"..use all the weapons in its possession to finish the terrorists off.."

Tanks Roll on Dumascus as Violence continues

Government troops have stormed a Damascus district with tanks for the first time, five days on from the outbreak of fierce clashes in the capital, a UK-based rights group has said. "The army stormed the Qaboon district with a large number of tanks," said Rami Abdel Rahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), on Thursday. "This is the first time that tanks enter a Damascus district," Rahman said. The army's move stoked fears of an imminent massacre in the western quarter of the capital, scene of clashes over the past five days, the SOHR said. Fighting in Damascus began day after a bomb struck at the heart of Syria's senior command, killing at least three of President Bashar al-Assad's top brass Earlier on Thursday, a security source told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity that the army would show no restraint in its operations. "These extremely violent clashes should continue in the next 48 hours to cleanse Damascus of terrorists by the time Ramadan begins" on Friday, the source said, referring to the Muslim holy month. The developments came a day after three top regime officials were killed in an unprecedented attack in the National Security headquarters in Damascus, which was claimed by the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA). "After the attack, [the army] has decided to use all the weapons in its possession to finish the terrorists off," the security source said. Violence killed at least 107 people across Syria on Thursday, the SOHR said, and forced hundreds of Damascus residents to flee their homes for safer neighbourhoods

This posting is from Aljazeera, and i have read things like this from other sites as well. It seems that the Assad regime is planning on using any means necessary to "finish of the terrorists." Does this mean that the chemical weapons that we have been hearing about will be used? What other weapons could be used?

Thoughts, ATS?

that would be crazy!!! Dont know what kind of weapons they have..bombing is the wrong way..i think they go with the chemical..but i dont hope so!!

the rebels certainly have anti-tank weapons..waiting for this day. tanks aren't effective in an urban environment.

if I were a rebel fighting an urban battle that's the first special I'd have requested from the arms dealer...something that can burn through Damascus Steel.

Assad won't use the chemical weapons. if given a choice about that, he'd immediately realize that he'd be better off detonating one of them in his own home first.

the tanks and helicopters will be turned to litter most likely. that this person, assad, decided that this was the manner in which the rebels would be defeated proves he's an idiot.

he should have just remained an eye doctor.

Chemical is there for only one reason. Israel. Anything domestic, especially Damascus, and where precisely would Assad be planning on living his last days? There wouldn't be many. By his own people at the tallest tree in sight or by the world court, the days would be few.

I think he's giving his military orders to stop holding back. No more targeting based on minimizing collateral damage. No more letting slide if it would mean taking out a whole city block to the foundations. He has a LONG way to go in conventional weapons that he's stayed clear back from, thus far. I suppose, no more Mr. Nice Guy.

If the numbers start going from a dozen here...a hundred there...to thousands in single actions, then we know this is what has happened.

BTW....Just for laughs..imagine Occupy having gone militant..or make up a name if it's better that way...but if Washington D.C. were literally losing control of areas of the city, does anyone doubt the U.S. Government would do any different? I think we'd be lucky as a nation if a single monument remained standing...if the Government felt it were truly threatened and time was closing.

So, where Assad stands now?

There are traitors around him, and that was proven when 3 high oficials, one being the defense minister, another Assad's brother-in-law, got bombed to death.

The FSA is fighting now inside Damascus, and not 500 km away like 3 months ago.And they are not alone, but helped by plenty spec ops troops from France, US, UK and Saudi Arabia.

Israel is getting ready to punish Hezbollah (closest Syria ally) first and Iran after, because of the Burgas terror atack.


I believe that Assad will NOT use chemical weapons inside Damascus or elswere inside Syria.But I do believe that syrian army planes, helicopters, tanks and artillery will go ALL IN, meaning will not care that along 5 FSA fighter-terrorists will die 100-200 civilians when they bomb 5-6-7 story blocks.


Damascus will be a ruinous heap, but not because of an israeli attack (unless Assad decides to make a mess and attack Israel with chemical tipped missiles) but because of their OWN weapons.

There will be a MASSACRE in Damascus, a massacre so big, that not even Russia or China will accept it.


And this is all NATO needs.A big enough reason to go in w/o waitting for any SC resolution.

My thoughts?
My thought is it is a foreign war and I should butt out.
My thought is other countries should as well.

Originally posted by michaelbrux
if I were a rebel fighting an urban battle that's the first special I'd have requested from the arms dealer...something that can burn through Damascus Steel.

You gave me a chuckle there!
Here I am envisioning the tank builders folding and rolling sheets for tanks, those would look ultra cool though.

reply to post by g146541


not many take pride, anymore, in the weapons they produce...assad probably just got his tanks 'off the rack'.

whatever the Russians sent him, he accepted. that's why you don't make an eye doctor into president and commander of the armed forces.

the rebels are about to have a barbecue with assad's forces.

reply to post by theirtruthlies0806


What do you mean other weapons? Do you believe Assad will use chemical weapons against the people of Syria? Of course not. What because tanks are being moved inside Damascus it is a bigger deal than the previous movement in other cities.. Rebels should stop being pussies and get out of built up areas where masses of people can be exposed and murdered.

Originally posted by michaelbrux
reply to post by g146541

 

not many take pride, anymore, in the weapons they produce...assad probably just got his tanks 'off the rack'.

whatever the Russians sent him, he accepted. that's why you don't make an eye doctor into president and commander of the armed forces.

the rebels are about to have a barbecue with assad's forces.

Yep and at the expense of innocent people that they are pretty much using as human shields in the cities..

Originally posted by michaelbrux
reply to post by g146541

 

not many take pride, anymore, in the weapons they produce...assad probably just got his tanks 'off the rack'.

whatever the Russians sent him, he accepted. that's why you don't make an eye doctor into president and commander of the armed forces.

the rebels are about to have a barbecue with assad's forces.

Emm, no.

Assad has an overwhelming superiority in numbers, armament, training and artillery.

He sends in a few tanks and when they get blown up his forces can follow the line of smoke to find where it was launched from. Then he can use his attack helicopters, missiles, Fighter Jets or artillery pieces to flatten the attackers.. He sacrifices a couple tanks and handful of men to obliterate a couple score FSA. Why wouldn't he make those sacrifices? He has the numbers advantage so he can afford to toss away a couple soldiers to take out his enemies (who are relying heavily on foreign mercenaries).

If you think Assad is an idiot you are sorely mistaken. He has Russian advisors out there and they are the ones telling him what to do and when to do it. The steps they are taking is planned.

Do I think he will use chemical weapons? No. Not unless he is almost certainly going to fall. He has promised to 'burn the middle east down' before his power hold collapses. If the West goes in or he looks likely to fall all those Scuds and Yahkonts will be firing at Israel, Turkey, Saudi and whatever US bases he can find.

Why would he not use chemical weapons? He is a dead man walking and he knows it. No country will offer him sanctuary and even if they did, he would get whacked there. Once he is out of power he is useless to his "allies". It is only a matter of time.


So what is to stop him from using them? His reluctance to kill innocent people?

reply to post by Doc Gator


He won't use them because if he does he will lose Russian and Chinese support. He needs them to stay in power and if he does turn into the monster the West paints him as.

The Russians don't want to risk their international standing by supporting a real monster. They need him to remain stable to counter Turkish and Israeli dominance in the region so that when the strike comes on Iran they have a launch pad to make the West hurt.

reply to post by Trajan


China's support is already wavering. Russia can not and will not stop their support no matter what happens. They need that port more than they need a positive world image.


Assad is only useful to the Russians while he holds power. If it comes down to a choice of losing power or using chemicals, he will use the chemicals with Russia's (tacit) approval.

reply to post by Doc Gator


Russia needs to play the 'best for everyone' guy if they are to have any hope of keeping their grip on Syria. If Assad uses his Chemical weapons then Russia will be forced to remove support or face the might of the US and Europe which they can't afford to yet.

China isn't wavering. It is a ploy to make the US ease its grip in Asia and allow China some room to move. China is going to support Assad to keep the US' forces in the Middle East and not surrounding China.

Yeah, Assad is going to use if Chem weapons if it looks certain he will lose. Which is what I said.

If they use something chemical it may cause them to be attacked in a way to SHOW OTHER GROWING SUPERPOWERS near them WHATS HIDDEN IN OTHER superpowers WEAPON stockpiles, SMH..

reply to post by Trajan


I think that Russia may have another option that you may not have considered. If Assad uses chemicals, Russia has the option of "liberating" Syria from an evil dictator similar to the "liberation" of eastern Europe after WWII. This would, of course, force NATO to sit back and observe or join the fight on the side of Assad.


Morality aside, and assuming that Russia can get the spin going and move troops and equipment fast enough, I don't see any deterrents (from the Russian point of view) to the use of chemicals. Granted, it would be a death sentence for Assad, but he is a dead man walking anyway.


To sum it up, I don't think that chemical usage is an automatic loss of the port for Russia.

reply to post by Trajan


As far as China goes, I don't see North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, any of the Stans or Russia joining NATO in the near future. So I'm not sure how China's wavering support for Syria is a ploy to stop us from surrounding them.