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Voiceover by Harold Hoover
US-backed militant groups, often referred to as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), have declared the start of a counter-offensive against “the regime and its foreign militias” in the area east of Suweida in southeastern Syria. The counter-offensive was dubbed operation “Desert Volcano”. Its declared goal is to expel government forces from the Syrian desert.
Since last weekend, the Syrian Army and its allies have made notable gains east of Suweida and along the Damascus-Baghdad highway. These advances posed a direct threat to the US-led plan aimed at building a buffer zone controlled by US-backed factions between Syria and Iraq. Now, the US-led forces are going to use force against the Syrian military in order to achieve their strategic goal.
Meanwhile, the US-led coalition’s aircraft have reportedly dropped leaflets on the ISIS-held border town of al-Bakumal. The leaflets called on locals to avoid moving near ISIS objects in the area. This event could be linked with the coalition’s willingness to capture this border town and expand its influence along the Syrian-Iraqi border. However, this goal is complicated by the low number and quality of US-led militant groups operating in the area.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), Liwa al-Quds, the 5th Assault Corps, and the National Defense Forces (NDF) have resumed their push against ISIS east of the ancient city of Palmyra, aiming to take control over the village of Arak and the nearby Arak gas field. Government troops have advanced over 3 km northeast of Palmyra and entered a number of hills in the area north of Arak. With this advance, government forces are going to outflank ISIS units in the area of Arak and are going to set a fire control over this area.
Pro-government forces, led by the Tiger Forces, continued their advance on the ISIS-held town of Maskkanah in the province of Aleppo. According to pro-government sources, 7 ISIS militants were killed and a vehicle destroyed in the recent clashes.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have isolated further the ISIS stronghold of Raqqah. SDF units have captured two main roads east and west of Raqqah and have continued their advance aiming to reach its vicinity from the northern and western directions. The only road from Raqqah under the control of ISIS is the road to the south.
Summing up the recent developments, it becomes clear that in the nearest future the main competition will take place in the Syrian border area with Jordan and Iraq and in the countryside of Deir Ezzor. If the US-led coalition is able to prevent the Syrian government from re-establishing control in these areas, it will achieve a strategic victory that will impact dramatically the situation in post-war Syria.
What is chilling is Russia’s continued refusal to stand up for Syria’s sovereignty. The southeast of Syria is the one place where a strong Russian stand would almost certainly force the US to back down without escalation, but even there Russia’s timidity is on display to the whole world. Russia will not back up an ally no matter what. But it will happily backstab an ally. When Putin says the US is his partner, we should believe that he means what he says. He is more than happy to cede a huge chunk of Syria’s supposed sovereignty to the US, another chunk to Turkey, another chunk to Israel and a short lived rump state to Assad.
why dont u go and stop the US?
What is chilling is the world putting up with American criminality including it’s murderous war on the civilians of Iraq and Syria, several thousand of whom have been killed this year alone.
As for Russians helping their Syrian alles defeat the terrorists and their western backers, maybe Paul should read this –
“The “Ridwan” Hezbollah forces, along with hundreds of Russian special forces and the Syrian army and its proxies, are now fighting to recover the oil fields (exploited by Russia in Syria) and to stop the American-British-Jordanian project to create a “buffer zone” starting from the Suweida and Daraa governed territories and extending towards the Iraqi border, Deir al-Zour from Palmyra to Sukhna.” – from
http://russia-insider.com/en/military/russia-counting-hezbollah-help-spearhead-eastern-syria-offensive/ri19898
I have seen no evidence anywhere that Russia or Syria are planning to cede Syrian territory and I don’t think they will need to because they are winning.
“What is chilling is Russia’s continued refusal to stand up for Syria’s sovereignty. The southeast of Syria is the one place where a strong Russian stand would almost certainly force the US to back down . . .”
What are you talking about Paul?
Here are pictures of the Russians at Al-Tanf on the Syria/Iraq border supporting the SAA,
http://russia-insider.com/en/military/exclusive-photographs-show-russian-air-force-supporting-syrian-army-al-tanf-front/ri19910
Things are not what they seem. The Russians have a plan and they are coherent and consistent and people trust them. Whilst they fight where necessary they are also pacifying the country and encouraging the surrender of huge numbers of terrorists.
Because It is done more quietly than the usual drama and self promotion we are used to from the USA such as all the infantile posturing after the big bomb event in Afghanistan and because we can’t ever be fully informed of all that is happening we sometimes get discouraged.
Remember if the neocons had had their way Syria, Iran and North Korea would be rubble and Russia would be fighting for it’s life in a colour revolution and there certainly would not be a new silk road project.
And Syria is recovering albeit slowly. I forsee a massive swing in world opinion coming towards the multipolar countries because people can see for themselves that all the USA does is go around killing people. And that is not acceptable .
The Voice of Hasbara. Haven’t heard it for a while. Welcome back.
What is chilling is the US instigating, funding, training, supporting and fighting with a Salafist proxy force to destroy a sovereign nation in order to steal its resources and control (or kill) it’s people.
What is chilling is a UN determined to not know this and avoid confronting the US. If 100 nations cried out, the “game” the US is playing would be over by tea-time today.
Russia is a strong, effective, nuclear-armed force, but it is not able to defeat the US head-on in Syria.
There may come a time when the RF must fight head to head. But I personally hope that day never comes.
Paul does make a good point.
Meanwhile, ISIS claims responsibility for the Manchester bombing–right on cue.
Will Theresa May seize upon this politically fortuituous terror attack to stampeded Britain into escalating its military aggression against Syria–while pushing the British police state to new levels?
ISIS Claiming Responsibility for Manchester Blast Is Likely Baloney http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2017/05/isis-claiming-responsibility-for.html
Soldiers will be deployed on British streets in race to foil second terror attack http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/23/theresa-may-increases-uk-terrorist-alert-critical-manchester/
This is poorly written.
“These advances posed a direct threat to the US-led plan aimed at building a buffer zone controlled by US-backed factions between Syria and Iraq.”
It makes it sound like there is an area between Syria & Iraq to take control of!
Of course – there isn’t! (At least not yet).
It should read.
“These advances posed a direct threat to the US-led plan aimed at building a buffer zone in Eastern Syria controlled by US-backed factions.”
http://tass.com/politics/947301
Russia, US discuss Syrian conflict in round-the-clock mode — defense minister
MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. Russia and the United States continue discussing the situation in Syria in a round-the-clock mode and are preparing a joint project on the southern zone of de-escalation, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, on Wednesday.
“We did not halt contacts and cooperation with them, this is also happening almost in a round-the-clock mode, we are talking with them during the day and the night, and we are meeting at different venues,” Shoigu said.
“A great work is underway with them,” Shoigu said.
“We would like it to be completed and presented as a project ready for implementation.
But we are working with them and working, naturally, on the southern zone of de-escalation,” the minister said.
The Russian Defense Ministry is also in touch on this zone with Jordan and Israel. “We enjoy a constructive dialogue,” Shoigu said.
Russian aircraft carried out 4 times more missile attacks than coalition
Russia’s Aerospace Forces made three times more sorties and delivered four times more missile and bomb attacks in Syria than the international coalition, according to Shoigu.
“The comparative analysis of results of actions in Syria by Russia’s aviation and the international coalition shows that our Aerospace Forces, which had fewer aircraft, carried out three times more sorties and delivered four times more missile and bomb attacks,” Shoigu said.
Political importance of Aleppo liberation
The liberation of Syrian Aleppo is of major political importance for the country, Shoigu said.
“Liberation of Aleppo, which is considered the second capital of Syria, was the main achievement of last year. This victory has not only military, but also major political importance for the whole country,” Shoigu said.
He said last year a major group of Islamic State militants was defeated north of Aleppo.
“It was for the first time that the Russian Aerospace forces and Turkish Air Force operated jointly against terrorists,” he marked.
“Units of government troops supported by Russian aircraft approached the al-Assad reservoir and continue an offensive along the western bank of Euphrates River,” the minister went on.
“Palmyra has been liberated, oil and gas fields Jizel, Haiyan and Shaer have been returned under government control.
Besides, the situation has stabilized in the area of Hama,” Shoigu said.
“Terrorists have been driven more than 30 kilometers away from the city.
Under the mediation of Russian military, the withdrawal of more radical extremists and their families from Al-Waer in Hama suburbs, has been completed.
As a result, the city is fully controlled by the Syrian government,” Shoigu said.
Russia knows where terrorists keep chemical weapons components
Russian Defense Ministry has information at its disposal where the terrorist organizations Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia) keep chemical weapons components, Shoigu said.
“There is evidence that both the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra have chemical weapons components.
We know where the components are and who keeps them. Is there any guarantee that tomorrow they will not surface in some other country?” he said.
He called for joint and transparent international struggle against forces that have chemical weapons at their disposal.
Geneva peace talks on Syria running out of steam
The Geneva talks on hammering out a peace deal for Syria have run out of steam, Shoigu said, calling to start drafting a new Syrian constitution.
I read that article earlier today, too.
Almost one year ago General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces said, “If anyone’s patience on Syria is waning, it is ours, not the United States. We are in full compliance with our obligations to maintain the ceasefire and ensure national reconciliation in Syria. The American side always has problems with the ‘opposition under its control'” (see: https://www.rt.com/news/347579-russia-us-patience-gerasimov/ ). So what has changed in the foreign policy of the U.S. regarding Syria? Nothing that can be discerned from recent events, yet Russia continues to propose detente and an armistice to stop the carnage while the U.S. ignores the talk of peace and intensify its escalation of aggression.
Again and again, we see a combined effort by the Russian political and military leadership to try and work a “partnership of cooperation” with the U.S. NATO coalition. To this very day, the U.S. has repeatedly supported the opposition with arms and training to extend the fighting and ultimately establish land partitions to weaken Syrian sovereignty. Why Russia believes an offer of de-escalation zones will work this time must involve a deeper understanding than I can imagine. Perhaps President Putin and Defense Minister Shoigu hide a winning scheme, a level of depth complex on multiple levels intertwining statesmanship and military strategy, yet appears on the surface to be concessionary doveism to the illegal demands of the U.S. militarists.
At this point in this circuitous round of failed attempts at negotiating peace, one would think a pattern of deceit becomes so obvious that even a blind man can see. The U.S. thrives on military conflict, they want to engage in a perpetuity of war as it’s the only arrow in their quiver of malicious foreign policy. They will do everything possible to trap Syria and Russia into a direct gun battle. Each gesture of reconciliation introduced by the Kremlin is met with its polar opposite by Washington, DC. There is no intent whatsoever to have a meeting of the minds unless it benefits U.S. interests and theirs alone. Soon or later Russia has to come to terms with the swirl of acrimony from the U.S. that will not cease. President Putin has to tell President Trump and his Pentagon handlers there will not be any more one-sided agreements or the braking of promises or any other excuses to justify fomenting militancy. It will no longer be tolerated.
If the gigantomachy is to happen, so be it. Russia must not be afraid to stand-up to the bully. She has to confront it and defeat the western beast that spews its vile poison of imperialism wherever in the world.
Syrian Forces Kill More Than 3000 ISIS Terrorists in Aleppo Countryside, Top Emirs Including
May 24th, 2017 – Fort Russ News –
– Breakingnews.sy – – translated by Samer Hussein –
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/05/syrian-forces-kill-more-than-3000-isis.html
also interesting news just now is
https://southfront.org/iraqi-government-confirms-cooperation-with-syria-iran-and-russia-to-secure-syrian-iraqi-border-video/
Also Egypt is back on track with Hezb’Allah, Iran, Iraq and Russia (with discreet Chinese aid), all backing Syria’s fight for humanity. The Zio-Capitalists are desperate, they might try to throw in more of NATZO’s “irresistible armed might” via Jordan and Israel to save their lost hopes – the way Hitler threw 5 more armies into the great Panzer graveyard of Kursk after losing the battle of Stalingrad.
PS happy to announce SyrPer online again, after a weeklong attempt from NATZO member Turkey to silence that voice of truth: https://syrianperspective.com/