8836
Mark Sleboda with a realist and critical, Russian-focused perspective on international affairs, security & geopolitics.
🇷🇺⚔️🇺🇦A group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, numbering about 700 people , including a special forces detachment, was completely surrounded south of Kurakhovo in the DPR, Rogov reported.
According to him, according to radio intercepts, before the encirclement, the group requested permission to retreat at least eight times, but they were refused.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
📣Going LIVE in less than 45 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMUofCcF9e8
Читать полностью…
Moscow Warns of Retaliation for U.S. Attack + Russian Forces Near Pokrovsk w/ Mark Sleboda
Discussion with @RachBlevins 13/12/24
https://youtu.be/VQLCNdYSACg?si=unjEk6IOQrEkKLvg
🇺🇸🇮🇱🇮🇷Syria Down, Iran Next...
The US and Israel are apparently planning attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and likely many other targets.
One of the main prerequisites of the long-standing objective was eliminating Syria which not only disrupts Iranians asymmetrical military power, but also creates air space US and Israeli warplanes can freely fly through on their way to strike Iran.
The Times of Israel makes the point I've previously noted that with the collapse of Syria's military, its air defenses have now been completely eliminated and previously created a military and political obstruction to Israeli strikes.
The goal of all of this was always ultimately removing Iran. Then Russia. Then China.
Sources:
WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-iran-plan-nuclear-weapons-def26f1d
Times of Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/iaf-says-preparing-for-strikes-on-iran-nuke-sites-after-knocking-out-syrias-air-defenses/
Follow The New Atlas on Telegram: /channel/brianlovethailand
🇮🇱🇮🇷 The Israeli military believes that the destruction of Syria's air defense system creates opportunities for strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
According to the IDF radio station "Galei Tzahal," 86% of Syria's air defense systems have been destroyed.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
🏁💬🇪🇺Great news, Eurobros: everyone's favorite NATO Secretary General Rutti Frutti called for a portion of pensions and social payments in Europe to be used for weapons production. He noted that the bloc's military spending should exceed 3%.
He said that he does not currently see a direct threat to any of the alliance members from Russia but called for strengthening defense.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
The Fall of Syria
My discussion on the Forum for Democracy International with John Laughland, Peter Lavelle, and Vanessa Beeley
11/12/24
https://www.youtube.com/live/_MTz_0aWr2U?si=9l4JzZguJ4lHdZya
⚡️Nuclear watchdog chief Grossi warns of possible looting at Al Hadjar nuclear research centre in Syria
Terrorists with nuclear materials. What could possibly go wrong?
#Syria #Nuclear
The Kremlin must quietly appreciate the Israeli airstrikes on former Syrian military equipment (most of Russian provenance) as it saves them from having to do it themselves to keep it out of the hands of the HTS terrorists & their Turkish masters.
There is even the possibility that the Russian military is cooperating & coordinating with the Israeli airforce on this, and providing them with details, locations, and satellite data of Syrian/Russian military equipment that they couldn't secure in time.
🇺🇸🇹🇷🇸🇾 Western-Backed "Inclusive Terrorists" executing Syrians.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
🇸🇾🇸🇾 The Western-backed "inclusive" terrorist rebel fighters in Syria execute former SAA soldiers in a hospital.
Via: @warhistoryalconafter
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
🇸🇾 About the Alleged New Government of Syria
Arab media have published the alleged composition of the Syrian government that is to be formed by the opposition within 18 months. Until then, transitional authorities will be in power: a new constitution is also to be written in the process.
A place in the cabinet has been given to everyone: from the leader of the terrorist organization Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Abu Muhammad al-Julani, to members of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCSROF) and independent activists and politicians, such as Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib.
The new cabinet is allegedly composed of the following individuals:
▪️Riyad Hijab - former Prime Minister of Syria. In 2012, he was dismissed and then defected to the "Free Syrian Army" (FSA) and settled in Qatar, from where he called on officials and officers of the SAA to desert. Until 2017, he was the head of the opposition High Negotiations Committee.
▪️Abu Muhammad al-Julani - the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which led the "march" on Damascus. He was once the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of the terrorist organizations ISIS and al-Qaeda. Now in the West he is known as the "progressive jihadist" Ahmad al-Shara'a.
▪️Hadi al-Bahra - the head of the NCSROF, which is supported first by Western countries and then by Turkey. It, in turn, heads the pro-Turkish "Interim Government of Syria" (IGS), located in the territories controlled by the "Syrian National Army" (SNA) in the north of Aleppo province.
▪️Faisal al-Qasim - originally from the As-Suwayda province in southern Syria, a Druze by nationality. A TV host with a separate show on Al Jazeera. Apparently, his belonging to a religious minority and a kind of "specialization" opened the way for him to the Ministry of Information of Syria.
It is noteworthy that the majority of the possible ministers are members of the NCSROF, not very popular in the opposition Syrian environment. This is not surprising - they spend most of their time and sit outside of Syria, in particular on the territory of Turkey and Qatar.
It cannot be said that the "Government of Salvation of Syria" (GSS) formed by the terrorists of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib is popular. However, unlike their colleagues, they were able to form quite strong state institutions and even subordinate the formations of the former FSA.
🔻However, such a layout may well suit the West: the members of the NCSROF are people who have "not stained their hands with blood", these are kind of "secular democrats", representatives of the "moderate part of the Syrian opposition". Hence, HTS received only one seat in the cabinet, where Ahmad al-Shara'a took the post of Defense Minister.
How strong such a government will turn out to be is another question. It is also overlaid by the huge abundance of diverse factions of the "Syrian revolution", a large part of which sees democracy as disbelief, the opposite of what they fought for.
High-resolution infographic
English version
#infographic #Syria
@rybar
Original msg
The Collapse of Syria and the Axis of Resistance
Tectonic Geopolitical Consequences
My latest discussion on @RTNews Crosstalk 08/12/24
https://rumble.com/v5xhtvz-crosstalk-bullhorns-collapse-of-resistance.html
Fwd from @infomil_live
Chechen militants of "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" inside a government building in Damascus.
The flag in the background is quite notable. This emblem (the seal of Muhammad) is used not only by ISIS terrorists, but also by a number of other groups, including the Idlib-based "Saraya Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq", which has carried out attacks on Turkish and Russian military personnel. This same group is presumably behind the non-existent "Katai'b Khattab al-Shishani", which has also claimed responsibility for attacks on the Russian and Turkish armed forces.
It is precisely such organizations that are the main grievance against "HTS" on the part of Turkey and Russia, since although "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" have tried to fight them, they have achieved little result, despite arrests and raids in Idlib throughout 2021. Accordingly, there is no talk of a democratically-liberal, multicultural-confessional Syria under the auspices of the Salvation Government as long as the radical elements within "HTS" continue to exist.
Informant Original msg
☄️ I’m currently at the Russian Khmeimim airbase, where I was able to talk to Russian servicemen about their attitude to what is happening in Syria.
Initially, the militants didn’t know what they could achieve.
The attack began early in the morning of November 27. Its goal was to regain control over sections of the M5 highway in the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib and Hama, lost during the government offensive in 2018.
The HTS mercenaries were in the lead. Those we call the opposition, or SNA, were in no hurry to join the battle.
When it became clear that the defense of the SAA was unstable, the militants continued the offensive to encircle Aleppo from the south- and north-west, trying to capture the crossroads. And then it turned out that government troops simply fled from Aleppo. And the militants went further.
I would like to emphasize that from the very beginning of the militants' offensive, entire brigades of the SAA abandoned their positions and fled without a fight.
Individual units, such as the Tigers Forces, resisted. But combat-ready units were distributed along the front line mixed with less combat-ready units, primarily those morally less combat-ready. Accordingly, the resistance was focal and some were forced to retreat due to the withdrawal of their neighbors, while the militants concentrated attack drones (including ukrainian-made ones) and artillery on others.
The problem of the government army was a very serious shortage of rocket artillery, assault army aviation, as well as self-propelled artillery units and electronic warfare equipment. The advancing militants are equipped with armored vehicles, including tanks, they are supported by howitzers, grenade launchers, mobile mortar batteries and self-propelled guns supplied to the HTS through the SNA by the Turkish side.
The RuAF and the SAF could thin out the advancing lines of the militants, but without the proper level of artillery support, this could not turn the tide of the offensive. Or they needed many more aircraft.
In 2018, Russia proposed to the Syrian government to reform the armed forces. We offered to supply new equipment on credit. It could be repaid at the expense of our companies if they were given preferential terms in Syria.
Now we are conducting a Special Military Operation. But if Syria had taken our weapons and equipment back then, they would have stayed with their army and helped repel the militants. Provided that we taught them how to use it.
But then the Syrian leadership refused. Maybe they considered it unprofitable, I don’t know.
Our advisers could only train Syrian soldiers to shoot and operate drones. But you can’t change such an army.
Meanwhile, the Turks and other NATO members were turning the militants into something resembling a real army.
At the same time, all the combat commanders who fought with us were removed from their command posts in the Syrian army. The well-known units that we helped were disbanded. Over the past year, new commanders were appointed in all divisions and brigades near Aleppo, Idlib and Hama. They eventually fled along with their soldiers.
As for Iran, the US and israel didn’t allow them to transfer troops and equipment. The same can be said about Hezbollah.
My comrades and I don’t know what the politicians will decide. I think it would be right to come to an agreement with the new government and leave our bases. After all, we signed the Astana agreements with the opposition. This means that we can negotiate. It’s unlikely that our leadership will want to be just occupiers, like the Americans. Assad signed an agreement with us on bases.
Whether they will leave him now - we will see. As for our friends, some of them, as far as I know, are already in Russia. The thing is that many of those who worked with us won’t come to us.
But people who don’t want to live in Syria now - many of them are thinking of leaving for Russia.
I hope our government will help them.
THE WIT AND WISDOM OF MARK SLEBODA - EPISODE 3 - TRUMP, XI, ORBAN AND TALK OF UKRAINE COMPROMISE
Discussion with Garland Nixon 13/12/24
https://www.youtube.com/live/yQ6V0TFOtWk?si=SmL5LyIkQmZtc_aA
MSM tells you that al-Jolani renounced Al-Qaeda back in 2016
Now listen to his actual ‘renouncement’.
They think we are too stupid to find an old video…
#HTS #Alqaeda
🇸🇾🇹🇷🇺🇸 As HTS and other groups gradually settle in the Syrian capital and other captured territories, various external players are actively establishing contacts with militant leaders.
▪️Yesterday, the head of the Turkish intelligence agency MIT, Ibrahim Kalin, visited Damascus for negotiations with Abu Muhammad al-Julani. Most likely, the purpose of the talks was to convey to the HTS leader how Turkey sees the future of Syria and what steps it wishes to see from him in this direction.
▪️Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Ankara to discuss "the role of the US and Turkey in the future of Syria". According to him, Washington expects that the new government will lead to stability in the country and will not pose a threat to neighboring states.
▪️At the same time, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan added that Turkey seeks not only to achieve peace in Syria, but also to stop terrorist organizations. Among them, he named the "Kurdistan Workers' Party", which has long been a bogeyman for the authorities in Ankara.
On the one hand, diplomatic activity is related to the northeast of Syria controlled by the Kurds, where the main oil resources are concentrated and American troops are stationed. The parties are seeking to settle the issue through a compromise agreement that would avoid hostilities in the region.
📌 In parallel, both Turkey and the US are seeking to find in HTS a partner who will very carefully listen to their vision of the situation. The carrot here is the lifting of sanctions on Syria, whitewashing the image of the group and personally al-Julani, and the stick is the refusal of Turkish assistance or even an MQ-9 strike.
The thing is, the fate of any such agreements directly depends on the physical ability of HTS to at least create the appearance of order throughout the captured territory and real control over the "progressive jihadists".
#Syria #USA #Turkey
@rybar
Support us Original msg
Global Flashpoints: Mark Sleboda on Russia, China, Syria, and the Nuclear Threat
Discussion with Wilmer Leon on Connecting the Dots 12/12/24
https://www.youtube.com/live/CMtScC_Jvno?si=5Iz0KqsiH1bI8FUk
Russia warned five years ago: US mercenaries profit from Syrian oil
The US is maintaining its military presence in Syria's oil-rich northeast region, claiming its major aim is to keep the oil out of ISIS hands. However, the reality appears more complex.
▪️Takeover of Deir ez-Zor: US-allied Kurdish militias seized Syria's largest oil field, Al-Omar, located in Deir el-Zour province along the border with Iraq, from ISIS and then expanded their control over the oil-rich region.
▪️Hydrocarbon control: Instead of returning hydrocarbons to the Syrian people, the US began extracting and allegedly stealing the nation's energy resources.
▪️PMC involvement? The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated in July 2019 that around 3,500 US private military contractors (PMCs) were participating in illegal oil production at the Al-Omar, Tanak, and Conoco fields in Deir ez-Zor province.
▪️Illegal production: According to the MoD, illegal hydrocarbon production was also conducted in neighboring Al-Hasakah and Raqqa, held by US-backed Kurdish militias.
▪️Criminal scheme: The MoD claimed, "A criminal scheme for cross-border deliveries of Syrian oil is in operation," with US PMCs operating under the cover of US-led coalition aviation.
▪️Oil revenues: The MoD stated in October 2019 that oil revenues, amounting to $30 million a month, were funneled through brokerage companies to the accounts of PMCs and US special services.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇸🇾 Syria's jihadists are so "diversity-friendly" they brought Jews back to Damascus—along with Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turks, Uyghurs, Chechens, Albanians... you name it.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
⚡️A shock:
Raphael Grossi has finally noticed something.
@Slavyangrad
How Syria Collapsed So Quickly
Discussion with Jamarl Thomas 10/12/24
https://youtu.be/sAgPx_lWy4o?si=qkkHa_SABn1eo3PJ
Watch reporters laugh after Miller says they support the ICC.
Nadia Bilbassy: President said that Assad should be held accountable, will you support his application to stand in front of the ICC as a war criminal
Miller: We support the work of the ICC, obviously we have disagreed—
Matt Lee: You support the work of the ICC until they do something with Israel or the US
Miller: We’ve had a jurisdictional dispute with them as it relates to cases against Israel
Nadia: Do you think the US is undermining the trust in these international orgs by making an exception for Israel
Miller: We have a disagreement with other countries but this has been a longstanding good faith disagreement about where the ICC has jurisdiction and where it does not, based on the fact that there’s no recognized Palestinian state
Syria not a party to the Rome statute
@Slavyangrad
🇸🇾 Latakia port looks like the 9th circle of Hell after Zionist airstrikes. The remnants of the Syrian fleet are burning at anchor after repeated strikes by the IOF.
After the fall of the Assad government, the Zionist air force has launched over 300 strikes against Syria in less than 48 hours. The goal is to destroy all arms and production inside Syria, leaving the nation defanged and unable to resist Zionist advances.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
Most of the Syrian jet fighters left over from Syrian army and those captured by HTS and SNA terrorists have been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.
According to reports, Israel has destroyed all MiG-29 regiments of Syrian army at the airports, along with some radars and weapons depots.
According to Israeli reports in the last 24 hours; It has destroyed almost all the ballistic missile warehouses and Russian air defenses and Iran's drone manufacturing factories in Syria.
🚩 @ResistanceTrench
🇷🇺🇸🇾 A Russian serviceman films the uniforms, weapons, gear, and ammunition left behind by the Syrian army at one of the bases, after they abandoned it and fled.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
🇺🇸 Back in 2017 when he wasn't a woke and inclusive "moderate rebel" who gives interviews to the CNN.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
🇸🇾 The presidential palace in Damascus is on fire, the reception hall has been set on fire, reports AFP.
Before this, Assad's residence was looted.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
