Syrian Truce Officially Over

[Honorius]

Starting this morning, FSA groups have launched a full scale counter-attack in southern Aleppo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ZdOiIC-gU

I unfortunately don't have a translation though. Nothing bad, but it is a video from a warzone so treat it as NSFW if unsure.

But reading Twitter feeds and released Youtube Videos its big and already the FSA has retaken several villages such as el-Eis and Abu Ruwayl south of Aleppo and have breached the Regime's Defensive perimeter on a 40km wide front from South Aleppo Entrance to Abu Ruwayl.

As I stated before, the FSA will not negotiate with the Assad Regime. 95% of all those killed in the Syrian Civil War were killed by him, and it is Assad not IS that is the worst Terrorist. Nor will the FSA tolerate the SDF terrorists replacing IS and has vowed to TOW them to the graveyard and already did that to a failed SDF attempt to storm Azaz a few days ago.

After repeated violations of the Ceasefire by Assad, FSA is finally moving again now that Assad's main forces are in Homs and they have reorganized and re-equipped themselves for a renewed offensive to kick Assad, SDF, and IS out of Aleppo and bring their leaders to Justice one way or another.

[MKSheppard]

Time for Putin's men to come back and finish the job.

[Sea Skimmer]

Nowhere in or around Aleppo was ever covered by the truce according to the Russian released maps. Naturally keeping with its policy of being chickenshit the Obama regime has never released any map of its own.

Fighting did die down around south Aleppo, but that was simply because the Hezbollah troops whom had carried out the offensive in that area were overextended and then shifted to attacking Palmyra when it became apparent they would not be able to break through to their besieged guys at Al Fuah anytime soon.

[K. A. Pital]

But reading Twitter feeds and released Youtube Videos its big...

Dear me. If you didn't exist, we should have invented you.

[Sea Skimmer]

It is a reality of the war in Syria that videos on youtube are probably the single best source of information short of traveling in Syria. But only in the past tense, and when examined in large numbers certainly not as a projection of anything in the future. That video he linked too for example, in one shot you see a BMP-1 with the turret removed. That's a pretty reliable sign the vehicle has been converted into a suicide bomb... but with no video of it exploding for all we know the thing threw a track and then exploded its oil cooler. Liveleak is also useful since they don't delete a video simply because it showed a dead white person the way Google's utterly racist, biased and generally retarded censorship works.

[Honorius]

It is a reality of the war in Syria that videos on youtube are probably the single best source of information short of traveling in Syria. But only in the past tense, and when examined in large numbers certainly not as a projection of anything in the future. That video he linked too for example, in one shot you see a BMP-1 with the turret removed. That's a pretty reliable sign the vehicle has been converted into a suicide bomb... but with no video of it exploding for all we know the thing threw a track and then exploded its oil cooler. Liveleak is also useful since they don't delete a video simply because it showed a dead white person the way Google's utterly racist, biased and generally retarded censorship works.

It was used as a SVBIED, three total by JaN which was documented in a video release, since deleted by youtube. But LWJ has the highlights of it. Otherwise if you didn't download it before youtube deleted it, you have to shell out cash to SITE or really know where to look.

But what really struck me and my Stepdad who was a Bradley Dismount in the late 80s was:

1. They had PASGT Gear captured in skirmishes with the PMU defending that front of Aleppo and the assault troops who weren't going in BMPs wore it to advance in the open. All assault troops had orange identifying ribbons to distinguish them from the enemy.
2. They had US Humvees also captured in skirmishes with the PMU.
3. They had drones providing real time feed to a command center which was directing the SVBIEDs. It also enabled them to shift their artillery fires and record the PMU just running in a panic after their artillery zeroed in on their positions.
4. They showed basic competence in Mechanized Infantry Tactics, pairing a Humvee or Technical to a Tank and BMP-1 or 2. The Tank drew the fire so the BMP could unload the infantry and then go back for more so they would have protection from artillery shrapnel when going across the open ground.
5. Once they had sufficient troops in place, the AFVs worked together with the Infantry in clearing el-Eis.
6. They had established Causality drill.

13th Division also participated by providing artillery support and flank cover in their own video despite their recent spat with JaN. Fighting right now is focused around al-Hader and Tal el-Eis with SDF trying to attack the FSA Alliance as well without success at Azaz and around the Simeon Highlands only to get TOWed by Suqour al-Jabal and blasted by Turkish Artillery. They also tried to move out of Sheikh Masqoud only to be repelled. Also an air launched bomb hit an SDF HQ in Tell Rifaat and killed a number of that Terrorist Group's leaders. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the air strike. Overall Jaish al-Tahir, 13th Division, Safwa Battalions, Shamiyah Front, Faylaq al-Sham, Jaish Mujahidden, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam, and JaN are currently attacking in South Aleppo to cut the city off and pocket it while the North Aleppo FSA Groups secure the Turkish Border first by kicking IS and SDF terrorists out then completing the encirclement and the start of the Turkish proposed safe zone.

Other good news for FSA is they are now fighting on the edge of El-Rai. TSK has been heavily supporting their push for the past 17 days with cross-border fire and IS sent out the civilians and their families. FSA's main goal remains to seize the control of the Turkish Border and Manbij Plains and kick the SDF terrorists back across the Euphrates where they don't care if they and IS kill each other over Raqqah while they then deal with Afrin and Aleppo city.

[Honorius]

Rebels downed another Regime Jet.

The pilot can be considered dead. Far as the rebels are concerned, he is a war criminal who has deliberately targeted women and children and deserves death. Shed no tears for him.

Also Rebels are now expanding their offensive to cleanse the SDF Terrorists out of Sheikh Masqoud in Aleppo City after repeated attempts by the SDF Terrorists to seize the Castello Road. Video is mortar shelling but it is a war zzone so consider it NSFW if unsure.

This war will continue till Assad is dead and his regime destroyed. Those who bitch more about ruins being destroyed than living people being slaughtered are scumbags contributing to the lawlessness of the Assad Regime and the resulting symptoms of IS and SDF Terrorists.

There is only one moral option to this war: The end of the Assad Regime and trials for its Baby Killers and enablers. The babies gassed on live television and starved to death, the destroyed cities people lived in, and the aspirations of Syrians to choose via elections how they are governed deserve no less. And if people don't understand that, then fuck them, no one who matters in Syria gives a flying fuck what they think.

[MKSheppard]

If only assad hadn't given up his chemicals.

[K. A. Pital]

If only assad hadn't given up his chemicals.

...you would have probably invaded by now.

[Purple]

Rebels downed another Regime Jet.

The pilot can be considered dead. Far as the rebels are concerned, he is a war criminal who has deliberately targeted women and children and deserves death. Shed no tears for him.

And why shouldn't we? Unless you can prove that man explicitly performed an act of war crime you are effectively gleefully enjoying the death of a person whose only crime in life is being on the opposite side across the faction you support. If the people on the ground in your preferred faction think that way are they really any better than Assad? I would say not.

[Joun_Lord]

Only tangentially related to the topic at hand, but I really feel for both sides in this conflict. No not fucking Al Assad or fucking ISIS, both those fuckers can eat a bag of moldy dog dicks. No I feel for the normal fighters on both sides and the civies caught in the crossfire.

There are villains on both sides but generally the rank and file are not. From what it seems like the average dude is just a person who wants to fight for the good of their country. The Rebel Scum are fighting against a corrupt murderous dictator who has killed a great many people including alleged direct attacks on civilians with chemical weapons. The government troops are fighting probable terrorists who had torn their country asunder and pal around with people who almost make the Nazi's look nice and cuddly, almost.

Neither is exactly wrong. Both seem to want the best for Syriastan but are so completely opposed it wrecked what was once a pretty modern country and turned it into a bombed out hellhole. The bombed out hellhole that was once home to millions, and now millions have fled the fighting, probably thousands have died, countless others wounded, starving, miserable, and unable to do shit about it.

Yeah, its sad about the archeological sites being fucked up by ISIS or the fighting itself, really sucks about the starving zoo animals that were butchered to feed starving people but what really gets me in the soldiers fighting and killing each other for differences of opinion more or less and all the civilians whose entire world has been destroyed.

And probably the saddest thing is so few people care. Everyone who has even the slightest care seems to only care that its yet another round of dick waving between American and Russia or only care that some ancient rocks get kersploded or how the refugees are flooding our shores. But most people don't even care that much. And I know, I know its hard to care. It hard to care for shit going on half a world away that they cannot do shit about. Its hard to worry about the lives of others when they got their own lives to worry about. But it seems so fucking wrong to care about what tv show is being canceled or what wacky shenanigans the Kardashians are up to now when an entire region is filled with untold misery and death.

I dunno, maybe its all people can do. Dwelling on it makes people want to do something and could possibly make the situation worse, make even more misery and death maybe.

But either way ISIS and Assad can fuck off.

[Honorius]

Rebels downed another Regime Jet.

The pilot can be considered dead. Far as the rebels are concerned, he is a war criminal who has deliberately targeted women and children and deserves death. Shed no tears for him.

And why shouldn't we? Unless you can prove that man explicitly performed an act of war crime you are effectively gleefully enjoying the death of a person whose only crime in life is being on the opposite side across the faction you support. If the people on the ground in your preferred faction think that way are they really any better than Assad? I would say not.

He was shot down while bombing a market. This officer was previously shot down last year while bombing a market only that time he was recovered by SAA.

At this point every SyAAF Pilot has at one point bombed markets or hospitals. Even if they didn't they are part of an organization that deliberately targets markets, schools, hospitals, and area bombs just to kill civilians and are collectively responsible. In addition, Syria has PGMs, so their area bombing is just senseless destruction designed to punish civilians.

So yes he is a war criminal and he is getting what he deserves: A swift trial followed by swift execution. Combined with IS lucky strike on Duymair Airbase yesterday that killed five SyAAF Pilots including three squadron commanders, means six less aerial terrorists bombing civilians.

Also good news is FSA has el-Rai surrounded now and will soon have that border crossing secure before moving on Jarabulus, al-Bab, and Manbij.

South Aleppo, al-Masdar posted an embarrassing retraction after if it turned out SAA's (actually IRGC's) counter-attack failed to retake el-Eis. Especially after the FSA Alliance posted a video showing they were still in control. No visible combat and quiet.

Abu Rawan the leader of the SDF Terrorist stronghold Sheikh Masqoud is also dead, and the neighborhood now isolated from SAA lines. In time all SDF held territory will be liberated by FSA who will treat those terrorists the same as the Regime and IS.

In Damascus City itself, several Assad Generals and Asma Assad's bodyguards were assassinated by an FSA cell or so they claim, Regime media has yet to comment on it, but if the latter is true, they might not.

Outside Damascus, according to SOHR and Amaq (All videos since deleted by youtube), IS despite being kicked out of Palmyra and Qaratyan has broken the Regime defense perimeter in Eastern Qalamoun and pocketed both the Sayqil ( FSA holds one side of it) and Dumayr Airbase, captured a major regime supply base between them (Why they never blow these up before capture I never understand), and from the looks of it have basically destroyed the Tishrin Power Plant and its just a fight over scrap rights like Baiji Refinery.

FSA units in Eastern Qalamoun right now are just letting IS and Regime Forces kill each other and told Regime troops in Sayqil good luck when they asked them to rescue them from being beheaded. With luck, IS and the Regime will mutually each slaughter each other enough that FSA can attempt a linkup with East Ghouta Pocket. They have a lot of Jordanian Supplied Military Gear and Humvees and fresh recruits who came of age in the Jordanian Refugee Camps who are completing military training to join them.

This war is far from over. But the FSA will not stop till the Regime, SDF, and IS are removed from Syria.

[Purple]

You lost me at collective responsibility. Anyone who believes in that sort of thing is a barbarian unworthy of western civilization.

[Esquire]

Out of curiosity, Honorious, could you summarize the strategic situation as you percieve it? A list of Arabic place-names isn't especially useful, but a basic assessment of allies, materiel, territory, and populations as current might be.

[K. A. Pital]

The Syrian plane was apparently downed by Ahrar Ash-Sham and the pilot taken prisoner by Al-Nusra.

Ahrar ash-Sham leader Hassan Aboud stated that Ahrar ash-Sham worked with Nusra Front and would have no problems with Nusra as long as they continued fighting Assad, Aboud also said Ahrar worked with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in some battles but that their agenda was disagreeable. Aboud also said all parties shared the same objective of establishing an Islamic State, whether they were ISIS, Al Nusra, the Islamic Front, or the FSA but they differed as to the "tactics, strategies or methods".[61][62][63][64] Aboud noted that in Syria "there are no secular groups".[65]

Hassan Aboud condemned democracy in an interview with Al-Jazeera, saying that "Democracy is people governing people, according to rules they please, We say that we have a divine system whose law is Allah's for his creatures and his slaves who he appointed as viceregents on this Earth."[66] (الديمقراطية هي أن تحكم الناس بالناس وفق ما يرتئون له من أحكام، نحن نقول بأن لدينا نظاماً ربانياً شرعه الله لخلقه وعباده وهو استخلفنا في هذه الأرض)[67]

An Islamic Front Sharia Court Judge in Aleppo Mohamed Najeeb Bannan stated "The legal reference is the Islamic Sharia. The cases are different, from robberies to drug use, to moral crimes. It's our duty to look at any crime that comes to us. . . After the regime has fallen, we believe that the Muslim majority in Syria will ask for an Islamic state. Of course, it's very important to point out that some say the Islamic Sharia will cut off people's hands and heads, but it only applies to criminals. And to start off by killing, crucifying etc. That is not correct at all." In response to being asked what the difference between the Islamic Front's and ISIS's version of sharia would be, he said "One of their mistakes is before the regime has fallen, and before they've established what in Sharia is called Tamkeen [having a stable state], they started applying Sharia, thinking God gave them permission to control the land and establish a Caliphate. This goes against the beliefs of religious scholars around the world. This is what [IS] did wrong. This is going to cause a lot of trouble. Anyone who opposes [IS] will be considered against Sharia and will be severely punished."[68]

Ahrar ash-Sham and the Islamic Front in general issued condolences for Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar upon his death.[69][70][71]

Al-Nusra Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra (Arabic: جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام‎ Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahli ash-Shām, "The Support Front for the People of Al-Sham", often abbreviated to JN or JaN), sometimes called al-Qaeda in Syria or al-Qaeda in the Levant,[41] is a Sunni Islamist militia fighting against Syrian Government forces in the Syrian Civil War, with the aim of establishing an Islamist state in the country.[42] It is the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda,[43] and also operates in neighbouring Lebanon.[44] In early 2015, the group became one of the major components of the powerful jihadist joint operations room named the Army of Conquest, which took over large territories in Northwestern Syria,

Only idiot motherfuckers whose brain was fucked into fucking pulp like Honorius would try to paint this as some sort of brave deed or achievement.

"Rebels" my ass.

My sympathies to all people who don't follow political islam and want to live in a modern secular country - they better run from Syria and the Middle East because thanks to islamist shitheads, there won't be such countries there and sure as hell Syria won't be one even if there's a ceasefire as a 'ceasefire' with the Army of Conquest and Al-Nusra is like a ceasefire with ISIL.

As for the Salafist islamists, hope they die horribly and hope their rich Saudi and Qatari sponsors also die.

In fact Ahrar Ash-Sham, Al-Nusra and ISIS should be excluded from any ceasefire agreements and destroyed. Too bad that won't happen because Americans are idiots who can't see another Taliban growing under their fucking nose flush with Saudi cash.

[Gandalf]

You lost me at collective responsibility. Anyone who believes in that sort of thing is a barbarian unworthy of western civilization.

Please elaborate.

[K. A. Pital]

I'm not Purple, but I think collective responsibility is a concept very alien to modern secular law. It has been rarely applied (for example, to the SS after WWII, but even then, the collective criminality of the organization did not mean automatic prosecution of any SS-man for the crimes; guilt had to be established and proven individually).

Collective responsibility is usually something people associate with summary execution of POWs and similar war crimes. Individual responsibility and due process on the other hand signify a functioning and healthy legal system...

At least, in theory, but one can say that the historical practice of applying collective responsibility likewise hasn't been stellar and consists mostly of war crimes, summary executions, ethnic cleansing, genocide, mass executions and imprecise terrorism.

Therefore, the princple of collective responsiblity (especially when enacted by the likes of Army of Conquest and Al-Quaeda in Syria, although not the point) is indeed a sign of no civilization.

Or would you like me perhaps to apply this principle to the modern US? Any US soldier is then automatically a war criminal (for the 2003 invasion - which is a war crime according to the UN standards, conspiracy to launch a war of aggression) and can be therefore summarily executed through any kind of vigilante justice. Fair?

[Purple]

What K.A. said. Like, I tried adding something. But he covered it all well enough.

[Honorius]

Mountain Hawks got new TOWs today and went out to TOW SDF terrorists today when they attempted to break out of the pocket FSA has put them in.

Note these are from a warzone so consider them NSFW though no bodies are shown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxSXiw_1py0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr7MouF ... tml5=False

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gimqPN ... tml5=False

They also have other videos showing their part in the cleansing operation against the SDF Terrorists in Sheikh Masqoud. Progress is steady, it is a concrete jungle there and they have to use heavy weapons just to root those terrorists out. But root them out they will. At every turn, SDF backstabbed the FSA, broke every truce, and collaborated with the Regime. Not anymore, they were always terrorists and the only difference between them and IS was that IS was honest about its scumbaggery.

Also El-Rai Border crossing is now in FSA hands, and they mopping up el-Rai city itself of any lingering IS presence and making sure there aren't any surprises left behind. They are now setting eyes on the Euphrates River and Manbij Plains. If SDF gets in their way they will treat them the same way they treat IS and the Regime and kill them. The Final capture of the border crossing was aided by Turkey letting Ahrar ash-Sham, a Saudi Supported group attack from the Turkish side aided by Turkish Tank Fire.

FSA has also announced their intention to cleanse Afrin and that preparations and coordination with Turkey are beginning. If Obama protests, fuck him, he is in no position to speak when he let Assad massacre civilians and blew every chance in 2014 to help the opposition.