JWing---appears from social media that the Assad AF and the US AF are both flying their own drones in the same air space these days--wonder if they are using the same targeting sheet.
The Syrian Arab air force and the @usairforce are flying aerial missions over #Raqqa side by side now.
pic.twitter.com/JZNeXyN6Tq
Germany sending those assault rifles appears confusing to me. Will not help supply and logistics for KRG. Everyone else is sending AKs, Germany couldn't do the same?
Here's my latest article analyzing car bombs in Iraq in 2012 to track the rebirth of the Islamic State. 2011 was the nadir for the group with much of its leadership dead or in prison. Estimates were that it could only carry out one major attack every 4-6 weeks. CIA estimated only 1,000 fighters left and many were speculating that it would devolve into a criminal gang. U.S. withdrawal relieved military pressure on group and Syria allowed a new battlefield for it to expand and rebuild in. Its rebirth shown in car bomb attacks throughout 2012. Jan and Feb had one day each of multiple car bombs across several provinces likely for propaganda purposes to show that it was still around after Americans left. By summer 2012 able to launch 2-4 car bomb waves a month and announced its Breaking Walls Campaign to restart the sectarian war marking the group's return as a fully reformed militant organization in Iraq. Here's a link to the article. Here are charts I put together for all the car bombs in Iraq in 2012, date, location, targets, casualties. Jan-March 2012. Apr-June 2012. Jul-Sep 2012. Oct-Dec 2012.
I'm not aware of the specifics of what they're sending, but is it possible that there are still East German AK variants in storage?Originally Posted by JWing
No they're sending German G35 Assault Rifles
I just interviewed Governor Dulaimi of Anbar. We discussed talks with Baghdad and the security situation in his province. Here's a link.
My latest piece on the Islamic State's systematic campaign to destroy the Yazidi community of Ninewa. Early August IS swept into Sinjar area of northern Ninewa. When entering towns would divide men from women and girls. Men were executed and women taken to several locations across province. Documentation of massacres in at least four villages. Other men have been taken prisoner. Some have been forced to convert to Islam. Women have been raped, forced to marry IS fighters, unconfirmed stories that some have been sold into slavery. No other group has gone through this experience under IS. Islamic State sees Yazidis as devil worshipers likely cause of treatment. Here's a link.
ISIS has killed the top leaders of Ahrar a-Sham in a car bomb in #Idlib, including the movement's leader Abu...
http://fb.me/1mVoFt1IK
AQI attacked them as well in the period from 2005 thru 2008 via car bombs and targeted assassinations.
Syrians flying their UAVs over ar-Raqqa?
Where are photos of these?
The link you provided is showing one of two Su-24s involved in the strike on ISIS HQ in the municipality building of Ghariba village (outside ar-Raqqa), two days ago. Damascus later claimed to have killed 18 Jihadists there and that the damage caused to a nearby prison was sufficient to enable some of people abducted by the ISIS to run away too.
Read: the strike was flown for show purposes, 'for the Americans to see' the regime is 'fighting ISIS'...
CrowBat:
Again: The Syrian Arab air force and the @usairforce are flying aerial missions over #Raqqa side by side now.
pic.twitter.com/JZNeXyN6Tq
https://twitter.com/MiddleEast_BRK/s...160256/photo/1
OK, let me 'draw' it:
- You wrote, 'Assad AF and the US AF are both flying their own drones in the same air space these days'...
- I asked: 'Syrians flying their UAVs over ar-Raqqa?'
Namely, what can be seen on the photos provided on the link you posted is:
- a) what looks like Predator (and if it is one, it's either US- or Turkish-operated), and
- b) one of two SyAAF Su-24s that flew the strike on Ghariba.
I.e. no 'Assad AF...own drones'.
Furthermore, meanwhile I've checked with few of my contacts 'close' to the SyAAF, and they don't have any kind of UAVs that could reach the area.
On the contrary, in the course of one of relevant e-mail exchanges, one of messages that ended on my PC contained an observation the essence of which was something like (I'm just citing here), '...stupid....[specific representative of the regime in Damascus]... is wasting resources necessary for supporting troops elsewhere for flying "airshow for Americans"...'
EDIT
Meanwhile I've checked with my Iranian sources (the quality of the same can be assessed with help of articles like this one), and it turned they're not flying UAVs over ar-Raqqa either.
So, sorry, but I remain a little bit confused: what kind of UAVs is 'Assad AF' flying there...?
Last edited by CrowBat; 09-07-2014 at 11:37 AM.
CrowBat---then let's restate your comments for clarity?
1. you have deep experience and can tell the difference between a Pred and and Reaper at say 3500 ft?
2. why would Turkey be flying anything over Syria---not the northern Kurdish portion and northern Iraq--and since they supported IS then fly one at all?-explain that one to us
3. and your Iranian "contacts" are willing to tell you 1) they do not own drones capable of this and or 2) did they not several months ago claim to a have reengineered the R180 and are flying it?--which is it?
4. your Assad AF contacts are what "willing to state on record they do not neither own drones nor use drones-what about the series the Russian recently supplied to them?---that is like claiming we the Assad AF do not drop "barrel bombs" or bomb civilian positions to you not think---so what is it?
Not wanting to rain on your parade of excellent "sources"---these photos were in fact posted to the blog sphere and roughly six individuals who look at such air identification phootos came to the same conclusion--- and in fact your claimed SU24 you hang on is in fact a Iranian drone and yes they fly them over Syria and currently Iraq as well if my "sources" are correct.
Or are you telling us there are no Iranian "contractors" or militia or Quds fighting either in Syria and or Iraq?
Come on CB
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 09-07-2014 at 02:43 PM.
CB---concerning Iranian drones not capable of the distance you claim they cannot do---what keeps them from being launched inside Syria?
And are these two Iranian long range UAVs simply non existent and the Iranians are what lying?
In his news conference on Sunday, IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali “Aziz” Jafari told reporters that Iran has produced a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), named ‘Shahed 129’ capable of 24-hour non-stop flight.
“Shahed 129, which can carry out combat and reconnaissance missions with its 24-hour nonstop flight capability, is IRGC’s latest achievement in this field,” Gen. Jafari said.
IRGC commander added that Shahed 129 is armed with Sadid missiles that can hit “long-distance” targets. (ISNA, 17 September)
In August 2010, Iran unveiled domestically manufactured long-range Karrar Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV). Karrar is a 4-meter long Jet-powered drone reportedly capable of delivering a military payload on bombing missions against ground targets, with a 1,000 KM range and a maximum speed of approximately 1000 kph. The specifications of the new Shahed 129 and its differences with Karrar have not been made public.
CB--you need to learn to doubt your "sources" inside the SAF. They should have known this.
New screenshots coming from Syria give a better view of the Shahed 129 spotted over Damascus on Apr. 10.
And it is not what "flying" inside Syria---come on CB
Noteworthy, such photos show that the version used by the Syrian Armed Forces of the made-in-Iran UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), is sensibly different by the one unveiled in September 2013 in Tehran.
In order of appearance...
Nope.1. you have deep experience and can tell the difference between a Pred and and Reaper at say 3500 ft?
But then: I never said I can. On the contrary, I only want to know what kind of 'Assad AF UAVs' can you tell us are flown around ar-Raqqa?
Wherever I asked, there is no trace of anybody there - whether the SyAAF or the IRGC-QF - doing so. And, although you said this is the case, it seems you can't either.
That said, this doesn't mean that neither has UAVs. On the contrary, the IRGC-QF has deployed 'even' its Shahed-129s in Syria. It's just not flying them over ar-Raqqa.
This is actually two questions, so you'll get even two replies (and, since it seems you've got a major problem with understanding what I write, I'll draw it if necessary):2. why would Turkey be flying anything over Syria---not the northern Kurdish portion and northern Iraq--and since they supported IS then fly one at all?-explain that one to us
a, which is my answer to your second question) Turkey is not supporting the IS; and
b, which is my answer to your first question) because Turkey has a small garrison of about 20 troops protecting a memorial for Suleiman Shah. This is an area inside Syria, about one square kilometre of soil declared as Turkish.
The ISIS is threatening to overrun this place since early this year, and the THK is not only flying UAVs over this area, but its F-16s have destroyed several ISIS vehicles there. For details, see reports like this one: Turkey threatens retaliation if historic Syria tomb attacked.
1.) Yup, they don't see any special problem about getting quite frank.3. and your Iranian "contacts" are willing to tell you 1) they do not own drones capable of this and or 2) did they not several months ago claim to a have reengineered the R180 and are flying it?--which is it?
2.) This is not something claimed by 'my' Iranian sources, but by specific talking-heads and wannabes in Tehran.
Sorry, I'm not of sensationalist sort, so you'll not find any corresponding article of mine.
The latter is bull ####.4. your Assad AF contacts are what "willing to state on record they do not neither own drones nor use drones-what about the series the Russian recently supplied to them?---that is like claiming we the Assad AF do not drop "barrel bombs" or bomb civilian positions to you not think---so what is it?
And regarding the former:
a) They didn't say that, and
b) I didn't ask them about that. But, again: they said they're not running any kind of UAV ops over ar-Raqqa.
EDIT
...just like at earlier times, they've provided transcriptions of original orders issued by the Ba'ath Party HQ in Damascus, for specific SyAAF units to strike civilian population in specific places.
So, now you can go on complaining they're admitting attacks on civilians, and whatever else, but are just as beasty as to refuse admitting the sensationalist idea of the SyAAF operating UAVs next to US ones over ar-Raqqa.
Works fine with me. ;P
You can attempt to belittle me as much as you like.Not wanting to rain on your parade of excellent "sources"---these photos were in fact posted to the blog sphere and roughly six individuals who look at such air identification phootos came to the same conclusion--- and in fact your claimed SU24 you hang on is in fact a Iranian drone and yes they fly them over Syria and currently Iraq as well if my "sources" are correct.
Simple fact is that you refuse to understand that you've babbled nonsense when stating 'Assad AF...UAVs' being run parallel to US (or whatever) UAV ops over ar-Raqqa.
Now, I'm following this war since more than three years and in all of that time I haven't heard about any kind of SyAAF UAV ops over ar-Raqqa. Thus, your commentary about 'Assad AF...UAVs' took me by surprise and I asked what is the basis for it. I've checked this, and there are no 'Assad AF...UAVs' where you said there are (obviously, basing your statement on that Twitter link).
Sorry if it turns that it's your own mistake that caused this misunderstanding, and that you're now attempting to act as if you didn't cause this.
Come on - yourself. Where did I say anything of that kind?Or are you telling us there are no Iranian "contractors" or militia or Quds fighting either in Syria and or Iraq?
BTW, when it comes to IRGC-QF, you're wrong again: it's neither 'contractors' nor 'militia'. It's regular IRGC-QF personnel. Most are from 8th Armoured Najaf Division, there is a battalion of IRGC's SFs too, and then quite a few others. Let me know if you would like to hear details. And if you're too shy to ask, wait for slightly over a month longer, then grab yourself a copy of Syrian Conflagration. Everything is nicely listed there.
Bull #### again. I nowhere said 'they're not capable'.CB---concerning Iranian drones not capable of the distance you claim they cannot do...
I said: not operated over that part of Syria.
Where did I say that?---what keeps them from being launched inside Syria?
Where did I say they're non-existent?And are these two Iranian long range UAVs simply non existent and the Iranians are what lying?
But since you asked: the Shahed Aerospace Shahed-129 is presently one of most successful Iranian UAV projects (together with the shorter-ranged Shahed-123, which is an even bigger success, with at least 274 pressed into service so far), that's sure. But, indeed, Jafari is lying about the UCAV capability of the Shahed-129: they were planned to get armament in form of Sadid missiles, but the company proved unable to realize this project - for lack of necessary technology.
And Karrar is (presently) just a PR-project.
You only need to learn to answer questions.CB--you need to learn to doubt your "sources" inside the SAF. They should have known this.
For example: what kind of evidence can you provide for your 'Assad AF...UAVs' being operated 'along' whatever other kind of UAVs over ar-Raqqa?
Did I ever say Shahed-129s were not deployed in Syria?New screenshots coming from Syria give a better view of the Shahed 129 spotted over Damascus on Apr. 10.
So, now, 'come on Outlaw': what kind of 'Assad AF UAVs' can you show us as operated over ar-Raqqa?
Anyway, I would like to express my gratitude to you in this place: experiences of this kind with you make me start to understand (and appreciate) the meaning of 'knowledge is power'.
Last edited by CrowBat; 09-07-2014 at 04:05 PM.
CB--then I would appreciate your answers to the following--if you are up to it?
Did I ever say Shahed-129s were not deployed in Syria?
No--but you did state did you not that Iranian drones did not have the range---come on my friend 1700kms is not enough?
Since you are so tight with your Syrian AF "sources"-why not answer for us the following--Syrian AF using chemical bombs--yes or no?
I can help you if you want to see the link before you answer--your answer will be interesting.
Now answer those questions my friend.
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