Syrian Revolution News & Discussions

[Khafee]

72-Hour Truce in Idlib, Moscow Continues to Attack ‘Terrorists’
Sunday, 19 May, 2019

Smokes rise from Aleppo (Reuters)

Moscow – Raed Jabr

Official Russian circles avoided Saturday issuing a clear position on the temporary truce in Idlib as Moscow accused armed factions in the area of continuing to breach the ceasefire.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on Saturday on reports published by official state media outlets quoting field sources in Syria as saying that a 72-hour truce was reached in Idlib and that the ceasefire will go into effect on Saturday night.

The sources did not offer further details about the truce.

Surprisingly, Moscow issued on Saturday a military statement saying: “Terrorists were continuing to violate the truce in Idlib.”

The chief of Russia's center for the reconciliation of conflicting parties in Syria, Major-General Viktor Kupchishin, said on Saturday that during the past 24 hours, illegitimate armed groups violated the ceasefire in the two provinces of Latakia and Aleppo.

The Novosti news agency quoted Kupchishin as saying that over the past day, terrorists attacked areas in the Latakia province and others in the Hama province.

Meanwhile, the Russian side of the Russian-Turkish commission monitoring the implementation of the Syrian ceasefire said it has registered 10 ceasefire violations in Syria over the past 24 hours, while the Turkish side has recorded 16 truce breaches, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a daily bulletin on Saturday.

The Russian notice said that all violations registered by Moscow were in Latakia and Idlib while the Turkish side registered the violations in Idlib, Latakia, and Hama.

In September 2018, several areas in the countryside of Hama, Idlib, and the western countryside of Aleppo were included in the de-escalation zones deal, reached between Russia and Turkey.

However, late last month, the Syrian army started an operation against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the northern countryside of Hama in central Syria and nearby Idlib, saying the attacks were a response to the rebels' assault and infiltration attempts into Syrian military sites in the region.

72-Hour Truce in Idlib, Moscow Continues to Attack ‘Terrorists’

Official Russian circles avoided Saturday issuing a clear position on the temporary truce in Idlib as Moscow accused armed factions in the area of continuing to breach the ceasefire. The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on Saturday on reports published by official state media outlets...

aawsat.com

 

[Khafee]

Syria harassing ex-foes in former opposition zones

AFP
May 21, 2019

• Damascus targeting people who have already signed reconciliation deals with the regime: HRW

BEIRUT: Damascus has carried out a wave of arbitrary arrests against former activists in opposition areas that surrendered under deals brokered by its ally Moscow, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

The so-called “reconciliation” agreements that restored government control over swathes of central and southern Syria last year were heavily criticized from the start because they were signed under the pressure of military blockade and intense air and artillery bombardment.

The regime offered amnesty to all who agreed to end their political activities.

But thousands of residents, particularly former fighters and their families, chose to be evacuated to remaining opposition-held territory rather than accept renewed rule by Bashar Assad’s regime.

Human Rights Watch said its research showed that former government critics and opposition activists who signed up for “reconciliation” had paid heavily for their decision.

It said it had documented 11 cases of arbitrary detention and disappearance in three areas retaken by regime forces last year — the southern province of Daraa, the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus, and southern neighborhoods of the capital.

Syrian organizations had documented at least 500 arrests in the three areas since August, it added.
“Active combat has ended in much of Syria, but nothing has changed in the way intelligence branches trample rights of perceived opponents of

Assad’s rule,” said HRW’s acting Middle East director, Lama Fakih.
“Lack of due process, arbitrary arrests, and harassment, even in so-called reconciled areas, speak louder than empty government promises of return, reform and reconciliation.”

HRW said those targeted included family members, as well former opposition activists and fighters.
“In all cases, the people targeted ... had signed reconciliation agreements with the government,” it said.

The UN on Tuesday said that, between 26 July 2018 and 31 March 2019, at least 380 people were arrested or detained in Daraa province alone.

At least 230 of these were subjected to enforced disappearances, while the rest were released after a few days in detention.
“Many families in Daraa continue to have limited or no information about their missing or detained relatives,” said Marta Hurtado, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Assad’s forces secured full control of Daraa province from fighters in July, in a massive blow to the country’s ill-fated revolt that erupted in the southern city.

Syria harassing ex-foes in former opposition zones

BEIRUT: Damascus has carried out a wave of arbitrary arrests against former activists in opposition areas that surrendered under deals brokered by its ally Moscow, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. The so-called “reconciliation” agreements that restored government control over swathes of...

www.arabnews.com

 

[Khafee]

Syrians displaced in the northwest call on Turkey to open border
May 22, 2019
Khalil Ashawi

ATMEH, Syria (Reuters) - Camped on the Turkish border to escape bombardment by Russian and Syrian government forces, many displaced Syrians are angry and frustrated that Turkey has not done more to protect them from the bombs or let them cross the frontier to safety.

The border wall a few hundred meters (yards) away offers a degree of cover for thousands of people, since air strikes are rare so close to Turkey. But it also blocks any chance they have of fleeing the conflict and joining millions of refugees abroad.

“Turkey is our only option today,” said Abu Abdallah, 51, who left his village at the start of the war in 2011 to seek sanctuary near the town of Qalaat al-Madiq, until it was captured by Syrian government forces in early May.

“We can no longer put up with living under bombardment or in the open under the trees,” said Abu Abdullah, one of thousands of Syrians living in white tents dotted around the rock-strewn olive groves, some of them only 50 meters (yards) from the border.

Some 180,000 people were displaced by the recent attacks in northwest Syria, the last major rebel stronghold. The increase in shelling killed dozens of people and marked the most intense period of violence for months between President Bashar al-Assad and the rebels, who launched a counter-attack last week.

The Syrian government says it is responding to attacks by al Qaeda-linked militants. The dominant insurgent faction in the region is the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), although the army offensive has not focused on the central Idlib area where it is most concentrated, an HTS-aligned opposition figure said.

Much of the bombardment has hit a buffer zone around Idlib province and surrounding territories which was set up by Russia and Turkey in September under a deal which put off a full-blown assault against the region and its 3 million residents.

Shells from Syrian government territory also hit a Turkish military observation post, one of 12 set up near the Idlib borders by Ankara, which backs the rebels.

At the border, many of the displaced were angry at the lack of Turkish action in response to the recent offensive, and called on Turkey to open its border to allow people to escape.

“We didn’t ask to go into Turkey before,” said 32-year-old Khsara Ahmed al-Hussein. “But when you set up a de-escalation zone and ... you guarantee that I won’t get struck, but then even the Turkish observation point is struck by the regime, then what’s the point of protection if you can’t even protect yourself?”

“LIKE WORLD WAR THREE”
When bombardment of Hussein’s village intensified, his family dug holes in the earth outside their house and slept in them. When the situation became unbearable, they headed to the border, where he has been living under trees for two weeks.

“There were eight planes in the air, bombing intensively, as if it were World War Three,” he said.

Air strikes have hit 18 health facilities and dozens of schools, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). At least 38 children have been killed since the start of last month, Save the Children said.

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that attacks on schools and hospitals did not constitute fighting terrorism. His defense minister spoke with his Russian counterpart on Monday about reducing tension in Idlib, Turkey’s defense ministry said.

Near the border village of Atmeh, dozens of people sat under trees with a few blankets and pillows arranged on the hard earth. A blue plastic tarp was draped over the trees to protect them from the burning sun.

Um Bassan wants to join her children who have been in Turkey for over a year, after she and their father spent everything they had to smuggle them out of Syria.

“I want this torture to end and to see my children,” she said. “No one prefers another country over their own, but I want release from the bombardment and to see my children there.”

Writing and additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch; Editing by Dominic Evans and Edmund Blair

Syrians displaced in the northwest call on Turkey to open border

Camped on the Turkish border to escape bombardment by Russian and Syrian government forces, many displaced Syrians are angry and frustrated that Turkey has not done more to protect them from the bombs or let them cross the frontier to safety.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Russia says Syrian troops repelled three big militant attacks in Syria's Idlib
May 22, 2019

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syrian government troops on Wednesday morning repelled three big attacks by militants in Syria’s Idlib province, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

It said in a statement that 500 Nusra front militants, seven tanks, and about 30 pickups mounted with heavy machine guns had taken part in the attacks.

The ministry said that Syrian militants based in Idlib had also launched a missile attack on Russia’s Hmeymim air base on Wednesday, but that their missiles were either shot down or did not reach their target.

Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Polina Nikolskaya; Editing by Andrew Osborn

Russia says Syrian troops repelled three big militant attacks in Syria's Idlib

Syrian government troops on Wednesday morning repelled three big attacks by militants in Syria's Idlib province, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

400 US Congressmen Urge Trump to Stay in Syria
22 May, 2019

The Israeli-occupied Golan Heights shows an Israeli Merkava tank taking position on the border between Israel and Syria. (File Photo: AFP)

Tel Aviv - London - Asharq Al-Awsat

A group of nearly 400 US congressmen called on President Donald Trump to demonstrate leadership in resolving the prolonged conflict in Syria, asserting that the only choice is to advance policies that can stop the growing threats to US interests, Israel, and regional security and stability.

The congressmen signed Monday a letter sent to Trump saying that at a time of grave insecurity in the Middle East, “we are deeply concerned about the role that terrorist and extremist groups and US adversaries continue to play, particularly in Syria.”

The letter read: “As some of our closest allies in the region are being threatened, American leadership and support are as crucial as ever.”

They recommended several specific steps to advance regional security priorities, including assisting “our ally, Israel, in defending itself in the face of growing threats, including on its northern border.”

The congressmen also called on Trump to increase pressure on Iran and Russia with respect to activities in Syria.

“Working with our allies and partners, we urge you to maintain and increase pressure on Iran and Russia to constrain their destabilizing activities.”

In February, Trump agreed to leave 400 US troops in Syria, after initially deciding to pull all 2,000 immediately.

Meanwhile, the Golan Regional Council revealed that a delegation of US officials will attend a ceremony next month with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lay the cornerstone for a new town in the Golan Heights named after Trump.

A Council official announced that June 12 was set the date for the new community’s cornerstone-laying to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the ceasefire that ended the Six Day War, during which the Golan Heights, Sinai, the West Bank, and Gaza were occupied.

Backed by the government's funding and full coordination, settlers plan for a huge ceremony that will involve a large group of wealthy Jews who have been invited to come and invest in the new settlement.

Last month, Netanyahu said his new government would name the town after Trump in honor of the US president’s decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the northern territory.

Netanyahu announced the location of the new settlement near Kela Alon, established since 1991. It will be allocated a large area under the control of the Israeli army in the Golan, on land owned by Syrian farmers who were displaced in the war and destroyed after the occupation.

400 US Congressmen Urge Trump to Stay in Syria

A group of nearly 400 US congressmen called on President Donald Trump to demonstrate leadership in resolving the prolonged conflict in Syria, asserting that the only choice is to advance policies that can stop the growing threats to US interests, Israel, and regional security and stability. The...

aawsat.com

 

[Khafee]

US Calls for Ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib
Wednesday, 22 May, 2019

A Syrian man whose shop was destroyed in a regime aerial bombardment the previous day walks around the area on May 15, 2019 in Jisr al-Shughur in Idlib province. (AFP)

Asharq Al-Awsat

The United States called on Wednesday for a new ceasefire in Syria as rival forces clashed in the country's northwest, where the regime is waging an offensive on the last big stretch of opposition-held territory.

"What we really need in Idlib and throughout the country is a ceasefire," said James Jeffrey, the US special representative for Syria.

"We are very much engaged in trying to get this stopped," he added in a House of Representatives committee hearing.

Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad launched his assault late last month saying opposition factions had breached an existing ceasefire, triggering a civilian exodus by bombarding Idlib and adjacent areas.

Washington has said it sees signs that Assad has used poison gas in the latest offensive. He has denied such allegations throughout the war.

Fighting raged on Wednesday as opposition factions sought to roll back regime advances in the face of a heavy bombardment, state media, insurgents and a war monitor said.

Weeks of airstrikes, shelling and fighting have driven at least 180,000 people from their homes, raising fears of a new humanitarian disaster.

Many displaced people, camping on the Turkish border, voiced anger and frustration that Ankara had not done more to help them.

"We can no longer put up with living under bombardment or in the open under the trees," said Abu Abdullah, one of thousands of Syrians in white tents dotted around the rock-strewn olive groves close to the frontier.

Turkey-backed opposition factions had sent reinforcements on Saturday to the frontlines of the Idlib, which is dominated by the extremist Tahrir al-Sham group, the latest incarnation of the former al Qaeda affiliate Nusra Front.

The war monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said at least 100 air strikes hit northwest Syria on Wednesday.

Syrian state media reported that the army had stopped a large attack by opposition groups in several places, killing many fighters.

The US State Department on Tuesday said it saw signs that the Syrian regime may be using chemical weapons, including an alleged chlorine attack on Sunday. The French foreign ministry said the new allegations must be looked into.

Naji Mustafa, a spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front, said the regime had used chlorine gas when shelling Kubayna, in the mountainous frontline area in the northwest of the opposition enclave, causing choking symptoms among some fighters who were treated at a field hospital.

However, he said that because of the intense bombardment, they had not properly documented the cases.

US Calls for Ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib

The United States called on Wednesday for a new ceasefire in Syria as rival forces clashed in the country's northwest, where the regime is waging an offensive on the last big stretch of opposition-held territory. "What we really need in Idlib and throughout the country is a ceasefire," said...

aawsat.com

 

[Khafee]

London Seizes Funds of Syrian Regime Leader’s Niece
Thursday, 23 May, 2019

Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) confiscated thousands of pounds belonging to Bushra Assad, the niece of Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad.

Aniseh Chawkat, 22, is currently studying in London.

Following an NCA investigation, a forfeiture order was granted at Westminster Magistrates Court Tuesday on a sum of £24,668.24 held by Chawkat.

Fifty-six cash deposits were paid into Chawkat’s account at branches of Barclays across England during 2017 and 2018. These totaled more than £150,000, despite her having no identifiable source of income, said the agency.

The NCA asserted that this activity is consistent with the use of an informal value transfer system which may result in the laundering of criminal cash and, in this particular case, had the effect of circumventing EU financial sanctions designed to restrict the use and availability of Syrian regime funds.

Both Aniseh Chawkat’s mother, Bushra Assad (also known as Bushra Shawkat or Chawkat), and her uncle, Bashar Assad, are designated subjects of international sanctions.

Her father, Assef Shawkat, was Syrian deputy Minister of Defense between 2011 and his death in 2012, and also subject to international sanctions.

Rob MacArthur from the NCA’s International Corruption Unit said: “Our investigation also gives some insight into the complexity of tackling illicit finance. Innocuous deposits into UK high street banks can ultimately be derived from wealth accumulated by individuals subject to international sanctions.

“Contravention of sanctions undermines the integrity of the UK financial system. The sum in this instance may not be vast, but our identification and pursuit of it underlines our commitment to supporting wider UK efforts against sanctions evasion.”

Rachael Herbert, Head of Threat Response for the National Economic Crime Center, said: “This case shows the disruptive value of proactively using asset denial to recover illicit finance. Account forfeiture is one of the tools UK law enforcement can use in this area."

NCA inquiries found that Aniseh Chawkat rented a London flat for more than £60,000 per year.

Her account was made subject to an Account Freezing Order in November 2018, after the NCA informed Barclays that Chawkat had family links to the Syrian regime.

Zubair Ahmad QC for Aniseh Chawkat told the court that the NCA’s application for forfeiture was not opposed.

London Seizes Funds of Syrian Regime Leader’s Niece

Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) confiscated thousands of pounds belonging to Bushra Assad, the niece of Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad. Aniseh Chawkat, 22, is currently studying in London. Following an NCA investigation, a forfeiture order was granted at Westminster Magistrates Court...

aawsat.com

 

[Khafee]

Exodus grows from northwest Syria in intensified fighting
May 23, 2019

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Thousands more people have fled violence in northwest Syria, the United Nations and a medical agency said on Thursday, as an army assault on the last big rebel enclave met a counter-attack.


President Bashar al-Assad launched his offensive at the end of April in Idlib and parts of adjacent provinces with an intense bombardment, saying insurgents had broken a truce.

This week, rebels rolled back some government advances on the main battlefront, retaking the town of Kafr Nabouda.

Government forces are buttressed by Russian air power, while the main jihadist group that dominates Idlib has been reinforced by Turkey-backed rebels.

Eight years into the civil war, Assad has retaken most of Syria and rebels still fighting him are squeezed into the northwest. Turkey-backed groups hold a strip of territory on the border, and Kurdish-led fighters hold the northeast.


This week’s fighting brought a big increase in air strikes, with bombs falling on towns and villages across the southern part of the enclave, said a British-based war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Some 600 air strikes hit the rebel enclave on Thursday, the Observatory said, killing six civilians.

THOUSANDS FLEE, HUNDREDS DIE
More than 200,000 people have now fled the violence since the end of April, the United Nations said, and are in urgent need of food and protection.

The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM), which provides assistance to health facilities, said the number of displaced this month had spiked to more than 300,000.

Most of the displaced have sought refuge along the border with Turkey, the UOSSM said, with camps springing up in the shadow of the frontier wall.

However, 44,000 people have moved to the regional capital Idlib and another 50,000 have gone to Maarat al-Numan, another large town where the Observatory said an air strike on a marketplace killed 12 people on Tuesday night.

The bombardment has used both conventional air strikes by war planes and “barrel bombs” - improvised explosives dropped by helicopter - according to the Observatory and rescue services.

Since the end of April, there have been 20 attacks on healthcare facilities and one on an ambulance, the United Nations said, putting 19 facilities that serve at least 200,000 people out of action. Some were hit more than once, it said.

The Observatory said 669 people have been killed since the end of April, 209 of them civilians. The UOSSM said 229 civilians had been killed in that period.

Rebels fighting on the mountainous western edge of the enclave said on Sunday that the army had shelled them with poison gas, leading some to suffer choking symptoms.

The U.S. State Department warned it would respond “quickly and appropriately” if that was proven.

However, U.S. Syria envoy James Jeffrey said on Wednesday that Washington did not have confirmation that poison had been used. Rebels said they had not documented the attack because they were under bombardment when it occurred.

Syria’s government denies using chemical weapons.

Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne

Exodus grows from northwest Syria in intensified fighting

Thousands more people have fled violence in northwest Syria, the United Nations and a medical agency said on Thursday, as an army assault on the last big rebel enclave met a counter-attack.

www.reuters.com

 

[Khafee]

Numerous reports consistent with Syria chemical exposure but no definite conclusion yet: U.S.
May 23, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has received numerous reports that appear consistent with chemical exposure after an attack by Syrian government forces in northwest Syria, but it has made no definitive conclusion as to whether they used chemical weapons, the State Department said on Thursday.

“We do have numerous sources including interviews with those present during the attack that did report that a number of opposition fighters were taken to local hospitals and presented symptoms that were consistent with chemical exposure,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told reporters.

The State Department said on Tuesday it saw signs the Syrian government may be using chemical weapons, including what it called an alleged chlorine attack on Sunday in northwest Syria. The department warned that Washington and its allies would respond “quickly and appropriately” if this were proven.

“We know of course that this is a pattern of behavior, unfortunately, by the Assad regime, but we don’t have any definitive conclusions yet as we continue to investigate,” Ortagus said.

Syria’s government denies using chemical weapons.

Rebels fighting on the mountainous western edge of Syria’s last big rebel enclave of Idlib said on Sunday that the army had shelled them with poison gas, leading some to suffer choking symptoms. They said they had not documented the attack because they were under bombardment when it occurred.

Ortagus said the location of the alleged attack was “at the front lines, so it does make access to that site limited.”

The Trump administration has twice bombed Syria over Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons, in April 2017 and April 2018.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched an offensive at the end of April on Idlib and parts of adjacent provinces, saying insurgents had broken a truce. This week, rebels rolled back some government advances on the main battlefront.

The United States says it has been working to encourage a return to a ceasefire that had been in place since September.

Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Bernadette Baum and James Dalgleish

Numerous reports consistent with Syria chemical exposure but no definite conclusion yet: U.S.

The United States has received numerous reports that appear consistent with chemical exposure after an attack by Syrian government forces in northwest Syria, but it has made no definitive conclusion as to whether they used chemical weapons, the State Department said on Thursday...

www.reuters.com

 

[Zaslon]

Russia supplied a batch of GAZ Vodnik multipurpose armored vehicles to the Syrian Army

 

[Zaslon]

The Syrian TOS-1A was delivered in late 2017-early 2018 in which they used during several battles such as Palmyra, Ghouta, and now they are making their to the battlefields of Idlib. they proved to be successful in the war torn country, however Russia only supplied them at least 2 at the max. however the Syrian Republican Guard uses these systems, the Russian soldiers deployed act as advisors on how to use the TOS-1A's effectively. according to rumours when the country ends the civil war, Syria plans to induct more TOS-1As.

 

[Persian Gulf]

The Syrian TOS-1A was delivered in late 2017-early 2018 in which they used during several battles such as Palmyra, Ghouta, and now they are making their to the battlefields of Idlib. they proved to be successful in the war torn country, however Russia only supplied them at least 2 at the max. however the Syrian Republican Guard uses these systems, the Russian soldiers deployed act as advisors on how to use the TOS-1A's effectively. according to rumours when the country ends the civil war, Syria plans to induct more TOS-1As.

Operations in Hama/Idlib have begun? What is the first target? (I saw news of Russian airstrikes on Hama/Idlib, the terrorists' clock is ticking)

 

[Khafee]

Syrian Regime Jets Pound Idlib, Killing 5
23 May, 2019

The Syrian regime continues its bombardment of Idlib. (AFP)

Asharq Al-Awsat

Five civilians were killed on Thursday in Syrian regime air strikes on several towns in northwestern Syria, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The new bombardment of the largely opposition-controlled region of Idlib followed strikes on Tuesday night and Wednesday that killed 23 civilians, 12 of them at a busy market.

In neighboring Hama province, Syrian troops battled for a third straight day to repel an extremist counterattack around the town of Kafr Nabuda, leaving 15 combatants dead, 11 of them extremists, the Observatory said.

Regime forces retook the town on May 8 but the extremists retook most of it on Wednesday, the Britain-based monitor added.

More than 100 combatants have been killed in the fighting around Kafr Nabuda since Tuesday.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, controls much of Idlib as well as adjacent slivers of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces.

The region is nominally protected by a buffer zone deal, but the regime and its ally Russia have escalated their bombardment in recent weeks, seizing several towns on its southern flank.

The United Nations has warned that an all-out offensive on the Idlib region would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe for its nearly thee million residents.

More than 200,000 people have already been displaced by the upsurge of violence since April 28, the UN has said.

A total of 20 health facilities have been hit by the escalation -- 19 of which remain out of service, it added.

Syrian Regime Jets Pound Idlib, Killing 5

Five civilians were killed on Thursday in Syrian regime air strikes on several towns in northwestern Syria, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The new bombardment of the largely opposition-controlled region of Idlib followed strikes on Tuesday night and Wednesday that killed 23...

aawsat.com

 

[Khafee]

Syria offensive raises chemical attack fears
Tim Ripley, London and Jeremy Binnie, London
24 May 2019

A still from footage released by Russia’s ANNA news agency on 20 May shows Syria’s General Suheil al-Hassan inspecting the front in northwest Syria with an unidentified Russian major general. Source: ANNA

The apparent lack of progress that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces are making in a new offensive has raised concerns that they will resort to using chemical weapons.

"Unfortunately, we continue to see signs that the Assad regime may be renewing its use of chemical weapons, including an alleged chlorine attack in northwest Syria on the morning of 19 May," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on 21 May. "We repeat our warning that if the Assad regime uses chemical weapons, the United States and our allies will respond quickly and appropriately."

Testifying before a congressional committee on the following day, US special representative for Syria James Jeffrey said there was no evidence that chemical weapons had been used in the offensive against rebel-held territory in northwest Syria that began in early May but raised the prospect that such attacks could be carried out to compensate for the poor performance of Assad's ground forces.

"We are concerned first about the use of chemical weapons, which we are still looking into," he said. "At any time, this regime is willing to consider chemical weapons to aid its ground attacks because it has the world's worst infantry fighting for it."

He said the offensive was backed by Russian aircraft but had taken just 74 km 2 of territory in the north of Hamah province and was facing rebel counterattacks. "We see a seesaw battle right along the perimeter. Meanwhile… the bombing attacks, which have been indiscriminate and very vicious, has sent some 150,000-200,000 people in Idlib - most of whom are already internally displaced people - [on the] move again."

Janes | Latest defence and security news

Janes | The latest defence and security news from Janes - the trusted source for defence intelligence

www.janes.com

 

[Khafee]

New US Strategy in Syria to Pressure Russia, Face Iran
Thursday, 23 May, 2019

Archive photo of an American vehicle in northern Syria (AP)

London- Ibrahim Hamidi

A US document revealed a “new strategy” that would turn Syria into a regional and international arena, diminishing Iran’s influence and the US-Russian tension.

It shows less serious search for a political solution in accordance with its previous formula that is based on “political transition” and meeting the Syrian people’s aspirations.

Hundreds of members of the US Congress signed a letter to President Donald Trump arguing that the United States should remain engaged with the conflict in Syria, saying they were “deeply concerned” about extremist groups in the country.

It showed how little they have become concerned with the Syrian internal affairs, and did not refer to resolution 2254 or the political solution.

“The conflict in Syria is complicated, and the potential solutions are not perfect, but our only choice is to advance policies that can stop the growing threats to US interests, Israel and regional security and stability. This strategy requires American leadership,” said the letter, signed by nearly 400 of the 535 members of the House of Representatives and Senate.

“As some of our closest allies in the region are being threatened, American leadership and support are as crucial as ever,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter contained four threats posed by the situation in Syria, which are terrorism, Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah.

“Pockets of ungoverned space have allowed terrorist groups, such as ISIS, al-Qaeda and their affiliates to keep parts of Syria in their stranglehold,” it said.

“These groups’ ability to recruit, propagandize, and grow is alarming. Though their main purpose now may be to fight inside Syria, they retain the ability and will to plan and implement attacks against Western targets, our allies and partners and the US homeland,” lawmakers noted.

They pointed out that the region has also been destabilized by the Iranian regime’s threatening behavior.

In Syria, they said, “Iran is working to establish a permanent military presence that can threaten our allies.”

Additionally, Iran continues its program to pursue a direct overland route from Iran to Lebanon, they said, adding that connection would better facilitate Iran’s supplying of Hezbollah terrorists and other Iranian-backed militias with deadly weapons.

“While our nation has encouraged more stable and inclusive political systems in the Middle East, the regime in Tehran has spread its influence and destabilized its neighbors for its own gain.”

Russia is also working to secure a permanent presence in Syria, beyond its naval facility at Tartus.

It has changed the arc of Syria’s civil war at the expense of Syria’s people by employing Russian troops, aircraft, and diplomatic protection to ensure the survival of the Assad regime, the letter stressed.

By providing Damascus with advanced weapons like the S-300 anti-aircraft system, lawmakers said Moscow is complicating Israel’s ability to defend itself from hostile action emanating from Syria.

Russia’s destabilizing role only complements that of Iran – since Russia shows no willingness to expel Iranian forces from Syria, they wrote.

Hezbollah now poses a more potent threat to Israel as well, according to the letter.

“From Lebanon, Hezbollah has aimed more than 100,000 rockets and missiles at Israel that are increasingly more precise and of longer-range, giving the terrorist group the capability to strike anywhere in Israel.”

Lawmakers urged Trump to adopt a new strategy including three main elements, which are Israel’s right to self-defense, pressure on Iran and Russia with respect to activities in Syria, and increased pressure on Hezbollah.

New US Strategy in Syria to Pressure Russia, Face Iran

A US document revealed a “new strategy” that would turn Syria into a regional and international arena, diminishing Iran’s influence and the US-Russian tension. It shows less serious search for a political solution in accordance with its previous formula that is based on “political transition”...

aawsat.com