Tag: Syria

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WAR FRONT: Iran and North Korea are Building Ballistic Missiles in Syria…Now What?

There have been countless articles written about the intersection between the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, yet if the latest pictures taken by the Syrian opposition is an indication, the extent of the collaboration between the two countries along with the Russian acquiescence to the program should be alarming to everyone.

Published by a Syrian opposition site last week, the following images and information taken in Syria along with a detailed description by a worker at the site show collusion between the North Korean, Iranian, and Syrian governments in building an active ballistic missile factory.

MEMRI translated the July 10th article found on the site, which said the following:

Zamanalwsl.net stated that it had “received exclusive photos of the Assad regime’s scientific research center in the Wadi Jahannam region that is [administratively] in the rural area of Tartus. The new photos support this website’s previous report regarding the center where Bashar [Al-Assad] paid a secret visit that was disguised as a public and documented tour of a visit to several homes [of his supporters] in the rural region of Hama…  

“This is a facility for the development and manufacture of long-range missiles and M600 ballistic missiles – the [latter is] the secret name given by the science center [to these missiles, which are manufactured according to] the model of the Iranian Fateh 110 missile.

“The sources [cited in the report] indicated that the center has a branch in Deir Shamil [in western Hama province] where there is a base of the Fourth Division [of the Syrian army under the command of Maher Al-Assad, brother of Bashar]. [At this branch,] chemicals are produced and stored in the hillside adjacent to an underground road. According to the sources, Brig.-Gen. Ghassan Abbas is the director of the branch, under the direct command of Salim Ta’mah, deputy director of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC). The sources expect that the construction of [the branch of the SSRC] will be finished by year’s end.”

With the Trump administration allowing Russia to take key border areas near Jordan and Israel as part of last week’s ceasefire, the revelation of such a dangerous facility makes the Russia presence a clear danger to Israel.

Can Israel Take Out the Missile Factory?

When Israel took out the Syrian nuclear program that was built by North Korea, the region was very different. Russia had not presence outside of its Latkia base, the US was considered te strongman in the region, and Syria was essenitally a weak actor.

Today’s Syria is a non-existant entity, but Iranian and Russian forces exist througout the war torn country. Not to mention, the Russians have their S-400 anti-aircraft missile system installed in the region, essentially changing the dynamic the Israeli Airforce has to contend with.

This leaves the Trump administration to push back on Russia forcing them to remove the base.  This unlikely for two reasons.  The first is that Trump has been touting the “ceasefire” as a success. Second to that he has made it clear that Russia is a responsible actor and needs to be partnered with in order to bring stability to the region.

If Trump would bring Putin to task on this base, it would be an admittance that Trump’s entire Russia strategy is actually flawed.

North Korean-Iranian Collusion is the Real Story

It has become more and more obvious that the Mullahs in Tehran and North Korea have done more than help eachother out when necessary.  Their active partnership in building weapons of mass destruction is so tight that when talking about taking out one regime, it really means taking out two.  Furthermore, Syria needs to been seen in a far different light by the administration.  True, no one in America wants to see boots on the ground, but this base is a game changer.  Syria is now linked to North Korea, which has made it clear that it intends to nuke America.

The Trump administration, if it is serious about North Korea, must roll back the partnership between Iran, Syria, North Korea, and Russia. If it doesn’t, Israel must be empowered to do it for them.

 

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From Afrin to Sulaimani Kurdistan is Moving to Independence

If Turkey did not want an independent Kurdistan, especially one united with West Kurdistan located in Syria, then their actions against the Kurdish enclave in Afrin have had the opposite effect.  Consistent shelling of the YPG (Syrian Kurdish Militia) in Afrin has caused the Kurds of Sulaimani, which is located far to the East near the border of Iran and Iraq to rally to their brothers in Syria.

Last week Israel Rising reported that Turkey was preparing to invade Western Kurdistan, which is located in present day Northern Syria. By amassing Turkish troops in the Kilis triangle opposite Syria, Erdogan was hoping to scare the Kurds into backing down. The opposite has happened and it appears Turkey has now caused both areas to unite in their struggle.

A united Western and Southern Kurdistan which spans from Northern Iraq into Northern Syria is considered an existential threat to Turkey. There are twenty million Kurds living in South-Eastern Turkey, which is considered occupied Northern Kurdistan. An independent Kurdistan arising on the Turkish border would inherently inspire Northern Kurdistan to break away from their Turkish occupiers.

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Syrian Regime Continues to Violate Ceasefire, This Time in Quneitra Next to Israel

The Free Syrian Army based East of Israel’s Golan posted the following tweet:

Given the ecstatic jubilation over the “ceasefire deal” brokered between Trump and Putin on the sidelines of the G20 these sorts of violations that have been growing in the descalation zones have esentially deemed the ceasefire deal to be at the most a PR stunt if not rendered pointless.

With Al-Baath under attack by regime and Iranian forces, which is only 2 km away from Israel’s Golan the infractions are far more serious.

Is the Regime Goading Israel into Attacking?

One possible strategy is for the regime to blame Israel for breaking the ceasefire.  If the regime continues to advance in towards the Israeli border in the Golan, the Israelis would have no choice but to resume attacking regime military targets as they were doing last week.

Any counter-attack by Israel to sure up their FSA allies will run into the growing presence of Russian military police. The ceasefire has essentially be flipped to place US allies in the region on the defensive.  This will continue until the Trump administration is able extricate itself from the already collapsing ceasefire.

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BREAKING: Syrian Rebels Shoot Down Regime Plane Near Ceasefire Zone

Reports from rebel forces in Syria indicate they have shot down a regime fighter jet near the Sweida Ceasefire Zone.

“The plane was shot down and crashed in regime-controlled territory. We have no information on the pilot,” said Fares al-Munjed, communications head for the Ahmad al-Abdo Forces, a rebel group which operates in Syria’s southeast.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the plane was shot down.

In further violations of the truce, regime forces have continued to shoot in Daraa.

Will the ceasefire hold? 

Although Russia seems intent on sending military police into the ceasefire areas, by the time they get situated the ceasefire may already be over. From the very beginning the regime and Iran were apprehensive about the ceasefire as the two have been on a roll. With the rebels fighting back, the ceasefire is essentially over.

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Syrian Ceasefire Crumbles on Second Day as Regime and Iranian Allies Attack Rebels

Reports are streaming in that Syrian regime forces and its Iranian allies have already started violating the truce brokered between Trump and Putin at the G20 summit last week.  This would mean the much vaunted truce lasted all of 24 hours.

and again:

The fighting continued near Daraa and the Sweida, two areas covered by the ceasefire.  Below is a map of showing areas of control as the the ceasefire went into place.

With the ceasefire beginning to unravel even before the first Russian troops show up to monitor it, the question is how long before the Trump administration and Moscow decide to try to reorganize for another try. The regime and Iran will not stop while the wind is at their backs. They were closing in on capturing Daraa before the agreement and if they do now they will split two of the rebel areas in half and stand on the border of Jordan just a few kilometers from the Southern Golan.

Did Putin Outmaneuver Trump?

Despite Trump’s glowing victory speech after the agreement he “brokered” at the G20, it appears to be Putin that played the President Trump.  Afterall, Putin knew full well that Syria and Iran would not rest until they at least took all of Daraa if not more.  He also knew that his airforce was no longer needed to achieve Daraa’s conquest.

The question remains, will Trump admit he was out played? Or will he continue to spread the false notion that there is actually a ceasefire, when in fact there was none.  The faster the Trump administration realizes that no deal can be made with the regime, Iran, or even their Russian backers, the faster he can stave off total defeat.