Last weekend, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s defense collapsed in southern Idlib. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the National Defense Forces (NDF) and the Tiger Forces liberated the important town of Sinjar and the nearby villages including al-Nasiriyah, Jabal al-Kafi, Lubaida, Hawa, Sheikh Barakeh, Umm Mweilat, Tell Amara, Rasm Saaed, Kafrayya and Mutawassitah.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) did little to defend its positions in the area but released a statement accusing other militant groups of betraying the HTS effort to repel the SAA advance. The group’s leadership, led by HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani, also held a meeting to discuss the group failure in southern Idlib.
On January 8, the SAA and the NDF continued advancing on HTS positions in the direction of the Abu al-Duhur Airbase.
On January 7, a heavy VBIED exploded on the al-Thalathin street in the western part of Idlib city. The VBIED reportedly targeted the headquarters of the al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group Ajnad Caucasus. 25 civilians and militants were killed and many others were injured.
The Lebanese TV channel al-Mayadeen reported referring opposition activists that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham carried out the VBIED attack as a punishment to Ajnah Caucasus because its members had fled the battlefield in southeastern Idlib.
The collapse of the militants’ defense in southern Idlib led to the growth of internal tensions among militant groups operating in the province.
On January 7, In Eastern Ghouta, government forces broke a siege imposed by Ahrar al-Sham and HTS on the Armoured Vehicles Base. The SAA had captured the Grain mills area northwest of the base and attacked positions of Ahrar al-Sham in the northern part of Harasta. The advance was actively supported by the Syrian Air Force. On January 8, the SAA further advanced in an attempt to secure the recent gain.
On January 7, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched an attack to capture Gharanij from ISIS in southeastern Deir Ezzor. According to an Arab SDF unit, al-Shaitat Lightning, the US-backed force had opened a route to allow ISIS members to withdraw from the area.
Separately, the SDF announced that its members had repelled an ISIS attack on al-Bahra and killed 27 ISIS members and downed 3 UAVs.
The UK-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported citing an anonymous official that the US is preparing to recognize the SDF administration as the legitimate authority in eastern Syria. The preparations include empowering local councils, backing reconstruction efforts, training of government agency workers, improving public services and infrastructure. According to pro-government activists, these steps will eventually lead to establishing a US-controlled semi-independent state in the SDF-held area.
This US move to set up an “independent” state in N.E.Syria is understandable given the Tel Aviv-driven US Foreign Policy agenda in the M.E, but will it work after the Barzani fiasco, and will it be supported by the EU, by Turkey, by Iraq, or by the UN ? I think it’s going to open a new and dangerous chapter in the the Syrian war – one that really could involve Russian vs US forces if Syria moves to re-establish control over Kurdish regions. It’d be interesting to get The Saker’s take on this development.
There is no intelligent military option to support an “independent” state in Western Syria. Such a proposal sounds like something dreamed up within the Executive branch. The Russians could impose a no-fly zone over the whole of Syria and there is nothing a sane American pilot would do to challenge it.
Months ago I posted that the US must never be allowed to take Raqqa and all that eastern territory. I said that if that happened they would follow their MO and do what Russia has not done in Ukraine.They would set-up a puppet regime and recognize it as a legitimate government in opposition to the Syrian government.I was told how that “could not happen”.And now we hear from South Front that that is exactly what they are planning on doing.Its a small step from that to them giving recognition to that puppet regime as the “legitimate government of Syria”.The government in exile I warned about.How many don’t think the pro-US Arab states,and the NATO stooges wouldn’t follow suit with recognizing them.
Calling General Kassem Soleimani; come in General Sileimani, over.
Posted by Mike-Florida in SyrPer. The AZC, having failed to take over Syria by force, will attempt to take over by financial fraud — fake money:
“West destroys, then prints loan money backed by assets of others for reconstruction, then implements currency ‘war’ to increase payments. Syria must say NO to all loan offers from Western banks, World Bank or IMF. Syria’s external debt just 24% of GDP, Iran’s barely 2%, China 13%, India 20%, Turkey 52%, Iraq 44%, Russia 40%. West debt many times larger hungry for collateral of others > UK 283% of GDP, France 213%, US 98%, Canada 126%, Germany 144%. ”
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syria/2017-10-04/dont-fund-syrias-reconstruction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt
The Empire’s “Lefty Intellectuals” Call for Regime Change. The Role of “Progressives” and the Antiwar Movement
https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-empires-lefty-intellectuals-call-for-regime-change-the-role-of-progressives-and-the-antiwar-movement/5625333
“America’s Noam Chomsky in an April 5 2017 interview with “Democracy Now” (aired two days before Trump’s April 2017 punitive airstrikes against Syria) favors “regime change”, intimating that a negotiated “removal” of Bashar al Assad could lead to a peaceful settlement.
According to Chomsky: “The Assad regime is a moral disgrace. They’re carrying out horrendous acts, the Russians with them.” (emphasis added) Strong statement with no supporting evidence and documentation provided. Apology for Trump’s war crimes? The victims of imperialism are casually blamed for the crimes of imperialism:
…You know, you can’t tell them, “We’re going to murder you. Please negotiate.”That’s not going to work. But some system in which, in the course of negotiations …[with the Russians], … he [Bashar al-Assad] would be removed, and some kind of settlement would be made. The West would not accept it, … At the time, they believed they could overthrow Assad, so they didn’t want to do this, so the war went on. Could it have worked? You never know for sure. But it could have been pursued. Meanwhile, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are supporting jihadi groups, which are not all that different from ISIS. So you have a horror story on all sides. The Syrian people are being decimated.”
The zio-“left” at work.
Poor old Noam. He has had enormous influence and he is a brilliant presenter of disinformation. Historically, he has rarely made any assertions that do not at least have some support based on verifiable fact. He tends to mislead more by omission and misdirection of emphasis. He’s lost a lot of credibility in recent years though. Many were shocked when he claimed that it didn’t matter who killed JFK. On 9/11 he has refused to even consider any variations to the official narrative.
Syrian Army Reports Israeli Missile Attack on Greater Damascus
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201801091060608377-israel-syria-missiles/
“According to Syria’s state media, the Syrian Army reported that Israel had attacked targets near the war-torn nation’s capital with jets and ground-to-ground missiles early on Tuesday, causing damage.
Syria retaliated, according to the statement; its air defenses hit an Israeli aircraft and intercepted several missiles which had been launched from within Israel.
The General Command of the Army and the Armed Forces announced that Syria’s defense network had responded to three Israeli rocket attacks on military positions in the Al-Qutayfah area, north of Damascus.
Israel fired several surface-to-surface missiles into Syria last night. First attack began at 2:40 A.M. and the second wave began at 4:00 A.M. and lasted until 4:15 A.M. While some of the missiles were intercepted, most hit the SAA’s base in Qutayfah.
— Leith Abou Fadel (@leithfadel) January 9, 2018”
Syria Confirms Israel Strikes Near Damascus with Jets,
“Ground-to-ground Missiles Intercepted”
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.833841
Considering Russia downed unknown drones yesterday..Turkey announces Euphrates shield will continue in Afrin Manbij…..plus this = full scale warfare against Syria???????
Getting very concerned…plus is usa gonna declare east euphrates SDF territory.?
Additional info:
Syria reports Israeli attack on military outposts near capital
https://www.rt.com/news/415328-israel-attack-syria-targets/
“Israel has launched three attacks on military targets in Syria, using jets and ground-to-ground missiles, the Syrian army has reported. Damascus also claims that it has shot down one Israeli jet and one missile.
The reported attacks were launched on Tuesday morning, the Syrian statement, broadcast on state television, said. The alleged attacks targeted Syrian military sites located in the al-Qutaifa area near Damascus. The statement said the Israeli warplanes fired at the targets in Syria from inside Lebanon’s airspace, while the missiles were launched from the occupied Golan Heights.
The Syrian statement said Israel’s attack was aimed at supporting terrorist forces, to bolster them after advances of the Syrian army.”
As mentioned the other day, a huge cauldron is forming in South-East Idlib.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTCzPZhVoAASrTq.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTC2gJcX4AcfEl8.jpg:large
Writes Canthama:
“Keep in mind, after Abu Duhur village is under the TF control, the terrorists inside the west Khanaser cauldron won’t have paved road to leave the cauldron, meaning tanks and other heavy equipment will have to waste precious fuel to exit the cauldron vs on top of a trucks.
All in one, after Abu Duhur village under Syria’s control, the cauldron bottleneck will be as narrow as as 8 kms (to the swap area and southern Aleppo front line) and maybe 2-3 kms of possible hard terrain that could accept heavy equipment to move through, and still there will be the fire control risk to be hit by artillery.
The terrorists may have 2-3 days to leave the cauldron or it will be technically sealed when Abu Duhur village is fully liberated and secured.”
and
“About a dozen or more villages raised the Syrian flag in the SE Idlib Province, the cauldron (not even a pocket) started to collapse quickly. During the day more villages may send message to the SAA that it is terrorists free.
At the moment there is a huge effort to liberate as many villages as possible without destruction, this is part of a possible policy of incentive to get the civilians under an area under the terrorists to switch sides back to the embrace of Syria, thus saving civilian lives, infra structure and SAA soldiers.
Same was done in Deir ez Zour SE offensive in al Bukamal. By getting the civilians to the Syria’s Government side thru preservation and respect, end up gaining their heart and loyalty.
More on it during the day. In few days the ISIS pocket may be will be fully blocked by the SAA.”
Tiger Forces achieve fire control over bottleneck of huge South-East Idlib cauldron. Al Qaeda canon fodder on the run. Writes Canthama:
“Last night we mentioned at Syrper that the TF may attempt a flanking move toward Abu Duhur in a quest to control the 3rd and last road to the airbase south-north bound, they were only 7 kms from the road after controlling Umm Tamakh early yesterday. Today another dozen or so villages were liberated positioning the TF some 3kms from the road and 3-4 kms from the airbase at Adliyah’s northern/NE vicinities, and when the village and hill of ‘Aqlat al Buwaydir is safe, the TF will fire control the road and many villages thus in fact cutting the base from south-north bound, which is actually happening as we speak.
There are reports of al Qaeda and affiliates leaving quickly the SE portion of the cauldron. A village fought to the death for 3 months was just evacuated, Jakusiyah/Al-Shakusiyah, just east of the most important al Qaeda HQ in that area in al Rahjan. This is clear evidence of an attempt to exit the cauldron.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.413816&lon=37.450333&z=14&m=b
ISIS also took a dozen village today as al Qaeda retreats fast, but it seems ISIS will be cut off at Turut or Janian vilages, thus contained.
Many mode villages will be liberated today and tomorrow, it will be like that the whole week, while tomorrow we may see the 1st strikes in Abu Duhur once the roads are safe.”
Syrper has an interesting view on this development – https://syrianperspective.com/2018/01/eu-and-usa-disconnect-becoming-more-entrenched-as-usa-plays-the-kurdish-card.html. – but maybe it’s wishful thinking on his part. The enemy is devious and is not about to be defeated any time soon.
The modus operandi of the Jewish Mafia is as predictable as it is unsavoury and consists of only two – rather primitive – ‘arts’:
First, steal everything that is not nailed down, and second, destroy what is nailed down so that the rightful owner can’t use what you couldn’t steal.
Back to Syria. As the conquest of Syria ended in abyssal failure for Zion, the poisoning-the-wells and burning-the-bridges part of the equation has to make up for this calamity big time. But even this is easier said than done.
ZionIntel agents disguising themselves as Kurds and promptly asking for a democratic & independent State for their brothers & sisters has been a running gag for several decades without ever achieving anything, and there is no end in sight…
All other ZionIntel hideouts in Syria, particularly those close to the border to Jordan, have even less potential. Run circles in Al Tanf, young man!
More info out now about the earlier failed 13 drone attack.
US Spy Aircraft Flew Between Russian Bases in Syria During Drone Attack – MoD
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201801091060620442-us-spy-aircraft-russian-bases-syria/
“The US Navy’s Boeing P-8 Poseidon was on a patrol mission in the area between the Russian Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base in Syria when militants attempted to attack the facilities using 13 drones, the ministry revealed on Tuesday.
“… This forces us to take a fresh look at the strange coincidence that, during the attack of UAV terrorists on Russian military facilities in Syria, the Navy reconnaissance aircraft Poseidon was on patrol over the Mediterranean Sea for more than 4 hours at an altitude of 7 thousand meters, between Tartus and Hmeimim,” the ministry said.
After preventing the attack, the Russian military analyzed the design of and ammunition inside the seized UAVs, saying that such drones could have been supplied to the militants only by a country that is capable of “providing satellite navigation and remote control for the dropping of explosive devices.” Later in the day, the Pentagon issued a statement saying that such drones could be bought on “the open market.”
Commenting on the Pentagon’s statement, the Russian military expressed its concern over the remark that the technologies for attacking Russian military facilities are “easily accessible on the open market.”
“What are those technologies that are being talked about?” the ministry asked. A spokesperson also called for the Pentagon to reveal where this market is “located and what special service is selling space reconnaissance data” to militants.”
The probably know much more, but are basically saying the drones used american tech which is not available commercially and that the operation was being run by the americans, the p-8 being an essential part of it.
Hi VT, is this also involve Israel?
Here MK think so:
US, Israel step up hybrid war in Syria
http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2018/01/09/us-israel-step-up-hybrid-war-in-syria/
Russia has be too soft on Israel. The time may not be right yet, but I feel how much longer can this US/Israel upper hand last?