Islamic State makes closest advance to Aleppo, Iranian General killed

IS Advances

Islamic State are now within 2 km (1 mile) of government-held territory on Aleppo's northern edge, the closest they have been to the city.

Russian jets and warships have been bombarding targets across Syria for 10 days in a campaign which Moscow says is targeting the Islamic State fighters who control large parts of north and east Syria, as well as swathes of neighboring Iraq.

But the campaign appears to have mainly struck other rebel groups, some of which - with Western and Gulf support - had been battling to stop the Islamic State advance across Aleppo province.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said one of its generals, Hossein Hamedani, had been killed near Aleppo late on Thursday. Hamedani was a veteran of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and was made deputy chief commander of the elite forces in 2005.

So I think we are beginning to see the Russia plan for keeping Assad in power. While it has launched an offensive in pro Assad Alawite areas in the West it has been bombing the Western and Arab backed rebels that were acting as a buffer between Aleppo and ISIS. The bombing on them have forced their withdrawal putting ISIS on Aleppos door step. Aleppo looks to be Assads sacrificial lamb. While ISIS is busy taking and wrecking the city, Assad with Russia, Iran and Hezbollah will carve out a small secure area in the part of Syria loyal to Assad. With ISIS taking Allepo in the North the other rebels will be busy trying to free the area from ISIS. Russia seems to be focused on weakening the moderate rebels and letting ISIS take most of the country while Assad will rule a small but defensible position. Let ISIS become such a large threat in Syria that the other rebels have to take all pressure off Assad and focus on ISIS. Meanwhile Assad will huncker down in small defensible area and hope for the best.

Will it be murder on the Syrian people? Sure but, most them hate Assad anyway. So if they abandon the areas not close by the small stretch that is loyal, Assad can hold on longer. I hope this is not the Russian plan because it means much longer bloodier war in both Syria and Iraq. However it would explain the targeting of of rebels other than ISIS.

And there I was thinking that Russia had defeated IS in 3 days and had them on the run!

Does this mean the Russians are telling porkies?

Surely not......

On a serious not though...

originally posted by: MrSpad
Will it be murder on the Syrian people? Sure but, most them hate Assad anyway. So if they abandon the areas not close by the small stretch that is loyal, Assad can hold on longer. I hope this is not the Russian plan because it means much longer bloodier war in both Syria and Iraq. However it would explain the targeting of of rebels other than ISIS.

Of course it is Russia's plan - frozen conflicts, they love them.

Get rid of of Western/Gulf backed rebels, shore up their man in power and tie down pretty much all the worlds Jihadists in one place.

With that, they get to spit in the Wests face, have guaranteed leverage and a customer in the region and draw the worlds most dangerous fanatics to one place where they don't cause trouble.. Then, periodically, use the conflict for whatever geo-political reason presents itself when convenient.

The US and Co. supplying arms, weapons, money and general war supplies to the rebels has extended the war by YEARS mate. The rebels were estimated to be on the verge of losing, backed up and holed up at Aleppo, they were surrounded and all but beaten...then the US 'advisors', arms, supplies and money started rolling in and the situation changed and the fighting and of course, slaughter intensified on both sides.

If anyone or anything is guilty of creating a much longer and much bloodier war in Syria, it is THAT aid from the West, not Russia bombing the hell out of ISIS.

More hypocrisy yet again.

And who told you 'most' Syrians hate Assad? That bloke blogging away in his dining room supposedly being the source for most of the Western 'information' coming out of Syria?

NOT the most reliable source for up to the minute, on the ground info i wouldn't have thought...or have you conducted an Assad popularity poll among the Syrian population?

a reply to: MrSpad

I'm struggling with Assad hunkering down and hoping for the best to be honest..

Surely now, with Russia putting troops on the ground, Assad would want to be on full offence and wipe all opposition out.

a reply to: Chadwickus

Reports are that is the case.

A major offensive is reported to be underway as we speak...he's not hunkering down, he's on the offensive.

originally posted by: MysterX
The US and Co. supplying arms, weapons, money and general war supplies to the rebels has extended the war by YEARS mate. The rebels were estimated to be on the verge of losing, backed up and holed up at Aleppo, they were surrounded and all but beaten...then the US 'advisors', arms, supplies and money started rolling in and the situation changed and the fighting and of course, slaughter intensified on both sides.

If anyone or anything is guilty of creating a much longer and much bloodier war in Syria, it is THAT aid from the West, not Russia bombing the hell out of ISIS.

More hypocrisy yet again.

And who told you 'most' Syrians hate Assad? That bloke blogging away in his dining room supposedly being the source for most of the Western 'information' coming out of Syria?

NOT the most reliable source for up to the minute, on the ground info i wouldn't have thought...or have you conducted an Assad popularity poll among the Syrian population?

The US has barley supplied anything. If they had then likely when ISIS and Assad ganged up on them they could have held instead of falling back. It has not been until the last year the US has even started to think about arming them. Training some, arming not so much.

originally posted by: Chadwickus
a reply to: MrSpad

I'm struggling with Assad hunkering down and hoping for the best to be honest..

Surely now, with Russia putting troops on the ground, Assad would want to be on full offence and wipe all opposition out.

Russia does not have enough forces to give to retake Syria. They are instead focusing on and offensive to secure the small Alawite areas loyal to Assad. Areas that have been moving against Assad because their sons have been sent off to fight most of the battles because the rest of the Syrian army is not considered loyal enough. So they have been suffering mass casualties and when rebels move to their areas Assad has done nothing. So now they are trying to clear that area.

a reply to: MysterX

And who told you 'most' Syrians hate Assad? That bloke blogging away in his dining room supposedly being the source for most of the Western 'information' coming out of Syria?

Good one. That thread…

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Syrian refugees aren't fleeing their country because of Assad, either.

a reply to: MrSpad

Yeah, like the US only had advisors in South-East Asia in the 60's and 70's eh?

What you see on the evening news, is a ghost of what is actually going on behind the scenes MrSpad..you've been around long enough to know that surely?

Of course the US has been training and arming the rebels as a proxy against Assad.

China and Russia denied the US chemical bomb red herrings, Assad further frustrated the US plans for Syria once again when they unilaterally dismantled their entire chemical weapons infrastructure and stockpiles, and the US has been thwarted once again now Russia is in on the gig and has a heavy presence in Syria...China are send their own 'advisors' into Syria now too.

At least three quarters of people never get a real feel for what is actually going on in this world, but i wouldn't have counted you among those people for a second.

originally posted by: MysterX
a reply to: Chadwickus

Reports are that is the case.

A major offensive is reported to be underway as we speak...he's not hunkering down, he's on the offensive.

It is an offensive to secure the Alawite territory that has been under pressure and is considered Assads last ditch defensive area because of the mountains and loyal population. They have been unhappy as of late feeling betrayed by Assad so he has to shore up that area or all he is left with is Damascus.

a reply to: MrSpad

Not so long ago, a post was made here on ATS with a quote from Putin and Assad. Assad basically asks for help to defend the government, which would mean to combat all rebels - not just ISIS. Putin defended his troop deployments in Syria on the basis that the UN allows other countries to help war torn nations if they request their aid. So basically Putin is doing exactly what he promised to do; to help Assad stay in power - which means combatting all rebels deemed hostile to Assad.
I am sorry that I cannot find the post - to god damn many Syria posts these last couple of weeks.

a reply to: intrptr

No, they are fleeing their country because of the very violent and very bloody war that has been extended by years because of Western intervention and meddling...as usual.

Anyone, both pro-Assad and anti-Assad are equally vulnerable beneath a bomb from either side...so no, not all refugees are anti-Assad...i would suggest they are rather reluctant to be obliterated by being blown to pieces in a fiery bombing raid.

Whichever side you wave a flag for...hell of war is hell of war, and most ordinary people will do their best to avoid being killed..and so, leave.

a reply to: MrSpad

500 million declared by congress god knows how much undeclared McCain is surface to air missiles and you say this is barely anything what a wonderful world of fairys and unicorns you must live in

a reply to: mikkelno

Perhaps, but people discussing this always fail to realise one crucial detail.

The West has been aiding the enemy of the Assad government.

The Assad government is an ALLY of Russia, and Russia has every right to help it's allies...especially after being requested to help by the Syrians.

In fact, Russia has more legitimacy to be in Syria bombing rebels OR IS, than the US has...so effectively, the USA is once again beating it's imperial war drums where they are not wanted, and making the usual hash of it and untold misery for the people having to actually experience the results of their interference on the ground.

a reply to: MysterX

The Assad government is an ALLY of Russia, and Russia has every right to help it's allies...especially after being requested to help by the Syrians.

The Assad government is a CLIENT of Russia. Has Syria ever sent troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine? Chechniya? Georgia? No? Then they are not allies, are they? Russia is bailing Assad out so that Assad will owe Russia a huge favor.

a reply to: MysterX

Just my words! I am quite frankly tired of people not looking beyond what the telly tells you. Half of all Russia-Syria threads on ATS would not have been posted if people understood the fact that Russia is there per request of Assad.

a reply to: MysterX

The legitimacy argument goes both ways.

The US and it's allies were requested to help by Iraq after last years advances. As IS is transnational and straddles the border, it is legally justifiable to attack them in Syria as well as Iraq otherwise what is the point?

Every nation with some sort of cross border insurgency or what have you has used this perfectly legal and justifiable tenet to carry out attacks in neighbouring countries that have harboured such elements, especially when they pose an immediate risk.

originally posted by: mikkelno
a reply to: MysterX

Just my words! I am quite frankly tired of people not looking beyond what the telly tells you. Half of all Russia-Syria threads on ATS would not have been posted if people understood the fact that Russia is there per request of Assad.

People understand that Russia is there because Assad invited them. What you need to understand is that we don't buy the lie that it is to "fight terrorists."

"

Saudi Arabia is responding to the recent Russian air strikes on Syrian rebels by stepping up its supplies of lethal weaponry to three different rebel groups, a Saudi government official has told the BBC.
The well-placed official, who asked not to be named, said supplies of modern, high-powered weaponry including guided anti-tank weapons would be increased to the Arab- and western-backed rebel groups fighting the forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian, Iranian and Lebanese allies.
He said those groups being supplied did not include either Islamic State (IS) or al-Nusra Front, both of which are proscribed terrorist organisations. Instead, he said the weapons would go to three rebel alliances - Jaish al-Fatah (Army of Conquest), the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Southern Front.

www.bbc.com...

It's the middle east that is at war with it's self except for those countries that are supplying the arms and funds .The West's chant of Asaud must go were only following orders of the SA Princes . They are in a battle for their lives and I can see this getting very very hot on Saudi soil before too long ....Iran and Russia along with China can shut the place down and I think that is what is going to happen .

Saudi wants to sell their oil but it needs to be tied to the USD and so that is a wedge for the BRICS . All those Billions will be lost to Iran/Russia if the Saudi's cant get their pipeline to Europe through Turkey . That is why Turkey is in the mix .Pick a rebel any rebel and give them weapons and supplies and cause Syria to fall just like Iraq and Lybia . This is not going to end very soon but the ISIS /rebel aspect will go down hill from now on .

So if the Saudi's cant get the US to go to war for them then they will have to do it themselves but that is when there will be lots of desert glass to sift threw many years in the future .