Aleppo (Again) Turns Into Focal Point Of The War On Syria
On Thursday I judged that the U.S. supported al-Qaeda attack in southwest Aleppo was failing.
Despite the failure of their main thrust, al-Qaeda and its allies launched a third phase attack towards Ramouseh district a few hundred meters further north. A tactical mistake as the attackers failed to build a decisive Schwerpunkt. ... Local fighting still continues on the front lines but the government positions seem secured and the attacking force is slowly getting ground down.
That judgement was premature.
The Jihadis retreated after their first three attacks but renewed their efforts with fresh troops on the next day. This time they concentrated on one focal point. Another frontal assault throughout Friday failed, but a fifth major strike followed in the darkness of Friday night. A total of five vehicle borne suicide bombs broke the defense line of the Syrian government forces and Jihadi forces stormed into the wide area of the Artillery Academy. The compound is a hard to observe mixture of small open fields, garages, office and quarter buildings. The sparsely manned defense lines were overwhelmed or circumvented. By Saturday night most of the academy was in the hand of the Jihadis. A small corridor to the Jihadi held east-Aleppo was opened but is not secured.
The Syrian government forces are bringing up reserves and additional forces. A counterattack is likely to follow soon. The battle for Aleppo is now the strategic Schwerpunkt, the focal point of the fight for north-Syria if not of the whole war.
According to earlier reports by the Guardian journalist Chulov, Vice News and Dutch TV, east-Aleppo is essentially empty. The population has long fled to government held areas. "Spookstad", ghost-town, is the title of the Dutch TV documentary from there. "Western" media now laud the Islamists for lifting the siege the Syrian government held over the area. But the new Jihaid corridor in south-west Aleppo is cutting off 1.5 million people in government held west-Aleppo. Now these are under siege with the besieging forces having promised to slaughter many of them. This is somewhat recurrence of the situation in 2013 when west-Aleppo, to little attention of the media, was also cut off from all resupplies by "moderate rebel" forces.
The "western" think-tank and media fanboys of al-Qaeda are celebrating the breaking the siege of east-Aleppo while a much bigger siege is created against a much larger population. Their cheer-leading for al-Qaeda is literarely indistinguishable from al-Qaeda's own propaganda.
The Russian air force was heavily engaged, but not very visible in the defense of the Artillery Academy. Its main focus are the supply lines of the Jihadists. But efforts in the logistic depth of the theater always take some time to show significant effects on the front lines. What was regrettably missing was direct helicopter support for the defenders. Russia has a number of excellent front line helicopters in Syria. But there was arguably reason not to use them. Last Monday a Russian helicopter was shot down some 40 kilometers south of Aleppo and all crew and passengers were killed. The Russians believe that the helicopter was taken down my a man portable air defense missile (MANPAD) delivered to Jihadis either by or with the knowledge of the U.S. They fear that the attackers of Aleppo have a significant number of these weapons.
The breaking of a corridor towards east-Aleppo was announced as only the first part of a plan to conquer and occupy all of Aleppo. More than 5,000 attackers took part in the first phase. There are rumors - unconfirmed - that an additional 10,000 attackers have been activated and are on the march towards the city.
The whole attack on Aleppo was planned since at least April. U.S. Secretary of State Kerry prevented Russian reactions against the preparations and build up by holding out a possible cessation of hostilities and a political solution of the conflict. At the same time the U.S. and its allies delivered new weapons and equipment to al-Qaeda in Syria and its aligned forces. Videos from the Jihadi front lines show every fighter in well kept uniforms and armored vests with plenty of weapons and ammunition available.
The current attack on Aleppo is only one part of a larger U.S. plan to bring Syria (as well as Russia and Iran) to its knees. We do not yet know all the plan's phases, parameters and aims. We also do not know the responses the other side has prepared to counter them. All observers (including me) should keep that in mind when judging the day-to-day changes of the situation.
Posted by b on August 7, 2016 at 7:58 UTC | Permalink
« previous page@nothern spudski
What a crazy conclusion in your link: "In choosing between presidential candidates today, it’s best to stick to Bertie Wooster’s advice about aunts: “It is no use telling me there are bad aunts and good aunts. At the core, they are all alike. Sooner or later, out pops the cloven hoof"
No Thanks
Posted by: From The Hague | Aug 7 2016 23:50 utc | 102
@ From The Hague - Yes, the Evil must be stopped, and quickly so. This will be the toughest battle ever, but all is not lost yet, there's hope:
But is even the LaFarge scandal enough to get Hillary & her minions indicted? What Federal Judge will ever dare to go against the Establishment? In the meanwhile, let's cross fingers & spread out the truth as much as we can...
Posted by: sirius | Aug 7 2016 23:54 utc | 103
@105 Thanks for reading it. I found the whole article interesting.
Posted by: nothern spudski | Aug 7 2016 23:58 utc | 104
@grieved 73 & paveway 86
As always your posts are appreciated. While mamy commenters are saddened by the latest developments in aleppo, the nature of this urban battle is likely to be two steps forward and one steps back - and vice versa. We see lost position and ground yes, but don't see the large number of casualties on the Syrian side as with the head choppers. This could go on.
The Russian long game is still playing out. It gets more obvious with each passing day that the US is supporting the jihadists. This drawn out exposure is becoming more and more difficult for many outlets to obscure this position.
@102 northern spudski
Yeah solid article. Master Of Drones and Nobel Peace Prize winner Barry O'Bombya is very much responsible for opening the door, and keeping it open, for the neocon flight from the republicans. The upcoming choice for the seppos is between Lucifer and an unknown evil.
Posted by: MadMax2 | Aug 8 2016 0:41 utc | 105
The US and Russia agree on Syria
Governments do not easily admit error, so right down to late last year, Washington clung to the illusion that somehow or other it could avoid having to choose between al-Assad and the Islamists. Now it has accepted that necessity, and the deal with Lavrov clearly signals that the United States now wants al-Assad to survive.
It still won’t say that, of course, but bombing both ISIL and the al-Nusra Front means that it will effectively be bombing the great majority of the Syrian rebels.
...
The Obama administration has at least learned from its mistakes, and this de facto U.S.-Russian alliance may actually have the power to weaken the Islamist forces drastically and impose a real cease-fire on everybody else. Syria will not be reunited under al-Assad or anybody else, but at least most of the killing would stop.Unfortunately, if this approach does not deliver results in the next five months, it is likely to be abandoned. Hillary Clinton seems committed to going back to the old, discredited “third force” strategy if she wins the presidency in November, which would mean years more of killing. And If Trump wins....
Posted by: virgile | Aug 8 2016 1:14 utc | 106
It's normal to get emotional in these times. We don't want the horror to overwhelm Syria. There will be failures, they are fighting an army of jihadis supported by the richest countries in the world. But that's no reason to cry betrayal and "all is lost" after a successful enemy advance. Let's keep things in perspective.
@73 Grieved: well said
@79 Enough stupid conspiracy talk. "New world order" "Rothschild" the real is bad enough. Proyect is just a clown.
@86 Paveway
Desperation is not the term I would use, they have useless fanatics in reasonable supply, and dole out VBIEDs like artillery strikes, it's their most effective weapon, after tows.
I also disagree somewhat about their helplessness without op room intelligence. In deir e zor, daesh was talking to more than one soldier via their personal cell phones and coordinating their attacks with that direct intelligence. It's a civil war, there are many vulnerable family members to be used to extort betrayals, and lots of easy gulf cash for payoffs.
The Iraqi army is using rpgs and other anti tank rockets in the anti VBIED role, but they're getting a lot of real time american drone imagery and defending defined and fortified areas, mainly.
It's more difficult to defend against them when you don't know where the attack is coming from and don't have real time aerial reporting. Even a vbied spotted in time might be packed with enough explosives to obscure the view of the second or the third.
Iraq has been building sand berms and ditches. When attacking peshmerga lines, daesh has used tactical bridging vehicles to cross these ditches and berms, everything old is new again. When those aren't available they use bulldozers to fill in the ditch.
@91 I was afraid b was being a bit too optimistic about turkey.
@93 A recreation of the old kettle with even more men inside would be the most favorable outcome, but I think the jihadis are smart enough to retreat en masse before it happens.
Posted by: Cresty | Aug 8 2016 1:18 utc | 107
@ 54, angry and depressed,
Calm down and relax a bit...have some faith. SAA, Hezbollah, Russian MOD and Iranian Advisors are not morons. So what if during one of the many 'battle pulses' a breach happens. It will be easily plugged up with saturation heavy artillery and air-to ground bombardment. You don't build trenches against a 'fluid' enemy, you feign, draw them out and near then hammer away. That's the tactic to annihilate your enemy, who is mostly just lightly armed infantry.
Also , I said this here 3 days ago, the cauldron that the SAA have surrounded in Aleppo is infested with spooks, advisors, commanders etc from Saudi, U.S., Israel and probably French and British too. That is driving the reckless acts of desperation by the anti-Assad camp. Soon, rather than later, through attrition , the CIA wahabbis will run out of steam and men. You wait and see. When these fake-jihadis are on the move, Russia simply will drop cluster munitions on them, and it is rumored that they also have used a sensor fused weapon(google it).
This breach will not be sustained.
Posted by: bored muslim | Aug 8 2016 1:21 utc | 108
Some of the Aleppo action from Aug 06,
part one :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_EczBm-jhI
part two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9hIC09ZdOU
Posted by: bored muslim | Aug 8 2016 1:30 utc | 109
@stickman
It is no coincidence.
The Islamists rebels have launched a huge counter attack just two days before Erdogan meets with Putin.
It seems that they are giving a show of force to dissuade Erdogan from surrendering to Putin's demands. If Erdogan agrees with Putin that Turkey will no longer support any rebels, whatever brand they are, there could be dramatic consequences. The Islamists rebels will be crushed but their allies in Turkey will make Erdogan pay dearly.
Therefore, as we see the end of the Islamist rebels, we may see an increase of terrorist attack inside Turkey and even Erdogan's life will be threatened not by the "Gulenists" but by the "Islamists" inside Turkey
Is he ready to take that risk, now that his army is weakened by the coup and the country still traumatized?
Posted by: virgile | Aug 8 2016 1:35 utc | 110
Much encouraged by latest news - sounds more like Russia and Syria did indeed intentionally lure the attackers in
Posted by: paul | Aug 8 2016 1:47 utc | 111
The report from Joaquin Flores is more upbeat than what we've been hearing, filtered from the msm, LATEST: Total Overview - Aleppo Battle now favors SAA.
Posted by: jfl | Aug 8 2016 2:32 utc | 112
I don't normally follow day to day battles in any war. As I have pontificated before the vicarious & almost obsessive dedication to conflict well away from yourself strikes me as being a little unhealthy, but that said I dropped into MoA because AJ news were crowing rather loudly, albeit with a lot of qualifications on TV this a.m. so I thought I would check out how much substance there was to their propaganda.
It seems a corridor was partially opened for a short time, but that it is gonna be tough for the terrorists to hold it open, although taking control of an already heavily fortified position isn't gonna be easy to reverse.
I scrolled down through the comments and was dismayed to see that not only had the incidence of terror support posters increased at MoA, alleged supporters of Syrian patriotism turned on the poor soldiers doing their best to resist an onslaught of fast moving car bombs copped a major spray of hysterical drivel from fairweather friends.
There has never been a conflict where everything has gone to plan, much less one where any side doesn't suffer a major reversal.
I appreciate that may be hard to accept if you're a small-dicked fuckwit who needs the Syrian patriots to win everything all the time, because you imagine that is the only way your drinking buddies will show deference to your superior 'inside knowledge'.
Army leaders do make miscalculations, often based on incomplete intelligence, and there may be times when some of those leaders need to be scrutinized to ensure they are loyal and/or competent, but the poor fuckers caught in the middle of a firefight when all is turning to shit around them can only ever be respected for their willingness to put their lives on the line for what they believe in.
I don't mean that as some jingoist flag waving chest beat, that all troops including those who sign up for whatever crazy act of imperialism the elite dreams up should be respected, but as an attempt to show appreciation for Syrian patriots who have chosen to resist to the end, who deserve better than being turned on like a mob of rats in a sack, just because some dullard's claim to macho posturing has been put in doubt.
Posted by: Debsisdead | Aug 8 2016 2:57 utc | 113
@197 ns
The counterpunch article seemed to lay it all out ... I was gagging after the intro and just read the headings and scanned from there on out. It's not as though there is anything new there, but it is a well-worked artistic creation. Sort of a Fabergé clock-worked-jewel. And I have an appreciation for that sort of thing.
But cut to the chase: Trump is the lessor of two evils. 105 lines, 3493 words, 22500 characters ... yet avoid, somehow, actually saying that, and recommending a vote for him. That's a strategy, and a tempting one to all of us Americans habituated to accepting defeat but limiting, somehow, the damage.
But it's based on happy-thought projections onto the void of Trump's underspecified intentions. Frankly, I think the Don is every bit the nihilist the Obama or the Hill or the Bill is, collectively are.
Having been down this road too many times before I have resolved instead to do my bit to increase the non-elephant, non-jackass 'other' total, and to work across election 'deadlines' in an attempt to solve the problem. Good luck to those choosing Trump as the lessor evil, rather good luck to us all if they are successful. Our luck will surely have run out with the Hill if they fail.
Jackass or elephant, I hope that many more than 1.6% of American voters choose 'other' this time around ... and I imagine that in doing so we'll pare down the number of supporters of the Hill - those who cannot bring themselves to vote for the Don directly, and so may help bring about the Don's election as a side-effect. I do envision that as the potential lessor of two evils, but who really knows. And I want more than that.
I hope that many more of us vote 'other' this election and every election after this one, until we can come to consensus within all of our constituencies on who should embody our otherness in each case, on who among us should represent us - not the fusiliers, the financiers, and the fossil fuelers - within them. And then we can effect real change within our broken system. What we might achieve is limited only by our imagination, what we can achieve is limited only by our resolve to effect what we can imagine.
Posted by: jfl | Aug 8 2016 3:29 utc | 114
Grieved @73:
... while all has been going on in the last few months since the much-derided "ceasefire", a geopolitical miracle has occurred, and Turkey has changed sides ... nowhere in any of the reportage are we hearing of supplies traveling across Turkish borders.Stickman @91:
Fars news agency has it that the headchoppers are getting logistical and personnel support through Idlib by way of Antakya ... Looks like the Turks are playing a very two-sided game.Sirius @94:
And [if] it's true that if Erdogan is really committed to a U-turn in Turkish foreign policy, then he should logically seal the border with Syria and stop the flow of terrorists - BUT - as it stands now, the country is still in the post-coup turmoil and it's not clear how much he still has a grip on the military units supposed to look after the borderVirgile @112
It seems that they are giving a show of force to dissuade Erdogan from surrendering to Putin's demands.
I am (still) very skeptical that Turkey has changed sides.
IMO those who believe that Turkey has switched are really just hopeful, believing in the goodness of Russia and the magic of Putin.
Watch what they do, not what they say!
There is, as yet, no US-Russian agreement to bomb ISIS (despite MSM playing up the talks) and no Russian-Turkish agreement. We will see what happens in the Putin-Erdogan talks.
>> If Erdogan had switched, US media would attack him viciously. I haven't seen that.
>> Erdogan has been very helpful to the Assad must go! Coalition. As such, it's in the interests of Coalition members to HELP Erdogan, not support a coup that would bring uncertainty and possibly a more peaceful, secular orientation.
>> The coup was weak. Many excuses are made for that but how credible are they? The "coup" got virtually no support from anyone - including opposition parties(!).
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Aug 8 2016 3:37 utc | 115
Does anyone seriously believe that Erdogan would be welcome in Moscow if he had NOT switched sides already, in ways that are meaningful to the Kremlin?
Can anyone forget how quickly Russia restored relations, several days before the putsch attempt? Putin had previously refused even to accept Erdogan's phone call - is it not apparent that rapprochement was already made?
Posted by: Grieved | Aug 8 2016 3:48 utc | 116
@119 Yeah you can't trust any talk regarding that regione. Apart from the actual fighters, everybody's lying to various degrees
Posted by: bbbb | Aug 8 2016 4:01 utc | 117
@120 g
Tomorrow's the day, right? 9 August? Will anything be revealed at the end of the meeting? or will we all be left still wondering if what we calculate must be happening is real? I think that Erdogan and Putin are both opportunists: in the classic, self-centered sense with Erdogan; in the sense of a willingness to work with anyone who can further the cause of Russia, with Putin. And Putin, the mirror-image of his partners in the USA, has identified Russia's interests with peace.
Posted by: jfl | Aug 8 2016 4:18 utc | 118
@115 jfl - between Flores's summations and Canthama's updates in the comments at SyPer we get a better sense of what's happening.
It seems clear to me that Syrian command has seen all this coming and planned for it. A smallish part of the action was a lure-to-cauldron type of play, but a large obstacle was the MANPADS which took the choppers out of the fight. They would have been the main force to prevent the VBIEDs. So SAA took the brunt of those breaches. But the advantage of intelligence and supply has been with SAA all along, and remains so. In fact, Russian sigint is much superior to what the US has working, not to mention the indigenous humint already existing.
But we note how quickly the mercenaries used VBIEDs when the choppers were removed from the theater. There's a chain of cause and effect - and blame and retribution - that exists here. A commenter at SyPer recalls that Russia said MANPADS were a red line. Certainly we and the world and the Russians witnessed Saudi threaten this escalation, and it comes as no tactical surprise. But someone will pay for this, tasted hot or cold, asymmetrically or full-on, doesn't matter.
Yes, tomorrow's the day when Erdogan, after a rally across Turkey of 5 million people in love with him and their national integrity, will go to Moscow, to meet with his "friend Vladimir" - speaking of being in love. We will see finally on the surface the results of a process we have not been permitted to see as it worked its way through the secret channels.
In Aleppo, the situation is raw. As Flores points out, we're not going to get "forensic" quality of information until after the armies have resolved the battle. The Syrian government has conducted a massive humanitarian effort (how the Russian chopper was ambushed) to care for its civilians. The best of the fighters are in the fray and I see no indications that Syria will lose Aleppo now. As is said in the region, Aleppo never belonged to the jihadists and never will. The strength of people fighting for their homeland against foreign invaders is constantly underestimated, and continually a great force-multiplier. We should also remember that SAA is actively embattled in other areas also.
I confess I don't fully understand where Iran is in all this - but I'd be glad if some troll doesn't jump in to explain. Speaking of which, that SyPer thread is full of bile, we think we have it bad here, take a look over there.
Propaganda doesn't matter when people don't believe you. A huge geopolitical shift is underway. I'm grateful for the privilege to watch it in comfort and at its own pace. Meanwhile, as I muse, SAA is giving its life to save its people. I really can't think of any more noble thing in this life.
Posted by: Grieved | Aug 8 2016 4:49 utc | 119
Well said Grieved. Much like Leningrad never fell, may Aleppo hold & resist..
Posted by: Lozion | Aug 8 2016 5:45 utc | 120
@123 Grieved
You say: "Propaganda doesn't matter when people don't believe you."
The problem is that -with respect to Syria- propaganda works.
But few people see through the word 'regime' (instead of Syrian government) and the word 'rebel' (instead of jihadist).
Only the Hillary-propaganda doesn't work so well in the US.
Trump can win because of her nasty character and because of his domestic policy intentions.
Only a Trump win can change American foreign policy.
Only then maybe the Western support of jihadists can stop.
So it depends on one man..
I think his words on Syria are consistent:
http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-for-good-relations-with-russia-china-1439574
Posted by: From The Hague | Aug 8 2016 6:50 utc | 121
I don't understand your optimism guys. Extremsits have just seized a big military base that is full of heavy weapons! Time to face the truth - the situation is very bad and might spin out of control. There is a high probability that Aleppo will be lost.
Have you noticed that the so called "rebels" are not very afraid of the Russian Air Force? Even US backed Kurds recently achieve more in Syria than Russia-backed Syrian Army. Sorry folks but that is a fact. I'm pesimistic.
Posted by: paper bear | Aug 8 2016 7:15 utc | 122
Ad consistent:
See also Open Thread (25) Karl Pomeroy | Aug 7, 2016 4:08:07 PM | 68
Karl gave this link:
https://quemadoinstitute.org/2016/07/26/nuclear-war-vs-global-peace-trump-and-putin-poised-to-solve-crisis/
Posted by: From The Hague | Aug 8 2016 7:16 utc | 123
@all - deleted a bunch of off-topic and non-sensible comments - sorry if that causes (numbering) confusion
Syria Aleppo: Jets pound rebels in key city
Rebel factions who claim to have made gains in Syria's city of Aleppo have come under intense air strikes from pro-government forces.
The Syrian government released video of its planes apparently bombing targets in the south-west of the city.
The rebels earlier said they had broken a weeks-long government siege of Aleppo - a claim denied by Damascus.
Some 250,000 people reportedly live in the besieged areas.
An AFP news agency correspondent reported that air strikes had targeted rebel-held areas of Aleppo.
Opposition activists said Russian aircraft also took part in the air strikes on Sunday in Aleppo's Ramouseh area. There was no immediate comment from the Russian military.
Posted by: okie farmer | Aug 8 2016 7:30 utc | 125
German media has begun calling Jihadis Jihadis. Seems there will be no "political solution", nor a "new Sykes Picot".
Posted by: somebody | Aug 8 2016 8:55 utc | 126
Another story about a growing threat from the south sans the breibart link this time.
Posted by: wwinsti | Aug 8 2016 9:10 utc | 127
BBC
Syria Aleppo: Jets pound rebels in key city
It's an Ukraine type cauldron plus an airforce.
Posted by: somebody | Aug 8 2016 9:44 utc | 128
Praise indeed to our host b from no other than Alastair Crooke former British diplomat who was a senior figure in British intelligence and in European Union diplomacy, who, in this article in Consortium News mentions Moon of Alabama many times https://consortiumnews.com/2016/08/06/stalling-obamas-overtures-to-russia/
Posted by: harrylaw | Aug 8 2016 10:17 utc | 129
As for French MSM they still haven't mentioned once the million inhabitants who live in the so-called "regime controled areas" (and of course never mention the Christians there, although they cry rivers on them whenever out of Syria), the BBC map today is purportedly confusing.
Posted by: Mina | Aug 8 2016 10:31 utc | 130
79;Yes,the enemy mole traitors within,all Zionists,and the Hell Bitch is their spokesperson and puupet,just like Obomba.
November 8;Liberation Day!
Posted by: dahoit | Aug 8 2016 13:52 utc | 131
@130 The BBC is definitely less enthusiastic than it was yesterday. Waiting to see how the siege breaking goes I guess.
Posted by: dh | Aug 8 2016 13:54 utc | 132
Siege more broken
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CpV3-DKUsAEI_hF.jpg
SAA target militant vehicles coming from Idlib and attempting to enter through Ramouseh corridor into east Aleppo
Posted by: Anon | Aug 8 2016 14:04 utc | 133
@133 Darn it! Those guys were bringing in the extra-strength Captagon.
Posted by: dh | Aug 8 2016 14:45 utc | 134
Incredible how people veer from one extreme to the other. "Oh the Russians have totally lost!" or "American policy is finished!" The fact is neither has happened. Laguerre at 33. - I’ll go with that.
Disregarding the latest day(s) Aleppo position(s) details, i can’t quite grasp the implications on the ground fully > *thanks* to b for informing. Wider..
In Syria and Ukraine Russia has done all it can to avoid an out-and-out, open, official, proxy or seen as R-agression war. Russia didn’t invade, take over, annex the Donbass, though that surely would have been possible. (But see Crimea, which flagged a clear STOP sign.) Russia has engaged in endless tiresome diplomacy, negotiations, Geneva talks labelling of ‘terrorist’ groups (Syria), insisting on the Minsk agreements, etc. Everytime, it has bent backwards to avoid, depending how one sees it, ‘taking the bait,’ - ‘going over the brink’ - ‘giving up hope’ (of some semi-peaceful / acceptable to Moscow outcome) - ‘being confronted with weakness’ -> other interpretations possible.
The US-W Gvmt. anointed media storm against Russia (Olympics, Hillary covering up her criminality with Putin-stooge accusations, etc.) have various motives, one of them, ostensibly, is to poke the Bear into action.
Putin (imho) reckons time is on Russia’s side (see Turkey, the uncertainty of US election, though they must reckon the fix for Hillary is in, plus re-arming more), the point being that once some (?) red line is crossed, for Russia, the decision for a unique-‘our’-position leading to all-out war will be irrevocable, and it will be a completely devastating, as the possibility / opportunity of ‘dialling back’ (ex. Cuban missile crisis ..) no longer exists or will be impossible to implement.
Truism: preparing for war sends big profits to the MIC, the pols, fighting it is a whole other story, money is made on the way but the outcome is not predictable.
— was struck by the video background of a public free symphony concert in Ufa @ sergei’s real russia vlog. watch from 3.48 mins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uF5yLskIIY
Posted by: Noirette | Aug 8 2016 15:22 utc | 135
The record of the U.S. military in recent wars has been so bad that the real possibility has to be recognized that, in a war with Russia, the U.S. and NATO would lose. If they are facing defeat, can they resist turning to nuclear weapons?
Posted by: lysias | Aug 8 2016 15:45 utc | 136
@ All - just a quick sanity check - according to farsnews:
"Jeish al-Fatah had gathered nearly 4,000 fighters till the second phase of operations to break army's siege of militant-held districts in Aleppo, but their number increased to 9,000 after Jiesh al-Fatah's call for more combatants," they went on to say.
Now it seems that in the last few days the SAA + RuAF managed to wipe out 2000 terrorists, so enemy combatants are down to 7000, probably all concentrated in South/Southwestern Aleppo. Will they end up in a cauldron or manage to exfiltrate to "safe" areas? And what happened to the 30 or so CIA operatives / advisors they were supposedly ordered to extract from the "hot zone"? Even if they make it alive, it would be interesting if they left any traces, equipment behind....
Posted by: Sirius | Aug 8 2016 16:21 utc | 137
Re the SAA defences these 2 videos from the jihadist side show a lot.
https://www.rt.com/news/354903-aleppo-terrorists-siege-battle/
The first is a drone view edited. It starts with a VIBED that sprints to the defensive berms and uses them as cover! Hard to stop that. Next is clips of intense artillery barrages on SAA positions. There are lots of defensive earthworks shown in this video.
The second is a GoPro view of the assault. These fighters are in top military kit and there are 100's of them. They aren't new to the game.
Who kitted them out so splendidly?
Posted by: Dean | Aug 8 2016 16:34 utc | 138
@jfl #118:
Having been down this road too many times before…
You have considered voting for a Republican presidential candidate before? Because I haven't.
In this election, talking about "Other" and third parties is fighting the last war. The two main parties have a lock on the system, and advocates of creating an alternative, third party claim only that such a party may become practically significant many election cycles in the future.
Today, we have only the two main parties to work with. Both the Dem party of the Clintons and Obama and the Republican party of Reagan and the Bushes must be destroyed. Trump is destroying that Republican party. If he loses this election, that party will be able to regroup, and we will be back to where we were before.
If Trump wins the election, his destruction of the Reagan-Bush Republican party will become complete. The Dem party will then have to adapt to the new situation; the present Clintonite strategy of becoming more and more like the Republicans will no longer make any sense.
A vote against Trump is a vote for the present system, and hence for the destruction of the world.
http://www.businessinsider.com/syria-aleppo-opposition-groups-battle-2016-8
Posted by: Louis Proyect | Aug 8 2016 18:02 utc | 140
With regards to CIA and spooks in Syria:
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/turkish-soldiers-save-wounded-us-intel-agent-syrian-border/
A female intelligence agent from the United States has been saved by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) soldiers after a two-day operation on the Syrian border, according to a report. Drones and helicopters participated in the operation to save the agent, who had been wounded in Syria...
"She was initially told to approach the Turkish border, as U.S. officials contacted the Turkish General Staff to coordinate throughout the rescue operation.
U.S. officials asked for permission to fly high-definition cameras and two drones carrying “Hellfire” rockets as a precaution against possible Syrian troops in the region near the agent and the Turkish army immediately gave permission.
Two U.S. drones scanned the area for two days, as two U.S. helicopters were on standby on the Turkish side of the border. However, the agent and U.S. officials were unable to meet, despite all efforts, according to the report."
This is in the Latakia area near Kinsabba. How was she wounded and what sort of intel? In support of the Jihadists it would appear.
Posted by: Dean | Aug 8 2016 18:46 utc | 141
137
I hope the 30 operatives if real will be paraded by Putin and Erdogan in St Petersburg' s stadium tomorrow (and a couple of lions with a samba soundtrack)
Posted by: Mina | Aug 8 2016 19:00 utc | 142
Panic mode on french gov radio as to what comes next in the Eu-Turkey relation (in French, sorry)
Http://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/du-grain-moudre-dete/turquie-apres-la-crise-politique-limpasse-diplomatique
Posted by: Mina | Aug 8 2016 20:50 utc | 143
Posted by: lysias | Aug 8, 2016 11:45:48 AM | 136
Nuclear weapons and the end of the Stalin US agreement on spheres of influence are the reason for these vile proxy small wars.
Syria was Soviet sphere of influence so the US is not losing, just Russia taking back the cold war border.
I think the US know full well that Russia can wipe them out first or second strike regardless.
However, everything connected to an internet grid, I suspect China and/or Iran can take the US out if and when they wish to.
So the danger is lunatics getting power in the US - and that has always been a very real danger indeed.
Posted by: somebody | Aug 8 2016 21:38 utc | 145
U.S. urges Russia to halt Syria sieges; Russia slams aid politicization
The United Nations Security Council must not allow civilians on both sides of the Syrian city of Aleppo to be cut off from humanitarian aid, the United States said on Monday as Russia accused Washington of politicizing a humanitarian issue.
Insurgents effectively broke a month-long government siege of eastern, opposition-held Aleppo on Saturday, severing the primary government supply corridor and raising the prospect that government-held western Aleppo might become besieged.
The United States, Britain, France, New Zealand and Ukraine organized an informal Security Council meeting on Aleppo on Monday with briefings by a "White Helmet" rescue worker and two U.S.-based doctors from the Syrian American Medical Society who recently returned from Aleppo.
"If the fighting continues it is conceivable that civilians on both sides of Aleppo could be cut off from the basic assistance they need. We cannot allow this to happen," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said.
Posted by: okie farmer | Aug 8 2016 21:53 utc | 146
Yeah well the "UN Relief Chief" tweets a tweets with big eyed children in it that calls for a ceasefire.
Not that I'm familiar with any of this, but usually western orgs calling for ceasefire means their cutthroats aren't doing well. So maybe a small hint to recent developments on the ground?
Posted by: radiator | Aug 8 2016 21:57 utc | 147
@146 okie... thanks. more western '''white helmet''' bullshite.. as the stomach turns..
Posted by: james | Aug 8 2016 22:27 utc | 148
@139 demian 'A vote against Trump is a vote for the present system, and hence for the destruction of the world.'
Spoken like an outraged demoblican denouncing a Nader voter. Everyone should vote Trump as the lessor of two evils. You're recycling the same-old same-old that ensures that nothing changes, as far as I can see. 'A vote against Trump is a vote for the destruction of the world.' Trump is a real gem, isn't he? Are you actually a closet Trump supporter yourself? Not just a lessor-of-two-evils gameboy?
Good luck with Trump, we'll all need it if he's elected. Obama ran to the left of Hillary last time. Trump is running there, and to her right at the same time. There are likely to be very small differences between a Trump and a Clinton presidency, although I'm as big an emotional sucker as anyone else for an alternative to Hillary - a man on a white horse, right? Yeah, that's the Don to a tee. I'm voting for 'other' and so for change. Try to think past this particular election. But that's always impossible for rabid partisans/anti-partisans.
A vote for 'other' is likely to come at Hillary's expense, I think, if that ameliorates your outrage. Most republicrat 'others' have gone Libertarian - or Clinton - already, and Trump's core is hardcore. The Berned-out flight to 'other' is the question. Some of them will vote Trump along with yourself, I imagine.
It's not what you say or I say, it's what we collectively do. I hope we've had enough. I hope we set off for radicle reform. I think Trump/Clinton is going to win this election and the difference will lie in what the rest of us do. Last election we were 1.6% of those casting ballots. They say the Libertarians alone may approach ten times that total this time. If the Berned-out 'others' show up in numbers and the rest of us determine to work for change we may get 25% of the vote.
The question is what happens after the vote. The Clintonistas and Trumpsters are likely to go back to sleep for four more years. We 'others', whatever our numbers, will need to make common cause, to choose candidates, non-elephant and non-jackass candidates, from among ourselves to represent ourselves, and to elect them in 2018 and in every succeeding election beyond. We need to act rather than react. We need a lot more than a putative lessor-of-two-evils to forestall 'the destruction of the world'. That's the way I see it anyway.
Posted by: jfl | Aug 9 2016 2:08 utc | 149
@14 somebody, 'I think the US know full well that Russia can wipe them out first or second strike regardless.'
I think the same refugee 'rocket scientists' who oil the machinery at the hedge funds have oiled the the machinery of the war-game politic, and that the gameboys think they can predict what the Russians/Chinese will do to US provocation and have 'proved' to themselves (to their bosses) that the enemy will cave rather than fight. And I think they're wrong.
What the US appears to be looking for is a replay of WWs I & II, fought 'over there', with full employment (well techies anyway) and a retro revival of big band swing. Look at what they're doing.
'... the danger is lunatics getting power in the US ...'
I think it's the European peoples - not the ersatz. US owned, EU 'European people' - who need to 'wake up and smell the coffee', as Turkey is reputed to have done, and 'just say no' to Uncle Sam. I mean, you can see the binary, all-but-sure 'choice' in the USA : Trump or Clinton. Don't leave it up to the Americans to elect the putative lessor-of-two-evils Trump, there's still nothing but evil coming out of the usa. Take charge of your own affairs - that's where WWW III will be fought, same as WW I and WW II. Kick the USA and their 'leader du jour' the hell out of European affairs. No one in the USA has European interests at heart.
Posted by: jfl | Aug 9 2016 2:25 utc | 150
Wow - the whole operation was to free 30 CIA agents/patsies?
Posted by: bbbb | Aug 9 2016 2:43 utc | 151
@bored, still absorbed in the first vid. Wow! I note that though made by Jaish al-Fateh, the comments are full of praise for the Syrian Army and Russia.
Posted by: ruralito | Aug 9 2016 3:14 utc | 152
Posted by: jfl | Aug 8, 2016 10:25:43 PM | 150
Well, that button is not in Europe but the US ...
Posted by: somebody | Aug 9 2016 8:23 utc | 153
@jfl 149
I'm sorry to ask a question here: If you vote for "other" would your vote not be lost in a sense that "other" will not get enough votes to put a candidate in place and therefore will not change a thing.
Hillary had her chance to show what kind of politician she is. She is a warmonger and she will do anything to please her bank.
Trump on the other hand did not have his chance yet. He would be the better option at the moment given his announcements that he wants to focus on America and on cleaning the house. He wants to work with Russia and China and he says as it is: Hillary Clinton helped create ISIS. Is that not scandalous enough?
So if you vote "other" you help Hillary Clinton become president. And then what?
Posted by: Demeter | Aug 9 2016 8:25 utc | 154
@ Grieved 73 and 119
Thank you very much for all your valuable comments. Very well written.
I'm half German and half Syrian and I see happening what you describe on various pro Russian and pro Syrian blogs as well. As soon as there is a setback there is immediately condemnation, heavy criticism and anger and it is very important, as you did, to step back and see the big picture and the longterm achievements.
And there have been so many achievements. The fact that more and more people see through the lies of media, that they realise that they have been betrayed by their politicians and they will have to pay a prize. The fact that Syria still is a State with all institutions working, caring for its people thanks to Russian, Iranian, Chinese and other countries' support. The fact that it has become obvious that the Terrorists have been supported by the US, UK, France, Germany, Saudi, Turkey and Katar.
Speaking of Turkey I would like to ask you what are your predictions on how the detente between Turkey and Syria will be dealt with?
Since Russia has been supporting the Syrian government all along and Turkey's president has been calling for Assad to step down and facilitating the influx of Terrorists from Turkey to Syria, how will Assad and Erdogan ever shake hands?
I know with Realpolitik (reality) you have to do what is in the best interest of your country but you have to bear in mind that the war caused so much grieve and death, how do you accommodate the feelings of the majority of Syrians?
Not to mention the Alawite and Kurdish communities which are present in Turkey and Syria.
How will Syria profit from Turkish stream when it was all about pipelines planned to go through Syria which were part of many reasons for the war in the first place.
I value this blog and the information b and the comments are providing. Thank you to all. Moon of Alabama is often quoted on German blogs as well.
I hope that tides will turn and the Good prevails over Evil. It has to. Bless the Syrian, Russian, Iranian and Hizbollah fighters who are willing to give their lives for Syria and for the world for that matter.
Posted by: Demeter | Aug 9 2016 9:06 utc | 155
The Angry Arab summed it up pretty well
http://angryarab.blogspot.nl/2016/08/ibrahim-yusufs-son-in-aleppo.html
http://angryarab.blogspot.nl/2016/08/it-is-hilarious-that-western-media-now.html
(the whole Guardian article he refers too should be used at the ICC)
http://angryarab.blogspot.nl/2016/08/richard-engels-on-nbc-news.html
Posted by: Mina | Aug 9 2016 9:41 utc | 156
@Mina @Demeter
Who cares about propaganda? It's not important. In Syria mostly military force matter. Unfortunately Mr. Putin made the decision to withdraw the main part of Russian troops from Syria in March 2016 and now we can see the aftermath... What's more Putin gave the US time to escape from a very embarrassing situation. Iraqi Army has had a string of failures but now the situation looks much better. US-backed Kurdish forces also steadily gain ground. America's message to the world is clear: "There is only one superpower. We can destroy or protect any country we want."
Posted by: paper bear | Aug 9 2016 10:20 utc | 157
@154 demeter
Demian and Demeter, what a tag-team. Demian has me voting for 'the destruction of the world' and you have me voting for Clinton, when in fact I'm voting for 'other': anyone other than the Don or the Hill.
Your projection of Trump as less-evil than Clinton is an unfounded projection. A lot of people followed their unfounded projections in voting for Clinton XLII or Obama. They heard what they wanted to hear when he opened his mouth, and ignored what he actually said.
BlackAgenda Report interviews Kevin Alexander Gray, of Columbia South Carolina ... a long time organizer for the civil rights of black Americans.
"'The democrats talk about the Republicans running on fear and then you have the Democrats running on fear of Donald Trump.' And that's what mainstream politics has been based on. It's been based on fear, and on 'some politician is gonna save you'. Some politician is gonna offer you security from your fear, be it fear of Muslims, be it fear of Latinos, be it fear of Black people, be it fear of gay people, be it fear of anything other than something that's familiar to you. And so the nature of American politics is about fear, and that fear usually translates into empire and to support of white-supremacy world-wide."You know there's always options, I voted for Jill Stein the last election, I'll probably vote for her this election. There are a lot of options. There's the Socialist option, there's the Libertarian option, there's the Green option. You don't have to vote for ... in this case with Clinton and Trump it wouldn't even be the lessor of two evils, it'd be two evil people ... and so there are choices that people could make. ...
"I'm afraid that if Donald Trump were to be elected a lot of white people who feel ultra-empowered now because Trump is running for president and because he's wanting to take back the country for them, [that] they are really feeling empowered and 'off the chain' as some of the young folks say, if Trump is elected. And I would think that we would have to organize against that. We'd have to organize against that real hard because he'd unleash a different kind of vicious, murderous, force. Not just police officers but white folk who feel empowered and who feel that police ought to 'control' Black people by any means necessary."
Others are not ignoring what Trump has actually said or its effect on his target audience. Charging people who refuse to vote for Donald Trump with 'destroying the world' and/or helping Hillary become president is ludicrous. And shameful.
Not only that, but you are in fact acting as the duopoly's enforcers in doing so, with your insistence that my and others' voting for people on a basis other than your projections, for other than the one of the sacred, evil two whom you've identified as the lessor of the two evils, for voting on some other basis than your belief in the Tinker Trump fairy story, are somehow electing someone we are, in fact, not electing to vote for at all.
If we will only believe along with you, sprinkle on some pixie dust, the Tinker Trump fairy will save us. If the pixie dust has not given me the ability to fly to the same fantastic heights that you have reached, it is due to some defect in me, you claim. I should have another hit of the same dope you've been smoking and get high with the Tinker Trump.
Endlessly repeating the same action while expecting a different result each time ... I say there is no way to effect change without changing your behavior. Grow up, climb out of the box they've built for you, kept you in like a puppy.
I require no projections, need enlist no hyperbole, all I charge you with is voting for Donald Trump.
And with trying to enlist others in your endeavor by attempting to coerce, to will, the suspension of their disbelief.
Posted by: jfl | Aug 9 2016 10:25 utc | 158
@154 demeter
Sorry. Didn't realize that you're German and so cannot vote in the American. My free advice to you would be to takeover your own country, drop out of NATO, and thus avoid starting WW III on orders from the neo-cons running the USA. If it's fought and somehow kept non-nuclear it will be fought in Germany, again. European wars always seem to end in Germany. Where they seem also to start, come to think of it. You can blame it on the US, I suppose. And on me. But at some point people must take responsibility for their own actions, or slavish inactions.
Posted by: jfl | Aug 9 2016 10:44 utc | 159
Posted by: Demeter | Aug 9, 2016 5:06:04 AM | 155
I know with Realpolitik (reality) you have to do what is in the best interest of your country but you have to bear in mind that the war caused so much grieve and death, how do you accommodate the feelings of the majority of Syrians?
When people are exhausted by war and death they say never again - see Lebanon.
How will Syria profit from Turkish stream when it was all about pipelines planned to go through Syria which were part of many reasons for the war in the first place.
I suppose an argument can be made that Assad did not act in the best interest of Syria but in the best interest of keeping "the regime" in power. Maybe "the Alawite security state" is the best option for Syria. We will never know because of the lack of alternatives. And it is quite likely that Assad did not have any choice to begin with as the example of Gaddafi shows - Gaddafi did try to get into the Western alliance. The US, Obama, Clinton, had a Middle Eastern "soft power" strategy via the Muslim Brotherhood. And Erdogan was part of that. And Saudi Arabia is the main US ally in the Middle East next to Israel. Neither of them are friends of the Muslim Brotherhood but Erdogan is.
I wonder now - was Saudi Arabia involved in the Turkish coup? Saudi invested in Turkey big time.
If Erdogan needs distance from Saudi Arabia he will be desperate for Russian protection.
Posted by: somebody | Aug 9 2016 10:46 utc | 160
It is quite funny actually, how Western media suddenly shout to make known Saudi financing via Turkey in support of the "rebel" Aleppo push - just when Erdogan meets Putin.
RT journalists' hostile approach to Erdogan is also quite funny.
Oksana Boyko @OksanaBoyko_RT2. I suspect in Islamist circles #Putin KGB legacy is more haram than it's to western liberals,which makes him not just a kafir but an enemy
Oksana Boyko @OksanaBoyko_RT1. If #Erdogan indeed subscribes to a religious worldview,than in his eyes #Putin must be more dangerous than any of his proclaimed enemies
So what now - the US and "the West" informing each other on Erdogan's activities?
Posted by: somebody | Aug 9 2016 11:24 utc | 161
More Western outing of its forces in Syria.
BBC - British special forces in Syria.
Erdogan uninvolved this time. Including this gem -
The Pentagon's programme to train and equip moderate rebels is generally seen as a failure, after many of its fighters were kidnapped or gave their weapons to al-Qaeda in Syria.
The beginning of a blame game?
Posted by: somebody | Aug 9 2016 11:37 utc | 163
I hope to be proven wrong, but it looks more and more like the US had a plan, a brilliant one really. Threatening to outlaw the Russians from the Olympics was a true master touch, it really was - that was a distraction that was catnip bait to the sportsman in Putin. The upsurge of violence in Ukraine was also a masterful distraction. Meanwhile, it seems Putin had no plan. Geeze, everyone who cares knew that the US would escalate the war and Kerry even put a date on it and STILL Putin had no plan.
Now it seems there is another fake peace agreement with the US. I guess that will be Putin's Plan B. He really has no other choice now but to beg for terms. The other alternative is probably to send Russian soldiers into Syria.
If I were Assad, I'd scram. Russia's position has been reversed by the last ten days of fighting and Assad looks to be Putin's only remaining bargaining chip.
To those who continue to preach "don't worry be happy", the breach has now lasted three or four days. It may not be as operational as the US proxies would like, but they've held it. We hear both sides claiming that reinforcements are on the way. I'm sure that's true for the terrorists. I'm not so sure that's true for the Syrian government. Remember, the Syrian government, already thin, has to hold territory all over Syria, which thins it further. The opposition can mass and attack anytime anywhere. Russia is helpless to intervene or just doesn't want to.
It looks like Russia has or will negotiate Assad away...Donbass probably to follow.
Posted by: paul | Aug 9 2016 11:54 utc | 164
Illegal incursion? 1st alleged photo evidence of British presence in Syria — RT UK
Neither the British Ministry of Defense, nor the rebel army chose to comment, but a rebel spokesman did say “We are receiving special forces training from our British and American partners. We’re also getting weapons and equipment from the Pentagon as well as complete air support.”If the photos are verified, it would be worrying news, however. The presence of British troops on the ground in Syria would constitute a breach – yet another – of Syrian sovereignty. No foreign troops except Russian have been sanctioned by Syria’s government to operate within its borders – a point Syrian President Bashar Assad has repeated on numerous occasions.
Also interesting:
China-UK relationship at ‘crucial historical juncture’ over Hinkley nuclear deal, says ambassador — RT UK
Is Merkel's government smuggling ME immigrants into Germany by night?
Posted by: ProPeace | Aug 9 2016 11:57 utc | 165
Aangirfan: "UK SPECIAL FORCES HELP MAD MOSLEMS FIGHT SYRIA'S SECULAR GOVERNMENT"
Posted by: ProPeace | Aug 9 2016 12:11 utc | 166
The best bargain chip still in the hand of Russia/Turkey/Syria are the IDs and passports of the thousands of foreign djihadists killed in Syria. Western MSM is starting to try put the blame solely on Turkey these days but I wonder what will come next.
Posted by: Mina | Aug 9 2016 13:09 utc | 168
Posted by: Mina | Aug 9, 2016 9:02:35 AM | 167
Brexit is unlikely but could be the Boris Johnson whatever effect. He has switched his comments to "Assad must go" and might be under pressure to prove British commitment.
Steinmeier has just come out with "Assad must go", so negotiations with Russia seem to be completely stuck.
Posted by: somebody | Aug 9 2016 13:18 utc | 169
@164 paul
TPTB wants faits accompli before the 20th of January?
A lot of nasty things can happen in 5 months...
Posted by: From The Hague | Aug 9 2016 13:20 utc | 170
More compulsive claiming activities in Syria
Spies-for-Hire Now at War in Syria It’s not just U.S. troops battling ISIS. Now the Army is sinking millions of dollars into private intelligence contractors for the fight.
Posted by: somebody | Aug 9 2016 14:27 utc | 171
1) LOL. This is how desperate City of London Crown Corporation Brutish Empire has become in its propaganda efforts:
Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries'
2) Saker's commenter EagleEye writes about the City's colony down under:
meanwhile down under in schizophrenic Australia the military are hiring like crazy. I get a daily update of all jobs listed locally by email and my rough estimate is that 50% of the ads are placed by the armed forces.
Sounds like the war to save British Empire is inevitable...
Posted by: ProPeace | Aug 10 2016 14:05 utc | 172
A good read: Pat Buchanan asks
http://buchanan.org/blog/got-us-endless-wars-125520
Who Got Us Into These Endless Wars?
The end point
With a rebel uprising against Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, the U.S. aided the rebels. Now, 400,000 Syrians are dead, half the country is uprooted, millions are in exile, and the Damascus regime, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, is holding on after five years.
Meanwhile, we cannot even decide whether we want Assad to survive or fall, since we do not know who rises when he falls.
Anyone still think it was a good idea to plunge into Syria in support of the rebels? Anyone still think it was a good idea to back Saudi Arabia in its war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has decimated that country and threatens the survival of millions?
[.]Hints that America might leave the Middle East, says Haass, have “contributed greatly to instability in the region.”[.]
To the CFR, America’s role in the world is to corral Russia, defend Europe, contain China, isolate Iran, deter North Korea, and battle al-Qaida and ISIS wherever they may be, bleeding our country’s military.
Nor is that all. We are also to convert Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan into pro-Western preferably democratic countries, and embrace “free trade,” accepting the imported merchandise of all mankind, even if that means endless $800 billion trade deficits, bleeding our country’s economy.
Otherwise, you are just an isolationist.
Posted by: likklemore | Aug 10 2016 14:40 utc | 173
The comments to this entry are closed.
sorry for the double
Posted by: nothern spudski | Aug 7 2016 23:44 utc | 101