Some Insights Now Begin To Arrive.

As was anticipated. CBS reports on actuality of war from the POV of the US military personnel and lo and behold--they say what I have been saying for many years, how the real war feels. 

Survivors of the deadliest Iranian attack on U.S. forces since the war began have disputed the Pentagon's description of events and said their unit in Kuwait was left dangerously exposed when six service members were killed and more than 20 wounded. Speaking publicly for the first time, members of the targeted unit offered CBS News a detailed account of the attack and its harrowing aftermath from the perspective of those on the ground. 

Of course, they have to dispute what Hegseth says. This is not your small arms firefights (however nasty they could be) where you call in CAS, this is long-range fires, my friends, and they are longer than many of those in the US arsenal. 

In the hours before the attack, incoming missile alarms had signaled to a crew of about 60 troops to take cover in a cement bunker while a ballistic missile flew overhead. But around 9:15 a.m., an all-clear alert sounded. Officers removed their helmets and returned to their desks in the wood and tin workspace, about the width of three trailers. From there they resumed managing the movement of equipment, munitions and personnel across the Middle East. About 30 minutes later, "everything shook," one soldier told CBS News. "And it's something like what you see in the movies. Your ears are ringing. Everything's fuzzy. Your vision is blurry. You're dizzy. There's dust and smoke everywhere."  Dazed, the service member surveyed a grisly scene: "Head wounds, heavy bleeding, lots of perforated eardrums, and then just shrapnel all over, so folks are bleeding from their abdomen, bleeding from arms, bleeding from legs."

Yep, I like this phrase "something like what you see in the movies"--correct, it is very symptomatic, because the US Army doesn't know what is a precise fire impact of stand-off weapons. Of course, even in Iraq or Afghanistan you still could have been hit by RPG while in Humvee or even experience a nasty IED, that did happen many times, but this is different. Shahed, the Iranian drone can carry anywhere between 50 and 90 kilos of high explosives.  It has the range of up to 2,500 kilometers and fully fits the criteria of a high precision stand-off weapon. It can pay visits in salvos, and often does and the results of that are not what Pentagon tries to spin ... away from the real story. 

Word of Hegseth's description of the events at a press conference in Washington did not sit well with some of the survivors. The secretary had described the drone as a "squirter" that "happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons." And while several of those familiar with the events on the ground did not agree with the description, they did not want their remarks to be misconstrued. "It's not my intent to diminish morale or to disparage the Army or the Department of War more holistically, but I do think that telling the truth is important and we're not going to learn from these mistakes if we pretend these mistakes didn't happen," one soldier said.

I have news for this brave soldier--Pentagon doesn't learn, it cannot, look at the SMO. It is a different kind of war, which no US servicemen ever experienced, they did now. And that brings us to a purely technical issue:

Asked if the attack was an inherent reality of engaging in combat, he agreed. "That's true," he said. Asked if this attack was preventable, the soldier added: "In my opinion, absolutely, yes." "I am very sad for their loss and it's something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life," he said. "But I'm also immensely proud of them and their sacrifice, and their family should be too."

1. The US has no air defense means to deal with one of this threats. Shaheds will continue to fly and will continue, together with ballistic and cruise missiles, take out anything they deem necessary. The US WILL NOT ask Russia and Russia WILL NOT agree to sell to Pentagon things it doesn't have and will not have any time soon, I list a few: Elka, Tunguska, S1 Pantsir, Tor M2, Buk M3 et al. No, it was not "preventable". 

2. Poor men who got killed. Their sacrifice was for Israel and not for the US Constitution and American people. Only part of American people but their loyalty is with Israel. 

Per Hegseth, something tells me he soon will be fired and maybe even more. Die you today for me to live and die tomorrow. That's Trump's MO.  

The Only Site Which Might Have Been Attacked...

 ... there...

Ukraine attacked the southern Russian port city of Taganrog with missiles early Wednesday morning, acting Rostov regional governor, Yuri Slyusar, has said. “An industrial site has been damaged,” Slyusar wrote on Telegram, adding that “15 cars were burned down in the parking lot.” “Early reports indicate that no people were harmed,” he wrote. Taganrog, a city of 242,000 people, is located on the coast of the Sea of Azov. It belongs to the Rostov region, which, like other regions bordering Ukraine, has been subjected to frequent drone and missile attacks.

... is a Beriev plant. What and how missiles have been launched we will know pretty soon--but that is the MO of NATO cowards trying to, like a hysterical woman being taken to asylum by orderlies, scratch whatever she can reach. As I say ad nauseam--NATO military "education" and training is a joke.

Standard Target...

 ... albeit the Crimean Bridge was closed for 45 minutes to make sure civilian drivers are safe. After 45 minutes normal operation resumed. 

Украинские военные ночью нанесли ракетный удар по Крыму, используя ракеты ATACMS, российская система ПВО успешно отразила атаку, сообщил глава комиссии по вопросам суверенитета Общественной палаты России Владимир Рогов. В своем Telegram-канале он указал, что украинские боевики применили несколько баллистических ракет ATACMS для удара по Крыму – перед атакой на полуострове была объявлена тревога, перекрыт Крымский мост. Российская система ПВО отработала над Джанкоем и Симферополем, отразив все ракеты ВСУ.

Translation: The Ukrainian military launched a missile attack on Crimea at night using ATACMS missiles; the Russian air defense system successfully repelled the attack, said Vladimir Rogov, head of the commission on sovereignty of the Public Chamber of Russia. In his Telegram channel, he indicated that Ukrainian militants used several ATACMS ballistic missiles to attack Crimea - before the attack, an alarm was declared on the peninsula and the Crimean bridge was blocked. The Russian air defense system worked over Dzhankoy and Simferopol, repelling all Ukrainian Armed Forces missiles.

I will reiterate (how many times now, LOL) ATACMS is a standard target for Russian AD. It doesn't mean that they cannot get some lucky shot, of course it may happen, but there is NOT a single NATO weapon system, bar nuclear weapons, which can make any operational, forget about strategic difference for Russia. None, do not exist. But yes, three important events for Russians are coming and the only thing they can dream about is to spoil those events. That's impotent rage. Not in Kiev, in Washington and London. ATACMS have been in 404 for months now. Not much success... 

I Don't Know What's The Deal.

But there is very little doubt that the US illegitimately occupies part of Syria's territory and conducts a favorite business of training terrorists. 

BEIRUT (AP) — A strike Thursday by a suspected Iranian-made drone killed a U.S. contractor and wounded six other Americans in northeast Syria, and U.S. forces retaliated with airstrikes on sites in Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the Pentagon said. Activists said the U.S. bombing killed at least four people. While it’s not the first time the U.S. and Iran have traded strikes in Syria, the attack and the U.S. response threaten to upend recent efforts to deescalate tensions across the wider Middle East, whose rival powers have made steps toward détente in recent days after years of turmoil. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the American intelligence community had determined the drone was of Iranian origin, but offered no other immediate evidence to support the claim. The drone hit a coalition base in the northeast Syrian city of Hasaka. The wounded included five American service members and a U.S. contractor.

I don't know who sent the "message", but this event is a great testament to a military fallacy of the American bases around the world, because not only they will continue to lose the "power projection" value but will continue to increase their value as fat and mostly indefensible targets against modern battlefield delivery systems. Nobody in their own mind would believe that US air defense systems such as Patriot PAC3 can handle a serious salvo of even relatively unsophisticated subsonic means of delivery. 

Meanwhile butt-hurt BSer Sebastien Roblin "reports" based on propaganda doctored "data" from 404 that Russia... finally ran out of tanks and reactivated T-54/55 ones. 

Russia is dusting off the cobwebs from military deep storage facilities in the country’s Far East, for the first time railing un-upgraded Cold War T-54B tanks westward, possibly bound for Ukraine. Now, a video of the T-54s transported by rail has surfaced. 

What uneducated hack Roblin doesn't know, because with degree in "conflict resolution" and "social and global studies" you can not know anything of value, is that Russia was using older T-54/55 since War in Chechnya not for tank operations but as a very helpful  artillery units for... drum roll... block posts, thus increasing their combat stability and as a good caliber response in case of attacks on numerous block posts. Generally Western pseudo-academic fields in "strategic studies", "conflict resolution" or "foreign relations" produce unemployable office plankton with minimal skills even for 7/11 janitor, but when you are also getting paid by Ukies, what kind of "reporting" one provides becomes abundantly clear. In general, SMO exposed all, without exception, US MSM and popular "alternative" media as uneducated hacks and unprofessional losers, including a large portion of the US "military experts" with hefty C.V.s in "fighting" in Iraq and Afghanistan, but with minimal expertise in modern wars and combined arms operations of scale. 

But that brings us to issue of military education in the US and the new crop of America's present and future military leaders. I wrote about it before and quoted Tim Bakken:

Academic standards are also nonexistent. I believe this trend started approximately ten years ago, and it has continued to get worse. West Point has stated standards for academic expectations and performance, but they are ignored. Cadets routinely fail multiple classes and they are not separated at the end-of-semester Academic Boards. Their professors recommend “Definitely Separate,” but those recommendations are totally disregarded. I recently taught a cadet who failed four classes in one semester (including mine), in addition to several she had failed in previous semesters, and she was retained at the Academy. As a result, professors have lost hope and faith in the entire Academic Board process. It has been made clear that cadets can fail a multitude of classes and they will not be separated. Instead, when they fail (and they do to a staggering extent), the Dean simply throws them back into the mix and expects the faculty to somehow drag them through the academic program until they manage to earn a passing grade. 

And this is one of very many testimonies of a collapse of professional military education in the US. 

In related news, I spoke today with Vera and famous Russian REAL war reporter Marat Khairullin--the rough estimate of just wounded in and around Bakhmut is roughly 20,000. As Marat says, who spends most of his days at the front line and communicates with serious tactical and operational level officers, they all are unanimous--combat medicine in VSU ceased to exist several months ago, and just inside Bakhmut today there are more than 2,000 wounded who still cannot get even stabilization procedures. That means they will be dead in a day or two. Reality of the 404 "offensive" is absolutely not what is being portrayed by Western media. This is not from some shitty TG channels, this is from people of repute and first hand operational (forget tactical) knowledge of the combat zone. Yes, Marat is a constant presence,  from the front lines, on Russian major TV networks. So, here is your SitRep of sorts for Friday.

Something About "Combat Use".

Leonid Bershidsky is (butt) hurt, badly. So, after Vladimir Putin's air and anti missile defense trolling yesterday--you can see (in Russian) Rouhani's and Erdogan's priceless reactions here:

So, Bershidsky, whose biography you can read here, for some reason (wink, wink) takes it too personally and lets it rip in his piece at Bloomberg (another "fine" specimen of US "fair and balanced" propaganda outlet). Here is what bothers Mr. Bershidsky: 

President Vladimir Putin’s offer to sell Russian air defense systems to Saudi Arabia is about more than mere trolling, even though it caused laughter from Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.  Putin was trying to persuade the entire Middle East that working with him is more effective than cooperating with the U.S.  One could regard it as a kind of mafia-style protection offer: The new, more aggressive gangster on the block is making a bid because the current king of the streets has grown lazy and risk-averse.

One can almost feel Bershidsky's pain but the problem with this statement is not the fact that there is only one gangster in this story, and that is not Russia, but in the fact that Bershidsky, who hails from an army of brilliant (ahem) "influencers" with degrees in anything but applicable serious professional skills crucial for military and geopolitical analysis, has, as expected, misrepresented risk-aversion for the exercise of sound operational judgement. The United States hasn't "grown lazy and risk-averse"--and Breshidsky wouldn't know it even if explained--it was made such by Real Revolution in Military Affairs whose arrival through new technological means, operational concepts and new force structure, simply removed most (not all) "advantages", often grossly exaggerated, the United States thought it enjoyed for the last 30 years or so. Actually, one of the major reasons this had happened was the category of public with MBAs, stock trading, marketing, finances, banking and journalism backgrounds who could understand some financial bottom lines, for which they tirelessly worked, but had and continue (as Bershidsky so vividly demonstrates) to have huge difficulties with grasping technological, tactical, operational and strategic realities of our modern world.  

Then, Bershidsky makes this bizarre assertion (one would expect it from an amateur):

In reality, it’s the S-400 that Russia has been trying hard to sell to Saudi Arabia, so far without success. It has also offered the missiles to Qatar. Neither the S-300 nor the S-400 has seen any real combat use. Theoretically, and as seen in exercises, these are powerful weapons. But not even Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad, who has had a few opportunities to use the S-300s he received from Russia last year, has done so.

First, Bashar Assad doesn't have full control of S-300 in Syria, at least not yet and it is Russia which defines S-300s use within her military and diplomatic agenda in Syria, not Syrians. It is an obvious fact, which was confirmed couple of days ago:

According to the report, Moscow has prevented three Israeli air strikes on three Syrian outposts recently, and even threatened that any jets attempting such a thing would be shot down, either by Russian jets or by the S-400 anti-aircraft missiles. The source cited in the report claims a similar situation has happened twice – and that during August, Moscow stopped an air strike on a Syrian outpost in Qasioun, where a S-300 missile battery is placed.   

Unlike Israelis or US Military-Industrial-Media Complex Russians, when the deal is a very serious real kinetic military affair between Russia and nations which matter globally (US), or regionally (Israel), seldom runs around praising oneself and own capabilities, since this may adversely affect, usually behind the scene, diplomatic effort. It is one thing to show off salvos of 3M14 burning jihadists in their compounds in Syria, or reveal weapons, such as in Putin's speech on March 1, 2018, to cool the heads of some homicidal lunatics in D.C., totally another--describing everyday contingencies between all players in the region. In fact, Russia officially was very low key on that and that is understandable. 

There is, however, a risible line in Bershidsky's "assertion" about S-300 and S-400 not seeing "any combat use". I would love to use Sergei Lavrov's meme here but I have to restrain myself, because at this stage it wouldn't help the situation. Evidently, Leonid Bershidsky who never spent a day in any serious military position, thinks that "combat use" is when things only "shoot". Well, there is one problem, well, actually two, with this assertion because from the get go he misses:

1. Both S-300 and S-400 systems were delivered to Syria with one thought in mind--to precisely prevent this "combat use" by means of deploying capability which drastically reduces tactical and operational options for all bogeys (Israel, ahem) to make them much more cooperative in a political, as opposed to combat, field. It worked, brilliantly in a strategic sense--with IAF being effectively pushed out of Syria's airspace, while reducing the number of its sorties drastically still. This is not to mention the fact that other systems, such as S1 and Tor M2s, not to mention a very well organized work of Battle Management Centers and Early Warning and Electronic Warfare systems, performing admirably by shooting down all, but one, jihadists' drones and missiles. That is real combat performance and a very impressive one. I will abstain from describing Trump's "very smart missiles" 70% of which (including, rumor has it, JASSM) had been taken down by Syrian Air Defense.

2. Now, most important--COMBAT record of the Soviet/Russian Air Defense systems. Discarding a fear of being called a Russian chauvinist, nationalist or accused of gloating (been there, done that), specifically for Bershidsky--combat record of Soviet/Russian AD systems is without equals in history. No one comes even close to a number of combat episodes Soviet/Russian systems took part in and came out victorious against bogeys. Not least among them is Israeli Air Force. I will quote from my latest:

While estimates vary wildly, approximately 1,737 U.S. aircraft (not counting helicopters) have been lost to hostile actions between 1961 and 1973 in South East Asia, largely over Vietnam.1 The majority of these losses were due to AAA (Anti-Air Artillery) and SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles). During almost 24 months of the Rolling Thunder operation the U.S. lost 881 aircraft; in 1967 alone, the United States lost 62 aircraft to SAMs while losing 205 to AAA. In 1973, during the 19-days long Yom Kippur War, the Israeli Air Force lost over 100 aircraft, most of them to SAMs. This is just a highly abbreviated list of Surface-to-Air missiles engaging all kinds of aerial threats from high value attack and fighter jet aircraft, to bombers, to cruise missiles since the early 1960s. The feature which unifies all entries in this list is the fact that all these surface-to-air missiles and the targeting and launch systems for them were and are Soviet/Russian made. Putting it in simpler, more straightforward language—Soviet/Russian Air Defense systems, when used by skilled operators, have an unrivaled combat history. No other nation has a comparable record of the use of such systems in combat and thus of gaining such a combat experience.    

For Bershidsky--all data was taken specifically from Western sources to avoid being accused of pro-Russian bias. Numbers do not lie, when confirmed. Those have been confirmed (unlike modern-day economic fuzzy data) and even at the lower end of estimates (not to mention a factor of often NON-Soviet/Russian manning of systems--in stochastic combat models multipliers less than 1 are introduced for degraded capability) make a dramatic impression. 

So, in this case, one has to start thinking what this record means for new systems? It means an enormous array of data which is behind honing, design concepts, algorithms, sensors, targeting systems that is, which allow for steady improvements in capability. In the end, this was a major reason Turks "exchanged" F-35 for S-400. I am sure they were made privy to mathematical expectations and probabilities of success for various air attack scenarios against Turkey. They, obviously, loved what they heard and saw and now Turkish officers (the second team) are in Russia training for S-400. So, unless the whole Saudi (ARAMCO) oil facility attack is a false flag by Saudis themselves or by a triumvirate of purveyors of liberty and democracy in the Middle East, aka KSA, Israel and USA, there is pretty much only one thing Saudis can do about defending oil facilities against drone and missile attacks--get systems which work. I know, that makes Leonid Bershidsky's life miserable--after all, he dedicated his journo carrier to writing on things most of which he cannot grasp or doing a hack job for someone else's interests. But in general, I am getting really tired when majors in marketing or broadcasting pretend to be "experts" in fields which are beyond their grasp. No wonder the West is in steep decline.  

Are We There Yet?

Pretty much this requires no elaboration on the state of the affairs in modern America. 

Basically, Trump not only humiliates himself and the country, whose geopolitical weight is dwindling on hourly basis, he destroyed any chance of meaningful discussion with Russia on any serious geopolitical issue. From here Russia will take it alone and I really doubt that Vladimir Putin will lower himself to traveling to Washington for an alleged summit. There is no reason for it anyway. Russia called Trump's bluff and the picture is going to be increasingly ugly from now on. He still, probably, will launch some kind of salvo at some point of time to indicate relevance but, I think, Trump's presidency is finished and once mid-term elections of 2018 are held, who knows where it will go from there.The rest is for political pseudo-scientists and talking heads to decide. He and his "team" really chose wrong people and country to fvck with. Just to demonstrate the cultural abyss in relation to real war. Yesterday's broadcast on one of the major TV networks. No panic, just business.

Russia is on a real war footing. Expect many surprises, especially in ridding the Russian power structures of fifth column of "liberals", many of whom are real agents of influence. The conversation with the West is over.

Some Appeals.

There are few appeals circulating now in US blogosphere and publications. First, is Colonel Pat Lang who I respect deeply despite not always agreeing with him. He doesn't mince his words and is very down to the point in his appeal to Mattis.

I beseech you, sir, to consider the possibility that the supposed chlorine gas attack at Douma, Syria may have been a carefully constructed propaganda fraud on the part of the rebels encircled in Douma.  Such a fraud would have as its purpose the elicitation of exactly the kind of response that we are seeing in the Western media.  The rebels have been defeated in East Gouta Their fighters and families are being evacuated to Idlib Province by air-conditioned bus.   How would it benefit the Syrian government to make such an attack in this situation? I hope that you will determine the exact facts of what occurred at Douma before any action is taken. I recommend that you send someone competent to Syria to make an on the ground investigation.  

I already expressed my deep appreciation of human and professional military integrity of Colonel Lang. The next appeal is by Daniel Larison who, while being moved by noble intentions, still thinks that Washington D.C. could be "reasoned with". 

The prospect of yet another illegal U.S. attack on another government is disturbing for several reasons. First, it makes a mockery of our constitutional system of government and blatantly violates the U.N. Charter. The U.S. no longer respects domestic or international constraints on the use of force, and most of our political leaders have long since surrendered to the idea that the president can initiate hostilities against anyone at any time for virtually any reason. Each new illegal use of force builds on the last one and becomes the normal practice. That’s a disaster for the cause of peace and restraint, and it needs to be opposed vigorously.

I think Larison is a bit too late with recognition of the fact that US Constitution today is nothing more than a fig leaf for a coterie of corrupt political demagogues and ideologists who do not possess a modicum of a statecraft which is required for anyone who gets into the politics of a nuclear superpower. This all is completely gone today from the US—it is literally run by disgruntled, sore loser, middle-school kids who do not understand what they are dealing with. And Larison is very incorrect in his conclusion:

Unlike the attack last year, there is a greater chance this time that Russian and Iranian forces will retaliate against U.S. or U.S.-backed forces. The potential for escalation is greater than it was in the past, and that threatens to drag the U.S. into a much bigger war. The U.S. has no vital interests at stake in Syria that merit taking such a huge risk, and there are no benefits to the U.S. from doing this. Our government is once again contemplating committing acts of war against a state that hasn’t attacked us and doesn’t threaten us or our allies. That makes no sense, and we will come to regret it.   

Such an attack makes a perfect sense for Washington crowd. It is akin to kids getting excited on the 4^th of July while starting a fireworks. That is until the big one explodes and kills them. This, plus a complete ignorance on anything real war related and a childish desire to prove that US can win a war—that is can look cool and mighty. It makes total sense because D.C. has no adults left in it. So, the question is:

                            Will Trump order an attack on Syria?

My take is that he will, because whole contemporary Washington's discourse is all about appearances and how one looks. Giving an impression of "weakness" is a no go among all those draft-dodgers, lawyers, journalists, political "scientists" and military brass good only for fighting in Appropriations, who constitute so called Establishment, or Deep State, or Borg, what have you.  In fact, it is precisely the environment Trump understands perfectly since he was (and possibly remains) a huge part of the American show-business. But in the end, it is all about sour grapes—the West is collapsing and Russia and China are ascending. As I already stated a year ago—the window of "opportunities" is closing. Something should be done about it the logic of the D.C. self-proclaimed "strategists" goes. It is, as I already stated not for once, is a case of Jeanna, from famous Russian power metal stalwarts Aria timeless hit The Rose Street, breaking the clock trying to extend own life. Obviously the only thing she achieves is—she breaks the clock, she cannot break or stop the time. Many in D.C. think that they can, if it requires wrecking the world, they think that Buck Turgidson had a point and that they have a chance. Of course, they don't.

So, at this point we have to wait and see how a "stellar" Trump's national "security" team would decide to drag this country to its end, while wrecking the rest of the remaining world order in the process. As ever brilliant Publius Tacitus noted couple of days ago:

If Trump goes down this road it will not only be the beginning of the end of his Presidency. It could be the end of the United States as a viable political entity.

On a more practical operational note, I, frankly, lost the count of what Russia stuffed Syria with in terms of Air Defense. What was revealed today was that Syria (not Russian contingent there) took the delivery of 40 Pantsir complexes, plus, as was stated before, there is confirmed presence of the unconfirmed number of advanced Buk-M2s, plus some other things of EW and Radar-Optronic nature. The question, however, is: if shit hits the fan, the probability of which is growing, will Russia use Kinzhal. But if the attack comes, and if we are still alive and relatively well after the events which will unfold, the first phase will be repulsing of TLAMs salvo. Let's hope that it will not come to this, but I do not hold much hope for any US Administration because the question in Russian media which circulates for days now is:

                         Are they really that incompetent?

Yes, they are.

Timely Pat Buchanan's Question.

Just yesterday Pat Buchanan posted his article Are We Nearing Civil War? at Unz Review. The question in the title of his piece couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. Today, American "left" (which is, in reality, not so much real left as neo-liberal cabal), constantly whipped into anti-Trump frenzy by US low life media (in reality propaganda machine--US doesn't have real main stream media anymore, just some few individual journalists with integrity) gave an answer. Today we all got the result of this anti-Trump insanity: the assault on Republican Congressman House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and his aides at the most profoundly peaceful and American event--baseball practice. The contrasts couldn't have been starker, a deranged "lefty", James Hodgkinson unleashed a 50-round salvo on unsuspecting unarmed people who were playing baseball. 

Now even uber-liberal lefty Yahoo News are forced to disclose this terrorist's (there is no other term for that) state of mind:

A glance at the activity on the Facebook page, which has not been verified, reveals that Hodgkinson was adamantly anti-Republican and detested Trump.The Facebook page contains a steady steam of anti-Trump posts. He said Trump should go to prison for treason and called him the “biggest a—hole we have ever had in the Oval Office.”

Hodgkinson was also a fervent supporter of former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, who swiftly condemned the violence on Twitter.

I am not surprised in the least with this, luckily less tragic (most people shot seem to be OK in the long run), outcome. I, not for once, pointed out to the fact of the US being completely divided as a nation, the anti-Trump hysteria unleashed in media is altogether something unprecedented in US modern history. Anti-Russian frenzy, based on ridiculous leaks and platitudes without a tiny shred of any evidence is something straight from pre-war Nazi Germany. Now this. Only irresponsible fanatics (which is a first requirement for people working at CNN, NYT, WaPo, NBC etc.) would deny the obvious connection between not so veiled calls for violence against President Trump and his supporters--be it tasteless, a gutter really, supposedly comic shows such as that of ugly and talentless Kathy Griffin or Shakespeare In The Park where Trump look alike and his family are brutally assassinated on the stage of this, supposedly, play--all that is the toxic, pre-war atmosphere American so called "left", which is a euphemism for HRC's supporters, have created. They now have a very real blood on their hands and a necessity to deal with possible escalation. 

They, US so called "liberal media" bear a direct responsibility for atrocious act in Virginia today. All those Colberts, Maddows, Mahers, Griffins,  turned into a complete tasteless sewer, once great, SNL, HRC's "supporters", most of whom would shit their pants once faced with REAL serious violence they are trying to unleash, all of them are guilty and are complicit in undermining what's left of American Republic. Unlike those wussies I know first hand how it all starts and I don't like what I see in the least. Consequences could be devastating. They still have the choice to stop now or we are looking at the very real perspective of this nation fracturing completely and then, God help us all. I would rather not see such a reality--I know how it may look. I hope that we are not pass the point of no return, at least in terms of bloodshed. As per ideological differences? US is long ago not one, or even two, nations--it is a combination of several of them and for that one may "thank" US Democrats.

Well, It Is Official.

Syria has been attacked by US.

Two points immediately:

1. I see no reason for Rex Tillerson to go to Moscow, there is nothing to talk about there--US is not a treaty-worthy party, in fact US is run by (neocon) mafia and less and less resembles a normal state; 

2.  Litmus test for Putin, we'll see what he is made of. Recall what I stated when Murahovsky described the situation in September of 2016.

It is too early to make any conclusions but Trump is done as a populist US President, he is now officially at Israel's service.