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submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by SeventyTwoTrillion@hexbear.net to c/news@hexbear.net

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 Upon arrival at the Hmeimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.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

If you have evidence of Israeli crimes and atrocities that you wish to preserve, there is a thread here in which to do so.

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.


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[-] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 47 points 2 days ago

What’s Behind the New U.S. Military Base in Galapagos - Telesur English

Article

President Daniel Noboa has succeeded in establishing a foreign base in an archipelago of invaluable importance to humanity. U.S. military vessels are set to arrive in the Galapagos Islands in December, amidst accusations that Ecuador is surrendering its sovereignty and violating its own constitution.

President Daniel Noboa has succeeded in establishing a U.S. military base in the Galapagos Islands, allowing Washington to expand its network of approximately 750 military bases across 80 countries. With this, the United States will have another location to deploy its nearly 200,000 troops stationed in 159 nations, as extensively documented by Professor David Vine of American University in Washington.

The decision, approved by the Galapagos Governing Council and based on military cooperation agreements with the United States, was formalized on December 10. Specifically, a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) will permit the U.S. to deploy ships, aircraft, and military personnel to the archipelago.

The Noboa administration justifies this move by claiming that the U.S. presence will help combat drug trafficking, illegal fishing, and other illicit activities in the island region. However, the Galapagos’ geostrategic location and contemporary geopolitical events suggest that this decision amounts to a negotiated surrender of sovereignty.

This development follows the precedent of the U.S. military base in the coastal city of Manta, where American soldiers were stationed for a decade to conduct air and sea operations as part of the Plan Colombia. Despite the stated goal of combating drug trafficking, violence did not decline during that period. In 1999, the homicide rate in Ecuador was 13.55 per 100,000 inhabitants, but after a decade of U.S. military presence, it increased to 17.74.

During that same period, 21 cases of boat interceptions, destruction, and sinkings were documented, involving vessels transporting migrants along maritime routes through Central America to the United States. Currently, in the Galapagos Archipelago, the U.S. is reportedly planning to establish a chain of naval stations equipped with radar systems in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR).

Ecuador’s 2008 Constitution explicitly prohibits the installation of foreign military bases on national territory. This principle was introduced during the constitutional process under Rafael Correa’s presidency, leading to the closure of the U.S. base in Manta in 2009. Given this constitutional prohibition, President Noboa submitted a proposal to the National Assembly to repeal the article restricting foreign military presence. Although Parliament refused to debate the proposal, Noboa pushed forward after securing approval from the Constitutional Court.

The court’s approval was based on the provisions of the SOFA agreements signed by former President Guillermo Lasso and President Noboa in 2024. “This type of agreement signifies Ecuador’s surrender of full sovereignty over sensitive matters like security and national territory,” said Mexican sociologist Miguel Ruiz. “This surrender explains events like the brazen invasion of the Mexican Embassy in Quito, ordered by Noboa—an action that could hardly have been executed without the backing of U.S. power structures,” he added.

Former Deputy Foreign Minister Fernando Yepez condemned the decision to establish a U.S. military base in the Galapagos as “colonial servitude” that jeopardizes national sovereignty. “There’s no awareness of Ecuador’s interests or the negative experiences with foreign bases,” he said. Social and political organizations have denounced the measure, citing the lack of community consultation and the violation of special regulations governing the Galapagos, which prioritize the conservation of natural heritage and the well-being of its residents.

The Galapagos Islands, celebrated for their unique biodiversity and their role in Charles Darwin’s research, face new environmental challenges with the arrival of military equipment. Although the cooperation agreements promise strict controls to prevent ecological harm, environmental activists remain skeptical. “Past experiences show that military operations often fail to respect even the minimum conservation standards,” said environmental activist Cristina Cely.

Additionally, the construction of new infrastructure in local ports and airports, necessary for operating the base, could further disrupt the fragile terrestrial and marine ecosystems of the Galapagos.

While the Noboa administration argues that the U.S. base will help combat drug trafficking and illegal fishing, critics contend that the move primarily serves U.S. strategic interests in the region. In February 2024, Noboa signed an agreement granting U.S. military personnel privileges and exemptions, including diplomatic-level immunity, setting a dangerous precedent for national sovereignty and exposing Ecuador to potential legal conflicts.

For former presidential candidate Andres Arauz, the U.S. military base is not aimed at combating drug trafficking but at advancing Washington’s geopolitical agenda. “The United States seeks a base for a potential Third World War against China as part of its strategy for Pacific dominance. The U.S. already had a military base on Baltra Island in the Galapagos during World War II for similar reasons,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ecuadorians will elect their next president in February 2025, a decisive moment to determine who will write the next chapter of U.S. military deployment on Ecuadorian soil, Arauz pointed out.

[-] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 38 points 2 days ago

Bolivian Prosecutors To Request Preventive Detention for Evo Morales - Telesur English

Article

‘There is a series of illegalities aimed at stigmatizing and discrediting the former president,” lawyer Cox said. On Monday, Bolivia’s Attorney General Roger Mariaca announced that he will seek six months of preventive detention for former President Evo Morales as part of an investigation into human trafficking allegations against him.

Mariaca confirmed that the Tarija Departmental Prosecutor’s Office had formally charged Morales and another individual with the crime of “aggravated human trafficking.” “We are requesting the exceptional measure of preventive detention for six months in a public prison,” he stated, adding that a precautionary judge is now expected to set a date for the hearing where the request will be considered.

He also emphasized that enforcing an arrest warrant is the responsibility of the police, which must explain when they will execute the order against Morales or why it has not yet been carried out.

On Tuesday, Tarija Departmental Prosecutor Sandra Gutierrez confirmed that a formal accusation was presented against Morales and Ms. Idelsa Pozo (the mother of the alleged victim) for the crime of aggravated human trafficking.” She noted that they are awaiting a judge to set the date and time for the precautionary measures hearing.

Morales is accused of human trafficking and statutoryremoved involving a minor with whom he allegedly had a child. The minor was reportedly part of a youth political group created by Morales during his presidency (2006–2019). The investigation also claims that the alleged victim’s parents “profited” from her by offering her to the former president in exchange for “favors.”

Nelson Cox, a member of Morales’s legal defense team, accused the prosecutors of attempting to discredit the leftist leader to block his potential presidential candidacy. “There is a series of illegalities aimed at stigmatizing and discrediting the former president… There is no evidence, no victim, no proof of the crime,” he stated, adding that the accusations against Morales are part of a closed case that cannot be reopened because a person cannot be tried twice for the same cause.

On October 16, authorities issued an arrest warrant against Morales. However, the police have not been able to execute it, as they have not located his whereabouts. When the arrest order was issued, Morales’s supporters organized roadblocks for 24 days, particularly in central regions of the country, to defend him. These actions prevented the police from entering Chapare, a political and union stronghold of the former president.

In addition to the case in Tarija, Morales faces seven other complaints involving alleged abuses of minors in Cochabamba. He is also under investigation in Argentina for alleged human trafficking and sexual abuse. The investigations come amid tensions between Morales and President Luis Arce over control of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party and the selection of its presidential candidate for the 2025 elections.

“I denounce to the world that I am the victim of a brutal lawfare executed by the Government of Luis Arce, which promised to hand me over as a war trophy to the United States,” Evo said on social media. “They invent crimes against me. They do not respect the constitutional principles of presumption of innocence and due process. They condemn me and shoot me legally, politically, and mediatically. They have no evidence, only slogans and unbridled hatred,” he added.

[-] Thorngraff_Ironbeard@hexbear.net 17 points 2 days ago

Fucking Bolivia dude. I remember when the Fascist coup happened and the mobilization from the unions and Indigenous groups was inspiring. Now all this infighting seems to put that all in jeopardy. I don't know what the way forward for our comrades there is but I hope for the best.

[-] Z_Poster365@hexbear.net 13 points 2 days ago

Never trust succs. All power to Morales to crush these traitors

[-] BigBoyKarlLiebknecht@hexbear.net 50 points 2 days ago

Excited to learn that Drone Discourse is colliding with Sky Orb Discourse

[-] GiorgioBoymoder@hexbear.net 16 points 2 days ago

The drones are a distraction from the Orbs!

[-] glingorfel@hexbear.net 14 points 2 days ago

the sky orb and plasmoid people took all the fun out of seeing the drone videos on tiktok

[-] plinky@hexbear.net 48 points 2 days ago

mate has no other problems huh.

[-] CyborgMarx@hexbear.net 54 points 2 days ago

On top of the historically "invisible" labor of women; the tedious work of the industrial revolution was done on the backs of women and young girls, precisely because their second class status made them vulnerable to hyper-exploitation

Of course the theocrats can only metabolize that fact as a desire to return women to second-class status and inadvertently, ironically or intentionally recreate the conditions that led to their vulnerability in the first place, while attempting to turn back the wheel of time on developments that will always smash their archaic desires to dust

Thank God I'm a Marxist

[-] LupineTroubles@hexbear.net 33 points 2 days ago

Not only is this blatant opportunism by Khamenei to excuse the rampant sexism that Iranian government embodies and seems to use both as a distraction from internal political failures and international pressure but it is also categorically wrong because women's labor was not in effect something that capitalists entrepreneurs desired collectively to establish. Capitalist class benefits from unpaid labor in general because it reduces the monetization of economy outside of capitalist control which at all levels of chain of production reduces the value of labor. In effect, women entering work force increased labor costs because previously free labor started requiring expense from the pocket of labor which is factored into wage demands. This is something that capitalist class still tries to make into a public expense by socializing its costs to public programs, such as food aid, maternity benefits and other needs that companies still inadequately compensate their employees otherwise.

[-] gwysibo@hexbear.net 34 points 2 days ago

hashtag women

[-] mkultrawide@hexbear.net 27 points 2 days ago

Wondering if I can finally let loose my take that this guy is Iran's Joe Biden and is too damn old for this moment.

[-] MLRL_Commie@hexbear.net 34 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Khamenei is wrong about women in general, as a fairly obvious religious mysogynist, but entirely correct that the west gave in to women's rights activists only around the time that their labor was needed due to war and "women's work" was also partially proletarianized instead of just entirely unpaid social reproduction. The one presented the solution tot the other for the ruling class.

[-] plinky@hexbear.net 26 points 2 days ago

women calculators were a thing in like 1920s? or more relatedly, lots of textile work in general was for a long time a woman (paid) job (weaving/seaming/laundry etc) (aside from social reproduction work obviously)

[-] Lemister@hexbear.net 21 points 2 days ago

women worked since the beginning of dawn, a lot of it wasnt just "official" bureaucratized work. With the rise of early capitalism, women were forced out of a lot of positions, for example in the medieval age daughters or wives could take up the work if their husband/father had no male members to inherit their positions, so you had female bakers, butchers, blacksmiths, tailors, etc... It was the pressure to expand the market base during the 60-80s that lead the bourgeoisie to relent and "grant" women rights.

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[-] LupineTroubles@hexbear.net 16 points 2 days ago

Khamenei is wrong on both accounts, the proletarianization of women didn't happen on account of capitalist class for profit motive but due to state-level national interest that overrode profit driven structural changes that were happening within Western economies. Now of course capitalist class not only can and often did mobilize state for profit motive but rather outright prefers to utilize state for its interest but wartime conditions that threatens survival of capital class created a different equation in which self-preservation was enough of a pressure.

One cannot accept the suggestion that women only acquired rights on clemency of capitalists to benefit of capitalists. Because not only is it false and gives into the exact sort of tautology that Khamenei spouts here that appears correct but also lets all sorts of reactionaries make false arguments about role of women (and minors, minorities and all types of exploited groups). All sorts of worker liberation is against capitalist self-interest and are only conceded with enough pressure in which the other outcome is worse for their class interest.

Women's liberation follows capitalism destroying the livelihood of women by uneven proletarianization that subjugated women to exploited labor for benefit of capital class, in which if profit interest was followed they would rather women be extinct which is obviously against the interest of women in question and functioning society in general as profit interest usually is. Women managed to acquire enough of a leverage to change this state of affairs due to pressure of wartime conditions that made women even more essential and made profit interest a temporarily secondary concern.

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[-] Boise_Idaho@hexbear.net 91 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

not-a-journalist: You are not a sovereign country, kkkanada . You know this.
https://xcancel.com/camilapress/status/1869212016558449101

Venezuela says new sanctions announced by Ottawa today “confirms, once again, [Canada's] servile role as a slave to the imperial interests of the United States.”

[-] newmou@hexbear.net 83 points 3 days ago

This whole drone saga really reminds me of the clowns in the woods if anyone remembers that

[-] Bisexual_Cookie@hexbear.net 43 points 2 days ago

good bit of mass hysteria

[-] GiorgioBoymoder@hexbear.net 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I didn't initially think so many people could be so wrong so there had to be something interesting if you filtered out all the videos of airplanes, but it really seems like this is just an episode of social media hysteria?

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[-] Praxagora@hexbear.net 69 points 3 days ago

A really somber "Tankie Therapy" episode from The East is a Podcast on the fall of Syria. I was personally waiting for the crew to give their views because they know how important revolutionary optimism is for how we as leftists should think about the world, but they also keep it grounded in material reality. The way they manage to resist slipping into either forms of delusional optimistic idealism or some doom-and-gloom self-flagellation, especially in completely uncertain times like this, and are able to give a broad and pragmatic perspective is something I really admire.

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[-] BigBoyKarlLiebknecht@hexbear.net 84 points 3 days ago

In Kids TV News, HBO is dropping Sesame Street (they license content, which essentially funds its production and availability on PBS). Given Trump will almost certainly end federal funding for PBS (and the show is a personal target of Matt Schlapp and Ted Cruz), it may prove to be one of the casualties of the new republican regime unless someone else picks it up.

As a parent, it’d actually be quite sad to see it go, either entirely or from PBS. High quality, freely available children’s content that is positive, educational and inclusive should be a given, but naturally, the market will consume all - even Elmo. deeper-sadness

[-] CleverOleg@hexbear.net 45 points 2 days ago

PBS Kids has such really good content, I would argue it’s one of the very few good things to come out the United States.

I am also old enough to remember the time when congressional Republicans got angry at PBS because Sesame Street in South Africa (different show, produced locally in South Africa) discussed HIV because so many kids there have it. Truly a breathtaking display of ignorance and hatred.

[-] SpiderFarmer@hexbear.net 35 points 2 days ago

It's weird, but I actually had that thought a day or two before the news was announced. Either way, something like Sesame Street should never have been bought out by whatever Frankencompany HBO is called.

[-] SpookyGenderCommunist@hexbear.net 28 points 2 days ago

Remember when Mitt Romney hinting at defunding PBS and defending it with "But I love Big Bird!" Was a huge scandal?

[-] someone@hexbear.net 31 points 2 days ago

A society without Sesame Street is a society not worth saving.

[-] robot_dog_with_gun@hexbear.net 44 points 3 days ago

big bird should kill and eat those guys

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this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2024
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