Regional geopolitics

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

09:52 01.03.2016(updated 13:26 01.03.2016)

The Syrian Army and its popular allies have recaptured the government forces’ main supply line from Hama to Aleppo after a series of fierce firefights with Daesh terrorists, Iran’s Fars news agency reported.


"The Syrian government forces pushed Daesh militants back from their last positions along the strategic road connecting Ithriya in Hama province to Khanaser in Aleppo province," the army said.

“The engineering units of the army are working to defuse roadside bombs planted by the terrorists to reopen the road as soon as possible," the army went on to say.



A soldier of the Syrian Arab Army is seen here in Aleppo

© Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev

Syrian Army Regains All Settlements Along Key Aleppo Vital Supply Route
Earlier reports said that the strategic village of Abu al-Karouz had been retaken from the terrorists and at least 14 militants had been killed in the government forces’ ongoing offensive against Daesh terrorists in the southeastern parts of Aleppo province, Fars News wrote.

Meanwhile, government troops, backed by the Republican Guard and the National Defense Forces, scored more military gains in other key provinces across the country, killing a number of militants and inflicting major damage to their military hardware.

Russian fighter jets, in a fresh round of combat missions on Sunday, bombed several concentration centers of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front in the eastern part of Aleppo province, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

In the coastal province of Latakia, Syrian Army commandos pushed the militant groups back from their positions and won back a strategic height overlooking Turkey.

The terrorists left behind scores of dead and wounded members and fled their strongholds in the northern part of the province after coming under heavy attacks by the Syrian Army and National Defense Forces.

The Syrian Army's anti-terrorism operation in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor near the border with Iraq left at least 20 Daesh fighters dead and their military grid severely damaged.

On Sunday Daesh pulled its fighters back from a key town in the north of Raqqa province on the border with Turkey under heavy attacks by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).



Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20...#ixzz41f8os2xc

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Syrian Democratic Forces capture strategic hill overlooking rebel supply route in Aleppo
By Leith Fadel
02/03/2016

The U.S. backed “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) have reportedly captured the imperative hilltop of Tal Musharafah after a violent battle with Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group), Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki, and Jabhat Al-Shamiyah in the Aleppo Governorate’s northern countryside on Tuesday evening.

Tal Musharafah is strategically located along Al-Castillo Road and its roundabout, which is used by the militant groups to resupply their fighters inside the provincial capital of the Aleppo Governorate. With Al-Castillo Road now cutoff to the opposition, the extremist rebels will either have to find an alternative supply route or launch a counter-attack against the Syrian Democratic Forces in order to reopen the roadway.

Despite the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the Turkish-backed rebels and the Syrian Democratic Forces continue to fight one another in the Aleppo Governorate.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article...-route-aleppo/ | Al-Masdar News

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Turkish military aggression unable to forestall Syrian Army advance in northern Latakia
By Leith Fadel
02/03/2016

On Tuesday in the Latakia Governorate’s northern countryside, the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade (commandos) of the Republican Guard – backed by the 48th Special Forces Regiment, the Syrian Marines, the National Defense Forces (NDF), and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) – continued their advance towards the final Turkish border-crossing, striking the extremist rebel defenses at the villages of Sundreen and Al-Hayat.

While the Syrian Armed Forces were advancing from the village of Saraf to Sundreen, the Turkish Army began to shell their positions inside Jabal Al-Akrad (Kurdish Mountains) and Jabal Al-Turkmen (Turkmen Mountains), wounding a number of soldiers and journalists in the process.

However, Turkey’s military aggression was not enough to forestall the Syrian Arab Army’s advance in northern Latakia, as they were able to advance in several areas around Jabal Al-Akrad and Jabal Al-Turkmen. Turkey has recently intensified their shelling of northern Latakia in response to the Syrian Arab Army’s rapid advance against the rebel forces of Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) and the Free Syrian Army’s “1st Coastal Brigade”. There is not much the Turkish Army can do these days, thanks in large part to the Russian Air Force’s presence above the Latakia Governorate; however, they continue to shell the Syrian Army in order to aid the retreating rebels.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article...thern-latakia/ | Al-Masdar News

[Joseph]

Re: Regional geopolitics

No, they should be kicked out. It would make our job in promoting Armenians in the USA, France, and other parts of the diaspora easier.

International public opinion (US/EU) has been very clear that Turkey should no longer be part of NATO but it is very unlikely they will be dropped. For strategic reasons (grasping for straws really), it would be seen as the last nail in Turkey's coffin as far as joining the west. Just as England and France (with Germany eventually forcibly taking that role) kept the sick man alive for decades as a counterweight to Russia when it should have simply been left to rot, it will continue to be kept in the fold due to its proximity to Russia and border with Iran. Turkey's sole value is its location.

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

TURKEY BLOCKS NATO SHIPS FROM ENTERING ITS TERRITORIAL WATERS

16:15, 2 March, 2016

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Turkey blocked NATO ships from
patrolling its territorial waters in Aegean sea in order to intercept
people-smuggler boats carrying refugees to the Greek islands, from
where the refugees take different directions, "Armenpress" reports
citing "France Presse".

A number of diplomatic sources in Brussels have confirmed the
information for the agency.

It has been previously agreed that NATO warships would be patrolling
Aegean waters between Greece and Turkey in an effort to deter human
traffickers from carrying refugees and migrants from Turkey to Greece
on their way to northern Europe.

NATO warships located in the Aegean under German command are to
monitor the movements of smugglers. However, according to an AFP
report citing diplomatic sources from Brussels, Ankara said "no"
to the demands of the German command of the NATO naval mission. This
claim was confirmed by a second diplomat.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__armenpress.am_eng_news_838055_turkey-2Dblocks-2Dnato-2Dships-2Dfrom-2Dentering-2Dits-2Dterritorial-2Dwaters.html&d=CwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=8kkNBupY9eDhkxQgwZQ0W5DFPoq3769bc7Wx7jPurok&s=58fNwsb0eRuE2GjZo-MpWmpA0vglekDFC_lWA67Lc5E&e=

[Joseph]

Re: Regional geopolitics

TURKEY BLOCKS NATO SHIPS FROM ENTERING ITS TERRITORIAL WATERS

16:15, 2 March, 2016

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Turkey blocked NATO ships from
patrolling its territorial waters in Aegean sea in order to intercept
people-smuggler boats carrying refugees to the Greek islands, from
where the refugees take different directions, "Armenpress" reports
citing "France Presse".

A number of diplomatic sources in Brussels have confirmed the
information for the agency.

It has been previously agreed that NATO warships would be patrolling
Aegean waters between Greece and Turkey in an effort to deter human
traffickers from carrying refugees and migrants from Turkey to Greece
on their way to northern Europe.

NATO warships located in the Aegean under German command are to
monitor the movements of smugglers. However, according to an AFP
report citing diplomatic sources from Brussels, Ankara said "no"
to the demands of the German command of the NATO naval mission. This
claim was confirmed by a second diplomat.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2...C_lWA67Lc5E&e=

and then there's this:

http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_german-defense-minister-denied-entry-to-turkey-in-military-helicopter_413873.html

It never ceases how much the Europeans are willing to deal with when it comes to Turkey. They have no balls.

[UrMistake]

Re: Regional geopolitics

and then there's this:

http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_german-defense-minister-denied-entry-to-turkey-in-military-helicopter_413873.html

It never ceases how much the Europeans are willing to deal with when it comes to Turkey. They have no balls.

Its the Right wing parties that have no balls , even if in our minds Right wing politicians tend to be portraited as most patriotic ones , they often come to be sold out to the higher Capital owners or executing orders from central affiliated european parties , not to say how much money laundering or corrupt they are .

[londontsi]

Re: Regional geopolitics

.

Juncker Shatters Kiev's Dreams of EU, NATO Membership Over Next 25 Years

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160304/1035760175/ukraine-eu-nato-25-years.html

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has ruled out the possibility of Ukraine's membership of the European Union and NATO in the coming 20-25 years.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — At a press conference in The Hague on Thursday, Juncker said:

"Ukraine will certainly not become a member of the European Union in the next 20 to 25 years, as well as of NATO." .....

.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Saudis ready to give Syrian rebels missiles against Russian warplanes and tanks
Debka


For the first time in the five-year Syrian conflict, Saudi Arabia is preparing to supply Syrian rebel groups with anti-air and anti-tank missiles in an attempt to stall Russia’s military efforts to extend Bashar Assad’s days in power. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the defense minister, is choreographing this escalated Saudi intervention in the Syrian war. He plans to arm Syrian rebels militias with missiles capable of striking the new Russian T-90 tanks, which DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources disclose were shipped directly to the Syrian army’s armed divisions in the last two weeks from the Russian Black Sea base of Novorossiysk.
The big Russian landing craft Novocherkassk, which unloaded a further supply of tanks at Tartus port on Thursday, Thursday, March 3, also delivered a consignment of MLRS rocket launchers.

A second Russian vessel is heading for Syria with more hardware.

This is in line with Moscow’s decision to upgrade the Syrian army’s armaments and rebuild the units severely ravaged by five years of combat. For Riyadh, this is tantamount to the indefinite and unacceptable prolongation of Assad's days in power.

Most Western and Middle East observers think the Saudis may be bluffing about their plan to arm Syrian rebels with missiles, as a ploy to get Washington and Moscow to treat them seriously as a player on the Syrian stage and take their interests into account. Ideally, Riyadh would hope to break up American cooperation with Iran in Iraq and Russian cooperation with Iran in Syria.

The Saudis have so far pitched into this endlessly complex scenario with two tangible steps:
1. The deployment last week of four Saudi Air Force F-15 bomber fighters at the Turkish base of Incirlik near the Syrian border, to be followed by a contingent of ground troops for operations in Syria.
2. A direct challenge to Iran’s fighting arm in Syria, the Lebanese Hizballah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah, by cancelling the $4 billion defense package Riyadh had pledged for the rehabilitation of Lebanon’s armed forces. The Lebanese high command is collaborating increasingly with Hizballah and a large slice of Saudi assistance funds would most certainly have reached its hands.

According to a high-ranking Saudi source, the decision to arm Syrian rebels with missiles is final. He said, “The Syrian opposition might soon acquire surface-to-air missiles, which will raise the wrath of Russia and Iran.” He added:: “No Saudi official will own up to these consignments but, just as 30 years ago, Saudi Arabia was not deterred from intervening in Afghanistan against the Russian army – and we came out the winners” - we will not hesitate to take on the Russian army in Syria too.
DEBKAfile’s military sources point out that in the Afghan war, the Saudis acted with the full support of the United States, whereas in Syria, the Americans are solidly opposed to any Saudi intervention. That is a huge difference between the two cases.

The introduction of Saudi missiles in support of the anti-Assad opposition would create a new situation in the Syrian conflict, whereby Riyadh also has a say – not just Washington, Moscow and Tehran. And that is exactly what Defense Minister Mohammed was after. Saudi willingness to give the rebels missiles takes the oil kingdom’s intervention in the Syrian conflict a lot farther than Israel, the Gulf emirates, Jordan or Turkey have been ready to go until now.

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Saudis ready to give Syrian rebels missiles against Russian warplanes and tanks
Debka


For the first time in the five-year Syrian conflict, Saudi Arabia is preparing to supply Syrian rebel groups with anti-air and anti-tank missiles in an attempt to stall Russia’s military efforts to extend Bashar Assad’s days in power. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the defense minister, is choreographing this escalated Saudi intervention in the Syrian war. He plans to arm Syrian rebels militias with missiles capable of striking the new Russian T-90 tanks, which DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources disclose were shipped directly to the Syrian army’s armed divisions in the last two weeks from the Russian Black Sea base of Novorossiysk.
The big Russian landing craft Novocherkassk, which unloaded a further supply of tanks at Tartus port on Thursday, Thursday, March 3, also delivered a consignment of MLRS rocket launchers.

A second Russian vessel is heading for Syria with more hardware.

This is in line with Moscow’s decision to upgrade the Syrian army’s armaments and rebuild the units severely ravaged by five years of combat. For Riyadh, this is tantamount to the indefinite and unacceptable prolongation of Assad's days in power.

Most Western and Middle East observers think the Saudis may be bluffing about their plan to arm Syrian rebels with missiles, as a ploy to get Washington and Moscow to treat them seriously as a player on the Syrian stage and take their interests into account. Ideally, Riyadh would hope to break up American cooperation with Iran in Iraq and Russian cooperation with Iran in Syria.

The Saudis have so far pitched into this endlessly complex scenario with two tangible steps:
1. The deployment last week of four Saudi Air Force F-15 bomber fighters at the Turkish base of Incirlik near the Syrian border, to be followed by a contingent of ground troops for operations in Syria.
2. A direct challenge to Iran’s fighting arm in Syria, the Lebanese Hizballah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah, by cancelling the $4 billion defense package Riyadh had pledged for the rehabilitation of Lebanon’s armed forces. The Lebanese high command is collaborating increasingly with Hizballah and a large slice of Saudi assistance funds would most certainly have reached its hands.

According to a high-ranking Saudi source, the decision to arm Syrian rebels with missiles is final. He said, “The Syrian opposition might soon acquire surface-to-air missiles, which will raise the wrath of Russia and Iran.” He added:: “No Saudi official will own up to these consignments but, just as 30 years ago, Saudi Arabia was not deterred from intervening in Afghanistan against the Russian army – and we came out the winners” - we will not hesitate to take on the Russian army in Syria too.
DEBKAfile’s military sources point out that in the Afghan war, the Saudis acted with the full support of the United States, whereas in Syria, the Americans are solidly opposed to any Saudi intervention. That is a huge difference between the two cases.

The introduction of Saudi missiles in support of the anti-Assad opposition would create a new situation in the Syrian conflict, whereby Riyadh also has a say – not just Washington, Moscow and Tehran. And that is exactly what Defense Minister Mohammed was after. Saudi willingness to give the rebels missiles takes the oil kingdom’s intervention in the Syrian conflict a lot farther than Israel, the Gulf emirates, Jordan or Turkey have been ready to go until now.

I would imagine such action would result in the arming of the rebels in Yemen and other parts of Arabia by the Russians and Iranians. As feared this is escalating into a world war.