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

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 17 Feb 2016 20:45

Former British Ambassador to Syria stating what we all knew:

Mojtaba Ali
‏@MojAliMasood
Peter Ford, UK ambassador to #Syria (2003-06) on the Syrian war & UK's destructive policy of regime change in Syria
http://youtu.be/mMZVKdWFJPk

[youtube]mMZVKdWFJPk&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 17 Feb 2016 20:55

An analysis of the Turkish military on Veterans Today

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2016/02/17 ... ed-forces/

habal · Post by **habal** » 17 Feb 2016 20:57

HQ video of operations on turkish border.
ANNA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pY06aYcWxA

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 17 Feb 2016 22:16

Read the analysis in link by Alex

Russian Diplomat Drops a Bombshell: US Expected ISIS to Seize Damascus by October

http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/r ... er/ri12860

raghava · Post by **raghava** » 17 Feb 2016 23:30

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world/fiv ... 0iSlI.html

whodunit? the kurd, the turd or the bear?

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 17 Feb 2016 23:42

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 79481.html
Highly dangerous' radioactive material stolen, sparking fears of Isis 'dirty bomb'

Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material stolen last year amid fears it could have fallen the hands of Isis jihadis.The material, stored in a protective case the size of a laptop, went missing from a US-owned storage facility in Basra last November, according to leaked environment ministry documents.An unnamed senior security official with knowledge of the theft said: "We are afraid the radioactive element will fall into the hands of Daesh (Isis).The document, dated 30 November and addressed to the ministry’s Centre for Prevention of Radiation, describes "the theft of a highly dangerous radioactive source of Ir-192 with highly radioactive activity from a depot...in the Rafidhia area of Basra province".An anonymous senior environment ministry official based in the city told Reuters the device contained up to 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of Ir-192 "capsules", a radioactive isotope of iridium also used to treat cancer.The material is classed as a Category 2 radioactive by the International Atomic Energy Agency - meaning it can be fatal to anyone in close proximity to it in a matter of days or even hours. So far there is no indication that the material has fallen into the hands of Isis - who do not control this part of southern Iraq - but the group have begun using chemical weapons.

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 18 Feb 2016 04:03

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 79556.html

Ankara explosion: At least 28 killed and 61 injured after 'car bomb' hits centre of Turkish capital

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 18 Feb 2016 05:11

starting with a false flag is kind of passe. Not sure what erdogan wants from it, baghdad has five of these a week.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 18 Feb 2016 05:28

Given that most reports of Turkish shelling/bombing of Kurd positions come via RT.com, I wonder if there isn't some truth in Erdogan's

that the Kurds/whoever are also hitting inside the Turkey side of the border? I sure hope so!! A good raid would work wonders for the trenches where the Turkish 155mm guns were located. Also for those terrorist convoys. Would Erdogan call UN inspectors to see the remains of an ISIS convoy destroyed by RuAF inside Turkey?

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 18 Feb 2016 05:34

Syria ‏@Syria_Rising 6h6 hours ago
#Syria - 17/2/2016 news report [RUS] - The Syrian Army is advancing towards Raqqa. 1 / 2

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 06:01

other than nusra everyone is pissed with turkey now

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 06:02

sdf advance on deir axis rarher than raqqa could be on request of assad to relieve pressure behind deir azzor while saa completes its move to tabqah.

Mihaylo · Post by **Mihaylo** » 18 Feb 2016 06:26

Singha wrote:usa, russia = MAD = mutually assured destruction
india = MAD = minimum apologetic deterrent

I think it should be
India = MAD = Mutually Accepted Dosa

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 18 Feb 2016 06:49

Haha, I actually like Mutually Accepted Dosa. Perhaps this is more reflective of what we wish geopolitics to be centered around. I find with the traditional version of MAD, we get too caught up in the game rather than the end goal.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 18 Feb 2016 06:52

Masala-Augmented Dosa, u mean. Marxists Against Defence.

habal · Post by **habal** » 18 Feb 2016 07:31

South Front - United States can not accept Russian successes in Syria

Agreement on the ceasefire is in crisis from the start after accusations that Moscow enables President Assad to not only fortify the current military superiority but also the future negotiating position

The Munich agreement of an imminent ceasefire in Syria could easily share the fate of the British-French-German agreement in the Bavarian capital in 1938, which failed to stop the outbreak of the Second World War.

Unlike the Sudeten crisis eight decades ago, global and regional actors in the current Syrian crisis do not have the task to prevent war, but to try to stop the conflict, which in five years took 260,000 lives and left 11 million homeless Syrians, but strongly confronted interests suggest that chances are at best half.

West demanded that ceasefire should begin immediately, while Russia insisted on March 1, to enable forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end the offensive and to take from the rebels second largest Syrian city of Aleppo, which would fortify not only its military but also negotiating position.

The compromised proposal determines silencing up the arms in a period of one week, but Secretary of State John Kerry, its Western and Arab allies and NATO Secretary General immediately after the deal have accused Russia of continuing operations of air support for Assad military advance despite the fact that the Munich document specifies that fight can continue only against members of the Islamic state, Nusra Front close to Al Qaeda or groups that the UN security Council designates as terrorist.

“There are no evidence of us bombing civilians, although they blame us for that”, replies the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on accusations made by the president of the French government Manuel Valls. “Russia is not trying to accomplish some secret goals in Syria.”

Public definition of these objectives is fight against Islamist militants who threaten Russia, the background objective is no doubt the defense of Assad, which allowed Moscow to have big air base and naval installations on the Mediterranean coast of Syria.

Munich Document will have difficulty to reconcile the Russian position with one of the US because Washington, beside intentions to destroy the Islamic state, does not hide that he expected that in the future the Syrian government is not pro-Russian.

Substantial differences get a form of charges exchange in public around the type of bombs used by the Russians, about the shooting of “legitimate insurgent targets” and civilians, “open military aggression” and provoking refugee crisis. There are even Turkish accusations that the Russians carry out ethnic cleansing in the north of Syria.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that at the Munich document does not have signature of government in Damascus and the main rebel group, which was brought together by Saudi Arabia.

The events on and around the battlefield also do not open virtually no space for optimism: Assad says he has no intention to cease offensive at a time when his troops are rapidly advancing on Aleppo whose liberation from the rebels could represent a turning point in the war.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates confirmed that they are ready to send troops to Syria to fight against Islamic terrorists. US agree. US Secretary of Defense urged the two Gulf countries to send commandos to help capture the northern city of Raqqa (Al-Raqqah), the unofficial headquarters of the Islamic caliphate in Syria.

Assad is confident that Saudi Arabia and Turkey, two countries that almost obsessively want to see him go, plan to invade Syria. Assuming that it is unrealistic to expect that the Saudis can resist challenge of helping in Assad’s overthrow and blocking Iranian influence – what is their long-established priority – Syrian president wants to prevent them from doing that.

For the first time since 2014, the regime’s army prepares advance towards Raqqa, and a new offensive, after one near Aleppo, would completely cut off the rebel supply channels from Turkey.

Forces of Syrian regime, with support of Russians, Iranians and Lebanese Hezbollah, show no intention to give up the opportunity to realize goal stated by Assad, i.e. regain control over the whole of Syria. Ceasefire is not convenient for Damascus. All the more so because the insurgents got a certain amount of modern weapons including missiles which have range up to 20 kilometers.

It’s getting clearer that the Americans and the coalition they put together, have not only failed to defeat the Islamic State but also failed to remove Assad from power, although they still describe him as “part of the problem and not the solution.” In contrast to Washington, Moscow has managed to take the initiative from the very beginning of its military involvement in late September, and turned the tide of war on the battlefield.

In such circumstances, the Americans have only one thing left, to send a message to Assad not to “deceive” himself that the conflict can be resolved militarily. It probably can’t be resolved that way, but the Russians are on their way to insure that their ally Assad will be accepted as a partner in future peace talks and political transition in Syria. Maybe not Assad personally but certainly his government, which guarantees that Moscow will not lose its only foothold in the Middle East.

Ever since August 2011 Americans openly demanded Assad to leave, but later they focused on the fight against the Islamic State – which created a hardly understandable and confusing mix of priorities.

The key problem of the American strategy is in the fact that Russia and Iran will not give up support for the Assad regime convinced that Obama will not approve the entry in a new Middle Eastern war and that he will not send troops to Syria.

The failures of US involvement in Syria – on the front towards the Islamists and towards Assad – as a result has strengthen the militant wing in Washington.

If the Munich Agreement and a new round of Geneva talks planned for 25 February fail, Obama would have to move to Plan B – intensification of military activities against the Islamic state and against Assad, a plan that would introduce new foreign troops on the Syrian battlefield carries immense risks.

habal · Post by **habal** » 18 Feb 2016 07:37

Here is an image of one of the leaflets the US airforce dropped on the takfiris around Deir ez Zor.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 07:53

here is a analysis of the turkish military by southfront

http://southfront.org/military-analysis ... ed-forces/

their trump card is 10 squadrons of F-solah
their soft underbelly is AIR DEFENSE:
4 squadrons with MIM-14 Nike Hercules
2 squadrons with Rapier
8 unit with MIM-23 HAWK
^^ ie without NATO patriots they have no bleeding edge AD system

push comes to shove, Rus can stage out of crimea island, south russia and through georgia(telling them to move aside or be crushed) and really have a go all over turkey using long range strike a.c and missiles...while also defending over syrian skies perhaps withdrawing south to damascus area bases.

russias trump card is ALCMs and iskanders to go after air bases. if the air bases are shut down, its hard to protect armour forces in open terrain like syria....the frogfoots and hinds are already onsite.

Rus will likely use the speed and high alt of the Mig31BM and the AA9 amos missile to drive the turkish awacs's off station opening gaps to exploit.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 08:03

Al-Masdar News
‏@TheArabSource
Standard and Poor's cuts #Saudi Arabia rating by two notches to A-

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 08:09

The Bologna Public Prosecutor's Office in Italy has launched an investigation into President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's son Bilal Erdoğan, who moved to Italy in October of last year to finish his doctorate, which he started in 2007, on suspicion of money laundering.
The Italian newspaper ll Giornale reported on Tuesday that fugitive Turkish businessman and Young Party (GP) leader Cem Uzan's brother, Murat Hakan Uzan, filed a criminal complaint against Bilal Erdoğan last year at the Bologna Public Prosecutor's Office, accusing him of violating both European and Italian financial laws based on the claim that when he moved to Italy in 2015, he brought with him large amounts of cash to launder in Italy. On Tuesday, Bologna Chief Public Prosecutor Manuela Cavallo decided to investigate the claims and opened an investigation.
Bilal Erdoğan, who was one of the prime suspects in Turkey's largest corruption case, which came to public attention on Dec. 17 and 25, 2013, settled in the city of Bologna in Italy along with his wife and children following the June 7, 2015 parliamentary election in which the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) founded by President Erdoğan lost its majority in Parliament.
The president's son moved to Italy to continue his Ph.D. education at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Bologna, where had previously pursued doctoral studies, and has enrolled his children in a school there. Bilal Erdoğan also reportedly asked for security guards from the Italian government.
In October of last year Twitter whistleblower Fuat Avni's claimed that Bilal Erdoğan went to Italy with large amounts of cash, saying that Bilal flew to Italy on Sept. 27, 2015 and planned to remain there for a while and possibly bring family members over at a later time. Avni wrote: “They [the Erdoğan family] are planning to keep Bilal in Italy until the [Nov. 1] election. They will determine whether he will be coming back according to the situation after the election.” Bilal Erdoğan still lives in Italy with his family.

http://www.todayszaman.com/national_ita ... ign=buffer

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 18 Feb 2016 08:56

deejay wrote:Former British Ambassador to Syria stating what we all knew:

Mojtaba Ali
‏@MojAliMasood
Peter Ford, UK ambassador to #Syria (2003-06) on the Syrian war & UK's destructive policy of regime change in Syria
http://youtu.be/mMZVKdWFJPk
[youtube]mMZVKdWFJPk&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

Ah yes, the British and their moralising...the moral dimension indeed

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v21039347j22r3Men

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 18 Feb 2016 09:54

The Sultan's moustachio singed yet again.This time by local gobblers.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 79556.html

Ankara explosion: At least 28 killed and 61 injured after 'car bomb' hits centre of Turkish capital

Video on social media seemingly showed large flames straight after the explosion
Rebecca Flood, Caroline Mortimer
Firefighters try to extinguish flames following the explosion Getty Images
Around 28 people have been killed after an apparent car bomb rocked the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said a further 61 were wounded.

A statement from the armed forces said a bus carrying military personnel was targeted when it stopped at a set of traffic lights outside army barracks.
Video shows Ankara bomb aftermath

It is thought the blast occurred just a few hundred metres away from the parliament and the military headquarters in the centre of the city.

Videos and images posted on social media showed large flames straight after the explosion and plumes of smokes rising into the sky, said to be over downtown Eskisehir Avenue.

Deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus confirmed the explosion had been caused by a car bomb and said seven prosecutors had been assigned to investigate the "well-planned" attack.
Ankara explosion: 'car bomb' hits Turkish capi
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country was determined to fight those who carried out the attack as well as the "forces" supporting them.

Following the attack, AKP, Turkey's ruling party, spokesman Ömer Çelik posted on Twitter: "Terror has attacked treacherously in Ankara. We curse this attack."

A Turkish official told Reuters that early signs indicated it the attack was carried out by the Kurdish Worker's Party (PKK) - which has carried out attacks on Turkey in recent months - but no other source has confirmed this.

Mr Erdogan's government has been accused of ramping up the rhetoric against the PKK following a breakdown in peace negotiations between the government and the separatist group last June.

Read more
Timeline: Turkey bomb attacks between 2015 and 2016
If Erdogan intervenes in Syria, he'll take Turkey down with him
Turkey holiday bookings drop 40% over terrorism fears, TUI says

Security forces have carried out large-scale operations against Kurdish militants in the south-east since December last year, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas and displacing tens of thousands of civilians in combat zones.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the blast but Isis has been known to carry out attacks on Turkey - with a suicide attack on the border town of Suruc killing 32 people and wounding 100 others last August.

The terror group object to Turkey's intervention in Syria - which was stepped up following the Suruc attack.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/tur ... 79276.html
Turkey's sabre-rattling at the Syrian border means the prospect of peace is more distant than ever
If Erdogan intervenes in this complex conflict, he'll take his country down with him

The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pictured in January 2016.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s assessment of the situation in Syria as “complicated” must be the understatement of the year: it is three-dimensional chess with nine players and no rules, as one US strategic analyst said.

The latest ray of light - the accord reached by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) last week in Munich, looks to be extinguished by Russia’s bombing of hospitals and schools in northern Syria, causing dozens of civilian casualties. The cornerstone of the accord is UN Security Council Resolution 2254 of 18 December 2015, which also demands that all parties immediately cease attacks against all civilian objects, including medical facilities and personnel.

Foreign Minister Lavrov has stated that the main result of the the accord is the confirmation of this resolution and has expressed a common determination to help alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. Unfortunately, these good intentions are undermined by actions on the ground.

Why President Erdogan's Turkey is finally falling apart

The situation is further complicated by the advance of the Kurdish YPG (People’s Defence Units), not only from west of the Euphrates but also towards Azaz close to the Turkish border, north of Aleppo. Menagh airbase 6 kilometers south of Azaz has been recaptured and now the YPG is advancing on Azaz, which will cut the corridor supplying insurgents in Aleppo from Turkey.

The Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, has declared Azaz yet another “red line” for Turkey and has threatened with retaliation if Azaz is threatened. For four days, Turkish artillery has shelled YPG positions and at Russia’s request the UN Security Council has met to discuss the situation. All 15 members have expressed concern about Turkey’s action and have called on Turkey to comply with international law. The EU and the US have also urged Turkey to show restraint.

The US and Russia will co-chair a UN task force to work on “a long-term, comprehensive and durable” end to hostilities - but their task is complicated, not only by the targeting of civilian facilities, but also Turkey’s sabre-rattling. The most ominous threat is Turkey’s call for a cross-border operation, ostensibly directed at Isis, but which will forestall Kurdish plans for an autonomous adminstration along the Turkish border. Turkey’s plans are seconded by Saudi Arabia and its gung-ho minister of defence, King Salman’s son, Mohammed bin Salman, who is clearly not content with just the Saudis’ war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

This is, in fact, President Erdogan’s last bite at the apple, as his strategy of overthrowing Bashar al-Assad’s Shia-backed regime has been thwarted by Russia’s intervention. Besides, Erdogan must have enough on his hands, dealing with the war against the PKK and the Turkish Kurds’ demand for autonomy.

The EU is crumbling – and Turkey won't hold it together

Last June with the capture of Tel Abyad on the Turkish-Syrian border by the YPG another piece fell into place for Syria’s Kurds. Also for Turkey. President Erdogan declared that Turkey would never allow the establishment of a state in northern Syria,and the Turkish military was given instructions to prepare for a cross-border operation. This would have the added effect of bolstering support for the governing AK Party in a new election, as the AKP had just lost its overall majority in the June elections.

However, the Turkish military demurred and insisted on a written directive. At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff pointed out that such a move needed to be justified under international law, not to speak of the reactions from the US and Syria as well as Russia and Iran. Consequently, Prime Minister Davutoglu announced Turkey had “no immediate plans” for such an operation despite a military build-up on the Syrian border.

Similarities between Putin and Erdogan have put them at loggerheads

In October 2012, the Turkish parliament authorised cross-border military operations into Syria “when necessary”, and this mandate was prolonged last September. Erdogan has regretted Turkey didn’t go into Iraq together with the US in 2003 and remarked: “"I don't want the mistakes committed in Iraq repeated in Syria." There is the temptation to double down on his losses, but if Erdogan does, he will bring Turkey down with him.

Robert Ellis is a commentator on Turkish affairs in the Danish and international press

Robert Ellis |

habal · Post by **habal** » 18 Feb 2016 11:18

South Front - Target: Raqqa

It appears that in the next few days, the focus of combat operations will shift to the desert-like terrain on the boundary between Homs and Raqqa provinces.

The highway to Raqqa is barricaded with stones. Further progress is impossible, so we drive off the road into clouds of dust. We try to look around and make sure we haven’t lost our guides. The jeep is covered in “people’s camouflage”– the vehicle is hosed down with water, then covered with about a dozen shovelfuls of sand dust. Ten minutes later, the cold sun has dried the mud and the car becomes a self-propelled sand dune that can be very hard to spot.

The last outpost on the front line is an empty technology park with a dozen cell phone towers, a gas pumping station, a pool, a few pines. It’s a genuine oasis to a tired traveler. Militants shell it with remarkable regularity, and the pines bear shrapnel marks from the explosions. It’s painful to walk over knocked down branches, particularly when you're reminded how difficult it is to grow a whole stand of trees in the desert.

Once at the observation post, we look through a x12 rangefinder. Syrian recon troops say they know the forward edge of their positions like the back of their hands. Directly ahead is a hill with a white top. We look closely, and suddenly we see a carelessly dug-in cannon and a pick-up truck with a machine-gun mount sticking out from behind a house–a key weapon system in flat terrain like this.

Not much activity there, the scouts tell us. They will jump out from behind the hill, give us a few machine-gun bursts. Nothing more.

The militants have sensed something, they are keeping low and saving ammunition. According to the scouts, the desert between here and Raqqa is dotted with fortified positions. But most of them now stand empty. The militants will occupy them as they conduct a deliberate retreat. They don’t seem to doubt the Syrian army will push them out of their first line of defenses. But they hope that they will be able to draw government forces into a prolonged battle of attrition in which the offensive will bog down. The aim is to gain time. There’s the haggling over the ceasefire, the to-and-from of politicians. They still have a few reasons for hope, even though Bashar Assad clearly stated in his most recent interview that “the negotiations are no reason to stop liberating invaded territory.”

The offensive, judging by the extensive preparations, will be supported by fire from every available weapon: D-30 howitzers, tanks, multiple rocket launchers.

On this sector of the front, the army will advance from the South, while another force has already began pushing against Islamist positions from the West, from the direction of Aleppo. Raqqa will be trapped in a vise from which the only escape will be back toward Iraq.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 18 Feb 2016 12:03

turkey is bakistan in a red shirt! F16s are air force, ex oliver hazard perry are navy, and the army is tons of small arms as gun fodder for nato conflicts. they have hardware to make a dash for damascus. but even if they can put up 70% of the air force (say 150ish), they will be wiped clean by russia in days. russia can field 150 between latakia and crimea easy. the navy would be gone overnight before it leaves port. Like bakistan, its the jeehardis in western tanks that will have to do the ghazwa. Only slightly better than the atgm armed current jeehardis and then without benefit of a supply chain or safe house.

turkey isnt attacking anybody. with or without saudi arabia. or if it is, then it has a death wish. russia is at least past the desert storm type capability. unless us or china decides to take on an open fight, they arent going down. they have no reason to be scared.

by comparison, the sultan is off his rocker.

i dont understand why the kurdish ambitions havent shown up much yet. may be the PKK doesnt have as big a base in the kurdish population as advertised. they dont need much, even a ten percent turkish kurd support would have given them the canon fodder. May be they dont even have that. But east turkey as kurdistan would be great for iraq, syria, and armenia.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 12:36

most turki tanks near border are m48 patton and m60.
their best tanks 300 leo4 are in east near armenia and iran

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 18 Feb 2016 12:41

leo1+leo2 are roughly 750. presumably most in running condition. ~1000 155mm sph. ifv are numerous. that is a decent land force. not very rugged having not seen combat lately, but not short on hardware.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 18 Feb 2016 12:58

Ring forging fake passports for ISIS militants busted in Moscow region, 14 suspects detained (VIDEO)

https://www.rt.com/news/332837-fake-pas ... is-moscow/

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested an international criminal group of 14 suspects involved in forging passports and other documents for Islamic extremists preparing to go to Syria, and those coming to Russia for terror missions.

A joint special FSB and Interior Ministry operation in the Moscow region has exposed an international organized crime network, which was providing forged papers for extremists from Russia and CIS countries.

The gang was busy forging documents for those “illegally heading to Syria to take part in military actions on the side of Islamic State, and also for the militants sent on a mission to Russia by ISIS leaders to conduct terrorist and extremist activities, as well as illegal migrants.”

The members of the group were arrested after sufficient evidence had been gathered, the FSB reported.

sbalaguru · Post by **sbalaguru** » 18 Feb 2016 14:00

Turkey blames Syria's YPG group for Ankara blast

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/t ... 17514.html

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 18 Feb 2016 14:03

sbalaguru wrote:Turkey blames Syria's YPG group for Ankara blast

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/t ... 17514.html

Which means that the blast is stage managed to make way for invasion of Syria.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 18 Feb 2016 14:16

ISIS are suspecting Chechnia Origin Militants could be Russian Agents infiltrated in their group says French News Letter Intelligence Online

Counterintelligence "Caliphate" fighters of Chechen origin suspected of working for Moscow

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1744840.html

According to French newsletter «Intelligence online» in the article «Mefiance sur les combatants tchetechenes», on the Security Council and the exploration of the "Islamic state" headed by Abu Ali al-Anbar, shows a growing discontent fighters of Chechen origin, who fight in the IG structure.

Presumably fighters of Chechen origin in Syria, Latakia (c) pbs.twimg.com

Plain-hand in search of the "moles" in its ranks, former officers of Saddam Hussein's secret service "Mukhabarat", who joined the IG Intelligence, faced with the conviction that double agents, paid by Moscow, in a significant infiltrated the group of immigrants from the Chechen Republic.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 18 Feb 2016 14:25

Turkey launches airstrikes hours after Ankara explosion

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/18/middl ... index.html

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 14:34

tanks and mech heavy groups need a strong logistical tail of fuel to sustain ops. these need roads as none but unkil and russ have large numbers of rugged oshkosh HEMTT/Urals type trucks to cartload across country.

but they can certainly take territory in north syria between azaz and jarablous where the terrain is favourable, supplies are stocked in easy reach and NLI ski is always possible if things head south(or north in this case!) not so easy in idlib and latakia mountains.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 14:43

reports of kinsibba being liberated.

habal · Post by **habal** » 18 Feb 2016 14:44

about time.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 14:46

turkish PM has released this pic as proof. maybe the guy on the keyboard is alleged bomber. the pic on the flag is abdullah ocalan the PKK founder who is jailed for life in a prison island in the sea of marmara with 1000 guards.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbfGl8AUAAATAz7.jpg

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 14:48

PKK @ work . this is north of the iraqi mosul border inside kurdish heartland that is currently under turkish army heavy presence.

Michael Horowitz
‏@michaelh992
#Breaking Multiple casualties reported following explosion near military convoy travelling along the Diyarbakir - Bingol road #Turkey

Michael Horowitz
‏@michaelh992
At least seven fatalities reported following the explosion along the Diyarbakir - Bingol road #Turkey

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 14:59

these are the two starving pro-assad towns in iblib iirc

RedRevolt ‏@RedRevolt1 12h12 hours ago
Entry of aid trucks into the besieged towns of Fuah and Kefraya https://youtu.be/olRgVvk8IbQ

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 15:04

while we whine and tender 10 yrs for imported RWS atop our armour, look at the agility of these guys...

Ivan Sidorenko ‏@IvanSidorenko1 18h18 hours ago
#Iraq #Iraqi #Badr Military Wing Engineering Department of Islamic Resistance New Electronic Operated Machine Gun.

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 18 Feb 2016 15:36

http://www.todayszaman.com/national_6-s ... 12631.html

6 soldiers killed in southeast Turkey bomb attack.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2016 15:52

2 Tu160 were detected off UK airspace today. could be the famous circular mission around europe, kh101 launch and home via iran & caspian thing again.

they would likely skim the edge of turkish airspace ...