ISIS update 10/08/2016..US Russia tension growing over Syrian crisis

Russia to Take Down Airplane or Missile Targeting Syrian Army

Russia Launches No Fly Zone – Threatens War With US

US Russia tension growing over Syrian crisis

US gets ready for war with Russia because of Assad

UNSC to vote on Russia’s resolution on Aleppo

Pentagon Begins Low-Intensity, Stealth War in Syria

by Mike Whitney

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/10/07/pentagon-begins-low-intensity-stealth-war-in-syria/

……………….Bottom line: The Pentagon is basically prosecuting their own little war in Syria and then chatting up the policy with Obama when they damn-well feel like it. Here’s more from the Washington Post: “The CIA and the Joint Chiefs of Staff … expressed support for such “kinetic” options, the official said … That marked an increase of support for striking Assad compared with the last time such options were considered.” (Washington Post)

Of course they want to bomb Assad. They’re losing! Everyone wants to bomb someone when they’re losing. It’s human nature. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. It’s a very bad idea. Just like supporting Sunni extremists is a bad idea. Just like giving shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS) to fanatical crackpots is a bad idea. How crazy is that? And how long before one of these religious nutcases use their new toys to take down an Israeli or American jetliner?

Not very long, I’d wager. The idea of doubling-down on homicidal maniacs (By providing them with more lethal weapons) is really one of the dumbest ideas of all time, and yet, the Pentagon and CIA seem to think that it’s tip-top military strategy. Here’s one last blurb from the WA Post article:

“Kerry’s deputy, Antony Blinken, testified last week that the U.S. leverage in Russia comes from the notion that Russia will eventually become weary of the cost of its military intervention in Syria. “The leverage is the consequences for Russia of being stuck in a quagmire that is going to have a number of profoundly negative effects,” Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.” (Washington Post)

See? There it is in black and white. “Quagmire”. The new “Plan C” strategy is designed to create a quagmire for Putin by gradually ratcheting up the violence forcing him to prolong his stay and deepen his commitment. It’s a clever trap and it could work, too. The only hitch is that Putin and his allies appear to be making steady headway on the battlefield. That’s going to make a lot harder for Syria’s enemies to continue the provocations and incitements without triggering massive retaliation.

But maybe Carter hasn’t thought about that yet.

Russia And US Prepare For War In Syria

Moscow accuses US of trying to fan anti-Russian Hysteria

American stupidity is worse than terrorism – Russia

Maybe de Mistura can separate the opposition from al-Nusrah?

Iran calls for ceasefires in Syria, Yemen

Syria: Army forces retake key hilltop near Aleppo from opposition militia – reports

Syrian army and rebels battle for Aleppo’s Sheikh Saeed

Sturm Aleppo. 08.10.2016 – Colonel Cassad

In the north of the city of CAA and “Liwa al-Quds” completely took quarter Avidzha, key height to the south of the district, isolation Zhandul (there still is a battle and full control is not, although the flag already there hung) and part of the ruined building Manashir-alBreydzh in North-west. In fact, the insurgents crawl away in the quarter-Aaiun Tal and Haidar. Before their assault, the army will take the height of the Asfar, which will ensure complete comfort during the assault on the northern neighborhoods of Aleppo. In the coming days we can expect that the boiler in Aleppo reduced in size due to the retreat of militants in the north.

The only success of militants in recent days – in the counter could squeeze in a few parts of the Republican Guard buildings and wasteland in the quarter Sahour, eliminated direct threat to the road going to the side of Aleppo Airport. Over the counter undertaken by forces captured the northern part of the city, and that led to the weakening of defense in the north of the boiler.

In the south, the army gradually moving in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Said and Al-Ameria, as well as to the north-east of Ramuseha, created the preconditions for the use of length of tracks Sheikh Said-Ramuseh, which will play the role of a belt road, using which the army will be more convenient to carry out further operations to sweep the southern districts. From the outside of the ring, fighting in 1070 and building on the outskirts of Rashidin 5 CAA little success did not bring. Insurgents, too, though there is nothing their environment “colleagues” can not help, probably a full-fledged effort to counter-attack is not enough.

In general, the CAA and its allies continue to maintain positive dynamics in the development of the storming of Aleppo – every day the boiler gradually reduced in size, although militants Defense decay is not observed yet – they are still hoping that the West will save them.
Plans for the CAA is quite prosaic – to convert accumulated tactical successes into strategic victory, no way would be the capture of the city. And the successes are an additional motivation to continue offensive operations.

To the north of town developments are quite funny. As soon as “green” and take Aktarin already ready to throw in the direction Mare is followed by a counter-offensive of the Caliphate, which is pulling reserves drove the “green” back to the north despite the fact that “green” has supported the Turkish aircraft and artillery. The militants escaped from PAS Aktarina that postponed the threat environment Dabika. Along the Caliphate has taken a number of localities around Aktarina, extending the neck projection. Once again, it may be noted a low resistance infantry PAS in direct collision with the Caliphate, the Turkish military-technical assistance to fully eliminate this fundamental flaw is not in the state.

It should also be noted that in the course of a counter-offensive in the province of Hama CAA today has released 7 settlements, the enemy retreats to Maan. If the militants will not be able to reverse the emerging trend, then we can talk about that as a result of clashes in their own ranks, they are in fact free of charge transferred to the CAA operational initiative in the north of the province. In such cases, the CAA will no longer be removed by force from Aleppo, just so there things went smoothly.

Syrian army retakes several towns in Hama province

Terrorists Continue Retreat after Losing More Battles to Syrian Army in Hama

Syrian army soldiers and popular forces’ major advances in Northern Hama and the death of a large number of terrorists in battles with government forces have demoralized the militants, informed sources Saturday, adding that militants are withdrawing from vast lands in the province.

“Simultaneous with fresh advances of the Syrian army soldiers and National Defense Forces in Northern Hama, Jund al-Aqsa leadership has decided to remove a notorious commander of Idlib Free Army, Mohammad Jafrouni, due to his numerous defeats in the battles in Northern Hama,” the sources said.

“Defense lines of the terrorist groups in Northern Hama are being captured one after another in the government forces’ incessant attacks,” they added.

“Terrorist groups, who have been defeated by the Syrian soldiers, are using blind heavy missile and artillery shelling of residential areas in the town of Mahroudeh in Northwestern Hama, inflicting several casualties on civilians,” the sources went on to say.

Reports said earlier today that Syrian military forces drove out Jund al-Aqsa terrorists from more lands in Northern Hama and freed several villages following hours of intense battle, army sources said.

“In a massive surprise attack, backed up by the army’s artillery and missile units, the Syrian army stormed the positions of Jund al-Aqsa fighters near the small towns of al-Sha’atha and al-Janineh and took back both towns,” the sources said.

“The Syrian army men further advanced against the terrorists and won back the villages of Talisiyeh, Qahereh, Agriculture airport, Tal Aswad, Ra’as al-Ein and Khafseen in Northern Hama,” they added.

“Jeish al-Fatah’s operation room also confirmed Army’s advances in al-Sha’atha, al-Kheimeh and al-Noqreh,” the sources went on to say.

“In an ambush operation, the Syrian army attacked terrorists’ convoy of vehicles on the road connecting al-Salamiyah to Ithriya in Eastern Hama and seized a terrorists’ base and a large depot of their anti-tank and thermo missiles and RPG rockets,” the sources said.

Earlier reports said that Syrian Army troops and National Defense Forces warded off a massive attack by Fatah al-Sham Front (the newly-formed al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group previously known as the al-Nusra Front) on their positions along two main roads in Northern Hama.

Syrian government forces fended off Fatah al-Sham’s offensives to break through their strongholds along the road connecting Souran to Kawkab and Ma’an-Atshan road, inflicting major damage on militants’ military hardware and vehicles.

The Syrian air force also pounded terrorists’ gatherings in al-Zalaqiyat, Atshan, al-Kabariyeh, Souran and Ma’an, destroying a number of militants’ armored vehicles.

Also, ISIL’s positions in the Northern side of the village of Eidoun and near al-Hamr hills came under massive bombardments of the Syrian army troops.

Jeish al-Fatah, meantime, suffered a heavy death toll and its military vehicles sustained major damage in Syrian air raids in al-Zalaqiyat, Souran, Khafseen, Talisiyeh and Skeik in Northern Hama.

Offensive on Mosul is “a matter of days” Falah Mustafa Bakir, Foreign Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan

Kurds build refugee camps near Mosul ahead of offensive vs IS

3 Saudi ISIL Commanders, Close to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Killed in Mosul

Security sources in Nineveh province disclosed that three ISIL commanders with Saudi nationalities who were close associates of the terrorist group’s leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi have been killed in the Western part of the city of Mosul as they were trying to transfer important documents to the city of Raqqa in Syria.

“These Saudi commanders were killed as their car was blown up in the town of al-Ba’aj in Western Mosul on Saturday morning,” an Iraqi security source said.

He noted that the killed ISIL commanders were close associates of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and said, “These Saudi commanders had important documents with themselves which was related to ISIL’s structure and they were trying to transfer them to Raqqa.”

In early September, a local source in Nineveh province revealed that tensions that rocked the city of Mosul and upcoming offensive by the Iraqi military forces to recapture Mosul had forced al-Baghdadi to come out of his hiding place in one of the city’s neighborhoods.

The exact location of al-Baghdadi has been a subject of speculation. However the account on sighting al-Baghdadi has intensified the assumptions that the ISIL leader is on the verge of leaving his secretive residence in Mosul, Iraq to Syria.

Numerous reports had indicated in the last one month that Al-Baghdadi and other top commanders of the terrorist cult have started evacuating Mosul in anticipation of the Iraqi army’s massive attack to take back the city. Meantime, many reports have indicated the rise of the people in Mosul against the terrorist group. More than a dozen ISIL commanders have already been killed by unknown gunmen in the city in the last few weeks. The gunmen are said to be members of the ‘M’ movement. Letter M stands for the Arabic word, ‘Moqavamah’ (Resistance). The group is said to have been formed of dissident people who are opposed to the terrorist cult.

Yet, the source did not reveal if the poisoned food was given to the secretive ISIL leader in Iraq’s Nineveh and before starting the journey to Syria or en route to the country.

On Monday, local sources told the Iraqi media that al-Baghdadi had been reportedly poisoned along with his three aides after they had eaten food poisoned by unknown individuals.

Al-Sumeriya News cited a local source in the Northwestern Nineveh Province as saying that “accurate information” showed Baghdadi’s food had been poisoned by unknown individuals and the food was given to him in the Be’aaj district, Northwest of the Iraqi province of Nineveh near the Syrian border.

The source added that the four have been transferred to an unknown location under strict measures.

On Wednesday, informed Iraqi Sources in Nineveh Province disclosed that ISIL has started polling members to express their view about the fate of the terrorist cult once its notorious leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dies, a move that has stirred growing speculations that Baghdad might be already dead.

“The ISIL has started asking members to express their visions of future of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant if they come to find out that Al-Baghdadi has been killed in an air or ground assault in Iraq,” the Arabic-language al-Sumeriya News channel quoted an informed local source in Nineveh province as saying.

The source said that ISIL’s preachers who propagate for the terrorist group in mosques and different places have focused attention on the question, raising it in various places and on different occasions to see fighters’ reactions.

The source said ISIL militants and sympathizers are taken by surprise as soon as they are asked the question, while a common feeling of worry is prevailing over the ranks of the terrorist cult.

“The ISIL terrorists are probably preparing the grounds for declaring the death of their leader that has become a growingly difficult job, specially after the terrorist group’s recent defeats,” the source added.

Sunni force pleads for Iraqi government help as Mosul fight looms

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Report: Pentagon Considering Limited Airstrikes against Syrian Army
Spokesperson: Russia Placed S-300 Missiles in Syria after Learning of US Plan to Bomb Airbases
Russian Official: 35,000 Terrorists Killed, Nearly 12,000 sq/km of Land Liberated in Syria in 6 Months