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    <title>Pinboard (elizrael)</title>
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    <description>recent bookmarks from elizrael</description>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.mei.edu/publications/turning-tide-how-turkey-won-war-tripoli#pt14"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.syria.tv/%D8%A3%D9%86%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.nso-sy.com/Details/851/Special-sources-to-NSO:-anti-aircraft-missiles-shipped-to-YPG-in-Efrin/en"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.occrp.org/en/makingakilling/the-pentagon-is-spending-2-billion-on-soviet-style-arms-for-syrian-rebels"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/177026/amp"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://syrianobserver.com/EN/Features/33642/U_S_Backed_MOM_Operations_Room_Ends_Support_FSA_Groups/"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/188531"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E_fvAbrZoc"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?tid=ss_mail"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/it-s-time-for-the-syrian-opposition-to-realise-that-its-regional-backers-have-moved-on-1.618276"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://aawsat.com/home/article/955076/%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%85-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83-%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/06/02/pentagon-plan-to-track-weapons-provided-to-syrian-forces-is-problematic-experts-say/"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN18Q1R4?il=0"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/06/tunisia-ngos-crackdown-government-foreign-funds-declaration.html"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/defusing-the-electricity-crisis-in-gaza-for-now"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Massive-Iranian-funding-for-anti-Israel-terror-groups-revealed-497703"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/arms-provided-to-ypg-militants-will-be-taken-back-after-isil-defeated-us-tells-ankara-in-letter.aspx?pageID=238&amp;nID=114640&amp;NewsCatID=358"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://aranews.net/2017/06/former-american-envoy-syria-says-us-wont-defend-kurds-assad-analysts-disagree/"/>
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  </channel><item rdf:about="https://news.walla.co.il/item/3838376">
    <title>חמאס מנצל את הפסקת האש להתעצמות לקראת המלחמה הבאה - וואלה חדשות</title>
    <dc:date>2026-05-22T01:38:55+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://news.walla.co.il/item/3838376</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[חמאס, כך אמר גורם המצוי בפרטי התיווך, אינו מתנגד פומבית לפירוז הרצועה מנשק, פועל למסמוס הפירוז שלה באמצעות התניות כגון נסיגה ישראלית, עמידה בהיקף משאיות הסיוע, או הצגת מתווים חלקיים (פירוז חלקי, התחלת שיקום במקביל לפירוז)]]></description>
<dc:subject>Hamas Gaza foreign_aid taxes</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:4d40afea258e/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Hamas"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260506-us-wants-concrete-actions-on-iran-from-next-iraqi-pm">
    <title>US wants 'concrete actions' on Iran from next Iraqi PM</title>
    <dc:date>2026-05-07T12:41:02+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260506-us-wants-concrete-actions-on-iran-from-next-iraqi-pm</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Resuming full support "would start with expelling terrorist militias from any state institution, cutting off their support from the Iraqi budget (and) denying salary payments to these militia fighters," the official said.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Iraq foreign_policy USG foreign_aid IranianProxy</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:fb397cf51c78/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/media-leaks-misjudgments-and-lack-of-trust-doomed-plan-for-kurdish-invasion-to-help-bring-down-irans-regime-report/">
    <title>Media leaks, misjudgments, and lack of trust doomed plan for Kurdish invasion to help bring down Iran's regime -- report | The Times of Israel</title>
    <dc:date>2026-03-29T22:49:40+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/media-leaks-misjudgments-and-lack-of-trust-doomed-plan-for-kurdish-invasion-to-help-bring-down-irans-regime-report/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Mossad Iran Kurdish militia foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:287e74dffc98/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mossad"/>
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<item rdf:about="https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/iranian-kurdish-fighters-eye-a-weakened-tehran/">
    <title>Iranian Kurdish Fighters Eye a Weakened Tehran - New Lines Magazine</title>
    <dc:date>2026-03-20T11:11:32+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/iranian-kurdish-fighters-eye-a-weakened-tehran/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[According to Sharifi, the group’s sleeper cells inside Iran were activated during nationwide protests earlier this year. He pulled out his phone to show a video clip that he claimed depicted an operative detonating explosives at the gate of what he described as a regime cash storage facility in Tehran.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Iran Kurdish militia PKK foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:a6d776c5cf72/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="https://archive.is/2025.12.08-154157/https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/syrien-ein-jahr-nach-dem-sturz-von-baschar-al-assad-der-wundersame-frieden-von-homs-a-e1da4e3a-ff38-4b92-b7af-d1d01d5593a8">
    <title>Syrien ein Jahr nach dem Sturz von Baschar al-Assad: Der wundersame Frieden von Homs - DER SPIEGEL</title>
    <dc:date>2026-02-27T23:05:32+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://archive.is/2025.12.08-154157/https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/syrien-ein-jahr-nach-dem-sturz-von-baschar-al-assad-der-wundersame-frieden-von-homs-a-e1da4e3a-ff38-4b92-b7af-d1d01d5593a8</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[However, the ambitious Sheikh Hijri's plan alone was not that, he says in his hiding place: »The Israelis made us, all the sheikhs, the same offers: weapons that would be smuggled to us via the Kurds, money for our own troops, support. But how can you get involved?!«]]></description>
<dc:subject>Alawite Homs Syria revenge extrajudicial_killing Druze Israel foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:b82378533a6d/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Syria"/>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/05/middleeast/uae-saudi-power-struggle-yemen-intl">
    <title>Saudi Arabia’s dispute with the UAE exposes a deeper regional power struggle | CNN</title>
    <dc:date>2026-01-05T23:34:17+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/05/middleeast/uae-saudi-power-struggle-yemen-intl</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Those concerns extend beyond Yemen and Sudan. Riyadh is also wary of the UAE’s policies in the Horn of Africa and in Syria, where it believes Abu Dhabi has cultivated ties with elements of the Druze community, some of whose leaders have openly discussed secession.]]></description>
<dc:subject>Druze UAE Saudi-Arabia foreign_aid Yemen</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:5f8565c501bd/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Druze"/>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/yokra14633928">
    <title>ישראל פנתה לקטאר ערב 7 באוקטובר כדי להגדיל את העברת הכסף לחמאס</title>
    <dc:date>2026-01-03T03:46:27+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/yokra14633928</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[זמן מה מאוחר יותר, במהלך ספטמבר, יצא ראש המוסד דדי ברנע לדוחא לפגישות עם בכירים כדי לנסות להסדיר את המשך העברת הכספים לחמאס. כפי שפירסם "הניו-יורק טיימס", הקטארים שאלו את ראש המוסד האם עליהם להמשיך בהעברת הכספים והוא השיב בחיוב, בהנחייתו של ראש הממשלה נתניהו. כדאי להדגיש שברנע, עוד לפני כניסתו לתפקיד, התנגד נחרצות להעברת המימון לחמאס. ראש השב"כ רונן בר, כמו גם קודמו נדב ארגמן, התנגדו אף הם להעברת כסף קטארי לחמאס. ראש הממשלה נתניהו עצמו הוא שהורה שוב ושוב על סדר העדיפויות של שמירת שקט ברצועה, כמעט בכל מחיר, והנחה להסדיר זאת מול הקטארים.]]></description>
<dc:subject>Qatar Hamas Mossad Shabak foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:58d38f74b4f0/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Qatar"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Hamas"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mossad"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Shabak"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/23/israel-covert-activities-syria-druze/">
    <title>Israeli covert activities in Syria seek to thwart Sharaa’s government - The Washington Post</title>
    <dc:date>2025-12-23T17:36:29+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/23/israel-covert-activities-syria-druze/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The move ignited schisms among Druze commanders. Shoufi, the former Military Council leader, was accused of collaborating with Sharaa and went into hiding, fearing arrest by Hijri’s men. Hijri, meanwhile, has been accused of kidnapping and his son of dealings with regional drug-smuggling networks, including Hezbollah, according to a former Israeli official, a Druze commander in Syria and a financial middleman.

“The Israelis know they have no one to work with on the other side — certainly not in any long-term capacity,” said one of the former Israeli officials involved in the effort.]]></description>
<dc:subject>Israel Druze foreign_aid Syria Sweidaa</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:12844065e4d0/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Israel"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Druze"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Syria"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Sweidaa"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/defense/967332/">
    <title>באיראן נערכים לעימות עתידי עם ישראל ומחמשים את המיליציות בעיראק</title>
    <dc:date>2025-11-04T09:10:39+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/defense/967332/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Iraq militia foreign_aid Iran</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:0f3e05a417f3/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Iraq"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:militia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Iran"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-syria-talks-hit-snag-over-humanitarian-corridor-sources-say-2025-09-26/">
    <title>Exclusive: Israel-Syria talks hit snag over humanitarian corridor, sources say | Reuters</title>
    <dc:date>2025-10-09T17:22:38+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-syria-talks-hit-snag-over-humanitarian-corridor-sources-say-2025-09-26/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Sweida Israel foreign_aid Normalization negotiations</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:88c3e1fdd219/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Sweida"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Israel"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Normalization"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:negotiations"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/under-us-pressure-syria-israel-inch-toward-security-deal-2025-09-16/">
    <title>Under US pressure, Syria and Israel inch toward security deal | Reuters, Sep 16,2025</title>
    <dc:date>2025-10-09T13:46:01+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/under-us-pressure-syria-israel-inch-toward-security-deal-2025-09-16/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Two senior Druze figures, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said that since the Sweida fighting, Israel was helping unify splintered Druze factions and had delivered military supplies including guns and ammunition to them.
The two Druze commanders and a Western intelligence source said that Israel was also paying salaries for many of the roughly 3,000 Druze militia fighters.]]></description>
<dc:subject>Druze Israel militia foreign_aid HTSRegime Normalization negotiations</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:a5b3a87595c8/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Druze"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Israel"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:militia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:HTSRegime"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Normalization"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:negotiations"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/85878?s=09">
    <title>State of Terror</title>
    <dc:date>2022-07-26T15:26:38+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/85878?s=09</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>history mercenaries foreign_aid Lebanon Israel terrorism</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:82bf9d550704/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:history"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:mercenaries"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Lebanon"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Israel"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:terrorism"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://warontherocks.com/2022/07/the-case-against-security-cooperation-in-fragile-states/">
    <title>The Case Against Security Cooperation in Fragile States - War on the Rocks</title>
    <dc:date>2022-07-23T09:02:39+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://warontherocks.com/2022/07/the-case-against-security-cooperation-in-fragile-states/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Afghanistan military Foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:7ef000a23533/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Afghanistan"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:military"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://dawnmena.org/no-strings-attached-why-aid-conditionality-just-doesnt-work/">
    <title>No Strings Attached: Why Aid Conditionality Just Doesn’t Work - DAWN</title>
    <dc:date>2021-10-11T15:25:29+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://dawnmena.org/no-strings-attached-why-aid-conditionality-just-doesnt-work/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Intent is key to understanding how aid conditionality is supposed to work, and why it doesn't. The short answer is that the donor government—in this case, the United States—is not actually committed to any reform agenda that is nominally attached to its aid flows. In the Middle East, the U.S. goes to great lengths to overlook routine, endemic violations of the conditions attached to aid by U.S. law. Washington skirts or ignores outright those legal obligations, in the Foreign Assistance Act, the Arms Export Control Act and the so-called Leahy Laws. Even when the U.S. does withhold aid, it doesn't seem to change regime behavior.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>reform foreign_aid USG Egypt</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:86068c7aaf44/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:USG"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Egypt"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.mei.edu/publications/turning-tide-how-turkey-won-war-tripoli#pt14">
    <title>Turning the Tide: How Turkey Won the War for Tripoli | Middle East Institute, Nov 10, 2020</title>
    <dc:date>2021-05-07T11:30:51+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.mei.edu/publications/turning-tide-how-turkey-won-war-tripoli#pt14</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Aerial supremacy remained the predominant factor in determining the outcome of most military operations in the Libyan theater. Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs, “combat drones”) played a key role over the battlefield. The Bayraktar TB2 is a 630-kg drone with a weapons payload of just 55 kg (i.e. very light missiles and bombs). It is controlled by a ground control station via line-of-sight datalink. Limited in its range to 150 km, the TB2s were complemented by TAI Anka-S, which is operated via SATCOM and hence has a broader range capable of covering the whole of Libya and delivering a 200-kg payload.4 The Anka-S was mainly used to hunt LNA logistic convoys emanating from Sebha or Jufra, in the Fezzanese or central desert areas respectively, and destined for the Tripoli environs.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Turkey Libya civil_war Feb17 Haftar Russia foreign_aid UAV</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:139ebd83e136/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Libya"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:civil_war"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Feb17"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Haftar"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Russia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:UAV"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://newlinesmag.com/argument/what-the-cia-did-and-didnt-do-in-soviet-occupied-afghanistan/">
    <title>What the CIA Did (and Didn’t Do) in Soviet-Occupied Afghanistan | Newlines Magazine</title>
    <dc:date>2021-04-27T09:14:50+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://newlinesmag.com/argument/what-the-cia-did-and-didnt-do-in-soviet-occupied-afghanistan/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Foreign_aid MANPADS Russia Afghanistan CIA</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:36ae5c62f12a/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:MANPADS"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Russia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Afghanistan"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:CIA"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://fathomjournal.org/trump-and-netanyahu-the-disagreements-beneath-the-surface/">
    <title>Fathom – Trump and Netanyahu: The Disagreements Beneath The Surface</title>
    <dc:date>2021-03-21T13:22:11+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://fathomjournal.org/trump-and-netanyahu-the-disagreements-beneath-the-surface/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[First, in the midst of the war in Syria, as Israel secretly backed southern Syrian rebels, Trump terminated US overt and covert support to Syrian rebels, catalysing Syrian President Bashar Assad’s takeover of southern Syria. Consequently, IRGC, Hezbollah and other Shia militias have since been entrenching themselves and establishing offensive infrastructure in proximity to Israeli localities in the Golan Heights and the Galilee. Israel’s requests to reconsider the termination of US support to rebels, communicated in multiple channels, including to President Trump himself, were to no avail.

Later, during Trump’s last few months, with Assad clearly having the upper hand thanks to Iranian and Russian support, the Trump administration rejected Israel’s initiative to offset some Iranian gains in Syria caused by US pull-outs. Israel requested that the US facilitate a transaction consisting of investments by Gulf countries in Syria in exchange for a renewal of Gulf-Syrian diplomatic relations and Syria’s return into the Arab League. Israel saw in this a path to reduce Iran’s influence in Syria by diluting it with Gulf influence. The request was shot down by mid-level administration officials who dogmatically maintained that Syria merits only sanctions because of its alignment with Iran. The US, therefore, rejected an Israeli proposal aimed precisely at reducing Damascus’s dependence on Iran. The Trump administration also rejected repeated Israeli requests to end US support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, which the Israeli government deems to be a detrimental façade for Hezbollah’s rule over the country.

Second, and more broadly, Trump made several loud announcements of withdrawals and implemented a series of US troop pull-outs from both Syria and Iraq. To the chagrin of Israel’s defence establishment and prime minister, the sizable reduction in support for Kurdish forces gave the impression that the US betrays its allies, even those who fight shoulder to shoulder with it. More generally, the flamboyant withdrawals undermined the perception of American power in the Middle East by enhancing the impression that the US is only looking for an easy end to so-called ‘endless wars’, and thus any adversary exercising patience can overcome US power. Even when the US back-pedalled somewhat – among other reasons as a result of Israeli pressure – it failed to significantly offset losses, both in terms of actual troop deployment and of regional perceptions of the US. In Iraq, domestic pressures for US withdrawal have thus increased, also as a result of Soleimani’s killing in Baghdad. And most palpably, Israel’s leadership was disappointed with the lack of forcible US reaction against Iran to the September 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil processing facilities.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 Israel TrumpAdministration CIA foreign_aid FSA Iran IRGC ForeignFighters IranianProxy UAE Normalization</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:14276ff7d0e6/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Israel"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:TrumpAdministration"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:CIA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Iran"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IRGC"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:ForeignFighters"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IranianProxy"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:UAE"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Normalization"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://archive.vn/z0toK#selection-3749.11-3749.75">
    <title>Hundreds of contracts bulldozed: Turkey blocks Syrian refugees with military equipment donated by the EU - politiken.dk</title>
    <dc:date>2021-01-14T05:03:46+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://archive.vn/z0toK#selection-3749.11-3749.75</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Mar15 EU Turkey BorderFence borders foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:56c9a1010c7a/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:EU"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Turkey"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:BorderFence"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:borders"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.almodon.com/arabworld/2019/7/11/%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AD">
    <title>المدن - &quot;جيش الإسلام&quot; يعود من جديد.. بالفضائح 2019</title>
    <dc:date>2020-12-24T19:02:38+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.almodon.com/arabworld/2019/7/11/%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AD</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[وجّهت قناة "تروجان الثورة" في "تلغرام"، صفعة قوية لـ"جيش الإسلام"، بعدما سرّبت مقطعاً صوتياً قديماً لقائده عصام بويضاني، وهو يطلب الدعم المادي لقاء إيقاف معاركه الهجومية على النظام، ويصف جيشه كالعامل بالأجر، بسبب ارتباط تحركاته بالدعم، بحسب مراسل "المدن" منتصر أبو زيد.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>foreign_aid JayshAl-Islam Saudi-Arabia Damascus leak</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:be7cbf91f069/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:JayshAl-Islam"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Saudi-Arabia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Damascus"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:leak"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://reader.chathamhouse.org/development-libyan-armed-groups-2014-community-dynamics-and-economic-interests#">
    <title>The Development of Libyan Armed Groups Since 2014 | Chatham House, March 2020</title>
    <dc:date>2020-09-01T20:01:32+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://reader.chathamhouse.org/development-libyan-armed-groups-2014-community-dynamics-and-economic-interests#</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>corruption crime Libya GNA LNA militia smuggling foreign_aid banks</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:37a4f1c5ef8d/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:corruption"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:crime"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Libya"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:GNA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:LNA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:militia"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:banks"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://orientxxi.info/magazine/comment-abou-dhabi-donne-un-coup-de-main-a-damas,3970">
    <title>How Abu Dhabi is helping Damascus - Orient XXI</title>
    <dc:date>2020-06-27T19:57:46+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://orientxxi.info/magazine/comment-abou-dhabi-donne-un-coup-de-main-a-damas,3970</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[As soon as its embassy in Damascus reopened at the end of 2018 , Abu Dhabi, according to our sources, provided medical aid to hospitals located in areas controlled by the Syrian regime, as well as food aid. An Emirati delegation flew to Syria in the fall of 2017 to familiarize themselves with the reality on the ground and assess the development and reconstruction needs. According to the same sources, the UAE has already financed the reconstruction of public buildings, thermal power stations and the hydraulic networks of the Syrian capital. The Emirates, whom the former Secretary of State for Defense of the Trump administration and former military adviser to MBZ James Mattis, affectionately described as " Little Sparta  ”, also bring, still according to the same sources, military assistance.

Abu Dhabi also provides technical, scientific and logistical training to executives of the Syrian military intelligence services. The trainings, which started on January 15, 2020, last between two and twelve months depending on their content and are delivered by different structures spread across the Emirates. Thirty-one non-commissioned officers as well as eight civilian computer engineers are notably trained in information and communication systems, computer security and networks. The trainees are supervised by four officers of the Syrian intelligence services, including Colonel Zulficar Wassouf, responsible for training within the military intelligence services, as well as the cousin of the Syrian President, Lieutenant-Colonel Jihad Barakat.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 UAE Assad SAA sanctions aid foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:13360259ebda/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:UAE"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Assad"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/02/erdogan-bluster-war-russia-backed-syrian-forces.html">
    <title>Turkish losses rise in dangerous escalation over Syria's Idlib</title>
    <dc:date>2020-02-28T02:10:21+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/02/erdogan-bluster-war-russia-backed-syrian-forces.html</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The Donald Trump administration faces significant barriers in responding to the situation in Idlib, US officials say. Speaking at a closed-door event in Washington on Thursday, Richard Outzen, a senior State Department advisor on Syria, said that the US lacks the legal authority to ground Assad’s air force or to shoot down Syrian warplanes, attendees told Al-Monitor. 

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 Turkey State_Department ForeignFighters foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:86a2c83a3d5b/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Turkey"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:State_Department"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.syria.tv/%D8%A3%D9%86%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84">
    <title>أنقرة طلبت دعماً للفصائل من الأميركيين وستجمعهم مع قادة الفصائل | تلفزيون سوريا</title>
    <dc:date>2020-01-16T20:20:27+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.syria.tv/%D8%A3%D9%86%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[وبحسب المصدر، أبلغ المسؤولون الأتراك قادة الفصائل بأن أنقرة طلبت من واشنطن "دعماً لوجستياً" للفصائل العسكرية، وقدّموا لهم قائمة بذلك، لكنهم ما زالوا ينتظرون رداً من واشنطن.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 Idlib Turkey FSA NLF Russia USG foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:6ebde8690905/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="http://spioenkop.blogspot.com/2019/09/list-of-iranian-arms-and-equipment.html?m=1">
    <title>List of Iranian Arms and Equipment Supplied to Houthi Militants in Yemen since 2015</title>
    <dc:date>2019-12-14T02:53:36+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://spioenkop.blogspot.com/2019/09/list-of-iranian-arms-and-equipment.html?m=1</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Iran foreign_aid Houthi weapons smuggling</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:8c4cbd998241/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.axios.com/trump-israel-netanyahu-security-aid-palestine-4b22707f-636a-4568-bd80-94da0dcccc77.html">
    <title>Trump told officials that Netanyahu should pay security aid to Palestinians - Axios</title>
    <dc:date>2019-11-06T20:31:11+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.axios.com/trump-israel-netanyahu-security-aid-palestine-4b22707f-636a-4568-bd80-94da0dcccc77.html</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Palestinian_Authority Israel TrumpAdministration Trump foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:00f9b22c0268/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:TrumpAdministration"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="http://auis.edu.krd/iris/latest-iris-publications/basras-political-marketplace-understanding-government-failure-after">
    <title>BASRA'S POLITICAL MARKETPLACE: UNDERSTANDING GOVERNMENT FAILURE AFTER THE PROTESTS | IRIS</title>
    <dc:date>2019-04-30T17:04:24+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://auis.edu.krd/iris/latest-iris-publications/basras-political-marketplace-understanding-government-failure-after</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2019/04/29/basras-political-marketplace-understanding-government-failure-after-the-protests/]]></description>
<dc:subject>corruption water Iraq politics militia tribes foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:0ecffbfbb6e5/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:water"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Iraq"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:politics"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/01/31/the-u-s-has-wasted-billions-of-dollars-on-failed-arab-armies/">
    <title>The U.S. Has Wasted Billions of Dollars on Failed Arab Armies – Foreign Policy, Jan 31, 2019</title>
    <dc:date>2019-02-21T03:42:26+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/01/31/the-u-s-has-wasted-billions-of-dollars-on-failed-arab-armies/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The Arab world never really industrialized, and this relative underdevelopment meant that many Arabs came to the military without much understanding of advanced machinery. As a result, Arab personnel often failed to get the full potential out of their weapons and invariably failed to maintain them properly, with the result that the real numbers of tanks, planes, and artillery pieces they could field were far fewer than what they had purchased.

But the most critical factor is that Arab cultural-educational practices conditioned too many of their personnel to remain passive at lower levels of any hierarchy and to manipulate information to avoid blame. In modern combat—where the difference between victory and defeat is often aggressive, innovative junior officers able to react to unforeseen circumstances and take advantage of fleeting opportunities—these tendencies proved devastating time and again.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>military foreign_aid USG arab_world</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:221054fc407d/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:USG"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:arab_world"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="http://en.suriyegundemi.com/factions-of-the-national-army/">
    <title>Factions of the National Army - Suriye Gündemi</title>
    <dc:date>2018-12-29T22:26:40+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://en.suriyegundemi.com/factions-of-the-national-army/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>FSA Turkey USTraining DoD MOC foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:466129529d2e/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Turkey"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:USTraining"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:DoD"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:MOC"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.aymennjawad.org/2018/12/fatah-al-intifada-in-syria-interview?fbclid=IwAR30fmU-lzQMz026wXdfmCm_2qf85gPx_xW66BTx8gi3gPWly1cCJO_00yg">
    <title>Fatah al-Intifada in Syria: Interview :: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Dec 18, 2018</title>
    <dc:date>2018-12-24T01:21:15+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://www.aymennjawad.org/2018/12/fatah-al-intifada-in-syria-interview?fbclid=IwAR30fmU-lzQMz026wXdfmCm_2qf85gPx_xW66BTx8gi3gPWly1cCJO_00yg</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Q: What has been the role of Fatah al-Intifada in the events in Syria? Has Fatah al-Intifada participated in battles as an auxiliary force for the Syrian Arab Army?

A: Fatah al-Intidada was among the first to recognize the truth of the conspiracy planned against Syria to destroy it and tear it apart with the aim of bringing about the collapse of the resistance axis stretching from Tehran and passing through Damascus and Hezbollah and the Palestinian resistance.

So we have borne arms in defence of the people of Syria, our people and the Syrian state, and we have been a powerful aid and auxiliary for the Syrian army in many of the areas throughout Syria.

For we have had the honour of participating in the liberation of all the Damascus camps that the terrorists were able to seize as well as the honour of participating in the liberation of a number of localities of Ghouta like al-Mleha, Shab'a, Zabadin, Jisrin and others. In addition, a force for the Fatah movement has been formed that operates with Hezbollah and has been involved in most of the regions of Syria like Aleppo, Deir az-Zor, Deraa and Quneitra.

Q: Have the Islamic Resistance Hezbollah and the friends helped you in matters of financing, arming and training? What has been their role exactly?

A: Regarding financing, after the movement was deprived of its entitlements (the Liberation Organization [PLO]) and our martyrs deprived of the national treasury, the movement turned to the friends and Iran and Hezbollah have not fallen short in that.The support offered from them is limited financial support. And regarding training also, the support has been limited.]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 Palestinians militia IranianProxy Iran foreign_aid Hizbollah</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:a4d2d3d2a6e9/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:militia"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Hizbollah"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/saudi-arabias-blood-pact-with-a-genocidal-strongman-houthis-bashir-sudan-yemen-uae/">
    <title>Saudi Arabia’s Blood Pact With a Genocidal Strongman | The American Conservative, Dec 5, 2018</title>
    <dc:date>2018-12-08T14:44:27+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/saudi-arabias-blood-pact-with-a-genocidal-strongman-houthis-bashir-sudan-yemen-uae/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The Saudis and UAE bribed Sudan's president to send Janjaweed fighters to be cannon fodder in Yemen. It's not working out.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>Darfur Sudan mercenaries UAE Saudi-Arabia Yemen foreign_aid ForeignFighters naturalResources</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:491b7b5f366e/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Sudan"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.rt.com/news/437719-jerusalem-post-idf-censor/">
    <title>Report on IDF funding Syrian rebels pulled on request of ‘army’s censor’ – Jerusalem Post to RT — RT World News</title>
    <dc:date>2018-09-06T16:21:44+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.rt.com/news/437719-jerusalem-post-idf-censor/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Mar15 Israel IDF foreign_aid FSA Quneitra censorship</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:b2b5502f3ef7/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Israel"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IDF"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Quneitra"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/07/25/egypt-security-human-rights-and-reform-pub-76916">
    <title>Egypt: Security, Human Rights, and Reform - Carnegie, July 25, 2018</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-30T22:26:48+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/07/25/egypt-security-human-rights-and-reform-pub-76916</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Now Sisi appears to be working on removing any opposition. Independent political parties formed since the 2011 revolution have been systematically undermined by security agencies, and there is now pressure on the 20 or so parties represented in parliament to coalesce into just two or three, all supporting Sisi.

There are also efforts to quell any opposition within the regime. Sisi has replaced many senior security officials—the ministers of defense and interior, army chief of staff, and director of intelligence—in recent months. The parliament also passed on July 16 a law that would grant designated senior  2 military officers lifelong immunity from prosecution for crimes committed in the years following the 2013 coup. The law gives the president the right to designate the officers enjoying such immunity, a highly effective tool to use in managing any dissent within the military. ]]></description>
<dc:subject>Egypt authoritarian_regime constitution repression Sisi foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:a6dcae6b2032/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2018/02/idlib-free-army-factions-receive-turkish-conditional-funding/">
    <title>In Idlib: “Free Army” Factions Receive Turkish Conditional Funding- Enab Baladi, Feb 17, 2018</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-30T16:02:35+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2018/02/idlib-free-army-factions-receive-turkish-conditional-funding/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Turkey foreign_aid Idlib FSA MOC</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:bea03ddebb39/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Turkey"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Idlib"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:MOC"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/world/middleeast/egypt-human-rights-us-aid.html">
    <title>Despite Egypt’s Dismal Human Rights Record, U.S. Restores Military Aid</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-29T16:28:00+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/world/middleeast/egypt-human-rights-us-aid.html</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>foreign_aid Egypt TrumpAdministration authoritarian_regime</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:66c3e0668f9d/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Egypt"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:TrumpAdministration"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:authoritarian_regime"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.agsiw.org/using-syria-as-a-training-ground-the-case-of-the-pakistani-zeinabiyoun-brigade/">
    <title>Using Syria as a Training Ground: The Case of the Pakistani Zeinabiyoun Brigade</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-22T21:59:06+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://www.agsiw.org/using-syria-as-a-training-ground-the-case-of-the-pakistani-zeinabiyoun-brigade/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Pakistan IranianProxy Quds_Force Mar15 foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:d6e38003bd41/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Pakistan"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IranianProxy"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Quds_Force"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://syriadirect.org/news/%E2%80%98we%E2%80%99ve-been-forced-to-take-up-arms%E2%80%99-idlib-civil-society-workers-turn-to-factions-in-wake-of-us-funding-freeze/">
    <title>‘We’ve been forced to take up arms’: Idlib civil society workers turn to factions in wake of US funding freeze - Syria Direct</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-18T16:25:35+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://syriadirect.org/news/%E2%80%98we%E2%80%99ve-been-forced-to-take-up-arms%E2%80%99-idlib-civil-society-workers-turn-to-factions-in-wake-of-us-funding-freeze/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Abdul Kareem quickly found a job with hardline Islamist coalition Hay’at Tahrir a-Sham (HTS), the dominant faction in Idlib and formerly Al-Qaeda’s Syrian counterpart Jabhat a-Nusra. HTS was designated a terrorist organization by the US government in May.

“I’m fundamentally opposed to all of their policies,” says Abdul Kareem, who now serves on the faction’s police force, “but I need money to provide for my children.”

Two other former URB employees who spoke with Syria Direct found positions within Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions. All three men now carry a weapon on a daily basis. They asked that their real names be withheld in this report, fearing repercussions from local rebel groups.

The sudden shift from office jobs to frontlines reflects the fragility of a nascent Syrian civil society movement that often hinges on shrinking pools of foreign aid—and the potential for armed groups with deeper pockets to fill the void left behind by funding cuts.  

“Searching for a job in the north is like looking for a needle in a haystack,” says Muhammad al-Ali, a 27-year-old native of Kafr Nabl. “We’ve been forced to take up arms in order to survive.”

Until recently, al-Ali’s voice was a staple of the local news coverage broadcast by Radio Fresh. But after the funding freeze, he says he grudgingly accepted a position as a liaison officer with a Free Syrian Army faction, taking advantage of a personal connection to another officer.

“I never imagined that one day I’d leave my job, join an armed group, carry arms and head to the frontlines,” the father of two says. “I was forced to do so in order to provide for my family.”

]]></description>
<dc:subject>civil_society localGovt Idlib recruitment FSA JabhatAl-Nusra Mar15 foreign_aid TrumpAdministration</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:bce1c98b391d/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:localGovt"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Idlib"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:recruitment"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:JabhatAl-Nusra"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:TrumpAdministration"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://fairelief.org/syria">
    <title>SYRIA — FAI RELIEF</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-10T00:33:21+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://fairelief.org/syria</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>Christians Mar15 Quneitra foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:2bc85b0fc9a9/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Christians"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Quneitra"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/Article-649158">
    <title>מעריב | הניצחון של אסד כבר ברור - השאלה היא מה יהיה עם האיראנים</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-08T15:57:30+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://www.maariv.co.il/journalists/Article-649158</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[ראינו את השיטה הזאת פועלת בשני כפרים בצפון רמת הגולן בשנה שעברה. אחרי ריכוך של כמה שבועות, אנשי אסד מציעים לאנשי הכפר להסגיר את הנשק הכבד, לשמור את הנשק האישי לעצמם ובתמורה לא נכנסים לכפר ואף מכתירים את ראש המיליציה המקומית כמפקד בשכר מטעם אסד. המנשר שהוציאו השבוע ראשי הארגונים בגולן מסמן שזה מה שיקרה גם שם: הם גינו והכפישו במילים קשות את אסד והודיעו שלנוכח מעלליו הלא־אנושיים הם מתכוונים לפתוח איתו במשא ומתן. אם יהיה סלע התנגדות אחד בגולן, זה יהיה הכפר ג'ובתא אל־חשב, שלא ימהר להיכנע.

אנשי הכפרים האלה, שעומדים עכשיו להיכבש, מקיימים קשר הדוק עם ישראל כבר חמש שנים. ברגע שיחזור אסד למשול באזור הזה, יגיע קץ לאחד המפעלים המופלאים שהקימה ישראל: פרויקט "שכנות טובה". הסיוע ההומניטרי ייאלץ להיפסק, אבל ישראל צריכה לשכנע את השותפים מעבר לגדר להמשיך למנוע כניסה של שיעים לכפרים שלהם. 

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 Quneitra IDF IranianProxy aid foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:a22244e1411c/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Quneitra"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IDF"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IranianProxy"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKfZ55NYFUI">
    <title>&quot;קשה לראות את האכזריות&quot;: תיעוד בלעדי של פעילות צה&quot;ל למען הפליטים בסוריה - YouTube</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-07T01:21:06+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKfZ55NYFUI</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><dc:subject>IDF foreign_aid Israel IDPs Quneitra</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:59b56592c901/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IDF"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Israel"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IDPs"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Quneitra"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/politics/.premium-1.6245898">
    <title>אסד חוזר לגבול, וישראל רואה בזה גם צדדים חיוביים - מדיני ביטחוני - הארץ</title>
    <dc:date>2018-07-06T11:36:08+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/politics/.premium-1.6245898</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[היא אינה מתכוונת להגן על כפרי המורדים הסונים הקרובים לגבול, למרות העזרה הרבה שהושיטה להם בשנים האחרונות (ו
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-what-does-israel-stand-to-gain-and-lose-from-assad-s-imminent-victory-1.6245983]]></description>
<dc:subject>Israel Quneitra Mar15 IDF foreign_aid unnamed_official</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:247866dbb50b/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Israel"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Quneitra"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:IDF"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:unnamed_official"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/26/syrian-rebels-aims-fight-turkey-battles-kurds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&amp;__twitter_impression=true">
    <title>Syrian rebels put their own aims aside to fight Turkey’s battles | The Guardian, Jan 26, 2018</title>
    <dc:date>2018-03-25T06:41:54+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/26/syrian-rebels-aims-fight-turkey-battles-kurds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&amp;__twitter_impression=true</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[“We have to reinforce and start over,” the rebel commander said. “The armed Syrian revolution was defeated militarily, but it wasn’t Bashar al-Assad who won, and the fact that there is an opposition at all is a victory in itself against the entire world. Syrians have zero influence over any decision related to Syria.”

Ankara hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees and lets the opposition reside in Turkey, while the US has stopped much of its help for the rebels. The CIA cut support late last year that was ferreted through a joint operations command centre in Turkey, according to several rebel commanders. “Turkey is doing something, and you have to appreciate these efforts, otherwise we would be bastards,” said one rebel official involved in the Afrin campaign. “Turkey hasn’t abandoned us, and we cannot abandon them. We need them more than they need us.”

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 Aleppo FSA unnamed_official Turkey foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:535870373b72/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Aleppo"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:unnamed_official"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Turkey"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/26/syrian-rebels-aims-fight-turkey-battles-kurds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other">
    <title>Syrian rebels put their own aims aside to fight Turkey’s battles | World news | The Guardian</title>
    <dc:date>2018-01-27T16:01:46+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/26/syrian-rebels-aims-fight-turkey-battles-kurds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The rebels have not extracted any promises from Turkey to support a future Idlib campaign against HTS. But they said they would need international backing anyway to launch it, and Turkey continues to support a project for a national rebel army that has so far trained between 10,000-15,000 fighters, mostly from Euphrates Shield forces.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 FSA BufferZone Aleppo Turkey foreign_aid PYD</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:cef337bb9345/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:BufferZone"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Aleppo"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Turkey"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:PYD"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.nso-sy.com/Details/851/Special-sources-to-NSO:-anti-aircraft-missiles-shipped-to-YPG-in-Efrin/en">
    <title>NSO | Special sources to NSO: anti-aircraft missiles shipped to YPG in Efrin</title>
    <dc:date>2018-01-14T16:51:00+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.nso-sy.com/Details/851/Special-sources-to-NSO:-anti-aircraft-missiles-shipped-to-YPG-in-Efrin/en</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The source told NSO that US representatives told YPG commanders who received the shipment to not use it unless Efrin city and Kurdish-majority areas were threatened, and assured them that Turkey could launch a military operation to take Tal Rifa’at and dozens of villages around it which doesn’t belong to Efrin canton and in this case the missiles shouldn’t be used.

The shipment which supposed to be followed by others reached Syria from Kurdistan Iraq through Assad regime-held area in Aleppo eastern and western countryside to YPG-held Efrin canton but local sources confirmed that Russian or Assad regime didn't protest against these missiles.]]></description>
<dc:subject>rumors Mar15 MANPADS PYD USG foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:9316306cd6cf/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:MANPADS"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:PYD"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:USG"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.occrp.org/en/makingakilling/the-pentagon-is-spending-2-billion-on-soviet-style-arms-for-syrian-rebels">
    <title>Revealed: The Pentagon Is Spending Up To $2.2 Billion on Soviet-Style Arms for Syrian Rebels - OCCRP, Sep 12, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-12-30T04:52:40+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.occrp.org/en/makingakilling/the-pentagon-is-spending-2-billion-on-soviet-style-arms-for-syrian-rebels</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Arms factories across the Balkans and Eastern Europe – already working at capacity to supply the Syrian war – are unable to meet the demand. In response, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has turned to new suppliers like Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Ukraine for additional munitions while relaxing standards on the material it’s willing to accept, according to an investigation by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

This US-financed supply line is similar to a Saudi-backed €1.2 billion arms pipeline to Syria uncovered last year by BIRN and OCCRP.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>DoD weapons PYD SDF Mar15 CIA Saudi-Arabia obama_administration USG foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:ee07baa5adaa/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:DoD"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:weapons"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:PYD"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:SDF"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:CIA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Saudi-Arabia"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:obama_administration"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:USG"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/177026/amp">
    <title>&quot;موم&quot; توقف دعم بعض فصائل شمالي سوريا - عنب بلدي Oct 8, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-12-26T21:02:19+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/177026/amp</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[وقال قياديون في “الجيش الحر” لعنب بلدي اليوم، الأحد 8 تشرين الأول، إن الدعم توقف قبل شهرين ورغم أنه عاد لبعض الفصائل إلا أنه مازال متوقفًا عن أخرى.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 MOC CIA foreign_aid Hama Idlib FSA</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:e7b094ff8162/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:MOC"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:CIA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Hama"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Idlib"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
</rdf:Bag></taxo:topics>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://syrianobserver.com/EN/Features/33642/U_S_Backed_MOM_Operations_Room_Ends_Support_FSA_Groups/">
    <title>U.S.-Backed MOM Operations Room Ends Support for FSA Groups - Sada al-Sham, Dec 19, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-12-20T03:16:22+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://syrianobserver.com/EN/Features/33642/U_S_Backed_MOM_Operations_Room_Ends_Support_FSA_Groups/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[For his part, the military commander of the Jaish al-Azza rebel group, Mustafa Marati, told Sada al-Sham that “MOM stopped support for Al-Azza four months ago because of accusations it was fighting against the Assad regime.”
]]></description>
<dc:subject>CIA Mar15 foreign_aid FSA Turkey TrumpAdministration Idlib Hama</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:6a912f01ffdd/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Turkey"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:TrumpAdministration"/>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Hama"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/186838">
    <title>رواتب مقاتلي درعا توقفت.. والأهالي يستنفرون للدعم - عنب بلدي Nov 26, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-12-11T02:05:00+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/186838</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[وأوضح الفاعوري أن راتب المقاتل انخفض بنسبة كبيرة، ليصل إلى أقل من 40 دولارًا شهريًا، بعدما كان يتجاوز في بعض الأحيان 200 دولار.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 FSA foreign_aid MOC Daraa Fundraising</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:174f828725b7/</dc:identifier>
<taxo:topics><rdf:Bag>	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Mar15"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:FSA"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:foreign_aid"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:MOC"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Daraa"/>
	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Fundraising"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/188531">
    <title>مصادر: فصائل تحضر لهجوم في حوض اليرموك بإسناد إسرائيلي - عنب بلدي - Dec 2, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-12-10T20:02:47+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/188531</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[وأكد مراسل عنب بلدي أن أعداد من سلموا أنفسهم قليلة جدًا، وليس كما تتكلم الوسائل التابعة للنظام كما أن معظمهم من المدنيين وليسوا مقاتلين أو قادة ميلشيات.

وبدأت فصائل من “الجيش الحر” غربي درعا، معركة ضد “جيش خالد”، تحت مسمى “أهل الأرض”، في 28 تشرين الثاني الماضي، وتحديدًا على محور بلدة تسيل.

المصادر أشارت إلى أن معركة “أهل الأرض” حظيت بتغطية جوية إسرائيلية، عبر طائرات دون طيار، واستهدفت مواقع للفصيل الجهادي في حوض اليرموك.

وتنفي إسرائيل بشكل دائم أي دعم لفصائل المعارضة، إلا أن محللين عسكريين يؤكدون دعمها بالمال والسلاح على بعض الجبهات.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Israel foreign_aid Mar15 ISIS FSA Daraa</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:c6103e1aa788/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.apnews.com/ef74dea6251a4297bf9c5462a10e20cc">
    <title>Trump, Turkish leader discuss Syrian crisis in phone call - AP</title>
    <dc:date>2017-11-24T22:30:12+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.apnews.com/ef74dea6251a4297bf9c5462a10e20cc</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[“Mr. Trump clearly stated that he had given clear instructions and that the YPG won’t be given arms and that this nonsense should have ended a long time ago,” Cavusoglu said.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 PYD foreign_aid Trump Turkey weapons</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:0c907466f85f/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E_fvAbrZoc">
    <title>&quot;الحر&quot; يستهدف مواقع لـ&quot;جيش خالد&quot; في حوض اليرموك بدرعا - YouTube</title>
    <dc:date>2017-09-15T01:58:10+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E_fvAbrZoc</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Firqat Ahrar Nawa 0:08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxnj5uPIRZ0]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 FSA Israel weapons Iran Daraa foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:ad1fe5f46101/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/31/victory-for-assad-looks-increasingly-likely-as-world-loses-interest-in-syria?CMP=share_btn_tw">
    <title>Victory for Assad looks increasingly likely as world loses interest in Syria | | The Guardian, Aug 31, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-09-04T20:00:07+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/31/victory-for-assad-looks-increasingly-likely-as-world-loses-interest-in-syria?CMP=share_btn_tw</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[An announcement earlier this week by Jordan – one of the opposition’s most robust supporters – that “bilateral ties with Damascus are going in the right direction” has, for many, marked a death knell for the opposition cause.

Within the ranks of the political opposition, and regional allies, the statement was the opening act of something that all had dreaded: normalisation with a bitter foe. And without anything much to show for it.

Emphasising his words, Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said: “This is a very important message that everyone should hear.” And indeed, the about-face in Amman was quickly noted in Ankara, Doha, and Riyadh, where – after seven and a-half years of war – states that were committed to toppling the Syrian leader are now resigned to him staying.

Returning from a summit in the Saudi capital last week, opposition leaders say they were told directly by the foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, that Riyadh was disengaging. “The Saudis don’t care about Syria anymore,” said a senior western diplomat. “It’s all Qatar for them. Syria is lost.”

Officials in Whitehall are examining whether Britain will continue to honour up to £200m in aid for local populations in Idlib and communities exiled from elsewhere in Syria.

The officials fear that the al-Qaida inspired affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, has increasingly imposed itself on how local institutions are run, meaning aid deliveries cannot credibly be kept away from a prescribed terror group. Germany is also considering suspending its aid program to Idlib province. If both countries pull out, the US is expected to follow.

“Once the Russians realise that Iran – not Syria – has actually won this, they will put Assad on the table,” said one of the diplomats. That is their trump card; being able to say to the international community that they have delivered what they want. It is also their exit strategy.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Idlib Mar15 regime_change Assad Russia Iran Jordan Saudi-Arabia foreign_aid aid JabhatAl-Nusra</dc:subject>
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<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:ddd873ae8195/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:JabhatAl-Nusra"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?tid=ss_mail">
    <title>Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow - The Washington Post , July 19, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-08-23T13:31:36+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?tid=ss_mail</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Officials said Trump made the decision to scrap the CIA program nearly a month ago, after an Oval Office meeting with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and national security adviser H.R. McMaster ahead of a July 7 meeting in Germany with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“This is a momentous decision,” said a current official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a covert program. “Putin won in Syria.”

U.S. officials said the decision had the backing of Jordan, where some of the rebels were trained, and appeared to be part of a larger Trump administration strategy to focus on negotiating limited cease-fire deals with the Russians.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>CIA MOC Mar15 TrumpAdministration foreign_policy foreign_aid Jordan</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:948b79c34f92/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:TrumpAdministration"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/it-s-time-for-the-syrian-opposition-to-realise-that-its-regional-backers-have-moved-on-1.618276">
    <title>It's time for the Syrian opposition to realise that its regional backers have moved on - The National</title>
    <dc:date>2017-08-09T18:37:14+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/it-s-time-for-the-syrian-opposition-to-realise-that-its-regional-backers-have-moved-on-1.618276</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia and regional allies recently moved to reshuffle the opposition’s structures, to expand the representation of the hawks-dominated and divided HNC and to stem the influence of extremists within the political and military bodies. There is also a plan to bring together the opposition blocs known as the “Cairo platform” and “the Moscow platform”.

Additionally, Turkey also opposed the participation of opposition fighters in the fight against ISIL under the umbrella of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, and continues to do in key areas like Deir Ezzor. This policy runs counter to the rebels’ interests since the United States insists on working solely with the SDF. Privately, some of these rebels understand that working under the US-backed umbrella will help them liberate and govern their own areas. Publicly, they feel under pressure to reject working with the “enemy” of their supposed Turkish ally.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 SDF Turkey foreign_aid</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:4eece2522cc0/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-the-demise-of-the-cias-anti-assad-program-means/2017/07/20/f6467240-6d87-11e7-b9e2-2056e768a7e5_story.html">
    <title>What the demise of the CIA’s anti-Assad program means - The Washington Post, July 20, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-24T10:57:21+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-the-demise-of-the-cias-anti-assad-program-means/2017/07/20/f6467240-6d87-11e7-b9e2-2056e768a7e5_story.html</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[That’s not to say that the CIA effort was bootless. Run from secret operations centers in Turkey and Jordan, the program pumped many hundreds of millions of dollars to many dozens of militia groups. One knowledgeable official estimates that the CIA-backed fighters may have killed or wounded 100,000 Syrian soldiers and their allies over the past four years. By the summer of 2015, the rebels were at the gates of Latakia on the northern coast, threatening Assad’s ancestral homeland and Russian bases there. Rebel fighters were also pushing toward Damascus.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>CIA foreign_aid MOC Mar15 FSA obama_administration TrumpAdministration</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:eaa54baa3bba/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="https://aawsat.com/home/article/955076/%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%85-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83-%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86">
    <title>فورد: الأكراد سيدفعون ثمن ثقتهم بالأميركيين... وأوباما لم يترك لترمب الكثير من الخيارات | الشرق الأوسط, June 19, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-11T09:32:19+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://aawsat.com/home/article/955076/%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%84%D9%85-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83-%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[- عندما تجاوز فريد هوف الخط، بدا لي أنه علينا القيام بما يمكن به للضغط على النظام وخصوصاً بعد فشل خطة أنان. وفي مايو (أيار) فشلت بعثة المراقبين الدوليين روبرت مود. وقتذاك، ذهبت إلى واشنطن وزرت (مدير وكالة الاستخبارات المركزية) ديفيد بترايوس في مايو 2012. كنت أعرفه من العراق وعملنا سوية. قلت: يجب بذل جهد أكبر في سوريا ويجب الانتباه إلى تسلل الإرهابيين من العراق. ويجب أن نفكر بمساعدة المعتدلين والضغط على النظام ووقف تقدم المتطرفين. هذا يعني، يجب مساعدة المعتدلين. بترايوس نظر إلي. هو ذكي وليس غبياً. لم يقل الكثير، فقط قال: دعني أتحدث إلى جماعتي في «سي أي إيه» حول هذا الأمر.
* ثم قدم اقتراحا لتسليح المعارضة؟
- بعد شهرين تحدثت إلى كلينتون وأجريت لقاءات مع «وكالة الاستخبارات الأميركية» (سي أي إيه). وكان هناك اتفاق حول ما يجب فعله. يجب مساعدة المعتدلين.
* بالسلاح؟
- نعم، بالسلاح. في يونيو (حزيران) ويوليو (تموز) تحدثت إلى كلينتون حول الأمر. توقعت أن ترفض ذلك ولن نسلح المعارضة لأن هذا تغيير كبير في سياستنا ونريد الحوار و«بيان جنيف» وحل تفاوضي وهيئة انتقالية وطنية. كنت أتوقع أن يكون اللقاء صعباً مع كلينتون، لكن الواقع أنها وافقت فوراً لوضع حد لـ«جبهة النصرة» ودعم المعتدلين بالسلاح والمساعدات لدعم المواطنين كي نضغط على النظام ليقبل «بيان جنيف».
تعرف ماذا قالت؟
* ماذا؟
- قالت أيضا: سيكون لنا نفوذ أكثر على المعارضة لقبول حل تفاوضي سياسي. كان الاجتماع مع كلينتون سهلاً. لم أكن أعرف التفاصيل. هناك صحافي أميركي قال: كلينتون التقت بترايوس في يونيو وتحدث معها عن الأمر قبل أن تلتقي به. إذن، لم يخبرني أي منهما عن الأمر.
* أوباما رفض توصية كلينتون وبترايوس بتسليح المعارضة؟
- لم يرفض، بل وضع التوصية في الدرج. في الثقافة الأميركية يعني ذلك الرفض.
* البرنامج السري لـ«سي أي إيه» بدأ بعد ذلك؟
- يجب أن أكون حذرا. لا أستطيع التحدث عن البرنامج السري. ما يمكن قوله: النقاش استمر في مناسبات عدة في الأشهر اللاحقة إلى العام 2013. وقتذاك، ظهرت تقارير أن النظام استعمل السلاح الكيماوي بكميات صغيرة في محافظة حلب وريف دمشق. وكانت هناك تقارير أن «القاعدة» و«النصرة» تزداد انتشاراً. و(جون) كيري حصل على موافقة أوباما في 2013. أول لقاء له كان عن سوريا. وتحدثت معه حول تسليح المعارضة ورفض أوباما. كيري قال: يجب القيام بذلك. قلت: الرئيس لم يوافق. ذهب إلى أوباما وتحدث عن الأمر. وعاد وقال لي: لدي موافقة من أوباما لتقديم مساعدات غير قاتلة للمعارضة. غذاء واتصالات ودواء ولباس، لكن ليس سلاحاً. سألت: ماذا عن السلاح؟ كيري قال: السلاح، لا. لكن طلب مني البدء فوراً. ثم أعلن كيري في اجتماع لـ«أصدقاء سوريا» في روما مع رئيس «الائتلاف» معاذ الخطيب. أول دفعة وصلت في نهاية مارس (آذار) وجاءت من الكويت.

* إذن، كانت واشنطن تقبل بقاء الأسد في 2013 على عكس التصريحات؟
- نعم. لأن مفاوضات جنيف كانت لا تحقق أي تقدم. توقعت أن مفاوضات جنيف محكومة بالفشل خصوصاً بسبب الدعم الإيراني. لم أكن أتوقع الدعم الروسي. ومع الدعم الإيراني توقعت بقاء الأسد، لذلك تركت منصبي.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>obama_administration foreign_aid weapons MOC foreign_policy JohnKerry Obama hillary_clinton FSA Russia regime_change Assad</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:1a9438035095/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://tcf.org/content/report/egypts-human-rights-movement/">
    <title>Egypt's Human Rights Movement - TCF, April 18, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-09T14:12:42+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://tcf.org/content/report/egypts-human-rights-movement/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Since 1985, the number of Egyptian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focusing on human rights grew rapidly.
But despite the profusion of organizations, the Egyptian human rights movement has not been very successful in terms of effecting policy. The movement is partly a victim of the government’s basic contempt, but it also suffered from weak connections to other parts of civil society.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s security-focused regime has taken repression of human rights organizations to a new level with a recent crackdown.
For Egypt, mired in political dysfunction and economic malaise, the repression of human rights organizations is a practical as well as a moral blunder. The inclusion of human rights in policy and politics, the author argues, is essential to the country’s advancement.

The government bill was totally hostile to the basic concepts of how any regulated civil society could freely function while complying with reasonable requirements for transparency and accountability. The bill ensured full control by the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS) and security agencies of the functioning of civil society associations and treated CSOs as if they were extensions of the state bureaucracy, accountable to the state, which could outline the vision and strategy of the CSOs at will.18 This restrictive bill never materialized into a law, probably as a result of the critical campaign led by human rights organizations, which came four months after security forces stormed five national and foreign CSOs on December 29, 2011, arresting forty-three staff members, and later indicting them. A media smear campaign ensued, accusing human rights defenders in particular and advocacy NGOs in general of being foreign agents and conspiring to undermine the stability of the state. Reportedly following pressure from the United States, the Egyptian military allowed the foreign suspects (mostly Americans) to leave the country on bail. In June 2013, all forty-three suspects were sentenced to spend one to five years in prison (eleven of the sentences were suspended).19

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Egypt Jan25 repression authoritarian_regime history junta civil_society NGO human_rights law USG foreign_aid health_care</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:dbcfe566b78d/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Jan25"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://freedomhouse.org/report/modern-authoritarianism-civil-society">
    <title>Breaking Down Democracy: Civil Society | Freedom House, June 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-08T11:08:41+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://freedomhouse.org/report/modern-authoritarianism-civil-society</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Over the past decade there has been a steady stream of laws that restrict the funding and operations of NGOs. While more than 50 countries have passed such legislation,

The repeated adoption of new laws also gives the leadership the opportunity to showcase emotional propaganda that stresses the subversive nature of foreign or independent domestic civil society organizations, reinforcing the idea that the motherland is threatened by hostile encirclement and political infiltration.10

During the 1990s there was much discussion in the major democracies regarding the export of “best practices,” meaning the institutions, policies, and ways of doing things that had strengthened democratic governance in some of the more successful post-authoritarian societies, especially in Central Europe. More recently, modern authoritarian regimes have turned this concept on its head by sharing their own experiences with laws and tactics that have the effect of retarding democratic development.

Laws restricting the autonomy and funding of NGOs have been widely copied around the world. Many of the affected countries tolerated civil society activism in the period after the Cold War, only to move in a more repressive direction after the most prominent color revolutions alerted incumbent leaders to potential threat posed by civic activism. Once Russia had demonstrated a willingness to adopt legislation and then enforce it, other countries followed suit, first in Eurasia but subsequently in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Governments that adopt such laws seldom if ever shut down the civil society sector entirely. Instead, they deal with NGOs selectively, tolerating those that present no threat to the status quo, monitoring others, and repressing those that the leadership regards as a potential focus of opposition activity. Even some democracies, such as India, Indonesia, and Kenya, have enacted laws to strengthen state control over NGOs. But the most serious restrictions have been imposed by authoritarian regimes.15

According to a 2013 report, 12 countries had prohibited foreign funding for NGOs outright while another 49 placed restrictions on foreign donations.16 For authoritarian leaders, the imposition of foreign funding restrictions is a convenient tactic in that it makes it difficult for the organization to function effectively but falls short of an outright ban, which could attract sharper criticism. Furthermore, governments can justify their action on grounds of protecting sovereignty against foreign interference—a potent argument in an era when nationalist ideas have garnered greater public support. ]]></description>
<dc:subject>civil_society repression authoritarian_regime foreign_aid NGO law</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:5a3c2ae64275/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/07/05/__trashed-4/">
    <title>Across the globe, governments are cracking down on civic organizations. This is why. - The Washington Post</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-07T19:29:37+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/07/05/__trashed-4/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Why are some governments cracking down on civil society or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)? By our count, 39 of the world’s 153 low- and middle-income countries enacted restrictive funding laws between 1993 and 2012, targeting NGOs operating in-country with foreign funding.

This trend continues apace today. The Hungarian parliament recently approved a law obligating foreign-supported NGOs to declare their “foreign” status on websites and promotional materials. Egypt, Russia, Israel and other nations have enacted similar laws.]]></description>
<dc:subject>NGO foreign_aid authoritarian_regime civil_society repression legislation</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:5598cf8415f6/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/06/02/pentagon-plan-to-track-weapons-provided-to-syrian-forces-is-problematic-experts-say/">
    <title>Pentagon plan to track weapons provided to Syrian forces is problematic, experts say - The Washington Post, June 2, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-07T08:15:58+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/06/02/pentagon-plan-to-track-weapons-provided-to-syrian-forces-is-problematic-experts-say/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Col. Ryan Dillon, the new spokesman for the coalition, told reporters Thursday that this means Syrian commanders will “sign for by serial number” all the equipment and weapons that they are given. He added that the U.S. troops acting as advisers to the Syrian forces will also ensure the weapons are not misused and that those commanders have been properly vetted.

But experts said the proposed tracking methods inspire little confidence in the Pentagon’s ability to keep track of the weapons, adding that more safeguards will be needed if there is going to be any real accountability.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>foreign_aid weapons PYD Mar15</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:2e3aa522f7d2/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.voanews.com/a/sources-iran-to-bankroll-pro-government-militia-fighters-in-syria/3874390.html">
    <title>Sources: Iran to Bankroll Pro-Government Militia Fighters in Syria - VOA, May 28, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-07T07:57:54+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.voanews.com/a/sources-iran-to-bankroll-pro-government-militia-fighters-in-syria/3874390.html</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The Syrian government has asked Iran to take over the supervision and payroll of thousands of Shi'ite militiamen fighting alongside Russian and Syrian troops in support of President Bashar al-Assad, according to a government source and a news report.

The pro-opposition Syrian news website Zaman Al Wasel reported that it obtained a Syrian defense ministry document saying the Assad regime has approved a plan to give Iran responsibility for paying foreign fighters – mostly Shi'ites of varying nationalities. Shi'ite fighters mostly are paid in cash from Iran, the Syrian government and coffers of the Lebanese-based, pro-Iranian Hezbollah, according to analysts.

Iran would foot the bill alone in the future, a Syrian official told VOA on the condition of anonymity, confirming the Al Wasel report.

“The number of Shia militia has increased dramatically during the last two months,” the official said. “While a big part of these militia were recruited by Iran, a relatively big part was recruited by the Syrian government directly. We are speaking about more than 50,000 militants from different nationalities. The Syrian government requested that Iran provide for all of the mentioned militias.”
]]></description>
<dc:subject>salaries ForeignFighters IranianProxy Iran Mar15 Shia militia foreign_aid</dc:subject>
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<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:ac4cb08766ae/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN18Q1R4?il=0">
    <title>Syrian rebels say U.S., allies sending more arms to fend off Iran threat | Reuters, May 30, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-07T07:55:26+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN18Q1R4?il=0</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Rebels said military aid has been boosted through two separate channels: a program backed by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), known as the MOC, and regional states including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and one run by the Pentagon.

"There has been an increase in the support," said Tlass Salameh, head of the Jaish Usoud al-Sharqiya, one of the FSA groups backed via the CIA-backed program. "There's no way we can let them open the Baghdad-Damascus highway," he said.

A senior commander of a Pentagon-backed group, Maghawir al-Thawra, told Reuters a steady flow of weapons had arrived at their base near the Iraqi border since the pro-Damascus forces began deploying this month.

He said efforts to recruit and train local fighters from Deir al-Zor had accelerated at their garrison at Tanf, on the highway some 20 km (12 miles) from the Iraqi border.

"The equipment and reinforcements come and go daily ... but in the last few weeks they have brought in more heavy military vehicles, TOW (missiles), and armored vehicles," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Homs Mar15 FSA foreign_aid MOC USTraining DoD weapons</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:48a0dd450200/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/06/tunisia-ngos-crackdown-government-foreign-funds-declaration.html">
    <title>Tunisia cracks down on NGOs - Al-Monitor, June 23, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-07-01T07:35:34+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/06/tunisia-ngos-crackdown-government-foreign-funds-declaration.html</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Under Decree No. 88 of 2011, NGOs are allowed to receive funds from abroad for their activities. The act endowed civil society with great financial resources.

Bedhiafi noted that the Tunisian government will face several challenges in addressing the issue of foreign funding, including the difficulty of prosecuting suspicious activities by NGOs in court. “NGOs are likely to win any judicial proceedings aimed to dissolve them or suspend their activities for lack of appropriate evidence,” he said.

He went on, “Human rights organizations reject any restriction on NGOs' freedom, as they believe it will repress civil society, which has been active in the transitional period. Human rights organizations will view the government’s move as a restrictive move on NGOs in violation the government’s policies.”

Human and civil rights activist Sami Ben Salameh believes that nontransparent NGO funding represents a major problem in Tunisia. Despite the importance of foreign funding in ensuring the continuity of vital NGO activities, questionable funding by foreign parties often leads to controversies related to national security and to the independence of NGOs.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>NGO foreign_aid ForeignFighters Tunisia repression civil_society</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:7c06f94d7378/</dc:identifier>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/defusing-the-electricity-crisis-in-gaza-for-now">
    <title>Defusing the Electricity Crisis in Gaza -- For Now - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy</title>
    <dc:date>2017-06-25T13:12:39+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/defusing-the-electricity-crisis-in-gaza-for-now</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Regarding the Egyptian delivery, funds are suspected to have come from electricity payments to the utility when the cost was being covered by Qatar and Turkey. The PA, for its part, had until late April been fully paying for Israeli electricity exports to Gaza, estimated at 40 million Israeli shekels (about $11 million) per month -- as well as those to the West Bank -- from PA customs revenues collected by Israel on imports into both territories.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>Hamas Gaza electricity Qatar foreign_aid Israel Dahlan Palestinian_Authority</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:fd0ad782d208/</dc:identifier>
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	<rdf:li rdf:resource="https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/t:Gaza"/>
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</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Massive-Iranian-funding-for-anti-Israel-terror-groups-revealed-497703">
    <title>Massive Iranian funding for anti-Israel terror groups revealed - Jerusalem Post</title>
    <dc:date>2017-06-24T11:15:07+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Massive-Iranian-funding-for-anti-Israel-terror-groups-revealed-497703</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Speaking at the IDC Herzliya Conference, Halevi revealed that Iran is funding Hezbollah to the tune of $75 million a year, while paying $50m. of Hamas’s budget and approximately $70m. to Islamic Jihad.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>Iran foreign_aid Hamas PIJ Hizbollah terrorism Gaza</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:27edfb226498/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/arms-provided-to-ypg-militants-will-be-taken-back-after-isil-defeated-us-tells-ankara-in-letter.aspx?pageID=238&amp;nID=114640&amp;NewsCatID=358">
    <title>Arms provided to YPG militants will be taken back after ISIL defeated, US tells Ankara in letter - AMERICAS</title>
    <dc:date>2017-06-22T11:12:14+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/arms-provided-to-ypg-militants-will-be-taken-back-after-isil-defeated-us-tells-ankara-in-letter.aspx?pageID=238&amp;nID=114640&amp;NewsCatID=358</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Washington is in only a “tactical” relationship with the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which Ankara considers as linked to outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Turkish Defense Minister Fikri İsik in a letter, according to ministry sources.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>USG TrumpAdministration Turkey PYD weapons foreign_aid Mar15 funny</dc:subject>
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<item rdf:about="http://aranews.net/2017/06/former-american-envoy-syria-says-us-wont-defend-kurds-assad-analysts-disagree/">
    <title>Former American envoy to Syria says US won't defend Kurds against Assad, analysts disagree - ARA News</title>
    <dc:date>2017-06-22T07:56:33+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://aranews.net/2017/06/former-american-envoy-syria-says-us-wont-defend-kurds-assad-analysts-disagree/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[“I don’t think that’s likely, at least any time soon. It turns out it’s not possible to disaggregate the partner force you use to liberate eastern Syria from the Islamic State and the post-Islamic State order that keeps the Islamic State at bay – the capture force and the hold force are the same thing, you don’t get to just invest in one,” Heller told ARA News.

“The United States isn’t somehow committed to the ‘Northern Federation’ or a democratic confederalist project. But America can’t just walk away from the Kurds the day after defeating the Islamic State without inviting an attack on northeast Syria from all sides and, ultimately, undoing what it’s accomplished against the Islamic State,” he concluded.]]></description>
<dc:subject>PYD SDF USG foreign_aid Rojava</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
<dc:identifier>https://pinboard.in/u:elizrael/b:4d4c0ab313aa/</dc:identifier>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.wsj.com/articles/israel-gives-secret-aid-to-syrian-rebels-1497813430?mod=e2tw">
    <title>Israel Gives Secret Aid to Syrian Rebels - WSJ</title>
    <dc:date>2017-06-18T20:47:17+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.wsj.com/articles/israel-gives-secret-aid-to-syrian-rebels-1497813430?mod=e2tw</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[Fursan al-Joulan’s commander, who goes by the nickname Abu Suhayb, says his group gets roughly $5,000 a month from Israel. It isn’t linked to the Western-backed Free Syrian Army and doesn’t receive Western funding or arms.

The person familiar with Israel’s assistance confirmed that cash moves across the border but said it goes for humanitarian purposes. However, rebels interviewed said they use the cash to pay fighters’ salaries and to buy weapons and ammunition—something the Israeli military wouldn’t comment on.
Fursan al-Joulan, based in Quneitra province, has roughly 400 fighters loosely allied with four other rebel groups on the Golan that also receive Israeli aid, according to the commander Abu Suhayb and other rebels. Some of these other groups are affiliated with the Free Syrian Army or receive other Western funding and weapons.

In total, there are roughly 800 rebel fighters across more than a dozen villages in this area, where thousands of civilians live, fighters said. Many of the rebels and civilians in this area rely on some level of support from Israel, they added.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>Mar15 foreign_aid Israel Quneitra FSA</dc:subject>
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<item rdf:about="http://spioenkop.blogspot.co.il/2017/06/syria-rearms-russian-deliveries-of-bmp.html">
    <title>Oryx Blog: Syria Rearms: Russian deliveries of BMP-2s and 2S9s arrive</title>
    <dc:date>2017-06-16T07:39:54+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://spioenkop.blogspot.co.il/2017/06/syria-rearms-russian-deliveries-of-bmp.html</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The delivery of BMP-2s and 2S9s is of interest as previous deliveries to the 5th Corps amounted to less advanced equipment such as BMP-1s and World War 2-era 122mm M-30 howitzers. The fact that more advanced equipment is now arriving in Syria might be a sign that Russia deems the rearmament programme a success, and could potentially step up the delivery of more advanced equipment as the conflict continues to develop in favour of the current government.
]]></description>
<dc:subject>weapons Mar15 Russia foreign_aid SAA</dc:subject>
<dc:source>https://pinboard.in/</dc:source>
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<item rdf:about="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/opinion/syria-kurds-isis-raqqa.html?_r=0">
    <title>The Error of Arming the Syrian Kurds - The New York Times, June 6, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-06-14T11:21:05+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/opinion/syria-kurds-isis-raqqa.html?_r=0</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[The Y.P.G.’s authoritarian conduct has incited resistance, thanks in particular to its imposition of conscription, taxation and an ideological curriculum. The Y.P.G. has struggled to secure its legitimacy because it refuses to include other Kurdish voices and remains fundamentally focused on Turkey, seeing Syria merely as a springboard for supporting the P.K.K.’s insurgency against Turkey’s government. This threatening posture has led to a blockade against them and considerable hardship for Syrian Kurds. American support has reinforced these dynamics by empowering the P.K.K.’s military commanders and making local civilian administrators in Rojava beholden to them.

]]></description>
<dc:subject>PKK PYD authoritarian_regime Mar15 foreign_aid USG</dc:subject>
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<item rdf:about="http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/12/the-united-states-and-turkey-are-on-a-collision-course-in-syria-trump/">
    <title>The United States and Turkey Are on a Collision Course in Syria | Foreign Policy, May 12, 2017</title>
    <dc:date>2017-06-14T09:11:38+00:00</dc:date>
    <link>http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/12/the-united-states-and-turkey-are-on-a-collision-course-in-syria-trump/</link>
    <dc:creator>elizrael</dc:creator><description><![CDATA[In late November 2014, I accompanied Vice President Joe Biden for two days of talks with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and President Erdogan in Istanbul (where Erdogan often preferred to hold meetings). The primary goal was to get the Allen-McGurk proposal, which had been worked on extensively with senior Turkish officials, across the goal line. In Biden’s meeting with Davutoglu, the vice president secured Davutoglu’s agreement to the joint plan. Biden then met with Erdogan, who clearly had different priorities. During nearly five hours of talks, Biden acknowledged Erdogan’s concerns over U.S. support to the YPG in Kobani, while noting that Turkey also supported highly problematic groups from the U.S. perspective, including Ahrar al-Sham, a powerful hardline Salafist force which often worked closely with al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate. Biden urged Erdogan to put these differences aside by embracing the Allen-McGurk proposal. To address Erdogan’s concerns about the YPG, the United States and Turkey would identify an alternative, jointly vetted anti-Islamic State force. Erdogan was open to the proposal, but with one condition: the United States first had to impose a no-fly zone over all of northern Syria, including Aleppo city.

This was not a new request. For two years, Erdogan had pushed to establish a safe zone in Syria’s northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib to stem the flow of Syrian refugees and provide an area for anti-Assad rebels to organize and train, backed by a no-fly zone to keep Assad’s planes at bay. Yet despite the threat being on Turkey’s doorstep, and the fact that Turkey possessed the most powerful land army and air force in the region, Erdogan was unwilling to directly intervene. Instead, he preferred that the United States take the lead in establishing these zones. The Obama administration’s campaign against the Islamic State, and the U.S. request for Turkish base access, was seen by Erdogan as useful leverage to achieve this longstanding objective.

Erdogan’s decision to play hardball stemmed from the priority he placed at the time on toppling Assad over combatting the Islamic State and other extremist groups. Indeed, for the first few years of the war, Ankara’s commitment to regime change led Turkey to impose few restrictions on the transit of anti-Assad fighters across the border into Syria. Even as the Islamic State spread in eastern Syria and the influence of al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate grew among the northern opposition — including groups Turkey worked with — toppling Assad remained the focus of Erdogan’s policy.

Ultimately, Erdogan believed the specific threat the Islamic State posed to Turkey could be managed through a live-and-let live approach: if Turkey left the Islamic State alone in Syria, the Islamic State would not conduct attacks in Turkey. Erdogan therefore saw cooperation against the Islamic State as a favor to Washington, rather than something that was vital to Turkish national security. Thus he was intent on extracting a concession in return — namely, a commitment for the U.S. military to directly confront the Assad regime.

During another vice presidential trip to Istanbul in January 2016, Biden and other senior U.S. officials spent hours poring over maps of Iraq and Syria with Erdogan and his aides. Top on Biden’s agenda was conveying to Erdogan the urgent need to clear the Islamic State from Manbij City. The city was a key transit point for foreign fighters, a primary supply line to Raqqa, and a hub for Islamic State militants involved in external plotting. Indeed, U.S. officials believed that a number of the individuals involved in the November 2015 Paris attacks passed through Manbij. The U.S. proposal was to use the SDF to cross the Euphrates and push west to the city. But Ankara objected, seeing any SDF move into the Manbij pocket as a step toward unifying Kurdish cantons, and thus a geographic red line. In lieu of the SDF, Erdogan assured Biden that Turkey had thousands of opposition fighters ready to move east from the Azaz-Marea corridor area toward Jarabulus and then turn south to Manbij City.

The Obama administration agreed to hold off on using the SDF to work with Turkey. Yet only a few hundred Turkish-backed fighters materialized. In April, a small Turkish-backed force composed of Turkman, Free Syrian Army, and Salafist factions — supported by coalition air power — made a push to seize al-Rai (22 miles east of Azaz) and a number of other border villages moving toward Jarabulus. After some initial success, however, Islamic State militants regrouped and routed the Turkish-backed groups. On net, the operation lost ground.

With the Turkish play a bust, the United States once again swung behind the SDF alternative. In late May 2016, the SDF crossed the Euphrates headed toward Manbij City. After months of bloody battle, with thousands of casualties on both sides, the Islamic State stronghold fell to the SDF on August 12.

Two weeks later, Turkey finally discovered a larger opposition force and decided to intervene in Syria.]]></description>
<dc:subject>Turkey Mar15 obama_administration diplomacy BufferZone NFZ ISIS SDF foreign_aid PYD</dc:subject>
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