Quwat al-Ridha: Syrian Hezbollah

By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

QuwatRidhaGraphic
Quwat al-Ridha graphic: “Special Missions school: Quwat al-Ridha: the Islamic Resistance in Syria. Dedication: the men of God in the locality of Umm al-Amad [in Homs province].”

The involvement of Hezbollah in the Syrian civil war and its deployments of fighters from Lebanon are basic facts of the conflict. Less explored is the development of Hezbollah as a native Syrian force and brand. At this site, we previously profiled one such group- the National Ideological Resistance– and interviewed its commander. Founded in Tartous governorate and primarily operating there as well as Hama and Aleppo provinces, the National Ideological Resistance cooperates with Hezbollah. However, it is not the only Syrian Hezbollah group around. This piece looks at Quwat al-Ridha, another such force.

Quwat al-Ridha’s name translates as “Al-Ridha Forces”- al-Ridha being a reference to the eighth Shi’a Imam. Indeed, Quwat al-Ridha sources sometimes refer to their group more fully as “Imam Ali al-Ridha Forces.” The pro-regime site al-Hadath News offers an overview of this group in an article from May 2014:

“Quwat al-Ridha is considered the core nucleus for ‘Hezbollah in Syria’- the organization that has appeared recently operating military in clear form, under the leadership and supervision of Hezbollah in Lebanon: this wing has placed before its eyes fighting ‘Israel’ in the Golan, and similarly the takfiris within.

Quwat al-Ridha is composed, as we have said before, of native Syrian young fighters, Shi’a and Sunni, the majority of them from countryside areas (Homs, Aleppo, Deraa and Damascus countryside). There is no official survey for the number of these forces, but they have come to be considered essential, for they have participated in a number of the greatest battles, decisive on the Syrian battlefield.

Qalamoun

According to available information from al-Hadath News, units of these forces have participated in the Qalamoun battles, especially the battles on the principle fronts (Yabroud, Rankous), and it was among the number of forces that were at the head of the advance and assault operations. A fighter from Hezbollah who participated in the fight describes the performance of Quwat al-Ridha as “distinguished and learned from the fighting methods of Hezbollah,” adding that they “enjoy important military strength as well as solid ideology and organized operation, making them among those distinguished on the battleground in which they operate.”

During the Rankous assault, Quwat al-Ridha units participated with effectiveness, according to al-Hadath News information derived from field sources, for the al-Ridha fighters advanced towards Qalamoun from the side of West Ghouta in vehicles and centred to the east from Rankous, and at the arrival of zero hour- the hour of the decisive assault upon it- they advanced in parallel with the advance of the other units, while they distinguished their day with clear desert military uniforms and the ‘Green Marines’ shield that showed their identity. They were the first to reach and penetrate east Rankous after the fall of the hills.

Homs

In neighbourhoods of Old Homs they had a footprint as well. There they participated in the final battles in these neighbourhoods. A number of martyrs fell for them (around 12). In the announcement of their deaths in Syria they were mourned as National Defence Forces, but they were buried in their villages draped with the banner ‘Hezbollah in Syria’ and the Syrian flag, pointing to their true affiliation.

Aleppo and East and West Ghouta

In Aleppo as well as East and West Ghouta they had and still have a presence. Sources do not conceal their participation in the Ramousa and Khanaser battles as well as the eastern countryside front from the city. Further they have participated in groups in the operations to advance towards the central prison, while other units have concentrated in the villages. The sources also do not conceal the role of these units in the West Ghouta and South Damascus battle, and currently their participation in the Darayya battles, while West Ghouta has become a military base for Quwat al-Ridha in the field, and the Aleppo front the practical military field framework.

Deraa

Quwat al-Ridha have entered into Southern Syria too: the Quneitra and Golan areas. In the Deraa countryside al-Ridha fighters are found participating in the Busra al-Harir and Busra al-Sham and the connected expansion will occur towards Quneitra and the furthest south of Syria under the wing of the Syrian army to support it in resisting the assault of opposition forces.”

It is of interest to compare these remarks with the testimony of a media activist for Quwat al-Ridha who spoke to this author. According to this source, the recruits for Quwat al-Ridha primarily come from the Homs area, with a more limited number from other areas such as Aleppo and Kafariya and Fou’a (the latter two are the Shi’a villages in Idlib currently under assault from Jaysh al-Fatah). This seems to be corroborated somewhat by the known ‘martyrdoms’ for Quwat al-Ridha. At the same time, it should also be noted that the media activist sought to downplay connections with Lebanese Hezbollah, portraying Quwat al-Ridha as an independent “Syrian resistance” force. Such formal distancing ought to be taken with a pinch of salt. Indeed, the leader of Quwat al-Ridha during the important stage of development for the militia in the battles of Homs city was Lebanese Hezbollah commander Hamza Ibrahim Hayder (Abu Mustafa), who was from Kafrdan in the Beqaa Valley and died fighting in al-Khalidiya in Homs on 29 June 2013. The actual connections with Hezbollah also explain why Quwat al-Ridha’s primary recruitment base seems to be Homs province, particularly in and around Homs city. For on account of the area’s proximity to the border with Lebanon and its importance to Assad regime interests, it is a natural and logical place for Hezbollah to project influence into the remaining Syrian rump state as a native Syrian force.

Below are some notable ‘martyrs’ of Quwat al-Ridha. The most notable developments since the al-Hadath News report partly translated above are the multiple ‘martyrdoms’ declared in Idlib province and Palmyra. This might undermine the initial impression of the fighting in Idlib province and Palmyra, which have seen rapid losses for the regime, that the regime forces were largely conventional and not backed up by irregular forces (as opposed to e.g. Aleppo). The Syrian Hezbollah presence in the Idlib fighting in particular is also corroborated by Jabhat al-Nusra media output for the Idlib offensives, which found Syrian Hezbollah insignia left behind among the routed forces. In these ‘martyrdoms’, note the distinct Hezbollah in Syria flag, as well as the use of the familiar Hezbollah/Shi’a militia slogans and motifs of defending Sayyida Zainab whose shrine is located in Damascus (e.g. “Zainab won’t be taken captive twice”- i.e. preventing the shrine from falling into rebel/jihadi hands and being destroyed). Note also Quwat al-Ridha announced a fallen fighter on 14 July 2015: Mustafa Hamada Hamada, who was originally from Homs province and died fighting in the al-Ghab Plain in north Hama countryside.

Some Martyrs of Quwat al-Ridha

AliMuhammadAlialMuhammad
Name: Ali Muhammad Ali al-Muhammad
Birth and Residence: Al-Abbasiya, Homs
Born: 1997
Marital Status: Unmarried
Education Status: Secondary School
Date of Martyrdom: 2015
Place of Martyrdom: Sha’ar Field (Homs province)

AhmadBassamKarabij
Name: Ahmad Bassam Karabij
Place of Birth: Kafariya
Residency: al-Abbasiya, Homs
Born: 1998
Marital Status: Unmarried
Educational Status: Secondary School
Date of Martyrdom: 26 June 2015
Place of Martyrdom: Palmyra

AliMousaDari'
Name: Ali Mousa Dari’
Place of Birth: al-Bayada, Homs
Residency: al-Abbasiya, Homs
Born: 1996
Marital Status: Unmarried
Education Status: Preparatory School [just before university]
Date of Martyrdom: 25 May 2014
Place of Martyrdom: Douma, Damascus Countryside

MustafaAliKunyar
Name: Mustafa Ali Kunyar
Place of Birth: Umm al-Amad [Homs province]
Residency: al-Abbasiya, Homs
Born: 1998
Marital Status: Unmarried
Educational Status: Secondary School
Date of Martyrdom: June 2014
Place of Martyrdom: Jabburin [Homs province]

AyadHailAloush
Name: Ayad Ha’il Alloush
Place of Birth: Umm Jabab [Homs province]
Residency: al-Abbasiya, Homs
Date of Birth: 6 October 1988
Date of Martyrdom: 23 April 2013
Place of Martyrdom: al-Khalidiya, Homs

As'adMuhammadHussein
Name: As’ad Muhammad Hussein
Place of Birth: Umm al-Amad [Homs province]
Date of Birth: 25 June 1979
Date of Martyrdom: 29 April 2014
Place of Martyrdom: al-Abbasiya, Homs (killed in the Jabhat al-Nusra bomb attacks that day)

MuhammadHassaanAlAbrash
Name: Muhammad Hassan al-Abrash
Residency: al-Thabitiya [Homs province]
Age: 20 years old
Marital Status: Engaged
Educational Status: University student at the Petrol College
Date of Martyrdom: 1 March 2015
Place of Martyrdom: Bashkawi, Aleppo province

HayderFuadDouman
Name: Hayder Fu’ad Douman
Place of Birth: Umm al-Amad [Homs province]
Residency: al-Abbasiya, Homs
Place of Martyrdom: Palmyra
Date of Martyrdom: 10 June 2015 (announced)

BasilAliNuama
Name: Basil Ali al-Nu’ama
Place of Birth: Umm Jabab [Homs province]
Place of Martyrdom: Jisr al-Shughur
Date of Martyrdom: 9 May 2015

FawazalSaddam
Name: Fawaz al-Saddam
Place of Birth: Tel Khazneh [Hama province]
Place of Martyrdom: Ariha, Idlib province (killed during the fall of the town to Jaysh al-Fatah)

MustafaAbbasAlouesh
Name: Mustafa Abbas Alouesh
Place of Martyrdom: Idlib province

AlialHajji
Name: Ali al-Hajji
Place of Martyrdom: Palmyra

HayderIbrahimAbbas
Name: Hayder Ibrahim Abbas
Place of Birth: Albu Waydah [Homs province]
Place of Martyrdom: Aleppo province
Date of Martyrdom: 23 May 2015

MahmoudHassanOmar
Name: Mahmoud Hassan Omar
Place of Birth: al-Hamudiya village
Place of Martyrdom: Sha’ar Field [Homs province]

MustafaalAhmed
Name: Mustafa al-Ahmad
Place of Birth: Tel Khazneh [Hama province]
Place of Martyrdom: Idlib province

HassanAlHajj
Name: Hassan al-Hajj
Place of Birth: Umm al-Tin [Homs province]
Place of Martyrdom: Idlib province

MuhammadYusufTufaili
Name: Muhammad Yusuf al-Tufaili
Place of Birth: al-Thabitiya [Homs province]
Place of Martyrdom: Ariha, Idlib province (killed during fall of town to Jaysh al-Fatah)

DawudAhmadOmar
Name: Dawud al-Omar
Place of Birth: al-Hamudiya
Place of Martyrdom: Harasta (Damascus province)

3MartyrsRidha
Names: Faris Muhammad Abada, Hayder Nur al-Din Abada, Muhammad Tamer Taha
Origin: Quwat al-Ridha, Homs province
Date of Martyrdom: June 2015
Place of Martyrdom: Jurud Falita, Qalamoun

MuhammadMehdiAlialHayek
Name: Muhammad Mehdi Ali al-Hayek

HayderAbbas
Funeral procession for Quwat al-Ridha fighter Hayder Abbas.

Conclusion

The development of Quwat al-Ridha and Syrian Hezbollah as an important irregular actor should pose a challenge to those who might see war-weariness in Lebanese Hezbollah and no benefit to its intervention in Syria. Rather, it is apparent that this phenomenon fits in with what Matt Levitt deems the transformation of Hezbollah into a major “regional player,” projecting power beyond Lebanon and potentially influencing the political landscapes of its zones of intervention in important ways. The media activist for Quwat al-Ridha may downplay the question of political ambitions for Syrian Hezbollah, saying there is no political wing “but the state” and affirming a goal of “popular defence formation only,” but that only conceals the reality of political fragmentation in what remains of regime-held Syria as different actors carve out their own spheres of influence on the basis of contributions to the war effort and defence of vital areas. A similar trend is happening in Iraq with the growth of the different Hashd Sha’abi factions and their competing affiliations.

Comments (93)


Syrian said:

Thanks for all the pictures of the dead terrorists this Friday morning, what a nice way to start the day.
Oh yeah , and good riddance!

July 31st, 2015, 9:03 am

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

It is good to hear that young boys and men who are ready to kill syrians for sectarian reasons disappear from this life. Surely they will find peace in the eternal life. Assad and bastards should be the first to die.

Most rebels fight for a better life in a better Syria except ISIL that are blind about the syrian nation.

As per shia and alawis they just fight for the Ayatollahs to control the whole lands of Irak, Syria and Lebanon inside the Persian Martyrdom Empire.

July 31st, 2015, 12:11 pm

 

Akbar Palace said:

Why are we advertising dead soldiers standing in front of Hezbollah flags and pictures of Iranian Taco Supremes?

Matt, what’s the point?

What this forum lacks are articles showing how the civil war has torn apart Syrian cities, businesses, families, and the economy. Let’s investigate the severity of these Syrian losses due to Iranian, Hezbollah and ISIS influences.

July 31st, 2015, 3:12 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

Day after day there is a certainty that grows in my mind. From the begining, during last two years and specially now many events point in the same direction. This is the idea:

There is a master plan to change Syria into a shia land.

The revolution could have been prepared and started by Assad itself. He allowed demostrations and by killing as much as posible he created big deisre for revenge. In fact 7 days before the start of the crisis in Syria two insiders told me Syria was going to face huge problems.

Hezbollah weapons mafias armed the peasants in Daraa, Homs and Qalamoun by selling them small weaponry.

The rest is well known until ISIS appeared.

ISIS has been most likely created, grown up and fed by IRAN and the CIA in one of the best covered up operations in recent history.

The end if creating ISIS to destroy all villages and cities from Deir, Hassahka, Bukamal, Raqqa, Aleppo, Edlib, Hama and Homs to Tartous, Lattakia, Damascus or Palmyra and emptiing them of arab sunna, many of them of tribal and bedouin origins.

For the creation of ISIS the US has used the classical Al Qaeda System they have always controlled since Afganistan hey days. Probably Russia has also send people from Chechniya in the Al Qaeda – Network style. This network Cia controlled also brought people from many countries in Europe and North Africa.

The final end of all this operation is to destroy totally all links arab sunna or christians can have with North Syria and North Iraq. Since ISIS has become in these two places the only choice for Sunna they will be destroyed with ISIS.

IRAN and CIA created the monster so they can come after him and ¨clean the land¨. The output can be a Syria totally controlled by Iran, or partly by Turkey, mostly by Iran and parts in the south by Israel.

This war is controlled by US and IRAN and do not forget what we were told from the beginning:

¨This is a ten years issue, why should we intervene?¨

July 31st, 2015, 3:57 pm

 

Uzair8 said:

It seems Hezbo’s attempt to create a buffer zone is taking forever. Zabadani may be a costly and failed adventure.

July 31st, 2015, 5:28 pm

 

Observer said:

As failed states fail even more it is only logical that people revert back to their sect clan family ties.
Iran is happy having militia in Iraq and a weak regime for it does not want a new Saddam rising and likewise it does not want a civil society emerge in Lebanon. In Syria as the regime controls less than 25% of the country and the SAA is rapidly dwindling and the president declares that citizenship belongs to whomever he likes to give it to it is nothing less than a formal declaration of ethnic cleansing and replacement of the population by loyalist ones.

This will backfire on Iran as 40% are Persian and the rest of different denominations. It is only a matter of time before we have the brigades of Omar in Ahwaz and those of Muhammad in Baluchistan and as Yemen is slipping out of Iranian control will have an attempt to keep Syria in the orbit but this is not going to happen.

In the meantime the incompetent US got all of its efforts imprisoned by Nusra and this after they just trained 45 only what a joke. I think Obama and Athad are trying to outdo each other in incompetence and foolhardiness.

The regime was finished more than 3 years ago only Russia and Iran are trying to prevent the inevitable.

Meanwhile Israel has its own ISIS with the stabbing of gays but then again ISIS is inspired by old Biblical traditions of stoning and burning

Cheers

July 31st, 2015, 8:15 pm

 

Tara said:

To hell!

Those who kill their own people are traitors.

And look at those pathetic pictures with sectarian comments:

“We will not allow the rape of Zainab twice.”

Can some one explain to me how a dead woman can be raped?!

And what is this green thing they are touching?

شباب متل الوردة مغسول دماغهم وعم يقتلوا بهالناس

شي بيحزن.

مأواهم جهنم وبئس المصير

حفنة من القتلة.

ماراح ينفعهم لا زينب ولا ابو زينب ولا حتى جدها

July 31st, 2015, 9:38 pm

 

Observer said:

In the meantime
http://all4syria.info/Archive/237244

Today the mother of a HA killed in Zabadani was lamenting his death and at the same time showing pride that he killed 17 Syrians.

It seems that the hatred of Sunnis is much deeper than that of Israel.

Today no one knows how much hidden hatred there is in the minds of the Shia Alawi Druze towards Sunnis. Therefore the fracture of this age old difference is going to become fully contemporary and we are in for a hundred year religious war.

Stuck between Wahhabi and Khomeini fanaticism and now these people are both reliving the early days of Islam in their fantasies of avenging age old differences: the Wahhabis against the idolators and the Shia against Yazid and his followers.

These people are berserk and on top of it we have this series of US presidents continuing their follies: one by commission and one by omission.

Cheers
PS
Today Alawis are leaving their villages. I wonder whether the rebels will sell their belongings as Alawi refrigerators as they did with Sunni refrigerators when they entered the Sunni parts of Homs.

August 1st, 2015, 8:10 am

 

ALAN said:

SC singing choir – nothing useful, more garbage, empty content, even of any value. simply busty.

August 1st, 2015, 2:29 pm

 
 

Akbar Palace said:

Paying homage to HA and Iranian clerics isn’t Syrian. Foreign fighters aren’t Syrian. Therefore, Syrians have been ravaged by foreigners.

Hezbollah claimed to “save” Lebanon from foreign forces, but yet have no problem fighting in other countries.

That’s the wesistance model: do as I say, not as I do.

August 1st, 2015, 4:52 pm

 

omen said:

what to make of this? via released hillary emails:

“You probably know this but a lot of support in israel for policies in support of dialogue with syria. Viewed as critical opportunity in chess game with Iran.”

August 1st, 2015, 8:04 pm

 

ALAN said:

The division of Iraq and the Middle East is part of a longstanding push into Eurasia by the US, Israel, and their allies that has consistently involved a set of pretexts and lies. Sectarian hatred between Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims and between Kurds and Arabs is now falsely being presented as the basis for the conflicts in Iraq and Syria.

The US military cannot go into any country that it desires for regime change. This is why Washington has applied other techniques for regime change. In 2006, with the failure of the US to break the Resistance Bloc or Axis of Resistance in the Middle East, the US began its “redirection” policy and opted to use insurgencies, sectarianism, colour revolutions, and intensified covert operations.

One of the people that set the stage for the division of Iraq is Joseph Biden, the current vice-president of the United States. When Biden was a US senator in the US Congress, he presented the Biden Plan to divide Iraq into three sectarian entities in 2008. In part, the Biden Plan created one of the blueprints for the political face of the current crisis in Iraq.

The US also wants the federal government in Iraq to be replaced, because it refused to help the US and its allies in the war against Syria, its alliance with Iran, Iraq’s growing trade and purchases of military hardware from the Russian Federation, and Iraqi oil sales to China. Because of Washington’s desires for regime change in Baghdad and its plans to divide Iraq, the US government has been delaying aid to the Iraqi government. Russia and Belarus, on the other hand, have stepped in to militarily help Baghdad, alongside Iran and Syria.

While the US is covertly supporting the division of Iraq, Israel is overtly been supporting this as outlined by the Yinon Plan. After the ISIL’s 2014 offensive inside Iraq began, Iraqi officials reported that the Israelis were present in Iraqi Kurdistan and also involved in assisting the ISIL fighters inside Iraq’s borders. Tel Aviv has even openly told Washington to let the different groups in Iraq kill one another, just like Iran and Iraq were doing during the Iraq-Iran War. While Israel refuses to allow or recognize Palestinian independence, Israeli officials have called for the international community to recognize the dismemberment of Iraq by recognizing Iraqi Kurdistan as a separate republic. This is because Israel plans on using the Kurdish people as pawns and Iraqi Kurdistan as a regional outpost.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has used the ISIL’s 2014 offensive as an opportunity to takeover the multi-ethnic and oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk and to announce that it plans to declare independence from Iraq. In part, petro-politics and control over energy is tied to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s plans of secession and its armed takeover of Kirkuk, which it has claimed as its historic capital. The Turkish government has already been making illegal energy deals with the leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government for Iraqi oil. Reports are also surfacing that Israel will buy Iraqi oil from the Kurdistan Regional Government via Turkey.

With the takeover of Kirkuk, Iraqi oil will be sent to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, which is the Eastern Mediterranean export terminal for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline. This not only gives Israel access to Iraqi oil, but also endangers Eurasian energy integration and the
Banyias-Kirkuk Pipeline running from Iraq to Syria.

The Iraqi and Syrian people must stand united in the face of the project to divide their ancient societies and countries.

By Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya

August 2nd, 2015, 8:43 am

 

Norman said:

Only a win by the Syrian Arab Army will save Syria and keep it united, all who claim to care should join the Army and not have armies of their own.

August 2nd, 2015, 2:04 pm

 

ALAN said:

Obama’s “Safe Zone” in Syria will Inflame the War Zone
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article42531.htm

August 2nd, 2015, 3:36 pm

 
 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

The Fake War on ISIS: US inviting Iran to expand and control over Syria after US gave Irak to the New Persian Empire.

The US decided Syria needs to be ethnic cleansed of christian and sunna by creating and exterminating ISIS. After ISIS Iran will take Syria as a new shite feudal kingdom, and later maybe after 30 years more who knows maybe Israel will take it from Iran.

August 2nd, 2015, 5:24 pm

 

Observer said:

This is a remembrance of the closeness of the regime in Syria with that of Israel

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/world/middleeast/11makhlouf.html?_r=1

August 2nd, 2015, 6:00 pm

 

Observer said:

Outstanding reading today

http://www.juancole.com/2015/08/dictatorship-sectarianism-rethinking.html

And this one

خيرالله خيرالله
خلاصة الخطاب الأخير لرئيس النظام السوري أنّه لا يزال لديه خيار الإنكفاء إلى الشاطئ السوري وأن يقيم دولة ذات امتداد في لبنان عاصمتها دمشق.

هذا يفسّر إلى حدّ كبير التركيز المستمرّ منذ اندلاع الثورة السورية على حمص التي تقف عائقا دون ربط دمشق بالساحل السوري. كذلك، يفسّر التركيز على عرسال وضرورة إزالتها من الوجود نظرا إلى أنّها عقبة بين ربط دويلة «حزب الله» في البقاع اللبناني والمناطق المحيطة بدمشق، مثل القلمون، وصولا إلى حمص…ومنها إلى منطقة الساحل.

هذا الكلام عن الدولة العلوية، ذات الإمتداد اللبناني، تجاوزه الزمن، كما تجاوزته الأحداث، لا لشيء، سوى لأنّ الشرخ الطائفي والمذهبي في سوريا صار واقعا أليما بعدما عجز النظام عن فهم أنّه إنتهى منذ فترة طويلة. لم يستوعب النظام أنّ ايران لن تكون قادرة على إنقاذه، لا عبر خبرائها، ولا عبر ميلشياتها المذهبية العراقية واللبنانية والإفغانية، ولا حتّى عبر صفقات السلاح مع روسيا…ولا عبر الفيتو الروسي والصيني في مجلس الأمن التابع للأمم المتحدة.

معروف أنّ خيار الدولة العلوية كان دائما مطروحا لدى الأسد الأب والأسد الإبن. الباحث الأميركي جواشوا لانديس، المتزوّج من علوية، والذي عاش طويلا في سوريا يقول أنّ الجيش الذي أنشأه حافظ الأسد، والذي يسيطر عليه الضبّاط العلويون، إنّما أنشئ استعدادا للوصول إلى اللحظة الراهنة. الجيش تحت السيطرة العلويّة لا اكثر ولا أقلّ. كلّ الشعارات المستخدمة عن العروبة والبعث، بشعاراته الفارغة، وتحرير فلسطين ليست سوى غطاء لهذا الواقع.

ليس سرّا ما تحدّث عنه الملك عبدالله الثاني في إحدى مقابلته الصحافية عن الإنكفاء العسكري للعلويين في إتجاه الساحل عندما اقترب الجيش الإسرائيلي من دمشق في حرب العام 1973. كانت هناك دائما خطة بديلة لدى النظام الذي أقامه حافظ الأسد الذي سعى دائما إلى اكتساب شرعية على الصعيد السوري والعمل، في الوقت ذاته، على أن يكون الخيار العلوي، خيار حلف الأقلّيات، مطروحا وفي متناول اليد. كان مطلوبا في كلّ وقت المتاجرة بالفلسطينيين وقضيتهم بغية تغطية المشروع الأصلي للنظام، أي المشروع العلوي.

كلّ ما يستطيع أن يفعله بشّار الأسد الآن، هو المساهمة في تفتيت سوريا. في النهاية، ما الذي يمكن أن يفعله بشّار في الساحل السوري حيث لا توجد مدينة كبيرة واحدة ذات أكثرية علويّة؟

لعلّ أخطر ما في الأمر أن الأسد الإبن يُستخدم حاليا، من حيث يدري أو لا يدري، في الإنتهاء من سوريا. سيحاول الإيرانيون إنقاذه. الكلفة بالنسبة إليهم كبيرة ماديا، علما أنّ هذه القدرة المالية لإيران ستزداد في حال رفع العقوبات عنها نتيجة توقيع الإتفاق النووي. لكنّ هذه القدرة تبقى محدودة من الناحية البشرية. عدد الإيرانيين الذين يُقتلون في سوريا قليل جدا. أين مشكلة ايران عندما يُقتل مئات الشبان اللبنانيين أو العراقيين أو الأفغان من أجل تحقيق ما تصبو إليه، أي دولة علوية تدور في فلكها؟ إنّه رهان يستأهل ما تدفعه ايران من مليارات من أجل بقاء سوريا جسرا إلى الداخل اللبناني…

لا يعكس الخطاب الأخير لبشّار الأسد سوى الحال النفسية لرجل معزول عن العالم وعن سوريا نفسها، يرفض الإعتراف بالواقع. يتجاهل إنّه على رأس نظام لا يمتلك أيّ شرعية من أي نوع كان. النظام مرفوض من شعبه أوّلا. هناك أكثرية سنّية في سوريا. امتلك حافظ الأسد ما يكفي من الدهاء للتعاطي مع الموضوع المذهبي بطريقة ذكّية. راهن أوّلا على شقّ السنّة بتفريقه بين سنّة الأرياف وسنّة المدن.

قبل كلّ شيء، لم يتسلّم الأسد الأب رئاسة الجمهورية مباشرة بعد الإنقلاب الذي نفّذه في السادس عشر من تشرين الثاني ـ نوفمبر 1970، عيّن رئيسا موقتا يدعى أحمد الخطيب، كان مجرّد إستاذ مدرسة في الريف السوري. انصرف بعد ذلك إلى الصلاة في كلّ يوم جمعة في أحد المساجد السنّية في مناطق سورية مختلفة.

أراد بكلّ بساطة توجيه رسالة فحواها أنّه مسلم وأنّ لا فارق بين السنّة والعلويين. انتظر ثلاثة أشهر كاملة كي يصبح رئيسا للجمهورية. عمل بعد ذلك، على الإستعانة بواجهات من سنّة الأرياف، هو الذي يكره أهل السنّة في المدن وقد اشرف شخصيا على استبعاد كلّ الضباط الكبار الذين ينتمون إلى مدن مثل دمشق وحمص وحماة وحلب. استخدم حكمت الشهابي وعيد الحليم خدام ومصطفى طلاس وشخصيات مثل محمود الزعبي وفاروق الشرع وغير هؤلاء، بصفة كونهم من سنّة الريف أو من مدن صغيرة. فدرعا هي من أكبر الحواضن الريفية السنّية للبعث القديم الذي استعان به حافظ الأسد في مشروعه السلطوي.

حقّق حافظ الأسد نجاحا كبيرا في المحافظة على نظامه بعدما عرف كيف يؤسس لحلف الأقليات المدعوم من سنّة الأرياف. هذا ما لم يحسنه بشّار الأسد الذي اعتقد أن العائلة أهمّ من الطائفة وأنّ شبكة العلاقات التي اقامتها العائلة، وهي شبكة قائمة على المصالح الإقتصادية التي بات الأقارب يحتكرونها، كافية لحماية النظام بطبعته الجديدة.

كان التصرّف الأحمق في درعا في آذار ـ مارس 2011، الدليل الأوّل على أن بشار أخل بالتوازن الدقيق الذي أقامه والده وعمل على حمايته. هذا التوازن شمل أيضا اللعب على ايران. صحيح أن حافظ الأسد عمل على إقامة علاقة في العمق مع ايران، وهي علاقة ذات طابع مذهبي في العمق، إلّا أنّه عرف كيف يستخدم الورقة الإيرانية لإبتزاز العرب الآخرين، على رأسهم قادة الدول الخليجية.

كان هناك توازن يقوم عليه النظام السوري. في اساسه الحلف مع سنّة الريف. لم يكتف بشّار الأسد بضرب هذا التوازن، بل ذهب بعيدا في الإتكال على ايران وعلى ميليشيا «حزب الله» التي صارت جزءا من أمن النظام، خصوصا بعدما ملأت الفراغ الذي خلّفه الإنسحاب السوري من لبنان في نيسان ـ ابريل 2005.

عاش النظام السوري أطول بكثير مما يجب. لم يكن نظاما طبيعيا في أيّ شكل أو مقياس. استفاد حافظ الأسد طويلا من البعثي الآخر صدّام حسين وحماقاته وغياب قدرته على التعاطي مع المعادلات الإقليمية والدولية. كان بين المستفيدين الأساسيين من مغامرة إحتلال الكويت قبل ربع قرن.

الآن،لم تبق لدى النظام السوري سوى الورقة الإيرانية التي تراهن حاليا على خيار الدولة العلوية. مثل هذا الخيار يمكن أن يؤسس لحروب جديدة تستمر سنوات طويلة. كذلك يمكن أن يؤسس لتفتيت سوريا أكثر مما هي مفتّتة. لكنّه ليس خيارا قابلا للحياة، لا لشيء، سوى لأن ليس في الإمكان جعل السنّة أقلّية في أي بقعة من بقاع سوريا أو أي منطقة من مناطقها، حتّى لو كان هناك امتداد لبناني لهذه البقعة أو المنطقة…

August 3rd, 2015, 7:58 am

 

Akbar Palace said:

Observer,

Juan Cole never ceases to amaze. Juan Cole has been a champion of every theocracy and autocracy cris-crossing the Middle East. Although this article wasn’t written by him, it appears on his website. No surprise.

IS is nothing to be proud of; just form a democracy when all the dust settles.

Obama is finally supporting the rebels. Where has he been all these years?

http://news.yahoo.com/u-defend-syrian-rebels-airpower-including-assad-015955787.html

Observer,

“… closeness of the regime in Syria with that of Israel…”? Hardly.

Makhlouf’s claim:

“If there is no stability here, there’s no way there will be stability in Israel,” is a cheap scare tactic to give the impression the Assad’s are important. They aren’t.

They aren’t important if they can’t control their country. This is a bully who has been whipped into submission by rebels and ISIS extremists.

The Assad’s has their chances many times, and now they’re going down.

If Obama wants a foreign policy legacy, he should support the rebels and help them install a real democracy across Syria.

This Iran agreement is BS.

August 3rd, 2015, 8:18 am

 

ALAN said:

Taking sides in Syrian civil war? Obama authorizes airstrikes ‘to defend’ US-trained rebels
http://www.rt.com/news/311429-obama-airstrikes-syria-rebels/
The US president has reportedly authorized the Air Force to protect Syrian rebels trained by Washington to fight against Islamic State by bombing any force attacking them, including Syrian regular troops.
Trends
Syria unrest
Thus the US may become involved in the Syrian civil war on the rebel side.

The change was first reported by US officials speaking on condition of anonymity with the Wall Street Journal Sunday. The first airstrikes to protect American trainees in Syria have already taken place on Friday, July 31, when the US Air Force bombed unidentified militants who attacked the compound of the US-trained rebels.

So far the fighter jets of the anti-Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) US-led coalition have been bombing jihadist targets in Syria’s north and the national air defense units were turning a blind eye to foreign military aircraft in their airspace……

Obama! Your actions are really disgusting, and must not remain so, without a price.

August 3rd, 2015, 12:19 pm

 

ALAN said:

US-Trained Syrian Rebels Routed by al-Qaeda, Flee Into Kurdish Territory
Al-Qaeda Rules Out Working With US-Backed Groups
http://news.antiwar.com/2015/08/02/us-trained-syrian-rebels-routed-by-al-qaeda-flee-into-kurdish-territory/
Obama: “what which you sow, you shall also reap”. You will be responsible for the consequences

August 3rd, 2015, 1:28 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

ALAN,

Do not play the victim or since we talk about Ayatollah and Shitization of the islamic world please DO NOT PLAY THE MARTYR.

All shiite sectariam members know that today Obama is the best ally of Iran/Irak/Assad axis. They love Obama and they know US has been destroying the syrian opposition from inside.

The only good thing is that now the link between Obama and Iran, and the secret agreement Assad/Israel are completely exposed.

August 3rd, 2015, 1:55 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

At present time most foreign jihadists operating in Syria come through Iran to support the Assad Dictatorship. They get salaries paid by the Ayatollahs who enjoy fresh money given by Obama. The number is near to 100,000 Iran-paid shiite jihadists.

Thanks to US, thanks to Germany, thanks to UK. You really love peace and freedom and this is why you are closing billionaire contracts with Iran.

August 3rd, 2015, 3:07 pm

 

Akbar Palace said:

SL,

The two “Nobel Peace Prize winners” now want to work together against ISIS. Why didn’t they work together the minute Assad lost his grip on power, BEFORE ISIS even got there?

These “men” should be spanked with a ruler.

http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-us-turkey-deal-syria-big-gamble-071407444–politics.html

August 3rd, 2015, 3:35 pm

 

ALAN said:

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Better for you to deepen your study with regard to the country of your ancestors
Saudi Arabia: When the Rubicon is Crossed
http://journal-neo.org/2015/08/03/saudi-arabia-when-the-rubicon-is-crossed/
…/… According to the map, the vast territory of Saudi Arabia would be split into several new states. For example, in accordance with Washington plans, an “Islamic Holy State,” which would include the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, is to be formed on the coast of the Red Sea. Actually, the political landscape envisioned by Mr. Peters is not something completely new because for several centuries this area had housed Hijaz, whose rulers were considered the Sharifs of Mecca. Before hundreds of thousands and now tens of millions of pilgrims come to the holy cities, boosting enormous profits of those at the helm of power. In early days, it was the Hashemite clan, later—representatives of the Saudi dynasty, in the future, it could happen that a representative of the House of Hashemite would make its return to reign in the Islamic Holy State.

According to the plans of strategists from Washington, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—the largest and wealthiest state on the Arabian Peninsula—is to turn into a set of “Inner independent territories of Saudi” with significantly reduced areas. Only a narrow corridor would lead to the Red Sea coast since the major part would be occupied by the expanded territory of Jordan, the Islamic Holy State and Yemen, whose territory would include a part of the then former Saudi Arabia. The coast of the Persian Gulf abundant in “black gold” would be annexed to the “Arab Shiite state.” The other part of the coastal line of the Arabian Peninsula would be occupied by Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Sultanate Oman, which would, according to the plans, retain their current boundaries and the system of governance with a king, emir, sheikh or sultan heading the state./…

“Saudis feel that they have been driven into a corner and that they can no longer trust the US; therefore, they are plying the Russian card. It seems, though, that the Kremlin has a clear vision that all this maneuvering is just a game that is unlikely to produce a sound result.”

August 3rd, 2015, 4:00 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

ISIS was created to empty the north and east of Syria of what we used to call “arabs” and re-occupy it with shiite settlers or shiite converted local people.

“Arabs” are sedentarized nomad or semi-nomad populations mostly of arabic tribal origins and in a lesser proportion kurdish elements living along the Al Furat basin.

These people, both “arabs” and kurdish were despicable in the eyes of the “urban” syrians {who at the same time 50 % were originally “arab” nomadic or semi-nomadic) in one of the greatest contradictions of XXth century’s Syria. Although they represented the real spirit of the arabic and kurdish origin of most of modern syrians they were ignored politically.

With the destruction of the tribal elements of Syria we can sadly confirm the death of the soul of the syrian people origin.

August 3rd, 2015, 4:00 pm

 

ALAN said:

/Do not play the victim/ هراء
Russian president to Turkish ambassador: “tell your dictator President he can go to hell along with his ISIS terrorists, I will make Syria a ‘Big Stalingrad’ for him!”

http://awdnews.com/top-news/russian-president-to-turkish-ambassador-tell-your-dictator-president-he-can-go-to-hell-along-with-his-isis-terrorists,-i-will-make-syria-a-big-stalingrad-for-him
How hypocrite is your president as he advocates democracy and lambaste the military coup d’état in Egypt, added Mr. Putin, and he simultaneously condones all terrorist activities aimed to overthrow Syrian president! The Russian president continued by saying that his country won’t abandon Syrian legitimate administration and will cooperate with its allies ,namely Iran and China , to find a political solution to Syria’s interminable civil war which descended the 23-million Arab nation to an utter ethnic and religious anarchy.

August 3rd, 2015, 4:38 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

Putain is the Tzar or Kaiser of a nationalist imperialist corrupt mafious oligarchy. A fxxxxxing president for a fxxxxing regime.

August 3rd, 2015, 5:57 pm

 

Tara said:

Observer

“كان هناك توازن يقوم عليه النظام السوري. في اساسه الحلف مع سنّة الريف. لم يكتف بشّار الأسد بضرب هذا التوازن”

لان بشار حمار.

واحد أهبل وصار رئيس دولة

ياريت كان فيني سجل لقرايبين مرته ااديش هو أهبل بمجالسهم الخاصة

والكل بيتمسخر عليه

بس للأسف هي privileged information

ومالها قابلة للنشر

August 3rd, 2015, 8:34 pm

 

Observer said:

First

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldMkaiVg7k4

Second
Makhlouf is talking to Israel and to the US about the regime guaranteeing the safety of Israel and therefore this 60 years of pretending to “resist” is nothing more than a scheme to stay in power. There has never been any resistance to Israel. They are in alliance with Israel

August 3rd, 2015, 8:35 pm

 

Observer said:

Yes Tara he is a criminal first and like many members of his clan and like his father ignorant. His father was smart and he is stupid on top of being criminal.
He destroyed the country and is about to destroy the sect.

Mamlouk met the crown prince in KSA. Lavrov flies to Qatar to have a little say in what is going to happen to the Iranian cards as they are being rolled one by one in the region. Russia is now in direct competition with Iran for Syrian influence and have a new plan that does not include the family but the security system. Iran is coming up with a ” revised ” plan for Syria that includes Assad and some opposition. Obama and Kerry are clueless and are being fleeced daily from the Iran deal to the Syrian moderates that were essentially wiped out the minute they entered Syria ( Division 30 made up of 60 only 60 willing to work with the US ).

All of this is a consensus that the regime must go but Syria should not become Libya or Somalia. Well in my opinion it is too little too late. The sectarian hatred is now deep and engrained and has become part of defining one’s identity. The sects have always felt that way with record to the majority now the majority is thinking in pure sectarian terms and will not compromise with the sects any longer.

KSA is determined to survive no matter what and will ally with the blue devil if need be to do it. In funny twist of role reversal the old system whereby the regimes were dependent on US protection has been upended and now the US has to have the regimes to be able to play any role in this area.

Empires are not destroyed they commit suicide and this is what Bush Obama are doing.

So good riddance on both sides US out of ME and ME out of US politics.

Every so called battle that the regime has engaged has resulted in severe losses and a setback.

As for the sect it has chosen to be with the family and will suffer its fate. The only solution for the sect is to get rid of the family and present the head of this criminal on a plate to the Syrian people and perhaps they can be spared.

Israel is not going to rescue them and no one is going to come to the rescue

August 3rd, 2015, 8:58 pm

 

Badr said:

I think both the Iranians and the Russians do realize that if they were to force the collapse of the Assad regime, they would face the strong possibility of loosing their influence in Syria.

August 4th, 2015, 4:14 am

 

ALAN said:

US lives in a perpetual state of war. The US has not been at war only 20 years out of 239 years of the country’s existence. America is the most serious danger to the security of the planet.
Only in the period from 1980, the US has waged wars of aggression against 14 Islamic countries (please, refer to ): Iran (1980, 1987-88), Libya (1981, 1986, 1989, 2011), Lebanon (1983), Kuwait (1991), Iraq (1991-2011, 2014), Somalia (1992-1993, 2002), Bosnia (1995), Saudi Arabia (1991, 1996), Afghanistan (1998, 2001), Sudan (1998), Kosovo (1999), Yemen (2000, 2002), Pakistan (2004), and currently the list has been extended with Syria.
2014 considered the bloodiest year in US military history from the end of Cold War. The stream of refugees has reached nearly 60 million people, with half of them being children.
40 armed conflicts have been initiated in 27 different places of the planet in 2014, claiming the lives of more than 100 thousand people. The record high death toll in Syria’s war surpassed 50 thousand. This number exceeds the total number of deaths caused by the other 39 conflicts. Most of the time one of the parties to such conflicts is (directly or indirectly) supported by the US. The world has not seen so many military conflicts since 1999.
Only during this year, US Special Operations Forces participated in lending operations in 81 countries. Among other missions, they also carried out an advisory mission, instructing the local commandos on how to handle armed conflicts, so that American soldiers would not have to fight themselves. However, it should be noted that many of such units “instructed” by the US military personnel were later recruited by those very extremist groups, which the US had intended to combat.

August 4th, 2015, 7:02 am

 

Akbar Palace said:

Makhlouf is talking to Israel and to the US about the regime guaranteeing the safety of Israel and therefore this 60 years of pretending to “resist” is nothing more than a scheme to stay in power.

Both True and False. As with most things, it’s never black and white.

There has never been any resistance to Israel. They are in alliance with Israel.

Right. The unsigned “alliance” is that Syria offers no resistance along THEIR border. Meanwhile, the flow or arms across Syria into Lebanon is massive and potentially VERY disruptive to Israel as seen in the 2006 Lebanon War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Lebanon_War

Of course, now Syria can’t control their border at all, so whatever understanding there is between Syria and Israel is now meaningless.

Makhlouf, like most of the Syrian regime, is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Right now, the Assad regime is out of cards. They offer nothing to no one, just murder and destruction. Time to move on.

I’m curious to see how the Iran “agreement” pans out. I’m seeing articles that a bill against the agreement may pass the House.

August 4th, 2015, 8:57 am

 

Tara said:

I’m curious to see how the Iran “agreement” pans out. I’m seeing articles that a bill against the agreement may pass the House.

Akbar
Hehe. I would hope so. Time to slap our incompetent admin on the face for giving billions of dollars to a terror regime that keeps declaring us as the great Satan and calling for death to our country on every occasion.

August 4th, 2015, 9:27 am

 

Akbar Palace said:

Tara,

Thanks. The US gas to get back in the business of supporting DEMOCRACY. That WAS our name – plate years ago. Subjugated people all over the world looked at the US as a strong example of freedom and hope.

Not any more. We only care about making “peace” with despots in Cuba and Iran. When people in Syria and Iran were looking for support, Obama turned his back on them.

Tara, what do you think of US policy with Egypt? Should the US pressure Sisi to create a civilian government?

August 4th, 2015, 10:41 am

 

ALAN said:

Russian Airborne Troops chief says paratroopers ready to help Syria in combating terrorism

Colonel-General Vladimir Shamanov said that help would be rendered should such a decision be made by Russia’s leadership

http://tass.ru/en/russia/812480

August 4th, 2015, 1:38 pm

 
 

ALAN said:

Saadi Gaddafi torture video shows name guarantees ‘maximum mistreatment’ & no justice – lawyer to RT
http://www.rt.com/news/311494-saadi-gaddafi-torture-video/

August 4th, 2015, 2:35 pm

 

Majedkhaldoun said:

Iran Deal
The deal will go through,this deal most likely is temporary one and Obama is passing the problem to the future presidents, it is a bad deal, as it will enrich Iran, and may be HA and Assad.

We are witnessing gradually the division of Syria, if Aleppo is taken over by the Rebels, the division will become official, and that is the limit of what Turkey can achieve

August 4th, 2015, 10:23 pm

 

ghufran said:

“The regime took a big hit in the spring time with the loss of Idlib and Palmyra and Jisr al-Shughour and it looked to some that the regime’s wheels were falling off,” said Joshua Landis, a long-time Syria observer and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “But in fact the regime has once again shown that it is capable of responding to these setbacks by changing its modus operandi.”
Landis said the growing power of the militias and the high number of draft dodgers was an indication of the weakness and exhaustion of the Syrian military, and particularly Assad’s Alawite base, after a four-year insurgency.
But he said the regime’s resilience in fighting for Aleppo and Deraa is likely because it feels its own legitimacy is under threat if it cedes most of Syria to the rebels. Such an event would spell a de facto partition of the country, an issue “so freighted with notions of surrender, great power conspiracy, Sykes-Picot 2”.
The loss of Aleppo and Deraa would restrict the Syrian regime to a strip of territory in the west, stretching from Damascus through Homs, Hama and Latakia, and the Qalamoun mountain range straddling the Lebanese border that is defended by Hezbollah.
Landis said many Syrians, and Alawites in particular, are privately acknowledging that partition is the likely outcome of the war, a notion fuelled by the decreasing likelihood of an outright military victory, the primacy of hardline conservative groups such as the al-Qaida affiliate al-Nusra Front and the salafist Ahrar al-Sham, and the failure of fractious rebel coalitions to govern liberated territories under persistent regime aerial campaigns.
In a recent interview, the al-Nusra Front’s leader said Alawites must abandon both the regime and their religion in order to coexist with other Syrians if the regime falls. Such statements mean that Assad preserves his constituency of middle and upper class Syrians and minorities, said Landis.
“It means he can continue to fight his war,” he said.
(The Guardian-UK)

August 5th, 2015, 2:12 am

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

40. ALAN

Are you joking ? You can say Gaddafi has been treated very lovely.
You seem not to know what is the real meaning othe word TORTURE.

…from Guantanamo to the master classes of Hezballah in the undergrounds of Beirut, Assad and Saddam prisons, Iranian sofisticated tortures….. no to mention the talented members of the security services of the Ztar Putain.

All these torture specialists are not men, are simply coward rats dressed in uniforms.

August 5th, 2015, 3:35 am

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

PKK has always been operated by Assad regime through remote control. Full financial coverage, all weapons, and political directives have been given from Damascus.

Turkey was reluctant to enter face to face in the syrian conflict because Erdogan knew it would mean the end or at least the stalemate of the peace process with the kurdish people. Erdogan has generated many positive developements for the kurdish people in southeastern Turkeduring last years. But finally Assad has played too risky and Erdogan will face the PKK war.

PKK is not the representant of kurds, it is the tool of Assad against Turkey.

August 5th, 2015, 3:50 am

 

ALAN said:

42. GHUFRAN
The attack on Syria is an attack at Russian borders. The statement by Russian elite VDV paratroopers /signal 4 US/, to show the depth of commitment the Russians are ready to go to keep Syria under their sphere of influence. Russia’s base at the port of Tartus has taken renewed importance under the new Naval Doctrine “from the Arctic to the Antarctic” signed by Putin last month.
The empire’s ME game will be redefined under new rules, and eventually the US/UK/KSA/Turkey sectarian/mercenary forces will wear down.

August 5th, 2015, 4:30 am

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

ALAN,

We will humiliate Putin from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

Make sure you get your salary from Putin, you are a mercenary too.

August 5th, 2015, 4:34 am

 

ALAN said:

46. SANDRO LOEWE
/We will humiliate Putin/
Who are /WE/? Who are you meant exactly?

August 5th, 2015, 5:04 am

 

ALAN said:

44- Bla bla bla
The Kurdish people are, the world’s largest ethnicity or people without a nation. International law provides the right to self-determination. This principle of the right to self-determination is conflicting with the equally valid principle of a nation’s right to territorial integrity. Both principles are lacking enforcement mechanism that are based in coherent law. Currently any enforcement of these principles would either have to be based on one actor, usually supported by one of the superpowers, to establish a de-facto situation, or by a unanimous vote of the UN Security Council. Both situations are equally problematic and questionable and based on policy and power rather than in law. The situation about the establishment of a Kurdish State is being further complicated by Turkey’s support of Syrian and Iraqi Kurds while Turkey is careful not to include Turkish territories in a future Kurdish construct. That situation may change if the pro-Kurdish parties in Turkey gain additional momentum while nationalists continue to suffer election losses.
The irony of the situation is that all of the permanent UN Security Council members argue that the current borders in the Middle East are an artifact of colonialism. A divergence between Washington, London, Paris on one hand and Moscow and in part Beijing arises due to the question whether these borders are invulnerable. One could also say that the divergence arises in the discussion about the primacy of the invulnerability of the territorial integrity of nation States vs the right to self-determination. Which ever principle the one or the other nation choses depends – for all of the involved parties – on utility, not on international law. The tragedy is that the UN and the Security Council are failing the nations and the people of the Middle East as much as the League of Nations has failed those Middle Eastern and African nations who would suffer the consequences of two European Wars

August 5th, 2015, 6:01 am

 

ALAN said:

ما أذيع عن أن أمريكا سوف ندافع عن 60 متمردا الذين تم تدريبهم في برنامج تدريبي خاص في تركيا، هو عار عن الصحة
ان قيام الكلب روبرت مردوخ بنشر هذه البوالين ، نقلا عن “مصادر مجهولة في البنتاغون” لا يعني أي شيء.
جمعنا يعلم ان الكشف عن معلومات سرية في الولايات المتحدة، كما هو الحال في البلدان الأخرى من العالم هو عمل جرمي ، وبالتالي فان أي شخص كان قد “تبادل المعلومات” مع الصحفيين أو مع الكلب مردوخ توجب القاء القبض عليه و زجه في السجن.
اللاعبين الخارجيين، مثل إسرائيل وتركيا روجت لهذه المنشورات لأغراضها الخاصة، وتناقلتها وول ستريت جورنال والصحفيين من دور النشر الأخرى.
ما أعلنته فعلا الولايات المتحدة بأنها مستعدة لتقديم الدعم الجوي لمجموعات محددة في سوريا، التي تدعم حكومة الرئيس بشار الأسد، ولكن خلف حجاب من التضليل بدا الشرق الأوسط و كأنه لم يكن قد سمع هذه الرسالة

August 5th, 2015, 6:23 am

 

ALAN said:

Simo
Where are you? Any new vision from your angle of view?

August 5th, 2015, 8:03 am

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

48. ALAN

The House of Assad will be one of the great responsibles of the frustration of the Kurdish Nation. Repression was massvie on any kurdish identity sign and names of villages for 40 years, the kurdish political movement in Syria brutally beheaded from day 1 and completely manipulated by the fake PKK of Syria.

The stupid kurdish PKK members of Syria just legitimated the Assad destruction of syrian kurdish aspirations and destroyed any chance of constructive diallogue with the turkish side.

August 5th, 2015, 8:57 am

 

majedkhaldoun said:

US sent warning to Assad ,that if he sends his jet against Rebels fighting ISIS US will attack him, he must stay away from this force that is going to liberate most of Syria from ISIS, in other word while it is not publically No Fly Zone, there could become one

August 5th, 2015, 12:19 pm

 

ALAN said:

دكتور ماجد
ذكرت الولايات المتحدة و قابلتها بالأسد نديا اذا فالأسد موزون
استرسلت و قلت: /اذا أرسل طائراته/ ايضاهنا يبدو أنالأسد موزون
/ضد المتمردين الذين يقاتلون داعش/ ؟ هل أنشأت الولايات المتحدة تحالف عرمرم يضم دولا و قواعد عسكرية وأقمارا اصطناعية و طائرات بدون طيار و قطعا بحرية و مع كل ذلك تلجأ الى المتمردين لقتال داعش؟ بحق الله هل أمريكا جمهورية موز؟
بعدها تقول بأن الأسد يجب أن يحيد جانبا ليتيح المجال لتلك القوة لتحرير أغلب الأراضي السورية من داعش. و هل وقف الأسد عائقا امام أحد لتحرير الرقة على سبيل المثال من داعش؟ ثم تختتم بمنطقة حظر طيران . ألم يكفي ثلاث مرات دوبل فيتو صيني روسي في مجلس الأمن على هذا؟
و عليه يادكتور اذا كنا نحن المتعلمين بهذه الحالة فماذا ننتظر من عامة الناس؟

August 5th, 2015, 3:47 pm

 

Passerby said:

Some comments:

1. Sure seems suspicious how Erdogan had the Kurd opposition in the election, hurting him, and now he’s hurting the Kurds. It’s clear the man wants to cling to power at all costs, he’s degenerated into that.

2. I just don’t see a happy outcome for Syria and the region. Who, knows, a butterfly’s wings in the Congo can change everything. If there is a hope, it requires Security Council military might, and partitioning. ISIS is just the Saddam Regime, they’d be thrilled to keep half of Syria and Iraq, (if we were crazy enough to let them), but Nusra etc sure wouldn’t accept the deal.

3. Iran is about to get a cash windfall, unless they want to improve the lives of their people, (right), they can drench Hezbollah and Assad in money and state of the art weapons. Half, heck, 10% of it would shower money and weapons on Assad and Hezbollah.

4. You can’t defeat the Alawites without opening the Doors of Hell. They know they would be exterminated. Find another plan.

August 5th, 2015, 4:08 pm

 

Passerby said:

I negotiate for a living, not this kind of thing, but why not give it a shot, not a lot of good plans to end the torment of the people of Syria (and Iraq).

With the unified military might of a united Security Council, it would be very easy to lay down the law to everyone, and solve it, but things would have to get a lot worse before that can happen, so this assumes it’ just the United States and whatever support it can muster up from sane people.

Positions of the Players in the Negotiation:

United States – Iran doesn’t take over the entire region. ISIS/Saddam Regime doesn’t continue to control half of Syria and Iraq. And our friends, Israel, and the proud new country of Kurdistan are taken care of.

Turkey – Assad would have been acceptable, but his murdering Sunnis is unacceptable. Not worth fighting over, but helping anyone tormenting Assad works. ISIS is no concern, there’s an agreement. And Kurds can’t have anything. No end to the war unless Assad is gone.

ISIS/Saddam Regime Leadership – Stay in power.

Takfiris with ISIS/Nusra/Etc. – Kill or repress anyone whose religion is the slightest bit different, particularly Shiites.

Assad Syndicate – Stay in power.

Alawites – Don’t get exterminated. Don’t go back to the repression of the last 1000+ years. End the war, end the suffering and death.

Iran – Control Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Spread their religion, repress other religions, in particular, Sunnis.

Russia – Have their friends taken care of, Assad in particular.

Negotiation:

First thing is you have to play Assad off against Erdogan. Two different negotiations. And tell both the truth, you are deciding who to cut a deal with.

Dear President Erdogan,
The suffering of the Syrian and region’s people has to come to an end. You aren’t willing to fight Assad, no one else is willing to fight Assad except the worst terrorists on earth, so Assad is staying and we are talking to him about a deal. We’d sure like to make a deal with you instead, can you help us? A land air corridor to Kurdistan is non-negotiable. Unified action against ISIS in non-negotiable.

Dear President Assad,
I have to give you credit, helping resurrect the Saddam Regime’s Zarqawi/Al-Qaeda in Iraq/ISIS/IS in the no-fly zone scam is genius. The two of you working together making sure any actual moderate was quickly exterminated, it just works so good. A sweet deal. And gotta’ give you credit, you never threatened us. You now have two choices. First choice is you finally get Alawitistan, and we’ll toss in the big cities, on that line, north to south, Aleppo, Damascus, etc. You didn’t want the rest of Syria anyway. Now, with all the refugees, you have a voting majority, or close to it. But persecution of Sunnis has to end, you really got to make a sincere effort. A land air corridor to the proud new country of Kurdistan is non-negotiable. And you have to immediately start fighting ISIS, not helping them. Your second choice is death, ISIS is a existential threat and you have been helping them so you would share their fate.

Dear Government of Iraq,
Let’s face it, you can’t fight your way out of a paper bag. And seems the Sunnis prefer the goons of ISIS to you. You sure had your chance, but you just pigged it up. You have to give a few wells to the new country of Sunnistan, and of course, the proud new country of Kurdistan will give a few wells to the Sunnis too. You can now go back to your bigotry, graft and corruption.

Dear Government of Iran,
You don’t get all you want, but you get a lot.

Dear Government of the Proud New Country of Kurdistan,
First priority with the airports is the elite military forces and all the new sophisticated weapons. We may need to resort to air-drops to handle the capacity. After that, it’s the equipment to build all the other airports. I know you understand you will never be safe until ISIS is destroyed, so trust me, if you, or the American Special Forces soldier next to you points a laser at anything, it will blow up. We stand with you.

Dear Sunni citizens of Sunnistan,
Gotta get rid of ISIS. Powerful forces are coming, be on the winning side. You have a chance to live free of ISIS and the Shiite goons in Baghdad. What you do with that chance is your choice.

Dear Governments of the Gulf States,
Did I mention we consider ISIS, Nusra, etc. an existential threat? You may find them tormenting Iran and the Shiites amusing, but we don’t. You financed their ressurection, you can now finance their destruction. It would be nice if you could field an army to help liberate the citizens of Sunnistan, but you don’t have the stomach for it. Here’s the magic word for the day, Fracking. We ain’t turning our groundwater into toxic waste for nothing.

August 5th, 2015, 5:06 pm

 

Syrian said:

Passerby, don’t let the door hit you on your way out

August 5th, 2015, 6:25 pm

 

Passerby said:

So, Syrian, which particular group are you determined to exterminate before any peace deal? Is it really that important?

August 5th, 2015, 7:11 pm

 

Tara said:

Cc: passerby

Dear People of Syria: Kill Assad and his criminal gang. No more minority to lead the country until their historical hatred is cured. That will take probably another 1000 years

Dear Alawis: اللي بيقتل شعبه خائن. We may forgive boy we shall never forget. Justice must be served! Justice is far better option for the sect than revenge. The sect must declare repentance for reconciliation to take place.

For ISIS, Hell is awaiting you with 72 devils each

August 5th, 2015, 7:42 pm

 

Syrian said:

Passrby. You gave everyone except the Sunnis what they could not get by war and gave the Sunnis the land locked desert between Syria and Iraq,and you did not even bother to give them ” land air corridor ” that you mentioned few times when it came the Kurds,
It is only you who are trying to exterminate the Sunnis who are the majority and your deal is dead on arrival.

August 5th, 2015, 7:59 pm

 

Syrian said:

http://eldorar.com/node/83038
A new video showing an Alawi thug torturing a man and his wife
Alan. Don’t wait for RT to show this clip on their news site

August 5th, 2015, 8:32 pm

 

Tara said:

Syrian

كانوا يقولوا بالشام على هيك شكيلات انهم جايين من ورا البقر

كنت أزعل من هالكلام

I was wrong.

تاري بيستاهلوا

August 5th, 2015, 8:45 pm

 

Syrian said:

تاره
في أهانه للبقر لما من حط هيك أشخاص مع البقر بنفس الجمله
على اي حال الصبح نوضع ١٠٠٠٠ دولار لأي شخص بيقدر يتخلص من هالحشره وبعدين ارتفعت لعشرين الف
ان شاء الله منشوفه قريبا بشى فديو ممسوك

August 5th, 2015, 8:55 pm

 

Tara said:

Syrian

اكيد. كلهم عم ينمسكوا واحد واحد

بتذكر عيلة الباري الشبيحة بحلب والحثالة اللي قتل واحد برمي صخور عراسه

هيك مجرمين ماخرجهم الا شي داعشي

قرفنا حرف القاف من وراهم

August 5th, 2015, 9:06 pm

 

Passerby said:

Hi Syrian,

Well, I did give the citizens of Sunnistan some oil from both the Shiites of Iraq and the Kurds. But what I’ve noticed is that oil revenue isn’t always a blessing, the goons in charge just steal it, better to focus on manufacturing and education.

Ok, I’ll talk land corridor, for Sunnistan too, didn’t realize one was needed. and I’m not sure the Alawites and their minority and Sunni allies should get all those cities in that vertical line. Maybe Sunnistan should get one.

August 5th, 2015, 9:20 pm

 

Syrian said:

Passerby.
Alawais are no more than 3 million, so no mater how you slice the country they will always be a minority so Alawaistan will never happen.
If you have not read the news lately Obama have already sold out the Kurds to Turkey, any Kurd who are also a minority and can not live within Syria he can always go and live in Iraqi Kurdistan. The only reason this war is still going is because Assad trying to sell Syria to Iran in exchange for the chair.
Eventually Iran and its foot Hizbolla will realize that Syria is not worth the heavy price and will come around for a deal with the Sunnis.

August 5th, 2015, 9:48 pm

 

Syrian said:

باسل البريدي ،من قوات الدفاع الوطني
قرية عين الصحن ،ريف صافيتا
هو من من قام بتعذيب واهانة الرجل السوري وزوجته في الفيديو الاخير الذي انتشر على صفحات التواصل الاجتماعي.
https://m.facebook.com/groups/515100971889888?view=permalink&id=912506018816046&fs=2#!/photo.php?fbid=10153590131262474&id=560277473&set=gm.912506018816046&source=57&refid=18&__tn__=E

August 5th, 2015, 10:36 pm

 

Syrian said:

باسل البريدي ،من قوات الدفاع الوطني
قرية عين الصحن ،ريف صافيتا
هو من من قام بتعذيب واهانة الرجل السوري وزوجته في الفيديو الاخير الذي انتشر على صفحات التواصل الاجتماعي.
https://m.facebook.com/groups/515100971889888?view=permalink&id=912506018816046&fs=2#!/photo.php?fbid=10153590131262474&id=560277473&set=gm.912506018816046&source=57&refid=18&__tn__=E

August 5th, 2015, 10:36 pm

 

Ghufran said:

Turkmen fighters are occupying areas evacuated by Nusra. Erdogang has started his
soft invasion of northern Aleppo already. There is plenty of speculations about a plan
to end the war but nobody wants to mention partition because it is the P word.
With nusra and Isis being in charge and Erdogang being the pimp leader and many thawrajiyyeh cheering for terrorists the future will be bleak especially for people who have to live under Islamist
militias rule, nobody now talks about the NC and the political opposition figures who filled the airwaves with their brilliant analysis,
The sectarian language on this blog is disgusting but not surprising, you can not make chicken soup out of chicken soup,
تضربوا منكم للقائد الملهم امه فاشله و شعب بجم

August 5th, 2015, 10:46 pm

 

Passerby said:

Hi Syrian,

Actually, I agree with most of that. Obama definitely sold out the Kurds to Turkey.

But there are other minorities scared to death of the radicals on the Alawite side, (or self serving or whatever), and a few Sunnis too. With the refugees, many of which will never want to return, and the loss of Sunni eastern Iraq, he may have a majority on a vote, at least it would be a lot easier to rig the election.

And yeah, everyone needs to know the price is too high and cut a deal, Iran included. Maybe the Assad Syndicate is getting too much with my plan, why would those goons profit. The best solution is the Alawites overthrow them, but doesn’t look like that’s imminent.

Ok, all the cities in that vertical line except Damascus goes to Sunnistan, unless the Alawites ditch Assad, they they get them all.

August 5th, 2015, 10:52 pm

 

Syrian said:

Passerby,
You said the key phrase “The best solution is the Alawites overthrow them”
Before that happen nothing much will be accomplished,
In addition most refugee will come back because most are still living in camps in Jordan Lebanon and Turkey
Also there is a bigger chance that Iraqi Sunnis join Syrian Sunnis than your suggestion of the other way around,
This way Iran gets southern Iraq with the Shia holy cities, the Kurds have their country in northern Iraq. And the Sunnis finally gets their country back

August 5th, 2015, 11:51 pm

 

Hopeful said:

Brilliant speech by president Obama on the Iran deal. A must watch for anyone who has doubts about it.

http://youtu.be/OlG90dMLo50

August 6th, 2015, 2:33 am

 

ALAN said:

68. GHUFRAN : /The sectarian language on this blog is disgusting/
That sectarian was systematic survey by Landis precisely where the essence of his studies and his faith

August 6th, 2015, 2:39 am

 

Observer said:

This post and the one before it mention the pro regime sect based militia and the sectarian nature of the conflict that was initiated from day one by a regime that painted the opposition in radical Islamist tone and hue to justify its brutality and its criminality.
We have Ghufran continue to insult the people in every one of his posts and pretends that the opposition is making chicken poop and what have you.
It the regime stupid as they say: it is infinitely more brutal and more criminal than any opposition including IS.
Here is the op-ed today from HRW in the NYT read it twice and a third time aloud and then ask someone to read it to you before you continue to post insults and dehumanize the others

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/06/opinion/barrel-bombs-not-isis-are-the-greatest-threat-to-syrians.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region&_r=0

August 6th, 2015, 7:49 am

 

Akbar Palace said:

Already sanctions are being dropped and the world is waiting in line to do business with the Iranian terror-supporting state BEFORE what the sanctions timeline sets forth.

The agreement is a farce…

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/05/nuclear-deal-with-iran-europeans-scramble-for-persia

https://news.riskadvisory.net/2015/16/iran-summary-of-nuclear-deal-timeline-and-sanctions-relief/

The Ayatollahs need aircraft. Boeing will be happy to abide…

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/02/us-iran-planes-idUSKCN0Q705W20150802

August 6th, 2015, 7:53 am

 

Passerby said:

Hi Syrian,

Yeah, unless the Alawites toss out the Assad Criminal Syndicate, not much chance of a happy ending. Who knows, a lightning bolt could strike the top leadership, but it just doesn’t seem likely. They have nasty weapons they haven’t handed over to anyone and at some point, they would use them.

Everyone, including the Alawites know that the best thing for the Alawites is to ditch them and cut a deal, but the Alawites don’t run things, the Assad Syndicate does. It’s not the Alawites that want this, it’s Assad’s goons, a good thing to keep in mind. Have they acted like animals? Yeah, but they were treated like animals for over 1000 years. Call it even and think about your grandchildren.

So yeah, the deal has to include strong incentives for the Alawites to ditch the Assad Syndicate, but hard to see how the Assad’s would ever agree to that. I wanted to be pro-active and not wait for some hoped for event, but as a last resort, the deal could be only if they ditch the Assad goons. Wave that carrot under their nose. Would you be able to be generous (under the circumstances) to the Alawites in that case? No Assad, peace (after Nusra/ISIS is eliminated etc.) that’s not a bad deal, better than the alternative.

And yeah, that was the idea, Sunnistan would be about half of Iraq and Syria, with some Shiite and Kurd oil wells tossed in. Another optomistic option is to combine Eastern Syria with Iraq, removing the 60% vote for Shiites, producing a more inclusive government.

August 6th, 2015, 8:24 am

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

” Another optomistic option is to combine Eastern Syria with Iraq, removing the 60% vote for Shiites, producing a more inclusive government. ”

This is a very interesting idea … but extremely optimistic. How can you obligue the sharing of power to an extremely sectarian shia population in Irak who have been enjoying the total control of power since the american occupation ?

August 6th, 2015, 3:19 pm

 

Passerby said:

Hi Sandro,

I hadn’t considered making that sale. I think the problem would be the political party, not the Shia on the street. People usually like the idea of their country becoming bigger and more powerful. Plus, they will listen to wise old men like Sistani.

Here’s what I’d tell the political party.

1. “First choice, ISIS on your doorstep, and a small country.

2. Second choice, if autonomous republics to some extent, you get to run a “country” larger than it is now, and have a say in a much larger more powerful country with peace and prosperity. Think of all the bribes you will get and send to the Swiss Banks if the country is prosperous.”

But yes, interesting, it gives electoral balance to Syria and Iraq. In a fair election, everyone would have to take the feelings of other groups in mind. I hate to deny the Kurds their own country, but it has the merit of everyone in the area liking the deal, so be it. We need that Kurd vote to balance Greater Iraq. With an autonomous republic, and all that oil money, and their old enemy from as far back as Saddam’s no-fly-zone, Zarqawi/Al-Qaeda in Iraq/ISIS/IS exterminated, they will be in paradise.

August 6th, 2015, 5:01 pm

 

Ghufran said:

Ksa is ready to cut a deal but it may be too little too late.
Iran and Tukey outsmarted Arabs as usual.
يا أمة ضحكت من جهلها الامم

August 6th, 2015, 9:32 pm

 
 

ALAN said:

since 2012 four non syrian Zio-“Experts”: Daniel Byman, Michael Doran, Kenneth Pollack, and Salman Shaikh gave Washington plan to destroy Syria
http://ru.scribd.com/doc/108893509/BrookingsSyria0315-Syria-Saban
According to this document, the victory over the regime of Syria is possible only after a limited military intervention, the purpose of which is to create “buffer zones”, the Islamists needed to prepare, receive medical care, regroup and relax. While these areas are not created, the Syrian army is able to conduct effective operations against the militants, destroying their supply lines and camps behind the front lines with the help of aviation. However, in a situation where the control points will be under the protection of Turkey and the United States, the Syrian command tactical possibilities are severely limited.

And now, three years later, Turkey and the United States say the need to create “a zone free of ISIS” in Syria, which, in essence, become a support base of the guerrillas for the subsequent offensive on Damascus.
http://i1.wp.com/virginity.media/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/uErwajBmooOuGHM7oeEl.jpg?resize=360%2C240

August 7th, 2015, 5:23 am

 

Observer said:

This is the regime that Ghufran wants to keep and to have the people negotiate with as he continues to spew insults at the revolution
But for the Grace of God there goes I

http://www.aljazeera.net/news/reportsandinterviews/2015/8/6/في-سوريا-تُضرب-النساء-فتهتز-الضمائر

This is the same regime that pundits in the US and Obama would like to keep

This is the incubator of hatred and oppression at work: resistance to Israel my foot

August 7th, 2015, 7:39 am

 

Tara said:

Observer

هيك حيوان ماخرجه الا داعش.

اذا لقطه شي داعشي ، داعش
May score positive review among its recruits.

And if the pundits still asking why the ME is a good milleu for ISIS and others, they need to just watch the above video to understand why and then quit their day job .

August 7th, 2015, 8:52 am

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

Rummors spreading today:

“Yemen belongs to Saudi Arabia while Syria belongs to Russia, Iraq belongs to Iran and Lebanon politically a black hole that belongs to Israel and Nasrallah. Obama has nothing but stupid words”

August 7th, 2015, 1:12 pm

 

Akbar Palace said:

Iran wants to destroy the Zio Entity. Today, the Zio Entity responded:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4688614,00.html

August 7th, 2015, 1:44 pm

 

mjabali said:

The deeds of the Assadists do not represent the Alawites. Here is an example:

Yesterday: Sulayman Hilal al-Assad shot and killed an Alawite Colonel in the Syrian Army. The dead Colonel was Hassan al-Shaykh from Bisnada, killed in front of his 4 children at Dawar al-Azhari in Latakia. The dead man was on leave from his unit next to Homs.

August 7th, 2015, 1:59 pm

 

SANDRO LOEWE said:

85. MJABALI

Alawites, Assad, Alawites, Assad, Alawites, is there anything else in your narrow sectarian world ?

August 7th, 2015, 3:05 pm

 

Syrian said:

Mjabali, implying that Alawies has nothing to do with the Assadies is like Germans saying we were not all Nazis,
While not all Alawies are Assadies but all Assadies are Alawies and the silence of the sect will not help them when everything is settled and your sect left holding the bag,

August 7th, 2015, 5:53 pm

 

Observer said:

This is without a comment from my part
http://aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2015/8/7/أوباما-بارقة-أمل-لحل-سياسي-بسوريا

Well said Syrian and Tara.

The very identity is based not on who you are but who you are not. Hence the only way to define the sect is by reference to what it is not. That is why it has nothing to offer and the hatred has blinded them to complete delusion about the reality on the ground.

Cheers

August 7th, 2015, 6:39 pm

 

mjabali said:

“Syrian”

Not all Assadists are Alawite as you claim. This is a known fact.

The problem of the Alawites is that they are stuck between al-Assad from one side, and those like you (Tara, Observer…etc) who want revenge and threaten to wipe all the Alawites out.

The Alawites are fighting not because of al-Assad but more because of ideas like yours…think about it…

August 7th, 2015, 9:18 pm

 

Majedkhaldoun said:

The decision by security council today to identify who is using Chemical Weapons in Syria is a turning point in the Syrian crisis, it is a message to Assad that Russia may abandone Assad, Assad sent Mamlook to Jeddeh to meet KSA officials indicates he is afraid of Russian change of policy toward him , he is again sending Muallem to Moscow, and sent Muallem to Oman, this means he is desperate for a deal.

It appears that the nuclear deal may not.be approved by the congress as Shumer announced his opposition to the deal, the alternative is not war as Obama says

The republican debate deflated Trump

August 7th, 2015, 9:49 pm

 

Syrian said:

Mjabali.
I was taking about the Assadists that you siad do not represent Alawites and you brought the example of Suliman Helal Alassad as a proof of your argument.
We all know that only an Alawie Assadist can kill an Alawi officer on leave from the war in the middle of the street midday in front of his 2 kids over traffic dispute then goes home as nothing happen while no one can dare bringing him to justice,
Those are the type of Assadists that have been ruling Syria for the last 45 years, they hijacked your sect and they are the one plus your denial of them represinting the majority of Alawies who put you between a rock and a hard palce.

August 7th, 2015, 10:55 pm

 

mjabali said:

“Syrian”

No one is denying that there are many criminals amongst the Alawites, when did I told you the opposite? Anti Assad Alawites are calling for Sulayman al-Assad to be hung in al-Sheikhdaher in Latakia for killing the Colonel. By the way, the Alawites are not all “highjacked” by the Assads and their group, as you and many here claim. To justify your failure of bringing them to your side, you ( and many), say “they are highjacked by al-Assad.”

Dear “Syrian” your side never tried to build any bridges with the Alawties.

August 8th, 2015, 6:30 am

 

Liwa al-Sayyida Ruqayya: Recruiting the Shi’a of Damascus said:

[…] via recruiting of natives has already been seen extensively in Hezbollah formations like Quwat al-Ridha, which has recruited from Syrian Shi’a villages like Umm al-Amad in Homs province. Fighters […]

August 17th, 2015, 3:43 am