Another Middle East headache to deal with. Assad is no good guy ..... but the 'Talibanesque" rebels are horrible. Hopefully Christians are able to get out.
JERUSALEM — Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, who used chemical weapons multiple times on his population, has fled Syria after rebels stormed the capital city of Damascus, according to Reuters.
Assad, who was trained as an eye doctor in the United Kingdom before succeeding his father, and his British-born wife, Asma al-Assad, fled with their three children, according to Syrian television reports. It was not known where they were headed.
Syria has been embroiled in a bloody, 13-year civil war as Islamist rebels looked to overthrow the Assad dynasty. The apparent collapse of more than 50 years of Assad family rule over the Syrian Arabian Republic would be a monumental turning point in Middle East power politics.
A coalition of largely radical Islamist groups dislodged Assad’s Iran-backed regime. The U.S.-designated terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist former Al-Qaeda affiliate that is part of the rebel forces, played the decisive role in evicting Assad, who inherited his presidency in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez Assad.
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the Islamist leader of HTS, who has a $10 million bounty on his head from the U.S., seeks to present a toned-down version of the radical Islamism that has defined his years of fighting in Syria and in Iraq against American troops. Al-Golani was detained by the U.S. military in the first decade of this century.
Syrian experts have told Fox News Digital that HTS seeks to impose a totalitarian Islamist regime on the population. Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian regime proxy groups and Syria, who is with the Atlantic Council, told Fox News Digital, "HTS is a group that is an outgrowth of Al-Qaeda and has connections to Turkey. Their endgame is to create a Talibanesque society with a few tweaks."
Assad’s decision in 2011 to launch a violent crackdown on pro-democracy Syrian activists during the Arab Spring revolts, which engulfed Egypt and Tunisia, resulted in the protracted civil war. Assad’s scorched-earth policy against the citizens of his country caused the killing of over 500,000 people. The UN recently announced that it has stopped tracking the mounting death toll.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Egyptian and Jordanian officials urged Assad to flee Syria and form a government-in-exile. Jordan’s government denied the report.
In 2015, Assad’s regime was teetering when Russia intervened to save the dictatorship. The U.S.-sanctioned Lebanese terrorist movement, Hezbollah, and its main sponsor, Iran, both threw their weight behind Assad’s regime.
The rebel forces who routed Assad’s forces—with the swift capture of the major Syrian cities of Aleppo, Hamas, and Homs—jolted both Putin and Iran. Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion of its territory has weakened Moscow. Israel has inflicted a number of aerial attacks on Iran’s military infrastructure since Tehran’s ally, Hamas, launched a surprise attack against the Jewish state on October 7, 2023.
The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2254 in 2015, which called for a cease-fire, UN-run elections and a new constitution. Assad rejected the resolution’s implementation.
After Assad launched a shocking mass chemical weapons strike on Syrian civilians in 2013, in which more than 1,400 people were killed, former President Obama’s administration reneged on its promise to take military action against Assad.
The origin of Assad’s forced departure can be traced back to a group of schoolboys in the southwestern dusty city of Daraa—the cradle of the Syrian revolt—in 2011. The young boys used cans of graffiti to write on a concrete wall:"The people / want / to topple the regime!"
Assad’s cousin, Gen. Atef Najeeb, oversaw an operation that involved reported torture of the arrested 15 boys between the ages of 10 and 15. Syrian officials ripped the boy’s fingernails out and burned and beat them.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Every authoritarian regime always ends in ways similar to this.
Hitler died in a bunker. Saddam Hussein was found by a SEAL Team in a crude hole dug into the ground. Others ran.... and were found on foreign soil- only to be dragged back to justice by the people they sought to rule.
This dude had it coming to him... and the weight of History had already predicted his demise. ALL "Strong Man" stories end like this.
This is how we will also see Vladimir Putin, Xi-Jinping, Kim Jong-un, and others live out their last days. It's an inescapable historical fact, dating back thousands of years.
All we have to do, is live long enough to see the inevitable come to pass with each and every one of these regimes. That will give each of us our own, personal, Real-Time view of how History directly relates to our 'now.'
The only reason that despots still persist in 2024, is that Human Nature evolves at a glacial pace... and there will always be those who think they're smarter than the folks they seek to control.
Perhaps it's because of their hubris, they still truly believe that they alone can 'break the curse' that has ruled Human Politics forever.
Good luck, Human Being.
William Shakespeare wrote about this s# 500 years ago. He wasn't the first. Others wrote about it 1,000 years earlier. I just don't get it.
Iran has had their hands tied with Israel and took their eye off the ball in Syria.
Russia, more than Iran, has been propping up that regime for years following the initial Arab spring. Russia took Syria very seriously because it was the last post-Soviet bastion where they maintained a foreign base outside of the former Soviet borders. Their bases in Syria were central to their power projection and influence in the Mediterranean. They transferred a ton of materiel to Syria to keep them afloat, including some rather advanced A2AD. They also deployed elite special forces there.
Syria was very important and crucial for Russia. They have diverted so much resources, both human and financial, to Ukraine that now it became impossible for them to prop up Syria any longer. We need to really keep the heat turned up.
Unfortunately we have many who errantly say doing so would cause WW3 and are so bafflingly blind to words from people like Tucker Carlson who 1. Was parroted by Russian state media, 2. Gave Putin the most softball interview ever (even Putin agreed), 3. Trashed the United States while going through a Russian grocery store and gushing over it and 4. Is now set to go back and interview Sergey Lavrov.
Those are all facts, but blindness is often willful.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
HTS had their stronghold in iblib in western syria. they went northeast to capture aleppo with next to no fighting.
then, they went south to Hama following the M5 highway, where once again they met limited fighting. most of the Syrian forces laid down their weapons and surrendered. some even integrated into the HTS faction.
in two days, they took Homs, the 2nd largest city in Syria, again with little pushback. the main resistance was Russian air strikes, but that was limited. reports say that Putin was already withdrawing forces since Aleppo due to Assad's forces refusing to fight.
Assad's family has already fled to Russia, where the family has something like $40 million worth of condo's or something like that.
and just like that, they reach the capital city. what's notable is the lack of pushback from Syrian civilians and the military, as some defected even before they reached the city of Hama. Russia right now is trying to evacuate forces in their naval port of Tartus, as some warships left the area when Aleppo was retaken by HTS.
nobody came to Assad's aid. not Iran, iraq, or Russia. HTS now has the most modern Russian equipment, such as multiple T-72 tanks, under their control.
HTS also struck a truce with SDF (syrian democractic forces), also known as the Kurds, that they arent interested in the eastern region, which is why Kurds and US forces in the area were not in any danger.
this is a major blow to Iran and Russia, as Putin lost one of his most reliable strongholds in Syria, and combined with Hezbollah being all but defeated, Iran doesnt have the logistics to move weapons and equipment from Syria through Iraq.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
i encourage everyone who is following allow to keep google maps tab open, so you can see where these operations are taking place. especially as americans, our country is so massive that we sometimes think other regions are massive as well.
for example, Aleppo is only 137km(85 miles) to Hama, which is only 46km(28 miles) to Homs, which is only 218km(135 miles) to Damascus straight down the M5 highway
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
And why is that? When you have two enemies fighting each other it only helps to weaken them both. Who would we be interested in helping here that causes anyone to think we should get involved?
This is an actual make the popcorn moment.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
HTS escorted the PM out of the office. The only dude who wasnt a coward and stayed.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
i encourage everyone who is following allow to keep google maps tab open, so you can see where these operations are taking place. especially as americans, our country is so massive that we sometimes think other regions are massive as well.
for example, Aleppo is only 137km(85 miles) to Hama, which is only 46km(28 miles) to Homs, which is only 218km(135 miles) to Damascus straight down the M5 highway
That is a very good point. These comparisons to what people are familiar with can be mind blowing. Israel is about 1/5 the size of Ohio. Gaza is the size of Detroit. Syria is a little larger than half the size of Ohio. You have all these people hating each other for centuries crammed into such tiny areas with limited resources, it's no wonder there's constant conflict.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir
from Aleppo to Damascus in Syria is 248 miles. that's the same distance from Cleveland to Cincinnati.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Huge sign that Russia is crumbling. Hope we don’t let them off the hook.
I'm not sure how that makes that a sign of Russia Crumbling.. But I hope you are right.
We have entirely too many people here in the US that think Russia is the good guy..
Seriously, stick to football or cooking threads. You are pretty clueless when it comes to political science. Russia has been propping him up for decades.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Huge sign that Russia is crumbling. Hope we don’t let them off the hook.
I'm not sure how that makes that a sign of Russia Crumbling.. But I hope you are right.
We have entirely too many people here in the US that think Russia is the good guy..
Seriously, stick to football or cooking threads. You are pretty clueless when it comes to political science. Russia has been propping him up for decades.
Let's see, I asked a respectful question.. That makes me clueless?
Since when is asking a question, respectfully, a bad thing?
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
And why is that? When you have two enemies fighting each other it only helps to weaken them both. Who would we be interested in helping here that causes anyone to think we should get involved?
This is an actual make the popcorn moment.
I hope you are right ..... but this very well could be a case without a good outcome, because both sides are led by pretty terrible people.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Bashar Al-Assad’s private fleet of luxury cars revealed as Syrians loot his palaces after dictator was forced to flee the country By Jared Downing Published Dec. 8, 2024, 11:45 a.m. ET
537 Comments To the victors go the spoilers.
When Islamist rebel forces in Syria marched into Damascus and stormed the palace of Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, they found a massive fleet of high-end cars, including Mercedes, Porches, Audis and Ferraris.
Videos shared on social media show gleeful looters touring a massive garage in the presidential palace, chock full of high-end roadsters from the deposed dictator’s private stash.
A sports car in Bashir al-Assad's private garage. 5 A sports car in Bashir al-Assad’s private garage. @Osint613/X
5 Bashir al-Assad flew the coop Sunday morning ABACA/Shutterstock One eagle-eye commenter pointed to a coveted Mercedes-Benz with gullwing doors.
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SUVs, motorcycles, ATVs, and what appears to be an armored truck also awaited the rebels, who traipsed through the sprawling mansion taking selfies, firing guns into the air and making off with anything that wasn’t bolted down, videos shared on X show.
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Israel bombs Damascus as 50-year peace deal ends with Assad overthrow: 'Direct result of our forceful actions' Putin, Assad, Syrian resistance Bashar al-Assad and family granted asylum in Russia after dictator flees Syria Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, seen in front of microphone during the Signing of the comprehensive program of strategic and long-term cooperation between Iran and Syria in 2023; inset of old pic of him posing in tiny swimsuit. Rebels snatch photo of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad wearing nothing but tiny bathing suit during Aleppo palace raid The palace is a sprawling, blocky fortress of stone and marble perched on a hill on the outskirts of Damascus; the Guardian once described it as an “echoing monument to dictator decor.”
Rebel soldiers found it abandoned after Assad absconded by plane to an unknown location, Reuters reported, putting an end to 24 years of brutal rule in which the dictator and his family lived like emperors while the people languished.
Videos shared on X show men hauling away furniture and artwork while women in full hijab picked through the dishes and bed linens.
Follow the latest on the fallout of Assad’s ouster in Syria
Israel bombs Damascus as 50-year peace deal ends with Assad overthrow Biden cheers Assad toppling, offers support for Syrian people as US hits ISIS strongholds in moment of ‘risk and uncertainty’ Syria’s Basahr al-Assad and family in Moscow after Russia granted them asylum: reports Gunmen storm Iranian embassy in Damascus as Russia claims Assad left ‘instructions’ to ‘transfer power’ One video shows what appears to be an armory stocked with scores of submachine guns.
“I imagine he and those close to [Assad] … thought: ‘we have enough ammo! We are invincible! Nothing can shake us!’ the poster, TOKO, quipped.
Trucks and SUVs among Assad's personal stash of vehicles. 5 Trucks and SUVs among Assad’s personal stash of vehicles. @Osint613/X In another video, looters discover a bunker network hidden deep under the main structure, the concrete floors littered with what appear to be empty cigar boxes and gun cases.
“He who fears the people digs hundreds of feet underground,” the poster, Abdullah Almousa, wrote in Arabic.
The palace wasn’t the only government building to be ransacked as soldiers peeled off their uniforms and abandoned their posts.
A palace looter surveys the collection of cars. 5 A palace looter surveys the collection of cars. @Osint613/X A video from the garage shows Audis, Mercedes, and Ferraris, among other high-end car brands.
One user posted a video of what he claims to show people carrying sacks of “money and valuables” from the central bank.
“The smart people did not go to Assad’s palace for chandeliers, but to the bank for cash and gold!” he wrote.
GOOD. Everything ends, sadly there won’t be any actual improvement, just more power struggles coming, and nothing seems to ever change in that part of the world. But for a moment, a monstrously inhumane dictator has seen his last day in power, and that’s cause for at least reserved celebration.
i encourage everyone who is following allow to keep google maps tab open, so you can see where these operations are taking place. especially as americans, our country is so massive that we sometimes think other regions are massive as well.
for example, Aleppo is only 137km(85 miles) to Hama, which is only 46km(28 miles) to Homs, which is only 218km(135 miles) to Damascus straight down the M5 highway
Google Maps is huge for whichever international situation we're talking about. Syria obviously being one, like you stated, but also Ukraine. I've used geographic references twice to explain that situation there and how central Ukrainian independence is to Europe. Looking at how it is geographically situated and what is going on in the countries around it really gives a sense of the bigger picture.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
Russia is scrambling to make a deal with Syria’s victorious rebels to keep hold of its vital military bases after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said communication lines with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had been opened but it was “premature” to talk about Russia retaining its naval and air bases in Syria.
“Everything possible is now being done to get in touch with those involved in ensuring security and, of course, our military is also taking all the necessary precautions,” he said.
Mr Peskov also confirmed that Vladimir Putin had personally allowed Assad to flee into exile to Russia.
The murderous Syrian dictator fled Damascus on Sunday after the collapse of his army allowed Jihadi-linked HTS forces to complete their capture of Syria in only 12 days.
Putin personally allowed Assad to flee into exile to Russia, the Kremlin says
In Russia, shocked Kremlin-linked news agencies and propagandists have tried to explain the humiliating collapse of a key Russian ally in the region by saying that it took “everybody by surprise”.
They also framed Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of HTS, as a CIA agent and blamed Iran for failing to back up Russian airstrikes.
Boris Rozhin, an analyst at the Centre for Military-Political Journalism, told the Moskovskaya Kommsomelts newspaper that Russia “had been stabbed in the back” in Syria because Iran had not passed on information about the HTS attack and not committed soldiers to support Assad’s forces.
“What happened can be regarded as a betrayal,” he said.
Russia and Iran have developed strong relations through their joint military actions in Syria. Iran has also supplied missiles and drones to Russia since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In the week before the capture of Damascus, Russian warplanes had bombed HTS convoys before Putin, frustrated with the collapse of Assad’s forces, ordered a halt. Instead, Russian warplanes at its Khmeimim air base and warships at its Tartus naval base 75 miles further south along the Mediterranean coast have been evacuated.
Analysts said that although he has been humiliated, Putin was determined to keep hold of his prized bases.
John Foreman, a former Royal Navy officer who was previously the British defence attaché in Moscow, said: “Russia lacks permanent bases generally, so both are important and both had significant investment over the past seven years.”
The Khmeimim air base was given to Russia in 2015 as a “thank you” from Assad for Russia’s ruthless carpet-bombing of rebels that helped reverse the civil war.
As well as hosting some of Russia’s most advanced fighter jets, it was used by Russia as a refuelling stop for military and cargo planes heading to Africa. The Tartus naval base was originally built in 1971 by the Soviet Union. Putin modernised and enlarged the base again in 2012 and 2015 because he had designs on Africa.
Without the Tartus naval base, analysts said that Putin can still operate in Africa but it becomes far more difficult to resupply and support the estimated 20,000 Africa Corps mercenaries operating there, mainly in Libya, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
“Their likely loss is a significant strategic setback for Russia on its southern flank,” Mr Foreman said.
Putin sees Africa as a Western weakness that he can exploit. He has encouraged a series of coups against pro-West governments by promising security support, as well as bilateral energy and communication projects.
In return, Putin expects his West African crony allies to spread his anti-Ukraine policies. When a group of rebels ambushed Russian mercenaries and Malian government soldiers in the Sahara Desert in July, killing dozens, the pro-Russia Mali government was quick to blame Kyiv.
These West African coup leaders regularly turn up in Moscow for meetings and to take orders, before returning to Africa to do the Kremlin’s bidding by promoting Russia as a force for peace.
They also come with vital votes at the UN, which Russia leverages, and access to valuable metals and rare earth deposits that the Kremlin wants to control.
Key to Russia’s influence had been the Wagner mercenary group, which also fought in Ukraine. This has been rebranded as the Africa Corps and is still highly regarded for beefing up local security services who are fighting wars against various rebel groups.
On Telegram, the Rybar blog, which has strong links to the Russian military, published a map showing the Kremlin’s two bases in Syria as vital staging posts for its operations in West Africa via Libya.
It said “alternative options” now needed to be considered, including boosting its presence in Libya and Sudan. The problem, it said, was that cargo planes can only reach Libya from Russia if they are empty and Sudan’s ongoing civil war makes it unstable.
“The loss of Syria as a transit base is a blow not only to our positions in the Middle East, but also in Africa,” it said.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based think tank, echoed Rybar’s analysis, saying the loss of the Russian bases would have “major implications for Russia’s global military footprint and ability to operate in Africa”.
The ISW added that “Russia’s inability or decision to not reinforce Assad’s regime as the Syrian opposition offensive made rapid gains throughout the country will also hurt Russia’s credibility as a reliable and effective security partner throughout the world”.
This, it said, would “negatively affect Putin’s ability to garner support for his desired multipolar world”.
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Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
All the more evidence we need to keep the heat up. If Russia folds, it could have a domino effect. China would be a lot more hesitant to invade Taiwan if Russia really starts circling the drain.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
That’s an interesting point. I’ve been preoccupied with China /Taiwan and 2027 for the last few years. I’m not sure how much Russia’s standing has influence over that but it’s an interesting question. Russia pretty plainly foresees a major boon with Trump coming into office but the China / Russia dynamic, should Russia falter, could complicate things.
"Team Chemistry No Match for Team Biology" (Onion Sports Headline)
GOOD. Everything ends, sadly there won’t be any actual improvement, just more power struggles coming, and nothing seems to ever change in that part of the world. But for a moment, a monstrously inhumane dictator has seen his last day in power, and that’s cause for at least reserved celebration.
I agree. Now all we can do is hope that the replacement is better than the predecessor. The Shah of Iran was a pretty bad person, but he was far better than the people who took over.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
I just hope everyone realizes that all this crap in the Middle East can be blamed on the British and French.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
I actually think a great deal of world affairs can be blamed on their actions during the 1800s.
Probably so, but there comes a point where it becomes a diminished point. Somewhere in there the Romans can take credit for many problems as well. Empires were the thing back then. Any time you have a ruling body over a group half a world away you are going to have too many cultural hurdles to jump.
Africa is a prime example. No thought was given to divide the continent up along long establish tribal lines rather than lines on a map.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
True, though tribal territories have changed over time since the beginning of mankind. That hasn’t changed. What’s changed is the proficiency of how it’s done, making lines on a modern map, obsolete in many cases today.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
I'm not sure you understand how to ask a question.
Here, I'll help:
Not a question: "I'm not sure how that makes that a sign of Russia Crumbling.. But I hope you are right."
Question: "I'm not sure how that makes that a sign of Russia Crumbling.. Do you really think so?"
Seeing Fate give english lessons seems eerily similar to watching libs talk down to MAGA. But I’m sure if Daman was taking shots at his side, he wouldn’t bother with semantics in his insightful responses.
And Daman, don’t let that petty BS get you down, 95% of the troglodyte right communicates in grunts and other human mimicking almost words noises. You’re actually in the top percentage of internet users who can communicate a complete thought without semantics being your strong suit. And anybody calling you out for semantics is just showing how weak their position actually is. Keep up the good fight.
True, though tribal territories have changed over time since the beginning of mankind. That hasn’t changed. What’s changed is the proficiency of how it’s done, making lines on a modern map, obsolete in many cases today.
But as history shows, changing lines is hard to do. It has to happen through a war in most cases.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
I'm not sure you understand how to ask a question.
Here, I'll help:
Not a question: "I'm not sure how that makes that a sign of Russia Crumbling.. But I hope you are right."
Question: "I'm not sure how that makes that a sign of Russia Crumbling.. Do you really think so?"
Seeing Fate give english lessons seems eerily similar to watching libs talk down to MAGA. But I’m sure if Daman was taking shots at his side, he wouldn’t bother with semantics in his insightful responses.
And Daman, don’t let that petty BS get you down, 95% of the troglodyte right communicates in grunts and other human mimicking almost words noises. You’re actually in the top percentage of internet users who can communicate a complete thought without semantics being your strong suit. And anybody calling you out for semantics is just showing how weak their position actually is. Keep up the good fight.
You edited that and it still sounds like you poured words in the sink out of a blender. Good stuff. Smoke another.
And just so you know, Damon is still on Compuserve and dial-up, he won't see your "attaboy" until three days after Trump deports him.
watching this reporter roast the russian convoy while passing by was fuunny
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/small-gator-chomp.gif)
Keep up the good fight.