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NATO strategy against Syria is genocidal. Even the German government funded think tank SWP openly admits : “simply letting the conflict bleed Syria dry”.
“The strengthening of IS and the mass exodus from Syria has increased pressure on the EU to put an end to – if possible – or at least, freeze the war in Syria. Referring to western policy, Volker Perthes, Director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), wrote in a recent commentary “the advances made by the Islamic State (IS), as well as the exodus from Syria show what the cynical option, of simply letting the conflict bleed Syria dry, really means.”[4]”
http://german-foreign-policy.com/en/fulltext/58881
http://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/medienbeitraege/150921_HB_Eine_Loesung_fuer_Syrien_Prt_Verf.pdf
Your right except the west is lost in the past. This time we in the
west will get to pay the price as everybody else just gets away from our fall.
Somebody on this site, in an article posted this week (cant remember which one and by who) thought that it would not be possible for Russia to hit more than 80-90 targets per day, well they appear to be wrong (accord Tass and the Russian MoD).
Today Russia hit 118 terrorist targets in the last 24 hours:
http://tass.ru/en/defense/832411
Yes, you’re right Anonymous, but they must be quite close to being maxed out & can’t do that many bombing runs every day. It was one of Saker’s guest Russian commentators in translation. He said that there are only 32 planes suitable for bombing runs and that 3 runs a day were the max for the several reasons he gave. Don’t you think he’s about right, considering the maintenance, set up of ordinance & targeting, roundtrip time to target, etc.? I leave aside pilot fatigue cuz there’s no reason they can’t have 3 pilots for each plane.
I don’t have the link in front of me, but the technology involved that makes the planes able to hit stationary targets only was interesting. Of course it does mean no close support of troops. I suppose it’s likely that they will bring add’l planes to be stationed at Kuweires airport or in Iran. Quite disquieting that Carter Ashton has already announced US specl ops troops ( at least) to both Iraq & Syria. WaPo says as of yesterday that Obama hasn’t yet approved it & here he is announcing it. Hopefully Obama will be able to hold it to only Iraq, cuz the WaPo story said, ” The newly proposed Special Operations forces would work with moderate Syrian Arab rebels and possibly some Kurdish groups, such as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, that have scored some recent victories against the Islamic State.”
Kremlin refuses to comment til they’ve rec’d official notification. It’s my belief Obama hasn’t approved US boots in Syria and won’t.
The majority of sorties seem to be very short range to fixed targets, so a bit like crop dusting. I have never seen the maintenance schedules for military aircraft, but the airframes on the Russian planes seem to be built to last forever, so I would guess that all the moving parts are designed for relatively low maintenance.
Russia has like 50 aircraft in Syria, but only 12+6 are bombers the SU24/34’s.. They have 12 SU25’s to provide close air support as well as the helicopters which are used for mopping up missions. Syria itself have like 20 SU25’s, they sent their own SU25’s back to Syria and the Iraqi SU25’s back to Iraq. So those 80 sorties I think includes some straffing or rocket attacks? Less than 20 planes making 100 sorties seems like more than 4 a day? Would they have time for maintenance? Russia has like 100 TU22M’s, they can carry 40 tons of bombs instead of the 6-8 on the planes based in Syria.. If they bring those 10-30 on bombing runs they can do 20 or so sorties a day but hit 200 targets on each run. The cruise missiles cost 6-8 mil each.. Maybe more for the longer versions.. They have versions for 300-4000 km.. The old TU22M’s don’t have pinpoint targeting systems.. But they have moved the upgraded versions to use if needed.. Syria itself have like 20,000 ballistic missiles but they have not used any of that. We saw the destruction some of them did in Ukrane, the Yemeni’s hitting a base with one took out like 15 planes and caused hundreds of injuries.. US is worried about barrel bombs.. Imagine if they start using those ballistic missiles but assad said they are strategic weapons and wont be used inside the country.. WTF?
Make no mistake Sudan sent troops because of the Saudi’s money.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/sudans-split-with-iran-boosts-saudi-camp-1439460573
More interesting info regarding the BRICS (not sure how reliable Sputnik is though):
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/business/20151028/1029227369/barter-russia-dollar.html#ixzz3puW4EKtl
Its my understanding that Sputnik is very reliable.
funny:
http://news.antiwar.com/2015/10/28/iraq-we-never-requested-us-ground-operations/
Iraqi officials expressed surprise yesterday with the announcement from US Defense Secretary Ash Carter that US ground troops were going to carry out “direct action on the ground,” which he clarified as meaning combat against ISIS, in both Iraq and Syria.
It’s not just that the US has been denying plans for combat operations on the ground in Iraq for over a year, but that Iraq has similarly, repeatedly, said such action was unwelcome, and apparently was never consulted before Carter announced the Pentagon’s intentions to the US Congress.
my take:
Consultation? what consultation. We are the USA, we don’t need no stinking consultation!
wow, the world almost ended in October 1962.
http://thebulletin.org/okinawa-missiles-october8826
By Bordne’s account, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Air Force crews on Okinawa were ordered to launch 32 missiles, each carrying a large nuclear warhead. Only caution and the common sense and decisive action of the line personnel receiving those orders prevented the launches—and averted the nuclear war that most likely would have ensued.
Undeniable in this Southfront report: Russia bombs targets in Quneitra and Golan Heights region.
Not a peep or squeal out of the Israelis. This is very not like them. Does anybody really know what the heck the Israelis were doing in the Syrian controlled side of the Golan region over the last 2 days? All kinds of rumors about one of their pilots being shot down and a “search operation” involving armed f-16s etc. Those sound like fake cover stories. If anyone here on Saker’s blog has credible info that can shed light on this it would help clarify what’s really happening in Southern Syria.
I also have read reports that the Syrian army (w’ russian air-support) crushed an offensive that was to be launched from the south towards damascus (part of the airstrikes reported in the southfront video are supposed be part of this operation). Anyone got additional info on this?
From social media on both sides, it was a search and rescue mission. A paraglider pilot at first thought to have drifted over the border and landed in ISIS positions. Turns out he flew over to join, his family received a call saying he was ok and the search and rescue was called off. Because there was no response to the incursion from Russia, the Israeli’s would have notified them before crossing the border.
There was a story on RT that Israel has asked to join the EEU,as soon as possible (the story says).So it appears Israel is hoping to get in good with Russia and through them,the other EEU members.That might be part of the reason Israel isn’t throwing a fit over the bombing.They realize Russia isn’t going to attack them.And if Russia wins in Syria,they want to be friends with them.For all the countless faults of Israel’s we could easily list.Not understanding the concept of “realpolitik” is not to be found on that list.
Anonymous, Apparently the Saudis w Jordanians planned an attack on Damascus:
“The Russians who had been informed of Saudi Arabia’s plan and after checking with the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement’s field information, the Russian fighter jets changed their direction from the North to Southern Syria and pounded the terrorists’ positions in Jobar and Eastern Ghouta of the Damascus countryside, specially the towns of Marj al-Sultan and Deir al-Asafir, it said.
Al-Akhbar wrote that the Russian airstrikes resulted in the destruction of terrorists’ command centers and foiling the terrorists’ attempt to capture Damascus.
On Tuesday, the Russian air force hit rebel positions in Southern Syria, near the Golan Heights, for the first time since it began its air campaign against the Takfiri terrorists last month.
The Russian airstrikes targeted positions of the ISIL and al-Nusra Front in the Golan Heights in Quneitra province near the border with Israel.”
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940806000838
To supplement the good info from Southfront, here’s a google translate of latest from col cassad:
4. To the south of the city [Alleppo] continued to promote Syrian army. The rebels are retreating, surrendering every day several small settlements. Syrian army took prisoners and booty, control zone to the south and south-west of Aleppo is expanding, but the outcome of this offensive is largely dependent on how the fighting will develop in the area of a key road on which supply the advancing troops. Yesterday reported about that. that in the course of the offensive exempted 50 towns and 120 kilometers of territory. Actually since the beginning of large-scale offensive in early October on this direction Syrian army has reached the greatest success inflicting a serious defeat of pro-Western rebel troops.
So… the worm slowly turns.
thx for the translated text!
From the computer translation, Its hard to know what theyre talking about.
Going from the Southfront report and Military Maps, the last road connecting Aleppo with the rest of Syria has been cut by ISIS. This is a serious problem for the SAA.
In another area east of Aleppo the SAA still has not been able to link up with the military airport. They have been trying to push through that 10 km stretch for 3 weeks. The terrain is largely open fields of flat ground. Having the Russian and Syrian airforce and most of the heavy weapons it would seem it could be easier. A key objective something like this should be taken in a day. What the problem is I dont know.
Lots of good stuff up on Fars.
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Armed Force, with the aerial backup of the Russian fighter jets, pushed back militants from Salamiyah-Raqqa highway in Hama province, and retook full control over the strategic route, local sources announced on Wednesday.
The sources said that the Russian warplanes carried out several sorties over the militants’ positions near the Salamiyah-Raqqa highway and hit them hard with their bombs and missiles, later the Syrian soldiers stormed the terrorist groups’ defense lines to take control over the highway.
The Syrian army troops seized back the highway after fierce clashes with the Takfiri terrorists.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940806000549
thanks anon for that thoughtful act of putting the google translate up here for us to read.
Pindo “exceptional” technology rampaging on the loose:
Two F-16s Chase Runaway Surveillance Blimp Over Pennsylvania
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/us/20151028/1029247774/runaway-surveillance-blimp.html#ixzz3pvCAsuMc
The pindos seem to have this odd blimp fetish…
that’s an adorable article vt….the Sputnik guy is so great…thanks to all the crosstalks, now I feel like I know him…although I can’t remember his name…is it dimitri ?
Ann
I didn’t see anyone being credited for the article, but are you referring to Dimitri Babich?(spelling?)
Sputnik continues their coverage:
Runaway Surveillance Blimp is Probably Bad for Blimp-Making Business
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/us/20151030/1029315054/raytheon-blimp-profits-deflate.html#ixzz3q1AXyjqT
South Front…you deserve a donation today. What’s the link again ?
Middle of the page to the right ->
http://southfront.org/
US troops on the ground for war games Vee Bomba… Brought to you by the Department of Morons..
If I get this straight, The US will be bombing the other side in Iraq and Syria, who would also have US troops there and will be bombing the other side.. In essence they would both be bombing each other.. On top of that they would also be getting bombed by Turkey as well as Russia.. Is this a suicide mission and should you accept this mission it will self destruct in 10 seconds? And just to make it all interesting.. #RussianArmy column with Msta-B artillery passes #Latakia for the front.
The US is, i) fighting alongside the Peshmerga in Iraq and intends to support them going forward with Apache helicopters, may even send in ground troops to fight with the YPG. But Turkey just bombed the YPG yesterday. Additionally, the US is flying sorties from Incirlik which sets up the insanely ridiculous possibility that if the US embeds troops with the Syrian Kurds, US jets could be taking off from the same base as Turkish warplanes only the US warplanes would be supporting the YPG while Turkish warplanes bomb them.
Pentagon officials have recommended to the White House that the U.S. deploy as many as eight Apache helicopters and their crews to Iraq. The helicopters, known for their targeting prowess, could work in conjunction with as many as two dozen ground spotters who would embed with local ground forces to call in strikes against Islamic State targets.
Iran effectively runs the Iraqi military via its various Shiite militia proxy armies. That’s not an exaggeration. “the Fifth Iraqi Army Division now reports to the militias’ chain of command, not to the military’s, according to several U.S. and coalition military officials.” So when the Apaches and their crews aren’t supporting the Kurds, they’ll be openly supporting Iran-backed fighters.
placing US ground troops with Syria’s “moderate rebels” like the Free Syrian Army because after all, they’re fighting the very same Iran-backed Shiite militias. So the US would be bolstering the militiamen in Iraq with Apache gunship support and then firing on those exact same militiamen across the border in Syria in support of the “moderate” rebels battling to oust the Assad regime.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-28/us-ground-troops-syria-illegal-big-mistake-russia-warns-obama-unpredictable-conseque
We knew we would hear soon from the ministry of truth and caring part of the Vee Bomba conglomerate.
“Bureaucrats and military officials probably think that by admitting casualties, they cast a shadow over the infallibility of state policy,” Anton Orekh, a prominent Russian political journalist, wrote Tuesday.
“They probably want for people sitting in front of the television to continue watching the bombardment in Syria as if it’s a feature film, where it’s cranberry juice that’s being spilled instead of blood.”
There may be a real-life red line for most Russians: around two-thirds oppose sending in ground troops, a move that would probably remind Russians of their protracted military disaster in Afghanistan during the 1980s.
Back then, the Kremlin deceived the public by masking the true body count there. It’s done the same in eastern Ukraine, where despite Russian official claims that none of the country’s soldiers took part in military operations, activists found them buried in fresh graves in several different Russian cities.
Still, it’s unlikely that Kostenko’s death will have a major effect on the public mood — as long as it’s the only one.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/10/28/moscow-no-mood-talk-its-military-losses-global-post/74732664/
“Russia creates in one third of Syria an impenetrable area for NATO”:
http://www.elespiadigital.com/index.php/noticias/defensa/11165-rusia-crea-en-un-tercio-de-siria-una-zona-impenetrable-para-la-otan