Syrian Army Begins Large Scale Ground offensive backed by Russian Airforce in Hama

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

nah not the bible OIL. Not to mention holy wars muslims vs muslims etc..

Oil is the biggest reason. It is important for russia to keep Syria, in tact to keep the base of theirs secure..

You get a unstable middle east, you get oil markets going hay wire. It is just a very unstable time in geo politics...

a reply to: maddy21

The are the same thing.

One side the Sunni. The other side the Shia.

a reply to: neo96

Shia's are far better than sunni's, most shia's i have met in my life are business centric intelligent people who simply want to live. You wont find many shia who accept the extreme Wahabi Islam, but on the other hand Sunni's are easily prone to wahabi , Soudi style ISlam...

originally posted by: neo96
a reply to: maddy21

The are the same thing.

One side the Sunni. The other side the Shia.

Yep, by your definition, that includes the US backed Free Syrian Army and El Nursa.

Hezbollah is assisting a legitimate government fight a IS we know are the root cause of of the problem.

So not if what difference it makes in this fight Sunni or Shia.

Are we all for getting IS irradicated or what?

a reply to: maddy21

No they aren't.

They are just extreme.

a reply to: InnerPeace2012

Those government are no more 'legitimate' than ours.

Because everyone knows it doesn't matter who your vote for or how often, but who counts them in the end.

Establish a base and from there you can mount a campaign.

I see no problem here. This is the middle east. Can we not let them begin to sort out their own problems?

What is the problem, is it because the West is not involved? I absolutely hope that this is successful in every way.

I am fed up of trying to somehow justify in my own mind the absolute disregard for life with regards to western ME policy.

originally posted by: Kemal
a reply to: maddy21

Russia should overthink who it supports. This map suggests that most of Russia's airstrikes hit the other Rebel groups (FSA, Nusrah, IF):

click

Also, listen to this Syrian Christian girl:

www.facebook.com...

Also, Russia doesn't help Syria because they love Assad that much... they just want more power and influence there.

Man people are full of ass-umtions on here!
Russia is backing the legitimate government of Syria because it is an ally!
Man I feel sorry for your friends if they get into a fight.

originally posted by: Kemal
a reply to: maddy21

Russia should overthink who it supports. This map suggests that most of Russia's airstrikes hit the other Rebel groups (FSA, Nusrah, IF):

You should be careful about what you read.

Map

This is an image now, and if you look at an image from january

M ap january

You will see, that your so called "rebels" are losing ground to both Assad and ISIS. But the major consequences of this conflict, is that ISIS is WINNING.

You want ISIS to win? if so, the go ahead and utter this crap ... vote Cameron. If not, sit and watch and hope Putin is getting it right. Because by the first map, sure seems he is.

If you look at these images carefully. You will see that ALL western maps are "downsizing" ISIS territory. Paint it as "blank" ... and then focus their airstrikes, on Assad regimes isles at stragetic positions inside ISIS territories. If you look at closely, you will at the positions the US is striking ... there is a small faction of Assad soldiers in that area.

The US strikes are targetted at Assad, not ISIS ... the Russian airstrikes, are stratetic strikes, and concentrated on the "battlefront" of each major position.

Proof, that US/UK are actually behind ISIS.

a reply to: maddy21

According to some reports China may get into this fight too allied of course with Russia and Syria.

I am thinking that their plan is to isolate and eliminate the FSA and other western backed rebels that are attempting to overthrow Assad first. Once they have them eliminated, they will turn all attention onto the ISIS groups.

ISIS has been more interested in taking territory than in attacking Assad's central strong points around Latakia. Russia is just letting them do their thing while attacking the more immediate threat posed to Assad by the western backed rebels. Afterwards they will start slaughtering ISIS.

There is no way the Shia forces of Hezbollah and Iran will leave ISIS as a threat in the region. They will just keep pounding them until they are all dead.

originally posted by: neo96

So its Hezbollah + Iran + Syrian Army backed by Russian Airforce Air cover and presumably Russian Special forces against Al Nusra and the Moderate Rebels.

So it's Russia backing Shia terrorists fighting the Western back Sunni terrorists.

And here are the Syrian civilians caught between a rock, and a hard place.

Let's look at who Hezbollah actually is. I have heard of them but confess to be entirely ignorant until now;

Hezbollah was conceived by Muslim clerics and funded by Iran following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, and was primarily formed to offer resistance to the Israeli occupation.[3] Its leaders were followers of Ayatollah Khomeini, and its forces were trained and organized by a contingent of 1,500 Iranian Revolutionary Guards that arrived from Iran with permission from the Syrian government.[20] After the 1982 invasion, Israel occupied a strip of south Lebanon, which was controlled by a militia supported by Israel, the South Lebanon Army. Hezbollah waged a guerilla campaign against them; with the collapse of the SLA, Israel withdrew on May 24, 2000.

Being described as a "state within a state",[21] Hezbollah has grown to an organization with seats in the Lebanese government, a radio and a satellite TV station, social services and large-scale military deployment of fighters beyond Lebanon's borders.[22][23][24] Hezbollah is part of the March 8 Alliance within Lebanon, in opposition to the March 14 Alliance. Hezbollah maintains strong support among Lebanon's Shi'a population,[25] while Sunnis have disagreed with the group's agenda.[26][27] Following the end of the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon in 2000, its military strength grew significantly,[28][29] such that its paramilitary wing is considered more powerful than the Lebanese Army.[30][31] Hezbollah receives military training, weapons, and financial support from Iran, and political support from Syria.[32] Hezbollah also fought against Israel in the 2006 Lebanon War.

Source

So, Iran funds, Syria offers political suppoer them and they share power in Lebanon. Hmmm perhaps not a terrorist organisation after all.

We all know them because of their actions within Palestine against the aggressive Jewish state.

It actually makes perfect sense that they would ally with the Syrian army, along with the Iranians who have been supplying arms to Syria since the start too.

The Syrian coalition is an unlikely band of brothers who are extremely unfamiliar to us here in the west, but I see no reason why they should not go and beat the crap out of the murderous terrorist groups who are raping and plundering the country displacing millions of every day people like all of us here on ATS

originally posted by: maddy21
Syrian Army has Captured KafrNabudah.

They are basically going to be wiped out. Not sure how many of the Rats are in that encircled area.

isn't that cute..

Uncle Russia helped Syria create their own Kessel.

originally posted by: neo96
So it's Russia backing Shia terrorists fighting the Western back Sunni terrorists.

say what?

the Syrian government asked the Russia and Iranian government to assist against the anti government forces that have been trained.
Hardly Shiite Terrorists - but nice attempt and spewing total garbage.

originally posted by: Bicent76
a reply to: Cobaltic1978

nah not the bible OIL. Not to mention holy wars muslims vs muslims etc..

Oil is the biggest reason. It is important for russia to keep Syria, in tact to keep the base of theirs secure..

You get a unstable middle east, you get oil markets going hay wire. It is just a very unstable time in geo politics...

13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God.
14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”
15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.
16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.

Anyone want to hazard to guess what countries the Euphrates river flows through ?
Notice the number of troops ?
China’s military advisers ‘heading to Syria to help fight ISIS’ – report

The argument against or for Syria and the issue regarding an offensive have been ignored.

Not surprised at all!

originally posted by: maddy21
a reply to: neo96

Hezbullah and ISIS aren't really the same. Infact Hezbullah is very popular in Lebenon. Their Ideologies and their goals are very different. Hezbullah is purely religious and Nationalistic.

www.yourmiddleeast.com...

Hezbullah has been demonised in the past due to its opposition with Isreal and U.S. Hezbullah is also militarily very very proficient. Both cannot be compared at all. ISIS may be payed and funded by U.S but those who join ISIS are extremists.

Then why is Hezbollah in Syria instead of keeping ISIS out of Lebanon right now??? The Christian and Druze are both fighting ISIS inside Lebanon while Hezbollah does jack crap to help the Lebanese Army protect their border from ISIS incursions. It is a major Under reported story right now.

originally posted by: Patriotsrevenge

originally posted by: maddy21
a reply to: neo96

Hezbullah and ISIS aren't really the same. Infact Hezbullah is very popular in Lebenon. Their Ideologies and their goals are very different. Hezbullah is purely religious and Nationalistic.

www.yourmiddleeast.com...

Hezbullah has been demonised in the past due to its opposition with Isreal and U.S. Hezbullah is also militarily very very proficient. Both cannot be compared at all. ISIS may be payed and funded by U.S but those who join ISIS are extremists.

Then why is Hezbollah in Syria instead of keeping ISIS out of Lebanon right now??? The Christian and Druze are both fighting ISIS inside Lebanon while Hezbollah does jack crap to help the Lebanese Army protect their border from ISIS incursions. It is a major Under reported story right now.

Because it is in their best interest to help Syrian Army fight ISIS, and not to mention Hezbullah , Iran and Syria have been allies for a long time. Hezbullah has been a huge help to Assad. Sitting on their rear ends waiting for their neighbor to be overrun by ISIS is akin to suicide. They will have a lot more than ISIS incursions to worry about if they had never helped Assad.

Syria 24 reporting PLAAF will soon join Russian Air Force in Syria

Syrian Army and NDF receiving modern Russian equipment, Russian camo, uniforms, Ballistic helmets, body armor etc....

twitter.com...

Here is some good footage of the offencive, best ive seen so far.


www.liveleak.com...
Syrian Army, Russian AirForces offensive in Ghab Plain and Lattakia


www.liveleak.com...
Offensive operation of Syrian army (from Russian TV). Eng. Subs.

One of the predictions from a while ago was that Assad would stay and his reputation be "rehabilitated" in the eyes of the West.

Russia may simply be doing the bidding here, and it's really business as usual, just a different team on the field.