southeast region since a truce between the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and government forces  fell apart  in 2015. The official complaint was  filed  in the Swedish International Public Prosecution Offices. If that department decides to move forward with an investigation, warrants could be issued for the arrest of Erdogan and several other Turkish officials, such as Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. MP Carl Schlyter  says  he likes the idea of Erdogan potentially having limited freedom of movement in his part of the world and hopes neighboring countries will follow suit: “If [Mr Erdogan] is hinde