Week Four of the Russian Intervention in Syria: assessing the Vienna declaration

I would argue that, at least so far, Russia has achieved many important goal in her intervention in Syria. Most importantly, the Russian intervention in Syria forced the USA to agree to a conference in which all the regional actors, including Iran, would be invited. At the end of its proceedings the conference adopted a joint statement which I have fully reposted here: http://10.16.86.131/joint-statement-final-declaration-on-the-results-of-the-syria-talks-in-vienna-as-agreed-by-participants/

I believe that this statement represents a major diplomatic defeat for the USA and yet another Russian diplomatic victory. Here some points which have been agreed upon (with relevant section of the declaration indicated in brackets):

Iran will participate in the negotiations about the future of Syria (preamble)
Syria will not be allowed to break up (#1)
Syria will not be ruled by a religious regime (#1)
The Syrian military will not be disbanded (#2)
Daesh and other terrorists must be defeated (#6)
The Syrian people will get to chose their leader (#8)

Now let’s translate that into political terms and see what this implies.

The USA has failed to isolate Iran whose crucial role is now recognized by all
The USA will not be allowed to partition into a Wahabistan and an Alawistan
None of the factions supported by the US (all being religious) will be allowed to rule
The Syrian military (which is solidly pro-Assad) will not be disbanded or disarmed
All the factions supported by the US (all being Wahabi extremists) must be militarily defeated
Assad will be allowed to remain in power (since he is by far the most popular leader)

Now, I am not stupid or naive to believe for one second that the USA will truly abide by these terms. Quite to the contrary. All I am saying is that Russia has inflicted yet another massive diplomatic defeat on the USA similar to the one Lough Erne or to the Minsk-1 and Minsk-2 Agreements. In Lough Erne, for example, the USA had to accept the following statement: “We call on the Syrian authorities and opposition at the Geneva Conference jointly to commit to destroying and expelling from Syria all organisations and individuals affiliated to Al Qaeda, and any other non-state actors linked to terrorism.” In other words, Daesh-linked Wahabis were told to join forces with the Syrian military to defeat Daesh! Of course, we all know that this did not happen. But what is important here is that the US actions and policies are so indefensible that the USA has to condemn or, at least, contradict them, in any public forum.

Let me repeat this once more: what the US is doing on the ground, in reality, is in complete and total contradiction with the declaratory policy of the USA:

US actions/policies/goals	US official policy on Syria
Full military support for Daesh	Categorical opposition to Daesh
Promotion of a Wahabi regime	Promotion of a secular regime
Breakup of Syria	Maintaining a unitary Syria
Destruction of the Syrian military	Maintaining the Syria military
Removal of Assad at any cost	Syrian people get to elect Assad
Sabotage of all Russian efforts	Collaboration with Russia
Regime change in Iran	Iran as a partner

While, at least so far, the USA has been successful in doing the exact opposite of what it has been declaring, this becomes extremely difficult once the Russian military is directly involved. This was best illustrated by the surreal moment when following US accusations that Russia was bombing the “wrong” guys the USA refused to give Russia a list of bad guys and a list of good guys.

This tactic, to force the USA to formally agree to something which they oppose is also what Putin used in the Minsk-2 Agreement where the Russians basically forced the USA and its puppet regime to accept a dialog with the Novorussians even though such a dialog is absolutely out of the question. This is what Russia is doing now: forcing the USA to negotiate with Assad and Iran.

Russia’s declared policies and actions in contrast, are as simple, straightforward and in full conformity with each other: defeating terrorists, support the legal Syrian government, uphold international law. In Russia’s case, there is no need to hide anything and, in fact, the Russians have been amazingly transparent about their operations.

For years now the USA has been dreaming of doing to Assad what was done to Hussein and Gaddafi and they most definitely have the military might to do so: what they are discovering, to their great distress, is that Russia is capable of defeating US plans by skillfully using a mix of intense diplomacy and limited military efforts. So far, the US have not found a way of coping with this situation.

On the military front the situation remain, at best, complex. The best reports about the combat situation that I have found so far are, yet again, on Colonel Cassad’s website. To make a long story short and in sparing you all the details battle by battle, it appears that the Syrian Army is making slow progress on many directions, but it has been unable to capitalize on the Russian airstrikes and these modest tactical successes have not produced any operational breakthroughs. In simple terms: the government forces are struggling very hard to achieve even modest progress.

I am, by the way, in no way blaming the Syrians for that. The frontlines are long, convoluted, the Wahabis are well dug in, the Russian air force contingent is very small and can only do so much. One Russian expert declared today that he believes that the Syrian military lost about 85’000 men since the war began. If that is true, it would explain, at least partially, the fact that the Syrians are over-stretched and are having a hard time concentrating enough forces in one location to achieve a breakthrough.

Still, it is quite possible that the combined efforts of the Russians and the Syrian will eventually yield an operational success and that the Daesh forces will suddenly collapse, at least on one section of the front. The problem with that is that both sides are in a race for time: the next round of negotiations is scheduled in two weeks already and, so far, neither side as much to show to come to the negotiating table in a position of strength. Apparently, the Americans are planning some kind of attack on Raqqa, and they want to use primarily Kurdish forces. If so, then this is a rather bizarre plan. After all, why would the Kurdish forces agree to such a dangerous and potentially costly (in terms of equipment and lives) operation far away from their own zones which they must protect on more or less all directions?! In comparison, the Russian plan of unblocking the Syrian military and helping it reconquer Aleppo and the key highway linking Damascus to Homs and Aleppo appears much more realistic, if full of potential difficulties. If the Syrians fail to achieve these goals in the next 2 weeks, then this will immensely complicate the upcoming negotiations and might forces Iran and Hezbollah to commit a much larger force to relieve the Syrian Army.

The next couple of weeks will be crucial.

The Saker

mmiriww on November 03, 2015 · at 3:19 am EST/EDT

LOL!!!! Putin says mccaine left his mind in Vietnam and his hands are filled with the blood of civilians he killed.

Looks like Nursa terrorists are almost cut off with YPG on one side, the SAA on the other and IS looking to take the scraps.. Another month and Aleppo will be cut off Turkish supplies and reinforcements. Then it is a matter of time whacking the moles that pop up from the tunnels.

On the maps there erroneously draw the troops of the Caliphate, but in fact the city keep troops An-Nusra, which has a few days to repel the attacks of the Syrian army, which in the light of progress to the south of Aleppo continues to wrap around Al Carasso from the south, creating an unambiguous threat to take the group the Anti- Nusra in a small pot (there might be from 700 to 1,000 fighters). In order to prevent the environment, to the north of Al-Carasso rebels attacked the flanks of the advancing group of the Syrian army, in order to ease the pressure on al-Carasso.

And today reported that Assad’s troops took Al Khader (according to other sources – came to the outskirts of the city), a major transport interchange to the south-west of Aleppo. Since the beginning of the offensive is one of krupneyshnih success of the Syrian army.
Militants are still unable to stabilize the front and to the stubborn resistance – from the rebel forces are a high level of demoralization and disorganization of command and control, as well as considerable losses in men and materiel.
In this regard, if we talk about where the Syrian army has the best chance to achieve a major operational success, it is precisely this area.

The attack on Kuveyris has not yet led to the unblocking of the air base. Assad’s tanks and infantry entered the outskirts of the village of Sheikh Ahmad and there is fierce fighting, which can already be seen from the environment for 3 years airbase.
Attack of the Caliphate in the flank of the advancing Syrian factions have so far been repulsed (loss Dzhabula army escaped and was able to defeat the army of the Caliphate at Nasiriyah and Al-Safir). It continues the battle and counter-caliphate is still trying to regain the initiative in order to force Assad’s forces on the defensive and to stop the attack in the direction of a line passing just south Kuveyrisa.

In the Aleppo continues unconvincing positional battles in residential and industrial areas with no significant success of the parties. To the north of the city of the Caliphate troops overtures defense of the Syrian army in the industrial development, but the fights here are positional. To the north-west of Aleppo prozapadanyh rebel troops finally managed to stop the advance of the Caliphate, which is developed from the 10th of October. Furthermore, to urge the United States, they are trying to go to the counter with the aim to move more exhausted after weeks of fighting troops of the Caliphate.

Attack of the Caliphate to the track at Hanassera weakened after the transfer of the Syrian army reinforcements here and rumors about the “Aleppo boiler Assad” predictably turned out rumors. On the other hand, those of the course is now more in demand on the frontline of Al-Safira-Nasiriyah and battles for Sheikh Ahmad. And then the main problem is not in the mythical pot, and that such attacks are trying to take away the commanders of the Caliphate with the main directions of the limited reserves of the Syrian army.

In general, the fighting around Aleppo is still chaotic. Try to attack all three parties, the Syrian army and the Caliphate it turns out better than the pro-Western rebels. The complex configuration of the front and the three parties to the conflict is extremely difficult to predict the outcome of the battle for Aleppo.

Latakia and the northern province of Hama.

Here, close to the Syrian army offensive to a halt. In the mountainous areas of Latakia troops bogged down in heavy fighting for Salma (where the front for a few days is not seriously affected) and are struggling to move forward on a hilly terrain encountering stubborn resistance to the rebels. After initial success with Al-Bakhsy promotion to the north province stood at Sirmanii and build on this success as a whole failed. Fighting for the formation of El Lataminskogo boiler were not successful, the enemy was able to hold the neck pocket, and in some areas go to the counter, having beaten several settlements at the Syrian army (in particular the army was forced to retreat from Morek) .. The fighting here have a greater tendency go to the positional battles. Only intensive airstrikes on Assad still retain some initiative in this direction.

Homs.

While Assad’s army tried unsuccessfully to cut Rastansky boiler in half and press the rebels towns and territory north of Homs are suddenly intensified Caliphate capturing enough big city Mahin south-east of Homs. Assad’s troops here have suffered sufficiently sensitive tactical defeat, as the Caliphate created quite clear threat of raiding operations in Homs-Damascus highway. Here it may be noted that the Caliphate is not trying to directly grind the Syrian troops, and targeted attacks Communications Syrian army forcing her razdergivat limited resources to retain vital roads and transport interchanges. Overall, this strategy is very competent and the person responsible for it at the Caliphate is obviously a very sensible military chief.

In general, under the Homs Syrian army made local tactical successes, but operational challenges yet to decide could not, and delaying such a situation can be fraught with various problems related to the fact that while the army crushes the rebels in the north of Homs, south of the city will strengthen the position of the Caliphate .

Damascus, Deraa, Deir ez-Zor.

In these areas we continued extremely resistant, but poor results from an operational point of view of fighting. In the suburbs of Damascus and Deraa he tried to attack the Syrian army in the region of Deir ez-Zor troops of the Caliphate – significant successes neither one nor the other had not.

The attack on the Raqqa.

With the submission of the United States, it was announced that the Kurds and pro-Western rebels will attack on the Caliphate in northern Syria. The offensive of the rebels rather quickly mired Americans and there is nothing to boast. In the north-east Syria, Kurdish militias attempting to attack in the province of Hasaka, but there are very low rates of advancement and significant progress yet.

Trying to advance along the road towards the Al-Hawley. Of course, the offensive will continue, as it is important to demonstrate to the US military success in northern Syria to the possibility of negotiations on the future of Syria. Here we can expect an intensification of air strikes using drones and attack aircraft in direct support of the Kurdish groups. Talk about success and failure can be the onset of a few days, will become apparent when the applied forces and the resistance level of troops of the Caliphate.

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fcolonelcassad.livejournal.com%2F2459514.html

150 Comments

Liz on November 02, 2015 · at 11:37 pm EST/EDT

Here is the latest report from Cassad, those who do not speak english can use google translate, you can translate the whole page.
https://translate.google.se/?hl=sv
Liz I have deleted the very big script you included as it is all in Russian and Cyrillic, a language I am sure no-one here but Saker reads. If you wish to include copies you have obtained in a language other than English, can you do the translation yourself before posting please?. Otherwise, it can be hardly be said to contribute to the flow of discussion. Thanks very much. mod. PS

http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/2459514.html

Военная обстановка в Сирии к 2 ноября 2015 года

http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/2459514.html
- Liz on November 03, 2015 · at 12:32 am EST/EDT
  
  Okay that is fine. :)
  I would translate if I could but I am afraid I cannot read cyrillic myself, I am from Sweden so I use google translate.
  - Medievil on November 03, 2015 · at 2:47 am EST/EDT
    
    I use this link on my phone translates to English
    https://translate.yandex.com/translate?dir=&lang=ru-en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcassad.net%2Findex.php&ui=en
- Seward on November 03, 2015 · at 12:49 am EST/EDT
  
  I read Russian.
- Red Ryder on November 03, 2015 · at 12:57 am EST/EDT
  
  This link to Cassad today provided by Liz is an excellent compilation with much infographics.
  
  Up to date Nov.2 maps of Aleppo siege, vast area held by many groups.
  
  Use yandex for his comments in English.
- Jellyfish on November 03, 2015 · at 6:30 am EST/EDT
  
  Col Cassad is a little behind on this. The SAA and co broke through the Nursa lines South of Aleppo three days ago and have captured a large swath of territory. A map showing some of their recent gains can be found here. Note it is out of date in that the SAA have now captured the town of Hader South of Aleppo and the village of Ash Shaykh Ahmad East of Aleppo in the Kuweris relief operation.
  
  http://umap.openstreetmap.fr/fr/map/desyracuse-syria-civil-war-nov-2-2015_58544#9/33.0386/36.1409
Liz on November 02, 2015 · at 11:38 pm EST/EDT

What are operational breakthroughs?
- Outlaw Historian on November 04, 2015 · at 10:06 pm EST/EDT
  
  I see nobody’s answered your simple question, “What are operational breakthroughs?”
  
  In the military meaning, a breakthrough is an outcome beyond the operation’s initial goal, say to retake a strongpoint, often moving from a tactical success to one on the strategic level. The open field run to the bridge at Remagen which secured a bridgehead over the Rhine in WW2 is an example. Another would be bombing an ordinary command post target and discovering later that there was a high level conference of commanders occurring at the moment the bombs hit killing them. Such breakthroughs are rare and unplanned. Often the breakthrough is in reverse–an unexpected snag that delays or defeats an operation. The performance of the 101st Airborn at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge delayed the German counterattack so much that it essentially defeated it. In fact, there are probably more such examples than positive ones.
  
  Hope that answers your query.
Anonymous on November 02, 2015 · at 11:46 pm EST/EDT

Yes, everything under the sun is a victory for Russia. Everything!

Say, why did the Kremlin rushed to point fingers at the Russian carrier after yesterday’s accident. The conclusions were drawn even faster than after 9/11.

Could it be that the Kremlin is scared shitless to actually act, but that it can’t lose face with the Russian people?
- Peter on November 03, 2015 · at 12:30 am EST/EDT
  
  Can you give a link to where the “Kremlin” rushed to point fingers?
  And also links to what conclusions have been drawn?
- SanctuaryOne on November 03, 2015 · at 2:07 am EST/EDT
  
  To their credit, I think Russia has been very careful to not give way to either knee-jerk emotion or political propaganda expediency. Unlike the West and MH17.
  
  I would imagine by now that chemical swab anaysis will have given some if not complete indication whether an on-board explosive device was present; ditto for external missile, the latter unlikely.
  
  If the testing so far has been negative on explosives then more pieces may need to get collected and tested in other ways. If there is evidence of tampering with the wreckage and /or critical pieces missing then that might be grounds for conspiracy theories -particularly towards the eastern neighbour.
  Mechanical sabotage is still possible but that would take far more time to detect. The other possibility is non-malicious fuselage metal fatigue in the tail area causing ‘explosive ‘ decompression.
  - SanctuaryOne on November 03, 2015 · at 4:07 am EST/EDT
    
    One further possibility that I had discounted earlier is a fuel explosion. It looks like on an A-321 that there are two possible belly tanks ACT 31 & 32 that are in locations 31 and 32 in cargo hold 3. There are 5 cargo holds total and hold 3 is just behind the wing root. Whether these were empty or full I have no idea, but if filled it is normal for safety to use these belly tanks first and then the wing tanks later.
    If one or both were essentially empty save for fuel vapours and there was electrical arcing from fuel pumps not covered by liquid fuel then this becomes a possible cause -I lack technical knowledge/information on this type.
    The main wreckage shows seperation just behind the wing root which may or may not have any relevance to a fuel tank position and possible explosion.
    - Peter on November 03, 2015 · at 9:29 am EST/EDT
      
      For a fuel tank to be ignited by a spark and explode, the fuel air mix has to be within a certain range, not far either side of stoichiometric. Generally the fuel air mix in a fuel tank is too rich.
      Also in some cases an inert gas like nitrogen used to ensure no oxygen in the tank.
      - SanctuaryOne on November 03, 2015 · at 4:23 pm EST/EDT
        
        I have heard the location of fuel pumps are quite different between Boeing and Airbus; one submerged in the fuel.
        Since there globally is so much at stake politically in this I am just playing devil’s advocate here. It is quite possible that poor repairs/poor maintenance/knock-off parts/metal fatigue are responsible for this tragedy.
        
        Hanlon’s Razor:
        ”Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity” and “any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice”
        
        Mulga Mumblebrain on November 04, 2015 · at 11:21 pm EST/EDT
        
        Sanctuary, you’re not saying that stupid people cannot be malicious as well, are You? If so, how do you explain the entire ruling class in the West?
        
        SanctuaryOne on November 05, 2015 · at 12:23 am EST/EDT
        
        You have me howling with laughter! Never would I suggest such a thing; the two are definitely not mutually exclusive, as we all know. Low cunning is extremely dangerous since intelligence and logic often fail to detect it until it is too late.
        
        The latest news on Metrojet 9268 is that it was likely a bomb on-board. If so, Russia’s response could lead to ‘interesting times’.
        
        Mulga Mumblebrain on November 05, 2015 · at 10:03 pm EST/EDT
        
        Sanctuary, as far as I can see the US and UK are hinting quite heavily that they know exactly what happened. I would most certainly not put it past them to have done it themselves, in cahoots with their local jihadist allies, or their Egyptian intelligence stooges. To place any faith in the trustworthiness of al-Sisi, a US ‘asset’ and according to an Israeli Cabinet Minister ‘…a hero for the Jews’, would, in my opinion, be a catastrophic mistake.
        
        SanctuaryOne on November 05, 2015 · at 11:21 pm EST/EDT
        
        Yes, there are a number of possibilities including the most benign in that the cause is yet unknown, as in a technical failure, and that the UK vassal is simply trying a short-term gain to humiliate Putin, reduce his popularity and unnerve the Russian people. Russia has said it will not ‘reach their first conclusions’ for some months.
        
        The outpouring of sympathy by Cameron for those holidaymakers stuck temporarily when UK flights grounded was to me over the top and false -like a script being played.
        
        If, as you say -and you may well be right- that the USA/UK precipitated this, it would fit the narrative, especially now that I hear that the airport is ‘saniitised’ and UK return flights will proceed:
        
        RT: “In a joint press conference on Thursday, Prime Minister David Cameron and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said they will “work hard” to ensure flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh are restored as soon as possible”
        
        It may well be that the UK, USA and Russia all know exactly what happened but Putin is not taking the bait. That’s why I say that times could get interesting.
- Uncle Bob 1 on November 03, 2015 · at 4:46 am EST/EDT
  
  Unlike the US’s reactions, Russians like to let investigations go on before making claims of responsibility for something.One would think after MH17 people would know that is the best way to proceed.Having said that,you are correct that Russia doesn’t want to stumble into a nuclear WW3, if they don’t have to.Personally I think that is a commendable attitude to take.
  - RR on November 03, 2015 · at 9:34 pm EST/EDT
    
    I wholeheartedly agree! Act on the evidence.
    Cheers,
    RR
Peter on November 02, 2015 · at 11:57 pm EST/EDT

“So far, the US have not found a way of coping with this situation.”

Until now, the US has relied on control of the media to push their agenda. Perception management.
Robert Parry has several good articles in Consortium News based on the Reagan papers.
https://consortiumnews.com/2014/12/28/the-victory-of-perception-management/

Having total control of western MSM, the US suddenly lost control of the narrative when Russian military moved into Syria. Until this time US had relied totally on perception management for either public support or as a second best, apathy to what they are doing.

Now the emperor is naked.
Purple Library Guy on November 03, 2015 · at 12:03 am EST/EDT

Amusing contrast between the avowed US plan and the avowed Russian plan.
Russians: Islamic terrorists must be defeated. After that, the legitimate internationally recognized government should govern the country.
US: Islamic terrorists must be defeated. After that, well, there’s these five dudes we trained . . .

It’s amazing anyone even pretends to believe a word they say.
- Benfica. on November 03, 2015 · at 9:51 am EST/EDT
  
  US-Backed Syrian Alliance Exists ‘In Name Only’ – Syrian Democratic Forces an Invention to Placate Turkey –
  
  The “Arab groups” involved are all but non-existent, meaning the Democratic Forces boil down to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), simply relabeled in hopes that the US can start pouring aid into them more rapidly without infuriating Turkey for arming the YPG.
  
  This explains, for instance, why when the US protested that its arms shipments were sent to the “Arab Groups” without naming them, the YPG suddenly started showing off a bunch of new American weapons. The quick backlash from Turkey also suggests that the semantic difference isn’t fooling anyone.
  http://news.antiwar.com/2015/11/02/us-backed-syrian-alliance-exists-in-name-only/
  - A Critic on November 04, 2015 · at 6:34 pm EST/EDT
    
    Iran has said that the weapons drops went to the Islamic State. Allegedly, the actual PYG has complained that they didn’t get anything from the airdrops. It seems that there might be a pretend PYG running around out there… but hey, what do I know, I’m a stupid American armchair general.
    
    Why would the Kurds move on Raqqa? It just doesn’t make any sense to me seeing as they have always been fierce defenders of their homelands but not aggressive beyond that. Also, the neo-Kurds seem to be allied with a brand new group of “moderate jihadists”. What luck, the “kurds” and the new “moderates” have allied to take Raqqa just as the US decides to airdrop weapons and send JSOC to, um, do something, I guess (start WWIII).
- Mulga Mumblebrain on November 04, 2015 · at 11:25 pm EST/EDT
  
  PLG, the Western MSM doesn’t pretend to believe the insane gibberish uttered by Western elites-they regurgitate it, unquestioningly, like Holy Writ, with total Groupthink. The logical inconsistencies are ignored, all previous history is forgotten and intense, compulsory, loyalty to the ‘message’ is delivered, like loyal curs.
Katherine on November 03, 2015 · at 12:14 am EST/EDT

Thanks for this very clear appraisal, especially the table with the USA’s noncongruent “talk” and “walk.”

There does seem to be some good news today concerning gains on the outskirts of Aleppo.

Katherine
- Anonymous on November 03, 2015 · at 3:02 am EST/EDT
  
  Hi Katherine,
  
  Yes progress is being made in Aleppo.
  
  Yet we are being told here (in the above article) that the Syrian Army’s progress is slow and they are unable/slow to capitalize on Russian air strikes, and we’re given the statement that a breakthrough is possible but the impression left that it isn’t likely.
  
  Well, just yesterday in Aleppo the Syrian Army took the following villages (in a single day):
  
  Mar’ayn Village
  
  Humaymiyya
  
  Khafsa
  
  Hameeda
  
  Humaydi
  
  Al-Mushrifa
  
  Al-Subhiyya
  
  Abu Dhanna
  
  Kasskeess
  
  Maskana
  
  Al-Shaykh Ahmad
  
  Umm Urkayla
  
  Direct Syrian sources who have better access to what is happening on the ground are stating that faster than expected progress is occurring in Aleppo, southern Aleppo is folding. The forces holding that area are taking a beating and their supply lines are cut-off. A lot of this has to with Russian air-support as well as the fact that the Syrian military has been given the leeway to attack rather than play defense and conserve their positions: now that the possibility of Western air strikes on SAA being eliminated (with Russia’s direct intervention the Syrians could be sure that that could act without being spread thin where sections of their military could be cut-off & left vulnerable to Western attack.)
  
  Cutting off supplies for the terrorists from the Turkish border and closing down/taking Aleppo would be breakthroughs.
natoistan on November 03, 2015 · at 12:40 am EST/EDT

According to Brussels paper Le Soir cover (tuesday edition coming out soon,available after a paying wall).

The attack against flight 9268 is now the privileged reason for the crash(bomb or missile).

http://journal.lesoir.be/
- Katherine on November 03, 2015 · at 1:42 pm EST/EDT
  
  @
  “The attack against flight 9268 is now the privileged reason for the crash(bomb or missile).”
  
  what does that mean?
  
  What means
  L’Attentat comme piste privilegiee?
  
  I speak enough French but do not get the meaning of this headline nor of the translation posted by Natoistan.
  Katherine
  - eimar on November 03, 2015 · at 4:31 pm EST/EDT
    
    Katherine,
    
    LeSoir is claiming that the ‘bomb-on-board’ hypothesis is the most commonly cited explanation for the plane crash.
    
    Am unable to read the rest of screen-shot page (print too small on phone ) but article doesn’t appear identify the sources of these claims.
    
    No one actually knows anything, apart from the site investigators. So I wouldn’t waste anytime on these speculations – most of which are agenda-driven anyway.
    - Uncle Bob 1 on November 03, 2015 · at 4:45 pm EST/EDT
      
      On RT they are saying an Egyptian medical examiner is saying the bodies show signs of it having been an explosion.Its still too early to say for sure.And if it was an explosion,what might of caused it.Sabotage,or an accidental explosion (or other possibilities) are still not ruled out.
      
      https://www.rt.com/news/320655-a321-midair-explosion-version/
      - mmiriww on November 03, 2015 · at 9:13 pm EST/EDT
        
        Now they are saying a US drone hit the plane.
CRNOGORAC on November 03, 2015 · at 1:05 am EST/EDT

Absolutely brilliant Saker ..
The Greatest game ever played on this planet .
And we are the witnesses ..
The things are getting very hot ..
Let us see if China is coming aboard ..
And the Plane o God ..
You know and I know and everybody else now that something way out
of any law of probability is on the play here ..
This might be a game changer of colossal proportions .
Imagine if the Russians with such resolute devotion to Putin
sense out that the West is behind that …
Putin is really playing both chess and judo at the same time ..
Mind , heart and truth and justice against force brute.
We all here know on which side we are ..
- Peter on November 03, 2015 · at 1:46 am EST/EDT
  
  And Zbigniew Brzezinski thought he could play chess.
  Now he is getting hard lessons from masters of the game.
  - CRNOGORAC on November 03, 2015 · at 2:23 am EST/EDT
    
    Please don’t post one word “comments” – they don’t really contribute anything to a discussion. Thanks. mod. PS
    Exactly ..
    - CRNOGORAC on November 03, 2015 · at 4:10 am EST/EDT
      
      Sorry . I was not aware of that single word rule apparently .
- Purple Library Guy on November 03, 2015 · at 2:39 am EST/EDT
  
  “aboard” most likely looks rather different for China. They may already be “aboard” and we just haven’t noticed it. For instance, they may be sabre-rattling in the South China Sea partly to divide US attention and make it that much harder for the Americans to come up with a coherent policy on either issue. For instance, they may be backing the Russian military play with money. For instance, they may be doing back-channel diplomacy with gulf states other than Saudi Arabia, leaning on the trade relations to persuade them not to side against Russia.
  The Chinese have military power but it’s not intended to project long distances. Further afield they get their way with trade and quiet diplomacy. And where the American ideal of a win is to make the other party give in entirely to their superior power, and the Russian ideal of a win seems to be to come to a productive agreement that will let the other party save face and lay a groundwork for future dealings in which Russia is respected, I would suggest that the Chinese ideal of a win is a situation in which things go their way and the other party never really knows why or what happened but has little to complain about because business is booming. We may never know whether the Chinese were actively “aboard” or not.
  - Katherine on November 03, 2015 · at 12:08 pm EST/EDT
    
    Purple Library
    “I would suggest that the Chinese ideal of a win is a situation in which things go their way and the other party never really knows why or what happened but has little to complain about because business is booming.’
    
    Yes, the chinese know more than one way to skin a cat, or a Western capitalist.
    Very interesting article in the current Harper’s by Barry Lynn (never hear of him, but anyhow) titled “The china Syndrome,” about how the Chinese are “judoing/jiugitsuin’ American businesses in China.
    
    Looks like it is NOT behind a pay wall:
    http://harpers.org/archive/2015/11/the-new-china-syndrome/
    
    I thought this article would be boring, but it is highly relevant to power flows across teh globe.
    The Chines already control a large portion of the AMerican economy here, in North America. NO stats on this, but it is sure to grow.
    It is just incredible to consider, yet again, how the neos (-con and -liberal) have let the wealth of the USA flow out of the edges of the country. A country that, as a world island, should have been as easy to protect economoically as militarily. Just shows you where blind adherence to ideology will get you. the chinese are not making that mistake anymore. They have indeed learned a great deal from the West, but by negative example.
    
    Katherine
    - RR on November 03, 2015 · at 10:12 pm EST/EDT
      
      I couldn’t finish that B.S the Chinese people worked themselves to the bone in those factories like Qaalcomm and US should prosecute the behaviour of many of these MF that operate in their own land. They have it coming with their GMO and everything else. Half the kids born in America will be autistic by 2025 that is your libertarian nonsense. They are probably breaking the law and getting what they deserve. The article makes it sound like a shakedown. No laws no regulations who would ever invest in a country like that? Especially China. I also read that it was Russian economist who helped them design their economy so the same thing that happened to Russia wouldn’t happen to them! A group of libertarian economists that mean’s in practice wanna be slave holders without responsibility for the fate of the slave. What Ford did for America…UNIONS DID IT FOR AMERICAN’s and a broad socialist movement. That battle is not over yet either.
      RR
      - Katherine on November 04, 2015 · at 2:37 am EST/EDT
        
        My take on the article was not that Lynn was taking the side of American businessmen but rather that he was pointing out that they ahd in a sense been outwitted, because the Chinese are making it clear who is setting the terms for these foreign corporations to operate in China.
        
        The other main takeaway I had from the aritcle was that America used to make a point of protecting its businesses. Now these corporate types who have hollowed out our manufacturing base by offshoring manufacturing to China (and elsewhere) are being to a certain extent hoist on their own petard. Another region of unintended consequences . . . Or perhaps just poor planning . . .
        
        I really didn’t think the article was B.S. Which part is B.S.?
        I thought the article was relevant to the previous comment, which I highlighted, so won’t do so again.
        
        Katherine
        
        Mulga Mumblebrain on November 04, 2015 · at 11:38 pm EST/EDT
        
        Katherine, the US elite is fighting back through the TPP, TTIP and TiSA obscenities which are, in effect, take-overs of entire societies by US corporate interests and local compradores. A form of neo-neo-colonialism on steroids. The great debacle in the US economy has been its financialisation, and the pre-eminence of speculation, usury, debt peonage and rentier extraction that came with the rise to economic and political dominance of Jewish interests. Usury, long condoned by Judaism when practised on the goyim, was banned, in theory, in the USA, until 1978, and after its legalisation by judicial activism, we have seen the USA drown in debt, its manufacturing euthanised, its work-force pauperised, but its elites grow richer than the dreams of Croesus, or Crassus (there’s a spooky synchronicity). None of this, I would reckon, happened by chance, in a forty year fit of inattention.
- Macon Richardson on November 03, 2015 · at 8:03 pm EST/EDT
  
  “Putin is really playing both chess and judo at the same time.” Vladimir Putin is playing poker! In poker the cards don’t matter, only the players matter.
- Mulga Mumblebrain on November 04, 2015 · at 11:28 pm EST/EDT
  
  This game ends with a bang, not a whimper, I’m afraid.
Red Ryder on November 03, 2015 · at 1:20 am EST/EDT

The Kurds have resisted the US plans for using their forces as cannon fodder. They won’t go ahead with attacking Raqqa.

Particularly, the Turkish election has strengthened Erdogan, weakened the public support for change, rolled back Kurdish political ambitions in Turkey and will lead to more problems for the Kurds dream of Kurdistan.

Their best bet is to work with Assad-Russia, participate for a piece of Syria that can be an autonomous region if not a separate state in the reshuffled of national government down the road.

They will need to face the Turks, more than to take on US ambitions.

When the political stuff in Vienna runs dry, the war will be in high gear and it behooves the Kurds to be with the strongest force in Syria. That is not 50 SOF from the USA. Russia will have this war under control in a few more months.Then hell will fall upon ISIS in Raqqa.

The ISIS troops have shown some signs of ‘rabbit’, running into Jordan and Turkey. Eventually, they will run into Iraq to reinforce Mosul and to save their asses from Russian bombs and missiles and GRADS.

Kurdish leaders will see this unfold and realize the US is an illusion of military might. It does not possess will or mind power. It spreads chaos. There is no victory necessary for US to achieve its goals. Kurds alive or dead, with a state or homeless—it matters not to US policy makers.
- Purple Library Guy on November 03, 2015 · at 2:45 am EST/EDT
  
  To be sure, if I were Assad I’d cut the Kurds a deal for a good degree of autonomy. One might argue that there was an implicit deal in the way he left their territory to them to defend early in the war. They’ve both been fighting the Islamic terrorists ever since. He left the responsibility to the Kurds, and they took it up; with the responsibility, stands to reason you get the rights. All the more if you’ve demonstrated the muscle to hold them.
  - mmiriww on November 03, 2015 · at 4:34 am EST/EDT
    
    Assad has given the Kurds full autonomy to an extent, they can not declare independence and they can not declare foreign policy. The Kurds are allowed to collect taxes. The Syrian army gave weapons and vacated their positions to be replaced by Kurds. Most likely Syria will end up being federalized. What’s so bad about that? The US is a country like that and so is india. Actually india is the only country with elected communists in the government. The only reason not to give federalized rights is because the people in the central government wants to loot the country. Like in Ukraine where a few people want to sell off the state assets and most of those assets are in areas they dont control. It is also hard to control such a country. In every federalized country, the central government controls the state by giving the states money. So a state follows what the feds want because otherwise their funds dry up. The feds control trade and they make their money that way.. Since the Syrian kurds don’t agree with the Iraqi kurds, and Iranian kurds and the Turkish kurds, there is not going to be a single country no matter what. But they should be given like federal status in iran, Iraq, Syria and turkey, seems only turkey is afraid of this as they would lose the iran grip they hold on the narrative. Not like the kurds are going to take over turkey. The only reason I see for not allowing a majority in a region not local autonomy is because someone stands to make money by taking advantage of them and a federal system stands in the way of that.
natoistan on November 03, 2015 · at 1:40 am EST/EDT

Thierry Meyssan (who lives in Damas and has very good contacts with people not far from the govt..),is saying tonight that the US and the Syrian Kurds want to create a small Syrian kurdistan in the NE.
The US want to divide the country in six pieces(good luck guys).The main one allowing for the future pipelines of both Qatar and the Saudi, controled by their puppets and protected by the US army or some kind or fake future local army à la ‘academi’ or à la ‘al nusra moderate’.
This scenario would be a big defeat for Russia eventhough they could keep their Tartous base and eventually their Latakies one?
Ok Assad would stay in power but who cares(even Putin)as the main goal of all this Syrian thing is pipelines and only pipelines or ‘deny pipelines’ to Qatar+Saudi I would say for the russian side.
Gazprom would loose a lot of money on the medium term as Q+S could send their gas+oil to Europe, which would mean also for Putin personaly, domestic problems with the economy(even more than now) and political collapse(which is the US main goal and regime change).Eventually Putin will be gone from the presidency at that very time it will be his successor who will have to handle this,but it will be a catastrophy for Russia for some time eventhough they manage to sell more to China and Asia iso Europe.

What will be the position of Erdogan now that he is reelected about both the turkskstream and Syria(and the Kurds in both Turkey and Syria)?

What about the Golan heights(now that they discovered oil in big quantities)?If Syria is divided, Assad will never recuperate the Golan even with the diplomatic help of Russia.

What about more attacks(if confirmed 100 pct) on russian civilians planes or inside Russia(metro,markets,trains…)?

Some guys from Azov have been arrested yesterday in Moscow.

The borders of Russia are so long that if you have a small determined Cia or whatever Daesh group it is quiet easy to enter the country very far from the western part and then proceed to the next big city.

I don’t believe(like Eric Draitser in friday Crosstalk)that the Empire will accept any kind of defeat.They invested too much time and money in it.
They already destroyed Ukraine in less than two years, attacked the RF by various means, organized a refugees crisis à la Soros in Europe…they are almost desperated.

Update:combats tonight in the Donbass once again

BREAKING hospital ‪#‎kharkov‬ flooded with wounded Ukies from the ongoing battle in ‪#‎donetsk‬ airport Ukies got there asses Kicked BIG TIME ‪#‎naf‬

BREAKING large column of armored vehicles APC & TANKS direction ‪#‎krasnogorovka‬ mine area #naf ‪#‎dnr‬ ‪#‎lnr‬

Even ‪#‎Krasnohorivka‬ heard loud booms of most likely artillery about 30 minutes ago. It seems like it’s spreading. ‪#‎Donbas‬ ‪#‎Ukraine‬ #Donetsk

UPDATE ‪#‎gorlovka‬ fighting reported with heavy machine guns , battle near ‪#‎spartak‬ & ‪#‎sands‬ Ukies using artillery support ! #naf #dnr #lnr
- Katherine on November 03, 2015 · at 1:47 pm EST/EDT
  
  “the main goal of all this Syrian thing is pipelines and only pipelines”
  
  A number of commenters and I think Putin himself have noted that this is also about russia’s national security and also about the rule of law and the i nternational system.
  
  Katherine
- Mulga Mumblebrain on November 04, 2015 · at 11:45 pm EST/EDT
  
  Natoistan, the Empire is following orders from Tel Aviv, the Oded Yinon Plan in fact, and that requires that Syria be destroyed and broken up, the better for Israel to seize the various parts coveted by Zionism for their lebensraum in the East, aka Eretz Yisrael. After all, you can’t argue with Yahweh, can you? The Empire has had a hand in the Russian plane downing, I would say, as a declaration of insane intent, encapsulating a readiness for all-out war. When you have God on your side….
mmiriww on November 03, 2015 · at 1:46 am EST/EDT

Yesterday the SAA took over the M4 highway which links the IS supply route from Turkey near Aleppo.. The SAA could not do it before as Turkey would shoot down aircraft that tried to bomb IS positions around there. Now how long can IS last without reinforcements and supplies from Turkey? Moving them from other areas would make those other areas weaker.. hence why the SAA is attacking on a wide front probing for weakness and why outlying areas are being captured. IS is now only defending important strategic positions. RuAF needs to keep clobbering depos.. Make IS run out of ammo and fuel.. and drugs.. These guys are no fighters without the drugs… Their fanatical charges are nothing if they can feel pain when shot unlike the dead zombie’s walking no matter how many times you shoot them. Once the drugs wear off, these are rather pathetic creatures.
- know the truth on November 03, 2015 · at 7:57 am EST/EDT
  
  This is one aspect of the Syrian conflict that has actually been overlooked. You are completely right about the psychopathic head choppers being drug fueled. The SAA has often mentioned that the scum are usually hopped up to the eyeballs.
  One Syrian army officer even mentioned to a documentary one time how the islamofascists would carry on coming even after being shot multiple times because they couldnt feel the pain on account of being drugged up to their eyeballs, and then there is the case of the Saudi “prince” caught recently with tons of drugs in his private jet destined for the “moderate” head choppers.
  I also happen to recall motorola and Givi commenting on the use of drugs by the Ukie fascists. Seems the “one indispensable nations” proxy armies are unable to function without drugs.
  - zweistein on November 03, 2015 · at 7:16 pm EST/EDT
    
    Mercenaries run on amphetamines. Captagon is the favored brand in the Middle East.
    - Anonymous on November 03, 2015 · at 10:18 pm EST/EDT
      
      ” Separate investigations by the news agency Reuters and Time magazine have found that the growing trade in Syrian-made Captagon” I never heard of this drug so I googled it look what I found in the first paragraph of the article. Now where was it exactly that the Saudi prince just got busted? Freaking western media. Makes me ill.
      RR
      - Red on November 05, 2015 · at 1:29 am EST/EDT
        
        The amphetamine in question is particularly nasty, as the primary molecule metabolizes to two other amphetamines. This means that a dose of, say, 50 mg would be expected to prevent sleep for something like 36 hours. After 36 hours, if the subject were not yet psychotic, another dose would be sure to bring him to lunacy. With amphetamines the psychosis is mostly because of lack of sleep. This particular drug has “legs”, as dopers would say – it wears off very slowly. I wonder how such a nasty drug found its way to these criminal gangs? (One guess!)
        
        Ann on November 05, 2015 · at 6:58 am EST/EDT
        
        RR – I wonder if this drug is also used in US military ? 23 veterans a day committing suicide in US.
  - Mulga Mumblebrain on November 04, 2015 · at 11:50 pm EST/EDT
    
    truth, US Marines were hopped up on speed before going ashore in the Pacific. That’s why so many returned home as speed addicts, and speed was so essential to the counter-culture of the likes of Jack Kerouac in the 1950s. Derivatives like ‘ice’ make you very nasty, too, just right for a death-squad army of psychopathic butchers, just how Uncle Satan likes ’em.
Dedicated to Donbass on November 03, 2015 · at 1:56 am EST/EDT

US foreign policy is a shambles because the country is run, not by Congress and a legally elected president, but by an illegal closet Muslim Kenyan imposter who appears to be doing everything in his power to advance the Islamic jihadist cause, and by the transnational banking elite whose interests lie beyond US borders. These criminal factions do not care whether US dimplomats say one thing, while American military, financial and political agents do another. They are not the least bit embarrassed by the discrepancy between word and deed. US foreign policy is a farce, a destructive and dangerous pretense. There is in fact no coherent foreign policy governing America’s actions.

Hope is on the horizon though. A number of dissenting US congressmen are hosting an informal hearing on Capitol Hill this Thursday, November 4, featuring several enlightened expert panelists, including Stephen F. Cohen, who will discuss how America should really be dealing with Russia.

https://quemadoinstitute.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/us-russia-relations-a-hearing-by-experts/
- Purple Library Guy on November 03, 2015 · at 2:51 am EST/EDT
  
  What a pile. Coherent or not, American foreign policy has been pretty consistent for the last 15 years or more. So what was the excuse in Bush’s time?
  Obama’s following the same old line and doing the same old crap as the rest of the US Imperial establishment, looney tunes racist BS theories are just that.
  - Dedicated to Donbass on November 03, 2015 · at 2:35 pm EST/EDT
    
    Purple Library Guy,
    
    US foreign aggression has been consistent since 9/11, you are correct. The aggression has been largely fueled by the interests of the transnational banking elite, which has a long history, but which has become increasingly powerful over time and now dominates US and European governments.
    
    What has changed since Bush is the Muslim in the White House. Never during the horrific Bush era was the US openly funding Islamic jihadists in the way that it is now, by aiding Syrian terrorists. Although there were, of course, covert connections resulting from oil interests. The idea I was expressing was that the current acting US President (whom I do not refer to by name because I do not recognize his legitimacy) is openly aiding Islamic terrorists because he himself is a Muslim. This is the change since the Bush era.
    
    It seems odd that commenters here on Saker are leaping to negative conclusions about Stephen F. Cohen and the other panelists and congressmen participating in the Thursday hearing. Most of these people agree with you about American foreign agression. Can you not recognize them as supporters of your cause? Did you read the article to learn about their backgrounds? They are prominent well-educated Americans, of course, so they avoid slang and sarcasm. Excuse my little gibe here, but is the lack of slang and sarcasm what you base your judgment of racism on?
    - Uncle Bob 1 on November 03, 2015 · at 5:23 pm EST/EDT
      
      So why would you think that Obama is Muslim? And even if he was (which I reject BTW) that that would mean he would support terrorists.In case you may not of noticed,Assad is Muslim,Kadyrov is Muslim,Iran is Muslim,etc .Muslims are not a monolithic group.Among the over a billion Muslims there are many diverse views,just as their are among Christians and Jews.Bush,McCain,Clinton,etc,are Christians.And the professor you are praising,Stephen Cohen,is Jewish (I like him too).So Obama’s religion would not be a reason to like or hate him in my book.As for the “Kenyan” part.I doubt he was born there.Common sense alone makes me doubt that.His mother lived and was a student in Hawaii,and met his father there,also a student in Hawaii.They married when she was 3 months pregnant.His father continued as a student in Hawaii and didn’t leave until the year after Obama was born.So to believe the story you support.We would have to believe a pregnant young white women in a racist age.Would leave Hawaii,without her husband,travel to Kenya.Be there in time to give birth,alone,except for the husband’s black African family,that disapproved of the marriage.Gives birth in a Kenyan hospital secretly,and then returns to Hawaii right away to fake evidence of the child’s birth.As a husband of a wife that gave birth to two children.I can tell you the likelihood of that is “slim and none”.It also might be remembered that McCain who ran against Obama (just imagine if he had won) was born in Panama.And that Ted Cruz,one of the more despicable (and Russophobic) candidates in the US Presidential campaign today was born in Canada.So what is behind all this “Muslim Kenyan” nonsense we’ve seen for eight years now.I don’t think we need to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.Obama has been a bad President in my thinking.But I don’t need phony racist BS to reinforce that.His actions as President are more than enough.
      - A Critic on November 04, 2015 · at 6:54 pm EST/EDT
        
        I see Donbass’ post as saying “Obama is a terrorist because he backs the terrorists”. I mean, come on, if Obama rolled out the carpet 5 times a day, it would be pretty obvious by now.
        
        I understand, I’m a Texan and I’ve heard way too much of that nonsense too.
        
        JFK once said “Ich bin ein Berliner” and nobody accused him of being German.
        
        Mulga Mumblebrain on November 04, 2015 · at 11:55 pm EST/EDT
        
        No-they accused him of being a doughnut.
    - Purple Library Guy on November 03, 2015 · at 5:32 pm EST/EDT
      
      Some idiot calling a Christian pillar of the establishment a “Muslim” because he’s black and assuming that “Muslim” would mean “traitor” is what I base my judgment of racism on. You are a racist. Face it, own it, and either do something about it or learn to be quiet when decent people are talking.
      
      Americans were backing Islamic terrorists since the Carter presidency, and they never really stopped even in the months immediately following 9/11. They were backing other terrorists since . . . goes back probably to the beginning of American foreign policy, and quite likely to the individual colonies before they became a country. Obama does not represent anything, anything at all, that is new and different in US foreign policy–and that includes the incompetence, which is if anything less consistent under Obama than it was under Bush.
      Just a short checklist off the top of my head:
      Americans backed Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan against the Soviets; it was at this time they first cultivated a relationship with one Osama bin Laden.
      Americans backed Islamic terrorists in Kosovo against the Serbs under Clinton. Muslim Kosovars had a few grievances, but they weren’t the kind of major league thing you fight over, they were the kind of thing you do politics over. Americans helped sideline the Kosovars waging political struggles in favour of terrorists who assassinated both Serbian public figures and peaceful Kosovar public figures.
      Americans backed Islamic terrorists in some other areas of the Balkans. They backed Sunni Islamic terrorists in Lebanon, hoping to weaken Hezbollah. They backed–and still do–terrorists in Iran who are certainly Muslims, although I don’t know if their ideology is Islamist. Although they activated their Libyan Islamic terrorists under Obama, they had a long relationship with those guys before that. Even during the Bush years, the Americans were backing Islamic terrorists including al Qaeda even as they hunted them–they were just being a bit quieter about it than usual.
      
      Obama is just staying the course in this, as in so many other things.
      - dedicated to donbass on November 03, 2015 · at 8:51 pm EST/EDT
        
        Purple (and to a lesser extent Uncle Bob),
        
        It makes me sad that you are critical of folks like me who largely agree with Saker’s viewpoint. I don’t know how Saker endures it, except that he is a spiritual man. We are all facing huge odds in opposing US actions abroad. Wouldn’t we have more success if we worked together? The powers that be, evil-doers as they often are, derive much of their effectiveness by working together. That is one source of their overwhelming power. That same power could work for us too. Don’t look for points of disagreement, but rather for points of agreement. I’m sure there are many opinions we share.
        
        I’m surprised you would defend the current acting US President. Your defense sounds incongruously pro-American. My disagreement with the so-called President, of course, is based on his actions or lack thereof, having nothing to do with race. I do not mean to lump all Muslims together, but the topic here was Islamic terrorism, hence the reference to that creed. At any rate, the racists are those who dismiss Stephen F. Cohen simply for being Jewish, although I am adamantly opposed to Israeli policies.
        
        Note that my very first comment above said, “There is in fact no coherent foreign policy governing America’s actions,” rather than, “There is in fact no coherent foreign policy.” The final phrase was an important qualifier. What it meant was, any foreign policy the US might profess does not consistently govern America’s actions. I was thus agreeing with Saker, that America does one thing while saying another.
        
        Please reserve attacks for people who actually support American aggression. It is disheartening for a friendly voice to receive a hostile reaction.
        
        Purple Library Guy on November 04, 2015 · at 7:09 am EST/EDT
        
        I’ve never heard of Stephen F. Cohen, I’m perfectly willing to believe he’s an excellent commentator. Many of my favourite commentators are Jewish (one, Uri Avnery, is even Israeli). And I am pretty certain I have a much deeper analysis of how terrible bloody Obama is than you do. Anything you may want to say about him that relates to his personality or his systemic position is fine by me.
        
        But this birther crap puts you in the same camp as the guys shooting unarmed black kids. Which is to say, first of all very bad and wrong, and second, helping to divide the non-wealthy classes so the elites can keep us down. It’s the drivel fed to gullible Tea Partiers by the Koch brothers’ propaganda machine and it is precisely designed to appeal to and inflame race hatred, fear of the black boogeyman. Oppose Obama all you want, I heartily endorse it–but don’t do it by endorsing racism.
        
        Uncle Bob 1 on November 04, 2015 · at 7:36 am EST/EDT
        
        I endorse what Purple Library Guy just answered to you.Now I do agree with unity (in fact I’m always saying that).But we can’t build unity on falsehoods.How would that make us better than those we oppose? I think Obama is a horrible President (as I think I said before).But that doesn’t mean I have to believe lies about him.There are more than enough reasons to dislike him without needing to invent ones.Doing that,makes us no better than those that accuse Putin of everything under the sun.Inventing things about Obama to attack him for,undermines our legitimate problems with him.I’m sorry if you thought I was attacking you.I didn’t mean you to think that.I was attacking the argument about him put out by many people with no credible evidence (and totally against commonsense).
        
        A Critic on November 04, 2015 · at 7:17 pm EST/EDT
        
        You’re getting attacked because you jumped into a classic American Right/Left debate. When Obama first ran for office, the right accused him of being “Muslim” and “not-born-in-the-USA”. The Americans here would generally support the left and want to confront traditional right wing attacks so you get these knee-jerk reactions to your post. But yeah, since you’re probably from Donbass, you may not have known that.
        
        Obama is a terrorist because he supports terrorists. Not to mention all those drone assassinations.
        
        (Sometimes it can be hard to talk because of cultural differences)
        
        Dedicated to Donbass on November 05, 2015 · at 1:21 pm EST/EDT
        
        Thanks, Critic. I think you hit the nail on the head. But the fact is, Obama never provided proof he was born in Hawaii, and his relatives in Kenya have said he was born in Kenya. The birth cirtificate he produced was shown to be a fake. The law requires proof of natural citizenship. Obama was illegally elected because he did not provide this proof, in that there was a great deal of evidence pointing to his birth certificate having been a fake based on modern copy techniques that did not exist at the time he was born. Why should this be such a hot issue? He also claimed Indonesian citizenship at one time. I can hardly believe the reaction I’m getting. It was such a minor point in my original post, I thought it would pass with little notice. An odd bunch of rabid wolves some of you are!
        
        Dedicated to Donbass on November 05, 2015 · at 2:14 pm EST/EDT
        
        Hi Critic,
        
        Thanks for thinking I’m probably from Donbass. I consider that a compliment, as I respect those people immensely. Actually, I am a retired American physicist who is “Media-Isolated” by choice. I sold my last television set in 1976. After that, I read only books. When books went away, I turned to the internet. My exposure to world affairs comes from carefully selected websites. I read no mainstream news. Thus, you are seeing the thinking that emerges in someone who is not directly (though to some extent indirectly) influenced by Western media, as Critic was perceptive enough to notice. The websites I most often refer to for news are Strategic Culture Foundation, Fort Russ, Novorossia Today, Donetsk News Agency, Global Research, New Cold War, New Eastern Outlook, Paul Craig Roberts, Ron Paul and other similar sources.
      - Connected on November 05, 2015 · at 1:12 pm EST/EDT
        
        Purple Library – You’ve really got it right. Your command of American historical misdeeds is impressive. You remind me of the brilliant political analyst Eric Zuesse, who really knows how to lay it on the line when it comes to US involvement with terrorists. See what you think of this one:
        
        https://quemadoinstitute.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/eric-zeusse-americas-war-to-control-russia/
    - Anonymous on November 04, 2015 · at 8:50 pm EST/EDT
      
      Exactly. I think denigrating comments about Cohen both here and on Russia Insider are totally insane. Ok Cohen may not provide commentary, word for word, that you may like him to provide but he is standing up against solid demonisation and isolation from the US mainstream powers. I for one like to give him credit for what he is trying to do – provide another side to the lies and misperceptions run by the US govt and their puppet propaganda press, in an environment which is totally antagonist to his narrative. I have a funny feeling that those who are anti Cohen are CIA stooges working for the US govt.
  - Mulga Mumblebrain on November 04, 2015 · at 11:52 pm EST/EDT
    
    PLG, US foreign policy has been consistent since 1945. A global Monroe Doctrine where the USA calls the shots, everywhere-forever. After all, they are Exceptional.
- vot tak on November 03, 2015 · at 5:25 am EST/EDT
  
  Anon 11:46 & “dedicated to Donbas”
  
  Thank you for reminding us that tel aviv really cares. Your attention to our proper indoctrination is very much appreciated.
  - Katherine on November 03, 2015 · at 1:55 pm EST/EDT
    
    Vot tak
    “Thank you for reminding us that tel aviv really cares.”
    What does this mean? It sounds sarcastic. What is the target?
    IStephen F. Cohen?
    
    Confused and curious.
    
    Katherine
  - Dedicated to Donbass on November 03, 2015 · at 2:46 pm EST/EDT
    
    Vot tak
    
    Stephen F. Cohen is Jewish. But he largely agrees with Saker in opposing US foreign aggression. What you call “indoctrination” is actually an expression of agreement with Saker’s, and probably your own, general viewpoint. I suspect you are confusing writing style with content. Were you to read closely, you would see that most participants in the coming hearing are very much in favor of curbing US foreign aggression and cooperating with Putin. Isn’t that what you yourself want America to do? Wouldn’t it make for a better world?
    
    [Note: my earlier comment today may have shown up under the name “D” instead of “Dedicated to Donbass”. I notice a small bug in the comment software such that it may not pick up the whole name unless you type it out explicitly.]
    - elsi on November 03, 2015 · at 5:47 pm EST/EDT
      
      Yes, Bot Tak, Dedicated to Donbass is right about Stephen F. Cohen. I have read some articles and seen some lectures by him, recommended by “friend senior strategist”, and also watched just this morning a video on an interview that Oksana Boyko made to him about Stalin in her program for RT. tv. This interview was linked by a commenter, but I do not remember now in what thread it was.
      Fortunately I bookmarked the link, here you have:
      
      https://www.rt.com/shows/worlds-apart-oksana-boyko/320364-stalin-dramatic-past-russia/
      
      Although not knowing any Jewish people, I consider also the possibility of finding a good Jewish person, as I have found in my travels that in all places there are good and bad people.
      I also would like to travel to Israel, but can not do it right now with my actual passport where there are some arab/persian countries visas. Instead, a few days ago, I visited the Jewish quarter of Paris, Le Marais, and I have to say that, besides having a great atmosphere, especially on Sundays, I found there more at ease than in some places more posh in Paris.
      - Mulga Mumblebrain on November 05, 2015 · at 12:06 am EST/EDT
        
        elsi, the Marais is not really ‘the Jewish quarter’ of Paris. Many Jews live there, but they also live elsewhere in Paris, and other people also live there. Jews can be good or bad as individuals, like everybody else, and can change throughout life, like everybody else, but in the West today, you cannot say so. There is a de facto censorship that says that all Jews are always good, funny, intelligent etc, and they never do anything even questionable, let alone ‘bad’. If they bomb Gaza to rubble, killing 500 children, it’s the children’s fault, or their parents’, or Hamas or ‘incitement’. Any criticism of any action by any Jew, even if that action, if undertaken by a non-Jew, would be universally criticised, is instantly denounced as ‘antisemitism’, an irrational hatred that NEVER has anything to do with Jewish behaviour. Moreover this reality does not exist, and to suggest that Jews enjoy a status not extended to any other group, of eternal and complete innocence and benevolence, is yet another manifestation of ‘antisemitism’. It’s a really neat racket, you must admit. No wonder that their power is going to their heads.
        
        elsi on November 05, 2015 · at 7:17 pm EST/EDT
        
        elsi, the Marais is not really ‘the Jewish quarter’ of Paris. Many Jews live there, but they also live elsewhere in Paris, and other people also live there.
        
        Obviously not all the jews live there and they also live elsewhere in París, I’ve never claimed otherwise, but it is, as I understand. the largest Jewish community not only in France but in Europe, if this is not a Jewish neighborhood/quarter, do not know what else could be. My Lonely Planet guide considere it so and also do tourist brochures. Another thing is that, today, it shelter plus a varied and cosmopolitan population from Chinese citizens to a growing homosexual community.
        
        Anyway I was meaning, and this is the part I really like, the Pletzl, the area comprising Rue des Rosiers and surroundings.
        
        From wikipedia:
        
        Jewish community
        
        After the nobility started to move to the Faubourg Saint-Germain, the district became a popular and active commercial area, hosting one of Paris’ main Jewish communities. At the end of the 19th century and during the first half of the 20th, the district around the rue des Rosiers, referred to as the “Pletzl”, welcomed many Eastern European Jews (Ashkenazi) who reinforced the district’s clothing specialization. But, during World War II the Jewish community was targeted by the Nazis who were occupying France.
        
        The rue des Rosiers is still a major centre of the Paris Jewish community, which has made a comeback since the 1990s. Public notices announce Jewish events, bookshops specialize in Jewish books, and numerous restaurants and other outlets sell kosher food.
        
        Le Marais houses the Museum of Jewish Art and History, which traces the history of the Jewish world through its artistic and cultural heritage.[3]
        
        The synagogue on 10 rue Pavée is not far from rue des Rosiers. It was designed in 1913 by Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard, who designed several Paris Metro stations.
        
        In 1982, Palestinan terrorists murdered six people and injured 22 at a Jewish restaurant in Le Marais, Chez Jo Goldenberg. The carnage is generally attributed to the Abu Nidal Organization, which has carried out terrorist attacks in 20 countries, killing or injuring almost 900 persons.[4][5]
        
        Lastly, and to drop the subject definitely, and this already for all, I know firsthand about the network of hashabara trolls Bot Tak and others refer, not in vain I have suffered their attack, in mass, in the internet MSM of my country, in forums about the Syrian war when I defended the government of Bashar al-Assad, which was where I spent most of my time before the war in the Donbass began and come to this blog.
        
        On the other hand, here nobody is going to give me classes on struggle for the Palestinian people, since the area where I live and from which I am native has always stood for the unconditional support to this people in their struggle, with countless associations / organizations that are dedicated to this purpose ( the palestinian people knows it ) and whose initiatives I have relied on accounting occasions.
        
        Nor any of you is going to teach me to fight for the oppressed Arab peoples, not only as arabophile, but as decent person, and I think this has become clear to those who have ever read something I write.
      - vot tak on November 06, 2015 · at 6:12 am EST/EDT
        
        Elsi
        
        This is a classic misunderstanding that snowballed out of all proportion. I should have specified the comment and quoted what made the commenter laughable. So it’s my fault. Here it is now:
        
        Dedicated to Donbass on November 03, 2015 · at 1:56 am UTC
        
        “US foreign policy is a shambles because the country is run, not by Congress and a legally elected president, but by an illegal closet Muslim Kenyan imposter who appears to be doing everything in his power to advance the Islamic jihadist cause”
        
        Obama a Muslim? This is kindergarden trolling on a site like Saker’s. The commenter is taking a leak on the site and everybody who reads it. This rubbish is why I singled the commenter out. A critique of Cohen had zero to do with anything. I read as far as the obama=Muslim wankery and stopped. Why waste time reading more of this obvious trolling?
        
        There are 2 sorts of spammers who engage in such silliness. Rush Limbaugh groupies and websayanim into play acting. My vote’s still on the later, especially given the way the “Donbass” critter made such an effort to turn criticism of his absurd bs into a straw man about Cohen, and Jews, and how he had a support network of anons to run with that bs. Basically, ubiquitous zio-spamming website attack tactics.
    - Katherine on November 03, 2015 · at 6:55 pm EST/EDT
      
      I have a lot of respect for Stephen Cohen. He has repeatedly stuck his neck out to present reasonable points of view re Russia where he has had an opportunity to do so (e.g., in The Nation and elsewhere) since the Ukraine situ and Putin hysteria started to heat up. And he is one of the VERY few to do so.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_F._Cohen
      He has not earned sarcasm from direction of members of the Saker community, IMHO.
      Please, recognize an ally and be glad that he is now going to speak directly to members of Congress.
      I am REALLY surprised at this, but pleased.
      I am also kind of surprised that the moderator allows this kind of sarcasm directed at a person just because the person has a Jewish name.
      
      Katherine
      - Ann on November 04, 2015 · at 5:49 am EST/EDT
        
        Katherine, you’re way over the top with vt…he’s been doing this on Saker’s for years…get used to it…its funny
        
        elsi on November 04, 2015 · at 11:28 am EST/EDT
        
        Despite that Bot Tak ( ahora Vot Tak ) was customary to do it so and keeps making these years I also find this attitude painful in a commentator who was one of my favorites here.
        
        One thing is to use sarcasm when reporting news or facts that confirm the unfortunate, intrusive and genocidal policy of the current (and virtually all of them) Israeli government, which is what we were used Bot Tak to do, and even I myself also do it from time to time, and another disqualify any person by the fact of being Jewish or keep a Jewish name.
        I did not step out there, this breaks not only the moderation policy but the most basic standards of decency. So I do not think Katherine is here “way over the top”, no way, plus she has only expressed perplexity, which is perfectly legitimate.
        I, in particular, more than perplexed and confused, what I’m is indignant, and that you, moreover, think this is funny is what I really find “way over the top”.
        
        Would you find funny that someone would disqualify you because of living or having been born in a country where your leaders, influenced by Jewish people or not, is devoted to massacre huge amounts of people out there, which is what, besides the Israeli government, the US´ government does?
        
        Mohamed on November 04, 2015 · at 1:37 pm EST/EDT
        
        Salam elsi,
        
        Bot Tak is well aware of Stephen Cohen and his contributions to CrossTalk on this blog. Vot Tak also don’t like me, but I love him.
        
        Best regards,
        
        Mohamed.
        
        Shaman on November 04, 2015 · at 9:47 pm EST/EDT
        
        Here’s what Dedicated to Donbass said: US foreign policy is a shambles because the country is run, not by Congress and a legally elected president, but by an illegal closet Muslim Kenyan imposter who appears to be doing everything in his power to advance the Islamic jihadist cause, and by the transnational banking elite whose interests lie beyond US borders.
        
        Vot Tak’s comment: Thank you for reminding us that tel aviv really cares. Your attention to our proper indoctrination is very much appreciated.
        
        I think you all need to calm down. Most people here on this blog don’t like Obama but calling him an illegal closet Muslim Kenyan imposter clearly shows racism against both Muslims and Africans.
        Vot Tak didn’t say anything about Stephen Cohen. We should avoid making assumptions and judging people based on them.
        
        You said: One thing is to use sarcasm when reporting news or facts that confirm the unfortunate, intrusive and genocidal policy of the current (and virtually all of them) Israeli government, which is what we were used Bot Tak to do, and even I myself also do it from time to time, and another disqualify any person by the fact of being Jewish or keep a Jewish name.
        
        The Israeli Government’s policy is not unfortunate and intrusive. It is deliberate, planned and yes it is genocidal. The Jews made Palestinians beggars and captives in their own homeland with the aid of their Anglo-European allies and this process has been going on for decades.
        As soon as someone even mentions Israel or Tel Aviv as in the case of Vot Tak, people like you start shouting foul play against the Jews. Give us a break please. Will you?
        
        elsi on November 04, 2015 · at 10:36 pm EST/EDT
        
        “As soon as someone even mentions Israel or Tel Aviv as in the case of Vot Tak, people like you start shouting foul play against the Jews. Give us a break please. Will you?”
        
        No, will not, because it is not true what you claim. When, where, and how “as soon as someone even mentions Israel or Tel Aviv I start shouting foul play against the Jews”?
        
        For your information the only thing I agree with the commenter Dedicated to Donbass is the section referring to Stephen Cohen, is that what I was defending and, of course, his/her right and of anyone here to express his/her opinion without being awarded names or be put in a given container.
        
        I do not know from when or what you know me, but, since I can remember, this is the first time in my life since I frequent internet I see myself forced to defend the Jews, and, if I did it, is because I’m sick of this continuous harassment and baseless accusations of Zionist, Hashbara and do not know what more to anyone with a different opinion by some here. And to make matters worse, just missing that others encourage it.
        
        I am well known here and I do not think anyone considers me a Zionist, as you almost state.
        In any case Stalinist, in the sense of admire Stalin´s work for the former USSR.
        If I like Le Marais or I say I would like to meet any Jewish person or even travel to Israel neither I think that disqualifies me nor automatically make me a Zionist.
        What I can not stand are unfair generalizations and placing everyone in the same boat, and to make innocent people pay the misdeeds of others.
        As Basque I endured scorn and discrimination only for being it, even in my own country, when I moved south to work, very young, and where absolutely ignorant people made me responsible of the terrorism of others, believe me I know what I mean.
        Surely neither you, nor any of those who behave this way have gone through something like this. A hug for all Jews and no Jews ever have felt unfairly discriminated.
        
        So I think that an unfortunate attitude, what can I say?
        If you think it is good, that’s your opinion, I expressed mine, but, please, do not say things about me that are not true.
        
        Shaman on November 05, 2015 · at 3:34 am EST/EDT
        
        Please don’t make it personal. I do respect you and your contributions to this blog.
        
        Vot Tak didn’t mention anything about Stephen Cohen and didn’t reply to Katherine to clarify it. Therefore, I am on the same page as you on this one. We shouldn’t make unfair generalisations and start pointing fingers on others based on the assumption that he was referring to Stephen Cohen.
        I disagree with the portrayal of jews as the victim race. Yes, they had been victims but they are not victims anymore. Infact, Its unbelievable for me that they, of all people, could show such an attitude of racial hatred towards Palestinians. The roles have been reversed and I find it ironic.
        The MSM and Ango-European world has plenty of people defending the Jews; both Zionists and Non-zionists.
        This blog is one of very few places where you are allowed to express honest opinions about the zionists who are obviously predominantly jews. If you think that reference to Tel Aviv, (which would generally mean the Israeli Govt) means attack at the Jews as a whole and feel compelled to defend the jews then thats your choice but sorry I disagree with this generalisation.
        
        Mulga Mumblebrain on November 05, 2015 · at 10:25 pm EST/EDT
        
        elsi, I agree with you. We must judge an individual by their behaviour, not their religion or ethnicity. Fine and decent Jews abound, many working for the good. Unfortunately there are others, too, rather more powerful than the other type. I’m afraid that a Jewish name makes me suspicious, until they prove themselves decent, in my reckoning. I think that this attitude (that also occurs when I hear a Yankee accent)is not altogether admirable, but after being brainwashed to admire and adore Jews, without exception, from childhood, as is the norm in the West, then discovering that it was not the whole story, I fear I’ve at times reacted too far in the other direction. The destruction of the Palestinians by a people who themselves suffered such great persecution was central in that change of opinion.
      - Mohamed on November 04, 2015 · at 1:30 pm EST/EDT
        
        Salam Katherine and elsi,
        
        On the old Saker Blog, where Bot Tak resided too, we have lots of CrossTalk, where the marvelous Stephen Cohen was on it. Stephen Cohen is well regarded on this blog. So, there is no doubt about him.
        
        Vot tak is taking exception to Dedicated to Donbass regarding his racism. He is hiding his racism behind Stephen Cohen, but both Purple Library Guy and Uncle Bob 1 have called him out on his racism earlier.
        
        Best regards,
        
        Mohamed.
        
        Mohamed on November 04, 2015 · at 2:32 pm EST/EDT
        
        Salam elsi and Kathrine,
        
        Here is Stephen Cohen on CrossTalk:
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9674pRBm6g
        
        Best regards,
        
        Mohamed.
- RR on November 03, 2015 · at 9:47 pm EST/EDT
  
  I don’t agree with the premise. The do realize what they have done and do not give a dam.
  - RR on November 04, 2015 · at 12:08 am EST/EDT
    
    And their purpose is to return Russia to hinterland for exploitation. This is the method to their madness as the saying goes.
    Cheers,
    RR
    - Ann on November 05, 2015 · at 7:06 am EST/EDT
      
      Dear RR…who’s ‘they’ ?
- Dedicated to Donbass on November 05, 2015 · at 1:41 pm EST/EDT
  
  Folks, I’m genually astounded at the conclusions some of you leap to about implications of racism in my original statement. I said, “US foreign policy is a shambles because the country is run, not by Congress and a legally elected president, but by an illegal closet Muslim Kenyan imposter who appears to be doing everything in his power to advance the Islamic jihadist cause, and by the transnational banking elite whose interests lie beyond US borders.” I thought I was reinforcing Saker’s thesis and just getting quickly to the point as to why US foreign policy is failing. I expected readers here would agree. There was not implication that anything is wrong with Kenyans, Muslims or anyone else because of race or nationality. What is wrong is that Obama himself is a crook, he was illegally elected because there was never conclusive proof his birth certificate was not a fake, and the “closet muslim” accusation, off-hand though it was, seems the only explanation for his support of Islamic jihadists. Why read racism into this? It wasn’t there.
  - mmiriww on November 05, 2015 · at 3:36 pm EST/EDT
    
    Although each of those points don’t make you a racist, using all of them n a single sentence makes it seem like you are a racist. Although my thoughts are similar.. I think he is a disgusting piece of trash of a human being. His latest speech about oh we don’t need to follow laws and we might have a break a few bones and do things to make others do what we say, that’s what makes us exceptional.. or something like that. He hides behind the skirts of real men who send other peoples children to become terrorists. Then sit behind his big chair and plays video games blowing up people all over the world. This world has turned into some kind of psychotic nightmare where pathetic wretches like this find it so easy to blow up people and then excuse their evilness under the guise of they are special and chosen by god to rule others by any means.
    
    See I did not have to use religion or race to basically say what you did.. although my disgust is far worse.. I have higher regards for hitler..
Vietnam Vet on November 03, 2015 · at 2:02 am EST/EDT

From tracking various announcements of ground gained by the Syrian Army et. al. (mostly from Iranian http://english.farsnews.com/) it seems the ground tactics being employed are to 1) recon a relatively small terrorist target (a village for example, or building complex in Damascus), 2) blow the crap out of it 3) conceal supporting armor during the assault phase to defeat TOW missiles, 3) consolidate gains, rinse and repeat.

The strategic goal appears to be to surround major terrorist nests (like Aleppo) and cut off their supply lines. I find it hard to imagine that the Syrian Army and friends are up to assaulting a major city like Aleppo. Anyway, these tactics and strategy do not deliver quick results, but hopefully lasting results.
C I eh? on November 03, 2015 · at 2:16 am EST/EDT

Good basic analysis.

One thing I believe ought to be considered concerns why the USSA would feel the need to sign any agreement which contradicts their own primary objectives since day 1.

Evidence strongly suggests The Terrorists are faltering badly. Very likey between 80 and 90% of their forces are useless in combat against a capable foe outside of an urban environment. Their reserves appear to be fleeing to Turkey or Iraq rather than turning to face the onslaught of the SAA and its allies.

Attention John Rambo: efforts to rename so-called ISIS forces fleeing to Iraq are already underway. They will now be referred to as ex Baathists in Empire controlled media! (Sorry bud, I couldn’t resist the dig).

85000 men lost is an enormous number. The SAA is severely weakened but the forces opposing them are giving ground and this suggests the possibility that both sides are in equally bad shape as they scramble to seize or defend various objectives ahead of a negotiated settlement.

I suspect only a small number of takfiri infantry forces are of relatively high quality and I am positive they are led by Western and Israeli special forces. Their only important recent military success seems to be focussed on the road to Aleppo, east of Homs, an area the takfiris must attack straight out of the desert. Only NATO can provide the logistical support necessary to attack straight out of the desert towards Ithriyah, for example, allowing it to leverage its airlift capacity at minimul risk to large and expensive aircraft.

Another consideration: NATO and Israeli special forces may be leading from the front, but more likely they are borrowing from the old NKVD playbook, staying tucked in right behind, threatening to shoot any straglers who fail to move in the direction of the SAA.

I think the USSA is terrified Daesh will collapse at any moment, thus their need to cover their asses politically by publically signing on to the Russian effort.

America’s diplomatic disposition suggests they are extremely weak on the ground. They wouldn’t imagine playing ball with Russia otherwise.

The USSA is signalling that it believes, sooner or later, ISIL will implode!
- Peter on November 03, 2015 · at 7:43 am EST/EDT
  
  “Attention John Rambo: efforts to rename so-called ISIS forces fleeing to Iraq are already underway. They will now be referred to as ex Baathists in Empire controlled media! (Sorry bud, I couldn’t resist the dig).”
  
  …..adequate words to describe the type of people that are attacking John Rambo I guess would be deleted by the mods. It seems that even on the anti neo-con/empire side there are a lot of small minded extremists…
  - Vafa Goldstein on November 03, 2015 · at 7:23 pm EST/EDT
    
    Cheer up;)
    
    Good guys are winning!
    
    Bad guys in panic.
natoistan on November 03, 2015 · at 2:39 am EST/EDT

BREAKING: **********************game changer *******************************************

US Satellite Detects Flash Over Sinai as Russian Airliner Crashed

“The speculation that this plane was brought down by a missile is off the table,” the report quoted a senior US defense official as saying.

The official noted that US intelligence analysts believed the flash could have been a bomb exploding or a fuel tank detonating after an explosive blast, the report said.

If confirmed, the US reports would likely point investigators in the direction of a bomb, probably with a barometric trigger, being successfully smuggled into the cargo hold of the airliner when it was loaded at the Sharm el-Sheik airport in Egypt.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/world/20151103/1029511161/us-satellite-detects-flash-over-sinai.html#ixzz3qORU7hgv

Who did it??
- Martin from Soviet East-Berlin on November 03, 2015 · at 4:00 am EST/EDT
  
  Isn’t it odd that we are still waiting for such images concerning MH17 let alone MH370?
  - Mulga Mumblebrain on November 05, 2015 · at 12:40 am EST/EDT
    
    Martin, my sentiments exactly. No MSM presstitute will note the inconsistency, however. Jobs depend on reliable selective blindness.
Peter on November 03, 2015 · at 3:05 am EST/EDT

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/russian-plane-crashes-in-the-sinai/satellite-shows-heat-flash-when-russian-metrojet-plane-crashed-no-n456161
A senior defense official told NBC News late Monday that an American infrared satellite detected a heat flash at the same time and in the same vicinity over the Sinai where the Russian passenger plane crashed…..
…..A second senior U.S. defense official also confirmed the surveillance satellite detected a “flash or explosion” in the air over the Sinai at the same time.

According to the official, “the plane disintegrated at a very high altitude,” when, as the infrared satellite indicates, “there was an explosion of some kind.”….

Anonymous officials….?
- Mulga Mumblebrain on November 05, 2015 · at 10:28 pm EST/EDT
  
  Peter, they were bragging. In one way or another, Uncle Satan is behind this atrocity, either directly, or through its stooges.
mmiriww on November 03, 2015 · at 3:09 am EST/EDT

Video of Listen to Putins eye opening speech on US foreign policy with English subs..

We do not intend to exist as a country surrounded by enemies, that will never happen.

https://www.facebook.com/paul.hinshelwood.35/videos/1511865582466546/
- Jack on November 03, 2015 · at 12:55 pm EST/EDT
  
  mmiriww on November 03, 2015 · at 3:09 am UTC
  
  Thanks for that clip….brilliant !!
  
  They are why I come here……he[H.E. V V Putin] is speaking straight talk to his own people.
  
  He gives them insider information…chapter and verse…and they love him for it !
  
  About Guatamala…the murder of Gaddafi and much more.
- Katherine on November 03, 2015 · at 2:24 pm EST/EDT
  
  Putin’s speech: Excellent!
  I don’t where that was, and when?
  There is hope when there is honesty, straight talk, and common sense, and courage.
  Also, not afraid to call out some of the absurdities of US policy.
  And the disgusting bloodthirstiness of it.
  We need to be reminded of what happened to Qadaffi every day.
  That was TERRORISM.
  (The idea of Hillary cackling over this is enough reason for me to recoil in horror at the idea of voting for her for pres.)
  
  “Like” the way PUtin said: Don’t interrupt me.
  Can someone here provide a translation of the “Russian saying” that got a good laugh.
  I didn’t see a translation of that.
  
  Katherine
mmiriww on November 03, 2015 · at 3:19 am EST/EDT

LOL!!!! Putin says mccaine left his mind in Vietnam and his hands are filled with the blood of civilians he killed.

Looks like Nursa terrorists are almost cut off with YPG on one side, the SAA on the other and IS looking to take the scraps.. Another month and Aleppo will be cut off Turkish supplies and reinforcements. Then it is a matter of time whacking the moles that pop up from the tunnels.

On the maps there erroneously draw the troops of the Caliphate, but in fact the city keep troops An-Nusra, which has a few days to repel the attacks of the Syrian army, which in the light of progress to the south of Aleppo continues to wrap around Al Carasso from the south, creating an unambiguous threat to take the group the Anti- Nusra in a small pot (there might be from 700 to 1,000 fighters). In order to prevent the environment, to the north of Al-Carasso rebels attacked the flanks of the advancing group of the Syrian army, in order to ease the pressure on al-Carasso.

And today reported that Assad’s troops took Al Khader (according to other sources – came to the outskirts of the city), a major transport interchange to the south-west of Aleppo. Since the beginning of the offensive is one of krupneyshnih success of the Syrian army.
Militants are still unable to stabilize the front and to the stubborn resistance – from the rebel forces are a high level of demoralization and disorganization of command and control, as well as considerable losses in men and materiel.
In this regard, if we talk about where the Syrian army has the best chance to achieve a major operational success, it is precisely this area.

The attack on Kuveyris has not yet led to the unblocking of the air base. Assad’s tanks and infantry entered the outskirts of the village of Sheikh Ahmad and there is fierce fighting, which can already be seen from the environment for 3 years airbase.
Attack of the Caliphate in the flank of the advancing Syrian factions have so far been repulsed (loss Dzhabula army escaped and was able to defeat the army of the Caliphate at Nasiriyah and Al-Safir). It continues the battle and counter-caliphate is still trying to regain the initiative in order to force Assad’s forces on the defensive and to stop the attack in the direction of a line passing just south Kuveyrisa.

In the Aleppo continues unconvincing positional battles in residential and industrial areas with no significant success of the parties. To the north of the city of the Caliphate troops overtures defense of the Syrian army in the industrial development, but the fights here are positional. To the north-west of Aleppo prozapadanyh rebel troops finally managed to stop the advance of the Caliphate, which is developed from the 10th of October. Furthermore, to urge the United States, they are trying to go to the counter with the aim to move more exhausted after weeks of fighting troops of the Caliphate.

Attack of the Caliphate to the track at Hanassera weakened after the transfer of the Syrian army reinforcements here and rumors about the “Aleppo boiler Assad” predictably turned out rumors. On the other hand, those of the course is now more in demand on the frontline of Al-Safira-Nasiriyah and battles for Sheikh Ahmad. And then the main problem is not in the mythical pot, and that such attacks are trying to take away the commanders of the Caliphate with the main directions of the limited reserves of the Syrian army.

In general, the fighting around Aleppo is still chaotic. Try to attack all three parties, the Syrian army and the Caliphate it turns out better than the pro-Western rebels. The complex configuration of the front and the three parties to the conflict is extremely difficult to predict the outcome of the battle for Aleppo.

Latakia and the northern province of Hama.

Here, close to the Syrian army offensive to a halt. In the mountainous areas of Latakia troops bogged down in heavy fighting for Salma (where the front for a few days is not seriously affected) and are struggling to move forward on a hilly terrain encountering stubborn resistance to the rebels. After initial success with Al-Bakhsy promotion to the north province stood at Sirmanii and build on this success as a whole failed. Fighting for the formation of El Lataminskogo boiler were not successful, the enemy was able to hold the neck pocket, and in some areas go to the counter, having beaten several settlements at the Syrian army (in particular the army was forced to retreat from Morek) .. The fighting here have a greater tendency go to the positional battles. Only intensive airstrikes on Assad still retain some initiative in this direction.

Homs.

While Assad’s army tried unsuccessfully to cut Rastansky boiler in half and press the rebels towns and territory north of Homs are suddenly intensified Caliphate capturing enough big city Mahin south-east of Homs. Assad’s troops here have suffered sufficiently sensitive tactical defeat, as the Caliphate created quite clear threat of raiding operations in Homs-Damascus highway. Here it may be noted that the Caliphate is not trying to directly grind the Syrian troops, and targeted attacks Communications Syrian army forcing her razdergivat limited resources to retain vital roads and transport interchanges. Overall, this strategy is very competent and the person responsible for it at the Caliphate is obviously a very sensible military chief.

In general, under the Homs Syrian army made local tactical successes, but operational challenges yet to decide could not, and delaying such a situation can be fraught with various problems related to the fact that while the army crushes the rebels in the north of Homs, south of the city will strengthen the position of the Caliphate .

Damascus, Deraa, Deir ez-Zor.

In these areas we continued extremely resistant, but poor results from an operational point of view of fighting. In the suburbs of Damascus and Deraa he tried to attack the Syrian army in the region of Deir ez-Zor troops of the Caliphate – significant successes neither one nor the other had not.

The attack on the Raqqa.

With the submission of the United States, it was announced that the Kurds and pro-Western rebels will attack on the Caliphate in northern Syria. The offensive of the rebels rather quickly mired Americans and there is nothing to boast. In the north-east Syria, Kurdish militias attempting to attack in the province of Hasaka, but there are very low rates of advancement and significant progress yet.

Trying to advance along the road towards the Al-Hawley. Of course, the offensive will continue, as it is important to demonstrate to the US military success in northern Syria to the possibility of negotiations on the future of Syria. Here we can expect an intensification of air strikes using drones and attack aircraft in direct support of the Kurdish groups. Talk about success and failure can be the onset of a few days, will become apparent when the applied forces and the resistance level of troops of the Caliphate.

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fcolonelcassad.livejournal.com%2F2459514.html
vot tak on November 03, 2015 · at 5:37 am EST/EDT

Saker

My guess is the Israeli-American plan to use Kurdish stooges is simply a cover for their campaign to create chaos in Syria. Most likely it’s a “cunning plan” to support more of their al Qaida/is rubbish.
- Ann on November 03, 2015 · at 9:15 am EST/EDT
  
  vt..watch these two interviews with Rebekah Roth…about Israeli complicity in 9/11 amazing investigative skills of this woman by the way, the second link down is the first interview
  
  https://youtu.be/xjOqcGSTL5M
  
  And
  
  https://youtu.be/qdP95oSoOFk
  - vot tak on November 03, 2015 · at 2:07 pm EST/EDT
    
    Thanks Ann
    
    I’ll take a look.
  - zweistein on November 03, 2015 · at 7:37 pm EST/EDT
    
    Rebekah Roth is fantastic. She almost single-handedly “solved” 9/11.
    
    How? By meticulously trying to find out the owners of the mesh of companies involved with the 9/11 mega-crime and false-flag operation.
    
    And? Mossad front-companies everywhere – air traffic software, airport security, etc. etc. Add the CIA nazis to the mix and bingo!
    
    And what happened to the 9/11 key players? They all got promoted. But listen to Rebekah Roth for yourselves. Lots of great interviews with her on Youtube.
  - Anonymous on November 03, 2015 · at 11:54 pm EST/EDT
    
    I have read both her books: “Methodical Delusion” and “Methodical Deception.” They are novelizations of her research. (http://www.methodicaldeception.com) R. Roth is the first person with genuine credentials and experience to address the whole issue of what happened to the planes and passengers. She has persuaded me that the planes and passengers were diverted to Westover Air Base in Massachusetts and the calls from passengers that could not have been made from the planes in 2001 were made after the planes were on the ground in hangers at that air base.
Rachotilko on November 03, 2015 · at 6:36 am EST/EDT

I am not sure how reliable the wikipedia’s maps of Syrian war are, but at least they seem to be updated frequently.

I was really surprised when comparing situational map dating from september with the one on october 26th. The line of contact between SAA and its enemies has hardly changed; typically SAA gained a village here and there. The only exception seems to be area south of Aleppo.
Ann on November 03, 2015 · at 8:00 am EST/EDT

Hi Saker, comprehensive and tight evaluation of the times in Syria. Thanks for clear words about this Vienna Congress…I really wasn’t sure what it was about, and have heard it was a total failure and submission to US…glad to hear differently.
C I eh? on November 03, 2015 · at 8:19 am EST/EDT

Geopolitical predictions for the rest of 2015

by Vafa Goldstein:

Russia: Bashar Assad visits Moscow for second time in less than one month, this time for Karaoke party at Kremlin. Putin does acceptable version of Blueberry Hill but Assad steals show with I’m too Sexy by Right Said Fred.

Jordan: Dwarf King’s popularity spikes as Jordanians finally come to appreciate diminutive monarch’s talent for sucking up to everyone.

Saudi Arabia: Panic strikes Kingdom as senile King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud forgets where he left nuclear brief case given him by equally senile Senator John McCain.

Yemen: Defacto peace breaks out as enemy commanders realize they’re all Israelis. Periodic live fire exercises simulating combat conitnue ensuring all mercenaries get paid, even Pakistanis. Curiously, Senegalese casualties continue to mount.

Ukraine/Georgia: Mikheil Saakashvili’s shot through head after freaking out at Right Sektor traffic stop.

Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu works self into lathering rage during Knesset speech then stabs self repeatedly incoherently blubbering something about Siddharta and the Mufti.

Portugal: Benfica wins!

Japan: Shinzo Abe admits he is North Korean spy to deflect attention from discovery he is also a Eunuch.

Canada: Justin Trudeau goes to NATO summit, says pshaw.
- Mohamed on November 03, 2015 · at 10:40 am EST/EDT
  
  Salam C I eh?
  
  Excellent summary. Hallelujah, or shall I say Allelujah!
  
  Time to rejoice,
  
  Mohamed.
Stavros H on November 03, 2015 · at 9:49 am EST/EDT

The number of 85000 SAA killed is the one provided by most NATO sources and if I am not mistaken also the bogus Observatory for Human Rights.

The most reliable figure is around 45000 KIA for the SAA.

I would also agree that there have not been big operational successes for the SAA and Allies since the Russian air campaign commenced, but I would say that the mere fact that the NATO-GCC scum have had to enter negotiations so soon and more crucially accept Iran/Iraq and China to be part of those negotiations is a clear indication that the ISIS rats are going through some very serious strain.

What I expect from the Empire to be doing in the following days/weeks/months is a process of GRADUAL ESCALATION.

We have already seen some steps towards that direction of gradual escalation:

a) The increased provision of TOW anti-tank missiles.

b) The transfer of ISIS ratpower from other fronts onto the SW Syrian front.

c) The vicious/comical/virulent anti-Russia propaganda campaign in the Western MSM. (Cruise missiles landing in Iran, Russia bombing hospitals, Russia bombing “moderates”, Russia not bombing ISIS, Russia has few guided bombs etc etc etc.

d) The very probable downing of the Russian plane over Egypt. The Western MSM are struggling to contain their joy over the deaths of Russian civilians and how that would hamper “Putin’s Syria policy”.

e) One has to fathom how much the NATO-GCC scumbags are inching to somehow shoot down those lovely Sukhois and Mi-24 helicopters. How oh how they want them shot down!
- TruthSeeker on November 03, 2015 · at 1:19 pm EST/EDT
  
  Yes, I have read it all. Anything Russian doesn’t work. Only American stuff works. Russian propaganda or lies. American/British sources only are trustworthy. Communism is evil. Democracy is the way of the world. The Russians are evil. Lucky the Americans are on our side.
  
  The Western presstitutes continue the bidding of the American shadow government. Yes, we need more war to bring about peace.
  
  But what the presstitutes are slow to grasp is that the people are no longer buying the same lies. Take the Assad bashing author of this Australian ‘leftist’ rag, which continues to publish pro-Western, pro-war rhetoric, complete with the usual unsupported assertions…
  
  http://www.theage.com.au/comment/world-needs-action-not-words-to-stop-bashar-alassad-20151101-gkod5l.html
  
  Only a few percent agree with his extremist views (assuming no comments were censored – highly unlikely). Thankfully the majority of opinion is from the true peace-lovers and truth believers.
  
  We can take heart that not all AZs are heartless scum. People of the world are becoming sick of the American influence on what were once sovereign nations. People are understanding that the US government is a criminal institution, which is deeply involved in fostering and funding world terrorism no matter how hard the presstitutes try to spin the lies.
  
  Saker and mods, keep up the great work. Your site is the first site I visit on a daily basis.
  - Mulga Mumblebrain on November 05, 2015 · at 12:49 am EST/EDT
    
    The author of The Age hate-rant, Derryn Hinch, is, in my opinion, pretty pure Evil. No known previous expertise or interest in foreign affairs, a former shock-jock and relentless self-publicist. The recipient of a wasted liver transplant necessitated by his dipsomania. That the MSM has to sink to the depths of publishing the rantings of this type shows real desperation.
mmiriww on November 03, 2015 · at 10:25 am EST/EDT

Anyone remember this conman? He was the state departments yats in Iraq.. But all his support was in iran….

Ahmad Chalabi, a veteran Iraqi politician who frequented the country’s political scene in senior posts in the 2000s, has died of a heart attack in the capital, Baghdad, at the age of 71.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/03/436114/Iraq-Ahmad-Chalabi-Baghdad-United-States-Saddam
- Outlaw Historian on November 03, 2015 · at 10:05 pm EST/EDT
  
  Too bad his death was natural and not by firing squad. May he soon be followed by Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rove, Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld, Blair, et al.
- Mulga Mumblebrain on November 05, 2015 · at 12:55 am EST/EDT
  
  Just think of all the scum with ‘Approved by Uncle Satan’ on their CV as they approach a chuckling St. Peter, his finger itching on the ‘Down’ button. Pinochet, Duvalier, Rios Montt, Batista, Banzer, Uribe, Videla, Vorster, Botha, Savimbi, Mobutu, Kagame, Musuveni, Zenawi, Mubarrak, Sadat, the Sauds, Saddam, the Shah, Zia, Thieu, Ky, Suharto, Park, Chiang, Abe etc. Hundreds of Evil swine, Gadarenes to a man, and occasional ‘female’. It’ll be a hot time in Hell tonight as the Brotherhood welcome Chalabi.
elsi on November 03, 2015 · at 1:59 pm EST/EDT

I do not know if you have seen and read this long and interesting interview with Mr. Sergey Ivanov, Chief of Russia´s Presidential Staff, in TASS, but, if not, I highly recommend it:

http://tass.ru/en/politics/829778
- Isabella on November 03, 2015 · at 4:31 pm EST/EDT
  
  Thankyou for that elsi. I have long been a great admirer of Sergey Ivanov. When V.Putin was asked – “if he won the first Presidential election who he trusted to take with him”, the only name he gave was Ivanov’s, not only because they had known each other a little in the KGB, but because wherever Ivanov went, all over the world, Putin said he was forever hearing glowing terrific reports of him. (“First Person: A self Portrait”, Vladimir Putin).
  
  He has the same direct, honest manner as Putin, if he answers you he tells you as much as he reasonably can, and that will be truthful, and where he can’t or doesn’t want to answer, he says so.
  
  What he said is another reason I rarely read – or comment on – comments made about current events by various “pundits’. There is so much – over 90% I would think – going on about any event, that we never hear of. I see little point in bothering to try to estimate what people are “going to do” or what sort of future awaits, when there is so much activity and information going on behind closed doors that we cannot, and will never, know about, and its here that events and problems are solved.
  But Sergey does give us some peak behind some of those doors.
  
  I enjoyed the read very much, and also – now I’ve found another site worth a regular visit.
  Thanks again.
  - elsi on November 04, 2015 · at 3:36 pm EST/EDT
    
    Your welcome, Isabella.
- eimar on November 04, 2015 · at 7:46 pm EST/EDT
  
  Really excellent interview – thanks for the link Elsi.
ZerOOne on November 03, 2015 · at 2:13 pm EST/EDT

Saker, good analysis as always. The Big Picture in terms of the Russian economy is still a catastrophe: If you don’t have the means of investing your sovereign currency into your economy to build up real productive assets – the situation becomes ridiculous. The Russian central bank behaves like it is a part of Nato and or the Washington Consensus. It refuses to credit the Russian economy, gave up on regulating the ruble exchange rate and its leadership even receives international prizes for its traitorous monetary policy. It is very much like wanting to cross a desert by not accounting for food or water and hoping other people will miraculously show up to give you what you need (foreign investment). This stupidity is hard to bear – it just boggles the mind. Glazyiev and Khazin seem to be the only competent economists in the whole of Russia who even care.

Saker, how can we talk about strategies/politics and so on if the main component is missing?
TruthSeeker on November 03, 2015 · at 2:25 pm EST/EDT

I’m very suspicious about the Russian airline crash.

Two reasons:

– The Western presstitutes are a good barometer of the evil events perpetrated by the US and its proxies. The AZ presstitutes have been slow to report on the incident over Egypt but in true style they did lay blame on the Russian carrier for the crash without waiting for reports from aviation experts, which is extremely disrespectful to the families and to those Russian lives lost. Yet another chance to attack Putin was not missed. By comparison, MH17 was full of narratives and anti-Russian rhetoric almost immediately after its crash in spite of the plane crashing in Ukraine. There was complete silence from the US after MH370 went missing yet the US has satellites which could easily pinpoint the location of the missing plane.

– The timing of the tragedy is very quick given Russia has foiled the AZ’s plan to topple Assad in Syria. Quick responses are quite typical of how the US reacts to those who oppose their will. We witnessed how the visits of the CIA to Ukraine has resulted in immediate costs to civilians of the Donbass. How the US ambassador’s meeting with Macedonia’s president was quickly followed by terrorist incursions from Kosovo and casualties to police and civilians, an obvious attempt to dissuade the Macedonian government’s pipeline construction throughout the Balkans region.

Coincidence? Timing is the key. The timing is consistent depending on the narrative. The US has also proven that civilian costs are no barrier considering their overarching objective.
zweistein on November 03, 2015 · at 7:07 pm EST/EDT

I have been waiting for this article for a long time, Saker. Love it.

:-)
zweistein on November 03, 2015 · at 7:08 pm EST/EDT

” Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this large-scale offensive in southern Aleppo is the overall effectiveness of the military advisors from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); these aforementioned field marshals have replaced the Syrian Arab Army’s senior officers after a lackluster performance that saw the pro-government forces on the defensive for the last eight months.”

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-and-hezbollah-capture-over-210km-of-territory-in-southern-aleppo/
RR on November 03, 2015 · at 9:40 pm EST/EDT

Could someone help me please? What is the exact relationship between Iraq and Russia vis-a-vis Russia getting an official request or permission to enter Iraqi airspace to go after ISIS is this true and verified or not?
Thank you in advance,
RR
RR on November 03, 2015 · at 10:30 pm EST/EDT

Twitter Explodes in Protest Over ‘Boots on the Ground’ in Syria,,,lol at least were on the same page. http://sputniknews.com/us/20151104/1029558708/twitter-responds-us-syria-troops.html
Cheers,
RR
RMM on November 04, 2015 · at 12:40 am EST/EDT

Fascinating, this letter…
And they are really “oppositionists” – wedded to opposition at all costs, even when as the woman admits, no one else bu they are interested in automatic “oppositionism.”
I’d say, however, that the comment about Putin having led to Russian agriculture’s total destruction is incorrect: there was a steep drop in the late 1980s, which in 2000-2001 – in the example of poultry, both chicken http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=ru&commodity=turkey-meat&graph=production
and turkey: http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=ru&commodity=turkey-meat&graph=production
Same with dairy (cheese) or pork (swine) as well as wheat: http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=ru&commodity=wheat&graph=production
Russia is the world’s 2nd largest wheat producer after China (astonishing levels!) and before the US and remains no 1 for barley, oats and buckwheat.
And maize (click on “corn”) has picked up very impressively indeed.
All agree however that much more could have been done. The new agriculture minister says sanctions-spurred support measures are on course and have begun to bear fruits – http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/49550.
Penelope on November 04, 2015 · at 2:25 am EST/EDT

Since an intact Syria is necessary to the defense of Iran why does Iran seem always to hold back, rather than commit her forces & go for victory soonest? Surely this would have prevented many military & diplomatic adjustments by her opponents. And the following was surely more easily enabled by not using overwhelming force at the outset:

11/2/15 http://www.voltairenet.org/article189161.html

US & Israel Begin Colonization N Syria. Creation of an independent state in the north of the country in order to control Syria from behind, just as Israel had created the state of Southern Sudan in 2011, to control Egypt from behind.

Historically, Kurds have occupied only the small northeast corner of Syria. In mid-October Syrian Kurds immediately decided to ’Kurdicise’ the territories in Northern Syria. They therefore began to occupy the houses of non-Kurds, and sent a threatening letter to local schools ordering them to fire their Arab teachers and replace them with Kurdish teachers in order to ensure exclusively Kurdish teaching.

The Arabs, who have been in the majority in these territories for thousands of years, protested vigorously, as did the other minorities. In the space of two weeks, the movement spread, and many schools were forced to obey, except for those of the Assyrian Christian minority, who deployed their own militia to defend them.
Veritas on November 04, 2015 · at 11:55 am EST/EDT

Dear The Saker,

Thank you for your latest weekly review of Russian intervention in Syria.

RT is now confirming the SAA has taken the Aleppo highway – this could be a major turning point for the SAA as supply routes will be open.

11:26 GMT
Syrian Army seizes strategic highway to Aleppo

Syrian government troops have cleared out terrorist groups controlling the Khanasser-Atharayya highway southeast of the country’s second largest city, Aleppo, after nearly 10 days of fierce fighting. Dozens of terrorists have been eliminated as combat specialists begin to demine the area, which has been rigged with explosives. The army, supported with airstrikes conducted by the Russian task force in Latakia, has unblocked the vital supply route connecting to the areas near Aleppo controlled by the regular troops of President Bashar Assad. The military expect traffic on the highway to be opened Thursday.

Rgds,

Veritas
eimar on November 04, 2015 · at 11:56 am EST/EDT

The Iranians may also be targeted by Kurdish proxies for the ‘Kurdistan’ project:

http://ekurd.net/israeli-veteran-iranian-kurdish-forces-2015-11-04

PS. The ‘kurdicisation’ allegations your post refers to have to be put into the ISIS context: the expelled teachers could have been indoctrinating with Wahaabism.

The SPG were accused of other anti-Arab actions which turned out to have been generated by ISIS.

The Syrian Kurd leaders would be wise to maintain a home rule/degree of autonomy as their political objective. They will benefit from being part of a coherent state they share a national history/language/culture with, than a ‘Transdineister-on-steroids’ stretched across a lengthy border and riven with competing groups/militias.
Mohamed on November 04, 2015 · at 12:53 pm EST/EDT

Salam Uncle Bob,

“In the 14th century, Ibn Taymiyyah, a Muslim theologian, sought a return to the purity of Islam from moral corruption, calling for a holy jihad to create an Islamic state. In the 18th century, Mohamed Abdul-Wahab and Muhammad ibn Saud – whose family now rules Saudi Arabia – went on head-chopping expeditions to extend their purest rule over Arab lands. Al-Saud’s historian, Uthman bin Bashir al-Najadi, wrote after 5,000 Shia Muslims were butchered in 1801: “We took Karbala and we slaughtered… With the permission of Allah, we will not apologise for what we have done and we tell all kafir [unbelievers] ‘You will receive similar treatment’.”

Like I said earlier, ibn Taymiyyah was a deranged individual and that there was neither any purity nor fundamentalism about him. It is a myth that Wahhabism is going back to Fundamental Islam and/or Pure Islam. Basically, The House of Omayyad the enemy of the Prophet withered away, and ibn Taymiyyah created the Pseudo House of Omayyad to wage wars against Islam and Muslims.

Best regards,

Mohamed.
neutrino on November 04, 2015 · at 3:12 pm EST/EDT

Fact: Poker is US nation genesys, RussRulet russian. So what is Duesh ?

DueshMohamed:
– Did’ya heared, US send us helptroops to saceifice with us.

DueshAlnasser:
– Nope. Only US uniforms.

DueshMohamed:
– Quality uniforms … but shave every day?
SanctuaryOne on November 04, 2015 · at 11:40 pm EST/EDT

Well, now they (Reuters anyway) are saying malice:

“We have concluded that there is a significant possibility that the crash (flight 9268) was caused by an explosive device on board the aircraft,” Britain’s foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said after a meeting of the government’s crisis response committee chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron”

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/04/us-egypt-crash-cause-idUSKCN0ST2HJ20151104
mmiriww on November 05, 2015 · at 4:48 am EST/EDT

“My message today is ISIS is losing the conflict and is going to lose,” Jones told the audience at a discussion titled “Winning the war against ISIS: Visions and Strategies,” the first of three sessions to be held Wednesday in Erbil by the Middle East Research Institute.

“A few months ago, there were reports that Daesh will capture Baghdad. Today, Daesh is not near Baghdad and they are in state of defeat,” Jones said.

“Based on an actual public opinion poll I personally conducted, Daesh has almost no supports,” said Pollock who conducted his survey in Shiite as well as Sunni countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

“The percentage of people who expressed their support were less than 10 percent, usually only 5 percent, which means a real minority,” Pollack said.

He continued that people support ISIS for two reasons: they are either afraid or they think ISIS is the only group who can represent their interests.

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/04112015
Jack Oliver on November 05, 2015 · at 8:15 am EST/EDT

I suggest you all study the actions of the ‘Rothschild Khazarian Mafia’ agent George Soros to find out what is truly going on. There is no more accurate gauge. The European migrant crisis is NOT organic – these people have been ‘incentivised’.

All roads-all conflicts lead to the House of Rothschild – Unless China and Russia ‘Nationalise’ (like Iran) their banks – ‘perpetual war’ and eternal conflict will be our future – guaranteed !
Christian on November 05, 2015 · at 5:56 pm EST/EDT

I think Saker misses probably the biggest diplomatic coup Putin was able to achieve in Syria, that Putin was able to expropriate the propaganda narrative of the US and turn it to Russia’s purposes. This is exposed rather dramatically if you look at the comments and forums below MSM stories. While the MSM, unanimously left, right and centre, maintains an anti-Russia/anti-Putin relating to Syria, no matter how duplicitous and self contradictory, the commenters nearly unanimously does not. This is true in huffpo, daily beast, fox news, NPR, almost everyone supports Putin’s actions in Syria. These same people I suspect have largely accepted western propaganda up to this point. In these same forums a few weeks ago, if you mildly suggested that Putin did not personally launch a missile to bring down MH17 you would be accused of being a paid Kremlin troll.
The US public has had the ISIS is the worst evil since Hitler pounded into their brains for months, no believes Kerry when he tries to distinguish between good terrorists and bad terrorists. For now, at least with respect to Syria, the US public is solidly behind Putin’s policies, this gives Kerry a lot less room to maneuver.
Mega on November 08, 2015 · at 9:59 am EST/EDT

Good to have you back Saker! Your analysis is as sharp and crisp as always! Hope you managed to recover from your burn-out during your month of absence!