larry johnson tells you what he thinks about the syrian scene;

Remember all of the jubilation created in Baghdad by the CIA, who hired a crowd that stormed the center square and tore down the statue of Saddam Hussein? Remember the mobs looting the presidential palaces, banks and commercial outlets? Welcome to Damascus 2024. To quote Yogi Berra, “It is Déjà vu, all over again.”

I admit, I am surprised by how rapidly the Assad regime collapsed. This was not the result, primarily, of military pressure from the terrorist fighters of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Something else was afoot. A deal was cut and Assad was persuaded to abandon his government and head for Russia.

I am sure there are champagne corks a popping at CIA Headquarters in McLean, Virginia and at MI-6 Headquarters in London. I think this operation surpassed even their expectations. But, if the subsequent events that unfolded in Iraq in 2003 and in Libya in 2011 are any guide, the celebrations should be tempered with trepidation. Why? Because Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is now in charge. Instead of bringing peace and reconciliation, HTS will impose strict Sharia law and will punish those guilty of heresy — which means large segments of Syrian society are likely to be purged. HTS itself will become a target of terrorism. The most likely fate for Syria — at least for the next decade — is chaos and mayhem.

Who or what is HTS? According to the US Department of State Annex of Statistical Information, Country Reports on Terrorism 2018:..........more.......

once again the putin fails to get in line and perform as ordered/expected; 

Ukrainian intelligence estimates that Russia could produce 300 of the new Oreshnik missiles annually. That’s probably a deliberate underestimate.

With production likely to be put on a war footing, we estimate that Russia could as many as 1,000 of the missiles annually. That would be enough to vaporize anything NATO would use against Russia and the Western powers wouldn’t have any defence or counter-measures against the Oreshnik missiles, at least not for the foreseeable future.

In other words Russia has a distinct military advantage over the West for the next year or two. So don’t be surprised if Putin takes advantage of this to strike back at NATO during this time frame. Ed.

Vladimir Putin vows to increase production of Russia’s ‘unstoppable’ missile – as NATO and Ukraine to hold talks

Sky News – Nov 23, 2024

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia will ramp up the production of a new, hypersonic ballistic missile.

In a nationally-televised speech, Mr Putin said the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was used in an attack on Ukrainian city Dnipro in retaliation for Ukraine’s use of US and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory.......more.........

 wanna bet what would be said if this was just done in russia;

The true face of Western tyranny has just shown itself in Romanian’s presidential election.

A relatively unknown outsider Călin Georgescu, won 63% of the vote in the opening round. In contrast his main opponent the pro-European reformist Elena Lasconi, of the Save Romania Union party, won only 37% of the vote.

It should have been clear-cut but there was a problem. The independent Georgescu has pledged to end military aid to Ukraine and improve ties with Russia.

To make matters even worse, the media had also branded Călin Georgescu a “vaccine sceptic”.

That may have attracted many Romanian voters but it alarmed the heads of state of many NATO countries. They simply couldn’t allow a critic of NATO and a man who has praised Putin to lead a NATO member state neighbouring Ukraine. There was simply too much at stake.

So now, no doubt after a few hastily convened meetings, Romania’s high court has cancelled the results of the first round of the election, ostensibly on the grounds of alleged Russian interference.

This is how dictatorships work but being a supposed ‘democracy’ Romania has used the rule of law to cancel what could have been a potentially awkward election win...........more.......

 europe died a long time ago and is now deciding what sort of corpse they wish to display;

In the past, progressive elites were not generally threatened by the campaigns of the old center and center-right parties because those groups have long been managed by fake conservatives with no intention of disturbing the deviation of the Overton Window to the radical left.  But of course, times have changed.  Legitimate opposition to the far-left is rising in the form of political parties fighting for secure borders and anti-wokeness initiatives, and the progressives are furious.

They’ve had a taste of near total power, and though they claim to be the patron saints of Democracy they are openly adopting authoritarian ideals in order to keep that power.

In the US the far-left has been pursuing an all out propaganda war and has abused the legal system for years as a means to stop conservatives from returning to government.  The lawfare tactics utilized against Donald Trump were unprecedented, but ultimately failed.  In Europe, though, leftists are finding more success.

In Germany the establishment is attempting to ban the increasingly successful AfD Party on the grounds that they represent a “return to fascism”.  Over 100 legislators backed the resolution, though it is unclear if a vote will be taken.  The AfD is the second most popular party in Germany and has recently put a candidate forward for chancellor in the upcoming February elections.

All other political parties in Germany are variations of the progressive spectrum.  Leftists say that if the AfD gains any significant governmental power they will refuse to work with them, preferring to leave the German government in a state of limbo rather than accept the will of the voters.  It should be noted that Germany’s coalition government is already collapsing and the country is in crisis.

In France, the increasing success of Marine Le Pen and her National Rally Party has been met with extreme derision by the progressive elites.  The establishment under Emmanuel Macron engaged in political chicanery after the National Rally won the first round of the French elections.  The centrists established a coalition with the radical leftists as a way to prevent the right wing from taking power.  The move was technically legal, but considered by many to be an immoral effort to deny conservative French voters a voice.........more.........

 an unseen triumph by the zionists causes one to wonder what is next;

“For they have sown the wind,
and they shall reap the whirlwind.”
-Hosea 8:7

The collapse of the Assad government in Syria is certain to be greeted with considerable satisfaction in Jerusalem and Washington. Both capitals of the Zionist Co-Dominium have long seen the Assads much as they did Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi. All were obstacles to Israel’s designs in the region.

All three were also targets of that nefarious policy of “regime change” highlighted by in the US after 9/11, as were four other countries in the region. Now the last of the three has fallen, albeit much later than the mostly Jewish neoconservative “chicken hawks” (so called because all advocated war but very few ever served in uniform) had anticipated back in 2001.

So What Caused the Collapse?

Internal dynamics within Syria that played their part, to be sure, but I will focus here on the external factors. A major reason was the unrelenting pressure and considerable resources poured into the assorted militias and jihadists trying to overthrow Syria’s regime. Money talks, and it talked very loudly here. So did the frequent Israeli air and artillery strikes into Syria. Shielded by the US, Russian forces in Syria could do little for their ally..........more.........

tucker's interview with lavrov revealed lack of awareness exhibited by russia according to pcr; 

Carlson’s Interview of Lavrov

Paul Craig Roberts

Interviewed by Tucker Carlson Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov showed that he and the Russian government are relying on legalistic arguments and the right of self-determination in the UN Charter.  In view of the world’s tolerance of Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestine, Lavrov’s legalisms are the weakest possible reed.  Lavrov even goes so far as to deny that Russia and NATO are at war.  If US and NATO missile attack on Russia is not war, what is it?

I regard the interview as confirmation of my belief that the Russian government’s response to the threat that the West brings to Russia is unrealistic. The lack of realism has trapped Russia in a long-term war and cost Russia her Syrian ally and most likely her Syrian bases.  The ease with which the West is rolling up Russia, now also threatened with a possible color revolution in Georgia, will undermine confidence in BRICS.  Putin has demonstrated that he is no match for the American neoconservatives.  In the interview with Carlson, Lavrov showed that he had no comprehension that Syria would fall before his diplomacy could get into gear.

With Syria in US/Israeli hands, Iran’s ability to supply Hezbollah in Lebanon is questionable. The Middle Eastern scene has changed dramatically in Israel’s favor from a week ago.  Encouraged by the Fall of Assad, Washington’s warmongers will push forward undeterred by Lavrov’s legalisms and belief in the efficacy of truth........https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2024/12/09/carlsons-interview-of-lavrov/

 pcr asks a very good question that might be applied to the empire as well since many items get past their 'sensitive' eyes;

Does Russia Have an Intelligence Service?

Paul Craig Roberts

I think not.  There is a bureaucracy, an office, and someone with a title, but there is no intelligence. 

Putin did not know that a US trained and equipped Georgian Army was about to invade South Ossetia and went to the Olympics in China.  

Putin didn’t know that the US was about to overthrow the Ukrainian Government and went to the Sochi Olympics.

Putin didn’t know that the West was deceiving him with the Minsk Agreement. This cost him 8 years and left him behind the eight ball and locked into a military conflict now 3 years old, a conflict that has expanded into US/NATO missile attacks into Russia.  And still Russia stands down.  Has Putin not been informed of the attacks?  Lavrov told Carlson that Russia was not at war with the West.

Putin didn’t know that the US was about to overthrow Syria. In his interview with Tucker Carlson Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke as if the renewal of the conflict in Syria allowed plenty of time to find a diplomatic solution. He had no idea that Syria would be overthrown by about the time the interview ended.

Russia had no realization, despite Biden explicitly telling them, that the Nord Stream Pipeline was going to be blown up by the US.

How is it possible that the Russian government never has a clue about imminent events that have adverse consequences for Russia?

Have the fearsome days of the NKVD and KGB convinced Russian liberals like Putin and Lavrov that intelligence services are dangerous and unnecessary in a democracy?........more.......