Levant crisis - III

Bheeshma · Post by **Bheeshma** » 20 Oct 2016 11:23

Whats preventing a IED or air strike blowing up this bus?

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 11:25

US and Saudis grant 9,000 ISIS fighters free passage from Iraqi Mosul to Syria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bRv5LKRRGU

Published on Oct 17, 2016

The US and Saudi Arabia have agreed to grant free passage to thousands of Islamic State militants before the Iraqi city of Mosul is stormed. The jihadists will be redeployed to fight against the government in Syria, a military-diplomatic source told RIA Novosti.
"More than 9,000 Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS, ISIL) militants will be redeployed from Mosul to the eastern regions of Syria to carry out a major offensive operation, which involves capturing Deir ez-Zor and Palmyra,” the source said.

According to the anonymous diplomatic source, US President Barack Obama has already sanctioned an operation to liberate Mosul, due to take place in October.

During the storm of the city in northern Iraq the US-led coalition’s planes would only strike detached, vacated or uninhabited buildings, while keeping terrorists as targets, he said.

In September, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter confirmed that Washington would send an additional 600 troops to Iraq to help liberate Mosul at the request of the local authorities.

The source suggested that redeployment of IS militants is necessary because “Washington must somehow counter Russia’s achievements in Syria, try to diminish their importance.”

"Apart from the purely political dividends, the other purpose of this operation, obviously, will be to discredit the success of Russian Airspace forces. And, of course, it’s an attempt to undermine Syrian President (Bashar) Assad,” he said.

The leadership of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Directorate will be the mediators and guarantors of the agreement on safe passage for the jihadists from Mosul, he claimed.

The source added that a similar scheme had been used by the US and its allies during the liberation of the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

Damascus has accused Washington for coordinating with IS after an airstrike against the Syrian government troops near the city of Deir ez-Zor on September 17. Washington said that the bombing, in which 83 soldiers were killed and over 100 injured, was a mistake.

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 11:29

massive attack on children's hospital in Aleppo by belgians.

MOSCOW, October 19 /TASS/. Russia expects the U.S. State Department to condemn an air strike at civilian infrastructure in Hassadjek village near Aleppo where Belgian Air Force planes were noticed, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her page in Facebook.

"I do not think it’s going to be hard to find the photos of the dead and launch an appropriate campaign on CNN," the Russian diplomat has noted.

More:
http://tass.com/politics/907276

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 11:34

Singha wrote:in this delicate chess game, afrin cantons hope of survival is to make nice with assad & russia as he controls their supply line at the back.

some sort of win-win agreement for post-war era would be needed about the YPG rojava areas maybe some federated scheme short of a independent country. amrika cannot help them in afrin unlike in the eastern syria.

YPG appears set to take al bab blocking FSA. With SAA so close they have no fear of Turkey bombing them.

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 11:42

Russia warned the US yesterday about the widely known US intention to push ISIS toward Der ez Zor. Putin called Abadi yesterday and got clearance from the Iraq Government to hit inside Iraq airspace fleeing ISIS, it will be fun to watch a Russia fighter jet near a US one over Iraq, then RuAF bombing ISIS while the US trying to protect it.

For sure ISIS won't be moving much heavy hardware viz tanks, artillery etc through the desert. They will be easy targets and better to retain it in defence of mosul.

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 11:55

here's motorola in Syria wearing bashar al-assad patch.

this man is modern day Chè.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 12:00

the western desert from Mosul to Shahdadi has a few hamlets and camel caravan type tracks...its dead flat from the pics we see near mosul. easily driveable by 4x4 pickups and even trucks.

now its upto iraqi PMU spotters and screening units calling in the Iraqi AF and RuAF. the russians, iranians and iraqis have had a ops room in Baghdad for a while now for track2 baat cheet.

Emirs will travel light and low footprint - 1 or 2 vehicles with wives, kids and personal bodyguard. they will probably get through this vast area if they carry adequate food and fuel. the large convoys with rank and file daesh and camp followers are likely to be spotted and hit...Iraqis smashed two convoys near Fallujah though both were headed out of Anbar into Syria....I had posted the videos a couple of pages back.

that lone Tu214R flying over the western part of the desert between shahdadi and deir azzor should be easily able to pickup furtive convoys using GMTI radar but ideally they needed their new long endurance UAV with the same radar maintaining 24 hr station and calling in the platypuses. that uav is likely another year or two to be mission capable.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 20 Oct 2016 12:10

Good prog. on TV5 Monde on the fall of the Ottoman empire.Part 1 over,part 2 over the weekend.Look for repeat of Part 1.

Heading for Syria! Putin is pulling out all stop s militarily as his naval task force heads for the Meditt and Syria.The Ru parliament is to pass a resolution soon to lease the Tartus naval base for 49 years! THis v.powerful task force accompanied by aerial strikes by the RuAF should help RU,regime and friends (the Hiz and Iran),enable the regime to regain control over Aleppo.

Defence News:

Russia taunts US with biggest military offensive since the Cold War
Kirov-class cruiser Peter the Great in international waters off the coast of Northern Norway this week
Kirov-class cruiser Peter the Great in international waters off the coast of Northern Norway this wXd of the Cold War as it aims to effectively end the war in Syria on the eve of the US election, Nato officials warned last night.

The Kremlin is sending the full might of its Northern Fleet and part of the Baltic Fleet to reinforce a final assault on the city of Aleppo in a fortnight, according to Western intelligence.

The final bombardment is designed to shore up the Assad regime by wiping out rebels – paving the way for a Russian exit from the civil war.

HMS Richmond escorting the Russian Task Group CREDIT: DEZ WADE /ROYAL NAVY
The assault on the city will also serve to highlight US inaction in the run-up to election day and may aid Donald Trump.

Yesterday, ahead of this morning’s debate with Hillary Clinton, his presidential campaign released a letter from defence experts backing plans to increase the size of the US military.

Royal Navy warships are due to escort a group of eight Russian warships, including the country’s only aircraft carrier, as they sail past the UK on their way to the Mediterranean.

Senior Royal Navy officers expect the task force to sail past the UK as early as Thursday in a show of strength dismissed as “posturing” by defence sources.

Donald Trump has said Vladimir Putin is a strong leader CREDIT: EVAN VUCCI /AP
But a senior Nato diplomat said the deployment from the Northern Fleet’s base near Murmansk would herald a renewed attack in Aleppo.

“They are deploying all of the Northern Fleet and much of the Baltic Fleet in the largest surface deployment since the end of the Cold War,” the diplomat said.

“This is not a friendly port call. In two weeks, we will see a crescendo of air attacks on Aleppo as part of Russia’s strategy to declare victory there.”

The additional military firepower is designed to drive out or destroy the 8,000 rebels in Aleppo, the only large city still in opposition hands, and to allow Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, to start a withdrawal.

Putin
Vladimir Putin has also praised Donald Trump CREDIT: ODD ANDERSEN /AFP
An intensified air campaign in eastern Aleppo, where 275,000 people are trapped, would further worsen ties between Moscow and the West, which says the Kremlin may be responsible for war crimes.

Mr Trump has consistently praised Mr Putin as a strong leader and has promised a closer relationship with Russia if he wins the Nov 8 US election. He has suggested that, if elected, he would meet the Russian president before the inauguration in January.

Mr Putin has returned the compliment, calling the Republican nominee “outstanding and talented” – one of his closest political allies, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, urged Americans to vote for Mr Trump, calling him a “gift to humanity”.

Barack Obama said earlier this week that Mr Trump’s admiration of Mr Putin was “unprecedented in American politics”.

Mr Obama said: “Mr Trump’s continued flattery of Mr Putin and the degree to which he appears to model many of his policies and approaches to politics on Mr Putin ... is out of step with not just what Democrats think but out of step with what up until the last few months, almost every Republican thought.”

The Royal Navy has deployed two warships to meet the Northern Fleet group, led by the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

HMS Dragon (foreground) with the Russian aircraft carrier 'Admiral Kuznetsov' in 2014
The frigate HMS Richmond is already escorting the group off the coast of Norway, while the destroyer HMS Duncan was last night on its way.

HMS Dragon is due to sail to meet two Russian corvettes travelling towards the UK from the direction of Portugal. Photographs of the vessels, taken on Monday, were released by the Norwegian military.

A Norwegian newspaper quoted the head of the Norwegian military intelligence service saying the ships involved “will probably play a role in the deciding battle for Aleppo”.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 12:13

PM Abadi with the imperial storm troops

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 12:45

HMS Richmond escorting the Russian Task Group CREDIT: DEZ WADE /ROYAL NAVY
The assault on the city will also serve to highlight US inaction in the run-up to election day and may aid Donald Trump.

Royal Navy warships are due to escort a group of eight Russian warships, including the country’s only aircraft carrier, as they sail past the UK on their way to the Mediterranean.

Senior Royal Navy officers expect the task force to sail past the UK as early as Thursday in a show of strength dismissed as “posturing” by defence sources.

I hope a Russian commander near an SS18 (Satan) goes rogue and sends it to the poodle.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 20 Oct 2016 13:29

Mean while Turkey is quietly cleaning up Kurds http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/t ... 57309.html

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 20 Oct 2016 13:34

So basically a Nato country using US weaponry has attacked soldiers on the ground who were fighting ISIS, NATO is ISIS airforce?

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 20 Oct 2016 13:57

What the hell !!

Many channels/broadcasters are airing the Mosul battle live on FB live page where readers are responding with like dislike button etc
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... nment.html

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 13:57

Furiouskurd ‏@Furiouskurd 11h11 hours ago
Turkish Airforce bombed #YPG fighters 14 times today to save ISIS in Efrin front.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 14:01

Rojava ‏@AzadiRojava 10h10 hours ago
The nations who want SDF 2 liberate Raqqa shld stop their Ottoman buddies attacking the heroes fighting daesh. Get your priorities straight

Rojava ‏@AzadiRojava 11h11 hours ago
14 Turkish airstrikes tonight on Um al-Qura, Um Hosh and Hassiyeh which SDF has liberated from daesh.
Civilian casualties not clear yet

^^ so these are not afrin proper being attacked by F-16 but the area where they were creeping fwd toward Al-bab, which turkiye wants for its own jihadi ratpack

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 14:07

airstrike locations

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 14:07

the military academy in that map may already be in YPG hands per other reports ...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 14:09

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 14:11

small vbied trapped in a defensive trench and then killed with a rocket - Sinjar area

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 14:11

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 14:12

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 15:11

Hitlery or Trump, it does not matter for Syria. You would have noticed how Trump avoided laying IEDs and mines all around Hitlery in context of Aleppo, Iraq, ISIS, Libya, Yemen etc. He just repeats some catchphrases endlessly hoping some to catch on.

this war is a war to the death. the death of syria (God forbid), or the death of the empire that wages war upon this region. I understand that this will eventually be a world war III.

the more victories that syria wins the more the conspirators will conspire. Only one party is going to come out of this. It's David or Goliath. Sauron vs Frodo Baggins. Harry Potter vs Voldemort.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 15:17

certainly seems to be so - uncontrollable dark powers and asuras have been unleashed from the nether worlds to lay waste entire societies...

its beyond control now. sooner or later russia will have to restore some order in the mess by using tactical nukes and their 15000lb FOAB ... scare the serpents back to their lairs ... I am also coming around to a fatalistic pov that its going to result in a general conventional war in the region with ballistic missiles flying in all directions.

only a nation with the population of china or india could fight this war in a dharmic 1:1 way vs the asuras. nobody else remotely has the manpower to keep whacking the moles wherever they appear next.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 15:21

and so it goes on in the gathering dusk .. house to house, from pile of rubble to the next .... nuova stalingrad ... droh kaal

https://twitter.com/MIG29_/status/788784528663937025

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 15:23

the adharmic nature of the warlords fighting this war can be seen here.

Moscow expects the US-led coalition to provide an adequate response to the Belgian Air Force’s bombing of Aleppo, Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

"We have information on the US-led coalition’s airstrikes, particularly the Belgian Air Force’s bombing of Aleppo’s civil infrastructure, with civilian casualties having been reported," she said.

"We expect the US-led coalition and Belgium, in particular, as well as all the international institutions, who have been so deeply concerned about the Russian Aerospace Force air raids, especially about alleged strikes on civilian targets, to provide an adequate response," Zakharova said. "We believe that this fact cannot be ignored.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ru ... m-follows/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 15:25

Iraqi PMU English ‏@pmu_english 4h4 hours ago
#BREAKING - #Iraqi Army and #Assyrian @NinevehPU started operation to liberate #Batnaya north of #Mosul from #ISIS

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 15:31

Highly likely that this cease fire in Aleppo is to help extract the western special forces and 'advisors' who were trapped in that province and perhaps even held hostage by rats. Any photos of those inside the 5 buses.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 15:32

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 15:33

Syrian T-72 Tank Dodges 2 ATGM Rockets

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 15:37

ya allah,

Aragorn pledges unsweving support to little Frodo.

Putin Phones Assad to assure him Russia will not leave Syria to fend for itself no matter what happens.

http://english.almanar.com.lb/70563

habal · Post by **habal** » 20 Oct 2016 15:43

It seems the Kuznetzov will free the aircraft currently in Syria to concentrate on eastern Syria, operating from T4 near Palmyra.

http://www.russiadefence.net/t4282p650- ... tus-news-3

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 20 Oct 2016 16:17

Turkey is using the US-led coalition against IS as a cover to attack the PKK in both Turkey and Iraq, and now against the YPG in northern Syria. Turkey's concern is basically against Kurds establishing an autonomous area under Kurds in bordering areas of Iraq, Syria & Turkey. They have banned a Kurd militant group PKK long back and got them banned by US & EU. But have failed to get YPG banned similarly. YPG is in fact a NATO ally in this war.
This shows the mistrust and variance amongst the allies against IS> For sure once they are done with IS they will fight each other.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 16:37

Ypg is making for the aqil heights which give fire control over al bab town.

Western rag confirms daesh lost its nerve and abandoned its outer line of defences around mosul..few khalifa cubs were left behind when adults fled..and they were duly killed

http://time.com/4537643/mosul-offensive ... d=tcoshare

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 20 Oct 2016 16:39

habal wrote:ya allah,

Aragorn pledges unsweving support to little Frodo.

Putin Phones Assad to assure him Russia will not leave Syria to fend for itself no matter what happens.

http://english.almanar.com.lb/70563

Roos has learnt the lessons of Afghanistan well where they abandoned Najeeb and are determined not to repeat the mistake.

Very presciently pointed out by YIP about a year ago in the Afghanistan thread. There is a discussion on this subject in YouTube.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 20 Oct 2016 16:46

many tunnels like these being discovered. IS have used them to flee.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 16:50

Seems like the two towers of lotr...eisengaard and helms deep fights in parallel

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 20 Oct 2016 17:10

Why thousands of Iraqi fighters have poured into Syria to aid Assad

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast ... story.html

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 20 Oct 2016 18:37

Turkey claims air raid killed up to 200 Kurdish fighters in Syria raid

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/20/middl ... index.html

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 20 Oct 2016 18:49

Turkey is a true Pakistan. Punching much above weight. One key take away lesson is do what you think is right for security of your country , super powers are weakened and world is multi polar now. India should use this message in Kashmir.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Oct 2016 19:15

Russian fleet will sail past old blighty tomorrow.idea seems to be trample around off syria like a pack of wild pigs , stand up to western naval ploys seeking to cause incidents and let the yantar locate and ukhaad ke fekha any and all spy devices and cables found off latakia coast just as americans do off pearl harbour and san diego.

Bears have found a new cave and they want the entrances clear

A couple of akulas will be separately making way to region