SitRep on the EAST – We refer to eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Update.

SitRep on the EAST – We refer to eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean; and

S.E.I.G. Agent MARCONI checks in with this update:

Hi Harry,

I have chased up some sources on ground forces and found the following. None of this is confirmed by radio

intercept and is obviously based on available Intel; I must stress that all the reported actions were taken under the

current US administration, and all could change VERY SOON!!!Hope it is of use, Regards, MARCONI

Turkey has repeatedly expressed alarm about Russia’s deployment of troops to Syria which Moscow says is

aimed at fighting jihadists but is widely seen as buttressing the Assad regime. Education Minister Nabi Avci,

speaking in parliament, claimed Russia’s forces in Qamishli were working with both the regime as well as Kurdish

Militia of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party.

The People’s Protection Units (YPG) have established control over much over the northern Syrian border region in

the past months after pushing out Islamic State (IS) jihadists. But Ankara accuses the PYD and YPG of being the

Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and has been alarmed by an apparent tightening of

ties between Moscow and the Kurds after the plane downing.

“For us, there is no difference between PYD, YPG, PKK or Daesh (IS),” said Erdogan. (Turkish President, and we

all recall the recent coup attempt!!!) “We will discuss this with Biden tomorrow … I hope that this joint stance will

be aimed at preventing this wrong Russian formation in northern Syria,” he added.

Hurriyet also claimed a delegation from Russia’s Fedseral Security System, the PYD and the Assad regime was now

in Qamishli. Regardless, it was reported by Chris Hughes of the London Daily Mirror in early October that Russia’s

Spetsnaz unit were being moved to Syria in order to combat ISIS and other assorted “relatively moderate cannibals”

and it is certainly within the realm of possibility and reasonable military strategy that Russian Special Forces have

been deployed to Syria. Russia has officially denied the presence of Special Forces troops in Syria for the record.

(Daily Mirror not a reliable source!!!) MARCONI)

EDITOR NOTE – The Russian Spetsnaz are Russia’s equivalent to the US Navy SEALs

and just as tough.

The United States, however, is not even attempting to deny the presence of U.S. Special Forces troops in Syria and

instead is advertising the plan publicly. Last week, President Barack Obama announced that the United States would

be deploying 50 US Special Forces Troops to Syria under the guise of “fighting ISIS” and engaging in “aid and

assist” missions with forces fighting ISIS and ostensibly the Syrian government. Of course, US Special Forces have

long been active in Syria. From taking place in direct combat support missions for terrorist actors to logistical

organization and spotting maneuvers, Special Forces have been having an a cogent effect on the ability of terrorist

forces to mount militarily sound attacks on government held positions for some time.

According to Sputnik, these Special Forces are not only operating far afield in the East where ISIS and “relatively

moderate cannibals” have a tight grip on territory, they are operating in the West, where the Syrian government is

the dominant force and where the Russian military is assisting in the mop up of terrorists most heavily. US military

advisors are alleged to have started training so-called moderate rebels near the city of Salma in the Latakia province

in what amounts to breaking a pledge not to put US boots on the ground in Syria, Lebanon’s satellite television

channel al-Mayadeen reported, citing an unnamed military source.

If the reports, attributed to an “unnamed Lebanese source,” are to be believed, then US Special Forces are right in

the middle of some of the heaviest fighting between Syrian government/Russian military/PDF and Western-backed

terrorists. On November 4, Reuters reported that Russian military personnel stationed in Syria now numbers around

4,000. All of this taken together suggests that there is a very real possibility that the United States and Russia will

soon see an escalation from semi-covert proxy war via terrorists and Syrian government forces (though one can

hardly call Assad’s forces proxies for Russia) to open conflict between U.S. and Russian Special Forces on the

ground. The question then becomes “what will happen if Russian Special Forces engage in combat against terrorists

supported by and embedded with U.S. Special Forces?” How far will this conflict escalate? Will the Americans

respond? Will the Russians and the Americans begin firing on one another?

Indeed, if the United States commits itself to stay the course until the conflict is brought to an end, a confrontation

between the two forces is almost inevitable since the Russian goal is to secure the territory currently held by the

Assad government before moving East.

Harry Cooper

www.sharkhunters.com