Russia carries out airstrikes in Syria – targets CIA-backed rebels instead of ISIS

It is a fact that Russia has carried out airstrikes in Syria – but, instead of targeting the ISIS, the Russia targets appear to have areas that are held by rebels who are receiving arms, funding, and training from the CIA. Dozens of civilians have died in the Russian airstrikes.
The Syrian National Council is a group opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and they have revealed that at least 36 people had been killed by airstrikes in the western city of Homs – five of them were children.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 1 October 2015.

Moreover, as per the SNC's leader, none of the four areas targeted by Russian planes had any ISIS fighters. Hence, Moscow's claim that it was helping the U.S.-led coalition defeat the terror group was ‘baseless.’
According to a senior U.S. defense official, the Russian strikes had targeted fighters in the vicinity of Homs, located roughly 60 miles east of a Russian naval facility in Tartus, and were carried out by a "couple" of Russian bombers.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has reiterated that the Russian Air Forces are cooperating with the Syrian pro-government military to target "exclusively" Islamic State (ISIS) targets.
To this, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has indicated that Washington was prepared to welcome Russian military action in Syria as long as it is directed against ISIS and other Al Qaeda affiliates. However, if strikes were conducted against other groups, the matter would be grave.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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France joins the battle against ISIS – launches first air strike in Syria

Till now France had been participating in air strikes against ISIS in Iraq as a part of the US led coalition and had resisted air strikes in Syria because it was felt that such an action would strengthen the hands of Bashar al-Assad. However, the situation has now changed and France has, for the first time, carried out its first airstrikes in Syria.
This has been announced by President Francois Hollande's office and reported in foxnews.com dated 27 September 2015.

The office said that "France has hit Syria" based on information from French reconnaissance flights sent earlier this month. It may be recalled that President Hollande had announced a change in strategy earlier this month because of growing concern about the Syrian refugee crisis. Moreover, it was a question of national defense since France has been attacked and threatened by extremists claiming ties to IS.
Of course, President Francois Hollande has also stressed upon the importance of seeking a political solution for Syria.
Incidentally, while no specifics were provided about the location or timing of the airstrikes, it is understood from French military officials that they would target IS training and logistical sites. The French government has also indicated that even though it is part of the U.S.-led coalition, the decision to select targets rests on France.
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Russia instigates the US – positions T-90 battle tanks at Syrian airport

In yet another instance of instigation, Russia has positioned seven numbers of T-90 battle tanks at a Syrian airfield near Latakia in order to bolster the forces of President Bashar al Assad. This news has come after news last week that Russia was bolstering Syria's embattled national forces.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 14 September 2015.

The range of equipment believed to have been deployed by Moscow include two tank landing ships and extra aircraft, along with a small number of naval infantry forces. The aim of the Russian military build-up is not very clear. In the opinion of a US official, the purpose could be to help rebuild or defend the airfield.
Damascus has denied that Russian forces were involved in combat, but the fact remains that the number of Russian "experts" had increased in the past year. Syria's ambassador to Moscow has reiterated that talks of Russian troops on the ground is "a lie".
From all appearances it looks likely that Russia is rebuilding two significant airfields including the one outside Latakia. And, these are now being defended with these Russian-manned Russian tanks. An infantry battalion of around 1,000 men has been deployed in western Syria to defend the port of Tartus.
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Russia’s game plan not clear – it sends Pantsir-S missile system to Syria

The game plan of Russia remains in mystery because, while it has urged the US to engage in military co-operation, it is believed to be sending an advanced anti-aircraft missile system to Syria. This dispatch of the missile system has been confirmed by two Western officials. A Russian source has described the system as Pantsir-S missiles that are sent to the war-torn country where the US has been engaging in airstrikes on Islamic State.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 13 September 2015.

The anti-aircraft system would be under control and be operated by Russian troops, rather than Syrians. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has clarified that his country was sending equipment to help Syrian President Bashar al Assad fight Islamic State. He has added that Russian servicemen were in Syria primarily to help service that equipment and teach Syrian soldiers how to use it.
Russia is also staging naval exercises off Syria's coast. Russia is an ally of Syria and it already has a Mediterranean naval base at Tartus on the Syrian coast which it would try to defend. As per information with the United States, there are about 200 Russian naval infantry forces presently stationed in Latakia on the coast in government-held Syria. The majority of the forces were engaged in reviving the airfield for future use.
Incidentally, the Syrian civil war has left 250,000 people dead, has divided the nation and has turned half of Syria's 23 million people into refugees – most of them are seeking asylum in European countries.
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UN could release names of 200 war criminals of Syria

#warcriminals #syrianconflict #ISIS #alnusra #FSA UN is worried about the spate of atrocities committed in Syria by both the people in power and those in the opposition and has complied a list of persons who could fall in the category of war criminals as reported in bbc.com dated 20 February 2015.
The list has been compiled by investigators of United Nations and, as per diplomatic sources, it runs into 5 lists with roughly 40 names in each list. The names include people belonging to the forces of President Bashar al-Assad as well as people belonging to Free Syrian Army FSA, Islamic State, al-Nusra affiliates etcetera – these persons are suspected of having committed war crimes in Syria.
In case the UN does release the list, it would be a departure from present procedures because, there is a long-held policy of not naming alleged war criminals in the Syrian conflict. However, the investigators feel that there had been an "exponential rise" in atrocities committed in Syria with more than 220,000 people killed in the course of the four-year civil conflict.
The investigators - from the UN's Commission for Inquiry on Syria - said they had prepared five lists of names including "a variety of perpetrators from different groups".
The Syrian government has carried out innumerable air strikes on rebel-held territory throughout the conflict, and has been accused by human rights organizations of killing thousands of innocent civilians in the process. The making public of the list could coincide with the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva on 17 March.

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Assad government agrees to six-week ceasefire in Aleppo

#aleppo #syria #assad #mortarfire #SOHR It has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 19 February 2015 that the government of Syria has agreed to put on hold airstrikes and artillery shelling on Aleppo for six weeks to see if a ceasefire is workable in the city which is divided into a rebel-controlled west and government-held east.
This has been informed by the United Nations envoy to Syria by Staffan de Mistura who was briefing the Security Council in a closed session on his latest efforts to find a solution to the civil war that has torn Syria apart over the past four years.
In his opinion, the fresh development should be viewed as a 'glimmer of hope' and emphasized the need for a political solution to the conflict. He would also have to convince the opposition and obtain their support for the plan – this would mean they would have to suspend rocket and mortar fire in the same period.
Incidentally, in spite of the agreement to a ceasefire by the regime of Assad, battles have been raging in and around Aleppo and have resulted in the death of killed at least 70 pro-government fighters apart from another 80 insurgents in the last 24 hours.
This was the outcome of a fresh offensive launched in Aleppo by the army. The army, backed by local allied militia, had captured areas north of Aleppo. As per the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this was basically an attempt to encircle the city and throttle the supply lines.
The conflict in Syrian began in 2011 with protests against President Bashar al-Assad and has gradually taken the shape of a civil war, drawing in foreign fighters on both sides. According to UN estimates, the total number of casualties is nearly 220,000 while millions have fled to neighboring countries to seek refuge.

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Do the IS militants have access to chemical weapons?

The IS militants have proved by beheading of innocent US and British persons that they are a bloodthirsty lot and, it now seems that they have access to chemical weapons foxnews.com.

This is an inference that has been drawn from videos that depict dead people with wounds that would end indicate burning of facial muscles through contact with chemicals.
It is not yet established whether these have any link to the chemical weapons of ex-President Saddam Hussein of Iraq or of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria or whether the IS militants have made the weapons themselves by procuring the necessary chemicals.
The video show images of the dead Syrian Kurds with large areas of white, blistered skin apparently having been burned away. And, experts are of the opinion that the chemical weapons were used on July 12, in the village of Avidko, close to Kobani.

This is the Kurdish town on the Turkish border that is now the scene of fierce fighting between Kurds and Islamic State forces.

Rebellion in the ranks of ISIS – disillusioned fighters marched to punishment centers

It appears rebellion is brewing in the ranks of the ISIS as a group of five Britons, three Frenchmen, two Germans and two Belgians were marched by ISIS leaders to the punishment centers in Raqqa, Syria dailymail.co.uk. Their misconduct was of complaints that they were spending their time fighting other rebel forces instead of the government of Bashar al-Assad and were, therefore, concerned that they were killing fellow Muslims.
They have realized a bit late in life that jihadists like them are stuck with one-way-tickets to ISIS and there is no escape for them.,br> It seems the men were stripped of their weapons and marched to the punishment center.
Observers feel that because the US has up the ante, the ISIS leaders are in a quandary – till now, they had operated an open door policy which has allowed around 250 Britons to return but the beginning of US air attacks has made militant commanders apprehensive that those who return home could become spies and direct attacks.
Obviously, the earlier welcoming atmosphere for Western militants has now changed to one of suspicion as the terrorist group begins to turn on its own fighters.
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