If you are having trouble viewing this video, go to the Youtube version at https://www.youtube.com/c/SouthFrontTV
Saker Message:
If you are having trouble viewing this video, go to the Youtube version at https://www.youtube.com/c/SouthFrontTV
Info pour les Francophones : à partir d’aujourd’hui 1er Mars, il y a une version Française du site du Ministère de la défense de la Fédération de Russie :
http://fr.mil.ru/fr/index.htm
Here’s Mosul, close enough sez I to Syria & a key meme keeps popping up since its absolute historic & current strategic significance has always been a bone for the rabid drooling dogs of war to slobber over.
And LO! such a wonderful coincidence that now & only just now we hear of this Mosul dam under threat of ‘breaking’ (from bombing, maybe, whether in the past or to come?).
Why, it almost sounds like an excuse for the usual bunch to invite themselves back in, under guise of a humanitarian helping hand, direct to Mosul, to legitimize those pronouncements made openly in the media the past 2 months.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/02/29/453062/Iraq-Mosul-Dam-US-Haider-alAbadi-Daesh
The Iraqi government and the US embassy in the Arab country have issued separate warnings to the residents living along the Tigris River about the threat of a possible collapse of the Mosul Dam, the country’s largest.
In a late Sunday statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi asked the residents to evacuate the area and move at least six kilometers (3.7 miles) away from the river banks.
Kobani–just over past the minefield border from turkey;
TEHRAN (FNA)- Turkey continued strengthening its positions and deploying more troops and ammunition at the Syrian-Turkish border close to the Kurdish-majority town of Kobani Monday. [VIDEO]
http://en.farsnews.com/player.aspx?nn=13941210001215
http://s.wsj.net/media/kobani_map_for_annotation_10152014.jpg
meanwhile, on the upper west side (of Syria):
Syrian Army Pushes Downhill towards Turkish Border
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade (commandos) of the Republican Guard and their allies are creeping towards the final rebel-held points along the Turkish-Lattakia border after another successful weekend that resulted in the government forces seizing the strategic village of Saraf and its surrounding heights in Jabal Al-Turkmen (Turkmen Mountains).
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941210001346
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-313wV7RLqZc/U9pv7FPN9pI/AAAAAAAABiE/KmnXgdsoYJc/s1600/ISWIdlib+and+Latakia+Map+Final-01.png
Defense ministers from the US-led coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) discussed the possibility of a Syrian ground incursion two weeks ago in Brussels, but have not made a decision, an aide to Saudi Arabia’s defense minister told Reuters on Monday.
“It was discussed two weeks ago in Brussels,” Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri said in a telephone interview from Riyadh. “It was discussed at the political level but it wasn’t discussed as a military mission,” he said.
http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_us-led-coalition-discussed-possible-syria-ground-incursion-saudi-official-says_413650.html
The home made $800 Syrian contraception to defeat $80,000 TOW missiles is…
Just got the name of the Syrian APS its “Sarab-1” in English Mirage-1
https://twitter.com/syrianmilitary/status/704409355551186945
NATO chief says concerned about Russian military build-up in Syria
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-nato-idUSKCN0W212Y?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews ….
Third #German fighter lost his life in #Rojava while fighting IS in the ranks of #YPG:Gunter Helsten (Rustem Cudi)!
Senior admin officials say U.S. intelligence has documented meetings between YPG and IRGC Quds Forces
Hmmm… And the US is mulling a ground invasion as of an hour ago.. Now Russia has 24 SU24’s 12 SU25’s 12 SU34’s 4 SU 27’s, SU30’s and SU35’s as well as 12 transport and 4 combat helicopters..
Job done! Russia’s most advanced spy plane is returning home after deployment in Syria http://wp.me/p2TYIs-9Hf
UPDATE 1-Russia says federal model is possible for Syria in future http://reut.rs/1TMzrvG
we are’t against giving Syrian Kurds their deserved rights but we are against a Federal Syria and we will fight & die against this project
Hezbollah leader Hassan #Nasrallah will speak at 8:30pm tonight, local time Hezbollah Nasrallah speech at 0830pm #Lebanon local time to speak about development and SF Commander Ali Fay’yad
Northern aleppo map.
Yellow=Kurd
Red=Turkmen
Black=Arab
Orange=Kurd-turkmen
Blue=Arab-Turkmen
Green=Arab-Kurd
https://twitter.com/sergermed/status/703987806180347906
SAA and allies massing in Afrin Canton in prep for assault to cut Western countryside – Aleppo city supply lines.
Daesh took control of Khannaser after many suicide attacks targeting the town.
423 ISIS bodies recovered south of Aleppo following the battle of Ithraya-Khanaseer claim sources on the ground.
Names of 20 SAA NDF who were Martyred reopening Khanasser Road
https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1/status/703348753248460804
List of 45 SAA NDF SRG SyrianArmy Martyrs who died during battle of Khanasser
https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1/status/704393632137256960
killed in Ithraya-Khanaser against ISIS and funerals of Hezbollah and Ali Farad https://t.co/LRLclGTmBD
Greece arrest crew of a ship 6 Syria/n, 4 India/n 1 Lebanese carrying weapons from Turkey to Lebanon.
ISIS executed 8 Dutch members
NDF forces attending mass in Syria..
https://twitter.com/IvanSidorenko1/status/704080213689372672
The Raqqa offensive needs Mosul first and The Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Force to Syria
Damascus – Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai )
Speculation about the race to Raqqa, the self proclaimed “Islamic State” (ISIS) Syrian Capital, between the United States on the one hand and Russia on the other, recalling the race to Berlin in World War II. Nevertheless, initiating the attack against Raqqa is not possible without attacking Mosul first, the Iraqi Capital of ISIS. That can be done smoothly only if Washington joins the military effort and coordinate the simultaneous its attack in Iraq with the Kremlin, a highly unlikely scenario. Since the U.S imposed on Iraq to side-line the Popular Mobilisation Force (PMF), their presence seems to be more needed in Syria.
The Syrian “axis of resistance”, formed of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Lebanese “Hezbollah” Special Forces, Iraqi of the PMF, Pakistani and Afghan militias, all operating in Syria and backed by Russia, are preparing new military plans to advance on two main axes in the north of Syria: The first, in the northwest in Jisr al-Shughur, Idlib and rural areas of Aleppo to counter al-Qaeda in the Levant – Jahbat al Nusra and its allies. The second, is the attack against ISIS on three fronts: Qariyateyen, Palmyra, and Tabqa, without going too close to Raqqa. Both al-Qaeda and its Jihadist allies on one hand, and ISIS on the other, are not included in any cease-fire or deal related to a possible peace process or Cease-fire in Syria. While Russia and its allies prepare for their war in Syria, the USA is gathering Iraqi forces and many American advisors around Mosul for the Iraqi J-Day.
High ranking sources, leading the war in Syria, told me “ISIS took, in several occasions, initiatives of attack, cutting the road of south Aleppo (Ithraya-Khanaser), every time its controlled area in the north of Syria is threatened. Therefore, the advance toward Raqqa, without engaging ISIS in Mosul first, has its own hazard. ISIS could recall more forces from Iraq, if attacked in Raqqa first. Coordinating the attack against ISIS in both Raqqa and Mosul simultaneously seems an impossible objective. Each side of the superpower wants history to remember how his forces have defeated ISIS first”.
“The United States has imposed on the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to prevent the participation of the PMF in Anbar, as well as in the forthcoming battle of Mosul. There are between 30 to 40.000 men still under arms, trained and ready for the battle against ISIS. Abadi reshuffled the Leadership of the PMF, reduced the powers of the Deputy Commanding General and pro-IRGC figure Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes, who became responsible for the operations only, limited their presence on the ground in various fronts, and restricted the expenses of the organisation. This required an alternative plan to be able to use the PMF effectively, led by Mohandes, on the Syrian-Iraqi borders to close the road on ISIS and prevent communication between Iraq and Syria. This would permit to engage a large force from behind ISIS lines in Syria, create multiple fronts and exhaust its forces, which is exactly what ISIS does when under attack”.
“Since the founding of the PMF, several regional countries felt provoked, accused it of being sectarian as it is composed of mainly Shia, and managed to prevent it from taking part in many battles. Turkey facilitated the formation, training and support of another force in the North of Iraq, the “National Mobilisation Force” (NMF), made by Sunni only, under the leadership of the ex-Governor of Mosul, Atheel al-Nujeifi. The role of NMF is not only to participate to the attack of Mosul, but also to absorb all ISIS fighters willing to leave Mosul or to lay down the arms, once the city is under attack and liberated. The USA and its regional partners would like to keep this Sunni force, and defected ISIS members, in the north of Iraq. The argument presented to the Prime Minister is the fact that most of the fighters in Mosul are Nineveh tribe members or other Sunni groups who served under the “Naqshabandi army” and Islamic Sunni organisations that were forced to join ISIS when Mosul was occupied in the summer of 2014”, said the source.
“The U.S is happy to see Turkey’s participation in the battle of Mosul to maintain its influence in the north of Iraq and be used as a carrot looming out of Baghdad that Iraq’s unity will remain on the line. For the “Resistance Axis”, the Iranian-American struggle of influence and the Turkish expansion plans are not the priority for the moment. The danger represented by ISIS overcomes any other issue at the moment. It is in our interest to see forces gathering around Mosul and to see the battle happening. This would enable us to move faster in Syria and on the borders to put an end to ISIS dream of the Caliphate. ISIS is expected to return as an insurgent group after its defeat, in Syria and Iraq, in the coming years. None the less, the danger of al-Qaeda and its Jihadists allies are not to be underestimated. In fact, it is even greater because the international community and the regional countries consider positively al-Qaeda in Syria, supply its allies with weapons and political coverage to keep the war on-going, exhaust Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. It is in our interest to eliminate this grater danger first. The Russian intervention has created a real turn in the power dynamic on the ground in only few months. This has created a panic among those who would like to see war lasting for as long as possible. Therefore, battling al-Qaeda is equally important, if not even more, as the war on ISIS. We are looking forward to see the U.S agreeing on the battle of Mosul as soon as possible. ”
https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/the-raqqa-offensive-needs-mosul-first-and-the-iraqi-popular-mobilisation-force-to-syria/
The Battle for Mosul Has Begun February 29, 2016 By Kevin Baron
ISIS is under air, ground, and cyber attack as Iraqi and coalition troops encircle the group’s final stronghold in Iraq, the Joint Chiefs chairman says.
WASHINGTON — The battle for Mosul ultimately will be the biggest U.S. operation in Iraq since the end of the last war.
That was Monday’s message from Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, who said multinational forces have begun to cut off the city’s supply and communications lines, and to encircle and isolate Islamic State fighters with cyber and air and ground attacks. Some coalition forces are already going after ISIS inside Mosul, and the final thrust to retake it should be expected sooner than the distant future, Dunford said.
Rather than sending brigades of U.S. forces to reinvade Mosul, the Obama administration has deployed special operators to target ISIS leaders and dispatched thousands of advisors, who have spent months preparing Iraqi, Kurd, and other local forces to do the job. The strategy has drawn blistering criticism from seasoned diplomats, former generals, and Republican leaders and presidential candidates, who have argued that greater U.S. military intervention could have broken ISIS sooner and saved innocents.
Still, the push into Mosul will require more American forces than were involved in the recent retaking of the southern Iraqi city of Ramadi, and will be shaped by lessons from that earlier campaign. Carter said he expected Americans to provide more logistics and “bridging” forces; Dunford said U.S. and Iraqi troops are preparing logistics and resupply points for Iraqi fighters as they make their way into the city.
“The operations against Mosul have already started,” Dunford said at the Pentagon on Monday. “In other words, you know, we’re isolating Mosul, even as we speak—the same thing with Raqqa. So it is not something that will happen in the deep, deep future.”
Carter said the fight is being affected by the additional “expeditionary targeting force” of special operators the Pentagon deployed last year, but declined to say how. The group was sent to to conduct specialized raids, kill high-ranking terrorists, free hostages, and “seize places and people.” At the time, U.S. officials said the group’s missions would remain largely secret; virtually no information has since been released. On Monday, CNN reported only that the U.S. Army’s Delta Force had begun operations.
Momentum is now on our side and not on ISIL’s.
U.S. officials do not want ISIS to be able to tell, for example, whether service disruptions are being caused by American cyber attacks or merely reflect the vagaries of everyday Internet usage.
The runup to the Mosul fight has included the seizure of the Syrian town of al-Shadadi, which helped to cut off the Iraqi city from Raqqa, Obama’s counter-ISIS chief at the State Department, Brett McGurk, said last week. The town was retaken by thousands of fighters, about 60 percent of whom were Kurdish.
Carter called Shadadi “a critical node for ISIL training and logistics, as well as for its oil enterprise. As our partners take control of Shadadi, I believe we will learn a great deal more about ISIL’s criminal networks, its criminal enterprise, and what it does to sustain them.”
Fresh troops from the 82nd Airborne Division already are rotating into Iraq, Carter said.
http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2016/02/battle-mosul-has-begun/126304/