Military Events in Syria and Iraq thread #3

[joepistole]

The two villages South of the small circle on the map above - Zubidah and Khasaf - have been taken too.

The more interesting message today is that Israeli airforce has attacked Syrian territory (which is not really new, they do it quite often, their excuse is that they target Hisbollah), but this has not been, as before, ignored, but some Syrian rockets have been fired against them. The Syrian side claims that one plain was shot. The Israeli side denies this.

The US has hit some mosque in Al-Jinah in North-West Syria, they claim it was full of Al Qaida, the locals claim it was full of civilians. https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...strike-obliterates-mosque-northwestern-syria/ I would say under Obama nobody would have cared, now there is a chance that some Western media will care, once it can be used against Trump. We will see.

And you expect anyone other than your fellow brain dead Russians to believe this crap? Please....! Unlike your beloved Russia the US doesn't intentionally bomb religious buildings or hospitals, and goes to great lengths to avoid bombing them - even if it means putting US troops at risk. Whereas your beloved Mother Russia and Assad intentionally and routinely attack such buildings. Citing Assad or your beloved Mother Putina as you have repeatedly done and continue to do isn't convincing to anyone with a fully functional brain.

 

[Schmelzer]

Different from the many fakes which the White Helmets have presented (they have really deserved the Oscar for their fakes) here the fact that the mosque has been bombed is not even questioned, becaused the bombing itself has been admitted. The only disagreement is about what was in the mosque - civilians praying or some militants. And the site I have quoted has given all the information about this, including the United States (CENTCOM) statement about this. If Western media would follow similar standards, that would be nice.

The Syrian army has liberated yet another village, Kiyariya, North of Deir Hafer. So, one village at the North, two at the South, all this creates additional possibilities for an attack on Deir Hafer itself. Daesh has to guess from which side the attack will start. But, probably, from all sides at the same time. And there is yet time to prepare. Here is an actual map:

Is also quite impressive progress in a longer period. If one remembers, during the liberation of Aleppo Daesh was yet in control of the Infantry Academy, the red rectangle in the upper left.

 

[Schmelzer]

The Syrian army continues to progress against Daesh near Deir Hafer, and, again, from above sides. Up to now, these are all only unconfirmed twitter claims, so that one has yet to wait for confirmation. It has taken Umm Tinah, which is North-East of Deir Hafer. It is claimed that they have taken even Ahmadiya, which is a suburb of Deir Hafer, so that they are essentially inside Deir Hafer. They have taken also Um al Mara South of Deir Hafer. This would be quite important because there has been taken also an important hill, Tal Um al Mara, which would give the Syrian army fire control over Deir Hafer. Yusha Yuseef supports that Um al Mara has been taken, but says the other claims about success on the North are wrong. We will see.

 

[Oystein]

And you expect anyone other than your fellow brain dead Russians to believe this crap? Please....! Unlike your beloved Russia the US doesn't intentionally bomb religious buildings or hospitals, and goes to great lengths to avoid bombing them - even if it means putting US troops at risk. Whereas your beloved Mother Russia and Assad intentionally and routinely attack such buildings. Citing Assad or your beloved Mother Putina as you have repeatedly done and continue to do isn't convincing to anyone with a fully functional brain.

Joe, don't worry about it. No one will ever read this thread. I'm surprised this thread is even allowed here -- it's not a discussion. It's a blog. A terribly bad blog at that.

 

[Schmelzer]

I'm not surprised to learn that you don't like to see reliable information about what happens in Syria. If you think it is not reliable, you could have already presented information from sources you find reliable. How many people are interested in information about the war in Syria is another question, this is something everybody decides for himself. I think the situation with the fight against the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq is important enough - it is actually the most important military conflict, not?

More interesting is, of course, that you think it should not be allowed here. Looks like you don't like to hear good news from the Syrian army fighting various terrorist gangs? I can understand this, many if not almost all of them have been paid by Obama and Clinton with US taxpayers money.

Anyway, there are other good news today. The agreement for the transfer of the terrorists from tha Al Waer district of Homs has been started today. As usual, those who want to leave will be transferred to rebel-controlled territories, in this case to Jarabulus controlled by the Turks and pro-Turkish gangs. If this time the whole transfer will be successful, Homs will be completely free of terrorists.

 

[James R]

Schmelzer:

It is worth keeping in mind that sciforums is a discussion forum. It is not your blog. Nor is it a platform to host propaganda of any kind.

 

[Schmelzer]

I have never tried to transform it into a blog. Discussion is welcome. And what I give here is simply information about the topic - military events in Syria and Iraq. Or I'm obliged to name the Al Qaida or Daesh terrorists "freedom fighters" to avoid accusations of propaganda?

If you worry about propaganda, then, sorry, the forum is full of it. Take http://www.sciforums.com/threads/the-trump-presidency.158659/page-48#post-3444446 for example. If that is not propaganda, but some of my posts in this thread are, then I would like to learn your definition of propaganda and examples where I post IYO propaganda.

 

[James R]

Schmelzer:

I have never tried to transform it into a blog. Discussion is welcome.

If you find yourself posting repeatedly to nobody in particular, then you're probably not having a discussion. Just saying.

And what I give here is simply information about the topic - military events in Syria and Iraq.

Your posts seem particularly supportive of the Assad regime and of Russia's actions in Syria.

Or I'm obliged to name the Al Qaida or Daesh terrorists "freedom fighters" to avoid accusations of propaganda?

I don't know where you might have got that idea from. Answer: no, you are not obliged.

If you worry about propaganda, then, sorry, the forum is full of it.

We have specific posting guidelines about propaganda. Have you read them?

 

[Schmelzer]

If you find yourself posting repeatedly to nobody in particular, then you're probably not having a discussion. Just saying.

A discussion is nothing I can enforce. If nobody objects to my postings, there will be no discussion. I would guess I'm not obliged to provoke other people to get a discussion?

Your posts seem particularly supportive of the Assad regime and of Russia's actions in Syria.

Is this a problem? They fight terrorists, in particular Al Qaida, Daesh, and the child head cutters of Al Zinki. I'm open to a discussion with people who are supportive of the other side.

I don't know where you might have got that idea from. Answer: no, you are not obliged.

From remarks like your remark above. Which sounds like if being supportive of Assad and Russia in their fight against Daesh, Al Qaida and other terrorists is something bad, or evidence that what I write is propaganda or so.

We have specific posting guidelines about propaganda. Have you read them?

Don't remember. Link?

 

[James R]

Is this a problem? They fight terrorists, in particular Al Qaida, Daesh, and the child head cutters of Al Zinki. I'm open to a discussion with people who are supportive of the other side.

The Assad regime is repressive and has a history of violence against its own people. The regime, and its Russian supporters, are not only targeting Al Qaida and Daesh, but also Syrian "rebels".

Are you supportive of the bombing of civilians, hospitals and the like? Because the Assad regime and Russia have done that.

 

[sculptor]

I, for one, appreciate the updates on the Syrian war on terrorists.
(I would prefer that all maps be labeled in english---------it's the only language I know.)
but still
thanx

 

[Schmelzer]

The Assad regime is repressive and has a history of violence against its own people.

Of course, it is not a liberal democracy. But it is among the most civilized ones in that region. They have all a history of violence.

The regime, and its Russian supporters, are not only targeting Al Qaida and Daesh, but also Syrian "rebels".
Are you supportive of the bombing of civilians, hospitals and the like? Because the Assad regime and Russia have done that.

Of course not. But I have not seen yet clear evidence that Assad or the Russians have bombed hospitals or deliberately bombed civilians. That there will be, in such a civil war, also civilians killed is unavoidable.
Most of the Syrian "rebels" are islamic fundamentalists, there is essentially no secular faction among them. (There has been, initially, some secular faction, but it lost support very fast because their main interest was robbery of the population they controlled, so that the people preferred even Shariah law in comparison with that lawlessness.) In the regions under control of them, there is Shariah law. And this is not only where Al Qaida or Daesh rule directly, it is also where the US-supported FSA or the Turkish-supported "rebels" rule. Here, by the way, information that "the 1st Brigade headquarters of the Free Syrian Army, along with its corresponding Shari’ah Courts inside of Al-Qaboun" (a suburb of Damask) has been taken by the Syrian army: https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...s-rebel-hq-east-damascus-amid-latest-advance/

There are a lot of quite moderate local self-defense forces, and there is a lot of work done to make peace with them. Village by village. This is work not in the media, the Russian center for these negotiations regularly posts summaries about the results, that's all.

And I support Assad because he fights the child head cutters of Al Zinki, a gang which was supported by the US even after the video of that horrendous head cutting appeared. https://twitter.com/Souria4Syrians/status/761248812254031872

More on-topic, the heaviest fighting today was in the Eastern Damask suburbs.

The names of these suburbs will remain important during the next time, it seems. The suburb Qaboun is controlled by some mixture of FSA and Al Qaida, mainly Al Qaida, in Barza the main forces are more moderate, and there was almost an agreement for a peaceful settlement with Barza. So, one of the main aims of what the Syrian army is doing already some time is to attack Qaboun, with one of the main aims to split Quaboun from Barza, so that one can conclude a peace or negotiation agreement with Barza. Another aim is, of course, to cut the connections between various parts. This is not that easy, because there are a lot of tunnels connecting different parts.

Today there was a heavy attack from Jobar, another Al Qaida stronghold, with the aim to connect with Qaboun. There was some initial progress, but later the Syrian army started a counterattack, and seems to have reverted the gains, and taken some buildings themselves.

 

[joepistole]

Israel warns Assad the will take out his air defenses.

 

[Schmelzer]

Today good news. It is now officially that the attack of Al Qaida yesterday has resulted in nothing, all gains have been reverted, the last ones during the night.

In Palmyra, the Syrian army has liberated 5 defense points in the mountains North-East of Palmyra. It has been commented that the attack was surprisingly easy, given that the attacking forces were even less than the Daesh defenders. An indication that the morals of Daesh, or at least some parts of it, are decreasing. The points themselves are already beyond the region which was controlled by the Syrian army before the latest Daesh offensive against Palmyra, they were under Daesh control over the last three years.

In East Aleppo, the offensive against Daesh continues too:

Yesterday, one small village, Ash Shuraymah, was taken, today Al Qusayr and Jinni as Salamah. So, its looks like they try everything to motivate Daesh to give up Deir Hafer because of the danger of encirclement. This makes sense, fighting for small villages is much less dangerous to create collateral damage, one can use aircraft, artillery and tanks without problem, it is much easier to see where the enemy is. So, one can leave the cities as the last thing to do, after taking everything around it, and this gives, additionally, the hope that many Daesh fighters simply run away without a necessity to fight in the city.

Regarding the conflict with Israel, the Israeli ambassador in Russia was summoned, so it seems quite clear that if Israel starts to destroy Syrian air defenses there will be some conflict with Russia. Assad has also said something along the lines that he has not only the right but also the obligation to defend Syrian territory. I would guess nothing will follow after this. http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/1.778343

 

[Schmelzer]

The news of today are in some parts repetitions of the yesterday news. In East Aleppo, three other villages have been taken, extending the advance in the same direction: Hamid Hawsh, Kharayih Diham, and Jafira Mansur.

And in Jobar, Al Qaida has, again, started an attack, again there are vague informations about some small progress, but nothing serious.

 

[Yazata]

The Assad regime is repressive and has a history of violence against its own people. The regime, and its Russian supporters, are not only targeting Al Qaida and Daesh, but also Syrian "rebels".

Are you supportive of the bombing of civilians, hospitals and the like? Because the Assad regime and Russia have done that.

I think that since 2003, the history of the Middle East has shown the folly of creating power vacuums by overthrowing tyrants with little or no thought to what will replace them. We saw it in Iraq, which spiraled into being a failed state once Saddam was overthrown. We saw it in Libya which spiraled into a failed state once Qaddafi was overthrown. We saw it in Yemen. We saw it in Egypt where the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak led to the Muslim Brotherhood taking control. (Luckily the Egyptian military was able to take back control.) And we saw it decades earlier in Somalia, when the Siad Barre dictatorship collapsed. (Somalia might never recover.)

Given that history, I'm skeptical about all the breezy moralistic talk about how overthrowing Assad will be a good thing for the Syrian people and for the world. The obvious question is: What is supposed to replace Assad?

Assad is a brutal dictator, I think that we can all agree on that.

But frankly, I don't see any realistic path to his being replaced by anything better. The "rebels" are a loose and disorganized assortment of mostly radical Islamist groups. If they ever ended up in control in Damascus, they would immediately start fighting among themselves for supremacy. They generally favor imposition of strict shariah law and driving all non-Sunnis out of Syria. That's millions of people, some of them historic communities there since late antiquity. More than one of the stronger and currently ascendant rebel groups are current or former al Quaida affiliates.

So I think that the most realistic, achievable and least harmful path forward is Assad reasserting his tyranny. It will be ugly, but it looks to me like the best of a collection of bad options.

I don't really favor the United States or its allies (like Australia) allying with Assad. He's too smelly and nasty for that. So let the less fastidious (and more desperate) Russians do it. I don't see how Syria returning to its historical position as a Russian client will hurt any vital US interests. It would help US interests since the US has no interest in any more countries in that part of the world devolving into anarchy.

A patchwork Syria "ruled" by dozens of competing radical Islamist militias is in neither the American, the Australian or the world's interest.

 

[CptBork]

Because Assad's Syria was ever so politically stable and terror-free before America intervened...

 

[Schmelzer]

The heros of America/Turkey/Saudi Arabia have started yesterday from their big Idlib territory a big offensive in Northern Hama. Today they have reached some progress and taken some villages. The attack was nicely coordinated with Daesh, which at the same time attacked the road between Aleppo and Hama to prevent enforcements coming from Aleppo.

This is good news for Daesh too, because one can expect that at least some of the Tiger forces which are encircling Deir Hafer will now be used in Hama. Whatever, as a farewell present they have taken today two other villages, Jafra and Um Adasa, and therefore cut the M4 highway between Deir Hafer and the Jirah airbase. There is yet enough place to run away using a 4 km wide strip between the M4 and the canal, using small village roads, so that it is not yet encirclement. But, anyway, not nice. We will see if this continues, or if the Hama attack is so serious that one needs all power there.

 

[Schmelzer]

Wow, the Tiger forces are far from stopping their job, they have, instead, increased their activity. And taken five villages during the day, two more in the East of Deir Hafer, and two North of it. Deir Hafer is now under complete fire control, because one of the villages taken in the North is named Tel Sous, and a hill in it. And one taken in the East is also named Tel Akoula so there is something hill-like too. The big hill in the South is already under control.

Giving away 5 villages at the same day looks like Deir Hafr has been given up too. Else, there would have been at least some resistance. Last but not least, the village Ahmadieya North of Deir Hafer is essentially simply a name of a suburb of Deir Hafer, nothing between them, and the distance between Tel Akoula and Deir Hafer is 500 m. The map leaves yet some place to run away, but there is not even a single village between, only 3 km field.

The situation in North Hama looks, instead, quite bad:

There is information that the attacking forces are some 5-6000, elite forces of the terrorists, a lot of them from Caucasus or so. So, there are actually a lot of reinforcements driving to Hama to stop this offensive and revert the gains.

 

[CptBork]

Not to worry, Putin will have the war wrapped up by Christmas (2021).