Talk:Other research

Arab Mercenaries trained in Abu Dhabi - by Erik Prince
Came across this item and it fits with something I had read in around late 2010/early 2011 but was never able to find again although I searched for it. Notice how this article is dated June 2013 but written from a perspective of early 2011, maybe that's the same piece I had read back then:


 * Colombia worries as troops join Arab mercenary force, UPI, June 7, 2013


 * Colombia's defense ministry is alarmed about an exodus of top soldiers to the United Arab Emirates to join a highly paid U.S.-led mercenary force organized by Erik Prince, billionaire founder of the infamous security firm Blackwater.


 * [...] Prince, who sold Blackwater in 2010 after it was involved in killings and scandals in Iraq, went to Abu Dhabi, capital of the Persian Gulf federation, in 2011.


 * He signed on to form an 800-man battalion of mercenaries for what emirati officials termed "anti-terrorism operations" inside and outside the country. [...]

--CE (talk) 00:08, 27 August 2013 (UTC)


 * Searching with the quoted text (unquoted) for pre-2012 sources brings up this al-Arabiya piece. (Google is good, it found the right stuff, even though it thought "Prince" referred to the crown prince of Abu Dhabi. :-)
 * United Arab Emirates confirms creation of Special Forces to tackle contingencies – Sunday, 15 May 2011
 * The United Arab Emirates has confirmed that the crown prince of Abu Dhabi has hired the founder of private security firm Blackwater Worldwide to set up an 800-member battalion of foreign troops for the UAE, a story that was published in the New York Times on Sunday.
 * The Times said it obtained documents that showed the unit being formed by Erik Prince’s new company Reflex Responses with $529 million from the UAE would be used to thwart internal revolt, conduct special operations and defend oil pipelines and skyscrapers from attack.
 * -- Petri Krohn (talk) 00:53, 27 August 2013 (UTC)


 * Ah, nice, and with that information it was easy to find the NYT piece:
 * Secret Desert Force Set Up by Blackwater’s Founder, NYT, May 15, 2011
 * How many Colombian and South African special forces mercs does Erik need to make himself Prince of Abu Dhabi should the cash-flow stop one day, you gather? ;o) --CE (talk) 01:14, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

The latest
Idleb countryside: militia "free" to execute citizens shot 11/01/2012 -- Petri Krohn (talk) 21:04, 1 November 2012 (UTC)
 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVoWM4FeKWk

Steroids?
Interesting comment on the Facebook page of an Australian jihadi.


 * 1st, I will inject in them heavy duty Steroids (with permission), that will allow physical combat with swords, spares and arrow skills, not just 21st C. warfare machinery, to enhance their fighting skills like the days of old warfare. This also means looking forward to 1 on 1 combat more than distant fighting.

Being on steroids would explain the massacres and genocidal violence we see. Anders Breivik gave similar advise and pumped himself up with steroids before going on his child killing spree.-- Petri Krohn (talk) 07:25, 21 November 2012 (UTC)


 * That fits with some thoughts I've had, but I don't know if it's worth following up. Hard to say. The nature of the injuries we see could be a clue, showing brutality, but not the worst I've seen. Not seeing insane energy behind it. Maybe they tried for that, but there were too many non-specialists, and they found their arms weaker than expected once swinging at a child's face-internal moral struggles muting the brutality.
 * I had a semi-related thought - why May 25? Same day that crazycannibal in Miami on "bath Salts" (or maybe not) chewed off that guy's face, and the week around it, May 16-26, in the US - especially Florida, a creepy place - had a strange spate of sick violence and face-biting and flesh eating amoeba incidents. Some kind of ... chemical release ... HAARP-induced ... zombie apocalypse ... stuff?? Striking Florida and Syria? Probably not. No chewing we know of in Taldou. --Caustic Logic (talk) 23:36, 21 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Well, why May 25 - upcoming Annan visit and UN meeting or what it was seems sufficiant (but rather boring, sorry ;o)) explanation. There have been several reports about seized drug stocks and rampant drug usage among the "rebels" - the only source I can remember right now is this. With this guy you never know if he's in Comical Ali mode but it's often an interesting and quite funny read. --CE (talk) 03:22, 22 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Alright, you win this round. But I will find away to tie crypto-Jew space lizards into this. The details in that article all sounded quite plausible. There were similar allegations in Libya, esp. use of some hallucinatory medicine they stole a ton of in Az Zawiyah. BTW: Delayed resumption here. Weird mood after an unexpected semi-beating from a stocky drunk guy with blessedly swollen ham fists. Tossed me around a it, choked me a little, sore throat and a badly strained left arm, slows my typing. Planning to press charges, as he was arrested right away by security guards. I suspect my hat set him off - it says "Fek Off," but I wear it backwards. Problem is, dude followed me for two blocks, I guess, fuming, before finally asking if I had anything to say to him and not liking my response. Sadly, the hat somehow vanished in the scuffle, and it was special, limited edition, made by a friend. Commissioned by him, made in some factory. Sorry to go on, it's probably all I can write on well at the moment. But later today, and into the weekend, oh yeah... --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:38, 22 November 2012 (UTC)


 * Wow, that sucks. Glad you're half-way ok. Guess some people just have no humour... --CE (talk) 13:28, 22 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Yep, and it's a bit better today. New things coming up. :) --Caustic Logic (talk) 22:55, 22 November 2012 (UTC)

Clear Rebel Crimes

 * Syria Executions Video: Rebel Reportedly Films Himself Shooting 10 Prisoners (GRAPHIC VIDEO)
 * Good description there: The cameraman then points the camera along the barrel of his Kalashnikov assault rifle as he shoots the men.
 * "God is great. Jabhat al-Nusra," he says, referring to the secretive al-Nusra Front, an Islamist rebel unit linked to al Qaeda that has claimed responsibility for several suicide bomb attacks around the country.
 * The gunman gets on the back of a pickup truck and the camera pans to show the man who had been shot in the arm still moving. More shots are fired and his body spasms.
 * ''It was filmed in Ras al-Ain, a town on the border with Turkey where pitched battles have raged in recent weeks." --Caustic Logic (talk) 00:39, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

-- Petri Krohn (talk) 23:08, 3 December 2012 (UTC)
 * US NATO-backed Terrorists in Syria Mass Murder Unarmed Men

Contested
There are many of these, but here's one that stood out for me-possible firefighter being cruelly, cruelly prepared for execution. As presented to me: Yes, and gravel, in an unnecessarily long and swerving path, and then they drag him up the tailgate and into the bed, and give a final kick to his dangling face, where he starts sobbing or gasping. Then hopefully he was driven away and killed swiftly. There's a parked fire truck (red) nearby with wet ground around it (see 1:06). The victim's removed boots (0:17) look unusual, straps at the top, possibly something a fireman would wear. Violators: Possible loyalist soldiers in camo, boots and sandals (not the famous Shabiha sneakers). Possible FSA defectors, perhaps even trying to impersonate soldiers. Not sure how convincingly. Not sure what the Toyota truck they pile into suggests. --Caustic Logic (talk) 00:32, 4 December 2012 (UTC)
 * Syrian army dragging near dead detainee into the back of a truck by dragging his bloody body face down over concrete.

FSA chemical weapons video
"Wind Isber Chemical Inscription"
 * FSA Terrorists Threaten Alawites and Government Supporters with Genocide Using Chemical Weapons
 * Syria Rebels testing Tekkim chemicals to use as chem weapons


 * Discussion
 * Facebook
 * Forum

-- Petri Krohn (talk) 14:20, 6 December 2012 (UTC)

Rape and suicide
Did this 14 year old Kurdish Syrian girl commit suicide after being gang raped by the FSA? -- Petri Krohn (talk) 14:42, 7 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Evidence of Mass Gang Rape of Girls by Terrorists in Syria and the Fatwa Supporting Rape


 * Extremely solid and realistic-sounding allegations of systemic rape, non-Viagra erectile enhancement, rape with a living scratching rat, etc. - all occurring in a place called "#Syria" - are compiled here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/23/1181411/-Rape-in-Syria-He-pushed-a-rat-in-her-vagina Some deserving activists are helping compile this and break the wall of silence. --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:05, 26 January 2013 (UTC)
 * I lost all interest on line 1: "80 students slaughtered at Aleppo University by the Assad regime a week ago well known and beyond dispute." -- Petri Krohn (talk) 20:53, 26 January 2013 (UTC)

When this page is started, it also needs to feature some examples of rape and defilement in the various "Shabiha" massacres, and also the Saudi cleric giving all the rebels God's permission to rape ("marry") any Syrian girl they liked over the age of 13. And stuff like that. --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:07, 26 January 2013 (UTC)

Chemical weapons false flag – document leak?
Just in: ''January 28, 2013 (LD) - Documents allegedly "hacked" belonging to UK-based defense contractor Britam (official website here) appear to show the company considering an offer from Qatar to use Libyan chemical weapons in Homs, Syria in order to frame both the Syrian and Russian governments. The plan involves using Britam's Ukrainian mercenaries and Soviet-era chemical weapon shells brought in from Libya's large, Al Qaeda-linked, Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) controlled arsenals.''
 * Is UK Defense Contractor Planning Syrian WMD False Flag?

Source:
 * britam defence hacked, confidential documents leaked, site offline
 * A Look into the Britam Defence Data Leak Files

-- Petri Krohn (talk) 08:21, 28 January 2013 (UTC)


 * Wow, wow.I'm not going to be cutting edge on this, but I'll follow along at least. Read the short pages, waiting to see how the news handles it. Google news search chows it all over already - in Russian and other non-English news sources. --Caustic Logic (talk) 13:28, 28 January 2013 (UTC)


 * Interesting. Wanted to take a look at this earlier but had other things to do. Did now, in a "guided" way because apxwn (the guy who did the German translations of the Houla ANNA witnesses and many other stuff) wrote kind of a debunk. His conclusion: The stuff may be genuine but it's basically all about relatively uncontroversial contract work in Iraq, and the two folders on Syria and Iran contain nothing substantial ... beside the two emails. And if you compare the headers of those two emails, they are exactly identical with one difference - the day involved. Oct 16 for the Iran mail, Dec 24 for the Syria mail. Time is exactly the same, IDs are the same. I agree that this is an absolute red flag. Dunno if we need the stuff below as it is available at the links and by now all over the place, but I leave that to Petri to decide. --CE (talk) 02:40, 29 January 2013 (UTC)


 * Yes, I can confirm. The Syria email is a copy of the Iran email, and thus a forgery. The rest of the stuff is likely genuine, but unrelated to Syria – and not really that interesting. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 04:04, 29 January 2013 (UTC)


 * Thanks, guys. Glad I didn't take any of my own time on this. And it didn'ttake much of your time either. I'm glad "apxwn" is interested in truth over embracing ideologically convenient claims that discredit you in the long run. That's a big +1 there. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:44, 29 January 2013 (UTC)


 * Yeah this guy knows his stuff. Pity that syrianews.cc doesn't translate his articles anymore, they are always excellent. Likely exactly the purpose of this "leak" - discredit similar rumours and/or real leaks in the long run. Wasn't there some warning about slavic looking mercs hired for framing the Russians a couple of weeks ago? --CE (talk) 14:28, 29 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Maybe. :) --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:58, 29 January 2013 (UTC)

The story has hit mainstream news (Daily Mail online is the world's most read online newspaper.): -- Petri Krohn (talk) 01:55, 30 January 2013 (UTC)
 * U.S. 'backed plan to launch chemical weapon attack on Syria and blame it on Assad's regime' – Mail Online
 * The Daily Mail has taken down the story, was kind of expected. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 02:13, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
 * They call it the "Daily Fail" for a reason - or two. --CE (talk) 02:25, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

Pastebin
Source: http://pastebin.com/Whyvnnd6

Hello, I'm JAsIrX and I will share with you some documents downloaded after hacking Britam Defence server. Its website is located on the Malaysian server. I found bugs in the website with same ip and uploaded web-shell through this site. Then I hacked plesk parallels control panel and gained access to Britam Defence mail accounts and website directory. Leaked documents: Britam Defence is British private military company, operates mainly in the Middle East. It killed Arabs in Iraq and plans to invade in Iran and Syria. Look through leaked documents carefully. CW means chemical weapon, g-shell is short for a gas shell I guess. Help to distribute this info and let other people know about the threats. Thank all
 * Contracts copies with signatures
 * Private email correspondence
 * Personnel data, etc.


 * This is what I found:

---clip--clip---

Archive no.3 (Here is a full pack of documents) ---clip--clip---
 * https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share?s=zS5O8dyGSyInqAm0xAWmsc

Combine the two folders arch2 and arch3 into one folder merging and deleting duplicate files.

Email
The Syria folder contains this email and four Ukrainian passports:

Phil

We’ve got a new offer. It’s about Syria again. Qataris propose an attractive deal and swear that the idea is approved by Washington. We’ll have to deliver a CW to Homs, a Soviet origin g-shell from Libya similar to those that Assad should have. They want us to deploy our Ukrainian personnel that should speak Russian and make a video record. Frankly, I don’t think it’s a good idea but the sums proposed are enormous. Your opinion?

Kind regards

David

For Google search, name on passports:
 * Igor Kolomiiets – 27 Jan 1979
 * Oleksandr Liesnoi – 27 Feb 1978
 * Oleg Telyuk – 12 Sep 1976
 * Artashes Manasian – 0 Mar 1979

Something in Russian here:
 * Здравствуйте, Дмитрий Евгеньевич!

Israeli air strike – or two
If you have not followed the news, the big story today is that the Israeli air force has bombed a research facilty outside Damascus, or a military convoy to Lebanon, or both. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 01:56, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Following just enough. (Talk) page started, on about that tone, and not much more detailed. A thought - if we try to do much of the "other research"right here, the page will blow up.So far we're doing well. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:17, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Just saw that links to pages that don't exist but already have a discussion page are displayed in a different shade of red. Pretty cool. Israeli Bombing of Jamraya != US bombing of Den Haag --CE (talk) 19:42, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
 * On my browser (Google Chrome / Linux) that does not work. Uncool :-( Petri Krohn (talk) 20:19, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Hmm, on second thought ... that can't be browser-dependent ... I retract that statement. The different colors were because I had visited those links before. Just happened that the only two non-existing on this "other research" article page I had visited since my browser is open are those with discussion pages. Duh. Would be cool though, should propose that to mediawiki. ;o) --CE (talk) 20:59, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Bandar Bush dead?
I have just officially declared Prince Bandar bin Sultan not fully alive. Let's see what happens. Any man who cannot keep his Wikipedia article in Category:Living people is not worthy of his intelligence agency. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 04:22, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Tee-hee. Subversive. :oD --CE (talk) 19:46, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Dead again?
According to the Kuwaiti News Agency, he's dead again!
 * KUWAIT, Jan 4 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable of condolences for King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia Saturday over the passing away of Prince Bandar bin Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. His Highness the Amir praised Allah the Almighty to betow his blessing on the deceased.

Or is this a different Bandar? Isn't "Bush"'s name Bin Sultan? --CE (talk) 19:50, 5 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes, this was a different Bandar. He was 79 years old, Bandar bin Sultan is born in 1949.
 * الديوان الملكي: وفاة الأمير بندر بن محمد بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود
 * I must admit, I fell into the same trap. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 20:06, 5 January 2014 (UTC)

Shooting at passenger airplanes

 * SYRIA BREAKING NEWS - Al Qaeda/FSA Terrorists shooting at Passenger Aeroplanes...

See Civilian airports. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 02:45, 11 June 2013 (UTC)

Syrian falcon on YouTube
The Syrian falcon YouTube channel has some interesting videos recently uploaded. These seems to be authentic and original videos of battles / "mopping up operations" from somewhere near Damascus, shot by someone embedded with the SAA. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 10:44, 8 February 2013 (UTC)


 * Looking at all the videos of dead people makes me wonder how is it, that the Assad goons always mange to plant a rifle next to the protester and activist they have killed, before allowing the cameraman in? -- Petri Krohn (talk) 10:54, 8 February 2013 (UTC)

Brief results in Damascus?
Would someone please analyze this video. I will not comment on it, appart from saying that the people on the video appear dead, which makes it of some interest to this site. Note, that the video is composed of two shots. They are however from the same spot as you can see the same doorway scene at the end of the first shot as at the start of the second. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 10:44, 8 February 2013 (UTC)


 * خاص و حصري بكاميرا الجيش العربي السوري بعض نتائج الإشتباكات بريف دمشق
 * "Special and exclusive camera Syrian Arab army some clashes Brief results Damascus"
 * Published on Feb 6, 2013

Reposted by SOHR:
 * [شهداء مقاتلين استشهدوا بريف دمشق +18] – with typo corrected.
 * Martyrs fighters martyred in Rural Damascus +18

Nicole Mansfield
See Talk:Nicole Mansfield

Throwing bodies from rooftops
The video of al-Nusra throwing "post office workers" from the rooftop in al Bab gained wide publicity. The event seems to be predated by this video from March 2012. This tweet claims it shows "#ASSad animals (aka #shabiha) throwing innocent civilians from rooftop." Youtube suggests I also see this video from May 25, 2013 by al Qaeda something: "See how falling shabeeha the high buildings blown up after." -- Petri Krohn (talk) 02:20, 11 June 2013 (UTC)

Hatlah massacre

 * Moved to Talk:Hatlah massacre

Civilian life
This explains a lot: -- Petri Krohn (talk) 18:39, 20 June 2013 (UTC)
 * Syria's warring sides trade wheat for flour
 * Strangely encouraging. I hope all supply lines can work normally again soon, but at least in the interim, pragmatic humanism sometimes wins over starving people out, and both sides can agree to it. --Caustic Logic (talk) 23:27, 20 June 2013 (UTC)

Interesting view of daily life in Aleppo: -- Petri Krohn (talk) 00:46, 26 June 2013 (UTC)
 * Aleppo military convoy bound for Suleiman al-Halabi front to fight the Hezbollah militia – June 19

Attack on SARC convoy in Aleppo
SARC_OP SARC Operations
 * #syrianredcrescent #Aleppo official press release on the attack on humanitarian convoy on the 23rd of June 2013 pic.twitter.com/uZ2nOgOeMQ

Earlier:
 * Starting humanitarian aid convoy to Aleppo Central Prison

-- Petri Krohn (talk) 00:39, 26 June 2013 (UTC)


 * I've been meaning to say something on that. I don't know what's going on at the prison, but SOHR had just been urging the Red Crescent to go there and check. June 20: Urgent call: ICRC should head to the Aleppo Central Prison:
 * The SOHR reports that the humanitarian conditions in the Aleppo Central Prison have plummeted to a catastrophic level due to the severe lack of medicine and food. 3 prisoners died of Tuberculosis in the besieged prison yesterday for lack of medicine, other deaths have been reported. There is an outbreak of Scabies amongst the prisoners and the guards. Food is very scarce, and only reaches the prison by helicopter drops. 


 * More than 100 prisoners died in the prison since April 2013, killed by the rebel bombardment, malnourishment, lack of medicine and execution by the regime forces. 


 * The rebel factions began the move to siege on the prison on the beginning of April 2013, in operation "freeing the prisoners"....

Latest phase of the freeing, attacking the SARC people going to assess the damage of the operation so far. --Caustic Logic (talk) 08:55, 26 June 2013 (UTC)

Mazraa massacre?
Moved to Talk:Mazraa Massacre. --Caustic Logic (talk) 09:56, 27 June 2013 (UTC)

Camp Ashraf?
It might be interesting to look into this massacre, if we ever have time. Although not in Syria, this too has a Syria connection. Just watching the videos may be educational.
 * The narrative
 * At 6 am local time Sunday September 1, 2013, battalions of Iraqi Army, joined by the Iraqi SWAT teams, launched an all-out ambush on camp Ashraf aimed at killing all of 100 residents. The death toll has already reached 52 and is still rising. Many are wounded, scores abducted, among them six women. Nine wounded residents were killed execution-style by the Iraq's SWAT teams in the camp's clinic. Many of the murdered residents died of single bullet to the head. At least five of the residents were shot to death while handcuffed. – (source)

-- Petri Krohn (talk) 13:38, 8 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Videos
 * The Bravest Cameraman in 2013 Camp Ashraf
 * WARNING - FOOTAGE OF ATTACK TO CAMP ASHRAF IN IRAQ - THE MASSACRE BY IRANIAN REGIME & MALEKI
 * The massacre of Freedom! (+18)
 * 18+ Iraq Army Massacres 52 Iranian Dissident Exiles in Cold Blood at Camp
 * my brother murdered in massacre - Camp Ashraf 2013
 * Women massacred in Camp Ashraf
 * Iraq Commits Massacre at Camp Ashraf, Death Toll of Iranian Exiles at 52 and
 * GRAPHIC(18+) 01.09.2013.Massacare of Iranian dissidents by Iraqi forces at camp Ashraf. New video
 * Tour of Camp Ashraf – 2011

US Marines burning bodies
This should really go to the Khamis Brigade Massacre page on the Libyan Civil War blog. Clearing up by burning the bodies of fallen enemies seems to be the normal MO of the US Marines. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 07:42, 17 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Pics of Marines Burning Bodies Trigger U.S. Military Investigation [PHOTOS – 1/15/2014