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

habal · Post by **habal** » 26 Jan 2016 06:02

Abby Martin interviews Dr. Vijay Prashad on the situation in Syria and ME.
Unraveling the Syria War Chessboard

member_29325 · Post by **member_29325** » 26 Jan 2016 06:27

Since when did Vijay Prashad become an expert on the middle east. That marxist "intellectual" bonehead has never been right ever in his life about pretty much anything. Of course, he was an expert on Egypt when the "arab spring" sprung.

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 26 Jan 2016 06:34

I doubt this dude is expert in wiping his behind

habal · Post by **habal** » 26 Jan 2016 06:43

Epic battle at Deiz-ez-Zor

Units involved: 104th airborne brigade of Republican Guard, 137th artillery brigade of 17th reserve army and tribal militia Shaitat

Task: Repulse the ISIS attack.

http://anna-news.info/node/51610

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Jan 2016 07:56

are those tanks syrian army? the most amazing all round slat + extra slab armour almost like a extra house around the turret.
looks bigger than T72 size...could be T55?

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 26 Jan 2016 08:12

AlObama/NATO doing what they do best: arm Islamic terrorists

From April 2015, but it was clear that ISIS weapons were coming from Erdogan.

Latest:

Islamic State militants bomb regime-held districts in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
Many civilians, children, killed.
Probably using bombs supplied in the 50-ton AirDrop.

From the People Of The United States of America. To the Goat-Lovin' Islamic Terrorists of ISIS. With Compliments from Pigeon AlObama

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 26 Jan 2016 08:14

Singhaji, they are all (incl. ISIS) going around in tanks enclosed inside big Parade Floats made of steel fencing/wire mesh. To ward off RPGs and TOWs, I guess.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 26 Jan 2016 10:21

How the Danish Government unintentionally funds ISIS

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/how ... unds-isis/

Written by Chris Tomson on 26/01/2016 12:39 am

...
While the Danish government does not fund ISIS in anyway directly, a documentary released by the largest Danish television channel, DR, reveals that three Spanish ISIS fighters have also been involved in extensive tax fraud especially in the food industry. By utilizing loopholes in the Danish tax-system, these terror suspects have been able to cash in close to a million Euros through tax deductible items – this money is since believed to have been donated to ISIS.

...

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 26 Jan 2016 10:37

fanne wrote:I doubt this dude is expert in wiping his behind

He is in Teetar claiming ME/ Africa is his assignment. By whom, no one know.

Baikul · Post by **Baikul** » 26 Jan 2016 11:16

Singha wrote:TOW launches also seem to have tailed off.

the reason could be what a dead irani general noted in his diary before he was shot dead in a ambush. he recommended fast moving teams of motorcyle borne scouts to sweep the area ahead of any armour and locate and try to fight at close range the TOW shooters......apparently use in salma also. so no more easy pickings now.

It's fascinating how some lessons in warfare never grow old. Rommel's famous rapid armour drives used to be protected by a soft shell of motorcycle outriders whose main job was to sweep the area and force in advance any ambush that could be fatal to his tanks. Once the enemy tripwires had been forced, the main body would sweep or bypass any opposition.

Outside of desert warfare, same as using horse borne scouts by armies in the past, or the concept of a point man in infantry movements even today.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 26 Jan 2016 15:02

Makes sense. Prof. Vijay Prashad represents the ISIS voice in the USA, so desperately needed. Has been advocating soosai bums since the 1990s, long b4 they became fashionable.

Most Recent Quote:
"My main idea is for us to commit model minority suicide! "
A photo on the same web page shows Dr. Vijay Prashad holding a sign with the following words scrawled in red letters:
“Inquilab Zindabad! Youth Solidarity Summer”
In <<iii>>, three weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Dr. Vijay Prashad set out the agenda for the Leftists in America.: “These are our fights, against the war aims of the US … It is time to move on the contradictions.”

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 26 Jan 2016 19:52

Baikul wrote: Outside of desert warfare, same as using horse borne scouts by armies in the past, or the concept of a point man in infantry movements even today.

hussars?

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 26 Jan 2016 20:06

UlanBatori wrote:Makes sense. Prof. Vijay Prashad represents the ISIS voice in the USA, so desperately needed.

That man is one big red flag on counterpunch.org (as far as India is concerned) and main reason for my recently posted caveat on their articles. Guru N3 did tell us in detail about this sabrang/FOIL/FOSA anti-India gang.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Jan 2016 20:18

I think the polish-lithuanian winged hussars where the main strike force of the day, not scouts or skirmishers.

the greeks had some kind of skirmishers armed with light javelins and slingshots that would dart out ahead of the main lines of javeline throwers and dart back behind before the two main armies made contact.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 26 Jan 2016 20:37

Singha wrote:I think the polish-lithuanian winged hussars where the main strike force of the day, not scouts or skirmishers.

the greeks had some kind of skirmishers armed with light javelins and slingshots that would dart out ahead of the main lines of javeline throwers and dart back behind before the two main armies made contact.

there might be some naming mix ups, in the napoleonic times hussars were the recon and skirmishers, heavy cavalry (cuirassiers) used for shock and awe frontal charges and lancers sent in pursuit of a broken and fleeing infantry or light horse force. this convention carried on to tank forces where light tanks were hussars/lancers and MBT's had the regular cavalry designation. of course in modern times its all mixed up again

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 26 Jan 2016 21:06

Israeli defense minister says ISIS funded with ‘Turkish money’

https://www.rt.com/news/330204-israel-turkey-isis-oil/

Israel’s defense minister has alleged that the Islamic State terror group has long been funded with “Turkish money.”

"As you know, Daesh (Islamic State, previously ISIS/ISIL) enjoyed Turkish money for oil for a very, very long period of time. I hope that it will be ended," Moshe Yaalon told reporters in Athens on Tuesday after meeting his Greek counterpart, Panos Kammenos, Reuters reports.

"It's up to Turkey, the Turkish government, the Turkish leadership, to decide whether they want to be part of any kind of cooperation to fight terrorism. This is not the case so far," he said.

Earlier, Russia had accused Turkey of shady dealings with ISIS. In December, the Russian Defense Ministry released maps and satellite images it said proved that Turkey was the main consumer of oil smuggled out of Syria and Iraq by the terrorists. The ministry also claimed that the Turkish president and his family were involved in the criminal dealings.

Iran has also said it was in possession of photographic and video evidence of ISIS oil entering Turkey in trucks.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 26 Jan 2016 21:09

Russia supplied arms to Iraqi Kurds through official Baghdad — Lavrov

http://tass.ru/en/defense/852179

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 26 Jan 2016 21:32

Russia has probably supplied weapons to YPG but it did not drop the 50 tons.

taylieli
‏@taylieli
Report: At least 3 #Russia-n choppers landed today on to the ester airland in #Afrin, and delivered munitions to ypj. #Syria

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 26 Jan 2016 21:34

These sh1ts are not quitting...

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) is not quite ready to end their massive offensive in the Deir Ezzor Governorate’s northwestern countryside; instead, they have decided to push further south along the vast Euphrates River, where the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) 137th and 104th brigades are currently positioned inside the provincial capital.

On Monday afternoon, a large force of ISIS fighters stormed the Syrian Arab Army’s frontline positions at Al-Jazeera University, Al-Firat Hotel, and the Al-Rawad Hill, striking from several flanks in order to find a weakness around their defenses in the Al-Baghayliyah District’s southern sector.

Per usual, ISIS sent two suicide bombers towards the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses near Al-Jazeera University; however, the suicide bomber was killed well-before he could reach his intended targeted at the school’s northeastern flank.

Following a violent battle that lasted for nearly 6 hours on Monday night, the ISIS terrorists were finally repelled inside the Al-Baghayliyah District’s southern sector after the Syrian Armed Forces and their Russian allies repulsed each infiltration attempt, leaving several terrorists killed in the process.

As of Monday, ISIS has now launched three consecutive attacks on the Al-Baghayliyah District’s southern sector, despite the fact that they have repelled every time.

I think the best way for this war to end is for Uncle Vlad to complete what Churchill & Co failed to do, and take over the Bosporus and Constaninopol and cut the Turkey at its neck. Maybe Turkish people will do the same to Erdogan and Bilal then.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 26 Jan 2016 21:52

The road from Deir Ez Zor to Turkey and to Raqqa may become the graveyard of the ISIS. With Israel coming out loudly, looks like the thieves are falling apart, Turkey getting isolated.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 26 Jan 2016 21:57

ISIS has aslo struck at SAA positions near Damascus on Brigade 128.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 26 Jan 2016 23:01

[urlhttp://www.cnn.com/2016/01/26/europe/denmark-v ... index.html]Denmark emulates Nazis and ancient Oiropean tradition of looting defenceless ppl[/url]
Wonder if gold teeth are exempted or fair game.

Oirope is really moving forward in reverse gear..

Baikul · Post by **Baikul** » 26 Jan 2016 23:41

Lalmohan wrote:
Baikul wrote: Outside of desert warfare, same as using horse borne scouts by armies in the past, or the concept of a point man in infantry movements even today.
hussars?

Including.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 27 Jan 2016 00:55

We used to have near-real-time Twitter feed from Mariupol and Donetsk during the Ukraine festivities. How come we have nothing from Syria except occasional propagandoos from both sides? I mean, of course, Truth from RT.com and lies from all the others.... and the totally 400% factual Action Reports from TSJi on how many shoes the ISIS had to send back to be fixed after the strenuous COuW Air Strikes...

There MUST be some reporting out there...???

The Battle of Deir ez Zor is one of the epic battles of this century. An embattled brigade, or may be down to a few companies, holding out for 2 years against constant, savage, suicidal attacks by terrorists supported by the Western Powers and the Oil Sheikhs. And maybe winning.. and routing the ISIS, starting the rout all the way to Jeddah and Riyadh and Istanbul.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 27 Jan 2016 00:59

And..

Tide turns in Syrian war with capture of key town
Fall of Sheikh Maskin to government forces cuts off rebel supply routes while securing regime's hold on Deraa province.

The Observatory said fighting involved government troops backed by fighters from the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah, as well as air support from Russian fighter jets.

Rebel groups involved in the battle include al-Nusra Front and some aligned with the Western-backed Free Syrian Army.

The Syrian state news agency, SANA, said the army had taken full control of the town and dismantled explosive devices planted by the rebels.

Rami Khouri, from the American University of Beirut, told Al Jazeera that military help from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah over the past year had turned the tide for government forces.

"Without these three support groups, the Syrian government would probably have vanished because they were really in bad shape about a year ago," said Khouri.

"There's a shifting pattern of control on the ground and it's important because when the [peace] talks go ahead in Geneva, and if they achieve ceasefires, who controls more land will gain more political, economic, and humanitarian power."

Juan Cole, a Middle East analyst at the University of Michigan, told Al Jazeera that recent gains by government forces in Syria's south were significant, considering rebels once controlled about 70 percent of Deraa province.

Cole also underscored Russia's role in the advance.

"Largely because of Russian air intervention, the rebels are being scattered. Things have just turned around 180 degrees for the regime since the Russians came in … Now there is a significant reversal that will affect the rebels' logistics," said Cole.

Before Sheikh Maskin, the army, backed by Russian strikes, recaptured another key rebel base - the town of Rabia in the northern province of Latakia. It was the last rebel-held town in the province and provided an important supply route to Turkey.

Peace talks

A Syrian government advance on Deraa began late in December and Sheikh Maskin's fall comes amid international efforts to bring opposing factions to the negotiating table.

On Monday, Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, said that peace talks originally scheduled to start on Monday would be pushed back to Friday.
The proposed Geneva 2 peace effort has been blighted by disagreements over which rebel groups should be allowed to attend.
The talks will also exclude al-Nusra Front, which is al-Qaeda's affiliate in the country, as well as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which controls most of Syria's eastern half.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday argued strongly against Turkey's demand to keep a leading Kurdish group out of Syria's peace talks, and said he expected the UN envoy to resist "blackmail" by Turkey and others, reflecting the sharp differences that remain.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 27 Jan 2016 01:02

Trouble is, Syrian govt is kept busy trying to take back land from the US-based Al Nusra terrorists, while the ISIS, with whom no one plans to negotiate, runs riot in Deir ez Zor and Palmyra and Raqqa. Sad, but 100% the fault of the Western Powers.

BTW, good source of news and analysis

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 27 Jan 2016 06:04

From Indian Express, no less

Disgusting equal-equal

A footage released on Monday shows a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber drop bombs on Islamic State positions in Deir-ez-Zor after taking off from an unknown military base in Russia.

WATCH: Multiple bombings kill at least 20 in Homs city, Islamic State claims attack

The video shows the bomber releasing multiple bombs at IS positions in Deir-ez-Zor.

The nearly five-year Syrian conflict that began in 2011 with protests against Assad’s rule, has morphed into an all-out war that has killed a quarter million and displaced millions.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/world/ ... n2oKI.dpuf

Very nice video, though.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Jan 2016 07:25

pressure cooker boiling in egypt...

CNN
Egyptians Say Hundreds Vanish as Crackdown Widens
By AMINA ISMAIL and DECLAN WALSH 8:06 PM ET
Many suspected of opposing the government have disappeared into secretive detention centers for weeks, rights groups said, and some have later turned up dead.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Jan 2016 07:49

UlanBatori wrote:We used to have near-real-time Twitter feed from Mariupol and Donetsk during the Ukraine festivities. How come we have nothing from Syria except occasional propagandoos from both sides? I mean, of course, Truth from RT.com and lies from all the others.... and the totally 400% factual Action Reports from TSJi on how many shoes the ISIS had to send back to be fixed after the strenuous COuW Air Strikes...

There MUST be some reporting out there...???

The Battle of Deir ez Zor is one of the epic battles of this century. An embattled brigade, or may be down to a few companies, holding out for 2 years against constant, savage, suicidal attacks by terrorists supported by the Western Powers and the Oil Sheikhs. And maybe winning.. and routing the ISIS, starting the rout all the way to Jeddah and Riyadh and Istanbul.

The Syrian conflict is on a lower scale of intensity than Ukraine mayhem. However, it is more barbaric for the unarmed. Syria is also more complex with fighter X busy killing fighter X1 and fighter Y utilising this time to catch some fresh air.

Syrian forces are spread too thin to assault at all places and have political aims of stabalising the westrn part of Syria (more densely populated) before they go east. Add to this the 05 yrs of conflict duration, most daily skirmishes are not reported. What makes news is gain / loss of territory and is mostly reported by the winning side.

In support of the above argument here is a report on another village captured in Dier Haffer plains by SAA from ISIS north west of Kweires Airbase.

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

Earlier today inside the Aleppo Governorate’s eastern countryside, the Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces” – in close coordination with Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra (Desert Hawks Brigade) and National Defense Forces (NDF) – imposed full control over the village of Jamjamiyah in the Kuweires Military Airport countryside after a violent battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) this morning.

According to a military source at the Kuweires Military Airport, the Tiger Forces and their allies benefited immensely from the arrival of reinforcements, as they were able to free-up a number of units that were originally unable to advance because of the scarcity of manpower along this front.

The military source further added that the Tiger Forces and their allies were able to advance along the Aleppo-Raqqa Highway (M-4 Highway) after capturing several hundred meters of territory that were previously under the control of the ISIS terrorists near the Thermal Plant in the Deir Hafer Plains.

As a result of the Tiger Forces’ recent gains in the east Aleppo front, the ISIS terrorists are now facing a dilemma that will ultimately require them either abandon a number of villages near the Kuweires Military Airport or face complete encirclement at the Deir Hafer Plains.

below video footage of Tiger Forces last night operation in the area

If you look at the ISIS offensive at Dier Ez Zor, the lack of any major sustained gains by ISIS since Nov '15 in this area is very revealing. Presently, ISIS has attacked with more than 2000 self exploding fighters and has pushed in multiple armour and technical options against the SAA here. Despite this, a small and battle weary force has kept them at bay with a lot of air assistance. Once SAA is able to link up with Dier Ez Zor by land from West, the story will be different, till then the stalemate will continue.

It appears for now that SAA will link up with pockets of isolation in Idlib first taking on the Al Nusra first (Al CIAda) and after stabilizing in these parts move against ISIS.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Jan 2016 07:56

In Iraq, the Iraqi Army and the Hashd have simultaneously built up for strikes against Daesh at both Hit (NW of Ramadi) and Fallujah (East of Ramadi). Initial skirmishes from Eastern outskirts have been reported already.

Some 900 Daesh rats are holed up in Hit alone.

Haidar Sumeri ‏@IraqiSecurity now5 hours ago
BREAKING: 42 Da'ish gunmen reportedly killed, dozens more injured by #Iraq's armed forces + coalition strikes in Albu Shijil, near Fallujah.

Haidar Sumeri ‏@IraqiSecurity now4 hours ago
Huge ops currently taking place in Fallujah's outskirts. #Iraq's forces attacking Albu Shijil, Karma, Nu'aimiyah

Haidar Sumeri ‏@IraqiSecurity now4 hours ago
Coalition jets reportedly struck multiple hideouts and trenches killing 20 Da'ish militants yesterday in Albu Shijil, NW of Fallujah, #Iraq.

Haidar Sumeri ‏@IraqiSecurity now3 hours ago
After losing 100 militants during failed assaults on Tal Gusaibah (east of Tikrit, #Iraq), Da'ish executed 7 of their own for desertion.

Haidar Sumeri ‏@IraqiSecurity now2 hours ago
900+ Da'ish gunmen currently in Hit, Anbar province. #Iraq's armed forces are preparing to storm the strategic town.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Jan 2016 08:11

This is a report from the rebel side on situations on ground:

http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=de5 ... 573ba5af94

January 26, 2016
Rebel infighting instrumental in loss of Sheikh Miskeen
AMMAN: The regime has reportedly captured a transportation hub in southern Daraa province, bolstered by recent rebel infighting that has weakened the front, citizen journalists and rebel spokesmen told Syria Direct Tuesday.

Battles are ongoing outside Sheikh Miskeen, located 75km south of Damascus on the Damascus-Daraa highway that runs south to Jordan.

Pro-regime news media reported Tuesday that the Syrian army and its allies had taken over the city in its entirety [see state-owned SANA's report here], as did the Western news media [see the BBC here].

But the Syrian opposition media, as well as fighters and journalists in the field, say that while most of Sheikh Miskeen itself has fallen, the outskirts are still in play.

“Sheikh Miskeen's situation is precarious,” Mohammad Adnan, spokesman for FSA-affiliated Jaish Ahrar al-Ashair that is fighting on the front, told Syria Direct Tuesday. “The regime is trying its utmost to capture the city,” he added.

The Syrian army began a campaign in late December 2015 to take control of Sheikh Miskeen, considered a strategic target because it sits not only along the highway but on a crossroads connecting Suwaida, Quneitra, and Damascus provinces.

The city’s capture means “severing rebel brigades in Daraa province's east from those in the west,” reported state-owned Russia Today on Monday.

Regime control over Sheikh Miskeen is also likely to prompt “displacement of disastrous proportions” from the neighboring rebel-held cities of Ibtaa and Nawa, now crowded with residents and internally displaced, Ihab Mahameed, a citizen journalist in the vicinity of Sheikh Miskeen, told Syria Direct Tuesday.

Civilians, journalists and opposition fighters blamed recent infighting between three rebel brigades as a critical factor in the city's fall to the Syrian army.

“One of the main reasons for the fall of Sheikh Miskeen has been ongoing infighting between Harakat al-Muthanna and the [FSA-affiliated] Southern Front,” Mahameed told Syria Direct Tuesday.

Last Monday, Syria Direct reported on the rise of intra-rebel tensions between Harakat al-Muthanna al-Islamiya, of salafi-jihadi leanings, and two FSA affiliates over accusations that the former had engaged in a series of “kidnappings, assassinations and intimidation,” culminating in the abduction of the head of the Daraa Provincial Council.

The fear, said a local activist at the time, is that recent accusations “will affect the ongoing Sheikh Miskeen battles,” seeing as Harakat al-Muthanna has a strong military presence on the Sheikh Miskeen front.

That fear appears to have materialized. Harakat al-Muthanna blocked the passage of an FSA-affiliated Jaish al-Yarmouk convoy headed for Sheikh Miskeen on January 17, according to an announcement circulated by Jaish al-Yarmouk on Facebook.

Aside from that convoy incident, little more is known about the circumstances of the infighting repeatedly referenced by opposition media and citizen journalists.

In a video released Monday by the pro-opposition Nabaa Media Foundation, one Daraa resident condemned the feuding brigades for “chasing each other down” all the way to “the Jordanian fence,” indicating that clashes had reached the border.

Civilians and rebel soldiers who appeared in the Nabaa Media Foundation video were united in their demand for rebel brigades to put up a united front against the regime advance.

“O leadership, fighters and Free Syrian Army: Have you forgotten the martyrs' blood, the widows, detainees, have you forgotten what Bashar did to us?” wonders one young man.

“You left everything and we're supposed to start fighting each other?”

‘Every time I can buy some basic necessities, I have to leave them behind and move again’

As regime forces continue to advance north and east after taking the last rebel stronghold in northern Latakia over the weekend, civilians in the dozens of camps for internally displaced Syrians along the Turkish border “are afraid of the regime forces’ revenge,” says Umm Ahmad, a widow who is one of the tens of thousands of Syrians in these camps.

“We are all terrorists in the eyes of the regime,” the mother of three tells Syria Direct’s Noura Hourani.

Q: As regime forces close in on the camps, what are you afraid of?

People here in the camps are afraid of the regime forces’ revenge more so than they are afraid of the bombing. We don’t know what the regime’s response will be. We are all terrorists in the eyes of the regime. Perhaps our destiny will be imprisonment or death under the pretext that we are rebels. Our future is unknown.

Q: How did you come to the camp? What is life like there?

We fled from the Idlib countryside to the Turkish border in the Oubeen region because of the barbaric barrel bombs that the regime was tossing on our heads. Two years passed [in Latakia] and we remained relatively safe. That was until the vicious Russian campaign began that didn’t spare anyone or anything. They bombed schools, medical facilities and field hospitals. They even bombed the camps on the [Syrian-Turkish] border.

After the campaign against Salma, the bombing intensified to the point that I was afraid for my children. Shrapnel from a rocket fell near my young son when he was out buying bread. After that, I became afraid to send them out anywhere.

But then they bombed our tents, so I decided to return to the Idlib countryside. [Ed.: Umm Ahmad’s husband was a civilian who was killed in a regime airstrike of north Latakia.]

However the situation in Idlib was also horrific because of bombardment, so I chose to go back to Jabel Turkman on the Turkish border to go to Turkey.

After the fall of Salma, the bombing of Jabel Turkman intensified greatly. It was then up to me to find a way to leave. I don’t have the proper documents and the Turkish side won’t permit anyone to enter without them.

The real suffering is that we are freezing and can’t do anything about it. We have fled from one place to another, carrying nothing except our clothes, in this freezing cold, mud and over rugged terrain. Every time I can buy some basic necessities, I have to leave them behind and move again. The situation is horrific. We have started hoping for death.

Here, you see people lying on the ground in the cold. The cold weakens us. Now our fear has increased even more after the fall of Rabia. We can’t sleep because of the sound of bombing.

I want to find a way to get to Turkey as soon as possible, but the only way is via smuggling.

Darayya: A ‘ghost town in every sense of the word'
The Syrian army dropped more than 800 barrel bombs on the city of Darayya last November, part of a new campaign aimed at cutting the west Damascus suburb off from neighboring Moadamiyat a-Sham, which negotiated a truce with the regime in late 2013.

“The sight of amputees is a common one these days,” a Darayya resident told Syria Direct last month.

After more than four years of encirclement, the city is down to 12,000 residents from a pre-war population of 170,000.

“The city is nearly empty of residents,” Abu Salim a-Deirani, Darayya resident and citizen activist, tells Osama Abu Zeid.

Q: How are civilians still surviving in Darayya after a four-year encirclement?

Since the beginning of the encirclement, civilians in Darayya have relied on food grown inside the city and its suburbs. There are a large number of trees, grapes and grape leaves, and other greens that are planted in order to provide as much food as possible.

We also smuggle in some food from neighboring Moadamiya, which is difficult and extremely dangerous. The regime targets anything that moves between Moadamiya and Darayya. [Nevertheless], smuggling has saved a lot of civilians from dying of hunger and increased their resilience. {This road has been captured Yesterday by SAA}

The city is nearly empty of residents. I mean we're talking about 12,000 people remaining out of an original population of 170,000. With that sort of destruction, when you look at Darayya, you see a ghost town in every sense of the word.

Each morning, people begin gathering wood from the remains of destroyed houses, in order to warm themselves and cook. People bring in water from the wells and prepare food.

Q: Has any sort of humanitarian aid entered Darayya during the encirclement?

No, humanitarian organizations have not gotten in any type of aid. Neither have the Red Cross or Red Crescent. The regime has imposed a very tight encirclement on the city.

If the regime continues to bomb Darayya indiscriminately, things will only get worse, especially because the barrel bombs destroy both stone and field, and lots of agricultural land has become unusable. We've lost a large part of our harvest because of the bombardments.

habal · Post by **habal** » 27 Jan 2016 09:03

UlanBatori wrote:The Battle of Deir ez Zor is one of the epic battles of this century. An embattled brigade, or may be down to a few companies, holding out for 2 years against constant, savage, suicidal attacks by terrorists supported by the Western Powers and the Oil Sheikhs. And maybe winning.. and routing the ISIS, starting the rout all the way to Jeddah and Riyadh and Istanbul.

the perimeter of Deir-Ez-Zor AB and surrounding villages is manned by the sheytat tribe, exclusively sunnis, who have sworn allegiance to govt after ISIS killed some 700 of them. Previously they were vaccilating and depended upon casual smuggling and selling local oil for revenue. They are some 100,000 strong tribe and though not all are pro-govt, significant number of them have great animosity towards ISIS after their family members was killed by them. They alert the republican guards if the ISIS moves as much as a hairpin and they are not afraid to kill or get killed to repel ISIS, such is their hate for them. Without local support it would not have been possible to guard this eastern frontier of Syria for so long.

meanwhile sir Putin snarls from Russia ..
Novaya Gazeta, quoting the esteemed V. V. Putin in his weekly press

"the Saudi leadership clings to power and hope they can possibly impede the inevitable collapse of their primitive, barbaric and inhumane political system by targeting the stability and welfare of other neighboring nations," Pravda quoted the Russian official as saying on Monday...
‘Russia will defeat Saudis in Syria which became the epicenter of their [Saudis] malevolent plots. It is imperative for all Syrian parties that believe in a peaceful resolution for their country's five-year civil war to sit down at the negotiation table and denounce the Saudi destructive role," said President Putin, adding that Russia will BOMB SAUDI ARABIA BACK TO THE STONE AGE LIFE when nomad Arabs were in the habit of living in tents unless the regime gives up assisting radical terrorists...”
http://www.awdnews.com/top-news/preside ... -terrorism

when Putin starts the week with such words, it is bound to end well.

habal · Post by **habal** » 27 Jan 2016 09:54

In any other planet, such a statement by a head of state would have made top-headlines breaking news across all major media. but not in planet earth. Absolutely controlled media and nary a whisper anywhere. BBC, CNN, Fox News, Al Jizz.

anyways where is the syria war ready reckoner.
someone (ISIS?) just VBIED'd ahrar-al-sham 'op hq' in Northern Aleppo.
ahrar-al-sham is a turkey backed group.

Explosion targets terrorist position in Syria's Aleppo, 7 militants killed

DAMASCUS, Jan. 25 A booby-trapped vehicle tore through a security headquarter of Ahrar al-Sham terrorists, in the northern province of Aleppo on Monday, killing seven members and injuring many others.

The powerful explosion rocked the terrorists infested district of al-Sukary in eastern Aleppo city. A suicide bomber detonated his booby-trapped fuel tanker in the security zone of Ahrar al-Sham terrorists, killing seven, including at least four commanders, and destroying three buildings.

The death toll could likely rise as many terrorists were critically wounded while others were under the rubble.

Ahrar al-Sham, a Salafist terrorist movement that enjoys close ties with Turkey, is a coalition of multiple Islamist and Salafist terrorists that coalesced into a single terrorist group.

In July 2013, the group had 10,000 to 20,000 fighters. Russia designated the group a terrorist organization.

by North West Syria, they mean Latakia.
Only Jisr-al-shughour and a small village remain contested by rebels in Latakia.
Rebels" in North-Western Syria Buckle under Russian Bombardment - Monday, January 25, 2016

http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=62576

habal · Post by **habal** » 27 Jan 2016 09:58

Sheikh Miskeen battles

Saudi Arabia field hospital for Sheikh Miskeen scum bags

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Jan 2016 09:59

More on that small village in Lattakia which is a rebel base:

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/rus ... r-assault/

Russians begin bombardment of Kinsibba as Syrian forces prepare for assault

Tuesday afternoon inside the Latakia Governorate’s northeastern countryside, the Russian Air Force began their powerful aerial campaign over the strategic village of Kinsibba in the Kurdish Mountains (Jabal Al-Akrad), striking several of Jabhat Al-Nusra’s (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) defensive positions near the road that leads to large city of Jisr Al-Shughour in western Idlib.

According to a military source in the town of Slunfeh, the Russian Air Force carried out 20+ airstrikes over the village of Kinsibba, while the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade of the Republican Guard and the Desert Hawks Brigade (Liwaa Suqour Al-Sahra) strengthened their front-line positions around the Kurdish Mountains in preparation for this massive assault that will likely come in the following weeks.

Kinsibba is strategically located at the northern slopes of the Kurdish Mountains; it overlooks much of the remaining territory under the Islamists control in northeastern Latakia and western Idlib.

If captured, the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade and their allies will have a clear path to the rebel stronghold of Jisr Al-Shughour, as much of Jabal Al-Akrad overlooks this city from the west.

Kinsibba was once a flourishing village in the Kurdish Mountains that was known for its orchards and beautiful hilltops; its populous was mainly Antiochian Orthodox Christians until they fled the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Kinsibba, Al-Ghassaniyah, Halouz, and Slunfeh were among the most densely populated Christian villages in both the Latakia and Idlib governorates – almost all of these civilians fled to Slunfeh, which is the only one of those four villages under the Syrian Arab Army’s control.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Jan 2016 10:01

SAA have started using tunnel warfare - Become a rat to fight a rat

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syr ... -damascus/

Syrian Army begins use of tunnel warfare in rural Damascus

e Islamist rebels of Jaysh Al-Islam (Army of Islam) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) have used tunnel warfare to their advantage in the East Ghouta region of rural Damascus, evading the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) defenses and the Syrian Arab Air Force’s (SAAF) powerful airstrikes as they would travel undetected to carry out attacks.

For the most part; this form of warfare has been extremely effective for the Islamist rebels, as their network of complex tunnels in the East Ghouta makes it difficult for the Syrian Armed Forces to obstruct their supply routes and military movements.

However, the Syrian Arab Army’s military tactics have drastically changed in rural Damascus, thanks in large part to their Russian and Iranian military advisers directing their troops against the Islamist rebels in both the East Ghouta and the West Ghouta.

According to a senior officer from the Syrian Arab Army’s 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard, the Syrian Armed Forces have constructed several tunnels in the rebel strongholds of Douma, Jobar, Harasta, ‘Ayn Al-Tarma, Zamalka, and Qaboun.

These locations were specifically chosen due to their enclosed buildings that make it hard to travel through without being detected by the Islamist rebel snipers that imminently wait for troops to cross in the open.

With their success in the southern front of the East Ghouta, the Syrian Arab Army’s Republican Guard forces now turn their attention to the dilapidated cities outside of the Syrian capital of Damascus; this area has been relatively impenetrable over the years because of the large presence of rebel fighters.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Jan 2016 10:04

Innovation in warfare and Levant crisis have a new entry - this time from Israel

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/israeli-spy-drone/

Disguised Israeli drone downed by Hezbollah over south Lebanon

According to Bint Jbeil News Agency, members of Hezbollah downed an Israeli reconnaissance drone that was disguised as an eagle over the large town of Bint Jbeil in the Nabatiyeh Governorate of southern Lebanon (Jnoub).

The news agency took several pictures of the unmanned aircraft, detailing its impressive resemblance to an actual eagle that would fly over this mountainous area of southern Lebanon.

Israel has increased its spying activity over southern and eastern Lebanon over the last 18 months, despite having several of their reconnaissance drones downed by the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah.

Lebanon has issued several warnings to Israel over the repeated violation of their airspace; however, this has done very little to deter the Israelis from dissipating their spy activity over the Nabatiyeh and Beqa’a governorates.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Jan 2016 12:04

Very Innovative Never Seen something like that before, I wonder how that thing flies ? Does it flap wing to generate lift , how does the engine operate ?

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 27 Jan 2016 12:20

Austin wrote:Very Innovative Never Seen something like that before, I wonder how that thing flies ? Does it flap wing to generate lift , how does the engine operate ?

Eagles can stay afloat for a long time without flapping their wings. So a drone disguised as an eagle is quite ingenious. It could simply circle around for hours and few would suspect anything amiss since eagles fly at a high altitude.

rajithn · Post by **rajithn** » 27 Jan 2016 12:54

Austin wrote:Very Innovative Never Seen something like that before, I wonder how that thing flies ? Does it flap wing to generate lift , how does the engine operate ?

In 2011, they had this: https://www.ted.com/talks/a_robot_that_ ... anguage=en. A dove with flapping wings.

In later years I have seen videos of doves/sea-gulls that looked real enough..being flown in the US. Realistic enough that other birds followed it.