ISIL War in Iraq and Syria II

[mrmouth]

They need to switch to winter camo

They needed a truly professional army that understood how to use infantry and armor. Or they really needed to have taken a vastly different stance towards the farmers who were suffering during a drought, which was a major flashpoint in the rebellion that has lasted six years, and decimated Syria's military to the point they rely on others to do their fighting.

Those "others" are no better at holding ground when lightly armed guys in pickup trucks come calling, and they lose ground, and ATGMs. All of these people, including Turkey's rebels, have a lot to learn from the Kurds when it comes to holding ground against IS swarm offensives. This war now enters the period of tail chasing, and policing terrorism that will rise against Syria's cities. Assad and Putin will remember fondly the days when they knew where the enemy was massed.

[Abdülmecid I]

Because the American army faced an immense insurgency, when it conquered Iraq, that doesn't mean that every predominantly Arab or Muslim country is doomed to suffer from guerilla warfare. Innumerable reconciliations have already been agreed, while even public protests, intended to force the rebels to accept the government's conditions have been recorded in rural Damascus, as the Syrian people has generally grown tired of the conflict. A nice article describing a typical example of that process, as well as the disgust of rebel fighters, feeling that they were being manipulated by foreign interests. Meanwhile, it has been reported and corroborated with visual evidence that several dozens of Syrian soldiers had been executed in cold-blood, before the jihadists were forced to evacuate the city, following its liberation by the Syrian Army. Still, nothing concrere, as it hasn't been verified by more objective and independent media (keep in mind, that some images may be upsetting). Meanwhile, rebels in Damascus have on purpose contaminated the Syrian capital's water supply, while the former UK ambassador in Iraq has heavily criticized his government's policies concerning Syria. Generally, I agree with his arguments, especially his moral points, although I believe that the British strategy of mildly supporting the opposition was quite clever, given how it forced the kingdom's diplomatic antagonists to waste a large amount of human and financial resources, in order to just preserve the status quo.

[ioannis76]

For those interested in evidence of turkish support for ISIS:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-n...ussian-7091457

[Tureuki]

You have a twisted understanding of "proof". bringing in unbacked and vague claims or invidual cases to "prove" something, which really nobody takes seriously. Turkey buys oil from Iraqi Kurdistan for years. What an unbelievably thing to see tankers at Iraqi border. Russians were simply dissing Turkey because we were in bad terms back then.

[ioannis76]

You have a twisted understanding of "proof". bringing in unbacked and vague claims or invidual cases to "prove" something, which really nobody takes seriously. Turkey buys oil from Iraqi Kurdistan for years. What an unbelievably thing to see tankers at Iraqi border. Russians were simply dissing Turkey because we were in bad terms back then.

So, the Russians destroyed 2 thousand oil tankers, driven by turkish citizens (I presume), in any case oil tankers doing legitimate business for Turkey, and nothing happened. Sure. Whatever you say. There's no need to explode over this.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-n...is-oil-7076004

[Tureuki]

"Syria analysts have suggested, however, that the briefing may actually be a propaganda drive by the Kremlin in its poitical dispute with Turkey over a downed Russia aircraft."

Somehow such claims are only made after a negative events.

[ioannis76]

Again. So, the Russians destroyed 2000 vehicles carrying oil legitimately into Turkey, probably driven by Turkish civilians, and Turkey didn't say a word about it. And you REALLY expect anyone to believe that?
I guess you really expect anyone to believe that the murder of Serena Shim was an accident. And it just so happened that she died a few days after she was arrested by Turkey for exposing that:

Serena Shim’s January 2013 expose, “Turkey’s Pivotal Role in Syria’s Insurgency: PressTV Report from Inside Turkey,” showed footage of what she estimated to be 300 semi-trucks “awaiting militants to empty them out”; included testimony explaining how Turkey enables the crossing of foreign terrorists “freely” into Syria; spoke of the funneling of arms via the Incirlik US Air Base in Turkey to terrorists in refugee camps or on through to Syria; and highlighted the issue of terrorist training camps portrayed as refugee camps, guarded by the Turkish military.

http://theduran.com/killed-in-turkey...an-journalist/

Here is a complete list of the allegations regarding collaboration between Erdogan's regime and terrorists operating in Syria. I quote just a few. For the full deal look at the link in the end of the post:

Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), produced a statement from the Adana Office of the Prosecutor on October 14, 2014 maintaining that Turkey supplied weapons to terror groups. He also produced interview transcripts from truck drivers who delivered weapons to the groups. According to Kiliçdaroglu, the Turkish government claims the trucks were for humanitarian aid to the Turkmen, but the Turkmen said no humanitarian aid was delivered.

Britain’s Sky News obtained documents showing that the Turkish government has stamped passports of foreign militants seeking to cross the Turkey border into Syria to join ISIS.
• The BBC interviewed villagers, who claim that buses travel at night, carrying jihadists to fight Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq, not the Syrian Armed Forces.

CNN Turk reported on July 29, 2014 that in the heart of Istanbul, places like Duzce and Adapazari, have become gathering spots for terrorists. There are religious orders where ISIS militants are trained. Some of these training videos are posted on the Turkish ISIS propaganda website takvahaber.net. According to CNN Turk, Turkish security forces could have stopped these developments if they had wanted to.

And specifically about oil:

On September 13, 2014, The New York Timesreported on the Obama administration’s efforts to pressure Turkey to crack down on ISIS extensive sales network for oil. James Phillips, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, argues that Turkey has not fully cracked down on ISIS’s sales network because it benefits from a lower price for oil, and that there might even be Turks and government officials who benefit from the trade.

Not that AKP thugs are hiding their support:

Minister of Sports, Suat Kilic, an AKP member, visited Salafi jihadists who are ISIS supporters in Germany. The group is known for reaching out to supporters via free Quran distributions and raising funds to sponsor suicide attacks in Syria and Iraq by raising money.

According to the Hurriyet Daily News on September 26, 2014, “The feelings of the AKP’s heavyweights are not limited to Ankara. I was shocked to hear words of admiration for ISIL from some high-level civil servants even in Şanliurfa. ‘They are like us, fighting against seven great powers in the War of Independence,’ one said.” “Rather than the [Kurdistan Workers' Party] PKK on the other side, I would rather have ISIL as a neighbor,” said another.”

An AKP council member posted on his Facebook page: “Thankfully ISIS exists… May you never run out of ammunition…”

http://icmu.nyc.gr/%20Is-Turkey-Coll...tate-(ISIS)%3F

All lies, eh? I'm sure they are.

[Tureuki]

-Trucks from Iraq does not mean they are from ISIS. Turkey is trading oil with Iraqis for years, even the link you provided says that it might be a political lie.

-"Terrorists" are FSA which Turkey has been openly supporting for years and everyone knows it. Again no evidence on support to ISIS.

NOT A SINGLE EVIDENCE.

Turkey has zero reason to support ISIS. Neither ISIS or its predessor Al Qaeda had any love for Turkey. They have been attacking Turkey for over a decade. Their views clash with even most of the Islamist factions in Turkey. They have a very little support and I hope that support will entirely die out because most of those idiots went to Syria to die.

You know what I hate most? People who do not seek the truth, but only seek to support their political agenda, doesnt matter how. Thats where most of the hate, ignorance and deceit stems from.

[Odenat]

Again. So, the Russians destroyed 2000 vehicles carrying oil legitimately into Turkey, probably driven by Turkish civilians, and Turkey didn't say a word about it. And you REALLY expect anyone to believe that?
I guess you really expect anyone to believe that the murder of Serena Shim was an accident. And it just so happened that she died a few days after she was arrested by Turkey for exposing that:

Saying that Turkey is buying ISIS oil is totally ignorant and stupid while Turkish soldiers are fighting against ISIS.

Now, who is really buying ISIS oil? Well, it seems it is Assad and Israel! And who the middle man is? A Greek!

Here is another reason why Assad must be destroyed; He trades with ISIS. And Israel? Well, nobody can touch them.

What about Greek middle men who trades with ISIS?

http://nypost.com/2015/12/10/us-offi...k-of-isis-oil/
http://ahtribune.com/world/north-afr...-isis-oil.html

[ioannis76]

A pile of evidence and indications against Turkey are presented.
According to you (both):
-The turkish opposition is lying when it speaks about close relations between the AKP and ISIS.
-Germany, Israel, Russia are all lying, in an attempt to frame poor Turkey.
-The reporter who was murdered, while she was exposing ISIS troop movements from Turkey to Syria was also lying.
-The member of AKP who wished ISIS insurgents to "never run out of ammunition" did not exist, or he was joking.

Who would believe that?

[Emperor Arcturus Mengsk]

Of course he trades with ISIS, he needs Oil. Everyone else has embargoed Assad.

Remember that flight that crashed on a mountain peak, and in the end people canibalised the corpses to stay alive?

When desperate.

[ioannis76]

Turkish minister of sports visits ISIS supporters in Germany, AKP high ranking officials say that "ISIS are like us", another AKP council member posts pro ISIS wishes on facebook, and some people have the nerve, not only to doubt that, but also to launch attacks.

btw, from the links that Odenat posted:

At this point in the chain of sale, Israeli and Turkish mediators negotiate the prices in the relative safety of Kurdish territory, then the oil is smuggled to Silopi, a city in southeastern Turkey.

ome is consumed internally in Islamic State areas but some ends up in Kurdish regions and Turkey.

“Some is coming across the border into Turkey,

Thank you, Odenat, for making my point.

[Linke]

Isis fighters in Iraq and Mosul are cut of from Syria, Isis is fighting sdf in al-thawra and raqqa and turkey with special forces in manbij. But still advances against saa in Palmyra.
Is this a tactic to show the world they are still able, or is isis no longer under a centralized command, with various brigands doing as they please instead of coming to the aid of the besieged cities in the north?

[Tureuki]

I got a huge message deleted again because of my connection


-Opposition uses every unconfirmed claim for their own gain. Thats their job

-Yes they lie. Even the link you provided doesnt miss that possibility. Such claims came out right after the Russian plane shooting. And only "proof" they bring is trucks crossing the border to Iraq, which as I said is ridiculous and amateurish.

-Owner of that quote is a municipality council member in a small town at eastern anatolia. It was made back in 2014 when ISIS was a new thing. It doesnt matter what a small peasant says. Its not government's concern.

-She died in a car crash unless you bring a proof about her murder.

-Suat Kılıç publicily visited the most famous Turkish restaurant in the city back in early 2013, when ISIS wasnt even a thing. Those bearded guys were simply there and took a photo with him. If they were "ISIS terrorists" then German police wouldnt allow them to give out Qurans in public. This alone proves that every link provided is nothing but propaganda and deceit.

I didnt attack anybody. I simply stated what I hate. Why feel targeted? Lol.

[ioannis76]

I didnt attack anybody. I simply stated what I hate. Why feel targeted? Lol.

Did I say that you attacked me? Why do you feel like the aggressor? There is no need to explode over this. lol.

-She died in a car crash unless you bring a proof about her murder.

Yes, yes, she died in a car crash, only a few days after exposing Islamic fighters entering Syria via Turkey. Sure, dude.

-Opposition uses every unconfirmed claim for their own gain. Thats their job

You do realize that such an accusation on their part, goes way beyond any normal practices of the opposition. In effect, the accusation is that the AKP collaborate with ISIS. We are not talking about some sex scandal or some broken promises toward the voters here.

-Suat Kılıç publicily visited the most famous Turkish restaurant in the city back in early 2013, when ISIS wasnt even a thing. Those bearded guys were simply there and took a photo with him. If they were "ISIS terrorists" then German police wouldnt allow them to give out Qurans in public. This alone proves that every link provided is nothing but propaganda and deceit.

LOL, the German police had a terrorist conduct his terror attack and then he was able to escape, travel through half of Germany and reach Italy. The German police is a huge JOKE. And you think that they would arrest these bearded men for giving out the Quaran? LOL, if they did that, they would have a whole army of SJWs on their backs, accusing them of bigotry and whatnot.

This alone proves that every link provided is nothing but propaganda and deceit.

Yes, yes, everyone is lying except the Turks. But wait, even the Turks of the opposition accuse Erdogang of cooperation with ISIS. Well, everyone lies except Erdogan and AKP. But then, Erdogan said that his goal in Syria was to overthrow Assad (which is the same goal that ISIS has, coincidence?). And AKP members have openly declared for ISIS. Well, everyone lies except Erdogan and AKP when they say that they are against ISIS.

Anyway, here is more evidence:

ISIS, oil & Turkey: What RT found in Syrian town liberated from jihadists by Kurds (EXCLUSIVE)

IS oil goes to Turkey – IS fighters come via Turkey

RT spoke to local residents who had been forced to work in the IS oil industry about what it was like working at the terrorist-controlled oil refinery and where the extracted oil was sold.

The locals attested that “the extracted oil was delivered to an oil refinery, where it was converted into gasoline, gas and other petroleum products. Then the refined product was sold,” the RT documentary’s author said. “Then intermediaries from Raqqa and Allepo arrived to pick up the oil and often mentioned Turkey.”

Important information revealing the connection between IS and Turkey was provided by a Turkish militant previously captured by the Kurds. The IS recruit said on camera that the terrorist group does, in fact, sell oil to Turkey.

“Without even us asking the fighter directly, he admitted that the reason why it was so easy for him to cross the Turkish border and join IS was, in part, due to the fact that Turkey also benefited. When asked how, he said that Turkey gets something out of it – something such as oil.”

RT was also able to speak with a Kurdish soldier in the area, who displayed a collection of passports he had gathered from the dead bodies of IS fighters. The documentary crew’s exclusive footage shows the documents of several jihadists who had come from all over the world, including countries such as Bahrain, Libya, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Most of these foreign fighters seemed to have come via Turkey, as all of their passports contained entry stamps issued at Turkish border checkpoints.

A YPG member also provided some photos that were retrieved from a USB drive allegedly belonging to future IS militants. One photo showed three men standing in front of the Obelisk of Theodosius, known today as Sultanahmet Meydani, a famous landmark in Istanbul. The next photo showed the three among other fellow militants somewhere in Syria – all armed and equipped.

One of the IS fighters that RT interviewed revealed that there had been no border guards waiting for them when they crossed from Turkey into Syria.

Another set of documents was found at the IS’ Tell Abyad checkpoint. Among information such as vehicle numbers and the weight of transported materials, the documents also listed the names of passengers who had reportedly traveled to Mosul, Raqqa, Istanbul, and Ankara.

RT spoke to a member of YPG, Redur Khalil, who gave a thorough explanation of the findings.

Going through the pages of the documents Khalil said: “We don’t know who these people are. We don’t know whether they are fighters or civilians. But these people officially travelled to Turkey without any impediment.”

Pointing to the name of a company that he said was based in Mosul, he explained that the route by which these passengers had travelled ran through Raqqa, Tell Abyad, and Ankara.

“This means that the Tell Abyad checkpoint was open prior to IS departure, and there were no obstacles for the movement from Turkish side whatsoever.”

Islamist propaganda printed in Istanbul

Turkey’s logistical support for extremist fighters trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, or at least its non-interference with their cross-border movements, has been widely reported, but little has been said about the ideological support coming from Turkish soil.

Among the documents left behind by the terrorists at an IS-run hospital, RT’s crew discovered an Islamist propaganda leaflet printed in Arabic titled “How to wage a perfect battle against the criminal Assad’s regime,” which described ways to combat the Syrian government.

Curiously, the brochure was printed in Turkey, with the cover openly displaying the postal address and phone number of an Istanbul printing house, supplemented by Facebook contacts.

“Many of the people spoke about the connection with Turkey. Turkey is the direct neighbor of IS. If it was willing to close the ‘connection’ between Turkey and IS, the terrorist organization could no longer survive,” the author of the RT documentary said, recalling interviews with Kurds and captured IS recruits. “If IS would stop receiving weapons, new recruits, food, and other help from Turkey, then IS would lose a big sponsor.”

Turkey benefits from Islamic State because the terrorist group provides it with cheap oil and is fighting both Syria’s government and Kurdish population. This is an opinion shared by both Kurds and their mortal enemies from the jihadist organization. The IS documents obtained by RT may provide additional evidence revealing the dirty game being played by the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Syria.

https://www.rt.com/news/336967-isis-...key-exclusive/

Lies, lies and propaganda. LOL.

[Anna_Gein]

Meanwhile, rebels in Damascus have on purpose contaminated the Syrian capital's water supply,

This is a ridiculous accusation. The article does not even says that :

The Damascus water authority has been forced to cut supplies coming into the Syrian capital for a few days and use reserves instead after rebels polluted the water with diesel, it said on Friday.

The al-Fija spring which supplies Damascus with water is in the rebel-held Wadi Barada valley northwest of the capital in a mountainous area near the Lebanese border.

The government controls much of the surrounding territory and on Friday carried out aerial attacks and shelled the rebel-held area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A military news outlet run by Syrian government ally Hezbollah said the rebels in the Wadi Barada valley had refused to leave the area and as a result the Syrian Arab Army began an offensive against them on Friday morning.

Through a series of so-called settlement agreements and army offensives, the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, has been steadily suppressing armed opposition around the capital.

In fact rebels in Jobar receive their water from the same source.


Most likely the regime bombardment damaged Ain el Fijeh Station as government troops are attempting to conquer the pocket.

Isis fighters in Iraq and Mosul are cut of from Syria, Isis is fighting sdf in al-thawra and raqqa and turkey with special forces in manbij. But still advances against saa in Palmyra.
Is this a tactic to show the world they are still able, or is isis no longer under a centralized command, with various brigands doing as they please instead of coming to the aid of the besieged cities in the north?

IS troops in Iraq and Syria are not cut off. They can move through the desert of al Anbar. The offensive on Palmyra happened after reinforcement from Iraq arrived in the region.

On the contrary it shows a centralized command. IS wisely shows to not send all its troops where its enemies attack. For now its forces are doing surprisingly good in al Bab and Mosul.

[Abdülmecid I]

"after the rebels polluted the water with diesel", found in the linked article's first sentence. The fact that the rebels of a Damascus suburb receive their water from the same source is irrelevant, as that would hardly discourage another group, several kilometers to the north and only remotely allied with the jihadists in Jobar, from using one of the most efficient negotiating tools they possess. The fact they control the water supplies was why they had not been attacked so far. Meanwhile, according to my standards, the reliability of Reuters and the Damascus water authorities are not even comparable to that of an openly pro-rebel twitter account.

[EmperorBatman999]

Isis fighters in Iraq and Mosul are cut of from Syria, Isis is fighting sdf in al-thawra and raqqa and turkey with special forces in manbij. But still advances against saa in Palmyra.
Is this a tactic to show the world they are still able, or is isis no longer under a centralized command, with various brigands doing as they please instead of coming to the aid of the besieged cities in the north?

I see this as something almost like the Battle of the Bulge - one last major offensive put under a delusional hope that maybe, just maybe, they can score a breakthrough and send the enemy into flight.

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

If they were "ISIS terrorists" then German police wouldnt allow them to give out Qurans in public. This alone proves that every link provided is nothing but propaganda and deceit.

That doesn't prove anything but that you have a different understanding of law. They are Salafists with sympathies regarding IS. Many of those even joined IS in Syria. However German law is very precise. It does try to protect the individual person. As long as the organization is not listed as terrororganisation, it is not against the law to be a Salafist. They act a bit in the dark zones and honestly the police doesn't want to make them illegal, because they can monitor them better as it is right now. So they are observed and every one and then when some of them is ready to become a terrorist, he gets flagged, but only than. This is to prevent people getting innocently arrested like in Turkey where your opinion is already a reason to get jailed. This is the reason why the Pakistani a few days ago was released, while in Turkey he would have been used even if the authorities knew they had the wrong one, because they can't show weakness and show that they are wrong.

[Anna_Gein]

"after the rebels polluted the water with diesel", found in the linked article's first sentence. The fact that the rebels of a Damascus suburb receive their water from the same source is irrelevant, as that would hardly discourage another group, several kilometers to the north and only remotely allied with the jihadists in Jobar, from using one of the most efficient negotiating tools they possess. The fact they control the water supplies was why they had not been attacked so far. Meanwhile, according to my standards, the reliability of Reuters and the Damascus water authorities are not even comparable to that of an openly pro-rebel twitter account.

Whole sentence :

The Damascus water authority has been forced to cut supplies coming into the Syrian capital for a few days and use reserves instead after rebels polluted the water with diesel, it said on Friday.

Don't worry. At this point everybody understand Assad's government sources are the only one reliable "according to your standards". Reuters does not say if the accusation is true. Only you see it that way.
I do not care what you may think about this pro rebel account. It is totally irrelevant. The important information he gives are reports of regime shelling in the vicinity of the water station. It can be easily verified.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Video of Step News Agency

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Local media of Wadi Barada.

They were not attacked so far because they are supposed to be under a local truce. The latest truce agreement was signed only two months ago.

Funny how you name Faylaq al Rahman. They are the rebel force holding Jobar. Though there are JFS fighters in Wadi Barada and in Eastern Ghouta. So you are completely wrong when you claim rebels fighters in Wadi Barada and Eastern Ghouta are "only remotely allied". Some are actually part of the same group.