Some Syrian War reports from FARS, AMN, SANA, and SouthFront

SANA
September 6

Update 2- Army kills more terrorists, destroys their command centers and equipment in different areas across the country

September 4

Meeting to enhance local reconciliations held in Homs province

Homs, SANA- A national meeting was held at Tal Ahmar village in the eastern countryside of Homs province with the participation of elderly men from 50 villages.

The meeting is just another move forward towards enhancing local reconciliations and expanding its geographical dimensions to include all Syria which would contribute to reaching a Syrian-Syrian solution to current crisis.

Attending the meeting, Interior Minister Mohammad al-Sha’ar stressed the Syrian leadership’s keenness on providing support to local reconciliation initiatives taking place throughout the country in parallel with its efforts to confront terrorism, highlighting the significance of such meeting since it brings together all spectrums of Syrian people.

[...]

In turn, Homs Governor Talal al-Barazi said this is the 26th meeting to be held during the last three years, noting that the official, popular and Russian participation has given this event more particularity.

For his part, Head of Hmeimim-based Russian Coordination Center, Sergei Schwarkov stressed the importance of this meeting which aims at unifying the Syrian people, reiterating his country’s firm stance to support Syria in its war on terrorism.

General Secretary of the People’s Party, Sheikh Nawaf al-Milhem called for holding similar meetings on a regular basis to avoid sectarian strife and foil the conspiracy aimed at fragmenting the Syrian people and territory.

[END REPORT]

AMN
September 6

Aleppo has 7 corridors for aid delivery, one for militants to exit: Russian DM

(Interfax) Eight special corridors are currently open in the Syrian city of Aleppo where the Russian military, supported by the Syrian authorities, are conducting a humanitarian operation, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said.

“Each day water, food and essentials are delivered to local residents through seven special corridors,” he told reporters on Monday.

“The eighth one is open near Castello Road for armed militants to leave the city,” Antonov said.

The Russian military have been conducting the humanitarian operation in Aleppo for a month now, he said.

“The question of providing humanitarian aid to all Aleppo residents, despite the ongoing talks between all parties concerned, has not lost its relevance,” Antonov said.

[END REPORT]

Jihadist rebels resort to using child fighters in northern Hama

[See the report for more photos of the child soldiers]

SOUTHFRONT

Postng this in case you missed their August 31 sitrep from SouthFront. I found it particularly interesting in light of their September 5 report, below.  (They post all their video Syrian War siteps at YouTube in addition to their own site.)  

SYRIAN WAR REPORT – SEPTEMBER 5, 2016: SYRIA ARMY RESTORES SIEGE OF ALEPPO CITY  [See SouthFront site for the video version of the report]

If you’re able, and if you like our content and approach, please support the project. Our work wouldn’t be possible without your help: PayPal: southfront@list.ru or via: http://southfront.org/donate/ or via: https://www.patreon.com/southfront

The Syrian army and Hezbollah, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, have expelled Al Nusra Front terrorists and their allies from the Armament College and the Artillery College and nearby buildings at the Ramouseh Artillery Base in southwestern Aleppo. This move allowed the pro-government forces to set a full control of the road between Khan Tuman and the Ramouseh Neigborhood and besiege the militant-controlled areas of Aleppo city for the second time this summer.

In turn, Al Nusra terrorists, supported by other groups of the Jaish al-Fateh operation room, launched a counterattack in order to regain positions in the artillery base. By September 5, the pro-government forces have repelled the terrorists’ counter-attacks and now are securing the area.

The Russian Aerospace Forces made 75 air strikes on terrorist targets in southwestern Aleppo on September 4 and already made some 30 air strikes on September 5, supporting the pro-government forces there. Pro-government forces report that Al Nusra and its allies have lost from 100 to 200 fighters in these clashes.

The Syrian army and its allies will likely continue their advance, attacking the Hikma School and the northern part of 1070 Apartment Project. Then, they will likely advance in the Ramouseh Neighborhood. These moves will allow the Syrian government to control successfully the perimeter of the besieged militant-controlled areas.

The Iraqi pro-government militia “Haraket al-Nujba” has captured of the Khan Tuman depots near the strategic town of Khan Tuman in southern Aleppo and the pro-government forces have seized the town of Qarassi. These will allow them to develop advance on the strategic town of Khan Tuman in southern Aleppo.

The Turkish-led forces in Syria have taken control of the 91km border between Azaz and Jarabulus, wiping out the ISIS terrorist group from the area.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced on September 5 that Turkish Armed Forces and Turkish-backed militants had successfully expelled “terrorist organizations” from the area.

After securing the borderline between two strategic strongholds of Azaz and Jarabulus, the Turkey-led forces will likely advance on the ISIS-controlled logistical hub of Al-Bab. [emphasis mine] This will allow them to destroy the last hopes of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to link the YPG-controlled areas in northern Syria.

2 Syrian soldiers were killed and 7 others wounded when a car bomb targeted the Bab Tadmor checkpoint at the entrance of al-Zahraa neighbourhood of Homs. The attack followed a failed joint offensive of Jund Al-Aqsa, Faylaq Al-Sham and the Free Syrian Army on the government-controlled town of Kawkab in the province of Hama. The Syrian army and Hezbollah killed over 30 terrorists and destroyed 2 tanks and 2 BMPs in the clashes there. 4 battle tanks, 2 BMPs, and 5 vehicles with machine guns were reportedly seized by the pro-government forces.

The situation in the province remains tense. Recently, the loyalists have taken back Khirbat al-Hajamah and the Samsam hill and now are in control of a part of Ma’arda. Clashes are ongoing.

[END REPORT]

FARS
September 6: 

Over 60 Miles of Turkish-Syrian Border Retaken From ISIL

Syrian, Russian Fighter Jets Bomb Terrorists' Positions Heavily in Aleppo Province

Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Destroys Terrorists' Command Center in Dara'a Province:

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army destroyed the central command center of the terrorists in Dara'a province, killing tens of the militants.

The Syrian army's artillery unit pounded the terrorists' main command center in the town of Tafas in Dara'a province.

The Syrian army also conducted major military operations in different parts of the country over last 24 hours.

Dara'a

A command center of the Takfiri terrorists in the town of Tafas was completely destroyed in a Syrian Army attack.

Syrian army men, tipped off by the intelligence agents, targeted the command center of terrorists who had gathered in a secret meeting in Tafas.

A Number of terrorist commanders were killed in the attack.

In the meantime, Syrian soldiers targeted gatherings of terrorists in al-Bajabjah neighborhood in Dara'a al-Balad in Daraa city, leaving 8 of them dead and a number of their vehicles destroyed.

Also six terrorists were killed in the Syrian Army's ambush in al-Lejah region in Northeastern Dara'a.

Damascus

The Syrian military forces discovered a long tunnel of the terrorists dug under a neighborhood in a town near the capital in Damascus province and exploded it, leaving dozens of the terrorists stuck inside dead or wounded.

A Syrian army unit destroyed a 400-meter-long tunnel of Jeish al-Islam terrorists in Harasta neighborhood used by the militants as a protection from the army strikes, to store arms and ammunition and to attack the nearby neighborhoods.

A battlefield source said that the tunnel was dug under Ard al-Khams area in Harasta town and it was equipped with mortar cannons and machineguns.

Earlier on Monday, the Syrian military forces continued to drive Jeish al-Islam terrorists out of more lands in Eastern Ghouta after hours of tough battle.

Syrian soldiers inflicted major losses and casualties on Jeish al-Islam and pushed them back from Hawsh Nasri and most of the farms in al-Reihan region near the town of Douma.

The Syrian army men also captured most of lands in Tal al-Sawan region, mainly in graveyard direction.

In the meantime, several tunnels of terrorists in Madhaya towards al-Zabadani plain were discovered and destroyed by the Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah fighters.

Hama

Syrian Army soldiers launched a heavy attack on a large site of the militants in Zur al-Nahr al-Asi region, inflicting tens of casualties on the terrorists, including non-Syrian commanders.

Senior Commander of al-Turkistani group Abu Mohammad Uzbeki, Commander of Terrorist Group's Suicide Attackers Abu Omar Anatol, Senior Commander of Jund al-Aqsa Omran Jabayereh nom de guerre Abu al-Qasam Ordoni, Commander of Abu Tafesh Battalion Karmo Abu Khalid and Commander of Thowar Kafr Zita Monir Afifi were among the terrorists killed in the Syrian army offensive in Zur al-Nahr al-Asi.

In the meantime, a long convoy of the terrorists came under the Syrian army raid on a road near Tayab al-Imam, which ended in the destruction of at least 15 vehicles.

Reports said earlier on Monday that Syrian army soldiers continued attacks on the terrorist groups in Northern Hama, inflicting major losses on them and pushing them back from more villages and hills in the region.

Syrian army, backed up by the Russian fighter jets, launched fresh rounds of anti-terrorism offensives in Northern Hama and captured the village of Khirbet al-Hajameh in Northwestern side of Qamhaneh and two hills of 30 and 50.

Terrorist groups suffered a heavy death toll and their military hardware sustained major damage in the attacks.

Aleppo

The Syrian Army and popular forces continued to push back Jeish al-Fatah terrorists in al-Ramousiyeh and have won control over more neighborhoods in the Southern districts of Aleppo city, reports said on Monday.

The Syrian government forces, in a large-scale offensive, captured al-Hikmah school and al-Mouteh heights.

The Syrian army and its popular allies stormed Jeish al-Fatah's positions from three directions and have thus far cleaned up the Western part of al-Ramousiyeh.

The government forces have also attacked terrorists' strongholds in the town of al-Hikmah, while the army is also making headway in housing project 1070.

Over 74 terrorists, including several commanders, have thus far been killed in the army operation in al-Ramousiyeh, early battlefield reports said.

Reports said earlier on Monday that the Syrian army soldiers and their popular allies targeted Jeish al-Fatah's last positions in the Artillery Academy Buildings and took full control of the strategic military site.

After liberation of Taslih academy buildings on Sunday, the Syrian government forces continued to attack Jeish al-Fatah's positions in adjacent military site and won back artillery academy buildings after hours of intense battle.

Furthermore, the Syrian government forces imposed full control over Jamaiyat hill and al-Ammareh hill, near the military site.

Military sources said that terrorist-held districts in Eastern Aleppo are once again under the Syrian army's siege.

Jeish al-Fatah suffered over 200 casualties during the battle for the artillery academy.

Meantime, around 30 fighters of Fatah al-Sham (the newly-formed al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group previously known as the al-Nusra Front) were killed at artillery academy battle.

Military experts believe that the Syrian government force's next target will be Housing Project 1070.

Meantime, a military source at the Aleppo Operations Room announced that the Syrian army and its allies have destroyed the terrorists' defense lines, stressing that major victories are still waiting for the government troops in Aleppo.

"The fierce clashes at Aleppo's military academy region in the past 48 hours have left hundreds of terrorists dead and wounded and the Syrian army and its allies could win back control over all the colleges and kill the terrorists there while the militants had made their upmost attempts to maintain control over the region by bringing large reinforcements," the source told FNA.

"After winning back all the military colleges in Aleppo, the Syrian army and resistance forces are preparing to regain control over more regions adjacent to the military academy and we should wait for surprising and great victories in Aleppo in the next few hours," he added.

Also, another military source stressed that the terrorist groups have been discouraged and frightened by the army's recent advances in the military academy through Ramousiyeh in Southern Aleppo and after they came under a complete siege in Eastern Aleppo.

The source said that the road linking the regions controlled by the terrorists from the Southern countryside of Aleppo and the Eastern countryside of Idlib to the Eastern districts of Aleppo in which the militants are stationed has been fully closed.

He added that the Syrian army has killed dozens of terrorists and seized a number of advanced weapons, including the West-made arms.

Meantime, losing the military academy has created rifts among the terrorist groups in Southern Aleppo.

The military experts predict that the Syrian forces will continue their military operations towards Dabbaqi plants in Ramousiyeh region from the South and al-Hakma school and the Southwestern villages to establish security in the Southern entrance of Aleppo to be temporary used instead of Castello.

Sweida

The Syrian Army troops targeted ISIL's fuel convoy in the Eastern territories of Sweida province, and destroyed most of the tankers.

Syrian army unit destroyed 10 fuel tankers of ISIL in Mashbak al-Wedian region in the Eastern side the village of Shaaf.

Several ISIL fighters accompanying the convoy also were killed or wounded in the attacks.

Deir Ezzur

The Syrian military forces discovered a long tunnel of the ISIL terrorists dug under the neighborhoods of the Eastern city of Deir Ezzur and exploded it, leaving dozens of terrorists dead or wounded.

Syrian army unit destroyed a tunnel of ISIL Takfiri terrorists in al-Urfi neighborhood used by militants as a protection from the army’s strikes, to store arms and ammunition and to attack the nearby neighborhoods.

[END REPORT]
*******

HOW many terrorists has the USA trained in the past decade?

The United States has become a very sick nation, although this American disease has spread, simply because the human body doesn't perform enough hard labor in modern automated societies to keep its brain from serious mischief. 

Maybe the problem will be acknowledged by automated societies in a decade or so -- although it was recognized in North Korea, which explains the exhausting hours-long gymnastic routines that young Korean civilians in Pyongyang must perform daily.

For now, we are facing the horror of a few countries mixing big business in weapons sales, training in the use of the weapons, and their designation of any weak country they choose as in need of 'liberating.'  (And if the country isn't quite in need of liberation, instigating conflicts until the proper level of need arises.)

The consequences? Here's one -- the one in the middle: 

US Trained Tajik Special Operations Fighter Becomes Top Daesh Commander in Iraq

August 5, 2016

Sputnik

Former Tajikistan Special Forces colonel Gulmurod Khalimov becomes the top Daesh (ISIS) battlefield commander in Iraq after defecting last year and swearing jihad against the West.

Daesh forces in Iraq welcome a new battlefield commander to their ranks who is all too familiar to US military and intelligence officials – American trained former Special Forces colonel Gulmurod Khalimov from Tajikstan received the promotion within the terrorist organization after defecting last year.

The US State Department responded ... by placing a $3 million bounty on Khalimov pursuant to the Rewards for Justice Program. The former Tajikistan military sniper pledged jihad against the West, appearing in propaganda videos calling publicly for acts of violence against American forces and civilians.

Khalimov has been a concern for US officials for some time with the US State Department labelling him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on September 29, 2015 designed to prevent the transfer of currency to select individuals known to hold leadership roles in terror organizations. The United Nations Security Council Resolutions and al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee

The former paramilitary unit commander of the Tajikistan armed forces received his battlefield training from American advisors and even came to the United States on several occasions to receive special counterterrorism training through the US State Department’s Diplomatic Security/Anti-Terrorism Assistance program prior to his defection into the jihadist organization.

[...] 

So there's the double fun of watching how well their specs ops trainee performs in battle for Islamic State, and watching (probably U.S.-trained) bounty hunters hunt him down.

But wait'll you see the following video RT made and posted to YouTube in June 2015. There's no gore or violence in the video; it's a discussion of the military-style training that the USA has given to various people who then turn the training against innocents. And it features the Tajik Islamic State commander chatting about his training in the USA. (There is also mention of a dozen former 'French' troops joining IS and various other highly trained military personnel joining the terrorist group.) 

To say this is all old news -- yes it is, but that's just the point. It's well-established that training the U.S. gave to many mujaheddin in Afghanistan turned into al Qaeda. But obviously the U.S. learned nothing from this experience. And it has become very obvious with U.S. actions in Libya, Syria, and Iraq that the U.S. has had no intention of learning. 

This refusal to learn is across government administrations -- Democratic, Republican, makes no difference.

********

Old School Week at Pundita Blog

You could understand the lyrics on the first hearing. You could sing along with the tune. You could sing it with your grandpa and your mother and your kids. You could dance to it at dance clubs and family picnics. 

There were no sexually explicit themes. There were a few political statements but more the kind everybody mentioned at the lunch counter: I know none of ya'll satisfied the way prices have been goin' up on things.  

There were female singing groups and individual singers who had big hits, but the music that the hip-hop generation dubbed Old School in deference to their parents was dominated by male harmonizing groups, groups like the Dells, Stylistics, Spinners, Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes. 

Many of these harmonizers learned to sing in church and their music held onto its church roots. Even if the lyrics were sometimes a tale of love lost, this was music to remind you that no matter how tough things got, life was worth living. 

What happened to the music? What led to its eclipse in popularity on the charts? Oh, you could get Sociological about it and make it into a very sad song.

A song of what was happening to American blacks in city after city, as politics hacked away at religion, as television news and dramas made nihilism and rage the emblems of the larger American society, as record companies and MTV producers made fortunes transforming pop song performances into soft pornography, as the drug cult wormed its way into the lives of even young American children, as the rap music favored in the prison parolee subcult began to impose itself on dance clubs in the poorest urban neighborhoods, as the numbers in the subcult skyrocketed.

Strangely, though, Old School music had its heyday in the 1970s, which saw very bad times in the big American cities. The violence wasn't quite at the level as today in, say, Chicago's worst neighborhoods, but there was a lot of violent crime, and there were race riots and a general breakdown of what armchair sociologists like to call the social fabric.

So maybe, if you had to pick just one explanation, it's that great singers who can harmonize don't grow on trees. 

The good news is that Old School never really went away. Just about every major American city probably still has a 'black' radio station that plays the music, and it's retained a following among urban whites who jumped off the hard-rock wagon and didn't like 'country and western' pop music.

And just when it seemed hits by rap/hip hoppers and prima-donna screechers who for some reason can only hold a note if they sing through their sinuses were going to shove Old School tunes off the daily playlists at the black radio stations, along came along the highly interactive YouTube. There a young generation of Americans -- black, white, you name it -- discovered tunes like this:       

"Bad Luck" - 1975 - Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes  

*******  

"Riyadh Training 5,000 Militants in Eritrea for War in Yemen"

September 4, 2016
FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- Riyadh has transferred nearly 5,000 militants from a number of terrorist groups from Aden port to Eritrea's Assab port to go under military trainings and then be sent to the Saudi provinces bordering Yemen, sources said.

"The terrorists, some of whom are from the Al-Qaeda, will be dispatched to Najran, Jizzan and Asir provinces to fight against the Yemeni army and popular forces and prevent their further advances in Southern Saudi Arabia," the sources stated on Sunday.

They added that the Yemeni forces' advances deep inside the Saudi territories have frightened the Saudi officials more than the ballistic missiles fired from Yemen.

Also, Hossein al-Houthi, a commander of the Yemeni popular forces, told FNA that his forces have managed to retake control of several villages from the Saudi mercenaries and destroyed five of their tanks, their military outposts and a command room of the Saudi-led coalition in Ta'iz province.

Reports said on Friday that Yemen's long-range home-made missile dubbed as Borkan-1 (Volcano-1) hit deep inside Saudi Arabia in response to the kingdom's massacre of civilians in the impoverished nation.

Borkan-1 has a range of 800 kilometers and is a new generation of Yemen's domestically-made missiles, Yemen's Defense Ministry announced in a statement.

The Yemeni defense ministry did not mention the exact location of the targets that Borkan-1 missile has hit.

It, however, said that the warhead of Barkan-1 missile has been designed to destroy the Saudi military base structure with respect to the materials used in their construction.

On Wednesday, the Yemeni army and popular forces hit the Saudi military positions in the kingdom's Najran province with a Zalzal-3 ballistic missile in retaliation for the Saudi airstrikes on residential areas across Yemen.

The Yemeni missile attack inflicted heavy losses on the Saudi troops in Najran province.

Early reports indicated large casualties on the Saudi forces in the missile attack. The Saudi army and its coalition members have lost, at least, over a hundred troops each time they have come under a ballistic missile attack by Yemen.

The Saudi-led forces' armored vehicles were destroyed during the Yemeni missile attack.

[END REPORT]

Don't listen to Putin. He knows Jedi mind tricks.

Just because animals trust him, 

he's genuinely religious,

and he has a good sense of humor,

don't believe a word he says. Listen to him and you're in danger of becoming reasonable about foreign relations matters, and Americans couldn't have that, now could we?

There's a statement he makes in the above compliation of Putin humor that he doesn't mean to be funny; he says we shouldn't let the dead grab us by the cuff. This from a national leader whose top job is to joust with the ghosts of old wars, to deal with old hatreds that won't die. But America is such a young country to be ruled by a Cold War past. How this came to happen is an awful, awful tragedy.

********

"Railroad Man"

Wait long enough and the fog of war starts to clear

From AMN CEO Leith Fadel's Twitter page:

1. Leith Abou Fadel ‏@leithfadel  16h16 hours ago

   Turkish construction companies have signed contracts to fix Sheikh Najjar District in Aleppo City

   
   
2. Leith Abou Fadel ‏@leithfadel  16h16 hours ago

   Someone in the Syrian government is also leaking sensitive information to As-Safir. Assad and Erdogan are scheduled to meet in September

   
   
3. Leith Abou Fadel ‏@leithfadel  16h16 hours ago

   this only deals with Aleppo. However, this is very similar to the Daraa agreement.

* * * *

What's it all mean?  It means we should hope that the Syrian government isn't blowing smoke.  

Now if by "Daraa" Leith means Daraya.....

Speaking of the Daraya agreement, here's more on the falling-dominos effect I've been highlighting for days:

Four More Militant-Held Towns Join Peace Process in Damascus Province
September 3, 2016
FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- Governor-General of Damascus province Ala Monir announced that after Darayya [also spelled Daraya] and Mo'adhamiyeh, four other towns have also joined the peace talks with the Syrian government.

"Successful performance of the Syrian government and army men in Darayya have encouraged the towns of al-Tal, Elhameh, Qodsiya and Wadi Bardi to join peace agreement," Monir said.

"Syrian-Syrian agreement has accelerated reconciliation trend in the province, in the meantime, good behavior of the Syrian soldiers and officials with people in Darayya caused civilians in Mo'adhamiyeh to accept courageously engagement in peace with government," Monir added.

"A government committee will pay a visit to Darayya in the next few days to collect information about the requirements of civilians there to start rebuilding of the city," he further said.

Sources said on Thursday that the militant groups' agreement to surrender Darayya city after negotiations with a Syrian government delegation was a success for continued peace talks in other parts of Damascus:

"The number of agreements between the government and terrorists in Damascus province is on the rise and the train of peace talks will possibly reach al-Mo'adhamiyeh sooner than other regions," said the source who is a member of the government negotiating delegation.

Mo'adhamiyeh is hosting 35,000 people who will remain in the region and merely 100 militants who don’t intend to surrender their weapons are due to leave the region towards Idlib.

[END REPORT]

********

Unhealthy tattooing, juicing crazes brought to you by Monkey-See Monkey-Do Syndrome

"Four-and-a-half cups of chopped kale – the amount in 8 ounces of juice for a “cleanse” – can be lethal if your kidneys are weak ..."

If this topic is new to you I hope you're sitting down for the report, below, on the dangerous side effects of routinely drinking large amounts of vegetable and fruit juices.

However, it takes considerable scientific knowledge to understand the effects of juicing on the human body. So there was a lag time between the onset of the relentlessly promoted juicing craze and the news getting out that juicing should be approached with great caution and practiced with extreme care and moderation.

Not so for tattooing. An idiot should be able to look at the inks used for tattooing and realize those compounds shouldn't be etched into the skin. But no, just as with the craze for tanning beds the Monkey-See Monkey-Do crowd sees cute people doing it and figures it must be okay.

Scary long-term damages of tattoo ink on your body
AOL.com Editors
August 30, 2016

... recent research has shown that tattoo ink is actually much more dangerous to us than originally thought. According to a recent report by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, the long-term impact is very scary.

Not only is the ink made out of extremely dangerous chemicals, like carcinogens, it has traces of lead, bacteria, nickel and arsenic. As the popularity of getting inked rises, so do concerns about it causing "cancer, genetic mutations, toxic effects on reproduction, allergies or other adverse effects on health," the report says. Additionally, the damage to the body's lymphatic system is probably significant.

As the report gains traction, so do countries researching these health effects. European countries such as Germany, France and the Netherlands are working to regulate tattoo application, and possibly "initiate the restriction process".

So, maybe the question to ask isn't "does it hurt?" Maybe it's "does it hurt my health?"

[END REPORT]

Hold the Kale! [Nine] reasons juicing can be bad for your health
The Dark Side of the Trendy Beverage
By Diane Wedner, Lifescript Health Detective
Published March 27, 2015
Reviewed by Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer

"Four-and-a-half cups of chopped kale – the amount in 8 ounces of juice for a “cleanse” – can be lethal if your kidneys are weak "

[...]

You just stumbled out of yoga class. You’re hot, sweaty and need a pick-me-up. Go for a nonfat latte? No, you grab a kale juice instead.

Juice is now the beverage of choice for people on the go. Harried moms drink it. So do yoga fans. Celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow, Jared Leto and Salma Hayek do too.

They’re juicing – chugging raw fruit-and-vegetable drinks to “cleanse” their bodies, get a speedy meal, consume more produce or lose weight.

Juice is the new latte. About 92 million gallons of super-premium juices were consumed in 2013, up from 71 million gallons in 2007, according to Beverage Marketing Corp., an industry research firm.

No wonder! Juice is an easy way to get fresh vegetables and fruit. It makes for a fast breakfast or lunch, and it’s healthful.

Or is it? Could something this good be bad for you?

Yes, especially if you have a chronic condition or are taking certain drugs, says Adrienne Youdim, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and medical director of the Center for Weight Loss at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Even if you’re a healthy person, too much juice can be dangerous, warns nutrition expert Carol Koprowski, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor of clinical preventive medicine at Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles.

So before grabbing a carrot juice instead of lunch or spending hundreds on a cleanse, read on for the ways juicing can hurt you [and waste your money]:   

1. You could risk dangerous drug interactions

The high vitamin K content in a spinach-kale smoothie, for example, can be life-threatening if you take blood-thinning medications, like warfarin. Such anticoagulants often are prescribed after a stroke, deep vein thrombosis or other circulatory conditions.

Kale, spinach, turnip greens, collards, Swiss chard, parsley and mustard greens – green juicers’ favorites – contain up to 550 micrograms of vitamin K per cup, which can lower the drugs’ anti-clotting activity.

If you take anticoagulants, you should only eat a half-cup of leafy greens a day, according to the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Eat the same amount every day too, because big changes in vitamin K intake could lead to a blood clot, and a stroke or death.

If you’re one of the 70 million people taking cholesterol-lowering statins, stay away from grapefruit juice. The citrus fruit blocks an intestinal enzyme that controls absorption of drugs such as simvastatin or atorvastatin.

You’ll also face a higher risk of muscle and joint pain, muscle breakdown, liver damage and kidney failure if you drink grapefruit juice (or eat the fruit) while taking statins, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Grapefruit also can interfere with drugs for high blood pressure, anxiety, allergies and other ailments, according to the Food and Drug Administration. So ask your doctor if your prescriptions may interact with the fruit.

2. You could develop diabetes

About 79 million Americans have prediabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

That means they have blood sugar readings that are higher than healthy but not yet high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. Juicing could tip those at risk over the edge, according to a 2010 Harvard University study of 187,000 nurses.

Drinking one or more daily servings of apple, orange, grapefruit and other juices increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 21%, the study found.

If you have the metabolic disorder, juicing could lead to blood sugar spikes because you’re getting all the sugar of fruit without the fiber, Koprowski explains. The fiber in whole fruit and vegetables slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.

If you’ve been told you have prediabetes, eat the whole fruit instead. But limit daily intake to one small piece of fruit or one cup of fresh berries or melon, Koprowski advises.

3. You could damage your kidneys

Beware of fruit and vegetable juices with high amounts of potassium, such as bananas and kale, if you have kidney problems.

Four-and-a-half cups of chopped kale – the amount in 8 ounces of juice for a “cleanse” – can be lethal if your kidneys are weak because of high blood pressure, severe infection, an enlarged prostate, certain drugs or pregnancy complications.

Even most lower-potassium foods are off-limits to people with kidney problems because the amounts add up quickly. (See this chart for details.)

Adults need 4,700 mg of potassium daily to keep the heart and muscles working. In healthy people, the kidneys generally excrete the excess.

But that doesn’t happen in people with compromised kidneys: Potassium builds in their blood, raising the risk of a heart attack and stroke, according to the National Kidney Foundation. They should limit their intake of potassium to 1,500 -2,000 mg per day.

If you have experienced weakness, numbness or tingling – signs of potassium overload – call your doctor immediately, advises Judy D. Simon, M.S., R.D., a clinical dietitian and nutritionist at the University of Washington Medical Center’s Roosevelt Clinic in Seattle.

4. You could threaten your thyroid gland

Kale, bok choy, cauliflower, collards and spinach are rich in glucosinolates, which form goitrin, a compound associated with hypothyroidism or insufficient thyroid hormone.

High amounts of these veggies have caused hypothyroidism in animals, according to Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute. One 88-year-old woman lapsed into a coma after eating 3 pounds (or 2 cups of juice) per day of raw bok choy for several months, according to the institute. But researchers aren’t sure if her condition was caused by the bok choy or another problem, such as an autoimmune disease.

The National Cancer Institute recommends eating a variety of vegetables daily – not just leafy green ones. The CDC’s fruit-and-veggie calculator helps you determine how much you need. But there are no separate intake recommendations for people with hypothyroidism, so talk to your doctor before juicing.

5. You might get food poisoning

One reason fresh juice is healthful is that it’s unpasteurized, so the taste and nutrients are preserved.

But when juices aren’t heated to 154° F for 30 minutes to kill germs, they’re more vulnerable to lethal bacteria, such as salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes andToxoplasma gondii, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Even if it’s bacteria-free during manufacturing, fresh juice sold in stores may be contaminated after it leaves the plant – for example, in shipping, storage or in your home.

If you leave a container of juice on a table overnight, toss it. Otherwise you risk food poisoning and major intestinal problems, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warns.

Most store-bought, bottled fresh juices last up to 3 days if refrigerated and unopened, Koprowski says. Drink them within a day once you’ve opened the seal.

Flash-pasteurizing – heating juice at 160° for 15-30 seconds – offers a longer shelf life, about 3 weeks in the fridge, while preserving some nutrients. Companies such as Naked Juice and Odwalla treat their juices this way. Products that aren’t pasteurized must say so on the package.

6. Juice cleanses don’t work

We clean out our houses and cars. So why not our bodies? That’s the reasoning behind juice cleanses, which are intended to rid your body of toxins.

Forget about it. The practice is a waste of time and money, because your body doesn’t need “cleansing,” says Dr. Youdim of Cedars-Sinai.

“Our bodies have their own elaborate, elegant detoxification system, called the liver, intestines and kidneys,” she explains.

“It’s foolish to think the body can’t detox on its own,” she adds.

7. Juices can be calorie bombs

If you’re downing up to 96 ounces of juice a day to lose weight – which many fasts recommend – stop, USC’s Koprowski warns. Juicing for days to lose weight “can be potentially harmful,” she says. That’s because you’re losing out on important nutrients.

And don’t expect to get slimmer, says Dr. Youdim. In fact, you might gain weight, because you’re consuming more calories than you realize – mostly from naturally occurring sugar in the fruits and vegetables.

Some juices and smoothies are more caloric than a meal. For example, a large Jamba Juice Razzmatazz Smoothie, made with mixed berry juice, orange sherbet, strawberries and bananas, rings up at 580 calories.

Consume too many, and “you can end up with a few thousand calories of juice a day!” Simon warns.

And still be unsatisfied.

“It can take 10-15 oranges or several pounds of carrots to make a meal of juice,” Koprowski says. “Or you could munch on a couple of carrots and feel full.”

8. You’re passing on protein

Eight ounces of kale juice is packed with vitamins A (3,500% of your daily recommended amount), K (4,300%) and C (1,200%), plus iron, calcium and antioxidants. But you’ll get only about 2 to 8 grams of protein.

That’s not enough if you’re drinking juice as a meal replacement. A 130-pound woman needs 65 grams of protein daily to repair cells and create new ones.

Protein also preserves and builds lean body mass, which helps keep you healthy and even burns calories, Dr. Youdim explains.

“Fruits and vegetables [alone], however, are not a great source,” Koprowski says.

9. You’re forsaking fiber

Juicing gives you the nutrients of fresh produce – but removes the pulp and fiber – necessary to keep your colon in good working order, reduce heart disease risk, and lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

“When you drink orange juice, you get vitamin C, but it’s not the same as eating an orange,” Simon says.

The whole fruit has the vitamin plus fiber, with far fewer calories than a glass of juice. It’ll also keep you full longer.

10. You’ll pay premium prices

.
A daily juice habit is expensive – about $3,500 yearly if you buy one a day from a premium juice bar.

Lifescript checked around at local stores and found that:

Evolution Fresh costs $2.99 to $6.99 for a 15-ounce bottle at Starbucks.

You’ll pay $5.99 to $9.99 for the fresh juice bar at Whole Foods.

Premium juice bars in Los Angeles charge $10 to $15 for 8-ounce refreshers.

Cleanses are even costlier. Actress Salma Hayek’s Cooler Cleanse, sold online, runs $58 per day – or $174 for 3 days of fruits, vegetables, coconut water and almond milk.

The bottom line: Juices are better than a burger and fries, and can be a good addition to your diet – if you’re healthy and consume them in moderation.

“But if you want to live a healthy life and prevent chronic diseases without spending a fortune, eat whole vegetables and grains, not ‘detox’ protocols,” Dr. Youdim advises.

[END REPORT]

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Is there a humane way to stop users of DNA-altering drugs from having children?

"... carfentanil is so potent, it can be dangerous to someone who simply touches or inhales it."

"Ingram foresees a turning point in illicit opioids. He wonders why anyone would go to the trouble of growing poppies in order to make heroin, when something much more powerful can be made in a lab."

The following report isn't only about carfentanil; it's also about an incredibly dangerous turn in the sale of high-inducing drugs. 

But what I want to know is what these designer drugs do to the DNA of those who manage to survive overdoses that should kill them but are saved by drastic medical interventions.   

I understand that the same question has been asked about cancer drugs and other legal pharmaceuticals that are known to effect changes in human DNA. The question is what the genetic mutations are doing to the human racial stock because the people who take these drugs can't be sterilized to prevent them from having offspring.

As for illicit drugs, frankly we've passed the point where we can treat the use of these drugs simply as a crime issue. So-called libertarians who say that people have a right to get high with drugs of their choice aren't facing the fact that dopers don't go off to a desert island. They're mixing with the general population and passing along to future generations whatever genetic damage is done by the dope. 

That has to stop, by any which way, because of the sheer number of dopers around today who are using designer drugs that very clearly cause irreversible brain damage -- an indication that this is negatively affecting their DNA.  

As to whether there's a humane way to stop the scourge -- well, survival-minded people could demand extensive medical tests of a prospective spouse if the couple plans to have children, the testing to include a brain scan. 

That last isn't my idea. Psychiatrist Daniel Amen set off a storm of criticism years ago (which probably never died down) by suggesting that prospective couples get brain "pre-screening." 

But such an approach to cutting down on brain-defective offspring is overdue, given the huge number of Americans on very powerful prescription drugs that have not been subjected to genuine long-term testing for effects on the brain.

Joining a religion that has draconian strictures against drug use would be another humane way. 

But I think the most effective way is for societies to do the reverse of what they're doing now, at least in the West, by stigmatizing the use of powerful pharmaceuticals by dopers -- and patients -- who are of childbearing age and refuse to be sterilized. 

In short, it's time to make this a social issue. At the very least, this would raise public awareness about the long-term harm done by powerful drugs. 

Look, when you consider that ingesting a small handful of chopped onions and two or three mushrooms a few times a week can prevent a number of cancers, it's not as if stigmatizing the routine use of DNA-altering pharmaceuticals is depriving humanity of its only option for warding off life-threatening diseases.(1)

What you would be doing is depriving people of the illusion that they can pop designer drugs with no fear of deadly consequences to themselves, their offspring, their society, and the entire human race. To see where this kind of illusion has led -- 

An Even Deadlier Opioid, Carfentanil, Is Hitting The Streets

By Jennifer Ludden

September 2, 2016 - 5:02 AM EDT

NPR

A powerful drug that's normally used to tranquilize elephants is being blamed for a record spike in drug overdoses in the Midwest. Officials in Ohio have declared a public health emergency, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says communities everywhere should be on alert for carfentanil.

The synthetic opioid is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, the prescription painkiller that led to the death earlier this year of the pop star Prince. Fentanyl itself can be up to 50 times more deadly than heroin.

In the past few years, traffickers in illegal drugs increasingly have substituted fentanyl for heroin and other opioids. Now carfentanil is being sold on American streets, either mixed with heroin or pressed into pills that look like prescription drugs. Many users don't realize that they're buying carfentanil. And that has deadly consequences.

"Instead of having four or five overdoses in a day, you're having these 20, 30, 40, maybe even 50 overdoses in a day," says Tom Synan, who directs the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition Task Force in Southwest Ohio. He's also the police chief in Newtown, Ohio.

Synan says carfentanil turned up in Cincinnati in July. At times, the number of overdoses has overwhelmed first responders.

"Their efforts are truly heroic, to be going from call to call to call," he says. "One district alone had seen 14 in one shift, so they were nonstop."

First responders and emergency room workers are being told to wear protective gloves and masks. That's because carfentanil is so potent, it can be dangerous to someone who simply touches or inhales it.

This was devastatingly clear back in 2002, after a hostage rescue operation in Moscow that went wrong. To overpower Chechen terrorists who'd seized control of a theater, Russian Special Forces sprayed a chemical aerosol into the building. More than 100 hostages were overcome and died. Laboratory tests by British investigators later revealed that the aerosol included carfentanil.

In Ohio, Hamilton County Health Commissioner Tim Ingram says it can take hours for the body to metabolize carfentanil, far longer than for other opiods. That means a longer-lasting high.

But it also means that when someone overdoses, it's more difficult to revive them — and save their life — with naloxone, the emergency medication used to block the effects of opioids.

"We've been getting lots of reports that they're using two or three doses to get people to come back," says Ingram. He's trying to distribute a more concentrated version of naloxone.

There is no approved human use for carfentanil. It's even highly restricted for veterinarians, who can use it lawfully to sedate large animals. The Drug Enforcement Administration says much of the carfentanil being sold on the streets is illicitly imported from China.

DEA spokesman Russ Baer says some of the illicit carfentanil is brought in by Mexican drug traffickers, then sold at huge profit since it only takes a granule or so to induce a high. He says carfentanil can also be bought online.

"You can go on the Internet and anybody can establish an anonymous account, and you can order carfentanil directly from China," he says.

Ingram foresees a turning point in illicit opioids. He wonders why anyone would go to the trouble of growing poppies in order to make heroin, when something much more powerful can be made in a lab.

"We may be seeing more and more synthetic opioids from this point forward," he says, "and we're going to have to prepare for it."

Synan thinks one shift should include tougher penalties. Generally, he says, selling drugs on the street is considered a nonviolent crime. But that may not make sense if the drug includes carfentanil.

"To me, that's just like pulling a gun out and shooting someone, because you know that a tiny bit can kill a person," Synan says. "To me, it's intentional. It's murder."

[END REPORT]

See also Frequent Cocaine Use Linked to Alterations in DNA (2011)

1)  Dr Joel Furhman (see link I provided) said once on a PBS TV show he was hosting that it doesn't matter whether the onions are raw or cooked; what matters is that they're well-chopped because it's the chopping that releases the volatile oil compounds, which are the cancer fighters -- the same compounds that make your eyes water when you chop onions. 

Regarding the mushrooms, from what he said I assume the cancer fighter is present whether the mushrooms are raw or cooked, but he advised cooking (e.g., sauteing) them at least a little to remove any 'toxins;' -- I guess these might be present from dirt on the mushrooms or from being handled during processing.  (Washing them well might also do the trick if you insist on eating them raw but that's just a guess.)

As to how often the onions and mushrooms should be eaten to be effective cancer fighters, I don't think they have to be eaten every day but check out Furhman's website or other internet sources for specific details on these and other foodstuff cancer fighters.

********     

"I don’t know who is bombing whom"

This military adventure also reveals, again, the utter incoherence—in terms of the ostensible goals of fighting ISIS, regional stability, or even rational American self-interest—of the savage multi-proxy war the U.S. has been directing in Syria.

As the NYT reports, the American-supported Turkish campaign “pits two American-backed Syrian forces against each other”: jihadi groups—backed by the CIA, “allied intelligence agencies,” and now the Turkish army and the U.S. Air Force, against Kurdish militias—backed by the Pentagon and American troops—that have been the “most reliable partner on the ground in the fight against the Islamic State.”

As one rebel leader expressed his confusion: “We weren’t planning to open a front with them [the Kurds] … I don’t know who is bombing whom.”

The above is from Jim Kavanagh's hilarious, horrible, head-banging I Can't Believe This Is Happening August 31 article for Counterpunch, Turkey Invades Syria, America Spins The Bottle. The worst is that Kavanagh makes few forays into conjecture; for the most part he is simply passing along hard news -- news about nightmarishly incoherent actions that paint a frightening portrait of the early years of this new century, as scores of governments with no serious challenge from their own citizens transform countries that are too weak to resist into a blood-soaked chess game fit for the Red Queen.

More black humor comes today from Russia, which probably invented black humor:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that Moscow and Washington see eye to eye now after reaching an understanding on most Syrian issues.

He highlighted that there are daily contacts between the Russian and US diplomats, military and intelligence agencies. This was to continue “to develop this algorithm (of the fight against terrorism).”

Lavrov added that “virtually all components of this task are already clear, an understanding has been reached on most issues.”

He emphasized however that the relations cannot continue if the USA continues to associate with terrorist groups in Syria.

“The most important thing is that any agreements with the Americans on practical actions, on coordination of operations against terrorists will not be implemented if our American partners do not keep their promise to dissociate themselves from terrorists, above all, the Jabhat al-Nusra,” he said.

“Many of the groups considered acceptable by the US have actually affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra, while Jabhat al-Nusra is using them to avoid being attacked,” Russia’s top diplomat explained.

Which is a very diplomatic way of saying the Russians and Americans are agreeing not at all. Thanks to Paul Antonopoulos at AMN for scooping up that gem. 

*******

Time to evacuate the, uh, rebels from East Aleppo

We'll see.  As to whether an agreement can go forward without the Syrian government, I think the Russians are acting as its representative in this instance.

Ryabkov: Russian, US officials will meet soon to reach an agreement on Aleppo
SANA
31 August, 2016

Tehran, SANA- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday that Russian and US military officials will meet during the next few hours to reach a final agreement on the situation in Aleppo.

Ryabkov said in a statement to Iranian Tasnim new agency in Tehran on Wednesday “We are just few steps far,” hoping to a significant agreement would be reached to resolve the special situation in Aleppo.

“We have done our best during the past week to have the situation stabilized and defeat terrorists and to improve the humanitarian situation in Aleppo affected by the attacks of terrorists who do not wish to achieve peace in the region and the world,” Ryabkov added.

Meanwhile, a Russian diplomatic source referred to the resumption of consultations between Russian and American experts on the situation in Aleppo.

Ryabkov started a visit to the Iranian capital of Tehran to hold talks on the latest developments in the region.

Qabas/ Mazen

Islamic State using child soldiers and suicide bombers as more adults defect, refuse orders

ISIL Appoints German Kid As New Execution Commander in Iraq
August 31, 2016 - 5:57

FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- Security sources in Nineveh disclosed that the ISIL has named a German kiddo for leading the terrorist group's execution squad in the province. 

"The ISIL has started recruiting 10 to 17-year-old children and is using them for suicide attacks against the security forces in Nineveh and is now using the same kids for firing squads," the security sources told al-Soumeriya news website on Wednesday.

"After the ISIL decreased the salaries of its members, many of them have defected or are refusing to fight and therefore, the ISIL has been forced to use children," the source added.

"The ISIL has now chosen a German child as the commander of its execution brigades," he said.

A shocking new video released by the ISIL terrorist group earlier this month showed a British boy executing a prisoner with a handgun in Syria.

[...]

Syria: ISIL Members Disobey Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi's Order

September 1, 2016 - 10:43

FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- The terrorists of the ISIL in the recent battle in Manbij in the Syrian province of Aleppo have disobeyed the orders of the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a US general said.

A top US general said the ISIL militants defied their leader's orders to fight to the death in a recent battle, instead retreating to the North, CNN reported.

Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of the US forces in the Middle East, added that the refusal to follow orders occurred during the battle for the recently liberated town of Manbij in Syria.

ISIL leader Abu Bakr Al-Bagdadi told fighters in Manbij "to fight to the death" and "they didn't follow his direction," according to Votel, questioning how much command and control ISIL leadership has over its forces.

Still, he said that ISIL has a "strong network" that relies on "guidance from centralized leadership."

[...] 

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