RainbowSingularity
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can you circle them on the picture to show ?
Military Events in Syria and Iraq Thread #4
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can you circle them on the picture to show ?
Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
Correct.
I don't know. The closest buildings do not look like living houses, but the nearby quarter behind the green look like usual living quarters.
Please post your credentials as a qualified military analyst/Assad regime insider. How the hell would you know what "seems" to be or not?
Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
A map from the advantages in the Rastan pocket shows that the advance was on a quite wide front.
But given that they attacked the most important military airports and sites in suburbs of Damascus, one can guess that there were essentially no other restrictions.
An interesting information coming from SOHR (which is considered as an MI6 cover). It openly contradicts Trump's claims that nothing was shot down:
The choice was, of course, made by the attacking side, but there were obviously also some restrictions from the Russian side, as for the path of the rockets, as for the targets. The main restriction was a quite large region around the Russian bases. And, as a target, the government quarters of Damascus were explicitly forbidden (this was explicitly said, I have heard it).
But given that they attacked the most important military airports and sites in suburbs of Damascus, one can guess that there were essentially no other restrictions.
An interesting information coming from SOHR (which is considered as an MI6 cover). It openly contradicts Trump's claims that nothing was shot down:
So far about who lies, Trump or Putin. SOHR decided not to destroy its reputation by publishing obvious lies, and the 65+ does not even contradict the Russian 71. (As I wrote - they lie about anything one cannot easily prove and what is useful for anti-Russian propaganda, but they give quite accurate information where they have to expect that lies can be easily detected.)
Arguing about how many missiles hit is just a mindless dick measuring contest. If Tomahawks were intercepted, whoopeedeedoo, they fly slowly and are based on old technology. Intercepted or not, it looks like the US and its allies hit all the targets they intended to hit and thoroughly destroyed them. The US claims all targets were struck within a two minute span, and most of the Syrian air defense launches came well after the initial impacts, so someone's definitely bullshitting, but now that Russia's making its own claims, they ought to put their money where their mouths are and show some of the wreckage from un-detonated NATO missiles.
Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
Not at all. The US claimed after the failure that the empty unprotected shacks they succeeded to destroy were all the targets. Which is what you have to tell if you want to sell that there were no interceptions.
The US is definitely bullshitting, given that they claim nothing intercepted but even SOHR acknowledged 65+ intercepted. Why do you think the Russians have to present something? There was enough evidence visible, so much that SOHR decided they would destroy their reputation by lying about the 65+ they know about.
By the way, some information from the ground in Douma:
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Thank you for bringing that back up. What's the excuse for Russia and Assad to deny OPCW access to the site, which was nowhere near any US coalition strikes? They don't need security guarantees from Russia and Assad, they need these actors to step aside and not murder them while they attempt to do their work.
First the WHO is denied access, now it's the OPCW, which has already had its previous conclusions tossed out by Russia at the UN. Assad has already claimed to control Douma for the past week, which means his troops are responsible for who gets in and out, not rebels, and it is not rebels keeping the OPCW from going in and doing its work. So if it's not chemical weapons, what do you think Russia and Assad are hiding from these inspectors?
Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
This night there was another attack against some Syrian airbases, not completely clear which have been attacked, but what seems clear is that T4 was again among the targets.
According to the information I have, it is not Russia or Assad (this American journalist obviously has access) but the OPCW or UN guys responsible for the security of the OPCW inspection have yet denied access. Too dangerous yet. As I have written yesterday or two days ago there has been some fighting with some remaining terrorists who have protected some hidden weapon storage. So, quite plausible that some bureaucrats responsible for the security have problems.
The Assad regime has been conducting guided media tours of Douma for several days now, while preventing tourists (or anyone else) from visiting the contaminated sites. No evidence of terrorist activity at those sites, and the OPCW hasn't said anything about such activity either. The OPCW has clearly stated repeatedly that Assad and his backers are the ones denying access, and they're the ones with whom this access is currently being negotiated. So once again I ask you- if it's not chemical weapons traces, then what do you think Russia and Assad are hiding in Douma?
Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
There has been found an agreement between the Syrian forces and local forces in the town of Dumair. Dumair is part of a greater pocket, East Qalamoun. Some sufficiently large rebel group have completely switched sides and is now on the Syrian side. But this is not an accident, in fact this rebel group has been known to be moderate, and has explicitly even cooperated with the Syrian army against Daesh.
But in that same pocket there are also other forces, and the negotiations with them have failed, and the Syrian army has now started a military action against those other forces.
In the Rastan pocket, the islamists have started yesterday a counterattack, which failed. There is some claim that there has now started a ceasefire for negotiations.
BTW, another actor has been found, 11yo, he played gas victim and received for this something to eat.
But in that same pocket there are also other forces, and the negotiations with them have failed, and the Syrian army has now started a military action against those other forces.
In the Rastan pocket, the islamists have started yesterday a counterattack, which failed. There is some claim that there has now started a ceasefire for negotiations.
Sorry, CptBork, but I have different information about what prevents the OPCW visits to the critical cites, and therefore I think they hide nothing. At least the hospital seems open to journalists, there have been actual photos from it working with patients inside.
BTW, another actor has been found, 11yo, he played gas victim and received for this something to eat.
Reports are stating that the OPCW attempted to reach Douma yesterday, and were forced to turn back after being fired upon. Given that Assad has already claimed to have full control of the area, and it has been visited by journalists both on organized tours and independently, as well as Russian officers and chemical weapons inspectors, it seems almost certain that this incident was staged by Assad or his allies in order to prevent the OPCW from completing its work.
Why are Putin and Assad able to guarantee security for their own "inspectors" and journalists willing to report their version of events in Douma, but suddenly they're unable to do it for the independent expert investigators they claim to want? Was anyone arrested or bombed after shooting at the UN convoy, were there any battles like there usually would be after such an incident, or do the Russians really expect us to blame it on Santa Claus?
Why are Putin and Assad able to guarantee security for their own "inspectors" and journalists willing to report their version of events in Douma, but suddenly they're unable to do it for the independent expert investigators they claim to want? Was anyone arrested or bombed after shooting at the UN convoy, were there any battles like there usually would be after such an incident, or do the Russians really expect us to blame it on Santa Claus?
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Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
In the town Dumayr the busses to transport the terrorist out have arrived, and there is information that in the town already the Syrian flag has been hissed.
The next most important town of the East Qalamoun enclave has been encircled now by the Syrian army, and it seems negotiation with those in the encircled town have started too.
By the way, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Relations announces that
“Syrian Government forces found chlorine in containers, the most dangerous kind of chemical weapons, from Germany and smoke pellets produced in – attention – Salisbury, Great Britain,”
https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...s-from-salisbury-found-in-e-ghouta-zakharova/
The next most important town of the East Qalamoun enclave has been encircled now by the Syrian army, and it seems negotiation with those in the encircled town have started too.
I have no privileged insider info, I use completely open sources, simply also Russian and German ones given that I know the language. What I have seen there was some shooting nearby. And the difference is the bureaucratic-diplomatic ones: It is one thing to allow access to everybody who likes - if some journalist will be shot, or blown away by a mine, so what, his fault. But if this happens to an OPCW inspector, given security warranties from Russia, and in need of permission of its own security bureaucracy, is a completely different one.
Feel free to name such nonsense "almost certain", I thought "highly likely" is the phrase of the day to make such nonsense claims.
I don't know. What I have heard was not even shooting at the convoy, but simply nearby shooting.
By the way, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Relations announces that
“Syrian Government forces found chlorine in containers, the most dangerous kind of chemical weapons, from Germany and smoke pellets produced in – attention – Salisbury, Great Britain,”
https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...s-from-salisbury-found-in-e-ghouta-zakharova/
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exchemist
Valued Senior Member
Nobody outside Russia believes a word they say any more. There have been more than ten different absurd stories about the poisoning of the Skripals. It seems to be a scatter-gun approach, to flood the world with lots of contradictory "alternative facts" in the hope that nobody will know what to believe any more and we'll all give up. The same is true of this chemical weapon attack. First, there was no evidence of chemical weapons, according to the Russians. Now, apparently, not only is there evidence but it all points to Germany and , ludicrously, Salisbury - which is a rural market town whose only chemical plant was a gasworks that closed in the 1980s.
I don't think that St Petersburg troll farm is doing such a brilliant job.
I don't think that St Petersburg troll farm is doing such a brilliant job.
Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
The Syrian army has started to attack Daesh (ISIS) in the Southern part of Damascus around the Jarmouk camp:
But, of course, they speculate. You would not start to speculate if it is claimed that Julia Skripal, for whatever reason, does not want to see her closest relatives? Of course, they all speculate that probably neither Julia nor her father will never appear in any media, never contact their relatives in Russia, but simply "accept" the generous offer of the secret services to get a new identity, and will never be seen again. And nobody will know where their remains were buried.
PS: There is some information from Lavrov https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...d-un-mission-in-douma-were-warned-in-advance/ :
What is the point? Russia has a free press, which, of course, speculates. There is no official theory at all, all what is done officially is to ask questions.
But, of course, they speculate. You would not start to speculate if it is claimed that Julia Skripal, for whatever reason, does not want to see her closest relatives? Of course, they all speculate that probably neither Julia nor her father will never appear in any media, never contact their relatives in Russia, but simply "accept" the generous offer of the secret services to get a new identity, and will never be seen again. And nobody will know where their remains were buried.
They give information what has been found in Douma. That's all. If on the smoke pellets is written "Salisbury", such is life.
PS: There is some information from Lavrov https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...d-un-mission-in-douma-were-warned-in-advance/ :
If it's safe for high level Russian military officers and escorted journalists to visit the site and announce their presence, and Russian chemical experts claim to have tested the site and found nothing, then it should be just as safe for the OPCW. The OPCW has not said that terrorists are blocking their entry, they keep saying it's Assad who holds them back, and as I said before, the WHO has been demanding access to Douma for over a week and they've also been blocked thus far. If you're going to prevent any means of independent investigation from occurring, then you can't get upset when other countries start making reasonable assumptions based on the evidence they can access, much of it unavailable to members of the public such as you and I.
I'm going to stick with "almost certain", until you can come up with a plausible alternative explanation for events on the ground, instead of just lying through your teeth and dismissing everything that contradicts you as propaganda.
You don't really know anything about what's truly happening in Syria (or at least you pretend not to), and all the information you've ever accepted is based on hearsay as if you heard it all from your neighbour.
Ok, first you post photos which purport to prove that the chemical attacks were faked, then you claim there may have indeed been an attack and that it's Germany or Britain's fault if there was one. So which is it? Do you have indisputable proof that the attacks were faked, or do you have indisputable proof that something really happened?
Actually, there's an old East European man I see at the gym all the time who buys everything Putin says hook line and sinker, follows all the conspiracy blogs, and he's always rambling about this shit to anyone who will listen. Always bitching about Israel, Mossad, CIA, America did blah blah blah 100 years ago so they should all suffer today, everything which contradicts him is fake mainstream media news- pretty much Schmelzer word for word, but not quite as good at twisting logic to support his argument. So there definitely are some fools out there who are prone to genuinely believing in this nonsense, but I think they'd believe it even without all the Russian propaganda being pushed out, and I'm pretty confident that this particular guy is just bitter about seeing western society prosper while his old Socialist International buddies wallow in irrelevance.
Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
How many times to explain you that, no, there are completely different security standards.
Then, a more detailed description I have found in http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2018-04/giftgasangriff-duma-opcw-ermittlungen-syrien-un which is a NATO propaganda paper, citing Ahmet Üzümcü, who is general director or so of OPCW. What was attacked was not the OPCW team itself, but a UN security team, and they visited not the site itself, but the town. The job of the team was to look at the situation in the whole town.
That means, it is the UN which actually considers the situation as not safe, and the OPCW leadership which will start the investigation only if the UN security team considers the situation to be safe. So, given that Zeit is a pro-NATO source, forget about your fantasies.
Again, the hospital (the place where the fake video was made) is open and working. So, everybody can visit it, locals in need of medical help as well as Western journalists.
The particular house which is claimed to be hit by the bomb (the video where the gas bomb is sleeping in a bed) should be secured by the police, until the OPCW inspection comes. The guided tour was, IIRC, made to the hospital, not sure if to the site itself too. Clearly, one would not allow Western journalists doing something on the site itself unobserved , the danger that they would place false evidence would be far too large. The area around the house is open to the public - normal people are living there. And of course Russian journalists are not snowflakes, they have no problems with visiting even the front line, so of course they go around and ask locals what they can tell about these "attacks".
Then, that the Syrians have found yet another storage, with nice things from Germany and Salisbury, is completely unrelated additional information. The site has been found, in this site, nice things have been found, this information is given. You seem to have problems with simple information being presented as it is, without a propaganda theory behind it. You are used to a world where the media present one theory, the official one, and are completely confused by a society with free media, were some media simply present facts, other media are free to speculate about what happens, and everybody is used to free thinking people who don't trust any media and like to think themselves.
There is indisputable evidence that the video in the hospital was faked, with a lot of details about how it was faked. Now with already three people seen in the video, two physicians and one "gassed boy", telling what has happened, on videos open in the net.
The other video, with the bomb falling down from a helicopter into a wooden bed without destroying it, is obviously enough a fake too.
There have been claims about some probes from the victims appearing somewhere in the South, Jordan or so, which was laughable, given that Douma was encircled. This seems to have been understood, and this "evidence" has not been mentioned in the media after this, so it looks like we can forget about it. (The probes will probably be stored and reappear in the next fake attack in the South. So, predictably, there will be yet another fake attack in the South, near Daraa, when the Syrian army will liberate it, and in this case there will be probes coming out of this region to Jordan. I would guess the other problem with these probes in Jordan was that they were with Sarin, but the story in Douma is with chlorine or so. If correct, we can predict that the future attack in Daraa will be with Sarin. So far a little bit conspiracy prediction.
) There were some photos of victims, and they also have been criticized as probably faked.
Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
The attack against Daesh in the South of Damascus was quite successful, most of them have now agreed to give up and to be driven away. Only a small part of them in the Yarmuk camp refused to accept this and wants to continue fighting. The Syrian forces continue to attack the remains.
The RT video with the boy who has participated in the fake video. As well, they have also found now the gas bottle and show some pictures of it:
The RT video with the boy who has participated in the fake video. As well, they have also found now the gas bottle and show some pictures of it:
Why does the UN security team think it's not safe to visit Douma, when it's clearly safe for all the people who come and tell the Assad regime's side of the story? Why is it only the UN that gets shot at after Assad claims to have full control of the area, and no barrel bombs were dropped on terrorists in response? If you act suspiciously, you will be suspected.
It would not be hard for the OPCW to safely obtain samples from the hospital and its patients, if Assad was interested in having them do that. Clearly he is not.
No, they hire paid actors to tell the stories you want to hear (and threaten others with murder and torture if they don't cooperate on camera), while keeping the OPCW from doing the work they claim they want it to do.
I don't buy it, you're not blaming Israel this time. It seems rather convenient that you choose instead to fabricate theories implicating some of the countries who are presently experiencing the greatest tensions with Mother Russia.
I haven't personally heard such claims, but there were many people who escaped Douma before Assad moved in, including rebels who negotiated safe passage to other territories under their control.
Everything is fake, unless Putin explicitly states that it's real.
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