Protests in Syria - Discussion Thread

[KoTeMoRe]

From the other thread...

There are 3/4 alleged IRGC cards...they had NO personal protection means (be that weapons or escort). And frankly I do not need to scream about interference, there is already interference...so why the fuss? Maybe because these men look all but super warriors from Iran?

Your article:

...cela n´a pas de sens que les Otages soient des Gardiens de la Révolution. Si c´était le cas pourquoi ils seraient-ils dans un bus sans protection sur un route aussi peu sure que celle de l´aéroport.

[Camera]

Iranian tankers are back to buying Syrian crude

Although Tehran finds it difficult to sell its own crude under sanctions, two of its ships picked up Syrian oil late in July following a smaller purchase earlier.


By The Associated Press

Iran has become Syria's main crude oil buyer, helping Bashar Assad's flailing government to circumvent Western sanctions, as Iranian tankers have returned for a third time since April, shipping industry sources said.

Although Tehran already finds it difficult to sell its own crude under sanctions, two of its ships picked up Syrian oil late in July following a smaller purchase at the start of the same month.
Asia is the likely destination for the Syrian oil, but the sources said it remained unclear where the previous cargoes ended up.

Iran sells its own crude to only a handful of buyers compared to its previous client list. China, India, Japan, Turkey have still been buying after overcoming shipping obstacles, and South Korea will probably resume next month.

(...)

Syria was still able to import oil products from Russia and cooking gas from Greece but tightening sanctions cut off those avenues in April.

The government now seems heavily reliant on Iran, itself under sanctions by the EU and U.S. over its nuclear ambitions. Syria is also Iran's top destination for arms sales, according to the UN.
Earlier this year, the Tour, laden with Syrian crude, was headed for Singapore but turned back and dropped anchor at the Bandar Abbas port in Iran.

At the beginning of July, the Amin loaded a combination cargo of Syrian Light and Heavy at Tartous and Banias and another Iranian tanker, the Alvan, discharged around 30,000 tons of Iranian diesel - or gasoil as it is known in the industry - in exchange for gasoline, which then returned to Iran at the port of Bandar Abbas.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-e...crude-1.455631

[themacedonian]

What makes you think they are Basijis?
Basij is commanded by the IRGC.

What ever they were did they have weapons with them? Nothing reported. Civilians.

[yves]

Still need confirmation by the FSA command in Hatay other than this source but it seems that you were right

[IconOfEvi]

What the **** are pilgrims doing in a country in a civil war?

BS cover story

[Camera]

What ever they were did they have weapons with them? Nothing reported. Civilians.

They could have been civilian pilgrims indeed. But the fact they did not had no weapons does not mean a thing.

[DuHasst]

Do we have photos of Iranian weaponry be used by Syrians?
Iran has a growing defence industry with many weapon system
that could come handy for the Syrian army.

[Camera]

Iran warns Syria conflict could engulf Israel

By REUTER$
08/05/2012 15:42

Iran parliament speaker Larijani warns against foreign intervention in Syria, accuses US of providing military support to rebels.

DUBAI - Iran said Sunday that the conflict in Syria could engulf Israel, as it warned against foreign intervention there, Iranian media reported.

"The fire that has been ignited in Syria will take the fearful (Israelis) with it," Iran Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Sunday, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

CONTINUED: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=280119

[Hisroyalhighness]

Port Call in Tartus Possible - Russian Defense Min.

Russian warships engaged in drills in the Mediterranean Sea may enter Russia’s naval re-supply and maintenance base in Syria’s Tartus, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Russian media reported earlier this week that three large landing ships from the Russian flotilla are planning to make a port call in Tartus. Earlier on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said the port call was unnecessary and “not planned.”

Later in the day, the ministry said that the schedule of the flotilla’s mission might be extended to include entry into the Black Sea, and the ships will have to replenish stocks.

"The [naval] command will plan re-supplying the ships’ stocks either via support vessels or via Russia’s material and technical support base in Tartus,” the Defense Ministry said.

Black Sea Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Alexander Fedosenkov said last week Russian warships in the Mediterranean are preparing for naval drills due in September, and are not carrying out any military tasks in Syria.

The Russian flotilla comprises five warships from the Northern and Baltic fleets, plus escort vessels. On Saturday a group of Northern Fleet vessels, led by the Vice Admiral Kulakov destroyer, will join the flotilla.

Syria’s opposition National Council earlier expressed its concern about the possibility of Russian warships entering Tartus.

The Tartus base, Russia’s only naval facility outside the former Soviet Union, is used for repair and refueling of warships. The Russian Navy needs the base to support Russian warships in the Mediterranean, as well as those on anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

[Genotype]

Greetings gentlemen.

Could anybody give us an estimation of the lost APCs and tanks from the Syrian army?
I mean it seems they`re losing a couple every day, it won`t take long to run out of
armored forces.

While the Syrian army has clearly suffered heavy losses of equipment, their armoured reserves are massive. IIRC they have nearly 5000 MBTs of all kinds and 3000-ish BMPs....not counting other armoured vehicle types like BRDM, BTR and MT-LBs. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a large numbers of Syrian armour are currently sat idle in depots, due to trained personnel shortages due to losses, desertion and defections.

There's simply no chance of the Syrian army 'running out of armour' in the near future.

However, I suspect they're experiencing real problems due to losses of critical trained and experienced personnel. Trained armour crewmen are specialists who require additional training, and so regular crew losses are difficult to replace in the middle of ongoing campaign. In particular I've previously remarked about the ubiquitous use of the BMP1 in the Syrian army and how it has a reputation as vulnerable in combat involving a mine or IED threat. The BMP1's protection issues are due to thin under-belly armour and the location of the driver and the commander almost on the vehicle floor. In Afghanistan it was experienced that an explosion under the left side of the vehicle typically killed or seriously injured both. Additionally there's several other known vulnerabilities in this vehicle that were improved in the later BMP1-D and BMP2 variants.

So I think trained personnel losses will soon be a critical problem for the Syria army, but their vehicle losses can be sustained.

[SiEMpre_Leal]

Why are some people saying that the Syrian army "Is running out of armoured vehicles"??, Aint syria next to Israel? my point and my opinion is the syrian army wouldve have enough armoured tanks, apc's, ifv's to fight the Israeli army.

[Surenas]

What the **** are pilgrims doing in a country in a civil war?

BS cover story

That may surprise you, but not me. Iranian pilgrims even visit Iraq each year.

[Unstable]

I have been following the conflict for a while, I was wondering anyone know what happening in Hama, Homs and Daara? Does the FSA operate in these cities or have they been ousted? No much news from these regions

[m4rs75]

British officials are secretly equipping Syrian rebel groups with satellite phones in a bid to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

The supply of the latest generation of handsets is part of the Foreign Office’s mission to mould militias into a coalition capable of governing the country. The phones, used by the Ministry of Defence, are designed for rugged environments and are shock, dust and water resistant.

Whitehall sources also confirmed the Foreign Office is teaching negotiation and ‘stabilisation’ skills to opposition leaders, and advising on how to address the Syrian people and international audiences.

According to military experts, the presence of Foreign Office officials and the provision of training and equipment to the opposition means that British Special Forces are likely to be operating in Syria.

Teams from the SAS and SBS are understood to be based in the neighbouring state of Jordan, slipping into Syria on missions.

Ex-British Army commander Richard Kemp – a former member of the Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee – said: ‘The UK Government cannot give practical support to the rebels without a presence inside Syria, and any Foreign Office officials seeking to liaise with the opposition leaders would require close protection from Special Forces.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ple-Assad.html

[DuHasst]

While the Syrian army has clearly suffered heavy losses of equipment, their armoured reserves are massive. IIRC they have nearly 5000 MBTs of all kinds and 3000-ish BMPs

That is true but the last few months Syrians are losing every day a lot of armored vehicles.
I mean in on battle you could see in the video and photos after 4-5-6 destroyed or abandoned
armored vehicles.

Also BMP-1 and T-55 are completely useless in this conflict, their armor can`t handle RPG-7.
T-72 and especially upgrated T-72 are very important for the Syrian army.

Your point about tank crews seems very accurate.