And next, Syria?

[Casually Red]

it may have already been posted about as it has been happening for a while, but protests in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province have been going on for about 148 days now against al-Nusra/JFS as well as against the regime, and also in support of the local FSA 13th Division.
link




link

Protestors and FSA fighters got into a street brawl with al-Nusra militants.
link

some pictures from various times over the course of the protests:

'The people are the strongest faction'

'The free people will bring down Assad and Russia and Iran'

'When we unite against injustice we win... When we disagree because of the parties and factions we are defeated'
I take it this is an FSA fighter with a flag of the FSA 13th Division behind him.

As you can see from the dates written on the protest signs, this one from just a couple of days ago, the protests are still running.

I like this quote to emphasise voices that are too easily silenced as we follow the military conflict:

link
link

From what I can tell, Jund Al-Aqsa was one of the factions working with Al-Nusra/JFS as part of the JaF Islamist alliance in the town.

So it's not all over yet.

Yeah , seen that. After inviting, hosting and fighting alongside Al Qaeda for years in Idlib as comrades, supporting the Al Qaeda war effort by giving them TOW cover , they woke up one morning to find the thousands of Al Qaeda terrorists they'd invited in and made welcome into Syria , and who were doing most of the fighting, got the funny idea they were in charge .
Al Qaeda just turned round and took all Division 13s fancy US weapons off them and swatted them aside like a fly. Now they completely run the place . And there's nothing they can do about it except hold a few placards up .

Who saw that coming ? Eh ? rocket scientists to a man . However the pretence of opposing them despite sitting in the trenches with them for years on end keeps the US link open . And because Al Qaeda still need their TOW supply they tolerate this wholly ineffectual public display rather than chopping all their heads off.which they can do later when their rival caliphate is proclaimed .

 

[butchersapron]

Bad this inviting foreign forces who then take over is it? I take it you're making this point about Iran effectively running the Syrian state - and most definitely running what's left of the SAA.

 

[inva]

possibly useful attempt to document groups involved in anti regime forces in the fighting around the Aleppo siege.

link

 

[inva]

mildly informative talk with Charles Lister. Little bit about the situation with the southern front towards the end and a few other bits and pieces that might be of interest to you all.

 

[Flavour]

The ticking time bomb waiting to explode western interests in Syria | The Canary

Now I don't necessarily agree with this piece but thought it worth posting as I don't remember much discussion here yet about the consequences of the new (however superficial) Erdogan-Putin buddying-up. Not sure if Putin has yet or will be able to convince Erdogan to end support for anti-Assad forces, but maybe that support has long dried up anyway. I really have no clue about how Turkey is acting materially in Syria, though there was obviously a lot of secret dealings with Daesh in 2014-5 again I'm not sure there's much there any more.

Anyway the battle for Aleppo rages on.

 

[inva]

The ticking time bomb waiting to explode western interests in Syria | The Canary

Now I don't necessarily agree with this piece but thought it worth posting as I don't remember much discussion here yet about the consequences of the new (however superficial) Erdogan-Putin buddying-up. Not sure if Putin has yet or will be able to convince Erdogan to end support for anti-Assad forces, but maybe that support has long dried up anyway. I really have no clue about how Turkey is acting materially in Syria, though there was obviously a lot of secret dealings with Daesh in 2014-5 again I'm not sure there's much there any more.

Anyway the battle for Aleppo rages on.

I've not read the article you linked yet, but you might interested in some talk on that subject in the video I posted above. Lister's view if I remember right is that Turkey is too invested in the conflict to back out much at this stage.

 

[Casually Red]

Yeah. It's going to be yet more terrible suffering for civilians. Let's hope that with the siege lifted on FSA aligned that their hand might be strengthened in relation to the JaF at least if the regime was to fall completely in Aleppo.


I don't know if ultimately it will be possible, but many Syrians have been trying to do so for years now. Assad has got to go hasn't he? The longer it drags on the more advantage is given to JFS and co, yet as long as there's ordinary people there trying to live without them and without the dictatorship, organising themselves, then there's still people trying to build something better.

Assad isn't going anywhere . nor does he have to . regardless of what the Emir of Qatar might have to say on the matter .

I note you've been frantically plugging the views of that Lister character to back your points up . Lister is an employee , and indeed spokesperson for, the Qatari royal family . Via their Doha institute . A paid shill in other words, not a journalist or unbiased academic . A shill in the fullest and truest sense of the word .

The Qatari Royal family are..as it happens...a major backer of this terrorist campaign funnelling literally billions in finance and arms to a vast swathe of these head choppers . Would be architects of regime change and would be future rulers of Syria by proxy . The proxies in this case being the armed head choppers of all stripes which they finance , and to an extent the western governments they bribe and influence . Cameron for example was a sock puppet for lister amd the qataris when he made that laughable " 70'000" moderates " claim . Anyway, Cameron's gone now. Assad probably barely noticed his departure any more than he paid heed to his and Qatars demands for the Syrian president to vacate his office .

Fisk sums up Listers paid shill credentials quite succinctly at the bottom of this informative piece . As well as reasonably decent analysis of the line Lister is pushing for his bosses and why . And that recent Al Qaeda rebranding, which hopes to make Qatar and Listers job of flogging their jihadi horse to western palates a little easier.

Good piece that one

Robert Fisk: After splitting with Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra is being presented as 'moderate'. It is not

 

[Casually Red]

mildly informative talk with Charles Lister. Little bit about the situation with the southern front towards the end and a few other bits and pieces that might be of interest to you all.

As an addendum to this for anyone who's interested, Listers institute received $ 14. 8 million dollars from the Qatari Royal family . A meagre sum compared to the vast allocation of arms and finance Qatar directs towards the very armed groups Mr Lister is talking up there for a western audience .

Mildly informative bearing in mind Inva has neglected to mention this particular detail . A detail some might find sort of important when considering that analysis .

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/us/politics/foreign-powers-buy-influence-at-think-tanks.html?_r=1

Eta

And more

Questions Raised About Ties Between Brookings Institution, Qatar’s Government

 

[inva]

Assad isn't going anywhere . nor does he have to . regardless of what the Emir of Qatar might have to say on the matter .

I note you've been frantically plugging the views of that Lister character to back your points up . Lister is an employee , and indeed spokesperson for, the Qatari royal family . Via their Doha institute . A paid shill in other words, not a journalist or unbiased academic . A shill in the fullest and truest sense of the word .

The Qatari Royal family are..as it happens...a major backer of this terrorist campaign funnelling literally billions in finance and arms to a vast swathe of these head choppers . Would be architects of regime change and would be future rulers of Syria by proxy . The proxies in this case being the armed head choppers of all stripes which they finance , and to an extent the western governments they bribe and influence . Cameron for example was a sock puppet for lister amd the qataris when he made that laughable " 70'000" moderates " claim . Anyway, Cameron's gone now. Assad probably barely noticed his departure any more than he paid heed to his and Qatars demands for the Syrian president to vacate his office .

Fisk sums up Listers paid shill credentials quite succinctly at the bottom of this informative piece . As well as reasonably decent analysis of the line Lister is pushing for his bosses and why . And that recent Al Qaeda rebranding, which hopes to make Qatar and Listers job of flogging their jihadi horse to western palates a little easier.

Good piece that one

Robert Fisk: After splitting with Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra is being presented as 'moderate'. It is not

I haven't cited Lister in support of any points. I quoted him in relation to a couple of bits of news, all of which were correct and uncontested and I posted a video of a talk with him. Feel free to post up any examples of my 'frantic plugging' you might have

Why on Earth you're jabbering on about David Cameron and the Qataris I have no clue. Fisk is a joke, couldn't care less what he has to say about anything.

Anyway weirdly you've quoted an anti JFS post of mine to accuse me of plugging someone you seem to characterise as pro JFS. Get a grip. Who's calling JFS moderate? Not me, post your ravings to someone else.

 

[Casually Red]

I haven't cited Lister in support of any points. I quoted him in relation to a couple of bits of news, all of which were correct and uncontested and the I posted a video of a talk with him. Feel free to post up any examples of my 'frantic plugging' you might have

Why on Earth you're jabbering on about David Cameron and the Qataris I have no clue. Fisk is a joke, couldn't care less what he has to say about anything.

Anyway weirdly you've quoted an anti JFS post of mine to accuse me of plugging someone you seem to characterise as pro JFS. Get a grip. Who's calling JFS moderate? Not me, post your ravings to someone else.

Why are you getting so upset about me pointing out that expert you keep quoting is a paid Qatari shill ?

I'm jabbering on about Cameron because his points about the mythical 70 000 moderates was the line Lister has been peddling for the qataris . A pipe dream you seem to be promoting as well, coincidentally. While..coincidentally..repeatedly promoting Lister. Whom..coincidentally..you neglect to mention is a well known paid Qatari shill .

And if you wish to rebut..multi award winning middle east journalists.. Fisks analysis of Listers credentials and who he works for, merely dismissing him as a joke is a very shit way of doing that . As in doesn't rebut it all .

And also I'm not really posting to you. I'm just underlining to anyone else who might be reading that stuff your posting the paid shill nature of it . Andwhat Listers agenda is.

If you were unaware of Listers background you should be thanking me for keeping you up to date.

Very ungrateful of you .

 

[inva]

Why are you getting so upset about me pointing out that expert you keep quoting is a paid Qatari shill ?

I'm jabbering on about Cameron because his points about the mythical 70 000 moderates was the line Lister has been peddling for the qataris . A pipe dream you seem to be promoting as well, coincidentally. While..coincidentally..repeatedly promoting Lister. Whom..coincidentally..you neglect to mention is a well known paid Qatari shill .

And if you wish to rebut..multi award winning middle east journalists.. Fisks analysis of Listers credentials and who he works for, merely dismissing him as a joke is a very shit way of doing that . As in doesn't rebut it all .

And also I'm not really posting to you. I'm just underlining to anyone else who might be reading that stuff your posting the paid shill nature of it . Andwhat Listers agenda is.

If you were unaware of Listers background you should be thanking me for keeping you up to date.

Very ungrateful of you .

I notice you didn't manage to dig up any of these frantic plugs of mine, I expect there's so many of them you just can't decide which to pick.

I don't wish to rebut Fisk, I didn't read the article. Multi award winning - woah. Lister's probably won awards - who cares? all kinds of jokers win them.

When did I say anything about 70000 moderates? I've never even mentioned moderates.

Weird.

 

[inva]

possibly useful attempt to document groups involved in anti regime forces in the fighting around the Aleppo siege.
link

following up on this, the same person has posted up an effort at charting the opposition groups involved in the whole Syria conflict. I've not read through it all, but I think it should be worth a look.
link

 

[Casually Red]

I notice you didn't manage to dig up any of these frantic plugs of mine, I expect there's so many of them you just can't decide which to pick.

I don't wish to rebut Fisk, I didn't read the article. Multi award winning - woah. Lister's probably won awards - who cares? all kinds of jokers win them.

When did I say anything about 70000 moderates? I've never even mentioned moderates.

Weird.

True, you never actually used the word " moderate" yourself . Instead you merely continually hype up the...insubstantial.. presence and ...non existent...influence of those groups the west define as " moderate " .while using lister to back up those points. Ending up basically making the same points Cameron and Lister and a host of these soros funded groups make. Just coincidentally . Without actually using the word "moderate" yourself.

Namely , Assad is the root of all evil in Syria . False . His overthrow will bring an end to the conflict...false again . That the western backed " moderates " may well somehow possess the strength and influence to bring the jihadists to heel in that ..very unlikely.. event ...laughable in the extreme .

And it's not just lister who's a dark horse. Some of your other links come from well dodgy punters as well. Syria Deeply ?

It'll be Avaaz..or God save us..the White Helmets next .

 

[inva]

True, you never actually used the word " moderate" yourself . Instead you merely continually hype up the...insubstantial.. presence and ...non existent...influence of those groups the west define as " moderate " .while using lister to back up those points. Ending up basically making the same points Cameron and Lister and a host of these soros funded groups make. Just coincidentally . Without actually using the word "moderate" yourself.

Namely , Assad is the root of all evil in Syria . False . His overthrow will bring an end to the conflict...false again . That the western backed " moderates " may well somehow possess the strength and influence to bring the jihadists to heel in that ..very unlikely.. event ...laughable in the extreme .

And it's not just lister who's a dark horse. Some of your other links come from well dody punters as well. Syria Deeply ?

what hype? what groups? when have I backed up anything about any groups with Lister? bollocks. I'd hardly even mentioned him at all until you started harping on about him. still not posted up the frantic plugs I'm meant to have been making, 3rd time of asking. I've been frantic about it you said - why not post some examples and refresh my memory.

Basically making what same points? 70000 moderates? never said anything of the sort. The reason I didn't use the word moderates is because I'm not interested in moderation it's nonsense. more bollocks.

Never said Assad's the root of all evil, never said his overthrow would bring an end to the conflict, and said I hoped it might be possible in the future to sideline the Islamists, but that current events are strengthening them - controversial eh. So even more bollocks in other words. Namely

An avalanche... of bluster. Going... on about... Cameron. Are you alright?

anyway, since it doesn't look like you're going to back up any of this weird stuff you're spouting I guess that's probably the end of it isn't it.

 

[inva]

reports of a chlorine gas attack amid more bombing in an opposition held area of Aleppo.

At least four people are dead after a suspected chlorine gas attack on the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo.

The gas is believed to have been dropped alongside barrel bombs on the Zubdiya neighbourhood, which is in the rebel-held part of the city.

Hamza Khatib, manager of Al Quds hospital, told Reuters that he had recorded four deaths and 55 injuries.

In other news, in this BBC report an FSA commander claims that food and aid is starting to enter east Aleppo through the route they recently opened, but not enough can be getting through yet. A woman they speak to says they've run out of food and have been cooking the leaves off trees.

 

[CrabbedOne]

In The National Death of a Syrian arms salesman

This tale would make a good thriller plot and also illustrates quite a lot about Syria.

 

[butchersapron]

SDF declare manbij liberated. Heads up for a few Kobani style suiciders. Also expect the usual stories of kurdish ethnic cleansing from amnesty etc

 

[inva]

SDF declare manbij liberated. Heads up for a few Kobani style suiciders. Also expect the usual stories of kurdish ethnic cleansing from amnesty etc

and now by the looks of it not far from cutting IS off from the northern border.

 

[butchersapron]

and now by the looks of it not far from cutting IS off from the northern border.

Jarabulus next - that's going to be a real drawn out horrible fight. Or maybe just continue the push west and leave it surrounded - but, given its strategic importance as key supply centre for ISIS across the whole country that may not be wise.

 

[inva]

Jarabulus next - that's going to be a real drawn out horrible fight. Or maybe just continue the push west and leave it surrounded - but, given its strategic importance as key supply centre for ISIS across the whole country that may not be wise.

I wonder how IS would react to SDF threatening Dabiq if they kept moving west, it would be a major symbolic blow for them to lose that I would've thought.

 

[butchersapron]

I wonder how IS would react to SDF threatening Dabiq if they kept moving west, it would be a major symbolic blow for them to lose that I would've thought.

If i remember right, in their eschatology they actually need to lose it to kick off the final battle. When the efrin SDF made a feint towards it last year they did rather panic and send loads of fighters there.

 

[inva]

If i remember right, in their eschatology they actually need to lose it to kick off the final battle. When the efrin SDF made a feint towards it last year they did rather panic and send loads of fighters there.

I'm pretty sure that's right. I don't suppose they want to be in a position of having to declare they actually are in the final battle, better to keep it always on the horizon.

 

[CrabbedOne]

The Russians were offering a rebel group based just up the road from Dabiq CAS.

 

[CrabbedOne]

In Observer Russia Hints It Might Hide Nukes in Syria

Well they say they won't, what's significant here is the commitment to build up the base at Khmeimim in Latakia. They've been steadily investing in military infrastructure. Another signal the Russians are in Syria to stay.

 

[Casually Red]

In Observer Russia Hints It Might Hide Nukes in Syria

Well they say they won't, what's significant here is the commitment to build up the base at Khmeimim in Latakia. They've been steadily investing in military infrastructure. Another signal the Russians are in Syria to stay.

They certainly are . Which means while it spells ultimate doom for the jihadists ,should Clinton get elected there'll be a major risk of a showdown / faceoff there . She and her camp are utterly committed to Syrias subjugation . And Russia's frankly . Vitally important there's as much progress made as possible before she assumes office . Assuming she does .

 

[Idris2002]

The Russians were offering a rebel group based just up the road from Dabiq CAS.

"CAS"?

 

[Casually Red]

"CAS"?

Close air support .

 

[CrabbedOne]

Aron Lund reckons despite the belligerent rhetoric Clinton is unlikely to be greatly different from Obama in Syria. Getting into a fight with the Russians over who rules Damascus simply isn't worth it to the US. The Russians have done a smart job in managing Israeli fears about Iranian dominance in Syria and while Tel Aviv is onside I reckon a Clinton run DC will be as well. I think Clinton will try to screw Putin but probably closer to home.

The very touchy Trump on the other hand is an entirely unknown quantity. Clinton may have poor judgement but Trump would be far out of his depth and has the instincts of a mobster. Judging from his career and campaign he's not a man who leaves slights unpunished even if it does him harm. Once he finds Putin plays hardball he might well lash out.

One knowledgeable observer noted what a US President says before they get into office is pretty much wind, they tend to do the opposite. The last Bush promised a humbler foreign policy for instance. One of Bashar Assad's few moments of wisdom.

 

[Casually Red]

I wouldn't be so sure . Clinton has actually said very little, knowing that to talk about what she intends doing will cost her votes . For the very same reasons she decided to finally u turn a bit for appearances sake ,and very cynically and very belatedly call her support for the Iraq debacle " a mistake " . Purely to allow her sycophantic supporters to be able to deflect criticism from her warmongering record . Which cost her the contest against Obama .

This pretty much nails clintons position on the head in my view. Her choice of running mate is very pro intervention on Syria . So is Fluornoy, her choice to head up the military department . The neo cons who planned Iraq are firmly in her camp . If she assumes office then we can reasonably expect US involvement on every front to ramp up right from the first day she sits in the chair

The Democratic Party’s Silence on Syria

And as regards personality characteristics Killary meltdowns are legendary, and psychotic . She has the sense though to ...usually..do them in private .

Hillary told one agent to 'f*** off' and another he looked 'cheap.'

Trump merely insults people on twitter . Clinton doesn't even need to be insulted by anyone before she destroys a country or murders its inhabitants .

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Reuters Heavy fighting in Aleppo as Syrian rebels renew their assault: monitor

Some reports that Jabhat Fateh al-Sham have taken the cement factory in South Aleppo, an important SAA base. Would be another boost for AQ's reputation within the Syrian revolt.