U.S.-backed militias oust Islamic State fighters from Syria’s Tabqa old city

Share:
Syrian Democratic Forces fighters gesture while posing on a damaged airplane inside Tabqa military airport after taking control of it from Islamic State fighters, west of Raqqa city, Syria , April 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said
Syrian Democratic Forces fighters gesture while posing on a damaged airplane inside Tabqa military airport after taking control of it from Islamic State fighters, west of Raqqa city, Syria , April 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said

U.S.-backed militias said on Monday they had pushed Islamic State fighters out of the old quarters of Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria’s largest dam, hemming the militants into the remaining modern district along the shore.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance made up of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighting groups, are fighting a multi-phased campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream and east of Tabqa.

The SDF will wait to assault Raqqa until it seizes Tabqa, its military officials have previously said, but it had made slow progress since besieging the town in early April.

This changed on Thursday when the SDF began to advance north into the old city.

On Monday the SDF said in an online statement it had taken the last three neighborhoods of the old city and an adjoining industrial district.

SDF forces were now fighting Islamic State in the three modern quarters of the town which lie along the Tabqa reservoir, SDF spokesman Talal Silo said.

Islamic State still control the dam.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday the SDF now controls about 80 percent of Tabqa.

In recent weeks the SDF has also squeezed Islamic State’s pocket of territory around Raqqa, which the jihadist group has used as a base to plot attacks and manage much of its self-declared caliphate since seizing the city in 2014.

 

REUTERS

Share:

Comments

113 responses to “U.S.-backed militias oust Islamic State fighters from Syria’s Tabqa old city”

  1. MekensehParty Avatar
    MekensehParty

    while the ruskies and the resistance axis are bombing hospitals and gassing civilians, the US and its allies in the region, Kurds and Arabs, are continuing to drive Isis out of each and every town and city they control bringing the extremist caliphate to the brink of collapse.
    Of course such an important story on the war on terror doesn’t generate any echo from the fakers of the truth.
    “And yet it turns…”

    1. wargame1 Avatar
      wargame1

      Assad and the Russians didn’t really attack the ISIS. It was Assad who brought this group in 2013 and gave them huge area in order to create a buffer zone against the FSA. Once the ISIS are wiped out , Assad will have to create some other excuse.

      1. Omega Avatar

        Yes, that’s exactly it: the ISIS (who came from different countries) was invited by Assad. They had to sneak in via Turkey and Jordan at night and they were/are armed and supported by Assad and Russia. You clown, you.

        1. wargame1 Avatar
          wargame1

          ISIS and Al-Qaeda are covertly operated by Iran Russia and the Assad regime. If you dont know it already then I will educate you with reference.

          1. Omega Avatar

            Just so I am on the same page as you, you’re talking about the Al-Qaeda that morphed from US armed/supported Islamic Afghani Mujahideen who fought the Soviets and the Wahhabi-Sallafi-Sunni jihadists ISIS that came to life after the US’ illegal invasions of Iraq and Libya – right? If so, don’t make me wait one more second and do educate me with reference.

          2. Solomon Avatar
            Solomon

            Can’t trust a Muslim, quite simple.

          3. Omega Avatar

            Thanks for saying nothing Suleiman.

          4. Solomon Avatar
            Solomon

            Actually it says a great deal Bin Laden.

          5. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            Hi Mister Bin Shlomo

          6. Omega Avatar

            I see that you didn’t get it: Solomon is Suleiman.

            Let me rephrase it my reply: how is your post of any relevance, Suleiman?

          7. Solomon Avatar
            Solomon

            No I’m not.

          8. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            He changed name and avatar since.

          9. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            You can’t trust a Zionist

          10. You can’t trust HeBlabla

          11. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Al-Qaeda had no role in Afghan Soviet war. Al-Qaeda was their to hijack the victory from the local Afghan fighters. The Afghans knew a stray dog better than Osam Bin Laden. Osama was introduced by USA through CNN. Al-Qaedas role was same as what ISIS is doing in Syria and Iraq. i.e. Hijack the revolution against Assad. When USA started bombing Afghanistan the top Al-Qaeda leaders fled to IRAN including the son of Osama Bin Laden.

          12. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            ISIS and Al-Qaeda are operated by Iran and yes Pakistan shia government and Bashar Assad. Top Al-Qaeda leaders live in Iran including the son of Osama Bin Laden from where they conduct their terrorist attack around the world.

          13. Omega Avatar

            Going on a spamming-trolling frenzy without properly citing sources is neither an ‘education with reference’.

          14. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            Pretty much what he does. You should ask him about his prophecies.

          15. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            There are many top Al-Qaeda leaders living in Iran. The fled from Afghanistan during the US invasion. Iran sponsor this group and cause terrorism around the world and then blame it on the Arabs. Bin Ladean’s mother was an Alawite from Latakia Syria where the strong hold of Assad is , Bin Ladens father is from Yemen from Kindi tribe which is a Jewish tribe. Bin Laden was born in Latakia and later their family moved to Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden attack Saudi Arabia several times and the Saudi Government stripped off his nationality and expelled him from the country. His family later went to Iran. His current son is also an active terrorist operating from Iran. The Pakistan government also heavily Shia influenced although the sunnis are the majority. No wonder why Pakistan allow Bin Laden to stay there.

          16. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            After the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom by USA in October 2001 in Afghanistan in response to the September 11 attacks, it is common knowledge that many members of Al Qaeda, including Osama bin Laden, fled to the lawless Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Western Pakistan. What is less known is that key elements of Al-Qaeda also escaped to Iran, in some cases with assistance from Iranian authorities.

          17. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of Al Qaeda, has long maintained ties to Iran. Throughout the 1990s, as the leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Zawahiri was a frequent guest in Iran of Ali Fallahian, Iran’s then-Minister of Intelligence, and Ahmad Vahidi, then-head of the IRGC’s Quds Force. In 2003, The Washington Post reported on this “decade-old relationship” between Zawahiri and Vahidi, who had since become Iran’s Minister of Defense. Zawahiri’s relationship with Vahidi was reportedly instrumental in achieving safe harbor for Al Qaeda operatives seeking sanctuary from the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

          18. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Head of Al Qaeda in Iraq a monster created by Iran. Following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Iran provided safe haven to Al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who went on to establish Al Qaeda in Iraq. Zarqawi initially operated under the protection of the IRGC and its elite Quds Brigade. According to intelligence officials, the time Zarqawi spent in Iran was crucial for rebuilding his network before relocating to Iraq. Al-Zarqawi was killed in 2006 U.S. drone strike.

          19. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Saad Bin Laden (son of Osama) Senior Al Qaeda Operative, Terrorist Operations Planner lives in Iran. Under the auspices of the Quds Force, Osama’s son Saad reportedly fled to Iran to escape the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. In Iran, he assumed a more senior and active role in Al Qaeda, including planning terrorist operations abroad. As of 2008, the U.S. government believed Saad might have relocated to Pakistan with the assent of Iran. In 2010 Saad bin Laden reportedly traveled from Iran to Pakistan. In September 2012, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri confirmed in a videotape that Saad was killed in a drone strike.

          20. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Hamza bin Laden another Bin Laden’s Son, believed to be the next Al Qaeda leader lives in Iran. Hamza moved to Iran in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks where he spent roughly 10 years between 2001 and 2011. Hamza was sponsored by Tehran where his ideology was shaped by a special team of Taliban ideologues. In 2008, while living in Iran, Hamza appeared in a video tape calling for the destruction of “Britain and its allies”, also attacking the United States, France, and Demark. In 2010, news came out that Iran was indeed hosting Bin Laden’s family in a high end residency complex in Tehran, including Hamza bin Laden. His whereabouts since his reported release in 2011 are unknown.

          21. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Adel Radi Saqr al-Wahabi al-Harbi (Deceased and was in Iran) Deputy to Muhsin al-Fadhl; Logistics for the Khorasan Group, an affiliate of al-Qaeda fighting in Syria. In 2013 the Department of Justice said that al-Harbi worked as a logistics person, facilitating “the travel of extremists to Afghanistan or Iraq via Iran on behalf of al-Qaeda and is believed to have sought funds to support al-Qaeda attacks.” Al Harbi joined Al Qaeda’s network in Iran in 2011. On April 17, 2015, he was reported to have been killed in fighting against Syrian forces while serving as a member of the Khorasan Group, an affiliate of al-Qaeda fighting in Syria.

          22. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Muhsin al-Fadhli (Deceased) Leader of Al Qaeda in Iran, head of the Khorasan Group in Syria
            Connection: Al-Fadhli is an Iran-based senior Al Qaeda facilitator and financier. Al-Fadhli began working with al-Qaeda’s Iran based facilitation network in 2009. In 2013 Al-Fadhli reportedly arrived in Syria where he became a leader of the Khorasan group, a cadre of Al Qaeda operatives who were sent to Syria to plot attacks against the West. Al-Fadhli was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Syria on July 8, 2015.

          23. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Al Qaeda Facilitator and Financier in Iran Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil lives in Iran!
            Connection: Khalil has lived and operated in Iran since 2005 under agreement between al-Qaeda and the Iranian government. In his role as Al Qaeda’s representative in Iran, Khalil works with the organization’s senior leaders to transfer money and recruits via Iranian territory to Pakistan and Afghanistan. The U.S. is offering up to a $10 million reward for information leading to Khalil—the first time such money is being offered for an Al Qaeda financier

          24. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Official Al Qaeda Spokesman Suleiman Abu Ghaith lived in Iran
            Connection: The notorious Kuwaiti preacher reportedly arrived in Iran in early 2002. In 2010, Iran reportedly allowed Abu Ghaith to return to Afghanistan in exchange for an Iranian diplomat who was kidnapped by the Taliban in Pakistan in 2008.

          25. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Deputy leader of Al Qaeda Abdullah Muhammad Rajab Abd al-Rahman (alias Ahmad Hasan Abu al-Khayr al-Masri and Abdul Khayr al-Masri) lived in Iran
            Connection: After the fall of Afghanistan in 2001, Abd al-Rahman fled to Iran. In 2015, Abu Khayr al-Masri was reportedly one of the five jihadists who were reportedly released from Iranian custody in exchange for an Iranian diplomat who had been kidnapped in Yemen.

          26. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah Chief Financial Officer of Al Qaeda lived in Iran.
            Connection: Abdullah, one of Al Qaeda’s top operational deputies, reportedly arrived in Iran shortly after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan under the protection of the IRGC’s elite Quds Force. In 2015 Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah was reportedly one of the operatives released by Iran in exchange for an Iranian diplomat. In the 2015 Country Reports on Terrorism, the State Department describes Abdullah as Al Qaeda’s most experienced operational planner and that he may now be based in Syria.

          27. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            You have the whole Al-Qaeda team living in Iran and causing terrirst attack all over the world. Its time to bomb Russia and Assad. The Saudis with their Arabs allies will do that just in time. Saudi Arabia stripped off the citizenship of Bin Laden and expelled out of Saudi Arabia because Bin Laden bombed Saudi installation several time and the mission of Al-Qaeda and ISIS is to overthrow all the Arab leaders. BUT Al-Qaeda and ISIS do not attack Iran. Do not fool yourself but you you love it then fine with me.

          28. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            Al Qaeda Sunni fanatics don’t live in Shia Iran, as for
            “BUT Al-Qaeda and ISIS do not attack Iran”.. is laughable

          29. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            An English missionary In the 1850s named Samuel Lyde lived among the Alawites in Syria and built a mission and school. He subsequently published an account of his time there, in which he wrote that he was convinced that they (Alawites) were like St Paul’s description of the heathen: “filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness”. He criticized their brigandage, feuds, lying and divorce and claimed that “the state of [their] society was a perfect hell upon earth”

          30. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            Salafi and Daniel Pipes use Samuel Lyde..just like you, must be cousins.
            “Militant Islam Reaches America: Daniel Pipes”.

          31. wargame1 Avatar
            wargame1

            Whay Iran and the Assad regime helped NATO to overthrow Gaddafi?
            Gaddafi was a fatimid Shia who also was a western plant against the will of the majority sunnis in Libya (98%). Gaddafi was not obedient to Iranian twelver shia and Gaddafi would switch to the sunni side if Iran would try to control him much. So Assad and Iranian Ayatoilets decided to overthrow Gaddafi.

          32. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            That is hilarious, Gaddafi a Shiite kills Mousa el Sadr because Sadr is Sunni? Gaddafi tried to unify Islam by saying, since we moslems are “ahl el bayt” we are by default Shia. He was born to Sunni parents and then continued to say we shia ahl el bayt follow the sunna of Mohammad”. He was not a Shia by religion. The reason why the Western powers decided to get rid of Gaddafi was really the same reason for doing in Saddam. It has to do with keeping the dollar the currency “du jour” because that is the only way the dollar would survive since it is not backed up by rare metal (Gold). Before their demise both declared they would sell oil in exchange for other currencies such as Gold (which Gaddafi preferred), Yen or Euro. They both died for that. If Iran chooses to do the same they will be next. Either you use the $ as exchange or you’re as good as dead. So stop your BS tirade making everything about religion, Shia this and Sunni that and Christian this and atheist that. The world does not give a $hit about religion, your Sunni or otherwise. It is all about money and power and resources. If you kept your religion between God and you and worked hardest at building a real nation you as people would have conquered the planet for the resources you sat on for centuries. I do hope you wake up one of these days from your Islam Sunni opium. and before you reply, I am no atheist.

          33. Omega Avatar

            If you read my comment again, you will see that I did not write that Al-Qaeda had a role in the Afghan-Soviet war.

            In your previous comment, you said you will educate with reference. Your (personal) opinion, backed by absolutely nothing, is not an education with reference.

            Blaming the creation, rise and support of the Wahhabis (whatever their names) on Iran and the Shia is outstandingly silly.

          34. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            Ignore, wargame is a Salafi liar

    2. Omega Avatar

      I just checked my calendar but April 1st was thirty days ago. Tell me you’re paid to write such non-sense? And if not, how exactly is the US and its allies driving ISIS out when Jihadists (from dozens of different countries) entered Syria via Turkey and Jordan (two US allies) to then be supported by two other US’ allies (KSA and Israel). Most importantly, who armed the jihadists?

      1. MekensehParty Avatar
        MekensehParty

        I don’t mind teaching you logic since your Syrian parents never did, but I already know the results because I know that your brain was taken out and replaced with an Iranian turd incapable of learning. Nonetheless I’ll give it a try just to prove once again that what I said about you is true.
        When regular Syrians of all walks of life and of all sects Alawites included went to the streets PEACEFULLY asking for less than their god given rights, your brother from another mother bashar started killing them. Of course you’ll deny this. As millions and millions poured to the streets and defections hit the army, your bfam bashar released from jails hundreds of Qaeda leaders. Also documented and you’ll also deny this. They were in jail, or rather in the shade, because these sobs were being smuggled into Iraq through Syria to kill ze amberialist Amrikan occubier. Documented and denied by your kind. On the other side of the border, bashar’s cousin from another aunt, Maliki, pushed the Sunnis into the hands of al Qaeda by not paying for the US program that kicked Qaeda out of sunistan Iraq. Documented and that you’ll deny. El Qaeda now turned into Isis, without any US troops left in Iraq thanks to Maliki refusing to sign the US agreement, took over sunistan and threatened to invade Baghdad for a good old bloodbath. Documented and denied. In their takeover of these regions, Isis recovered the running Iraqi army’s thousands of tons of weapons. Documented and denied.
        As Isis took over large parts of Syria, your bfam bashar hardly attacked them, letting them roam freely and turning the revolution into an extremists invasion, and only attacking those who have a chance to gain support of the west, anihilating them. Documented and denied.
        I never denied that turkey and KSA allowed movement and sponsored Isis, and they got punished by the US by being ignored and sidelined in the talks about the future of Syria (d&d). But Jordan and Israel never did. The US as documented and denied, categorically refused to arm any rebels for fear of these weapons falling into the hands of jihadists. Instead they only armed the Kurds and Arab rebels they can fully trust and that have been sweeping across the north liberating Syria of Isis and today they are some 50kms away from raqqa the Syrian capital of the caliphate. In Iraq they rebuilt loyal Sunni battalions, armed and trained the Iraqi Kurds and gave both air cover and today they’re a month away from liberating Mosul the main capital of the caliphate (d&d).
        In the meantime, your bfam bashar, with the help of the Russians has been bombing hospitals and gassing people to defeat Islamists and Qaeda remnants with an average rate of success, but not Isis. Also d&d.
        This is a list of undeniable facts, that you insist on denying. When you’ll recover your brain (if ever) and you recognize the undeniable facts above we can talk. Until then you will remain an Iranian turd.

        1. Niemals Avatar
          Niemals

          You can present facts in an easy-to-understand form and wait to see if it helped to penetrate a brainwashed that insists on denying anyway.

          1. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            Well, I guess if you don’t trust the NY Times you’re definitely not going to trust Huff post.

          2. Niemals Avatar
            Niemals

            Why should I trust YOU when you are adding a reply before you knew my opinion about http://www.huffingtonpost.com THE BLOG?

          3. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            Ummm…because of your earlier comment on the NY Times, not a BLOG. It was clear you wouldn’t trust them either . You have no problem trusting a random guy commenting with no sources to back up his claims.

            Again, who do you trust? Where do you get your information from?

          4. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            and this is an “opinion” in the blog part of the HuffPost not an article reviewed and published by the editor of the HuffPost. If anything you should cite Jeffrey Sachs, who is a very respectable economist and writer. His attacks on Clinton and how she handled the Arab Spring certainly do not absolve Bashar from his crimes against his own people and how he handled the rebellion. “He” repeats, if Bashar took a different path instead of killing the first peaceful protesters a totally different story would have ensued. Therefore the blame falls strictly on he who shot the first shot, which was not the Syrian people.

          5. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            I have said from day one that ASSad handled it wrong and added fuel to the fire. He should have come out with real reform and made life more bearable for ALL Syrians, not just the elite.

            He screwed up big time, but I still would prefer him in control of Syria than daesh who would certainly have taken over the whole country.

          6. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            How about not him and not daesh?

          7. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            Israeli strikes raise stakes in face-off with Hezbollah.

            “Israeli analysts think Netanyahu’s government must exercise caution. “Israel still has to walk on eggshells and attack only if the destruction of the target is vital and pertains directly to Israeli security,” military specialist Alex Fishman wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper last week.”

            “Israeli ministers, several of whom have a Russian background, also appear determined to avoid provoking Moscow. “We’ll do nothing fast and loose when it comes to the Russians,” said the Israeli diplomat. “We’ll be super-careful in Syria.”
            http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-israel-hezbollah-analy-idUSKBN17Y20O?utm_c

          8. Niemals Avatar
            Niemals

            Why should I trust the http://www.nytimes.com?

          9. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            Haha, are you serious? Who do you trust?

          10. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            It seems you have no problem trusting an anonymous random guy commenting on an obscure site called Yalibnan.

          11. Niemals Avatar
            Niemals

            It seems that you have high thoughts about yourself as well as not being anonymous and trustworthy.

            My opinions obviously annoy you because an ‘equally anonymous and trustworthy’ is criticized by the one you call “an anonymous random guy”.

            You have no problem in commenting an anonymous guy commenting on another anonymous guy on unskilled site called Yalibnan.

            Bravo anonymous guy (man-o-war).

          12. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            You’re really trying to put your ignorance on full display today. Great job, you’ve succeeded.

            Where did I ever tell you to trust me? You delusional twit.

            I posted a NY times article and a Huff Post article. I didn’t pull random facts out of my ass as the other anonymous poster did.

            If you are able to take his ramblings as “facts”, but can’t trust the NY Times or the Huff post it shows you’re the brainwashed individual.

            You still haven’t stated what you consider to be credible Newspapers and/or blogs?

          13. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            Can’t stop laughing

          14. Niemals Avatar
            Niemals

            I can display facts in full display because it comes directly from the source – “regular Syrians of all walks of life and of all sects Alawites included went to the streets PEACEFULLY asking for less than their god given rights”.

            The source is in security among us, they are the Syrians who can tell me all their own experiences, I need no American press or blogs.

            So it’s not strange that I can comment an anonymous random guy commenting about facts in an easy-to-understand form and wait to see if it helped to penetrate a brainwashed that insists on denying anyway.

            You seems to be the other brainwashed anonymous guy commenting about “credible Newspapers”.
            That is indeed serious source….

          15. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            Haha, listen to this garbage. It is well documented that Israel and gulf countries did not like the Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian, Lebanese alliance that was forming. It was a direct threat to their power and they saw the alliance getting stronger by the day.

            They jumped on the “Arab Spring” momentum to fuel the unrest in Syria and arm the uprising. They hoped ASSad would fall quickly like the others, but it didn’t happen. Everyone one of you that frequent this site have been stating he would fall very soon for the past 3 years. They didn’t take into account the importance of Syria to Iran and Russia. The gulf countries funneled jihadis by the thousands along with millions of dollars in military support. They didn’t care that a cancer would form and Syria would be turned into a Jihadi hell hole as long as ASSad would fall and weakest he alliance.

            Hasn’t happened and it won’t happen unless Iran and Russia are convinced to give up the support.

          16. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            Hahaha they can keep burning the little money they still have in arming a conflict they’re too weak to finish.
            And please feel free to go help them you “true” warrior.
            But I’m sure you’d rather fart on your sofa

          17. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            I have no desire to step into Syria. I’m Lebanese, not Syrian.

            If theres anyone that can finish it on this earth it is you, after all you kicked out Syria in 28 days. Go fart some scuds on Damascus.

          18. Niemals Avatar
            Niemals

            I commented MekensehParty text about presenting facts in an easy-to-understand form.

            You are definitely not the one that it helped to understand it, it didn’t penetrated your brainwashed brain.

            In MekensehParty text you can’t find a word about Israel.

            You insists on blending in Israel and denying Al-Assad roll in the massacre of Syrians.

            The uprising was peaceful until Al-Assad started the bloodbath.

          19. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            “I commented MekensehParty text about presenting facts in an easy-to-understand form.” , and I posted two articles. They were written in clear English. You respond with the idiotic statement of “why should I trust the NY Times.”

            I don’t deny ASSads role in the bloodshed. Clearly he has some responsibility in the death and destruction of his country.

            Just because “he” doesn’t mention Israel doesn’t mean they didn’t have a hand in fomenting and prolonging the uprising. I guess the random air raids and attacks on Syrian military positions is self defense?

          20. Niemals Avatar
            Niemals

            “Clearly he has some responsibility in the death and destruction of his country.”…..

            “he” is MekensehParty, but you are just a blockhead.

            As MekensehParty already told you, the blame falls strictly on he who shot the first shot, which was not the Syrian people.

            What is idiotic in my statement of “why should I trust the NY Times.”?
            I have no need of US press, it is for the Americans or someone that trust Americans, like you.

          21. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            Hey retard, “he” in my comment is referring to ASSad, your reading comprehension is not very good. No surprise you don’t have a need for US press. Stick to your native tongue.

            I don’t agree with “him” that it falls strictly on ASSad, but I do agree he could have and should have done more to prevent it from spiraling out of control.

            “He” is MekensehParty and you are a fucking moron.

          22. Niemals Avatar
            Niemals

            So you’re the retard Lebanese living on the American continent as the retarded Hid Abyss aka HebAlba that stays away in Canada supporting the assassin Assad.

          23. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            You cuku mean MekensehPartie is nice cause he never mention Israel? His hero insane McCain started the bloodbath.
            US
            “The Planned Destruction of Christians in Syria”
            http://www.westernjournalism.com/planned-destruction-christians-syria/
            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/010ec7535fa2660ddf671adb55b1346795f5cfd9b3f7c365ab9dbbc347b288eb.jpg

          24. Omega Avatar

            Notice how he parrots Mekenseh, often word by word. (laughing)

          25. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            why are you afraid of naming “him”?
            yet you’re on “his” thread walking on eggs
            how long will you cowards hide behind your finger?

          26. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            I’m very very afraid, lol. Was it hard for you to figure out who “He” is?
            Only coward is you, the keyboard warrior who freed Lebanon from the Syrian chains, haha. Dipshit

          27. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            in one month…
            sorry, not one month, in 28 days, I put the Syrians out after more than 25 years of occupation that you farters couldn’t do anything about all this time.
            go sob on your smelly pillow
            I walk with my head high, you crawl under the Syrian/Iranian boots

          28. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            Damn, you must be 10 feet tall and fart scud missiles to do all that.
            Thank you for your service.
            I saw first hand the Syrian brutality during the civil war. They rolled into our village when and where they wanted. They snatched people up left and right, some never to be heard of again.

            They also helped repel invasions by forces that occupied Batroun and Chekka who also did evil horrific things to villagers that happened to pass through their checkpoints. The Phalangist and LF weren’t angels.

            The Syrians played both sides.

          29. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            In fact, we got them out without firing a shot when we faja’nahoun! Not even a slap.
            A lot of Lebanese look at these 28 days with envy, especially those who stayed at home and didn’t play any role, or were too scared to move their buts to the streets to join us.
            But some 300 people including myself did it and you shouldn’t be jealous, because we did it for you too. It’s time for the Lebanese people to stop farting on their sofas as I told Hanni and to recognize those who risked everything these first nights to give all the Lebanese a short-lived freedom, before the Syrians returned by the window.

          30. Omega Avatar

            Little that you knew/know, you (and the thousands like you all over the Middle East) were used like a cheap condoms to fulfill a geo-political agenda that has been in the works since the 1980s: the balkanization (some call it the Lebanonisation) of the Middle East.

          31. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            This regime played ALL sides and now they are playing Hezbollah to do their bid. They only care about themselves but they are still the lesser evil if I had to choose between them and ISIS.

          32. Omega Avatar

            The Syrians left Lebanon after Hariri’s killing (perpetrated by Mossad but blamed on Syria/Hezbollah). You and the rest of the (jobless) losers were paid to be on the streets and chant.

          33. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            Omega barra barra
            to Syria yalla yalla

          34. Omega Avatar

            If Syria did it, why weren’t they found guilty?

          35. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            Omega,
            I am not certain your theory holds water. Mossad had nothing to do with Hariri’s death. The Syrian regime under Assad jr. made a huge miscalculation and paid the price for it. So the Mossad killed Pierre, Ido, Tueini, the officers who found out the communication files hidden in the cellular antennas, Hasan, etc.? IT WAS THE SYRIAN REGIME and they won’t even hide it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHiAoMTG8-0

          36. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            “the officers who found out the communication files hidden in the cellular antennas” We also know that the telecommunications in Lebanon had been infiltrated and compromised by Mossad, which puts this evidence into question.

          37. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            Granted… They even infiltrated the resistance.
            http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/13/hezbollah-claims-to-reveal-10-cia-spies-in-lebanon/
            But the question remains that the data found by the young officers were damning and they were told by the elements who did not want the info to come back to them to back off. When they did not they were blown to bits.
            I honestly do not believe that HA or Nasrallah will go the extra mile to liquidate army officers but the Syrians have done it many times even to their own high ranking officers and officials.
            https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wissam_Eid
            https://beirutspring.com/who-killed-captain-wissam-eid-44a9b020ac73
            http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/19/world/meast/lebanon-bombing-al-hassan/
            Now for an instance remove your “resistance” hat and think for yourself. Then ask yourself the question: Are we a nation? or Are we nations within a nation? If we continue on that path there are 2 outcomes only. First, one camp wins it all (unlikely). Second, The balkanization of the entire area (it is already happening). There is a third option, start building a nation and get rid of religion and of all dictatorships that thrive on religion.

          38. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            I’m not putting anything past the Syrians. They liked having a foothold in Lebanon for their own interests.

            “Now for an instance remove your “resistance” hat and think for yourself.”, I don’t wear any kind of hat, except the sole baseball cap I wear when I go to the beach. I also think for myself (kind of insulting, but whatever), I don’t and never did support Hezbo leaving Lebanon’s borders to fight along side ASSad. If they truly felt Lebanon was under threat from radical extremist jihadist infiltrating Lebanon then help patrol the porous borders.

            I do take offense of people accusing Shi’ite of Lebanon not being Lebanese and being some sort of foreign agent. Simply not true. The Shi’ite of Lebanon are Lebanese and have a rightful place in the country. The Shi’ite of Lebanon have long lived by their Christians and Sunni neighbors in peace and tranquility. The extremist in Lebanon today are the Sunni jihadist that have flourished in Tripoli , Palestinian camps, and other towns/villages. They would love to control Lebanon and turn it into an Islamic state.

            I support your third option, get religion out of politics, and get the dictators out of government. The nepotism that’s rampant in Lebanese politics has to end. Families making government a family business is wrong and should end. The problem is nobody wants to give up power, why would they when they have become so rich from it.

            How do you make the third option a reality?

          39. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            Sorry for the “insult”… I did not mean it that way. Sometimes we get stuck in a “news forcefield’ which drives us into corners. I never said anything about the Shiites of Lebanon or of Iran or of anywhere else. I have friends from all walk of life and all kind of religions. My two best friends are Shiite (a woman) and a Sunni (a man) and their extended families. I have colleagues who are Iranians who are the nicest and most generous people in the world. I have jewish friends, christians and Buddhists. It is irrelevant to me and I do believe that at the end one will be judged by deeds and not their believes even the atheists among us have a place in an after life if there is one. The Shiites have been in Lebanon since the 7th century AD. They lived in Keserwan and Jezzine until their wars against the turkmen and ottomans who championed the Sunnis. They retreated to the South and the Bekaa where often they hid their identities for fear of persecution. They have been marginalized until the 80s when Sadr brought them to the limelight of politics. Sadr’s mistake is that he formulated the Shia as a political force within the Lebanese equation. The Shiites had the power to secularize the country but chose not to, and they fell into the murky waters of sectarianism, and retreated to their own corners. All the minorities from Shia, to Maronites to Druze to Armenians found refuge in Lebanon. and they are ALL Lebanese. Lebanon still carries genetics from the Phoenicians, the sea people, the greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and recently the Arabs. Religion only “painted” the communities but never changed their make up. I do not mix Arab with Islam. I do not consider myself an Arab as I know my ancestors spoke Syriac/Aramaic. In modern times I consider Lebanon to be Levantine Aramaic but we obviously speak Arabic but it is still a Phoenician dialect of Arabic.
            The third option? I have an idea… I guess it cannot be implemented from the inside. I think we should form a Lebanese party outside of Lebanon (maybe we will bring Omega in :P) and force the change from the outside because “insiders” are stuck.
            Enough ramblings back to reality… Going to help my son with his SATs. Tomorrow is D-Day for him. Say a prayer in whatever religion you believe in. God will always listen. Regards…

          40. ???????????????? ????????????????

          41. Omega Avatar

            Hi Hannibal. Sorry, I missed your comment. I don’t understand how the short video represents proof that the Syrian government was behind the assassination of Hariri Sr. (and killing of twenty one others) that day. Also, could you elaborate on Syria’s ‘huge miscalculation’ and how the Mossad killing of the five aforementioned people are linked?

            With all due respect, I believe you’re led by emotions rather than facts. Syria (which was cleared in international court after four years) had nothing to gain in killing Hariri but others (England, US, Israel) did. You mentioned the Balkanization of the Middle East in a reply below (to man-o-war). The killing of Hariri Sr. was precisely about that: getting Syria out of Lebanon (good riddance) and disarming Hezbollah. Weakening central powers in the Middle East (Ba’ath Iraq/Syria and then Iran) has been the objective of the Anglo-American-Zionists for decades (Oded Yinon, 1982). It would assure them monopoly of the oil reserves of the ME and make them (via the Zionist State), the only super-power in the region.

            But there is another player involved, however, one that would benefit even greater from the disintegration of Syria and Iraq, who happen to be two of its main adversaries. The tactic of breaking up existing Arab states into small and inter-fighting weakened microstates was described in detail for the very first time not by an American or European strategist, but an Israeli one. Oded Yinon, a journalist with a past in the country’s Foreign Ministry, published an article called “A strategy for Israel in the nineteen eighties” in the journal of the World Zionist Organisation in 1982, in which he argued that in order for his country to become an imperial regional power, it must affect the division of all existing Arab nations into microstates based on ethnicity or religion.

            The carving up of the Arab world was brought up for the first time in NATO strategist circles by British-American historian Bernard Lewis. Lewis – a British military intelligence officer during the Second World War, advocate of the clash of civilisations theory, longtime supporter of the Israeli right and, you guessed it, member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) – wrote an article as far back as 1992 called “Rethinking the Middle East,” published in the CFR’s own Foreign Affairs. In it, he predicted the “lebanonisation” of the Middle East:

            “Most of the states of the Middle East – Egypt is an obvious exception – are of recent and artificial construction [sic][33] and are vulnerable to [“lebanonisation”]. If the central power is sufficiently weakened, there is no real civil society to hold the polity together, no real sense of common national identity or overriding allegiance to the nation-state. The state then disintegrates – as happened in Lebanon – into a chaos of squabbling feuding, fighting sects, tribes, regions and parties.”[34]

            According to Lewis, American policy is mainly aimed at preventing adversarial regional hegemony (whether in the form of multilateral pan-Arabism or in the form of one strong regional power) that would establish monopolistic control over the Middle Eastern oil reserves. The US does not pursue this policy of “lebanonisation” in a classical imperial fashion, hints Lewis, but instead by invigorating Islamic fundamentalism, as religious opposition groups are the only ones that have at their disposal a network outside the control of the state.[35] Hence, just like Zbigniew Brzezinski would advocate for playing out the newly-created weak states in Central Asia and the Caucasus region and the ethnic minorities residing in them against each other in order to maintain American hegemony over Eurasia five years later,[36] Lewis laid out a model for American domination by divide and rule over the Arab world.

            https://www.newsbud.com/2017/04/23/newsbud-exclusive-the-balkanization-of-syria-iraq-the-roadmap-to-us-israeli-hegemony-in-the-middle-east/

            We can argue that Oded Yinon’s Plan was some rambling decades ago but as the author of the same article astutely :

            It is remarkable that most major Middle East conflicts following the publication of the Yinon plan served this agenda. In the short run, before 9/11, the US-backed Muslim Brotherhood insurgency in Syria’s Hama,[41] the Iran-Iraq war[42] and the First Gulf War[43] all weakened Ba’ath central governance or at least led to outrage and isolation from the international community, and in the long run, the post-9/11 Anglo-American invasion and occupation of Iraq and the NATO-Gulf-Turkey-orchestrated proxy war on Syria reinforced the minorities mentioned by Yinon and eventually brought partition into the picture.

            We then have the following:

            Bribed witnesses

            Several of the UNIIIC’s prime witnesses have admitted to perjury, accusing the US-Israeli backed Lebanese government of bribery and foul play. Witness Hussam Taher Hussam claimed Future Movement MP Saad Hariri (son of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri) offered him $1.3m USD to incriminate top Syrian officials. Witness Ibrahim Michel Jarjoura said he was assaulted and forced to lie by Lebanese Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade. Star witness Zuhir Ibn Mohamed Said Saddik, who had accused Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Syrian President Bashar Assad of ordering Hariri’s murder, bragged of earning millions by falsely testifying to the UN Commission.

            The politicization of the UN investigation was in full swing when the tribunal issued several reports accusing the Syrian regime, based on non-credible witnesses. It took four years for the tribunal to admit that much of “the evidence” used against Syria was fabricated by false witnesses, some of them even tied to Israeli intelligence (Abdelbasit Bani Odeh) or the CIA and other Western intelligence agencies (Ahmad Mari‘e and Zuhair Siddiq).

            Worth noting that the fake witnesses were let go without any charge (despite perjury being a serious crime) and given identity protection abroad.

            Biased prosecution

            In the Hariri case, German critics claimed “the choice of Mehlis was done because of his links to the German, American, French and Israeli intelligence agencies.” Lebanese news source libnen.com, and Le Figaro reported that the British MI6 and Mossad have been supplying much of the UN Commission’s intelligence. When Mehlis resigned in disgrace, the UN hired Belgian prosecutor Serge Brammertz at Mehlis’ recommendation. But Brammertz could also be vulnerable to US pressure if he assembles a verdict not to America’s liking.

            Shifting evidence

            It is also not certain where the explosion that killed Hariri was detonated. French experts assessed it was underground because the blast had cracked the foundations of adjacent buildings, manhole covers on the street had blown off, and asphalt was propelled onto nearby rooftops. After it was found that an underground explosion would not implicate Syria- but rather the pro-US/Israeli Lebanese government who had supervised road work in the days before Hariri died- the focus shifted to an above-ground blast via suicide bomber.

            Sophistication

            According to United Press International, Stratfor’s report on the Hariri crime concluded that the Lebanese assassinations were “so sophisticated that few in the world could have done it.” Burton told UPI that only five nations had such advanced resources- Israel, US, Britain, France and Russia.

            Mossad in Lebanon

            But the irrelevant evidence Brammertz refuses to speak of could prove far more substantial. Last June, the Lebanese Army discovered several networks of Arab mercenaries sponsored by Israel’s Mossad conducting terrorist attacks and car bombings connected to the Hariri assassination.

            “Israeli intelligence is standing behind this crime,” claimed German criminologist Juergen Cain Kuelbel. In his book “Hariri’s Assassination: Hiding Evidence in Lebanon” he wrote: “Syria is innocent and has nothing to do with that crime or the other assassinations.” Kuelbel discovered that the jamming system used to disable the Hariri convoy’s electronic shield was manufactured by Netline Technologies Ltd of Tel Aviv, an Israeli company co-developed with the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli law enforcement agencies.

            Surveillance of Hariri’s routes by Israel

            He [Nasrallah] then showed extensive images taken by the Israeli drones for over a five-year period of Rafik Hariri’s land routes across Lebanon- to and from his offices and residences in Beirut, his summer home in the mountains, and the coastal route to his brother’s residence in Sidon.

            ___

            http://www.counterpunch.org/2007/02/08/the-salvador-option-in-beirut/
            http://www.counterpunch.org/2010/08/16/who-killed-hariri/
            http://www.counterpunch.org/2010/07/23/the-hariri-assassination/
            http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/08/30/the-hariri-assassination-2/
            http://www.counterpunch.org/2005/02/15/the-killing-of-mr-lebanon/

          42. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            I am not led by emotions Omega. To what end? I have a very high EQ but I am very apolitical. Therefore I say it as it comes. I do not embellish nor do I sugar coat crap 😉
            Granted that a lot of evidence were mishandled, Let me ask you this… Did the Syrian regime and namely Bashar give the explosives to Samaha to put them in mosques or not? I would love to believe that Nasrallah and his party are above that behavior. I draw the line when assassinating people and coercing others by labelling them “traitors” etc. for disagreeing with their politics. I draw the biggest line when killing people in their place of worship. Even when Alexander conquered dissidents during the most barbaric of times those who hid in worship places were spared.

          43. Omega Avatar

            In no shape or form, did I question or mean to insult your intelligence (hence why I wrote ‘with all due respect’). My apologies if you felt offended. I edited the first paragraph of my comment and someone omitted to write ‘I can’t blame you as I did too’ after ‘I believe you’re led by emotions rather than facts.’

            Evidence was not mishandled. False evidence was collected by bribed witnesses. It is now known as so. Now, I am questioning your IQ. 🙂

            The case of Samaha (and Alexander) is non sequitur but I’ll answer: no, I do not believe Syria gave him explosives in order to plant them in mosques and destabilize Lebanon. That is silly beyond belief – and again a play on emotions.

            The way his case went down is highly suspicious: a group of masked men storming in his house in a morning to arrest him, followed, within hours, by a news outlet saying that he confessed to bringing explosives in Lebanon at the request of Syria is extremely dubious.

            Even if he was aware of an explosive transfer, a guy like him would never, ever, be involved on an operation level (bringing/transferring the explosives himself). He doesn’t open his own door – let’s get real. This is an matter of an internal war (dealing with military intelligence) between the M8 and M14.

            When you consider that a Salafi cockroach like al-Mawlawi was released promptly with an apology but a guy like Samaha (especially considering his past) was arrested like a thug and sentenced to years in jail raises a lot of questions.

          44. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            Honestly? You are too much 😉
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AjI8XUbYNQ

          45. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            It is funny eating “sobbeyr” he says this is good for your health then he lights up a cigarette. What a dumb fuc#. If that animal is the level of politicians we have then I am of all of this barraa2.

          46. Omega Avatar

            Yes, honestly. To much how? How does this prove or contradict anything? Politicians jumping heads like lice in Lebanon is nothing new.

          47. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            and please do not tell me that it was photoshopped nor that he was celebrating independence day with firecrackers 😉 Also he confessed without duress. He said “This is what Bashar wants…”

          48. Omega Avatar

            I am aware of that ‘hidden’ camera confession. How does it prove that Syria killed Hariri?

          49. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            It does not for now… If we agree that the Syrian regime gave the explosives to Samaha to perpetrate the crime in the goal of destabilizing Lebanon then we already got somewhere. if somehow the evidence will be allowed to be handed to the international tribunal then we may find one way or another who killed Hariri. Forensic evidence will tell you exactly the origin of the explosives. Unless of course the Syrians gave the Mossad the explosives and told them have a free hand in Lebanon and we appreciate your help in giving us an excuse to get out of this damned country 😉

          50. Omega Avatar

            It doesn’t because it didn’t make sense to begin with. Why would the Syrian government ‘hire’ Michel Samaha, a 60 plus years old mule, to transport explosives from Damascus to Beirut – aren’t there any in Lebanon? Why was Jamil al-Sayyed with Samaha in the car? Why was Samaha arrested in such theatrical manner? Why did the media show his confession to Milad Kfouri (the other guy in the video you posted (who had visited Israel several times with a foreign passport and who received $5M from the Lebanese ISF to then disappear)) within hours? Why did Wassim al-Hassan (responsible for gather the evidence against Samaha) have ties to Mossad? Until those questions are answered, we’re in moving sands. One thing is for sure, too many Lebanese are sold out rats.

            The forensic evidence in the killing of Hariri Sr. was destroyed when Israel attacked the south in 2006:

            Israel’s recent attack on Lebanon destroyed that evidence, by contaminating the crime scene with American DU-tipped GBU-28 bunker buster bomb residue.http://www.counterpunch.org/2007/02/08/the-salvador-option-in-beirut/

            Despite showing you evidence that Syria had nothing to do with the killing of Hairiri (and thus was cleared for it), you insist on believing otherwise. Now, I am convinced you think your with your heart (and cojones) rather than your head – in good humor.

            The most important/pivotal counter-evidence being the bribed witnesses with fake testimonies (who ended up admitting to perjury). There was a documentary in Lebanon that exposed a recording between an ICC investigator (Gerard Lehman), a former Syrian intelligent officer who defected (Zuhari Seddiq), Wassim al-Hassan and Saad Hariri where they fabricated the fake testimonies. They intention was to blame Syria via four generels (one of them being Jamil el-Sayyed). When el-Sayyed refused to take part of the conspiracy, he was arrested for four years along with the other three. Lehman was also caught on tape taking a bribe to leak cooked up info.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgN1Cft-1KI

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcfphNZrWy0

            Despite causing a major political turmoil in Lebanon, the four fake/bribed witnesses were let go without any charges (perjury is a serious crime) – and given witness protection abroad. Wassim al-Hassan (who was very close to Hariri Sr. and always by his side but miraculously absent the day he died) was promoted and given more power – despite being an accomplice to perjury.

            On a related note, Wassim al-Hassan threatened Diyar newspaper’s editor in chief for exposing his ties/meetings with Mossad officers (and Saad Hariri’s meeting with Israeli ministers). Al-Hassan was killed two days later in Beirut.

          51. Niemals Avatar
            Niemals

            Did I ever told you that I trust you?

            There are enough blockheads that are following you and the NY Times ..
            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/feea25f874404ae249db563ee5126941fd94535f15a9445f54260cc1ce2e2e85.jpg
            .. and that just an hour ago….

          52. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            “Did I ever told you that I trust you?” haha, Wow, just more proof you’re a moron.

          53. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            Wow just an hour ago..i should post my news myself.
            “Never before seen video footage of this year’s battle in east Damascus”
            BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:00 A.M.) – The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has been on the offensive in east Damascus recently, capturing large parts of the Al-Qaboun and Tishreen districts that have been under jihadist control for over five years.

            https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/never-seen-video-footage-years-battle-east-damascus/?utm_

          54. HebAlba Avatar
            HebAlba

            Quel Con! Hahahahahhhh…out of this World.

          55. Hannibal Avatar
            Hannibal

            LOL

          56. Omega Avatar

            x2

          57. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            Absolutely nothing in this article contradicts what “he” said. In fact, it strengthens the facts that “he” presented.
            try harder!

          58. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            “The US as documented and denied, categorically refused to arm any rebels for fear of these weapons falling into the hands of jihadists. Instead they only armed the Kurds and Arab rebels they can fully trust and that have been sweeping across the north liberating Syria of Isis and today they are some 50kms away from raqqa the Syrian capital of the caliphate. “,

            “He” is wrong, and “He’s” facts have no sources to back up “his” claims. The CIA and the Pentagon have two separate programs running in Syria. Nobody knows who the hell they’re arming and many times the ones that were vetted and trusted turned around and joined daiesh or Al Qaeda offshoots, taken their weapons and training with them.

            http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-cia-pentagon-isis-20160327-story.html

            What we know in public is only the surface of the interference in Syria.

          59. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            There were failed programs of arming and supporting some Syrian factions, none were terrorists/jihadists. They failed, and yes, some of their weapons and men were overtaken by the Jihadists/Terrorists. I wont deny that, because it’s the truth.
            But can you deny that the spearhead of the fight on Isis, and the liberation of Iraq and Syria from its claws is the US with the Mosul and Raqqa operations?

          60. man-o-war Avatar
            man-o-war

            You say “small”, but I’m not sure where you get your numbers. It’s possible they were “small”, I don’t have exact numbers and neither do you. The Pentagon and CIA will not release the real numbers, or what kind of training and weapons were supplied overtly and covertly.

            I don’t claim they’re game changing weapons, although the TOW missiles supplied did a number on Syrian tanks and even helicopters. The weapons supplied were enough to keep the battle going and pressure on ASSad. Will they win the war? No, short of an Air Force and full on ground invasion with Navy support the war will not end. Won’t happen unless you can get Russia to back off and drop ASSad support.

            I agree, the fight in Iraq vs daesh shifted in the Iraqi favor once the US got more involved. The Air Force and drone attacks are helping, as well as arming/backing the Kurds. Thank god they woke up realized that they had to put a stop to the daesh momentum. It does nobody any good with those terrorist running loose and having a base to operate out of.

          61. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            There is what is called senate and house hearings about the programs ran in Syria by both the Pentagon and the CIA. They won’t give names but they are obliged to give numbers. There was 2 failed programs that were shut down:
            One ran by the Pentagon at the behest of McCain who saw in the Free Syrian Army under a general named Idris a partner we can count on. They delivered them some weapons, but Idris allowed, or bowed to Nusra looting these weapons. The program was cut short and no further deliveries were made. Idris is the guy in the picture that hind saved as her desktop background, claiming that one of the guys in the pic with idris and McCain is Baghdadi, which is of course not true.
            The second program was designed by the CIA to train a first batch of 200 to 500 troops, but was also shut down as the first 25 or so men sent to Syria were immediately kidnapped on arrival by Islamists and Nusra.
            The TOW missiles were not provided by the US but by the Gulf states after the US gave the green light and indeed stopped the advance on Aleppo.
            At no point the US allowed any anti-aircraft missiles to be delivered to ANY group of rebels, not even Democratic Syria.
            Whatever was provided by the US that fell in the hands of terrorists in Syria (not talking about Iraq where Isis looted all the US weapons provided to the Iraqi Regular Army) was not a game changer and without further supplies had but limited effect.
            I thank you for agreeing to the obvious, that the only successful battles against Isis, and the liberation of swathes of lands from Isis have not been fought by the trio Russia-Iran-Bashar and their lackeys but by the US and the troops it trained and directly armed to fight Isis. Which is the main point of “his” original post.

        2. Danny Farah Avatar
          Danny Farah

          You speak the truth Grasshopper.. I totally agree and you are a wiseman.

          1. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            Thanks Danny, wisdom is recognized by the wise only 😉

          2. Omega Avatar

            The appeal of his distortion of reality depends on victims (like you) not having any detail of the topic.

        3. Omega Avatar

          I somehow missed your comment.

          Logic is defined as reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity. Let’s see how valid you raving is.

          • You’re off to a good start with the the Syrian government’s response to the street demonstrations – Assad did order the use of force against them. On the other hand, when similar ‘peaceful’ uprisings (with secular people in power) ended up so chaotic (with Islamists in charge) – the infamous ‘Arab Spring’ – it leaves much to debate. Especially when diplomatic cable leaks show the involvement of the CIA (and other key players) and that, long before the start of the hostilities.

          • Al-Qaeda never had an established presence in Syria. The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and their extremist branch, the Fighting Vanguard, – backed by the US – did go against Assad Sr. but they were eradicated in the 1980s with the killing of 20,000 people in Hama. The release of Jihadists from prison was the result of new laws (permitting prison amnesties – including MB members) to appease the revolts. Suggesting that the freed Jihadists went to fight the American invaders when a Sunni insurgency was already fomenting due to al-Maliki’s death squads is silly (see next point).

          • When al-Maliki won most of the seats in the parliamentary elections of 2006, the US loved him. The Western mainstream media portrayed him as ‘the man’. In 2010, al-Malaki’s second term was uncertain but he managed to steal the election. Again, the US backed him and the Western mainstream media showered him with praise. In the process of his re-election, Sunni insurgents (backed by the population) and Kurds in the North put him (but most importantly, Baghdad) at risk. The Iraqis could not take another day of Malaki’s brutal police/army (read: death squads) shedding blood – which you completely omit. Realizing Malaki’s vulnerability, the US dropped him. Needless to say, in the Western media, he became useless (unable to reconcile the conflicts with the Sunni minority).

          • The US knew ahead of time that the invasion of Iraq (sold and pushed by Israel) would lead to a sectarian disaster; yet it didn’t stop them from invading – because that’s what they wanted: disintegrate central powers in the ME. So you know, whining about the Jihadists taking over Iraq’s weapons is paradoxical.

          • Jordan (and Turkey) looked the other way when Jihadists (most of who are not Syrian) transited to Syria. US arms ended up on the black market for the Jihadists to grab (thanks in big part to Jordan’s intelligence). The Anglo-American-Zionists say jump and Jordan jumps. They’re allies and very much partner in crime. Turkey and KSA aren’t any different.

          • Israel has all to gain with the collapse of Syria. It’s been their (and the Anglo-Americans’) objective to became the only power in the region for decades. After successfully pushing the illegal invasion/war on Iraq, they tried to do the same with Syria (and Lebanon).

          • When you say that Turkey and KSA got punished by the US by being ignored and sidelined in the talks about the future of Syria, you confirm that the war in Syria was the work of the West.

          • You insist on claiming that the US does not arm the Jihadists directly or indirectly (regardless their name: al-Qaeda, ISIS/ISIL/IS, al-Nusra, al-This, al-that) but cable leaks also show otherwise – so did Clinton’s emails.

          • I see you have absorbed your idols’ modus operandi: repeat a lie until it becomes established. The war in Syria was not started by the Syrian government – it was by the West and Israel. Why would Syria and Russia bomb hospitals and let Jihadists roam free? Where is the proof? The gassing of civilians was a lie in 2013 and it was regurgitated with the same end results recently.

          • The chaos in the Middle East is strictly matter of regional hegemony. The Anglo-Americans-Zionists wage wars to break up nations and steal their resources. Seeing dimwits like you cry when the invaded fight back is comical.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *