Syria strikes killed hundreds, says Russia

Russia’s military says its air strikes in eastern Syria this week killed more than 300 Islamic State militants.

Russia has been a major backer of Syria’s President Bashar Assad whose government troops have been advancing in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour against IS under the cover of Russian air strikes.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that its air strikes just outside Deir el-Zour, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, killed more than 304 IS fighters and left more than 200 wounded.

The ministry says the strikes also hit and destroyed an IS training centre, as well artillery positions, tanks and ammunition depots belonging to the militants.

‘Moderate’ Rebels Force US Commandos to Run From Syrian Town

While the United States has consistently backed what Washington refers to as “moderate” rebels in the Syrian conflict, video released Friday appears to show those same moderate fighters turning on American Special Forces.

On Friday, the Pentagon announced that dozens of US Special Operations Forces had been deployed to Syria to fight alongside the Turkish military and so-called moderate Syrian rebels.

“At the request of the government of Turkey, US special operations forces are accompanying Turkish and vetted Syrian opposition forces as they continue to clear territory from ISIL [Daesh] in and around the area of the Syrian border near Jarabulus and Ar Rai,” Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis told reporters.

These joint ops appear to be off to a rocky start.

Footage appears to show US commandos being chased from the town of Ar Rai by fighters of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

“Christians and Americans have no place among us,” one fighter shouts. “They want to wage war to occupy Syria.”

“The collaborators of America are dogs and pigs,” shouts another. “They wage a crusader war against Syria and Islam.”

According to Charles Lister, a senior fellow with the Middle East Institute, the incident revolved around the FSA’s fears that the US was now supporting the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

“Heated tempers and YPG relations aside, this was a big mistake by FSA. But it does go to show the diplomacy now required to make it work,” Lister told the Telegraph.

On September 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry announced a new peace plan to address the five-year civil war in Syria, calling for a ceasefire to begin on Monday. If the ceasefire holds, Washington and Moscow will work toward establishing a Joint Implementation Center.

On Friday, the US began sharing data with Russia on the location of the moderate opposition groups.

“Russian officers have contacted representatives of Pentagon and the US special services in Geneva. We are examining the data related to the areas of operation of US-controlled armed groups, which we’ve received today,” Alexander Zorin, special representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, told reporters.

“But a preliminary analysis revealed that the distinctions between the group and terrorists hadn’t been made.”

Turkey ‘Will Have to Agree’ on International Observers at Syrian Border

Turkey said it would consider establishing international control at two border-crossing points at the Syrian border, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

He noted that Resolution 2165 adopted by the UN Security Council prescribes establishing control over humanitarian supplies and deploying observers to the border area.

According to former Turkish diplomat Metin Corabatir, Ankara will have to agree to deploy UN observers to the border and establish an outpost at the Syrian border.

“Of course, the issue is now being discussed. This discussion was intensified by the normalization between Moscow and Ankara, especially after President Erdogan’s visit to Russia. Turkey is now in a weak position and has to find ways to reach a consensus with Russia over Syria. This is why Ankara will have to agree to deploy observers at the Syrian border,” Corabatir told Sputnik.

He added that one of the main mistakes Ankara has made during the Syrian crisis was the fact that Turkey has kept international observers and specialists away from refugee camps. As a result, now there is a lack of information about the actual humanitarian situation in the region, he explained.

The text of the resolution says that neighboring countries should keep their corridors open for deliveries of humanitarian supplies. The resolution also prescribes delivering humanitarian aid to besieged areas. In addition, according to the document, supplies delivered by the UN can be checked by the destination country and by UN personnel.Ankara would have to let UN and other organizations examine its humanitarian supplies to Syria because previously Russia suggested that humanitarian aid coming from Turkey to Syria could include supplies for militant groups, Corabatir underscored.

Hush Hush: Pentagon Remains Tight-Lipped About Troop Numbers In Syria, Iraq

The Pentagon is refusing to release the precise number of troops it has stationed on the ground in Syria and Iraq.

While the Pentagon does supply Force Management Level numbers for full-time deployments to those countries, claiming about 3,800 troops in Iraq, and 300 in Syria, these numbers do not include temporary troops or indicate the actual number of troops on the ground. An additional 800 to 900 service people have been deployed to Iraq temporarily, but one defense official says this number “tends to run around.”

A Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman acknowledged that people deployed temporarily aren’t always counted, including officers on “personnel visits.”

As the White House is criticized for its strategy of fighting Daesh, and as Congress seems unlikely to declare war, some feel that the Pentagon is withholding numbers to obscure an increased US military presence in Iraq and Syria. Officials have rejected numerous requests from the press to release exact figures.

“There’s been a decision made not to release that number,” Army Spokesman Col. Steve Warren said. “The number that we release is our force management level… I don’t have a reason for not releasing this number other than it’s the orders that I’m under.”

Days later, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, Jr. told reporters that the Pentagon has been withholding troop numbers for the last 15 years, and that’s it not a matter of reluctance on the part of the defense center.

“We do not release those numbers due to the fluid nature of their presence; those numbers fluctuate on a daily basis,” CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Michael Meyer said.

One unofficial tally of US military personnel deployed to fight Daesh in Syria and Iraq puts the number at around 8,000, but it is difficult to be accurate, given the military’s use of troops and contractors throughout the region.

Under caps set by US President Barack Obama, the Pentagon has the ability to send 422 troops at any time, and plans to send 400 to Iraq soon, bringing the total number to 5,847, a good deal more than FML numbers released to the public.

Some lawmakers feel that the use of temporary contractors and troops is a tactic President Obama is using to avoid his own deployment caps.

House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said at a March hearing, “If you are rotating people in every 30 days or whatever it is to keep below the troop caps then the people who are rotating in are not going to have time to get acclimated to the environment and may be at increased risk.”

CENTCOM has stated that an additional 700 troops were sent to the region to fight Daesh, but Col. Warren stated publicly that there are “several thousand others throughout the region and 1000s more back home.” This number does not include over 1,600 American contractors in Iraq. The number of contractors in Syria is unknown.

‘When It Comes to Syria, Hillary Means War’: New US Invasion in Sight?

According to political analyst Daniel Mcadams, if Hillary Clinton wins the upcoming presidential election, she will try to involve the US in as much foreign affairs as possible, first and most important of which will be the conflict in Syria.

“When it comes to Syria, Hillary means war,” Mcadams wrote for the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.

Citing Clinton’s foreign policy advisor, Jeremy Bash, Mcadams noted that Clinton will “re-set” US policy toward Syria and promote the understanding of Assad as a “murder.”

“A Clinton administration will not shrink from making clear to the world exactly what the Assad regime is. It is a murderous regime that violates human rights; that has violated international law; used chemical weapons against his own people; has killed hundreds of thousands of people, including tens of thousands of children,” Bash said.

Although such claims do not necessarily correspond with reality, as the use of chemical weapons was most likely a provocation by the rebels and the idea of “authoritarian governments” allegedly killing and torturing its own people has repeatedly been used as a pretext for US invasions abroad, it won’t prevent Clinton from implementing her aggressive plans into practice.

“Mrs Clinton believes that problems around the world can more easily be solved when America is involved and in each of those problems or crisis,” Bash earlier told the Telegraph.

According to Bloomberg, in contrast to Obama, Clinton has repeatedly demonstrated a preference for a hard-power approach in Syria, in particular the enforcement of a no-fly zone to protect Syrian civilians. At the same time, her counterpart and presidential candidate from the Republican party Donald Trump stated that he would rather undertake more aggressive military action against Daesh but not Assad.

At the same time, Robert Powell, a senior Middle East analyst with The Economist Intelligence Unit in New York, believes that an aggressive approach in Syria won’t bring any positive results.

“It’s too late for a military action by the US. There was a time that the US could have an impact in the civil war against Assad but that time is long gone,” the expert said.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups. On February 27, a US-Russia brokered ceasefire came into force in the country.The fate of the Syrian president has been a sticking point in the Geneva intra-Syrian peace talks, as well as in discussions among the mediators. Russia has insisted that the Syrian people must have full say in their country’s political transition, while the Riyadh-formed Syrian opposition delegation, as well as Saudi Arabia and various Western countries, have stressed that Assad must leave at the start of the transitional period regardless.

Syrian Forces Repel al-Nusra in a Major Offensive Marred By Suicide Attacks

Syrian armed forces have managed to successfully repel a massive offensive by the besieged Nusra Front terrorists, which began early Sunday, capturing a warehouse of US-made weapons in process.

Mikhail Voskresenskiy

Syrian Army Wrests Control Over Strategic Heights in Al-Badiyah (VIDEO)

A fierce battle sparked today at the Southern and South-Western outskirts of Aleppo, some 223 miles (360 km) from Damascus, as several units of Jabhat Fath ash-Sham (former Al-Nusra Front) terrorist group tried to attack parts of city that are under government control. The offensive has been concentrated around Ramouseh district, on the South-Western part of the city.

“Fighters of the government forces repelled the militants and inflicted casualties upon them,” reports Al Manar TV channel.

If the militants succeeded in their attack, they would have breached the Syrian armed forces lines and likely would have established a supply route for militants trapped inside.

Conflict News reported two major suicide attacks that blew up massive columns of dust and smoke which could have been seen from a long distance.

In a desperate attempt to shield themselves from Russian airstrikes, militants resorted to burning tires to create a smokescreen over the city.

According to Russian Ministry of Defense, the Syrian armed forces managed to capture a weapons warehouse. The warehouse, which belonged to the Daesh and Nusra Front militants, contained a significant amount of US-made weapons. A video, released by Anna News, shows US-made ammunition, mortars and even TOW-2 anti-tank guided missile.

A Russian-Syrian humanitarian operation began on Thursday in Aleppo, with three humanitarian corridors opened in the city to allow the trapped civilians and surrendered militants to reach safety. Four more corridors are set to be established in a near future. According to Lieutenant-General Sergey Chvarkov, the head Russian reconciliation center in Syria, 169 civilians and 69 militants who chose to lay down arms have already fled the besieged city.

Why Liberation of Aleppo Would Mean An End to the Syrian War

As the Syrian army advances in the jihadist-ravaged city of Aleppo, Russian political analysts explain why the once-vibrant metropolis, formerly home to 2.3 million people, is of prime importance to all the parties of the conflict and can play a key role in settlement of the ongoing crisis.

The first group of residents trapped in Aleppo’s militant-occupied eastern neighborhoods has started to escape through a humanitarian corridor created with Russia’s help, according to reports broadcast by Al Mayadeen TV.

Leaflets were dropped on Thursday over the city with instructions on how to approach checkpoints and a map showing the corridors.

© REUTERS/ Abdalrhman Ismail

Men read one of the leaflets dropped by the Syrian army over opposition-held Aleppo districts asking residents to cooperate with the military and calling on fighters to surrender, Syria July 28, 2016

Those who want to leave are supposed to wave the leaflet with their right hand raised above their head and the other hand either around their head or holding a child’s hand, the leaflet reportedly says. While approaching checkpoints the residents are advised to move slowly and to follow the commands of the Syrian military.

Once near checkpoints, they will be required to turn around to demonstrate they do not have explosives on them.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday that Russia and the Syrian government have jointly launched a large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians and one for militants wishing to lay down arms.

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on Thursday that President Assad has issued a decree granting amnesty to all militants who surrender within three months. This prompted “scores of terrorists” to turn themselves in and lay down their arms.Meanwhile, local media reports suggest that the Syrian government forces are ready to retake the desperate city; they’ve already re-established full control over two more strategic districts along the last access road into opposition-held east Aleppo: the neighborhood Bani Zeid and a second rebel-held district adjacent to Bani Zeid.

A military source told SANA that army engineering units had dismantled the explosives and removed mines from its streets and squares, with the Syrian army establishing full control over the Efrin bus station, youth housing and all the building blocks and factories in al-Liramoun in the northern outskirts of Aleppo.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Shapovalov, the Director of the Institute of Political Science, Law and Social Development has explained to RT why Aleppo, Syria’s most important economic and geopolitical center, might become a key to fully resolving the Syrian conflict.

“Aleppo is of prime importance to all the parties of the conflict as it is Syria’s most important economic and trade center; the city lies on the crossroad of the country’s trade routes and holds a very advantageous geopolitical position,” he said.

“Full control over Aleppo allows one to control not only all of northern Syria but the whole territory along the border with Turkey, the district inhabited by Kurds, and the territory of northwestern Iraq,” the political analyst explained.

“Aleppo is the dominating center of this whole region. And for the Syrian government forces, for their adversaries, for Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the US it is the key to control over the whole Syrian territory and adjacent regions.”

Hence, Shapovalov said, there’s no wonder that since the very start of the military conflict in the country there has been fierce fighting for this city.

Another political scientist, head of the Center for Middle East and Central Asia Studies Semyon Bagdasarov, also explained that Aleppo is the top strategic point, the economic capital of Syria and its clean-up could be a grandiose victory for Syria and Russia.

“However the liberation of Aleppo without closure of Syrian-Turkish border crossings, first and foremost in the city of Azaz, will be a hard task,” he said.

“Azaz — is a Turkish crossing gate and a whole load of arms, ammunition and thousands of militants have got into Syria through this crossing. It must be closed and it could be dome only in alliance with the quasi-state [known as] the Federation of North Syria – Rojava, or otherwise the Syrian Kurds,” Bagdasarov explained.

The political analyst further said why the territory under the control of the Syrian Kurds will play a vital role in the recapture of Aleppo:“There are over 2,000 NATO servicemen on this territory, including the American special forces and its engineer-sapper battalions and the Danish, UK, French and German units. There is no clear border among them and during an offensive there might be undesirable clashes.”

Vladimir Shapovalov also noted the Kurds, more than anyone else are interested in the liquidation of the jihadists and might become a key ally to President Assad.

“For the Kurds, the most important thing is the fight against the Islamist militants, which are their major adversary in establishing Kurdish autonomy,” he said.

“In such a context, the alliance with the Syrian government is of primary importance to the Kurds, as it is Assad who could ensure the security of the Kurdish areas, not only from the terrorists but from Turkish claims as well,” he added.

Semyon Bagdasarov also agreed that Aleppo is a sweet spot for Turkey, as it is the gateway to the whole north-west of Syria, including Aleppo Province.

“Turks historically regard Aleppo as their city and think that the population of the city gravitates more towards Turkey, but it is not the case,” he said.The political analysts agree that the liberation of the city would mean the liberation of Syria and the end of the war.

“Control over Aleppo would allow for the completion of the restoration of the Syrian government’s authority over most of the country, the most densely populated and the most economically developed part of the country” said Vladimir Shapovalov.

“After establishing control over Aleppo, control over the rest of Syria would only take a couple of weeks”, he concluded.

NATO’s Collapse: Turkey May Exist Over Refugee Blockage, Arming of Kurds

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan envisioned himself the Sultan of a new Ottoman Empire, but now faces the bleak reality that he is the annoying little brother of the US and Europe who will never get his way.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced this week that NATO will expand its presence in the Mediterranean in order to stem the tide of Syrian refugees flowing from Turkey into Europe. Ankara has objected, feeling the alliance’s resources could be put to better use elsewhere.

Turkish officials argue that NATO’s limited resources should instead be directed towards combatting ‘Russian aggression’ in a bid to hamstring the alliance’s efforts to prevent human smuggling in the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece.

There are currently over six million refugees of the Syrian Civil War, with 2.75 million seeking shelter in neighboring Turkey. The country has become the single largest host nation of migrants fleeing the horrors of war and the threat of enslavement at the hands of Daesh extremists.

In addition to the large initial intake of refugees, Ankara also offered to shelter an additional one million refugees currently residing in Europe in exchange for approximately $7.3 billion. The deal also included concessions that would provide Turkish citizens with visa-free travel within Europe’s Schengen Zone and expedite the country’s European Union membership.

That deal has wavered in recent weeks following the Turkish government’s crackdown on both the media and dissent, including advancing a constitutional amendment that will allow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to prosecute all opposition lawmakers from the Kurdish HDP Party under the country’s anti-terrorism laws.

This move toward totalitarianism follows Turkey’s aggressive decision to shoot down a Russian warplane. The Erdogan government has also faced accusations of being engaged in illegal arms and oil trade with Daesh militants, stoking the flames of war.

British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested that Turkey may not be ready for inclusion in the European Union, and the EU has soured on the idea of offering visa-free travel to Turkish citizens. Erdogan responded by threatening to unleash a new wave of migrants onto Europe’s mainland.

Now the military alliance of 28 nations is looking to strip Ankara of their greatest bargaining chip by blockading migrant sea smuggling from Turkey.

Additionally, Erdogan’s regime has been forced to endure the US arming of Kurdish YPG forces in the struggle against Daesh extremists in Syria. Ankara has repeatedly denounced Washington’s policy of cooperation with the YPG, labelling the group a terrorist organization and calling the organization an offshoot of the PKK.

The move by US and European officials to push Turkey aside may soon result in fracturing the alliance and, at minimum, looks to undermine the effectiveness of the organization’s efforts in Syria and abroad.

Russia, Syria Lead Fight To Free Raqqa From Daesh, US-Backed Forces Retreat

The Obama administration pledged to play an integral role in liberating the city of Raqqa, but US-backed forces are moving in the wrong direction and are now nearly 80 miles from the Daesh stronghold.

The Syrian Army (SAA) continued to advance on Raqqa after seizing the Taqba dam on the Euphrates River only 25 miles (40km) from Raqqa this weekend. The surge represents the first time that Syrian forces have entered the Raqqa province since 2014, when Daesh first began its terror campaign.

The SAA’s assault on the Daesh stronghold has been supplemented by unrelenting Russian airstrikes in the eastern areas of Hama province, bordering Raqqa. The aligned forces are currently situated in the town of al Tabqah, recently cleared of Daesh and which served in 2014 as a aunchpad for Daesh attacks, givens its proximity to Raqqa.

At the same time, the US-backed and Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reversed their position and refocused military strength toward recapturing the city of Manbij, in a bid to strengthen the opposition group’s position to destabilize Syria’s Assad regime.

The retreat by the US-backed SDF, which had previously been in competition with the Russian-backed SAA in a collective bid to recapture Raqqa from Daesh, presents a major strategic setback for the Obama administration, employing the dual goals of ousting Bashar al-Assad while also liberating territory from Daesh.

Financial Times reporter William Wallis wrote on Monday that by recapturing Raqqa ahead of American-backed forces, the Russian and Syrian armies would “poke the Americans in the eye in a place they have long talked of helping to recapture.”

What has been to date a productive competition could erupt into a conflict between the partners, with the two-sides sharing very different geopolitical views. Russia believes it is necessary to prop up the Assad regime, at least until Daesh has been vanquished. The United States believes it is necessary to support opposition forces and oust Assad. The US effort has often stumbled, with American weaponry consistently falling into the hands of al-Nusra terrorists aligned with violent rebel groups.

Others see the retreat by Kurdish-dominated forces as an acquiescence by American military strategists, suggesting that the US and Russia are coordinating efforts to liberate territory in Syria.

US Defense Department spokesperson Peter Cook rejected this explanation, saying “in terms of direct coordination of activities on the ground [between the US and Russia] that is not happening.”

The possibility remains that both the US-backed SDF and the Russian-backed SAA could meet in Raqqa, potentially escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington. The strategic repositioning of American troops, however, has minimized that possibility albeit at considerable expense to the Obama administration.

With both sides planning to soon descend on Raqqa and bring an end to a civil war that has killed 500,000 Syrians, Loud & Clear’s Brian Becker sat down with Zafar Bangash of Toronto’s Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought to discuss the situation.

https://www.spreaker.com/embed/player/standard?episode_id=8723483&autoplay=false

Are the US-Backed SDF and Russian-Backed SAA Forces Cooperating?

“I don’t think there is coordination between the two sides,” said Bangash. More so there appears to be a race towards Raqqa, although the Syrian Army seems to be better placed because they have already captured al Tabqah right next to a dam on the Euphrates River, and they are trying to take control of the airport there.”

“The Syrian Army is only 40km (25 miles) southwest of Raqqa whereas the Syrian Democratic Forces, dominated by the Kurds, have headed in the opposite direction, towards Manbij, which is 136 kilometers (85 miles) away from Raqqa, so the Kurds are much further away right now.”

Bangash explained that Kurdish forces are focused on playing the long game by consolidating their own territories with a view toward having a stronger hand in future negotiations, but potentially at the expense of the United States losing the race to be the first to seize Raqqa.

What is the relationship between the US military and the Kurdish-dominated forces?

“The United States is backing the Kurds fully,” said the commentator. “There are US special forces working with them and American forces wearing Kurdish uniforms have been viewed guiding them in operations, which has been problematic for relations with Turkey who has adamantly protested this.”

Bangash explained that the United States’ willingness to support Kurdish fighters even over the protests of Turkey indicate that the Obama administration is “keen on preventing the Syrian Army from taking control of their own country” by strengthening alternate forces to ultimately weaken Assad’s control over the Syrian government.

Where Will America Invade Next? Pentagon Plans To Deploy Troops ‘Anywhere’

 

The Department of Defense wants to prepare personnel for the conflicts of tomorrow by dispatching troops in tiny deployments to remote locations throughout the world.

This weekend the Pentagon announced changes to military training protocols, with an eye toward preparing troops to go “anywhere.” The ramp-up of the American war machine, during a time of relative peace, marks the latest shift by the Obama administration to a position to the right of George W. Bush’s foreign policy, in the waning hours of the former’s final term in office.

In recent months, the US has expanded military spending along the Russian border to prevent a threat for which there is no evidence; that Moscow will invade NATO members along its eastern border, a charge that Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently denied.

“I think that only an insane person, and only in a dream, can imagine that Russia would suddenly attack NATO. I think some countries are simply taking advantage of people’s fears with regard to Russia. They just want to play the role of front-line countries that should receive some supplementary military, economic, financial or some other aid,” said President Putin one year ago, amidst renewed rumblings by the American military establishment of the specter of ‘Russian aggression.’

An increasing US military presence around the world has focused recently on containing China, with President Obama offering a deluge of concessions to Vietnam, including dropping a five-decade arms embargo, as well as appealing to Japan by apologizing for America’s World War II atom bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Along with promoting a regional counter alliance to blunt China’s ambitions, the US has had several heated exchanges with Beijing over the South China Sea, with the Obama administration accusing Chinese President Xi Jinping of militarizing the disputed Paracel and Spratly Islands.

In addition to reigniting the Cold War, the US has increased its military presence in South Korea, incited the unstable North Korean regime of Kim Jong Un to accelerate its nuclear program, as well as converting the entire Middle East and North Africa into an expanding zone of endless war.

With the ouster of Muammar Gadhafi, Libya became a failed state and fertile ground for Daesh violence. In Syria, the US continues to arm rebels seeking the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad with heavy munitions, knowing that these arms end up in the hands of al-Nusra and Daesh. Regional conflicts rage on and are recently taking on expanded life, especially in Iraq and Syria. There are also ongoing Saudi atrocities in Yemen undertaken with a fresh supply of next-generation US weapons.

Having declared war in a substantial majority of the world, the Pentagon now calls for training soldiers for combat “anywhere,” seeking to undertake a systematic program of small, remote deployments throughout the world, per a Defense Department statement.