Levant crisis - III

Bhurishravas · Post by **Bhurishravas** » 12 Dec 2016 01:22

The Sunnis in Iraq and Syria(mostly) are firmly behind ISIS. That is how they can continue with their armed activities. The Shia Sunni divide is firmly in place in West Asia.
When we state that people are inherently good and cant support a terrorist entity like ISIS, it is all good for propaganda and sweet talk but no good on real ground.

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 12 Dec 2016 02:01

isis has shown repeatedly a capacity and knack for mobile warfare, unfortunately protecting every point is not going to happen.

Ofcourse remember these are the last days of Obama presidency. They might be fighting hard, because their arms and money supply through turkey in exchange for oil and slaves might get blocked with a new president.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 12 Dec 2016 02:40

Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition forces have killed or gravely wounded more than 2,000 Islamic State fighters in the battle for Mosul since October, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said Sunday

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 12 Dec 2016 02:56

We will reach the Tigris soon, says Iraqi commander in Mosul

“ISIS has been depending on many tactics. The latest was the use of electric trolleys laden with explosives. Now we know this tactic too,” Barwari said. “One day ISIS directed an electric trolley laden with 150 kilos of explosives against our forces.”

Iraqi forces took control of al-Salam Hospital after a fierce fight with ISIS, who was using the hospital as a base, and with assistance of a coalition airstrike on Wednesday. The forces have now withdrawn from the hospital to protect the building from further damage on Thursday.

“Our units pulled out of al-Salam Hospital so as not to cause any damage to the premises and equipment of the hospital and take the fight with the enemy out of the hospital,” the media cell of the Joint Operations Command stated.

http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/081220163

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 12 Dec 2016 03:36

https://www.thecipherbrief.com/article/ ... -work-1091

Interview with Edward Luttwak on ceasefires/intervention in conflicts; and Syria.

Read the whole interview. Interesting insights into world geopolitics and balance of power. Quoting specific sections below:

At its heart, this is a phenomenon of countries that are engaged in peripheral conflicts, not organic to their own interests, which take place at great geographic distance in a fundamentally frivolous attitude. When you hear somebody like Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, or Samantha Power talking about Libya, for instance, they are essentially provincial minds speculating about a country far away, of which they know little.

For example, they intervened in Libya to remove Muammar Gaddafi, who had developed a system to govern his geographic space, but they removed him without providing any alternative. If they had done their research, they would know that Libya does not exist, that Libya has never existed in history. Even in ancient times, there was Cyrenaica and Tripolitania, Cyrenaica spoke Greek, Tripolitania Latin. The modern artificial entity of Libya was only kept together by Muammar Gaddafi, and when you remove Gaddafi, you have to promptly occupy Libya with an army of 100,000, stay there for 50 years, and then maybe something will emerge.

TCB: If you were advising the next President, how would you tell them to remedy this situation?

EL: Remedy this by maintaining a very heavy presumption against intervention, and an understanding that wars have a purpose, and the purpose of wars is to bring about peace. There may even be an argument for intensifying wars, a case in which the United States would intervene on the winning side to accelerate the victory. This would be a way of minimizing human death and destruction, but it is not politically or psychologically plausible. So, given that interventions have failed again, again, and again, it would be appropriate to learn from this.

TCB: And specifically in the case of Syria, what would you advise the next president?

EL: I would let the Russians get on with it. Nonintervention means nonintervention, it doesn’t mean intervention here and there. Let the Russians get on with it, let the Russians be the protagonists of the victory of Assad, instead of the Iranians. Because a Russian victory is much less costly to the United States than an Iranian victory.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 07:18

ISIS has a lot of garrison towns all down the euphrates valley. and some where always there in eastern homs and in the deserts south of palmyra. but great planning and coordination in massing them all for a concerted attack. being highly mobile they must have used deception to mask their prep and then suddenly concentrated taking advantage of weather shutting down air recon sorties and drones.

on palmyra front they were always there in strength close by, as their ATGM hit on a disabled russian chopper showed. for lack of artillery the syrians could not pound and scatter them earlier. this left the initiative with ISIS.

thing is for syrians not to get into a knee jerk reaction for H&D issue....2000 isis in palmyra is 2000 isis less in deir hafr and al-bab which are more vital to secure for now and 2000 less at the gates of deir azzor baying for blood . fortify the areas around T4 airbase and use air strikes, good recon and MLRS to slowly cull the herd for later...

isis has not done this because palmyra has any better haleem or biryani than Tabqa...control of the shaer, maher, arak, sukhanah area gives them rich oil and gas fields and rebuild their war chest by smuggling oil again or even selling it back to Assad. the best move right now is either ask the Russians to bring in a 1 squadron of Frogfoots or get more Czech L39 armed with cheap rockets and bombs and really go after the ISIS tanker fleets by day and night........recently I saw a video of NATO planes hitting a collection of 168 tankers .... the location was claimed as Arak-Palmyra

or maybe macho Putinji can sweet talk Trumpji for the services of 1 squadron of F-solah of Jordanian AF armed with BLU clusters and SDB and outsource this campaign

king of jordan can sell it to his public as revenge for burning the downed pilot in a cage and GOAT-v3.0 voucher points encashable in D.C and in Moscow for natashas and stolichnaya. jordan has already apparently sealed its border and no longer allows wounded "civilians" to cross freely for treatment in MSF tents. so perhaps shifting political winds in D.C have led the CIA to pull back its fingers from inside the honeypot and fold its tent there. the Supreme commander of the new syrian army might be back at his day job preparing ambur biryani in a roadshide cantina. there is fundamentally no conflict in USAF savaging the ISIS truck fleet - no collateral , no bad optics, and good optics in cutting terror financing which as we know is very hard to shut the tap on downstream once the oil->$$ transformation takes place, my $ is no different from a daeshi $ - so shut the tap at the head end of the oil trade. Trumpji can sell this domestically to Joe 6pack nursing his bud in the pool parlor - neat footage of a B1 unleashing a shower of weapons on a convoy and blowing up miles of road.

the other possibility is ISIS has no "grand plan" in the palmyra region and was simply looking for something to do and deploy its idle benched resources in a live customer project to give them experience..and palmyra was the only nearby and vulerable place. as the joker says, he just "does things"

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Dec 2016 08:59

Check this interview to see how delusional Western Analysis is , I cant stop

Should the West intervene in Syria? "Aleppo will be the shame of our generation" - French intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy on failure to intervene in Syria.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Dec 2016 09:07

Singhajee , Habal Check this new Video , Some of the footage against IS are horrible

Classified. Work fighters Russian special operations forces in Syria. Unique footage

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 12 Dec 2016 09:11

Most western intelligentsia is living in a state of delusion. They no longer even concern themselves with the things which their own population is most concerned about.

Almost all of them wish that it was 1991 again. It was a historic moment when their greatest rival, the "Great Other" Russian State collapsed and they had free reign to shape the entire world as and how they wished.

The economic meltdown, the emergence of regional strong powers, and increasingly disillusioned internal population: all of these don't make them question the premise of their thinking; instead, they hunker down further into their shells and pretend that if they repeat themselves enough number of times somehow their words will become the truth.

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 09:24

austin saar, for a conventional army, they show a lot of attention to detail. And that is highly commendable, it saves many lives. If isis didn't have the scale of covert western support it receives now, it wouldn't have had a chance against this group.

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 09:39

either western intelligentsia is not very intelligent and does not know their interests and tends to sacrifice national interest for transnational interest OR western elite hierarchy has been subverted by 'wars for israel' lobby who sees self-interest in endless wars for make benefit of this lobby and by extension Israel. So far only US has shown the capability to upend this chain and force national interest over the transnational interest of 'wars for israel' lobby. Europe has shown no such ability and is like a struggling duckling in this regard. US being the biggest erstwhile? partner for this lobby is both a strength and a weakness for them, it is a strength when it comes to attacking a third country, and it is a weakness when they (US) expresses an independent stance or alternate view, and wants to reclaim their independece and self-assert because then this entire all-powerful lobby seems very diminished.

maybe there are other sinister undercurrents here too which we all shall learn in due course.

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 09:48

palmyra has been the 'gas hub' for pipelines into western syria. That is the strategic value of palmyra, but considering how loosely guarded that entire place was, I have a feeling whether or not those gas hubs were up & running. Palmyra is the natural gas transit hub for gas fields in the east of Syria going to the population centers in the west. Aleppo, Homs and Damascus are dependent on Palmyra gas pipelines and pumping stations for just abut all the natural gas they use. In addition, there is little coal or hydro power in Syria. 90% of the electricity is produced by natural gas-fired power plants. No gas – no electricity. No electricity, not fresh water which needs to be pumped from deep aquifers or through miles of pipe from the Euphrates.

ISIS has zero use for that gas – they have plenty from the other fields/facilities they’ve stolen. They are after Palmyra and the gas supply because the CIA told them that Assad will fall if the gas supplies to the west are cut off. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have been shipping mercs (masquerading is ISIS or al Qaeda) to central Syria for years in various schemes to disrupt the gas supply.

ISIS may make some money selling a little gas to the Syrian government, but their main purpose is to deny the Syrian government control over the supply. Their current push coincides with winter/colder weather and increased gas demand. This is the U.S. and GCC desperation to force Assad to permanently give up part of Syria for a terrorist Sunnistan. The effort will ultimately fail of course, just like all the others. Alternate gas supplies for the population centers of Syria exist, but are expensive.

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 09:57

Obama ensuring that his final month shall be a pox on humanity and middle-east

US to hand out arms like Christmas cookies to preserve death squad terrorist assets in Syria - ex-US diplomat

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 10:05

this is why one can never really trust foreign powers who claim to fight on your behalf.
Syria had no choice, so could never take those decisions it needed to take on behalf of its interests.

ISIS from mosul is being sheltered in palmyra as pe Russia-US deal if my reading of these tea leaves are right.

Russia says ISIS used 4000 fighters used in the Palmyra offensive, approximately the same as al Qaeda used in Aleppo. They moved to Palmyra from Raqqa and Deir ez Zour with heavy military hardware including tanks, after the US-led coalition fighters stopped their offensive against Raqqa. To replace them, 5000 ISIS fighters came to Raqqa and Deir ez Zour from Mosul.

Russian private military companies pulled out of Palmyra two days before the ISIS offensive. Russia had to see the ISIS buildup coming. US drones watched the ISIS offensive over Palmyra undisturbed.

The western axis has lost Aleppo, but must aim to control Raqqa, Deir ez Zour and Palmyra, as well as Hassakah, to cut the Russia-Syria-Iraq-Iran axis, for bargaining power in the coming era of deal making — not about Syria regime change, but about energy. Putin seems to be able to do business at the same time as having wars.

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 10:08

It is more or less now clear that the Russians traded Palmyra in return for this:

Qatar just bought 19.5 percent of Rosneft, making several billion US dollars revenue for Russian government in spite of US sanctions.

Russia-Saudi now agree on oil production cuts, ensuring oil price will be higher.

Maybe Putin made a profit out of a necessity, maybe it's just a ploy to allow all daesh to assemble in close quaters away from a major civilian population and unleash some WMD on them after aleppo ops. We can guess the reasons.

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 10:47

In other news:

The EU has made an offer to Assad – sell out your country for a load of cash, plus you can keep the non-important bits of Syria. The euckers are totally braindead and totally corrupt. They have blatantly revealed the Anglo-Zionist modus operandi.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world ... -w8shn8rjx

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 10:51

@maytham956 re ISIS attack on Palmyra on 10 December 2016
Sources: What happened in Palmyra is an American blow to the Russians.
Three days ago the US air forces disrupted all VHF radios and radars via satellites over the roads between Raqqa and Palmyra and also provided a 6 hours cover for ISIS’s passage on the axis of al-Suknah.
https://twitter.com/maytham956/status/8 ... 3908555776

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 11:02

American plan to attract bees from raqqa toward west and make raqqa campaign easier...

Going out was easier. ..if these people want to return then bomber command will be unleashed on them.

Same plan as mosul west plan before pmu could advance enough to close gate.

Assadists must have detected this jamming and got out on good order in time leaving eqpt behind but getting people out...they could not defend isolated gas fields and hill tops against such a large force

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 11:08

They are digging in around t4 airbase and have some 18 gunships in support

Let us see if isis presses forward or stops

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 11:12

Another pov.

RedCommie ‏@redcommie
@maytham956 Raving.No VHF radio disruption etc. You don't need radios to see a few thousand bearded bandits massing.Pure negligence only.
RedCommie
5h
RedCommie ‏@redcommie
@Syrianator @maytham956 Why Russia?Why can't Syrian troops dig a damn trench,put up minefields,Anti tank guns,heavy machine guns?
RedCommie
5h
RedCommie ‏@redcommie
@maytham956 What was needed were minefields, covering approaches with AT guns,HMG's 2 shoot at VBIED's etc. trenches.nothing was done!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 11:14

Its probably best the deserted town of palmyra now crawling with daesh lice be flattened with foabs b4 they disperse and become tough to get at.

The archelogy ruins offer no real cover so drones could call in small strikes if needed.

pralay · Post by **pralay** » 12 Dec 2016 11:36

Aleppo: Shekh Said district is captured by Liwa al kuds + Tiger forces

Palmyra : Now that it has fallen, SAA atleast need to keep that front active and boiling,
otherwise those thousands of terrorists will swarm on Der ez zor or Ithria-khanaser or kweris airbase.
The whole palmyra thing also highlights need of armed UAVs/drones.

habal · Post by **habal** » 12 Dec 2016 11:52

USAF always lobs bombs from high altitude and it is urban legend (inside joke) in army circles that they never hit target.

whenever it comes to 'precision airstrikes' the US ground forces always rely on the army's air wing primarily the A-10 which are deadly accurate and lob bombs more accurately from low-altitude.

Iraqis have got as their 'ally' batman's nemesis Joker, and the actions are also pretty similar in their evil genius. This was what was due to them anyways for stabbing Saddam in the back. Repentence for them is when they remove this Joker from their back.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 12:34

Unwelcome guests are always hard to evict

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 12:38

Fares Shehabi ‏@ShehabiFares
50k freed hostages from E Aleppo & not one person we talked to heard of the notorious "White Helmets"! They are ghosts

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 12 Dec 2016 13:45

Syrian rebels have received a U.S.-backed proposal to leave Aleppo along with civilians under safe passage guaranteed by Russia, rebel officials said as government forces closed in on Sunday, but Moscow denied a deal had been reached.
Fighters from the hardline jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front until it broke allegiance to al Qaeda in July, would have to go to Idlib. Other fighters could choose separate destinations, including near the Turkish border northeast of Aleppo.
Reuters

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 14:01

West of tal afar...vbied comes charging at pmu camp
From a overwatch position on a hill a single kornet lances out
Boom

https://mobile.twitter.com/IraqiSecurit ... 48/video/1

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 14:08

Chaalak erdoganji is now in phase2 of his track2 plan with assadists and safavids ...keeping out khan

Note the destinations...chechens saudis syrians tunisis euros part of aq nusra will go to idlib to eventually die under syrian 5th corps boots or make their way west.

Turkoman pasand munnas like al shams umbrella , sultan murad etc will go to nuova turkey euphratesshieldistan and be safe from russian su34s heat...turkush mil intel will keep them on leash and pay salary...

The cats assad and erdogan will split the roti between the two monkeys turkoman militias and ypg to balance them out and present no clear border area in syrian for pkk or tak to use.

Ypg will likely be given a corridor south of al bab..to link with manbij and hasakeh so the two cats are bookending the two monkeys in middle.

usa will use the ever expanding nusra threat to EU from idlib & turkiye to control and manage the euros..and keep us its vast deep state surveillance and intel budget , proof of saudi complicity to be used to sell them even more arms to recycle petrodollars back.

everyone wins - except the small people on the ground

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 12 Dec 2016 15:19

Summer of April 2016 when Palmyra was taken back , Ru soldiers seen inside relics.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 12 Dec 2016 15:22

Former US ambassador says Ru is interested in a cease fire deal with US for following reasons:

A continuation of violence would create higher numbers of displaced people, who could end up fleeing to Europe, boosting the refugee crisis there. “If Europe is destabilized, it’s not going to be good for Russia,” the former diplomat said.

In fact, if Moscow and Washington join their efforts on Syria, they can reach “a negotiated surrender by the opposition where they don't end up with nothing,” Galbraith told RT. There might be “even a discussion on a certain level of a political opposition” in the country.

Such an agreement should of course include an “amnesty for the rebel fighters” with “international monitoring” to make sure that there would be effectively no retribution from the government, he noted.

Joint work between the US and Russia could also envision the rebuilding of Syria so that “reconstruction assistance is spent fairly, including on those who were rebels.”

every one is winner except people of ME !

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 15:49

phase2 of track2

Doloroso ‏@Pyrmha108 Dec 10
Al-Bab Council: Turkey is changing demography of the region - 70% of civilians displaced http://en.hawarnews.com/al-bab-council- ... -changing-

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 12 Dec 2016 16:00

Reinforcements arrive near Palmyra as Syrian Army regroups for counter-offensive

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 16:33

video of russian sof unit operating in syria. and in training back home.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ru ... ing-syria/

incredibly two jihadis manning a technical survive a direct hit by a ATGM other than being shaken up and deafened I think they would crawl off.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 16:51

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 16:52

sukkari , bustan al qasr and one more large locality north of bustan are the only areas left.

700 jihadis surrendered in last 24 hrs and 13,000 more people escaped through safe corridors.

bab al nayrab and sheik saeed is gone.

ammo and food piled high to the roof found.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 12 Dec 2016 17:11

VIDEO: ISIS seizes Syrian tanks, Russian vehicles left behind in Palmyra https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/vi ... d-palmyra/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Dec 2016 17:19

strong claims these...
SyrianMilitaryCap. ‏@SyrianMilitary 18h18 hours ago
The decision has been made #Palmyra and the oil/gas fields must not stay with #ISIS . The #SAA will launch an offensive soon.

SyrianMilitaryCap. ‏@SyrianMilitary 19h19 hours ago
The terrorists inside #EastAleppo will leave the city within 48 hours.

SyrianMilitaryCap. ‏@SyrianMilitary 19h19 hours ago
No one i say again no one but the #SAA defended #Palmyra yesterday,every ground forces but the #SAA ran away, NDF Russians and the Iranians.

then he destroys his credibility with posts like these

SyrianMilitaryCap. ‏@SyrianMilitary Dec 10
If the #SAA continued to advance in the #Palmyra axis they will reach #AlReqqa in few hours. #ISIS is falling.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Dec 2016 18:12

Austin wrote:Singhajee , Habal Check this new Video , Some of the footage against IS are horrible

Classified. Work fighters Russian special operations forces in Syria. Unique footage

The sniper killing out there is rare insight into how Russian Sniper Works , Not sure if those snipers are from Armed Forces or military intelligence GRU.

Sniper are also co-ordinating air strikes the footage at the end of video,

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 12 Dec 2016 18:22

Beeb reports that now 90% of the city has fallen to the regime and that there is little left for the ungodly worth holding onto.It seems to be allmost over bar the cheering. There will be much wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth in the West,Britain in particular,when Assad makes his conquering march into Aleppo.The soundbites should be most interesting when it happens.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/ ... ast-aleppo

Syria: Assad forces close to capturing east Aleppo
Regime now holds 90% of rebel stronghold after ‘doomsday’ bombardment, as news emerges of possible evacuation offer
Pro-regime forces hold Syrian flags bearing the portrait of Assad as they patrol in Aleppo.
Pro-regime forces hold Syrian flags bearing the portrait of Assad as they patrol in Aleppo. Photograph: George Ourfalian/AFP/Getty Images
Kareem Shaheen in Istanbul
Monday 12 December 2016
Forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria have drawn closer to their goal of reclaiming all of the city of Aleppo, seizing more territory in a relentless advance that has displaced thousands of civilians and left pro-government forces within sight of a key victory in the war.

Syrian soldiers and Iranian-backed militias now hold 90% of east Aleppo after wresting control of two more neighbourhoods that were once part of the rebel-held and besieged east of the city, as it emerged that opposition fighters were contemplating a deal to evacuate Aleppo.

The advance was preceded by some of the most intense bombardment of the war, described as a kind of “doomsday” by one resident, Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, with non-stop artillery shelling through the night and Monday morning and numerous airstrikes.

The Guardian view on the fall of Aleppo: it will not end the suffering
Editorial: Almost six years of war have devastated Syria. There is more to come, in spite of the Russian-backed regime’s military advances

“The ‘free world’ is witnessing the … slaughter on air,” said another resident in a text message.

“People are under the rubble alive and no one can save them,” said Hamdo, a teacher in the besieged districts. “Some people are injured in the streets and no one can go to help them.”

“The cries and fear of women and children [are] heard from the streets,” he added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the regime was now in control of 90% of east Aleppo after seizing the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Saeed and Saliheen, forcing the rebels into an ever-dwindling pocket of land.

The Observatory said thousands of people had fled the fighting towards government-controlled areas. Many residents of east Aleppo, which was estimated to house a quarter of a million civilians before the latest government offensive, lived in great deprivation with dwindling food stocks, lack of fuel, water and electricity, and with no functioning hospitals after they were bombed in the campaign.

East Aleppo has been under a tight siege for months, and rebel offensives to break the blockade have failed.

On Sunday night the rebels were reported to be contemplating an offer of withdrawal from Aleppo that had Russian and US backing. Reuters said that under the terms of the deal received by some rebel officials, they would be allowed to leave bearing light arms to any area in Syria.

Syrian civilians wait at a checkpoint manned by pro-government forces after leaving Aleppo’s eastern neighbourhoods.

Syrian civilians wait at a checkpoint manned by pro-government forces after leaving Aleppo’s eastern neighbourhoods. Photograph: George Ourfalian/AFP/Getty Images

Russia denied that an agreement had been reached, and an opposition official contacted by the Guardian said his faction, one of the largest in Aleppo, had not received the offer. He also said Russia was not interested in a deal that would spare civilians while pro-Assad forces made gains on the ground.

The rebels had proposed a five-day ceasefire to evacuate civilians and the wounded, but that was ignored by Assad and his allies.
Aleppo’s terrified residents flee rebel districts, death and hunger

“Let us be clear, the regime is insistent on committing a massacre in order to achieve a historic victory against its own people with Russian and Iranian aid,” said Bassam Mustafa, a member of the political office of the Noureddine al-Zenki militia group. “Therefore they will not accept any [offer of] safe passage. We challenge them for the thousandth time to discuss anything that is for the good of the civilians that they have been bombing with barrel bombs and chlorine.”

The latest advances by Assad’s forces have brought them closer than ever to a major victory in the war. Aleppo, Syria’s former industrial and commercial capital, has been divided between rebel and government forces since 2012. Its fate has long been seen as a signal of the war’s momentum.

Its loss would be a major blow to the opposition, which will be bereft of any major urban stronghold.

But there are doubts that the government can consolidate its victories, which have been backed by Russian airpower, on the ground. On Sunday the government lost control of the historic city of Palmyra for a second time to Islamic State fighters despite a wave of intense bombings by the Russian air force the night before.

How doubts arise in western minds about the Syrians "holding on'" to Aleppo when they're on the brink of victory.But when it comes to retaking Mosul,little news of that great anticipated "victory",there is no doubt whjatsoever.Who can forget the clips of the Iraqi army fleeing for their lives in their expensive Yanqui armour and humvees when ISIS arrived on the scene! And they are going to hold onto whatever they capture from ISIS. Famous last words.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 12 Dec 2016 18:55

How things unfolded in Palmyra : implying thereby SY knew in advance

Between 4,000 and 5,000 Islamic State insurgents poured into Palmyra from several flanks, prompting the SAA to withdraw to more defensible positions west of the ancient city after initially fending off several assaults.

Stationed on the Palmyra front were approximately 1,000 SAA soldiers, including contingents of the National Defence Forces (NDF), the 11th Division, elements of the 18th Division along with the Shaheen Group (Tiger Forces branch).

Facing overwhelming ISIS numbers and an imminent threat of encirclement, these government forces found themselves forced to regroup on the western outskirts of the city.

In addition to capturing Palmyra city itself, the Islamic State also seized Palmyra Airbase, the Hayyan gas field, Al-Dawa village, and the Al-Bayarat area following other territorial gains over the past 48 hours.

Recently, the SAA deployed the bulk of its elite factions in the battle for Aleppo; in the meantime, thousands of ISIS fighters crossed the border from Iraq, narrowly escaping the battle for Mosul in order to spearhead the ongoing Palmyra offensive.

Effectively, with manpower utterly disproportionate between the warring parties, local SAA commanders had to choose between a full-scale tactical retreat or leaving outnumbered government troops to be slaughtered by the rapidly advancing jihadist militants. To little surprise, the SAA's Palmyra command center opted for the former option.