Syrian Revolution News & Discussions

[BLACKEAGLE]

Syrian pilot details helicopter operations
Mohammed Najib, Ramallah and Jeremy Binnie, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
09 July 2015
http://www.janes.com/article/52910/syrian-pilot-details-helicopter-operations
The Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) is suffering from a serious shortage of Mi-17 transport helicopters, according to Colonel Ali Aboud, a pilot who was captured by the Jabhat al-Nusra jihadist group after his helicopter crashed in March.

Col Aboud's Mi-14P after it crashed in Idlib province. The main difference between the Mi-8/17 and the Mi-14 is that the naval variant has a boat-like hull and retractable landing gear so it can land on water. (Sham News Network)

Jabhat al-Nusra, which is Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, allowed Al-Jazeera to have an interview with Col Aboud that the Arabic news channel aired on 8 July. The pilot said he was being treated well, but described his experience in detention as difficult and asked SyAAF intelligence chief Major General Jamil Hasan to organize a prisoner exchange that would secure his freedom.

Col Aboud said he was an Mi-17 pilot for 27 years, but three years ago he was transferred to flying naval helicopters.

Syrian pilot details helicopter operations - IHS Jane's 360

 

[Redheart]

Syria civil war: Bomb damages Aleppo's ancient citadel - BBC News

A bomb explosion has caused part of the walls of Aleppo's ancient citadel to collapse.

Built in the 13th Century, it overlooks Aleppo's Old City and is part of a UN-listed World Heritage site.

Syrian government forces have been using the citadel as a military position.

Government and rebel forces have been fighting for control of the city for over three years. It is not known which side caused the explosion.

Fighting on the ground and government air strikes have left thousands dead, and destroyed more than 60% of the Old City.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the explosion occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"The blast caused the collapse of part of the wall of the citadel," the organisation's chief, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP news agency.

The government says that rebel fighters set off a bomb in a tunnel beneath the citadel.

The use of tunnel bombs has become a common rebel tactic.

Since the start of July, rebel groups have been waging a major offensive against President Bashar al-Assad's troops in the city.

More than 230,000 people are believed to have been killed in Syria since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011. Some 11.5 million others - more than half of the country's population - have fled their homes.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

 

[Redheart]

Water used as weapon of war against Syrian refugees - CBS News

Food is running short for many of the 11 million people who've lost their homes in Syria. Every ration card is a lifeline for families who escaped with their lives from the fighting in the western part of the country. They're relatively safe here in Damascus -- but destitute.

The United Nations World Food Program gives them basic staples, but as international donations dwindle, so do the rations. What used to be a month's worth now has to last for two.

And then there's water. The refugees forced to squat in unfinished buildings have none, so UNICEF works to bring them the minimum for washing and drinking -- but it's scarce.

Rebel fighters, who have seized Syria's fresh water sources in the countryside, sometimes turn off the taps.

"This water is being used as a weapon of war," said UN engineer Atif Deib. "From time to time we have a complete cut off water from the big cities like Aleppo, Damascus, Daraa."

There are so many internal refugees that Damascus is overflowing. Some can afford a room in one of the city's cheap hotels; others are on the street.

Fighting drove Bacel M'sheinish from his home three years ago along with his father, Ahmad, 80, who was once a doorman at the Damascus Sheraton hotel.

Ahmad lost his place in an overcrowded refugee hostel and now, like so many others, sleeps in the park on a square of cardboard, crushed by a war he didn't ask for and is powerless to stop.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

U.N. Syria envoy meets southern rebels for first time

The U.N. envoy for Syria met rebel leaders fighting in southern Syria for the first time. (File photo: AP)

By Reuters | Beirut
Tuesday, 14 July 2015

The U.N. envoy for Syria met rebel leaders fighting in southern Syria for the first time on Tuesday, their spokesman said, underlining the growing political role of a group helping contain militants influence in the south.

The Southern Front alliance controls wide areas of the southern border zone after seizing important towns and military bases from President Bashar al-Assad's control.

The alliance, which includes fighting groups that have received support from Western and Arab states opposed to Assad, has the upper hand over militant movements such as the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) that dominate the insurgency elsewhere.

"We showed him our road map, our vision, how the Southern Front sees the transitional period without Assad," Southern Front spokesman Issam al-Rayyes told Reuters.

A spokeswoman for United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said: "We can say that he did meet Syrian opposition figures in Jordan today."

Rayyes said it was not the first time the U.N. envoy had asked to meet the Southern Front, but previous meetings had not taken place for logistical reasons.

Last Update: Tuesday, 14 July 2015 KSA 20:58 - GMT 17:58
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/14/U-N-Syria-envoy-meets-southern-rebels-for-first-time.html

 

[Falcon29]

U.N. Syria envoy meets southern rebels for first time

The U.N. envoy for Syria met rebel leaders fighting in southern Syria for the first time. (File photo: AP)

By Reuters | Beirut
Tuesday, 14 July 2015

The U.N. envoy for Syria met rebel leaders fighting in southern Syria for the first time on Tuesday, their spokesman said, underlining the growing political role of a group helping contain militants influence in the south.

The Southern Front alliance controls wide areas of the southern border zone after seizing important towns and military bases from President Bashar al-Assad's control.

The alliance, which includes fighting groups that have received support from Western and Arab states opposed to Assad, has the upper hand over militant movements such as the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) that dominate the insurgency elsewhere.

"We showed him our road map, our vision, how the Southern Front sees the transitional period without Assad," Southern Front spokesman Issam al-Rayyes told Reuters.

A spokeswoman for United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said: "We can say that he did meet Syrian opposition figures in Jordan today."

Rayyes said it was not the first time the U.N. envoy had asked to meet the Southern Front, but previous meetings had not taken place for logistical reasons.

Last Update: Tuesday, 14 July 2015 KSA 20:58 - GMT 17:58
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/14/U-N-Syria-envoy-meets-southern-rebels-for-first-time.html

What upperhand are they talking about? They are an absolute failure who take orders from US officials in Jordan. They don't care about the Syrian people , they care about pleasing the international community and stalling the struggle against the regime whilst expressing same Western sentiments against other rebel groups. This is why Arabs will always be a failure with governments like the ones in Jordan, Egypt and Gulf. As long as you citizens keep supporting your garbage governments we will be run over by anybody.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Rebels, Qaeda launch assault on Syria’s Daraa

Residents inspect damage from what activists said were barrel bombs dropped by forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad in Tafas town in Daraa, Syria. (File photo: Reuters)

AFP, Beirut
Thursday, 23 July 2015

Rebels that include Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate announced a fierce offensive on the major southern city of Dara, saying their aim was to “purify” the area.

Operation “Storm of Truth” was announced on Twitter by the Southern Front, an alliance of rebel groups, “to purify the province of Daraa from the filth of the gangs of (President Bashar al-) Assad.”

Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and other Islamist militias were taking part in the fighting, said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

“The violent attack began this morning on regime-held parts of Daraa city, with both sides exchanging shellfire,” he told AFP.

“The groups are attacking government positions in northern parts of the city, but they haven’t seized buildings yet,” Abdel Rahman said.

According to the Britain-based Observatory, five rebels -- including two group commanders -- have been killed so far.

Opposition groups already control parts of the city and about 70 percent of the province of the same name, which borders Jordan.

Thursday’s offensive appears to be a continuation of an assault in June, launched by the same groups but dubbed “Southern Storm.”

That round of fighting left at least 60 rebels, 18 loyalists and 11 civilians dead.

Syria’s regime has already lost two provincial capitals -- Idlib in the northwest, which is held a rebel alliance including Al-Nusra, and Raqa in the Euphrates valley, which is held by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group.

At least 230,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict erupted in Daraa in 2011.

Last Update: Thursday, 23 July 2015 KSA 18:47 - GMT 15:47
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/23/Rebels-Qaeda-launch-assault-on-Syria-s-Daraa-.html

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Syria’s two main opposition groups agree on ‘roadmap’

Syrian President Bashar Assad (R) speaks with United Nations special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura in Damascus on November 10, 2014. (File Photo: AP)

Associated Press, Beirut
Thursday, 23 July 2015

Syria’s two main political opposition groups agreed on Thursday on a unified “roadmap” for a political solution to the country’s long-running civil war, representatives of the groups said.

The two parties have been trying for years to reach a common understanding on how to end the war in Syria. Their agreement came as the U.N. envoy, Staffan de Mistura, was in Damascus to press efforts to find a political solution to the country’s war.

But violence continued on the ground and suspected the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants fired at a Turkish military outpost from inside Syrian territory on Thursday, killing a Turkish soldier and wounding two others. Turkish troops retaliated to the attack and at least one IS militant was killed, according to Turkish official Suleyman Tapsiz, the governor for the Kilis province.

The attack follows a suicide bombing in a Turkish town near the Syrian border on Monday which killed 32 people. Authorities have blamed the attack on militants linked to ISIS.

Meanwhile in Brussels, where the Syrian opposition groups have been meeting, representatives of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) and the National Coordination Body for the Forces of Democratic Change (NCB) said they would announce details of their agreement at a press conference the following day.

Members of the SNC, the main political group in exile, have long accused the Damascus-based NCB, whose leaders have been tolerated by the Syrian government, of being too lenient and even complicit with President Bashar Assad’s government. Members of the NCB, in turn, have often accused the SNC of being bankrolled by oil-rich Arab Gulf countries.

Their disagreements have contributed to the notorious divisions within the Syrian opposition.

“Today we are breaking the parable of lack of unity within the opposition,” Khalaf Dawohd, a member of the NCB’s executive committee, told The Associated Press from Brussels.

Hadi Bahra, a senior member of the SNC, said the agreement bolsters the unity and position of the opposition.

“It is a message to the international community to exert pressure and discuss seriously how to bring this (Syrian) regime to the table for a political transition,” he said.

Both groups are accused of being out of touch with the realities in Syria and have almost no following among the myriad of rebel groups fighting on the ground. But a unified political front could strengthen the opposition’s hand at any future peace talks with Assad’s government.

Staffan de Mistura, who arrived Thursday in the Syrian capital, has been meeting with Syrian politicians and regional stakeholders, trying to come up with a way to end the conflict in Syria, which has killed around 220,000 people since March 2011.

His office says he is working to finalize his proposals to the U.N. chief, Ban Ki-moon, on a way forward to support Syrian parties in their search of a political solution.

De Mistura held talks with Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, who said his country supports a regional effort to eliminate “terrorism.”

Al-Moallem said Syria considers eradicating terrorism a “fundamental priority.” The Syrian government considers all armed groups fighting to topple Assad as terrorist groups.

Last Update: Thursday, 23 July 2015 KSA 19:10 - GMT 16:10
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/23/UN-envoy-in-Damascus-for-briefing-on-Syria-peace-talks.html

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Assad admits shortfall in Syrian army capacity

A handout picture released on the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency shows President Bashar al-Assad giving a speech in Damascus, on July 26, 2015. (AFP)

By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News
Sunday, 26 July 2015

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad described Sunday talks towards a political solution to the ongoing war in Syria as “hollow” and “meaningless.”

During a televised speech before local dignitaries in the Syrian capital, Damascus, the Syrian president also said that the army faced a shortfall in manpower and may have to give up positions in order to hold on to others of greater importance in its war with insurgents.

“The army is capable ... Everything is available, but there is a shortfall in human capacity," Assad said. He said groups fighting to topple him had received increased backing from their state sponsors.

"Every inch of Syria is precious," Assad added.

Assad's speech comes after his government announced a general amnesty for army deserters and draft dodgers Saturday. There are thousands of army deserters in and outside Syria, many of whom have gone on to fight with rebels seeking to topple Assad. The overstretched Syrian army suffers manpower shortages as young men flee the country to avoid compulsory military conscription.

Assad has issued similar amnesties for criminals, but has not released any of the thousands of political prisoners believed to be in Syria's prisons.

Assad said that his government did not want war "but when it was imposed on us, the Syrian Arab army repelled the terrorists everywhere." Assad refers to any rebel group fighting against his rule as terrorists.

The U.S. has begun training some moderate rebels who oppose Assad, but the civil war has seen Islamic extremist groups become the most effective on the ground. Those include the extremist ISIS group, which holds about a third of Syria and neighboring Iraq in its self-declared "caliphate."

Last Update: Sunday, 26 July 2015 KSA 16:32 - GMT 13:32
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/26/Assad-Political-solution-in-Syria-is-meaningless-and-hollow-.html

 

[Redheart]

Syria: President Assad admits army strained by war - BBC News

The Syrian army has been forced to give up some areas in order to retain others in the war against rebels, now in its fifth year, President Bashar al-Assad has acknowledged.

The Syrian leader also said the army faced a shortage of soldiers.

A day earlier, he declared an amnesty for draft-dodgers and deserters.

The conflict is thought to have left more than 230,000 dead and displaced millions. Vast areas are no longer under government control.

Syria's conscript army was once 300,000 strong, but has been roughly halved by deaths, defections, and a rise in draft-dodging, AFP news agency said.

The Syrian leader said the army did not have the manpower to defend the entire country, especially as rebel groups were receiving increased support from outside - a reference to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar.

"Sometimes, in some circumstances, we are forced to give up areas to move those forces to the areas that we want to hold onto," Mr Assad said in a televised speech to dignitaries in Damascus.

"We must define the important regions that the armed forces hold onto so it doesn't allow the collapse of the rest of the areas."

The BBC's Jim Muir - in neighbouring Lebanon - says it has been evident for some months that Syrian government forces have been focusing on defending certain key areas while not doing everything they might to defend outlying regions where the army is really overstretched.

This year, the Syrian military has lost the north-western provincial capital Idlib, parts of the south, and Palmyra in the north-east, which was taken over by militants of Islamic State.

Bashar Assad said he was sure the army could defend the core areas where it was consolidating - meaning Damascus, the cities of Homs and Hama and the coast.

But other big cities such as Aleppo in the north and Deraa in the south may come under question, our correspondent says.

However, Mr Assad pledged to fight on and ruled out the prospect of any negotiated settlement at the moment.

"The word defeat does not exist in the Syrian army's dictionary," he said, adding that "collapse" was not on the cards.

"We will resist and we will win."

The Syrian army, which is fighting rebels and jihadist groups, began a recruitment drive at the start of July to try to tackle its manpower shortage.

At least 70,000 men have avoided military service, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

More than 80,000 soldiers and pro-government militiamen have been killed since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

...

Slowly but certainly, Game Over !!!


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Quote :

Syrie: pourquoi Assad reconnaît-il que son armée manque d'hommes?

Publié le 28/07/2015 à 09:02 , mis à jour à 11:05

Le président syrien a reconnu pour la première fois, dimanche, que son armée manquait de "ressources humaines". Le politologue Ziad Majed fait le point sur l'état des forces militaires du régime et de ses forces supplétives.

Dans un discours retransmis à la télévision syrienne, le président syrien a admis que l'armée syrienne était confrontée à "un manque de ressources humaines". Que signifie cet aveu de la part d'un dirigeant qui a toujours fait usage d'euphémismes pour décrire la réalité? L'Express a interrogé le politologue Ziad Majed, enseignant à l'université américaine de Paris, spécialiste de la Syrie.


Pourquoi Bachar-el-Assad communique-t-il maintenant sur le manque d'effectifs de l'armée?

Le message a deux destinataires, à mon sens. Il s'adresse à sa base communautaire alaouite [la minorité dont est issu son clan au pouvoir], qu'il sait épuisée. Les Alaouites ont perdu 50.000 à 60.000 combattants dans les rangs de l'armée et des milices loyalistes, ce qui est énorme pour cette petite communauté (environ 2,3 millions d'habitants aujourd'hui). Leurs villages reçoivent chaque jour de nouveaux cercueils. Les Alaouites réalisent de plus en plus que la démographie joue contre eux (voir à ce sujet l'interview du démographe Youssef Courbage). Assad leur laisse entendre qu'il s'appuiera d'avantage sur les milices étrangères qui viennent à son secours. "La Syrie est à ceux qui la défendent et la protègent" a-t-il dit, semblant justifier le passage "sous franchise" du combat contre la rébellion à ces milices.

La déclaration s'adresse aussi à l'Iran. Il fait savoir à son mentor qu'envoyer argent et armes ne suffit plus. Les milices chiites étrangères déjà engagées ne suffisent pas non plus à pallier le manque de ressources humaines. L'armée a perdu quelque 100 000 hommes et au moins autant sont blessés ou handicapés. Ceux qui ont de l'argent paient pour éviter d'être appelés au front. Et le régime ne fait guère confiance à la majorité des sunnites réfugiés dans les territoires sous son contrôle.


Mais des milices étrangères sont déjà sur place...

Certes. Mais le Hezbollah libanais, à qui Damas sous-traite la gestion d'une partie du territoire, comme le Qalamoun, tout au long de la frontière libanaise, a atteint les limites de ses capacités. De 4 à 5000 hommes en Syrie, il est passé à 8 à 10.000. Il ne peut pas dégarnir plus ses positions au Liban. Les chiites irakiens, en charge des combats autour de Damas, sont en partie rentrés dans leur pays pour combattre Daech. Les Hazaras (chiites) afghans sont de plus en plus présents. Les rebelles à Alep disent avoir capturé des chiites pakistanais qui auraient été recruté à leur tour par ces Hazaras. Mais cela ne semble pas suffire à combler les difficultés de l'armée qui a subi plusieurs défaites ces derniers mois.


Pour quelle raison ?

Le régime comptait jusque-là sur la politique de la terre brûlée. Vider les territoires de leur population par des bombardements massifs avant de pouvoir en reprendre le contrôle (ou empêcher les rebelles de les contrôler et de les gérer). Même pour cela, il n'a plus assez d'hommes. Actuellement, les rebelles attaquent de nuit, avant que les largages de barils d'explosifs ne commencent, et continuent de grignoter du terrain aux forces du régime.

Le régime avait aussi opté pour déléguer le contrôle de certains territoires à des milices confessionnelles locales: des milices druzes dans la région de Soueïda et ismaélienne à Salamiyé par exemple, appuyées par son artillerie et son aviation. Mais ces miliciens refusent d'être envoyés combattre hors de leurs régions. Ils se contentent de défendre leurs territoires. Des accrochages et des tensions se sont produits quand l'armée a voulu passer outre. Faute de combattants, l'émiettement du territoire aux mains du régime semble inéluctable".


La décision turque d'intervenir contre l'EI et le PKK et l'accès donné aux bases militaires turques à l'armée américaine changent-is la donne?

C'est probable. Il était exclu qu'Erdogan accepte l'installation d'une continuité territoriale kurde le long de la frontière, côté syrien. Le président turc a accepté, après l'attentat de Suruç, de laisser les Etats-Unis utiliser les bases militaires en Anatolie. En échange, il a vraisemblablement obtenu la création d'une "zone sécurisée" dans le nord de la Syrie. Il espère que les rebelles réunis dans la coalition "Jabhat al-Shaamiya" qui contrôlent une partie du nord de la Syrie vont reprendre des positions à l'EI, et ainsi ne pas laisser les Kurdes syriens du PYD -liés au PKK- bénéficier seuls du recul de Daech. Si cette zone de non-survol permet de faire cesser les bombardements du régime syrien, cela permettra aussi aux populations syriennes de rester en Syrie, voire d'y revenir, et donc réduire le nombre de réfugiés syriens présents en Turquie [1,8 million au moins]. Protégés par cette couverture aérienne, les rebelles pourraient de leur côté consacrer leurs forces à d'autres combats contre le régime syrien, à Alep ou ailleurs.


Comment l'Iran peut-il réagir à cette nouvelle donne?

Les parrains iraniens du régime sont conscients des faiblesses de l'armée et de l'impossibilité de prendre sa place. Ils continuent officiellement de réclamer le maintien d'Assad au pouvoir afin, sans doute, de négocier un deal qu'ils trouveraient acceptable. En même temps, ils sont en train de tisser des réseaux de partenaires dans l'armée, parmi les notables, les chefs de milices, pour préparer l'étape suivante.


L’Express



...

 

[Redheart]

Syrian army says Israeli planes strike pro-Syrian Palestinian militia| Reuters

An Israeli plane attacked a military base along the Syrian-Lebanese border on Wednesday belonging to a pro-Syrian Palestinian faction, wounding six people, Syrian state television said.

In a newsflash, state television quoted a military source as saying Israeli planes had at 3:15 p.m. (1215 GMT) struck a base belonging to the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), a faction that backs President Bashar al-Assad.

Asked about the reported strike, an Israeli military spokeswoman in Jerusalem declined comment.

Earlier on Tuesday, an air strike by an Israeli surveillance plane hit a car in Quneitra province in southwestern Syria, killing two members of a militia fighting alongside the Syrian military, Hezbollah's al-Manar TV and Syrian state television reported.

The attack struck the car on the outskirts of the village of Hader, a Druze area at the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The dead were identified as members of the National Defence Forces, a pro-government militia whose members often come from the areas where they fight.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Syrian group says Nusra abducts its leader, in blow to U.S. plan

On Saturday, March 28, 2015 a fighter from Syria's al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front holds his group flag in Idlib province, north Syria. (Al-Nusra Front Twitter page via AP)

By Reuters | Ankara, Beirut
Thursday, 30 July 2015

The al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front has abducted the leader of a U.S.-backed rebel group in north Syria, opposition sources and a monitoring group said, in a blow to Washington's efforts to train and equip fighters to combat ISIS.

A statement issued in the name of the group, "Division 30", accused the Nusra Front of abducting Nadim al-Hassan and a number of his companions in a rural area north of Aleppo. It urged Nusra to release them.

A Syrian activist and a second opposition source said most of the 54 fighters who have so far completed a U.S.-led train and equip programmed in neighbouring Turkey were from Division 30.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war, said the men were abducted while returning from a meeting in Azaz, north of Aleppo, to coordinate efforts with other factions. The opposition source said they were abducted on Tuesday night.

The train and equip programme aims to bolster Syrian insurgents deemed politically moderate enough by the United States to fight ISIS that has seized wide areas of Syria.

The Nusra Front, which Washington has designated a terrorist organisation, has a track record of crushing U.S.-backed rebels in Syria. Last year, it routed the Syria Revolutionaries Front led by Jamal Maarouf, viewed as one of the most powerful insurgent leaders until his defeat.

It was also instrumental in the demise of the U.S.-backed Hazzm Movement, which collapsed earlier this year after clashing with the Nusra Front in the northwest.

The U.S. military launched the program in May to train up to 5,400 fighters a year in what was seen as a test of President Barack Obama's strategy of getting local partners to combat ISIS.

But many candidates were declared ineligible and others dropped out. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said it has fallen far behind plans.

Washington and Ankara this week announced their intention to provide air cover for Syrian rebels and jointly sweep ISIS fighters from a strip of land along the border, with U.S. warplanes using bases in Turkey for strikes.

But the United States and Turkey have not yet agreed which Syrian rebels they will support in the effort.

Last Update: Thursday, 30 July 2015 KSA 11:09 - GMT 08:09
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/30/Syrian-group-says-Nusra-abducts-its-leader-in-blow-to-U-S-plan.html#slide=9

 

[Sinan]

Facing ethnic cleansing by PYD, Turkmens welcome safe zone plan

The air operations Turkey launched against ISIS and the PKK terrorist groups were welcomed by Syrian Turkmens who claim the PKK's Syrian wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) is carrying out ethnic cleansing of Turkmens. ISIS and the PYD's armed People's Protection Units (YPG) have been fighting against the Syrian regime on three fronts for a long time.

Speaking to Sabah daily, Turkmen leaders said that the proposed 100-kilometer-long safe zone, which is planned to run from Jarabulus to Azaz along the Syrian side of the Turkish-Syrian border, would relieve Turkmens from ISIS violence and the PYD threat, adding that the safe zone needs to be extended to Aleppo.

Turkmens, who have been struggling to survive in the 130-kilometer corridor ranging from Turkey's Gaziantep province to Aleppo for a long time, said: "We are passing through a historic process. The Turkmens in Syria are fighting for survival against ISIS, the PYD and [Syrian President Bashar] Assad. ISIS and the PYD are the enemies of the Syrian people. In such a critical phase, we will back every step Turkey takes against ISIS and the PYD. We are very pleased with the latest air operations launched by Turkey. We also wish such air operations to be launched against the PYD, which forces Turkmens to leave the regions it took from ISIS. Soon we will initiate a full scale fight against both ISIS and the PYD, which occupied Turkmen villages. We will save the Jarabulus-Azaz line from ISIS and the PYD at all costs. "

"The safe zone will give life to Turkmens"

Fehim Isa, who is commander of the leading Turkmen Brigade in Syria, also said the air operations launched by Turkey were welcomed by the Western-backed opposition groups fighting in Syria, including Turkmens. Isa claimed that the PYD is the enemy of the Syrian people.

Isa also accused the PYD of having close links with the Assad regime. PYD Co-Chair Salih Muslim said in an interview with Al-Hayat magazine that they could allow the return of Syrian regime forces to Rojava and that the YPG could join forces in that case.

"The PYD has close affiliations with the Syrian regime. The Kurds receive weapons aid from Assad and attack Turkmens and other opponents. ISIS always poses a threat to us. Our villages are under the control of ISIS. The Turkmens living here have to live in very harsh conditions. About one million Turkmens used to live in Aleppo before the civil war broke out. Now, our population has decreased to 20,000. For us, the Syrian war is a war of land and honor against tyranny. The peoples of Syria are conducting this battle against Assad, his co-conspirator PYD and ISIS. Turkey has supported us to a great extent during this phase. The safe zone Turkey is to establish on the border will both avert possible threats against Turkey on the Syrian border and prevent ISIS and the PYD, which are constantly assaulting and threatening us, from acting that easily. The safe zone will give life to Turkmens. We have determined to unit with other Turkmen brigades. We will fight against the PYD and ISIS very soon. Any kind of support Turkey would give during this process is crucial to us," Isa said.

"The safe zone will end the dreams of the PYD"
Turkmen groups who are fighting on three fronts at the same time along the corridor ranging from Gaziantep to Aleppo commented on the latest developments. Aleppo-based Fatih Sultan Mehmet Brigade Commander Mahmut Shaban Suleiman said the air operations Turkey launched on ISIS and PKK camps had raised the hopes of Turkmens in the region. "Some 142 Turkmen villages located between Azaz and Aleppo are under the control of ISIS. Turkmens are subject to unimaginable torture there. Kurds are dreaming of uniting their cantons on the border. The PYD forces Turkmens to evacuate the regions it saved from ISIS. Caught between two fires on the Turkish border, Turkmens are experiencing the most difficult period of their history. The PYD poses the greatest danger to us. We want Turkey to hit the PYD, too. The safe zone that will be established on the border will also wreck the PYD's dream of founding a state. We do not want Syria to be divided. We want to live in brotherly terms in a free Syria without Assad. So we will resist the PYD's idea of founding a new state and ISIS's tyranny up until the end. In this phase of our struggle to survive, this operation launched by Turkey on the border intimidates our enemies. We will do our part and battle against these two terrorist groups with all our strength," Suleiman said. "Turkey should not get involved with the dilemma in Syria"

Located right across from the Kilis Öncüpınar Border Gate, Azaz has a vital importance for Turkmens. The PYD's Afrin canton is located to the west of this district, while on its east lies the border with Jarabulus, which ISIS controls. The Turkmens that are caught in between act together with the Arabs living in Azaz against their mutual enemy.

Damascus Front Commander, Zekeriyya Karsly, said a play is being staged between ISIS and the PYD. "The PYD gained control of Tell Abyad from ISIS without even shooting. Now work for the same scenario is being conducted in Jarabulus. And the turn of Azaz will come after Jarabulus. Azaz is the lifeblood of the Turkmens and opponents here. All kinds of humanitarian aid come from here. It is also the only gate from Turkey opening to the Middle East. A PYD-formed state that would be founded in this region will create major problems for both Turkey and opposition groups in Syria. The majority of the Turkmen population resides on this line. Nearly the whole population consists of Turkmens and Arabs. A PYD-formed state might be the end of all of the communities here. So we are fighting here with all we have. We wish for the continuance of the operations Turkey has launched against ISIS on the border. Along with the PKK camps, we also want Turkey to conduct military action against the PYD, which constantly threatens Turkmens. We do not want Turkey to get involved with the dilemma in Syria. Turkey should shoot ISIS and PYD [fighters] on the border or provide us support in the fields of intelligence and logistics. We will keep fighting against our two enemies who threaten our existence," Karsly said.

Facing ethnic cleansing by PYD, Turkmens welcome safe zone plan - Daily Sabah

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

WFP cuts aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan

Syrian refugees gather near their tent after recent stormy weather and snowfalls at Zaatari Syrian refugee camp in Mafraq, Jordan. (File photo: AP)

The Associated Press, Amman
Friday, 31 July 2015

The cash-strapped World Food Program has cut in half food aid to most Syrian refugees in Jordan and says only a last-minute U.S. donation prevented the program from being scrapped.

Friday's announcement raises new concerns about more than half a million refugees who live in Jordanian communities rather than camps. Largely unable to work legally, most urban refugees live in poverty and rely on food vouchers for survival.

Jordan hosts 629,000 Syrian refugees, including about 100,000 in refugee camps.

Of the remaining urban refugees, 440,000 have been receiving food vouchers.

In August, support for the most vulnerable among them, or about 200,000 people, will drop from $28 to $14 per person per month and for the rest from $14 to $7.

The WFP says funding is not secured beyond August.

Last Update: Friday, 31 July 2015 KSA 18:09 - GMT 15:09
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/31/World-Food-Program-cuts-aid-to-Syrian-refugees-in-Jordan.html