The Arab Spring

The US State Department has accused the Assad regime of building a crematorium at the Saydnaya prison in an attempt to cover up the scale of atrocities there.

There were some reports from former prisoners of smelling a burning scent while imprisoned there, but there isn't much to go by for this one beyond what the State Department has presented.

Some footage smuggled out of Idlib for your time.

Tabqa has been fully secured by the Kurds and they seem to be sweeping up the villages north of Raqqah, though from what's we've heard before even once the villages north are secured the assault on Raqqa won't begin, the Kurds apparently want to secure the southern side of the city before moving on the city proper.

Apparently the ISF claims they have about 90% of Western Mosul under their control, but the remaining bits are really hard nuts to crack. And now ISIS has the advantage of defending along a shorter front (though they are encircled in three directions with the fourth being a river (and the other bank is under Iraqi control).

Michael Flynn intervened on Turkey's behalf to postpone a Kurdish advance on Raqqa. And got USD 500,000 for it.

This administration, man.

Something not being reported much due to all the scandal shenanigans: US Coalition forces launched an airstrike on a Sy AA advance convoy - deliberately this time - because they were getting too close to the Coalition staging area at al-Tanf.

Bear in mind, that convoy was being sent ahead of a major column of two Sy AA divisions and a large contingent of NDF...not an insignificant force. It is one of three advances Damascus and company are launching, the other two being toward Deir Ez Zor (from Palmyra) and Maskanah (from Aleppo).

Therefore it will be interesting to see if that column calls the bluff and advances anyway or if they turn tail to preserve their forces. Most likely the latter, but who knows these days. Also, if they do retreat, where do their forces go to next....

It seems Assad intends to carry on said offensive toward al-Tanf. From "another flank", which won't really matter a damn for them but.....

Also, the Russians seemed to be okay with this. That coupled with the makeup of the forces, I'm guessing this is entirely of the Chinless Wonder's own doing.

Lipstick and dresses return to Mosul’s streets
That speaks for itself, but the article doesn't go into much detail about present conditions. It focuses more on contrasting it with past conditions.

The Egyptian government just banned 21 websites, including that of al-Jazeera.

All were accused of "supporting terrorism".

Someone posted a picture of a Msta-S self-propelled howitzer in Syria online.

Macron has stated that any chemical weapons use in Syria will result in retaliatory French air strikes.

Isn't Putin in France?

edited 29th May '17 10:40:06 AM by Krieger22

As said in the other thread, a shot across Vlad's bow?

Maybe in intention, but unlikely in practice. We don't like the Chinless Wonder's antics any more than Europe does, though for different reasons.

Well, maybe there's one common reason between Russia and the EU countries when it comes to the Chinless Wonder: he's unstable and unreliable within the complex/labyrinthine geopolitical dynamics within the Middle East.

If Macron and Putin were up to it, maybe they could use this possible common ground to build an agreement of sorts.

edited 30th May '17 10:44:38 AM by Quag15

Syrian rebels say U.S., allies sending more arms to fend off Iran threat

Also saw a "breaking news" notification on Reuters, about the US starting to arm Syrian kurds even more in the last 24 hours.

To that point, the control map is showing a Kurdish breakout heading south of Tabqa, instead of east toward the Euphrates bank opposite Raqqa, heading into what looks like the open desert...an increasingly crowded open desert.

An interesting article on amphetamine use by all factions in Syria.

Not the first time it's used in the context of war, but it's interesting it has become easier to both buy and produce it.

And the profits apparently go right back into the war. Self-sufficient cycle....

Surprised they haven't just set up factories in the middle east proper, given the popularity....

Iran tests the US in southeastern Syria

Jordan just needs to annex that territory. Oy.

SDF forces are pushing into Raqqa.

It seems they have also fallen under attack on their flank west of Tabqa by Assad's forces.

For some reason I figured the Chinless Wonder would let them take the bloody city first before starting his shit, but I guess we must have another Mêlée à Trois.

Saif Al-Islam Al-Gaddafi, second son and once presumed successor to the G-man himself, has been released from militia custody and has left Zintan, where he was being held since the revolution that overthrew his father.

They say it is due to an amnesty law enacted by the Tobruk government.....but said law does not include those accused of crimes against humanity, which Saif has been charged with. So the real reason is a mystery, for now.

Makes me wonder what he does now though. Does he try to meet up with the Qaddafa tribesman and scattered old regime loyalists and make a play as a warlord, does he flee to Oman where the surviving members of Gaddafi's immediate family (not including Saadi, who is still on trial) and thank his lucky stars....or what?

If I were him, I'd count my lucky stars, gather up all the money I could get my mitts on, and flee to any country willing to take me. One preferably very far away.