Regional geopolitics

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

I wish you would provide links.

Too busy laughing my head off to do the searches.

.

You know I don't make stuff up like some other news organizations and posters... here is a link http://defence.pk/threads/turkish-fo...n-days.413174/

[Azad]

Re: Regional geopolitics

As usual the partners are sleeping in the same bed again.

"Erdogan signals possible warming of ties with Israel
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled a possible warming of relations with Israel, saying in comments published Monday that the entire region would benefit from the normalization of ties."

http://news.yahoo.com/erdogan-signals-possible-warming-ties-israel-074625477.html

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

SYRIAN ARMY LIBERATES MILITARY AIRBASE NEAR DAMASCUS

© Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy
MIDDLE EAST
12:14 14.12.2015(updated 12:31 14.12.2015) Get short URL
63263320

The Syrian army, backed by local militia forces, has regained control
over the Mardj-al-Sultan military airbase outside Damascus, a source
in the militia told RIA Novosti Monday.

"Marj al-Sultan Airbase has been freed. Terrorists from the al-Nusra
Front and the Jaish al-Islam have retreated toward Hush al-Salehi.

Dozens of militants have been killed," the source told RIA Novosti.

© SPUTNIK/ MICHAEL ALAEDDIN Kweiris Airbase is 'Biggest Achievement'
of Syrian Army in Long Time The Mardj-al-Sultan airbase is located
in Douma, a town 18 kilometers from Damascus. It served as a major
stronghold for the Jaish al-Islam terrorist group.

According to the source, the Syrian army and militia have managed
to establish a security zone around the airbase. Army engineers are
demining the area.

On November 10, the Syrian army with Russia's air support managed to
break the blockade of the Kweiris airbase in eastern Aleppo province.

Kweiris airbase has been besieged by terrorist groups for more
than three years. The airport's garrison of about 1,000 officers
and soldiers repelled over 400 attacks by militants, killing about
1,500 terrorists.

Read more:

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151214/1031707957/syrian-army-airbase-damascus.html#ixzz3uI3xN5s0

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

LATTAKIA- KASSAB HIGHWAY UNDER FULL CONTROL OF SYRIAN ARMY

December 12, 2015

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army and its allies are now in a good
supplying position in the coastal province of Lattakia after they
brought the strategic Lattakia-Kassab highway under their control,
military sources said Saturday.

The sources said that after 3 years of closure the Syrian government
forces reopened Lattakia-Kassab highway.

"The recapture of Turkmen mountain (Jabal al-Turkmen) by the Syrian
forces played a significant role in reopening the highway," the
military source further added.

Earlier reports said that the militant groups withdrew from one of
the tops of al-Koz mountain and Height 713 in the Northern side of
al-Khdra village after the Russian fighter jets bombed their positions
and the government forces broke through their defense lines.

The militant groups left behind scores of dead and wounded members
and fled the battlefields.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940921000463

http://www.horizonweekly.ca/news/details/78035

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Nusra Front Wins 'Hearts and Minds' as CIA-Trained Syrian Rebels Suffer




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01:39 15.12.2015(updated 05:23 15.12.2015)

A lynchpin in America’s Syrian strategy, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) is reportedly in tatters, threatening Western efforts to combat Daesh, also known as ISIL or Islamic State.


After civil war broke out in Syria, one of the Pentagon’s early strategic efforts was to train so-called “moderate” rebel groups. After spending some $384 million, the program ended in failure this year after the CIA was unable to identify worthy candidates.


Rebel fighters from the First Battalion under the Free Syrian Army take part in a military training on May 4, 2015, in the rebel-held countryside of the northern city of Aleppo

© AFP 2015/ BARAA AL-HALABI

Little Gold Men? Pentagon Spent $2 Mln Per Fighter in Failed Syrian Program


"It is simply difficult to acquire the number of Syrian rebels willing to participate in the training under current parameters," Jennifer Cafarella, with the Institute for the Study of War, told Fox News in June.

But it now looks like another key part of Washington’s fight against Daesh may be in danger of failure. Receiving Western backing, the Free Syrian Army, the region’s largest opposition group, is suffering from low morale.

"After five years of this war the people are just tired…and so are our fighters," said Jaseen Salabeh, an FSA volunteer, according to Stars and Stripes News.

Part of the problem lies in what FSA members describe as corrupt leadership.

"They regularly steal our salaries," Salabeh added. "We’re supposed to get $400 a month, but we only actually receive $100."

He also identified the lack of proper treatment for those wounded in battle.

"If somebody is wounded, they just dump him in Jordan and abandon him," Salabeh said. "Widows of martyred fighters also receive nothing after deaths."


Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet takes off from Hmeymim Air Base in the Latakia province, Syria.

© Sputnik

Russian Warplanes Launch 30-40 Airstrikes Daily to Support Free Syrian Army


These conditions have created a cycle of failure. Due to low morale, the FSA has few military wins, consequently causing the US to pull back on the funding which could improve conditions and morale.

"The lack of battlefield success has mitigated against them," Ed Blanche, a member of London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Stars and Stripes, adding that, "they haven’t been getting significant (outside) support because they haven’t been showing results."

According to Elias Hanna, a former Lebanese general and professor of geopolitics at the American University of Beirut, people are frustrated with the Free Syrian Army’s lack of progress and are instead turning to the Nusra Front, a regional al-Qaeda affiliate.

"In contrast, Nusra is winning the hearts and minds of the people, and positioning themselves as moderates despite their al-Qaeda links," Hanna told Stars and Stripes.

News of Washington’s failure to adequately support the FSA comes amid increasing cooperation between the Syrian opposition group and the Russian government. On Monday, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov confirmed that Moscow has launched a number of airstrikes to support FSA troops in fighting Daesh.


Russian Air Force strikes Islamic State positions in Syria

© Russian Defense Ministry

Free Syrian Army Ready to Provide Russia with Data on Terrorist Targets


"The number of such FSA units is on the rise. The Russian aviation carries out 30-40 airstrikes daily to support them," Gerasimov said during a meeting with military diplomatic corps representatives, according to RIA Novosti.

"We also supply them with weapons, ammunition and materials."

In turn, the Free Syrian Army has offered to share “precise intelligence” with Russia to coordinate attacks.

"We have precise intelligence, documents, maps, and we can share them with the Russians so that their strikes on Daesh are more effective," General Hossam Awak, head of FSA intelligence, told Sputnik.


Share this story


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Tags:

Syrian conflict, Al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda, Daesh, Russian Aerospace Forces, Pentagon, Free Syrian Army (FSA), Hossam Awak, Valery Gerasimov, Elias Hanna, Ed Blanche, Jaseen Salabeh, Jennifer Cafarella, Russia,


Read more: http://sputniknews.com/us/20151215/1...#ixzz3uMCz3BM0

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

You know I don't make stuff up like some other news organizations and posters... here is a link http://defence.pk/threads/turkish-fo...n-days.413174/

Very credible source, indeed.....
Reposting a moron's post, from a pakistani bs site, does not make it more credible....
In the real quote, the torkish guy did not state 7 days to conquer Russia, but 7 minutes...

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

The forgotten, yet very interesting war is stiil going on.
Note the use of Tochka...
========


Top Saudi, UAE Commanders among 150 Forces Killed in Yemen Tochka Attack
BY NEWS DESK
DECEMBER 15, 2015

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/top-saudi-uae-commanders-among-150-forces-killed-yemen-tochka-attack/

On Sunday, nearly 150 Saudi-led Coalition soldiers and mercenaries were killed in a ballistic missile strike on a Saudi military installation in western Bab-el-Mandeb.

Yemeni sources told al-Manar that the Yemeni Army’s Republican Guard and the popular committees launched a Tochka missile into the Saudi military installation, killing several coalition members in the southwestern province of Taiz.

According to the Saudi-led Coalition command, a top Saudi military commander and an Emirati officer were among the casualties.

Saudi Colonel Abdullah al-Sahyan and Emirati officer Sultan al-Kitbi were killed at dawn on Monday, they were reportedly “carrying out their duties in supervising operations to liberate Taiz”, according to a statement made by a Saudi military officer to the SPA news agency said.



A Yemeni officer told the AFP that both officers were killed when rebels fired a rocket at a coastal road in the strategic province, which overlooks the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Also, among the casualties, were Saudi, Emirati, Morrocan troops, in addition to at least 42 mercenaries hired by the US-based private military contractor, Blackwater Group

At least 146 charred bodies arrived in Aden and the Al-Umari Military Camp – they were transferred to a ship carrying medical supplies to the coast.

The Saudi media has claimed the death toll did not exceed 80 military personnel; however, this is very unlikely after pictures surfaced from the carnage.

Manar

[londontsi]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Israel Rejects 'Isolated' Turkey’s Advances to Normalize Relations

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151215/1031750296/israel-rejects-turkey.html

As Turkey becomes increasingly isolated after a series of provocative actions, Ankara has reached out to Israel in an effort to heal old wounds. Unfortunately, Israel isn’t interested.

In 2010, Israeli commandos raided a Turkish ship en route for the Gaza Strip. Nine Turkish citizens lost their lives in the skirmish, and Ankara was quick to cut ties with Israel.

But on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seemed to indicate an interest in normalizing relations between the two nations.

"The region definitely needs this," he said, according to Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah. He added that in addition to paying compensation for the raid, Israel must also lift its blockade of Gaza.

Israeli officials, however, seem uninterested in such a deal.

"The ball is in their court. We apologized and were ready to pay damages. He should stop talking nonsense about the removal of the Gaza blockade," an Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Jerusalem Post.

"We are not about to pay more for normalization."

The Turkish government is desperate for allies. The downing of a Russian Su-24 in Syrian airspace last month has drawn condemnation from both Russia and Turkey’s partners in NATO. That incident left two Russians dead.

Moscow released satellite imagery proving Turkey’s link to the illegal oil market which funds Daesh, also known as ISIL/the Islamic State. Erdogan has steadfastly denied those allegations, but the evidence has forced many Western allies to reconsider Ankara’s role in the fight against terrorism.

Ankara also faces heavy criticism over its decision to deploy tanks and troops into Iraq, a move the Iraqi government views as a breach of its sovereignty.

"The government is committed to maintaining good neighborly relations, but at the same time reiterates its right to take measures to protect national sovereignty," the Iraqi government said in a statement.

The United States has also condemned Turkey’s incursion into Iraqi territory, and the United Nations Security Council is deliberating on a formal complaint lodged by Baghdad.

The Israeli government seems all too aware of Turkey’s desperation.

"The Turks are isolated," a separate Israeli official said, according to Press TV. "It seems that Ankara wants to normalize relations with Israel, and is especially interested in the gas deal which will see Israel establishing a pipeline from their fields to Turkey and other places in the world."

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Syrian war as testing ground for Russia’s latest sea and air weapons

Like other manufacturers of advanced military weaponry, Russia has sought - and found in the Syrian conflict - a live battleground for testing and exhibiting its latest and most advanced tools of war. The two most sophisticated Russian armaments on full operational display in recent weeks are the Kalibr NK cruise missile and the Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback fighter-bomber.
Western sources commented Sunday, Dec. 13: The cruise missiles launched from a Kilo-class submarine provided visible proof of how President Vladimir Putin is using his intervention in Syria as a showcase for Russian military prowess..
In terms of flexing muscle, the Kalibr NK subsonic cruise missile, or as it is known in the West, the SS-N-30As, takes the prize. Its debut launch from a warship in the Caspian Sea on Nov. 20, not only hit Islamic State and rebel targets, but allowed Russian warships to show their paces in delivering long-range missiles, capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads, to targets at a distance of between 990 km (620 miles) and 1,467 km (923 miles) away.
It also conveyed the message to NATO that nuclear cruise missiles fired from Russian Black Sea Fleet warships were capable of reaching any target in Europe.
To counter this message, American and other Western military sources claimed that the Kalibr missiles had missed their mark, either crashing in Iran or blowing up prematurely in mid-air. They hoped to temper the strong impression conveyed to European governments, which suddenly felt exposed to a nuclear-capable missile threat from the Black Sea region as well as from Russian fleet bases in the Baltic Sea port of Kaliningrad, which had just received brand-new Kalibr missile shipments.
On Dec. 9, the commander of US forces in Europe, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, addressed this situation. He said that Russia had indeed transferred ballistic missiles to its Kaliningrad military enclave and conducted nuclear strike drills. He also said: “There is a significant amount of capability in Kaliningrad, including anti-ship weapons, air defenses, and electronic warfare equipment.”
Gen. Hodges spoke the day after the second Russian missile barrage targeted Syria - 17 days after the first. This time, the Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from a Kilo-class submarine, the Rostov-on-Don, which had meanwhile sailed into the eastern Mediterranean. This round too hit their targets, and also conveyed a dual message:
1. The Russians are capable of firing advanced cruise missiles from submarines as well as surface warships, and 2. Russia has established a chain of warships and missiles running 2.500 km from Kaliningrad in the north to the eastern Mediterranean, via the Black Sea.
To boost the air power Moscow is investing in the Syrian war, Russian has brought over half a dozen Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback warplanes. This fighter-bomber is designed primarily for striking ground and naval targets. It excels in destroying small moving targets. Under the conditions in Syria, The Su-34’s rare ability to pinpoint small ISIS or rebel convoys as well as big ones is especially apposite.
This is a brand new warplane, DEBKAfile’s military sources report, which entered the service of the Russia air force only two years ago. It is being tested in Syria for the first time in real combat conditions. So far, the SU-34 has stood up to Russian expectations. They are now testing it further to find out if it can replace the older Su-24 fighter bombers.

[londontsi]

Re: Regional geopolitics

https://twitter.com/MarquardtA/status/676853876650328065

Kerry in Moscow: "The United States and our partners are not seeking regime change in Syria.”

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