Lead story

Syria and Russia warn the US

by our Arab Affairs correspondent

SYRIA and Russia have warned of the grave consequences that would follow any attempt by US imperialism to launch air-strikes against the Syrian army or impose a unilateral “no-fly” zone over Syrian territory. But the Russian Defence Ministry has warned the Americans that none of their war-planes would be immune from the recently deployed S-300 and S-400 air-defence batteries in Syria.

The Americans and their toadying French and British allies have resumed their bleating about alleged Syrian army atrocities whilst trying to revive the drive for direct intervention by claiming that the Russian bombing of the terrorist enclave in Aleppo is a war-crime — a claim robustly rejected by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who said on Russian television that: “If it comes to war crimes, US officials must begin with Iraq. And then go to Libya. Be sure to go to Yemen — find out what’s there.”

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Syria and Russia warn the US

Devon police anger at NHS mental health bed shortage

SHAUN Sawyer, the Chief Constable of Devon police, last week wrote in anger to the Devonshire Partnership NHS Trust to say that in future he will hold the Trust to account and refuse to “unlawfully” hold people with mental illness in police cells because the NHS has no beds for them.

The letter was leaked to the local Express and Echo. It says legal action may be taken if the situation is not resolved. The Trust said it was disappointed but accepted that more needed to be done. Sawyer said that whilst it was “unedifying” to sue a public body, he would do so if necessary.

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Devon police anger at NHS mental health bed shortage

Editorial

Demonising Russia

WESTERN imperialism has accelerated sharply its propaganda war against Russia this week and two major factors seem to be involved.

Firstly the success of the elected Syrian government, actively supported by Russia, in liberating the town of Aleppo from the western-backed extremist jihadi terrorists, who have held it under a regime of terror and atrocities for a couple of years.

And secondly there is the approaching United States presidential election that is turning into tragicomic farce — with both candidates disliked and distrusted by most Americans, and resorting to ever more ridiculous claims and promises in a way that can only appeal to the paranoid haters and warmongers amongst the US population. Snap polls and social media comment suggest that the candidates have massively overestimated the proportion of crazy warmongers in their population.

But unfortunately the US voters are firmly locked into a system that is going to deliver them either Hilary Clinton or Donald Trump — neither of whom is safe to leave in charge of a nuclear arsenal. We can only hope that what they would do once elected is not the same as the Third World War they seem to be promising now.

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Demonising Russia