city:aleppo

Ainsi donc, Max Blumenthal s’attaque frontalement au lobby de la « no-fly zone » en Syrie, avec un long passage sur les « Casques blancs » :
►https://seenthis.net/messages/530028

Il y a une évolution assez étonnante depuis, disons, cet été. En dehors de As‘ad Abukhalil (Angry Arab), toute cette partie de la gauche pro-palestinienne aux États-Unis avait assez soigneusement évité d’écrire explicitement contre la campagne de changement de régime en Syrie.

Mais depuis cet été, Ali Abunimah (Electronic Intifada) rentre régulièrement dans le lard du « néoconservateur Charles Lister ». Sa collègue Rania Khalek est désormais tellement ouvertement critique qu’elle semble focaliser sur elle les critiques du fan club de la rébellitude syrienne. Et dans les échanges sur Twitter, Max Blumenthal s’était joint aux deux précédents et les a clairement soutenus contre « le lobby de la NFZ ».

Mais je suis tout de même étonné de le voir aujourd’hui publier une enquête aussi longue, en pleine campagne militaro-médiatique sur Alep, avec les Casques blancs que l’on pousse pour le Nobel de la Paix, et qui démonte aussi longuement le lobby au service d’une intervention militaire américaine de changement de régime.

Pour rappel : en juin 2012, Max Blumenthal avait quitté le Akhbar en le dénonçant, d’une manière assez indigne, comme « pro-Assad » :
▻https://seenthis.net/messages/309303

Alors qu’il y a un argument, dans son long article du jour, qu’il aurait immanquablement reproché à un auteur du Akhbar à l’époque :

Asfari’s support for opposition forces was so pronounced the Syrian government filed a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of supporting “terrorism.”

Oui, là il utilise la classification comme terroriste, par le régime même, d’un de ses opposants, pour prouver ce qu’il affirme sur cet individu (certes, il a beaucoup d’autres arguments, mais qu’il commence à évoquer Asfari avec un tel argument me semble très… hum…).

On n’a pas fini de lire des éructations indignées contre "cette gauche" pro-palestinienne et anti-impérialiste ; je pense même que ça va redevenir une priorité du fan-club, parce qu’il y a là pour eux un grave problème de légitimité militante.

Tensions increase between Ankara and Washington as relations between Erdogan and Putin begin to thaw
▻http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/turkey-erdogan-syria-civil-war-special-forces-secret-mission-russia-u

The Turkish military, with armour, air-power and troops on the ground – a thousand of them special forces – are moving deeper into Syria, along with Syrian opposition fighters, setting up a “security zone” across the border.

Operation Euphrates Shield has been marked for Ankara by increasing acrimony with Washington and warming of relations with Moscow. The Turkish forces have attacked Kurdish fighters who are America’s key allies in the fight against Isis, while Russia, busy securing Aleppo for ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has given tacit approval for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s actions in northern Syria.

#Turquie #Syrie #Etats-Unis #Russie

’Aleppo must not fall’: US allies to flood city with anti-aircraft missiles
▻http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/aleppo-must-not-fall-us-preparing-flood-city-anti-air-missiles-154690

US reportedly reverses policy to allow shipments of man-portable systems to Syria, in response to intense bombardment of city

#Syrie

C’est bientôt le weekend, je me suis dis que tu avais envie d’une jolie théorie du complot (une qu’on a le droit) : Russia’s Brutal Bombing of Aleppo May Be Calculated, and It May Be Working
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/29/world/middleeast/russias-brutal-bombing-of-aleppo-may-be-calculated-and-it-may-be-working.ht

But many analysts take a different view: Russia and its Syrian government allies, they say, could be massacring Aleppo’s civilians as part of a calculated strategy, aimed beyond this one city.

The strategy, more about politics than advancing the battle lines, appears to be designed to pressure rebels to ally themselves with extremists, eroding the rebels’ legitimacy; give Russia veto power over any high-level diplomacy; and exhaust Syrian civilians who might otherwise support the opposition.

[…]

Genevieve Casagrande, an analyst with the Institute for the Study of War, said this was a victory for Russia, and likely its goal. Forcing Aleppo’s rebels to cooperate with jihadists would taint them, making it harder for the West to provide them arms or include them in any peace deal.

“Russia and the regime are driving the radicalization of the opposition on purpose,” Ms. Casagrande said. This will unify and strengthen the opposition in the short term, but in the long term will blur any distinction between jihadists and other rebels.

Tehran Sends Hundreds of Iraqi Fighters to Join Iran-backed Militia in Aleppo

Sources confirm around 400 mercenaries, most of them from Iraq, arrived at Aleppo’s #Al-Mulhib barracks during the past few days

http://syrianobserver.com/tjcgArtImages/images/IMG-KQI-98582.jpg

The Armenian Diaspora and its future | Agos
▻http://www.agos.com.tr/en/article/16574/the-armenian-diaspora-and-its-future

There is a growing pessimism towards the future of the Armenian Diaspora. “It has no future,” we often hear. “The Armenian can not survive away from his homeland,” is often repeated. “We will finally be assimilated” is the conclusion. The answer suggested is that the Diaspora “returns” to their homeland, to Armenia. Or else, they will be assimilated.

The large Armenian Diaspora is passing through radical transformation, and is facing unprecedented challenges. The demographic weight of the Diaspora is moving away from the traditional Middle East countries where Genocide survivors created new communities in the 1920s. Instability and lack of security in Egypt in the 1950s, Lebanon during the war 1975-1990, the Islamic revolution in Iran 1979, Iraq’s long wars under Saddam Hussein. The same is happening now in Syria where the Armenian districts of Aleppo and the Armenian town of Kessab turned into battlefields.

#arménie #diaspora

Assad takes revenge on the lifesavers of Aleppo | World | The Times & The Sunday Times
▻http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/assad-takes-revenge-on-the-lifesavers-of-aleppo-p388w3jbd

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/methode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Fa4783476-81a1-11e6-9862-c87336845bcf.jpg?crop=1999,1125,0,104

Rescue efforts by the White Helmets ground to a halt in Aleppo yesterday after Syria’s celebrated humanitarian volunteers were targeted in airstrikes marking the start of an all-out offensive for the city.

Three of their four rescue centres in the city were hit in the strikes, which came a day after the group was named as co-winner of an award known as the “alternative Nobel peace prize”.

The White Helmets, also known as Syria Civil Defence, were cited by the Right Livelihood Award Foundation for “outstanding bravery, compassion and humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians”.

The group, comprising about 3,000 unpaid…

The Natural Gas War Burning Under Syria
▻http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Natural-Gas-War-Burning-Under-Syria.html

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and their confederates are in it to win it, and the fighting in Syria has focused on the pipeline routes. Aleppo province, which would host the Qatari pipeline, is where Turkey wants to establish a buffer zone to support “moderate” rebel forces. If Turkey can control this territory, it will bolster the Qatari pipeline and ensure its own preeminence as the energy hub in southern Europe, where it would gather oil and natural gas from Russia, Central Asia, the Caspian, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East, and become less reliant on Russian gas, which accounted for over 50 percent of its imports in 2014. But Russia hasn’t been standing still: it has surrounded Turkey on three sides by occupying Crimea, sending more troops to Armenia, and deploying the S-400 air defense system to Syria, creating a no-fly zone, and maybe a “no-buy” zone for potential customers of Qatari gas.

#gaz #énergie #moyen-orient #Syrie

Warplanes mount new strikes on rebel-held Aleppo | Reuters
▻http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN11U05B

Warplanes mounted a new wave of heavy air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo on Saturday, rebel sources, a rescue worker and a war monitor reported, pressing a major offensive by the Russian-backed Syrian military to take back the whole city.

Russian Rockets Strike Terrorists’ Foreign Command in West of Aleppo – Al-Manar TV Lebanon
▻http://english.almanar.com.lb/35990

Russian warships launched three “Caliber” rockets onto the command post of the terrorists in western Aleppo where Turkish, Saudi, Israeli, UK and US officers deploy to lead the operations.

Well-informed sources told Sputnik that 30 foreign officers operate their to plan the militants’ hostilities in Aleppo and Idleb.

Nouvelle importante si c’est confirmé. L’existence de ces experts est connnue depuis longtemps. On a parlé un moment cet été de leur exfiltration d’Alep-Est. S’ils ont été ciblés délibéremment par les Russes, le message est assez violent...

[Map] Russian Marines take over strategic Aleppo highway

ALEPPO, SYRIA (6:55 P.M.) - The Russian Marines will officially replace the Syrian Arab Army’s “Tiger Forces” along the strategic Castillo Highway in northern Aleppo.

The Tiger Forces agreed to withdraw 1 km north of the Castillo Highway in order to allow humanitarian aid groups, including the Syrian Red Crescent Society, to have access to the roadway.

In addition to Russian checkpoints, the Syrian Red Crescent Society will also have two checkpoints along the Castillo Highway; these will be used to facilitate aid and help civilians trying to leave the besieged areas.

https://cdn.almasdarnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/castello-map-696x487.jpg

#cartographie #visualisation #Russie #Syrie #Alep #conflit #guerre

Al-Qaeda’s Ties to US-Backed Syrian Rebels
▻http://original.antiwar.com/porter/2016/09/13/al-qaedas-ties-us-backed-syrian-rebels

The domestic political context of US Syrian policy remains strongly hostile to any joint US operations with Russia that could affect U.S.-supported anti-Assad clients, even though it is now generally acknowledged that those forces are “marbled” with troops of Al Qaeda’s franchise, especially in Aleppo.

During the spring and summer, Reuters, The Washington Post and other media outlets reported a string of complaints from the Pentagon and the CIA about Obama’s plans to reach an agreement with Russia on Syria that would commit the United States to cooperate against Al Qaeda’s Syrian franchise. These complaints argued that the Russians could not be trusted and that they intended to target U.S.-supported groups in a proxy war.

The real reasons for these attacks on the negotiations with Russia, however, were more parochial. The Pentagon is determined to maintain the line that Russia is a dangerous threat and should be firmly opposed everywhere. The CIA’s clandestine service has long wanted a more aggressive program of military assistance for its Syrian clients, which would be a major CIA covert operation.

Thus, even though the new agreement calls for US“coordination” with Russia of air strikes against #Al_Qaeda forces, the Obama administration can be expected to raise objections whenever it sees that a proposed operation would come too close to targets associated with its clients. Otherwise, more leaks from opponents of the agreement in the Pentagon and CIA – or even in the State Department – would surely follow.

#Etats-Unis #Pentagone #Russie

One Syrian Photographer’s Last Letter to the World · Global Voices
▻https://globalvoices.org/2016/09/11/one-syrian-photographers-last-letter-to-the-world

https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/14203363_1592423697725898_8188566281393772295_n.jpg

“It is not possible to risk my two children’s lives at this deadly point, they are all I have in this world,” Shamel Al Ahmad was quoted by the ‘Humans of Aleppo‘ page as saying.

Shamel was a well-known Syrian photographer, journalist and activist who decided to stay in Aleppo and use his talent in the fight against both the Assad regime and ISIS.

The following is Shamel’s last letter to the world. It was shared on the Humans of Aleppo page as well as numerous social media accounts. Shamel passed away on September 2, 2016 along with his wife. He was killed by an airstrike, one of the many airstrikes launched by the Assad regime and the Russian government on Aleppo.

#syrie #photographie #droits_humains #activisme

Le candidat libertarien Gary Johnson: «C’est quoi Alep?»
►http://www.lapresse.ca/international/dossiers/maison-blanche-2016/201609/08/01-5018237-le-candidat-libertarien-gary-johnson-cest-quoi-alep.php

Et le #New_York_Times se goure en essayant de le lui expliquer,

Media and pundits don’t know what Aleppo is, but they try to explain it to Gary Johnson
▻http://www.salon.com/2016/09/08/media-and-pundits-dont-know-what-aleppo-is-but-they-try-to-explain-it-to-gary

http://media.salon.com/2016/09/nyt-aleppo-corrections.png

The man who shot me now works for the CIA
▻http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-man-who-shot-me-now-works-for-the-cia-zsfpfrp9p

In May 2014 I was kidnapped along with Jack Hill, a Times photographer, and two Syrian staff while driving between the Syrian town of Tal Rafat and the Turkish border after a week inside Aleppo. Though aware that the area around Tal Rafat was renowned for its kidnap threat, at first we had no idea that Hakim, whom we had known for two years and who had hosted us the evening before, was behind our abduction. But then, during a desperate and violent escape we found ourselves pursued by a gang of kidnappers led by the man whom only hours before we had assumed to be our friend: Hakim Anza.

Though our Syrian staff escaped, Jack and I were recaptured and beaten before I was shot twice in punishment. At the time he had boasted that he wanted us as kidnap bounty to fund the buying of anti-aircraft weapons.

His file is held by at least three separate intelligence agencies, including MIT, of Turkey, and MI6. His extremist links are well documented. Two of his brothers joined the al-Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front. One of them spoke on record about his loyalty to al-Qaeda to The Times. Meanwhile The New York Times ran a story about a war crime committed by Hakim Anza in 2012.

Hakim Anza’s activities were brought to the attention of John Kerry, the US secretary of state, who spoke publicly of his concern for our ordeal. “We are keeping up a very focused effort to try to secure their release,” he said.

Last month, however, video surfaced of Hakim Anza proving that he was not only free, but was also serving in a CIA-vetted Syrian rebel group, First Regiment (al-Fawj al-Awwal), which was receiving US weaponry, including Tow missiles, as well as air strikes in support of their operations. In between times he appears to be based in southern Turkey, where he takes orders from the Hawar Kilis Operations room.

Farsnews
▻http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950606000513

http://media.farsnews.com/media/Uploaded/Files/Images/1395/06/06/13950606000404_PhotoI.jpg

God May Protect Aleppo" read above the Syrian national flag on the T-shirt signed by Messi.

The social media activists forwarded images of the Argentinian star as signing the shirt by leaving comments like: “Messi signed the Syrian government flag”.

Many western and Arab media, including the Saudi-sponsored al-Arabiya website which supports the terrorists in Syria, also released Messi’s image, confirming that the person who is wearing the shirt is a pro-Assad football fan.

The Spanish newspaper “Sport” reported in 2013 that the Messi has donated 100,000 euro (130,000 dollars) to the children of Syria.

According to the Spanish newspaper, Messi earned 300,000 euro during a tour with his FC Barcelona in North America. He decided to donate a third of the sum to the children in Syria who are innocent victims of the ongoing war.

In March 2010 Messi was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, with the aim of supporting the rights of children.

#messi plein de bonne volonté mais pas encore très affuté en géopolitique.

Farsnews
▻http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950606000541

Il y avait pourtant déjà beaucoup de monde dans le ciel de la #syrie...

Media sources disclosed that a Chinese military delegation in a visit to Damascus explored avenues for the dispatch of a number of warplanes to Syria to intensify war on terrorism in the Middle-Eastern country.

“In a surprising visit, a Chinese military delegation conferred with Syrian Defense Minister Fahad Jassim al-Freij over engagement of Chinese fighter jets in bombardments of terrorist groups’ positions in Syria, mainly in Aleppo,” Debka file quoted a military analyst as saying.

“Chinese jets may launch bombing of positions of Jeish al-Islami al-Turkistani with over 3,000 Uighur fighter,” the analyst quoted senior spy officers of the US intelligence as saying.

ISIS Sanctuary Map : August 19, 2016

Since the publication of ISW’s last sanctuary map on July 1, 2016, ISIS militants lost control of the city of Manbij and the town of Al-Rai in Northern Aleppo Province in a series of victories for the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces recaptured Manbij from ISIS militants on August 15 after over two months of heavy clashes. The protracted fight for the city demonstrates that ISIS retains that capability to mount a stiff defense of urban terrain that it considers to be of strategic importance, suggesting that coalition forces will face similar tough fights for the strongholds of Ar-Raqqa City in Syria and Mosul in Iraq. ISIS also lost the town of Al-Rai on the Syrian-Turkish border to opposition forces backed by Turkey and the U.S. on August 17, severing a key cross-border smuggling route for fighters and supplies. The loss of border access through Manbij and Al-Rai will disrupt the ability of ISIS to reinforce its core terrain or dispatch cells to conduct external attacks. ISIS may respond to these losses by seeking to secure cross-border access in other regions, including Lebanon and Western Syria. For example, ISIS conducted an SVEST targeting opposition forces at the Atmeh Border Crossing in Idlib Province on the Syrian-Turkish Border on August 14. ISIS could also take advantage of ongoing infighting between pro-regime forces and the Syrian Kurdish YPG to mount local counterattacks against the Syrian Democratic Forces in Northern Syria.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CqQUKv8WYAQf4ny.jpg

#ISIS #EI #Etat_islamique #cartographie #visualisation
cc @reka
via @ville_en

The Boy in the Ambulance Offers Glimpse of ’Profound Horrors’ in Syria
▻http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/the-boy-in-the-ambulance-offers-glimpse-of-profound-horrors-in-syria

Laying bare the horrors of Syria’s ongoing civil war, heartbreaking footage of a young boy rescued from the rubble following an airstrike in Aleppo has gone viral. 

Much as last year’s photos of...

The fog of war thickens in Syria – Indian Punchline
By M K Bhadrakumar – August 9, 2016
▻http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2016/08/09/the-fog-of-war-thickens-in-syria

The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdogan later today at St. Petersburg will be keenly watched in world capitals. One point of immediate concern will be as regards the situation in Syria. Over the weekend, Erdogan acknowledged the importance of Turkey harmonising with Russia.
The diplomatic channels have been active, too. The Turkish side expressed the desire to “synchronize the watches” ahead of the summit in St. Petersburg and Deputy Foreign Minister Umit Yalicn travelled to Moscow to meet with Russian president’s envoy for the Middle East and African countries Mikhail Bogdanov on Monday.(...)

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
Who stands to gain as Aleppo battle rages?
By M.K. Bhadrakumar on August 8, 2016
▻http://atimes.com/2016/08/fighting-escalates-in-aleppo-who-stands-to-gain

Outside help behind rebel advances in Aleppo
▻https://www.ft.com/content/da076830-5d77-11e6-a72a-bd4bf1198c63

Apparemment le rapprochement turco-russe est une fiction,

... the offensive against President Bashar al-Assad’s troops may have had more foreign help than it appears: activists and rebels say opposition forces were replenished with new weapons, cash and other supplies before and during the fighting.

“At the border yesterday we counted tens of trucks bringing in weapons,” said one Syrian activist, who crosses between Syria and neighbouring Turkey. “It’s been happening daily, for weeks … weapons, artillery — we’re not just talking about some bullets or guns.”

Two other rebels, who, like all those interviewed, asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject, described cash and supplies being ferried in for weeks. They and others believe the money and supplies came from regional backers, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and were sent in trucks across Turkey’s border with Syria.

This was in spite of the fact that the rebel offensive — dubbed “the great Aleppo battle” — has been led and organised by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, a jihadi group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra.

Some rebels claim that US officials supporting moderate rebel forces intentionally turned a blind eye to Fatah al-Sham’s participation in the offensive to ensure the opposition maintains a foothold in Aleppo.

“The Americans, of course, knew what was going on. They ignored it to put some pressure back on Russia and Iran,” said a western diplomat in contact with the opposition.

#Syrie #al-Qaïda #Etats-Unis

Aujourd’hui, ceux que nos médias ont repris l’habitude de nommer « les rebelles » (sans plus de précisions) ont annoncé le lancement de la nouvelle phase de la bataille d’Alep, et l’ont baptisé : « Bataille Ibrahim al-Youssef » (غزوة ابراهيم اليوسف).

Ce charmant Ibrahim al-Youssef est celui qui a en 1979, avec les Frères musulmans, séparé les cadets alaouites des sunnites de l’école d’artillerie d’Alep avant d’en massacrer entre 50 et 80 :
▻https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo_Artillery_School_massacre

The massacre occurred on June 16, 1979, in the Ramouseh district of the city of Aleppo, Syria. An officer on duty, Ibrahim el-Youssef, and members of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood calling themselves the Fighting Vanguard (Attali’a el-Moukatillah) and led by ‘Adnan ‘Uqla, massacred between 50 and 83 Alawi cadets in the Aleppo Artillery School. The duty officer in charge of the school called Alawite cadets to an urgent morning meeting in the mess hall of the school; when they arrived, he and his accomplices opened fire on the unarmed cadets with automatic weapons and grenades.

C’est d’ailleurs très clairement expliqué par nos amis les rebelles ici :
▻https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqEw_6_Dzpo

#Infographic Syrian Opposition factions in the Battle to Break the Siege of #Aleppo

▻https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Co8VWMPWcAAYM2n.jpg:large

#infographie #Syrie

Syria conflict: Rebels ’filmed beheading boy’ in Aleppo
▻http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36835678?SThisFB

One video shows five men posing with the frightened child, who could be as young as 10, in the back of a truck. One of the men grips him by the hair.

The same man is later filmed apparently cutting the boy’s head off.

The incident is reported to have taken place in Handarat, north of Aleppo, where there has been heavy fighting.

[…]

A report published by the human rights group Amnesty International earlier this month detailed a series of violations allegedly committed by Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement fighters, including abductions and torture.

The group is reported to have benefited from financial and military support from the US, UK, France, Turkey, Qatar and other Gulf Arab states in the past.

Les habitants d’Alep assiégée craignent la famine - L’Orient-Le Jour
▻http://www.lorientlejour.com/article/997057/les-habitants-dalep-assiegee-craignent-la-famine.html

Comme dans Le Monde, les communicants bossent leurs titres ! J’aime assez ce « Alep assiégée » qui, sous cette forme, laisse entendre à la majorité des lecteurs pressés que c’est la ville d’Alep qui est assiégée et non pas une partie de la ville...

L’article (OLJ/AFP) parle de 200 000 habitants dans les quartiers assiégés, d’autres sources évoquent un chiffre très (trop ?) inférieur (60 000).

#syrie