And next, Syria?

[butchersapron]

The last traces of the (non-Kurdish) anti-Syrian armed forces anti-Assad democratic revolution, a dozen Free Syria Army groups are meeting in Riyadh

Also supposed to be a PKK sponsored one at Rmeilan in north east syria. I don't know if the person who mentioned this is using PKK for PYD (not invited to saudi btw) but he's normally quite clear on who he means.

(btw if i read one more unchallenged and unscourced SAA advancing on all fronts, all opposition are secretly ISIS, all is going great then...)

 

[frogwoman]

The Riyadh convention not inviting the SDF either apparently

 

[butchersapron]

The one in NE syria (and there's another in Damascus btw) is for kurds assyrians arabs, tribal groups etc - this is where the sdf etc are

 

[butchersapron]

A piece

Rival gatherings in Saudi Arabia and northern Syria have opened a new fissure in the chronically fractured Syrian opposition at a time when competing factions and their external sponsors are under pressure to unify and form a negotiating team ahead of ceasefire and political talks with the government, set for January 1st.

As 100 delegates from the expatriate National Coalition and mainly fundamentalist armed factions met on Tuesday in Riyadh, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) convened at the town of al-Malikiyeh in the northeastern Syrian province of Hassakeh.
Here control is divided between co-operating Kurdish and government forces.

Not invited to attend the Saudi conference was the SDF, dominated by the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing, the People’s Protection Units, although its battle hardened units are the most effective fighting Islamic State.

Saudi Arabia did not include the Syrian Democratic Forces due to its ties to the PYD, seen by Riyadh ally Turkey as an offshoot of the Turkish Worker’s Party that has fought Ankara for autonomy or independence for more than three decades.

---------

The jan 1st date is meaningless.

 

[coley]

A piece

Rival gatherings in Saudi Arabia and northern Syria have opened a new fissure in the chronically fractured Syrian opposition at a time when competing factions and their external sponsors are under pressure to unify and form a negotiating team ahead of ceasefire and political talks with the government, set for January 1st.

As 100 delegates from the expatriate National Coalition and mainly fundamentalist armed factions met on Tuesday in Riyadh, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) convened at the town of al-Malikiyeh in the northeastern Syrian province of Hassakeh.
Here control is divided between co-operating Kurdish and government forces.

Not invited to attend the Saudi conference was the SDF, dominated by the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing, the People’s Protection Units, although its battle hardened units are the most effective fighting Islamic State.

Saudi Arabia did not include the Syrian Democratic Forces due to its ties to the PYD, seen by Riyadh ally Turkey as an offshoot of the Turkish Worker’s Party that has fought Ankara for autonomy or independence for more than three decades.

---------

The jan 1st date is meaningless.

Let the silly buggers jaw jaw, meanwhile the SDF can get on with the real business, and as I have said before, stuff Turkey.

 

[Casually Red]

Syrian army advancing all over the place today

Here



Here



Here



Also the Russians have launched more cruise missiles at IS from a submarine in the Mediterranean . More claims too that Russia is now operating from 4 separate airbases across Syria. Definitely intensifying .

 

[Casually Red]

Why would you disagree with it?

Because you're ..quite seriously...talking about chopping Syria up into tiny little sectarian pieces . It's an absolutely ridiculous suggestion . Ludicrous in fact .

 

[Casually Red]

Let the silly buggers jaw jaw, meanwhile the SDF can get on with the real business, and as I have said before, stuff Turkey.

Turkey has just invaded Iraq . Not a peep from anyone. And it'll invade Syria too and that will be the end of the SDF . It has literally hundreds of tanks sitting there waiting to go in.

 

[coley]

Because you're ..quite seriously...talking about chopping Syria up into tiny little sectarian pieces . It's an absolutely ridiculous suggestion . Ludicrous in fact .

Have I? Where? If your talking about my suggestion about an independent Kurdish nation then Assad can either agree to the notion or end up being towed behind a 4x4 around the streets or sit there in a tiny Alwanite enclave waiting to be assassinated.
He might win back some of his losses in the short term with the help of Russia and Iran but in the long term if he and his allies don't agree to some form of compromise he's shafted.

 

[coley]

Turkey has just invaded Iraq . Not a peep from anyone. And it'll invade Syria too and that will be the end of the SDF . It has literally hundreds of tanks sitting there waiting to go in.

Tanks? In this day and age esp in the area we are discussing? substitute tanks for 'nice juicy targets'

 

[Casually Red]

Have I? Where? If your talking about my suggestion about an independent Kurdish nation then Assad can either agree to the notion or end up being towed behind a 4x4 around the streets or sit there in a tiny Alwanite enclave waiting to be assassinated.
He might win back some of his losses in the short term with the help of Russia and Iran but in the long term if he and his allies don't agree to some form of compromise he's shafted.

Even the Kurds aren't talking about partitioning Syria . Assad has way more Syrians than the Alawite population behind him. He lives in Damascus .
Sorry mate, you're talking bollocks at this point . Nobody will be carving Syria up . It's not happening.

 

[Casually Red]

Tanks? In this day and age esp in the area we are discussing? substitute tanks for 'nice juicy targets'

Targets for who ? The Kurdish airforce ?

 

[Casually Red]

A piece here underlining more of the reasons why the US alliance is a joke when it comes to tackling IS

Give With One Hand, Take With The Other: Why The US And Its Gulf Allies Are Failing In The Fight Against ISIS

 

[butchersapron]

Is the SAA advancing?
And all others ISIS?

 

[butchersapron]

The losses of those years. 500m presented as advance.

5000 round the back not talked about

 

[coley]

Targets for who ? The Kurdish airforce ?

Sorry mate, you're talking bollocks at this point . Nobody will be carving Syria up . It's not happening.

I'm going to bookmark this, in six months I'll come back to either apologise or expect you to do the same, fair enough?
Though it won't make a happensworth of difference to all those who have died in the interval.
Fuck all warmongering politicians of every stripe.

 

[teqniq]

Even the Kurds aren't talking about partitioning Syria . Assad has way more Syrians than the Alawite population behind him. He lives in Damascus .
Sorry mate, you're talking bollocks at this point . Nobody will be carving Syria up . It's not happening.

Whilst it's only part of what was Syria, it looks pretty carved up to me.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Even the Kurds aren't talking about partitioning Syria . Assad has way more Syrians than the Alawite population behind him. He lives in Damascus .
Sorry mate, you're talking bollocks at this point . Nobody will be carving Syria up . It's not happening.

fuck it

 

[LDC]

Sorry for multiple posting, but relevant here as much as the Kurdish thread...
7 Ways in 7 Days We Can Show Solidarity with the People of Syria

 

[butchersapron]

SDF now formed a political wing the Syrian Democratic Council - early indications that it is not taking a hardline anti-regime position.

 

[Patteran]

SDF now formed a political wing the Syrian Democratic Council - early indications that it is not taking a hardline anti-regime position.

While in Riyadh, Al Sham call for an Islamic State, & the disbanding of the SAA, & an Islamic State, again, if anyone missed it the first time.

Largest Rebel Group Calls for an Islamic State in Syria

 

[butchersapron]

While in Riyadh, Al Sham call for an Islamic State, & the disbanding of the SAA, & an Islamic State, again, if anyone missed it the first time.

Largest Rebel Group Calls for an Islamic State in Syria

And they're now walking out as they're not getting the agreement they want on their shitty islamic state.

 

[teqniq]

All this at a meeting that the Kurds were not invited to. Is anyone apart from possibly the Saudis taking them seriously?

 

[kebabking]

And they're now walking out as they're not getting the agreement they want on their shitty islamic state.

whats the nature/extent of the opposition they've faced in Riyadh?

is it everyone else, is it to the principle of an Islamic state, or is it merely opposition to an Al Sham run Islamic state?

cheers - should see you on Monday btw, pm etc..

 

[butchersapron]

whats the nature/extent of the opposition they've faced in Riyadh?

is it everyone else, is it to the principle of an Islamic state, or is it merely opposition to an Al Sham run Islamic state?

cheers - should see you on Monday btw, pm etc..

Not 100% sure yet, literally ongoing as we talk. Seems like everyone is utterly pissed off at them and attempts to strong-arm though. Sure we'll learn more later today.

Yep, looking forward to it.

 

[LDC]

I suspect the answer will be a 'no', but is there a chance this discussion at Hydra will be recorded?

I'd be tempted to go, but it's a bit too far to travel for one night.

 

[rekil]

Was the current Al-Sham bigwig one of those released by Assad from Sednaya prison? I know his beardy predecessor Hassan Aboud was.

 

[kebabking]

...I'd be tempted to go, but it's a bit too far to travel for one night.

dunno where you are, but i'd be driving to Worcester when it finishes, so west mids if its of any use... other than that, the YHA in Bristol is really nice.

 

[teqniq]

Yarmouk truce rumors spark fears of chaos, settling scores

 

[butchersapron]

Was the current Al-Sham bigwig one of those released by Assad from Sednaya prison? I know his beardy predecessor Hassan Aboud was.

Yes he was. He was in the late 2011 beardie release designed to kill the revolution. He was sent into then forming FSA. Of course, the lie will come back now that the opposition demanded his/their release - they didn't. They demanded the release of non-islamists caught up under emergency legislation and tortured - often to death. They weren't released - many of those in prison then are still there today, if alive that is. The beardies were. They were released.