Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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Shadoer: Aug 31, 2011; Zoe Quinn is one of many women targeted by the Gamergate harassment campaign.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18866265

Huh, so according to the BBC the rebels are calling this assault on Damascus "Operation: Damascus Volcano"

More interesting, they say that Syrian State Media has dropped all mention of Damascus from their news. Guess they didn't want flaming helicopters and explosions in the background as they interviewed people trying to say everything was perfectly normal.

# ¿ Jul 17, 2012 20:42

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 01:08

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Looks like Libya just took a turn for the better. The election resulted in a win for Liberal minded Parties over the Muslim Brotherhood.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18880908

quote:

Results from Libya's first elections after the overthrow of Col Gaddafi have shown gains for an alliance of parties seen as broadly liberal.

The National Forces Alliance, led by interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, has won 39 out of the 80 seats reserved for political parties, local media say.

The Muslim Brotherhood's party has gained 17.

The 200-member National Assembly will also include dozens of independent candidates.

The overall orientation that the assembly will have is therefore unclear.

What remains to be seen is who, if anyone, will lead the assembly by majority, the BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli reports.

That will depend on the allegiances of 120 independent candidates, which are largely unknown, she adds.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 01:58

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Young Freud posted:

Honestly, I've been wanting to see the newscaster go from anti-rebel rhetoric and lies to "I welcome our new rebel overlords..." the moment the rebels take the TV stations.

The Syrian State Media really reminds me of this clip from Airplane II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6udk1B0iSCk

Shadoer fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Jul 18, 2012

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 06:11

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Yeah, if it's the bodyguard, I really wonder if this isn't part of a wider attempt at a coup as opposed to the Free Syrian Army sending Assad one hell of a message.

Mokotow posted:

This is almost like the Wolfsschanze plot.

Isn't it the anniversary of that plot too?

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 11:46

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Rip Testes posted:

He has to, because this has to be a tremendous morale boost to the opposition and has to certainly prove their capability to any fence sitters in the Syrian public.

That's what I'm really wondering about. The opposition has just proven that it can hurt the regime, badly. I wonder how many people who thought the regime was invincible will now smell blood and join in open revolt.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 12:35

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Brown Moses posted:

There's currently explosions being reported at the 4th Division HQ in Damascus, headed by Assad's brother, Mahar Assad. Map

Oh please, oh please let this be another score of assassinations.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 13:15

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Updates from BBC Live Txt

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18887190

quote:

1331: Meanwhile, Damascus has now appointed a new defence minister, state TV reports. He is Gen Fahad Jassim al-Freij, who was previously the chief of staff of the armed forces.

1329: Syria's information minister has denied that explosions have hit the headquarters of unit responsible for guarding the presidential palace.

1327: The rebel commander who has claimed responsibility for the attack has been named by AP as Riyad al-Assad. He says his forces planted a bomb inside a room where senior government officials were meeting. But he denies it was a suicide bombing.

Gotta admit, they replaced their defense minister really fast.

Also that the rebels have actually planned this and are claiming it wasn't a suicide bomber... meaning that they have high placed moles and informants at the very top of the regime. That or it was a suicide bomber and they really want to gently caress with Assad's head.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 13:34

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Brown Moses posted:

So we have
- A bombing killing 2 senior regime figures and injuring others
- Reports of explosions at the elite military base headed by the most important military figure in Syria
- Repots of Syrian army soldiers abandoning their vehicles in Midan, Damascus, where they were fighting the FSA
- Syrian State TV surroudned by tanks

Does this sound a bit like a coup to anyone else?

Yeah, it's smelling like a coup. Especially with a new defense minister being named this fast, something fishy is going on.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 13:55

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Nenonen posted:

There's nothing strange about it, you don't leave the defense minister's vacancy unoccupied for a minute when you're at war. At the very least you appoint an acting minister for the time being.

I don't know about that, I'd think that they'd wait a few hours until the regime could take full stock of the situation. Then again, I don't know of any historical examples where the defense minister was assassinated while a rebel army is in the capital. So I guess it's debatable on what to do in this sort of situation.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 14:08

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Another awesome rumor has just shown up on BBC Live Txt

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18887190

quote:

1401: Abo Emad, an activist in Homs, is speaking to the BBC on Skype. He says the Tadamoun [Damascus] police department chief has defected. We have not been able to confirm this.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 14:15

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Nenonen posted:

The thing is that in a strictly centralized government decapitating one of the top dogs will paralyze the entire apparatus below him, as so many things depend on the minister's approval.

Eg. in 1944 the German response to Normandy invasion was delayed because Hitler's servants didn't want to wake him up to authorize the movement of reserves.

All in all it's an impressive day - the phones must have been ringing like crazy in the defense ministry all day long. It's like a small Tet offensive of sorts.

True. Guess they needed the chair filled pronto if only for someone to be there to rubber stamp orders.

Orange Devil posted:

So is there any chance this might effect the security council taking place later today? Russia might want to start backing away from Assad to try to salvage what diplomatic ties they can with whatever the new Syrian government will be?

They've already said it changes nothing. And if Libya is any indication, Russia will back Assad till the very bitter end.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 14:42

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Slashrat posted:

What is the likelihood that the fall of Assad would inspire/re-energize protests in the remaining mid-east countries? I'm guessing it would at least serve as encouraging proof that dictatorships in the region can be overthrown without overt international intervention.

Huge. Bahrain will probably flare up again. Algeria might have another bout of resistance. Hell it might even reach Saudi Arabia.

Other revolutions will probably become more solidified. The Egyptian Military Council might start having second thoughts on their hold on power for example.

Then there is a small Russian wild card because this would be a massive blow to their prestige. Their influence would take a significant hit and a number of their "client states" will start wondering if Russia can actually bail them out in their time of need.

AreWeDrunkYet posted:

Please keep it up, today seems like it may be an inflection point in the conflict. I think most of us here would appreciate the updates, even if some have to be retracted later.

Same.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 15:27

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Al Jazeera is now reporting that Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar has died from his wounds.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 15:33

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Kofi Annan is asking for the vote on a new resolution to be delayed.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 16:11

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az jan jananam posted:

The FSA is claiming that it is battling to take over the state television building in Damascus https://twitter.com/Yathalema/status/225607095779721216

Ok call me stupid, but if they capture it can they actually do something like broadcast a message to the whole Syrian Nation? Or would the Syrian Government have some way to cut them off if the FSA captures the station?

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 16:28

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Ok so at minimum they can shut down the regime's propaganda machine. At best they might be able to broadcast their own message, but odds are the regime has some kind of kill switch and it wouldn't be all that important anyways.

Either way, it will be another devastating blow if they manage to take it.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2012 16:38

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Brown Moses posted:

During a routine medical examination, must have been one hell of a prostate exam.

Thinking assassination?

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 11:10

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From Syrian State TV (via Reuters)

quote:

Syrian state television warned citizens on Thursday that gunmen were planning to attack people in the capital using military uniforms as disguises.

Syria TV said uniformed men in those districts may not actually be from the armed forces.

"Armed men in Tadamon, Midan, Qaa and Nahr Aisha [neighbourhoods of Damascus] are wearing military uniforms with the insignia of the Republican Guard. This confirms they are planning to commit crimes and attack people, exploiting the trust of citizens in our courageous armed forces," Syria's official channel said in a message flashed across the screen.

They have also said pro-Assad militiamen, called "shabbiha" in Syrian slang, have raided opposition areas in the capital.

Yeah... any uniformed military forces that tortured and killed your neighbor, totally had to be the rebels guys.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 15:08

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Denzer posted:

The NYT is reporting that various "unnamed American officials" are confirming that a Hezbollah cell is responsible for the Bulgaria attack.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/world/europe/explosion-on-bulgaria-tour-bus-kills-at-least-five-israelis.html

Not sure if this belongs here. I was going to post it in the Bulgaria terror attack thread, but that got gassed because people got into a screaming match about Isreal. Seems like it does pertain to Middle East Wars since it's going to increase Iran, and Lebanon, war tensions. Is this the right thread for this? Or does it belong in the Israeli government thread?

I'd say this is the right thread since Hezbollah are staunch allies of the Syrian Regime and Lebanon is being destabilized by the Syrian Civil War. And if Israel retaliates, it will further destabilize Lebanon.

# ¿ Jul 20, 2012 08:34

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So the UN has approved unanimously a 30 day extension to the UN observer mission. Guess the Russians wanted to throw Kofi Annan a bone.

# ¿ Jul 20, 2012 16:20

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Wow Hillary Clinton sounds confident:

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153

quote:

Rebel fighters battling Syrian President Bashar al Assad are making territorial gains that will eventually become "safe havens" and provide a base for further operations against government forces, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday.

"We have to work closely with the opposition, because more and more territory is being taken and it will eventually result in a safe haven inside Syria that will then provide a base for
further actions by the opposition," Clinton told reporters during an appearance with Haiti's visiting prime minister.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2012 17:38

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Just to say about that fighter. My friend thinks it's actually a SU-25 FROGFOOT and I'm somewhat inclined to agree with him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su-25_Frogfoot

Edit: At least to us the body fits more to the form of the Su-25, and it would make more sense for Assad to deploy it in an urban environment as opposed to L-39 simply because the Su-25 is more geared towards Air to Ground attacks like the A-10 Warthog.

Shadoer fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Jul 25, 2012

# ¿ Jul 25, 2012 18:47

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Yeah you're right. We should have looked at the footage more carefully.

Shadoer fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Jul 25, 2012

# ¿ Jul 25, 2012 19:01

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Nenonen posted:

Wouldn't it be more productive to just buy k worth of HD cameras and send them to the Syrian rebels?

For that matter, just supplies. Like hell, even a $10,000 of First Aid Kits would probably be incredibly useful.

Edit: If only the Free Syrian Army actually could accept donation, I'd donate a few bucks.

Shadoer fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Jul 25, 2012

# ¿ Jul 25, 2012 19:37

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Yeah, at the very least he's helped the Syrian Regime narrow down who the defector could be.

Phrases like "loose lips sink ships" might sound stupid, but in war it really is everything. And basically tweeting this is the same as tweeting "Hey guys, something awesome is about to happen. All I can say is those of you in northern france better keep your eyes peeled because somethings going down that will kick Hitler in the nuts." during WW2

# ¿ Jul 30, 2012 21:18

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MothraAttack posted:

The Twitter user who correctly predicted Tlass' and later the PM's defection is saying that "3 top officials" are on their way out of Syria in a "huge" defection that will make Assad lose his poo poo.

Yeah could twitter guy stop doing that. Seriously, no one needs to know about these defections till they actually happen. This is a war, and he's not giving us spoilers on the next episode of Doctor Who.

# ¿ Aug 17, 2012 20:04

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On a downer note for the FSA, looks like defectors are drying up.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/world/middleeast/syria-rebels-press-harder-to-gain-more-fighters.html

quote:

Cajoling, Drugging and More as Rebels Try to Draw Defectors

ANTAKYA, Turkey � For months, the disparate militias known as the Free Syrian Army relied on defections from the Syrian military to lead a credible if halting challenge to the government of President Bashar al-Assad . Every day seemed to bring word of new recruits. Soldiers fled in packs, or officers stole across a border, lifting the rebels� morale while swelling their ranks.

But now opposition commanders say defections have slowed to a trickle. Some commanders have given up trying to entice defectors, and others have resorted to more desperate measures: cajoling, duping, threatening and even drugging and kidnapping military men to get them to change sides, or at least stay out of the fight. Without defections, they say, the opposition cannot hope to grow, never mind prevail.

�We use means only used by the devil,� said Ahmed Qunatri, a rebel commander in northern Syria who defected from the Republican Guard.

As Syria�s fighting burns into its 19th month, Mr. Assad�s forces have moved effectively to cut off what amounts to the armed rebellion�s most significant resource: soldiers with training and weapons who change sides. In a shift in strategy, the government has preferred to attack towns and neighborhoods from a distance using artillery and air power, preserving its resources and distancing its soldiers from rebel fighters � and from the public, including friends and neighbors, who might encourage defections.

Some rebel commanders now fret that all the soldiers who were inclined to defect already have. The rest remain loyal to the government, or are terrified of betraying it. Others are just suspicious of an armed movement that has found extremists among its ranks. A suicide attack in Aleppo on Wednesday that killed more than 40 people and devastated a government-held district drew widespread anger. Aware of just how much the violence is undermining popular support for the uprising, some rebel groups immediately tried to blame the government for staging the bombing. The government blamed the rebels. By nightfall, Jabhet al-Nusra, an insurgent group affiliated with Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings.

Col. Qassem Sa�adeddine, the head of the rebel military council for Homs, said in an interview in Turkey that the government�s close watch, especially at checkpoints, meant �communicating with officers has become much harder.� The colonel said it had also become more difficult to protect the families of defectors � for example, safe houses were harder to come by in neighborhoods depopulated by the government. �The officers are more hesitant these days,� he said. More and more, he said, the rebels used force.

�We arrest them and give them a chance to defect,� he said. �Some are convinced after a week, so they are welcomed.� Those who remained unconvinced � loyal to the government � were imprisoned, he said, and would face a �trial.�

Some of the methods used by the rebels reflected a cunning forged in necessity, but also an ability, at times, for brutality. Several times in recent months, rebel fighting groups � making no effort to persuade their enemies � have been accused of summarily executing captured soldiers. Last week, rebel fighters claimed credit for bombing a school they said was used as a military base. �The fewer the defectors, the less the opposition strives to attract soldiers rather than just fight them,� said Peter Harling, an expert on Syria with the International Crisis Group. �And the harsher armed groups treat the enemy, the fewer will change sides. It�s a self-reinforcing dynamic.�

Several commanders said they were still trying to persuade. Mr. Qunatri, the rebel commander, said in an interview here in Antakya that he preferred sending innocent-seeming emissaries to soldiers at military checkpoints. A 12-year-old boy, for example, helped turn one soldier, teasing him mercilessly until he relented. �Dude, why don�t you defect,� the boy would scold, repeatedly, as if the heavily guarded checkpoint was a schoolyard.

Another rebel officer, who uses the nom de guerre Abu Ali, sent a barber, Walid, who made friends with the soldiers by offering haircuts or doing laundry. �They want to defect,� Abu Ali said. �They don�t know how, or who can help.�

Another rebel commander who was a merchant before the war said he once sent a shepherd, who wandered by checkpoints and lent a sympathetic ear to the soldiers. �It helps if the soldiers were shepherds as well,� the commander said. �Nostalgia.�

CLICK LINK FOR REST OF THE ARTICLE

# ¿ Oct 5, 2012 16:31

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Wirth1000 posted:

Are there any hard numbers on Morsi's support base? Pro-Morsi protestors and the like.

Well in the 2012 election, the first round of voting gave him only 24.78%. Then in the second round he got just 51.73%. So I wouldn't say his base is all that monolithic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt_Presidential_Elections_2012

# ¿ Nov 23, 2012 19:41

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Torpor posted:

If the Syrian government is in such bad shape that it is incapable of responding to threats it clearly knows of before hand I'd say the army has it's back broken. There has to be a military theory term for when an army as an organization is so worn down it is incapable of doing anything.

Edit: I was thinking that, perhaps, Assad is just stalling and building up the Alawite areas. It just seems astounding that Syria's army, which is so formidable on paper could have fallen apart this quickly. Perhaps they are doing something else that we're not seeing?

It's not that surprising.

Aside from lacking freedom of movement in areas of the country because of IED ambushes, I also imagine Asaad has a tough time replacing his losses.

Right now, the regime can really only count on the troops from minorities (Alawite and Christians) while the Free Syrian Army can draw from the majority of the nation and gets a steady stream of jihadists coming in.

Sure, in any given engagement, I can imagine that 1 Syrian Army Soldier dies for every 5 Rebels. But when the Alawites barely make up 12% of the population (2.6 million Syrians) and the rest of the country is 74% Sunni (16.28 million), the Regime is still lossing the war.

# ¿ Nov 25, 2012 08:18

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octoroon posted:

If you give any credibility at all to Assad's rhetoric, then he's going to play this out to the end. But we can certainly hope that's all bullshit.

Well honestly, historical odds show that Assad will fight to the very bitter end. Few dictators in History have taken the cut and run option when they are involved in an active war.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2012 18:44

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Looks like the FSA is moving to cut off the Regime from it's special Damascus-Moscow Flight supply line.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/08/world/middleeast/syria-conflict-developments.html?hp&_r=0

quote:

Rebels Declare Damascus Airport a �Fair Target,� Reports Say

BEIRUT, Lebanon � As fighting raged in the suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus, and gunfire could be heard from the city center, rebels seeking the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad were reported on Friday to have declared the capital�s main airport a �fair target,� warning travelers that they used it at their peril.

Against the backdrop of battlefield uncertainty, diplomacy also seemed to have made little perceptible progress. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton repeated calls for the ouster of President Assad, but said there had been no �great breakthrough� in talks she held Thursday in Dublin with her Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, and Lakhdar Brahimi, the special Syria envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League.

*****

Apart from its importance as a logistical center, the airport, some 12 miles south of the capital, also holds symbolic value. Its loss would boost the rebels� ability to depict Mr. Assad as isolated and beleaguered.

Nabil al-Amir, a spokesman for an insurgent military group attacking the airport south of Damascus, said rebels �who have been putting the airport under siege decided yesterday that the airport is a fair target,� Reuters reported.

�The airport is now full of armored vehicles and soldiers,� Mr. Amir said, seeming to suggest that it was firmly in government control. �Civilians who approach it now do so at their own risk.�

News reports also suggested that government forces were seeking to bring in reinforcements for a counterattack designed to reverse rebel gains on the fringes of the city.

The rebel threat seemed to deepen the uncertainties of the military campaign for Damascus where visiting reporters say that the sound of government artillery fire pounding outlying suburbs is clearly audible from the city center � once a haven of tranquillity even as the uprising against Mr. Assad evolved from peaceful protest in March 2011 to civil war.

News reports Friday, quoting activists, said government forces backed by tanks were heading toward two southwestern suburbs, covering their effort to advance with rocket and mortar fire.

Overnight, sounds of gunfire were heard in central Damascus near a major road, Baghdad Street.

FULL ARTICLE IN THE LINK

# ¿ Dec 7, 2012 17:38

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Muscle Tracer posted:

Keep in mind this is the same force that we saw use a naval mine in place of a bomb in the last week.

Yeah this. It could very well be that the Syrian Army is just continuing to run out of weapons and are reaching "throw the kitchen sink" stage.

# ¿ Dec 12, 2012 18:31

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On another sad note, looks like the supply situation for basic food stuff is getting pretty bad in Aleppo

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20692697

quote:

Aleppo's winter of discontent

As the conflict in Syria enters a second winter, the BBC's Ian Pannell reports from the Syrian city of Aleppo on the struggle for survival of ordinary people.

Adnan Abu Hassan works over a small wood fire, spreading patties of dough over the back of a hot pan that rests on the charcoals until they become crisp flatbreads.

Adnan is not a baker; he is a painter but these are desperate times in Aleppo's sprawling al-Sukkari neighbourhood.

"There's no work at the moment," he says. "Life is very hard. I earn 100 Syrian pounds a day and I have to feed four children and pay the rent."

That is less than $1.50 or about 90 pence a day. In an economy ravaged by war, the value of the Syrian pound has fallen almost as rapidly as prices for basic goods have risen.

Inflation is rampant and unemployment is endemic. What Adnan earns from bread is simply not enough to survive and like most of his neighbours, he struggles to get by on handouts, donations and loans.

The battle for Aleppo appears to have eased over the last few weeks but the suffering of those who live in this ancient city has not. Aleppo is facing a winter of misery and of dearth.

When the sun sets at 4:30, the streets are empty. The electricity supply was cut off days ago, in some areas weeks ago, and darkness seems to consume the city.

It is a cue for most to head home, cold and hungry. The few who do remain outdoors are to be found queuing in the dark for bread that has become a rare and precious commodity.

For most Syrians, the large flat loaves are the staple part of their diet, but shortages of fuel and flour have left many bakeries closed and others open only for a few hours.

The lines are long and people wait for hours to buy a pack of bread that cost 20 Syrian pounds before the revolution and now costs 200.

Abu Fadi had been waiting for three hours in the rain and still seemed far from the front of a queue that stretched around the corner.

"There is no bread, no water, no electricity, no work," he said. "It takes more than 24 hours to get bread and it's been five days since I was even able to take a shower."

The crowd is restless and fatigue and hunger are taking their toll. Arguments break out quickly as people push and shove each other to get closer to the bakery's door.

The rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) tries to keep calm but increasingly it is the target of people's anger.

"I blame the FSA because it's in charge. The one in charge should provide water, food, everything," complained Abu Walid with righteous indignation. "Who's in charge? Aren't they in charge of us?"

# ¿ Dec 12, 2012 19:43

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A nice parody article I wrote that I think you guys might enjoy

http://www.emperoroftheidiots.com/main/2013/08/29/why-we-should-not-intervene-in-the-galactic-empire-civil-war/

quote:

Why We Should Not Intervene in the Galactic Empire Civil War
The Galactic Empire under Emperor Palpatine may be bad, but the Rebel Alliance could be so much worse

By now we have all heard a familiar tune: �The Galactic Empire has used weapons of mass planetary destruction, this time to destroy the planet of Alderaan. Now the United Federation of Planets has to intervene and put a stop to the regime of Emperor Palpatine once and for all.� It�s a nice idea, but it ignores how complicated the situation is.

There is no hard evidence that The Galactic Empire has destroyed Alderaan or used weapons of mass planetary destruction. The �proof� that the Empire committed this atrocity which exists are the unreliable accounts of rebels that claim the Empire used a moon sized space station, they called a �Death Star�, to destroy Alderaan. Unfortunately, Federation inspectors can�t examine this �Death Star� because it was conveniently destroyed by the rebellion shortly after it destroyed Alderaan.

The Empire itself admits that it did have a moon sized space station in operation and was in the vicinity of Alderaan during its destruction. However, they claim this �Death Star� was really �Research Station 667″, a civilian based scientific expedition tasked with investigating black holes. According to the Imperials, the Research Station witnessed the rebels destroying Alderaan, and then they were chased down by these same rebels until the Research Station was destroyed in orbit of Yavin, killing over a million Imperial civilians.

We here at the Federation News Service understand that an asteroid field was found where Alderaan once was and we know the Imperials have produced weapons of mass planetary destruction, but it�s perfectly possible that a radical rebel faction captured some of these weapons from the Galactic Empire and decided to use them. Until we have a proper fact finding mission to determine what exactly happened at Alderaan, by Federation inspectors, we won�t know for sure.

Now we are under no delusion that the regime of Emperor Palpatine isn�t a reprehensible dictatorship that has repeatedly murdered its own citizens in cold blood. So it seems obvious that we should be supporting the Rebellion in this civil war even if Palpatine didn�t destroy Alderaan. In theory, the Federation doesn�t even need to intervene directly, it could just provide the rebels with weapons. It sounds so simple and easy, but there would be severe consequences for the Federation if it took that course.

Click link for rest of the article

# ¿ Aug 29, 2013 22:42

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Saint Celestine posted:

Yeah, but seriously, out of all the countries that could actually provide support, its just us and the French that would be going into this? The UKs out, Germany was never going to do anything, and the Italians and Spanish couldn't do anything militarily even if they wanted, right?

p. much unfortunately. Even Turkey will likely only give token support

Young Freud posted:

Not enough mentions about Wookies eating the hearts and livers of their enemies.

How could I not have seen that?! I'll have to put that in a follow-up article.

# ¿ Aug 29, 2013 22:59

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Well remember the Regime forces aren't what they were 2 years ago. Assad's basically left with the most hardcore Alawite soldiers and some Hezbollah fighters. His side has become short on everything from spare parts to just basic ammunition, and since there aren't a lot of Alawites to recruit from... they can't easily replace the soldiers they lose. Not only that, but their last major offensive only manage to retake a small bit of territory from the rebels. Everything that was contested 3 months ago is still contested, for the most part the offensive achieved nothing.

The gas attack itself is evidence that the regime isn't doing all that well because the main reason they'd resort to using chemical weapons is if they are finally reaching that breaking point.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2013 05:17

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Terrible news on the Syrian war front, the Assad managed to take back another key base near Damascus. Now the rebels in southern Damascus are effectively encircled.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24849809

quote:

Syria army retakes key rebel enclave near Damascus

Syrian troops have retaken a key rebel-held town south of Damascus, state media and activists say.

State TV said the army had full control of Sbeineh and that "terrorists" had been driven out.

UK-based activist group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sbeineh was one of the most important rebel positions near Damascus.

Meanwhile, inspectors say they have verified one of Syria's two remaining chemical weapons production sites.

Inspectors had already verified 21 out of 23 sites declared by Syria but two sites were too dangerous to reach.

They said the latest site - near Aleppo - was verified using footage from sealed cameras and that it was dismantled and abandoned.

News of the army's takeover of Sbeineh was broadcast by state TV on Thursday.

"Our brave army has taken control of... the Sbeineh [area]... and [the nearby village] of Ghazalah in Damascus province after crushing the last terrorist positions there," it said. The government refers to rebels as "terrorists".

Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the army had been backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and other pro-government militia.

"Rebels in southern Damascus have now had practically all their supply routes cut off," he said.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2013 12:19

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On a sidenote, looks like the price of Heroin is going to drop as Afghanistan is about to produce a record crop.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24919056

quote:

Afghanistan opium harvest at record high - UNODC

Afghan opium cultivation has reached a record level, with more than 200,000 hectares planted with the poppy for the first time, the United Nations says.

The UNODC report said the harvest was 36% up on last year, and if fully realised would outstrip global demand.

Most of the rise was in Helmand province, where British troops are preparing to withdraw.

One of the main reasons the UK sent troops to Helmand was to cut opium production.

The head of the UN office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Kabul, Jean-Luc Lemahieu, said that production was likely to rise again next year, amid uncertainty over the withdrawal of most foreign troops and the presidential election.

He said that the illegal economy was taking over in importance from legitimate business, and that prices remained high since there was a ready availability of cash in Afghanistan because of aid.

"As long as we think that we can have short-term, fast solutions for the counter-narcotics, we are continued to be doomed to fail," he added.

Mr Lemahieu said there had been some recent successes, including the arrest of leading figures in the drugs industry, but it could take 10-15 years to deal with Afghanistan's opium crisis, even if policies improved.

The report said the total area planted with poppies rose from 154,000 to 209,000 hectares, while potential production rose by 49% to 5,500 tonnes, more than the current global demand.

Half of the cultivation area is in Helmand province.

Meanwhile two northern provinces which had previously been declared poppy-free - Faryab and Balkh - lost that status.

# ¿ Nov 13, 2013 13:06

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Can-O-Raid posted:

Reports coming in that some government site in Damascus just got hit with The Big One. Looks like the Damascus offensive hasn't been successful in stamping out rebel activity, at least when it comes to bombings.

Activists are saying 4 generals are amongst the dead. If this is true, it will be one of the biggest rebel wins in a while.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2013 21:09

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 01:08

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25211759

quote:

Hezbollah commander Hassan Lakkis killed in Beirut

A senior commander of the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah has been killed near Beirut, the group says.

Hassan Lakkis was "assassinated" near his home in Hadath - 7km (4.3 miles) south-east of the Lebanese capital, Hezbollah TV channel Al-Manar said.

Hezbollah blamed Israel for his death but Israel has denied the accusation.

Little is known publicly about Lakkis, but he was reputedly close to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an expert in weapons manufacturing.

The news comes a day after Hassan Nasrallah said Saudi Arabia was behind last month's bombings outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut.

ran is a major backer of Hezbollah, which has sent fighters to Syria to back the government of Bashar al-Assad.

The conflict in Syria has increased sectarian tensions in its smaller neighbour.

However, the BBC's Jim Muir, in Beirut, says Lakkis might be an unlikely target for Sunni militants angered by Hezbollah's role in Syria.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2013 12:39

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Middle East Thread of Despair: More Broken Than Syria

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