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

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 10:00

armenia and georgia share a border with turkey and would be the main conduits for chechen and arab jihadi re-export back to chechnya and southern russia....the border between russia proper and georgia would already be well patrolled, this is probably to close the hole on the turkey-armenia-georgia/azerbaijan-chechnya channel.

there would be QRT units to target any jihadis found - the deployment of Hips and Hinds together points to that.

https://www.google.co.in/maps/@41.23713 ... 0421,6.23z

Y. Kanan · Post by **Y. Kanan** » 09 Dec 2015 10:14

Alright, forget USSR and everyone else, why didn't India finish off Pakistani state till 2015

Why are we still talking about this? "Finishing off Pakistan" hasn't been an option since they got the bomb in 1986. We had our chance in 1971 and there will never be another, especially with the massive arsenal they have now. Get over it; we'll be cribbing about Pakistan when we're old men. Our children will stew over them after news of every terror attack. Maybe it's for the best - can you imagine tryiing to govern east and west Pakistan? We can barely handle the Muslims we've got. Imagine an India that includes Present-day Pakistan & Bangladesh. What a tempting target for Saudi/CIA mischief we would be...

Anyway sorry for OT post. Let's get back to Middle East...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 10:16

please move TSP discussion to the ample number of TSP threads.

The Hindu excerpt:
Mr. Putin noted that the new cruise missile can be equipped with both conventional and nuclear warheads, adding he hopes that the latter “will never be needed.”

Shoigu said Tu-22 bombers flying from their base in Russia also took part in the latest raids, performing 60 combat sorties in the last three days.

Shoigu said the Russian military had informed Israel and the United States about the airstrikes before launching them. A U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to discuss the matter publicly, confirmed that Russia notified the U.S. in advance.

The U.S. official said at least 10 cruise missiles were launched from Russian surface ships in the Caspian Sea and at least one missile was fired by a Russian submarine in the eastern Mediterranean.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 09 Dec 2015 10:19

As speculated earlier:

Russia casts doubt on possible Dec. 18 Syria meeting in New York - Dec 08, 2015
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-casts-doub ... 47620.html

"In our view to have one meeting after another without implementing the agreements which were reached previously within the Vienna format is probably going to devalue the Vienna format," he said. "We think that now we need to focus on the substance rather than setting another meeting."

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 10:19

WaPO:
BAGHDAD — Iraqi forces announced Tuesday that they had driven the Islamic State out of large parts of Ramadi in a campaign to retake the capital of Iraq’s largest province, seven months after the city’s fall to the extremist group.

The advance appears to be the latest in a string of successes by U.S.-backed ground forces battling the Islamic State at its strongholds in Iraq and Syria as a military coalition led by the United States supports them with air raids.

Iraqi officials said that counterterrorism forces and ground troops had regained control of Ramadi’s strategic Tamim neighborhood, including a military command center for Anbar province, of which Ramadi is the capital.

“Very soon, we will finish Ramadi,” Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in an address on Iraqi television, predicting that the city would fall to his forces “in days.”

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 10:21

chankian move to focus on the harder target Ramadi rather than easier Falluja.

Falluja is in between Ramadi and Baghdad and any rodents trapped there will have no route to escape.
east is baghdad, crawling with al-sadr militias, west is ramadi full of iraqi army, north is samarra and tikrit again in govt hands and south is karbala

hope the iraqis now focus on places west of ramadi to the syria border like haditha and qaim...this is probably where IS a-team is sheltering safely , those who have not yet relocated to turkey.

Y. Kanan · Post by **Y. Kanan** » 09 Dec 2015 10:22

I suspect Turks will find a reason to close the straights soon. What is the realistic Russian response? Zhirinovsky isn't going to get his way, sadly...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 10:26

yes I am sure the turks will try to disrupt the war with some judo moves and attempt to draw NATO into a fight with Rus.

NATO would be wisest to pack up from Incirlik and go home until durga puja is over. as it is , they are able to do precious little with no boots on ground.

the mighty CDG seems not to have launched a single attack sortie so far...

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 10:29

infact its been ineffectual and will move to gulf in a few days lol...talk about the mouse that roared..."Baghdadi kaha hai!"
http://www.france24.com/en/20151204-pre ... rian-coast
The French aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle is to move into the Persian Gulf in a “few days” to take over a command role in air strikes against the Islamic State group, French President François Hollande said on Friday as he visited the ship.

The Charles de Gaulle, France’s only aircraft carrier, is currently located in the eastern Mediterranean, where it has been taking part in airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) group since November 24.

"In a few days, you will join a new deployment area, taking over command responsibilities from our allies in the coalition," Hollande said in a speech to the aircraft carrier’s crew.

===

I guess bombing Al Nusra was out of question !!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 10:32

kurd map compared
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVtWJC4WEAER3dm.png:large

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 10:33

Hassan Ridha ‏@sayed_ridha 20h20 hours ago
#Iraq-i FM Jaafari says demand for Turkish troops withdrawal expires today, PM Abadi accuses #Turkey of being major #IS oil smuggling hub

habal · Post by **habal** » 09 Dec 2015 10:53

Y. Kanan wrote:I suspect Turks will find a reason to close the straights soon. What is the realistic Russian response? Zhirinovsky isn't going to get his way, sadly...

sadly ... response in such cases is never realistic ..

when war begins everything gets pretty unrealistic ..
who would have dreamed about turkey invading iraq .. breaking montreaux, openly trading oil with isis, shooting down russian plan and rescue helicopter before September 2015 !!

the weakest part of the chain will give up first .. if you think it is going to be Russia then it is your understanding sadly ... who knows what is going to happen .. us indics are hidden behind the rock and will emerge when fight is over.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 09 Dec 2015 11:45

Iraq, traffic accident stopped two VBIEDs:

[youtube]9vLQAEJFw88&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 09 Dec 2015 12:19

French CV CDG's "Command role". Ops detailed below:

1.Operation Fromage-.."How to keep our sailors in fighting fettle with adequate supplies of food and drink.
Essential comestibles.Stinky Camembert cheese from Normandy.List of essential artisanal cheeses: Brie de Meaux, the Crottin de Chavignol ,the Bleu d’Auvergne.

2,Operation Bubbly: Stocks of Champagne,Cognac,Armangnac,Calvados, and wines from Bordeaux,Burgundy and Bourgogne Blanc and Chablis.

3.Op Escargot:Supplies of foie gras,truffles,caviar,escargot (snails),frogs legs and escargot caviar.

4.Op Medic: Crack teams of gastro specialists to attend to the "Froggies" who've over-imbibed!

Helos embarked aboard the CDG will fly in supplies from the Cote d'Azur."Le weekend" R&R trips to the casino at Monaco included.

Meanwhile aboard a Russian Kilo class sub...
Russia ratchets up pressure with Syria submarine strikes ahead of talks
Moscow shows off force with Mediterranean launch a day before rebel groups assemble in Riyadh to discuss forming united front against Bashar al-Assad

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... talks.html

Russia flexed its military muscles on Tuesday as it launched strikes in Syria for the first time from a submarine stationed in the Mediterranean, ratcheting up its bombing campaign in the war-torn country.

The strikes came with Syria's splintered opposition due to begin Saudi-organised talks in Riyadh on Wednesday for difficult discussions on forming a united front in potential talks with President Bashar al-Assad to end the country's four-year conflict.

Moscow's latest strikes hit "300 targets of different kinds" in the past three days and helped Syrian special forces recover the black box of the Russian warplane shot down by Turkey last month, said Sergei Shoigu, defence minister.

A Russian war plane crashing in flames in a mountainous area in northern Syria after it was shot down by Turkish fighter jets near the Turkish-Syrian A Russian war plane crashing in flames in a mountainous area in northern Syria after it was shot down by Turkish fighter jets near the Turkish-Syrian Photo: REUTERS

"We used Calibre cruise missiles from the (Kilo-class) Rostov-on-Don submarine from the Mediterranean Sea," Mr Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during an encounter that was shown on state television.

He added that oil infrastructure, ammunition depots and a mine-making factory had been hit in the strikes.

"As a result of the successful launches by the aviation and submarine fleet, all targets were destroyed," he said.

Russia launched a bombing campaign in Syria on September 30, saying it needed to target the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - but the West has accused Moscow of seeking to prop up Mr Assad's regime and hitting moderate rebels.

A video released on YouTube claimed to show Russian air-raids targeting the ruins of al-Rabiyah and Shinsharah near Kafranbel - Syria warA video released on YouTube claimed to show Russian air-raids targeting the ruins of al-Rabiyah and Shinsharah near Kafranbel Photo: YouTube

Moscow stepped up strikes against Isil after the group claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Russian passenger plane over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in October, killing all 224 people on board.

Russia is once again flaunting its military might after having previously fired missiles from warships in the Caspian Sea.

The Russian defence ministry said it had upped the intensity of its strikes in Syria since Saturday, dropping 1,920 bombs over the past four days.

Mr Putin said that the Calibre missiles launched from the submarine could be equipped with nuclear warheads - but said he hoped they would "never be needed in the fight against terrorism".

The latest strikes came ahead of talks in Riyadh which mark the first time representatives of some of Syria's various political and armed opposition factions will come together since the outbreak of the country's conflict in March 2011.

The goal is to form a unified bloc for talks with Mr Assad that world powers hope can be held before January 1.

PS:Putin's quote is a signal warning to the Soothis and their kith and kin,not to tickle up the Bear further. The grandiose palaces of the "Sheikhs of Araby" would make tempting targets for Kalibir missiles.

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 09 Dec 2015 12:40

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/ca ... 06424.html

On Turkish deployment in Mosul.

With the military and paramilitary forces in the immediate region generally composed of Shiite Muslims, it is obvious that the AKP is anxious to put itself on the stage in the role of a kind of friendly Sunni “protector.”

It is being claimed by some in Ankara that the request for Turkish reinforcements came from former Mosul Governor Atheel al-Nujaifi and that this is what prompted the placing of Turkish troops in Bashika. But the Iraqi government is now convinced that activities outside the category of “training” are going on in Bashika.

It should also be noted that the paramilitary forces organized and put together by Nujaifi have, to date, not participated in any military action against the local ISIL presence. Thus, it seems likely that the determination to maintain a military training camp -- a camp whose plug has been pulled by the Baghdad government and whose presence is clearly opposed by the state -- is kept alive with other intentions.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 12:56

sputnik:

Iraqi military aircraft have carried out reconnaissance flights over the base where the Turkish forces are deployed, an Iraqi Defense Ministry source said Wednesday.

BAGHDAD (Sputnik) – A source in the Iraqi Defense Ministry also said that the planes captured the coordinates and the number of Turkish troops, tanks, and weapons.

“Yesterday, military aircraft carried out reconnaissance flights over the military base where Turkish troops are located, taking not of the coordinates of their troops’ positions and their number, as well as the number of tanks and weapons,” the military source said.

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 09 Dec 2015 13:05

More on Turkish deployment in Mosul

Iranian-Turkish competition only further complicates Turkey’s ambitions for Iraqi Kurdistan, where Erdogan has developed close business ties to Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani. Turkey has already helped Barzani develop an independent oil export route at the expense of Iran’s allies in Baghdad and is now gearing up to do the same for natural gas to feed the Turkish market. But the collapse of Turkey’s peace process with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (whose fighters rely on Iraqi Kurdistan for refuge) and a power vacuum in northern Syria exploited by Kurdish separatists will drive Turkey’s military to become more aggressive beyond its borders in both Syria and Iraq. Turkey’s control over the revenues from those oil export sales gives Ankara substantial clout over the Iraqi Kurdish government, but Barzani and his allies are also in the untenable position of doing business with the Turkish enemy at the same time Turkey is incrementally enlarging its military footprint in Kurdish territory. This creates an easy opportunity for Iran and Russia to exploit Kurdish divisions and militancy to push back against Turkey.

from here-
http://www.forbes.com/sites/stratfor/20 ... as-come/2/
Interesting times ahead.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 09 Dec 2015 13:14

Caught this flash on Livemap - needs verification:

http://syria.liveuamap.com/en/2015/9-de ... eave-india

The Varyag guided missile cruiser will leave #India to replace the Moskva guided missile cruiser currently deployed off the coast of #Syria

Gyan · Post by **Gyan** » 09 Dec 2015 13:21

Turkey was getting rich by sitting tight and getting goodies from Uncle War and business from Bear. But then decided to go Paki

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 14:04

perhaps that is why Iran has floated a shia kurdish outfit south of kirkuk and mosul. the peshmerga might turn out to be pro-turkey.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 14:06

the varyag (pacific fleet) is now near india for joint exercise, along with a couple other ships. the moskva has completed around 2 months and needs to head home. its also same model of slava ship.

habal · Post by **habal** » 09 Dec 2015 14:09

Philip wrote: PS:Putin's quote is a signal warning to the Soothis and their kith and kin,not to tickle up the Bear further. The grandiose palaces of the "Sheikhs of Araby" would make tempting targets for Kalibir missiles.

these terrorists and NATO terrorists do not understand conventional. It is time to go nuclear.

hit something and hit it so hard, it is etched deep in NATO memory forever.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 09 Dec 2015 14:19

Interesting development here firing Calibre missiles from a Kilo-class sub. What was the distance to target? Show the potential for Nirbhay if we can fit it into the torpedo tubes?

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 09 Dec 2015 14:53

Yes,Nirbhay has to succeed for the IN and our strat. deterrent. Unfortunately,our Scorpenes-to come and U-boats cannot fire such missiles,they don't exist in the Western arsenals. A mystery why more new Kilos/Amurs aren't on the IN's shopping list.

Falling fruit from the Russian bombings what?! Assad scores a very valuable mil point with this capitulation by the rebels at Homs.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 65951.html

Syrian rebels strike deal with Assad and walk out of major city of Homs
Around 2,000 rebels and their families will leave the besieged Waer district of Homs city

Homs was once dubbed the 'capital of the revolution' and was the scene of some of the first protests against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011

Syrian rebels have begun evacuating the last district they hold in the city of Homs under a ceasefire deal with the government, a monitoring group has said.

Homs, in central Syria, was once dubbed the "capital of the revolution" and was the scene of some of the first protests against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011.

Under the UN-backed deal, the entire city will return to government control.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said as a result three buses carrying around 150 civilians had left the district and more were to follow.

Some 2,000 rebels and their families will leave the besieged Waer district of Homs city.
Mr Rahman said about 750 people, including civilians, were awaiting evacuation to the northwestern province of Idlib.

Idlib province is held by the Army of Conquest rebel alliance, which includes Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, which could send some of its forces to escort the buses.
In pictures: Homs left in tatters as rebels quit city
As many as 250,000 people have died in the Syrian Civil War since March 2011, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported in October

habal · Post by **habal** » 09 Dec 2015 14:57

the Syrian war is over.

All that now remains is the formal declaration. The NATO terrorists showed their final hand of desperation when they bombed SAA. They were at their lowest, they basically acted as ISIS airforce in front of the world, and yet they achieved nothing for it.

this is one of the reasons why Russians are not responding to such baits.

one by one now most of US middle-eastern allies are going to come tumbling down. Turkey will be killed by Russia eventually. And that will finish Europe as well.

habal · Post by **habal** » 09 Dec 2015 15:03

Shiite popular mobilization units hunting down ISIS in Anbar Desert

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=676_1449624796

Gyan · Post by **Gyan** » 09 Dec 2015 17:31

I think that Russia has made a super move which will allow coalition of Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria etc to emerge. Bahrain, Libya may join later. Eventually Saudis will be toppled. Russia has tooooo much strategic depth economically to be effectively sanctioned. They will lose some luxuries like BMWs and French Wine but tera kya hoga turkey?

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 09 Dec 2015 18:02

‘Hopefully, no nukes will be needed’ against ISIS – Putin - Dec 09, 2015

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 18:34

Oman is a kind.of India in the gulf. not with the ksa for sure

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 09 Dec 2015 19:14

It is member of GCC but only country until now that did not have single person involved in ISIS.

But we need to find a munna that can host bunch of our folks and stuff, pays for their regular upkeep, bears all expenses for rigorous training including fuel for our birds, joint-exercises, and then takes us along with them in their "negotiations"

We need to start somewhere 'near abroad' than in the kitchen or bedroom to make us reactive enough. Right now we are in samadhi (a dead one at that not jeevant samadhi) nor hiding behind the rock. We simply don't have wherewithal to coordinate a good rescue operation forget about jumping into a theater like west asia now.

What the Arab World Can Learn From Oman

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Dec 2015 19:24

north Yemen is good..rus, india, iran can prop it up.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 09 Dec 2015 19:39

Singha wrote:yes I am sure the turks will try to disrupt the war with some judo moves and attempt to draw NATO into a fight with Rus.

NATO would be wisest to pack up from Incirlik and go home until durga puja is over. as it is , they are able to do precious little with no boots on ground.

the mighty CDG seems not to have launched a single attack sortie so far...

saar, in their hurry, they forgot to pack the wine. very low morale.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 09 Dec 2015 19:47

China is setting up shop in Djibouti.

If I were MOD, I will workout a transfer payment arrangement with couple of near abroad countries to pay for our services and we comp off them on the backend (if push comes to shove). Our folks react well for offering "services" to clients and after they are setup good and become confident, we reveal that we have been paying it ourselves all along but real strategic arrangement starts.

Our inaction is due to our inability to tradeoff between real long term strategic need and tactical capital/trade reality of few million low class labor and few billions of annual payment that is with GCC. I think these are not irreconcilable and a way can be found out.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 09 Dec 2015 19:48

don't be so insulting of Le Force de Frappe. Trouble is that the white flags to go with Les Avions de Mer have not arrived yet.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 09 Dec 2015 19:52

UlanBatori wrote:don't be so insulting of Le Force de Frappe. Trouble is that the white flags to go with Les Avions de Mer have not arrived yet.

i didn't want to say that.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 09 Dec 2015 20:08

Israel has offered surplus C-130s to France. They can use them to fly back to France for R&R no?

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 09 Dec 2015 20:11

UlanBatori wrote: Les Avions de Mer have not arrived yet.

LOL! Actually it's Aeronavale but Avions de Mer sounds so much more French.

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 09 Dec 2015 20:53

Singha wrote:infact its been ineffectual and will move to gulf in a few days lol...talk about the mouse that roared..."Baghdadi kaha hai!"
http://www.france24.com/en/20151204-pre ... rian-coast
The French aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle is to move into the Persian Gulf in a “few days” to take over a command role in air strikes against the Islamic State group, French President François Hollande said on Friday as he visited the ship.

The Charles de Gaulle, France’s only aircraft carrier, is currently located in the eastern Mediterranean, where it has been taking part in airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) group since November 24.

"In a few days, you will join a new deployment area, taking over command responsibilities from our allies in the coalition," Hollande said in a speech to the aircraft carrier’s crew.

===

I guess bombing Al Nusra was out of question !!

Accompanied by Belgian frigate "Leopold"

. It is for le protection de port -avion Francaise .......Belgian defence minister clarified.

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 09 Dec 2015 20:59

shiv wrote:
UlanBatori wrote: Les Avions de Mer have not arrived yet.
LOL! Actually it's Aeronavale but Avions de Mer sounds so much more French.

Pardon cet "port avion" silevousplait.

Abhay_S · Post by **Abhay_S** » 09 Dec 2015 21:01

rsingh wrote:
Accompanied by Belgian frigate "Leopold" . It is for le protection de port -avion Francaise .......Belgian defence minister clarified.

Is this the Belgian way of showing Solidarite or Guiltie