Levant crisis - III

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Jun 2017 22:21

https://twitter.com/leithfadel/status/8 ... 5572236288

if the US has indeed backed off, maybe it has realized the proxies under its control are not very good idlib shishani/turkiye quality or in numbers enough to control the vast deserts .... might "pivot" to a more focussed play on the jordan border near daraa ?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Jun 2017 22:23

Military Advisor‏ @miladvisor 39m

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Jun 2017 22:27

https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2017/05/ ... ave-syria/

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 10 Jun 2017 04:56

[urlhttp://www.cnn.com/2017/06/09/politics/us-russ ... index.html]Fiction is less strange than truth[/url]

US officials credit Russia for calming tense situation in Southern Syria
(CNN)US officials are crediting Russia with helping calm the situation in southern Syria, where the US has had to launch several airstrikes against Iranian backed Shia militias and pro-regime fighters in recent days.
Pentagon spokesman US Navy Captain Jeff Davis stated: "Russia has been very helpful and I think the calm that we see today is largely due to their efforts."
The incidents marked an escalation in the area around Al-Tanf, a garrison on the Syrian-Jordanian border manned by US and British Special Forces that are advising an anti-ISIS Syrian rebel group known as Maghawir al-Thawra, or the Commandos of the Revolution.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 10 Jun 2017 04:58

From Singhaji's link above:

Leith Abou Fadel‏Verified account @leithfadel 5h5 hours ago

Why the US would agree to allow the Syrian Army to take the border northeast of Tanf is beyond me. Those airstrikes seem ridiculous now.
8 replies 19 retweets 56 likes
Leith Abou Fadel‏Verified account @leithfadel 5h5 hours ago

A source at the border told the Al-Masdar team that there is an agreement between the US and Russians northeast of Tanf. No idea why.
7 replies 36 retweets 48 likes
Leith Abou Fadel‏Verified account @leithfadel 5h5 hours ago
Replying to @leithfadel

This news is from the soldiers there. So it is true about the SAA reaching the Iraqi border
6 replies 30 retweets 89 likes
Leith Abou Fadel‏Verified account @leithfadel 5h5 hours ago

Official military source in southeast Homs confirmed that the Syrian Army and allies reached the Iraqi border.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 10 Jun 2017 05:19

Generals Vodkov and Stolichnikov looks pretty impressive before the empty conference room.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 06:31

.Something really changed overnight in south.

The iraqi side has a road 10km parallel to border. Other than al tanf the syrians dont have a road in that area. So linkup must have been across the desert

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 06:35

UlanBatori wrote:Generals Vodkov and Stolichnikov looks pretty impressive before the empty conference room.

Thats the media center in new shakinaw billion $ mod building. Anytime a mouse scurries across the street in birmingham its spotted and logged.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 07:02

Al masdar news.
Explains the low key fighting in and around raqqa and fierce in palmyra and east homs

...

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (9:30 P.M.) – The US-led coalition and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) collude with the leaders of the so-called “Islamic State”, Russian RIA Novosti agency reported on Friday citing Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian Armed Forces contingent in Syria.

“Instead of eliminating terrorists guilty of hundreds and thousands of Syrian civilian deaths, the US-led international coalition alongside with their proxies, Syrian Democratic Forces, collude with IS field commanders, who surrender their positions and sites without resistance and head towards the regions where Syrian government forces actively conduct military operations,” he said.

Surovikin also added that “it looks like Americans use IS in order to forestall the advances of Syrian government forces under the excuse of fighting international terrorism.”

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 10 Jun 2017 07:05

Look at the change in the tone of US reporting. Looks strongly like US forces suddenly found themselves trapped & cut off - and were extricated with help of Gen. Vodkov. Says a lot about relations between US and Iraqi troops. Never b4 have I heard American official spokespersons PRAISE someone else for "calming" a situation where the US forces were one side.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 07:10

https://twitter.com/C_Military1/status/ ... 3418242051

Hezbollah media confirms the syrian and russian stmts with their own map. Their ridwan regiment is with all syrian forces going east except the tigers who have enough experienced cadre of their own. I guess the hezbollah command the enthu but raw iraqi and afghan and ndf units

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 10 Jun 2017 07:12

Unfortunately I am illiterate.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 07:17

Some claim around 1990 there was a mini war in south between the druze and bedouin. Assad sr had sided with the bedouins then.

Cut to now the druze are firmly with assad jr and the southfront jihadis and proxies must be none but the desert malsi bedouins.

Deir azzor has again beaten off a week long isis push with help of russian airstrikes

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 07:20

UlanBatori wrote:Look at the change in the tone of US reporting. Looks strongly like US forces suddenly found themselves trapped & cut off - and were extricated with help of Gen. Vodkov. Says a lot about relations between US and Iraqi troops. Never b4 have I heard American official spokespersons PRAISE someone else for "calming" a situation where the US forces were one side.

Yes quite possible hostile iraqi units had cornered some americans east of this region. Whatever sticks and carrots were used by russians they are discreet about it.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 10 Jun 2017 07:29

May have also found out that angry Hezb troops hardened by 4 years of battle in Syria and Iraq, are a very different kettle of fish from yahoos yelling "Death to Great Satan" at the US embassy in Teheran. The F-15 shooting down the drone was a desperation measure, trying to stop recon for a massive assault. You can't protect a small band of outnumbered troops in a desert outpost using only a few supersonic fighters. Proved time and again in Afghanistan, like Helmand and Kandahar provinces. Hot-line may have burned between DupleeCity and Moscow seeking intervention and help to extricate.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 10 Jun 2017 08:01

Fox News just said two rounds of Syria deescalation talks between US and Russia already held.

shynee · Post by **shynee** » 10 Jun 2017 09:26

This is a good video. ISIS militants blows up near the camera man (9:00)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U12mp20wbqI

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 Jun 2017 13:44

Looks like Syrian Forces are using Konkurs for every thing sundry

Bhurishravas · Post by **Bhurishravas** » 10 Jun 2017 15:20

After all these years of fighting, Syrian/Shia forces still dont control any border crossing from Iraq to Syria ?!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 23:06

Your thesis of israel usa not "allowing" physical shia crescent from just two days ago is overturned.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 23:14

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article ... der-video/

95km of desert was crossed to reach border

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Jun 2017 23:22

https://twitter.com/Brasco_Aad/status/8 ... 0911399936

Bhurishravas · Post by **Bhurishravas** » 10 Jun 2017 23:40

Singha wrote:Your thesis of israel usa not "allowing" physical shia crescent from just two days ago is overturned.

Ok. But they dont have no roads on the Syrian side of the border? Al Tanf is surrounded by desert. They just moved to north in the desert to circumvent Al Tanf which is held by US forces. Also Al Bukamal is held by ISIS.

So who are they fighting in the desert and firing at?! And how are they going to hold their position in the desert. Build new roads?
US has built a defence perimeter of 30 kms around al-Tanf which means Shia forces will travel at least 30 kms north in the desert to meet their Shia brothers from Iraq. Hmmm

Its like saying, You might be holding all the passes in the himalayas but I met my Shia friends on Mt Everest anyway. Hurray.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 11 Jun 2017 02:13

What happened to the US-petted terrorists at Al Tanf appears to be what happened to Pakis in the cantonments of East Pak in 1971. They Firmly Held Their Positions, but were simply bypassed on both sides. I think they were airlifted/bused out under Russian protection - there is no other explanation for the praise for Russians for "calming the situation" etc. So now I think the border road crossing is also secured, not just the desert around it. BSji's Himalayan metaphor reminds me of the title of Lt. Gen Kaul's book: Himalayan Blunder. Syria/Iraq seem to be mostly barren with a few roads crossing: not much choice of alternative routes. Ppl can obstruct the road or sit by the side with IEDs and TOWs,(as the Us-backed terrorists appear to have been doing for the past few years) but if the surrounding desert is also infested with mobile enemy and armor with air support, then it is smarter to exit on the last bus leaving under air cover as our dear Special Forces appear to have accomplished with General Vodkov's kind patronage.

The 95KM desert run is reminescent of Ariel Sharon's race across the Suez Canal to isolate the Egyptian 3rd Army in 1973.

Bhurishravas · Post by **Bhurishravas** » 11 Jun 2017 02:59

Since Israel has told Putin many times already that a clear road from Teheran to Hezbollah is a red line for Israel, I would be very happy to see Iran try to bypass al-Tanf and supply Hezbollah with weapons, which it has been attempting to do via cargo flights, which btw are also bombed by Israel, S-400 or no 400.
In fact, Russia should have egged on 3000 Hezbollah to take on 150 or so Amreeki troops with their terrorist brethren at al-Tanf. After all it is Syrian territory and US has no job being there. But rather, it asks the die-hard moderate shias to circumvent the tiny American base located in a remote desert.

In 1967, Israel conducted a pre-emptive strike to win the war in six days. It would be great to see Israel do something similar again. That perhaps might get Putin to act. But I doubt it. If macho Putin`s blood didnt boil when Russian plane was shot down by puny Turkey and one of the pilots murdered, I wonder if he is up to the task of fighting anyone worthy of a fight.

No arms cargo will reach Hezbollah from Iran via road. Hezbollah can do all air phyrr/dance as much as it wants.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 11 Jun 2017 05:28

Understandable fire-breathing given the harsh realities facing ISIS and the Moderate Islamic Terrorists. But fact is that Al-Tanf's terrorist garrison, for all its vaunted herrowism and F-15 cover, has vamoosed, and Israel as I read , has been given some instruction on the birds, bees, wasps, ants etc. Israel should have bombed the pakistan out of the ISIS when they had the chance. Now what has happened is that the ISIS is running out of viable targets - unless they turn on Israel and their other sponsors, KSA. Interesting times ahead.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 06:55

the desert seems to be fairly amenable to medium trucks - ie not soft sand, hills or marshes - ISIS has been using such routes between syria and iraq for years. and the PMU is advancing with their own fuel across the same desert with no real roads.

al tanf border checkpoint around 2km inside seems to be built on the remains of a old ww2 airfield. the runway pattern still shows in google earth. could have been a refueling or bypass stop for allied cargo planes flying from europe to asia. the main US base is 18km away inside jordan.

given the bay of pigs type planning for the prior attack on albu kamal its perhaps better the NSA return to goat herding and other viable trades in jordan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Abu_Kamal_offensive

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 06:59

jostling for post-raqqa has started and pressure points being pushed. the syrians have withdrawn between the turkoman jihadis and YPG in north

The'Nimr'Tiger @Souria4Syrians 2h2 hours ago
I think Syrian border guards & local NDF withdrew from West Manbij buffer zone especially since recent YPG aggression & aligning with Saudis

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 07:01

evil putinji instructing his syrian proxies by remote control

https://twitter.com/Souria4Syrians/stat ... 6281279488

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 07:04

there is a road running on iraqi side to al qaim ... 10km parallel to border.
this might unofficially permit the syrians to send a force quicker to al bukamal and besiege the ISIS there, resupply will also be viable.
there is no real ISIS in the southern desert so much easier than going via Arak and T3 where ISIS is strong and holding on.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 07:09

the key for the syrians to unlock the problem seems like breaking through in Arak and making a beeline via T3 to the euphrates. the next isis lines of defence will be the towns on euphrates. this is the bleakest part of the desert.

probably pmu and syrians will advance in concert toward al bukamal and al qaim, establishing a series of strongpoints along the way...
the two towns will be besieged together. in concert the pmu will also advance from north to al qaim.

@Petolucem map

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 07:15

fighting near arak video . syrians are about 4km away

https://twitter.com/miladvisor/status/8 ... 3907487745
https://twitter.com/miladvisor/status/8 ... 3748206592

note the gazelle scout/armed helicopter. the syrians operate that.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 07:22

mosul ...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 07:25

with mosul winding down the iraqi army has started to roll up the tal afar pocket. being khan certified only the federal iraqi army will undertake this op. pmu will just man the outer cordon...and neither they have skills or gear for prolonged urban fighting....tal afar is probably a bit smaller than raqqa and much smaller than mosul. but high ranking emirs could be there....though i suspect most have purchased their freedom in turkiye and move on...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 07:54

the condom has finally hit its expiry date?

Al masdar news
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:45 A.M.) – The Islamic State’s (ISIL) leader and founder, Ibrahim Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, was allegedly killed by an airstrike in Raqqa City, Syrian State TV reported this morning.

While no other other media outlet has claimed Baghdadi has been killed, there were reports of heavy airstrikes over the provincial capital of Raqqa last night.

Without confirmation from the Islamic State’s official media wing, Al-‘Amaq, or images to validate this claim, it is too hard to verify the rumor at this moment.

The terrorist leader has been allegedly killed on numerous occasions in the past; however, all of the rumors were later proven false.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 07:56

parents visit the camp speicher where 1700 iraqi cadets were slaughtered by isis on june 10, 2014

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ir ... -massacre/

the son of a half brother of saddam hatched the plan and got the base commander to grant leave to his unarmed cadets to leave camp and go to baghdad by bus. then the tikriti and isis gangs pounced on these hapless cadets and shot them in mass graves.

36 people have been hanged in iraq and a few arrested in europe for this so far. the account book is not yet closed.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 11 Jun 2017 08:16

Mosul looks like one of the places frequented by James Bond.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 08:50

it certainly is atmospheric like damascus , istanbul, marrakesh, delhi, cairo .... old city, new city, fabulous mansions and palaces, posh elites in big mercs, trading souks, criminal networks in the dark alleys , exotic ambitious femme fatales with dark eyes and luscious creamy flesh, lot of poor in hovels ....

est 1000 daish are holed up in the old city and refusing to surrender. lakhs of people are slowly being evacuated under fire before the final assault is launched on the area near the mosque. its like fighting a battle in purani dilli - terrible - some of the lanes can barely take a rickshaw or two people side by side yet teem with activity 24x7

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 09:03

Ivan Sidorenko‏ @IvanSidorenko1 5h
5h5 hours ago
More
#Syria #Aleppo #NorthernAleppo Shirvan Darwish of the MMC #Manbij Military Council on today's events of Euphrates Shield / Turkey Attacks

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Jun 2017 11:39

syrians + allies continue to amass resources in palmyra for the much desired breakthrough to sukhnah and beyond which will be the penultimate killing blow to ISIS

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ma ... s-palmyra/