Syria in 2016 (July-September)

[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-chlorin...al-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/...-_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.new...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