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

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2015 02:48

The French are showing that they are actually intelligent, except that it takes a major SNAFU to bring them to their senses. YES!! Without a good clobbering of KSA, there is no escape from Islamic terror. Question is, who is willing and able to do it? Duh!!! Right now, the Yemeni Houthis. All that France and Russia have to do is a massive aid program, recognize the Houthis as the real government of Yemen, and bring a UN resolution that An Attack On One Member Is An Attack On All, and the Saudis are sure as heck attacking a UN Member, Yemen. Declare a No-Fly Zone over Yemen, and a Yes-FlyNBum Zone over KSA. Provide air cover for the Houthis going in to establish Law & Order.

One month of bombing should end KSA's troubles. I bet the Turkish will suddenly discover Secularism if that starts up. In fact, as NATO members, they are obliged to wag when NATO says wag. BUT.. I dream.

Sid · Post by **Sid** » 21 Nov 2015 03:39

^^
Any destablization of KSA will be as disasterous as interfence in Afgan/Pakistan. Afgan is already ******, Porkies are rabid because of constant US interference there.

If KSA monarchy goes down, without any legitimate replacement, then it will take everyone with it. Economically and socially both.

Without a strict command/ control, their radical population is more volatile and willing to create extreme version of Iranian Islamic regime. At least Iranians have some progresive attitube. But SA is a tinderbox.

Policy should to contain SA, not destablize.

member_29247 · Post by **member_29247** » 21 Nov 2015 04:18

Singha wrote:backfires carrying out work in thick rain

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

This is straight out Mad Comic Magazine

ISIS wear Black , Flag is black

Ru fighter almost pristine white named Black Jack and eliminating the Black?

did the guys who named Black Jack have some kind of clairvoyance or para normal ......

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 21 Nov 2015 04:21

^^Saudi Arabia, an ISIS That Has Made It

Of course written by an Arab, translated from the French-NYT does not question its script, openly at least.

Diyya

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyya

Human Rights Watch and United States' Religious Freedom Report note that in sharia courts of Saudi Arabia, "The calculation of accidental death or injury compensation is discriminatory. In the event a court renders a judgment in favor of a plaintiff who is a Jewish or Christian male, the plaintiff is only entitled to receive 50 percent of the compensation a Muslim male would receive; all other non-Muslims (Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Animists, Atheists) are only entitled to receive one-sixteenth of the amount a male Muslim would receive".

So for folks 1/16th the son of an Arab, do you eat 1/16th of the camel dung eaten by the average Arab?

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 21 Nov 2015 06:08

Anita Datar is the only known American killed in Mali. She was there to help.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 07:30

imo SA is better off going down the tubes and splitting into new countries. as proposed by others, the holy lands can be a jointly administered DMZ. the eastern coast can be more like bahrain(significant shias there) or oman. the vast middle can go back to its deserty ways. the houthis would likely want to keep a piece of the south

how do you "contain" a monster that is spreading its wahabi virus on the back of oil money from indonesia to chile?

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2015 08:11

This stuff about "Saudi Arabia is too important to be destabilized" is a myth that needs to be exploded. As rich as they may be, they are a lot of camel-dung in white pillow-cases. I for one will not weep to see their glitzy dump go up in flames. So what if there is oil shortage for a few months? We've seen that at some cost level, fracking will increase supply to the point where price is stabilized. Beyond that, the Saudis have no positive value, and their destruction has a tremendous amount of value.

I hope they realize this - they have outlived their usefulness or value to society. Their negotiating power is disappearing every day as the Russians destroy more and more of it.

niran · Post by **niran** » 21 Nov 2015 08:22

UlanBatori wrote: BUT.. I dream.

no sir you do not dream stranger things have happened before

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Nov 2015 09:09

Russia must ‘change strategy’ in Syria if it wants to join US-led ‘anti-ISIS’ coalition – State Dept

https://www.rt.com/usa/322956-russia-is ... ton/[quote]

Russia is not welcome to join the US-led coalition in Syria, as France has proposed, until it changes its “focus” and stops “propping up” President Assad, the US State Department said. Yet, Washington continues to insist their goal isn’t defeating Assad.

“If other nations not in the coalition [the US-led coalition] want to join it and become part of it and focus on the fight against ISIL [Islamic State/IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL] that’s a conversation we’re certainly willing to have,” US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said.

he grand coalition is going to be the focus of separate talks President Hollande will have with his American and Russian counterparts in coming days. The French leader is expected to hold talks in Washington on November 24 and in Moscow on November 26.

However, the US State Department says that Russia’s involvement in the coalition would depend on Moscow’s “commitment.”

“But in order for that to work, every member of the coalition has to have the same focus on defeating ISIL, and thus far we, talking about Russia, haven’t seen that same commitment,” Kirby said, referring to Russia’s support for the Syrian President Bashar Assad. “It’s inconsistent with the goals of the coalition, which is to defeat ISIL, if you’re also propping up the Assad regime.”[/quote]

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 21 Nov 2015 09:20

SD must be kidding! What US coalition against ISIS?

Assad is not ISIS!!!

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Nov 2015 09:37

^^ Obama is in his own make believe world where countries who fund ISIS is support to have a coalition lead by US suppose to defeat ISIS

Looks like Hollande attempt to involve Russia in this coaliation is getting no traction in SD. For SD they just want Assad to go irrespect of what he stands for

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Nov 2015 09:39

JANES Pysops or Truth ?

Syrian government territorial gains just 0.4% since Russian military intervention

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 21 Nov 2015 10:11

^^^ These may be correct in terms of % but the changes initially will take time because:
a) Russians have first stopped the continous losses by SAA.
b) SAA was tasked to spend time in building defences in areas held
c) SAA was reorganised, re-equipped (somewhat)
d) Alternative forces, Iran backed forces, Iraqi Shiites were integrated in the fight and specific areas and tasks were given

The first one month (+/-) saw these stablizing parts play out. Offensives in earnest have begun in the last fortnight. Aleppo being the first and now we see other fronts open up.

The success in an urban warfare scenario fighting terrorists living inbetween Civilian population as a shield is going to be slow. The true measurement of Russian success should be seen through:
a) Degradation in enemy war fighting capability
b) Degradation in enemy morale (Deserters, rebellion, lack of coordination in efforts, halt in fresh gains)
c) Enemy political outreach against Russian offensive (Has it grown louder?)
d) Enemy diversionary tactics ( Attacks in Paris - brings focus on ISIS removes focus from FSA)
e) Enemy losses despite well entrenched position on various fronts

There are other indicators with territory gain being the most time taking and the final step in this direction. Also, territory gains need to be permanent and not temporary advances.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Nov 2015 10:30

^^ Indeed , Urban Combat would be time consuming and I presume SAA would want to minimize Men and Material casualty as they were already in bad shape with 4 years of combat.

I dont see these days CNN report of Russian Bombs have been dropped on Civilian and Hositals , Perhaps waiting for Paris euphoroia to die down till they start with their Russian Bomb Civilian series

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Nov 2015 10:32

Su-30SM accompanying Tu-160M

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Nov 2015 10:37

With Iran allowing Russian Bombers operating in its airspace and even accompaining it and similarly Iraq allowing Cruise Missile fly over its airspace , it bring up some interesting re-allignment in the future as far as Russian-Iran-Iraq-Syria alliance.

EU countries like Germany and France has no problems with Assad being part of transition

habal · Post by **habal** » 21 Nov 2015 11:08

15h15 hours ago
Elijah J. Magnier ‏@EjmAlrai
Important:
#Russia increase their fiterjets in #Syria from 50 to 69 without counting the strategic bombers and helicopters.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 13:41

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a74_1448055107

syrian army cleaning away isis dead bodies from perimeter of deir azzor

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 13:53

http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/featur ... against-is

Syrian rebels, and their clandestine war against IS
By: Paul McLoughlin Date of publication: 20 November, 2015
Tags
The White Shroud, anti-IS, Islamic State, Islamic State group, religious police, sharia, al-Bukamal, Deir az-Zour, FSA
Feature: A small band of Syrian resistance fighters are carrying out secret guerrilla operations in IS strongholds. Its members and activists say the fight back against IS starts here.
On Monday night, a secret group of Syrian revolutionaries known as The White Shroud sneaked into a Iraqi border town ruled by the iron-fisted Islamic State group.

In the near silence of al-Bukamal town, they killed three men from the district's notorious religious police forces - infamous for their merciless implementation of "religious" law - and hastily painted slogans against the militant group on the walls of a school.

When IS militants explored the area the following morning, they found their dead comrades with a chilling message:

"Wait for us this week, and the Islamic State will fall."
Resistance

The White Shroud is a Free Syrian Army commando unit of around 25 fighters tasked with carrying out limited guerrilla attacks on IS units in Deir az-Zour province.

Together with a small group of activists, they make up la résistance against Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's militants in largely IS-held eastern Syria.

Over the past ten days, they have stepped up their attacks on IS militants and earlier this week managed to kidnap a number of sharia law enforcers in the eastern province.

"Secrecy is the most important element of the White Shroud's work," is the motto of the group's commander, Abu Aboud.

Given the authoritarian nature of IS, which operates a security apparatus modelled on the regime's mukhabarat intelligence service, the White Shroud operates under exceptional circumstances.

"There has been no huge number of anti-IS fighters and activists in Deir az-Zour, and this is due to the brutally carried out by the group," said Omar Abu Layal, a former spokesperson for the FSA in eastern Syria, and now CEO of Deir Ezzor 24, a website that details life in the province.

"At the current time the White Shroud work in secret, because [most opponents] do not have the capabilities to face the group's terror, savagery and brutality."

Silenced

IS maintains tight controls over internet access in its territories and enforces a strict embargo of news coming in and out of its provinces.

"Deir Ezzor 24 Network struggled and managed to break the media blackout imposed by the organisation on the whole region and release daily reports on IS atrocities," said Abu Layal.

IS fighters are likely feeling emboldened after last week's devastating terror attacks in Paris, but also aware that the world has turned decisively against them.

French, Russian and coalition bombing of their self-declared capital has sent Raqqa into a state of pandemonium as civilians - and reportedly IS leaders - attempt to flee the city for Turkey.

Militants have dug trenches and tunnels and are attempting to melt away into the civilian preparation, fearing an imminent assault on the city.

Although the fight against IS is not at a stage where the militants are making a "last stand" in Raqqa, the extremists have every reason to be afraid.

Months of coalition air raids and drones strikes have gradually cut down the fighting force in size, and killed many of the group's foreign militants including IS poster boy "Jihadi John".

The group's experimental economic and social constructs have also proven to be a failure.

Now that anti-IS air raids are focused on the group's financial heart - refineries and oil tankers - the group could be about to lose its main source of income.

Exodus

Economic mismanagement has led the group to force through harsh and punitive taxes on the local population.

Local activists say that, like their predecessors al-Qaeda in Iraq, lS militants have become accustomed to lording over the local population - yet hold deep suspicions over the loyalty of their subjects and comrades alike.

"Daesh [The Arabic acronym for IS] considers the local population to be infidels and do not trust them," said Tim, the name adopted by the Syrian activist from Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently.

Following IS' tragic operation in Paris - killing 130 people - activists are suspicious about the Syrian passport found among the bodies.

Many believe that the militant group might be attempting to stir up European xenophobia to halt the exodus of refugees from the "caliphate".

Educated and middle class Syrians in particular are fleeing for Turkey and Europe in their droves.

They have grown tired of the poverty, bombs and drabness of the "caliphate" - and fear they might be next to be conscripted into IS' death cult army as the militants lose more men.

"We should not forget that education under the rule of IS has stopped completely and there are no job opportunities available," said Abu Layal.

Those who remained have led some remarkable and brave protests against IS rule.

Over the past three days, locals in Mu Hassan, al-Mayadeen, al-Bukamal have all protested on the streets against IS' brutality.

They also pointed out that dozens of civilians had been killed by French and Russian bombs, while no IS fighters reportedly died - a thinly veiled attack on IS policies of moving military hardware and fighters into civilian areas.

"The protesters raised the flag of the Syrian revolution in these three cities. This is a clear sign that the people are starting to rebel against IS, step-by-step, as they did before with the Assad regime," said the Deir az-Zour activist.

Defiance

The significance of this act of defiance should not be underplayed as the group faces a two-pronged attack in Syria and Iraq from the Kurds and allied units.

Kurdish fighters in the Syrian Democratic Forces
in Aleppo province [YPG]

In Raqqa province, FSA fighters under the revolutionary banner - along with their Kurdish comrades - have been slowly advancing towards IS' "capital".

The "Islamist" credentials of these factions are also a huge threat to Baghdadi's extremist group - which claims to be the rightful protector of Syria and Iraq's Sunni populations.

In Deir az-Zour, Abu Layal believes a major offensive by rebel groups in-and-around the province, such as The Lions of the Eastern Region, is likely.

IS understands the importance of Deir az-Zour as the main supply line between its territories in Iraq and Syria.

"They are so afraid of the FSA in Deir az-Zour, and that is why they are now focusing [their forces here] more than Raqqa," he said.

"We should not forget the formation of the Syrian Democratic Forces (tasked with fighting IS) includes FSA fighters who previously fought against IS in Deir az-Zour."

Many activists believe that, although the Kurds are effective fighters, they are directing their efforts solely at liberating Kurdish areas from IS, and have little interest in losing men for Arab towns and cities.

That is why the fight for Raqqa and Deir az-Zour needs to come from Syrian Arabs, in particular anti-IS locals, say analysts.

"The people in the eastern region only show support to the FSA," said Tim. "And they clearly understand that they are the only ones who can retake al-Sharqiya from IS."
- See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/featur ... h2lpe.dpuf

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 13:54

^^ provides a glimpse of how the end will come for ISIS, with local mobs armed with pikes, lathis and spades dragging out the last rodents from their holes and breaking all their bones...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 14:02

rebel radio tower knocked down. watch with sound for both the blast and the AOAs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8FolwWKm_4

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 21 Nov 2015 14:26

Singha wrote:^^ provides a glimpse of how the end will come for ISIS, with local mobs armed with pikes, lathis and spades dragging out the last rodents from their holes and breaking all their bones...

For the foreign fighters yes, the locals will melt away into the alleys and souks

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 15:40

^^ they can melt away only if the resident sunni population harbours them. if the iraqi govt is smart they will announce a bounty in $$ bills for anyone who rats on such hiding and deserter ISIS elements, arrest and try them under due process. these people have probably been brutal on the sunnis as well so some will come fwd to finger them.

meantime, not in MSM so take it fwiw.

http://toinformistoinfluence.com/2014/1 ... in-battle/

“Wrecked rings”.

November 18, 2014

By John
Islamic State fighters are wearing nappies on the battlefield because their backsides are so weak from constant bouts of “man love”. The crazed jihadis’ sordid secret was discovered by shocked members of the British-trained Iraqi army. It’s thought the extremists — hell bent on creating a Muslim caliphate across swathes of Iraq and Syria — are resorting to vigorous buggery to release tensions.

But their lust for man-on-man rutting has led to an unforseen problem: a growing number of fighters with slack sphincters. One Iraq Army source said,

“Every time we overrun an Islamic State position we’re always pretty horrified to find discarded shitty nappies (diapers). One or two of them could possibly be dismissed, but we are seeing them everywhere.”

“A few have been examined and, not to beat around the bush, they are caked in excrement and semen. We doubt that they’re all gay men — gay men would take better care of themselves”.

“The only theory we can think of is they’re sex-starved and so desperate to rid their tensions they’re turning to each other for emotional release. But it’s obviously had a very visible physical effect on them too, as it looks as though their backsides are dripping out their contents all day long.

“It’s pretty disgusting — but then this is Islamic State we’re talking about.”

Ironically, the militants released a video mocking US President Barack Obama saying his troops were too scared to take on Isis fighters. In the 15 minute film, one fighter asks: “Obama, did you prepare enough diapers for your soldiers?”

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2015 17:37

Deir ez Zor battle starts?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-21/s ... ia/6961296

"At least 36 people were killed and dozens more injured in more than 70 raids carried out by Russian and Syrian planes against several districts in Deir Ezzor," Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

He described the raids, which targeted several large cities and smaller towns in the province and three oil fields, as "the worst bombardment of the region since the start of the uprising in 2011".

The province and most of the provincial capital is held by IS militants, with the exception of the military airport and a few areas controlled by the regime.

Russia began bombing in Syria in September at the request of its (legitimate) president Bashar al-Assad, while a US-led coalition is conducting its own (hot) air campaign ~~in support of~~ ~~in collusion with~~ against IS. .. It was the second time that warships have been used since the start of the bombing campaign on September 30. Mr Putin praised the Russian operation in Syria — its largest foreign intervention outside the former Soviet Union since it occupied Afghanistan in 1979 — but said it was "still not sufficient" to wipe out the jihadists in the country.
****
Mandatory *rap about 'western blah blah' deleted****
Moscow claimed to have killed more than 600 fighters after hitting seven targets in the Raqqa, Idlib and Aleppo provinces, defence minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2015 17:39

Singhaji et al, what do u make of this '600 at one swat' claim? What did they hit - a madarssa? With what - thermobaric? fuel-air oxygen depletion? Where except ***** would one find such a crowd of armed yahoos?

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 21 Nov 2015 17:56

^^^ Either they hit a convoy of Jihad(isis) or it is a combined kill count of last 10 days or so in Dier ez Zorr.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 21 Nov 2015 18:04

600 from the air is still pretty huge, unless they were caught massed in trenchlines or ready for an assault. Or in large vehicles, but these sh1ts don't have airplanes and there are no ships in the middle of the desert. If they hit a line of buses going to a battle, maybe several dozen, but 600 still suggests a particularly effective string of missiles that burned up not just the roadway but everything 100 yards to either side. Huge aerial ambush. Maybe a thermobaric in a canyon?
The Soviets suffered a huge attack in the Salang tunnel in northern Afghanistan circa 1990 - vehicles at either end were hit and stopped, then fuel-air or just burning vehicles killed everyone inside the tunnel. I think that killed some 240 or so.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 21 Nov 2015 18:17

^^^ Yes unlikely, unless they hit them massed at one place probably for prayers, burial, etc.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 18:35

the CMs were launched in the evening against the fall of night. its a unusual claim given that CMs are not reprogrammed in the air.
could be a burial of a important leader being conducted in the night (which drones cued them to) or maybe a barracks.

habal · Post by **habal** » 21 Nov 2015 18:39

Austin wrote:Saw Iranian Tomcat accompaining the Tu-95MS

MiG-31BM maybe

http://russia-insider.com/en/military/s ... er/ri11299

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 18:44

Engels airbase saratov oblast - home of the guards heavy bomber regiment. this photo has some 15 bears and 13 blackjacks.
https://www.google.co.in/maps/@51.48600 ... a=!3m1!1e3

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 21 Nov 2015 18:45

my hypothesis - unkil possibly trying to put some pressure on KSA re daesh scale back, however putin has taken the bull by the horns and will mush-thrash al saud with daesh corpses until they are knocked off their perch. unkil won't be able to stop it either - since the folks at home will start voting for putin!

in effect the daesh have done to KSA what the punjabi taliban did to the pindi-waley's

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 18:47

mozdok airbase north ossetia has nothing but helicopters in google earth. so its a fwd backfire base used for this campaign only.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 18:51

ramenskoye has a amazing collection of serving and retired planes dating back to the old days...incl the supersonic Tu144

https://www.google.co.in/maps/@55.57098 ... a=!3m1!1e3

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 21 Nov 2015 18:52

Cross posting my own post from the India - Africa thread

deejay wrote:An interesting infographic of terrorists linked to ISIS (Daesh) in Northern Africa and Middle East:

https://twitter.com/maydeuO/status/667963386257362945

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 21 Nov 2015 19:20

The TFTAest video of compilation Syrian Air campaign I've seen so far, though very few helicopter shots:

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 19:28

small assyrian unit near al-hasakah in NE
http://imgur.com/a/gF3VW

prisoner exchange between FSA and SAA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EKz1gD ... e=youtu.be

this page has footage of a CM overflying a govt position and exploding on a target few km away
https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Nov 2015 20:10

habal wrote:
Austin wrote:Saw Iranian Tomcat accompaining the Tu-95MS

MiG-31BM maybe

http://russia-insider.com/en/military/s ... er/ri11299

habal , Its Iranian Mig-31 for Tu-95 and F-4 for Backfire ,check the link its got some good pictures of both

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1588157.html

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 21 Nov 2015 20:26

New lair of the king bear

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... -revealed/

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 21 Nov 2015 21:30

Singha wrote:rebel radio tower knocked down. watch with sound for both the blast and the AOAs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8FolwWKm_4

Is that a bird getting his 72 as well?