Image is of Assad’s presidential palace in 2013. There’s more images of it in this article, though the words in it aren’t worth reading.
Here is Assad’s version of events. I like to imagine he’s making one of those Youtuber apology videos where they sigh at the start and talk in a chastised yet somewhat defensive tone of voice.
As terrorism spread across Syria and ultimately reached Damascus on the evening of Saturday 7th December 2024, questions arose about the president’s fate and whereabouts. This occurred amidst a flood of misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth, aimed at recasting international terrorism as a liberation revolution for Syria.
At such a critical juncture in the nation’s history, where truth must take precedence, it is essential to address these distortions. Unfortunately, the prevailing circumstances at the time, including a total communication blackout for security reasons, delayed the release of this statement. This does not replace a detailed account of the events that unfolded, which will be provided when the opportunity allows.
First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday 8th December 2024. As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in co-ordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations. Upon arrival at the Hmeimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen. As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes.
With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December. This took place a day after the fall of Damascus following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.
At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.
I reaffirm that the person who, from the very first day of the war, refused to barter the salvation of his nation for personal gain, or to compromise his people in exchange for numerous offers and enticements is the same person who stood alongside the officers and soldiers of the army on the front lines, just metres from terrorists in the most dangerous and intense battlefields. He is the same person who, during the darkest years of the war, did not leave but remained with his family alongside his people, confronting terrorism under bombardment and the recurring threats of terrorist incursions into the capital over 14 years of war. Furthermore, the person who has never abandoned the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon, nor betrayed his allies who stood by him, cannot possibly be the same person who would forsake his own people or betray the army and nation to which he belongs.
I have never sought positions for personal gain but have always considered myself as a custodian of a national project, supported by the faith of the Syrian people, who believed in its vision. I have carried an unwavering conviction in their will and ability to protect the state, defend its institutions, and uphold their choices to the very last moment.
When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose, rendering its occupation meaningless. This does not, in any way, diminish my profound sense of belonging to Syria and her people – a bond that remains unshaken by any position or circumstance. It is a belonging filled with hope that Syria will once again be free and independent.
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Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Jackson Hinkles Chinese social media got banned lmao
Some brief news from Denmark:
Bartenders Fired Over Pro-Palestinian Stickers
In Copenhagen, two bartenders at a music venue were fired for wearing stickers featuring the Palestinian flag and the name of the organisation Antifascist Action. In a statement William Weiss, one of the bartenders, tells how the dismissal infringes on his freedom of expression. Management argues that the termination complies with a company policy prohibiting political messages at work.
Six additional staff members have resigned in protest. Weiss contends the venue’s policies shield problematic customers rather than employees.
Private Care Homes Shut Down
Over four years, Danish authorities have forcibly closed 19 private care homes due to severe abuse and mismanagement affecting vulnerable children and adults. Violations include violence, illegal restraints, and misuse of public funds, according to Denmark’s social supervision authorities.
Eva Naur, a welfare law lecturer, criticizes a lax approval processes that allow underqualified operators to run care homes. These homes often generate significant profits; a review of 81 private care homes found that in the past five years, owners have paid themselves dividends totaling 155 million DKK (€20.8 million).
Danes Firmly Reject Switching to the Euro
A majority of Danes (55%) remain opposed to adopting the euro, as shown by a recent poll. This resistance mirrors the outcome of Denmark’s 2000 referendum, when voters first rejected the single currency.
Despite increasing pro-European sentiment in Denmark since Brexit, younger Danes are not overwhelmingly pro-euro. Among Danes aged 18–34, 56% oppose replacing the krone, Denmark’s current currency. Although not part of the Eurozone, the Danish krone is closely pegged to the Euro.
Danish Investment in Weapons Stocks Surges
Private investment in military-related stocks has increased tenfold in Denmark since 2021, with holdings in these stocks now valued at 2.1 billion DKK (€281 million).
The shift in attitudes follows the Ukraine war, which has reshaped views on military spending and defense and ramped up militaristic propaganda. Arms manufacturing stocks face no regulatory barriers in Denmark.
Industrial Unions Gear Up for 2025 Contract Talks
Danish industrial unions have concluded nationwide preparatory meetings for the 2025 labor agreement negotiations. CO-Industri, a coalition of unions representing Danish industrial workers, collected over 500 proposals for improvements to working conditions.
The first negotiations, scheduled for January 2025, will set the tone for labor agreements across Denmark’s private sector. The collective agreements for the industrial sector is often used as a reference for negotiations in other sectors of the labour market.
Fascist Party Advocates Use of Cluster Bombs And Landmines
Alex Ahrendtsen, defense spokesperson for the far-right Danish People’s Party (DF), has called for Denmark to withdraw from treaties banning cluster bombs and landmines.
Ahrendtsen argues Denmark should have access to such weapons for defense purposes. However, Liberal Party Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen is not ready to go against the current consensus among western states and has reaffirmed Denmark’s commitment to international conventions prohibiting their use.
Universities Introduce 'Anti-Harassment' Policies In Response To Pro-Palestinian Activism
The Moderate Party-controlled Ministry of Education and Science has introduced a new so-called ‘anti-harassment’ policy for universities. Violators risks suspension. The regime claims the policy is necessary as some students feel they’re being harassed “in connection to a current political agenda”, ie. pro-Palestinian activism.
In one incident activists had painted the slogan “Zionists should be afraid” on buildings at the university campus in Roskilde. Zionists claimed that this message made all Jewish students feel unsafe. Discourse on harrassment on campuses has not mentioned zionist hate speech in support of the American-Zionist genocide against Palestine.
Controversial Cleaning Company Loses Key Contract
The cleaning company Renell has lost its contract with Næstved Municipality. Earlier this year the municipalities of Vejle, Køge and Hørsholm has cancelled contracts with the comapny although it recently won back the contract with Hørsholm.
The company is part of a collective agreement with the organization “Det removedlige Hus” trough its membership of the “Christian Employers’ Association”. “Det removedlige Hus” is a so-called yellow union or company union that renounces the right to strike and has no affiliation with the Danish labour movement. Calculations show that Workers at Renell earn significantly less than unionized counterparts covered by agreements with Denmark’s legitimate unions.
Social Democrats Accept Royal Honors
A large number of current and former Social Democratic ministers has been offered knighthoods by Denmark’s unelected monarchy. A handful refused to accept the decorations but most, including Danish leader Mette Frederiksen, accepted.
Earlier this year the Social Democrats, who leads the Nordic hermit kingdom’s ruling right-wing regime, decided to abandon a century-long policy of refusing to accept royal honors. A century ago the Social Democrats were a republican party but as the former labour party gained influence they shed their radical beliefs and became enamored to the institutions of the bourgeois state, including the monarchy.
Today the social democrats are as monarchist as any, using the royal cult of personality to further a reactionary nationalist agenda and embracing the royals in the hope that their popularity rubs off on the social democrats. This January Danish leader Mette Frederiksen was strutting with joy as she faced crowds gathered in Copenhagen to proclaim the accesssion to the throne of hand-picked successor Frederik Glücksburg, who took over the reins from his aging mother in a bloodless transfer of power. Since then the social democrats were a leading force in awarding the monarchy substantial budget increases.
- Source: Arbejderen, December 19th 2024
According to Ukraine’s Air Force Command, Russia fired five ballistic missiles at Kyiv at around 7 a.m. on Friday. Ukrainian air defenses shot down all five missiles. In addition, 40 UAVs were shot down, and another 20 drones did not reach their targets, according to the command
If you want to see what happens when Government doesn’t do stuff, look at Greece.
These countries (Portugal, Greece) are literally examples of what happens when the Government isn’t there to constrain capitalism and private debt is allowed to explode without control.
Idk where else to put this but our local Amazon plant is striking. I work nearby for a subcompany so I drive by every day to work and this morning I saw like 12-20 people out front with signs. I’m reaching out to my local org to see what I can do to help even though my branch isn’t fully established yet.
In vacation country Portugal news, the incompetent government decides to appeal to security racism whenever it is caught not fixing anything. This time, they decided to direct the police to do stop people in the middle of their mostly immigrant neighborhood in the middle of the capital to humiliate and search them, so they can “appease the feeling of insecurity” that the far right, the pigs, and themselves have been trying to create - neither of these would be close to being able to find a majority finding them competent, by the way.
And they present as a great result apprehending some minor drugs, small amount of money (4600€), and a knife. And some white Portuguese guy who was probably selling the drugs. Those immigrants surely are leading to increased feelings of insecurity, by way of opportunistic <redacted>. Other than some of the cops, they’re not even close to fascist, just eurocuck buffoons pretending to play politics incapable of thinking about the consequences.
If capturing Kurakhove takes months it will take a forever to defeat Ukraine in a city like Kherson or Sloviansk. At some point Russia will need to do decapitation strikes on Ukrainian leadership. Either that or lose another 1/2 million people on both sides. Seems like Putin’s low and slow grind strategy worked well for the first few years of the war but eventually Nato is going to re-organize and meet the challenge. If Nato ends up defeating Russia I’m moving to Mars with elon.
Is the U.S. Government discourse back in Paul Ryan era again? It’s really sad to see all the hand-wringing about the national debt.
And this time, there is
A little news from occupied Palestine.
Palestinian al-Qassam Brigades forces stabbed to death four Zionist occupation troops (including an officer) in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp, seizing their assault weapons. Yesterday, the resistance also killed another five occupation troops in central Jabaliya: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/19/739372/Qassam-Brigades-claims-to-have-killed-4-Israeli-troops-in-northern-Gaza-stabbing-attack
The fascist Tel Aviv regime’s warplanes attacked Yemen’s As-Salif port and Ras Isa oil facility in Hodeidah province; and two power plants in Sana’a. The attacks killed nine civilians. In response, the Yemeni Armed Forces struck Tel Aviv with two Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missiles and a drone: https://sputnikglobe.com/20241219/houthi-missile-lands-direct-hit-in-tel-aviv-amid-tit-for-tat-attacks---photos-1121216865.html
Turkey’s Erdogan in Egypt, holds first meeting with Sisi after Assad’s fall
ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met on Thursday to discuss Syria, Gaza and bilateral relations in their first meeting since the fall of the Syrian regime.
During their meeting on the sidelines of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation summit in Cairo, Erdogan pledged continued Turkish support for Syrian unity and the country’s reconstruction after 13 years of civil war. Unlike Turkey, the main backer of the Syrian rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad from power on Dec. 8, the Egyptian government has long-favored Assad over the Islamist-leaning opposition. Assad’s fall has raised concerns in Cairo about a potential resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was removed from power in 2013.
On Gaza, Erdogan urged enhanced coordination between the two nations to guarantee the seamless delivery of humanitarian aid, stressing the critical need for an immediate, permanent, and sustainable ceasefire.
After Sisi’s ousting of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-led government, Erdogan declared he would never shake hands with him, labeling him a “brutal killer.”
However, the last two years saw a thaw in relations between Cairo and Ankara. The two countries exchanged ambassadors in July 2023, and Sisi paid his first-ever visit to Turkey in September.
The leader of Yemen’s Ansarallah, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi: ‘Egypt is also under threat. The situation in Egypt may deteriorate quickly and the Zionist regime will seek to destroy all the capabilities and powers of the Egyptian army, like they did in Syria. The Zionist regime is seeking to implement this plan to overthrow the regime in Egypt’
NYPD decided to do a perp walk photo op with Luigi:
This seems to have pretty much backfired on social media, for obvious reasons (this picture objectively goes hard). Lots of people comparing him to pics of Superman in handcuffs or saying they are treating him like a supervillain in Gotham.
Oh, also, that’s Eric Adams directly to his right behind him. He might have given a speech about how Rikers is the Blackgate Penetentiary of New York, I am trying to check.
With the imminent resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, many are wondering what would happen in the event of his departure. The Canadian parliament was elected in 2021 and will last until September 2025.
The government is formed on the basis of cabinet agreements. Justin Trudeau has been prime minister for almost 10 years, but only for the first time with a majority. The parliament can be dissolved before the deadline by the Governor General, King Charles’ representative in the country.
As Canada is part of the Commonwealth, he is the Canadian head of state. The position is currently held by Mary Simon. Normally, the Governor General dissolves parliament at the request of the Prime Minister, but he or she can also do so at the request of parliament. The last early dissolution was in 2021, at Trudeau’s request.
So, if Justin Trudeau resigns, and if parliament does not call for a dissolution, the Liberal party, which holds a plurality of seats, could appoint a new prime minister. It all depends on parliament and the New Democrats, led by Jagmeet Sighn. Because if the New Democrats decide to support the dissolution, the Liberals have no way of stopping it, since the 25 seats of the NDP are decisive in the majority of parliament.
Opinion polls show that the Canadian Conservatives would maintain their lead if the election were held today. Trudeau’s announcement is scheduled for this evening, if it is not postponed. If a federal election were held today in Canada, the Canadian Conservatives would be the leading political force. They would go from 120 to 218 MPs. The Liberals would sink, falling from 157 to 50. The NDP would lose 1 seat, according to this projection.
The most recent batch of ATACMS missiles used in Ukraine appear to have been sent by South Korea
Could have fun implications given that Russia and DPRK recently signed that defence treaty
