CrowBat.....anything on your end to confirm or deny this comment.....
Major general Qassem Soleimani Spotted in Southern #Aleppo. Giving Advice for #IRCG Troops
So, here we are (found it on ACIG.info forum's thread about Syrian Uprising, from August 2013):Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09
This video is showing a (Chinese made) FN-6 MANPAD fired by the Liwa Suqour ash-Sham over Salma area, on 18 August 2013:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-8vFUogFDA
Aircraft hit was a MiG-21 from Hama AB: pilot was KIA.
This happened during that summer's combined offensive by the FSyA, JAN, and even a small element of the Daesh (they were just tailing everybody else, and causing plenty of trouble by slaughtering civilians in areas overrun by insurgents) into Northern Lattakia. Few days later, the regime deployed chemical weapons and massacred 1700+ civilians in Eastern Ghouta. This distracted my attention at that time, which is why that MiG-loss remained unknown to me.
CrowBat.....anything on your end to confirm or deny this comment.....
Major general Qassem Soleimani Spotted in Southern #Aleppo. Giving Advice for #IRCG Troops
CrowBat...confirms your thoughts on Obama driving the FSA into JaN.......
http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/co...nusra-knows-it
Syria’s peace plan is flawed and Jabhat Al Nusra knows it
Hassan Hassan
May 8, 2016 Updated: May 8, 2016 04:45 PM
If the United States and Russia do not see that Al Qaeda’s main Syrian franchise is benefiting from the peace process, they should look again. In recent months, Jabhat Al Nusra has led a number of battles against the forces of Bashar Al Assad in the north, while poorly-executed ceasefires are causing people to question the efficiency of nationalist forces.
The reactions of some Syrians in the opposition towards the regime losses, especially in the context of the government’s violations of the recent truces, were captured by one activist’s Facebook post: “Some of us take to the streets to protest against Jabhat Al Nusra and demand that it breaks away from Al Qaeda," he wrote. “Had jihadist groups like Jabhat Al Nusra done everything we wanted them to do, the only place in which we could raise our revolution’s flag today would be in Taksim Square in Turkey."
For Jabhat Al Nusra, the gains against the regime do not have to hold. Mr Al Assad can retake the areas, but the fact that it is battling the regime while other forces stand by watching weakens the latter’s stance in the eyes of some Syrians. Jabhat Al Nusra has even produced footage of its recent operations using drones, including an ambush against a foreign fighter, the blowing up of a Baath party building and the storming of a government base in Aleppo.
Jabhat Al Nusra announced over the weekend that they had captured or killed dozens of pro-government fighters in Khan Touman and Al Khalidiyah in southern Aleppo. Iran admitted that 13 of its Revolutionary Guards had been killed during those battles in what Reuters described as Tehran’s biggest single-day loss in Syria. The Turkistan Islamic Party, a member of the Nusra-led Jaish Al Fateh, also published pictures of detained Iranian soldiers.
The news about the killing of so many elite Iranian operatives was celebrated not only inside Syria but also in the wider region. When the main rebel fighting forces, especially Ahrar Al Sham and Jaish Al Islam, agreed to participate in the Riyadh conference that would precede a UN Security Council enforcement of a political transition in Syria in December, Jabhat Al Nusra made it clear that it opposed such engagement.
Its leader, Abu Muhammed Al Jolani, speaking to four Syrian journalists in December, said the political process was a ploy to rebrand the regime and that his group would continue to fight. He warned that rebel groups accepting concessions would lose the support of their rank-and-file.
Jabhat Al Nusra’s clear stance paid off. Every time the political process is shown to be insincere or when violations of the cessation of hostilities go unpunished, Jabhat Al Nusra’s view is vindicated. As discussions about the peace talks began last year, I told western officials involved in the process that the group’s strategy was to show to Syrians that the international community was not their friend and that the lack of a peace process would be better than a botched one that weakens the other opposition forces.
In an audio statement in October, Al Jolani adopted a new tone when he attempted to convince Syrians to reject the Vienna peace process, reverting to slogans raised by activists in the early months of the 2011 uprising.
In his conversation with Syrian journalists two months later, he also struggled to explain why his group would seek to spoil the ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus after it was revealed that Jaish Al Islam agreed with the Russians on a truce. Jaish Al Islam’s former leader, Zahran Aloush, was then killed by a Russian air strike, and the internationally brokered ceasefires failed to end the regime’s indiscriminate tactics. So Al Jolani seemed prescient.
Today, Jabhat Al Nusra feels confident that it was right to reject or oppose peace talks. The plan to exclude it, rather than make ceasefires contingent on the group’s acceptance, which would pit it against rebels or civilians who support such deals, might have seemed better than legitimising it through political engagement. The plan might also be to slowly disentangle the group from the opposition forces by striking it, punishing those who work with it and engaging those who don’t.
But such a plan might begin to work if the process ends the regime’s terror tactics and leads to genuine change. From the regime’s perspective, keeping Jabhat Al Nusra on the loose means the most effective force on the frontlines, which operates throughout the country, is under no pressure to cease fighting while the regime is expected to end its targeting of the rest of the opposition.
The peace process is flawed however one views it. In the meantime, Jabhat Al Nusra is gaining ground and popularity.
It is presenting itself as the force that would fight until the end without compromising on the core objective of bringing down the regime of Mr Al Assad. It is betting on the world’s inability to secure a fair deal in Syria.
Just a humble thanks for all the input guys!
Firn
... "We need officers capable of following systematically the path of logical argument to its conclusion, with disciplined intellect, strong in character and nerve to execute what the intellect dictates"
General Ludwig Beck (1880-1944);
Speech at the Kriegsakademie, 1935
A Royal #Saudi Air Force F-15S Strike Eagle has successfully dropped the 1st KGGB bomb developed by #SouthKorea
Russian targets again SCD........
Airstrikes targeted @SyriaCivilDef building in al-Atarib #Aleppo again today.
https://youtu.be/lsmh9oOiXa0
Does anyone truly believe the US national level IC with the billions invested into new ISR systems, NATO and US AWCS flying the area and the Turkish AD radar systems did not know within seconds after bombs were dropped WHO flew the mission.....come on get real.....
Remember it was social media open source analysts that posted the first Russian artillery positions inside Ukraine and then and only then did the US release four single sat photo's...SINCE then totally nothing.....either from eastern Ukraine and or Syria.....
WHY is the US national level IC so reluctant to truly point the bitter finger of truth against Russia and Putin?????
US still investigating the attack on refuge camp in rural #Idleb 2 days ago says they are not able to "identify" who did it.
WHY does Obama WH always tend to support Putin both in Syria and eastern ukraine...it is now becoming an embarrassment......
2nd Assad/IRGC attempt on Khan Tuman in 24 hrs apparently didn't go as planned. Attackers lost more armor and men.
Southern #Aleppo: #Syria|n rebels collecting the bodies of pro-#Assad forces, killed near #Khan_Tuman today.
Footage
Suspected #Russian air strikes continued on #Binnish tonight.
2 women,1 baby killed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP5xeMgYkpk …
The consequences were as always devastating ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lvs_nTuY4U …
Footage
More shelling hit #Talbisah today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BAepr6te8I …
T-90A in Southern Aleppo
Yup. He's 'back' since about a week. Though merely a 'morale boosting' figure meanwhile.
It's outright silly that all that the IRGC can do with him any more is show him around as '1 in 100,000 that survived long enough'...
You know, eventually, I don't even care if I'm right or wrong: I'm simply collecting data. Result of studying data is statistics, and statistics is speaking clear language.CrowBat...confirms your thoughts on Obama driving the FSA into JaN.......
Look: roughly 500 Saudis and about 300 Bosnians, Macedonians, Kosovars, perhaps even few Moslem Serbs (from Sandzak, southern Serbia) were routed into Syria to join the JAN the last few weeks.
I have no clue how they eventually reached their destination - nor time to try finding out. But they all turned up in Idlib and were trained there too. That's 800 people. It doesn't matter whether it's actually 500 or 1000, or really 800. What matters is that somebody issued a call for them to come, and nothing was undertaken against that person. Somebody then transported, fed, and trained them too. And nobody stopped them underway, nobody attacked their training camp, nobody interrupted the supply chain keeping them fed, and dressed, and getting potable water. Nobody at least attempted to hit their HQ.
Instead, Russians are bombing hospitals; Assadists are bombing IDP camps or IRGC troops (the latter by mistake), only to get visited by various parliamentaries from the EU and congratulated for 'fighting Daesh'; Americans are either flying their UAVs in circles over Incirlik, or playing 'we can't find Daesh' in northern Syria, or explaining everybody that it's more important to respect Iranian and Kurdish interests in Syria than help Turks avert Daesh killing 30+ of their citizens (in Kilis and in the last week alone); French are massacring entire families in Abu Kamal (but who cares: that's Daesh-held territory, 'nothing is confirmed', besides, Russians did the same even more often)... and, what a surprise then, anybody else trying to mix there is just finding him/her-self neck-deep in BS...
...and nobody of all of them actually gives a damn about the very people this all is about: Syrians.
Think about all of this and draw your own conclusions, everybody.
My conclusion happens to be that that somebody there was so endlessly dumb, so idiotically stupid as to think about himself as some kind of giant statesman that's in a position to sell Syria and its population of 24+ million to a combination of a high-class thief and his hodgepodge of genocidal sectarian murderers, a gang of quasi-religious-fanatics declaring themselves representatives of God on Earth, and a megalomaniac that's trying to heal his inferiority complex by ruining whatever was left of his own country and half the Europe.
And when that didn't quite work... oh hell: then force them (Syrians) into making their choice - a choice fitting solely the Western primitive prejudice: either Assad or extremists. After all, 'they do not understand any other language but that of violence'... isn't that what we've all been taught about Syria and Syrians for the last 70+ years...?
Well... Oblabla can be sure about one thing: he's going to be remembered for a very, very, very long time. That's guaranteed. At least a century is going to pass before the mess he - partially - left to happen and - partially - created intentionally, is going to be sorted out again.
Over 10 Russia/Assad airstrikes in the last several hours on Rashidin, Kafrnaha & Khan al-Asal in west rural #Aleppo, #Syria
Airstrikes on Maaret al-Numan city
Hama 2 children killed & 2 others wounded in Ghab plain bc playing with cluster ammo
Syria'n & #Russia'n airforces continues to destroy the western suburbs of #Aleppo
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36...48395&z=13&m=b …
AND Obama and Kerry say absolutely nothing...not even a spin attempt anymore....
AND more Assad/Russian air strikes on medical facilities. STILL no comments from Obama and Kerry....
SNHR: gov warplanes targeted 2 #ambulances of Bayooti #Hospital in Kafr Naha in #Aleppo, rendering them inoperable, May 8.
Just spoke to @MSF
Their supported healthcare center in the area was NOT targeted.
But they confirmed the attack on an independent hospital.
"Black week" for Assad: a rebel tally of government losses in Aleppo
Including 3 tanks, 3 BMPs, 2 23mm cannons, 8 Hezbollah, 30 IRGC, 46 Liwa al-Quds, 20 SAA, 12 Hashd, and 20 Afghans
Remains of unexploded barrel bombs- dropped by helicopter
on Um Mayatheen east of #Daraa city
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 05-09-2016 at 12:17 PM.
This Syrian presenter resigned from #BBC Arabic because of the BBC biased reporting in favour of Assad regime #Syria
News
Syrian activists say #Russian planes hit the front around #KhanTuman 30 times between midnight and the morning.
CrowBat...are we now see literally a manpower shortage on all Assad front lines even with Iranian troops, Iraqi militia and Hezbollah.....???
The South Aleppo countryside is of paramount strategic importance for the gov't but the elite fighting units such as the Tiger Forces.....are too busy plugging holes in SAA lines. The mismanagement is absolutely astounding. I can only wonder what shoe will drop next.
It appears that the anti Assad forces by starting multiple front ops seems to be bringing the Russians and Iranians into a major decision cycle of where to attack next and not give up anything else someplace else......we saw this in Palmyra which the Russians hyped for the propaganda BUT then only to lose two major gas/oil fields to IS along with literally tons of equipment and munitions....
There are rumors that even an IRGC General was killed in southern Aleppo......
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 05-09-2016 at 12:29 PM.
Hama Prison 2016 on the pace of #Sidnaya Prison 2008
http://ow.ly/JBKq3001aZ7
28 Hama prisoners to be released...water, electricity turned on and food is now being delivered......
Assad regime demands that IDPs get approval to live in Damascus; those from Sunni regions mostly rejected
http://bit.ly/1Tw3jaz
Good overview by @LizSly of current obstacles facing coalition against IS: e.g. pushing IS off border areas w/Turkey https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...191_story.html …
Russia Parades New Weapons in Syria on Victory Day:
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/a...ay/568702.html …
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 05-09-2016 at 01:14 PM.
G. Kennan's 1946 Long Telegram “impervious to logic of reason,” Moscow was “highly sensitive to logic of force" http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/116178
Interesting to look back and see what top US officials said on Syria, basically indicting themselves (and Obama).
Kerry said in a speech......."History is full of leaders who have warned against inaction, indifference, and especially against silence when it mattered the most"....
He was referring to unspeakable crimes that could have been stopped and were not.....
AND now?....he threatens those at are fighting against the very unspeakable crimes....he himself talks about and he is "remaining silent' as they occur daily in Syria......
KERRY ARRIVES IN PARIS FOR SYRIA TALKS
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...05-09-06-40-54 …
Not sure what he wants to talk about as there is not a shred of Assad and or Putin compliance with either their own "regime of silence" or the Feb 27 2016 CoH.........
Iran touts newly tested long-range missile
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=76747 …
Footage
More air strikes hit #MaaratAlNuman in #Idlib province today.
Damage and injuries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7PnW8f7v-M …
#ASSAD jets - just like #ISIS - destryoyed Archaeological Museum in #MaaratAlNuman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm0PtJM3P6k …
US officials says war on ISIS "can’t be won without a greater level of American involvement" as more troops deployed https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...mepage%2Fstory …
Great state of play on the U.S. fight vs. ISIS, which is hitting new hurdles just as it was starting to gear up
Syria: A short while ago, multiple heavy regime airstrikes targeted the rebel-held town of Rīḥā, Idlib city and Maʿarrat al-Nuʿmān.
BRK
Heavy air strikes on #AlAtarib west of #Aleppo.
ALSO REPORTS OF RAID ON ALEPPO ITSEFL!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtputZytZu4 …
Exclusive:Iranian Col.Mojtaba Zolfaqarnasab of Army 45th Special Forces in Southern Aleppo,9 Apr, hours before death
After short training of remaining members, NSA (New #Syria-n army) has another subgroup, the "2nd Shaitat brigade", infograph today.
After training, new group joins "New Syrian army" formation in #Damascus province, near #Jordan-#Syria border
"my dad died fighting for Bashar Assad's chair, and all I got was a $8 wall clock"
Assad regime "army" arrest a fridge. Good work protecting ppls lives & property #Syria
Photo of Russian special forces officer killed near Palmyra, Alexander Prokhorenko, at #безсмертныйполк in Moscow:
CrowBat..what gives.....??
Is JaN and company defending so well and or is Assad and company attacking so poorly???
Gathering of 100s of Shiite militiamen trying to recapture Khan Touman. This is what the 'Syrian Army' has become
SOHR: Assad, IRGC, Iraqi, Afghani, Hezb militias failed to retake Khan Tuman covered by over 90 Assad/Russian airstrikes in the past 2 days
Second straight day of defeats heading into day three shortly.....
Rebels captured Afghani soldier south #Aleppo today. Its obvious IRGC pushing shia Afghani Fatemiyoun to be killed.
Under the rubric of "strange"......
A blimp over Palmyra. Related to Russian military or just a normal blimp?
Heavy #Assad regime/#Russia airstrikes across much of #Idlib today - including on Ariha, Jisr al-Shughour, Khan Sheikhoun & Marat al-Numan.
Hama Central Prison-revolt over. Deal: 46 inmates released & 26 more the next days. Amnesty for the rest (~800) possible next month
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 05-09-2016 at 05:25 PM.
[FSA TOW vs. "Iranian Kornet base".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv_P2-RVF08 …
CrowBat..can you confirm anything on this....and has the dispute with JaI and Rahman been put aside yet??????
Charles Lister @Charles_Lister
Reports of a very big #Assad regime convoy spotted traveling south from 155th Brigade base (north of Al-Dumayr) & headed towards East Ghouta
Sources claim 15 tanks, minesweepers, BMPs & 1,000+ soldiers were spotted several hrs ago traveling south.
Irbin was attacked this AM.
1000 troops marching into territory by well dug in fighters who have held ground for years?? This will get ugly for him
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