Like the Assad regime, Russia is likely willing to inflict heavy civilian casualties in the process...

Russian Airstrikes in Syria September 30 - October 22, 2015

By Genevieve Casagrande and Jodi Brignola   Key Takeaway:  Russian airstrikes continue primarily to target rebel-held terrain in support of Syrian regime ground offensives in northwestern Syria. Russian airstrikes from October 19-20 largely supported regime ground offensives in rebel-held areas of the southern countryside of Aleppo and northern Hama Province far from core ISIS-held terrain. However, Russia continues to sustain its counter-ISIS narrative by claiming sporadic strikes against ISIS in Deir Ez-Zour and Raqqa Provinces. Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reported two strikes against ISIS in Deir ez-Zour Province from October 21-22. However, only one strike was verified through local reporting on October 21.  Russian airstrikes reportedly hit a hospital in ar-Raqqah City on October 22. Local sources released pictures of damages to the hospital and surrounding buildings. However, the Russian MoD has not yet confirmed the strike, or any strikes from 1:00PM EST on October 22 and 3:30PM EST on October 23, claiming a technical problem with its website.     The Russian air campaign in Syria increases the Assad regime's asymmetric capabilities against the Syrian opposition. Like the Assad regime, Russia is likely willing to inflict heavy civilian casualties in the process. Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesperson Col. Steve Warren reported the Russian use of cluster bombs in populated locations in Hama and Idlib Provinces, citing open source reports during a Department of Defense Press Briefing on October 21. Human Rights Watch released a report documenting the use of Russian cluster munitions on October 4, 2015 targeting the rebel-held village of Kafr Halab in northwestern Syria. However, Human Rights Watch could not determine whether the Russian-made munitions were dropped by Syrian or Russian aircraft. Pro-regime aircraft also used cluster munitions in Hama Province on October 11, according to local activist reports.     The following graphic depicts ISW's assessment of Russian airstrike locations based on reports from local Syrian activist networks, Syrian state-run media, and statements by Russian and Western officials. High-Confidence reporting. ISW places high confidence in reports corroborated both by official government statements reported through credible channels and documentation from rebel factions or activist networks on the ground in Syria deemed to be credible. Low-Confidence reporting. ISW places low confidence in secondary sources that have not been confirmed or sources deemed likely to contain disinformation.       Read this update online

Michael Ingmire watched as Hillary Clinton was grilled for 11 hours Thursday about the 2012 attack in Benghazi that left his nephew and three other Americans dead and saw not a future president, but...

Conservative Read

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‘Serial liar’: Families of Benghazi victims blast Clinton on Benghazi Posted: 23 Oct 2015 01:58 PM PDT Michael Ingmire watched as Hillary Clinton was grilled for 11 hours Thursday about the 2012 attack in Benghazi that left his nephew and three other Americans dead and saw not a future president, but... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Republican Trump calls on White House rivals to drop Super PACs Posted: 23 Oct 2015 01:55 PM PDT U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday called on his rivals to disband their Super PACs after a fundraising group backing the Republican front-runner said it would shut down over claims... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Thanks to the Benghazi hearing, Hillary Clinton is newest reality TV star Posted: 23 Oct 2015 01:47 PM PDT If Donald Trump’s candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination reveals anything about the American electorate, it is that voters want live, unpredictable entertainment. Though he... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Jeb Bush campaign in reboot mode as salaries, staff cut Posted: 23 Oct 2015 01:43 PM PDT Republican Jeb Bush’s struggling presidential campaign is cutting salaries across the board and reducing staff in a money-saving effort intended to concentrate resources on early voting states,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Watchdog report says EPA team caused toxic Colorado mine spill Posted: 23 Oct 2015 07:19 AM PDT BILLINGS, Mont. –  Government investigators squarely blamed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday for a 3 million-gallon wastewater spill from a Colorado gold mine, saying... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

ISIS graduates its first class of junior jihadists in shocking photos Posted: 23 Oct 2015 07:16 AM PDT New photos released by the Islamic State this week has underlined a scary fact: that the terrorist group is churning out scores of junior jihadists thanks to intensive training camps. The images... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Hurricane Patricia threatens Mexico as one of strongest storms ever Posted: 23 Oct 2015 07:12 AM PDT Hurricane Patricia strengthened into one of the most powerful storms in history on Friday as it barreled toward Mexico’s Pacific Coast, forcing resort hotels to evacuate guests and residents to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Democrat Chafee quits 2016 presidential race Posted: 23 Oct 2015 07:08 AM PDT Former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee said on Friday he is dropping out of the race for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Chafee, who was polling at the bottom... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Plenty of diplomacy but slim hope for new Middle East peace push Posted: 23 Oct 2015 07:06 AM PDT Flare-ups in violence between Israel and the Palestinians have often accelerated peace efforts – the first intifada led into the Oslo accords of the mid-1990s and the second gave rise to the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Pat Buchanan: America in Search of a Cause? Posted: 23 Oct 2015 04:29 AM PDT “If the Cold War is over, what’s the point of being an American?” said Rabbit Angstrom, the protagonist of the John Updike novels. A haunting remark, since, for 40 years, America... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Hillary Clinton Owns the War in Libya (And Its Horrible Aftermath) Posted: 23 Oct 2015 04:26 AM PDT David Harsanyi,  Libya is in chaos. It’s a festering pit of radicalism, anarchy and death, epitomizing everything that can go wrong when Western intervention has no clear long-term... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Hillary Offers Disastrous ObamaCare 2.0 Posted: 23 Oct 2015 04:23 AM PDT Ken Blackwell, When ObamaCare was enacted, President Obama promised Americans that health insurance companies would be held accountable for providing affordable, quality health care to patients. He...