Syrian Civil War: News #2

Russian jets take to Syrian skies to combat IS

http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/84069-150831-russian-jets-in-syrian-skies


source is some israeli site, i think they are at debka level

Prince Darling wrote:Russian jets take to Syrian skies to combat IS

http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/84069-150831-russian-jets-in-syrian-skies


source is some israeli site, i think they are at debka level

Zero Hedge is also reporting they are taking it from the Israeli site, wonder how much truth is there to it.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-31/russian-military-forces-arrive-syria-set-forward-operating-base-near-damascus

Russia Insider: http://russia-insider.com/en/israelis-say-russia-intervene-syria-against-isis/ri9446

Some how I doubt it, as do they. Being originally an Israeli news portal, I doubly doubt it.

par far wrote:

Prince Darling wrote:Russian jets take to Syrian skies to combat IS

http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/84069-150831-russian-jets-in-syrian-skies


source is some israeli site, i think they are at debka level

Zero Hedge is also reporting they are taking it from the Israeli site, wonder how much truth is there to it.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-31/russian-military-forces-arrive-syria-set-forward-operating-base-near-damascus

Just read through that thread. I am not sure why but it has easily one of the largest (10x normal) responses they have had for a while, over 200k reads and over 600 responses but I am none the wiser as to whether it is true or not. There seems to be little if any other confirmation and many seem to assume that what is happening is a combination of the 6xMig-31 plus the forward operating base. Interestingly for a US site, most of it was supportive of any Russian action but then many there are Putin supporters.

I agree that it is probably not true but the interesting question is who originated the idea and why. This is unlikely to have been just an Israeli journo dreaming it up.

If it is correct, then the majority view seems to be that it is a top strategic move, being invited in by the sovereign government (like the US in Ukraine) can't be objected to and attacking IS is what everyone else is doing. Side benefits are that the RuAF can ride top cover over the whole country, giving potential co-ordination and/or operational problems to the 'trespassers' of US/NATO and Israel, IFF would be fun. Tactically the use of SU-25s could be a game changer in breaking the supply lines in from Turkey that seem to see very little interdiction currently. Many made the point that support from current Russian SAMs would be vital in case the IAF was turned loose, with lots of talk of S500/400/300 systems. Few expect 'boots on the ground' mainly hardware with advice and guidance. Oh, and a new or upgraded port is mentioned.

Elsewhere there was a mention of the Egyptians supplying their long range (38km) locally produced Grad rockets.

Whether or not it is true there seems to be a growing realisation in the West that something has to be done quickly about the situation (refugees into the EU is a good pressure point) and that a basically secular government like now (with or without Assad) is the only option that will not make the situation worse.

Now we have

The United States would welcome Russian participation in the US-led coalition against the ISIL, US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) — Toner made the statement commenting on an unverified media report that Russia is sending fighter jets to Syria to fight against ISIL terrorists.

“There is a 37 some odd country coalition that is taking the fight to ISIL [Islamic State],” Toner said. “We would welcome Russia to be more involved in that effort.” The spokesperson noted that the State Department is still looking to verify the report published the Israeli news outlet Ynet on Monday, citing anonymous western officials. "We are frankly still chasing the ground truth on that,” Toner said.

Members of the US-led coalition have been conducting airstrikes against the ISIL in Iraq and Syria since August 2014.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20150901/1026464741.html#ixzz3kWwiMIFs

I can't believe this complete BS report made it through to Israeli news sites, Sputnik News and now the US State Department; and even warranted official comments.

FFS, it's like a debkafile report getting all the way there.

Then again, the US State Department has believed and repeated stranger BS coming from Kiev's mouth and its own media's fabrications, so..

JohninMK wrote:Now we have

The United States would welcome Russian participation in the US-led coalition against the ISIL, US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) — Toner made the statement commenting on an unverified media report that Russia is sending fighter jets to Syria to fight against ISIL terrorists.

“There is a 37 some odd country coalition that is taking the fight to ISIL [Islamic State],” Toner said. “We would welcome Russia to be more involved in that effort.” The spokesperson noted that the State Department is still looking to verify the report published the Israeli news outlet Ynet on Monday, citing anonymous western officials. "We are frankly still chasing the ground truth on that,” Toner said.

Members of the US-led coalition have been conducting airstrikes against the ISIL in Iraq and Syria since August 2014.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20150901/1026464741.html#ixzz3kWwiMIFs

In you dreams Uncle Sam, I'm sure you'd just love to get Russia involved in a pointless air war where you can secretively fund the very people your "coalition" are bombing. How stupid are these State Dep. pricks anyway?

Why on earth would Russia be helping USA with anything these days, especially this particular shitstorm?

Honestly, it is a gift that keeps on giving: USA keeps looking like idiots that they are, Iran gets to be the good guy, Saudis get in line for some ass-love and best of all, EU gets flooded with refugees and gets taken to the cleaners financially and nosedives politically.

Perfect storm.

Yes, civilians do get sodomised, again, but what else can civilian hope for? Can't win 'em all...

Besides, no way Bear-boys will be joining anything ''US-led'' anytime soon.

Of corse, never say never but for the forseable future this is THE definition of popcorn time.

flamming_python wrote:I can't believe this complete BS report made it through to Israeli news sites, Sputnik News and now the US State Department; and even warranted official comments.

FFS, it's like a debkafile report getting all the way there.

Then again, the US State Department has believed and repeated stranger BS coming from Kiev's mouth and its own media's fabrications, so..

lol you can invent troll fake news easily.

when libya was still going on and twitter BS news that was taken as fact started to appear, i admit, even i started a fake gaddafi offensive on one of those oil towns Adjabija or Ras Lanuf, dont really remember, everyone picked it up, because noone was on the ground, to do actual reporting.

If the story fits the broad narrative it will be picked up

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Monday, Israeli news outlet Ynet, citing anonymous Western officials, reported that Russia was allegedly going to send MiG-29 and Yak-130 fighter jets to Syria to conduct airstrikes against ISIL militants. The Israeli media claimed that the jets would be deployed to an air base controlled by the Syrian government forces.

"One should not believe these reports," Kremlin spokesman told reporters commenting on the issue.

In August, unconfirmed reports surfaced that six Russian MiG-31s landed in Syria as part of an arms deal allegedly signed in 2007. The supposed delivery, according to the Turkish BGN News agency, reflects Russia's intent to help Damascus counter the Islamic State. However, Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG CEO refuted the remors.

"We did not deploy [the MiG-31s] to Syria and we have no plans to operate them there," Korotkov asserted.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150902/1026491626.html#ixzz3kaPYLC8U

http://wizarden.livejournal.com/91169.html



From August pictures from NAPO. There is a Su-24M in ME colors without markings, so there is a good chance, this one is meant for Syria or Iraq. Could be, that those Russian planes and personal could be connected with delivery of additional Su-24M jets to Syrian AF and maybe even some RuAF Su-24M to better support Syrian army on the ground. RuAF will definitively not fly in US led coalition against ISIL, RuAF, if it is actually there, will actually bomb ISIL, not just pretend to bomb ISIL.

On the other hand, I hope those new build MiG-29M2 (35D), will go to Iraqi AF, that they will be able to increase attacks on ISIL in Iraq, instead of US led coalition, who just pretend to bomb them.

sepheronx wrote:Very good spotting medo.  I wonder if such an aircraft would have the Gefast & T upgrade, as it would definately be a great chance to test it on the field.

Who knows, but considering they are in NAPO and meant for hot place, I think they got such an upgrade. Syrian AF have their Su-24M upgraded to M2 standard.

Huh, I was just looking at that photo report and noticed the weird paint job but I was certain that it was just some old Soviet era bird on historic display...

Good catch indeed

Syrian AF use this camo.

Who knows who they are but they speak Russian. Video is not new.

http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/are-russians-fighting-in-syria-video.html

JohninMK wrote:Who knows who they are but they speak Russian. Video is not new.

http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/are-russians-fighting-in-syria-video.html

Could potentially be PMC's.

magnumcromagnon wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Who knows who they are but they speak Russian. Video is not new.

http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/are-russians-fighting-in-syria-video.html

Could potentially be PMC's.

Yup, Russian is official language in several places.

A view on the ongoing meetings between Russian, Iranians and Arab leaders;
http://www.russia-direct.org/opinion/russias-syrian-strategy-no-longer-air

مميز ورائع اقتحام تلة قبر حشيش من البداية حتى النهاية الفرقة الاولى الساحلية 30-8-2015
FSA 101st Brigade the Coastol Division take the Regime Hilltop
Published on Aug 30, 2015 [09.03.2015 21:29:49]



SAA run way. lot snack bar!  


أحرار الشام | قنص عدد من ميليشيات الأسد في باشكوي بريف حلب الشمالي
FSA 101st Brigade the Coastol Division show the Home make Sniper gun
Published on Sep 1, 2015 [09.03.2015 21:33:50]



Look like rebel do machine shop

- So why is Isis blowing to pieces the greatest artefacts of ancient history in Syria and Iraq? The archeologist Joanne Farchakh has a unique answer to a unique crime. First, Isis sells the statues, stone faces and frescoes that international dealers demand. It takes the money, hands over the relics – and blows up the temples and buildings they come from to conceal the evidence of what has been looted.
“Antiquities from Palmyra are already on sale in London,” the Lebanese-French archaeologist Ms Farchakh says. “There are Syrian and Iraqi objects taken by Isis that are already in Europe. They are no longer still in Turkey where they first went – they left Turkey long ago. This destruction hides the income of Daesh [Isis] and it is selling these things before it is destroying the temples that housed them.

“It has something priceless to sell and then afterwards it destroys the site and the destruction is meant to hide the level of theft. It destroys the evidence. So no one knows what was taken beforehand – nor what was destroyed.”

Ms Farchakh has worked for years among the ancient cities of the Middle East, examining the looted sites of Samarra in Iraq – where “civilisation” supposedly began – after the 2003 US invasion. She has catalogued the vast destruction of the souks and mosques of the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Homs since 2011.

Indeed, this diminutive woman, whose study of the world’s lost antiquities sometimes amounts to an obsession, now describes her job as “a student of the destruction of archeology in war”. Over the past 14 years, she has seen more than enough archeological desecration to fuel her passion for such a depressing career. Politically, Ms Farchakh identifies a particularly clever strain in Isis.

“It has been learning from its mistakes,” she says. “When it started on its archeological destruction in Iraq and Syria, it started with hammers, big machines, destroying everything quickly on film. All the people it was using to do this were dressed as if they were in the time of the Prophet. It blew Nimrud up in one day. But that only gave it 20 seconds of footage. I don’t know how many people’s attention it could capture with that short piece of film. But now it doesn’t even claim any longer that it is destroying a site. It gets human rights groups and the UN to say so. First, people are reported as hearing ‘explosions’. The planet then has the footage that it releases according to its own schedule.”

For this reason, Ms Farchakh says, Isis does not destroy all of Palmyra in one video. “It started with the executions [of Syrian soldiers] in the Roman theatre. Then it showed explosives tied to the Roman pillars. Then it decapitated the retired antiquities director, al-Asaad. Then it blew up the Baal Shamim temple. “And then everyone shouted, ‘Oh no – what will be next? It will be the Bel temple!’ So that’s what it did. It blew up the Bel temple. So what’s next again? There will be more destruction in Palmyra. It will schedule it differently. Next it will move to the great Roman theatre, then the Agora marketplace [the famous courtyard surrounded by pillars], then the souks – it has a whole city to destroy. And it has decided to give itself time.”

The longer the destruction lasts, Ms Farchakh believes, the higher go the prices on the international antiquities markets. Isis is in the antiquities business, is her message, and Isis is manipulating the world in its dramas of destruction. “There are no stories on the media without an ‘event’. First, Daesh gave the media blood. Then the media decided not to show any more blood. So it has given them archeology. When it doesn’t get this across, it will go for women, then for children.”

Isis, it seems, is using archeology and history. In any political crisis, a group or dictator can build power on historical evidence. The Shah used the ruins of Persepolis to falsify his family’s history. Saddam Hussein had his initials placed on the bricks of Babylon. “This bunch [Isis] decided to switch this idea,” Ms Farchakh says. “Instead of building its power on archeological objects, it is building its power on the destruction of archeology. It is reversing the usual method. There will not be a ‘before’ in history. So there will not be an ‘after’. They are saying: ‘There is only us’. The people of Palmyra can compare ‘before’ and ‘after’ now, but in 10 years’ time they won’t be able to compare. Because then no one will be left to remember. They will have no memory.” Source: independent.co.uk

This is not directly regarding Syrian civil war however this is one interesting info and light thrown on funding sources for ISIS and maybe partially "Moderate rebels" as US likes to call them.

Is ''Monday morning quarterback'' correct expression?

''Russia Was Right About How to Deal with Syrian Crisis – Finnish President''

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150904/1026606016.html

Anyone can explain me whats going on with MR Putin and Russian Media?

Today news ,all of them calls Syria.. the "Syrian Regime" and saying how
Assad is ready to share power.. and hold elections...  This is the major
change i have see in Russia towards Syria... Either is a major tactic to made it look
Russia is leaving Syria or a major Pressure to the Syrian Government to step down.


Im short of words to explain this disrespect for Syria Government..
IF Putin believe for a second that Obama or US Government will stop attacking Syria
if Assad step down he is seriously mistaken.. not only will not stop attacking Syria..
when they have all the time in the world to continue trying.. but neither will stop attacking
Russia.. IF syria falls all the terrorist they arming will be moved to Russia ,that the majority of ISIS leaders is made of Russian citizens.. chechens and from dagestan.


I really hate betrayal of allies , and cowards ,but is too early to call this way MR Putin...
It could be something else , a mistake in translation of the language or a new tactic, or
that Russia see this war as one lost and no chance for them to win.. and that they need to
win more time ,in false hopes the political situation will change in middle east or America to their Favor, but to say the least this is really disappointing.

Putin: People flee from Syria because of ISIS,not Assad regime

http://www.rt.com/news/314435-putin-isis-syria-refugees/

Vann7 wrote:Anyone can explain me whats going on with MR Putin and Russian Media?

Today news ,all of them calls Syria.. the "Syrian Regime" and saying how
Assad is ready to share power.. and hold elections...  This is the major
change i have see in Russia towards Syria... Either is a major tactic to made it look
Russia is leaving Syria or a major Pressure to the Syrian Government to step down.


Im short of words to explain this disrespect for Syria Government..
IF Putin believe for a second that Obama or US Government will stop attacking Syria
if Assad step down he is seriously mistaken.. not only will not stop attacking Syria..
when they have all the time in the world to continue trying.. but neither will stop attacking
Russia.. I really hate betrayal of allies , and cowards ,but is too early to call this way MR Putin...
It could be something else , a mistake in translation of the language or a new tactic,
but to say the least this is really disappointing.

Putin: People flee from Syria because of ISIS, not Assad regime

Well i belive Putin is trying to helpout and stop that war at least for some time, and if elections would be held that would stop fighting maybe forever, maybe temporally. And from what i am aware seeing Syrians posting on the Internet they mostly support Assad at least in areas that he is keeping under his control still. Idk, cant say much, but it looks like Assad and Putin had some kind of agreement on that matter.

Militarov wrote:

Well i belive Putin is trying to helpout and stop that war at least for some time, and if elections would be held that would stop fighting maybe forever, maybe temporally. And from what i am aware seeing Syrians posting on the Internet they mostly support Assad at least in areas that he is keeping under his control still. Idk, cant say much, but it looks like Assad and Putin had some kind of agreement on that matter.

But thats the major issue..

The war in Syria , and Americans/israel interference have nothing to do with freedom,
Nothing to do with democracy ,Nothing to do with Assad. Americans are really happy with working with dictators when they are loyal to the US empire.. THis war in Syria have everything
to do with RUssia.. They want to build a middle east pipeline from Qatar, passing through Syria territory and from there to Turkey and Europe.. to bypass Russia energy business with Europe.

Thats the whole Point of the Syrian war , Americans will not stop until Syria is split in two or tree failed states , a Puppet leader controls the zones of Syria they need to build a pipeline to Europe. To Isolate Russia economy from Europe..

The Syria /IRAQ war are Economic War against Russia.. and removing any independent competitive army from Middle east that Israel cannot control is only the bonus. I really think
Syria is doomed at this point.. Putin's call Assad a Regime.. and Medvedev opinions are not any better. Only a miracle , that have nothing to do with RUssia could save them. Because So far it looks like RUssia is already giving up in that war. and that they will just try now to minimize the destruction that NATO will leave in Syria and that it doesn't end like Lybia a governless state.

It seems Putin will negotiate the partition of Syria as long is not completely destroyed and Pro Assad people gets one land for them and Americans getting their land for their European pipeline,and Israel get what they want too ,hizbolah destroyed and another Lebanon weak nation ,in Syria were they will not have control over their own Airforce or Government and the only thing they will have is no war.

I don't know what to think.. but it looks that way.. That Russia finally have give up with Syria.
Putin now calling for Assad to hold elections and "share power" with opposition the west will control. That will only divide the Army and destabilize /create problems to Syria central Government. The west wants Assad to step down .because that will only made it more easier for them to split the nation and divide the army. IF assad "shares power" is over. You either have all power or have none.. but there is not half President possible..a Shared Power is a huge mistake, it will create exactly the conditions that made it possible for the opposition to kick
Yakunovych in Ukraine from Power. HE shared power and thats when he lost control of Ukraine.