ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)

in several sources now I saw
336187_original.jpg
identified as
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(looks like somebody noticed it in this otherwise uneventful video:
at 00:04)
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Delft calm your self, you know as do I that Turkey is still a NATO member despite everything that is happening. NATO has to respond when the air space of a NATO nation is violated. Otherwise what's the point of NATO?
They had to laud Russia for having there fighter penetrate into Turkish Airspace its just one of those things. It matters little that Turkey is just as up to its eye balls in this mess as Iran.
 

SampanViking

The Capitalist
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP Professional
Registered Member
Of course NATO aircraft violating the Syrian airspace is not irresponsible because these carefully avoid attacking moderate, democratic, Al Qaeda terrorists.
I do suspect that we are only hearing a part of the story. It does sound like a Cat and Mouse game with Turkish Aircraft, which maybe were doing a bit more than simply "patrolling the border"?

Personally, I am waiting to see some results on the ground with Syrian and Allied forces starting to make serious advances into terrorist held territory.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
I doubt that we will see a grand advance that sweeps the tide. The Grand Russian military is restricted to Air strikes as Putin needs Assad but his conflict in Ukraine is more critical And as such he only has a single airbase with a lone runway.

The US government is also restricted to air strikes by a timid lame duck administration. The few forces it backs are either being bombed by the Russians as they side against Assad, or are fighting AQ on one side ISIl on the other and the Assad state backing Iranians on the flank. Or are questionable in nature and my have defected.
The Iranian groups are fighting in Iraq Syria and Yemen as well as the occasional boarder raid.
ISIL is fighting everyone across the region from the Golan to the Iranian boarder. Rockets at Israel, tanks in Syria attacks in Iraq threats and Antitank weapons fire at Egypt.
The Syrian army is trying not to loose any more territory. Well facing off against equipment from its own and Iraqi military bases captured and now flying the black flag.
The Kurds are divided between two political factions, with one being attacked by Iran, IS, Turkey and AQ well the other has to hold its lines against Bagdad, IS and AQ.
The Iraqi Army is gone replaced by militia who are dubious at best and are more likely to be at the call of Tehran then Bagdad.
Bagdad is more of a rump trying to please the US on one side and Iran on the other. To appease Iran they are asking the Russians to join and fight for them.
The Saudis are facing Iran in two proxy wars and the potential for internal problems after the Mecca stampede and two troublesome princes.
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Recently I heard a suggestion, that is starting to sound alot more and more reasonable.
The US backing of groups has been partially via Bagdad. Who has been part of the vetting process. The Bagdad government has been in bed with Iran now for years and trough that relationship Tehran has organized the Militias.
Via treaty with Iraq the US has to Back Bagdad and all US defense aide even to the Kurds has to go through Bagdad.
Except there is a loop hole.
If funds and aide going to the Iraqi government can be shown to be diverted to US recognized terror groups the US can cut the rope.
The suggestion I heard was for the US to use that opt out either as threat or actively. Then redirect military aide to the Kurds directly via the airbases on Kurdish controlled northern Iraq making a defecto Kurdistan.
 

Scratch

Captain
If there should indeed appear russian servicemen with combat experiance from Ukraine on the ground, linking up with IRCG and Hizbollah fighters to selectively reinforce syrian army, and all that with air support, I guess the Syrians will really be able to consolidate their standing in their core region. And can then go from there. Might still be a lengthy campaign. But eventually they may have more stamina.
 

Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
One thing Russia has going for it over the recent controversy of it's joining airstrikes in the ME, is that it was requested and authorized by the official Syrian Government. A point FM Lavrov made sure to highlight recently at the UN for those who care about the International Law aspect of all this. Now:

"However, Iraq does NOT want Russia to send combat troops to fight on the ground"?? that says it all, now doesn't it?
 

GreenestGDP

Junior Member
ISIS Blows Up Ancient 'Arch of Triumph' in Palmyra, Syria

DAMASCUS — The United Nations cultural organization condemned the latest destruction by ISIS of ancient monuments in Syria's 2,000-year-old Roman city of Palmyra, saying the perpetrators should be tried and punished as war criminals.

.... ...
UNESCO said there would be no impunity for war criminals and it would make every effort, in co-operation with the International Criminal Court, to ensure the perpetrators were tried and punished.

"This new destruction shows how terrified by history and culture the extremists are, because understanding the past undermines and delegitimizes the pretexts they use to justify these crimes and exposes them as expressions of pure hatred


Palmyra--ancient city.jpg


In August, the Sunni Muslim militants
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, then the Temple of Bel, one of the best preserved Roman-era sites. Earlier this month it was also confirmed the militants had destroyed some of the best preserved of Palmyra's funeral towers, sandstone constructions built to hold the remains of the ancient city's richest families.

Palmyra was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world, according to UNESCO, which has described it as the crossroads of several civilizations.

Still remember Daesh Jihadi John ?

ISIS--Jihadi John--uk.png


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