By Garland Nixon

Summary

The video presents a comprehensive dialogue between Garland Nixon and Joti Brar discussing her recent experience attending the third Anti-Fascist Forum held in Moscow, organized primarily by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The conversation centers on the nature of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the role of imperialism, terrorism, and fascism in perpetuating global conflicts, and the ideological battle to control narratives surrounding these events.

Joti Brar contextualizes the war in Ukraine as a proxy war between NATO and Russia, highlighting how the West’s imperialist powers manipulate the conflict, using terrorism and fascism as tools to destabilize and weaken Russia. She clarifies that genuine opposition to imperialism is scant among Western leftist groups, many of whom uncritically adopt NATO’s propaganda. This failure necessitated the creation of the World Anti-Imperialist Platform, which has gained significant traction primarily among anti-imperialist forces from the Global South.

The forum's main theme focused on anti-fascism and anti-terrorism, with special attention to Ukraine’s use of banderite fascism—resurgent ultranationalism rooted in World War II-era Nazi sympathies—as a weapon by imperialist powers. Bra asserts that Ukrainians and Russians are culturally intertwined, and the manufactured hatred is a tactic to fracture socialist resistance and turn Ukraine into a Western foothold against Russia. The discussion addresses the slow war of attrition that Russia pursues, arguing this approach is strategically sound because it gradually demilitarizes Western support and exhausts imperialist resources without unnecessary sacrifice.

Joti and Garland also delve into the strategic use of terrorism, including Ukraine’s alleged attacks on civilian targets like children, used to provoke Russia into overreaction and to sway Western populations toward more aggressive involvement. The conversation discusses the weaponization of the term "terrorism" and the way imperialist powers manufacture proxy terrorist groups worldwide to justify military invasions.

Historical and ideological analyses extend to the post-Soviet space and the global struggle for socialist revival versus capitalist-imperialist resurgence. The ideological division in Russia’s Communist Party, the influence of Western culture through media, and ongoing efforts to subvert socialism via market ideology are explored. The conversation concludes by highlighting the emerging “axis of resistance” to imperialism, including Russia, Iran, China, and others, emphasizing that this global anti-imperialist movement is organically growing as a reaction to aggression.

Garland and Joti end with calls to support Marxist education and grassroots organization, emphasizing the need to counter imperialist narratives and to train committed activists capable of advancing socialist ideals.

Highlights

• [02:04] 🛡️ Overview of the third Anti-Fascist Forum held in Moscow, backed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
• [08:12] ☠️ Resurgence of banderite fascism in Ukraine as a tool of Western imperialism, rooted in WWII Nazi ideologies.
• [12:19] ⚔️ Discussion of terrorism as a proxy tool to perpetuate the conflict and provoke disproportionate Russian responses.
• [16:56] ⏳ Slow war of attrition favored by Russia to demilitarize NATO’s foothold and exhaust imperial resources.
• [27:11] 🌍 Formation and growth of a global anti-imperialist axis in response to Western aggression.
• [33:51] 🎯 Misuse and weaponization of the term "terrorism" by imperialist powers to justify intervention and suppress opposition.
• [53:38] 🎥 Imperialist cultural infiltration seen in media transformation, promoting Western consumerist illusions before 1991.

Key Insights

• [02:37] 🧩 The Anti-Fascist Forum in Moscow is a politically significant event linking communist and anti-imperialist forces globally, showing evolving state ties allowing more open government support. Its growing scale reflects heightened international coordination against perceived imperialist encirclement. This signals that Russia is rebuilding leftist internationalist solidarity as a political and ideological front in the geopolitical struggle.
• [08:12] 🕯️ The revival of banderite fascism represents a profound ideological manipulation: using historic Nazi-aligned Ukrainian ultranationalism to serve modern imperialist geopolitical goals. It exploits ethnic tensions fabricated or exaggerated to fragment working-class unity across Eastern Europe, a deliberate strategy to prevent any resurgence of socialist or pan-Slavic solidarity against capitalist conquest.
• [12:19] 🎭 Terrorism is deployed as a covert extension of war by proxy forces controlled or influenced by Western intelligence. The goal is multifold: to demoralize populations, provoke escalations, and shape global opinion to justify further military intervention. This strategy complicates the conventional military front by adding psychological warfare and manipulating civilian suffering to achieve political ends.
• [16:56] 🐢 Russia’s methodical, sustained attrition campaign strategically leverages industrial and military capacity advantages, while exploiting the West’s logistical exhaustion. This counters narratives of quick victory being necessary and reframes the conflict as a war of endurance and resource depletion. It highlights that in asymmetric conflicts, patience and ability to “take a punch” can outweigh initial tactical superiority.
• [27:11] 🌐 The emergence of a global axis of resistance—including Russia, Iran, China, and aligned progressive forces—reflects an organic communist and anti-imperialist counterweight to Western hegemony. This bloc is both reactive and proactive, forming a new multipolar resistance network that seeks to limit imperialist incursions worldwide, making imperialism’s fragmented and overstretched position more vulnerable.
• [33:51] ⚠️ The strategic weaponization of terminology like “terrorism” exposes how imperialist narratives distort global perceptions to discredit legitimate anti-colonial and socialist resistance. Labeling resistance forces as terrorists enables the imposition of draconian laws and justifies extraordinary military actions under the guise of security and counterterrorism, severely obstructing genuine political solutions.
• [53:38] 🎬 Cultural imperialism precedes and facilitates political domination. The infiltration of Western consumerist values through media transformed the Soviet cultural space long before 1991, eroding socialist ideals and preparing populations psychologically for neoliberal capitalism. Such soft power measures prove that ideological warfare is critical and foundational for military and economic control.

The discussion overall positions the current global conflict within a century-long framework of imperialist struggles, emphasizing a Marxist analysis of imperialism as systemic capitalism’s geopolitical phase. It stresses the importance of ideological clarity, patient grassroots work, and global solidarity among socialist and anti-imperialist forces to counter the multifaceted oppression and conflicts fueled by imperial powers in decline.

By Mark Sleboda

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THE WIT & WISDOM OF MARK SLEBODA - NATO TRANSITIONS TO A LONG TERM DIRTY WAR AGAINST RUSSIA

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Summary

This detailed discussion with Mark Sleboda centers on the evolving nature and strategy of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, focusing heavily on the concept of a "dirty war" — a form of asymmetrical, unconventional warfare largely consisting of terrorism, sabotage, and covert operations intended to destabilize Russian society politically and economically. Sleboda explains that while the Ukrainian regime (referred to as the KV regime) cannot win via conventional battlefield engagements due to Russia's persistent advances, it increasingly resorts to asymmetric tactics to inflict damage, cause civilian casualties, and erode Russian public support for the “special military operation.” This shift includes drone and missile strikes against civilian targets, critical infrastructure, and symbolic locations like Moscow's business district and St. Petersburg.

The conversation further covers Ukraine’s political and military leadership changes, particularly the potential replacement of the military commander Sirki with Kyrylo Budanov, a CIA-backed figure specializing in intelligence and covert warfare, signaling a tougher embrace of insurgency and asymmetric tactics. Russian forces, meanwhile, continue their systematic offensives in the Donbas and Zaporozhye regions, gradually dismantling the last defensive lines and gaining ground.

Sleboda highlights Russia’s significant advantage in drone production (reportedly 15,000 drones daily), missile capability, and the degrading air defense capacity of Ukraine and its Western backers, especially the US, which struggles with interceptor missile shortages. The discussion touches on the modern transformation of air warfare—drones and standoff munitions replacing traditional bombers—and the new reality of commercial trucks being used to covertly launch drone attacks, escalating the complexity and moral ambiguity of the conflict.

Economic warfare is also central: Ukraine and Europe face looming shortages and skyrocketing costs in diesel and hydrocarbons crucial for military and industrial operations, while Russia’s oil and gas sector remains robust, even benefiting from increased global prices despite Western sanctions. These dynamics underscore the asymmetry of resources and production capacity between the two sides. The speakers note that while Ukraine’s attacks on Russian infrastructure create dramatic visuals and psychological impacts, they fail to translate into meaningful strategic setbacks for Russia.

Finally, the discussion touches on Russia’s calculated strategy to keep the conflict contained to avoid direct NATO involvement, highlighting a battle of “salami slicing” territorial gains and escalation control. Sleboda also mentions the psychological and information dimensions of the war, including Western media complicity in framing Russia as the sole aggressor and enabling the “dirty war” narrative. The talk closes by guiding listeners to Mark Sleboda’s Boosty platform for further engagement and content.

Highlights

• [01:04] 🚨 Early warning: The 'dirty war' against Russia was foretold, aiming to exhaust Ukrainian Slavs and drag out the conflict.
• [04:12] 🎯 Asymmetric tactics: Ukraine pivots to terrorism and unconventional warfare to undermine Russian political will.
• [08:08] 🏢 Civilian targets attacked: Drone strikes hit civilian buses, dormitories, and residential buildings in Russia, drawing condemnation for targeting non-combatants.
• [11:26] ⚔️ Leadership shakeup: Potential replacement of Ukrainian military commander Sirki with CIA-backed Budanov signals deeper commitment to covert and dirty warfare.
• [22:47] 🤖 Massive drone production: Russia reportedly manufactures 15,000 drones daily, underpinning a sustained drone-missile campaign against Ukraine.
• [30:00] 🚚 Commercial trucks weaponized: Ukraine launches drones from disguised commercial vehicles, complicating Russian defensive targeting and raising war crime concerns.
• [36:10] 🛢️ Economic asymmetry: Russian energy sector remains resilient amid attacks, while Europe and Ukraine face crippling hydrocarbon shortages impacting military production.

Key Insights

• [02:10] ⚔️ Asymmetric warfare as a strategic pivot: Mark Sleboda explains that since the Ukrainian regime cannot decisively win conventional battles, the focus has shifted to asymmetric tactics—terrorism, sabotage, and guerrilla methods—aimed at spreading political and economic turmoil in Russia. This shift attempts to exploit weaknesses outside the battlefield, targeting civilians and infrastructure to foment dissent against the government. The use of the term “dirty war” reflects the morally ambiguous and brutal tactics that go beyond accepted combat norms. The insight reveals how modern conflicts involve hybrid warfare blending conventional and irregular strategies.

• [10:48] 🕵️‍♂️ Budanov’s rise signals a strategic shift: The anticipated appointment of Kyrylo Budanov, a US-backed intelligence and covert operations specialist, to lead Ukraine's military highlights the move toward prioritizing sabotage and irregular warfare over conventional military leadership. Budanov’s background in special forces and asymmetric operations emphasizes Ukraine’s evolving warfighting doctrine focused on protracted and unconventional conflict rather than large-scale battlefield victories. This also illustrates Western intelligence agencies’ direct influence on Ukraine’s military strategy.

• [22:47] 🤖 Industrial drone warfare dominance: Russia’s production of approximately 15,000 drones daily underlines the importance of unmanned aerial systems in modern warfare. These range from reconnaissance to long-range strike capabilities, enabling Russia to sustain a highly effective cost-efficient campaign against Ukraine’s military, logistics, and critical infrastructure with minimal risk to personnel. This scale of drone manufacturing also provides strategic flexibility and the ability to engage in relentless swarm tactics and saturation attacks.

• [26:50] ✈️ The evolving bomber paradigm: The discussion on the transformation of bombers from traditional iron bomb carriers to platforms launching stand-off missiles and drones speaks to broader military technological shifts. Modern bombers can conduct strikes without entering enemy airspace, minimizing risk. This reflects the increasing primacy of precision long-range weapons and autonomous systems over conventional air power, changing the calculus of deterrence and combat engagement zones.

• [30:22] 🚛 Civilian assets weaponized: new ethical and tactical challenges: Ukraine’s tactic of launching drone strikes from commercial trucks blurs the lines between civilian and military targets, forcing Russia to consider striking civilian logistics vehicles to counter attacks. This approach constitutes a war crime under international law because it hides military activity among civilians, endangering non-combatants and escalating the conflict’s brutality. It also marks a dangerous escalation in hybrid warfare, with global implications for trade and logistics security.

• [36:10] 🛢️ Resilience of Russian energy sector vs. Europe’s vulnerability: Despite repeated Ukrainian attacks, Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure sustains minimal strategic damage owing to large spare capacity, repair capability, and the ability to capitalize on high global energy prices. Conversely, Europe faces an imminent diesel and hydrocarbon crisis, with supply shortages threatening military-industrial output and civilian energy stability. This economic imbalance will increasingly constrain Ukraine and European warfighting capacity and flexibility as energy constitutes a vital war resource.

• [45:00] 🔥 Controlled escalation to avoid NATO intervention: Russia’s strategic calculus aims to keep the conflict limited, using a “salami slicing” approach to gradually gain territory without provoking NATO direct involvement. This risk management approach reflects Moscow’s confidence in a prolonged war of attrition and its desire to avoid escalation to a wider NATO-Russia war. It demonstrates the complex geopolitical risk management underpinning ongoing operations, with both sides aware of red lines that must not be crossed.

Additional Observations

• The discussion underscores a media narrative critique, pointing to Western outlets that implicitly endorse or ignore the “dirty war” methods while demonizing Russia, reflecting the information warfare dimension of the conflict.
• The conflict demonstrates how modern warfare increasingly involves hybrid tactics, drone swarms, economic warfare, and covert operations beyond traditional combat, altering the nature of military engagement and civilian impact.
• Energy and industrial production capacities emerge as crucial long-term determinants of conflict endurance and capability sustainability.
• The interview suggests that despite dramatic and brutal attacks, Russia maintains a strong strategic position, with ongoing territorial gains and resilience to economic disruptions.

This comprehensive breakdown sheds light on the multifaceted evolving nature of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, highlighting strategic pivots, technological innovation in warfare, economic dimensions, and geopolitical risk management at play.

By Oliver Boyd-Barrett

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On May 20, Reuters reported that virtually all major oil refineries in central Russia have been forced to halt or scale back fuel output following Ukrainian drone attacks. Moscow had implemented a ban on gasoline exports from April to the end of July. The combined capacity of affected operations accounts for around a quarter of Russia’s total refining capacity. Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, Reuters reports, have doubled the number of oil refineries targeted since the start of 2026. Oil and gas taxes contribute approximately one quarter of federal revenue (although some or all of the shortfall created by successful Ukrainian strikes is compensated for by the higher fuel prices occasioned by the Gulf crisis). Russia has moved to restrict aviation fuel exports until the end of 2026.

Midday today (June 4th, California time) Military Summary Channel reported a growing fuel crisis in Crimea, presumably in the wake of successful drone attacks that have damaged or disabled many oil refineries along Russia’s Black Sea coast and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil trucks, and that will interrupt the flow of fuel to support the Russian advances in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, even though Russian forces are making considerable advances in western Zaporizhzhia (moving on Orekhiv and Tavriiske).

At root of Russia ‘s new fuel crisis is the emergence of new classes of Ukrainian drones such as Hornets that are driven by AI and do not need operators whereas Russia needs hundreds of operators to bring down the Ukrainian drones. Russia is mobilizing its Rubicon forces to concentrate on attacking Ukrainian drone launchers and operators. But what Russia mainly needs and will likely soon develop is an AI system that will discover and destroy Ukrainian drones. Until this happens Russia is disadvantaged by an overall shortage of drone and interceptor operators and can only focus these on the Crimea-Zaporizhzhia areas by diverting others from, say, the northern border of Ukraine, in turn leaving these areas under-protected. Attempts to build up operator units on ships in the Azov sea have been stymied by recent Ukrainian concentration of effort in attacking Russia’s Azov fleet.

Because so many airfields in Ukraine have been destroyed by Russian missile and drone attacks and because airfields used to be Ukraine’s primary choice for location of drone launchers, Ukraine has transitioned to greater use of mobile drone launchers which, while they may make the business of coordinated drone swarm attacks more challenging, do make it more difficult for Russians to identify and take out Ukrainian drones.

Russia, meantime has been depending more on trucks for the transport of fuel. Long queues of Russian fuel trucks—and accompanying kilometer-long lines at civilian gas stations—are the result of a severe, nationwide fuel crisis driven by targeted Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries and logistical supply lines. As already discussed, these infrastructure attacks have significantly reduced Russia’s refining capacity. With the Kerch Bridge limited, Russian forces are heavily reliant on fuel trucks traveling the R-280 “Novorossiya” highway and the M14 overland corridor. Ukrainian UAVs and autonomous drones are actively targeting these ground lines of communication (G-LOCs), destroying tankers and supply depots, which causes immense traffic bottlenecks and delivery delays. Massive lines have formed at crossing points, such as tanker trucks waiting to board ferries into Crimea, and these are very vulnerable to Ukrainian attack. Crimea is experiencing a near total supply meltdown. Long lines stretch for kilometers at stations in major hubs like Sevastopol. Fuel shortages and stations running completely dry have spread to mainland regions, including Belgorod, Kursk, and St. Petersburg.

Crimean authorities say the fuel situation in Crimea is deteriorating, and that the free sale of gasoline to civilians (large companies, emergency services, etc. are exempted) has been suspended. Fuel for civilians is being sold only using previously issued coupons. Not only have cash sales been restricted for several days, but no coupons are available for purchase and none are expected to become available in the near future. Gasoline is being sold in limited quantities (20 liters per person), using only old coupons.

Anatol Lieven claims (Lieven) that yesterday’s successful Ukrainian strike on energy facilities near Saint Petersburg have led voices in the Russian establishment to begin to call publicly for an early peace, even at the price of giving up key Russian demands. The Trump administration continues to walk away from the conflict, yielding what Lieven, in my view naively, sees as an opportunity for the European Union to play a key role. If it is to do that, he opines, the EU must bring forward concrete incentives to Putin, perhaps including a limited resumption of energy purchases - something which right now Europe adamantly opposes. He claims, without evidence that I have seen, that Russia is increasingly worried by its dependence on China and frustrated with China’s determination to drive the hardest possible bargains over their energy purchases and investments. On the contrary, I would argue that it is China that may be growing worried about its increasing dependence on Russia for energy. It is perfectly obvious to both parties, however, that the political West clings to an insane hostility to the threat that they think the Global South poses to the West’s era of authoritarian liberalism. Russia and China know very well that united they stand, divided they fall. Lievan acknowledges that for the most part Europe has stupidly set its sights on an unconditional Russian ceasefire, which is simply not going to happen.

The Duran Daily (Duran) notes that Russia opened the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum not simply in sight of Ukrainian attacks on a Russian oil refinery but under the shadow of one of the largest drone assaults in recent months.

“Hundreds of drones reportedly targeted cities, energy facilities, and industrial sites across the country, including locations near St. Petersburg. Ukrainian officials openly highlighted the distances traveled by the drones, portraying the attacks as proof of expanding operational reach. The timing of the strikes, coinciding with the opening of Russia’s flagship economic gathering, was widely interpreted as an attempt to disrupt a major political and economic event. Questions are also emerging about how drones are reaching targets so deep inside Russian territory, with reports from the Baltic region fueling speculation about flight paths that may extend beyond Ukrainian-controlled airspace”

I would say that there is little doubt that the intensity of Ukrainian drones owes a great deal to the fanatical and fatal involvement of Finland and the Baltic states who permit the launch of Ukrainian (and, increasingly NATO-produced drones) from and over their territories towards targets deep in Russia, gravely escalating the chances of outright nuclear war, for which Russia’s new SARMAT is well disposed. This is precisel;y the kind of behavior that is fuelling support for a Russian resort to a “demonstration” nuke to confirm its seriousness and shut down the warmongering Kallas classes.

In eastern Zaporizhzhia, Russia now controls Hulapelske and Verkhaya Tersa, making further advances in central and southern Vozdvyzhivka and establishing new positions on the northern outskirts of Bilohiya to the south. It is advancing on the second line of Ukrainian defense that runs from Barvinivka in the north to Chervonc in the south, improving its positions west of Huliapole ready to strike on Orekhiv.

West of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, Russia looks set to continue its movement towards Bilytske via Serhivivka to Novopidhorske and Muravka. Russia’s control of Konstantynivka is expanding, and its bombardments of Slavyansk intensifying, while north of Kupyansk, now fully recovered from Ukraine, Russia eats into more of the northeast of Kharkiv east of the Oskil river, and is likely soon to find itself only 30 kilometers from the Siversk-Donetsk canal south of Vovchansk which Russia also holds.

Last night’s (June 3-4) Ukrainian drones attacked targets in Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgorod, Voranyk, Kursk, Novgorod, Oryol, Roskov, Ryazen, Tambov, Crimea, and shipping targets in the Azov and Black Sea. Yesterday, Ukraine attacked shipping and energy targets in Saint Petersburg (including a ship docked on the island of Kronstadt, though this is likely repairable) where Russia is hosting an international economic forum well outside the center of the city. In addition to impacting the Saint Petersburg oil refinery, recent Ukrainian drones have also inflicted significant damage on the Saratov oil refinery in the Saratov Oblast in the southeasat of European Russia, in the northern part of the Lower Volga region, and on the Illysk oil refinery. The Ilsky Oil Refinery is located in the Seversky district of the Krasnodar Krai in southwestern Russia.

Russia says that it launched some 294 drones last night on energy infrastructure (e.g. an oil storage facility in Perelaslavska, gas stations, warehouses and probably also mobile Ukrainian drone launch trucks). Targets did not include Kiev given the visit there of NATO chief, Mark Rutte - a clear indication of continuing restraint by Russia when it comes to senior NATO personnel. Rutte stated during his visit that the US was continuing to do what it can for the Kiev regime.

Ukraine is soon expected to replace its military commander, Syrsky, with Zelenskiy’s current head of the presidential office, Kiril Budanov, former head of military intelligence. Zelenskiy and Budanov have made recent statements that they expect an end to the conflict by November, and three of Ukraine’ European sponsors - the UK, Germany and France - are reported to be planning for negotiations to this end, busily if fruitlessly looking for likely candidates who can head such negotiations. It is difficult to reconcile such reports with Zelenskiy’s obduracy and Russian resistance to conciliatory moves. What perhaps these reports signify is continuing Ukrainian and European investment in the idea of freezing the conflict along current lines of combat, especially if they are successful in persuading or tricking the US into full re-engagement even as the Iran crisis and Washington’s obsession with China continues to absorb most US energy.

The U.S. House of Representatives has forced a floor vote on a new Ukraine assistance package in an effort led by Democrats and a handful of Republicans who bypassed House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House voted 218-204 to dislodge the Ukraine Support Act from the Rules Committee. Defying Republican leadership, a bipartisan coalition used a rare “discharge petition” (garnering 218 signatures) to force the vote, directly rebuking the White House.

The legislation aims to authorize $8 billion in loans to Ukraine, heavily target Russia with sweeping new sanctions, and establish a reconstruction trust fund. These measures are puny, relative to the size of previous Biden and Trump administration-directed largesse to Ukraine. The administration has also finalized a separate $400 million military assistance package pulled from existing authorization, intended to procure ammunition directly from U.S. defense contractors. The Senate has also been reviewing a broader bill aimed at penalizing countries that purchase Russian oil, gas, and uranium.

The United States has appropriated approximately $195 billion for the Ukraine response since the 2022 invasion, though direct U.S. government assistance has sharply decreased. A significant portion of the $195 billion remains in the pipeline but roughly a quarter of that money is being used to replenish Department of Defense (DoD) weapons stockpiles. Ongoing U.S. financial support is increasingly constrained due to policy shifts, though smaller supplemental packages, such as the above-mentioned delayed $400 million military allocation, are currently moving through the interagency process. Since Trump has directed Europe to furnish much of the money for weapons expenditure in Ukraine, European nations and institutions have outpaced total U.S. commitments, having now provided more than $200 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian expenditure.

By Julian Macfarlane

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By Alastair Crooke

Iran Takes Its Chances with War / Alastair Crooke, 4 June 2026

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Alastair Crooke: IRAN’S TRIGGER WARNING: ‘Withdraw from Lebanon… Any Violations and We Strike

By Don Hank
Don’s Substack

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Read the article linked below to get an idea of the TERROR in Syria.

What about Jolani?

Jolani’s govrernment has established SHARIAH law as the basis for its judiciary. It has banned women from its decision-making centers. Just what you’d expect from ISIS.

Jolani has rebranded himself. He’s gone from being the head of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a spin-off of al-Qaeda (a genuine terrorist organization that fought Assad for many years) to the “peaceful” president of Syria – though he became the president NOT through peaceful means! – but that was only for camouflage, for the sake of the AMERICAN people, not for the elites who knew his REAL intentions.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/15/the-streets-are-empty-no-one-dares-go-outside-syrias-alawites-terrorised-by-revenge-killings

The article below explains.

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https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-caesar-photo-fraud-that-undermined-syrian-negotiations-a-pattern-of-sensational-but-untrue-reports-that-lead-to-public-acceptance-of-western-military-intervention/5512573

By Rick Sterling

Global Research, March 07, 2018

Dissident Voice 3 March 2016

The Caesar Photo Fraud That Undermined Syrian Negotiations. “A Pattern of Sensational But Untrue Reports That Lead to Public Acceptance of Western Military Intervention”.

A 30 page investigative report on the “Caesar Torture Photos” has been released and is available online here. The following is a condensed version of the report. Readers who are especially interested are advised to get the full report which includes additional details, photographs, sources and recommendations.

Introduction

There is a pattern of sensational but untrue reports that lead to public acceptance of US and Western military intervention in countries around the world:

• In Gulf War 1, there were reports of Iraqi troops stealing incubators from Kuwait, leaving babies to die on the cold floor. Relying on the testimony of a Red Crescent doctor, Amnesty Interenational ‘verified’ the false claims.

• Ten years later, there were reports of yellow cake uranium going to Iraq for development of weapons of mass destruction.

• One decade later, there were reports of Libyan soldiers drugged on viagra and raping women as they advanced.

• In 2012, NBC broadcaster Richard Engel was supposedly kidnapped by pro-Assad Syrian militia but luckily freed by Syrian opposition fighters, the “Free Syrian Army”.

All these reports were later confirmed to be fabrications and lies. They all had the goal of manipulating public opinion and they all succeeded in one way or another. Despite the consequences, which were often disastrous, none of the perpetrators were punished or paid any price.

It has been famously said “Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” This report is a critical review of the “Caesar Torture Photos” story. As will be shown, there is strong evidence the accusations are entirely or substantially false.

Overview of ‘Caesar Torture Photos’

On 20 January 2014, two days before negotiations about the Syrian conflict were scheduled to begin in Switzerland, a sensational report burst onto television and front pages around the world. The story was that a former Syrian army photographer had 55,000 photographs documenting the torture and killing of 11,000 detainees by the Syrian security establishment.

The Syrian photographer was given the code-name ‘Caesar’. The story became known as the “Caesar Torture Photos”. A team of lawyers plus digital and forensic experts were hired by the Carter-Ruck law firm, on contract to Qatar, to go to the Middle East and check the veracity of “Caesar” and his story. They concluded that “Caesar” was truthful and the photographs indicated “industrial scale killing”. CNN, London’s Guardian and LeMonde broke the story which was subsequently broadcast in news reports around the world. The Caesar photo accusations were announced as negotiations began in Switzerland. With the opposition demanding the resignation of the Syrian government, negotiations quickly broke down.

For the past two years the story has been preserved with occasional bursts of publicity and supposedly corroborating reports. Most recently, in December 2015 Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report titled “If the Dead Could Speak” with significant focus on the Caesar accusations.

Following are 12 significant problems with the ‘Caesar torture photos’ story.

1. Almost half the photos show the opposite of the allegations.

The Carter Ruck Inquiry Team claimed there were about 55,000 photos total with about half of them taken by ‘Caesar’ and the other half by other photographers. The Carter Ruck team claimed the photos were all ‘similar’. Together they are all known as ‘Caesar’s Torture Photos’.

The photographs are in the custody of an opposition organization called the Syrian Association for Missing and Conscience Detainees (SAFMCD). In 2015, they allowed Human Rights Watch (HRW) to study all the photographs which have otherwise been secret. In December 2015, HRW released their report titled “If the Dead Could Speak”. The biggest revelation is that over 46% of the photographs (24,568) do not show people ‘tortured to death” by the Syrian government. On the contrary, they show dead Syrian soldiers and victims of car bombs and other violence (HRW pp2-3). Thus, nearly half the photos show the opposite of what was alleged. These photos, never revealed to the public, confirm that the opposition is violent and has killed large numbers of Syrian security forces and civilians.

2. The claim that other photos only show ‘tortured detainees’ is exaggerated or false.

The Carter Ruck report says ‘Caesar’ only photographed bodies brought from Syrian government detention centers. In their December 2015 report, HRW said, “The largest category of photographs, 28,707 images, are photographs Human Rights Watch understands to have died in government custody, either in one of several detention facilities or after being transferred to a military hospital.” They estimate 6,786 dead individuals in the set.

The photos and the deceased are real, but how they died and the circumstances are unclear. There is strong evidence some died in conflict. Others died in the hospital. Others died and their bodies were decomposing before they were picked up. These photographs seem to document a war time situation where many combatants and civilians are killed. It seems the military hospital was doing what it had always done: maintaining a photographic and documentary record of the deceased. Bodies were picked up by different military or intelligence branches. While some may have died in detention; the big majority probably died in the conflict zones. The accusations by ‘Caesar’, the Carter Ruck report and HRW that these are all victims of “death in detention” or “death by torture” or death in ‘government custody” are almost certainly false.

3. The true identity of “Caesar” is probably not as claimed.

The Carter Ruck Report says “This witness who defected from Syria and who had been working for the Syrian government was given the code-name ‘Caesar’ by the inquiry team to protect the witness and members of his family.” (CRR p.12) However, if his story is true, it would be easy for the Syrian government to determine who he really is. After all, how many military photographers took photos at Tishreen and Military 601 Hospitals during those years and then disappeared? According to the Carter Ruck report, Caesar’s family left Syria around the same time. Considering this, why is “Caesar” keeping his identity secret from the western audience? Why does “Caesar” refuse to meet even with highly sympathetic journalists or researchers?

The fact that 46% of the total photographic set is substantially the opposite of what was claimed indicates two possibilities:

• Amnesty International’s “Kangaroo Report” on Human Rights in Syria

  Caesar and his promoters knew the contents but lied about them expecting nobody to look.

• Caesar and his promoters did not know the contents and falsely assumed they were like the others.

The latter seems more likely which supports the theory that Caesar is not who he claims to be.

4. The Carter Ruck Inquiry was faulty, rushed and politically biased.

The credibility of the “Caesar” story has been substantially based on the Carter-Ruck Inquiry Team which “verified” the defecting photographer and his photographs. The following facts suggest the team was biased with a political motive:

• the investigation was financed by the government of Qatar which is a major supporter of the armed opposition.

• the contracted law firm, Carter Ruck and Co. has previously represented Turkey’s President Erdogan, also known for his avid support of the armed opposition.

• the American on the legal inquiry team, Prof David M. Crane, has a long history working for U.S. Dept of Defense and Defense Intelligence Agency. The U.S. Government has been deeply involved in the attempt at ‘regime change’ with demands that ‘Assad must go’ beginning in summer 2011 and continuing until recently.

• Prof Crane is personally partisan in the conflict. He has campaigned for a Syrian War Crimes Tribunal and testified before Congress in October 2013, three months before the Caesar revelations.

• by their own admission, the inquiry team was under “time constraints” (CRR, p.11).

• by their own admission, the inquiry team did not even survey most of the photographs

• the inquiry team was either ignorant of the content or intentionally lied about the 46% showing dead Syrian soldiers and attack victims.

• the inquiry team did their last interview with “Caesar” on January 18, quickly finalized a report and rushed it into the media on January 20, two days prior to the start of UN sponsored negotiations.

• The self-proclaimed “rigor” of the Carter Ruck investigation is without foundation. The claims to a ‘scientific’ investigation are similarly without substance and verging on the ludicrous.

5. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is involved.

In an interview on France24, Prof. David Crane of the inquiry team describes how ‘Caesar’ was brought to meet them by “his handler, his case officer”. The expression ‘case officer’ usually refers to the CIA. This would be a common expression for Prof. Crane who previously worked in the Defense Intelligence Agency. The involvement of the CIA additionally makes sense since there was a CIA budget of $1Billion for Syria operations in 2013.

Prof. Crane’s “Syria Accountability Project” is based at Syracuse University where the CIA actively recruits new officers despite student resistance.

Why does it matter if the CIA is connected to the ‘Caesar’ story? Because the CIA has a long history of disinformation campaigns. In 2011, false reports of viagra fueled rape by Libyan soldiers were widely broadcast in western media as the U.S. pushed for a military mandate. Decades earlier, the world was shocked to hear about Cuban troops fighting in Angola raping Angolan women. The CIA chief of station for Angola, John Stockwell, later described how they invented the false report and spread it round the world. The CIA was very proud of that disinformation achievement. Stockwell’s book, “In Search of Enemies” is still relevant.

6. The prosecutors portray simple administrative procedures as mysterious and sinister.

The Carter Ruck inquiry team falsely claimed there were about 11,000 tortured and killed detainees. They then posed the question: Why would the Syrian government photograph and document the people they just killed? The Carter Ruck Report speculates that the military hospital photographed the dead to prove that the “orders to kill” had been followed. The “orders to kill” are assumed.

A more logical explanation is that dead bodies were photographed as part of normal hospital/morgue procedure to maintain a file of the deceased who were received or treated at the hospital.

The same applies to the body labeling/numbering system. The Carter Ruck report suggest there is something mysterious and possibly sinister in the coded tagging system. But all morgues need to have a tagging and identification system.

7. The photos have been manipulated.

Many of the photos at the SAFMCD website have been manipulated. The information card and tape identity are covered over and sections of documents are obscured. It must have been very time consuming to do this for thousands of photos. The explanation that they are doing this to ‘protect identity’ is not credible since the faces of victims are visible. What are they hiding?

8. The Photo Catalog has duplicates and other errors

There are numerous errors and anomalies in the photo catalog as presented at the SAFMCD website.

For example, some deceased persons are shown twice with different case numbers and dates.

There are other errors where different individuals are given the same identity number.

Researcher Adam Larson at A Closer Look at Syria website has done detailed investigation which reveals more errors and curious error patterns in the SAFMCD photo catalog.

9. With few exceptions, Western media uncritically accepted and promoted the story.

The Carter Ruck report was labeled “Confidential” but distributed to CNN, the Guardian and LeMonde.

CNN’s Christiane Amanpour gushed the story as she interviewed three of the inquiry team under the headline “EXCLUSIVE: Gruesome Syria photos may prove torture by Assad regime”. Critical journalism was replaced by leading questions and affirmation. David Crane said “This is a smoking gun”. Desmond de Silva “likened the images to those of holocaust survivors”.

The Guardian report was titled “Syrian regime document trove shows evidence of ‘industrial scale’ killing of detainees” with subtitle “Senior war crimes prosecutors say photographs and documents provide ‘clear evidence’ of systematic killing of 11,000 detainees”

One of the very few skeptical reports was by Dan Murphy in the Christian Science Monitor. Murphy echoed standard accusations about Syria but went on to say incisively, “the report itself is nowhere near as credible as it makes out and should be viewed for what it is: A well-timed propaganda exercise funded by Qatar, a regime opponent who has funded rebels fighting Assad who have committed war crimes of their own.”

Unfortunately that was one of very few critical reports in the mainstream media.

In 2012, foreign affairs journalist Jonathan Steele wrote an article describing the overall media bias on Syria.. His article was titled “Most Syrians back Assad but you’d never know from western media”. The media campaign and propaganda has continued without stop. It was in this context that the Carter Ruck Report was delivered and widely accepted without question.

10. Politicians have used the Caesar story to push for more US/NATO aggression.

Politicians seeking direct US intervention for ‘regime change’ in Syria were quick to accept and broadcast the ‘Caesar’ story. They used it to demonize the Assad government and argue that the US must act so as to prevent “another holocaust’, ‘another Rwanda’, ‘another Cambodia’.

When Caesar’s photos were displayed at the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Congress, Chairman Ed Royce said “It is far past time that the world act…. It is far past time for the United States to say there is going to be a safe zone across this area in northern Syria.”

The top ranking Democrat in the House Foreign Affairs Committee is Eliot Engel. In November 2015 he said “We’re reminded of the photographer, known as Caesar, who sat in this room a year ago, showing us in searing, graphic detail what Assad has done to his own people.” Engel went on to advocate for a new authorization for the use of military force.

Rep Adam Kinzinger is another advocate for aggression against Syria. At an event at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in July 2015 he said, “If we want to destroy ISIS we have to destroy the incubator of ISIS, Bashar al-Assad.”

The irony and hypocrisy is doubly profound since Rep Kinzinger has met and coordinated with opposition leader Okaidiwho is a confirmed ally of ISIS. In contrast with Kinzinger’s false claims, it is widely known that ISIS ideology and initial funding came from Saudi Arabia and much of its recent wealth from oil sales via Turkey. The Syrian Army has fought huge battles against ISIS, winning some but losing others with horrific scenes of mass beheading.

11. The Human Rights Watch assessment is biased.

HRW has been very active around Syria. After the chemical attacks in greater Damascus on August 21, 2013, HRW rushed a report which concluded that, based on a vector analysis of incoming projectiles, the source of the sarin-carrying rockets must have been Syrian government territory. This analysis was later debunked as a “junk heap of bad evidence” by highly respected investigative journalist Robert Parry. HRW’s assumption about the chemical weapon rocket flight distance was faulty. Additionally it was unrealistic to think you could determine rocket trajectory with 1% accuracy from a canister on the ground. To think you could determine flight trajectory from a canister on the ground that had deflected off a building wall was preposterous.

In spite of this, HRW stuck by its analysis which blamed the Assad government. HRW Director Ken Roth publicly indicated dissatisfaction when an agreement to remove Syrian chemical weapons was reached. Mr. Roth wanted more than a ‘symbolic’ attack.

In light of the preceding, we note the December 2015 HRW report addressing the claims of Caesar.

HRW seems to be the only non-governmental organization to receive the full set of photo files from the custodian. To its credit, HRW acknowledged that nearly half the photos do not show what has been claimed for two years: they show dead Syrian soldiers and militia along with scenes from crime scenes, car bombings, etc…

But HRW’s bias is clearly shown in how they handle this huge contradiction. Amazingly, they suggest the incorrectly identified photographs support the overall claim. They say, “This report focuses on deaths in detention. However other types of photographs are also important. From an evidentiary perspective, they reinforce the credibility of the claims of Caesar about his role as a forensic photographer of the Syrian security forces or at least with someone who has access to their photographs.” (HRW, p.31) This seems like saying if someone lies to you half the time that proves they are truthful.

The files disprove the assertion that the files all show tortured and killed. The photographs show a wide range of deceased persons, from Syrian soldiers to Syrian militia members to opposition fighters to civilians trapped in conflict zones to regular deaths in the military hospital. There may be some photos of detainees who died in custody after being tortured, or who were simply executed. We know that this happened in Iraqi detention centers under U.S. occupation. Ugly and brutal things happen in war times. But the facts strongly suggest that the ‘Caesar’ account is basically untrue or a gross exaggeration.

It is striking that the HRW report has no acknowledgment of the war conditions and circumstances in Syria. There is no acknowledgment that the government and Syrian Arab Army have been under attack by tens of thousands of weaponized fighters openly funded and supported by many of the wealthiest countries in the world.

There is no hint at the huge loss of life suffered by the Syrian army and supporters defending their country. The current estimates indicate from eighty to one hundred and twenty thousand Syrian soldiers, militia and allies having died in the conflict. During t

The original source of this article is Dissident Voice

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SYRIA: Jolani’s thugs throw grenades into homes, kill Alawite teachers
Freedom of Religion and Belief 

Kayhan Int’l (27.10.2025) – Sectarian killings and abductions targeting Syria’s Alawite community intensified this week, as the country grapples with the aftermath of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seizing control of Damascus under the leadership of Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, a former Al-Qaeda and Daesh commander.

Under his rule, HTS thugs have carried out widespread massacres and systematic attacks on Alawites, Shia, Druze, and Christian minorities, while Western powers remain largely silent, prioritizing geopolitical and economic interests over human rights.

On Friday, Jolani’s thugs threw two grenades into the home of 32-year-old Alawite teacher Raham Nizar Hamouda in the Al-Waleed neighborhood of Homs, killing her instantly and critically injuring her colleague Sara Muhammad Hamidoosh. Hamouda’s husband, a former Syrian army officer and engineer, is currently detained in Hama Central Prison.

Earlier in the month, on October 7, another female teacher was shot dead outside her school in Homs’ Zahra neighborhood. On October 21, 13-year-old Hanin Raslan was killed and her sister, 14-year-old Ghazal Raslan, wounded by gunfire from Syrian internal security forces affiliated with HTS, according to the Syria Justice Archive. That same day, the body of young Alawite man Alaa Muhammad Ibrahim was discovered at Al-Waer Hospital, having been dumped in the Al-Qarabis neighborhood.

On October 20, Hatem Abboud, a security guard working with the UN at the Safir Hotel, was gunned down by HTS thugs on Al-Habbal Street and left to bleed to death without medical aid.

In a social media video on October 23, a local man confronted Jolani’s thugs who had bombed his home, asking why they targeted him despite being Sunni. The militants’ chilling reply: “Because this is an Alawite street.”

Homs, a religiously mixed city, has endured relentless bombings, shootings, and kidnappings since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The HTS-led security apparatus continues the sectarian campaign, building on decades of violence fueled by Western-backed takfiri extremist groups during Syria’s 14-year war.

Human rights organizations warn that HTS’ thuggish rule marks a new phase of sectarian terror, with minorities increasingly trapped between systematic killings and the international community’s silence.

Analysts say the West’s muted response reflects its focus on securing political influence and access to Syria’s resources, while leaving vulnerable populations at the mercy of brutal takfiri terrorists.

Under Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, Syria has entered a grim era where religious identity determines life or death, and minority communities face existential threats as the world watches in cautious calculation.

Photo: Reham Hammouda (32), teacher killed by two grenades (Credit: CSW)

Further reading about FORB in Syria on HRWF website

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The truth is censored more in America that in any other country..

I can’t publish the URL of the publication from which I got this article. It is from Russia Today.

That is because the main newspapers in the US are now owned by Zionists who hate Russia.

So they put a warning on every mention of such a URL saying that the article you are about to read is from a publisher that is wholly owned by the Russian government, as if the censorship there is worse than that in this country!

And as if Russia supported a regime that commits GENOCIDE!