#Syrian Liberation Front

[sylvia-on-the-run]

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Appreciates the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s Decision to Cancel the Visa Requirement for Palestinians

"The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine highly values the decision by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cancel the requirement for Palestinians to obtain a visa to enter Syrian territory, allowing them entry with no conditions other than presenting their travel document or passport.

The PFLP extends its greetings and gratitude to President Dr. Bashar Al-Assad and the brotherly Syrian people, affirming that this decision will help alleviate the burdens faced by our Palestinian people."

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Central Media Department August 18, 2024

[satellitebroadcast]

We will not forget, and we will not forgive. 16/9/1982 The 42nd anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre.

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine: Telegram 42 Years Since the Sabra and Shatila Massacre, and the War of Genocide Continues

42 years have passed, and the Palestinian memory still holds the recollection of one of the most heinous crimes in modern human history. This massacre was committed by the gangs of the zionist occupation army and its collaborators in Lebanon against unarmed civilians, including Palestinian refugees, their Lebanese brothers, and dozens of others of various Arab and foreign nationalities. The massacre claimed the lives of more than 3,500 martyrs and left hundreds missing. The murderers committed the most brutal acts of killing and torture, cutting open the bellies of pregnant women, slaughtering children, women, and the elderly, and destroying homes over the heads of their inhabitants. For three consecutive days, the killers unleashed all their hatred and savagery, carrying out one of the most atrocious crimes against humanity. Its psychological impact remains present in the minds and hearts of all our Palestinian people and all the free and honorable people in the world. This horrific massacre occurred in the wake of the zionist invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the steadfastness of the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance against the invading forces at the gates of Beirut for three months. During this period, the occupation failed to break through. They managed to enter only through deceit and Western-American collusion, which provided guarantees and promises to the Palestinian revolution forces to protect Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Just days after the revolution forces departed, the Nazi gangs, under orders and support from the zionist occupation army led by war criminal Defense Minister Ariel Sharon and his Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan, stormed the camp inhabited by thousands of Palestinian refugees, poor Lebanese, Syrians, and others, where they proceeded to kill every living being they came across. Despite the brutality and savagery committed by the occupation army and its tools, the world turned a blind eye to prosecuting the criminal murderers and pursuing them as war criminals. The genocide being perpetrated against our people in the Gaza Strip proves that as long as criminals remain outside prison, they continue to accumulate crime, savagery, and fascism, sitting at the top of the racist zionist entity, which today poses a threat to all humanity and to all the free and honorable people in our nation and the world. The 42nd anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre and the war of genocide led by the occupation army in partnership with and complicity of colonial Western American silence and official Arab betrayal against the Palestinian people continues to unfold. Today, our people in Gaza, the West Bank, and Al-Quds face a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing rarely seen in contemporary human history. The aim is to liquidate the Palestinian cause and implement the zionist-imperialist schemes to control the resources and wealth of the peoples of the region and colonial domination over the world. While the occupation army commits the most heinous crimes using the latest in American-zionist Western killing machines against an unarmed people who have only the will and faith in the justice of their cause and their right to a free and dignified life like all the peoples of the earth, the Palestinian people continue their resilience and steadfastness, writing the most wonderful epics of heroism and sacrifice, rejecting subjugation and surrender, and affirming their commitment to the option of resistance as the only path to liberation and return.

The Sabra and Shatila massacre 42 years ago served as a model and a lesson for our people and a warning to all who bet on American and Western guarantees and promises, which are synonymous with lies, hypocrisy, and conspiracy against peoples yearning for liberation from the yoke of occupation and enslavement. As we remember the horror of this massacre, we call on the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, all international legal and human rights institutions, and all advocates of freedom and justice worldwide to continue exerting pressure by all means and methods until the war of genocide against our people in Gaza and the West Bank stops. We demand the prosecution of the leaders of the zionist entity and its army and their trial as war criminals so that the murderous criminals do not escape punishment, as did the perpetrators of the Sabra and Shatila massacre 42 years ago. On the anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, we renew our pledge to the martyrs of the ongoing massacre that our people will continue the path of struggle and resistance until all their usurped rights are restored, no matter how long it takes and regardless of the sacrifices made. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Central Media Department September 16, 2024

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Event in Athens Law University: PALESTINE/AXIS OF RESISTANCE REPORTING FROM SYRIA

Speakers: KONSTANTINA KARTSIOTI Anti-imperialist Front

OMAR MURAD Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)/Syria

MOHAMMED AL-HURANI President of Arab Writers Union Syria

You can watch the event on Thursday 06 June 2024, 19.00 Greek and Syrian time, 18.00 CET, 12:00 noon Eastern U.S.

Greek, English, Arabic Live Streaming in FB page: https://www.facebook.com/tv.antiimperialistfront

[lordadmiralfarsight]

So, this is something I've been sitting on for a good while. Mainly because I got too heated each time to write a post about it.

On the 7th of February 2024, France organized a memorial service for the Franco-Israeli killed in the 7/10 attack. That was a good thing but, like many people in France, I personnally felt that it was a bit late. Still, better a memorial service than nothing at all. A nice touch was inviting the famillies of hostages and putting them front and center. That was positive, in my opinion, and a good show of solidarity.

So, you might be wondering what about this has me heated. Two words : Far left. or, in three words : La France Insoumise. LFI is a far left party that has a worrying amount of weight in France, right now. They have some of the common hallmarks : revolution fetishism, radicalist talking points, repeated attempts to delegitimize the election system (like Mélenchon claiming the 2022 presidential election was "stolen" when he ranked 3rd), etc... Recently they have also refused to condemn Hamas' attack. While they didn't openly support it like some fring trotskyist parties, they refused to condemn it, and at least one of their PMs went to Tunisia to basically parrot Islamist talking points blaming Israel for everything. They have overwhelmingly expressed support for "Palestinian liberation", because saying they support Hamas wouldn't be good press, so they skirt around it. But everyone gets the message, really. So, what did they do for that memorial service ? Well first off they participated against the wishes of the famillies of the victims and hostages. That's bad, but it gets worse. Because of course. See, their main representative in Parliament, Mathilde Panot, felt the need to also put front and center Palestinian victims. Now, I do believe Palestinian victims of this war should be remembered, and honored (provided they weren't terrorists). But ... is the memorial fro the 7/10 victims really the place ? No, no it fucking isn't. And that's what has me heated : this was a memorial for Jewish victims, and they were looking to appropriate it. And it gets even worse ! Because you see, Miss Panot had the perfect exemple : two Franco-Palestinian kids from her constituency that had died in Gaza. Why is that worse ? Because of why the kids were there. They were there because their mother fled to Gaza, from ISIS, after embezzeling money meant for Syrian refugees. Let me rephrase : the mother created a charity to support the victims of the Syrian civil war and of ISIS attacks, then made off with the money to deliver it entirely to ISIS. Then had kids with her ISIS assigned jihadi husband. And when ISIS collapsed, she sought refuge with Hamas. And because of that, her kids were in harm's way when Hamas launched a pogrom. And LFI thought that THIS was the correct exemple to bring to that memorial service. Is it tragic the kids died ? Yes. But maybe, just maybe, putting their terrorism enabling mother up as an exemple of martyred mother, during a memorial for the victims of an antisemitic pogrom perpetrated by said terrorism enabler's allies is a profoundly shitty thing to do. And that, among other things, is why most of France considers LFI to be antisemitic.

[captain-price-unofficially]

The official tier list of globally recognized terrorist organizations based off of their flag designs

This is 100% scientific fact based off of my personal research into the field of vexillology. Argue with me if you want to in the comments. There groups in order from left to right are: (S): Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hezbollah, People's Defense Units, Khalistan Liberation Force (A): Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham, People's Anti-Fascist Front, Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front, Oromo Liberation Front, Free Papua Movement, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Tigray People's Liberation Front, United Liberation Front of Asom, Balochistan Liberation Army, Ogaden National Liberation Front (B): Al-Qaeda, The Base, Daesh, Hurras al-Din, Congress of the Peoples of Ichkeria and Dagestan, Lord's Resistance Army, People's Liberation Army of Manipur, Syrian Revolution, Kurdistan Workers' Party, National Liberation Army (Colombia) (C): Jamiat-e Islami, Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Badr, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, United National Liberation Front, National Liberation Movement of Ahwaz, Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (D): Taliban, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hamas, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Liwa Fatemiyoun, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent, Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (F): Houthi, Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Kata'ib Hezbollah, Tehreek-i-Taliban, Turkistan Islamic Party, Shining Path

[akajustmerry]

What's happening in Palestine truly brought out the worst in people. I've been blocking people left and right. Folks try to give positive examples of rebellions from the past like the end of apartheid and the Haitian Revolution,some ghouls respond by saying "Well,those are not good examples because look how poor and corrupt those countries are now", annoying white homonationalist gays don't shut up about how it's bad to root for Palestinians because they "push gay people off roofs and behead them" (Pinkwashing really worked on their pea sized brains,some of them even went on sponsored trips to Tel Aviv 🤮)even f*cking radfems found the video of a 13 year old girl who gave interviews twice in three years and say "Well why is she wearing a hijab now????I won't root for people who put a hijab on a kid!!!" The genocidal ghoul who is unfortunately the president of the USA says "I mean civilians die in wars it's inevitable and idk if Palestinians are telling the truth so idk the numbers of dead people" while dumbass USamerican liberals STILL talk about "harm reduction" I mean,how do these people not hear how repulsive they sound? How can anybody's support for people who are the target of a literal GENOCIDE be conditional? My god I knew westerners were drowning in racism and Islamophobia but the depth of their hatred really is vomit inducing. I pray we all get to see a free Palestine and the fall of all war mongering capitalist empires that funded not only Palestinian,but also Afghan, Iraqi, Yemeni, Libyan,Syrian and so many more people's suffering in our lifetime. I pray it won't be exhausting to just exist as people from SWANA in the future. I pray they all thrive and not just survive in the future. I have hope because how can I not when Palestinians themselves still do,and it feels shameful to momentarily lose hope when I'm just a privileged woman following updates from the comfort of my home.

You articulated so much of what I'm feeling too. I think what makes it worse is how so much of the propaganda we're seeing is the same kind of propaganda the West used to justify the invasion of Iraq, Iran and Syria. All of it has been debunked. Yet people fall for it again and again and again and SWANA people die for that. The truth is right in front of people but they refuse to see it because they've become so comfortable not seeing Brown and Black bodies as human. It feels crazy. And yeah it is utterly strange to see people you share a culture with being massacred day in day out and to feel utterly destroyed by that, only for people to claim it's a lie, and then to also rmr what we feel is trivial to what people in Palestine are enduring. And as you said, they have hope and rage and so must we.

[batterknowsbetter]

I would like to draw your attention to the kind of information surge that Ukrainians have to live in:

1. a photo of a two-year-old child killed by a russian missile.

2. Jim Cummings praising zvyagintsev's films.

My sister tells me that people from the West always divide cinema and war. But I want the only thing that westerners will divided is russia.

I want to talk about zvyagintsev in a little more detail. In 2022, he gave an interview to anton dolin (this is the clown that Ridley Scott said fuck you). This interview perfectly illustrates how the so-called intellectual elite of russia is completely detached from the russian people, illustrates the terrible naivety, criminal blindness and stupidity of these people. For example, zvyagintsev says that the russians who remained in russia are hostages (oh, poor people, we from Ukraine can help with something). The mantra about the hostages is so deeply rooted in the consciousness of the so-called liberal russians. It protects them from the realization that their fellow citizens have turned into animals begging for blood. Then he says that you need to let this war into yourself (remembers Bucha and starts to cry. Ten points for acting) to accept the conflict and the words that a person tells you, because one day she will understand that she was wrong. He says that "it is not necessary to multiply the war, conflicting with people who support the war, it is necessary to listen to them." The great peacemakers, the russians, who do not want to multiply the war around them, have been turning a blind eye to theave been turning a blind eye to the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of Ukrainian territory, to the torture chambers and the sentences imposed on Crimean Tatars for eight years.

Then he asks: "Why didn't we react when we bombed Syria? Well, because it is far. And Ukraine is close and Ukrainians are close to us." That is, when Russia was razing Aleppo to the ground, it was okay, because you didn't have to pay for it, but when Ukraine was attacked and sanctions were imposed, it became inconvenient to keep silent. Remember, Syrian, the russian director does not care that his country bombed your cities, because you are not a neighboring country.

"I cannot agree with people who say that we should forget and ignore russian culture, people sitting in bomb shelters cannot think otherwise, but it will all pass." It will all pass. This cynical phrase just cracked me up.

"I don't understand to whom culture is to blame, to whom Rachmaninoff and our cinema are to blame." In front of all countries where you are your culture is used as a marker of conquest. How are the Pushkin monuments in Syria? How is the Mariupol theater is closed with a banner with Russian writers and Ukrainian artists that you want to own? Your culture is a cancer, it comes first and only death follows.

"We have nothing else to do but make movies." What about raising money for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, supporting the Ukrainian army, so that the war ends soon and Ukraine wins? No? Well, okay.

A russian director who shoots his new movie in Europe has the opportunity to do so, all he has to do is say I am against the war and all doors are open for you. Whereas some Ukrainian artists do not physically have this opportunity. At the moment, there are no Ukrainian films at Cannes, but there is a russian film. Who is to blame for a culture that shouts into a loudspeaker, trying to drown out the victim?

[abdullahblogsposts]

Who is the "Abū Fātîmā Al-Tûrkī" Tâkfīrī group?!

In the year 2014, a group of extremists of tâkfīr appeared in the second countryside of al-Mûhândîsîn, known nowadays as “Hāzmîyāh” (followers of the misguided al-Hazmī). Alī al-Mâsrī" and "Abū Abdûllāh al-Azârī", which is an extension of a takfīrī group that existed in Azêrbâîjān before the Syrian revolution, also believes that the origin of people is disbelief.

After the spread of their corruption, Jâbhât al-Nûsrā surrounded their headquarters and arrested approximately 40 people, so the heads of the takfīrī group were brought to justice, while the rest were expelled outside the liberated area, because they declared all Islāmic peoples and the Mûjāhîd factions to be infidels, and at that time this malicious group was eliminated.

The expelled from the liberated moved to the areas of control of State in the eastern region, then they declared state and its alleged successor to be infidels because they were affiliated with the Hazmîyîdīs in it, so State oppressed them and chased them. They established a battalion called "Jûnd al-Khîlāfā" in and around the Dânâ area, and after the establishment some of them returned to the state, and the other part remained in the liberation.

Then they began to assemble themselves again, starting from Al-Dâná, then they moved to the Tûrkmen Mountain, and the reason for choosing the Tûrkmen Mountain is to have a foothold for them so that they are far from the attention of the Commission, and to facilitate the disappearance of wanted persons and criminals.

Their leaders:

- Founder: "Abū Fātîmā al-Tûrkī" - killed more than three years ago - - The current official: Abū Hânīg Al-Azârî Representative: Abû Jābîr Al-Azârî - General Shârī'âh: Abû Al-Fîdā Al-Jâzāêry - Communication Officer: Abū Abdul Rahmān Al-Azârî General Military: Abū Khâlīl al-Azârî - Âmīr of Jâbâl al-Tûrkman: Hâmzā al-Azârî - Ansār official: Abdûl Bāsît Al-Dânâ.

About a year and a half ago - they decided to pledge allegiance to State again, despite their apostasy for it, and the reason is to obtain material and logistical support from State, but the response from State came with a refusal, because they are takfīrī, assertive, Khârîjîtês!

The Abū Fātîmā al-Tûrkî group is a group whose members are mostly Takfîrî Azârîs, and their number ranges from 130 to 150 members, all those who are in the liberation are declared infidels, (common people, mûjāhîdīn, factions). A 6-month repentance cycle, until he completes his repentance and re-converts to Islām, after which he will be able to work in their ranks.

Because of their misguided beliefs, their blasphemy for all, and their destitution for their money and blood, they live on woodcutter, theft, and murder from factions and commoners, and they have no material income except from these matters.

Among their crimes, they killed "Abdûllâh Al-Tûrki", and "Abū Sulāymān" - who was buying and selling cars for them, they killed him because of their dispute over a car - and their wood for several other cars.

Their area has become a safe haven for criminals, all those who have security issues, moral problems, and criminal crimes from extremists and other factions, go to them and take shelter with them, and the area has become there - a hotbed for criminals and murderers - and their current situation poses a security and military threat to the region! The area is threatened militarily, and whoever rejects all those in the liberated area will not defend them, but will withdraw from the first shot!

About five months ago, HTS entered with force for the Tûrkmen, and began arranging the front and preparing it militarily in anticipation of any military action by the regime against it, and HTS has 7 mooring points in the Tûrkmen Mountain, and it is still continuing to take other points to block the Tûrkmen front and not leave any gap in it.

These arrangements of the commission on the Tûrkmen front did not appeal to the takfīrī group, so these takfīrīs created problems and put up barriers in the roads and their presence became a detriment to all the military factions, in addition to their abandonment of the bondage and stifling of the criminal regime, their turning back and the destruction of the factions’ headquarters and warehouses, and their readiness to fight the Mûjāhîdīn at the beginning opportunity for them.

Therefore, it is necessary to cut their horn and stop their evil.

I have seen many youths who fall in their trap and declaring masses Kûffār because of their weakness in Aqīdâh!!

Will highlight more points regarding them(Hāzmīs) in future also In shā Allāh!!

May Allāh protect Mûwāhīdīn from their fîtnā!!

[okjuuzu]

Hamas is ISIS is such a braindead take meant to scare the hypocritical liberal mind. 35 muslims countries, the houthi rebels, the syrian rebels, the kurdish rebels, hezballah and hamas were activly fighting ISIS on all fronts (which was ISIS's evantual demise) while israel admitted to treating wounded ISIS fighters in their hospitals. Muslims were the most victimized group by ISIS yet when ISIS accidentaly fired at israel, they apologized. ISIS was throwing gay people off of buildings but they never had a problem with the state that holds pride parades regularly? Remeber the libyan ISIS senior operatives who turned out to be an israeli agent masquarading as a muslim extreamist terrorists??

Tell me again who is ISIS? When ISIS loved israel but called hamas "infidels"?

[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

CorpMedia #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #FeelTheBern

JinJiyanAzadi #BijiRojava WATCH The woman who defeated hundreds of ISIS militants [UPDATES]

Rojda Felat, who leads the “Wrath of the Euphrates Campaign,” is fighting to liberate Raqqa from ISIS.

Felat talks about the challenges she and the other female fighters she leads face on multiple fronts, and how she was able to gradually overcome fear.

This report comes within the framework of the 100 Women season, through which the BBC tells the stories of women and their achievements…

RELATED UPDATE: [FRENCH] WATCH Rojda Felat, the extraordinary Kurdish fighter who liberated Raqqa

The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces who triumphed on Tuesday in the former “capital” of the caliphate is a long-time activist for women’s rights. Of all the women

On Tuesday, she displayed a radiant smile alongside dozens of comrades in combat, on the Al-Naïm roundabout, waving a huge yellow flag bearing the name of her militia. “This is where Daesh beheaded innocent people accused of refusing to serve the Islamic State (IS),” explained Rojda Felat, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who led “Anger the Euphrates,” the operations. on the city of Raqqa, Syria. This city which was finally liberated after having served, for months, as a rear base for the jihadists and which the IS had proclaimed the capital of its terrorist “caliphate”.

For Elle, who painted her portrait last August, she is “the woman who has made Daesh tremble” for months. The magazine wrote in particular that “when the sweet voice of Rojda Felat rises in the military command room, […] everyone, without exception, listens to her religiously.” His role was “immense”: “It is an honor but it is a very great responsibility to lead the battle against the “capital” of Daesh. […] The Islamic State is not an enemy like the others. He is strong, well organized and has his ideology that he tries to spread. The issue is not only military,” continued the Kurdish commander, who calls herself a Muslim and a believer…

RELATED UPDATE: Kurdish woman fighters are finishing ISIS, smashing patriarchy

RELATED UPDATE: Biden-Harris Should Lead on Women’s Rights and Help End Syrian Conflict

RELATED UPDATE: How Kurdish Women Are Transforming and Democratising the Middle East

RELATED UPDATE: Worth fighting for: Bringing the Rojava revolution home

RELATED UPDATE: YPG pays tribute to commander Shervan Heleb

RELATED UPDATE: 'Chains of Silence' conference continues in Amed

RELATED UPDATE: TJA conference ends: Women will break the chains

FURTHER READING:

[darkmaga-retard]

Israel's high-tech terror campaign in Lebanon is just the latest chapter. Israel invented air hijacking in 1954. Israel's terror campaigns are in fact a "drive for lebensraum".

Sam Husseini

Sep 19, 2024

Israel’s high-tech terror campaign using pagers in Lebanon — and some of the excited Western reaction to it — brought to mind the phrase “Israel’s Sacred Terrorism” which shows some of how deep the roots of this go.

Back in 1992, I got this letter into the New York Times —

Contrary to your report on the brouhaha in France stirred by medical aid for George Habash (news article, Jan. 31), Mr. Habash's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was not "the first group to hijack aircraft in the late 1960's." Israel originated the practice in 1954. On Dec. 8 of that year, five Israeli soldiers were captured in Syria, apparently retrieving eavesdropping equipment. On Dec. 12, Israeli jet fighters intercepted a Syrian civilian aircraft flying from Damascus to Egypt, claiming that the plane had violated Israeli airspace. The following day you reported that this "development appears to have given Israel an unexpected position of strength for negotiating the release of Syria's prisoners." Gen. Moshe Dayan was then Israeli Chief of Staff. The Israeli Prime Minister, Moshe Sharett, wrote in his diary, "It is clear that Dayan's intention . . . is to get hostages in order to obtain the release of our prisoners in Damascus." Contrary to General Dayan's hopes, no exchange took place. Prime Minister Sharett added that the United States State Department complained that "our action was without precedent in the history of international practice." SAM HUSSEINI, Associate, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting New York, Feb. 18, 1992

The source for this was the book Israel's Sacred Terrorism: A Study Based on Moshe Sharett's Personal Diary and Other Documents, by Livia Rokach, reproduced below, though I think I actually got it from an article by Alexander Cockburn, which I can’t find online.

[theretirementstory]

18/08/24. Bonjour et bienvenue, if you are new to this blog, what took you so long finding it 😉. For those that have followed me for the past years, thank you 😊.

The photos this week are from my “archive”. The above is of the front garden after I spent days removing very long grass and (stupidly) laying weed suppressant before I covered it with bark. I was so pleased with the result. Unfortunately now the potager is a cat toilet and the bark has lost it’s colour and the area looks shoddy. I have some more bark and would like to get the germinated seeds taken out and add more bark. Perhaps I will be able to do this very soon.

We are one week closer to the arrival of 2nd son and his girlfriend and I have had a few baking days preparing food for the freezer so that, if, I don’t feel up to cooking a meal we won’t starve 😊.

It’s been a different week with two visits to the hospital in Troyes, for my transfusions. Back to normal next week with a visit to Paris and also Troyes for the transfusions.

Talking of Paris, I messaged Jony, my Syrian friend, on Friday evening and brought him up to speed with my treatment. When I met him his paperwork in France had his name spelt as above, however, he signed off with Johnny. I am pleased he is now using (perhaps) the correct spelling of his name. I know that people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime, Johnny left Bar-sur-Aube in July 2018, although I haven’t seen him since, when we message one another it’s as if I had just seen him last week. I pray to be well enough to go to Paris one day and meet him for coffee as I used to do here in Bar-sur-Aube. Keeping my 🤞 for that one!

Anie and Monique are sharing the shopping duties, with Anie getting the visits to the pharmacy too. It’s so kind of them to do this for me, although I know I couldn’t do it myself.

On Friday, Anie was telling me about the liberation which took place on the coast of Provence on the 15 August 1944. After American, British and Canadian forces landed they were followed by some 250,000 soldiers recruited largely from French colonies in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. As 15 August is Assumption Day this landing goes largely unremembered. She then mentioned the Résistance and I asked if she had been to the Résistance Museum in a village not too far away. She said she hadn’t and maybe we could go together. Hopefully we will get there before it is only opened to groups from November.

The cleaner came and she is a good worker, however I will have to itemise each task I want doing. I did clean the kitchen myself (apart from the floor) which she did. I want to get her to wash the window and door frames inside and out 😳 plus the glass panes.

I have a “to-do” list as long as your arm! The car is in need of a service but as I am not allowed to drive, I haven’t phoned the garage. I messaged the gardener to come and cut the grass. He didn’t respond but I feel sure he will turn up and transform the garden. Maybe I won’t contact him again just yet. I messaged the plumber to come out but again no response. He maybe on holiday and could contact me this week, if not I will call him. I have to ring the man to come and wash the outside walls of the house. Currently, the sand blown from the Sahara has caused red streaks to appear and I would like them cleaned. Finally I need to contact the roofer, I signed the estimate in October last year and he said he would come on a dry day to do the work. We have had a lot of those days but he is more elusive than “The Scarlet Pimpernel”.

“The Trainee Solicitor” now just shares his office with one other person. I hope that means that he can get on with his work without too many distractions. I know from being in a car with a driver for three hours or more, picking the skin on their fingers or picking their nose, plus a little cough which has become a habit all of these get on your nerves.

“The Recovery Coordinator” has had another “garbage” week! They have lost 5 members of staff in 6 weeks so the workload for the remaining staff has increased and it’s stressful. She is glad she has her holidays to look forward to.

“The Photographer” has had an okay week which ended with a high on Friday evening, winning a game of bingo. Yesterday he was at Scarborough AFC’s home game taking photographs. It’s something he enjoys doing and is such a change from his full-time work.

“The Jetsetter” still has clipped wings and is spending her summer going swimming, playing bingo 😂 and working. Some of that working involved a professional exam this week. I would imagine, while waiting for results of the exam, that she will be deciding on places to visit during her next round of holidays 😁.

Talking about holidays, Pauline has been making the most of the Iberian peninsula. She has been to Lisbon and Porto. Then went back into Spain visiting Malaga, Seville, Granada and Madrid. Not quite sure where she is at the moment but she is not due back in Paris until 21 August.

Goodness me, I nearly forgot the music section 😳. The first track is “Loves Me Like A Rock” by Paul Simon this was released in 1973 that makes it over 50 years old but I love it as much today as I did then. The second track is from a lady who, sadly is no longer with us, it’s “This Time I Know It’s For Real” by Donna Summer which was released in 1989. I hope you enjoy listening to these two songs.

The photo below was taken at Chateau de Cirey-sur-Blaise. A place where the writer, Voltaire, lived with Mme Du Châtelet from 1734 to 1749.

Jusqu’à la semaine prochaine.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Tuesday, June 25, 2024

june 12_june 25

Third day of the Holy Trinity

THE MONK ARSENIUS OF KONEVSK (1447)

Saint Arsenius of Konevits was a native of Novgorod, a coppersmith by trade. The saint accepted tonsure at the Lisich monastery near Novgorod, where he spent eleven years. He went to Mount Athos in 1373, and there he spent three years, dwelling in prayer and making copper vessels for the brethren.

In the year 1393, Saint Arsenius returned to Russia and brought with him an icon of the Mother of God, which was later called the Konevits Icon. Saint Arsenius went with this icon to the island of Konevets on Lake Ladoga, where he spent five years in solitude.

In 1398, with the blessing of Archbishop John of Novgorod, Saint Arsenius laid the foundations of a cenobitic monastery dedicated to the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. He visited Athos a second time, and asked the holy Fathers for their prayers and a blessing for his monastery.

In 1421, the lake flooded, destroying the monastery structures. This forced Saint Arsenius to relocate the monastery to a new site on the island. Saint Arsenius died in 1447 and was buried in the monastery church. Igumen Barlaam of Konevits wrote his life in the sixteenth century. The Life of Saint Arsenius was published in 1850 with the Service and Akathist in his honor.

THE MONK PETER OF ATHOS (734)

Saint Peter of Athos, a Greek by birth, served as a soldier in the imperial armies and he lived at Constantinople. In the year 667, during a war with the Syrians, Saint Peter was taken captive and locked up in a fortress in the city of Samara on the Euphrates River.

For a long time he languished in prison and he pondered over which of his sins had brought God’s chastisement upon him. Saint Peter remembered that once he had intended to leave the world and go to a monastery, but he had not done so. He began to observe a strict fast in the prison and to pray fervently, and he besought Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker to intercede before God for him.

Saint Nicholas appeared in a dream to Peter and advised him to call upon Saint Simeon the God-Receiver (Feb. 3) for help. Saint Nicholas appeared to him once more in a dream, encouraging the prisoner in patience and hope. The third time that he appeared it was not in a dream, but with Saint Simeon the God-Receiver. Saint Simeon touched his staff to the chains binding Saint Peter, and the chains melted away like wax. The doors of the prison opened, and Saint Peter was free.

Saint Simeon the God-Receiver became invisible, but Saint Nicholas conveyed Saint Peter to the borders of the Greek territory. Reminding him of his vow, Saint Nicholas became invisible. Saint Peter then journeyed to Rome to receive monastic tonsure at the tomb of the Apostle Peter. Even here Saint Nicholas did not leave him without his help. He appeared in a dream to the Pope of Rome and informed him of the circumstances of Saint Peter’s liberation from captivity, and he commanded the Pope to tonsure the former prisoner into monasticism.

On the following day, in the midst of a throng of the people who had gathered for divine services, the Pope loudly exclaimed, “Peter, you who are from the Greek lands, and whom Saint Nicholas has freed from prison in Samara, come here to me.” Saint Peter stood in front of the Pope, who tonsured him into monasticism at the tomb of the Apostle Peter. The Pope taught Saint Peter the rules of monastic life and kept the monk by him. Then with a blessing, he sent Saint Peter to where God had appointed him to journey.

Saint Peter boarded a ship sailing to the East. The shipowners, after going ashore, besought Saint Peter to come and pray at a certain house, where the owner and all the household lay sick. Saint Peter healed them through his prayer.

The Most Holy Theotokos appeared in a dream to Saint Peter and indicated the place where he should live til the very end of his days: Mount Athos. When the ship arrived at Athos, it then halted of its own accord. Saint Peter realized that this was the place he was meant to go, and so he went ashore. This was in the year 681. Peter then dwelt in the desolate places of the Holy Mountain, not seeing another person for fifty-three years. His clothing had become tattered, but his hair and beard had grown out and covered his body in place of clothes.

At first Saint Peter was repeatedly subjected to demonic assaults. Trying to force the saint to abandon his cave, the demons sometimes took on the form of armed soldiers, and at other times of fierce beasts and vipers that seemed ready to tear the hermit apart. Saint Peter overcame the demonic attacks through fervent prayer to God and His Holy Mother. Then the enemy resorted to trickery. Appearing under the guise of a lad sent to him from his native home, he besought the monk with tears to leave the wilderness and return to his own home. The saint wept, but without hesitation he answered, “Here have the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos led me. I will not leave here without Her permission.” Hearing the Name of the Mother of God, the demon vanished.

After seven years the devil came to Saint Peter in the guise of a radiant angel and said that God was commanding him to go into the world for the enlightenment and salvation of people in need of his guidance. The experienced ascetic again replied that without the permission of the Mother of God he would not forsake the wilderness. The devil disappeared and did not bother to come near the saint anymore. The Mother of God appeared to Saint Peter in a dream with Saint Nicholas and told the brave hermit that after he had fasted for forty days, an angel would bring him heavenly manna. Saint Peter fasted, and on the fortieth day he fortified himself with the heavenly manna, receiving the strength for another forty-day fast.

Once, a hunter chasing after a stag saw the naked man, covered with hair and girded about the loins with leaves. He was afraid and was about to flee, but Saint Peter stopped him and told him of his life. The hunter asked to remain with him, but the saint sent him home. Saint Peter gave the hunter a year for self-examination and forbade him to tell anyone about meeting him.

A year later the hunter returned with his brother, who was afflicted with a demon, and several other companions. When they entered the Saint Peter’s cave, they saw that he had already reposed. The hunter, with bitter tears, told his companions of the life of Saint Peter. His brother, after merely touching the saint’s body, received healing. Saint Peter died in the year 734. His holy relics were on Athos at the monastery of Saint Clement. During the Iconoclast period the relics were hidden away, and in the year 969 they were transferred to the Thracian village of Photokami.

Saint Peter once saw the Mother of God in a vision, and she spoke of Her earthly domain, Mount Athos: “I have chosen this mountain... and have received it from My Son and God as an inheritance, for those who wish to forsake worldly cares and strife.... Exceedingly do I love this place. I will aid those who come to dwell here and who labor for God... and keep His commandments.... I will lighten their afflictions and labors, and shall be an invincible ally for the monks, invisibly guiding and guarding them....”

Generations of Orthodox monks can attest to the truth of these words. The Mother of God is regarded as the Abbess of the Holy Mountain, not just in name, but in actual fact. For this reason, Mt. Athos is known as the “Garden of the Theotokos.”

Source: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

ROMANS 1:1-7, 13-17

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

MATTHEW 11:27-30

2 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

[tieflingkisser]

Gaza resistance sources say fear is rising U.S. pier will be used for forced displacement of Palestinians

Critics warn the U.S.-constructed pier off Gaza's coast is being used for military purposes. Now a source in the Gaza resistance says there are indications it will be used to facilitate the forced displacement of Palestinians.

An intelligence source from within the resistance in Gaza, who spoke to Mondoweiss under conditions of anonymity, says there are mounting signs the U.S. pier could also be used to forcibly displace Palestinians. This would provide an alternative to the original Israeli plan of forcing Palestinians into the Sinai, which was rejected by Egypt early on in the war. “The floating pier project is an American solution to the displacement dilemma in Gaza,” the source said. “It goes beyond both the Israeli solution of displacing Gazans into Sinai…and the Egyptian suggestion of displacing [Gazans] into the Naqab [desert].” Instead, the source said, the U.S. pier would be used to facilitate the displacement of Gazans to Cyprus, and then eventually to Lebanon or Europe.

[...]

The anonymous resistance source told Mondoweiss that “according to our intelligence, the pier will be used to displace Palestinians to Cyprus through evacuation ships and then to Lebanon after undergoing a screening process.”  The source asserted that this plan has already been discussed with Lebanese authorities, and that “it was agreed with Najib Mikati, the Lebanese Prime Minister,  to receive $1 billion in aid to Lebanon to be paid through the European Union, with an additional $250 million to be paid to his own companies.” In exchange, Lebanon would receive “between 100,000 and 200,000 Gaza residents through the floating pier via Cyprus, which is expected to take place during the fall this year,” the source said. 

[...]

The next step in this process would then supposedly follow, in which a few hundred thousand Gazans would be transferred from Gaza to Cyprus. Notably, the U.S. is already using Cyprus to load humanitarian aid into cargo ships and transport it to the pier. “They are expected to leave for Cyprus in waves and to mix with other illegal immigrants from Syria, after which they will either be assisted in making the journey of illegal migration to Europe — which is opposed by the European Union — or they will be sent to Tripoli and replace the Syrian refugees there, in accordance with the wishes of the Lebanese government,” the source continued. “They would then be resettled in northern Lebanon or Lebanon’s Sunni areas, far away from areas of Hezbollah influence and control.” The source emphasized that such a scenario is not without precedent, as previous waves of Palestinian immigrants tied to Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, a rival of PA president Mahmoud Abbas, have been settled in Lebanon in the past. 

[...]

Regardless of whether such a plan comes to pass, different political factions in Gaza have expressed concern regarding the intentions behind the pier, while others have cautiously welcomed it despite reservations. Hamas welcomed the U.S. project and the efforts to aid Palestinians, but it also emphasized that the pier would not be a reliable alternative to aid through land-based crossings, which is more efficient. Many international organizations have also echoed these concerns, confirming that aid through land crossings remains the most reliable and efficient option. Hamas has also rejected the presence of any foreign military force as part of the pier’s operations.  Other Palestinian political parties such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have come out more strongly against the pier, raising alarms about its potential misuse for the forced displacement of Palestinians or protecting Israeli forces occupying Gaza. The PFLP warned Arabs, internationals, and Palestinians from working on the pier and asserted any troops deployed with the pier would be dealt with as an occupying force. 

[mariacallous]

The Palestinian issue has always been close to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s heart – and a rallying cry for his conservative base. During his two decades in power, Turkey’s strongman has had a tumultuous relationship with Israel, marked by periodic spars with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and occasional attempts at normalisation. All the while, Erdogan has never shied away from publicly displaying his support for Hamas, hosting its leaders in Istanbul and viewing the group as a legitimate part of the Middle East’s political map.

But after 7 October, Erdogan gravely miscalculated, failing to condemn its atrocities against Israeli civilians and reiterating that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization. It is a liberation movement.” Such strong endorsement of the group at such a painful time effectively led to Turkey being frozen out of hostage negotiations, regional diplomacy, and prospects of playing a greater role in a post-conflict Gaza. Outraged and shaken by Israel’s disregard for Palestinian civilians in its military offensive in Gaza, Erdogan has since blasted Israel for “war crimes” and “genocide,” while criticising the West for its perceived double standards and unequivocal support for Israel.

Had the Turkish president been more measured in his public endorsement of Hamas, slightly more diplomatic in his tone and less willing to endorse Hamas so wholeheartedly after 7 October, Ankara would have likely found itself at the core of international diplomacy on Gaza. In much the same way he did on the Black Sea grain deal and the prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan could have led the diplomacy around hostage negotiations and regional de-escalation. He also could have found a bigger global pulpit to make a case for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and grab the international community’s attention for Turkish proposals such as a trusteeship system for a future Palestinian state. 

Instead, 7 October highlighted Turkey’s diplomatic estrangement when it comes to Arab-Israeli matters, despite Erdogan’s popularity on the Arab street. In the aftermath of the Hamas attacks, Turkey was all too eager to play a role in regional diplomacy and emerge as the leader of a regional front that could isolate and pressure the Israeli government to abandon its hardline policies in Gaza. Instead, it was largely bypassed in hostage negotiations, and despite its links with the political leadership of Hamas, Turkey has not emerged as a diplomatic hotspot on the Palestinian issue nor in efforts to avert regional escalation.  

Worse for Ankara, the Gulf states and Egypt – despite their condemnation of Israel’s disregard for civilian lives in Gaza – have made it abundantly clear that they are not interested in entering a united anti-Israel front led by Turkey or abandoning the normalisation track with Tel Aviv.

Ankara’s tepid ties with Washington has not made it any easier for Erdogan. Once the lynchpin of US policy in the Middle East, for almost a decade now Turkish-US relations have been a drama shaped by mutual grievances, which range from Turkey’s objections to US support for Syrian Kurds to Washington’s criticism of Turkey’s human rights record and its burgeoning relations with Russia. To many in Washington, Turkey came to be seen as an “unfaithful ally.” Increasingly, Turkish-US relations look to be on the verge of a slow marital break-up, with deep suspicions and grievances on both sides.

The Biden administration started off in 2021 with a policy of keeping Erdogan at arm’s length, initially intended to better manage the relationship after four confusing years of President Donald Trump. But things have hardly improved much since then. There is little engagement at the leadership level between Erdogan and Biden and the strategic divergence between the two capitals on the emerging world order and its various challenges is stark.

With the war in Ukraine, Washington had to accept Turkey’s balancing act between Moscow and Kyiv and turn a blind eye to Turkish trade with Russia in violation of Western-led sanctions. Inside NATO, there is both appreciation (for closing off the Bosphorus to Russian warships) and frustration (for blocking Sweden’s membership bid for a time and trading with Russia) with Turkey.

When it comes to the Middle East, Erdogan’s pro-Hamas position has irritated the Israeli government and its public so much that it has rendered a potential Turkish role in Gaza is unrealistic, at least in the short-term. For the United States, this created a new level of regional tension that needed to be managed. The US secretary of state Anthony Blinken skipped Turkey in his first tour of regional diplomacy after 7 October, and Erdogan, angry at Washington’s unequivocal backing for Israel, refused to meet with Blinken when he visited Ankara in November.

When the two finally met in January, on Blinken’s fourth trip, the conversation was as much about Gaza as about getting Turkey to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession – a priority item for the White House ahead of the NATO summit in Washington this summer. Turkey finally did ratify Sweden’s accession – much to the relief of Sweden and NATO member states.

The question now is whether or not this provides enough of a basis for a reset in Turkish-US relations – one where the two allies can work together on a number of strategic issues, including European security. The period of estrangement has helped neither side strategically and is particularly glaring at a time when the US is trying to manage its diplomacy around two major wars – both in Turkey’s immediate neighbourhood. Amid such geopolitical turmoil, both Turkey and the US need better relations with one another. But to get there, Washington and Ankara need to manage their divergences and identify common interests – especially on the geoeconomic front. They also need to accept that whatever partnership emerges will be ‘à la carte’ and very different from the perfect alignment of the post-cold war period.

Getting the much-delayed ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession through the Turkish parliament has given a temporary boost to the relationship and created a feel-good moment within the alliance as it prepares for the 75th anniversary summit. Sweden’s ratification will now be followed by the US Congress signing off on the sale of F16s to Turkey – something that Ankara desperately wants.

But the real strategic conversation starts afterwards. Once the give-and-take is over, the two allies need to sit and talk about the future of Syria and Iraq and the worsening situation in Gaza. Ukraine and the Black Sea are also burning issues, as is Iran, and the tightening of sanctions on Russia. The Biden administration is painfully aware that Turkey is politically and geographically very close to it all – and more vulnerable than it would like to admit.

All of this ties back to Gaza. At some point, there could be a role for Turkey in the reconstruction of Gaza or within a multinational peacekeeping force. It is hard to imagine the current Israeli government agreeing to a Turkish role – but then again it is hard to see what will happen in the region in a year or two.

For now, Turkey and the US need to take baby steps – learn to talk again, rediscover each other and build some level of trust to better coordinate in the two wars raging on Turkey’s borders. This conversation is largely bilateral, but can benefit Europe and other NATO allies as well. Europeans in particular could benefit from a Turkey that is on better terms with the US by reaching out to Ankara off the back of this détente, and focus on nurturing closer cooperation with Turkey on key security concerns in Europe’s eastern neighbourhood and further afield in the Middle East. From this, they could also benefit from a deeper economic partnership with Turkey – both a top market and a production base for Europe’s. If Turkey manages to tilt towards transatlantic partners in Ukraine, and can play a constructive role in Gaza, it can once again emerge as a useful partner, indispensable for the US and for Europe.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.19 (after 1940)

1940 – World War II: Battle of Cape Spada: The Royal Navy and the Regia Marina clash; the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni sinks, with 121 casualties. 1940 – Field Marshal Ceremony: First occasion in World War II that Adolf Hitler appoints field marshals due to military achievements. 1940 – World War II: Army order 112 forms the Intelligence Corps of the British Army. 1942 – World War II: The Second Happy Time of Hitler's submarines comes to an end, as the increasingly effective American convoy system compels them to return to the central Atlantic. 1943 – World War II: Rome is heavily bombed by more than 500 Allied aircraft, inflicting thousands of casualties. 1947 – Prime Minister of the shadow Burmese government, Bogyoke Aung San and eight others are assassinated. 1947 – Korean politician Lyuh Woon-hyung is assassinated. 1952 – Opening of the Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 1957 – The largely autobiographical novel The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold by Evelyn Waugh was published. 1961 – Tunisia imposes a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte; the French would capture the entire town four days later. 1963 – Joe Walker flies a North American X-15 to a record altitude of 106,010 meters (347,800 feet) on X-15 Flight 90. Exceeding an altitude of 100 km, this flight qualifies as a human spaceflight under international convention. 1964 – Vietnam War: At a rally in Saigon, South Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Khánh calls for expanding the war into North Vietnam. 1967 – Piedmont Airlines Flight 22, a Piedmont Airlines Boeing 727-22 and a twin-engine Cessna 310 collided over Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA. Both aircraft were destroyed and all passengers and crew were killed, including John T. McNaughton, an advisor to Robert McNamara. 1969 – Chappaquiddick incident: U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy crashes his car into a tidal pond at Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, killing his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. 1972 – Dhofar Rebellion: British SAS units help the Omani government against Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman rebels in the Battle of Mirbat. 1976 – Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal is created. 1977 – The world's first Global Positioning System (GPS) signal was transmitted from Navigation Technology Satellite 2 (NTS-2) and received at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at 12:41 a.m. Eastern time (ET). 1979 – The Sandinista rebels overthrow the government of the Somoza family in Nicaragua. 1979 – The oil tanker SS Atlantic Empress collides with another oil tanker, causing the largest ever ship-borne oil spill. 1980 – Opening of the Summer Olympics in Moscow. 1981 – In a private meeting with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, French President François Mitterrand reveals the existence of the Farewell Dossier, a collection of documents showing the Soviet Union had been stealing American technological research and development. 1982 – In one of the first militant attacks by Hezbollah, David S. Dodge, president of the American University of Beirut, is kidnapped. 1983 – The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT is published. 1985 – The Val di Stava dam collapses killing 268 people in Val di Stava, Italy. 1989 – United Airlines Flight 232 crashes in Sioux City, Iowa killing 111. 1992 – A car bomb kills Judge Paolo Borsellino and five members of his escort. 1997 – The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army resumes a ceasefire to end their 25-year paramilitary campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland. 2011 – Guinean President Alpha Condé survives an attempted assassination and coup d'état at his residence in Conakry. 2012 – Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the city of Kobanî without resistance, starting the Rojava conflict in Northeast Syria. 2014 – Gunmen in Egypt's western desert province of New Valley Governorate attack a military checkpoint, killing at least 21 soldiers. Egypt reportedly declares a state of emergency on its border with Sudan.