Clashes between government forces and ISIS terrorists have continued in central Syria since July 2, when ISIS cells stormed army positions in eastern Homs. In response, the Syrians supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces launched a security operation in the desert. Sporadic clashes and airstrikes were reported in the area over the next few days.
On July 4, ISIS terrorists even ambushed a unit of the Syrian Army in eastern Homs. The military reportedly lost contact with 25 soldiers in eastern Homs. As of July 6, their fate remains unclear. It’s likely that, members of the dispersed unit are now returning to their permanent positions in the province.
Pro-opposition sources claim that over the past week, at least 20 soldiers were killed in clashes with ISIS members. Pro-government sources do not provide details regarding army casualties, but say that government forces were able to destroy 3 ISIS vehicles and neutralize up to 10 ISIS members.
As the Syrian government fights ISIS on the western bank of the Euphrates, the US-led coalition conducted a raid against the terrorist group in the town of Husayn on the eastern bank of the Euphrates.
On July 5, US helicopters landed near the town and US forces assisted by members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) detained at least 4 suspects.
Meanwhile, the SDF leadership declared that it does not see a possibility to reach a comprehensive political agreement with Damascus because the government wants to restore full control over the provinces of Deir Ezozr and Raqqa in the framework of such a deal.
SDF Commander-in-Chief Abdi Şahin better known by his nom de guerre Mazlum Abdi declined such a possibility claiming that the Kurdish-led group wants to keep control of all the areas that it has seized. Abdi is a member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which seeks to create an independent Kurdish state in southern Turkey and, if it’s possible, include into it territories of northern Syria and northern Iraq. Therefore, such a position of the SDF leadership is not a big surprise.
In 2019, the Syrian Army came to northeastern Syria to rescue the SDF from the Turkish military advance when the group then abandoned by the US-led coalition needed it. However, after this, the Kurdish leadership once again turned back from the Syrian people selling its loyalty to Washington for weapons and a share of oil revenue from the US-controlled Syrian oilfields.
Infighting among Turkish-backed militant groups erupted in the provinces of al-Hasakah and Raqqa on July 3 and July 5. Tell Abyad, al-Yabisah and Ras al-Ain are the man hot points. At least 5 militants and several civilians were killed. The main source of tensions is the intra-militant competition for control of roads, agricultural lands and trade in a small chunk of area occupied by Turkey in northeastern Syria. The funding from Turkey decreased after the de-escalation of the conflict in this part of the country. So, Turkish-backed fighters are now looting the captured areas to obtain the needed financial resources.
To add insult to injury, the SDF is allowing these poorly maintained oil fields to pollute the waterways that feed into the Euphrates https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/06/northeast-syria-oil-pollution-kurds-refineries.html
Can’t wait for Pompeo to 1. demand that Assad foot the bill to clean it up while we keep stealing the oil, 2. blame it on Iran and Assad, or do both.
I am sorry for the kurds… when things are settled in the middle east, sooner or later, they are going to be hated by all… probably we are going to see an eviction of the kurds from syria, reducing their numbers there to what they where in the last century, no more than 500 k. Mass migration to Europa, or somewhere else…
They will be like the new Jews of the 21 century…
It will be of their own doing… the selfish stupidity of the kurds knows no bounds. They make enemies with everyone, stabbing people who have long suffered in the back in exchange for temporary political gain while making allies with the servants of satan who will undoubtedly betray them and leave them hanging once again in the relatively near future.
They brought it on themselves, they are making their bed, and when the time comes, let them lie in it.
AMEN. The Kurds are “playing” everyone just like their Israeli backers do.
The first thing the Kurds should do is BOOT OUT the Israelis and start playing straight with others.
Question: Is forced expulsion a war crime?
Found this online at https://sites.dundee.ac.uk/dundeestudentlawreview/wp-content/uploads/sites/102/2018/07/K.-Nelson2c-%e2%80%98Could-forced-expulsion-ever-be-considered-as-falling-within-the-scope-of-Article-II-of-the-Genocide-Convention%e2%80%99.pdf
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Forced expulsion
With regards to forced expulsion, which would have included forced expulsion as a category of conduct, but this was rejected.
Forced expulsion is an ancient concept, encompassing the deportation or forcible removal of persons from a particular place by an authoritative power, often on the discriminatory ground of ethnicity or religion. It is well established that forced expulsion can be considered as a crime against humanity or a war crime6, if the necessary requirements
are fulfilled. The definition provided by Article 7(2)(d) (as a crime against humanity) of the Rome Statute is as follows:
“‘Deportation or forcible transfer of population’ means forced displacement of the persons concerned by expulsion or other coercive acts from the area in which they are lawfully present, without grounds permitted under international law.”
Forcible transfer will be considered together with expulsion, as both cause similar types of harmful effects. It should be noted that the mere fact that forced expulsion is an established crime against humanity does not preclude the classification of the act as genocide – many forms of conduct are considered to be both (e.g. murder, rape, torture etc.).
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Considering that forced expulsionb is a Crime Against Humanity, I doubt that VVP would let Dr. Assad expel the Kurds, even if he wanted to, which I doubt.
James, in principle I agree that forced expulsion is a part of genocide, because it comes under the general concept of “Whoever sayeth to his brother ‘Raqqa!’ the same is guilty of Hell fire”.
But in practice I am suspicious when a group of British students, in a profession notoriously dominated by Jews, whets the legal knife specifically for use against Dr.Assad and Socialist Syria — specifically for use against the firmest case of Resistance to Anglo Zio Capitalist domination of the Middle East. Why this sudden hypothetical case against Dr.Assad and Syria: Justice for the Kurds?
Why not take an actual case, a glaring, long standing, outrageous case of forced expulsion? Justice for the Palestinians!
I am suspicious when I see Anglo Law students not sharpening their legal minds on such an obvious case of Forced Expulsion.
I agree with you a sincerely believe that the Temporary State of Israel is guilty of genocide against the Pslestinians.
Why is the Syrian army not dominating the ISIS? It has been fighting for how many years now? With all the support from the Russians why are they still having problems taking control of their own country?
Let’s see, Israel bombs their military infrastructure on a weekly basis. Al Qaeda still has a stranglehold on the Idlib province supported by Turkey forcing them into a two front war. The U.S. is still devastating their economy with inhuman sanctions and supporting the Kurds/SDF who have grabbed most of their oil fields and farmland. The U.S. also has a ‘safe zone’ in Al Tanf by Jordan where ISIS takes refuge, when the SAA and militias attacked ISIS near Al Tanf the U.S. butchered them with air strikes.
Turkey, Israel, and the U.S. is bleeding Syria dry. Russia is not going to put all of Syria on food welfare. Many accuse Russia of being too passive but I put the blame in the bad actors who are harming Syria without cause.