by Ghassan Kadi
If there was ever indeed a civil uprising in Syria, it would have had to be, by-and-large, in Idlib.
Idlib is an impoverished region of Syria. It is located in the north-west, inland from the coastal Syrian Army stronghold of Lattakia, and south of Aleppo; Syria’s second largest city and economic hub. Being predominantly Sunni and poor, the combination made it a lucrative recruitment spot for the various Takfiri groups.
The process of youth radicalization has had Idblih as its base for a long time, decades, and long before the so-called Syrian Revolution, Civil War and Arab Spring started. After the Hama events of 1982, the Syrian Government did not want to, or was indeed unable to, stop radicalization without crossing that fine line between radicalism and Islam. The government did not want to be seen like it was standing in the way of teaching religion for the sake of teaching religion, and the zealot Imams, as well as their sponsors, seized the opportunity to use the veil of religious teaching in order to spread radicalism.
This situation was not unique to Idlib. As a matter of fact it is indeed akin to the position of Western governments who cannot touch the mosques without undisputed evidence that they are conducting military training. Even then, they will have to tread very carefully in order not to offend all Muslims.
In Syria, all poor Sunni areas had religious schools, and if and where those schools did not exist, there were always the mosques and their “teachers”. In Idlib however, the religious demographics stipulated that in the absence of other religious groups and movements, dominance of radicalism was inevitable.
Certainly, the funds came in from the Gulf, and especially from Saudi Arabia.
The Baath teachings and school curriculum subjects such as Arab Nationalism, taught to children at primary schools, were not strong enough to stand in the way of the radicalism tsunami, neither did the Government try to be seen doing this; all in the fear of being seen as anti-religious, and anti-Sunni in particular.
The Assad family is Alawite, but the Assads do not have a bone of sectarianism in their hearts. This did not stop their enemies from portraying them as enemies of Sunnis. The Assads, father and son, had to exercise great caution; especially after the 1982 Hama events which were used by fundamentalists to present it as a black mark against the Assad family and a drive for Jihadi recruitment.
In reality, Hafez Assad did not take a hard line at all, neither during the conflict nor later. It was his brother Rifaat who committed most of the tough and brutal acts, including the massacre of the Tadmur prison in which five hundred inmates were shot dead in their cells purportedly personally by Rifaat himself.
After the Hama events, the Syrian Government did try to clamp down on fundamentalist militarism, but it did not want to be seen probing into the works and teachings of religious schools and mosques.
Now, four and a half years into the war, The Russian air attacks and Syrian Army movements are eyeing Idlib with a special interest.
Clearly, even though the Russian airstrikes are hitting ISIS targets all over Syria, the military strategy is to cleanse the Western regions in order not to leave pockets from which the Syrian Army can be stabled in the back. To this effect, the biggest fish to fry is Aleppo. The key to Aleppo however is Idlib because it is heartland of Syrian opposition; if there is indeed such a thing.
It is only in a handful of Syrian towns and villages where Islamist fighters would get popular support and protection from Syrian citizens, and Idlib is on the top of that list. Conquer Idlib, and you have conquered the beating heart of Syrian-based fundamentalism.
With the air support it is getting from the Russians, the Syrian Army is moving on many fronts in the region bound between Homs and Aleppo, and Idlib is right in the center of it.
Events on the ground are moving very fast, and the fall of strategic positions and towns at the hands of the Syrian Army and its allies is rather difficult to keep pace with. The fall of Idlib has become inevitable, and once Idlib and the neighbouring Jisr Al-Shougour are over and done with, the fall, or rather liberation, of Aleppo may turn into a walk in the park.
Strategically speaking, the military battle of Idlib is one that is already of predictable outcome, and it is a matter of time before the rebel terrorists lose, escape, or surrender.
What is more pertinent however is how to win the battle for the heart and mind of Idlib.
ISIS cannot be defeated by military means alone. Military action can crush its infrastructure, cripple its finance base, decimate its military, but it will not defeat its ideology.
Wrong are those who only see the US-borne side of ISIS and conclude that America is the root of the problem.
The root of the problem is an archaic misinterpretation of the Quran that has been around for centuries; an interpretation that is based on conquest and coercion.
Unless those misinterpretations are addressed and debunked by Muslim clerics and leaders, and unless such misinterpretations cease to have a popular following, they will eventually resurface when the conditions become favourable.
The world should combine efforts not to allow the resurrection of ISIS, and this concerted effort ought not to be done only in Syria, but sadly everywhere there is a center for Islamic teaching and mosques; including those based in the West.
However, the truth of the matter is that the ISIS syndrome is not restricted to the organization that bears that name. It is the cumulative failure of humanity that has turned religion against religion, sect against sect, race against race, nation against nation and brother against brother.
ISIS might have taken a very harsh and brutal form, but the seed of ISIS mentality is embedded everywhere, in every religion, sect and nation. When it is cloaked under the guise of civility and human rights and masked by clean shaved faces, suits and ties with beaming smiles, it is not any less dangerous and devastating.
So before world leaders, even those with best of intentions, point fingers and regard ISIS as the sole source of evil and decide to eradicate it, people, as individuals and groups of different orientation, ought to look within and honestly address what beliefs, thoughts and motives do they harbour.
The battle for the hearts and minds of Idlib is a microcosm of the battle for humanity to shine. The military conquest is the easy part.
“once Idlib and the neighbouring Jisr Al-Shougour are over and done with, the fall, or rather liberation, of Aleppo may turn into a walk in the park.”
-wahhabi terrorists are never a walk in the park, they are probably among the most fierce warrior of humankind, many times the only way to remove them is to go boobytrapped house by boobytrapped house and boobytrapped room by boobytrapped room.
“Events on the ground are moving very fast, and the fall of strategic positions and towns at the hands of the Syrian Army and its allies is rather difficult to keep pace with.”
-It is? What is the source for this claim? From what I heard almost no strategic position has fallen, there has only been tactical victories so far and non operational, and it is all going rather slow with high losses.
1. За последние пару дней, пользуясь авиационной поддержкой и дезорганизацией сил мятежников после потери части командных пунктов, сирийская армия пытается наступать сразу на нескольких направлениях. Бои идут:
за пригород Дамаска (без особого впрочем успеха),
в районе трассы Хомс-Хама (продвижение незначительно),
на севере провинции Хама и на границе провинции Идлиб (продвижение умеренное),
к северу от Дераа (армия достаточно уверенно отбила атаки мятежников)
наступает на Алеппо (за сутки умеренное продвижение)
пытается замкнуть Эль-Латаманский котел (противник удерживает оборону)”
http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/2434093.html
Cassad, whose field of employment is not and has never been military analysis as has appeared on this board but rather is public relations, works for Strelkov.
If you have the luxury of time to do this — and I know that’s hard for many of us — you might find it enlightening to go back a ways on his blog and browse through some of his prior predictions. They have a theme: Russia is failing.
Cassandra,
Thank you for your adept commentary. So many fixate upon and believe certain analysis without investigation of background and long-term accuracy of the the analyst. I witness much the same as it applies to Zero Hedge and Tyler Durbin. His commentary and analysis being regarded as gospel. Yet, his track record as it applies to events playing out as he predicts and their accuracy is far from a good one.
No Cassad is not saying Russia is failing. Same as thesaker reports. I suppose thesaker works for Strelkov as well.
“For example, if the current Syrian army offensive (which, by Russian accounts, is less than spectacular) ”
/in-the-meantime-in-nazi-occupied-ukraine/
“Russian sources are less enthusiastic and speak of a rather slow and hesitant Syrian offensive. So far, no major victory has been reported”
/week-two-of-the-russian-military-intervention-in-syria-options-for-daesh-the-empire-and-russia/
Maybe you should have finished the quote from Saker, ie “So far, no major victory has been reported, but since all sides agree that the Russian air campaign is devastatingly effective and highly disruptive for Daesh, I think that there is a good probability that the Syrians will soon achieve a major success”
Mr Kadi didn’t claim either that any “major victories” occurred, but there have been a string of villages and areas liberated. As he is writing from Lebanon, maybe he has more up-to-date and/or better info than what Cassad gives. Certainly in Arab media there are such reports: check out As-Safir, al-Manar, or from the Western-allied The Daily Star. Seems to me there is progress, mish hayk?
Why should I have done that? We are talking about the territorial situation on the ground for the Syrian army. And sadly so far it is going slowly, and having moderate success as best.
And his claim : “Events on the ground are moving very fast, and the fall of strategic positions and towns at the hands of the Syrian Army and its allies is rather difficult to keep pace with. ” Is simply not true. Quite the opposite according to Cassad, thesaker, and Russian advisors.
If you don’t like facts and to know what is going on I don’t know what you are doing at a site like thesaker, here most of us value the truth and are thankful for objective information even it if is not always nice to hear.
Liz, unfortunately I think you are right. The Syrian armys advance appears to have stuttered to a holt.
The job of taking towns and cities is near impossible without totally destroying them and in the process killing 100s of thousands of civilians.
It seems the intention is to hold onto the coast and then negotiate a settlement, probably dividing the country into autonomous states.
Isis holds all the oil fields and controls most of the Sunni areas. I guess they will front some guys in suits and say they are the Sunni leaders . They will be given control of most of Syria and will have their Islamic State. Cant see how anyone is going to change that.
Well I think you and Liz make good company.
I would like to see any reports that the SAA advance has ground to a halt. It is the true hurrah-patriot mindset to dismiss anything but a Georgia 2008-style victory as evidence of failure.
You are absolutely correct in stating the difficulty of clearing urban areas of terrorists without completely destroying them. However, it’s my take that it is exactly this reason why the advance has been slow and deliberate. If not, you risk overextending yourself, open the possibility of counterattack and cauldrons and, most importantly, wanton civilian casualties.
To expect a lightning advance following the Russian bombardment is naive to say the least. Complaining about a lack of “major” victories in a purposely slow and deliberate strategy is even more so.
On another note, most of the ISIS held oil installations have been or soon will be rendered nonoperational. Turkey is not in the same place it was to continue buying said oil and financing in the same manner as previously. The GCC states can up their ante but it was Turkey who had the tall stack, not the khalijees. ISIS holds sparesly populated Sunni areas true. But Damascus has 80% of the population in areas it controls, a population that is majority Sunni. As is the SAA with 70% Sunni.
It’s not going to be a quick victory, but to say no quick victory equals no progress is simply false.
Yes, I agree, I sympathise with the SAA, they are in a real hard situation, wahhabists do not care about their own lives and cares even less of lives of the people in towns they occupy, they use the town folks as human shields, and often they fight to the very end, and they have tunnels all over the cities having entrenched themselves for several years, a technologically advanced nation would have used the best tech to deal with such a situation, but Syria is only semi-modern and is often forced to deal with the situation head on, street by street, house by house, room by room, tunnel by tunnel, and Syrian army are not fanatic lunatics like wahhabists, often they are just regular young men that would rather play video games or work or be with their girlfriend then deal with crazy american backed fanatics at the end of a booby trapped tunnel.
Either SAA completely drives the wahhabists out from the coast and starts a slow advance on ISIS togheter with Russia, kurds, and Iraq or it will likely turn out as you say, with them liberating essential coastal areas and digging in.
Liz, with luck the Daash irregulars, the brain-dead and nasty young psychopaths who fell for the allure of crucifying children, raping women and decapitating old men and surrendered prisoners, will run once they see the horrors of real warfare, just leaving the hard-core, well-trained by the USA, heavily armed by the Sauds et al and anticipating their 48 raisins in Wahhabist Valhalla. The should be granted their wish, because every one that survives Syria is a potential merciless butcher still on the loose to terrorise humanity.
It is beyond belief that no one looks into this rotten manifesto! They have it printed out this is what they get to do kind of like how the French foreign legion was all about but worse. Many of these punks joined just because of this. In the US I would see young people joining the marines because they could also do all this but to a much lesser extent but still they only joined because they could lord over others without guns and kill them with impunity. EVEN WOMEN!!!! But many of those got raped by their own units and then they complain about it. When they join thinking this is what they will get and don’t, then well anything is fair game. That the western world supports this is one of the main hidden gems in this psychopathic agenda. We have people bringing us strelkov’s manifesto from the depths of the nether but none of this. I think if enough people start discussing how these punks are recruited and that is why they join up with psychopaths and that is what the western world is supporting, more people will realize the reality of the situation. I knew this was going on but no that it was one of the main attractions. Seeing some of the free Syrian terrorists shooting civilians and cleaning out entire villages of men just shocked me to actually see this in action. utube must be full of this garbage.. We should all be outraged about this. At one time I saw how outraged the US was of the french foreign legion taking in the skum of the earth.. But they at least would have been rehabilitated and mostly dead before discharge and given a new life.. The US must now be the foreign legion part deux. If they cause so much trouble imagine what these terrorists going back home must be like. Putin is right, they can not be allowed to go home. Turkey and Jordan will blow up soon if these guys run off to those places. They don’t change their attitude because countries change.
Its a very complicated problem.The author is right that massive changes need to be made.And while the changes must be partly financial (bring the living standards up in that region after liberation).The biggest changes must be made in the informational field.Think of Ukraine and the changes to be made in the schools,and among teaching staffs.To rid that society of the Bandera myth and propaganda.And you have an idea of what needs to be done in Syria and other states where the Wahhabi have influence.While Islam doesn’t have an “official” priesthood as such.the role of scholars,Imams,and religious councils somewhat fill that type of role.With Madrassas (religious schools) being very important.Those positions should “never” be allowed to be held by enemies of the government in secular states.They should have been all reformed years ago.And anyone in those positions been vetted before being permitted to hold them.The Islamic secular states themselves are responsible for many of the problems we see today.Just as the Ukrainian governments since 1991 coddled fascists and ultra-nationalists in those years.The secular Islamic governments have done the same to the Wahhabist/Salafist supporters.Had they realized the “dragon’s teeth” they were sowing (both in Islamic states and Ukraine).Those governments wouldn’t see foreign states (the West) able to use traitorous elements to destroy them.Hopefully in Syria (and other Islamic states,as well as Ukraine) those days are gone forever.And a complete reform is made of the informational facilities in that nation/nations.
The Wahhabist cancer needs excision at its root, the House of Saud.
I have seen other articles that claimed that ISIS might at some point crumble. Their point is that ISIS claims to be a caliphate – that is a state. When it loses too much territory their claim to statehood falls apart and with that much of their appeal to foreign jihadi’s
The Islamist ideology will stay around longer. It is a product of the financial support from the Gulf States. This works two ways. As the Gulf States are the richest Arab states they have a kind of example function. There is a feeling that to become so wealthy they must know what they are doing and so their Islamist ideology must be correct. The other way is that the Gulf dictators – and specially Saudi Arabia have long exported their conservative ideology as a way to soothe their conscience over sudden wealth. Only after the 1979 Iranian revolution did they start to take this ideology more seriously in their own country.
So my expectation is that we will only get liberated from Islamism once something dramatic happens in Saudi Arabia.
The problem is not Islamism or Saudi Arabia. It is the United Sates. It is a complete misconception to think that the Saudi tail wags the American dog. Violent Islamic fundamentalism is a tool created by the US against the challenge of independent minded governments. Saudi Arabia is simply the professional craftsman who maintains and wields the tool on behalf of the US.
The house of Saud would not survive a month if the US withdrew support for it and they all know this. Regardless of appearances Saudi Arabia acts only within the confines of American dictates.
Not exactly.
Saudi Arabia is wedded to the CIA since the days of Carter and his failed attempt to clean out the fascisti filth.. firing hundreds if not thousands of agents if memory serves.
It is the Saudis who fund the CIA’s most nefarious deeds. Regime change in SA will not happened till the CIA is satisfied the black gold spigot stays open.
A Caliphate has come to mean a state (in a manner).But Caliph has more of a similarity to Pope than King.It was first a religious title.The Ottoman Sultan added that title to his others to try and confer legitimacy on his claims to rule the Islamic World.The main one of the first Caliphates died with the death of the Caliph,killed by the Mongols at the fall of Baghdad in the 1200’s:
” The term caliph, derives from the Arabic word khalīfah (خَليفة), which means “successor”, “steward”, or “deputy” and has traditionally been considered a shortening of either the term khalifat Allah (“successor to God”) or khalifat rasul Allah (“successor of the messenger of God”). However, studies of pre-Islamic texts suggest that the original meaning of the phrase was “successor selected by God.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate
Salam Uncle Bob 1,
The Caliph in The Holy Quran is used in terms of Prophet Adam (as), which means “Representative”.
Yusuf Ali : Chapter 2, Verse 30
“Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on earth.” They said: “Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?” He said: “I know what ye know not.””
The Shia question here, how do the angels know that mankind will shed blood. Are the angels talking from experience and that our Adam is not the first Adam (human being)?
Anyhow, the Shia believe that Prophet Mohammad (saws) choose Ali (as) as his successor. The Sunni believe that that the Prophet didn’t choose a successor. So, after the death of the Prophet, while his body was literally still warm, both abu Bakr with Omar left and went to another town and choose the successor of Mohammad (saws) and give this person the title of Caliph.
1. First Caliph : abu Bakr who was chosen by Omar and six others, while Prophet body was literally still warm.
2. Second Caliph : In his will abu Bakr appointed Omar as second Caliph.
3. Third Caliph : In his will the second Caliph, appointed a committee of 5 people. He choose two candidates for the committee. Osman and Ali, and almost all the committee members were relatives of Osman. So, Osman become the third Caliph.
Osman was from Omayyad Tribe, and he ruled for 17 years. He spread Islam by sword, thus filling the coffers with money and money. He build palaces and put his relatives in position. One of them was his first cousin Muawiya, who become the fifth Caliph by Force and was appointed as Governor of Syria.
Osman was murdered by his own troops being tired with all these wars. He was not allowed to be buried for several days.
4. Forth Caliph : Ali was chosen by masses after all these corruptions. However, Muawiya, the first cousin of Osman (Ottoman), refused to give up his Governorship of Syria. After 2 civil wars in 2 years, he had Ali murdered.
5. Fifth Caliph : Muawiya appointed himself as Caliph by Force.
6. Sixth Caliph : Muawiya appointed his son Yazid the sixth Caliph. All three, Osman, Muawiya and Yazid were Omayyad Tribe.
Yazid, massacred all the Family of Prophet Mohammad (saws) and then he established the:
1. Omayyad Dynasty as Caliphs.
2. Then, it became Abbasid Dynasty as Caliphs.
3. Then the Ottoman (Osman, third Caliph Childrens) Dynasty in Turkey as Caliphs.
So according to Sunni, any Dick, Tom and Harry who has been put over the Muslims by any of the above methods, is The Will of Allah, as long as these Dick, Tom and Harry are Muslims. So, the Kings of Saudi Arabia have been put over the Country of Arabia as Will of Allah, and they must be obeyed. Anyone, not obeying them is Rejecting (Rafidi) The Will of Allah. The Sunni believe in Predestination.
Because the Shia are Rafidi (Rejecting) these corrupt Caliphs as Will of Allah, therefore they are non-Muslims. In Syria, Assad is a Rafidi, a non-Muslim and should be removed.
The Shia believe in Freewill. And, they believe that Prophet Mohammad did appoint his successor. And, Shia believe that all these so called Caliphs spread Islam by sword and changed the religion of Mohammad (saws).
Best regards,
Mohamed.
Thanks Ghassan.
You make some very pertinent points about religious ideologies in general – and will probably spawn a ‘lively’ thread :).
The support of American Christian and Jewish Zionists for the ethnic-cleansing of Palestinians at the hands of the IDF is another case of ‘wahaabism.’ And its no surprise that all are funded by Saudi petrodollars, which keep the US MIC wheels oiled.
Meanwhile in Iraq, a major push to drive out takfiris has taken place:
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=234474&frid=23&cid=23&fromval=1&seccatid=24
I believe this is coordinated with Russia and Iran: they are being driven northward, as if to corral them with their compradores in Syria.
Reports of as many as a hundred a day crossing back into Turkey might explain the EU’s turn around on the refugee crisis. Merkel and co have dropped the ‘welcome to Germany’ cant * and are advancing 3billion€ to Turkey for refugee assistance as well as funds to Greece. Not only that, they’ve agreed to a visa-free scheme for Turkish nationals in the Schengen zone, while also beefing up border controls along EU borders.
*Merkel – who has to be among the worst Chancellors Germany has ever had – received a protest from 129 members of the CDU about her completely insane immigrant remarks and policy. Now it seems reality is finally catching up. But really, I cannot understand why Germans are not on the streets demanding her removal. The only explanation for her spectacular idiocy is incipient senile dementia.
Hollande – an empty suit for Saudi/Quatari agendas is running on borrowed time. With a little luck, Le Pen will prevail and this creature will fetch up behind bars with that other slug Sarkozy.
It would be poetic justice if these two were to receive ISIL ‘treatment’ since they were instrumental in germinating the disease in Syria, along with Fabius, Puga and assorted criminals.
I have had my eyes opened big time to the depth of criminality that exists in the Western political and finance class.
We need an international Criminal Court that really functions on behalf of the millions of victims of these psychopaths.
“Wrong are those who only see the US-borne side of ISIS and conclude that America is the root of the problem.
The root of the problem is an archaic misinterpretation of the Quran that has been around for centuries; an interpretation that is based on conquest and coercion.”
This is a very simplistic and frankly wrong view of the problem. America is the root of the problem! Pernicious ideologies misinterpretations of religious teachings etc have always existed and always will. It is hopeless to try and eliminate them. The reason ISIS, Al Qaeda and co must be eliminated is not because of their beliefs, no matter how misguided, it is because of their actions. And their actions are a problem because of the United States, which made a decision back in the 1970s to arm and empower such misguided believers and psychopaths, organize them into purveyors of violence and unleash them on the world.
If ISIS/AL Qaeda and co were non-violent misguided Islamists they would be mere curiosities like the strange Christian cults that dot the American hinterland. They would be objects of prurient news stories and occassional police harassment over their treatment of women and children. Nothing more.
Lets give credit for ISIS/Al Qaeda where it is due: America.
The Wahhabist perversion of Islam predates the origin of the USA. Therefore, the USA cannot be the root of the problem.
You are right, “root” of the problem wasn’t the best choice of words, but that doesn’t alter the point, which is that such heresies are not dangerous until someone starts funding and arming the heretics.
Yes, Cassandra, its the way of the white (british/american) man to do this to other countries…Hitler too was a nutcase standing on a street corner until he was ‘spotted’ by some MI6 spy assh000
My point is that the root of the problem is NOT the Wahabi ideology! Its the arming, training and enabling of whabists. This is done by the USA. And the Saudi’s on behalf of the USA.
Salam Ngoyo,
Part of the root of the problem is Wahhabi ideology, which is created by our British Master, the Old Empire.
Abdul Wahhab and Wahhabism was created by our British Master as a cancer for Muslims to divide and rule.
The New Empire, USA is now using this cancer to their fullest against the Shia, Sufi and Sunni Muslims!
Best regards,
Mohamed.
I have read that by pushign the Saud family forward and putting their tribe in power in the Arabian peninsula, the British ended up enabling them to spread their preferred form of Islam, which originate with a chappy called Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab”
Wiki: “The name Wahhabism stems from the eighteenth-century preacher and scholar, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792).[18] He started a revivalist movement in the remote, sparsely populated region of Najd,”
The Najd was the area controlled by the tribe of Saud.
So, not wanting to argue as I am not an expert and my name isn’t Mohamed (!), but it seems incorrect to say that Wahhabism was “created” by the Brits.
Katherine
Salam Sister Katherine,
You are responding to my comment to Ngoyo, which was made at 1:04 PM UTC. Please refer to my earlier below comments to Outlaw Historian, which was made 12:57 PM UTC gives more detail about Abdul Wahhab. I didn’t feel like to explain myself again.
Abdul Wahhab is responsible for murdering some of my family members. As, I have mentioned below that Abdul Wahhab and the Saud clans were both propped up by The British Empire at the same time in 18th century, in response to Ottoman Empire.
Divide and Rule, by The British Masters.
Please see my below comments to Outlaw Historian, which should make more sense.
But, “Revival” and “Fundamentalism” are both loaded terms. The questions arise, did Abdul Wahhab revived Islam and religion of Prophet Mohammad (saws)? Or something else?
What Abdul Wahhab was revived Ibn Taymiyyah, a deranged individual but due to Petro Dollars, he is now called The Sheikh of Islam.
For Ibn Taymiyyah please see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Taymiyyah
I am the only old fool who calls out the “Naked King”. Everybody else is scared. BTW, Ibn Taymiyyah is buried in Syria. No one dare to touch his tomb, but it is OK to blow up the tomb of Prophet of Islam, Mohammad (saws). Astaghfirullah.
The Cancer is very deep!
Best regards,
Mohamed.
You are absolutely correct, Ngoyo, but a number of regulars here at the Vineyard will continue to twist and turn, as they twist and turn every way they can to avoid even any mention of the actual rogue actor, preferring, apparently, to believe, that tails actually can wag the dog, as you alluded to earlier. It’s quite amusing, really, to see the how Russia’s patience and cunning is calling the bluff of the United State, and thereby exposing its apologists.
well, buddy, I can’t write or pronounce your name, but I really don’t know what you’re talking about…people on Saker’s protecting and believing in USA ? I guess I was sleeping when that ‘person’ made a comment…I didn’t see it.
Salam Outlaw Historian,
“The Wahhabist perversion of Islam predates the origin of the USA. Therefore, the USA cannot be the root of the problem.”
With due respect, I disagree. The USA is more than 200 years old, almost 250 years. The British Empire has been there for a long, long time.
In 12th century, approximately 600 years later of Islam and Prophet Mohammad (saws), there rose a deranged man called, ibn Taymiyyah. He was so deranged, that the Muslims imprisoned him and literally threw away the keys to his prison in the sea.
There was no fundamentalism about this deranged individual. Today, due to Petro Dollars, he is called Sheikh of Islam.
When our British Master decided to get rid of Ottoman Empire, they devised a plan to divide and rule all these Muslims territories under the Ottoman Empire. For Arabia they decided the follow:
1. Abdul Wahhab (Wahhabis and Wahhabism) to religiously rule Arabia based on ibn Taymiyyah.
2. The House of Saud, to rule on Arabia as rulers and the area to be called, Saudi Arabia.
The rest is history. So, Wahhabism is about 200 years old religion, even younger than USA.
Best regards,
Mohamed.
Yes, by all means, hide the zionazi element behind the proxy. We wouldn’t want those fingers pointing at sacred Israel, and their 5th column, now would we. After all, what real interest would Americans have in Syria, as opposed to Isrealis/zionazis.
What interest does the US have with Israel? Contrary to what most Americans seem to think, it is the US that controls both Israel and Saudi Arabia. Without American support Israel could not survive, nor could the house of Saudi. Without Israeli and Saudi support the US would survive just fine. That alone should tell you who is in control between those three countries. Israel and Saudi Arabi are the lynchpins of American control of the ME and control of the ME is the lynchpin of American global hegemony.
Appearances can be deceiving, especially when they are intended to deceive. The US loves to create the impression that it acts reluctantly around the world only because its “allies” force it to. This is an act. The US has no allies, it has only vassals, Israel and Saudi Arabia included.
According to this map of situation that I have found on the blog El Territorio del Lince, the area occupied by the ISIS, tallies with the main aquifers in the country, leading to think to the initially considered theory about the creation of this conflict in order to ensure for the State of Israel the main water reserves in the area, along with the Golan Heights, already in its possession.
I do not know if the Idlib area was really so depressed, but it is striking how they are concentrated around all the Euphrates´ basin……
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-505GhXb-010/ViI-BV7-g3I/AAAAAAAABiw/pQMsjlLtt4U/s640/Syria.jpg
Very interesting.
I recall, in the run-up to the Iraq War (the 2003 invasion), I had little idea of where Iraq was, specifically, or the geography of the region east of the Med, and called up a map on Google images. And it was a topographical map, with various shades of yellow, brown, and green. And I took one look at it—virtually all of Iraq is deep green, with mountains to the east and north (brown) and desert to the west (tan).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Iraq
And my immediate thought was: “It’s the water, stupid!”
I remembered learning about the Tigris and Euphrates in eighth-grade geography (“the cradle of civilization”) but hadn’t realized that this cradle is present-day Iraq.
So, yes, while everyone is going on about the oil, I think the water might be the real prize.
And that is certainly an issue for Turkey, too, virtually all mountainous. Turkey can apply pressure to downstream Iraq by hogging all of the water, which it has shown signs of doing.The water rights are probably something that must be sorted out if Putin ever succeeds in focusing regional minds on solving the real issues that concern the people who live in that area and their neighbors by means of some kind of regional conference—and boot the western powers out of the equation forever. Hope this isn’t a pipe dream. For some weird reason teh USA has been viewed as the “outside neutral power” that can bring people to a bargaining table. This might (kinda, slightly) have been true in the past, but doesn’t seem to have any resonance anymore. So there is also this kind of power vacuum in the region. I see no reason why Putin shouldn’t now be viewed as the go-to guy for twisting arms to come the negotiating table. It is likely the Saudis who will stand in the way of this. EVen the Zionists might be more practical in this respect than the Saudism whose Wahhabism seems to be more weaponizable than Judaism/Zionism. Although the Jewish fundies certainly are being weaponized within Israel, so it seems. But I digress . . .
Main point: I agree with Elsi: Watch the water!
That “anonymous” posting “it’s the water, stupid” was me.
Mistake.
I like to participate under my own name.
Katherine
@Elsi
Another article which shows how water-supply is being weaponized – the attack on Gadaffi’s Great Water Project by NATO in Libya:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/libyas-water-wars-and-gaddafis-great-man-made-river-project/5334868
Indeed, eimar and that was one reason, between others, to finish him.
Yes, guys, water is very important for the future. As Sheikh Imran Hossein says, there will be huge troubles with water. In fact, not being in any way so prophetic as him, neither knowing almost nothing on eschatology, when I visited Uganda, some years ago, seeing the astonishing amounts of water in Murchinson Falls ( and in the sources of the Nile ) although being my birthday and having a really delightful day in the company of so kind people, I suddenly felt fear and grief for Uganda, because I could not but think that the future of this so fertile land, with so much water ( one can easily understand why the British called it ” The Pearl of Africa” ) could not be peaceful…. Through the mists produced by that savage amount of water rushing from the top of the falls, one could almost see the vultures approaching……
Also, returning to Syria, I do not know if water is important in the battles of today, but this map reminds me also of one simple but very interesting exhibition on The Templars currently offered in the Papa Luna Castle, which I visited some days ago in the charming Mediterranean village of Peñiscola. There were several models explaining the movements of both, Crusader Army and Salah Al Din Army, at the Battle of Hattin, where access to water was decisive for the domain of Jerusalem and what is now the Holy Land happening to Muslim hands. Although in that times, as one has not but remind when read about the First Crusade in the same exhibition, were the impoverished european peasants, forming mainly that crusade, who rushed on those lands, as today ISIS, looting and murdering as if there were no tomorrow…..
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batalla_de_los_Cuernos_de_Hattin
http://www.recklessbooks.co.uk/communities/9/004/007/811/829/images/4532436337_525x324.jpg
http://www.arsbellica.it/pagine/medievale/Hattin/hatm_eng.gif
I do not know, but, curiously enough, happened that also, in the days of my visit, some scenes from the series “Game of Thrones” were filmed there, which also brought back memories of the current geopolitical situation…..
http://cdn3.computerhoy.com/sites/computerhoy.com/files/styles/fullcontent/public/novedades/juego_de_tronos_spain_peniscola_girona.jpg?itok=BaA-Tz_1
http://2www.ecestaticos.com/imagestatic/clipping/211/ad6/59e/211ad659e42d5f12def0999956cac8a1/el-octavo-reino-de-juego-de-tronos-se-llama-espana-los-nuevos-escenarios.jpg?mtime=1436520628
http://todopeniscola.com/files/styles/imagen_original_con_watermark/public/noticias/2009/peniscola-foto-playa.jpg?itok=2nLBTr9E
http://vivirenelmundo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Juego-de-Tronos-en-Espana-Peniscola.jpg
http://culturaseriefila.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/image.jpg
Elsi, interesting comment, except that you fail to distinguish between the mentality of today and yesteryear….it was a religious thing Elsi, not a plunder thing, especially the first Crusades…later I agree there were nefarious reasons for the marauding….
Those ‘poor European peasants’ … are you talking about the Templars > sons of kings with all their gold ?
anyway, in the middle ages Christianity was very important to people…it was Christianity that drove Europeans, mostly aristocracy, into the Crusades…Christianity…not poverty Elsi.
And they were only going there to ‘get back’ the Holy Lands from the ‘invaders’ the Arabs….
Europe had just got over the leprosy curse and was very down and out…and then came the idea to save the holy land, and it was inspiring to all the European peasants that their kings went to fight the infidel over in the East.
The phrase “win hearts and minds”. I think I have heard that from Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan.
I do not know a lot about Muslim brotherhood, but I look at Saudi Arabia and I see that neither poverty nor lack of education is the cause of fundamentalism.
To allow communities to exist in a country and who’s beliefs can quickly turn them into a human bomb?
To maintain strict control over such communities or areas is called oppression. To drive them out is called ethnic cleansing or genocide. To do nothing is exceptionally dangerous.
Win hearts and minds? Would this simply put a disease into remission that could break out again at any time, especially if simulated by the standard suspects.
Khadyrov has made education and re-education on radical heresies a priority. He may be able to provide a good example and some good lessons in how to do it.
I have been thinking that perhaps the Kadyrov way is the best. Education and re-education but also I remember reading a year or so ago about some Chechen terrorists that were killed. Their houses were destroyed and their families hunted out. I don’t have the links but I remember there was much hand ringing about the poor families in the western press
Thanks for providing the contextual background for the coming battle for Aleppo and its surround. Changing the environment in Saudi would be helpful, but not sufficient as you note. Your observation about fanaticism being within all human constructs is excellent, the suits of the Deep State being the most fanatical and destructive of all. Solving THE problem will take as much time as its taken to develop because harmonizing human culture offers the only possible solution, IMO. And explaining why and how would take a book.
MUST LISTEN … Thierry Meyssan on Webster Tarpley radio :
http://tarpley.net/world-crisis-radio/
Very, very interesting!
Contents :
KERRY WANTS “ENABLERS ON THE GROUND,” BUT NO DECISION FROM OBAMA ON GROUND WAR“YET”;
WAR PARTY TAKING CONTROL OF US GOVERNMENT AS OBAMA’S POWER WANES;
DECISION TO KEEP TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN THROUGH 2017 EXTORTED BY ASHTON CARTER, NEOCONS;
NB:
NEW RUSSIAN JAMMING SYSTEM NEAR LATAKIA BLOCKS ALL NATO ELECTRONICS INSIDE BUBBLE 600 KM IN DIAMETER; RADAR, SATELLITES, COMMUNICATIONS ALL DISRUPTED; SYSTEM SHIFTS MILITARY BALANCE IN FAVOR OF RUSSIA;
Something “possibly” connected with that is the UN planning on sending UN “peacekeeping” troops to “guard” UNESCO sites in countries in conflict.I can see all kinds of trouble with that.First,what countries would they come from.Second,would they get permission from the countries first to put troops in “their” countries, before foreign troops are allowed in.Third,what is entailed in that operation.Lets think if NATO nation troops were send to Syria to “protect” sites there.Then all of a sudden they say they are attacked by Syrian government troops.In which case they would be “forced” to fight back.And from then on,we can get the idea.The idea in itself is maybe a good one.But only if the governments of the countries involved request troops.Otherwise its just a new part of the R2P NATO strategy,and must be stopped.
Uno must not be allowed to interfere with Russia winning this war which is the most important thing for the world. Where was uno for last 4 years?
It is the same tactics of evil uno when it sent kofi anan to ibterfere in ayria when Assad was atoint of winning the war,. I removed the last sentence as it was so full of typo errors it was garbled with no meaning. Please try again if you wish. Thanks. Mod.
@DeeCT
You beat me to the punch. I was just about to post this news myself. If true
(and Meyssan has been very reliable in the past with breaking information due to his strong contacts in the Syrian government), it’s great news for the rest of the world. According to Meyssan, Washington has no answer to this new weapon and it will takes years for them to develop a response to it. They are blinded and don’t know what to do.
Hopefully some good analysts and military experts can continue this discussion.
Do you have a link for the jamming?
@Peter
Its a podcast, but Webster Tarpley has an article under it that mentions it..
http://tarpley.net/world-crisis-radio/
http://osnetdaily.com/2015/10/russian-jamming-system-blocks-all-nato-electronics-inside-bubble-600-km-in-diameter-over-syria/
jamming the moonlight sonata
https://youtu.be/uiGNnWldhn8
pace nel mondo
I was a little worried for Russian army going into Syria. It was reassuring to read the Sputnik news and finding other links about high tec systems Russia has.
The state-of-the-art Russian electronic warfare system Krasukha-4 has reportedly been deployed in Syria. […] At the beginning of the video (the 6th second), which shows a Russian-made Su-25 landing at a Syrian airfield, a characteristic set of antenna devices is visible in the background. These could be the Krasukha-4 system, the Lenta.ru news portal comments. …
Sputnik news 5. 10. 2015 with two videos:
http://sputniknews.com/world/20151005/1028033057/syria-russia-electronic-warfare-systems.html
The below TV Zvezda show is unbelievable. It was posted online and probably aired too in February this year. Why make it public? I guess the message is – don’t you even think about messing with us. Also, if that is for public knowledge, what else do they have that is top secret? It would be great if someone would translate it. I only know most of the capital Russian letters and I am posting here the names of different systems of electronic warfare as they appear on the screen.
Электронные войны. Военная приемка
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfHmuJukywA&index=50&list=PL2B38A67A9039A3D2
Vitebsk 2:06
Richag 2:33, again at 19:17
Kret 6:36
Rtut 12:36
Krasukha-2 31:07
KRET (Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies), which is a subsidiary of the state corporation Rostec, page:
http://www.kret.com/
Two news (quoting KRET) about Russian systems:
http://www.deagel.com/news/Russia-Unveils-Top-Five-EW-Systems_n000013727.aspx
http://www.deagel.com/news/KRET-Unveils-its-Latest-Missile-Jamming-Systems_n000013910.aspx
It’s a moot point whether Obama’s power is waning. In his final year, he has less to lose. Obama’s great weakness was “abused wife syndrome” — something we saw from Russia for a long time. He thought conflict resolution techniques, or “playing nice,” would create a less toxic atmosphere in Washington and ultimately enable adult dialogue between the players.
He knows better now.
The agreement with Iran was not reached because the opposition changed its mind. Perhaps they are going to be weaker in the immediate future.
@Cassandra
By “they” do mean the Iranians?
If so, I would be surprised if it happen because of the deal. They are very alert to all overt and covert strategies to undermine the Islamic Republic. Especially ‘liberalization’ of trade and media.
They need the UN resolution to lift the sanctions – not the US. They are already prioritizing deals with Europe and Asia.
The ‘Great Shaitan’ takes many forms its true – especially through the English language. I am sure they have not forgotten that, and there will be little opportunity for Anglo-American manoeuvres on ‘legal’ grounds.
Of course they are vulnerable to the global banking system. But that is the case for all.
Hi Ghassan, this is so sadly true…its called “Fundamentalism” and it comes in all religions.
And yes, I agree that the participants in Fundamentalism should look within and see if it truly is what it pretends to be.
In truth Fundamentalism is a tool of Ahriman / Satan. There are different degrees of it, but it all leads eventually to the same place.
In Christianity where I belong I look on Fundamentalism as The Law, that Christ overcame.
But many people in this world like the down sides of Fundamentalism. And this unfortunately has to do with education.
Where is the art ? Where is the joy ? Where is the fun and real child’s play, in education today ?
Computers are no help. children should be with plants and animals and nature. And they should also be with beauty and true human culture.
The world has failed its children, and so we have Fundamentalism.
But we must keep fighting the good fight. And so we will.
Love Ann
All of us who have seen the scary youtube videos of very low flying hind helicopter over enemy territory in the countryside of Syria and who were thinking, “why are the NATO-Takfiris not shooting them down?”, here is the answer.
” Russia’s new Richag-AV radar and sonar jamming system can be mounted on helicopters, ships and other military equipment to jam potential adversaries’ weapons systems from distances of several hundred kilometers away; it has been hailed by developers as having no analogue anywhere in the world.”
http://sputniknews.com/military/20150304/1019042643.html#ixzz3ot368bF5
” This week Mr. Meyssan inform us of some interesting news, that the Russian has established an electronic jamming zone from Latakia and 300km onwards, and doing that with tools that have never seen before.”
Interview starts at 29:00.
http://tarpley.net/world-crisis-radio/
US already knows about this hence why they still use TOW missiles which can not be jammed.. But it seems Russia does have something for that as well which fires lasers at the optics of the tracking system so you can not see the target but seems the SAA tanks do not have it yet but all the Russian tanks do. But the TOW can not penetrate the new Russian tanks anyway even without any jamming. all these weapons are only of use against 3rd world militaries. I doubt any of these stealth fighters would last very long in a war against others who have just as advanced weapons. Heck the US cant even get past Chinese defenses let alone Russian defenses which are on an entirely higher level. When china ordered 4 of the new S400 missile systems, india wants to order 12 of them.
What surprised me in one video I saw, the helicopters were low enough and slow enough to be hit with an RPG, so long as the takfiri was willing to take the backblast from firing the RPG up into the air, and the return fire if he missed.
I don’t know if this applies because I don’t now anything about the weapons but…
KRET – Richag AV Helicopter Air Defence System Combat Simulation [720p]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZP2t6PvnHQ
Now they are planing a serial production of the upgraded Rychag-AV electronic warfare system.
http://www.kret.com/en/news/4002/
” … the seed of ISIS mentality is embedded everywhere, in every religion, sect and nation. When it is cloaked under the guise of civility and human rights and masked by clean shaved faces, suits and ties with beaming smiles, it is not any less dangerous and devastating.”
Indeed. Here is my recipe for the perfect disaster:
Mix in equal parts
– Post-Christian Fascists
– Pseudo-Jewish Zionists
– Fake-Islamic Takfiris
let it sit and watch it. When it starts bubbling run away as fast as you can. It may explode any second now.
Interesting article by Tony Cartalucci:
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.ch/2015/10/multipolarism-solves-syria-at-source.html#more
Before we all get too carried away with bashing fundamentalism we should note that the head choppers of ISIS are no more Islamic than nazis are Christian.
To say that people of faith are the problem is both wrong and unoriginal. People of faith have been the scapegoats for as long as rulers have been evil and incompetent. Anyone who doubts this fact should look up Nero.
The source of conflict has not changed in thousands of years. The source was identified long ago. “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
Elsi, well-spotted.
As part of a nation-wide resistance movement to the privatization of the water-supply in my own country, I have been paying attention to this angle around the world.
Yes, it is key in the Turkish, Syria and Iraq regions. And Turkish Kurd regions are most affected by the network of dams being built there.
A very good article here on the topic:
http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/19970
I have to search for others, but will post them when I find them.
I think the Saker needs to shine a spotlight on this: – It is probably the most fundamental issue of all to what’s happening in the Middle East, including Libya.
Dear friends here, I have been watching many from the West grappling with the subject of Islamic militant fundamentalism. It is something that to be honest is quite incomprehensible, even to myself at times. If you have lived amongst such people as I have and my house is still in this place but we are not there, you can begin to understand what Ghassan is saying.
This wave of militant fundamentalism has been excited and activated by the recent gains of ISIS/Al Nusra etc.
Ghassan has in the past attempted to explain the theological issues underpinning this problem and I found that even to the most dedicated Western readers had trouble grasping the full meaning and implication of the contents of the article because it is something so foreign to them. I don’t think I will see this in my lifetime, but it is completely up to the leadership and scholars in Islam to be very brave and face head on the issues outlined in Ghassan’s article attached. Then things will truly change on a permanent as this current “eradication” program will not be a permanent solution.
Ghassan wrote this very important article in late in 2014. Please have a read and you are most welcome to ask questions about it.
http://intibahwakeup.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-moral-dilemma-about-isil-by-ghassan.html
Hi Intibah, nice article – very prophetic – but I think that if the ME was stabilized – hopefully by Russia, in the next years, that eventually it will not be a festering wound of radical Fundamentalism.
Perhaps some people think that if Russia takes more control of the chaos, that this is just another world power taking on the global control panel…but I don’t think that.
If all this Muslim youth had not grown up in and next to, war torn countries, they would not be so militant.
I think if the eschatology of Imran Hosein were to become more widely known in the Middle East – I wonder if his audience isn’t more in the western parts of the world ? – then this will have a great effect on peace.
So where do the clerics get their training ? That’s where Iram Hosein’s message should also be offered.
Salam Sister Ibtibah,
I read the referenced article by Ghassan article, which he wrote in 2014. I understand that you both are from Syria and now live in Lebanon. From Ghassan article, I gather that you are both Muslims, which sect of Islam, I am not sure? This is very important as to know one’s mindset?
I am a Muslim, a Shia and a 12er Shia. Thus, my mindset is known on this blog.
I know that there are lots of Muslim Brotherhoods in Syria. In a way, I am sympathetic to them. Why?
Because, the original theory of Muslim Brotherhood was very bold, and they agreed with Shia that all these corrupt leaders are not chosen by The Will of God, but are chosen by The British Empire. However, the Muslim Brotherhood got infiltrated and due to frustrations they become violent.
The problem is not Muslim Brotherhood. The problem is Wahhabism, which disguise itself under different names such as Muslims, Sunni, Hanbali, Salafi, Salaf al-Sahih, Ahle Hadith, and so on and on but not Wahhabi.
Abdul Wahhab was propped up along with the Saud clans by The British Empire. Abdul Wahhab got his dogma from Ibn Taymiyyah, a very deranged individual. Due to Petro Dollar, Ibn Taymiyyah is now called, Sheikh of Islam and is buried in Syria with a big Shrine. Forget blowing his tomb, which are Tafkiris are famous for, one cannot even look at it with bad intentions. A demigod.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Taymiyyah
I was surprised that Ghassan even didn’t mention him, and therefore I asked about your sect?
If Ghassan, you and/or anyone wants to know about Ibn Taymiyyah and Wahhabism, then I will refer to them to Grand Ayatollah Kamal al-Haydari .
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Grand+Ayatullah+Kamal+al-Haydari+
Of course, Grand Ayatollah Kamal al-Haydari videos are in Arabic, but most of his videos have subtitled in English. He bravely exposes both Ibn Taymiyyah and Wahhabism.
Best regards,
Mohamed
Excellent analysis.
The problem is huge, as in man names God, therefore God is whoever named Him. Then of course name mothers not only kind but also kinds and soon kind defends against other kind.
We must not take our names too seriously. To do so is childish conceit.
Laozi
Salam Anonymous,
I didn’t know that God has a name, that He is a man and He is a male. News to me.
If God, had a name then we will own God, instead the other way around.
If God, was a man, then all men are created equal.
If God, was a male or female, then He will have sexual organs.
Best regards,
Mohamed.
Guys, I suggest you read ”Good Muslim, Bad Muslim” by Mahmood Mamdani to get a historical background of how extremist islam has been perpetuated as a tool of western geo-strategy.
Dear Ghassan Kadi,
Thank you again for your report.
Interestingly enough a piece of information which ties in with your post:
http://tass.ru/en/world/830389
Idlib is so important to control that the mercenaries have been sent in according to Syrian intelligence.
President Assad is also in Moscow.
They are two aspects to the solution.
One is to improve the life of the Edlib people by having the government invest massively with infrastructure and industries. When young people have a job and are less poor, they won’t be inclined toward religious extremism.
The second aspect is to demystify the concept that Syrian is ruled by Alawites. Sunnis in the Syrian government must be present in these regions to change the mindset that has been propagated by Saudi Arabia and its sheikhs in Edlib mosques. A counter-Wahhabi strategy must be developed by the Syrian Sunnis to stop the spreading of extremism.
Children should be taught tolerance toward other sects.
A “Marshall plan” also tackling the religious issues is the key to a pacified Syria.