Moscow (dpa) - The United States and its partners are no longer seeking regime change in Syria, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday in Moscow after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Speaking to reporters, Kerry quickly added that the US still does not believe that Bashar al-Assad has a future as the leader of the country.

The US and the Western-backed opposition to al-Assad and their armed rebels had previously repeatedly said there would be no role for al-Assad in the future of Syria. But al-Assad's two close allies, Russia and Iran, have said his political fate should be up to Syrians to decide.

With Kerry's statement Tuesday the US appeared to take a step toward the Russian position. He said the US is working past its differences with Russia on the Syrian conflict in order to mount a better fight against the terrorist group Islamic State, which "is a threat to all of us."

http://www.dpa-international.com/news/international/kerry-us-russia-cooperating-in-syria-to-fight-islamic-state-a-47669570.html

The US and Russia agreed to go forward with planned peace talks in New York concerning the conflict in Syria, following a meeting between Secretary of State John Kerry and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Syria seemed to dominate the talks during Kerry's visit to the Russian capital on Tuesday. The two countries are both seeking an end to the conflict but disagree over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, whom Moscow supports but Washington wants to see removed.

Furthermore, Kerry wanted to address concerns over Russian airstrikes in the country, which Washington and other Western governments claim are targeting the "moderate" rebels trying to oust Assad. Moscow has vehemently denied these claims, insisting it's targeting terrorists such as the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) extremist group.

http://www.dw.com/en/russia-and-us-say-syria-peace-talks-will-go-forward-after-moscow-meeting/a-18919880

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday drew a comparison between Syrian refugees today and Jewish refugees during World War II, during a speech at a naturalization ceremony of 31 petitioners seeking United States Citizenship held at the National Archive in Washington DC.

At the ceremony, marking the 224th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, Obama chided those who would seek to clamp down immigration, as he continued to defend his plan to resettle thousands of Syrian refugees in the US.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/obama-compares-syrian-refugees-to-holocaust-survivors/

Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin found common ground at Syria talks in Moscow Tuesday but the US remains concerned that Russia is targeting the "moderate opposition" and not primarily the Islamic State (IS) group.

"I made clear about our concern that some of Russia's strikes have hit the moderate opposition and not Daesh," Kerry said, using another term for the IS group.

Russia, one of Syrian President Basher al-Assad’s staunchest allies, has launched a campaign of air strikes it says are aimed at Islamic State group militants but which also support Assad’s forces.

Kerry said he told Putin the Kremlin needed to direct its fire on “the real threat” of Islamic State group rather than on the moderate opposition.

http://www.france24.com/en/20151215-russia-usa-kerry-putin-syria-talks-lavrov-targets-opposition

WASHINGTON, December 15, 2015 — More nations must “get in the game militarily” to hasten destruction of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters on Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, today.

The secretary also said he was grateful to Germany, Spain, Qatar, and host nation Turkey for their recently added armed forces to the campaign.

“The Turks, in addition to hosting us here, are taking some action along their border and in internal security,” Carter said. "We welcome the additional steps the Turks have taken recently … and we're asking them to take more, to do more, even as we're asking ourselves to do more."

The secretary echoed President Barack Obama’s message from the Pentagon yesterday to intensify and accelerate ISIL’s defeat, adding that the terror group must be fought not only in Iraq and Syria, but also around the globe.

http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/636379/carter-calls-for-more-global-cooperation-to-defeat-isil

Is he being "reigned in?" or still the opposition?

But not this time.

The War Party is unlikely to go away, but it is forced to be sensible from time to time, like when we were kicked out of various places all over the planet the last 150 years or so. It's a long list.

I think we are giving up on Russia to focus on the jihadis. We are well on our way to fracturing the EU and NATO (among a long list of pernicious consequences of the Neocons efforts), can't have that. So yeah, I think the light may have finally dawned in NatSec thinking. "You know, we're really fucking ourselves? Trying to split Russia from the EU and breaking up NATO and the EU instead?"

And it is absolutely essential that we lead, and the effort we wanted to lead by ourselves with our friends is not panning out, so we have to lead as best we can in the Russian effort.

This will make the gov'ts in Kiev, Riyadh, and Ankara unhappy, and they are all proven loose cannons, so I don't think the excitement is over yet.

Russians and the SAA kicking ass on all fronts. The Mercs running for their lives.

When everybody is heading in some particular direction, that means you are too.

New posters of President Bashar al-Assad hang from the centre of soaring archways that welcome you into Syria and replace the once-fading images all along this route from the border with Lebanon.

You notice it on the main highway, the strategic artery that runs to the city of Homs and on to the Mediterranean coast. Military checkpoints have been bolstered and brightened by fresh coats of paint in the black white and red tricolour of Syria's flag.

And you sense it in the comments of President Assad's supporters - the new signs of confidence.

"The problem is not with the Syrian government," insists presidential adviser Dr Bouthaina Shaaban when I ask about the new international diplomacy gathering pace to find a negotiated way out of this war.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35108994

12:45 p.m.

Syria's state media is reporting that government forces have captured a strategic mountain in the country's northwest.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that troops and pro-government militiamen captured the Nouba mountain in Latakia province early Wednesday.

Syrian troops have been on the offensive in different parts of the country under the cover of Russian airstrikes that began on Sept. 30.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the capture of Nouba mountain opens the way for government forces to approach the rebel stronghold of Salma.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SYRIA_THE_LATEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-16-06-12-13

BEIRUT – Syrian regime forces have seized control of a strategic mountaintop northwest of Latakia, dealing yet another blow to the rebels holed up in the rugged region that has come under intense Russian bombardment.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Wednesday morning that the Syrian army had advanced and taken “complete control over Jabal al-Nawba, the first line of defense for the Salma area, which overlooks the rebel supply lines on the old Aleppo-Latakia road.”

“The fierce clashes and battles for control of Jabal al-Nawba have been accompanied by dozens of air strikes, and intensive rocket and artillery shelling on the Jabal al-Akrad and Jabal Turkman areas,” the monitoring NGO added.

The battle pitted Syrian army forces backed by Hezbollah fighters and other militants on one side against Free Syrian Army-affiliated factions and Islamist groups, including the Al-Nusra Front and Turkestan Islamic Party on the other.

https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsReports/566377-syria-rebels-facing-defeat-in-latakia-mountains

Solving the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine were the main topics of discussion during the three-hour meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US State Secretary John Kerry in Moscow on Tuesday.

Prior to meeting Putin, Kerry held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, TASS news agency informs.

Although no breakthroughs were achieved in bilateral relations, the two countries brought closer their positions on the settlement of the conflicts as well as the fight against terrorism.

Kerry assured that the US is not seeking to isolate Russia and wanted to cooperate with Moscow in the fight against terrorism and in solving jointly the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

http://www.novinite.com/articles/172268/Putin%2C+Kerry+Vow+to+Cooperate+in+Solving+Conflicts+in+Syria%2C+Ukraine

I saw photos from RT News feed yesterday with Nuland sitting to Kerry's left at the discussions. RT also showed You Tube clips of Nuland's worst moments in dealing with Ukraine before the photo op. It was a funny segment. I wonder how she felt when her friend "Yats" was grabbed along with his rose bouquet and lifted off the floor last week in the Parliament. Hopefully she negotiated in good faith to move peaceful agreements forward rather than double down on the Neocon hard line which seems to have been exposed in Ukraine as a failure.

I saw some articles before the meeting suggesting that Putin hoped to get some of the harshest sanctions lifted after the meeting--given his cooperation in fighting ISIS. The article says that won't happen until the Minsk agreement is fulfilled. But, how long will that be given those involved who want to keep Ukraine an issue until Russia gives back Crimea? That would be the hardline Neocon view...I assume.

Still...hopefully, there will be progress.

Very interesting times.

I'm still waiting to see what various parties (Saudis, Qatar, Turkey, War Party mainly, they may not take this lying down.)

Kerry seems to have been given his head, we'll see what he can do. The fact that Carter is talking up cooperation with Russia is telling.

Vladimir Voronkov, Russia’s permanent envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency called the talks on Iran's nuclear program a "prototype for the current process of Syrian settlement".

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The talks on Iran's nuclear program, several rounds of which were held in the Austrian capital, have become a prototype for the current process of Syrian settlement, Russia’s permanent envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency and other international organizations in Vienna said Wednesday.

"The prototype of very intensive negotiations on Syria underway at the moment and comprising 19 countries was largely conceived during the P5+1 talks with Iran," Vladimir Voronkov told reporters.

He recalled that Iran was not included in the negotiation process at the first stage, similar to the current status of the Syrian government.

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20151216/1031832961/iran-talks-syrian-settlement.html

I just posted the latest Pepe article....And I couldn't make any sense of what he was saying. Whatever it was....I came to the depressing conclusion that P5+1 were hellbent on minimizing Russia's influence, that the Syria talks would go nowhere and he thought we were on the verge of a serious confrontation with Russia because of the Germans coming in and joining hands with Turkey, USA, GB, France which Russia wouldn't stand for, having been provoked enough.

Sometimes Pepe's articles go a little OTT and use so many acronyms I can't make sense of them...but, he seems pretty worked up about something.

If you can help me out understanding the article please reply on this thread rather than at the OP which is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113314838

The theory is that Russia-Iran-Iraq-Syria-Hezbollah will get into it with the GCC-Turkey-Jihadis, there in Idlib, with US egging them on.

This possibility has concerned me, there are people in US foreign policy circles who would think that was a great idea.

But more in Iraq, I don't think they will fight Russia in Idlib. And Obama is not impulsive, and he seems to have given Kerry license to see what diplomacy can do. Prior to that I did see those events as being some or all provocations to see how Russia would react. Now they have reacted and the response is Kerry in Moscow talking to Putin and Lavrov. You do the math.

I think the Saudis coalition against terrorists is cosmetic, intended to distance them from the bad jihadis.

and Iraq is where Turkey could continue to do mischief while Syria is left to USA & Russia with Germany, France and GB only there to look like they are doing something to the people back home, but their presence will be more for show than direct engagement?

I think you are correct and that Pepe got a little bit too worked up thinking of the darkest scenario. And, while he might be proved correct in some way...Putin seems to have restrained himself remarkably well...and the signs seem to say that diplomacy for now is managing to take hold. Although, we who've watched all this know to be wary given the "Clown Car" war mongering still coming from the Repubs and Hillary--whose record doesn't inspire confidence. Who would Hillary appoint as SOS? Would she feel comfortable asking Kerry to stay on for transition. Would her backers even allow that? She seems close with Nuland and Samantha Power.

It's a very distressing time out here. So much that could go wrong so quickly. And, I suspect more terror mischief continuing here in the USA given all the unrest and discord and how many people may be "on the edge," ready to pop off at any moment. The Drums of War.

See, he is really getting wound up ...

---

Amidst all the current shadow play, the true test of the Obama administration’s intentions is whether the US coalition will really fight Daesh, al-Nusra and Ahrar ash-Sham (which harbors a lot of jihadists from Chechnya, Dagestan and Uzbekistan), with no reservations.

This would imply Team Obama telling both Ankara and Riyadh, in no uncertain terms, to back off. No more Jihad Express. And no more weaponizing. Without these red lines, the Syrian «peace process» juggling between Vienna and New York does not even qualify as a joke.

No one should be holding their breath. As no one should be reasonably expecting that an astonishing mediocre, lame duck Team Obama would have the balls to confront Wahhabism as the true ideological matrix of all strands of Salafi jihadism, «moderate rebels» included.

Which brings us back to all that angst simmering across the Beltway. With or without Team Obama, the fact remains: no conquered – or at least balkanized – Syria, no Full Spectrum Dominance.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/17/syria-shatters-pentagon-dream/

might explain why Obama's hands seem tied along with seeming to choose people for his administration who are not always in his best interests....that's if his true interest is in diplomacy and peace (which I tend to think it is or was, at one time, anyway):

Don't know if you saw this or what you might think of Wilkerson--but this is an interesting detailed interview with him that I posted here in V&MM. Just giving the link to the video so it doesn't pop up here if you already saw it or aren't interested.

Maybe Wilkerson, Pepe and the Cochburn Bros. are in collusion...


-----------

Fmr. Bush Official Reveals --The Pentagon/MIC More Important than Congress or The People!
Empire Files: Fmr. Bush Official says the Empire's Ship is Sinking
Published on Dec 11, 2015

Colin Powell's former Chief of Staff says Pentagon is the Problem and it Rules our Presidents more than Congress or the American People (Voters).

Abby Martin interviews retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former national security advisor to the Reagan administration, who spent years as an assistant to Secretary of State Colin Powell during both Bush administrations. Today, he is honest about the unfixable corruption inside the establishment and the corporate interests driving foreign policy.

Hear a rare insider's view of what interests are behind U.S. wars, the manipulation of intelligence, the intertwining of the military and corporate world, and why the U.S. Empire is doomed.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017314594

Interview: Key issue in anti-terrorism fight to be abandonment of "regime change": American analyst

---


"President Obama has decided - correctly, in my view - that an American ground war in Syria and Iraq would be disastrous from two standpoints," Spannaus said.

First of all, large-scale military occupation of such a territory is out of the question, due to the elevated costs in economic terms and lives; secondly, another war in the region would only feed the narrative of the West waging war on Islam, recruiting even more fighters, he said.

"The key issue is to abandon the regime change policy, that is generally carried out jointly with - and at times even driven by - the former colonial powers Britain and France," Spannaus stressed.

"The United States can lead a shift away from this orientation, which would be welcome by many other countries. It requires open, honest dialogue with global powers such as Russia and China, and the identification of areas of common interest," he said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/17/c_134924448.htm

Thanks!

I've never been a Kerry fan but his work with Lavrov does seem to be making a difference. And, the Iran deal was a huge plus and amazing it was pulled off.

But is it possible for confrontation to be avoided given Erdogan's craziness? He and Saudi Arabia.

That is both good politics and a compliment to Kerry, who is displaying political courage in doing it in the present political environment.

But, who follows Kerry. (I shudder to think) See my reply before this one...

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said the opposition would not agree to a ceasefire unless Bashar al-Assad signs an agreement to step down as president of Syria.

The comments came on Wednesday as the United States and Russia prepared for the next Syrian peace talks in New York on Friday.

"If they [US and Russia] want to fight terrorism as they say, why not get rid of the main problem, the government that is targeting civilians in Syria everyday?," SNC Vice President Naghm al-Ghadri told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

"The US and Russia have always disagreed on the fate of Bashar al-Assad, but agreed on countering [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], which is ironic because instead of getting rid of the root of all problems, they want to tackle an off-shoot that resulted because of the government itself.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/12/syrian-opposition-ceasefire-assad-leaves-151216041659179.html

https://www.rt.com/op-edge/326139-kerry-putin-syria-moscow/

Nice pic of Nuland, like you said.

That Saudi meeting was what Pepe was going on about too.

You have Good Bandwidth...

Wouldn't believe what I have to go through. Here in supposedly "High Tech" area.

CONTORTIONS~

MOSCOW — A top Russian diplomat said on Wednesday that Turkey should pay compensation for the Russian warplane it shot down near the Syrian border last month, a call Turkey has promptly rejected.

The downing of the Su-24 and the deaths of two Russian servicemen strained the traditionally warm relations between the two countries.

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov told state news agency RIA Novosti on Wednesday that it still expects Ankara to apologize, pay the compensation and provide guarantees that it will never happen again.

The Russian Su-24 was on a bombing mission near the Turkish-Syrian border with a two-man crew when it was shot down on Nov. 24. One of the pilots was killed, while the second was rescued. A Russian marine was killed during the rescue operation.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/16/world/europe/ap-eu-russia-turkey.html?_r=0

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Moscow believes that any peace talks for the future of Syria must include that country’s Kurdish minority, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov on Wednesday.

“We support the participation of a wide circle of opposition forces, which represent the Syrian people, in the Syrian negotiating process. The Kurds, certainly, must not be excluded from this process.” Meshkov was quoted by the Russian news agency RIA.

The Saudi government recently initiated talks among various Syrian groups fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) was not invited, nor was the newly established Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/161220152

Secretary of State John Kerry has reversed a long-standing position and declared, during a visit to Moscow, that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster is not a prerequisite for Syrian peace talks.

In a sanitized world, Kerry’s position has allure: After all, how can the outcome of negotiations be presaged before they formally begin? And perhaps a formula can be established by which Assad can remain provisionally until new elections.

The problem is that such sanitized, detached consideration of Syria demonstrates profound ignorance of events in Syria and the trauma which Syrians have experienced. Over at Commentary, I drew parallels between the 2011 Hamza Ali al-Khateeb episode and the US civil rights era case of Emmett Till. Both boys were kidnapped by those in power. Both were tortured and murdered. But rather than quietly burying their sons, both sets of parents allowed the media of the day to photograph their castrated bodies and broadcast the horror widely.

Both boys became household names in their respective countries. And the logic of their deaths was similar: Preserve the power of brutal elites, intimidate parents, and teach a lesson to those seeking change.

http://www.aei.org/publication/kerry-is-wrong-assad-can-never-stay/

LIKE many refugees, Caesar had terrible tales to tell when he slipped out of Syria in August 2013. Less typically he also had pictures to document his story: 53,275 of them, to be exact. From shortly after the eruption of civil war in the spring of 2011 until his flight, Caesar (a pseudonym) worked for government security forces as a forensic photographer. The photos he took, and surreptitiously copied, were of thousands of corpses. Some were of fallen soldiers or war victims, but most were of young men who had spent their last days in the dungeons and torture chambers of the Syrian regime.

The pictures show that thousands of prisoners died of fatal neglect, vicious abuse or straightforward murder by beatings or gunshots. Some images reveal groups of naked, emaciated bodies, each tagged with numbers, splayed on the dirt floor of a hospital garage. But because Caesar entrusted his grisly trove to Syrian opposition groups that publicised the atrocities via a London law firm hired by the government of Qatar, which is hostile to the Syrian regime, some have questioned its authenticity. “You can bring photographs from anyone and say this is torture,” said Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s president, in an interview earlier this year. “So it’s all allegations without evidence.”

Such doubts should now be laid to rest. Following a six-month investigation that included dozens of interviews with former prisoners, defectors who had worked in Syrian military hospitals or intelligence agencies, forensic experts and families of the disappeared, Human Rights Watch (HRW), an independent watchdog group, says it is satisfied that the photos are indeed genuine. In a report published on December 16th it says that Caesar’s work suggests that Syrian officials should be tried for crimes against humanity.

http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21684204-trove-pictures-atrocious-abuse-pronounced-genuine-bashar-al-assads

"They/We All Do It!

And that is what needs to stop.

The recently reported crimes against the Catholic Churches Adoption Programs in Canada where innocent babies were sent off to be experimented on by the CIA...Horrific information being revealed.

I think that "We All Do It" gives COVER for those who want to Do It All Again. Torture, Crimes against Humanity and using people for experiments for ANY REASON should not be Condoned as "Well They Did It...So We Can Do It."

Nazi Germany and experiments on the Jews.

How soon ALL RELIGIONS FORGET....even our Jewish Population who suffered in WWII seem to forget when Abu Graeb Torture was revealed. But, not just them..They are the ones who get the publicity because of WWII but atrocities went on here in the USA with all kinds of heinous experiments that had nothing to do with WWII or Jews....but JUST TO DO IT....Because they COULD! Eugenics, Sterility/Sexual Experimentation/Psychological Shock Treatments and depravity on Men and the Young and Old and the Defenseless Children and Women who had to give their Babies Up to Institutions because they couldn't have access to Women's Health Care for Pregnancy Protection or who were Raped or Victims of Incest.

We would never imagine this going on in the USA.. in what we think of as our "Humane Society" showing a Beacon to the Rest of the World!

And it is not a healthy sign when you see it.
And it usually has to do with resource competition in some form or another when you look into it.
Who gets the food or the women or the gold or the oil or the attention or the MONEY.
And it goes waaaay back, Hitler invented nothing politically or in terms of violence, we have been studying on the matter for thousands of years.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that it was "unlikely" that an attempt would be made to block the adoption of the UN Security Council's (UNSC) resolution on the Vienna agreements on the settlement of the Syrian conflict.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Tuesday, Lavrov said that the meeting of the International Syria Support Group was expected to be held on December 18 in New York. He added that the meeting would focus on drafting a UNSC resolution affirming the agreements on Syrian political settlement reached during the two rounds of the Vienna talks.

"I think it [rejection] is unlikely, but an attempt by anyone to rewrite the Vienna agreements within the framework of the resolution of the UN Security Council, to downgrade their value and to weaken the role everyone agreed to see in the activities of International Syria Support Group, could hamper [the adoption of the resolution]," Lavrov said.

The minister added that the presence of all the UNSC permanent members in International Syria Support Group gave him hope that everyone would agree on the resolution.

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151216/1031843955/unsc-resolution-syria.html

Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, has said it is possible that talks in New York on Friday could lead to a United Nation resolution on the same day backing a ceasefire in Syria.

He said achieving such a breakthrough would be highly challenging and that the Russian bombing campaign in Syria remained unacceptable. Hammond warned that the Russians, by targeting opponents of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, were ensuring that those forces were losing ground. He said Assad’s removal remained a UK objective , but he had no idea what President Putin’s ultimate objective in Syria happened to be.

Insisting failure was not an option, Hammond in told MPs: “We have had no reports of civilian casualties as a result of UK airstrikes in either Iraq or Syria”. He stressed that this was different from asserting there had been no civilian casualties.

Hammond was giving his first report to the Commons since the UK’s bombing campaign was endorsed by parliament in a bitterly contested vote that saw 66 Labour MPs back the extension of the air campaign from Iraq to Syria, against the advice of their leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/16/philip-hammond-syria-talks-new-york-un-resolution-ceasefire

for those of us who believe that the Syrian situation needs to be handled Diplomatically...because it is so devastating to the Eurozone and stability of the rest of the world to try to get some kind of handle around what is going on before we get into WWIII which "some" are almost "gleefully" wishing for.

---

"Despite our countries' differences, we've demonstrated that when the United States and Russia pull together in the same direction, progress can be made," Kerry said following the talks.

"On ISIL, or Daesh, Russia and the US agree that this is a threat to everybody, to every country, that there is no negotiation, these are the worst of terrorists."

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the meetings were focused on the settlement of the ongoing conflict in Syria, which he linked to intensifying counterterrorism efforts.

"Jabhat al-Nusrah and other terrorist groups are a common threat to every one of us, and today, we reiterated our determination to uproot this evil," said Lavrov.

http://sputniknews.com/world/20151216/1031845131/moscow-kerry-talks-syria.html

The Syrian regime has resumed warplane flights out of Kweiris military airbase, with a local rebel commander predicting on Wednesday that the base will deliver close air support to regime soldiers in the Aleppo countryside, in addition to more frequent air raids against Aleppo city.

“The regime will be flying the L-39 Albatros out of Kweiris, a cheap, light and highly maneuverable ground-attack jet,” a-Sheikh Abd a-Rahman a-Turki, a commander with the Aleppo-based Harakat Nour a-Din a-Zinki rebel brigade, an alleged recipient of American-supplied TOW missiles, told Syria Direct Wednesday.

The Syrian Air Force resumed flights out of Kweiris Tuesday night, but the destination of their missions remains unclear. “With all pride and fortitude, we’ve returned to Kweiris airbase,” a regime pilot told a pro-regime television crew Tuesday night, after returning to the base.

The Czech-designed and built L-39 two-seater aircraft may field a variety of weapons and ordnance, including a 23mm twin-barrel cannon, air-to-air missiles and a 1,000kg conventional bomb load, a-Turki told Syria Direct.

http://syriadirect.org/news/as-flights-resume-out-of-kweiris-rebel-commander-expects-raids-to-increase/

That leaving Assad in place was the worst possible position ... so, this must be the best course.

Yes, I think so.

US needs to get out the business of regime change

Even as the Syrian airspace gets crowded with several major powers declaring war on the Islamic State (IS), which has established a de facto Caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria, Russia is all set to deploy its most modern fighter aircraft Su-35 in Syria as part of its own war.

“Su-35s are expected to be deployed in Syria within the next couple of weeks,” an analyst told The Hindu. At least six fighter jets could be sent in the first phase, another informed source said.

Advanced system

This move comes shortly after Moscow deployed S-400 Surface-to-Air Missile batteries — one of the most advanced air defence systems currently available — in Syria, following the downing of a Russian Air Force Su-24M bomber by the Turkish Air Force over the Syrian border.

It would be a major addition to the offensive capability of Russia in the Middle East in its war against the IS while the S-400 significantly bolsters its defensive perimeter over the Syrian airspace.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/russia-to-deploy-su35s-in-syria/article7997173.ece

WASHINGTON - The U.S. is withdrawing a dozen warplanes from a Turkish air base, barely a month after they arrived to help Turkey protect its air space and to conduct strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) targets in Syria and Iraq, officials said Wednesday.

The decision was announced by U.S. European Command in Germany one day after Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Incirlik Air Base, where the six F-15 Eagles and six F-15 Strike Eagles arrived last month from their home base in Britain. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, told reporters that the timing was a coincidence.

During his visit Carter made no mention of the plan to withdraw the F-15s. He said the U.S. is looking for ways to do more to hasten the defeat of ISIS, including by urging coalition partners to play a greater role.

European Command's announcement said the F-15s were returning to Britain on Wednesday.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-withdraws-a-dozen-fighter-jets-from-turkey/

WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to push efforts to end the conflict in Syria, the State Department said on Wednesday.

The meeting aims to "reinforce efforts to accelerate an end to the conflict, including necessary formal negotiations between representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters in a news briefing.

While in New York, Kerry will also host a meeting of the International Syria Support Group to discuss "efforts to foster a nationwide ceasefire and parallel political transition negotiations to end the conflict while intensifying the fight" against Islamic State, Kirby said. (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Chris Reese)

http://www.trust.org/item/20151216194651-q5cn7/

This next couple of days ought to be fascinating.