Syria
Re: Syria
The Captagon Act: ‘War on Drugs’ to Isolate Syria
Posted by INTERNATIONALIST 360° on APRIL 25, 2024
Vanessa Beeley
In this interview with Clayton Morris of Redacted we discuss the latest collective punishment Act that is being fast-tracked through the Senate – The Captagon Act that describes Syria as a “narco state”. Just as Nixon isolated Latin American countries in the early 70s, the friends of Israel in the US are trying the same ploy with Syria.
My second report covers the apparent orchestration of Aliyah by the Zionist lobby in the UK, EU, US and elsewhere.
I wrote this short summary this morning.
The focus on ” Jews of conscience” is misplaced in my opinion. Great as it is that there are thousands of Jews protesting the Zionist extermination of Palestinians, this is all about media manufacturing reasons for “Aliyah”. More illegal settlers in Palestine to compensate for the drain of settlers under Resistance attack. Jewish “refugees” are Zionist lifeblood.. without them, the Zionist entity has to cease to exist. Hence the “anti-Semitic ” fear frenzy and staged events. We saw the same Zionist tactic post WW2.
I would add that it is not only recruitment of illegal settlers but it is also a conscription drive by the Zionist cartel.
Posted by INTERNATIONALIST 360° on APRIL 25, 2024
Vanessa Beeley
In this interview with Clayton Morris of Redacted we discuss the latest collective punishment Act that is being fast-tracked through the Senate – The Captagon Act that describes Syria as a “narco state”. Just as Nixon isolated Latin American countries in the early 70s, the friends of Israel in the US are trying the same ploy with Syria.
My second report covers the apparent orchestration of Aliyah by the Zionist lobby in the UK, EU, US and elsewhere.
I wrote this short summary this morning.
The focus on ” Jews of conscience” is misplaced in my opinion. Great as it is that there are thousands of Jews protesting the Zionist extermination of Palestinians, this is all about media manufacturing reasons for “Aliyah”. More illegal settlers in Palestine to compensate for the drain of settlers under Resistance attack. Jewish “refugees” are Zionist lifeblood.. without them, the Zionist entity has to cease to exist. Hence the “anti-Semitic ” fear frenzy and staged events. We saw the same Zionist tactic post WW2.
I would add that it is not only recruitment of illegal settlers but it is also a conscription drive by the Zionist cartel.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
What Syrian leader Assad said about socialist construction and Chinese socialism
Erkin Oncan
May 9, 2024
Although it is not openly accepted by the West, everyone is aware that the Syrian war has ended and the Baath Party will complete this process successfully.
As the 14-year war in Syria draws to an end, what remains is a Syrian economy trying to recover, and large masses of people struggling with poverty.
Ongoing conflicts cannot dislodge Baath and President Bashar Assad. Syria has become the hardest rock of the “Arab Spring,” a project to reshape the Middle East in accordance with American interests.
The Syrian administration and people have resisted foreign military interventions, especially the USA, and various terrorist organizations, especially ISIS, for 14 years. All attacks encountered great resistance from the people and Syrian administration.
Although it is not openly accepted by the West, everyone is aware that the Syrian war has ended and the Baath Party will complete this process successfully.
However, this 14-year destruction in the country brought various serious problems, especially for the economy.
At this point, it would be useful to pay attention to President Assad’s speech at the recent extended meeting of the Central Committee of the Arab Socialist Baath Party.
In his speech at the meeting, Assad underlined that ideology is decisive and makes important inferences about the future of the party and the country, especially the economy.
“The role of ideological parties is much more important”
Emphasizing in his speech that “under global conditions where the whole world is witnessing cultural and ideological wars, ideological parties have become much more important than before,” Assad said: “The discourse that the age of ideologies is over was marketed 30 years ago. The claim that the era of ideological parties was over is not true. Therefore, the role of ideological parties, especially the Baath Party in Syria, is much more important than it is today”.
“Is there a middle ground?”
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Assad, who said, “We need to determine the model that is suitable for us in terms of ensuring social justice,” made various ideological expansions regarding the Baath Party’s goal of building socialism. In his speech, Assad points out the system known in the world as “Chinese socialism,” in which capitalist market relations continued to exist during the socialist period:
“How will the economic rise of the Baath Party take place? Based on ideology? Based on economic rules? Is there a compatibility or contradiction between the two? Or is there middle ground? We can handle and manage the ideological side within the same framework as the rules of economics, and simultaneously return to it. What is the possibility of an economy that can carry ideological rules but is not exhausted in the meantime?”
Maintaining the socialist approach
Also talking about the balance that needs to be established between economy and social principles, Assad said: If we only use the word ‘market,’ it means that we have turned into a brutal market economy. “The word social is what protects the socialist approach and in the meantime protects competition in the market,” he said.
Can socialism and a market economy coexist?
At this point, Assad refers to an example from China. The Syrian leader points to the period of Reform and Opening during the Deng Xiaoping period, which was declared in December 1978 and was later known as the “Deng Xiaoping Theory”:
“There are those who say that socialism and the market cannot go together. This is not true because the Chinese model is open to the entire world. China moved towards a market economy in 1978 and has been a communist, centralized socialist country ever since. On the other hand, the sublime situation here is that the party has stood with the workers from the very beginning.”
“The state ruled by the Baath is the state of all the people”
In terms of the construction of socialism and economic development goals in Syria, Assad is taking China’s anti-poverty campaigns as an example. Furthermore, the Syrian leader says the following:
“Of course, by definition the poor are also working class, but they are much poorer than other people. Therefore, should we consider the poor first?
First, I discuss the poor, which is the largest segment. It is natural for the party to side with the wider segment most affected by economic crises.
A state governed by the Baath Party is one for all people. So, what could be the program or approach that the Baath Party could adopt that expresses the common interests between different segments rather than a contradiction in which one segment can gain at the expense of the other?"
https://strategic-culture.su/news/2024/ ... socialism/
******
Israeli Airstrikes Target Syrian Sites Near Damascus

A village at the border between Israel and Syria. | Photo: X/ @MenaToday1
Published 9 May 2024
This marks the third instance of Israeli airstrikes targeting militia groups in Syria in May.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, Israeli warplanes conducted an aerial assault targeting sites on the outskirts of Damascus, causing property damage.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense informed that the attack originated from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights.
The Syrian air defense forces responded, intercepting several missiles launched by the Israeli jets. Despite their efforts, some projectiles inflicted material damage on the targeted structure.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented intense explosions resonating in the vicinity of Damascus.
The airstrikes reportedly struck a cultural center linked to the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement, backed by Iran, in the southern Sayyida Zaynab area.
Additionally, a training facility associated with the group was also targeted. Explosions were also reported in the Kiswah area in southern Damascus.
While the Syrian army deployed surface-to-air missiles in an attempt to intercept the Israeli projectiles, their efforts proved futile as the missiles found their intended marks. Ambulances rushed to the affected sites soon after the explosions.
This marks the third instance of Israeli airstrikes targeting militia groups in Syria in May, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Isr ... -0002.html
Erkin Oncan
May 9, 2024
Although it is not openly accepted by the West, everyone is aware that the Syrian war has ended and the Baath Party will complete this process successfully.
As the 14-year war in Syria draws to an end, what remains is a Syrian economy trying to recover, and large masses of people struggling with poverty.
Ongoing conflicts cannot dislodge Baath and President Bashar Assad. Syria has become the hardest rock of the “Arab Spring,” a project to reshape the Middle East in accordance with American interests.
The Syrian administration and people have resisted foreign military interventions, especially the USA, and various terrorist organizations, especially ISIS, for 14 years. All attacks encountered great resistance from the people and Syrian administration.
Although it is not openly accepted by the West, everyone is aware that the Syrian war has ended and the Baath Party will complete this process successfully.
However, this 14-year destruction in the country brought various serious problems, especially for the economy.
At this point, it would be useful to pay attention to President Assad’s speech at the recent extended meeting of the Central Committee of the Arab Socialist Baath Party.
In his speech at the meeting, Assad underlined that ideology is decisive and makes important inferences about the future of the party and the country, especially the economy.
“The role of ideological parties is much more important”
Emphasizing in his speech that “under global conditions where the whole world is witnessing cultural and ideological wars, ideological parties have become much more important than before,” Assad said: “The discourse that the age of ideologies is over was marketed 30 years ago. The claim that the era of ideological parties was over is not true. Therefore, the role of ideological parties, especially the Baath Party in Syria, is much more important than it is today”.
“Is there a middle ground?”
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Assad, who said, “We need to determine the model that is suitable for us in terms of ensuring social justice,” made various ideological expansions regarding the Baath Party’s goal of building socialism. In his speech, Assad points out the system known in the world as “Chinese socialism,” in which capitalist market relations continued to exist during the socialist period:
“How will the economic rise of the Baath Party take place? Based on ideology? Based on economic rules? Is there a compatibility or contradiction between the two? Or is there middle ground? We can handle and manage the ideological side within the same framework as the rules of economics, and simultaneously return to it. What is the possibility of an economy that can carry ideological rules but is not exhausted in the meantime?”
Maintaining the socialist approach
Also talking about the balance that needs to be established between economy and social principles, Assad said: If we only use the word ‘market,’ it means that we have turned into a brutal market economy. “The word social is what protects the socialist approach and in the meantime protects competition in the market,” he said.
Can socialism and a market economy coexist?
At this point, Assad refers to an example from China. The Syrian leader points to the period of Reform and Opening during the Deng Xiaoping period, which was declared in December 1978 and was later known as the “Deng Xiaoping Theory”:
“There are those who say that socialism and the market cannot go together. This is not true because the Chinese model is open to the entire world. China moved towards a market economy in 1978 and has been a communist, centralized socialist country ever since. On the other hand, the sublime situation here is that the party has stood with the workers from the very beginning.”
“The state ruled by the Baath is the state of all the people”
In terms of the construction of socialism and economic development goals in Syria, Assad is taking China’s anti-poverty campaigns as an example. Furthermore, the Syrian leader says the following:
“Of course, by definition the poor are also working class, but they are much poorer than other people. Therefore, should we consider the poor first?
First, I discuss the poor, which is the largest segment. It is natural for the party to side with the wider segment most affected by economic crises.
A state governed by the Baath Party is one for all people. So, what could be the program or approach that the Baath Party could adopt that expresses the common interests between different segments rather than a contradiction in which one segment can gain at the expense of the other?"
https://strategic-culture.su/news/2024/ ... socialism/
******
Israeli Airstrikes Target Syrian Sites Near Damascus

A village at the border between Israel and Syria. | Photo: X/ @MenaToday1
Published 9 May 2024
This marks the third instance of Israeli airstrikes targeting militia groups in Syria in May.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, Israeli warplanes conducted an aerial assault targeting sites on the outskirts of Damascus, causing property damage.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense informed that the attack originated from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights.
The Syrian air defense forces responded, intercepting several missiles launched by the Israeli jets. Despite their efforts, some projectiles inflicted material damage on the targeted structure.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented intense explosions resonating in the vicinity of Damascus.
The airstrikes reportedly struck a cultural center linked to the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement, backed by Iran, in the southern Sayyida Zaynab area.
Additionally, a training facility associated with the group was also targeted. Explosions were also reported in the Kiswah area in southern Damascus.
While the Syrian army deployed surface-to-air missiles in an attempt to intercept the Israeli projectiles, their efforts proved futile as the missiles found their intended marks. Ambulances rushed to the affected sites soon after the explosions.
This marks the third instance of Israeli airstrikes targeting militia groups in Syria in May, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Isr ... -0002.html
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
“Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran unite to refuse a Kurdish state in Syria” interview with Dr. Nidal Kabalan
Steven Sahiounie
June 13, 2024
Steven Sahiounie interviews Dr. Nidal Kabalan, journalist, political analyst, and former Syrian Ambassador to Turkey.
According to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mr. Shia Sudani, Syria and Turkey are moving closer to a possible normalization of relations which were broken after the U.S.-NATO attack on Syria for regime change which began in 2011.
Before 2011, Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were close, and Erdogan famously addressed his counterpart in Damascus as ‘brother’. The two countries shared a long and safe border with business and tourism benefits for both sides. After Erdogan supported the U.S. side in the war on Syria, which utilized international terrorists passing through Turkey as a transit point on their way to fight in Syria, the relationship was broken.
Syria successfully resisted the attack orchestrated by U.S. President Barack Obama but has not recovered fully due to U.S. sanctions imposed. Now, it appears Syria may be close to a restored relationship with its neighbor to the north, as both countries share the same interest in a secure border and the elimination of terrorist groups and paramilitary separatist groups.
SCF’s Steven Sahiounie interviewed Dr. Nidal Kabalan, journalist, political analyst, and former Syrian Ambassador to Turkey.
Recently, the Iraqi Prime Minister said he hopes to announce a deal between Turkey and Syria to normalize their relationship. In your opinion, what is the groundwork necessary for this to materialize?
Syria’s conditions for normalizing relations with Turkey, which have been relaid by President Assad to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mr. Shia Sudani, are identical to what has been relayed to previous mediators, such as the Russians and the Iranians. Top of the list is a solid commitment by Turkey to withdraw its occupying forces from parts of Syria, a cessation of support by Turkey to various terrorist groups operating in Idlib and other parts of the country, Ankara’s help in returning Idlib to the control of the Syria state, as well as control over the strategic M4 highway linking the coastal cities with Aleppo and other northern towns, Ankara’s help in lifting illegal and unilateral sanctions which have crippled the Syria economy for over a decade now, reopening legal border crossing points between Syria and Turkey, especially Bab al-Hawa, these are the main conditions that Damascus has long put forward as the basis for normalizing relations with Turkey.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, commanded by Mohammed al-Julani, is occupying Idlib. In your view, how will this terrorist group be dealt with, and who will clear out Idlib?
As far as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other groups in other parts of the country, they will have to be dismantled by politics or force, as a precondition for stability and security in the country. Joint efforts by Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and probably Russia in fighting all terrorist groups that have wreaked havoc in Syria for almost 14 years are a necessity for stability and security in the country.
The SDF, the Kurdish militia aligned with the U.S., had planned to hold elections on June 11, but have postponed them due to threats from Turkey. In your view, will the SDF repair its relationship with Damascus?
As far as the SDF is concerned, Syria and Turkey could cooperate in removing all armed aspects of the Kurdish militias that have been plundering the wealth of Syria, particularly gas and oil in the northern and northeastern parts of Syria with the help of the Americans, who have been exploiting Syrian gas and oil, and smuggling oil into Iraq, and from there into other parts of the region and the world. Any separatist entity that the Kurdish organizations, militias, and parties have been trying to form in the north of the country will have to be dismantled.
One topic that has enjoyed a consensus between Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq is removing the possibility of any separatist Kurdish entity in this part of the region, so some solution through negotiations.
North of Aleppo is under the occupation of Turkish forces aligned with terrorists. If Turkey restores their relationship with Syria, how will Turkey deal with those terrorists who have been trying to overthrow the Syrian government?
For the political aspect of the crisis that could be initiated, but any separatist Kurdish entity in this part of Syria, or the region, is a taboo and shall not be permitted by all parties concerned. Other parts of Syria occupied by Turkish forces, or pro-Ankara militias north of Aleppo will have to go through mediation politics or military force and full control of the Syrian state of those territories is a non-negotiable condition for any normalization of ties between Damascus and Ankara.
https://strategic-culture.su/news/2024/ ... l-kabalan/
Steven Sahiounie
June 13, 2024
Steven Sahiounie interviews Dr. Nidal Kabalan, journalist, political analyst, and former Syrian Ambassador to Turkey.
According to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mr. Shia Sudani, Syria and Turkey are moving closer to a possible normalization of relations which were broken after the U.S.-NATO attack on Syria for regime change which began in 2011.
Before 2011, Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were close, and Erdogan famously addressed his counterpart in Damascus as ‘brother’. The two countries shared a long and safe border with business and tourism benefits for both sides. After Erdogan supported the U.S. side in the war on Syria, which utilized international terrorists passing through Turkey as a transit point on their way to fight in Syria, the relationship was broken.
Syria successfully resisted the attack orchestrated by U.S. President Barack Obama but has not recovered fully due to U.S. sanctions imposed. Now, it appears Syria may be close to a restored relationship with its neighbor to the north, as both countries share the same interest in a secure border and the elimination of terrorist groups and paramilitary separatist groups.
SCF’s Steven Sahiounie interviewed Dr. Nidal Kabalan, journalist, political analyst, and former Syrian Ambassador to Turkey.
Recently, the Iraqi Prime Minister said he hopes to announce a deal between Turkey and Syria to normalize their relationship. In your opinion, what is the groundwork necessary for this to materialize?
Syria’s conditions for normalizing relations with Turkey, which have been relaid by President Assad to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mr. Shia Sudani, are identical to what has been relayed to previous mediators, such as the Russians and the Iranians. Top of the list is a solid commitment by Turkey to withdraw its occupying forces from parts of Syria, a cessation of support by Turkey to various terrorist groups operating in Idlib and other parts of the country, Ankara’s help in returning Idlib to the control of the Syria state, as well as control over the strategic M4 highway linking the coastal cities with Aleppo and other northern towns, Ankara’s help in lifting illegal and unilateral sanctions which have crippled the Syria economy for over a decade now, reopening legal border crossing points between Syria and Turkey, especially Bab al-Hawa, these are the main conditions that Damascus has long put forward as the basis for normalizing relations with Turkey.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, commanded by Mohammed al-Julani, is occupying Idlib. In your view, how will this terrorist group be dealt with, and who will clear out Idlib?
As far as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other groups in other parts of the country, they will have to be dismantled by politics or force, as a precondition for stability and security in the country. Joint efforts by Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and probably Russia in fighting all terrorist groups that have wreaked havoc in Syria for almost 14 years are a necessity for stability and security in the country.
The SDF, the Kurdish militia aligned with the U.S., had planned to hold elections on June 11, but have postponed them due to threats from Turkey. In your view, will the SDF repair its relationship with Damascus?
As far as the SDF is concerned, Syria and Turkey could cooperate in removing all armed aspects of the Kurdish militias that have been plundering the wealth of Syria, particularly gas and oil in the northern and northeastern parts of Syria with the help of the Americans, who have been exploiting Syrian gas and oil, and smuggling oil into Iraq, and from there into other parts of the region and the world. Any separatist entity that the Kurdish organizations, militias, and parties have been trying to form in the north of the country will have to be dismantled.
One topic that has enjoyed a consensus between Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq is removing the possibility of any separatist Kurdish entity in this part of the region, so some solution through negotiations.
North of Aleppo is under the occupation of Turkish forces aligned with terrorists. If Turkey restores their relationship with Syria, how will Turkey deal with those terrorists who have been trying to overthrow the Syrian government?
For the political aspect of the crisis that could be initiated, but any separatist Kurdish entity in this part of Syria, or the region, is a taboo and shall not be permitted by all parties concerned. Other parts of Syria occupied by Turkish forces, or pro-Ankara militias north of Aleppo will have to go through mediation politics or military force and full control of the Syrian state of those territories is a non-negotiable condition for any normalization of ties between Damascus and Ankara.
https://strategic-culture.su/news/2024/ ... l-kabalan/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
The Assad visit to Moscow two days ago about which you have heard nothing: Iran’s Press TV
You may be forgiven for not having heard anything about the visit to Moscow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, because neither Russian nor Syrian official sources published more than a photograph or two of the two leaders meeting and saying a few words to the press. You would know still less about what was discussed between them aside from some generalities. However, for Iran’s global broadcaster Press TV this was possibly a significant event for their neighborhood and they invited commentary, which I and one other invitee sought to provide.
https://www.urmedium.net/c/presstv/130226
The visit was explained officially as marking the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. That gave an aspect of normality to what was, in effect, anything but normal.
Indeed, the entire episode was carried out in the greatest secrecy. Assad flew in to Moscow late on Wednesday evening but the news of his visit was released only on Thursday morning, after he had already safely touched down in Damascus from his flight home. He is said to have spent two hours in direct conversation with President Putin, without any time lost to a formal dinner or other ceremonial distractions.
This was Assad’s first visit to Moscow since March 2023 and there surely was a lot for the two leaders to discuss face to face. As my fellow panelist on the Press TV program suggests, one item was surely the possibilities of arranging a three-way meeting with President Erdogan of Turkey, who is said to be ready to restore relations with Assad that were broken when Ankara chose to support the Islamist fighters against his government during the Syrian civil war back in 2015. And in theory that could take place when Putin makes his still unscheduled trip to Turkey later this summer.
However, I think the bigger subject on their agenda was Russian military assistance to Syria in the context of the present Israeli rampage in the neighborhood and most specifically with a view to improving Syria’s ineffective air defenses. On 3 June, Israel made yet another jet fighter attack near the Syrian city of Aleppo. Israeli attacks on Hezbollah arms caches in Syria and on supplies transiting Syria from Iran have been a regular occurrence going back to the civil war. But now, when there is a probability of Israel unleashing all out war on Hezbollah in Lebanon, the military supplies passing through Syria to Lebanon assume critical importance for the Axis of Resistance.
Let us remember that Russian military aid to Syria in 2015 and 2016 saved the Damascus government from being overwhelmed by Islamic fighters that were supported by the United States and its allies. However, Russia, which maintained a naval base in Syrian Tartus and an air base in Khmeimin, has never intervened to stop Israel attacks on Syria that Jerusalem claimed were purely for Israeli defense. Clearly the time has come to help the Syrians protect their air space and their sovereignty. A further context is that Russian-Israeli relations have cooled substantially over Israeli support for Ukraine. Moreover, a higher profile of Russia in Syria would be intended to offset the growing U.S. naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, which Washington says is there to prevent an escalation of Israeli-Hezbollah fighting, but objectively speaking, more likely to have the opposite effect.
Finally, it may well be that Russia is about to provide Assad or pro-Iranian militia in Syria with its powerful missiles and drones to raise the effectiveness of their attacks on the illegal U.S. military bases in Syria. This would be entirely in line with Vladimir Putin’s recent threats to engage in the same kind of proxy warfare against the USA that Washington is pursuing in the Ukrainian war against Russia.
Clearly, a two-hour meeting between presidents could not go into the specifics of Russia’s greater assistance to Damascus in the coming days. But it prepares the way for their respective generals to work out the details of who does what now.
©Gilbert Doctorow, 2024
________________________
Transcription below by a reader
PressTV 0:00
And now joining us for the program is Julia Kassem, journalist and political analyst from Moscow; and Gilbert Doctorow, independent international affairs analyst, joining us from Brussels. Hello, and I’d like to welcome you both to the program.
Julia, I guess we’ll start with you. And the significance, your initial thoughts on the significance of this trip, what good could possibly result from it, and the fact that Recep Tayyip Erdogan just a couple weeks ago actually alluded to the fact that if the three men sit down together, there could possibly be a normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus.
Julia Kassem 0:35 [technical deficiency compromises transcription]
Yeah, absolutely. That’s one of the main agenda items in this meeting between President Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. That’s countering a lot of the terrorist forces that have strongholds in the north, the east of Syria, many who have been financed or supported by Turkey. So part of the– reaching some arrangement with Turkey between, you know, and normalizing relations between Turkey and Syria a bit involved, of course, some initiatives on Ankara’s part to stop funding and supporting these terror groups and to end its occupation of northeast Syria. And, of course, Moscow is going to be the site where any agreement between that is to take place.
1:28
The other, of course, most important point discussed in the meeting between Putin and Assad is the Zionist entity’s continued aggression. Right now, the backdrop of this meeting that kicked off yesterday in Moscow has been the ongoing visit by Netanyahu to the US to beg for more money to destroy and continue his genocide in Gaza, and to basically absolve himself of his war crimes, thinking that the US just, you know, basically doing his– having a standing ovation in Congress and getting the unconditional support that he has been getting from the Americans throughout this genocide would continue to solve the problem for a time, that reached international condemnation. Of course right now his coming here insures that the US is building up the Zionist entity. And constant granting of immunity in an international and bilateral context is slowly eroding away.
2:48
First the meeting of the Palestinian factions to reach some kind of community consensus with China. And now, between the meeting of Hu and his active player in the Middle East and Bashar al-Assad. Those are the main two points which were concerning mainly the Middle East. And of course, Syria has been also facing constant Israeli bombardment, which has massacred Syrians as well. And the Golan remains occupied by the Golan-resisting forces, an ally of Syria. It has the Zionist occupying positions in the Golan. So, of course, without any kind of, you know, any kind of initiative towards stopping the Zionist threat, as they continue to pump weapons and strike them and inject, any kind of signature initiative. Now, countries like Russia and China are basically stepping up and showing that —– eastward in terms of diplomacy, the U.S. has to have the final say in how conflict resolution can take place in the region. So, hopefully, yeah.
PressTV: 4:20
I didn’t mean to cut you off, sorry, but let me just, like, Mr. Doctorow showed a lot of patience. Let me just bring him in the conversation. I’ll come right back to you. Welcome to the conversation. Gilbert Doctorow, thanks for your patience. Hope you’re doing well out there in Brussels. Your initial thoughts, if you could, please, on the sit-down between these two gentlemen and why you feel Vladimir Putin has this perception that Syria’s health is vital for regional stability.
Gilbert Doctorow, PhD: 4:49
The meeting took place in the greatest secrecy. It was announced that it took place this morning, though the meeting actually took place last night. Mr. Assad flew into Moscow late at night. He spent two hours in a conversation with President Putin. They didn’t have a dinner. There were no formalities about this. It was a working meeting, and then he flew out. And the the Russians and Syrians announced the visit only after Assad was back in Damascus.
5:21
So, one may assume that something quite important was going on. Perhaps it has to do with the relations with Turkey. Perhaps it has to do, I think more likely, with the military situation in the neighborhood. On the 3rd of June, Aleppo was struck by Israeli jets, and several people were killed. This type of attack by Israel has gone on repeatedly, without any effort by the Russians to help the Syrians defend their sovereignty. The Russian intervention in Syria in their civil war was enormously important. It saved the Assad government. It managed to crush the Islamic extremists who were receiving support from the United States and other Western powers. But it did not mean, it did not entail the security against Israel. The attacks by Israel on Syrian territory were primarily aimed at supplies coming from Iran into Syria, and coming into Syria and going further.
6:30
Well, where is further? Going to Lebanon, obviously. That was not so important in months past as it is today, because of the possibility of a full war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In this case, the transit of Iranian weapons and other support to Lebanon is of vital importance, and I would imagine that one of the subjects for discussion was how the Russians can help protect Syrian airspace and prevent further Israeli attacks on weaponry that’s entering from Iran and is directed to Lebanon by way of Syria. That could be a subject.
7:18
Otherwise, they certainly have to consider the overall regional situation, the possibility of American intervention in support of Israel when Israel should decide to make an all-out strike on Lebanon, and to do to Beirut what it has done to Gaza, as Mr. Netanyahu has threatened. So these certainly were subjects for a two and a half hour discussion, I think mostly about the military situation in the neighborhood.
PressTV: 7:49
And Julia, thank you Gilbert, and Julia, how ironic is it that we never sit down and hear a conversation which refers to instability in the region without Washington and Tel Aviv being dragged into the forefront?
Kassem: 8:06
Yeah, absolutely. When it’s, we were talking back then, and this was said by Foreign Minister Lavrov at meeting that the U.S. and the Zionist entity are constantly prolonging this conflict by continuing to pump weapons towards the Zionist entity, just like the U.S. is prolonging the conflict in Ukraine by continuing to supply them with weapons as well and blocking any chance at a resolution there. So, of course, I’d imagine the talks between Syria and Russia definitely would involve a conversation on air defenses, which Syria has been weak in being able to protect itself for years, as Israel has constantly struck at Syria, struck at what it considers Hezbollah targets in Syria, striking at supply routes, which also have included not only weapons, but also just Iranian food supplies and aids that have gotten, that have traveled through Syria and were going to Lebanon and to Syria in the past few years. So that’s definitely an important agenda item that I imagine were discussed, but there wasn’t–
PressTV: 9:32
Julia, I don’t mean to cut you off. We only have about–
Kassem:
–points that were that were released yet in terms of like the entirety of what they were talking about. But that’s exactly what what we can speculate. But given the timing that this conversation took place, of course, with Netanyahu’s visit to U.S. Congress and the–
PressTV: 9:57
Mr. Gilbert-Doctorow, I mean, and you refer to Putin sitting down with possibly the Turkish leader and Assad. How would that look? We don’t have much time left. You know, we kind of got into our news review quite late, so I want to apologize to both of you. And I have to cut you off, Julia.
But, Mr. Gilbert-Doctorow, in less than a minute and 20 seconds, sir, what are the dynamics of that, when you have two heavily sanctioned men sitting down with a NATO member and a possible enhancing of ties between the three of them. How would the dynamics of that look, and how would that impact the region and their friends and foes?
Doctorow: 10:36
Mr. Erdogan is sitting on two stools. And this is something that will have to be resolved in the near future if he wants to join the eurasian club that the Russians and the Chinese have set up in two organizations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. In this case, I would say that Mr. Erdogan is tilting towards the east and is likely to cut some of his ties in the west. But that is something we’ll have to watch closely. Nonetheless, it’s understandable that he wants to re-establish relations with Syria if the neighborhood, the Arab League, is also considering warming relations with Syria, then Turkey should not be far behind. So this makes a lot of sense.
PressTV: 11:26
All right. Thank you both for joining us. Time has gotten the better of us, and I want to thank you both for your patience and being with us. Julia Kassem there, journalist and political analyst joining us from Moscow; and Gilbert Doctorow, independent international affairs analyst, joining us from Brussels. And viewers, this brings us to the conclusion of this segment of your PressTV News Review program. Thanks for tuning in and goodbye for now.
https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2024/07/26/ ... -press-tv/
You may be forgiven for not having heard anything about the visit to Moscow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, because neither Russian nor Syrian official sources published more than a photograph or two of the two leaders meeting and saying a few words to the press. You would know still less about what was discussed between them aside from some generalities. However, for Iran’s global broadcaster Press TV this was possibly a significant event for their neighborhood and they invited commentary, which I and one other invitee sought to provide.
https://www.urmedium.net/c/presstv/130226
The visit was explained officially as marking the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. That gave an aspect of normality to what was, in effect, anything but normal.
Indeed, the entire episode was carried out in the greatest secrecy. Assad flew in to Moscow late on Wednesday evening but the news of his visit was released only on Thursday morning, after he had already safely touched down in Damascus from his flight home. He is said to have spent two hours in direct conversation with President Putin, without any time lost to a formal dinner or other ceremonial distractions.
This was Assad’s first visit to Moscow since March 2023 and there surely was a lot for the two leaders to discuss face to face. As my fellow panelist on the Press TV program suggests, one item was surely the possibilities of arranging a three-way meeting with President Erdogan of Turkey, who is said to be ready to restore relations with Assad that were broken when Ankara chose to support the Islamist fighters against his government during the Syrian civil war back in 2015. And in theory that could take place when Putin makes his still unscheduled trip to Turkey later this summer.
However, I think the bigger subject on their agenda was Russian military assistance to Syria in the context of the present Israeli rampage in the neighborhood and most specifically with a view to improving Syria’s ineffective air defenses. On 3 June, Israel made yet another jet fighter attack near the Syrian city of Aleppo. Israeli attacks on Hezbollah arms caches in Syria and on supplies transiting Syria from Iran have been a regular occurrence going back to the civil war. But now, when there is a probability of Israel unleashing all out war on Hezbollah in Lebanon, the military supplies passing through Syria to Lebanon assume critical importance for the Axis of Resistance.
Let us remember that Russian military aid to Syria in 2015 and 2016 saved the Damascus government from being overwhelmed by Islamic fighters that were supported by the United States and its allies. However, Russia, which maintained a naval base in Syrian Tartus and an air base in Khmeimin, has never intervened to stop Israel attacks on Syria that Jerusalem claimed were purely for Israeli defense. Clearly the time has come to help the Syrians protect their air space and their sovereignty. A further context is that Russian-Israeli relations have cooled substantially over Israeli support for Ukraine. Moreover, a higher profile of Russia in Syria would be intended to offset the growing U.S. naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, which Washington says is there to prevent an escalation of Israeli-Hezbollah fighting, but objectively speaking, more likely to have the opposite effect.
Finally, it may well be that Russia is about to provide Assad or pro-Iranian militia in Syria with its powerful missiles and drones to raise the effectiveness of their attacks on the illegal U.S. military bases in Syria. This would be entirely in line with Vladimir Putin’s recent threats to engage in the same kind of proxy warfare against the USA that Washington is pursuing in the Ukrainian war against Russia.
Clearly, a two-hour meeting between presidents could not go into the specifics of Russia’s greater assistance to Damascus in the coming days. But it prepares the way for their respective generals to work out the details of who does what now.
©Gilbert Doctorow, 2024
________________________
Transcription below by a reader
PressTV 0:00
And now joining us for the program is Julia Kassem, journalist and political analyst from Moscow; and Gilbert Doctorow, independent international affairs analyst, joining us from Brussels. Hello, and I’d like to welcome you both to the program.
Julia, I guess we’ll start with you. And the significance, your initial thoughts on the significance of this trip, what good could possibly result from it, and the fact that Recep Tayyip Erdogan just a couple weeks ago actually alluded to the fact that if the three men sit down together, there could possibly be a normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus.
Julia Kassem 0:35 [technical deficiency compromises transcription]
Yeah, absolutely. That’s one of the main agenda items in this meeting between President Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. That’s countering a lot of the terrorist forces that have strongholds in the north, the east of Syria, many who have been financed or supported by Turkey. So part of the– reaching some arrangement with Turkey between, you know, and normalizing relations between Turkey and Syria a bit involved, of course, some initiatives on Ankara’s part to stop funding and supporting these terror groups and to end its occupation of northeast Syria. And, of course, Moscow is going to be the site where any agreement between that is to take place.
1:28
The other, of course, most important point discussed in the meeting between Putin and Assad is the Zionist entity’s continued aggression. Right now, the backdrop of this meeting that kicked off yesterday in Moscow has been the ongoing visit by Netanyahu to the US to beg for more money to destroy and continue his genocide in Gaza, and to basically absolve himself of his war crimes, thinking that the US just, you know, basically doing his– having a standing ovation in Congress and getting the unconditional support that he has been getting from the Americans throughout this genocide would continue to solve the problem for a time, that reached international condemnation. Of course right now his coming here insures that the US is building up the Zionist entity. And constant granting of immunity in an international and bilateral context is slowly eroding away.
2:48
First the meeting of the Palestinian factions to reach some kind of community consensus with China. And now, between the meeting of Hu and his active player in the Middle East and Bashar al-Assad. Those are the main two points which were concerning mainly the Middle East. And of course, Syria has been also facing constant Israeli bombardment, which has massacred Syrians as well. And the Golan remains occupied by the Golan-resisting forces, an ally of Syria. It has the Zionist occupying positions in the Golan. So, of course, without any kind of, you know, any kind of initiative towards stopping the Zionist threat, as they continue to pump weapons and strike them and inject, any kind of signature initiative. Now, countries like Russia and China are basically stepping up and showing that —– eastward in terms of diplomacy, the U.S. has to have the final say in how conflict resolution can take place in the region. So, hopefully, yeah.
PressTV: 4:20
I didn’t mean to cut you off, sorry, but let me just, like, Mr. Doctorow showed a lot of patience. Let me just bring him in the conversation. I’ll come right back to you. Welcome to the conversation. Gilbert Doctorow, thanks for your patience. Hope you’re doing well out there in Brussels. Your initial thoughts, if you could, please, on the sit-down between these two gentlemen and why you feel Vladimir Putin has this perception that Syria’s health is vital for regional stability.
Gilbert Doctorow, PhD: 4:49
The meeting took place in the greatest secrecy. It was announced that it took place this morning, though the meeting actually took place last night. Mr. Assad flew into Moscow late at night. He spent two hours in a conversation with President Putin. They didn’t have a dinner. There were no formalities about this. It was a working meeting, and then he flew out. And the the Russians and Syrians announced the visit only after Assad was back in Damascus.
5:21
So, one may assume that something quite important was going on. Perhaps it has to do with the relations with Turkey. Perhaps it has to do, I think more likely, with the military situation in the neighborhood. On the 3rd of June, Aleppo was struck by Israeli jets, and several people were killed. This type of attack by Israel has gone on repeatedly, without any effort by the Russians to help the Syrians defend their sovereignty. The Russian intervention in Syria in their civil war was enormously important. It saved the Assad government. It managed to crush the Islamic extremists who were receiving support from the United States and other Western powers. But it did not mean, it did not entail the security against Israel. The attacks by Israel on Syrian territory were primarily aimed at supplies coming from Iran into Syria, and coming into Syria and going further.
6:30
Well, where is further? Going to Lebanon, obviously. That was not so important in months past as it is today, because of the possibility of a full war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In this case, the transit of Iranian weapons and other support to Lebanon is of vital importance, and I would imagine that one of the subjects for discussion was how the Russians can help protect Syrian airspace and prevent further Israeli attacks on weaponry that’s entering from Iran and is directed to Lebanon by way of Syria. That could be a subject.
7:18
Otherwise, they certainly have to consider the overall regional situation, the possibility of American intervention in support of Israel when Israel should decide to make an all-out strike on Lebanon, and to do to Beirut what it has done to Gaza, as Mr. Netanyahu has threatened. So these certainly were subjects for a two and a half hour discussion, I think mostly about the military situation in the neighborhood.
PressTV: 7:49
And Julia, thank you Gilbert, and Julia, how ironic is it that we never sit down and hear a conversation which refers to instability in the region without Washington and Tel Aviv being dragged into the forefront?
Kassem: 8:06
Yeah, absolutely. When it’s, we were talking back then, and this was said by Foreign Minister Lavrov at meeting that the U.S. and the Zionist entity are constantly prolonging this conflict by continuing to pump weapons towards the Zionist entity, just like the U.S. is prolonging the conflict in Ukraine by continuing to supply them with weapons as well and blocking any chance at a resolution there. So, of course, I’d imagine the talks between Syria and Russia definitely would involve a conversation on air defenses, which Syria has been weak in being able to protect itself for years, as Israel has constantly struck at Syria, struck at what it considers Hezbollah targets in Syria, striking at supply routes, which also have included not only weapons, but also just Iranian food supplies and aids that have gotten, that have traveled through Syria and were going to Lebanon and to Syria in the past few years. So that’s definitely an important agenda item that I imagine were discussed, but there wasn’t–
PressTV: 9:32
Julia, I don’t mean to cut you off. We only have about–
Kassem:
–points that were that were released yet in terms of like the entirety of what they were talking about. But that’s exactly what what we can speculate. But given the timing that this conversation took place, of course, with Netanyahu’s visit to U.S. Congress and the–
PressTV: 9:57
Mr. Gilbert-Doctorow, I mean, and you refer to Putin sitting down with possibly the Turkish leader and Assad. How would that look? We don’t have much time left. You know, we kind of got into our news review quite late, so I want to apologize to both of you. And I have to cut you off, Julia.
But, Mr. Gilbert-Doctorow, in less than a minute and 20 seconds, sir, what are the dynamics of that, when you have two heavily sanctioned men sitting down with a NATO member and a possible enhancing of ties between the three of them. How would the dynamics of that look, and how would that impact the region and their friends and foes?
Doctorow: 10:36
Mr. Erdogan is sitting on two stools. And this is something that will have to be resolved in the near future if he wants to join the eurasian club that the Russians and the Chinese have set up in two organizations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. In this case, I would say that Mr. Erdogan is tilting towards the east and is likely to cut some of his ties in the west. But that is something we’ll have to watch closely. Nonetheless, it’s understandable that he wants to re-establish relations with Syria if the neighborhood, the Arab League, is also considering warming relations with Syria, then Turkey should not be far behind. So this makes a lot of sense.
PressTV: 11:26
All right. Thank you both for joining us. Time has gotten the better of us, and I want to thank you both for your patience and being with us. Julia Kassem there, journalist and political analyst joining us from Moscow; and Gilbert Doctorow, independent international affairs analyst, joining us from Brussels. And viewers, this brings us to the conclusion of this segment of your PressTV News Review program. Thanks for tuning in and goodbye for now.
https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2024/07/26/ ... -press-tv/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
War by Other Means: Sanctions Destroying Syria
Posted by Internationalist 360° on August 10, 2024
Kit Klarenberg

US occupying forces in Syria continue stealing the Arab country’s oil, according to a report by The Syrian news agency (SANA).
In keeping with prior US sanctions campaigns, the Caesar Act’s ultimate victims are average citizens.
An Al Mayadeen investigation of July 31st documented how Washington has sanctioned so much of the world, an ever-increasing number of states are seeking alternative economic and financial structures, in the process hastening the US Empire’s demise. Until that glorious day comes, however, for many vulnerable Global South countries, sanctions remain a devastatingly destructive tool in the West’s arsenal. There is no greater testament to their enduring potency than the devastation savagely wrought on Syria since June 2020.
That month, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act came into effect, having been signed six months earlier by then-US President Donald Trump, with the European Union’s effusive support. It instituted wide-ranging sanctions against Damascus, ostensibly to punish President Bashar Assad and his political and personal associates. A vast array of goods and services in every conceivable field were banned from being sold to any Syrian citizen or entity.
‘Keeping the Oil’
The legislation’s terms make abundantly clear that preventing ongoing efforts to rebuild Syria, ravaged by a grinding, decade-long Western proxy war, and preventing Damascus from generating foreign income from the sale of its energy reserves, was the chief objective. One passage openly outlines “a strategy to deter foreign persons from entering into contracts related to reconstruction.” Individuals and private corporations anywhere in the world “knowingly, directly or indirectly, [providing] significant construction or engineering services” to Syria are in very serious trouble with US authorities.
The same ignominious fate befalls those who “knowingly sell or [provide] significant goods, services, technology, information, or other support that significantly facilitates the maintenance or expansion of the Government of Syria’s domestic production of natural gas, petroleum, or petroleum products.” At the time, as now, the US military illegally occupied a third of Syrian territory. A month before signing these sanctions into law, Trump bluntly outlined why American forces were present in the country:
“We’re keeping the oil, we have the oil, the oil is secure, we left troops behind only for the oil.”
Theoretically, the Caesar Act will expire five years after implementation – i.e. June 2025 – and so too will its associated sanctions. However, Section 401 of the Act stipulates that the sanctions will only end if six stated requirements are met. These demands are bold and broad, essentially calling for Syrian government officials to electively offer themselves up for prosecution for alleged war crimes. This would amount to surrender, and US proxy war victory, via other means.
The terms of the Caesar Act’s sanctions are likewise bold and broad. Upon the legislation’s passing, Joel Rayburn, then-US Special Envoy for Syria, boasted of the unprecedented ease with which individuals and entities can be penalised and prosecuted for breaching sanctions levied against Damascus. He starkly contrasted the legislation with prior sanctions efforts against US adversaries, which “oftentimes” prescribed “a very high hurdle” in evidentiary terms, before a sanctions breach could be formally proven:
“The Caesar Act lowers the bar for us. We don’t have to prove a company that’s going in to do a reconstruction project in [Syria] is dealing directly with the Assad regime. We don’t have to have the evidence to prove that link. We just have to have the evidence that proves a company or individual is investing in that sector.”
‘Isolated Damascus’
Of course, in keeping with prior US sanctions campaigns, the Caesar Act’s ultimate victims are average citizens. Immediately upon coming into effect, the value of the Syrian pound collapsed precipitously, sending the cost of goods soaring. In a stroke, almost the country’s entire population was left at best barely able, and at worst completely unable, to afford basic essentials fundamental to human existence. Even mainstream sources typically approving of imperial belligerence towards Damascus cautioned of an inevitably impending humanitarian crisis.
US officials were unmoved and undeterred by these warnings. Contemporaneously commenting on the Western-inflicted catastrophe, James Jeffrey, the State Department’s top official on Syria policy, declared that Washington would not change course. Instead, he unrepentantly hailed the success of the sanctions, and pledged that his “recipe” for dealing with the crisis was “more of the same.”
Fast forward to January 2021, and Jeffrey authored a bombastic op-ed for Empire House journal Foreign Affairs, imploring the incoming Biden administration not to change course on any aspect of Trump’s “Middle East policy”. Along the way, he praised how the outgoing President had “led a large international diplomatic coalition” against Syria, which “isolated Damascus, and crushed the country’s economy through sanctions.”
A month prior, Alena Douhan, UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impacts of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, sounded grave alarm about the Caesar Act’s impact on average citizens. She worried the legislation was “depriving the Syrian people of the chance to rebuild their basic infrastructure,” despite Washington’s assurances “ it did not intend for [sanctions] to harm the Syrian population.” Douhan furthermore expressed “serious concerns” about whether the Act was compatible with international law, due to “its unfettered emergency powers…and extraterritorial reach.”
Under the Caesar Act’s auspices, the US Treasury designated Syria’s Central Bank as suspected of money laundering. Douhan felt this “clearly creates unnecessary hurdles in processing…foreign aid and handling humanitarian imports.” It also “results in the high risk of over-compliance.” In other words, the sanctions produce such a chilling effect, individuals, charities and companies will fail to provide assistance to Damascus, even if that assistance isn’t actually sanctioned. She added:
“What particularly alarms me is the way the Caesar Act runs roughshod over human rights, including…rights to housing, health, and an adequate standard of living and development. The US government must not put obstacles in the way of rebuilding of hospitals because lack of medical care threatens the entire population’s very right to life. Since the economy is largely destroyed, Syria needs to be able to access necessary humanitarian aid and rebuild essential infrastructure in the country, while relying on foreign help.”
On February 6th 2023, Syria was brutally rocked by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, one of the most devastating recorded in the Levant’s history. Douhan’s fears of the Caesar Act’s chilling effect on humanitarian aid were amply confirmed subsequently. While support flooded into Damascus from her neighbours, initially some were reticent to dispatch anything at all. US and EU sanctions make it illegal for planes to land in local airports, and many states eager to provide humanitarian assistance sent none, for fear of dire repercussions.
Due to intensive global public pressure, and despite rabid internal opposition, the US Treasury on February 10th enacted a 180-day waiver on certain sanctions, to allow for vital earthquake relief to reach Syria. Still, neither Washington nor the EU provided any meaningful assistance to Damascus whatsoever, despite the earthquake’s death toll ratcheting daily. Meanwhile, Israeli officials expressed a degenerate willingness to bomb Iranian aid deliveries arriving there by land.
On cue, the sanctions were reinforced once the 180-day grace period was over, and remain in place today. Conditions have only worsened for all concerned in the intervening time. Still somehow exhibiting the fortitude and endurance pivotal to withstanding the West’s decade-long dirty war, the government and population struggle on. For how much longer must they endure this nightmare?
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2024/08/ ... ing-syria/
Battle for Syria’s Oil Pits Local Tribal Forces Against US Occupation
Posted by Internationalist 360° on August 10, 2024
Robert Inlakesh

In Syria’s Deir Ezzor province, Arab tribal forces have mounted a determined assault on the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), aiming to reclaim their lands and challenge the U.S.’s de facto control over Syria’s oil-rich regions. The U.S. responded with missile strikes, underscoring the fragile hold Washington maintains over these critical resources, which have been central to its leverage in the ongoing Syrian conflict.
This escalation followed the arrest of Arab commander Abu Khawla by the SDF in August 2023 during an anti-Daesh (ISIS) operation in al-Hasakah. The arrest ignited over a month of armed clashes between Arab forces and the SDF, leading to the deaths of approximately 118 people, including ten civilians.
Ahmed al-Khubayl, widely known as Abu Khawla, was the leader of the Deir Ezzor Military Council, an entity formed by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2016 to combat Daesh and secure the areas around the al-Omar oil fields. These fields were later secured by U.S. forces, who established a military base nearby. The alliance between the SDF and the U.S. resulted in the de facto occupation of one-third of Syria’s territory, including 90% of its oil resources and most of its fertile agricultural lands.
Dana Stroul, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, openly acknowledged in 2019 that the U.S. occupation of Syria’s “resource-rich” areas, which she described as an “economic powerhouse,” provided Washington with significant leverage over the Syrian government in Damascus, including the ability to hinder reconstruction efforts.
When Abu Khawla, the emir of the Bakir tribe, was demoted and arrested from his position as commander of the Deir Ezzor Military Council, it sparked a significant backlash from his loyalists, who called for a siege on SDF headquarters demanding his release. Khawla was accused of recruiting around 1,000 private Arab tribal members outside the SDF ranks, a move that was seen by some as fueling sectarian tensions. This led to a flood of disinformation, further exacerbating the conflict.
As the situation escalated into September 2023, Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Hafel announced the formation of the “Arab Tribal Forces Army,” which allied with the Al-Uqaydat confederation, increasing pressure on both the U.S. and the SDF.
The armed offensive by Arab tribal forces initially focused on capturing territory in the Dheiban and al-Busayrah areas, east of the Euphrates River, previously under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Ibrahim al-Hafel, commander of the Arab Tribal Forces Army, declared that his forces would “continue the fight against the SDF militants until the tribal areas are liberated,” asserting that the tribes “have the right to reclaim their lands.”
In response, the SDF mobilized a larger force from military sites to the north, backed by U.S. airstrikes from helicopters, to retake their overrun positions. The primary objective appeared to be the U.S.-held oil fields on the eastern side of the Euphrates River.
The SDF claimed that the National Defense Forces (NDF), loyal to the Syrian government in Damascus, provided artillery and mortar support to the Arab tribal forces during their offensive in al-Latwa, Abu Hamam, and Dheiban. The SDF statements also attempted to link the offensive to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Syrian government, and Hezbollah, likely to secure further U.S. backing for their counteroffensive. Although the NDF is loyal to Damascus, its members also belong to the Arab tribes in Deir Ezzor province, with reports of them crossing the Euphrates River to support the tribal forces last September.
The escalating conflict in Deir Ezzor threatens to unravel the U.S.’s strategic hold on Syria’s most resource-rich regions. As tribal forces push to reclaim control over these vital areas, the possibility of a broader insurgency against the U.S. occupation looms large. Should these efforts succeed, the recapture of Syria’s oil fields could drastically diminish Washington’s influence in the region, effectively crippling its leverage over the Syrian government and unraveling years of strategic efforts aimed at exerting pressure on Damascus through economic control. The U.S.’s ability to maintain its foothold in Syria now faces a critical test.
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2024/08/ ... ccupation/
Posted by Internationalist 360° on August 10, 2024
Kit Klarenberg

US occupying forces in Syria continue stealing the Arab country’s oil, according to a report by The Syrian news agency (SANA).
In keeping with prior US sanctions campaigns, the Caesar Act’s ultimate victims are average citizens.
An Al Mayadeen investigation of July 31st documented how Washington has sanctioned so much of the world, an ever-increasing number of states are seeking alternative economic and financial structures, in the process hastening the US Empire’s demise. Until that glorious day comes, however, for many vulnerable Global South countries, sanctions remain a devastatingly destructive tool in the West’s arsenal. There is no greater testament to their enduring potency than the devastation savagely wrought on Syria since June 2020.
That month, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act came into effect, having been signed six months earlier by then-US President Donald Trump, with the European Union’s effusive support. It instituted wide-ranging sanctions against Damascus, ostensibly to punish President Bashar Assad and his political and personal associates. A vast array of goods and services in every conceivable field were banned from being sold to any Syrian citizen or entity.
‘Keeping the Oil’
The legislation’s terms make abundantly clear that preventing ongoing efforts to rebuild Syria, ravaged by a grinding, decade-long Western proxy war, and preventing Damascus from generating foreign income from the sale of its energy reserves, was the chief objective. One passage openly outlines “a strategy to deter foreign persons from entering into contracts related to reconstruction.” Individuals and private corporations anywhere in the world “knowingly, directly or indirectly, [providing] significant construction or engineering services” to Syria are in very serious trouble with US authorities.
The same ignominious fate befalls those who “knowingly sell or [provide] significant goods, services, technology, information, or other support that significantly facilitates the maintenance or expansion of the Government of Syria’s domestic production of natural gas, petroleum, or petroleum products.” At the time, as now, the US military illegally occupied a third of Syrian territory. A month before signing these sanctions into law, Trump bluntly outlined why American forces were present in the country:
“We’re keeping the oil, we have the oil, the oil is secure, we left troops behind only for the oil.”
Theoretically, the Caesar Act will expire five years after implementation – i.e. June 2025 – and so too will its associated sanctions. However, Section 401 of the Act stipulates that the sanctions will only end if six stated requirements are met. These demands are bold and broad, essentially calling for Syrian government officials to electively offer themselves up for prosecution for alleged war crimes. This would amount to surrender, and US proxy war victory, via other means.
The terms of the Caesar Act’s sanctions are likewise bold and broad. Upon the legislation’s passing, Joel Rayburn, then-US Special Envoy for Syria, boasted of the unprecedented ease with which individuals and entities can be penalised and prosecuted for breaching sanctions levied against Damascus. He starkly contrasted the legislation with prior sanctions efforts against US adversaries, which “oftentimes” prescribed “a very high hurdle” in evidentiary terms, before a sanctions breach could be formally proven:
“The Caesar Act lowers the bar for us. We don’t have to prove a company that’s going in to do a reconstruction project in [Syria] is dealing directly with the Assad regime. We don’t have to have the evidence to prove that link. We just have to have the evidence that proves a company or individual is investing in that sector.”
‘Isolated Damascus’
Of course, in keeping with prior US sanctions campaigns, the Caesar Act’s ultimate victims are average citizens. Immediately upon coming into effect, the value of the Syrian pound collapsed precipitously, sending the cost of goods soaring. In a stroke, almost the country’s entire population was left at best barely able, and at worst completely unable, to afford basic essentials fundamental to human existence. Even mainstream sources typically approving of imperial belligerence towards Damascus cautioned of an inevitably impending humanitarian crisis.
US officials were unmoved and undeterred by these warnings. Contemporaneously commenting on the Western-inflicted catastrophe, James Jeffrey, the State Department’s top official on Syria policy, declared that Washington would not change course. Instead, he unrepentantly hailed the success of the sanctions, and pledged that his “recipe” for dealing with the crisis was “more of the same.”
Fast forward to January 2021, and Jeffrey authored a bombastic op-ed for Empire House journal Foreign Affairs, imploring the incoming Biden administration not to change course on any aspect of Trump’s “Middle East policy”. Along the way, he praised how the outgoing President had “led a large international diplomatic coalition” against Syria, which “isolated Damascus, and crushed the country’s economy through sanctions.”
A month prior, Alena Douhan, UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impacts of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, sounded grave alarm about the Caesar Act’s impact on average citizens. She worried the legislation was “depriving the Syrian people of the chance to rebuild their basic infrastructure,” despite Washington’s assurances “ it did not intend for [sanctions] to harm the Syrian population.” Douhan furthermore expressed “serious concerns” about whether the Act was compatible with international law, due to “its unfettered emergency powers…and extraterritorial reach.”
Under the Caesar Act’s auspices, the US Treasury designated Syria’s Central Bank as suspected of money laundering. Douhan felt this “clearly creates unnecessary hurdles in processing…foreign aid and handling humanitarian imports.” It also “results in the high risk of over-compliance.” In other words, the sanctions produce such a chilling effect, individuals, charities and companies will fail to provide assistance to Damascus, even if that assistance isn’t actually sanctioned. She added:
“What particularly alarms me is the way the Caesar Act runs roughshod over human rights, including…rights to housing, health, and an adequate standard of living and development. The US government must not put obstacles in the way of rebuilding of hospitals because lack of medical care threatens the entire population’s very right to life. Since the economy is largely destroyed, Syria needs to be able to access necessary humanitarian aid and rebuild essential infrastructure in the country, while relying on foreign help.”
On February 6th 2023, Syria was brutally rocked by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, one of the most devastating recorded in the Levant’s history. Douhan’s fears of the Caesar Act’s chilling effect on humanitarian aid were amply confirmed subsequently. While support flooded into Damascus from her neighbours, initially some were reticent to dispatch anything at all. US and EU sanctions make it illegal for planes to land in local airports, and many states eager to provide humanitarian assistance sent none, for fear of dire repercussions.
Due to intensive global public pressure, and despite rabid internal opposition, the US Treasury on February 10th enacted a 180-day waiver on certain sanctions, to allow for vital earthquake relief to reach Syria. Still, neither Washington nor the EU provided any meaningful assistance to Damascus whatsoever, despite the earthquake’s death toll ratcheting daily. Meanwhile, Israeli officials expressed a degenerate willingness to bomb Iranian aid deliveries arriving there by land.
On cue, the sanctions were reinforced once the 180-day grace period was over, and remain in place today. Conditions have only worsened for all concerned in the intervening time. Still somehow exhibiting the fortitude and endurance pivotal to withstanding the West’s decade-long dirty war, the government and population struggle on. For how much longer must they endure this nightmare?
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2024/08/ ... ing-syria/
Battle for Syria’s Oil Pits Local Tribal Forces Against US Occupation
Posted by Internationalist 360° on August 10, 2024
Robert Inlakesh

In Syria’s Deir Ezzor province, Arab tribal forces have mounted a determined assault on the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), aiming to reclaim their lands and challenge the U.S.’s de facto control over Syria’s oil-rich regions. The U.S. responded with missile strikes, underscoring the fragile hold Washington maintains over these critical resources, which have been central to its leverage in the ongoing Syrian conflict.
This escalation followed the arrest of Arab commander Abu Khawla by the SDF in August 2023 during an anti-Daesh (ISIS) operation in al-Hasakah. The arrest ignited over a month of armed clashes between Arab forces and the SDF, leading to the deaths of approximately 118 people, including ten civilians.
Ahmed al-Khubayl, widely known as Abu Khawla, was the leader of the Deir Ezzor Military Council, an entity formed by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2016 to combat Daesh and secure the areas around the al-Omar oil fields. These fields were later secured by U.S. forces, who established a military base nearby. The alliance between the SDF and the U.S. resulted in the de facto occupation of one-third of Syria’s territory, including 90% of its oil resources and most of its fertile agricultural lands.
Dana Stroul, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, openly acknowledged in 2019 that the U.S. occupation of Syria’s “resource-rich” areas, which she described as an “economic powerhouse,” provided Washington with significant leverage over the Syrian government in Damascus, including the ability to hinder reconstruction efforts.
When Abu Khawla, the emir of the Bakir tribe, was demoted and arrested from his position as commander of the Deir Ezzor Military Council, it sparked a significant backlash from his loyalists, who called for a siege on SDF headquarters demanding his release. Khawla was accused of recruiting around 1,000 private Arab tribal members outside the SDF ranks, a move that was seen by some as fueling sectarian tensions. This led to a flood of disinformation, further exacerbating the conflict.
As the situation escalated into September 2023, Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Hafel announced the formation of the “Arab Tribal Forces Army,” which allied with the Al-Uqaydat confederation, increasing pressure on both the U.S. and the SDF.
The armed offensive by Arab tribal forces initially focused on capturing territory in the Dheiban and al-Busayrah areas, east of the Euphrates River, previously under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Ibrahim al-Hafel, commander of the Arab Tribal Forces Army, declared that his forces would “continue the fight against the SDF militants until the tribal areas are liberated,” asserting that the tribes “have the right to reclaim their lands.”
In response, the SDF mobilized a larger force from military sites to the north, backed by U.S. airstrikes from helicopters, to retake their overrun positions. The primary objective appeared to be the U.S.-held oil fields on the eastern side of the Euphrates River.
The SDF claimed that the National Defense Forces (NDF), loyal to the Syrian government in Damascus, provided artillery and mortar support to the Arab tribal forces during their offensive in al-Latwa, Abu Hamam, and Dheiban. The SDF statements also attempted to link the offensive to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Syrian government, and Hezbollah, likely to secure further U.S. backing for their counteroffensive. Although the NDF is loyal to Damascus, its members also belong to the Arab tribes in Deir Ezzor province, with reports of them crossing the Euphrates River to support the tribal forces last September.
The escalating conflict in Deir Ezzor threatens to unravel the U.S.’s strategic hold on Syria’s most resource-rich regions. As tribal forces push to reclaim control over these vital areas, the possibility of a broader insurgency against the U.S. occupation looms large. Should these efforts succeed, the recapture of Syria’s oil fields could drastically diminish Washington’s influence in the region, effectively crippling its leverage over the Syrian government and unraveling years of strategic efforts aimed at exerting pressure on Damascus through economic control. The U.S.’s ability to maintain its foothold in Syria now faces a critical test.
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2024/08/ ... ccupation/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
The Five Reasons Why Syria Was Caught By Surprise
Andrew Korybko
Nov 30, 2024

The disaster in Aleppo was avoidable and is just as bad as it looks.
The Turkish-backed terrorists’/“rebels’” advance on Aleppo, which was analyzed here, came as a shock to most observers. There was almost half a decade of peace between the March 2020 ceasefire and now, yet practically nothing was done to prepare for this possibility. This was in spite of the front line remaining roughly two dozen kilometers away from Aleppo, which should have reminded Assad of how vulnerable his country’s second city is. Here are the five reasons why Syria was caught by surprise:
----------
1. Complacency & Corruption
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) rested on its laurels because it took the Russian-brokered ceasefire for granted, after which the country’s infamous corruption kicked in to degrade its capabilities. There’s no excuse for why even basic drones weren’t used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to detect the buildup that preceded this advance. A large part of why the SAA didn’t do anything is likely because it assumed that its Russian and Iranian allies would shoulder these responsibilities for them.
2. The Russian-Iranian Rivalry
Russia and Iran fought together against terrorism in Syria, but they’re also rivals who are competing with each other for premier influence over Damascus. So intense is their competition that Russia always does nothing other than occasionally complain whenever Israel bombs the IRGC there, never once giving Syria the means to intercept these attacks or retaliate afterwards. Had they not been rivals, then Russia and Iran could have jointly strengthened the SAA, carried out ISR in Idlib, and bolstered Aleppo’s defenses.
3. Distracted & Crippled Allies
To make matters even worse for Syria, the terrorists’/“rebels’” advance on Aleppo came precisely at the moment when Russia is distracted with the special military operation (SMO) and Iran has been crippled by its West Asian Wars with Israel. Without sufficient Russian airpower and Iranian manpower, including that which the latter could have called upon from Hezbollah, it’ll be extremely difficult for the SAA to push the attackers away from Aleppo. This factor, more than any other, might have even sealed its fate.
4. Ignoring The SMO’s Lessons
Even amidst the Russian-Iranian rivalry and its allies’ aforesaid problems, the SAA could have learned the SMO’s lessons on its own and correspondingly prepared much better for what ultimately came to pass. Masterful drone tactics and strategically dispersed units have characterized the attack thus far, both of which are hallmarks of the SMO, yet the SAA was totally unprepared for this. It must therefore take final responsibility for failing to do its duty in learning from that conflict and adapting its defenses accordingly.
5. Not Compromising For Peace
The last reason why Syria was caught by surprise is because it didn’t compromise for peace by accepting 2017’s Russian-written “draft constitution”, which was constructively critiqued in detail here. It’s chock-full of concessions so one can sympathize with Syria for rejecting it, but in hindsight, this could have finally resolved the conflict and thus averted the ongoing fiasco in Aleppo. For this reason, it could be revived during these desperate times, but the “opposition” might now demand even more concessions.
----------
The disaster in Aleppo was avoidable and is just as bad as it looks. It’s not part of a “5D chess master plan” to “trap the terrorists in a cauldron” like some members of the Alt-Media Community have implied or claimed. Observers should reject the “insight” shared by those who already discredited themselves with their fantastical takes on the SMO and the West Asian Wars. The “politically inconvenient” truth is that Syria was caught by surprise, the SAA is on the backfoot, and the worst might be yet to come.
https://korybko.substack.com/p/the-five ... was-caught
In truth the so-called compromise, proposed by Russia at the time it was still trying to kiss-up to the US, also involved the current government stepping down and was a non-starter for Syria and I don't blame them. As far as Idlib goes the Erdogan factor is in play which rules out a full-on solution for political reasons. Little Andy really wants Russia to be a happy US vassal
*****
HTS militants seize central Aleppo
November 30, 2:27

Militants in the Aleppo citadel.
They held it even during the siege, but now they surrendered it without a fight.
Just note that the city of a million people was surrendered to the SAA practically without a fight. As of 2023, almost 3.9 million people lived there.
Blaming Iran or Russia here is pointless if the Syrian army simply did not defend the second largest city in the country, surrendering it to an enemy group that was not the largest in general, which was many times smaller in numbers than the group that unsuccessfully stormed Aleppo in the summer and fall of 2016.
Of course, Russia could not hold the city without the Syrians, considering that there were only SSO and VKS there. There were no our regulars or Wagner there in any significant numbers.
Just as there were no Lebanese from Hezbollah, who at the most critical moment of the militants' offensive in 2016 through Ramuseh stood to the death at a cement plant and did not let the enemy through. The main forces of Hezbollah are now busy in Lebanon. Iranian proxies are mostly deployed in other regions of Syria. They needed 5 days to deploy in the Aleppo region, which of course no one gave them.
The consequences of what happened for Syria will be serious. The Kurds in Tal Rifat will get it, the situation for the IRGC will become more complicated, and the pressure on our positions in Latakia will most likely increase.
And the question hangs in the air - where will the happy runaway in Aleppo province stop?
And what else can be surrendered in the same miraculous way. The number of those willing to check this out in the near future will clearly increase.
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9525427.html
Google Translator
******
Al-Qaeda attack on Aleppo serves 'the Israeli occupation entity': Syrian FM
Militants from Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham reached Aleppo City on Friday on the third day of a lighting offensive coinciding with Israeli attacks on Syria's border crossings
News Desk
NOV 29, 2024

(Photo credit: Rami al Sayed/AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh stated on 29 November that the ongoing terrorist offensive on Aleppo and its countryside comes "within the framework of serving the goals of the Israeli occupation entity and its sponsors."
At dawn on Wednesday, militants from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria's Idlib Governorate launched an offensive against Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions in the western Aleppo countryside. Russian warplanes were dispatched to target the militants after the assault began.
The HTS militants launched the attack just as a ceasefire between Israel and Syria's ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, went into effect after a 66-day war. Israeli warplanes bombed the Syria-Lebanon border immediately before the ceasefire was announced.
Foreign Minister Sabbagh pointed to Israel's role in sponsoring extremist groups such as HTS in Syria, noting that the Syrian government "has always warned of the obvious coincidence between the occupation's attacks on it and the attacks of terrorist groups in it."
In a call with his Syrian counterpart Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi expressed his country's continued support for the Syrian government, people, and army in fighting terrorism, protecting the region, and establishing security and stability.
Foreign Minister Araghchi added that the reactivation of terrorist groups, which gained a foothold in Syria during the covert US war on Damascus in 2011, is an "American-Israeli plan after Israel's defeat in Lebanon and Palestine."
Reports indicated that militants from HTS, once known as the Nusra Front, had captured significant territory in the Western Aleppo countryside since Wednesday and had successfully entered some areas of Aleppo City on Friday.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, stated to Reuters that 27 civilians had been killed in the fighting, while Syrian state media reported that four civilians, including two students from the Faculty of Engineering at Aleppo University, were killed when the campus dormitory was targeted by shelling from the HTS militants.
Some residents of Aleppo have begun to flee the city, fearing a repeat of events in 2012 when US, Israeli, Gulf, and Turkish-backed militants from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) joined with the Nusra Front to invade, loot, and terrorize eastern neighborhoods in the city.
However, a field commander of the Syrian Arab Army's 25th Special Mission Forces Division, the Tiger Forces, in western Aleppo City stated that the situation is now under control.
He said that HTS militants, along with sleeper cells from inside the city, had managed to enter some parts of Aleppo's suburbs, where some Syrian soldiers had abandoned their positions. "Expect a different situation tomorrow," he emphasized.
Syrian journalist Kevork al-Massian reported that Syrian army reinforcements were on the way. “The Syrian military reinforcement en route to Aleppo is substantial, as confirmed by people travelling from Aleppo to Damascus. This indicates that the mission isn't just about recovering recent losses—it’s part of a broader offensive campaign. These insights come directly from battlefront sources and along the M5 highway,” he stated on the social media site, X.
HTS first conquered Idlib Governorate in 2015. Known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham at the time, the Al-Qaeda affiliate expelled the Syrian army from Idlib with the help of suicide bombers and US-made TOW anti-tank missiles supplied by the CIA to allied FSA groups.
https://thecradle.co/articles/al-qaeda- ... -syrian-fm
Syrian army readies counterattack against Al-Qaeda militants occupying Aleppo
Turkish and Israeli-backed militants from the Al-Qaeda affilated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have taken over large areas of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, including the ancient citadel
News Desk
NOV 30, 2024

(Photo credit: Bakr Alkasem/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) announced on 30 November that it was preparing a counterattack to retake Aleppo after militants from Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al=Sham (HTS) invaded and captured much of the city the night before.
Previously known as the Nusra Front, HTS launched a lightning offensive on Wednesday from its strongholds in Idlib Governorate. The group was able to control large swathes of western Aleppo countryside before entering Aleppo City.
A statement issued by the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces said that HTS was able to capture territory along the Aleppo and Idlib fronts with the help of thousands of foreign militants, heavy weapons, and drones.
"Our forces fought fiercely across a 100 km stretch to halt their advance. During these battles, dozens of our soldiers were martyred and others wounded," the statement added.
"Due to the vast number of terrorists and multiple fronts, our forces have redeployed to strengthen defense lines, absorb the attack, preserve civilian and soldier lives, and prepare for a counterattack."
The General Command acknowledged that HTS militants had entered multiple Aleppo neighborhoods, but that they were not able to establish positions due to air strikes from the Syrian army, which is awaiting reinforcements to launch the counteroffensive.
Footage and pictures shared online reportedly show the militants moving further into the heart of the city, including to the ancient citadel, The New Arab reported.
The General Command expressed its commitment to ensure the safety of the people of Aleppo and that it will "continue our efforts to expel terrorist organizations and restore full control over the city and its countryside."
In the western and Gulf media, the HTS militants are described as "rebels" seeking to topple the government in a continuation of the US, Israeli, Gulf, and Turkish-backed covert war on Syria that began in 2011.
Syrian Arab Army sources stated that they are once again "fighting the military arm of the Israeli enemy, falsely labeled as the 'Syrian revolution.'"
"[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu may consider direct military support for terrorists in Idlib. You are either with the Syrian Arab Army or with 'Israel' and its agents," the statement added.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Saturday that fighters from the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the country's northeast had entered into and gained control over the Aleppo International Airport.
According to the SOHR, the SDF has also taken control of two towns near Aleppo, Nubl and Zahra.
The Kurdish-majority neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsood in Aleppo is bracing for a possible attack by HTS militants, Rudaw reported Saturday.
The People's Protection Units (YPG), which controls the neighborhood and forms the backbone of the SDF, published a video early Saturday morning that it said shows "civilians… preparing to defend their neighborhood in the event of an attack."
Farhad Shami, spokesman for the SDF, said on Friday that Turkiye is behind the HTS offensive.
Fighting continues to rage on Saturday on the Idlib front as well.
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent reported violent clashes between the Syrian army and armed groups in the southeastern Idlib countryside.
He stated that clashes are taking place near the M5 highway connecting Aleppo to Damascus, including around the town of Maarat al-Numan, after armed groups entered the town of Saraqib, south of Idlib, and the Abu al-Duhur military airport.
The Syrian army inflicted heavy losses on HTS, inflicting hundreds of deaths and injuries, destroying dozens of armored vehicles and vehicles, and shooting down and destroying 17 drones, the Al-Mayadeen correspondent added.
https://thecradle.co/articles/syrian-ar ... ing-aleppo
*****
U.S., Allies Reignite War On Syria
It seems that this earlier assessment of mine of the situation in Syria was wrong:
As the conflict in Lebanon subsides Israel and the U.S. have reignited the war in Syria. There have been signs for a while that this was going to happen. Yesterday Al-Qaeda affiliated HTS fighters, which has been rebuild and sponsored with CIA money, have relaunched their attacks on Syrian government forces west of Aleppo. Syrian and Russian air force attacks have for now stopped their progress. Hizbullah's Rudwan forces have yet to intervene but are deployed to defend Aleppo.
I do not expect the situation to Syria to escalate further.
As of now the situation continues to escalate. I had underestimated the role of Turkey in this.
President Erdogan seems to have taken control of HTS and is using it to pursue his aims. These include to widen Turkish control over Syrian land, to further damage the anti-Turkish resistance movement within the Kurdish population of Syria and to impress on president-elect Donald Trump that he can be a reliable ally in a fight against Iranian influence.
Jihadists under Turkish control have attacked Syrian government position on the western side of Aleppo city and diversion commandos seem to have infiltrated the city itself. A large part of this operation is the (fake) news onslaught accompanying it. Current information from the area is way too confused to state with some certainty what exactly is under who's control.
There are several forces fighting in Syria. The Turkish 'rebel' side, supported by Israel, Turkey and the U.S., includes two distinct groups. The former al-Qaeda Jihadists in Hayat Tarhir al-Sham [HTS] under Abu Muhammed al-Jolani were, and likely still are, financed and armed by the CIA through proxy actors in Qatar. HTS includes a significant number of Turkmen and Uighur jihadists from Central Asia. The second group is the so called Syrian National Army which is a group of Sunni Syria mercenaries paid for and controlled by Turkey.
These 'rebels' immediately distinguished themselves through their depraved behavior:
]Hala Jaber @HalaJaber - 17:40 UTC · Nov 29, 2024
IMPORTANT
I have just watched a most gruesome footage of the so called Erdogan-backed “freedom fighters,” beheading a Syrian soldier they captured. A POW in western military terms.
I thought those days of ISIS evilness were over, but here we are again as history repeats itself while we are again being told that these are the good “liberators.”
The footage shows a Syrian soldier surrounded by ‘rebels.’
He pleads with them & pleads to their Islamic faith.
They pull his hand away from his neck & one guy with a huge jaggered knife proceeds to slice his throat. When it gets stuck, he pounds the knife into the neck a few times, then proceeds to continue with the slaughter to the cries of “Allahahu Akbar.”
Whoever in the western world is supporting these NATO-Israeli backed extremists should really think again. ...
On the other side of the conflict are the Syrian Arab Army (which seem to have forgotten all the lessons it had to learn during the previous phase of the conflict). It is supported by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps which has trained and is financing several groups of Shia fighters in Syria. This is done in strong coordination with Hizbullah in Lebanon which has some units of its Rudwan special forces stationed in Syria. Russia is backing the Syrian government in Syria and is currently using its air power to interrupt further attacks from the 'rebel' side.
The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) is an anti-Turkish movement. It forms a major part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which has been supported, on and off, by the Pentagon in east-Syria. It is currently fighting on the side of the Syrian government but has in own interest in securing areas with significant Kurdish populations.
While it was known that the conflict in Syria was soon to be revived the immediacy seems to have come as an surprise:
Sharmine Narwani @snarwani - 9:10 UTC · Nov 30, 2024
Russian newspaper Izvestia: The major terrorist attack on #Aleppo was coordinated between Turkish, Ukrainian and French intelligence with Israeli support and American approval. The planning was two months ago and the attack was supposed to be next March, but the events in Lebanon contributed to the urgency.
As said above there is no information yet that lets one make an unbiased assessment which side is really in control of what part of Aleppo or areas surrounding it. My impression is that many of the claims of Jihadist control here or there are only media operations without military significance.
But what can be said so far is that the Syrian government has obviously failed to secure its lines in the field and to prepare its army for a renewal of the conflict. The Syrian Arab Army seems to have given up many positions without a significant fight.
It will cost a lot of blood and treasure (again!) to regain control of them.
Posted by b at 14:53 UTC | Comments (22)
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/11/u ... l#comments
Andrew Korybko
Nov 30, 2024

The disaster in Aleppo was avoidable and is just as bad as it looks.
The Turkish-backed terrorists’/“rebels’” advance on Aleppo, which was analyzed here, came as a shock to most observers. There was almost half a decade of peace between the March 2020 ceasefire and now, yet practically nothing was done to prepare for this possibility. This was in spite of the front line remaining roughly two dozen kilometers away from Aleppo, which should have reminded Assad of how vulnerable his country’s second city is. Here are the five reasons why Syria was caught by surprise:
----------
1. Complacency & Corruption
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) rested on its laurels because it took the Russian-brokered ceasefire for granted, after which the country’s infamous corruption kicked in to degrade its capabilities. There’s no excuse for why even basic drones weren’t used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to detect the buildup that preceded this advance. A large part of why the SAA didn’t do anything is likely because it assumed that its Russian and Iranian allies would shoulder these responsibilities for them.
2. The Russian-Iranian Rivalry
Russia and Iran fought together against terrorism in Syria, but they’re also rivals who are competing with each other for premier influence over Damascus. So intense is their competition that Russia always does nothing other than occasionally complain whenever Israel bombs the IRGC there, never once giving Syria the means to intercept these attacks or retaliate afterwards. Had they not been rivals, then Russia and Iran could have jointly strengthened the SAA, carried out ISR in Idlib, and bolstered Aleppo’s defenses.
3. Distracted & Crippled Allies
To make matters even worse for Syria, the terrorists’/“rebels’” advance on Aleppo came precisely at the moment when Russia is distracted with the special military operation (SMO) and Iran has been crippled by its West Asian Wars with Israel. Without sufficient Russian airpower and Iranian manpower, including that which the latter could have called upon from Hezbollah, it’ll be extremely difficult for the SAA to push the attackers away from Aleppo. This factor, more than any other, might have even sealed its fate.
4. Ignoring The SMO’s Lessons
Even amidst the Russian-Iranian rivalry and its allies’ aforesaid problems, the SAA could have learned the SMO’s lessons on its own and correspondingly prepared much better for what ultimately came to pass. Masterful drone tactics and strategically dispersed units have characterized the attack thus far, both of which are hallmarks of the SMO, yet the SAA was totally unprepared for this. It must therefore take final responsibility for failing to do its duty in learning from that conflict and adapting its defenses accordingly.
5. Not Compromising For Peace
The last reason why Syria was caught by surprise is because it didn’t compromise for peace by accepting 2017’s Russian-written “draft constitution”, which was constructively critiqued in detail here. It’s chock-full of concessions so one can sympathize with Syria for rejecting it, but in hindsight, this could have finally resolved the conflict and thus averted the ongoing fiasco in Aleppo. For this reason, it could be revived during these desperate times, but the “opposition” might now demand even more concessions.
----------
The disaster in Aleppo was avoidable and is just as bad as it looks. It’s not part of a “5D chess master plan” to “trap the terrorists in a cauldron” like some members of the Alt-Media Community have implied or claimed. Observers should reject the “insight” shared by those who already discredited themselves with their fantastical takes on the SMO and the West Asian Wars. The “politically inconvenient” truth is that Syria was caught by surprise, the SAA is on the backfoot, and the worst might be yet to come.
https://korybko.substack.com/p/the-five ... was-caught
In truth the so-called compromise, proposed by Russia at the time it was still trying to kiss-up to the US, also involved the current government stepping down and was a non-starter for Syria and I don't blame them. As far as Idlib goes the Erdogan factor is in play which rules out a full-on solution for political reasons. Little Andy really wants Russia to be a happy US vassal
*****
HTS militants seize central Aleppo
November 30, 2:27

Militants in the Aleppo citadel.
They held it even during the siege, but now they surrendered it without a fight.
Just note that the city of a million people was surrendered to the SAA practically without a fight. As of 2023, almost 3.9 million people lived there.
Blaming Iran or Russia here is pointless if the Syrian army simply did not defend the second largest city in the country, surrendering it to an enemy group that was not the largest in general, which was many times smaller in numbers than the group that unsuccessfully stormed Aleppo in the summer and fall of 2016.
Of course, Russia could not hold the city without the Syrians, considering that there were only SSO and VKS there. There were no our regulars or Wagner there in any significant numbers.
Just as there were no Lebanese from Hezbollah, who at the most critical moment of the militants' offensive in 2016 through Ramuseh stood to the death at a cement plant and did not let the enemy through. The main forces of Hezbollah are now busy in Lebanon. Iranian proxies are mostly deployed in other regions of Syria. They needed 5 days to deploy in the Aleppo region, which of course no one gave them.
The consequences of what happened for Syria will be serious. The Kurds in Tal Rifat will get it, the situation for the IRGC will become more complicated, and the pressure on our positions in Latakia will most likely increase.
And the question hangs in the air - where will the happy runaway in Aleppo province stop?
And what else can be surrendered in the same miraculous way. The number of those willing to check this out in the near future will clearly increase.
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9525427.html
Google Translator
******
Al-Qaeda attack on Aleppo serves 'the Israeli occupation entity': Syrian FM
Militants from Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham reached Aleppo City on Friday on the third day of a lighting offensive coinciding with Israeli attacks on Syria's border crossings
News Desk
NOV 29, 2024

(Photo credit: Rami al Sayed/AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh stated on 29 November that the ongoing terrorist offensive on Aleppo and its countryside comes "within the framework of serving the goals of the Israeli occupation entity and its sponsors."
At dawn on Wednesday, militants from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria's Idlib Governorate launched an offensive against Syrian Arab Army (SAA) positions in the western Aleppo countryside. Russian warplanes were dispatched to target the militants after the assault began.
The HTS militants launched the attack just as a ceasefire between Israel and Syria's ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, went into effect after a 66-day war. Israeli warplanes bombed the Syria-Lebanon border immediately before the ceasefire was announced.
Foreign Minister Sabbagh pointed to Israel's role in sponsoring extremist groups such as HTS in Syria, noting that the Syrian government "has always warned of the obvious coincidence between the occupation's attacks on it and the attacks of terrorist groups in it."
In a call with his Syrian counterpart Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi expressed his country's continued support for the Syrian government, people, and army in fighting terrorism, protecting the region, and establishing security and stability.
Foreign Minister Araghchi added that the reactivation of terrorist groups, which gained a foothold in Syria during the covert US war on Damascus in 2011, is an "American-Israeli plan after Israel's defeat in Lebanon and Palestine."
Reports indicated that militants from HTS, once known as the Nusra Front, had captured significant territory in the Western Aleppo countryside since Wednesday and had successfully entered some areas of Aleppo City on Friday.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, stated to Reuters that 27 civilians had been killed in the fighting, while Syrian state media reported that four civilians, including two students from the Faculty of Engineering at Aleppo University, were killed when the campus dormitory was targeted by shelling from the HTS militants.
Some residents of Aleppo have begun to flee the city, fearing a repeat of events in 2012 when US, Israeli, Gulf, and Turkish-backed militants from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) joined with the Nusra Front to invade, loot, and terrorize eastern neighborhoods in the city.
However, a field commander of the Syrian Arab Army's 25th Special Mission Forces Division, the Tiger Forces, in western Aleppo City stated that the situation is now under control.
He said that HTS militants, along with sleeper cells from inside the city, had managed to enter some parts of Aleppo's suburbs, where some Syrian soldiers had abandoned their positions. "Expect a different situation tomorrow," he emphasized.
Syrian journalist Kevork al-Massian reported that Syrian army reinforcements were on the way. “The Syrian military reinforcement en route to Aleppo is substantial, as confirmed by people travelling from Aleppo to Damascus. This indicates that the mission isn't just about recovering recent losses—it’s part of a broader offensive campaign. These insights come directly from battlefront sources and along the M5 highway,” he stated on the social media site, X.
HTS first conquered Idlib Governorate in 2015. Known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham at the time, the Al-Qaeda affiliate expelled the Syrian army from Idlib with the help of suicide bombers and US-made TOW anti-tank missiles supplied by the CIA to allied FSA groups.
https://thecradle.co/articles/al-qaeda- ... -syrian-fm
Syrian army readies counterattack against Al-Qaeda militants occupying Aleppo
Turkish and Israeli-backed militants from the Al-Qaeda affilated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have taken over large areas of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, including the ancient citadel
News Desk
NOV 30, 2024

(Photo credit: Bakr Alkasem/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) announced on 30 November that it was preparing a counterattack to retake Aleppo after militants from Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al=Sham (HTS) invaded and captured much of the city the night before.
Previously known as the Nusra Front, HTS launched a lightning offensive on Wednesday from its strongholds in Idlib Governorate. The group was able to control large swathes of western Aleppo countryside before entering Aleppo City.
A statement issued by the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces said that HTS was able to capture territory along the Aleppo and Idlib fronts with the help of thousands of foreign militants, heavy weapons, and drones.
"Our forces fought fiercely across a 100 km stretch to halt their advance. During these battles, dozens of our soldiers were martyred and others wounded," the statement added.
"Due to the vast number of terrorists and multiple fronts, our forces have redeployed to strengthen defense lines, absorb the attack, preserve civilian and soldier lives, and prepare for a counterattack."
The General Command acknowledged that HTS militants had entered multiple Aleppo neighborhoods, but that they were not able to establish positions due to air strikes from the Syrian army, which is awaiting reinforcements to launch the counteroffensive.
Footage and pictures shared online reportedly show the militants moving further into the heart of the city, including to the ancient citadel, The New Arab reported.
The General Command expressed its commitment to ensure the safety of the people of Aleppo and that it will "continue our efforts to expel terrorist organizations and restore full control over the city and its countryside."
In the western and Gulf media, the HTS militants are described as "rebels" seeking to topple the government in a continuation of the US, Israeli, Gulf, and Turkish-backed covert war on Syria that began in 2011.
Syrian Arab Army sources stated that they are once again "fighting the military arm of the Israeli enemy, falsely labeled as the 'Syrian revolution.'"
"[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu may consider direct military support for terrorists in Idlib. You are either with the Syrian Arab Army or with 'Israel' and its agents," the statement added.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Saturday that fighters from the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the country's northeast had entered into and gained control over the Aleppo International Airport.
According to the SOHR, the SDF has also taken control of two towns near Aleppo, Nubl and Zahra.
The Kurdish-majority neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsood in Aleppo is bracing for a possible attack by HTS militants, Rudaw reported Saturday.
The People's Protection Units (YPG), which controls the neighborhood and forms the backbone of the SDF, published a video early Saturday morning that it said shows "civilians… preparing to defend their neighborhood in the event of an attack."
Farhad Shami, spokesman for the SDF, said on Friday that Turkiye is behind the HTS offensive.
Fighting continues to rage on Saturday on the Idlib front as well.
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent reported violent clashes between the Syrian army and armed groups in the southeastern Idlib countryside.
He stated that clashes are taking place near the M5 highway connecting Aleppo to Damascus, including around the town of Maarat al-Numan, after armed groups entered the town of Saraqib, south of Idlib, and the Abu al-Duhur military airport.
The Syrian army inflicted heavy losses on HTS, inflicting hundreds of deaths and injuries, destroying dozens of armored vehicles and vehicles, and shooting down and destroying 17 drones, the Al-Mayadeen correspondent added.
https://thecradle.co/articles/syrian-ar ... ing-aleppo
*****
U.S., Allies Reignite War On Syria
It seems that this earlier assessment of mine of the situation in Syria was wrong:
As the conflict in Lebanon subsides Israel and the U.S. have reignited the war in Syria. There have been signs for a while that this was going to happen. Yesterday Al-Qaeda affiliated HTS fighters, which has been rebuild and sponsored with CIA money, have relaunched their attacks on Syrian government forces west of Aleppo. Syrian and Russian air force attacks have for now stopped their progress. Hizbullah's Rudwan forces have yet to intervene but are deployed to defend Aleppo.
I do not expect the situation to Syria to escalate further.
As of now the situation continues to escalate. I had underestimated the role of Turkey in this.
President Erdogan seems to have taken control of HTS and is using it to pursue his aims. These include to widen Turkish control over Syrian land, to further damage the anti-Turkish resistance movement within the Kurdish population of Syria and to impress on president-elect Donald Trump that he can be a reliable ally in a fight against Iranian influence.
Jihadists under Turkish control have attacked Syrian government position on the western side of Aleppo city and diversion commandos seem to have infiltrated the city itself. A large part of this operation is the (fake) news onslaught accompanying it. Current information from the area is way too confused to state with some certainty what exactly is under who's control.
There are several forces fighting in Syria. The Turkish 'rebel' side, supported by Israel, Turkey and the U.S., includes two distinct groups. The former al-Qaeda Jihadists in Hayat Tarhir al-Sham [HTS] under Abu Muhammed al-Jolani were, and likely still are, financed and armed by the CIA through proxy actors in Qatar. HTS includes a significant number of Turkmen and Uighur jihadists from Central Asia. The second group is the so called Syrian National Army which is a group of Sunni Syria mercenaries paid for and controlled by Turkey.
These 'rebels' immediately distinguished themselves through their depraved behavior:
]Hala Jaber @HalaJaber - 17:40 UTC · Nov 29, 2024
I have just watched a most gruesome footage of the so called Erdogan-backed “freedom fighters,” beheading a Syrian soldier they captured. A POW in western military terms.
I thought those days of ISIS evilness were over, but here we are again as history repeats itself while we are again being told that these are the good “liberators.”
The footage shows a Syrian soldier surrounded by ‘rebels.’
He pleads with them & pleads to their Islamic faith.
They pull his hand away from his neck & one guy with a huge jaggered knife proceeds to slice his throat. When it gets stuck, he pounds the knife into the neck a few times, then proceeds to continue with the slaughter to the cries of “Allahahu Akbar.”
Whoever in the western world is supporting these NATO-Israeli backed extremists should really think again. ...
On the other side of the conflict are the Syrian Arab Army (which seem to have forgotten all the lessons it had to learn during the previous phase of the conflict). It is supported by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps which has trained and is financing several groups of Shia fighters in Syria. This is done in strong coordination with Hizbullah in Lebanon which has some units of its Rudwan special forces stationed in Syria. Russia is backing the Syrian government in Syria and is currently using its air power to interrupt further attacks from the 'rebel' side.
The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) is an anti-Turkish movement. It forms a major part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which has been supported, on and off, by the Pentagon in east-Syria. It is currently fighting on the side of the Syrian government but has in own interest in securing areas with significant Kurdish populations.
While it was known that the conflict in Syria was soon to be revived the immediacy seems to have come as an surprise:
Sharmine Narwani @snarwani - 9:10 UTC · Nov 30, 2024
Russian newspaper Izvestia: The major terrorist attack on #Aleppo was coordinated between Turkish, Ukrainian and French intelligence with Israeli support and American approval. The planning was two months ago and the attack was supposed to be next March, but the events in Lebanon contributed to the urgency.
As said above there is no information yet that lets one make an unbiased assessment which side is really in control of what part of Aleppo or areas surrounding it. My impression is that many of the claims of Jihadist control here or there are only media operations without military significance.
But what can be said so far is that the Syrian government has obviously failed to secure its lines in the field and to prepare its army for a renewal of the conflict. The Syrian Arab Army seems to have given up many positions without a significant fight.
It will cost a lot of blood and treasure (again!) to regain control of them.
Posted by b at 14:53 UTC | Comments (22)
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/11/u ... l#comments
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
Syrian army recaptures towns in Hama countryside as counteroffensive gains momentum
At least 1,000 extremist militants have been killed by Damascus’ troops and Syrian-Russian airstrikes
News Desk
DEC 1, 2024

(Photo credit: X)
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is moving ahead with its counteroffensive against the massive extremist assault launched against the Idlib and Aleppo countryside days ago, which has seen armed groups infiltrate as far as the outskirts of Hama governorate.
"More military reinforcements from our armed forces have arrived in the northern Hama countryside, including personnel, heavy equipment, and rocket launchers to support and back up the advance of our armed forces on this axis, amidst a state of mass flight by members of armed terrorist organizations," the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement on 1 December.
“The joint Syrian-Russian warplanes are intensifying their precise strikes on the axes of movement of the fleeing terrorists, their sites, headquarters, and their weapons and ammunition depots, achieving direct hits and killing and wounding dozens of them,” the statement added.
Militants led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as the Nusra Front, reached the outskirts of Hama city on 30 November after occupying several towns in its countryside.
Syrian army troops quickly managed to push them back at least 12 kilometers, however. Syrian forces were reported to have taken back the towns of Suran, Halfaya, Taybat al-Imam, and Maardis by Sunday morning.
The army also pushed back an attempt by HTS-led factions to advance on the town of Qalaat al-Madiq near the Al-Ghab Plains in the northern Hama countryside.
Russian and Syrian airstrikes continue to pound the extremist groups attempting to push deeper into the countryside of Hama while also striking HTS strongholds inside Idlib city and the countryside of the Idlib governorate and Aleppo.
Russian airstrike targets central command headquarters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Nusra Front) in the northern Aleppo countryside. pic.twitter.com/8QX2svnv9J
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) December 1, 2024
At least 1,000 militants have been killed in the strikes since the HTS, allied factions under its command, and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) coalition began their offensive against the Idlib and Aleppo countryside early on 27 November.
(Around 4 hours ago) Hospitals in #Aleppo City are overflowing with dead and wounded #HTS after non-stop joint #Russian-#Syrian Army airstrikes on their positions#Syria pic.twitter.com/I0m3eJxGkW
— Ammar Khan (@AmmarKh12669255) December 1, 2024
Yet central Aleppo remains overrun with armed groups who stormed the city on Friday. The militants also captured a number of government-held towns in the Idlib countryside.
"Our forces fought fiercely across a 100 km stretch to halt their advance. During these battles, dozens of our soldiers were martyred and others wounded. Due to the vast number of terrorists and multiple fronts, our forces have redeployed to strengthen defense lines, absorb the attack, preserve civilian and soldier lives, and prepare for a counterattack," the Syrian army’s General Command said on Saturday.
Russian warplanes are now conducting airstrikes on Idlib city pic.twitter.com/3NU3mXGCWG
— Abbas عباس (@zead454) December 1, 2024
The HTS-led assault is reportedly being driven by Turkish intelligence.
“The operation aims to restore the boundaries of the Idlib de-escalation zone,” a Turkish security source told Middle East Eye (MEE) on 28 November, referring to a mechanism to halt fighting agreed upon in 2017 during Astana talks and reinforced in 2019 by Russia, Turkiye, and Iran.
Moscow and Damascus reduced the de-escalation zone and captured more territory during an offensive against armed opposition groups in 2020.
https://thecradle.co/articles/syrian-ar ... s-momentum
******

They Lied About Gaza, And They’re Lying About Syria
If you saw through the lies about Gaza, don’t stop there. Keep going. Keep pulling on threads. Keep learning. Stay curious. They lied about Gaza, they lied about Iraq, they lied about Libya, they lied about Ukraine, and they’re lying about Syria too.
Caitlin Johnstone
December 1, 2024
❖
Al-Qaeda affiliates with a history of receiving western funding have reactivated in Syria along with Turkish-backed fighters to recapture significant amounts of territory in the war-ravaged nation.
It’s hard to say exactly what’s happening in the moment, but I will say it’s mighty convenient how Russia being tied up in Ukraine and Hezbollah being decapitated by Israel leaves Syria once again exposed to the longstanding regime change agendas of the same western empire who’s been backing both of those proxy conflicts.
❖
Syria is more complicated and harder to understand than Gaza, but if you look into it you’ll find mountains of evidence that for many years the US and its allies and partners have been actively fomenting violence, chaos and destruction in that nation to effect regime change. Anyone who denies this is either ignorant or dishonest, as is anyone who calls you a Russian propagandist or an Assad lover for stating this well-evidenced fact.
There are a lot of people who see through the imperial lies about Gaza but still buy into the imperial lies about Syria, largely because the lies about Gaza are so much easier to see through. Immense amounts of propaganda and information ops have gone into framing the violence we’ve been seeing in Syria since 2011 as a completely organic rebellion against a tyrannical dictator who just wants to murder civilians because he is evil. But if you bring the same sincere curiosity and rigorous investigation to this issue that you brought to the plight of the Palestinians, you will discover the same kinds of lies and distortions which you’ve seen the western political/media class promote about Gaza being spun about Syria as well — frequently by the same people.
This is how unpacking the lies of the empire tends to unfold for folks. Your eyes flicker open because of some really obvious plot hole in the official narrative like Vietnam, the Iraq invasion, or Gaza, and then once you’ve seen through those lies you start getting curious about how else you’ve been deceived. You start pulling on other threads and learning more and more, and then after a while you start seeing the big picture about the US-centralized empire inflicting horrific abuses upon humanity all around the world with the goal of dominating the planet.
If you saw through the lies about Gaza, don’t stop there. Keep going. Keep pulling on threads. Keep learning. Stay curious. They lied about Gaza, they lied about Iraq, they lied about Libya, they lied about Ukraine, and they’re lying about Syria too. Don’t listen to anyone who tries to dull your curiosity. Ignore anyone who tries to shout you down and shut you up for asking inconvenient questions. Keep waking up from the matrix of empire propaganda until your eyes are truly clear.
❖
Boris Johnson told The Telegraph in a recent interview that the west is “waging a proxy war” in Ukraine, which, while obviously true, was once considered by the western political-media class to be a very taboo thing to say.
“We’re waging a proxy war, but we’re not giving our proxies the ability to do the job,” Johnson said. “For years now, we’ve been allowing them to fight with one hand tied behind their backs and it has been cruel.”
For years it was considered Kremlin propaganda to call the war in Ukraine a western proxy war against Russia. Now the line is “Well this is obviously a proxy war so we need to give our proxies more weapons, duh!”
❖
We’re taught that heroes look like western soldiers and cops taking out bad guys, when really heroes look like Palestinian journalists risking everything to tell the truth about genocidal atrocities that are backed by western governments while western journalists make propaganda.
❖
I don’t want the Australian government to ban kids from social media, I want the Australian government to stop supporting Israel’s genocidal atrocities and stop turning this country into a giant US military base in preparation for Washington’s war with China.
❖
It should be illegal to force homeless people to relocate. If a rich neighborhood is the best place to sleep rough then the rich should be forced to look at a daily reminder of the dystopia they live in until the underlying problems which cause homelessness have been fixed. You shouldn’t be allowed to hide such things to make people comfortable.
All the laws designed to criminalize homelessness and force the unhoused to relocate are just one more way our dystopia hides its abuses and contradictions from public view, the same as propaganda and internet censorship and murdering Palestinian journalists. They want the homeless out of sight and out of mind in the same way their wars and genocides are out of sight and out of mind.
They just want the homeless to go “away”, because they can’t fix the injustices and inequality which cause homelessness without upending the power structure they rule. They wish all the symptoms of poverty and injustice in our society could be hidden on the other side of vast oceans like their wars are.
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2024/12 ... out-syria/
******
Briefly on Syria. 01.12.2024
December 1, 20:08

Briefly on Syria. 01.12.2024
1. The Syrian army was able to hold the capital of Hama province and move on to stabilization measures in Hama province and in the Al-Ghab valley. Several cities and villages have been liberated. The threat of losing Hama has been temporarily removed.
2. On the other hand, a hole in the front to the southeast of Aleppo remains. After capturing Kuweiris and Al-Safir, the militants continued their offensive to the southeast and captured Khanasser. The situation there is out of control.
3. The militants and the Turks are also clearing out the Kurds in Tal Rifaat. The city has effectively fallen, as has the Menaj airbase. The Kurds in the Sheikh Maksoud area have been given an ultimatum - get out to Rojava or else things will be bad.
4. Iranian proxies have left for the front, large columns are coming from Iraq. But it will take them time to reach the front line. Iraq is strengthening its border with Syria.
5. The Russian Aerospace Forces are currently operating very effectively, inflicting heavy losses by striking columns and concentrations of enemy manpower. But air strikes alone cannot stop the enemy's advance.
6. Lieutenant General Kisel has left the post of commander of the Russian group in Syria. His place has presumably been taken by Colonel General Chaiko.
7. In addition to Russia and Iran, Egypt, Iraq, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have spoken out in support of Syria. The head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry arrived in Damascus today. The issue of deploying Iranian proxies in Syria was discussed.
8. In the southern regions of Syria, it has so far been possible to contain the unrest of militants in Daraa. But with further failures at the front, there may be a flare-up there too.
9. Assad is now in Syria. Rumors of a coup d'etat are fabrications. As are the statements that Assad is hiding in Russia.
10. In general, the crisis continues to develop and it is too early to talk about its containment. The consequences of the catastrophic failure of the Syrian army near Aleppo are currently being collected. In fact, 1.5 provinces were surrendered in a few days. The reasons for this failure have yet to be determined.
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9528497.html
Google TYranslator
At least 1,000 extremist militants have been killed by Damascus’ troops and Syrian-Russian airstrikes
News Desk
DEC 1, 2024

(Photo credit: X)
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is moving ahead with its counteroffensive against the massive extremist assault launched against the Idlib and Aleppo countryside days ago, which has seen armed groups infiltrate as far as the outskirts of Hama governorate.
"More military reinforcements from our armed forces have arrived in the northern Hama countryside, including personnel, heavy equipment, and rocket launchers to support and back up the advance of our armed forces on this axis, amidst a state of mass flight by members of armed terrorist organizations," the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement on 1 December.
“The joint Syrian-Russian warplanes are intensifying their precise strikes on the axes of movement of the fleeing terrorists, their sites, headquarters, and their weapons and ammunition depots, achieving direct hits and killing and wounding dozens of them,” the statement added.
Militants led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as the Nusra Front, reached the outskirts of Hama city on 30 November after occupying several towns in its countryside.
Syrian army troops quickly managed to push them back at least 12 kilometers, however. Syrian forces were reported to have taken back the towns of Suran, Halfaya, Taybat al-Imam, and Maardis by Sunday morning.
The army also pushed back an attempt by HTS-led factions to advance on the town of Qalaat al-Madiq near the Al-Ghab Plains in the northern Hama countryside.
Russian and Syrian airstrikes continue to pound the extremist groups attempting to push deeper into the countryside of Hama while also striking HTS strongholds inside Idlib city and the countryside of the Idlib governorate and Aleppo.
Russian airstrike targets central command headquarters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Nusra Front) in the northern Aleppo countryside. pic.twitter.com/8QX2svnv9J
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) December 1, 2024
At least 1,000 militants have been killed in the strikes since the HTS, allied factions under its command, and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) coalition began their offensive against the Idlib and Aleppo countryside early on 27 November.
(Around 4 hours ago) Hospitals in #Aleppo City are overflowing with dead and wounded #HTS after non-stop joint #Russian-#Syrian Army airstrikes on their positions#Syria pic.twitter.com/I0m3eJxGkW
— Ammar Khan (@AmmarKh12669255) December 1, 2024
Yet central Aleppo remains overrun with armed groups who stormed the city on Friday. The militants also captured a number of government-held towns in the Idlib countryside.
"Our forces fought fiercely across a 100 km stretch to halt their advance. During these battles, dozens of our soldiers were martyred and others wounded. Due to the vast number of terrorists and multiple fronts, our forces have redeployed to strengthen defense lines, absorb the attack, preserve civilian and soldier lives, and prepare for a counterattack," the Syrian army’s General Command said on Saturday.
Russian warplanes are now conducting airstrikes on Idlib city pic.twitter.com/3NU3mXGCWG
— Abbas عباس (@zead454) December 1, 2024
The HTS-led assault is reportedly being driven by Turkish intelligence.
“The operation aims to restore the boundaries of the Idlib de-escalation zone,” a Turkish security source told Middle East Eye (MEE) on 28 November, referring to a mechanism to halt fighting agreed upon in 2017 during Astana talks and reinforced in 2019 by Russia, Turkiye, and Iran.
Moscow and Damascus reduced the de-escalation zone and captured more territory during an offensive against armed opposition groups in 2020.
https://thecradle.co/articles/syrian-ar ... s-momentum
******

They Lied About Gaza, And They’re Lying About Syria
If you saw through the lies about Gaza, don’t stop there. Keep going. Keep pulling on threads. Keep learning. Stay curious. They lied about Gaza, they lied about Iraq, they lied about Libya, they lied about Ukraine, and they’re lying about Syria too.
Caitlin Johnstone
December 1, 2024
❖
Al-Qaeda affiliates with a history of receiving western funding have reactivated in Syria along with Turkish-backed fighters to recapture significant amounts of territory in the war-ravaged nation.
It’s hard to say exactly what’s happening in the moment, but I will say it’s mighty convenient how Russia being tied up in Ukraine and Hezbollah being decapitated by Israel leaves Syria once again exposed to the longstanding regime change agendas of the same western empire who’s been backing both of those proxy conflicts.
❖
Syria is more complicated and harder to understand than Gaza, but if you look into it you’ll find mountains of evidence that for many years the US and its allies and partners have been actively fomenting violence, chaos and destruction in that nation to effect regime change. Anyone who denies this is either ignorant or dishonest, as is anyone who calls you a Russian propagandist or an Assad lover for stating this well-evidenced fact.
There are a lot of people who see through the imperial lies about Gaza but still buy into the imperial lies about Syria, largely because the lies about Gaza are so much easier to see through. Immense amounts of propaganda and information ops have gone into framing the violence we’ve been seeing in Syria since 2011 as a completely organic rebellion against a tyrannical dictator who just wants to murder civilians because he is evil. But if you bring the same sincere curiosity and rigorous investigation to this issue that you brought to the plight of the Palestinians, you will discover the same kinds of lies and distortions which you’ve seen the western political/media class promote about Gaza being spun about Syria as well — frequently by the same people.
This is how unpacking the lies of the empire tends to unfold for folks. Your eyes flicker open because of some really obvious plot hole in the official narrative like Vietnam, the Iraq invasion, or Gaza, and then once you’ve seen through those lies you start getting curious about how else you’ve been deceived. You start pulling on other threads and learning more and more, and then after a while you start seeing the big picture about the US-centralized empire inflicting horrific abuses upon humanity all around the world with the goal of dominating the planet.
If you saw through the lies about Gaza, don’t stop there. Keep going. Keep pulling on threads. Keep learning. Stay curious. They lied about Gaza, they lied about Iraq, they lied about Libya, they lied about Ukraine, and they’re lying about Syria too. Don’t listen to anyone who tries to dull your curiosity. Ignore anyone who tries to shout you down and shut you up for asking inconvenient questions. Keep waking up from the matrix of empire propaganda until your eyes are truly clear.
❖
Boris Johnson told The Telegraph in a recent interview that the west is “waging a proxy war” in Ukraine, which, while obviously true, was once considered by the western political-media class to be a very taboo thing to say.
“We’re waging a proxy war, but we’re not giving our proxies the ability to do the job,” Johnson said. “For years now, we’ve been allowing them to fight with one hand tied behind their backs and it has been cruel.”
For years it was considered Kremlin propaganda to call the war in Ukraine a western proxy war against Russia. Now the line is “Well this is obviously a proxy war so we need to give our proxies more weapons, duh!”
❖
We’re taught that heroes look like western soldiers and cops taking out bad guys, when really heroes look like Palestinian journalists risking everything to tell the truth about genocidal atrocities that are backed by western governments while western journalists make propaganda.
❖
I don’t want the Australian government to ban kids from social media, I want the Australian government to stop supporting Israel’s genocidal atrocities and stop turning this country into a giant US military base in preparation for Washington’s war with China.
❖
It should be illegal to force homeless people to relocate. If a rich neighborhood is the best place to sleep rough then the rich should be forced to look at a daily reminder of the dystopia they live in until the underlying problems which cause homelessness have been fixed. You shouldn’t be allowed to hide such things to make people comfortable.
All the laws designed to criminalize homelessness and force the unhoused to relocate are just one more way our dystopia hides its abuses and contradictions from public view, the same as propaganda and internet censorship and murdering Palestinian journalists. They want the homeless out of sight and out of mind in the same way their wars and genocides are out of sight and out of mind.
They just want the homeless to go “away”, because they can’t fix the injustices and inequality which cause homelessness without upending the power structure they rule. They wish all the symptoms of poverty and injustice in our society could be hidden on the other side of vast oceans like their wars are.
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2024/12 ... out-syria/
******
Briefly on Syria. 01.12.2024
December 1, 20:08

Briefly on Syria. 01.12.2024
1. The Syrian army was able to hold the capital of Hama province and move on to stabilization measures in Hama province and in the Al-Ghab valley. Several cities and villages have been liberated. The threat of losing Hama has been temporarily removed.
2. On the other hand, a hole in the front to the southeast of Aleppo remains. After capturing Kuweiris and Al-Safir, the militants continued their offensive to the southeast and captured Khanasser. The situation there is out of control.
3. The militants and the Turks are also clearing out the Kurds in Tal Rifaat. The city has effectively fallen, as has the Menaj airbase. The Kurds in the Sheikh Maksoud area have been given an ultimatum - get out to Rojava or else things will be bad.
4. Iranian proxies have left for the front, large columns are coming from Iraq. But it will take them time to reach the front line. Iraq is strengthening its border with Syria.
5. The Russian Aerospace Forces are currently operating very effectively, inflicting heavy losses by striking columns and concentrations of enemy manpower. But air strikes alone cannot stop the enemy's advance.
6. Lieutenant General Kisel has left the post of commander of the Russian group in Syria. His place has presumably been taken by Colonel General Chaiko.
7. In addition to Russia and Iran, Egypt, Iraq, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have spoken out in support of Syria. The head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry arrived in Damascus today. The issue of deploying Iranian proxies in Syria was discussed.
8. In the southern regions of Syria, it has so far been possible to contain the unrest of militants in Daraa. But with further failures at the front, there may be a flare-up there too.
9. Assad is now in Syria. Rumors of a coup d'etat are fabrications. As are the statements that Assad is hiding in Russia.
10. In general, the crisis continues to develop and it is too early to talk about its containment. The consequences of the catastrophic failure of the Syrian army near Aleppo are currently being collected. In fact, 1.5 provinces were surrendered in a few days. The reasons for this failure have yet to be determined.
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9528497.html
Google TYranslator
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
Syrian Dirty War’s Secret Origins
Posted by Internationalist 360° on December 1, 2024
Kit Klarenberg

Fighters from HTS train in Idlib Province, Syria. Photo: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images
On November 27th, ultra-extremist militants Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a vast offensive in Syria. Within days, the Turkey-backed faction seized significant swaths of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, and advances elsewhere continue. While disinformation on the scale and success of HTS’ incursions abounds on social media, establishment news outlets remain the primary source of manipulation and deceit. No context to the current upsurge of violence is provided, although reference has been widely made to supposedly “peaceful” protests in 2011 that produced the decade-long Syrian civil war.
According to this narrative, pro-democracy demonstrators were brutally attacked by Syrian authorities for taking a righteous, public stand. Yet, the reality of what happened during that fateful time is amply documented in the Syrian government’s own internal documents. Namely, records of the Central Crisis Management Cell, created in March 2011 by Damascus to manage official responses to mass rioting that began weeks earlier.
Mainstream outlets have previously reported on this trove, dubbing them The Assad Files. However, reporters and rights groups have universally misrepresented, distorted or simply falsified their contents, in order to wrongfully convict Syrian officials of horrific crimes. In some instances, quite literally. In reality, the documents show Assad and his ministers struggled valiantly to prevent the upheaval from escalating into violence on either side, protect demonstrators, and keep the situation under control.
Meanwhile, sinister, unseen forces systematically murdered security service officials, pro-government figures, and protesters to foment catastrophe in a manner similar to many CIA regime change operations old and new. This shocking story has never before been told. Now, with dark insurrectionary clouds again pullulating over Damascus, it must be.
‘Brutal Violence’
Over the first months of 2011, the Arab Spring spread revolutionary fervor throughout North Africa and West Asia. Mass protests dislodged long-reigning dictators Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. Libya was plunged into civil war, and even hyper-repressive, British-created Gulf monarchies appeared threatened. There was one exception, however. For the most part, the streets of Syria remained stubbornly calm.
This was despite relentless calls for upheaval by local opposition elements. Repeated demands for a “day of rage” against Assad’s government were widely publicized in the Western media but locally unheeded. As Al Jazeera explained in February of that year, Syrians had no appetite for regime change. For one, the country’s ethnically and religiously diverse population cherished their state’s secularism and feared unrest would create potentially violent tensions between them all.
Inconveniently, too, Assad was extremely popular, particularly with younger Syrians. He was widely perceived as a reformer who encouraged and protected diversity and inclusion, while overseeing a system that, while far from perfect, delivered comparatively high standards of education, healthcare, and much else for average citizens. Moreover, his refusal to accommodate Israel, unlike many other leaders in the region, was also greatly respected.

Peace in Damascus finally shattered in mid-March 2011, when massive demonstrations broke out in several major cities, following weeks of sporadic, small-scale bursts of public disobedience across the country. Reports of thousands arrested and an uncertain number of protesters killed spread widely. This was the spark that ignited the West’s secret dirty war in Syria. Ominously, mere days earlier, a truck carrying vast quantities of grenades and guns was intercepted at Syria’s border with Iraq.
Pater Frans was a Jesuit priest from the Netherlands who, in 1980, established a community center and farm near Homs. Ever after, he preached harmony between faiths and cared for people with disabilities. When the Syrian crisis erupted, he began publishing regular observations of events, deeply critical of both the government and the opposition. It is unknown whether such problematic insights motivated Frans’ murder by armed militants in April 2014. This was not long after he refused an offer of UN evacuation.
Before his death, Frans repeatedly noted that “from the start,” he witnessed armed demonstrators fire on police. “Very often,” he once recorded, “the violence of the security forces has been a reaction to the brutal violence of the armed rebels.” In September 2011, he wrote:
“From the start there has been the problem of the armed groups, which are also part of the opposition…The opposition of the street is much stronger than any other opposition. And this opposition is armed and frequently employs brutality and violence, only in order then to blame the government.”
‘Unidentified Bodies’
If peaceful protesters were killed in the initial stages of the Syrian “revolution”, the question of who was responsible remains unanswered today. The Central Crisis Management Cell records indicate in the days leading up to the mid-March protests, government officials issued explicit instructions to security forces that citizens “should not be provoked”:
“In order to avoid the consequences of continued incitement…and foil the attempts of inciters to exploit any pretext, civil police and security agents are requested not to provoke citizens.”
Similarly, on April 18th that year, the Cell ordered the military to only “counter with weapons those who carry weapons against the state, while ensuring that civilians are not harmed.” Four days later though, “at least” 72 protesters were allegedly shot dead by authorities in Daraa and Douma, the highest reported daily death toll since the demonstrations began. Condemnation from rights groups and Western leaders was instantaneous, and fiery.
Three months later, a number of Syrian Arab Army officers defected, forming the Free Syrian Army. They claimed to have become disaffected and thrown their weight behind the opposition due to the April 18th slaughter, alleging the mass shooting was expressly ordered by their superiors, which they refused to fulfill. However, if orders to execute protesters were given, they evidently weren’t approved by Assad or his ministers.

Syrian government defectors
Cell records show the highest echelons of the Syrian government were extremely unhappy about the killings in Daraa and Douma, with one official cautioning this “difficult day” had “created a new situation…pushing us into circumstances we are better off without.” They further lamented, “if the directives previously issued had been adhered to, we would have prevented bloodshed, and matters would not have come to this culmination.”
An obvious suspicion is the use of lethal force was directed by Army commanders planning to defect, who wanted to concoct a valiant pretext for their desertion, while creating significant problems for the government. This interpretation is amply reinforced by defectors claiming soldiers who refused the order to kill civilians were themselves executed.
That narrative was eagerly seized upon by mainstream media, rights groups, and the Syrian opposition as proof of Assad’s maniacal bloodlust. Yet, even the Western-funded Syrian Observatory of Human Rights has dismissed it as entirely false “propaganda”, intended to create divisions within government forces and encourage further defections. More sinister, this narrative also provided a convenient explanation for why Syrian security operatives began dying in large numbers immediately after the “peaceful” protests began.
From late March onwards, targeted killings of security operatives and soldiers by unknown assailants became routine, before the military was even formally deployed in Syria. By early May, the Cell requested daily updates on casualties among “our own forces.” Publicly though, the government initially remained silent on the slaughter. The Cell records suggest officials were afraid of showing weakness, inflaming tensions, and encouraging further violence.
It was not until June, with the slaughter of at least 120 security forces by armed militants who’d taken over the town of Jisr al-Shughour, that Damascus – and the Western media – acknowledged the killing spree. Cell records show that by this time, government supporters were routinely being abducted, tortured, and murdered by opposition actors by the dozen. One weekly incident report, for example, refers to how “a refrigerated vehicle was found on the Homs-Zaydal highway, containing 27 unidentified bodies displaying gunshot wounds and signs of torture.”

The fall of Jisr al-Shughour
This bloodletting led to the Syrian military’s formal deployment, and eruption of all-out war against Damascus. Every step of the way, authorities were keen to identify individuals who “incited demonstrations and those who had contacts with foreign bodies, whether they are media bodies or plotters, or bodies which took part in funding and arming demonstrators [emphasis added].” Still, despite the carnage, the Cell’s instructions remained unambiguous.
“Ensure that no drop of blood is shed when confronting and dispersing peaceful demonstrations,” an August memo stated. The following month, an order to “prohibit harming any detainee” was issued. “If there is evidence” that any security official “fell short in carrying out any mission,” the Cell dictated, the “officer, head of branch or field commander” in question would have to explain themselves to the government personally, “to hold them accountable.”
‘Some Chaos’
Several striking passages in the Cell documents refer to unidentified snipers lurking on rooftops and buildings adjacent to protests from the upheaval’s beginning, firing on crowds below. One memo records that in late April 2011, a sniper near an Aleppo mosque “shot demonstrators, killing one and injuring 43,” and “the situation of some injured is still delicate.”
As such, “arresting inciters, especially those shooting at demonstrators,” was considered a core priority for the Assad government for much of that year. Around this time, the Cell also hit upon the idea of capturing “a sniper, inciter or infiltrator” and presenting them publicly in a “convincing” manner. One official suggested, “surrounding and catching a sniper alive or injured and exposing him in the media is not impossible,” which would “restore public trust in security agencies and the police.”
Yet, this never came to pass. Damascus also neglected to publicly present a bombshell document circulated among “the so-called Syrian opposition in Lebanon”, which its intelligence services intercepted in May 2011. The remarkable file, reproduced in full in the Cell records, lays bare the opposition’s insurrectionary plans, providing a clear blueprint for precisely what had happened since March, and what was to come.
The opposition proposed convening mass demonstrations, so security forces “will lose control of all regions,” be “taken unaware,” and become “exhausted and distracted.” This, along with “honest officers and soldiers” joining “the ranks of the revolution”, would make “toppling down the regime” straightforward, it was believed, particularly as any crackdown on these protests would encourage a Western “military strike,” ala Libya. The opposition foresaw mainstream news outlets playing a significant role in making this happen:
“Everyone should be confident that with the continuation of demonstrations today, media channels will have no choice but to cover the events…Al Jazeera will be late due to considerations of mutual interests. But we have Al Arabiya and Western media channels who will come forward, and we will all see the change of tone in covering the events and demonstrations will be aired on all channels and they will have wide coverage.”
The document is the most palpable evidence to date that the entire Syrian “revolution” unfolded over the next decade according to a pre-prepared, well-honed script. Whether this was drawn up in direct collusion with Western powers remains to be proven. Still, the presence of snipers picking off protesters is a strong indication among many that this was the case.
Unidentified snipers are a frequent fixture of US-orchestrated colour revolutions and CIA coups, such as the attempted overthrow of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in 2002, and Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan “revolution”. In both cases, the shooting of unarmed protesters by snipers was pivotal to unseating the targeted government. In Kiev, demonstrations that began months earlier had started running out of steam, when scores of anti-government activists were abruptly slain by sniper fire.
This turned the entire crowd violent, while triggering an avalanche of international condemnation, making President Viktor Yanukovych’s downfall a fait accompli. In the years since, three Georgian mercenaries have claimed they were expressly ordered by nationalist opposition actors and a US military veteran embedded with them to carry out a massacre, and “sow some chaos.” That foreign actors are involved in sowing the current chaos in Syria couldn’t be more unambiguous, or writ larger. But there’s more.
ACTIVE MEASURES special episode on the proxy war against Syria.
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2024/12/ ... t-origins/
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Erdogan Backstabs His Way Into Center of Middle East Conflict
Posted on December 2, 2024 by Conor Gallagher
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan just had a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Nov. 24 in which the former reportedly talked up plans to expand cooperation as the two countries have done in recent years. Part of that includes years of Moscow holding the hands of Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in an effort to mend ties due to Türkiye’s key role in the dirty war effort to topple the Assad government.
Beijing was also interested in seeing that reconciliation happen and were led by Erdogan to believe it was in the cards and that Türkiye’s days of launching jihadi operations were over.
The Turkish people are also overwhelmingly against the Israel-US rampage through the Middle East, and Erdogan has spent the past year-plus railing against their crimes and selling the people on stopping the flow of supplies to Tel Aviv vital for its genocidal operations (in reality he’s only been disguising it).
Erdogan stabbed them all in the back when it launched its paramilitary forces in northwestern Syria into action last week in the most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020, when Russian-backed government forces seized areas previously controlled by opposition fighters.
US proxies — Ukrainian neo-Nazis, Islamic fundamentalists, and Zionist genocidaires — are all converging on Syria in a renewed attempt to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or at least peel off more territory ahead of any potential settlement and weaken the influence of Tehran in the country.
Türkiye, as the biggest backer of the Islamist paramilitaries Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, is playing a central role. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is denying Ankara involvement, but while that’s implausible enough given that Türkiye has long provided all types of support, it’s even more so considering that the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army militia reportedly participated in the battle alongside HTS. Elsewhere, Turkish security sources are saying they attempted to prevent the offensive but were unsuccessful while adding that it’s only “a limited offensive.”
While many in various corners are celebrating the offensive thinking this will weaken Russia (reports are that Russia is having to send reinforcement to Syria) and finally topple the hated Assad, a few things to keep in mind:
-HTS aren’t “rebels”, they’re the strongest iteration of AQ, ever
-Türkiye’s SNA/partnership with HTS don’t make it a “threat” to Israel, as Türkiye actively aids Israel (see: Aleppo)
-US/West is in favor of, if not behind this operation (see: scumbag thinktankers celebrating)
— Lindsey Snell (@LindseySnell) November 29, 2024
What Is Türkiye Doing in Syria?
Here is the state of the situation in Syria as of Sunday morning, according to Elijah J Magnier:
The Syrian opposition forces, primarily led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahrar al-Sham, with support from Islamist jihadist groups, have launched a significant ground offensive over the past 48 hours in rural Idlib, rural Aleppo, and parts of Aleppo city supported by drones and armoured battalions. In a rapid and well-coordinated advance, they have captured dozens of villages, including strategic areas along the M4 and M5 international highways connecting Damascus to Aleppo and Aleppo to Latakia, as well as the critical cities of Saraqeb and most of Aleppo. With the Syrian army’s defensive lines nearly nonexistent, it appears only a matter of time before opposition forces gain complete control of Aleppo city. Reclaiming these losses would require tens of thousands of troops, a resource the Syrian army does not currently possess.
Some reports now say that the opposition groups are already in control of Aleppo and Syrian government forces fell back to prepare for a counterattack.
The Turkish-backed offensive is conveniently timed to coincide with the Lebanon “ceasefire,” and according to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli officials view the advance on Aleppo as an opportunity to weaken Syria. That is unsurprising as it’s widely believed that Israel, thwarted in its ground invasion of Lebanon, has circled back to its previous backup plan following its 2006 failure in Lebanon, which is to eliminate Iran’s ability to resupply Hezbollah via Syria.
Türkiye is helping. As Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh said on 29 November, the Turkish-HTS offensive comes “within the framework of serving the goals of the Israeli occupation entity and its sponsors.”
Not only are Erdogan’s denunciations of Tel Aviv empty words, but it appears he is actively conspiring with Netanyahu and the US in Syria.
According to AFP and Russia’s Izvestia, Turkish intelligence gave the green light to and is helping to direct the offensive. It was coordinated between Turkish, Ukrainian, and French intelligence, with Israeli backing and US approval. HTS also receives considerable support from Ukrainian special forces with a focus on drone warfare to target Russian and Syrian positions — a connection facilitated by the Turks.
The US, like Turkey, is denying any involvement in the HTS-led offensive, but claimed the reason for Syria’s problems are Assad’s “reliance on Russia and Iran.”
Elsewhere in Syria, Israel is working in tandem with ISIS. Here’s what Syrian researcher, former soldier and journalist Ibrahim Wahdi told Vanessa Beeley about one such IAF attack on Syrian forces in Palmyra:
Local sources said that the Zionist aggression on the SAA and auxiliary forces in Palmyra city came during their rest after returning from military missions in the central Syrian desert.
According to field sources these units had been engaged in fierce clashes with ISIS terrorist groups in the Al Shoula area of the Deir Ezzor desert after they had been spotted infiltrating from within the US-imposed 55km exclusion zone around the US unlawful military base of Al Tanf on the border with Jordan, taking advantage of heavy fog to try and advance towards Syrian allied positions.
The Syrian allied forces routed the ISIS terrorists and caused significant injures and deaths among their ranks. Israel attacked Palmyra from the Al Tanf “protected” airspace therefore we can conclude that Israel was supporting the ISIS terrorist operations with airstrikes against the forces that have been entirely responsible for the defeat of ISIS in Syria with the help of the Russian Airforce since September 2015.
Beeley’s conclusion:
Israel is trying to decimate the Syrian Air Defence capability, demoralise and deplete Syrian armed forces and to destroy the essential infrastructure that provides a road link to Lebanon and the Hezbollah resistance forces. At the same time the US and Israel are bombing the Al Bukamal border crossing with Iraq to try to close the land bridge between Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Thus they are intending to isolate both Lebanon and Syria from their allies and to break the links in the Resistance chain of supply which includes humanitarian aid, energy resources to combat the US occupation of Syrian resources, and military equipment to support the Resistance.
…The plan is clear – to deplete Syrian military capability and to keep the Syrian Arab Army busy on multiple fronts – in the north-west (Idlib), in the north (Türkiye and former Free Syrian Army proxies), in the north-east (US and Kurdish Contras), in the east (US base at Al-Tanf incubator for terror gangs including ISIS) and in the south (possible land invasion by Israel and Druze separatists backed by Israel, remnants of illegal armed groups in Daraa and surrounding countryside).
HTS (at that time still known as Al Nusra) and other jihadist groups previously had control of the majority of Syrian territory in the mid-2010s, before a major intervention by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah swung the situation in the other direction. According to Military Watch, the only reason HTS can continue to operate northwestern Syria is because Turkey has the area under its protection with military bases. Past Syrian efforts to defeat HTS and retake Idlib were squashed by the Turks, including air and artillery support to target Syrian positions and protect jihadists.
Turkey by assisting HTS and others in the current offensive — if not directing it — is violating the 2019 agreement it sponsored along with Russia and Iran to freeze the line of the conflict.
Since that 2019 agreement the US has kept up sanctions in an effort to strangle Syria while Israel continued to bomb groups that it claimed were Iranian revolutionary guards or Hezbollah militants. It would appear Erdogan simply used the 2019 freeze not to work towards a permanent peace with Assad’s Syria, but to rearm and prepare.
Erdogan Calculations
Erdogan’s interests in this case overlap with the US-Ukraine-Israel group. The diehard neo-Ottoman ambitions of Erdogan and his clique, which wish to see Turkey strengthen its influence over much of the former empire, coincide with the US-Ukraine-Israel’s desire to curtail Russian and Iranian influence curtailed in the region.
At the bare minimum Türkiye is looking to get more territory under its and its proxies control in Syria ahead of any permanent settlement (potentially under Trump II) for refugee return and which would also allow Ankara better positioning to neutralize the Kurdish forces it sees as a threat. Türkiye hosts more than three million Syrians, which Erdogan is under pressure domestically to do something about, and has been accused of coercing thousands into signing declarations of “voluntary return.” As the security environment “strengthens” in Syria, Erdogan says more Syrians will be expelled from Türkiye.
Turkish President Erdogan:
Voluntary returns to Syria will accelerate. pic.twitter.com/MDlOzRQoTy
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 29, 2024
That’s the generous view. The other is that all Erdogan’s talk about joining the BRICS, SCO, statements against Israel, thawing ties with Assad, (Syria wants Erdogan to withdraw troops and Islamist paramilitary groups before normalizing ties, which Erdogan refuses to do) have been a big head fake.
Burning Moscow — Again
Ankara faces a difficult balancing act with Moscow. Türkiye does not want to see Russia (or Iran) become too strong in the region and has always used the US as a counterweight. At the same time, Russia and Türkiye have a mutually beneficial economic relationship — one that has been critical to Erdogan’s political survival and helpful to Moscow in bypassing Western sanctions.
The US is increasingly putting that arrangement under strain by slapping more sanctions on Turkish and Russian entities, including recent restrictions on Gazprombank, which is linked to the Russian gas giant. Ankara is trying to get the US to agree to a waiver, a decision Washington would be unlikely to take without something in return.
Türkiye gets nearly half of its natural gas and a quarter of its oil from Russia on good deals. Russia even showed flexibility on payment to help Erdogan get re-elected this year.
Russian tourism to Turkiye has gone through the roof since the war in Ukraine and western sanctions started. Russia is also completing work on a nuclear power plant in Türkiye, a major milestone for the country on a deal beneficial to Türkiye, which includes the training of nuclear engineers by the Russians. Not only that, but Ugur Gurses, a former Turkish central banker, believes the Russians were using that plant to transfer funds by purchasing Turkish bonds instead of direct bank transfers in a boost to Türkiye’s foreign reserves in a bid to help Erdogan get re-elected, which he did in the closest call in his two-decade rule.
Erdogan’s calculations in Syria likely conclude that Russia cannot retaliate too hard… yet. Erdogan similarly reneged on a deal with Russia last year when he returned Azov fighters in Turkish custody to Ukraine in violation of a prisoner exchange deal. While Moscow would no doubt be furious over Turkish support for the Syrian offensive, Russia also wants to ensure going forward that Türkiye will continue to keep the Turkish Straits closed to NATO warships thereby keeping them out of the Black Sea. Russia wants to continue to send oil and gas to and through Türkiye to remaining European customers. Russia also needs to maintain good ties with Azerbaijan, which is close to Israel and Türkiye, for transport corridor purposes.
Meanwhile, Türkiye is getting a lot of good will from the West recently.
It looks like the US is rethinking the sale of F-35s to Türkiye, which was dropped from the program over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense system. It was rumored that Türkiye would have to hand over the S-400s for readmission to the F-35 program, but in light of the recent developments in Syria, maybe that’s not what the Americans were after. Der Spiegel recently reported that Germany’s Federal Security Council, which meets in secret, is approving the sale of $368 million worth of heavy weaponry to Türkiye, as well as reconsidering Türkiye’s request to purchase Eurofighter warplanes. That’s big news as it marks the end of a years-long unofficial embargo imposed by Western allies on Türkiye, which has hampered its defense sector development.
Burning China and the SCO
One of the biggest items on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) agenda at this summer’s summit, which Türkiye attended, was the resolution of the Syria issue.
The SCO has always emphasized the importance of combating terrorism and radicalism, especially in Central Asia where the US has tried to stir up trouble in recent years to no avail as investment by China and Russia in these countries dwarfs what the West has on offer. The recent summit, however, was seen as an expansion of the SCO’s ambitions to become the security provider to the Eurasian continent.
What the SCO wants to guard against above all else is efforts by the West to use terrorism or any other division strategies to thwart the growing power and economic integration of its member states.
Erdoğan attended the SCO summit and played up Türkiye’s potential contributions to the organization. Here he is alongside President Xi Jinping:
“The organization has become one of our important dialogue channels with Asia owing to our dialogue partner status, which we’ve held since 2013,” he said. “Our many years of experience fighting terrorism show that international cooperation is essential to dealing with this threat. In this context, we are ready to further strengthen our dialogue with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.”
In reality, Erdogan has done more supporting of terrorism than fighting. The Idlib governate straddling the Turkish border controlled by jihadist groups and supported by Ankara for is the primary hub of Islamist terror operations not only in Syria but also one of the biggest in the world.
Erdogan had an opportunity to wind that down, but instead looks to be doubling down, and Beijing is sure to be upset with his latest demonstration that he cannot be trusted.
Erdoğan, once an outspoken critic of Beijing due to its alleged treatment of Uyghurs, a Muslim minority of Turkic origin in western China, has almost completely dropped his criticism in recent years.
Both Erdoğan at the SCO summit and FM Fidan on his summer trip to China (where he said Türkiye “will not allow activities in Türkiye that undermine China’s territorial integrity” in reference to support for jihadists that could aid Xinjiang separatists) were asking for more investment from Beijing in Türkiye. (The EU-27 countries still contribute 59 percent of Türkiye’s foreign direct investment inflows.)
Beijing was slowly obliging. Chinese automotive company BYD recently announced that it will construct a $1 billion plant in western Türkiye. Ali Baba is planning to invest $2 billion in Turkiye. The Chinese lithium-ion power batteries company Farisis started production at a plant near Istanbul last year. Ankara is also in separate talks with Chinese EV makers SAIC Motor Corp., Chery Automobile, and Great Wall Motor Co for investments in factories in Türkiye.
One wonders if Beijing is rethinking.
Uyghur-led Turkestan Islamic Party advertising its involvement in the insurgent offensive, participating in the battles extended from Saraqeb in Idlib countryside to Morek in north Hama countryside pic.twitter.com/q6XRlVObVH
— Aymenn J Al-Tamimi (@ajaltamimi) November 30, 2024
Shortsighted Calculations?
Erdogan’s ongoing support for extremist groups not only puts the economic relationship with China and Russia at risk, but if he’s doing so in part due to promises from the West, that could end up coming back to bite him. Like Erdogan, the US-led West is not agreement-capable, and any sanctions relief, F-35 deals, or Zangezur corridor promises could be snatched away as quickly as they’ve been gifted.
There’s also a good chance that Türkiye is throwing in with the losing side. An Iranian response to Israel is supposedly still coming. This renewed push by US proxies in Syria makes it more likely it’s going to be a strong one this time.
And the Moscow and Damascus response is already underway in Syria. From Military Watch:
…it was reported that over 400 militants were killed in the first 24 hours of engagements. The casualties were reported by deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, Captain 1st rank Oleg Ignasyuk, who stated: “Illegal armed units linked to the Jabhat Al Nusra terrorist organization started to attack government-controlled areas in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib at 7:50 a.m. on November 27. The Syrian army, backed by Russia’s Aerospace Forces, is engaged in heavy fighting. Terrorist units suffered major troop and equipment losses in the past 24 hours. At least 400 militants were eliminated.” The figures appear credible when considering Al Nusa’s demonstrated ability in the past to absorb massive casualties during its offensives, as well as the heavily fortified nature of the Syrian Arab Army’s positions between Aleppo and the Idlib governate where the jihadist group’s forces are based. Reports have indicated that foreign advisors supporting the offensives of have also been killed, with both Türkiye and Ukraine having provided such support to Al Nusra in the front.
Russian jets very active in Syria right now. Their job is to deplete militant resources, destroy logistics, inflict as many casualties as possible, anything that slows them down. Air power can’t hold a city, but it can make life very unpleasant for the bad guys – and buy time.
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) November 30, 2024
According to Larry Johnson at Sonar21, “Reports on Telegram indicate that Syria, with ample support from Russia, are responding effectively to defeat the HTS attack. “
As referenced above, Russia might want Türkiye’s cooperation on the Black Sea and economic fronts for now, but for how much longer is it deemed necessary? Put another way, at what point does the cost of catering to Erdogan outweigh the benefits?
Maybe Russia, armed with its actual wonder weapons (as opposed to the imaginary Western ones), decides it’ll deal with the consequences of the Turkish straits being opened to NATO warships. Maybe Moscow decides it has enough other oil and gas customers, and it’ll take the hit by forgoing the exports to Türkiye and southeastern Europe. And there are other nations willing to help Russia bypass sanctions — although not in the EU customs union like Turkey.
Russia likely doesn’t want an even worse Türkiye headache at this time, but once Ukraine is eventually wrapped up, it could be bad news for Erdogan and his inner circle. It could be bad news even sooner if the majority of Turks figure out he’s playing them with all his fiery rhetoric against Israel.
We recently wrote about the potential spread of the Middle East conflict to the Caucasus region. All the major players from the Middle East conflicts are heavily involved in geopolitical maneuvering in the Caucasus. With Türkiye’s dramatic step into the ring and the Georgia color revolution attempt in full swing, as well as ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions with a heavy American presence in the former, it unfortunately looks like we’re inching closer to the Caucasus becoming another theater of the increasingly global New Cold War conflict.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2024/12 ... flict.html
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Ukraine Trained Terrorists Operate in Syria

Islamists militants. X/ @Xnews_with_grok
December 2, 2024 Hour: 10:04 am
Since the beginning of this year, Ukraine-backed groups have repeatedly attacked Russian troops in Syria.
On Sunday, the Kyiv Post published a report showing that Ukraine’s General Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) special forces group “Khimik” trained terrorist groups operating in Idlib, a province located in northwestern Syria.
Among these groups is the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), whose training that included tactics developed during the Ukrainian war and the use of combat drones. The HUR is an agency under the Defense Ministry and its actions are directly authorized by the Office of the President Vodolymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine has deployed members of its special forces to Syria to fight against Russian military personnel in the Arab country, thereby opening a new front in the Kyiv-Moscow war.
Since the beginning of this year, terrorist groups supported by Ukrainian fighters have repeatedly attacked Russian military installations and troops in Syria, which are present in the country to assist in combating terrorism at the request of President Bashar al-Assad.
The Kyiv Post report shows that the Khimik group attacked a Russian military base on September 15 in the southeastern outskirts of Aleppo, where a workshop for manufacturing Russian combat drones and improvised explosive devices was located. Earlier, at the end of July, Khimik launched another attack against Russian military equipment at the Kuweires airfield, east of Aleppo.
Ukraine has compensated for its defeats to Moscow in the ongoing conflict by providing military support to terrorist groups in Syria in exchange for receiving mercenaries to aid in its battles with Russia.
On November 27, the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham—Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria—launched a lightning offensive against Aleppo and the surrounding countryside in Idlib before attempting to advance into Hama province.
Currently, the Syrian Arab Army is carrying out a massive counteroffensive that has killed hundreds of terrorists over the past four days and forced them to retreat from many strategic areas.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/ukraine- ... -in-syria/
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Pocket terrorists of the CIA and MOSSAD
December 2, 9:22

CIA and MOSSAD pocket terrorists Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)* open a new front against Russia
The leader of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist organization, led by Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani, has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Jawlani, who was raised in Camp Bucca during the Iraq War, has featured prominently in American documentaries, including the PBS series Frontline.
HTS leader Jawlani, whose real name is Osama al-Abbasi al-Wahidi, was born in Daraa in northern Syria. His biographies describe him as a CIA recruit. According to open sources, he joined al-Qaeda in Iraq during the invasion of Iraq and quickly rose through the ranks. He was close to Zarqawi, the leader of the organization until his death in 2006 following an airstrike . Jevlani, who fled Iraq, was captured and spent two years “training” in a camp in Bucca, where the US allegedly created ISIS, before being released without cause. After leaving Bucca, he began working with ISIS leader Baghdadi, who sent Jevlani to Syria in 2011.
After his release, he worked with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and later received support from Hamza bin Laden in 2015. During this time, he gave frequent speeches as ISIS’s power in Syria began to wane. In his speech, he said that the region to target should be Latakia, where Russia is strong. He also called on Muslims living in Russia to attack civilians in the country.
HTS has recently made attempts to distance itself from its ties to al-Qaeda. Recently, for the first time in more than a decade, a long-closed church in Idlib province was hosted by Jawlani.
James Jeffrey, the former US special representative for Syria, called HTS a “valuable tool” in the US strategy in Idlib. Jeffrey acknowledged that HTS is primarily focused on fighting Assad and does not pose an international threat. While arguing that it was an “unfair and political decision” for the US to designate itself as terrorists, Jawlani himself used the following statements:
“The current Assad regime deserves to be included on the terrorist list. We have not posed a threat to Western society in any way. We call on these countries to reconsider their policies. We criticize Western policies in the AMI region, but we have never talked about starting a war against the US.”
Abu Ahmed Zekkour, known as HTS's financial director, published a letter on December 14, 2023, severing ties with the organization and accusing Jawlani of being a US agent. Zekkour claimed that Jawlani met with US and British intelligence officials at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing.
Tasnim, the Iranian News Agency, reported in a report on September 17, 2024, that HTS has also received support in training and producing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Ukrainian military instructors. A group of 250 Ukrainian instructors are training HTS fighters in Idlib on the operation, production, and upgrading of UAVs. The instructors have been deployed at various production facilities in Idlib city and Jisir al-Shughur area.
The Syrian government is still struggling to restore sovereignty over the entire territory of the country against Takfiri groups run by the CIA and Mossad. With Russia's advance on the Ukrainian front, it has become known that the United States is heading from Ukraine to Syria in an attempt to distract Russia and open a new front in the region. The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan reported that Kirill Budanov was in regular contact with the leader of the Tahrir al-Sham delegation.
The Institute for the Study of Intelligence channel @RHVDIIS
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9528864.html
Google Translator
Posted by Internationalist 360° on December 1, 2024
Kit Klarenberg

Fighters from HTS train in Idlib Province, Syria. Photo: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images
On November 27th, ultra-extremist militants Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a vast offensive in Syria. Within days, the Turkey-backed faction seized significant swaths of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, and advances elsewhere continue. While disinformation on the scale and success of HTS’ incursions abounds on social media, establishment news outlets remain the primary source of manipulation and deceit. No context to the current upsurge of violence is provided, although reference has been widely made to supposedly “peaceful” protests in 2011 that produced the decade-long Syrian civil war.
According to this narrative, pro-democracy demonstrators were brutally attacked by Syrian authorities for taking a righteous, public stand. Yet, the reality of what happened during that fateful time is amply documented in the Syrian government’s own internal documents. Namely, records of the Central Crisis Management Cell, created in March 2011 by Damascus to manage official responses to mass rioting that began weeks earlier.
Mainstream outlets have previously reported on this trove, dubbing them The Assad Files. However, reporters and rights groups have universally misrepresented, distorted or simply falsified their contents, in order to wrongfully convict Syrian officials of horrific crimes. In some instances, quite literally. In reality, the documents show Assad and his ministers struggled valiantly to prevent the upheaval from escalating into violence on either side, protect demonstrators, and keep the situation under control.
Meanwhile, sinister, unseen forces systematically murdered security service officials, pro-government figures, and protesters to foment catastrophe in a manner similar to many CIA regime change operations old and new. This shocking story has never before been told. Now, with dark insurrectionary clouds again pullulating over Damascus, it must be.
‘Brutal Violence’
Over the first months of 2011, the Arab Spring spread revolutionary fervor throughout North Africa and West Asia. Mass protests dislodged long-reigning dictators Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. Libya was plunged into civil war, and even hyper-repressive, British-created Gulf monarchies appeared threatened. There was one exception, however. For the most part, the streets of Syria remained stubbornly calm.
This was despite relentless calls for upheaval by local opposition elements. Repeated demands for a “day of rage” against Assad’s government were widely publicized in the Western media but locally unheeded. As Al Jazeera explained in February of that year, Syrians had no appetite for regime change. For one, the country’s ethnically and religiously diverse population cherished their state’s secularism and feared unrest would create potentially violent tensions between them all.
Inconveniently, too, Assad was extremely popular, particularly with younger Syrians. He was widely perceived as a reformer who encouraged and protected diversity and inclusion, while overseeing a system that, while far from perfect, delivered comparatively high standards of education, healthcare, and much else for average citizens. Moreover, his refusal to accommodate Israel, unlike many other leaders in the region, was also greatly respected.

Peace in Damascus finally shattered in mid-March 2011, when massive demonstrations broke out in several major cities, following weeks of sporadic, small-scale bursts of public disobedience across the country. Reports of thousands arrested and an uncertain number of protesters killed spread widely. This was the spark that ignited the West’s secret dirty war in Syria. Ominously, mere days earlier, a truck carrying vast quantities of grenades and guns was intercepted at Syria’s border with Iraq.
Pater Frans was a Jesuit priest from the Netherlands who, in 1980, established a community center and farm near Homs. Ever after, he preached harmony between faiths and cared for people with disabilities. When the Syrian crisis erupted, he began publishing regular observations of events, deeply critical of both the government and the opposition. It is unknown whether such problematic insights motivated Frans’ murder by armed militants in April 2014. This was not long after he refused an offer of UN evacuation.
Before his death, Frans repeatedly noted that “from the start,” he witnessed armed demonstrators fire on police. “Very often,” he once recorded, “the violence of the security forces has been a reaction to the brutal violence of the armed rebels.” In September 2011, he wrote:
“From the start there has been the problem of the armed groups, which are also part of the opposition…The opposition of the street is much stronger than any other opposition. And this opposition is armed and frequently employs brutality and violence, only in order then to blame the government.”
‘Unidentified Bodies’
If peaceful protesters were killed in the initial stages of the Syrian “revolution”, the question of who was responsible remains unanswered today. The Central Crisis Management Cell records indicate in the days leading up to the mid-March protests, government officials issued explicit instructions to security forces that citizens “should not be provoked”:
“In order to avoid the consequences of continued incitement…and foil the attempts of inciters to exploit any pretext, civil police and security agents are requested not to provoke citizens.”
Similarly, on April 18th that year, the Cell ordered the military to only “counter with weapons those who carry weapons against the state, while ensuring that civilians are not harmed.” Four days later though, “at least” 72 protesters were allegedly shot dead by authorities in Daraa and Douma, the highest reported daily death toll since the demonstrations began. Condemnation from rights groups and Western leaders was instantaneous, and fiery.
Three months later, a number of Syrian Arab Army officers defected, forming the Free Syrian Army. They claimed to have become disaffected and thrown their weight behind the opposition due to the April 18th slaughter, alleging the mass shooting was expressly ordered by their superiors, which they refused to fulfill. However, if orders to execute protesters were given, they evidently weren’t approved by Assad or his ministers.

Syrian government defectors
Cell records show the highest echelons of the Syrian government were extremely unhappy about the killings in Daraa and Douma, with one official cautioning this “difficult day” had “created a new situation…pushing us into circumstances we are better off without.” They further lamented, “if the directives previously issued had been adhered to, we would have prevented bloodshed, and matters would not have come to this culmination.”
An obvious suspicion is the use of lethal force was directed by Army commanders planning to defect, who wanted to concoct a valiant pretext for their desertion, while creating significant problems for the government. This interpretation is amply reinforced by defectors claiming soldiers who refused the order to kill civilians were themselves executed.
That narrative was eagerly seized upon by mainstream media, rights groups, and the Syrian opposition as proof of Assad’s maniacal bloodlust. Yet, even the Western-funded Syrian Observatory of Human Rights has dismissed it as entirely false “propaganda”, intended to create divisions within government forces and encourage further defections. More sinister, this narrative also provided a convenient explanation for why Syrian security operatives began dying in large numbers immediately after the “peaceful” protests began.
From late March onwards, targeted killings of security operatives and soldiers by unknown assailants became routine, before the military was even formally deployed in Syria. By early May, the Cell requested daily updates on casualties among “our own forces.” Publicly though, the government initially remained silent on the slaughter. The Cell records suggest officials were afraid of showing weakness, inflaming tensions, and encouraging further violence.
It was not until June, with the slaughter of at least 120 security forces by armed militants who’d taken over the town of Jisr al-Shughour, that Damascus – and the Western media – acknowledged the killing spree. Cell records show that by this time, government supporters were routinely being abducted, tortured, and murdered by opposition actors by the dozen. One weekly incident report, for example, refers to how “a refrigerated vehicle was found on the Homs-Zaydal highway, containing 27 unidentified bodies displaying gunshot wounds and signs of torture.”

The fall of Jisr al-Shughour
This bloodletting led to the Syrian military’s formal deployment, and eruption of all-out war against Damascus. Every step of the way, authorities were keen to identify individuals who “incited demonstrations and those who had contacts with foreign bodies, whether they are media bodies or plotters, or bodies which took part in funding and arming demonstrators [emphasis added].” Still, despite the carnage, the Cell’s instructions remained unambiguous.
“Ensure that no drop of blood is shed when confronting and dispersing peaceful demonstrations,” an August memo stated. The following month, an order to “prohibit harming any detainee” was issued. “If there is evidence” that any security official “fell short in carrying out any mission,” the Cell dictated, the “officer, head of branch or field commander” in question would have to explain themselves to the government personally, “to hold them accountable.”
‘Some Chaos’
Several striking passages in the Cell documents refer to unidentified snipers lurking on rooftops and buildings adjacent to protests from the upheaval’s beginning, firing on crowds below. One memo records that in late April 2011, a sniper near an Aleppo mosque “shot demonstrators, killing one and injuring 43,” and “the situation of some injured is still delicate.”
As such, “arresting inciters, especially those shooting at demonstrators,” was considered a core priority for the Assad government for much of that year. Around this time, the Cell also hit upon the idea of capturing “a sniper, inciter or infiltrator” and presenting them publicly in a “convincing” manner. One official suggested, “surrounding and catching a sniper alive or injured and exposing him in the media is not impossible,” which would “restore public trust in security agencies and the police.”
Yet, this never came to pass. Damascus also neglected to publicly present a bombshell document circulated among “the so-called Syrian opposition in Lebanon”, which its intelligence services intercepted in May 2011. The remarkable file, reproduced in full in the Cell records, lays bare the opposition’s insurrectionary plans, providing a clear blueprint for precisely what had happened since March, and what was to come.
The opposition proposed convening mass demonstrations, so security forces “will lose control of all regions,” be “taken unaware,” and become “exhausted and distracted.” This, along with “honest officers and soldiers” joining “the ranks of the revolution”, would make “toppling down the regime” straightforward, it was believed, particularly as any crackdown on these protests would encourage a Western “military strike,” ala Libya. The opposition foresaw mainstream news outlets playing a significant role in making this happen:
“Everyone should be confident that with the continuation of demonstrations today, media channels will have no choice but to cover the events…Al Jazeera will be late due to considerations of mutual interests. But we have Al Arabiya and Western media channels who will come forward, and we will all see the change of tone in covering the events and demonstrations will be aired on all channels and they will have wide coverage.”
The document is the most palpable evidence to date that the entire Syrian “revolution” unfolded over the next decade according to a pre-prepared, well-honed script. Whether this was drawn up in direct collusion with Western powers remains to be proven. Still, the presence of snipers picking off protesters is a strong indication among many that this was the case.
Unidentified snipers are a frequent fixture of US-orchestrated colour revolutions and CIA coups, such as the attempted overthrow of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in 2002, and Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan “revolution”. In both cases, the shooting of unarmed protesters by snipers was pivotal to unseating the targeted government. In Kiev, demonstrations that began months earlier had started running out of steam, when scores of anti-government activists were abruptly slain by sniper fire.
This turned the entire crowd violent, while triggering an avalanche of international condemnation, making President Viktor Yanukovych’s downfall a fait accompli. In the years since, three Georgian mercenaries have claimed they were expressly ordered by nationalist opposition actors and a US military veteran embedded with them to carry out a massacre, and “sow some chaos.” That foreign actors are involved in sowing the current chaos in Syria couldn’t be more unambiguous, or writ larger. But there’s more.
ACTIVE MEASURES special episode on the proxy war against Syria.
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2024/12/ ... t-origins/
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Erdogan Backstabs His Way Into Center of Middle East Conflict
Posted on December 2, 2024 by Conor Gallagher
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan just had a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Nov. 24 in which the former reportedly talked up plans to expand cooperation as the two countries have done in recent years. Part of that includes years of Moscow holding the hands of Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in an effort to mend ties due to Türkiye’s key role in the dirty war effort to topple the Assad government.
Beijing was also interested in seeing that reconciliation happen and were led by Erdogan to believe it was in the cards and that Türkiye’s days of launching jihadi operations were over.
The Turkish people are also overwhelmingly against the Israel-US rampage through the Middle East, and Erdogan has spent the past year-plus railing against their crimes and selling the people on stopping the flow of supplies to Tel Aviv vital for its genocidal operations (in reality he’s only been disguising it).
Erdogan stabbed them all in the back when it launched its paramilitary forces in northwestern Syria into action last week in the most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020, when Russian-backed government forces seized areas previously controlled by opposition fighters.
US proxies — Ukrainian neo-Nazis, Islamic fundamentalists, and Zionist genocidaires — are all converging on Syria in a renewed attempt to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or at least peel off more territory ahead of any potential settlement and weaken the influence of Tehran in the country.
Türkiye, as the biggest backer of the Islamist paramilitaries Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, is playing a central role. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is denying Ankara involvement, but while that’s implausible enough given that Türkiye has long provided all types of support, it’s even more so considering that the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army militia reportedly participated in the battle alongside HTS. Elsewhere, Turkish security sources are saying they attempted to prevent the offensive but were unsuccessful while adding that it’s only “a limited offensive.”
While many in various corners are celebrating the offensive thinking this will weaken Russia (reports are that Russia is having to send reinforcement to Syria) and finally topple the hated Assad, a few things to keep in mind:
-HTS aren’t “rebels”, they’re the strongest iteration of AQ, ever
-Türkiye’s SNA/partnership with HTS don’t make it a “threat” to Israel, as Türkiye actively aids Israel (see: Aleppo)
-US/West is in favor of, if not behind this operation (see: scumbag thinktankers celebrating)
— Lindsey Snell (@LindseySnell) November 29, 2024
What Is Türkiye Doing in Syria?
Here is the state of the situation in Syria as of Sunday morning, according to Elijah J Magnier:
The Syrian opposition forces, primarily led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahrar al-Sham, with support from Islamist jihadist groups, have launched a significant ground offensive over the past 48 hours in rural Idlib, rural Aleppo, and parts of Aleppo city supported by drones and armoured battalions. In a rapid and well-coordinated advance, they have captured dozens of villages, including strategic areas along the M4 and M5 international highways connecting Damascus to Aleppo and Aleppo to Latakia, as well as the critical cities of Saraqeb and most of Aleppo. With the Syrian army’s defensive lines nearly nonexistent, it appears only a matter of time before opposition forces gain complete control of Aleppo city. Reclaiming these losses would require tens of thousands of troops, a resource the Syrian army does not currently possess.
Some reports now say that the opposition groups are already in control of Aleppo and Syrian government forces fell back to prepare for a counterattack.
The Turkish-backed offensive is conveniently timed to coincide with the Lebanon “ceasefire,” and according to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israeli officials view the advance on Aleppo as an opportunity to weaken Syria. That is unsurprising as it’s widely believed that Israel, thwarted in its ground invasion of Lebanon, has circled back to its previous backup plan following its 2006 failure in Lebanon, which is to eliminate Iran’s ability to resupply Hezbollah via Syria.
Türkiye is helping. As Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh said on 29 November, the Turkish-HTS offensive comes “within the framework of serving the goals of the Israeli occupation entity and its sponsors.”
Not only are Erdogan’s denunciations of Tel Aviv empty words, but it appears he is actively conspiring with Netanyahu and the US in Syria.
According to AFP and Russia’s Izvestia, Turkish intelligence gave the green light to and is helping to direct the offensive. It was coordinated between Turkish, Ukrainian, and French intelligence, with Israeli backing and US approval. HTS also receives considerable support from Ukrainian special forces with a focus on drone warfare to target Russian and Syrian positions — a connection facilitated by the Turks.
The US, like Turkey, is denying any involvement in the HTS-led offensive, but claimed the reason for Syria’s problems are Assad’s “reliance on Russia and Iran.”
Elsewhere in Syria, Israel is working in tandem with ISIS. Here’s what Syrian researcher, former soldier and journalist Ibrahim Wahdi told Vanessa Beeley about one such IAF attack on Syrian forces in Palmyra:
Local sources said that the Zionist aggression on the SAA and auxiliary forces in Palmyra city came during their rest after returning from military missions in the central Syrian desert.
According to field sources these units had been engaged in fierce clashes with ISIS terrorist groups in the Al Shoula area of the Deir Ezzor desert after they had been spotted infiltrating from within the US-imposed 55km exclusion zone around the US unlawful military base of Al Tanf on the border with Jordan, taking advantage of heavy fog to try and advance towards Syrian allied positions.
The Syrian allied forces routed the ISIS terrorists and caused significant injures and deaths among their ranks. Israel attacked Palmyra from the Al Tanf “protected” airspace therefore we can conclude that Israel was supporting the ISIS terrorist operations with airstrikes against the forces that have been entirely responsible for the defeat of ISIS in Syria with the help of the Russian Airforce since September 2015.
Beeley’s conclusion:
Israel is trying to decimate the Syrian Air Defence capability, demoralise and deplete Syrian armed forces and to destroy the essential infrastructure that provides a road link to Lebanon and the Hezbollah resistance forces. At the same time the US and Israel are bombing the Al Bukamal border crossing with Iraq to try to close the land bridge between Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Thus they are intending to isolate both Lebanon and Syria from their allies and to break the links in the Resistance chain of supply which includes humanitarian aid, energy resources to combat the US occupation of Syrian resources, and military equipment to support the Resistance.
…The plan is clear – to deplete Syrian military capability and to keep the Syrian Arab Army busy on multiple fronts – in the north-west (Idlib), in the north (Türkiye and former Free Syrian Army proxies), in the north-east (US and Kurdish Contras), in the east (US base at Al-Tanf incubator for terror gangs including ISIS) and in the south (possible land invasion by Israel and Druze separatists backed by Israel, remnants of illegal armed groups in Daraa and surrounding countryside).
HTS (at that time still known as Al Nusra) and other jihadist groups previously had control of the majority of Syrian territory in the mid-2010s, before a major intervention by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah swung the situation in the other direction. According to Military Watch, the only reason HTS can continue to operate northwestern Syria is because Turkey has the area under its protection with military bases. Past Syrian efforts to defeat HTS and retake Idlib were squashed by the Turks, including air and artillery support to target Syrian positions and protect jihadists.
Turkey by assisting HTS and others in the current offensive — if not directing it — is violating the 2019 agreement it sponsored along with Russia and Iran to freeze the line of the conflict.
Since that 2019 agreement the US has kept up sanctions in an effort to strangle Syria while Israel continued to bomb groups that it claimed were Iranian revolutionary guards or Hezbollah militants. It would appear Erdogan simply used the 2019 freeze not to work towards a permanent peace with Assad’s Syria, but to rearm and prepare.
Erdogan Calculations
Erdogan’s interests in this case overlap with the US-Ukraine-Israel group. The diehard neo-Ottoman ambitions of Erdogan and his clique, which wish to see Turkey strengthen its influence over much of the former empire, coincide with the US-Ukraine-Israel’s desire to curtail Russian and Iranian influence curtailed in the region.
At the bare minimum Türkiye is looking to get more territory under its and its proxies control in Syria ahead of any permanent settlement (potentially under Trump II) for refugee return and which would also allow Ankara better positioning to neutralize the Kurdish forces it sees as a threat. Türkiye hosts more than three million Syrians, which Erdogan is under pressure domestically to do something about, and has been accused of coercing thousands into signing declarations of “voluntary return.” As the security environment “strengthens” in Syria, Erdogan says more Syrians will be expelled from Türkiye.
Turkish President Erdogan:
Voluntary returns to Syria will accelerate. pic.twitter.com/MDlOzRQoTy
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 29, 2024
That’s the generous view. The other is that all Erdogan’s talk about joining the BRICS, SCO, statements against Israel, thawing ties with Assad, (Syria wants Erdogan to withdraw troops and Islamist paramilitary groups before normalizing ties, which Erdogan refuses to do) have been a big head fake.
Burning Moscow — Again
Ankara faces a difficult balancing act with Moscow. Türkiye does not want to see Russia (or Iran) become too strong in the region and has always used the US as a counterweight. At the same time, Russia and Türkiye have a mutually beneficial economic relationship — one that has been critical to Erdogan’s political survival and helpful to Moscow in bypassing Western sanctions.
The US is increasingly putting that arrangement under strain by slapping more sanctions on Turkish and Russian entities, including recent restrictions on Gazprombank, which is linked to the Russian gas giant. Ankara is trying to get the US to agree to a waiver, a decision Washington would be unlikely to take without something in return.
Türkiye gets nearly half of its natural gas and a quarter of its oil from Russia on good deals. Russia even showed flexibility on payment to help Erdogan get re-elected this year.
Russian tourism to Turkiye has gone through the roof since the war in Ukraine and western sanctions started. Russia is also completing work on a nuclear power plant in Türkiye, a major milestone for the country on a deal beneficial to Türkiye, which includes the training of nuclear engineers by the Russians. Not only that, but Ugur Gurses, a former Turkish central banker, believes the Russians were using that plant to transfer funds by purchasing Turkish bonds instead of direct bank transfers in a boost to Türkiye’s foreign reserves in a bid to help Erdogan get re-elected, which he did in the closest call in his two-decade rule.
Erdogan’s calculations in Syria likely conclude that Russia cannot retaliate too hard… yet. Erdogan similarly reneged on a deal with Russia last year when he returned Azov fighters in Turkish custody to Ukraine in violation of a prisoner exchange deal. While Moscow would no doubt be furious over Turkish support for the Syrian offensive, Russia also wants to ensure going forward that Türkiye will continue to keep the Turkish Straits closed to NATO warships thereby keeping them out of the Black Sea. Russia wants to continue to send oil and gas to and through Türkiye to remaining European customers. Russia also needs to maintain good ties with Azerbaijan, which is close to Israel and Türkiye, for transport corridor purposes.
Meanwhile, Türkiye is getting a lot of good will from the West recently.
It looks like the US is rethinking the sale of F-35s to Türkiye, which was dropped from the program over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense system. It was rumored that Türkiye would have to hand over the S-400s for readmission to the F-35 program, but in light of the recent developments in Syria, maybe that’s not what the Americans were after. Der Spiegel recently reported that Germany’s Federal Security Council, which meets in secret, is approving the sale of $368 million worth of heavy weaponry to Türkiye, as well as reconsidering Türkiye’s request to purchase Eurofighter warplanes. That’s big news as it marks the end of a years-long unofficial embargo imposed by Western allies on Türkiye, which has hampered its defense sector development.
Burning China and the SCO
One of the biggest items on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) agenda at this summer’s summit, which Türkiye attended, was the resolution of the Syria issue.
The SCO has always emphasized the importance of combating terrorism and radicalism, especially in Central Asia where the US has tried to stir up trouble in recent years to no avail as investment by China and Russia in these countries dwarfs what the West has on offer. The recent summit, however, was seen as an expansion of the SCO’s ambitions to become the security provider to the Eurasian continent.
What the SCO wants to guard against above all else is efforts by the West to use terrorism or any other division strategies to thwart the growing power and economic integration of its member states.
Erdoğan attended the SCO summit and played up Türkiye’s potential contributions to the organization. Here he is alongside President Xi Jinping:
“The organization has become one of our important dialogue channels with Asia owing to our dialogue partner status, which we’ve held since 2013,” he said. “Our many years of experience fighting terrorism show that international cooperation is essential to dealing with this threat. In this context, we are ready to further strengthen our dialogue with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.”
In reality, Erdogan has done more supporting of terrorism than fighting. The Idlib governate straddling the Turkish border controlled by jihadist groups and supported by Ankara for is the primary hub of Islamist terror operations not only in Syria but also one of the biggest in the world.
Erdogan had an opportunity to wind that down, but instead looks to be doubling down, and Beijing is sure to be upset with his latest demonstration that he cannot be trusted.
Erdoğan, once an outspoken critic of Beijing due to its alleged treatment of Uyghurs, a Muslim minority of Turkic origin in western China, has almost completely dropped his criticism in recent years.
Both Erdoğan at the SCO summit and FM Fidan on his summer trip to China (where he said Türkiye “will not allow activities in Türkiye that undermine China’s territorial integrity” in reference to support for jihadists that could aid Xinjiang separatists) were asking for more investment from Beijing in Türkiye. (The EU-27 countries still contribute 59 percent of Türkiye’s foreign direct investment inflows.)
Beijing was slowly obliging. Chinese automotive company BYD recently announced that it will construct a $1 billion plant in western Türkiye. Ali Baba is planning to invest $2 billion in Turkiye. The Chinese lithium-ion power batteries company Farisis started production at a plant near Istanbul last year. Ankara is also in separate talks with Chinese EV makers SAIC Motor Corp., Chery Automobile, and Great Wall Motor Co for investments in factories in Türkiye.
One wonders if Beijing is rethinking.
Uyghur-led Turkestan Islamic Party advertising its involvement in the insurgent offensive, participating in the battles extended from Saraqeb in Idlib countryside to Morek in north Hama countryside pic.twitter.com/q6XRlVObVH
— Aymenn J Al-Tamimi (@ajaltamimi) November 30, 2024
Shortsighted Calculations?
Erdogan’s ongoing support for extremist groups not only puts the economic relationship with China and Russia at risk, but if he’s doing so in part due to promises from the West, that could end up coming back to bite him. Like Erdogan, the US-led West is not agreement-capable, and any sanctions relief, F-35 deals, or Zangezur corridor promises could be snatched away as quickly as they’ve been gifted.
There’s also a good chance that Türkiye is throwing in with the losing side. An Iranian response to Israel is supposedly still coming. This renewed push by US proxies in Syria makes it more likely it’s going to be a strong one this time.
And the Moscow and Damascus response is already underway in Syria. From Military Watch:
…it was reported that over 400 militants were killed in the first 24 hours of engagements. The casualties were reported by deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, Captain 1st rank Oleg Ignasyuk, who stated: “Illegal armed units linked to the Jabhat Al Nusra terrorist organization started to attack government-controlled areas in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib at 7:50 a.m. on November 27. The Syrian army, backed by Russia’s Aerospace Forces, is engaged in heavy fighting. Terrorist units suffered major troop and equipment losses in the past 24 hours. At least 400 militants were eliminated.” The figures appear credible when considering Al Nusa’s demonstrated ability in the past to absorb massive casualties during its offensives, as well as the heavily fortified nature of the Syrian Arab Army’s positions between Aleppo and the Idlib governate where the jihadist group’s forces are based. Reports have indicated that foreign advisors supporting the offensives of have also been killed, with both Türkiye and Ukraine having provided such support to Al Nusra in the front.
Russian jets very active in Syria right now. Their job is to deplete militant resources, destroy logistics, inflict as many casualties as possible, anything that slows them down. Air power can’t hold a city, but it can make life very unpleasant for the bad guys – and buy time.
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) November 30, 2024
According to Larry Johnson at Sonar21, “Reports on Telegram indicate that Syria, with ample support from Russia, are responding effectively to defeat the HTS attack. “
As referenced above, Russia might want Türkiye’s cooperation on the Black Sea and economic fronts for now, but for how much longer is it deemed necessary? Put another way, at what point does the cost of catering to Erdogan outweigh the benefits?
Maybe Russia, armed with its actual wonder weapons (as opposed to the imaginary Western ones), decides it’ll deal with the consequences of the Turkish straits being opened to NATO warships. Maybe Moscow decides it has enough other oil and gas customers, and it’ll take the hit by forgoing the exports to Türkiye and southeastern Europe. And there are other nations willing to help Russia bypass sanctions — although not in the EU customs union like Turkey.
Russia likely doesn’t want an even worse Türkiye headache at this time, but once Ukraine is eventually wrapped up, it could be bad news for Erdogan and his inner circle. It could be bad news even sooner if the majority of Turks figure out he’s playing them with all his fiery rhetoric against Israel.
We recently wrote about the potential spread of the Middle East conflict to the Caucasus region. All the major players from the Middle East conflicts are heavily involved in geopolitical maneuvering in the Caucasus. With Türkiye’s dramatic step into the ring and the Georgia color revolution attempt in full swing, as well as ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions with a heavy American presence in the former, it unfortunately looks like we’re inching closer to the Caucasus becoming another theater of the increasingly global New Cold War conflict.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2024/12 ... flict.html
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Ukraine Trained Terrorists Operate in Syria

Islamists militants. X/ @Xnews_with_grok
December 2, 2024 Hour: 10:04 am
Since the beginning of this year, Ukraine-backed groups have repeatedly attacked Russian troops in Syria.
On Sunday, the Kyiv Post published a report showing that Ukraine’s General Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) special forces group “Khimik” trained terrorist groups operating in Idlib, a province located in northwestern Syria.
Among these groups is the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), whose training that included tactics developed during the Ukrainian war and the use of combat drones. The HUR is an agency under the Defense Ministry and its actions are directly authorized by the Office of the President Vodolymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine has deployed members of its special forces to Syria to fight against Russian military personnel in the Arab country, thereby opening a new front in the Kyiv-Moscow war.
Since the beginning of this year, terrorist groups supported by Ukrainian fighters have repeatedly attacked Russian military installations and troops in Syria, which are present in the country to assist in combating terrorism at the request of President Bashar al-Assad.
The Kyiv Post report shows that the Khimik group attacked a Russian military base on September 15 in the southeastern outskirts of Aleppo, where a workshop for manufacturing Russian combat drones and improvised explosive devices was located. Earlier, at the end of July, Khimik launched another attack against Russian military equipment at the Kuweires airfield, east of Aleppo.
Ukraine has compensated for its defeats to Moscow in the ongoing conflict by providing military support to terrorist groups in Syria in exchange for receiving mercenaries to aid in its battles with Russia.
On November 27, the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham—Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria—launched a lightning offensive against Aleppo and the surrounding countryside in Idlib before attempting to advance into Hama province.
Currently, the Syrian Arab Army is carrying out a massive counteroffensive that has killed hundreds of terrorists over the past four days and forced them to retreat from many strategic areas.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/ukraine- ... -in-syria/
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Pocket terrorists of the CIA and MOSSAD
December 2, 9:22

CIA and MOSSAD pocket terrorists Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)* open a new front against Russia
The leader of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist organization, led by Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani, has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Jawlani, who was raised in Camp Bucca during the Iraq War, has featured prominently in American documentaries, including the PBS series Frontline.
HTS leader Jawlani, whose real name is Osama al-Abbasi al-Wahidi, was born in Daraa in northern Syria. His biographies describe him as a CIA recruit. According to open sources, he joined al-Qaeda in Iraq during the invasion of Iraq and quickly rose through the ranks. He was close to Zarqawi, the leader of the organization until his death in 2006 following an airstrike . Jevlani, who fled Iraq, was captured and spent two years “training” in a camp in Bucca, where the US allegedly created ISIS, before being released without cause. After leaving Bucca, he began working with ISIS leader Baghdadi, who sent Jevlani to Syria in 2011.
After his release, he worked with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and later received support from Hamza bin Laden in 2015. During this time, he gave frequent speeches as ISIS’s power in Syria began to wane. In his speech, he said that the region to target should be Latakia, where Russia is strong. He also called on Muslims living in Russia to attack civilians in the country.
HTS has recently made attempts to distance itself from its ties to al-Qaeda. Recently, for the first time in more than a decade, a long-closed church in Idlib province was hosted by Jawlani.
James Jeffrey, the former US special representative for Syria, called HTS a “valuable tool” in the US strategy in Idlib. Jeffrey acknowledged that HTS is primarily focused on fighting Assad and does not pose an international threat. While arguing that it was an “unfair and political decision” for the US to designate itself as terrorists, Jawlani himself used the following statements:
“The current Assad regime deserves to be included on the terrorist list. We have not posed a threat to Western society in any way. We call on these countries to reconsider their policies. We criticize Western policies in the AMI region, but we have never talked about starting a war against the US.”
Abu Ahmed Zekkour, known as HTS's financial director, published a letter on December 14, 2023, severing ties with the organization and accusing Jawlani of being a US agent. Zekkour claimed that Jawlani met with US and British intelligence officials at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing.
Tasnim, the Iranian News Agency, reported in a report on September 17, 2024, that HTS has also received support in training and producing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Ukrainian military instructors. A group of 250 Ukrainian instructors are training HTS fighters in Idlib on the operation, production, and upgrading of UAVs. The instructors have been deployed at various production facilities in Idlib city and Jisir al-Shughur area.
The Syrian government is still struggling to restore sovereignty over the entire territory of the country against Takfiri groups run by the CIA and Mossad. With Russia's advance on the Ukrainian front, it has become known that the United States is heading from Ukraine to Syria in an attempt to distract Russia and open a new front in the region. The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan reported that Kirill Budanov was in regular contact with the leader of the Tahrir al-Sham delegation.
The Institute for the Study of Intelligence channel @RHVDIIS
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9528864.html
Google Translator
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
Syrian army repels attack by US proxy militias in Deir Ezzor
The attack comes as extremists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham battle the Syrian army in Idlib and Aleppo
News Desk
DEC 3, 2024

(Photo credit: Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty Images)
Militants from the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) attacked seven villages under the control of the Syrian Army on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, but failed to successfully control them, Al-Mayadeen reported on 3 December.
The Deir Ezzor Military Council, an Arab militia fighting under the umbrella of the SDF, attacked the villages on Tuesday after claiming they were at risk of incursions from ISIS cells.
The Deir Ezzor Military Council stated, “We confirm that our forces have become responsible for protecting the people of the villages of Salhiya, Tabiya, Hatla, Khasham, Marat, Mazloum, and Husseiniya in the countryside of Deir Ezzor.”
Syrian and Russian officials claim that the SDF's main backer, the US, also supports ISIS. They say militants from the terror group are trained at the US occupation base at Al-Tanf on the Syria–Iraq–Jordan border.
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent said that the SDF attack on Tuesday was thwarted by the Army and pro-government forces, ending after the “gunmen retreated to the points from which they had set out, towards northern Deir Ezzor.”
The correspondent added that US forces supported the SDF attack on the seven villages by firing artillery from the US occupation base at the Conoco oil field.
US occupation forces instructed SDF militants to attack the Syrian Army's positions in the Deir Ezzor countryside in concert with the ongoing attacks on Syrian Army positions in Aleppo by foreign-backed extremist groups, Al-Mayadeen noted.
On 27 November, US-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) partnered with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) to attack Syrian Army positions in Aleppo, the Idlib countryside, and the Hama countryside.
The Syrian Army withdrew largely without a fight, allowing the militants to quickly occupy significant territory, including much of Aleppo City.
However, the Syrian Army was able to regroup on Sunday and establish a defensive line in the northern countryside of Hama.
With the help of Russian air strikes, the Syrian Army launched a counterattack on the militants and regained control of several villages and towns in the northern countryside of the province.
https://thecradle.co/articles/syrian-ar ... deir-ezzor
Ukraine’s ‘White Wolves’ unit fighting alongside extremists in Syria: Report
The Ukrainian special operations unit has been aiding armed groups fighting Damascus with the use of sophisticated drones
News Desk
DEC 3, 2024

(Photo credit: X)
Ukraine’s White Wolves special operations unit is deployed in northern Syria alongside Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) militants who are waging an assault against the Syrian government in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo, according to multiple sources cited by Al Mayadeen on 3 December.
September 15th, the Khimika group, which is part of the GUR of the Ukraine Ministry of Defense, attacked a Russian military base near Aleppo in Syria
It is reported that drones and improvised explosive devices were manufactured at the base. Russians aren’t safe anywhere pic.twitter.com/xmEMLXJfHK
— Bricktop_NAFO (@Bricktop_NAFO) September 16, 2024
There is “direct Ukrainian involvement … in ongoing battles against the Syrian army across the fronts of Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib,” Al Mayadeen’s sources said. “The Ukrainian units operating in Syria are part of the White Wolf group, which is affiliated with Ukraine's Security Service.”
"Ukrainian Trained, Turkish Sponsored Syrian Rebels Lead Assault on Aleppo," Kiev Post.
Not surprising at all, as we have seen anti-Assad terrorists from Syria alongside Ukrainian militants in Kharkov back in 2022.
Terrorist state supporting terrorist groups around the world. pic.twitter.com/3CX8fX08bX
— Olga Bazova (@OlgaBazova) December 1, 2024
The White Wolves unit is known for its expertise in the development and use of drones. It reportedly “controls the full range of drone weapons systems” in Syria.
“A deal was struck before the assault on Aleppo, between HTS and Ukrainian intelligence. The agreement reportedly led to the release of mercenaries – of Georgian, Chechen, and Albanian descent – from [HTS leader Abu Muhammad] al-Jolani's prisons, who were subsequently integrated into the Ukrainian unit stationed in northwestern Syria,” based on Al Mayadeen’s sources.
According to a source cited by Russian news outlet RIA Novosti, HTS and other groups’ use of advanced drones in sophisticated operations against the Syrian army “would not have been possible to master” without help from Ukraine.
The source said the extremist groups in Syria “have no experience” with such weaponry.
“The assault groups and drones were equipped with encrypted GPS devices and extensive use of artificial intelligence so that the use and navigation of attack UAVs and kamikaze drones could take place from a long distance,” the source added.
Collaboration between the armed opposition in Syria and the Ukrainian military has been ongoing since 2022, when it was revealed that scores of HTS and ISIS militants were being sent to Ukraine to fight alongside Kiev’s forces against Russia.
In September, a Turkish newspaper reported that HTS and representatives of the Ukrainian government met recently to discuss a swap deal in which the extremist group would provide Kiev with fighters in exchange for drones.
Sputnik reported later that month, citing a source, that a group of 250 Ukrainian military experts had arrived in Syria’s northern Idlib governorate to train extremist militants in the use and manufacturing of drones.
The HTS-led assault against Damascus, which is being aided by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) forces, began early on 27 November as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was taking effect.
Tel Aviv has been accused of involvement in the extremist group’s campaign – given the history of collaboration between Israel and the armed opposition in Syria.
Heavy Russian–Syrian airstrikes are hitting the positions and supply lines of HTS and allied groups across the countryside of Idlib, Aleppo, and Hama as Syrian military reinforcements continue to arrive at the battle lines.
The extremists have been pushed back from several areas in the Hama countryside.
https://thecradle.co/articles/ukraines- ... ria-report
******
Oliver Boyd-Barrett: Maximum Pressure on Russia Before Trump Inauguration
December 2, 2024 1 Comment
By Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Substack, 12/1/24
<snip>
Fog Lifts in Syria
The situation in Syria as of the afternoon of December 1st, California time, offers greater clarity as to purpose as well as stabilization of the jihadi threat. The overall purpose and the reason why this offensive shows signs of careful, secret planning and organization, is that Western and Israeli sponsors of violent jihadism see in Syria a strategic weapon with which to hold down Russia and Iran.
Turkiye’s principal interest, however, is somewhat different. I would suggest that it is to use jihadi forces for which it has long been responsible for containing in the northwest of Syria (centered in Idlib province, whose goverance has now been taken over by the former Qaeda affiliated HTS in conjunction with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army [SNA]) to (1) force a reluctant Syrian President Assad into settling the conflict between Turkey and Syria in such a way that both parties can undermine the establishment of a US-protected Kurdish enclave; (2) update and preserve on a more permanent basis the buffer zone along Turkey’s long border with Syria; and (3) re-settle Syrian refugees in southern Turkiye back to Syria.
The overall size of the SNA-HTS army has been estimated at 15,000. Modest. Yet it was strong enough to take the Syrian army completely by surprise in and around Aleppo, the second largest Syrian city and its most important industrial base. This represents a very major, an unspeakable, fiasco for the Syrian army and for the Damascus government.
Fortunately, it does not, however, represent a collapse of the Syrian army as was at first feared. With the help of Russian aerial bombing, the supply of Russian drones, and the deployment, it is reported, of up to 5,000 Russian Wagner soldiers, the Syrian army forces appear to have halted the SNA-HTS advance in Hama. Earlier reports suggest that an uprising in Daraa has been suppressed and that an attempted coup d’etat in Damascus has come to nothing. The whereabouts of Assad are something of a mystery and some reports have suggested that he is in Russia. There were consultations with Moscow and Assad before the most recent events.
Russian Interests
Russia, therefore, has clearly demonstrated its determination to support Damascus. It has many incentives to do so (1) it has naval, air force and army facilities in Syria; (2) it is a very long-standing ally of Syria; (3) it needs good relations with Syria in order to prepare for a likely upcoming regional, conceivably even a world war, starting with a conflagration between Russian ally Iran, and Israel, a conflict that Israel seems to lust for even as pro-Western elements in Tehran pathetically cling to fantasies about a sanctions-busting deal with Trump.
At home, the Kremlin faces considerable skeptcism among civilians as to the benefits of yet another foreign military adventure. In short, I would conclude that Russian support for Syria is dependable; its support for Assad – and not for the first time – hangs in the balance.
While Turkiye is assumed by most commentators to have played a major part in the invasion, this has not prevented Moscow from proposing a resuscitation of the Astana accord of 2017 whereby Russia, Turkiye and Iran consult together on policy with respect to Syria. Given that Russia is not, therefore, breaking off relations with Turkiye, – no matter how mecurial, even treacherous and unpredictable is the behavior of Erdogan – suggests that it is interpreting Erdogan’s motivation along the lines suggested above namely, that he wants to resolve the conflict between Turkiye and Syria, and to clean up the mess for which Ergodan himself carries major responsibility from the time when he broke off relations with his quondam friend, Assad, in 2011, and committed Turkiye to a regime-change war fought alongside the CIA, using arms released from NATO’s murder of Ghadaffi in Libya, and assuaged with protected jihadi R&R centers in Diyabakur.
Erdogan’s allies included the Arab theorocracies of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, UAE and the Muslim Brotherhood, amidst the skilful meddling of Britain, the Netherlands and France through chemical weapons hoaxes, sinister false flags perpetrated by the White Helmets, and a multitude of other innovative misinformation and disinformation strategies.
Ankara, by the way, denies responsibility. But more plausible reports speak of a war-room in Turkey that have brought together Western military and Turkish operatives.
Assad, his failure to negotiate with Erdogan notwithstanding, has been successful in repairing relations with many of his former adversaries (including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Arab League as a whole), some of whom are joining Syria’s friends such as Iraq, Iran and even the Lebanese-based Hezbollah in rushing support to Syrian troops.
SNA and HTS remain in control of Aleppo; the SNA have control over the Kuweices base, and HTS controls the airport. The Syrian army and the Kurdish SDF are defending the Tell Rifaat district. But there will almost certainly be a Syrian Army counter-offensive in the next few days.
None of this takes away the grave indications of something seriously wrong in Damascus. Of course, the major reasons that have allowed such a lightening invasion by the rebel Sunni forces of Idlib on Aleppo, include (1) the deep impoverishment of the Syrian economy, and (2) of 90% or more of the Syrian people as a result (3) of a Western-instigated jihadist “civil war” from 2011, involving (4) the usual Western incitement of extremist Sunni, Muslim Brotherhood-style ideological violence, building (5) upon the first Muslim Brotherhood uprising against Bashar Assad’s father in 1980, and (6) not forgetting the US-Kurdish purloining of Syrian oil and agricultural wealth in the northeast over the past five to ten years, nor (7) the cruelty and cynicism of the US Caesar Act sanctions that have prevented the most basic of post-conflict rebuilding.
The Syrian army during the civil war survived in large measure by its ability to decentralize and to localize but at the expense of a certain tendency to warlordism that others might simply label corruption. This too would surely have been a factor.
But such a monumental failure of intelligence and, consequently, such a horrendous failure of preparation as has been demonstrated over the past few days must also be attributed to Damascus and to Assad who has had, since his coming to power well over twenty years ago, a reputation for the appearance of progressive intent coupled with an inability or unwillingness to follow through.
The Turkish-controlled northwest of Syria extends as far west as Yayladagi, next to Turkey’s Hatay province deep inside Syria, to Oabasin in the east and from Rajo and Elbeyli in the north to Kafr Uweid in the south. The recent invasion by SNA and HTS forces has reached through Aleppo as far south as As-Smeiriye, Ras-al-Ain and Saraqib.
(more, Russia)
https://natyliesbaldwin.com/2024/12/oli ... uguration/
******
Iran extends its full support to Syria to fight against terrorist groups in country’s north
Iran claimed the attacks by the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria have been coordinated by the US and Israel in order to hide their failures in Gaza and Lebanon.
December 02, 2024 by Abdul Rahman

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on December 1. Photo: IRNA
Iran expressed its full support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad following the surprise attack launched by terrorist groups in the country’s north. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for greater unity among the countries in the region to fight against such terror attacks, calling them a menace to regional security.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Damascus on Sunday, December 1 and met President Bashar al-Assad extending his country’s support. He said that Syria has been able to defeat the terrorist groups in the past during much worse conditions and Iran was sure that it would be able to overcome this current situation as well.
On Sunday, during a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Iranian president expressed concern that the recent outbreak of violence in Syria will further fuel instability in the region and divert attention from resolving the situation in Gaza. “Under the circumstances that the region was moving towards relative peace following the establishment of a ceasefire in Lebanon and attention was focused on Gaza, recent events in Syria raised serious concerns about regional stability,” he said.
Al-Sudani echoed Pezeshkian and announced that his country is ready to help Syria in defeating the terrorist groups and called other countries in the region to join the effort.
The groups leading the current offensive in northwestern Syria are organized as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS previously known as Al-Nusra front) and have controlled Syria’s Idlib province for over a decade now. They launched a surprise attack against the government controlled Aleppo on Wednesday, November 27 capturing the city and some areas around it by Friday and forcing the government forces to retreat.
Aleppo is Syria’s second largest city, home to over two million people, and was freed from the rebel control in 2016 after years of occupation following the outbreak of war in the country in 2011. The liberation of Aleppo was achieved with the active support of the Iranians and Russians.
The fall of Aleppo this past week has raised grave concerns for the fate of millions of people in the region and the country’s reconstruction efforts after over a decade of war.
Alleging that fresh troubles in Syria were a result of direct foreign intervention, Pezeshkian claimed that “such incidents are part of vicious plots by the Zionist regime to spread insecurity, disputes and conflict inside Islamic countries.”
Iran alleges coordination between HTS, Israel and US
Addressing a weekly press conference on Monday, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry claimed that Israel and the US have supported the terrorist groups in Syria in order to derail the regional effort of peace in Gaza.
“Over the past 14 months, the zionist regime has increased its attacks on Syria in order to damage Syria’s capabilities and equipment. The genocide in Gaza and aggression in Lebanon have paved the way for terrorist groups to prepare in different regions in Syria,” he said while claiming that there are public statements by US officials which prove that there is a coordination between the terrorist groups, the US, and Israel.
Araghchi traveled to Turkey after Damascus where he too claimed that the “takfiri groups” are working in collaboration with the US and Israel and “share the same goal.” He claimed that his country makes no distinction between “takfiri terrorists” and the Israeli regime.
“We believe that following the Israeli regime’s failures [in Gaza and Lebanon], the enemy is trying to implement its sinister goals of spreading insecurity in the region via these same terrorist groups,” he emphasized.
Talking about Araghchi’s visit to Ankara to meet Turkish officials amidst the speculations about Turkey’s role in the attacks launched by HTS, Baghaei insisted that it is still a part of Astana process along with Iran and Russia and his country will continue to explore all possible diplomatic ways to restore peace in Syria.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/12/02/ ... rys-north/
The attack comes as extremists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham battle the Syrian army in Idlib and Aleppo
News Desk
DEC 3, 2024

(Photo credit: Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty Images)
Militants from the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) attacked seven villages under the control of the Syrian Army on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, but failed to successfully control them, Al-Mayadeen reported on 3 December.
The Deir Ezzor Military Council, an Arab militia fighting under the umbrella of the SDF, attacked the villages on Tuesday after claiming they were at risk of incursions from ISIS cells.
The Deir Ezzor Military Council stated, “We confirm that our forces have become responsible for protecting the people of the villages of Salhiya, Tabiya, Hatla, Khasham, Marat, Mazloum, and Husseiniya in the countryside of Deir Ezzor.”
Syrian and Russian officials claim that the SDF's main backer, the US, also supports ISIS. They say militants from the terror group are trained at the US occupation base at Al-Tanf on the Syria–Iraq–Jordan border.
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent said that the SDF attack on Tuesday was thwarted by the Army and pro-government forces, ending after the “gunmen retreated to the points from which they had set out, towards northern Deir Ezzor.”
The correspondent added that US forces supported the SDF attack on the seven villages by firing artillery from the US occupation base at the Conoco oil field.
US occupation forces instructed SDF militants to attack the Syrian Army's positions in the Deir Ezzor countryside in concert with the ongoing attacks on Syrian Army positions in Aleppo by foreign-backed extremist groups, Al-Mayadeen noted.
On 27 November, US-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) partnered with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) to attack Syrian Army positions in Aleppo, the Idlib countryside, and the Hama countryside.
The Syrian Army withdrew largely without a fight, allowing the militants to quickly occupy significant territory, including much of Aleppo City.
However, the Syrian Army was able to regroup on Sunday and establish a defensive line in the northern countryside of Hama.
With the help of Russian air strikes, the Syrian Army launched a counterattack on the militants and regained control of several villages and towns in the northern countryside of the province.
https://thecradle.co/articles/syrian-ar ... deir-ezzor
Ukraine’s ‘White Wolves’ unit fighting alongside extremists in Syria: Report
The Ukrainian special operations unit has been aiding armed groups fighting Damascus with the use of sophisticated drones
News Desk
DEC 3, 2024

(Photo credit: X)
Ukraine’s White Wolves special operations unit is deployed in northern Syria alongside Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) militants who are waging an assault against the Syrian government in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo, according to multiple sources cited by Al Mayadeen on 3 December.
September 15th, the Khimika group, which is part of the GUR of the Ukraine Ministry of Defense, attacked a Russian military base near Aleppo in Syria
It is reported that drones and improvised explosive devices were manufactured at the base. Russians aren’t safe anywhere pic.twitter.com/xmEMLXJfHK
— Bricktop_NAFO (@Bricktop_NAFO) September 16, 2024
There is “direct Ukrainian involvement … in ongoing battles against the Syrian army across the fronts of Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib,” Al Mayadeen’s sources said. “The Ukrainian units operating in Syria are part of the White Wolf group, which is affiliated with Ukraine's Security Service.”
"Ukrainian Trained, Turkish Sponsored Syrian Rebels Lead Assault on Aleppo," Kiev Post.
Not surprising at all, as we have seen anti-Assad terrorists from Syria alongside Ukrainian militants in Kharkov back in 2022.
Terrorist state supporting terrorist groups around the world. pic.twitter.com/3CX8fX08bX
— Olga Bazova (@OlgaBazova) December 1, 2024
The White Wolves unit is known for its expertise in the development and use of drones. It reportedly “controls the full range of drone weapons systems” in Syria.
“A deal was struck before the assault on Aleppo, between HTS and Ukrainian intelligence. The agreement reportedly led to the release of mercenaries – of Georgian, Chechen, and Albanian descent – from [HTS leader Abu Muhammad] al-Jolani's prisons, who were subsequently integrated into the Ukrainian unit stationed in northwestern Syria,” based on Al Mayadeen’s sources.
According to a source cited by Russian news outlet RIA Novosti, HTS and other groups’ use of advanced drones in sophisticated operations against the Syrian army “would not have been possible to master” without help from Ukraine.
The source said the extremist groups in Syria “have no experience” with such weaponry.
“The assault groups and drones were equipped with encrypted GPS devices and extensive use of artificial intelligence so that the use and navigation of attack UAVs and kamikaze drones could take place from a long distance,” the source added.
Collaboration between the armed opposition in Syria and the Ukrainian military has been ongoing since 2022, when it was revealed that scores of HTS and ISIS militants were being sent to Ukraine to fight alongside Kiev’s forces against Russia.
In September, a Turkish newspaper reported that HTS and representatives of the Ukrainian government met recently to discuss a swap deal in which the extremist group would provide Kiev with fighters in exchange for drones.
Sputnik reported later that month, citing a source, that a group of 250 Ukrainian military experts had arrived in Syria’s northern Idlib governorate to train extremist militants in the use and manufacturing of drones.
The HTS-led assault against Damascus, which is being aided by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) forces, began early on 27 November as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was taking effect.
Tel Aviv has been accused of involvement in the extremist group’s campaign – given the history of collaboration between Israel and the armed opposition in Syria.
Heavy Russian–Syrian airstrikes are hitting the positions and supply lines of HTS and allied groups across the countryside of Idlib, Aleppo, and Hama as Syrian military reinforcements continue to arrive at the battle lines.
The extremists have been pushed back from several areas in the Hama countryside.
https://thecradle.co/articles/ukraines- ... ria-report
******
Oliver Boyd-Barrett: Maximum Pressure on Russia Before Trump Inauguration
December 2, 2024 1 Comment
By Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Substack, 12/1/24
<snip>
Fog Lifts in Syria
The situation in Syria as of the afternoon of December 1st, California time, offers greater clarity as to purpose as well as stabilization of the jihadi threat. The overall purpose and the reason why this offensive shows signs of careful, secret planning and organization, is that Western and Israeli sponsors of violent jihadism see in Syria a strategic weapon with which to hold down Russia and Iran.
Turkiye’s principal interest, however, is somewhat different. I would suggest that it is to use jihadi forces for which it has long been responsible for containing in the northwest of Syria (centered in Idlib province, whose goverance has now been taken over by the former Qaeda affiliated HTS in conjunction with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army [SNA]) to (1) force a reluctant Syrian President Assad into settling the conflict between Turkey and Syria in such a way that both parties can undermine the establishment of a US-protected Kurdish enclave; (2) update and preserve on a more permanent basis the buffer zone along Turkey’s long border with Syria; and (3) re-settle Syrian refugees in southern Turkiye back to Syria.
The overall size of the SNA-HTS army has been estimated at 15,000. Modest. Yet it was strong enough to take the Syrian army completely by surprise in and around Aleppo, the second largest Syrian city and its most important industrial base. This represents a very major, an unspeakable, fiasco for the Syrian army and for the Damascus government.
Fortunately, it does not, however, represent a collapse of the Syrian army as was at first feared. With the help of Russian aerial bombing, the supply of Russian drones, and the deployment, it is reported, of up to 5,000 Russian Wagner soldiers, the Syrian army forces appear to have halted the SNA-HTS advance in Hama. Earlier reports suggest that an uprising in Daraa has been suppressed and that an attempted coup d’etat in Damascus has come to nothing. The whereabouts of Assad are something of a mystery and some reports have suggested that he is in Russia. There were consultations with Moscow and Assad before the most recent events.
Russian Interests
Russia, therefore, has clearly demonstrated its determination to support Damascus. It has many incentives to do so (1) it has naval, air force and army facilities in Syria; (2) it is a very long-standing ally of Syria; (3) it needs good relations with Syria in order to prepare for a likely upcoming regional, conceivably even a world war, starting with a conflagration between Russian ally Iran, and Israel, a conflict that Israel seems to lust for even as pro-Western elements in Tehran pathetically cling to fantasies about a sanctions-busting deal with Trump.
At home, the Kremlin faces considerable skeptcism among civilians as to the benefits of yet another foreign military adventure. In short, I would conclude that Russian support for Syria is dependable; its support for Assad – and not for the first time – hangs in the balance.
While Turkiye is assumed by most commentators to have played a major part in the invasion, this has not prevented Moscow from proposing a resuscitation of the Astana accord of 2017 whereby Russia, Turkiye and Iran consult together on policy with respect to Syria. Given that Russia is not, therefore, breaking off relations with Turkiye, – no matter how mecurial, even treacherous and unpredictable is the behavior of Erdogan – suggests that it is interpreting Erdogan’s motivation along the lines suggested above namely, that he wants to resolve the conflict between Turkiye and Syria, and to clean up the mess for which Ergodan himself carries major responsibility from the time when he broke off relations with his quondam friend, Assad, in 2011, and committed Turkiye to a regime-change war fought alongside the CIA, using arms released from NATO’s murder of Ghadaffi in Libya, and assuaged with protected jihadi R&R centers in Diyabakur.
Erdogan’s allies included the Arab theorocracies of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, UAE and the Muslim Brotherhood, amidst the skilful meddling of Britain, the Netherlands and France through chemical weapons hoaxes, sinister false flags perpetrated by the White Helmets, and a multitude of other innovative misinformation and disinformation strategies.
Ankara, by the way, denies responsibility. But more plausible reports speak of a war-room in Turkey that have brought together Western military and Turkish operatives.
Assad, his failure to negotiate with Erdogan notwithstanding, has been successful in repairing relations with many of his former adversaries (including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Arab League as a whole), some of whom are joining Syria’s friends such as Iraq, Iran and even the Lebanese-based Hezbollah in rushing support to Syrian troops.
SNA and HTS remain in control of Aleppo; the SNA have control over the Kuweices base, and HTS controls the airport. The Syrian army and the Kurdish SDF are defending the Tell Rifaat district. But there will almost certainly be a Syrian Army counter-offensive in the next few days.
None of this takes away the grave indications of something seriously wrong in Damascus. Of course, the major reasons that have allowed such a lightening invasion by the rebel Sunni forces of Idlib on Aleppo, include (1) the deep impoverishment of the Syrian economy, and (2) of 90% or more of the Syrian people as a result (3) of a Western-instigated jihadist “civil war” from 2011, involving (4) the usual Western incitement of extremist Sunni, Muslim Brotherhood-style ideological violence, building (5) upon the first Muslim Brotherhood uprising against Bashar Assad’s father in 1980, and (6) not forgetting the US-Kurdish purloining of Syrian oil and agricultural wealth in the northeast over the past five to ten years, nor (7) the cruelty and cynicism of the US Caesar Act sanctions that have prevented the most basic of post-conflict rebuilding.
The Syrian army during the civil war survived in large measure by its ability to decentralize and to localize but at the expense of a certain tendency to warlordism that others might simply label corruption. This too would surely have been a factor.
But such a monumental failure of intelligence and, consequently, such a horrendous failure of preparation as has been demonstrated over the past few days must also be attributed to Damascus and to Assad who has had, since his coming to power well over twenty years ago, a reputation for the appearance of progressive intent coupled with an inability or unwillingness to follow through.
The Turkish-controlled northwest of Syria extends as far west as Yayladagi, next to Turkey’s Hatay province deep inside Syria, to Oabasin in the east and from Rajo and Elbeyli in the north to Kafr Uweid in the south. The recent invasion by SNA and HTS forces has reached through Aleppo as far south as As-Smeiriye, Ras-al-Ain and Saraqib.
(more, Russia)
https://natyliesbaldwin.com/2024/12/oli ... uguration/
******
Iran extends its full support to Syria to fight against terrorist groups in country’s north
Iran claimed the attacks by the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria have been coordinated by the US and Israel in order to hide their failures in Gaza and Lebanon.
December 02, 2024 by Abdul Rahman

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on December 1. Photo: IRNA
Iran expressed its full support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad following the surprise attack launched by terrorist groups in the country’s north. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for greater unity among the countries in the region to fight against such terror attacks, calling them a menace to regional security.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Damascus on Sunday, December 1 and met President Bashar al-Assad extending his country’s support. He said that Syria has been able to defeat the terrorist groups in the past during much worse conditions and Iran was sure that it would be able to overcome this current situation as well.
On Sunday, during a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Iranian president expressed concern that the recent outbreak of violence in Syria will further fuel instability in the region and divert attention from resolving the situation in Gaza. “Under the circumstances that the region was moving towards relative peace following the establishment of a ceasefire in Lebanon and attention was focused on Gaza, recent events in Syria raised serious concerns about regional stability,” he said.
Al-Sudani echoed Pezeshkian and announced that his country is ready to help Syria in defeating the terrorist groups and called other countries in the region to join the effort.
The groups leading the current offensive in northwestern Syria are organized as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS previously known as Al-Nusra front) and have controlled Syria’s Idlib province for over a decade now. They launched a surprise attack against the government controlled Aleppo on Wednesday, November 27 capturing the city and some areas around it by Friday and forcing the government forces to retreat.
Aleppo is Syria’s second largest city, home to over two million people, and was freed from the rebel control in 2016 after years of occupation following the outbreak of war in the country in 2011. The liberation of Aleppo was achieved with the active support of the Iranians and Russians.
The fall of Aleppo this past week has raised grave concerns for the fate of millions of people in the region and the country’s reconstruction efforts after over a decade of war.
Alleging that fresh troubles in Syria were a result of direct foreign intervention, Pezeshkian claimed that “such incidents are part of vicious plots by the Zionist regime to spread insecurity, disputes and conflict inside Islamic countries.”
Iran alleges coordination between HTS, Israel and US
Addressing a weekly press conference on Monday, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry claimed that Israel and the US have supported the terrorist groups in Syria in order to derail the regional effort of peace in Gaza.
“Over the past 14 months, the zionist regime has increased its attacks on Syria in order to damage Syria’s capabilities and equipment. The genocide in Gaza and aggression in Lebanon have paved the way for terrorist groups to prepare in different regions in Syria,” he said while claiming that there are public statements by US officials which prove that there is a coordination between the terrorist groups, the US, and Israel.
Araghchi traveled to Turkey after Damascus where he too claimed that the “takfiri groups” are working in collaboration with the US and Israel and “share the same goal.” He claimed that his country makes no distinction between “takfiri terrorists” and the Israeli regime.
“We believe that following the Israeli regime’s failures [in Gaza and Lebanon], the enemy is trying to implement its sinister goals of spreading insecurity in the region via these same terrorist groups,” he emphasized.
Talking about Araghchi’s visit to Ankara to meet Turkish officials amidst the speculations about Turkey’s role in the attacks launched by HTS, Baghaei insisted that it is still a part of Astana process along with Iran and Russia and his country will continue to explore all possible diplomatic ways to restore peace in Syria.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2024/12/02/ ... rys-north/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Syria
"Hayat Tahrir al-Sham"*. The first signals from the West.
December 4, 13:09

"Hayat Tahrir al-Sham"*. The first signals from the West.
The official ( https://ria.ru/20241203/oon-1987090354.html ) representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Jeremy Lawrence avoided answering a question from RIA Novosti at a briefing in Geneva about the terrorist nature of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* group, banned in the Russian Federation, which has seized a number of areas in Syria.
"We do not want to get into political considerations regarding who is fighting in Syria, with whom and why. We are talking only about humanitarian issues," he answered the question of whether the OHCHR considers the former Al-Qaeda* branch in Syria to be terrorist, carrying out attacks on the sovereign territory of Syria.
Boris Rozhin wrote in detail about the legalization of HTS* a long time ago in his LiveJournal ( https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/6810638.html ). We are talking about 2021. As usual, in the topic of terrorism in the Middle East, Britain.
Then a representative of the British intelligence MI-6 met with the leader of the Julani terrorists at the Bab al-Hawa checkpoint on the Syrian-Turkish border. This man's name is Jonathan Powell, he is a former British special envoy to Libya (where the West has already built democracy and now the Gardens of Eden are blooming there).
We read from B. Rozhin:
"The British side proposed that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* announce its refusal to continue subversive activities against Western countries and establish close cooperation with them," the source noted. - Mohammed al-Julani was recommended to give an interview to one of the American journalists to create a positive image of the terrorist alliance he leads in the interests of his subsequent rehabilitation. It is expected that a number of British allies, primarily the United States, will be involved in the process of rebranding the Nusra fighters."
Julani actually gave the interview, and a PBS Frontline film about him, "The Jihadist," was released.
It revealed details of his biography. At birth, he was named Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa in the Al-Quneitra region of southern Syria, on the Golan Heights. He graduated from Damascus University, studying media and media.
There, he spoke about the beginning of his path in Iraq, when he joined Al-Qaeda* and joined the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan and served time in Jordan for subversive actions against the king. This path includes bloody terrorist attacks not only against American troops, but also explosions in Shiite mosques, kidnappings and murders of foreigners, and much more.
Zarqawi swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden in 2004 and was soon killed by the United States.
In 2006, Al-Qaeda in Iraq* became part of ISIS in Iraq*. Four years later, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi became its leader.
Both Baghdadi and Julani ended up in the Americans' Camp Bucca in Iraq. It is also called the "ISIS incubator"* - all the major leaders come from there.Both terrorists are released after some time.
With the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, Baghdadi sends Julani there to create the structure of al-Qaida* - Jabhat al-Nusra*.
With the development of al-Nusra in Syria and its influence there, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi issues a statement that IS Iraq* and Jabhat al-Nusra*, two groups associated with al-Qaeda*, are now merging into one group called ISIS*.
A conflict of interests occurs among the terrorists. Julani, the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda*, reject the merger.
In 2014, the general command of al-Qaeda* announced that it was refusing to support ISIS*. Armed clashes between al-Nusra and ISIS* begin, which are called the "civil war of jihadists."
Although both groups are powerful - in the summer of 2014, ISIS* captures Mosul in Iraq and declares a "caliphate," Julani manages to hold on to power in Jabhat al-Nusra* in armed clashes with ISIS* in Syria. The terrorist groups are still competitors in attracting jihadists.
The US State Department added al-Julani to the list of "especially dangerous terrorists" in 2013, and four years later announced a reward of $ 10 million for information leading to his capture. The reward is still in force.
(c) S. Shilov
* - terrorist organization
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/146618 - zinc
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9533579.html
******
The Unfinished War and Its Long-Term Divisions: Syria’s Shifting Frontlines and the Limits of Diplomacy
Posted by Internationalist 360° on December 3, 2024
Elijah J. Magnier

The situation in Syria cannot be understood through the lens of a single event. Instead, it reflects a complex interplay of factors, motivations, and the interests of various states—some of which coordinate directly, while others act independently, relying on a geopolitical context that already favours their aims. The recent developments, including the occupation of the Idlib countryside, the city of Aleppo and its rural areas, and the advance of attacking forces—ideologically driven and adopting a more open approach towards local populations—towards the city of Hama, may not be aimed at toppling the Syrian state for the moment. The Syrian government has committed significant resources in and around Hama to halt this offensive. However, the broader objective appears to be the establishment of a new contact and demarcation line, bolstering Turkey’s negotiating position by leveraging a stronger foothold.
The aim seems to be to compel all concerned parties to make significant concessions at the negotiating table, reshaping the parameters of war and peace, and altering the current state of deadlock. By doing so, the offensive seeks to influence the broader strategic equilibrium in the region.
The recent movement of armed groups in Syria could not have occurred without substantial financial backing, cultural and military training, and advanced equipment—resources far beyond the reach of these groups without the support of wealthy nations aligned with their goals. These groups’ ability to wage war is contingent upon clear Turkish support, evidenced by Turkey’s role in providing cover for their actions. This support is apparent in Istanbul’s reception of delegations representing these groups, as well as Turkey’s invitation for them to sit at the negotiating table under the framework of the Astana Agreement, seeking a resolution in light of the evolving developments.
The shifting dynamics, however, reflect the tacit approval of the United States, which prioritises its own and Israel’s strategic interests. In all planned wars, some strategies unfold according to meticulously prepared details, while others must adapt dynamically to the course of the attack and the opportunities it presents. If the front collapses further, it is anticipated that forces will push forward to seize advanced positions.
The occupation of Aleppo aligns with the core objectives of the offensive launched against the Syrian Arab Army, though it did not account for the unexpectedly rapid collapse of the front line. This swift and chaotic retreat evokes comparisons to the Iraqi army’s unprecedented collapse in June 2014, characterised by a disorganised and arbitrary withdrawal from Mosul to Baghdad.
The capture of Tal Rifaat and the areas of Sheikh Maqsoud and Bustan al-Basha in Aleppo—previously held by Kurdish armed forces—reveals the lack of support for these proxy forces from the US forces they protect and [help] occupy in northeastern Syria. This development underscores the emergence of a new reality dictated by the fragmentation of Syria that requires a new distribution of forces.
However, it remains difficult for Damascus to quickly adjust to this altered situation and engage in serious negotiations from a position of such comparative weakness. First, it must come to terms with the present circumstances. In response to the offensive, Damascus and its allies have rushed to establish a primary defensive line in the city of Hama and an advanced defensive line at Jabal Zain al-Abidin, located within the Hama Governorate. Additional fortifications have been set up to defend the city itself, which has a population of approximately one million.
Hama Governorate spans about 8,900 square kilometers and is strategically significant, bordering the Idlib and Aleppo countryside to the north, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor to the east, Tartus and Latakia to the west, and Homs to the south. Its positioning makes it a critical area for both defence and control in the broader conflict.
The attacking forces do not need to advance into Hama city, as their control of Aleppo, Idlib, and the surrounding countryside is sufficient to impose a new reality on the ground. This positioning sends a clear message to all parties involved: neither side is capable of achieving a decisive victory, especially after President Bashar al-Assad refused to offer any further concessions.
Syria remains burdened by the crippling impact of international sanctions, particularly those imposed under the [US] Caesar Act of 2019, which have severely restricted the country’s economic recovery. Compounding this, Syria’s vital resources—its food, oil, and gas reserves in the northeast—are under the control of US-backed forces, while transit customs facilities and borders revenues in the northwest are dominated by Turkey-aligned factions. These factors have left the Syrian state in a weakened condition, unable to facilitate the return of millions of displaced citizens in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey or restore any semblance of normalcy.
Moreover, the ongoing lack of trust between Turkey and its allies, and Russia-Iran and its allies, has strained previous agreements. The de-escalation zones established in Astana have been repeatedly violated, exacerbated by Turkey’s failure to fulfil commitments such as reopening the M5 international highway between Aleppo and Damascus and the M4 between Aleppo and Latakia. This breach has further undermined efforts to stabilise the region and left a fragile, fragmented status quo in place.
Today, Turkey has escalated its involvement in Syria by advancing its forces into the countrysides of Aleppo and Idlib, re-establishing its influence through loyal forces in both the city and the countryside of Aleppo. Additionally, pro-Turkish forces have pushed into the Hama countryside, nearing defensive positions close to the city itself.
The military developments in Aleppo cannot simply be dismissed as an effort to disrupt Iran’s supply of weapons to Hezbollah. Such a perspective is misguided, as Tehran has consistently supplied its ally in Lebanon with weapons throughout the Syrian war, even during moments of extreme vulnerability—such as when the Al-Nusra Front (the predecessor of HTS) reached the outskirts of Damascus in 2011. This supply chain would only be severed if the entire Syrian state, including President Assad’s regime, were to collapse, and an unfriendly Syrian president leads the country.
Simultaneously, it is worth noting that Israel and the United States take satisfaction from the possibility that the advancing forces could block the Khanaser road, a critical route for supply trucks heading to Lebanon. If this road were obstructed, it would force Iran to use longer, more vulnerable routes, potentially increasing the likelihood of ISIS attacks and Israeli strikes targeting shipments en route to Hezbollah. Such a development aligns with Israeli efforts to relatively intercept and disrupt arms transfers to its regional adversaries whenever they are detected.
Turkey’s current actions must also be viewed in light of its pressing need to address the presence of millions of displaced Syrians within its borders. These refugees have become a political liability for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially as his opponents have increasingly used their presence as a point of attack. However, Erdogan cannot simply return them to Syria without providing viable alternatives, nor can Turkey concentrate them exclusively in Idlib, an area already ill-equipped to handle such large numbers due to its limited infrastructure and services.
For Ankara, maintaining control through its affiliated militias in northern Syria provides not only a geopolitical advantage but also a mechanism for managing displaced Syrians without directly disrupting Turkey’s domestic stability. The occupation of more than 7,700 square kilometers by Turkish-backed militias allows for the potential resettlement of millions of Syrians while simultaneously reinforcing Turkey’s influence in the region against Russia and Iran.
This evolving situation creates a complex dynamic where Turkish actions both align with and conflict with the interests of other key players. For instance:
Hezbollah in Lebanon retains the capability to secure its supply routes and protect Damascus. Any disruption of these routes would threaten Hezbollah’s strategic position, a scenario that Iran and its allies cannot afford.
Iran faces significant challenges as it navigates shifting geopolitical realities, particularly under the unpredictable policies of then-President Donald Trump. Tehran cannot afford to abandon its Syrian ally, as doing so would severely undermine its influence in both Syria and Lebanon and compromise its critical supply routes to Hezbollah. At the same time, Iran’s economic constraints pose additional limitations. With its economy under strain and far from robust, Tehran lacks the financial resources to sustain its involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts indefinitely. This precarious balance between maintaining regional influence and addressing domestic economic pressures underscores the complexity of Iran’s strategic calculations.
Russia, on the other hand, is deeply concerned about the potential loss of its foothold in the region. The naval base in Tartus and the airbase in Hmeimim represent Russia’s only significant access to the warm waters of the Mediterranean. A retreat from these positions would severely undermine Moscow’s strategic presence in the Middle East.
Although Syria’s allies—namely Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah—are unlikely to abandon Damascus, their immediate priorities may not include reclaiming Aleppo and its countryside. Instead, their efforts will likely focus on defending critical areas such as Damascus, Homs, and Hama, while waiting for a more suitable political solution.
This shifting power dynamic may push President Bashar al-Assad toward more pragmatic engagement with Turkey. Erdogan has demonstrated that he holds significant leverage, strengthening his negotiating position and forcing Assad to consider greater openness in discussions. This newfound Turkish advantage could reshape the regional balance, compelling all parties to reconsider their strategies and the long-term trajectory of the conflict.
This conflict is fundamentally different from its earlier phases:
It is not comparable to 2011, when the revolution ignited with its first sparks, driven by widespread unrest and aspirations for political change.
Nor is it similar to 2015, prior to Russia’s intervention, when Iran and its allies focused on safeguarding key cities and were willing to relinquish control of the countryside to maintain their strategic priorities.
It also differs from 2019, when lines of contact were established between the warring parties. This period was neither a truce nor an outright war but rather a state of uneasy equilibrium dictated by the military realities on the ground—a status quo enforced by force rather than diplomacy.
Today’s conflict reflects an evolution of the Syrian war, shaped by shifting alliances, new frontlines, and altered objectives that go beyond the dynamics of previous stages.
The occupation of Aleppo might have been avoided had President Bashar al-Assad engaged in serious and direct negotiations with his Turkish counterpart. In this context, competing interests have converged and may allow Damascus’ allies to propose a new reality to Assad. This reality avoids a return to outright war, the associated loss of thousands of lives on both sides, and the massive financial and logistical demands of extended conflict. However, no substantive negotiations are likely to begin until the two sides clash militarily on the ground and establish new lines of contact, which will dictate the parameters of talks. These lines will determine the balance of power, influence the shape of negotiations, and define the mutual conditions set by each party.
This suggests that the echoes of war have yet to fade in the Levant, even as an initial step has been taken to convene a new meeting of Astana participants in Doha, Qatar, a key player in the region, this week. Rather than moving towards resolution, the region appears destined for prolonged division, barring any unexpected developments or significant breakthroughs. The prevailing trajectory indicates that a lasting settlement remains a distant prospect, as military confrontations continue to mould the political and territorial landscape.
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2024/12/ ... diplomacy/
*****
The Second Front has been activated in Syria
Sonja van den Ende
December 3, 2024
Israel, with the support of the West, has unleashed a genocide in Palestine – Gaza, a bloodbath in Lebanon, and has opened the Syrian front again.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will go down in history as the most corrupt leader of the most extreme radical settler regime ever seen in the “promised land” called Israel, has negotiated a supposed ceasefire with Hezbollah, which will last for 60 days.
Shortly after the ceasefire in Lebanon came into effect, and after Israeli Netanyahu warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he was “playing with fire”, a new front was opened from Idlib to Aleppo.
The terrorist group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an attack on Aleppo from their last enclave in Idlib. HTS and other factions called the al-Fatah al-Mubin group, just another small terrorist organization affiliated with HTS, advanced in the western countryside of Aleppo and took control of strategic points in the villages of Qubtan al-Jabal and Sheikh Aqil.
According to sources and Syrian media, around 50 people were killed, including terrorists, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers and an SAA soldier who was taken back to Idlib as booty.
Who is HTS? If you believe Western sources, they are a Sunni Islamist political and armed organization involved in the Syrian civil war. It was formed on January 28, 2017, as a merger between Jaysh al-Ahrar, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna, Liwa al-Haq and Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement.
Syrian and Iraqi people call the organization Daesh, which means “the one who crushes”. The West sometimes gave it another name, ISIS or Islamic State.
Also, the so-called Syrian civil war is a proxy war of the West to get the oil and gas out of Syria (and Iraq). This is well known among Syrians, who see their oil being stolen by the U.S., initially by their proxies Daesh, but now more directly with the help of the U.S. military.
The main goal of the U.S. is to replace Russian allies with those of the U.S., usurping Assad’s power with radical jihadists, aligned in the past mainly with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, so that the U.S. could build a pipeline through Syria to Europe. The evidence is clear that U.S. President Barack Obama, against advice and warnings from his top military officers, pursued a policy to protect the fundamentalist Sunni organization Al Qaeda in Syria.
Proof that the U.S. (and its Western client states) under the Obama administration sponsored terrorists in Syria and Iraq is in the form of the last mentioned group, the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement.
Obama had to admit before the entire Western press that Nour al-Din al-Zenki, who beheaded an eleven-year-old Palestinian boy in cold blood in front of rolling cameras, was indeed a terrorist group. But so were all the others who the U.S. kept on sponsoring with weapons and money (as did Europe and the entire West). Later, they all merged with Daesh (ISIS).
In 2016, during the liberation of Aleppo by the Syrian Arab Army, fighters from other terrorist groups (all fighting under the banner of Daesh but fighting among themselves) captured and killed members of the Zenki movement. Many of those who survived were later granted asylum in Europe (particularly Germany) along with other terrorists.
But to this day, Europe is in denial and calls them rebels, while the evidence of gang violence happening in the cities of Europe is clear. Some say because of President Assad’s humane offer, they chose to be exiled to the enclave of Idlib, where a concentration of jihadists (after 2016) is now located.
The biggest Daesh group there has become HTS, and almost all groups are affiliated with them. Also, there are remaining Uyghurs, many of whom are in Idlib. This group is extremely violent, and they know they can’t go back to China.
According to one report, Uyghur jihadist fighters in Syria have served as a force multiplier for insurgents there. Uyghur fighters gained ground in Idlib, the only Syrian province that still has a large local and foreign jihadist presence. Uyghur jihadists in Syria pose an overlooked yet significant regional and international security problem. They are likely to become a greater threat if fighting in Idlib winds down and the province is not decisively captured by a strong state or non-state actor hostile to jihadist groups.”
The masks came off during the 2023 earthquake, which hit parts of Turkey and Syria. The West only provided aid to Idlib province and not to the citizens living in the officially governed part of Syria. According to the United Nations Development Program, as described in a post-disaster document, the intention was to coordinate the HRP document and the ongoing response to the earthquake in the coming months in consultation with the Syrian government. It was a meaningless document that meant that the Western countries only supplied Idlib, while Russia and its allies aided the Syrian government.
The remaining Daesh fighters who settled in Idlib in 2016 after the fall of Aleppo with their families lived a relatively sheltered life, still protected by their masters in the U.S. and the West and also by Islamist factions in Turkey. The latter was under the auspices of the late Fethullah Gülen, who in 2016 attempted a coup (from the U.S.) in Turkey. Gülen said he was strongly against Turkish involvement in Syria (meaning the Kurds). Also, he criticized the Turkish government’s desire to topple the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, which, of course, was a lie. He was a supporter (and his group) of the radical Islam preached by Daesh and no fan of Assad.
What we see happening now, and I am referring to October 7, 2023, the Hamas attack on Israel, is nothing but the Axis of Resistance’s war on Israel and the West, which, especially the U.S. (and EU), unconditionally supports Israel. The war and resistance have been activated since 2017 (in Tehran), and we see the results. The Middle East has suffered too long under the yoke of the West, first Europe, who colonized it, and after the Second World War, America took over and carried out all kinds of proxy wars and coups.
Now, the West, after the defeat in Syria, has opened a second front (the first is Ukraine) or rather reopened it. Israel, with the support of the West, has unleashed a genocide in Palestine – Gaza, a bloodbath in Lebanon, and has opened the Syrian front again. A large group of proxies (Daesh) who were in Idlib have chosen to fight in Ukraine, against Russia. It is the most notorious Caucasian fighters like the Jihadist Abu Omar al-Shishani and his group who are fighting in the Donbass.
The Al Hawl prison camp in northern Syria, where thousands of jihadists (many foreigners too) live, which is run by Kurds (actually U.S.) who find it difficult to guard them, has become a new terrorist hotbed and a time bomb.
It is located in northern Syria, far from Idlib, but could hypothetically become the northern front. Most of the brutal jihadists are locked up here, just like they were in Camp Bucca (run by the U.S.) in Iraq.
This could happen again with Camp al Hawl. Over the past few days, we witnessed what may be a not-so-important incident for those who do not know much about the situation. But it is significant. The HTS started an invasion (on a small scale) from Idlib on Aleppo, and they say they have conquered a few small villages. In a released video, we see them driving in Toyotas with the black flag of Daesh, a déjà vu, and it can also be seen that there are Uyghur militants among them.
For them, Aleppo is an important city because of the town of Dabiq, 44 km north of Aleppo, where, as legend has it, a final battle will take place. The Battle of Marj Dābiq was a decisive military clash in Middle Eastern history, fought on 24 August 1516. It was part of the Ottoman–Mamluk War (1516–17) between the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate, which ended in an Ottoman victory.
The U.S. has indicated that it does not want to withdraw from Syria and has been trying for some time to form a new alliance with the Sunni tribes, parallel to the SDF, to please the Turks on the one hand and the SDF on the other. The U.S. and its colonies always use certain groups to play them off against each other. In Syria and Iraq, it is the Kurds against ISIS, and in Ukraine, the Azov battalion. So the U.S. and its colonies support Neo-Nazis and fanatical headhunters who call themselves part of Islam (jihadists), and two radical groups in Syria and Iraq to fight a left-wing radical group like the PKK.
In Ukraine, the U.S. tried it with Ukrainian and foreign Neo-Nazis. That is the tactic of the West for world hegemony. To that end, civilian casualties are, in the words of Madeleine Albright, acceptable collateral damage.
https://strategic-culture.su/news/2024/ ... -in-syria/
December 4, 13:09

"Hayat Tahrir al-Sham"*. The first signals from the West.
The official ( https://ria.ru/20241203/oon-1987090354.html ) representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Jeremy Lawrence avoided answering a question from RIA Novosti at a briefing in Geneva about the terrorist nature of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* group, banned in the Russian Federation, which has seized a number of areas in Syria.
"We do not want to get into political considerations regarding who is fighting in Syria, with whom and why. We are talking only about humanitarian issues," he answered the question of whether the OHCHR considers the former Al-Qaeda* branch in Syria to be terrorist, carrying out attacks on the sovereign territory of Syria.
Boris Rozhin wrote in detail about the legalization of HTS* a long time ago in his LiveJournal ( https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/6810638.html ). We are talking about 2021. As usual, in the topic of terrorism in the Middle East, Britain.
Then a representative of the British intelligence MI-6 met with the leader of the Julani terrorists at the Bab al-Hawa checkpoint on the Syrian-Turkish border. This man's name is Jonathan Powell, he is a former British special envoy to Libya (where the West has already built democracy and now the Gardens of Eden are blooming there).
We read from B. Rozhin:
"The British side proposed that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* announce its refusal to continue subversive activities against Western countries and establish close cooperation with them," the source noted. - Mohammed al-Julani was recommended to give an interview to one of the American journalists to create a positive image of the terrorist alliance he leads in the interests of his subsequent rehabilitation. It is expected that a number of British allies, primarily the United States, will be involved in the process of rebranding the Nusra fighters."
Julani actually gave the interview, and a PBS Frontline film about him, "The Jihadist," was released.
It revealed details of his biography. At birth, he was named Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa in the Al-Quneitra region of southern Syria, on the Golan Heights. He graduated from Damascus University, studying media and media.
There, he spoke about the beginning of his path in Iraq, when he joined Al-Qaeda* and joined the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan and served time in Jordan for subversive actions against the king. This path includes bloody terrorist attacks not only against American troops, but also explosions in Shiite mosques, kidnappings and murders of foreigners, and much more.
Zarqawi swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden in 2004 and was soon killed by the United States.
In 2006, Al-Qaeda in Iraq* became part of ISIS in Iraq*. Four years later, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi became its leader.
Both Baghdadi and Julani ended up in the Americans' Camp Bucca in Iraq. It is also called the "ISIS incubator"* - all the major leaders come from there.Both terrorists are released after some time.
With the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, Baghdadi sends Julani there to create the structure of al-Qaida* - Jabhat al-Nusra*.
With the development of al-Nusra in Syria and its influence there, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi issues a statement that IS Iraq* and Jabhat al-Nusra*, two groups associated with al-Qaeda*, are now merging into one group called ISIS*.
A conflict of interests occurs among the terrorists. Julani, the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda*, reject the merger.
In 2014, the general command of al-Qaeda* announced that it was refusing to support ISIS*. Armed clashes between al-Nusra and ISIS* begin, which are called the "civil war of jihadists."
Although both groups are powerful - in the summer of 2014, ISIS* captures Mosul in Iraq and declares a "caliphate," Julani manages to hold on to power in Jabhat al-Nusra* in armed clashes with ISIS* in Syria. The terrorist groups are still competitors in attracting jihadists.
The US State Department added al-Julani to the list of "especially dangerous terrorists" in 2013, and four years later announced a reward of $ 10 million for information leading to his capture. The reward is still in force.
(c) S. Shilov
* - terrorist organization
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/146618 - zinc
https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9533579.html
******
The Unfinished War and Its Long-Term Divisions: Syria’s Shifting Frontlines and the Limits of Diplomacy
Posted by Internationalist 360° on December 3, 2024
Elijah J. Magnier

The situation in Syria cannot be understood through the lens of a single event. Instead, it reflects a complex interplay of factors, motivations, and the interests of various states—some of which coordinate directly, while others act independently, relying on a geopolitical context that already favours their aims. The recent developments, including the occupation of the Idlib countryside, the city of Aleppo and its rural areas, and the advance of attacking forces—ideologically driven and adopting a more open approach towards local populations—towards the city of Hama, may not be aimed at toppling the Syrian state for the moment. The Syrian government has committed significant resources in and around Hama to halt this offensive. However, the broader objective appears to be the establishment of a new contact and demarcation line, bolstering Turkey’s negotiating position by leveraging a stronger foothold.
The aim seems to be to compel all concerned parties to make significant concessions at the negotiating table, reshaping the parameters of war and peace, and altering the current state of deadlock. By doing so, the offensive seeks to influence the broader strategic equilibrium in the region.
The recent movement of armed groups in Syria could not have occurred without substantial financial backing, cultural and military training, and advanced equipment—resources far beyond the reach of these groups without the support of wealthy nations aligned with their goals. These groups’ ability to wage war is contingent upon clear Turkish support, evidenced by Turkey’s role in providing cover for their actions. This support is apparent in Istanbul’s reception of delegations representing these groups, as well as Turkey’s invitation for them to sit at the negotiating table under the framework of the Astana Agreement, seeking a resolution in light of the evolving developments.
The shifting dynamics, however, reflect the tacit approval of the United States, which prioritises its own and Israel’s strategic interests. In all planned wars, some strategies unfold according to meticulously prepared details, while others must adapt dynamically to the course of the attack and the opportunities it presents. If the front collapses further, it is anticipated that forces will push forward to seize advanced positions.
The occupation of Aleppo aligns with the core objectives of the offensive launched against the Syrian Arab Army, though it did not account for the unexpectedly rapid collapse of the front line. This swift and chaotic retreat evokes comparisons to the Iraqi army’s unprecedented collapse in June 2014, characterised by a disorganised and arbitrary withdrawal from Mosul to Baghdad.
The capture of Tal Rifaat and the areas of Sheikh Maqsoud and Bustan al-Basha in Aleppo—previously held by Kurdish armed forces—reveals the lack of support for these proxy forces from the US forces they protect and [help] occupy in northeastern Syria. This development underscores the emergence of a new reality dictated by the fragmentation of Syria that requires a new distribution of forces.
However, it remains difficult for Damascus to quickly adjust to this altered situation and engage in serious negotiations from a position of such comparative weakness. First, it must come to terms with the present circumstances. In response to the offensive, Damascus and its allies have rushed to establish a primary defensive line in the city of Hama and an advanced defensive line at Jabal Zain al-Abidin, located within the Hama Governorate. Additional fortifications have been set up to defend the city itself, which has a population of approximately one million.
Hama Governorate spans about 8,900 square kilometers and is strategically significant, bordering the Idlib and Aleppo countryside to the north, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor to the east, Tartus and Latakia to the west, and Homs to the south. Its positioning makes it a critical area for both defence and control in the broader conflict.
The attacking forces do not need to advance into Hama city, as their control of Aleppo, Idlib, and the surrounding countryside is sufficient to impose a new reality on the ground. This positioning sends a clear message to all parties involved: neither side is capable of achieving a decisive victory, especially after President Bashar al-Assad refused to offer any further concessions.
Syria remains burdened by the crippling impact of international sanctions, particularly those imposed under the [US] Caesar Act of 2019, which have severely restricted the country’s economic recovery. Compounding this, Syria’s vital resources—its food, oil, and gas reserves in the northeast—are under the control of US-backed forces, while transit customs facilities and borders revenues in the northwest are dominated by Turkey-aligned factions. These factors have left the Syrian state in a weakened condition, unable to facilitate the return of millions of displaced citizens in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey or restore any semblance of normalcy.
Moreover, the ongoing lack of trust between Turkey and its allies, and Russia-Iran and its allies, has strained previous agreements. The de-escalation zones established in Astana have been repeatedly violated, exacerbated by Turkey’s failure to fulfil commitments such as reopening the M5 international highway between Aleppo and Damascus and the M4 between Aleppo and Latakia. This breach has further undermined efforts to stabilise the region and left a fragile, fragmented status quo in place.
Today, Turkey has escalated its involvement in Syria by advancing its forces into the countrysides of Aleppo and Idlib, re-establishing its influence through loyal forces in both the city and the countryside of Aleppo. Additionally, pro-Turkish forces have pushed into the Hama countryside, nearing defensive positions close to the city itself.
The military developments in Aleppo cannot simply be dismissed as an effort to disrupt Iran’s supply of weapons to Hezbollah. Such a perspective is misguided, as Tehran has consistently supplied its ally in Lebanon with weapons throughout the Syrian war, even during moments of extreme vulnerability—such as when the Al-Nusra Front (the predecessor of HTS) reached the outskirts of Damascus in 2011. This supply chain would only be severed if the entire Syrian state, including President Assad’s regime, were to collapse, and an unfriendly Syrian president leads the country.
Simultaneously, it is worth noting that Israel and the United States take satisfaction from the possibility that the advancing forces could block the Khanaser road, a critical route for supply trucks heading to Lebanon. If this road were obstructed, it would force Iran to use longer, more vulnerable routes, potentially increasing the likelihood of ISIS attacks and Israeli strikes targeting shipments en route to Hezbollah. Such a development aligns with Israeli efforts to relatively intercept and disrupt arms transfers to its regional adversaries whenever they are detected.
Turkey’s current actions must also be viewed in light of its pressing need to address the presence of millions of displaced Syrians within its borders. These refugees have become a political liability for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially as his opponents have increasingly used their presence as a point of attack. However, Erdogan cannot simply return them to Syria without providing viable alternatives, nor can Turkey concentrate them exclusively in Idlib, an area already ill-equipped to handle such large numbers due to its limited infrastructure and services.
For Ankara, maintaining control through its affiliated militias in northern Syria provides not only a geopolitical advantage but also a mechanism for managing displaced Syrians without directly disrupting Turkey’s domestic stability. The occupation of more than 7,700 square kilometers by Turkish-backed militias allows for the potential resettlement of millions of Syrians while simultaneously reinforcing Turkey’s influence in the region against Russia and Iran.
This evolving situation creates a complex dynamic where Turkish actions both align with and conflict with the interests of other key players. For instance:
Hezbollah in Lebanon retains the capability to secure its supply routes and protect Damascus. Any disruption of these routes would threaten Hezbollah’s strategic position, a scenario that Iran and its allies cannot afford.
Iran faces significant challenges as it navigates shifting geopolitical realities, particularly under the unpredictable policies of then-President Donald Trump. Tehran cannot afford to abandon its Syrian ally, as doing so would severely undermine its influence in both Syria and Lebanon and compromise its critical supply routes to Hezbollah. At the same time, Iran’s economic constraints pose additional limitations. With its economy under strain and far from robust, Tehran lacks the financial resources to sustain its involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts indefinitely. This precarious balance between maintaining regional influence and addressing domestic economic pressures underscores the complexity of Iran’s strategic calculations.
Russia, on the other hand, is deeply concerned about the potential loss of its foothold in the region. The naval base in Tartus and the airbase in Hmeimim represent Russia’s only significant access to the warm waters of the Mediterranean. A retreat from these positions would severely undermine Moscow’s strategic presence in the Middle East.
Although Syria’s allies—namely Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah—are unlikely to abandon Damascus, their immediate priorities may not include reclaiming Aleppo and its countryside. Instead, their efforts will likely focus on defending critical areas such as Damascus, Homs, and Hama, while waiting for a more suitable political solution.
This shifting power dynamic may push President Bashar al-Assad toward more pragmatic engagement with Turkey. Erdogan has demonstrated that he holds significant leverage, strengthening his negotiating position and forcing Assad to consider greater openness in discussions. This newfound Turkish advantage could reshape the regional balance, compelling all parties to reconsider their strategies and the long-term trajectory of the conflict.
This conflict is fundamentally different from its earlier phases:
It is not comparable to 2011, when the revolution ignited with its first sparks, driven by widespread unrest and aspirations for political change.
Nor is it similar to 2015, prior to Russia’s intervention, when Iran and its allies focused on safeguarding key cities and were willing to relinquish control of the countryside to maintain their strategic priorities.
It also differs from 2019, when lines of contact were established between the warring parties. This period was neither a truce nor an outright war but rather a state of uneasy equilibrium dictated by the military realities on the ground—a status quo enforced by force rather than diplomacy.
Today’s conflict reflects an evolution of the Syrian war, shaped by shifting alliances, new frontlines, and altered objectives that go beyond the dynamics of previous stages.
The occupation of Aleppo might have been avoided had President Bashar al-Assad engaged in serious and direct negotiations with his Turkish counterpart. In this context, competing interests have converged and may allow Damascus’ allies to propose a new reality to Assad. This reality avoids a return to outright war, the associated loss of thousands of lives on both sides, and the massive financial and logistical demands of extended conflict. However, no substantive negotiations are likely to begin until the two sides clash militarily on the ground and establish new lines of contact, which will dictate the parameters of talks. These lines will determine the balance of power, influence the shape of negotiations, and define the mutual conditions set by each party.
This suggests that the echoes of war have yet to fade in the Levant, even as an initial step has been taken to convene a new meeting of Astana participants in Doha, Qatar, a key player in the region, this week. Rather than moving towards resolution, the region appears destined for prolonged division, barring any unexpected developments or significant breakthroughs. The prevailing trajectory indicates that a lasting settlement remains a distant prospect, as military confrontations continue to mould the political and territorial landscape.
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2024/12/ ... diplomacy/
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The Second Front has been activated in Syria
Sonja van den Ende
December 3, 2024
Israel, with the support of the West, has unleashed a genocide in Palestine – Gaza, a bloodbath in Lebanon, and has opened the Syrian front again.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will go down in history as the most corrupt leader of the most extreme radical settler regime ever seen in the “promised land” called Israel, has negotiated a supposed ceasefire with Hezbollah, which will last for 60 days.
Shortly after the ceasefire in Lebanon came into effect, and after Israeli Netanyahu warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he was “playing with fire”, a new front was opened from Idlib to Aleppo.
The terrorist group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an attack on Aleppo from their last enclave in Idlib. HTS and other factions called the al-Fatah al-Mubin group, just another small terrorist organization affiliated with HTS, advanced in the western countryside of Aleppo and took control of strategic points in the villages of Qubtan al-Jabal and Sheikh Aqil.
According to sources and Syrian media, around 50 people were killed, including terrorists, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers and an SAA soldier who was taken back to Idlib as booty.
Who is HTS? If you believe Western sources, they are a Sunni Islamist political and armed organization involved in the Syrian civil war. It was formed on January 28, 2017, as a merger between Jaysh al-Ahrar, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna, Liwa al-Haq and Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement.
Syrian and Iraqi people call the organization Daesh, which means “the one who crushes”. The West sometimes gave it another name, ISIS or Islamic State.
Also, the so-called Syrian civil war is a proxy war of the West to get the oil and gas out of Syria (and Iraq). This is well known among Syrians, who see their oil being stolen by the U.S., initially by their proxies Daesh, but now more directly with the help of the U.S. military.
The main goal of the U.S. is to replace Russian allies with those of the U.S., usurping Assad’s power with radical jihadists, aligned in the past mainly with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, so that the U.S. could build a pipeline through Syria to Europe. The evidence is clear that U.S. President Barack Obama, against advice and warnings from his top military officers, pursued a policy to protect the fundamentalist Sunni organization Al Qaeda in Syria.
Proof that the U.S. (and its Western client states) under the Obama administration sponsored terrorists in Syria and Iraq is in the form of the last mentioned group, the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement.
Obama had to admit before the entire Western press that Nour al-Din al-Zenki, who beheaded an eleven-year-old Palestinian boy in cold blood in front of rolling cameras, was indeed a terrorist group. But so were all the others who the U.S. kept on sponsoring with weapons and money (as did Europe and the entire West). Later, they all merged with Daesh (ISIS).
In 2016, during the liberation of Aleppo by the Syrian Arab Army, fighters from other terrorist groups (all fighting under the banner of Daesh but fighting among themselves) captured and killed members of the Zenki movement. Many of those who survived were later granted asylum in Europe (particularly Germany) along with other terrorists.
But to this day, Europe is in denial and calls them rebels, while the evidence of gang violence happening in the cities of Europe is clear. Some say because of President Assad’s humane offer, they chose to be exiled to the enclave of Idlib, where a concentration of jihadists (after 2016) is now located.
The biggest Daesh group there has become HTS, and almost all groups are affiliated with them. Also, there are remaining Uyghurs, many of whom are in Idlib. This group is extremely violent, and they know they can’t go back to China.
According to one report, Uyghur jihadist fighters in Syria have served as a force multiplier for insurgents there. Uyghur fighters gained ground in Idlib, the only Syrian province that still has a large local and foreign jihadist presence. Uyghur jihadists in Syria pose an overlooked yet significant regional and international security problem. They are likely to become a greater threat if fighting in Idlib winds down and the province is not decisively captured by a strong state or non-state actor hostile to jihadist groups.”
The masks came off during the 2023 earthquake, which hit parts of Turkey and Syria. The West only provided aid to Idlib province and not to the citizens living in the officially governed part of Syria. According to the United Nations Development Program, as described in a post-disaster document, the intention was to coordinate the HRP document and the ongoing response to the earthquake in the coming months in consultation with the Syrian government. It was a meaningless document that meant that the Western countries only supplied Idlib, while Russia and its allies aided the Syrian government.
The remaining Daesh fighters who settled in Idlib in 2016 after the fall of Aleppo with their families lived a relatively sheltered life, still protected by their masters in the U.S. and the West and also by Islamist factions in Turkey. The latter was under the auspices of the late Fethullah Gülen, who in 2016 attempted a coup (from the U.S.) in Turkey. Gülen said he was strongly against Turkish involvement in Syria (meaning the Kurds). Also, he criticized the Turkish government’s desire to topple the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, which, of course, was a lie. He was a supporter (and his group) of the radical Islam preached by Daesh and no fan of Assad.
What we see happening now, and I am referring to October 7, 2023, the Hamas attack on Israel, is nothing but the Axis of Resistance’s war on Israel and the West, which, especially the U.S. (and EU), unconditionally supports Israel. The war and resistance have been activated since 2017 (in Tehran), and we see the results. The Middle East has suffered too long under the yoke of the West, first Europe, who colonized it, and after the Second World War, America took over and carried out all kinds of proxy wars and coups.
Now, the West, after the defeat in Syria, has opened a second front (the first is Ukraine) or rather reopened it. Israel, with the support of the West, has unleashed a genocide in Palestine – Gaza, a bloodbath in Lebanon, and has opened the Syrian front again. A large group of proxies (Daesh) who were in Idlib have chosen to fight in Ukraine, against Russia. It is the most notorious Caucasian fighters like the Jihadist Abu Omar al-Shishani and his group who are fighting in the Donbass.
The Al Hawl prison camp in northern Syria, where thousands of jihadists (many foreigners too) live, which is run by Kurds (actually U.S.) who find it difficult to guard them, has become a new terrorist hotbed and a time bomb.
It is located in northern Syria, far from Idlib, but could hypothetically become the northern front. Most of the brutal jihadists are locked up here, just like they were in Camp Bucca (run by the U.S.) in Iraq.
This could happen again with Camp al Hawl. Over the past few days, we witnessed what may be a not-so-important incident for those who do not know much about the situation. But it is significant. The HTS started an invasion (on a small scale) from Idlib on Aleppo, and they say they have conquered a few small villages. In a released video, we see them driving in Toyotas with the black flag of Daesh, a déjà vu, and it can also be seen that there are Uyghur militants among them.
For them, Aleppo is an important city because of the town of Dabiq, 44 km north of Aleppo, where, as legend has it, a final battle will take place. The Battle of Marj Dābiq was a decisive military clash in Middle Eastern history, fought on 24 August 1516. It was part of the Ottoman–Mamluk War (1516–17) between the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate, which ended in an Ottoman victory.
The U.S. has indicated that it does not want to withdraw from Syria and has been trying for some time to form a new alliance with the Sunni tribes, parallel to the SDF, to please the Turks on the one hand and the SDF on the other. The U.S. and its colonies always use certain groups to play them off against each other. In Syria and Iraq, it is the Kurds against ISIS, and in Ukraine, the Azov battalion. So the U.S. and its colonies support Neo-Nazis and fanatical headhunters who call themselves part of Islam (jihadists), and two radical groups in Syria and Iraq to fight a left-wing radical group like the PKK.
In Ukraine, the U.S. tried it with Ukrainian and foreign Neo-Nazis. That is the tactic of the West for world hegemony. To that end, civilian casualties are, in the words of Madeleine Albright, acceptable collateral damage.
https://strategic-culture.su/news/2024/ ... -in-syria/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."