So ISIL has finally been effectively cut off from Turkey, this is a pretty big development for the war in both Syria and Iraq.
d_taddei2 wrote:so i wonder if the SAA will now finally make a push for Deir ez Zoir, it now makes sense to now ISIS forces will be heading towards Raqqa to the try and stop the Kurds either that ISIS will try and take Deir Ez Zoir as there new base seeing as Raqqa is under threat. Either way i think it time for the SAA to lift the siege of Deir ez Zoir the guys there have done a brilliant job in holding out for so long.
Indeed, those people are heroes (including SAA/Republican Guard, local NDF and tribesmen). However, I don't think they (SAA) will go for Deir Ezzor anytime soon. Another option could be that Iran-allied forces from Iraq will take care of Deir Ezzor once the mess in Iraq is settled (which could also take time because of Americans and other factors).
If the situation with Turks in the north doesn't escalate, next target is most likely Idlib province i.e. Western (Kafr'Hamra, Rashidin) and Southern Aleppo fronts (from Ad-Hadher toward besieged Fu'ah and Kafriya).
Last edited by Visc on Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:55 am; edited 1 time in total
After months of occupation by Daesh terrorists, historians worried that Palmyra’s ancient wonders had been completely destroyed, but the havoc is not as bad as was originally feared, according to Syria’s antiquities chief.
"We thought the situation would be much worse," Maamoun Abdulkarim said Friday. The historian feared "that there would be eradication, that [Daesh] would complete their crimes from the first occupation."
With the support of Russian air force deployments and special forces, Syrian government soldiers retook Palmyra on Friday. “The city has been completely liberated. Syrian government troops have taken the dominant terrain to the north and the south of Palmyra and are advancing eastward,” said Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, chief of the Russian general staff main operational directorate. On Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces recaptured a key strategic citadel in Palmyra, providing a firing range that caused terrorists to flee.
"We received terrifying information that there might have been a revenge crime against the entire citadel," Abdulkarim noted. Instead, he said that the citadel had suffered "some damage" but "in general, the citadel is fine too." The antiquities expert said the state of the historic sites is more "reassuring" than had been expected.
A second-century Roman theater was also feared to have been destroyed. Syrians were "overwhelmed" by "a fear of complete explosion of the theater," he said. Instead, early imagery suggests that the wreckage may not be permanent. "Except for the previous destruction, the state of the theater looks good…Even that destroyed section could be repaired. It had already been destroyed, and it will be again."
Then the bad, Major General Petr Milyukhin, one of the senior Russian officers in Syria, was hit by a land mine/IED explosion, was badly injured and flown straight back to Moscow for treatment.
Interesting Bulgarian Documentary. HAve no less that a commander of Free Syrian army. that is Obama "moderates".. Confessing ,that Obama was aiding Alqaeda and they even warned him ,that the billions in dollars in weapons will go to the organization they label terrorist and still the pentagon gave the TOW missiles to them. Alqaeda and other terrorist groups were supplied with no less than 600 TOW MISSILES!!!!!
No less than 17 intelligence agencies around the world , majority from NATO , US,UK,France ,Turkey,SAudi Arabia ,Israel.. etc All of them were coordinating in a NATO base in TUrkey and another in Jordan the military operations of ALnusra front and many other terrorist organizations.. The idiots here defending the FSA.. it was nothing more than a front make up organization to hide the support of NATO major powers to terrorist organizations to over run Syria and over throw Assad. The video is scandalous to say the least. and have enough evidence to send to jail many hundreds of top politicians , from NATO at very least. for their treason and alliance with Terrorism. The above video needs to go Viral.
So from the video.. -17 Intelligence agencies of the world working with ISIS ,Alqaeda , including NATO countries ,like US ,UK ,France, Turkey but also middle east allies , like Israel ,Qatar ,Jordan,SAudi Arabia. -About 250,000 radical Islamic jihadist fighters paramilitary groups ,foreigners alone , were fighting in Syria. -Most weapons supplies to terrorist ,were given to the FSA ,and from there passed to other terrorist groups. FSA was used as a Public Relations front ,to justify NATO smuggling weapons to terrorist. FSA was working at times with Alnusra-Alqaeda. -FSA commander told in the interview ,that the Americans policy was confusing US policy. Supported the Declaration of Alnusra as terrorist organization ,allowing Assad to justify his fight against them , but at the same time providing weapons to them. -600 Tow missiles supplied to the terrorist , majority went to Alqaeda alnusra. -Documented evidence FSA connection with Alqaeda and the commander of FSA exposed his leader the general Salen idris ,and the director of coordinations between Alnusra,moroccan jihadist groups and FSA operations.
The whole thing is scandalous as it can be. This is why i predict a major crackdown in alternative media in EU ,specially ,UK and France. and the banning of Russian media and any alternative one. Already Alex Jones is banned in EU. on the pretext of "fake news". and his reports about Syria were exactly the same of RT ,and the Obama and CLinton factions , will try to remove TRump at any cost ,before this scandal grows too much ,to the point it cannot be stopped later. 2017 will be a year of major political unrest in Europe . Because the accomplices of ISIS and Alqaeda will try to stop anyone opposed to NATO and friendly to Russia get in Power. So that the truth about the reality of what was happening in Syria and NATO doing there exposed.
Trump have an unique opportunity in a lifetime to fix United States ,and end the CIA , but this will not happen without a fight. So expect A LOT , ALOT of False Flags in Europe , and Unrest.. and witch hunting in Europe ,for PRo Russians anti NATO politicians ,so that this Syrian NATO terrorism scandal not exposed. Because it not only threaten jail for many leaders, but also threatens the very existence of NATO itself. if this scandal above ,grows and exposed in Europe and US to vast majority off people. Another prediction is Erdogan will be a king for a life time , until someone overthrow him. he cannot allow him to ever lose power in Turkey because he is too exposed on his support to Alqaeda and ISIS. and losing power will mean Jail for him and his entire family.
I really do hope that the SAA will now refocus its sights on loyalists bastions. It must relieve the siege on Deir ez-Zor and secure it before proceeding to Raqqa or Idlib. I don't know how much longer these people can last.
Syrian AF Colonel from the downed Mig-23 now in a Syrian hospital. Apparently found 500m from his parachute which was claimed to be 40km! from his aircraft.
ANKARA (Sputnik) — According to the Turkish newspaper, the pilot said that the jet took off from the military airbase in Syria's Latakia to carry out airstrikes on militants' targets near the Syrian city of Idlib close to the Turkish border, but was shot down during the operation.
The newspaper did not specify who attacked the Syrian jet. Pilot Mehmet Sufhan, 56, ejected from the plane, receiving several bone fractures and face injuries. He was rescued during a search operation and admitted to a hospital in Turkey's Hatay province.
OminousSpudd wrote:Seems to be confusion over whether that SyAAF pilot was flying a MiG-23 or '21bis.
I read one report, from a Turkish newspaper, where they had interviewed the pilot and he said he was on a bombing mission over Idlib near the border in his Mig-23 and that he was shot down, not a technical malfunction. True or not I don't know.
EDIT: This looks a bit more factual
Yesterday, a SyAAF MiG-21bis from No. 679 squadron operating from Hama AB and piloted by Col. Mohammad Sawfan "العقيد محمد صوفان" was shot down by rebels and subsequently crashed in Turkish territory nearby the borders; the pilot in question has successfully ejected but been arrested and taken to a hospital in Antakya.
The Fishbed pilot whom was suspended from flight some years back, was returned to service recently; it's believed this was his first sortie after suspension.
A recording for the last conversation between the pilot and the GC I received, clearly shows the pilot was dis-oriented due to a technical failure malfunctioned the compass first then the whole navigation system. After that the pilot couldn't recognize his way back to base -as requested by the GC- which put him under range of AAA of Ahrar Al-Sham rebels.
Militants pardoned by Damascus join Syria’s government forces
All the militants who decided to lay down their arms, underwent checks
ALEPPO /Syria/, March 6. /TASS/. Militants in Aleppo pardoned by Damascus are now enlisting in the Syrian army en masse, while others are returning to civilian life.
They noted that they laid down arms in spite of threats from the terrorists. "That was indeed my personal decision," said Saleb who is now a member of a volunteer assault corps. "I will defend my people from the terrorists and liberate my homeland from them." "They (terrorists) promised us that they would build a just future, but they only bring death and destruction. They are crazy fanatics who can only do one thing - kill. Civilians do not support them," another pardoned militant chimed in, also a Syrian army soldier called Abdullah, told reporters.
Some civilians were recruited by the militants against their will, some of them out of despair, others were blackmailed by the terrorist into joining. The militants threatened them that if they didn’t join, they would kill their family members. "I used to live in eastern Aleppo and had no means to feed my family. On the other hand, the gunmen’s warehouses were stuffed with western humanitarian aid, but they distributed it only among the gunmen’s families. I joined their ranks in order not to die of starvation," said another pardoned gunman, Mohammad Ahmad Jasim. As soon as the Syrian army launched an offensive, he immediately surrendered to the authorities.
All the militants who decided to lay down their arms, underwent checks. Those who decided to join the army were provided with the necessary munitions. The process is ensured by the elders with the participation of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria. The amnesty law was passed in Syria in July 2016. The decree issued by President Bashar al-Assad stipulates amnesty for all armed individuals as well as for those who previously avoided prosecution, if they surrender and release those held captive. The decree stated that all those willing to comply with these terms will not be indicted. The decree was extended until June 30, 2017.
After 60 days without a water. A lot of excitement among Aleppo civilians. Many are expecting the Syrian Army to regain the pumping station tomorrow & restore water supply
Battle for Manbij shows Syria’s civil war is almost over – and it looks like Bashar Assad has won http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-syria-civil-war-bashar-al-assad-raqqa-manbij-turkey-russia-us-coalition-a7614706.html
Quagmiiiiiiiiiiiireeee. Barack said so! Anyway I Salute the return of classical geopolitics. It was really starting to feel crazy with all the US schizophrenia about humanitarian interventions and human rights.
Battle for Manbij shows Syria’s civil war is almost over – and it looks like Bashar Assad has won http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-syria-civil-war-bashar-al-assad-raqqa-manbij-turkey-russia-us-coalition-a7614706.html
I think that article is a wee bit optimistic. OK the back of the war is probably broken but there is a long hard slog with many dead and wounded still to come. We still don't know the next moves of the US and I doubt that out the exit is one of them.
Battle for Manbij shows Syria’s civil war is almost over – and it looks like Bashar Assad has won http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-syria-civil-war-bashar-al-assad-raqqa-manbij-turkey-russia-us-coalition-a7614706.html
I think that article is a wee bit optimistic. OK the back of the war is probably broken but there is a long hard slog with many dead and wounded still to come. We still don't know the next moves of the US and I doubt that out the exit is one of them.
It's an end game perspective. The war is not going to lie dead tomorrow. But the logic is this.
US: Drop Kurds for NATO integrity. Turkey: Drop FSA for a chance to square off with Kurds and peace in this time on their own soil. Russia: Pick the side you want to arm to achieve goal. Syria: Move under cover to kick the shit out of whoever wants to contest the actual power. Cover being Russia and Iran directly, US & Turkey indirectly. Kurds: Trying to maximise issues between Turkey, Syria, US and Russia. Having Assad on top is good because he's too weak and is ready to go back to late 90's pre 2004 politics. FSA: Singing Bee Gee's Staying Alive.
Basically the end game is a Statu Quo ex-ante with slight defferences (Kurds, Syria, Russia).