Shaheen drones: The new rebel weapon in Syria's skies

Middle East Eye

The locally made suicide drones give rebels strategic edge in coordinated assaults on government targets

By Harun al-Aswad, Middle East Eye

As Syrian rebels gain more ground in key government areas in northwestern Syria, an advanced locally made drone is being credited as a vital element behind the success of a lightning offensive.

In just a few days, rebel forces, led by former al-Qaeda affiliate Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS) and some Turkish-backed Syrian National Army fighters, have captured an area larger than the one previously under their control, including Aleppo city, all of Idlib province, and vast parts of Hama province.

Rebel forces have also captured weapons and military hardware abandoned in several areas as President Bashar al-Assad's forces fell back.

The assault has pushed government forces towards Hama and Homs in central Syria, where intense fighting has been ongoing since Friday, a few kilometres from the centre of Hama city.

Footage seen by Middle East Eye shows HTS special forces, the Falcon (al-Shaheen) Brigade, deploying advanced, locally made combat drones named "Shaheen", according to sources who confirmed the details to Middle East Eye.

In the video, fighters are seen swiftly loading ammunition onto a drone before launching it. The fibre-reinforced, wireless suicide drone is equipped with a front-facing camera, streaming live footage to a screen, allowing operators to precisely guide it toward its target.

These drones allowed rebels to target beyond the firing line, rendering armoured vehicles ineffective through coordinated assaults and causing frontlines to collapse.

Precision attacks

Rebel commander Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani on Monday wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that a Shaheen drone struck a high-level meeting of the Syrian Republic Guards in the city of Masyaf in the Hama province.

He also said that a Syrian helicopter trying to take off from Hama military airport was also destroyed in another Shaheen attack.

A senior rebel leader told MEE that the Shaheen drone is the "key element" in the offensive.

He added that while the drones are being used for the first time in battle, they have been tested on several occasions along the frontlines in Latakia province, an area that has seen continuous clashes throughout the Syrian war.

"Our Shaheen drones are capable of destroying armoured tanks, armed vehicles, and enemy fighters with less than a five percent error," said the rebel leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to comment.

"We developed our weapon following the Iranian and Russian drone attacks on our land."

The leader said that over recent years, rebels had captured Iranian and Russian suicide drones that did not explode and used them as prototypes to create their own drones.

"A number of enemy drones have fallen unexploded in our land, many of which were seized recently, and now we send them back to kill them," he said.

Locally made weapon

Since last week, the rebel forces seized Aleppo International Airport, four military airports, stores of ammunition and military hardware, including tanks and drones. Rebels were also filmed flying a captured government helicopter.

The rebels' success has sparked rumours that Ukraine, which effectively uses suicide drones against Russian targets, played a role in helping plan the operation against the Syrian government.

Over the past year, Russian officials have accused Kyiv of providing kamikaze drones to Syrian rebels in Idlib and training HTS fighters on how to manufacture them themselves.

Several Turkish sources have however downplayed Ukraine's influence, if there is any, on the Aleppo offensive. The sources said the rebels do not require assistance to acquire or develop the drones, as the black market offers plenty of alternatives, including smuggling from Turkey.

"The Falcon Brigade has been using and developing drones for the past 10 years," Cihat Arpacik, editor-in-chief of Intelligence Report magazine, told MEE.

The rebel leader denied to MEE any foreign cooperation in developing the drones.

Although he refused to provide details on their range, no drone attacks were reported beyond the Assad-held Masyaf area, which is about 50 km from the rebel-held city of Khan Shaykhun.

Drone footage has shown attacks on airports, tanks, vehicles, and government forces, as well as the operation that killed Brigadier General Uday Ghasa, the head of the Military Security Branch in Hama, in the town of Souran.

Pro-Assad official media confirmed Ghasa's killing and reported that government forces have thwarted many drone attacks. Pro-government media pages on Facebook, which report news 24 hours a day, continuously publish warnings about new waves of rebel drone attacks.

International concerns

The Syrian government called for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the latest developments and received messages of support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Russia, and Iran.

The Syrian Army said in a statement: "We continue our operations with the Russian forces, carrying out strike attacks on terrorist groups, cutting their supply routes, and destroying five headquarters in Aleppo and Idlib."

However, the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, shared photos with MEE and said that these attacks had struck civilian neighbourhoods, camps and hospitals in Aleppo and Idlib, killing 25 people and wounding 66 others.

Italy's deputy prime minister said a Russian strike hit the Franciscan College Terra Sancta of Aleppo and caused serious damage.

A UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday: "The Assad regime has created the conditions for the current escalation through its ongoing refusal to engage in a political process and its reliance on Russia and Iran."

The fighting over the past week has killed more than 457 people, including at least 72 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

As of 30 November, more than 48,500 people have been displaced in Idlib and northern Aleppo, more than half of them children, the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said on Monday.

The UN Syria Commission said it was investigating attacks on civilian infrastructure in Aleppo city, including one hospital and a university dorm, and other densely populated civilian areas.

Has Ukraine helped the Syrian rebel offensive in Aleppo?

Middle East Eye

Sources dismiss rumours that Ukrainian intelligence aided rebel groups by providing FPV drones and training

By Ragip Soylu in Ankara

The Syrian rebels' stunning offensive and capture of Aleppo has sparked rumours that Ukraine played a role in helping plan the operation against the Russian-allied Damascus government.

Over the years, Ukrainian intelligence has leaked videos allegedly showing sabotage and attacks targeting Russians based in northern Syria.

These attacks often involved first-person-view (FPV) "kamikaze" drones, a technology Ukraine has excelled in using since the 2022 Russian invasion.

Many observers in Turkey believe the use of FPV drones has given Syrian opposition fighters a significant advantage against Bashar al-Assad's forces over recent days.

These drones allowed rebels to target beyond the firing line, rendering armoured vehicles ineffective through coordinated assaults and causing frontlines to collapse.

A prominent pro-Kremlin Telegram account even compared the surprise attack to Ukraine's Kursk operation, which captured a large chunk of Russian territory in an unexpected offensive in August.

For the past year, Russian officials have repeatedly accused Ukraine of providing FPV drones to Syrian rebels in Idlib and training fighters from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former al-Qaeda affiliate that is leading the latest offensive.

Alexander Lavrentiev, Russia's presidential envoy for Syria, recently claimed that Moscow had evidence of specialists from the Defence Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (GUR) operating in Idlib.

According to Lavrentyev, these Ukrainian specialists had been teaching HTS fighters how to manufacture drones themselves.

Other Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and the Syrian government-affiliated newspaper al-Watan, have also previously alleged ongoing contacts between Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's GUR, and HTS. These allegations include the deployment of Ukrainian intelligence assets to Idlib.

Easy to access

However, several sources downplayed Ukraine's influence, if there is any, on the Aleppo offensive.

A Turkish source familiar with the situation told Middle East Eye that HTS does not rely on Ukrainian assistance to acquire or develop FPV drones, as the black market offers plenty of alternatives, including smuggling from Turkey.

Although Turkish officials deny any involvement in the operation, there are indications that Ankara played a key role in the planning stages of the rebel campaign. "There are many kamikaze drone producers in the region and in Turkey," said the source.

Cihat Arpacik, editor-in-chief of Intelligence Report magazine and a longtime correspondent in Syria, believes Syrian rebel battalions, such as the Falcon (al-Shaheen) Brigade, do not require significant external help to conduct such attacks.

"The Falcon Brigade has been using and developing drones for the past 10 years," Arpacik told MEE. "They can import spare parts from China and other areas, and now use turbojet drones."

A Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that there had been engagements between Kyiv and Syrian rebels over the past year.

However, the official claimed Ukraine's contribution to the offensive was minimal. "We might claim less than a fraction of help for this offensive," the official said.

Interestingly, Rybar, a Telegram account considered close to the Russian defence ministry, echoed this sentiment.

"Firstly, GUR members did visit Idlib, but they stayed there for only a short time - not enough to train UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] operators from scratch," the account said.

"Secondly, HTS has long had its own UAV programme, with militants showing off a jet aircraft as far back as 2023. Attack drones have ceased to be unique or inaccessible without outside help - even rebels in Myanmar use them."

Anton Mardasov, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute think tank, says rumours of Ukrainian intelligence being involved in the rebel offensive resemble reports that Kyiv helped Tuareg rebels in Mali defeat the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group.

Both stories were blown out of proportion, he said.

Mardasov noted that "usual intelligence contacts" between Ukraine and the Tuareg rebels, prompted by Wagner's backing of the Malian government, "were passed off as deep Ukrainian ties with rebel factions".

"Of course, Ukrainian intelligence had contacts with a number of opposition groups in Idlib, but this cooperation was limited to that."

Syria: Russia fails to halt Aleppo offensive with war planes diverted to Ukraine

Several Agencies

Syrian rebels have seized large swathes of territory in the north while Moscow is busy with another war

By Ragip Soylu in Ankara

Russia is struggling to contain a Syrian rebel offensive on Aleppo, as fighters make rapid progress towards the city centre.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow views the offensive as a violation of Syrian sovereignty and expects Bashar al-Assad's government to restore order as soon as possible.

Notably, he did not announce any Russian plans for de-escalation or suggest that Moscow would step in forcefully to back Syrian government forces, as it has in the past.

Turkish security sources told Middle East Eye that Russia was slow to respond to the developments on the ground because it had relocated most of its aerial assets to Ukraine to support its military campaign there.

This left behind a smaller force in Syria, insufficient to effectively counter the assault by led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which began on Wednesday.

Omer Ozkizilcik, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, said that while Russia attempted to curb the offensive by targeting select locations in Idlib and other areas of northwestern Syria, its efforts were insufficient to halt the offensive.

"Russia is not a bystander, but we are likely witnessing the limits of the Russian military," he said. "The two-day performance of Russia indicates that much of its air force capability has been redeployed to Ukraine."

Ozkizilcik pointed out that satellite images from Russia's Hmeimim airbase in northwest Syria's Latakia province show a dramatic reduction in its air force presence compared to 2019.

"Reports from local sources on air activity show that Russia is primarily using older fighter jet models," he added.

Tensions between Turkey and Russia have been simmering recently, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticising Ankara earlier this month for supplying drones to Ukraine that have killed Russian soldiers.

While Turkey is not directly involved in the Syrian rebel offensive, Ankara appears to be supporting the operation.

Previous Syrian government offensives on opposition-held areas have displaced civilians towards Turkey's borders, a situation that Turkish society is increasingly unwilling to tolerate.

Ozkizilcik highlighted that the Russian Air Force bombed a base belonging to the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) coalition of rebel groups. The base is located in a Turkish-controlled "safe zone", so Ozkizilcik described the attack as a direct message to Ankara.

Turkish involvement

Since then, HTS and allied forces have made significant advances, capturing large swathes of territory and rapidly progressing into the outskirts of Aleppo city.

Some rebel groups affiliated with the Turkish-backed SNA have joined the operation, although the majority of these forces have refrained from participating so far.

Turkish security sources told MEE on Thursday that the operation aims to restore the boundaries of the Idlib "de-escalation zone", which were initially agreed upon in 2019 by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The way the rebels have conducted the operation - simultaneously breaching government-held territory in multiple areas - and the level of organisation suggest that Turkish security forces may have assisted in the planning stages.

Anton Mardasov, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute (MEI), said there is little doubt in Russia that the HTS-led offensive was supported by Turkey, citing the rapid supply of ammunition and coordination with Turkish-backed SNA forces.

He also noted that training for first-person view (FPV) drones, which are being heavily used by Syrian rebels in their offensive, was reportedly conducted in Turkish-controlled areas last summer.

"It is likely that drone operators are somehow involved in the operation from Idlib, as HTS has limited experience with FPV drones," Mardasov said.

"This should serve as a stark reminder to Assad of his actual capabilities, as his power has only survived thanks to Russia, Iran and Hezbollah - all of which are currently preoccupied with their own challenges. Assad, in fact, has twice rejected Ankara's offers to normalise relations."

Mardasov added that the Russian Air Force has been relying primarily on weak Syrian government intelligence to identify targets in an effort to halt the offensive.

He pointed out that most Syrian army units have recently focused more on trading and taxation than military operations and lack the skills required for modern warfare.

"In recent years, Syria has become a destination for Moscow to send ineffective generals, many of whom made serious errors in managing troops in Ukraine," he said.

"Despite its involvement in Ukraine, Russia can deploy a few combat aviation units to Syria, but this will have little effect without an organised defence on the ground, followed by counteroffensives."

If the rebels continue to succeed, Mardasov believes there will be significant reputational costs for Russia.

He suggested that Moscow may eventually take action, possibly involving the Africa Corps, the successor to the paramilitary Wagner Group, but said that it would take time to materialise.

Hama Is Fully Liberated: Syria's Hama Key City falls to anti-regime forces

Daily Sabah with Agencies

Anti-regime forces captured the key city of Hama on Thursday amid a counteroffensive by the Assad regime as tensions escalate in war-torn Syria

Syrian regime forces announced that they lost control of the key city of Hama, on the second week of a lightning offensive by anti-regime forces that saw capture of Aleppo from the regime.

Hama long stood in the way of anti-regime forces as they pushed to retake more cities from the Assad regime. Forces that captured Aleppo since last week's launch of a lightning offensive encircled the key central city from three sides, a war monitor said, amid a counteroffensive by the Assad forces.

Hama is strategically located in central Syria, and for the army, it is crucial to safeguard the capital and seat of power, Damascus.

The anti-regime forces "have surrounded Hama city from three sides and are now present at a distance of 3 to 4 kilometers (1.9 to 2.5 miles) from it," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, said the government forces were "left with only one exit toward Homs to the south." Hours later, the regime forces announced the fall of the city.

Anti-regime forces said they seized control of Hama prison and released inmates. "Our forces entered Hama central prison and liberated hundreds of prisoners," said Hassan Abdel Ghani, a leader from the anti-regime forces' military operations unit, on Telegram.

The regime forces acknowledged it had lost control of Hama. "Over the past few hours, with the intensification of confrontations between our soldiers and terrorist groups ... these groups were able to breach a number of axes in the city and entered it," a statement from the regime's army said, adding that "military units stationed there have redeployed" outside the city.

Key to the anti-regime forces' successes since the start of the offensive last week was the takeover of Aleppo, which, in more than a decade of war, had never entirely fallen out of regime hands.

The head of the anti-regime group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, on Wednesday visited Aleppo's landmark citadel. Images posted on the anti-regime forces' Telegram channel showed Jolani waving to supporters from an open-top car as he visited the historic fortress.

In Hama, 36-year-old delivery driver Wassim said the sounds were "really terrifying," and the continuous bombing was clearly audible. "I'll stay home because I have nowhere else to flee to," he said.

While the advancing anti-regime forces found little resistance earlier in their offensive, the fighting around Hama has been especially fierce.

Assad ordered a 50% raise in career soldiers' pay, the regime-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported, as he seeks to bolster his forces for the counteroffensive.

A regime army source cited by SANA had earlier reported "fierce battles" against the anti-regime forces in northern Hama province since morning, adding that "joint Syrian-Russian warplanes" were part of the effort. The Observatory said regime forces brought "large military convoys to Hama" and its outskirts in the past 24 hours. "Dozens of trucks" loaded with tanks, weapons, ammunition and soldiers headed toward the city, it said. It said "regime forces and pro-regime fighters led by Russian and Iranian officers were able to repel" an attack northwest of Hama before the capture of the city. It also said the fighting was close to an area mainly populated by Alawites, followers of the same offshoot of Shiite Islam as the president. German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) announced the killing of its award-winning Syrian photographer, Anas Alkharboutli, in an airstrike near Hama.

The United Nations on Wednesday said 115,000 people have been "newly displaced across Idlib and northern Aleppo" by the fighting.

The Observatory says the violence has killed 704 people, mostly combatants but also 110 civilians.

Until last week, the war in Syria had been mostly dormant for several years, but analysts have said the violence was bound to flare up as it was never truly resolved.

"Many policymakers thought, well, Assad won, there is no war," said Rim Turkmani, director of the Syria Conflict Research Programme at the London School of Economics. But "we've been worrying about this for years, that the fact that there is no intense violence doesn't mean that the conflict is over," she told AFP.

While the anti-regime forces may have advanced swiftly, it does not mean they will have the capacity to hold onto the territory they have captured.

"It's very well organized, ideologically driven," Turkmani said. "However, they spread very quickly and very thin. And I think very quickly they're going to realize it's beyond their capacity to maintain these areas and, most importantly, to govern them."

Assad under strain

Bashar Assad is under growing strain as his army suffers setbacks, the economy deteriorates, his support wanes and his government's foreign backers are focused elsewhere.

The rapid fall of Aleppo has shaken Assad's legitimacy and emboldened his opponents, analysts said.

While Damascus remains heavily fortified, and the regime forces launched counterattacks Wednesday with Russian air support, the loss of Aleppo, Syria's commercial hub, is crucial.

"Assad's regime fought ferociously from 2012 to 2016 to recapture half the city, so losing it so quickly represents a humiliating defeat and illustrates the fragility of regime rule in Syria," said Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute.

The anti-regime forces' advances caught many off guard, but Assad's vulnerabilities are long-standing.

"Since 2011, Syria's army has faced attrition in manpower, equipment and morale," said David Rigoulet-Roze of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs. Underpaid soldiers had reportedly looted resources to survive, and many young men evaded conscription, he said, adding that around Aleppo, Assad's forces abandoned checkpoints.

The Istanbul-based Harmoon Center noted the military avoided confrontation, leaving behind large amounts of equipment – an indication of its weakness outside Damascus.

The collapse of Assad's forces in Aleppo occurred despite military preparations, said Middle East researcher Aymenn al-Tamimi. He attributed the failure to "complacency" from Damascus and its allies "partly driven by the belief that the cease-fire arrangement in place since 2020 would ultimately hold."

Western governments, which had largely written off the Syrian conflict, may need to reassess.

"The war, sanctions and a stagnant economy have eroded the regime's popular support, even among those who backed it in 2011," said Fabrice Balanche, author of "The Lessons from the Syrian Crisis."

Rumors of coups circulated over the weekend, further tarnishing Assad's image. "Three-quarters of the population lives below the poverty line, and discontent is growing across communities," said Rigoulet-Roze.

"It's not just about the Assad clan's survival, but the entire Alawite community rallying behind the regime," he said.

Compounding Assad's challenges is the weakened support of his allies, Russia and Iran.

Russia remains mired in the war in Ukraine while Iran and the armed groups it supports, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, suffered setbacks in fighting with Israel.

Russian airstrikes backed Assad's forces near Hama on Wednesday, but analysts doubt he can retake Aleppo without significant ground support from allies.

Assad's tilt toward Moscow has also irritated Tehran. "Assad knows his regime hangs by a thread and seeks to deepen ties with Moscow to reduce reliance on Iran," said Rigoulet-Roze.

Tensions between Russia and Iran reflect mutual distrust despite shared interests in Syria.

Assad may also fear political repercussions. "He thought he had succeeded, and he has begun to fear that he will be forced to accept the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2254 of 2015, nine years after its issuance, and to accept a political transition," said the Harmoon Center.

U.N. envoy's talks

In related news, the U.N. on Wednesday reported that U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen met Syrian figures and international actors to reduce tensions. "Our Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has been working the phones with the full range of Syrian parties and key international stakeholders," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

Dujarric said Pedersen met Wednesday in Geneva with representatives from Russia, Türkiye and the U.S. as part of an "ad hoc cease-fire task force" established by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). It was established in February 2022 to "take immediate steps to secure the full support of all parties to the conflict for a cessation of hostilities," according to the U.N. office of the special envoy of the secretary-general for Syria.

Dujarric said Pedersen held talks with the Iranian foreign minister's senior advisor for special political affairs, Asghar Khaji, and Bassam al-Sabbagh, the Syrian regime's foreign minister.

"Mr. Pedersen will soon be traveling to Doha for several meetings" to help de-escalate the situation in Syria, he added.

Emphasizing the importance of a political solution, Dujarric stated, "His message to all is the same: it is urgent to de-escalate, it is urgent to protect civilians, and it is urgent to prevent further bloodshed."

Hama captured by Syria's anti-regime forces as Assad suffers major setback

By Newsroom Türkiye Today

The strategic city of Hama has fallen to anti-regime forces, marking a significant blow to the Assad government.

Anti-regime forces capture strategic Hama city

Hassan Abdul Ghani, commander of the Military Operations Department formed by the anti-regime factions, stated on X: "The criminal Hafez al-Assad entered with tanks and stole the city from its people. Today, we entered with tanks and returned it to its rightful owners."

In a written statement, the Syrian regime's army confirmed its withdrawal from the city and redeployment to the outskirts after the opposition groups took control.

The anti-regime factions, who have been clashing with Assad regime forces since November 27, continue to advance in Hama province. Russian aircraft are providing support to the Syrian regime forces as the fighting intensifies.

In a significant development, anti-regime armed groups shot down one of the two helicopters that had taken off from Hama Military Airport near the city center. The second helicopter, which was hit, was forced to make an emergency landing.

The opposition forces also clashed with the regime forces west of the city, seizing the villages of Erze, al-Wahshiyya, Kafrtun, and Yadgun. They are now reportedly advancing towards Hama Military Airport, located southwest of the city center.

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham leader calls for 'conquest with no revenge'

In a video message, al Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaida-linked terrorist group; formally known as the Nusra Front, said, 'I announce to you that your mujahideen brothers have began entering Hama.'

Jolani said there would be "no revenge" after his group on Thursday seized the Syrian city of Hama, where government forces crushed an uprising in 1982.

"I ask God almighty that it be a conquest with no revenge," Jolani said in a video message on the Telegram channel of the rebel factions' joint operations room, after announcing the fighters had entered Hama "to cleanse the wound that has endured in Syria for 40 years".

Around 210 kilometres (130 miles) north of the capital Damascus, Hama is strategic because of its location between Syria's second city Aleppo — which rebels took on December 1 — and Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad's power base.

Local sources aldo indicate that an opposition led offensive against the Homs might start short after capturing Hama.

Shifting power dynamics in Syria: Assad regime and allies face major setbacks

By Muhittin Ataman

Syrian opposition strikes a blow to Assad regime and its allies, weakening their power in Syria by a decisive opposition offensive and taking Aleppo

The Middle Eastern developments continue to set the agenda of international politics. The Al-Aqsa Flood has become a turning point for the whole region. The ongoing genocide in Gaza against the Palestinian people and the Israeli aggression against the sovereignty of regional countries, directly and indirectly, influence all regional dynamics. Israel's attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iranian proxies in Syria have dramatically changed the Syrian context as well. As a result of the shifted regional balance of power, the opposition forces, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army (SNA), initiated a military operation against Syria's Bashar Assad regime on Nov. 27.

After Russia reduced its military forces in Syria, the withdrawal of Hezbollah from the country, the weakening of Iran's regional dominance and the Assad regime's groundless self-confidence and anti-peace attitude led the Syrian opposition forces to initiate a military operation against regions under the control of the Assad regime. The military operation that started on Nov. 27 has dramatically changed the realities on the ground. While the situation in the country is still unclear, it has become clear that some actors have already lost ground in Syria.

The biggest loser of the latest developments in Syria is the Assad regime, who has refused Türkiye's extended hand for normalization, stability and peace. Türkiye has proposed that the Assad regime initiate a negotiation process and normalize bilateral relations. However, after the Assad regime rejected the Turkish call to initiate a reform program in the country to refrain from the civil war in August 2011, the regime declined the second Turkish offer, calling the regime to start negotiations with the opposition to find a final solution to the crisis. The main reason behind its rejection was the overconfidence of the regime, whose relations with most Arab countries normalized within the last year. Furthermore, Iranian officials prevented the regime from normalizing its relations with Türkiye.

The Assad regime has lost a large part of the territory under its control to the opposition forces, mainly HTS and SNA. On the one hand, in less than a week, more than a hundred villages and towns, most importantly Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, have been recaptured by the opposition forces. The Assad regime's traditional supporters, namely Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and Shia militias, are each dealing with specific existential threats and, therefore, are unable to mobilize their resources to support the regime. The new realities on the ground are one of the most critical fait accompli in Syria for the last six years. Now, the opposition forces have a more balanced position in the country. This new military balance will also naturally influence political, economic and diplomatic dimensions.

On the other hand, the Assad regime has begun to experience problems within itself. According to leaked reports to the international media, some parts of the army factions have left the regime and joined the opposition. In addition, the regime left most of its weapons with the opposition forces, which increased the opposition's aerial defense capacity. As a result of all these developments, the Assad regime is experiencing its most fragile and weakest period in history. According to the new realities on the ground, the future of the Assad regime is questionable. The less territory it controls, the harder it will be for the Assad regime to maintain its dominance and power in the country.

The second factor that has lost ground in Syria is Iran, which Israel has directly targeted for the last several months. Iran has been passing through a challenging period, during which its president was killed in a helicopter crash, and the leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in its capital city. Given the deepening economic crisis, rising social unrest, growing political instability and spreading anti-Iranian regional developments, Iran's ability to reverse conditions on the ground is more limited. Iran has largely abandoned its assertive regional policy; instead, it has to take a defensive posture in the region. Furthermore, the leadership cadres and hundreds of senior members of Hezbollah, Iran's strongest proxy in the Middle East, were largely destroyed by Israel. It had to withdraw its forces from Syria and thus created a power vacuum in many regions.

The third actor who lost ground in the country is Russia, which reduced its military existence in Syria after the Ukrainian-Russian War, which negatively influenced Russian policies toward the Middle East. Russia has withdrawn the majority of its military troops, experienced military commanders and advanced weapons systems from Syria and sent them to the Ukrainian front. The recall of successful military commanders and effective ground forces, including the Wagner troops, has created a severe power vacuum in Syria. For instance, Russia has abandoned some of its strongholds, including some airports and other strategic places. As a result, Russia's ability to control developments on the ground has weakened.

Arab countries, who have normalized their relations with the regime recently, also lost their influence in Syria. Countries like Egypt and the Gulf states have developed regional plans and projections based on the Assad regime. Those Arab states have been trying to decrease the impact of both Iran and Türkiye in the country. However, with the weakening of the regime, these Arab states fail to realize their projections. Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have already overstretched their capacities due to their deep involvement in different regional crises. Therefore, their current capabilities cannot afford to provide enough military and financial support to the Syrian regime.

All in all, the Russia-Iran-Hezbollah-Assad/Syrian regime coalition has weakened as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Iranian expansionist policies in the Middle East and the Hezbollah's recent degradation. The latest military operation by the Syrian opposition against the Assad regime has dramatically damaged this already weakened coalition since the most critical part of the coalition, the Assad regime, has lost its credibility as well as its power.

About the author
Muhittin Ataman is a professor in the Department of International Relations at Social Sciences University of Ankara. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Insight Turkey, published by SETA Foundation.

Syrian army withdraws from Hama after insurgent breakthrough

Arab News

The Syrian army has withdrawn from the central city of Hama after insurgents broke through its defenses, the military said Thursday, in another setback for President Bashar Assad.

The announcement came hours after opposition fighters said they had entered the city and were marching toward the center.

The Syrian army said it redeployed from Hama and took positions outside the city to protect the lives of civilians.

The capture of Hama, Syria's fourth largest city, is another blow for Assad days after insurgents captured much of the northern city of Aleppo, the country's largest city.

On Thursday morning, Syrian insurgents said they entered Hama after three days of intense clashes with government forces on its outskirts, part of an ongoing offensive.

The Syrian army said in a statement later that a number of troops were killed after resisting the insurgents for days. It accused the attackers of relying on suicide attacks to break through the defenses of the city.

Hama is one of the few cities that remained under full government control during Syria's conflict, which broke out in March 2011 following a popular uprising. Its capture would be a major setback for President Bashar Assad.

The offensive is being led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham as well as an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Their sudden capture of the northern city of Aleppo, an ancient business hub, was a stunning prize for Assad's opponents and reignited the conflict which had been largely stalemated for the past few years.

The next target of the insurgents is likely to be the central city of Homs, the country's third largest. Homs is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Hama.

Aleppo's takeover marked the first opposition attack on the city since 2016, when a brutal Russian air campaign retook it for Assad after rebel forces had initially seized it. Intervention by Russia, Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah and other militant groups has allowed Assad to remain in power.

The latest flare-up in Syria's long civil war comes as Assad's main regional and international backers are preoccupied with their own wars.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the renewed fighting, which began with the surprise opposition offensive Nov. 27.

The insurgents claimed on their Military Operations Department channel on the Telegram app Thursday that they have entered Hama and are marching toward its center.

"Our forces are taking positions inside the city of Hama," the channel quoted a local commander identified as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani as saying.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said fierce battles were fought inside Hama.

"If Hama falls, it means that the beginning of the regime's fall has started," the Observatory's chief, Rami Abdurrahman, told The Associated Press before the city's capture.

Hama is a major intersection point in Syria that links that country's center with the north as well the east and the west. It is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the capital, Damascus, Assad's seat of power. Hama province also borders the coastal province of Latakia, a main base of popular support for Assad.

The city's name is known for the 1982 massacre of Hama, one of the most notorious in the modern Middle East, when security forces under Assad's late father, Hafez Assad, killed thousands to crush a Muslim Brotherhood uprising.

Syrian opposition forces capture key city of Hama in fresh blow to Assad



Al Jazeera

The army says it's redeploying 'to preserve civilian lives and prevent urban combat' reversing an earlier claim denying that rebel fighters had entered the strategic city.

The Syrian army says that opposition forces have entered Hama city after intense fighting, prompting its units to redeploy outside the strategic city in another major blow to President Bashar al-Assad.

The army said in a statement on Thursday that it was redeploying its forces "to preserve civilian lives and prevent urban combat", reversing an earlier claim that denied rebel fighters had entered the city.

Opposition commander Hassan Abdul Ghany posted on social media earlier on Thursday that his fighters had begun entering Hama, which they had been laying siege to since Tuesday amid heavy fighting overnight with the Syrian army, which was backed by intense Russian air attacks.

Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar said the taking of Hama was a "major development".

"In just over a week they have managed to take full control of Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo, and now the fourth-largest city," Serdar said, reporting from the Turkish city of Kilis, on the border with Syria.

The opposition also took over the city's military airport, Serdar said, a significant and "one of the largest in Syria" that has been used by government forces to launch strikes against rebels.

However, he said, the opposition has "not yet announced" that it in full control of the city.

"Today, they managed to breach the regime's front lines and get into the city from the eastern part," Serdar said, adding that a "significant" number of residents in Hama fled the city.

Opposition fighters pushed south from their enclave in northwest Syria, seizing Aleppo last week before reaching a strategic hill just north of Hama on Tuesday and advancing towards the city's east and west flanks.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said after fierce battles inside Hama, opposition fighters now also control the police command headquarters in the city as well as the sprawling air base and the central prison from where hundreds of detainees were set free.

It said late on Wednesday that opposition fighters had "surrounded Hama city from three sides".

"Violent clashes took place during the night between the rebels and the regime forces", particularly in the Jabal Zayn al-Abidin area, just north of Hama, the United Kingdom-based monitor said.

Robert Geist Pinfold, from Durham University, said if the opposition manages to "hold Hama", it would have both symbolic and strategic significance.

"Hama is the birthplace of Sunni, armed, Islamist resistance against the Baath party … of Bashar al-Assad and his father," Pinfold told Al Jazeera.

Taking Hama would also "open up the road to Homs, it would open up the road to Damascus," he said.

Hama lies more than a third of the way from Aleppo to Damascus and its capture would open the road to a rebel advance on Homs, the main central city that functions as a crossroads connecting Syria's most populous regions.

It is also critical to the control of two major towns with sizeable minority religious communities; Muhrada, which is home to many Christians, and Salamiya, where there are many Ismaili Muslims.

Hama province also borders the coastal region of Latakia, a main base of popular support for al-Assad.

Hama stayed in government hands throughout the war, which erupted in 2011 as a rebellion against al-Assad. Its fall to a revived armed uprising would send shockwaves through Damascus and its Russian and Iranian allies.

While Moscow has been largely focused on the war in Ukraine since launching a ground invasion in February 2022, Russian air attacks across rebel-held areas of northern Syria have sharply intensified over the past week.

Syrian state media quoted a military source late on Wednesday as saying Russian and Syrian air forces, alongside artillery units, had conducted "concentrated strikes on the … terrorists" in the Hama area.

Russia is assessing the situation in Syria and is in constant contact with the Syrian authorities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

"At the moment, we are closely monitoring what is happening in Syria. We are in constant dialogue with our Syrian friends, with Damascus," Peskov told reporters.

"Depending on the assessment of the situation, we will be able to talk about the degree of assistance that is needed by the Syrian authorities to cope with the militants and eliminate this threat."

The most powerful opposition faction involved in the advances is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate. Its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has pledged to protect Syria's religious minorities but many remain fearful.

On Wednesday, al-Julani visited Aleppo's historic citadel in a symbolic moment. The group's precursor was driven out of the city in 2016 after months of siege and intense fighting, in their biggest defeat of the war.

Armed anti-regime groups capture 4 more settlements in Syria's Hama

By Anadolu Agency

Armed groups opposed to Bashar al-Assad's regime captured four more settlements in Syria's Hama province on Wednesday.

Anti-regime forces advancing toward Hama

The anti-regime forces have been advancing toward Hama since clashes with Assad's forces erupted on Nov. 27. Engaging regime troops about 5 kilometers (3 miles) outside Hama city center, the opposition groups have taken control of several areas, including Pasif, Elcid, al-Karim, and Hamra.

Additionally, they seized the Armored Corps School near the city center, one of the regime's key military bases and the main headquarters for the 25th Brigade.

The fighting between Assad's forces and armed opposition groups began on Nov. 27 in the western countryside of Aleppo, marking a significant re-escalation of the conflict, which had been relatively calm in recent months.

This latest surge in violence comes amid ongoing unrest in Syria, which has been ravaged by nearly 14 years of conflict.

Islamist rebels seize strategic city of Hama from Syrian regime forces

Fighters led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group rout government troops after five-day battle amid sweeping offensive

Islamist insurgents have entered the Syrian city of Hama in a battle to seize a vital location on the road to Damascus, marking the latest challenge to Bashar al-Assad's control of the country.

Militants led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered the city from the east on Thursday after surrounding it during five days of fighting with forces loyal to Assad.

"This victory will be without revenge and merciful," said the leader of HTS, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, in a message to the people of Hama.

The Syrian defence ministry initially denied that insurgents had entered the Hama, calling its defensive lines "impregnable". But as fighting intensified and drew closer to the city centre, the Syrian army said it had withdrawn, redeploying its forces "to preserve the lives of civilians and not to involve the people of Hama city in these battles".

Positioned on a highway that runs down the western side of Syria towards the capital, Damascus, Hama was the site of mass uprisings against Assad in 2011, and then fierce battles when opposition forces attempted and failed to take control of the city in the ensuing civil war.

Hama is also the site of a notorious 1982 massacre, when forces loyal to former president Hafez al-Assad besieged the town to prevent an uprising led by Sunni Muslim opponents of his rule.

The sweeping offensive led by HTS has resulted in Assad losing control of Syria's second largest city, Aleppo, as well as swaths of the north-east of the country. The sudden losses appear to have unsettled Assad's longtime backers in Moscow and Tehran, with Russian forces consumed with their invasion of Ukraine and Iran concerned about being targeted by Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory, which have increased in the last year.

The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters that Moscow was "closely monitoring", events in Syria. "Depending on the assessment of the situation, we will be able to talk about the degree of assistance that is needed by the Syrian authorities to cope with the militants and eliminate this threat," he said.

Gregory Waters, an analyst of the Syrian army with the Middle East Institute, said a combination of low morale, low pay, corruption and dysfunction within the chain of command had contributed to the sudden rout of government forces from areas they had controlled for years.

The Syrian army, he said, was "completely unprepared", for the insurgent offensive.

Amid reports of rising desertions from the Syrian army or fighters fleeing their positions, Assad issued a decree raising salaries for military personnel by 50% earlier this week.

Military support from Iran and Russia has been limited when compared with previous iterations of the conflict in Syria, said Waters.

"I think it's hard to see a scenario where forces loyal to the regime in Damascus can regain momentum," he said. "Even if the Russians and Iranian or Iranian-backed forces get more involved, they're still limited by their own wars. It feels unlikely to reach the level of support we've seen previously."

Syrian opposition reportedly targets another PKK/YPG bastion

Daily Sabah with Agencies

The success of "Operation Dawn of Freedom" by the Syrian National Army (SNA) to capture Tal Rifaat from the terrorist group PKK/YPG may pave the way for seizing another hotbed of the group. Turkish media outlets reported that the Syrian opposition forces will likely move on to Manbij, a key city for PKK/YPG.

Dawn of Freedom, which was launched simultaneously with an offensive by anti-regime forces toward Aleppo last week, cut off the terrorist group's plan to link Tal Rifaat to Aleppo. Turkish broadcaster CNN Türk released footage of a convoy of SNA vehicles reportedly heading to Manbij, which was captured by the terrorist group in 2016. The strategic town west of the Euphrates River was initially seized by the Syrian opposition in 2012 before it fell to Daesh two years later. The PKK/YPG terrorist group, which cooperates with the United States under the pretext of fighting Daesh, took the town in 2016. The capture of Manbij will also be critical for Türkiye's counterterrorism fight as PKK/YPG domination in northeastern Syria threatens the neighboring country's national security.

Speaking at a U.N. Security Council session on Syria on Tuesday following the advance of anti-regime groups over the past week, Türkiye's deputy U.N. representative Aslı Güven said: "The presence of terrorist organizations within Syria not only undermines the country's unity and territorial integrity but also poses a direct threat to Türkiye's national security as well as regional stability." "Türkiye is entitled to take appropriate measures in line with its inherent right of self-defense against direct and imminent threats posed to its national security by terrorist organizations operating in Syria," she added.

Meanwhile, in Tal Rifaat, SNA members work to clear explosives planted across the town by retreating terrorists. The SNA also discovered a massive network of tunnels built under the town. Stretching for 10 kilometers (6.21 miles), the tunnels host small bedrooms with iron doors, electric cables and barrels. Some rooms had photos of terrorists on their walls. Each single tunnel in the network is about 1 meter wide and 2 meters high. It is believed that tunnels are used both for the accommodation of terrorists in times of attacks and for infiltration attempts to nearby residential areas. Similar tunnels exist in areas currently under the control of the terrorists and those liberated from the PKK/YPG.

Syria's rebels say Assad forces 'melted away'

Chloe Hadjimatheou, Tortoise Media

Syrian rebels' surprise advance on Aleppo was so successful because, they say, President Assad's forces just "melted away".

So what? The Syrian army may regroup but so far there is little sign of that.

That doesn't mean Assad is about to relinquish power.

It does mean he is acutely vulnerable without the backing of Iran and Russia.

Since 2020 most of the world has considered the Syrian war over or in abeyance. But the Middle East is so interconnected that the ripples spreading out from the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th 2023 had to reach Syria eventually, and now they have.

Why now? While the world's attention was focused on Gaza, the rebels saw an opportunity. Assad has held onto power only because of Russian air support and Iranian-backed militias including Hezbollah. But…

Over the last year the Lebanese militia has been distracted by the war with Israel.

It's likely that rebel commanders believed the ceasefire with Israel meant Hezbollah might return to help Assad on the frontlines.

A window of opportunity was therefore closing; the rebels attacked the day the ceasefire came into force.

Which rebels? The most powerful faction, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, is a coalition of jihadist groups led by Syrian-born Abu Mohammed Al Jolani. He fought coalition forces during the Western occupation of Iraq, returning to Syria in 2011 to join the effort to overthrow the Assad regime and replace it with a hardline Sharia state. Jolani's jihadist faction in the Syrian civil war, Jahbat Al Nusra, pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda and quickly attracted fighters from around the world including from the UK.

Jihadist-light. In 2016 Jolani broke ties with Al Qaeda and merged with five more jihadist groups to form Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. HTS now controls around four million people in Idlib province. It still cleaves to fundamentalist Salafi principles but has gone to great lengths to rebrand itself, in one expert's phrase, as "jihadist-light".

Unlike most jihadist leaders Jolani, now in his early 40s, is media friendly.

He gives interviews in which he's insisted on his respect for the sanctity of human life and the protection of minorities.

HTS has a press office and a civilian government running a roster of ministries overseeing public services.

That said, under HTS governance women's rights have been severely restricted, and there are reports of journalists and pro-democracy activists being arrested and in some cases tortured.

The lesser of two evils. Even so, more Syrians have fled from Assad-controlled parts of the country to rebel-held areas than the other way around. Why?

Assad's forces and allies have been responsible for far more civilian killings than all the jihadist groups in Syria combined.

There have been reports of mass graves on the outskirts of Damascus.

And it's estimated that at least 150,000 people are still being held and tortured in Assad's prisons.

Russia in or out? Since the rebel offensive began last week there have been credible reports that Russian troops and diplomats have been fleeing Damascus. Even so…

In public at least, Moscow insists it will continue to back Assad.

In the last 24 hours Russian planes have launched a fresh wave of bombings on Idlib.

Facts on the ground. It won't be easy for Assad to win back territory. HTS has used the last four years to develop its armed forces, opening a military academy and equipping itself with armed drones which it has been using to take out senior Syrian commanders.

Threats in the air. In the past when Assad has been squeezed militarily he has resorted to chemical weapons, killing hundreds of civilians. Analysts don't rule out more of the same – chemical weapons drive out people without destroying infrastructure. But a return to such tactics would reignite the anger of Arab populations around the world and make it difficult for governments to do business with him

What's more… Assad has had some success persuading neighbouring states including Saudi Arabia that he has won the war and should no longer be treated as a pariah. He won't want to be sent back into the cold.

Syrian insurgents advance on Hama city after capturing Aleppo

Forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad in 'violent confrontations' with armed groups in Hama, according to reports

Syrian insurgents fighting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have launched attacks in the central province of Hama, threatening to cut off government troops from a key route linking the capital, Damascus, with rebel-held Aleppo.

The army was engaging in "violent confrontations" with armed groups in Hama, the Syrian state news agency, Sana, reported.

Separately, a longtime independent war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said on Tuesday morning that rebel factions in the province had managed to seize several "towns in the last few hours".

"Syrian and Russian air forces carried out dozens of strikes on the area," said the Britain-based monitor, which has a network of sources inside Syria.

After their lightning assault on Aleppo over the past few days, militants led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have advanced south towards Hama.

The city sits on a critical road linking Aleppo in the north with major central locations such as Homs city, the coastal ports of Latakia and Tartous, and Damascus in the south.

Hama was a bastion of opposition to the Assad government when pro-democracy protests first erupted during the Arab spring in 2011. A bloody response by security forces to peaceful marches across the country led the opposition to arm itself, and a years-long civil war ensued.

Since retaking Aleppo in 2016, Assad has regained a tight grip over the country, although he has never fully retaken all of Syria's borders. The sudden insurgent victory in Aleppo is the most serious challenge to the dictator's control in years. Rebel groups backed by Turkey have also engaged in the fight.

The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, voiced concern on Tuesday about the escalation of hostilities in north-west Syria. Medics have reported intensive aerial attacks by Syrian and Russian jets.

Türk's office said it had documented "a number of extremely concerning incidents resulting in multiple civilian casualties, including a high number of women and children", from attacks by HTS and pro-government forces.

The UN says nearly 50,000 people have been displaced by the fighting that has killed hundreds, mostly fighters, since the end of November.

Russia, along with Iran, is a key backer of Assad and entered the Syrian civil war nearly a decade ago in support of his regime. Meanwhile, HTS, a former al-Qaida affiliate, is fighting alongside rebel groups backed by Turkey.

The rout of Syrian army forces from Aleppo and reports that their defensive lines have crumbled has undermined Assad's already fractured control of the country.

While his forces still control Hama, the city has a long history of dissent against dynastic, authoritarian rule. Assad's late father, Hafez, repressed an anti-government uprising there in 1982.

On Tuesday, an AFP journalist in the northern Hama countryside saw dozens of Syrian army tanks and military vehicles abandoned by the side of the road leading to Hama.

Assad has remained a pariah figure in the west although there have been recent attempts to reopen diplomatic channels.

The US state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said in a briefing on Monday that Assad was "a brutal dictator with blood on his hands, the blood of innocent civilians" and that Washington's stance on his rule had not changed.

Syria's anti-regime fighters push for Hama after capturing 4 central towns

Associated Press

Syria's armed anti-regime groups captured four new towns early Tuesday, coming closer to the central city of Hama, opposition activists said, as regime forces retook some territory they lost last week.

The capture of the towns is the latest in the push by fighters led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Türkiye-backed opposition groups. For Ankara, HTS is a terrorist group.

Anti-regime fighters are now about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Hama, the country's fourth-largest city.

The latest push is part of a broad offensive by forces opposed to Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad that, over the past days, has captured large parts of the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest, as well as towns and villages in southern parts of the northwestern Idlib province.

The groups' military operations administration said gunmen killed 50 government forces as they captured the central towns of Halfaya, Taybat al-Imam, Maardis and Soran. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that the towns were taken.

The pro-government Dama Post media outlet reported intense clashes in and around the towns, adding that Syrian regime troops are firing artillery shells at insurgents in the area. State media reported intense airstrikes by Syrian and Russian air forces in the area.

Both the Observatory and pro-regime media outlets reported that Syrian regime forces on Tuesday captured the village of Khanaser, days after losing it. Khanaser sits on one of the roads that lead to Aleppo.

The long war between Assad and his foreign backers and the array of armed opposition forces seeking his overthrow has killed an estimated half-million people over the past 13 years.

To the east, the PKK terrorist group's Syrian wing YPG said in a statement that they had captured seven villages from pro-regime fighters. Syrian regime media, however, denied that the villages were captured by the U.S.-backed YPG, saying that the attack was repelled.

The villages are close to a base housing U.S. troops in an area that is close to Iraq.

Also Monday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the recent rapid advance by anti-regime fighters in Syria shows that the Syrian regime's leader must reconcile with his own people and hold talks with the opposition.

Assad and officials in his regime say all armed groups in opposition-held parts of Syria are terrorists and have rejected any political solution with them.

Türkiye, a main backer of groups opposed to Assad, has been seeking to normalize ties with Syria to address security threats from PKK/YPG terrorists along its southern border and to help ensure the safe return of more than 3 million Syrian refugees. Assad has insisted that Türkiye's withdrawal of its military forces from northern Syria be a condition for any normalization between the two countries.

What is 'Operation Deterrence of Aggression'?

Several Agencies

On Wednesday, Syrian opposition forces – largely clustered in the country's northwestern Idlib province – launched their latest military offensive: Operation Deterrence of Aggression.

The leading rebel group Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham chose the name to signal its opposition to government attacks in Idlib.

In the weeks leading up to the operation, the Syrian government targeted cities in Idlib like Ariha and Sarmada, resulting in civilian casualties, including the deaths of children.

Opposition forces said the operation was meant to deter future attacks in the rebel stronghold.

Syria's war: Know your acronyms

Thirteen years of war in Syria have spawned numerous new groups and brought the country's institutions into the international spotlight.

Here are some of the acronyms for the major players in the conflict:

HTS: Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Idlib-based rebel group leading the ongoing military offensive. HTS is the latest iteration of the al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's former branch in Syria. Al-Nusra rebranded itself and severed its ties to al-Qaeda in 2016. But HTS remains on the US list of "foreign terrorist organisations".

SAA: The Syrian Arab Army, the government's main fighting force

SNA: The Syrian National Army, a Turkish-backed rebel force operating in northern Syria

FSA: The Free Syrian Army, one of the first organised rebel groups to form after the uprising in 2011. It operated as an umbrella coalition before splintering. It was eventually succeeded by the SNA.

SDF: The Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-dominated, US-backed group that controls parts of eastern Syria

NDF: The National Defence Forces, a pro-government paramilitary group that fights alongside the Syrian military

ISIL (ISIS): The Islamic State in the Levant is also known as the "Islamic State in Syria" and simply, the "Islamic State". Considered a hardline group, it controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria until its territorial defeat in 2017. The northern city of Raqqa was its de-facto capital in Syria.

Rebel forces celebrate lightning offensive in Aleppo

Syrian opposition forces have celebrated a successful offensive to reclaim large parts of Aleppo, one of the most populous cities in the country.

Fighters were seen posing on tanks, burning government flags and defacing posters depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

'Extraordinary energy' among rebel forces: Professor

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Joshua Landis, a professor of Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, noted a contrast between the enthusiasm among the rebel forces and the exhaustion among Syrian government fighters.

After the success of this week's lightning offensive in Aleppo, Landis pointed out that the rebels are riding high.

"The opposition has, I think, far exceeded what it set out to do. And when [the rebel fighters] realised there was very little that the Syrian military was willing to fight for and began to just melt away, they've been on a roll," he explained. "There's extraordinary energy and excitement amongst the rebel forces."

That excitement is a point of divergence with the Syrian military. Landis said the dismal state of Syria's economy has fed dissatisfaction among government troops.

"Many Syrians were hoping that the economic situation would improve, jobs would come back [and] state services like electricity, schools and so forth would revive. And none of that has happened," Landis explained.

"In fact, the economy has continued to shrink. People have no jobs. They're making $20 a month. And they're hungry. And they see no positive future for them, with Assad in the government. And that means they don't want to fight."

Syria's military also has little hope of receiving much foreign assistance, given the fact that its allies, like Iran, Russia and Hezbollah in Lebanon, are occupied with other conflicts elsewhere.

"Its allies are really on the sidelines and unable to come to its aid," Landis said. "The spirit has really gone out of the Syrian military.

Opposition fighters break into Aleppo city: Why now?

By Walid Al Nofal, Syria Direct

Syrian opposition factions advanced rapidly and entered districts of Aleppo city on Friday in a shock offensive against regime forces, who unexpectedly retreated and lost strategic positions, including large parts of the M5 highway.

Syrian opposition factions and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered Aleppo city on Friday, pressing forward on the third day of a shock offensive against regime forces and their allies that has seen rebel forces seize control of vast areas of western Aleppo and eastern Idlib.

The military operation, dubbed "Deterring Aggression," began on November 27. Its objective is to expand "the secure areas and ensure the return of displaced people with dignity and safety," Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani, commander of the opposition Military Operations Department overseeing the battles, told Syria Direct.

Over the past three days, opposition fighters rapidly advanced while regime forces unexpectedly retreated, pulling out of strategic positions including large sections of the Damascus-Aleppo international highway, known as the M5. To control the strategic highway, Damascus had repeatedly violated a Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreement in recent years.

Notably, opposition forces' advance did not stop at the borders of areas they previously held and lost—during the battle for Aleppo in 2016, or to Russian-backed operations in 2019 and 2020. By Friday, the attacking forces took control of areas they never controlled, including western neighborhoods of Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo.

In response, Syrian regime and Russian warplanes set their sights on Idlib province, where at least 23 airstrikes hit the provincial capital and several cities and towns in the surrounding countryside on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

So far, at least 255 people have been killed during the operation, including 144 HTS and opposition fighters, 87 Syrian troops and allied militiamen and 24 civilians, according to SOHR. As of Thursday, some 14,000 people had been displaced, according to the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The rapid collapse of regime forces raises questions about where Moscow and Ankara stand, not only as the main backers of the opposing forces, but as parties to a 2020 ceasefire agreement covering the area of this week's battles.

Why now?

Operation Deterring Aggression decisively broke four years of troubled calm in the Idlib area, the last of four "de-escalation zones" established in Syria as part of the Astana talks led by Russia, Turkey and Iran. For years, the pace of military operations was low, limited to intermittent shelling and limited clashes on the lines of contact.

This week's operation offensive was launched to "remove the threat of [Iranian] militias and their fire from populated villages and towns," Abdul Ghani of the Military Operations Department said. He pointed to a "recent escalation in bombardment, leading to the death of dozens of martyrs, injuries and the displacement of more than 1,600 families."

Accordingly, the operation aimed to "create a safe environment for our displaced people to return, and to reclaim areas occupied by the regime and Iranian militias," Abdul Ghani said on Thursday.

The commander did not comment on indications that the operation was greenlit by Turkey. "It came after preparations were completed and plans were clearly drawn," he said, emphasizing that "various military factions participated, with support and backing from the community."

Firas Fahham, a Turkey-based researcher at the Dimensions for Strategic Studies (DSS) institute, sees other reasons for opposition forces to strike now. "The battle is an attempt by the opposition to exploit the current international circumstances, as Russia is more preoccupied with its war in Ukraine, especially after confrontations moved into its interior," he said. Iran, Damascus' other main backer, "is under pressure, and [faces] a decline in its influence" in the region.

The timing of the battle is "most appropriate for retaking areas originally within the deescalation zones, which the regime captured in 2019," Fahham said. It also comes as Turkey is "dissatisfied with the behavior of the regime and Iranian militias, their continued bombardment and violation of the de-escalation agreement," he added.

Regional developments may also play a role, particularly war in Gaza and South Lebanon and "escalation between Russia and the West on the Iranian file," defected Brigadier General Mustafa al-Farhat, a political and strategic analyst, said. "The Syrian file affects and is affected by any international escalation," he told Syria Direct.

In al-Farhat's view, "the military action should have started earlier, when there was greater pressure on the regime and Iranian militias—at least two months ago, as the opportunity was more ripe for investment."

What comes next?

In what appears to be the first official Turkish comment on the opposition offensive, Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday: "Maintaining calm in Idlib and the adjacent region, which is at the zero point of our border, is a priority for Türkiye."

"We have warned on various international platforms that the recent attacks on Idlib have reached a level that undermines the spirit and implementation of the Astana agreements," Keçeli added. "In fact, the recent clashes have resulted in an undesirable escalation of tensions in the region."

Ankara's response so far has been "diplomatic and political," but its involvement is likely deeper, al-Farhat said. "It is present on the ground and supports revolutionary factions, justifying the operation within the bounds of the agreements violated by the regime," he added.

Al-Farhat reads "a change in international positions and the lines of engagement at the international level." Since "matters [in Syria] are intractable, the northern canton [opposition-held northwestern Syria] had to expand to find a place for the population density," he added.

The population of northwestern Syria is around 6.5 million people, according to the latest figures from the Syrian Response Coordination Group. Around 4.5 million live in Idlib and parts of Aleppo province ruled by the HTS-backed Salvation Government. The rest live in parts of the northern Aleppo countryside controlled by Ankara-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) factions.

"No large-scale military action can take place without the major international parties looking the other way," al-Farhat said. "Factions participating are loyal to Turkey and in line with the Western camp."

Damascus commented on the opposition offensive for the first time on Thursday, calling it "a flagrant violation of the deescalation agreement" in a statement by the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces. The operation came "at the behest of regional and international operators," it said, acknowledging its forces faced a "large" attack on a "wide front."

Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the attack was a "violation of Syria's sovereignty in this region" on Friday, urging "Syrian authorities to reassert control and restore constitutional order as soon as possible."

Similarly, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei condemned the escalation on Thursday as a "flagrant violation of the Astana agreements, putting the positive achievements of this process in serious jeopardy." He accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the operation to "destabilize the region's security."

Moscow and Tehran played key roles in the regime taking control of Aleppo's eastern neighborhoods from opposition forces in 2016, as well as many opposition areas of central and southern Syria in 2018.

The regime's rapid retreat in Aleppo not only underscores its vulnerability without the support of its allies, but calls into question whether an understanding between regime and opposition backers could change a map of control that has been frozen for years.

"The situation is foggy," researcher Fahham said. "Russia's position is unclear," leaving the outcome of the battle and developments on the ground impossible to predict.

This report was originally published in Arabic and translated into English by Mateo Nelson.

Syria's war: A brief history

Several Agencies

The Syrian civil war, one of the most devastating conflicts of the 21st century, has been raging for 13 years.

The conflict started in 2011 as Syrians started protesting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad as part of the "Arab Spring" pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East that year.

The demonstrations met a deadly crackdown by security forces, and the violence led some members of the Syrian military to defect to the opposition camp.

The once-peaceful revolt quickly morphed into an armed conflict with the emergence of antigovernment forces operating under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Amid the chaos, ISIL (ISIS) also gained a foothold in the country, as it overran large parts of neighbouring Iraq.

Facing territorial losses and a possible military collapse, the Assad government turned to its allies for help. Lebanon's Hezbollah fully entered the war to fight alongside Syrian forces in 2013. Two years later, Russia joined the fight.

With the support of Hezbollah, Iran and Russia, the Syrian government recaptured large parts of the country, most notably the Damascus countryside and the city of Aleppo.

Meanwhile, a United States-backed, Kurdish-dominated force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces rose in the northeast of the country with the stated aim of fighting ISIL.

As the Syrian government made advances across the country, local ceasefires gave safe passage for armed rebels to flee to the northwestern province of Idlib.

Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham — a group linked to the al-Nusra Front, which operated as al-Qaeda's branch in Syria early in the war — has been the dominant force in Idlib.

Turkish-backed rebels have also been active in the Aleppo countryside.

The war all but came to a standstill in 2020 after a ceasefire agreement in Idlib, brokered by Turkiye and Russia.

For the past four years, the country has seen limited violence with unofficial boundary lines keeping the war's three major parties — the Syrian army, rebels and the SDF — in the territories they control.

However, the rebels' lightning offensive towards Aleppo this week has shattered the relative calm, once again threatening al-Assad's grip on power.

But this time, the Syrian government's main allies, Hezbollah and Russia, are busy fighting their own wars, against Israel and Ukraine respectively.

How are major international players reacting to developments in Syria?

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar explained that the shake-up in the Syrian civil war will force other international powers to consider their standing in the region — and how to respond.

"Each of these shareholders — Americans, Russians, Iranians and Turks, the major shareholders in the Syrian scene — they need to reposition themselves," Serdar said.

"So the status quo that was in place since 2016 has just collapsed. It is shattered. And now each of the actors is trying to recalibrate their moves and to reposition themselves."

Serdar pointed out that the United States will be one of the most important players in the conflict, as one of the world's largest militaries with multiple bases already established in Syria.

"Americans have so far have remained silent. They kept quiet. We do not know what the Americans are thinking," Serdar explained.

Meanwhile, the Russians are juggling competing demands, as the war in Ukraine rages on. Since Russia's ground forces are concentrated in Ukraine, Serdar said the country is likely to assist the government of President Bashar al-Assad, its ally, from the sky.

Still, Serdar warned that aerial attacks come with significant downsides.

"If Russians go too big, bombing the all locations that belong to the opposition, then they are going to risk everything," he said. "Because if they do not succeed to reverse [the rebels' gains], then at the end of the day, the whole anger of the opposition is going to be directed towards the Russians."

Turkey, Serdar added, will also be an international power to watch in the coming days, as the country borders the rebel-held region of Idlib, a stronghold for the group Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

"Turkey is a lifeline for Idlib. And for the HTS to survive logistically in terms of the food, in terms of their essentials, even in terms of the equipment, they have to be on good terms with Turks," he said.

Arab League 'anxiously watching' events in Syria

The 22-country bloc has called for respecting the unity and sovereignty of Syria.

Arab League spokesman Jamal Rushdi also voiced concern that "terrorist groups" may exploit the violence to "resume their activities".

The Arab League re-admitted Syria to the organisation in 2023, a dozen years after suspending the country's membership over its deadly crackdown on antigovernment protests during the "Arab Spring" movement.

'This country has endured countless occupations'

Speaking to Al Jazeera correspondent Sinem Koseoglu, a rebel fighter named Baraa Babouly described his joy at returning to his hometown of Aleppo after this week's lightning offensive reclaimed much of the city from government forces.

"We have returned to Aleppo after 10 years. We have arrived and can finally see it, thank God. After avoiding the regime's army checkpoints, we have managed to enter it," Babouly said. "Honestly, in all Syrian areas, God willing, we will return to our villages and once again delight our eyes with them."

Mohamed Hijazi, a local activist, likewise expressed relief as he stood outside Aleppo's ancient citadel. He put the week's events in the context of a longer, historical fight over the region that has seen multiple attempts at conquest.

"This country has endured countless occupations: the Persians, the Romans, the French, the English and the Ottomans. The last to come to this castle was Qassem Soleimani," Hijazi said, referring to the Iranian military leader who was assassinated in 2020 by the US.

In 2015, Soleimani led forces loyal to Syria's government in a successful offensive to recapture rebel-held areas in and around Aleppo.

"Thank God he's gone, and we've reclaimed our land," Hijazi said. "Syria belongs to its people. This is [a] free Syria."

However, another resident – who asked to be referred to only by his first name, Mohamed – expressed trepidation at the recent resurgence of fighting.

"Honestly, I was afraid the rebels might harm us when we first arrived in the city. But thank God, things are safe and calm now," he said.

Two US Congress members say they 'stand with the Syrian people'

Republican French Hill and Democrat Brendan Boyle – who co-chair the Friends of a Free, Stable, and Democratic Syria Caucus in the US – say they are "closely monitoring" the opposition's offensive and slam what they call al-Assad's "brutal regime".

"We stand with the Syrian people as they confront this murderous dictator, who continues to deprive them of food, prosperity and democracy," they said in a joint statement.

The group Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is leading the Syrian rebels' offensive, is designated as a "foreign terrorist organisation" by Washington.

How will the US react to the rebel offensive in Syria?

On November 5, the United States held its presidential election, resulting in a big victory for Donald Trump.

The Republican candidate campaigned on an "America First" platform and promised to restore peace throughout the world, as well as disengage the US from costly foreign conflicts.

Now, with a new chapter emerging in Syria's civil war, how will the US respond?

Joshua Landis, a Middle East studies professor at the University of Oklahoma, said he anticipates wariness from the US, despite its longtime collaboration with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led coalition.

Together, the US and the SDF control about 25 percent of Syria's territory, including many oil-rich regions.

"America is going to want to stay out of this. The trouble is, it's going to come back to bite them because they have depended on supporting the Kurds," Landis said.

But the US alliance with the Kurds puts the country on a crash course with Turkiye, which views the ethnic group as a threat. Turkiye considers groups like the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as "terrorist" organisations.

"Turkiye is going to want the Americans to leave, and it's going to want to attack the Kurds," Landis said.

"That's one of their major objectives in this. The rebels want to go to Damascus, but Turkiye wants to go and get rid of the YPG. So that's going to put America in the hot seat. They're going to have to choose between Turkiye and the Kurds. And it's likely that President Trump, the new incoming president, will choose Turkiye over the Kurds."

Syrian militants expand offensive after taking Aleppo

Arab News

Thousands of Syrian militants took over most of Aleppo on Saturday, establishing positions in the country's largest city and controlling its airport before expanding their shock offensive to a nearby province. They faced little to no resistance from government troops, according to fighters and activists.

A war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham seized control of Aleppo International airport, the first international airport to be controlled by insurgents. The fighters claimed they seized the airport and posted pictures from there.

Thousands of fighters also moved on, facing almost no opposition from government forces, to seize towns and villages in northern Hama, a province where they had a presence before being expelled by government troops in 2016. They claimed Saturday evening to have entered the city of Hama.

A huge embarrassment for Assad

The swift and surprise offensive is a huge embarrassment for Syria's President Bashar Assad and raises questions about his armed forces' preparedness. The insurgent offensive launched from their stronghold in the country's northwest appeared to have been planned for years. It also comes at a time when Assad's allies were preoccupied with their own conflicts.

In his first public comments since the start of the offensive, released by the state news agency Saturday evening, Assad said Syria will continue to "defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters." He added that Syria is able to defeat them no matter how much their attacks intensify.

Turkiye, a main backer of Syrian opposition groups, said its diplomatic efforts had failed to stop government attacks on opposition-held areas in recent weeks, which were in violation of a de-escalation agreement sponsored by Russia, Iran and Ankara. Turkish security officials said a limited offensive by the militants was planned to stop government attacks and allow civilians to return, but the offensive expanded as Syrian government forces began to retreat from their positions.

The insurgents, led by the Salafi militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and including Turkiye-backed fighters, launched their shock offensive on Wednesday. They first staged a two-pronged attack in Aleppo and the Idlib countryside, entering Aleppo two days later and securing a strategic town that lies on the highway that links Syria's largest city to the capital and the coast.

By Saturday evening, they seized at least four towns in the central Hama province and claimed to have entered the provincial capital. The insurgents staged an attempt to reclaim areas they controlled in Hama in 2017 but failed.

Preparing a counterattack

Syria's armed forces said in a statement Saturday that to absorb the large attack on Aleppo and save lives, it redeployed troops and equipment and was preparing a counterattack. The statement acknowledged that insurgents entered large parts of the city but said they have not established bases or checkpoints. Later on Saturday, the armed forces sought to dispel what it said were lies in reference to reports about its forces retreating or defecting, saying the general command was carrying out its duties in "combatting terrorist organizations."

The return of the insurgents to Aleppo was their first since 2016, following a grueling military campaign in which Assad's forces were backed by Russia, Iran and its allied groups.

The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and militant fighters after 2011 protests against Assad's rule turned into an all-out war. After appearing to be losing control of the country to the militants, the Aleppo battle secured Assad's hold on strategic areas of Syria, with opposition factions and their foreign backers controlling areas on the periphery.

The lightning offensive threatened to reignite the country's civil war, which had been largely in a stalemate for years.

Late on Friday, witnesses said two airstrikes hit the edge of Aleppo city, targeting insurgent reinforcements and falling near residential areas. The Observatory said 20 fighters were killed.

Insurgents were filmed outside police headquarters, in the city center, and outside the Aleppo citadel, the medieval palace in the old city center, and one of the largest in the world. They tore down posters of Assad, stepping on some and burning others.

The push into Aleppo followed weeks of simmering low-level violence, including government attacks on opposition-held areas.

The offensive came as Iran-linked groups, primarily Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has backed Syrian government forces since 2015, have been preoccupied with their own battles at home. A ceasefire in Hezbollah's two-month war with Israel took effect Wednesday, the same day that Syrian opposition factions announced their offensive. Israel has also escalated its attacks against Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets in Syria during the last 70 days.

Insurgents raise flags over the Aleppo citadel

Speaking from the heart of the city in Saadallah Aljabri square, opposition fighter Mohammad Al-Abdo said it was his first time back in Aleppo in 13 years, when his older brother was killed at the start of the war.

"God willing, the rest of Aleppo province will be liberated" from government forces, he said.

There was light traffic in the city center on Saturday. Opposition fighters fired in the air in celebration but there was no sign of clashes or government troops present.

Journalists in the city filmed soldiers captured by the insurgents and the bodies of others killed in battle.

Abdulkafi Alhamdo, a teacher who fled Aleppo in 2016 and returned Friday night after hearing the insurgents were inside, described "mixed feelings of pain, sadness and old memories."

"As I entered Aleppo, I kept telling myself this is impossible. How did this happen?"

Alhamdo said he strolled through the city at night visiting the Aleppo citadel, where the insurgents raised their flags, a major square and the university of Aleppo, as well as the last spot he was in before he was forced to leave for the countryside.

"I walked in (the empty) streets of Aleppo, shouting, 'People, people of Aleppo. We are your sons,'" he told The Associated Press in a series of messages.

City's hospitals are full

Aleppo residents reported hearing clashes and gunfire but most stayed indoors. Some fled the fighting.

Schools and government offices were closed Saturday as most people stayed indoors, according to Sham FM radio, a pro-government station. Bakeries were open. Witnesses said the insurgents deployed security forces around the city to prevent any acts of violence or looting.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday Aleppo's two key public hospitals were reportedly full of patients while many private facilities closed.

In social media posts, the insurgents were pictured outside of the citadel, the medieval palace in the old city center, and one of the largest in the world. In cellphone videos, they recorded themselves having conversations with residents they visited at home, seeking to reassure them they will cause no harm.

The Syrian Kurdish-led administration in the country's east said nearly 3,000 people, most of them students, had arrived in their region after fleeing the fighting in Aleppo, which has a sizeable Kurdish population.

State media reported that a number of "terrorists," including sleeper cells, infiltrated parts of the city. Government troops chased them and arrested a number who posed for pictures near city landmarks, they said.

On a state TV morning show Saturday, commentators said army reinforcements and Russia's assistance would repel the "terrorist groups," blaming Turkiye for supporting the insurgents' push into Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

Russia's state news agency Tass quoted Oleg Ignasyuk, a Russian Defense Ministry official coordinating in Syria, as saying that Russian warplanes targeted and killed 200 militants who had launched the offensive in the northwest on Friday. It provided no further details.

US lawmaker 'hopeful for a democratic Syria'

Democratic Congressman and Senator-elect Ruben Gallego says he is "closely monitoring the updates out of Syria".

"The Bashar al-Assad regime, working with Russia and Iran, have caused one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time," Gallego wrote on social media.

"It is necessary [that] any future Syria be a place that respects human rights and religious minorities."

Syrian Civil Defence urges reporting unexploded ordnances

The White Helmets rescue group in Syria has called on people to take "extreme caution" when entering areas that saw clashes over the past several days – and to stay away from unexploded ordnances and strange objects.

"If you see an unexploded ordnance, please inform the Syrian Civil Defence crews without touching it or moving it," it said.

Syrian rebels seize control of Aleppo city in a lightning offensive

Al Jazeera

Syrian rebels wrest control of Aleppo city from the Syrian government forces after eight years.

Fighters from the Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham armed group have swept into the city of Aleppo after a lightning offensive, forcing the Syrian army to withdraw from the northern city after eight years.

The rebel assault is the most intense fighting seen in northwestern Syria since 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict after government forces seized areas previously controlled by opposition fighters.

The government forces have been in control of Aleppo since 2016, nearly a year after Russia intervened in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia's Ministry of Defence said its air force carried out strikes on Sunday in support of the country's army, Russian news agencies reported.

Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham, earlier known as al-Nusra Front, is designated a terrorist group by the United States, Russia, Turkiye and some other states.

In Washington, the White House National Security Council said it was closely monitoring the situation and had been in contact with regional capitals over the last 48 hours.

Peaceful protests erupted against al-Assad following the 2011 Arab Spring protests. But soon the protests descended into violence and later turned into a proxy war after a widespread crackdown on opposition figures and protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced since 2011. Most major fighting halted years ago after Iran and Russia helped al-Assad's government win control of most land and all main cities. Rebels were pushed to the Idlib province bordering Turkiye.

After the army said it was preparing a counterattack, air raids targeted rebel gatherings and convoys in the city, the pro-Damascus newspaper Al-Watan reported.

The Syrian military command said rebels had attacked in large numbers and from multiple directions, prompting "our armed forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening the defence lines in order to absorb the attack, preserve the lives of civilians and soldiers".

The rebels also took control of Aleppo airport, according to a statement by their operations room and a security source.

The fighting revives the long-simmering Syrian conflict as the wider region is roiled by wars in Israel's war on Gaza and Lebanon. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday.

'Difficult not to feel jubilant:' Economist shares conflicting emotions

Several Agencies

Karam Shaak, a Syrian political economist, took part in the Arab Spring uprising in March 2011 that ultimately sparked the country's civil war.

But as opposition forces entered his former home of Aleppo this week, Shaak explained he was juggling contrasting emotions.

"It's difficult not to feel jubilant with the recent developments," he told Al Jazeera. "I'm actually very happy to see the statues of the Assad regime, the photos of Bashar al-Assad, being taken down."

"But I must also admit that all of this is starting to subside, and I'm growing increasingly scared."

Shaak explained that he still had extended family members in the city, and he – like many Aleppo residents – was uncertain about what would happen in the coming days.

He noted that, in the past, the Syrian government responded with heavy-handed force to opposition incursions.

"After 14 years of conflict, most people would want nothing but peace," Shaak said.

"The Russian forces have actually already started bombing some parts of the city. And if we learned anything from the reaction of the regime and its allies, when the rebels were in control of the eastern part of the city, it is that they have no problem flattening the whole city."

Shaak added that the renewed fighting in Aleppo could ultimately spur a new wave of internally displaced people or IDPs. So far, however, Shaak said that has not materialised.

"We're not seeing actually large waves of IDPs. We're not seeing people leaving," he explained.

But he warned that humanitarian groups should be prepared for the possibility.

"In most of cases where there has been military confrontations, people actually fled to opposition-held areas, not to regime-held areas," Shaak said.

"I think it's a bit too early to predict what's going to happen, but if the air strikes continue, I would expect significant waves of IDPs moving mostly towards the north of the country. Which means that humanitarian organisations need to start preparing for that scenario as soon as possible."

Rebels announce effort to return displaced Syrians to their homes

The Administration of Military Operations, which speaks for Syrian rebels, says the groups are expanding safe areas and working to return displaced Syrians to newly captured areas.

The population of the Idlib province had swelled up over the years that the war has stretched on, with hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing government-controlled areas to the northwest of the country.

Rebels decree the reopening of bakeries in Aleppo

Armed Syrian opposition groups say bakeries in Aleppo will operate throughout the night and the following day after a curfew was imposed on the city.

"We ask all bakery workers to return to their jobs to continue to provide bread to our people," they said in a statement.

Syria: Despite strikes threats on Aleppo as rebels continue gains, seizing airport, pushing towards Hama

Middle East Eye

Aleppo outside government control for first time since 1946 as rebels make stunning gains

Russian and Syrian government air strikes pounded central Aleppo on Saturday as rebels claimed control of the city's international airport and advanced towards Hama.

At least 16 civilians and 20 rebels have been killed in several air strikes since the early morning, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group.

It was the first time air strikes had targeted Aleppo since 2016, when the Syrian opposition was driven out of the city.

However, rebels led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied groups, including some backed by Turkey, claimed stunning gains on Saturday.

They claimed to have seized Aleppo International Airport and the strategic city of Khan Sheikhoun in southern Idlib.

The administrative borders of Idlib Governorate were fully under their control, they added.

They also claimed to have begun marching towards Hama, successfully capturing six towns and villages in the countryside, including Morek, which lies along an important highway connecting central Syria to the north.

Middle East Eye could not independently verify these claims.

The offensive began on Wednesday when rebels broke out from opposition-held territory in northwest Syria towards Aleppo.

Within two days, they had seized dozens of towns and villages, as well as a section of the strategic M5 highway, cutting off supply routes to Damascus.

They have taken several military bases and fortified positions since, often meeting little resistance.

The Syrian government acknowledged the rebels' advances on Saturday.

It said its forces were carrying out a "redeployment operation" to strengthen its defences, "absorb the attack, preserve the lives of civilians and soldiers, and prepare for a counterattack".

It also took responsibility for some of the air strikes on Aleppo, saying they aimed to prevent rebels from establishing fixed positions.

Collapse of government forces

According to SOHR, government forces have collapsed in Idlib and Aleppo.

This has left Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, outside government control for the first time since the country's independence in 1946, the monitoring group said.

At least 327 people have been killed since the offensive began, mostly fighters on both sides, according to SOHR.

Amid fast-moving developments, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia - both major stakeholders in Syria - spoke by phone on Saturday and agreed to coordinate efforts to stabilise Syria, according to Moscow.

"Both sides expressed serious concerns at the dangerous development of the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic in connection with the military escalation in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces," the Russian ministry said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also spoke by phone to his Iranian counterpart, according to Iranian state media.

The frontlines of Syria's civil war have barely shifted since 2020. A "de-escalation" agreement in 2019 between rebel-backer Turkey and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's sponsors, Russia and Iran, had created some stability and a long-term ceasefire.

Most of Idlib province has since been held by HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, which has established a civilian administration.

Turkey-backed rebel groups in the Syrian National Army coalition have held sway in other areas of the north.

However, despite Russia being distracted by the war in Ukraine and Assad's forces weakened by frequent Israeli attacks, Syrian and Russian warplanes have stepped up air strikes on opposition-held areas since August 2023.

Meanwhile, Assad's government used the stability to make diplomatic inroads, normalising relations with several regional countries and rejoining the Arab League.

That stability now appears severely undermined. Aleppo became an opposition stronghold after the revolution broke out in 2011. Its 2016 capture by Assad's forces was highly symbolic.

Turkish-backed Syrian militants blocked Kurdish plan, Turkish security sources say

By Anadolu Agencies

Turkiye-backed Syrian militants who are fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad have blocked an attempt by Kurdish groups to establish a corridor connecting Tel Rifaat to northeastern Syria, Turkish security sources said on Sunday.

Turkiye refers to this group of rebels as Syrian National Army.

The sources said that Kurdish groups, including the PKK and YPG, had sought to take advantage of Syrian government forces withdrawing from parts of the country under the control of Assad's forces.

The corridor would have linked the Kurdish-held northeastern regions to Tel Rifaat, a strategic area northwest of Aleppo.

Maintaining calm in Syria priority for Türkiye: Foreign Ministry

Maintaining calm in Idlib and the adjacent region, which is at the zero point of Türkiye's border, is a priority for Ankara, Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli said Friday, as he said ongoing attacks in the region must come to an end.

Keçeli's remarks came as anti-regime forces and their allies reached the city center of Syria's Aleppo.

Noting that Türkiye fulfills the requirements of all agreements, Keçeli said Ankara issued warnings about the recent attacks on Idlib, which have reached a level that undermines the implementation of the Astana agreements.

"We have emphasized that these attacks must come to an end. In fact, the recent clashes have resulted in an undesirable escalation of tensions in the region," Keçeli said, adding that Türkiye prioritizes stability and the safety of civilians.

"At the same time, we are closely monitoring the increase in attacks against civilians and against Türkiye by terrorist groups in Tal Rifaat and Manbij, who are trying to take advantage of the current environment of instability," Keçeli said.

The foreign ministry spokesman also said Türkiye was concerned that previous deals ordering the removal of terrorists from specific regions have not been fulfilled, as he reiterated Türkiye's commitment to Syria's unity and territorial integrity.

Jack Letts, still detained in Syria, speaks to Canadian TV from Raqqa prison

By Simon Hooper

British-born Letts, who travelled to Islamic State-controlled territory at the age of 18, has been held in Kurdish custody without charge since 2017

Jack Letts, a Canadian man originally from the UK detained for seven and a half years among suspected Islamic State members in northeastern Syria, has been found by a television crew in a prison near Raqqa.

The 29-year-old's interview with CTV News' W5 programme marks the first time Letts has appeared on camera or been allowed to speak to the media since 2019.

Sally Lane, Letts' mother and a prominent campaigner calling for the Canadian government to repatriate all of its own citizens held in Syrian camps and prisons, told Middle East Eye there appeared to have been a marked deterioration in his condition since then.

"I was shocked at Jack's condition, and how distressed and clearly traumatised he is," said Lane.

"I am so angry at the Canadian and British governments that they think it's okay to completely destroy him as a human being. Jack is going to die if they don't repatriate him. They know this, and still they do nothing.

"The feeling of outrage and powerlessness in this situation is something I live with every single day."

Speaking to W5's Avery Haines, Letts denied he had ever been an IS member but said there were things he was unable to say because he is still in prison.

He said he would have "no problem" being taken to Canada, even if it meant being jailed for 100 years.

"At least let me rot in a prison in Canada," he said.

Letts is one of tens of thousands of people, many of them foreign nationals, detained by Kurdish-led forces in formerly IS-controlled Syrian territory and held in camps and prisons for years without charge.

Human rights monitors have criticised these detentions as arbitrary and unlawful. In April, Amnesty International reported that at least hundreds of people had died as a result of torture, mistreatment and inhumane conditions.

Letts has previously said he was subjected to torture in detention. Kurdish authorities say they operate in compliance with international human rights laws.

The interview comes just weeks after a Canadian mother of six children, who had also been denied repatriation, died in Turkey after escaping from a camp in northeastern Syria.

Canada is among a number of western countries, also including the UK, that have resisted repatriating many of their nationals despite being urged to do so by Kurdish authorities, human rights and humanitarian groups, and senior US officials.

In October, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said repatriation was "the only durable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in northeastern Syria", and Washington stood ready to provide logistical and diplomatic support to facilitate repatriations.

Ilham Ahmed, a senior Kurdish regional official, told W5: "Canada has not responded to our request to take back our people, and we are unaware of the reasons for this delay."

A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada told MEE: "Canadian consular officials remain actively engaged with Syrian Kurdish authorities and international organisations operating in the region, as well as civil society groups for information on and assistance to Canadian citizens in custody."

The spokesperson said that GA Canada did not comment on specific cases.

"Global Affairs Canada continues to evaluate the provision of extraordinary assistance, including repatriation to Canada, on a case-by-case basis."

Last year, Letts, then held in a different prison, was visited by a Canadian civil society delegation as part of a campaign to locate Canadian detainees and pressure the government in Ottawa to repatriate its citizens. But members of the delegation were not permitted to take photos or record video.

However, the Supreme Court of Canada in early November rejected an application filed on behalf of Letts and other male detainees, seeking an appeal against a judgment that ruled the government had no obligation to repatriate men detained in Syria.

Canada repatriated a number of women and children last year after their families launched legal action against the government.

This came after a federal court judgment in January 2023 ordered the government to repatriate Letts and three other men held in prisons.

But that judgment was later overturned in the court of appeal, which ruled that Canadian citizens did not have a "golden ticket… to force their government to take steps - even dangerous, risky steps - so they can escape the consequences of their actions".

Blindfolded and handcuffed

Writing about how the W5 team found Letts, Haines said they had located him after a days-long search that led them to an unmarked prison in an industrial compound on the outskirts of Raqqa.

She said he had been led "blindfolded and handcuffed" into a basement "soundproof interrogation room" by masked guards and appeared to have had "little choice" about being interviewed.

Lane noted that Letts was not wearing any shoes.

She said: "One of the most upsetting parts was when he wasn't able to explain why he has no shoes. Why does he have no shoes? Why is he forbidden to speak about the conditions?"

Letts, who is originally from Oxford, was last interviewed in detention by the BBC in 2019.

He was stripped of his British citizenship that same year, like many other British nationals who travelled to Syria during the country's civil war.

Asked by Haines if he had been a member of IS, Letts replied: "Was I an ISIS member? No. A lot of things I said a long time ago because I was scared.

"I can't say everything because I am still in prison."

Letts, who converted to Islam as a teenager, travelled to IS-controlled territory in 2014 at the age of 18 during the height of Syria's civil war.

He said that "naivete had played its role" in his decision to go to Syria, saying he had been motivated by watching "videos of people being blown to pieces" and a desire to help people.

"I spoke to people who gave me the impression that ISIS wasn't what people said it was… As soon as I got there, I realised they weren't what I thought."

Letts said he had become an enemy of the group. He had been imprisoned three times and told he would be killed.

"Without exaggerating, more than 20 of my close friends were killed by ISIS," he said.

Letts' account of his time in Syria appears to be consistent with messagesseen by Middle East Eyethat he sent to his parents in late 2015, in which he described being "terrified" and desperate to flee Syria.

According to his parents, he spent much of his time in Syria in hiding before escaping IS-held territory and being detained by Kurdish forces in mid-2017.

Lane said: "He's never been able to talk about why he went to Syria and how he believed he was helping the people of Syria, and how he rejected IS very soon after he got there. This is the first time in nearly eight years he's been able to talk about this publicly."

Letts told W5 that after so many years in detention, he no longer gave any thought to what would happen in the future.

"It's like being in a desert. Every time you come to a dune, there is another dune after it. So I stopped thinking," he said.

Anti-regime groups enter city center in Syria's Aleppo

By Anadolu Agency

Anti-regime groups have entered the city center of Syria's regime-held Aleppo, the head of a war monitor said Friday.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions "are now in the southwestern and western neighborhoods of Aleppo city," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Two Aleppo residents told AFP they saw gunmen in their neighborhoods, as panic gripped Syria's second-largest city.

The anti-regime armed groups, which had been advancing toward Aleppo from the west after clashing with regime forces for three days, broke through the defense lines in the Hamdaniyya, New Aleppo, and Zahra axes in Aleppo's western countryside and entered the city center.

After three days of fighting in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, opposition groups are said to have taken control of 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) of territory.

Following fighting carried on through the night, opposition forces advanced on the outskirts of the city, seizing control of 70 settlements and strategic locations.

Approximately 10,000 civilians fleeing the fighting have sought refuge in rural Idlib.

Control of Saraqib secured

Armed opposition and anti-regime groups in Syria have entered the strategically important town of Saraqib in Idlib, local sources reported.

During two days of clashes in Idlib, regime forces suffered heavy losses and withdrew from Saraqib. The town is now under the control of anti-regime armed groups.

Saraqib is located strategically at the intersection of the M4 highway, which connects the capital Damascus to Aleppo, and the M5 highway, which links Latakia to Aleppo.

Fighting spreads to Aleppo's suburbs

Clashes are intensifying in the outer suburbs of Aleppo, prompting numerous regime loyalists to flee from Aleppo to Damascus.

The armed groups captured the Scientific Research Center located in one of Aleppo's outer neighborhoods.

This facility had been used for military purposes by the regime and reportedly produced barrel bombs and artillery batteries.

The groups also seized Anadan, one of the largest settlements on the outskirts of Aleppo.

As of Friday morning, anti-regime forces have gained control of nearly 550 square kilometers (342 square miles) of territory along the Idlib and Aleppo front lines.

The forces have also captured numerous villages and positions in Aleppo's western countryside.

Russian warplanes carried out an airstrike early Friday on an opposition headquarters in the northern Syrian town of Mare. The attack reportedly caused material damage but no casualties.

The Assad regime targeted civilian areas with ground-to-ground weapons during the ongoing clashes.

Dozens of regime soldiers captured

Anti-regime armed groups have seized heavy weapons, military depots, and vehicles from regime forces in the areas they captured.

Many regime soldiers were killed in the fighting, and dozens were taken prisoner.

4 students killed in Syrian regime attack on university dormitory in Aleppo

Four students were reportedly killed and two others injured on Friday in a missile attack by Syrian regime forces on a student dormitory affiliated with the University of Aleppo.

Local sources reported that the attack targeted the dormitory amid ongoing clashes between regime forces and opposition groups on the outskirts of Aleppo.

The regime has not yet issued a statement on the attack.

Syria has been embroiled in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad Syrian regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

The attacks of recent days are some of the fiercest fighting the conflict has seen in years.

Syria: Russia fails to halt Aleppo offensive with war planes diverted to Ukraine

Middle East Eye

Syrian rebels have seized large swathes of territory in the north while Moscow is busy with another war

Russia is struggling to contain a Syrian rebel offensive on Aleppo, as fighters make rapid progress towards the city centre.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow views the offensive as a violation of Syrian sovereignty and expects Bashar al-Assad's government to restore order as soon as possible.

Notably, he did not announce any Russian plans for de-escalation or suggest that Moscow would step in forcefully to back Syrian government forces, as it has in the past.

Turkish security sources told Middle East Eye that Russia was slow to respond to the developments on the ground because it had relocated most of its aerial assets to Ukraine to support its military campaign there.

This left behind a smaller force in Syria, insufficient to effectively counter the assault by led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which began on Wednesday.

Omer Ozkizilcik, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, said that while Russia attempted to curb the offensive by targeting select locations in Idlib and other areas of northwestern Syria, its efforts were insufficient to halt the offensive.

"Russia is not a bystander, but we are likely witnessing the limits of the Russian military," he said. "The two-day performance of Russia indicates that much of its air force capability has been redeployed to Ukraine."

Ozkizilcik pointed out that satellite images from Russia's Hmeimim airbase in northwest Syria's Latakia province show a dramatic reduction in its air force presence compared to 2019.

"Reports from local sources on air activity show that Russia is primarily using older fighter jet models," he added.

Tensions between Turkey and Russia have been simmering recently, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticising Ankara earlier this month for supplying drones to Ukraine that have killed Russian soldiers.

While Turkey is not directly involved in the Syrian rebel offensive, Ankara appears to be supporting the operation.

Previous Syrian government offensives on opposition-held areas have displaced civilians towards Turkey's borders, a situation that Turkish society is increasingly unwilling to tolerate.

Ozkizilcik highlighted that the Russian Air Force bombed a base belonging to the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) coalition of rebel groups. The base is located in a Turkish-controlled "safe zone", so Ozkizilcik described the attack as a direct message to Ankara.

Turkish involvement

Since then, HTS and allied forces have made significant advances, capturing large swathes of territory and rapidly progressing into the outskirts of Aleppo city.

Some rebel groups affiliated with the Turkish-backed SNA have joined the operation, although the majority of these forces have refrained from participating so far.

Turkish security sources told MEE on Thursday that the operation aims to restore the boundaries of the Idlib "de-escalation zone", which were initially agreed upon in 2019 by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The way the rebels have conducted the operation - simultaneously breaching government-held territory in multiple areas - and the level of organisation suggest that Turkish security forces may have assisted in the planning stages.

Anton Mardasov, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute (MEI), said there is little doubt in Russia that the HTS-led offensive was supported by Turkey, citing the rapid supply of ammunition and coordination with Turkish-backed SNA forces.

He also noted that training for first-person view (FPV) drones, which are being heavily used by Syrian rebels in their offensive, was reportedly conducted in Turkish-controlled areas last summer.

"It is likely that drone operators are somehow involved in the operation from Idlib, as HTS has limited experience with FPV drones," Mardasov said.

"This should serve as a stark reminder to Assad of his actual capabilities, as his power has only survived thanks to Russia, Iran and Hezbollah - all of which are currently preoccupied with their own challenges. Assad, in fact, has twice rejected Ankara's offers to normalise relations."

Mardasov added that the Russian Air Force has been relying primarily on weak Syrian government intelligence to identify targets in an effort to halt the offensive.

He pointed out that most Syrian army units have recently focused more on trading and taxation than military operations and lack the skills required for modern warfare.

"In recent years, Syria has become a destination for Moscow to send ineffective generals, many of whom made serious errors in managing troops in Ukraine," he said.

"Despite its involvement in Ukraine, Russia can deploy a few combat aviation units to Syria, but this will have little effect without an organised defence on the ground, followed by counteroffensives."

If the rebels continue to succeed, Mardasov believes there will be significant reputational costs for Russia.

He suggested that Moscow may eventually take action, possibly involving the Africa Corps, the successor to the paramilitary Wagner Group, but said that it would take time to materialise.

Syrian rebels reach central Aleppo as army announces 'temporary withdrawal'

Several Agencies

Military says dozens of soldiers killed in attacks in the northwest, and it was regrouping to launch a 'counterattack'.

Syria's military has announced a "temporary troop withdrawal" in the northwestern city of Aleppo, where rebel groups launched a surprise offensive on government-held positions for the first time in years.

The military said on Saturday that dozens of its soldiers had been killed or wounded in fierce battles with "armed terrorist organisations" in the governorates of Aleppo and Idlib over the previous few days and that it was now regrouping, redeploying troops to strengthen its defence lines as it prepared a "counterattack".

It said rebel groups had launched "a broad attack from multiple axes on the Aleppo and Idlib fronts", reporting clashes "over a strip exceeding 100km [60 miles]".

The army said the rebels had entered large parts of Aleppo but army bombardment had stopped them from establishing fixed positions. It promised to "expel them and restore the control of the state … over the entire city and its countryside".

The statement marked the military's first public acknowledgement that opposition fighters led by the Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group had entered Aleppo in the lightning attack that began earlier this week.

"We've been waiting for this" for years, rebel fighter Mohamed Hammadi told the AFP news agency in a square in Aleppo, Syria's pre-war manufacturing hub.

"We are going to clear all of Syria, God willing," the 29-year-old said.

'Unbelievable'

Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar said central and northwestern parts of the city are now fully under the control of the HTS-led fighters, and that the rebels also claim to be advancing towards the northwestern city of Hama.

"That this happened in just four days is unbelievable," he said.

Aleppo had been under full state control since government forces backed by Russia and Iran drove out rebels eight years ago.

On Friday, Syrian state television said Russia was providing Syria's military with air support.

The Syria Civil Defence, commonly known as the White Helmets, operating in opposition-held parts of the country, said in a post on X that Russian and Syrian government aircraft carried out air attacks on residential neighbourhoods, a petrol station and a school in rebel-held Idlib, killing four civilians and wounding six others.

Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport and cancelled all flights on Saturday, according to three military sources cited by the Reuters news agency.

The rebels said they have also captured the Abu al-Duhur airbase in the Idlib governorate and have taken control of a key highway that links Aleppo to the capital, Damascus.

On Saturday, a witness in Aleppo told Al Jazeera that rebel fighters were "combing" Aleppo in search of soldiers.

Syria's 'reliance on Russia and Iran'

The rebel assault is the most intense fighting seen in northwestern Syria since 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict after government forces seized areas previously controlled by opposition fighters.

Turkiye has backed an array of opposition forces and established a military presence in parts of northwestern Syria.

The United States suggested that President Bashar al-Assad's dependence on Moscow and Tehran had paved the way for the loss of Aleppo.

Syria's "reliance on Russia and Iran", along with its refusal to move forward with a 2015 peace process outlined by the United Nations Security Council, "created the conditions now unfolding", National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement on Saturday.

The US forces are deployed in northeastern Syria in support of Syrian Kurdish forces battling ISIL (ISIS) fighters.

Al Jazeera's Serdar said the Syrian government was caught off guard by the swift rebel operation, attributing their rapid advance to its allies Hezbollah and Iran being distracted by the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

"Now the question is: will the regime or Russia or Iran let HTS have full control of the second-largest city in Syria, or are they going to hit back?" said Serdar.

Russia, whose air support was decisive in turning the tide in the government's favour back in 2015, joined Iran on Saturday in expressing "extreme concern" over their ally's losses.

"Strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic was reaffirmed," the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a readout of a call between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.

Tehran said Araghchi would travel to Damascus on Sunday for talks. The Iranian minister will also hold consultations in Ankara, his ministry said.

Apart from Araghchi, Lavrov on Saturday also discussed the escalating situation with his Turkish counterpart, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

According to the statement, "the ministers agreed with the need to make more active joint efforts aimed at stabilising the situation in Syria".

HTS has become the strongest opposition group in northwestern Syria, controlling much of Idlib province near the Turkish border.

It is considered a "terrorist" organisation by Syria, the US and Russia.

Formerly known as al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, HTS later changed its name several times and distanced itself from al-Qaeda.

Syrian rebels make dramatic Aleppo comeback as they push into the city

Middle East Eye

Opposition forces were forced out of Syria's second city in 2016 but a surprise offensive has put Assad on the back foot

Syrian rebels flooded into the northwestern city of Aleppo on Friday, in a shock offensive that has handed President Bashar al-Assad his largest setback in years.

Since breaking out of opposition-held territory at dawn on Wednesday, rebels have charged through the Aleppo countryside, seizing around 50 towns and villages as well as a section of the strategic M5 highway, cutting off supply routes from Damascus.

On Friday, fighters took New Aleppo, a neighbourhood on the city's western outskirts, and continued to move towards the centre.

Rebels told Middle East Eye that the offensive was in response to Syrian government attacks on opposition-held areas in Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

"Our fighters are now entering Aleppo city to liberate it from Assad and Iranian mercenaries and to return it to the Syrian revolution's ranks," rebel commander Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani told MEE.

"We assure all the people of Aleppo that we will be their brothers, protecting them from Assad and Iranian abuses, and we will defend them with our souls," he added.

"We promise our compatriots in Aleppo city to give them a life of freedom and dignity."

Encouraged to defect

Rebels have taken several military bases and fortified positions, often with little resistance.

In several of them, journalists embedded with the fighters found images of Qassem Soleimani and Hassan Nasrallah, the late Iranian general and Hezbollah leader who were instrumental in forcing the Syrian opposition from Aleppo in 2016.

The offensive is led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a powerful hardline rebel faction. Other rebel groups, including some backed by Turkey, are also involved.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group that monitors the war, estimated that around 250 fighters and soldiers have been killed on both sides since the offensive began.

The Syrian defence ministry said its forces were facing a huge attack from rebel groups and that it has killed dozens of enemies.

Bodies line the roads of areas recently conquered by the rebels. Several of them have been seen wearing uniforms and insignia consistent with foreign fighters belonging to Iranian-backed paramilitary groups.

Meanwhile, rebel quadcopter drones were deployed above the frontlines, dropping paper notes encouraging soldiers to surrender or defect and supplying a hotline for them to do so.

"Those who choose to join our ranks and defect from the criminal Assad forces, we promise them safety," said Abdul Ghani.

Stability undermined

The frontlines of Syria's civil war have barely changed since 2020. A "de-escalation" agreement in 2019 between rebel-backer Turkey and Assad's sponsors, Russia and Iran, appeared to create some stability and a long-term ceasefire.

Most of Idlib province has since been held by HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, which has set up a civilian administration.

Turkey-backed rebel groups belonging to the Syrian National Army coalition have held sway in other areas of the north.

However, despite Russia being distracted by the war in Ukraine and Assad's forces degraded by frequent Israeli attacks, Syrian and Russian warplanes have stepped up air strikes on opposition-held areas since August 2023.

Meanwhile, Assad's government used the stability to make diplomatic inroads, normalising relations with several regional countries and rejoining the Arab League.

That stability now appears badly undermined. Aleppo is Syria's second city and became an opposition stronghold following the outbreak of the revolution in 2011. Its 2016, capture by Assad's forces was highly symbolic.

Meanwhile, rebels have now cut the M5 highway, isolating Aleppo and other Assad-held areas of the north from Damascus and major urban centres.

Rebels have also seized a large amount of weapons and equipment, including tanks, artillery, small combat drones, and ammunition.

On Friday, they announced complete control of Saraqib, a key town on the crossroads where the north-south M5 highway meets the east-west M4.

Opposition joy

Mohamed Belaas, a pro-democracy activist who has been following developments near the frontline, told MEE that civilians across rebel-held areas are celebrating the offensive.

More than five million people live in opposition-held northern Syria, often in extreme poverty, with international aid becoming more infrequent. Around two million of those live in informal camps after being forced to flee other parts of the country due to persecution or attacks by pro-Assad forces.

Belaas said that there are no words to describe the "uplifting feeling" of civilians, some of whom are returning to homes they were displaced from but have now come under rebel control.

The activist, who was originally displaced from eastern Idlib, said that he had never seen the rebels operate in such an organised manner.

"It's hard to describe the fierce fighting of the rebels, who are advancing to their homes under heavy shelling and Syrian and Russian air strikes over them," he told MEE.

"The morale of the rebels played a key role in seizing the enemy lines that have been fortified for years," he added.

"There are also noticeable practices in dealing with captured fighters, treating them in a humanitarian way to encourage others to defect and surrender."

Syrian rebel forces reach Aleppo outskirts following surprise operation

Middle East Eye

Fighting since Wednesday has left hundreds dead as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led rebels advance on Aleppo city

Syrian rebels have reached government-held Aleppo city in northwestern Syria following a surprise offensive that has left hundreds dead since Wednesday.

Fighters led by the al-Qaeda offshoot Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) managed to bomb Syria's second city, according to state news and the the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

At least 242 people, mostly combatants, have been killed in three days while HTS captured around 50 localities.

The SOHR said air strikes on Friday killed 24 civilians, including 19 in strikes by the Russian air force on rebel-held areas.

A security official told AFP that the Syrian army had "sent reinforcements" to Aleppo but said the attackers "have not reached the limits of the city".

However, the SOHR said they were "about two kilometres from the city of Aleppo" and that "artillery shells targeted a university residence."

'Response to the Aggression'

Fighting erupted at dawn on Wednesday when the rebels launched a surprise operation, named "Response to the Aggression", in retaliation to the recent escalation of government shelling on rebel-held areas.

The battle was launched from areas controlled by HTS, about 10km to the west of Aleppo city.

Some rebel groups affiliated with the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) joined the operation, though the majority of those forces have so far refrained from participating, according to reports.

Fotage circulating on social media has shown HTS and aligned forces making significant advances, capturing large swathes of territory and progressing rapidly towards the outskirts of Aleppo city.

Turkish security sources said on Thursday that the groups had launched "a limited offensive" towards Aleppo to stop Syrian government attacks targeting the civilian population in Idlib.

Some have theorised that the assault was launched to coincide with Israel's attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Lebanese group has been a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in suppressing rebels and militant groups who have been fighting the government since 2011.

"It is strange to see the regime's forces receive such blows despite Russian air cover," said SOHR chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

"Were the regime's forces dependent on Hezbollah, which is currently occupied in Lebanon?"

A senior Turkish security source told MEE that Turkey had attempted to prevent the offensive to avoid further escalating tensions in the region, especially given Israel's wars on Gaza and Lebanon.

However, efforts to use channels established by a 2019 de-escalation agreement to halt Russian and Syrian government air strikes targeting residential areas of rebel-held Idlib province had not yielded results.

Syrian opposition groups, Assad regime forces battle for Aleppo

By Daily Sabah with Agencies

Intense fighting approached Syria's northern Aleppo city after armed opposition groups launched a shock offensive on regime-held areas this week, triggering the fiercest fighting the country has seen since 2020.

On Wednesday, a coalition of anti-regime forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched wide-scale attacks toward Aleppo, retained by Bashar Assad's regime, reaching as close as 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) within the city's outer neighborhoods.

Armed groups seized at least 50 villages and towns in Aleppo and Idlib, as well as heavy weapons, depots and military vehicles belonging to the Assad regime, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Friday.

The land incursion is the first such territorial advance since March 2020 when Russia, which backs Assad, and Türkiye, which supports the Syrian opposition forces, which do not include Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, agreed to a cease-fire that led to military action halting in Syria's last major opposition stronghold in the country's northwest.

On Thursday, Russian and Syrian warplanes bombed opposition-held northwest Syria near the border with Türkiye to try to push back the offensive.

The fighting has killed at least 242 people, according to a Syrian war monitor, most of them combatants on both sides but also including civilians, including 24 dead, most of them in Russian airstrikes.

The fighters had on Thursday cut a key highway linking Aleppo to Syria's capital Damascus, according to the Britain-based Observatory.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said "more than 14,000 people – nearly half are children – have been displaced" by the violence.

At a news conference earlier this week, Mohamed Bashir of the HTS said: "This operation aims to repel the sources of fire of the criminal enemy from the frontlines."

The HTS controls swathes of the northwest Idlib region as well as small parts of neighboring Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces.

The Idlib region is subject to a cease-fire, repeatedly violated but which had largely been holding, brokered by Türkiye and Russia after a Syrian regime offensive in March 2020.

Struggle for Idlib

Turkish security sources on Thursday said tensions have already been brewing between regime forces and militant groups, referring to the HTS.

Türkiye's direct intervention prevented regime forces and militants from taking over Idlib in its entirety in the period between 2019 and 2020, sources said, pointing out "repeated" attacks that followed from Russia and the Assad regime toward Idlib to prevent military buildup in the area.

Sources said Türkiye prevented operations by opposition groups until today so as not to escalate tensions further in the region amid Israel's aggression.

"Türkiye also pursued international efforts and conveyed its expectations to prevent attacks by the Assad regime to guarantor countries in Astana and other platforms. Yet, international platforms did not take any steps to that extent," the sources said.

They cited that more than 30 civilians were killed in attacks targeting Idlib, including three children attending a Quran school.

The offensive comes at a sensitive time for Syria and the region, with a fragile cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel taking effect earlier this week in neighboring Lebanon.

Syria's civil war began when Assad cracked down in 2011 on pro-democracy protests. Since then, it has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country's infrastructure and industry.

Erdoğan warns humanity at crossroads amid 'testing' Gaza war

By Daily Sabah

Before humanity sinks even lower, a sustainable cease-fire in Gaza must be facilitated at once, the Turkish president says, warning that the humanitarian catastrophe because of the shame of the Holocaust in the besieged enclave will only lead to a 'dead end'

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday gave a stark warning of a critical crossroads for humanity as Israel's "genocidal" war rages on in the Gaza Strip.

"Israel has massacred 50,000 Palestinians in the past year, leveled the Gaza Strip where not only humanitarian values but the reliability of the international system has been tested," Erdoğan said at TRT World Forum in Istanbul.

"We are witnessing events that will shape not just the next decade but the future of our grandchildren," the president warned.

He pointed to the conflict in Gaza as a key threat to Middle East stability, expressing hope that a cease-fire reached earlier this week between Israel and Lebanon could mark the beginning of a lasting peace.

He called for immediate international efforts to establish a sustainable cease-fire in Gaza.

"Before humanity loses more ground, a sustainable cease-fire must urgently be achieved in Gaza. From day one, Türkiye has advocated for this," Erdoğan said.

"We are ready to put not just our hands but our entire being behind this burden to stop the genocide in Gaza and pave the way for lasting peace."

Türkiye has been fiercely critical of Israel's brutal offensive in Gaza, which it and others say amounts to genocide. It has also slammed many Western allies for their support of Israel and repeatedly called for Muslim unity to facilitate a cease-fire.

Ankara urges Israel to reciprocate the constructive approach of the Palestinians in cease-fire negotiations and the international community to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu's government. It has formally applied to join South Africa's initiative to have Israel tried for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

U.N. failings

The TRT gathering, themed "A World at a Breaking Point: Managing Crises and Transformations," brought together policymakers, academics and experts to discuss solutions to pressing global challenges.

Erdoğan also used the platform to renew his longstanding criticism of the United Nations, asserting that its current structure is ill-equipped to manage today's conflicts.

"Can we continue with this United Nations? No," he said. "The U.N. needs a complete overhaul. A system where five permanent members and 15 temporary members decide for the world cannot address today's problems."

In all related events, the Turkish leader promotes his reform call with the mantra "world is bigger than five" about members of the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to veto any initiatives aimed at stopping aggressive countries such as Israel.

Just last week, the U.S. vetoed a resolution at the UNSC demanding an "immediate, unconditional and permanent" cease-fire in Gaza while 14 other members voted in favor.

Chance for reform

Despite his critique of the global order, Erdoğan struck a hopeful tone, suggesting that crises can offer opportunities for transformation.

"Every crisis carries the seeds of a new beginning for those who can seize the moment," he said, urging nations to rise above divisions and work collectively for the future.

"If we don't act now, when will we?" he said, stressing the shared agony of Gazans, Palestinians and Lebanese people under Israeli bombardment. "Türkiye will always speak up for Palestine," he concluded.

Erdoğan's remarks come as Türkiye continues its efforts to mediate regional conflicts and push for broader reforms in global governance.

Ankara suspended trade relations with Israel last May, applied to join a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Tel Aviv and is currently focused on the implementation of an arms embargo on Israel, to rally the international community through an initiative at the United Nations on this issue.

Syrian rebels storm towards Aleppo in shock offensive

Middle East Eye

Rebels say their operation aims to stop Syrian government attacks targeting the civilian population in Idlib

Syrian rebel forces have seized strategic villages in northwestern Syria after intense clashes with Russian-backed Syrian government forces.

The fighting erupted at dawn on Wednesday when the rebels launched a surprise operation, named "Response to the Aggression", in retaliation to the recent escalation of government shelling on rebel-held areas.

The battle was launched from areas controlled by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), about 10km to the west of Aleppo city.

Some rebel groups affiliated with the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) have joined the operation, though the majority of those forces have so far refrained from participating, according to reports.

Since Wednesday, footage circulating on social media has shown HTS and aligned forces making significant advances, capturing large swathes of territory and progressing rapidly towards the outskirts of Aleppo city.

Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani, a rebel leader in the operation, told Middle East Eye that they had seized "highly strategic" areas.

"These areas were Iranian and Syrian military bases used to launch aggression against our areas, killing civilians and forcing them to leave their homes," Ghani said.

"Our forces have destroyed 12 enemy tanks, and the operation will continue until we eliminate the forces targeting our land."

The official channel of the operation on WhatsApp stated that many areas have been seized so far, including the strategic Base 46, Urem al-Kubra, and Andżara town.

"Our operation aims to liberate our land from the Syrian and Iranian forces and allow its people to return to their homes safely," Ghani said.

Iran's SNN news agency reported on Thursday that Iranian Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Kioumars Pourhashemi was killed in Aleppo by "terrorists" linked to Israel, without giving further details.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 142 fighters from both sides have been killed in the past 24 hours.

A senior Turkish security source told MEE that Turkey attempted to prevent the offensive to avoid further escalating tensions in the region, especially given Israel's wars on Gaza and Lebanon.

However, efforts to use channels established by a 2019 de-escalation agreement to halt Russian and Syrian government air strikes targeting residential areas of rebel-held Idlib province had not yielded results.

"What was initially planned as a limited operation expanded as regime forces began fleeing their positions," the source said, adding that the operation aims to restore the boundaries of the Idlib de-escalation zone, which were originally agreed upon in 2019 by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Shifting dynamics

The captured villages are situated in an area that was once a stronghold of the Nour al-Din al-Zenki rebel group. The territory fell to HTS following clashes between the two groups in 2019 and was later seized by Syrian government forces.

Today, Nour al-Din al-Zenki and HTS troops are an essential part of the operation to retake the strategic area, which is considered the lifeline between HTS and SNA-controlled territories, and the western shield of Aleppo city for the Syrian government forces.

As a result, the area was heavily fortified by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's army and its allies, including Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

However, Israel's war on Lebanon and the unprecedented Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah and Iran in Syria have shifted the dynamics.

A senior leader in the SNA, overseeing the current operation, told MEE that the geopolitical developments in the Middle East, which have impacted the Syrian regime's allies, had created a "golden opportunity" to launch the attack.

The leader, who preferred to remain unnamed as he is not permitted to comment, said: "There is an international situation that favours this battle and chaos between Assad and his supporters, and we seized this opportunity.

"Without their allies, the Syrian troops are nothing," he said

"We are capable of changing the equation, restoring our land, and securing a safe path to facilitate the return of displaced people to their homes."

Humanitarian disaster

The northwestern part of the country, which has been under deadly Syrian government attacks since the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011, is now home to 5.1 million people. According to United Nations agencies, half of the population is displaced from surrounding areas, while two million live in camps.

The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, told MEE that government forces have launched around 900 attacks on the area this year, killing about 80 civilians and wounding approximately 400 others, including 19 children.

The White Helmets said hundreds of families have been displaced to unknown destinations in the past 24 hours from the western parts of Aleppo and Idlib provinces after a series of indiscriminate government attacks on the area following the rebel operation.

Mounir Mustafa, the deputy head of the Civil Defence, told MEE that Thursday's shelling targeted more than 20 villages and towns, including two camps, and that government forces used internationally banned cluster munitions in their attacks.

"A civilian was killed, and 20 others were wounded, most of them children, in these attacks. Many civilians are trapped in areas under attack and unable to flee because they have nowhere to go.

Mustafa added: "The temperature is very low, and the financial situation prevents these people, who have lost all sources of income, from moving even temporarily."

Eyes on Aleppo

Since the start of the Syrian revolution, various factions have hoped to seize control of the 5,000-year-old city of Aleppo and establish it as the capital of the rebel forces.

Hundreds of rebels lost their lives on the city's front lines during intense battles, particularly in late 2016, as they sought to gain control of the city and break the government siege on its eastern part. However, all these efforts ultimately failed under relentless Russian and Iranian attacks.

Before 2011, the city was home to three million people and was renowned for its kind and hard-working residents, making it the industrial capital of Syria.

Now, half of the city lies in ruins, its former inhabitants displaced - some within Syria, living in camps, others living as refugees abroad. The remaining inhabited areas have become home to Iranian and Lebanese forces.

The war has forced around 13 million people to leave their homes across Syria, with millions becoming refugees across the world, the majority in neighbouring countries.

"Our eyes are on Aleppo, and the future developments will determine the outcome," the SNA leader said.

"The nature, timing, and scale of the operation will determine its scope."

Syrian anti-regime forces, allies cut access to key highway

By Agencies

Anti-regime fighters and their allies blocked the Damascus-Aleppo highway on Thursday during an offensive that reportedly left around 200 dead, including civilians targeted by Russian airstrikes, according to a monitor.

A day earlier, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions launched a surprise attack on regime-held areas of northern Aleppo province, triggering the fiercest fighting in years, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The toll in ongoing battles "has risen to 182, including 102 fighters from HTS", 19 from allied factions "and 61 regime forces and allied groups", said the Observatory.

"Russian air strikes on the Aleppo countryside killed 19 civilians on Thursday," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Observatory, adding that another civilian had been killed in Syrian army shelling a day earlier.

Russia is a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and first intervened in Syria's civil war in 2015, turning the momentum of the conflict in favor of the president, whose forces once only controlled a fifth of the country.

HTS and its allied factions "cut off the Damascus-Aleppo international M5 highway... in addition to controlling the junction between the M4 and M5 highways," said the Britain-based monitor.

"The highway has now been put out of service after it was reopened by regime forces years ago," said the monitor, which has a network of sources inside Syria.

The junction of the M5 and M4 highways connects the capital and regime coastal stronghold Latakia with the second city Aleppo respectively.

Syria has been gripped by civil war for more than a decade, although the intensity of the conflict has decreased in recent years.

'Pre-empt' attack

Some of the clashes, which are happening in an area straddling Idlib and Aleppo provinces, are less than 10 kilometers (six miles) southwest of the outskirts of Aleppo city.

"This operation aims to repel the sources of fire of the criminal enemy from the frontlines," said Mohamed Bashir, who heads HTS's so-called "Salvation Government," during a news conference.

Analyst Nick Heras of the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy said the opposition were "trying to preempt the possibility of a Syrian military campaign in the region of Aleppo, which Russian and Syrian government airstrikes against rebel areas has been preparing for."

With some Türkiye-backed factions joining the offensive, he said "Ankara is sending a message to both Damascus and Moscow to back down from their military efforts in northwest Syria," he said.

Opposition forces "are in a better position to take and seize villages than Russian-backed Syrian regime forces, while the Iranians are focused on Lebanon," Heras said.

Analyst Haid Haid said the opposition had been "planning for this offensive for quite a while."

But "if the rebel forces waited too long the regime would have been able to reinforce their frontlines as Hezbollah forces are no longer busy with the war in Lebanon."

HTS controls swathes of the northwest Idlib area as well as small parts of neighboring Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces.

A Turkish defense ministry source said Türkiye was following developments in northern Syria closely and had taken precautions to ensure the security of Turkish troops there.

On Thursday, Turkish security sources said tensions have already been brewing between regime forces and militant groups, referring to HTS. Sources said Türkiye's direct intervention prevented regime forces and militants from taking over Idlib in its entirety in the period between 2019 and 2020 when the regime's operations worsened the situation for its opponents, changing the border agreed upon in talks sponsored by Türkiye, Iran and Russia. Sources said Russia and the Assad regime repeatedly carried out attacks toward Idlib and all sides claimed they launched attacks to prevent military buildup in the area.

Sources said Türkiye prevented operations by opposition groups until today so as not to escalate tensions further in the region amid Israel's aggression. "Türkiye also pursued international efforts and conveyed its expectations to prevent attacks by the Assad regime to guarantor countries in Astana and other platforms. Yet, international platforms did not take any steps to that extent," the sources said. They cited that more than 30 civilians were killed in attacks targeting Idlib, including three children attending Quran school.

HTS competes with more mainstream opposition groups backed by Türkiye that also control swathes of territory along the Turkish border.

This is How Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi & FM Amir-Abdollahian Perished in US Bell 212 Crash
هكذا لقي الرئيس الإيراني إبراهيم رئيسي ووزير الخارجية أمير عبد اللهيان حتفه في تحطم طائرة بيلّ 212 الأمريكية

Relying heavily to survive and terrorize innocent Muslims around the region and beyond on infrastructures and products made by ostensible enemy publicly referred to as the greatest Satan on earth rather on secretely arguable best friend (or best partner in Islamophobia), Irna said Iran's seemingly hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was flying in his favourite US-made Bell 212 helicopter.

Iran flies a variety of helicopters in the country, but fake international sanctions are claimed to make it difficult to obtain parts for them.

Its military air fleet also largely dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution when Tehran used to showcase American made weapons with 'pride'. Thus, the photograph published by Irna shows a helicopter with a blue-and-white paint scheme previously seen in published photographs.

Earlier today Iran's state-run news agency Irna published images that it said show the helicopter carrying President Raisi as it took off from near the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday.

Travelling with him were foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province and other officials and bodyguards, Irna reported.

'No sign of life' at crash site, state TV says

Iranian state television is reporting that there is "no sign of life" at the helicopter crash site, according to Associated Press and Reuters.

The site was across a steep valley and rescuers had yet to reach it, state media reported.

An Iranian official has meanwhile told Reuters that the helicopter carrying the president was completely burned.

There has been no official statement from the Iranian government yet.

The World Is Waiting For New Distortions From The Rafidhah Supreme Leader Ali Khomeini...! So, Stay Tune!!

****************

قالت إرنا إن الرئيس الإيراني الذي يبدو متشددًا يعتمد بشكل كبير من أجل البقاء وإرهاب المسلمين الأبرياء في جميع أنحاء المنطقة وخارجها على البنى التحتية والمنتجات التي يصنعها عدو ظاهري يُشار إليه علنًا باسم الشيطان الأعظم على وجه الأرض بل من الاعتماد على أفضل صديق يمكن الجدال فيه سرًا (أو أفضل شريك في كراهية الإسلام). كان إبراهيم رئيسي يحلق في مروحيته المفضلة من طراز Bell 212 الأمريكية الصنع.

وتشغل إيران مجموعة متنوعة من طائرات الهليكوبتر في البلاد، ولكن يُزعم أن العقوبات الدولية المزيفة تجعل من الصعب الحصول على قطع غيار لها.

ويعود تاريخ أسطولها الجوي العسكري إلى حد كبير إلى ما قبل الثورة الإسلامية عام 1979 أثنائما اعتادت طهران على عرض الأسلحة المصنوعة الأمريكية "بفخر". وهكذا تظهر الصورة التي نشرتها إيرنا طائرة هليكوبتر مطلية باللونين الأزرق والأبيض والتي سبق رؤيتها في الصور المنشورة.

وفي وقت سابق اليوم، نشرت وكالة الأنباء الإيرانية الرسمية إيرنا صورا قالت إنها تظهر المروحية التي تقل الرئيس رئيسي أثناء إقلاعها من قرب الحدود مع أذربيجان يوم الأحد.

وذكرت وكالة أنباء إرنا أن يرافقه وزير الخارجية حسين أمير عبد اللهيان حاكم مقاطعة أذربيجان الشرقية الإيرانية ومسؤولون آخرون وحراس شخصيون.

يقول التلفزيون الحكومي: "لا توجد علامة على الحياة" في موقع التحطم

أفاد التلفزيون الرسمي الإيراني أنه "لا توجد علامة على الحياة" في موقع تحطم المروحية، وفقًا لوكالة أسوشيتد برس ورويترز.

وذكرت وسائل إعلام رسمية أن الموقع يقع عبر واد شديد الانحدار ولم يصل إليه رجال الإنقاذ بعد.

وفي الوقت نفسه قال مسؤول إيراني لرويترز إن المروحية التي كانت تنقل الرئيس احترقت بالكامل.

ولم يصدر أي بيان رسمي من الحكومة الإيرانية حتى الآن.

!!العالم ينتظر تشويهات جديدة من القائد الرافضي الأعلى علي الخميني...! لذلك، ابقوا معنا


Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Iranian President Raisi confirmed died in helicopter crash by State TV says at About 5:00 a.m GMT Monday 20th May 2024

Iranian state-run television is reporting that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has died in a helicopter crash alongside foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The pair were confirmed dead after the crash in the province of East Azerbaijan, Press TV reported, without citing a source. The report follows similar reports from other Iranian media including the Mehr news agency as well as the Reuters news agency.

Earlier Some media report Raisi killed in helicopter crash

Some media were reporting earleir that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died when their helicopter crashed, but there has been no official confirmation as yet.

The two were killed when the helicopter crashed on a mountain in heavy fog in the province of East Azerbaijan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters. He asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject, the wire reported.

"President Raisi, the foreign minister and all the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Iran's Mehr news agency meanwhile reported that all passengers on board "were killed".

It said others on board included the governor of East Azerbaijan, Malek Rahmati, as well as Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to East Azarbaijan province. Several other people were also on board, Mehr reported.

What happens next?

If a president dies in office, article 131 of the Islamic Republic's constitution says that the first vice president – who is Mohammad Mokhber – takes over, with the confirmation of the supreme leader, who has the final say in all matters of state in Iran.

A council consisting of the first vice president, the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary must arrange an election for a new president within a maximum period of 50 days, Reuters reports.

Raisi was declared "elected president" in 2021 and, under the usual timetable, a presidential election had been due to take place in 2025. Under constitutional rules, it can now be expected to take place by early July.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Mohammad Mokhber, Iran's vice president, Next In-line After Raisi Perished In Crash - So Who is Mokhber?

As Iranian search and rescue officials continue to look for the wreckage of the helicopter carrying Raisi, attention is turning towards Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, the person next in line in the presidency.

According to the Iranian Constitution, in case of the president's death or incapacity, the first vice president will take over and assume the functions of the president until an election is held within a maximum period of 50 days.

Unlike other countries, Iran's first vice presidency is an appointed position – not an elected one. The vice president assumed some of the powers of the prime minister after the position was abolished in 1989.

There are several appointed vice presidents serving concurrently in Iran – they mostly work as cabinet members. But the office Mokhber holds is considered first among equals.

Raisi appointed Mokhber as his first vice president in August 2021, shortly after taking office. He is the seventh person to serve in that role since the revision of the constitution.

Before his appointment to the vice presidency, Mokhber served for 14 years as head of Iran's Setad, a powerful economic conglomerate mostly focused on charitable causes.

The organisation, which is under the direct control of the Iranian supreme leader, is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, according to a Reuters investigation.

Under Mokhber's watch, Setad developed Iran's coronavirus vaccine, Coviran Barekat, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the effectiveness of the vaccine has been questioned, with reports of people suffering severe medical reactions after receiving it.

Raisi's Helicopter 'completely burned' - He Was Burned To Death

Iranian authorities are also saying that some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, and that they have not been able to identify who is who at the site.

Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian, along with others who were on board the helicopter that crashed, have died, multiple Iranian news agencies have confirmed.

Iranian state television has released this screen grab from video footage from inside the helicopter before it crashed. It shows President Ebrahim Raisi (L) with foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

By the way, This is Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Who Was Also Burned To Death

Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, was a hard-liner close to the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who confronted the west while also overseeing indirect talks with the US over the country's nuclear program. The Associated Press reports further:

Amir-Abdollahian represented the hard-line shift in Iran after the collapse of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers after then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord. He served under President Ebrahim Raisi, a protégé of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and followed their policies.

However, AmirAbdollahian also was involved in efforts to reach a détente with regional rival Saudi Arabia in 2023, a move eclipsed months later by tensions that arose over the Israel-Hamas war. But he remained close to the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, once praising the late Gen. Qassem Soleimani, slain in a US drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Khomeini Regime Has Started To Enjoy The Hypocrisy of Nations Over Raisi's Deadly Crash - Even Before The Ill-Fate of Raisi's Crash Was Known

Minutes after the crash of the president of the Khomeini regime and his foreign minister was made public, and even before it was confirmed the hardliner head of Iranian Rafidhah government had perished, hypocracy of nations wasted no time to start dripping down. Reuters, according to the Guardian, has put together a list of reactions from around the world, with Iranian ally Russia among those expressing concern and offering to help search for the president. Others also offered help or well wishes, while the US merely said that President Joe Biden was "closely following reports". Here's a rundown of reactions from around the world:

TURKEY
"I convey my best wishes to our neighbour, friend and brother Iranian people and government, and I hope to receive good news from Mr Raisi and his delegation as soon as possible," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a post on X. Turkey's disaster and emergency management authority said in a statement that Iran had requested a night vision search-and-rescue helicopter from Turkey.

CHINA
Beijing is "deeply concerned over the 'hard landing'" of Raisi's helicopter, the foreign ministry's spokesperson said in a statement. Beijing "hopes President Raisi and the others aboard are safe and sound. We are closely following the situation and will provide all necessary support and assistance for Iran's rescue efforts."

RUSSIA
"Russia is ready to extend all necessary help in the search for the missing helicopter and the investigation of the reasons for the incident," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a comment carried by Russia's Ria news agency. State media later reported that Russia was sending emergency equipment including two planes and helicopter and about 60 personnel.

US
"We are closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. A spokesperson for President Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters on board Air Force One that the president had been briefed on the situation. She did not elaborate.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
The European commissioner for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, said the commission had activated its satellite mapping service to aid search efforts, following a request for assistance from Iran. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service provides mapping products based on satellite imagery.

AZERBAIJAN
"Today, after bidding a friendly farewell to the (visiting) President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, we were profoundly troubled by the news of a helicopter carrying the top delegation crash-landing in Iran," President Ilham Aliyev said in Twitter post. "Our prayers to Allah Almighty are with President Ebrahim Raisi and the accompanying delegation. As a neighbour, friend, and brotherly country, the Republic of Azerbaijan stands ready to offer any assistance needed."

KUWAIT
"We are closely following with concern the reports regarding the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and his accompanying delegation. Kuwait expresses its wishes for their safety and its support for the Islamic Republic of Iran in this critical situation," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

SAUDI ARABIA
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirms that it stands by the Islamic Republic of Iran during these difficult circumstances and is prepared to provide any assistance the Iranian services need," the foreign ministry said in a statement. It also said the Saudi government was following news reports regarding Raisi's helicopter with "great concern".

QATAR
"We express the State of Qatar's deep concern regarding the Iranian president's helicopter experiencing a difficult landing incident," a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement. "We affirm the State of Qatar's readiness to provide all forms of support in the search for the Iranian president's aircraft. We express the State of Qatar's wishes for the safety of the Iranian president, the foreign minister and their companions."

IRAQ
The Iraqi government said in a statement it had instructed its interior ministry, the Red Crescent and other relevant bodies to offer help to neighbouring Iran in the search mission.

The World Is Still Waiting For New Distortions From The Rafidhah Supreme Leader Ali Khomeini...! So, Stay Tune!!

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

A video released by the Iranian Red Crescent shows the helicopter wreckage of perished President Raisi

Reuters has put together some background on the Bell 212 helicopter in which Raisi was believed to have been travelling when it crashed. It is the civilian version of the ubiquitous Vietnam War-era UH-1N "Twin Huey," and is in wide use globally by both governments and private operators:

What are the helicopter's origins? Bell Helicopter (now Bell Textron, a division of Textron Inc ) developed the aircraft for the Canadian military in the late 1960s as an upgrade of the original UH-1 Iroquois. The new design used two turboshaft engines instead of one, giving it greater carrying capacity. The helicopter was introduced in 1971 and quickly adopted by both the United States and Canada, according to U.S. military training documents.

What is it used for?
As a utility helicopter - the UH in its military designation represents those words - the Bell 212 is meant to be adaptable to all sorts of situations, including carrying people, deploying aerial firefighting gear, ferrying cargo and mounting weapons.

The Iranian model that crashed on Sunday was configured to carry government passengers. Bell Helicopter advertises the latest version, the Subaru Bell 412, for police use, medical transport, troop transport, the energy industry and firefighting. According to its type certification documents with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, it can carry 15 people, including the crew.

Who uses it?
Non-military organisations that fly the Bell 212 include Japan's Coast Guard; law enforcement agencies and fire departments in the US; Thailand's national police; and many others. It is not clear how many Iran's government operates, but its air force and navy have a total of 10, according to FlightGlobal's 2024 World Air Forces directory.

Have there been any other incidents involving the Bell 212?
The most recent fatal crash of a Bell 212 was in September 2023, when a privately operated aircraft crashed off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to the Flight Safety Foundation, a non-profit focusing on aviation safety. The most recent Iranian crash of the type was in 2018, killing four people, according to the organisation's database.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Another High-profile Hezbollah Figure Samir Kantar Perish In Syria

Samir Kantar, a Lebanese who was convicted of carrying out one of the most notorious attacks in Israeli history and spent nearly three decades in an Israeli prison, has been killed by an Israeli airstrike near the Syrian capital, the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group said Sunday.

Hezbollah said Kantar, known in Lebanon as "The Dean of Lebanese Prisoners" for being the longest-held prisoner in Israel, was killed along with eight others in the strike in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana Saturday night.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said two Israeli warplanes that violated Syrian airspace fired four long-range missiles at the residential building in Jaramana Saturday night. It aired footage of what it said was the building, which appeared to be destroyed. Kantar's brother, Bassam, confirmed his death in a Facebook post Sunday.

There was no immediate comment from Israel. The Israeli news website Ynet ran a headline Sunday saying: "The account is now closed."

Israeli warplanes have struck targets inside Syria several times during the country's nearly five-year conflict although it has rarely confirmed its involvement.

Kantar's killing, however, would mark the first Israeli assassination of a senior figure inside Syria since Russia launched its military operations in Syria on Sept. 30 in support of President Bashar Assad.

Israel's defense minister has said that Russia and Israel have worked out an open communication system "to prevent misunderstandings." That raises the question of whether the Russians would have been informed by Israel about the operation to assassinate Kantar.

Kantar and four Hezbollah guerrillas were freed in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah in 2006, whose capture sparked a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. His release was highly controversial in Israel, where he is believed to be the perpetrator of one of the most grisly attacks in Israeli history.

Kantar was imprisoned in 1979 in Israel and sentenced to three life terms after he and three other Lebanese infiltrated the Jewish State in 1979 and staged an attack in the northern coastal town of Nahariya, killing a policeman and then kidnapping a man, Danny Haran, and his 4-year-old daughter and killing them outside their home.

Israel says Kantar, who was 16 at the time, beat the girl to death by bashing her head with a rifle butt. He denies this, saying the girl was killed in the crossfire. As the attack unfolded, the girl's mother, Smadar Haran, hid inside a crawl space inside their home and accidentally smothered their crying 2-year-old daughter, fearing Kantar would find them.

The widow, Smadar Haran, told Israel's Army Radio Sunday that Kantar's killing was a "historic justice."

Israel held on to Kantar for decades, hoping to use him as a bargaining chip to win new information about an Israeli airman whose plane crashed in Lebanon in 1986. It ultimately traded him in 2008 along with four other Lebanese prisoners in exchange for the bodies of two of its soldiers.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah insisted at the time that Kantar be included in any swap.

Kantar, 53, received a hero's welcome upon his return to Lebanon. Assad awarded him the country's highest medal during a trip he made to Damascus that year.

Soon afterward, Kantar, a Druze, joined Hezbollah, his role growing quietly within the group's ranks particularly following the group's involvement in the civil war in Syria in support of Assad's forces.

Kantar is the most high profile Hezbollah fighter to be killed since last year.

In January 2014, the Lebanese group accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, which killed several Hezbollah members and a prominent Iranian general. Among the Hezbollah members was Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Imad Mughniyeh, a top Hezbollah operative assassinated in 2008 in Damascus.

Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of its fighters to Syria to help shore up Assad's forces, reported Kantar's killing but did not immediately vow revenge for his killing, as it did for Mughniyeh's killing.

Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV said Kantar had been living in the targeted building for a year. The station, which is close to the Syrian government and Hezbollah, said Kantar and one of his aides were killed.

Al-Mayadeen's correspondent in Damascus later said that along with Kantar, "a resistance commander from the Golan" was also killed. It identified him as Farhan al-Shaalan.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

The UN Resolution Is Unfair - The National Coalition For Syrian Opposition

By Fatah Al-Rahman Youssef

President of the National Coalition for Syrian Opposition Dr. Khaled Khoja described UN Resolution 2254 as unfair because it put ''both the executioner and his victim in the same slot''. He also expressed in a phone call to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Syrian Opposition's displeasure with the resolution and said that the Security Council's decision demolished the results reached in the Riyadh conference.

The President of the National Coalition confirmed that despite the Opposition's efforts to assemble a negotiating committee, naming a general coordinator and establishing the committee's general secretariat, the resolution was declared and established in submission to the Russian orientation.

At the same time observers consider the resolution an international unanimous decision on the Syrian crisis made without any of the five major powers in the Security Council referring to their veto power.

Karim Bitar Senior Fellow at the Institute for International and Strategic Affairs in Paris (IRIS) said that the resolution did not make a ceasefire compulsive, which could possibly ruin everything.

A day after the resolution was announced, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that his country was ready to provide more military support in Syria, adding that Moscow had not yet exhausted all its weaponry, confirming Russia's willingness to go an extra mile if necessary.

Putin attended a gala reception to mark Security Agency, held in Moscow Kremlin, and praised the performance of his pilots and security agency workers, showing off their competence in utilizing developed weaponry.

Amid these declarations the Syrian Opposition factions fought battles in the strategic al-Nuba mountain in Latakia, after defeating Assad's forces that were supported by Russian air cover. Field sources said that Russian aircraft carried out a series of intense airstrikes covering Assad's troops enabling them to recover al-Nuba zone.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russia's Putin Sees No Hope To Repair Relations With Turkey

Despite Ankara's attempts to ease tensions with Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he sees no hope for repairing relations with Turkey and continued his threats and aggressive rhetoric in the annual press conference held on Thursday with over 1,400 journalists.

"It is hard for us to reach an agreement with the current Turkish leadership, if possible at all," Putin said, adding that Turkey's downing of the Russian warplane was "an act of enmity," the reasons for which he did not understand. NATO, the U.S. and several EU states confirmed Ankara's documents that show that despite 10 warnings, the Russian warplane violated Turkish airspace. "What have they achieved? Maybe they thought that we would run away from there [Syria]. But Russia is not such a country," Putin said.

Russia has increased its presence in Syria and deployed air defense systems. Putin said that Turkey would likely not be able to penetrate Syrian airspace, revealing an aim of deploying S-400 air missile defense systems in Syria. Russia had earlier acknowledged that the system was deployed to protect its own aircraft.

On Syria and its president, Bashar Assad, Putin said that he would never agree to any outside force deciding who should rule Syria and that there is no way to resolve the Syria crisis other than a political solution. He said that Moscow supports, in general, Washington's initiative to prepare a resolution on Syria at the U.N. Security Council, adding that the draft resolution is acceptable as a whole. When asked about Russia's future presence in Syria, Putin said that he does not know if Russia will need its military base in Latakia, a Syrian port located in the northeast and a province partly inhabited by Turkmens, after its bombing campaign ends. He added that Moscow possesses weapons powerful enough "to hit anyone" thousands of kilometers beyond Russia's borders.

Hours after the Russian Defense Ministry reported that one of its ships, the destroyer Smetlivy, fired a warning shot to avoid a collision with a Turkish fishing vessel 22 kilometers from the Greek island of Lemnos last week Sunday, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey is "not in favor of tension."

"We have read the Russian statement," Çavuşoğlu told reporters in Rome, where he had been following an international conference on Libya. "But we are always saying [that] we are not in favor of tension. We are in favor of overcoming tension through dialogue," Çavuşoğlu added, claiming that Ankara's initiatives following "the sad event [of downing the Russian warplane] of Nov. 24 had always been in that direction."

In Thursday's news conference, Putin has also commented on Donald Trump's running for presidency as the Republican presidential candidate. The Russian president praised Trump's talents and lauded his calls for better ties with Russia.

Putin called Trump an "absolute front-runner" in the presidential race and a "bright and talented person." He added that he "certainly welcomes" Trump's calls for better U.S.-Russia ties.

Putin had said earlier he was ready to work with the eventual winner in the presidential race. And Trump has said he could work with the Russian leader.

"I think that I would probably get along with him very well," Trump said of Putin in an October interview with CNN. "And I don't think you'd be having the kind of problems that you're having right now."

Regarding the stalemate in Donbass region in eastern Ukraine and ongoing clashes between Russian separatists and Ukrainian army, Putin said Kiev have not been completely fulfilling aspects of Minsk deal relating to special status for eastern regions.

He urged the Ukrainian government to swiftly approve legislation on holding local elections in Ukraine, but he says the Ukrainian authorities were dragging their feet on the issue. He added Russia wants the conflict settled and is ready to use its influence with the rebels in eastern Ukraine to reach a compromise.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russian Intervention In Syria Continues To Lead To More Bloodshed, Says German Envoy

Germany's new ambassador to Ankara, Martin Erdmann, said that Turkey and Germany share similar views with regard to Russia's intervention in Syria and underlined that Russia's intervention will only lead to more bloodshed and the persistence of conflicts.

Speaking to Daily Sabah for an exclusive interview, Erdmann expressed Germany's contentedness regarding a new dynamism in Turkish-EU relations and indicated that the latest migration wave has caused some unexpected developments both for Turkey and Europe, eventually bringing the societies closer.

Concerning comments that argue Turkey will turn into Europe's "open-air refugee camp" after the Turkish-EU refugee deal, Ambassador Erdmann stressed that they don't agree with these comments and underlined that this is not the opinion of Germany.

Ambassador Erdmann is an experienced diplomat who accomplished various NATO duties during a significant part of his career.

Erdmann believes that in the midst of this world full of conflicts, the Atlantic Alliance and NATO stand as a solid rock rising amongst the waves of the sea and underlined that after the recent tension with Russia, NATO clearly demonstrated that it is in solidarity with Turkey.

In respect to the perception among the Turkish public that Germany supports the PKK and the PYD, Ambassador Erdmann emphasized that the PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization in Germany and that they support neither the PKK nor the PYD and underlined that the PYD does not have a ground of legitimacy.

DS: After Russia intervened in Syria and the Russian jet violating Turkey's airspace was downed, tension in the region has risen.

How does Germany regard the latest developments?

To begin with, the views of Turkey and Germany with regard to Russia's intervention in the region are similar.

We feel a deep sorrow due to Russia's intervention in Syria. Russia's intervention will only lead to more bloodshed and the persistence of conflicts.

Russia's interventions in Syria are ongoing against Syrian opponents rather than DAESH. Of course, as part of the Vienna process, we need all parties, including Russia, for a political solution.

DS: Do you expect any political resolution from the ongoing dialogue in Vienna?

Introducing a solution to conflicts can only be possible under certain circumstances.

Of course, a military solution cannot be imagined. Within this framework, all the parties and sharers are required to be at the table according to our view.

But Assad cannot be a part of the solution. He can only act as a means in the path leading to the solution.

DS: So, can we argue that the policies of Turkey and Germany regarding the Syria issue and the anti-DAESH fight are compatible?

I would like to underline that our approaches are very similar. To be more specific, Turkey maintains its fight against DAESH.

Likewise, Germany will take effectual measures as of January.

For military interventions, Germany provided support by assigning six Tornado-type jets and deploying them at the İncirlik base.

A feeder line aircraft was also provided. All this military equipment aims to support the international coalition in its fight against DAESH.

In this respect, Germany started its anti-DAESH activities for the first time, just as Turkey did.

Therefore, Germany and Turkey's approaches for fighting DAESH are similar.

DS: While France's Syrian policies previously indicated that no resolution could be achieved with the Assad regime, they have lately started to develop some other discourses suggesting that an alliance can be made with the Assad regime for a resolution.
Is any similar change planned with regard to Germany's Syrian policies and how does Germany evaluate the changing discourse of France?

The attacks in France, of course, caused a tremendous shock; a great tragedy was witnessed there.

After the Ankara attack on Oct. 10 and the Paris attacks following it, we have all been in a state of alert.

It was clearly understood that the fight against DAESH must be maintained by using every means possible.

Now, I attribute changing attitudes in the international coalition with regard to initiating military intervention to the horrendous terrorist attacks experienced lately.

In the anti-DAESH fight, a resolution was put into force on an international scale by the Security Council.

This resolution also formed a basis for Germany for a military contribution.

DS: A schedule was arranged regarding a transition period for Syria in the latest meetings of the Vienna negotiations.

And recently, the Russian ambassador remarked that common terrorists and opponents must be listed.

What do you think about that?

Is it necessary to prepare such lists?

This should, of course, be decided by the Syrian opposition.

They have to decide that on their own and among themselves.

They will determine who will sit at the table with them as active agents.

I do not think it would be right to dictate this with exterior interventions.

DS: A new chapter was opened last week in Turkey's EU accession negotiations, and Turkey expects five new chapters to be opened in 2016.

A new momentum seems to have been achieved in the Turkey-EU process following the agreements Turkey and the EU made a few months ago.

How do you evaluate this process through the lens of Germany?

On Dec. 15, it was decided to open a new negotiation chapter.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu went to Brussels within this scope along with the EU minister.

It was decided to open Chapter 17 on economic and monetary policy.

The opening of five new chapters on other subjects in 2016 must be approved by the member states. We are glad that the process has gained a new dynamism.

We are particularly pleased with the new momentum achieved between Turkey and the EU since the summit organized in November.

The latest migration wave has caused some unexpected developments both for Turkey and Europe and eventually rendered the societies closer.

In this way, a brand new period was introduced in the EU negotiation process, and Germany is very pleased with that.

DS: How do you evaluate comments arguing that Turkey will turn into Europe's "open-air refugee camp" following the agreement on migrants between the EU and Turkey?

I definitely do not agree. I would like you to know that a bilateral migration dialogue exists between Turkey and Germany parallel to the EU Action Plan in Europe. We would like to present aid and assistance to Turkey in tackling this migration wave.

We especially want to give support in decreasing the number of transit refugees heading to Europe via Turkey.

For those reasons, I do not agree with the open-air camp arguments.

This is not the opinion of Germany. If Europeans had demanded Turkey shelter refugees from various countries, this would not have been a fair share of responsibility.

What was the actual result supposed to be? Turkey was supposed to accept refugees from countries other than Syria, which we call third countries.

This would be possible through introducing visa requirements for countries that do not have visa requirements to cross into Turkey and through providing border safety.

DS: There are some remarks that the EU made concessions to Turkey and even gave up its fundamental values due to the agreement on migrants. What do you think about that?

I should underline that this is definitely not the case, and the EU will never allow such a thing. The community acquis is valid for all 28 member countries and candidate countries that are to join the EU in the future.

Europe cannot possibly do this in another way since the values of the EU are essential and the acquis constitutes the values. Therefore, internalizing these values is expected from all countries that wish to join the EU. To express more clearly, the EU has a set of values.

Consequently, no concessions will be made to anyone with regard to the refugee issue.

The EU cannot give up its values, which were built with decades of efforts, only because of opportunistic considerations.

But we would like to advance with pragmatic methods without limiting ourselves only to doctrines.

DS: As a diplomat assigned to various NATO duties during a significant part of your career, what do you think about the future of NATO?

What would you like to say about the future of NATO in the context of criticisms suggesting that NATO remained silent when Russia annexed Crimea and afterwards and did not give a common and sufficient reaction after the Russian jet was downed?

Take a look at the world. In which part of the world does stability exist today? The region that can be shown as the most stable one in the world is the Euro-Atlantic zone (which extends from Vancouver to Lake Van).

This zone can be defined as stable, but beyond this is "a ring of fire," to borrow Johnny Cash's words.

Ukraine, Crimea, Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh are among the regions in which suspended processes and conflicts are witnessed.

Syria, Iraq, Libya and many others can be added to the list.

In the midst of this world full of conflicts, the Atlantic Alliance and NATO stand as a solid rock rising amongst the waves in the sea.

We are used to taking this stability for granted. The reason underlying NATO's strength is its deterrent character.

As a matter of fact, an actor creating violence cannot know what kind of measures NATO would take.

After a NATO meeting about the downed Russian jet, Secretary General Stoltenberg issued a statement.

Just as all the other member countries are required to be protected in the presence of a risk against territorial integrity, Turkey is required to be protected in the same way, and this aspect clearly demonstrates that NATO is in solidarity with Turkey.

We Germans were proud to help Turkey with the defense mission as part of NATO by deploying Patriots around Kahramanmaraş province.

DS: In Syria, the withdrawal of the Patriots is ongoing despite the rising tension, and this is highly criticized by the Turkish public.

How do you regard the decision of withdrawing German Patriots?

NATO air defense and the protection of Turkey will be maintained even though the Patriots are withdrawn. The Standing Defense Plan (SDP) is available for that.

However, a misconception that NATO defense would end with the withdrawal of Patriots prevails in public. Contrarily, air defense is an everlasting process; it will continue as it continues now.

The Patriots only constitute a precautionary reinforcement. So, the air defense will continue to protect Turkey even though the Patriots have been withdrawn.

As someone who worked for NATO for years, I can explain to you how air defense operates.

Air defense is collectively implemented among the allies.

The authorized institution for that is NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), which is commanded by General Philip Breedlove. The person we call SACEUR is responsible for the air command area there.

As the chief commander of the Standing Defense Plan system, SACEUR constantly updates the system.

SACEUR can demand reinforcements everyday within its own authorization for the continuity of NATO air defense. Due to this, Turkey is not left alone.

I also would like to add that not only German Patriots, but also U.S. and Netherlands Patriots were withdrawn. A system exists only at İncirlik, which belongs to Spain.

For this reason, we are very pleased that Tornado planes and refueling airplanes were deployed at İncirlik Air Base again instead of the Patriots even though the Patriots were withdrawn. Tornado planes can be utilized for air defense purposes if required.

DS: There is a common perception among the Turkish public that Germany supports the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Could you comment on that?

In the first place, the PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization in Germany. Of course, we do not provide military support to the PKK; this is absurd.

We do not support the PYD either. The PYD does not have a ground of legitimacy. We support peshmerga units in North Iraq that fight against DAESH.

DS: Lately, a news story claiming that DAESH uses German weapons was released. What do you think about that? Can such a thing be possible? Germany has sent six Tornado airplanes to fight against DAESH, so how is it possible to deliver weapons to DAESH?

The question that should be asked is where they obtained those weapons. It is clear that they did not obtain them from us.

DS: There are some allegations that fugitive former prosecutors Zekeriya Öz and Celal Kara, who are members of the Gülenist Terror Group, requested political asylum from Germany. What is your view on the subject? Did Turkey request the return of the former prosecutors from Germany?

Turkey has made such a request, but we have no clue about the whereabouts of the prosecutors.

DS: What are your thoughts on Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident (PEGIDA) and rising anti-Islamic tendencies in Germany?

Germany is a hospitable and friendly country. Since Jan. 1, 2015, Germany has hosted more than one million refugees, most of whom are Muslim.

Apart from that, 10 percent of the German population is of migrant origin, which means that about nine million people out of 82 million of the overall population are of migrant origin.

If you visit Germany, you can see a minaret in almost every city. Germany is an open-minded country towards people with different faiths, especially towards Muslims.

Extremists do exist in all societies and communities in the world. The same goes for Germany. PEGIDA represents an extreme political group in Germany, which does not reflect the general idea prevalent in society.

It only represents the opinion of a very small group. PEGIDA holds demonstrations only in certain regions of Germany and the demonstrations are seldom organized. And when such demonstrations take place, reactions by many citizens are shown against them.

DS: Would you like to make any additional comment on Germany-Turkey relations?

I have been acting as the German ambassador to Turkey for four months. I am really happy and proud to represent Germany in such a significant country.

Based on my own experience as a diplomat working for 33 years, I can say that relations between Turkey and Germany have a unique intensity, and I can always witness that intensity during the course of my daily work.

More than three million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, while more than five million German tourists visit Turkey annually.

There are more than 64,000 Turkish-based businesses in Germany, and these companies make a contribution of 45 billion euros to Germany's gross domestic product.

Turkey-Germany relations have an intensity that cannot be compared with any other place in the world.

Consequently, two countries with such intense relations are ideal partners for each other.

We have what you do not have, and you have what we do not have. And we are becoming good partners by combining these factors.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russia Blamed For Deadly Air Strike In Syria's Idlib

At least 44 people were killed and scores wounded on Sunday in a suspected Russian air strike on a crowded marketplace in Idlib province, activists have told Al Jazeera.

The strikes hit the town of Ariha, which is controlled by the Army of Conquest, a rebel alliance which includes the al-Nusra Front, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

In addition to the market, several other areas of the town were hit, the group said.

Local news channel Ariha al-Youm reported that cluster bombs were used in the raid by a Russian fighter jet.

The pro-opposition Orient TV reported an initial death toll of 40.

However, Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory, put the death toll much higher, saying at least 60 people were killed and wounded in the attack.

Officials at the Russian defence ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Army of Conquest alliance seized Ariha in May after heavy fighting with forces loyal to the Syrian army, in an offensive that resulted in the entire province falling into rebel hands.

The Russian air force has conducted air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad since September 30.

Moscow says it targets the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other "terrorists", but critics accuse it of targeting other rebel groups more than ISIL.

Russian air strikes have previously hit several Army of Conquest positions in Idlib province.

The province is not a stronghold of ISIL, which controls wide areas of eastern Syria.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Blast Hits Military Bus In Syrian Capital: Witnesses

At least 10 people were wounded on Sunday in an explosion that hit a military bus in the Mazzeh residential district of western Damascus, Syrian state television reported.

The official SANA news agency said the blast was caused by a bomb, and an AFP journalist saw blood on the floor of the vehicle, which had had its windows blown out.

Earlier, witnesses told AFP that casualties were likely in the explosion which was described as ''violent''.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syria Regime, Iran, Russia Making 'Extensive' Use Of Cluster Munition: HRW

Human Rights Watch charged Sunday that Syrian government forces and their Russian allies have been making ''extensive'' use of cluster munitions against rebel groups since late September.

The New York-based rights watchdog said in a report it had documented the use of cluster munitions on 20 occasions since Russian and Syrian forces launched their assault on Sep. 30.

HRW ''collected detailed information about attacks in nine locations that have killed at least 35 civilians, including five women and 17 children, and injured dozens,'' the report said.

All the bombs were either made in Russia or the former Soviet Union, the rights group said.

''Syria's promises on indiscriminate weapons ring hollow when cluster munitions keep hitting civilians in many parts of the country," HRW's Ole Solvang said in the report.

Solvang urged the U.N. to ''get serious about its commitment to protect Syria's civilians by publicly demanding that all sides stop the use of cluster munitions.''

Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of bomblets and are fired in rockets or dropped from the air.

Widely banned, they spread explosives over large areas and are indiscriminate in nature, often continuing to maim and kill long after the initial attack when previously unexploded bomblets detonate.

Russia launched an aerial bombing campaign against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad on Sep. 30.

More than 250,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions more have fled their homes.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey Not To Pay Compensation For Russian Plane Shooting, Says Foreign Ministry

In response to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov's statement on Wednesday which read Turkey should guarantee that shooting down a Russian military plane will not happen again in the future, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said only minutes later, if there is no other violation in the future by Russia, another plane crisis would not repeat itself.

Meshkov had also said that Turkey should pay compensation for last month's incident, to which Turkey's Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgiç said, Turkey will not pay such compensation.

On November 24, two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on an aerial patrol intercepted a Russian warplane within engagement rules.

The intruding aircraft was warned about the violation 10 times within five minutes before it was shot down.

NATO later confirmed the accuracy of the radar trace data that Turkey shared which clearly showed that the Russian warplane violated Turkish airspace.

This was not the first time Russian fighter jets had violated Turkish airspace. In early October, Russian warplanes had breached Turkish airspace for which Russian officials apologized and pledged that no such incident would be repeated; Turkey had also renewed its warning to implement engagement rules, including military response against violations of Turkish airspace.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Obama Admits 'Challenge' Of Stopping Daesh

President Barack Obama admitted that ''lone wolf'' Daesh attacks present a vexing new security challenge Friday, even as he assured Americans the Daesh group can be defeated. Obama capped a week in which he has tried repeatedly to reassure a jittery Americans that his administration can neutralize the terror threat, with an end-of-year press conference that only underscored the tough task ahead.

''It is very difficult for us to detect lone wolf plots,'' Obama acknowledged.

''Despite the incredible vigilance and professionalism of all our law enforcement... you don't always see it.

''This is a different kind of challenge than the sort that we had with an organization like Al-Qaeda,'' Obama said.

''Essentially, you have ISIL (Daesh) trying to encourage or induce somebody who may be prey to this kind of propaganda.''

Iraqi strike may be mistake by two sides, says Pentagon chief

The American airstrike that may have killed a number of Iraqi soldiers on Friday seems to be ''a mistake that involved both sides,'' US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Saturday. He called Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi to express condolences.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to the USS Kearsarge in the Arabian Gulf, Carter said the incident near the western Iraqi city of Fallujah was ''regrettable.''

''These kinds of things happen when you're fighting side by side as we are,'' Carter said. He said the airstrike Friday ''has all the indications of being a mistake of the kind that can happen on a dynamic battlefield.''

Carter, who spent two days in Iraq this past week, called Abadi from the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship supporting coalition missions in Iraq and Syria against Daesh militants. The Kearsarge carries a Marine expeditionary unit and naval aircraft.

The Pentagon chief did not provide details about the airstrike, which the US military headquarters in charge of the war effort in Syria and Iraq said was one of several it conducted Friday against Daesh targets. A US military statement said the airstrikes came in response to requests and information provided by Iraqi security forces on the ground near Fallujah, which is in Daesh control, and were done in coordination with Iraqi forces.

A senior US defense official said there was fog in that area and that weather may have played a role in the incident. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Carter said he told Abadi that the US was investigating and would work with the Iraqis.

Asked if he was worried the deaths might further anger Iraqi citizens who may not be happy with the American and coalition presence in Iraq, Carter said, ''I hope Iraqis will understand that this is a reflection of things that happen in combat. But it's also a reflection of how closely we are working with the government'' of Iraq.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Saudi Efforts Praised As UN Backs Syria Road Map

Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh has expressed his country's appreciation of Saudi Arabia's efforts for hosting the recent conference in Riyadh for Syrian opposition.

Judeh said the convening of Syrian opposition leaders in Riyadh paved the way for launching a political process which, everyone hopes, would lead to a political solution to the crisis.

He said UN Security Council's resolution No. 2254 draws a road map for achieving a political solution in Syria.

He said the unanimous adoption of the resolution in New York offers the required momentum to achieve a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Friday's New York talks were the first by the International Syria Support Group since Saudi Arabia hosted the coalition of Syria opposition groups in Syria.

The UN resolution marks the start of a sustainable path for a political solution that forms the basis for a comprehensive cease-fire, with the exception of terrorist organizations such as Daesh so that international efforts could be focused on eradicating terrorism.

The UN-backed road map was described as unrealistic by the Istanbul-based National Coalition, the main Syrian opposition grouping.

The resolution ''undermines the outcome of the meetings of revolutionary forces in Riyadh and waters down previous UN resolutions concerning a political solution in Syria,'' coalition head Khaled Khoja said on Twitter.

Related report — Page 6

Fellow coalition member Samir Nashar said: ''Given the reality on the ground and the impasse on the fate of Bashar Assad, the agreement is absolutely not applicable.''

US Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized that victory over Daesh hinges on a peaceful settlement in the broader Syrian civil war.

''We know that Daesh can never be allowed to gain control in Syria so we have a global imperative here to deal with a terrorist entity but also to end the civil war,'' he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

''President Assad in our judgment... has lost the ability, the credibility to be able to unite the country and to provide the moral credibility to be able to govern it.'' Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey Joins Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance Against Daesh (i.e. ISIS), Iran-Sponsored Hezbollat And Their Likes

Turkey says it welcomes the formation of a 34-state Islamic military coalition to combat terrorism and agrees to join the coalition announced and led by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday 34 nations have agreed to form a new "Islamic military alliance" to fight terrorists like Daesh (i.e. ISIS) and Iran-Sponsored Hezbollat with a joint operations center based in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh.

The announcement published by the state-run Saudi Press Agency said the alliance will be Saudi-led and is being established because terrorism "should be fought by all means and collaboration should be made to eliminate it."

"The countries here mentioned have decided on the formation of a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism, with a joint operations centre based in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations," the statement said.

Turkey, the only country in the alliance that is also a NATO member, welcomed the new coalition. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu called it the "best response to those who are trying to associate terror and Islam."

"We believe this effort by Muslim countries is a step in the right direction," Davutoğlu said.

The statement said Islam forbids "corruption and destruction in the world" and that terrorism constitutes "a serious violation of human dignity and rights, especially the right to life and the right to security." It cited "a duty to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and organizations whatever their sect and name which wreak death and corruption on earth and aim to terrorize the innocent."

The new counterterrorism coalition includes nations with large and established armies such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt as well as war-torn countries with embattled militaries such as Libya and Yemen. African nations that have suffered militant attacks such as Mali, Chad, Somalia and Nigeria are also members.

Saudi Arabia's regional rival, Shiite Iran, is not part of the coalition. Saudi Arabia and Iran support opposite sides of in the wars raging in Syria and Yemen. Saudi Arabia is currently leading a military intervention in Yemen against Shiite Houthi rebels and is part of the US-led coalition bombing the Sunni extremist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in Iraq and Syria.

The United States has been increasingly outspoken about its view that Gulf Arab states should do more to aid the military campaign against the ISIL militant group based in Iraq and Syria.

In a rare press conference, 30-year-old Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman told reporters on Tuesday the new Islamic military coalition will develop mechanisms for working with other countries and international bodies to "coordinate" efforts to fight terrorism in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan but offered few concrete indications of how military efforts might proceed. He said their efforts would not be limited to only countering the ISIL group.

"There will be international coordination with major powers and international organizations ... in terms of operations in Syria and Iraq. We can't undertake these operations without coordinating with legitimacy in this place and the international community," bin Salman said without elaborating.

"Currently, every Muslim country is fighting terrorism individually ... so coordinating efforts is very important," he said.

He said the joint operations center will be established in Riyadh to "coordinate and support military operations to fight terrorism" across the Muslim world.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab neighbors have been locked in nine months of warfare with Iran-allied rebels in neighboring Yemen, launching hundreds of air strikes there.

Especially after a rash of attacks on Western targets claimed by ISIL in recent months, the United States has increasingly said it thinks that firepower would better be used against ISIL.

As a cease-fire is set to take hold in Yemen on Tuesday alongside United Nations-backed peace talks, Riyadh's announcement may signal a desire to shift its attention back toward the conflicts north of its borders.

ISIL has pledged to overthrow the monarchies of the Gulf and have mounted a series of attacks on Shiite Muslim mosques and security forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Smaller member-states included in the coalition are the archipelago of the Maldives and the Gulf Arab island-nation of Bahrain, which is home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.

Other Gulf Arab countries such as Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also in the coalition, though notably absent from the list is Oman, a neighbor of Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Oman has maintained a neutral role and has emerged as a mediator in regional conflicts, serving as a conduit from the Gulf Arabs to Iran.

However, Iraq and Syria, whose forces are battling to regain territory taken by the ISIL group and whose governments are allied with Iran, are not in the coalition.

A Jordanian government spokesman confirmed the Hashemite Kingdom is part of the coalition. Spokesman Mohammed Momani would not comment specifically on the alliance but said "Jordan is always ready and actively participates in any effort to fight terrorism."

Benin, while it does not have a majority Muslim population, is another member of this new counterterrorism coalition. All the group's members are also part of the larger Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Supports For Newly Formed Islamic Coalition Against Daesh (i.e. ISIS), Iran-Sponsored Hezbollat And Their Likes

The British Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed London's will to cooperate with the Islamic Coalition military, the formation of which was announced by Saudi Arabia. The Arab spokeswoman for theBritish Foreign Ministry, Farah Dakhlallah, told Asharq Al-Awsat: ''We want to observe countries from all over the world playing their roles in fighting terrorism. We are looking forward to receive extra details from KSA on the Islamic Military Coalition in order to look for the best means of cooperation with them against ISIS''.

This British endorsement for the new coalition coincides with Daily Telegraph's article on Britain's readiness to provide aircraft support for the Islamic Military Coalition as, according to military sources, Britain decided to send Special Forces to fight terrorist organizations in Syria within weeks.

International parties wanting to join the new coalition forces are increasing. Uganda's ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Rashid Yahya Semuddu, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country is ready to join the coalition and is waiting to make the necessary arrangements. He added: ''We will do what we will be asked once we figure out what Saudi Arabia wants Kambala, being part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and a close friend to the kingdom, to contribute to.''

Moreover, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov announced Russia's support for the new coalition. This came after Lavrov's meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, in Moscow. Lavrov said: ''We expect this initiative to motivate all the Islamic countries to unite against any act of terrorism or any attempt to manipulate religion''.

In a related report, officials announced that gunmen from ISIS launched an attack on a Turkish military camp in Mosul, Iraq, causing the injury of four Turkish soldiers.

China Supporting Saudi-led Islamic Alliance

Adel Al-Jubeir Saudi Foreign Minister announced that China approved the establishment of an Islamic Military Coalition against terrorism, and expressed its willingness to cooperate.

Al-Jubeir's announcement came after a meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last Friday on the sidelines of the International Syria Support Group meeting in New York. The Saudi Foreign Minister also affirmed the strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and China, and confirmed efforts were underway to develop them so they cover all arenas.

Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Li Chengwen, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the cooperation between the two countries encompassed various political, economic, military, and security domains.

The ambassador also indicated that Saudi Arabia and China share the same opinion on the necessity of fighting terrorism in all its forms and making arrangements for similar causes of common interest.

''China supports the Saudi political efforts within other international ones, in the fight against terrorism which has no religion, culture, or land and also to promote regional and international security and peace,'' he added inviting international efforts to unite and collaborate in fighting terrorism in all regions of the world.

Ambassador Chengwen also indicated that common efforts between Riyadh and Beijing are being coordinated to fight terrorism in all its forms. He explained that terrorism is everybody's enemy threatening the whole global community entirely, adding that it is imperative to separate terrorism from any religion, culture, or nation.

Saudi efforts on fighting terrorism were praised by Chengwen, who revealed Saudi Arabia's early caught concern and Riyadh hosting the International counterterrorism conference.

''Each country in the world has a responsibility to spread peace and security and fight terrorism at the same time; as there are various experiences that could be exchanged among countries for them to benefit from in the war against terrorism'' Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

US Treasury Confirms DAESH (i.e. ISIS) Is Selling A Great Deal Of Oil To The Assad Regime

ISIS militants are engaged in oil trade worth as much as $40 million a month with significant volumes sold to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and some finding its way across the border into Turkey, senior U.S. Treasury official Adam Szubin said on Thursday.

"ISIL [DAESH] is selling a great deal of oil to the Assad regime," Szubin, acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence with the U.S. Treasury, said at Chatham House in London.

"The two are trying to slaughter each other and they are still engaged in millions and millions of dollars of trade.

"The volumes we are talking about and the amounts of money we are talking about are very sizeable," Szubin said.

He said a "far greater amount" of ISIS oil ends up under Assad's control while some is consumed internally in ISIS areas and some ends up in Kurdish regions and Turkey.

"Some is coming across the border into Turkey," Szubin said.

ISIS militants have made more than $500 million from black market oil sales and looted up to $1 billion from bank vaults in Syria and Iraq, he said in prepared remarks.

"Our sense is that ISIL is taking its profits basically at the wellhead and so while you do have ISIL oil ending up in a variety of different places that's not really the pressure we want when it comes to stemming the flow of funding - it really comes down to taking down their infrastructure," he said.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russian Airstrikes Kill 41, In Syria's Aleppo, Including 15 Children

41 people were killed and another 65 injured Saturday in Russian airstrikes that targeted Aleppo province, Syrian Civil Defense sources told Anadolu Agency.

The sources in the towns of Atarib and Munbij said that a Russian airstrike targeted a residential area in Munbij, leaving 30 people dead, including 15 children.

Another 11 people were killed in another airstrike on Atarib.

Meanwhile, local activists told Anadolu Agency that Syrian regime forces bombarded Eastern Ghouta on Saturday in areas that include Hamuriye, Sakba, Kafr Batna and Jasrain, leaving scores dead. Exact figures, however, were not available.

Russia began air operations in Syria on Sept. 30 with the aim of supporting the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

While the Kremlin says the airstrikes target the DAESH (i.e. ISIS) militant group, some members of the western NATO alliance believe Russia is targeting groups opposed to Assad, including some that enjoy U.S. and Turkish support.

At least 250,000 people have been killed since the Syria conflict began in 2011, according to UN figures.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

How Former Baathists, Saddam's Men Help DAESH (i.e. ISIS) Rule

Saddam Hussein-era officers have been a powerful factor in the rise of DAESH (i.e. ISIS), in particular in the Sunni militant group's victories in Iraq last year. ISIS then out-muscled the Sunni-dominated Baath Party and absorbed thousands of its followers. The new recruits joined Saddam-era officers who already held key posts in ISIS. The Baathists have strengthened the group's spy networks and battlefield tactics and are instrumental in the survival of its self-proclaimed Caliphate, according to interviews with dozens of people, including Baath leaders, former intelligence and military officers, Western diplomats and 35 Iraqis who recently fled ISIS territory for Kurdish Regional Government.

Of ISIS's 23 portfolios, equivalent to ministries, former Saddam regime officers run three of the most crucial: security, military and finance, according to Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi analyst who has worked with the Iraqi government. Iraq's Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd who spent years opposing Saddam's regime, said the ex-Baathists working with ISIS provide the group with highly effective guidance on explosives, strategy and planning. "They know who is who, family by family, name by name," he said. "The fingerprints of the old Iraqi state are clear on their work. You can feel it," one former senior security official in the Baath Party said. In many ways, it is a union of convenience. Most former Baathist officers have little in common with ISIS. Saddam promoted Arab nationalism and secularism for most of his rule. But many of the ex-Baathists working with ISIS are driven by self-preservation and a shared hatred of the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. Others are true believers who became radicalized in the early years after Saddam's ouster, converted on the battlefield or in U.S. military and Iraqi prisons.

One former intelligence commander who served in Iraq's national intelligence service from 2003 to 2009 said some ex-Baathists pushed out of state agencies by Iraq's government were only too happy to find new masters. "ISIS pays them," he said. A few Sunni lawmakers hope that former Saddam-era officers might be persuaded to abandon their ISIS allies. But a senior official close to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said dealing with them was difficult because the Baathists are so deeply split, with some supporting ISIS and some opposed. "Who are they?" he asked. "Some wave olive branches. Others still wave a gun." A spokesman for Abadi, Saad al-Hadithi, said the Iraqi government opposes negotiations with the Baath Party. "There is no space for them in the political process," he said. "They are banned under the constitution."

Baathists began collaborating with al-Qaida in Iraq, the early incarnation of what would become ISIS, soon after Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003. Saddam had run a brutal police state. The U.S. occupation dissolved the Baath Party and barred senior and even middling party officials from joining the new security services. Some left the country, others joined the anti-American insurgency. But then the Baathists and militants disagreed over who should be in charge. Many ex-Baathists struck an alliance with the U.S. military and turned on the militants. By 2014, the Baathists and the militants were back to being allies. As ISIS fighters swept through central Iraq, they were joined by the Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order, a group of Baathist fighters. The Naqshbandi and smaller groups of Saddam-era officers made up the majority of fighters in the initial stages of last year's military onslaught, according to Sunni tribal leaders, Baathists and an Iraqi security commander. It was the Naqshbandi who rallie locals in Mosul to rise up against Baghdad, and who planned and commanded many of last year's military advances, according to Iraqi officials and Abdul al-Samad al-Ghrairy, a senior official in what's left of the Baath Party. Within days, though, ISIS "took the revolution from us," said Ghrairy. "We couldn't sustain the battle."

In Tikrit, ISIS fighters opened a jail and released up to 200 followers. More ISIS fighters poured into the city, many of them with heavy machine guns. These men "took all the army's weapons and didn't give the Naqshbandi any. They kicked them aside," a senior security official in Salahuddin said.

Soon after the fall of Tikrit in June 2014, leaders from the main factions of the Sunni rebellion met in the house of a Baath Party member. According to the senior security official, Tikrit tribal leaders and Baath officials, ISIS told Baathists they had a choice: Join us or stand down. Some Baathists abandoned the revolt. Others stayed, swelling the ranks of ISIS with mid-level security veterans. That has boosted ISIS's firepower and tactical prowess. "This is not the al-Qaida we fought before," said a prominent Sunni from Mosul who battled ISIS's forerunners. "Their tactics are different. These are men educated in military staff college. They are ex-army leaders. They are not simple minds, but men with real experience." Both Ghrairy and Khudair Murshidy, the Baath Party's official spokesman, told Reuters that the party's armed wing is frozen in the aftermath of its defeat. ISIS, they added, had killed some 600 Baath supporters and Naqshbandi fighters. "Their policy is to kill everyone, destroy everyone," Murshidy said. "They create fear and death everywhere and control areas. Many people have joined them now. At first they were a few hundred, now they are maybe more than 50,000." Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

ISIS Says It Was Behind Deadly Attack In Syria's Homs

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group said it was behind a deadly attack in the central Syrian city of Homs on Saturday that killed at least 16 people and wounded dozens more.

''Abu Ahmed al-Homsi parked his car in the Zahra neighborhood and exploded it among the 'rafidis' before detonating his explosives belt,'' an ISIS statement said, using a derogatory term for Shiites.

The statement said the twin blasts in a pro-regime area of the city killed more than 25 people and wounded 70. Earlier, the provincial governor and a monitoring group said 16 people died and 54 were wounded, speaking of a single explosion.

A vehicle bomb detonated close to a hospital in the mainly Alawite neighborhood of al-Zahra in the east of Homs city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

The second large blast, originally suspected to have been a bomb, appeared to have come from an exploding gas canister and wounded people who had come to tend to victims of the first explosion in the densely-populated neighborhood, state media said.

State television had earlier described the attack as ''two large terrorist explosions.'' News agency SANA said the vehicle bomb had been packed with 150 kg of explosives. It published a photo of two men carrying a woman away from burning wreckage.

Footage on state television showed a chaotic scene with black clouds of smoke rising above twisted metal debris. People stumbled over the rubble as they tried to ferry people away from the site.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

'Dialogue' With DAESH (i.e. ISIS) Terrorists Necessary: Dalai Lama

DAESH (i.e. ISIS) terrorist organization harms Islam through its intolerance, but "dialogue" with the militants is vital, the Dalai Lama said in an interview reported on Monday by the Italian daily La Stampa.

"Islam is a religion of peace. Those who are intolerant harm their own faith and their own brothers," the Tibetan spiritual leader was quoted as saying in Bangalore, southern India, where he took part in a seminar on peace and the economy.

Even so, "There has to be dialogue, with ISIS as well," the Dalai Lama said, using an alternative acronym for ISIS.

Asked how this should be achieved, he replied, "Through dialogue. One has to listen, to understand, to have respect for the other person, regardless. There is no other way."

The US-led coalition formed in October 2014 has been conducting airstrikes against ISIS, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda terrorist organization which carries out brutal executions, abductions and rapes in areas under its control in Iraq and Syria, and conducted a wave of terror operations abroad in Paris, Ankara and North Africa.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

At Least 40 Killed In Russian Air Attack On Marketplace In Syria's Idlib Province

At least 40 were killed, 70 injured in a Russian air attack on a busy marketplace in Syria's Idlib province on Sunday morning, Anadolu Agency reported.

The attack occurred in the town of Ariha, 15km south of Idlib city, a monitoring group reportedly said.

Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Observatory, said a total of at least 60 people had been killed and wounded in the attack. The pro-opposition Orient TV reported an initial death toll of 40.

Officials at the Russian defense ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. The Russian air force has been conducting air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad since Sept. 30. It says it targets the ISIS and other "terrorists", but critics accuse it of targeting moderate opposition fighters as well as civilians.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Vladimir Putin Facing Defeat In Syria To Result To Using Nuclear Missiles In The Middle East

Vladimir Putin has floated the notion of using nuclear weapons against members of the Islamic State, according to quotes published by the Kremlin. The state's press service claimed on Wednesday that the Russia's President and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed launching nuclear-tipped cruise missiles at Isis positions in Syria during a recent meeting at the Kremlin.

Shoigu told the president that conventional Kalibr cruise missiles had already been fired from the Rostov-on-Don submarine in the Mediterranean. Putin added that the Kalibr missiles could be equipped with a nuclear warhead, but said he hoped they would "never be needed."

"We must analyse everything happening on the battlefield, how the weapons operate," Putin said. ''The Kalibrs and KH-101 have proved to be modern and highly effective, and now we know it for sure -- precision weapons that can be equipped with both conventional and special warheads, which are nuclear.

''Naturally, this is not necessary when fighting terrorists and, I hope, will never be needed,'' he added.

Moscow launched its air campaign against targets in Syria on September 30. Last month, Russian authorities revealed its refurbished National Defence Control Centre, a monstrous, fortified operations base in he heart of the capital next to the Moskva River from which military officers oversee attacks.

Only 9 percent of Russian strikes target ISIS, Turkey says

Turkish Presidential Spokesman İbrahim Kalın on Wednesday said that only 9 to 10 percent of Russian airstrikes in Syria targeted ISIS, while the remaining 90 percent targeted moderate opposition forces.

Speaking at a press conference, Kalın said that Russian airstrikes mainly targeted the moderate opposition forces and Turkmens rather than ISIS.

He said that Turkey opened İncirlik base to hit ISIS terrorists and has deported over 2700 suspects, most of who arrived from Europe to join ISIS in Syria.

"It is not possible to resolve the refugee crisis, -which has become a global concern- without finding a resolution to the Syrian conflict" Kalın said, adding that the moderate opposition forces should move in unison and cohesively.

With regards to the tensions between Turkey and Russia, Kalın said that it is significant to utilize diplomatic efforts.

"Turkey does not have a problem with Russia striking ISIS targets in Syria, as it also fights against the terrorist organization" Kalın said, adding that Turkey is against Russia targeting civilians rather than ISIS.

Turkey slams Russian missile launcher 'provocation'

Turkey's foreign minister has called on Russia to end ''provocative acts'' after Turkish media captured images of a Russian soldier apparently pointing a missile launcher as his warship navigated through the Bosporus on its way to the Mediterranean.

Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday Turkey had had made the necessary response over Sunday's incident which came amid escalating Russian-Turkish tensions following Turkey's downing of a Russian plane.

Cavusoglu did not provide details but said: ''The ship's passage in such a way was an openly provocative passage. This has to end.''

The minister renewed a call for the two sides to overcome tensions through diplomatic means and for Russia to halt punitive sanctions on Turkey.

Cavusoglu added: ''We are asking Russia to act as a more mature state.'' Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey Accuses Russia Of 'Ethnic Cleansing' In Syria

Turkey's prime minister has accused Russia of attempted ''ethnic cleansing'' in northern Syria, saying Moscow was trying to drive out the local Turkmen and Sunni Muslim populations to protect its military interests in the region.

Ahmet Davutoglu's comments could further harm strained relations between Moscow and Ankara, already at their worst in recent memory after Turkish forces downed a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border late last month.

''Russia is trying to make ethnic cleansing in northern Latakia to force (out) all Turkmen and Sunni population who do not have good relations with the regime,'' Davutoglu told foreign reporters in

''They want to expel them, they want to ethnically cleanse this area so that the regime (of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) and Russian bases in Latakia and Tartus are protected,'' he said, speaking English.

The Turkmens are ethnic kin of the Turks and Ankara has been particularly angered by what it says is Russian targeting of them in Syria.

Davutoglu said Russian bombing around Azaz, also in northwest Syria, was designed to cut supply lines to Syrian groups opposed to Assad, Moscow's ally, and ultimately to benefit ISIS militants.

Both Moscow and Ankara have repeatedly accused the other of helping ISIS. Both deny the charge.

Turkey, a member of NATO and of the U.S.-led coalition that is bombing ISIS in Syria, has long called for Assad's overthrow. Russia began intervening directly in Syria's civil war in late September with air strikes in support of Assad.

The intervention has had unintended consequences, notably when Turkey shot down the jet, saying it had strayed into Turkish airspace, an allegation Russia denies.

Davutoglu said Turkey was ready to work with Russia to prevent similar incidents happening again.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syrian Opposition Talks Open in Saudi Arabia To Overthrow The Assad Regime With All Its Pillars And Symbols

Syria's fragmented opposition and rebel groups sought common ground on Wednesday ahead of planned negotiations to end a conflict which has devastated the country and drawn forces from Cold War and Middle East rivals into ever deeper combat operations.

The talks in Saudi Arabia mark the most ambitious attempt yet to unify President Bashar al-Assad's enemies around a joint political platform - seen as a crucial first step to finding a peaceful end to four years of war and battling Islamic State.

The powerful Kurdish YPG is among several groups excluded from the talks and those there are deeply divided over central issues like how to manage a transition from Assad and the role Islam should play in Syria.

But two delegates found solace in what they described as a lack of any major rupture so far among those present.

"It went well. Very positive. We discussed many things. Tomorrow we will discuss a document of general principles," said one opposition member. The groups hoped to complete the talks on Thursday, but they may continue into Friday, he said.

A member of the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition said there had been broad agreement: "We discussed the main problems relating to the dialogue, the transition and all modalities related to the political process. Most of them agreed."

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters initial reports were "that it's off to a positive start and that they are beginning to make ... some progress."

More than 100 delegates were invited to the Riyadh meeting, including from the Islamist insurgent group, Ahrar al-Sham, founded by militants with al-Qaeda links, as well as opposition figures who have been based in government-controlled Damascus.

While most agree on a call for Assad to go, despite signs that some Western backers have softened their demands after recognizing that military force has failed to topple the president, rifts in opposition ranks are still clear.

Before the talks opened on Wednesday, Ahrar al-Sham complained that some delegates were "closer to ... the regime" than to the opposition. One activist in exile declined to attend alongside those who "support an Islamic emirate" in Syria.

International efforts to resolve the conflict which has killed 250,000 people and displaced 12 million have been lent added urgency by a wave of deadly attacks across the world claimed by the Iraq- and Syria-based Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and by an escalating refugee flow which has caused a crisis in Europe.

Major powers agreed in Vienna last month to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war, calling for peace talks to start by Jan. 1.

That prompted Saudi Arabia, which projects itself as a leader of the Middle East's Sunni Muslims, to summon the mainly Sunni opposition and rebel groups. The move angered rival Shi'ite Iran which said the initiative threatened to harm the Vienna process.

The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, whose country is also a major supporter of the Syrian rebels, said the Riyadh meeting represented a "golden opportunity (for the Syrian opposition) to unify their ranks and coordinate their steps beyond setting up a negotiating team".

Army advances

Intensified diplomacy has been accompanied by greater military intervention by foreign powers.

Russia has carried out 10 weeks of air strikes, halting rebel gains, and Iran has also given Assad military support and said ousting Assad would be a "red line" for Tehran.

Western powers have stepped up attacks on ISIS while Saudi Arabia, which backs the rebels, says an expanded military option remains open.

Last month NATO member Turkey shot down a Russian plane it said flew into its air space, highlighting the danger that Syria's multi-faceted war could spark yet wider conflict.

Russia's air campaign has helped the Syrian army, backed by Hezbollah fighters and the Iranian military, to halt a rebel advance over the summer which had threatened Assad's control over the main population centers in western Syria.

Russian air strikes, while containing rebel advances, have not decisively tipped the war in Assad's favor.

On Wednesday, scores of people left the last area held by insurgents in the city of Homs, a center of the uprising against Assad which broke out in March 2011. About 750 people are expected to leave the Waer district under a local truce between the government and rebels.

Further north, Syrian government troops backed by Iranian forces have edged closer to a major rebel-controlled highway near Aleppo. They appeared to be trying to cut the main Aleppo-Damascus highway that fighters use to transport supplies from rebel-held Idlib province to the north.

For Saudi Arabia, which has been fighting since March in neighboring Yemen, Syria has been a secondary battlefield in its regional struggle for influence with Iran. But the kingdom still views the Syrian civil war as central to that rivalry.

Ahrar al-Sham said the Riyadh meeting, which opened at a luxury hotel amid high security, must stand by demands including "the complete cleansing of the Russian-Iranian occupation of Syrian land, and the sectarian militias which support it".

"Overthrow of Assad"

It called for the "overthrow of the Assad regime with all its pillars and symbols" and putting its members on trial.

Syrian security and military institutions must also be dissolved it said, putting it at odds with world powers which agreed in Vienna last month that state institutions be kept intact in any transition of power.

Other rebel factions at the Saudi talks include the powerful Islamist force, Islam Army, and a dozen groups which describe themselves as elements of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

The head of one FSA armed group said the first day of talks was focused on discussing opposition demands and drafting a concluding statement.

"The principles are the unity of Syrian land, the civilian nature of the state, and the unity of the Syrian people," he said. Ahrar al-Sham said Syria's "Islamic identity" should be maintained.

Hadi al-Bahra, a senior member of the opposition National Coalition, said there was a positive atmosphere and "no differences among the delegates" so far. "Everyone senses the importance and sensitivity of this stage", he tweeted.

Although scores of people were asked to attend, the Kurdish administration that runs swathes of north Syria was not invited.

Rebels in western Syria do not trust the main Kurdish militia, the YPG, because they say it cooperates with Damascus rather than fighting it.

Delegates said there was some Kurdish representation, but a Western diplomat who follows Syria said this week the meeting had not brought together as many Syrian factions as hoped.

"It is not all-encompassing. It is not the consolidated, overall opposition platform," the diplomat said.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Criminal Complaint Filed Against Putin For Insulting President Erdoğan

Mair Akkar, a suspect in the Ergenekon case, filed a criminal complaint on Wednesday against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Deputy Defence Minister Anotoly Antonov on grounds of "insulting the President" and "defamation."

In the letter of denunciation he submitted to the Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office, Akkar said that the President can be criticized as long as "the boundaries of criticism are not exceeded."

"This is a democratic right but we cannot turn a blind eye to defamation against our President by other Presidents or officials," he said, adding that Russian officials should be punished for their defamation and smear campaign -which was initiated as retaliation to Turkey's downing of a Russian SU-24 warplane that violated its airspace - that the family of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is allegedly "involved in oil trade with DAESH (i.e. ISIS) terrorist organization."

Akkar demanded in the letter that a criminal case against Putin and Antonov be initiated.

A warplane of unknown nationality, which turned out to be a Russian-made SU-24 jet, entered Turkish airspace on November 24. It was downed by Turkish F16 fighter jets patrolling the border, upon the Russian pilot's refusal to quit Turkish airspace despite 10 warnings.

Russia later claimed responsibility for the jet which fell in the Bayırbucak region in Syria bordering the Yayladağı district of southern Hatay province in Turkey. NATO confirmed the validity of the information disclosed by Turkey regarding the airspace violation.

In early October, Russian warplanes had also violated Turkish airspace and Russian officials had apologized for the incident saying that it would not be repeated. Later on, Turkey again declared that rules of engagement including military response would be implemented.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russia Trying To Carry Out Ethnic Cleansing in Syria's Latakia, Turkey PM Davutoğlu Says

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu Wednesday said that Russia is trying to carry out an 'ethnic cleansing' in Syria's Latakia against the Turkmens in the region.

"They want to expel them, they want to ethnically cleanse this area so that the regime (of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) and Russian bases in Latakia and Tartus are protected," he said, speaking English.

The Russian airstrikes were 'strengthening' ISIS in Syria and Turkey's coordination with United States on fight against ISIS has improved, Davutoğlu told foreign reporters in Istanbul.

Commenting on the Russian jet downed by Turkish military, Davutoğlu said, "We are ready to work" with Russia to prevent repeat of such an incident in the future. But he also warned that without proper coordination over operations in Syria there will always be a risk of "accidents or unintentional confrontation".

The prime minister has also touched upon on Turkey's relations with the EU, saying he is "very optimistic" a new era is starting in relations with the European Union and he expects a deal on migrants and visa liberalisation to be completed within the next nine months.

"We are starting a new era with the EU, I am very optimistic, a very good start," Davutoğlu said.

"Visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens and (a) readmission agreement will be completed in the next six months, or nine months latest." Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Bulk Of DAESH (i.e. ISIS) Arsenal Made In Former Soviet States: Improvised Weapons The Main Issue

The majority of weapons used by DAESH (i.e. ISIS) come from supplies plundered from the Iraqi military and mainly consist of stock designed or manufactured in former Soviet bloc states, according to Amnesty International.

Advances made across northern Iraq last year, particularly the capture of Mosul, gave ISIS access to a huge stockpile of arms that also included modern U.S.-made weaponry.

"We have been able to see what type of weapons they have got but in terms of quantity it's very difficult to know that," Patrick Wilcken, an arms control researcher at Amnesty, told Anadolu Agency.

"However, what we can say is that the top one is definitely Russian and former Soviet Union weapons. So it's Russian and Eastern European and it's their standard equipment that they are using."

Wilcken said the U.S-made and NATO equipment in ISIS's hands was a result of arms transfers made to Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

He added that the bulk of ISIS's arsenal was old and dated from the 1980s and 1990s.

"The 1980s was a crucial era for arms buildup and that was the time of the Iran-Iraq War, when Russia was the principal supplier of Iraq," Wilcken said. "But I think it's important to remember that just because the weapons are old does not mean that they were necessarily transferred in the era they were manufactured.

"And a lot of old Warsaw Pact stock has been transferred by the U.S., the U.K., other coalition members, during the occupation of Iraq and post-2003. And even more recently, supplies to Kurdish forces in post-, mid-2014 were mainly old Warsaw Pact stock."

ISIS also buys weapons from corrupt members of the Syrian military and on the "illicit market that runs across the borders," Wilcken added.

"There does seem to be a lot of reports of illicit traffic. And it would be surprising if there wasn't illicit traffic given that the whole region is in conflict."

Improvised weapons the main issue

Although ISIS fighters have an essential stock of weapons - consisting mainly of Kalashnikov assault rifles and RPG-7 grenade launchers but also including Russian armored vehicles and tanks and U.S. Humvees - Wilckin said the main issue was not its conventional armory but improvised weapons.

"It is the improvised weapons and explosives that IS are using that has caused the most casualties in Kurdish peshmerga forces and is a really serious problem," he said, using an alternative acronym for ISIS.

In a report issued this week, Amnesty documented the group's use of arms and ammunition.

"Taking Stock: The Arming of Islamic State" reported on the use of arms supplied by at least 25 different countries including Russia, China, the U.S. and EU states.

Most weapons had been looted from Iraqi army stocks. Weapons captured in Syria also form part of the arsenal.

"Much of IS' substantial military stocks date back to the 1980s and 1990s, drawn from the vast quantities of arms and ammunition that have been supplied to Iraq by all permanent members of the Security Council and others since the 1970s," according to the report.

This includes equipment from "irresponsible arms supplies to Iraq organized by permanent members of the Security Council and their allies" during the Iran-Iraq war and arms supplied to Iraq by the U.S.-led coalition and other states since 2003.

"From 2003 to 2007, the U.S.A. and other coalition members transferred more than 1 million infantry weapons and pistols with millions of rounds of ammunition to the Iraqi armed forces, despite the fact that the army was poorly structured, corrupt and ill-disciplined," Amnesty reported.

"Hundreds of thousands of those weapons went missing and are still unaccounted for. During this period, illicit markets flourished, as did covert supplies from Iran, making arms and ammunition readily available to armed groups operating in Iraq." Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Moscow Admits Economic Sanctions On Turkey Affecting Russian Prices

Economic sanctions imposed on Turkey have caused an increase in prices in Russian shops, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.

Revealing that the government was trying to come up with a compensation formula, Medvedev told Russian TV that tourism ties to Turkey and Egypt could be rebuilt.

Following Turkey's shooting down of a Russian military jet over the Turkey-Syria border last month, Russia imposed a range of unilateral sanctions on Turkey, including a ban on food imports, an end to visa-free travel and calls for tourists not to visit Turkey.

"The resolutions against Turkey are not sanctions but defense reactions of the state," Medvedev said.

Egypt is bidding to fill the trade gap with Turkey caused by Russian sanctions however experts say the country is unable to replace the prohibited or restricted goods for import to Russia from Turkey with Egyptian goods.

"The sectors of the economy that will be under sanction are not clear at the moment but it looks like agricultural products will be the largest. Egypt is an importer of food so the country is unable to fill this. If textiles and manufactured goods are targeted then this is at least an area Egypt does export - however, the spare capacity to increase exports is minimal and we would have to see sanctions in place for at least a year before Egypt could increase production," Edward Coughlan, head of Middle East & North Africa Analysis, told Anadolu Agency.

"Most of Turkey's exports to Russia consist of intermediate manufactured parts and it's not clear whether these will be sanctioned given the possible adverse consequences for Russian firms. Even if they were, Egypt will not necessarily be the beneficiary of Russian firms having to find these parts from elsewhere," Jason Tuvey, an economist with Capital Economics said.

The Nov. 24 downing of a Russian SU-24 bomber came after the crew ignored repeated warnings from the Turkish military and violated Turkey's airspace. Russia denies the claims.

Goods boycotted by Russia offered to public for free

The owner of a local market chain in the Kadirli district of Osmaniye distributed 10 tons of citrus fruit for free to locals in reaction to Russia's sanctions on Turkish goods.

A businessman in Kadirli had an interesting response to the sanctions imposed by Russia on Turkish exported goods after Turkey downed a Russian aircraft that violated its airspace. Kasım Yasdıoğlu, the owner of a local market chain that has eight branches in Kadirli, purchased five tons of tangerines and five tons of tomatoes, which were to be exported to Russia but were instead rejected and returned to their producers by Russian customs - and distributed the fruits for free to the locals at the stand he established.

Banners read, "Free tomatoes and tangerines in spite of Russia," and "If you don't buy it Russia, we will distribute it for free." The locals initially showed surprise, but after a while formed long queues to receive the free goods. Yasdıoğlu said that he is personally boycotting Russian products in reaction to Moscow's rejection and boycott of Turkish goods. "I bought the goods returned by Russia from their producers out of my own pocket and distributed them to the consumers here. So, they can return our goods as long as they want to, I will continue distributing them for free," Yasdıoğlu said.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Canada Will Pullout From Bombing ISIS 'Within Weeks'

Canada's new Liberal government will act within weeks to fulfill a campaign promise to withdraw six fighter jets that have been attacking ISIS positions in Iraq and Syria, a top official said on Monday.

The Liberals, who took power last month, say Canada can contribute more effectively to the U.S.-led campaign against the militants by assigning more troops to train Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

''It's a matter of weeks, not months,'' Foreign Minister Stephane Dion told reporters when asked when the jets would be pulled out. Dion's comments were the most specific so far from a cabinet member about when the planes would return home.

''We're carrying out two percent of the air strikes. We're going to do something more efficient for the coalition,'' he said.

Diplomatic sources say the United States, France and Britain have privately expressed their unease about Canada's pledge on the grounds it could undermine the effort to contain ISIS.

The Liberals of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office after defeating the Conservatives, who took the decision to send the jets and trainers to the Middle East.

In Parliament on Monday, the Conservatives noted that when U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday cited close allies who were taking part in the operations against ISIS, he had not mentioned Canada.

''Why is the prime minister stepping back from the fight when our allies are stepping up?'' asked interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose.

Trudeau replied that he had ''engaged with our allies on these issues, and they reassured me that we are continuing to be helpful''.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey Maintains Iran's Policies In Syria, Iraq Is Sectarian

Turkey has strong differences with Iran over policy in Syria and Iraq, and Tehran's sectarian policies are a danger to the region, but there is no crisis between the two countries, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

In a separate story, the foreign minister has also called on Russia to end ''provocative acts'' after Turkish media captured images of a Russian soldier apparently pointing a missile launcher as his warship navigated through the Bosporus on its way to the Mediterranean.

The minister renewed a call for the two sides to overcome tensions through diplomatic means and for Russia to halt punitive sanctions on Turkey.

Cavusoglu added: ''We are asking Russia to act as a more mature state.''

Turkey has long maintained friendly ties with Iran and Russia, who are both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's close allies.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

It Was Russia That Stabbed Turkey In The Back

By Ragıp Soylu

Turkey's shooting down Russian military jet is a serious blow for President Vladimir Putin's calculated air offensive in Syria's Latakia. The offensive has not only harmed the Turkmen brigades who are basically holding the border area with other moderate rebels, but also strategically targeted Turkish plans for the Azez-Jarablous line.

Make no mistake, Turkey's response was an expected move considering its rules of engagement and also its several diplomatic warnings against Russian incursions into Turkish airspace. However, this incident is not only a Russian-Turkish brawl; it is a fight concerning all the parties involved in Syria in which the U.S. and Russia engage in clashing strategies. Russia props up the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad with its air power and lends financial and logistical support while the U.S.'s only concern in the country is containing and destroying DAESH (i.e ISIS). Despite the recent Syria talks, these two separate strategies have been on a collision course for a while. Weakening the moderate Syrian rebels is obviously also harming the war against ISIS, and the Azez-Jarablous line was particularly important in all of this.

International media outlets, specifically Turkish ones, missed the story published on Nov. 1 by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), ushering the news that Turkish and American jets bombarded ISIS strongholds in northern Syria, in coordination with the Syrian opposition groups including Turkmen fighters. That was a first operation jointly conducted by Turkey and U.S.-backed Syrian opposition forces against ISIS. It was a clear sign that Turkey was adamant to clean ISIS from the last part of the border it holds. Since then, Turkey's air campaign around the Mar'a line intensified. An anti-ISIS coalition press release last week indicated that allied forces hit the area at least a dozen times in a day. One of the crucial ground forces in this area is Turkey-backed Turkmen groups.

While Turkey is trying to rid ISIS from this area, Russian war planes plowed the Turkmen mountain region on the west throughout the week and undermined Turkish plans for the Azez-Jarablous by risking all of northern Syria held by the opposition. It might be natural for Assad forces to secure Alawite-dominated Latakia and extend its rule over the border - the domestic repercussions in Turkey of Turkmen refugees running from the Russian airstrikes and the public outcry against Turkish inaction also must be noted. But ruining Turkey's plans to keep a specific territory along the border from both ISIS and the PKK-linked Democratic Union Party (PYD) is something that has deeply concerned Ankara. The failure of this plan would give significant leverage to the PYD's ambitions to connect Tal Abyad to Afrin, which is one of the government's nightmares considering the possible Kurdish state that could come to fruition in the future.

The immediate reaction from U.S. officials was supportive but it is clear that Washington is not a big fan of such serious escalation. The U.S. State Department's spokesperson, Mark Toner, avoided confirming that Russia had specifically been hitting the Turkmen rebels. He said the U.S. cannot verify the reports. Despite Turkey's intensive diplomatic work, including a phone call from Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioğlu to Secretary of State John Kerry over the issue, the U.S. is not convinced that the composition of the rebels in the area only consists of Turkmens. Peculiarly enough, he admitted that Russia targeted moderate Syrian rebels along the border, without specifying their locations.

The impact of this incident to crucial Syria talks is negative, and there is a chance that the retaliation game would be in play for quite some time. Yet, it is very possible that Russia would ramp up its support for the PYD, both diplomatically and militarily, and continue to target Syrian rebels even more forcefully. Expect some bold moves by Russia, but their response is likely to be in Syria rather than on any diplomatic front.

This is why Turkey will require NATO support more than ever in the coming days. It will also be under even more self-pressure to act swiftly to clear the Azez-Jarablous line.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Peril Posed By Putin In The Middle East Runs Parallel To ISIS

Soon after Syria downed a Turkish F-4 jet in 2012, Turkey announced to the world that it had instituted new military rules of engagement (MRoE) on the border with its southern neighbor. It had underlined its determination to strike at any violation of its airspace that emanated from Syria. A Syrian helicopter that tested the new move in 2013 was promptly shot down.

Operating near the border, Russia recently began its own air offensive in support of the Assad regime and violated Turkish airspace twice early in October. However, Turkey chose not to put these new rules into effect, opting to warn Russia instead. Even U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the time shared his concern over the possibility of the repeat of such serious transgressions. The following days and weeks saw Turkish and Russian officials discuss how to avoid such incidents on five separate occasions. Each time, Russia was told that the rules of engagement would be implemented to the letter and warned about the deadly consequences repeating their actions. Russian officials said these were momentary lapses due to navigational errors and assured Turkey that they will be more careful in the future.

Russia's decision to launch airstrikes in Syria in September sparked the tensest crisis with Western powers since the end of the Cold War. On Nov. 24, while Russia was once again raining bombs on anti-Assad opposition groups and Turkmen villages, two Russian fighter planes approached the border with Turkey, with one violating its airspace. According to a statement by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), the as of yet unidentified jet that violated the airspace was warned 10 times in five minutes, with each warning repeatedly ignored by the pilot. Then the F-16 fighter planes that were ordered into the air proceeded to strike the plane in accordance with the international accepted rules of aerial engagement.

This, without doubt, is a serious crisis. This will definitely be a watershed moment in Turkish-Russian relations.

Russia's total disregard of the international system was already apparent by the way it behaved in Ukraine and Crimea. Russia's acts were in total contravention to the accepted modes of international conduct and its repeated violations of the airspaces of NATO member countries places it at an international threat level at least equal to that of DAESH (or ISIS) in the eyes of the West. A report by the European Leadership Network released in March this year showed Russian aircraft posed a threat scores of times to NATO armed forces and civilian flights in the English Channel, Baltic Sea, Black Sea and North Sea.

Russia clearly poses a threat to the international system and, when one delves deeper, its conduct is no different from that of ISIS. Russian President Vladimir Putin now accuses Turkey of stabbing him in the back. Turkey has been observing Russia's actions in Syria since September with growing concern. Moscow's priority is not to fight ISIS but to prop up the Assad regime while securing its military installations in Latakia.

Russia should stop trying to fool the international community by claiming to be fighting ISIS, and the international community, in turn, should stop being so gullible. Putin, in an effort to justify his ambitions in the Middle East to his people, is exploiting the tension and trying to portray Turkey as the aggressor. His aggressive efforts to broaden Russia's zone of influence over the energy transportation routes of the Middle East and energy supplies in the Eastern Mediterranean can be ascertained by just a quick look at what he has done.

This growing threat from Russia should be dealt with by the U.S. and other NATO allies as a paramount security issue. Turkey is not alone in its concern over Russia's actions in the region. Saudi Arabia and Israel are also worried about the escalating Russian and Iranian involvement in Syria.

NATO should continue to support Turkey's security establishment against any and all threats emanating from Syria. Russia is harming its own interests by losing a friend like Turkey, which is its largest commercial partner in the region. Moscow, which everyone knows is not above exploiting its energy riches as a ploy to dominate its neighbors, should be aware of the fact that it is losing the trust of its commercial partners as a secure energy source. Such acts will definitely push its trade partners to seek other avenues. Turkey thought the crisis in October had ended with a mutual understanding but Moscow's decision to take on Turkey means Russia is actually taking on NATO.

Such a senseless escalation will push Moscow to the margins of the international community and will hurt its commercial and strategic interests.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey 'Fully Justified' In Shooting Russian Warplane, Former NATO Official Says

Turkey had the right to shoot down a Russian fighter jet violating its airspace, a former U.S. representative to NATO said, adding that the incident should not come as much of a surprise.

In fact, the incident was one "that was waiting to happen," Ivo Daalder told Anadolu Agency. "The way Russia has used its military forces not only in Syria but around NATO territory ... was bound to lead to this kind of incident."

He added: "Turkey was fully justified after having repeatedly warned Russia to shoot down an airplane that was entering its airpsace."

The SU-24 was shot down early Tuesday after being intercepted by two patrolling Turkish F-16s acting within Turkey's rules of engagement.

The Russian aircraft was warned about the violation 10 times within five minutes before it was shot down. NATO has confirmed the accuracy of information shared by Turkey about the violation.

In early October, Russian warplanes had twice violated the airspace. Russian officials apologized and pledged that no such incident would be repeated.

Tuesday's incident prompted an emergency NATO meeting in which the alliance expressed solidarity with Turkey.

NATO "needs to be prepared to defend NATO territory and the Turkish decision to shoot down the aircraft was an indication of that," according to Daalder.

He said the alliance should also "declare its interest in sitting down with Russia to work out procedures to ensure that these kinds of accidents and incidents don't happen in the future".

"I think that's where focus now needs to be -- not at the kind of bluster or escalation that we are seeing coming out of Moscow," he added.

Meanwhile, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush expressed support for Turkey's decision to shoot down the Russian warplane.

"Turkey is a NATO ally, they are an integral part if we're to be successful in the fight against [ISIS] and to change regimes, to take out [Syrian President Bashar al] Assad, it used to be our objective," Bush told CNN on Wednesday.

"If we are serious about that, Turkey needs to be an ally and we need to show support. I think President Obama was correct to say that every country has a right to self-defense" he added.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

PM Davutoğlu, Italian PM Renzi Speak Over The Ohone On The Downing Of Russian Jet

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu held a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi late Wednesday regarding Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter jet.

According to prime ministry sources, the Turkish premier informed Renzi that the SU-24 fighter jet was downed after it violated Turkish airspace. Italian PM thanked Davutoğlu for the briefing and congratulated him on the formation of the 64th Turkish government.

Both leaders agreed on continuing bilateral talks at the Turkey-EU summit which will be held in Brussels on Sunday.

On Tuesday, two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on an aerial patrol intercepted a Russian warplane within engagement rules when it intruded Turkish airspace near the Turkey-Syria border.

The intruding aircraft was warned about the violation 10 times within five minutes before it was shot down.

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that one of its Russian SU-24 fighter jets had been shot down, crashing in the Syrian region of Bayırbucak, close to the Yayladağı district of Turkey's southern Hatay province.

NATO confirmed the accuracy of the radar trace data that Turkey shared which clearly showed that the Russian warplane violated Turkish airspace.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Ricciardone: Russia's Intensions Unclear, Their Aircraft Fly Far From ISIS Targets

Commenting on the Turkish Air Force downing a Russian warplane near the Syrian border after it violated Turkish airspace, former U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Francis Ricciardone told Daily Sabah that Russia, unlike Turkey, has not made its intentions in the Syrian crisis explicitly clear.

The Russian fighter jet was downed near the Turkmen-populated region of Latakia, where there is no DAESH (or ISIS) presence. Ricciardone said Russian aircraft were "evidently" flying far from any route that would be necessary to support multinational efforts against ISIS.

Daily Sabah: How do you interpret NATO member Turkey's airspace being violated by a Russian fighter jet that was a region where there is no ISIS presence?

Francis R Ricciardone: At least three years ago and since then, Turkey has repeatedly made clear its rules of engagement with respect to its airspace on the Syrian border. The Syrian regime and Russia have violated Turkish airspace several times. In each incident, Turkey has issued warnings directly to the foreign pilots involved, and subsequently in public and through official channels to the countries involved. In those cases when Turkey has fired on the intruding aircraft, it evidently did so only after they failed to respond to the warnings.

Only the Russian side can explain their intended targets and why they were in or even close to Turkish airspace. It will be interesting to see whether they offer any public statements as to why their aircraft were flying in that region, evidently far from any route that would be necessary to support multinational efforts against ISIS.

DS: What does Russia actually want at a time when the two sides came together in Vienna to find a solution to the chaos in Syria? Could Russia's move be interpreted as a threat to the region?

FR: You raise this question because in this incident as in others recently, Russia, unlike Turkey, has not made its intentions explicitly clear. Turkey has clearly and emphatically stated its intentions and purposes over the past several years with respect to protecting its airspace along the Syrian border, and again following recent incidents. I would not presume to speak for Russian intentions. If Russia does not clarify its intentions publicly and credibly, it will be important nonetheless for Moscow and Ankara to communicate clearly with each other through their bilateral diplomatic channels. The same is also true if Russia wishes to play an influential role in multilateral diplomacy with respect to Syria, as at Vienna.

3) What will NATO's response be to the incident in terms of Turkey's security? Will the incident have an impact on the security of energy transfer into Turkey?

FR: This incident demonstrates the continued importance of the NATO alliance for all its members and Turkey's ever-important role as NATO's southeastern flank. There can be no question of NATO's solidarity with Turkey in this matter.

As for Turkey, Russia, and the global energy transits, Turkey's geography dictates that it will remain pivotally important as a global energy transit route from north to south t, and from east to west. Turkey depends on Russia for a large proportion of its gas supplies, but in return, Russia depends on Turkey as an important export route for its gas. Moreover, Russia has a strong stake in exporting its nuclear energy technology, and Turkey is a prime customer. So, it seems to me both countries have a certain interdependency on energy issues. This can be a healthy and stabilizing factor, provided Turkey continues to seek to diversify its energy partnerships.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey's 'Right To Defend Airspace' Should Be Respected, UK PM Cameron Says

British Prime Minister David Cameron has told the members of parliament in the House of Commons that the United Kingdom should "respect Turkey's right to protect its airspace just as we defend our own".

Cameron was answering questions from MPs on Wednesday a day after Turkish F-16s downed a Russian warplane which violated Turkish airspace.

"The facts from this are not yet clear; I think we should respect Turkey's right to protect its airspace just as we defend our own. But it is very important that we get to the bottom of what has really happened," Cameron said.

On Tuesday, two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on an aerial patrol intercepted a Russian warplane within engagement rules when it intruded into Turkish airspace near the Turkey-Syria border.

The intruding aircraft was warned about the violation 10 times within five minutes before it was shot down.

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that one of its Russian SU-24 fighter jets had been shot down, crashing in the Syrian region of Bayırbucak close to the Yayladagı district of Turkey's southern Hatay province.

NATO confirmed the accuracy of the radar trace data that Turkey shared which clearly showed that the Russian warplane violated Turkish airspace.

This was not the first time Russian fighter jets had violated Turkish airspace. In early October, Russian warplanes had breached Turkish airspace for which Russian officials apologized and pledged that no such incident would be repeated.

Turkey had also renewed its warning to implement engagement rules, including military response against violations of Turkish airspace.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russian Crackdown On Muslims Fuels Exodus To ISIS

Security forces in Russia's southernmost republic of Dagestan keep devout Muslims under surveillance, routinely raid their homes and haul them to police stations to give DNA samples and fingerprints. So it was no surprise to many in the village of Komsomolskoye that Rashid Magomedov fled to Syria to join DAESH (or ISIS), leaving behind a pregnant wife and two children. The 30-year-old had been detained several times, spent two months in jail on charges that later were dismissed and complained that police repeatedly planted weapons at his home as a pretext to arrest him. "The fact that he left for Syria the police are to blame. They wouldn't leave the boy alone," said Magomedov's father, Zaynudin.

The heavy-handed security presence in the predominantly Muslim area is an outgrowth of two separatist wars in nearby Chechnya in the mid-1990s that spread an Islamic insurgency throughout the North Caucasus region of Russia. Militants carried out many attacks, including suicide bombings and kidnappings, to pursue their goal of establishing Islamic fundamentalism, or simply to seek revenge against corrupt officials. This culture of violence has fostered a generation of hardened fighters, which combined with the continuing crackdown by police and other security forces, has made areas like Komsomolskoye a fertile recruiting ground for ISIS.

Few efforts are made by Russian authorities to stop young men from leaving. Many in Dagestan see the intimidating security presence as not only fueling the exodus but also serving to rid the region of potential militants by encouraging them to flee. Almost everyone in Komsomolskoye knows someone who has left for Syria. Dagestani police put the number at 11, but when residents are asked to list those who have left, the count is far bigger. Regional police say nearly a third of the estimated 3,000 Russians who are believed to have gone to fight alongside ISIS militants in Syria are from Dagestan, a republic of 3 million people. They are men and women from both rich and poor families, from religiously conservative villages to very secular towns. Komsomolskoye is one of several villages in Dagestan where security officials routinely announce "counterterrorist operations" and send SWAT teams to raid houses of suspected militants at the break of dawn.

The main road in and out of the village is guarded around the clock by security officers with automatic weapons, and hundreds of residents are kept under surveillance, their names kept on a so-called Wahhabi list. Those on the Wahhabi list can expect to get stopped at police checkpoints, where they can be detained for hours. They are visited at home and get phone calls at any time of day from police inquiring about their plans and whereabouts. They are often required to provide DNA samples and fingerprints.

Magomed Magomedov, deputy editor-in-chief of Dagestan's respected weekly Chernovik, said the authorities' systematic repression of the ultra-conservative Salafi Islam community is pushing its members to the margins of society. "If someone goes to the wrong mosque, he knows that when he leaves he could be taken to the police station, where he would be questioned, he would be fingerprinted for the 20th time," said the editor, who is not related to the Magomedov family in Komsomolskoye. "This system of keeping people on edge alienates and embitters them, and one in 10 may just decide to take radical steps and go to Syria." Russian officials have defended the police profiling and raids on the homes of suspected militants, describing them as steps designed to stave off radicalization and deter possible terrorist attacks. Officials at Dagestan's Interior Ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The Associated Press spoke to more than a dozen residents and activists who described how ISIS extremists use the resentment over the police tactics as a way to recruit new followers. After Friday prayers last week, police rounded up about 50 worshippers at the main Salafi mosque in Dagestan's capital of Makhachkala. The men were taken to the police station, and some were fingerprinted and asked to give blood samples, according to the Caucasian Knot, a major Russian website that covers the region.

Russia's air campaign in Syria that began Sept. 30 has not received unanimous support among Muslims in Dagestan because President Vladimir Putin is seen as siding with Syria's Bashar Assad in a war against the Sunni opposition. Most Russian Muslims are Sunni.

Putin said one of the goals of the air campaign in Syria was to prevent Russians fighting alongside ISIS from coming back. Most of the young people fleeing Dagestan to escape repression and police persecution have no intention of ever returning because they would almost certainly face long prison terms.

When Rashid Magomedov left in February, he told his family he was going to Egypt to study the Quran. "He didn't say he was going to Syria, he said he was going to study," said his wife, Assiyat, as she held her 8-month-old son, Musa, on her lap. Her tablet computer has a photo of her husband, smiling with curly black hair. Her last message from him was via a smartphone at the end of June, saying he was going away for 10 days. By July, word reached the village that he had been killed in Syria. After his death, she was visited by law enforcement officers, who continue to keep tabs on her and her children.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Is A Russia-Turkey War On The Horizon After Airspace 'Breaches?'

By Menekse Tokyay

Turkish media has now become accustomed to waking up to each new day to a ''hot potato.'' This time, it was Russia. Early Tuesday, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border, which Ankara believes was the latest violation of its airspace.

Since 2012, when a Turkish F4 jet fighter was downed by Syria, Turkey has adopted strict rules of engagement by regarding any naval, air or land forces vehicle approaching its territory from Syria as a potential threat.

According to statements from Turkish officials, the aircraft's pilots, flying at an altitude of 19,000 feet, were warned 10 times during a period of five minutes, and were asked to change their direction immediately, but these warnings went allegedly disregarded and the aircraft entered within 15 kilometers of Turkey's border for 17 seconds.

Following the violation, Turkey hit the jet and it crashed on the Syrian side of the Turkish-Syrian border, with many speculations about whether the two pilots are dead, captured by the Turkmen rebels, or have been picked up by the Syrian army after they parachuted out of the jet.

For its part, Russia denies any violation and insists that the aircraft had been attacked when it was 1 kilometer inside Syrian territories. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Turkey of ''serious consequences for Russian-Turkey relations,'' and termed it as a ''stab in the back carried out by the accomplices of terrorists.''

Ramifications

In a second blow, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cancelled his previously planned visit to Turkey scheduled for Wednesday. He also advised Russians not to visit Turkey. Russia also announced it had suspended all military contacts with Turkey for now.

In another move that is likely to affect Turkey's tourism revenues from the 3.5 million Russian tourists picking Turkey each year, Russia's Federal Agency for Tourism recommended the suspension of all sales of tours to Turkey, a call immediately heard by Natali Tours, one of Russia's largest tour operators.

In a statement published on the government website on Wednesday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Turkish companies could lose their market share in Russia following the alleged cancellation of some important joint projects after this incident.

Contrary to what was feared by some analysts, Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Anatoly Yanovsky quickly announced that gas supply to Turkey will continue without interruption. Turkey still receives about 60 percent of its natural gas from Russia as its main provider.

Proxy war?

Metin Gurcan, a security analyst and a former special-forces officer, expects a far-reaching retaliation from Russia.

''This retaliation may take the form of a proxy war which will be supported by unidentifiable actors on the ground as well as terror waves inside Turkey,'' Gurcan told Al Arabiya News.

Gurcan also noted that Russia will take this opportunity to give further support to the PYD and the PKK by taking steps that would increase their international legitimacy.

''It is also possible that Russia will impose tough sanctions on the energy sector and initiates cyber attacks to critical infrastructure in Turkey, such as electricity and water,'' he also warned.

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired a security meeting immediately after the jet was shot down to discuss the issue, while NATO urgently called an extraordinary meeting of its ambassadors.

"We stand in solidarity with Turkey and support the territorial integrity of our NATO Ally, Turkey,'' NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in his statement following the meeting, and added: "I look forward to further contacts between Ankara and Moscow and call for calm and de-escalation.''

Similarly, during a joint press conference at the White House on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande urged Russia and Turkey to avoid any kind of escalation that would be extremely damaging.

History of escalation

This was not the first time that Russian military incursions reached a dangerous level in the region and raised the prospect of a direct confrontation between Turkey and Russia, a NATO member with the Alliance's second biggest army.

On October 3 and 4, Russian warplanes had violated Turkey's airspace along its southern province of Hatay bordering Syria, and they were intercepted by Turkish fighter jets before they exited. And ten days after, the Russian air force officially had informed the Turkish military that measures would be taken to prevent any repetition of violations of Turkish air space again.

Turkey and Russia have been already at odds regarding Syrian conflict, particularly due to Russia's military backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The location of where the plane crashed was also close to the region where Russian and Syrian aircrafts have been allegedly targeting Turkmen fighters - a highly sensitive issue for Turkey who has repeatedly declared its readiness to intervene in helping Turkmen rebels in Syria.

Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat who now chairs the Istanbul-based Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM), believes that Russia's violation of Turkish airspace was an intentional and conscious move for testing the determination of Turkey in applying its rules of engagement.

''In recent times, Turkey hasn't strictly applied its rules of engagement over similar breaches. Following intense contacts with a high-level Russian delegation that visited Turkey, Russians had apologized and promised it will never happen again,'' Ulgen told Al Arabiya News.

According to Ulgen, taking a firm stand on this issue was important for Turkey to sustain the credibility of these rules.

''I don't expect that this incident would result in a long-term confrontation, because Turkey has concrete evidence and maps showing the violation of airspace. Russia's response would determine whether there will be an escalation over the bilateral ties,'' he added.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Bombing of Turkmens in Syria cannot be legitimized, PM Davutoğlu Says

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Wednesday criticized Russia's operations in the Bayırbucak region of the Latakia Governorate in Syria, saying attacks on Turkmens could not be carried out under the pretext of fighting Daesh (i.e. ISIS).

Speaking at a meeting of the ruling AK Party a day after Turkey downed a Russian jet near the Syrian border, Davutoğlu said Ankara was keeping communication channels open with Moscow.

Davuoğlu said the government did not want to fuel tensions with "our friend" Russia.

"We have no intention to strain (ties) with the Russian Federation," he said. "Russia is our friend and our neighbor."

"We have very strong economic, commercial and cultural bonds with Russia," he said, adding that Turkey does not have an eye on any country's soil. Targeting Russia or any other country is out of the question", he said.

But he warned that it was Turkey's "natural right" to protect its borders and national security.

Turkmens [also known as Turkomans], have come under the spotlight amid Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes against the civilian population living in northern Syria, including in the Latakia region, where a large number of Turkmens have been living for hundreds of years.

Turkey has been actively supporting Turkmens through humanitarian and diplomatic channels.

Amid Russia's recent attacks, Turkey summoned the Russian envoy and put forward concern about Russia's attacks on civilians in the region.

Russia claims the airstrikes target ISIS terrorists, despite criticism from the international community blaming Russia for targeting moderate opposition forces.

Ukraine closes its airspace to Russia

Meanwhile, Ukraine's prime minister says his government has decided to close the country's airspace to all Russian planes.

Ukraine last month banned all Russian airlines from flying into Ukraine but Russian planes have been allowed to fly over its territory.

The decision to shut the airspace was announced by Arseny Yatsenyuk at a televised government session on Wednesday. It comes as tensions simmer between Russia and Ukraine following Russia's annexation of Crimea last year and a separatist war in eastern Ukraine which has killed more than 8,000 people and left parts of the industrial heartland in ruins.

The Russian gas monopoly Gazprom earlier on Wednesday announced that it was cutting off gas supplies to Ukraine because the country had not paid in advance for supplies.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

No ISIS In Bayırbucak Turkmen Region Bombed By Russians, Only Civilians, Erdoğan Says

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday dismissed Russia's claims and underscored that there are no Daesh (i.e ISIS) terrorists in Bayırbucak region of Latakia Governorate in Syria and underscored that Turkmen civilians were there.

"Some say there is ISIS in that area. There are no ISIS terrorists in Bayırbucak region of Latakia, ISIS is in Jarablous" Erdoğan said at a meeting of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC).

With regards to the downing of the Russian warplane by Turkey on Tuesday, President Erdoğan said that the jet was shot in Turkish airspace but crashed inside Syria.

He noted that Turkey did not know about the identity of the jet before shooting it down

President Erdoğan also underscored that Turkey does not want any escalation with Russia over the downing of the warplane on the Syrian frontier, while he pledged that Turkey would always defend its borders.

"We have no intention to escalate this incident. We are just defending our security and the rights of our brothers," he said, and added that no one should expect Turkey "to remain silent" when its border security is being violated. He reiterated once again that Turkey is against all types of terrorist organizations and the Assad regime, while noting that Turkey will do its best to ensure peace and security for the people of Syria.

Erdoğan noted that parts of downed Russian warplane landed inside Turkey, injuring two Turkish citizens.

He said that Ankara had previously conveyed its sensitivity regarding the violations and had done its best on its part to avoid such an incident. "The only reason that such an incident did not take place before is Turkey's good faith and its restraint. Turkey is not on the side of tension, crisis and animosity," he said.

During his address, the president called ISIS, al Qaeda, Boko Haram and al-Shabaab shadowy structures and criminal networks. "Their priority is to kill those Muslims who do not share their views. They damaged Muslim countries, our values, the best work of our culture, libraries, scholars and schools," Erdoğan said, calling for a united front against these terrorist networks.

On Tuesday, Turkey shot down a Russian SU-24 warplane that violated Turkish airspace at the Turkish-Syrian border after repeatedly ignoring warnings according to the Turkish military, in line with the rules of engagement.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Downing Of Russian Jet Hardly A Surprise: Putin's Plot To Regain Russia's Lost World Stage Is Falling Apart Fast

By Justin Bronk

The shooting down of a Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 jet by Turkish F-16 fighters after it reportedly violated Turkish airspace is a dangerous escalation in the context of Russia's continuing confrontation with NATO in Eastern Europe and Syria.

However, it should not come as much of a surprise.

Turkish authorities claim that the Su-24 fighter bomber ignored repeated warnings over the course of five minutes on Tuesday and was then shot down after violating Turkish airspace near Yayladagi, Hatay.

Russia claims that the Su-24 did not cross the Syria-Turkey border and was, therefore, illegally attacked.

This version of events, however, does not fit with an established pattern of repeated violations of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft over the past 18 months.

In October 2014, and in June and July this year, for example, Russian military aircraft repeatedly violated Estonian airspace and since 2013 have also violated the airspace of NATO-partner nations Sweden and Finland.

On October 3 and 4, Russian Su-30SM and Su-24 jets violated Turkish airspace repeatedly in the same Hatay province where Turkey claims the Su-24 entered its airspace on Tuesday, before it was shot down.

During these October airspace violations, which Russia admitted to, a Russian Su-30SM fighter actively locked on to the Turkish F-16s sent to intercept it with its radar for over five minutes - an aggressive action outside of the accepted military procedures for such encounters.

Despite the provocative action, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that the violations of Turkish airspace on consecutive days in early October were an accidental result of pilots getting lost.

This is not a credible explanation since modern combat aircraft such as the Su-30SM have sophisticated navigation systems and the Russian Air Force crews sent to Syria will be highly trained and selected, precisely because the operational environment is so congested and highly sensitive.

In terms of Tuesday's incident, the multiple pieces of footage showing the Su-24 falling in flames show a clear blue sky which would further aid navigation by visual means.

Russia has, in other words, been probing Turkey's airspace and patience since October this year, and NATO airspace for much longer than that.

However, it should not come as a surprise that further violations would result in a plane being shot down.

Turkey has consistently responded to Syrian incursions by using its modern US-supplied F-16 fighters to shoot down intruders.

In 2013, a Syrian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter and a Mig-23 fighter bomber were destroyed in two separate incidents after they entered Turkish airspace.

The Turkish Air Force shot down another Syrian Mig-23 in March 2014 after it ignored repeated warnings.

Furthermore, on October 16, a small drone of unknown nationality but suspected Russian origin was shot down in a similar fashion.

Syria has also previously shot down Turkish military aircraft which have entered Syrian airspace.

In other words, the airspace on the Syrian-Turkish border is a known high-tension front line where lethal force is regularly employed if warnings are ignored.

Within this context, the aggressive Russian Air Force actions in probing Turkish airspace and locking onto its fighters last month were treated with significant restraint by Turkey.

However, Turkey and NATO made it clear that such violations must stop and that any repetition would be "highly dangerous".

If, as Turkey claims, the Su-24 shot down on Tuesday did violate Turkish airspace and ignore repeated warnings, it should not come as a surprise to either side that it was shot down, however destabilising the results may be.

Much will now depend on how convincingly Turkey and NATO can show whether the Russian jet did indeed enter Turkish airspace, and how the tightly Kremlin-controlled Russian media chooses to spin the story for the Russian public.

Putin most likely knows that a routine provocation has, for once, been met with force and he has only his own policies to blame.

However, he cannot be seen to admit any such thing in public.

Therefore, he must continue to claim publicly that Turkey is villainously stabbing Russia in the back in the midst of her heroic battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

The fact that there are no ISIL forces near that portion of the Syrian-Turkish border, and that the Su-24 was most likely engaged in continued Russian air strikes against Turkmen rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad as part of the Free Syrian Army, will doubtless stay off the Russian script.

In any case, it is vital in the coming days that leaders on both sides try to avoid more inflammatory rhetoric and avoid further escalation.

With so many military forces pursuing their own, often conflicting, agendas in Syria and the wider region; the world cannot afford to risk brinkmanship over this incident.

Justin Bronk is a Research Analyst in Military Sciences at the Royal United Services Institute. Al-Jazeera, Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russia Says One Pilot, Rescuer Killed In Downing Of Fighter Jet

A Russian pilot was shot dead from the ground after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet in Syria and another soldier died during the rescue operation, Russia's military general staff said on Tuesday.

A helicopter that was searching for the crew of a shot-down warplane in Syria was shot down by rebel fire and one serviceman was killed, Russian military sources said.

A spokesman for the general staff, Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Tuesday that the Mi-8 chopper was one of two taking part in the search operation. The rest of its crew were evacuated and taken back to the air base used by Russia in Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry has suspended military contact with Turkey over the incident and a Russian warship will be deployed to waters off Syria's western Latakia province, Russian news agencies reported.

Earlier in the day, Turkish media sources reported that two pilots were alive and Ankara is in contact with Syrian opposition for the release of the pilots.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russian Helicopter Shot Down By Syrian Opposition, Makes Emergency Landing Close To Latakia

Syrian fighters destroyed a Russian helicopter with a missile, shortly after they forced it to make an emergency landing in a nearby government-held area in Syria's Latakia province on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A Syrian insurgent group, recipient of U.S. Tow missiles, said its fighters hit the helicopter with an anti-tank missile while it was in the air and put out a video showing the helicopter being blown up after one of its fighters struck it with another missile.

Rami Abdulrahman from the Observatory, which tracks the conflict in Syria though a wide network of sources, said at least ten people were on the helicopter when it was hit by the fighters but they were all evacuated when it landed and before the missile destroyed it.

The Russian defense ministry did not answer calls from Reuters seeking comment on the reports about the helicopter.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Nusra Front Confirms Its Success In ISIS Leaders Killed In A Suicide Bombing

Syria's al-Qaida offshoot said on Monday it had killed leaders of an insurgent group it says is linked with DAESH in a suicide bombing of its headquarters in the south of the country.

Nusra Front and DAESH are the two most powerful rebel groups fighting government forces in Syria and have been fighting each other since 2013 largely because of a power struggle between their leaders. A Nusra Front Twitter posting on Sunday night said Abu Ali al Baridi, the leader of the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigades, had been killed alongside other top leaders in a "heroic" suicide bombing, but gave no further details.

A source in the area said a suicide bomber had blown himself up in a building in the Yarmouk Martyrs' stronghold of Jamla, a town near the Syrian Golan Heights and close to the border with Israel and Jordan in southwestern Deraa province Nusra Front also called on DAESH fighters, who number about 2,000 and who have acquired a large arsenal of weapons including tanks seized from Syrian army garrisons in the border area, to surrender themselves, a source in the area said.

Along with fighters from Ahrar al-Sham, Nusra Front have been fighting the Yarmouth Martyrs for months, trying to more of the border area that was formerly patrolled by U.N. troops. Baridi, known as "The Uncle", was purportedly shown in a video this year pledging allegiance to DAESH's leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. But the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade have publicly denied any ideological or organizational links with DAESH, and say Nusra Front is trying to discredit them.

US air strike kills ISIS Libya head, Pentagon says

A senior leader of the ISIS terrorist group in Libya was killed in an overnight air strike by the United States forces, the Pentagon announced on Saturday.

The statement added that two F-15 aircraft were used in the attack.

Four years after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, ISIS has steadily grown in Libya's chaos, controlling the city of Sirte, and worrying Western governments who fear it can only become stronger.

Abu Nabil, also known as Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al Zubaydi, was an Iraqi national and an al-Qaeda operative, it said in a statement.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Obama Insists Early Russian Airstrikes Did Not Target ISIS; Assad Must Go

During a press conference on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, U.S. President Barack Obama said Russian airstrikes appear to be aimed at opposition forces instead of DAESH.

"Russia needs to make a strategic decision to go after the ISIS [DAESH] group, not the moderate opposition forces trying to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad," Obama said, adding "Assad has to go."

"Nearly two dozen nations including Turkey have taken action against ISIS so far, we will ultimately destroy them," Obama said, emphasizing that the U.S. led coalition is determined to eradicate DAESH.

The almost five years of fighting between the Assad regime and rebels created a vacuum that has allowed DAESH to thrive in both Syria and Iraq. The terrorist group is now setting its sights on targets outside its stronghold, including the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more.

The U.S. and its international partners would not relent in their fight against the terrorist organization, Obama said, insisting that the world would not accept attacks by extremists on civilians anywhere in the world.

The U.S. held firm to its calls for Assad's departure, with Obama insisting that the war could not end unless the Syrian leader steps down.

"I do not foresee a situation in which we can end the civil war in Syria while Assad remains in power," Obama said.

Top diplomats from 17 countries met in Vienna Saturday to discuss a way out of Syria's nearly five-year conflict, which has left more than a quarter of a million people dead.

They produced a two-year timetable: a transitional government would be formed and a new constitution written within six months, to be followed by internationally monitored elections within 18 months after that.

But in a recent television interview with Italy's Rai television, Assad said there could be no transition schedule for elections while swathes of Syria remained out of government control.

"This timetable starts after starting defeating terrorism. You cannot achieve anything politically while you have the terrorists taking over many areas in Syria," he said.

"If we talk after that, one year and a half to two years is enough for any transition." Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Middle East Chaos, Violence Will Not End With ISIS Defeat

The chaos and violence gripping the Middle East are not likely to evaporate even if the forces arrayed against DAESH manage to crush the brutal army and its drive to establish an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria and beyond.

The national structures and boundaries created by European colonial powers after the Ottoman Empire was dismantled at the end of World War I are collapsing or already have disintegrated. That has unleashed powerful centrifugal forces that are melting the glue that was holding together increasingly antagonistic religious and ethnic populations. The mix of Muslims Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites Christians and the big ethnic Kurdish populations in the north of both Syria and Iraq are a stew of ancient discontent, sectarian frustration and flagrant injustice. Those social explosives were detonated by the upheaval unleashed by the U.S. war in Iraq and the civil war in Syria. "The level of damage that has been done by the United States in Iraq and the civil war in Syria is probably irreparable," said Wayne Merry, senior associate at the American Foreign Policy Council.

In Iraq, Saddam Hussein and his fellow Sunni Muslims a minority in that country ruled brutally over the majority Shiite Muslims. The United States removed Saddam and eradicated his Baath Party structures, most famously the army. Washington then oversaw the establishment of a new government that is fundamentally controlled by the Shiites. That new structure subsequently disregarded the needs and rights of the Sunnis.

While the U.S. military still controlled the country, radical Sunnis came together under the banner of al-Qaida in Iraq in a force arrayed against American forces, moderate Sunnis and the Shiites majority. Shiite militias formed to attack from the other side and a civil war erupted. That was only tamped down when Washington instituted the surge of more troops and began paying Sunni tribal leaders and their fighters to turn their guns on fellow Sunnis in al-Qaida. With the departure of U.S. forces in 2011, al-Qaida regrouped in the Sunni regions of Iraq and became DAESH, the terrorist organization that also spread into the void created in neighboring Syria by the civil war there, now in its fifth year. Estimates have put DAESH control of territory as much as one third of both countries. Particularly important is the terror organization's control over the cities like Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.

For months, the United States has bombed DAESH positions with some success and now France and Russia have joined that effort. Russia turned its attention to DAESH after a bomb, claimed by DAESH, brought down a Russian airliner over Egypt. The French reacted after DAESH attacks in Paris. Military and intelligence experts had said, before the airliner bombing, that Russia had primarily targeted opponents of Syrian leader Bashar Assad who are not allied with DAESH but deeply involved in the civil war, fighting to overthrow Assad. The Obama administration insists Assad must be removed. Russia and Iran say he must be part of a political solution, at least temporarily. Regional powers Saudi Arabia and Turkey want him gone.

Many analysts saw Russian involvement in Syria as an attempt to save the Assad regime. Syria was a last outpost of Russian influence in the Middle East, home to Russia's only Mediterranean port and a big customer for Russian weapons. The appeal of DAESH in Syria grows from the same root as it does in Iraq. And that is the sense of Sunni disenfranchisement.

In Syria, unlike Iraq, it is longstanding. Assad is an Alawite Muslim, a subset of Shiism. He and his father before him ruled brutally over the Sunni majority in Syria, much as Saddam killed and brutalized the Shiite majority in Iraq. And none of that deals with the complication added to the chaos in both countries by the ethnic Kurdish drive for a homeland. The Kurds have big populations in northern Iraq, Syria and Iran. And they have periodically been at war with Turkey, where they live in huge numbers in the southeast of that country.

The Kurds have been the strongest American partners in the fight against DAESH, battling often with significant success as a U.S.-allied ground force against DAESH. They also have created a virtually autonomous, self-governed region in Iraq and control significant Iraqi oil reserves. U.S. backing for the Kurds puts the United States at odds both with NATO ally Turkey, which is also an enemy of Assad in Syria and the Shiite-dominated U.S.-backed Iraqi government in Baghdad.

Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that a military victory over DAESH will not end the chaos in the Middle East unless the United States, other countries in the region, Russia, Europe and Iran join together to create a "platform of political stability." But how can such a platform be created in a region that has been unable to overcome a 1,300-year schism in Islam, the Kurdish drive to create a country that the ethnic group has never had and the attendant complications mixed in by a plethora of other religious and ethnic minorities.

The defeat of DAESH, if it happens, will not solve those deep and underlying divisions. A final political solution likely will require the resettlement of large populations driven from their home territories by the Iraq war, the Syrian civil conflict and the expansion of DAESH. It will require compromises that haven't been made for centuries. It is a huge mission that will take a long time to accomplish if it ever can be.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russia, Assad Strike At Turkmens, Giving ISIS A Free Hand In Syria

Russia continues to bomb Turkmen villages in the Bayırbucak Turkmen area in northern Syria to bolster the Damascus regime, which it has been a staunch ally of since the beginning of the crisis, and Turkish officials are alarmed with the intensified airstrikes on the Turkmen-populated region, which was previously under the control of moderate Syrian opposition groups. Following the developments, a closed-door security meeting was held at Çankaya Palace headed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Sunday. Turkish officials continue to keep in touch with U.S. officials, who had an opposing stance since the beginning of Russia's air campaign.

Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar, Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Interior Minister Selami Altınok and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Chief Hakan Fidan together with several senior bureaucrats attended the meeting. Moscow claimed that the airstrikes, which started after receiving parliamentary approval and followed a military buildup in Syria, aimed to support the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad against DAESH. However, Turkey and the West have accused Russia of targeting moderate fighters opposed to Assad, many of which are supported by Turkey and the U.S.

There have been reports of many casualties from the attacks on the area, while the sound of explosions coming from the region was heard in the border town of Yayladağı in Turkey's Hatay province.

Previously, Sinirlioğlu called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Friday night to discuss the airstrikes.

The Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's ambassador to Ankara over the bombings and requested that Russia promptly end the operation.

The late night phone conversation in which the two top diplomats evaluated the situation after the offensive on the Turkmen region came on orders from Davutoğlu.

Ankara also sent a letter to the term president of the U.N. Security Council to demand that the issue be handled immediately.

Sources added that Davutoğlu was informed by Akar by phone regarding the latest situation in the region.

At the Prime Ministry, Fidan also briefed the Davutoğlu on the issue. Ankara had requested that Russia promptly end this operation, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgiç said on Friday, adding: "Our warnings and request have also been communicated to the Russian deputy foreign minister and special presidential representative for the Middle East, Mihail Bogdanov."

"If any attack is mounted against civilians on Turkey's border, even with cluster munitions shelling, so as to draw the people living there toward Turkey and lead to a further refugee flow, all involved will be held responsible," Davutoğlu told the media in Istanbul on Friday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Sunday, Khaled Khoja, the head of the Syrian National Council opposition group underlined that Russians must stop its offensive against opposition groups and civilians, saying: "If Russia wants a political solution, it should force the regime to sit at the negotiation table. Moreover, it should allow the political solution to be negotiated between the regime and the opposition, but especially the application of the U.N. Security Council's Resolution 2165 in which delivering humanitarian aid to besieged areas is stipulated."

He said: "This situation shows that Russians have no serious intention to contribute to a political solution and that they are an occupying power."

Almost 40,000 Syrian Turkmens fled from their homes to safer villages near the Turkish border Saturday following attacks by Syrian and Russian forces. Bayırbucak Turkmen area is in the immediate vicinity of Turkey's Yayladağ border crossing.

After the offensive, a number of Turkmens also entered Turkey at the Yayladağı border crossing in southeastern Hatay province. The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the Turkish Red Crescent and other humanitarian aid organizations began sending humanitarian aid including tents, food and mattresses to displaced Turkmens.

A mobile bakery in Yayladağı also started producing bread to be delivered to Turkmens fleeing to safer villages near the Turkish border. Muhammed Komurcu, a Syrian Turkmen Association official, told Anadolu Agency that the number of internally displaced people has doubled. Mokhtar Fatih Mohamed, head of a Turkmen doctors group in the Bayır Bucak region, told Anadolu Agency on Friday that the Turkmen-majority area is about to fall to regime forces, which may cause 15,000 Turkmen to flee to Turkey.

Turkmens are a Turkic ethnic group based with minority populations in Syria and Iraq where they live alongside large Arab and Kurdish populations. The Turkmen community in these countries includes both Sunnis and Shiites and shares cultural ties with Turks.

Syria's devastating civil war, now in its fifth year, has left at least 250,000 people dead, according to the U.N.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

France Hits Back At Russia Over Syria Bombing Campaign

France dismissed Russian suggestions on Friday its air strikes against oil installations in Syria were illegal, saying they were ''an appropriate and necessary riposte'' to attacks by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

President Francois Hollande will travel to Moscow on Nov. 26 as part of an effort to create a grand coalition to fight ISIS, despite differences over the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Asaad, whose key backers are Russia and Iran.

Paris launched air strikes against the militant group's Syrian stronghold in Raqqa this week following attacks that killed 130 people in Paris on Nov. 13.

It has previously targeted oil installations under the control of ISIS and said it aimed to cut the group's main revenue stream.

Russian Foreign Ministry official Ilya Rogachev earlier on Friday criticised France's justification for the attacks, that they were self-defense according to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. He said that was misplaced because Paris had not sought approval from the Syrian government.

''We cannot support such actions because they are being carried out without an agreement of the Syrian government,'' he told Kommersant daily.

''The bombing of oil infrastructure is based on ... quite different reasons and they are not justified by self-defense,'' he added.

''As Bashar al-Assad and Islamic State (ISIS) are equal priority enemies for them, they inflict damage to both of them by such hits. Please note, the French do not bomb the same targets in Iraq.''

France has called for Assad to step down after a political transition, and its Western allies have criticized Moscow for mostly focusing its raids in Syria against Western-backed rebel groups.

''The French strikes against oil sites controlled by Daesh (ISIS) are part of legitimate self-defense,'' French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal told reporters on Friday.

''They are a necessary and proportionate response to the attacks carried out by Daesh,'' he said.

Russia this week launched massive strikes on Raqqa in response to confirmation that the group had blown up a plane full of Russian tourists over Sinai in Egypt.

On Wednesday Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said if the West wanted an international coalition against ISIS, it must drop its demands for Assad's ouster.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Why Has Our Planet Become Savage?

By Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor

These days I find myself in a permanent state of shock, horror and confusion. We live in a world where human life is devalued, where barbarism, racism and bigotry are the new norm. Watching the news is depressing. Desperate people fleeing conflicts finding all doors barred. Women enslaved and abused and children's bodies seen mangled by shrapnel.

And who would have thought that Paris, the City of Lights, would ever go dark, the army would be deployed in the streets or that a government decree would be issued silencing anyone who disseminates theories at odds with the government line as ''a conspiracy theorist''. I won't be surprised if an Orwellian-type 'thought police force' is established. People have questions, but aren't getting answers and that's the problem.

I'm angry too that so many fingers in western capitals are pointing at Islam as the cause of all evils when my faith, one of peace and tolerance, has been hijacked by creatures without souls. When I listen to statements from the mouths of American politicians I can hardly believe what I'm hearing.

Donald Trump has vowed to close all mosques and force Muslim Americans to carry special identity cards. What next? Will they be told to pin green crescents on their lapels in the same way the Jews of Germany had to sport yellow stars? Many of his Republican rivals are using the vilification of Muslims as a vote-getting ploy.

Likewise Britain, France and Belgium are planning the closure of certain mosques and community centres. Muslims are being asked to disassociate themselves from terror although they are the ones who've suffered most from terrorism over the years. Also, Syrian refugees risking their lives to reach Europe have become pariahs overnight.

A Rhode Island state senator, Elaine Morgan, is calling for Syrian refugees to be placed in camps ''segregated from our populace''. ''The Muslim religion and philosophy is to murder, rape, and decapitate anyone who is non-Muslim'', she says. Presidential hopeful Ben Carson compares the refugees to ''rabid dogs''. All of this hate on the part of politicians merely because fake Syrian passports were deliberately planted close to the bodies of suicide bombers in Paris.

A few questions

In all honesty, I don't know what to believe any more. Like so many others, I need answers to these perplexing and very troubling questions:

• Why was ISIS permitted to expand over great swathes of Syria and Iraq? According to Fox News, declassified Pentagon documents dated 2012 obtained by Judicial Watch under the Freedom of Information Act ''predicts the rise of ISIS and the establishment of a caliphate''. In this case, why did Obama say in September 2014 that its rise took the U.S. by surprise?

• Is there any truth to statements from the President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to the effect that the self-ascribed ISIS Caliph Baghdadi, alleged to be formerly known as Simon Elliot , was trained by the Mossad? It wouldn't be the first time. Morten Storm, a convert to Islam, reveals in a book that he was formerly undercover agent for western intelligence agencies tasked with infiltrating Islamist organisations.

• Why was ISIS's de facto capital Raqqa permitted to carry on business as usual under U.S.-led coalition airstrikes? And as was quoted in the Washington Free Beacon and elsewhere, Rep. Ed Royce, the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee complained that ''the pilots come back to talk to us, they say 'three-quarters of their ordnance we can't drop, we can't get clearance even when we have a clear target in front of us'?'' Is he right?

• Why did it take so long for the U.S. to bomb convoys transporting ISIS stolen oil? And when they were following Russia's intervention, why, according to the Wall Street Journal, were fliers dropped alerting the drivers to abandon their trucks before they were hit? Which states are buying that oil via third parties? Are there banks laundering the group's income from oil, gold and stolen artefacts?

• When the British terrorist ''Jihadi John'' and the head of ISIS in Libya, Wissam Najm Abd Zayd Al-Zubaydi, were so easily pinpointed by surveillance satellites and assassinated, why is it that Baghdadi is so hard to locate and why weren't highly visible convoys of the terrorists' SUVs struck?

• Which country or countries are supplying ISIS with heavy weapons? And why are the Kurds and the recognized Libyan government battling ISIS being deprived of such weapons?

• There is a video of President Putin telling journalists at the recent G20 summit that ISIS is being financed by businessmen from 40 countries including those from G20 member states, adding that he provided examples ''based on our data''. If he's correct then, why aren't those concerned being tracked down and arrested?

• Why did Israel open its hospitals to treat injured Al-Qaeda and Nusra Front fighters, as revealed by the Wall Street Journal? Similarly, the Turkish newspaper Sunday's Zaman quotes a nurse working in a hospital in Mersin saying she's sick of treating ISIS fighters. The Washington Post asserted it was told by ISIS commander, ''We used to have some fighters - even high level members of ISIS - getting treated in Turkish hospitals.'' If that's so, what was the reason for treating monsters, who execute children, bury women alive and place men in a wire cage to be drowned, with such compassion?

• Who are the so-called 'moderate rebels' the Obama administration is backing after they've been grouped together under the new banner ''Victory Army'' and are reports that they are fighting alongside Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Al-Nusra accurate?

Why is it that President Obama and David Cameron shirk from branding the Muslim Brotherhood - the ideological forerunner of all Takfiri groups - as terrorist?

Early last year, an alleged British lobbyist for the Muslim Brotherhood was invited to meet President Obama at the White House. In February this year, a Muslim Brotherhood Judge was pictured making the four-fingered Rabaa sign at the State Department following his meeting with officials and when White House spokeswoman Jan Psaki was questioned by reporters she appeared to show that she had no issue with the photograph - a poke in the eye to the Egyptian government.

This month, however, lawmakers in both the House and the Senate are pushing for a bill to be passed that would declare the Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

I don't have access to insider intelligence but let me put it this way. When the pieces of the jigsaw are fitted together something doesn't smell right.

After Paris, the world is gung ho to exterminate ISIS. France is cooperating with Russia to bomb them mercilessly. Yet Obama says they are contained and his strategy is working even as they threaten to turn the White House black, announce New York and Washington are next and are believed to be developing chemical weapons. You couldn't make this up!

Charles Krauthammer writes in The Telegraph that while France is creating a coalition to destroy ISIS, Obama ''responded to Paris with weariness and annoyance. His news conference in Turkey was marked by a stunning tone of passivity, detachment and lassitude, compounded by impatience and irritability at the very suggestion that his Syria strategy might be failing.''

Rather than falsely blame Muslims for the rise of ISIS, there may be other shoulders on which at least some of the blame should fall. It's time they were exposed.

__________
Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor is a prominent UAE businessman and public figure. He is Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group - one of the most successful conglomerates in the Gulf. Al Habtoor is renowned for his knowledge and views on international political affairs; his philanthropic activity; his efforts to promote peace; and he has long acted as an unofficial ambassador for his country abroad. Writing extensively on both local and international politics, he publishes regular articles in the media and has released a number of books. Al-Habtoor began his career as an employee of a local UAE construction firm and in 1970 established his own company, Al Habtoor Engineering. The UAE Federation, which united the seven emirates under the one flag for the first time, was founded in 1971 and this inspired him to undertake a series of innovative construction projects - all of which proved highly successful. Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russia 'Must Change Strategy' In Syria If It Wants To Join US-Led 'Anti-ISIS' Coalition - State Dept.

Russia is not welcome to join the US-led coalition in Syria, as France has proposed, until it changes its ''focus'' and stops ''propping up'' Assad, the US State Department said.

''If other nations not in the coalition [the US-led coalition] want to join it and become part of it and focus on the fight against ISIL [Islamic State/IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL] that's a conversation we're certainly willing to have,'' US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said.

An appeal to expand the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State came from French President Francois Hollande three days after deadly attacks in Paris a week ago. Stating that ''France is at war,'' Hollande called for the creation of a ''large coalition,'' which could unite forces with Russia ''to achieve a result that has taken too long.''

The grand coalition is going to be the focus of separate talks President Hollande will have with his American and Russian counterparts in coming days. The French leader is expected to hold talks in Washington on November 24 and in Moscow on November 26.

However, the US State Department says that Russia's involvement in the coalition would depend on Moscow's ''commitment.''

''But in order for that to work, every member of the coalition has to have the same focus on defeating ISIL, and thus far we, talking about Russia, haven't seen that same commitment,'' Kirby said, referring to Russia's support for Assad. ''It's inconsistent with the goals of the coalition, which is to defeat ISIL, if you're also propping up the Assad regime.''

Washington has reiterated that there would be no discussions until Moscow changes its strategy: ''If Russia is serious about this, about going after ISIL, and changing the calculus of military activities it's conducting inside Syria, then it's great and we will be willing to have a discussion with them about how they might be able to contribute to the coalition operations.''

The statement has prompted Said Arikat, Washington Bureau Chief for Al-Quds, to ask Kirby to clarify what the coalition's priority actually was, because ''the issue of Assad keeps coming up all the time.''

''So what's the core goal? To beat Assad or ISIS? On a scale of one to ten - is one larger than the other?'' Arikat asked Kirby.

Despite, as is claimed by the State Department, the main goal of coalition being defeating Islamic State and curbing terrorism, President Assad remains a serious concern for Washington.

''There is nothing in the coalition's mandate to remove Assad from power,'' Kirby responded, adding that removing the current Syrian government would be ''mutually supportive'' in beating IS and ''keeping them out.''

''But militarily, specifically militarily, the goal of the coalition to counter ISIL is about countering ISIL,'' the State Department spokesman said.

'We want to make no mistake'

Part of Friday's press briefing was dedicated to the US-led mission's efforts in and around Syria.

''We started the coalition last year, and didn't focus on foreign fighters and other issues initially,'' Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, Brett McGurk, said. The US is now going to focus on putting pressure on the''heartland of ISIL'' and its links with Raqqa and Mosul.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syrian Rebels Backed By US And Turkish Airpower Take 2 Border Villages From IS

Syrian rebels backed by Turkey and the United States have seized two villages from Islamic State (IS) jihadists close to the Turkish border after fierce fighting, Turkish official media said on Sunday.

The state-run Anatolia news agency said that ethnic Turkmen fighters had captured the villages of Harjaleh and Dalha in northern Aleppo province from IS forces.

The ground offensive by the Turkmen fighters, strong allies of Turkey in its push to oust Bashar al-Assad, was backed from the air by US and Turkish fighter jets, it added.

Six Turkish F-16s, four US F-15s, an American AC-130 and three drones were involved, the report said, without specifying if any targets were hit.

Some 70 IS jihadists were killed in the fighting, it added.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the villages had been captured from IS but said the campaign had been waged by rebels and Islamist factions and not just Turkmen fighters.

Turkish officials have in the last days said a major joint air operation against IS with the United States was planned, with Turkmen forces fighting on the ground.

They said the aim is to clear of jihadists a 98 kilometre (61 mile) stretch of Syria's northern border with Turkey still controlled by IS.

The special US envoy for the anti-IS coalition, Brett McGurk, had on Friday also indicated that the operation was imminent.

'Now we're going to start pushing them (IS) back,' he said in Washington.

Turkish media reports described the operation as the first step in Ankara's plan for creating a so-called safe zone in northern Syria that could eventually house some of the 2.2 million Syrian refugees hosted by Turkey.

But American officials have expressed skepticism over the idea, with President Barack Obama saying at the G20 summit in Turkey on Monday that a true safe zone needed ground operations.

'How would it work? Would it become a magnet for further terrorist attacks? And how many personnel would be required, and how would it end? There's a whole set of questions that have to be answered there,' he said.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Over 400 Iranian Troops Killed In Syria Since Start Of Civil War

Over 400 Iranian troops have been killed in Syria since the beginning of the country's civil war, according to Iranian media.

On Wednesday, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency said four more Iranian revolutionary guards were killed in Syria in the latest incident.

Revolutionary Guard is a military or paramilitary elite unit that plays the role of key protection force of the new regime in a country which has experienced a revolution.

Forces from Iran's Revolutionary Guards -- a branch of Iran's Armed Forces often called a "paramilitary elite unit" -- have lost 54 military personnel, including three high ranked officers, while supporting Bashar al-Assad's regime forces against the Syrian opposition.

On Oct. 23, Fars News Agency had quoted General Ramazan Sharif, spokesman of the Revolutionary Guards, as saying that "Iran increased the number of its soldiers in the region" as part of a new ground offensive in Syria.

Turkey and Iran have been pursuing different policies regarding the war in Syria. Iran strongly backs Syrian President Bashar Assad while Turkey has called on him to step down and condemned his regime's massacres of opposition forces and civilians.

With the support of Russian airstrikes, forces loyal to the Syrian regime army and allied Iranian and Hezbollah forces are preparing for a ground offensive against opposition forces in Aleppo, two senior regional officials familiar with the plans said in October.

"If Syria makes a request (for Iranian forces), we will study the request and make a decision," Alaedin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, had said back in October. "What's important is that Iran is serious about the fight against terrorism," he added. "We have supplied aid and weapons and sent advisors to Syria and Iraq."

At least 250,000 people have been killed since the Syria conflict began in 2011, with 7.6 million internally displaced and over four million having fled to other countries.

Iran a bigger threat than ISIS: Israeli minister

Israeli defence minister Moshe Yaalon said that DAESH terrorist organization is a bigger threat for his country on Monday in an interview with Israel Radio.

Stating that Iran's presence in the region worries him, he claimed that the atrocities in Syria are "empowering" Iran.

Acknlowledging that there are a few DAESH cells in the West Bank, he added that Israel "deterred" DAESH from attacking the country from Syrian territory under its control.

The minister said that DAESH hasn't opened a front against Israel because "they would simply get hurt." In a statement last summer, DAESH vowed to "destroy" Israel and kill every single Jew. Later in the summer, six Arabs were arrested by Israeli forces for allegedly having ties with DAESH.

Israel has stated before that majority of the Arabs living in the country are against the terrorist organization, which the country stated as the main reason DAESH cannot find ground to rise in power in Israel.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

With Assad Gone And Iran Evicted From Syria, ISIS Can Be Defeated - Former Italian FM

Newsweek - Images of people pouring out of a concert hall, many wounded and others lying face down in a pool of blood. Explosions during a football match and looks of fear, pain and horror.

This is what the world saw in France last week, something it saw less than a year ago and in previous years—acts of violence and the terrible wounds they leave on innocent people.

Just as summer turns into autumn, autumn to winter and winter to spring, this attack is also part of a cycle, and there is a good chance it will be followed by another in the near future. Islamic fundamentalist organizations such as the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) are trying to overpower Western democracies on our own soil, and we must act urgently to halt their advances.

This, unfortunately, is the new reality faced by the Western world. It constitutes an incredibly difficult challenge, no doubt, but if we address it at its roots, we can break this cycle of violence, death and fear.

Syria and Iraq are ISIS's hub, a base for organization, recruitment, training and weaponry, and the West must intensify its campaign to end this epicenter of evil. However, attacks against ISIS alone will not stop the cycle of violence. We have to fight against the triggers of radicalization as well and combat this cancer at its root.

That means the West ought to be unequivocally decisive in pressing for the ouster of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose carnage against the Syrian people amounts to a crime against humanity and has provided the unsavory social and political circumstances for the rise of ISIS. At the same time, we need to work urgently to eliminate the sectarianism being spread by the Iranian regime and its allies in the region.

Here in Europe, any broad reaction of collective punishment against Muslim immigrants would be not only horribly unjust but also dangerous. Eight people caused last week's reign of violence. That's a minuscule percentage amongst a huge number of refugees and an even smaller percentage amongst a population that represents over 10 percent of France.

Let's instead remember recent history. It was a Muslim who saved Jews during the attack last January on a Jewish store and a Muslim policeman who was killed defending Charlie Hebdo journalists who ridiculed his faith. These immigrants are escaping horrors perpetrated by the same people who carried out or were the root cause of last week's attack in Paris.

Focusing on the extremists amongst a largely peaceful population means focusing on ISIS and also on Iran and its proxies.

Before ISIS, Iran invented the notion of exporting Islamic extremism; propped up regimes in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere; and encouraged them in the implementation of sectarianism and rampant bloodshed. Even if the Shiite militias that acted as killing squads against Sunnis in Iraq, or perpetrated widespread massacres in Syria, didn't entirely cause ISIS's rise, they undeniably added fuel to the fire and continue to do so.

There should be zero tolerance by the West for Iran's nefarious meddling in Syria, and, as members of Syria's pro-democracy opposition have said, there should be no question about giving Tehran a say over Syria's political future.

If the U.S. invasion in Iraq has taught us anything, it is that imposing an ideology that is not popularly supported, from the outside alone, is a disastrous policy. Instead, working with moderate stakeholders committed to inclusive rule, similar interests and, if possible, similar values is a far better path to take.

That means working with Kurds and moderate forces in Syria to replace Assad and battle ISIS, but it also means working with those same allies against Iranian extremism. Luckily, in that case, we have a large, organized partner with whom we share not only the goal of inclusive rule, or even interests, but also values. That group is the National Council of Resistance of Iran ( NCRI ).

Maryam Rajavi , president-elect of the NCRI, a moderate Muslim woman leader who is fiercely anti-fundamentalist, said immediately after the Paris attacks that fundamentalism under the name of Islam has nothing to do with this religion, whether it is under the pretext of Shiite extremism or under ISIS's Sunni brand. Such anti-human crimes have nothing to do with Islam, and such evil is the enemy of peace and mankind wherever it exists.

Moderate policies at home, including identifying with moderate Muslims who are our allies, coupled with military countermeasures that strike ISIS in its lair, are the best defense France and indeed the West can produce. But any gains will soon dissipate if we're striking at one extremist group while ignoring another.

A piecemeal solution is going to be short-lived. To not see more carnage next season, the order will be to get rid of Assad as expeditiously as possible and stop Tehran's meddling in Syria as his main backer.

Let there be no illusion. Assad and Iran make up the second half of this extremist equation, and we must work with moderate allies to combat them as well. Only then will we be able to break this cycle of violence.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Vienna, Amman Cast Doubt On Speedy Syria Transition

Vienna and Amman believe it is too early to expect a speedy political transition in war-torn Syria, Austrian President Heinz Fischer said Wednesday after meeting King Abdullah II.

''I believe that neither I nor the king of Jordan would dare to entertain the hope that it would be a matter of just a few weeks,'' Fischer told APA news agency after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that Syria could be weeks away from a ''big transition''.

''We are on the right track, but it would be premature to make a statement about the time needed to solve the problems,'' he added.

Fischer's statement came after a working lunch with King Abdullah II in Vienna, who did not make any statements to the press.

In a visit to Paris on Tuesday, Kerry said an agreement reached at talks in Vienna between deeply divided countries such as Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia on a path to elections in Syria was a ''gigantic step''.

''We are weeks away conceivably from the possibility of a big transition for Syria,'' he said.

Global diplomats agreed in Vienna Saturday on a fixed calendar for Syria that would see a transition government in six months and elections within 18 months.

A final statement after the meeting said that the goal was to bring Syrian government and opposition representatives together by January 1.

The fate of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad remains unclear, and opposition members have branded the plan unrealistic.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

US Says Assad's Fate To Be Decided In International Talks

Embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's fate will be decided in international talks in the coming weeks, the United States said Thursday, brushing off his rejection of moves to sideline him from peace talks.

'In the multilateral sessions, which will continue to occur going forward, the role of Assad in this transition will be spelled out,' State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

Under a framework agreed to last month in Vienna by 17 nations and three international bodies including the United Nations , Syrians are due to start political discussions on or after a target date of January 1.

Selected leaders from both Assad's regime and opposition groups deemed acceptable -- that is, not 'terrorists' -- by the international stakeholders will have six months to draw up a constitution and 18 to organize elections.

The United States and its allies hope that a ceasefire between the government and moderate rebels will allow Assad to leave power peacefully while local and foreign forces focus their fire on the Islamic State group.

But Assad's allies Russia and Iran arguing that Assad's fate should be decided by the Syrian people alone and the beleaguered strongman has himself rejected it outright.

Assad's government refers to all of its opponents -- fighters and activists alike -- as 'terrorists.'

The United States and its Arab allies argue it will be impossible to lure the opposition to the table if it is not clear when Assad, whom they blame for starting the war and killing thousands of civilians, will go.

'Nothing has changed,' Kirby said. 'We want a transition to a government that is free of Assad and representative and responsive to the Syrian people.

'So, obviously, there is going to have to be a process for that change to occur, that transformation to occur. Exactly what Assad's role in that is going to be has not been completely hashed out.

Saudi To Continue Support For Syrian Rebels If Assad Does Not Leave

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Saturday that his country would continue to support Syrian rebels if President Bashar al-Assad could not be removed through a political process.

''We will support the Syrian people,'' Adel al-Jubeir told journalists on the sidelines of international Syria peace talks in Vienna.

''We will support the political process that will result in (Assad) leaving, or we will continue to support the Syrian opposition in order to remove him by force.'' Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Tunisia Group Claims Beheading Of Teen Shepherd For ISIS

A militant group claimed the beheading of a young Tunisian shepherd on behalf of ISIS, accusing him of having informed the army about their movements in the central province of Sidi Bouzid, in a video posted on the Internet Sunday.

The killing of 16-year-old Mabrouk Soltani on November 13 sparked anger in Tunisia. His killers ordered a 14-year-old who was working with him to bring the victim's head wrapped in plastic to his family.

The video, the authenticity of which could not be confirmed, claimed the young shepherd gave information on ''the soldiers of ISIS'' to the Tunisian army.

''This is the fate of all those in the ranks of the tyrants of Tunisia against Jund al-Khilafa (the soldiers of the caliphate),'' the video said, written in Arabic.

Jund al-Khilafa is the Tunisian branch of ISIS.

The video then shows the shepherd, looking scared, answering questions from a speaker whose voice seems to have been altered.

With his hands tied behind his back, the boy claims to have been paid by a soldier to monitor the activities of militants in the area.

The miitants claims the boy ''squealed'' on them for money while the young shepherd insists that he has none.

The video ends with the killing of the boy and a song threatening to ''come to decapitate'' others.

According to the Tunisian authorities, Soltani was murdered by militants as he was tending his sheep on Mount Mghila.

Last month, another civilian, also a shepherd, was abducted and killed by militants in the central-west province of Kasserine.

Tunisia has faced an upsurge in jihadist violence since its 2011 revolution, but security forces are usually the target.
Several dozen soldiers and police have lost their lives in attacks, most of which are claimed by Al-Qaeda's North African branch.

ISIS claimed an attack that killed 38 foreign tourists at a seaside resort near Sousse in June, and another that killed 21 foreigners and a policeman in Tunis in March.

In mid-November authorities arrested seven women accused of posting propaganda on the Internet on behalf of Jund al-Khilafa.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syria: 25 Assad Troops Killed In Battles Near Damascus As U.S. Eyes Russia-Iran Split in Bid to End Syria Conflict

Dozens of Assad troops have been killed and wounded in recent attacks staged by Syrian rebels near Damascus, Orient TV reported.

25 Assad troops were killed and a number of others wounded during an attack by the rebels in the town of Dir Salman.

Assad's forces had launched a three-front attack yet the rebels were able to surprise the Assad forces and surround them in Dir Salman, killing dozens of them. A large number of Syrian Army armored vehicles were also destroyed.

U.S. Eyes Russia-Iran Split in Bid to End Syria Conflict

The Obama administration and European and Arab allies are seeking to peel Russia away from its alliance with Iran, a partnership that has bolstered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said senior diplomats involved in efforts to end Syria's lengthy conflict.

The efforts, which have unfolded quietly through meetings involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Middle Eastern leaders, are meant to coax support from Moscow for a limit on Mr. Assad's time in power. Such a step would solidify an emerging international coalition and help clear the way for a more concerted military effort to counter Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Iran is seen as a brake on those efforts because of its more staunchly pro-Assad position, which it wants the Kremlin to support. If Russia holds fast to Iran and Mr. Assad, it would undermine hopes for an international consensus.

A senior U.S. official on Tuesday said Washington has seen ''increased tensions between Russia and Iran over the question of the future of Syria.''

U.S. and European officials also said they believe Iran's elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has withdrawn some troops from Syria in recent weeks, because of a strain on its resources. A number of senior IRGC officers have been killed in Syria in recent months.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Paris Attacks Show Syria War Cannot Be Contained

The murderous attacks on French civilians enjoying a night out in Paris were proof, were any needed, that the war in Syria and Iraq will not be contained there.

The deaths and the propaganda victory from the Islamic State jihadist group will intensify pressure on world capitals to find a resolution to the conflict.

But they will also exacerbate political disputes over how to deal with the refugee influx, the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and military intervention on the ground.

And this comes against the backdrop of an intensified counter-terrorism campaign on the streets of Europe which could alienate Muslim minorities and stir anti-refugee sentiment.

'It's not a war of ideas anymore,' said Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer now with security consultancy the Soufan Group, of Europe's struggle with extremism.

Initial signs point to the attack being exactly of the kind experts have been warning of for years: European Islamists radicalized in Syria and returning home.

'That it happened was not a surprise. You cannot have this kind of situation lasting for years and not have this kind of attack,' Skinner told AFP.

French security forces have a good reputation in counter-terrorism -- 'world class,' Skinner said -- but even they missed a seven-strong cell planning a complex attack.

'It's inevitable, and it's going to happen again,' he said.

Middle East analyst Salman Shaikh, the former head of the Brookings Doha Center and founder of his own consultancy, spoke to French officials just hours before the attacks.

France, he said, has been the most firm among Western countries in backing the 'principled' stance that Assad, the main author of Syria's misfortunes, must stand aside.

Against that view is the one pushed by Assad's ally Russia, that the regime is a bulwark against the Islamic State and must remain in place while a political solution is sought.

'It may have some effect,' Shaikh told AFP from Paris. 'I don't think so, because the French have been quite resolute. They don't want to follow the Russian narrative.

'Syria can't be contained, so we have to resolve it, not just militarily but also politically,' he said.

Shaikh echoed Western leaders who argue IS will be defeated only when Sunni Arabs alienated by Assad's brutality have space to join the fight against the jihadists.

'Daesh won't really be on the back foot until Syria's ... opposition rebel groups unite against them,' Shaikh said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

'At the moment they are just trying to resist or survive the Russian attacks against them.'

Whether by coincidence or design, the Paris attacks were launched on the eve of talks in Vienna among 17 countries to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict.

- Notorious mouthpiece -

Had the assault not taken place, the debate would have come against the backdrop of two victories for the US-led coalition against the Islamic State -- the fall of the Iraqi town of Sinjar to Kurdish forces and the death in Syria of notorious IS mouthpiece 'Jihadi John.'

Saturday brought another tactical victory when the Pentagon announced that the IS leader -- an Iraqi -- in Libya had been killed in an air strike.

But instead, European powers attended the talks amid a terrifying new security environment in which lone wolf jihadists and organized IS cells could strike at any time.

The apparent IS bombing of a Russian passenger jet leaving a Sinai resort on October 31 -- along with bomb attacks in Beirut and Ankara -- also underline how the war in Iraq and Syria has spilled over and is spreading.

Already, US and European anti-immigration politicians have begun citing the attacks as a reason to block the flow of refugees from Syria.

Refugee advocates insist Syrians are fleeing violence, not seeking to spread it, while the best way to counter jihadist propaganda is to show Western compassion.

- 'Many tragedies to come' -

For Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) any counter-terror campaign will win only tactical victories so long as wars in the Islamic world continue.

'The struggle to change this reality will, at best, be a long, long struggle, and there will be many tragedies like Paris to come,' he said in a CSIS op-ed published Saturday.

'Real victory can only be won by years of reform within the Islamic world, and outside aid that does as much as possible to help create governments that rule through success, rather than through repression.'

The polarized debate will only increase tensions ahead of tests such as France's regional elections next month, which could see victories for the anti-immigrant Front National.

'It's a gift from the extremist gods to have this happen at this time,' Skinner said, warning the attack and the French response could mark a turning point in European society.

'This is exactly what the terrorists wanted. They didn't want us talking about Sinjar or the death of their spokesman Jihadi John,' he told AFP.

Skinner warned that European capitals would now be forced to debate issues of security and immigration policy and make 'huge societal changes under duress.'

Such forced decisions are often wrong-headed, but the threat is real and attacks will continue. 'It's not an existential threat, but it's a serious threat,' he said.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Will Obama Be A Hawk Or A Dove After Paris?

By Andrew Bowen

U.S. President Barack Obama entered office with a commitment to end his country's over-expansive involvement in the Middle East. In the twilight months of his presidency, however, he faces the stark reality that the United States and its partners' security cannot be guaranteed with a hands-off approach to regional problems.

Obama's legacy may not be so much defined by a rapprochement with Iran or a free-trade tilt to Asia, but how he responds to the challenge of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the wake of the Paris attacks, and what risks he is willing to take to secure America's future and prosperity. Events, which often shape opinion polls and drive Obama's foreign policy more than strategic design and intent, may force him to take more risks than he initially expected.

Wrong bet

While it is too early to say to what degree he will go to respond, it is hard to see how, with deepening Russian and French involvement in the anti-ISIS campaign and a public outcry at home, Obama could sit on the sidelines when the security of the United States and its allies is threatened.

The most hawkish response so far has been a call to send U.S. ground forces into Syria and Iraq. For Obama, who has defined his legacy on ending two wars in the Middle East, he is unlikely to take such an option - even if it is necessary - based on his stated proclivity against such an option, and the risks he faces in response from his Democratic Party base.

Washington arguably has placed too big a bet on trying to suspend Iran's nuclear program without investing time and resources to confront larger challenges to international security: ISIS and Iran's regional behavior.

These two challenges are arguably interrelated. Tehran's expansive behavior, from Yemen to Syria, helped stoke the sectarianism that has helped fuel ISIS. Iran's mismanagement of Iraq, and its support of the Syrian regime, have enabled ISIS to form a state in both countries.

Sustainable path

A more sustainable path would be to reinvigorate ties with regional and international partners, and enhance current assets employed, including expanding military options. One critical area is the need to rebuild and strengthen the critical alliances that have underwritten security in the region since the end of the Cold War. Obama has devoted too many resources and time to building new relations with Iran, at the expense of maintaining strong partnerships with America's longstanding regional allies.

In the aftermath of Paris, Obama should reinvigorate cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan against the common threat of global extremism. Washington should enhance its support for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in its efforts to resolve Yemen's civil war. Yemen's future stability is essential for ensuring that the state does not become a deepening outpost for ISIS.

Washington should more robustly support Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in his efforts to bring stability and economic prosperity to his country, and also to address the deepening crisis in the Sinai. The United States should also continue to back efforts to resolve Libya's civil war, and work with Egypt and the UAE to roll back ISIS's territorial expansion.

Washington should increase diplomatic pressure to make the Vienna talks a sustainable path for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's eventual departure from power. Equally, more pressure needs to be put on Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's government to make meaningful reforms to empower Sunni communities in Iraq. Without inclusive governance in Syria or Iraq, ISIS's reign of terror will be seen by some as a better alternative to sectarian rule from Damascus and Baghdad.

Washington needs to deepen its support for GCC security through enhanced military cooperation and deepening investment in member states' counter-insurgency capabilities. Without such action, Obama risks leaving a legacy defined more by inaction than pro-active and sustained American leadership to confront common global challenges.

___________
Andrew Bowen, Ph.D., is a Senior Fellow and the Director of Middle East Studies at the Center for the National Interest. Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Security Council Calls For Eradicating ISIL Safe Havens In Syria And Iraq: Russia's War Crime In Liberated Areas

The United Nations Security Council this evening called on all countries that can do so to take the war on terrorism to Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq and destroy its safe haven, warning that the group intends to mount further terror attacks like those that devastated Paris and Beirut last week.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member body declared the group's terrorist attacks abroad ''a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security'' following the ''horrifying terrorist attacks'' it perpetrated recently in Sousse (Tunisia), Ankara (Turkey), over Sinai (Egypt) with the downing of a Russian plane, and in Beirut and Paris.

It warned that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or Da'esh as it is also known, ''has the capability and intention to carry out'' further strikes and called upon ''Member States that have the capacity to do so to take all necessary measures, in compliance with international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law'' on its territory.

It called on Member States to intensify efforts to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters to Iraq and Syria and to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism, and reaffirmed that those responsible for terrorist acts, violations of international humanitarian law or violations or abuses of human rights must be held accountable.

It cited ''the continued gross, systematic and widespread abuses of human rights and violations of humanitarian law, as well as barbaric acts of destruction and looting of cultural heritage'' carried out by ISIL.

The resolution also expressed deepest condolences to the victims of the terrorist attacks and their families and to the people and Governments of Tunisia, Turkey, Russia, Lebanon and France, and to all Governments whose citizens were targeted in these attacks and all other victims of terrorism.

''By its violent extremist ideology, its terrorist acts, its continued gross systematic and widespread attacks directed against civilians, abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those driven on religious or ethnic ground, its eradication of cultural heritage and trafficking of cultural property,'' ISIL constitutes ''a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security,'' the Council stressed.

It also cited the group's its control natural resources in Iraq and Syria and its ''recruitment and training of foreign terrorist fighters whose threat affects all regions and Member States, even those far from conflict zones.''

Russia's War Crime In Liberated Areas

Russian warplanes used banned phosphoric bombs on the village of Beneen near the city of Idlib and areas in Hama Province, Al Jazeera TV cited the armed Syrian opposition reporting. These airstrikes resulted in large blazes in these regions and a number of locals lost their lives.

These same scenes were repeated in south Aleppo and Russia warplanes dropped such bombs on the city of Hazer located south of Aleppo, the state-run SANA reported in Syria.

Phosphoric bombs were banned based on the 1980 Geneva Agreement and the use of such arms are considered a war crime.

Turkish PM: We must create a safe zone in Syria

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview with Al Jazeera TV that his country has been emphasizing for a long time that a safe zone must be established in Syria to allow the Syrian people travel to Turkey in safety and provide support for Syrian refugees in their country. Guarantees should be made to have terrorist groups distanced from Turkey's borders, have them destroyed and establish a safe zone that will play a role in the establishment of the future of Syria. Turkey has not received any support in this regard, he added.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Hezbollah Supporters, Commanders Questioning Militia's Role in Syria, Say Analysts

A surge in casualties and a lack of a clear regional policy are driving Hezbollah supporters and senior members to raise questions about the Shi'ite Lebanese group's role in Syria where it is fighting rebels trying to topple the government of President Bashar Al-Assad, according to analysts and experts familiar with the inner circle of the militia.

Ali Al-Amin, a Lebanese political analyst and researcher, spoke of ''major objections within the group over its performance in Syria'' after it recently suffered great losses in lives at the hands of Syrian rebel groups.

The latest such episode came Monday when the Iran-affiliated group announced the deaths of eight fighters who fell during battles in Syria.

The growing state of restlessness with the ''absence of prospects for victory [in Syria]'' has exceeded the Lebanese group's support base to its leadership, according to Amin.

''The debate has moved to the inner circle of the group represented by its jihad council, with voices starting to question how after all the sacrifices they made in Syria, the Russians came and took all of their achievements,'' Amin said.

A key ally of Assad, Russia increased its military presence in Syria last month and launched a series of airstrikes which it said targeted the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group. However, analysts argue that the Russian buildup is meant to shore up Assad's forces and their Hezbollah backers weakened by a series of gains by rebels.

Hezbollah's dead in Syria were not limited to highly trained fighters but also included dozens of high-ranking commanders, the latest of whom was Hassan Hussein Al-Hajj, aka Hajj Maher, a founder of the pro-Assad militia.

Hajj was killed by Syrian rebels in the El-Ghab valley north of Hamah province earlier this month and was described by Hezbollah as ''a senior commander'' who was close to the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Amin said: ''Hezbollah's losses in Syria exceeded expectations … and its elite Al-Radwan battalion has been greatly exhausted to the extent of disintegration after the loss of its commanders and professional fighters in the Zabadani battle.''

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, a Free Syrian Army (FSA) source said: ''The FSA's information confirms that Hezbollah's dead reached 1,263 until the end of last week, most of them from the elite forces, something which has greatly hit the group's morale.'' Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Two More Iranian Commanders Killed In Syria

Latest deaths reported by local media come days after top commander was also killed while helping Syria to battle ISIL

Two senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been killed in Syria, according to Iranian media.

Hamid Mokhtarband and Brigadier General Farshad Hassounizadeh died while assisting the Syrian government's battle against ISIL on Monday, reported the Tasnim and Fars news agencies and Press TV.

Their deaths come after another top commander, General Hossein Hamadani, was killed on Thursday night on the outskirts of Aleppo.

Press TV reported that Hassounizadeh was in Syria to "defend the holy shrine of Hazrat Zeinab, the granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), in the country's capital of Damascus."

The Islamic Republic denies having any military forces in Syria, but says it offers "military advice" to Assad's forces in their fight against "terrorist groups".

An IRGC statement on Friday said that Hamadani had been advising the Syrian military and defend Shia shrines in the country.

Iran is the main regional ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and has provided military and economic support during Syria's four-year-old civil war.

Assad's other longtime ally, Russia, launched its air campaign in September, saying it would target ISIL. Its planes, however, have also hit other rebel groups opposed to Assad, including groups backed by Washington.

More than 250,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war, which began in 2011.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Sinai: Where Cowardly Putin Running Chicken - Russian Government Suspends All Flights to Egypt On Attacks Advice
 Russia's Putin has ordered suspensioin of all passenger flights to Egypt on Friday after a deadly plane downing by the Sinai group affliate of ISIL at the weekend as Western intelligence officials rallied aroubd their ''chatter'' to support their assessments that the jet was brought down by an external attack or a force on board.

Analysis believe Pax Americana might be unravelling in the Middle East, but Russia's indiscriminate bombing shows that outside powers will continue to use violence and dictators for regional hegemony.

Russia mourned the victims of its biggest ever air disaster after a passenger jet full of Russian tourists crashed in Egypt's Sinai, killing all 224 people on board.

The Airbus A321-200, operated by the Moscow-based Metrojet airline, was downed in a remote mountainous part of the Sinai Peninsula 23 minutes after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday morning.

Information intercepted by U.S. and British spies suggested a bomb may have been carried onto the Russian plane that crashed in the Sinai Peninsula last week, The Times reported in its Friday edition.

The Times newspaper reported the information came to light after a joint U.S.-British intelligence operation ''used satellites to uncover electronic communications'' between Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants in Syria and Egypt, without giving a source for the information.

''The tone and content of the messages convinced analysts that a bomb had been carried on board by a passenger or a member of the airport ground staff,'' the newspaper reported.

The British and U.S. governments have said it is possible an explosive caused the Saint Petersburg-bound jet to crash in the Sinai Peninsula after taking off from the red sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board.

New intelligence

British and U.S. spies intercepted ''chatter'' from suspected militants and at least one other government suggesting that a bomb, possibly hidden in luggage in the hold, downed the airliner, Western intelligence sources said.

The intelligence sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said the evidence was not categorical and there was still no hard forensic or scientific evidence to support the bomb theory.

Britain, which said a bomb planted by an Islamic State affiliate may have caused the crash, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, had already suspended regular flights to Sharm al-Sheikh where the downed Russian airliner originated. Turkey said on Friday it was also cancelling flights to the Egyptian resort.

Britain temporarily suspended flights between Sharm el-Sheikh and Britain due to the intelligence, and warned against all but essential travel by air to the resort due to new intelligence.

Flights from Sharm el-Sheikh to Britain are due to resume on Friday, with airlines laying on extra routes to get stranded travelers home, but passengers will only be allowed to fly with hand luggage due to a request from the British government.

The Telegraph reported that ''crucial intelligence'' came to light after British and US intelligence services ''went back over communications of known fanatics in the region''.

''Their trawl revealed 'chatter' in the days before the crash pointing to an imminent attack,'' the Telegraph reported, without giving a source for the report.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the disaster, but the idea has been played down by Russia and Egypt, which is keen to protect its valuable tourism industry and has urged patience until the results of an investigation into the crash are known.

US President Barack Obama also said he believes there is a "possibility" a bomb brought the plane.

"I think there is a possibility that there was a bomb on board and we're taking that very seriously," Obama says in a radio interview.

Russian intervention in Syria could be the biggest threat in decades to Pax Americana in the Middle East - although the alternative on offer appears to be equally as damaging.

Following talks on Thursday in London with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Cameron defended his decision to suspend flights to Sharm el-Sheikh and make public his belief, based on intelligence reports, that a bomb was the likely cause of last week's crash, which killed 224 people.

Russia's decision may be the first sign that Moscow, which launched air strikes against Islamist fighters including Islamic State in Syria more than a month ago, is attaching credibility to the theory that militants put a bomb on the aircraft.

Putin acted after Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia's FSB security service, recommended that Russia suspend all passenger flights to Egypt until it knew exactly what caused the crash.

''The head of state agreed with these recommendations,'' Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

He said the government would find a way to bring Russians back home and would open talks with Egyptian authorities to improve flight safety. Peskov later told reporters the suspension would remain in place until such time as the Kremlin was satisfied that security had been sufficiently improved.

''I think that since Putin made the decision to cancel flights, most likely there is a genuine suspicion that it was a terrorist act. And of course, then it is correct to cancel the flights because it means it is dangerous to fly there,'' said Maria Solomatina, 27, an IT consultant who has a ticket to travel to Egypt in mid-November.

A Sinai-based group affiliated with Islamic State, the militants who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, has claimed responsibility for the crash, which, if confirmed, would make it the jihadist organisation's first attack on civil aviation.

The fate of Egypt's tourist industry, a vital source of hard currency for a struggling economy, is at stake as well as the credibility of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's claims to have brought under control the militants fighting to topple his government.

The crash has put Egypt's airport security measures in the spotlight.

KLM introduced new security measures on its trips from Cairo to Amsterdam. Passengers will only be allowed to take hand luggage onto the flight, Egyptian airport security sources said on Friday.

Several passengers instead opted to take different flights. KLM Flight 554 left Cairo on Friday morning with only 115 passengers out of its 247 registered ones as a result.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com, Al-Araby al-Jadeed & Several News Outlets

Heavy Assad Regime Losses in Hama Despite Russian Supports Of Ceaseless Killings Of Syrian Civilians
 By Anas al-Kurdi

Syrian opposition forces recaptured two villages in the Hama countryside, west-central Syria, on Friday, after they were seized by government troops as part of a major offensive that began last month in face of Russia's relentless aggresions and brutes against the Syrian civilian population.

"Opposition fighters captured the villages of Atshan and Um Hartain in the northern and eastern Hama countryside this morning, a month after they were seized by the regime with the assistance of Russian airstrikes," the director of the Hama Media Centre, Yazan Shahdawi told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

The London based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 16 pro-regime fighters were killed in the fight for the two villages.

Meanwhile, the media office of Ajnad al-Sham, one of the rebel groups that took part in the battle, has claimed that 50 regime troops have been killed.

Rebel fighters also seized two regime tanks and a Kornet missile system from the village of Um Hartain, Shahdawi said.

The villages are situated in a strategic location overlooking a number of pro-regime villages and on the route between the northern and eastern countryside of Hama. This development will enable rebel forces to cut off the regime's supply route in the Hama countryside.

Rebel forces have recently captured a number of other villages in the Hama countryside allowing them to ensure their supply lines and movements.

Meanwhile, the Hama Media Centre reported that over 100 regime forces were killed and many others captured in the strategic town of Morek, north of the city of Hama, which was seized by rebel factions on Thursday.

The recent rebel advances in Hama have been the largest since the regime launched its offensive on the area last month with the assistance of Russian airstrikes.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com, Al-Araby al-Jadeed & Several News Outlets

Blast in Lebanese Border Town Targets Syrian Clerics As Syrian Refugee Children Are 'Forced To Kneel Before Lebanese Flag'
 An explosion rocked the town of Arsal on Lebanon's border with Syria, targeting a meeting of the Qalamoun Muslim Scholars Committee.

At least nine people were killed in the explosion, including the chairman of the committee, Othman Mansour (Syrian), and several others were wounded.

The body of a suicide bomber who may have detonated the explosives was reportedly taken to a hospital in Arsal.

According to several reports, the alleged suicide bomber was riding a motorcycle when he detonated the explosives.

It was first not clear if the explosion was the result of a car bomb or if explosives were planted in a shop.

The Qalamoun Muslim Scholars Committee is considered to be a moderate group of religious scholars who deal with legal matters concerning the Syrian refugees who reside in Arsal, such as marriages, divorces, and minor disputes.

Local sources have said that Islamic State group and the Nusra Front who are holed up in the rugged mountains around Arsal were not happy about the committee's independent activities in the town.

Syrian refugee children 'forced to kneel before Lebanese flag'

In the latest in a series of documented abuses against refugees, an undercover crew from a Lebanese television show has filmed children at a Lebanese public school apparently being made to kneel before the national flag in what appears to be punishment.

"Talk Straight", aired by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation on November 2, said the children were Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and, citing witness reports, alleged that the practice was widespread in other schools.

Lebanon, a tiny Arab Mediterranean nation of four million, is struggling to cope with millions of Syrian, Iraqi and Palestinian refugees.

However, there have been repeated complaints of systematic racism in the country targeting refugees and foreign domestic workers.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Chemical Bashar: Mustard Gas Use In Syria Conflict Confirmed
 Mustard gas was used during summer fighting in Syria but it was not clear by whom, the global chemical weapons watchdog said Thursday, while extremists seized a key town from regime forces.

The deadly gas was used in the flashpoint town of Marea in the northern province of Aleppo on 21 August, a source from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [OPCW] told AFP.

"We have determined the facts, but we have not determined who was responsible," the source said.

Syrian rebels and aid groups said that at the end of August dozens of people were affected by a chemical attack on Marea, where moderate opposition rebels and militants from the Islamic State [IS, formerly ISIS] group were battling.

Doctors Without Borders [MSF] said it had treated four civilians from one family.

Patients at a MSF hospital in Aleppo said they saw a "yellow gas" when a mortar round hit their house.

Meanwhile, bolstered by a Russian air campaign launched in September, President Bashar al-Assad's forces have been fighting to retake territory lost to rebels in the country's brutal four-year war but have failed to score significant gains.

On Thursday an extremist faction, Jund al-Aqsa, was reported to have seized the last government-held town on the main highway between Syria's second city Aleppo to the north and the city of Hama to the south.

They "seized full control of the town of Morek after a fierce offensive", said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.

Jund al-Aqsa boasted of victory in Morek on its Twitter account but a Syrian security source insisted fighting was ongoing and denied a major setback.

Morek has changed hands several times in the conflict, with government troops last retaking it in October 2014.

Major fightback

Last month, Syrian troops launched a major fightback in Hama province with Russian air support, with the main Aleppo highway a main objective.

It was one of a number of counter-offensives the Damascus regime has launched since Moscow intervened.

Regime forces scored a rare win Wednesday, recapturing from IS an alternative route further east that provides the government's sole link to neighbourhoods of Aleppo under its control.

Advancing IS forces had severed the road last month, cutting off food and supplies to tens of thousands of civilians in the west of Aleppo city.

For the first time since IS had cut the road, trucks of fruits and vegetables arrived in regime-held neighbourhoods of the city, residents said.

IS has continued advancing in various parts of Syria, despite the Russian strikes and more than a year of air raids targeting the group by a US-led coalition.

On Thursday the Observatory said that at least 22 civilians were killed along with several IS fighters in air raids on the Syrian town of Bukamal, near the Iraqi border, but did not say which nation carried out the strikes.

Russia said its air force carried out strikes near the IS-held ancient city of Palmyra, bringing to 263 the number of targets Russian jets have hit in the past two days.

And France, which joined coalition operations in Syria last month after previously carrying out strikes in Iraq, said on Thursday it would deploy its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to better fight the jihadists.

More than 250,000 people have been killed in the war, which began in 2011 and has frequently spilled across the border.

On Thursday, six people were killed in a suicide attack at a meeting of Muslim clerics in the Lebanese town of Arsal, a security source told AFP.

Arsal is a Sunni Muslim enclave in mainly-Shia eastern Lebanon and hosts many Syrian refugees as well as rebel fighters in the surrounding countryside.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.

The UN envoy for Syria, meanwhile, will brief the Security Council next week after holding talks in Damascus, Moscow and Washington.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

THE SOLDIERS OF THE KHILAFAH WERE ABLE TO DOWN A RUSSIAN PLANE OVER WILAYAT SAYNA

ISLAMIC STATE SAYNA'
17 MUHARRAM 1437

Russian Metrojet's Airbus A-321 Downed As The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Egyptian Affiliate Group Welcome Putin To Hell In Their Own Fashions And Terms
 ISIS has released several high profile evidences to assert their claim of responsibility for the Russian plane crash which claimed the lives of some 220 Russian passengers and crew confirming their action was in response to Russia's decision to bomb Islamic fighters in Syria in a bid to prop up Basher al-Assad's murderous regime.

THE SOLDIERS OF THE KHILAFAH WERE ABLE TO DOWN A RUSSIAN PLANE OVER WILAYAT SAYNA'. IT WAS CARRYING MORE THAN 220 RUSSIAN CRUSADERS. ALL OF THEM WERE KILLED, AND PRAISE IS FOR ALLAH. THIS IS TO SHOW THE RUSSIANS AND WHOEVER ALLIES WITH THEM THAT THEY SHALL HAVE NO SAFETY IN MUSLIM LANDS OR AIRSPACE, AND THAT THEIR DAILY KILLING OF DOZENS IN SHAM VIA THEIR AIRSTRIKES SHALL RESULT IN THEIR DEMISE. AS THEY KILL, THEY WILL BE KILLED BY THE PERMISSION OF ALLAH. ALLAH IS IN CONTROL, THOUGH MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW.

ISLAMIC STATE SAYNA'
17 MUHARRAM 1437

As security forces discovered the wreckage in a remote mountainous area in an area containing many ISIS-affiliated groups yesterday afternoon, German airline Lufthansa said they will no longer fly over the Sinai peninsula 'as long as the cause for [the] crash has not been clarified'. Air France later said the same.

Impacts Of ISIL Attacks On Putin:

German airline Lufthansa has said they will no longer fly over the Sinai peninsula 'as long as the cause for the crash has not been clarified'.

A spokeswoman for the airline said 'security is our highest priority', adding that it would use detours to service airports in the region.
Air France has also confirmed that it will not be flying through the restive area until the reasons behind the crash become clear.
Meanwhile, British Airways has reportedly ordered its pilots to avoid low flying over Egypt in the wake of the deadly crash.
Hundreds of flights, carrying British passengers to tourist hot spots such as Sharm el-Sheikh, will continue to fly over the region.
But pilots have been secretly told to be more cautious about their altitude amid concerns of a terror attack, The UK Sun reports.
The maximum height a surface-to-air missile could strike is thought to be 25,000 feet.

Did the Americans expect the Putin's actions against the Syrian population to be punished this early and at this scale of life wasting. It certainly looks so, especially, that Obama likes to position himself an expert in war games anytime Putin tries to show he's calculative in his rivalry with the American leadership in the world stage.

Thursday October 8, 2015, US defence secretary Ashton Carter predicted reprisal attacks on Russian soil over Vladimir Putin's military campaign to prop up Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Moscow will soon start paying the price for its escalating military intervention in Syria in the form of reprisal attacks and casualties, the US defence secretary has warned, amid signs that Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies are preparing to counter the Russian move.

Ashton Carter was talking at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday during which the ministers agreed to increase a Nato response force intended to move quickly to flashpoints.

Riyadh's anger over Vladimir Putin's intervention was reflected in a statement by 55 leading clerics, including prominent Islamists, urging ''true Muslims'' to ''give all moral, material, political and military'' support to the fight against Assad's army as well as Iranian and Russian forces.

''Russia has created a Frankenstein in the region which it will not be able to control,'' warned a senior Qatari source. ''With the call to jihad things will change. Everyone will go to fight. Even Muslims who sit in bars. There are 1.5 billion Muslims. Imagine what will happen if 1% of them join.''

In his remarks, Carter said that the Russian military campaign, including airstrikes and ship-launched cruise missiles, were not targeting Isis but represented a Russian decision ''to double down on a longstanding relationship with Assad''.

''They have initiated a joint ground offensive with the Syrian regime, shattering the facade that they are there to fight Isil [Isis],'' he added. ''This will have consequences for Russia itself, which is rightly fearful of attacks. In coming days, the Russians will begin to suffer from casualties.''

Carter said that Russian missiles had been fired without giving notice to other states in the region and came within a few miles of hitting a US drone over Syrian airspace.

''We've seen increasingly unprofessional behaviour from Russian forces. They violated Turkish airspace ... They shot cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea without warning,'' the defence secretary said.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russian Metrojet's Airbus A-321 Downed As The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Egyptian Affiliate Group Welcome Putin To Hell In Their Own Fashions And Terms

Russians have started counting their body bags in hundreds as Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group managed to have downed a Russian passenger jet that crashed in the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people onboard.

Russia's transport minister Maksim Sokolov lost in sorrow as he struggled to find words to qualify the accuracy of the latest information in comments cited by Russian news agencies.

''We are in close contact with our Egyptian colleagues and aviation authorities in the country. At present, they have no information that would confirm such insinuations,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Egypt has recovered the black box of a Russian airliner that crashed Saturday in the restive Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board, the prime minister's office said.

According to the office of Prime Minister Sharif Ismail said, he black box was recovered from the tail of the plane and has been sent to be analyzed by experts, and that rescuers had recovered 129 bodies from the site of the crash.

The prime minister confirmed that it was impossible to determine the cause of the Russian plane has not been drowned until the black box was examined, pointing out that no ''irregular'' activities were believed to be behind the perish of the Metrojet's Airbus A-321 with registration number EI-ETJ that crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula as Reuters reported.

The ISIS affiliate, which is very active in the Sinai, had circulated a statement on social media claiming responsibility for the crash, saying it brought down the aircraft in revenge for Russian air strikes against militants in Syria.

''The soldiers of the caliphate succeeded in bringing down a Russian plane in Sinai,'' its statement said.

News agencies have reported significance in the movements of the Egyptian groups and their abilities depsite several military experts contacted by AFP said playing down the likeliness of ISIS militants in Sinai possessing missiles capable of shooting down a plane flying at 30,000 feet without other powerful supports from the region.

But they did not discount the possibility that a bomb may have been planted on the plane, or that it could have been hit by a rocket or missile as it lost height due to technical problems.

The plane - an Airbus A321-200 operated by Russian carrier Kogalymavia - also known as Metrojet - had reportedly split in two. Other bodies had been found strapped to their seats.

An Egyptian security officer at the site told Reuters by telephone that his team extracted "at least 100 bodies and the rest are still inside," the officer, who requested anonymity, said.

Most of the passengers on board are believed to be Russian tourists. But analysts say the passengers are likely to include a large pack of Russian army personels and their family assigned to tasks including undecover and participation in Russia's ondoing slaughters of the Syrians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian what he described as rescue teams to visit the site of the crash, while Egypt's prosecutor general has ordered an investigation.

Russian officials began searching the Moscow offices of Kogalymavia, and have seized documents, Russian state TV reported.

"Military planes have discovered the wreckage of the plane... in a mountainous area, and 45 ambulances have been directed to the site to evacuate dead and wounded," a cabinet statement said earlier.

Putin declared a day of mourning after the incident in Egypt.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Al-Jubeir: Hard To Envision Iran Role in Syria Solution As Syrian Rebels Receive Weapons For Aleppo Battle
 Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Monday it was difficult to envision a role for Iran in Syria peacemaking efforts due to its military role in the conflict there.

Al-Jubeir made the statements during a joint conference with Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who arrived in Riyadh from Iran on a mission largely focused on seeking ways to end the war in Syria.

Jubeir repeated Riyadh's view that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Iran, had to leave power if peace was to be achieved.

"The question is: what must Iran do to be part of the solution in Syria? The answer is very simple:

"It has to withdraw from Syria and it has to stop supplying weapons to Bashar al-Assad's regime and it has to withdraw the Shi'ite militias that it sent ... and then it can have a role," Jubeir said, adding that Iran was now an "occupier of Arab lands in Syria".

Saudi Arabia believed Assad must step down as soon as a transitional body was set up in line with the Geneva peace talks of 2012, he said.

"After the formation of this governmental body, President Assad must step down. If it is a matter of months, two or three months or less, that is not important. But Assad has no future in Syria," Jubeir said according to an Arabic translation of his comments made in English at the news conference.

The idea that Assad might stay until elections were held and that he could participate in these elections had no prospect, he added.

Tehran has armed the Syrian government and, by backing Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, helped Assad combat rebels seeking to end his rule in the four-year-old conflict.

Jubeir said he hoped Iran would stop interfering in the affairs of regional countries, like Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

"We are determined to confront any Iranian moves and we will do everything we can with what we have in political, economic and military means to protect our lands and people."

Syrian rebels receive weapons for Aleppo battle

Rebels battling the Syrian army and its allies south of Aleppo say they have received new supplies of U.S.-made anti-tank missiles from states that oppose President Bashar al-Assad since a major government offensive began there on Friday.

Rebels from three Free Syrian Army-affiliated groups contacted by Reuters said new supplies had arrived since the start of the attack by the army backed by Iranian fighters and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

But officials from one of the groups said that while new quantities had arrived, the supplies were not enough for the scale of the assault. They declined to be identified due to the sensitivities of the matter. "A few will not do the trick. They need dozens," said one of the officials.

A number of rebel groups vetted by states opposed to Assad have been supplied with weapons via Turkey, part of a programme supported by the United States and which has in some cases included military training by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Rami Abdulrahman, director of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which monitors the Syrian conflict, said rebels had hit at least 11 army vehicles with guided anti-tank missiles near Aleppo since Friday.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey Shoots Down Drone At Syria Border: The Russians Have Been Warned
 Turkish jets shot down an unidentified drone that had violated Turkey's airspace at the border with Syria, the military said.

The alien, unmanned aerial vehicle which entered the country's airspace on Friday from Syria continued to advance despite three warnings, the Turkish military said.

The plane "was shot down by Turkish planes patrolling the border in line with the rules of engagement", a statement said.

Earlier in October, Turkey complained about Russian warplanes violating its airspace, intrusions that also drew strong condemnation from Turkey's NATO allies.

On Friday, Russia said it has agreed all technical questions for Syria flight safety with the United States after Turkey downing the plane.

Turkey's NTV television, without citing its sources, said the object was a drone, and it had fallen three kilometers (1.85 miles) inside Turkish territory.

Television pictures showed the military examining the crash site. The location was not specified.

Turkey had earlier this month bitterly complained about two violations of its air space by Russian warplanes operating in Syria.

Russia's air strikes in Syria mean that Russian and NATO planes are now flying combat missions in the same air space for the first time since World War Two, heightening concern that the Cold War enemies could fire on each other.

The Russian air force officially informed the Turkish military on Thursday about the violations by Russian jets earlier this month, and about steps it would take to prevent a repetition.

Turkey has also reported unidentified aircraft and Syria-based missile air defence systems harassing its warplanes several times in recent months.

Since 2013, Turkey has shot down a Syrian military jet, a helicopter and an unmanned surveillance drone that have strayed into Turkish airspace. The incidents occurred after it changed its rules of engagement following the downing of a Turkish fighter jet by Syria.

Turkey has also reported numerous incidents of harassment of its F-16 jets patrolling the Syrian border by Syrian fighter planes or Syria-based surface-to-air missile systems locking radar on them.

To ease tensions with Russia, a high-level Russian delegation led by the country's deputy air force commander held talks on Thursday with Turkish military officials in Ankara. The military said the sides had discussed measures Russia was taking to avoid further incidents.

Turkey says incursions imperil 'Russia friendship'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Moscow that it would lose a lot if it destroyed its friendship with Ankara, adding that his country would not remain patient in the face of violations of its air space by Russian warplanes.

Turkey on Thursday said it summoned the Russian ambassador to Ankara for a second time after a new incursion by a Russian fighter jet on Sunday.

The first reported violation of Turkish airspace took place on Saturday, prompting a sharp warning from Turkey that future violations could lead to an implementation of the rules of engagement and condemnation from NATO.

Turkey is a member of the alliance.

The Russian embassy confirmed that "such an incident took place", according to the Interfax news agency.

Russia last week began bombing what it says are Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group targets in the Syria, though the air strikes seem to be largely hitting different opposition groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad.

The strikes seem to be focused on frontline areas where Assad's forces are facing losses to the rebel factions, especially in the provinces of Idlib and Hama in the north.

These areas have no ISIL presence.

Russia is a firm backer of Assad, while Western nations and Turkey say Assad has lost the legitimacy to continue in power over the longer term.

Russia has also been accused by Western officials and activists on the ground that many of the targets since the beginning of its campaign on Wednesday were civilian.

Turkey warns Russia over airspace violation

Turkey's prime minister says Russia has described its warplane's violation of Turkey's airspace as a "mistake" while calling the country's entry into the conflict in Syria as an escalation.

Ahmet Davutoglu, speaking in a live interview on HaberTurk TV on Monday, said that Turkey's rules of engagement were clear, whomever violates its airspace.

A Russian aircraft entered Turkish airspace near the Syrian border on Saturday, prompting Turkey to scramble two F-16 jets to intercept it and summon Russia's ambassador in protest.

"The Turkish armed forces are clearly instructed. Even it is a flying bird it will be intercepted," Davutoglu said.
He warned Turkey's enemies and allies not to infringe its air space but he dismissed the notion of tensions with Russia.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary-general, said he was convening a meeting of the military alliance's ambassadors on Monday afternoon to discuss Russia's "unacceptable violations". Turkey is one of NATO's 28 member states.

Feridun Sinirlioglu, Turkey's foreign minister, contacted his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, warning him not to repeat similar incidents.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

US Military Chief Says Russian Measures Intensify Syria Civil War
 The United State has warned that Russia's decision to join forces with Syria in air strikes against ISIS will only help to intensify the instability in Syria and make the civil war there more vicious, RTT reports indicate.

During a Pentagon news conference in the wake of these developments, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the Russian position of supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad and its desire to take on extremist groups such as the Islamic State represent a contradiction.

'Fighting ISIL without pursuing a parallel political transition only risks escalating the civil war in Syria - and with it, the very extremism and instability that Moscow claims to be concerned about and aspire to fighting,' he said. 'So that approach is tantamount … to pouring gasoline on the fire,' according to Carter.
The secretary restated the American position, saying that a lasting defeat of ISIL and its terrorist allies can be achieved only in parallel with a political transition in Syria. 'We will continue to insist on the importance of simultaneously pursuing these two objectives,' he said.

But Russian aircraft struck targets around Homs in Syria Wednesday and Thursday. A Russian officer notified personnel in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad of the strikes an hour before they launched. No coalition aircraft were in the region at the time, and Carter said he doubts any ISIL terrorists were in the area struck.

Russian and coalition officers will meet in the next few days to 'deconflict' air operations. The meeting will allow a flow of information between coalition forces and Russian elements to maintain the safety of U.S. personnel in the region, Carter said.

The meeting also will be an opportunity to ensure that any additional Russian actions do not interfere with the coalition's efforts to degrade and defeat ISIL, he added.

The secretary stressed that the more-than-60-nation coalition is battling ISIL 'across the physical, virtual and ideological battle space,' conducting more than 7,100 air strikes at ISIS' operational core and logistics arm. 'The coalition will continue to fly missions over Iraq and Syria as planned, as we did today, in support of our international mission to degrade and destroy ISIS.'

Carter said the U.S. talks with the Russians over Syria do not indicate a lessening of America's strong condemnation of Russian aggression in Ukraine, nor do they change U.S. sanctions and security support in response to those destabilizing actions.

Carter made it clear that if Russia wants to end its international isolation and be considered a global power, it must stop its aggression in eastern Ukraine and its occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, and live up to its commitments under the Minsk agreement.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

More Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Generals Perish In Syria

More senior officers from Iran's Revolutionary Guards generals were slain fighting ISIL militants in Syria, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, ahead of a planned offensive by Syria's army backed by Tehran.

Major General Farshad Hasounizadeh and Brigadier Hamid Mokhtarband, commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), perished in confronting the ISIL fighters on Monday, Tasnim said late on Tuesday. It did not say where they were fighting.

Iran has sent thousands of troops into Syria in recent days to bolster a planned ground offensive against insurgents in Aleppo by the Syrian army, which will also be supported by Russian air strikes, two senior regional officials told Reuters.

The government of President Bashar al-Assad has been strengthened by two weeks of Russian air strikes that the Kremlin says are targeting ISIS. The United States says they have also targeted other rebel groups.

Another senior Revolutionary Guards commander, Hossein Hamedani, was killed last week while advising the Syrian army near Aleppo.

Tehran is Assad's main regional ally and has provided him with military and economic support during Syria's civil war, now in its fifth year.

11 more of Iran's IRGC proxsies killed in Syria

Eleven members and proxies of the Revolutionary Guards dispatched by Iran to Syria have been killed in recent clashes, the mullahs' state-run media reported.

These IRGC members and proxies were killed by Syrian opposition fighters in a recent ground attack by Assad's military and militia forces dispatched from Iran to areas near Hama in Syria, Orient TV reported.

These 11 individuals include an Iranian colonel by the name of Alireza Ghanvati, 8 Afghan and 2 Pakistani militants.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Putin Admits Russia Aiming To Help Assad In Trouble As Syria Rebels Using More Forces, Equipment In Front Lines

The Russian leader confirmed the allegations that his main goal in intervening in Syria was to prop up embattled leader Bashar Assad, The Hill reported.

'Our task is to stabilize the legitimate government and to create conditions for a political compromise ... by military means, of course,' Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russian state television, according to a translation from CNN.

'The units of international terrorists and their ilk have no desire to negotiate with the Syrian government, who is almost sieged in its own capital.'

Putin's comments will come as little surprise to watchers of the region, who have noted Moscow's recent support for Assad, a longtime ally.

In recent weeks, Russia has begun and dramatically increased a military campaign to support Assad — at the expense, according to reports, of CIA-backed rebels and other groups trying to force him out of power.

The Kremlin has insisted that any rebels fighting against Assad's government are ''terrorists'' the term Putin used to describe enemies of his friend Assad and Tehran. The White House has opposed that narrative, though its attempts to support moderate rebels in the region have been decidedly unproductive.

The Obama administration has said that ''greater than 90 percent'' of Russia's airstrikes have been against opposition groups, not the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Human Rights Watch has echoed accusations by Syrian activists that Russia was behind the use of new advanced cluster munitions in Syria by dropping them from warplanes or supplying them to the Assad government.

The Pentagon says the vast majority of Russian strikes have been against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have made gains since Russian military intervention on September 30.

Government forces have pushed to regain the Sahl al-Ghab plain, which is adjacent to Latakia province, the heartland of Assad's regime. Now the Syrian army is focusing its fight on the village of Kafr Nabudeh.

Capturing Kafr Nabudeh would cut off a major highway, giving the pro-government forces access to the northwestern province of Idlib.

Syria rebels using more forces, equipment in front lines

Syrian fighters are dispatching more men and arms to the front lines, Reuters reported on Tuesday, including a significant number of anti-tank missiles. Their goal is to confront and defeat ground attacks by Assad's forces and its allies as they are backed by Russian airstrikes.

With support provided by the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian proxies, the Assad regime is attempting to force the rebels out of the western areas of Syria, Reuters added. However, its forces have suffered heavy casualties so far.

At least 25 Assad troops were killed in Hama recently.

US-led coalition forces have parachuted ammunition to Syrian rebels fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, according to a US official.

Elissa Smith, a spokesperson for the US defence secretary, said on Monday that the airdrop took place in northern Syria on Sunday.

"This successful airdrop provided ammunition to Syrian groups whose leaders were appropriately vetted by the United States and have been fighting to remove ISIL from northern Syria," she said.

"The airdrop includes small arms ammunition. Due to operational security we will not have any further details about the groups that received these supplies, their location, or the type of equipment in the airdrop."

Meanwhile, Russia - which believes it is wrong of US to arm the groups that Washington calls "moderate" - intensified its air strikes on Monday in central Syria.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Highest Ranking Khomeini General Hosain al- Hamadani Slain At The Hand Of ISIL In The Battle Of Kwayres Airbase Near Aleppo

By Aminah Khouri Khomenist regime in Tehran has confirmed the slaughter of its highest ranking Iranian general to be killed in Syria's four-year-long civil war. Iranian general Hosain al- Hamadani was killed with some of escorts when IS targeted them near Kwayres airbase east of Aleppo yesterday, was the supervisor on the operation of breaking the siege imposed on the airbase of Kwayres by IS militants. It is noted that the regime forces and allied militiamen have started a military operation to retake the airbase and nearby areas in late September.

Sporadic clashes took place after midnight between the regime forces, backed by Shiites and Russians, against the rebel and Islamist factions on the outskirts of Karm al- Tarrab neighborhood near al- Nayrab airbase in the east of Aleppo leading to killing of a media activist in a rebel battalion.

The slay of Iranian Revolutionary Guards general near Aleppo, where he was fighting alongside the Syrian army on their battle against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters has rocked the regime and their supporters in Tehran and Moscow. The killing has further exposed the Khomeini regim's denial of having any military forces in Syria, misleading the international communities that it has only offered "military advice" to Assad's forces in their fight against the opposition groups.

In the biggest deployment of Iranian forces yet, Reuters news agency reported last week that hundreds of troops had arrived since late September to take part in a major ground offensive planned in west and northwest Syria.

Iranian politician Esmail Kosari said Hamadani helped coordination between Syrian armed forces and the voluntary forces in their fight against the Syrian opposition.

Hamedani was commander of an IRGC unit, Tehran's Mohammad Rasoulallah Corps, when street protests erupted over the presidential elections. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi, chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, in remembering Hamedani's career, praised his efforts in ''confronting the American coup in the sedition of 2009.''

Hamedani's most recent role was helping to establish a people's militia in Syria. "For years, Hamadani played a very important role in Syria as an adviser ... he played an important role in preventing the fall of Damascus. Then he returned home at the end of his assignment," Kosari told the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

"He returned to Syria for a few days because of his deep knowledge about the area ... and he was slain in Syria."

In March 2015, in discussing his role in Syria, Hamedani said, ''Iran's advisory actions revolve more around monitoring and activating mobilization centers with a cultural focus. We did not try to engineer the behavior or try to use designed principles, rather we spent time with practical steps to create unity and honor.''

Throughout his career, Hamedani had held a number of other important posts as well, including commander of IRGC ground forces, deputy head of Basij and senior advisor to IRGC.

Hamedani has helped the The Iranian regime creating several Shiite and Christian 'youth organizations' in Syria so they can receive the clerical regime's message 'more explicitly' and in the near future 'devote their life' to it.

A state-run website quoted Brigadier General Hossein Hamadani, IRGC's deputy commander as saying: ''To strengthen morality in that country (Syria) we have created groups known as Keshab (youth) specifically for Sunni, Alawite, Christian and Ismaili teenagers.''

''We have created these group to pass on our message more explicitly. These measures have reached a point that fortunately our young religious students have become the pivots of the cultural activities in Syrian cultural activities in Aleppo Province.''

Hamadani said the IRGC has succeeded in 'exporting the culture of sacred war and the establishment of Basij' in Syria.

His remarks come days after remarks by senior cleric Mehdi Taeb, the head of the so-called ''Ammar Garrison'',warning that hardships in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen will come in the near future.

Speaking in Qum on Sunday, Taeb, who is inKhamenei's inner circle, said: ''As we move on the hardships will become more and more. The current situation in the world is like a major surgery which Iran, more than any other country, would have a share of this burden and if people do not resist and are not able to tolerate it, this surgery would be a failure.''

During the past week the Iranian regime's forces in Syria have had many casualties including high ranking commanders.

Hundreds of members of the Iranian regime's Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) are fighting against opposition forces in southern Syria, according to reports by Syrian opposition sources.

The remains of sixteen Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their Afghan mercenaries who were recently killed while fighting for Bashar Al-Assad in Syria have been buried in Iran in the past few days.

Funeral services for the seven Afghans, identified as Reza Bakhshi, Mohmoud Hakimi, Javid Yousefi, Nematollah Najafi, Ghassem Sadat, Hossein Hoseini and Ali Reza Tavasooli, were held last week in the city of Mashhad.

Ali Reza Tavasooli, one of the most prominent foreign mercenaries of the Iranian regime fighting for Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad was killed on few daus ago in the southern province of Daraa.

Tavassoli, who commanded a brigade of Afghans dispatched by the Iranian regime to Syria, was close to Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Iranian regime's terrorist Quds Force.

Mohammad Sahebkaram Ardekani, another IRGC commander, was killed in Syria on March 3 and his remains will be transferred to Iran in the coming days.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Assad, Iran And Russia Are Losing: Over 150 Assad Army Soldiers, Russian Officer Killed Near Hama

The first Russian officer was killed in heavy clashes erupting in the battlefronts of Murk, located north of the city of Hama in Syria, between Assad soldiers and members of the Free Syrian Army, Orient TV reported.

Over 150 Assad troops were also killed in this intense fighting on Thursday, the Hama news network reported. A number of Assad army officers were also amongst those killed.

Pro-Assad regime websites admitted to the death of 55 of these military soldiers.

Russia helicopter shot down, 4 passengers killed near Hama

Syrian armed opposition forces were able to shoot down a Russian military helicopter in northern Hama Province on Thursday, killing 1 Russian officer and three Russian soldiers, Orient TV reported.

Around noon on Thursday four helicopters were flying over the battlefronts and they were seeking to transport a number of Assad regime commandoes to the area. Syrian fighters targeted these choppers flying at low altitude, shooting down one of the helicopters.

US official: 4 Russian cruise missiles fired from Caspian Sea landed inside Iran soil

Various US officials on Thursday revealed four of the cruise missiles launched by Russia on Wednesday from the Caspian Sea landed in Iran, while they were actually targeted for Syria.

These US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it is not clear how much damages these missiles have left inside Iran.
The Russian Defense Ministry has refused to make any comment regarding these reports in international news agencies. Kremlin announced on Wednesday its forces launched 26 cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea on targets located in north and northwestern Syria.Iran has also refused to show any response to the landing of Russian missiles inside its soil. However, on Wednesday the mayor of the town of Takab in West Azerbaijan Province (northwestern Iran) reported an unknown object landing and windows of some homes in this area shattering due to the impact. A local website in Iran reported similar incidents occurred in the city of Saghez in Kurdistan Province.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

ISIL Advances On Aleppo Despite Russia Airstrikes As Obama Calls Russia Action In Syria 'Recipe For Disaster'

ISIL fighters have seized villages close to the northern city of Aleppo from rival insurgents, a monitoring group said on Friday, despite an intensifying Russian air-and-sea campaign that Moscow says has targeted the militant group.

News of the advance came as the United States announced it was largely abandoning its failed program to train moderate rebels fighting ISIS and would instead provide arms and equipment directly to rebel leaders and their units on the battlefield.

The Obama administration is grappling with a dramatic change in the four-year-old Syrian civil war brought about by Moscow's intervention in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Pentagon said on Friday it expected to hold new talks with Russia's military on pilot safety in Syria's war as soon as this weekend, as the former Cold War foes seek to avoid an accidental clash as they carry out rival bombing campaigns.

Russian air strikes

The Russian defense ministry said stepped-up air strikes on rebel positions in Syria killed 300 anti-Assad rebels and that it hit 60 ISIS targets over the last day. There was no independent confirmation of the death toll.

About 200 insurgents were killed in an attack on the Liwa al-Haqq group in Raqqa province while 100 died in Aleppo, the defense ministry said. Two ISIS commanders were among the dead in Russia's most intense raids since it launched strikes in Syria 10 days ago. In previous updates Russia has reported hitting 10 targets daily.

However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the fighting, said there had been no significant advances by government forces backed by allied militia in areas where ground offensives were launched this week. ''It's back and forth,'' said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Observatory.

Iran commander killed

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps said separately that one of its generals had been killed near Aleppo, once Syria's most populous city. Iran, like Russia an Assad ally, says it has advisers in the country.

ISIS is now within 2 km of government-held territory on the northern edge of Aleppo, which has suffered widespread damage and disease during the civil war that erupted in the wake of protests against Assad.

Syria's military, backed by Russia, Iran and allied militias, has launched a major attack in Syria's west to recapture land lost to non-ISIS rebels near the heartland of Assad's minority Alawite sect. That area is considered vital to Assad's survival.

Obama: Russia action in Syria is 'recipe for disaster'

US President Barack Obama has warned Russia that its bombing campaign to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will suck Moscow into a quagmire that will be hard to get out of.

Obama said Russia was also failing to distinguish between Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters and more moderate rebels in Syria.

"An attempt by Russia and Iran to prop up Assad and try to pacify the population is just going to get them stuck in a quagmire and it won't work," Obama told a White House news conference on Friday.

"From their perspective, they're all terrorists. And that's a recipe for disaster."

Russia continued bombing Syria on Friday for a third straight day. Targets have included ISIL's main stronghold in Raqqa, but also the provinces of Hama, Aleppo and Idlib where few ISIL fighters operate.

Obama said he would not turn the Syrian civil war into a "proxy war" between the US and Russia. "This is not some superpower chessboard contest," he said.

Activists and residents of the city said ISIL had cancelled Friday prayers and emptied mosques there, fearing further attacks.

"The residents are very afraid, especially if the Russians are going to operate like regime planes by targeting civilians," said activist Abu Mohammad from Raqqa.

On Thursday, Russian jets hit areas in the suburbs of Hama and Idlib, all areas under the control of loose coalitions of rebel groups, including the Western-backed Free Syrian Army.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

52 Saudi Clerics, Scholars Call To Battle Russian Forces In Syria

By Huda Al-Saleh

Fifty two Saudi inciters, both academics and clerics, have called on the public to ''hurry'' to Syria where they should be fighting Russian forces.

The clerics, some of which are members of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, called on ''all those who are able, and outside of Saudi Arabia, to answer the calls of jihad'' and to fight alongside one of the extremist groups facing Russian forces.

According to experts, by issuing this statement, inciters seek to implicate Saudi, Gulf, and Muslim youths in the fight against Russian forces, mirroring Al-Qaeda's and the Taliban's recruitment of young fighters during the Afghan-Soviet war.

The statement also called for Syrian opposition fighters to ''unify their front'' and urged those with capabilities to fight and expertise to remain in Syria and not leave.

The statement comes after the Saudi Ministry of Interior raided a house where its residents manufactures bombs in a residential area in Riyadh. The house was run by a Syrian man with the help of a Filipina woman who prepared and sowed explosive belts.

The statement also comes days after authorities found and detained Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) cells, mostly comprised of militants who returned from areas of conflict.

The invitation to join the conflict conflicts with a Saudi decree announced in March 2014 which listed ISIS and the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Saudi Hezbollah, the Houthi group, AQIP, and Al-Qaeda in Yemen and Iraq.

The decree also criminalizes taking part in combat outside of Saudi Arabia, or belonging to extremist groups or groups designated as such by the regional or international arena.

Some of the clerics who signed the statement previously issued fatwas on the events in Syria and providing guidance to fighters under extremist groups in the embattled country.

A relationship with the son of Abdullah AzamThe direct relationship between a number of the signatories to the statement without Abdullah al-Azam, who is the son of Palestinian Abdullah al-Azam living now in Jordan, was also noticeable.

Al-Hazifa did not hesitate to show its direct relationships with the fighting factions in Syria and its attempts of making reconciliation between them. He even interfered to release the mother of one of the female broadcasters in an Arab channel in rural Damascus after it was arrested by the Army of Islam. He said: ''If there was in any way a bypass from the Army of Islam's side, I am ready to fix it and would provide any other service you might require from the Army.''

Through the follow-up of one of the signatories, Dr. Mohammed Musa al-Sherriff, the size of the special relationship he has with one of the heirs of Abdullah Azam who was the professor al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden appears too.

On the other side, the International Union of Muslim Scholars released a similar statement calling for ''the support of the fighting in Syria and providing it with money and any other means of cooperation each according to his abilities and jihad spirit as support can be provided too with money and prayers.''

Al Arabiya & EsinIslam.Com

1,549 People Killed by Assad Regime in September, Including 223 Children

A report prepared by the Syrian Coalition's media office shows that 1,549 people, including 223 children and 152 women, were killed by the Assad regime backed by Russia and Iran during September, in addition to 50 more killed under torture in Assad's prisons.

The report shows that 52% of the victims were recorded in Rural Damascus and Aleppo, with 462 and 349 people killed in these two provinces respectively.

A 17% increase in the number of victims was reported after the Russian military intervention, while the ratio of children killed rose by 27% since then. The ratio of women killed also rose by 24% since Russia began launching airstrikes in Syria.

In August, meanwhile, 1,852 people were killed by regime attacks on rebel-held areas, mostly using rockets and barrel bombs. The victims included 214 children, 172 women, and 57 detainees killed under torture. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

France Opens Probe into Assad Regime for Crimes Against Humanity

France has launched a probe into Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime for crimes against humanity, a judicial source said Wednesday.

Paris prosecutors opened a preliminary inquiry on September 15 into crimes committed by the Assad regime between 2011 and 2013, the source added.

The French investigation is largely based on evidence from a former Syrian army photographer known by the code-name "Caesar," who defected and fled the country in 2013, bringing with him some 55,000 graphic photographs.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said France had a "responsibility" to take action.

"Faced with these crimes that offend the human conscience, this bureaucracy of horror, faced with this denial of the values of humanity, it is our responsibility to act against the impunity of the assassins," Fabius said in a statement.

These "thousands of unbearable photos, authenticated by many experts, which show corpses tortured and starved to death in the prisons of the regime, demonstrate the systematic cruelty of the Assad regime," Fabius added.

The inquiry will be led by France's war crimes body but Fabius also called on the UN and particularly its International Commission of Inquiry on Syria to press on with their investigations.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Interview with Sheikh Abu Abdullah Ash Shaami

Presenter: In the name of Allah the most gracious, the most merciful. All praise is due to Allah and the prayers and peace of Allah be upon the Messenger of Allah and upon his family and companions, and whoever allies with him.

To Proceed:

The fighters of Jabhat un Nusrah have withdrawn from their guard posts against the Khawarij in the region of Northern Aleppo in the background of the Turkish intervention project in the North. And this withdrawal has been preceded by attacks on the Division 30 which Jabhat un Nusrah considered to be the new arm of America in the region, and that resulted in the arrest of its leader and a number of its members and the killing of others.

And ridiculously, David Patraeus offered a suggestion to the American administration to interact with the moderate circles within Jabhat un Nusrah to fight against ISIS. While Jabhat un Nusrah has previously clarified its position regarding some of these issues, there are however a number of questions which are being circulated in the media.

To answer these and other points, Al Manaarathul Baydhaa hosts Sheikh Abu Abdullah aShaami, a member of the Shura council of Jabhat un Nusrah and a member of the General Religious Committee.

In the beginning, we would like to welcome Sheikh Abu Abdullah - May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you, may Allah lengthen your life, our generous Sheikh!

Sheikh: And may peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you. May Allah lengthen the lives of all of you!

Presenter: Let us begin along with you, our Sheikh with the most important subject which has stirred up a lot of controversy in the recent period in which Turkey has announced its intention to intervene in the region of Northern Aleppo to confront ISIS and PKK, and has announced the formation of a coalition with a number of other countries to carry out that campaign, at which some of the factions declared their participation in this campaign. But Jabhat un Nusrah issued a statement in which they announced their withdrawal from the guard posts against the Khawarij in the region of Northern Aleppo, giving a number of reasons for that. So what is the reality of the stance of Jabhat un Nusrah towards this intervention? And why did you withdraw from the guard posts against the Khawarij?

Sheikh: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. And the best of prayers and the perfect peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and his family and his companions. As for what follows,

Before speaking about the stance of Jabhat un Nusrah towards this Turkish intervention and the reasons for our withdrawal from the guard posts against the Khawarij, we must speak on how the situation was before the intervention. And the reality of the situation of Aleppo, and specifically Northern Aleppo, before the Turkish intervention in it, is as the following: We have a number of enemies, and there are the PKK who are trying to reach the area between Tell Abyad and Afrin, and there are the Nusayris who are attempting striving to reach Nubal and Zahra, to encircle the city of Aleppo and to separate between the north and the west, and so as a consequence, the crossing of Bab u Salaam would fall.

And there are the Khawarij who are trying to expand towards the area of Northern Aleppo where there is a front between us and them - I mean by them, the factions with Jabhat un Nusrah against ISIS. There is a front for guarding that extends for around fourty to fifty kilometers, and Jabhat un Nusrah was guarding around five to seven kilometers.

When the international coalition began to strike us and ISIS, we took an internal decision to not advance towards the area of Northern Aleppo and to try to restrict ourselves to only repel the transgression of ISIS in case they advance towards us.

And we remained in this condition for a long period guarding these regions and with these guard posts, and we did not enter into any operation's room with the factions which are being supported by MOC or others. But we secured the guard posts to defend against the transgressions and attacks of ISIS on us and on the rest of the Muslims.

What happened recently was that Turkey is in fear of the expansion of PKK towards its southern borders which will bring about the establishment of a Kurdish state on the southern border of Turkey. And this is the real reason for the intervention of Turkey.

And from what we see of Turkey is that they aren't serious in attacking the group ISIS, at least not at this stage.

Presenter: But why do you see it as so?

Sheikh : We can see the reasons for that by observing the relations between Turkey and ISIS, and that becomes evident within a number of points, amongst them is the fact that Turkey benefits economically from ISIS and vice versa.

Presenter: How is that?

Sheikh: That is through the smuggling of oil. Since the prices of fuel in Turkey are very high, this oil is sold and smuggled through the borders which brings in benefits for ISIS in the form of a strong economy, and similarly it brings in benefits for the Turkish economy. And this exists and it cannot be denied.

And amongst them is the Turkish consulate. And that is when Mosul was captured, a number of diplomats in the Turkish consulate fell as captives into the hands of ISIS. And then prisoner exchange was carried out in a clearly smooth manner.

And amongst them is the issue of the grave of Sulayman Shah which existed in the region that ISIS controlled, where the Turkish soldiers were moving to and fro successively and guarding it under the shade of ISIS presence until the Turkish government came forward using military force and took away this grave to a place where it sees to be suitable for it.

Add to that the issue of Ayn Al Arab ''Kobani'', where the battle that took place between ISIS on one side and PKK with support from the international coalition on the other side, was bringing in benefits for the interests of Turkey and it was neither benefiting the interests of ISIS nor PKK as hundreds were killed within ISIS, and on the other hand hundreds were also killed within the Kurdistan Worker's Party.

The point is that, all this means that Turkey does not want to lose these relations with the Khawarij, and it does not want this military force which confronts PKK to be lost, and it means as a result that Turkey is in fear of its national security from PKK and not from the Khawarij. And so it does not want this power which is attacking PKK to be struck with force. This is our analysis of the situation of Turkey as per our observations on it during the past period.

The new incident which happened recently is that Turkey's fear over its national security from the establishment of a Kurdish state on its southern borders has pushed Turkey to intervene by taking the form and the name of 'safe zone' or 'demilitarized buffer zone' or name it whatever you like as is being spread in the media. So Turkey convinced some of the factions, that it will make a safe zone that extends from Jarablus till Azaz and that it will cover the air space for these factions that join with them while they (the factions) advance on the land.

And the reality of the matter is that since the time Turkey has made this announcement until today, it has not attacked ISIS with the same ferocity by which it has attacked PKK. And it is using this as a cover for its attack on PKK, because its real interest is in striking PKK.

And based on this, regarding what is taking place in the northern region, our initial position towards the factions and towards the intervention was that we sat with whomever we could sit from those factions and clarified to them the Islamic position, some views of which we can mention after a little while, and we also clarified to them the political position apart from what is the religious position for that. In fact Turkey is not serious, i.e. we clarified to them that they depending on Turkey will not bring them any benefit. And if we wanted to come a little in the religious position, then Jabhat un Nusrah has clarified in its official statement the impermissibility of joining the Turks in an alliance like this.

Presenter: Yes, but the statement was a short summary. You have mentioned the impermissibility of joining. Are there details for the judgment on joining an alliance like this?

Sheikh: We can explain that in a little detail, and we say by seeking the help of Allah:

The one who looks at what is happening in the north and the statement of the people of knowledge about it will find that some of them have spoken about it considering it as seeking help (Istianah), while others see it as alliance (Tawalli) or giving support (to disbelievers). But in any case, we have never seen any of the scholars even those who have described it to be giving support (to the disbelievers) or as alliance (Tawalli) or giving victory (Muzaahara) - they have NOT made Takfeer on any of these categories but rather, they have excused them with a number of excuses.

And if we look into the issue considering it as Istiaanah (seeking help), then the scholars from the four Madhabs (schools of jurisprudence) and others are divided into two categories regarding the matter of seeking help. Amongst the scholars are those who prohibit it absolutely and do not permit it, and they use as evidence the Hadith of the Prophet (saw) ''Go back, for I do not seek help from a Mushrik''.

And there are scholars who see it as permissible but with strict conditions.

And we see that these conditions, if we take the sayings of those who permit seeking help (Istianah), we see that these conditions have not been fulfilled in the case of the northern region. And this does not mean that we see that what is happening is ''seeking help'' but rather the reality of what is taking place in the northern region is that Turkey convinced these factions to join with them. So the matter in reality is not that of seeking help even if some of the factions see it like that, which means that the factions that have joined Turkey for that are interpreting it as seeking help from Turkey or they are interpreting that the banner will be their banner. What is meant is that, during our discussions with them, they told us that ''the banner is ours and we are the ones who are on the land and Turkey will not be able to do anything if we do not accept it''. So they are interpreting that the banner is theirs, and they are interpreting the matter to be that of joint interests, and they are interpreting this to be under the category of seeking help.

In all cases, the summary of these interpretations, even if we say that this is Tawalli (ie. allying with the Kuffar), this person who is confused, is excused due to the existence of these kinds of interpretations and doubts in this situation.

As for us, our beliefs in regards to the matter which is taking place in the north is that it is not seeking of help in the same form that we study in the books of our four Fuqaha (jurists) and of others, because the matter is more than that of seeking help, as Turkey and others have declared more than once that they intend to establish a safe zone or demilitarized zone or name it what you like, and it is possible that it includes the interim (temporary) government, interim government of the coalition at any moment and by the national army protecting it. This means even if we say that this is seeking of help, as long as they have declared this intention, then saying this to be seeking of help will be impermissible for those who say that seeking help is permissible. This is on the one hand.

On the other hand, America and Turkey has recently made a full arrangement in which Turkey will enter under the shade of the standing international coalition basically before Turkey intervenes in the north, whereas Turkey has handed over the Incirlik base and the bases for drones and others as such.

So whoever looks at the matter from the angle of only that of seeking help and not seeking help must look at the complete picture. Through that, we say that what is happening here is not Istianah (seeking help)-not for us to make Takfeer on the factions or to remove them from the religion of Islam and such. No, not for that! It is only for us to cause them to fear Allah, glory be to Him Most High, so that they may be intimidated and be deterred and come back from what they were upon, because this is a matter that is not permitted in the religion, and neither does it serve in terms of benefits and politics. It is not permissible in the religion and is not beneficial politically or militarily.

And that which will prove to you that the matter is not Istianah (seeking help) as seen by some of the factions, is that its timing came at a time which is not in the benefit of the factions, nor in the benefit of the revolution and those who speak about the benefits of the people of Shaam and so on. So what is to be done basically is that we and the factions sit and lay down the priorities and then we look after that as to what is our priority and we move on. And mobilizing towards the northern region was not a priority in regards to the factions except until Turkey convinced them for it.

We say this, because we see that what is taking place in the northern region is a diversion of the military strategy over which the factions had agreed upon while Jayshul Fatheh was advancing towards the forests and the mountains of the Nusayris and towards Hama and the villages of the Nusayris, and also the advancements in the south on the one hand and the dangerous reconciliations with the Nusayri regime on the other hand. So this diversion of the military compass for the factions will cause a breach in the military preferences, and it does not benefit the people of Shaam nor their revolution, even if some of them make it appear to be so based on this.

Presenter: Yes, but despite you presenting the religious point of view, you have towards the end handed over the guard posts to some of those groups who have announced their joining of the coalition or their participation in this coalition!! And many of those who are looking at this matter consider that to be coordination with them and cooperation with them, and perhaps that may also be considered as joining the coalition in one form or the other.

Sheikh: Before we get into the discussion as to whether it is withdrawal or handing over, I would like to mention something: That this matter, when the intervention happened, we sat and made consultation and laid down a number of solutions, amongst which was to withdraw. I mean, we told them that we may withdraw at any moment.

As for the initial decision which we issued in that meeting, it was that we will protect our guard posts against the Khawarij and we will not coordinate with any faction that joins Turkey, and if the Khawarij advances towards us then we will resist their attacks and we will not join.

But because of the incidents speeding up quickly in Aleppo, it presented the brothers in Aleppo with two options: That they either join this group or withdraw, and we were very keen in not joining i.e. to stay without joining. And when this thing became impossible for us, then the brothers began to withdraw. And at the time of withdrawing, they did not inform us about it. But in general, our choice was to withdraw in case of any emergency happening and it did indeed happen. I mean, the brothers believed that what makes it obligatory for us to withdraw had taken place and so they withdrew.

The issue of this withdrawal.., of course, the brothers abandoned their guard posts and instead of them, others came forward who filled these posts. And we seek refuge in Allah from leaving these posts for the Khawarij, because if we give these posts to the Khawarij, they will bring destruction upon properties and lives and blood and honour of the Muslims by violating them because they consider us and the factions as apostates. Moreover, it is also possible that they carry out a number of operations against the Muslim public claiming that they are a shield since in their view we are apostates and we are using the common Muslims as shields, similar to how they are doing now in Marea and elsewhere.

And that primarily, my dear brother, it is a withdrawal. I mean we have withdrawn. And whoever speaks on the matter as to whether it is a withdrawal or handing over, and handing over to Jabhat Ash Shaamiya, (The Levant Front) or to others etc., or those who are by signals making Takfeer on Jabhat un Nusrah because it has handed over to those who are coordinating with Turkey, and Turkey is with the coalition and so on, then it is more possible that they make Takfeer on us if we stay there (without withdrawing), and so they will come and say, ''You are staying in a region that is under the coverage of the coalition and you are advancing and guarding on the land''. So in either ways, the one who does that will do that (accuse us) and it does not concern us.

And before asking about the judgment on Jabhat Ash Shaamiya (The Levant Front) and of other factions that have joined Turkey, and before asking about the judgment over this action itself, I mean before we ask as to what is the verdict on Shaamiya and what is the verdict on the action that Shaamiya has done, we ask ''Is the difference amongst the present day scholars regarding the scene that is taking place in the north as to whether it is a permissible type of seeking help, or a forbidden one, or whether it is Tawalli (alliance with the Kuffar), or that they are excused or not excused, this difference, is it a difference of Aqeeda that is related to Imaan and Kufr and Al Walaa wal Baraa, or is it a difference in Fiqh? I mean that specifying the type that is taking place, it is a difference in Fiqh between the people of knowledge. There may come one who says that this is a forbidden way of seeking help and hence he does not declare the one who does that to be a Kaafir. And there may come one who says that this is a permissible way of seeking of help. And there may come one and say this is Tawalli (alliance with the Kuffar) and so on and so forth.

So what is meant is that the basis of the difference amongst the people of knowledge in specifying as to what type it is, is a difference of Fiqh over which the one who disagrees is not declared a Kaafir. This is on the one hand.

On the other hand, we have clarified and continue to clarify that these factions whatever may be our judgment over the action, our judgment on these factions is that they are Muslims, and still are Muslims, those factions who joined Turkey. But in reality they are in a great danger because they have joined Turkey considering it to be a Turkish intervention. And Turkey has made arrangements with America and America is with the international crusader coalition fighting against us day and night, even if it did not fight Jabhat un Nusrah, so joining the international coalition is a very big issue.

And hence we advise these factions on the necessity of returning back to the internal rows of the Mujahideen and let our decisions be made internally by the Mujahideen, and let us look at the real benefits of the people of Shaam which we agree upon away from the interventions of the west and the east and the foreign countries, because this is not permissible in the Shareeah and is not useful from political and military perspective. And Allah knows best.

And those from the group ISIS or others who declare us to be disbelievers for the matter that we have handed over or withdrawn from the guard posts and that we have become as per their description as they say - Sahawaat and so on, then we tell them: ''You have done a number of actions which are even more clear in the scales of the Shareeah than that which you are accusing us of. And you are declaring Jabhat Ash Shaamiya to be disbelievers and after that you are declaring us to be disbelievers if we hand over these posts. And we and you agree that the Nusayris are disbelievers. This is something that no two will disagree upon. And you have several times withdrawn from some of the posts and the Nusayri army advanced towards it without you being compelled to do that. And that was only to put pressure on us and on the factions as had happened in Tha'ana and in Sheikh Zayaath in Aleppo, and as had happened in Sheikh Najjar where the main reason for the fall of the industrial city of Sheikh Najjar into the hands of the Nusayri government was because of the Khawarij permitting the Nusayri government to pass through the area from where they would besiege us. And when they besieged us, it compelled the brothers to withdraw and Sheikh Najjar fell.

And similar to that is what happened in Deir Zour where the Mujahideen from Jabhat un Nusra and other factions who were almost a thousand in number were present inside the city of Deir Zour and they only had one single supply line which was called ''Jisr As Siyaasiya'' through which ammunition and food and drinks would enter, and through which the injured would be transported and medical care would come in, that is, it was their only artery, and the remaining areas were completely besieged by the Nusayri regime. And they did not have any supply line other than this. And then these Khawarij came and cut off this line, which means that they completed the siege with the Nusayris. And this condition remained for more than two or three months until the brothers were compelled to withdraw and thus many were killed, some of them at the hands of these Khawarij, and some of them got arrested, and some of them such and such and so on. And amongst them was the leader of Jabhat un Nusra in the city of Deir Zour at that time Abu Hazem Al Balad, may Allah have mercy on him.

So what is meant is that the Khawarij group did a number of things even before declaring Jabhat un Nusrah to be disbelievers and they would call it as ''joint benefits''.

Presenter: May Allah reward you well, our Sheikh for these details. Sheikh: And you too.

Presenter: Since a few days, the media have circulated the suggestion of David Patreaus, the ex-director of the American intelligence agency, which he presented to the American administration regarding seeking assistance from the moderate movements inside Jabhat un Nusrah in the fight against the group ISIS. So what is your comment on that? And are there any channels of communication between you and the American administration?

Sheikh: In fact, as you have mentioned in the beginning, that this statement is ridiculous. And if we wanted to look at this statement and in what context it comes, then the one who observes the manner of America's dealing with the field of Shaam from the beginning until now will find that it is characterized by confusion. And this statement is no more than a proof for this general characteristic. Since after America prepared several of its projects for which it spent long months and a lot of Dollars, Allah glory be to Him Most High enabled Jabhat un Nusrah to attack them within a few days. So America may have gone mad and thus David Patreaus went and stated these declarations saying that they will bring out from Jabhat un Nusrah ''moderates'' and fight alongside them against the Khawarij groupt ISIS as if we are not their enemies!

In any case, this is a proof for the ruin and failure and confusion of the American administration in their administration of the battle that is taking place in Shaam and also for the vision being blurred.

The second issue: Perhaps what is aimed at by this statement is not the Khawarij, not the group ISIS. And it is only an attempt to cause problems inside Jabhat un Nusrah. So then it could be aimed inside Jabhat un Nusrah and not towards the Khawarij group basically.

The third issue : Who are the moderate ones for America? The moderate one for America in our dictionary is one who is a traitor to his religion and his nation. So there is no one moderate in Jabhat un Nusrah as per the meaning intended by America.

Presenter: So does that mean that you are now denying the presence of movements within Jabhat un Nusrah? I mean we always hear about there existing a movement that calls for Jabhat un Nusrah to break up from Al Qaida group, and there is a movement that is inclined to harshness and the ideology of the Khawarij. I mean do you deny the presence of these movements inside Jabhat un Nusrah?

Sheikh: My noble brother, there are no movements inside Jabhat un Nusrah. Jabhat un Nusrah is one group, its path (Manhaj) is one, it has a political and methodological and religious vision which is one. This statement that we hear from some analysts and the statements that we hear from here and there, it is a shame that they appear in some of the media. This indicates a very very poor reading on the reality of Jabhat un Nusrah, and it is centred around some of the internet users and some who tweet, and they try to pick from them some random information blindly, and after that they come and build their long and broad analysis.

As for it being inside Jabhat un Nusrah, then it does not know of such a thing, even though there are in it some of the brothers from Jabhat un Nusrah who may put up some tweets which everyone knows do not represent Jabhat un Nusrah nor our path. And they are merely the behaviour of individuals which does not go up to represent a movement. So the sole movement of Jabhat un Nusrah which is the sole group, is known, and there does not exist inside Jabhat un Nusrah a movement that inclines towards harshness and a movement that inclines towards appeasement, a movement that wants to make treaties with the countries surrounding the region, a nationalistic movement, a movement that wants nationalism and regional borders, a movement that deals directly or indirectly with Qatar and Turkey reaching all the way to the Americans. All of this does not exist.

Presenter: But what about the intention to split from Tanzeem ul Qaida? There are individuals who are linked to the group Jabhat un Nusrah who have spoken on this issue.

Sheikh: We as regards to our relations with the group Tanzeem Qaidathul Jihad, it is that of a religious Bay'ah (pledge) on our necks for doing Jihad in the path of Allah glory be to Him Most High to this group. This is something that we consider to be part of our Jihad in the path of Allah Most High under the umbrella of a single group and before us hearing about all of that. And that in our Ijtihad (opinion) by which we obey Allah Most High, will accomplish religious benefits and political benefits for us and for the people of Shaam and the Muslims in general as Allah glory be to Him Most High has urged us towards unity. And if our enemies are fighting us globally, then we must also at least have connections with the rest of our brothers who are waging Jihad in the other lands as the enemy is one.

Iran is fighting us in Yemen and is fighting us in Iraq and is fighting us in Lebanon and in Shaam. And similar to that is America. So our enemies cannot be restricted to Bashar and his gang.

And we have said several times that Tanzeem Qaidathul Jihad is a group and we are under it. And we have said more than once and before that it was said by Sheikh Dr. Ayman Al Zawahiri, may Allah preserve him, that when the people of Shaam in their revolution reach a stage of establishing an Islamic state or an Islamic government, then our group will not go out of this general scheme in the shade of what the people of Shaam agree upon by establishing an Islamic state and an Islamic government which calls for judging by the Shareeah, and is based on consultation (Shura) and spreads justice etc. This has been stated by us repeatedly several times.

Some may have understood us as that when we reach this stage and this group called as Jabhat un Nusrah is dissolved into this state, this then is the calling of now for breaking of ties. And this is a stage that we have not yet reached. We have also told to some of the factions who insist a lot over this issue that we do no see any religious benefit of breaking of ties from the group Qaidathul Jihad in this stage, and our relation with them is not an opportunist pragmatic relation just like how some are describing us to be, rather it is a relation based on religion. I mean we feel that it is an obligation on our necks to fulfill this Bay'ah (pledge) which we have pledged. And we also do not see that our Bay'ah to Tanzeem Qaidathul Jihad conflicts at all with the interests of the people of Shaam and the revolution of the people of Shaam and of the Muslims in Shaam and outside Shaam.

Let us suppose that we have broken our connection with Tanzeem Al Qaida. Will America change its stance towards us? That will never happen, ''And never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with you until you follow their religion''. (Quran 2:120)

Mursi was not AlQaida and offered all the compromises and despite that they set up a plot against him and deposed him.

Similarly Saddam Hussein was not Al Qaida and despite that when he opposed the plans which America aimed for, they fabricated some things and overthrew him.

What is meant by that is that, our connections with the group Qaidathul Jihad is that of a religious Bay'ah which is obligatory on our necks. When we reach the stage of establishing a state or an Islamic government, then at that point naturally all the groups will dissolve into that which is greater than it, as stated by Sheikh Usama may Allah have mercy on him, ''The interest of the state takes precedence over the interest of the group (Jama'ah), and the interest of the Ummah takes precedence over the interest of the state''. And all the groups that have requested from us this matter, we have discussed with them at length that we do not see any religious benefit at this stage by breaking connections with the group Qaidathul Jihad.

And then why all this noise about the issue of Al Qaida and breaking of connections with Al Qaida? We are Tanzeem Al Qaida. Jabhat un Nusrah is Tanzeem Al Qaida. It is one the branches of the global Tanzeem Qaidathul Jihad. And we from the time of our beginning, by the grace of Allah glory be to Him Most High, we believe that we have not been negligent in defending our people, the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama'ah in Shaam. And Jabhat un Nusrah by the grace of Allah glory be to Him Most High, is a strong military arm of the Ahlu Sunnah in Shaam and offers for the Ahlu Sunnah as much as it can in line with the conditions of war, services related to water, electricity, flour and so on.

We offer the people what we can in terms of security through courts and the judiciary.

We deal with a lot of the groups for military and service and so on. And this thing that we do in Shaam is the path (Manhaj) of the group AlQaida in general. So why all this insistence for us to break connections with Tanzeem Qaidathul Jihad? We will not change whether we break our ties or don't break. This is what we are.

Then we say to some of these groups that have ties with Turkey and Qatar with support and ammunition and so forth, and it increased recently to join a coalition: Why do you disapprove of us and blame us for our ties with Tanzeem Qaidathul Jihad which is a tie that makes us feel honoured, while you have ties with countries that send to you intelligence agencies to meet with you? And you know who are those intelligence that meet with you. So why do you blame us while you do not look at yourselves?

Presenter: Coming back to the suggestion of Patreaus, aren't you and America and some other countries united based on a common enmity towards the Khawarij or against ISIS?

Sheikh: The reality is, the term ''common enmity'' or ''joint enemy'', is a term that needs to be paused upon. If you intend to mean like how Rome was a joint enemy to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and to Persia for example, then yes. But if you intend as intended by some of the media that are speaking on the subject saying that there is Jabhat un Nusrah that has an enemy called ISIS and America has an enemy called ISIS, then the matter is different. We reject this term as we are enemies to America from every point of view. I mean the enmity between us and America is the enmity between faith and disbelief. It is a complete disassociation, and we disassociate from America because they are the enemies of Allah and His messenger and of the believers, and no relation can unite us with them. They are Kuffar (disbelievers) and we are Muslims. So the enmity based on faith, politics and military are all present, on top of the enmity based on faith due to them being disbelievers and we Muslims. So America is a direct enemy that is carrying out attacks against us morning and evening by their planes and drones. This is on the one hand.

As for the Khawarij, they are our enemies, true. But our enmity towards the Khawarij is due to their them exiting and abandoning - I don't say the whole of the religion as we do not see them to be disbelievers, but they got misled by a great deviance which is the deviance of the Khawarij. So we fight against them for this reason, which means that they are still in the general sphere of Islam. And hence, we do not consider it permissible for us or for others, to the extent that we do not even think, just think, of seeking help from America or to coordinate with them or declare or allude to cooperate with them in attacking ISIS, since ISIS is still in the general sphere of Islam despite the severe differences between us and them and the severe enmity between us and them, but it has not reached to the level where we consider them to be Kuffar.

And even if we accept the saying of those who say that the Khawarij are Kuffar, we do not permit ourselves to seek help from America, the great open Kaafir enemy against these Khawarij. We do not permit this ever.

So the reason we are hostile to the Khawrij is not the same for which America is hostile to the Khawarij. And both these sides are completely different. And we do not meet with America over this point neither from far nor near.

And we at this point, don't do the deeds which ISIS has done. I mean when the Division 30 came to our brothers and our soldiers who were guarding the fronts of fighting against the Khawarij in the Northern area, and they requested from them the guard posts of Jabhat un Nusrah against the Khawarij so that they may take their place, and told them that ''we cannot fight Jabhat un Nusrah, and it is only to fight against the Khawarij'', the brothers in Jabhat un Nusrah refused there to hand over the guard posts. So then the American crusader planes came and bombed the guard posts in which we were guarding against the Khawarij group. This thing did not prevent the Khawarij group from advancing towards us. This is something that we will not do. I mean, if the American planes were to bomb the Khawarij in the Northern area, we will not exploit this to advance towards them. But they are doing this.

Presenter: As Division 30 has declared to you that they do not want to fight you and they only want to fight the Khawarij, why then did you fight against them and arrest their leaders and did what you have done?

Sheikh: With regards to Division 30 in short, the slogan is ''attack the Khawarij'' but we are the next target, if not the first one! I mean, we know that Division 30 is a distinct American project as they have been trained by trainers from America through the medium of some countries. And America states openly without stating indirectly, that this is their new project, after Allah glory be to Him Most High enabled us to subdue Hazem and Maroof. So they are building a project, but they have learnt from the previous experiences. They see that Jabhat un Nusrah has a popular support amongst the Muslims. As for the Khawarij group, it does not have that. So in the first stage, it would be to only strike the Khawarij.

We have in a nutshell attacked Division 30 as they represent the new arm of the American project in the North. And if we don't cut it off in the beginning itself, it will expand and encroach upon beyond the North. So when Division 30 asked us for the guard posts against the Khawarij and we did not give that to them, the American planes came and bombed us. This is one issue.

The second issue is that it is not a secret which we are disclosing. This is in fact known to all that this Division which they call as ''National Army'' or a part of the national army is trained by the Americans, and they have been supervising their training from the beginning.

The third issue is that whether these soldiers carry out the wishes of America or they don't, they are but at the end and on the whole, an American project. So we look at them and deal with them on this basis.

I am here not speaking about the issue of declaring a group or individuals to be disbelievers etc., but I am speaking on the basis that this is dangerous project which can attack us at any moment. And it is a distinct American project because America wants to make a political solution and a national army and a government and so forth. So this is a part of it. This is one issue.

The second issue is that when the brothers attacked Division 30, the American planes and drones bombed us and killed around seventeen brothers who we consider to be martyrs. We ask Allah glory be to Him Most High to accept them with Him. And this is a proof for the one who may doubt that.

If some people accuse us that we attacked Division 30 to please the Khawarij then why do we guard against the Khawarij for all the previous periods? Why do we fight against the Khawarij in the south? Why have we fought the Khawarij in the east and more than seven hundred brothers of ours became martyrs and gone up in fierce battles against the Khawarij in the east?

Why all these bidding against us a lot? If we wanted to defend these Khawarij then why don't we fight the groups which are guarding against them in the north and the south? Why don't we do that? We do not do that. We are not hired either for the sake of the Khawarij nor for the sake of America or for others. We have our independent identity, and we have our priorities based on which we move on, and we try as much as we can to be in agreement with the Muslim factions on the land of Shaam to achieve the goals of the people of Shaam through victory and empowerment, if Allah Almighty wills. We are not concerned by the Khawarij or other than the Khawarij. And it is not necessary that if America is an enemy of the Khawarij and the Khawarij the enemies of America, that we become lackeys following this or that. We are the enemies of America, and we are the enemies of the Khawarij, and we do not coordinate either with America or with the Khawarij.

Presenter: Sheikh Abu Abdullah Ash Shaami, may Allah reward you well for this interview. We ask Allah to facilitate for us more interviews in the coming times, by the permission of Allah Almighty.

Sheikh: If Allah wills. And may Allah reward you well, and bless you.

Presenter: We also say many thanks to our brothers everywhere who are listening. And may peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Putin's Attempts to Save Assad Slammed As East Ghouta Protest Against Russia's Military Intervention in Syria

Member of the Syrian Coalition George Sabra said that the Russian aggression against civilians in Syria is a military and political counter-attack designed to impede reverse the course of political solution.

Sabra pointed out that ''the Russians are trying to rehabilitate the Assad regime, engage him in a political solution and then assign him a role in the future of Syria. The international community however will not accept the idea because Assad has so far adhered a military solution, while his main backer Iran have not yet recognized the Geneva I Communique.''

Sabra wonders ''how can a political solution be built on the survival of Assad who is responsible for the most heinous crimes against the Syrian people?"

He also said that ''Russian President Putin's attempts to rehabilitate the Assad regime are doomed as it has allowed the surge of extremist groups and summoned extremist militias such as the Hezbollah militia, Iraqi militias, and the Revolutionary Guard Corps. The rise of ISIS obviously came obviously as a response to the regime's brutal war on the Syrian people.''

''After all this bloodshed, there can be no return to the status quo ante of the outbreak of the revolution, and this is what Russia is seeking to do in Syria."

East Ghouta Protest Against Russia's Military Intervention in Syria

The Syrian Coalition's office in East Ghouta and a number of revolutionary and civil bodies organized a sit-in in besieged east Ghouta a protest against the Russian intervention in Syria.

Protesters held placards condemning and denouncing the massacres committed by the Russian air force began against civilians and rejecting all forms of foreign intervention in Syria.

Member of the Syrian Coalition Mohammed Khair al-Wazir said that the direct Russian intervention along with Assad's wholesale crimes are a stain at the forehead of the UN Security Council which has so far failed to bring peace to Syria and punish the Assad regime.

Al-Wazir described the Russian intervention is a direct occupation of Syria, adding that it violates international law which is supposed to achieve security and peace around the world and prohibits foreign occupation of independent countries.

Head of the Syrian Coalition's Office in east Ghouta Saed Flitani stresses that the Russian intervention came to fight against the Syrian people and their revolution and to fight ISIS which Assad allowed to grow and surge in the region.

President Khoja Calls on UNSC to Condemn Russia Airstrikes in Syria

President Khoja calls on the international community to condemn the Russian aggression on Syria inflicting many casualties among the civilian population, killing over 60 people including women and children.

In a letter addressed to the president of the UN Security Council, the Spanish Ambassador Roman Oyarzun, Khoja calls for taking immediate action to stop Russia's brutal air raids on Damascus, Homs, and Hama, where civilian homes, hospitals, and mosques are destroyed by these attacks.

''Under the false pretence of engaging in counter-terrorism operations, Russian forces indiscriminately bombed civilian areas, killing innocent men, women and children,'' Khoja said.

He added that ''these indiscriminate aerial attacks are part of an overt and calculated attempt by Russian forces to aid and abet the Syrian regime's war on civilians. They are designed not to counter terrorist extremist groups like ISIS, but to support the Assad regime's indiscriminate slaughter of civilians.''

''By involving itself so directly in the killing of innocent Syrians, Russia makes itself a direct party to the Syrian conflict and risks implicating itself in war crimes. Russia's actions violate not only the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War but also the Security Council resolution 2139, which demands that all parties to the conflict distinguish between civilian populations and combatants and refrain from indiscriminate attacks and attacks on civilians.''

The letter went on: ''Russia's actions will have consequences-not merely for Russians inside Syria, but for the fight against ISIS. Russian forces' indiscriminate slaughter of civilians will fuel extremism and exacerbate the refugee crisis. Like Assad's barrel bombs, Russia's unwanted invasion will serve as a recruiting tool for ISIS and will make Syria-and the world-less safe.''

''On behalf of the people of Syria, I appeal to Member States of the Security Council to work with urgency to condemn in the strongest terms Russia's illegal military aggression in Syria and pursue all means necessary to stop the indiscriminate aerial bombardment in Syria, including through the enforcement of a ban on aerial bombardment: a no-bombing zone. If Russia-as party to the conflict-will not allow the Security Council to act, Member States must themselves ensure the protection of civilians.''

Syrian Coalition, Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russian Strikes Kill At Least 50 Syrian Civilians, Including Five Children

Syria's main opposition group said Russian air strikes killed at least 50 civilians, including five children, Radio Free Europe reported on Thursday. Khaled Khoja, head of the National Coalition, which includes opposition groups supported by the West, said local activists have identified 36 people who died in the central province of Homs.
'All of the casualties were civilians,' Khoja said on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

'So it was very obvious that the Russian intervention was to support the regime, to support more killings inside Syria, and will create a more chaotic atmosphere.'

The strikes also hit a base for the Free Syrian Army, but resulted in no casualties, he said.

US President Barack Obama took the podium at the UN General Assembly on Monday to denounce those who support leaders like Syria's Bashar Al-Assad, accusing him of slaughtering children.

The barb, a direct attack on Russia and Iran for their ongoing military backing for Syria's beleaguered regime, came shortly before Moscow's President Vladimir Putin was to speak.

Obama said some states prefer stability over the international order mandated by the UN Charter, and try to impose it by force.

''We're told that such retrenchment is required to beat back disorder, that it's the only way to stamp out terrorism or prevent foreign meddling,'' he said.

In accordance with this logic, we should support tyrants like Bashar al-Assad who drops barrel bombs to massacre innocent children, because the alternative is surely worse.

France investigates Syria's Assad for crimes against humanity

France is investigating Bashar al-Assad over alleged crimes against humanity, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Wednesday, launching a case that highlights divisions among major powers over relations with the Syrian leader.

The investigation, which is also examining claims of torture and kidnapping by Assad's forces, was opened "on the basis of indications received from the foreign ministry" on Sept. 10, an official at the prosecutor's office said.

An estimated 250,000 people have been killed in Syria's four-year civil war between Assad's troops, rebel groups and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants, and a further 11 million displaced.

The ministry's dossier drew on some 55,000 photographic images smuggled out of the country by a former Syrian army officer, showing 11,000 alleged victims of forces loyal to Assad, according to various media reports.

The competence of French courts to try those held responsible may hinge on the identification of French nationals among the victims. Even in that event, the prospect of a trial in France would appear remote.

In the face of sustained Russian support for the Syrian president, France recently joined other western powers in softening earlier demands that Assad leave office as a precondition for peace talks.
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Monday to look for a diplomatic end to the war but clashed over whether Assad should retain power.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

US military chief says Russian measures intensify Syria civil war

The United State has warned that Russia's decision to join forces with Syria in air strikes against ISIS will only help to intensify the instability in Syria and make the civil war there more vicious, RTT reports indicate. During a Pentagon news conference in the wake of these developments, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the Russian position of supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad and its desire to take on extremist groups such as the Islamic State represent a contradiction.

'Fighting ISIL without pursuing a parallel political transition only risks escalating the civil war in Syria - and with it, the very extremism and instability that Moscow claims to be concerned about and aspire to fighting,' he said. 'So that approach is tantamount … to pouring gasoline on the fire,' according to Carter.
The secretary restated the American position, saying that a lasting defeat of ISIL and its terrorist allies can be achieved only in parallel with a political transition in Syria. 'We will continue to insist on the importance of simultaneously pursuing these two objectives,' he said

But Russian aircraft struck targets around Homs in Syria

Wednesday and Thursday. A Russian officer notified personnel in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad of the strikes an hour before they launched. No coalition aircraft were in the region at the time, and Carter said he doubts any ISIL terrorists were in the area struck.
Russian and coalition officers will meet in the next few days to 'deconflict' air operations. The meeting will allow a flow of information between coalition forces and Russian elements to maintain the safety of U.S. personnel in the region, Carter said.
The meeting also will be an opportunity to ensure that any additional Russian actions do not interfere with the coalition's efforts to degrade and defeat ISIL, he added.

The secretary stressed that the more-than-60-nation coalition is battling ISIL 'across the physical, virtual and ideological battle space,' conducting more than 7,100 air strikes at ISIS' operational core and logistics arm. 'The coalition will continue to fly missions over Iraq and Syria as planned, as we did today, in support of our international mission to degrade and destroy ISIS.'

Carter said the U.S. talks with the Russians over Syria do not indicate a lessening of America's strong condemnation of Russian aggression in Ukraine, nor do they change U.S. sanctions and security support in response to those destabilizing actions.

Carter made it clear that if Russia wants to end its international isolation and be considered a global power, it must stop its aggression in eastern Ukraine and its occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, and live up to its commitments under the Minsk agreement.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

France opens probe into Assad regime for crimes against humanity

France has launched a probe into Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime for alleged crimes against humanity, a judicial source said Wednesday, after world powers sparred at the United Nations over the embattled leader's fate.

Paris prosecutors opened a preliminary inquiry on September 15 into alleged crimes committed by the Syrian government between 2011 and 2013, the source told AFP.

The French investigation is largely based on evidence from a former Syrian army photographer known by the codename "Caesar," who defected and fled the country in 2013, bringing with him some 55,000 graphic photographs.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said France had a "responsibility" to take action.

"Faced with these crimes that offend the human conscience, this bureaucracy of horror, faced with this denial of the values of humanity, it is our responsibility to act against the impunity of the assassins," Fabius said in a statement sent to AFP.

While Assad is unlikely to ever take the stand in a French court, the inquiry could add to political pressure on the Syrian leader in the midst of a diplomatic row between the West and Russia and Iran over his fate.

The Syrian conflict has taken centre stage at the UN General Assembly, where US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have clashed over how to bring an end to Syria's civil war.

'Assad's secret killings'

On Tuesday, Obama said removing Assad was a vital step to defeating Islamic State jihadists, who have taken advantage of the chaos in Syria to bring large parts of the country and neighbouring Iraq under its rule.

Syria's four-year war has killed more than 240,000 people and Western diplomats have accused Damascus of killing more Syrians than IS by dropping barrel bombs - charges the government denies.

The brutal conflict has also displaced millions of people, a key driver behind Europe's refugee crisis.

The photographs that Caesar brought out of Syria show people with their eyes gouged out, emaciated bodies, people with wounds on the back or stomach, and also a picture of hundreds of corpses lying in a shed surrounded by plastic bags used for burials.

Entitled "Assad's secret killings," the dossier is being used by international bodies including the UN as part of an investigation into the regime's role in "mass torture".

The Syrian government has branded the report "political".

These "thousands of unbearable photos, authenticated by many experts, which show corpses tortured and starved to death in the prisons of the regime, demonstrate the systematic cruelty of the Assad regime," Fabius told AFP.

The inquiry will be led by France's war crimes body but Fabius also called on the UN and particularly its International Commission of Inquiry on Syria to press on with their investigations.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syrian Coalition Appeals to the Free World to Protest Against Russia Aggression

The Syrian Coalition appeals to Syrians, Arabs and the free world to raise their voice high and protest in front of the Russian embassies of against its aggression on the Syrian people.

Secretary-General Mohammed Yahya Maktabi said that Syrian Revolution turned from a revolution against an authoritarian regime to the national liberation movement against the Russian and Iranian invasion of Syria.

''Today Syrians are facing multi-faceted invasion and terrorism; the Russian-Iranian invasion and the terrorism practiced by the Hezbollah militia, ISIS and other sectarian foreign militias.''

He stresses that every Syrian has a great responsibility to face the hard circumstances Syria is going through, praising the Syrian rebels who are countering the invaders. ''Though outnumbered and under-equipped, the faith Syrian rebels have in their cause is matchless and is enough to provide with the courage and determination till the liberation of all Syrian territory.''

Khoja to De Mistura: Russia Aggression Undermines Political Solution

President Khoja that Russia's aggression against Syria undermines political settlement based on the Geneva I Communique during a meeting with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura in New York yesterday.

At meetings held with Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Coordinator of Emergency Relief Stephen O'Brien, President Khoja said that the regime's attacks on civilians would further exacerbate the refugee crisis.

Khoja stresses that the escalating regime's atrocities require greater and more effective response from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, particularly as the Assad regime violates all international agreements on delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria.

Vice-President Hisham Marwa and member of the political committee Fuad Aliko met with political director at the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Assistant Secretary in the Multilateral Policy Office in the Australian Foreign and Trade Ministry.

Marwa and Aliko expressed appreciation for Lithuania's positive position at the UN Security Council in defense of the people of Syria, specifically its paying of the attention to the humanitarian crisis and the need for accountability.

They discussed the refugee crisis during the meeting with the Australian official, pointing for the need to a comprehensive approach by all members of the European Union to bear equal responsibility in the reception of refugees.

They also discussed the tragic humanitarian situation in Syria, while Marwa praised the role of Australia at adopting the UN Security Council Resolution 2139. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russia, US clash at UN over parallel Syria air campaigns

Russia and the United States faced off at the United Nations on Wednesday over parallel air campaigns in Syria, with both sides claiming legitimacy for their actions but differing over the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia launched its first air strikes in Syria since the Middle Eastern country's civil war began in 2011, giving only an hour's notice to the United States, which has led a coalition of Western allies and regional states that has been flying missions there for a year.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Security Council that Moscow would liaise with the U.S.-led coalition, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry later said military-to-military talks could begin as early as Thursday.

But a joint media appearance by the two could not paper over their differences, with Moscow saying it was hitting Islamic State militants and Washington questioning this and suggesting Russia's aim was to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The United States, France and other allies questioned whether the Russian planes had hit Islamic State positions, saying they were in fact aimed at Western-backed rebels who have fought both Islamic State and Assad's forces.

Kerry told the Security Council that the U.S.-led coalition would keep flying, saying it had done so on Wednesday. ''These strikes will continue,'' he said.

The Russian attacks occurred before Moscow and Washington had begun agreed talks on averting clashes between different militaries in the theater of battle. U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting at the United Nations on Monday, had agreed that such consultations would take place.

Putin, speaking in Moscow, said the air strikes would be limited and said he hoped Assad was ready for political reform and a compromise for the sake of his country and people.

Growing big-power tension

Reflecting growing tension between the big powers, Kerry phoned Lavrov early on Wednesday to tell him the United States regarded the strikes as dangerous, a U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Homs area attacked by Russian planes is crucial to Assad's control of western Syria.

Insurgent control of that area would bisect the Assad-held west, separating Damascus from coastal cities where Russia has military facilities.

''We must not and will not be confused in our fight against ISIL with support for Assad,'' Kerry said, using an acronym for Islamic State. ''ISIL itself cannot be defeated as long as Bashar al-Assad remains president of Syria.''

But he said if Russia was genuinely committed to fighting Islamic State, ''we are prepared to welcome those efforts and to find a way to deconflict our operations and thereby multiply the military pressure on ISIL and affiliated groups.'' The head of the Syria opposition, Khaled Khoja, said the Russian air strikes had hit four districts, killing 36 civilians, but no rebel fighters.

''Russia is intervening not to fight ISIL, but to prolong the life of Assad and support the continuous killing on a daily basis of civilians,'' Khoja told Reuters in an interview, adding that the areas targeted were where opposition groups had defeated Islamic State a year ago.

Russian draft

Russia circulated a draft Security Council resolution that Putin has said would be ''aimed at coordinating the actions of all forces that confront Islamic State.'' Lavrov said it would be discussed over the next month.

The draft, seen by Reuters, welcomes efforts of countries fighting Islamic State, al Qaeda, Nusrah Front and other linked groups and calls upon them ''to coordinate their activities with the consent of the States, in the territories of which such activities are conducted.''

The U.S.-led coalition informed Syria when it began air strikes a year ago but did not seek permission. Coalition members say they are acting in collective self-defense at the request of neighboring Iraq. Russia has justified its strikes by saying Syria requested its military assistance.

The Russian draft resolution also asked states combating extremist groups in the region to submit periodic reports to the council on their activities.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris would only support the proposal if three conditions were met. He said Russia needed to state clearly who the enemy was, push Assad to stop indiscriminate barrel bombing of civilians, and make clear that Assad would not be in government after a political transition.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Save the Syrian people, not a criminal tyrant

By Ibrahim Kalın

Russia's recent military buildup in Syria and its support for the Assad regime, all in the name of destroying ISIS, triggered a new wave of political posturing and diplomatic traffic. Given the connection between Mr. Assad's bloody war and Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) terrorism, however, new attempts to save the Assad regime are bound to deepen rather than resolve the Syrian crisis.

Every barrel bomb Mr. Assad drops on Syrian civilians is creating new recruits for ISIS. Every chemical weapon used is giving new ammunition to violent extremist groups in Syria and beyond. Every violation of international law and war crimes committed by the criminal Assad regime over the last three years has made ISIS and similar groups stronger, not weaker.

One cannot help but ask why the Assad regime that has both intelligence and firepower thanks to the support of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, kills countless Syrians, bombs cities and forces millions of people to flee their homes is yet to engage in any serious military fight against ISIS. Why, for instance, does Assad's army not target Raqqa, ISIS's headquarters in Syria, when it bombs people in Damascus and Aleppo? The same question applies to ISIS: how is that ISIS has killed so many people, but has yet to carry out any major attack on the Assad regime?

The Assad regime and ISIS feed off each other and benefit from the barbarism of the other. As a matter of fact, they are working together to weaken and destroy the moderate Syrian opposition and the hopes for a democratic and pluralistic Syria.

The French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius had already noted last February that "we have proof that when ISIS has acquired oil, it has sold oil to the [Bashar Assad] regime." He added that "officially they are combating each other but in fact they are very often helping each other." The EU Commission released a sanctions list on Mach 6, 2015 identifying several businessmen as "middlemen" for buying oil from ISIS and selling it to the Assad regime.

ISIS has become a convenient tool in the Syrian war. Everyone uses it to justify its policies in Syria and Iraq. Russia refers to it to justify its support for the Assad regime. Iran and Hezbollah send in foreign fighters by using the same pretext. The Assad regime kills indiscriminately in the name of fighting terrorism. Given its convenient use, it is hard to believe that the Assad regime wants ISIS to be destroyed.

This has been Mr. Assad's calculation from the outset: find a way to lure violent extremists into the Syrian war and tell the world that he is fighting for a secular Syria against radical lunatics. Unfortunately, he appears to have won some customers in the West.

Those who claim that the Assad regime should stay to reduce the threat of ISIS are putting the horse before the cart. It was the Assad regime that created the conditions in which ISIS flourished and spread. Contrary to what Mr. Putin says, it will be a colossal mistake to fail the Syrian people again in order to save what President Obama called a tyrant.

The Iranian and Russian motives for supporting the Assad regime are clear. Iran sees Mr. Assad a key ally and wants to protect him at all costs. This is part of Iran's regional policy of supporting pro-Tehran governments and militia groups through proxy wars. The focus on ISIS allows Iran to divert attention from its support for one of the most oppressive regimes in the Middle East.

For Moscow, the naval base in Lataika is important but only a part of the story. Thanks to the inaction of the Western alliance, Russia is now building up a considerable military presence in Syria. The primary goal of the Russian-Iranian alliance is not so much to defeat ISIS as to ensure a political outcome that will be favorable to them. There is no compelling reason why it should not be possible to destroy ISIS while getting rid of the Assad regime at the same time.

Furthermore, Russia's open support for the Assad regime serves as a convenient distraction from its maneuvers in Ukraine and Crimea. It is no coincidence that Mr. Putin, who attended the U.N. General Assembly after a 10-year absence, now has the world talking about his Syria move rather than the illegal annexation of Crimea and the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine.

There is no doubt that Russia and Iran should be part of any broader regional effort to resolve the Syrian crisis. But this does not mean accepting their support for a criminal regime as a given.

The refugee influx and the dramatic picture of Aylan Kurdi drew the West's attention to the Syrian crisis, even if only momentarily. Ending the war in Syria is crucial for resolving the refuge crisis. But there is no solution without addressing the root cause of the problem. As the French President Hollande noted during his U.N. speech, "Assad is at the root of the problem and cannot be part of the solution."

The solution lies in empowering the moderate Syrian opposition so that they can lead the political process, protect the Syrian people and establish a new Syria based on the rule of law, democracy, pluralism and transparency. Creating safe zones would be a first step in the right direction to give the Syrian people a breathing space against the onslaught of the Assad regime on the one hand and ISIL on the other.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Al-Attiyah: Initiatives not Based on Assad's Departure will Fail

Qatar's foreign minister Khaled al-Attiyah said on Tuesday that the root cause of the problem in Syria is the Assad regime, and namely Bashar al-Assad. ''Any initiatives that are not based on the Geneva I Communique, which are acceptable to the Syrian people, and on the formation of a transitional governing body that excludes Assad, will not see success,'' Attiyah told Al-Hayat newspaper in an interview.

Referring to the Russian initiative put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, Attiyah said that the Russian position is not new and has not changed on Syria.

''Having been fighting on five fronts for over four years, the Syrian people however have not succumbed to its adversaries.''

''Actions, rather than just words, are needed if the international community wants to salvage Syria. Any political settlement, whether based on the Geneva I Communique or on any other initiatives, must take the demands of the Syrian people into consideration. A barrel bomb that falls on women, children and the elderly leads to the same result when a terrorist who cut off heads. By failing to recognize the demands of the Syrian people, they will be left with two bitter options, either the Assad regime or ISIS.''

Al-Attiyah also pointed out that the Syrian people took to arms only after the Assad regime launched a brutal crackdown on the popular uprising from the very first day. ''Syrian rebels are defending themselves, their honor, their property and against the Assad regime's attempts to change Syria's demography.''

On September 27, the Syrian Coalition's political committee met with representatives of the rebel factions operating in Syria to discuss the latest political developments. They emphasize rejection of any presence of Bashar al-Assad in the transitional period or in Syria's future as well as of all attempts to re-market the Assad regime which caused the death of hundreds of thousands of Syrians, destroyed their cities and infrastructure, and forced millions out of their homes.

In a statement released following the meeting, the two sides stated that the Russian military build-up in Syria to protect Bashar al-Assad from falling does not serve a political solution, stressing that Russia has never been a mediator in the conflict but a partner to the regime. They also stress this military presence will further complicate the situation in Syria and exacerbate the suffering, murder and the destruction in Syria. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Turkey's Davutoğlu renews call for Syria no-fly zones at UN

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said more must be done to protect Syrian civilians and urged the international community to set up safe areas within Syria to help stem the flood of refugees into his country. Davutoğlu said Turkey has done "more than its share" to resolve the Syrian refugee crisis, saying Turkey now shelters 2 million Syrians and is home to more refugees than any other place in the world.

Davutoğlu spoke at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, where world leaders are grappling with a multitude of global crises, including the fight against terrorism - the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in particular - and easing the refugee crisis in the Middle East and North Africa.

In his address to the UN General Assembly Davutoğlu pledged "Our doors will remain open. Our hearts will remain open," to the continuing flood of refugees fleeing chaos and civil war in neighboring Syria. Davutoğlu called on fellow leaders "to act swiftly to provide (Syrians) with safety in their homeland, a safe area, free from aerial bombardment by the regime," a reference to the idea of establishing no-fly zones over Syria that has gained momentum during talks over the last week.

Davutoğlu also called for the removal of President Bashar al-Assad, saying "Anyone thinking of a solution to the Syrian crisis must think of a Syria without Assad, a vicious tyrant killing indiscriminately with chemical weapons and barrel bombs."

Speaking to journalists earlier in the day, Davutoğlu said he discussed the possibility of forming a trilateral mechanism during meetings with the two leaders this week and ''in principle'' both US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin considered this a worthwhile approach.

Davutoğlu said the consultations regarding the trilateral mechanism are ongoing.

''It seems that there are no problems regarding the formation of a trilateral framework,'' the interim prime minister said, noting that the mechanism would not exclude related parties and adding that communication with the foreign ministers of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar is ongoing. ''It's important to be able to act together on humanitarian issues,'' he stated.

Davutoğlu also noted that the stances of Turkey and the US on the Syrian regime are clear, and that while differences with the Russian position remain, Turkey and the US will attempt to overcome them via bilateral and trilateral dialogue.

Russia's military buildup in Syria appears to have forced the US, Turkey and others to see that they cannot ignore Moscow, and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may survive for some time.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Russian Airstrikes Are a Bold Aggression, Fuel Terror, and Undermine a Political Solution

Press Release
Syrian Coalition
September 30th, 2015

The Syrian Coalition strongly condemns the brutal bombing carried out by Russian warplanes on civilian targets in rural Homs and rural Hama, causing civilian casualties; including women and children.
While this aggression by Russia is not justified, violates Syria's sovereignty and is illegal, it calls to question Moscow's international commitments, including the commitment to the Geneva I Communique, which prohibits the escalation of violence and calls for taking action to reduce violence.

The Russian air strikes, which killed about 40 people today, together with reports about Russia deploying special military units to military facilities and airbases in Syria in preparation for ground operations, represents bold aggression against the Syrian people in all its components. While they reinforce the belief that Moscow has become a partner to the Assad regime in committing war crimes and crimes against humanity and against Syrians, they undermine Russia's claims about seeking a political solution and about commitment to international law. Russia is in fact popping up a crumbling regime that has lost all legitimacy to rule.

We in the Syrian Coalition hold Russia legally and morally responsible for civilian casualties in Syria, an aggression that was carried out in partnership with the Iranian regime. We stress that Syrians have the right to internationally sue Russia for this aggression.

The Arab League must condemn this aggression, and convene an emergency session to discuss its implications. The UN Security Council must also act to oblige Moscow to immediately stop its aggression and fully withdraw its forces from all Syrian territory.

The world should realize that the Russian government's aggressive behavior directly fuels the forces of terror, especially as it follows in the footsteps of the Assad regime in the targeting of civilians to kill and displace them.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Davutoğlu 'pleased' with allies' support for long sought-after safe zone in Syria

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu was "pleased" to hear that the leaders of three fellow NATO members were extending their support to the idea of establishing a safe zone in northern Syria, a policy Ankara has pursued for the last two years.

Speaking to reporters in New York on Tuesday, Ahmet Davutoğlu cited recent discussions with the leaders of the U.S., the U.K. and France over the creation of a zone inside war-torn Syria to deal with the current refugee crisis. "I am very pleased to observe that the three leaders see Turkey's demands on a safe zone as more than needed and right during our discussion both with Mr. Hollande, Mr. Obama and Mr. Cameron," he said.Davutoğlu added that the idea of establishing a safe zone is not related to Turkey's national interests, "but rather to prevent the spread of the refugee problem while keeping the refugees in Syria and offering the best services [to them] in Syria, ensuring everyone remains in their homeland in the safe zone." He added what made him happy was the handling of the refugee crisis by every country at the U.N. General Assembly meetings, saying: "It is an important step."

Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis in decades, with thousands of asylum seekers from Middle Eastern and African countries trying to reach the continent. The majority of these are Syrian refugees seeking to flee a civil war that has claimed more than 250,000 lives since 2011 and resulted in one of the largest refugee exoduses since World War II.

The U.N. refugee agency says of the latest million people to flee Syria, 95 percent of them have gone to Turkey, which presently hosts more refugees than any other country in the world. Of those in Turkey, more than 2 million are Syrian.

Furthermore, France will discuss with its partners in the coming days a proposal by Turkey and members of the Syrian opposition for a no-fly zone in northern Syria, French President Francois Hollande said on Monday.

Struggling with more than 1.8 million Syrian refugees, Turkey has long campaigned for a "no-fly zone" in northern Syria to keep ISIS and the PKK's Syrian affiliate the People's Protection Units (YPG) from its border and help stem the tide of displaced civilians trying to cross.

France has also previously pushed the idea that has gained some traction in Europe with hundreds of thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees fleeing the region to Europe with little hope of seeing an end to the crises.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius "in the coming days will look at what the demarcation would be, how this zone could be secured and what our partners think," Hollande told reporters on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly. "Not only would it protect those living in these zones, but, and this is the idea behind it, refugees could return to this zone," Hollande said.

Hollande said such a proposal could eventually be rubber-stamped with a U.N. Security Council resolution that "would give international legitimacy to what's happening in this zone."

Security Council diplomats have said that Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar Assad in the civil war, would not support any such resolution.

Turkey had proposed the establishment of a safe zone that would both help Syrians fleeing their homes as well as refugee-taking countries who will be relieved of the heavy burden refugees place on host countries. The safe zone, which would be accompanied by a no-fly zone jointly protected by several countries, has not come to fruition yet as the international community remains reluctant to establish such a zone.

"Turkey suggests forming a safe zone for refugees," a senior Turkish official said. "Otherwise a new wave of refugees will probably become inevitable. This issue has to be resolved within Syria," the official said, also calling on partners the U.N., European Union and the United States "to focus on the root cause."

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Joint Statement on the Latest Developments and Implications of the Political Process in Syria

Joint Press release "Original in Arabic"
Syrian Coalition
Political Committee
October 03, 2015

Political offices of the undersigned rebel factions and the Syrian Coalition's political committee held a meeting and thoroughly studied the proposals put forward by the UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, namely the ''work groups" initiative. After in-depth reviewing of the regional and international reality engulfing the Syrian arena as well as recent sensitive developments with profound field and political influence, and out of our concern for the possibility of launching a new failed political process costing Syrians even more thousands of lives, and more destruction to the remnants of the country's infrastructure, we affirm the following points:

First: Participants in the meeting emphasize their commitment to reaching a political solution to achieve the goals of the revolution, preserve the identity of the Syrian people and end their suffering. This political process however must ensure that the current regime is not reproduced or that its head and pillars, whose hands are stained with the blood of Syrians, are given any role in the transitional political process or in Syria's future.

Second: While forces of the revolution and the opposition have always dealt fully positive with the UN envoy despite the absence of any practical results on the ground, they emphasize they will continue to positively deal with the United Nations in order to achieve the interests of the Syrian people.

Third: The Syrian people have completely lost confidence in the ability of the international community to support their cause after five years of regime crimes committed against them with Iranian military support, Russian political coverage and a legitimacy that the international community still insists on providing to the murderous regime. The current popular outrage must be taken into account in any political process which must be preceded by real steps to win the confidence of the Syrian people. The most important of these steps is to explicitly declare that the head of the regime and its pillars cannot be given any role to play in the political process.

Fourth: Bashar al-Assad has no place in any political process depending on the following legal and practical reasons:

Bashar al-Assad inherited power in an entirely illegal way.
Bashar al-Assad became a war criminal the moment he began killing Syrians who peacefully demanded their rights. He used illegal chemical weapons against innocent civilians. These crimes have been documented by neutral international organizations to prevent any doubt in the matter.Bashar al-Assad and his regime have shown utmost reluctance to engage in any political process, have not abided by any declared truces, and have shown non-cooperation with the international community purely with humanitarian issues. All of this has left him with no credibility or confidence.

While Bashar al-Assad and his regime have failed in their alleged war against ISIS or to achieve any intellectual or field victory against this extremist organization, there is compelling evidence on full coordination between the two sides and the role Assad's regime plays in the emergence of ISIS.

Bashar al-Assad has opened the doors of Syria to foreign militias who commit the worst sectarian massacres at the same time as fuelling sectarian rhetoric, which deprives him of any eligibility to participate in any political process that aims to unite the country.

Finally, Bashar al-Assad has handed over Syria to Iranian and Russian invaders, thus committing an unforgivable act of betrayal to the country's history, its future and dignity.

Fifth: We consider that dissolving the security agencies and the restructuring of the military institution directly responsible for killing Syrians an essential item for any political solution. This beleaguered and crumbling military institution has turned into sectarian militias led by Iran. It cannot therefore form the nucleus of a national army, nor can it be trusted by the Syrian people to restore security and stability to the country.

Sixth: The formation of a transitional governing body is a process of full transfer of power in which Bashar al-Assad and pillars of his regime have no place. We emphasize the need to preserve state institutions and prevent their disintegration as they belong to the Syrian people, and to prevent the country from sliding into more chaos.

Seventh: We consider that proposing the "work groups" initiative ignores the majority of the relevant United Nations resolutions on Syria, particularly resolutions 2118, 2165 and 2139. This initiative is in fact a complicated political process that requires confidence-building between the Syrian people on the one hand and the party that will sponsor the political process, namely the United Nations. Confidence-building can only be achieved through the implementation of the above-mentioned UN resolutions that the Syrian regime has so far disabled them.

Eighth: We consider that the "work groups" initiative in its current form and its unclear mechanisms provides the perfect environment to reproduce the regime. These ''work groups'' must instead be based on clear principles regarding standards for selecting the participants in these groups and the final vision for the solution.

Ninth: We condemn Russia's direct military escalation in Syria and consider the Syrian regime fully responsible as it has turned Syria into a hotbed for foreign intervention. The silence of the international community also bears responsibility for this escalation and represents a point of no return in the relationship between the Syrian people and Russia. This escalation clearly shows that Russia is not serious or sincere in its commitment to the political process, and that it has never been a honest mediator but a party to the conflict and a key ally of the criminal regime.

Tenth: While forces of the revolution and its institutions reaffirm commitment to our people, we vow to exert the utmost efforts to close ranks and correct previous mistakes. We also vow that the revolution will remain faithful to its principles and the blood of its fallen heroes, and that we will strike a balance between achieving our objectives and safeguarding our fundamental principles. We also pledge to alleviate the suffering of our people, expedite victory and to dedicate our political and military capabilities for this purpose.

Accordingly, the ''work groups'' initiative in its current form is unacceptable neither practically nor legally process unless the above-mentioned points are taken into consideration and the ambiguities shaping the mechanisms of this initiative are resolved.

Rebel factions:
Ahrar al-Sham Movement
Jaish al-Islam
Islamic Union of Ajnad al-Sham
Al-Sham Legion
Al-Sham Revolutionaries
The Levant Front
Al-Rahman Corps
Homs Corps
Al-Mujahideen Army
Fastaqim Kama Umert Conglomeration
Ajnad al-Sham
Noureddine Zanki Movement
Homs Liberation Movement
The South's 1st Army
Al-Yarmouk Army
The 1st Corps
Al-Tawhid Army - Homs
The Tribes Army
Division 101
Division 13
Amoud Horan Division
The Tribes Corps
Tahrir al-Sham Division
The Central Division
Division 16 Infantry
Sultan Murad Aldin Division
The 1st Coastal Division
Fajr al-Tawhid Division
Salahuddin Division
Division 24 Infantry
Al-Qadisiyah Division
Shabab al-Sunnah Division
Ossoud al-Sunnah Division
Fallujat Horan Division
March 18 Division
The 69th Davison- Special Tasks
Ahrar Nawa Division
Khaiyalet al-Zaidi Division
Shuhadaa' al-Hirak Division
Al- Sham Unified Front
Al-Asala wal Tanmiya Front
Ansar al-Islam Front
Al-Inqath Fighting Front
Suqur Jabal al-Zawiya Brigade
Fursan al-Haqq Brigade
Farouk al-Janoub Brigade
Shuhadaa' al-Islam Brigade
Al-Fatah Brigade
Al-Siddiq Brigade
Talbeesah Brigade
Ahbab Omar Brigade
Ahfad al-Rassoul Brigade
Jisr Houran Brigade
Tawhid Kataeb Houran
Tafas Brigade
Al-Muhajirin wal Ansar Brigade
Youssef al-Azmah Brigade
Omar al-Mukhtar Brigade
Shabab al-Huda Brigade
Al-Sahel 10th Brigade
Al-Furqan Brigades
Suqur al-Ghab Brigades
Ansar al-Sham
Abnaa' al-Qadisiyah
Al-Safwah Battalions
Al-Omari Brigades Conglomerate
Izraa' Brigades Conglomerate
Regiment 111
The 1st Regiment
The Artillery Regiment
The FSA Brigades in Hasaka.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Obama announces 3 new countries in anti-ISIS coalition

President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced new partners in the anti-ISIS coalition.

"The United States established and is leading a coalition of more than 60 partners committed to degrading and ultimately destroying ISIS, and today welcomed new coalition members Malaysia, Nigeria, and Tunisia to join those efforts," Obama said.

Obama's announcement came during a counter terrorism summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

The American leader acknowledged that the campaign to counter militants would experience certain setbacks but was sanguine about end results.

"Ultimately I am optimistic, in Iraq and in Syria ISIS is surrounded by communities, countries and a broad international coalition committed to its destruction," he said. "We see that ISIS can be defeated on the battle field where there is sound organization and a government and military coordinating with this coalition, and our diplomatic efforts."

In Iraq, he said Mosul, Ramadi and Fallujah are still under ISIS control but one-third of populated areas have been retaken from the militants.

But in Syria, Obama's hopes versus the realities on the ground have not exactly been in sync as the coalition allegedly suspended a train-and-equip program for Syrian opposition groups after the Pentagon confirmed trained fighters handed over some of their equipment to al-Nusra Front, a radical group fighting in Syria.

At the Pentagon, spokesman Peter Cook denied that the beleaguered program has been canceled, but reiterated that it is under review and "there are changes being considered."

He said training is ongoing, but did not confirm any formal changes to the program.

The coalition has trained only about 120 fighters, nearly half of whom are currently unaccounted for.

Separately, the U.S. issued a total of 35 terrorist designations on Tuesday, blacklisting ISIS' Caucasus and Sinai affiliates, an Indonesia-based ISIS-linked group, and a group called the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Khorasan", which the State Department said is led by former Tehrik-e-Taliban commander Hafiz Saeed Khan.

Jund al-Khilafah in Algeria, which abducted and beheaded French national Herve Gourdel, and is linked to ISIS, was also designated.

French and British nationals were among the 35 individuals and groups blacklisted by the State and Treasury departments. All of their property within the U.S. has been frozen, and U.S. nationals are prohibited from conducting business with them or on their behalf.

Meanwhile, Russia has deployed heavy weapons and troops inside Syria to support the Assad regime and to conduct its independent campaign against ISIS.

Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin have voiced opposing views about a political transition in Syria.

Washington wants Assad to relinquish power but Moscow strongly stands behind the Syrian dictator and urges international support for Assad.

Obama reiterated his position Tuesday with respect to Assad's future, calling for his removal.

He also said that Muslims are exposed to ISIS's extremism.

"Violent extremism is not unique to any one faith, so no one should ever be profiled or targeted simply because of their faith," he warned.

The U.S.-led coalition has been fighting ISIS militants for more than a year at a cost of nearly $3 billion, following the militants' upsurge in Iraq early last June when ISIS began capturing large swaths of territories in Syria and Iraq.

Despite the enormous costs and resources invested in the fight, the outcome still hangs in the balance.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

ISIS "is a product of the Bahsar al-Assad regime

London (CNN)ISIS' existence is the result of international inaction against the Bahsar al-Assad regime, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Monday.

ISIS "is a product of a crisis, not only a cause of a problem," he said.

His comments come days after his country launched airstrikes against the terrorist group in Syria for the first time, and a week after reaching an agreement allowing America to use Turkish bases for its own missions against ISIS.

The combined effect will be to create a de-facto safe area on a portion of the Syrian border. (A senior U.S. official denied there will be a formal no-fly zone, but admitted to CNN the agreement would have "nearly the same effect.")

"If that was done before, [the] Assad regime wouldn't be killing so many people, or pushing them to Turkey, Jordan, or Iraq or Lebanon. There wouldn't be any place or power vacuum for Daesh, for ISIS, to be active," Davutoğlu said

"Assad lost this legitimacy long before; unfortunately, because of inactivity of international community, he continued his crimes, and he created a power vacuum -- he admitted this vacuum a few days ago -- and ISIS filled this vacuum."

"Eliminating ISIS is of course a strategic objective, but there should be some other elements," he said. "We have to have a strategy about the future of Syria."

"If there is one person who is responsible for all these terrorist crimes and humanitarian tragedies in Syria, it is Assad's approach, using chemical weapons, barrel bombs against civilians."

Davutoğlu said that while most of the international community agrees al-Assad has no place in the "new Syria," what the "the method" is for achieving that change is an open question.

He called once again for more robust support for "moderate opposition forces" and said "there may not be a need" for international forces to directly battle the regime.

Turkey's strikes against ISIS coincided with a barrage of attacks against the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in Northern Iraq, with whom the government has waged a long war campaign, and which recently declared a 2013 ceasefire to be over.

"Eliminating ISIS is of course a strategic objective, but there should be some other elements," he said. "We have to have a strategy about the future of Syria."

"If there is one person who is responsible for all these terrorist crimes and humanitarian tragedies in Syria, it is Assad's approach, using chemical weapons, barrel bombs against civilians."

Davutoğlu said that while most of the international community agrees al-Assad has no place in the "new Syria," what the "the method" is for achieving that change is an open question.

He called once again for more robust support for "moderate opposition forces" and said "there may not be a need" for international forces to directly battle the regime.

Turkey's strikes against ISIS coincided with a barrage of attacks against the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in Northern Iraq, with whom the government has waged a long war campaign, and which recently declared a 2013 ceasefire to be over.

Brett McGurk, the State Department's deputy special envoy for the coalition against ISIS, told Amanpour the ability to fly missions out of Turkey -- rather than, for example, the Gulf -- "will have a really dramatic impact."

How the United States coordinates with the moderate opposition on the ground is "something that we still have to work out with Turkey."

Davutoğlu denied that his country's strikes in Syria were a "sudden turn."

"We have been very active against any terrorist presence on Syrian soil," he said.

After an attack last week in the Turkish border town of Suruc killed more than 30 people, he said, "it became a necessity to get rid of ISIS from our border."

McGurk said ISIS controls about 90 kilometers of Syria's border with Turkey.

A safe area in Syria would, Davutoğlu said, create a refuge for those fleeing Syria's 4-year-long war and establish a buffer zone with terrorist and "regime attacks."

"To have a safe area for [moderate opposition forces] to control and to receive refugees there will be a strategic asset for the future of Syria and to fight against terror at the same time."

Turkey's strikes against the PKK present a more difficult scenario for the government.

Despite the decadeslong insurgency, and accusations that the PKK were behind a recent attack that killed two Turkish police officers, the group's Iraqi and Syrian counterparts have been one of the most effective fighting forces against ISIS.

Davutoğlu said the strikes were only against the PKK -- not the Kurds as a group -- and said "this is a combined fight against terror, against any type of terrorist activity."

Ertuğrul Kürkçü, honorary president of the pro-Kurdish Turkish HDP Party, said the strikes against the PKK were "not an actual security measure against the Turkish guerrillas," but rather "preparing the ground for early elections."

The HDP Party denied the ruling AKP party a majority in elections last month. The country may need to hold a new snap election if the AKP is unable to form a coalition.

"All political actors should be united against terrorism," Davutoğlu said. "Only HDP rejected this request because they had some links with PKK."

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Could Syria be Putin's Afghanistan?

Putin sees the Middle East as another region on his global chessboard that can serve as a spoiler of Western policy.

In the late 1970s, the Soviet Union sent dozens of "advisers" to Afghanistan. By the early 1980s, these advisers turned into hundreds of thousands of troops who fought in a war that, in part, brought the Soviet Union to its knees.

Today, Russia makes no secret of the fact that it has "advisers" in Syria. Even more, Russian warships have been called into Syrian ports, and Russian warplanes and helicopters can be spotted on Syrian airfields. Social media accounts have shown Russian soldiers on the ground in Syria. There have even been reports that Russia is building a military base in Syria.

The actual number of Russian troops and the extent of their involvement in day-to-day combat in Syria are not yet clear. If there is a large number of Russian soldiers on the ground, their presence will not be kept a secret for long.

The Kremlin's soldiers in Syria are bound to stick out like a sore thumb. Even in eastern Ukraine - which shares so many similar cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and religious traits with Russia - Moscow has failed spectacularly at keeping the presence of its troops a secret.

Russia's goals in Syria

When US President Barack Obama said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "has to go", he did nothing to back up his words; when Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Assad will remain in power, he did everything to back up his words.

Obama's weakness and Putin's willingness to show strength have led us to the situation we find in Syria today.

Russia's ultimate goal in Syria is the preservation of the Assad regime. If Assad goes, Russia stands to lose its only naval base in the Mediterranean Sea at the port city of Tartous. As Russia's only port in the Mediterranean - and its only toehold in the Middle East - this would be a major blow to Moscow.

Even if Assad hangs onto power, he will never control all of Syria as it once was. Putin knows this. Therefore, it is likely Moscow will help shore up Assad's defences in the region around Latakia - where he maintains his strongest support. Luckily for Putin, this is also where his naval base is located.

Middle East spoiler

Putin sees the Middle East as another region on his global chessboard that can serve as a spoiler of Western policy. Deep down, Putin does not care if the Middle East burns or if thousands die. For Putin, the perception of the US failing in the Middle East is a victory for him. Keeping a naval base for Russia is merely an added bonus.

Assad is happy to play host to the Russians, no matter what the cost.

There has been a lot of focus on Iran being the primary guarantor of the Assad regime's survival. Though Tehran plays an important role in this regard, it should not be overstated.

While Iran can fund a war in Syria using proxies, it is only Russia that has the national resources and the expeditionary military capability to intervene in a meaningful way to prop up the regime.

More importantly, for Damascus, only Moscow has the right to veto on the UN Security Council that can delay, block, or frustrate international efforts that could result in the removal of Assad.

Russia acts, the West reacts

Obama believes that saying something is the same as doing it - that delivering a speech is the same as implementing policy. This is the main difference between Obama and Putin, and between the West and Russia.

Russia acts and then the West reacts.

This is a common theme between the West and Russia all over the world: With recent developments in eastern Ukraine, the testing of NATO, the Iranian nuclear deal, and now, Russian ground troops in Syria, it is clear that Russia has a strategy to achieve its national objectives. The West does not.

Until there is real leadership in the West, clear goals are defined, and a coherent and unified strategy is developed to achieve those goals, Russia will continue to run rings around the West in places like Ukraine and Syria.

How much Russian blood and treasure Putin is willing to spend to prop up Assad and keep its naval base in Syria remains to be seen; but one thing is for certain: Russia is playing a deadly game in Syria.

Although the situation in Syria is, in many ways, different from Afghanistan in the late 1970s and '80s, there are some notable parallels between the Soviets' incremental escalation in Afghanistan and what Russia is doing today in Syria. Before the Russian people realise what is going on, "advisers" quickly turn into soldiers, and soldiers quickly come home in body bags.

With the Russian economy in tatters, oil prices down, and the frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine, can Putin really afford another military adventure abroad?

The answer is he can, but the poor Russian people cannot.

Luke Coffey is a research fellow specialising in transatlantic and Eurasian security at a Washington DC-based think-tank. He previously served as a special adviser to the British defence secretary and was a commissioned officer in the United States Army.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

We Revolted For Freedom and Dignity, and We Will Still Say "No" To Assad and His Gang

Press release "Original in Arabic"
Syrian Coalition
September 27, 2015

While our people continue to bleed heavily and in various forms, the most painful of which is caused by Assad's brutality, and while his Russians and Iranians friends blatantly and flagrantly intervene without any real response from the friends of the Syrian people, lenient positions have been recently expressed towards a mass-murderer whose crimes against humanity in Syria have long been proved. Assad must rather be referred to international courts, and Syrian rebels must be supported as they face the regime and international terrorism.

In addition to the dubious silence by those who have begun embracing prospects for a political solution and reassuring the murderer, rewarding him and ignoring the victim, they even put pressure on the suffering victim. We therefore do not expect any logical prospects from such improvised tracks that are trying to establish phony stability that may explode more violently and engender more chaos that will threaten the whole world.

Russia's military build-up in Syria, which amounts to direct occupation, especially at the coastal area, risks further fueling the conflict and acts as a prelude for partitioning our country. Besides violating Syria's sovereignty and being aimed at popping up the regime rather than for fighting terrorism as some claim, this intervention is intended to fill the vacuum which should have been filled by the Syrian people.

We in the Syrian Coalition have always been committed to reaching a just political solution, and in the Geneva I Communique and the UN Security Council resolution 2118 we have seen a realization and an implementation of this solution. However, it is greatly astonishing how aggression and tyranny are regarded as pillars for this solution, and we condemn the ongoing attempts to re-market the murderous Assad regime and its head. We therefore call upon our brothers and our friends to reaffirm their commitment to support our people.

Before any other consideration, we reiterate that our people and their revolution has a right that must be regained, and that they will remain the reference and the decider of any outcome. These attempts to rehabilitate Assad will only serve to increase our people's determination to achieve victory and build a democratic civil state. For this, we call upon the active and influential rebel forces to raise their voice, close their ranks and reach a unified position with the free political opposition.

Finally, despite all the suffering, the world will hear the word ''no'' from us. We rose up to regain freedom and dignity that both urge us to say "no" to Assad and his gang and to whoever tries to re-habilitate him. Our revolution will turn into a popular resistance that will not succumb to tyranny or aggression.

Glory for our fallen heroes.
Recovery for the wounded.
Return for the displaced from their homes.
Freedom for the prisoners.
Long live Syria and the Syrian people, free and with honor.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Reports: Iranian troops in Syria for joint offensive

Reuters says Iranian reinforcements to aid Syrians and Hezbollah allies in operations backed by Russian air strikes.

Reports from Lebanon say hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria in the last 10 days and will soon join government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies in a major ground offensive backed by Russian air strikes.

Reuters news agency reported on Thursday the arrival of the Iranians quoting two Lebanese sources.

"The [Russian] air strikes will in the near future be accompanied by ground advances by the Syrian army and its allies," said one of the sources familiar with political and military developments in the conflict.

"It is possible that the coming land operations will be focused in the Idlib and Hama countryside."

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the report.

The two Reuters sources said the operation would be aimed at recapturing territory lost by President Bashar al-Assad's government to rebels.

If true, the development points to an emerging military alliance between Russia and Assad's other main allies - Iran and Hezbollah - focused on recapturing areas of northwestern Syria that were seized by opposition fighters in rapid advances earlier this year.

"The vanguard of Iranian ground forces began arriving in Syria: soldiers and officers specifically to participate in this battle," the second source said.

"They are not advisers ... we mean hundreds with equipment and weapons. They will be followed by more."

Iraqis will also take part in the operation, the source said.

Thus far, direct Iranian military support for Assad has come mostly in the form of military advisers.

Iran has also mobilised Shia units, including Iraqis and some Afghans, to fight alongside Syrian government forces.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shia group, has been fighting alongside the Syrian army since early in the conflict.

The Russian air force began air strikes in Syria on Wednesday, targeting areas near the cities of Homs and Hama in the west of the country, where Assad's forces are fighting an array of rebel groups.

The stated target of the Russian air strikes, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, is based mostly in the north and east.

An alliance of opposition groups, including the Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham, made rapid gains in Idlib province earlier this year, completely expelling the government from the area bordering Turkey.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Children: Caught in Syrian vortex

About one-half of the refugees streaming out of Syria are children, making this an enormously difficult matter. Many of the refugees racing towards the European Union are unaccompanied minors, including many very young children. There are reports of 3-month old infants being put on inflatable boats in this desperate exodus from the vortex of destruction that was once Syria, The Hill reported.Indeed, Syria is no more. It is a Humpty Dumpty that fell off the wall and then was crushed by Hama rules. Hama rules were developed by Bashar Al Assad's father. When the city of Hama in Syria started an Islamist rebellion Hafez sent troops in, killed thousands, and cemented them over. Bashar has proven to be much worse than even his murderous father. Bashar drops barrel bombs, essentially oil barrels filled with explosives on anyone that is walking, sleeping, praying, having a rare family dinner, dreaming and about to be dead.

Much of the world is joint and severally liable and culpable for this ethical and moral nightmare. We have failed the Syrian children in the worst sort of ways: from neglect, from lack of backbone to stand up for what is right, and from the moral turpitude that often passes as strategic thinking.

The U.S. did little when it could have done much early in this nightmare. It has been generous with aid money, but has been parsimonious with real strategic and moral thinking.

The Russians blocked any real attempts to solve this issue early on in an attempt to keep a Navy Base, their people on the ground and their weapons still flowing, and Syria was one of Russia's biggest arms markets. They are now sending aircraft, advisors and more to Syria to support the mass-murdering, nation-destroyer, Assad.

The Iranians are supporting Shia militias, sending some of their own people, and are sending Afghan fighters from Iranian camps to fight on the side of Assad. Iran also supports Hezbollah of Lebanon, which is also in the fight beside Assad.

ISIS is the spawn of the Iraq wars of the last decades, the collapse of Syria and Iraq, the vernal selfishness of many of the outside and inside parties involved, money coming from various parts of the world to support them, and also a lot of sociopathy and psychopathy. The 10 percent rule applies to this group.

Turkey has done much for the refugees that it has taken in. It has been one of the most generous countries to them.

Lebanon is being overrun with refugees. The last time that happened, then with Sunni Palestinians and this time with Sunni Syrians, the demographics of the country went topsy-turvy and a civil war broke out that cost almost 200,000 lives. Jordan is facing a flood of refugees to add to the Palestinians and others it has taken in. Its future is at risk. The entire region is at risk from the spread of an ideology or murder and revenge that could take down many more places if it is not stemmed now.

The EU is looking at one of the worst refugee crises in its modern history. The entire EU experiment is at risk as border, economic and other tensions mount. Ultra-right wing extremist groups are also growing in the EU as their economies continue to stagnate and people are looking for scapegoats.

The refugee children, some of them very young, are caught in this dangerous, swirling vortex. What would you feel like as a young child of 5, 10 or even 15 running from such violence and fear and then into the unknown?

The average time a refugee is a refugee in 19 years. Can the Middle East and the EU deal with that one? What will these children of war and exodus be like when they grow up?

Where are the world's strategic and moral leaders on this? Where are the creative leaders who can turn this around?

Sullivan is a professor of Economics at the National Defense University and an adjunct professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University. The opinions expressed are his own.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

'Russian raids in Syria harming civilians, not Daesh'

DUBAI: Russian airstrikes in Syria had caused civilian casualties while failing to target the hard-line Daesh militants, a top Saudi diplomat said on Thursday as he sought an end to the raids.
In remarks at the United Nations in New York, Saudi Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi suggested that both Russia and Assad's other main ally Iran cannot not claim to fight Daesh ''terrorism'' while at the same time supporting the ''terrorism'' of the Bashar Assad regime.Al-Mouallimi expressed ''profound concern regarding the military operations which Russian forces have carried out in Homs and Hama today, places where ISIS forces are not present. These attacks led to a number of innocent victims. We demand it stop immediately and not recur.''

''As for those countries that have claimed recently to join in the fight against ISIS terrorism, they can't do that at the same time as they support the terrorism of the Syrian regime and its terrorist foreign allies like Hezbollah and the Quds Force and other terrorist sectarian groups,'' he added in comments broadcast by Al-Arabiya television.

ISIS is an acronym for Islamic State, also known as ISIL. It is also widely known among Arabs as Daesh.

Lebanon's Hezbollah Shiite militia openly fights on behalf of Assad's government, and the Quds Force, part of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, is also widely believed to be aiding Damascus.

Russia on Wednesday launched its first air strikes in Syria since the country's civil war began in 2011, giving an hour's notice to the United States, which has led a coalition of Western allies and regional states flying missions for a year.

Russia's move looks likely to chill a tentative detente begun this year between Russia and Saudi Arabia despite their backing for opposing sides in Syria's conflict and their differences over the issue of Iran's nuclear program.

In June, the atmosphere appeared to improve when Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman led a delegation of Saudi officials to Moscow and signed military and energy agreements.

The trip raised speculation about closer ties between the two countries. But that prospect now appears in question.

In an interview with Al-Hayat newspaper published on Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said the two countries had many common interests on which to develop ties, but he noted continuing ''lack of agreement'' on Syria.

''I visited Russia, as did other Gulf officials. You know of the (positive) atmosphere that prevailed two months ago,'' Jubeir was quoted as saying. ''But all of a sudden Russia stepped up its military role in Syria and announced its political position backing Assad.''
Russia and China vetoed in February 2012 a UN Security Resolution drafted by Saudi Arabia and backed by the West that Assad should step down.

It remains unclear whether Gulf Arab states would want the Syrian rebels they fund to engage Russian forces in battle — a prospect that would further upset the regional balance of power.

''The solution (in Syria) does not depend on Russia,'' Jubeir told Al-Hayat. ''The principle is, firstly, that there is no role for Bashar Assad in Syria's future. The second principle is to maintain the civil and military institutions in Syria in order to avoid chaos.''

A third point was to form a transitional council of all Syrians to help Syria move to a new stage, he said.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syria's Al Nusra Re-emerging As Key Rebel Fighting To Overthrow Tyrant Bashar al-Assad

By Mark Corcoran

Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Al Nusra Front, is an Al Qaeda affiliated Sunni Islamist group, now re-emerging as one of the dominant rebel factions fighting to overthrow the regime of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad.

Al Nusra's stated aim is the establishment of a Sunni Islamist Emirate across the Levant region

Al Nusra tightens grip on parts of Syria while world watches IS

While international attention has focussed on the spectacular gains of IS in eastern Syria and Iraq - Al Nusra has quietly consolidated its hold on parts of northwest Syria.

In contrast to IS, most of Al Nusra's members are Syrian, although the movement has attracted smaller numbers of Australians and other foreigners to its ranks.

Spokesman Mostafa Mohamed Farag is the most highly ranked Australian, but another prominent recruit was Mohammed Ali Baryalei, a charismatic Afghan-Australian from Sydney who travelled to Syria where he joined Al Nusra in about April 2013.

The ABC's 7.30 program reported that within two months he switched allegiance to Islamic State, as IS grew in stature to become the dominant Islamist group.

In March 2015, Al Nusra suffered a major setback when the group's veteran military commander Abu Human al-Shami was reportedly killed in a US air strike.

Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which tracks the war in Syria using sources on the ground, told Reuters that Abu Humam was more important than Al Nusra Front's supreme leader, al-Golani.

Despite al-Shami's death and the targeted killing of many other key commanders, Al Nusra has since achieved a remarkable string of military victories in Syria's northwest, capturing the city of Idlib, overrunning a strategically significant military base, and seizing large quantities of weapons from rival militant groups.

After two years of being overshadowed by IS, the group enjoys a resurgence in popularity, with fighters once more returning to join its ranks.

Politically, Al Nusra has attempted rebrand itself as a less extremist alternative to Islamic State.

The gulf state of Qatar has reportedly tempted the leadership to formally break ranks with extremism, in return for more weapons and cash and leadership of a more 'moderate' Gulf-led anti-Assad coalition.

Despite all these, the Al Nusra Front has re-affirmed its Al Qaeda affiliation.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

ISIS Executes Over 3,000 In Syria In Year-long 'Caliphate'

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group has executed more than 3,000 people in Syria, including hundreds of civilians, in the year since it declared its self-described ''caliphate,'' a monitor said on Sunday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group monitoring Syria's conflict, said it had documented 3,027 executions by IS since June 29, 2014.

Among those executed are 1,787 civilians, including 74 children, said the Observatory.

Members of Sunni Shaitat tribe account for around half of the civilians murdered.

ISIS killed 930 members of the clan in Deir Ezzor last year after they rose up against the extremist Sunni Muslim group.

The toll also includes recent mass killings by ISIS in the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane, which the jihadist group re-entered briefly this week after being expelled in January.

The monitor said it had counted at least 223 executions in the border town this week.

The Observatory also documented 216 ISIS executions of rival rebel factions and Kurdish fighters, as well as the executions of nearly 900 regime forces.

ISIS has also executed 143 of its own members it accused of crimes including spying, many of them captured as they were trying to desert the group, the Observatory said.

And at least 8,000 ISIS militants have been killed in battles and U.S.-led air strikes, added the monitor.

ISIS emerged in Syria in 2013, growing from Al-Qaeda's one-time Iraq affiliate and initially seeking to merge with Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

When Al-Nusra refused the merger, the two groups become rivals, and ISIS went on to announce its ''caliphate'' in territory in Syria and Iraq last year, proclaiming its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ''Caliph Ibrahim.''

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Al-Qaeda-led Rebels Al-Nusrah Take Idlib's Last Syria Regime Bastion

After violent clashes,al-Nusra Front and its allies in the Army of Conquest - Jaish al-Fatah in Arabic - capture Ariha

A rebel coalition led by the Syrian affiliate of al-Qaeda stormed and seized the last regime-held city in Idlib province on Thursday, as Iraq exhumed the remains of 470 jihadist victims.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said al-Nusra Front and its allies in the Army of Conquest - Jaish al-Fatah in Arabic - captured Ariha after fierce clashes with regime forces including their Hizbollah allies, who were seen withdrawing.

The rebel sweep saw their fighters quickly enter outer districts of Ariha, Rami Abdel Rahman, the Observatory head, told AFP.
"Jaish al-Fatah has taken full control of the city of Ariha after a lightning offensive that ended with a heavy pullout of regime forces and their allies Hizbollah from the western side of the city," he said.

The coalition confirmed the takeover of Ariha on Twitter, saying it seized the city in just six hours.

Earlier, Mr Abdel Rahman said: "There was heavy shelling and rocket fire, then they stormed the city. They have entered the city and are engaged in fierce clashes on its peripheries."

Ariha, which was home to 40,000 people before the conflict began, was the last remaining government-held city in Idlib province bordering Turkey. "The march of lions has begun ... LET Allah liberate Ariha," the Army of Conquest's official Twitter account posted as the attack began.

The Britain-based Observatory said late Thursday that dozens of military vehicles were seen withdrawing from Ariha.

The Army of Conquest coalition has won a string of victories in Idlib, including taking the provincial capital on March 28 and the key town of Jisr al-Shughur on April 25.

Most recently, the rebels seized the massive al-Mastumah military base and overran a hospital complex where regime soldiers were trapped.

Many government forces retreated from these areas to Ariha, which Abdel Rahman said was heavily defended by fighters from Iran and Lebanese Shia movement Hizbollah.

The Army of Conquest vowed to consolidate its control of Idlib province, where before the latest attack the regime still held Ariha, the Abu Duhur military airport and a sprinkling of villages and military posts.

In the fight against the separate Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), the Pentagon said on Thursday US-led coalition had hit targets in both Syria and Iraq.

Aircraft targeted Isil with six strikes in Hasakeh and Deir Ezzor provinces, while in neighbouring Iraq warplanes launched a total of 20 strikes against the jihadists.

Iraq's health minister said on Thursday authorities there have exhumed the remains of 470 people believed to have been executed by Isil near Tikrit last year in what became known as the Speicher massacre.

"We have exhumed the bodies of 470 Speicher martyrs from burial sites in Tikrit," Adila Hammoud told reporters in Baghdad.

In June 2014, armed men belonging or allied to Isil abducted hundreds of young, mostly Shia recruits from Speicher military base, just outside the city of Tikrit.

They were then lined up in several locations and executed one by one, as shown in pictures and footage later released by Isil on the internet.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Assad Troops abandon their last military base in Syria's Idlib province

In the latest blow to the government of President Bashar Assad, the Syrian army retreated Tuesday from its last major base in northeastern Idlib province, abandoning the Mastoumeh stronghold to an Islamist-led rebel force.

The estimated 400 men withdrew with most of their equipment to nearby Ariha, a town of 70,000. The convoy of 20 or more trucks and at least seven tanks traveled over farm roads through olive groves starting in the middle of the night Tuesday. It came under rebel fire en route, resulting in the loss of several dozen soldiers and a number of armored vehicles, the pro-rebel Masar Press agency reported.

Not until Tuesday morning did rebels attack the camp itself, capturing three tanks and some large artillery pieces, according to a Syrian reporter at the scene whose name McClatchy is withholding for his safety.

Moderate rebel commanders, who were closely monitoring the situation but did not take part in the offensive, said negotiations had been going on for weeks to ensure a complete withdrawal of the army from what was once a key supply road linking Latakia, the province that is dominated by Assad's Alawite sect, with Aleppo, once Syria's commercial center and now contested between various rebel groups and the government.

It's not clear exactly what deal was struck between the military and the rebel forces, which include Jabhat al Nusra, al Qaida's affiliate in Syria, another extremist group, Jund al Aqsa, the Islamist group Ahrar al Sham and two others.

Heavy fighting continued Tuesday evening as rebels seized at least one checkpoint just outside Ariha and were fighting for a second.

With the loss of Mastoumeh, the government now controls only the Abu Duher airport in the east of the province and a hospital-turned-base in the town of Jisr al Shugour that has been under rebel siege for the past two weeks. Moderate commanders said they expect the government's troops to leave Ariha at their earliest opportunity because they no longer can be supplied by road.

EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE (As posted from Comments by Br. Kaukab Siddique on his Newtrend Magazine)

Mastoumeh is the latest in a string of defeats for the Syrian military in the past two months. Islamists led by fighters from Nusra seized Idlib, the provincial capital, on March 28. On April 25, a combined force that included U.S.-backed moderate rebels seized Jisr al Shugour, a strategic town on the main east-west highway. Two days later, a combined rebel force seized the Qarmeed base on the same road. Since then, rebel forces in different configurations have seized outposts and checkpoints every few days.

Although some foreign observers credit rebel gains to increased collaboration between three regional powers supporting the rebels - Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar - moderate commanders said the real explanation was closer to the ground. This is that all groups, with the exception of the extremist Islamic State, decided to put aside their past enmities and to organize coordinated assaults on the regime using a joint operations room.

Once a political indoctrination camp for elementary schoolchildren that the army seized in 2011 in the early days of Syria's unrest, the Mastoumeh base became a symbol of Assad's resort to violence in May of that year, when townspeople from Ariha marched on it, chanting, "The people want the government to fall."Troops opened fire, killing at least 11 civilians.

Alhamadee is a McClathy special correspondent -- Courtesy Miami Herald.

Syrian Opposition Launches Assault On Daraa City

A rebel alliance, including al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate al-Nusra Front, attacked government-held parts of the southern city of Daraa on Thursday, a monitoring group said.

The alliance, also involving Ahrar al-Sham, bombarded government positions with mortar and artillery fire, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

However, sources on the ground told Middle East Eye that the attack was implemented by the Southern Front coalition.

"The operation, led by Sharif Mahameed, was corrdinated and executed by the Souther Front," the source said. "Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham were barely involved in today's attacks."

Syria's official SANA news agency said "terrorists hit neighbourhoods of Daraa city with mortar rounds and gas canister bombs," adding that there were reports of casualties.

"Army units foiled attempts by terrorist groups to attack several military positions in Daraa province destroying several armoured vehicles and killing dozens of terrorists," state television said.

It made no mention of fighting inside Daraa city, parts of which are already under opposition control.

Around 70 percent of Daraa province is under the control of rebel groups, who have made several advances in the region in recent weeks.

In early June, rebels from the Southern Front coalition seized the 52nd Brigade base and advanced to the border between Daraa and Sweida, a mainly Druze province to the east which is largely government-controlled.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Financial Times: Syria Is A Dilapidated Regime With A Worn-out Army The Financial Times published a report on Wednesday, June 24 on the situation in Syria saying Bashar Assad forces have in the past few months suffered numerous decisive military blows in the country's central, eastern, northern and southern regions.

Four years into the war nothing is left of the army but a worn-out army. This force is in a defensive position and has been strengthened by the Hezbollah and Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Damascus is currently under Assad's control, but it can soon be threatened by opposition military forces in the south bound to take complete control of Deraa.

Australian MP: 2,000 Hezbollah military forces killed in Syria

Australian MP Michael Danby from the Labor Party wrote an article in the Australian daily shedding light and condemning Iran's meddling in the Middle East.

As the definitive US State Department report said over the weekend, Iran still supports Hezbollah, which the Americans describe as an international terrorist organization, the article reads.

Two thousand of Iran's Hezbollah proxies have been killed in Iran's attempt to preserve Syria's Assad regime.

Syria: Dozens Of Assad's Foreign Foot Soldiers Killed in Aleppo

Syrian rebels have taken over the Rashedin neighborhood in Aleppo, saying they killed dozens of Iranian, Afghan and Lebanese foot soldiers Orient TV reported on 22 June 2015.

The rebels killed 60 Shiite Iranian and Afghans in the battle to liberate Rashedin located in northern Aleppo. The rebels have now reached the New Aleppo areas, considered one of the most important under Assad control. Many of Assad's forces were forced to flee the area due to the heavy rebel attacks.

In response Assad dispatched its air force to bomb the residential areas, in addition to heavy artillery, helicopter gunships and barrel bombs. The rebels say they are now advancing towards Assad's last bases in the western neighborhoods of the city.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Syrian Opposition Launches Assault On Daraa CitySyrian government forces have dropped barrel bombs on Aleppo nearly daily this year, amounting to the war crime of targeting civilians, Reuters cited U.N. investigators saying on Tuesday 23 JUNE 2015.

This year, government planes and helicopters have bombarded areas of eastern Aleppo province, 'mostly barrel bombings - on a nearly daily basis,' the independent experts said. Its bombing of towns and cities in Deraa and Idlib had also intensified.

'The continuing use of barrel bombs in aerial campaigns against whole areas, rather than specific targets, is in violation of international humanitarian law and, as previously documented, amounts to the war crime of targeting civilians,' the report said.

The investigators, who have drawn up five confidential lists of suspected war criminals on all sides, warned: 'The flight paths of helicopters responsible for the dropping of barrel bombs are being documented. Those in command of the bases and airstrips where helicopters are loaded and from where they take off must be held accountable.'

U.S. ambassador Keith Harper denounced the Damascus government's use of barrel bombs and imprisonment of 'tens of thousands of Syrians, subjecting them to torture, sexual violence, inhumane conditions and denial of fair trials'.

Over 1 Million People Call For No Fly Zone in Syria

According to the Syrian National Coalition's official website, various organizations have called on US President Barack Obama to establish a no fly zone for Syrian civilians that have been murdered and killed by Assad's daily bombings for the past four and a half years.

These organizations issued a statement published in the New York Times asking Mr. Obama, what are you waiting for? They published the image of a small child managing to survive after a chemical attack by the Assad regime. This statement refers to the fact that 1,093,775 people have signed this letter calling on the US to protect Syrian civilians through true measures against the Assad regime's killings and terrorism.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

Latest IS Victories: Half of Syria now under Caliphate Control: 200 of Assad's Elite Troops wiped out in

By Jamaat al-Muslimeen Virginia

With the capture of Palmyra, the Islamic State militants now control half of Syria and most of the country's oil wells, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, making it the group with the most territory under its authority among the myriad factions fighting in the country's civil war.

Its vast terrain inside Syria stretches from the group's westernmost strongholds in Aleppo province to its core territory in northeastern Syria down to central Syria, with footholds in Damascus.

Palmyra's location in Syria's heartland offers the militants several important advantages, said Faysal Itani, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council. The town can now be used as a launching pad to threaten government positions and supply lines south of Aleppo and east of Homs and Hama, and open up a new approach to Damascus, seat of Assad's power.

IS can also threaten regime supply lines to the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, where government forces are still holding out against the militants.

"If IS manages to cut off Deir el-Zour, it is likely that the city would fall, essentially ending regime presence in that province, and consolidating IS' core territory," he said.

The fall of Palmyra follows major setbacks for Assad in northern and southern Syria. "This is simply an indication of how overstretched the regime is," Itani said.

Most Notorious Prison broken by IS. Christian Prisoners too were Freed.

In taking Palmyra, IS also seized control of the notorious Tadmur Prison, freeing some of those imprisoned inside, said Bebars al-Talawy, a Homs activist. The government had already transferred thousands of detainees from the prison to a jail near Damascus as IS attacked the city, al-Talawy said. Thousands were believed to still be inside, he said, but he couldn't provide precise figures.

The prison survives in the collective memory of Syrians as the place where dissidents were held for decades and prisoners tortured.

A report by a local Lebanese station that 27 Lebanese prisoners, including some jailed since the 1980s, were among those freed from Tadmur triggered confusion in Beirut among families of missing Lebanese, many of whom believe their loved ones have been languishing in Syrian prisons for decades.

An amateur video posted online purported to show IS fighters inside the Tadmur Prison setting fire to a giant poster of Assad and cheering. The video and its location could not be independently verified but appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting of the events.[Courtesy Seattle Times: May 21
As posted from Comments by Br. Kaukab Siddique on his Newtrend Magazine]

'Over 11,000 Syrians Tortured To Death' Since 2011

Majority of tortured victims suffered at hands of pro-Assad forces: SNHR

The number of Syrians tortured to death since the outbreak of the March 2011 uprising has reached 11,429, said a report by UK-based Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).

The overwhelming majority of the victims had suffered at the hands of forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, SNHR noted.

The report, released on 26 June and titled "The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture", said the victims included 157 children and 62 women.

Islamic State militants and various rebel groups also tortured tens of people, regardless of their age and sex, the report said.

Three or four Syrians on average die because of torture every day, according to the report, which stressed that the worst types of tortures worldwide have been observed in Syria.

Torture is one method of killing by pro-government forces, SNHR Head Fadhil Abdulghani said in the report.

According to UN, torture is a crime under international law; it is absolutely prohibited and cannot be justified under any circumstances.

Meanwhile, the European parliament reportedly rejected holding in its public exhibition areas a major public show of photographs that document torture in Assad's government institutions, deeming then too "disturbing".

A similar exhibition, however, was allowed to take place at the UN headquarters in New York in March.

Separately, a number of Syrian witnesses told Vanity Fair magazine of the horrors that were taking place in some of Syria's military hospitals, where they had worked before fleeing the country.

Some of the tortured victims "had acid on their hips. I could see straight through to the bone," one witness recalled, while another witnessed "wrapping men's genitals so tightly with a rubber glove that the pressure would cut off circulation".

"Sometimes the Mukhabarat [Syrian intelligence] guys would pee on the wounds. Other times they would dip a prisoner's bandages in toilet water and put them back on," one witness told the magazine.

Sometimes even the torturers were subjected to suffering. On one occasion, a lieutenant in the Syrian intelligence was ordered to torture his own cousin, who was suspected of belonging to the opposition.

Agencies, EsinIslam.Com & Several News Outlets

'Over 11,000 Syrians Tortured To Death' Since 2011

Full translation of the first part of the interview by al-Jazeera. Translated by Dutch Mujāhidīn in Syria

Ahmad Mansour: ''May peace be upon to you and the mercy of Allah and His blessing. I greet you and welcome you in a new episode of the program 'without borders' from one of the liberated territories in North Syria. Were the recent military victories took place, which were achieved by Jaysh Al-Fath by its shadow on the battlefield in and outside Syria, and Jabhat An-Nusra is considered as one of the essential pillars of Jaysh Al-Fath. Although it is described different from the others by the US, saying it is a terrorist organization.

In the same time the Syrian regime is bombing the bases of Jabhat An-Nusra and its men, the American planes and the US coalition planes are also bombing the same targets. The bases of Jabhat An-Nusra and its leaders were hit by these missiles, after the US places Jabhat An-Nusra and IS (the Islamic State) in the same scale, despite the big differences between them in thought and beliefs and even military.

Jabhat An-Nusra was founded in the month January 2012 after Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani came back from Iraq, where he traveled to mid March 2003 to fight the American troops who occupied Iraq at that time. Al-Joulani came back to Syria and published his first publication in it on 24 January (2012) in which he announced the founding of Jabhat An-Nusra. In it he said 'it strives to return the Governance of Allah back on earth and to take revenge for the violated honor and split blood'. Jabhat An-Nusra shocked by its strong and racing operations in its beginning against the Syrian regime and its intelligence positions in the capital Damascus.

And when Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islam State in Iraq and the Levant, announced the fusing of Jabhat An-Nusra with the Islamic State, Jabhat An-Nusra announced its renewal of allegiance to Dr. Ayman Az-Zawahiri in the month of April 2013, refusing what Al-Baghdadi announced. Jabhat An-Nusra was drawn in to fight with the Islamic State, in which the Islamic State took power of many territories which were under the control of Jabhat An-Nusra, including the Syrian territories which are rich of oil resources.

In our episode today we will try to understand the goals and strategy of Jabhat An-Nusra, and the reality of their aims. With the consideration that it one the main operating military powers at the moment in the battlefields of Syria, which is striving to the fall of the regime. And our dialogue today is with the founder of Jabhat An-Nusra, Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani. Abu Muhammad we greet you welcome, I thank you for choosing the broadcast Al-Jazeera and the program Bilaa Hudood (without borders) for this dialogue. I have tens of questions which maybe are shared by tens of journalist, over all corners of the world, who have asked you for a interview, but you chose us over the others.

I want to start with the recent victories achieved by Jaysh Al-Fath of which Jabhat An-Nusra is considered one of its pillars. The liberation of Idlib, and the military camp Al-Mastouma, and very recently the state hospital in Jishr Al-Shughour. What is the military strategic importance of these victories?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Prophet, his family and his companions. As for what follows, first of all these territories which are consider to be liberated recently are the first defense lines for the coast areas. The whole territory between Ladikiya and Idlib was defended by the regime with large military equipment, like Qarmeen, Mastooma, the town Ar-Rihaa and Jish Al-Shoughour and many other checkpoints which fall in this category like Hanbal, and Al-Qiyasaat, and Frayqa, and so forth. These territories are considered the first defense lines for the coast areas. These territories are Sunni, and then come the territories in which the Nusairy Al-Lawites reside. They are considered first defense lines for the Nusairy territories, which the regime gives more importance than others. The battles were in the Sunni territories, and now they have moved to the (Nusairy) territories in which the regime enjoys popular support.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Now you are not further than 30km away from Al-Qirdaha, the capital of the Al-Lawites, like it is been nicknamed, the town of the Assad family; in it is the grave of Hafid Al-Assad, the father. Many Al-Lawite strongholds are now just a stones-throw away from you. What is your future battle, or what is your vision concerning the Al-Lawite territories, in the shadow of what has been said; that Jabhat An-Nusra is planning a historical massacre on the Al-Lawites in the territories Al-Ladiqiya and Al-Sahil (the coast)?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''First of all, the Nusayris or the Al-Lawites have committed very big massacres against the Sunnis. This regime, since it gained power forty years ago or so, is built in its fundamental basics upon the Al-Lawite and Nusayri origin. They are the ones who committed massacres in Hamaa, they are the ones dropping explosive barrel bombs on the inhabitants and Muslims, in all the territories, they are the ones torturing in prisons, they are the ones raping women and killing children, they are the ones who caused millions of refugees to flee all over the world, some drowned at sea, some of them are begging for livelihood, some of them live in refugee camps in the surrounding countries. They are responsible for killing approximately a million of Sunnis in Shaam.

That's why there are very big confrontations between Sunnis and Al-Lawites. They hurt and wounded the Sunnis very very much. Of course Bashar Al-Assad does not fight himself, he fight with these people, these factions, and those that ally with them of course. There are also people amongst the Sunnis who ally with the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. Not only Al-Lawites; but they are the root of power. They are the cord of the regime; who come from these territories. These territories were save for the last four years, they were not confronted with attacks, because the first lines of fire were against the regime, and these were in the Sunni territories. But now the battle has moved in its beginning to the Al-Lawite territories.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Some (Al-Lawite) towns are not further away from your fire range than 3km?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We have indeed surrounded them. The Al-Lawites today understand that this regime is not capable of protecting them. They've built his throne, the regime exploited this sect a very great deal in order to built the throne of the Assad family. But now the sorcery turned against the sorcerer, it turned in to loss. (Having said that) In reality the battle in Shaam will not end in Al-Qirdaha (the Al-Lawite capital). It will end in Damascus. The end-stop of this battle will be in Damascus. That's why we put all of our importance in that which will help extinguish this regime. The Al-Alawites indeed help built it, but our war is not vindicatory. Even though we consider the Al-Lawites as a sect which left the Religion of Allah, by the words of the (Islamic) scholars and jurist. They are not considered as a sect which belongs to the people of Islam, they left the Religion of Allah and Islam. As for us, we today do not fight except against those who raise their weapons against us. We fight against those who fight us.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''So your jurist stance in what you are doing, is defending against the attacking enemy, and not gaining victories to build a state?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes, we differ with others in this. We are still in the stage of defending against the attacking enemy. We today fight against those who fight us, whether they be from the Sunnis or not, and there are people from amongst the Sunnis who fight us.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''So all the fronts who do not raise their weapons, you do not fight against them?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''At this moment we do not fight those who do not fight against us. There are Druze towns who do not support Bashar Al-Assad and do not fight, they are present in the liberated territories and they are not harmed.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Now that you opened the subject of the Druze towns, I was surprised in the past couple of days when I was traveling in many of the liberated territories. I traveled hundred of kilometers and saw more than ten Druze towns, I was surprised that you are the ones who protect these people. There were also Christian towns. So this was surprising to me.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''As fo the Druze, we approach them with Dawah. We sent many preachers to them, they taught them the Aqeedah (Islamic fundaments) mistakes which they made, and we saw that they refrained from these Aqeedah mistakes which they made.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''But you do not occupy their towns and destroy their homes, you do not confiscate their belongings, you do not destroy their places of worship, you do not do these things at this moment?''

Abu Muhammd Al-Joulani: ''No no, absolutely not. As for the places of worship, if there was something that goes against the Sharia, than we deal with it in accordance with the Sharia. If there are grave-temples which they visit, we consider this as Shirk (polytheism), the Islam considers this as Shirk with Allah the Almighty, so we withhold them from this. We said we sent people to them who correct their Islamic beliefs, they teach them the things with which they left the religion of Islam. As for transgressing against them, this absolutely did not happen. Likewise the Nusairi Al-Lawites today, after all the massacres they committed, our religion is a religion of mercy, we are not criminal killers, we fight those who fight against us. We fight and stand against oppression. Even the Al-Lawites, if we show them their mistakes and the reasons for why their Religion, and they refrained from this, and dropped their weapons, and distances themselves from the deeds of Bashar Al-Assad, if they do this than they are not only save from us, moreover we will take the responsibly of protecting them and defending them. Because they will have returned to their Religion, and distanced themselves from the tyrant Bashar Al-Assad, and become our brothers. We will protect them the same way we protect ourselves.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Are you now at this moment sending this clear message to the Al-Lawites?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Of course, if the Al-Lawites at this moment take a decision, not a general decree, but each town (or village) distances itself from Bashar Al-Assad and distances itself from his deeds against the Sunnis, and holds its men back from fighting with Bashar Al-Assad in his ranks, and refrains from the mistakes in Islamic fundaments which put them outside their Religion, and return back to the Islamic faith; by this they will become our brothers. We will defend them, like we defend ourselves. And we will forget all the wounds between us and them. Because we will consider them on deviance in the past.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Forgive me here to cut you off, can we consider this a official statement from you to all the Al-Lawite towns, with all its inhabitants, men and women, and everyone who is under your fire range?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes of course, and this is even something which we are already implementing at this moment on the ground. We at this moment for example have soldiers who have fought with the regime for four years, and they without a doubt killed Sunnis and so forth. Sometimes we also surround a specific area, than this soldier comes out and surrenders himself, he says he wants to surrender himself, so we let him leave to his relatives in security and reassured, he only has to distances himself from what he did. Even if he killed thousand men from us.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Before Jishr Al-Shoughour was fallen in your hands, the national hospital, and I was there I followed the battle from the beginning until it was sieged. Before it fell, a day or two, some soldiers surrendered themselves.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''He who surrenders himself before we capture him, gain power over him in a fierce battle, he may leave in security and reassured to his relatives, we will not harm him.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Can I consider this an invitation to all the soldiers who are fighting in the army of the regime?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''This is something we are already implementing and many people know this, even the soldiers of the regime know this issue. When the airport Abu Dhuhoor was besieged many people came out (and surrendered themselves), and this happened many times, not just once of twice in order to take this specific instance as evidence. It happened many times. Sometimes the regime frightens them that 'Al-Nusra will slaughter you' or 'those Mujahideen will slaughter you' and 'Jaysh Al-Fath will kill all of you'. But the opposite happened. And there are those who were convinced by their relatives to surrender themselves to us, even after they fled from the besieged areas. I am talking about a soldiers now, who raised his weapon against us, and distances himself from the regime, and his deeds, and came and surrender himself and gave up his weapons, and left in security to his relatives. So how about sects? If it returned to the Religion of Allah the Almighty, and distanced itself from the brutal killings of the regime against the Muslims and the Sunnis, they will than become our brothers. We will protect them from that which we protect ourselves from. I am saying this because this is the fundament of our Religion, I am not saying this because we are fleeing from the accusation of oppressing minorities, and similar propaganda.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''The important question now revolves around this; the western media outlets focus a lot about your stance towards other ethnicities and religions.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We do not care about what the west says, what we care about is implementing the Sharia of Allah the Almighty. The Sharia of Allah is very vast, we do not need the west to explain to us what human and animal rights are. The west always tries to play with balances, they want Shaam to be ruled by a minority and not by a majority. A minority which they can control. That's why they want Bashar Al-Assad to stay in power. They at least want the remnants of this regime to stay, if Bashar cannot stay in power, at the end of this road. So we refuse to let Islam be a prisoner confronted by these accusations. We have the pure Religion of Allah the Almighty, we deal with everyone around us with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (SalAllahu Alayhi wa Selam), and we are not ashamed of anything, there is nothing which makes us uneasy. The Christians of example, there is a very big propaganda campaign about the fate of the Christians. The Christians generally stand in the ranks of the regime at this moment, and we said that we at the moment fight against those who fight us. We do not fight against the Christians in a general way; we fight against those that fight against us. But even if we reached an Islamic rule, and we wanted to implement the Sharia on Allah's earth, than I see that the Christians have advantages in the shadow of the Islamic rule.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''I want to talk about the Christians at this moment, and not in the shadow of the Islamic state which you will maybe govern in the future.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The situation of the Christians at this moment is that we do not fight against those who do not fight against us, and the Christians are not fighting at this moment (as a whole). If we implement the Islamic rule in the region, they will be judged according to the Islamic rule we will govern. The issue of paying Jizya only applies to those who are able to pay it, and those who are not able do not have to pay it.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''But now you are not requesting anything from them?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''No at the moment we are not.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''And you do not take any women as slaves (war prisoners), like the media is claiming, and so forth?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We are not at war with the Christians at the moment, we at the moment do not blame the Christians for what America is doing. And we do not blame them for what the Christians Copts in Egypt are doing for example. Around Medina, in the time of the Prophet (SalAllahu Alayhi wa Selam), there lived twelve Jewish tribes. But he did not blame Ghaybar for what Banu Quraydha did, and he did not blame Banu Quraydha for what Banu Qaynuqa' did. Everyone is responsible for his own deeds which deserve to be punished singular from the other. The punishment should be equal to the deed.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''There are Shia villages besieged by you in these territories, in Reef Idlib for example, in Al-Qu'a and Qfarya, in Aleppo indeed.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''These were military barracks of the regime, and they still are, these are villages fighting against the Muslims and Sunnis. They abduct from the Sunnis in their neighboring villages. The regime shot canons and missiles from these villages on all their surrounding territories. These are villages fighting in a complete sense, so they are besieged at the moment. They are besieged after the regime left Idlib, so yes they are under blockade.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''The deadline you gave to the Al-Lawites, do you give an open deadline or closed deadline, while the battle is ongoing and you can enter their territories at any moment? Some villages even, when you reached certain territories, you knew that the inhabitants of some surrounding Al-Lawite villages fled to other villages out of fear for you.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''By Allah, the organization of Jaysh Al-Fath is based on mutual consultation (Shura). I am talking about the vision of Jabhat An-Nusra at the moment, and I do not think that there is someone who disagrees with me in Jaysh Al-Fath on this. But the basis is built on Shura. And this issue about a certain deadline is not discussed (yet). But what I said is in the context of our understanding of the Book of Allah the Almighty, this should be the context of our dealings with these groups (sects).''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Is Jasyh Al-Fath which consists of seven main fighting groups, and I talked to some responsible in them, a strategic coalition between Jabhat An-Nusra and these groups or is just a tactical stage?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Jaysh Al-Fath began as an operation room in the liberation of Idlib, this gathering was blessed, so it became which is known as Jaysh Al-Fath and was based upon mutual consultation (Shura), without looking at the one who is leading this army, it is based on the basis of Shura between all the groups. It is not a coalition between Jabhat An-Nusra and all these groups, no it is a coalition between all these groups together with each other. So these groups are not at one end and Jabhat An-Nusra at the other end. Since we began this project we consult with all these groups in military work.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''How do you look at these groups from a fundamentally religious perspective (Aqeedah), your allies?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''They are Muslims, even if they differ somewhat with us. There are some groups which have some mistakes, we overlook these mistakes, because of the enormous severity of the battle.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''An how do you look at the general Muslims in the territories which fall under your control?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The Muslims of course are Muslims..''

Ahmad Mansour: ''You do not excommunicate (Takfir) them?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We do not make Takfir on the Muslims, excommunicating a Muslim needs a religious decree (fatwa) by those specialized in knowledge, and then the general Muslims can copy the decrees of those in knowledge. We say that if a specific incident took place, there was an incident with a Muslim from amongst the Muslims. Then a student of knowledge, someone who is exerting his effort in gaining knowledge, would be asked to look in the case and decree like a judge if this person left Islam.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''So Jabhat An-Nusra does not excommunicate a Muslim, except those who are excommunicated by the Sharia texts? And what about the accusations that you are Takfiris?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''This is like the accusation 'the terrorist'. The same goes for 'the Takfiri' in this case. This is an accusation of hostility, against whomever they want to demonize. They have prepared an accusation for everyone, which they let loose on him, until they drive away the people from him. This is the basis (of these accusations).''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Some groups in Jaysh Al-Fath, who are with you in the same coalition as you are in, are known to have foreign connections and get forgein backing. From where do you get your backing?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Our assistance comes from the war spoils which Allah let us take from the regime, and these territories are vast and broad, there are many liberated areas and many commerce from which we benefit in these areas. And the land of Shaam is a rich country; it does not need someone to give it charity. If the backing has conditions to it, than it is a very dangerous kind of assistance, which leads to politicizations in the future. We, and to Allah belongs all praise and virtue, refused to sit even once with intelligence services or any government department or government representatives, and did not accept anything from them.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''You do not have any connection with any intelligence service or any foreign country?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We absolutely do not have any links with any of them.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''And you do not get any backing from certain Islamic countries which aid some groups?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We do not receive any backing from any country, which ever country it may be.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Are the domestic capabilities inside Syria enough to finance a war?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''I want to explain something here, there is an illusion present in some fighting groups concerning their connections to these (foreign) assistance. First of all, there is no backing without set conditions. There are conditions set on these groups, and it is not necessary that they say 'we set this and that as a condition'. Sometimes they are directed while they do not know. For example, there is an importance on the battlefield to wage war in Aleppo, than the backers of these groups come and say 'we see the tragedy in Homs and what is happening there, here take this aid to open the road to Homs'. But the reality is that the battlefield needs an operation in Aleppo and not Homs. So they direct these fighting groups in this direction so that they can build a political case for a peace treaty, or something else the UN representatives want, in Aleppo. Thus these fighting groups turn away from an essential battle, and maybe it is the other way around and it is Homs which needs this, but they direct them to Aleppo. So this is a type of pressure, and not a direct condition (which they set). These people know how to negotiate with them.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''So does this mean that the ones who are directing the battles in Syria are the foreign backers, because they direct the battles by their backing?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''No not to this degree, there are groups which they do not control in the least like Jabhat An-Nusra, and we gather all the other groups in a battle, when we open a certain front all these groups come and join us.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''These fighting groups like you are present in Syria, but how did you establish yourselves by the domestic resources in the vast liberated territories, while they receive foreign aid even though they are like you and could use domestic resources?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The problem is that these groups are built upon this fundament, they depend on foreign backing, and I have researched some of this assistance, and I found out that this assistance is very meager and it is not worth to sit with them for it. It comes in the form of some supplies and the like. And you and everyone saw on the television and so forth, that all these fighting groups own army tanks for example, so does this backing consist of army tanks? Army tanks are taken as war spoils. As for finance, they are not financed to build their organization on it, they finance them only for a specific battle for example. These groups have not researched this issue much and leaned upon foreign backing. We of course see a danger for these groups and the battlefield if this assistance continues like this. It is necessary that there be an independent decree. The devil uses gaining of provisions as one of his pathways.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Did any country or organization or secret service offer you backing?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We did not open this space for such offers to begin with, everyone knows our opinion very good; we do not accept any backing, we do not even accept these people to send us a messenger. This door is completely closed as far as we're concerned, we will not open it. We are devoted to stay free and independent in decisions and decrees, but these groups lean primarily on their foreign provisions and finance.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''I have traveled a couple of days in Idlib, Aleppo, and surrounding territories, I traveled hundreds of kilometers, talked to people, and found out that the territories are wealthy, they are completely self sufficient from foreign aid. But at the same time I found out that people do not pay taxes, they do not pay anything which you could impose on them. Even electricity and water if free, in the territories in which there is electricity and water. So from where do you get your backing?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The Prophet (SalAllahu Alayhi wa Selam) said 'My provision is placed beneath the shadow of my spear'. Our finance comes primarily from the war spoils we take from the regime army.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Is this enough? The territories which you control are vast?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''As for supplies and the likes, it is enough by the blessings of Allah the Almighty. And there are some trades we conduct in some liberated territories, and we also develop some war spoils we take. There are different revenues, which are enough to make us self sufficient. And since a short while we have been collecting financial aid from Muslims outside Syria, but in some periods it is difficult and they are prevented from doing so.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''So you accept financial aid from Muslims, but from individuals and not from countries?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes individual aid from Muslims indeed.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''If some countries were prepared to give some aid without any conditions, would you accept it?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We do not accept anything from countries and governments because there is no such thing as unconditional aid. Even if they claim so, the reality contradicts this, the same will happen as it did with some fighting groups, they are pressured.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''But you accept the aid from Muslims?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes we accept from the general Muslims and this is Halal for us to do so.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''And this is enough for you to continue this long battle?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''With the permission of Allah, the good is abundant and vast, all thanks belongs to Allah. And Allah does not forget anyone. And the people love Jabhat An-Nusra, they love the organization of Al-Qaedah. They empathize with us from this perspective. And we hope from all Muslims that they finance the Mujahideen, that they finance the people of Jihad in the field of Jihad, and that they send from their money to Shaam.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Does this mean that the liberated territories are self sufficient enough and financially capable to aid Jabhat An-Nusra and other armed groups to wage a prolonged war against the regime?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Of course especially if all these efforts are combined, because these recourses are divided amongst us, these groups and platoons. If these efforts were combined under one framework than they would be completely self sufficient, by the Will of Allah, from their foreign aid. And even if they received some foreign aid as a side note, there maybe wouldn't be any problem. But that the decrees of some of these groups, or their motivation is robbed, or that they are pressured to make specific public announcements or say specific things in order to please the backers, than these groups would be robbed of their motivation. And we would pass trough stages much more difficult than those we passed in an earlier period. If these decrees are kidnapped by others, not in the hands of these fighting groups, than this will be a problem on Shaam. Foreign powers only care about their own benefits, their emotions are not moved by the children and women who are killed and the people who are made homeless. Their emotions are not moved in the least, they only care about their benefits, so they direct these groups in the direction of their benefits.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''I have studied many decrees the last couple of days that many of these fighting groups who are allies with you in Jaysh Al-Fath are pressured at the moment to expel Jabhat An-Nusra from the coalition, or leave with it, in order for the foreign aid to continue.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''They are not capable of doing so, Jabhat An-Nusra is not a negligible source on the battlefield, all praises are due to Allah everyone knows that Jabhat An-Nusra is the spearhead in this war, with the cooperation with all the other factions, we will not downplay the rights of anyone. Look at the operations in Daraa, and in Al-Qalamoon, in Homs, in Hamaa, in Idlib and in Aleppo. All the factions know that Jabhat An-Nusra is not a secondary source on the battlefield, rather it is an essential source which cannot be ignored. Many people know this, and Jabhat An-Nusra cannot be sidelines at any possible moment. With the blessing of Allah we have a popular presence amongst the people, we have many public services running, and we have military operations which absolutely cannot be ignored. Furthermore we do not need anyone to accept us or not, we work for the cause of Allah the Almighty. And many truthful factions, even if some of its leaders were afflicted by psychological insecurities and turned away from some its values, many soldiers of these factions and leaders stick closely to us by the blessing of Allah.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''The USA describes you as a terrorist organization since 2012, the UN blacklisted you. The American planes at this moment, together with the Syrian planes, side by side in the Syrian air, is executing bombardments on your bases. I was in a place a couple of days ago and there were heavy bombardments in it, I later found out that it were bases of Jabhat An-Nusra. On the last day I went to this place and I found out that the buildings were evaporated. There were no remnants at all of these buildings, I do not know what type of weapons they used. In found some shrapnel, I tried to pick it up but it was very heavy. Not only Jabhat An-Nusra is fighting against the regime, it is in a joint war along with other parties.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''There is of course a big international coalition active on the Syrian battlefield; against the Iranian coalition, with the Nusairys and Hizbullah, and the Syrian regime, and with regional powers, and with the international coalition and some factions that helped the international coalition, and also against the group known as the (Islamic) State. So there are big challenges for Jabhat An-Nusra. As for the international coalition, and the hypocrisy of the West, than this is known and exposed, it does not need any explanation or elaboration. This is their role in any place and at any moment. They are the ones who created these leaders and these tyrants, and they are the ones who are honored by protecting them. And the international community knows fully well that the ones who have the most impact on the Nusayri regime are Jabhat An-Nusra, so that's why they try to weaken us by false claims like saying that there is a 'Khorasan group'. There is no organization named the Khorasan group, all these bases were bases of Jabhat An-Nusra, and all those who were killed are from Jabhat An-Nusra, and some civilians who they also hit by these bombardments.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''I found the place of the so-called Khorasan group, I went there and I asked the inhabitants, and I got to know that those who were killed were from the people of the village?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''There is nothing called the group of Khorasan, we only heard about this from the Americans. The field is exposed for everyone among the people, and there are no secret and public organizations, all the organizations are public and exposed. There is Jabhat An-Nusra, and there are people from Khorasan who waged Jihad in Afghanistan and Pakistan and came to the Syrian battlefield, yes these people are present amongst our ranks. The Americans of course claimed that they tried to attack America and that they pose a threat, and these kinds of claims, but the Americans could not prove anything about this claim, and it is not the case.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Is it possible that Syria turns into a battlefield with a battle between Jabhat An-Nusra and the West?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''As for Jabhat An-Nusra, the guidelines we received from Dr. Ayman, may Allah protect him, is that the importance of Jabhat An-Nusra in Shaam consist of extinguishing the regime and its symbols, its allies I mean like Hizbullah and others, and to cooperate with the factions who strive for a rightly guided Islamic governance which the Muslims can enjoy. And the guidelines we got is that we refrain from using Shaam as a base to attack the West and Europe, so that we not disturb the current ongoing battle. Maybe the organization of Al-Qaedah executes this, but not from Shaam. These are guidelines and the decree we received from Dr. Ayman.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''So this strategy at this moment is only restricted to Shaam?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes Shaam and Hizbullah.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''What if American bombardments continued against you and your bases?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The good is open and it is a right for every person to defend himself, (so yes) the good is open. The guidelines we received until now is to refrain from attacking the West and America from Shaam. And we abide by the guidelines of Dr. Ayman, may Allah protect him. But if this situation continues like this I believe that there will be outcomes which will not be in the benefit of the West and not in the benefit of America.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The good is open and it is a right for every person to defend himself, (so yes) the good is open. The guidelines we received until now is to refrain from attacking the West and America from Shaam. And we abide by the guidelines of Dr. Ayman, may Allah protect him. But if this situation continues like this I believe that there will be outcomes which will not be in the benefit of the West and not in the benefit of America.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''What is your view about the American role in the Syrian war?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Its role is supporting the regime.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''America is supporting the regime?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes America is supporting the regime and is showing hypocrisy in the media; that it is with the Syrian people and against this regime. But America is supporting the regime in every possible way. The most noticeable way they are supporting the regime is by bombing Jabhat An-Nusra which is defending the Muslims, and everyone can attest to this. So why are they targeting it? Especially when we create pressure against the regime it starts their attacks against Jabhat An-Nusra. The American role with the international coalition is a role of drugging these peoples and the people of Shaam, until it reaches a political solution of agreement, of course this agreement will be on the blood of Sunni Muslims. Whether Bashar stays in power or was removed and the regime stayed, Bashar was not the one who did the killing and slaying himself, he rather gave the orders, and the model of this regime did not change. America wants for Shaam what happened to Yemen, that once face leaves and that another face replaces him, in any case there must be a government which kneels for the American dictation. America describing every organization and government, is actually a description for everyone who leaves the international and the American dictation. So their role is one of major support for the regime, their importance is only drugging these peoples by some conferences like Geneva 1, 2 and 3, the Arabic conference, one global conference after the other, etc.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''You did not participate in any of these foreign political conferences which the West organizes about the Syrian issue and its solution.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We mentioned in the previous meeting that even the children of Syria do not accept this, everyone in Shaam agrees on this issue. Nobody talks about this except for a few politicians who live outside Syria and who do not feel the pain of the Muslims in Shaam in the first place. This is something which is clear to the young and the old. The people choose, and they know that the Mujahideen with the power of their weapons will change this situation that they are in, not the conferences of Geneva and not the meeting in Washington or with the UN, and so forth.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''From the things I have witnessed when I traveled between the villages and towns from Aleppo to Idlib and other places, is that the people in the territories who consist of approximately five million Syrians, live in almost complete security except for the barrel bombs which are dropped by the regime and likewise some of the coalition airstrikes against them. Is there coordination between the planes in the Syrian airspace?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Of course, this matter is known to everyone, the no such thing as one airspace for two different airplanes, this goes for commercial airlines so how about military airplanes? There are air lines for commercial flights, a Saudi and a Turkish airline go up and they have to coordinate between each other, so how about military flights? Do you believe that an American airplanes enters an airspace while at the same time there is a fighting airplane of the Syrian regime present without them coordinating between each other? How can this be?''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Do you accuse America of coordinating with the regime in the airstrikes?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We have evidences for this. This is something obvious, it's obvious.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''What kind of evidences do you have?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''We have camera images of American airplanes and Syrian airplanes.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Some of the Mujahideen showed me some images in my travels saying these are American airplanes and right after that they showed me Syrian airplanes. And is was surprised about this issue, how is it possible for two airplanes from two governments to fly together in such harmony.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes and in the midst of a warzone airspace, if it was a neutral airspace maybe, but in a warzone airspace.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''But you have evidences for camera images?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes we have camera images if you wish we could provide them to you.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Yes please if you could provide them. The countries which support the regime in Syria are eager to prevent the fall of Damascus, and in your vision at the moment you said something which maybe sounds strange to many people, that the first country eager to prevent the fall of the Syrian regime is the United States of America. What about the direct support from countries in the surrounding region of the Syrian regime, and is also eager to prevent its fall.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''You mean like Iran or Hizbullah?''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Like Hizbullah, since you are involved in battles with them, and Iran.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Well, as for Hizbullah. Hizbullah knew from the beginning of the Jihad (in Syria), not from the beginning of the revolution, they knew that the brutality and criminality of this regime was capable of extinguishing these protests which occurred at the beginning. But then they saw the emergence and of Jihad, the Mujahideen and the flags of Jihad, they saw the situation took a seriousness turn at that time. They completely realize that the fate of Hizbullah is strongly and integrally and publicly connected to the fate of Bashar Al-Assad. The elimination of Bashar Al-Assad, means the elimination of Hizbullah automatically. If Bashar Al-Assad was eliminated it is only a matter of time for Hizbullah. Hizbullah has many enemies in Lebanon, and these enemies will become stronger and their voices will raise, just by the disappearance of Bashar Al-Assad. Because Bashar Al-Assad is the public backer of Hizbullah.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''And not the opposite?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''No not the opposite, at the moment Hizbullah is assisting Bashar Al-Assad because of the condition the regime has reached, and it trying with everything it has, it is trying in vain with everything it got to rescue what is left of the live of Bashar Al-Assad. Because they know that the end of Bashar Al-Assad means its own end. So they entered a war, despite their knowledge about the losses which they will confront, big losses whether on the public or political level, and even on the military level, it entered an inadequate but necessary war, from their perspective. They know this very well from the beginning of the situation. And we, until this very moment, despite the battles which are ongoing in Al-Qalamoon, Jabhat An-Nusra and other factions in Shaam did not built a large offensive against them yet, we are fighting against Hizbullah at the moment with the very small numbers we have in Al-Qalamoon.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''But Hassan Nasrallah talked about the battle in Al-Qalamoon, that it is a decisive battle and they have achieved victories by which he expelled the Syrian rebels?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Hizbullah is trying to frighten the Lebanese, that there is danger approaching Lebanon, but the reality is that the danger is approaching Hizbullah and not Lebanon. Lebanon has no connection to this danger. So he is trying to mobilize all these available recourses in Lebanon with the pretext that this a danger to everyone and not only on him. That's why the battle in Al-Qalamoon is indeed decisive for him, as far as he is concerned. Because he is trying to protect his Western borders and some Shia towns.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''And as far as you are concerned?

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The battle there is a guerilla war, and by the blessings of Allah we have great trust in Allah the Almighty and after that in the brothers who are present there. If we were not busy in some battles against the Syrian regime, and if the organization known as the (Islamic) State did not set up roadblocks between us and them,..''

Ahmad Mansour: ''About the organization known as the (Islamic) State, is true that they attacked you in the back in Al-Qalamoon?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes, there is battle going on against the regime on one side and against Hizbullah on the other..''

Ahmad Mansour: ''What is the benefit for organization of the (Islamic) State, to attack you, the Mujahideen, while you are fighting against Hizbullah and the regime?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The regime is fighting from one side, and Hizbullah is fighting from another side, and the organization of the State on another. They see that there is a meeting of benefits or something similar, they did this more than once, in Hasakah, in Deir Zor, even in Aleppo, they did this more than once. They use the attacks of the regime against us in a certain position, thus they attack from another position, and from weak points in other positions. This is a policy of theirs which they maybe abide by.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''What is the strategic and military importance of the region Al-Qalamoon, which made the leader of Hizbullah, Hassan Nasrallah, eagerly to engage this vast region, whether it be in the media or military?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''As for Hizbullah, there are borders from their side which border Shia town there, and he considers these borders as being part of Lebanon, so he tries to secure them to the best of his capability. And as for us, it is an important center from which we can enter Damascus, it is one of the centers from which you can enter Damascus, if we would start a battle in Damascus in the future. And as for us also, the people of Al-Qalamoon are our people, some of the brothers who fight there are from the people of Al-Qalamoon. These are their towns and lands from which they were expelled last year, and they are trying to liberate it again.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''When I tried to understand the vastness of the battle on the map, I found out that it spanned over more than 70km, and the mountainous territory is very harsh.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes, it is not as easy as the people vision.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''But will you enter in other battles with Hizbullah, or are you content after withdrawing?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The battle is ongoing, these territories are not like towns, in order to say that we lost this and that, there are mountains present, with hills and so forth. This creates maneuvers, you leave this hill and then move to that hill, these are the characteristics of guerilla warfare. Not like what is happening at the moment in Idlib, and in other territories, like Daraa and others; they have evolved to military wars. But as for Al-Qalamoon than we are still in the stage of guerilla warfare.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''So the war will expand in Al-Qalamoon?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''The battle will expand, we will not be divided by this matter, we will stay focused on Damascus and on the fall of this regime, if it falls, than the situations will automatically change. And I want to stress out that the fall of Bashar Al-Assad will not take very long, the battle is in its end phase, I do not want to be too optimistic, but the battle is going really well and is entering its end by the Will of Allah.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Here I have my doubts about the battle of Damascus that it is a decisive battle.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Hizbullah is a matter of time, with the fall of Bashar Al-Assad it will automatically draw back to the south, even its presence is going to be in position of negotiation, this will happen without us entering Lebanon. This will happen by the forces which are already present in Lebanon. And I call from this seat all the forces and parties who are present in Lebanon to understand what I am saying fully well, and to direct itself towards it.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Are you calling the Syrian-Lebanese forces, which doesn't ally with the Syrian regime, to participate in the fall of the regime?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Of course, because it is in all our benefit.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''What for benefit do they have in the fall of Bashar Al-Assad?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Lebanon is living in oppression from the regime of Bashar Al-Assad for nearly forty years, and all the Lebanese know the bitterness which they taste from the authority of the regime. It is true that the regime withdrew from Lebanon in 2005 after they killed Rafic Al-Hariri, but they left the country in the hands of Hizbullah which is not less brutal and criminal than the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. So after the regime withdrew he trusted everything in the hands of its ally Hizbullah, the strongest in Lebanon. So that's why Hizbullah made many adversaries in Lebanon, and it is impossible for Hizbullah to govern Lebanon with that which its wants. Lebanon is very complex.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Hassan Nasrallah many times said that the regime in Syria will not fall because of the assistance of Hizbullah and his support side by side. If it not were for Hizbullah, Bashar Al-Assad would have fallen a long time ago?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''This is a claim bigger than its extent in the reality, there are many militias which the regime of Bashar Al-Assad used. And he leaned a lot on the army he had, this regime is not this insignificant, we are fighting against this regime and it is a fierce enemy who has big capabilities. Hizbullah is assisting it, but not only them, they are just in the spotlights. There are tens of Iraqi battalions which came and assists the regime, there are factions from Afghanistan, etc.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Can you give an estimate of how many soldiers of Hizbullah assist the regime?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''In reality we cannot, we do not have the information to do so.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''What are the important front were they could be found?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''They are strongly and publicly present in Al-Qalamoon, and in other places like in East Ghouta for example, or in the failed attack they executed in Al-Qunaitira, they and the Iranians and these other parties, they have turfs in nearly all the places but most of them are advisory and the like. They are present in nearby Shia territories like Nubl and Zahraa, and the Shia territories Al-Fu'aa and Kfarya. It is not due to the power the regime that they are able to create these gaps and inactivity, it is due to the internal differences and infighting which occurred; the regime took advantage of this and made these approaches.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''But the battle in Syria, is it indeed a decisive war for Hizbullah?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Yes it is a decisive war for them, we said that their fates are strongly intertwined.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Hizbullah stand next to Al-Assad to protect itself primarily before it is protecting the Syrian regime?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''This and that both.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Does the fall of the Assad regime mean the end of Hizbullah in Lebanon?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Of course, Hizbullah knows its own situation very well. If Shaykh Abu Malik, may Allah protect him, in Al-Qalamoon and his few men are fighting and did all these damage to Hizbullah and bewildered them, and made the issue of Hassan Nasrallah an issue of 'the fate of whole Lebanon'. How then if Jabhat An-Nusra, or Jaysh Al-Fath completely, or the different factions who fight Hizbullah, were to seriously build a battle against Hizbullah? What will be their fate?''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Are you convinced that the battle against Hizbullah is coming without a doubt?''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Of course, it is a coming battle. Even if they take Al-Qalamoon at this moment, or they don't. I have mentioned, and I will stress this again so that the viewers understand this well, is that the fate of Hizbullah is connected to the fate of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. The elimination of Bashar Al-Assad means the elimination of Hizbullah.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''I have many themes remaining; the role of Iran in the whole region, its assistance to the Syrian regime; you relation with the organization of the (Islamic) State, and the big problems whether in beliefs or military between you and them; your vision for the future of Syria, and the future of the regime, and the future of the continuous battles in Syria. I welcome you in a next episode. I have taken a lot of your energy and time, and thank you for your participation. I insisted much on you to show your face to the people, but because no one knows you until this moment I have respected this matter. And I thank you for it. I just wanted to explain to the people why you do not show your face.''

Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani: ''Many people know me, but our policy is not to expose ourselves in the media.''

Ahmad Mansour: ''Maybe you will fulfill our request in the next episode. I thank you. And likewise I thank the viewers for your attentive listening, follow us next week to complete our dialogue with the leader of Jabhat An-Nusra, and its founder in Syria, Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani. In closing I salute you, this was Ahmad Mansour greeting you from one of the liberated territories in North Syria. May peace be upon to you and the mercy of Allah and His blessing.''