8 December 2016. It was in the Christian Town of al-Suqaylabiyah in Syria…

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This came from an ordinary Christian believer:

If practising your faith in peace means being pro-Assad, then, we’re all Assadists.

If you heed anything in the MSM about “moderate oppositionists” or “democratic enclaves”, or if you agree with its demonisation of Bashar al-Assad, you’re a goddamned fool, or a soulless opportunist, or a smarmy apologist for Anglo aggression. There are no other choices…

BMD

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What’s Behind the Turning Point in the Battle for Aleppo

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After long months under jihadist control, the Russian Centre for Syrian Reconciliation said that the Syrian Army liberated parts of eastern Aleppo (with 90,000 residents). The Centre stated that 507 terrorists have already left Aleppo and laid down arms, adding that the authorities immediately granted amnesty to 484 fighters from amongst local residents. Igor Korotchenko, editor of National Defence magazine, said:

This turning point in the fight for Aleppo reflects the growing superiority of the Syrian government troops over the enemy, including Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) and the al-Nusra Front. The high morale of Assad’s army, its skilful tactics in urban fighting, and the increased competence of Syrian Amy commanders contribute to that. In addition, the terrorists face growing resistance from the local population, who don’t provide them any kind of help at all. Locals are unwilling to act as human shields for the jihadists. This turning point in the fight for Aleppo came despite no air support for the Syrian Army, in line with current moratoriums on Russian and Syrian airstrikes in a 10-kilometre (6.2 miles) radius around Aleppo. The jihadists can no longer effectively use their military supply lines, as Syrian government forces interdict them. All this paves the way for a full liberation of eastern Aleppo from the terrorists, which in turn will contribute to a large-scale political dialogue between Bashar al-Assad’s government and the moderate Syrian opposition. It’s important to reach a consensus on Syria between Russia and the new US Administration, to separate moderate opposition groups from terrorists, as well as coördinate efforts by the Russian Air Force group and the US-led coalition in Syria.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs S V Lavrov said that US Secretary of State John Kerry finally made proposals on how to move forward on the crisis in Aleppo that seem acceptable to Russia. The statement came after the two men met on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome, Italy, a conference dealing with security issues faced by countries on the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean. Lavrov told reporters after they asked him if there was any progress with Washington on dissociation of the terrorists and moderate opposition in Syria:

Yesterday during our meeting in Rome, Kerry turned in American proposals in line with proposals defended for a long time by our experts.

Over recent months, Aleppo was a major battleground in Syria, with government forces, jihadists, and numerous opposition groups engaged. Encircled by government forces, militants hold Eastern Aleppo, and the fighting affects thousands of civilians still trapped in the city. According to Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien, between 200,000 and 300,000 civilians are still in the terrorist-held eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo.

4 December 2016

Sputnik International

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201612041048143551-syria-aleppo-army-turning-point/

Syria Refuses to Submit

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Syria refuses to submit. That is why they teach the West to hate her, and the rest of the world learns to love and respect her. Yet, Syria’s struggles are our struggles. Syria represents international law, stability, and integrity… the same values that western peoples overtly cherish but stubbornly reject, as our countries wilt beneath suffocating veils of lies and delusions. I support Syria, because I respect what remains of international law. I support Syria because I reject Wahhabism, Sharia law, and terrorism. I support Syria because I reject the undemocratic transnational oligarchies that subvert our once flourishing, now dead, democracies. I reject the lies of our propagandising media, the hollow words of our politicians, and the fake “humanitarian” messaging that demonises non-belligerent countries and their populations. In the name of justice, humanity, and the rule of law, I support the elected government of Syria led by its President, Bashar al-Assad. Syria, an ancient cradle of civilisation, is leading the way towards a better future for all of us. All we have to do is open our eyes.

7 September 2016

Mark Taliano

Global Research

http://www.globalresearch.ca/i-am-a-syrian-living-in-syria-it-was-never-a-revolution-nor-a-civil-war-the-terrorists-are-sent-by-your-government/5544450

Syrian Stalemate: Window of Opportunity for American Intervention Now Closed

The Anglos truly believe their rot that they’re the most benevolent people on the face of the earth. History shows otherwise…

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CIA veteran and Nonresident Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution Paul R Pillar noted that Russia’s efforts in Syria have the aim of resolving the conflict and ending the strife, adding that American policymakers who believe that they can pressure Moscow and Damascus into making concessions by military force are profoundly wrong. The breakdown of the American-Russian agreement on Syria sparked a lively debate, one largely misinterpreted so far. Pillar shed light on “what this episode doesn’t indicate”. American commentators and academics have been sceptical all along about the possible outcome of US-Russian negotiations, suggesting that Moscow has no interest in resolving the conflict with diplomacy. However, Pillar wrote in an article for The National Interest:

Such an approach is flawed. The broader political and military position that is a Russian interest isn’t served by unending conflict in Syria. There is a flaw in this concept. The Russians still have an interest in being a major part of resolving that conflict. On the other hand, those who believe that a military solution might end the conflict are wrong. The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is now unable to recapture every inch of Syrian territory and maintain full control over the country. Likewise, the so-called opposition can’t oust Bashar al-Assad, even with outside help. Those who call for exerting military pressure on Moscow and Damascus to induce them to make concessions need to keep in mind that what’s at stake for the Assad government is nothing less than their survival. For its part, Russia is committed to protecting its Middle Eastern ally.

The deployment of Russian S-300V4 SAM systems in Syria in response to the Obama administration’s debates about the possibility of missile launches and airstrikes on Syrian army positions confirmed Pillar’s assumption. Pillar emphasised:

The balance of pressures would then be unchanged even though the war would be that much more intense.

Dave Majumdar, the Defence Editor of The National Interest, echoed Pillar:

Besides potential military risks, there are certain legal problems preventing Washington from overtly hitting Assad’s forces in Syria. The legal problem comes from the fact that the United States isn’t technically at war with Syria, nor is there a UN resolution authorising American forces to operate inside that nation. Even ongoing US military operations inside Syria are illegal.

Pillar went on to say:

The US national interest has nothing to do with changing the political colouration of the régime in Damascus. What Washington needs to care about is how to stop the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in the region.

Similarly, Majumdar emphasised:

The fight against the Assad régime is complicated by the fact that there are no clear-cut good guys on the ground to side with. Even so-called “moderate” rebels backed by the US government behead children.

In his Friday op-ed for online newspaper Vzglyad, political analyst Yevgeni Krutikov noted:

Washington’s hysteria over the Syrian Arab Army advance in Aleppo is quite understandable. Liberating Aleppo from Islamists would pave the way for Assad’s victory in the Syrian war. At the same time, it would mean that Washington’s five year-long political and military manoeuvres in the region were in vain. To add insult to injury, the Obama administration’s fiasco is likely to coincide with the final phase of the US presidential campaign. Recently, the SAA not only gained more ground in Aleppo, but also kicked off an offensive against Islamists in Deir ez-Zor, where the US Air Force hit Syrian government forces several weeks ago. In addition, the SAA intensified its activity in Hama. In this context, it becomes clear why American war planners renewed the debate over directly striking Assad’s positions in Syria. In their eyes, only a massive assault against the SAA could save the USA’s reputation. Still, such an outcome is highly unlikely… neither the UN nor the US Congress is likely to open the door for yet another US military intervention in the Middle East.

8 October 2016

Sputnik International

https://sputniknews.com/politics/201610081046139896-syria-us-pentagon-intervention/

Editor:

The USA’s enterprise is going down the shitter. However, that doesn’t mean that they’ll just pack it in and go home. They believe their own propaganda that they’re the sole hyperpower, with the capability to dictate to all comers. I fear that the USA will try to pull out its errors in Syria and the Ukraine with a heightened involvement, whether “legal” or not. The USA needs another defeat like Vietnam to teach it some humility. Remember, Vietnam wasn’t only a defeat; it was an open defeat in the eyes of the whole world. If the USA were to beef up involvement and still lose in Syria and the Ukraine, it may prove a similar shock to the American Establishment. After all, the Establishment hasn’t wavered with its commitment to a mercenary army since Vietnam… the lesson sank home that conscripts weren’t just clay in their hands. Long-service troops proved more amenable to pressures and threats. I fear that the situation will escalate, as the Anglos truly see themselves as the masters of the world. Their hubris and arrogance is beyond measure. God do help us.

BMD