RAMALALH, February 19, 2018 (WAFA) – President Mahmud Abbas arrived in New York on Monday ahead of his address at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.

Palestine’s permanent representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, told the official Voice of Palestine radio on Monday that President Abbas will demand in his speech at the Security Council from the world body to shoulder its responsibilities and implement the two-state solution as well as stand up to US President Donald Trump’s declaration on Jerusalem and put an end to the ordeal and tragedy of the Palestinian people due to Israeli occupation.

During the discussion of the situation in Syria, the focus was on further strengthening interaction in the Astana format. The presidents confirmed a readiness for close coordination of the efforts of Russia, Turkey and Iran aimed at ensuring efficient operation of the de-escalation zones and advancing the political process, in furtherance of the agreements reached at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi.

The situation in northwestern Syria, including in the context of the Turkish military operation near Afrin, was discussed individually.

(15.2.2018) Vladimir Putin met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, currently in Russia on a working visit.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have historically had close military partnership in the Middle East, and Islamabad has recently announced that it is sending troops to the oil-rich kingdom on a “training and advice mission,” without specifying the exact role the soldiers will play there.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani discussed recent developments in Syria‘s rebel-held town of Idlib and the Afrin region in a phone call on Monday, a source in Erdogan‘s office said.

Jerusalem, Syria top agenda of talks between King Abdullah, Mevlut Cavusoglu

Die Türkei droht im Kampf um Afrin mit einer Eskalation: Sollten Assads Truppen tatsächlich die YPG unterstützen, werde man auch diese bekämpfen, sagte Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Unter den besonders hofierten Teilnehmern der diesjährigen Münchner »Sicherheitskonferenz« waren ungefähr ebenso viele Kriegsverbrecher und Aufrüstungsfreaks wie in den Vorjahren. Die Veranstaltung ist ihre Strategieberatung, man trug sich gegenseitig, von der deutschen »Verteidigungs«ministerin Ursula von der Leyen bis zum Abgesandten der Trump-Administration, dem Nationalen Sicherheitsberater Herbert R. McMaster, die Planungen für Massenmord vor.

SANA’s reporter in Aleppo said on Monday that popular forces are to arrive in Afrin area soon to support locals in facing the aggression launched by the Turkish regime on the area since January 20th.

The reporter said that the arrival of popular forces will strengthen the locals’ resilience and resistance against the Turkish aggression which targets infrastructure, public and private properties, and economic and services establishments.

Brusk Hasake, a spokesperson for YPG in Afrin has said the Syrian Arab Army will not enter Afrin and denied an agreement has been made between YPG and Damascus.

„We have repeatedly said that Syrian Army has not entered [and] will not enter Afrin. If there is an agreement we will make a statement [on it],“ told Russia‘s Sputnik news agency said on Monday.

Das berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters unter Berufung auf den hochrangigen Kurdenvertreter Badran Jia Kurd. Demnach handelt es sich um eine rein militärische Vereinbarung. Die Truppen von Syriens Machthaber Al-Assad sollen innerhalb von zwei Tagen in der Region Afrin an die Grenze zur Türkei verlegt werden.

Russia calls on the US not to play with fire in Syria and measure its steps proceeding from the interests of the Syrian people and the region as a whole, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday at the opening of the Valdai Discussion Club’s conference dubbed „Russia in the Middle East: Playing on All Fields.“

When the issue concerns the need to preserve Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, „we cannot but observe with concern attempts to disintegrate Syria,“ he said.

Ein militärischer Angriff auf Venezuela von der kolumbianischen und brasilianischen Grenze aus ist nicht weit hergeholt.

Appelle zu einer größeren Kriegsbereitschaft „Europas“ und zu entschlossener EU-„Machtprojektion in die Welt“ haben die gestern zu Ende gegangene Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz geprägt. Zur derzeit kräftig verstärkten Aufrüstung müsse in der EU „der gemeinsame Wille“ hinzukommen, das eigene „militärische Gewicht auch tatsächlich einzusetzen“, forderte Verteidigungsministerin Ursula von der Leyen. Außenminister Sigmar Gabriel verlangte, man dürfe bei der eigenen „Machtprojektion“ künftig „auf das Militärische … nicht … verzichten“.

Underlining the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, aJubeir said, „We didn‘t attack Iran, Iran is the one attacking us.“ He also emphasised his opinion that for Iran to be treated as a regular state, „It has to change its behaviour and comport itself with international law.“

München: Tausende demonstrierten für Ende von NATO-Aggressionen und Hochrüstung. Derweil herrschte auf »Sicherheitskonferenz« Hochspannung

Benjamin Netanyahu has set Israel, and the entire Middle East, on a path toward doomsday. Will his fall matter?