Syrian nukes: a simple or complex issue?
A Der Spiegel story that could make the Syrian civil war even more fraught. Has the regime got nukes? Nukes guarded by Hizbollah close to the Lebanese border too. ISIS offered the IAEA an inspection visit to Kibar, the site the IDF hit in 2007 near Deir al-Zor.
Quote:
For years, it was thought that Israel had destroyed Syria's nuclear weapons capability with its 2007 raid on the Kibar complex. Not so. New intelligence suggests that Bashar al-Assad is still trying to built the bomb. And he may be getting help from North Korea and Iran.
Link:http://www.spiegel.de/international/...a-1012209.html
Syrian nukes: cold water shower
A riposte that ends with:
Quote:
Perhaps, the most compelling evidence that casts doubt on
Spiegel's claim is the fact the site continues to exist and has not met the same fate as its alleged predecessor in an Israeli air strike seven years ago in north east Syria.
Link:http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middl...clear-facility
The Syrian Arab Air Force, beware of its wings
The Orynx blog has a long update on the Syrian Arab Air Force, in particular how it manges - with a lot of Russian support - to fly:http://spioenkop.blogspot.co.uk/2015...re-of-its.html
I like maps, although I thought Deir ez Zor had fallen recently to ISIS.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ld7OhMiUIv...BMAP-REV04.jpg
Necessity is the mother of adaptation
Once again, a fascinating article on the Orynx blog this time on the Soviet-era APC, the BMP-1 and BMP-2. The emphasis being on the local DIY upgrading of the armour and weaponry:http://spioenkop.blogspot.co.uk/2015...rias-bmps.html
Bombs plus dropped on Iraq & Syria
A moving timeline chart for Allied air activity via a Danish website:http://www.information.dk/databloggen/515038
Quote:
The United States Central Command, CENTCOM, updates the course of the war against the islamics in Iraq and Syria daily. In their press releases the actions of US and the partner nations is specified. However, from the 20th October the individual details of the partner nations are removed. From this date and so forth it is not possible to distinguish the actions of the specific partner nations.
From Russia with Love, Syria’s AK-74Ms
Turkish enclave (Tomb) is evacuated
The NYT reports that Turkish forces entered Syria and evacuated the garrison at the tomb and the tomb's contents:
Quote:
The Turkish Army launched an operation into Syria to evacuate soldiers guarding the Tomb of Suleyman Shah, which has been besieged by Islamic State militants, and move the tomb’s remains, an official and Turkish news media reported on Sunday.The military then destroyed what was left of the site to prevent the militants from using the enclave, and one soldier was killed by accident during the operation, CNN Turk said Sunday, citing military officials.
The operation, called “Sah Firat,” began on Saturday and involved a large convoy of tanks and other heavy weaponry that entered Syria through Kobani....
Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/wo...orts-say.html?