It's a pretty insane world we live in that between NFL playoffs and college bball I can switch to twitter videos of the latest middle east killings
Had a buddy who was in Jerusalem last week. He's originally from Afghanistan but is a Canadian citizen with a Canadian passport. He was detained for two hours at the border ( with Jordan ) before entering. Part of a religious tour. So many places they weren't allowed to go to and told not to take pictures of.
I was there in 2000 with my friend who is American citizen but born in Iran, holy fuck that was an 6 hour ordeal dealing with the Israelis.....my friends family in Iran wasn't even Muslim that's why they left when the Shah lost power
The International Coalition Carried out a Landing Operation In The Western Countryside of Deir Ezzor On Sunday http://en.deirezzor24.net/the-inter...-western-countryside-of-deir-ezzor-on-sunday/ Spoiler The International Coalition executed a landing operation On Sunday afternoon in an areas located between the Kabr village the Jazra town in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor, during which they managed to kill and arrest a number of Daesh fighters. Four helicopters airdropped several foreign forces, including Arab ones, from 2.45 pm to 4 .00 pm and then they withdrew after fulfilling a mission. The landing forces cut off the road linking between the Kabr village and the Jazra village by the establishement of checkpoints and then they raided the water plant in the Kabr whee they areested a number of Daesh fighters This coincided with the targeting of an ISIL Van vehicle. Civilians were not hurt during the operation as the Coalition prevented them from reaching the area. The Coalition executed before several landing operations against Daesh positions in the province during which several notable Daesh commanders were killed and arrested.
BEIRUT — The U.S.-led coalition has carried out a ground operation in eastern Syria aimed at capturing leaders of the Islamic State, U.S. officials and Syrian activist networks said Monday. The raid took place Sunday near a small town along the Euphrates River valley to the north of the city of Deir al-Zour, deep in the heart of Islamic State territory, the activists said. Troops who landed on helicopters spent about 90 minutes in the area, then left carrying Islamic State captives and bodies, according to witnesses quoted by the website Deir al-Zour 24, which monitors Islamic State activity in that province. https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...932d788be01_story.html?utm_term=.124a9c60fec2
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...lear-catastrophe-engineers-risk-a7510686.html not sure how much of that is hyperbole or not (re: omg its failing we all gonna die)
Per Wiki, they've been saying it's "imminent" for at least a year, but some Italian company has been making repairs on it since September.
I actually dig the raid. just a few scattered ones will probably have a nice psychological impact, especially if they're deep in IS territory. making them uncomfortable even to sleep has got to be unnerving even for them.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Opinion...d-the-state-of-the-Syrian-army/2941484225792/ The Fifth Corps and the state of the Syrian army Spoiler OTTAWA, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- On Nov. 22, the General Command of the Syrian Army announced the formation of its first official volunteer-based military force, the Fifth Assault Corps. The official statement described it as a commando force aimed at "fighting terrorism," which would be deployed alongside other army units and foreign allied forces (but did not specify where). Among the populations targeted for recruitment are civilians who are not already drafted for military service, army deserters and government workers. The Fifth Corps offers recruits a monthly salary and case settlement for those who previously deserted their military posts. Volunteers with government jobs are given yearlong contracts and continue to receive their government wages and benefits, in addition to their Fifth Corps salary. A Facebook page claiming to be the official page of the force, named "the Syrian Arab Army – Fifth Corps," which already has over 8,000 likes, listed a phone number for potential recruits to call and learn about the benefits of joining. The formation of the Fifth Corps and its unprecedented army recruitment tactics highlight the complexity of the regime's military situation in Syria. With the creation of the new force, the regime is attempting to address two major issues: the lack of indigenous manpower compared to the massive pro-Assad foreign presence and the need to institutionalize auxiliary forces into the army. How this plays out on the ground will determine the future of the Syrian Army, as well as Russian-Iranian relations, their ability to cooperate and their positions in post-war Syria. The current state of Assad's army Over the past five years, the Syrian regime has lost significant manpower. In July 2015, just two months before Russia's military intervention, President Bashar al-Assad said that his army was facing "a shortfall in human capacity." Russian forces were able to fill this gap, massively aiding regime troops fighting the opposition, and within a year were able to shift the balance of power on the ground. Prior to the war, the Syrian army was estimated to be around 300,000 strong, composed primarily of mandatorily conscripted youths. As of October 2015, it was estimated to be between 80,000 and 100,000. This substantial decrease is the result of mass defections (beginning directly after army forces were ordered to attack peaceful protesters in 2011), high death tolls and draft dodgers. With such numbers, Assad's forces would be unable to survive the war without the support of local and foreign militias, as well as military contributions from Iran and Russia. Three terms are currently being used in the regime's Arabic-language official media to describe pro-Assad troops on the ground: "armed forces" – referencing the conscription-based army; "auxiliary forces" – referencing volunteer-based local militias such as the National Defense Forces; and "allied forces" – referencing foreign forces, such as Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian, Iraqi-Shiite and Russian forces. Local militias were established to operate primarily within communities that were controlled by and important for the regime, such as Latakia, Tartus, Homs, Hama and the capital Damascus. Moreover, most of these militias do not necessarily fall under the regime's direct control and much of their funding comes from shady pro-regime businessmen, with recruitment based on sectarian lines. Given the religious motivation behind such groups, the majority are known to operate under the leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon's Hezbollah. In addition, local forces are expected to fight in areas near to their hometowns, limiting their deployment, allowing the regime to maintain control, albeit through proxies, of Assad's support base in the coastal and center-western regions. Russia and Iran's (turbulent) marriage Assad is conducting his war against the opposition with few troops of his own. Since Russia entered the Syrian conflict in September 2015, Moscow has been wary of conducting military planning and coordination with the chaotic kaleidoscope of non-institutionalized, Iran-controlled militias. Russian commanders reportedly prefer to work with official Syrian state institutions. In response to Russian pressure, a month after Moscow's entrance into Syria, the regime established what it called the Fourth Corps, combining NDF and other paramilitary groups. Pro-regime columnist Mayson Yousef wrote in al-Watan newspaper that the creation of the Fourth Corps proves that the Syrian Army is "holding power and control and is capable of reorganizing and creating units," reassuring "the friend [Russia] with its ability to control ... circumstances." She added that in doing so the regime is helping its Russian supporters. Following its creation, the Fourth Corps made advances against the opposition in Hama with noticeable Russian air support. However, given that auxiliary groups such as the NDF are still active over a year after the establishment of the Fourth Corps and have not merged with it, this indicates that full coordination between Russia and Iran has not been successful, at least until now, and that the Syrian army is unable to influence all non-state forces to align with its larger strategic objectives. Assad's need for indigenous Syrian troops The creation of a volunteer military force under the command of the Ministry of Defense suggests that the regime is trying to gain some control over local forces. Multiple pro-regime media outlets reported that Hezbollah and Russia are taking lead roles in funding the Fifth Corps. This implies that another attempt by Russia and Iran to institutionalize local forces is underway. In broad terms, the Fourth Corps failed in this goal, but it did establish some official army oversight on auxiliary groups in Latakia and Hama. The Assad regime is making great efforts to get new volunteers to join the Fifth Corps, something that was not part of the Fourth Corps' plan, one that solely focused on established auxiliary groups. The regime is employing nearly all mobilization means to attract new recruits. Other than the aforementioned salary – which is a great offer for Syrian youth facing high unemployment – the government is also using religious calls to incite recruitment. The Ministry of Religious Endowments (awqaf) ordered the head imams of mosques in regime-held areas to mobilize the youth to join the Fifth Corps. On Dec. 20, the imam of the Grand Umayyad Mosque in Damascus publicly exhorted young Syrians to join the Fifth Corps during a televised Friday prayer. Leaflets promoting the new force were left in government-produced bread bags, and advertisements ran on state television and in newspapers. This indicates that the regime not only wants more troops, but needs Syrian troops in particular. It remains unclear how successful the Fifth Corps will be, or whether it can overcome Russian-Iranian differences, but it indicates that the current state of the Syrian army is alarming on many levels. The future of the country's defense forces is being propped up by long-term foreign investments. Assad is granting Russia and Iran long-term contracts to control what remains of the army, which may hinder post-war reforms of this state institution. What's more, over the past year, the Assad regime has further entrenched the sectarian divides of the Syrian army. Adding a force such as the Fifth Corps to the military and effectively institutionalizing sectarian auxiliary groups will only deepen the army's sectarian nature, a move quite similar to that of Iraq's decision to legalize the Shiite-led Popular Mobilization Units. It is clear, at this point, that the state army in Syria will be inherently influenced by foreign powers in the long run. This consequence will not only obstruct the peace process among Syrians, but also regional stability, as Syria will likely continue to be the competition field of rival regional and international powers. Abdulrahman al-Masri is a Syrian journalist and analyst who focuses on Middle East politics and security and foreign policy. This article originally appeared on Syria Deeply, and you can find the original here. For important news about the war in Syria,you can sign up to the Syria Deeply email list.
the one guy who was off to the side saying "hey guys wait for me" got there just in time to get blown up. The two guys in the front were vaporized and never felt a thing.
"Hey, what's up Omar?" "Ah, you know, same ole same ole, you?" "Fucking wife's being a cu....{explosion}"
How many of those videos have to come out before groups of people stop standing out in the open while in hostile territory?
Islamic State stage fierce attack on Syrian army enclave https://www.yahoo.com/news/dozens-reported-dead-syrian-army-fights-islamic-state-120016726.html Spoiler BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State has launched its fiercest assault in a year against a besieged Syrian government enclave in the city of Deir al-Zor, trying to cut it off from a nearby military air base in a battle that has killed dozens. A Syrian military source said the fighting was intense. "This attack is one of the most fierce attempts by Daesh on the airport and the area," the source told Reuters, using an Arabic term for the group. "It seems Daesh has mobilized a big force." Describing the fighting as the fiercest in the eastern city for a year, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday that at least 82 people had been killed. It also reported that Islamic State had cut the road linking the air base to the rest of the government enclave, meaning the army would be able to supply the city only by air drops, but this was denied by the military source. The governor of Deir al-Zor, Mohammad Ibrahim Samra, said in a telephone interview on state television that clashes were taking place on the air base road. The fiercest fighting was around the Deir al-Zor cemetery and a road junction known locally as the Panorama Roundabout, the Observatory said. The dead comprised 28 from the army and allied militia, at least 40 Islamic State fighters, and 14 civilians, the British-based monitoring group said. Syrian state news agency SANA said the army had killed dozens of Islamic State fighters in attacks on the group's positions around Deir al-Zor. Islamic State advanced into Deir al-Zor and the surrounding area in 2015 and managed to besiege it last year, but the army retained control of the airport and neighboring districts in the city, which lies on the Euphrates river. A U.S.-backed coalition of Kurdish and Arab militias and rival Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups have pushed Islamic State from much of its territory in northern Syria, but it remains embedded in the eastern desert and Euphrates basin. Last month it recaptured the city of Palmyra, 185 km (115 miles) southwest of Deir al-Zor, from the government in an unexpected advance that demonstrated its continuing military threat. (Reporting by Angus McDowall and Tom Perry; editing by Giles Elgood and David Stamp)
Full tweet thread from pro-SAA @sayed_ridha about Deir Ez Zor situation Situation remains very tense in DeirEzzor as IS maintains encirclement of Airbase after cutting the route connecting it to the city & 137th IS maintains double siege with control of almost all Tharda points, as well as the cemetery & the Worker's Mt + reaching Port Said street In Airbase pocket, SAA maintain positions in Tahtuh + Harabesh districts, IS was able to take full control of Industrial + Makabis areas Units in DeirEzzor are the Republican Guard, 17th Division, local/tribal NDF, Galilee Forces (Palestinian) & Hezbollah (advisory role) Police, Airforce Intel and military security forces also take part in clashes against IS mainly inside the city No reinforcements are able to land in DeirEzzor via helicopters as previously done due to IS control over strategic Tharda Mt & hills IS is being pushed out from north Raqqa, Iraq + east Aleppp towards the Syrian desert where it shares a very long frontline with Syrian Army IS has relocated many of its weapons, armor, fighters and their families to Jazira region between Raqqa - DeirEzzor - al-Qa'im IS goal in capturing DeirEzzor is to re-establish a stronghold & reorganize in the desert following a string of defeats and retreats SAA in DeirEzzor have been a thorn in IS' side for a very long time and at a cost has been able to stand despite waves of attacks & siegeT here is ~100,000 civilians living under Gov in DeirEzzor that are suffering besiegement by IS from outside & lack of food/medicine in cit Despite being ignored by the Western media and the howling of the Opposition to IS' takbirs, DeirEzzor will resist