Levant crisis - III

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 23 Nov 2016 16:00

i have come to the conclusion that if you have a strategic location (TSP, Turkey, Aden, Egypt, Gibraltar, Singapore, UK, Taiwan) three things can happen

- a powerful kutta will want this location (like UK took aden, singapore, gibraltar)...
- you can use your own power to rule - taiwan, turkey, uk, TSP and punch above real weight
- someone will bribe you heavily to keep you on right side - egypt, turkey, TSP

Erdoganists are not operating in a vacuum. the groundswell of support for him and his bands of goons vs the kemalists and gulenists who were supposedly older and more seasoned must be powerful enough to cow everyone down incl the military and the Alevis who theoritically should be inimical to the sunni wahabi/salafi worldview and more in common with the shia alawites.

but in I think in turkeys case a sense of cultural nationalism and ethnic turkomanism for lack of a better word is more powerful than simple shia sunni dynamics among the arabs further south.

he must be a keen sith lord to sense these shatterpoints in the force and use them to his advantage despite pretty much all his near abroad - syria , russia, georgia, greece, kurds, iraq being against him ....

as of now the only force fighting him seriously is the PKK and they are having a 1:1 exchange ratio in people lost while Erdogan also razes and bulldozes their towns and burns their crops and villages. unless Russia via georgia does a mujahideen thing on them the PKK will remain a nuisance and not a existential threat.

habal · Post by **habal** » 23 Nov 2016 16:01

Syria started the 5th corps.. The new volunteer army funded and trained by Russia.. They were looking at disbanding most of the SAA before since their command structure and logistics and communications were not setup for a modern force able to work as a unit using force protection

This will be a brand new and well-trained and elite army. Equipped with the newest weapons. Will attract many volunteers. As storming troops, they will resemble the Tiger Forces but be much larger in size. Those will liberate Idlib when time comes.

habal · Post by **habal** » 23 Nov 2016 16:03

God is great.

Aleppo is rid of it's hospitals. Esp the last of them all.

South Front – How Many “Last Hospitals” Russia-led Airstrikes Destroyed in Aleppo?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKMOcD0cfeo

till date 90 hospitals destroyed in East Aleppo out of 88 hospitals in all of Syria

habal · Post by **habal** » 23 Nov 2016 16:04

Russian tankers defy EU ban to smuggle jet fuel to Syria – sources

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-midea ... SKBN13H1T8

Bhurishravas · Post by **Bhurishravas** » 23 Nov 2016 16:15

habal wrote:erdogan is in hospital for treatment of a nasty hemorrhoid, doctors say it is do or die for him.

reports say he swallowed something quite large.

That is wishful thinking. Just like Russian retaliation.

habal · Post by **habal** » 23 Nov 2016 16:15

One point to consider: After 5+ years of war of aggression against Syria, the Syrian Government has managed to beef up its forces, through allies nevertheless but mostly through recruitment, on top of that, it had time for training the new forces while receiving new equipments. The SAA is not yet at the point to storm the entire country, but it is getting the ability to have effective multiple fronts with either incremental gains or complete mop ups (West Ghouta).

2017 will show us much more of that with larger gains.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 23 Nov 2016 16:51

habal wrote:Russian tankers defy EU ban to smuggle jet fuel to Syria – sources

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-midea ... SKBN13H1T8

Who is EU to Ban this or that, have they even explained to the public why they have banned had a refendrum in EU on this,

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 23 Nov 2016 20:15

Mystery explained

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rif_Dim ... e_campaign

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 23 Nov 2016 22:24

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 23 Nov 2016 22:27

50 daeshi villages inside the ring + tal afar town itself still to make pink

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 00:33

The Syrian government has dropped leaflets inviting rebels in the war-torn city of Aleppo to a "friendly" football match, as a goodwill gesture.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38082647
(What is Chanakian about this move?)

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 00:37

Syria launches new commando force as war heats up
New volunteer military unit formed by Syrian army as troops battle their way into rebel-held eastern Aleppo.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/11/s ... 16259.html
(listen to the video presentation Iran is pivotal to recruiting & maintaining Shia fighters for Sy)

Bhurishravas · Post by **Bhurishravas** » 24 Nov 2016 01:08

A total of 1,25,000 people have been fired from their jobs in turkey.
Timeline
http://time.com/4581070/turkey-erdogan- ... als-total/

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 02:06

Al JaKeeda
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says he supports the Syrian military - a position at odds with his country's Gulf benefactors such as Saudi Arabia.

The government of Sisi, who was elected in 2014 almost a year after overthrowing president Mohamed Morsi, had been supported by billions of dollars in aid from Saudi Arabia. But ties appear to have cooled between the two countries amid disagreements over Syria.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 02:11

In Syria’s Aleppo, Shiite militias point to Iran’s unparalleled influence
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/mi ... story.html

They are building a force on the ground that, long after the war, will stay there and wield a strong military and ideological influence over Syria for Iran,” he said. “And there is not much Assad can do to curb the rising influence of these groups, even though Syrian officials are clearly concerned about this, because the militiamen are literally preventing the overthrow of his government.”

Analysts say Iran has long used Shiite militias in other countries to project its power. The groups include multiple factions that dominate Iraqi politics, as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, which is more powerful than Lebanon’s military.

Iran and its militias have frustrated U.S. officials. While both sides find themselves aligned against the Islamic State in Iraq, they are at cross-purposes in Syria, where anti-Assad rebels receive funding and arms from Washington and its allies.

Eventually, analysts say, Iran could even find itself in direct competition with Russia for influence in Syria.

re rebel force in Syria:
“They are fighting with passion, and they fight in well-coordinated attacks,” he said. “I remember one battle where these fighters just kept dying in one spot. One guy would charge, get shot and die, and then another, and then another and then another would do the same thing on the exact same spot. All of them died. They are motivated.”

“History proves that whenever Iranians craft groups like these, such as Lebanese Hezbollah, they don’t give up arms, they don’t stand down and they don’t leave territory that they’ve taken,” he said. “They will be in Syria for years and years, and that will have consequences for everyone.”

From other source : Iran is investing 5-10 billion $ annually in creating and maintaining Shite militia forces

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 02:19

Iraqi airstrike kills ISIS Media Minister in Mosul.

IN other development
Civilians flee as Shi'ite fighters near flashpoint town near Mosul http://www.reuters.com/article/us-midea ... SKBN13I0ZB

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 02:24

Mosul battle: Iraq militias 'cut off IS access to city'. Now IS militants are trapped in Mosul and Shite militias are closing in from West while Iq army is closing in from East. Deadly battle can break out any moment as flash point is being reached :

Shite militias some where in West Mosul severing supply line to IS

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 02:30

A displaced Iraqi woman, who fled the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, makes bread in Khazer refugee camp

Displaced Iraqi people, who fled the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, have an emotional reunion as they meet their relatives in Khazer refugee camp

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 06:32

Iraqi af has got 4 more f16iq jets. None of the f16 given have aam so they are looking to buy mig29 to confront turkey in future.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 11:51

Ali ‏@Syrianali_ 10h10 hours ago
Today at tartus recruitment office
more than 1000 men applied for the new formed 5th corp recruitment program

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 11:53

battles rage in the golan heights
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/la ... n-heights/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 11:56

houthis use crude missiles to damage a large saudi camp - video
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ho ... amp-video/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 11:57

turkiye backed bandits have secured the west flank of al bab,
SDF is about to bottle up a small ISIS pocket too

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 11:59

Ibrahim Joudeh ‏@Ibra_Joudeh 14h14 hours ago
#SAA General Nouras Ali Zaher martyred today fighting jihadists in north #Hama

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Nov 2016 12:00

Singha wrote:houthis use crude missiles to damage a large saudi camp - video
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/ho ... amp-video/

They look too crude but the impact is quite big

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 12:02

^^ less range, all meaty warhead I suppose...more like a huge mortar

syrians killed 30 rats yesterday at boundary of the airport.

....

A military source from the Deir Ezzor Airport told Al-Masdar News on Tuesday night that the constant Russian and Syrian airstrikes have weakened the Islamic State's resolve in the province, forcing them to stick to hit-and-run attacks, rather than major offensives.

The military source added that the number of attacks by the Islamic State forces has decreased dramatically over the last two weeks; this is also due to a manpower shortage that is a direct result of the Mosul and Al-Raqqa offensives.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 12:07

huge cache of buried HE found near mosul https://twitter.com/iraqi_day/status/800605196237742081

off in west PMU has linked up with the first Kurd/Yezidi checkpoint west of Tal Afar and closed the vast ring around Mosul

the next step logically is to
- cut off Tal afar from Mosul by closing the highway in the east and rolling up any daeshi nests still there....send a column along that highway to north mosul, rolling up ISIS villages on the way.
- slowly tighten the ring around Tal afar and let no rat escape.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 24 Nov 2016 14:21

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... nda-kassis

US Syria policy: signs of shift as Trump son meets pro-Russia Damascus figure
The president-elect’s son reportedly met with Randa Kassis, a Syrian politician who strongly supports Russian intervention, in Paris last month
Randa Kassis, who is widely viewed as pro-regime by many dissidents, and Donald Trump Jr.

Julian Borger in Washington and Raya Jalabi in New York
Wednesday 23 November 2016 g in Paris between Donald Trump’s son and a Syrian politician with strong ties to Russia has strengthened expectations that the new US administration will side with Moscow in the conflict.

The meeting Donald Trump Jr attended at the Paris Ritz on 11 October, reported in the Wall Street Journal, was co-hosted by Randa Kassis, who runs a Syrian group portrayed as the “patriotic opposition” by Moscow. Kassis is widely viewed as pro-regime by many dissidents, because she advocates political transition in cooperation with the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, and because of her strong support of Russian intervention.

Aleppo siege is 'war of extermination', says injured doctor

“Russia intervened to save the country, for the sake of Syria,” Kassis said on al-Jazeera programme Opposite Direction on Tuesday. “The problem is that you don’t know the Russians, you don’t understand the Russians ... you just accuse the Russians of being against the opposition but you need to understand them.”

Bassam Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat who defected and is now a Washington-based dissident said that Kassis’s organisation does not have widespread support. “It is really her and a group of her friends,” he said. “No one else in Syria recognises her as an opposition except the regime.”

Her husband, Fabien Baussart, is a French businessman who runs a small thinktank in Paris called the Centre for Political and Foreign Affairs, and has strong commercial ties to Kazakhstan and Russia. Baussart introduced Kassis, a former Damascus socialite, to Sergey Lavrov, according to Joseph Bahout, a Syrian expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov meets with Randa Kassis. Photograph: Valery Sharifulin/TASS
“She is a good friend of Lavrov, and he invited her and several others to Moscow and they created what is known – with a certain irony – as the ‘Moscow opposition’,”Bahout said. “The Russians in their cynicism tried to impose these people as an opposition delegation to the peace talks in Geneva. But of course the rest of the opposition all objected.”

Kassis recently posted comments on her Facebook page about the meeting, saying: “Syria’s opposition got hope that political process will move forward and Russia and the United States will reach accord on the issue of the Syrian crisis, because of Trump’s victory. Such hope and belief is the result of my personal meeting with Donald Trump Junior in Paris in October.”

“I succeeded to pass [to] Trump, through the talks with his son, the idea of how we can cooperate together to reach the agreement between Russia and the United States on Syria,” Kassis said in her Facebook posting.

Throughout his campaign, Trump praised Russia and the Syrian regime for “fighting Isis”, although very little of the war effort of either government is focused on the Islamic State movement. It is mostly aimed at areas held by other opposition groups, and their bombing of those areas have been responsible for the great majority of the civilian casualties, according to human rights groups.

Earlier this month, Assad appeared to give the president-elect a cautious endorsement, saying Trump would be a “natural ally” if he fulfills his pledge to fight “terrorists”.

In an interview with the New York Times on Wednesday, Trump said: “I have a different view on Syria than everybody else.”

He gave no specifics other than to say his view was opposed to Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, who has proposed tougher action to back some opposition groups, defend civilians and confront Russia and the Syrian regime. He said he had very strong ideas on Syria, but would only discuss them off the record.

Analysis Syrian opposition left with nowhere to turn after Trump's victory
US president-elect likely to endorse Russia’s policy of bombing rebels to the negotiating table

In the same New York Times interview, Trump also suggested that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, might serve as an envoy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That suggestion and his son’s attendance at the Paris meeting have reinforced earlier impressions that he would rely heavily on personal and business connections in foreign policy, using family members as go-betweens despite their lack of experience.

Members of Trump’s entourage also came under fire from a former counter-terrorist official on Wednesday for their lobbying on behalf of an Iranian rebel group, the Mujahidin e-Khalq (MeK), that was on the state department foreign terrorist organisation list from 1997 until 2012.

Daniel Benjamin, the coordinator for counter-terrorism in the state department from 2009 to 2012, accused former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani and former ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, both candidates for high office in the new administration, of accepting lavish fees from an organisation that had in the past been responsible for the deaths of American citizens and other civilians.

“You can tell a lot about potential Cabinet nominees by the terrorist group they shill for,” Benjamin wrote in Politico on Wednesday. “The MeK has plenty of American blood on its hands, as well as that of thousands of Iranians killed while the group was a strike force serving Saddam Hussein in the 1980s and ‘90s.”

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 15:18

Turkey Says Three Soldiers Killed in Syrian Airstrike
Assault would mark Syrian government forces’ first attack on Turkish soldiers since launch of Operation Euphrates Shield.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 15:40

pics from Mosul front

A Katyusha rocket launcher is fired by peshmerga troops at targets in the Bertela region

Iraqi forces wave on their way to the city

Peshmerga forces gather in the east of Mosul before the attack

Fighting between peshmerga forces and Isis in Bashiqa

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 15:43

Peshmerga and variety of militias along side Iq army look well funded and motivated ! ^

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 17:41

peshmerga have been given a lot of american and EU eqpt under direct transfer and training . they are trained by nato advisers too like using the milan atgm.

the PMU have been given their kit by the iraqi army.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 17:42

http://swarajyamag.com/ideas/how-this-a ... -from-isis

Mawahib Al Shaibani, working for the Art of Living, has rescued numerous people trapped in the areas ravaged by ISIS. Not only that, she has also helped them in building a life afterwards.
kindly read in full .

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 17:49

very khan/german looking Kurd CT unit named dzha terror

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 17:51

the YPG has their own called HAT

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 17:57

Haidar Sumeri ‏@IraqiSecurity 21h21 hours ago
Reports of a huge air raid carried out by #Iraq's army aviation on a Da'ish convoy of 40 oil trucks south of #Mosul.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 17:57

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 17:58

PMU unit sitting on the Tal Afar to Sinjar road

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 24 Nov 2016 18:49

Trinidad and Tobago is among the countries that have contributed the most fighters to ISIS per capita !!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Nov 2016 19:50

And i used to think it was a dharmic outpost on the s.american mainland

A while back a band of islamist bandits in brazil also pledged allegiance to the khalifa