
The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
IRGC irani forces said responsible for southern aleppo are leading the counterattacks. claimed as a deserted dry area. map shows what looks like dried salt lake nearby "lake jabbol"
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
dogs of war - deir azzor


Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
terrain of khannasar ithriah road - dry hills, vast salt flats, no vegetation ..... very tough to hold for IS/JN if SAA moves with artillery and airpower
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cb2hBhFWAAICbEk.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cb2hBhFWAAICbEk.jpg
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Al-Masdar News @TheArabSource 5h5 hours ago
President #Assad calls for parliamentary elections next April
President #Assad calls for parliamentary elections next April
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 11h11 hours ago
Leith Abou Fadel Retweeted Al-Masdar News
Some promising news; we just need three more villages to go before we can reopen the supply route.
Leith Abou Fadel Retweeted Al-Masdar News
Some promising news; we just need three more villages to go before we can reopen the supply route.
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
hard to pelieve neu york times was once a neuj paper -- http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/20 ... s-in-syria
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1754466.html
The Russian officer in Syria awarded from damasckoy steel sword
According to reports the user's network "Twitter"Ald_Aba, in Syria were awarded a sword of Damascus steel, "a Russian colonel" as a recognition of his services to help Syria and the Syrian Arab Army. The picture can also be seen for at least two Russian soldiers.

The Russian officer in Syria awarded from damasckoy steel sword
According to reports the user's network "Twitter"Ald_Aba, in Syria were awarded a sword of Damascus steel, "a Russian colonel" as a recognition of his services to help Syria and the Syrian Arab Army. The picture can also be seen for at least two Russian soldiers.

Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
^^^ That is Col Suheil, leading the Tiger Forces along with Cheetah forces of the SAA in Eastern Aleppo against ISIS recognizing the Russian help.
Along lines I was expecting, SAA struck ISIS positions inside ISIS held territory in Dier Ez Zor . It was a surprise raid which resulted in 65 dead rats though I am not sure SAA continues to hold the territory. This was anticipated as ISIS will be moving forces between Al Shaddadi and Dier ez Zor.
The ISIS response at Al Shaddadi was an indication of their push of forces there and the possibility of weak defences at Dier ez Zor came up which the SAA exploited.
For ISIS this means that they will need to redistribute forces on both fronts thus easing off on Al Shaddadi. YPG would also be thankful for this.
Reports also indicate that a lot of captured YPG members have been taken to Dier ez Zor area from the Al Shaddadi area.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/sy ... ts-killed/
Along lines I was expecting, SAA struck ISIS positions inside ISIS held territory in Dier Ez Zor . It was a surprise raid which resulted in 65 dead rats though I am not sure SAA continues to hold the territory. This was anticipated as ISIS will be moving forces between Al Shaddadi and Dier ez Zor.
The ISIS response at Al Shaddadi was an indication of their push of forces there and the possibility of weak defences at Dier ez Zor came up which the SAA exploited.
For ISIS this means that they will need to redistribute forces on both fronts thus easing off on Al Shaddadi. YPG would also be thankful for this.
Reports also indicate that a lot of captured YPG members have been taken to Dier ez Zor area from the Al Shaddadi area.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/sy ... ts-killed/
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
if the ceasefire indeed holds on Feb27 where will the fighting halt?
Idlib is a mix of JN and other militias all mingled together....will JN get a free pass by hiding under that blanket?
east aleppo, homs, hama, palymra, deir all ISIS bandits dens - war will continue.
maybe some of the hama bandits will ceasefire and settle down for a deal of sorts.
daraya front again a mix of formations with shifting links.
all newbie moderates must be asked to prove their credentials by collaborating with the SAA in going after the JN and ISIS - nobody should get a free meal and movie pass.
Idlib is a mix of JN and other militias all mingled together....will JN get a free pass by hiding under that blanket?
east aleppo, homs, hama, palymra, deir all ISIS bandits dens - war will continue.
maybe some of the hama bandits will ceasefire and settle down for a deal of sorts.
daraya front again a mix of formations with shifting links.
all newbie moderates must be asked to prove their credentials by collaborating with the SAA in going after the JN and ISIS - nobody should get a free meal and movie pass.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
This is the working arrangement of the cease fire agreed by US and Russia
https://www.rt.com/news/333301-russia-u ... ceasefire/
https://www.rt.com/news/333301-russia-u ... ceasefire/
Following Moscow and Washington’s announcement of a joint ceasefire deal for Syria, the war-torn country may be on the verge of the biggest peacemaking breakthrough since fighting broke out there five years ago. Here is how the proposed truce should work:
When does it start?
The ceasefire will become official at midnight Damascus time on Saturday, February 27 (or on Friday at 22:00 GMT). Those who subscribe to the agreement have to publicly declare that they will desist from hostilities by a deadline 12 hours before the ceasefire comes into effect, and inform the White House or the Kremlin.
Who does it apply to?
It is clearer which parties it doesn’t apply to: “‘Daesh’ [Islamic State], ‘Jabhat al-Nusra’ [an al-Qaeda offshoot], or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council,” according to the Joint Statement. The Syrian government, as well as the oft-mentioned “moderate opposition” factions and the Kurds, will have to take it upon themselves to put down arms – or face consequences.
If the sides agree, what will be expected of them?
Participants are obligated to “cease attacks with any weapons, including rockets, mortars, and anti-tank guided missiles” and “refrain from acquiring or seeking to acquire territory from other parties to the ceasefire.” They must also allow “unhindered and sustained” access to humanitarian assistance missions and employ only “proportional force” in self-defense against those not party to the agreement.
How will the ceasefire function in practice?
Moscow and Washington will “work together to exchange pertinent information,” such as up-to-date maps indicating which sides have agreed to the ceasefire, and where they are located. The parties that are confirmed to have agreed to the ceasefire conditions should no longer come under fire from either side. The firepower is then expected to be concentrated on Islamic State and other jihadists.
How will it be monitored?
A Task Force will be set up, co-chaired by Moscow and Washington, which will “promote compliance and rapidly de-escalate tensions,” serve as an arbiter to “resolve allegations of non-compliance,” and refer “persistent” truce-breakers to senior officials to “determine appropriate action, including the exclusion of such parties from the arrangements of the cessation of hostilities.” A direct hotline will be set up between Moscow and Washington to avoid internal squabbles and improve contact inside the Task Force. The statement also leaves a role for public institutions and journalists in keeping the peace, promising that the ceasefire “will be monitored in an impartial and transparent manner and with broad media coverage.”
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
The 'Nimr' Tiger @Souria4Syrians 12h12 hours ago
Rumours Jihadsit rebels call for alliance with ISIS & reject US-RUS deal after successful joint rebel-ISIS offensive
Rumours Jihadsit rebels call for alliance with ISIS & reject US-RUS deal after successful joint rebel-ISIS offensive
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Don't fly Saudi Air/airlines. Terror/hijacking threat
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/ ... iers-bared
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/ ... iers-bared
Terror threat on Saudi carriers bared
By Rudy Santos (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 22, 2016 -
The STAR was able to view the “confidential information” from an airport insider who showed an “extremely urgent” note verbale from the Saudi Arabian embassy addressed to the DFA’s Intelligence and Security Unit dated Jan. 22, 2016, requesting the installation of X-ray machines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 for flights from Manila to Saudi and vice versa. File photo/RUDY SANTOS
MANILA, Philippines – The threat of terrorist attack on Saudi Arabian airliners in Southeast Asia is real, eminent, and allegedly in the final stage of implementation, which reportedly includes the hijacking or bombing of Saudi aircraft.
The Saudi Arabian embassy in Manila notified the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that the Saudi government received from concerned authorities that the “Iranian Revolutionary Guards” are allegedly initiating and supervising a plan to hijack or bomb a Saudi Arabian airplane.
The STAR was able to view the “confidential information” from an airport insider who showed an “extremely urgent” note verbale from the Saudi Arabian embassy addressed to the DFA’s Intelligence and Security Unit dated Jan. 22, 2016, requesting the installation of X-ray machines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 for flights from Manila to Saudi and vice versa.
According to the note, the terrorists are reportedly in Southeast Asia. The team – consisting of 10 persons, including six Yemenis – were tasked to execute the plan.
The note stated that six of the terrorists have been identified and authorities believe they left for East Asia through Turkey on two separate flights to execute the plan.
While their names have been withheld from media, immigration officials have been alerted to their entry into the country.
The terror plot may be launched in Southeast Asia, most likely in Malaysia, Indonesia or the Philippines, the source said.
The Manila International Airport Authority has coordinated with the Office of Transportation Security, whose personnel are responsible for examining the luggage of passengers.
Last month, Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic ties with Iran after an attack on its embassy in Tehran following the kingdom’s recent execution of Shiite religious leader in Saudi.
Saudi also suspended all flights of its airliners to and from Iran.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Western hypocrisy on display.Screw the Shiites and support our Sunni Saudi sponsored "rebels" and ISIS buthcres.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 89921.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 89921.html
Syria civil war: The untold story of the siege of two small Shia villages - and how the world turned a blind eye
Villages that remained loyal to the Syrian regime have paid a steep price
Robert Fisk Nubl, Northern Syria |
This is the untold story of the three-and-a-half-year siege of two small Shia Muslim villages in northern Syria. Although their recapture by the Syrian army – and by Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Iraqi Shia militias – caught headlines for a few hours three weeks ago, the world paid no heed to the suffering of these people, their 1,000 “martyrs”, at least half of them civilians, and the 100 children who died of shellfire and starvation.
For these were villages that remained loyal to the Syrian regime and paid the price – and were thus unworthy of our attention, which remained largely fixed on those civilians suffering under siege by government forces elsewhere.
Nubl and Zahra should be an 18-minute drive off the motorway north-east of Aleppo but the war’s front lines in the sharp-winded north of Syria have cut so deeply into the landscape that to avoid the men of the Jabhat al-Nusra and Isis, you have to drive for two hours along fields and broken country roads and through villages smashed and groined by the Syrian offensive.
Syrian villages where 20,000 people have been facing starvation
Syrian and Iranian flags now hang from telegraph poles outside the damaged village mosques, a powerful symbol of an alliance that brought these people’s years of pain to an end. Among them were at least 100 Sunni Muslim families – perhaps 500 souls – who, way back in 2012 chose to take refuge with their Shia countrymen rather than live under the rules of the Islamists.
The police commander, Rakan Wanous, kept meticulous records of the siege and deaths in Nubl and Zahra and recorded, with obviously bitter memories, the threatening phone calls he took from the Nusra forces surrounding his two villages. Wanous was also officially in charge of many other towns that had fallen to Nusra. Yes, he said bleakly, the calls came from the neighbouring Sunni village of Mayer. “Once, they told me they were going to come and slaughter us – and slaughter me – and I told them: ‘Well, let’s wait until you get here and see.’ On another occasion, they threatened to shower us with chemical weapons.”
Syrian volunteers aged 50 to 70 in the northern towns of Nubl and Zahra are fighting against forces opposing the Syrian regime
Wanous was deeply upset in recalling this. Had some of the calls came from people he knew personally? I asked. “Yes”, he said. “The ones who threatened me often were from my own police force. They came from my own policemen – of course, they had my mobile number. Some calls came from sons of my own friends.” Of Wanous’s 15‑man police force, five stayed loyal to him. The other 10 defected to Nusra.
From the start, Nubl and Zahra were defended by their own pro-regime militiamen, a force perhaps 5,000-strong who were armed with rifles, rocket launchers and a few mortars. Up to 25,000 of the original 100,000 civilian inhabitants managed to flee to Turkey in the early days of the fighting. The rest were trapped in their homes and in the narrow, shell-blasted streets. “We reached a period after a year when we were in despair,” one of the local civil administrators, Ali Balwi, said. “We never expected this to end. Many of the civilians died because their wounds could not be cared for. We ran out of petrol early on. They cut off all electricity.”
The villages’ sole link with the outside world was the mobile phone system that operated throughout the siege so that civilians and militiamen could keep in touch with families and friends in Aleppo. Mohamed Nassif, a 61-year old civil servant, recalled how he had, in desperation, called the UN in New York to plead for help and humanitarian aid for the villages. “I spoke to someone – he was a Palestinian lawyer – at the UN Human Rights office in New York and I asked if there was any way the UN could lift this siege and help us. I asked for humanitarian aid. But they did nothing. I did not hear back from them.”
When the siege began, Wanous said, the Syrian government resupplied the villagers with food, bread, flour and medicine. The helicopters also dropped ammunition. There were three or four flights every day during the first year. “Then at about five o’clock, at dawn, on 30 June 2013, a helicopter came to us with some returning villagers from Aleppo and a staff of seven teachers for our schools who were to hold the school exams here,” Wanous said. “Someone in Mayer fired a rocket at the helicopter and the pilot managed to steer it away from the village and it crashed on the hillside outside in a big explosion. There were 17 on board, including the pilot and extra crewman. Everyone died. The bodies were in bits and all were burnt. That was the last helicopter to fly to us.” The wreckage of the helicopter still lies on the hillside.
But there were Syrian Kurdish villages to the north of Nubl and Zahra and Kurdish fighters from Afrin tried to open a road to the besieged Shia; yet Nusra managed to block them. So the Kurds smuggled food to their Syrian compatriots by night. There are differing accounts of what happened next. Some in the village admitted that food prices became so high that poor people could not afford to eat. The authorities say that at least 50 civilians died of hunger. Fatima Abdullah Younis described how she could not find medicine for her sick mother – or for two wounded cousins who could not be cared for and died of their injuries. “God’s help was great for us and so we were patient,” she said. “But we suffered a lot and paid a heavy price in the blood of our martyrs.” During the siege, Ms Younis learned that her nephew, Mohamed Abdullah, had been killed in Aleppo. She and her husband have lost 38 members of their two families in the war.
But the war around Nubl and Zahra is far from over. I drove along the route from Bashkoi, which the Syrian and Iranian forces took to reach the villages, and found every house, mosque and farm destroyed, the fields ploughed over, olive trees shredded by the roadside. Big Russian-made tanks and trucks carrying anti-aircraft guns blocked some of the roads – driven in one case by Iraqi Shia militiamen with “Kerbala” written on their vehicle – and just to the east of one laneway a Syrian helicopter appeared out of the clouds and dropped a bomb on the Nusra lines half a mile away with a thunderous explosion and a massive cloud of brown smoke. Ramparts of dark, fresh earth have been erected alongside many roads because snipers from Nusra and Isis still shoot at soldiers and civilians driving out to Aleppo.
There seemed no animosity towards the Iranians – whose battledress is a lighter shade of camouflage than the Syrians and whose weapons and sniper rifles seem in many cases newer and more sophisticated that the old Syrian military Kalashnikovs – and you had to talk to the families in Nubl and Zahra to understand why. Many of them had visited the great Iranian shrines in Najaf and Kerbala and several women, including Fatima Younis, had sent their daughters to Tehran University. One of her daughters had – like other young women from the villages – married an Iranian. “One of my daughters studied English literature, the other Arabic literature. My Iranian son-in-law is a doctor,” Younis said. So, of course, when the Iranians arrived with the Syrians, they were greeted not as strangers but as the countrymen of the villagers’ own brothers-in-law.
Read more
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The story of a teacher evicted from Raqqa illustrates much about Syria
“The foreign forces came to us because they felt our suffering,” Younis said. “We appreciated their sacrifices. We are proud of them for helping us. But we are Syrian and we have loyalty for our country. We knew that God would help us.” But what of their Sunni neighbours? One old woman holding a grandchild in her arms said it would be “very difficult” to forgive them, but her younger companion was more generous. “Before the attacks, we were like one family,” she said. “We didn’t expect we would ever have a problem in the future. But we are simple people and we can forgive everybody.”
4-putin-friends.jpg
A poster in Nubl featuring Vladimir Putin, Bashar al-Assad and the Hezbollah leader Sayed Hassan Nasrallah (Nelofer Pazira)
There was no sign of Hezbollah fighters in the villages, although everyone said they accompanied the Syrians and Iranians into the battle. But there was one imperishable sight on the walls: a newly minted poster showing the faces of Vladimir Putin, President Bashar al-Assad and Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, the Lebanese Hezbollah leader. Rarely, if ever, have the forces of Russian Orthodoxy, the Alawite sect and Shia Islam been brought so cogently together.
The men who defended Nubl and Zahra – they also used a B-9 rocket launcher to shoot at Nusra – at first called themselves the “National Defence Force” and then just the “National Defence”. It remains unclear whether they were partly made up of pro-government militias – although such units scarcely existed in this region at the start of the war. The police commander, Rakan Wanous, is an Alawite – or, as journalists always remind readers, the Shia sect to which Assad belongs. Indeed, he is the only Alawite in the area.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
That IS attack looks like classic move down the two corners of an in-jutting salient.Singha wrote:Hassan Ridha @sayed_ridha 25m25 minutes ago
The groups that are reportedly participating in the attack on #SAA; Turkestan Islamic Party, Caucus Emirate, Nusra, Fajr Al-Sham and ISIS
....................
considerable stretch of road has been captured................
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
there are two other pro-govt towns still cut off in the middle of Idlib. hopefully with the ceasefire, some aid can reach them.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
large forces massing to capture the heights west of the northern terminus of al-ghab plain @ jisr al shughur
claim is that from jisr onward its all downhill and easy terrain to idlib and the vital M5 motorway that is the easiest link to aleppo from the south ... any advances into northern idlib would ofcourse result in clashes with the powerful JN which rules the western countryside as the biggest cat of the pack.
they plan to take jisr in "weeks" so the time lines are slow and cautious as usual.
claim is that from jisr onward its all downhill and easy terrain to idlib and the vital M5 motorway that is the easiest link to aleppo from the south ... any advances into northern idlib would ofcourse result in clashes with the powerful JN which rules the western countryside as the biggest cat of the pack.
they plan to take jisr in "weeks" so the time lines are slow and cautious as usual.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Elijah J. Magnier @EjmAlrai 43m43 minutes ago
Jund al Aqsa leaders and scholars join #AQ #JN along with Sham al-Ummah (#Idlib). Jabhat al-Nusra growing stronger.
---
the Jaish Al Fatah, the other big formation in Idlib has also said
Elijah J. Magnier @EjmAlrai 1h1 hour ago
Elijah J. Magnier Retweeted أبو البراء معرشمارين
#Syria/n within Jaish al-Fateh but not part of #AQ saying "no cease-fire if #AQ #JN is not included" in #Syria.
---
so the war will continue in north syria for sure.....these names are just placeholders and have no meaning as they keep merging and splitting every week...nobody can track the service history of a typical rebel from say 5 years ago across job changes and corporate splits and mergers.
Jund al Aqsa leaders and scholars join #AQ #JN along with Sham al-Ummah (#Idlib). Jabhat al-Nusra growing stronger.
---
the Jaish Al Fatah, the other big formation in Idlib has also said
Elijah J. Magnier @EjmAlrai 1h1 hour ago
Elijah J. Magnier Retweeted أبو البراء معرشمارين
#Syria/n within Jaish al-Fateh but not part of #AQ saying "no cease-fire if #AQ #JN is not included" in #Syria.
---
so the war will continue in north syria for sure.....these names are just placeholders and have no meaning as they keep merging and splitting every week...nobody can track the service history of a typical rebel from say 5 years ago across job changes and corporate splits and mergers.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
ISIS have used a VBIED attack to chase the SAA out of khanaser
meantime
SAA Reporter @Syria_Protector 1h1 hour ago
#BREAKING: The #SAA operations of restoring #Aleppo-#Khanaser road have started, leading by colonel Suhail Alhassan [The Tiger]
meantime
SAA Reporter @Syria_Protector 1h1 hour ago
#BREAKING: The #SAA operations of restoring #Aleppo-#Khanaser road have started, leading by colonel Suhail Alhassan [The Tiger]
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
maybe it is a honeytrap to pull all isis east aleppo forces into a exposed area without villages in the countryside where Ru/SyAF can pound them and cause more casualties.
the moderate rebels on the west could be part of the scam and quietly vanish soon leaving ISIS on the road, no cover outside and holding the bag as well
if they get sandbagged on the salt flats, they will have to turn tail for deir hafr as the next line of defence
I sense a iranian sith lordish mind behind this...
the moderate rebels on the west could be part of the scam and quietly vanish soon leaving ISIS on the road, no cover outside and holding the bag as well

if they get sandbagged on the salt flats, they will have to turn tail for deir hafr as the next line of defence
I sense a iranian sith lordish mind behind this...
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 41m41 minutes ago
Saudi Arabia is asking Lebanon to return to its "Arabness"
NassimNicholasTalebVerified account
@nntaleb
@mawali_mohsen @leithfadel "Arabness" vanishes below $35 a barrel, to be replaced by local languages.
Saudi Arabia is asking Lebanon to return to its "Arabness"
NassimNicholasTalebVerified account
@nntaleb
@mawali_mohsen @leithfadel "Arabness" vanishes below $35 a barrel, to be replaced by local languages.

Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
lashing out of a dying serpent...
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/is ... ly-routes/
The military situation for the government in northern Syria is far more concerning than originally believed; this is due in large-part to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) cutting off two separate supply routes that are used by the Syrian Armed Forces. On Sunday night around 10 P.M. (Damascus Time), ISIS launched two simultaneous attacks in southeast Aleppo and northeast Hama, seizing points on the Khanasser-Aleppo Road and the Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road after a violent battle with the National Defense Forces (NDF). While the immediate concern was the Khanasser-Aleppo Road because of its proximity to the Aleppo Governorate, the battle taking place along the Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road was barely reported. However, it was later revealed on Monday night that ISIS had also cutoff the Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road, leaving the soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army’s 555th Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division trapped along the Salamiyah-Raqqa Highway. With two different army units stranded, the Syrian Armed Forces concentrated on the Khanasser-Aleppo Road, where they were able to recapture several points from ISIS and their allies. Earlier this morning, the Syrian Armed Forces began the process of clearing the Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road after ISIS attempted to advance along this roadway on Monday. Both roads remain closed; however, sources from the Syrian Armed Forces remain confident that these supply routes will be reopened in the coming days.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/is ... ly-routes/ | Al-Masdar News
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/is ... ly-routes/
The military situation for the government in northern Syria is far more concerning than originally believed; this is due in large-part to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) cutting off two separate supply routes that are used by the Syrian Armed Forces. On Sunday night around 10 P.M. (Damascus Time), ISIS launched two simultaneous attacks in southeast Aleppo and northeast Hama, seizing points on the Khanasser-Aleppo Road and the Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road after a violent battle with the National Defense Forces (NDF). While the immediate concern was the Khanasser-Aleppo Road because of its proximity to the Aleppo Governorate, the battle taking place along the Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road was barely reported. However, it was later revealed on Monday night that ISIS had also cutoff the Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road, leaving the soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army’s 555th Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division trapped along the Salamiyah-Raqqa Highway. With two different army units stranded, the Syrian Armed Forces concentrated on the Khanasser-Aleppo Road, where they were able to recapture several points from ISIS and their allies. Earlier this morning, the Syrian Armed Forces began the process of clearing the Sheikh Hilal-Ithriyah Road after ISIS attempted to advance along this roadway on Monday. Both roads remain closed; however, sources from the Syrian Armed Forces remain confident that these supply routes will be reopened in the coming days.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/is ... ly-routes/ | Al-Masdar News
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
More from our friends at neu yolk times http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/20 ... i-aircraft
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
The cut off is no trap. this territory will magically become held by approved groups by saturday if not retaken. the ayrabs are hoping to take the ceased fire time to place their assets in the right places. meanwhile the kurds might have some javelins. thats right, something the sdres wanted for their regular army. dont pooh pooh the syrian army, actors have thrown everything they have got, with the m1a1s and leo12s in turki and iraq, t90s in syria, every kind of mlrs, even and including the f22.
the breach is simply the ayrabs thumbing their nose at putin. as is salman proclaiming nuukular status. this doesnt resolve without the houthis making a push all the way from the south and oil staying under 30 for a couple years combined.
the breach is simply the ayrabs thumbing their nose at putin. as is salman proclaiming nuukular status. this doesnt resolve without the houthis making a push all the way from the south and oil staying under 30 for a couple years combined.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
AFAIK ISIS is not covered by the cease-al-phyrr
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
neither are the turkoman militia, Nusra and various formations who attacked that point from west.
putin is going to dig his nose and keep bombing them as its already agreed they and ISIS are not part of the solution but part of the problem.
its a good chance to trap and gun down a lot of die hard ISIS who escaped from thermal plant area to execute this.
putin is going to dig his nose and keep bombing them as its already agreed they and ISIS are not part of the solution but part of the problem.
its a good chance to trap and gun down a lot of die hard ISIS who escaped from thermal plant area to execute this.
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Group names, affiliations and support are about as firm and clear as horse trading in a state assembly politics. the local representatives of these groups evennmore so. they will become approved groups if the politics needs them to.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
A bit of economic news from the Sultan Erdogan's fiefdom.
http://www.todayszaman.com/business_tur ... 13088.html
http://www.todayszaman.com/business_tur ... 13088.html
And how can madrassa math be far behind? Plus populist policies mixed with Islam.Turkey's central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 7.5 percent for the 12th month running on Tuesday, a widely expected move likely to heighten concerns about its reluctance to tackle inflation head-on.
The bank has refrained from tightening even as rising food costs and a weakening lira currency have sent inflation to its highest in more than a year. Now at more than 9.5 percent, inflation could seriously threaten the economy's growth potential, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek has said.
All 17 analysts polled by Reuters predicted the bank would keep rates on hold. Still, market participants said the lack of action only deepened concerns the bank is bowing to political pressure to keep borrowing costs down.
"Today's decision reinforces the impression that interest rate decisions are being swayed by pressure from the government," William Jackson of Capital Economics said in a note to clients.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly railed against high interest rates. In a speech this month, he reiterated his belief that high interest rates caused inflation - a departure from orthodox economics - and said he would continue to issue warnings against high rates.
Erdoğan has emphasized consumption-led growth, to the consternation of investors who have hoped for greater fiscal discipline. The ruling AK Party, founded by Erdoğan, introduced a 30 percent hike in the minimum wage this year, following through on a main campaign promise that is likely to further fuel inflation.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
the essence of war - chase the enemy into a location where he cannot manouver or use his strength effectively, fix him and kill him




Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
read it bottom up
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
ideologies.
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
I love and support my army, but the reality is that we are not fighting a national army - we are fighting terrorists who have radical
3 retweets 19 likes
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
It's easy for me to say "don't retreat" while I am not on the battlefront; however, we have been fighting ISIS for 3 years and we still do
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
but you send new recruits to hot zones like Khanasser, then you're bound see poor results.
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
Soldiers in Deir Ezzor know that they have nowhere to retreat and that surrender is not an option. It is why ISIS can't take the city.
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
The success in northern Aleppo had nothing to do with manpower; but rather, fighting style. Iraqi Shia fighters and Hezbollah don't retreat
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
posts; especially, at Khanasser. Nusra and ISIS thrive on fear. The best resistance to them are groups that don't retreat.
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
SAA losses have been minimal in southeast Aleppo and northeast Hama; however, not something we should be very proud of. Many abandoned their
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
ideologies.
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
I love and support my army, but the reality is that we are not fighting a national army - we are fighting terrorists who have radical
3 retweets 19 likes
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
It's easy for me to say "don't retreat" while I am not on the battlefront; however, we have been fighting ISIS for 3 years and we still do
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
but you send new recruits to hot zones like Khanasser, then you're bound see poor results.
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
Soldiers in Deir Ezzor know that they have nowhere to retreat and that surrender is not an option. It is why ISIS can't take the city.
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
The success in northern Aleppo had nothing to do with manpower; but rather, fighting style. Iraqi Shia fighters and Hezbollah don't retreat
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
posts; especially, at Khanasser. Nusra and ISIS thrive on fear. The best resistance to them are groups that don't retreat.
Leith Abou Fadel @leithfadel 13h13 hours ago
SAA losses have been minimal in southeast Aleppo and northeast Hama; however, not something we should be very proud of. Many abandoned their
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
kurdish team near Shahdadi. the weapon needs no intro - the mighty F&F javelin

could have taken out this VBIED last week - trajectory was that of a top attack weapon and the vehicle was moving plenty fast sideways for manual tracking to work effectively...so likely a javelin
https://twitter.com/DrPartizan_/status/ ... 6325085184

could have taken out this VBIED last week - trajectory was that of a top attack weapon and the vehicle was moving plenty fast sideways for manual tracking to work effectively...so likely a javelin
https://twitter.com/DrPartizan_/status/ ... 6325085184
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Dr Partizan @DrPartizan_ 2h2 hours ago
Heavy clashes right now in Aleppo between YPG & Turkish backed Jihadists.
pic of a swedish teen ISIS fangirl picked up by peshmerga from near mosul somewhere
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cb7Y9YAWEAEH6bP.jpg
Heavy clashes right now in Aleppo between YPG & Turkish backed Jihadists.
pic of a swedish teen ISIS fangirl picked up by peshmerga from near mosul somewhere
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cb7Y9YAWEAEH6bP.jpg
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
FSA firing a home made missile at the fortified YPG suburb of Sheikh maqsood aleppo
https://twitter.com/UniteKurdistan/stat ... 9772144640
young boy severely wounded by this kind of shelling
https://twitter.com/DrPartizan_/status/ ... 8018476033
ISIS prisoners shahdadi
https://twitter.com/DrPartizan_/status/ ... 3435223040
https://twitter.com/UniteKurdistan/stat ... 9772144640
young boy severely wounded by this kind of shelling
https://twitter.com/DrPartizan_/status/ ... 8018476033
ISIS prisoners shahdadi
https://twitter.com/DrPartizan_/status/ ... 3435223040
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
no guru here.nageshks wrote:A basic (probably stupid) question for Gurus here. Why doesn't Syrian govt & its allies just focus on one front at a time & wipe it out? Maybe focus on Aleppo first & then roll up the desert flank of Idlib & Hama southwards & only then try to take care of the far eastern Euphrates provinces? Why are they attacking along so many axes?
John Kerry says partition of Syria possible if ceasefire fails – video
http://www.theguardian.com/global/video ... ails-video
This is the plan...when ceasefire is announced, if terrorists hold an area clear of any opposition then the 'international community' aka terrorist supporting united states and allies will create a boundary. Duly recognized and given 'aid'.
That is why fight must go on in pockets/ even as main thrust is along major centers of gravity which is what we saw (or are seeing).
Russia and Iran both welcomed ceasefire and are playing along.
Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Seeing the big cease fire announcement by Russia and US, the majority of rebel groups have decided not to stop hostilities - their excuse if Al Nusra is not spared we will not be part of the cease fire. So much for moderate terrorists and terrorists.
On the Ithriya - Khanassar front lines - ISIS has gained partial control of the Khanassar town. Lot of false propaganda being floated by 'moderate terrorists' in support of ISIS victories including pics of last years POW. Other such news from the rebel sources is SAA using 06 SS-21 ballistic missiles at Khanassar and Tochka strikes.
Apart from this front ISIS looks to be in a bad way with more than 100 fighters rumoured to have run from Mosul because of non payment of wages for last 03 months.
In other ISIS news:
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/is ... oly-quran/
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/is ... ve-vs-saa/
On the Ithriya - Khanassar front lines - ISIS has gained partial control of the Khanassar town. Lot of false propaganda being floated by 'moderate terrorists' in support of ISIS victories including pics of last years POW. Other such news from the rebel sources is SAA using 06 SS-21 ballistic missiles at Khanassar and Tochka strikes.
Apart from this front ISIS looks to be in a bad way with more than 100 fighters rumoured to have run from Mosul because of non payment of wages for last 03 months.
In other ISIS news:
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/is ... oly-quran/
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/is ... ve-vs-saa/
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
Feb 22, 2016
Not just playing along. "positive experience on cooperation of destruction of Syrian chemical weapons was used" is, in my reading, basically means....what worked then worked now.....means, a specter of nuclear weapons threat (or possibility) was used.
If so, ceasefire is nothing but white zhanda by shakuni mama.
Not just playing along. "positive experience on cooperation of destruction of Syrian chemical weapons was used" is, in my reading, basically means....what worked then worked now.....means, a specter of nuclear weapons threat (or possibility) was used.
If so, ceasefire is nothing but white zhanda by shakuni mama.
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
The javelin launch is a strange message. from whom to who is for reader to understand. note that unlike previous glorification, the launch team here is not shown.
it will be interesting to see events post saturday.
it will be interesting to see events post saturday.
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Re: The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc) - II
feels like he is eating his own dodo..