this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2024
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Image is of Assad's presidential palace in 2013. There's more images of it in this article, though the words in it aren't worth reading.


Here is Assad's version of events. I like to imagine he's making one of those Youtuber apology videos where they sigh at the start and talk in a chastised yet somewhat defensive tone of voice.

As terrorism spread across Syria and ultimately reached Damascus on the evening of Saturday 7th December 2024, questions arose about the president's fate and whereabouts. This occurred amidst a flood of misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth, aimed at recasting international terrorism as a liberation revolution for Syria.

At such a critical juncture in the nation’s history, where truth must take precedence, it is essential to address these distortions. Unfortunately, the prevailing circumstances at the time, including a total communication blackout for security reasons, delayed the release of this statement. This does not replace a detailed account of the events that unfolded, which will be provided when the opportunity allows.

First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday 8th December 2024. As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in co-ordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations. Upon arrival at the Hmeimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen. As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes.

With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December. This took place a day after the fall of Damascus following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.

At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.

I reaffirm that the person who, from the very first day of the war, refused to barter the salvation of his nation for personal gain, or to compromise his people in exchange for numerous offers and enticements is the same person who stood alongside the officers and soldiers of the army on the front lines, just metres from terrorists in the most dangerous and intense battlefields. He is the same person who, during the darkest years of the war, did not leave but remained with his family alongside his people, confronting terrorism under bombardment and the recurring threats of terrorist incursions into the capital over 14 years of war. Furthermore, the person who has never abandoned the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon, nor betrayed his allies who stood by him, cannot possibly be the same person who would forsake his own people or betray the army and nation to which he belongs.

I have never sought positions for personal gain but have always considered myself as a custodian of a national project, supported by the faith of the Syrian people, who believed in its vision. I have carried an unwavering conviction in their will and ability to protect the state, defend its institutions, and uphold their choices to the very last moment.

When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose, rendering its occupation meaningless. This does not, in any way, diminish my profound sense of belonging to Syria and her people – a bond that remains unshaken by any position or circumstance. It is a belonging filled with hope that Syria will once again be free and independent.


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Israel-Palestine Conflict

If you have evidence of Israeli crimes and atrocities that you wish to preserve, there is a thread here in which to do so.

Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:

UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.

English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.

English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Sources:

Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.

Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.

Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:

Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.

https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.

Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:

Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.


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[–] [email protected] 49 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

In vacation country Portugal news, the incompetent government decides to appeal to security racism whenever it is caught not fixing anything. This time, they decided to direct the police to do stop people in the middle of their mostly immigrant neighborhood in the middle of the capital to humiliate and search them, so they can "appease the feeling of insecurity" that the far right, the pigs, and themselves have been trying to create - neither of these would be close to being able to find a majority finding them competent, by the way.

And they present as a great result apprehending some minor drugs, small amount of money (4600€), and a knife. And some white Portuguese guy who was probably selling the drugs. Those immigrants surely are leading to increased feelings of insecurity, by way of opportunistic . Other than some of the cops, they're not even close to fascist, just eurocuck buffoons pretending to play politics incapable of thinking about the consequences.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 days ago

And they present as a great result apprehending some minor drugs, small amount of money (4600€), and a knife.

it would take Rio police 400 officers assaulting 5 different favelas to apprehend this much. i salute to the motherland

[–] [email protected] 40 points 3 days ago (6 children)

If capturing Kurakhove takes months it will take a forever to defeat Ukraine in a city like Kherson or Sloviansk. At some point Russia will need to do decapitation strikes on Ukrainian leadership. Either that or lose another 1/2 million people on both sides. Seems like Putin's low and slow grind strategy worked well for the first few years of the war but eventually Nato is going to re-organize and meet the challenge. If Nato ends up defeating Russia I'm moving to Mars with elon.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 days ago

Killing leaders isn't a useful strategy, it's big man theory for war

[–] [email protected] 39 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Ukrainian leadership is not calling the shots. They're basically figureheads and the real people controlling the strings are across the ocean.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 days ago (1 children)

International war is not won by killing the leadership.

As much as it lets you pat yourself on the back - the leaders are relatively arbitrary and there would be thousands of people ready to step in and fill the spot if need be.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 days ago (2 children)

You say that but didn't the killing of solemani end up influencing Iran's lack of support to Syria as it collapsed?

Or was that analysis I saw on the last mega incorrect

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If you're referencing what just happened in Syria, Iranian media has reported that Iran warned Assad months ago that HTS was training for a big push and Assad brushed it off, then when HTS made the move Iran offered support and Assad didn't really want it. Iran's position was why fight for Assad's government if Assad and his own military aren't going to? I'm not sure how much Soleimani could have done to fight for Syria in this situation if he were still around.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The fuck?

What do you mean he didn't want it

What a fucking moron!

and so many people here stanned him

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago

I don't think there's a solemani equivalent in ukraine

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago

This is genius ww1 strats, kill the proles, maintain enemy logistics, the war will never end

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 days ago

Ukraine is going to collapse, so not every city will be like kurakhove. I can tell you that the industry in europe is withering like corn without summer rain

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago

Taking months is how they avoid losing so many soldiers on their side, modern war is all about attrition

[–] [email protected] 77 points 3 days ago

A little news from occupied Palestine.

Palestinian al-Qassam Brigades forces stabbed to death four Zionist occupation troops (including an officer) in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp, seizing their assault weapons. Yesterday, the resistance also killed another five occupation troops in central Jabaliya: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/19/739372/Qassam-Brigades-claims-to-have-killed-4-Israeli-troops-in-northern-Gaza-stabbing-attack

The fascist Tel Aviv regime’s warplanes attacked Yemen’s As-Salif port and Ras Isa oil facility in Hodeidah province; and two power plants in Sana’a. The attacks killed nine civilians. In response, the Yemeni Armed Forces struck Tel Aviv with two Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missiles and a drone: https://sputnikglobe.com/20241219/houthi-missile-lands-direct-hit-in-tel-aviv-amid-tit-for-tat-attacks---photos-1121216865.html

https://tass.com/world/1890607

https://tass.com/world/1889703

[–] [email protected] 92 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

NYPD decided to do a perp walk photo op with Luigi:

This seems to have pretty much backfired on social media, for obvious reasons (this picture objectively goes hard). Lots of people comparing him to pics of Superman in handcuffs or saying they are treating him like a supervillain in Gotham.

Oh, also, that's Eric Adams directly to his right behind him. He might have given a speech about how Rikers is the Blackgate Penetentiary of New York, I am trying to check.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 3 days ago (1 children)

lol what were they hoping this would accomplish because I don't think it was "make Luigi look incredibly badass"

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 days ago

to distract from the amazon strike and "bread & circus"

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

Is the U.S. Government discourse back in Paul Ryan era again? It's really sad to see all the hand-wringing about the national debt.

And this time, there is libertarian-approaching

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 days ago

The shutdown showboating is so exhausting. We’re getting all the same hits, including the serious shots of the Adults In The Room solemnly walking through hallways

[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

But they all passed a trillion dollar military spending bill. Really strange how they always have money and means to leagaloze discrimination is that one.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago

Where's Joe?

[–] [email protected] 68 points 3 days ago (4 children)
[–] [email protected] 67 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

china: executes billionaires for corruption

america: executes people who execute billionaires

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[–] [email protected] 89 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The year is 1921, U.S. courts are sentencing Italian-Americans to the Death Penalty on Terrorism charges.

The year is 2024, U.S. courts are sentencing Italian-Americans to the Death Penalty on Terrorism charges.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 3 days ago (1 children)

italian roads will be named after him 50 years from now

[–] [email protected] 46 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

in 60 or so years, a near-microscopic eastern european town in the middle of nowhere will be named after him too

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 days ago

Are they trying to make him into a martir?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 days ago

What are the mayor's approval ratings at?

[–] [email protected] 69 points 3 days ago (3 children)

The leader of Yemen's Ansarallah, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi: 'Egypt is also under threat. The situation in Egypt may deteriorate quickly and the Zionist regime will seek to destroy all the capabilities and powers of the Egyptian army, like they did in Syria. The Zionist regime is seeking to implement this plan to overthrow the regime in Egypt'

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[–] [email protected] 72 points 3 days ago (8 children)

Feels like a lot of shit has happened and the vibes are completely off, but I think a lot of folks here and elsewhere have kind of forgotten that the American imperial machine is still in a state of rapid unraveling and no "wins" in the Middle East are going to stop it. Compared to 2015, for instance, the world is entirely different. So many more regions can afford to effectively ignore the United States and pursue their own interests, for good or ill. The civil war in Sudan is case and point; the US can't do shit to stop it, and has no real influence there at all. Fucking Ukraine is doing more on the ground to shape Sudan that the United States, let alone actors like the UAE. India has shown complete disregard for the American imperial project to the point of assassinating enemies of the Indian state in Canada of all places. The Sahel has been able to entirely pursue its own interests, and there's nothing the West can do about it. They can't even stop Yemen from closing down the Red Sea. There's a shit ton of dooming here, but I think it's important to not lose sight of the fact that the world has irrevocably changed in the last decade, that the space for maneuver is far wider than its been in decades, and there's virtually nothing the United States or its pawns can do to change this continuing shift.

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[–] [email protected] 47 points 3 days ago

Turkey’s Erdogan in Egypt, holds first meeting with Sisi after Assad's fall

ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met on Thursday to discuss Syria, Gaza and bilateral relations in their first meeting since the fall of the Syrian regime.

During their meeting on the sidelines of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation summit in Cairo, Erdogan pledged continued Turkish support for Syrian unity and the country's reconstruction after 13 years of civil war. Unlike Turkey, the main backer of the Syrian rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad from power on Dec. 8, the Egyptian government has long-favored Assad over the Islamist-leaning opposition. Assad's fall has raised concerns in Cairo about a potential resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was removed from power in 2013.

On Gaza, Erdogan urged enhanced coordination between the two nations to guarantee the seamless delivery of humanitarian aid, stressing the critical need for an immediate, permanent, and sustainable ceasefire.

After Sisi's ousting of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-led government, Erdogan declared he would never shake hands with him, labeling him a "brutal killer."

However, the last two years saw a thaw in relations between Cairo and Ankara. The two countries exchanged ambassadors in July 2023, and Sisi paid his first-ever visit to Turkey in September.

[–] [email protected] 64 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (4 children)

After losing a vote in the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee over the Dem ranking seat on the House Oversight Committee following Nancy Pelosi and establishment Dems throwing their support behind a 74-year old with cancer, AOC appealed to the general House Democratic Causus, and lost again. Lmao get fucked snake.

The r/politics comments are actually kinda funny. It's hard to tell to what extent reddit shitlibs have changed after the election and the extent to which the DNC isn't paying for astroturfing now that the election is over.

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[–] [email protected] 43 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (11 children)

With the imminent resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, many are wondering what would happen in the event of his departure. The Canadian parliament was elected in 2021 and will last until September 2025.

The government is formed on the basis of cabinet agreements. Justin Trudeau has been prime minister for almost 10 years, but only for the first time with a majority. The parliament can be dissolved before the deadline by the Governor General, King Charles' representative in the country.

As Canada is part of the Commonwealth, he is the Canadian head of state. The position is currently held by Mary Simon. Normally, the Governor General dissolves parliament at the request of the Prime Minister, but he or she can also do so at the request of parliament. The last early dissolution was in 2021, at Trudeau's request.

So, if Justin Trudeau resigns, and if parliament does not call for a dissolution, the Liberal party, which holds a plurality of seats, could appoint a new prime minister. It all depends on parliament and the New Democrats, led by Jagmeet Sighn. Because if the New Democrats decide to support the dissolution, the Liberals have no way of stopping it, since the 25 seats of the NDP are decisive in the majority of parliament.

Opinion polls show that the Canadian Conservatives would maintain their lead if the election were held today. Trudeau's announcement is scheduled for this evening, if it is not postponed. If a federal election were held today in Canada, the Canadian Conservatives would be the leading political force. They would go from 120 to 218 MPs. The Liberals would sink, falling from 157 to 50. The NDP would lose 1 seat, according to this projection.

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