The Geneva talks collapsed before it could even begin, and for weeks now, battles are raging inside Syria’s largest city of Aleppo that will soon decide who will win the war in the devastated country.
Under the cover of Russian Aviation, the Syrian Army and volunteers, Hezbollah fighters, Iranian Special Forces, and Iraqi Army, are now encircling Daesh terrorists inside Aleppo.
This is the reason why both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are now floating the idea of a ground invasion to “fight terrorism” which could only mean one thing, i.e. they want to rescue their ISIS Daesh mercenaries trapped inside Aleppo where its most valuable supply line for arms and oil smuggling with Turkey has been effectively cut-off.
Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:4
Syrian Army, Hezbollah Cut off Militants’ Main Supply Route from Turkey
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops alongside Hezbollah fighters drove the militant groups back from their main supply line near the border with Turkey and imposed full control over the highway.
The Syrian army men and Hezbollah ultimately cut off the terrorist groups’ main supply route from the Turkish city of Gaziantep, marking the first time in nearly 3 years that they have had a presence along the Aleppo-Gaziantep Highway that stretches through the Aleppo province’s Northern countryside.
With the recent capture of Ratyan and Mayer in Northern Aleppo, the Syrian Armed Forces have finally reached the Aleppo-Gaziantep Highway near the contested villages of Bayanoun, Kafr Naya, and Hayyan after an intense battle with the terrorists of al-Nusra Front, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Jeish Al-Mujahiddeen, Harakat Nouriddeen al-Zinki, and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham.
The Aleppo-Gaziantep Highway was the primary roadway for the militants to transfer supplies and reinforcements to the provincial capital of Aleppo province; its obstruction forces the opposition to rely on seasonal roads from the Idlib province that are easy targets for the Russian and Syrian Air Forces.
Also on Saturday, the Syrian army troops and their popular allies continued to target the militant groups’ positions along one of the supply routes of the terrorists in the Northern part of Aleppo and pushed them back form the battlefield following hours of intense battle.
The Syrian army troops, Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF) and several Iraqi paramilitary units imposed full control over Bashkoy-Ratyan Road after seizing the important Soap Factory from al-Nusra Front and Jeish al-Mujahiddeen.
The capture of Bashkoy-Ratyan Road has allowed the Syrian Armed Forces and their allies to advance against the militants in Hayyan.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941118000402
Previous to this very significant development inside Aleppo, the Syrian Army has also wiped out critical Daesh high ground positions in the mountainous parts of Latakia which should give the Russian-led coalition more strategic advantage .
“The Syrian Army took control of most of the Jabal Al-Turkmen mountainous region leaving hundreds of militants killed and wounded. The government forces inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists in other provinces too.
Al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front and the Free Syrian Army lost scores of their fighters during the fierce clashes in northern Latakia, retreating over a vast region to avoid more casualties, the agency reported.”
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160130/1033962100/syria-army-advance.html#ixzz3zVJA7DFL
So, when Turkey refused to allow Russian monitoring party to fly over the country under the Open Skies Treaty with NATO, Russia’s intelligence about Turkish military movement along the border was confirmed. This latest Erdogan stunt could be his way of dragging NATO to war one more time, i.e. just like he did when he ordered the shooting down of one Su-24 bomber inside Syria.
The problem for the two countries is that while some rouge elements in the CIA may be prodding them to instigate hostilities in Syria even at this late hour in the game, the White House is not willing to start WW3 with the Russians.
The White House was pinning some hope at the negotiation table in Geneva for some geopolitical concessions, but the scheduled pep talk collapsed early on as both sides could not agree on who the real oppositions are, and the Russian-led coalition has been pounding even harder on Daesh for the last 3 days, because it is sheer stupidity to pepper any talks about peace with ridiculous preconditions that would allow the terrorists to regroup.
The ongoing enhanced military operations against Daesh should make any negotiation moot and academic very soon, and Obama’s point man understands the situation very well:
“America’s top diplomat also said that the country should expect another three months of bombing that would “decimate” the opposition, according to Middle East Eye who also says that Kerry left the aid workers with “the distinct impression” that the US is abandoning efforts to support rebel fighters.
In other words, Washington has come to terms with the fact that there’s only one way out of this now. It’s either go to war with Russia and Iran or admit that this particular effort to bring about regime change in the Mid-East simply isn’t salvageable.
“He said that basically, it was the opposition that didn’t want to negotiate and didn’t want a ceasefire, and they walked away,” a second aid worker told MEE.
“‘What do you want me to do? Go to war with Russia? Is that what you want?’” the aid worker said Kerry told her.”
So, while Daesh militants are having a nightmare in hell for the last 127 days, Kerry is having a good time with his bestfriend Lavrov.
Saudi, for its part, hasn’t been making headways in Yemen. In fact, it’s the Houthis that’s been gaining ground since Russia and Iran became visibly active in Syria.
Saudi Arabia’s call to send its ground troops to aid the coalition against Daesh – also known as ISIS – in Syria has received ridicule from the commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard.
“They claim they will send troops (to Syria), but I don’t think they will dare do so,” Jafari told reporters in Tehran. “They have a classic army and history tells us such armies stand no chance in fighting irregular resistance forces. This will be like a coup de grace for them.
“Apparently, they see no other way but this, and if this is the case, then their fate is sealed.”
As with Kerry, three months of constant bombardment against Daesh positions seem realistic.
Here’s Aleppo today,
Hello Folks
Let me ask you, precisely who are the terrorists! Historically there are a number of old foes from European history, namely France, Germany, England and Spain, who claimed the Americas as their own. They did so by force of Arms. Later on these same European Monarchies fought between themselves for what has become the United States of America.
By comparison, Russia, as a Monarchy, as a Soviet, and as the new Capitalist Democracy, is a new comer: However it is not blameless, AS IT SUFFERS FROM THE SAME DISEASE AS ITS EUROPEAN COUSINS. It is at heart, of Viking Blood!!
How is it then that the traditional peoples of the middle east, at war with one another, are considered the terrorists within their own collective territories. Are they not, as was the case in Europe, a common people at war with one another!!!
They forego peace and prosperity within their region so long as they remain conquered by national-religious divisions. In my view, it is a Caliphate of the Islamic Heart and Mind that is lacking, whereas the would be Caliphate of the Sword continues to bleeds Islam dry.
Anthony P Healy
yawn….
What we’re looking at is the face of the so called religion of peace.