Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk: History and Analysis
Posted by Aymenn Al-Tamimi on Friday, September 18th, 2015
By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Establishment and Beginnings (2012-2013)
Initial emblem of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk
Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk (The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade) was formed in the summer of 2012 initially using the name Katiba Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk and based primarily in southwest Deraa province. The group first came to prominence with the capture of UN peacekeeping troops in March 2013 in the Jamla area near the UN patrolled portion of the Golan Heights. In the initial statement on the hostage taking, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk justified its actions as follows:
“At a time in which the UN is silent about the crimes of the regime against the Syrian people, here are the UN forces providing aid to the criminal regime forces besieged for days by the heroes of the Free Army [FSA] on frontline duty in the area defending our people there from the barbarity of the regime and its shabiha…at a time in which the Yarmouk Valley area is witnessing artillery and rocket bombing as well as continual Assad war plane bombing raids that have led to the destruction of a great number of homes and the killing of unarmed civilians without mercy, as well as displacement of families.
Why is this aid not offered to the unarmed civilians instead of the criminal gangs? Therefore we have decided to detain and keep hold of the aid together with its UN personnel until Assad’s forces pull out their forces from the area and the Assad bombing and war plane raids stop. And these personnel will remain safe, and when the bombing stops and Assad’s forces pull out their forces from the area entirely and the UN fulfils its humanitarian and international obligation for which it is present in the area, we will immediately release them.
Long live Free Syria and down with the criminal Assad regime.”
However, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk very quickly retracted this hostile statement, claiming it was actually protecting the UN personnel from the “barbaric bombing that Assad’s criminal gangs are launching against the western villages of Deraa province and all of Syria.” The group then called on the UN to hold a secure meeting to hand over the personnel. Eventually, the incident was resolved. Another kidnapping incident took place in May involving 4 Filipino UN peacekeepers , though they were also released. At the time, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk seemed keen to assure outsiders of its supposedly good intentions, even telling the Times of Israel that the group’s quarrel was only with Assad regime and praising Israeli medical treatment for refugees.
Through 2013, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk gained prominence as a player on the battlefield, acquiring some new local affiliates. In late March, the group coordinated with Jabhat al-Nusra in an assault on the 38th division air defence base. In May- at a time when Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk was participating in the “Yarmouk al-Karama” battle focused on localities to the south of Nawa town like Ain Dhikr– the Omar al-Mukhtar battalion for the Nawa area was announced, employing nationalist rhetoric typical of what one would associate with the FSA brand: “I swear by God the Great to defend my religion, my homeland [watani] and my honour, and expend what is dear and precious in liberating all the soil of the homeland from the claws of the criminal Assad occupation.”
In July, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk announced participation in the “Umm al-Ma’arak” (“Mother of Battles”) to capture Nawa from regime forces, though that operation was ultimately unsuccessful. At this point, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk’s nationalist rebel affiliations were still apparent, and in October the group joined a coalition of 50 southern formations embodied in the “Revolution Leadership Council- Southern Region.” In a show of military strength, a video emerged in November 2013 of a large military parade held by Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk. At the time, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk’s leader Ali al-Baridi (nickname: al-Khal) claimed that the group’s control of territory extended from the area of Tel Shehab (near the border with Jordan) to the occupied Golan.
All that said, the group was not without its critics in 2013: for example, one page entitled “Secrets and Revelations of Shabiha and Thieves of the Free Army in Deraa” in September accused Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk of laziness under the leadership of al-Khal and his deputy Abu Abdullah al-Ja’ouni, asserting: “There is an abundance of arms yet it has stopped operating on many fronts like the Sheikh Sa’ad front in waiting for additional support…and today we have heard calls to provide relief from Sheikh Sa’ad so what will Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk and the other brigades sleeping in Tafis and the majority of the western areas?”
Developments in 2014
Moving into 2014, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk continued to participate in rebel operations, being one of the declared participants alongside Jabhat al-Nusra and other brigades in the “Hold fast to God’s rope entirely and don’t separate” battle announced in late February to capture strategic positions between Deraa and Quneitra. In that same month, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk was also one of the declared components of the ‘Southern Front’ initiative backed by the West and Gulf states. At the end of April, the brigade along with some other groups announced a new offensive to take Tel al-Jumu’ and other areas to the south of Nawa, though that came to nothing as an identical initiative with more participants including Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk was announced in June.
Even at this point, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk’s public affiliations were ostensibly clear in its appearance as a signatory to a statement signed by 54 southern groups affirming respect for human rights and democracy: as per the third clause, “We fight so that Syrian men and women may choose a free and democratic system that establishes a prosperous state respecting the aspirations of Syrians in the freedom and dignity for which they have fought.”
It is in July 2014 that some signs of tension emerge between Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk and other factions, beginning with an apparent clash with Harakat al-Muthanna al-Islamiya, a Salafi group primarily operating in Deraa province. One may also argue that in this clash lies the first hint of links with the Islamic State [IS], as there is an echo of IS discourse in pronouncing takfir on the group with whom one clashes. Thus from a Facebook page in support of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk at the time:
“Harakat al-Muthanna- which calls itself ‘Islamic’ but it has no connection to Islam- launches an attack on the al-‘Alan checkpoint at which the heroes of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk are based, blows it up and arrests the members of the checkpoint affiliated with Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk, exploiting the fact that most of the heroes of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk are present in the town of Sheikh Sa’ad to liberate it from Assad’s gangs and shabiha. And while the brigade was moving Mahmoud Suleiman al-Baridi, one of the most important field commanders in Deraa province, who was wounded during the liberation of Sheikh Sa’ad, they got in the way and held him back, which led to the aggravation of his condition…So, a question that suggests itself, Harakat al-Muthanna, which calls itself Islamic, is it Islamic in deed or….?”
In a follow-up statement, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk’s leader mentioned that the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and the al-Hamza Division had participated alongside Harakat al-Muthanna al-Islamiya in the attack, and had allegedly accused Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk of “apostasy and disbelief.” Al-Khal gave an extended account in which he claimed that after the capture of Tel al-Jumu’ it had been agreed that Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk would participate on the Sheikh Sa’ad front but then members had been approached by a convoy of cars that also claimed to be participating on that front. Approval was granted for joint participation by the leadership, but soon after that, Harakat al-Muhthanna al-Islamiya, the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and the al-Hamza Division began the attack on Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk. Eventually, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk’s media office released a statement simply clarifying on which fronts it would continue to operate: Nawa town, Atman and Kharbat Ghazala.
By summer 2014, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk had adopted a more Islamic-style emblem (variant featuring a white flag).
Even so, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk continued to identify with the Southern Front operations, participating in the Imam Nawawi offensive to take Nawa from regime forces. The group also participated in the wider fighting over Shaykh al-Maskin, Nawa and other parts of Deraa in November 2014 that eventually culminated in disaster for regime forces, with the total loss of Nawa and other holdings such as Liwa 112 base, in which Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk advertised its presence after the routing of regime forces.
The following month came a major conflict with Jabhat al-Nusra, from which point onwards Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk’s pro-IS affiliations have become so obvious that it does not really make sense now to speak of the group as secretly pro-IS. Jabhat al-Nusra’s fight with Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk in the Yarmouk basin was rooted in its perception of the latter as an IS cell, an allegation that Southern Front commanders apparently rejected at the time. Though the exact sequence of events remains somewhat unclear, the Dar al-‘Adl (House of Justice), a southern rebel judicial body, initially called for a ceasefire and its own judicial investigation (15 December) with the backing of multiple factions, including the Al-Hamza Division, Ahrar al-Sham and Harakat al-Muthanna al-Islamiya. As in July of that year though, when Harakat al-Muthanna al-Islamiya had already clashed with Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk, it appears the group had also been involved on the side of Jabhat al-Nusra in the initial clashes with Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk. Eventually, Harakat al-Muthanna al-Islamiya proposed its own ceasefire and the Dar al-‘Adl issued a new statement on 23 December, requiring the warring sides to return to frontline posts against the regime and for the Dar al-‘Adl to receive the checkpoints set up within the Yarmouk basin.
Leaving behind the Southern Front: Moving overtly towards IS
Since the December clashes, multiple lines of evidence point to Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk’s IS affinities that build a very clear case when taken together. To begin with, the group’s current emblem featuring IS’ flag:
Further, a key figure involved in the December 2014 clashes was Jabhat al-Nusra’s Abu Mariya al-Qahtani, widely perceived as one of the most pragmatic members of the al-Qa’ida affiliate, though he has since been sidelined. He has been the subject of verbal attack from Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk using discourse identical to IS, namely in referring to him as ‘al-Harari’ (H/T: @AbuJamajem). For example, in a statement entitled “To our people in the town of Nawa,” Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk says it released two people on verifying they had no link to Jabhat al-Nusra, while warning “our people in Nawa…to be careful of the conspiracy in which al-Harari is trying to embroil them, whereby he makes from among them cannon fodder for his ambitions that his agenda, which is not hidden from anyone, imposes upon him. This already happened in reality when he embroiled some of the sons of Nawa, deceiving them, in the attempt to commit treachery against Saraya al-Jihad…and it was established to all that Saraya al-Jihad was in a state of defending itself.” Saraya al-Jihad is a jihadi group in Quneitra that became part of the coalition Jaysh al-Jihad, also suspected of being an IS cell: its name appears to be used interchangeably with Jaysh al-Jihad here.
In this context, one should then note an interview uploaded on 1 May 2015 with the deputy leader of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk, in which he denies that Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk has links with Jaysh al-Jihad but says Jabhat al-Nusra committed aggression against them. When asked as a follow-up whether Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk has allegiance to IS, he avoids giving a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to the question. This interview followed on from a lengthy statement by the Dar al-‘Adl on 30 April, which condemned Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk for violating terms imposed upon them. Though the brigade handed over leaders of sub-groups who had pledged allegiance to IS for questioning and verification as stipulated, the Dar al-‘Adl claims that those handed over actually affirmed that the leadership of the brigade had also pledged allegiance and received financial support from IS.
According to the Dar al-‘Adl, other violations on the part of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk include re-opening an alternative court in violation of the agreement, declaring takfir on the Dar al-‘Adl, kidnapping and torturing civilians and leaders of rival brigades (e.g. the leader of Liwa Buruj al-Islam affiliated with the First Legion), and running a cell to assassinate rivals in the town of Nawa. These patterns of behaviour are very similar to IS conduct in 2013 and in Fallujah in early 2014 (back when it was just ISIS), whereby an alternative proto-administration was set up (most often in the form of a da’wa office and/or Islamic court), combining an approach of outreach and subversion. Criticism of the Dar al-‘Adl as a judiciary body was also the subject of an official IS Damascus province video.
Over the course of this year, Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk has further developed its administration along the IS model in the Yarmouk basin, with its own da’wa office, Islamic court, Islamic police force and apparently a Diwan al-Hisba, as per below.
Da’wa office of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk. Here is a video of a sample da’wa meeting held by Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk: note the use of the Islamic State song “The Shari’a of Our Lord.”
Da’wa pamphlet cover from Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk.
Establishment of the Islamic court dated 11 Shawwal 1436 AH (27-28 July 2015): “Striving on our part to realize the religion and the ruling of God’s law…over the land, supporting those who are wronged and standing in the face of wrongdoers and those who sow corruption, we announce the formation of the Shari’a court. This court is to be considered the sole legitimate place from which judicial rulings are to be taken in the Yarmouk basin area according to the Book of God and the Sunna of His Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) on the understanding of the just predecessors, may God be pleased with them. And we ask our people to be an aid to us in this court and that to restore rights to its people.”
“The Shari’a court in the Yarmouk basis announces its desire to appoint Islamic judges affiliated with the court and working in it. Thus we ask all whom God has cultivated with Shari’i knowledge to be kind enough to undertake judicial work in the court. Appointment of the judges for work will be completed within the cadre of the Shari’a court according to specialities and suitability. To apply: base of the Shari’a court in al-Shajra everyday from 9-11 a.m. beginning from the issuing of this statement- 11 Shawwal 1436 AH.” The al-Shajra court was mentioned earlier in the year by the Dar al-‘Adl as something reopened by Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk contrary to its wishes.
Announcement by Shari’a court for the recruitment of Islamic police to be affiliated with the court (not military matters).
From a Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk account on Twitter: Diwan al-Hisba organizing distribution of niqabs to locals.
In this vein, recent Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk photo releases mimic IS propaganda, portraying scenes of normality in the Yarmouk basin area it controls, as well as distributions of da’wa pamphlets and revelling in the destruction of its enemies, who have generally failed to dislodge it from its strongholds. For comparison, note that another group that eventually pledged allegiance to IS- Boko Haram- also had its own media outlet- al-Urwat al-Wuthqa- that imitated IS photo releases.
Football match in the Yarmouk basin area
Distribution of da’wa pamphlets
“Corpses of the slain of ‘Jaysh al-Fatah’ [in the south, comprising Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham et al.] who tried to assault the areas controlled by Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk.”
Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk member Ahmad al-Baridi featuring a quotation from IS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani on his Twitter account.
Purported areas of control of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk (in green) vs. rebel rivals (in red) as of early August 2015.
Given the numerous lines of evidence for the IS affinities of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk, one may ask why IS has not already announced a new ‘wilaya’ (province), in this case a Wilayat Deraa, which would from a propaganda viewpoint mark a significant ‘expansion’ in that even its predecessor ISIS, which was much more widely (and thinly) spread across Syria, never had a foothold in the province on account of the loyalty of Jabhat al-Nusra affiliates to Jowlani. One answer may be that the problem for IS is that the territory currently controlled by Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk is not contiguous with the rest of its holdings in Syria and Iraq, or it may be the announcement is only a matter of time.
In any case, the growth of Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk poses a significant problem for the rebels, and the Dar al-‘Adl continues to be targeted in sabotage operations, with the assassination of its deputy head most recently, but it seems no one has the strength to dismantle Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk’s presence. This is particularly telling with regards to the relative strength of Jaysh al-Fatah in the south (which seems most keen to destroy Liwa Shuhada’ al-Yarmouk) as opposed to its much more successful counterpart in the north. More generally, southern rebel efforts have stalled with the faltering offensive on Deraa city despite the regime’s thin line of control through the province.
Comments (112)
Ghufran said:
We knew that an anti regime rebellion in Syria would be bloodier and nastier than Tunisia, Libya or even Egyot due to the inevitable sectarian factor and Syria’s geopolitical importance. The rebels and revolutionaries ( as they like to be called) were used by regional powers but also abused their positions, stole a lot of money and enjoyed the attention and press interviews, however I yet to see what rebels and the SNC did to help Syria and the Syrians, life was difficult under Assad but it is unbearable now for most Syrians.
مسابقه بالحيونه بين محبي الأسد و محبي زعران الثوره و لا يزال الماتش مستمرا
September 18th, 2015, 10:18 pm
Alan said:
مسابقة بالحيونة بين امريكا و بريطانية و كندا و انضمت اليهم لاحقا استراليا لخلق هالة البعبع . مجموعة حثالة الانكلوساكس على المذبح السوري.
September 19th, 2015, 5:21 am
Erin said:
do you notice any difference between all these factions listed here about Syria one word summarize them all are Muslims brotherhood in one way or another. This revolution won’t take Syria anywhere but 1000 year back into the mid evil years.
The Sunni gulf countries avoided Arab spring by destroying Syria.
September 19th, 2015, 11:43 pm
Ziad Abu Fadel said:
This group of Western and Zionist-aided monkeys will soon be exterminated down to the last strand of DNA. They are murderers and thieves. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Long live Syria, the Syrian Army and Dr. Bashar Al-Assad.
September 20th, 2015, 11:07 am
ALAN said:
Top ISIS commander – “star pupil” of US special forces training
http://shareverything.com/2015/09/19/top-isis-commander-star-pupil-of-us-special-forces-training/
September 20th, 2015, 2:51 pm
Amir in Tel Aviv said:
A British jihadist complains about the bad habits of his Syrian “brothers”. Too funny:
http://abusaeedawlaki.tumblr.com/post/128405472143/culture-clash-understanding-the-syrian-race
September 20th, 2015, 7:56 pm
Majedkhaldoun said:
I found B Carson comment about Moslem should not be president of US is equivalent to racism , and very disgusting, there are eight million Moslems in U.S. And they can produce two million vote, Dr Carson will drop in the poll and will never get the republican nomination
September 21st, 2015, 7:20 am
ALAN said:
The tone of the Americans began to change, from the openly hostile, to almost friendly. Let us recall the telephone conversation between Minister of Defense of Russia and the United States, as well as the CIA’s secret visit of the delegation to Moscow last week. Something’s wrong here, perhaps to lure Russia into Arabic showdown … hmmmm!!!!
September 21st, 2015, 12:37 pm
ALAN said:
The general outlines of American grand strategy became more or less apparent in 2011 with the beginning of the so-called “Arab Spring.” Everyone was asking the question: why were Americans aimed at toppling relatively stable regimes in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, and why do they pave the way for the most extreme forces or even religious fanatics who hate the United States?
Those are the traits of the new US strategy that can be defined by the promotion of global instability.
The point of this strategy is that by promoting conflicts America would be able to undermine sustainable national and regional associations, which crave for independence and also interfere with US ambitions. Washington hopes that, on the one hand, conflicts would weaken potential competitors, and on the other – will allow the United States to manipulate various players amid the conflicts.
September 21st, 2015, 1:23 pm
ALAN said:
Report: Russian Marines Battle ISIS In Syria, IS Possesses “Satellite Imagery” Of Base
The question then becomes, how did ISIS, a terrorist organization which has yet to launch its own satellites into orbit, acquire such sensitive and important material?
http://www.activistpost.com/2015/09/report-russian-marines-battle-isis-in-syria-is-possesses-satellite-imagery-of-base.html
September 21st, 2015, 3:56 pm
Erin said:
it seems no one cares about this blog anymore, what happened to Norm, Tara, Hiatham etc. etc
September 21st, 2015, 10:42 pm
erin said:
more people dying everyday in the see, more are killed by bombs, missiles landmine, butchered, beheaded, kidnapped, slaughtered by the groups who are basically allied with the USA and financed by Saudi and moved into Syria through Turkey.
Sunni Muslims are digging their own hole by following such backward ideology.
Assad is not innocent, his people abused others, killed, jailed others but destroying Syria, won’t help the Sunni in anyway.
it is a curse will never leave generation for decades to come and people will talk about syrian war for generation to come.
the West was expecting the largest Alawite refugees going in the sea, but mostly are Sunni who are dying in the sea therefore, it is not over the for Assad, this war may last decade or mroe depending on how long the Sunni are going to follow Turkey and Saudi Arabia word of destruction.
September 21st, 2015, 10:51 pm
habib said:
Now Saudia is crucifying a young activist. Yet the world doesn’t call for armed rebellion against the despots there. No, they appoint Saudia to rule the human rights council.
The hypocrisy is sickening.
September 22nd, 2015, 4:24 am
Akbar Palace said:
The hypocrisy is sickening.
Habib,
Hypocrisy is when you say one thing, and then do something else. Where is the “hypocrisy”? Assad, Iran and the KSA are admitted non-democratic, autocratic, and despotic nations who are fighting a turf war. Before the war started there wasn’t anyone crying about how these countries are being led! In fact, the owner of this website was a big Assad supporter.
The only reason the war is being fought is because Assad’s power was too fragile when Syrian civilians started to demonstrate. Assad’s “fall back” plan to survive was to let his country crumble.
September 22nd, 2015, 7:32 am
Ghufran said:
While Islamist terrorists are executing civilians for homosexual acts, including children, Russia continues to build up for an upcoming surge against Nusra and Isis, Hmaimeem is now a military airport and will undergo a face lift since almost all of Idleb is under Nusra and Turkistan terrorist militia rule, the FSA only exists on Facebook.
The failure to come up with a compromise that ends Assad rule and protect those who are against Islamist rebels kept the war raging with no end in sight.
September 22nd, 2015, 3:25 pm
ALAN said:
“Dore Gold, director general of the Israeli foreign ministry, expressed optimism that the refugee influx will shift Europe to the right, making it more sympathetic to Israel’s ‘security’ justification for its ongoing colonization of Palestine.
The Washington-led West is becoming ever more like an occupying Global Israel, forever paranoid, exclusivist, imperious, and warlike. And it is turning the Muslim world from Mali to Pakistan into a occupied Global Palestine, its people forever bombed, corralled, and at times driven to desperate violence.
War is remaking the world in Greater Israel’s own ugly image. It is therefore no wonder that homicidal racist colonialists like Benjamin Netanyahu and Dore Gold feel more comfortable in the brutal new world they helped create.
September 22nd, 2015, 3:43 pm
ALAN said:
15. GHUFRAN
/the war raging with no end in sight/
لايوجد بالمفهوم الروسي شيء اسمه with no end in sight .
Russia continues to build up for an upcoming surge against Nusra and Isis, Hameem is now a military airport and will undergo a face lift
تدخل روسيا لتنفذ كل تفاصيل برنامجهاالعسكري المعد لغاية عام 2020 و البرنامج غير مرتبط بالأحداث المدرجة .
September 22nd, 2015, 3:57 pm
Ghufran said:
The recent military buildup seems to be
focusing on securing the stretch of land from Damascus to Latakia.
This means trying to retake palmyra and push Islamists militias in Hama, Homs and Latakis north.
Aleppo is still divided and Isis is trying to capture part of the province by attacking other militias, a major offensive in Aleppo by the army is unlikely until more urgent problems are solved.
Dayr Azzour and aljazeera are too big of a meal to swallow when the number of soldiers on active duty shrunk by half, that makes it more likely to only see bombing from the air against Isis targets there, a ground offensive may be left for the Kurds and local tribes ( in Dayr Azzour).
With all of that being said, things will not change drastically until a political settlement is reached which should include KSA and Iran.
September 23rd, 2015, 9:47 am
ALAN said:
ما حقيقة انضمام مقاتلين دربتهم واشنطن لـ”جبهة النصرة”؟
http://arabic.rt.com/news/794879-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B4%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%B1%D8%A9/
September 23rd, 2015, 4:12 pm
ALAN said:
Simo!
“Greater Israel” SHADOW American geopolitics
http://communitarian.ru/publikacii/bolshoy_blizhniy_vostok/izrail_v_teni_amerikanskoy_geopolitiki_02112013/
September 23rd, 2015, 4:49 pm
Ghufran said:
Eid will be empty until you donate to help Syrian refugees.
September 23rd, 2015, 6:54 pm
Akbar Palace said:
Ahlan,
This link is for you. We’d like you to explain to us how Israel is involved in this….
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/suicide-bomber-bursts-tears-comforted-6497847
September 23rd, 2015, 8:54 pm
Tara said:
مطلوب مطرب لطميات للعمل ضمن صفوف حزب الله. يشترط صوت حنون ولطم يجعل المؤمنين
Drink cool aid and subsequently kill Sunnis
المعاش مغري
مطرب لطميات حزب الله قتل في الزبداني 21/09/2015 شؤون عربية نعت وسائل إعلام مقربة من “حزب الله” اللبناني مقتل المغني اللبناني “حسين كركي” المعروف
المزيد: http://www.souriyati.com/2015/09/21/22090.html (موقع سوريتي)
September 24th, 2015, 9:57 pm
Passerby said:
A few weeks ago I tried, in good faith, to negotiate a deal so the killing would stop, based on a partition. (Yeah, I know, but no more pointless that the average comment.)
I was told that there was no reason to negotiate, that Assad was about to lose, and all it took was a little more killing for total victory. No reason to even offer the Alawites a tempting deal if they got rid of the Assad crime syndicate. It was time for vengeance…
…So, how is that killing going? Almost done? Victory almost in sight?
September 24th, 2015, 10:49 pm
Ghufran said:
Weapons supplied to “moderate rebels”
mysteriously showed up in the hands of Nusra ika Isis light.
September 26th, 2015, 12:13 am
SANDRO LOEWE said:
Assad is the master of stupidity, he has sold the country to Iran and Russia, depopulated Syria instead of fighting Israel and recovering the Golan Heights. Assad must be killed after negotiations.
September 26th, 2015, 7:55 pm
Ghufran said:
A small poll from SOHR :
هل تؤيد تصريحات ميركل، وعدد من وزراء خارجيات الدول الغربية، وأردوغان، عن إشراك بشار الأسد بالمرحلة الانتقالية في سوريا، بعد قتله وجرحه نحو مليوني مواطن سوري؟
نعم (64%, 16 Votes)
لا (36%, 9 Votes)
عدد المصوتين: 25
September 27th, 2015, 12:58 am
Alan said:
اخيرا دخلت الصين مع روسيا لتلعبا دورهما العالمي بالقوه . الباقي من اللعلعه لن يكون سوى شي تافه .
September 27th, 2015, 5:56 am
Ghufran said:
Today is the second anniversary of the attempt of “moderate rebels” near Damascus to shoot down a civilian airplane with over 100 passengers.
Cheering for those rebels is effectively cheering for Alqaeda, opposing Assad is not enough to justify terrorism.
September 27th, 2015, 11:12 am
Ghufran said:
Sign a petition asking for the dismissal and investigation of US officials who were behind the scandal of training “moderate” Syrian rebels.
September 27th, 2015, 11:35 am
ALAN said:
Germany estimates that 30 per cent of incoming migrants claiming to be citizens of war-torn Syria are in fact from other countries, an interior ministry spokesman said on Friday.
“It’s an estimate based on the observations of officials on the ground, especially the federal police, the Office for Migration and Refugees and (EU border protection agency) Frontex,” he said.
The spokesman stressed that Germany keeps no official statistics on asylum-seekers believed to be misstating their nationality.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere later said that “we’re seeing fake Syrian passports, and there are signs of people claiming to be from Syria who don’t speak a word of Arabic.”
September 27th, 2015, 4:21 pm
SANDRO LOEWE said:
Congratulations to Russia, Assad and Iran. They have won the war against the syrian population. Syria has been ethnically cleansed and US, EU have agreed to all terms and will help bomb and emtpy Syria.
September 28th, 2015, 2:10 am
ALAN said:
https://youtu.be/mzCJRuP3twY
September 28th, 2015, 4:20 pm
habib said:
14. Akbar Palace
The world’s hypocrisy. I can’t accuse the Saudis of hypocrisy, because they do not even attempt to hide their wretchedness, they know there will be no consequences.
September 28th, 2015, 5:13 pm
ghufran said:
Those who are surprised at the change in NATO policy towards Assad are fools who believed the myth that NATO countries and their allies (especially Ottoman Turkey)were pushing for democracy and justice in Syria.
Palestinians have been waiting for justice since 1948 but received none and democracy is not on the table when the subject is the GCC and oil money. Hypocrisy gets a life on its own when the sponsor is Western politicians. Dear Syrians who participated in this war, you were fools in 2011 and you are fools today and by the time you wake up there will be very little to be proud of, nobody cares about Syria today after Syrians themselves did not take care of their country, it is ISIS and the threat of a wider war and jihadists going West that moved those hypocrites at the UN meeting not your blood and tears.
Syrian War supporters:
Read the posts we wrote in 2011 and wear a sign that says:
I supported the war because I loved my country, the war does not need my support now but I have no country !!
September 28th, 2015, 5:29 pm
Observer said:
The majority of Syrians never had any country. They were serfs and slaves
September 28th, 2015, 8:17 pm
Erin said:
It seems the best you can do for Syria is have more blood shed,that’s the plan by Israel, the west and the USA.
if the American weapons are in the hands of ISIS/Al Nusra then you know it was intended for them at the first place.
it is not a rocket science that USA is in bed with too many radicals in Syria to destroy the country.
it is same scenario when Iraqi radicals took the American weapons.
it is same story all over again.
The Syrian war will continue for ever, Assad is not the issue, you have here people who are fighting a proxy war and this will never end unless the USA gives up on fighting Russia in Syria.
it seems the war just started.
September 28th, 2015, 10:39 pm
Ghufran said:
Dear thawrajiyyeh, these are your friends :
On September 22, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told French-language daily Le Figaro that a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis is impossible without the country’s president.
September 28th, 2015, 10:42 pm
Ghufran said:
Rebels and Israel are openly coordinating their attacks on
army positions in Qnaitra
September 28th, 2015, 11:29 pm
ALAN said:
/unless the USA gives up on fighting Russia in Syria/
A detailed report of the Ministry of Defence is available today in the Kremlin daunting claims that the complete destruction of all the military forces of the United States by the Russian Federation available in about three weeks if
President Putin activates the plan “preemptive strike” against America and its
NATO allies.
According to this report, complete destruction of all US forces can begin with the rapid destruction or disabling of all 19 US aircraft carriers, destroying or disabling of military satellites, strategic capture heavy weapons located in Norway and Germany by the special forces airborne troops “sweep” of all US bases in the United Kingdom, the seizure of the airspace of the European Union by means of special military technology and alerting 500 tons of tactical nuclear warheads.
In performing these tasks, then the report said, the total loss of the US-NATO in manpower will exceed 35 000 (killed, wounded, prisoners of war and missing in action), with concomitant loss of equipment (ships, aircraft and other weapons), at least amounting to 15 trillion….
President Obama, bringing in the army leadership open sodomite, continues the report, he refused to listen to its own Center of alert, which in June warned that the new order of the Pentagon’s “diversity” will continue to reduce the combat power of America.
In the end, the creature from hell came out of hell … maybe the time has come to at least someone returned these monsters from whence they came.
September 29th, 2015, 1:21 am
SANDRO LOEWE said:
GHUFRAN
You are a traitor. Assad as a part of the status is a potential friend to any other ruler of the world. The populations of all countries are permanent victims of these rulers. There is nothing worse than parts of the population betraying this population. These are the real rats that legitimate the rulers of the status quo.
September 29th, 2015, 2:08 am
Mina said:
Has this report been posted somewhere?
Lloyd R. et Postol T., « Possible Implications of Faulty US Technical Intelligence in the Damascus Nerve Agent Attack of August 21, 2013 » Cambridge, MIT, Global Security Working Group, janvier 2014.
September 29th, 2015, 9:37 am
Alan said:
بعد سورية سيكون محرما على الولايات المتحدة و حلفائها المجازفة بالتعدي على المربعات الجيوسياسية العائدة لروسيا و الصين. اما الان فعليها ان تعود نفسها على احترام ارادة الاقطاب الاخرى.
September 29th, 2015, 12:20 pm
Uzair8 said:
Syria could do with another sandstorm about now to knock out Russian aircraft parked in Lattakia via sand in the engine.
Perhaps some of Assads aircraft were knocked out thus in the recent sandstorm thus pushing Putin to intervene at this time with aircraft.
September 29th, 2015, 12:52 pm
Uzair8 said:
Robert Fisk sees the increase in Russian support as a ‘glimmer of hope’ which may encourage a US-Russia dialogue, a slowing down of the refugee stream, a joint fight against ISIS and a deal over syria.
‘He admits such a deal would be realpolitik in nature and thus not provide the suitable justice for the peaceful demonstrators who were brutally suppressed by Assad’s armed men in cities across Syria in 2011 during the Arab Awakening. It is this government’s helicopter pilots that are targeting rebel held areas with barrel bombing.’
http://rabble.ca/news/2015/09/exclusive-interview-robert-fisk-on-syrias-civil-war-and-refugee-crisis
September 29th, 2015, 12:57 pm
Syrialover said:
Please, not again.
It’s got to be a hoax, putting all this juvenile adulation to transient splinter groups on SyriaComment.
Young (very young) Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi has built himself up to play hero and best friend to ISIS-linked groups, using this site as a platform and tool. Plus he gets a buzz out of showing rotting corpses.
Intelligence agencies out there must be noting his obsessions and alliances and “insider status”.
September 29th, 2015, 12:59 pm
Syrialover said:
Article: “Putin can’t save Assad – it’s far too late for that”
EXCERPTS:
The deployment of Russian forces and equipment follows a noticeable deterioration in the army’s ability to stand its ground amid attacks by the rebels in different parts of the country. In Idlib, anti-government forces claimed back-to-back victories that left the regime’s heartlands in central and western Syria exposed for the first time since the conflict began. Similar gains were made by the rebels in the south and by ISIL in the central hinterlands such as Palmyra and Al Qariatayn in Homs.
Even within its support base, the regime suffered challenges. Many in Sweida objected to the deployment of their young men in conflict zones outside their province. Mounting agitation in Sweida forced the regime to allow Druze soldiers to fight in their areas, a remarkable concession. Draft-dodgers among Alawites added to the regime’s unease.
All the while Hizbollah and Iran supplied the regime with massive resources and elite forces to prevent its collapse. Dogmatic foreign fighters – from Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere – fought alongside the regime in key areas such as Damascus, Aleppo and near the Lebanese border.
Despite the tremendous and consistent support provided by Damascus’s allies, which contrasts sharply with the confused and divided positions of the rebels’ putative backers, the regime has retreated and shown signs of weakness that apparently necessitated a Russian intervention.
… The Russians will help the regime to secure and fortify its bases, but not to claw back lost territories.
The idea that Russian fighters will enable the regime to reclaim territory is a fantasy. Russia also has little to offer against ISIL in eastern Syria, except perhaps to reinforce three airbases under attack by ISIL in Deir Ezzor, Aleppo and Homs. Moscow will bolster the regime’s capabilities to defend itself in key towns and cities, but nothing more.
…The Russian intervention and the West’s overtures will lead to a far more complex situation. Foreign and local extremists will be galvanised to fight against a familiar foe, as they liken Russia in Syria to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/putin-cant-save-assad-its-far-too-late-for-that
September 29th, 2015, 1:09 pm
ALAN said:
……….. The “Arab spring” phenomenon allowed to implement the scheme against Syria. Under the disguise of the color-revolution narrative of “peaceful demonstrations” a guerrilla war was launched against the Syrian state. More than ninety policemen and soldiers were killed by the insurgents in the very first month of that “peaceful” revolution.
With sheer endless amounts of Gulf money Syrian soldiers were bribed to defect, unemployed rural youth and foreign mercenaries were hired to bring down the Syrian state. A year after the war on Syria started it was clear that there were no “moderates” fighting against the Syrian government but only radical Islamists. The NYT reported that CIA provided arms were flowing to them. The Defense Intelligence Agency noted in 2012 to the White House:
THE SALAFIST [sic], THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, AND AQI ARE THE MAJOR FORCES DRIVING THE INSURGENCY IN SYRIA. … AQI SUPPORTED THE SYRIAN OPPOSITION FROM THE BEGINNING, BOTH IDEOLOGICALLY AND THROUGH THE MEDIA …
Despite that the U.S. rejected peace offers brokered by Russia and the CIA significantly increased weapon provisions and the training of additional jihadis.
The DIA also remarked:
THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A DECLARED OR UNDECLARED SALAFIST PRINCIPALITY IN EASTERN SYRIA (HASAKA AND DER ZOR), AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE SUPPORTING POWERS TO THE OPPOSITION WANT, IN ORDER TO ISOLATE THE SYRIAN REGIME, WHICH IS CONSIDERED THE STRATEGIC DEPTH OF THE SHIA EXPANSION (IRAQ AND IRAN)
…
ISI COULD ALSO DECLARE AN ISLAMIC STATE THROUGH ITS UNION WITH OTHER TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA,….
That the recruiting for and weaponization of the anti-Syrian forces continued after these warnings were issued confirms that the current results, the Islamic State Caliphate and al-Qaeda in Iraq and Syria, is the (more or less) intended outcome. The U.S. did not turn a blind eye to the issue but, as the Defense Intelligence Chief General Flynn said, took a “willful decisions” to facilitate this.
That “willful decision” is also the reason why many people doubt that the U.S. declared “fight against the Islamic State” is serious. The current U.S. attacks on IS target look more like an attempt to regulate its size and behavior than a serious war to defeat or eradicate it. The Saudis have flown 2.5 times more air attacks against Yemen within six month than the U.S. led coalition of 62 countries has flown against the Islamic State within a full year. Long known U.S. plans to reorganize the Middle Eastern borders along presumed sectarian and ethnic lines are regularly peddled by this or that high U.S. official or “expert”.
It is obvious that the U.S. organized a sectarian revolt in Syria and in 2012 made the willful decision to further the growth of a sectarian Islamic State. It planned to partition Syria and Iraq and some surrounding countries into new sectarian entities.
That Kerry now says “Syria should be a unified country, united, that it needs to be secular” and “ISIL (Islamic State) needs to be taken on” is tantamount to admitting Obama’s policy so far was always fundamentally wrong. If meant serious and backed by political and military means it is a huge turnaround.
Should this come to fruition it is not only the turn of the corner for Syria. It is the defeat of the failed neoconservative “democracy spreading” and neoliberal “responsibility to protect” infested ideologies in face of the straight realist policies represented by the Russian President Putin.
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2015/09/under-russian-pressure-us-accepts-unified-secular-syrian-state.html#comments
September 29th, 2015, 3:50 pm
Ghufran said:
Since the rebels and their supporters in NATO, the GCC, Israel and Turkey have failed to end the war and provide Syrians with a better government we are left with few choices including a prolonged war that will see no winner or a compromise that includes negotiating with enemies not friends.
Assad has served as an excuse by rebels supporters who want a cover to hide their failures and their crimes, they insist on his immediate departure because if he does they can tell their audience that their bloody war was victorious, and if he does not they will blame him for their own problems.
Assad presence was also used by rebels supporters to justify dealing with Israel and committing war crimes including the kidnapping and slaughter of civilians and the shelling of residential neighborhoods.
Aljazeera and aksalser among others are lying to their readers every day by calling Nusra terrorists ” Thuwwar” and celebrating any win by those terrorists as a win for a revolution that either did not exist or has died a long time ago.
Terrorists and religious zealots can not lead revolutions they can only destroy nations.
September 29th, 2015, 3:53 pm
SYRIAN HAMSTER said:
It is always a US quagmire never A Russia’s quagmire.. LOL
September 30th, 2015, 3:25 pm
SYRIAN HAMSTER said:
So Assad was an excuse and not a war criminal… wow.. the Otrakji pathetic obfuscation school at its worst. .
September 30th, 2015, 3:29 pm
Ghufran said:
Moderate rebel force now only exists on Facebook and on biased sites like aljazeera and aksalser. The argument is not whether Assad is guilty or not, the argument is how to save what can be saved of Syria. Thugs with guns and terrorism links who have no unified leadership and are determined to kill infidels and shia wherever they can find them should not be treated as rebels or Thuwwar, no country or government good or bad allow those thugs to roam freely, do not ask for support when your subject is people like Nusra and similar terrorist groups.
Civilian casualties can be avoided only if armed thugs are kicked out of civilian areas and are not allowed to hide among women and children.
September 30th, 2015, 7:32 pm
SANDRO LOEWE said:
IRAN attacking syrians inside Syria
US attacking syrians inside Syria
RUSSIA attacking syrians inside Syria
FRANCE attacking syrians inside Syria
FucXXX you Assad, this is Assad´s Syria ? This is no syrian´s Syria and all world powers´s Syria.
FucXXX you Assad, FucXXX you. And FUXXX OBAMA and PUTIN too.
October 1st, 2015, 8:32 am
SANDRO LOEWE said:
Let us look back in 2008, written by Daniel Pipes. Maybe it is not so conspiracy theories:
Some indicators of a Shiite/Islamic connection to Obama:
1. Hussein, of course, is the name of the martyr-founder of Shia Islam.
2. Obama’s parents’ marriage seemed to be in line with the Shia doctrine of Nikah Mutah, or temporary marriage of convenience. In such a marriage the Muslim man may marry a Christian or Jew.
3. Obama could outwardly profess Christianity and inwardly be a Shiite according to the Shia doctrine of Taqiyya–dissimulation–as long as it was for the ultimate glory of Islam.
4. In the latest debates Obama as stated how he is willing to destabilize Pakistan (Sunni) going after the Taliband (Sunni) but wants to pull out of Iraq, giving Iran (Shiite) the advantage in Iraq. He would also sit down and talk with Iran’s leader without conditions. His choice of Biden as VP is also telling: Biden is a great supporter of Iran. After 9-1-1 he wanted the US to give Iran a huge grant ($200,000,000 I think was reported by National Review magazine).
5. Early in his campaign Obama had a private meeting with Hussan Al-Qazwini (Shiite) religious leader at the largest American Mosque which is located in Dearborn, MI. Al-Qazwini gave Obama a copy of his new book, CRESCENT AMERICA. They discussed foreign policy including Israel. Louis Farrakhan has been an honored guest at this mosque as well as at Obama’s United Church in Chicago. Farrakhan preaches the destruction of American will come via Islam. Obama’s former minister, Rev. Wright, was a Black Muslim before he decided on the Christian pulpit as reported in the New Republic magazine.
6. Slips of the tongue: Obama said he would campaign in all 57 states (the number of Islamic states in the OIC at the UN) rather than all 50 states. He also said, “My Muslim faith,” in an interview with George Stephanapolous.
7. Obama, if truly baptized, would have taken a Christian baptismal name. But he continues to go by his Muslim name.
8. The Kenya connection: His activity in Kenya has been in favor of the Muslims and Muslim political bosses there.
9. His father, grandfather, step-father and nearly all his half-siblings are or were Muslim.
10. Obama was registered as a Muslim in a school in Indonesia. He is reported to be able to recite the Muslim call to prayer with a perfect Arabic accent. He says, himself, that the prettiest sound at sunset is the Muslim call to prayer.
11. The symbol or campaign logo of Obama is a blue crescent over fallen red and white stripes. The crescent, of course, is the symbol of Islam and blue has come to represent the states that vote Democratic; Red, the states that vote Republican. Blue is allied with Islam with this logo, while the red stripes of the flag (the Red being maintained by Republicans) is ruffled on the ground.
12. What motivates Obama? Why would a junior senator not rather support Mrs. Clinton and put in his time in the Senate and build his reputation? Why does he have to win the Presidency of the US now? Where is all his money coming from? What is his connection to Khalid al-Mansouri? My suspicion: He feels he is on a mission from God:
a) To help facilitate the destruction of the State of Israel.
b) To promote Shia Islam over Sunni Islam.
c) To subordinate the West for the spreading of Islam.
d) Politically, to support a socialist system
October 1st, 2015, 9:41 am
Ghufran said:
It is not true that Russian attacks are not targeting Isis, Russian planes bombed Isis positions in Dayr Azzour and Raqqa. Other attacks focused on Nusra (Syrian Alqaeda) which leads Jaish Al-Fateh and occupies most of Idleb and part of Hama and trying to push north and west towards coastal areas.
Russian involvement is not enough to reverse the damage done by the war and Islamist militias but things got to the point where Nusra and Isis reach could soon threaten major urban areas,
October 1st, 2015, 10:47 am
Uzair8 said:
Angry Arab isn’t very happy it seems:
Russian intervention in Syria
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
I think that those, like me, who fiercely oppose Western military intervention in the Middle East should also oppose Russian military intervention in the region. Furthermore, the slogans of Putin about fighting ISIS does not sway me: I have seen before methods and style of Russian wars on “Islamists” in Chechnya and they don’t impress at all.
http://angryarab.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/russian-intervention-in-syria.html
So what about Bashshar?
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
So am I the only one left who does not want Bashshar to stay as leader in Syria? It seems all are changing their position in this regard. I find that quite ironic.
http://angryarab.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/so-what-about-bashshar.html
October 1st, 2015, 12:18 pm
ghufran said:
After losing over 60,000 soldiers and 4.5 years of war the Syrian army is unable to protect areas under regime control without outside help.
Major military decisions today are not made by Syrians as far as I know, this is the result of a failed political leadership and the strategic mistake made by rebels and their supporters to attack the army and transfer a movement for freedom and democracy (these were the slogans at least)into a sectarian violent war dominated by religious zealots and terrorists. Before you condemn Russian intervention remember all of the interventions that took place and the begging of the SNC and others for foreign troops to invade and bomb Syria.
Too little too late to play the drums of independence and freedom.
October 1st, 2015, 2:09 pm
SANDRO LOEWE said:
The orthodox church, a congregation of dirty rats sucking the faith and money of believers are blessing the attack of Putin Mafia Army.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/russia-syria-air-strikes-are-holy-war-against-terrorism-says-russian-orthodox-church-1521847
October 1st, 2015, 2:29 pm
Syrialover said:
Q. What do Putin and ISIS have in common?
A. Killing and terrorizing Syrian civilians make their di*ks feel bigger
October 1st, 2015, 4:23 pm
ALAN said:
اين التباكي المسعور عندما انضمت فرنسا و استراليا الى حلف الاجرام للتحليق فوق الأرض السوريه يا أصحاب العينتين؟
و عندما قصفت اسرائيل قاسيون بالنووي 05/2013 وللا نسيت؟
صمت …..
October 1st, 2015, 4:43 pm
Syrialover said:
SYRIAN HAMSTER #50
While Assad’s best friend Putin busily deepens the quagmire in Syria, his own country is slipping over a cliff.
Many predict Russia’s worsening economic quagmire will see Putin lose power.
His strutting bravado abroad doesn’t offset the catastrophe back home. Black clouds from collapsed oil prices, western sanctions, capital flight and dried up investment, crippling private and public debt, and disputes over the shrivelling budget (which includes his colleagues arguing against the explosion in military spending).
The rouble has fallen 44% against the $US in a matter of months and the Russian economy is expected to SHRINK 4% this year.
Russia’s economy is already smaller than that of countries like Japan, France, the UK, Italy and even the State of California. It’s closer to the size of a country like Australia, which has a population of about 24 million compared with Russia’s 144 million.
Putin build his following on protecting the colossal wealth of a miniscule minority, while splashing oil income around on welfare and development programs to appease the rest.
One of his grand programs aimed to increase the average life expectancy of Russian men which is still only a pathetic 66 years, compared with 74 years in China and 80 years in the west.
Dark domestic currents are starting to swirl with the rich badly wounded by financial sanctions, and public panic expected from huge welfare cuts. There is also rising resentment at the vast income inequality and corruption.
Whether it’s the oligarchs or the people who push Putin off his perch, they are likely to try to rescue the economy by reaching out to the west and stopping international hostilities.
(Sources: Everywhere, but Russia-believer ALAN could start with this article: “Vladimir Putin’s fierce bite isn’t backed up Russia’s feeble bite” http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/09/30/vladimir-putins-fierce-bark-isnt-backed-up-by-russias-feeble-economic-bite/)
October 1st, 2015, 5:45 pm
Passerby said:
Putin, grandson of the most powerful man in the Soviet Union under both Lenin and Stalin, was put in power to kill Al-Qaeda bandits. Everyone forgets that.
Yeltsin had given Chechnya independence, in effect, after the Russian Army being repeatedly defeated in open battle. But that wasn’t good enough for Basayev, Kaddab and their Al-Qaeda goons. They went on regular slaving/hostage raids into Russia and the Red Army that crushed Hitler at Kursk, couldn’t meet them in open battle. Russian families would get videos of their children’s fingers getting chopped off to maximize the ransom…
…And the inner core of the KGB walked in with Putin and gave Yeltsin an offer he couldn’t refuse. Vladimir Putin, grandson of Lenin and Stalin’s cook, was going to run Russia.
The entire Russian army was corrupt and no morale, generals selling equipment to the bandits, you name it. And Russia was broke. So, Putin called a meeting with the generals, and called a toast, “death to the bandits”, and as the generals lifted their glasses, he put his down and swore his lips wouldn’t touch alcohol again, until they were all dead. The generals put their glasses down too.
So, Somehow the Russian army managed to drive Basayev back into Grozny, and surrounded it. There were about 2000 imported Al-Qaeda goons, and of course, the criminally inclined Chechens. Far better equipped, far better fighters with far more experience than the Russian army. And they were harvesting the Russian kids being thrown in there. Just butchering them. This is where Yeltsin would have lost his nerve. Putin started hitting the bandits with Thermobaric Bombs. Knocks down all doors, kills everything with lungs.
Basayev bribed a Russian general, as he had so many times before and set out to escape Grozy with the fix in. But there as a new wind blowing in Russia and the general was just pretending to take the bribe. As Basayev led the 2000 bandits out of the city, they found themselves confronted with a massive dense minefield, with massed artillery zeroed into their position. A hard choice, the Thermobaric Bombs in Grozny, the massed artillery coming down on their heads, or the minefield.
Basayev said the old women complained that he let their sons die, so he said to walk single file across the minefield, walking on the bodies of their blown up comrades, and led the way. A leg was promptly blown off and he was then carried. There were 800 bodies, in a straight line, going across the minefield, and a few hundred more with an leg blown off, that crawled to the little town on the other side. Basayev got away, but the hundreds of other cripples, were put on Russian busses, and never seen again.
Putin did kill Basayev later. Some say Kattab too, but other say he ran back to Afghanistan, where the US Army killed him dead. But Putin did drive the bandits from Chechnya just like he said he would. This isn’t sissy little Obama, with his red lines, this is a tough guy that will win, and there are no rules.
October 1st, 2015, 9:02 pm
Passerby said:
No Syrialover, Russia is fascist. They have no choice, they have no manufactured goods anyone wants to buy, (other than second rate weapons to fiends no other country will sell them to.) The global economy thing just doesn’t work. So Putin has no problem with public opinion. It is what he wants it to be.
All that worry about elections and political correctness and civilian casualties one gets used to with the US and Europe does not apply in the case of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. For instance, when Yeltsin was still in, Basayev went on one of his slaving raids into Russia, got in a fight with some local cops, killed them all but some of his men were wounded. He took over a big hospital, mostly pregnant women, and waited for the arrival of the Russian Army. They planned and launched an assault, and Basayev started slaughtering the women wholesale. The Russians recoiled in horror. Steeling their nerve and with the best of the best, the Russians tried again, and Basayev slaughtered the pregnant women wholesale again, and the Russians recoiled in horror again. Yeltsin totally caved, and paid Basayev a huge ransom, and gave him free passage back, to the hell hole of Chechnya with his hostages.
A similar thing happened in a theater in Moscow after Putin took, over. Lots of bombs and guns and suicide belts and hundreds of hostages. What did Putin do, pay them ransom? No, he gassed them like cockroaches. Killed some of the hostages, but a lot less than the pregnant women in the hospital. And the terrorists? Did he ship them to Guantanamo, Siberia? Try them in a federal court in Moscow? No, as they slept from the gas, they put a bullet in all their heads. All but one, they they kept alive for laughs, to mock.
All bark, no bite? How did things work out in Ukraine? Who was it that got their ass kicked and had to tuck tail and run? Hint: It wasn’t Vladimir Putin.
———
So, how’s that imminent victory going? You know, no reason to cut a deal, that long sought for vengeance against the Alawites that was oh so imminent?
How’s that working out?
October 2nd, 2015, 12:28 am
SimoHurtta said:
62. PASSERBY said:
Putin, grandson of the most powerful man in the Soviet Union under both Lenin and Stalin, was put in power to kill Al-Qaeda bandits. Everyone forgets that….
Passerby you forget to mention that Putin’s grandfather, Spiridon Ivanovich Putin, who served both Lenin and Stalin, was a CHEF cooking for these “gentlemen”. The most powerful man in Soviet Union – simply hilarious. You need a thicker tin foil hat.
Have you Passerby a contest with Sandro der Löwe who of you two writes more lunatic “analyses” to SC’s comments?
October 2nd, 2015, 4:10 am
Passerby said:
I said he was their cook. “Vladimir Putin, grandson of Lenin and Stalin’s cook, was going to run Russia.”
And apparently, he had a bunch of cooks working for him that actually did the cooking. He was the boss.
And any day of the week, for decades, he could have killed Lenin or Stalin. That’s the most powerful man in the Soviet Union.
Putin says it was a terrible time and almost everyone died, but his grandfather was one of the ones that didn’t.
Stalin was about to kill all the Jewish doctors, and that’s when he got his strange illness. He was poisoned, that’s clear, and who would be the #1 suspect? It’s quite possible Putin’s gramps killed Stalin.
October 2nd, 2015, 8:24 am
Uzair8 said:
Posted by Shaykh Yaqoubi earlier today on Facebook:
لماذا أكره روسية
الشيخ محمد أبو الهدى اليعقوبي
هذا مقال قديم نشرناه منذ ثلاث سنوات ونصف في ١١/ ٢/ ٢٠١٢
لماذا أكره روسية
الشيخ محمد أبو الهدى اليعقوبي
لاشك ولاريب عند كل مطلع خبير في أن دولة روسية هي من ألد الدول عداوة للإسلام قديما وحديثا، نعم هذا ما تؤكده حقائق التاريخ، وهذا ما رسخ في أذهاننا من اعتقاد منذ بدأنا نتابع أخبار العالم وأخبار الاتحاد السوفياتي ونحن فتيان صغار.
روسية بلد معاد للإسلام عدو للمسلمين، له تاريخ أسود مَلِيءٌ بالحقد والكراهية للمسلمين، اسودت صحائف أسفاره بأخبار الحروب المتتالية على الدول الإسلامية وقصص جرائم الإبادة للشعوب المسلمة وهي جرائم تعد من أبشع ما عرف التاريخ وأشنع ما شهدت الإنسانية.
وتبدأ قصة ابتداء الكراهية بيني وبين الروس إلى السنين الأولى من حياتي يوم كنت وأنا طفل صغير ألتقي بزوار والدي رحمه الله تعالى (وهو علامة عصره الشيخ إبراهيم اليعقوبي) إذ كان يتردد عليه عدد من أهل بخارى وطشقند وما جاورها من الأصقاع وكانوا من الكبار المعمرين ممن بلغ التسعين والمائة، وبعض هؤلاء كان يقيم في المدرسة السليمانية وهي في زقاق في آخر أسواق الحريقة بدمشق، خلف خان الجمرك وتعرف بمدرسة الأفغان، وكانت للوالد فيها غرفة يضع فيها قسما من مكتبته ويأوي إليها أحيانا طلبا للخلوة والسكينة. كانت عيناي لا تملان من النظر إلى هؤلاء المعمرين بإعجاب وإكبار وأنا أرى الواحد منهم مُمَتّعا بحواسه شديدا في دينه، وقد كاد يصير هيكل عظام وهو في نحو المائة ما يزال يصر على النهوض إلى الصلاة ويتوضأ بالماء البارد.
كان بعض هؤلاء يتردد على مجالس والدي رحمه الله، فكنت أستمع إلى أطراف الأحاديث التي تجري بينه وبين هؤلاء حول الإسلام في بلاد بخارى وما ارتكبته دولة الاتحاد السوفياتي الشيوعية من جرائم لا تكاد تصدق من إعدام للعلماء وحرق للمكتبات وهدم للمساجد وقتل للملايين من المسلمين. وعرفت آنئذ وأنا طفل في نحو السابعة أن هؤلاء إنما هاجروا فرارا بدينهم من بطش الشيوعيين الروس بعد الثورة البلشفية، وسمعنا فيما سمعنا عن الملايين من المسلمين الذين قتلوا أو ماتوا في الصقيع أو في المعتقلات.
وقد ترافق هذا مع ما كان يحكيه والدي لنا عن أخبار أهل بيتنا آل اليعقوبي: فكان يحدثني وأنا صغير أرافقه حين يأوي إلى تلك الغرفة الضيقة في السليمانية أو إلى جامع الدرويشية عن أخبار جدي السيد إسماعيل اليعقوبي وإخوته وجدتي السيدة عائشة اليعقوبي وإخوتها، ومنهم الشهيد السيد حسن بن عمر اليعقوبي الذي قتله الروس وهو خال والدي وابن عم جدي وكان قد تخرج من المدرسة الرُشدية واشتغل بالتدريس ثم ذهب إلى الجهاد في سبيل الله تعالى مع العثمانيين ومات شهيدا في الحرب بين العثمانيين والروس سنة ١٨٧٧-١٨٧٨ وهي حرب القرم الثانية وقد انتصر فيها الروس. تُرى … أليس ذلك سببا كافيا لي لأكره الروس منذ ريعان الطفولة!
وبدأنا دراسة العقيدة الإسلامية في وقت مبكر فعرفنا مذاهب الملاحدة في إنكار وجود الله تعالى والمذهب الشيوعي وما بني عليه، فازددنا كراهية للاتحاد السوفياتي. وما كانت دروس الوالد رحمه الله تكاد تخلو من تطبيق العلوم الشرعية على أحداث الوقت، فلقد كان رحمه الله تعالى فقيها محققا عالما بأحوال زمانه مطلعا على أحدث ما يكتب في المجلات أو يصدر من المؤلفات، صوفيا على منهج السلف الصالح، وكان كثيرا ما يردد القول المشهور في تعريف الصوفي: “الصوفي ابن وقته”.
تلك هي الصورة التي تكونت في أذهاننا عن روسية وما كان يسمى الاتحاد السوفياتي آنذاك، وازدادت الصورة وضوحا بما قرأناه ونحن شبان صغار من روايات وأخبار عن المسلمين في جزائر جاوة (عذراء جاكرتا) وبلاد البلقان كألبانيا والتاريخ الأسود لأنور خوجا ويوغوسلافيا، واكتملت الصورة بقراءتنا ونحن كبار لتاريخ الأمير الجليل والعالم الكبير الشيخ شامل في بلاد القوقاز وما فعل الروس في تلك البلاد من القتل وسفك الدماء والتعذيب والحرب على الإسلام، وهي حرب استمرت في عهد الروس الجدد ولم يكن الأمير جوهر دوداييف رحمه الله آخر ضحاياها. زد على هذا ما جرى للمسلمين في بلاد البوشناق (البوسنة) من إبادة على أيدي الصرب حلفاء الروس بدعم مطلق وغطاء تام من الروس.
تلك هي نماذج من حرب الروس على الإسلام وذلك هو قليل من كثير من قصص محاولات الروس لإبادة المسلمين، سيان الأمر لما كان القياصرة يحكمون روسية من أيام القيصر نيقولا الأول أو كان المجرمون (الرفاق) الشيوعيون يتربعون على سدة الحكم في أيام ستالين.
إن روسية كانت وما تزال ترى أنها هي وريثة الدولة البيزنطية وهي حامية الديانة المسيحية الأورثوذكسية التي انحسرت بعد سقوط القسطنطينية على أيدي السلطان محمد الفاتح رحمه الله، بل كانت روسية تسعى جاهدة إلى استعادة القسطنطينية، بل إن الذي أشعل فتيل حرب القرم الأولى بين العثمانيين والروس كان محاولة الروس الحصول على الامتيازات للسيطرة على البقاع (المقدسة) للمسيحيين في فلسطين.
وروسية دولة تعترف بإسرائيل وتشجع هجرة اليهود الروس إلى إسرائيل، وفي إسرائيل نحو مليون من اليهود الروس، بل إن الذي يحكم روسية فعلا هو اللوبي اليهودي، وكان الرئيس الروسي فلاديمير بوتين قد قام بزيارة لإسرائيل سنة ٢٠٠٥ لتوطيد العلاقات. وقد كشفت وثيقة ويكيليكس رقم: 08MOSCOW1991 تاريخ: 11 /2008 مدى التعاون الكبير بين روسية وإسرائيل واستخدام إسرائيل لروسية حتي تسيطر علي الشرق الأوسط .
إن الذي يظن أن روسية تدعم العرب لتحرير فلسطين واهم أشد الوهم، وخمسون عاما من الصداقات والأحلاف والمعاهدات التي لم تُعِدْ للعرب شبرا واحدا من أرض فلسطين خير دليل على ذلك. وكذلك من ظن أن الاتحاد السوفياتي كان نصيرا حقيقيا للعرب في قضاياهم، وإنما هي تجارة السلاح والسيطرة على مناطق النفوذ وامتصاص غضب الشعوب، وتقاسم الأدوار. ولذلك كان لا يبيع سورية شيئا من الأسلحة المتطورة حفاظا على التفوق الاستراتيجي لإسرائيل، والتوازن مع الدول الغربية.
لقد احتل الإفرنج (الإفرنسيون) النصارى المستعمرون بلادنا نحو ثلاثين سنة، ولكنهم لم يستطيعوا أن يغيروا خلالها من تمسك الناس بالإسلام ولم يتمكنوا في أثنائها من فرض العلمانية ولا من محاربة الدين. دخل الإفرنسيون وخرجوا وسورية دولة إسلامية، ولكن حزب البعث بالتحالف مع الاتحاد السوفياتي حقق لأعداء الإسلام من إضعاف الدين وفرض مبادئ الإلحاد والعلمانية ما لم يستطع الاحتلال أن يحققه. وهاهو يكاد يسقط بعد خمسين سنة بعد أن عمل على تحويل سورية إلى دولة علمانية، بدءا من الاختلاط في المدارس الذي لم يتمكن المحتل من فرضه، وانتهاء بالأفلام المسيئة للدين مما لم يجرؤ المستعمر على عرضه: إنه بلاء الاشتراكية والشيوعية ومبادئ الكفر والإلحاد والإباحية التي جاءتنا من روسية وممن درس في روسية مع السلاح الذي لم يكد يستعمل لتحرير أرض ولا لنصرة شعب حتى آل الأمر إلى أن صار يذبح به الشعب. وربما لن ينسى شعبنا أنه إنما يذبح الآن في ثورته ويقتل بسلاح روسي فالبندقية التي يحملها جنود النظام روسية حتى باتت هكذا تسمى بعد أن زال الاسم وبقي الوصف، والمدفعية روسية، والدبابات روسية، ولا تزال روسية تمعن في الدفاع عن جرائم النظام والتغطية عليه.
نعم لكل هذه الأسباب وللمزيد مما سواها أنا أكره روسية كراهية شديدة، وأتوجه بالسؤال لكل من يتشدق اليوم بتحريم الاستعانة بالأجنبي: ما حكم الاستعانة بالكفار الروس لضرب المسلمين في بلاد الشام؟ ما حكم موالاة هؤلاء الأعداء الذين يحادون الله ورسوله؟ وأبين إلى جانب هذا أني لا أرى قطعا جواز الاستعانة بأمريكا أو بالناتو لتحرير سورية من هؤلاء الطغاة، مهما كانت الظروف، ولكني أتساءل ما الذي يدعو إلى اعتبار الروس حلفاء وورثة للتعاون الإسلامي وهم من ألد أعداء الإسلام، هل بلغت بنا الحال في دعم النظام والتغطية على جرائم هذه العصابة التي تتحكم في سورية اليوم إلى نسيان التاريخ وتغيير الحقائق وتحريف الأحكام!
وصدق الله تعالى إذ يقول: {فإنها لا تعمى الأبصار ولكن تعمى القلوب التي في الصدور}.
https://www.facebook.com/ShaykhMuhammadAbulhudaAlYaqoubi/posts/706372372826848
October 2nd, 2015, 10:35 am
Uzair8 said:
This is a great injustice and so unfair!
Saddening. No doubt the sadness will turn to fury across the arab and muslim world which doesn’t bode well for Russia.
Some FSA and mainstream rebels have been targeted. Many of these brave men defected at great risk to their lives and then courageously resisting and standing firm against all the odds for many months and years against the brutal and vicious regime only to be martyred by (the more accurate) Russian bombing.
May God Almighty increase in the rebels their strength and courage, patience and steadfastness, and grant them help and victory.
October 2nd, 2015, 11:47 am
SANDRO LOEWE said:
Obama and Rohani already agreed about the fate of Syria and syrians.
Iran will control all of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. From last June Assad felt free to bomb all sides while US helps finishing ISIS and now Russia and Iran will do the rest finishing all rebel sides.
Kurds will have their own lands but rest of Syria is being emptied of syrians by Russia, US and Iran.
Mostly sunna syrians are being surprinsingly accepted by German controlled UE. Of course there are many economic proffits for Germany after the Obama – Rohani deal.
October 2nd, 2015, 3:44 pm
jo6pac said:
For you Alan, enjoy;)
https://syrianfreepress.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/washington-to-russia/
Check Pepe Escobar today
October 2nd, 2015, 5:38 pm
Akbar Palace said:
Jews and arabs need to unite. Reagan said there was an “axis of evil”. Anyone dispute that now?
October 2nd, 2015, 9:13 pm
Passerby said:
First, can I ask a favor from this rather well informed, (if rather disengaged from reality in some cases), group? Can you list for me, the main players in the rebel side that have denounced Nusra and ISIS and refused to have anything to do with them whatsoever. If it’s a really long list, the main players is sufficient. I try to read the stuff on this site, but it’s pretty confusing to an outsider.
Thanks in advance.
————-
There’s been a lot of talk about Russia, I’m going to try to list some facts, let me know if I missed any exceptions, etc…
Fact #1: In every military conflict so far, Vladimir Putin’s Russia isn’t just victorious, it’s total crushing, shocking victory. Chechnya, Ukraine, etc.
Anyone know of a military conflict where he didn’t have total victory?
Fact #2: Putin at least claims the most important trait of a leader is to always, without exception, do what you say you will do. That over time it gives what you say weight and gets the job done. For instance, threats will be taken seriously so you don’t have to resort to force, etc. The exact opposite of saying something is a red line and than tucking tail and running away.
Anyone know of a single solitary case where Putin made a threat/promise where he didn’t do it?
Fact #3: Putin at least claims, the most dramatic event in his professional life was being abandoned by the Soviet Union, in East Germany, when both collapsed. That Russia should never ever do the same thing again.
Anyone know if a case where he abandoned any Russians?
Fact #4: Russia’s politics is fascist with Nazi tendencies. It’s a lot like Hitler during the Battle of Stalingrad. The bigots here would love it. It’s all evil international bankers, with guest commentators filling in the Jewish part. Russians look like Europeans and Americans, but they are far more dangerous. Ain’t no Guantanamo Bay with million dollar soccer fields in Russia, they just shoot them.
Any exceptions?
Fact #5: For most of the last century, Russia could exterminate all mammals in every country on earth, including the USA, by pushing a button.
—————
You need to cut a deal, no one is going to win, it’s just going to get worse.
October 2nd, 2015, 10:20 pm
ALAN said:
70. JO6PAC
Thanks
October 3rd, 2015, 2:12 am
Mina said:
Israelis’ plan loud and plain:
http://www.jpost.com/Jerusalem-Report/A-country-formerly-known-as-Syria-415157
October 3rd, 2015, 5:00 am
Ghufran said:
Russia’s intervention is not enough to end the war but 7,000 alleged bombing missions in Syria and Iraq by NATO did not achieve anything and Russia found an opportunity and an obligation to try to stop the advances of terrorists and islamist militias supported by Turkey and KSA, this is why Erdogan and Salman are angry. Unfortunately the new situation is likely to harden the position of the syrian regime which from day one did not believe that there is room to negotiate with Islamists.
This is a new page in the syrian war where a military victory by either side will determine how a potential settlement will look like. NATO and its allies will have to choose between escalating the conflict and risking a wider war or sit down and watch Russia since NATO clearly failed in Syria and in Iraq.
Islamist rebels are the prostitutes used by NATO, ksa and turkey who are pimping those rebels to fight iran, face the truth and relax, the war now is much bigger than syria and the Arabs.
October 3rd, 2015, 12:43 pm
Uzair8 said:
I suspect Russia saw signs of the Regime’s increasingly precarious position so it felt the urgency to step in. It was now or never. There’s no one better placed than the Russians to know what the real Regimes state of welfare is.
A couple of fresh items in the news only reinforce this suspicion.
Ian Black in The Guardian a couple of days ago wrote this:
‘Russia’s move was prompted in part by Assad’s other main ally, Iran, which plays a powerful though discreet role in Syria but is usually reluctant to commit its own forces. “The Iranians told the Russians bluntly: if you don’t intervene, Bashar al-Assad will fall, and we are not in a position to keep propping him up,” said a Damascus-based diplomat.’
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/01/syrian-military-weakness-russian-intervention
Also last night on BBC Radio 5 the Defence Correspondent for the Evening Standard, Robert Fox:
Listen from 01:06:30 (less than 5 minutes long):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06d9wl0#play
October 3rd, 2015, 12:49 pm
Uzair8 said:
Ghufran 74 said:
‘…the syrian regime which from day one did not believe that there is room to negotiate with Islamists.’
Do you believe the regime from day one believed there was room to negotiate with non-Islamists?
I don’t. Not for a second! This ‘Islamist’ thing is an excuse. Such a regime doesn’t negotiate with anyone that questions or threatens its rule.
October 3rd, 2015, 1:17 pm
Uzair8 said:
One possibility is Russian action may be limited to shore up the regime. It only has a certain amount of time in which it can use the ‘targeting ISIS’ pretext in which to reverse the regimes suspected precarious position and shore it up as much as possible. The Regime and Russia will know which locations are most vulnerable and in danger of falling to rebels soon.
October 3rd, 2015, 1:22 pm
Uzair8 said:
I blame Alan. For years he’s been pushing and prodding Putin to flex his muscles, I guess finally he got through and as it were ‘the straw that broke the camels back’.
Well done Alan. Hope your happy. You got your wish.
October 3rd, 2015, 1:26 pm
Altair said:
I recently read this from the “Humans of New York” blog:
“When I joined the Syrian army, there was no war yet. I just wanted to serve my country. But now everyone is forced to do horrible things. One time we were marching and a single bullet came from a village. Our commander told us to go into each house, one by one, and kill everyone inside. The village was a Sunni village, so our commander ordered all the Sunni soldiers to lead the attack. Anyone who disobeyed would be killed themselves. We did our best to aim over the heads of the people who were running away, but forty people were killed. A few nights later I fled in the middle of the night.” (Lesvos, Greece)
If this is true, it would go a long way to explaining why Syria as a country is getting destroyed, and why the government has little chance of regaining credibility with the people.
The government consistently overreacted to the uprising in the early days in 2011, and created the hole in which Syria is sinking today.
On the other hand, no one gave the Syrian people a credible alternative. It is a great dilemma, and I think most Syrians don’t see a way out.
October 3rd, 2015, 1:35 pm
ALAN said:
Uzair
You know perfectly that the thing that gives me pleasure is when the Anglo-Saxon rulers be short-clawed
October 3rd, 2015, 2:10 pm
Uzair8 said:
Open Democracy article.
Professor Paul Rogers, of the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford (UK).
Russia in Syria, and a flawed strategy
Paul Rogers 1 October 2015
[…]
Vladimir Putin is intent on restoring Russian status in the Middle East, which has much diminished over the last two decades. A great concern here is the potential threat of a United States-Iran rapprochement to Moscow’s own relations with Iran, a long-term ally. In this light, increased involvement in Syria – possibly including direct air-support for Assad’s beleaguered ground-forces – is a means to a political end, which Russia’s president can cleverly portray as support for the west in its air-war against ISIS.
[…]
https://www.opendemocracy.net/paul-rogers/russia-in-syria-and-flawed-strategy
Btw is this Russian Imperialism? We’ll keep an eye on the ‘anti-imperialists’ for consistency.
October 3rd, 2015, 6:04 pm
ALAN said:
PENTAGON’S TOP CABALISTS RESIGNING; EXCEPTIONALIST UNIPOLAR WORLD IS DEAD
http://geopolitics.co/2015/10/02/pentagons-top-cabalists-resigning/
October 3rd, 2015, 6:15 pm
Passerby said:
How about this, we all make a prediction what will happen in the next 6 months, short and clear, and we’ll see what grand conspiracy theory can predict the future. Explaining why is optional and should be separate.
Here’s my prediction:
Assad and his allies, with the Russian air support will crush the “rebels”. The rebel armies will melt before them. Any left will be cowering in a corner.
———
The Russian air force is almost as good as the US, and they don’t obsess about civilian casualties like the US. A city block has “terrorists” shooting, Russia, if things aren’t going well, will assume almost all civilians have left the block and level it. It’s not just the plinking like the US is doing, it’s close air support, with Russia’s very dangerous special forces telling them what to obliterate.
Russia says it’s about to ramp up it’s one bombing per hour, pace. I’ll bet.
And seems there are floods of rather nasty Iraqi militia goons, Iranians, etc. showing up in large numbers. Lots of boots on the ground, willing to fight.
——-
If anyone on the rebel side had any brains, and wasn’t pure mad dog, they would immediately offer a great deal if Assad and all his henchmen were removed. Not likely Assad would take it, but it would really cause him problems. And in the extremely unlikely case he accepted it, then it’s peace. Hello?
October 3rd, 2015, 7:06 pm
Ghufran said:
There were rebels in 2011 and early 2012 who believed they were fighting for Syria but that evaporated when Islamists took over and GCC money was clearly directed to support islamist militias which have no concept of citizenship and national identity, they were religious zealots who want to go to heaven by killing or getting killed.
There are no thuwwar ( revolutionaries ) in Syria today and nobody who is fighting the syria army has a clue of how to build a free and independent country, they want an Umma Taliban style and not a modern state. Syria or what is left of it, will be like Somalia or Afghanistan if those thugs are allowed to win.
In the islamic world, with very few exceptions, it is either a secular or semi secular autocracy or a backward theocracy. The GCC and Turkey want Syria to be an extension to them where the GCC uses the money and Turkey used its military to subjugate syrians who want a different way of life.
If there was a revolution, a big if, it was stolen by islamists and their supporters, not by the regime and its allies, that is why sectarian and fascist slogans emerged and went unchallenged in Syria within weeks of the start of the rebellion.
October 3rd, 2015, 8:58 pm
Hopeful said:
#84 Ghufran
Your narrative is partially correct, BUT:
1. The peaceful revolution was stolen by the regime. Go back and watch the thousands of YouTube clips from the first few months of the revolution. People were not even calling for a regime change. The first speech made by Assad in June 2011 was a turning point. He decided to bring on the civil war in Syria, hoping for a quick resolution.
2. There are still a few Syrian rebel groups fighting in Syria today for Syria. They deserve our respect and support. Daria today is still defended by the same residents who defended it for the past few years. They are their own “group”. Daria sacrificed most of its men to defend its dignity.
3. Russia and the regime cannot impose a military solution, and there is no political solution so long as Assad and his regime stay intact. Holding on to Assad simply means there is no end to the conflict. The Lebanese civil war lasted for 15 years. Before 2011, it was possible for a dictator to rule Syria even if 80% of the population does not want him. After 2011, this is no longer possible, unless you cleanse the country of the 80%.
October 4th, 2015, 12:44 am
Observer said:
No comment
http://www.juancole.com/2015/10/russian-iranian-dispute.html
October 4th, 2015, 8:19 am
Passerby said:
Assad: I would leave office if it would help
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/syria-president-bashar-assad-i-would-leave-office-if-it-would-help/
Smart move. As I demonstrated on this forum, no one wants to go for that deal, assuming there was any cohesive rebel group that could make a deal and stick to it. Not that he’s sincere, but he doesn’t need to be for the propaganda value.
Even more of a reason to offer the Alawites/Christians etc. a great deal, (knowing they wouldn’t be subjugated/exterminated would probably work), that much harder for the Assads to turn it down. It would torment them, they would be looking over their shoulder. But of course, that won’t happen.
———
And I’m disappointed that no one here chose to mention any rebel group that wasn’t in cahoots with ISIS or the guys that knocked down the Twin Towers. It may be inevitable in such a horrible war, any support is welcomed, (look how ISIS has used that feeling to slaughter the others.)
But the irony, the US on the same side as the guys that knocked down the Twin Towers.
October 4th, 2015, 1:19 pm
jo6pac said:
http://fortruss.blogspot.ca/2015/10/russian-justice-moderate-ammo-for.html
http://fortruss.blogspot.ca/2015/10/america-condems-russia-for-civilian.html
https://strategika51.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/syrie-duel-aerien-entre-des-sukhoi-su-30-sm-russes-et-des-f-15-israeliens/
No comment needed
October 4th, 2015, 3:47 pm
ALAN said:
Is Russia Eliminating America’s Material Support for Terrorism Problem
https://www.emptywheel.net/2015/10/03/is-russia-eliminating-americas-material-support-for-terrorism-problem/
***
I. Stop Supporting the Dictators Who Fund Terrorists
II. Stop Arming Terrorists
III. Stop Imperial Conquests for Arab Oil
IV. Stop Mass Surveillance
V. Stop Torture
VI. Stop Drone Assassinations of Innocent Civilians
VII. Stop Covering Up 9/11
October 5th, 2015, 1:28 am
Altair said:
Well, they finally did it. The arch-criminal crazies of ISIS destroyed the 1800-year old Arch of Victory in Palmyra/Tadmur for practically no reason whatsoever. This is one of Syria’s greatest cultural symbols.
So beyond the massive loss of life, the humiliation, the number of refugees, torture, Syrians can look forward to losing their cultural icons as well, and most of the world does nothing but fuel the flames.
This is indeed a war to destroy Syria, every aspect of it.
October 5th, 2015, 9:35 am
Passerby said:
Hi Alan,
For brevity, here’s an answer to a couple of your points. I’ll be happy to address them all in depth if you like.
I. Stop Supporting the Dictators Who Fund Terrorists
II. Stop Arming Terrorists
I spent my youth mean-mouthing the USA. All those dictators and one party systems we supported. Terrible things going on in Latin America, Marcos, Vietnam… I don’t care who the US supports, I’m against the dictators, (and I’m well aware that democracies are almost always run by someone.) And then a strange thing happened after the end of the Cold War. Everywhere the US had the influence, they all changed to democracies. Free Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, etc. and all of Latin America other than Communist Cuba.
The only dictators I’m aware of the US supports are Arab Sunnis. And it’s really the other way around, they control us far more than we control them. They have enough influence that we are on the side of Al-Qaeda in Syria.
III. Stop Imperial Conquests for Arab Oil
I DEFY you to state one drop of oil, one banana, one single solitary product whatsoever the United States of America gets the slightest bit cheaper because of the US Military.
And yes, I know you can’t.
So much for that nonsense.
IV. Stop Mass Surveillance
VII. Stop Covering Up 9/11
etc.
The Mass surveillance is a real problem, you’re right. But it’s not just governments, it’s big corporations and crime syndicates. They all have files on everyone. Of the group, the US government is the least evil.
True, they can know everything they want about anyone, just like George Orwell predicted, but the good news is they couldn’t keep a secret if their life depended on it. The clueless buffoons at the NSA etc. blab all their secrets, top to bottom to half-wit transvestite corporals and college dropouts that make copies and distribute them to the entire planet. Heck, they couldn’t even keep dribbling some water on the faces of the three 9/11 ringleaders secret.
October 5th, 2015, 10:48 am
Uzair8 said:
#PutinBully
#RussiaBully
What is Russia doing? All the Syrian people wanted was their freedom. Was that too much to ask for?
October 5th, 2015, 12:01 pm
Uzair8 said:
This unjust Russian intervention should unite the rebel forces. If not, if the 100’s of various groups don’t unite then they’ll get their bottoms kicked individually. I think the groups will now be more likely to sacrifice their own power/interests and unite (hopefully permanently). Sacrifice or die.
That is one positive that could come out of this and could have a significant impact on the ground militarily.
PS: Of course I’m not talking about ISIS. They are a third party. An anti-revolutionary party.
October 5th, 2015, 12:09 pm
SimoHurtta said:
Refugee flood from Syria??????
Finland now estimates that there will come 50,000 refugees this year. 11,000 came in september. Until yesterday the amount of this year was 19,632 refugees.
The main countries from where the refugees came were
Iraq 13,848
Somalia 1,810
Afghanistan 1,060
Albania 676
Syria 409.
Of the refugees 15,500 are men (mainly young). 2,816 are women and about 2 thousand children. Of the children around one thousand came without any adults.
In proportion to the population size Finland receives now as much refugees as Germany and Sweden do.
As we can see from the origin country Syrians are the excuse in this massive more or less organized Völkerwanderung. Most come from troubled poor areas, but are no refugees and are without doubt simply seeking better/easier life.
The refugees have organized here some demonstrations protesting against bad food, poor housing and poor healthcare. The refugee men said that they would not give the food they get even to dogs. The food offered to them was the same Finnish children get in school. Local people did not like that critic. So far the anti-refugee demonstrations have been rather (surprising) small and the demonstrators mainly the “normal” right wing racist Nazi nuts. However the opinion climate is fast changing. Now some members of parliament demand compulsory work service for refugees and the second biggest party (in government, but very anti-immigrant) has serious unity difficulties with allowing this open borders policy. Also most of the refugees will not be allowed to stay and to get asylum, those coming from Iraq (partly), Albania etc. If they come from areas which are considered as safe they will be returned. Let’s see what thousands of disappointed, angry and indebted “refugees” will think about that returning. If they were not radicalized when coming here, after spending their savings to come here and put in plane after spending nearly one year in the application queue they will be certainly not more “tolerant”.
October 5th, 2015, 12:36 pm
Uzair8 said:
Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi @Shaykhabulhuda 12h
Check our interview in 02/2013, we we spoke about Russia’s interest in Syria, scn-sy.com/ar/news/view/1… { http://t.co/JrnLuGVgOC }
https://mobile.twitter.com/Shaykhabulhuda/status/650903395214213120?p=p
October 5th, 2015, 1:00 pm
ALAN said:
Obama Admits US is Training ISIL (ISIS) – Obama accidentally admitted US government is training ISIL (ISIS, Islamic State) which White House later denied and corrected the “mistake”.
https://youtu.be/Dq1Rahh4nPk
October 5th, 2015, 2:52 pm
ALAN said:
Obama Admits US is Training ISIL (ISIS) – Obama accidentally admitted US government is training ISIL (ISIS, Islamic State) which White House later denied and corrected the “mistake”.
https://youtu.be/ZfYeylQX_DI
October 5th, 2015, 3:02 pm
ALAN said:
http://news.antiwar.com/2015/10/04/us-plans-to-escalate-syrian-airstrikes-to-hem-in-russia/
October 5th, 2015, 3:23 pm
ALAN said:
https://youtu.be/cHfBIO-alTI
October 5th, 2015, 3:38 pm
Passerby said:
Russian Soldiers to Join Fight in Syria
MOSCOW — Ratcheting up the confrontation over the Syria war, Russia said Monday that its “volunteer” ground forces would join the fight…
A Russian ground force could fundamentally alter the conflict, which has left 250,000 people dead and displaced half the country’s population since it started in 2011.
Although President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said he would not put troops in Syria, the plan for so-called volunteers was disclosed Monday by his top military liaison to the Parliament, Adm. Vladimir Komoyedov. It seemed similar to Russia’s stealth tactic in using soldiers to seize Crimea from Ukraine in March of 2014 and to aid pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine…
The administration’s position was ridiculed Monday by Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, who said the American airstrikes, which began more than a year ago, had done little militarily…
Separately, in a statement laden with sectarian language, a group of prominent Saudi Arabian clerics called on Muslim and Arab countries to support a jihad, or holy war, against Mr. Assad and his Russian and Iranian patrons — even comparing the Syrian war to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s and the jihad against it that drew fighters from around the world.
The statement followed a declaration from the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, blessing the Russian fight in Syria….
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/world/middleeast/russian-soldiers-join-syria-fight.html?_r=0
You think Vladimir Putin is like Barack “Red Line” Obama? You think he won’t rain hell on anyone he’s fighting? Think he’s gonna’ mince around like the US and Europe?
Double the Russian shipping through the Bosporus, heavy weapons moving to the front, including the artillery from hell, those rocket launchers that can take out one city block per second, precisely, if any Russian points at them, lots of Russian special forces “volunteers” coming out of the woodwork, and a lot of Alawites, Shiites, etc. even Kurds eventually if no one else will help them, eager to fight.
October 6th, 2015, 12:21 am
Hopeful said:
#99 Passerby
I very much enjoy your pragmatic voice here on SC.
The Syrian opposition council could have pulled the rug from under Assad and his supporters if they changed their endgame from “removing Assad” to “conducting free and fair elections in Syria under international supervision”. Iran and Russia could not have managed to argue against that goal. I could care less if Assad runs in the election. What matters is ensuring that it is free and fair. Syrians could have called for UN and international supervision and protection. Iran and Russia could not veto that plan with a straight face.
Making it about a “person” allowed Russia and Iran to intervene under the pretexts of things such as conspiracy, terrorism and fear of chaos.
Maybe it is not too late, but I doubt it.
October 6th, 2015, 1:48 am
Akbar Palace said:
The Syrian opposition council could have pulled the rug from under Assad and his supporters if they changed their endgame from “removing Assad” to “conducting free and fair elections in Syria under international supervision”.
Hopeful,
What makes you think Assad would agree “to conducting free and fair elections”? That would be equivalent to “removing Assad”, and we now know Assad would do everything in his power to prevent real elections, including destroying his own country.
Free elections are only something Finns deserve.
Naturally, countries run by self-elected tyrants like Russia and Iran are keen to support those like themselves.
October 6th, 2015, 8:37 am
Alan said:
الصين ايضا بحاجة للتعامل مع مكافحة الارهاب و السيطرة على مواطنيها المنخرطين في الساحة السورية
China.. Go ahead ..
October 6th, 2015, 12:29 pm
Hopeful said:
#102 AP
He won’t, but he will be forced to by Russia. It is about Iran and Russia not Assad. Russia would have found it hard to justify what it is doing now. Russia consistently said that “it is not up to the west to decide for the Syrian people who their president should be”. Well, call their bluff and ask them to join international monitors to organize fair elections. Make it NOT about Assad but about fair elections.
October 6th, 2015, 2:23 pm
ALAN said:
Russia poses one condition to the new sharing of the world – the passage from an imperialist system,to a system based on international law in general, and the United Nations Charter in particular. It therefore condemns in advance « …interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, the recourse to force without the authorisation of the Security Council, and the delivery of arms to extremist non-state groups ».
There is no mistake about it, the application of Security Council resolutions, including those concerning Israel, the implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative and the common Global Action Plan concerning the Iranian nuclear programme, the creation of control mechanisms for the respect by the states of the assembly for all of these texts, and finally, global opposition to the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Russia can help the Obama administration to realise the inefficiency of its policies and return to the realm of international law.
– It is only on this condition that Russia is ready to share with the United States the responsibility for the security of North Africa and the ME.
– The Russian bombing raids are not directed against the allies of the United States, but constitute military assistance for President Obama who, for the last year, has not been obeyed by the anti-Daesh Coalition.
– Russia hopes to bring the United States to the table at a regional peace conference aimed at applying les resolutions of the Security Council – including the withdrawal of Israel to its 1967 borders – the Arab Peace Initiative, and the Common Global Action Plan concerning the Iranian nuclear programme.
– To definitively overcome Islamist terrorism, it is necessary to fight its cause – the materialist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.
October 6th, 2015, 2:57 pm
SANDRO LOEWE said:
ALAN, are your russian bosses so stupid to belive that the world is swallowing your rude lies and arguments ?
¨Russia poses one condition to the new sharing of the world – the passage from an imperialist system,to a system based on international law in general, and the United Nations Charter in particular¨
Come on, keep on bombing all syrians (civilians, rebels and ISIS, but mostly civilians) by defending your new democratic world order.
You should look at yourself and Russia, so sad image, so dirty and poor portrait
October 6th, 2015, 3:13 pm
Uzair8 said:
Posted on Facebook by Shaykh Mohammad al-Yaqoubi ~19hrs ago: ‘Denouncing military intervention in Syria’ :
استنكار التدخل العسكري الروسي في سورية
الشيخ محمد أبو الهدى اليعقوبي
نستنكر بأشد العبارات التدخل العسكري الروسي في سورية، والقصف الذي تقوم به الطائرات الروسية للمدنيين والمعارضة السورية، ونستنكر إرسال الجنود والأسلحة إلى سورية، وبناء القواعد العسكرية لروسية على الأرض السورية، وحملات تجنيد المتطوعين الروس للقتال في سورية. ويجري ذلك بدعوىٰ مقاومة الإرهاب ومحاربة التطرف، ولكن الغرض منه كما هو واضح لكل متتبع للأخبار دعمُ النظام السوري المجرم الذي يواصل إبادة شعبنا بمختلف وسائل القتل والتدمير.
إن الشعب السوري بريء من الإرهاب والتطرف الذي يزعُم الروس أنهم جاؤوا لمحاربته، وشعبنا قادر على مواجهة التطرف، ولكنه تُرك نحو خمس سنوات ضحية لجرائم النظام السوري. وقيمُ الإسلام المعتدل هي التي نشأ عليها شعبنا في سورية، وهي التي ستبقىٰ، ولا فضل للنظام في هذا، بل على العكس، كان دور النظام مشبوهًا في تبني بعض هذه الجماعات التكفيرية والتنسيق معها ومع المعارضة العراقية منذ سقوط نظام صدام.
إننا نؤكد أن السبب الأول للتطرف في سورية هو استبداد نظام الأسد طيلة أربعين سنة من القمع، ولما ثار الشعب على جرائم هذا النظام أوغل في قتل الأبرياء وتفنن في التنكيل بالضعفاء. ولا يجوز لأحد أن ينسىٰ أن نظام الأسد قد قتل من شعبه ما يزيد على ربع مليون مواطن، وأن الآلاف قتلوا في السجون تحت التعذيب أو في المجازر المنظمة في الحولة والمسيفرة وبابا عمرو والقصير، أو في قصف المخابز والملاجئ والمدارس والمساجد والكنائس، لقد صار نصف هذا الشعب مهجرًا داخل القطر وخارجه. ولهذا السبب عارضنا نظام الأسد، وسنعارض أي تدخل يهدف إلىٰ دعمه في قتل شعبه. كما أننا نحارب التطرف سواء تمثل في تنظيم داعش أو في غيره، وقد حذرنا دائما من الغلو، وقضينا أعمارنا ندعو إلى الوسطية ونحن نحارب الفكر التكفيري المتشدد الذي يتسمىٰ زورًا بالسلفية، والسلف منه أبرياء. ونعارض تدفق المقاتلين الأجانب إلى سورية، فسورية ليست بحاجة إلى مقاتلين.
إننا إذ نستنكر التدخل الروسي اليوم نحذر من تداعياته الخطيرة، ومن أهمها إعطاء الشرعية للجماعات المتطرفة في أنها تقاتل عدوًا أجنبيًا محتلاً كافرًا. ويبدو أن هذه الجماعات قد بدأت حملة جديدة في أعقاب التدخل العسكري الروسي لتجنيد المزيد من المقاتلين الأجانب في صفوفها، وهذا مما سيقوي من هذه الجماعات، ويبرر وجودها. ومن أهم هذه التداعيات اتفاق فصائل المعارضة المعتدلة والمتشددة معا ونبذ خلافاتها في سبيل محاربة ما يرون أنه خطر أكبر فإن المسلمين المعتدلين في سورية هم الذين انتفضوا في وجه نظام الأسد، ولكن جاء من حاول سرقة ثورتهم والمتاجرة بدمائهم لتحقيق أهداف أخرىٰ لا شأن للمواطن السوري بها.
إننا ندعو المجتمع الدولي إلى الضغط علىٰ الاتحاد الروسي لوقف القصف البربري على شعبنا فورًا، وسحب قواته ووقف دعمه للنظام، وممارسة الضغط على النظام للجلوس إلىٰ مائدة المفاوضات وتحقيق الأهداف الآتية:
– فوري وقف لإطلاق النار
– إطلاق سراح جميع السجناء والأسرى والمختطفين
– رفع الحصار عن المناطق المحاصرة
– سحب جميع الآليات العسكرية الثقيلة من المناطق المدنية
– عودة جميع اللاجئين والمهجرين
– بدء مفاوضات انتقال السلطة
كما ندعو الدول الإسلامية إلىٰ دعم جهودنا في محاربة التطرف وإنقاذ شعبنا منه، وإلىٰ دعم التكتلات والشخصيات السنية المعتدلة في سورية، فإنها صِمام الأمان الذي يضمن استمرار التصدي للغلو في الدين وما ينتجه من التطرف والإرهاب.
https://www.facebook.com/ShaykhMuhammadAbulhudaAlYaqoubi/posts/707545092709576
October 6th, 2015, 3:54 pm
Uzair8 said:
Russian Imperialism in action in Syria.
A ‘Crusade’ apparently blessed by the Russian Church.
I suppose Putin will soon be landing (Hollywood style) on a ship with a ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner displayed in the background.
October 6th, 2015, 3:58 pm
ALAN said:
HISTORIC NEWS: Finally, EU Breaks Away from U.S.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/09/historic-news-finally-eu-breaks-away-from-u-s.html
October 6th, 2015, 4:29 pm
jo6pac said:
#105 Alan
Sadly there is no one in govt in Amerika that would want to play fair with others. The cycle-0-paths run the show and they are very hard to overthrow.
The only thing that stops this country is as you point out the eu decides it’s had enough. Amerika is trying to throw eu and others under the economic bus. The amazing thing it will be us in Amerika that goes under the bus first and in a way saving the world until the neo-conns can recover.
October 6th, 2015, 6:26 pm
SimoHurtta said:
Free elections are only something Finns deserve.
Akbar it clear to all that Jews are not capable to organize free elections for equals. If they would arrange free elections to all who live under Israeli rule Israel would be renamed the next week Palestine by its Palestinian majority. You are not even letting Palestinians have elections among themselves. Hamas might win. 🙂
It is absurd to speculate about free election in Syria when halve of Syria is in hands of lunatic violent Sunni extremists who with 100 percents certainty are not willing to arrange elections, besides the fact that most of them are not even Syrians. The rest of rebels are divided in hundreds of rival groups. So speaking about a free election and international observers is pure propaganda. It is clear basically to all expect the Jews here trying to get cheap “democracy points”, that first somebody has to have control of the whole country, ensure relative good security and only then are elections possible. And the possibilities of those who can get the control are Assad regime OR ISIL+allies. Not those FIVE US trained rebels fighting there. Or the Turkish or Israeli army.
October 7th, 2015, 7:22 am
Majedkhaldoun said:
It is not patriotism to invite Russia to send military air force and strafe Syrians, it is treason , treason is committed by this criminal Alawi regime headed by criminal Assad , he and his Alawi supporters are terrorists they commit treason, again and again , they invited Iran before who sent HA headed by a liar Hassan Nasrallah, that is another treason,
Russia is coordinated its attacks with Israel and Assad, they all are against the Syrians who are demanding freedom, they all are working togather to deprive Syrians from their freedom.
US is not supporting freedom and democracy , either
As for fair and honest election that is good , but neither US nor Russia are interested in fair election, we saw what happened in Egypt, another criminal dictator , liar , Sisi stage a coup and threw the fair election down , imprisoned the fairly elected Mursi, and resumed dictatorship
What is going on in Palastine is crimes committed by racist Natanyaho, a picture of a child wounded and On the ground, yet Israeli soldiers kept on shooting him till death , Israeli troops are no better than Assad Shabbiha, criminals.
October 17th, 2015, 12:06 pm
Post a comment