Assad welcomes U.S. Talks & Action

Many think tanks, Strategists, COIN experts, and others have for the past few months started to wake up to the reality that Syria would be better of with Assad than without Assad. Lessons from Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Tunisia, are being drilled home more and more, as ISIS expands in those vacuums we can expect the West to wake up to some of their mistakes.

However  it is going to take a while longer before the US Public and Government can side with Assad. The main reason is the western media has so distorted things that it will take citizens around world showing them it is time to wake up and stop the BS. The present plan for Syria 2016 is talk of training new FSA?? 5k ? now I hear 5.5k new moderate rebels???? ok so u give some rebels (terrorists) new boots a uniform and ? watch them go to Nusra? what kind of plan is that and its not like its 5.5k more fighters for the FSA its 5.5k FSA getting new boots and ak47? and some training in Qatar? So maybe they think they will use Turkeys boots on ground? I think they maybe think that is a possible thing. there was a mention recently that a coalition partner was willing to put boots on ground for the Syrian campaign against ISIS (backdoor to attack Syrian gov? hell I hope not) so the fight against the West is not over yet. - Ian Bach

Syria Awaits US 'Actions' to Decide: Al-Assad

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said Monday "he was waiting for action from Washington" after Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged talks with Damascus were necessary to end the country's conflict.

The weekend remarks by the top US envoy were quickly clarified when his spokeswoman said Washington's policy was unchanged and Assad had no role in Syria's future.

But in Damascus, local media touted Kerry's remarks as a reversal of US policy, even though Assad said he was waiting to see whether they would followed by action.

"We are still listening to the comments and we have to wait for the actions and then we'll decide," the Syrian leader told Iran television in remarks carried by Syrian state media.

Assad has long accused Washington of "supporting terrorism" because of its backing for the Syrian opposition, and repeated Monday that any shift in policy required an end to that.

"We have no choice but to defend our country," he added.

"Any international changes that come about within that framework are something positive, if they are honest and have an effect on the ground."

He was speaking after Kerry said in an interview broadcast Sunday that Washington could negotiate with Assad.

"Well, we have to negotiate in the end," he said, when asked by CBS television if he would negotiate with Assad.

Kerry stressed that any negotiations would be in the context of the Geneva communique, a document produced after a first round of talks between government and opposition that calls for a transitional governing body with full executive powers, but makes no mention of Assad's future.

 

""This is a new recognition of President Assad's legitimacy, his key role and his popularity, and the resulting necessity of negotiating with him," the daily said."

Syria's government insists Assad's departure from office is not up for discussion, while the opposition and its backers have long insisted he can have no role in the country's future .

In the interview, Kerry made no reference to Assad's future, but said pressure was being applied on the leader to bring him to the negotiating table.

Kerry's spokeswoman insisted his comments were consistent with US policy, but Syrian media said they underlined the "failure" of Washington's policy towards Syria and acknowledgement that Assad will not be ousted militarily.

"Facing a fait accompli, the American administration has backed down and recognised the need to reposition its policy on the Syria crisis," wrote Al-Watan.

This is a new recognition of President Assad's legitimacy

"his key role and his popularity, and the resulting necessity of negotiating with him," the daily said.

The newspaper suggested Kerry's comments could pave the way for American participation in talks on the conflict hosted by Russia next month.

Kerry's comment drew consternation from some in the Syrian opposition.

Kerry's remarks come after CIA head John Brennan also warned that Washington feared that a chaotic collapse of Syria's government could usher in an Islamist takeover.

On the ground, activists said Kerry's remarks came as no real surprise.

- See more at: http://en.alalam.ir/news/1685736#sthash.Tu5dIPX1.dpuf

FSA group Hazzm disbands US TOW missiles now in Jihadists hands

U.S.-backed Syria rebel group dissolves itself after losses

Western-backed rebel group announced on Sunday that it had dissolved itself and joined a larger Islamist alliance, weeks into a battle which saw it lose ground and men to more powerful al Qaeda Nusra Front insurgents.  The group was called Hazzm and is one of the last non-jihadist rebel groups in northeastern Syria who are opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. Much of northwestern Syria has been seized by the Nusra Front and Islamic State, an offshoot of al Qaeda that controls roughly a third of Syria.

The statement posted online by Hazzm said its fighters would join the Shamiyah Front (Levant Front), an alliance of Islamist brigades in Aleppo, to prevent further bloodshed, between rebel groups. The decision came after heavy fighting this past weekend between Hazzm and the Nusra Front, al Qaeda's official Syria wing. Hazzm is one of Obama's so called moderate rebel groups known as the Free Syrian Army or FSA. 

Hazzm had received substantial amounts of military aid from foreign states opposed to Assad, including U.S.-made anti-tank missiles known as TOW's. But it has lost ground to better armed and financed jihadists, like al Nusra Front.

On Saturday, the Nusra Front drove Hazzm out of a strategic northern Regiment 46 base in Aleppo province and killed around 30 of its fighters. 

The United Nations peace mediator Staffan de Mistura met with Syrian officials on Saturday and Sunday to discuss a freeze in the fighting in Aleppo. De Mistura said Syria has ready to halt all aerial and artillery bombing in the city for six weeks. Damascus will announce the start date of the local ceasefire. His office said on Sunday a mission has been sent to Aleppo to ensure humanitarian aid could increase significantly, and to monitor any violation of the freeze. However we have already heard from rebel groups who say they will not honor the ceasefire.

The Hazzm Movement (Arabic: حركة حزم‎, Harakat Hazzm, meaning Movement of Steadfastness^[3]) was an alliance of moderate Syrian rebels.^[1] The group has been supplied BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles^[12] in a covert CIA program launched in 2014, scores of the groups fighters also received U.S. military training in Qatar under the same program.^[13]

Some of the groups currently involved in the alliance were part of the Farouq Brigades.^[12] The groups that became the Army of Mujahedeen were originally going to join the Hazzm Movement.^[14] The previous incarnation of the group, called Harakat Zaman Mohamed (The movement of the time of Muhammad), was supported by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood.^[14]

In October 2014, Al-Nusra Front began attacking positions of Hazzm in Idlib Province, overrunning bases and seizing weapon stores, due to it's perceived closeness to the United States.^[13] Following the loss of men and weapons to Nusra, the Idlib branch of Hazzm stopped receiving funds from the CIA in December 2014, funds to the Aleppo branch continued.^[15] In January 2015, Al Nusra attacked Hazzm Movement positions in Aleppo province. The Hazzm Movement reacted by joining the Levant Front, a large alliance of prominent Aleppo-based Islamist rebel groups; the alliance urged al Nusra to resolve its dispute with the Hazzm Movement by negotiating with the Levant Front.^[16]

On 1 March 2015, after several heavy clashes with the Al-Nusra Front, the Hazzm Movement announced they were dissolving and joining the Levant Front.^[2]

Turkey, beyond supplying opposition forces with weapons and ammunition, had also given artillery support to the opposition groups that captured Kassab

A rebel fighter prepares cameras ahead of firing mortars toward forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the village of Tshalma near the Armenian Christian town of Kassab, May 26, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Alaa Khweled)

Wiretaps reveal Turkey's attacks on Syrian regime positions

Media reports based on eyewitness and opposition sources saying that Turkey has become a party to the civil war in Syria have found their way into court proceedings. During the trial of the Islamic State (IS) militants who attacked Turkish security forces at Nigde last year, court files revealed that Turkey, beyond supplying opposition forces with weapons and ammunition, had also given artillery support to the opposition groups that captured Kassab. The prosecutor obtained striking admissions by tapping the defendants’ phones. According to documents obtained by Ahmet Sik of Cumhuriyet, the wiretapping transcripts reveal that the opposition forces at Kassab inform people in Turkey of the coordinates of Syrian army positions around Kassab, and thenTurkey shells those locations.

On March 21, armed Syrian opposition groups entered Turkey from five different crossings and re-entered Syria at the Yayladag border crossing and captured Kassab.

In addition to armed Turkmen groups, al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, the Islamic Front’s most prominent group Ahrar al-Sham, IS-affiliated Shukur el-Izz, Sham el Islam (established by former Guantanamo prisoner Moroccan Ibrahim Binshekrun) and Ansar al-Islam, which has links both to al-Qaeda and IS, took part in the operation to capture Kassab. As clashes continued around Kassab on March 23, a Syrian warplane was shot down by a missile fired from Turkey for violating Turkish airspace. In June 2014, when President Bashar al-Assad’s army recaptured Kassab, including the high ground known as Feature 45, the Turkish army fired on the Syrian side. The Turkish government and military persistently said all firing on Syria after the changed rules of engagement following the shooting down of the Turkish jet were in retaliation for border violations on the Turkish side. The Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected the accusation, saying, “All claims that Turkey has been supporting the opposition forces by allowing them to use Turkish territory or in any other way are totally baseless.”

Wiretaps tell another story

The information collected from the Nigde assailants’ tapped phones contradicted official statements. According to the recordings, Adil Orli, the commander of the Bayir Bucak Turkmen Front, sends the coordinates through his brother Ayhan Orli to Mehmet Toktas, the president of the Yayladag Youth Association. In a conversation on June 7, Ayhan Orli reports that he had sent via WhatsApp the coordinates of seven targets he had received from Adil Orli. He says, “Firing was useful. Our friends solved the rest of the problems. But there are still seven locations. If you fire once on each, that will be enough.”

Toktas answers, “Seven locations OK. Tell everyone to stay on defense in the coming moments.”

The two also talk of military assistance. Orli complains of a shortage of ammunition. Toktas says, “Let me talk to Ankara once more to see what is happening. Without ammunition, nothing can be done.”

In a conversation on June 14, someone called Yasar Benli asks Ayhan Orli to arrange for the shelling of the Syrian regime’s units deployed around the cell towers on Feature 45. A short time later, Ayhan Orli tells Toktas, ”There are many soldiers on Syriatel Hill. It will be good if you can hit them.” He gives a description of the target.

On June 13, a Turkmen from the front line asks Ayhan Orli to help some surrounded fighters cross into Turkey. Orli calls sub-governor of Yayladag, Turan Yilmaz.

Orli:  There are 20-30 men at Arfal. Can you help them cross the border?

Yilmaz:  You mean now, 20-30 people? Where are they now?

Orli:  At Arfal.

Yilmaz:  Will they cross from near 45?

Orli:  Yes, from 45.

Yilmaz:  Done.

After the court documents became public, Turan Yilmaz said, “We acted according to directives.”

Main opposition Republican People's Party deputy Umut Oran brought the issue of the Turkish army’s artillery support to the parliament and asked Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, "Why did the Turkish army open fire on an area in Syria for no apparent reason? Doesn’t this put Turkey in a position it can’t explain and rectify?”

Weapons did not go to Turkmens, but to Ansar

The court documents contain remarks that reinforce suspicions about Turkey’s help to radical groups in the form of arms shipments. In a conversation between Ayhan Orli and President of the Syrian Turks Association Ahmet Sirin (alias Ahmad Ohrin), they say weapons sent from Turkey have actually gone to Ansar al-Islam.

Ansar al-Islam generally operates jointly with Jabhat al-Nusra. When Orli says they have run out of ammunition, Sirin asks, “What happened to those weapons that have gone to Ansar?” Orli replies, “I don’t know. You have to ask those who delivered the weapons to Ansar."

In another conversation on June 14, when Orli was saying that the situation at Kassab was not going well, Bayir Bucak Brigade Cmdr. Col. Ahmed Arnavut (alias Aziz Kikhia) asks, “Where are those guys who received the trucks? Orli says, "They are not around."

The same day, Orli complains of an ammunition shortage to Samir Hafez, the general coordinator of the Syrian Turkmen Groups. Hafez says, “We haven’t received anything for a year. You think it will come now?” Orli retorts, "You mean, we are up for sale?”

The issue of weapons assistance to Turkmens found its way to the national agenda when three trucks loaded with rockets were stopped at Adana. According to the deposition of one driver, the trucks, which belong to Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), were to enter Syria through the Cilvegozu border crossing. Bab al-Hawa, opposite Turkey’s Cilvegozu gate, is controlled by the Islamic Front and Jabhat al-Nusra. But the Turkish government insists the assistance was going to Turkmens.

Topalca: A Turkmen laden with secrets

Al-Monitor had access to information about arms shipments in the documents about the Nigde incident. Defendant Mehmet Askar explains that weapons are illegally shipped to Syria on behest of MIT. Askar says that together with Syrian Turkmen Heysem Topalca, said to be working for MIT, he was caught by Turkish soldiers while moving weapons to Syria, but after a few phone calls they were let go and delivered the weapons. Topalca, who was also detained in connection with 953 warheads found at Adana, was then released.

Topalca is among those accused of arranging the escape of the Nigde assailants to Syria. Topalca’s name is also in the investigation file of the May 11, 2013, twin car-bomb attack in Reyhanli that killed 52 people. In the indictment that referred to a June 9 report by the Gendarmie General Command, it is stated that Topalca was caught with warheads, that he smuggles historical artifacts from Syria to sell in Turkey, that he is a regular supplier of ammunition for al-Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra and that he had provided the vehicles that exploded at Reyhanli. The prosecutor, citing other evidence, charged Topalca with being the one who organized the Reyhanli car bomb attack and that he has links to the Jund al-Sham organization.

Topalca and the Orli brothers have practically become the black box of secret schemes with Syrian Turkmens. But that is not all. Turkey’s connections with the Turkmens, who are fighting the Syrian regime under the Yavuz Sultan Selim Brigade, the Faith Sultan Mehmet Brigade, the Sultan Abdulhamid Brigade, the Omer Muhtar Brigade and Ricalullah are frequently reported on. The last report read that the Osman Gazi, Omer Bin Abdulaziz and Omer Muhtar units, which have been fighting in the rural Latakia region, have united to form the Sultan Abdulhamid Khan Brigade. There was even a Turkish video made of the ceremony.

As the Syrian army increases its pressure in the Latakia area, the number of Turkmens calling for more help from Turkey will continue to increase.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/02/turkey-syria-weapons-civil-war-kessab-armenian.html##ixzz3SBu5kXxG

Scores dead in heavy fighting in southern Syria

BEIRUT: Intense clashes in southern Syria have killed scores of pro-government and insurgent fighters in the past week, an activist group monitoring Syria's war said Sunday, forecasting even fiercer violence as the weather clears.

Syria's army and allied combatants from Hezbollah launched a large-scale offensive in the region last week against insurgent groups including Al-Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front and non-jihadi rebels.

The battle is significant because it is one of the last areas where mainstream rebels opposing President Bashar al-Assad have a foothold. Such groups have lost ground to hardline Islamist militants in the four-year conflict.

More than 50 rebels have been killed in the fighting....................

Click here for entire article

War on Terror vs Counterinsurgency

The western Media has made no attempt to show how many civilian deaths are caused by the rebels. Instead they contribute all deaths to the Assad regime.

Are we to believe that the rebels are so restrained and so accurate that they never cause any civilian deaths? We know that these terrorists once they do take ground/cities they immediately start to push their influence on the citizens in those areas. Beheading, stoning and other executions for crimes as minimal as smoking cigarettes, or adultery, or blasphemy.

I decided to check out a web site of someone I had met online back in 2007. He like me was very focused on support the Surge in Iraq via online to try and counter the lopsided (and often uninformed) views of the mainstream media back then. I am sad to say he seems to be in the camp oof people who think Assad is the Devil and must go.

I checked website “War on Terror News” his link at “on Syria and one of the top posts he had there was this one
Civil War fatalities top 60,000 as American journalist missing for 6 week

So I posted a comment and am looking forward to communicating with him to try and help him understand who the bad guys really are = THE REBELS. or as we like to call them the terrorists.

Please check out his web site and leave a comment in support of the Syrian Government so he can get some idea that Syrians do not back the terrorists orgs in their country. Also please be respectful and understanding when commenting there. I have a lot of respect for this guy and hope you all will try be respectful also, while trying to let him know how ‘”real Syrians” feel about Assad, the Rebels and ISIS. thank you.

Here is the comment I left there.

“Hello WOTN I am not sure if you remember me from Yahoo 360 days?”

“I have a real problem with people calling Syria a civil war.
It seems we are looking at Syria from 2 different perspectives.I have chosen to side with the people of Syria where 90%+ support the government of Assad. A lot of talk about barrel bombs has been done on the Mainstream Media but it always depicts these as random and mostly attacks on citizens. But the truth is these are cheap guided bombs. Syria uses men on the ground to direct the barrel bombs onto rebel targets. Also the number of people who have died is always attributed as if Assad is the one who killed that m,any. There is no attempt to show how many civilians the rebels have killed. (which I would bet is more than the regime has killed. Do a simple search on Facebook, WordPress, Google+, or any other social site – type in your search Syria. You will find a large percent of Syrians who have pictures of Assad as their profile picture, this is done to let the world know who they support since the mainstream media seems to get it so flipping wrong.”

“Lets look at Tunisia, Libya and these countries are in terrible shape now. With more corruption, deaths, corrupted courts, and small to middle sized civil wars of tribe on tribe. They can not be called successful democracies, and it will be interesting to see what will rise out of these ashes of war, but it most likely will not be the democracy that the west seemed to think would happen. ALso look at Egypt (thank god they had their military) a Muslim Brotherhood won the Presidency, what most people do not know is the West and Qatar helped this guy get elected. And what did he do? he decided to change the constitution and make Egypt a Sharia Law State. The citizens and Military said no and thankfully dethroned this idiot.”

“As you know my focus has always been on counterinsurgency. One of the most basic elements of COIN is local support. without local support there is no COIN. In the case of Syria they are under siege, a war that is being wage by very rich very well armed countries including the U.S. Most of the rebels are foreigners not Syrian. Most like I said 90% believe this war is being waged on them by the U.S. and Israel (as the planners) with the help of Turkey Saudi Arabia and Qatar being the largest money backers. It really does not matter if Israel is actually part of the BS. If the citizens see it this way then that is their reality. What I am trying to point out is there simply is NO way that ANY rebel group will win a war on Syria. The only way to unseat Assad would be a full war by Western Militaries. So lets say that happened or maybe something more like Libya? Then the western countries will put in what the Syrian civilians will see as a western puppet. How long after west forces withdraw do you think before the citizens of Syria overthrow the puppet? Maybe something akin to Iran after the overthrow of the western puppet the Shah of Iran.”

“The U.S. had rebels the mid 1800s and did the right thing and waged war on them. I wish the western forces and the ME nations would stop waging war on Syria and stop making new ISIS militants. After these idiots get trained we saw it before they leave the moderates and go with the winning team. History repeats itself. The further back we can look in history the further forward we can see.”
– Ian Bach
http://ianbachusa.wordpress.com/“

New report by David Kilcullen and others regarding Aleppo Syria

David Kilcullen and others have completed a 4 month review of the situation and facts on the ground within Aleppo Syria. The findings have been compiled into a 97 page report about their findings. They interviewed people in both rebel and regime held areas.

I have been reviewing the report and this is the first of my summary of findings regarding the report.

So far I can state a few things are obvious in regards to Aleppo and Syria:

1. The center of Aleppo was not rebelling against the regime, so the rebels took the fight to those areas. The center of the city is now the most fought over and the residents movement is now very restrictive.
2. Regime forces control about 45% of Aleppo. The Syrian Air Force Intelligence oversees regime-controlled areas away from the front lines. The Republican Guard is deployed to protect some of Aleppo’s most tense front lines.
3. Bread in regime held areas is about 1/3rd to 1/5th the cost compared to rebel held areas.
4. 40% of the people feel that “no one” represents them,
5. Al Qaeda-affiliates remain strong in Aleppo. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ISIS controls 1/3rd of all opposition held neighborhoods. Their checkpoints are the most restrictive and intimidating, residents avoid these checkpoints as  much as possible.
6. There is 62 different CSO’s Civil Society Organizations acting within Aleppo.
7. ISIS Controlled the Aleppo national Hospital for the entire period of the survey until January 8th 2014, when rebel forces stormed the Hospital to release several hundred of their brothers in arms who had been imprisoned by ISIS. Since the takeover stories have emerged about the brutality of ISIS
8. The Busiest checkpoints are regime held. At each of these checkpoints approximately 35,000 – 45,000 people cross each day. As many as 60% do so to buy foodstuffs. Opposition held areas have banned people from regime areas to buy foodstuffs in rebel held areas. Many of these people cross to visit family, receive salaries, and even to pay their utility bills.
9. The areas with the highest crime are in the rebel held areas.
10. The rebels control most of the north, north eastern, eastern and southeast areas of Aleppo
11. The Syrian regime controls the west and into the center of Aleppo
12. North of Aleppo is Turkey. This is where most of the weapons are flowing from to supply all of the various rebel groups. Also foreign fighters enter via Turkey into Syria north of Aleppo.
13. The rebels are supported by various domestic and foreign Islamic charities.
14. The ISIS is back by al Qaeda and it gets its money from various sources around the world. The main backers are wealthy Arab Sunni’s in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt.
    
    Read more here at my main Blog