Russia and Syria
Wendy Siegelman
@WendySiegelman
Putin ally, Yevgeniy Prigozhin indicted by Mueller last week for funding the Internet Research Agency, said to be in touch with Kremlin, Assad before his mercenaries attacked U.S. troops and their allies in Syria this month
Putin ally said to be in touch with Kremlin, Assad before his mercenaries attacked U.S. troops
www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/putin-ally-said-to-be-in-touch-with-kremlin-assad-before-his-mercenaries-attacked-us-troops/2018/02/22/f4ef050c-1781-11e8-8b08-027a6ccb38eb_story.html?utm_term=.3e7d65e23507
Justin HendrixVerified account
@justinhendrix
- This is the most important #TrumpRussia story no one is talking about.
One of the men who attacked the sovereignty of our elections in 2016 at Putin's behest is the same man behind the deadliest US-Russia clash since the Cold War: Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
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In that incident, U.S. troops and their Syrian allies near the town of Deir al Zour were attacked by hundreds of pro-regime troops. The Americans responded with a devastating attack that the U.S. said left about 100 dead. Russian mercenaries were among the dead, says the Post.
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The mercenary firm is linked to Prigozhin, the Russian oligarch who was recently indicted by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III for an alleged role in “information warfare” ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He financed the Internet Research Agency.
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What's worse is that U.S. intelligence reports say Prigozhin was apparently in touch with both the Kremlin and Syrian officials shortly before and after the attack, as The Washington Post reported Thursday.
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TL;DR? Robert Mueller is hot on the trail of highly adversarial, dangerous Russian operatives working closely with the Kremlin to undermine our democracy and attack our troops abroad, putting their lives at risk.
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When the GOP stooges like @DevinNunes and @seanhannity attack Mueller, they are doing more than Donald's bidding: they are working for Vladimir Putin. And ultimately, they are putting American soldiers at risk.
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Of course, whether our troops should even be there in the first place is an entirely different question. But it's important to know who we are up against- and why this investigation matters.
Sarah KendziorVerified account
@sarahkendzior
More Sarah Kendzior Retweeted Justin Hendrix
Thread. Russian official who illicitly helped get Trump into office also worked to endanger lives of US troops. And Trump says nothing.
Instead, Trump has made it easier for Russia to compromise our national security through measures including:
- Giving Russian officials state secrets
- Stopping sanctions on Russia from taking effect
- Obstructing the investigation into Russian election interference
Alec LuhnVerified account
@ASLuhn
Prigozhin is not only "Putin's chef" but also Assad's mercenary-in-chief, according to intercepted communications. The odd part is he claimed that Russia OK'd the disastrous attack i.e. let the Wagner troops charge to certain death
PropOrNot ID Service
*@propornot*
Replying to @ASLuhn
This attack was
- a deniable method to test our resolve, &
- a way to see the extent to which Russian propaganda has compelled the public, & especially key parts of the conservative base, to ignore a direct Russian attack on US soldiers.
And
The Latest: Russia’s amended Syrian UN resolution circulated
apnews.com/3048e9f46f4147b4ac2359a53464a288?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP
[an excerpt]
Russia’s amended U.N. resolution would rule out an immediate 30-day cease-fire in Syria to deliver aid and evacuate the critically ill proposed by Sweden and Kuwait and backed by most of the U.N. Security Council.
Instead, the Russian draft circulated Thursday to the U.N. Security Council demands that all parties “stop hostilities as soon as possible” and “work for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence” and “humanitarian pause” for at least 30 days.
It would also condemn the “relentless shelling” of Damascus from the rebel-held suburbs of eastern Ghouta, and deplore “the ongoing attempts by terrorist groups to retake areas and attack civilians and civilian objects.”
In a provision that appears aimed at U.S.-backed forces fighting against the Islamic State extremist group and al-Qaida affiliate, the Russian draft also stresses that “foreign military forces can operate in Syria only in coordination with official authorities.”
Several council diplomats who examined the Russian draft, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said it was unacceptable.
Nikki Haley
@nikkihaley
Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria. How many more people will die before the The Security Council agrees to take up this vote? Let’s do this tonight. The Syrian people can’t wait.
And
Molly McKew
***@MollyMcKew*
The dance of Russia withdrawing and redeploying forces to Syria continues.
There's a great old Soviet "Winnie Pooh" knockoff about this --
"it's coming in and out, coming in and out - it's a great outcome" /1
Putin Sends His Stealth Jets Into Air War Over Syria
Two of Russia’s T-50s prototype stealth fighters landed at Khmeimim air base this week, potentially intensifying the risk to U.S. and allied warplanes over the war-ravaged country.
www.thedailybeast.com/putin-sends-his-stealth-jets-into-air-war-over-syria
And (from a week ago)
Kenneth RothVerified account
@KenRoth
Russia denies it but social media reveal Russia's use of mercenaries (some of whom are dying) in places like Syria and Ukraine.
Hiding in plain sight: Russia's private mercenaries and the lengths Moscow goes to deny them
'The system is not designed for a large number of troublemakers,' says one analyst
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/syria-civil-war-russia-wagner-private-mercenaries-sdf-reaction-kremlin-a8214811.html
Spencer AckermanVerified account
@attackerman
More Spencer Ackerman Retweeted Kenneth Roth
“Relatives have been told to sign non-disclosure agreements in exchange for receiving compensation, he says: ‘They tell us they aren’t allowed to speak to us otherwise they will lose their money.’”
Garry Kasparov
@Kasparov63
More Garry Kasparov Retweeted Spencer Ackerman
Omerta in Putin's Russia. The dictator wants to gloriously defend Mother Russia from its made up enemies, but cannot admit anyone has been harmed because no one wants these wars.
And then from 4 days ago
Julia Davis
@JuliaDavisNews
Feb 20
Suddenly, #Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs admits mass casualties of Russians in #Syria, which it previously denied (claiming only 5 dead).
twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/965939795544420352
And
Molly McKewVerified account
@MollyMcKew
Here's a US Special Operations Command manual on modern Russian unconventional warfare, and how the style of warfare described by Gerasimov has been applied against Ukraine and other nations.
www.jhuapl.edu/ourwork/nsa/papers/ARIS_LittleGreenMen.pdf
This is another good piece on Russian UW in Ukraine, including information operations:
smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/non-linear-warfare-in-ukraine-the-critical-role-of-information-operations-and-special-opera
This one also useful on UW: "Hybrid Warfare involves state/state-like actor use of all available diplomatic, informational, military, economic means to destabilize an adversary. Whole-of-government by nature... Russia places a particular premium on UW"
info.publicintelligence.net/USASOC-CounterUnconventionalWarfare.pdf
Here's the Estonian foreign intelligence service report for 2018: "Under the Gerasimov doctrine the Russian armed forces wage a constant information war and we can expect information and psychological operations in 2018 against Estonia and NATO in general"
www.valisluureamet.ee/pdf/raport-2018-ENG-web.pdf
Here's a recent UK strategic defense review, which emphasizes Russian use of hybrid tactics and the need to counter them:
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/555607/2015_Strategic_Defence_and_Security_Review.pdf
new US National Defense Strategy, on Russia: "The use of emerging technologies to discredit & subvert democratic processes in Georgia, Crimea, E Ukraine is concern enough; when coupled w/ its expanding & modernizing nuclear arsenal the challenge is clear."
www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf
And
Aki Heikkinen
@akihheikkinen
Follow Follow @akihheikkinen
More
Russian land purchases near Finnish strategic military areas again hit the news.
In Finland we have no corruption, only Boris Rotenberg (who's building Kerch strait bridge to occupied Crimea) and likes cozying up with our politicians and businessmen.
[it's in Finnish]
svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2018/02/22/hangos-stadsdirektor-denis-strandell-ryssarna-maste-skratta-i-sitt-skagg-nar-vi
Molly McKew
@MollyMcKew
More Molly McKew Retweeted Aki Heikkinen
Similar strategies of strategic land purchases happening in other countries as well.