Protests in Syria - Discussion Thread

[geolocator]

Russian and co. sources will primarily state that the FSA are encircled and being massacred in a brilliant trap set by Assad

It's obvious for me that you never read them. Russian media publish info from all possible sources and particularily ria.ru.

[jokuvaan]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...-equipment.htm maybe Assad runs out of fuel before he runs out of a armor

And the fun of reading your own files:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/fea...363370291.html

Despite all this, Osman tried to keep a positive outlook. "I'm actually surprised about how polite the intelligence services were about us. In many documents they talk about me as ‘a man of good reputation, or ‘an intelligent man.’” As he smiles, he says, "At least they didn't write lies about me."

[xav]

Incidents on Israeli border have started...

IDF forces shoot Syrian trying to cut border fence
Suspect refuses to heed troops' calls to stop, sustains injury in knee and evacuated to Syrian hospital. IDF official lauds soldiers' conduct
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...264313,00.html

[Bloo]

Incidents on Israeli border have started...

IDF forces shoot Syrian trying to cut border fence
Suspect refuses to heed troops' calls to stop, sustains injury in knee and evacuated to Syrian hospital. IDF official lauds soldiers' conduct
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...264313,00.html

They were around even when Assad was doing fine

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/wo...pagewanted=all

[Kiiski]

Has anybody seen reports of foreign operatives (the word "mercenary" has such an ugly post-colonial ring to it) working for the Syrian government?

I would think that the present Syrian administration will be out of many other resources before running out of cash.

[Redox]

Well there are many Hezbollah fighters in the country. I am very curious about to what extent they will get involved.

[KoTeMoRe]

Has anybody seen reports of foreign operatives (the word "mercenary" has such an ugly post-colonial ring to it) working for the Syrian government?

I would think that the present Syrian administration will be out of many other resources before running out of cash.

The issue is how are these people put to use. My idea is that the FSA will have huge issues if the Syrians start allowing Hizb and C° to pour in. The war will get far more dirty and ugly.

[Korathv2]

They were around even when Assad was doing fine

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/wo...pagewanted=all

No, they were not around (for decades) when Assads (2 of them) were doing fine. They started when Assand (the current one) stared to feel threatened. There used to be only smugglers there trying to get through. I think Israel should do all it can to keep the border sealed. The problem would become more serious if massacres start in the vicinity. Then, I guess judging from Black September back in the 70s, IDF would allow refugees in for a very limited time.

[OneUp1911]

IDF shoots a Syrian citizen?

Evil zionist!!

Big news!

Big news!

Call in the peace fortilla!Call in the reporters!Israel has commited a horrible crime!!(sarcasm)

[kalerab]

Incidents on Israeli border have started...

IDF forces shoot Syrian trying to cut border fence
Suspect refuses to heed troops' calls to stop, sustains injury in knee and evacuated to Syrian hospital. IDF official lauds soldiers' conduct
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...264313,00.html

I doubt anyone will ever see or hear from that guy again.

[Pandemonium]

IDF shoots a Syrian citizen?

Evil zionist!!

Big news!

Big news!

Call in the peace fortilla!Call in the reporters!Israel has commited a horrible crime!!(sarcasm)

Please don't be a troll, you're one of the few that pays real attention to the article.

In other news, the rebels failed to capture the broadcasting centre after serveral hours of severe fighting. Got the feeling that the clock is ticking for the FSA, the army doesn't waat to face them yet in full-scale battle, while their aircraft are pounding their defenselines. I think that the trap is slowly closing around Aleppo

[IconOfEvi]

It's obvious for me that you never read them. Russian media publish info from all possible sources and particularily ria.ru.

If you say so...

Russian news coverage so far reminds me of Arab news coverage during the Arab-Israeli Wars



Now as for the topic at hand...well I guess the influx of Iranian and Hezbollah troops is one reason why Assad has been able to amass so many troops to the Aleppo borders...there have to be some weak spots though, this is a siege, and the defender has an advantage if even one portion of the ring has a less than optimal amount of numbers...clearly they don't have it all locked down as FSA troops are filtering into Aleppo as well. Assad's forces have an advantage in that in reality, the FSA is not 100% preparing for defense, but also trying to take The Citadel. He also owns the airport.

Judging by how much both sides are building for this, it really will be a battle to remember

[SBL]

This report is from a couple days ago, but I didn't see anything related to it posted here:

Clashes erupted between the Jordanian and Syrian armies near the border city of Al-Ramtha, according to Turkish State News, Anadolu Agency.“Jordanians are going down to the border and helping those Syrians who have crossed and doing whatever they can to help out,” said Andrew Harper, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Jordan. “They’re doing a fantastic job under difficult circumstances.”
Abdalftah Al-Ibrahim, the Mayor of Al-Ramtha Municipality, said shooting between the two armies is not necessarily the best way to describe the exchange of fire that is going on.“It’s small and limited,” Al-Ibrahim said. “It happens when refugees try to cross, when the Syrian army shoots at them, they get injured, and the Jordanian units come to defend the refugees.”Mayor Al-Ibrahim said these events have only occurred two or three times. Still, Jordanian assistance is essential, especially when it comes to navigating the mines that are scattered on the border.“Once they cross the border,”
Representative Harper says, “The first reason they know they’ve made it across is when they meet the Jordanian military who gives them food, water, blankets, and protection.”Famir Babran, who works in the Jordanian United Nations Children’s Fund office, said many Syrian refugees told him their first memory of relief was seeing the Jordanian flag emblazoned on soldiers’ uniforms.The city of Daraa, which was one of the key towns during the first months of the Syrian revolution, lies less than eight kilometers from the Jordanian border. The number of Syrians taking refuge in Jordan has skyrocketed this spring. In total, 37,615 individuals have registered with the UNHCR in Jordan alone.

http://thedailynewsegypt.com/2012/08...ire-at-border/

According to a story on NPR yesterday morning, this has been a fairly regular occurrence and a source of mounting concern for Jordanian.

[themacedonian]

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomac...emium-1.455938

Al-qaeda rising power in syria ......

[Bloo]

Has anybody seen reports of foreign operatives (the word "mercenary" has such an ugly post-colonial ring to it) working for the Syrian government?

I would think that the present Syrian administration will be out of many other resources before running out of cash.

Hezbollah is more or less this and has several thousand fighters in Syria. I imagine the Iranians are covering their pay for their work though, and I imagine the fighters themselves are ideologically motivated. Not mercenary in the classical sense. Foreign Shia jihadists fighting for Assad is a more apt description.