Alexander McKeever
@AKMcKeever
Independent researcher/MA student @GC_CUNY @memeac_cuny
/Contributor @Bellingcat @PopularFrontCO @STJ_SYRIA_ENG.
Syria: Opposition/Afrin. OSINT. 
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My new piece for
@bellingcat investigating cases of desecration and destruction inflicted on shrines and other cultural sites in post-Olive Branch Afrinhttps://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2019/07/11/afrin-incidents-of-desecration-and-destruction-of-cultural-sites/…Show this thread -
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While it has way too much going on, always enjoyed the Safwa logopic.twitter.com/CjOZStWmqa
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During the ongoing Turkish/TFSA operations east of the Euphrates Liwa Rijal al-Harb has announced 1 KIA, killed in Serekaniye/Ras al-'Ain, where the group is active alongside other 2nd Legion components like Furqat al-Sultan Murad, al-Hamza, and al-Mu'tasim (10/10)pic.twitter.com/UsLgwZYm4E
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Not 100% sure but I believe this video filmed in Mare' during the false alarm late Dec Manbij/E. Euphrates mobilization shows leadership figures 'Ali Abu Mahmoud, Abu Ma'moun, and Mustafa 'Abu Hussein' Najar (9/10)pic.twitter.com/N9u8dNZALb
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Both this HalabToday interview with Mustafa al-Najar and this post by an affiliated 'Ali Abu Mahmoud seem to imply that 'Rijal al-Harb' is affiliated with fellow 2nd Legion group Furqat al-Mu'tasim (8/10)pic.twitter.com/zndBPH4JHg
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Very little about the group until they shared a training video in August of this year...filmed in Bulbul, Afrin...same part of the region they were active in during OB..an area occupied by other fellow 2nd Legion groups like Sultan Murad (7/10) location: https://www.google.com/maps/place/36%C2%B045'01.2%22N+36%C2%B044'06.0%22E/@36.750335,36.7331558,707m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x152fb06491a24453:0x2c4f9b53c0026c4b!2sBulbul,+Syria!3b1!8m2!3d36.7711541!4d36.8182983!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d36.750335!4d36.7350068 …pic.twitter.com/sOI7MlMVk8
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While the username references Chechnya and currently has a Russian lang. bio, doesn't necessarily mean this is the account of a foreign fighter as Syria's prewar pop. including a tiny Arabized Chechen minority. The account hasn't tweeted about the group since Apr 2018. (6/10)
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I've yet to find an official announcement, but this account 'Abu Talib Shishani' claimed to be part of 'Rijal al-Harb' early on, reiterating that they were a Safwa splinter, apparently made up of 500 fighters. Were active on the Bulbul front of northern Afrin during Op. OB (5/10)pic.twitter.com/IEhbq9o5Oh
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As is prone to happen in Syria, Furqat al-Safwa seems to have faded into obscurity. The last post on their Twitter account was on 18 Nov 2017, while the account itself appears to have been hacked and now bears a logo of the Criminal Security Department of the Syrian MoI (4/10)pic.twitter.com/5dBoowfdzk
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Furqat al-Safwa (once Kata'ib al-Safwa al-Islamiya) was formed some point in 2015. FaS allegedly incl. former Liwa al-Tawhid elements, corresponding w/ when
@ajaltamimi's interviewee said they had entered N. Aleppo in 2012. Were part of TOW program in 2016 (3/10)pic.twitter.com/HimFgVRXn5
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On 30 Jan 2018 (10 days into Op. Olive Branch) the '2nd Brigade of the 3rd Division of the 2nd Legion' reportedly announced it was splinting from Furqat al-Safwa. These two versions of the statement include similar wording and were signed by a Mustafa 'Abu Hussein' Najar (2/10)pic.twitter.com/VFDjoWTzO0
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AA reportedly opens up 2 camps for IDPs from Tel Abyad and Serekaniye who fled the ongoing Turkish invasion, in the Hasakah and Raqqa countrysides. According to ANHA the majority of IDPs now reside in the other cities of the NE, often with familyhttps://hawarnews.com/en/haber/aa-to-open-two-camps-for-forcibly-displaced-people-h12602.html…
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HRE announce the capture of a TFSA fighter during a raid on the town of Maryaman, Afrin/Shahba/ES border. First prisoner they've taken since their formation about a year ago. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Maryamayn,+Syria/@36.5244986,36.9339321,6918m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x152f94d50a7bff85:0xbcc968560f852ee1!8m2!3d36.5235026!4d36.9514202 …pic.twitter.com/yK9yzWXkxS
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ISW mapped out where the 4 different ongoing patrol routes are located. Images from earlier in the week from SANA and local journalists showed US and regime forces in same general area between Qamishlo and Derik/al-Malikiyahpic.twitter.com/1IBjFLSKSs
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view from the inside of the Turkish APC's being pelted with rocks by civilians (sharing for video only, ignore the framing)https://twitter.com/8Peyok/status/1192863951694049283…
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civilians throwing rocks at another Turkish-Russian joint patrol, rif Kobanipic.twitter.com/YLQZETwvh4
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It appears a SVBIED (?) detonated outside the police station in al-Ra’i, caught on cctvpic.twitter.com/MnkhFr5LeW
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a heroic and tragic ending to this long running mysteryhttps://twitter.com/trbrtc/status/1192658229278519298…
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Oil trade between Manbij and ES territory reportedly back on, after being closed for weekspic.twitter.com/2YFh8nUAKo
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position was manned by 9th Division Special Forces (1st Legion)
@rr0162pic.twitter.com/Y5IP5dxpRs
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TFSA vehicle destroyed in (or near?) the village of Bi'r 'Issa by SDF who entered this village later in the day. Different vehicle from the ATGM video also posted (see: pic 4) location: https://www.google.com/maps/place/36%C2%B025'58.2%22N+39%C2%B000'50.5%22E/@36.4328374,39.0133189,285m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d36.4328364!4d39.014024 …pic.twitter.com/Kd7Gx1Mj3N
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Alexander McKeever Retweeted
Mini-Review: I finally finished Sam Dagher's book yesterday. It took me several months to do, not of any fault of the writing--it is just how I do things these days. On the contrary, it was always a delight to return to it and read in increments. And this book must be read.
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s/o to this big boy that shows up across the entire 'ain 'issa area on google mapspic.twitter.com/nId7AegW9r
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Alexander McKeever Retweeted
Are We Seeing A New Wave of Arab Spring Uprisings in 2019? - I think Iraq's case in context-specific. Read my comments here:
#IraqProtestshttps://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/80260?lang=en… -
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KIS announcements from 2 TFSA groups not very active on social media. A 22 year old from Douma killed fighting for the 51st Division (3rd Legion), and a fighter from Turkmen group Liwa’ al-Sultan Mehmet al-Fateh (1st Legion) killed on the ‘Ain ‘Issa frontpic.twitter.com/kIW80dAqIH
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Alexander McKeever Retweeted
I wrote a book! And even better:
@tcambanis,@mwhanna1,@desfandiary,@simaghaddar, and@renadmansour also wrote that book—all of us together. Don't miss! Hybrid Actors: Armed Groups and State Fragmentation in the Middle East https://www.brookings.edu/book/hybrid-actors …pic.twitter.com/unmVs1nPxQ
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scenes from Free Burma Rangers cameraman/medic Zau Seng’s funeralpic.twitter.com/AAoZkQOnAt
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Alexander McKeever Retweeted
Turkey has been holding Baghdadi's wife and daughter since June 2018 (!) without making it public, official tells
@AP . She was also captured in a raid in southern Turkey, not in Syria. https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/11/07/world/europe/ap-eu-turkey-islamic-state.html …pic.twitter.com/1R0yqoocFd
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Alexander McKeever Retweeted
My latest post: impact of Turkish-backed 'Peace Spring' ops against SDF on fuel prices in rebel-held northwest
#Syria. SDF areas remain key supply of oil to northwest, so prices have gone up,negatively impacting e.g. generator electricity supply in Idlibhttp://www.aymennjawad.org/2019/11/the-peace-spring-operations-and-fuel-prices-in… -
NPA reports a 'Russian' 40 vehicle convoy enters the new military operations/coordination center in 'Ain 'Issa - the same old US base that Russian flags went up at 3 days ago (see image 3) location: https://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.383814&lon=38.871903&z=17 …pic.twitter.com/UOUqm6cXN5
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Alexander McKeever Retweeted
Oil security status: variablehttps://twitter.com/akmckeever/status/1191746376947904512…
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2 more TSK killed in 'Peace Spring' OP. Brings total that have been killed in NE-ES-Afrin since Oct 9 up to 14.pic.twitter.com/o2zYSKOXYB
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Given that we haven't seen fighting in the sparsely populated plains/M4 south of Mabrouka I think it's safe to assume these 5 Division 20 were all killed E. of 'Ain 'Issa (last 3 weren't reported with a location). From Rif Dimashq, Hama Deir ez-Zor, Homs, and Ras al-'Ainpic.twitter.com/0IDEy79oeu
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