Syria in 2016 (July-September)

[OUTLAW 09]

Why the UN’s Excuses for its Aid Fiasco in #Syria Fail to Convince”
by @ReinoudLeenders
http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/uns-excuses-aid-fiasco-syria-fail-convince-reinoud-leenders/ …

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria #Assad-forces launch 4th attempt to regain Ma'ardas 10km north of #Hama city. 1 BMP destroyed by rebels so far.

BUT WAIT....all day yesterday proAssad commenters were posting they were in full control of Ma'ardas........

[OUTLAW 09]

Baggara head Nawwaf Bashir, disillusioned with pretty much everything, now against fighting regime
https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/17903.html


(Zaman al-Wasl)- Sheikh of al-Baggara tribes in Syria Nawaf al-Basheer surprised us by saying, “the fall of Bashar al-Assad means fall of the institutions of the Syrian state,” because the alternative for this regime is either extremism or division considering the fall of the regime is something prohibited internationally.

Al-Basheer said in a dialogue with Zaman al-Wasl that the condition of the tribes in Syria was better before outbreak of the revolution because since outbreak of the revolution, the tribes were marginalized and impoverished. Also, the main supporters went away from the tribes although tribes fought ISIS for 8 months in Deir ez-Zor.

He considered regress of the tribal role in Syria has to do with the political Islam rise pointing out that the Iraqi experience is different from the Syrian one because Sunni Islam did not care for the tribes as Shia Islam did. To the details:

Z: All the eastern tribes’ regions are under ISIS control, why?

N: The tribes’ region is rich with oil, gas, and water. There are Euphrates, Tigris, livestock as well as grain storage and it is storage of Syria’s nutrition and that is why ISIS seized it.

Z: Since the outbreak of the revolution and you are a powerful human resource and marginalized historical one, is the flaw in you or where?

N: Flaw is in those who backed up Islamists in all their spectrum. The United States backs up the Kurds to form a state for them in the tribes’ region. Even associations, Hajem al-Mutayri backs up Salafism and other names. The reality is regional and international power do not want to deal with us. We fought ISIS in Deir ez-Zor for 8 months. Neither National Coalition, Interim Government nor any regional party supported us. Everyone is watching us and conspiring against us and we are the losing party in this catastrophe. We met with the Americans and other regional countries and we went to Jordan and they were understanding and supportive of the project, but they did not have the means to support the project. We were promised they will consult Gulf states, but nothing happened.

Z: there is an experience in Iraq in tribal mobilization, why did not present yourselves?

N: Shia in Iraq know the value of Arab tribes that’s why they backed them up while Sunni Islam is against tribes and hence; no back up.

Z: You do not even participate with Kurds in fighting ISIS even though it is your region?

N: How do you participate PYD party and they want to seize our region and capture it to establish their cantons.

Z: In case you were asked to fight ISIS, are you ready and do you have the capacity to do that and what is the Syrian future that fits the tribes’ vision if there is any?

N: After 5 years from the Syrian plight, we are with ceasefire and political solution. We are with building on Syrian state institution and negotiation without preconditions and fighting terrorism alone because we do not want to fight the regime because the fall of the regime means fall of the Syrian state institution and the alternative will be extremist Islam and we are against that.

Z: Some say the tribes do not have any influence on the ground and they are merely historical figures that do not have support from its own population, what do you say?

N: Tribes have big influence and major back up from the population, but unfortunately the population were starved and impoverished and no one care about them. Before the revolution their situation was better and after they were marginalized by the funders. Many of tribes affiliates fight only for funds.

[OUTLAW 09]

Iran-KSA War of the Words heating up: SL Khameini & Saudi Grand Mufti escalate to doing the takfir dance around each other.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria From battle against #IS in eastern #Qalamoun after last try to overtake rebel ground
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq2ZTmfm4U4 …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.785140&lon=36.945992&z=12&m=b …

Syria #Damascus Footage from last battle in #Daria
https://youtu.be/K4WvHR7FC4M

Syria Asala wa-al-Tanmiya shelling #Assad military Academy in #Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkYT6wMesks …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.182199&lon=37.095208&z=16&m=b …

Assad-forces continues assault on rebel held Abtaa town in #Daraa /southern #Syria

Syria #Assad-regime released 85 prisoners from #Hama central prison

Syria Clashes in Jabal Sha'ir btw #IS & #Assad-forces
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=34.874102&lon=37.946777&z=11&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Warplanes destroyed the largest olive oil processing plant plant in #Idlib in the town of Hazano
https://youtu.be/a9DEn7-XK6c

Assad/Putin continue air strikes on first responders.....
we lost 4 volunteers of @SyriaCivilDef they were killed by Assad's aircrafts in Aleppo & Idlep today. rest in peace

Russian warplanes @Mod_russia targeted and destroyed the grand mosque in the city of #Anadan in #Aleppo today
https://youtu.be/Bm8Z4brYFh4

[OUTLAW 09]

Unconfirmed.....if true then this is either the Russian 14th and or 15th Russian Peacekeeping Brigades......

Does not make sense though as the Assad opposition would not accept them as "peacekeepers" After being bombed cluster munitions and incendiary munitions and napalm and starved for over nine months by Putin...they would simply view Russian troops as aggressors....AS one says..."this would go over like a lead balloon"....AND it would allow Putin to now place Russian combat units into Syria which he cannot easily do right now....

Internal #Italy Army assessment: #Putin to dispatch a #Russia Army brigade as "#UN"-peacekeeping force to #Syria's #Aleppo with US blessing.

ALSO interesting as Ukraine has repeatedly asked for UN peacekeepers for eastern Ukraine and or OSCE forces as peacekeepers BUT Russia refuses....

IS Obama hurting so much for some kind of "legacy deal by Christmas" that he throws overboard all US FP?????

[OUTLAW 09]

Unconfirmed.....if true then this is either the Russian 14th and or 15th Russian Peacekeeping Brigades......

Does not make sense though as the Assad opposition would not accept them as "peacekeepers" AFTER being bombed cluster munitions and incendiary munitions and napalm and starved for over nine months by Putin...they would simply view Russian troops as aggressors....AS one says..."this would go over like a lead balloon"....AND it would allow Putin to now place Russian combat units into Syria which he cannot easily do right now....

Internal #Italy Army assessment: #Putin to dispatch a #Russia Army brigade as "#UN"-peacekeeping force to #Syria's #Aleppo with US blessing.

ALSO interesting as Ukraine has repeatedly asked for UN peacekeepers for eastern Ukraine and or OSCE forces as peacekeepers BUT Russia refuses....

IS Obama hurting so much for some kind of "legacy deal by Christmas" that he throws overboard all US FP?????

Right on cue: @Mr_Ghostly found a tweet with a fresh white painted #Russia BTRs..
https://twitter.com/M3t4_tr0n/status/773180765181972480 …

AGAIN more assumptions of what the US/Russians were talking about.....seriously doubt this one as FSA would never allow itself to be disarmed....who in their right mind would actually "trust Putin and or Assad" after five years of Putin supported genocide, starvation CWs, and now constant napalm/incendiary attacks and cluster munitions attacks on anything that is civilian infrastructure.....

Obama-#Putin deal seems to include disarmament of #Aleppo #FSA and handing city over to #Assad...

Could not see even the outside supporters of FSA/JFS accepting this one....

[OUTLAW 09]

Well worth reading.......

From Political Islam to Muslim Democracy https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/tunisia/political-islam-muslim-democracy?cid=soc-tw-rdr …

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo: Rebels killed 12+ pro-#Assad forces who tried to advance into #Ramouseh District from Cement Factory.

Homs: #Assad attacking #Rastan with incendiary bombs today. 🙏 #Genocide

Hama: Rebels destroying #Assad bulldozer with TOW near #Qomhana town today.

Aleppo: Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba has sent 1000 #Iraq|i Shia militias to Southern #Aleppo during the last 2 days.

Aleppo: Rebels have killed the #Iran|ian Generals Hossein Alikhani and Akbar Nazari in #Aleppo.

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo: #FSA rebels declared areas north and east of #Al_Bab to military zones. #FSA will also attack #YPG militias if they don't retreat.

Aleppo: #FSA rebels are only 6 kilometers away from the next #YPG position west of #Manbij.

Aleppo: We will have a new 20+ kilometers long frontline between #FSA rebels & #YPG militias west of #Manbij soon. I expect heavy clashes.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syrian National Resistance announces its formation.
https://youtu.be/c17W5g350sY

Originality and Development front firing mortars at regime forces at the #Aleppo Military Academy
https://youtu.be/DkYT6wMesks

Remnants of a cluster bomb that hit al-Lataminah in #Hama
https://youtu.be/ZY_BDL_AG4Q

Safwa Islamic Battalion hit a group of pro-regime fighters on um al Qara hill with a mortar
https://youtu.be/O31Cz-8nR0s #Aleppo

Regime hits Rastan with Napalm barrel bombs today. #Homs
https://youtu.be/HVgxEdRqhRI

Idlib Civil Defense put out a fire at a gas station hit by cluster munitions
https://youtu.be/6r7D9nk7vWs

Rebels in E. #Qalmoun still engaged in clashes with Islamic State fighters trying to push on the front.
https://youtu.be/Kq2ZTmfm4U4

Residents in Besieged #Aleppo turn plastic scrap into oil to use as fuel.
https://youtu.be/iws5bLJJ-nQ

Charities begin preparations for Eid al-Adha in liberated areas of Syria.
https://youtu.be/NDS5Z4SLKyc

Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union combat video from the last few operations in #Darayya.
https://youtu.be/K4WvHR7FC4M

Local council of Kafr Takharim, #Idlib begin a project to replace the damaged sewage network in the city.
https://youtu.be/ZlTB0SVwSMU

[OUTLAW 09]

'Hezbollah, Syrian army preparing large operation near Israel border'
http://bit.ly/2chZGL5 via @Jerusalem_Post

Regime demanding #Moadamiya evacuees go either to ISIS areas Deir Ezzor or Raqqa, or to the borders of Lebanon or Jordan. No #Idlib option.

I do not expect any regime attack to open a route into Foua pocket. Regime wants to push all rebels into Idlib to be Syria's Gaza Strip

Qasim Suleimani reportedly inspects ranks of Liwa Baqir & other formations,preparing for new south Aleppo offensive

[OUTLAW 09]

US DoS confirms this....

Toner confirms McGurk trip into Syria: over weekend, he went to Germany, Syria, Turkey. in syria met with SDF leaders

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Opposition HNC ‏@SyrianHNC_en
Hijab 'as former regime member I know Assad worked directly w Jihadis in Iraq, now he fuels extremism in Syria'

[OUTLAW 09]

Really worth reading this article...........

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
My new paper in CTC Sentinel!

"Dawn of Mass Jihad: Success in #Syria Fuels AQs Evolution”

https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/the-dawn-of-mass-jihad-success-in-syria-fuels-al-qaidas-evolution …

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister

86 prisoners set to be released today by #Assad regime from #Hama, in exchange for 2 #Russia pilots killed in Aug:

[OUTLAW 09]

The Syrian Civil Defense has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.......really watch this film when it comes out.........

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister

"White Helmets” - a new short film out in 10 days on NETFLIX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wj4ncIEDxw …

@SyriaCivilDef @RaedAlSaleh3

[OUTLAW 09]

Read the @SyrianHNC’s 15 point transition framework: HNC includes all the armed group as well....

Arabic: http://etilaf.org/images/reports/hnc.geneva2012.pdf …

English: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/91f7a2c8b39d32e7ac9968d75/files/HNC_Executive_Summary_English.pdf …

The HNC #Syria framework calls for:

1 - 6 month negotiation period, reflecting UNSC 2118 & 2254 & conducted during a “temporary truce."

2. A 1.5yr transition period, initiated by agreement for #Assad’s departure - creation of TGB, constitution etc.
HNC framework cont’d:

3. Transition & outcomes of national dialogue, incl. local, legislative & presidential elections w. UN support.

[OUTLAW 09]

As per the pre-planned sequenced strategy:

#Turkey-backed FSA has declared #ISIS-held Al-Bab area a military zone.

Hezbollah commander Hassan Mussa Abdel Nabi Ali killed by Rebels in Ramoussah during previous clashes

FSA News ‏@FSAPlatform
Video showing Iranian commander giving instruction to Iranian militia in #Aleppo.

Syria Rebels destroyed T-72 tank on Tell Um al-Qara' in south #Aleppo
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.144737&lon=37.122889&z=15&m=b …

Syria Rebels destroyed 2 regime tanks in Kafraa' 7km NW of #Hama city
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=35.213579&lon=36.814070&z=14&m=b …

Syria 13 dead 40+ injured after airstrike on #Aleppo's Sukkari neighborhood
https://youtu.be/O2HjszHc7vk

Syria A dozen #Assad-forces killed during failed assault on southern #Aleppo's Ramouseh

Daraya: last operations show importance of anti-tank weapons. Direct hit w/ RPG 29 vs T-72.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4WvHR7FC4M …

Hezbollah’s Qassem: No #Syria solution until after US elections
http://mme.cm/HMBW00

NEW MAP: NorthEast #Aleppo | #Syria
The Race to al-Bab city has begun
HD http://goo.gl/99sb29

Syria #IS bomb attack on #FSA/#Turkey army in Qanţarah
#EuphratesShield
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.642804&lon=37.723703&z=15&m=b …

S. #Aleppo: #JFS targeting Iranian-led militias inside munition depot East of Khan Tuman.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.120336&lon=37.092419&z=14&m …

S. #Aleppo: Rebels destroyed a T-72 with an #ATGM on Tell Oum Qara front.

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkish UAV Bayraktar TB2 attack on IS targets http://syria.liveuamap.com/en/2016/7-september-turkish-uav-bayraktar-tb2-attack-on-is-targets …
pic.twitter.com/V5vuZFwtHq

15 storm howitzers shipped to Gazientep from Istanbul this evening #Turkey

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria: At least 15 civilians killed, tens wounded in a heavy regime airstrike on Aleppo's rebel-held As-Sukkari. Large number of children were wounded as usual

[OUTLAW 09]

Jaish Fatah al Sham Grand Saga - Release about S. Aleppo offensive
https://youtu.be/pdULs3eXZnk

Has there EVER been a regime who used chemical weapons on "own" population more frequently? 169 times by 8/21 @snhr

Over 100 Injured in Chlorine Gas Attack by #Assad Regime in #Aleppo
http://ow.ly/Tnbx303YEoF

Day after Qassem Suleimani inspects their front lines, Nujaba says it is sending additional 1,000 fighters to #Syria

Sounds roughly like the number chewed up at The Wall and interior.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria TuAF S-70A over northern Syria.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IloLIDrBUIY …

The Smoking Gun' - New article I wrote for @NewsweekME on chlorine gas attacks in #Syria.
http://newsweekme.com/the-smoking-gun/

[OUTLAW 09]

Afrin: Turkish artillery killed 6 #YPG militias and wounded 10 more in #Afrin pocket.

Afrin: Turkish army deployed 90 tanks at the #Turkey-#Afrin border.

Aleppo: Rebels killed #Hezbollah commander Hassan Mussa Abdel Nabi Ali in #Ramouseh District today.

Syria 5 #YPG fighters were killed in TSk shelling on Sourke village north #Efrin
http://xeber24.org/142768.html

[OUTLAW 09]

Russia's Foreign Ministry: "We are deeply concerned by the movement of Turkish troops and #Ankara-backed Syrian opposition in #Syria."

WHY...because they are heading straight to Manbij and Aleppo......

[OUTLAW 09]

Assad Regime to Besieged #Aleppo: Surrender or Starve
https://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/%ef%bb%bf-assad-regime-to-besieged-aleppo-surrender-or-starve …


Istanbul— Aleppo is under siege again. Once again, some 300,000 civilians in the rebel-held eastern part of the city must eke out their survival with no fresh produce and a dwindling food supply, in addition to the other perils of life for those in the Assad regime’s political opposition.

That means barrel bombs that destroy houses and bury their children, and missiles that destroy their schools, mosques, and hospitals.

The siege crept up almost without notice over the past 10 days, as the regime closed the Alramousa road, the sole supply route into the old town, first by intense bombing and then by targeted missile attacks just weeks after a surprise rebel offensive had opened it.

State television on August 27 showed a missile attack against vehicles traversing the road that it said were carrying “mercenaries and armed elements.” Two days later, rebel media activists reached the scene, where they found the body of driver Abdo Rawas splayed out on the road, alongside his destroyed truck and its cargo of fruits and vegetables. The activists couldn’t find the body of Adnan, Rawas’s 12-year-old son, who was driving with him. They fear he was incinerated in the attack, leaving no remains.

The siege of Aleppo, like any siege, will come to an end at some point, but the question is on what terms. If the other sieges against other rebel-held towns in Syria are any guide, the terms will be take it or leave it: Surrender or starve.

Take Darayya, a Damascus suburb where a four-year regime siege ended just one week ago. Regime forces had destroyed or damaged practically every building in the town, seized the inhabitants’ farmland, burned their crops, and bombed their sole hospital.

In Darayya, townspeople were out of food, water, ammunition, and medical care when they agreed to leave their homes with no expectation of returning. More than 5,000 were deported to Idlib province, which is under rebel control, or to camps for the internally displaced in regime-held territory near the Syrian capital.

In Moadamiya, which abuts Darayya, a regime military officer, accompanied by Russian officials, told town representatives on Wednesday that defenders would have to give up their weapons and be sent to Idlib, but anyone who was willing to submit to regime control could stay.

Col. Ghassan Bilal said now that the regime had separated Moadamiya from Darayya, “There will be no more meetings.” If locals did not accept the deal, the opposition Smart news agency reported, he threatened to set the city on fire. A town spokesman said 45,000 are trapped there, along with possibly 2,800 rebel fighters.

The evacuation began Friday, with hundreds of civilians piling into buses to be evacuated to regime shelters. The monitoring group Physicians for Human Rights called the evacuation a war crime. “Nothing about this evacuation is voluntary, and nothing about this evacuation is legal,” said Widney Brown, the PHR programs director. “Under international law, both forced evacuations and besiegement, in which Moadamiya’s thousands of civilians are being deprived of vital food and medicine, are war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

In Al Waer, the regime fired napalm-like incendiaries, which produce orange flumes that intensify when doused with water.

Al Waer, a neighborhood in Homs where there are 80,000 civilians according to the Syrian opposition, has been under heavy attack since March, first from snipers, then mortars, artillery, missiles and air assault, local medical personnel reported. The regime tried out a new weapon on public locations as well as private dwellings, dubbed a cylinder missile, which consists of 300–400 kilograms of TNT. Launched from nearby areas, it can destroy a four-story building.

What the Assad regime chalks up as a morale-boosting success is simultaneously a signal failure for the US-led Friends of Syria Group, the international coalition that has provided pro-Western rebels with just enough arms and support to survive; as well as for the United Nations, which has been ordered by the Security Council to deliver food and medical supplies to the people under siege.

The UN, which has managed to deliver food and medicine only once in four years, “failed the people of Darayya, we all failed the people of Darayya,” Jan Egeland, a senior UN official, said in Geneva on Thursday. “I failed them, and it is really sad to think of what they went through over these years.”

A siege, he told reporters, “is not broken by the population giving up after starvation and after bombing. A siege is lifted by humanitarian access and freedom of movement, in and out, by the civilian population.”

The evacuation of Darayya was also an abject setback for the world’s governments, which are party to the 1949 Geneva Conventions and other instruments of international humanitarian law. A fundamental principle of the convention is that civilians are not to be made the object of attack in war, a lesson incorporated from the Holocaust and World War II.

Aleppo first came under siege around July 10, when the Assad regime, with Russian air support along with Iranian-led Hezbollah and other militias, cut the Castello road. At the time, it was the only secure route into eastern Aleppo, and they stopped the traffic by destroying at least 20 vehicles and their occupants as they tried to enter or leave the city. Amid Syrian-regime barrel bombing of civilian districts, along with Russian aircraft targeting at least six health facilities, Russia proposed setting up evacuation corridors so that residents could flee the city safely, a move that other UN Security Council members rejected.

On August 6, 27 days into the siege, rebel forces attacking from southern Aleppo linked with rebels based south of the city and freed the Alramousa road, which leads to eastern Aleppo. After several days of fighting, commercial traffic, ambulances, and private cars began to traverse the narrow road, marking a temporary end to the siege.

Within 10 days, regime aircraft began targeting the Alramousa road, and doctors based in eastern Aleppo reported that Russian jets were “hunting” the cars of civilians trying to flee the city.

By August 20, the road was impassable, rebel media activists said, and by August 27, regime forces, trying to regain lost territory, set up mortar positions on the hills above the road, giving them complete control over it.

“The regime and its allies were destroying everything on the road, even though they knew they were carrying civilians…”

It is now “a death road, like the Castello road,” Dr. Abdo Mohammadain told The Nation in a WhatsApp message Thursday from inside Aleppo. He said he had tried to drive the road twice, around August 24, first by ambulance and then by private car. “It was raining mortars, some landing just 20 meters from us, and we had to turn back because the driver didn’t think we would make it,” he said of the first attempt that morning.

On the second attempt, he said, aircraft were attacking cars, which were crashing and burning, causing accidents and blocking passage. “The regime and its allies were destroying everything on the road, even though they knew they were carrying civilians or transporting food or fuel for electric generators,” he said.

Stunning as these setbacks are, they receive little notice from the Obama administration, which is still hoping to convince Russia to observe a cease-fire and impose one on its Syrian ally. Not only has the president failed to comment, but US efforts to end the fighting, with a diplomatic drive that features carrots but no sticks, seem to be going nowhere.

Even as Russian aircraft destroyed a half-dozen medical facilities in Aleppo and other parts of northern Syria last month, the administration refused to pin responsibility on its negotiating partner. Human Rights Watch produced careful documentation in late July of Russia’s use of cluster bombs against Syrian civilians earlier that month, but the US government refused to confirm the data.

The worst terror in Syria is not from the Islamic State but from state-sponsored attacks on civilians, backed by Russia.

Far from taking the lead in organizing protection for civilians in Syria or allowing defenders to acquire arms so they can protect themselves, the administration strategy appears to be focused on reaching a deal with Russia on jointly bombing terrorist targets in Syria, a deal that would be accompanied by a national cease-fire. The problem with the strategy is in the different definitions of terrorists used by Moscow and Washington. It’s hard to see how they can reach an accord.

Continued.....

The US government, once the world’s leading champion of humanitarian law, is not completely silent but has been reduced to pro forma statements. “The United States deplores the regime’s attempt to besiege Aleppo city and demands that full access to the city be maintained,” said Michael Ratney, the US Special Envoy for Syria.

Continued.....


AND the UNSC and the Obama WH say/do absolutely nothing......

Madaya: Meningitis epidemic spread among women and children. No medicine available as Hezbollah besiege the area

[OUTLAW 09]

Army Of Islam ‏@Islamarmy_eng3

Mujahideen foiled a penetration attempt from Daesh during the night in Jabal al-Naqab in the Eastern Qalamoun.

[OUTLAW 09]

On 7/9/2016 Hassan @SyriaCivilDef was killed. This was him asking the world to stop the targeting of SCD. What shame on us. Today several wounded while rescuing others during a Russian cluster munitions air strike on civilians....

REMEMBER US Home Department of Homeland Security turned back the leader of the SCD when he arrived recently in Washington on a US Embassy issued valid visa to received a humanitarian award....detained him based on a number of Twitter comments to DHS that he was a member of AQ sent by an identified proAssad commenter.

DHS never checked the comments for their validity and the Obama WH never said a word about the incident.....ALMOST like they agreed with the actions of DHS....

NOW SCD is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.....REMEMBER Obama got his NPP for doing nothing.....other being elected US President and since then he has never used the moral power of the NPP for anything.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Obama and Kerry talk about humanitarian aid to the besieged areas in Syria....NOT even the UN is free from corruption it appears....SO why do they think humanitarian aid will arrive at all......ESPECISLLY when there are already UNSC resolutions on the subject as well as US/Russian Geneva statements on aid as well....and still nothing is being delivered....

DOES the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH and the entire UNSC have any explanation of this at all??????

Homs- Alwa’er #UN relief arived EMPTY boxes !!!
@Sy_Reporter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Hs...ature=youtu.be …

Empty aid boxes from @UN to besieged Waer, nicely sums up how Assad uses UN to further his killings

[OUTLAW 09]

SOHR Turkish forces shell #Afrin countryside, killing &injuring about 16 mostly self-defense forces and Asayish
http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=50392

[OUTLAW 09]

All the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH talks about are Sunni jihadists...FORGETTING they recently did a deal with Iran that actually supports Shia jihadists.....

Well worth reading......
Iran marshals an army of Shia jihadists to crush the Syrian population—excuse me, Takfiris—in Aleppo.
http://bit.ly/2bTTV1Z

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria’s HNC will reject *any* US-#Russia plan that diverges from its political framework:
http://reut.rs/2c9KAGp

Pressure rising within US-#Russia talks on #Syria.
#Moscow has a U.S proposal, but is holding out.
#Washington wants to settle by Friday.

Worth noting that all key armed opposition groups have already determined their opposition to U.S. proposal terms:

[Encouraging] from UK Boris Johnson:
- "As long as #Assad is in power in #Damascus, there’ll be no #Syria to govern”

If no US-#Russia deal is reached, what is #Obama admin’s Plan B?
Sustain status quo + strikes vs. AQ?

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria’s HNC will reject *any* US-#Russia plan that diverges from its political framework:
http://reut.rs/2c9KAGp

Pressure rising within US-#Russia talks on #Syria.
#Moscow has a U.S proposal, but is holding out.
#Washington wants to settle by Friday.

Worth noting that all key armed opposition groups have already determined their opposition to U.S. proposal terms:

[Encouraging] from UK Boris Johnson:
- "As long as #Assad is in power in #Damascus, there’ll be no #Syria to govern”

If no US-#Russia deal is reached, what is #Obama admin’s Plan B?
Sustain status quo + strikes vs. AQ?


Russia is holding out basically because they feel they can via the Iranian IRGC, Shia militias and Hezbollah launch a major attack on Aleppo and it end with a military victory thus do not want to be tied into some form of limitations.....this victory over Aleppo has been on the table since the Assad interview and the total lack of a Russia push back when it was aired....

NOTICE for strange reason the Obama WH did not pick up and or wanted to pick up the linkage between the Assad interview on Aleppo and the resulting Russian actions in supporting Assad's attacks on Aleppo.....

WHY is that??

[OUTLAW 09]

How Iran Conned the Internet/MSM Into Believing a Fake ISIS Story
http://thebea.st/2cGs63k

[OUTLAW 09]

Yesterday from the Russian FM......

7 September 201615:20

Foreign Ministry statement on Turkey’s military operation in Syria



The Foreign Ministry expresses grave concern about the advance of the Turkish troops and armed groups of the Syrian opposition it supports further into Syrian territory, and stresses that these actions are not being coordinated with the legitimate Syrian Government and are undertaken without approval of the UN Security Council. This undermines the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. Taking this into account, the position adopted by Damascus seems justified and valid in terms of international law.

The Foreign Ministry believes that Turkey’s actions could further complicate an already challenging military and political situation in Syria and negatively affect international efforts to devise a settlement platform that would ensure a more sustainable ceasefire, uninterrupted humanitarian access and would provide a solid foundation for conciliation and overcoming the crisis in this country.

Russia calls on Ankara to put these objectives above immediate military and tactical aims and refrain from steps that could further destabilise the Syrian Arab Republic.


I read this Russian statement as a warning to Kerry to go to Geneva and cave to Russian terms on Syria. Or else.

NOTE...just as the Syrian opposition HNC and armed groups have basically rejected anything the US/Russians work out.....highly suspect the Turks will not as well recognize anything the two work out.......

Russia is seriously concerned that there is enough Turkish firepower now on the ground and in the air to disrupt any Assad ground attacks planned for Aleppo.....and that combined with the FSA they must now negotiate with them as well as the US.....

Turkey has never stopped saying ...Assad must go....

[OUTLAW 09]

On the 10 new wars brewing as a result of the ISIS war, listed here
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/09/07/10-new-wars-that-could-be-unleashed-as-a-result-of-the-one-against-isis/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_10newwars614pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory …


Kyle W. Orton Verified account 
‏@KyleWOrton
As @LizSly notes, (1) is already underway and (10) seems to me a certainty; in some ways that new stage has begun too. Watch (7) and (8).


Potentially all these wars involve somehow the Kurds.....and CENTCOM/Obama WH did not see this coming in their total support for PKK/YPG????

[OUTLAW 09]

Quneitra: Israeli airstrikes destroyed first division headquarters, some Hezbollah fighters killed.

Ukraine - deeply concerned abt RU drills
Russia - gravely concerned abt Turkey's advance in Syria
USA - very concerned abt a bunch of stuff

[OUTLAW 09]

Fastaqem Union @fko_union blow up a bobby trapped building after regime forces move into it. #FSA #Aleppo #Ramouseh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ildltYTxLj8 …

Ahrar al Sham "Winds of Rage" media release coming soon. @Ahrar_lens
Go Pros marketing campaign has gotten considerably more intense.

Southern front attacking Islamic State in Yarmouk Basin
https://youtu.be/LHTgK0OHd-0

Assad regime in #DeirEzzor delays the evacuation of the civilians, in order to allow its soldiers to leave for #Eid vacations.

[OUTLAW 09]

Shiite #Iraq'i Haraket al-Nujba militia backed by #Assad-forces invade now Ramouseh in southern #Aleppo
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.158806&lon=37.133017&z=15&m=b …

S. #Aleppo: Jaish Al-Fateh repelled several overnight attempts by pro-Regime forces to seize the Missile Battalion. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.138845&lon=37.102203&z=14&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Christiane Amanpour Verified account 
‏@camanpour
US SecDef Ash Carter tells me it's up to Russia to influence Assad to stop using chlorine bombs and go for a transition. More soon.

Because Russia is the leader of the free world?

[OUTLAW 09]

Somehow I missed this before.....

Yury Barmin
‏@yurybarmin
The Syrian government exchanged 169 prisoners for the bodies of 5 Russians killed in recent helicopter crash

Also while Russian identified the crew they never really did ID the two passengers.....

[OUTLAW 09]

CrowBat.....does this statistic make sense....??

Jaysh al-Fath only mobilized 20% of its available power when it originally broke the siege

I had seen figures of around 1.5-2K involved by all participants so in fact the 20% might in fact be true....

Also anything on these numbers.....??

Around 1000 Iraqi hezbollah forces are fighting in Aleppo

[OUTLAW 09]

CNN Trk ENG
✔ @CNNTURK_ENG BREAKING Turkish army says border post attacked by YPG w machine guns fm #Afrin near #Hatay, retaliated by gunfire.

Turkey is building a 3km underground power line connecting its electrical supply to Jarablus, Syria, according to a Turkish official

[OUTLAW 09]

Shell shocked @shell_blog
My first piece for @offiziere. A closer look on relations between #YPG/#SDF and #Syria|n regime
https://twitter.com/offiziere/status/773841225145352193 …

News ‏@FSAPlatform
#FSA forces destroy regime tank on Kowkab frontlines in northern rural #Hama with a TOW missile

FSA forces destroy regime tank with a TOW missile in Koukib town in eastern rural #Hama province

Violent clashes are ongoing between #FSA's @AlrahmanCorps & #Daesh in eastern #Qalamoun

EuphratesShield
#FSA advances today against #Daesh in northern #Aleppo province with TAF support.....TAF/FSA slowly encircling several IS villages

Breaking #EuphratesShield
#FSA take control of Tel Hajr, Mazraa, Tal Ali from #Daesh in the area of Gandora town

E. #Qalamoun: footage of clashes between #FSA Martyr Ahmed Alabdo & #ISIS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P84gB78OmoM …

Breaking #EuphratesShield
#FSA forces control Qunra, Meirze, Tel Ali, S.Gandora from #Daesh after violent clashes

FSA News ‏@FSAPlatform
#Hama
Regime/ Russian warplanes targeted opposition held Kafrzeita with incendiary bombs resembling napalm during the night

[OUTLAW 09]

73 Syrian NGOs suspend cooperation with UN in Syria because of Assad influence over relief effort https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/08/aid-groups-un-syria-concern-assad-united-nations?CMP=share_btn_wa …

Footage: Zinki blew up w/ #Kornet a large group of alleged Hezbollah fighters in Kafr Obeid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Niy1PVTmKO0 …

FSA took Al Hadjar from #IS
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.612014&lon=37.709799&z=14&m=b …

E. #Qalamoun: second #TOW strike by Faylaq Al-Rahman in 2 days vs an #ISIS 23 mm gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yEI6UJc6Y8 …

Turkey: Turkish army convoy of 155 Fırtına self-propelled howitzer moved towards #İslahiye, north of #Afrin pocket

EuphratesShield: #FSA seized from #ISIS Qantarah & Mirzah after Turkish airstrikes at ~6 km from #SDF territory. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.637570&lon=37.731171&z=12&m …

Five Pakistani Zeinabiyoun fighters killed in #Syria were buried in #Iran today

[OUTLAW 09]

EuphratesShield: important and massive build-up of Turkish armor continuing near #Syria|n border

N. #Hama: Jaish Al-Nasr destroyed with a #TOW a tank in Regime checkpoint near Kawkab.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPAMMOvrQG4 …

E. #Ghouta: Jaish Al-Islam repelled a pro-Regime assault on Hawsh Nasri & Hawsh Al-Farah fronts.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=33.561137&lon=36.477699&z=13&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

After two days of rumors, it seems that the notorious loyalist warlord and smuggler Aymen Jaber has fled Syria.

With his brother Mohamed, he built and leads the militia network that includes 'Desert Hawks' and 'Navy Seals'.

Under Assad, the Jabers rose from common oil smugglers to pillar "businessmen" to important militia leaders.

Aymen's departure follows months of rising tensions w/ other Latakia warlords, especially Assad's cousin Munzer.

Munzer is a powerful shabiha, who was arrested last year by Bashar after a two-day stand-off with regime forces.

Tensions between Munzer al-Assad & Aymen Jaber escalated in July into open clashes that left a dozen dead, many wounded across Latakia.

Munzer's men first surrounded Jaber's compound in Latakia city and opened fire. The attack was eventually driven back by J's bodyguard.

In return, Jaber locked down the Assad family hometown of Qardaha trying to capture Munzer - who threatened to go after Aymen's brother.

Munzer then full-on attacked Jaber's men in Jableh with technicals etc. - forcing regime to summon them to Damascus for mediation.

[OUTLAW 09]

After two days of rumors, it seems that the notorious loyalist warlord and smuggler Aymen Jaber has fled Syria.

With his brother Mohamed, he built and leads the militia network that includes 'Desert Hawks' and 'Navy Seals'.

Under Assad, the Jabers rose from common oil smugglers to pillar "businessmen" to important militia leaders.

Aymen's departure follows months of rising tensions w/ other Latakia warlords, especially Assad's cousin Munzer.

Munzer is a powerful shabiha, who was arrested last year by Bashar after a two-day stand-off with regime forces.

Tensions between Munzer al-Assad & Aymen Jaber escalated in July into open clashes that left a dozen dead, many wounded across Latakia.

Munzer's men first surrounded Jaber's compound in Latakia city and opened fire. The attack was eventually driven back by J's bodyguard.

In return, Jaber locked down the Assad family hometown of Qardaha trying to capture Munzer - who threatened to go after Aymen's brother.

Munzer then full-on attacked Jaber's men in Jableh with technicals etc. - forcing regime to summon them to Damascus for mediation.

Digging around, I found out that Ayman Jaber's motorcadr hasnt showed up to his house in Cote D'Azur resort in Latakia for the second day.

I first got a tip last night that Ayman Jaber seems to be MIA, too much s****t going on between shabeeha warlords.

[OUTLAW 09]

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton
Well now:

"Ankara is preparing the biggest military operation in its history against [PKK] south of the country."


http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/09/08/Jubeir-says-Saudi-gives-Turkey-full-support.html

Saudi has ‘similar stance’ with Turkey on region

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir says Riyadh has ‘coinciding stance’ with Ankara on Syria, Iraq and Yemen

By Staff writer, Al Arabiya Engish

Thursday, 8 September 2016


Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Thursday that Riyadh has “similar stance” with Turkey regarding Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

In a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, during his visit to Ankara, Jubeir said stances of Turkey and Saudi “fully coincide with each other regarding Syria, Iraq or Yemen, including terrorism.”

Jubeir described that the plan put forth by the Syrian opposition is “detailed” and “complete,” and said President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was still rejecting a political solution.

On Wednesday, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Syria’s main opposition negotiating group, said it would reject any deal struck by Russia and the United States on Syria’s fate that was very different from its own proposed transition plan.

The HNC said its proposed process would start with six months of negotiations to set up a transitional administration made up of figures from the opposition, the government and civil society. It would require President Bashar al-Assad to leave office at the end of those six months.

Meanwhile, Jubeir said Saudi and Turkey were “the first two states who cooperated to back the Syrian opposition since day one.”

He also said Saudi “looks forward” to work with Turkey on these “common issues,” vowing that Riyadh will gives Ankara full support on fighting terrorism.

Jubeir also extended his “thanks” to Ankara’s “supportive stance in terms of pilgrimage.”

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed his appreciation for Saudi’s support to Ankara following the failed coup in Turkey when a rogue military faction tried to oust the Turkish president from power on July 15.

Turkey launched an incursion on Aug. 24 into Syria - the so-called Euphrates Shield operation - to back Syrian rebels in their fight to push ISIS out of the town of Jarablus and to limit the Syrian Kurdish militia forces’ advance west of the Euphrates River.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Wednesday that the Turkey-backed rebel forces may go deeper into Syria after securing a 90 km (56 mile) stretch of land along the Turkish border.

[OUTLAW 09]

KyleWOrton
.@Charles_Lister: "Many Syrians living in opposition areas of Syria perceive JFS as a more…effective protector of their lives…than the US".

[OUTLAW 09]

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/212698/obamas-syria-policy

Obama’s Syria Policy Isn’t a ‘Mistake.’ It’s Deliberate.
How the Iran deal explains the administration’s inaction in Syria

By Lee Smith

September 7, 2016 • 10:00 PM


Perhaps it’s because Obama’s term is winding down, but in the wake of the recent siege of Aleppo, which brought injury, exile, and death to thousands of Syrian civilians, a late-breaking consensus seems to have emerged that the White House’s Syria policy is a tragic failure. Even opinion makers who generally admire Obama vie to outdo each other in soulfully condemning his Syria policy, while administration officials past and present echo the president’s line that there is little the United States could have done to stop the bloodshed. You could call it virtue-signaling or Kabuki theater—except the president’s critics really do seem authentically baffled by how a man they authentically admire could be guilty of such a terrible blunder.

“I admire Obama for expanding health care and averting a nuclear crisis with Iran, but allowing Syria’s civil war and suffering to drag on unchallenged has been his worst mistake, casting a shadow over his legacy,” writes New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.

His Times colleague Roger Cohen agrees. “Syria has been Obama’s worst mistake,” he writes. “It’s a disaster that cannot provoke any trace of pride; and within that overall blunder the worst error was the last-minute ‘red line’ wobble that undermined America’s word, emboldened [Vladimir] Putin and empowered Assad.”

Putin and Assad’s aerial bombing of Aleppo illustrated for many just how bad Syria had become, as Beltway tweeters vied to express their horror at the image of a 5-year-old boy, Omran Daqneesh, pulled from the rubble with his face bloodied and covered in dust and his eyes insensible. “Broke my heart to write this,” Robin Wright tweeted to promote her New Yorker story on Putin and Assad’s aerial campaign, “The Babies Are Dying in Aleppo.” If Wright doesn’t exactly lay the blame with the White House, she marshals enough evidence from doctors and U.N. officials who discretely point that way. “The existential plight of Syria’s kids is the worst in the world,” she writes. A UNICEF spokesman says about the children born since the opposition uprising began in March 2011 that “some 3.7 million Syrian children under the age of 5 have known nothing but displacement, violence, and uncertainty.”

If anything, Wright, Cohen, Kristof, and their colleagues are guilty of understatement: Bashar al-Assad’s five-year-long war against his own people is the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century. In addition to the half a million killed in Syria, millions of refugees have fled to Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, and many more millions are internally displaced. The overflow from the Syrian refugee crisis now threatens to destabilize Europe. The war is also a strategic nightmare, primarily affecting American allies on Syria’s borders, including Israel, which is most concerned about keeping Iran and Hezbollah from opening a new front on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.

So why didn’t the White House enforce its own red line back in 2012? Why haven’t we done anything since to stop Bashar al-Assad? Why won’t we do anything now, aside from fighting a phony war against ISIS? Because of Libya, say some. Obama saw how the unintended consequences of that engagement came out and doesn’t want a replay. Then there’s Iraq, the very war that Obama campaigned against in 2008 to win the White House. His mandate was to get America out of a stupid war, and the last thing he’s going to do is commit his country to more conflict in the Middle East. Life is complicated, folks.

What Kristof, Cohen, Wright, and their colleagues apparently can’t see, even at this late date, is that Obama’s inaction in Syria is not simply part of the hangover from the failed American war in Iraq, or of the president’s personal psychology. There is something entirely practical at stake here, too—namely, the Iran deal. [B]The explanation is, in fact, a simple one: U.S. intervention in Syria against Assad would have made the Iran deal impossible. In fact, U.S. support for Iran’s continuing presence in Syria was a precondition of the deal, according to no less an authority than the president himself. In a December press conference, Obama spoke of “respecting” Iranian “equities” in Syria—which, translated into plain English, means leaving Assad alone in order to keep the Iranians happy.

The connection between Syria and the Iran deal was not particularly hard to spot for anyone in the administration. “Iranian officials told me that even had the diplomats doing the negotiations wanted to stay in talks, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would have pulled the plug,” says Jay Solomon, author of the just published Iran Wars, an account of U.S.-Iran relations. “Obama sent a letter to Khamenei saying he wouldn’t target Assad,” Solomon continues. “And Pentagon officials told us they were concerned that operations in Syria risked undermining the nuclear negotiations.”

Former State Department official Frederic C. Hof agrees. “The administration’s policy toward Assad Syria,” writes Hof, “rests on its desire to accommodate Iran—a full partner in Assad’s collective punishment survival strategy—so that the July 14, 2015, nuclear agreement can survive the Obama presidency.”

Hof, the State Department’s point man on Syria until he resigned in 2012 in quiet protest of the White House’s handling of the war, thinks the president should be honest about his decision. Imagining a version of what Obama might have said, Hof writes, in the president’s voice:

What I want people to understand is that I’ve had to make the hardest of calls. I think the nuclear agreement with Iran prevented a war and opens a door. I’m afraid that if I use cruise missiles or supply anti-aircraft weapons to make Assad pay a price for mass murder, Iran’s supreme leader—who sees Assad as an invaluable agent—will scuttle the nuclear deal. I may be wrong, but that’s the call I’ve made.

In short, the Iran deal wasn’t just about limits on uranium enrichment, inspections of nuclear facilities, and sanctions relief, etc., it was also about the Syrian conflict—in particular, about the United States agreeing to step back and let Iran protect its “equities” in Syria, by whatever means its gruesome proxy saw fit.

Continued.....

Here’s Nicholas Kristof shortly after the JCPOA was signed providing the White House with talking points to sell the deal: “If the U.S. rejects this landmark deal, then we get the worst of both worlds: an erosion of sanctions and also an immediate revival of the Iran nuclear program.” Nowhere does he mention the fate of children in Syria. Nor does he in this follow-up with more talking points two weeks later. Recently he wrote an op-ed arguing that Anne Frank today is a Syrian girl—without noting that the Nazi equivalents here are funded and armed by Iran.

Continued......

During U.S.-Iran talks, Wright spent a lot of time speaking with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, whom she says she has known for three decades. She interviewed him several times during negotiations. “Zarif is an affable man with a disarmingly unrevolutionary grin, a quick wit, and the steely tenacity of a debater,” she wrote in a 2014 profile for The New Yorker. But she neglected to ask him about Iran’s war in Syria, which Tehran has been financing since Assad started shooting at unarmed protesters in 2011. Instead, she queried him in a later article about Iran’s potential role in Syrian peace talks. To her credit, she notes that most of the “advisers” Iran has sent to Syria “have been helping the [Assad regime] fight the opposition.” But in her “The Babies Are Dying in Aleppo” article, there is no mention of Iran or its role in helping kill them.

Roger Cohen, who has written several rightly outraged columns the last few years about the administration’s Syria policy, advocated for the Iran deal and criticized those who didn’t as warmongers lined up behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “It’s no service to Jews or Israel or Middle Eastern peace, for major Jewish organizations,” wrote Cohen, “to give airtime to Netanyahu on Iran rather than Obama. The alternative to this deal, as Obama said, is war.”

For Cohen, it seems the opposite of conflict is cultural exchange and commerce, which is perhaps why he serves as one of the featured tour guides in the Times’ Travels to Persia business. The JCPOA reopened Iran for investment, as Cohen explained, when the deal was implemented in January. “For Iran, the arrival of ‘implementation day’ means the lifting of all nuclear-related sanctions and access to about $100 billion in frozen assets. A big nation is open for business again, back in the global financial system and world oil market.”

Here, Cohen has unintentionally put his finger on why those who supported the Iran deal and criticize Obama’s Syria policy see no connection between the two. It is because business is frequently not the opposite of war. In fact, the reality is that giving money to a state at war means funding that state’s wars.

The reason that so many journalists and opinion-makers of good conscience cannot make the connection between the Iran deal and the Syrian war is because the truth is too awful. The president’s policy is not simply a matter of a lack of vision or political will. The money Iran received through the JCPOA, as well as the $1.7 billion paid in ransom for American hostages, has helped fund Iran’s war in Syria—which the president proclaimed to be Iran’s business and not ours.

Continued......

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING: Turkish military takes control of four 'residential areas' in northern Syria - military statement

[OUTLAW 09]

SAMS
✔ @sams_usa We're suspending cooperation w/ the #UN's information sharing program in #Syria. Read more:
http://bit.ly/2ccnDzQ .

Earlier today, a #Russian terror attack hit #Binnish, injuring 5 civilians, incl. 4 women.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOFtJ2fVlKk …

Footage
Also just another day of #AssadPutin attacks on peaceful civilians in #Douma.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnbg9HIOAEs …

Footage
Air strikes on #Lataminah and many other civilian areas in N #Hama prov. today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K4VD5u9SvE …

Pro-#Assad mappers even claim entire district fell, but I can't see footage of the Sadkop Fuel Depots being taken.

Many source videos.
This one is most evident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJDMQEktYbM …
The "international community's" / #RussianLIE became reality.

Rastan in #Homs, 2 hours ago.
Also here, ongoing #AssadPutin attacks on besieged civilians.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxW3Fxuusoo …

Breaking Al-Arabiya TV: Turkish security sources say at least 5 people have been killed in an explosion in the Syrian town of #Jarablus

[OUTLAW 09]

OIR Spokesman Verified account 
‏@OIRSpox
We are working with #Turkey and our SDF partners to come up with a #gameplan for #Raqqa

NOT exactly sure that CETCOM even gets the ongoing TF/FSA "game plan"......

BUT WAIT..is not YPG not suppose to even be in Manbij...????

OIR Spokesman ‏@OIRSpox · Aug 25

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

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.

EuphratesShield @EuphratesShield
#PresidentErdogan : "If we step back, terrorist organizations such as DAESH, PKK, PYD and YPG will settle there."

[OUTLAW 09]

OIR Spokesman Verified account 
‏@OIRSpox
We are working with #Turkey and our SDF partners to come up with a #gameplan for #Raqqa

NOT exactly sure that CETCOM even gets the ongoing TF/FSA "game plan"......

BUT WAIT..is not YPG not suppose to even be in Manbij...????

OIR Spokesman ‏@OIRSpox · Aug 25

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

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.

EuphratesShield @EuphratesShield
#PresidentErdogan : "If we step back, terrorist organizations such as DAESH, PKK, PYD and YPG will settle there."


Dozens of #Turkey APCs on railroad towards northern #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

Iranian faction among Kurds trained by US against militants
http://wtop.com/government/2016/09/iranian-faction-among-kurds-trained-by-us-against-militants/ …

[OUTLAW 09]

24 pro Russian attacks yesterday, mortars and even artillery was used on #Shyrokyne

The so called Russian proposed ceasefire "within" the already existing Minsk 2 ceasefire is now virtually non existent....just as are the so called Russian "regimes of silence, 48 hour" and other Russian described "ceasefires" within the Geneva CoH.....

Anyone see a Russian pattern here...evidently not the Obama WH....

Kerry & #Lavrov finally set to meet in #Geneva w/ US barely able to hide doubts Russia will respect terms of any ceasefire deal in #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

Appears that now the Syrian opposition is shifting to IS tactics.....namely guerrilla warfare which is where they should have been all along as they have the tactical advantage in most areas....and the Assad regime is dependent on long logistics lines...

Aleppo. As Rebels failed 2 hold static fronts a reshaping of overall strategy will use more guerilla tactics 2 exhaust pro-Regime forces & avoid massive #RuAF airstrikes by increasing hit & run attacks, ambushes, IEDs, #ATGM strikes, infiltration ops & snipers deployment.

The RuAF cannot air strike what they cannot see....and they have missed a large number of opposition force deployments...

[OUTLAW 09]

Nearly 80 of Aqrab town, #Daraa is displaced due to constant shelling and air strikes by Russian air force.
https://youtu.be/o8NcpNL-uxw

Khan Shaykhun, #Idlib this morning. Child killed and his family injured by airstrikes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MiQ_X9DYgo …

Even more children and women are being killed daily by the Russian air strikes and all Kerry does is talk.....as he wants to "test how serious the Russians are about talking it appears"....

For Thursday, 8 Sept, the LCC documented 42 martyrs in #Syria, incl. 5 children, 2 women, and 2 tortured.
https://www.facebook.com/LCCSy/posts/1489917881035343 …

[OUTLAW 09]

For those that do not think the USAF is not tactically supporting TAF/FSA.....

A-10 Warthog in the skies above countryside E. of al-Rai in N. Aleppo, photographed by IS

NOTICE that YPG/PKK has virtually ceased attacking IS and is clashing with TAF and FSA now.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
BIG - JFS military chief Abu Omar al-Homsi (Abu Omar al-Saraqeb) killed in alleged US drone strike along w. senior leader Abo Omar al-Shami.

Abu Omar al-Homsi is a former JN emir or #Idlib, who led the founding of Jaish al-Fateh in '15. He's seen widely as an Islamist unifier

The timing of the strike is telling, in midst of last min talks w. #Russia, who accuses US of inability/refusal to target AQ in #Syria.

The strike targeted a meeting that had been called to plan a new opposition counter-offensive to break the re-besieging of #Aleppo.

Bear in mind the consistent US position through talks with #Russia has been that JN/JFS is the spoiler-in-chief of attempts at "calm."

If agreed, the US proposal to #Russia aims to create a new ceasefire around #Aleppo.

A JFS-led offensive now would have crippled deal.

Make no mistake, JFS will present this as an attack on those intending to "save" #Aleppo, in an attempt to further "win" the opposition


The implication of this (see the thread) is clear: the WH sees a Russian siege of Aleppo as integral to the deal

The WH sees offensive ops to break the Aleppo siege as detrimental to its deal with Russia

Ratney told the oppo in no uncertain terms that they were not happy about JFS being at the forefront of the ops to break the siege

Under the smokescreen of talks, WH gave Russia/Iran full cover to reestablish siege. Now involved militarily, too

[OUTLAW 09]

I am not the only one saying this....this highly knowledgeable Syrian SME is saying the same thing.....

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton

Narrative of US helping wanting to defeat #Syria's revolution seems to be taking hold. Optics of hitting AQ, letting Iran run wild not good.

US should have mobilised to stop #Assad strikes on populated areas - it just should have done it four years ago and not only for Kurds.

I have repeatedly stated in the Syrian thread that the Syrian war as well as the Iraqi wars are one of perceptions...and right now the Syrian perception of the US is that they have done a "golden handshake with Putin" in order to destroy the Syrian Assad opposition in order to "save Putin, Assad AND IRAN......."

AS the US talked and talked and talked about aid to Aleppo the former AQ Jan now JFS attempted to relieve Aleppo....AND in the eyes of local Syrians JFS has done far more to protect them THAN the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH has done in the last FIVE years......

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton
Banging on about this for two years: US response to AQ Khorasannites vs. Iran's Shia jihadis
http://bit.ly/226b4L0

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian Syrian Express is slowing down a tad.....

#ВМФ #Бф #BF A. Shabalin 110 returns from its 1st #Syria campaign deployment in 2016; Ropucha LST transits Bosphorus

#ВМф Auxiliary Fleet вспомогательный флот Kazan-60 (xGeorgiy Agafonov) transits Bosphorus en route to #Tartus #

[OUTLAW 09]

How chlorine became a chemical weapon
http://phys.org/news/2016-09-chlorine-chemical-weapon.html …

[OUTLAW 09]

SAA can't win the Syria war due to underequipment, lack of recruits and low morale, says Russian military observer

A good read but sorry in Russian.....maybe Google Translate will give you a somewhat overview......as it tends to butcher Russian badly.

http://www.gazeta.ru/army/2016/09/06/10178951.shtml

Gazeta.ru has run actually a number of reasonable Russian articles on Syria BUT this one is the first article on the possibility that even with Iranian and Hezbollah assistance the war is not winnable.....because the SAA is really now just made up of Iraqi/AFG/Pakistani Shia mercenaries, Hezbollah and Iranian IRGC.

Important as it has the tone one heard in the first Soviet Spetsnaz interviews made public just before the Soviet Union announced they were pulling out of AFG.

BUT if you then flip the opposite of what the Russian advisor is saying..he is basically admitting that the Assad opposition is better armed, better motivated and has a constant flow of fighters....

[OUTLAW 09]

A recent comment by the Syrian opposition HNC that was totally overlooked by the western MSM and the Obama WH...

Riad Hijab "we're ready to share power with those in the regime who haven't committed crimes against Syria's people"

[OUTLAW 09]

Today's lesson for Assadis: Chemical Weapons'R'Bad, by @OPCW. Includes chlorine.
https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/Fact_Sheets/English/Fact_Sheet_4_-_CW_types.pdf …

BUT WAIT maybe this should be mandatory reading for the entire Obama WH and his NSC.......

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
BIG - JFS military chief Abu Omar al-Homsi (Abu Omar al-Saraqeb) killed in alleged US drone strike along w. senior leader Abo Omar al-Shami.

Abu Omar al-Homsi is a former JN emir or #Idlib, who led the founding of Jaish al-Fateh in '15. He's seen widely as an Islamist unifier

The timing of the strike is telling, in midst of last min talks w. #Russia, who accuses US of inability/refusal to target AQ in #Syria.

The strike targeted a meeting that had been called to plan a new opposition counter-offensive to break the re-besieging of #Aleppo.

Bear in mind the consistent US position through talks with #Russia has been that JN/JFS is the spoiler-in-chief of attempts at "calm."

If agreed, the US proposal to #Russia aims to create a new ceasefire around #Aleppo.

A JFS-led offensive now would have crippled deal.

Make no mistake, JFS will present this as an attack on those intending to "save" #Aleppo, in an attempt to further "win" the opposition


The implication of this (see the thread) is clear: the WH sees a Russian siege of Aleppo as integral to the deal

The WH sees offensive ops to break the Aleppo siege as detrimental to its deal with Russia

Ratney told the oppo in no uncertain terms that they were not happy about JFS being at the forefront of the ops to break the siege

Under the smokescreen of talks, WH gave Russia/Iran full cover to reestablish siege. Now involved militarily, too

This drone strike by the US will be the final nail in the coffin for the US FP in Syria....it will prove beyond a 5000% doubt that the US and Putin have indeed a "golden handshake" and it will lead the regional supporters of the Syrian opposition to now not trust a single word out of Obama and Kerry...

How a US President can get it so wrong ...but hey that is what happens when your FP is "do nothing stupid"...then all moves end up "being stupid".....

If confirmed to be US strikes on Jaish al-Fath, this would be the most catastrophic of Obama/Kerry legacy in #Syria.

This comes while #JaF trying to break Assad/Iran siege on 300k people in #Aleppo. not only Syrians, many regional powers will not like this.

Killing the leader of a rebel coalition that is supported by your biggest allies in the region & fights your biggest opponents..
#NotSoSmart

WHAT is simply amazing is that the drone strike was on a meeting being held by JaF WHO is not on the UN list of terrorist groups....????

BUT it has been demanded by Putin that it be on the list...so is the US now targeting JaF in order to score points with Putin????

Lessons Learned for the Sunni Front States....with this drone strike the US has fully shown themselves to be puppets for Putin and Khamenei...and the Obama interview was fully correct when he stated Iran is now the regional hegemon and that they the Sunni front States need to accept that...which they will never do as indicated by the massive military buildup by Turkey and the very verbal KSA FM support to the Turkish moves in Syria..

70 years of US ME FP right and or wrong has now been fully buried by a "do nothing stupid US President"....

[OUTLAW 09]

I am posting this because it appears that some US politicians or who claim to be politicians cannot seem to find Syria or even Aleppo the second largest city in Syria on a map or much less even read MSM or watch the evening news theses days....and that applies yes to even the Obama WH these days.

What Is Aleppo? This Is Aleppo

SAMS Verified account 
‏@sams_usa
#WhatIsAleppo? Aleppo is home to #Omran & hundreds of other #BraveLittleHearts who continue to live under daily bombs. This is no childhood.

[OUTLAW 09]

Let me summarise the #USA "#Syria Ceasefire Offer" to #RUS for you:
1. "They cease,you fire."
2. "#Aleppo is yours."
3. "#Assad can stay."
AND of course the 'good side' of it:
4. "We kill islamists 4u."
5. "Civilians get some food, then bombs, then food, etc."
6. "Cooperation!!"


Good job USA, disagreements between various groups and JFS was getting out of control. Now they are back united again.

BUT WAIT.......the Russian reality is again what?????

BreakingNews
Multiple towns in #Aleppo & #Idlib provinces hit by #AssadPutin air strikes over the last two hours.
Targets incl. a hospital.

Khan Shaykhun, Kafr Nabl, Saraqib, Jisr al-Shughour and more hit.

A life under the earth ...
Children's festival in a bunker in besieged #EastGhouta.
https://www.facebook.com/qasioun.news.agency/videos/vb.400834690063586/693791387434580/?type=2&theater …

[OUTLAW 09]

CrowBat......any idea why the opposition forces used during the Aleppo relief efforts are suddenly quiet when confronted by large numbers of Iranian and Hezbollah troops fighting together with Russian Spetsnaz and infantry...

If you look at their ton of videos during early August to now it is virtually quiet coupled with the sudden appearance of hundreds of Assad regime fighters...WHY the sudden shift????

Unless the opposition forces did take a beating by the heavy Russian air strikes...

[OUTLAW 09]

Harakat Nujaba, an Iraqi shia militia we filmed in 2014 in Iraq, has sent 1000 fighters to aid the Syrian regime in Aleppo

NE #Latakia: clashes & airstrikes as pro-Regime forces try 2 advance in Jebal Turkman (Saraf-Kiliz) & Jebal Al-Akrad (Ard Wata-Rasha-Kabana)

E. #Qalamoun: heavy clashes between Rebels & #ISIS continue for the 6th day amidst reports of Rebel gains during their counter-attack.

[OUTLAW 09]

AFP news agency Verified account 
‏@AFP
#BREAKING US-Russia talks on Syria could make 'major difference' if successful: UN


NOT exactly sure just what UN means by this PR release and the Russians continue their deliberate killing of civilians.....and they have never allowed aid to any besieged Sunni town in the past so why would they stop their killing and starving of civilians.....as they have never held to any so called ceasefire either in Syria and or eastern Ukraine....

NOTICE even the UN says nothing about the Assad dropping of chlorine CWs, nor the starvation, nor the war crimes use of cluster incendiary and napalm weapons on civilians.....????

So why would we now even trust the UN????

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo: Rebel sniper killing pro-#Assad fighter in #Aleppo City.

Aleppo: Rebels destroyed #Assad rocket launcher with ATGM on #Nayrab Airbase today.

Turkey: 43 Turkish armoured personnel carriers arrived in #İslahiye from #Istanbul today. #Afrin #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

This drone strike by the US will be the final nail in the coffin for the US FP in Syria....it will prove beyond a 5000% doubt that the US and Putin have indeed a "golden handshake" and it will lead the regional supporters of the Syrian opposition to now not trust a single word out of Obama and Kerry...

How a US President can get it so wrong ...but hey that is what happens when your FP is "do nothing stupid"...then all moves end up "being stupid".....

If confirmed to be US strikes on Jaish al-Fath, this would be the most catastrophic of Obama/Kerry legacy in #Syria.

This comes while #JaF trying to break Assad/Iran siege on 300k people in #Aleppo. not only Syrians, many regional powers will not like this.

Killing the leader of a rebel coalition that is supported by your biggest allies in the region & fights your biggest opponents..
#NotSoSmart

WHAT is simply amazing is that the drone strike was on a meeting being held by JaF WHO is not on the UN list of terrorist groups....????

BUT it has been demanded by Putin that it be on the list...so is the US now targeting JaF in order to score points with Putin????

Lessons Learned for the Sunni Front States....with this drone strike the US has fully shown themselves to be puppets for Putin and Khamenei...and the Obama interview was fully correct when he stated Iran is now the regional hegemon and that they the Sunni front States need to accept that...which they will never do as indicated by the massive military buildup by Turkey and the very verbal KSA FM support to the Turkish moves in Syria..

70 years of US ME FP right and or wrong has now been fully buried by a "do nothing stupid US President"....

Aleppo: Airstrike killed several Jaish al-Fatah commanders. Someone is very much mistaken, if he thinks that it will encourage a ceasefire.

Initial field social media comments coming in from the various opposition groups indicates the following;

1. greater unity after the drone strike as they no longer trust the US...trust only their regional supporters especially TAF and KSA
2. there will be no ceasefire from their side after this strike as they view it a strike conducted by the US in order to appease Putin
3. are in fact planning another counteroffensive around Aleppo

Even though the US/Russia might agree to an Aleppo deal..does not mean it will be accepted by the regional supporters, FSA and the TAF which is pushing towards al Bab and onto Aleppo....

[OUTLAW 09]

Liwa Muntasir Bi allah brigade firing mortars on Castillo road yesterday. #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/UD-TKAzOa3k

Old olive trees being cut down as fuel shortages in N. #Hama increase.
https://youtu.be/JNXDGacNmMM

Fatah Halab fires rockets on Castillo road yesterday morning. #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/_mmeeNtY9b0

[OUTLAW 09]

Never a truer statement has been made lately on Twitter.......

"Oh, so you study jihadists? You must be a jihadist sympathizer!" Ironclad logic -- now apply to Holocaust and genocide studies


One must fully understand the ground players if one is to fully understand the Syrian opposition.....

Somehow the Obama WH and CENTCOM "blew up their own Russian/US joint efforts on Aleppo" when they killed this JaF battlefield commander.....WHAT idiot in the US made this decision??????

BTW....this is the current public opinion of the 750,000 Arab Sunni's currently being besieged and starved into submission as well as being hit by napalm, incendiary and cluster munitions while having all of their hospitals destroyed by Russian air strikes...

"Many Syrians living in opposition areas of Syria perceive JFS as a more…effective protector of their lives…than the US".

Aleppo Killing Fields Continue
Full Report:
http://ogn.news/aleppo-killing-fields-continue/ …

NOTE:
Abu Saeed Al-Halabi ‏@Saeed__Saeed01
Multiple sources report that this airstrike was carried out by the US. This would be the first time the US targets a JaF coalition leader.

The US bombed Sunni Salafist jihadists planning an offensive to lift a siege starving 300,000. US did nothing to Shia jihadists laying said siege

Eulogy to Jaish al-Fateh commander killed in an air strike

[OUTLAW 09]

SAA can't win the Syria war due to underequipment, lack of recruits and low morale, says Russian military observer

A good read but sorry in Russian.....maybe Google Translate will give you a somewhat overview......as it tends to butcher Russian badly.

http://www.gazeta.ru/army/2016/09/06/10178951.shtml

Gazeta.ru has run actually a number of reasonable Russian articles on Syria BUT this one is the first article on the possibility that even with Iranian and Hezbollah assistance the war is not winnable.....because the SAA is really now just made up of Iraqi/AFG/Pakistani Shia mercenaries, Hezbollah and Iranian IRGC.

Important as it has the tone one heard in the first Soviet Spetsnaz interviews made public just before the Soviet Union announced they were pulling out of AFG.

BUT if you then flip the opposite of what the Russian advisor is saying..he is basically admitting that the Assad opposition is better armed, better motivated and has a constant flow of fighters....

This op-ed, titled "Easier to disband the Syrian army and hire a new one", reportedly confirmed by active Ru colonel

Article advises against relying on militias and PMCs who have own interests, says Russia should withdraw from Syria but keep the bases.

Article goes on to say..that all Russian troops need to be pulled out by the end of 2016....

It's quite telling when a Kremlin-controlled outlet like Gazeta posts something like this:

[OUTLAW 09]

Assadists renew attacks towards Tel Tufahiya near TR border between Jabal Akrad & Turkman. Opp. fighting off... leaving a number of Assadists dead #Lattakia

Currently in retreat trying to use artillery for cover & pullout any bodies they can. #Lattakia

[OUTLAW 09]

Interesting to see if Israel responds if confirmed to be true...

NOW English @NOW_eng
#Hezbollah “secretly” deploying in #Quneitra: pro-rebel outlet claims #Golan
http://mme.cm/QMBW00

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria: At least 15 civilians killed, tens wounded in multiple heavy regime airstrikes on #Aleppo|s rebel-held as-Sukkari and Salah ad-Deen.

[OUTLAW 09]

IS releases pics of weapons it captured from SDF after the latter's attempt to capture Tell Qarah north of Aleppo

[OUTLAW 09]

This drone strike by the US will be the final nail in the coffin for the US FP in Syria....it will prove beyond a 5000% doubt that the US and Putin have indeed a "golden handshake" and it will lead the regional supporters of the Syrian opposition to now not trust a single word out of Obama and Kerry...

How a US President can get it so wrong ...but hey that is what happens when your FP is "do nothing stupid"...then all moves end up "being stupid".....

If confirmed to be US strikes on Jaish al-Fath, this would be the most catastrophic of Obama/Kerry legacy in #Syria.

This comes while #JaF trying to break Assad/Iran siege on 300k people in #Aleppo. not only Syrians, many regional powers will not like this.

Killing the leader of a rebel coalition that is supported by your biggest allies in the region & fights your biggest opponents..
#NotSoSmart

WHAT is simply amazing is that the drone strike was on a meeting being held by JaF WHO is not on the UN list of terrorist groups....????

BUT it has been demanded by Putin that it be on the list...so is the US now targeting JaF in order to score points with Putin????

Lessons Learned for the Sunni Front States....with this drone strike the US has fully shown themselves to be puppets for Putin and Khamenei...and the Obama interview was fully correct when he stated Iran is now the regional hegemon and that they the Sunni front States need to accept that...which they will never do as indicated by the massive military buildup by Turkey and the very verbal KSA FM support to the Turkish moves in Syria..

70 years of US ME FP right and or wrong has now been fully buried by a "do nothing stupid US President"....

To say "so what, Jaish al-Fatah is all al-Qaeda", like the pro-Assad community does now, is mere propaganda.

For the record:
Abu Omar al-Homsi was an Salafist islamist & former Jabhat al-Nusra 'emir' of Idlib prov.
But not "the AQ leader in Syria".

[OUTLAW 09]

MSF International ‏@MSF
#Syria: Al Zahraa hospital in E. #Aleppo damaged after airstrike on Tues - had to stop activities. #DoctorsofAleppo

Aleppo: Sham Front claims 25 pro-Regime casualties after it blew up a booby-trapped building in Ameriya. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.168438&lon=37.131386&z=14&m …

Rebels launched an offensive on several pro-Regime positions in S. #Aleppo.

Rahman corps targeting regime defenses in the governate building with a 23 mm gun.
https://youtu.be/n78z57p9n1E

JFaS report on progress of regime in Khan Touman and the repulsing of regime in warehouse area. #Aleppo (Arabic)
https://youtu.be/TMUtXbbNQUI
Great drone footage......

Sham Legion firing on regime forces on Castillo road with technicals #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/-ShRTwpHMcg

Jaish al Nasr targeting regime forces on al-Arbeyn hill in southern #Aleppo countryside.

[OUTLAW 09]

SAA can't win the Syria war due to underequipment, lack of recruits and low morale, says Russian military observer

A good read but sorry in Russian.....maybe Google Translate will give you a somewhat overview......as it tends to butcher Russian badly.

http://www.gazeta.ru/army/2016/09/06/10178951.shtml

Gazeta.ru has run actually a number of reasonable Russian articles on Syria BUT this one is the first article on the possibility that even with Iranian and Hezbollah assistance the war is not winnable.....because the SAA is really now just made up of Iraqi/AFG/Pakistani Shia mercenaries, Hezbollah and Iranian IRGC.

Important as it has the tone one heard in the first Soviet Spetsnaz interviews made public just before the Soviet Union announced they were pulling out of AFG.

BUT if you then flip the opposite of what the Russian advisor is saying..he is basically admitting that the Assad opposition is better armed, better motivated and has a constant flow of fighters....

A brutal Russian verdict on Syrian army: unable to reform, gets others to win its battles, unworthy of further help
https://citeam.org/here-s-why-assad-s-army-can-t-win-the-war-in-syria/ …

[OUTLAW 09]

Really really really worth reading this as I personally have not seen a similar article since the single Soviet AFG Spetsnaz team that openly stated it is time to go home...which was broadcast on Soviet military TV.....several days before the SU announced they were leaving AFG....I was the only open source collector that had caught a video of this particular SU Spetsnaz and many in the intel community had no idea of what it meant....


This is an English translation of the Russian article I posted this morning....by a very good Russian social media open source analysis team.....

https://citeam.org/here-s-why-assad-s-army-can-t-win-the-war-in-syria/


The following is a translation of a scathing article on the state of the Syrian Arab Army that appeared in an online outlet Gazeta.ru, which is Kremlin-controlled but sometimes critical of the Russian authorities online. The author is a retired Russian officer with 8 years of experience working in the General Staff and 5 years as an editor of an established military magazine. The article, originally titled "It would be easier to disband the Syrian army and recruit a new one", mirrors the emerging Syria fatigue sentiments in the Russian military circles and reportedly was confirmed by a serving Russian colonel, who added "Everything is like it’s written but worse". The expert notably omits mentioning regime war crimes even when describing the use of barrel bombs. Throughout the text, he calls Syrian rebels "militants" and "illegal armed groups" — terms widely used by Russian military and media to describe Chechen fighters during the wars. This anti-rebel stance perhaps lends even more credibility to the author’s assessment of their capabilities versus those of the SAA.

While militias, Iranian volunteers, Hezbollah and PMCs fight in lieu of the Syrian army, Bashar Assad’s soldier busy themselves with collecting bribes at checkpoints. This view becomes more and more widespread among military experts aware of the actual situation in Syria. The country’s air force is worn down and uses home-made bombs, the soldiers dig moats to protect from terrorists’ tunnels, while the militants enjoy tactical and moral superiority, says Mikhail Khodarenok, Gazeta.ru’s military observer.

The pro-government forces are likely to capture the city of Aleppo soon. However, it remains doubtful if this will bring the end of the Syrian war closer. In Middle Eastern wars, there is no single building to plant a flag on that would make the enemy surrender unconditionally.

Indeed, it is quite hard to say which side is currently winning the military conflict. Bashar al-Assad, the president of the Syrian Arab Republic, still does not control about half the country’s territory and a majority of towns and villages.

The results of the fighting in Syria so far have been disastrous. The total number of Syrians killed has grown to 250-300 thousand (giving a more precise number is impossible), while about a million people have been wounded. Syrians of all ethnic and religious denominations have grown weary of the civil war that has dragged on for over five years.

Always defeated

The actual fighting against opposition groups is mostly done by Syrian militias, the Lebanese Hezbollah Shia units, Iranian and Iraqi volunteers and Private Military Companies (PMCs).

The main military actions Assad’s army engages in is extorting a tribute from the locals. The Syrian armed forces have not conducted a single successful offensive during the past year.

Apparently Syria’s General Staff has no coherent short-term or mid-term strategic plans. Assad’s generals do not believe their troops can bring the country to order without military aid from foreign states. They do not plan large-scale operations, giving the reasoning of ostensibly high combat capabilities of the illegal armed groups, lack of ammunition and modern equipment, a fear of heavy losses and a negative outcome of the fighting.

The Syrian army’s junior officers, NCOs and privates have little enthusiasm to charge and fight for their motherland. The general morale deterioration is exacerbated by the fact that the history of the modern Syrian army has known no military victories.

Assad’s army bears the brand of constant defeats and humiliations since the first Arab-Israeli wars of 1947-1948.

The Syrian army fighters see no close end to the crisis. There are no set dates of ending military service. The achievements of soldiers and officers are not encouraged or awarded. The materiel and food supplies are inadequate. There are no benefits for soldiers or their families.

Most importantly, even if the Syrian leadership wished to solve these problems, they couldn’t raise the funds to do so. Assad’s government currently has no stable income sources. Years of fighting have severely disrupted the country’s economy. Industrial production has fallen by 70%, agriculture — by 60%, oil production — by 95% and natural production — by 70%. The Syrian treasury has no money even for immediate defense expenditures.

This situation is further exacerbated by the Syrian army being severely understaffed and underequipped. Currently, the staffing and equipment levels stand a bit over 50% of the required figures. The yearly draft does not satisfy even the minimal needs of the army. Due to this, since 2011 sergeants and privates who have served their terms have not been discharged.

The draft fails due to a number of reasons. Some potential conscripts support the anti-government forces and actively dodge the draft. Others have joined the illegal armed groups. Still others have adopted a wait-and-see attitude, preferring not to fight for any of the sides. Many potential recruits have become refugees outside Syria, some of them in Europe. A large part of the population lives on territories outside the government troops’ control. Finally, recruits and their families fear reprisals from the militants.

The majority of Syrian army units are based at fortified checkpoints. There are in total about 2 thousand such checkpoints throughout Syria. Thus, over a half of the army operates with no connection to their units.

Sitting inside those fortified checkpoints, the Syrian regulars are mostly doing defensive duties and extorting money from the locals. They do not conduct any major operations to liberate population or administration centers.

Such pillars of any military as "A superior’s order is the law for his subordinate" and "An order is to be performed at all costs, precisely, timely and with no objections", are at best limitedly enforced in the Syrian army.

"Barrel" bombs

It is hard to find anything worthy of studying or imitation from the Syrian army’s military practice.

The only worthy examples are of the "How not to wage war" variety.

The Air Force deserves a special mention. The Syrian Arab Air Force conducts a significant number of sorties daily (reaching 100 in certain days in 2015), over 85% of which are bombing runs. The Air Force’s contribution to the overall fire damage is about 70%. The airstrikes are conducted by several dozen fighter/bomber jets and around 40 army aviation helicopters.

The SyAAF’s main modus operandi is solitary sorties. Flights in pairs and larger units are not done in order to save resources. In order to decrease losses, the bombing runs are done at heights of 3 thousand meters and above. In extreme cases, dive bombing is used.

Due to the lack of air ordnance, the Syrian army has until recently used even sea mines, torpedoes and depth charges for ground attacks. The so-called "barrel bombs" are also widely used. Over 10,000 of the latter have been dropped on the enemy.

A "barrel bomb" is a type of home-made air ordnance weighting 200 to 1000 kg. It is a section of a wide oil pipeline welded shut with metal plates from both sides and stuffed with a high amount of explosives. A "barrel bomb" is highly explosive and is used to destroy buildings and attack large gatherings of the militants.

There is no pilot training to replenish the combat losses (training in Russia has been discontinued). The aircraft are not being repaired (the only aircraft repair plant is inside the Aleppo warzone).

Various estimates put the air force’s losses since the start of the conflict (April 2011) at about 200 planes and over 150 pilots.

The tunnel war

Tunnel and anti-tunnel tactics have seen widespread use during the Syria war. Tunnels are used to blow up multi-storey buildings used as command posts or ammunition and materiel depots. Drilling machines can dig tunnels at a speed of 3-4m/day while improvised machinery can do 1-2m/day.

Underground tunnels and passages have been gun in Syria since the times of the Roman Empire and the founding of the first cities, such as Palmyra (Tadmor), Damascus, Raqqa and Homs. The local soil encourages this. Being rather soft and clayey, the soil does not slough, which is why both sides of the conflict toil endlessly to dig underground passages of all kinds and purposes.

Militants dig tunnels or use a wide network of old ones to achieve surprise during attacks on military facilities and government troops. Despite a severe underground threat, the Syrian army has a rather negligent attitude to this. There is almost no information on caves or underground communications in towns or militant-controlled territories adjacent to them.

However, various anti-tunnel techniques are used to protect government troops and important facilities, such as using georadars (anomaly detectors), building counter-tunnels, digging shafts and building anti-tunnel moats.

The main technique government troops employs against enemy tunnels is drilling shafts.

Continued.....

Militants’ morale and tactical advantage

Continued.....

Time to go home

Continue.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Really really really worth reading this as I personally have not seen a similar article since the single Soviet AFG Spetsnaz team that openly stated it is time to go home...which was broadcast on Soviet military TV.....several days before the SU announced they were leaving AFG....I was the only open source collector that had caught a video of this particular SU Spetsnaz and many in the intel community had no idea of what it meant....



This is an English translation of the Russian article I posted this morning....by a very good Russian social media open source analysis team.....

https://citeam.org/here-s-why-assad-s-army-can-t-win-the-war-in-syria/

ABOUT the author

Mikhail Khodarenok is Gazeta.ru’s military observer, a retired colonel.
Graduated from Minks’s Higher Engineer Air Defense College in 1976, from the Air Defense Command Academy in 1986.
Commanded an anti-air missile battalion of S-75s in 1980-1983.
Was deputy commander of an anti-air missile regiment in 1986-1992.
Was a senior officer in the Air Defense HQ in 1988-1992.
Served in the Main Operative Directorate of the General Staff in 1992-2000.
Graduated from the General Staff Military Academy in 1998.
Worked as an observer in Nezavisimaya Gazeta in 2000-2003 and as editor-in-chief of "Military-Industrial Courier" in 2010-2015.

[OUTLAW 09]

Former US Syrian Ambassador

@fordrs58:

"Bombing Nusra w. the Russians will *not* solve the conflict.. Neither will bombing #ISIS."

@fordrs58:

#Moscow is not supportive of many of #Assad regime's problematic behaviors. Their Amb in #Damascus struggling in his role.

.@fordrs58: Most optimistic outcome for Syria would be ceasefire leading to de facto partition; won't hold w/o a monitoring mechanism

.@fordrs58: More than military; Syria is a problem of deeper expectations among youth who want economic opportunity, gov't accountability

.@fordrs58: Russian analysis is that Syria is mainly a military problem; Would only tweak gov't rather than deep reform US thinks is needed

.@hbarkey: There is a Turkish strategy in Syria now, but it has nothing to do with Assad or ISIS. It's an all out fight against the Kurds.

.@hbarkey: US & Turkey's goals in Syria completely at odds. Split occurred after Kobani, which changed balance in Turkey btw State and Kurds

[OUTLAW 09]

Really really really worth reading this as I personally have not seen a similar article since the single Soviet AFG Spetsnaz team that openly stated it is time to go home...which was broadcast on Soviet military TV.....several days before the SU announced they were leaving AFG....I was the only open source collector that had caught a video of this particular SU Spetsnaz and many in the intel community had no idea of what it meant....


This is an English translation of the Russian article I posted this morning....by a very good Russian social media open source analysis team.....

https://citeam.org/here-s-why-assad-s-army-can-t-win-the-war-in-syria/


Charles Lister Verified account 
‏@Charles_Lister
Charles Lister Retweeted Charles Lister

This fits closely w. #Russia figures I’ve spoken with - one claimed only 6,000 truly capable #Syria soldiers remain:

Another commenter
This is really insightful. Talks about many things we hear from Hizb fighters in Syria, but with a lot more detals.

[OUTLAW 09]

WikiLeaks hid Syrian deposits in Russian bank:
http://thebea.st/2cjwYsX

Major story: How Wikileaks hid a hacked Syria email showing a 2 billion euro transfer from Central Bank to... VTB:
http://trib.al/Q6HE1s7

Michael Weiss
✔ @michaeldweiss Now ask why the albinoid Bakunin of Knightsbridge didn't deem a major $ exchange btw Damascus and a Russian state bank newsworthy.

ANADOLU AGENCY (ENG)
✔ @anadoluagency Operation Euphrates Shield to continue: Turkish PM
http://v.aa.com.tr/643994

BREAKING: 3 Turkish soldiers killed, 1 wounded following ISIS attack on a TAF tank near Tell Hawa in northern Aleppo - @anadoluagency

Syria Rebels launch battle foreign Shiite militias at
Jabal al-Arbaain in southern #Aleppo
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=35.941671&lon=37.162027&z=14&m=b …

S. #Aleppo: Jebal Arbeen under Rebel artillery fire.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.944659&lon=37.161942&z=12&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian info warfare hard at work in the US via the 100% owned Russian propaganda outlet called Russia today.....

This former hard core leftie unionist use to be on MSNBC with his own show and then signed a multi million contract with Russian today and is now one of the heated supporters of Putin and the Russian annexation of Crimea.....and supports the Russian military intervention in Syria.... go figure.......

Ed Schultz
‏@NewswithEd
The media hysteria is amazing. CNN claims #DonaldTrump is 'unpatriotic' for doing an interview on @RT_America.

He forgets he is paid by the Russian govt to be on RT whose purpose is to undermine US while hiding Russia's repression.

APPEARS that this former leftie does not quite understand the Russian non linear warfare usage of information warfare.....

Russia trolls very busy today defending Trump, Putin, RT, GOP w/ characteristically intelligent arguments & hashtags

[OUTLAW 09]

The #NSyA repel #Daesh attack.
https://youtu.be/apOJxFaOUZA

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian info warfare hard at work in the US via the 100% owned Russian propaganda outlet called Russia today.....

This former hard core leftie unionist use to be on MSNBC with his own show and then signed a multi million contract with Russian today and is now one of the heated supporters of Putin and the Russian annexation of Crimea.....and supports the Russian military intervention in Syria.... go figure.......

Ed Schultz
‏@NewswithEd
The media hysteria is amazing. CNN claims #DonaldTrump is 'unpatriotic' for doing an interview on @RT_America.

He forgets he is paid by the Russian govt to be on RT whose purpose is to undermine US while hiding Russia's repression.

APPEARS that this former leftie does not quite understand the Russian non linear warfare usage of information warfare.....

Russia trolls very busy today defending Trump, Putin, RT, GOP w/ characteristically intelligent arguments & hashtags

From a former US Ambassador to Russia who speaks fluent Russian.....

Michael McFaul
✔ @McFaul For Americans working at RT and Sputnik, do you also "serve the (Russian) Fatherland" ? If not, explain. https://twitter.com/M_Simonyan/status/774307783332298752 …

[Azor]

(CNN)The US and Russia announced a plan Friday to bring about a ceasefire in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said.

"Today we are announcing an arrangement that we think has the capability of sticking but it's dependent on people's choices," Kerry said in Geneva.
Appearing alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kerry said the pact calls for the Syrian government and the opposition to respect a nationwide ceasefire scheduled to take effect at sundown on Monday.

He added that the accord will also prevent the air forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from flying combat missions anywhere that the opposition is present, calling this provision the "bedrock of the agreement," labeling Assad's air force the "main driver of civilian casualties" and migrant flows.
"That should put an end to the barrel bombs, an end to the indiscriminate bombing of civilian neighborhoods," Kerry said.

Kerry and Lavrov said that once the cessation of hostilities holds for seven days, the US and Russia would begin working on military coordination in an effort to target al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, the al Nusra Front.
"Going after Nusra is not a concession to anybody, it is profoundly in the interest of the United States to target al Qaeda," Kerry said, saying the group was planning attacks both in and outside of Syria, including attacks directed at the US.

"If groups within the legitimate opposition want to retain their legitimacy, they need to distance themselves in every way possible from Nusra and Daesh," Kerry added.

Kerry said this cooperation would entail "some sharing of information," with Russia pertaining to the delineation of the various groups on the battlefield. After the seven-day cessation of hostilities and delivery of aid, "US and Russian experts will work together to defeat Daesh and Nusra," Kerry added.
Lavrov said that the Syrian regime had been informed of the terms of the arrangement and was prepared to adhere to them.

Kerry also said that the accord would allow for humanitarian access to the besieged areas of Syria, such as Aleppo, and provide for the creation of a demilitarized areas around that city.

Kerry reiterated several times that the deal was dependent on the adherence of all parties, both regime and opposition, and not built on trust.
"It is an opportunity and not more than that until it becomes a reality," Kerry said.

Months of effort

The landmark agreement comes after months of unsuccessful efforts to come to terms on a ceasefire between Assad's government and moderate rebels that would expand humanitarian access for hundreds of thousands of Syrians, efforts that were met by public skepticism from both the White House and the Pentagon.

The final announcement included some last-minute drama as the press conference announcing the deal was delayed several times. At one point, Lavrov emerged from negotiations to signal that the delay was due to officials in Washington who were holding up the accord's approval.
"We are there. I don't know where our friends are but I believe it is important for them to check with Washington. I apologize for the delay but we cannot help it," Lavrov told reporters who had assembled to hear the announcement.

He later appeared to mock the US delay saying, "It takes five hours for our friends to check with Washington," and telling reporters, "I am sorry for you."

While awaiting word from Washington a light-hearted moment occurred when the Russian minister orchestrated the delivery of pizzas and two bottles of Russian vodka to the waiting press, saying, "The pizza was from the US delegation, the vodka was from the Russian delegation."

Officials involved in the negotiations had been less than optimistic about a possible agreement in the days running up to the latest round of talks in Geneva, with one senior official traveling with Kerry saying, "We are going to try but our patience is not infinite."

"We are not going to keep going if we don't reach a conclusion relatively soon. We need to be moving very close to a deal and at some point we need to reach that deal," the official added.

Greater cooperation between US, Russia

The new US-Russia strategy hinges on deeper cooperation between the US and Russian military against extremist groups operating in Syria, particularly ISIS and Nusra Front. The two sides are also holding talks on coordinating more closely the air operations they are both conducting in Syria.
But the US has resisted coming to an agreement due to Russian and Syrian regime actions against civilians in Aleppo.

The US wants a nationwide ceasefire in Syria between the regime and the rebels in order to create the conditions for UN-led political talks to end the five-year war. The US-backed moderate opposition has refused to resume the UN-led talks unless a cessation of hostilities take hold and the regime and Russia end the siege and bombing of Aleppo.

"The opposition tells us they want to reach a deal with the Russians if in fact it would stop some of the worst forms of violence against the Syrian people," a second senior administration official said.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, appeared with Kerry and Lavrov after the announcement to signal the UN's backing of the new agreement.

Earlier Friday, he had said an agreement would make "a major difference" in terms of the cessation of hostilities and have "a major impact" on the delivery of humanitarian aid

But both President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter have had tough words for Russia in recent days, dimming the prospect of a deal on a ceasefire and closer military cooperation. The US and Russia are both ostensibly fighting ISIS in Syria, but America has charged that Russia has mostly focused on bombing groups opposing Assad, a close Moscow ally. Some of those groups are supported by the US.

Obama has questioned whether a deal was possible given the "gaps of trust" between the two countries after meeting in China Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20.

The decision to deepen cooperation with Moscow was already controversial, given the Obama administration's public criticism of Russia's role in Syria. A cessation of hostilities negotiated between Kerry and Lavrov in February fell apart within weeks and efforts to reach a political settlement in the war-torn country are on the verge of collapse.

Asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer Friday on "The Situation Room" if he trusted Russia in a deal like this, Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, said no.

"I think it's good and I applaud Secretary Kerry because I think the effort needs to be made. The only way to stop the carnage in Syria is to get some sensible transition away from Assad and the Russians are key to that," Smith said. "I think in the meantime if we can get humanitarian aid to some of these places that are suffering, I mean that's a win, but at the end of the day, Syria will not make a successful transition to a reasonable government until Assad agrees to leave."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/09/politics/syria-ceasefire-kerry-lavrov/index.html

[OUTLAW 09]

Azor......here is the problem.....Russia has absolutely no track record in holding much less maintaining any ceasefire they have so called approved either in eastern Ukraine and or Syria......

Secondly, the deep perception of the Syrian opposition is that JSF formerly JaN has died defending them not the US, Jordan or Russia

Thirdly, notice that agreement goes into effect on Monday...if the Russian were in fact serious it could have gone into effect at mid night Friday...BUT the Russian AF works on a 24/48 targeting cycle and the orders for this weekend have already been given AND the Assad mercenary Shia army still is attacking Aleppo...

Lastly, notice it does not mention that the ceasefire applies to the Iranian Shia mercenary forces.....

Notice also US/Russia talk about defeating one terrorist group called JFS BUT excludes defeating Hezbollah which the US has the last time I checked declared a terrorist organization just as they did with the Kurdish PKK.....

IF one really looks at this so called "deal" there is actually very little difference to the so called "deal" of Geneva 2.....especially the humanitarian aid comments WHICH never got delivered even after much hype by the UN, US and even Russia....

Notice also that the Russian side stated Assad would also adhere...well they said the same thing during Geneva 2...BUT within hours after the so called Geneva CoH Assad stated within hours to bomb...followed by the Russians two days later...ALL blaming the JaN....

MORE importantly.....both eastern Ukraine and Syria are part and parcel of the Russian non linear warfare as the key driver behind their political warfare aimed directly at the US and EU.....

Many following the two events tend to seriously overlook this and do not see the intertwining of the two...BUT it s there for all to see....AND Kerry and Obama just do not "get it".....

BTW...NOTICE that Kerry mentioned stopping the Assad AF from bombing civilians....BUT WAIT the Russian AF has been just as brutal when it comes to deliberately targeting civilians...NOT mentioned at all in the so called agreement....

[OUTLAW 09]

Azor...I have not mentioned it recently but go back a year or two on the Ukrainian thread and you will see I kept mentioning the Putin concept of a "new Yalta 2"---Putin has never come off of that ...BTW he tried not so subtly to start the discussions in the recent G20 and got nowhere....

Both he and his FM have never come off of the idea of an economic and political zone reaching from Portugal to the Russian Far East.....naturally all under the concept of a Russian zone of influence....both started this debate in 2007 right after Georgia....

This geo political goal has three parts.
1. disconnect the US totally from Europe and ME
2. discredit and damage NATO
3. discredit and damage EU

BTW this article tends to go in the direction of what some call "Russian soft power"...there was an article recently on SWJ on just that topic where the author did not seem to accept the current concept of "Russian soft power" which is really the two core legs of non linear warfare, 1) cyber warfare, 2) info warfare both supported by literally tons of cash.....the budget for next year alone on their info warfare side is 800M USDs...down a tad from over 1B USD used this year.

http://euromaidanpress.com/2016/09/09/putins-hybrid-war-objective-is-to-capture-effective-control-sazonov-says-euromaidan-press/#arvlbdata

Putin’s hybrid war objective is to capture effective control, Sazonov says


Many in the West have failed to see that “the main goal” of hybrid war is to change not the rules that govern conflict but rather state borders, “and not necessarily those on the map” but those of effective control by the state, according to Kyrylo Sazonov.

Indeed, the Ukrainian analyst suggests the enormous attention many have paid to the ways in which Putin has changed the rules of conducting war has distracted attention from the Kremlin leader’s use of it to change the borders of control.

When this is understood, Sazonov says, it becomes clear that “Russia’s aggression in Ukraine” is a war against the West more generally. If Russia wins in Ukraine, then it will move on to others and it will involve real victims. Today, “Warsaw and Krakow are not Donetsk and Luhansk,” but tomorrow they could be, if Russia’s hybrid war is not stopped.

Tragically, many will not understand this is happening even as it does, he continues, because

“at first hybrid war creates not an alternative reality or new borders but an alternative picture. Formally, there is no war and no military aggression. There are only internal conflicts, political struggles, a crisis in administration and cases of armed resistance.”

At first, “there is no aggression or aggressor; there are only concerned neighbors and freedom of speech and conscience and an effort by the bureaucracy to bring the rules of the game into correspondence with the real situation.” But the bureaucracy will fail because “it is too conservative and thus becomes the unwitting ally of a creative aggressor with new instruments.”

Over time, the problems Ukraine faces now will be the problems Europe and the West will face in the future. As long as Moscow has to fight in Ukraine, “everything will be well” in the West. But if Ukraine fails, then “the problem will become yours,” with millions of refugees flowing out of that country into Europe.

That is how hybrid war is conducted, and today “Russia is carrying out its hybrid war not against Ukraine but against the EU and the US, that is, against the democratic world as a whole. This is really a conflict of worldviews and scenarios of social development,” one that Russia has launched because it has “lost the economic competition.”

Since it can’t use economic means to project power and since overt war would produce an immediate reaction, Russia under Putin has chosen “other methods” including bribery, subversion, manipulation, and exploitation of ethnic and religious differences, having exacerbated them by promoting migration.

The Kremlin is able to do this because “the contemporary world [is] tied together by thousands of threads of horizontal connections” and thus “hybrid war concerns everyone.” The aggressor, in this case Russia, wants to live no worse than others or more precisely wants to ensure that no one lives better than it does.

Its “goal is the creation of a zone of instability and threats large enough to force the West to agree to negotiations and concessions, serious concessions, such as the recognition of Russia’s right to dictate the rules of life for countries which in the Kremlin are considered part of its zone of influence.”

If it achieves that, Moscow will demand even more, including being treated as “an equal or senior partner” in negotiations about the entire world.” Of course, it will sometimes make tactical concessions itself but these will be only tactical and temporary. They will not change the strategy.

“Its experience of such operations from Soviet times is enormous,” Sazonov says; “but now the Russian Federation has made a serious step from local operations to a long-term project that is unified in the single scenario” of hybrid war. Having chosen dictatorship and reliance on raw materials alone, Moscow sees no other alternative.

Sazonov says that Russia’s worldwide hybrid war involves the following elements:
•propaganda,
•“the creation of internal conflicts with the help of its own agents of influence,”
•terror both via the support of internal groups and the introduction of outsiders,
•economic pressure by weakening the economies of target states,
•political pressure by isolating its targets one way or another,
•the creation of conflicts that Moscow can use to justify intervention.

Moscow views ethnic and religious divisions as the most useful because “one can support them for a very long time with the least expenditure of resources.” Moreover, its support for this or that group can be presented to the naïve as part of “a struggle for peace and the resolution of conflicts,” even those it has “artificially created on its own.”

Moscow doesn’t need a powerful technologically developed army. It does need forces to insert near the end, “but the key tasks are fulfilled by intelligence services, diversionists, recruited agents of influence and media under its control.” And it can count on recruiting those politicians who might without such outside support have no chance of gaining power.

Faced with this general threat of Putin’s hybrid war, what should Western countries do? The best thing is not to have or to eliminate those weak places that Moscow may exploit. That means, Sazonov says, that “the aggressor — even a potential one– must be deprived of the smallest chance of financing political parties, social organization and media.”

Moreover, the West must recognize that it faces a common threat and meet it with a united front against what the Kremlin is trying to do. And it must understand that helping those countries like Ukraine which are now on the front line is “not charity but an investment” in the defense of the West.

“If we together do not stop the Kremlin in Ukraine, Sazonov concludes, “[the West without Ukraine] will have to stop it in Poland, in Lithuania, and everywhere” when Russia orchestrates a new refugee flow into Europe and when the enemy will truly and traditionally be “at the border.”


Azor...now go back and see exactly how Russia is in fact directly meddling in the coming US elections and who as journalists work for his Russia Today.....

[OUTLAW 09]

AND the fighting/bombing still goes on.....

Jaish al Islam capture a pro-regime fighter/SAA on Madani front.
https://youtu.be/5z0C5LZdhcs

JFS ‏@JFS_Eng
#JFS seize several military positions on Petra Mountains axis East Qalamoon + elimination of entire group of khawarij.

Aftermath of an airstrike on a civilian neighborhood in the city of #Douma.
https://youtu.be/KgNn2mETj80

Step news takes footage of the alleged bomb sight where JaF leaders were meeting.
https://youtu.be/gYzXccqWEwA

First Coastal Defense targeting regime forces in Latakia earlier today with artillery.
https://youtu.be/cp8jmWjhNF4

Free Nua Brigade targeting regime forces trying to advance on the abandoned artillery base in #Daraa
https://youtu.be/jgB-KgamQdQ

[OUTLAW 09]

KEY problem with this agreement is the simple fact that Russia will eventually get Kerry to agree to what they define a "terrorist group" to be and there is no secret that Russia wants to expand the current UN list to include all groups backed by Turkey and KSA....especially AAS....

Ahrar Al sham sends condolence to JFS and says the coalition has sided with the regime and Shiite militias

JFS + Ahrar hold the U.S-lead coalition responsible for the murder of Abu Omar Saraqib. Their intentions for #Aleppo are clear.

Syria "peace" deal is just kicking the can down the road. Allowing regime to target "terrorists" means business as usual

One thing is for sure though, Assad hasn't won with this deal. Any attempt to take Aleppo will rule "deal" null & void. Iran won't be happy

Actually this US article kind of sums up what I have been saying....
Will the U.S.-Russia Deal Bring Syria Peace? Don’t Hold Your Breath
http://thebea.st/2cMpZv3
via @thedailybeast

Further summed up by a very good Syrian SME who I follow a lot....

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Initial [under-stated] reaction from a senior Ahrar al-Sham figure on the US-#Russia deal on #Syria:

“Difficult… Very unrealistic."

[davidbfpo]

Jeremy Bowen, a veteran BBC reporter on the Syrian civil war ponders what the future holds. The title comes from this:
A Syrian general at the ministry of defence told me they were well aware that the war in Lebanon a generation ago had lasted 16 years. This one, he said, was much more complicated so there could be at least another 10 years of bloodshed.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37315875

How he came to this view I think will elude closer observers:
The Syrian army is remarkably cohesive for a force that is in the sixth year of war. But it does not have the manpower to sustain operations on a range of fronts.

A map is always useful:http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/1138A/production/_91083507_iraq_syria_control_624_5sep.png

[OUTLAW 09]

Jeremy Bowen, a veteran BBC reporter on the Syrian civil war ponders what the future holds. The title comes from this:
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37315875

How he came to this view I think will elude closer observers:

A map is always useful:http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/1138A/production/_91083507_iraq_syria_control_624_5sep.png

Right now the so called Syrian Arab Army or SAA is in name only....without the heavy Iranian Shia mercenaries from Iraq, Pakistan and AFG, Hezbollah, IRGC and Russian Spetsnaz, Russian artillery and Russian Marine infantry the rebel opposition would be sitting on the outskirts of Damascus by now....

AND the only thing keeping the current Assad regime forces in the game is the RuAF.....

Secondly, the Russian published article posted yesterday on the condition of the current "pure" SAA minus all the mercenaries is a telling article that has been largely ignored by US/western MSM plus what is also interesting is that the author actually covered the inherent strengths of the opposition.

Rebellions normally run a full 15-20 years in a cycle but this one is into the sixth year and is developing far faster than many thought possible with now Turkey backing up FSA in northern Aleppo.

Right now both Assad and the rebels are about even numbers wise and the heavy weapons are flowing into the rebels in a way not seen before....especially now GRAD, artillery and Russian ATGMs.

Regardless of what Kerry and Putin put together both Assad and the rebel opposition inherently feel that it will be settled on the battlefield...or as Bismarck once stated...."it will be settled by blood and iron".....

The side war between Iran and KSA/Turkey is not even being considered in the US MSM or the European MSM.....nor by Putin or Kerry it seems....

[OUTLAW 09]

Jeremy Bowen, a veteran BBC reporter on the Syrian civil war ponders what the future holds. The title comes from this:
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37315875

How he came to this view I think will elude closer observers:

A map is always useful:http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/1138A/production/_91083507_iraq_syria_control_624_5sep.png

Right now the so called Syrian Arab Army or SAA is in name only....without the heavy Iranian Shia mercenaries from Iraq, Pakistan and AFG, Hezbollah, IRGC and Russian Spetsnaz, Russian artillery and Russian Marine infantry the rebel opposition would be sitting on the outskirts of Damascus by now....

AND the only thing keeping the current Assad regime forces in the game is the RuAF.....

Secondly, the Russian published article posted yesterday on the condition of the current "pure" SAA minus all the mercenaries is a telling article that has been largely ignored by US/western MSM plus what is also interesting is that the author actually covered the inherent strengths of the opposition.

Rebellions normally run a full 15-20 years in a cycle but this one is into the sixth year and is developing far faster than many thought possible with now Turkey backing up FSA in northern Aleppo.

Right now both Assad and the rebels are about even numbers wise and the heavy weapons are flowing into the rebels in a way not seen before....especially now GRAD, artillery and Russian ATGMs.

Regardless of what Kerry and Putin put together both Assad and the rebel opposition inherently feel that it will be settled on the battlefield...or as Bismarck once stated...."it will be settled by blood and iron".....

The side war between Iran and KSA/Turkey is not even being considered in the US MSM or the European MSM.....nor by Putin or Kerry it seems....

[OUTLAW 09]

From today....this morning govt forces attacked rebel-held areas in S. Aleppo, trying to make more gains before Monday. This is farce.

At least 9 civilian were killed in the Assad attack yesterday including 4 children. This will not end.

[OUTLAW 09]

Comments out of Syria referencing the so called Kerry/Putin "ceasefire"....

Clear that Russia/Assad are main beneficiaries in RUS-US agreement, US succeeded in legitimising main perpetrators of terrorism in #Syria

To all anti-Assad civilians/rebels it’s basically surrender or die, ‘cause all al-Qaeda/ISIS terrorists as Assad says but now US ratified.

Of course Russia/Assad not accountable for continued bombing of everything/everyone as per previous #CoH, don’t forget everyone is al-Qaeda!

Anti-Assad civilian/med. infrastructure were always Russia’s & Assad’s main targets under false pretext of Nusra/ISIS, what’s different now?

Maybe we’ll see direct US support for Hezbollah, Iranian, Afghani & Iraqi forces in Syria as well now, ‘cause fighting terrorism you know

Who cares about the 10s of thousands detained by Assad as well, 500K+ already dead so what’s another 200K+ give or take?

[OUTLAW 09]

Comments out of Syria referencing the so called Kerry/Putin "ceasefire"....

Clear that Russia/Assad are main beneficiaries in RUS-US agreement, US succeeded in legitimising main perpetrators of terrorism in #Syria

To all anti-Assad civilians/rebels it’s basically surrender or die, ‘cause all al-Qaeda/ISIS terrorists as Assad says but now US ratified.

Of course Russia/Assad not accountable for continued bombing of everything/everyone as per previous #CoH, don’t forget everyone is al-Qaeda!

Anti-Assad civilian/med. infrastructure were always Russia’s & Assad’s main targets under false pretext of Nusra/ISIS, what’s different now?

Maybe we’ll see direct US support for Hezbollah, Iranian, Afghani & Iraqi forces in Syria as well now, ‘cause fighting terrorism you know

Who cares about the 10s of thousands detained by Assad as well, 500K+ already dead so what’s another 200K+ give or take?


Kerry talks about stopping the Assad barrel bombs...BUT WHY did he and Obama not stop them FIVE years ago??????

For those that want to see the effects of an undirected 2 ton free fall barrel here is just one of a series of very GRAPHIC photos from yesterdays Aleppo barrel bomb attack ...IF Kerry/Obama WANTED to stop this THEN the ceasefire should have started IMMEDIATLEY....not in three days....

GRAPHIC from Aleppo yesterday....ONE of FOUR children killed yesterday while Kerry talked and talked and talked....SOMEHOW Kerry and Obama forgot that simple word called "humanity" along the way of "doing nothing stupid in the ME".......

REMEMBER When Kerry and Obama could have made a massive difference there were only 7,000 dead...NOW FOUR long years later it is 470-500,000 dead.....

[OUTLAW 09]

AND what exactly was achieved in Geneva...starting the ceasefire on Monday instead of mid night last night.....WHY the delay....THAT is exactly the same delay that Putin built into Minsk 2 WHEN he blatantly ignored Minsk 2 to attack and capture Debaltseve.....

WHAT in the world was Kerry thinking?...did he not believe this would NOT intensive between yesterday and mid night Monday...WELL it has.....

THESE civilian killings are now on the poor negotiation performance of Kerry in not seeing he was been "taken to the wood shed"....just as he was in Minsk 2....

Syria: just a day after #SyriaCeasefire plan was announced regime struck a market in #Idlib


AND Russia HAS it's so called ally under control really......??

[OUTLAW 09]

EVEN more Kerry Geneva legacy moments to ponder on just why did he wait until mid night Monday to put the ceasefire into place????

Honestly--he did not see this coming straight at him during those talks...AND he is a Vietnam Veteran.....who led the VN Veterans Against the War movement...he inherently should know what war means for civilians ......he should have known better than to trust anything from the Russian side....

FSA News ‏@FSAPlatform · 23m23 minutes ago
#BREAKING
Regime strikes hit civilian area of Salheen #Aleppo killing 7 civilians, 20 others wounded, numbers rising

[OUTLAW 09]

AND what exactly was achieved in Geneva...starting the ceasefire on Monday instead of mid night last night.....WHY the delay....THAT is exactly the same delay that Putin built into Minsk 2 WHEN he blatantly ignored Minsk 2 to attack and capture Debaltseve.....

WHAT in the world was Kerry thinking?...did he not believe this would NOT intensive between yesterday and mid night Monday...WELL it has.....

THESE civilian killings are now on the poor negotiation performance of Kerry in not seeing he was been "taken to the wood shed"....just as he was in Minsk 2....

Syria: just a day after #SyriaCeasefire plan was announced regime struck a market in #Idlib


AND Russia HAS it's so called ally under control really......??

After US-#Russia deal announcement, an #Assad regime airstrike has hit a market in #Idlib, killing 25+ & wounding 35

#Syria Airstrikes hit hospital in #Aleppo's Sukkari neighborhood

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Cluster bombs by #Russia on northern #Homs
https://youtu.be/6WWSZdvSODA

Syria #Assad-forces shelling Jubbata el-Khashab in #Quneitra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhCvRm1kfLw …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.230934&lon=35.832338&z=14&m=b …

Syria #FSA-Southern Front" participates in #Quneitra battle launched today

Syria Alleged pics from Tel Hamriya in #Quneitra
-#Assad-forces fled positions
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.261657&lon=35.820665&z=15&m=b …

Issam Al Reis ‏@south_front_sy
#Breaking
#FSA #Southern_Front liberate Hamria Hill & Tranje Unit in north #Quneitra province from regime forces. Operations ongoing

Syria Rebels advance on army positions at Tell Trinjeh in #Quneitra
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.254982&lon=35.859890&z=14&m=b …

Syria Clashes at southern entrance of regime held #Hader town in #Quneitra
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.271417&lon=35.839291&z=14&m=b …

[OUTLAW 09]

Appears that CENTCOM, Obama WH and Kerry go it wrong..evidently killing the top seniorleadership of an organzaion that was in fact not on the UN terrorist list and had not been targeted before DID not stop them....

Quneitra: Heavy clashes on Hader-Trinjah axis as #JFS, Ahrar Sham & few others groups started new battle vs Regime. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=33.254192&lon=35.834656&z=12&m …

Syria Jaish al Islam in battle against IslamicState in eastern #Qalamoun
https://youtu.be/6Qx82-P9dyY

Heavy Airstrikes on #Abtaa town in southern #Syria's #Daraa province
https://youtu.be/FNNTVKjrxKk

[OUTLAW 09]

BreakingFootage
Nonstop #AssadPutin kid slaughter in #Aleppo city since the morning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX7s1Me5o1g …

BreakingNews
Intense #Russian attacks on civilians in #Anadan, #KafrNaha, #Batbo and #Huraytan around #Aleppo city now.

The same two #terror organisations destroyed civilian homes in #Aleppo today.
Unpunished.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNOhE9vWt54&feature=youtu.be …

Now also #Russian cluster bomb attacks on towns in #Hama province.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VjP5ZMG9pg …

BreakingFootage
#Russian cluster bomb attacks on areas in besieged #Homs province.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WWSZdvSODA …

And several more on the same location.
Seems to be important ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn0J_UawsLQ …
#Hama #Lataminah

The "renewed #Minsk ceasefire" in Sept killed 5 Ukrainian troops and injured 16 more so far.
THIS IS HOW "CEASEFIRES" WITH #PUTIN LOOK LIKE.

[OUTLAW 09]

Meanwhile in northern #Syria, the #TurkishArmy seems to prepare for a large operation.
But still unclear if & where.

Leo2's were spotted now inside Syria.....targets....al Bab, Manbij and then onto Aleppo....

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Cluster bombs by #Russia on northern #Homs
https://youtu.be/6WWSZdvSODA

Syria #Assad-forces shelling Jubbata el-Khashab in #Quneitra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhCvRm1kfLw …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.230934&lon=35.832338&z=14&m=b …

Syria #FSA-Southern Front" participates in #Quneitra battle launched today

Syria Alleged pics from Tel Hamriya in #Quneitra
-#Assad-forces fled positions
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.261657&lon=35.820665&z=15&m=b …

Issam Al Reis ‏@south_front_sy
#Breaking
#FSA #Southern_Front liberate Hamria Hill & Tranje Unit in north #Quneitra province from regime forces. Operations ongoing

Syria Rebels advance on army positions at Tell Trinjeh in #Quneitra
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.254982&lon=35.859890&z=14&m=b …

Syria Clashes at southern entrance of regime held #Hader town in #Quneitra
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.271417&lon=35.839291&z=14&m=b …

Monday morning these groups could possibly be declared "terrorists" by Kerry and Putin.....

FSA News
‏@FSAPlatform
List of #FSA SF Brigades in the #Quneitra Operation:
Saif alSham
SRF
Fajr Tawhid
Forsan Jolan
Liwa Arar Jabata
Jabhat Ansar alSham
Al Forqan

[OUTLAW 09]

Reminder on how @mod_russia treats their own Syria no-bomb zones (spoiler: they get bombed)
https://citeam.org/you-cease-we-fire-russian-air-force-and-assad-forces-violate-syrian-truce/ …

Michael Weiss ‏@michaeldweiss
US went from calling Assad illegitimate, saying Russia was getting into a quagmire to legitimizing Assad's and Putin's militaries in Syria.

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton In sum, even if US-#Russia proposal works, at best it freezes #Assad's gains in place, and has loopholes you could crush an uprising through

Liz Sly Verified account 
‏@LizSly
Under the US-Russia Syria deal, the Syrian air force will still be able to conduct bombing raids, in areas to be agreed on - Lavrov.


Terrorist groups consisting mostly of foreigners (PKK/YPG & Hezbollah) are protected as Syrian opposition is bombed by Russia & US.

Those who ignore YPG is directly controlled by designated terror group PKK use non-existing Nusra as excuse to attack Sunni muslims!

[OUTLAW 09]

Michael Weiss Verified account 
‏@michaeldweiss
My close reading of Kerry's remarks and some short and long term problems with his plan:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/09/will-the-u-s-russia-deal-bring-syria-peace-don-t-hold-your-breath.html

Will the U.S.-Russia Deal Bring Syria Peace? Don’t Hold Your Breath

There’s little trust among the diplomats in Geneva, in fact, and far, far less among the fighters on the ground



In the late summer of 2011, President Barack Obama declared the reign of Bashar al-Assad “illegitimate” and told him the time had come to “step aside.” In the early fall of 2015, U.S. officials laughingly dismissed Vladimir Putin’s unexpected direct military intervention into Syria as an accident waiting to happen at Russia’s expense.

Today, Secretary of State John Kerry formally legitimized Assad’s military by way of delimiting its zone of combat; and he welcomed the Russian Air Force as a prospective U.S. partner prosecuting an increasingly complex and muddled war against the so-called Islamic State and al-Qaeda, two separate and competitive terrorist organizations in Syria. Significantly, the latter group often intermingles with U.S.-backed insurgents.

In a tardy press conference in Geneva that most reporters were so sure would never happen they began ordering champagne and pizza, Kerry mapped out this fingers-crossed bilateral plan of action. His remarks were leavened with repeated qualifications and conditional tenses as he described an agreement that must perforce be founded on trust between the United States and Russia would not in fact be based on anything of the sort.

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Here’s my quick-take analysis of the announced US-#Russia deal on #Syria - available here:

https://www.facebook.com/CharlesRLister/photos/a.919133454879733.1073741828.919119641547781/928612567265155/?type=3&permPage=1 …

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
What's the main #Syria opposition takeaway so far?

'This is an international conspiracy to seal an eventual defeat to the revolution'

[OUTLAW 09]

N. #Quneitra: Rebels took over Hamriya & its tell this morning. ~4.5 km left to link with Beit Jin pocket.

Common pattern from #Quneitra to #Aleppo: pro-Regime forces fleeing at 1st assault.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6w_cDE_wo …

Common pattern from #Quneitra to #Aleppo: pro-Regime forces fleeing at 1st assaut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6w_cDE_wo …

E. #Qalamoun: Faylaq Al-Rahman fired a 4th #TOW in 4 days & took out another #ISIS 23 mm gun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUgpGk8WGHE …

N. #Quneitra: more pics of Rebels targeting pro-Regime forces during Battle of "Southern Qadissiya".

N. #Quneitra: #JFS shelling Regime fortifications near Al-Hamriya where Rebels seized over 1st positions.

[OUTLAW 09]

Michael Weiss
✔ @michaeldweiss Russia apparently bombed a fruit and veg market in Idlib today. Eve of Eid. Photo taken about 45m ago.

[OUTLAW 09]

Lessons learned for #Russia

Invade Ukraine: Get Minsk.
Invade Syria: Get Geneva.
Invade the Baltics: Get Berlin?!

Western values have gone

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA News @FSAPlatform
#Breaking
2 martyrs from #FSA brigade @saif_alsham_ (signed #ceasefire) after regime shelling in Khan Sheih
https://youtu.be/MGCjXCZxMBg #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

Idlib: The #Syria|n children Seidra, Abdulkarim and Mohammad Afara were killed by #Russia|n airstrikes today

More Assad and Russian killed children in today's massive air strikes on civilians across Syria....

[OUTLAW 09]

Situation in #Qamishli airport with Syrian and Turkish cargo planes... exchange of prisoners related to the recovery of Russian KIAs?

Raqqa: Hani al-Malla cheif commander of Hammam al-Turkman martyrs brigade(#SDF) was assassinated near #Suluk today.

SDF spokesperson Talal Selo mourn him and said "he was killed in suspicious circumstances"

He's Turkmen from Hamam al-Turkman near Kobane,formed a small brigade who merged with Sulcuk Brigade which joined #SDF #Syria

He was also deputy chief commander in al-Bab military council(pro #YPG\#SDF)who recently opposed Turkish operation in #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

Jabhat Fateh al-Sham: "We will never betray the trust the #Syria|n people placed in us and we will fight until their rights are restored."

[OUTLAW 09]

Damascus: #Assad airstrikes killed his last 2 sons today, after the regime killed his third son 1 year ago. #Douma

AND the targeted civilian killing by Assad and Putin just keeps on today across all of the opposition held areas.....

AND when again is the fifth so called ceasefire to go into effect?....ESPECIALLY strange as the so called Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) was suppose to be in effect since the Geneva 2 meeting.....literally months ago....followed by a number of Russian silence regimes followed by a number of Russian 48 hour ceasefires....SO why is this one suppose to work...excuse me it is suppose to work because Russia said it would and said that Assad will adhere to it...just as they said before.....

Imagine losing your 3 sons in 1 year and be blamed by @EHSANI22 and @joshua_landis because you didn't leave your house and your city

Son was killed in the Idlib marketplace massacre .....30 civilians killed and over 70 civilians wounded....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PDCpYKQLxs&feature=youtu.be …

[OUTLAW 09]

Damascus: #Assad airstrikes killed his last 2 sons today, after the regime killed his third son 1 year ago. #Douma

AND the targeted civilian killing by Assad and Putin just keeps on today across all of the opposition held areas.....

AND when again is the fifth so called ceasefire to go into effect?....ESPECIALLY strange as the so called Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) was suppose to be in effect since the Geneva 2 meeting.....literally months ago....followed by a number of Russian silence regimes followed by a number of Russian 48 hour ceasefires....SO why is this one suppose to work...excuse me it is suppose to work because Russia said it would and said that Assad will adhere to it...just as they said before.....


#Syria-ously?Change we can believe in?'Total ceasefire' in #Ukraine(day10):3 Ukr troops dead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaDW2nvCdXk …

[OUTLAW 09]

HUGE and BREAKING: Turkish Army conducts snap & surprise Live Fire Exercise in Hatay, involving 155mm SP Howitzers and Leopard Tanks.

Turkey is simulating a Division-sized attack on Afrin Canton. Tanks, APCs, Infantry, Airborne Infantry, Artillery.

A not so sure subtle warning towards, Iran, Russia, YPG/PKK and the US.....REMEMBER KSA has voiced full support for Turkish military moves.....

[OUTLAW 09]

OP-ED @OrientNewsEn

Another ceasefire, another license for Assad to kill

http://www.orient-news.net/en/news_show/122682/0/Another-ceasefire-another-license-for-Assad-to-kill …

[OUTLAW 09]

Damascus: Intense fighting between rebels & pro-#Assad forces in #Jobar District. #Assad fortifications were destroyed.

[OUTLAW 09]

Really really really worth reading this as I personally have not seen a similar article since the single Soviet AFG Spetsnaz team that openly stated it is time to go home...which was broadcast on Soviet military TV.....several days before the SU announced they were leaving AFG....I was the only open source collector that had caught a video of this particular SU Spetsnaz and many in the intel community had no idea of what it meant....


This is an English translation of the Russian article I posted this morning....by a very good Russian social media open source analysis team.....

https://citeam.org/here-s-why-assad-s-army-can-t-win-the-war-in-syria/

Lavrov on the Syria deal: the Syria war "is a quagmire..& and this was not helped by the lack of trust between the US and Russia over Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

From Damascus to Abadan.
An #Assad regime Il-76 about to bring new Shiite militants and arms to #Syria.
Ceasefire...

SDF closed the road between #Manbij & #Jarablus and is preventing any civilians to cross both ways

Daesh bombed 2 chicken farms in IbrahimSharqi town E #Khafsa to "prevent #SDF to control them"

[OUTLAW 09]

IMPORTANT: #Russia|n reconnaissance patrol was today in Castelo road & retreated back after anonymous shelling

Patrol was about 20 #Russia|n soldiers & their officer. They retreated to their housing in defence factories by Assafira E #Aleppo

Special military vehicles & devices arrived to this unit last week

It is not the 1st reconnaissance patrol in Castelo last week but it is the 1st time shelled

Russia|n patrol has free moving in area and #Assad forces have no control on them.

[OUTLAW 09]

IMPORTANT: #Russia|n reconnaissance patrol was today in Castelo road & retreated back after anonymous shelling

Patrol was about 20 #Russia|n soldiers & their officer. They retreated to their housing in defence factories by Assafira E #Aleppo

Special military vehicles & devices arrived to this unit last week

It is not the 1st reconnaissance patrol in Castelo last week but it is the 1st time shelled

Russia|n patrol has free moving in area and #Assad forces have no control on them.

IMPORTANT: we noticed retreat of #Iran|an & Iraqis militias from #Aleppo & their soldiers are not much as usual

[OUTLAW 09]

Jabhat Fateh al-Sham: "We will never betray the trust the #Syria|n people placed in us and we will fight until their rights are restored."

Jabhat Fateh al-Sham: "#US, allying with #Russia, trying to oppose the independence of the #Syria|n people."

[OUTLAW 09]

Assad regime fighter now a refugee in Berlin Germany

Wassim Diab - from kidnapping civilians for ransom & socialising with Asma al-Assad to "refugee" in Berlin. #Germany

[OUTLAW 09]

Ahrar al Sham firing on regime forces in N. #Quneitra countryside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD7ivwjVFXs …

Jabhat Fatah al Sham announcement about the start of Southern Qadisiyah battle in #Quneitra
https://youtu.be/5Eq418PQmTA

[OUTLAW 09]

NEW video by Ahrar al Shaam with eng subs "Rage wind"
https://youtu.be/jQZ0D-_u-2g

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian TV appears to show regime forces using white phosphorous in Latakia offensive
https://youtu.be/QU7LppjytVQ

Another #Assad regime Il-76 just departed from Qamishli end route to Damascus.
Busy ceasefire preparations ...

[OUTLAW 09]

Bosnia's former foreign minister says the Western military intervention in Bosnia could be a model for Syria

Claim: #Turkey removed part of border fence near Tel Abyad, #YPG preparing locals for possible intervention. #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

Will #US-#Russia coordination in #Syria restrain #Iran's Quds Force and foreign Shia jihadis?
Russia provides them close-air support, so …

Under the US-Russia Syria deal, the Syrian air force will still be able to conduct bombing raids, in areas to be agreed on - Lavrov.

The chief instrument of murder and displacement in #Syria: our counter-terrorism partner.

Can the rebels also attack in agreed-upon areas?

[OUTLAW 09]

Syrian state TV says Israeli air force attacked army post inside Syria - Reuters via @Breaking

Syrian state TV claiming Israeli air force hit regime troops in South Quneitra front in order to assist advancing rebels.

For weeks there had been talk of a #Hezbollah/regime offensive to retake Quneitra. Syrian rebels are preempting that in this week's assault.

Syrian rebels, including Ahrar al-Sham have captured several checkpoints in today's notable advance in Quneitra.

[OUTLAW 09]

Until someone explains what the consequences are if Russia and Assad don't hold up their end, the Syria ceasefire deal isn't serious.

By the way, a "ceasefire" where the U.S. actually helps Russia bomb more Syrians is not a ceasefire.

Clarissa Ward ‏@clarissaward
1) some thoughts on the US-Russia #Syria deal after talking to a wide ranging group of Syrians both inside and outside the country

2) Those I have spoken to, who are anti- regime, are extremely disappointed with the deal.

3) Syrian opposition leaders say they were not consulted on the details by the US whereas the Russians said that they consulted w/ regime

4) There is no indication of what the consequences of Syrian army breaking the deal would be. Syrians are being asked to trust + no one does

5) As one Syrian told me "you can go ahead and trust the Russians but please don't ask us to."

6) People on the ground feel they quite clearly can't trust the Americans. They believe the US is working w/ Russians to assure Assad wins.

7) They see a clear hypocrisy in claim to fight terror when a designated terrorist group like Hizbollah is allowed to fight with impunity

8) People in rebel held Aleppo see Syrian army as terrorists, not JFS who led the battle to lift the siege.

9) Syrian opp supporters who have no love for Islamists understand that punishing JFS means weakening whole opposition + strengthening Assad

10) One Syrian opposition supporter in West "this isn't a diplomatic solution. This is the US siding with Russia to destroy the opposition."

[OUTLAW 09]

Until someone explains what the consequences are if Russia and Assad don't hold up their end, the Syria ceasefire deal isn't serious.

By the way, a "ceasefire" where the U.S. actually helps Russia bomb more Syrians is not a ceasefire.

Clarissa Ward ‏@clarissaward
1) some thoughts on the US-Russia #Syria deal after talking to a wide ranging group of Syrians both inside and outside the country

2) Those I have spoken to, who are anti- regime, are extremely disappointed with the deal.

3) Syrian opposition leaders say they were not consulted on the details by the US whereas the Russians said that they consulted w/ regime

4) There is no indication of what the consequences of Syrian army breaking the deal would be. Syrians are being asked to trust + no one does

5) As one Syrian told me "you can go ahead and trust the Russians but please don't ask us to."

6) People on the ground feel they quite clearly can't trust the Americans. They believe the US is working w/ Russians to assure Assad wins.

7) They see a clear hypocrisy in claim to fight terror when a designated terrorist group like Hizbollah is allowed to fight with impunity

8) People in rebel held Aleppo see Syrian army as terrorists, not JFS who led the battle to lift the siege.

9) Syrian opp supporters who have no love for Islamists understand that punishing JFS means weakening whole opposition + strengthening Assad

10) One Syrian opposition supporter in West "this isn't a diplomatic solution. This is the US siding with Russia to destroy the opposition."

An old man is pulled alive from under the rubble after regime bombing in Sukkari, #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/CFVgjcNmlBs

SyriaCeasefire
2 neighbours who lost their homes in regime bombing in Salihin, #Aleppo trying to comfort each other
https://youtu.be/SkCPPQcok0s

SyriaCeasefire Child pulled from under rubble in Salihin, #Aleppo where at least 10 were killed by regime bombing
https://youtu.be/CxiYMHc6bs8

SyriaCeasefire
Over 30 dead in regime bombing of a local market in #Idlib whilst people shop in preparation for Eid
https://youtu.be/Cg1m9dUoUfw

The "Eid ceasefire" turned #EidMassacres in many Syrian towns today.
This is what you get when dealing with devils.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Revolution town Tel Refaat town in N- #Aleppo:
-still depopulated after #YPG stormed it with #Russia'n help
https://youtu.be/8lyL7Xnv9gk

[OUTLAW 09]

Assad regime fighter now a refugee in Berlin Germany

Wassim Diab - from kidnapping civilians for ransom & socialising with Asma al-Assad to "refugee" in Berlin. #Germany

Hamzah Haj Ali, an old-school steroid-abusing shabiha member from the early days of the revolution. Also in Berlin Germany.

Hamzah took part in the Jdeidat Artouz campaign, which turned the neighbourhood into a "killing field".

[OUTLAW 09]

Reference the so called Eid ceasefire......

The main part of the deal: target any opposition group ("al-Nusra") refusing to surrender & turn on Islamic ones.

This is an attempt to: 1) Split the opposition via intimidation. 2) Destroy Islamic & anti-regime groups, sparing only quisling remnants.

Obama has no idea what he's doing. Imagine how many Muslims will become "radicalised" by the sight of the USAF strafing anti-Assad fighters.

It's almost like they're inviting lunatics driven to extremism by the sight of western atrocities to start shooting up their cities.

Not only does it involve openly joining Russia & the Shi'a butchers in squashing Syria, but it makes western civilians even more unsafe.

Every nutter who tried to attack western civilians in the last decade cited western imperialism & atrocities as their motivating factor.

Openly using the USAF as SAA close air support? BAD, bad idea. Millions of Syrians/Muslims (already loathing Obama/Putin enough) will snap.

Any atrocities Russia's air force commits from now on, their propaganda tools can blame on the USAF. All of it. And they will

[Azor]

GRAPHIC from Aleppo yesterday....ONE of FOUR children killed yesterday while Kerry talked and talked and talked....SOMEHOW Kerry and Obama forgot that simple word called "humanity" along the way of "doing nothing stupid in the ME".......

Warning please next time...it's hard to read the caption when there's a child's head blown out.

[Azor]

Azor......here is the problem.....Russia has absolutely no track record in holding much less maintaining any ceasefire they have so called approved either in eastern Ukraine and or Syria......

Secondly, the deep perception of the Syrian opposition is that JSF formerly JaN has died defending them not the US, Jordan or Russia

Thirdly, notice that agreement goes into effect on Monday...if the Russian were in fact serious it could have gone into effect at mid night Friday...BUT the Russian AF works on a 24/48 targeting cycle and the orders for this weekend have already been given AND the Assad mercenary Shia army still is attacking Aleppo...

Lastly, notice it does not mention that the ceasefire applies to the Iranian Shia mercenary forces.....

Notice also US/Russia talk about defeating one terrorist group called JFS BUT excludes defeating Hezbollah which the US has the last time I checked declared a terrorist organization just as they did with the Kurdish PKK.....

IF one really looks at this so called "deal" there is actually very little difference to the so called "deal" of Geneva 2.....especially the humanitarian aid comments WHICH never got delivered even after much hype by the UN, US and even Russia....

Notice also that the Russian side stated Assad would also adhere...well they said the same thing during Geneva 2...BUT within hours after the so called Geneva CoH Assad stated within hours to bomb...followed by the Russians two days later...ALL blaming the JaN....

MORE importantly.....both eastern Ukraine and Syria are part and parcel of the Russian non linear warfare as the key driver behind their political warfare aimed directly at the US and EU.....

Many following the two events tend to seriously overlook this and do not see the intertwining of the two...BUT it s there for all to see....AND Kerry and Obama just do not "get it".....

BTW...NOTICE that Kerry mentioned stopping the Assad AF from bombing civilians....BUT WAIT the Russian AF has been just as brutal when it comes to deliberately targeting civilians...NOT mentioned at all in the so called agreement....

I'm curious as to what % of civilian casualties are caused by SyAAF strikes vs. the RuAF?

[OUTLAW 09]

I'm curious as to what % of civilian casualties are caused by SyAAF strikes vs. the RuAF?

Azor....I have been posting both here and on the Ukraine for over now two long years....and I never really in the first year or so posted anything graphic as I had seen way to much of it from 2005 through 2010 while being about the only open source analyst tracking jihadi videos both from the Sunni insurgency and then QJBR/AQI/IS....and having physically seen it on the round in Iraq in countless debriefings of Sunni's tortured and held in secret Shia prions hidden from US forces...there I learned exactly what a human can do to another human in the name of "Ali"...

BUT it dawned on me that part of the problem in finding solutions to both eastern Ukraine and Syria is the total lack of understanding by a wide majority of Americans and the Obama WH as to the true extent of the damage, destruction and the human loss of life going on in both eastern Ukraine and Syria....

BECAUSE it just does not sell newspapers or fits nicely into the current 24 hour news cycles that drives US and western MSM these days.

Barrel bombs mentioned by Kerry in his strange Geneva PR speech had been described in great detail over four years ago by a now well know social media open source analyst @bellingcat...JUST as it was his work that broke the Assad CWs use killing 1400 WHEN much of the MSM did not even pick it up. The killing of women and children has been ongoing since the rebellion started...in the Assad torture prisons even children were arrested, torture and eventually killed and their parents still do not know what happened to them....the killing children is I believe a core effort by Assad..as children have a special standing inside a Muslim population ....it is not just a secondary effect of air strikes...

The punishment of an entire ethnic population in this case 78% of the Syrian civil society is in fact Sunni...and the Kurds.....also largely Sunni....have been at the core of both Assad's and Putin's actions....

I am shifting though...because the brutality of this war via the use of torture, imprisonment, disappearance of over 120,000, the wounding of over 1M, the killing of over 470-500,000, starvation, use of cluster/incendiary munitions and napalm and now the increased use of chlorine which is in fact a CW covered by the Obama "red line" has reached a point that now only "graphic" gets attention.....let's not even get into the internal displaced of 7M and external refugees of over 5M......and the literal destruction of entire towns and villages....

Obama truly had an option in front of him in 2012 and he failed badly...I have been asking myself just why was that and if one starts reviewing all his and Rhodes moves since then Obama quietly fully tilted to Iran and if some of the Syrian/ME SMEs are correct and I believe they are...there are a number of secret agreements Kerry reached with the Iranians that if the Us had fully engaged in removing Assad the Iranians would have and still can walk away from the so called "Iran Deal".....THAT is the single reason why he "does nothing stupid"...

REMEMBER the long drawn out Obama/Rhodes driven "spin" about "we will only support those moderates we can identify"....WELL they are still looking...look at the over 50 options presented to him by both DoD and the CIA...all rejected.....look at his own public statements like 2014 "we will judge Putin by his actions not his words"...to me a very clear statement BUT then does everything possible to not create a form of leverage over Putin which he now has tons of.

HOW is it possible that the entire DoD with literally billions spent on radically new ISR capabilities that the US cannot identify which aircraft is flyng at the time of the use of cluster incendiary munitions or when napalm was dropped....HOW is it possible that with all of the modern ISR and satellites in place over the ME it is impossible to identify what aircraft were flying where/when the Russians have destroyed exactly 49 hospitals since arriving in Syria or struck IDP camps.

ADD it all up and one can only come to the conclusion that both Obama and Kerry want to destroy the Assad opposition, keep Assad in power and protect Russian killing of civilians..and save Putin's face..the core question then becomes WHY???

[OUTLAW 09]

I'm curious as to what % of civilian casualties are caused by SyAAF strikes vs. the RuAF?

Azor....Assad and Putin have split the air strike duties targeting civilians...the Assad AF strikes purely at civilian residential areas using barrel bombs and chlorine CWs and the Putin AF strikes critical civilian infrastructure such as market places, sheep, hospitals, mosques/churches, water facilities, water waste facilities, bakeries, food storage, farm crops, and double taps on first responders AND humanitarian aid convoys carrying diapers and food for children.

This is simple to split..... based on the accuracy of the air strikes....something the Assad AF does not have thus the use of bombs on a general large target area.

So if one wants a split....55% Assad and 45% Putin....so for say yesterday 80+ people killed at Saturday by Russian & regime airstrikes on northern Syria's towns so the math is rather straight forward.....

AND for Kerry to ignore this is pathetic and a farce....

PART of the core Us FP failure and it is a total failure...Obama and Kerry have made the Russians both the aggressor and the so called "neutral party trying to resolve the issue"...an aggressive nation state cannot be both...AND Obama/Kerry has allowed exactly this to happen..ALSO in eastern Ukraine.

Perfect example....when Assad uses 169 confirmed times chlorine CWs against civilians in total violation of two UNSC Resolution Russia questions the UNSC study results and veto's anything directed against Assad.....

AND the US says nothing...WHY is that?

[OUTLAW 09]

Who knew "aerial bombardment of civilians" is #Russian translation of "ceasefire"?
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/09/10/24-killed-in-air-strikes-on-Syria-s-Idlib-monitor.html …


Anders Aslund @anders_aslund
Once again, Putin has delivered neither of the 2 ceasefires he promised in Ukraine & Syria. Wake up to reality @WhiteHouse!

Yesterday Russian troops and her mercenaries attacks the Minsk 2 UAF front lines a total of 30 times with AGL, SAF, mortars, including heavy artillery. since the Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine the UAF has lost over 2200 soldiers killed and thousands wounded.....

BUT WAIT in eastern Ukraine Russia signed up for the so called Minsk 2 ceasefire and in Syria the so called ceasefire Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) and surprise surprise HELD to neither of them....

AND along the way to gain more time for fighting and gaining territory both in eastern Ukraine and Syria Putin keeps calling "ceasefires inside of an already existing ceasefire" AND Kerry and Obama just keep on falling for the Putin tactic.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Footage from street life rebel held #Dael town in southern #Syria
2 km in north regime try to take over Abtaa town
https://youtu.be/6gxljLrgESg

Syria #FSA battle #IslamicState in eastern #Qalamoun
https://youtu.be/QhqxmwdQiY8

Drone video of regime forces retreating from Hamriya hill in #Quneitra
https://youtu.be/kE6w_cDE_wo

Idlib: #Russia|n/#Assad airstrikes have killed several civilians and wounded dozens in #Jisr_al_Shughur last night

Samer Hamdoun, #Syria|n baby & youngest fatal victim of the #Russia|n airstrikes on a market in #Idlib City today.

Azor...perfect example of the current MSM reporting......
The @AFP writing that "unidentified" airstrikes killed the civilians in #Idlib. They are too chicken to write that it was terrorist #Putin.

Death toll jumped to nearly 100. 58 civilians, including 13 women & 13 children, were killed by #Russia on a market in #Idlib City.

[OUTLAW 09]

Sometimes one has to wonder exactly what happened to the term "fair and balanced in western MSM".....the BBC has on more than a few occasions lately taken a trend to proAssad reporting in their field reporters...AND has been called out a number of times for actually misreporting known facts on the ground....WHY is that....

Abbas Abboud #BBC reporter is so happy with #Assad army in #Ramousah road
Looks so happy for besieged #Aleppo

First of all just how did he get into Ramousah without Assad help?? Notice he could have just as equally reported from the rebel side...AND thus confirmed the sheer amount of destruction being caused by Assad and Putin...BUT maybe that was a tad to dangerous for him...???

[OUTLAW 09]

Footage from street life rebel held #Dael town in southern #Syria
2 km in north regime try to take over Abtaa town
https://youtu.be/6gxljLrgESg

Syria #FSA battle #IslamicState in eastern #Qalamoun
https://youtu.be/QhqxmwdQiY8

Drone video of regime forces retreating from Hamriya hill in #Quneitra
https://youtu.be/kE6w_cDE_wo

Idlib: #Russia|n/#Assad airstrikes have killed several civilians and wounded dozens in #Jisr_al_Shughur last night

Samer Hamdoun, #Syria|n baby & youngest fatal victim of the #Russia|n airstrikes on a market in #Idlib City today.

Azor...perfect example of the current MSM reporting......
The @AFP writing that "unidentified" airstrikes killed the civilians in #Idlib. They are too chicken to write that it was terrorist #Putin.

Death toll jumped to nearly 100. 58 civilians, including 13 women & 13 children, were killed by #Russia on a market in #Idlib City.

Russia|n propaganda next week: "#Nusra hospital destroyed, #Nusra market bombed, #Nusra child soldiers killed, #Nusra starving to death."

Of course nearly ZERO reports by the Western media about the #Putin & #Assad massacres in #Syria. #Putin & #Assad are now the good guys.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Rebels in eastern #Qalamoun desert intercept radio talk of #Russia'n #IslamicState-fighters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7sCqRfMts …

Syria Headquarter of #WhiteHelmets in #Saraqib /#Idlib destroyed after #Russia'n airstrikes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKBlHa0aIa8 …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgwLoscox9o …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i314vyaEig …
Syria Director of CivilDefense/#WhiteHelmets injured by #Russia'n airstrike on their HQ in #Saraqib /#Idlib at 8:30

THIS time it was the Russian AF...so much for the Geneva talks yesterday and those great words from Kerry and the Russian FM....

REMEMBER....the Russian FM Lavrov stated just after they entered Syria that he and Putin define anyone as a "terrorist" that carries a gun and resists Assad....clearly and concisely spoken during a public carried interview...

Syria body part/ child's arm after #Russia'n airstrike on Kafr Naha in western #Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89jcVJV00sI …

[OUTLAW 09]

Kafranbel banners about #Terrorism:
#America & #Syria commemorate 2 tragedies: #September11 and #Assad birthday.

[OUTLAW 09]

Not so subtle warning on the PKK/YPG....

Erdogan says PKK trying to disrupt Turkey's operation in Syria
http://reut.rs/2c2VSOK

[OUTLAW 09]

"Raises doubts"? Seriously...? U.S.-Russian Syria peace deal raises rebel doubts as fighting rages
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN11G09P …

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian Geneva ceasefire greetings dropped last night and this morning by the Russian AF....WONDER what Kerry has to say about his "joint partners actions"....

Another 5 #Russian air strikes targeted the towns of #Lataminah and #KafrZita in #Hama prov.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fGYnCWcb5o …

BREAKING
THE MOMENT A #RUSSIAN AIR FORCE SU-34 BOMBS A @SyriaCivilDef HOSPITAL IN SARAQIB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i314vyaEig …

Assad and #Putin let their forces kill 164 people across #Syria on Saturday
57 in #Idlib prov.
56 in #Aleppo prov.
-LCC

JisrAlShughur last night.
The #AssadPutin #genocide continues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIGgQeA3UYs …

What looks like a parachute retarded ODAB-500 thermobaric bomb used by Russian/Assad jets on Maysar in #Aleppo today

[OUTLAW 09]

How to punish #Assad for atrocities (and dealing with #WW3 straw-man).
http://goo.gl/otk0JT
v @Charles_Lister

[OUTLAW 09]

SO did DoS Kerry lie again as he often tends to twist the real truth .....everyone in the intel community knows that JaN (AQ) now rebranded JFS has never...repeat never threatened the US either physically nor verbally.

YET Kerry goes on a rant that they have threatened the US during his press conference yesterday in Geneva.....

Kerry last night said #JFS/#AQ was plotting anti-West attacks now
DNI clapper in late July:
http://wpo.st/WcSx1

I will repeat again...a serious number of senior EU diplomats have often voiced their worry that Kerry will sell the bathtub of his grandmother in order to get any sort of deal with Putin and especially the Iranians....

IE....a number of the agreements made between Kerry and Lavrov (5) WILL NOT be released......WONDER WHY.....so what/who did Kerry sell out again....

REMMBER a number of the Iran Deal documents are also classified..wonder why????

GREAT POINTS BTW.....
Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton
Interestingly, tho the Quds Force, Hizballah, and Kataib Hizballah are on the terrorism list, #SAA doesn't have to "de-marble" from them.

The US-Russia deal over #Syria has the all-important Hizballah endorsement. No really, Hizballah say they support it

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister Verified account 
‏@Charles_Lister
Senior Ahrar al-Sham leader on group losses in #Syria’s war:

- 7,805 killed
- 1,045 wounded
- 120 prisoners of war

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian Geneva ceasefire greetings dropped last night and this morning by the Russian AF....WONDER what Kerry has to say about his "joint partners actions"....

Another 5 #Russian air strikes targeted the towns of #Lataminah and #KafrZita in #Hama prov.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fGYnCWcb5o …

BREAKING
THE MOMENT A #RUSSIAN AIR FORCE SU-34 BOMBS A @SyriaCivilDef HOSPITAL IN SARAQIB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i314vyaEig …

Assad and #Putin let their forces kill 164 people across #Syria on Saturday
57 in #Idlib prov.
56 in #Aleppo prov.
-LCC

JisrAlShughur last night.
The #AssadPutin #genocide continues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIGgQeA3UYs …

What looks like a parachute retarded ODAB-500 thermobaric bomb used by Russian/Assad jets on Maysar district (3000 residents) in #Aleppo today
wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.195248&lon=37.201252&z=13&m …


Reference the Russian ODAB-500 thermobaric bomb
Ppl near ignition pt are obliterated, blast on ~30m (pic from ODAB-500 dropped on Talbissah) #WarCrime

[OUTLAW 09]

Not seen in a while, FSA Southern Front Saif al-Sham pounding Hezbollah & Assad positions in N Quneitra w/ 122mm gun
https://youtu.be/aXQjaCIB880

Syria #Russia'n air raids targeting #Saraqeb town in #Idlib this morning
https://youtu.be/-i314vyaEig

N. #Quneitra: Saif Al-Sham attacking Regime fortified positions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnomJtvDaHE …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBp6ivRbfCc …

NE #Latakia: pro-Regime forces trying to push deeper inside Jebal Al-Akrad on Tell Hadadah axis & renewing attack on #Kabana.

E. #Qalamoun: on 8th day of clashes between Rebels & #ISIS Jaish Al-Islam foiled an attack with a IS suicide bomber.

[OUTLAW 09]

Every ceasefire is taken by Putin solely on his terms, as a licence for mass murder: Ilovais'k, Debaltseve, Aleppo, Idlib

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian Geneva ceasefire greetings dropped last night and this morning by the Russian AF....WONDER what Kerry has to say about his "joint partners actions"....

Another 5 #Russian air strikes targeted the towns of #Lataminah and #KafrZita in #Hama prov.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fGYnCWcb5o …

BREAKING
THE MOMENT A #RUSSIAN AIR FORCE SU-34 BOMBS A @SyriaCivilDef HOSPITAL IN SARAQIB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i314vyaEig …

Assad and #Putin let their forces kill 164 people across #Syria on Saturday
57 in #Idlib prov.
56 in #Aleppo prov.
-LCC

JisrAlShughur last night.
The #AssadPutin #genocide continues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIGgQeA3UYs …

What looks like a parachute retarded ODAB-500 thermobaric bomb used by Russian/Assad jets on Maysar in #Aleppo today

New footage from another massacre on humans and animals in #Jisr yday.
5 civ dead,25 injured
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpvU_qvINgE …

ClusterBombs caused this massacre.
Extremely graphic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG2mZcuboZc …
AO-2.5RT fragmentation submunitions delivered by RBK-series cluster bomb.

Idlib: #YPG shelling #Atmeh town with mortars from #Afrin pocket. 1000s of #Syria|n refugees living there.

Latakia: Rebels have repelled #Assad regime at #Kabina and killed 20+ pro-#Assad forces.

[OUTLAW 09]

Kyle W. Orton
✔ @KyleWOrton Options for US-Russia plan in Syria
1. Never takes effect
2. Regime abuses
3. Works perfectly
Unclear which is worse
https://kyleorton1991.wordpress.com/2016/09/11/moscow-rules-in-syria-again/

A really long read but really worth reading.....

Moscow Rules in Syria, Again

By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on September 11, 2016


In Geneva on 9 September 2016, the United States and Russia announced an agreement to implement a ceasefire—formally a “cessation of hostilities” (CoH)—in Syria, which is intended to allow humanitarian access and restart the political process to end of the war, and then to begin jointly targeting the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, recently rebranded Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS).

There is reason to wonder if the deal will ever take effect and the lack of an enforcement mechanism against Bashar al-Assad’s regime leaves open the possibility that the pro-regime coalition will, as it did after the February ceasefire, abuse this process to their advantage.

Most dauntingly, if this process worked to the letter it will legitimate the gains of the regime’s aggression, carried out under the cover of the last ceasefire, and has the potential to weaken the insurgency and embolden the regime, strengthening radicalism on all sides, pushing a political settlement further away, and thus protracting the war.

The Terms of the Agreement

The details—which will determine the feasibility of this agreement—are being kept secret. But Secretary of State John Kerry laid out the broad terms, which he “hope[s] will reduce violence, ease suffering, and resume movement towards a negotiated peace and a political transition in Syria,” this way:
•The regime “will not fly combat missions anywhere where the opposition is present in an area that we have agreed on with very real specificity.” This is a “bedrock” component of the agreement, according to Kerry, who acknowledged that this instrument has been the primary cause of civilian deaths and displacement in Syria. Russia would also refrain from attacks on mutually-agreed, opposition-held zones. But, Kerry added, “not all flights” by the Assad regime would be halted, and the regime would be allowed to continue attacks on al-Qaeda and IS.
•The CoH will go into effect at “sundown” on Monday, 12 September. Neither side will be permitted to take territory held by the other and the CoH will be accompanied (in theory) by the granting of humanitarian aid to all besieged areas, including Aleppo. All parties are to withdraw from Castello Road, creating a demilitarized zone that allows free access to eastern Aleppo City, and both the regime and the opposition are to allow unhindered access through the Ramussa gap.
•There will be “seven days of adherence to the cessation of hostilities in order to convince the people of Syria and the opposition that the actions of the regime … will be consistent with the words that we put on paper.” After this “sustained period of reduced violence” and access for humanitarian supplies, the U.S. and Russia will “work together to develop military strikes against Nusra” through a Joint Implementation Centre (JIC), essentially a U.S.-Russian intelligence cell, to be based in Jordan, that will map out which actor holds which territory.

The immediate questions are over the enforcement mechanisms.

How will JFS, which in Idlib especially is deeply tangled into the rebellion, be isolated?

Kerry explained:


If groups within the legitimate opposition want to retain their legitimacy, they need to distance themselves in every way possible from Nusra … The warning we give to opposition groups who have up until now found it convenient to sort of work with [JFS] is: it would not be wise to do so in the future; it’s wise to separate oneself.

In other words, move or get bombed.

On the other side, the question is: How will the regime be prevented from continuing its aerial bombardment of civilians and the mainstream opposition?

Kerry says that Moscow has conveyed the terms of the agreement to Damascus and Assad has agreed. “There is … deterrence in Russia holding Assad accountable for his promise,” Kerry says.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed with this, though naturally put the emphasis on “de-marbling”—geographically separating JFS and the rebels—over restraining the regime’s indiscriminate bombardment of civilians. Lavrov also made a point of saying that this proposal was available a year ago but the Americans would only do “deconfliction”; now they have come around.

Problems

The rebels are reluctant to “de-marble” because they know what comes next: areas ceded solely to JFS become fair game, JFS will be defeated, and the regime will then move in. Moreover, solely excising JFS, without doing anything else to alter the current balance of power, would cripple the rebellion.

Still, the enforcement mechanism for opposition violations is effective and can be implemented over the reluctance—even defiance—of actors on the ground and/or their external backers. As Kerry put it, “There is a deterrence in that.”

The enforcement mechanism on the other side—Russia’s influence over the regime—does not work that way. Indeed, if past is any indication of the future—and it usually is—it does not work at all.

Putting aside the raft of war crimes Russia has racked up on its own terms since its intervention began in service of keeping the Assad regime in power, Moscow has shown no willingness to stop the Assad regime committing aerial massacres and using siege-and-starve tactics to eliminate rebel pockets.

Kerry says that “no one is building this based on trust,” but his explanation of what it is based on—”a way of providing oversight and compliance through mutual interest and other things” and “managed in a different way” from last time—sounds an awful lot like trust. The U.S. seems, once again in Syria, to be playing by Moscow’s rules.

From the phrasing Kerry used it seems Assad’s air force will be free to launch attacks into IS-held areas and will also be allowed to attack al-Qaeda in areas where the target packages are not developed by the JIC. Even at face value this would make Assad—whose ouster is formal U.S. policy—and his most murderous weapon into a counter-terrorism partner. In reality, there is no reason, whatsoever, to believe the regime intends only to strike at jihadist terrorists, and the process of delineating areas that will be considered legitimate targets provides a manipulable loophole by which the regime and/or Russia can target the mainstream armed opposition.

The Washington Post reports:


In technical discussions over the last several weeks, U.S. and Russian military and intelligence officials have mapped out “boxes” in Syria, designating areas with a preponderance of [JFS] forces, those regions where the terrorists overlap with opposition groups, and areas that are primarily opposition and civilians.

How a final call is made on labelling areas as JFS-dominated, JFS-present, and JFS-free is distinctly opaque.

Russia still retains the position that Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam are terrorist organizations, too. How Russia would be prevented from, or punished for, striking at these or other, non-mutually-agreed groups is likewise unclear.

Additionally, the JIC is itself somewhat troubling. The Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, is on record expressing his “reservations about … sharing intelligence with [the Russians] … which they desperately want, I think, to exploit—to learn what they can about our sources and methods and tactics and techniques and procedures.” Clapper pointed out the Russians’ heretofore perfect record of deception and cynicism, asking, “What is it they’ve done that gives you confidence that if we do more with them or share more intel … they’re going to improve?” This is not a new problem.

Jose Rodriguez, the chief of staff of the Counterterrorism Centre at the CIA after 9/11, noted that even at that time—when relations were considerably better than now—the Russians “were always in the ‘receive mode,’ happy to take whatever information we were willing to share with them on terrorist threats but generally reluctant to offer much in return.” And that’s before considering the incompetence and corruption of Russian forces—bribable border-guards have been a significant jihadist asset in the Caucasus—let alone Moscow’s dubious practices that often strengthen and manipulate terrorist groups for political ends.

Options Going Forward

Three options now present themselves: (1) the CoH is never implemented; (2) the CoH is partially implemented with persistent cheating by the pro-regime coalition, reducing violence overall for a time but breaking down eventually with the Assad regime better situated; (3) the agreement works with minimal violations.

After the experience in the spring, when the opposition held-fire for months and the pro-regime coalition did not, the opposition’s response to this proposal has been distinctly cold, and Ahrar al-Sham this morning allegedly rejected the proposal outright. Given Ahrar’s size and role in northern Syria, it is difficult to conceive of this working if Ahrar chooses to play spoiler.

Though Assad has supposedly agreed to this, how he, the localized militias under the banner of “the regime,” and, perhaps above all, Iran behave in practice is an open question. Despite Tehran and its Lebanese proxy Hizballah publicly accepting this deal, they have the potential to be spoilers. The possibility that fighting simply never stops or reduces cannot be ruled out—as Kerry himself recognized.

Continued.....


BUT WAIT:

Assad regime & #Iran planning new offensives against rebels in #Aleppo with 1000s of foreign Shia militias. .

BTW..there has been extremely heavy IL-76 traffic between Iran and Damascus over the last three days that parallels this....

[OUTLAW 09]

Kyle W. Orton
✔ @KyleWOrton Options for US-Russia plan in Syria
1. Never takes effect
2. Regime abuses
3. Works perfectly
Unclear which is worse
https://kyleorton1991.wordpress.com/2016/09/11/moscow-rules-in-syria-again/

A really long read but really worth reading.....

Moscow Rules in Syria, Again

By Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) on September 11, 2016



BUT WAIT:
Assad regime & #Iran planning new offensives against rebels in #Aleppo with 1000s of foreign Shia militias. .

BTW..there has been extremely heavy IL-76 traffic between Iran and Damascus over the last three days that parallels this....

BUT WAIT AGAIN:
Charles Lister Verified account 
‏@Charles_Lister
Hearing reports that Jaish al-Fateh may reject US-#Russia deal.
If true, it'd be a huge blow to deal's chances of success (due to #Aleppo).

AND AGAIN:
Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Senior Ahrar al-Sham leader contradicts Al-Arabiya reporting - 'still studying' and 'have issued no statements yet.'

AND AND AGAIN:
Comments on the Kerry/Larvor "peace deal"....from a leading Iranian US named "terrorist".....
Iran|ian General & terrorist Qasem Soleimani dreaming about the capture of #Aleppo City & nearby towns "in the coming months".

Most #Syria|n rebel groups rejecting the #US/#Russia|n deal & will not stop their attacks against #Assad & his foreign allies.

[OUTLAW 09]

Jund al-Aqsa SVBIED reported in Kawkab

Rebels shelling Kawkab in Hama in preparation for assault

Syria has withdrawn its military planes from Qamishli airport after US threats to shoot them down
https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/18050.html

Key advance for Syrian rebels in the north Golan is threatening the Druze village/pro-Assad outpost of Hader (in attempt to reach Jinn)

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton
"Al-Qaeda has taken steps to replenish its leadership ranks, with some ... finding safe haven inside #Iran."

SYRIA: Division 13's Ahmad al-Saoud: "I'm starting to feel that the truce is a military trap to kill us even more."

[OUTLAW 09]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/after-15-years-why-arent-we-asking-about-irans-role-9-11-1580587#

After 15 years, why aren't we asking about Iran's role in 9/11?

There is an extensive al-Qaeda network feeding global branches based in the Islamic Republic.

Kyle W. Orton
By Kyle W. Orton September 10, 2016 00:01 BST


Fifteen years on from the 11 September 2001 terror attacks on the US, al-Qaeda is better-positioned than ever before. Its leadership held, and it has rebuilt a presence in Afghanistan. More importantly, al-Qaeda has built powerful regional branches in India, North Africa, Somalia, Yemen and Syria.

Rebranding itself away from the savagery of Iraq, al-Qaeda has sought to embed itself in local populations by gaining popular legitimacy to shield itself from retribution if, or when, it launches terrorist strikes in the West. This is proceeding apace, above all because of a failure to assist the mainstream opposition in Syria, sections of which were forced into interdependency with al-Qaeda to resist the strategy of massacre and expulsion conducted by the Assad regime.

The 9/11 massacre had not come from nowhere. In February 1998, Osama bin Laden, then-leader of al-Qaeda, plus Ayman al-Zawahiri and three others signed a document that said "kill the Americans and their allies – civilians and military – is an individual duty for every Muslim".

Al-Qaeda attempted to blow up US troops in Yemen in December 1992. Three months later, al-Qaeda attacked New York's World Trade Center, murdering six people. In November 1995, a car bomb in Riyadh targeted the American training mission for the Saudi National Guard, killing six people. In June 1996, Iran blew up the US military living quarters at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, murdering 19 people.

Al-Qaeda played "some role, as yet unknown" in the attack, according to the 9/11 Commission. The US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were levelled in August 1998, slaughtering 224 people and wounding 5,000, mostly Africans. And in October 2000, a skiff containing two suicide bombers struck an American Naval vessel, the USS Cole, in the port of Aden, killing seventeen sailors.

The conspiracy theories about 9/11 are now a feature of life today. Often proponents will hide behind the façade of "asking questions". Instead of queries about jet fuel melting steel beams and nano-thermite, however, this inquisitiveness would be much better directed at the actual unanswered questions surrounding 9/11, which centre on the role of Iran.

In 1992, in Sudan, al-Qaeda and Iran came to an agreement to collaborate against the West "even if only training", the 9/11 Commission records. Al-Qaeda members went to the Bekaa valley to be trained by Hezbollah, Iran's Lebanese proxy. Hezbollah's military leader at that time, Imad Mughniyeh, personally met Bin Laden in Sudan to work out the details of this arrangement.

There is no doubt that training provided by Iran made the 1998 East African Embassy bombings possible, and after the bombing numerous al-Qaeda operatives fled unhindered through Iran to Afghanistan. The 9/11 Commission documented that over-half of the death pilots "travelled into or out of Iran" and many were tracked into Lebanon

Iran and Hezbollah wished to conceal any past evidence of cooperation with Sunni terrorists associated with al-Qaeda ”

Senior Hezbollah operatives were certainly tracking some of the hijackers, in at least one case travelling on the same plane. The operational planner of 9/11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, lived in Iran for long stretches of the 1990s. To this day there is an extensive al-Qaeda network that feeds the global branches based in Iran, sheltered from US counter-terrorism efforts.

"Iran and Hezbollah wished to conceal any past evidence of cooperation with Sunni terrorists associated with al-Qaeda," the 9/11 Commission noted. But the connections were there, and "this topic requires further investigation". Sadly, such investigation has never occurred. Instead, the Islamic Republic has been brought into the fold, with billions of dollars released to it through the nuclear deal and a curious belief that Tehran can, or will, help stabilise the Middle East has taken hold.

Bin Laden had intended to drive the US out of the region with the 9/11 attack. "Hit them and they will run," he told his followers. This was a theme of his 1996 fatwa first declaring war on America. In this, he miscalculated.

The Taliban regime had sheltered Jihadi-Salafists from all over the Arab world. Some left over from the fight against the Soviet occupation; others on the run from the security services of their native lands or just wanting to live in a land of "pure Islam". Though the training and planning for global terrorism occurred in Afghanistan, most of al-Qaeda's resources were directed more locally, toward irregular wars, notably in Algeria, Bosnia, and Chechnya. Al-Qaeda trained up to 20,000 jihadist insurgents before 9/11. This sanctuary was lost in the aftermath of 9/11, something lamented by jihadi strategist Mustafa Setmariam Nasar (Abu Musab al-Suri).

Bin Laden had worked with Ahmad al-Khalayleh (Abu Musab al-Zarqawi), the Jordanian founder of what we now know as the Islamic State (Isis), to carve out a jihadi statelet in northern Iraq in the late 1990s led by a group called Ansar al-Islam.

After the Taliban's fall, al-Khalayleh moved into this area and into Baghdad in early 2002. After making preparations through Syria for the influx of foreign fighters, al-Khalayleh moved to the Ansar-held territory and waited for the US.led Coalition.

IS's predecessor planned - with al-Qaeda's blessing – to expel the Coalition forces and set up an Islamic state in Iraq that could then spread across the region, restoring the caliphate. But IS's methods brought it into frequent conflict with al-Qaeda, and by 2008 IS had been strategically defeated after provoking a backlash among Sunnis in Iraq. The distinctions between IS and al-Qaeda hardened thereafter until their formal split in February 2014.

IS, post-2008, changed some tactical aspects so as to bring the tribes back on-board but remained remarkably consistent in its approach, including the celebration of violence, premised on the idea of building an Islamic state as quickly as possible, which would force the population into collaboration with it and ultimately acceptance over time. In contrast, al-Qaeda placed ever-more emphasis on building popular support that would culminate in a caliphate when it had a critical mass.

The discrediting of IS's predecessor, operating under al-Qaeda's banner, damaged al-Qaeda so much that Bin Laden considered changing the organization's name. Events since then, above all allowing the Syria war to protract, allowed al-Qaeda to rebrand as "pragmatic", using IS as a foil, and recover.

Al-Qaeda, vanguard-style, took on the local concerns, worked to solve them, and in turn claimed the protection of the local population. Al-Qaeda has tangled itself so deeply into local dynamics, in Yemen and Syria most notably, that it would require a substantial local effort to root them out.

Unfortunately, the Western approach is making the problem worse. A good example came on Thursday night (8 September 2016) when the US launched air strikes against some leaders of al-Qaeda in Syria, now calling itself Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS), which ostensibly disaffiliated from al-Qaeda in July in order to further this process of entanglement.

JFS claims it has no external ambitions and is working to break the siege of 300,000 people in the rebel-held areas of Aleppo city, yet it is attacked. Meanwhile, the US has done nothing about the thousands of Iranian-controlled Shia jihadists, tied into Iran's global terrorist network, who are the leading element in imposing the siege, and conducted these strikes likely in furtherance of a deal with Russia, which also helped impose the siege. JFS thus claimed that it is serving the Syrian people, while the US opposes the revolution and supports the pro-regime coalition.

"It is a highly unfortunate reality that many Syrians living in opposition areas of Syria perceive JFS as a more determined and effective protector of their lives and interests than the United States and its Western allies," wrote Charles Lister. The West has been unwilling to do anything to complicate the ability of the Bashar al-Assad regime to commit mass-murder for fear of antagonizing the Iranians and collapsing a "legacy-setting nuclear accord". While that remains the case, al-Qaeda will continue to gain power and acceptance as a necessary-evil in Syria, and the ramifications of Syria are generational and global.

It is true that there is far too much optimism in current assessments of IS's impending doom. The group will outlast the loss of its cities, and the misguided way the Coalition has conducted the war will provide conditions for a potential revival. Still, it is al-Qaeda that has the long-term advantage.

IS claimed sole legitimacy to rule, gained visibility and therefore followers. But as strategists like Setmariam understood, this made them visible to their enemies too, a toll that is beginning to tell, especially abroad. In Syria, formal al-Qaeda branches were never the organisation's only lever and al-Qaeda was much more interested in shaping the environment than ruling it. In essence, al-Qaeda will give up the name and the public credit for the sake of the thing – whether that's the popular understanding of the religion or the foundations of an Islamic emirate.

"IS wants the world to believe that it is everywhere, and ... al-Qaeda wants the world to believe that it is nowhere." That quip from Daveed Gartenstein-Ross neatly summarizes the trajectory of the two organisations. What can't be seen is harder to stop – al-Qaeda's counting on it.

[OUTLAW 09]

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
As part of US-#Russia deal, will #Syria’s Army “de-couple” from these designated orgs?

#Hezbollah
Quds Force
Kataib Hezbollah?

[Doubt it]

After laid siege on 300k people in Aleppo with Russ support, Hezbollah, Nujaba, Quds Force & Assad seems count on US to protect their gains.

[OUTLAW 09]

JaI counteroffensive in #Ghouta
Drone and GoPro footage....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0LAX9gcdkY …

S. #Aleppo: #TIP shelling pro-Regime forces in Musharfah with Elephant missiles.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.143974&lon=37.109756&z=13&m …

N. #Hama: Rebels started pre-emptive shelling on Kawkab where Jaish Al-Nasr destroyed a 23 mm gun with a #TOW. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.299155&lon=36.802139&z=12&m …

Daraa: 17 Rebel groups including #FSA Southern Front & Jaish Islam announce the start of a new battle in S. Syria.

Latakia: Rebels killed #Assad General Zechariah Sulayman from "Desert Hawks" in Northern #Latakia.

[OUTLAW 09]

أبو عز الدين
‏@LabibAlNahhas
Armed Revolutionary groups reacted in constructive manner to #CoH plan but seeking clarifications on terms before any full commitment


NewsMap: Battle of #Hader - September 10, 2016 #Quneitra #Syria
#JFS #Ahrar vs #SAA
HD: http://newsmap.pl/news/syria-rebelianci-atakuja-miasto-hader#news-10035 …

Assadists trying to attack Kbanah & Raqem - Hadadah in Jabal Akrad after hundreds of previous fails. #Lattakia
Muhammad Jaber also present on the Kbanah front today, boasting of Eid & Haj in Kbanah today. #Lattakia

Hama: Rebels have killed many pro-#Assad forces with a SVBIED in #Kawkab village.

Baghdadis Dogs have a long frontline with the regime in south Damascus. Who do they Attack? JFS

Abu Saeed Al-Halabi ‏@Saeed__Saeed01
In 2011, Assad threatened to bomb us if we continued our revolution. Today, it's America who threatens to bomb us if we continue.

Usage of inaccuracies & half-truths to create the rhetoric needed to slap Ahrar with the terrorist label. Why now?
BECAUSE Russia wants them on the UN terrorist list....as has for over nine months.....

What possible justification could YPG have for arresting/shutting down @SyriaCivilDef??
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/09/arab-kurdish-strife-syrian-civil-defense.html

[OUTLAW 09]

EuphratesShield forces arrested a #Syria|n journalist HamadAlahmad for not clear reasons

Daesh fill the trenches around #Albab because it was failed defence strategy in #Manbij

When you work with the Russia you become complicit with this. #Idlib
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFD_Gafli1M …

I'm sure #Aleppo can't wait for another Eid ceasefire like last years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4FKHM-RgyU …

Aftermath of an airstrike in Kefr Daal, W. #Aleppo
https://youtu.be/0tZmgGKJiG8

Aftermath of airstrikes in Killi Center, #Idlib
https://youtu.be/h1Iwrlm2054

[OUTLAW 09]

Breaking. Rebels seized over Kawkab from pro-Regime forces in N. #Hama.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.298175&lon=36.803684&z=13&m …

[Bill Moore]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/after-15-years-why-arent-we-asking-about-irans-role-9-11-1580587#

After 15 years, why aren't we asking about Iran's role in 9/11?

There is an extensive al-Qaeda network feeding global branches based in the Islamic Republic.

Kyle W. Orton
By Kyle W. Orton September 10, 2016 00:01 BST

Great post, while ISIL is a clear and present danger, I also think it serves unintentionally as a red herring, much like our myopic focus on al-Qaida permitted the threats posed by China and Russia to emerge largely unchallenged. Guess it always been that way.

[OUTLAW 09]

Great post, while ISIL is a clear and present danger, I also think it serves unintentionally as a red herring, much like our myopic focus on al-Qaida permitted the threats posed by China and Russia to emerge largely unchallenged. Guess it always been that way.

Bill...have always thought as has some of the older guard from the terrorist days of the 60s thru 80s....AQ and IS are strictly a security service and police problem as have all previous terrorist waves to hit the West been handled...and as is normal it takes upwards of 20-25 years to work through a terrorist cycle once it starts........this so called killing of leadership does nothing to stop any group.....the evolution of leadership just moves onto the next generation....the German Red Army Fraction evolved through four leadership generations which got better by each rotation...

BUT it even blurs the thinking of people like Kerry who publicly stated in Geneva this weekend that the Syrian AQ JaN now rebranded JFS and no longer a member of AQ was planning attacks on the West in order to justify the bombing of them.

WHY does he state that WHEN he knows for 400% that JFS is Syrian based and has never uttered a single threat or taken any action against the US or for that matter anyone else outside of IS and Assad......

CT will never end the AQ or IS threat......and bluster by a DoS Kerry does not help.....

[OUTLAW 09]

http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/the-imperfect-world-of-the-new-deal-on-syria

The imperfect world of the new deal on Syria

Hassan Hassan

September 11, 2016 Updated: September 11, 2016 05:10 PM


The new US-Russian deal to reduce violence and combat extremists in Syria has been met with a great deal of scepticism among Syria watchers. Scepticism is both unsurprising and understandable, given the poor track record of ceasefires in the country. Indeed, senior American officials have indicated the deal is not going to produce calm any time soon, but they hope it will lead to a reduction in violence.

The deal, agreed between Washington and Moscow on Friday, should nonetheless be judged by its details and in the broader context of the war. We were privy to contents of the agreement yet to be publicly released. Also, conversations with senior American officials and rebel leaders offer insights into what the US seeks to achieve from the agreement and how the plan can strengthen the moderate elements within the opposition.

In many ways, the agreement looks good on paper and can in principle strengthen the opposition by constraining violence and bringing relief to civilian populations in rebel-held areas. The danger to the rebels emanates not from the agreement’s terms but from unanswered questions about the role of pro-government militias and the lack of an enforcement mechanism.

Another key concern is whether the regime will exploit the deal after a changed balance of power and in the absence of a political solution. This is especially worrying because the rebels were explicitly warned by US officials of "dire consequences" if they failed to eject extremists from their areas, although the deal makes no mention of such requirement. Other public statements only warned the rebels against military cooperation with Jabhat Fateh Al Sham (JFS), formerly known as Jabhat Al Nusra.

There are two issues at play in the agreement. The first one deals with cessation of hostilities between the regime and the opposition, and the broader negotiations to reach a political solution to the Syrian conflict.

The second issue is the joint US-Russian campaign to fight JFS and ISIL. The joint campaign is related primarily to how Washington thinks it is best to cooperate with Moscow against common enemies, rather than each side fights the two groups separately.

The regime can only attack the opposition as self-defence, in areas under its control. The US and Russia have a map of all opposition areas to help delineate the areas over which the regime is not allowed to fly or bomb, according to an American official.

The regime can no longer target opposition forces and claim they were JFS, as it consistently did before, because only the US-Russian coalition can do so and jointly. More importantly, the regime is not allowed to fill a vacuum caused by JFS. The terms relevant to cessation of hostilities are an improvement on previous plans.

From a rebel perspective, the latter stipulation can play out differently in different areas. In eastern Ghouta, where groups such as Jaish Al Islam have long sought to prevent what is now known as JFS from establishing a foothold for itself, the plan could critically tip the balance in their favour. The same goes for the Southern Front, the coalition of Free Syrian Army groups operating mainly in Deraa.

In the north, where profound military interdependence exists between the rebels and JFS, the situation is much more precarious. The regime can potentially break the agreement when the rebels are weakened as a result of air strikes against JFS. As eastern Syria is an open game for the regime, since it is mostly controlled by ISIL, the regime can also take advantage of the deal to take new grounds in areas near Palmyra, in Deir Ezzor and even in Raqqa. The issue of foreign militias fighting with the regime could be central to such effort.

Also, unlike previous deals, groups such as Jaish Al Islam and Ahrar Al Sham are spared attacks unless they decide to attack the regime in cooperation with JFS.

Previously, Russia demanded that the two groups be treated as Al Qaeda jihadists.

Besides cooperation with Russia in Syria, the deal attempts to resolve an issue that has dominated private policy discussions in Washington for years – more than any other issue after the anti-ISIL war: how to disentangle the Syrian opposition from the recently-rebranded JFS and reduce their military interdependence, a situation often referred to as "marbling". The US has sought to reverse this situation to no avail, but Washington continues to see it as a top priority.

The US-Russian deal may well deliver on its goals of relieving Syrians’ suffering and decreasing the level of violence. These would be important achievements in themselves.

But the plan can only have a lasting, transformative impact on Syria if the US helps the opposition protect itself against the regime, exert political leverage and preserve any gains made against extremists.

[OUTLAW 09]

(CNN)The US and Russia announced a plan Friday to bring about a ceasefire in Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said.

"Today we are announcing an arrangement that we think has the capability of sticking but it's dependent on people's choices," Kerry said in Geneva.
Appearing alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kerry said the pact calls for the Syrian government and the opposition to respect a nationwide ceasefire scheduled to take effect at sundown on Monday.

He added that the accord will also prevent the air forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from flying combat missions anywhere that the opposition is present, calling this provision the "bedrock of the agreement," labeling Assad's air force the "main driver of civilian casualties" and migrant flows.
"That should put an end to the barrel bombs, an end to the indiscriminate bombing of civilian neighborhoods," Kerry said.

Kerry and Lavrov said that once the cessation of hostilities holds for seven days, the US and Russia would begin working on military coordination in an effort to target al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, the al Nusra Front.
"Going after Nusra is not a concession to anybody, it is profoundly in the interest of the United States to target al Qaeda," Kerry said, saying the group was planning attacks both in and outside of Syria, including attacks directed at the US.

"If groups within the legitimate opposition want to retain their legitimacy, they need to distance themselves in every way possible from Nusra and Daesh," Kerry added.

Kerry said this cooperation would entail "some sharing of information," with Russia pertaining to the delineation of the various groups on the battlefield. After the seven-day cessation of hostilities and delivery of aid, "US and Russian experts will work together to defeat Daesh and Nusra," Kerry added.
Lavrov said that the Syrian regime had been informed of the terms of the arrangement and was prepared to adhere to them.

Kerry also said that the accord would allow for humanitarian access to the besieged areas of Syria, such as Aleppo, and provide for the creation of a demilitarized areas around that city.

Kerry reiterated several times that the deal was dependent on the adherence of all parties, both regime and opposition, and not built on trust.
"It is an opportunity and not more than that until it becomes a reality," Kerry said.

Months of effort

The landmark agreement comes after months of unsuccessful efforts to come to terms on a ceasefire between Assad's government and moderate rebels that would expand humanitarian access for hundreds of thousands of Syrians, efforts that were met by public skepticism from both the White House and the Pentagon.

The final announcement included some last-minute drama as the press conference announcing the deal was delayed several times. At one point, Lavrov emerged from negotiations to signal that the delay was due to officials in Washington who were holding up the accord's approval.
"We are there. I don't know where our friends are but I believe it is important for them to check with Washington. I apologize for the delay but we cannot help it," Lavrov told reporters who had assembled to hear the announcement.

He later appeared to mock the US delay saying, "It takes five hours for our friends to check with Washington," and telling reporters, "I am sorry for you."

While awaiting word from Washington a light-hearted moment occurred when the Russian minister orchestrated the delivery of pizzas and two bottles of Russian vodka to the waiting press, saying, "The pizza was from the US delegation, the vodka was from the Russian delegation."

Officials involved in the negotiations had been less than optimistic about a possible agreement in the days running up to the latest round of talks in Geneva, with one senior official traveling with Kerry saying, "We are going to try but our patience is not infinite."

"We are not going to keep going if we don't reach a conclusion relatively soon. We need to be moving very close to a deal and at some point we need to reach that deal," the official added.

Greater cooperation between US, Russia

The new US-Russia strategy hinges on deeper cooperation between the US and Russian military against extremist groups operating in Syria, particularly ISIS and Nusra Front. The two sides are also holding talks on coordinating more closely the air operations they are both conducting in Syria.
But the US has resisted coming to an agreement due to Russian and Syrian regime actions against civilians in Aleppo.

The US wants a nationwide ceasefire in Syria between the regime and the rebels in order to create the conditions for UN-led political talks to end the five-year war. The US-backed moderate opposition has refused to resume the UN-led talks unless a cessation of hostilities take hold and the regime and Russia end the siege and bombing of Aleppo.

"The opposition tells us they want to reach a deal with the Russians if in fact it would stop some of the worst forms of violence against the Syrian people," a second senior administration official said.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, appeared with Kerry and Lavrov after the announcement to signal the UN's backing of the new agreement.

Earlier Friday, he had said an agreement would make "a major difference" in terms of the cessation of hostilities and have "a major impact" on the delivery of humanitarian aid

But both President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter have had tough words for Russia in recent days, dimming the prospect of a deal on a ceasefire and closer military cooperation. The US and Russia are both ostensibly fighting ISIS in Syria, but America has charged that Russia has mostly focused on bombing groups opposing Assad, a close Moscow ally. Some of those groups are supported by the US.

Obama has questioned whether a deal was possible given the "gaps of trust" between the two countries after meeting in China Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20.

The decision to deepen cooperation with Moscow was already controversial, given the Obama administration's public criticism of Russia's role in Syria. A cessation of hostilities negotiated between Kerry and Lavrov in February fell apart within weeks and efforts to reach a political settlement in the war-torn country are on the verge of collapse.

Asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer Friday on "The Situation Room" if he trusted Russia in a deal like this, Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, said no.

"I think it's good and I applaud Secretary Kerry because I think the effort needs to be made. The only way to stop the carnage in Syria is to get some sensible transition away from Assad and the Russians are key to that," Smith said. "I think in the meantime if we can get humanitarian aid to some of these places that are suffering, I mean that's a win, but at the end of the day, Syria will not make a successful transition to a reasonable government until Assad agrees to leave."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/09/politics/syria-ceasefire-kerry-lavrov/index.html

The Assad armed opposition has placed their finger deep into the core problem that both Lavrov and Kerry wanted to hide from everyone.....there is simply no enforcement mechanism to force the violating side to adhere to the agreement....

This was the failure in the Syrian Geneva Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) OR the eastern Ukraine Minsk 2 ceasefire......

With no enforcement in place then nothing will work......

Charles Lister
✔ @Charles_Lister Armed grps demand guaranteed enforcement mechanisms for truce violations & additional protective measures for the opposition long-term

Ukraine's Gen. Kremenetsky of Joint Ceasefire Group: Situation on the frontline in #Donbas is worsening again.

WHAT is troubling are the secret agreements that neither Lavrov/Kerry wanted released........WHY?

Senior Ahrar al-Sham political figure says opposition factions are reacting 'constructively' to US-#Russia plan:

Bear in mind #Syria's opposition doesn't have much of a choice but to go along with the deal; to take a "wait & see" approach for now.

Syria’s armed opposition grps are meeting tonight to determine a collective response to the US-#Russia deal.
Expect a grudging acceptance.

All key grps active in #Aleppo/#Idlib/#Hama have already sent a letter to US Envoy M Ratney, demanding details & condemning US posture.

Hope that #Russia’s [silent] shift on Ahrar alSham & Jaish al-Islam will constrain #Assad/#Iran position = naive; it's a big problem.

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkish warplanes kill 20 Islamic State group fighters
http://ow.ly/lEeP3046tPC

[OUTLAW 09]

US military: Iranian behavior getting worse in Persian Gulf
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/295256-us-military-iranian-behavior-getting-worse-in-persian-gulf#.V9WgSELz5IU.twitter

[OUTLAW 09]

From someone who fully understands the Russians and who left her DoD position due to disagreements with the Obama WH over the WH response or better yet non response to Putin's action.....NOW here view on the Kerry/Lavrov ceasefire agreement.....

.@EvelynNFarkas tells @EliLake:
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-09-11/kerry-brokers-trump-s-plan-for-syria …

[OUTLAW 09]

Death toll in Syria market bombing rises to 62, monitor says
http://ow.ly/zGJ23046Zx6

The #Kremlin's propaganda networks are happy to use any blog as their source, as long as the story fits their agenda

Israeli airstrikes on #Hezbollah in #Quneitra continues tonight

Rebels shelling Security Box in #Daraa city southern #Syria

Ahrar Al-Sham inter ‏@ahrar_alsham_en
Mujahideen storm into Assad militias positions &dominating Hemria town, #Qouneitra countryside
Qadisia of the South
https://youtu.be/dqrz0H3W5sw

Syria Fatemiyoun brigade(Pro-regime Shia Afghan militia)commander Mortada Ataiye killed in N.#Latakia

EuphratesShield ‏@EuphratesShield
Number of Syrians who left #Turkey for #Jarabulus has reached 1,200 in past four days.

Heavy regime shelling on Abtaa town in southern #Syria

Syria #Hama After Jund al Aqsa took Kawkab now seized Artillery Battalion
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=35.294672&lon=36.806431&z=14&m=b …

NE #Latakia: 2nd Coastal Division blew up with a #TOW a 37 mm gun in Atira, Jebal Al-Akrad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxW3x9O39-c …

N. #Hama: Jaish Al-Nasr blew up with a #TOW a 23 mm gun in Kawkab.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y44Tebp3gZE …

Breaking. Rebels seized over Kawkab from pro-Regime forces in N. #Hama.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.298175&lon=36.803684&z=13&m …

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Clashes in #Quneitra continues after regime reinforcements arrived---Israel has conducted a number of air strikes on Hezbollah positions as well over the last hours.....
https://youtu.be/XReHZY9OiJc

Syria #Hama Reports from Kawkab after rebels took over regime stronghold
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MJV879fafA …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=35.304304&lon=36.794887&z=15&m=b …

Syria View from reblel held Al-Hamriya hill to regime held town Hader in #Quneitra. The town of Hader is critical in reaching another FSA held besieged pocket of Sunni civilians

[OUTLAW 09]

Pic by @Presidency_Sy shows defiant #Assad attending #Eid prayers in #Daraya, site of one of his most brutal sieges.
The Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad went to recently 100% ethnically cleansed #Daraya to do his Eid prayer. REMEMBER Assad an Alewife which is really a so called 12er Shai splinter group....

REMEMBER Daraya received only one UN aid relief in FOUR years and were barrel bombed, hit with incendiary and chlorine bombs and napalmed into submission via starvation and then recently ethnically cleansed...WITH the entire western MSM/leader saying not a single word...

AND yet even the face of public statements by Kerry that aid was to be sent there none ever made it and in spite of the Kerry/Lavrov Cessation of Hostilities ceasefire Daraya was constantly bombed by Assad...SO just how is it now that Kerry feels he can "trust" both Putin and Assad to hold this ceasefire???:D

[OUTLAW 09]

This is what the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH could have stopped in 2012 if they had had a large portion of self courage instead of caving to the belief
that "doing nothing stupid" was/is a great thing...in 2012 there had been only 7,000 deaths...now in 2016 and still counting estimated 470-500,000 .....AND over 1M wounded.

Since the morning, tens of thousands of Syrians visit their relatives, murdered by Assad & his allies (Hezbollah, QUDS Force, Pakistani/AFG/Iraqi Shia militias, PFPL, IRGC, Kurdish YPG/SDF/PKK and naturally Russian forces)
R.I.P. Eid

Apocalyptic scenes after more #AssadPutin air strikes on #Aleppo city yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPw_m9aTycA …

9/11 2016 in #Aleppo city.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyRAOg9vagk …

[OUTLAW 09]

Report
58 civilians were murdered by #AssadPutin and #ISIS across #Syria on Sunday.
14 in #Aleppo
11 in #Daraa
9 E of #Damascus

[OUTLAW 09]

EidMubarak to the children of free Syria, celebrating between ruins, and to all Muslims worldwide
(pix from #EastGhouta,TODAY)

Let's see if Putin and Assad can hold a ceasefire for SEVEN days...am taking bets for coffee here in Berlin that they cannot......the recent Russian announced and demanded so called ceasefire inside a Minsk 2 ceasefire held EXACTLY THREE days....

When I first arrived in West Berlin in early 1967 I still saw WW2 building ruins/damages and have seen any number of photos and film footage of the destruction of Berlin from WW2 since then ....there are villages, towns and cities in opposition held Syrian areas that rival anything the Germans experience after six years of war.....I posted a single photo of Daraya where the destruction was 200% and for literally miles...YET we tend to forget and I think Kerry urgently needs to remind himself of this fact...literally thousands are still living and surviving in these ruins..in many cases starved and besieged.......

BTW this is the end result when a civil society in 2011/2012 attempted peacefully to achieve the rule of law, good governance and transparency....before genocide, starvation, and war crimes was unleashed by Assad.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Al Jazeera News ‏@AJENews
UPDATE: Ahrar al-Sham rebel group rejects US-Russia truce deal, hours before it is set to begin

People swear revenge after #Russian bombs killed their relatives in #Aleppo.
https://www.facebook.com/qasioun.news.agency/videos/vb.400834690063586/695378147275904/?type=2&theater …

These are (mostly) unarmed civilians who now turn possible fighters or even suicide bombers due to #AssadPutin violence and intl. ignorance.

The optics of Nusra now JFS organizing to help lift sieges on major Syrian cities while US goes to partner with Russia is not good.

The direct actions of the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH are literally driving Syrian Sunni's into the arms of JFS.....

[OUTLAW 09]

After the following Russia/US ceasefires;
1. Minsk 1
2. Minsk 2
3. two Russian so called ceasefires inside Minsk 2
4. Syrian CoH
5. Four Russian regimes of silence
6. one promised Russian 48 hour ceasefire for humanitarian aid
7. Russian three so called aid corridors and a four hour ceasefire every 24 hours

AND NOW the Lavrov/Kerry Eid ceasefire inside the existing Syrian CoH.....

"The definition of insanity is repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting different results."
- A. Einstein

[OUTLAW 09]

MORE Assad and Putin ethnic cleansing and the West says nothing.....

Just spoke to activist in #Moadamiyeh who says evacuation likely to happen tomorrow. Says they've been told they will be sent to Jarabulus

Assad trying to reverse some losses in Hasaka city by threatening to cut off medicine, services.

Assad maintains maximalist ambitions "and no ability to crush the rebellion decisively...recipe for endless war".
http://warontherocks.com/2016/09/what-i-got-wrong-about-assads-military-prospects/

[OUTLAW 09]

WITH the Larvor/Kerry Eid ceasefire inside the CoH ceasefire set to go into place at 6pm today......

Still Assad/Putin bombing going on....
Syria Several airstrikes on rebel held eastern part of #Aleppo city

BreakingNews
First #Russian air strikes reported on two quarters in #Aleppo city, causing casualties.
Also #Anadan is under arty attack.

News
#Madaya is under #Hezbollah artillery attack now.

Hezbollah militants are targeting besieged Zabadani, Madaya & Buqain with artillery & mortars. #Damascus https://twitter.com/step_agency/status/775250489613160448 …

Footage
Just another extremely sad #EidAlAdha in #Houla city, besieged #Homs province.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yWMv07zU8k …

[OUTLAW 09]

Pic by @Presidency_Sy shows defiant #Assad attending #Eid prayers in #Daraya, site of one of his most brutal sieges.
The Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad went to recently 100% ethnically cleansed #Daraya to do his Eid prayer. REMEMBER Assad an Alewife which is really a so called 12er Shai splinter group....

REMEMBER Daraya received only one UN aid relief in FOUR years and were barrel bombed, hit with incendiary and chlorine bombs and napalmed into submission via starvation and then recently ethnically cleansed...WITH the entire western MSM/leader saying not a single word...

AND yet even the face of public statements by Kerry that aid was to be sent there none ever made it and in spite of the Kerry/Lavrov Cessation of Hostilities ceasefire Daraya was constantly bombed by Assad...SO just how is it now that Kerry feels he can "trust" both Putin and Assad to hold this ceasefire???:D

Assad as he walks through the district he ethnically cleansed of Sunni's and then his regime troops plundered the furniture and goods left behind since the inhabitants could not take them with them......as part of the deal...this district has/had extreme importance to the rebellion as it started peacefully here in late 2011....which Assad then brutally responded to by killing over 900...

[OUTLAW 09]

WITH the Larvor/Kerry Eid ceasefire inside the CoH ceasefire set to go into place at 6pm today......

Still Assad/Putin bombing going on....
Syria Several airstrikes on rebel held eastern part of #Aleppo city

BreakingNews
First #Russian air strikes reported on two quarters in #Aleppo city, causing casualties.
Also #Anadan is under arty attack.

News
#Madaya is under #Hezbollah artillery attack now.

Hezbollah militants are targeting besieged Zabadani, Madaya & Buqain with artillery & mortars. #Damascus https://twitter.com/step_agency/status/775250489613160448 …

Footage
Just another extremely sad #EidAlAdha in #Houla city, besieged #Homs province.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yWMv07zU8k …

Killing Sunni Muslims must not count as Eid in the Russian language....

President of Russia
✔ @KremlinRussia_E Muslims mark Eid al-Adha today. Congratulations from the President
http://bit.ly/2c99Uws

[OUTLAW 09]

Hama: Rebels have captured #Kawkab village, Artillery Battalion, Fuel Depot & several regime checkpoints.

Hama: Rebels can surround & finally capture the fortified #Maan village now. Then Assad regime will also lose the villages east of #Kawkab.

FSA #Southern_Front Yarmouk Army | Knights of the Revolution training camp:
https://youtu.be/kkOHiZk-20I

At request of people living in #Horan area, Yarmouk Army will strengthen their presence against IS in Yarmouk Basin.

Opposition Forces & Islamic Group Lanch new Attack & Capture #Kawkab in Northern #Hama
PDF
http://goo.gl/3DUCGI

MSF International ‏@MSF · Sep 11
13 attacks affected all 8 functional hospitals in east #Aleppo since mid-July. All @MSF supported #DoctorsofAleppo

Ahrar al Sham targeting #Hama military airport with grad rockets
https://youtu.be/VQFFff9es5Y

Rebels fighting Syrian regime in N. #Quneitra during S. Qadissiya battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZFrPjnZUkU …

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria #Homs Airstrikes on Farahaniah north of #Talbisah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR71hgvrm2U …
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=34.866426&lon=36.727939&z=15&m=b …
1 child killed & several people injured by this strike

[OUTLAW 09]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/10/syria-peace-ceasefire-deal-us-russia-doubts-remain

Syria: bitter foes weigh up chance of peace, but prepare for war to rage on

Exerts from this article…..fully indicate that Kerry and Lavrov may have done a deal that is designed in the end to eliminate the Assad opposition……..AND why there is great mistrust on the part of opposition Syrians towards both the US and Russia…..


“Jabhat Fateh al-Sham [the renamed jihadi group Jabhat al-Nusra] are among us, that is true,” said Dawood Mahmudi, a senior rebel based in east Aleppo. “They are here because no one else is. They have kept the city open and have reopened it when it was besieged. Where were Russia and the US then? I’ll tell you where, the US was nowhere, and Russia was bombing us. And now they say ‘trust us’.”

In Idlib province, to the north-west of Aleppo, where Jabhat Fateh al-Sham has a stronger presence than in Aleppo, there was also resistance to surrendering jihadi groups who had emerged from the chaos of the Syrian war as protectors of some areas. “They are from here and they are us,” said Abu Towfik, an elder in the town of Saraqeb, whose three brothers fight with the jihadi group. “They would not be the strongest group if help had come earlier.”

By changing its name in July and severing overt links to al-Qaida, al-Nusra tried to reposition itself as a Syrian nationalist group that might be accepted as a legitimate entity within the opposition. Those plans were quickly dashed when Washington added the renamed group to its list of proscribed terror organisations. US officials continue to believe that some elements of it are using the chaos of Syria to plan attacks in Europe and beyond.

The staunch position against the jihadis is lost on some senior rebels. “So, assuming [the truce] does hold over the festival, how can anyone take them on their word to allow supplies into Aleppo?” asked Mahmudi. “We are blocked from both ends. The only people that have managed to open these roads for us are Nusra and [opposition group] Ahrar al-Sham. Now one of them is supposed to be our enemy, and the other group we’re supposed to be sure about.

“Bombing us indiscriminately, and with total impunity, has made these people strong. Does no one understand that?”

While expressing “profound unease” at partnering with Russia to ease the war in Syria, one US official said that Moscow now had a lot to gain by being seen to be bringing the war to an end. “They have bombed the place into submission, while we have looked the other way,” he added, refusing to put his name to his views. “They have brought death and destruction, and now they are saying we can bring you life. They want this to work. We’ll see.”

Opposition figures expressed misgivings. “We have doubts regarding the feasibility of such an agreement in its current form and the track record of Russia and the regime,” said Labib al-Nahhas, a senior member of the Ahrar al-Sham political office.

“We also have some major concerns related to specific points that need clarification. The timing and structure of the deal as it looks now is biased towards Russia’s interests. There is complete lack of trust in the Russians, and the fact that the Assad air force will not be grounded from day one is a very negative signal.”

[OUTLAW 09]

Turkey's Chief of Staff General Akar: "Offensive in #Syria will continue until all terrorists are routed and our borders are secured."


WELL this will be a very valid test of the Russian seriousness in upholding their very own ceasefire...the last three times that Turkey attempted to send humanitarian aid with the last one being baby food and diapers...the Russian AF destroyed them and killing the drivers.....ALL the while claiming they were carrying weapons even in the face of videos showing burning boxes of baby diapers...

Turkey aims to send aid convoy including 33 trucks to Aleppo today:D

[OUTLAW 09]

Syrian Eid ceasefire goes into effect at 18:45 Berlin time today....BUT until then the Russians and Assad just keep on killing civilians...as usual......

BreakingNews
#Idlib city was hit by a #ClusterBomb attack some minutes ago.

Footage
More #Assad Mi-24 air strikes on besieged #Homs province.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP1AkjUfsgs …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIlGW6Q-MXU …

Syria Airstrikes on northern #Homs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIlGW6Q-MXU …

Syria Airstrike on Umm Sharshuh in northern #Homs killed a child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTeiDpXMc8I …

[OUTLAW 09]

Assad “prayed” in destroyed #Darayya this morning; & now vows to recapture all of #Syria...

Ceasefire talk?

REMEMBER that he said the same thing just before the Geneva CoH and the Russians politely remained quiet...even when he then stated he was going recapture all of Syria.

THEN REMEMBER Russia's own Syrian Ambassador recently stated that Assad would not be attacking Aleppo.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Since Kerry conveniently "forgot" to talk to the HNC and armed opposition before he caved for the Lavrov/Kerry Eid ceasefire AND then basically threatened the armed opposition to "fall in line" with it......

Armed opposition demands are actually well thought through and are calling out both Kerry and Larvor's hyprocrisy towards the Iranian IRGC, QUDs Force, Hezbollah, Shia militias.....which both seem to totally have forgotten are on the US terrorist listings.....AND the clear lack of any enforcement mechanism if Assad violates the ceasefire which everyone knows he will.....and if not then Russia will violate it as both did within hours of announcing the CoH......

The lack of a clear ceasefire enforcement mechanism has always been blocked by Russia both in eastern Ukraine with Minsk 1 and 2 and now with the Syrian CoH and this Eid ceasefire which really is just a ceasefire inside a ceasefire....


Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister · 1h1 hour ago

NEW - #Syria’s armed opposition have issued a series of demands & clarifications to the US, before the #Syria deal can be formally accepted.

Armed groups have given US & #Turkey 48hrs to respond. For now, they demand a cessation of regime air attacks from 12pm #Syria time.

While awaiting a US response to their demands, armed groups based in #Aleppo will allow unrestricted aid deliveries from 12pm (now).

In their letter to US Envoy Ratney, #Syria armed groups welcomed aid provision, but insist access is given to *all* besieged areas.

Syria armed groups also demanded clarity on whether any mechanisms for punishing truce violations had been included in the deal.

Syria armed groups also confirmed that they acknowledge they are “obliged” to “deal positively with the idea of a truce” in #Syria.

#Syria armed groups also reaffirmed the fight vs. terrorism, but said targeting of JFS/Nusra reveals hypocrisy re. Shia militancy.

BTW....Shia militancy is killing Syrians as much as is Putin and Assad....


WILL be extremely interesting to see if the Russians, Assad and or the Shia militias/Hezbollah stop the 33 truck aid convoy coming from Turkey when it gets near Aleppo.....

BUT WAIT....there are supposedly five separate agreements inside this ceasefire that both the US and Russians wanted to be kept secret...WHAT are they and WHY are they secret??????

WHY is not the western MSM demanding that they be released??????

[OUTLAW 09]

ISIS is getting much better in shielding its communications from Western intel agencies
http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-tricks-make-isis-once-easily-tracked-a-sophisticated-opponent-1473613106 …
same goes for other orgs

Actually an interesting read.......

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria #Hama A dozen corpses from regime militia found in
Kawkab- left behind after lost the battle

[OUTLAW 09]

Both Lavrov and Kerry must have been lying to each other when Russia stated Assad will adhere to the ceasefire agreement......

HOPE both will watch this bomb strike today on a Muslim graveyard......

Syria #Homs #Assad-forces bomb graveyard in #Rastan at eid al adha
bc people visit it today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWR5CxlEsnI …

Assad struck this graveyard as there are due to Eid a lot of civilian visitors to the various Muslim graveyards.....
People on graveyard in #Dael town today /southern #Syria at Eid al-Adha
https://youtu.be/-85kGAcJjBM

HOPE Kerry fully understands that this is Assad deliberately targeting and killing civilians both a war crime and genocide....

BUT WAIT....the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH simply do not care about genocide, starvation and war crimes as that would force them to "do something stupid"......"like take action against it"......

[OUTLAW 09]

Both Lavrov and Kerry must have been lying to each other when Russia stated Assad will adhere to the ceasefire agreement......

HOPE both will watch this bomb strike today on a Muslim graveyard......

Syria #Homs #Assad-forces bomb graveyard in #Rastan at eid al adha
bc people visit it today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWR5CxlEsnI …

Assad struck this graveyard as there are due to Eid a lot of civilian visitors to the various Muslim graveyards.....
People on graveyard in #Dael town today /southern #Syria at Eid al-Adha
https://youtu.be/-85kGAcJjBM

HOPE Kerry fully understands that this is Assad deliberately targeting and killing civilians both a war crime and genocide....

BUT WAIT....the Obama/Rhodes/Kerry WH simply do not care about genocide, starvation and war crimes as that would force them to "do something stupid"......"like take action against it"......

SYRIA: Just in case there was any confusion: Today in Daraya, Assad says army is continuing to fight -

Does not sound like an Assad ceasefire is coming anytime soon......NOTICE it was not contradicted by the Russian Ambassador....who lies just as well as Assad does...remember when he stated Assad would not be attacking Aleppo....

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING: Syrian army command says truce is applied in all of Syria for seven days: state TV

Russia: "We will continue to bomb terrorists (civilians and rebels) in #Syria."

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING: Syrian army command says truce is applied in all of Syria for seven days: state TV

Russia: "We will continue to bomb terrorists (civilians and rebels) in #Syria."


Global news this week : "Unidentified warplanes bombed a #Syria|n hospital. 100 civilians killed today, but ceasefire is largely holding." :D

Looks like Assad has found his Eid ceasefire loop hole.....he will bomb and then declare he was attacked just as Russia does it in eastern Ukraine......

Syrian State TV announces ceasefire, says Assad's army has the right to retaliate to any hostilities

Here is just that loop hole in Action by Assad regime forces.....

Latakia: Pro-#Assad forces launching new attacks against rebels in Northern #Latakia this evening.
CLEAR and concise ceasefire violation

[OUTLAW 09]

Aleppo: Rebels destroying #Assad tank with ATGM in Southern #Aleppo today.

Turkey: Many Turkish army vehicles arriving in #İslahiye, #Gaziantep, today.

Damascus: Many civilians killed and injured by #Assad/#Putin airstrikes in #Douma today.

Damascus: #Hezbollah terrorists shelling besieged #Madaya & #Zabadani towns with artillery.

Quneitra: #FSA Southern Front have launched the 2nd phase of their #Quneitra offensive.

[OUTLAW 09]

!!! Ceasefire now in Syria !!!
Happy counting the violations against it
(followed by non existing consequences)

A ceasefire inside of an existing ceasefire especailly with Russia has never ever worked...just look at Minsk 2

This is a typical Russian agreement compliance example...
...just right before the ceasefire went into effect

Syria #Russia bombing Ma'arrat Misrin town north of #Idlib city now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ear3NMXUQCs …

WELL so much for the Lavrov statment that Assad will adhere to the agreement.......NOT.....

Syria Seems #Russia stopped bombing on #Aleppo today,
but #Assad regime continues with barrel bombing (~a dozen)

[OUTLAW 09]

BEFORE ceasefire......

Syria #Aleppo Regime helicopter cast 4 barrel bombs on southern Ameria & Sheikh Sa'eed neighborhoods
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.165597&lon=37.144260&z=15&m=b …
https://youtu.be/diCoLhKJK8A

Airstrikes on rebel held Tell 'Antar in southern #Syria
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=33.134964&lon=36.087427&z=14&m=b …

Syria #Assad threatens also kurdish autonomy today

FSA stops regime’s attacks in Jabal al-Akrad, kills commander of Zain al-Abidin
https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/18060.html

FSA forces thwarted a failed regime attack with its foreign militia forces in rural south #Aleppo, Mouta Hill way

FSA target regime security HQs &shabiha with grad rockets, responding to regime's massacres across #Syria yesterday

[OUTLAW 09]

Assad as he walks through the district he ethnically cleansed of Sunni's and then his regime troops plundered the furniture and goods left behind since the inhabitants could not take them with them......as part of the deal...this district has/had extreme importance to the rebellion as it started peacefully here in late 2011....which Assad then brutally responded to by killing over 900...

Syria |Aleppo west| Assad’s officer “here we loot because it is our right”
https://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/syria-aleppo-west-assads-officer-here-we-loot-because-it-is-our-right …

[OUTLAW 09]

FSA News ‏@FSAPlatform · 6 Std.Vor 6 Stunden

Amongst the tears & suffering we send warm Eid greetings to all. Next year we hope to celebrate in a free #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

Every day in Syria is September11 AND the West says nothing and does nothing.
The Syrian civil society has suffered OVER 1000 September 11s.....since 2011.

All supported by the "do nothing stupid" Obama WH.......

[OUTLAW 09]

NOW post Eid ceasefire begin.......

Syria #Russia'n soldiers now deployed along Castello (supply-) road in north

20 minutes after the fake ceasefire, airstrikes are hitting Handrat camps and Al Shaqeeq area in Aleppo....

Michael Weiss ‏@michaeldweiss · 2 Min.vor 2 Minuten
So far since the "ceasefire" Assad has shelled Deraa and barrel bombed Aleppo.

Syria Airstrikes after "#Ceasefire" on east parts of Castello road.
Seems #Russia bomb way into eastern #Aleppo

Hama: #Assad barrel bomb attack in Northern #Hama minutes ago. #Ceasefire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp9OaC-k-4o …

Daraa: #Pro-#Assad forces shelling #Al_Hara town with artillery now. #Ceasefire

Aleppo: #Assad helicopter has dropped a barrel bomb on Eastern #Aleppo. #Ceasefire

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria What type of parachute-bomb on Binnish town/#Idlib?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ndm0CLtBS8 …

Syria #Russia'n IQ-bomb on Binnish town/#Idlib & deactivated exactly at begin of #Ceasefire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ndm0CLtBS8 …

[OUTLAW 09]

Some screenshots of US SOF in #Manbij, another photo op to show their presence there

BUT WAIT...I thought DoD and the Biden WH had stated the YPG/SDF/PKK must move east of the Eurphates...APPEARS CENTCOM did not the message.....

TAF has clearly stated they will take Manbij with or without US SOF being there.......

Source is from YPG/SDF from today.....

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria Levant Front remove Bab al-Salame border crossing commander following recent mistakes there
Turkey refused to open the Turkish border crossing with Bab al-Salame during Eid for problems on the Syrian side #Syria

This is also a coup against Levant Front leadership!,brigades commanders announcing they removed the leadership due to many reasons #Syria

Reasons are:refusing to merge with other groups,leadership located away from front lines,corruption,inequality with some groups&fighters

Important note:Levant Front is 90% in #Aleppo province+city,consist of many rebels groups and went through a lot of changes lately #Syria

[OUTLAW 09]

James Miller
✔ @Millermena This is the bull#### excuse I was waiting for. Assad never even started the ceasefire, now it's done. We never learn
And by "we never learn" I mean somebody else. I figured this out in 2011, not sure why it's taking "us" so long

Reuters: Moscow is concerned over refusal of Ahrar al-Sham and other opposition groups in Syria to abide by ceasefire Agreement

BUT WAIT...it has been publicly stated AAS and others will adhere to the agreement unless attacked and if their followup demands are not met.....

KEY...ceasefire must be in all of Syria and humanitariain aid must make it to all besieged areas and quickly and without Assad interference....

[OUTLAW 09]

Friends or foes? A closer look on relations between YPG and the regime via @bellingcat
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2016/09/12/friend-or-foes-ypg-regime/ …

[OUTLAW 09]

NOW post Eid ceasefire begin.......

Syria #Russia'n soldiers now deployed along Castello (supply-) road in north

20 minutes after the fake ceasefire, airstrikes are hitting Handrat camps and Al Shaqeeq area in Aleppo....

Michael Weiss ‏@michaeldweiss · 2 Min.vor 2 Minuten
So far since the "ceasefire" Assad has shelled Deraa and barrel bombed Aleppo.

Syria Airstrikes after "#Ceasefire" on east parts of Castello road.
Seems #Russia bomb way into eastern #Aleppo

Hama: #Assad barrel bomb attack in Northern #Hama minutes ago. #Ceasefire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp9OaC-k-4o …

Daraa: #Pro-#Assad forces shelling #Al_Hara town with artillery now. #Ceasefire

Aleppo: #Assad helicopter has dropped a barrel bomb on Eastern #Aleppo. #Ceasefire

BREAKING: Syrian ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia begins now across the country except jihadist-held territory - via @AFP

Do you know when we'll hear where the jihadist-held territory is referring to?

NO that is in the five secret agreements that Lavrov and Kerry do not want published.......

BUT WAIT more Russian and Assad ceasefire violations.....

Airstikes on al Harra town in southern #Syria after #Ceasefire

Syria #Hama Airstrikes on Taybat al-Imam town after "#Ceasefire"

Airstrikes now on Beit Jann /#Damascus
So #Assad regime & #Russia still busy for #CeasefireViolations
Bombing as usual- good night

Syria Airstrikes now also on Mansoura in western outskirts of #Aleppo
(held by Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki)
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.194417&lon=37.056112&z=14&m=b …

More #Putin/#Assad "you cease we fire" airstrikes taking place outskirts of #Aleppo

الشام @ahlalshami
Russian and Syrian airforce bombing all of Syria. Deraa, Homs, Idlib and Aleppo all bombed.
The usual regime "ceasefire"

Now, heavy Russian+Regime airstrikes on #FSA positions in #Handarat in #Aleppo city, as well as barrel bombs on Taybat al-Imam in #Hama.

Regime bombing Douma with artillery and mortars now.

Opposition Forces are now firing back as the Russian Eid ceasefire allows for self defense......
Regime NDF gathering and headquarters in Salhab (Tal Salhab), East of Mhardeh, Hama bombed with GRADs by rebels now.

Assad warplanes targeting the neighborhood of #Hanano after the ceasefire in eastern part of #Aleppo

Assad helicopters dropped 3 barrel bomb on Bait jin in the western ghouta in #Damascus

[OUTLAW 09]

EuphratesShield @EuphratesShield
TAF: An area of 845 square kilometer has been brought under control so far, as part of operation #EuphratesShield

Sham Legion | Metis #ATGM strike on tank Tel al-Jameiat S #Aleppo:
https://youtu.be/hZuYFXMItNs

Drones
#Ahrar artillery pounding shia mercs in S-Aleppo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsozestHFh0 …

More than 1 leader whacked today in #Lattakia also "Fatemioun" #Iran proxy leader dead while trying to storm Kbanah.

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria |Aleppo west| Assad’s officer “here we loot because it is our right”
https://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/syria-aleppo-west-assads-officer-here-we-loot-because-it-is-our-right …

More recent looting in Ramouseh has mostly been blamed on Liwa al-Quds, but also NDF, Tigers and Liwa Imam Baqir.

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING: Syrian ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia begins now across the country except jihadist-held territory - via @AFP

Do you know when we'll hear where the jihadist-held territory is referring to?

NO that is in the five secret agreements that Lavrov and Kerry do not want published.......

BUT WAIT more Russian and Assad ceasefire violations.....

Airstikes on al Harra town in southern #Syria after #Ceasefire

Syria #Hama Airstrikes on Taybat al-Imam town after "#Ceasefire"

Airstrikes now on Beit Jann /#Damascus
So #Assad regime & #Russia still busy for #CeasefireViolations
Bombing as usual- good night

Syria Airstrikes now also on Mansoura in western outskirts of #Aleppo
(held by Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki)
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.194417&lon=37.056112&z=14&m=b …

More #Putin/#Assad "you cease we fire" airstrikes taking place outskirts of #Aleppo

الشام @ahlalshami
Russian and Syrian airforce bombing all of Syria. Deraa, Homs, Idlib and Aleppo all bombed.
The usual regime "ceasefire"

Now, heavy Russian+Regime airstrikes on #FSA positions in #Handarat in #Aleppo city, as well as barrel bombs on Taybat al-Imam in #Hama.

Regime bombing Douma with artillery and mortars now.

Opposition Forces are now firing back as the Russian Eid ceasefire allows for self defense......
Regime NDF gathering and headquarters in Salhab (Tal Salhab), East of Mhardeh, Hama bombed with GRADs by rebels now.

Assad warplanes targeting the neighborhood of #Hanano after the ceasefire in eastern part of #Aleppo

Assad helicopters dropped 3 barrel bomb on Bait jin in the western ghouta in #Damascus



NOW the Eid ceasefire from the proAssad commenters....WHAT a different world they are in......

Damascus, Homs, Hama are calm, SAA have paused operations in Latakia province

1st violations recorded; Opp attacking SAA in Quneitra countryside & Gov shelling al-Harra (Daraa) & Handarat/Castello (Aleppo)

Russian MoD says unmanned drones will be used to observe the ceasefire

THIS is the best one YET
Russia announces start of delivery of humanitarian aid to Aleppo city through Castello road

Moscow: Washington refused to list Ahrar Sham as a terrorist group & has not provided coordinates of Nusra (to differentiate from rebels)

BUT WAIT...this process was to start IF a ceasefire held for a solid SEVEN DAYS NOT SEVEN MINUTES....HELD meant not a single bomb being dropped by either Assad and or Putin...WHICH now a few hours into the ceasefire IS CLEARLY NOT happening......

BUT WAIT...that is suppose to be what the agreement stated...OR is there a secret agreement Kerry "forgot" to tell us about??????

[OUTLAW 09]

That's how we celebrate #Eid in #Syria
Children of #Aleppo celebrate after one bomb did not explode

[OUTLAW 09]

WONDER IF Kerry and Obnama care to explain this development...???????

Russia and #USA had a deal recently for a ceasefire in #Syria, and to then fight only against #JFS (ex-#AQ group) and #ISIS.

Now, heavy Russian+Regime airstrikes on #FSA positions in #Handarat in #Aleppo city, as well as barrel bombs on Taybat al-Imam in #Hama.

NOW fully a few hours into the so called Russian/US ceasefire

All the ongoing Russian+Regime airstrikes are on #FSA only, not #JFS or #ISIS. Russia is doing the opposite of what the ceasefire deal says.

[OUTLAW 09]

WONDER IF Kerry and Obnama care to explain this development...???????

Russia and #USA had a deal recently for a ceasefire in #Syria, and to then fight only against #JFS (ex-#AQ group) and #ISIS.

Now, heavy Russian+Regime airstrikes on #FSA positions in #Handarat in #Aleppo city, as well as barrel bombs on Taybat al-Imam in #Hama.

NOW fully a few hours into the so called Russian/US ceasefire

All the ongoing Russian+Regime airstrikes are on #FSA only, not #JFS or #ISIS. Russia is doing the opposite of what the ceasefire deal says.

Breaking
Russian air strikes on northern Aleppo, Assad air strikes on rural Damascus as both criminal forces ignore the #SyriaCeasefire.

The regime offensive in #Latakia is in full swing.

[OUTLAW 09]

Rafik Hariri Center @ACmideast
NEW on @SyriaSource: Hosam al-Jablawi on #Assad's policy to eliminate opposition in #Syria
http://bit.ly/2cRubJJ

Actually a good article to read on the Assad/Putin driven ethnic cleansing.....

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING: Syrian ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia begins now across the country except jihadist-held territory - via @AFP

Do you know when we'll hear where the jihadist-held territory is referring to?

NO that is in the five secret agreements that Lavrov and Kerry do not want published.......

BUT WAIT more Russian and Assad ceasefire violations.....

Airstikes on al Harra town in southern #Syria after #Ceasefire

Syria #Hama Airstrikes on Taybat al-Imam town after "#Ceasefire"

Airstrikes now on Beit Jann /#Damascus
So #Assad regime & #Russia still busy for #CeasefireViolations
Bombing as usual- good night

Syria Airstrikes now also on Mansoura in western outskirts of #Aleppo
(held by Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki)
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.194417&lon=37.056112&z=14&m=b …

More #Putin/#Assad "you cease we fire" airstrikes taking place outskirts of #Aleppo

الشام @ahlalshami
Russian and Syrian airforce bombing all of Syria. Deraa, Homs, Idlib and Aleppo all bombed.
The usual regime "ceasefire"

Now, heavy Russian+Regime airstrikes on #FSA positions in #Handarat in #Aleppo city, as well as barrel bombs on Taybat al-Imam in #Hama.

Regime bombing Douma with artillery and mortars now.

Opposition Forces are now firing back as the Russian Eid ceasefire allows for self defense......
Regime NDF gathering and headquarters in Salhab (Tal Salhab), East of Mhardeh, Hama bombed with GRADs by rebels now.

Assad warplanes targeting the neighborhood of #Hanano after the ceasefire in eastern part of #Aleppo

Assad helicopters dropped 3 barrel bomb on Bait jin in the western ghouta in #Damascus


WELL they need to cry something to cover their ceaserfire violations...exact same tactic when Russia troops and her mercenaries attack UAF in eastern Ukraine...this is the famous Russian "it ain't us"...it's them" excuse....

Assad regime already crying about rebel attacks in #Hama and #Aleppo. #Ceasefire

[OUTLAW 09]

Pardon my French...BUT WHAT in the hell is Kerry doing???????

The Associated Press Verifizierter Account 
‏@AP
BREAKING: Kerry: US, Russia could approve strikes by Syrian government against al-Qaida-linked group despite new cease-fire.
So, how is that a cease-fire?

Great. So now the United States is working with Assad... Has the world gone mad?!?

So Assad and Putin are continuing as usual and humoring Kerry/US. Yes, that is par for the course these days.

[OUTLAW 09]

Pardon my French...BUT WHAT in the hell is Kerry doing???????

The Associated Press Verifizierter Account 
‏@AP
BREAKING: Kerry: US, Russia could approve strikes by Syrian government against al-Qaida-linked group despite new cease-fire.
So, how is that a cease-fire?

Great. So now the United States is working with Assad... Has the world gone mad?!?

So Assad and Putin are continuing as usual and humoring Kerry/US. Yes, that is par for the course these days.

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister · 13 Min.Vor 13 Minuten

Wow.

The U.S. could end up “approving” #Assad regime airstrikes?

Quite extraordinary...

Comment coming out of Syrian opposition tonight with this news......
Kerry and #Obama, the most retarded duo of this century.

[OUTLAW 09]

In the Assad comments from today he defined anyone resisting him as a "terrorist".......end of story...AND the Russians have said the same thing......


Assad’s rhetoric in the hours before the ceasefire began also calls into doubt his willingness to abide by the agreement. Assad appeared in a symbolic neighborhood Monday and vowed to “retake every inch of Syria.” Assad painted any group who opposed his rule as “terrorists” and said “After five years, some people still haven’t woken up from their fantasies.”


Surprised? For #Assad and #Putin all rebel areas are full with Nusra now. Thank you, #Obama!

Aleppo: 6+ #Russia|n and #Assad airstrikes have hit Eastern #Aleppo since start of the "#ceasefire", including 1 barrel bomb attack.

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING
EXTREMELY GRAPHIC
LOTS OF CHILDREN DYING DUE TO #ASSADPUTIN CLUSTER RAIDS ON DOUMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbo6D9eXrQg …

Scenes are from 21:12 local time,
2 hours and 27 mins into the #SyriaCeasefire.
#Kerry, #Steinmeier, were you dumb enough to believe in it?!

Meanwhile in #Assad-controlled #Damascus city ...

[OUTLAW 09]

US/#Russia'n "Divide et impera" politics don't work
Main opposion forces rejects #Syria'n #ceasefire-deal

Syria: #FSA factions in North of Syria reject #Russia-#US deal about attacking #JFS. Statement:

Syria #Damascus 13 dead residents in reblel held suburb #Douma today bc regime shelling with cluster bombs, rockets & grenades

Syria Night airstrikes on northern #Hama's Kawkab village

Latakia: Rebels have killed #Assad Brigadier General Ghassan Imran in Northern #Latakia today.

[OUTLAW 09]

One wakes up in the morning in Berlin and finds out both Kerry and DoS has gone to "hell in a handbag"...meaning the US has now formally handed the entire ME to Iran, the US is now the junior partner of Russia and a genocidal dictator is now an equal coalition partner.....

AND this is supposedly US FP hard at work.....a THREE year old could have just as easily done this in Geneva....."peace in our time"....what a disaster.....

SO - #Kerry's comments & @StateDept correction means Assad can bomb Nusra outside agreed safe zone as part of new CF (without US OK)

So Syrians can bomb designated Nusra areas but not those targeted by US/Russia JIC?

[OUTLAW 09]

Michael Weiss Verified account 
‏@michaeldweiss
Kerry's State Dept. says the crimes of Assad are the most documented since the Holocaust. Time for Kerry to resign:

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f9b036a477ff480eb50fe4fbe374b6d8/kerry-raises-possibility-us-approving-strikes-assad


WASHINGTON (AP) — Confusion reigned Monday over Syria's new cease-fire as Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States and Russia could permit President Bashar Assad's government to launch new airstrikes against al-Qaida-linked militants. The State Department quickly reversed itself.

Spokesman John Kirby said later there were no provisions under the nationwide truce for U.S.-Russian authorization of bombing missions by Assad's forces. "This is not something we could ever envision doing," he said.

Kerry's comments at a news conference were the closest any American official had come to suggesting indirect U.S. cooperation with Assad since the civil war started in 2011. President Barack Obama called on Assad to leave power more than five years ago; the U.S. blames the Syrian leader for a war that has killed perhaps a half-million people.

While Kirby called his boss' remarks "incorrect," Kerry's statement reflected the general murkiness of an agreement that hasn't been presented publicly in written form. The deal came after a marathon negotiation between Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last Friday; descriptions by the two diplomats represent the only public explanation of what was agreed to.


.@JacksonDiehl: If #SyriaCeasefire works, confirms #Assad in place "and makes the U.S. a junior partner of Russia".
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/whether-or-not-the-syrian-cease-fire-sticks-putin-wins/2016/09/12/6ad73a86-791e-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html?utm_term=.b09b3b55408f

[OUTLAW 09]

Disinfo_Digest @Disinfo_Digest
Experts: Russia's propaganda is pervasive, and America is behind the curve in countering it.
http://r.rand.org/2lqi

Israel targets Syrian positions after bomb lands in Golan: army
http://reut.rs/2cVIJ9Y

[OUTLAW 09]

Kyle W. Orton
✔ @KyleWOrton Noted by @ForeignPolicy: Russia and U.S. might coordinate Syria strikes via intel cells in Baghdad; Russia's is jointly shared with Iran.



Kyle W. Orton
✔ @KyleWOrton Recently-departed DoD official: "The Russians have consistently lied to us [in #Syria]."
http://atfp.co/2cSpSK6

[OUTLAW 09]

62 people were killed by #AssadPutin & #ISIS across #Syria y|day, among them 7 children.
19 in rural #Damascus
17 in #Idlib
- LCC

In ignorance of the #SyriaCeasefire,air strikes cont. last night
Dead child pulled out of his home in #MaaratAlNuman
https://youtu.be/VIdnCF3FXro

More people were killed in the same attack (extremely graphic!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD9a4ewJmgU …
#Idlib #Syria

Assad's NDF now: "Rebel break the truce in #Aleppo."
The #SyriaCeasefire is over.
It never started.
They were complaining that a sniper was shooting at a water tower where they were actually in the process of shooting at civilians....

[OUTLAW 09]

62 people were killed by #AssadPutin & #ISIS across #Syria y|day, among them 7 children.
19 in rural #Damascus
17 in #Idlib
- LCC

In ignorance of the #SyriaCeasefire,air strikes cont. last night
Dead child pulled out of his home in #MaaratAlNuman
https://youtu.be/VIdnCF3FXro

More people were killed in the same attack (extremely graphic!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD9a4ewJmgU …
#Idlib #Syria

Assad's NDF now: "Rebel break the truce in #Aleppo."
The #SyriaCeasefire is over.
It never started.
They were complaining that a sniper was shooting at a water tower where they were actually in the process of shooting at civilians....

22:50 #Donetsk #Topaz @cranovschik That's all! War started, they pound non-stop, I don't count [salvos anymore]

Seems #Putin decided to end the "#ceasefires" in #Ukraine & #Syria at once.
Dumb West still seeing him as a partner.

Listening to #Kerry & #Steinmeier, I get the impression that they have the same speech writer ..
Sergey Something ..
https://youtu.be/8u4YNVX3YQk
Kerry..."it is far to early to determine if the ceasefire is holding".....THIS flew in the face of a stream of video reports coming in in the first three hours of the so called ceasefire.....

[OUTLAW 09]

BREAKING: Syrian ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia begins now across the country except jihadist-held territory - via @AFP

Do you know when we'll hear where the jihadist-held territory is referring to?

NO that is in the five secret agreements that Lavrov and Kerry do not want published.......

BUT WAIT more Russian and Assad ceasefire violations.....

Airstikes on al Harra town in southern #Syria after #Ceasefire

Syria #Hama Airstrikes on Taybat al-Imam town after "#Ceasefire"

Airstrikes now on Beit Jann /#Damascus
So #Assad regime & #Russia still busy for #CeasefireViolations
Bombing as usual- good night

Syria Airstrikes now also on Mansoura in western outskirts of #Aleppo
(held by Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki)
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36.194417&lon=37.056112&z=14&m=b …

More #Putin/#Assad "you cease we fire" airstrikes taking place outskirts of #Aleppo

الشام @ahlalshami
Russian and Syrian airforce bombing all of Syria. Deraa, Homs, Idlib and Aleppo all bombed.
The usual regime "ceasefire"

Now, heavy Russian+Regime airstrikes on #FSA positions in #Handarat in #Aleppo city, as well as barrel bombs on Taybat al-Imam in #Hama.

Regime bombing Douma with artillery and mortars now.

Opposition Forces are now firing back as the Russian Eid ceasefire allows for self defense......
Regime NDF gathering and headquarters in Salhab (Tal Salhab), East of Mhardeh, Hama bombed with GRADs by rebels now.

Assad warplanes targeting the neighborhood of #Hanano after the ceasefire in eastern part of #Aleppo

Assad helicopters dropped 3 barrel bomb on Bait jin in the western ghouta in #Damascus

Listening to #Kerry & #Steinmeier, I get the impression that they have the same speech writer ..
Sergey Something ..
https://youtu.be/8u4YNVX3YQk
Kerry..."it is far to early to determine if the ceasefire is holding".....

Kerry some minutes ago: "There is some reduction in violence as well as few reports of fighting HERE AND THERE" ...

[OUTLAW 09]

Footage
The #Putin regime wanted this thermobaric bomb to explode in #Binish.
It didn't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ndm0CLtBS8 …

2nd Thermobaric Weapon NOT exploding within 2 days.
Seems #Russia is still testing these bombs on Syrian civilians ...

Yesterday immediately after the ceasefire began Russia loudly announced via a PR that they were sending in humanitarian aid to Aleppo.....

BUT WAIT...seems it only made it to the Assad regime held western side...nothing was sent into the besieged position eastern side...SO Larvor and Kerry lied again to the Assad opposition.....

Humanitarian aid convoys going to the besieged areas HAVE been repeated in Geneva 2 and the last Geneva meeting for the Eid ceasefire...IN REALITY...NOTHING has ever arrived...

[OUTLAW 09]

And it's not even 9 AM:

Syrian army says it has shot down an Israel warplane after an Israeli strike on Syrian army position in Quneitra near Golan Heights

IDF sources saying the Syrian claim is not true and all aircraft returned safely

IDF: Missiles were launched from #Syria after the mission overnight to target Syrian artillery positions after stray mortars hit #Israel

Israel(i) army denies any plane/drone shot down over #Syria. Says 2 surface-air missiles fired at Israel but jets were not endangered

[OUTLAW 09]

Former US Syrian Ambassador Ford who was in Damascus at the beginning of the rebellion has often stated that there is inside Syria among the Sunni opposition to Assad the deep very deep perception of a "golden handshake" between Obama and Putin...."for their destruction".

REMEMBER Kerry has a number of times actually used threats against the opposition ...that they have not forgotten....

Seems that Obama/Kerry ignored this perception and now with the Russian/US "joint deal"....the Syrian opposition firmly now believes that it in fact exists.....IMHO actually I would tend to agree with them...

SO why now this feinted anger ????????

"[State Dept] officials deeply resent the impression that an unholy alliance is taking shape between the United States and Russia."

US + Russia still not worked out a mechanism for coordinated strikes in Syria; will do so with "representatives from about 11 other nations"

ALL the armed opposition has to do is to Google all of recent comments, DoS PRs and press conferences and a logical person would come to the same conclusion....."that there is an unholy alliance".....

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton
Reading the initial statements from Kerry and Kirby, they both seemed pretty clear that #Assad and #JIC would work together against #JFS.

Regardless, it is now clear U.S. policy that the #JIC will not coordinate with #Assad in airstrikes in western Syria against #JFS.

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton The U.S. and the #JIC, however, are still in a de facto alliance with #Assad against #IS, and IS-held areas are a free-fire zone.

[OUTLAW 09]

bellingcat @bellingcat
Dataset of Verified Videos About Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria via @bellingcat
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2016/09/13/dataset-verified-videos-chemical-weapons-attacks-syria/ …

[OUTLAW 09]

Former US Syrian Ambassador Ford who was in Damascus at the beginning of the rebellion has often stated that there is inside Syria among the Sunni opposition to Assad the deep very deep perception of a "golden handshake" between Obama and Putin...."for their destruction".

REMEMBER Kerry has a number of times actually used threats against the opposition ...that they have not forgotten....

Seems that Obama/Kerry ignored this perception and now with the Russian/US "joint deal"....the Syrian opposition firmly now believes that it in fact exists.....IMHO actually I would tend to agree with them...

SO why now this feinted anger ????????

"[State Dept] officials deeply resent the impression that an unholy alliance is taking shape between the United States and Russia."

US + Russia still not worked out a mechanism for coordinated strikes in Syria; will do so with "representatives from about 11 other nations"

ALL the armed opposition has to do is to Google all of recent comments, DoS PRs and press conferences and a logical person would come to the same conclusion....."that there is an unholy alliance".....

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton
Reading the initial statements from Kerry and Kirby, they both seemed pretty clear that #Assad and #JIC would work together against #JFS.

Regardless, it is now clear U.S. policy that the #JIC will not coordinate with #Assad in airstrikes in western Syria against #JFS.

Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton The U.S. and the #JIC, however, are still in a de facto alliance with #Assad against #IS, and IS-held areas are a free-fire zone.

Charles Lister ‏@Charles_Lister
Critical 24hrs ahead for #Syria. The armed groups have *not* rejected the deal per se, but their clear concerns could easily become a rejection.

The involved governments now have a responsibility to clarify details & make clear the agreed-upon enforcement mechanisms in the deal.

Armed grps were never likely to publicly agree to strikes on JFS (read beyond that) - the ceasefire & aid are the crucial components.

Syria: #FSA factions in North of Syria reject #Russia-#US deal about attacking #JFS. Statement:

Moscow is already making clear it reads the rebel message as a rejection of the truce, expressing "profound concern" http://tass.com/politics/899385

[OUTLAW 09]

Syria: The persecution of dissidents, especially from #KNC, by the #PYD began one month ago
http://knc-geneva.org/?p=660&lang=en

Regime targeted Arbin residential neighborhoods with artillery earlier today on the firs day of Eid.
https://youtu.be/NNgPco3a2EE

Abu Amara brigade targeting regime forces and positions and armor on Ramouseh front earlier today
https://youtu.be/Dj73j7jRXX8 #Aleppo

From yesterday
Regime forces retreat under heavy fire from 13 Division on the Syrian coastal front #Latakia
https://youtu.be/v4bYNq40iWE

Artillery hitting the city of Hara, #Daraa earlier today
https://youtu.be/g8L9b3zvIFw

Reports that Liwa al-Quds have withdrawn from Amiriyah and Ramouseh frontlines in S Aleppo over looting disputes ...

[OUTLAW 09]

Appears Assad regime troops view artillery use not covered by the ceasefire that went into effect yesterday.....

SAA artillery targeting Jaish Fateh positions in Qarassi, Zeitan in south Aleppo countryside

[OUTLAW 09]

Good news if it holds.....and humanitarian aid flows to besieged areas......

No airstrikes on Aleppo since midnight.
A friend who collects unexploded cluster bombs is worried about his job.


Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton · 5m5 minutes ago

In #Syria this really is progress:
No recorded incidents of the government murdering innocent people for 15 hours.

[OUTLAW 09]

Eastern #Qalamoun #IS offensive situation map on September 13, 2016 / HD :
http://www.agathocledesyracuse.com/archives/832

Hezbollah confirms death of its fighter Muhammad Ali Baidoun. Syrian rebels claim he was killed in Syria

Hezbollah fighter Hassan Ahmad Hazima was killed in Syria battles

Hezbollah fighter Khoudur Safa was killed in Syria battles

Senior commander in Iranian Army's Navy forces Gholam Reza Shirani was killed in "a military mission"

[OUTLAW 09]

Good news if it holds.....and humanitarian aid flows to besieged areas......

No airstrikes on Aleppo since midnight.
A friend who collects unexploded cluster bombs is worried about his job.


Kyle W. Orton ‏@KyleWOrton · 5m5 minutes ago

In #Syria this really is progress:
No recorded incidents of the government murdering innocent people for 15 hours.



Footage
Arty fire on #Saraqib this morning.
Beyond this very calm, only some reports of #SyriaCeasefire violations.
https://youtu.be/DKsRaR7CZ9M

Very calm in #Syria today. But people still celebrating #Eid.
We will see much more rebel activity when #Eid is over.

[OUTLAW 09]

Reports
The #Russian air forces started bombing #ISIS-held villages east of #Aleppo and al-Bab itself.
At least 2 civ killed, 20 injured.

Strange actions on the part of the Russian military as they thoroughly know TAF and FSA will be moving on al Bab and those villages right after Eid and the end of the current seven day ceasefire for Eid.....

Footage
Pro-#Assad rocket attacks on rebel-held village in #Quneitra province.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeNpjMxPY3k …
Rebels took this area in an offensive just before the ceasefire....