In a shock offensive, insurgents breach Syria’s largest city for the first time since 2016

[Smokin Joe]

I totally agree. Sadly, it takes a bad guy to hammer the multitudes of tribes that inhabit these nations into some sort of cohesion. Much like Saddam did in Iraq.

When the war started in Syria, I tried to figure out who was who and why. There were so many bad actors I really couldn't figure out if there was a good guy. And finally decided there wasn't.

I had the same feelings about the parties involved, even if I have some small sympathy for Kurdish factions, simply because they got a raw deal back when. Their tribal lands were split four ways and they've gotten the smelly end of the stick ever since, because they are a smaller (if fierce) minority in whatever country they were carved into.

It won't be peaceful there until the last carrion eater is too full to fly.

[Hoodat]

I totally agree. Sadly, it takes a bad guy to hammer the multitudes of tribes that inhabit these nations into some sort of cohesion. Much like Saddam did in Iraq.

I wouldn't call it 'cohesion'  Ba'athists don't tolerate anyone posing a threat to their totalitarian rule.  It is one party rule only.  Either you are a ba'athist, or you are an enemy of the state.

Iraq and the entire world are much better off without Saddam Hussein.  The same will prove true in Syria with Assad's overthrow.

The current front-runner in position to take over is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.  Currently, they are a mixed bag made up of various pro-ISIS groups, although they have publicly disavowed that.  They are enemies of Hezzbollah and Iran.  They have no international sponsor.  Then you have the SNA and the SDF fighting each other.  Both have Western backing.  But neither is in position to threaten Damascus.

The best hope here is for these three factions to form a coalition government.  But the chance of that happening without an eight year deployment of 100,000 American troops is slim.

[Hoodat]

[Hoodat]

More on the fate of the Russians.  This is from 7 days ago: 


Syrian rebels capture majority of Aleppo as Russia’s forces abandon bases

Lightning advance in nation’s second largest city stuns Bashir al-Assad’s regime

Ben Farmer.
 
Fared Al Mahlool, Idlib  |  30 November 2024  |  1:36pm GMT

Syria’s rebels seized most of Aleppo on Saturday as their sweeping advance ousted Russian forces from at least three military bases around the city.

Opposition fighters raced through Aleppo, Hama and Idlib provinces in a lightning advance that has stunned Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

By Saturday night, the rebels had entered the city of Hama in one of the most significant crises for the Syrian government in the country’s 13 years of civil war.  .  .  .

.  .  .  Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has lent heavy support to Assad since 2015 and Russian air power was pivotal to the Syrian government’s success in regaining control of its major cities during the civil war.

Russia’s port on the Syrian coast, at Tartus, is critical to its operations in the Mediterranean and in Libya, where Moscow is backing the military strongman Gen Khalifa Haftar.

Jalel Harchaoui, of the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said: “While I’m not predicting Russia will abandon Tartus or Latakia, the proximity of Suqaylabiyah, less than 100km from Tartus, must be noted here.

“Any potential loss by Moscow of these ports would reshape the fate of the Haftar family.  .  .  .

.  .  .  Russian planes were also accused of killing at least 20 people in Aleppo in an air strike on a roundabout where rebels had toppled a statue of Assad’s late brother, Bassel al-Assad.  .  .

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/11/30/syrian-rebels-capture-aleppo-airport-seize-majority-city/

[Smokin Joe]

The razor's edge in the region is balance. With Islamist theocracy on the table, do not ever expect stability in any other form. Any peace is precarious. While we might express satisfaction at Russia's setbacks (especially because those setbacks influence their policies and actions elsewhere), to remove them from the equation, or even downgrade their significance, means other factions come into play with results that may not be so easy to predict.
The rise of yet another theocracy in the region does not mean peace, nor any better lives for the people there, even if that is a relatively stable imposition of misery.

We shall see, but the geopolitical equation is changing, and that might not be a good thing.

[rangerrebew]

US pounds ISIS camps in Syria after Assad flees
Story by Jack Detsch, Paul McLeary and Joe Gould • 16h


The U.S. carried out a major round of airstrikes on Islamic State targets on Sunday, and warned the terror group against trying to regain strength in the country after rebels took over the government.

The operation included "dozens" of airstrikes on over 75 targets involving ISIS operatives and camps using B-52 bombers, F-15 fighter jets and A-10 close-air support attack aircraft "to ensure that ISIS does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria," according to a statement from U.S. Central Command.
 
"There should be no doubt — we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria," said Central Command chief Gen. Erik Kurilla, "All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way."

News of the strikes come after the stunning collapse of the Assad regime in Syria that has upended the security situation in the Middle East, and raises fresh questions about the role of the 900 U.S. troops stationed in the country.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-pounds-isis-camps-in-syria-after-assad-flees/ar-AA1vuk5m?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6f5129968c324cd697a09b404f5ea421&ei=157

[rangerrebew]

Look at that air pollution!!  Can't the US come up with a cleaner way to kill ISIS terrorists?  

[Smokin Joe]

Look at that air pollution!!  Can't the US come up with a cleaner way to kill ISIS terrorists?

Terrorists have a nasty carbon footprint...(that was his foot, right?)

[American Girl]

Excerpt:
A shocking video has emerged from Syria, revealing an ongoing battle—not between rebels and Assad’s regime, but between rebel factions themselves. The footage underscores the chaotic state of Syria’s civil war, where American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) are clashing, raising serious questions about U.S. involvement and strategy in the region.




Overthrowing one evil regime doesn’t mean peace. This mess will drag on.
Unfortunately, It may end badly—a divided country backed by different countries.
https://conservativeus.com/video-evidence-u-s-backed-and-turkish-backed-forces-clash-in-syria-but-theyre-not-fighting-assads-army/

[Timber Rattler]

Red on Red action is always a good thing!

[DefiantMassRINO]

What does Assad's fall in Syria say about the state of Iran and Russia?  Neither was able or willing to keep Assad in power.

Iran is losing it's biggest proxy.  Russia is losing a Mediterranean navy base / port-of-call.

[Free Vulcan]

Excerpt:
A shocking video has emerged from Syria, revealing an ongoing battle—not between rebels and Assad’s regime, but between rebel factions themselves. The footage underscores the chaotic state of Syria’s civil war, where American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) are clashing, raising serious questions about U.S. involvement and strategy in the region.

Overthrowing one evil regime doesn’t mean peace. This mess will drag on.
Unfortunately, It may end badly—a divided country backed by different countries.
https://conservativeus.com/video-evidence-u-s-backed-and-turkish-backed-forces-clash-in-syria-but-theyre-not-fighting-assads-army/

This is the eternal problem with the Middle East, complete fractiousness and civil war until the next dictator rises to put them all back under the boot till they are overthrown in an eternal cycle.

Except it's not just internal and tribal anymore, foreign big players get involved and turn it into an even bigger mess than it already is, with the powder keg of ever more modern and too often cheap weaponry thrown in there too.

And the followers of the non-Islamic religions tend to get it the worst.

[DefiantMassRINO]

The Ottoman Turks want their province back.

The Turks, especially, want to prevent Kurdish militias from using Syrian terroritory as a staging ground for terrorist activity inside Turkey.

Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are vying for influence and control of the region.

Now comes the posturing for "areas of influence" within Syria by outside parties.

[Free Vulcan]

The Ottoman Turks want their province back.

The Turks, especially, want to prevent Kurdish militias from using Syrian terroritory as a staging ground for terrorist activity inside Turkey.

Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are vying for influence and control of the region.

Now comes the posturing for "areas of influence" within Syria by outside parties.

I fear Syria will become a genocidal wasteland of chaos and many factioned civil war in short order.

[Wingnut]

I fear Syria will become a genocidal wasteland of chaos and many factioned civil war in short order.

You say that like it is a bad thing!

Those people have been killing themselves for thousands of years.  It's what they do.

[Cyber Liberty]

You say that like it is a bad thing!

Those people have been killing themselves for thousands of years.  It's what they do.

When all the killing is done by terrorists to terrorists, then by definition the world is a more peaceful place.

[mystery-ak]

Report: Syrian Rebels Execute Opponents, Impose Sharia, Threaten Kurds

Syrian rebels who overthrew the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad on Sunday are reportedly executing their opponents, imposing Islamic sharia law, and threatening non-Muslim minorities, including the Kurdish population in the north.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/12/10/report-syrian-rebels-execute-opponents-impose-sharia-threaten-kurds/

[MeganC]

Report: Syrian Rebels Execute Opponents, Impose Sharia, Threaten Kurds

Syrian rebels who overthrew the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad on Sunday are reportedly executing their opponents, imposing Islamic sharia law, and threatening non-Muslim minorities, including the Kurdish population in the north.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2024/12/10/report-syrian-rebels-execute-opponents-impose-sharia-threaten-kurds/

Ah, the sublime beauty of Islam! 

[ChemEngrMBA]

How many billions of that came from saps in the United States courtesy of Obama and Biden?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ousted-syrian-dictator-assad-smuggled-135-billion-to-russia-report/ar-AA1vD4YB?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=7ec47c7ecd51476e9f2aa3ba1202323a&ei=14



Beyye stated that the funds were “smuggled out” of Syria; however, he did not provide details on the mechanisms used to transfer such a substantial amount.

He also described a conflict between pro-Russian and pro-Iranian units in Assad’s military.

“The first clash occurred between Aleppo's commander Gen. Muhammed Safadli and Russian-aligned Gen. Süheyl Hasan,” said Beyye.

“Communication between military intelligence and the army ceased. The defeat that began with the fall of Aleppo led the rebels to Damascus.”

Earlier, German tabloid Bild reported that Assad, who fled to Moscow after the fall of his regime, is likely to settle in the elite Moscow City district, where his family owns property. Assad's family reportedly owns more than 20 upscale properties in Moscow, with a total value exceeding $30 million.

[Mod2]

Topics merged

[mountaineer]

Syrian ‘rebels’ are now carrying out Jihadi executions on infidels.

https://twitter.com/Inevitablewest/status/1866594655204155410

Syrian rebels steal food aid from Christians; watchdog warns of 'ethnic cleansing'
By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post
 Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Islamist-led rebel forces seized humanitarian aid that could have fed tens of thousands of people as Christians in Syria grapple with the reality of their dangerous situation, which watchdog groups have warned amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Global Christian Relief, a United States-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians worldwide, has maintained a supportive network on the ground in Syria for the last two years. GCR President and CEO David Curry told The Christian Post that the group delivered food and humanitarian supplies to churches around two weeks ago.

"We've continuously been delivering aid the last two years, but the stock that we have now, some of it has been captured by these rebels," Curry said. "There's still some that remains; we're going to distribute that as cautiously as we possibly can to people who are now on the run, but the reality is this is a very dangerous area right now for Christians." ...

[Free Vulcan]

Syrian ‘rebels’ are now carrying out Jihadi executions on infidels.

Well that didn't take long.

[MeganC]

Apparently there may be some underground prison in Syria and the new regime is trying to get people out of it. Lots of people. The story I heard said 100,000 people and I keep telling myself this is a preposterous number.

I hope.

[Hoodat]

Russians trapped in Syria.  Their ships have already pulled out of Tartus.

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1867571018497503558

[Hoodat]

https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1867601671615885620