Syria is a hot mess. There’s only one face with a genuine smile today, Turkish Leader Recep Erdogan who has been attempting to leverage support for the “rebels” in Syria for a decade. Through the years U.S. policy in Syria essentially armed and supported various factions of al-Qaeda, al-Nusra, and eventually Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), whose leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, is essentially the Defacto head of the rebels who now control it.
What happens next is anyone’s guess. The various elements of Islamic rebellion fall under the political umbrella of the Muslim Brotherhood; however, they have yet to show an ability to effectively govern in any region or state without extreme authoritarian rule. Odds are high that Syria will tilt in that direction and eventually fall upon the only governing mechanism they understand, Sharia Law.
Joe Biden hails the efforts of the Syrian Rebels as a victory; however, these are the same rebels we armed and then fought repeatedly -in various iterations- as an outcome of U.S policy under the Obama/Biden administration. Lessons never learned from Benghazi, Syria is a hot mess.
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(Via Fox News) – Islamist leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who led a lightning offensive through Syria, has a long history of extremism despite a recent appeal to moderate policies.
[…] Golani would cut ties with al Qaeda in 2016 and lead a merger between HTS and other Islamist groups in northwest Syria in 2017, bringing him control of territory that had fallen out of government hands during the country’s long civil war.
The U.S. Department of State designated Geolani as a specially designated global terrorist in May 2013, citing his leadership in multiple terrorist attacks throughout Syria that often targeted civilians. (read more)
When it suits their need to get weapons, they face the west and become ‘moderate’; when it doesn’t, they don’t.
♦ BACKGROUND – In August 2012, one month before the attack on the Benghazi Compound, the following Reuters article appeared. This is how we find out about the SECOND presidential finding memo which again authorized covert CIA involvement, this time in Syria:
WASHINGTON, Aug 1 [2012] (Reuters) – President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, U.S. sources familiar with the matter said.
Obama’s order, approved earlier this year and known as an intelligence “finding,” broadly permits the CIA and other U.S. agencies to provide support that could help the rebels oust Assad.
This and other developments signal a shift toward growing, albeit still circumscribed, support for Assad’s armed opponents – a shift that intensified following last month’s failure of the U.N. Security Council to agree on tougher sanctions against the Damascus government.
The White House is for now apparently stopping short of giving the rebels lethal weapons, even as some U.S. allies do just that.
But U.S. and European officials have said that there have been noticeable improvements in the coherence and effectiveness of Syrian rebel groups in the past few weeks. That represents a significant change in assessments of the rebels by Western officials, who previously characterized Assad’s opponents as a disorganized, almost chaotic, rabble.
Precisely when Obama signed the secret intelligence authorization, an action not previously reported, could not be determined.
The full extent of clandestine support that agencies like the CIA might be providing also is unclear.
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor declined comment.
‘NERVE CENTER’
A U.S. government source acknowledged that under provisions of the presidential finding, the United States was collaborating with a secret command center operated by Turkey and its allies.
Last week, Reuters reported that, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Turkey had established a secret base near the Syrian border to help direct vital military and communications support to Assad’s opponents.
This “nerve center” is in Adana, a city in southern Turkey about 60 miles (100 km) from the Syrian border, which is also home to Incirlik, a U.S. air base where U.S. military and intelligence agencies maintain a substantial presence.
Turkey’s moderate Islamist government has been demanding Assad’s departure with growing vehemence. Turkish authorities are said by current and former U.S. government officials to be increasingly involved in providing Syrian rebels with training and possibly equipment.
European government sources said wealthy families in Saudi Arabia and Qatar were providing significant financing to the rebels. Senior officials of the Saudi and Qatari governments have publicly called for Assad’s departure.
On Tuesday, NBC News reported that the Free Syrian Army had obtained nearly two dozen surface-to-air missiles, weapons that could be used against Assad’s helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Syrian government armed forces have employed such air power more extensively in recent days.
NBC said the shoulder-fired missiles, also known as MANPADs, had been delivered to the rebels via Turkey.
On Wednesday, however, Bassam al-Dada, a political adviser to the Free Syrian Army, denied the NBC report, telling the Arabic-language TV network Al-Arabiya that the group had “not obtained any such weapons at all.” U.S. government sources said they could not confirm the MANPADs deliveries, but could not rule them out either.
Current and former U.S. and European officials previously said that weapons supplies, which were being organized and financed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, were largely limited to guns and a limited number of anti-tank weapons, such as bazookas.
Indications are that U.S. agencies have not been involved in providing weapons to Assad’s opponents. In order to do so, Obama would have to approve a supplement, known as a “memorandum of notification, to his initial broad intelligence finding.
Further such memoranda would have to be signed by Obama to authorize other specific clandestine operations to support Syrian rebels.
Reuters first reported last week that the White House had crafted a directive authorizing greater U.S. covert assistance to Syrian rebels. It was unclear at that time whether Obama had signed it. (read more)
Note how the FSA says they didn’t get missiles, and yet missiles were shipped. This is important against the backdrop of the reality the extreme elements we now call ISIS were operating in Syria and openly laughing at our inability to identify them:
They try to hide their presence. “Some people are worried about carrying the [black] flags,” said Abu Khuder. “They fear America will come and fight us. So we fight in secret. Why give Bashar and the west a pretext?” But their existence is common knowledge in Mohassen. Even passers-by joke with the men about car bombs and IEDs.
(JULY 2012) As they stood outside the commandeered government building in the town of Mohassen, it was hard to distinguish Abu Khuder’s men from any other brigade in the Syrian civil war, in their combat fatigues, T-shirts and beards.
But these were not average members of the Free Syrian Army. Abu Khuder and his men fight for al-Qaida. They call themselves the ghuraba’a, or “strangers”, after a famous jihadi poem celebrating Osama bin Laden’s time with his followers in the Afghan mountains, and they are one of a number of jihadi organisations establishing a foothold in the east of the country now that the conflict in Syria has stretched well into its second bloody year.
They try to hide their presence. “Some people are worried about carrying the [black] flags,” said Abu Khuder. “They fear America will come and fight us. So we fight in secret. Why give Bashar and the west a pretext?” But their existence is common knowledge in Mohassen. Even passers-by joke with the men about car bombs and IEDs.
According to Abu Khuder, his men are working closely with the military council that commands the Free Syrian Army brigades in the region. “We meet almost every day,” he said. “We have clear instructions from our [al-Qaida] leadership that if the FSA need our help we should give it. We help them with IEDs and car bombs. Our main talent is in the bombing operations.” Abu Khuder’s men had a lot of experience in bomb-making from Iraq and elsewhere, he added.
[…] Abu Khuder split with the FSA and pledged allegiance to al-Qaida’s organisation in Syria, the Jabhat al Nusra or Solidarity Front. He let his beard grow and adopted the religious rhetoric of a jihadi, becoming a commander of one their battalions.
“The Free Syrian Army has no rules and no military or religious order. Everything happens chaotically,” he said. “Al-Qaida has a law that no one, not even the emir, can break.
“The FSA lacks the ability to plan and lacks military experience. That is what [al-Qaida] can bring. They have an organisation that all countries have acknowledged.
“In the beginning there were very few. Now, mashallah, there are immigrants joining us and bringing their experience,” he told the gathered people. “Men from Yemen, Saudi, Iraq and Jordan. Yemenis are the best in their religion and discipline and the Iraqis are the worst in everything – even in religion.”
At this, one man in the room – an activist in his mid-30s who did not want to be named – said: “So what are you trying to do, Abu Khuder? Are you going to start cutting off hands and make us like Saudi? Is this why we are fighting a revolution?”
“[Al-Qaida’s] goal is establishing an Islamic state and not a Syrian state,” he replied. “Those who fear the organisation fear the implementation of Allah’s jurisdiction. If you don’t commit sins there is nothing to fear.” (link – more)
Against the backdrop of ISIS/ISIL 2014 does this Sound familiar?
the era of obama must be erased ant the perps punished so that their kind will not rise again.
No. The error of Obama must be preserved in a historical quarantine. We must not go near it, but we must always stay familiar with its dangers. It needs to exist as a constant reminder to their evils. And why do we need take these measures? We must preserve such information because those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
much like Obama’s presidential records. Remember he sealed them for five years until they could be digitalized?
What?! Obama is behind this regime change, wanted it when he was president along with McCain. You can’t erase him when his war machine is still working behind the scenes. Unbelievable.
It’s so tangled up no one can even understand what’s going on anymore – we have to stay out of European and Middle Eastern quagmires. This is what they like to do, there is no end.
And the people that have immigrated here for this purpose need to leave!
And we need a 100 year moratorium on imigration.
Intervention makes no sense anyway you look at it in a Nuclear Age.
What’s going on is the enactment of PNAC. It stands for Project for a New American Century, though it concerns Israel far more then us. The next and last stop? Iran, of course. At that point, you will see American boots on the ground again, en masse.
Terrorists ruling in Syria will affect us in the end. The top guy is linked to AlQueda. This is a major failure too allow them to take Assad down, who never threatened us or anyone else. But AlQueda has directly caused harmed U.S. and now will be amplified. This happens in the last weeks of Biden, and no one sees this as a threat. It’s all about the timing.
I agree Mongoose, it appears that the goal here is to keep the chaos going- the fog of war- peace and order are seemingly no ones goal at all..
Let them do what they are going to do- which they’ve been doing for thousands of years.
One thing that I have learned as I’ve aged is that sometimes it is necessary to flee your homeland and start anew- like it or not. Your survival and the survival of your people is the goal here, not necessarily to retain your piece of real estate.
I mean you have nothing if you are dead- right?
So protect the Christians as best as is possible and save the Christians there that want to leave.. this is all that I can see we can do to help these people.
Short of this, leave it alone.
count down till Antifa and BLM riots begin again in the U.S. :-/
Obama & Co are dusting off the old playbook.
Reorganize the FBI, and Antifa and BLM will disappear.
US Bombs 75 ISIS Targets Across Syria After Assad Overthrown
Dec 08, 2024
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-bombs-75-isis-targets-across-syria-after-assad-overthrown
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Sunday that US forces have conducted multiple dozens of major airstrikes targeting ISIS camps and their terror camps across central Syria.
CENTCOM stated on X, “The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, in order to prevent the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria.”
Perhaps now that it’s ‘mission accomplished’ with the Assad government overthrown, and with Damascus in the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadists, ISIS is no longer needed to ‘pressure’ Assad and Russian forces. The Pentagon is now much belatedly dealing with the Daesh terrorists.
In addition to ISIS camps, I would suspect US bombs would be aimed at whatever stockpiles of weapons Assad had stashed for future use. Might there be any chemical weapons in that stash? Best to eliminate them now, before whatever group that’s first on the scene gets hold of them. Syria is going to be a major shyte-show for the foreseeable future as warring factions jockey for position and power. Not a good idea to leave dangerous toys laying about for these murderous children to play with. If the US(cia) procured those weapons for Assad, then somebody should know exactly where they are. Of course there’s always room to factor in the economic side of this equation, too. Blow up their stockpiles now, so you can sell them the latest and greatest replacement weapons in the future…..
Not sure Assad had chemcial weapons. It was debunked long ago. It was a made up scheme aka Haddam has weapons of mass destruction.
I tend to agree, but if there were, we can’t have another Benghazi ratline to get those weapons or stockpiles into the hands of our ISIS “allies”.
Why not? Because they are hired mercenaries, and we might be outbid…leading to the use of them on Israel.
Anything is possible here, but Israel has already bombed strategic sites in and around Damascus, and taken some territory near the Golan Heights – Netanyahu issued a fairly positive statement about these developments, so I am hopeful……
My suggestion here – Israel should annex Syria, and then offer it to the Palestinians…….
Thoughts, anyone?
“My suggestion here – Israel should annex Syria, and then offer it to the Palestinians…….
Thoughts, anyone?”
What if the Palestinians annex the USA and offer us Europe?
I like that idea. Bring the Christians here.
Assad let Christian worship in Syria. See what happens now that the jihadists have ownership. Oh, yes, we just have to look at Afghanistan.
They’re already tearing down the Christmas decorations, just in time for Christmas.
Yes, the war pigs on the right always poo poo Assad supporting Christians or Putin having Christian churches all over Russia. They yell and deny that! They are pure evil, and Trump should not have any of them as advisors on terrorist. Now they are pro terrorists, just as dumb as Bush was.
“Israel should annex Syria, and then offer it to the Palestinians…”
Yeah, because American meddling in the Middle East has been so successful and productive up to now. And Israel is such an honest broker, trusted by all parties in the region.
Ignorance (and I mean that in a positive way) of the history and ethnic/religious facts and details of West Asia is deadly. Our acting on ignorance has created generations of hatred and never-ending war and misery.
I’m pretty sure that post was made in jest.
If Israel did offer an actual two state solution, and the Palestinians were busy fending off the patchwork of legacy groups in Syria and Lebanon (being just another patch themselves), perhaps Israel could recoup some of the moral ‘optics’ they’ve blown with the whole Oct 7 debacle.
“Rising antisemitism” is why Oct 7 occurred; they needed a pretext to crack down in controlled countries, and most especially to give them leave to attack the Shia axis.
(Note that their Sunni allies attack where Israel needs plausible deniability. Both sides win, the Sunni over the Shia and Houthis and Israel over Iranian proxies. Israel also gets a direct line to the BRICS through her quiet alliance with Saudi Arabia, de facto for years now.)
Per Matt Bracken, this final attack on Syria has been in the planning for months; eliminating Russian, Iranian, and Syrian supply lines has left Hamas and Hezbollah isolated with dwindling supplies. Iraq is afraid to come in, and the Kurds are giving that double-dealing Erdogan what for.
What an amazing turnaround…it really looks like Eretz Ysrael is going to become a reality.
Trump’s MIGA cabinet will help, perhaps Trump went to the Notre Dame to coordinate with the NATO heads of state.
Remember, this is all to make Israel and her Sunni allies the primary gateway of new trade arrangements such as the Belt Road Initiative and Pipelinestan petro/natgas access to Europe, a role historically dominated by Persia. (It also blocks the growing Russian footprint in Africa.)
The Palestinians don’t want territory. Give them territory and they will only destroy it. History has proven that. What they want is for the rest of the world to cater to their every whim with unlimited economic aid, and to support their desire to eliminate Israel. And even with that there’s no guarantee that they would be content.
Pretty sure Damascus was part of the original Promised Land. Gaza certainly was!
“Israel should annex Syria, and then offer it to the Palestinians…….”
It’s this type of thinking that ensures that Israel will forever be at war, and never know the prosperity and joy. of peace.
Very sad indeed.
Israel is happy Assad is gone, because Assad was a conduit for Iran and Iranian-proxy Hezbollah right on Israel’s border.
ISIS and al Qaeda Jihadis hate Israel and are hostile to Israel. But they are less of an immediate threat to Israel than Iran.
The Palestinian problem is not about land, no matter what they say. It is about the existence of a non-Muslim country (Israel) on what was formerly Muslim-controlled land. The Palestinians will not be happy just with land. They want Israel wiped out of existence.
By gum, you might be onto something there. Egypt doesn’t want them, and Jordan already has more than enough of them.
Is the next goal Jordan? Israel should be concerned. Than Egypt?
Caroline Glick has a great study of the background of the Middle East evolution and comments on where this all headed.
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Exactly! Not that I understand everything she says. I really think she knows what is going on in the middle east.
Mrs. Glick just may be the 2nd Golda Meir for Israel…she has smart, really smart insights where others can come and challenge her thoughts and opinions with little success. Thanks for posting Ed Koops! Well worth my time, super informative 53 minutes.
Agree with your assessment of Caroline. Been following her for years. Dual citizenship and has served in the IDF. Has Netanyahu’s ear. Very plugged into the “non-pretending” perspective.
Why would a country allow someone to be a citizen of another country concurrently?
Thanks for posting Caroline Glick’s historical analysis of what’s happening in Syria (and beyond). Extremely interesting, and I think correct.
Yes, her perspective covers the view of this 3500 year struggle between the Jewish people (Issac) and the spawn of Ishmael. Then when the maps were drawn by the colonialists (early 1900’s) the tribal animosity was stifled, thus the turmoil we are facing today.
I agree!!! Excellent analysis of the history and what is currently going on in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan! What a tribal mess!!! JMO
Been following her a long time. She had an Arabic speaking Israeli on recently that said Muslims think the Abrahamic covenant was made to Muslims, not Jews. He was very bright. The concept was new to me.
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.
We finally know what Hillary Clinton knew all along – US allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar are funding Isis
There is a bizarre discontinuity between what the Obama administration knew about the jihadis and what they would say in public
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/hillary-clinton-wikileaks-email-isis-saudi-arabia-qatar-us-allies-funding-barack-obama-knew-all-along-a7362071.html
“US allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar are funding Isis”
It makes the origin of 9/11 so much more clear.
AlQaeda/ISIS was always militant Sunni Islam. The conflict between the Saudis and Iranians is Sunni versus Shiite. Same with Iraq when Saddam Hussein was in charge as Iraq was a minority Sunni-led government in those days. Today, thanks to US “democracy,” it is Shiite. The Iraqi government facing ISIS asked for Iranian assistance in its Sunni versus Shiite civil war.
Who among world leaders, even listens to lame duck faux Joe. If ever they did.
My money is on none.
During Obama’s presidency, Obama and Hillary armed al Qaeda in Syria (and made money from these illegal weapons transfers).along with John McCain. Meanwhile Ambassador Chris Stevens died, because he knew too much about what they were doing. Shoulder fired missiles were sent from Libya to Syria. The rebel groups were kept waiting until such time as the US CIA decided to activate them:
At this time, when the US is clearly losing in the Ukraine war, the CIA decided to act against an asset of Putin and Iran, i.e. Syria.
Turkey under Erdogan is NOT A MODERATE ISLAMIC STATE. He famously stated, in response to Obama mentioning that he was a “moderate,” said, “There is no such thing as a moderate Muslim. You are either Muslim or not, there is no “moderate” form of being Muslim.
Turkey is set up as if these are Turkish forces, to cover up the CIA’s support both financially and in terms of weapons. Turkey of course is in favor of these Islamist terrorists, but Erdogan is not the main force behind them.
What has never been fully discussed by Americans is, how can NATO have a member, Turkey, e.g., which is allied from time to time with Russia, Iran, and other Muslim terrorist entities? Turkey gets Russian weapons and weapons from the US: is this no problem?
Also Americans have never been brought into knowledge of what our CIA is doing covertly, in the name of OUR country, and with OUR taxpayer dollars.
We as Americans cannot have a rogue agency which has agents in every single agency of the federal government, reporting back to the CIA, and which repeatedly and regularly flouts their own charter which says they are not to surveil Americans. The CIA has been reading the mail of Americans unbeknownst to any of us, and has been surveilling many Americans, starting with John Brennan’s involvement. Americans do not need a government agency which is a weapon pointed directly at US. We need to have knowledge of what our government is doing in our name.
The whole point of this takeover of Assad is that the CIA wanted to overthrow Assad as far back as Obama’s Presidency if not before. But at this time, with Israel destroying Iran’s air defense system, and with Hezbollah brought very low, this was a good time to go for the kill.
But how is an Islamic terrorist group going to bring improvement to the lives of the Syrian people, especially when their primary goal is to convert the whole of the Middle East into one caliphate? We have exchanged the hegemony of Iran for the hegemony of al Qaeda in Syria. Is this supposed to be progress?
Only in the twisted minds of neocons and Biden can this be seen as positive.
If this terrorist group is ultimately gotten rid of and Syria is taken over and run by leaders who have a zero tolerance policy towards terrorism, then this will be a truly positive change. Until then, the US CIA has exchanged one venal mass murderer for another.
I like your synopsis although I am not holding my breath for a positive outcome. I think Syria will be very unstable and there are more regime changes coming. Iran looks looks ripe for the picking. The WWW3 war drums are still beating
“If this terrorist group is ultimately gotten rid of and Syria is taken over and run by leaders who have a zero tolerance policy towards terrorism, then this will be a truly positive change.”
This cannot happen under Islam. However, chaos in the lands of your enemies is preferable to chaos in one’s own land.
“…chaos in the lands of your enemies is preferable to chaos in one’s own land.”
Exactly the larger strategy of the last 100 plus years.
Causing disruption so competitors cannot coalesce into a larger power or coordinate as a bloc is why chaos is introduced into important regions.
Congratulations to the C I A , Bibi, Pompeo, and Hilary
“We have exchanged the hegemony of Iran for the hegemony of al Qaeda in Syria. Is this supposed to be progress?”
No. Names are fluid but Islam is Islam & the actions don’t change. We should stay out of it. Trump will act in our favor & has many means open to him.
Wonder why Trump is grossly misstating the numbers in Ukraine. The Russians know the reality. Eight to one Uke to Russian losses that are doubtless much worse since the various massive defeats and collapse of a coherent front. Figure 700,000 Kia for Ukraine with a million more wounded. Maybe 200,000 Russian casualties is about what I have heard.
PDJT wrote “wounded or dead” (Russian soldiers) so 600K is likely not their KIA.
I had been following Col. Douglas Macgregor’s reports on the Ukraine war but somewhere over the past year or so he greatly reduced his proactive reporting on that topic.
I wonder if Syrira will go the way of Egypt. Egypt got rid of Mubarak
then vote in the Muslim Brotherhood(like they didn;t know what they
were getting with them) then when they got what they voted for but didn’t
want they they turned to AL Sisi and the military to get rid of
the Muslim Brotherhood.. Except who would the Syria
turn to when they get what they are going to get here.. Is this really
going to be better than what they had. That’s what Egypt thought.
Syria will get chaos like Libya with no group with power to control anything. Israel and the US will occupy the portions of Syria from which they want to steal land or oil or grain and use Syrian terrorists to foment instability around the middle east – but mainly to isolate Iran so they can attack Iran next.
You forgot Turkey.
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”
Trump will say soon.
Not one American will loose their life in Syria ever under his watch.!
Lose their life, not “loose” their life.
So bizarre how common that particular error is.
Clinton WikiLeaks Update: Saudi Arabia and Qatar Accused of Funding ISIS
https://www.ibtimes.com/clinton-wikileaks-update-saudi-arabia-qatar-accused-funding-isis-2430493
Biden apologizes to Saudi Arabia for ISIS comments
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-apologizes-to-saudi-arabia-for-isis-comments/
Biden apologizes to Turkish President Erdogan for saying Turkey allowed foreign fighters into Syria
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-apologizes-to-turkish-president-erdogan-for-saying-turkey-allowed-foreign-fighters-into-syria
The answer that I have been seeking is the answer to the question … are these rebel forces in Syria aligned with any foreign player, are they truly independent, or what level of a mix ?
Or more simply, who is calling the shots ?
Israel is the primary one calling the shots, but the US is running things overall.
CIA is funding and training HTS, along with Turkey.
Deal was made with Turkey – as this also helps them with getting rid of the Kurds.
Israel, Turkey, US, Qatar
Result :
(1) Arms link between Iran and Hezbollah is severed (arms were run through Syria).
(2) A weakened Hezbollah will be easier pickings for Israel and southern Lebanon is now also achievable.
(3) Turkey can influence HTS to begin to wipe out Kurds, but HTS will also likely wipe out Shia, Christians, etc.
(4) Russia shows weakness to the world – it couldn’t support its ally, just like we can no longer support Ukraine
(5) Iran is shown to be weak as well – it couldn’t help Syria
And, The Great Game goes on…
This is a NATO operation like Libya was a NATO operation.
Post on X sure makes sense
I’m going to explain to you what happened in Syria. But if you believed that the rebels, who were held at bay for 14 years suddenly became Delta Force in a week you are too dense to comprehend it so you can stop reading now. The CIA removed Assad the same we removed Saddam and Gadaffi. And now before Trump can be inaugurated we, the United States, are going to rush aid to the terrorists who took his place. A group that we have on the terrorist list mind you. Those funds will be spent by the terrorists on weapons from companies that “support” some of your favorite politicians. Those funds will find their way, in part, to some of those same politician’s campaigns when those companies “donate.” And on and on goes the scam that has been happening in front of you for your entire life.
https://x.com/CarmineSabia/status/1865849663271907560?s=03
Seems that Russia is packing up to leave Syria. This is a complete and colossal geopolitical defeat of Russian presence in the middle east.
This will cost Russia dearly, not only from a military point of view, but also from a political point of view. But I see it costing Syrian citizens most dearly as the Russian presence was a stabilizing factor in the midst of so many armed groups vying for power and resources with the help of various western governments, CIA, MI6, Mossad, NATO, Turkey, Ukraine. I wonder how many Syrian Christian refugees will head to other countries.
One of Russia’s biggest naval bases is Tartus in Syria. They will not want to give that up. It is their foothold in the Mediterranean.
@K_AminThaabet
Dec 7
On October 6, 2023, Iranian proxies were arrayed noose-like around Israel. And Iran was on the front foot. -Hamas had some 30,000 fighters, thousands of rockets, hundreds of miles of tunnels and bunkers, had turned the entirety of Gaza into a war staging area, and had the full support of the massive UNRWA apparatus.
Hamas leadership was very seasoned and well entrenched in Gaza and Qatar. -Hezbollah had tens of thousands of fighters, some 150,000 rockets and missiles, cross-border tunnels, and had turned all of Southern Lebanon into a war staging area. Its leadership too was very seasoned and well entrenched in Beirut and elsewhere. -Assad was firmly in control over all of Syria’s key cities and supply lines to Beirut, with staunch support of Iran, Hezbollah and Russia.
He sat comfortably in his Damascus palace after some 12 years of civil war, the seeming victor. -Iran, with Raisi as president and Abdollahian as FM, was enjoying billions in sanctions relief, continuing to clandestinely progress the nuclear program, and showering regional proxies (as noted above), as well as the Houthis, Iraqi militias, etc. with cash, all with key senior IRGC leaders using Beirut / Damascus as a playground.
Survey the landscape today. -Gaza is in ruins, with Hamas’ military power crushed, and virtually no ability to fire rockets or function as a cohesive force. Its Gazan leadership is mostly dead (Sinwar, Deif and dozens of others). Its Qatari leadership is either dead (Haniyeh) or facing expulsion.
And the rot of UNRWA lays bare. -Hezbollah’s key strongholds of S. Lebanon, the Southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley are largely destroyed. Nasrallah, his immediate successors, and virtually all senior leadership are dead.
Countless midlevel commanders are dead or wounded. Prestige was irrevocably shattered by the pager attack, the decapitation of the entire Radwan force leadership in one operation, etc. And while damage was caused to Northern Israel, it was orders of magnitude less than what had been threatened.
Remaining missile arrays and tunnel networks are but a remnant of what had been built over decades. Hezbollah’s position in the country is increasingly tenuous, and its lines of supply are now existentially threatened. -The Assad regime is on the brink of total collapse, with the Iranians already turning tail. Hezbollah may yet sacrifice more men on Syrian soil, but Syria as a key lynchpin of the Iranian axis is no more.
Assad cowers either in Damascus protected by whatever “crack” forces he can yet muster under command of his brother Maher and loyal cadre of panicked fellow Alawites, or has already taken flight to Tehran. -Raisi and Abdollhanian are dead (indeed, perhaps in just an unlucky accident).
Iran now faces the unpleasant specter of Trump’s second term, and no more sanctions relief. Its Russian patron is increasingly bogged down with its own problems, and Chinese friendship goes only so far. Direct Israeli strikes on the country caused critical damage to air defense arrays and some other important sites, and the “taboo” on Israel striking Iran directly has been broken.
Iran was unable to cause any substantial direct damage to Israel. Hard to replace senior IRGC figures in Lebanon and Syria are dead. The prospect of an expanded Abraham Accords looms. Popular discontent grows. Israel has more than its share of problems (beyond the scope of this modest post).
And Iran’s proxy war is not over. But for Iran, this all cannot be said to be anything other than a resounding and bitter defeat.
Haman will always hang on the gallows he prepared for Mordechai.
https://nitter.poast.org/K_AminThaabet/status/1865533922366341549#m
“On October 6, 2023, Iranian proxies were arrayed noose-like around Israel.”
That is such a crock.
Israel was and remains a sh#t neighbor, creating the a cesspool in Gaza then telling Palestinians to live in it.
Israel is just dumb enough to believe that vilifying other people and treating them like animals has no consequences and that the people it treats like crap aren’t going to get revenge.
And of course they, like Britain, need the weapons provided by the United States to impose their evil. Without that US piece they are both nothing.
The guy now running Syria hates the United States. Ironic because he was put in that position by the United States and Israel.
Trump wants to stay out of the Syrian thing, saying we have no interest there. I think hes going to learn when the now leader of Syria hates your ass and wants a piece of you, you’re going to very soon become interested,
We occupy a large portion of Western Syria, where most of the oil fields and the Kurds are located. One expert about Syria whose name eludes me right now was claiming on FOX that Trump’s establishing those troops in Syria was a major step in the fall of Bashar Assad.
“If Hamas/Hezbollah lay down their weapons there will be peace; if Israelis lay down their weapons they will be annihilated.”
I would not be surprised that Biden funded these actions to bring more chaos to the ME.
I would expect Iran to be in the middle of this also to protect their supply chains to keep Hezbolah active.
biden needs to tie a rag around his head like the ghost of jacob marley.
If the brotherhood is involved you can bet part of the NWO as they are the obama proxy movement. he does not want a 4th term as quasi potus.. He wants a hot mess for the distraction as his NWO engages in a clandestine communist push across the globe..
Isn’t anyone tired of this globalist enabling body double face masked imposter playing the part of the president? We have not seen the real Joe Biden for a long time. Deaf dumb and blind or just part of the fraud? We are being played and apparently everyone is okay with that because nobody is calling it out. Does anything this fraud says or does count? I’m not an attorney but I have heard that Fraud vitiates everything.
It is a marvel to watch a mentally disabled person directing the World.
Excellent post. Thank you.
I’m surprised that anyone is surprised by this development.
During his 1st term, Trump tried to get
US forces out of Syria. They lied to him and said it was done; or ignored him.
Their goal was to get weapons to these rebels —- just the thing that got Stevens and others killed in Libya.
So, given that trump won and assumes office on 1/20, the rebels (and their arms supplier —USA) had to act NOW.
I can’t believe that we actually paid hundreds of millions of dollars to overthrow a benign secular leader in Syria to replace him with a three-headed terrorist dragon that combines the worst of ISIS, AL-Queda and the Taliban armed with high tech weaponry and using fighters from as far away as Mongolia!
This is Samantha Power’s nasty work on steroids!
You better believe it, because we have been the face of evil for decades!
Turkiye isn’t the only country dreaming of empire in the middle east. Maybe the imperialists can sit down and peacefully negotiate the complete destruction of Syria and division of the spoils.
It’s much much easier to unleash chaos, than it is to create stability.
In the same way that its easier to destroy something of great value’, than it is to actually build it.
In my experience, there are far more destroyers than there are builders.
Israel and Jordan should grab as much land as possible.
Why? You wanna build some houses?
DECEMBER 08 2024
================================
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Statement by Administrator Samantha Power
The Syrian people have endured 14 years of brutal civil war and 24 years under the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, who stayed in power by torturing and killing – including with chemical weapons – any of his people who dared to oppose him.
With Russia and Iran militarily supporting Assad’s heinous regime, more than 600,000 people have been killed since the start of the civil war, half of the population has been displaced, and a generation of Syrians have known only war.
The people of Syria deserve the opportunity to chart their own future after more than 50 years of authoritarian rule by the Assad family.
It is critical that all parties to this conflict refrain from further violence, especially against civilians, and work to rebuild a free and stable Syria.
We have taken note of rebel leaders’ statements to reassure the population, particularly minorities and those living in formerly regime-held areas, but as they take on greater responsibility, they must take meaningful action to preserve institutions, to protect the human rights of all Syrians, and to abide by international law.
The United States has long been the leading provider of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, providing food, medical supplies and shelter for millions of people across Syria as well as supporting local organizations working to strengthen Syria’s economy, governance, and essential services in non-Assad regime areas.
USAID has closely coordinated with our partners amid developments in recent days, and we will remain steadfast in our support of the Syrian people.
As opposition forces entered Damascus, residents were chanting “Freedom.”
And that is what the Syrian people deserve.
A future where the people are free from the horrors of civil war, free from oppression, and free to choose their leadership.
Samantha Power
https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/dec-08-2024-developments-syria
I don’t give a flying f about her statement. She needs to burn in hell.
Syria before and after people like Power
“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.” Psalm 37: 7
Bless you for that r2r
Samanthaleppo Power.
“Civil War” created by Samantha Powers and her Overlords
yup it was Yosemite Samantha all right
proof right there
Wow! She is a lying POS! She is demonic!
This structure in Allepo, Syria – a public bath, looks very, very familiar.
Nobody noticed the colors on that other notorious ‘temple’.
Whose flag is blue and white?
I really don’t know what he said, and I don’t think he knows either.
Six million Syrians who fled Assad’s bloodthirsty regime begin to RETURN: Huge queues form as thousands battle to get back into the country as dictator is toppled and flees to Moscow
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14171809/thousands-Syrians-home-end-civil-war-Families-reunited.html
Absolute rubbish.
Who believes this crap?
Why would anyone in his/her right mind return with their children to a jihadist run $#!thole? The real ugliness is only starting now. Different terrorist factions are going to be fragging each other, to get to be top dog. The most brutal will succeed.
It’s the same reason why there isn’t a surge of returning refugees to Afghanistan or Libya.
There is one certainty though, new fresh waves of fleeing Syrians will soon arrive in Europe, GB and the US.
Count on it.
Their rubbish propaganda is going to get worse but more people are going to understand the truth. The many Israel fans are going to be expecting Israel to take them in and I’m sure they will, and if they don’t, that will cause major problems amongst that community.
“The White House is for now apparently stopping short of giving the rebels lethal weapons, even as some U.S. allies do just that.”
What a ridiculous lie.
We funded these groups along with Turkey, and probably Israel (Syrians pagers were exploding). Now we have B 52`s bombing them.
As a PDJT supporter since 2015 down the escalator, I need to say, if he does not end these conflicts and have the US STAY THE H OUT, I am done with him. Sorry about that, but it is my honest feeling. Great on the border, taxes, safety for sure. But if starts meddling in wars, either not ending, to causing, or prolonging them, I am done. Just like the rest here, I do not understand the issues in Syria. But if they are like Iraq, we are being lied to. This then is nothing except another CIA regime change operation. Just like they want in Georgia and Hungary, and perhaps India. Any of these that do not feed at the teats of the US are all candidates for regime change. Ask Muammar Gaddafi how that worked out for him and Libya. Sorry to rant, but if the above happens, I am out! Period!
War Pig Generals Kelly, Mattis and McMaster disagree with you!
“Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at Black Masses”
Ozzy Osbourne
A few points to consider:
1. Iran is weak, but will not allow this to go unanswered. They cannot afford to lose their weapons supply line to Lebanon through Syria.
2. They also really really don’t want Turkey in their backyard. Outside of the Persian core in Teheran, Iran is a fractious country, and they don’t want, say the Baluchis, getting any ideas.
3. If Iran was smart, they’d ally temporarily with the rebels so they can keep their supply lines and more importantly, to be a thorn in Israel’s north eastern flank. However, I suspect the enmity runs way too deep for that to happen.
4. Syria is even more fractious, and there are plenty of groups who have significant self interest in not being ruled by Islamo-Fascists.
5. Rebelling is easy, governing effectively is hard.
6. Israel has already taken the high ground on the Syrian side of Mt. Hermon. There isn’t much else they’ll likely do aside from continuing air strikes. This situation doesn’t pose anymore of a threat than the previous status quo.
This is the neo-Persian empire running headlong into the neo-Ottoman empire. With entrenched local interests vigorously opposed to either side. Hopefully they both lose.
Adding to this, watch Iraq very closely. There’s no love lost between Iran and it’s own Kurdish population, but in probably a strange realpolitik “the enemy of my enemy” (Israel covertly armed the Kurds and shared intelligence when President Trump pulled out US Marines and Green Berets who were assisting them) *might* covertly arm Iraq’s Kurds in order to pressure Turkey close to home (and various CIA cut outs). This can come back to bite them though, so it remains to be seen.
Israel will (hopefully) arm and support the Druze and Kurdish communities close to its northern border, which will remain a bulwark against both Iran and Turkey. (As well as the Obama MB supporting CIA – it’ll make clear that the Muslim Brotherhood are a pernicious, evil force)
Watch Jordan as well. Israel has a conflicting interest of seeing the Hashemite kingdom remain stable (theres a long border to maintain otherwise, sound familiar?), while yet at the same time thinking about a Palestinian state in the footprint of Jordan.
Last but not least is the specter of Syria’s chemical weapons, short range ballistic missiles and surface to air missiles. There’s no question that there will be significant attempts to exploit these by multiple competing factions. The current “rebel” leadership has claimed they’ll destroy them – but that’s about as believable as beachfront property in Palmyra.
Let’s hope to hell that the Gulf-War stories told to American populace, (which I believed), that Saddam’s WMDs were trucked to Syria, were propaganda.
I was listening to John Batchelor in NYC the night the Iraq War kicked off in 2003.
There was a 45 mile long convoy of Iraqi generals in limosines, the “ambassador’s convoy”, fleeing to Syria.
There were even longer lines of tanker trucks fleeing to the Bekaa Valley in Syria, which immediately had a ring of Syrian Army troops guarding it. There were so many tankers the Iraqi civilians couldn’t get water, because even water trucks were pressed into service. A Turkish (or maybe Egyptian) tanker company had been running continuous shipments for weeks ahead of that time.
They idea that Assad used them on his own people just as his victory over jihadis was imminent was of course absurd Obama propaganda.
But, we know Saddam had chemicals because we sold them to him as part of the Iraq-Iran war.
“Dr. Germ” and “Dr. Death” were two female Iraqi scientists who had taken materials supplied by the Ag department of the University of Iowa to convert sheep anthrax and pesticides into bio- and chemical weapons. Deliberately so, as this is how the US ‘dual-use’ programs are used to weaponize our allies under the table.
President-elect Trump used “MSM” for numbers Russian of losses (belied by actual journalism), which count & double up every scratch, stubbed toe & case of sniffles in the Russian army from Ukraine to Kamchatka.
Whilst blowing up Zelensky’s absurd claim of 40’000 KIA and still lowball figured it.
That was funny.
Syria was a mess, even before this. Apparently Al-Assad’s regime had degenerated into rackets & fiefdoms. Aid money from patrons was poured down the drain and no true reconstruction, ever took place.
Even giving allowances for sanctions and US/Kurdish occupation of Syria’s prime farmland & (smallish) oilfields. These systematic problems were worse.
Then when the SAA melted in Aleppo etc, Baathist Syria’s new and old allies/patrons.
Figured they were shackled to a corpse and the place would go to hell, regardless of their efforts.
Unless one (or all) of them, took on the cost of full occupation and trying to rebuild the state from scratch.
No dice.
Erdogan got the tar-baby. Because *someone* has to pay those bills.
This is such an excellent comment, Squirrel, exactly right.
There’s a deal here somewhere, sort of like the deal that included a Democrat House of Representatives, brought in Bill Barr to replace recused Jeff Sessions with hardly a ripple from the Democrats , ended the Mueller operation, short circuited the Trump-Russia hoax, and led to the apprehension and incarceration of Julian Assange, with the end of his days at Wikileaks apparently part of it.
Russia agreed to a cease fire in 2019 involving continued rebel occupation of the Syrian province of Idlib, which is in the northwest corner of Syria, with Turkey bordering in the north. Putin agreed to the deal and urged Bashar Assad to agree to it, which he did. From the solidification of that deal until now, Assad’s end was sealed. It was just a matter of time and the right distractions to let the Al Qaeda formations spring from Idlib and attack a Syrian military that was in the same “stand down” mode when the same Al Qaeda formations seized entire Iraqi Army bases, seizing 40 M1 Abrams tanks and other equipment. Somehow, these “independent, organic Syrian ‘rebels’ knew how to drive and fight in M1 Abrams tanks when it takes months to train US crews. We all know who trained them.
Like Libya, this was a NATO operation all the way. With Pompeo as Secretary of State, US troops emerged in Western Syria and took over the Syria’s oil fields, just like the Al Qaeda formations took Iraq’s oil and used it to fund their “Caliphate’s” operations. Al Qaeda is a mercenary group. They work for whomever is paying them. NATO paid them for the Syrian operation, so it was US tax money and black operations funds that paid for the Al Qaeda groups to refit, rearm, and retrain in Idlib, just waiting to get the go-ahead from NATO. With Biden in the bag, and everyone watching the Trump transition, they overran Aleppo again. The Syrian army just kept pulling back as if someone ordered them to let Al Qaeda win.
Just another stepping stone to ONE WORLD.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/8/2/syrian-govt-agrees-to-conditional-ceasefire-in-rebel-held-idlib
So good. The commenters today are just acing it.
Thank you Guy Jordan.
Israel was threatened, harassed and raided by Iranian proxies for years, i.e., Hamas and Hezbollah. It’s a different ballgame now. Erdogan, who considers himself the new Khalifa, will be a much greater and more direct existential concern for the Jewish state.
That’s not our concern.
Yes, it’s not.
I believe Turkey now has the largest standing army in the Mideast (Pakistan would be Central, not West Asia), so Israel better keep those under-the-table oil shipments going and buying that Turkish concrete.
They’re going to need a lot of Sultanate concrete to rebuild all the ruined cities.
I’d say the we’re going to see the Caliphate and the Ottoman Sultanate (and Eretz Ysrael) reborn.
100 years after they fell post-WW1, too, and it was just as big a fractuous mess of double dealing in 1924 as it is now.
U S A
Just make CANADA 🇨🇦 your
51st State .
As for the rest of the chaotic World
F em all.
(Period)
Such an excellent idea! We didn’t keep going after the War of 1812…and look how BIG Canada is. Just chock full of useful resources, after we remigrate the foreigners. We could be another Russia, with a Yukon instead of a Siberia!
Erdogan wants the Ottoman Empire Back.
By the way:
Daniel Greenfield Reports:
US has $10M Reward out for the Syria Terror Leader we are Negotiating with (and also Supporting?)
https://www.frontpagemag.com/us-has-10m-reward-out-for-syria-terror-leader-were-negotiating-with/
“There’s only one face with a genuine smile today, Turkish Leader Recep Erdogan…”
I think another one is 0bama. Syria was the third target in his ‘color revolution’ gambit (Libya, Egypt, Syria).
It would seem the goal of the CIA is to destroy all civilization to save democracy.
The creepy thug Erdogan fancies himself the next coming of the Caliph. He needs to be put in his place. I think we all know who can do that.
“Against the backdrop of ISIS/ISIL 2014 does this Sound familiar?”
To quote Yogi Berra: “It is Déjà vu, all over again.”
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is now in charge, in Syria. They will impose Sharia law and the likely picture for Syria, over the next few years, will be chaos.
“Against the backdrop of ISIS/ISIL 2014 does this Sound familiar?”
To quote Yogi Berra: “It is Déjà vu, all over again.”
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is now in charge, in Syria. They will impose Sharia law and the likely picture for Syria, over the next few years, will be chaos.
DECEMBER 09 2024
Scott Ritter : How Syria Fell.
( 39 min 06 )
Note the 2 Russian bases on the Mediterranian coast. Now that Assad is holed up in Moscow, these terrorist rebels will be feeling all confident and try to kick out the Russians. How devious of Obiden to cause more chaos.
I don’t think anyone would disagree with the notion that taking out Assad would open another front with Russia. Do you think Russia will just hand over these bases to a group of Muslim radicals that most of Russia despises?
Not much talk lately of the Sunni/Shia conflict but Sunni Iran and Iraq are being isolated and Iran will not like these Shia’s taking out their benefactors coastal bases.
DECEMBER 08 2024
twitter Lindsey Graham
I appreciate the air strikes against ISIS targets in Syria, but it will not be enough.
We have to ensure that the roughly 50,000 ISIS prisoners in northeastern Syria — being primarily held by Kurdish forces — are not released.
We should not allow the Kurdish forces — who helped us destroy ISIS on President Trump’s watch — to be threatened by Turkey or the radical Islamists who have taken over Syria.
Turkey has legitimate concerns regarding different groups that reside in northeastern Syria.
But if there is conflict between Turkey and the Syrian Democratic Forces or Turkey attacks Kurdish forces, it will set in motion an ISIS jailbreak, which would be a nightmare for America.
The last time ISIS was in charge, thousands of Europeans and Americans were killed by ISIS plots that originated in Syria.
Furthermore, the reemergence of ISIS creates chaos throughout the region, which is going to lead to higher gas prices for us at home.
Turkey deserves to have a demilitarized buffer zone between northeastern Syria and Turkey to protect Turkish interests.
However, if Turkey takes military action against Kurdish forces in Syria, it will jeopardize America’s interests dramatically.
In the past I have drafted sanctions targeting Turkey if they engage in military operations against the Kurdish forces who helped President Trump destroy ISIS.
I stand ready to do this again in a bipartisan way.
https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1865938078101320167
Jeez. How many fronts are we going to be fighting on?
I’d wager that Obama influenced Biden to leave all that U.S. military hardware in Afghanistan on purpose to hand off to these rebels who support the Muslim Brotherhood.
Never forget Obama/Hillary/Biden actively supported al Qaeda.
https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/23225
From: Jake Sullivan
To: Hillary Clinton
Date: 2012-02-12 04:01
Subject: SPOT REPORT 02/12/II
See last item – AQ is on our side in Syria.
Otherwise, things have basically turned out as expected.
P.S. – Let the Saudi Prince deal with it.
The Biden/Obama administration war machine set this in action real quick before Trump and Tulsi get in. McCain was all for it too. All the ignorant war hawk pundits on the right are celebrating this. This is just like Libya, toppled Gadafi and Africans flooded Europe. This is just like Egypt, which senseless Obama wanted Mubarrak to go down. Put in muslim brotherhood until they were kicked out and jailed by el Sisi. Iran, Palestine, Turkey are our threats, Turkey said Palestinians not a terrorist group! Syria’s Assad has not been heard of as a threat since Putin took control, 8 years ago. Israel is hailed for this, when Turkey, who hates Israel will take over Syria. Canadian forces are in Syria assisting the rebels in toppling Assad. How ignorant are these war pigs that destroy and cause more chaos in the middle east.