Syria in 2016 (July-September)

[CrowBat]

CrowBat....what do you think of this article....have some serious heartburn with a lot of his comments even though author claims to have actually conducted interviews......not exactly sure who he interviewed....

http://warontherocks.com/2016/08/washingtons-sunni-myth-and-the-middle-east-undone/
Oh... sigh... that's not easy to explain.

Generally - and with exception of completely ignoring the US 'success' in antagonizing most of Sunnis in the Middle East (primarily ever since it invaded Iraq, and then let the country be taken over by 'Iranians') - the first part is quite good.

The only 'mistake' (if that's a proper expression) there is that the author made no difference between the JAN and the Daesh. It was the Daesh that was created by Iraqi immigrants in Syria with Wahhabist: JAN by Syrian Salafists.

Call that 'hair-splitting', and it's certainly a generalization too, but there is a big difference in detail.

Starting with the sub-chapter State Collapse and Militias Fighting for Assad, the author is moving into a topic I have a feeling he's got no clear insight about (not to say, 'no clue'). Indeed, in some cases he's at least clueless - if not intentionally misinforming.

For example, the author is talking about 'weakened Syrian Army'. Sorry mate, this Army was transformed into the NDF, and the NDF into various sectarian militias. Ask any member of Hezbollah/Syria, IRGC, or any of Iraqi Shi'a Jihadist militias you find: what's left is 'pro-forma army'. Everybody 'in Syria' (that is: within areas still 'controlled by the regime') knows this. Everybody knows the only 'Syrian' troops holding the frontlines north of as-Safira and all the way to Nubol/Zahra are either Hezbollah/Syria or Ba'ath Party Militias.

But he missed all of that...? Come on...

Sure, one could ask, why is this 'unknown' in the public? Because Assad is not stupid to publicly confirm he's got no 'army', but only a hoge-poge of sectarian militias fighting for him. That would de-legitimize him right away.

And, 'yeah', Iraqi Shi'a Jihadists brought to Syria by the IRGC are 'not controlling' any areas. BUT, what their presence is enabling the Hezbollah/Syria to establish itself in control of areas 'behind' these frontlines. And it's growing without an end. Some of its units were mere companies only 12 months ago, but are now de-facto divisions with multiple brigades - all financed and controlled by the IRGC.

And then Muheisni... long story kept short: a (Qatar/Kuwait-supported) Salafist, a thug and somebody that cannot but be despised by any freedom-loving human being - but a Salafist. Not a (Saudi-supported) Wahhabist. Again: 'hair splitting', but important.

The further it goes, the worse it gets. Some statements just can't be further away from reality. Like '...in Syria there is still a state and it is doing most of the killing, though not for sectarian reasons...'. That's simply BS. From standpoint of Assadists (Alawites, Ba'athists, PFLP-GCs etc.), Syrian state = Assad. Period.

Similarly, 'There have been exceptions such as the 2012 Hula or 2013 Baniyas massacres in which ill-disciplined local Alawite militiamen exacted revenge on Sunni communities housing insurgents, targeting civilians as well...'

Really, 'gimme a break'. The regime is intentionally targeting - see: 'punishing' - any civilians protesting against it, or even living in insurgent-controlled areas. If necessary, with help of CWs too (and this with CWs that were supposedly destroyed). I've explained the reasons here at least half a dozen of times. So, he lost me completely here.

Overall, the taste left by the rest of that feature reminds me strongly of that pro-Assad British character reporting similar nonsense from Syria for The Independent. Sorry, but not worth reading.

***********

BTW, for those speaking German, the (official) Austrian military magazine Truppendienst has launched its own, online coverage of the SCW, back in July.

This is containing a summary of what happened in this war since 2011 (http://www.truppendienst.com/themen/beitraege/artikel/der-syrische-buergerkrieg/), with a review of major beligerents, a good review of major insurgent operation rooms (http://www.truppendienst.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Einzelbeitraege/2016/Syrien/11_07_16_Basis/Aufstaendische_ORs.pdf) (PDF, though this might need an update, since much changed in the last two months), and a link to a very interesting map (http://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/rebel-factions_80751#8/35.156/38.276) indicating dispositions of insurgent and jihadist groups - based on geo-location of various videos these are publishing.

Considering the reporting is primarily 'military-oriented', most of this was published in July, and they just released their August Update (http://www.truppendienst.com/themen/beitraege/artikel/der-syrische-buergerkrieg-update-15-08-16/), seems this is going to be updated monthly. Means, might become a useful source for 'quick summaries' of specific periods in the future.

[CrowBat]

The point of my argument was to highlight that as much as Sunni Arabs might condemn the West in general, and the United States in particular, for inaction in the face of oppression by the “Shia Front”, I fail to see how they would hold the United States more responsible than Iran or Russia.
That's very simple.

USA invaded Iraq + toppled Saddam = that was OK (for the GCC).

But, the USA then installed a pro-Iranian government = not OK, i.e. (in the words of the Chief of Police in Dubai, from about three years ago), 'USA are now our (Sunni Arab) enemies'.


As for Operation Iraqi Freedom and the subsequent occupation of Iraq, the United States is rightly held responsible, even though Russia and/or China could have tried harder to prevent the war.What could they have done?

Nothing could've stopped Bush Jr and Dick Channey from invading. Absolutely nothing. I mean... sigh... (can't talk about all the details), but really: there was more and more serious opposition to that idiotic invasion of Iraq 'from within' (within the Pentagon, within the US intel apparatus etc.) than from Russia and China combined. And this didn't help. So, what could've Russia and China do...?

Nothing at all.


As we are discussing popular perceptions, I am going to hold that the ousting of Ghaddafi is seen as an American initiative, despite the fact that it was the British, French and Qataris overstepping the bounds of the UNSC resolution. Hillary Clinton made the case for the no-fly zone at the UNSC, and the Americans provided the British and French with logistical support and ammunition. Obama was no Eisenhower in this redux of Suez.'Yes, but'... nothing is making wrong public perceptions the right ones. Not even repeating them 50 times a day, nor declaring them for some sort of dogmas.


Intervening in Libya but not Syria was akin to intervening in Kosovo but not Rwanda.Who said there was no intervention in Rwanda?

Ever read any serious military history of that war (one covering its 'coming-into-being' for example, and not the usual blablah starting with the genocide of 1994)?

If not, then ask yourself: who financed the RPA's adventure into Rwanda, in 1990...?

(Believe it or not, but - all provided you're an US citizen, of course - the answer might make you a staunch supporter of Trump on the next elections.)


The Saudi military has had no problem intervening in Yemen with US support and threatening to intervene in Syria, nor have the Gulf states cut off funding for Nusra and other Salafi Jihadi groups.But ask yourself: why should Qatar stop supporting ex-JAN-cum-JFS...?

Who can stop it from doing that - and why is that 'who' not doing so?

And also such questions like: why did Saudis to go Yemen - although they could easily go to Syria 'instead'?

[CrowBat]

Cyrus seems to be an apologist for the Shia Front and is basically encouraging the West to simply abandon the Sunni Arabs in Syria and allow the Shias to have their way...
Full agreement.

Let me add a sort of a 'PS' here in this regards.

I happen to be one of those nerds who are going out and asking a lots of questions. Between the places wehre I go out and ask questions are gatherings of refugees living 'somewhere around here'.

One of biggest groups that arrived in recent years are young Iranians - including plenty of Afghan Hazaras (i.e. kids of Afghan Hazaras who fled to Iran from Soviet invasion -and who actually haven't got the Iranian citizenship, although born and raised there).

But, I'm going off topic now...

Point is this: what I've got to hear from several of them is that since some 3-4 years, the MOI in Tehran is 'deploying' a number of... how shall I designate/call/describe them... 'misinformers' in the West. Young 'gents' with (usually) excellent education, fully fluent in English, kind of 'Western raised/influenced' etc. Characters in question are then publishing articles like that one - or helping others launch such sensationalist articles like those faming Maj-Gen Soleimani, that were so popular in the West (especially the USA), about two years ago.

Makes me wonder if the backgrounds of the message that can be read in that piece is not of similar origin?

Especially the part about 'Iraqi Shi'a militias not controlling any parts of Syria' is de-facto 'forcing' me into such thinking....

[OUTLAW 09]

You do have to love the ME sometimes: US is helping Turkey fight ISIS and contain US-backed YPG. Now also giving air support to Ahrar.

SYRIA: Longer statement by a source at the Syrian FM condemning 'breach of sovereignty' by #Turkey
http://sana.sy/en/?p=86277

Vice President Joe Biden calls on Syrian Kurdish forces to move back across the Euphrates River.

THIS was the verbal agreement between Erdogan and Obama when the Turks "allowed" SDF which actually was the YPG take Manbij......

Key #Syria units involved:

Faylaq al-Sham
Jabhat al-Shamiya
Nour al-Din al-Zinki
Sultan Murad
13th Division
Suqor al-Jebel
Jaish al-Tahrir
Hamza Division
Jaish al-Nasr
Mutassim Brigade
Ahrar Tel Rifaat
Liwa al-Fateh
Ahrar al-Sham is also involved (confirmed by source) in the #Jarablus offensive, though more quietly than other FSA/vetted groups.

Turkey jets, artillery & SOF
- US jets, drones & SOF
- FSA units

All involved in offensive on #ISIS in Jarablus.

Turkish artillery is warding off #YPG from #Jarablus.

#Turkey says any YPG move across the Euphrates will = “necessary measures.”

[OUTLAW 09]

You do have to love the ME sometimes: US is helping Turkey fight ISIS and contain US-backed YPG. Now also giving air support to Ahrar.

SYRIA: Longer statement by a source at the Syrian FM condemning 'breach of sovereignty' by #Turkey
http://sana.sy/en/?p=86277

Vice President Joe Biden calls on Syrian Kurdish forces to move back across the Euphrates River.

THIS was the verbal agreement between Erdogan and Obama when the Turks "allowed" SDF which actually was the YPG take Manbij......

Key #Syria units involved:

Faylaq al-Sham
Jabhat al-Shamiya
Nour al-Din al-Zinki
Sultan Murad
13th Division
Suqor al-Jebel
Jaish al-Tahrir
Hamza Division
Jaish al-Nasr
Mutassim Brigade
Ahrar Tel Rifaat
Liwa al-Fateh
Ahrar al-Sham is also involved (confirmed by source) in the #Jarablus offensive, though more quietly than other FSA/vetted groups.

Turkey jets, artillery & SOF
- US jets, drones & SOF
- FSA units

All involved in offensive on #ISIS in Jarablus.
Turkish artillery is warding off #YPG from #Jarablus.

#Turkey says any YPG move across the Euphrates will = “necessary measures.”


Jarablus not completely liberated yet, but rebels entered the city within a few hours. Gee, how is this anti-ISIS op not like the rest?

Now let's play a game, boys and girls. How badly infiltrated was ISIS in Jarablus by Turkish-backed Arab proxies?

One of the most significant anti-ISIS battles took fewer than 9 hours. Led by US, Turkey and FSA groups.

Kurds thought the US was building them a state in Syria. Now they'll see Biden's comment as the latest in a long line of American betrayals.

Consider how much time was wasted in US foot-dragged and strong-arming. Groups US jets helped take Jarablus could have been helped earlier.

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister
‏@Charles_Lister
#Jarablus has fallen; FSA control former #ISIS HQ.

Phase II of operation will seek to connect with Al-Rai.

Phase III = to capture Al-Bab.

[OUTLAW 09]

America's foremost ground proxy in war against ISIS all but declaring war on Turkey. Tell me how this ends well.

[OUTLAW 09]

Jarabulus is liberated from #ISIS by the Turkish Army and Syrian rebels.
Resistance looks differently ...

BREAKINGNEWS
The #YPG surrenders all its territory West of the #Euphrates.
- YPG spokesman Reduce Koma

He says, move due to "demand by the #US" & can not speak for #SDF.
But we all know, SDF is NOTHING without YPG.
http://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/ypg-firat-in-dogusuna-cekilme-talebine-yaniti-ancak-sdg-verebilir-125439.html …

You can think of the #SDF what you want
But 264 of their fighters died, liberating #Manbij from #ISIS terrorists.
Now they must surrender it

Aleppo: #FSA rebels have captured #Al_Shamel village and reached #Amarinah south of #Jarabulus.

[OUTLAW 09]

Russia 'deeply concerned' at #Turkish operation in Syria: foreign ministry

[OUTLAW 09]

Jarablus not completely liberated yet, but rebels entered the city within a few hours. Gee, how is this anti-ISIS op not like the rest?

Now let's play a game, boys and girls. How badly infiltrated was ISIS in Jarablus by Turkish-backed Arab proxies?

One of the most significant anti-ISIS battles took fewer than 9 hours. Led by US, Turkey and FSA groups.

Kurds thought the US was building them a state in Syria. Now they'll see Biden's comment as the latest in a long line of American betrayals.

Consider how much time was wasted in US foot-dragged and strong-arming. Groups US jets helped take Jarablus could have been helped earlier.

BREAKING: Faylaq al-Sham declares #Jarabulus fully captured.

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkey already has a Twitter account for the operation in Syria: @EuphratesShield
pic.twitter.com/oEPQYolZWp

Assuming they want Manbij and Marea it creates a 20km safe zone within Syria

#NewsMap: Battle of #Jarablus - August 24, 2016 (17:00) #Syria
#Turkey #Rebels vs #IS
HD: http://newsmap.pl/news/syria-turcja-wraz-z-rebeliantami-zaatakowala-dzarabulus#news-9853 …

From Kurdish commenter....
Syrian Kurdish official Ilham Ahmed told ANHA that Jarabulus operation result of meetings between Iran, Turkey and Syrian regime.

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkey (NATO) invaded Syria, US provided air support. Headline I've waited for for so long, never thought I'd see it

Turkey Invades Syria; US Warns Kurdish Groups To Withdraw To Northeast
http://bit.ly/2bwmaHD | LIVE UPDATES

This is the biggest news story in the world and I do not know why the rest of the media has not figured this out

Syria #SDF seized Ayn Al-Bayda & Amarinah after #IS retreated
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.730320&lon=37.994413&z=14&m=b …

Meanwhile in Al-Rai impressive demining work of land mines #ISIS left behind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnyCOe-tVSg …

Pretty sure #FSA (#Jarablus) connecting with #SDF (#Manbij)
today or tommorrow somewhere here:
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.693199&lon=37.987633&z=13&m=b …

FSA has taken Al-Jamel from ISIS in Jarablus countryside

FSA reach Amarinah 8km south of #Jarablus
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.742254&lon=38.010807&z=14&m=b …

FSA & #Turkey tanks pushed into #Syria over a length of ~15km
(Turaykham - #Jarablus) along the border

Map. Turkish/FSA forces have also taken Trekhem village, 15km W of #Jarabulus.
HD - http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/adc6/2oktpgjhwvn4h5ozg.jpg …

Local armed forces cuts #Manbij road, the only entry of #Daesh to #Jarablus.

And while we look at northern #Aleppo, the #Assad air force drops cluster bombs on #Idlib.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn0HyHZ8yn4 …

[OUTLAW 09]

Drone monitoring: 1st Regiment destroyed w/ Katyusha a 130mm cannon & 23mm gun in S. #Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvwY5cuh_wE …

Pro-Regime entered Technical College with 1 tank, 2 BMPs & 1 BVP-Amb before being repelled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ABi3YbeJrU …

Geolocation: latest footage from 1070 Project shows Regime still confined in NE edge #Aleppo
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.168091&lon=37.107246&z=16&m …

Intense clashes & shelling as pro-Regime forces try again to advance in 1070 Project in SW. #Aleppo.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.165250&lon=37.100101&z=15&m …

Regime & #RuAF used carpet bombing to stop Rebel offensive yesterday on Tell Oum Al-Qara in S. #Aleppo.

After #Aleppo & #Idlib, N. #Homs now also targeted by #RuAF incendiary bombs (RBK-500 ZAB).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc4mEfk0h0Y …

Statu quo on S. #Aleppo front: Rebels didn't take Tell Oum Qara & foiled Regime attempt to recapture Tell Jamaiyat. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.109034&lon=37.099628&z=13&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister
‏@Charles_Lister
#Jarablus has fallen; FSA control former #ISIS HQ.

Phase II of operation will seek to connect with Al-Rai.

Phase III = to capture Al-Bab.


First phase of #EuphratesShield ended with fall of #Jarablus. #FSA now expected to secure whole territory along Turkish border until Al-Rai.

FSA is back in #Jarablus after 31 months of #ISIS presence.
#EuphratesShield

1st consequence of #EuphratesShield, even before fall of #Jarablus: #YPG pulling out its forces from Western bank of Euphrates. #Syria

Iran in Damascus, Russia in Lattakia, Afghan/Iraq in Aleppo, USA in Hasakeh, France in Kobani, Turkey in Jarablus

[Azor]

USA invaded Iraq + toppled Saddam = that was OK (for the GCC)...But, the USA then installed a pro-Iranian government = not OK

The crux of my debate with Outlaw is whether the Sunni Arabs will blame Russians and Iranians for the war crimes committed by pro-Assad forces in Syria, or whether they will blame the United States for inaction (e.g. not punishing Assad after Ghouta, not deposing him, not enforcing a no-fly zone, etc.).

Outlaw is of the opinion that the blame will fall upon the United States; however, he is also a proponent of American intervention in Syria, ostensibly on behalf of the Sunni Arab majority in general, and the secular or moderate groups (e.g. SNC, FSA) in particular.

I am of the opinion that Russia will draw the ire of the Sunni Arabs and that there will be retaliation against Russian interests in the Middle East and perhaps in Russia itself (e.g. Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia).

Unfortunately, I have yet to see any surveys or polls on popular sentiment toward Russia since Putin's showboating began last Fall.


What could they have done? Nothing could've stopped Bush Jr and Dick Cheney from invading.

As part of my argument against Outlaw, I was juxtaposing American intervention in Iraq with Russo-Iranian intervention in Syria, as the United States was blamed for its actions in Iraq, but no country received any serious opprobrium for inaction.

Technically, Russia and China could have deployed "peacekeepers" to Iraq as a tripwire and I am certain that Hussein would have welcomed the offer.

But the point is that I believe people blame the perpetrators for the "crime" rather than the bystanders who failed to stop it.


...nothing is making wrong public perceptions the right ones. Not even repeating them 50 times a day, nor declaring them for some sort of dogmas.

The popular perception is that Ghaddafi's ouster was an American operation. I have argued otherwise many times, but that is the perception, and the current presidential campaign is only cementing that notion. We are not disagreeing on the reality of the situation, but the fact is that the United States is wearing Libya, not France, the UK or Qatar.


Who said there was no intervention in Rwanda?

There was no intervention in Rwanda comparable to NATO's in Yugoslavia (twice) or Libya.

I'm not arguing the details of the Rwandan Genocide, but I am pointing out that American "humanitarian" interventions have been highly selective. There was no democide or genocide in Kosovo in 1999 or Libya in 2011, and even in Bosnia, the majority of casualties were combatants (62% to 65%). While the Srebrenica Massacre was a war crime, there are arguments to be made that this was not genocide. Yet Rwanda, Darfur and the Congo were largely ignored...


But ask yourself: why should Qatar stop supporting ex-JAN-cum-JFS...?

Because Qatar is promoting Salafi Jihadis that will become a threat to the West once Assad is defeated?


Who can stop it from doing that - and why is that 'who' not doing so?

The United States conceivably could stop it, but then Qatar would want the Shia mercenaries, Iranians and Russians out of Syria.

The West cannot solve the issue of Salafi Jihadism among the Sunni Arabs in Syria and Iraq unless both civil wars are solved. It cannot focus on one narrow aspect of the conflagration and expect to achieve any success. Therefore, we are back to whack-a-mole with terrorists...


And also such questions like: why did Saudis to go Yemen - although they could easily go to Syria 'instead'?

Likely because Shia militancy on the Arabian Peninsula is considered a much greater threat than a Shia victory in Syria which does not even border Saudi Arabia.

[OUTLAW 09]

Peshmerga
‏@KURDISTAN_ARMY
The biggest proof of Turkey's cooperation with ISIS is voluntary withdrawal of terrorists from #Cerablus and handed over to the Turkish army


NOTICE the Kurds do not mention FSA troops and units as well.....

From unnamed Kurdish commenter.....
"It's all gone to ####" (anonymous CO)

[OUTLAW 09]

The crux of my debate with Outlaw is whether the Sunni Arabs will blame Russians and Iranians for the war crimes committed by pro-Assad forces in Syria, or whether they will blame the United States for inaction (e.g. not punishing Assad after Ghouta, not deposing him, not enforcing a no-fly zone, etc.).

Outlaw is of the opinion that the blame will fall upon the United States; however, he is also a proponent of American intervention in Syria, ostensibly on behalf of the Sunni Arab majority in general, and the secular or moderate groups (e.g. SNC, FSA) in particular.

I am of the opinion that Russia will draw the ire of the Sunni Arabs and that there will be retaliation against Russian interests in the Middle East and perhaps in Russia itself (e.g. Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia).

Unfortunately, I have yet to see any surveys or polls on popular sentiment toward Russia since Putin's showboating began last Fall.



As part of my argument against Outlaw, I was juxtaposing American intervention in Iraq with Russo-Iranian intervention in Syria, as the United States was blamed for its actions in Iraq, but no country received any serious opprobrium for inaction.

Technically, Russia and China could have deployed "peacekeepers" to Iraq as a tripwire and I am certain that Hussein would have welcomed the offer.

But the point is that I believe people blame the perpetrators for the "crime" rather than the bystanders who failed to stop it.



The popular perception is that Ghaddafi's ouster was an American operation. I have argued otherwise many times, but that is the perception, and the current presidential campaign is only cementing that notion. We are not disagreeing on the reality of the situation, but the fact is that the United States is wearing Libya, not France, the UK or Qatar.



There was no intervention in Rwanda comparable to NATO's in Yugoslavia (twice) or Libya.

I'm not arguing the details of the Rwandan Genocide, but I am pointing out that American "humanitarian" interventions have been highly selective. There was no democide or genocide in Kosovo in 1999 or Libya in 2011, and even in Bosnia, the majority of casualties were combatants (62% to 65%). While the Srebrenica Massacre was a war crime, there are arguments to be made that this was not genocide. Yet Rwanda, Darfur and the Congo were largely ignored...



Because Qatar is promoting Salafi Jihadis that will become a threat to the West once Assad is defeated?



The United States conceivably could stop it, but then Qatar would want the Shia mercenaries, Iranians and Russians out of Syria.

The West cannot solve the issue of Salafi Jihadism among the Sunni Arabs in Syria and Iraq unless both civil wars are solved. It cannot focus on one narrow aspect of the conflagration and expect to achieve any success. Therefore, we are back to whack-a-mole with terrorists...



Likely because Shia militancy on the Arabian Peninsula is considered a much greater threat than a Shia victory in Syria which does not even border Saudi Arabia.

Iran in Damascus, Russia in Lattakia, Afghan/Iraq/Hezbollah in Aleppo, USA in Hasakeh, France in Kobani, Turkey in Jarablus

[OUTLAW 09]

Martyrs Ahmed al-Abdo forces respond to an attack by Islamic State in East #Qalmoun, and force IS to retreat.
https://youtu.be/Qg32EyFRVQw

[OUTLAW 09]

YPG/SDF were warned several times today to pull back....

URGENT - #SDF gained control over Mazaleh, Yussif Bayk, south-west to #Jarablus. #Turkey artillery and tanks firing on their positions.

Kurds are now truly risking to be cut off from US weapon flows and funding not to speak of the CAS......in some aspects the Kurds should hav recognized years ago that their natural and long term allies lay in the Arab Sunni community......BUT they are cutting off their noses to despite their faces.....the first step towards a general independence in the ME lies in federation as their push towards independence threatens Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey......

US Tells Kurds To Withdraw In Syria, Kurdish Group Rebuffs Request
http://bit.ly/2bwrRoL


A major Kurdish leader, from the YPG, has replied to Biden's request by stressing that the YPG and the SDF are different organizations, and Biden's request can only apply to the SDF since that is the only group that is receiving US assistance. Reuters reports:

Turkey's military intervention in Syria is a "blatant aggression in Syrian internal affairs", and results from an agreement between it, Iran and Syria's government, Redur Xelil, the spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said on Wednesday.

Xelil added that Turkish demands for the YPG to pull back east of the Euphrates could only be answered by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed coalition against Islamic State of which the Kurdish group is a major part.

By deeming the Turkish advance, which was supported by the US, as a "blatant aggression," Xelil is opening up the possibility that Turkey and the rebels that it supports could come into direct contact with YPG forces, potentially creating yet another front to this already complicated conflict


Appears that the YPG can do without US CAS...as it has been both US and Russian CAS that has enabled them to achieve any victories over IS and FSA........

Rebel Groups Supported By Turkey & US Reportedly Clash W/ US-Backed Kurdish Group In Syria
http://bit.ly/2bwLH3q

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA rebels have captured Armanah while the #SDF has seized Ayn al-Barda, meaning FSA/SDF have now reached each other

[OUTLAW 09]

@24Aleppo #Daesh decision of retreat came after the killing of #Daesh Emir in #Jarablus & his high commanders by anti-Daesh @coalition raid

Daesh commanders in #Raqqa to their members :"We are trying to prevent a repeat of the same tragic scenario in #Manbij"

EXCLUSIVE #A24: #Daesh retreats in #Jarablus because of orders of the commanders in #Raqqa to "prevent the loss of more members"

Daesh lost connection with +45 members in #Jarablus

[OUTLAW 09]

Michael Weiss
✔ @michaeldweiss Here's me on Jarablus: Turkish Tanks Roll Into a Syrian Battlefield Turned Upside Down
http://thebea.st/2bgWMSV

[OUTLAW 09]

BreakingReport
#SDF forces battled #FSA troops in #Amarinah, south of #Jarabulus.
FSA retreated from the village for now.
#Aleppo

FSA rebels who are wounded in the offensive on Jarabulus are taken to #Gaziantep in #Turkey for treatment

Aleppo: #YPG/#SDF militias attacking #FSA rebels south of #Jarabulus. Heavy fighting now.

YPG Spox: Our forces within SDF in W of Euphrates are in our own country, we wont withdraw just because Turkey wants -

[OUTLAW 09]

Pres. Erdogan: A #Syria led by Assad, who has killed 600k people, will never reach democracy, should be ruled by someone they elect

Map Today there have been massive #SDF and #FSA gains, with IS withdrawals #Jarabulus
HD - http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/a681/4edn1lt714m48z6zg.jpg …

The SDF lost 264 troops liberating #Manbij.
The FSA took 1 fatality, liberating #Jarabulus.
This says more about ISIS than anyone else.

Now TASS with a big FSA flag on their article about #Jarablus. Far cry from their previous maps, showing only Nusra
http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/3564238 …

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian Syrian Express....this time two commercial vessels pushed into service...first time they have been seen.......

SYRIAMAR owned Souria transits southbound Bosphorus. Both SYRIAMAR and Souria are on the @USTreasury OFAC/SDN list

[OUTLAW 09]

Moscow "deeply worried" about #Turkey assault in #Syria
http://tass.com/politics/895737
but battle was expected since 1 week -no words from #Putin

[OUTLAW 09]

Reports an Israeli airstrike targeted a Hezbollah/Iranian position a few hours ago in Fleita, W. Qalamoun

Mortar captured by Nour al Dein al Zenki in #Jarabulus from Islamic State. #Aleppo

Step News Agency repoting from 1070 apartments, reports intense fighting and airstrikes on the area
https://youtu.be/jP2DB5o7JTo

Jaish al Nasr shooting at warplanes with a technical in northern #Hama. https://youtu.be/WOXda3xa5qI

3 injured after 7 air strikes target Taldo, Northern #Homs countryside https://youtu.be/AtTOHGJK4rY

Martyrs Ahmed al-Abdo forces respond to an attack by Islamic State in East #Qalmoun, and force IS to retreat.
https://youtu.be/Qg32EyFRVQw

Rahman Corps firing a b82 rifle at regime fortifications on Ein Tarma front https://youtu.be/oqg-RNwAxos #Damascus

3 dead and 10 wounded after Russian airstrikes target residential neighborhood Mashad, #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/KF6ej0dbqlE

Up close inspection of Russian incendiary cluster bombs in Talbisah #Homs.
https://youtu.be/PDo-60RLRqM

Ahrar al Sham sniping a regime fighter with a tracer round on Ain al Dinar front in Northern #Homs
https://youtu.be/t25_Ld5tJ1U

Destruction in al Waer after regime escalates attacks killing/wounding people and destroying buildings and a school
https://youtu.be/r-8UAfoqD_M

Video from Levant Front preparations for Euphrates shield/ #Jarabulus operations earlier today.
https://youtu.be/My_DhB7lB1A

Remnants of incendiary munitions used on #Homs yesterday.
https://youtu.be/77E8JWPudXo

[OUTLAW 09]

Jaish al Aza attacks regime sites in Salhab with artillery. on the 6th day in a row.
https://youtu.be/o48Md8VJJGE

Regime warplanes targeting the villages of Makramiyah & Haniyah Sharkiyeh North of Talbisah, #Homs
https://youtu.be/ihxKVzSx84A

[Azor]

Full agreement.

Let me add a sort of a 'PS' here in this regards.

I happen to be one of those nerds who are going out and asking a lots of questions. Between the places wehre I go out and ask questions are gatherings of refugees living 'somewhere around here'.

One of biggest groups that arrived in recent years are young Iranians - including plenty of Afghan Hazaras (i.e. kids of Afghan Hazaras who fled to Iran from Soviet invasion -and who actually haven't got the Iranian citizenship, although born and raised there).

But, I'm going off topic now...

Point is this: what I've got to hear from several of them is that since some 3-4 years, the MOI in Tehran is 'deploying' a number of... how shall I designate/call/describe them... 'misinformers' in the West. Young 'gents' with (usually) excellent education, fully fluent in English, kind of 'Western raised/influenced' etc. Characters in question are then publishing articles like that one - or helping others launch such sensationalist articles like those faming Maj-Gen Soleimani, that were so popular in the West (especially the USA), about two years ago.

Makes me wonder if the backgrounds of the message that can be read in that piece is not of similar origin?

Especially the part about 'Iraqi Shi'a militias not controlling any parts of Syria' is de-facto 'forcing' me into such thinking....

Yes, to echo Outlaw's points about Russian information warfare, this "Cyrus" fellow isn't trying to convince anyone that Assad is a democratically-elected humanitarian or that Iran isn't interfering in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.

Rather, "Cyrus" is playing the role of defense counsel by casting doubt on Sunni Arab grievances and suggesting that they are in fact terrorists.

[OUTLAW 09]

Yes, to echo Outlaw's points about Russian information warfare, this "Cyrus" fellow isn't trying to convince anyone that Assad is a democratically-elected humanitarian or that Iran isn't interfering in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.

Rather, "Cyrus" is playing the role of defense counsel by casting doubt on Sunni Arab grievances and suggesting that they are in fact terrorists.

What surprises me is that the War on the Rocks allowed it to be printed without his true name...even if an intelligence officer/analyst, or a ME researcher, or a think tanker, or even a student....in this business one depends on the ability to open everything up to being challenged.....the ability to publish requires the ability to be questioned...and yes even I get questioned ...it is just the way of life for someone who publishes.

In this case the author hid and that is the first indicator that not all is well in the world of Oz.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Iran vessels make 'high speed intercept' of U.S. ship: U.S. official
http://reut.rs/2bHu2Xa

Several casualties reported including women & children in an Assad rocket attack on the #Daraa refugee camp a little while ago

[CrowBat]

What surprises me is that the War on the Rocks allowed it to be printed without his true name...even if an intelligence officer/analyst, or a ME researcher, or a think tanker, or even a student....in this business one depends on the ability to open everything up to being challenged.....the ability to publish requires the ability to be questioned...and yes even I get questioned ...it is just the way of life for someone who publishes.Oh, you should see what two other of such characters are doing at other places - like some of top specialized British military aviation magazines (and that since 4-5 years already).

Best of all is that both are from IRGC-families (and not 'just any IRGC families'), and - between others - convinced of such things like, the IRGC 'must' rule Iran, because the country is generally populated by masses of illiterate stupids...

[OUTLAW 09]

Biden warns Kurds not to seek separate enclave on Turkish-Syrian border
http://wpo.st/3r4u1

This is an interesting development as the Kurds have been "playing" the US first after the Saddam CW use, then the NFZ over Kurdish areas onto pushing the US set "green line separately Kurdsih areas from Arab Sunni areas in Iraq that the Kurds kept pushing to their advantage and the disadvantage of the Iraqi Sunni's....TO the YPG "convincing both the CIA and CNTCOM that they are not "tied directly to PKK" which everyone else knows they are......

NOTICE just how quickly they shifted what Biden openly stated to them...do not move further and to withdraw westward.....to mean only for the SDF and they just kept right on attacking FSA and taking more territory.

At some point there will be either a Turkish or US AF bomb in their midst that will finally "get their attention"......

[OUTLAW 09]

#Iran announced the death of 4 more Fatimiyoun Brigade fighters around #Aleppo.

[OUTLAW 09]

Biden warns Kurds not to seek separate enclave on Turkish-Syrian border
http://wpo.st/3r4u1

This is an interesting development as the Kurds have been "playing" the US first after the Saddam CW use, then the NFZ over Kurdish areas onto pushing the US set "green line separating Kurdsih areas from Arab Sunni areas in Iraq that the Kurds kept pushing to their advantage and the disadvantage of the Iraqi Sunni's....TO the YPG "convincing both the CIA and CNTCOM that they are not "tied directly to PKK" which everyone else knows they are......

NOTICE just how quickly they shifted what Biden openly stated to them...do not move further and to withdraw westward.....to mean only for the SDF and they just kept right on attacking FSA and taking more territory.

At some point there will be either a Turkish or US AF bomb in their midst that will finally "get their attention"......

Well well ... from our "best and only friends" to the west's new opponents in only one day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmxekIF6KHc …
BTW...the statements in the video come from the US supported Kurdish proxy SDF....which is largely manned by YPG fighters WHICH is somehow in the Obama WH totally overlooked......

BUT WAIT....WHO in the US government, CIA and or CENTCOM truly believed the figment of one's imagination that the PKK "lost it tiger stripes ie flipped from being a Stalinist leftie terror group" to being a "freedom loving/peaceful fighting for one's independence group" NEEDS only to look at their logos and flag evolution since 1979....AND needs to recheck their own brain.......

BUT WAIT that is the much aligned "open source analysis".....that is not worth much in the intelligence tech world.....

[CrowBat]

The crux of my debate with Outlaw is whether the Sunni Arabs will blame Russians and Iranians for the war crimes committed by pro-Assad forces in Syria, or whether they will blame the United States for inaction (e.g. not punishing Assad after Ghouta, not deposing him, not enforcing a no-fly zone, etc.).Ah, I see. Sorry then: I outright missed that point.

Anyway, if you don't mind my POV on this issue: nope. They'll blame the USA - at least 'privately'. I.e. I'm in agreement with Outlaw here.

Russia, on the other hand, is something like their 'arch-enemy', so why blame it even more? Such behaviour like Putin's is 'normal' for enemies.

You can see this already on the fact that nobody comes to the idea to blame Russia for actually preparing the ground for all the global extremism/terrorism - by ruining Afghanistan and Chechnya and completely uprooting their populations (and now either helping Assad to do so, or doing the same in Syria again). Namely, and while there's no doubt that the Saudis & Co have financed the effects, it was Russians that - though de-populating both countries, through forcing millions of people from relatively isolated societies to flee abroad - who have significantly contributed to the spread of Wahhabist extremism (and all sorts of its outgrowths).


As part of my argument against Outlaw, I was juxtaposing American intervention in Iraq with Russo-Iranian intervention in Syria, as the United States was blamed for its actions in Iraq, but no country received any serious opprobrium for inaction.

Technically, Russia and China could have deployed "peacekeepers" to Iraq as a tripwire and I am certain that Hussein would have welcomed the offer.Sorry, there was never an atom of chance of this happening. Nor can one now 'blame' Russia and/or China for something like 'inaction' and 'letting USA invade & ruin Iraq'.

There was just no way in hell one could've stopped that. So much so, one can't blame 'bystanders' in that case - but has to understand contemporary circumstances, first and foremost.

After 9/11, there was so much sympathy, so much understanding for the USA, the WH could've done whatever it wanted to do. With few exceptions (like Germany - though in the case of Iraq only), nobody was ready to think for even a second about doing anything against this. I really don't want to recall how many officials from what places and agencies I met and talked back then (starting with various people within the USMC, for which I have written a part of their 'Iraq Handbook', in autumn 2002), how often I explained there are no WMDs (except few tonnes of Sarin, missing already since the times of the Iran-Iraq War, and thus long since useless), or what a wrong argumentation the Bush admin was using (i.e. how much was it lying): everybody was like in trance, and reciting the same dogmas, again and again - and nobody would let me even say any related sentence to the end.


The popular perception is that Ghaddafi's ouster was an American operation. I have argued otherwise many times, but that is the perception, and the current presidential campaign is only cementing that notion. We are not disagreeing on the reality of the situation, but the fact is that the United States is wearing Libya, not France, the UK or Qatar.OK.


There was no intervention in Rwanda comparable to NATO's in Yugoslavia (twice) or Libya.Hm... let me explain it as follows: after all the digging my co-author and me did through literal truck-loads of military-related documentation about the Rwandan Civil War (fought 1990 - ... well, actually, 'until today'), in the course of research for the book Rwandan Patriotic Front, 1990-1994 (https://www.amazon.com/Rwandan-Patriotic-Front-1990-1994-Africa/dp/191029456X) few conclusions are simply unavoidable.

Firstly, what happened there in Rwanda was only comparable with what happened in the Palestine of 1947-1948: a gang of people who never lived in Rwanda (i.e. descendants of Rwandan-Tutsi refugees that grew up in diaspora abroad), 'all of a sudden' came to the idea to invade the country.

Sure: many of their original leadership-cadre was fighting with Museweni's NRA and thus had plenty of experience in running an 'insurgency'. Indeed, they had combat experience, arms etc. But, they did not launch an 'insurgency': they invaded (coming from Uganda) in conventional style, as a relatively well-organized army (although kick-started from 'nothing'), well-uniformed, fed, and supplied with ammo.

Now, I doubt the 'USA' were around right from the start. At least there is absolutely no evidence for that (or this is too well-hidden). But, once the Rwandan Patriotic Front was around, i.e. it entrenched itself in the Ruwenzori Range after its invasion was smashed by regular, and French-supported Rwandan Army (i.e. Forces Armes Rwandaise, because the country was Franco-phone at the time)... well, any research into what happened subsequently - i.e. between the fall of 1990 and, say, 1993 - is unavailingly ending with finding only ever more evidence for direct or indirect relations to to such people and groups like certain William Jefferson Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Kissinger & Associates, and plenty, really plenty of... well, various 'US and related' diamond handlers (mind: there are no diamonds, nor gold in Rwanda...).

Things only got ever more nasty in this regards, the longer this affair lasted....

Whatever... before I go too much off topic, let me just say: I can't but laugh whenever somebody comes to the idea to cite usual dogmas like 'US intervened in Rwanda only much too late', 'US/UN intervention began only after the genocide', 'Hutus slaughtered a million of Tutsis' etc.

...not because I would ridicule anybody stating something like that, but because I sincerely feel pity for clueless people.

And no that's no 'conspiracy theory'. An 'endnote' of sort: since 1994, English replaced French as 'secondary' language in Rwanda.

So, my 'bottom line' here: sorry mate, but saying something like 'Rwanda, Darfur and the Congo were largely ignored... :D ;)


Because Qatar is promoting Salafi Jihadis that will become a threat to the West once Assad is defeated?Yup. Actually: '...that are already a threat to the West'.


The United States conceivably could stop it, but then Qatar would want the Shia mercenaries, Iranians and Russians out of Syria.I'll admit, that would take not only the USA, but most of the EU too. But, precisely that is why nothing is happening: Qataris have so much money invested all over these two areas, there is no way anybody here might raise his/her small finger on them (and whoever happens to say a word, is instantly quietened in the public; see the case with that German official regarding Qatar, about two years ago).

Though sure: Qataris (& Co) would then demand the IRGC to leave too. And that could be enforced (without any kind of military intervention) too. But then: the West would have NOT to be as curious to make billions-heavy deals with Tehran, as Oblabla and various others are...

(to be continued...)

[CrowBat]

Part 2 (Part 1 was too long for limits of this forum)...



The West cannot solve the issue of Salafi Jihadism among the Sunni Arabs in Syria and Iraq unless both civil wars are solved.Sorry, this is the wrong premise. Wahhabist Jihadism (not 'Salafi': we all must not repeat the mistake of the idiots in question and call them 'Salafis', then 'Salafism' is something entirely different than what these supposed 'Salafis', but actually Wahhabists, are preaching) is not something that grew on its own, outside the context and independently from everything else.

It's a direct result of brutal rule by dictatorships, most of which were at least installed by the West in the early 20th Century, if not kept in power ever since. Consequently - and mind: no pun intended - it's so endlessly stupid to think, 'hey, we go to Iraq, smash Saddam there; then we smash the AQI there; then we bomb Syria and smash the Daesh there, and there will be no Wahhabist Jihadism any more'. This is completely out of mind.

It's actually ridiculous but 14 years later, I can only repeat my own statements from 2001-2002: without removal of dictatorships like that in Saudi Arabia, Qatar etc. - but also that in Syria, and then in Russia - NOTHING, absolutely nothing is going to change in regards of Wahhabist Jihadism, and thus global terrorism either. That's so because with these dictatorships still in place, Assadists, Putlers, Sauds, Khalifas etc. (the latter is the 'king' of Bahrain, for your easier orientation) are going to keep on terrorize and oppress the local population, and thus provide 'motivation' and 'reason', while all possible jerks that only can are going to keep on financing 'the resistance' (against dictators in question and their, literally, 'foreign supporters', i.e. the West).

Bottom line: it is ridiculous... indeed: it is absurd... but 14 years (of war) later, we've still got precisely the same situation like back in 2001. All the expenses, all the death and destruction, all the economic repercussions, destabilisation, uprooting, millions of refugees... everything was completely in vain.

Absolutely nothing changed (except in Tunisia), and thus, 'what a surprise': 'we' are still bombing and 'they' are still terrorizing.


Likely because Shia militancy on the Arabian Peninsula is considered a much greater threat than a Shia victory in Syria which does not even border Saudi Arabia.Not the least. Saudis know that the IRGC's support for Houthis is absolutely minimal (actually, Saudis know better than any of us, that the Houthi-movement came into being foremost through support of Emiratis, but that's a longer story).

If there was any kind of a 'threat' for the KSA in Yemen, then that of decades of their investment into converting the local population to Wahhabism ending in an utter failure. Iranians, however, were absolutely no threat there.

The new Saudi 'king' left Oblabla without a choice: either he would let Saudis into Syria - to fight the IRGC - or into Yemen, to fight the Houthis (with excuse of fighting the IRGC).

Because - as we've heard so often in SCW-related threads on this forum of the last 2-3 years - 'Syria is not interesting' (and in no higher national interest of the USA).

Actually, Oblabla was more eager to be 'recorded in history' than in really contributing anything to stabilisation of the Middle East. Therefore, he sold Syria to Iranians in exchange for that Nuclear Treaty.

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING FROM THIS MORNING: AFP reports that more Turkish tanks just crossed the border into #Syria

From yesterday......but probably ties into this comment above....
URGENT - #SDF gained control over Mazaleh, Yussif Bayk, south-west to #Jarablus. #Turkey artillery and tanks firing on their positions.


Night turns day in crazy #AssadPutin bombings near #Aleppo tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpiHbS_q2gk …

BreakingFootage
Heavy / spooky air strikes on #KafrHamra near #Aleppo tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ojPlG5TjI …

Children traumatised,elderly man injured,in #AssadPutin air strikes on Al-Janudiyah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR66zPSvv4c …

FSA group Hamza Battalion in liberated #Jarabulus city.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPhu1ApUrNo …

KafrZita in #Hama today.
Not let up in #AssadPutin air strikes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrbA3cC91Nk …

[CrowBat]

Well well ... from our "best and only friends" to the west's new opponents in only one day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmxekIF6KHc …
BTW...the statements in the video come from the US supported Kurdish proxy SDF....which is largely manned by YPG fighters WHICH is somehow in the Obama WH totally overlooked......

BUT WAIT....WHO in the US government, CIA and or CENTCOM truly believed the figment of one's imagination that the PKK "lost it tiger stripes ie flipped from being a Stalinist leftie terror group" to being a "freedom loving/peaceful fighting for one's independence group" NEEDS only to look at their logos and flag evolution since 1979....AND needs to recheck their own brain.......
Indeed, 'wait' a lil bit, please.

I think we must distinguish here - distinguish between WHO in the USA thinks what way.

Few days ago I was asked a related/similar question on ACIG.info forum.

Namely, it's so that:

- the C(hristian)I.A. and State Department KNOW who-is-who in Syria, were and still are insistent on cooperation with insurgents; BUT

- the Pentagon (and the CENTCOM) was turning all such reports down, declaring insurgents for Jihadists, Syrian air defences for some sort of a Wunderwaffe, and Kurds for 'the only reliable ally there'... and Oblabla sided with the Pentagon.

Means: sorry, but one can't blame the boys from Langley for anything here.

How comes all of this? If I explain that, I'll be damned even more than I already am. So, let me just observe: this is something I'm 100% sure about.

[OUTLAW 09]

Well well ... from our "best and only friends" to the west's new opponents in only one day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmxekIF6KHc …
BTW...the statements in the video come from the US supported Kurdish proxy SDF....which is largely manned by YPG fighters WHICH is somehow in the Obama WH totally overlooked......

BUT WAIT....WHO in the US government, CIA and or CENTCOM truly believed the figment of one's imagination that the PKK "lost it tiger stripes ie flipped from being a Stalinist leftie terror group" to being a "freedom loving/peaceful fighting for one's independence group" NEEDS only to look at their logos and flag evolution since 1979....AND needs to recheck their own brain.......

BUT WAIT that is the much aligned "open source analysis".....that is not worth much in the intelligence tech world.....

NOW both the YPG and PKK are on the same sheet of messaging ........
PKK (KCK) says Turkish op to take Jarabulus is 'an attack on all Kurdish people'

BOTH also "forgot" in the process that IS took Jarabulus from FSA in 2013 and is Arab Sunni

[OUTLAW 09]

Indeed, 'wait' a lil bit, please.

I think we must distinguish here - distinguish between WHO in the USA thinks what way.

Few days ago I was asked a related/similar question on ACIG.info forum.

Namely, it's so that:

- the C(hristian)I.A. and State Department KNOW who-is-who in Syria, were and still are insistent on cooperation with insurgents; BUT

- the Pentagon (and the CENTCOM) was turning all such reports down, declaring insurgents for Jihadists, Syrian air defences for some sort of a Wunderwaffe, and Kurds for 'the only reliable ally there'... and Oblabla sided with the Pentagon.

Means: sorry, but one can't blame the boys from Langley for anything here.

How comes all of this? If I explain that, I'll be damned even more than I already am. So, let me just observe: this is something I'm 100% sure about.

CrowBat.....having been former SF combat vet many many years ago......and some still in SF might not like my comment here...here is the answer....US SOF and US SF have had for years a "love fest" with the Kurds especially the Peshmerga ..remember on the Iraq invasion a US airborne op was to land in the Kurdish zone but got hung up with weather forcing the US to send troops and supplies via Turkey which then triggered a massive US/Turkish "debate".

Secondly...it goes to the concept of "money" OPM/OOPM.....other peoples money...other other people's money.....since the DoD budgets have been massively reduced due to sequester.....all combat operations against IS do get immediately paid so in goes US SOF and SF and the tax payer gets the bill......remember the recent internal study indicating the DoD have been playing fast and loose with TRILLIONS and cannot figure out what happened to the TRILLIONS.....they need to do the ground combat support to keep the tax dollars flowing.....

If via CIA then it is weapons flows and a few involved in training and targeting NOT the footprint DoD builds ups....

Have heard from other sources much the same thing which makes sense when you also couple the DoD/CENTCOM failures in IS intel analysis....AND if you hear from the background that yes DoD was against the Obama joint Russian game plan but privately they signaled they could live with it....TRUE RESISTANCE to it came from the CIA/NSA.....

Remember the former SecDefs all clashed at some time with the Obama "views"...not Carter as he is a hand picked Obama yes man.....

[OUTLAW 09]

One cannot get a much better/clearer Turkish statement than this..........


CNN Trk ENG
✔ @CNNTURK_ENG #BREAKING TR Def. Min:Aim to secure move of #PYD to east of Euphrates in a week, Manbij shld belong to those who controlled it before war

BUT WAIT...then we get this......from the US CENTCOM....

OIRSpox

The Syrian Democratic Forces have moved east across the Euphrates to prepare for the eventual liberation of Raqqa, Syria

BUT WAIT then this is being reported from the ground today.....

Is #SDF becoming a cheap tool to liberate areas for its enemies?!
Also,#SDF says it still holds areas W of Euphrates

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Rebels declare the killing of nearly 100 #Assad-forces in south west #Aleppo today (HalabTodayTV)

[OUTLAW 09]

One cannot get a much better/clearer Turkish statement than this..........


CNN Trk ENG
✔ @CNNTURK_ENG #BREAKING TR Def. Min:Aim to secure move of #PYD to east of Euphrates in a week, Manbij shld belong to those who controlled it before war

BUT WAIT...then we get this......from the US CENTCOM....

OIRSpox

The Syrian Democratic Forces have moved east across the Euphrates to prepare for the eventual liberation of Raqqa, Syria

BUT WAIT then this is being reported from the ground today.....

Is #SDF becoming a cheap tool to liberate areas for its enemies?!
Also,#SDF says it still holds areas W of Euphrates

Syria #Jarablus: Kurdish #YPG try to stop #Turkey backed #FSA advance along border toward northern #Aleppo at Sajur Lake

MFA Russia Verified account 
‏@mfa_russia
Moscow is seriously concerned by the developments on the Syrian-Turkish border http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/2407299 …

[OUTLAW 09]

Good read but sorry it is in Russian......
A must-read investigation of RBC on participation of Russian private military companies in the operation in Syria http://www.rbc.ru/magazine/2016/09/57bac4309a79476d978e850d …

bellingcat @bellingcat
The Syrian government's use of chlorine barrel bombs has been confirmed by the OPCW/UN, here's the latest incident https://www.bellingcat.com/uncategorized/2016/08/13/reports-of-chlorine-gas-that-targeted-civilians-in-aleppo/ …

Chlorine barrel bombs aren't someone quickly throwing a chlorine cylinder out a helicopter, it's a chemical weapon they refined and improved

BREAKING: US says impossible to deny that Assad has 'repeatedly used' chemical chlorine weapons against his own people

AND the Obama Syrian CW "red line" is again exactly where.....?????

[OUTLAW 09]

The FSA slept on the street in jarabulus.. so one excusing them of stealing the houses .. as does YPG/SDF/PKK.....

Aleppo: Special Forces Commander Zekai Aksakallı is leading the Turkish soldiers, who are part of #EuphratesShield.

Aleppo: Rebels killed #Assad Lieutenant Ghadeer Hmich in Southern #Aleppo today. He is, of course, from #Latakia.
Most of the #Syria|n pro-#Assad forces, who were killed by rebels in Southern #Aleppo, coming from #Latakia.

1st Regiment destroyed with #ATGMs a BMP & damaged a T-72 trying to advance near Technical College in SW. #Aleppo.

[OUTLAW 09]

Looks like Syrian FM is looking for more Iraqi Shia militia help in Aleppo where the Iraqi's are taking major loses BUT somehow they should be fighting IS inside Iraq not Syrian.....AND help in fighting now turkey in northern Syria....

Kurdistan24 English @K24English
#BREAKING: Syrian Foreign Minister arrived in Baghdad - Iraq.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria #FSA control Yusuf Bayk SE of #Jarablus
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.739090&lon=37.921543&z=14&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Oh, you should see what two other of such characters are doing at other places - like some of top specialized British military aviation magazines (and that since 4-5 years already).

Best of all is that both are from IRGC-families (and not 'just any IRGC families'), and - between others - convinced of such things like, the IRGC 'must' rule Iran, because the country is generally populated by masses of illiterate stupids...

An interesting counter to the Cryus War on the Rocks article.....

“Assad or We Burn the Country”: Misreading Sectarianism and the Regime in Syria

Emile Hokayem

http://warontherocks.com/2016/08/assad-or-we-burn-the-country-misreading-sectarianism-and-the-regime-in-syria/

[OUTLAW 09]

Jaish Al-Islam's armor heading to Hawsh Nasri frontline in E. #Ghouta, #Damascus.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=33.558562&lon=36.471176&z=13&m …

Rebel forces have advanced to Yusuf village and are currently moving toward the west.

Footage: 1st Regiment took out with an #ATGM a BMP near Technical College in SW. #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NKsPYd7Phc …

APPEARS IS is ready to go down fighting in Al Bab....will definitely need Turkish armor and CAs support to over come the outer line of defenses...
NE #Aleppo: #ISIS erected 25 km+ barriers to protect Al-Bab. Tadef & M4 highway included in huge defensive system.

SW. #Aleppo: Rebels foiled an umpteenth attempt by pro-Regime forces to advance in 1070 Project & Ramoussah. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.164280&lon=37.098341&z=14&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Good read but sorry it is in Russian......
A must-read investigation of RBC on participation of Russian private military companies in the operation in Syria http://www.rbc.ru/magazine/2016/09/57bac4309a79476d978e850d …

bellingcat @bellingcat
The Syrian government's use of chlorine barrel bombs has been confirmed by the OPCW/UN, here's the latest incident https://www.bellingcat.com/uncategorized/2016/08/13/reports-of-chlorine-gas-that-targeted-civilians-in-aleppo/ …

Chlorine barrel bombs aren't someone quickly throwing a chlorine cylinder out a helicopter, it's a chemical weapon they refined and improved

BREAKING: US says impossible to deny that Assad has 'repeatedly used' chemical chlorine weapons against his own people

AND the Obama Syrian CW "red line" is again exactly where.....?????

U.N.: 130+ alleged cw/toxic agent attacks, inc mustard, sarin, VX & chlorine, in Syria bet Dec, 2015, Aug, 2016.
http://atfp.co/2bxvpHF

BUT WAIT...Russia/Putin certified that Assad had no further Sarin, VX and or mustard CWs/agents left in Syria so was Ptuin lying to the US...?????

Let's see if in the face of the UN/OPCW report saying Assad used chemical weapons Russia still blocks actions against their Syrian ally.

Russia/Syrian secret about to be let officially out of the bag -UN chief submits chemical weapon report
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsId=54752#.V74xQVJPJCI.twitter …

TYPICAL Russian "bait and switch".....or the "it ain't us it is them argument"...OR... "we do not know what you are talking about"....ALL previously extensively practiced in eastern Ukraine....

Faced with the UN/OPCW report showing their Syrian ally uses chemical weapons, Russia says "No! Look over here!" http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160825/1044624350/lavrov-us-chemical-weapons.html …


The United States should do what it promised to do regarding separating the moderate Syrian opposition from terrorists instead of making claims regarding Damascus allegedly using chemical weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Wednesday, the United States called on Russia and Iran to join efforts to seek accountability for those responsible for using chemical weapons in Syria, after the United Nations released the results of a probe into chemical weapons attacks in Syria in 2014 and 2015 that implicated the Syrian government and the Daesh terrorist group. "They should look in the mirror and do what they have been promising to do since January – to separate the opposition which they consider loyal from terrorists. They cannot do this, they are either unable to do this or do not want to do it," Lavrov told reporters.

WHAT does "separating the rebels" have to do with "the development and deployment of CWs" THAT Russia certified where no longer in Syria???????

BTW...not being a great supporter of the Obama WH.I must actually defend Kerry now......the Russian FM often uses the comment..."well you all promised to separate the rebels"....there has been nor was there ever such a promise ie a structured/formal comment issued during any of the Geneva talks and other supporting talks....

NOW since we do not know what Kerry privately talks about with Lavrov...Kerry might have in fact "promised" it...????

[OUTLAW 09]

WHY is it that the UN wants to use the Castello Road even though there are far safer routes into eastern Aleppo right now....is it being dictated by Assad, Kurds and Putin????? Maybe it is because they can steal from the shipments as they normally do when they pass through regime controlled areas and checkpoints.....

Aid orgs want to use Aleppo's regime-controlled Castello Road to deliver aid, even though there is a better route.

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING: Biden says Turks are prepared to stay as long as it takes in #Syria to take out #ISIS - @Reuters

TAF Special Forces Commander with FSA fighters in Jarablus

[OUTLAW 09]

So is now CENTCOM in fact lying to everyone including the Obama/Biden WH.....as Biden has been about as clear with his comments that the YPG/SDF MUST withdraw to the West as one can be.....

CENTCOM on the other hand says YPG/SDF have withdrawn....

BUT WAIT CENTCOM is in fact lying...........

NewsMap
While the #US claims, #SDF withdraw to east of the #Euphrates, they indeed capture more land west of it.

[OUTLAW 09]

Air strikes N and S-W of #Aleppo.
#AssadPutin want to regain the offensive momentum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVdll5fu-aY&feature=youtu.be …

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian Armed Forces go combat ready from the Baltic to the Black Sea and Gerasimov heads to Turkey! https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/768824169916145664 …

Jisr TV reporting that agreement between regime & opposition in #Darayya will see rebels (w/ weapons) and allowed to leave. Rebels will go to #Idlib

#Assad & #Russia|n airstrikes killed 15+ civilians, including 9 children, in #Aleppo City today

Aleppo: #FSA rebels and Turkish soldiers supplying aid and water and playing with #Syria|n babies near #Jarabulus.

[OUTLAW 09]

U.S. Embassy Syria
✔ @USEmbassySyria Amb Power: JIM report confirms that Syrian regime is responsible for the repeated use of chemical weapons in #Syria.

The @sams_usa report states 58 chlorine attacks have happened in Syria since September 2013
https://www.sams-usa.net/foundation/index.php/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/255-a-new-normal-ongoing-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-syria …

This shadowy group is assassinating ISIS members within its borders
http://read.bi/2blV0iP

Another Assad/Russia heinous crime in Bab al-Nayrab area #Aleppo. 15 people killed including 9 children.

[OUTLAW 09]

Daraya will always be the symbol of our revolution. Don't ask why they surrendered but ask how they resisted & survived all these years

No 1 came when Daraya pleaded for help. Shame on all of us & the cowards in the south. It's us who should be asking for forgiveness not them

Daraya civilians (who regime said never existed) will be evacuated to Sahnaya & Ma'araba tomorrow, rebels will follow the day after to Idlib

On this day 4 years ago (25 August 2012), regime forces massacred 700 civilians in #Darayya

Darayya is lost. The besieged city fought off regime elite forces of 4th Division for 4 years. 1000s of Assadis were killed at its walls.

This reminds me of the Ukrainian unit called Cyborgs who fought in the Donetsk International Airport totally surrounded longer than Stalingrad before being overrun by Russian Spetsnaz using poisonous gas.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Statement by #Jarabulus Military Council: 'Our fight is against IS. But we'll defend ourselves against every attack'

[OUTLAW 09]

Rare feedback of an #ATGM strike (#Fagot vs T-55): tank commander & gunner are critically injured, thks to @yarinah1

Another day, same result: T-55 taken out by 1 #ATGM fired by 1st Regiment, Technical College
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kggQyedqE7w …

S. #Aleppo: 1st Regiment destroyed a third Regime's armored vehicle (T-55) with an #ATGM near Technical College of Artillery Base.

E. #Ghouta: Non-stop clashes in Hawsh Nasri where Jaish Islam fight Regime since weeks now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nprvdMy6qY …

IRGC TV blames France for the Ghouta chemical attack.
http://presstv.com//Detail/2016/08/24/481410/syria-ghouta-2013-sarin-france …

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA Forces give ultimatum to #YPG/#SDF to leave the west side of #Euphrates River in 3 days

CNN Türk ENG
✔ @CNNTURK_ENG #BREAKING Turkish military hits YPG with artillery fire in north of Manbij as group advances ignoring warnings

EuphratesShield: artillery shelling & Turkish airstrikes reported on #SDF positions around Amarnah in NE #Aleppo. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.740948&lon=38.010206&z=12&m …

EuphratesShield (@RFS_NORTH map): #FSA secured 16km of TR border, is 47km from Al-Rai & 57km from #ISIS-held Al-Bab

Turkey reinforce Serêkaniyê / Ra's al-'Ayn border crossing to #Syria with armored vehicles
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.838416&lon=40.071602&z=12&m=b …

SDF in Sheikh Issa shelling rebel held Marea town in northern #Aleppo
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.480104&lon=37.190008&z=14&m=b …

Clashes at Ain Issa frontline btw #YPG & #IS in northern #Raqqa now
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.299355&lon=38.967819&z=12&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Daraya will always be the symbol of our revolution. Don't ask why they surrendered but ask how they resisted & survived all these years

No 1 came when Daraya pleaded for help. Shame on all of us & the cowards in the south. It's us who should be asking for forgiveness not them

Daraya civilians (who regime said never existed) will be evacuated to Sahnaya & Ma'araba tomorrow, rebels will follow the day after to Idlib

On this day 4 years ago (25 August 2012), regime forces massacred 700 civilians in #Darayya

Darayya is lost. The besieged city fought off regime elite forces of 4th Division for 4 years. 1000s of Assadis were killed at its walls.

This reminds me of the Ukrainian unit called Cyborgs who fought in the Donetsk International Airport totally surrounded longer than Stalingrad before being overrun by Russian Spetsnaz using poisonous gas.....

Just as the Ukrainian military group called the "Cyborgs" gave the UAF time to reorg, refit and reposition AND a heroic image to inspire the UAF with so did the resistance against Assad in Darayya SIX kilometers from the Assad palest in Damascus.....

Lesson from #DARAYYA for #Assad:
1. Snipe people
2. Bomb their homes
3. Starve them for years
4. Napalm their hospital
5. Get what you want.


AND the lessons learned for the Obama WH....."doing nothing" is not a strategy nor a FP........

IF there is out of Syria a single example of the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH AND UNSC total failure it is in Darayya

Absolutely inexcusable regime's starve and siege tactic was allowed to be enacted of people of #Darayya on the UN's watch

Few specific examples have felt more like a wholesale betrayal of #Syria-n people than what has been allowed to happen to #Darayya

[OUTLAW 09]

Is it Mustard or Not? Guidelines for Assessing Claimed Use of the Mustard Family of Blister Agents
https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/articles/2014/10/14/is-it-mustard-or-not-guidelines-for-assessing-claimed-use-of-the-mustard-family-of-blister-agents/ … #Jarablus

Key pieces of evidence needed from the alleged #Jarablus chemical attack
1 - How long it took the blisters to appear.
2 - Munition remains

BREAKING Rockets fired frm #Jarablus hit civilians in rural #Manbij, causing irritation/itching after gas emissions

[OUTLAW 09]

Video shows brothers grieving after losing another brother to a barrel-bomb
http://nbcnews.to/2ccWguG

Aleppo Rebels repel yet another advance attempt by pro-regime militias towards Jamyiat hill, reports BMP + tank destroyed & 10s killed

Rebels repelled an attack by SDF/YPG on Jibrin last night, aim was to cut road between Azaz & Mare'a, followed by SDF/YPG shelling of Mare'a

Aleppo Assad helicopters also dropping naval mines on Kafrhamra + MLRS attack from al-Zahra area

Reports now Russia/Assad has again targeted Malah north of #Aleppo with incendiary munitions

Assad/Putin keep throwing human masses&Russian armor into S-W #Aleppo...
& the #FSA destroys it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kggQyedqE7w …

[OUTLAW 09]

WHY should the Syrian opposition and that includes whether we like it or not JFS formerly AQ......trust the US and UNSC on anything as both their actions have never matched their words....repeatedly never matched......

US calls on Syrian opposition activists to trust UN in determining safest route for aid delivery in Aleppo.

From the total US/EU/Russian denial of an existing corridor through S-W #Aleppo, I can only conclude, all stand together vs. rebels.


APPEARS that the Russians want to "force" appearance wise the rebels into using a regime "approved route"...AND both the US and UNSC join in......

BUT WAIT the route fought free by the rebels has been functioning to the point that aid is getting through relatively easily....SO why not use that route???

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA Hamza Div. modified T-55AMV w/ attached M2HB MG being moved somewhere on low loader (prob for #Jarablus op)

Intense Turkish artillery fire and even #airstrikes on #YPG/#SDF targets only 25 km north of #Aleppo (Tal Rifaat & around)

Arab tribes establish a resistance group to #SDF/#YPG in the north of #Raqqa countyside

After #ISIS withdrew between #Jarabulus and #Manbij,the Turkish-YPG war gathers pace.
SDF advanced in the area & now Turkish Army shells it.

FSA fires full load of BM-21 #Grad missiles (no, not captured) at western #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mL64z7MakE&feature=youtu.be …

[OUTLAW 09]

Suqur Al-Jebal fired dozens of Grad rockets vs Zahraa Artillery Base http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.212701&lon=37.085724&z=13&m …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mL64z7MakE …

SDF tried to cut #Marea fr. #Azaz last night but was stopped by rebels.
Turkish arty shelled SDF-occupied towns outside #Afrin canton.

Seljuk brigade (Turkmen SDF) condemn Turkish invasion of Syria, asks them to withdraw form Syrian soil -

[OUTLAW 09]

Direct result of Turkish "incursion"........?

38 civilians, incl. 16 children killed by #AssadPutin forces today.
22 of all in #Aleppo.
Sharp drop compared to pr-Turkish inv era.

[OUTLAW 09]

Fastaqem union claims 4 regime officers including a colonel were killed in a hell cannon attack.

[OUTLAW 09]

Daraya will always be the symbol of our revolution. Don't ask why they surrendered but ask how they resisted & survived all these years

No 1 came when Daraya pleaded for help. Shame on all of us & the cowards in the south. It's us who should be asking for forgiveness not them

Daraya civilians (who regime said never existed) will be evacuated to Sahnaya & Ma'araba tomorrow, rebels will follow the day after to Idlib

On this day 4 years ago (25 August 2012), regime forces massacred 700 civilians in #Darayya

Darayya is lost. The besieged city fought off regime elite forces of 4th Division for 4 years. 1000s of Assadis were killed at its walls.

This reminds me of the Ukrainian unit called Cyborgs who fought in the Donetsk International Airport totally surrounded longer than Stalingrad before being overrun by Russian Spetsnaz using poisonous gas.....

A reminder of how it started in #Daraya & what it became
https://diary.thesyriacampaign.org/daraya-the-town-that-shames-the-world/ …

'The town that shames the world'

[OUTLAW 09]

In Syria, Turkey's "trying to kill two birds with one stone", says one Russian paper.

Actually this comment is true ........if one reads the Russian Today statement...
Russia plays down Assad's use of chemical weapons in a way that one believes Russia approved their use. Text from RT

REMEMBER Putin certified Assad had no further chemical weapons...to both the US and the UNSC.....BUT....?????

[OUTLAW 09]

A reminder of how it started in #Daraya & what it became
https://diary.thesyriacampaign.org/daraya-the-town-that-shames-the-world/ …

'The town that shames the world'

Syria #Damascus suburb of #Darayya 2005 - 78,763 residents - today 0
Now occupied by #Assad-forces after 3 years siege & 15.000 airstrikes

[OUTLAW 09]

Tutkish artillery pounded YPG positions in Mennegh airbase southwest of Azaz

Rebels thwarted a #SDF attempt to cut off corridor between #Azaz & #Marea by seizing KalJibrin in N. #Aleppo. 3 POWs
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.536123&lon=37.117310&z=12&m …

Rebels foiled again an assault on Tell Jamayat in S. #Aleppo. Tank & BMP destroyed. Clashes around Tell Oum Al-Qara. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.109172&lon=37.099543&z=13&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Pic from #Damascus suburb #Darayya
Brother in arms for 3 years under regime siege -now evacuated

#Daraya: Surrendered militants set fire to their headquarters before being transported to #Edlib: Smoke fills the sky

4 years ago this month, Assad regime soldiers broke into Daraya & butchered & executed over 700 civilians in 5 days.

Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH has repeatedly stated that a "safe zone" was impossible to create in and around Aleppo??????

The long-awaited safe zone in N. #Aleppo advocated by Turkey finally becomes a reality starting with #Jarablus.

Regime set up an advanced base (with armor) to storm #Aleppo Artillery Base 470 m away
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.170473&lon=37.113013&z=17&m

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkey: 3 Turkish soldiers in #Hatay Province were injured by mortar fire from #Syria. #Hatay is west of #YPG controlled #Afrin.

[OUTLAW 09]

Footage: Regime assault yesterday on Technical College in #Aleppo. Basically hide & run away
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67FD-K_syc …

N. #Latakia: Jaish Al-Fateh repelled a fierce assault launched by pro-Regime forces on #Kabana in Jebal Al-Akrad. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.717911&lon=36.233296&z=14&m …

Rebels killed dozens of pro-#Assad forces during the failed regime attack in Northern #Latakia today.

Latakia: Rebels have repelled regime attack in #Jabal_al_Akrad and killed many pro-#Assad forces today.

From yesterday.....
Aleppo: Heavy fighting between #FSA rebels & #YPG militias in #Yusuf_Bayk village. Turkish army shelling #YPG positions with artillery now.

Rebels shelling #Zahraa Artillery Base in Western #Aleppo with Grad rockets

Turkey army has sent reinforcements, including armoured vehicles, to #Ceylanpınar border crossing. #Syria #Hasakah

Tour in #Jarablus where the civilian life is gradually coming back. NE #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIr86vB67kc …

[OUTLAW 09]

The New Syrian Army: America’s “Tip of the Spear” Against ISIS in the Syrian Desert via @bellingcat https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2016/05/31/new-syrian-army-americas-tip-spear-isis-syrian-desert/ …

This US/Jordanian/CIA supported unit is a farce as it just sits in the southern desert doing absolutely nothing....does really attack IS and definitely is being restricted in attacking Assad and assisting other FSA units....

[OUTLAW 09]

Kerry and Russian FM meeting for the 100th plus time it seems in Geneva...and nothing comes out of it......when will Kerry finally realize as Obama needs to realize...they have been repeatedly lied to by Putin and his FM since 2014.....

De Mistura has now left Geneva talks hotel - with no comments to reporters.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syrian doctors call on UN ‘to use force if necessary’ following chemical weapons report
https://thesyriacampaign.org/release-syrian-doctors-call-on-un-to-use-force-if-necessary-following-chemical-weapons-report/ …

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria #Damascus suburb of #Darayya 2005 - 78,763 residents - today 0
Now occupied by #Assad-forces after 3 years siege & 15.000 airstrikes



Darayya is very symbolic,for both nonviolent & armed resistance,women participation,local councils...Syrians call it"icon of the revolution"

UN was “not consulted or involved” in #Darayya deal.
“The world is watching,” says Envoy De Mistura

BUT WAIT......the UN, De Misutra and UNSC have absolutely done nothing anyway over the five years....

The year 2016
The @UN facilitates the cleansing of up to 8000 anti-#Assad civilians.
99% of them Sunni Arabs.

Complete (ethnic) cleansing of #Daraya to begin soon
Thousands wait for @SYRedCrescent busses to be evacuated.

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian airstrikes on #Huraytan north of #Aleppo today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoJRaityUlU …

FSA mortars stop pro-#Assad forces from advancing into the #Ramouseh corridor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67FD-K_syc&feature=youtu.be …

[OUTLAW 09]

Sultan Murad commander: advancing to Al Rai could take weeks or months; Euphrates Shield deployed 1200-1500 men

[OUTLAW 09]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bashar-al-assad-has-normalised-use-chemical-weapons-syria-we-rewarded-him-it-1578059

W. Orton
25.8.2016

Bashar al-Assad has normalised the use of chemical weapons in Syria – and we rewarded him for it



This week, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed what everyone already suspected: the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad had lied repeatedly about its adherence to a deal worked out in 2013, under which it would surrender its chemical weapons of mass destruction (CWMD).

The Syrian uprising began in March 2011 with peaceful protests. By the end of the year, the Assad regime's unrestrained brutality – which saw the murder of 5,000 people – provoked a militarised response as the population took up arms to defend itself.

Throughout 2012 the Assad regime escalated its response: artillery levelled sections of ancient cities like Homs, helicopter gunships were employed, fighter jets bombed urban centres, and Scud missiles – designed for inter-state warfare – were deployed internally, against civilians.

This strategy of collective punishment and mass-displacement as a means to suppress the uprising culminated with the Assad regime unleashing chemical weapons against civilians, probably first doing so in December 2012.

President Obama said in August 2012: "A red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised. That would change my calculus." In December 2012, Obama reiterated the threat, saying the use of CWMD would bring "consequences".

But Assad repeatedly used nerve agents and other CWMD over the next six months, without consequence. In June 2013, the US publicly stated that Assad had used CWMD and the "consequence" would be the first provision of "military support" to the rebellion. But this lethal aid only started arriving in September 2013—after a massive CWMD attack.

On 21 August 2013, the Assad regime used sarin nerve agent to massacre more than 1,400 people in the Damascus suburbs of Ghouta. President Obama was set to launch a round of airstrikes – the French had prepared jets to join the attack—against Assad's military and unconventional weapons sites when the matter was halted, put to a vote in Congress, and then abandoned completely for a "deal" with Russia, which in the administration's telling meant Assad surrendered the CWMD he had heretofore denied possessing in exchange for the strikes being called off.

The reality was rather different. Obama had never intended to enforce his "red line" – it was a bluff that got called. Additionally, Obama had begun secret talks with Iran on the nuclear deal and from late 2012 Tehran had effectively taken control in regime-held areas of Syria. A conflict with Iran in Syria might derail the President's legacy project.

The president's signalling, therefore, was not that he would use force unless Assad gave up his CWMD: the stated aim was to punish Assad and uphold an international norm. The signal instead was that the President would take any available option to avoid doing what he did not want to, and Moscow providing the decommissioning of Assad's stockpiles as a fig leaf.

Assad was made a partner in disarmament, extending him some legitimacy, as the Russians had wanted. The West was made complicit in campaigns of atrocity that were passed off as the regime "taking steps to secure" the exit routes for the CWMD, and Assad was, despite all reassurances to the contrary, handed "a license to kill with conventional weapons". The effect on the moderate and Western-supported rebels was "devastating," and radicalism on all sides was given a boost.

For this extreme price, Assad was not even disarmed of his CWMD – a sideshow in terms of what was inflicting the casualties. In June 2014, all declared CWMD was removed. This was, said President Obama, a demonstration that "the use of these abhorrent weapons has consequences".

That October, OPCW found four secret CWMD facilities, one of them a production site. By summer 2015 it was clear in open-source that Assad had retained some CWMD, and US intelligence confirmed this in early 2016. Meanwhile, Assad began the routine use of alternate chemical weapons against Syrians, notably chlorine. A separate, simultaneous OPCW investigation has documented eight of these atrocities by the regime.

But without an alteration in the balance-of-power on the ground in favour of the mainstream armed opposition, the terms of the discussion will remain the regime's whenever the next round takes place”

There have been no consequence for Assad trading sarin for chlorine – nor for the barrel bombs, incendiary weapons, starvation sieges, airstrikes, and use of death squads that have destroyed a country and ignited a region-wide war that has killed half-a-million people.

When asked about his decision to stand back from military strikes against Assad in 2013, President Obama said he was "very proud of this moment". The US has all-but abandoned the stated regime-change policy, and is instead inching ever-closer to an accommodation that keeps Assad in place. The Russians managed, via their intervention, to turn the peace process inside-out: from a means of transitioning Assad out to a discussion about the terms on which he could stay.

That process was jointly killed earlier this year by Assad and al-Qaeda making the ceasefire untenable. But without an alteration in the balance-of-power on the ground in favour of the mainstream armed opposition, the terms of the discussion will remain the regime's whenever the next round takes place.

The failure to punish Assad at the time for the Ghouta chemical massacre has done irreparable harm to one of the few international norms left, contributed beyond calculation to the radicalisation of Syria and the rise of anti-Western sentiments, and the course of events since has underlined the lesson that such criminality pays. It is now widely agreed – even by parts of the Turkish government, probably the most hawkishly anti-Assad – that Assad will to have some role in a "transition". The contrast to the autocrats who were not prepared to kill on this scale and thus fell from power is stark.

It can also be guaranteed that just as Assad strung out the disarmament process so that he was always necessary – eternally disarming and never quite disarmed – any transition in Syria overseen by the dictator will be one in which Assad is always going and never actually gone.

[OUTLAW 09]

Highly worth reading ..........


https://kyleorton1991.wordpress.com/2016/08/25/turkeys-intervention-in-syria-improves-the-prospects-for-peace/

Turkey’s Intervention in Syria Improves the Prospects for Peace

W Orton 25.8.2016


After a horrific suicide bombing by IS at a Kurdish wedding in eastern Turkey had slaughtered more than fifty people on Saturday, Turkey moved to expel the Islamic State (IS) from Jarabulus in eastern Aleppo Province at about 4 AM on Wednesday morning. IS was swept from this last major border town in Syria, a key gateway for resources to the outside world, around ten hours later.

Operation EUPHRATES SHIELD saw Turkey put troops and tanks over the border publicly for the first time, and allow the Free Syrian Army (FSA)-branded and other mainstream Syrian rebels who have been battling IS for years to use Turkish territory to launch the assault. It was supported by airstrikes from the international anti-IS coalition.

For Turkey, this is a strong indication of a change in her threat-perception vis-à-vis IS, but it is also about a (correctly) perceived threat of what was to follow IS.

The PKK

Since 1984, Turkey has battled an insurgency from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a separatist group that adhered to a mixture of Marxism-Leninism, Kurdish nationalism, and a cult of its leader, Abdullah Ocalan. The PKK, a designated terrorist organization, has set up a transnational political-military structure, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), that has branches in the Kurdish-majority sections of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. In Syria, the PKK’s branch is the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Inside Syria, many YPG-flagged fighters are battle-hardened PKK soldiers. A considerable number are Syrians from the time when the PKK was a Syria-based instrument of the Assad regime and Moscow against NATO’s Turkey during the Cold War and was allowed to recruit widely among Kurds. There are also many foreigners, the bulk Turkish citizens, as the YPG’s casualty figures show.

Since the Assad regime’s withdrawal from northern Syria in July 2012, the YPG/PKK, which in addition to its links with Assad and Russia has “a history of strong ties” to Iran, operated in de facto alignment with the pro-regime coalition to control several cantons, though this understanding has experienced tensions, notably in the last week, which were resolved by Russian mediation.

The YPG’s cantons were expanded into a wide swathe of territory on the Syria-Turkey border in large measure because the YPG has, since October 2014, received air support from the U.S.-led coalition to battle IS, displacing the takfiris and sometimes—for reasons of demographic durability—expelling Arab inhabitants in acts that amount to war crimes. Occasionally the YPG acts outside this framework to remove obstacles to its statelet, such as in February when it used Russian airstrikes to attack Western-backed rebels.

The YPG now fights through a front-group, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes Sunni Arab and Christian units. It is the SDF that the coalition formally supports and which has become its favoured anti-IS instrument. Western support for an organization Turkey considers not only terrorist but an existential threat is a large measure of the explanation for why Turkey has proven such a troublesome ally in the anti-IS coalition.

Turkey long viewed the PKK and IS as equivalent threats, but knew the world would never allow IS to last, so at bottom preferred IS’s statelet on her border to the PKK’s. This did not mean Turkey “supported” IS, or not in the direct and conspiratorial way some—including the Russians—have suggested. It just meant Ankara had other priorities, as does the YPG itself, despite its rote self-description as an “anti-IS force”. And Turkey’s perception that YPG-held territory against her border is a threat is not solely paranoia, as the repeated threats of YPG members testify.

The Aftermath of Manbij

Last year, Turkey had agreed with the Coalition that the YPG would remain east of the Euphrates River and in exchange Turkey would not intervene in the area it now has to imposed a “safe zone“. Instead U.S.- and Turkish-backed rebel groups would be enabled to take this pocket, containing IS’s three urban strongholds in eastern Aleppo: Jarabulus, Manbij, and al-Bab.

There was some dispute over the exact composition of the rebel force—the West does not like Turkey favourite Ahrar al-Sham—but a compact was nonetheless reached, and Turkey stood down from the “safe zone” idea.

The YPG violated the agreement by crossing west of the Euphrates in December, and on 31 May a U.S.-backed, YPG-led offensive against Manbij began, concluding successfully on 12 August.

Making the best of it, Ankara publicly supported the Manbij offensive after securing some guarantees from the U.S., namely on the composition of the offensive force (2,000 local Arabs, 500 YPG) and the political arrangements in the aftermath (YPG withdrawal, local Arab rule).

The notion of YPG-dominated forces taking Raqqa City is deeply problematic: it is unclear the YPG are willing (or even able) to do so, and is clear what the negative effects would be, increased support for IS among them. Nevertheless, there was some hope within the coalition that Manbij could be the model for liberated Raqqa. This has already, predictably, started to go wrong.

“We really appreciate everything the SDF fighters did in order to push ISIS out of Manbij,” said Hassan Hamidi, an activist in Manbij. “But it seems that we are moving from one dictator to another.” The PYD’s defence is that this is a temporary fix in a chaotic situation. Perhaps. But the YPG/PYD has proven that despite an ostensible ideological evolution it remains beholden to the PKK’s authoritarian past.

With the twin pressures of IS’s internal attacks and the YPG’s maximalism, which the U.S. has proven (despite its capability) unwilling to restrain, Turkey has evidently decided to take a leaf out of the YPG’s book by creating facts-on-the-ground first and then negotiating with the coalition about how to proceed. Ankara clearly engaged in broad diplomacy before this action—probably with Damascus, Tehran, Moscow, and certainly with Washington—but the purpose and messaging in each venue remains largely opaque. Still, the possibility of a post-coup Turkish retrenchment or re-orientation to Moscow’s view of Syria would appear to have been decisively refuted.

Had Turkey not intervened, the YPG/SDF would have taken al-Bab next and besieged a pocket containing Western-backed, Turkey-friendly rebels that the YPG has previously assaulted on one side around Azaz, and IS-held ground on the other side, including Jarabulus. If the YPG then eliminated the rebels, it would have left the coalition no choice but to enable the YPG takeover of the rest of the pocket since it would be held by IS.

Conclusion

Turkey’s intervention serves the coalition’s interests and its own: it damages IS, increases the chances of a political settlement in Syria, and opens the potential to revive some of the agreements on constraining the Syrian PKK that were rendered moot by events.

IS appears to have largely withdrawn in advance of the fight, in-keeping with its military tactics that prioritize rural zones and force-preservation. But the restricted access to the outside world is an obvious plus.

There is an outside chance this opens the space for some pluralism within YPG-held territories, perhaps allowing in the Rojava Peshmerga, which have been forcibly denied access so far—with the alleged encouragement of the Assad regime and Iran.

The more concrete and important effects are that Turkey has removed the YPG west of the Euphrates and emboldened the mainstream opposition. The fait accompli in forcing the redeployment of the YPG was ratified by the U.S. Vice President, helping the U.S. recover some credibility with the opposition, which resents the U.S.’s unequal support for the YPG. The rebellion’s own credibility has also been assisted by a swift demonstration that the YPG is not the only effective anti-IS ally available in Syria.

Some groups involved in the Jarabulus offensive, notably Harakat Nooradeen al-Zengi of recent infamy, were allegedly involved in merger talks with the rebranded al-Qaeda, spurred not by ideological considerations but practical ones: the failure of Western support and the proven utility of insurgent unity. Now a realistic alternative to the extremists has opened, and al-Zengi specifically has in the past asserted itself boldly against the jihadists when it has the ability.

Jarabulus provides a launch-pad for the expansion of the area under the control of the mainstream opposition, a potential counter-weight to the jihadi-led gains in Aleppo. Al-Rai and al-Bab are the likely next targets of Turkish-backed forces. Additionally, the YPG left Arab SDF units in Manbij and these Western-vetted could potentially defect from the YPG if given a better offer by Turkey. With or without Manbij, however, this would create a serious base of moderate rebels.

Continued......

[OUTLAW 09]

PART TWO..........of continuation......


By strengthening the mainstream armed opposition, Turkey has thrown a wrench into the strategy of the pro-regime coalition, notably accelerated by the Russian intervention last year, to destroy all acceptable opponents of Assad, leaving a binary choice between the dictatorship and Islamist terrorists. Turkey has therefore made a serious contribution in the direction of peace and stability in Syria.

In the immediate-run, Turkey has helped cut-off IS’s access to the outside world and likely obstructed a PKK statelet all along her border. Into the longer-term, Turkey’s short-term escalation, especially if built upon, has improved the prospects of ending Syria’s war via a political solution. Such a solution requires that the parties have rough parity and Turkey bolstering the power and reach of the mainstream rebels, while putting some checks on the PKK, are important steps towards this.

[OUTLAW 09]

Unbelievable video
Even the #birds are leaving #Daraya.
No being on this planet wants to be under #Assad.

MENA_Conflict @LlamameIshmael
For the 100th f******* time, Jabhat al-Nusra wasn't in Daraya and no amount of 7-Degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon wishful thinking will change that.

If these people are "hostages of the terrorists", why do they voluntarily leave with them?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRB_NNDaVMw …

Turkey-backed rebels aim for key #ISIS-held town of Al-Bab
http://mme.cm/GLBW00

Turkey, US-backed forces clash in north #Syria #Jarablus
http://mme.cm/FLBW00

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister
✔ @Charles_Lister This is what #Assad/Putin regime “victory” looks like.

Let that sink in.

Formerly 78,000 Sunni's lived here and resisted Assad for over three years and were besieged the entire time WITH ONE single UN aid delivery in Jan 2016....

[OUTLAW 09]

@ogn_official interviewed @ShaykhRazzaq & commanders from FSA & Ahrar al-Sham on N #Syria's unity initiative:
https://youtu.be/N4n4lkLnm_A

Acc. to @ShaykhRazzaq *all* Jaish al-Fateh factions + Nour al-Din al-Zinki + Jaish al-Islam are all negotiating a possible merger in #Syria.

[OUTLAW 09]

David Patrikarakos @dpatrikarakos
My latest piece, and debut for @MoscowTimes, on the burgeoning bromance between #Russia and #Iran
https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/rebel-love-affair-55104 …

[OUTLAW 09]

Hassan Hassan ‏@hxhassan · Aug 25

So, so important:

Syrian Kurds withdraw from Manbij, leaving it for Arab council
http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/4df0b18a-59d2-47f0-a944-0086c21eda53/Kurds-withdraw-from-Manbij--leaving-it-for-Arab-council- …

1. This demonstrates that the Turkish moves were based on pre-understanding

2. This also gives credence to the idea, as insinuated by Erdogan, that Turkey is planning a zone similar to the one floated last year

3. This zone near the Turkish border will ensure no Kurdish or ISIS presence west of the Euphrates

4. The plan was announced by the Turks, initially from Kobane to Azaz, was suspended after US & Turkey agreed the YPG won't go there.

5. Turkey had mobilised the rebels to operate in that zone, and Nusra withdrew from the area, but TR then snubbed them after agreeing the US

6. For more on what Manbij meant for the YPG, to understand the scale of the concession, my column from last week:
http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/how-manbij-can-deliver-a-post-isil-success-story

Worth noting the Turkish move & YPG concession come amid a new Turkish policy that involves assertiveness but trying to work with everyone.

So this is not as hostile as it seems. Excluding Jarablus, much of this was actually pre-agreed, before the Manbij operation.

I had long conversations yesterday with people involved. YPG command is content with influence in Manbij, thru SDF, without actual presence.

Contrary to reports, more SDF (esp. YPG) fighters were killed in the Manbij operation that publicly announced. At least double the number.

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA Al Hamza Division | pledging to liberate al-Bab City from #ISIS N #Aleppo:
https://youtu.be/V4vIi3HoM14

[OUTLAW 09]

Forcible displacement of a civilian population is a crime against humanity under international law.

The @SYRedCrescent & the @UN can help Syrian people leave #Daraya but couldn't give food when besieged for 4 years?

UN Envoy statement on #Darayya emblematic of UN weakness- uninvolved in negotiation,unaware until last min, 'appeals' for compliance w/ laws

Robert Ford ‏@fordrs58
many will understand the Syrian opposition for not trusting the UN/USA insisting on Aleppo & Castello Road access.
Former US Ambassador to Syria at the start of the rebellion


Fath Aleppo’s answer to #DeMistura : “we’ve a better copy”
https://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2016/08/26/syriafath-aleppos-answer-to-demistura-weve-a-better-copy …

If copy = accurate, major Aleppo rebel faction tells UN aid thru Ramouseh; w/Castello OK if ceasefire/aid elsewhere

[OUTLAW 09]

Former US ambassador to Syria during the start of the rebellion...

Robert Ford ‏@fordrs58
Accusations against MOC n Amman. I hope media asks US administration what its policy about FSA in South Syria is. We should remember -set a marker. some years out, we'll ask members of this administration if their policy was right

Possible fall of Damascus suburb of Daraya results from freeze on operations by southern front rebels, that freed up regime manpower

Shows selective deconfliction enforced by Russia/internationally endorsed as CoH is not about peace, but part of Asad's military strategy

Robert Ford ‏@fordrs58
hence the question about the exact role of the MOC in Amman in FSA/South ops is really important to understand.


Daraya is a unique case of rebel-held area in Syria where armed groups are submitted to authority of civilian local council.

Daraya also has history of peaceful resistance to Asad regime that predated 2011 uprising by 8 years.

Peaceful resistance in Daraya has religious, not secular roots. Key figure was preacher Abd al-Akram al-Saqqa, arrested in 2003 and 2011

So no, "Wahhabism" isn't all what you need to know to understand dynamics of militarisation and radicalisation in Syria

After war started Daraya subjected to extermination; culminated in August '12 massacre of hundreds by army (not "out of control" militiamen)

[OUTLAW 09]

Jarablus: Sham Front cmdr shows wall #ISIS hanged heads of FSA fighters incl. his relatives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrZ7fF9T3y0 …

Back to the Wall: devasting #Fagot strike vs pro-Regime causing retreat in #Aleppo Arti Base
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fFKUMfSXGs …

Due to strikes on Ramouseh, supplies entering #Aleppo are limited and prices are high.
https://youtu.be/N-TU1Km80ps

Russian airstrikes on Huraytan 26-08-2016
https://youtu.be/QoJRaityUlU

Major Turkish escalation is reported. 15000 troops to enter Syria.

E. #Ghouta: Non-stop clashes in Hawsh Nasri where Jaish Islam fight Regime since weeks now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nprvdMy6qY …

[OUTLAW 09]

RBC Publishes Report with FSB, Military Sources on Wagner PMC with 2,500 Fighters in Syria
http://www.interpretermag.com/russia-update-august-26-2016/#14971 …

[OUTLAW 09]

America's retreat: From #Ukraine to #Syria, #Russia dictates events with impunity.

http://nytimes.com/2016/08/26/opinion/from-sarajevo-to-aleppo.html?smid=tw-share&referer= …

[OUTLAW 09]

Protest in support of #Daraya in Muzayrib, #Daraa condemning FSA Southern Front failure & calling cmdrs traitors
https://youtu.be/Tu1WJjX5J0o

People of Muzayrib (Daraa) demonstrating in solidarity with people #Darayya against Southern Front & Jordan.

Another protest in support of #Daraya in Saqba, rural #Damascus condemning #Daraa cmdrs & everyone who failed it

Another protest in support of #Daraya in Qaboun, #Damascus condemning #Daraa faction leaders

Demonstration in Eastern #Ghouta against Southern Front leadership on #Darayya.

Free Syrian Army in #Idlib preparing to welcome their hero brothers from #Daraya via @oabozayd

[OUTLAW 09]

Protest in support of #Daraya in Muzayrib, #Daraa condemning FSA Southern Front failure & calling cmdrs traitors
https://youtu.be/Tu1WJjX5J0o

Another protest in support of #Daraya in Saqba, rural #Damascus condemning #Daraa cmdrs & everyone who failed it

Another protest in support of #Daraya in Qaboun, #Damascus condemning #Daraa faction leaders

Free Syrian Army in #Idlib preparing to welcome their hero brothers from #Daraya via @oabozayd

Syria Statement of #FSA "Southern Front" about #Daraya (belonging to)
http://us11.campaign-archive1.com/?u=eb57859a6dcac269f00d92354&id=5af7409aee …

[OUTLAW 09]

Jarablus: first aid from Turkish Red Crescent reached civilians inside the city.

SDF tired last night to progress to Kaljabrin town by Marea N #Alepp
o & stopped by #FSA

Sham Legion @ShamLegion announces that they've fully liberated Tel Shaeer (south of Tel Battal) in North #Aleppo

Jaish al Tahrir disarming and removing IEDs in al Rai, north #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/GnyCOe-tVSg

[OUTLAW 09]

BUT WAIT Russia and Putin declared to both the US and UNSC that Assad was CW weapons free.....and now......????

Russian info warfare hard at work....trying to change the UNSC narrative.....

For Russia propagandists, problem isn't Assad's use of chemical weapons but UN report on it.
http://bit.ly/2bDgRq3

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo pro regime social media is melting down with rage. Assad's deal with #Daraya rebels drops another militant army on #Aleppo doorstep

AND this new so called militant army is battle tested and defeated all that Assad threw at them for three long years....

The Assad loses to win this "victory" were massive both in terms of manpower and armor...

[OUTLAW 09]

First Coastal Division targeting regime forces in #Kinsabba with a T-55
https://youtu.be/CvTHEaz7Q3A

al Safwa Islamic Battalion hit a group of regime fighters retreating at Aeronautical school with an ATGM #Aleppo

Levant Front also confirms that Shaeer Hill village has been liberated from Islamic State

[OUTLAW 09]

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER ABOUT SYRIA
Darayya 2011: Church bells ring as protestors mourning Zaher Mobayed chant "unity, freedom, Islam and Christianity."
https://youtu.be/ik1iCeYBn_U
KEEP this in mind when the western MSM writes that Syrians are nothing but flaming jihadists.....

REMEMBER it has been the total lack of Obama actions and no actions by the entire West that has driven secular and moderate Syrian rebels who started in 2011 a peaceful protest movement into the arms of the Salafists who are at least fighting for Syria......

[OUTLAW 09]

What a complete farce the US/Russian Geneva talks were yesterday....and yet nothing is said by western MSM.......

Right now the ground reality is being driven by what Bismarck called "settling the dispute by blood and iron"....

Russian Mission UN
✔ @RussiaUN It's necessary to announce launching direct round of talks betw. Gvt and whole spectrum of opposition in #Syria ASAP


MFA Russia
✔ @mfa_russia #Lavrov: Russia and US confirmed necessity of an urgent resumption, start of political process involving all #Syria'n sides |

HOW can Russia who is completely involved as a "belligerent party" be even involved.....as they are still deliberately targeting civilians with cluster and incendiary munitions, bombing markets and hospitals and using starvation as a weapon???????


BUT WAIT...here is the Russian excuse to still keep deliberating targeting and killing civilians and yet Kerry says not a single counter comment does he??????

MFA Russia
✔ @mfa_russia #Lavrov: There can be no full-fledged ceasefire in #Syria without separation of opposition from terrorists http://tass.com/politics/896183

BUT WAIT neither in eastern Ukraine nor in Syria HAS Russia ever held to a single ceasefire...even those they claim they call for...AS witnessed in their 88 Minsk 2 violating attacks yesterday against UAF..

YET Kerry just keeps on talking, and talking, and talking, and talking..........

2014....Obama...."we will judge Putin by his actions not his words"....

[CrowBat]

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER ABOUT SYRIA
Darayya 2011: Church bells ring as protestors mourning Zaher Mobayed chant "unity, freedom, Islam and Christianity."
https://youtu.be/ik1iCeYBn_U
KEEP this in mind when the western MSM writes that Syrians are nothing but flaming jihadists.....

REMEMBER it has been the total lack of Obama actions and no actions by the entire West that has driven secular and moderate Syrian rebels who started in 2011 a peaceful protest movement into the arms of the Salafists who are at least fighting for Syria......

...sigh... I walked down that street with some of my friends there, back in... must've been 2005. There was an excellent kebab-shop in that area.

Then came the massacre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darayya_massacre)...

Now, the place is finally obliterated and the population ethnically cleansed. And nobody cares. 'Well done', World.

[OUTLAW 09]

Rebels announced the captured of two more villages near #Jarabulus while fighting w/#SDF and #ISIS cont's.

Thaljat is also called Buzlijah, different than Tall Aar. FSA captured Thaljat.

[OUTLAW 09]

...sigh... I walked down that street with some of my friends there, back in... must've been 2005. There was an excellent kebab-shop in that area.

Then came the massacre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darayya_massacre)...

Now, the place is finally obliterated and the population ethnically cleansed. And nobody cares. 'Well done', World.

Locals in Hama greet people who arrived from Daraya, after the regime's bombing & starvation forced them to leave
https://youtu.be/zFxXHSxEeLU

[OUTLAW 09]

Jaish al Islam sniping regime fighters in Housh al Nasri, #Ghouta.
https://youtu.be/9Yxr7m3uZh4

[OUTLAW 09]

Rebels announced the captured of two more villages near #Jarabulus while fighting w/#SDF and #ISIS cont's.



If I were YPG/SDF I seriously would think it is time to start heading westward as they stated they would instead of continuing to fight eastward.....linking into Afrin is now a formal "dead on arrival issue".....AND especially since it appears that the Us is not flying CAS missions right now for YPG/SDF in the fighting where they are still trying to move towards Afrin.....

Especially if the rumors coming out of Turkey were correct that an additional 15,000 Turkish troops are heading order the border....Erdogan has to allow this so that the somewhat coup battered Army regains it's prestige within the Turkish civil society....

Zahid_Gul: The second phase of Euphrates Shield Battle begins on Sunday and aims to control #Manbij #SDF

[OUTLAW 09]

Map of #Aleppo #Opposition Launched New Battles Against #ISIS with #Turkish Support
PDF:
http://goo.gl/ApjpE6

[OUTLAW 09]

If I were YPG/SDF I seriously would think it is time to start heading westward as they stated they would instead of continuing to fight eastward.....linking into Afrin is now a formal "dead on arrival issue".....AND especially since it appears that the US is not flying CAS missions right now for YPG/SDF in the fighting where they are still trying to move towards Afrin.....

Especially if the rumors coming out of Turkey were correct that an additional 15,000 Turkish troops are heading order the border....Erdogan has to allow this so that the somewhat coup battered Army regains it's prestige within the Turkish civil society....

Zahid_Gul: The second phase of Euphrates Shield Battle begins on Sunday and aims to control #Manbij #SDF


EuphratesShield: convoy of hundreds of #FSA fighters advancing in W. #Jarablus countryside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCdY9HviHw0 …

EuphratesShield: US-led Coalition @CJTFOIR makes no difference in its statements between #Manbij & #Jarablus (32km away) for its Air Cover.

Rebels are indicating upwards of 2,000 of their fighters and hundreds of Turkish SF are on the move now toward Manbij....supported by Turkish air, artillery and armor.....

EuphratesShield: FSA made further gains W. of #Jarablus & took Humayr from #ISIS. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.765154&lon=37.929611&z=13&m …

N. #Aleppo: Rebels advancing from Al-Rai seized Tal Ar Gharbi & Haddabat from #ISIS. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.579420&lon=37.392998&z=12&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Actually an interesting economic development......

Sustainable energy is growing in Rebel territory due to lack of electricity & price of fuel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aY9eNkdKt0 …

Many sets of wind generators are being shipped in via Turkey.....being donated (rumored) by EU rural development funding....(rumored) Germany

[OUTLAW 09]

N. #Aleppo: Rebels advancing from Al-Rai seized Tal Ar Gharbi & Haddabat from #ISIS.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.579420&lon=37.392998&z=12&m …

N. #Aleppo: Rebels pushed back #ISIS from Al-Rai near Turkish border after the latter took parts of the city during an overnight assault.

Aleppo: Rebels repelled another assault on Ramoussah launched by pro-Regime forces & Hezbollah from Cement Factory. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.150351&lon=37.135935&z=14&m …

NOTE...this area mentioned above has turned literally into the "killing fields" of Assad regime supporting Shia militias and Hezbollah.....ATMG after ATMG is hitting and killing....

WOULD not in the least surprised that the Assad regime forces morale right now is at rock bottom and will never recover...regardless of what the Russians do going forward....

The battle against Assad has reached in IMHO a "true tipping point" and is now going fully against him and the Russians...

[OUTLAW 09]

N. #Latakia: First Coastal Division shelling with a T-55 #Kinsabba, Jebal Al-Akrad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvTHEaz7Q3A …

N. #Latakia: Rebels stopped a Hezbollah-led assault to advance in Ain Issa in Jebal Turkman. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.814333&lon=36.098328&z=14&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Buzlijah also announced captured from ISIS now.

FSA slower & SDF faster then expected here to gain IS areas

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo 2014.....any different from Aleppo 2016.....no....

Painful picture?
It's nothing like the real pain! This is #Aleppo #Syria
Credit: Hosam Katan / Reuters / 2014/02/14

Obama had a clear choice to end this in 2012 and again after the Assad CW attack in 2013 BUT choose not to....he is legacy wise just a complicit in the killing of over 450,000 Syrians as is Assad and now Putin....and complicit in accepting the use of genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation and war crimes against humanity as a US supported ME FP WHEN his actions could have stopped it....in some aspects he has badly damaged US ME FP for the coming decade.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Another Assad/Russia heinous crime in Bab al-Nayrab area #Aleppo. 15 people killed including 9 children. @AleppoAMC

ALL supported by the "do nothing stupid" FP of the Obama WH........

Another child died on the "Obama/Rhodes/Kerry watch".....and the Russian/Assad killing just continues just as the US talking, talking, talking continues....

YET the world cries about 280 killed in an Italian earthquake....a one time event.... YET in Syria this occurs hourly and daily and the global MSM says nothing....for that matter the entire western leadership remains utterly silent....

AND yet Assad and Putin continued deliberate targeting killing of civilians especially children......with not a single word from the Obama WH....as if they actually in fact approve of it...REMEMBER Kerry did threaten the HNC this would happen if they did not "surrender" to Assad, Russian and US terms in Geneva 2....much as Kerry has threatened Ukraine over Minsk 2.....

Meanwhile the #AssadPutin murderous regimes cont. to bury children in their sleeping rooms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYWJ8qPWzRc&feature=youtu.be …

Has the deliberate and unabated killing of civilians especially women and children become the centerpiece of the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH Syrian FP....appears so.....

Kerry in so much supported this Russian continued killing when he stated at Geneva that JaN was a legitimate target.....KNOWING FULL WELL that JaN now JFS is so intertwined with the Syrian opposition to include the minimum supported US proxy FSA....THAT Russia will and does use his words to continue bombing civilians they "claim are JaN"......

HE knows this yet says nothing during his press comments.....not eve a little pushback against the Russian view n this....

Kerry's "clarity"?! ...
Also #KafrHamra was under brutal #AssadPutin air strikes today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSPJjW89Z68 …
The bomb created cloud reached over 70 meters in height.......

[OUTLAW 09]

Dozens of dead #Assad-forces at the walls of Airforce College in south #Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGwcYGoD4oE&feature=youtu.be …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.165519&lon=37.115625&z=17&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo 2014.....any different from Aleppo 2016.....no....

Painful picture?
It's nothing like the real pain! This is #Aleppo #Syria
Credit: Hosam Katan / Reuters / 2014/02/14

Obama had a clear choice to end this in 2012 and again after the Assad CW attack in 2013 BUT choose not to....he is legacy wise just a complicit in the killing of over 450,000 Syrians as is Assad and now Putin....and complicit in accepting the use of genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation and war crimes against humanity as a US supported ME FP WHEN his actions could have stopped it....in some aspects he has badly damaged US ME FP for the coming decade.....

Ethnic cleansing of Sunni's using Assad and Putin bombs.....and the entire West says nothing.....

Eight regime airstrikes on Al-Waer district in Homs. Regime attempts to pressure rebels into accepting an evacuation agreement

[OUTLAW 09]

Rebels seized Bir Tahtani village. ISIS detonated a car bomb in Al-Hulweiniya

FSA dominate Al-Bir Tahtani on road to #IS held
Al-Bir Fawqani west of #Jarablus
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.771686&lon=37.889829&z=15&m=b …

FSA advance from Tal Shair to Haymar west of #Jarablus
https://youtu.be/rCdY9HviHw0

[OUTLAW 09]

Assad and Putin do not seem the least interested in just how many dead they have on their side of the fighting....BUT when the word gets around and believe me it will....fighting morale of his forces will sink and badly......

Footage
Pro-#Assad forces BMP-1 drives over its own dead fighters in N #Ramouseh.
No interest ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGwcYGoD4oE&feature=youtu.be&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DP GwcYGoD4oE%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&has_verified=1 …

Half of pro-#Assad unit runs away after being hit by rebel ATGM in north.#Ramouseh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fFKUMfSXGs …

[OUTLAW 09]

Footage
North of #Aleppo, #ISIS delivers a heavy fight, tried to recapture al-Rai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G43o6Sc5bBE&feature=youtu.be …

IS is sensing they are being slowly and completely surrounded and a rapidly abandoning their positions.....

And again, it's rather "moving in" than fighting #ISIS acc. to rebel footage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCdY9HviHw0&feature=youtu.be …

Seems to be now a "foot race" to gain back towns and villages formerly occupied by IS before YPG moves in.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria, Daraya: 1385 days of siege ended after agreement reached. Rebels left to Idlib
http://syria.liveuamap.com/

Daraya is "Donetsk airport" of Syria. Sieged, burnt to ground, depopulated

[davidbfpo]

A telling phrase in Paul Woods article in The Spectator three weeks ago; he is a BBC reporter too and has covered Syria for sometime, rarely now from within and the title & sub-title give you a theme:
Syria’s warlords were nobodies. Now they are rich men with sex slave; As Isis lose ground the other Islamist militias have a vested interest in keeping the civil war going
Link:http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/08/syrias-warlords-were-nobodies-now-they-are-rich-men-with-sex-slaves/

Sadly those in the 'firing squad' not only shoot each other, millions of Syrians are the "firing line" too.

[OUTLAW 09]

A telling phrase in Paul Woods article in The Spectator three weeks ago; he is a BBC reporter too and has covered Syria for sometime, rarely now from within and the title & sub-title give you a theme:
Link:http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/08/syrias-warlords-were-nobodies-now-they-are-rich-men-with-sex-slaves/

Sadly those in the 'firing squad' not only shoot each other, millions of Syrians are the "firing line" too.

Same exact development in eastern Ukraine which is under control of Russian mercenary gang/criminal warlords that have survived the second/sometimes third round of Russian assassination attempts in trying to rein them in....

[OUTLAW 09]

Assad embolden by "victory" in #Darayya unleashes massive barrel bomb onslaught on #Alleppo https://twitter.com/RevolutionSyria/status/769575225520484352 …

A child in #Waer neighborhood in #Homs. Suffered serious burns as a result of targeting the neighborhood with napalm

Encouraged by the "success" in #Daraya?!?!
Besieged #Waer was attacked by jets today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL9Iig2g2Cg …

As #Daraya is evacuated Regime using same method w/ another Rebel enclave: Al Waer near #Homs hit w/ many airstrikes and napalm
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=34.739638&lon=36.668930&z=12&m …

Rebels retaliated to the Regime bombardment of Al-Waer by targeting its forces on #Zara front with several missiles.

#Syria: At least 24 civilians killed, tens wounded in a heavy regime strike on #Aleppo|s rebel-held Bab al-Nairab.

Shams Shamal,another Kurdish-Turkmen faction in #SDF,says it is deploying towards #Jarabulus to fight the FSA.



Footage: total Regime failure in #Aleppo Arti Base w/ Rebels destroying armor behind lines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijCVfKsLMOQ …

[OUTLAW 09]

EuphratesShield: #FSA on Tell Amarnah 8 km S. of #Jarablus after expelling #SDF.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.745487&lon=38.013210&z=13&m …

FSA nearly doubled their territory around #Jarablus

EuphratesShield: #FSA found 7 #ISIS fighters hidden inside tunnels in #Jarablus, killed 5 of them and is tracking down the last 2.

EuphratesShield: #FSA declares control of Yussef Bayq after expelling #SDF.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.740122&lon=37.923603&z=13&m …

EuphratesShield: #FSA is now 16 km West of #Jarablus after controlling Turaykhim.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.764879&lon=37.841721&z=13&m …

FSA gains on 3rd day of operations vs #ISIS: #Jarablus and 9 villages taken.

EuphratesShield: #FSA took Bir Al-Tahtani 11 km West of #Jarablus as #ISIS withdrawn.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.776017&lon=37.893219&z=13&m …

EuphratesShield: Turkish warplanes pounded #SDF/#YPG positions S. of #Jarablus.

[OUTLAW 09]

.@JohnKerry & @LavrovRF have begun press conference in #Geneva.
Kerry clearly against #Darayya “forced surrender."

'Regime violations eventually became the norm, including indiscriminate bombardment & also now chlorine.'

Kerry: 'Today, we have achieved clarity on the path forward, completing technical discussions to make the CoH real.'


BUT WAIT...neither Assad nor Putin have held to a single ceasefire, the CoH and the so called regimes of silence...SO why would they now????

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Deliberations continue within armed groups in N. #Syria surrounding a proposed grand merger. No agreement & unresolved issues remain.

The proposed merger involves all Jaish al-Fateh factions:

JFS
Ahrar al-Sham
Faylaq al-Sham
Jaish al-Sunnah
Ajnad al-Sham
Liwa al-Haq

As with Jolani's offer of a grand merger in Feb 2016, he has again offered a name change & to cede his leadership of the new group.

While military unity is supported by all, organizational mergers = substantial opportunity costs & non-JFS factions have much to lose.

Unity negotiations are also catalyzing major tensions within former Nusra leadership. 10+ key figures have effectively split from JFS.

This includes #Latakia emir Abu Julaybib, AQ vet Faruq al-Shami, former military chief Abu Hamam al-Suri & chief Shari’i Sami al-Oraydi

Some, like @saleelalmajd1, suggest these defectors may end up establishing a new splinter faction devoted to the old guard AQ vision.

This dynamic within JN/JFS has been well known for a long time - those heavily pushing unity know extremists fear ideological erosion.

What is clear is that (1) JFS rebranding *was* clearly a substantive move & (2) its consequences will take time to play out in the open

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Things getting messy around #Jarablus.
2 pro-YPG SDF units announce intent to counter “Turkish occupation.”

This morning, Faylaq al-Sham claim its forces have clashed with SDF south of #Jarablus; several killed:

Turkey’s offensive into Syria is opening up a hornet’s nest. via @africawriter @erinmcunningham
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/how-turkeys-offensive-into-syria-is-opening-up-a-hornets-nest/2016/08/27/c1edd776-6bb8-11e6-91cb-ecb5418830e9_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-more-top-stories_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

We created this “hornets nest.”
It’s been blatantly clear since late-'14 what the inevitable consequences would be.

Northern #Aleppo now:

CIA/DoD/#Turkey-backed FSA opposition factions

vs.

DoD-backed SDF anti-#ISIS factions.

= Disgraceful mess.

Worse of all is we’re now seeing U.S. DoD-supplied weaponry being used by *both* sides, to fight each other.
Shameful “policy."

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
I recall a senior DoD official telling me in early-2015:
‘But the YPG *is* an opposition force, so why won’t FSA join us to fight #ISIS?'

Another DoD official later in '15 said:
‘If necessary, we’ll transform ethnic/tribal power dynamics in #Syria to fight #ISIS. We can do it'

I & others have said for a long time: U.S. counter-#ISIS strategy will create a secondary war in N. #Syria that’ll outlast that vs. #Assad.

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Things getting messy around #Jarablus.
2 pro-YPG SDF units announce intent to counter “Turkish occupation.”

This morning, Faylaq al-Sham claim its forces have clashed with SDF south of #Jarablus; several killed:

Turkey’s offensive into Syria is opening up a hornet’s nest. via @africawriter @erinmcunningham
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/how-turkeys-offensive-into-syria-is-opening-up-a-hornets-nest/2016/08/27/c1edd776-6bb8-11e6-91cb-ecb5418830e9_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-more-top-stories_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

We created this “hornets nest.”
It’s been blatantly clear since late-'14 what the inevitable consequences would be.

Northern #Aleppo now:

CIA/DoD/#Turkey-backed FSA opposition factions

vs.

DoD-backed SDF anti-#ISIS factions.

= Disgraceful mess.

Worse of all is we’re now seeing U.S. DoD-supplied weaponry being used by *both* sides, to fight each other.
Shameful “policy."

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
I recall a senior DoD official telling me in early-2015:
‘But the YPG *is* an opposition force, so why won’t FSA join us to fight #ISIS?'

Another DoD official later in '15 said:
‘If necessary, we’ll transform ethnic/tribal power dynamics in #Syria to fight #ISIS. We can do it'

I & others have said for a long time: U.S. counter-#ISIS strategy will create a secondary war in N. #Syria that’ll outlast that vs. #Assad.

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton
Had any constraints been put on the #PYD, #Turkey might never have intervened. U.S. could have averted new risks:

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton
PKK claims to adhere to "democratic confederalism". In Syria, it's looked a lot more like the authoritarian old days

Hassan Hassan ‏@hxhassan
Hate to say I called it:
"Ankara’s foreign policy will probably be more assertive in the coming weeks & months"

[OUTLAW 09]

.@JohnKerry & @LavrovRF have begun press conference in #Geneva.
Kerry clearly against #Darayya “forced surrender."

'Regime violations eventually became the norm, including indiscriminate bombardment & also now chlorine.'

Kerry: 'Today, we have achieved clarity on the path forward, completing technical discussions to make the CoH real.'

BUT WAIT...neither Assad nor Putin have held to a single ceasefire, the CoH and the so called regimes of silence...SO why would they now????

BUT WAIT this is the Obama/Kerry "clarity"......

1. Back a force regarded as terrorist by a NATO ally
2. Switch sides to NATO ally once it intervenes
3. Goggle at the resultant mess

EVEN MORE Obama/Kerry "clarity".........
Reports this Ma'adi attack was a Russian AF 'double tap.' First responder rescuers reported to be among injured

[OUTLAW 09]

3rd #Fagot strike by Sham Front vs a T-72 near Technical college. Unclear if hit. S. #Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuDDfxiyJds …

Sham Front fired another #Fagot vs pro-Regime forces in Technical College, S. #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIaCpzJ3xIw …

Another BMP taken out by a #Fagot (Sham Front) in Technical College, #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1QV7vhv-Ys …

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Things getting messy around #Jarablus.
2 pro-YPG SDF units announce intent to counter “Turkish occupation.”

This morning, Faylaq al-Sham claim its forces have clashed with SDF south of #Jarablus; several killed:

Turkey’s offensive into Syria is opening up a hornet’s nest. via @africawriter @erinmcunningham
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/how-turkeys-offensive-into-syria-is-opening-up-a-hornets-nest/2016/08/27/c1edd776-6bb8-11e6-91cb-ecb5418830e9_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-more-top-stories_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

We created this “hornets nest.”
It’s been blatantly clear since late-'14 what the inevitable consequences would be.

Northern #Aleppo now:

CIA/DoD/#Turkey-backed FSA opposition factions

vs.

DoD-backed SDF anti-#ISIS factions.

= Disgraceful mess.

Worse of all is we’re now seeing U.S. DoD-supplied weaponry being used by *both* sides, to fight each other.
Shameful “policy."

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
I recall a senior DoD official telling me in early-2015:
‘But the YPG *is* an opposition force, so why won’t FSA join us to fight #ISIS?'

Another DoD official later in '15 said:
‘If necessary, we’ll transform ethnic/tribal power dynamics in #Syria to fight #ISIS. We can do it'

I & others have said for a long time: U.S. counter-#ISIS strategy will create a secondary war in N. #Syria that’ll outlast that vs. #Assad.

DoD made a big mistake supporting Kurdish takeover from ISIS of Arab & Turkmen areas

A new phase in the Operation Euphrates Shield has just started when the YPG/PKK hit a NATO member's tank with a missile supplied by the US.

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING Rocket attack on Turkish tanks in Syria kills one soldier, wounds three: reports

Kurdish sources earlier said that three Turkish tanks were hit south of Jarablus by SDF/JMC forces.

Turkish sources confirm that 2 Turkish tanks been hit in Jarablus area. At least one Turkish solider killed.
http://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/cerablusta-tanka-roket-atildi-1askersehit-
oldu%2c_uTvidmxfUi1gFyfP9zP_Q …

Turkey widens Syria offensive
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN112094 …

MORE: SDF spokesman @servankobane claims that the Jarabulus Military Council has destroyed 3 tanks of Turkish backed rebels -

[OUTLAW 09]

RBC Publishes Report From FSB and Military Souces on Wagner PMC with 2,500 Fighters in Syria
http://www.interpretermag.com/russia-update-august-26-2016/#14971 …

SYRIA: Turkish backed group Sultan Murad Brigade captured SDF members during offensive in northern Syria.

[OUTLAW 09]

Assad embolden by "victory" in #Darayya unleashes massive barrel bomb onslaught on #Alleppo https://twitter.com/RevolutionSyria/status/769575225520484352 …

A child in #Waer neighborhood in #Homs. Suffered serious burns as a result of targeting the neighborhood with napalm

Encouraged by the "success" in #Daraya?!?!
Besieged #Waer was attacked by jets today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL9Iig2g2Cg …

As #Daraya is evacuated Regime using same method w/ another Rebel enclave: Al Waer near #Homs hit w/ many airstrikes and napalm
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=34.739638&lon=36.668930&z=12&m …

Rebels retaliated to the Regime bombardment of Al-Waer by targeting its forces on #Zara front with several missiles.

#Syria: At least 24 civilians killed, tens wounded in a heavy regime strike on #Aleppo|s rebel-held Bab al-Nairab.

Shams Shamal,another Kurdish-Turkmen faction in #SDF,says it is deploying towards #Jarabulus to fight the FSA.

Footage: total Regime failure in #Aleppo Arti Base w/ Rebels destroying armor behind lines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijCVfKsLMOQ …

Syria child suffering burns caused by #Assad napalm-like bomb attacks on #Homs' besieged Waer district
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twk5_IAUKAs …

[OUTLAW 09]

IIRC Daraya-like cleansing of Waar was once hailed by @UN as a blueprint for "local reconcilation" https://twitter.com/HadiAlabdallah/status/769567860708474880

FSA's Sultan Murad brigade captured at least two US-backed SDF fighters after today's clashes sw- of Jarablus.

SNN reporting from Al Rai after #FSA recaptured the town from Islamic State who took over parts this morning.
https://youtu.be/FosjhsV2AWY

First Coastal Division targeting regime forces in Fortress mountain with t-55
https://youtu.be/xYMQfM0bTss

Bodies being removed from rubble of building after airstrikes hit bab neirab neighborhood in #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/Uf02QzzXrqk

[OUTLAW 09]

Baghdad Street in Huraytan being hit by air strikes today.
https://youtu.be/yrXFnQXPjoE

Graphic: Tens of civilians killed after regime drops barrel bombs on Maadi district, #Aleppo. 5 yrs & this is normal
https://youtu.be/eEjo6Ea75KA

SNHR: at least 15 victims died in gov helicopter #BarrelBombs dropped on Al Ma'di in #Aleppo city, Aug 27.

Originality and Developement front attacking regime warplanes in Northern #Homs
https://youtu.be/J_B1fwCBflc

Maath al Shami interviewing rebels that left #Darayya "We left for the women and children, inshallah we'll be back."
https://youtu.be/atQEl-mVyuI

Sultan Murad Brigade statement from before operations today to liberate more of Northern #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/SAWvySLGKk8

Jaish al Nasr and the rest of #Idlib welcoming rebels and civilians from #Darayya into the city
https://youtu.be/XB6sCAJFDSI

Children in the town of Treekhm in Northern #Aleppo cheer for the FSA after the town was liberated from IS
https://youtu.be/obu5lfUYg94

Levant Front destroying a regime T-72 with a Fagot ATGM at the entrance of the aeronautical School, #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/YuDDfxiyJds

Levant front hitting a regime BMP with a fagot ATGM at aeronautical school in #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/d1QV7vhv-Ys

Regime infantry hit by ATGM.....
https://youtu.be/uIaCpzJ3xIw

[OUTLAW 09]

RuAF TU-154 in #Syria. Who's coming?

[OUTLAW 09]

Damascus: Last convoy with civilians and rebels leaving #Darayya now. #Assad militias on the way to loot.

Aleppo: #YPG militias collapsing south of #Jarabulus. They have never fought without #US Airforce before.

Aleppo: #FSA rebels in #Mazaalah village, captured from #YPG. #Jarabulus

Assad barrel bomb attack on #Aleppo City killed 23+ civilians and wounded 30+ today.

[OUTLAW 09]

Rebels have killed #Assad Brigadier General Asaf Mohammed Kheirbeik in Southern #Aleppo today.

Abandoned BREM-1, AMB-S and BMP-2 at Aleppo Military Colleges; JFS fighters are setting fire to the BREM.

Graphic: Al Waer #Homs hit by barrel bombs and incendiary barrel bombs today.
https://youtu.be/uIqz2gT4cyc

Central Division targeting regime forces in 3000 apartments with a 122 mm artillery cannon
https://youtu.be/xXsopCvayfg

[OUTLAW 09]

The way #SDF considers #Turkey as an occupation force and invaders, ignoring #Iran and #Russia, shows how #YPG is controlling #SDF.

In 2014 they fought together with FSA to free N Aleppo from Assad now they kill their former partners....that is what I call a highly successful "do nothing stupid" US FP by the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH....

Allowing US proxies and allies to fight against each other is the last nail in @POTUS's foreign policy coffin.

[B]WHO made the idiotic decision in Washington to give the YPG Javelins?????
True, no TOWs, but YPG does have Javelins:
http://www.conflict-news.com/articles/the-us-are-supplying-javelin-anti-tank-missiles-to-the-ypg-in-syria …
https://twitter.com/markito0171/status/769669384222674944 …

Michael Weiss
✔ @michaeldweiss Actually, the way to bring the White House to heel in Syria is to have US proxies blow your soldiers up with US weapons. Worked for Russia.

[OUTLAW 09]

What a great career opportunity. Become a Russian mercenary, get paid $4600/month, and get killed in Syria https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-spending-150m-monthly-on-syria-mercenaries-55108 …

I hope President Obama reads this powerful essay about crimes against humanity in Syria: "Why I Go to Aleppo"
http://nyti.ms/2boNxEO

[OUTLAW 09]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/obama-syria-chemical-weapons-legacy-227460#ixzz4IbT7EaYG

Obama’s legacy on Syria dealt another blow

Critics say a new report finding Assad has continued to use chemical weapons undercuts Obama's landmark 2013 deal with Syria.

By Sarah Wheaton
| 08/26/16 05:32 PM EDT


President Barack Obama hasn’t had many victories to point to in Syria, but there was one: the U.S. and Russia-brokered deal in 2013 that compelled the Syrian regime to hand over hundreds of tons of chemical weapons.

Now, a U.N. investigation has put even that victory in question, leading critics to hammer a U.S. president they say is too stubborn to admit he was wrong to pull back on military strikes, even after he’d warned the regime there that chemical weapons use would cross a “red line.”

The U.N. report, released earlier this week, found that Syrian President Bashar Assad has used chlorine gas against civilians at least twice since 2013, violating the Chemical Weapons Convention, which he joined as part of the deal he struck that year.

Still, the White House is giving no sign that Obama is willing to change his mind on military force or even establishing a no-fly zone. Instead, administration officials keep emphasizing the importance and historic nature of the 2013 agreement, while stressing its main focus was getting rid of Assad’s stockpiles of sarin, anyhow.

“They are in such a defensive mode right now, it’s sad,” said Randa Slim, a scholar of post-conflict reconciliation at the Middle East Institute. “They are more trying to spin the positive of their inaction than confront the true inaction.”

Obama issued his “red line” warning to Assad in 2012, which was widely seen as a pledge that the U.S. would be ready to launch airstrikes targeting the Syrian government. After it became clear that Assad had used sarin gas to kill hundreds of Syrians in 2013, Obama openly debated such strikes.

Ultimately, he backed off the idea, and his administration instead pursued the diplomatic route – working with Assad’s ally, Russia — to try to purge Assad’s stockpiles of chemical weapons.

Bashar Assad's regime was responsible for at least two cases of using chlorine in his country's civil war.

Since then, there have been dozens of cases of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria, many involving chlorine. The ubiquitous industrial chemical isn’t tightly regulated under international weapons rules — but Assad is breaking his 2013 commitment not to use it to hurt people.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Thursday the U.N. findings are “not surprising,” adding that “the Assad's regime creativity in wreaking havoc and violence and bloodshed against innocent people apparently knows no bounds.”

(Earnest may be giving Assad a bit too much credit in citing his “creativity”: chlorine was arguably the original chemical weapon, first used to kill 800 French and Algerian soldiers in World War I.)

Earnest also took pains to narrowly define the White House’s mission with the original deal in 2013 – and declared that narrow mission to have been a success.

“It is important to draw a distinction between what we indicated that we were prepared to do and had succeeded in doing, which is getting the Assad regime to acknowledge that they had a stockpile of sarin gas,” Earnest said. That happened “because of the tough diplomacy of the United States and Russia.”

Assad also agreed to let other countries remove and destroy his chemical stores and dismantle Syria’s production facilities. Earnest continued: “As bad as the situation is in Syria right now, it would be even worse if we knew that the Assad regime's stockpile of sarin gas, for example, was floating around a country that had essentially been overrun by extremists.”

Mohammed Sahloul, a senior advisor to the Syrian American Medical Society who has traveled to conflict zones in Syria and testified about what he’s seen to the U.N., is underwhelmed.

“President Obama’s administration can pick and choose whatever they think is successful, and they have been picking and choosing, clearly. But for the doctors in Syria who have been facing the consequences of chemical weapons in Syria,” Sahloul continued, “these so-called successes do not mean anything.”

Sahoul co-wrote a report pegging the number of chemical weapons attacks at 161, with three-quarters happening after the 2013 agreement.

“A no-bombing zone or no-fly zone is long overdue,” Sahloul added. “President Obama has the moral responsibility to enforce that. Especially since he has red lines that were not crossed just one time or two times but … 161 times.”

That’s just part of the bloodshed since Syria devolved into civil war in spring 2011. As many as 470,000 people have died and millions have been forced from their homes. The U.N. probe’s report comes as negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Syria have stalled. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Friday and announced incremental progress in their bid to repair a badly broken cease-fire.

“We have the fact that the Geneva process is in intensive care right now, a coma,” Slim said. Along with the new U.N. report, she continued, “The evidence now basically is quite strong that diplomatic means have reached a dead end in Syria, at least diplomatic means in the way they are being enacted right now, in the absence of a military option.”

Obama and his aides still cite the lessons of the Iraq war in their reluctance to engage militarily, arguing that it would only add to the chaos without making America or its allies any safer.

A former top Obama foreign policy aide said people read too much into Obama’s off-the-cuff “red line”comment at the time. It wasn’t meant as a warning to Assad that he’d be removed from power if he broke the international norm against using chemical weapons, said Derek Chollet, now an advisor at Beacon Global Strategies. It was just about containing Syria’s suspected chemical cache.

“That’s a separate issue” from the Syrian civil war, the refugee crisis, and other fallout, Chollet said, adding that the U.S. should keep using diplomacy to resolve those issues.

“We went to Iraq over [weapons of mass destruction] that did not exist, and we are still dealing with the consequences today,” Chollet said. Even with “indisputable” evidence that Assad is waging chemical attacks on civilians, he said, “I’m not impressed by any of the ideas of how to use military force to try to solve this particular problem.”

To further complicate the Obama administration’s case that the 2013 deal was a success, there have been recent reports in Foreign Policy and other news outlets that investigators believe Assad may not have even turned over all of the deadly agents he was required to under that agreement.

National security analysts say it’s critical that the U.N. Security Council act on the latest investigation’s findings and hold Assad responsible — otherwise the international community could be sending a signal that using chemical weapons in war is acceptable.

Chlorine is a difficult substance for the international community to police: unlike sarin or mustard gas (which this week’s U.N. report determined had been used by the Islamic State in Syria), it has myriad legal uses, including for water purification.

It’s also easier to counteract and has largely been ruled out as a military tool. But in Syria, chlorine has proven not only deadly against civilians, but an effective weapon for psychological trauma and displacement, Sahloul said. Security experts have also raised alarms about terrorists getting ahold of the gas.

“When you give the impression to the world, and I’m talking about President Obama’s administration, that it’s ok to use chlorine,” Sahloul said, “that means you are really giving the green light, not the red light here… to use these kind of less aggrieved chemical agents.”

A White House official contested the idea that the administration is turning a blind eye, noting that the administration had pushed for the U.N. investigation and report after initial allegations of chlorine attacks in 2014. The report heads to the U.N. Security Council next week, where the U.S.’s envoy, Samantha Powers, has said members must “ensure consequences for those who have used chemical weapons in Syria.”

It is because Assad signed the Chemical Weapons Convention under Obama’s deal, the White House official said, that “we can hold them to account” in the international body.

The reality is that it may be impossible to convince Russia, which holds a veto on the Security Council like the U.S., to severely punish Assad, one of Moscow’s few allies in the Middle East.

Slim said the administration did not prepare for Assad’s defiance. “They don’t have a Plan B but a political dialogue.”

[OUTLAW 09]

Sultan Murad and Turkish forces operations in #Jarabulus countryside as they clear villages from IS and SDF
https://youtu.be/3ZfGf_LVi68

[OUTLAW 09]

In Daraya, #Assad destroyed "a small exemplary model for the future of #Syria".
http://bit.ly/2c4RzSF

Darayya is also known for women participation and leadership, in protests, civil activities and awarenss

Darayya has a christian minority which participated in protests. Sign:"Why not a Christian woman as president?"

When the revolution started in 2011, Darayya set an example for nonviolence and creativity in peaceful tactics

Darayya is a wound that won't heal in Syrian society for decades.But its story will be inspirational for many Syrians & non Syrians

[OUTLAW 09]

A must-read piece by @hxhassan:
"The Great Game in Northern #Syria "
http://timep.org/commentary/the-great-game-in-northern-syria/ …

Three sides have attacked inside Turkey since the war in Syria started:

The Syrian regime
The Islamic State
The SDF

1. Important to note the clashes near Jarablus are overwhelmingly local. They shouldn't be viewed thru Kurdish-Turkish prism -- simplistic.

2. Certainly the elements fighting the rebels are part of the SDF, some *loosely* part of it.

3. For now, the Kurdish part is largely contained & there is a framework in place that'll ensure the US & Turkey are on the same page.

4. Of course, as always in Syria, things could spin out of control.


Background on the rebels-SDF clashes in Aleppo:

1. Jarablus SDF military council was set up a day before TK began op

2. The guy who announced it threatened "the Sultanate of Turkey" & called on the US & SDF to help

3. Assassinated

4. The "military council" seemed local and didn't sound linked to the SDF or that the SDF wanted it to look organic.

5. For now, it seems that it's the Arab component of the SDF that's spearheading the clashes. YPG might be going for a different tactic here

[OUTLAW 09]

A must-read piece by @hxhassan:
"The Great Game in Northern #Syria "
http://timep.org/commentary/the-great-game-in-northern-syria/ …

Three sides have attacked inside Turkey since the war in Syria started:

The Syrian regime
The Islamic State
The SDF

1. Important to note the clashes near Jarablus are overwhelmingly local. They shouldn't be viewed thru Kurdish-Turkish prism -- simplistic.

2. Certainly the elements fighting the rebels are part of the SDF, some *loosely* part of it.

3. For now, the Kurdish part is largely contained & there is a framework in place that'll ensure the US & Turkey are on the same page.

4. Of course, as always in Syria, things could spin out of control.


Background on the rebels-SDF clashes in Aleppo:

1. Jarablus SDF military council was set up a day before TK began op

2. The guy who announced it threatened "the Sultanate of Turkey" & called on the US & SDF to help

3. Assassinated

4. The "military council" seemed local and didn't sound linked to the SDF or that the SDF wanted it to look organic.

5. For now, it seems that it's the Arab component of the SDF that's spearheading the clashes. YPG might be going for a different tactic here

Reuters: Turkey ratchets up Syria offensive, says warplanes hit Kurdish militia
http://www.unian.info/world/1490124-reuters-turkey-ratchets-up-syria-offensive-says-warplanes-hit-kurdish-militia.html …

Kyle W. Orton @KyleWOrton
There has now been a terrorist attack, with an RPG, at a police checkpoint at Diyarbakır Airport in #Turkey. Good money says it's #PKK.

[OUTLAW 09]

Airwars
‏@airwars_
Coalition airstrikes against ISIL in Syria reach 5,000 by our count - 95% of them by USA according to official data

Not a single one complicated the ability of the pro-#Assad coalition to commit mass-murder in #Syria

[CrowBat]

A true 'must-read' on Wagner - Russian PMC that has 2,500 troops deployed in Syria (http://www.rbc.ru/magazine/2016/09/57bac4309a79476d978e850d) (and that actually led the assault on Palmyra, where it lost up to 500 KIA).

And now in English too: RBC Publishes Report Sourced in FSB and Military on Wagner Private Military Contractor with 2,500 Fighters in Syria (http://www.interpretermag.com/russia-update-august-26-2016/#14971).

[CrowBat]

A telling phrase in Paul Woods article in The Spectator three weeks ago; he is a BBC reporter too and has covered Syria for sometime, rarely now from within and the title & sub-title give you a theme:
Link:http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/08/syrias-warlords-were-nobodies-now-they-are-rich-men-with-sex-slaves/

Sadly those in the 'firing squad' not only shoot each other, millions of Syrians are the "firing line" too.
...yup, and the SCW is meanwhile so complex, the author of that article does not know the HNAZ (Harakat Noureddin az-Zenghi) ceased receiving US support over a year ago.

[CrowBat]

Forr now, it seems that it's the Arab component of the SDF that's spearheading the clashes. YPG might be going for a different tactic here...
Well, the language that can be heard here (video is showing two ATGM hits on a TSK's M60A3) is clearly Kurdish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCCju3WOOYY

...which means that, contrary to what the WH is claiming, the PYD/YPG didn't 'withdraw east of Euphrates'...

[OUTLAW 09]

Hara_FM reporter: 10 regime soldiers were killed in rebel commando op. on Umm Qar'a Height South of #Aleppo #Syria

EuphratesShield: #FSA seized over Ain Al-Bayda from #SDF, 10 km S. of #Jarablus.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.724301&lon=37.978191&z=12&m …

Al-Masdar News @TheArabSource
#Kobani residents warn #Turkey not to attack after #YPG warning
https://link.almasdarnews.com/ndtux

Turkey killed 20 people or #SDF forces south of #Syria's Jarablus town with airstrikes

Map. Gains by Turkish-backed #FSA groups in the #Jarabulus countryside
HD -
http://i.imgur.com/KyYGpMv.jpg

Aleppo: #FSA rebels have captured #Ayn_Al_Bayda, #Amarnah, #Dabisah & #Jubb_al_Kusa villages from #YPG. #Jarabulus

Syria #FSA + #Turkey army tank in Amarnah south of #Jarablus after defeated #SDF/#YPG
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.740604&lon=38.006773&z=15&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Seems to confirm what I had posted here a number of days ago...that the YPG/PKK had been receiving Russian weapons shipments.......

This is very interesting, media outlet says YPG hit Turkish tank with Russian-made Kornet via @Stuart_JW
http://m.t24.com.tr/haber/ypg-cerablusta-turk-tanklarini-rus-yapimi-kornet-tanksavarla-vurdu,357189 …

FSA took Thaheriyah (Balwiran) from #IS west of #Jarablus
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.732143&lon=37.847385&z=15&m=b …

EuphratesSchield forces are controlling now Amranah, AynByda, Yusuk Bayk & JubKusa after clashes with #SDF

FSA backed by #Turkey army advance southwards against #YPG/#SDF

Aleppo: #FSA rebels with captured weapons and ammunition from #YPG in #Amarnah village today.

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo: #YPG calling their killed militias now civilians and trying to fool the Western media.

Appears the rumor of a 15,000 Turkish invasion force might not be so wrong......
Turkey sends more tanks from Istanbul to Gazintep (Syria border)

Daraya : Assad’s army of looters move into the city.

[OUTLAW 09]

http://english.aawsat.com/2016/08/article55357266/commercial-airliner-flying-fighters-weapons-tehran-damascus

Commercial Airliner Flying Fighters, Weapons from Tehran to Damascus


London- At a time when Iran is investing the Nuclear Deal to develop its fleet, U.S. media sources renewed fears that Iranian air companies linked to the Revolutionary Guards would use those jets to send weapons and fighters to Syria.

A report published by Forbes said Iranian commercial aircraft routinely violate international aviation rules by transporting arms and military personnel to Syria, and therefore, “selling aircraft to Iran will expose manufacturers to the risk of becoming complicit in such activities.”

Forbes said Iran was trying to ink a deal to buy up to 500 aircraft over the next decade.

The magazine said: “Iran remains the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in the world and is still number one on the recently-released Basel Anti-Money Laundering Index Report of 2016, which assesses the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing in 149 countries.”

The report coincides with the comments of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who expressed his country’s worries regarding Iran’s transfer of weapons to Yemen.

Also, the international community is worried from an Iranian activity towards refueling conflicts in Arab countries, which Tehran says was protecting its security and national interests.

Last Thursday, Iran announced that a deal with Airbus was in its last phases,” according to Fars news agency, quoting Iranian Minister of Transportation Minister Abbas Akhoundi.

Forbes warned the Airbus Company to think twice before inking such a deal.

The report said: “The problem with the Islamic Republic’s aircraft shopping spree is that Iran’s state-owned airline, Iran Air, will be the sole company purchasing these aircraft.” It said Iran’s current fleet stands at 36 aircraft while its subsidiary, Iran Air Tours, has 14.

Mahan Air is considered the first Iranian company, which conducted flights to Syria for transferring weapons in 2011.

Iranian and foreign sources had accused Mahan Air for sending weapons to three states: Lebanon, Sudan and Syria. The company also faces several accusations for cooperating with units linked to the Revolutionary Guards and its foreign arms al-Quds Forces.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria #Aleppo #FSA seized Mulla Ya'qub east of al_Rai from #IS
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.658608&lon=37.504835&z=15&m=b …

Aleppo: #FSA rebels have captured #Mulla_Yaqub village 8 kilometers northeast of #Al_Rai from #ISIS.

EuphratesShield FSA rebels have captured Khirba & Hajaj south of #Jarablus from SDF/YPG

Head of the 'Sultan Murad' rebel group told @Reuters that #Turkish-backed rebels aim to capture #Manbij city from #Kurdish-allied forces.

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkish Red Crescent deliver aid to residents affected by operation "#EuphratesShield"
http://ow.ly/pk7M303Es82
INTERESTINGLY footage is from Russian media outlet RUPTLY...

EuphratesShield forces controlled Dabis town after clashes with #SDF

Turkish Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles of the 5th Armoured Brigade of the 2nd Army spotted in #Jarablus #EuphratesShield

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkish Red Crescent deliver aid to residents affected by operation "#EuphratesShield"
http://ow.ly/pk7M303Es82
INTERESTINGLY footage is from Russian media outlet RUPTLY...

EuphratesShield forces controlled Dabis town after clashes with #SDF

Turkish Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles of the 5th Armoured Brigade of the 2nd Army spotted in #Jarablus #EuphratesShield

Combined Turkish-rebel forces advance south, take one #SDF-held village every 2-5 hours.

[OUTLAW 09]

.@bbcrussian calls Turkey-backed FSA "Turkish forces" while still calling Russia-backed rebels in Ukraine "rebels". https://twitter.com/bbcrussian/status/769844410574143492 …

[OUTLAW 09]

SYRIA: Assad regime barrel bombs kill over 24 people at a funeral and then conducted several "double taps" on the first responder and rescue personnel....

MAP and another one.
Also already outdated as Turkish/rebel troops took #Suraysat from SDF/YPG forces 2 hours ago.

Syria #FSA seized Radio facility south of #Jarablus
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.745358&lon=37.997729&z=17&m=b …

Syrian opposition media tries to cope with speed of Turkish/rebel offensive "vs #ISIS terrorists & #YPG terrorists".

Turkey-backed rebel force was "certainly heading in the direction Manbij" since the YPG fortified & didn't evacuate

BUT WAIT...from CENTCOM .....
OIR Spokesman ‏@OIRSpox · Aug 25
To clarify: Main element of SDF Manbij liberation force has gone east; some forces remain to finish clearing, IED removal as planned.

Syria #Jarablus Seems #FSA/#Turkey army take entire area north of Sajur river in next hours

[OUTLAW 09]

Kyle W. Orton @KyleWOrton
U.S. ignored her own terrorism laws to arm a group now using the weapons against a NATO member. #PYD not the only one that feels betrayed.

[OUTLAW 09]

YPG 1 week ago: "We will capture Northern #Aleppo, #Turkey can only talk, #Syria|n rebels are weak, hahaha." Who is laughing now?!

It's not only SDF which can do pincer movements against ISIS

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo: Rebels crushing pro-#Assad forces near #Ramouseh Airforce College during another failed regime attack now.

[OUTLAW 09]

Moderator's Note

The next three posts have been copied here from the Syria thread, as they fit here too.

The author, not Outlaw09, states 'My comments are in green.' Clearly they are not, which rather hinders what Gerasimov wrote and the author. I recommend readers follow the link. Hence the removal of a lengthy quote (Ends).

http://blog.berzins.eu/gerasimov-syria/

Gerasimov, the Experience in Syria, and “Hybrid” Warfare

General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, published a very interesting article on the “VPK – Voenno-promyshlennyi kur’er” (Military-Industrial Courier) entitled “On the Syrian Experience.” Although it is usually an obscure publication, in reality it is an important one. It is Gerasimov’s preferred publication, followed by the “Nezavisimoe voennoe obozrenie” (Independent Military Review). General Vladimirov, the vice-president of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences, also publishes there. Thus, it’s good to take a look.

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo: #FSA and #Turkey gave #YPG militias 3 days to retreat to eastern bank of #Euphrates. They had their chance & shouldn't cry now.

EuphratesShield FSA has captured al-Maghayer (circled) on the banks of the Euphrates river from SDF/YPG

Rebels seized from #ISIS another location (Karsanil) NE of Al-Rai.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.661534&lon=37.537022&z=13&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

U.S.-backed Turks are fighting U.S.-backed Kurds, neither fighting ISIS.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/how-turkeys-offensive-into-syria-is-opening-up-a-hornets-nest/2016/08/27/c1edd776-6bb8-11e6-91cb-ecb5418830e9_story.html?postshare=2211472357356948&tid=ss_tw …

Was posted here yesterday but posting again as it is important to read....although his thesis of IS not being attacked is a tad off as FSA is and has been constantly talking IS controlled villages and towns.....as Turkish forces and FSA are also pushing YPG/PYG forces back to the east of the Eurphates....

[OUTLAW 09]

Iranian hardliners are acting out again.......

#Iran arrested a nuclear deal negotiator on suspicion of 'infiltration'
read.bi/2cjvUHs

[OUTLAW 09]

Impressive #footage
Combined Turkish Army / FSA forces advance into SDF-held village.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZfGf_LVi68 …

Aleppo: And the Western politicians and media ignored this. #YPG fanboys: "Hey, it's war. We fighting #ISIS, we can do what we want."

[OUTLAW 09]

Least we forget Assad and Putin are still deliberately killing Syrians claiming their are "terrorists"....

More graphic #footage from #Rastan where #AssadPutin keep slaughtering children and babies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJccCmrtx-I …

From Aleppo today.....and Kerry keeps saying he and Russia have "clarity"....
"Clarity of what" I am not sure?????

Women, children and old men were the victims of the renewed air strikes on the city.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MixkhwWe8VQ …

[OUTLAW 09]

Ever notice just how the Russians define a word and then just how Kerry defines the same exact word....."clarity".....which both used in Geneva this week talking about their alleged "break through"....for a ceasefire???

This defines just how the Russians define "clarity" meaning all Arab Sunni's are "terrorists" including women and children...YET Kerry does not seem to disagree with the Russian FM......

ANOTHER definition of Russian "clarity".....
Also in #Huraytan the #AssadPutin air strikes continue.
No problem anymore it seems ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOMtY-UinlM …

AND again his time without yesterday's use of napalm......
Meanwhile in #Waer, #AssadPutin aim to repeat the #Daraya scenario.
Bombing people away ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHbLvAv1d-4 …

Unbearable crimes by the #AssadPutin air force in #Rastan (besieged #Homs prov.) today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiZBFxQ9MNc …

Did everyone notice the quick slight of hand by both Kerry and Lavrov at Geneva .....both talked about "possible ceasefire and humanitarian aid deliveries" ...and as they talked the Russians continued their deliberate killing of civilians.....just as in eastern Ukraine where Russia stated there "might be a ceasefire on 31 August" all the while there was suppose to already be one called Minsk 2.....which Russia has never complied with just as it has not complied at all with the Syrian CoH....

"GRAPHIC"

[OUTLAW 09]

SDF defence vs Turkish Army/Syrian rebels collapses south of #Jarabulus.
Pocket size doubled in 24 hours.

Syrian rebels advance along the Syrian-Turkish border east of al-Rai and took 3 more villages from #ISIS.

Turkish army units - tanks & APCs - are leading the battle vs. #SDF/#YPG

Damascus: Rebel sniper in Eastern #Ghouta killing 2 pro-#Assad forces with 1 bullet.

EuphratesShield (update): #FSA backed by Turkey on the verge of full seizure of #SDF territory N. of Sajur River.

The #SDF/#YPG/#PKK fetishizing of Apo/calan is quite similar to regime #SAA/#NDF worship of Assadonly now seen

Breaking. #EuphratesShield: #FSA reached outskirts of Sajur River after takeover of Al-Mughair from #SDF.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=ar&lat=36.682324&lon=38.053207&z=13&m

SW. #Aleppo: Rebels strike back to pro-Regime assault on Techn. College w/ heavy artillery & #ATGM destroying a tank

SW. #Aleppo: fierce clashes & shelling as pro-Regime forces launched another attempt to seize the Technical College.

[OUTLAW 09]

Little known fact.....occurred a number of times as YPG advanced on Manbij and further....

YPG gave #US Airforce wrong coordinates to bomb Arab villages. 100s of civilians were slaughtered.
Especially a Manbij school house being used as an IDP facility killing over 100 civilians which the USAF has never reviewed even after claiming they would review the incident.....coordinates for that strike allegedly came from YPG forward observers....

[OUTLAW 09]

Little known fact.....occurred a number of times as YPG advanced on Manbij and further....

YPG gave #US Airforce wrong coordinates to bomb Arab villages. 100s of civilians were slaughtered.
Especially a Manbij school house being used as an IDP facility killing over 100 civilians which the USAF has never reviewed even after claiming they would review the incident.....coordinates for that strike allegedly came from YPG forward observers....

Here is what the Obama WH and especially CENTCOM has utterly failed to see in their Kurdish proxy YPG.....these are captured YPG fighters and they are not captured SDF fighters....and much like the Hezbollah and Shia militias wearing Assad logos YPG soldiers are wearing the symbol for whom they are fighting for.........in this case PKK very clearly with Ocalan as their recognized leader.

FSA rebels have captured #YPG/#PKK militias with Ocalan on their uniforms south of #Jarabulus. #Turkey

So while SDF and US SOF was busy "capturing Manbij"...the PKK was taking over every Arab Sunni village and town in their path to the Afrin Canton.....

Syria #Raqqa Kurdish #YPG deported all residents of Tal Osman
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.245450&lon=38.244352&z=14&m=b …

AND CENTCOM did not see this happening??????

[OUTLAW 09]

Not a single word was said by the Obama WH on the Assad repeated use of napalm bombs against civilians.....first against besieged Darayya now against besieged al Waer.....

Doctors in al Waer unable to treat anyone properly after victums came in from the napalm attack. Resorting to mud & powders as more injured says doctor there.
https://youtu.be/uRJL_wRPeE0

[OUTLAW 09]

Homs Operation Room targeting regime forces in Zara thermal plant #Hama. Seems they have gotten closer to the plant.

Sham Legion announces they have captured al Zahiria & madloola village, West of #Jarabulus

Southern Front fighting with Islamic State affiliates in Daraa countryside, Southern Syria
https://youtu.be/_mm34lTr4_c

People and fighters from #Darayya being recieved and Celebrated in #Idlib today
https://youtu.be/_CNNNG8R9J8

Jaish al Tahrir #FSA with 4 #SDF prisoners after capturing Syriatel Tower and al-Amarna in #euphrates_shield op

Jaish al Tahrir capture Syriatel hill from #SDF forces and take down their flag. #Euphrates_Sheild
https://youtu.be/fkgEZ85BZBo

Turkish backed rebels announce next objectives. Connect with al-Rai & take Manbij & al-Bab

[OUTLAW 09]

Oh my god ...
#AssadPutin don't stop.
They kill and kill and kill.
Also RIGHT NOW!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsddemDIbiY …
#Graphic!

[OUTLAW 09]

ISIS internet comms kit recovered from an interdicted cell in Saudi Arabia. Note the smartphones for WhatsApp/Telegram, w/ tape

Yes even IS understands computer/hacking and OPSEC....even in 2005/2006 they were good at comms encryption.....

First time such an IS comms kit has been completely captured....and photographs released.

Noticed that since 2005 they have not lost their affinity for Nokia cellphones....

[OUTLAW 09]

Russia deployed its most advanced T-90A tank to #Allepo #Syria (to help #Assad massacre more civilians)

Opposition forces are now 15 km from the SDF-held city of Manbij #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

Not a single word was said by the Obama WH on the Assad repeated use of napalm bombs against civilians.....first against besieged Darayya now against besieged al Waer.....

Doctors in al Waer unable to treat anyone properly after victums came in from the napalm attack. Resorting to mud & powders as more injured says doctor there.
https://youtu.be/uRJL_wRPeE0

Nonstop airstrikes on densely populated areas in #Waer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwxClNXO4Bk …

[OUTLAW 09]

LemmingAlert
10 ATGM-destroyed tanks and APCs at the northern end of the #Ramouseh base.
Still, #Assad sends more.

Battle ongoing in North of Aeronautical college. Regime stormed with 3 BMPs and 5 tanks (3 T-72 & 2 T-55) and 30-40 soldiers & officers.

Regime loses so far :
- 2 BMPs destroyed
- T-55 destroyed
- T-72 destroyed
- 15 regime/militias killed

SW. #Aleppo: BMP burning while tried to push deeper into Technical College in Artillery Base http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.165224&lon=37.114681&z=17&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

EuphratesShield (updated map): #FSA crossed Sajur River & seized its 1st village on #Manbij side: Awshariyah

After Suraysat and Thaheriyah, Opposition factions took control of Umm Routhah, Qiratah and Ashwariyah at Sajour River south of #Jarablus.

Iranian #IRGC Alimohamad Qorbani marching with Iranian flag in the streets of Nubl, northern Aleppo,Feb 2016.

JaI repels regime advance on the Hawsh Nasri front in rural #Damascus, claims several regime soldiers killed inc. Captain Mohammed Wasouf

Several casualties reported in at least 4 Assad airstrikes on Ghanto in north rural #Homs

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
FSA factions have captured a further 6+ villages from #ISIS in the last 24hrs, pushing north, south & east from #Jarablus.

FSA factions have captured 14+ villages from SDF in 24hrs, with no meaningful comment from U.S.
Seems Euphrates buffer zone emerging.

Turkey-backed FSA offensive is advancing south, deeper into SDF/#YPG territory along the Euphrates towards #Manbij.

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA rebels have just 11 kilometers left to reach #Qarah_Qawzaq Bridge, an important supply route for #YPG.

FSA rebels have captured #Umm_Routha, #Qiratah, crossed #Sajur river and captured #Awshariyah from #YPG.

Russian media: there are 2,500 Russian mercenaries in Syria
http://uawire.org/news/rbc-calculates-there-are-2-500-russian-mercenaries-in-syria …

[CrowBat]

YPG gave #US Airforce wrong coordinates to bomb Arab villages. 100s of civilians were slaughtered.
Especially a Manbij school house being used as an IDP facility killing over 100 civilians which the USAF has never reviewed even after claiming they would review the incident.....coordinates for that strike allegedly came from YPG forward observers....


So while SDF and US SOF was busy "capturing Manbij"...the PKK was taking over every Arab Sunni village and town in their path to the Afrin Canton.....

Syria #Raqqa Kurdish #YPG deported all residents of Tal Osman
[/url]

AND CENTCOM did not see this happening??????
You 'don't understand' a few things here, Outlaw. :rolleyes:

A.) This (including ethnic cleansing of Sunni Arabs, obviously) was all 'higher US national interest', and

B.) the Pentagon and the CENTCOM declared the PK... erm... YPG for 'most reliable anti-Daesh ally'.

Read: they were left to do whatever they wanted. It didn't matter.

But good the US SOFs were so proudly wearing their insignia, wasn't it...?

[OUTLAW 09]

58 civilians got killed across #Syria on Sunday, incl. 14 women and 7 children.
Most died in #Aleppo prov. (26 deaths)
- LCC

BreakingNews
Syrian rebels launch new offensive in northern #Hama province.
Aim is to liberate several pro-#Assad-held positions.

[OUTLAW 09]

Reports of Russian airstrikes with incendiary munitions targeting Za'afaraneh & Talbiseh in #Homs

Aleppo : Four of #Iran's 22 foreign militiamen who were killed on Sunday by the Opposition.

Syria Noureddine Zanki at Sajur river delta 20km south of #Jarablus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTeF92h0Eq0 …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.660846&lon=38.068442&z=16&m=b …

Turkish Army / Syrian rebel forces have crossed the river Sajour and taken 3 more settlements.

3 primary objectives it seems
1. Reach the Tishreen dam
2. Capture Manbij from SDF forces
3. Connect Jarabulus & al-Rai to secure the border

One more wreckage in Technical College: a T-72 hit by a #Fagot fired by Sham Front, #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PypYoApjNgw …

VERY graphic
More children KILLED and WOUNDED by #AssadPutin today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEcp6kk8dRU …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcnT4wzqUmY …

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA Al-Ezzah Army | night Fagot #ATGM strike on 14.5 mm gun #Zlin Barrier #Hama:
https://youtu.be/zuSEQj6S998

Homs : Citizens dig graves after Regime warplanes fire many #Russian supplied thermobaric missiles on #Al_Waer.

Fighters of #Daraya, of #Shuhada_Alislam_Brigade announcing they are joining #Jaysh_Alislam.

Sultan Murad video of today's operations in Northern #Aleppo during #Euphrates_Shield some nice Turkish armor shown.
https://youtu.be/_OFX5apCOH8

Nour al Dein al Zenki fighters touring villages captured during the most recent #Euphrates_Shield op
https://youtu.be/HTeF92h0Eq0

Nour al Dein al Zenki destroy a T-72 on #Mallah front in #Aleppo. Explosion cut off, but tank/ammo is burning.
https://youtu.be/iAij-9TyHOQ

Homs Operation Room targeting regime forces in Zara Thermal plant with mortars.

Um Rotha and al-Ashouria village capture by Jaish al Tahirir #FSA after battle with #SDF during #Euphrates_

[OUTLAW 09]

Russia Occupies Syria in Return for Security Guarantees for Bashar al-Assad:
https://informnapalm.org/en/russia-occupies-syria-return-security-guarantees-bashar-al-assad/ …

[OUTLAW 09]

Hama: Rebels destroyed 1 #Assad T-72 tank and 1 ATGM launcher with ATGM strikes.

Aleppo: Pro-#Assad forces fleeing from #Ramouseh Artillery Base. Many were killed and several vehicles destroyed.

[OUTLAW 09]

MORE ME side effects from the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry Iran Deal...that was suppose to support Iranian "moderates"......

Iran deploys AD system its not supposed to be able to purchase for 5 years to a nuclear site its not supposed to have

Nuke deal was supposed to render Fordo site harmless. So why does Iran deploy S300s to defend it?
http://toi.sr/2bseDfj
via @timesofisrael

Ahrar Al-Sham inter @ahrar_alsham_en
#VIDEO
5 irruptives (mujahedeen) repelled 50 of sectarian militias during progress trial to Aero-Technical college
https://youtu.be/BDYnbirLzfQ

FSA seized also Umm Sūsah & Maghar villages SW of #Jarablus
& advance next southwards to Sajur river

[OUTLAW 09]

Richard Hall
✔ @_RichardHall I asked CENTCOM whether US was still providing support to Operation Euphrates Shield now fighting is focused on SDF:

[OUTLAW 09]

Rebels have launched a new offensive in Northern #Hama, shelling #Hama Military Airport with heavy artillery.

[OUTLAW 09]

Situation is fluid.
SDF-held towns fall hour by hour now.
Map can be incorrect in some hours.
Will update it later.

Combined Turkish/rebel forces took an extremely large part of formerly #SDF-controlled land, incl. 5 towns.

IS launch offensive against SDF south of Manbij capturing al-Kadro & Tell Hawthan

SDF defence now also collapses in the south of the western Euphrates pocket.
#ISIS captured 3 towns.

AT some point FSA and the Turkish forces will slam right into IS.....which is the way Turkey and FSA wants it....

[OUTLAW 09]

Jaish al-Izza Gvozdika pounding regime positions in north rural #Hama
https://youtu.be/R5VjSsik-uU

Footage shows a Lebanese man reportedly impersonating a security officer assaulting a Syrian in front of his family
https://youtu.be/AzeZWDeLfQw

Rebels launch 3rd stage of battle to break regime first line of defence in #Hama, Masasneh village & 6+ CPs liberated in northern suburbs

ISIS captured al-Kadro & Tal Houthan south of #Manbij from SDF/YPG

EuphratesShield FSA rebels have also captured Um Sous & Thahr al-Maghara villages south west of #Jarablus from SDF/YPG

EuphratesShield FSA rebels destroyed an #ISIS VBIED at Thaheriya village west of #Jarablus before reaching its target

EuphratesShield FSA rebels have captured Hilwanji, Bulduq Saghir, Bulduq Kabir & Tamoura fields from SDF south of #Jarablus

[OUTLAW 09]

N. #Hama: Rebels captured Al-Masasinah village & all its checkpoints.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=ar&lat=35.290328&lon=36.663265&z=13&m …

SW. #Aleppo: Rebels foiled an assault by pro-Regime forces on 1070 Project and seized back buildings they lost. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.164834&lon=37.097740&z=14&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Interestingly Twitter Support has dropped this account twice in the last six months on complaints by Assad/Putin trolls...

Please @support remove suspension of @bm21_grad. This is a respected & authoritative account working on armaments.

[OUTLAW 09]

Simply an amazing drone covered Aleppo rebel combat operation.....explains why Assad forces are failing in retaking Assad lost Aleppo territory.....

SW. #Aleppo: ~25 pro-Regime forces escaped when faced assault by 5 Jaish Fateh's Inghimasi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDYnbirLzfQ …

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Rebels seized Khirbat Masasinah village & several barriers in northern #Hama -seized/destroyed lots of gear
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=35.293586&lon=36.676097&z=15&m=b …

Syria #FSA reach Sajur river at Halwanji 20km south west of #Jarablus
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.652858&lon=37.911243&z=14&m=b …

Rebels/#FSA backed by Turkish Army advance in S #Jarablus
#Syria #Aleppo #جرابلس #SDF
map in
http://bit.do/tutomap

NOTE...all currently posted maps are running about three hours behind actual ground events.....ground offensive is fast...actually very fast...YPG/SDF are collapsing back to east of the Euphrates as the US stated should happen and IS using the confusion to retake lost towns......which will then place FSA/Turkey into direct combat with IS.....

[OUTLAW 09]

You 'don't understand' a few things here, Outlaw. :rolleyes:

A.) This (including ethnic cleansing of Sunni Arabs, obviously) was all 'higher US national interest', and

B.) the Pentagon and the CENTCOM declared the PK... erm... YPG for 'most reliable anti-Daesh ally'.

Read: they were left to do whatever they wanted. It didn't matter.

But good the US SOFs were so proudly wearing their insignia, wasn't it...?

JUST how can this could have happened....??

CIA-backed rebels and Pentagon-backed Kurdish militia are again fighting in Syria. But this time Turkey's involved:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/middleeast/syrian-rebels-isis-ku...

AND the senior leadership of the USA SF never stopped to ask.....nor apparently got reports from the field questioning the deployment of SF to support PKK....

Maybe they need to read social media feeds more often.....it has been there for over FIVE long years posted by some of the best non DC/DoD paid talking heads..as they are viewed as true SMEs on Syria and the ME....

Sad...really sad....

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo24 @24Aleppo
IMPORTANT: arrival of 80 #Russia|n marines led by major to Def. factories area. Marines arrived by Helicopters there.

@24Aleppo this forces could be for the control on Castelo road northern #Aleppo

These forces don't have any supplies or vehicles till now. And they will use officer housing at Def. factories after re-building it

WOW...and I thought they might have come to stop the Assad regime from continuing to make barrel bombs, chlorine barrel bombs and "napalm" barrel bombs.....although it is interesting that the air strike rates flown by Assad and Russia before Turkey crossed into Syria were higher than the last few days even though they are both still killing civilians....

Secondly, the HNC and FSA only agreed to the Castello road for humanitarian aid IF and this was a BIG IF....IF Russia/Assad also held to 48 hour ceasefires in ALL of Syria....AND if humanitarian aid went to ALL besieged locations which cover approximately 470,000 AND the aid convoys had to rotate between Castello Road and the new rebel held road into eastern Aleppo WHICH Assad has been literally "throwing Shia militias and tanks at" trying to gain control over it....AND all attacks have failed badly with a high loss of manpower and armor....

SINCE neither the US nor the Russians have stated that will occur seriously doubt their Castello Road plan will go forward especially since Assad will not give in to allowing aid to go over a rebel controlled road...actually what is interesting is that this road for road deal, together with 48 hour ceasefires across all of Syria and humanitarian aid to besieged areas was to be worked out in Geneva.....with HNC being present....appears to be now dictated by Putin/Obama/Assad.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria #FSA took Al Mulhumia, Yaqubiyah, Arab Hassan, Mahsanli from #SDF
source: AleppoAMC
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.673169&lon=37.859831&z=14&m …

Syria So far #FSA/#Turkey-army seized 40+ villages south & east of #Jarablus & northern #Aleppo from #SDF/#YPG & #IslamicState

Syrian Kurdish YPG: Turkey's claim of fighting west of Euphrates pretext for land grab
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1140SQ …

BUT WAIT...that is exactly what YPG/PKK was doing in their drive to link into Afrin canton....and create a future Kurdish state using territory that was previously Arab Sunni and never Kurdish....and along the way they were ethnically cleansing Arabs from their captured towns.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo24 @24Aleppo
IMPORTANT: arrival of 80 #Russia|n marines led by major to Def. factories area. Marines arrived by Helicopters there.

@24Aleppo this forces could be for the control on Castelo road northern #Aleppo

These forces don't have any supplies or vehicles till now. And they will use officer housing at Def. factories after re-building it

WOW...and I thought they might have come to stop the Assad regime from continuing to make barrel bombs, chlorine barrel bombs and "napalm" barrel bombs.....although it is interesting that the air strike rates flown by Assad and Russia before Turkey crossed into Syria were higher than the last few days even though they are both still killing civilians....

Secondly, the HNC and FSA only agreed to the Castello road for humanitarian aid IF and this was a BIG IF....IF Russia/Assad also held to 48 hour ceasefires in ALL of Syria....AND if humanitarian aid went to ALL besieged locations which cover approximately 470,000 AND the aid convoys had to rotate between Castello Road and the new rebel held road into eastern Aleppo WHICH Assad has been literally "throwing Shia militias and tanks at" trying to gain control over it....AND all attacks have failed badly with a high loss of manpower and armor....

SINCE neither the US nor the Russians have stated that will occur seriously doubt their Castello Road plan will go forward especially since Assad will not give in to allowing aid to go over a rebel controlled road...actually what is interesting is that this road for road deal, together with 48 hour ceasefires across all of Syria and humanitarian aid to besieged areas was to be worked out in Geneva.....with HNC being present....appears to be now dictated by Putin/Obama/Assad.....

Is exactly what I have been posting here.....

Rebels have no reason on earth to agree to the poisoned "humanitarian aid" corridor while they are bombed and have their own aid corridor in the S-W.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria ~20km frontline now along Sajur river btw #FSA/#Turkey-army & #SDF/#YPG 10-15km north of #Manbij

Syria Footage of battle in south #Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VGbyueoxRE&feature=youtu.be …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.167173&lon=37.118232&z=16&m=b …

Syria #FSA move into Tukhar villages at Sajur river 20km south of #Jarablus

Rebels/#FSA advance in N #Hama after months
#Syria #SAA #NDF
heavy clash reported
map in http://bit.do/tutomap

No change in #RussianPropaganda ...
"#ISIS and Al-Nusra are trying to capture Sheikh Maqsood"
https://youtu.be/ncZApvnZLys

Impressive closeup on Jaish al-Nasr M46 arty piece & shell, pounding #Hama military airport.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkaHSSaXhKE …

Assad's "running men" fleeing the #Ramouseh base, several of them dying in rebel fire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDYnbirLzfQ&feature=youtu.be …

[OUTLAW 09]

Wait ... what?
Didn't #Putin say, Kurds are good?!
Now they are just pro-#US "terrorists".
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160829/1044748016/syria-jarabulus-offensive.html …

Seems like the latest #Putin-#Erdogan pact is more serious than we thought ...
Russian state media turns YPG & FSA around into "terrorists".

Russia wants influence in #Syria & the #US getting humiliated.
MAYBE #Putin realised,this won't work with #Assad ...
Now,he has a new ally.

But we have to see how this works out.
If the first Russian plane bombs for the #FSA in the north, guessing turns reality.

[OUTLAW 09]

And again the air strikes hit towns far behind the front ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WllE3orE5hA …
#KhanShaykhun

Footage
Russian Su-35 over #Hama.
#Putin must be furious, his man loses northern #Syria.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h01mN6y_6lQ …

[OUTLAW 09]

Wait ... what?
Didn't #Putin say, Kurds are good?!
Now they are just pro-#US "terrorists".
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160829/1044748016/syria-jarabulus-offensive.html …

Seems like the latest #Putin-#Erdogan pact is more serious than we thought ...
Russian state media turns YPG & FSA around into "terrorists".

Russia wants influence in #Syria & the #US getting humiliated.
MAYBE #Putin realised,this won't work with #Assad ...
Now,he has a new ally.

But we have to see how this works out.
If the first Russian plane bombs for the #FSA in the north, guessing turns reality.

DOD: We want to make clear that we find these clashes -- in areas where #ISIL is not located -- unacceptable and a source of deep concern.

And you are serious?! ...
Your guys (SDF/YPG) do not withdraw and Turkey considers them terrorists.
Too predictable.

WHAT eight year old inside DoD and CENTCOM is creating US FP right now????

Looking at #Aleppo province, there is only one force, NOT fighting #ISIS since 8 months ...
Guess who.

YPG.......

Dear @OIRSpox,
if you can reach @PolatCanRojava, would you please inform him,he is part of the #YPG/#Turkey deal?!..

Meaning...withdraw east of the Eurphates.....

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING
Regime convoy of 30+ military vehicles & 2 tanks are retreating from Taibat Al-Imam and are heading to Ma'ardes checkpoint.

Syria Unconfirmed reports that #Assad-forces retreat from Taibat al-Imam town toward #Hama

Significant progress south #Jarabulus #Aleppo as #FSA supported by Turkish army gain more territory from #IS & #YPG

Fight for Syria's Aleppo exposes limits of Russian air power
http://reut.rs/2bwTMXf

[OUTLAW 09]

WHAT the heck is the UN playing this game for...??????

UN pays tens of millions to Assad regime under Syria aid programme
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/29/un-pays-tens-of-millions-to-assad-regime-syria-aid-programme-contracts?CMP=share_btn_tw …

AND YET nothing gets to over 780,000 beseiged and hard to get to civilians....

WHAT a scram paid for by UN member funds......

As price for working in Syria, UN pays to prop up Assad regime & lets it direct aid efforts.

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkey pushes deeper into Syria, confronting more US-backed force, less ISIS
http://read.bi/2bwQP8O

3 killed after Fastaqem Union hits a group of regime fighters at artillery school with an ATGM.

Jaish al Aza showing off some Food, weapons, and a technical captured from regime forces in N. #Hama.
https://youtu.be/rKzNIXkltBc

Jaish al Nasr destroy a 23 MM gun on Syriatel checkpoint in N. #Hama with a Fagot ATGM
https://youtu.be/cONftQx6fes

Sons of Sham reporting from al-Musasana after captureing the village in #Hama
https://youtu.be/ES3QkOIJ7JU

Jund al-Aqsa reports a SVBIED used on a checkpoint at Taibat al-Imam

Jaish al Aza showing off loot captured as they advance in #Hama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWoowiOwyIM …

Jaish al Aza break through al-Zlakiat barrier in North #Hama while pushing behind an uparmored bulldozer

Mujahideen Army destroy a machine gun nest in Al-Assad suburbs #Aleppo with a Fagot ATGM
https://youtu.be/Eec-QzJFVD0

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA Mountain Hawks Brigade send reinforcements after repelling attempted regime progress Apt. Project 1070 #Aleppo

Jaish al Nasr Cameraman gives a short tour of recently captured al-Buayda. Intense clashes continue in the video.
https://youtu.be/YK6FsY9oG7E

Jaish al Aza using a T-55 against regime forces in northern #Hama offensive
https://youtu.be/GoEMUm1geKE

Jaish al Nasr destroy a regime machine gun nest on al-Buayda N. #Hama with a fagot ATGM. While listening to Fairuz

Jaish al Nasr targeting a house filled with regime fighters with a TOW ATGM in northern #Hama
https://youtu.be/yX4xQkisOlk

Jaish al Aza firing multiple Hell Canons during Northern #Hhama offensive
https://youtu.be/uR_hax9fpcw

Step News Agency showing active traffic on Castillo road in Northern #Aleppo city
https://youtu.be/9vjgtdSLWhw

[OUTLAW 09]

Jaish al Aza firing on regime nests and barricades with recoiless rifles
https://youtu.be/l5R_yYl-4Bw

Jaish al Aza firing Elephant rockets at regime points in Northern #Hama offensive
https://youtu.be/k6c09nECDjQ

Jaish al Nasr targeting regime forces in Al Haya barrier during the northern #Hama offensive
https://youtu.be/BgEYxopiEJM

Villages of Zafarana and al-Farahanah hit by incendiary bombs this morning #Homs
https://youtu.be/ehiOorqUS4k

Various combat footage of Sultan Murad Brigade during #Euphrates_shield operations today
https://youtu.be/WDFbbs3QOyQ

Homs Division firing mortars at Zara thermal base #Hama
https://youtu.be/nOyWcVz95UM

Levant Front firing mortars at tanks and regime positions at the entrance of Artillery college, #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/9VGbyueoxRE

[OUTLAW 09]

DOD: We want to make clear that we find these clashes -- in areas where #ISIL is not located -- unacceptable and a source of deep concern.

And you are serious?! ...
Your guys (SDF/YPG) do not withdraw and Turkey considers them terrorists.
Too predictable.

WHAT eight year old inside DoD and CENTCOM is creating US FP right now????

Looking at #Aleppo province, there is only one force, NOT fighting #ISIS since 8 months ...
Guess who.

YPG.......

Dear @OIRSpox,
if you can reach @PolatCanRojava, would you please inform him,he is part of the #YPG/#Turkey deal?!..

Meaning...withdraw east of the Eurphates.....

So far all killed and captured SDF fighters turned out to be from YPG.

[OUTLAW 09]

Latakia: Rebels attacking pro-#Assad forces in #Ain_Issa with #US weapons, including M16 rifles.

[OUTLAW 09]

Appears CENTCOM is trying to over turn CIA proxy......not so sure CENTCOM fully understands NATO partner intentions against YPG even though they have been clearly and concisely stated by Turkey as their "red line"......

Turkish army movement South of #Jarabulus complicates the united effort against #ISIS: White House -

WHAT the WH means is that it complicates their support for Russian activities against FSA.....

Syrian Kurdish YPG says Turkish troops fire at their fighters along border
http://reut.rs/2bx0qwE

State Dept's John Kirby: The clashes in Syria between Turkish forces and Kurds are not helping the Coalition in its fight against ISIS

BUT WAIT FSA and the Turks have also been taking IS Held towns in the last five days and are headed to al Bab.....SO just what is the DoS spokesperson trying to actually say now????

Nonstop crying from the White House: "#Turkey shouldn't attack #SDF and #SDF should withdraw. Very complicated situation."
People talking nonstop about #SDF. So far all Kurdish fighters killed and captured by #FSA are from #YPG.

[OUTLAW 09]

Hama: Rebels at the entrance of the captured #Helfaia town.
Hama: Rebels have captured entire #Helfaia town from pro-#Assad forces.

Hama: #Assad, #Hezbollah and #Iran have not enough ground troops in #Syria to resist multiple rebel offensives. #Aleppo #Latakia

#Syria'n regime visibly shocked about rebel surprise advance into
Helfaia town 15km north west of province capital #Hama

First airstrikes already reported on #Helfaya in N. #Hama.

Second Jund Al-Aqsa VBIED just exploded next to the Military Housing in Taibat Al-Imam city.

N. #Hama: official map showing main locations seized by Rebels today (arera of ~35 km²) including town of #Helfaya.

N. #Hama: some spoils made today by Rebels during their offensive: T-72, #Konkurs ATGM, AA guns, RPG & mortar rounds

[OUTLAW 09]

Appears CENTCOM is trying to over turn CIA proxy......not so sure CENTCOM fully understands NATO partner intentions against YPG even though they have been clearly and concisely stated by Turkey as their "red line"......

Turkish army movement South of #Jarabulus complicates the united effort against #ISIS: White House -

WHAT the WH means is that it complicates their support for Russian activities against FSA.....

Syrian Kurdish YPG says Turkish troops fire at their fighters along border
http://reut.rs/2bx0qwE

State Dept's John Kirby: The clashes in Syria between Turkish forces and Kurds are not helping the Coalition in its fight against ISIS

BUT WAIT FSA and the Turks have also been taking IS Held towns in the last five days and are headed to al Bab.....SO just what is the DoS spokesperson trying to actually say now????

Nonstop crying from the White House: "#Turkey shouldn't attack #SDF and #SDF should withdraw. Very complicated situation."
People talking nonstop about #SDF. So far all Kurdish fighters killed and captured by #FSA are from #YPG.

YPG militias in #Manbij have no clue what's going on. #FSA rebels advancing from the north, #ISIS from the west and south.

Heavy #ISIS attacks on #YPG south, west & northwest of #Manbij. #ISIS captured several villages from #YPG.

US promised that #YPG militias would withdraw from #Manbij to Eastern #Euphrates. #YPG refused it.

[OUTLAW 09]

File under the title...strange move by the Russians after much fanfare......

Palmyra: the Russian base set up in April after #ISIS defeat appears to be widely emptied.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=34.561354&lon=38.268535&z=16&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Latest #Euphrates_shield Battle update,most confusing front since 5 years #Jarablus #Manbij
http://goo.gl/BGGVe4

[OUTLAW 09]

SIMPLY telling these days........

A much much ignored fact. The regime front line with ISIS is probably the most peaceful area in entire region

[OUTLAW 09]

Is CENTCOM paying attention to this PKK Statement from today..virtually admitting that their forces are in norther Aleppo area.......they are just hidden in YPG and SDF uniforms

PKK: If #Turkey's attack on Rojava continue, #PKK to deploy more forces there. We are ready to do everything to defend it - @SarkawtShams

[OUTLAW 09]

A proAssad commenter take on the Russian troops arriving in Aleppo......


Aleppo, Syria (10:10 P.M.) – Local activists in Aleppo City reported on Monday that a convoy of Russian Marines were seen traveling along the Al-Castillo Highway towards government-controlled parts of the provincial capital.

According to these local reports, the total number of Russian Marines that arrived in Aleppo today is estimated between 80-100 military personnel.

If true, this news would follow the recent diplomatic developments taking place between the U.S. and Russian governments regarding the possibility of conducting joint airstrikes against the jihadists

[OUTLAW 09]

DOD: We want to make clear that we find these clashes -- in areas where #ISIL is not located -- unacceptable and a source of deep concern.

And you are serious?! ...
Your guys (SDF/YPG) do not withdraw and Turkey considers them terrorists.
Too predictable.

WHAT eight year old inside DoD and CENTCOM is creating US FP right now????

Looking at #Aleppo province, there is only one force, NOT fighting #ISIS since 8 months ...
Guess who.

YPG.......

Dear @OIRSpox,
if you can reach @PolatCanRojava, would you please inform him,he is part of the #YPG/#Turkey deal?!..

Meaning...withdraw east of the Eurphates.....

BREAKING We don't support Turkey moving south and engaging with SDF, and SDF should not engage Turkey in return: White House

Jarabulus Military Council: We withdraw S of Sajur river to protect civilians from Turkish airstrikes

BUT WAIT they are still engaging FSA and the Turks.....all along their held area and now PKK threatens to send more troops into the area to join their troops already fighting there....

[OUTLAW 09]

Putin is v confused & doesn't know what a win looks like in Syria, but he will keep bombing untill he sees one

[OUTLAW 09]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/what-exactly-nonintervention-has-produced-in-syria/2016/08/29/45826402-6e08-11e6-9705-23e51a2f424d_story.html?postshare=3011472525819354&tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.0ff79e74486b

The disastrous nonintervention in Syria
Physical, human and political damage on an unprecedented scale.

By Anne Applebaum Columnist August 29 at 7:25 PM 



I do not know what would have happened if, three years ago Monday, David Cameron, the British prime minister, had not foolishly held and lost a vote on intervention in Syria in the House of Commons. Perhaps if he had paid more attention, seemed more interested and told his colleagues to come home from vacation, he might have succeeded. Perhaps an intervention would have followed. Perhaps it would have helped end the conflict — or perhaps it would have failed.

We will never know. But we do know what happened instead. Britain withdrew support for a mission intended to halt the use of chemical weapons by Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator. Spooked by the House of Commons vote, President Obama also changed his mind. On the morning of Aug. 30, 2013, Secretary of State John F. Kerry called for action: “History is full of leaders who have warned against inaction, indifference, and especially against silence when it mattered most.” By the next day, however, the president declared that all plans for a strike were off. The French, caught off guard, didn’t want to do anything alone, so they too withdrew — regretfully. “It was a great surprise,” the French prime minister told the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. “If we had bombed as was planned, I think things would be different today.”

I repeat: Maybe a U.S.-British-French intervention would have ended in disaster. If so, we would today be mourning the consequences. But sometimes it’s important to mourn the consequences of nonintervention too. Three years on, we do know, after all, exactly what nonintervention has produced:

Deaths. Estimates of war casualties range from about 155,000 to 400,000, depending on who is counted. This month, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had registered a total of 14,711 dead children. Since the Islamic State created its caliphate in Syria, an estimated 2,350 civilians have been executed by the group. Life expectancy in Syria has dropped from almost 80 to 55.

Refugees. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there were 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees as of Aug. 16. There are thought to be an additional 2 million refugees who remain inside Syria but are displaced from their homes. Three-quarters of those who have fled their homes are women and children. Most own nothing except what they are wearing. To give some perspective, the refugee crisis caused by the Yugoslav wars in the early 1990s produced 2.3 million refugees, a number then considered to be the worst refugee crisis since the 1940s. The Syrian crisis is three times larger.

In a brief statement Sunday, Jan. 31, Secretary of State John Kerry called for the continuation of Syrian peace talks in Geneva and for immediate steps to increase food aid and other humanitarian assistance to Syrians. (U.S. Department of State)

Physical destruction. The ancient cities of Aleppo, Bosra and Palmyra are irreparably damaged. Damascus is badly damaged. Infrastructure — roads, bridges, factories — across the country has been destroyed. Schools and hospitals have been leveled. Only last month, the Syrian government bombed four makeshift hospitals and a blood bank in Aleppo.

Destabilization of the region. The vast majority of the refugees are in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, where they put an enormous economic and political burden on poorer, frailer states. A fifth of the residents of Lebanon are Syrian refugees, numbers that may upset the delicate political balance there. Riots have broken out in refugee camps in Jordan. In Turkey, the side effects of the Syrian war also include the exacerbation of tensions with the Kurdish minority and other groups inside the country, as well as high rates of crime, smuggling and unrest along the border. Turkey, a NATO member, has been drawn further into the conflict: If the Islamic State attacks Turkey, there may have to be a NATO response.

Destabilization of Europe. Thanks in part to the war in Syria, hundreds of thousands of refugees have sought to reach Europe by boat across the Mediterranean or by foot across the Balkans. UNHCR reckoned in May that more than 2,000 people — from Syria as well as Africa — had drowned in 2016 alone, more than had died in the same period in 2015. Islands off the coast of Greece and Italy are overwhelmed. The European Union’s unwillingness or inability to control the flow has helped further undermine its institutional credibility.

Rise of xenophobia across the West. The spectacle of hundreds of thousands of people walking and sailing into Europe has also launched an unprecedented wave of xenophobia. Elections in Austria and Poland have been partly swayed by anti-refugee rhetoric, which also played a part in the Brexit vote in the U.K. Far-right and nationalist parties in Hungary, France, Germany and Italy are successfully using fear of Syrian refugees to gain support. So is the Donald Trump campaign in the United States.

To sum up: Physical, human and political damage on an unprecedented scale; ongoing security threats; the renewed stirrings of fascism. Maybe those are better than the alternative that seemed so unpalatable to the British Parliament and the American president. But it’s hardly an outstanding success.



BUT WAIT these results are EXACTLY what the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH wanted when they fully turned to Iran as the coming regional hegemon and then created their great Syrian/IS strategy of "doing nothing stupid".......in order to support that move.....all supported by spinning Congress and the American people....

[OUTLAW 09]

Perfect example of the much MSM heralded Kerry Geneva press conference term "clarity" which was reached with Russia.....SO this must be the much heralded "clarity" Kerry spoke about....

Sarmin, Hamdiya, Binish, Marshamarin, Saraqib, Marat al-Nouman, Jarjanaz, Idlib city, Kafroumeh, Jisr al-Shugour all hit w/ incendiary bombs

Continuous bombardment thought to be phospurus targeting Idlib, Saraqeb & Jisr al-Shugour

Idlib More footage from afar of the fires blazing in Jisr al-Shugour due to Russian airstrikes w/ incendiary bombs
https://youtu.be/1CTlLYERKfU

Idlib Happening now: Russian jets bombing Jisr al-Shugour with incendiary munitions
https://youtu.be/sActV0ESh7Y

This isn’t #Vietnam 1972 but #Syria 2016 where #Putin_Assad burn children with #napalm and incendiary bombs before the eyes of the world
YET Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH say nothing....as if it never happened and the UNSC is proving just how useless it has become when an aggressor state can veto anything actions voted on against it or it's war crimes/genocide partner....

[OUTLAW 09]

ISIS affiliate LSY Abu Raghed al-Urduni (Jordanian) killed by rebels & 3 captured trying to infiltrate Tasil, Daraa

Dressed in women’s clothes as can be seen :D

[OUTLAW 09]

If this is new video then FSA 1st Coastal Div is still resisting regime push in Eyn Issa area in Jabal Turkman, #Latakia
https://youtu.be/G3oBVRc8cJ4

Clashes reported between lazy FSA rebels in the south with #ISIS affiliate Jaish Khalid Bin Walid on the outskirts of Tasil in #Daraa

REMEMBER the Obama WH critiqued Tureky and FSA yesterday for attacking SDF AND NOT IS.....WELL appears they do not quite know what is ongoing inside Syria as does not CENTCOM know....

[OUTLAW 09]

Hama Heavy clashes in Halfaya, Masasneh & Buweida, regime counter attacking with heavy artillery shelling & rocket fire

5 dead in Assad airstrikes in the Salihin area in #Aleppo after midnight last night
Includes children again as always....

At least 5 Russian airstrikes targeted road between Kafrkarmin & Atareb in west rural #Aleppo this morning

Russia'n airstrikes along aid/food supply road from #Turkey to #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/xIHFMRUVI2U

Hama Report from ruins of National Hospital in #Halfaya-
used by regime for barrier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bSXEz7NZhs …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=35.261451&lon=36.628858&z=18&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria's #Assad running out of men. #Russia send soldiers to man checkpoints. 80-100 arrived yesterday in #Aleppo
First reported yesterday via social media...

http://gulfnews.com/news/mena/syria/russia-offers-to-send-ground-troops-to-syria-s-aleppo-1.1887139

August 30, 2016

Russia to send ground troops to Syria’s Aleppo

It would be the first deployment of Russian military personnel outside its military base on the Syrian coast



Beirut: Russia has put forth the unprecedented suggestion of deploying ground troops in Syria for the first time since the Russian Air Force joined the Syrian war last September in an effort to bolster its ally Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

The offer, submitted to the UN for approval, would be the first deployment of Russian military personnel outside the Hmaymeem military base on the Syrian coast.

BUT WAIT...Russia sent troops before the UN could even answer their proposal...Russia really does not care what the UN says when it comes to Syria

The troops would be used to support government troops currently fighting in Aleppo, but it is not clear how many Russian boots would be sent.

Their main focus would be to man military checkpoints, surveillance centres and intelligence units on the Castello Road at the entrance of the ancient city.

Aleppo, once coined the industrial capital of Syria, is now largely in ruins, as the brunt of the Syrian war has been focused on the city which has been divided between government and opposition forces since 2012.

Opposition forces are currently fighting to break a government imposed siege on the city aimed at choking out the last remaining rebel forces.

Russia wants its troops to control the humanitarian corridors, bringing in UN aid to both rebel-held eastern Aleppo and government-controlled western Aleppo.

The Syrian opposition is against the proposal. It wants aid to come in through the Ramouseh district in southwest Aleppo which is controlled by the Free Syrian Army.

When Russia joined the war in September, it promised its mission would be short and swift, but a call for ground troops signals a more entrenching position in the country.

With the support of Russian war planes, Syrian government troops were able to retake the ancient city of Palmyra from Daesh, along with 12,000 square metres of countryside in Latakia, Aleppo and Hama.

While Russia said its entry in the war was to defeat Daesh, it has largely focused its efforts on striking Al Nusra Front and other Turkish-backed rebel groups who, in their view, are terrorists.

Moscow has helped facilitate supervised talks between the Syrian army and Kurdish militias in Al Hasaka last week. They were also involved in securing a deal for rebels to evacuate the strategic town of Daraya, south of Damascus.

The Russians have also been heavily involved in revamping and upgrading the military airports of Hmaymeem on the Syrian coast, T4 in Palmyra, and Kuweires, all three of which have been put at the disposal of the Russian Army.

All three have been placed under the disposal of the Russian Army. President Vladimir Putin announced his decision to put full weight behind the government in Damascus during his address at the UN General Assembly last September.

In October he gave a televised address, saying that the operations have been planned in advance, as early as March 2015.

He added that his goal in Syria was “stabilising the legitimate power” and “creating conditions for political compromise”.

His foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has been heavily involved in brokering Syrian peace talks in Geneva since last January.

During 11 months of battle, the Russian Army has lost one jet, which was shot down by the Turkish Air Force last November.

That single incident triggered a political and economic confrontation between Moscow and Ankara, reportedly costing the Turkish economy $10 billion in lost trade with Russia.

The dispute was settled after Recep Tayyip Erdogan made an official apology earlier this summer, ahead of a high-profile meeting with Putin in St Petersburg on August 9.

As a result of that summit, the Russians started accommodating Turkish worries in Syria, namely vis-a-vis Kurdish ambitions of statehood on the Syrian-Turkish border.

Putin promised to eradicate the Kurdish project in exchange for letting his troops and the Syrian Army overrun the city of Aleppo. Last week, the Kremlin was silent over the Turkish Army’s invasion and occupation of the Syrian border city of Jarablus, where it was fully liberated from Daesh. Reciprocating, Putin severed his ties with Syrian Kurds and nudged government troops to bomb their positions in the north-eastern city of Al Hasaka.

NOW we fully see the Kerry/Lavrov Geneva "clarity" hard at work.....AND there is no joint operations ongoing between the US and Russia?????
REMEMBER the Russian Ambassador to Syria stated publicly "Assad had no intentions in attacking Aleppo"....AND Kerry "trusts" Lavrov over and over and over......

[OUTLAW 09]

Heavy air strikes on #Aleppo and #Idlib provinces continue this morning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIHFMRUVI2U …

[OUTLAW 09]

This is the Syrian ground reality that the Obama WH OR CENTCOM simply does not understand nor wants to fully understand.....as it defies the rational thinking Obama.....AND apparently CENTCOM as well

Crazy in #Hama yday ...
If one thing unites moderates and islamist extremists, it's #Assad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy4VuMjBVls …

He makes the shaved guy with the Victory sign and the spooky guy with the Schahāda flag fight together, no matter their differences.

[OUTLAW 09]

From last night....

FlightAlert
There are two #US spy planes over #Aleppo province tonight.
One near al-Bab, one near Jarabulus.

They both literally drilled holes in the sky on FlightAlert.....was a solid blue over both areas as Turkey and FSA are headed to al-Bab and hold Jarabulus....

[CrowBat]

JUST how can this could have happened....??

CIA-backed rebels and Pentagon-backed Kurdish militia are again fighting in Syria. But this time Turkey's involved:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/middleeast/syrian-rebels-isis-ku...

AND the senior leadership of the USA SF never stopped to ask.....nor apparently got reports from the field questioning the deployment of SF to support PKK....

Maybe they need to read social media feeds more often.....it has been there for over FIVE long years posted by some of the best non DC/DoD paid talking heads..as they are viewed as true SMEs on Syria and the ME....

Sad...really sad....
Particularly tragic is that one of DOD's representatives (in a Congressional hearing?) actually admitted 'links' between the PKK and the PYD/YPG, early this year.

...which is not to talk about the fact that when one asks the YPGs, they openly say, 'yes, we came from the PKK'.

Which means that the DOD would only have to listen to what its own allies and 'advisors' in the field (i.e. US SFs deployed in northern Syria) say. But, they ignore even that.

The question is therefore not any more if this is a matter of fact. The question is actually: why is this fact so stubbornly ignored?

[CrowBat]

I can hardly believe my eyes and ears what I've got to see this morning... finally, after nearly 12 months of VKS combat operations in Syria, there is at least a trace of evidence of Russians flying something like 'CAS'.

Here a video (https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq/status/770532854048653312) of a CBU attack on one of Jaysh al-Izza's elements in northern Hama. One sequence is clearly showing effects of a CBU strike.

Theoretically, this could be an artillery strike. But, gauging by the sounds of a jet in the background, it's probable that this was an air strike. And since Assadists are not known of having CBUs, and the sound of the jet is very distant, it was almost certainly a (high-flying) VKS jet.

That said, the Russians were at least 24 hours late (no surprise here, given their ops by daily tasking orders), because insurgents (and Jihadists) have certainly entered Halfaya, yesterday afternoon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQlWVQSYwd4

Scared of air strikes, the local population is fleeing along Orontes River (not in direction of regime's positions, in the south, but towards north):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GugoOtWo-CU

As usually, the question here is 'why'? Why is the VKS flying air strikes on the FSyA + JAA (Jund al-Aqsa, which is a 'Chechen/Caucasian' Jihadist that split from the ex-JAN-cum-JFS) in northern Hama but not against the JFS in southern Aleppo?

To the best of my knowledge there are two reasons:

- 1.) It's Russian Army troops that are holding the 2nd defensive line north of Hama (the one behind the SSNP-held frontline that crumbled under Jaysh al-Izza's and JAA's assault yesterday), about 15km north of Hama (city), and

- 2.) northern Hama is held by 'regime' (i.e. SSNP's troops, supported by Hezbollah/Syria), but not by the IRGC...

[OUTLAW 09]

I can hardly believe my eyes and ears what I've got to see this morning... finally, after nearly 12 months of VKS combat operations in Syria, there is at least a trace of evidence of Russians flying something like 'CAS'.

Here a video (https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq/status/770532854048653312) of a CBU attack on one of Jaysh al-Izza's elements in northern Hama. One sequence is clearly showing effects of a CBU strike.

Theoretically, this could be an artillery strike. But, gauging by the sounds of a jet in the background, it's probable that this was an air strike. And since Assadists are not known of having CBUs, and the sound of the jet is very distant, it was almost certainly a (high-flying) VKS jet.

That said, the Russians were at least 24 hours late (no surprise here, given their ops by daily tasking orders), because insurgents (and Jihadists) have certainly entered Halfaya, yesterday afternoon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQlWVQSYwd4

Scared of air strikes, the local population is fleeing along Orontes River (not in direction of regime's positions, in the south, but towards north):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GugoOtWo-CU

As usually, the question here is 'why'? Why is the VKS flying air strikes on the FSyA + JAA (Jund al-Aqsa, which is a 'Chechen/Caucasian' Jihadist that split from the ex-JAN-cum-JFS) in northern Hama but not against the JFS in southern Aleppo?

To the best of my knowledge there are two reasons:

- 1.) It's Russian Army troops that are holding the 2nd defensive line north of Hama (the one behind the SSNP-held frontline that crumbled under Jaysh al-Izza's and JAA's assault yesterday), about 15km north of Hama (city), and

- 2.) northern Hama is held by 'regime' (i.e. SSNP's troops, supported by Hezbollah/Syria), but not by the IRGC...

THOUSANDS of civilians flee #Helfaya after its liberation from #Assad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GugoOtWo-CU …

They KNOW, #Assad will destroy the town now and flee to REBEL-held areas further away from the front.

Pro-#Assad sources say, "intense artillery attacks on terrorists" in #Helfaya and #Masasinah started.

[OUTLAW 09]

Mil Mi-8 dropping bombs on #Huraytan, north of #Aleppo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-HyWFAx9Xs …

Heavy air strikes on #Aleppo and #Idlib provinces continue this morning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIHFMRUVI2U …

[OUTLAW 09]

I can hardly believe my eyes and ears what I've got to see this morning... finally, after nearly 12 months of VKS combat operations in Syria, there is at least a trace of evidence of Russians flying something like 'CAS'.

Here a video (https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq/status/770532854048653312) of a CBU attack on one of Jaysh al-Izza's elements in northern Hama. One sequence is clearly showing effects of a CBU strike.

Theoretically, this could be an artillery strike. But, gauging by the sounds of a jet in the background, it's probable that this was an air strike. And since Assadists are not known of having CBUs, and the sound of the jet is very distant, it was almost certainly a (high-flying) VKS jet.

That said, the Russians were at least 24 hours late (no surprise here, given their ops by daily tasking orders), because insurgents (and Jihadists) have certainly entered Halfaya, yesterday afternoon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQlWVQSYwd4

Scared of air strikes, the local population is fleeing along Orontes River (not in direction of regime's positions, in the south, but towards north):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GugoOtWo-CU

As usually, the question here is 'why'? Why is the VKS flying air strikes on the FSyA + JAA (Jund al-Aqsa, which is a 'Chechen/Caucasian' Jihadist that split from the ex-JAN-cum-JFS) in northern Hama but not against the JFS in southern Aleppo?

To the best of my knowledge there are two reasons:

- 1.) It's Russian Army troops that are holding the 2nd defensive line north of Hama (the one behind the SSNP-held frontline that crumbled under Jaysh al-Izza's and JAA's assault yesterday), about 15km north of Hama (city), and

- 2.) northern Hama is held by 'regime' (i.e. SSNP's troops, supported by Hezbollah/Syria), but not by the IRGC...

CrowBat....appears to me that the Russian ground forces are being pushed into a more open active defense...meaning being shot at.....of Assad....

Now with the initial 80-100 Russian Marines arriving in Aleppo in the last few days....and a supposed request for more Russian troops going to the UN....which I think is just a Russian PR gag....

[OUTLAW 09]

N. #Hama: heavy clashes N. of Taibat Al-Imam & 14.5 mm gun destroyed by Jund Al-Aqsa.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.292430&lon=36.701889&z=13&m …

N. #Hama: Rebels took back Buwaida after Regime counter-attack & seized a Shilka.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.316666&lon=36.695194&z=13&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

I can hardly believe my eyes and ears what I've got to see this morning... finally, after nearly 12 months of VKS combat operations in Syria, there is at least a trace of evidence of Russians flying something like 'CAS'.

Here a video (https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq/status/770532854048653312) of a CBU attack on one of Jaysh al-Izza's elements in northern Hama. One sequence is clearly showing effects of a CBU strike.

Theoretically, this could be an artillery strike. But, gauging by the sounds of a jet in the background, it's probable that this was an air strike. And since Assadists are not known of having CBUs, and the sound of the jet is very distant, it was almost certainly a (high-flying) VKS jet.

That said, the Russians were at least 24 hours late (no surprise here, given their ops by daily tasking orders), because insurgents (and Jihadists) have certainly entered Halfaya, yesterday afternoon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQlWVQSYwd4

Scared of air strikes, the local population is fleeing along Orontes River (not in direction of regime's positions, in the south, but towards north):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GugoOtWo-CU

As usually, the question here is 'why'? Why is the VKS flying air strikes on the FSyA + JAA (Jund al-Aqsa, which is a 'Chechen/Caucasian' Jihadist that split from the ex-JAN-cum-JFS) in northern Hama but not against the JFS in southern Aleppo?

To the best of my knowledge there are two reasons:

- 1.) It's Russian Army troops that are holding the 2nd defensive line north of Hama (the one behind the SSNP-held frontline that crumbled under Jaysh al-Izza's and JAA's assault yesterday), about 15km north of Hama (city), and

- 2.) northern Hama is held by 'regime' (i.e. SSNP's troops, supported by Hezbollah/Syria), but not by the IRGC...

BTW...that was an impressive rebel attack even under cluster munitions strike....the determination of the attacking rebels IMHO is seriously throwing Assad and Putin into a deeper hole than they are in now.....

Rebel attacks are now pressing home every attack and as all infantrymen know it is the final 100 meters that counts and the rebels are winning a large number of those 100 meter battles in the last several weeks and on multiple fronts...

It is almost like the battle for the relief of Aleppo has motivated all rebel forces in ways that Assad and Putin under estimated as has the joint combining of Salafist and moderate forces each contributing what they can to a joint win....

Sense the rebels have sensed on the ground that there has been a "tipping point" reached in the fighting...as they have seen the limitations of Russia air strikes meaning in the end it is infantry that controls the ground...meaning yes they can fly CAS as in this video but once they have departed the area due to fuel and no munitions the remaining infantry press on....

In Aleppo the newly captured areas have literally been turned into "killing fields" for Assad regime forces and their armor....

[OUTLAW 09]

CrowBat....anything to this field comment??
Seems #FSA backed by #Turkey army stopped their advance from #Jarablus toward #SDF/#YPG held #Manbij town

Appears that publicly the US has been supporting Turkey and the FSA moves especially their comments directed at SDF/YPG to move back east towards the Euphrates....BUT some reports are coming out today concerning NATO that senior US types are not happy in the least with the Turks/FSA...this I think reflects the CENTCOM input to NATO and that CENTCOM is betting on YPG/SDF not the CIA choice FSA.....

This article seems to imply this disconnect.....
wsj.com/articles/turkish-offensive-on-islamic-state-in-syria-caught-u-s-off-guard-1472517789 …

BUT this is important.....the US did not see this coming...another total intel failure...it is almost as if they simply do not "hear" what people say to them....Erdogan as much as I disagree with him...has been unusually clear in his statements about Assad and the Kurds....

JUST as they did not see the military annexation of Crimea coming full at them AND they certainly did not see the Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine coming full at them.....I mean how can you "missed" 14,000 troops and over 500 tanks and IFVs.....not to mention the cross border shelling attacks prior to the invasion...US taxpayers paid billions for new ISR equipment and technology so apparently none of it works?????

JUST what does the US intel community see these days?????

[OUTLAW 09]

More great drone video footage.....they can really be used as training films....

Syria Drone view: Rebel assault on Masasnah-barrier in No-#Hama yd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtrrM0ew3l4 …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=35.291274&lon=36.663566&z=15&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

More deliberate Russian/Assad air strikes on marketplaces aimed fully at killing civilians NOT IS nor JFS......these are simply terrorist attacks.....

Idlib Airstrikes on market in Maarrat Misrin town killed 20+ people

#Russia'n airstrike destroyed water supply for #Saraqib town in #Idlib
https://youtu.be/8I0ZQ-LnFhI

[OUTLAW 09]

YPG/#SDF launch assault on #IS held towns of
Harbul & Hosh in northern #Aleppo
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.420039&lon=37.190781&z=14&m=b …

SDF forces started an offensive north of #Aleppo, taking three villages from #ISIS.
#Syria

Aim seems to be to portray themselves as anti-ISIS forces and cause US criticism on Turkish attacks on held towns outside #Afrin canton.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria casing of #Russia'n incendiary ammunition dropped on
Jisr al-Shughour #Idlib
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g23bmXeiqx8 …

@SyriaCivilDef extinguishing fires after incendiary attacks on #JisrAlShughur.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T53879o2pPQ&feature=youtu.be …

[OUTLAW 09]

German FM and German Syrian FP is all over the map lately.....at times completely disconnected from reality........

Steinmeier says there was a 48 hour ceasefire in #Syria "IN JUNE" and "besieged people were supplied".
What is he talking about?! ...

[OUTLAW 09]

As I thought
Helfaya is full of civilians
No animosity to rebels, some burn tires, some move
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn07GEh1ft0 …

[OUTLAW 09]

CrowBat....anything to this field comment??
Seems #FSA backed by #Turkey army stopped their advance from #Jarablus toward #SDF/#YPG held #Manbij town

Appears that publicly the US has been supporting Turkey and the FSA moves especially their comments directed at SDF/YPG to move back east towards the Euphrates....BUT some reports are coming out today concerning NATO that senior US types are not happy in the least with the Turks/FSA...this I think reflects the CENTCOM input to NATO and that CENTCOM is betting on YPG/SDF not the CIA choice FSA.....

This article seems to imply this disconnect.....
wsj.com/articles/turkish-offensive-on-islamic-state-in-syria-caught-u-s-off-guard-1472517789 …

BUT this is important.....the US did not see this coming...another total intel failure...it is almost as if they simply do not "hear" what people say to them....Erdogan as much as I disagree with him...has been unusually clear in his statements about Assad and the Kurds....

JUST as they did not see the military annexation of Crimea coming full at them AND they certainly did not see the Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine coming full at them.....I mean how can you "missed" 14,000 troops and over 500 tanks and IFVs.....not to mention the cross border shelling attacks prior to the invasion...US taxpayers paid billions for new ISR equipment and technology so apparently none of it works?????

JUST what does the US intel community see these days?????

Sometimes it appears that the US senior leadership (both political and military) are "total space cadets"......

US decision maker after allowing #Turkey to "fight terror" in northern #Syria: "Who did they say was that Pekaykay guy, they didn't like?!"

CrowBat...we seem to have now US CAS flying for the Kurds and Turkish CAS flying for FSA....

SDF/YPG with Coalition airstrikes capture Harbul & Um Hosh after clashes with IS in north Aleppo countryside

[OUTLAW 09]

Reference the intensive Russian incendiary air strikes last night on Idlib......

Full video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKeNPtLCh-8 …
#Russia war crimes #Idlib

Russia(n) jets destroyed hospital #Idlib #Syria with incendiary bombs destroying it & killing nursing staff
Another Syrian hospital reportedly damaged in an air strike tonight, this time in Marat al-Numan, Idlib.

AND
The moment, an #AssadPutin incendiary ammo air strike hits Ma`arr Shamarin.
https://www.facebook.com/h.hezaber1/videos/vb.100011810464162/180176432386038/?type=2&theater …