Belarus. The release of the detainees

1 Belarus

On Wednesday evening the protests resumed in the residential areas of Minsk. It was noted that there was a smaller amount of people in comparison with the previous 3 days. In some parts of the city, the police used special measures against the protesters. Explosions of flash bangs and the sound of rubber bullets were heard. The police carried out detentions of people in the residential areas. According to the eyewitnesses — many residents sheltered their neighbors in their apartments. Two collisions of cars with policemen in Minsk and Baranovich took place. The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus announced a detention, by the SWAT officers, of 2 residents of Minsk, who were making Molotov cocktails. It was noted that the detainees wanted to make Molotov cocktails in order to «use them at the mass events against the police.»

2 Belarus

According to the lists, published by the human rights organization «Vesna» on their Telegram channel — the persons, detained during the protests in Belarus, have begun to be released from the temporary detention facilities. It was reported that a volunteer HQ was created in Minsk in order to help the lawyers to provide a legal assistance to all citizens in need. The ‘TASS’ news agency reports, while quoting the released protesters, that the cells in Minsk are over-crowded. The detainees are being treated harshly. Earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus reported that over the past day, about 700 people were detained during the unauthorized protests. From 9th to 13th of August, 103 police officers were injured. 28 of them were hospitalized.

3 The USA — Syria

The head of the US Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, announced that the US forces do not intend to remain in Syria forever. However, a political decision is needed to end their stay in Syria. «It will be a political decision, not a military one» — he explained and added that while the US forces are in Syria — they will «work hard to end the ISIS». Earlier, the US special envoy for Syria, James Jeffrey, stated that Washington isn’t considering to pull out the US troops from Syria at this stage. He underlined that the American troops remain in north-east of Syria, in the Al-Tanf zone, on the border with Jordan.

4 Syria

While speaking to the deputies of the new Syrian parliament, the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that the USA need the extremists, including the ISIS, to operate in the Middle East. «The USA need the terrorists in the Middle East, especially the ISIS» — the SANA news agency quoted Assad. According to him — with the help of the anti-Syrian «Caesar Law» — Washington intends to «support the terrorists.» The Syrian President believes that the US sanctions, imposed against Damascus under the «Caesar Law», are «a new stage in the escalation of the aggression against Syria». «The boycott of Washington opens a new stage of the psychological war against Syria. It was made to support the terrorists, needed to the USA» — he explained. «The practical response to the boycott campaign should be the rise of the industrial and agricultural production, investment in the small businesses, and the continuation of the fight against the corruption» — Bashar Assad concluded.

5 Iraq

The website ‘Shafaq News’ reported, while citing their security sources in Iraq, that a civilian convoy that carried supplies for the international coalition forces was attacked at the south of Baghdad. An IED detonated on a highway in the Batha area, in Dhi Qar province. The target of the attack was a supply convoy, which consisted of several trucks from a private company, contracted by the coalition forces. Nobody was hurt as a result of the attack. The transport with the military equipment of the US troops was damaged by the explosion.