Aleppo: Funeral ceremony for 5 #YPG fighters who were killed by #EuphratesShield forces west of #Manbij.
FSA Police discovered an IS weapon store hidden near Jarablus #Aleppo
W. #Aleppo: warplanes bombed Darat Izza, including cluster bomb attack. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36...50204&z=11&m#…
Aleppo: #EuphratesShield forces with a killed #YPG fighter west of #Arima today. #Manbij
Aleppo: Video shows #EuphratesShield forces fighting with #YPG and #Assad regime fighters west of #Arima today. #Manbij
Turkey Foreign Minister today: "We will attack #YPG in #Manbij. We will free #Manbij from the yoke of terror."
Aleppo: #EuphratesShield forces have captured 2 pro-#Assad forces near #Batoushiyah village east of #Tadef today.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=de&lat=36...7960&z=14&m=b#
Aleppo: Funeral ceremony for 5 #YPG fighters who were killed by #EuphratesShield forces west of #Manbij.
Idlib: Some of the children who were killed by #Assad airstrikes in #Kafr_Nabl today.
Damascus: Pro-#Assad forces have killed 5 civilians and wounded 15 more in #Hamouriyah in Eastern #Ghouta with heavy artillery today.
Idlib: #Assad airstrikes have killed 5 children and wounded many more in #Kafr_Nabl today. 10 children were buried, but rescued.
Aleppo: Turkish artillery has killed 8 pro-#Assad forces and wounded many more near #Arima west of #Manbij last night.
Idlib: The Saad Ibn Muadh Battalion from #Kafr_Nabl has joined #HTS.
Assad regime forces, attacking densely populated suburban areas of #Damascus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEg9vXrv6Mw#…
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 03-09-2017 at 06:33 PM.
And here we have the #MMC/#SDF/#YPG fighter, wearing a #US badge and riding a US-flagged humvee.
Now we had it all!
Tens of thousands of civilians flee #Assad's Shiite militia assault on Al-Khafsah region towards the #SDF-held #Manbij area.
Russian ССО ВС РФ continues disguising themselves in #Syria as Hezbollah. ССО is used only for VIP targets
https://twitter.com/CT_operative/sta...906572374016#…
MORE Russian SOF
Surprised?Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09
I'm not.
Thanks to that dumbass in the White House - and all of his corrupt aides - what the USA are doing in this war is breaking all the records of shameful absurdity.
Alone thinking of this is making me sick - not to talk about prompting me to cease monitoring this war. Perhaps that's precisely what Trump, Putler, Assadists, IRGC and Hezbollah want to achieve...
That said: have stocked myself well with popcorn and Cola. Can't wait until this blows up into the face of the Israelis - and then all the media in the USA starts hysterically screaming, 'how could've we been so wrong, missed all of that, and let our noble military get involved with terrorists that are anti-Israel...'
The Atlanticcouncil is usually publishing quite useful 'papers' about developments in Syria. Thus it's probably me, then when I read this piece by them - Manbij Saga: An End Game in Syria, it appears to be an 'exercise in alternative history'.
Alternativelly, it's just a joke attempting to entertain...
For example:
From my POV, only idiots can come to the idea to believe the SCW is over because the 'race to al-Bab' is over. And only idiots might come to the idea that the Manbij Saga is over because US, Russian and Hezbollah troops are now there.The Manbij Saga: An End-Game in Syria? (title)
In essence, drawing such conclusions is as dumb as when all the possible foreign 'observers' (but especially those in the USA) think that the Syrian War will be over once the Daesh will be defeated...
Clear evidence for this 'saga' being anything but over was already provided - by nobody else but newest US ally: the IRGC.
Namely, two days ago IRGC's thugs in Syria have re-deployed al-Ghalibun's (yes, ladies and gentlemen: that's Hezbollah/Syria's) Liwa Imam al-Bakr from its 'home thurf' (NW Aleppo, Nubol/Zahra enclave) to al-Bab (where there are no Shi'a at all), and ordered it to attack the OES forces there (i.e. the military of the US-NATO-partner and ally Turkey, and the Syrian insurgent forces).
But, what a surprise and disappointment: the OES forces fired back, and Hezbollah had its backsides served on the silver plate.
Aha... so, the Syrian insurgents - FSyA and AAS - are now either non-existent or 'Turkish allied forces'. Probably because the 'only acceptable' Arab force there is this famed YPG/USA-controlled SCA...US-Turkish relations now hinge along a 50 km (31 mile) front line, snaking east to west along the Sajur river, and down to a smattering of small villages south of the town of Arimah. Various forces are now in control of intersecting front lines, including: Syrian Kurdish, Kurdish allied Arab forces, American Special Forces, Syrian regime elements, Russian Special Forces, Iranian units, Turkish military units, and Turkish allied forces.
Man, it must be nice to live in this sort of fool's paradise...
Simply wrong. Turkey was always for a comprehensive solution in Syria. A comprehensive solution in Syria is one including removal of Bashar al-Assad. Erdogan & CO might have shelved such plans for the while, but one can bet his/her annual income: that's just shelving the plan, not abandoning it.In November 2014, former Vice President Joe Biden reached a tentative agreement with then Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to cooperate in Syria. For much of that year, the United States and Turkey were locked in negotiations about Incirlik Air Force Base in Adana, Turkey for strike missions and an airbase in Diyarbakir for Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR). The two sides remained at odds over how best to pursue shared goals: using military force to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh), while simultaneously providing arms and training to elements of the Arab dominated opposition to force Bashar al-Assad to make political concessions.
Foremost, contrary to short-sighted generals in the Pentagon, Turks knew and still know that destroying Daesh is no final solution to the war in that country: only the removal of Assad is. It's the USA that remain idiotically insistent on 'fighting Daesh only'.
Point is: that was the principal issue during those negotiations (and most of US-Turkish negotiations ever since) - and not Incirlik AB.
Ah, now lookie there! So, the USA are actually forbidden from supporting the PKK/PYD/YPG. In order to solve this issue, the Pentagon - in cooperation with the PKK/PYD/YPG - created that SDF comedy as an excuse!The Pentagon, however, lacked the legal authority to operate in these areas, prompting the passage of H.R. 3979, which included the Title 1209 authorities governing American military support to the Syrian opposition. The authorities bar the United States from directly arming the YPG (without a Presidential waiver), but allow for the provision of weapons to the SAC—which fights with the YPG as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
This prompts me me to thank the author for finally explaining this issue that clearly.
BS. It was a combined attack of the PKK/PYD/YPG, the IRGC AND the Daesh that - what a surprise considering the odds - pushed insurgents back to border (they were never even near of being 'wiped out'). All of this, though, was NOT related to the downing of the Russian Su-24: for this, Turkey 'paid' by Russians and Assadists ethnically cleansing 70,000 Turkomen from NE Lattakia, and the Russians then supporting the IRGC attack that cut off the land connection between Azaz and Aleppo.The Turkish downing of a Russian Su-24, and subsequent Russian bombing in support of the YPG north of Aleppo city in February 2016, nearly wiped out the rebels fighting along the Marea line—upending the T&E program. In response, the program was scaled back.
But, ah yes: Russians are now 'allies' in this ridiculous 'war against Daesh' - together with Assadists, the IRGC and Hezbollah...
This is moronic nonsense. This 'significant US support' was anything else but 'significant'. 'Significant' is what the Pentagon is all the time - and against better advice from nearly everybody in the State Department - doing for the PKK/PYD/YPG: the rest was merely an excuse for the purpose of the Pentagon being able to say, 'but we tried and it didn't work'.However, its successes should not be overlooked: Two T&E groups, Liwa al-Muatism and the Hamza Brigade, are now fighting as part of Euphrates Shield, alongside a smattering of other groups that continue to receive US support. However, the program failed to achieve its objective: to close the Manbij pocket without SDF forces, despite significant US support to the rebel groups, including 50 percent of strikes and ISR sorties from Incirlik. The failing prompted the use of the SDF west of the Euphrates, an operation that had initial Turkish acceptance, despite the YPG presence within the SDF.
And the YPG has no 'presence' in the SDF: the YPG is 90% of the SDF.
'Trailed'? The FSyA and AAS are leading nearly all of attacks, with TSK providing the fire-power support.Twelve days later, on August 24, 2016 Turkish armor and Special Forces, trailed by various rebel groups, moved across the border into Jarablus.
But, let me guess: the Autor would never describe the YPG as 'trailing US forces'...
After applying the US-centric approach to the way he views and describes the situation, the author now shows he's clueless about the situation in Manbij. Namely. there are next to no 'revolutionaries' left in that town: those that were around went fighting Assadists in Aleppo, already years ago, and didn't come back; the few that were left were overrun by the Daesh. But foremost: Manbij was always one of Assadist strongholds in this part of Syria - and indeed: dominated by two families that had their representatives in Assad's 'parliament' in Damascus. No surprise then, these were more than happy to reach all sorts of agreements with the Daesh, once this arrived, and then with the PKK, when this took over. No surprise, they are now more than happy to cooperate with anybody - just not the Turks, FSyA and Ahrar.It also explains why Ankara, from the outset of Euphrates Shield, telegraphed its intent to consolidate in al-Bab, and then ousted the SDF’s Manbij Military Council, a civilian entity comprised of Arabs, but tied to the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (the PYD, which is the political arm of the YPG).
Of course, not knowing about such 'minute details', the author needs other sorts of 'explanations' - and is happy to find these in his interpretation of Turkish intentions regarding Manbij...
Yeah... and since it's 'so far much more turbo-problematic' to run such efforts with multiple parties, the USA are cooperating with a terrorist organization that's imposing itself upon everybody (namely the PKK).Turkey, in this scenario, is still confined in Euphrates Shied territory in north Aleppo, where it must now begin to build up governing institutions to consolidate control over territory it now occupies. This will not be an easy task, with competing groups under de-facto Turkish control espousing vastly different visions for the future construct of civil institutions, like civilian courts, police forces, and basic civic institutions.
Man, what a recipe for success: I'm now definitely ready to take bets when is this situation going to blow into the face of the USA.
Last edited by CrowBat; 03-10-2017 at 08:27 AM.
CrowBat...here is your answer and I am surprised that this meeting results did not make the US MSM evening headlines....
Russian SOF/PKK has taken over Manbij so why not Raqqa?Earlier this week, in an unusual three-way meeting in southern Turkey, the top commanders of the U.S., Russian and Turkish armed forces discussed how IS could be ousted from Raqqa. Turkish officials after the meeting indicated there had been no resolution over who should spearhead the Raqqa assault. Russian commanders insisted that whoever takes Raqqa, the city must be handed over to the Syrian army afterwards, said Turkish officials.
I simply cannot understand Generals like Mattis not understanding the PKK game in Syria nor his willingness to work with Russia....
BUT we have seen the other ex Marine General Kelly in DHS totally back down from his own immigrant assessment done in house when Trump tells him he will ignore that intel assessment...
WHAT is amazing is that when the Generals Mattis...Kelly and DoS Tillerson sounded so moderate and sane in their Congressional statements Priebus the Trump CoS stated...they can have their opinions BUT will follow only exactly what Trump tells them to do.....
We are on the edge of a major head-on crash in Syria and the loss of personnel because no one and especially CENTCOM failed to take the time to do a thorough risk assessment....
The question will be...at what time will they stand up and officially leave or did they sell their souls to dance with the devil????
Thanks. You say, you do not understand 'Generals like Mattis not understanding the PKK game in Syria nor his willingness to work with Russia....'
That was the principal reason why I posted that article by Atlantic Council above, and called the author an 'idiot'.
The Pentagon always insists upon specific agendas. Principal between these are such like 'support for Israel, our only friend in the Middle East', then 'obtain basing rights', etc.
Israel is supported through declaration of Syria for 'no issue of US national security'. Of course it is none: a Syria run by a pluralist ('democratic') system is not in Israel's interest, then if something of that kind would happen, Israelis know they would have to negotiate about returning the Golan Heights. On the contrary, a Syria dominated by an IRGC-supported genocidal regime, armed - whether directly or through different versions of Hezbollah - with WMDs, carrier systems, etc., and is an 'existential threat'. Existential threats are 'good', because they are securing continuous flow of economic and military aid from the USA.
The issue of obtaining basing rights is secured through illegal cooperation with the terrorist organization PKK, which grants the USA (and France etc.) bases inside northern Syria.
Finally, the defence sector is kept happy too: the 'destroy Daesh, no matter what's going on left or right' secures a continuous war and thus continuous orders for the defence sector.
That way, everybody is happy.
If this all results in all sorts of moronically nonsensical foreign policy decisions, and this then in major head-on crash in Syria - even more so. That's all perfectly in the 'higher national interest' - of the Pentagon (and, hand at heart: it is, then it's securing Israel, it's securing bases, and it's securing jobs.)
Last edited by CrowBat; 03-10-2017 at 10:44 AM.
Another 'interesting detail' here...
Here a Swedish member of the YPG complaining about 48 hours of shelling by Turkish artillery, and this resulting in '12 and counting' of 'regime casualties'.
1.) Special thanks for confirmation about 'YPG' (read: PKK) and the 'regime' (see bellow for details) sharing trenches/positions.
2.) As mentioned above, the '12 and counting' KIA were not the 'regime', but members of al-Ghalibun's Liwa Imam al-Bakr
Al-Ghalibun is short of IRGC's own official designation for Hezbollah/Syria.
BUT, regime's official nomenclature for them is 'Local Defence Forces' (i.e. not even 'National Defence Forces')
3.) Mind, 'although' the Turks thus 'killed 12 and counting' of 'regime' troops, there is not a beep of complaint from Damascus.
Compare this with that US 'bombing of regime positions in Dayr az-Zawr', from back in November, when Damascus couldn't stop crying about (perhaps) 6 killed, and the number of regime's thugs quickly rose to 60, then to 'more than 100' etc.
So, why not complaining and crying this time...? After all, there's even more reasons to do so, considering the culprits are the 'Ottomans' - despised and demonized not only by Assadists, but half the population of this planet too, meanwhile?
Charles Lister
Verified account
More on the formation of #Iran-backed “#Golan Liberation Brigade” by Kataib #Hezbollah - by my colleague @majidyar:
http://www.mei.edu/content/io/iran-b...olan-heights#…
Charles Lister
Verified account
The illogical world of MidEastern conspiracy theories never fails to amaze.
Apparently #Israel, US, #Hezbollah & #Iran are in cahoots.
Charles Lister
Verified account
White House in a “red hot” debate over #Raqqa strategy - may not decide until late-April 2017.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-wre...085768#…
White House #Raqqa debate:
1. Re-evaluate #YPG relationship & heal #Turkey ties
or
2. Use YPG to take city then hand it to #Assad/#Russia
Turkey Foreign Minister:
1. We will attack #YPG in #Manbij
2. U.S is “undecided & disoriented” on #Raqqa plans
http://sabahdai.ly/3OTcoA
WHO would have thought the Trump WH and yes even Trump himself is "confused and disoriented"??????
Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 03-10-2017 at 02:39 PM.
Turkey says relations with the U.S will be “seriously damaged” if the #Raqqa op is led by #YPG/#SDF
https://www.ft.com/content/21d9ba10-...6bb07f5c8e12#…
Germany forbids #calan and #YPG flags during public demonstrations.
Reason: They are "suited to promote the cohesion of the #PKK".
Germany bans public display of calan portraits, arguing that it would mobilize for banned terror group PKK.
SDF already set up a Manbij-style council to take over. Expectation YPG will then trade Raqqa to regime in return for autonomy.
The attacks were captured on video, the Russian Su-24 is clearly visible.
3 of the 5 dead were children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0s7a2g21-A
5 civilians were murdered and 10 injured in three deliberate attacks by the #Kremlin regime's air force on #KafrNabl.
HTS has reportedly raided an opposition radio station in Saraqeb, #Idlib - confiscating its equipment & threatening staff.
E. #Aleppo: #Iraq|i fighters from Nujaba militia on bank of #Euphrates after #ISIS withdrawal.
For those that deal with pesky Russian trolls....
Jester is releasing a novel way for tracking/profiling Russian trolls.....
This @th3j35t3r program is great . Especially when you're rooting out a troll. Or self-analysis.
http://internetawacs.jesterscourt.cc...se.php#…
Actually a very interesting concept to say the least especially when working with large scale Russia twitter botnets.....
Syrian force says it has enough fighters to take Raqqa from Islamic State
http://reut.rs/2mrzLU7
Chechen MP, #MMC fighter trade patches on #Manbij outskirts, while
#YPG holds funeral for #Manbij fallen during #Turkey/#FSA clashes
Syria #Aleppo: #SDF/#YPG allow treatment for injured #Assad-forces in #Manbej National Hospital
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