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Turkey is working to transform Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria, into a political party, a source in the Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC) revealed on February 8.
“Turkey is trying to handle the Nusra matter in Syria’s north, and they [the Turks] want to make this group a political group, like Hezbollah in Lebanon,” the source told the Russian news agency, Sputnik.
As a part of Turkey’s alleged plan, HTS will be integrated into the National Syrian Army (NSA). The terrorist group is already discussing the integration process with the Turkish-backed National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary.
“Under the Turkish plan, Nusra will be involved in the national army in the north, which Turkey is trying to build now … There are meetings between the Coalition and Nusra Front to agree upon arrangements for the merger and formation of a new army in the Syrian north” the source said.
The NSA is deployed in the Turkish-occupied areas in the northern Aleppo countryside. The force will likely spearhead a possible Turkish operation in northeastern Syria following the upcoming withdrawal of U.S. forces.
A day earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that HTS and other terrorist groups are considering creation of the unified command in order to start preparations for a large-scale military operation.
Local observers believe that Ankara’s plan to refurbish HTS can be only stopped by a military operation in the governorate of Idlib, where strongholds of the terrorist group are located.
Washington have already failed on creation Syrian and Iraqi type chaos and coup in Turkey. Washington will again fail in Venezuela now, just watch. They are Zionist’s craps.
Hezbollah took years to evolve into a combine political and military power house that it is and view by many regular army nation’s forcesas aregular fighting force. HTS are on the brink of devolving once the Syrians and Russians have had enough of them.
Agree. At most, Turkey will have a bunch of small head-chopper terrorist groups constanly being hunted down in Syria for extermination. Syria will still have the most effective counter-insurgency forces bar none in the Middle East: Hezbollah.
If you put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig.
…but if you put lipstick on a goat, it becomes an HTS dream date (and a terrified goat).
LMAO!! ???
Turkey is the most dangerous threat in the region. Terrorstate. Kurds should work together with Assad to counter Turk agression and land theft. No peace is possible otherwise
I have a feeling turks and kurds are working together, for a long time now actually since afrin adventure.
I have a similar feeling. Can you imagine, after ISIS defeat and US real withdraw, Erdogan and Kurds making a serious peace deal and allowing Saudi oil pipeline to be built in east Syria?
I dont have to imagine much, I know what is going on behind the scenes. In the circles I am moving a lot is said that if they reach the news outlets is always after it is an irrevocable fact or very close to it. Beside the fact we know what contracts are already finalized as a done deal should what west expects happen and with whom.
p.s. US and generally west is not withdrawing from syria with out the use of force and total defeat and isis…… is UK/Usrael/turks and make no mistake of it because of the various names they use to cover the fact because humans believe every lie they been told and because in their majority dont have more than few seconds thinking span.
Idiot.
The Kurds are literally as bad if not worse than the Turks and they, unlike the Turks, were in a much better position to annex Syrian land for themselves until Putin intervened and put an end to their aspirations.
We may see Syria, Iraq and Iran help the Kurds in SE Turkey form an independent state in order to prevent Turkey from stopping the flow of river water into their countries. Turkey has been building 22 dams with 19 hydroelectric plants along those with plans to use the water for extensive irrigation projects inside Turkey and to sell some to ME countries thru pipelines. The USGS figures that the reduced flow will dry up the Tigris and Euphrates by 2040. Water is worth fighting over. Iraq and Syria nearly went to war over Euphrates water in the 1970’s. Assad’s father allowed the PKK to have bases inside Syria where they attacked Turkish water projects to the north that were reducing the flow in the Euphrates into Syria. The UN stepped in both times to get the sides to work something out. Erdogan cranked up the speed of those dam projects while Syria was straddled with the civil war and ISIS.
Very good comment, the utter truth. Thanks for bringing it up
Long term the Turks will have to give up the land they have stolen and move back to Turkmenistan. But at the moment they are useful idiots.
Hezbollah’s power comes not merely from its fighting abilities, but moreso from the popular support of the Lebanese people of all ethnic & religious backgrounds and the causes they fight for. These mercenary terrorist groups enjoy the popular support of almost no one except for their respective foreign government-backers and a few disgruntled native Syrians who wanted (and still want) Assad gone at any cost, including sacrificing the country itself apparently. Turkey will fail at this too like their oil business with ISIS.
not having the full support of west behind this action. Read between the lines’
Not only that the Turkeys are paying terrorists to kill Russians. There are open reports that a bonus of $10,000 is paid by the MIT to any terrorist who targets Russians. This was the same CIA tactic in Afghanistan where the Wahhabi terrorists groups who killed more Russians were given more weapons and money. This is a tactic to pressure Russia and the Zionists have done with Iran. Russia can not remain passive anymore and needs to strengthen the axis of resistance. The Turks are as devious and evil scum as their Zionist masters.
Hezbollah is despised by the Lebanese people regardless of their ethnic and religious backgrounds.
Get real.
“Bill” is going by the CIA and hasbara memo of BS one-liners to throw people off. It is usual tactic on all sites.
Jews/Americun*s are despised by all people regardless of their ethnic and religious backgrounds.
and you wonder why? :)
Bill, is that the CIA or hasbara BS? Please do explain since over 50% of Lebanese population is now Shia, so how could they hate themselves? self-hating Jews hahahaha
This is how “despised” they are.
(Christian singer’s eulogy to Hezbollah)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdZgkGI5h0A I provided a link with English subtitles (the translation is so-so), since I don’t know how good your Arabic is, Bill. Feel free to browse YouTube for even more impressive performances by Julia.
Very true indeed.Hisbollah is people protection forces HTS=Alqaida terrorist of USA and Turkey organisation.
hahahaha, the dumb Turkeys think they can turn pimps, murderers and rapists into Hezbollah. I need a laugh. Meanwhile they treacherous Turks are specifically targeting Russians in Syria.
Russian soldier killed by Turkish-backed rebels in Hama. Turkish MIT is paying $10,000 bonus for terrorists to kill a Russian.
and……….who are letting them do it?
So next step will also promote a turk for president of syria, not unlike what they try to do in Skopje.
Hts will never get as strong as Hezbollah
HTS is probably 10 times stronger than Hezbollah currently. I think you confuse the Modern Russian army and logistical superiority as Hezbollah? Hezbollah would not last in 2 months if HTS is released on them and Russia is not there. Both in Lebanon and Syria.
You have to rate them in fair scale as to whom they are fighting? HTS has been fighting Russia for the last 4-5 in an open warfare which is not an easy thing to do due to the technological advancement of Russia and logistical superiority over HTS. This is why Russia managed to suppress them in Idlib and liberate much of the country
keep on dreaming.
Have I said anything untrue in my statement? Russia did defeat HTS in Aleppo and other places and I can give you specific details.
1. The Fall Aleppo came under severe Russian bombardment to the point that they levelled the whole city it to the ground and just destroying as much buildings as possible in order to eliminate the labyrint system of the city.
2. The same thing happened in Ghouta and Eastern Damascus
The Russians had to do extreme damage in order to advance and if HTS was even more stubborn they would have completely flatten cities like Aleppo and Eastern Damascus countryside
selectively looking and comparing to me seems either you completely out of touch with reality or bias creating your reality as you want it to be.
Hez is the power that stopped israelis on their tracks and beat the shit out of them in 2006 when they try to invade Lebanon and since then israel beside threats does not even consider attacking again.
The terrorist in syria was not only hts and they was in the hundreds of thousands supported by all nato countries as well their airforce, especially the israeli airforce. And yes all you concluded are wrong beside that russians yes helped a lot with their airforce and not only to defeat all the mercenaries, send in syria to eliminate Assad and the syrian people.
Hezbollah is overrated but they were defeated here in the Syrian war and the same goes to Iran. They were truly overcame by the non-state actors rebels. Hence Russia and The US changed the outcome in favor of Assad and if they didn’t enter he could have been dead years ago by now SAA-IRAN-Hez lost the war back in 2013-14.
Iran and Hezbollah couldn’t stop the rebels alone and nor can Hezbollah Alone nor with SAA if Russia or the US is not there.
Russia and United states of America changed the outcome of this war which makes it not a civil war and they did it both in Syria and Iraq
as I said been in the trip you are…… As for your comment about US changing the outcome in favor of Assad now I know you are in a comatose state of mind. Forgive me if I dont take you seriously again and not answer you.
Carry on
You can’t deny a historical fact and history will remember it as such. What do you think the Americans were giving out free-candies in places like Mosul, Raqqa and other areas both in Iraq and East of euphrates?
They waged an existential warfare on the people in these regions and willing to completely flatten out cities have you seen Raqqa, Mosul and other areas the US bombed? Them going at it so much against another non-state actor and potential Assad opponent changed the outcome in his favor and this is also a fact and historical event that took place and can’t be re-written
Hezbullah has been nothing more than a camouflage and if I have to give an estimation of there influence in this war it would be like a non-famous actor making a less then 1 minute cameo in a 2 and half hour movie.
The war has officially been won by US and Russia both in Syria and Iraq period and this is how history will remember this events
Sounds like you need some medication, period!!
I guess you are the one you needs more medication than I do. I simple stated the historical facts and military facts on the ground nothing more or less and how things eventually played out
Hezbollah took Israel and as far as I know they’ve only gotten better trained, better armed and more experienced in battle since then.
ok chechen, hezbollah has more rockets than all of nato combined, enough to turn Israel into ashes
Well Hezbollah is about defending Lebanon from Israeli aggression, they are fighting to save the lives of their children. HTS fighters are in it for the money.
tell that to my other replier, who thinks a bunch of wahabi arabs are stronger than a medium sized army
And this is why the current status of the war cannot be allowed to be for long… A powerful military operation in Idlib has to be in the making!
not as long the russians have a love affair with the turks and have stopped all efforts to that effect. of course is well known that realities now days can change within the space of a very short time.
Erdogan promotes terrorism with Putins awareness. Syria must liberate Idlib with or without Russia.It should be done before any Turkish invasion in North.No Alqaida in Syrian forces because their will defect tomorrow from the army if Erdogan wants coup.
Empowered by his little Russian whore Vladimir Putin.
What’s the quoted source, a rotten bottle of tomato’s, get real you halfwits, don’t publish this sort of crap, unfortunately the masters of spin are everywhere and very hard at work. How can Turkey change a group they themselves designated as world wide know terrorist organization back during the september Asatana agreement last year, and now in February 2019, have them redesignated as a legitimate political party, that would be a hard sell. And that would only to suit an agenda that wouldn’t really benefit the Turks much anyway, Erdogan would still have to foot the bill for all the welfare checks in Idlib if HTS was left there in control, at least if Assad gets it back Assad has to pay for all the bills there, and also pay to rebuild all the destruction Erdogan’s boy caused, Erdogan doesn’t want to do that. No I don’t think so, I think instead Erdogan’s going to help Assad and Putin destroy HTS and any of the other groups Erdogan hasn’t already incorporated into his new army, and then leave Assad to foot the bills for southern Idlib, so he can save his money for more important things.
Pure disinformation. HTS numbers only 1-2 thousand in Idlib. The majority of the fighters in Idlib are FSA which number 30-50 thousand. They are secular freedom fighters who’ve resisted Assad’s brutality since 2012. Syrian government using HTS as an excuse to attack Idlib. But don’t worry, US Navy is on standby waiting for any usage of chemical weapons. This time it’ll be 500+ tomahawks.
These are clearly just freedom fighting moderates. Leave them alone SAA! Or else Al-Qaeda’s moderate air force and moderate Navy will be coming to give you a dose of freedom! Murica!
Erdogan doesn’t know peace he only know terrorism and being in power as a certain tribal leader. Putin is Dan scared of this demon.
Wait and Hear Putin will call it ceasefire implementation complete.Thus chasing Erdogan arrogants entirely up is clever move.
Turkey is doing whatever it takes to preserve Islamist presence and fighting strength in Idlib. If this involves making some absurd claims, so be it. This was all predictable, and predicted, as soon as TPTB accepted that these Syrian lands were going to be administered by the Turkish, as opposed to the Syrian government. A year or so ago, the loyalists were making excellent progress in the north; then, their offensive was interrupted again when E Ghouta started boiling over. Should have finished the job at the time.