Alexander McKeever

@AKMcKeever

Independent researcher/MA student GC Contributor Syria: Opposition/Afrin, OSINT. New Yorker. 🏴.

Queens, NY
akmckeever.com
Joined March 2016
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  1. Pinned Tweet
    Dec 11

    Thread on some of the details we put together for 's report on the murder of Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf and her driver Ferhad Ramadan by members of Ahrar al-Sharqiyah 12 Oct 2019.

    1 reply 54 retweets 68 likes
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  2. 7 hours ago

    According to opposition sources Ahrar al-Sharqiyah already controls a prison in the Tel Abyad area as well. Location is unclear but I would imagine it is in or around Suluk. (17/17)

    1 retweet 1 like
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  3. 7 hours ago

    An Ahrar al-Sharqiyah commander killed in mid-November fighting with the SDF around the Sharakrak silos, SW of Suluk. (16/17)

    1 reply 1 retweet 2 likes
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  4. 7 hours ago

    Photo of the group in central Suluk, a town south of Tel Abyad that they captured from the SDF on 13 Oct. (15/17)

    1 reply 1 retweet 1 like
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  5. 7 hours ago

    Photo of a car bomb the group captured at a checkpoint near 'Awn al-Dadat, north of the Manbj frontlines. (14/17)

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  6. 7 hours ago

    Fields used by Ahrar al-Sharqiyah as a training facility west of Rajo, Afrin, Oct 2018. (13/17) location:

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  7. 7 hours ago

    A Euphrates Post image allegedly showing the security facility on the outskirts of al-Bab. (12/17) location:

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  8. 7 hours ago

    Here's a recent photo of what is possibly the outside of the al-Ra'i HQ showing Abu Hatem Shaqra meeting with Maj. Gen. Selim Idriss of the SIG. (11/17)

    1 reply 1 retweet
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  9. 7 hours ago

    Currently the group maintains a headquarters in al-Ra'i, military or security facility in al-Bab, presence north of Manbij, in Rajo and Afrin city's eastern side (Mahmoudiyah/Villas st.), as well as in recently captured town of Suluk and frontlines SW from there. (10/17)

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  10. 7 hours ago

    the group's subsequent controversial abuse-filled history has been documented elsewhere including an article of mine from this summer and in the rest of the Euphrates Post exposé. (9/17)

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  11. 7 hours ago

    3 of these appear to have been Deir ez-Zour factions active in 2013. I haven't found a 'Jund al-Tawhid' active in the area, closest I've come across is from E Aleppo. Profiles of AaS agree most fighters were at one point Ahrar al-Sham affiliated. (8/17)

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  12. 7 hours ago

    As gone over elsewhere, Ahrar al-Sharqiyah was founded Jan 2016, initially including Liwa' al-Bara’ ibn Malik, Liwa' al-Ahwaz, Liwa' Dir‘ al-Ansar and Liwa' Jund al-Tawheed. (7/17)

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  13. Retweeted
    8 hours ago

    geolocation of Sejo Prison near Azaz

    8 retweets 10 likes
  14. Retweeted
    12 hours ago

    I just can't 😂😂😂😂

    11 retweets 58 likes
  15. 9 hours ago

    According to opposition sources Ahrar al-Sharqiyah already controls a prison in the Tel Abyad area as well. Location is unclear but I would imagine it is in or around Suluk. (17/17)

    1 reply 1 like
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  16. 9 hours ago

    Shaqra remained part of Ahrar al-Sham for the time being, settling into the northern Idlib town of Sarmada. According to Euphrates Post he then built up connections in order to obtain funding for his own group - EP uses the frequent and vague term 'gulf financing.' (6/17)

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  17. 9 hours ago

    In late 2013 or early 2014 Shaqra made his way across the desert to Deir ez-Zour, essentially just as large-scale fighting broke out amongst the Syrian opposition and IS. Soon after, as part of its rapid rise, IS took control of the province, forcing the opposition west. (5/17)

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  18. 9 hours ago

    Rather than return to DeZ, Shaqra apparently went to Damascus, where by late 2011 he was taking part in insurgent activity, such as an attack on an SAA checkpoint at Harran al-Awamid. At some point while in Eastern Ghouta he joined Ahrar al-Sham, rising in their ranks. (4/17)

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  19. 9 hours ago

    Both the Euphrates Post and STJ reports mention that before the war Abu Hatem Shaqra was working in construction Jordan. According to our sources he returned to Syria in July 2011 joining the opposition during the early stages of the conflict. (3/17)

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  20. 9 hours ago

    The group's commander, Ahmed Ihsan Fayyad al-Hayes ('Abu Hatem Shaqra'), was born in 1987 in the town of Shaqra, NW of the city of Deir ez-Zour. He worked here as an agricultural laborer for a bit. (2/17)

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  21. 9 hours ago

    My colleagues at STJ uncovered some info relating to Ahrar al-Sharqiyah for the Hevrin Khalaf investigation we recently published, in particular related to the groups commander Abu Hatem Shaqra. Below is a (random) related thread: (1/17)

    1 reply 5 retweets 10 likes
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  22. Retweeted
    13 hours ago

    The video of a fighter speaking in a Syrian dialect of Arabic who mentions the Muatasim Division has been geolocated to a base near Tripoli. This is the first apparent visual confirmation to the deployment of Turkish-backed Syrian factions to Libya.

    geolocation of SNA fighters next to al takbali camp 32.806398, 13.228440
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    15 replies 158 retweets 199 likes
  23. Retweeted
    Dec 27

    Two months in: taking stock of Turkey's recent invasion of northeastern Syria and the drastic effects its had on local civilian life. Check out my latest article on a new website I've created...

    1 reply 59 retweets 89 likes
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  24. Retweeted
    Dec 27

    Syria: More than 235,000 people have been displaced from southern Idleb since 12 December, including at least 140,000 children. Ma’arrat An-Numan and its surrounding area is now reported to be almost empty of civilians.

    4 replies 137 retweets 95 likes
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  25. Retweeted
    Dec 27

    Opposition outlet reporting that 250 Syrians affiliated with the SNA or living in Turkey after fleeing HTS in Idlib will go to Tripoli to assist with translation, coordination and logistics, basically as interpreters between TSK and GNA; h/t

    5 replies 23 retweets 29 likes
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  26. Retweeted
    Dec 27

    Drone footage of Russian air force airstrike geolocated in Abu Habbah (بو حبة), .

    3 retweets 5 likes
  27. Dec 27

    the website is still a work in progress... I mainly created it to archive work published elsewhere, but will be putting up original content like this on it occasionally.

    1 retweet 8 likes
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  28. Retweeted
    Dec 27

    I can confirm a meeting between Syrian National Army (SNA) commanders & Turkish intel re dispatch of SNA to fight on Turkey's behalf in Libya. No forces have been deployed yet according to my sources. SNA contacts told me many would be willing to go for $

    18 replies 103 retweets 119 likes
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  29. Retweeted
    Dec 25

    Prison guards tried to poison the guy who filmed Eric Garner's murder by NYPD by putting rat poison in his meatloaf

    244 replies 17,210 retweets 29,799 likes
  30. Dec 25

    some other random christian stuff from jordan, palestine, and lebanon

    1 reply 1 retweet 9 likes
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  31. Dec 25

    Merry Christmas everyone here’s a Catholic priest celebrating the Mass at sunrise in Wadi Rum this past July

    1 reply 3 retweets 41 likes
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  32. Dec 24

    last grasps at/last gasps of*

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  33. Dec 24

    well this would be one way Turkey could avoid last grasps of TFSA autonomy playing spoiler against TR-Russia machinations in the NE

    TFSA source told me Turkey will be offering fighters from all TFSA factions $2,000/month to go to Libya.
    1 reply 6 likes
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  34. Retweeted
    Dec 23

    1601 Hugh O'Neill, O'Donnell & allies lost the Battle of Kinsale to Lord Mountjoy. Had it went in the Irish favour, Irish & world history would be very different, from the Ulster Plantation to the settling of America. Follow for more.

    15 replies 95 retweets 341 likes
  35. Retweeted
    Dec 23

    Y’all are still doing this? What does the ‘d’ stand for? What does the ‘a’ stand for? Dawlah al-Islamiyah. What does that mean? Islamic State... 🤷🏻‍♂️

    The terminology media outlets use can help deny terrorist groups legitimacy. is not a “State” – we ask that outlets avoid legitimising them by calling them “Islamic State.” (1/3)
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    6 replies 14 retweets 65 likes
  36. Retweeted
    Dec 22

    It’s 22 years today since the Acteal Massacre, where 45 people were killed by a right wing paramilitary in Mexico. The victims—including 21 women, four were pregnant—were members of a Christian organisation that supported the socialist-libertarian EZLN militia. (Via Demoler)

    38 retweets 142 likes
  37. Retweeted
    Dec 23

    For all certain conservatives complain about “coastal elite domination,” they sure like coming to New York to complain about *our* way of life.

    This Tweet is unavailable.
    3 replies 3 retweets 11 likes
  38. Retweeted
    Dec 23

    From Arabic gospels - Nativity and Annunciation to the shepherds in the field printed 1591 at Medici Oriental Press, Rome. HMML also has a copy of an Arabic/Latin grammar book, printed by press (SJRB 565). SJRB 587 in vHMML Reading Room:

    8 retweets 14 likes
  39. Retweeted
    Dec 20

    Italian arms have been sold to Russia, transported to Syria, & used by sanctioned Syrian Army militia breaching European trade & arms safeguards. After 12 months of digging w/ , , we show how they got to places like this 👇👇

    11 replies 135 retweets 212 likes
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  40. Dec 21

    fascinating little thread on Lithuanian

    In spite of the importance of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a great European power in the Middle Ages and beyond, the Lithuanian language was rarely written down before the 19th century - for a surprising…
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    3 likes