Assad's army setting its sights on Isis stronghold of Raqqa

[newthinking]

Source: The Independent

The Syrian army's advance towards Raqqa could be aimed at pre-empting any move by Saudi Arabia to send ground forces to Syria to fight Isis.

Syrian government forces backed by Russian air strikes have taken rebel ground near Aleppo and are now poised to advance on the Isis stronghold of Raqqa province.

A Syrian military source said the army had captured positions at the provincial border between Hama and Raqqa in the last few days and intends to advance further.

"It is an indication of the direction of coming operations towards Raqqa," they said. "In general, the Raqqa front is open ... starting in the direction of the Tabqa area."

Tabqa is the location of a Syrian air base captured by Isis two years ago. The source said the army had moved to within 20 miles of the base.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syrian-army-captures-ground-around-aleppo-ready-to-advance-on-raqqa-a6873086.html

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This is getting tense.

PressTV is reporting that Turkey troops have entered Syria.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/02/14/450354/Syria-Turkey-Aleppo-Daesh-Azaz

This site seems to have up to date information and maps on what is happening
Syrian Army captures Tayyibah village in eastern Aleppo – Map update
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-captures-tayyibah-village-in-eastern-aleppo-map-update/

[nyabingi]

1. The Saudis and Turks are

trying to pressure the US into leading an all-out ground force invasion of Syria, dropping all pretense of fighting ISIS - their real goal is the overthrow of Assad and replacing him with a grouping that will surely be as extremist as Erdogan and the Saudi monarchs. Thus far Obama hasn't signed on to such a deal, but these two prime supporters of ISIS terrorists are pressing the issue (especially since they are seeing all the money they've poured into foreign mercenaries being wiped out).

Obama would greatly redeem himself, at least in my eyes, if he refuses to go along with these two trouble-making "US allies" because they are both willing to start what could turn into a major war in order to goad the US into a ground invasion.

[Erelis]

10. So who replaces Assad?

I hope Obama does resist Turkey and Saudi Arabia trying to suck us into a ground invasion of Syria. I think the Turks will invade but only so far to control the border areas. Of course if they invade with the intent of getting rid of Assad, then the question of who takes over. There are no moderate factions. Of course Al Queda and ISIS take over. If the invasion does go after Assad, I could see the Russians going home and leaving the Turks and Saudis left to fight Al Queda and ISIS and run a functioning government. But maybe the Turks want a permanent military occupation.

[Cayenne]

11. A Saudi puppet nt

[nyabingi]

12. I don't think the Turks and Saudis

really care too much who replaces Assad, as long as they are militantly Sunni and willing to play by the geopolitical rules laid out by the "anti-ISIS" coalition.

If it were left up to the people of Syria, I would bet as much money as I could on the fact that many of the Syrians remaining there would vote for Assad - he has been the only one standing between them and the fanatical mercenaries who've flocked to Syria from all over the world (with American weapons and training).

The Russians held a rather interesting briefing a month or two ago (which should have received breaking coverage on every major news channel and paper in the US) highlighting the fact that ISIS and the Turks are working hand-in-hand to pilfer oil from Syria, which they are selling on the black market. No one in the "anti-ISIS" coalition uttered a word on condemnation; we simply ignored it.

The Saudis have been pissed at the US (and Obama in particular) for not attacking Syria in 2013 when they wanted us to (and I personally believe they were behind the gas attacks that happened, and blamed it on Assad in order to say that Assad had crossed the "red line" - these kinds of things are too convenient and coincidental to be believed as anything but a lie), so they've been trying to carry out more of their violence themselves. They've been getting their asses handed to them in Yemen, even with the sophisticated American weaponry, and them sending troops to Turkey to threaten Syria is laughable. The Saudis are oil people, not fighters.

Obama added insult to injury for the Saudis by hashing out the nuclear deal with Iran. What we are witnessing now from the Saudis are a major, nationwide temper tantrum - they are literally like spoiled kids rolling around kicking and screaming on the floor because the US has thus far refused to attack the people they want us to attack.

If any countries in the region are in dire need of regime change, it would be Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

[Erelis]

13. Yup and Sy Hersh article on sarin attack

I believe you are right about what the Saudis and Turks would want to replace Assad. So long as they are a military foil to Shia Iran and its affiliates, they could care less how many people the replacement kills or how they are killed. And if they move into Lebanon and Israel, more power to them.

Sy Hersh has written about the sarin attack and pretty convincing that it wasn't Assad's army--looked to be a false flag to get Obama to bomb the hell out of Assad and turn the proverbial tide of the war to ISIS and friends. Given what we hearing about terrorist use of chemical weapons lately and the involvement of the Turks, seems to confirm all the suspicions and inconsistencies.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n08/seymour-m-hersh/the-red-line-and-the-rat-line

I do remember when the news of the chemical attacks came out some report i was watching had an English expert and he said strangely at the time--the responders helping the victims were not getting sick or dying. Not much more from this guy. Later I learned why he noted that--industrial strength criminal war sarin will stay on a victim's body and anybody touching the body would also be poisoned from the sarin. The sarin was not industrial grade which Assad had.

[ozone_man]

14. Yes, regime change for Turkey and Saudia Arabia.

Great post btw!

[newthinking]

2. Washington Post: A mini world war rages in the fields of Aleppo

By Liz Sly February 14 at 5:47 PM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/a-mini-world-war-rages-in-the-fields-of-aleppo/2016/02/14/d2dfff02-d340-11e5-a65b-587e721fb231_story.html

KILIS, Turkey — Across the olive groves and wheat fields of the northern Syrian province of Aleppo, a battle with global dimensions risks erupting into a wider war.

Russian warplanes are bombing from the sky. Iraqi and Lebanese militias aided by Iranian advisers are advancing on the ground. An assortment of Syrian rebels backed by the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are fighting to hold them back. Kurdish forces allied both to Washington and Moscow are taking advantage of the chaos to extend Kurdish territories. The Islamic State has snatched a couple of small villages, while all the focus was on the other groups.

Ahead of a supposed pause in the hostilities negotiated by world powers and due to be implemented later in the week, the conflict seems only to be escalating. Turkey joined in over the weekend, firing artillery across its border at Kurdish positions for a second day Sunday and prompting appeals from the Obama administration to both Turks and Kurds to back down.

Syria’s civil war long ago mutated into a proxy conflict, with competing world powers backing the rival Syrian factions almost since the earliest days of the armed rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.

But perhaps never before have the dangers — or the complications — of what amounts to a mini world war been so apparent as in the battle underway for control of Aleppo.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev warned of the risks at a security conference in Munich on Saturday, saying that the world had already descended into “a new Cold War.”

[pscot]

3. If Putin can sort out the mess in Syria

more power to him. Our trouble has been we don't know where our own interests lie. We're constantly being pulled in different directions. Our conflicting motives just perpetuate the chaos. You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

[JackRiddler]

4. Move by Saudi Arabia to "fight ISIS"?

They mean, of course, to rescue their client, ISIS.

[840high]

6. .^that

[newthinking]

7. That is what it appears. Interesting how the media just reports the government narrative right?

[AngryAmish]

5. Does anyone realized we have a NATO member shelling a US ally who is fighting a CIA armed group?

This is so fucked.

There are no good guys.

Turkey and KSA might invade and are in a massive exercise right now.

And all we hear about is bloviating nonsense.

WWIII may be starting.

[JackRiddler]

8. At least it's something new.

Usually we're only on both sides of a conflict. Here we're on all three.

[AngryAmish]

9. And they say American innovation is dead....