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this blog proves again and again that the Syrian war and the rebels are no one else but the brothers, cousins and the sons of brotherhood, AlQaida.
there are no one fighting the regime but the radicals, foreign mercenaries and the criminals.
the Syrian people are not anymore with the revolution, it is no more revolution but it is a radical rebels supported by the allies of the west against the Syrian people under the cover of fighting Assad.
it is very clear that USA doesn’t want Assad to be taken out otherwise, it would have happened by now.
it is a shame that so many Syrians have to die in the hands of this barbaric pigs.

I am still shocked with all people who left this site, not many even bothered to visit and or participate.
it appears this blog becoming irrelevant by the month.
can’t find anyone who is bothering to post and or have an opinion.
it is a clear message that putin is determined to eliminate the most possible numbers of Alqaida groups in Syria.
what is really pathetic that it has not been too long since this administration has admitted that they have failed to recruit moderate rebels in Syria and the most was recruited is 50 people. The program is being shutdown by the pentagon..
but we are hearing a cry wolf that Putin is hitting the CIA packed ” moderate” rebels. if there was no moderate rebel to begin with, how the hell is Putin is hitting all of these people.
Although Russia aircrafts are not hitting ISIS per se, but for sure they are hitting enough other terrorists off shoot of ISIS and Alqaida, who cares if they were CIA packed or not, if it looks, walks, flies, acts like a terrorist then it is.
go Sergi hit them everywhere, everyday, and no worry about the west they are all behind you but don’t tell the media.

If Putin Loses in Syria…
If not too bad, he’ll probably keep the job. But being driven out, and having all those Sunnis mad, Russia would be a big loser.

But if Putin Wins in Syria…

1. The Russian people won’t care about civilian or Russian casualties. If he wins big, there can be a lot of them, his popularity will skyrocket to 95% regardless.

2. Russia, who can’t sell any manufactured good to anyone, except weapons, will have client states eager to buy weapons, from Lebanon to Syria, to Iraq to Iran. All Russian client states. And with the Sunnis red hot, you know it’ll be a brisk business.

3. And Russia will be a world power again.

You think he’s going to lose? You don’t think he’ll open the Gates of Hell to win, now that he’s committed? 26 missiles from 1000 miles away to start the offensive. Had to cross Iran and Iraq to get there and landed precisely. All of them. Insurgency, no doubt, but battle lines with all that artillery and close air support, if women and children aren’t a concern? That’s over.

https://youtu.be/xeGhkrTE0H4

A People’s History of the Syrian Uprising—An Interview with Wendy Pearlman

So so right. The REAL history

Kou Kou
https://youtu.be/qDAYTAVM8Js

Kou kou
4 Russian warships launch 26 missiles against ISIS from Caspian Sea
https://www.rt.com/news/317864-russian-warships-missiles-launch/

#5 Annie

In a nutshell: “Assad – the leader of Syria – allowed (if not encouraged & supported) the radical islamist groups to steal the genuine Syrian revolution and sink the country into a dark infinite civil war”.

It is beyond me why any free-minded Syrian would want to keep him in office!

HOPEFUL #8 & ANNIE #5

Assad has not only “curated and then failed to confront effectively” [the terrorists] – as eloquently put by a Pentagon spokesman.

Iran’s occupation of Syria is a parallel Assad-invited catastrophe which has exploded beyond his control and might be impossible to roll back.

Iran has been buying up land, creating Shiite settlements, setting up schools and solidly colonizing key areas at a fast clip.

This important article highlights this core disaster in Syria, currently obscured by the dust kicked up around ISIS:

“The Iranian Project: Why Assad Has Turned to Moscow for Help”
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/syria-leader-assad-seeks-russian-protection-from-ally-iran-a-1056263.html

ERIN #3

A lot of people have left this site because it became infested with sponsored trolls or people who insist like you that anyone who opposes Assad is a terrorist.

But there happen to be a few quality, informed Syrians still posting. I suggest, for example, you do a search and read a few comments by HOPEFUL, SAMI, MAJEDKHALDOUN, MJABALI (sometimes), OBSERVER (when not attacking Mjabali) and SYRIAN HAMSTER.

Syrian Hamster.

Wow, I don’t even know him, yet he seems so harmless and cuddly.

So, I guess your complaint is that people became too embarrassed to support the Saudi funded, Al Queda linked jihadist mercenaries.

Yet even a losing team still finds some stalwarts in the bleachers.

Go Queada!

If anyone wasn’t clear that Assad and ISIS are both more obsessed with fighting Syrians opposed to the regime than fighting each other, there’s a sickening reminder in some of the stories emerging from ISIS-held territories.

This is ISIS hunting down via informers local families that allegedly had a relative linked to Syrian rebels. Where they have been rounding up and torturing, raping and publicly beheading widows of rebels.

These stories are now emerging from areas where – surprisingly, because it isn’t widely obvious – coalition air strikes have sent ISIS fleeing.

ALAN
Did that fancy command center also “monitor” the four missiles that slammed over the pathetic khamenei head…or may be his ….

PASSERBY
Putin can never win in Syria… he may prop dog-poop athad for a while. But what is his end-game with the retard and his losers cohort in lebanon and Iran becoming more expensive to maintain by the day. People in the areas where russian soldiers laid camp are already beginning to talk badly, and even if putin managed to create an enclave for the little twerp and his gangs, it will be an ungovernable enclave with all the sharks created by the loser nasrllah and the hyped third rate iranian terrorist general. The Russians will find a much worse mafia than what they already have back home and they will end up becoming body guards for various pricks from assad family. What a befitting fate for the soldiers of empire. Most likely, dog-poop’s own base will end being the ones who impale it.

Erin
this site has become a sad-case of “who’s who lit” in terrorist-celebrity cult. The more these rascals and a-holes are talked about, more the research team of one un-named professor gets funded to find more about more terrorist celebrities.

meanwhile the professor and his team fail miserably in doing what a political scientist should do… understand the people… the real people. Their aspirations, their fears, hopes, and dreams.

at best, sadly, a promising professor has become an about-terrorist-tabloid editor.

The Syrian revolution gave many people the opportunity to excel. Alas, many chose to be intellectually lazy and failed the test.

this is why i don’t come here often.. There is nothing for me to learn, what is being peddled here as knowledge is merely bits of disorganized, mostly sectarian inspired collection of irrelevant information. And that, dear Erin.. is no knowledge.

12. SYRIAN HAMSTER

Can you validate info about the chatter of CNN ostensibly according to some US officials ?

SL
I joust with him and he is a very important and valuable commentator and his views have a very profound and historical perspective.
Attack is one thing, but jousting is another.
We have agreed to disagree on many things and agreed to agree on many other things.
For example we both agree ( jousting aside ) that religion should remain at home and never get into politics and vice versa. We both agree that violence has never resulted in any meaningful long lasting solution to anything. We disagree when I say that the regime needs to be uprooted probably because he thinks that it would destroy everything. We disagree when I call for a federated state or even separate states ( to be federated later ) as it brings the idea of ethnic cleansing. We agree that we should live together and disagree that there is such a thing as a true National Identity.

My friend Jashua To say that U.S. Is seeking democratic change in Syria is far from the truth ,there is no evidence so far to support this statement, I wish you are right, there is no evidence of it in Egypt , there is no evidence in it in Syria ,

Syrian Hamster…

Well, yes, hard to see a happy ending for anyone. But Russia was about to be a pretty big loser, their client state for all these decades, that they have been propping up, was losing. Not like they were sitting pretty before the decision.

Russia has a lot of practice dealing with crime syndicates like the Assads. Stalin gave up trying to get rid of them, and kept the leaders living in luxury in his prison, still running the crime. A lot of them are Chechen. When Putin was “City Manager” of St. Petersburg, everyone was getting shot, but he moved through it like he was immune to it. I guess they don’t mess with KGB blue-bloods.

Look at Chechnya, got that under control. Put in a ruthless strongman. He wants to send troops to help Russia. At one time it seemed hopeless too.

But yeah, a heck of a lot of Sunnis, can’t drive them all out of the countries. And all the bitterness and hatred by now. Hard to see how there can be a Syria or Iraq any more. Has he got a plan? Who knows. Seems to me there still has to be a new country made from the Sunni parts of Syria and Iraq. Maybe he’ll put in a Chechnya type stgrongman.

Perhaps even the eastern part of Syria becoming part of Iraq, if one had any hope for democracy. That would eliminate the 60% Shiite vote in Iraq, and similar Sunni vote in Syria. You would have to have a coalition to win an election. That’s assuming there’s any hope for democracy.

But yeah, point well taken, hard to see how anyone wins, but if anyone does, relative to their other options, it will be Russia.

There is chatter and discomfort for some people. The treatment is silence
Proof please? CNN claims Russian missiles crashed in Iran, Moscow refutes, US can’t confirm
https://www.rt.com/news/318059-russia-syria-ccn-iran-missiles/

Al-Muhaysini is a dead rat. He will be skinned alive and burned thereafter. This is even more proof that the war in Syria is not between Syrians, but, instead, a war between Syrians and Arabian monkey-rodents.

Seems like putin is in search for that strong man to replace the retarded dog-poop athad.. but the mullahs and their barking tail in lebanon aren’t happy. Two mysterious deaths today of two dastardly a-holes. Shafique Al Fayadh and the mastermind of the iranian occupation of syria, who had a huge argument with the barking tail nus-lira just three days ago.

This Al-Muhaysini dude is just the typical Afghan (regional) warlord, pre-2001. Fat, successful ability in funding his ambitions, , self confident, charismatic, opportunistic and probably doomed.

I don’t agree with Hamster. This blog concentrates now (and rightly so) on the central development in what was known as Syria: fragmentation and Islamisation.

Mr Putin! Thank you for your civility to gave Obama a chance to find an excuse to back off and cooperate with Russia.

22. AMIR IN TEL AVIV said:
…
I don’t agree with Hamster. This blog concentrates now (and rightly so) on the central development in what was known as Syria: fragmentation and Islamisation.

Maybe you Amir in Tel Aviv should concentrate on ongoing fast developing de-judalization of Israel/Palestine. The more Palestinians you Israeli Jews kill the worse for Israel and if if Al-Aqsa is destroyed “game over”. The two state solution is already dead so the only option left is the one state solution. The Palestinian majority will change the name of Israel to Palestine. So Israel will not be fragmented, it evaporates in the history as it has done before. And Amir in Tel Aviv will become Amir in Pietrzykow if you do not want be Al-Amir in ?? ?????.

As an output of russian mafia intervention in Syria against rebels now ISIS is advancing fastly in the north, wining lands to the rebels.

ISIS is Assad, Iran and Russia. This is why the west and the Gulf bomb ISIS and this is why Assad and Russia never bombed ISIS.

So simple, so clear.

http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/iraq/2015/10/08/%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%85-4-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AB%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82.html

Who are these people!? It is incomprehensible that syrians can be brainwashed as such. Why have no one captured an ISIS monster and studies how a human being can degenerate to this .

For those who refer to Syria as if it no longer existed, I would say, don’t count Syria out yet.

Granted, the destruction is immense. I think in 3 or 4 years of war Syria has suffered more destruction than Lebanon had in 15 years for example, including the intense bombardment inflicted by the Israelis. Homs looks a lot worse than Beirut ever did.

But Syrians are resilient and this situation, no matter how bad it looks now, is temporary. The danger would be if people accepted what is temporary as permanent, such as partition, which is what enemies of Syria just love to propose.

Actually, what’s amazing is that more Syrians haven’t fled. Half have lost their homes, yet most of them are still in Syria. That must count for something.

Jennifer Cafarella and Genevieve Casagrande
SYRIAN OPPOSITION GUIDE

It would be interesting to read comments how this rather unbelievable opposition “coalition” will produce free elections after the Assad regime is history and a normal country.

Washington is said to be planning to send warships close to the Spratly Islands which China claims for its own to stop Beijing from assisting Russia in its campaign against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Syria, Marco Maier wrote for Contra Magazin.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151010/1028318533/us-south-china-see-spratly-territorial-dispute.html#ixzz3oB0Y1ZFA

Most of what Russia is doing is trying to stop isis and Nusra from advancing to Damascus and the strip of land between Damascus and Latakia. Places like raqqa and syrian aljazeera are now an international problem and Qnaitra in the south is just a tool in the hands of Israel. Aleppo is divided and may not see a major change until the more urgent problems are tackled.
There is a great deal of support for Russia’s efforts among syrians living in areas that are not under Nusra and isis control, those people do not like the regime but can not live under Nusra and isis. The opposition does not have a leader and has alienated alawites, most Christians and many Sunnis, they can not govern and they are unable to unite because they have competing agendas and various sources of support and funding, even if there was a revolution, I do not think there was, that revolution failed due to the actions of its sponsors and its own agents.

Tara,

You are shedding crocodile tears. I blame all Sunnies for this global Sunni religious frenzy. The same way, if Jews were doing such horrible things, it was my duty as a Jew to stop them. Posting comments in blogs won’t stop this Sunni craziness.

Terrorists are shaving their beards before fleeing to Turkey.

ALAN,

How many millions did you collect up to now from Putin Mafia for your propaganda services?

Many people say Putin is as gay as homophobic. Do you have a deep knowledge of him?

Much more useful than the jihad-porno peddled here.. and way unlike the made-up stats from Otrakji

https://diary.thesyriacampaign.org/what-refugees-think/

So after all. The prof is concentrating on the wrong group..

Israel has benefited from the war in Syria but things may change if the unrest in the west bank becomes wider and bloodier. The war gave Israel a 4 year break and allowed bb to expand settlements and send the Palestinian problem to the back seat. Expect an intense campaign by rebels in the south in an attempt to create a new situation where a new buffer zone brings new challenges to the government in Damascus especially that most troops are focused elsewhere and Russia prefers not to open another front near israel.
Putin has been good to Israel and he may not be willing to expand his bombing campaign near israel’s borders as long as rebels do not try to advance towards damascus.
A perfect climate for Israel is keeping status quo but that is not good for syrians and Palestinians, if the sun shines again Israel will have to meet its obligations, but that is a big if.

Ok, 0 to 12 votes against Russia “winning”. Let’s see how thing are going so far.

Wins:
* Russia and it’s allies advancing on all fronts.
* No Russian casualties we know of.
* No Russian planes down.
* Russia at least claiming it’s a trivial expense, no reason to increase the defense budget, like a small training exercise.
* 60 strikes in the last 24 hours, hundreds, maybe thousands killed by that alone.
* Russia a big time hero to all Shiitess and Alawites (and Christians and soon to be Kurds?) Very popular in Iraq too.
* Russia looks like it will have a huge market for the only manufactured product it is competitive at, weapons.
* Domestic support is strong. Things like cluster bombs are just fine with the Russian people. None of the irritating other party carping about everything.
* A whole new respect for Russia in world affairs, a very precious thing to Russians.

Minuses:
Infuriates some Sunnis. But which Sunnis?
* Russian Muslims support Russia overwhelmingly.
* Egypt’s Foreign Minister said Russia there is a good thing, it will get rid of ISIS.
* Pakistan spit in Saudi Arabia’s face, they publicly humiliated them when Saudi Arabia begged for help in Yemen. Not likely they or anyone to the East is interested in the nightmare of Syria.
* The Turks didn’t have the stomach for the fight before the Russians were there, not likely they do now. About all they care about is punishing the Kurds for not supporting the government in the election.
* How about the Palestinians? Surely they would be standing with their neighbors, focusing on that like a laser beam? Nah, they figure this is a good time to pick a fight with the Jews. They don’t give a damn about the Sunnis in Syria, totally indifferent.
* Barack “Red Line” Obama or the Europeans? You gotta be kidding.
* That leaves the Gulf States. They don’t even remotely have the stomach for it. They confined their efforts to financing the most radical “rebels” possible. Well, they got their wish. Putin is about to meet the in effect, “defense ministers” of the UAE and Saudi Arabia at a formula 1 race.

Yeah, they are fascists with Nazi tendencies, but they aren’t stupid or weak.

Oh yeah, and since the price of oil has gone up, Russia is turning a nice profit on this. Enough to buy hundreds of those jet fighters.

And I wouldn’t bet the ranch even the Gulf States won’t abandon this sinking ship, Russia is a very important country these days. They are the ones that make the decisions and control things…

Putin meets Saudi defence minister amid differences over Syria

REUTERS – Russian President Vladimir Putin met Saudi Arabia’s defence minister on Sunday, in Moscow’s biggest attempt so far to reach out to enemies of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad since Russia joined the conflict with air strikes.

Putin met Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman, a son of the Saudi king, on the sidelines of a Formula One race on Sunday, nearly two weeks since Moscow began bombing enemies of Assad, including rebel groups that are supported by Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, appearing alongside Russia’s Sergei Lavrov, said Riyadh had concerns about Russia’s policy. Lavrov said Moscow understood Saudi concerns and the two countries shared the aim of preventing the establishment of a terrorist caliphate in Syria.

An Israeli expert says
Russia believes that the issue of the destruction of terror will be for 3-4 months (and in Iraq, too!)
Russia will continue to increase its presence and change the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
GCC are accustomed to reckon with the power and they will have to reckon with Syria!
The direction of the Russian Air Force military working within a couple of months will lead to a massive run away “moderate Syrian opposition” into Turkey !!!

Congratulations to Turkey for the return of the legions Erdogan to its territory. US and its allies are helpless!

You are shedding crocodile tears. I blame all Sunnies for this global Sunni religious frenzy.

AITA has a point. But Sunnis have such bad leadership, and the Syrian opposition has/had no military to speak of. And the thus the “sunni religious frenzy” filled the vacuum as the despot Assad easily predicted.

At this point, it is a mess. At this point there is no right or wrong.

Anti-semites like Sim, prefer to ignore animals dropping live bodies off buildings and a 1/4 million dead and, instead blame Israel for defending herself against stabbings, bombings and missile firings. Palestinians are frustrated. OK, so do you make peace or doom your people to more rubble? At least Palestinians have a choice.

With the lack of a unified world body/UN, all is fair in love and war.

All I can say is that there are fine people here like Syrian Hamster who knows the difference between right and wrong.

Mr. Putin!
Syrian Kurds are still waiting for you.

39. AKBAR PALACE said:
…
Anti-semites like Sim, prefer to ignore animals dropping live bodies off buildings and a 1/4 million dead and, instead blame Israel for defending herself against stabbings, bombings and missile firings. Palestinians are frustrated. OK, so do you make peace or doom your people to more rubble? At least Palestinians have a choice.

At least Palestinians have a choice. ?????? What choice? To be shot by lunatic nationalistic/religious Jews or to continue to be the slaves of Jews living in filth without water? Choice is to be killed or to be a poor slave.

Akbar you seem to approve the naked towers of Abu Grahib, the millions of killed in Vietnam, the tens of thousand killed Palestinians, Israel’s hundreds of nukes etc. You seem not to understand that what happens in Syria, happened in Germany 70 years ago etc do not give Jews the right to do what they have done and do in Israel. The occupier and land thief is pretending to be the victim. Funny. Do you really believe that I accept somebody been thrown from the window in Syria and I do not approve Jews shooting children and women in Israel. Both criminals are brutal animals. The difference is that the Syrian animals do not pretend to be “the victims”, the Israeli Jewish animals pretend that all the time.

Akbar try to understand that Israel is finished, it can not and deserves not to exist for a much longer time. Israeli Jews were offered the two state solution which could for a while have made possible a country with a Jewish majority to exist. But for Jews it was not enough, they wanted more and more, which made the 2-state solution impossible. The only options let Akbar are really:
A) one state solution, democratic, which means Israel is the next month after the elections named Palestine by the new majority and the state symbols are changed
B) performing the mass murder and/or deportation of millions of Palestinians, which would then lead to the final destruction of Israel
C) continuing like what has been done the past decades can continue only some years, but even that strategy will eventually lead to options A) or B). So option C doesn’t exist.

Akbar keep your US passport and consider converting. At least leave the tribe hat at home when you go for a walk. The intifada is coming, why? Well when Germans did torture your ancestors enough in Warsaw Ghetto, they made their intifada. The Palestinians seem to have got enough of …

US tries to rebrand/whitewash Islamist brigades of FSA under cover of Kurdish YPG as new “Syrian Arab Coalition” ha ha ha ha …. Faeces

Truth is, Sim, the Pals could be living in paradise, more prosperous than any other Arab, all they have to do is let Israel live in peace. They would cut a deal in a heartbeat, if it was guaranteed peace. Truth is, the Pals are the patsies of the Muslim world. Every time they have a choice, they choose the path of the most suffering. Do their Arab brothers encouraging them suffer? No. They aren’t the patsies.

Syria is a case in point. Their Sunni brothers are being butchered, 250,000 dead, millions of refugees. Surely the Pals, being so often refugees, are standing shoulder to shoulder with their Syrian brothers, focused on that like a laser beam, earning the eternal gratitude of their Muslim brothers? Surely…

…But no, like always, they choose the path of most suffering every time, they choose this moment to pick a fight with the Jews, totally abandoning their Muslim brothers. America and Europe are more their brothers.

43. Passerby

That is ridiculous. Israel, especially under Netanyahu, went out of its way to destroy the prospects of peace with the Palestinians. Netanyahu admitted as much in a visit to Zionist colonists in the West Bank some ten years ago, that he was destroying and subverting the Oslo accords, which were heavily skewed in Israel’s favor anyway.

On the other hand, Palestinian leaders like Abbas bent over backwards for Israel, and still could not get a state, and will never get one as long as Zionist colonization remains official Israeli policy. They can hardly even get settlement freezes.

Even now, in Jerusalem, the Israelis are provoking incidents over the Noble Sanctuary, to chip away at any semblance of Islamic authority over it, and then hitting the Palestinians hard when they are provoked.

In which alternate universe are you living?

Here is an interesting perspective on what is happening to Syria:

October 12, 2015
US Caught Faking It in Syria

by Thomas S. Harrington

The great danger of faking your ability to do something in the public square is that someone with an actual desire to the job you are pretending to do might come along and show you up.

This is what has just happened to the US in Syria with the entrance of Russia into the fight against ISIL.

And as is generally the case with posers caught with their pants down, the US policy elites are not happy about it.

You see, the US strategic goal in Syria is not as your faithful mainstream media servants (led by that redoubtable channeler of Neo-Con smokescreens at the NYT Michael Gordon) might have you believe to save the Syrian people from the ravages of the long-standing Assad dictatorship, but rather to heighten the level of internecine conflict in that country to the point where it will not be able to serve as a bulwark against Israeli regional hegemony for at least another generation.

How do we know? Because important protagonists in the Israelo-American policy planning elite have advertised the fact with a surprising degree of clarity in documents and public statements issued over the last several decades.

…“Lebanon’s total dissolution into five provinces serves as a precedent for the entire Arab world including Egypt, Syria, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula and is already following that track. The dissolution of Syria and Iraq later on into ethnically or religiously unique areas such as in Lebanon, is Israel’s primary target on the Eastern front in the long run, while the dissolution of the military power of those states serves as the primary short term target. Syria will fall apart, in accordance with its ethnic and religious structure, into several states such as in present day Lebanon….”

The full article is at

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/10/12/us-caught-faking-it-in-syria/

Living in Paradise???? Well after the settler Jews kill Palestinians in flocks, some of the killed Palestinians after their own beliefs will live in paradise. But even hinting that Palestinians are living in paradise is disgusting. What has happened in Syria doesn’t justify what Jews are now doing in Israel.

Passerby you certainly are no western Syrian Arab with the opinions you have. An undercover Jew is more likely. In a way it is hilarious how the Israel supporting Jews flock here on SC comment section to preach about democracy, secularism, equality etc in order to shift the focus from Golan and Palestinians to the internal tensions of the Muslim world and trying to amplify those tensions.

Palestinians and the Arab states have informed the world, that the 1967 borders are OK for them. It would have been a simple task to negotiate on that basis. Palestinians have been negotiating with Israel under US “control” now for decades. What can they show? As much as the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto could show, before it was crashed. During the negotiations Jews have managed to transfer 500,000 Jews to the area what was intended to be Palestine, take more and more land for Jews and drive out Palestinians from many parts of the West Bank and “centralize” them in closed ghettos. Now there is no change for the 2-state solution and the only solutions left are “one state peace” or massive slaughters. Peace means that the Jewish enclave vanishes.

Do you Passerby understand that a West Bank Palestinian has 18 liters water for him/her daily, the average Israeli Jew in the area has over 300 liters. In Israel Arab citizen has higher likelihood to win in a Lotto than get a building permit. Gaza will soon be polluted so badly, that it will not be fit to be lived. Where do those 2 million people go? To Europe, to Egypt, to other Arab countries? No, they must be taken by Israel or be killed by Israeli Jews. There is hardly another solution. Nobody will take those millions.

Demanding Palestinians to stand shoulder to shoulder with Syrian Sunnis is hilarious. There are over one billion Sunnis in the world. How could the poor, defenceless and entrapped Palestinians under Israeli control help? On the other hand your Israeli Jewish propaganda all the time claims, that Hamas is armed and financed by Iran. Passerby the Iranians are Shia and as you said Palestinians Sunnis (and Christians). How is that possible if everything is Sunni against Shia? Well I have read here thousand times, that the most violent lunatic religious Sunni extremists (ISIS) are simply the creation of Iranian, Assad and naturally by “devil” Putin. Sure it must be so. And those “barrel bombs”, which are home made ineffective bombs compared to the industrially made US, Russian, Israeli etc bombs, are in that propaganda equivalent to tactical nukes. And Saudi-Arabia and other emirs want Syria to become secular and democratic like John Kerry said just in an interview in Al Jazeera. Sure we all believe that genius. And the one thousand secular “Free Syrian” militias organize those elections bringing that secular democracy. Yes.

Hi Altair,

I think the problem at the Temple of Solomon/Al-Aqsa Mosque was from Pals throwing rocks at the Jews worshiping at the wall. 100% their doing.

The Pals can definitely cut a deal, and live in paradise, and not be the patsies of the Muslim world, the problem is they don’t want to cut a deal and those few that do, can be vetoed by those that don’t, with terrorism.

Can they get everything they want in a deal? No, but they get the Temple of Solomon, as long as they don’t throw rocks at the Jews that built it 3000 years ago. A very big concession to Jews, their religion is centered on it.

Sims “Day of Rage” isn’t Against the Syrian Dictator or ISIS NewZ

Sim,

You are delusional in your hatred of Israel and Jews. Listen to Passerby. Near as I can tell he isn’t Jewish, nor is he delusional.

Palestinians have/had an opportunity to live in peace with Israel. The proposed agreement settled both a border dispute and an arrangement to live in peace. In 200/2001 Israel offered 95% of the WB and half of the Old City including parts of Israel INSIDE the green line.

If that isn’t fair, I don’t know what is.

You may want to ask yourself if there is a possibility that the Palestinians and their leadership are not interested in a final settlement that ends “claims” against Israel.

Well after the settler Jews kill Palestinians in flocks…

“Flocks”? How many innocent Palestinians have “settler Jews” killed this year? How many innocent Jews have Palestinians killed this year?

Really? Is this the only thing that upsets you?

As I usually tell most anti-semites who can’t see the forest from a joo: see a shrink.

Hi Sim,

Nope, not a Jew. No way I’d give up Cuban sandwiches for some obsessive religion. Paranoid thinking.

No, the Muslim world has NOT offered the 1967 borders and absolutely guaranteed peace. It would just make terrorism against Israel easier. You could have gotten that deal at one time, but you turned it down. Like I said, without exception, every time the Pals have a chance to make a decision, they always choose the path of maximum suffering.

Are the Pals suffering? A lot less than a lot of Muslims, such as Syria. And yes, the Pals could be doing a lot to help the Syrian Muslims, but they could care less. How many liters of water you get in Israel has on effect on how hard you can fight in Syria. They have totally abandoned them. But then, almost all Sunnis have abandoned them. Pakistan has joined Egypt in saying Russia cleaning the place up is a good thing. The only Sunnis willing to fight are the terrorists and poor suffering Syrian people. ALL Sunni governments have abandoned them.

Simo,

The terms “undercover Jew” are highly provocative, inaccurate and inadvisable.

It implies that all Jews are supporters of Zionism/Israel, which they are most certainly not. In fact, I would argue that Zionism has hijacked Judaism in a way similar to how Wahhabism and people like ISIS are attempting to hijack Islam.

Zionism was a minority movement in Judaism until the Nazis radicalized the Jewish world. Similarly, Zionism and its US ally (or counterpart) neoconservatism (the kind that destroys countries like Iraq) is radicalizing the Islamic world.

Ironically, the Nazi definition of Jews as a nationality stuck. Zionists and Nazis are in basic agreement as to what a Jew is, and at one time shared the goal of getting the Jews their own state. The Nazis proposed Madagascar.

I would even argue that being Zionist diminishes one’s Jewishness, but that is a whole other essay or book, and has been covered by some religious Jewish writers who have argued that Zionism is contrary to Jewish principles.

Furthermore, many Zionists are Christians, particularly in the US, and they are often more extreme than Jewish Zionists in their opposition to Palestinian, Arab or Muslim rights or causes.

Passerby,

You are simply wrong. The Arab world has at least since 1981 offered Israel secure and recognized 1967 borders, which Israel has consistently rejected. Don’t get fooled by mainstream US media.

In 1981 it was the Fahd plan which was approved at the Fez conference of the Arab League.

In 2002, a similar plan was proposed by the Saudis and accepted by virtually every Arab and Muslim country, and again rejected by Israel.

Altair,

With all due respect, please let me expand on your 2 comments above.

The terms “undercover Jew” are highly provocative, inaccurate and inadvisable.

Correct. In short, Sim is an anti-semite. As you may know, anti-semites have one set of rules for Joos, and another set of rules for non-joos. They also have no sense of proportion. 10 people killed by joos is worse than 10,000 people killed by non-joos. The rest is academic. And of course, joos have no right to self-defense like the rest of humanity.

It implies that all Jews are supporters of Zionism/Israel…

Altair,

I’ve been posting on this subject since the internet began, and I’ve come to learn that there are all different shades of gray and many varying opinions both in the Palestinian and Jewish communities.

Let us not mince words and create dispersions. The vast majority of Palestinians are pro-Palestinian and the vast majority of jews are pro-Israel. Yes, you will find Palestinians that are against Palestine and you will find jews that are against Israel, but they are a small minority, and, therefore, I wouldn’t focus on these anomalies.

We need to find a way to share Palestine/Israel, and the odd thing is that it is not impossible. We were close, and we can do it if there is some political will.

You are correct, there was a Saudi plan, and I commend the Saudis for proposing it. As you must know, the Saudi plan was simple: the pre-’67 Green Line. Which means no Israeli claim to any part of the Old City.

That is why Israel rejected it.

Then there was the Oslo/Taba Accords which proposed sharing the Old City. That was rejected by Arafat.

Then there is the current plan where GOI isn’t going to share the Old City of Jerusalem at all.

So I ask you, which of these 3 plans is the fairest? To me, it is a no-brainer.

But sharing the Old City is just part of the problem and probably the easiest part of any peace treaty, because the Palestinians and the Israelis have to agree to cooperate, especially during times like today when violence can break out. These issues are long and detailed, but certainly fixable.

Meanwhile, as much as this issue festers, it pales in comparison to the carnage erupting in the other 99% of the Middle East. Those are just the facts unfortunately.

Russia will deploy advanced air defenses over Syria along with air superiority fighter aircraft.
Thus, we return our initial hypothesis, with Russia placing advanced air defenses and air superiority aircraft not only on Israel’s border but clearly “umbrellaing” the Zionist state, checkmating their support of ISIS, checkmating joint ISIS and Israel operations pointed like a knife at Damascus.
Russian air forces operating in Syria aren’t just there to stop ISIS but to put a stop to rogue Pentagon operations supporting and resupplying ISIS and to put an air umbrella over the region to stop Israel from using her massive air power under the black flag of the Islamic State.

Heard this programme on the BBC World Service (Radio) last night/early hours. ‘The White House has described Russia’s action in Syria as motivated by ‘weakness’.’

The Inquiry:

Is Russia Vulnerable?

Russia’s intervention in Syria caught the world by surprise. Moscow gave Washington just one hour’s notice before it began its aerial bombardment. Russia claims its jets are attacking the so-called Islamic State. But reports suggest the Russian pilots are in fact targeting groups linked to the Free Syrian Army – the main opposition to Syria’s President Assad, who is a Russian ally. It is the first time President Putin has deployed force beyond the borders of the former USSR and another dramatic step in his increasingly assertive foreign policy. But Josh Earnest, President Obama’s press secretary, has described Russia’s action as motivated by “weakness”. Is he right?

[…]

23 minutes long:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p034gzrl#play

Emile Hokayem @emile_hokayem 12 Oct 2015
Again: Syrian rebels will be battered in coming months, but will survive, consolidate, radicalize and be vengeful. Huge dilemmas ahead…

https://mobile.twitter.com/emile_hokayem/status/653551140190224384?p=p

The Regime/Russia were hoping/expecting the Hama campaign would give headlines of a great and swift advancement/victory in Hama and the Ghab plains with rebels in a massive retreat in disarray. It turns out the story of the Hama campaign was all about the ‘tank massacre’.

Rebels claiming 17 regime tanks/BMP’s knocked out on the first day. Assadists like Leith Fadel admitting to 8/9. Others claiming the number was in the mid to high 20’s if I remember correct.

One twitter writer remarked how it was the single largest Syrian tank loss in a single day since the Yom Kippur war (If I remember correct, I couldn’t find the tweet).

A few days into the Hama campaign Yalla Souriya wrote:

October 11, 2015

40 tanks in Hama
2 tanks in the coast
2 tanks in Quneitara
1 tank in Jobar

https://yallasouriya.wordpress.com/2015/10/11/regime-losses-of-tanks-within-the-last-5-days-syria/

Another tweeter wrote:

Joseph Wall @JosephWall2 12 Oct
@Malcolmite Assad cannot maintain suicidal attacks like this, he’s lost more equipment and men in a week that he normally loses in 2 months

https://mobile.twitter.com/JosephWall2/status/653562740397711360?p=p#

@Altair 51,

This is half truth. The Saudi initiative refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. So there was no deal. If the Arabs want to recognize Israel in the ’67 borders, they have to accept that it is the homeland of the Jewish people and nation.

If you do not agree with this idea, then waste of time dealing with you.

57. Amir,

That is not true. This “recognize Israel as a Jewish state” stipulation is a recent one of the last few years, most likely invented by Netanyahu.

For decades the condition was to recognize “Israel’s right to exist”. This was backed up by Henry Kissinger when he was Secretary of State in 1974, when he promised Israel that the US would not even talk to the PLO until it accepted it.

The “Israel as a Jewish state” stipulation is a case of moving the goal posts.

Since the PLO and the Palestinian Authority recognized “Israel’s right to exist”(the PLO did this as far back as 1988!), Netanyahu decided he needed to throw up a new roadblock to serious peace negotiations, while at the same time accelerating the colonization of the West Bank.

If the Palestinians recognized Israel as a “Jewish state”, I can guarantee you a new stipulation would be found, and the Palestinians would be blamed for not accepting it.

Incidentally, until today, Israel has not accepted Palestinian sovereignty over any part of Palestine, even under the Oslo accords. Just endless phony negotiations while it continues to gobble up what’s left of Palestine. A pretty bad deal, wouldn’t you say?

This “recognize Israel as a Jewish state” stipulation is a recent one of the last few years, most likely invented by Netanyahu.

Altair,

Actually, it was invented by the British in their ’47 Partition Plan, aka “The Two State Solution”: a Jewish state and an arab state.

If the Palestinians want a state free of joos, then I would expect they can accept a Jewish state as well.

Yeah, looks like the Saudis, with US permission, (required as part of them buying them) are drenching the terrorists/moderates/rebels with those TOW missiles. Unlimited supply. The Middle East is now a very dangerous place to be in a tank or any other vehicle or building. Really let the genie out of the bottle.

Iranian top Revolutionary Guard commanders dropping like flies. Must be riding in vehicles. Oh well.

Here’s how you will know if it’s a problem for Russia. If it is, Putin will start using noticeably more powerful weapons, like he did in Grozny.

KSA will try to smuggle American SAMs to rebels in the north thru Turkey.
The next time a civilian airplane is shot down you know where to look.

/KSA will try to smuggle American SAMs to rebels in the north thru Turkey.
The next time a civilian airplane is shot down you know where to look/.

Are they need som kinds of rockets in Yemen?

59. AP

Sorry, but I really think you don’t know the history very well, or you just overlook the important details.

The British did not propose the UN Partition Plan of 1947. It was the UN, under heavy pressure from the US government (which in turn was under heavy Zionist pressure), which strong-armed many small states into voting for it at the General Assembly.

Further, you missed the point. It’s the specific terminology I’m talking about: recognizing “Israel’s right to exist” versus “Israel as a Jewish state”. Whether there is a real difference is not the point. The point is: it’s just another roadblock, another hurdle, another reason to delay while the Zionists gobble up what’s left of Palestine.

I presume if any Palestinian representative body accepted the new stipulation, new terminology would be invented like: you must accept “Israel as the exclusive right of the Jewish people” or some nonsense like that.

The point is again: Israel has no interest in any peace deal that doesn’t result in its complete control of Palestine and complete subjugation of the Palestinians.

I think deep down Israelis and Zionists know what they did was theft pure and simple and seek legitimization for it. But why should Palestinians accept and legitimize their own dispossession? Under current circumstances of Israel’s overwhelming domination, they won’t get anything anyway.

Further to the above about Palestine, I could add another point with regard to sovereign Syrian territory: this expansionism extends to the occupied Jolan, which Israel doesn’t even regard as occupied. Zionist leaders or their supporters are all congratulating themselves for maintaining this occupation especially in light of Syria’s implosion (I refer specifically to an article by Aaron David Miller).

When Russia annexes Crimea, the whole Western world led by the US imposes sanctions. But Israel that occupies the Jolan for nearly half a century and counting, puts colonists on the land, exploits the natural resources, and having already expelled the majority of the inhabitants (there are more then 500,000 expelled Syrians and their descendants from the occupied Jolan), the West does nothing or even supports the occupation.

This will soon add more insult and injury to Syrians once they realize (if they haven’t already) that gas or oil deposits have been discovered in the Jolan and maybe soon exploited as well. This is in addition to the water resources that Israel is stealing.

Also, recently I’ve noticed that many publications or other media don’t even show the Jolan as an occupied area: the internationally recognized border is not even shown anymore.

Altair 58,

The so called palestinians are supreme liars. I ask you to show me this change you’re pointing out (“Israel to exist”) in the PLO charter.

Let us not be naive Altair. The Arabs don’t want Israel to exist. They will say whatever to please you, and do the opposite. It is the Muslim mentality. There was no Yazidi occupation and colonization in Iraq and Syria, and there was no Christian occupation in Baghdad.

So Altair,

You refused to answer my question regarding what solution is the fairest:

1.) 2000/2001 offer of 95% of the WB with parts of Israel inside the green line and half of the Old CIty of Jerusalem.

2.) The Saudi plan where Israel has no part of the Old City.

3.) The BB plan where Palestine has no part of the Old City.

Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion, the internet is not controlled by Assad, the PA, Hamas, Hezbollah, KSA, Egypt, Iran, or any other autocratic country.

The British did not propose the UN Partition Plan of 1947. It was the UN, under heavy pressure from the US government…

Altair,

Let’s be real shall we? The jews pressured the British, and the arabs pressured the British. The British were HEAVILY influenced by their relationships in the Middle East during this time, which is why survivors of the Holocaust were placed in internment camps instead of Palestine :o)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Partition_Plan_for_Palestine

And as you can read for yourself, the Partition Plan was supposed to split Palestine into a “Jewish State” and an “Arab State”.

Altair,

Are you for 2 states or not? Just say so. From what you said, it doesn’t seem so.

I think deep down Israelis and Zionists know what they did was theft pure and simple and seek legitimization for it. But why should Palestinians accept and legitimize their own dispossession? Under current circumstances of Israel’s overwhelming domination, they won’t get anything anyway.

To answer your question, it is not up to you or I, it is up to the Palestinians and their leadership. If they don’t want a two state solution where they get part of Palestine, peace, and recognition of a Jewish state, that’s fine. They will have to live with the consequences, be that status quo or continued “resistance”.

My advice is to accept a 2 state solution, part of Palestine and peace between the 2 peoples. But no one listens to me!

Another Palestinian intifada looming

/Another Palestinian intifada looming/

Uzair: Al-Aqsa Mosque is screaming strongly, and the Palestinians have come to its advocacy
Where is your Jihad personally?
Where is jihad of your favorite Sheikh Yacoubi?
Where is Jihad of kings of thrones and oil dollars?
Where Jihad of fighters who came from 100 countries to Syria?
It is the time of truth, Masks fell.
Your Jihad draws every direction except jihad to liberate Jerusalem is not it?

Another Palestinian intifada is looming, then another, and another. Intifadas are the only thing certain in our unfortunate and troubled region.

Arabs are good at intifadas, we are good in building Israel into a successful and prosperous home.

69. Amir

Maybe you should point out those Israeli “successes” because I don’t think they are so apparent.

Considering that Israel has received upwards of $250 billion in US aid (adjusted for inflation) since its inception, more aid from Germany, countless favorable trade terms from both Europe and the US, I would say whatever success is tainted anyway.

66. AP

I didn’t realize your question was for me. I thought it to be rhetorical.

At one time I thought the 2 state solution on the 1967 boundaries was the way to go, but now frankly, I think the Zionist experiment is a failure.

It has simply produced a militant, combative, violent state with a militant, racist people who think they are racially superior to the indigenous people and entitled to take all of Palestine from them, and probably any other land they can get away with (like the Jolan).

Beyond that, all these regional problems are related: I attribute many (and I emphasize many, not all) of the ills befalling Syria and Iraq to Israeli meddling which is multiplied in its effect by Israel’s influence on US policy, and Israel is only too happy to see the destruction of its formerly most powerful enemies.

I’ll reemphasize: the biggest problem is Zionism, as practiced from Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu.

At one time I thought the 2 state solution on the 1967 boundaries was the way to go, but now frankly, I think the Zionist experiment is a failure.

OK Altair,

This just goes to show that you THINK you are moderate, but you aren’t.

A plan that excludes Israel from any part of our holiest shrine is no more moderate than BB excluding Palestinians completely from Al-Aqsa.

I’m glad you think Israel is a failure. Look around Altair and try to be objective. What ME country should Israel emulate in order for you to see her as successful? Shirley, you must be joking!;)

It has simply produced a militant, combative, violent state with a militant, racist people who think they are racially superior to the indigenous people and entitled to take all of Palestine from them, and probably any other land they can get away with (like the Jolan).

Your description only shows your frustration, because Israel has not only succeeded in defending herself, but created a vibrant economy where citizens, arab and jewish, can enjoy the fruits of their accomplishments. Meanwhile, arabs around Israel are either fighting for their lives, or begging for food or aide.

http://www.haaretz.com/business/.premium-1.527417

Also your impression of Israelis are totally warped. Besides being the most educated in the ME, they are also the most liberal. There are TONNES of Israeli organizations who are trying to help arab-Israelis and Palestinians…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab-Israeli_peace_projects

I’ll reemphasize: the biggest problem is Zionism, as practiced from Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu.

I’ll make sure to tell that profound statement to President Sisi, President Assad, President Abbas, all the arab Kings, etc. I’m sure they’ll agree with you!

You emphasize many, not all? Thank god..

im relived now, because what you attribute is VERY important!

Putin/Lavrov deny existence of the Free Syrian Army (FSA)? Absurd!

The FSA even has it’s own wikipedia page. How can it not exist!

Wiki:

Strength {FSA} 45,000–60,000 (June 2015)

Groups:

-Southern Front
-Division 13
-Fursan Haqq brigade
-1st Coastal Division
-Syria Revolutionaries Front
-Jarabulus Brigade
-Al-Qassas Army
-Dawn of Freedom Brigades
-Liwa Thuwwar al-Raqqa[1]
-The Revolutionary Army

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Syrian_Army

LOL.

Kerry should tweet Lavrov the wiki link.

At one time I thought the 2 state solution on the 1967 boundaries was the way to go, but now frankly, I think the Zionist experiment is a failure.

70. Altair,

If your position is that the Palestinians have sole right to the Old City of Jerusalem, then you are no more moderate than Netanyahu.

It has simply produced a militant, combative, violent state with a militant, racist people…

And with comments like the above, I can easily gather that you are no moderate at all. Israelis are rather well educated and liberal. There are many pro-peace organizations in Israel that promote peace and assistance to the arab minority. I think that’s pretty good, despite the continual state of war.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab-Israeli_peace_projects

I’ll reemphasize: the biggest problem is Zionism, as practiced from Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu.

Spoken like a true Resistance Pro™. That’s exactly what all the Arab mass murderers say: Assad, Gaddafi and Saddam. You’re in good company.

AP,
If Asad, Gaddafi or Saddam said the “sky is blue”, I would agree with them.

If Hitler said “the Jews are an ethnic group” or the “the Jews are a nation”, you would agree with them. So who’s in good company?

So who’s in good company?

Altair,

Although I had difficulty understanding most your last post, I feel as though I AM in good company. The Israelis I know have helped Israeli arabs live in peace and earn a living more than any violence-prone Resistance – Pro ever has.

Look, I don’t accept this guilt by association stuff, and I’m not sure what you mean by “resistance-pro”.

But just because certain dictators use these causes to further their regimes, it doesn’t mean the cause is wrong or unjust.

Asad officially stands for secularism. So did Saddam. Does that mean secularism is wrong? Actually, Asad claimed he was transitioning to democracy too.

The Middle East has countless problems right now, and it is steadily falling into a deep pit, a seeming bottomless one, with many Israelis cheering on the sidelines. It is deeply troubling.

If you look at all my posts you can see that I strongly back secularism. Israel, by its definition as a Jewish state, is not secular. Therefore, I don’t support it. I can’t. I don’t believe in constituting countries on the basis of religion, not for Israel, not for Syria, not for Iraq.

And if Arab countries are denied democratic rule, as is happening nearly everywhere in the Arab world, at the very minimum there should be rule of law. Palestinians are denied democratic rule by mere fact of occupation. If a Palestinian kid is implicated in some kind of attack against an Israeli, his parents can summarily have their house destroyed. Guilt by association. Collective punishment. Does this happen when an Israeli colonist attacks a Palestinian family?

Syrians are denied rule of law. A Syrian can be arbitrarily picked off the street and be detained or worse, tortured, by one of the myriad “intelligence” agencies. I believe there are about 16 of them.

Iraq, not withstanding elections, has a similar problem. Egypt is probably even worse.

Did Israel raise the standard? The simple answer is no. Palestinians are routinely picked up in the name of security and they can be “administratively” detained for 6 months, without even being charged! Is this rule of law?

A Syrian who stays quiet politically is not likely to be harassed by the authorities. He wouldn’t for example, be denied a housing permit because he was from a particular sect.

But a Palestinian in Jerusalem is, routinely, as a matter of course. The Old City of Jerusalem was a majority Palestinian area even after decades of occupation. It is now majority Israeli Jewish. Gee, I wonder how that happened, considering the birthrates.

We can go on and on about this, but I would prefer to address issues as issues, not this association stuff.

“Ghufran”: “The next time a civilian airplane is shot down you know where to look.”

No I won’t, if – heaven forbid – it does happen.
Flight MH17: Russia and its changing story

56. Uzair8

We are in the attrition phase. It’s far too early to call the results. The parties fighting are expending ammo/equipment and manpower. If the SAA and allies run out of strength before the rebels then noting much will happen. But if the rebels run out of resources then we will see a collapse of their front lines followed by a pursuit phase by the government forces and allies.

It would be like when JaN & Co took Iblib & Jisr al-Shughur where the control of large areas shifted quickly.

Moscow: arming terrorists in Syria with systems of air defense will not be without consequences.
Turkey downs drone, Russia says all jets back to Latakia base, drones operate as planned
Russian truncheon will knock your heads.

The rebels will gradually adapt to the Russian factor. It seems the Regime hasn’t maximised the ‘initial shock factor’ of Russian intervention.

A user in Iran Military forum wrote this today:

Mustavaris:

“One thing that puzzles me is the way SAA operates. They have launched like a dozen minor assaults at all fronts. There is no clear spearhead nor strong push against strategically more important areas. They are failing to exploit the initial shock caused by Russian onslaught. That is not too promising, and so far the gains have been at tactical level. Only if the goal was to stabilize the fronts in order to secure breathing space for preparations of real assault, such makes sense. And if it is so, it really tells how beaten the SAA had become prior to Russian intervention.”

http://www.iranmilitaryforum.net/index.php?topic=13909.msg311171#msg311171

78. Poul

The rebels and their backers will have to try to ensure rebel stocks (men and ammo) are replenished as quick as possible and that flow is continuous.

Regarding the situation in Hama, the worst case scenario for the rebel side was a quick and massive Regime/Russian advance in a couple of days with dissaray and despair amongst the rebels. It was a relief this didn’t happen. It was possible as rebels may have been caught by surprise not expecting Russia to focus on them instead of ISIS.

Mark @markito0171 16 Oct
#Turkey President Erdogan: “#Syria’n people now fight a war for independence”

https://mobile.twitter.com/markito0171/status/655029504977563648?p=p

If jaish alfateh ,aka nusra terrorist group, is a Syrian rebel army why it needs to hide in civilian areas and be led by foreigners and funded by the GCC ?
It is a proxy war and Syrians are just tools. A revolution that made the lives of Syrians a living hell and failed to unite the people is a step backward and a national disaster not a national movement.
Russian intervention can not end the war but it may reduce chances of a total collapse of what is left of Syria since the Islamists can not rule and can not build a state.
The proof is in every place Islamists had a chance to conquer, those lunatics have no concept of nationalism that is why they only allow black flags that are 1400 years old, their Umma idea means that a Chechnyan Muslim has more rights in Syria than a Shia or a Christian Syrian, much like militant zionists.

“We came, we saw, he died”

Washington’s representatives are not interested and never was interested in humanitarian issues, problems of human suffering, and that the quantity of any innocent people will die before they reach their targets.

And the goal something they very prosaic: personal enrichment and preservation of the so-called “Western domination”, which is the ability to lie with impunity from high tribunes in the face of the world. After all, the western oligarchy is fully aware of the fact that refugees are inundating Europe today is a direct result of their actions.

However, to this day they hired journalists say about the victory of NATO forces in Libya and the need for such a “victory” in Syria. As in Syria, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will not start a war against its own people, and fought against it “rebels” had nothing to do with the so-called “moderate forces”. After his assassination Islamists staged a very real slaughter in Libya. The most striking example of their atrocities was almost total extermination of the population of the Libyan city of Tawergha, which allegedly “too actively supported” Gaddafi. The very same Libya – once the most prosperous states in North Africa – plunged into internal strife and lined with very heavy taxes, which in the West tactfully called “loans”.

Thankfully however, Russia will not allow the West to butcher Syria in the same manner they butchered Libya.

81. Uzair8

Attrition combat could be precisely be what the SAA & allies want. Grinding down the rebel forces with artillery and air strikes. Dead rebels don’t come back to fight another day.

We saw that at Kobani/Ayn al-Arab where IS fought for months until they ran out of strength. Western air power killed off the IS forces slowly but surely while the Kurds defended the town. And suddenly the IS collapsed and redrew.

The hypocritical Obama Administration mask has been blown off with the precision hit of a Russian laser-guided Kh-29L missile. As German and other EU governments have admitted, much to the strong objection of Washington, Putin has demonstrated that Russia is the fully essential part of any peaceful resolution of the Syria war. That in turn has a huge bearing on the current asylum-seeker crisis in Germany and other parts of the EU. It also has a huge bearing on prospects for world peace. The Norwegian Parliament’s Nobel Peace Prize Committee, rather than consider John Kerry, might consider Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister, Sergey Shoygu, for the prize.

Retweeted by Markito:

Abdurahman Harkoush @Abduhark 1m
Famous pro-regime FB page criticizes the last Hama offensive. It says regime lost 24 tanks and 450 troops for 50 cm. pic.twitter.com/MZmBusbB6H

https://mobile.twitter.com/Abduhark/status/655485969538359296?p=p

For Putin to demonstrate that Russia is essential for peaceful resolution in Syria , he resorted to military not peaceful actions , this is strange, , military force does not lead to PEACEFUL resolution ,Putin war has two possible results , military victory or military defeat, when outside support exists, and outside funding keeps funding the conflict, the equation tilts toward who has more money and determination,
Russia has air force superiority, but to a limit, anti air force missiles.will eliminate the air force superiority, we saw that in Afghanistan,
Putin as other dictators is taking huge risk the defeat of USSR after Afghanistan debacle, may be duplicated in Syria,

UZAIR you may be on to something

http://www.aksalser.com/news/2015/10/18/???????-??????-?-?????-?-???-????-?????/

the US has intentionally bombed the power stations in Aleppo to shut off the supply of clean water, a tactic they copied from Israel, to spread disease, and encourage more refugees ti head to Europe.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CRmw2q3WEAAHuQw.png

Held high-consultations among the Kurdish delegation of the Democratic Union and the Syrian government about the possibility of the participation of the Kurdish units in joint ground operations with the Syrian army with the presence of Russian air cover.
United States of America will not be able to drag Syrian Kurds to the maze of treason. These Sunni Kurds will taught more lessons for the Islamists Zionists

Here back to the subject instead of distracting us with blame games and second rate operations by a second rate power that has an economy smaller than that of Italy

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???? ??? ?????? ????? ???????? ?? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????????? ????? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ????? ????? ??????.

At the enterence of Harvard university a big sign says , Souret Al Nisaaa verse 153
?? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???????? ? ?????????’ ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????

At the enterence of Harvard university a big sign says , Souret Al Nisaaa verse 153
?? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???????? ? ?????????’ ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????

87. Uzair8

A couple of pro-regime tweeters say it’s fake. I don’t know. I’ll be more careful next time and wait longer.

89. Observer + 85. Poul

Advance/Offensive:

If the Russian/Regime aim was to advance then such levels of armour loss can only blunt any offensive. Regimists can claim the regime and Russia have plenty more tanks/armour in stock, however stocks (in storage) are no good to any current offensive. The advance is bound to become blunt and less effective.

Regime morale will be affected as troops will see destroyed and burning tanks dotted around whilst moving around the area or advancing. High troop spirits will turn to caution thus affecting fighting spirit.

Attrition:

If the Regime/Russian intention is attrition as Poul suggests such loss of armour is still demoralising. Potential loss of tank crews through fatalities and injuries is also important to consider.

The rebels may not play the attrition game which Poul suggests the rebels can’t win. The rebels may decide that instead of remaining as sitting ducks and gradually be picked off and degraded by Russian airpower and regime artillery they would be better to go on the offensive even at great risk and sacrifice. If rebels pull it off it could be a fatal blow for the regime.

There is already talk of such a rebel offensive on Hama. Some speculate it could be bluff and double bluff to keep the regime guessing on where to reinforce. One tweeter speculated the talk of a Hama offensive may be a trick, the rebels may go straight for Latakkia instead.

Morale:

I remember I and I’m sure many others were very fearful of the Russian campaign . The regimists were talking big, their ambitions including going after Jisr ul Shaghour and Idlib. I feared the Russians would undo hard won rebel territorial and ammo gains and push rebels way up north. Instead not only was there a sigh of relief at regime/russian failure but the ‘tank massacre’ resulted in elation in the revolutionary camp.

Endgame Isis: Syria deploys Russian ‘Blazing Sun’ to incinerate Islamic State terrorists

Russia reportedly has deployed one of its deadliest weapons in its fight against the Islamic State (Isis) militants in Syria — the TOS-1A Heavy Flamethrower System.

Recent photos shared on Twitter from Syria shows at least one such Russian multiple rocket launcher and thermobaric weapons mounted on a T-72 tank chassis being deployed by the Syrian soldiers….

…the Russian tank-mounted rocket launcher can incinerate eight city blocks.
The TOS-1A is classified as a flamethrower. Besides the traditional incendiary rockets, it can also fire thermobaric rockets. When fired, the thermobaric rockets release a cloud of flammable liquid into the air around the target, before lighting it up.

“The results are devastating—not only is the explosion significantly longer and the shockwave significantly hotter and stronger than a conventional warhead, but all the oxygen in the near vicinity is also consumed, creating a partial vacuum,” Swearingen observed.

It is counted among the most horrifying weapons, especially if the enemy is entrenched in bunkers and caves. The ‘blazing sun’ will kill its victim either with the intense pressure of the initial blast or suffocate them as their lungs will get ruptured in the vacuum created following the blast.

…make its public debut until more than a decade later, during the Second Chechen War in 1999.

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/endgame-isis-syria-deploys-russian-blazing-sun-incinerate-islamic-state-terrorists-650485

Putin will do what it takes to win. Drove Al-Qaeda into that minefield trying to get the hell out of Grozny. Worked like a charm.

…The ultraconservative militant group Ahar al-Sham…said it documented the use of at least two vacuum bombs – thermobaric weapons “which are entirely indiscriminate in nature and impossible to evade, even when taking shelter”.

http://rapidnewsnetwork.com/moscow-says-it-has-stepped-up-syria-air-strikes/236961/

They clear an area of IEDs/booby traps etc. too. Claimed to be part of the reason for using them in Grozny. Granted, it was the killing everything in entire city blocks, even in bunkers, that struck terror into the hearts of Basayev and the Al-Qaeda bandits.

TOW Missiles in unlimited supply? There’s a video on YouTube of 100 TOW strikes, all apparently blowing up tanks and vehicles. No doubt why so many Iranian/Hezbollah leaders are dying, they think they are safe that far from the front in their moving vehicle.

Had some proxy wars during the first Cold War, both sides flooding it with weapons. The locals didn’t win on the deal. Not a happy development for the Syrian People, particular ISIS, Al-Qaeda and their allies, because Russia is a lot more dangerous than the US or Europe, they play by different rules. And in this case, failure isn’t an option. Better to win and have everyone screaming bloody murder about how you did it, than to lose. When Basayev took over the Hospital, Yeltsin paid ransom and gave him free passage back to Grozny. When they took over the Theatre in Moscow, Putin gassed them despite it killing some of the hostages. Did Putin put the unconscious terrorists in Guantanamo, Siberia? Did he feed them Halal meals and build them million dollar soccer courts? No, while they were sleeping, he shot them in the head.

They can scale it up to the MOB, which will kill people over 3 miles away. Square miles of death. That would have to be dropped from a bomber, (or an ICBM).

And looks like Iran, with it’s 150 Billion windfall, unlike ALL Sunni countries, is in it all the way, lots of boots on the ground.

Cut a deal. No one is going to win. At least offer a great deal if they ditch the Assad syndicate.

“Syria is the four cities: if you own them, you own Syria,” said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “I suspect that the government believes that if they can own the four cities and win over the urban population, the countryside will eventually have to fall in line.”

“This larger war of Sunnis versus Shiites is only at its beginning,” said Landis. “If you create a rump state that includes all the Sunni cities, you still have this fundamental problem: who is going to rule, Sunnis or Shiites? It doesn’t solve the problem.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-18/assad-marches-on-aleppo-as-eu-frets-refugee-nightmare-to-worsen

I can only think of two stable configurations.

1. Sectarian partitions of Iraq and Syria, with maybe one Sunni state in the middle. Kurds too. Lots of ethnic cleansing and hostile borders.

2. Eastern Syria, essentially what ISIS controls, the pure Sunni part, becomes part of Iraq. Then no ethnic group has over 50%, in either country, so even if not a democracy, there’s a balance. Alawites don’t have to have total control to keep from being oppressed, Shiites in Iraq can’t run roughshod over the other ethnic groups.

Granted, how you get from here to one of those, where you draw the border, how you get the zoo of parties involved to go along… Well, one option is you eliminate those that can’t or won’t go along, like ISIS, like Nusra, etc. Essentially what Russia is doing. Assad, as bad as he is, is a a rational actor that will cut a deal. He’d be thrilled to ditch Eastern Syria, and keep those 4 cities.

Despite the fact that the armed conflict has claimed the lives of more than 250 thousand people and turned millions of peaceful Syrian citizens into refugees, the White House does not intend to contribute to ending the bloodshed on Syrian soil. Even after the Western press acknowledges that fair elections in Syria even after Washington journalists reported the absence of any “moderate” component of the Islamist hordes of mercenaries who continue to flood the Syrian territory through the Turkish border.
And even after Russia began to strike at militant positions ISIS, causing the first week of their substantial material damage, Washington is trying to prolong the senseless and bloody conflict.
The citizens ‘democratic’ Western states should give his assessment of the actions of the White House, which continues to supply weapons to militants. After recent media reports that NATO aircraft dropped 50 tons of militants of various weapons, trying to return it to its former combat capability.
Such actions should not go without censure from both the international community and from the public.

I do not know why Joshua insists that a sectarian partition is a solution or a possibility. Pushing for this scenario is disastrous to all syrians not just minorities plus it can not be done especially in mixed cities like Latakia, Homs and Hama. What might happen in the short term is a pseudo sunni enclave in areas like aljazeera which is largely under militant and terrorist groups rule.
Provinces like Idleb and Aleppo will be contested and Damascus is too important for the regime and its friends to be given to Nusra et al, even Sunnis in most urban areas are unlikely to accept a militant islamist government or semi government regardless of how much they dislike the regime.

Does anyone know what happened to Faruq al-Shara’?

He seems to have been out of the public eye lately.

This blog covers a lot of faction leaders, but I think it’s important to know what it happening to government figures sometimes.

According to sohr 2/3 of the victims of Russian air raids were armed rebels.
Civilian casualties can be avoided or minimized if rebels stop using populated
areas as bases, the claim that armed gangs care about Syrians is a myth
that only deniers believe, the same rebels regularly shell civilian areas in the
name of fighting regime forces. Do not look for innocence in this war,there is
none.

Once again blaming the victim and calling rebels armed gangs. At least there is clear cut admission that the regime troll is 100% pro regime.

This is exactly the same language Israel used in 2006 to destroy half of Lebanon as it claims that the HA fighters were hiding behind civilians and the same talk that justified the Kana massacre when the UN headquarters was shelled by Israelis killing hundreds.

????? ?? ?????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ????????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ??????? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????????? ???? ???????? ????? ??????? ?? ??????? ??????????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ????? ??????? ????????? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ??????? ???? ???????? ????????? ?????? ??? ????????? ?? ?????? ????? ????????? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ?? ????????. ????? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ??????????? ?? ???? ???? ?????. ??????????? ???? ??????. ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ???? ????????. ??? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ?? ???. ??? ????? ??? ?????????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ????????? ???????? ???? ?? ?? ???????????.

???? ??? ?????? ????? ???????? ?? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????????? ????? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ????? ????? ??????

This is despicable to say the least. in the meantime there is nothing on the ground that would result in any gains.

Humanitarian organizations Western origin survive by donors, is not it Gufran? disrespect! uncleanness and corruption.We have own statistics,which we trust.

Also according to sohr, Russian raids killed 52 Isis terriorists in 2 weeks, this
effectively means that NATO officials
and opposition media were lying when they said that Isis was hardly targeted by Russia.

?? ??? ????? ??? ? ??? ? ????? ????? ? ??? ??????? ? ????? ??? ????? ? ????? ???????? ? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?????????
Russian jets strike 60 terrorist targets in Syria in 55 sorties
https://www.rt.com/news/319193-russia-strike-syria-target/

Ghufran
the commment ?:6 Video @ 2:01

Navid Kermani was awarded the Peace price of the German Book Trade. His speech was very strong and has a clear message.

„Beyond the Borders – Jacques Mourad and Love in Syria “

http://www.friedenspreis-des-deutschen-buchhandels.de/1038404/

The SNC wants Kabab not falafel
???? : ???????? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? 100 ??? ” ????? ” ?? ?????????
Where is Qatar ?

After the truce in zabadani cameras spotted nusra flags inside the city.
Again, Khaliji and opposition media lied
on the subject.

It is now clear that the recent visit of deputy crown prince and Saudi Arabia’s minister of defence Mohammad bin Salman and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Russia to meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin led to no consensus on the Syrian conflict. It was reported that both Arabian emissaries stated that they would not allow the destruction of their radical opposition groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar ash-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam, therefore they would be providing military aid to these terrorists groups openly, that will include MANPADS that can allegedly pose threat to Russian aircraft operating in Syria. Moreover, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi will continue their efforts in disrupting any reconciliation efforts within Syria as long as Bashar al-Assad stays in power. It was made clear that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates percieve the strengthening military-political alliance between Russia and Iran as a serious threat to their national security, due to the fact that this alliance is capable of seriously changing the balance of powers in the region, especially in the light of extremely low military capabilities of Arabian monarchies.
http://journal-neo.org/2015/10/20/anti-syrian-forces-are-keen-on-saving-islamists-from-defeat/

it seems that there are two forces here;
The west coalition ( if there is one given Canada is withdrawing her jets off Syria) and the Russian!
both are suppose killing people on the ground, one is suppose to be killing only ISIS and the other is killing the so reported moderate rebels supported by the CIA.
if read more into the fictional story of the latter that the congress has withdrew its funding to the moderate rebels giving couldn’t have much fighter who are moderate than Russia must be hitting the terrorists which by the USA definition are Al-Qaida and its subgroups.
it is clear that the west lying about who Russia is hitting, to call this groups as moderate is same as calling the Taliban freedom fighters in the 80’s.
it was proven that the Taliban were in bed with al-Qaida then and now.
what is cooling to hear that both of them killing more people who don’t need to be around and for that matter don’t need to be on the Syrian soil to begin with.
as far as civilian causalities I think the west need to look in the mirror and see how much it caused civilians causalities in Iraq, Afghanistan and in other countries before blaming the Russians.
it is a joke what is going on in the American media, it thrives on the ignorance of the American people.
I am in for Putin to keep annihilating them as they move and make them meet the virgins and the rivers of wine not soon enough.
USA sells weapons to KSA, Qatar and Russia hits the ammunition Depos.
life long stupid arabs.

Like I said, Russians look like Americans and Europeans, they have the same sophisticated weapons and technology, but they are much more dangerous. One out of 20 are civilians with the US/Europe, but it’s One out of 3 with the Russians…and no Russians are being killed…

“According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 370 people have been killed by Russian warplanes since September 30. Of that number, 34 percent have been civilians—127 people, including 36 children and 34 women…in June, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted that of 3,000 people who had been killed by coalition airstrikes in Syria, 162 were civilians. (At the time, the British-based monitoring organization “re-expressed its strong condemnation” of the United States and its international partners.)
http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2015/10/russian-airstrikes-are-killing-1-syrian-civilian-every-2-combatants/122957/

—-

And this from the NYTimes, they claim it’s been the Saudis etc. that are vetoing any peace. And that they now have no motivation to do so, because time is not on their side in Syria…

“A proposal to freeze the fighting in Aleppo last year, led by the United Nations special envoy, Staffan de Mistura, also faltered: United Nations interlocutors went to the city and found that any initial support for the freeze among rebel groups there was vetoed by the rebels’ foreign donors, according to several diplomats in the region.

As one Western diplomat put it, the rebels were “not calling the shots.”

The Russian decision to help Mr. Assad consolidate his control in pro-government areas had become the “driving force” for any future political solution, said the Western diplomat, who requested anonymity in line with normal protocols.

Before the Russian intervention, the government was increasingly confined to a shrinking, defensible portion of the country. “Now, it will not shrink anymore,” the diplomat added. “The game is over.””
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/21/world/middleeast/russia-makes-an-impact-in-syrian-battle-for-control-of-aleppo.html?_r=0

——-

Dear Moderate Syrian Rebels,

Well, any of you still around, it’s a miracle. They all went after you, the Assad crime syndicate, ISIS, heck, all the radicals. And none of that Gulf States money went to you. Left hanging in the wind.

You now need to relocate near the Turkish border, and stay out of what is about to follow. You have paid your dues, you can hold your head high. You now have the great responsibility of representing the Sunni rebels, in the inevitable peace deal, after Nusra, ISIS, and the others are slaughtered.

Best Wishes, from the bottom of my heart,
Passerby

Russia can now put its money where its mouth is. They have been saying all along that the Syrian people should determine who rules Syria. Let’s hear Russia call for internationally-monitored elections in Syria within six months after its military forces secure the country – the way the United States did in Iraq.

HOPEFUL
You should not jump over stages announced by Russia, where the eradication of terrorism is the first irreducible phase!
Do not try to circumvent or comparison
Then, the elections were in accordance with the Constitution and you are not entitled to ask replicated without an order from the High Court in the state

Partition is the least bad option. And even then, it will be problematic. Because the Sunni part will be unstable and violent (as most states where Sunnis reside, are).

Partition into two parts can be sufficient, one part to be a Sunni statelet, the other part for all minorities. Call it the United States of Syria, or something.

Tartus Hama Homs Damascus – Sunni state; Latakie Aleppo Hasaka – minorities state.

Any other solution is futile. After all that happened, can you imagine a Sunni living in the same neighborhood with an Alawi? Sorry, I can’t.

Russia “winning” not possible? That so?…Just grabbed from the featured articles in a google group, but you get the idea…

Russia and Iran consider bank to finance joint projects
RT – ?13 hours ago?
“One of the most important issues that have a negative impact on the development of our trade relations [with Iran] is the financial issue.
Russia to provide Iran with $5bn creditPress TV
Russia to modernize Iran’s thermal power plantsMehr News Agency – English Version
Highly Cited:Russian Energy Minister Hopes to Sign Deals With Iran During Official VisitSputnik International
In Depth:Iran, a large important partner for Russia: NovakTehran Times

A week ago I defied anyone to produce anything, from a drop of oil to a banana that the US gets the slightest big cheaper because of the US Military. No one could point one out. Communist China is pumping the oil in Iraq.

I am pointing it out for Russia. They are turning a nice profit.

———-

And no Russians have died. Hezbollah, those Iraqi militias, the Revolutionary Guards, they will be bled white, that’s their contribution, to do the dying. That’s the deal.

Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and their ilk on one side, the worst of the worst. Every dead end loser, every sicko turned on by human heads on sticks, the distilled essence of frenzied Sunni violence…

…Hezbollah, those bloodthirsty fiend Iraqi militias, the goons of the Revolutionary Guards, and of course, the Assad crime syndicate, on the other side…

Al-Qaeda/ISIS is going to lose, but they will go down hard, gonna be a lot less Hezbollah and Iraqi militia members, and young Alawite men in 6 months. Iranians too.

Hi Amir,

As I understand it, before the Assads/Alawites seized power, there were Alawite/Christian towns and Sunni/Christian towns, but there were virtually no Alawite/Sunni towns. Not being able to live in the same neighborhood is the norm, that only occurred under the freak event of Alawite rule.

And stepping back and looking at the big picture, a minimum requirement for peace, assuming one side isn’t going to be exterminated/subjugated, is everyone that won’t accept a deal, that will keep fighting regardless, has to be eliminated. Be nice to get rid of all evil people at the same time, but it’s not a minimum requirement for peace.

And there’s the difficult job of eliminating the dead enders that won’t accept peace, such as ISIS, for instance. Who will accept the casualties. We have a volunteer.

Are Hezbollah and Iran going to make out like a bandit? No, they are going to suffer terribly, and gain some mortal enemies.

I really think the only partition that gives hope of a happy outcome is Eastern Syria, essentially what ISIS controls, becomes part of Iraq. All those Sunnis, including refugees have someplace to go, if they can’t tolerate Assad rule. And in the wild hope, that either Iraq or Syria will be democracies, it eliminates one ethnic group having a majority on both countries, actually giving democracy a chance. Yeah, I know, but even if not democracy, it helps. The new smaller Syria, Alawites wouldn’t have to worry about persecution if they didn’t hold power, at least based on demographics. I’m sure Assad would be happy to lose Eastern Syria, he handed it over to ISIS. And despite the threat to Shiite absolute rule in Iraq, countries have this strange desire to get larger, and never seem to turn it down.

Assad visit to Moscow, is certain to raise many questions, what did Putin tell Assad, ,why Assad was alone, , what prompted this sudden visit?
I do not expect changes in Russia position, but it seems that Putin from now on is directing Assad decisions , not Iran,
This meeting is a preparation to the coming meeting that includes US, KSA, Turkey and Russia,
Iran will not be there, any decision Russia agrees to, in this meeting most likely Assad will have to follow and respect
I think Assad sold Syria to Putin

Putin not winning? His popularity is now at 90%, an all time record. And the same poll shows the Russian people expect their economic condition to get worse in the next year. The sanctions mean nothing, the women and children killed mean nothing, even if Russian soldiers get killed, that won’t matter, the only thing that matters for his popularity in Russia, is winning. Militarily.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/vladimir-putins-approval-rating-hits-all-time-high-boosted-syria-n449071

And looks like Iran is giving Russia 25 Billion dollars to upgrade their energy system. 25 Billion dollars of Russian jobs for engineers. And that’s just that one deal. Russia is giving them 5 billion in credit, so they can ignore the world banking system. A real shot in the arm for the Russian economy, and it’s not oil money, it’s paychecks to Russian engineers money. And in this case, yeah, the weapons they will be buying will dwarf that.

—–

And immediately after the Assad visit, we have the US, Russia, Saudis and Turkey meeting. Now, what’s the chance that’s a coincidence? Is a deal afoot? Lots of fine details in Assad leaving, like yeah he leaves, but not much anyone else, a fig leaf for the Saudis and Turks in their defeat.

As for Russia winning, what if they drove the Saudis/Turkey to the peace table, what if there’s a deal because of his actions. Vladimir Putin the peacemaker. And all those Iranian/Iraqi/Syrian contracts and jobs for Russian engineers.

Talk about winning.

Yep, that’s the plan for peace, to end the slaughter. A fig leaf. Assad will leave in 6 months or a year or whatever but another Assad etc. can get the job. A rigged election or whatever. He’s a figurehead anyway. Something like that. That’s the big problem? Assad leaving? Only if both sides don’t want to cut a deal. Lots of ways to weasel it if they do.

And darned suspicious how Iran saying today that they won’t back Assad, personally, forever. They may not be in that meeting today, but they seem to be on the same page.

And then they get down to the serious business of destroying ISIS and anyone else that won’t accept the deal. Got unlimited boots on the ground with Iran, got the Russian close air support, something ISIS hasn’t faced, in Iraq or Syria, but are about to. Heck, even got the US ineffective, no-spotter plinking.

If true, Putin should win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Russian Aviation Destroys 72 ISIL Targets in Syria
Terrorist targets have been destroyed in the Syrian provinces of Hama, Idlib, Latakia, Aleppo, Damascus, and Deir ez-Zor.
https://youtu.be/flTxIlywVqA

#122 Passerby

A declaration that Assad is leaving will make a compromise very possible. He is a symbol of division for Syrians. He is despised by neighbors. He is hated in the west. A deal can be cut if him leaving is on the table. I am optimistic.

Another thing that would happen is that all the mafia bosses who supported him will scramble to leave Syria, fearing for their future. Good riddance.

You get an idea of the debate carreer vs freedom of speech in the country hosting this site when you realize that there has been no post since the beginning of the Russian air campaign. Some wounds never heal, uh?

From Hollywood to the djihad in Syria
http://angryarab.blogspot.de/2015/10/us-saudi-turkish-armed-rebel-is-son-of.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3278441/Revealed-British-son-Indiana-Jones-movie-director-al-Qaeda-jihadi-poster-boy-bent-terror.html

4 att. Pentagon spokesman Steve Warren
well open your ears, especially at 1:25 minutes
https://youtu.be/IV8M9NN4i5E

Hi Hopeful!,

The Deal looks a lot like what you have been advocating all along. A “fair” election, with international supervision, in a year or whatever, and the way they are going to weasel the Assad has to go thing is have some others admitted into the government in the meantime. The deal is done, the war is over, (other than mopping up the terrorists), it’s down to the fine points of the transitional government.

How about that!

Russia pushing Assad on Syrian power-sharing plan, advisers say
Ilya Arkhipov and Henry Meyer, Bloomberg

MOSCOW – Russia is pushing Syrian President Bashar Assad to accept a limited power-sharing plan that would give his opponents some role in a transitional administration while ensuring internationally-recognized elections can take place next year, advisers to the government in Moscow say…Assad, 50, has every right to stay on and seek re-election, the government advisers said…

Putin said on Thursday he had secured the agreement of Assad for Russia to work together with armed rebel groups that are ready to fight Islamic State. The Russian president told participants at the Valdai discussion club in Sochi that the Free Syrian Army, which is backed by the United States, fits this description.

“Of course the Syrian leadership must establish working contacts with those opposition forces which are ready for dialog,” Putin said. “As far as I understood from the meeting with President Assad the day before yesterday, he is ready for such dialog.”…

Kerry, in a concession to Russia, said after the Vienna talks that Iran might be invited to join the Syria negotiations eventually. He said that differences remain over how a transition could work…
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-syria-russia-2f25dc66-79ad-11e5-a5e2-40d6b2ad18dd-20151023-story.html

Assad is a dictator, he will never agree to share power with his enemies, also the free syrian army is much more in number than the Alawis, to share power means to lose power
Free election if is truly fair means Assad will lose power,Syrian refugees must have the right to vote, the Assad written constitution must be annulled before the election, because it deprives refugees from voting

In response to the talk about a deal:

Putin’s Russian Roulette Diplomacy in Syria

By Yezid Sayigh
Carnegie Middle East Center

“In theory, by raising the stakes in Syria the Russian deployment could trigger a deal. But this is unlikely.”

Denying the enemy the resources they need to maintain their fighting capacity is the key to victory. The Russians, Syrians, Kurds, and Iranians are strangling NATO’s proxies at their very source and instinctively, NATO has raised its hands in the form of a “buffer zone” to defend them and relieve the pressure – thus revealing the true nature of this regional conflict and the central role the West has played in creating and perpetuating ISIS, Al Qaeda, and other extremists currently ravaging Syria and beyond.
whether the US concedes defeat, or escalates dangerously toward war with Russia to save a policy that has not only utterly failed, but has already been exposed to the world as a criminal conspiracy.

https://youtu.be/u7Q8X60KQ9Q

Well, since everyone considered it impossible a couple months ago, “unlikely” looks pretty good. And I suspect the odds are better than that. With Russian air power, special forces aiming it, technology, and “you don’t mess with a superpower” cover, and Iran ready to commit unlimited manpower, the game is over and everyone knows it.

In chess, they used to have all these gambits, you’d sacrifice a pawn for a strong attack. But they came up a strategy that put an end to it. Instead of keeping the pawn, at the right moment, you give it back, with a better game. That’s what International Grandmaster Putin did to bail out “Red Line” Obama. Gave him a way out, that gave Russia everything they wanted. Gave back the pawn with a better game. That’s what he’s doing now.

——–

Oh no, Assad won’t share power, that’s just a fig-leaf for the losers. Someone will have some power, but not really, and there will be an election later, with some unspecified rules and enforcement of the rules.

But look on the bright side, other than being seen as loyal to a friend, it’s in everyone’s interest to have the entire Assad crime syndicate retire on the Rivera or have an unfortunate accident, as long as there’s another strong man replacement. And Russia repeatedly, and Iran a couple days ago, said their support for the Assads isn’t indefinite. And unlike all other boots on the ground, Russia isn’t in a blood feud.

In Canada, we just went through an election. An election where the pendulum swung hard from one side to the other. To witness the peaceful change of government is inspiring. A government change that was decided by Canadians,

I, for one, hope to use that same right and vote for the government and leader of my choosing in Syria. A right all Syrians deserve.

ISIS/Al-Qaeda and their ilk aren’t going to be in on any deal. They still have to be eliminated. It’s just that the Gulf States/Turkey/USA etc. won’t be helping them or any of their allies. No more TOW missiles. In trade, if there are any rebels that can pass as even remotely moderate or reformed, willing to play ball, (and not be immediately exterminated by ISIS/Al-Qaeda/Etc.), they will, in effect, get to rule the Sunni parts of Syria. They will have rose petals in their path.

Lots of reasons to play ball with Russia. So, Turkey doesn’t play ball? What’s to stop Russia from giving close air support to the Syrian Kurds? Erdogan won’t permit them to attack ISIS? Can’t expand their perimeter? That so? Gonna’ go into a foreign country and shoot down a Russian airplane? You’re on your own, pal. The Kurds would be thrilled to cut a deal where they expand their border and get protection from the Turks. And at some point, the issue will be raised, if Turkey can support terrorists in Syria, why can’t Syria support terrorists in Turkey? Because Syria is weak, in the jaws of a revolution? What if it isn’t? Complete humiliating defeat for Turkey. Better to play ball, get rid of the refugees, and wear your fig leaf proudly.

The Gulf States? Well, they don’t do refugees, so they don’t care about that. And ISIS/Al-Qaeda are a bit pushy, but basically have it right on the religion stuff. And the Shiites… Well, they are going to lose regardless, best to cut the best deal possible for the Sunni parts of Syria and Iraq. Pakistan has spit in their face again, first Yemen and now supporting Russia. Egypt and Jordan supporting Russia too. And may not enter their calculations, but the United States of America and it’s “allies” in the Gulf, supporting Al-Qaeda that knocked down the Twin Towers, in an election year, with Russia eagerly pointing that out, and it being a fact, is a wee bit iffy.

And the US and Europe and Israel are thrilled to see it come to an end. They actually care about human suffering, at least on occasion. As for the remaining house by house, block by block, mile by mile, death match between ISIS/Al-Qaeda/Etc. and Hezbolla/IraqiMilitias/Revolutionary Guards on the ground, as the Russians pound them from the air? So be it.

133. SAMI

The Western world is discarding its failed leaders, their ideology and the whole system they are held to represent, rightly or wrongly. There are now far more overtly protest-based parties in the parliaments of NATO countries, trying to achieve fundamental, systemic changes in the orientation of their countries in response to popular concern, than any living voter has seen.

Now a nation as important as Canada has a government which has been elected on the same basis, with tradition rather than mere protest behind it. This gives it the moral authority to get things done. Justin Trudeau probably can’t believe his luck. If he follows the aspirations of his people, which he seems to know very well, to their natural conclusion the rest of the world may not be able to believe its luck either.

It seemed like Vietnam would never end, but it did…

Saudis see some progress toward political solution in Syria

Oct 25 (Reuters) – Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday after talks with his counterpart in Cairo that wider international talks to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria had yielded some progress although further consultations were needed.

Differences seem to be increasing between Saudi Arabia’s position on Syria and that of Egypt, a close ally. Unlike Saudi Arabia, which backs some Syrian rebel groups, Egypt has welcomed Russian air strikes in Syria against insurgents.

Moscow says Syrian president Bashar al-Assad must be part of any political transition and that the Syrian people will decide who rules them.

Washington has said it could tolerate Assad during a short transition period, but that he would then have to then exit the political stage.

In a flurry of diplomatic activity around the Syria crisis, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Riyadh on Saturday and the two countries agreed to boost support for Syria’s moderate opposition while seeking a political resolution to the four-year-old conflict.

At a news conference in Cairo with Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, Jubeir said: “I believe that there has been some progress and positions have moved closer on finding a solution to the Syrian crisis, but I cannot say that we have reached an agreement. We still need more consultations…to reach this point.”…

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/25/mideast-crisis-syria-saudi-idUSL8N12P0HT20151025

[Well… We can’t expect the Saudis to set much store by the election solution, the penalty for advocating democracy there is death and public display of the body…]

Saudi court upholds death sentence for Shi’ite cleric

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal against the death sentence passed this year on Shi’ite Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr who had called for pro-democracy demonstrations and whose arrest in 2012 spurred protests in which three died….

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/25/us-saudi-execution-idUSKCN0SJ0LS20151025

Not a lot to gain from peace, but it’s not Sunni vs. Shiite, it’s Saudi vs. Shiite. Pakistan, Egypt, even Jordan has spit in their face. The rest of Sunni Islam other than the other Gulf States could care less about Syria. Still got the US and Europe following orders, for the moment, but they are weak and indecisive.

That fig leaf is looking pretty good, trying it on for size.

/The zionist Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir has said that Russia’s current fight against ISIS in Syria is “dangerous” and has criticised their mission as fuelling the crisis rather than helping it./

sounds pretty much like an inbred goat herder…???? ??????

Heard this interview a night ago on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Former US Ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker talks to 5 Live.

25/10/2015
Have we reached a pivotal moment in the Syrian crisis, as Russia suggests it will increase its engagement?

5-6 min long:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06k9w5q

Heard this interview on (radio) BBC World Service last night/early hours. Interview with Kremlin spokesman Peskov.

BBC Hardtalk – Dmitry Peskov

Stephen Sackur speaks to the spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov. Depending on who you believe, Russia’s military intervention in Syria is a boost for the forces of legitimacy in the face of terrorism, or a foolish gamble which will further destabilise Syria and backfire on the Kremlin. Does Russia’s desire to shore up the Assad regime risk a dangerous new confrontation with the United States?

23 min long:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p035qssh

VoA article. It is claimed Russian intervention has provoked youth refugees to return and fight resulting in a surge in rebel recruitment.

Rebel Defiance, Relief as Assad Forces Get Bogged Down

October 26, 2015

[…]

“The solution is simple. It is not complicated. Assad, his inner circle, the security apparatus and all the intelligence agencies, all have to go,”

[…]

Two factors have been crucial for the rebels confronting the Russian-backed offensives that Iranian commanders helped plan: TOW anti-tank missiles and a surge in rebel recruitment.

[…]

voanews.com/A/3022856.html

/or a foolish gamble /
/and backfire on the Kremlin/
/risk a dangerous new confrontation with the United States/
/“The solution is simple. It is not complicated. Assad, his inner circle, the security apparatus and all the intelligence agencies, all have to go,”/

Before the Russian military intervention in Syria, the world was witness to the seriousness and effrontery NATO creep toward the Russian border.
The danger lies in the ugly face of London and Washington when surround Russia and China from all directions by means of destruction.

“The solution is simple. It is not complicated. Should stand in the face of all criminal plans prepared by Britain and America”

“Two factors have been crucial for Russian alliance? confronting the Anglo-Zio-Saudi backed offenses that their commanders helped plan: Transfer events to the enemies squares“

Thank you, your comments were very constructive.

97. Uzair8

Status at the moment regarding the government offensives.

The Ghab Plains looks like a stop at least for now. The Russian air force may have concentrated their efforts around Aleppo. Rebel counter-attack at Morek so overall not much changing

The Al-Rastan pocket looks little changed.

Aleppo appears to be the big effort. IS couldn’t stop the army and their supply lines to Turkey are easily cut only about 25 km in length between Lake Jaboul and Lake Assad.

South of Aleppo we have seen the effects of attrition. The rebels seems to have lost the ability to defend effectively and the pro-government forces push forward with ease. Have they run out of TOWs or is it a man power problem..?

Take a look at this video.You’ll se mr. Abdullah al Muhaysini in an interview , in which he insists that whoever from Turkey can cross the syrian borders without a passport.Kerry said yesterday that Nusra is still to be terrorist group but the truth is US put these jidad pigs on the table of negotiations. Negotiations can be runned among humans and not among evil beast-killer-insticts. That’s the mistake America does. For these reasons, US and ???? memberes,in total, should keep a critical eye on Turkey’s behavior. Unfortunately , Kurds an heroic and historic nation has not his own state even if we live in 21th century. Kurds are deeply Democrats but instead of islamic groups in Syria they have not as backup the Saudi Sheik ”friends of America” …