Turkey surely has a numerical advantage against Russia and limited numbers of all the support tools like tankers and wedgetail awacs but nobody in NATO will stand for it , if it launches a ground and air war against syria.......once russian missiles start hammering their airbases and ground forces it will be tough for them to sustain things . in worst case russia can move its aviation into western iran for a shorter round trip to the theater.
no doubt russia would face great difficulties and the loss of its latakia base to turkish attacks but in the end it will inflict enough pain from all sides including the crimea for turkey to back off wounded badly and worse having no say in future matters of a solution......eg KH101 & kalibr attacks against power grid, rail way networks, POL storages countrywide....it will also be the end of turkeys lucrative tourism industry (much to the delight of competitors like greece)
not to speak of the tide of russian arms that will flow to PKK via northern iraq
turkey can definitely stab and wound the bear...but bears have thick fur and muscle - lot of staying power in the ring.
The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/world ... v=top-news
Young Saudis See Cushy Jobs Vanish Along With Nation’s Oil Wealth
By BEN HUBBARDFEB. 16, 2016
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — In pressed white robes and clutching crisp résumés, young Saudi men packed a massive hall at a university in the capital city this month to wait in long lines to pitch themselves to employers.
It was one of three job fairs in Riyadh in two weeks, and the high attendance was fueled in part by fear among the younger generation of what a future of cheap oil will mean in a country where oil is everything.
For decades, the royal family has used the kingdom’s immense oil wealth to lavish benefits on its people, including free education and medical care, generous energy subsidies and well-paid (and often undemanding) government jobs. No one paid taxes, and if political rights were not part of the equation, that was fine with most people.
But the drop in oil prices to below $30 a barrel from more than $100 a barrel in June 2014 means that the old math no longer works. Low oil prices have knocked a chunk out of the government budget and now pose a threat to the unwritten social contract that has long underpinned life in the kingdom, the Arab world’s largest economy and a key American ally.
The shift is already echoing through the economy, with government projects delayed, spending limits imposed on ministries and high-level discussions about measures long considered impossible, like imposing taxes and selling shares of Saudi Aramco, the state-run oil giant that is estimated to be the world’s most valuable company.
The proposal announced on Tuesday by the oil ministers of Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela to freeze output levels is one attempt to stabilize world oil prices, but it remained uncertain how effective it would be if other countries, like Iran and Iraq, declined to follow suit.
For younger Saudis — 70 percent of the population is under 30 — the oil shock has meant a lowering of expectations as they face the likelihood that they will have to work harder than their parents, enjoy less job security and receive fewer perks.
“For the older generation, it was easier,” said Abdulrahman Alkhelaifi, 20, during a break from his job at McDonald’s. “They’d get out of university and get a government job. Now you need an advanced degree.”
Of his generation, he said, “The weight is on our necks.”
It is hard to overstate the importance of oil in the development of modern Saudi Arabia. In decades, it rocketed a poor, mostly rural country to affluence, with most of its 21 million citizens now living in cities festooned with skyscrapers and streets filled with S.U.V.s. Oil wealth also allowed the ruling Al Saud family to maintain its grip on power, wield clout abroad through checkbook diplomacy and invest billions of dollars in promoting an austere interpretation of Islam around the world.
The oil boom over the past decade helped all of this, and was good for Saudis at home. Household incomes rose, and the number of men and women pursuing higher education multiplied. But the fat years left the economy poorly structured, economists say: 90 percent of government revenues are from oil; 70 percent of working Saudis are employed by the government; and even the private sector remains heavily dependent on government spending.
Nor did advances in education create a large professional class or inculcate a culture of hard work. Most of the country’s engineers and health care workers are foreign, and many government employees vacate their offices midafternoon, or earlier.
But with oil revenues crashing and the numbers of young people reaching the work force growing by the day, those jobs have become harder to get as the government cuts costs and pushes Saudis toward the private sector, where job security and salaries are lower on average.
“There is an issue with the sustainability of the economic model in Saudi Arabia, and the oil price can be seen as a wake-up call,” said Fahad Alturki, chief economist at Jadwa Investment in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia still has room to maneuver, he said, thanks to large cash reserves, low public debt and lots of new infrastructure that can aid economic growth.
But the generational differences are clear.
One woman who recently earned a Ph.D. in a medicine-related field in the United States said that her father had been tracked into the military, where he got training abroad, free housing, medical care and schooling for his children. When her mother finished her degree in Arabic, she immediately got a job near her house — and a cash bonus from the state, just for graduating.
Their daughter has struggled to find work, despite being better educated and fluent in English. Her husband, also educated in the United States, is also unemployed, and they live with her family.
“My parents had great opportunities,” she said, requesting anonymity so as not to hinder her job search. “They provided well and we had a comfortable life, so I always thought it would be the same for us.”
These economic stresses come at a time of chaos in the Middle East and of generational change in the royal family.
Spearheading economic policy is Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose father, King Salman, passed over older and more experienced princes to put the 30-year-old in charge of many of the country’s most important affairs, stirring private anger among some other royals.
Prince Mohammed, who is also the defense minister and second in line to the throne, has launched a costly war in Yemen and talks about radical changes to the economy, like raising fuel prices, imposing taxes on undeveloped land and some consumer goods, and privatizing state-run companies.
But details on implementation are scarce, causing uncertainty over many issues like what it will cost to fill a gas tank or power a factory in five years. That has made it hard for businesses to plan for the future, which further undermines the sputtering economy.
At the same time, Saudis are not accustomed to the government taking bold, fast action. Change tends to be introduced incrementally. That cultural trait is now complicating the need to move fast to meet the economic and demographic challenges.
A Saudi executive in the construction industry said that change was needed, but that moving too fast could hurt businesses.
“It has to be done and I am with it, but you can’t change decades’ worth of problems in a few years,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize his business interests. “No way.”
Economists say that at least 250,000 young Saudis enter the job market every year, and that making them effective members of the work force is a major challenge.
The glut of graduates was clear at the job fair, where most applicants had come from large public universities that often fail to give students the language and technical skills employers want. Most of those interviewed had never had a job before and said their fathers worked for the government. While some thought private companies offered better experience, many wanted the perks of a government job.
“It’s a good experience, but there is no rest and no job security,” said Ali al-Ariyani, 24, who worked at a private hospital and wanted a change. “The days are long and you can’t even go out to smoke.”
At a separate location for women, many applicants complained that their degrees had not given them the skills, like fluency with computers, that employers want. One group of women had earned degrees in microbiology only to learn that they lacked the required licenses for hospital jobs.
“Our main issue is that our university did not prepare us for the job market,” said Khuloud al-Khateeb, 23, adding that many hospitals preferred to hire foreigners for lower salaries.
In recent years, the government has pushed for greater Saudi employment, penalizing companies with few Saudi employees. Many employers hate the program, saying it forces them to swell their payrolls with people who contribute little.
Even companies that have hired lots of Saudis have often had to rely on significant social engineering to get them working.
Saudis made up one-third of the crew at a Riyadh McDonald’s on a recent morning, manning the drive-up window and cash register and making fries.
“Is this spicy?” one yelled to a colleague. “One large fries, please!”
While they do the same work as foreigners, they earn much more. Salaries for foreign crew start at $320 a month, while Saudis get $1,460, part of which is subsidized by the government.
The company also gives Saudis more flexibility and has created fast-track programs to move them into management.
Four Saudi workers gathered in a break room said they liked their jobs but worried that they would not be as successful as their fathers, all of whom worked for the government. They knew the government had less money to employ citizens, which meant their generation would have to work harder.
“The government is good, but our generation is spoiled,” said Ahmed Mohammed, 21. “Everyone wants a government job.”
His colleagues agreed. “Everyone wants to sit at home and get paid,” Mr. Alkhelaifi said.
Young Saudis See Cushy Jobs Vanish Along With Nation’s Oil Wealth
By BEN HUBBARDFEB. 16, 2016
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — In pressed white robes and clutching crisp résumés, young Saudi men packed a massive hall at a university in the capital city this month to wait in long lines to pitch themselves to employers.
It was one of three job fairs in Riyadh in two weeks, and the high attendance was fueled in part by fear among the younger generation of what a future of cheap oil will mean in a country where oil is everything.
For decades, the royal family has used the kingdom’s immense oil wealth to lavish benefits on its people, including free education and medical care, generous energy subsidies and well-paid (and often undemanding) government jobs. No one paid taxes, and if political rights were not part of the equation, that was fine with most people.
But the drop in oil prices to below $30 a barrel from more than $100 a barrel in June 2014 means that the old math no longer works. Low oil prices have knocked a chunk out of the government budget and now pose a threat to the unwritten social contract that has long underpinned life in the kingdom, the Arab world’s largest economy and a key American ally.
The shift is already echoing through the economy, with government projects delayed, spending limits imposed on ministries and high-level discussions about measures long considered impossible, like imposing taxes and selling shares of Saudi Aramco, the state-run oil giant that is estimated to be the world’s most valuable company.
The proposal announced on Tuesday by the oil ministers of Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela to freeze output levels is one attempt to stabilize world oil prices, but it remained uncertain how effective it would be if other countries, like Iran and Iraq, declined to follow suit.
For younger Saudis — 70 percent of the population is under 30 — the oil shock has meant a lowering of expectations as they face the likelihood that they will have to work harder than their parents, enjoy less job security and receive fewer perks.
“For the older generation, it was easier,” said Abdulrahman Alkhelaifi, 20, during a break from his job at McDonald’s. “They’d get out of university and get a government job. Now you need an advanced degree.”
Of his generation, he said, “The weight is on our necks.”
It is hard to overstate the importance of oil in the development of modern Saudi Arabia. In decades, it rocketed a poor, mostly rural country to affluence, with most of its 21 million citizens now living in cities festooned with skyscrapers and streets filled with S.U.V.s. Oil wealth also allowed the ruling Al Saud family to maintain its grip on power, wield clout abroad through checkbook diplomacy and invest billions of dollars in promoting an austere interpretation of Islam around the world.
The oil boom over the past decade helped all of this, and was good for Saudis at home. Household incomes rose, and the number of men and women pursuing higher education multiplied. But the fat years left the economy poorly structured, economists say: 90 percent of government revenues are from oil; 70 percent of working Saudis are employed by the government; and even the private sector remains heavily dependent on government spending.
Nor did advances in education create a large professional class or inculcate a culture of hard work. Most of the country’s engineers and health care workers are foreign, and many government employees vacate their offices midafternoon, or earlier.
But with oil revenues crashing and the numbers of young people reaching the work force growing by the day, those jobs have become harder to get as the government cuts costs and pushes Saudis toward the private sector, where job security and salaries are lower on average.
“There is an issue with the sustainability of the economic model in Saudi Arabia, and the oil price can be seen as a wake-up call,” said Fahad Alturki, chief economist at Jadwa Investment in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia still has room to maneuver, he said, thanks to large cash reserves, low public debt and lots of new infrastructure that can aid economic growth.
But the generational differences are clear.
One woman who recently earned a Ph.D. in a medicine-related field in the United States said that her father had been tracked into the military, where he got training abroad, free housing, medical care and schooling for his children. When her mother finished her degree in Arabic, she immediately got a job near her house — and a cash bonus from the state, just for graduating.
Their daughter has struggled to find work, despite being better educated and fluent in English. Her husband, also educated in the United States, is also unemployed, and they live with her family.
“My parents had great opportunities,” she said, requesting anonymity so as not to hinder her job search. “They provided well and we had a comfortable life, so I always thought it would be the same for us.”
These economic stresses come at a time of chaos in the Middle East and of generational change in the royal family.
Spearheading economic policy is Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose father, King Salman, passed over older and more experienced princes to put the 30-year-old in charge of many of the country’s most important affairs, stirring private anger among some other royals.
Prince Mohammed, who is also the defense minister and second in line to the throne, has launched a costly war in Yemen and talks about radical changes to the economy, like raising fuel prices, imposing taxes on undeveloped land and some consumer goods, and privatizing state-run companies.
But details on implementation are scarce, causing uncertainty over many issues like what it will cost to fill a gas tank or power a factory in five years. That has made it hard for businesses to plan for the future, which further undermines the sputtering economy.
At the same time, Saudis are not accustomed to the government taking bold, fast action. Change tends to be introduced incrementally. That cultural trait is now complicating the need to move fast to meet the economic and demographic challenges.
A Saudi executive in the construction industry said that change was needed, but that moving too fast could hurt businesses.
“It has to be done and I am with it, but you can’t change decades’ worth of problems in a few years,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize his business interests. “No way.”
Economists say that at least 250,000 young Saudis enter the job market every year, and that making them effective members of the work force is a major challenge.
The glut of graduates was clear at the job fair, where most applicants had come from large public universities that often fail to give students the language and technical skills employers want. Most of those interviewed had never had a job before and said their fathers worked for the government. While some thought private companies offered better experience, many wanted the perks of a government job.
“It’s a good experience, but there is no rest and no job security,” said Ali al-Ariyani, 24, who worked at a private hospital and wanted a change. “The days are long and you can’t even go out to smoke.”
At a separate location for women, many applicants complained that their degrees had not given them the skills, like fluency with computers, that employers want. One group of women had earned degrees in microbiology only to learn that they lacked the required licenses for hospital jobs.
“Our main issue is that our university did not prepare us for the job market,” said Khuloud al-Khateeb, 23, adding that many hospitals preferred to hire foreigners for lower salaries.
In recent years, the government has pushed for greater Saudi employment, penalizing companies with few Saudi employees. Many employers hate the program, saying it forces them to swell their payrolls with people who contribute little.
Even companies that have hired lots of Saudis have often had to rely on significant social engineering to get them working.
Saudis made up one-third of the crew at a Riyadh McDonald’s on a recent morning, manning the drive-up window and cash register and making fries.
“Is this spicy?” one yelled to a colleague. “One large fries, please!”
While they do the same work as foreigners, they earn much more. Salaries for foreign crew start at $320 a month, while Saudis get $1,460, part of which is subsidized by the government.
The company also gives Saudis more flexibility and has created fast-track programs to move them into management.
Four Saudi workers gathered in a break room said they liked their jobs but worried that they would not be as successful as their fathers, all of whom worked for the government. They knew the government had less money to employ citizens, which meant their generation would have to work harder.
“The government is good, but our generation is spoiled,” said Ahmed Mohammed, 21. “Everyone wants a government job.”
His colleagues agreed. “Everyone wants to sit at home and get paid,” Mr. Alkhelaifi said.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Turkeys have 200 odd F-16 which makes some difference to battle with russia. They have F-4s which may be good for bombing kurds but for combat against superior enemy it is going to be chana-rajma. Out of 200-250 f-16 only 150 are combat ready. The rest are on ground hangar queens, service due, maintenance ongoing as is the case with any fleet. Each S-400 battery has 200 odd missiles in stock. Plenty to deal with Turkey's turkeysf-16's. Then there are pantsyr s-2 Short range SAMs. So Turkey can not establish air superiority over Syria, so it's troops if they ingress even little bit into Syria are exposed to air strikes. That is why russia has only 15 odd air-superiority fighters in Syria. Rest are Su-24 ground attack a/c. How's that for confidence.
& by the grace of allah. Turkey has wonderful neighbours with whom it shares excellent relations. viz Greece, Armenia, Bulgaria, Iran, Kurds who can always be source of support.
& by the grace of allah. Turkey has wonderful neighbours with whom it shares excellent relations. viz Greece, Armenia, Bulgaria, Iran, Kurds who can always be source of support.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Cry me a river. One line blew me away- they have one of the most affluent economies in the world and still have a problem absorbing 250,000 new entrants to the job market every year?Singha wrote:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/world ... v=top-news
Young Saudis See Cushy Jobs Vanish Along With Nation’s Oil Wealth
By BEN HUBBARDFEB. 16, 2016
........................
Vinash Kaale Viprit Budhi.
I hope I live long enough to see these arrogant, culture less camel herders go back to their appropriate economic station and relevance in world affairs, which is less than nothing.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Charles Lister
@Charles_Lister
PT: Earlier today:
US-backed FSA rebels destroyed a US-backed YPG pick-up truck using a US-made TOW anti-tank missile outside Tel Rifaat.
@Charles_Lister
PT: Earlier today:
US-backed FSA rebels destroyed a US-backed YPG pick-up truck using a US-made TOW anti-tank missile outside Tel Rifaat.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
a dangerous new innovation that has already blown a hole in a plane in africa. someone has figured out how to modify a laptop battery, while leaving it still working with less MaH, and fill the rest with a timed plastic explosive probably. this will evade most xray scans as the timer would likely be software driven and feature no suspicious new parts.
Thomas Joscelyn @thomasjoscelyn Feb 13
I'm curious as to who in Shabaab, or AQAP, or other AQ, built this laptop bomb used on Feb. 2. Not detected by X-Ray. Could've been worse.
Thomas Joscelyn @thomasjoscelyn Feb 13
I'm curious as to who in Shabaab, or AQAP, or other AQ, built this laptop bomb used on Feb. 2. Not detected by X-Ray. Could've been worse.
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Satya_anveshi
- BRF Oldie
- Posts: 3532
- Joined: 08 Jan 2007 02:37
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Saudi Arabia took part in weekend air strikes against ISIL - Feb 16, 2016
http://www.todayszaman.com/world_saudi- ... 12517.html
http://www.todayszaman.com/world_saudi- ... 12517.html
I wonder if US preparing to bomb Assad's residence and blame it on Saudis?Saudi Arabia participated in air strikes as part of a US-led coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants over the weekend, a US Department of Defense spokesman said on Tuesday.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who has been under pressure to shore up support from Sunni Arab allies to fight ISIL last week welcomed a commitment from Saudi Arabia to expand its role in air strikes.
Saudi Arabia has concentrated its military efforts over the last year on the conflict in Yemen, where it is leading a coalition of mainly Gulf Arab forces battling Houthi fighters who control the capital, Sanaa.
"They (the Saudis) did participate in strikes over the weekend," said Peter Cook, a Pentagon spokesman, in a Tuesday news briefing. He did not say specifically what the Saudi actions were, or where
The United States is leadinga coalition fighting ISIL insurgents, including through air strikes in Syria and Iraq.
Carter said last week that Saudi Arabia had committed to expand its role in the air campaign and the United Arab Emirates, another Gulf Arab country and US ally, said it would restart its participation.
"We've seen so far in the Saudis' case that commitment turning into action in the last few days," Cook said.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
^^pakistani or Turkish innovation via Saudi or Qatar to Al Shabab to prove a point?
Going to make regular travellers' lives a real pain. Seems to have been a technology demonstrator. That's why I think it was used on a Somali jet.
Going to make regular travellers' lives a real pain. Seems to have been a technology demonstrator. That's why I think it was used on a Somali jet.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
I agree. no risk of blowback unlike taking out a rus jet. the beauty is if the security guy asks to on the laptop it would still work..
on board laptops are allowed at cruising altitude, so the jihadi just needs to on it and run his last .exe file ever
checking up on images the battery always shows as transparent so they hollow out a regular battery and use material that shows up at similar opacity... only the high end systems like CTX can use CAT scans and algorithms to maybe catch his...not there in most 2nd tier airports
on board laptops are allowed at cruising altitude, so the jihadi just needs to on it and run his last .exe file ever
checking up on images the battery always shows as transparent so they hollow out a regular battery and use material that shows up at similar opacity... only the high end systems like CTX can use CAT scans and algorithms to maybe catch his...not there in most 2nd tier airports
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
some kind of metallic layer on the case of HDD on left makes it more opaque vs the one on right. so thats another attack vector with laptop HDD expansion bay and fake hdd.
onlee saving grace is the volumes are very small and even if a hole is blown the plane should remain intact and make it down to 9000 feet for breathable air before landing.
onlee saving grace is the volumes are very small and even if a hole is blown the plane should remain intact and make it down to 9000 feet for breathable air before landing.
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Shreeman
- BRF Oldie
- Posts: 3762
- Joined: 17 Jan 2007 15:31
- Location: bositiveneuj.blogspot.com
- Contact:
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Let me tell you a little story, of a corvette, with plates kuwait 11111. It drives in uncledom. Thats right, the driver wouldnt buy a corvette where they make them. Family had it shipped. To the school the brat has been exiled to. The brat can barely read english. More so, analytical sense is gone or was never there. On driving up to a self serve vas station, pulls up to the pump with a hand written sign pasted on it. "squiggly squiggly" says the sign. The brat figures, no matter, slaves will serve me. No slaves appear. Gets out, punches a few butyons underneath and around squiggly squiggly. Puts hose in car. Gas not flowing. Looks around, expecting to be served.
People are beginning to be puzzled. The peasants totally do not understand what the royalty is asking for, nor seem to care. Gets back in car, drives to the other side. Squiggly,squiggly -- pronounces the pump on the other side. Same difference. Huffs puffs walks into the attendent shop.
The attendent takes pity, and some money. Turns on pump, comes out and fuels. Squiggly, squiggly? -- out of order. This is the young brilliant flamekeeper of some rich kuwaiti family. I do not envy them.
People are beginning to be puzzled. The peasants totally do not understand what the royalty is asking for, nor seem to care. Gets back in car, drives to the other side. Squiggly,squiggly -- pronounces the pump on the other side. Same difference. Huffs puffs walks into the attendent shop.
The attendent takes pity, and some money. Turns on pump, comes out and fuels. Squiggly, squiggly? -- out of order. This is the young brilliant flamekeeper of some rich kuwaiti family. I do not envy them.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Won't it be enough if those bearing laptops sit at the aisle and not near the window.
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Shreeman
- BRF Oldie
- Posts: 3762
- Joined: 17 Jan 2007 15:31
- Location: bositiveneuj.blogspot.com
- Contact:
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
It is tricky to respond to this. Suffices to say, the underwear and shoes didnt work. So this arrived. Why is this the last gift? The aim is to slow down travel by any means where it becomes too onerous for casual folk.habal wrote:Won't it be enough if those bearing laptops sit at the aisle and not near the window.
Since 9/11 many many people, older folks for example, have changed their domestic travel habits. This aims at slowing the flow to where it impacts commerce. Things get opened, lost, damaged. People get delayed, inconvenienced, abused.
The actual working, i suspect, just like 911 is an unexpected bonus.
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Satya_anveshi
- BRF Oldie
- Posts: 3532
- Joined: 08 Jan 2007 02:37
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Yup...TeeEssA agents get to F more than their congressmen, now they get to be richer like them too.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
It always takes two to make a clap, doesn't it.
lol brazil is waiting for the Olympics to culminate before making key policy announcements.
Brazil to do business with Iran in Euros not dollars:
http://www.euronews.com/business-newswi ... -minister/
de-dollarization continues in bits and dribbles but soon it will envelop most of the developing world.
lol brazil is waiting for the Olympics to culminate before making key policy announcements.
Brazil to do business with Iran in Euros not dollars:
http://www.euronews.com/business-newswi ... -minister/
de-dollarization continues in bits and dribbles but soon it will envelop most of the developing world.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Targeting Bakeries ?
Up to 28 civilians killed in international coalition air strike on bakery in #Shaddadi. SOHR+LCC
https://twitter.com/JulianRoepcke/statu ... 2511630338
Up to 28 civilians killed in international coalition air strike on bakery in #Shaddadi. SOHR+LCC
https://twitter.com/JulianRoepcke/statu ... 2511630338
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
this could be the one KSA was said to have participated in yesterday. its the nearest from the south.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
The BBC is desperately trying to bolster resolve of Aleppo citizens with some propaganda interviews.The West will be checkmated in Syria if Aleppo falls to govt. led forces. The stakes are extremely high and tho Saudis are the ones who stand to lose most.All of Syria's untapped oil wealth,more than Kuwait,apart from the strategic gains of the warm waters of the Meditt. and pipeline routes to Europe.
Thanks to the Turkish animosity towards the Kurds,who have support also from the US/West, the Syrians have the Kurdish card to play along with the Iranians and the Hiz on the ground.With the sustained air support from the Russians,Aleppo's fall should be only a matter of time,wrapped up hopefully before the month end.
Signs of the times?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 77736.html
Syria conflict: Damascus remains a war zone - but some families are returning
In this subtle war, men of the Free Syrian Army are being allowed to rejoin the ranks of the government army they deserted on their return to the shattered neighbourhood of al-Qadam
Robert Fisk Damascus
Thanks to the Turkish animosity towards the Kurds,who have support also from the US/West, the Syrians have the Kurdish card to play along with the Iranians and the Hiz on the ground.With the sustained air support from the Russians,Aleppo's fall should be only a matter of time,wrapped up hopefully before the month end.
Signs of the times?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 77736.html
Syria conflict: Damascus remains a war zone - but some families are returning
In this subtle war, men of the Free Syrian Army are being allowed to rejoin the ranks of the government army they deserted on their return to the shattered neighbourhood of al-Qadam
Robert Fisk Damascus
he aftermath of Russian bombing in Aleppo Ahmed Muhammed Ali/Anadolu/Getty Images
“That is a military zone,” a Syrian soldier warned, as I went to inspect the ruins at the end of Ibn Hawqal Street.
But I could not see any Syrian military positions amid the ruins, not even a checkpoint. “This is a military zone,” he said more sharply. Then I realised. How many kilometres away is Isis, I asked? “Down there,” said the soldier. “About 200 metres.”
Read more
How Russia and Iran took advantage of peace talks to choke Aleppo
And I looked down a broken laneway, veined by the midday sun, a deserted, squalid place of crumpled homes that makes its appearance along all front lines in cities at war, in Damascus, in Aleppo, in Fallujah, in Sarajevo, in Beirut in the old days, no doubt in Cherbourg once and Stalingrad, too, and long ago, in my father’s war, in the little villages on the Somme.
No this is not the Great War – though it has lasted far longer – and such comparisons somehow take away the dignity of those who try to return to live in these ruins. Syria is Syria, not Iraq or Bosnia or part of a world war – though there are Arabs who do claim that all this is part of World War Three. Did the Americans not threaten to bomb Damascus? Are the Russian air force not now bombing Isis? Is Turkey not now threatening to invade Syria? And Saudi Arabia?
rini Announces Syrian Ceasefire Excluding ISIL and Al Nusra
But what is happening in al-Qadam tells you a lot about the Syrian war. Once in the hands of Jabhat al-Nusra, it lay rotting through three years, under government control but almost empty, until the army struck north of Aleppo and began to conquer its enemies along the Turkish border – and the people started to come back to al-Qadam.
Twenty-six families in the past 15 days alone, even a drift back of former “Free Syrian Army” men – part of David Cameron’s mythical army of 70,000 “moderates”, one supposes – and five prisoners released from government jails. Victory brings confidence, however temporary, and you can sniff it on the government front lines far from Aleppo.
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There are fewer checkpoints in Damascus, 100 women dancing the “dubkah” at a noisy hen party in one of the big hotels, convoys of trucks humming across the Lebanese border en-route to Jordan now that the Syrian army has re-opened the main road to Deraa. Syrians drive to Aleppo up the highway again. On Syrian television, there are action shots of Syrian paratroopers entering towns they had not seen for three years. And in al-Qadam, its streets named after ancient Arab philosophers and travellers, they are also returning.
There is even a “reconciliation committee” of elders who talk to both the army and the Free Syrian army – not to Isis or al-Nusra, they all insist – and who drink coffee with the government soldiers. Rather a lot of meals, an army intelligence officer tells me. Some of the Free Syrian Army men from al-Qadam have been allowed to keep their light weapons – after forswearing their opposition to the regime – and the government army have allowed them food and medicine. Several have been allowed to return to the ranks of the army they deserted, new ranks of course, paid once more by the government. “Yes, of course we knew many of them,” a soldier says. It is a subtle war. Get the opposition to change sides, especially now that they have tasted the bitter fruit of Isis’s ideology and understood the power of Russia’s air force. It seems to work. Silence has settled over the front line here.
pg-21-syria-2-corbis.jpg
Syrian families arrive in the al-Qadam district of Damascus after a truce between government and rebel forces (Corbis)
“Syria, Assad” has been spray painted over the walls in red. Al-Nusra’s slogans have been so heavily painted over in blue that you can no longer make out what they said. Except for the word “Allah”. The army left God’s name untouched. Half a mile back, three soldiers sit on chairs beside a T-72 tank that nestles in the shadow of an alleyway, its barrel pointing upwards. They are drinking coffee.
Thaled Fado is part of the “reconciliation committee”. A construction man – he agrees there will be plenty to reconstruct – he wanted to be a pilot and travelled Europe to further his ambition and lived in Barcelona and inevitably ran out of money.
“There is peace here now,” he says. “The army took this place back from Nusra a long time ago, but now the people themselves are coming back. We talk to the army. This is my home.”
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But “home” – inherited from his father – has no roof. Like all the other houses in this poor, devastated suburb, they were looted and burned by al-Nusra. One lady in a green dress – this is not yet the time to discard anonymity for most of these people – described how al-Nusra came to this place three years ago. “We did not know them and I tried to stay, but then they came to our home and slaughtered my husband and I fled with my children.”
Now she stands near Thaled Fado and smiles at the stranger who has come to look at this tiny corner of Syrian misery. A bearded soldier is smiling, too, and I guess why and he tells me I am right. He has just come from Aleppo.
His family live here and have returned, and it slowly becomes clear that many of these families had sons in the military and supported the regime. And al-Nusra turned on them with a vengeance. Hence all the burned homes – only a few repaired – and the still smashed minaret of the local mosque.
Aid groups struggle to access Syrians in dangerous areas
A middle-aged lady peers from the window of a downstairs room, looking cautiously at our camera. Her home is now a little shop. There are sweets and biscuits for sale. I suppose this is what’s called “normality”. There’s another lady sitting on a step beside the road, her hands to her face, an image of despair.
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Zacharia Ashar – his brown robe marks him out as a country man, for al-Qadam not long ago was farmland – is also on the local “reconciliation committee” and says that 131 local militiamen who fought the army have returned, some from Jordan, on the understanding that they will protect their people and keep Isis at bay.
“Some of them have formed a unit to support the army,” he says. “Others tried to fight Nusra and Daesh [Isis] and were killed. Yes, there have been many martyrs.”
And yes, it will be many years before the great history books of this war will be written and reveal its many secrets. In the West – apart from the refugees – we see this conflict as a geopolitical struggle. But after the Aleppo battles, it can be written that – however temporarily, however fearfully, however few – in the streets of al-Qadam, the people are coming home.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
I dont think in any time of this conflict any country would attack known bases or aircraft of the other , that would be a clear act of war.Singha wrote:Turkey surely has a numerical advantage against Russia and limited numbers of all the support tools like tankers and wedgetail awacs but nobody in NATO will stand for it , if it launches a ground and air war against syria.......once russian missiles start hammering their airbases and ground forces it will be tough for them to sustain things . in worst case russia can move its aviation into western iran for a shorter round trip to the theater.
no doubt russia would face great difficulties and the loss of its latakia base to turkish attacks but in the end it will inflict enough pain from all sides including the crimea for turkey to back off wounded badly and worse having no say in future matters of a solution......eg KH101 & kalibr attacks against power grid, rail way networks, POL storages countrywide....it will also be the end of turkeys lucrative tourism industry (much to the delight of competitors like greece)
not to speak of the tide of russian arms that will flow to PKK via northern iraq
turkey can definitely stab and wound the bear...but bears have thick fur and muscle - lot of staying power in the ring.
What we would see is Saudi/Turkey would try to do Land Grabbing in Syria where SAA or its supporting force are not active , its now a case to grab what you get then to loose it , The ISIS plot from Sunni Ummah is failing rapidly
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
what is the purpose of Secure Line for Turkey ?
Turkey wants ‘secure line’ created 10km within Syria, including Azaz - deputy PM
https://www.rt.com/news/332718-turkey-s ... ine-syria/
Turkey wants to create a secure zone 10km within Syria, which would include the town of Azaz, Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan stated, as cited by Reuters. The move comes after Ankara’s shelling of Syrian Kurds for four successive days.
Turkey wants ‘secure line’ created 10km within Syria, including Azaz - deputy PM
https://www.rt.com/news/332718-turkey-s ... ine-syria/
Turkey wants to create a secure zone 10km within Syria, which would include the town of Azaz, Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan stated, as cited by Reuters. The move comes after Ankara’s shelling of Syrian Kurds for four successive days.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
it really will not help them if people get to work further south and slowly wipe ISIS off the map.
could be a face saving gesture.
the kurds will not agree to hand over their land just like that, esp when turkish are massacring PKK right and left inside turkey
could be a face saving gesture.
the kurds will not agree to hand over their land just like that, esp when turkish are massacring PKK right and left inside turkey
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
plan may be install these sarkari kurds in a new kingdom and buffer state
أبو سمية الخالدي
@khalidi_4_sham
Unfortunately people associate the Kurds with PKK,YPG, Peshmerga but forgot one of the first Jihadi groups Ansar Al Islam was Kurdish-origin
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbX6Bl7WcAAVsN6.jpg
أبو سمية الخالدي
@khalidi_4_sham
Unfortunately people associate the Kurds with PKK,YPG, Peshmerga but forgot one of the first Jihadi groups Ansar Al Islam was Kurdish-origin
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbX6Bl7WcAAVsN6.jpg
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Syrian government approves aid deliveries to 7 besieged areas, UN says
The seven areas are considered to be the most in need of relief by the International Syria Support Grouphttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/world
The seven areas are considered to be the most in need of relief by the International Syria Support Grouphttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/world
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Didn't the Kurds have a big hand in Armenian genocide?Singha wrote:plan may be install these sarkari kurds in a new kingdom and buffer state
أبو سمية الخالدي
@khalidi_4_sham
Unfortunately people associate the Kurds with PKK,YPG, Peshmerga but forgot one of the first Jihadi groups Ansar Al Islam was Kurdish-origin
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbX6Bl7WcAAVsN6.jpg
I personally won't vouch for any branch of Islam. They should be used and leveraged as the need be, but true moderates none are.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
they say that they are sorry today. 
& should not be blamed for what their forefathers did.
& should not be blamed for what their forefathers did.
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UlanBatori
- BRF Oldie
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Of course. Understandable. Were probably aiming for the hospital or kindergarten next door. One green crescent on the roof looks like any other.habal wrote:they say that they are sorry today.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Hassan Ridha @sayed_ridha 3h3 hours ago
#Russia will send first shipment/batch of S-300 defence system to #Iran on Thursday
#Russia will send first shipment/batch of S-300 defence system to #Iran on Thursday
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
its amazing how much ready use stock usa and russia have in inventory. someone wants a S300 with TELArs, missiles, reload vehicles, command vehicles, radars and lo here it is !
same for the american boneyards and refurbishment depots - always humming with kit being cleaned up and sent to a mix of dharmics(taiwan) and miscreants(tsp) around the world
same for the american boneyards and refurbishment depots - always humming with kit being cleaned up and sent to a mix of dharmics(taiwan) and miscreants(tsp) around the world
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
this also means Iran perceives a raw threat of KSA lashing out with its AF to punish Iran for syrian ops. IrAF will take some time to rebuild for sure even if deal for su30 is signed right now.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
well SAA are at the gates of Raqqah .. first confrontation with IS at Ar-Raqqah happened today as 'per IS sources'.
most likely Raqqah will fall in next few weeks.
IS claiming that SAA tried to enter Raqqa
Wladimir @vvanwilgenburg Feb 16
Race to Raqqah? IS said they repelled regime assault #syria #raqqah
Raqqa if it isn't outright taken will be encircled/besieged, in other words all the roads leading in to Raqqa will be blocked. That means the Saudis/Amercians etc if they wanted to capture Raqqa cannot as their access to Raqqa is sealed as all the area outside of Raqqa is all controlled by the SAA with the Russian Aerospace Forces patrolling the skies above.
SAA troops closing in on Raqqa as per comments from Iranmilitary forum.
http://www.iranmilitaryforum.net/index. ... #msg354655
most likely Raqqah will fall in next few weeks.
IS claiming that SAA tried to enter Raqqa
Wladimir @vvanwilgenburg Feb 16
Race to Raqqah? IS said they repelled regime assault #syria #raqqah
Raqqa if it isn't outright taken will be encircled/besieged, in other words all the roads leading in to Raqqa will be blocked. That means the Saudis/Amercians etc if they wanted to capture Raqqa cannot as their access to Raqqa is sealed as all the area outside of Raqqa is all controlled by the SAA with the Russian Aerospace Forces patrolling the skies above.
SAA troops closing in on Raqqa as per comments from Iranmilitary forum.
http://www.iranmilitaryforum.net/index. ... #msg354655
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Every day that Turkey doesn't send troops in is a day when more and more rebel fighters are killed.
Every day that Turkey doesn't send troops in is a day when more and more rebel weaponry and buildings are wiped out.
& Uncle Scam says it won't get involved in a Turkish war on the YPG:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-cal ... &nid=95304
"Commenting on whether escalation in the region would make NATO confront Syria and Russia, Toner said that despite Turkey being a member of the alliance, he did not see such an incident happening.
Every day that Turkey doesn't send troops in is a day when more and more rebel weaponry and buildings are wiped out.
& Uncle Scam says it won't get involved in a Turkish war on the YPG:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-cal ... &nid=95304
"Commenting on whether escalation in the region would make NATO confront Syria and Russia, Toner said that despite Turkey being a member of the alliance, he did not see such an incident happening.
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UlanBatori
- BRF Oldie
- Posts: 14045
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
"NATO stands 400% BEHIND Turkey! (don't look now but v r facing the other way and about to accelerate)" 
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Frontline update Syria except Raqqa:
Dier Ez Zor: SAA have finally made gains in ISIS held territory south of the Airfield. They have also destroyed a 200 mtr long tunnel.
Damascus: Advances by SAA+ in both Eastern and Western Ghouta (open farms). Relief material trucks into rebel held Mohamadiya.
Northern Aleppo: YPG/ SDF continue attacking though Mare (Mayer/ Maree) is still disputed.
Aleppo: YPG have cut the supply road of rebels in the city and have also gained some territories. SAA is on its own offensive in the city.
Eastern Aleppo: Tiger Forces offensive on Thermal Power plant failed against ISIS yesterday. They have launched another offensive. ISIS is desperate to hold on.
Hasakah: YPG has liberated 02 villages from ISIS control.
Lattakia: Commando assault by SAA on KInsabba is on. Results and updates awaited.
Updates from Iraq: Iraqi forces launched attacks on ISIS positions some distance SW of Mosul and North West of Falluja yesterday. Offensive is ongoing. Lots of rats getting killed in Iraq with regular body count at 20+ per day as reported by Haidar Sumeri @IraqiSecurity
Further huge cache of Israeli landmines have been confiscated by Iraqi forces from ISIS in Anbar province.
Iraqi Kurds have accepted the offer of Iraqi govt to stop export of Iraqi oil by Kurds in return for Iraqi govt paying Peshmerga salary.
Even ISIS is facing severe cash crunch and their move to Libya may be an urgent step to acquire Libyan oil fields ISIS style.
Dier Ez Zor: SAA have finally made gains in ISIS held territory south of the Airfield. They have also destroyed a 200 mtr long tunnel.
Damascus: Advances by SAA+ in both Eastern and Western Ghouta (open farms). Relief material trucks into rebel held Mohamadiya.
Northern Aleppo: YPG/ SDF continue attacking though Mare (Mayer/ Maree) is still disputed.
Aleppo: YPG have cut the supply road of rebels in the city and have also gained some territories. SAA is on its own offensive in the city.
Eastern Aleppo: Tiger Forces offensive on Thermal Power plant failed against ISIS yesterday. They have launched another offensive. ISIS is desperate to hold on.
Hasakah: YPG has liberated 02 villages from ISIS control.
Lattakia: Commando assault by SAA on KInsabba is on. Results and updates awaited.
Updates from Iraq: Iraqi forces launched attacks on ISIS positions some distance SW of Mosul and North West of Falluja yesterday. Offensive is ongoing. Lots of rats getting killed in Iraq with regular body count at 20+ per day as reported by Haidar Sumeri @IraqiSecurity
Further huge cache of Israeli landmines have been confiscated by Iraqi forces from ISIS in Anbar province.
Iraqi Kurds have accepted the offer of Iraqi govt to stop export of Iraqi oil by Kurds in return for Iraqi govt paying Peshmerga salary.
Even ISIS is facing severe cash crunch and their move to Libya may be an urgent step to acquire Libyan oil fields ISIS style.
Haidar Sumeri @IraqiSecurity 14h14 hours ago
Austerity in the caliphate...
Reports from #Iraq that Da'ish slashed their militants' wages from 350k IQD ($316) to 50k IQD ($45) a month.
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member_29190
- BRFite
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
A perfect leason for us that countries with millitary technology create the order. Russia is a 2 trillion dollar economy, same as India, yet is able to enforce it's rules in far off land and take over part of ukraine under severe Western sanctions ! All due to it's MIC.Singha wrote:its amazing how much ready use stock usa and russia have in inventory. someone wants a S300 with TELArs, missiles, reload vehicles, command vehicles, radars and lo here it is !
same for the american boneyards and refurbishment depots - always humming with kit being cleaned up and sent to a mix of dharmics(taiwan) and miscreants(tsp) around the world
Despite all the bravado talk from US & Europe and WW3 with nukes, they could do diddly squat!
While we give out dossiers and scared of "log kya bolenge"!
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UlanBatori
- BRF Oldie
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- Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Syria @Syria_Rising 2 hrs2 hours ago
#Syria - #SAA & Allies on Ithraya - Raqqa road,advancing towards "ISIS" positions ,5km only to the village of Marina
Syria @Syria_Rising 3 hrs3 hours ago
#SAA captures the strategic town of Misqan in N Aleppo countryside. #Syria
(See the cartoon and report above that..)
I wonder how they avoid the Darka Bhutt/NDTV problem with these reports. Delay news? Misinformation?
#Syria - #SAA & Allies on Ithraya - Raqqa road,advancing towards "ISIS" positions ,5km only to the village of Marina
Syria @Syria_Rising 3 hrs3 hours ago
#SAA captures the strategic town of Misqan in N Aleppo countryside. #Syria
(See the cartoon and report above that..)
I wonder how they avoid the Darka Bhutt/NDTV problem with these reports. Delay news? Misinformation?
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
word around the water cooler is that YPG+SDF are planning a offensive to the west of Afrin canton into the Bab-al-hawa crossing on turkiye border that connects to Idlib.
this is going to get the turks even more worked up...
this is going to get the turks even more worked up...
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
usa, russia = MAD = mutually assured destruction
india = MAD = minimum apologetic deterrent
india = MAD = minimum apologetic deterrent
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
iranian forum claims the IS has blown up the karakozak bridge in euphrates due east of Manbij fearing a YPG crossing. the YPG/SDF have already another crossing tishreen dam further south in their possession and a small west bank enclave
http://welati.info/image/2012_1/02_16_12_00_.jpg
that little peninsula on far side of bridge houses the tomb of suleiman shah, to retrieve his remains and his guard of turkish troops , there was a overnight huge incursion and withdrawal by turkish army under air cover around a year back. they feared the IS which is not fond of tombs would blow it up.
http://welati.info/image/2012_1/02_16_12_00_.jpg
that little peninsula on far side of bridge houses the tomb of suleiman shah, to retrieve his remains and his guard of turkish troops , there was a overnight huge incursion and withdrawal by turkish army under air cover around a year back. they feared the IS which is not fond of tombs would blow it up.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
some footage of that raid from a year ago.