The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc)

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 13 Nov 2015 10:02

Anant wrote:TS, As an Iowan, we appreciate your kind words. We do pride ourselves on perfection and Keokuk is certainly a pretty river town. But I'm here because it seems Jihadi John has met his 72 in Raqqa due to the drone zone

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/12/politics/ ... index.html

Good news all around.

Don't start passing out cigars yet, Hawkeye. Those cats seem to have nine lives.

and actually the army plant is closer to Burlington than Keokuk. My bad.

habal · Post by **habal** » 13 Nov 2015 10:03

Putin Reveals that Obama hasn’t bombed a single ISIL target in 3 years!

A pro-Putin member of Russia’s parliament accused the Obama administration of essentially spending a year bombing the Syrian desert as opposed to Islamic State group targets, ranting on Twitter that American-trained “moderate rebels” had all run off to join terrorist organizations.

“(Senator John) McCain accused us of striking out at US-trained insurgents… However, since they have either run away or joined al-Qaeda, hitting them is a mission impossible,” Alexei Pushkov tweeted, according to Sputnik News.

Pushkov evinced similar thoughts during an interview with France’s Europe 1 Radio, in which the Russian MP said, “The U.S.-led coalition spent a whole year pretending they were striking ISIL targets but where are the results of these strikes?”

Pushkov is the head of foreign affairs committee in the Russian Duma, the lower house of the country’s parliament, according to National Interest.

His questioning may not be that far off of the mark. According to figures compiled by the Council for Foreign Relations in a recent piece for Newsweek, American intervention in the crisis in the Middle East is hardly substantial.

The CFR calculated that 43 bombs per day were being dropped against the Islamic State group during the current campaign. If you think that’s substantial, consider the Iraq war, where 1,093 bombs a day were dropped in 2003.

And even that pales in comparison to the first Gulf War. During that period, coalition forces dropped 6,163 bombs per day on the enemy.

Even when American forces have Islamic State group terrorists in their sights, they aren’t necessarily allowed to fire, thanks to Obama administration engagement rules that handcuff American forces.(no such restraint in Libya though)

“There were times I had groups of ISIS fighters in my sights, but couldn’t get clearance to engage,” one F-18 pilot told reporters in May.

“They probably killed innocent people and spread evil because of my inability to kill them. It was frustrating.”

habal · Post by **habal** » 13 Nov 2015 10:05

TSJones wrote:
Don't start passing out cigars yet, Hawkeye. Those cats seem to have nine lives.

Is this the dude you are referring to.

he's gone. done.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syr ... st-aleppo/

Anant · Post by **Anant** » 13 Nov 2015 10:11

TS,

True but data indicates the weasel was surveilled, seen entering the vehicle and then shahidized. Also, the UK govt has notified next of kin of those executed. What is next is usually to get a hunk to dna test. Cats may have 9 lives but hellfires are good at debiting them quickly. Now, besides that I'm waiting for Ass had to get the qaddafy duck treatment. Inevitable. Let's wait and see.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 13 Nov 2015 10:17

habal wrote:
TSJones wrote:
Don't start passing out cigars yet, Hawkeye. Those cats seem to have nine lives.
Is this the dude you are referring to.

he's gone. done.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syr ... st-aleppo/

unfortunately that person was only one of many who were executioners.

Anant was referring to a Kuwaiti raised in Britain who relished killing Americans, Brits, Japanese, etc. He was into global diversity.

I think he even got a woman or two. Thus proving his manhood.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 10:23

^^ On their wedding night, Mohammad Hamdoush gave his wife a suicide belt as a gift –

RuS has both protected Assad from imminent collapse and forced the pace of events......US is now forced to step up the pace and put in places its kurds and sunni proxies or risk more territories in central and eastern syria eventually falling into assad's hands.

the latakia green belt will have to take their chances or run off to turkey...I don't think they have a great future now. same for the Homs green island and the patch adjacent to jordan. like non-resident khalistanis they could rave and rant in london , amman and istanbul but not change boots on ground situation.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 13 Nov 2015 10:27

There is another called "The Butcher".

appears to be big fat guy who excels at chopping off limbs from young kids who are afraid to serve as ISIS jehadis.

we'll get him to eventually and roast his lard a*s in a vehicle hit by a drone.

When it does I hope his fat melts down onto the pavement for the dogs to lick it up.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 13 Nov 2015 10:29

whoa, his name is pronounced Ham-douche? Even his parents knew

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 13 Nov 2015 10:35

TSJones wrote:There is another called "The Butcher".

appears to be big fat guy who excels at chopping off limbs from young kids who are afraid to serve as ISIS jehadis.

we'll get him to eventually and roast his lard a*s in a vehicle hit by a drone.

When it does I hope his fat melts down onto the pavement for the dogs to lick it up.

That fatso, IIRC is The Bulldozer.... a sicko

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 13 Nov 2015 10:51

TSJ: have you read the first of culture books by IAin M. Banks? The book is called "Consider Phlebas". One character is very similar to the fatso "The Butcher".

habal · Post by **habal** » 13 Nov 2015 10:53

the liberation of Marj al Sultan village will let all the center farms of east Ghouta wide open to the SAA, meaning no major villages no major urban warfare, wide open terrain for tanks and mobile infantry, that indeed has the potential to cut through rebels' defensive lines up to Douma and create smaller pockets of terrorist controlled areas, which in turn will be easier to deal with or neutralized for a slow cleaning operation. It does seem Marj al Sultan may hold the key for victory in East Ghouta. Finger crossed, the sooner it happens the sooner thousands of professional soldiers would be released to other fronts....to replace the inexperienced kids who are doing duty there.

Syria may well consider the use of airborne special forces to get into behind the lines when Marj Al Sultan is totally liberated, this would speed up the process to cut through the rebels' center, collapsing their defenses all together.

after capture of Al Eis along with its surrounding hills, only things left are a few small towns, ICARDA And M-5 ...

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 13 Nov 2015 10:55

vayu tuvan wrote:TSJ: have you read the first of culture books by IAin M. Banks? The book is called "Consider Phlebas". One character is very similar to the fatso "The Butcher".

no I haven't. I will check it out on Amazon.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Nov 2015 10:56

TSJones wrote:There is another called "The Butcher".

appears to be big fat guy who excels at chopping off limbs from young kids who are afraid to serve as ISIS jehadis.

we'll get him to eventually and roast his lard a*s in a vehicle hit by a drone.

When it does I hope his fat melts down onto the pavement for the dogs to lick it up.

I am not sure but I think "The Butcher" of your description is "The Bulldozer". There are many in the ISIS rank moving about a.k.a "The Butcher". Just do a Google on "The Butcher ISIS".

I think you meant this guy - The Bulldozer http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/10/islam ... ar-old-boy

All links on ISIS to be opened with caution.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Nov 2015 11:02

Around Sinjar, the Peshmerga have retaken Highway 47 from ISIS.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/world ... .html?_r=0

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 11:08

^ Sinjar and another town to the east are a matter of just time. there is plenty of manpower and airpower available plus peshmerga has decent amt of tanks and artillery. they will do it slowly to avoid casualties.

we need to start gaming what will the ISIS do now with direct road to Mosul and Baiji cut off. will they cut across the desert directly E-W in convoys? rich pickings for Reapers if deployed since nobody lives there and none but smugglers and ISIS have any business in that empty quarter south of the Sinjar highway.
---

there is also a torture squad staffed with german jihadis who function as a internal gestapo to punish those who try to desert or accused spies. I hope they don't run back to german after shaving beards...I hope all of these murderers stay and fight and are caught alive to be punished.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... State.html

member_29247 · Post by **member_29247** » 13 Nov 2015 11:09

^^ On their wedding night, Mohammad Hamdoush gave his wife a suicide belt as a gift –

Must be a true believer in

"Click it or Ticket" law

habal · Post by **habal** » 13 Nov 2015 11:14

As per net chatter, Mikhail Lesin, the erstwhile RT head was Putin's emissary to US intel & State Dept who was responsible to present info gathered by Russian intel and proof of US complicity in A321 crash in Sinai. The 2 captured blackwater types from Sinai confessed to being operatives of culinary. Lesin died of heart attack in DC hotel. Putin cut off all talks and has put army on nuke alert.

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Syrian Pilots Compete With Each Other for Missions

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151 ... z3rJo9nCaI

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Over 1 Million Syrians Returned Home Since Beginning of Russian Campaign

More than one million Syrians have returned home since Russian airstrikes began on September 30, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov said Wednesday.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151 ... z3rJqd0loP

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Who Keeps Destroying all the CIA Command & Control Centers in Syria?

The.............Zaslon

qualifications for Russian Zasion training:

1. Must be a graduate of the Spetsialnoygo Nazhacheniye, or Special Reconnaissance-Intelligence units. (Spets Naz) (One out of 3000 soldiers that go through this training graduate. Sometimes no one graduates for months)

2. Must be a graduate of the Glavnoye Razvedyvatel-noyi Upravlaniye (GRU-Spets Naz)
(pre-requisite for training: see #1)

Zasion:

Finally, there is the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, the SVR, and this group has a special unit that is even more elite and closely-guarded (information-wise) than the previously-mentioned Spetsnaz units.

The unit is the elite Special Forces unit called Zaslon, and the very existence of the unit is denied thoroughly by the government of Russia. Zaslon means “Shield,” or “Barrier,” and their mission is covert, operating under deep cover. All of the operatives are Spetsnaz qualified, having served in the two former units prior to their service in Zaslon.

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vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 13 Nov 2015 12:06

Anant wrote:TS,

True but data indicates the weasel was surveilled, seen entering the vehicle and then shahidized. Also, the UK govt has notified next of kin of those executed. What is next is usually to get a hunk to dna test. Cats may have 9 lives but hellfires are good at debiting them quickly. Now, besides that I'm waiting for Ass had to get the qaddafy duck treatment. Inevitable. Let's wait and see.

Unlikely, IMO. Assad is no angel but we don't have any angels in this war! Besides, look at the options if he is removed. More war, more ridiculousness and much more blood letting. Simply put: TINA factor. No credible alternative to Assad in Syria currently.

More bkgrnd: Russia doesn't mind some other sr member from the Baathist party. But Iran does. For them, its all for Assad. I expect a bitta trouble between Russia and Iran in the coming months 6-9-12 months. Assad will be safe till then... insha allah. And with one elections, he can quickly be reinstated as numero uno pres for a while.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 13 Nov 2015 12:26

All said and done, though I really appreciate and cheer the performance of the Kurds, they are going to create lots of headaches for everyone all around. With more buffer zone for the Kurds, it will be curtains for the Sykes-Picot and it will eventually mean the disintegration of a bit of Iraq, Syria.
If this phase has a bit more of momentum, we could see even Iran / KSA and Turkey losing a bit of their lands dependent on which part of the region the Kurds eventually want as their own.

Its also interesting that Kurds are allowed to expropriate most of the oil rich regions. Mmh. And we are also told that oil will eventually be replaced and its dying a slow death. There is surely (atleast) one missing link from the highest level picture.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 12:42

kurds are the reliable american munna for that region. due to armtwisting from DC the turks are not bombing them for now, albeit warned them not to cross the euphrates to keep the ISIS zone protected.

they know baghdad is close to iran and sooner or later will have some dispute with american aims.

habal · Post by **habal** » 13 Nov 2015 12:48

after dealing with rebels and ISIL, Kurds are next in line for Assad and Russia. They have been appropriating large swathes of Syrian territory at a decent click. They may be given an ultimatum to team up with SAA and act in coordination with SAA objectives of blocking Turkey border.

My bet is they will refuse, since they are heavily infiltrated by USA even though there are many Kurds who are also sympathetic to Assad. They may then split and then as usual fight amongst each other. They can settle for some semi-autonomous area near Turkey, but my suspiscion is they will refuse and Turkey will not agree anyway. Then they will come under RuAF fire and fold easily.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 13 Nov 2015 13:01

deejay wrote:
TSJones wrote:There is another called "The Butcher".

appears to be big fat guy who excels at chopping off limbs from young kids who are afraid to serve as ISIS jehadis.

we'll get him to eventually and roast his lard a*s in a vehicle hit by a drone.

When it does I hope his fat melts down onto the pavement for the dogs to lick it up.
I am not sure but I think "The Butcher" of your description is "The Bulldozer". There are many in the ISIS rank moving about a.k.a "The Butcher". Just do a Google on "The Butcher ISIS".

I think you meant this guy - The Bulldozer http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/10/islam ... ar-old-boy

All links on ISIS to be opened with caution.

yes indeed. he is a prime candidate for a thermobaric enema.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 13 Nov 2015 13:20

Fatty sure has a certain fashion sense and seem to spend time grooming for the occasion.... creepy to the core

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Nov 2015 14:34

habal wrote:after dealing with rebels and ISIL, Kurds are next in line for Assad and Russia. They have been appropriating large swathes of Syrian territory at a decent click. They may be given an ultimatum to team up with SAA and act in coordination with SAA objectives of blocking Turkey border.

My bet is they will refuse, since they are heavily infiltrated by USA even though there are many Kurds who are also sympathetic to Assad. They may then split and then as usual fight amongst each other. They can settle for some semi-autonomous area near Turkey, but my suspiscion is they will refuse and Turkey will not agree anyway. Then they will come under RuAF fire and fold easily.

Habal ji, not likely but one can never be sure with West Asia.

Kurds are a divided lot. Kurds in Turkey (Armed PKK), Kurds in Syria (Armed YPG/ YPJ), Kurds in Iraq (Armed Peshmerga). There are Iranian Kurds and Sunni Kurds who are even part of ISIS.

Kurdistan in Syria (Rojava) became autonomous as part of the current Civil War in Nov 2013. This is Western Kurdistan and has separate governance. Iraqi Kurdistan has separate governance. There is Eastern Kurdistan (part of Iran) and Northern Kurdistan (part of Turkey). Only the Iraqi Kurdistan has overt US backing.

YPG is affiliated to PKK which is a Communist organisation. Among the few countries not listing them as terrorists apart from India are Russia, China, Egypt and Switzerland. YPG even welcomed Russian air strikes in Syria.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/syria ... 1688853090

A Western world view, IMO, looks at YPG as similar to FSA or Rebels as in here: http://rudaw.net/english/analysis/28092015

While the US may want to draw the YPG over to its side but the PKK connections within YPG have their Russian leanings intact. YPG itself maybe receiving covert Russian support too. It also explains lack of Russian bombing in YPG enclaves in Syria, the only Syrian areas held by a rebel group not bombed by Russia even once. The future Syrian solution may even have an independent Rojava if not an autonomous one.

Here are few more indicators on the subject:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/ ... 618117O.97

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... kara.html#

habal · Post by **habal** » 13 Nov 2015 14:50

the 50 special forces Obama sent went to which faction of kurds ? Therein lies the key as to which faction is going to rebel against Assad in time.

Repeatedly I have said here that ISIS is not a threat to Syria, since they do not have social or political model. They are just being bigged up by western media through random acts of terror, beheading, amputing, burning cages given extremely high voltage publicity through western media.

Real threat is Syria is the various XXXX-al-Sham rebels, Nusra rebels, the 'moderate' rebels adjacent to Turkey & Kurds eventually, these people are dangerous because they are capable of running a modern state. Kurds are people though today they look harmless and amenable but they are being cultivated by unkil & israel simultaneously. They will break down soon and large anti-Assad factions will come up in Kurds.

With impending fall of ghouta, damascus is more secure than ever. Now all syrian troops can focus on the Turkish border, which is the real border of mischief, once this border is fully sealed, it is game over for rebels and the Russians notch up another victory.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Nov 2015 15:00

Not sure specifically about the fresh 50 US Special Forces but there are US, UK and other military advisors with Peshmerga (Iraqi Kurdistan)

http://time.com/3380424/what-are-those- ... aq-so-far/

http://jcpa.org/article/the-status-of-w ... ga-forces/

http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-allies- ... 1411339625

https://in.news.yahoo.com/us-military-a ... 27587.html

The JCPA report gives interesting insights into Peshmerga.

Added Later: "No US Military Advisors in Syrian Kurdistan: YPG"

http://www.kurdpress.com/En/NSite/FullS ... 9%09%09%09

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 15:06

supporters in bit of panic due to fluid situation.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 15:11

twitter:SAA and their allies are steamrolling in southern Aleppo. The rebels have completely collapsed..
However the rebels have sent 5000 fighters to the area (mostly al-Nusra) and a counter attack have started. No progress yet so far..

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Nov 2015 15:12

Okay Habal ji, I found the CNN article for the fresh 50 US Special Forces headed to Syria. The article does not explicitly states that YPG is going to use their services and leaves sufficient room for doubt. There is a statement from YPG though welcoming US support.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/30/polit ... ns-forces/

The Syrian Kurdish fighting force in northern Syria welcomed the decision to deploy U.S. troops to assist them but reiterated the need for more assistance and weaponry to fight ISIS.

"We have experience fighting ISIS and I think the whole world has seen as evidence of that the areas that we currently hold in Syria. We hope that this assistance will evolve from all our different friends and allies. We need all types of assistance but first and foremost weapons are primarily our most important need," said Mohamed Rasho, spokesman for the political wing of the YPG, the Syrian Kurd fighting force.

member_28108 · Post by **member_28108** » 13 Nov 2015 15:40

Jihadi John seems to ahve been killed in a drone attack.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 13 Nov 2015 15:43

i think with the russian successes stacking up, the US and poodles have to accelerate their side of the good news story too
jihadi john's alleged demise is time appropriate

member_29247 · Post by **member_29247** » 13 Nov 2015 15:47

Singha wrote:kurds are the reliable american munna for that region. due to armtwisting from DC the turks are not bombing them for now, albeit warned them not to cross the euphrates to keep the ISIS zone protected.

they know baghdad is close to iran and sooner or later will have some dispute with american aims.

Sometimes it is a wonder how history repeats itself over and over again

Kurds were sworn enemies of Khan and Turkey
abdualah Oclan was handed over to Turkey with the help Khan,
Kurds were promised support to raise against Sadam
Iran butchered Kurds along with Turkey
Iraq Iran and Turkey agreed only one thing Eliminate Kurds from the enclaves in their respective countries
Meanwhile Israel sold arms to them for few dollars more...
It's the same story again and again

The moral of the story is Keep at a safe distance from the Kahans and Khans of the world .
The age of nationalism is synonym of intolerance has dawned to spawn and bloom color revolutions and color centrifugal forces

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 16:00

Est 600 rats in sinjar..60 may be kia in airstrikes...rest in hiding for now.

A senior Peshmerga source said Kurdish special forces entered the northern parts of Sinjar and raised the Iraqi Kurdistan flag on a number of buildings, including a primary school, a medical centre and a government office.
But he warned clearing the town "was a work in progress".
"It might take between seven to 10 days to reach the centre... as there is a large scale clean-up operation due to booby traps and suicide bombings, heavily used by IS militants who depend on guerrilla tactics," he told the BBC's Ahmed Maher who is at Mount Sinjar.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 13 Nov 2015 16:01

US SF / Mil advisers are surely there in Sinjar currently. Even Col Steve Warren, spokesperson on pentagunn confirmed it.
However, it does look like they are pretty far away from the line of fire... and sipping their whisky from their comfy hip flasks.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Nov 2015 16:23

Spinster wrote:
Singha wrote:kurds are the reliable american munna for that region. due to armtwisting from DC the turks are not bombing them for now, albeit warned them not to cross the euphrates to keep the ISIS zone protected.

they know baghdad is close to iran and sooner or later will have some dispute with american aims.
Sometimes it is a wonder how history repeats itself over and over again

Kurds were sworn enemies of Khan and Turkey
abdualah Oclan was handed over to Turkey with the help Khan,
Kurds were promised support to raise against Sadam
Iran butchered Kurds along with Turkey
Iraq Iran and Turkey agreed only one thing Eliminate Kurds from the enclaves in their respective countries
Meanwhile Israel sold arms to them for few dollars more...
It's the same story again and again

The moral of the story is Keep at a safe distance from the Kahans and Khans of the world .
The age of nationalism is synonym of intolerance has dawned to spawn and bloom color revolutions and color centrifugal forces

India is among 28 nations to open a Consulate In Kurdistan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_r ... _Kurdistan

It is possible that we have been buying Kurdish Oil through Turkey. Kurds are really interested in having good relations with India. This Hindu report is from July '14.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/internatio ... 170941.ece

India has been purchasing Kurdish crude sold through Turkish companies, local media reported here last week — a move which could potentially raise hackles in Baghdad, which has long argued the region cannot independently trade oil. There is, however, little diplomatic contact between the semi-independent region and India.

Not related but interesting anyways, there is a really stretch of a facebook community page: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? ... 8888873963

Baluchistan Kurdistan India Afghanistan Israel US Friendship Association

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 13 Nov 2015 16:37

The Yezidi force raised is called YBS and is fighting alongside the Kurds on Sinjar

https://twitter.com/dilkocer/status/665117302573154304

Cahida Dêrsim
‏@dilkocer
In pictures: #PKK and YBŞ (#Ezidi force) fighters during the liberation of #Sinjar (ANHA) #TwitterKurds

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 16:52

Rats have mostly run away.

"ISIL defeated and on the run," the Kurdistan regional security council said in a tweet, using an acronym for Islamic State. It said the peshmerga had secured Sinjar's wheat silo, cement factory, hospital and several other public buildings.

Kurdish forces, backed by U.S. airstrikes and volunteers from Iraq's Yazidi minority, which has suffered atrocities at the hands of Islamic State, entered Sinjar on Friday after cutting it off from east and west.

The Kurdistan council said peshmerga forces had entered Sinjar "from all directions" to begin clearing remaining insurgents. A Reuters correspondent saw hundreds of peshmerga fighters walking into the town and along a main road without facing immediate resistance.

It was not clear whether Islamic State militants had withdrawn ahead of the operation, but Kurdish commanders expressed concerns that some were hiding and would blow themselves up as the peshmerga advanced.

The number of Islamic State fighters in the town had risen to nearly 600 in the run-up to the offensive, but only a handful were left in Sinjar on Friday, said Brigadier General Seme Mala Mohammed of the Kurdish peshmerga.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 16:54

Tel afar town is next den some 50k East I think. They should fall upon and clear that as well with so much force gathered.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 17:04

Civilians trapped in ramadi. Iraq army floundering. Not even cordon yet
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation- ... 68743.html

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2015 17:09

http://www.breitbart.com/national-secur ... -invasion/

Isis will kill any ramadi civilian who raises white flag