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bemildred

(90,061 posts)
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 10:19 AM Oct 2015

Spotlight: Syrian rebels move from offense to defense after Russian intervention

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"Most certainly the armed militant groups have moved from offense to defense and that is clear after they have lost large areas, such as in the northern countryside of Latakia, where the army has progressed toward the town of Salma, which has been under the rebel control and was extremely difficult for the Syrian troops to advance toward it without the Russian air cover due to its rugged terrain," Osama Danura, a political analyst, told Xinhua.

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"In all of the opened fronts, namely in Daraa, Damascus, Homs, Hama, Idlib, and Aleppo, the militants are on the defense, and if we wanted to analyze the reason behind such a turnabout we will surely see that the Russian air force intervention has had a major impact and we must not forget that the Russian intervention is not only confined to the airstrikes because the Russians are also involved in the reconnaissance operations that are linked with satellite, which enables them to precisely mark the targets," he said.

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"The majority of armed gangs are demoralized. Discontent with field commanders is growing among the fighters, and there are instances of disobeying orders," Kartapolov said.

Cases of desertion among the jihadists are no longer isolated, with them now fleeing "en masse," the colonel general, who heads operations in the Russian general staff, added.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-10/17/c_134723527.htm

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Spotlight: Syrian rebels move from offense to defense after Russian intervention (Original Post) bemildred Oct 2015 OP
Creating a large safe zone for the millions of displaced families to return to without the terror of Fred Sanders Oct 2015 #1
Russia paves way for Assad regime’s Iranian-backed advance on Aleppo bemildred Oct 2015 #2
Russian jet fighters pound IS center training suicide bombers bemildred Oct 2015 #3
A bit more from article: KoKo Oct 2015 #6
Well everybody is winning at the moment, so they say. bemildred Oct 2015 #7
When the Cuban's Arrive? KoKo Oct 2015 #9
+1. bemildred Oct 2015 #10
Syria crisis, Kurdish-IS war is costing Turkey dearly bemildred Oct 2015 #4
Sounds like fair advice... KoKo Oct 2015 #5
Much too sensible, never happen. bemildred Oct 2015 #8

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
1. Creating a large safe zone for the millions of displaced families to return to without the terror of
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 10:29 AM
Oct 2015

being killed in their sleep every night....or worse....is a good thing.

Getting rid of the tangled mess of rebels and terrorists and wannabe Kings that have driven the
already impoverished people of Syria to such desperation so that the Exodus can be reversed and the people can return to their chosen land is also tacitly being encouraged by Europe and America, so I think.

Unfortunately, Syria returning to it's previous state of being a state exactly like Egypt is the only short-term solution to all the problems.

The West seems good with Egypt.

And winter is approaching, time is of the essence.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
2. Russia paves way for Assad regime’s Iranian-backed advance on Aleppo
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 11:18 AM
Oct 2015

After many scares and several false starts, the crucial battle for Syria’s second biggest city has begun.

For more than a year the southern edges of rebel-held Aleppo have been a wasteland. Regime soldiers have been fixed in their positions several kilometres from the battered city limits, while rebels have shored up defences on their side of the ruins.

Now, three weeks into Russia’s intervention in the Syrian war, there is movement on one of the conflict’s most static fronts. And weary opposition forces don’t like what they are seeing.

“The regime advanced six kilometres [on Friday] and they took three villages,” said Zakaria Malafji, a member of the Free Syrian Army inside Aleppo. “The Russians showered us with bombs even in the civilian areas. They want to clear everything so the regime tanks and even the soldiers on foot can advance.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/17/aleppo-isis-iran-russia-rebels-bombing

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
3. Russian jet fighters pound IS center training suicide bombers
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 11:22 AM
Oct 2015

Russian war planes have bombed a training camp in Syria where foreign instructors trained potential suicide bombers, the Russian defense ministry said. It was one of 49 terrorist targets hit by the Russian Air Forces over the day, RT reports.

“Not far from Salma in Latakia province, a Su-24M bomber delivered a strike at a building, which was used as a terrorist training ground. According to intelligence, there were Islamic State (IS) foreign instructors, who were training people, including suicide bombers, for guerilla warfare in areas liberated by the Syrian army,” ministry spokesman Maj Gen Igor Konashenkov said.

He said the facility had its own explosives workshop, which was also destroyed by an air strike (watch the video clip).

Russian war planes conducted 36 combat sorties Saturday and attacked 49 militant targets in Syria, including command points, weapons workshops, firing positions, depots and fortified bunkers.

http://atimes.com/2015/10/russian-jet-fighters-pound-is-center-training-suicide-bombers/

KoKo

(84,711 posts)
6. A bit more from article:
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 07:33 PM
Oct 2015
It sounds good. But, we heard this, before, when we (USA) have invaded the different countries (with our "allies&quot and our MSM Channels gleefully broadcast the death of another "Senior Al-Qaeda leader Killed"...But, since it sure does sound a bit like our OWN Media Reports from our various Invasions makes me wonder if Russia is following USA's Playbook on how to report to MSM and influence the Taxpayers?

We shall See!

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From the Article:


The civilian population in the areas under terrorist group’s control are aiding the Russian air strikes by providing intelligence about IS to the Syrian government.

“This information is double-checked by our aviation group with various technical means of reconnaissance. Following this, a decision is made on which objects we should target,” he said.

Russia is providing air support to Syrian government troops, which are currently undertaking an offensive to retake villages and cities captured by terrorist groups. Moscow says its goal is to stabilize the situation in the country enough to allow political dialogue between Damascus and moderate opposition to start.

Senior Al-Qaeda leader killed

Saudi-born Sanafi al-Nasr, senior al-Qaeda leader and strategist, was killed in an air strike in Aleppo province.

A source revealed that al-Nasr along with two other Takfiri terorist group’s members, Saudi Abdul Malik al-Jazrawi and Moroccan Abu Yasir al-Maghrebi, was reportedly killed in an air strike.

Al-Nusrah Front released a photo showing a car struck by an air strike in Al-Dana, West of Aleppo. The terrorist group also published a picture of the bodies of Takfiri militants, but has not identified them.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
7. Well everybody is winning at the moment, so they say.
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 07:38 PM
Oct 2015

Iran & Assad seem to be making big promises, and they seem to be trying to encircle the jihadis, but they also say they are bringing in more "advisers", so we may get some indication soon.

KoKo

(84,711 posts)
9. When the Cuban's Arrive?
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 07:47 PM
Oct 2015
You can see I'm getting into silly territory, here.

Never mind it...I wish them some success since so much else has failed before.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
4. Syria crisis, Kurdish-IS war is costing Turkey dearly
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 11:23 AM
Oct 2015

Recent bombings in Ankara brought Turkey’s political and ethnic tensions, exacerbated by the civil war in neighbouring Syria, to a grim new level. Some analysts are now fearing that Turkey has become the battleground in a growing war between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK and Islamic State. The attacks in Ankara, the Turkish capital, came as US allied Kurdish forces affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, were preparing to advance toward Islamic State’s self-declared capital of Raqqa in Syria. This is not the first time Turkey witnessed the battle of Kurds and Islamic State on its soil. Ankara attacks follow a July 20 bombing in the town of Suruc that was linked to Syria’s civil war and blamed on a suicide bomber with ties to Islamic State. The attacks come as Turkey is at risk of losing control of stretches of its border areas that have become highways for IS recruits from North Africa and Europe. The flow of jihadists and supplies allows ISIS to pursue its barbaric effort to build and protect a new state on the territory of Turkey’s neighbors. But by attacking pro-Kurdish rally in the capital IS has demonstrated that it can reach to Turkish heartlands.

The Kurds have been unhappy with how they have been treated as a minority for years by Turkish authorities. Now, their powerful military arm, the PKK, high on morale because of battlefield success in Syria is taking on Turkey in Kurdish dominated areas of Turkey. Turkey fears advances by Kurdish YPG militia, backed by its political wing, on the Syrian side of its 900 kms border will fuel separatist ambitions among Kurds in its own southeastern territories. But Washington has supported YPG fighters as an effective force in combating Islamic State. Ankara realizes the danger of empowering the Kurdish militia and it has taken stern action against them as well. It has carried out air strikes against Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels based in the mountains of northern Iraq; but attacks on Kurds in Syria would be far riskier, bringing Ankara into possible conflict both with US and Russian air forces. Even on the home front situation is not calm as well for Turkey. Turks furious that the government has done little to halt the spread of ISIS and jihadist activities that are becoming an increasing threat to civil order, the government is facing a multi-pronged challenge that it may find difficult to handle. Turkey, which from the outset of the Syrian war more than four years ago backed rebel groups in the belief that Mr. Assad could be quickly toppled, finds itself powerless to shape events in Syria which are affecting its internal stability.

Now with the entry of Russia in Syria in support of President Bashar-Al-Assad has further complicated matters for Turkey. For the past three years, Ankara has been demanding a safe zone in northern Syria where Turkish-backed opposition forces can regroup, as well as a no-fly zone to protect them from Assad. The apparent goal behind this plan was to allow the West’s and Turkey’s Syrian favorites to conquer Aleppo (Syria’s largest city and once industrial hub) and eventually take Damascus as well. Russia’s latest maneuver, however, has rendered such schemes completely impractical. Its deployment of surface-to-air missiles and air-to-air combat fighters is an obvious warning to Turkey. Unlike the air force-less Islamic State and Syrian opposition, Turkey has, in the past, downed a Syrian fighter jet and Syrian helicopters. Turkey’s inaction following incursions by Russian fighter jets into its airspace must be judged in this light. Russia’s bombing raids in Syria in support of its ally Assad, which threaten to debilitate the moderate rebels and boost the extremists in Syria’s civil war, while leaving Turkey to deal with two unruly neighbors: Assad and Islamic State. Because of now conflicting interest in Syria Turkey and Russia economic ties are also deteriorating. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently said that Turkey could re-evaluate its cooperation with the Kremlin on a number of key energy projects.

http://atimes.com/2015/10/syria-crisis-kurdish-is-war-is-costing-turkey-dearly/

KoKo

(84,711 posts)
5. Sounds like fair advice...
Sat Oct 17, 2015, 02:01 PM
Oct 2015

Last edited Sat Oct 17, 2015, 05:16 PM - Edit history (1)

From Article:

Turkey has legitimate interests in its immediate neighborhood but it had to re-evaluate its strategy towards Syrian conflict. It has to realize that its policy of allowing rebel fighters, arms shipments and refugees to pass through its territory has been exploited by Islamic State to expand their network. Moreover, Turkish-backed rebels in Syrian arena are not game changers now and fighters like the Kurds and IS who have grudges against Turkey as well are now significant players in Syrian war. So now Turkey should consider its own internal security and stability as its prime goal rather than promoting its political agenda in Syria. In regard to that: Turkey should keep strict vigilance over its border with Syria and crack down on Islamic State and its sleeper cells in Turkish territory.
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