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The Russian Defense Ministry has accused the United States and its “coalition against ISIS” in “sumulating” the war against ISIS in Iraq. The ministry noted a low number of the US-led coalition’s airstrikes on ISIS in September when the terrorist group’s members were crossing into Syria.
According to the ministry, the US-led coalitino reduced a number of airstrikes on ISIS in Iraq while terrorists were redeplyoing for a battle against Syrian government forces in the province of Deir Ezzor.
“In the western part of Iraq, from where the terrorist forces are arriving to the eastern bank of the Euphrates River (where the Russian Aerospace Forces are not operating), the [ISIS]IS-controlled territory continues growing, and it is manifold larger than in Syria,” Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday.
He added that the analysis of the statistics provided by the Pentagon on the sorties as part of the campaign to fight ISIS allows “to see some strange changes.”
“For example, in September, with the beginning of the operation conducted by Syrian troops supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces to recapture the Deir Ez-Zor [Deir Ezzor] province from ISIL [ISIS] the US-led international coalition has substantially reduced the intensity of strikes against ISIL in Iraq, to several times per day, carrying out almost five times less strikes than on Syria,” Konashenkvo said. “Strangely enough, this decrease in the intensity of strikes in Iraq has coincided with the redeployment of large terrorist forces from Iraq’s border areas to Deir ez-Zor that are now trying to gain a foothold on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The US-led coalition imitating the fight against ISIL, above all, in Iraq, sees all that but continues to allegedly actively fight ISIL in Syria, for some reason.“
Konashenkov said that over the last week, Syrian troops and that Russian Aerospace Forces have been focusing on a battle against ISIS in Al-Mayadin city in the Euphrates Valley. Russian aircraft conduct about 150 strikes per day pounding ISIS members near Mayadin.
“Aircraft of Russia’s Aerospace Forces crush these IS forces round-the-clock together with the rounds of ammunition and armored vehicles, delivering up to 150 airstrikes per day,” Konashenkov noted.
However, Despite being almost encircled by the Syrian army in Mayadin, ISIS is replenishing their ranks and supplies in the Euphrates Valley where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) conduct their own operation against ISIS.
The Russian spokesman questioned real goals of the US-led coalition’s military efforts.
“The ongoing fueling of terrorists from Iraq raises serious questions about the real objectives of anti-terrorist operations conducted in the region by the US and the so-called ‘international coalition’ jets,” Konashenkov said.
In late September, the Russian Defense Ministry released photos showing strongholds of U.S. forces in close proximity to ISIS positions. No fight was observed between the sides according to the ministry.
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all are terrorists and illegal except for the russian led coalition
First PMU and Iraqi army waited for months on the northern border, doing nothing and it was the fault of the kurds as they made PMU’s uncertain.
Now they are advancing from the east and north, thereby pushing IS towards the border. So it is now the fault of US they are pushed.
Had SAA done a better job and not wasted time and forces east of the river, it would have been SAA pushing IS towards Iraq.
Another strategic mistake of SAA and of course IS takes advantage.
SAA and Russians would do better to plan better, to execute better and to fight better and leave less gaps for IS to exploit, not complaining about IS being unfair as some commentors do.
Everything is better than the whining of losers.
Well in a way they need to go East of the river as fast as possible. The SDF conquer land which is not theirs and the rest of ISIS can be dealt with on a later stage actually which of course will happen.
It would be a gamble. As in any gamble, one can win and one can lose.
Given tactical smartness of IS, there is not much room for error there and much to lose.
“tactical smartness” of IS is actually suicide tactics.
They don’t have to take in consideration all those measures all the armies of the world enforce to limit casualties.
As for the suicide tactics, I agree with you there.
Still IS has done good many times in spotting tactical weaknessess and errors of their opponents. The way they exploit those errors has been ruthless and often barbaric.
The way to contain IS has ever been to make less errors and SAA has had problems in adapting to IS tactics. They are now overwhelming IS bacause of more troops, more equipment.
Without SDF, Russians and Hezbollah, SAA would likely have been defeated.
“The way they exploit those errors has been ruthless and often barbaric”
That’s what I said. They used VBIEDs every single time they have attained some relevant tactical surprise. It’s not exploiting weakness of the SAA and allies, it’s more of a suicidal trump card exploit an intrinsic limit every armed force has up to a certain point.
You can’t really keep every meter of terrain ahead, to the flanks and behind your battlegroup under constant control, there are simply not enough resources – especially of maneuver elements.
The Iraqis have suffered terrible losses to those tactics compared to the Syrians. Nonetheless, they are kicking ISIS out of their country and will fight until the last jihadist has become food for worms.
That means that suicide tactics will hopefully die together with ISIS.
Too bad Abu Tahseen the legendary Iraqi sniper was killed in Hawija, he had 350 ISIS kills they should build a statue to him.
I said I agreed with you on IS tactics.
Against suicide attacks, one can often defeat those as SDF and pesh merga showed. Still, when they get through, it is devastating.
Keeping your flanks covered is not always easy and it makes for slower advances. As SAA likes the fast advances, they run the inherent risk of counterattacks in the rear and flanks. It is a gamble that will cost you if you gamble wrong and it has cost SAA several times.
SDF has a much slower advance, partly because of lack of armour and partly because of other tactics. They invest more resources in holding activities. The disadvantage of slower speed is compensated by lower losses afterwards in counterattacks.
As for suicide attacks dying out, I do not believe so. I think it will increase. Not on the battle field as such but in guerilla attacks and in terror attacks all over the world.
We will all have to learn to adapt to more security and I think the unpleasantness in travel bans in US will only be the beginning all over the world.
In some countries like fi Turkey it will become much worse in the near future.
“It is a gamble that will cost you if you gamble wrong”
It is a gamble if you don’t know what you are doing.
“As SAA likes the fast advances”
You must know someone who likes slow advances.
“they run the inherent risk of counterattacks in the rear and flanks”
I didn’t mean this. One thing is counterattacks. Another is suicidal VBIEDs jeeps moving at 120Kmh.
The basis of maneuver warfare is screening moving units. Open flanks must be reduced at the minimum by exploiting the terrain, yet the deserted areas present very few natural closures. Mechanized units are relatively slow to react to such fast-moving and sudden threats.
You are implying that the SAA adopts risky tactics that favor quicker movements over costs in terms of manpower.
As usual, you sing the US/zionist tune where “We take great care in protecting the lives of our military, Russians/Soviets/Syrians/Iranians etc. instead, they are the bad guys, they disrespect all human life included that of their own. Their own are better desert because we are the good guys and they are the bad ones”.
It’s the same mindset US propaganda tries to push since ww2 and it’s a massive load of bullshit.
They show they didn’t learn nothing in all these years, that they are a bunch of geriatric patients that still reason like it’s 1962.
WTF a Moron spouting an oxymoron about ISIS , hell they were stupid enough to get Col. Yusi Olen captured by the Iraqi Army while embedded with the group.
I am completely sure I do not understand you for one iota. Maybe if you limit yourself to just saying what you aim to say, poor little me can understand you.
Everything you said is pure bullshit as many SDF and Peshmerga lost their lives to ISIS attacks which had greater success.
Explain to me why they won’t let the volunteers leave they give them broken guns and tell them to go fight the SAA and Russia or lock them up. Do you have an reason why you could explain for this or are you just some idiot media shill running this account?
ABORTION RIGHTS FOR THE OIL FIELDS!!!
Dutch, I have noticed in recent weeks that your grammar and general lexicon has often changed from that of a foreigner writing English to that of a well educated native English speaker.
Today you are fluent in well educated British English. Tomorrow, who knows :)
I have my days.
In dutch educational system, there is much focus on English and practice is a plus too.
Not to mention a tendency to bow and scrape for NATO and US lies. Ned showed their true colors with the MH17 fiasco. They could give a shit what happened to their countrymen, just support the NATO/US regime no matter what. Then they send their poodles onto the internet to spread even more Zionist deception. Boot lickers and collaborators.
It seems you are a pussy.
He implies that you are actually an avatar used by several writers. Because, in his mind, an authentic person can not have opinions like yours.
I am not responsible for the products of his mind, so I just leave those to him.
Commenters here make my pre retirement very enjoyable.
They are just multiple writers as they jump through the hoops on all various platforms, just depends on which is more important to troll at the time. Have the time I think people like Joumana Gebara is running multiple troll accounts since she does encourage that type of behavior. Guess that’s why she lost her twitter account spamming is not nice even Jack has a boss to answer to.
The only spammers and trolls are you, you Iranian terrorists, I don’t blow myself in people. I got suspended because I fight terrorists like you and ISIS, all of you are the same, psychos. So you trolls reported me through your networks in thousands. You Islamist Shiite terrorists think you can win through terrorism, Joumana Gebara wins through humanity,, a word you dont know what t means.
The reason you got banned is you write derogatory and inflammatory statements with no factual support.The only one being flagrantly a troll is you by calling people something they are and not ,which makes you in the very least a humanitarian, but more a ego driven evangelical christian who believes in their own self righteous beliefs with no basis in facts.The true words of a terrorist supporter such as spoken by you.
Days off when another operative takes over :) ?
Your standard anti-Syrian comment, just different day. The US has long colluded with terrorists in Syria, and is now shamelessly exploiting the SAA-Russian’s real fight against ISIS terrorists across east Syria, to try and grab at chunks of Syria via their SOF leading a bunch of YPG-Kurds neither with any legitimate claim to be in that territory.
The SDF can legitimately claim to defend ABORTION RIGHTS IN THE OIL FIELDS!!!!!
Ah, the grim reaper of diversionary abortion trolling is back online.
No abortion for oil fields.
Especially not in the Omar fields as guys cannot be aborted.
Fighting can be aborted though.
You’re telling me women are not allowed in the oil fields? and women who get abortions will never benefit from oil revenue?
You have no idea, absolutely not. Each comment in against the tactics of SAA/Russia and pro-kurdish-wet-dreams. The tactics are good and necessary and the speed is restricted because US/”SDF.slaves” collaborated with ISIS to fight only against SAA/allies in this special region. We all know that the surviving ISIS fighters will get the promises price: as a faked kurdish towelhead free passing through the lines in direction of Hasakah Countryside to escape anywhere later on OR directly picked up by the US to get a safe and warm place before the next deployment for the US-masters will call.
he is right. the saa+russian tactics is very low-lebel tactics.
It seems only like that because they try every day to do the possible things while in the backroom diplomacy takes place.
Not necessarily. Most of what the Russian/Syrian military are doing is keeping to their own plan and timetable, which is according to their abilities and supplies. What they are not doing is, what dimwits that keep harping on them to do, reacting the way the US wants them to. They disregard actions that will divert them from their goals, even if it means a potential setback. All these so-called setbacks are taken care of in their own time and place, none resulting in an actual major setback. So-called wargamers safe in their recliners are like monday morning quarterbacks…great after the fact…but disaster if they had to call the shots real-time. For the Russians and Syrians to be so bad at strategy, they seem to have done remarkably well at defeating superior odds and constantly resupplied enemy forces. Just plain dumb luck. Right.
and lose the war
Just remember back on August 9th they were still attacking Sukhna now look where they are, give them time.
you wouldn’t make out military tactics from football tactics.
i am former officer, you nobody!
russia makes great war with 30 olanes. :DDDD joke x joke :DDD
and I’m Donald Duck.
I can believe US CIA might by scummy enough to protect ISIS, but I don’t believe it of SDF, who defend ABORTION RIGHTS, CONSISTANTLY!!
Yes, listening to Israeli politicians right now is really amusing. They’ve lit a bag of shit on fire and now they’ve stepped in it. Your ignorant diatribe of mindless assessment is another indication that Syria and Russia are on the right track. When you start giving them credit for not falling for the Zionist traps and ploys, then I will start to worry.
I got lost when you started ranting about Israel as my comments in principle do not include Israel unless relevant to the discussion at hand, which to some commenters here seem to be all discussions.
So I cannot follow your comment as a reaction on something I wrote.
Please enlighten me.
What’s funny was you were blaming SAA for sending ISIS into Idlib, they sent the families not the terrorists, those attacked in 3 groups while the 2 groups engaged the checkpoints and the third larger went on through. They even question an ISIS member who made arrangements for renting places , even he informed them their leaders were taking the bribes for them to come in through the front lines,lol.
So Mr Konashenkov, what is Russia going to do about it? Or is this simply an excuse to say that the Russian side agreed to give away 80% of Syria’s oil and gas resources to the US and co invaders and illegal occupiers of Syrian sovereign land? Mr Konashenkov, we want to see action and results not words. A good reply to this known fact of US/SDF collusion and alliance with ISIS would be Russia putting all of its resources on helping the Syrian government forces take over the Mayadin bridge and securing the Omar and all other remaining oil and gas fields on the Eastern banks of the Euphrates river. This must be done now not later, before the US/Zionist/SDF/ISIS coalition steal Syria’s vital resources from the Syrian people.
“This must be done now not later, before the US/Zionist/SDF/ISIS coalition steal Syria’s vital resources from the Syrian people”
Lololololol.
Write a petition maybe troll?
What’s funny about this? Stealing stuff is new to Zionists?
the funny part is that trolls still haven’t gone beyond the theme “Russia does nothing to defend Syria”.
Except that when Russia intervened the government had control on barely 50% of the territory and shrinking, now that percentage is at 85% and increasing.
Russians betrayed syria already during Obama era. The decision was made during meeting in Ankara.
Russua never did and never will betray Syria, a ship full of troops and weapons is navigating to Tartus, You guys think that to defeat the combined armies of western putrid regime is an easy task.Source, Mr. Shloime?
russia already did. At day, when accepted american pan B. russia is playing in syria, and is focused ONLY on military bases. finally, will lost everything, incl. the bases.
The obvious conclusion is that Russia needs to bring more fighter jets to Syria. The few planes already in Syria are in a state of overuse and are unable to provide effective support to all fighting fronts .
My beloved and very ingenious Russia. Americans are not ignoring and don’t simulate fighting anything. ISIS is their creation and tool in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and wherever they are, and ISIS was always been and will always be a Americans sponsored group, and everyone knows that very well. Instead of complaining himselft, it would be better for Russia to arm itself with courage and unleash the hell on them all, without stopping doing it, until the absolute destruction of even the smallest of them. The rule of always, less word and much more action.
there is al lot of crying about the resources of Syria falling into the SDF hands. but facts remains..
The Kurd have a good bargaining chip but it’s just that, and nothing more. Oil is of low quality the gas to expensive to export it and in both cases it has to run through neighboring country’s.
If turkey, Iran, Syria, Iraq, form an blockade both are useless. If a economic blockade if formed the will be isolated from even basic supplies cuz surrounding country’s have air superiority by missile systems and everything has to go thru their airspace. The Kurd don’t even got a seagoing port or airfield.
With directional drilling it could be even possibly to harvest the oil and gas fields can from the west bank of the Euphrates river and suck the wells dry under the nose of the SDF.
I agree with your first remarks.
Horizontal drilling is possible but, as far as I know, is used mainly for shale oil and gas and has a limited reach. How limited I do not know.
In fact, i do believe that the most important assets for SDF are not the oil (though welcome) but the agricultural complexes, strategic depth both towards Turkey and Syria, and a larger human base for recruiting, building an economy.
I doubt if the Arab Sunni population in the Khabur and Eurphrates river valleys would want to live under “de facto” Kurdish rule, let alone the (few) shia.
Everybody said the same of Manbij when it was fought over.
In fact, the people and council of Manbij are very glad to be under SDF protection and to be included in its teritory.
Population has doubled, education restarted with tens of thousands of pupils, reconstruction underway, lots of jobs, products sold and bought and the military council has expanded with many volonteers. The MMC had or has some 2.000 of those volonteers fighting in Raqqah, many of them getting killed to help liberate their people.
In Tabqah, one can see the same trend even though just liberated for 5 months.
So I doubt that your doubts are realistic, though there will always be some that object. Tribal issues will be delicate, but those will be delicate under any regime or government.
Of course the people of Manbij are happy under SDF rule, having been under the rule of one the most vile organisations of modern history. Body parts, usually heads, been chopped of on a daily basis, women being taken as sex slaves, sons forcibly enlisted in to ISIS…. Any other rule is better! The other things you mentioned:the economy picking up, schools reopening, etc would also have materialised under the rule of the Syrian goverment (Aleppo for example). Volunteers would have joined the NDF instead of SDF.
Also, will the Arabs in the territories taken by the Kurds want to adapt to the Kurdish style of governance? Their form of socialism, equal rights for women…