Following reports of a dramatic escalation of Russian airstrikes against northwestern Syria, the Syrian military is launching a “major offensive” against the rebels in the area north of Hama, in the area spanning the Hama and Idlib Provinces.
Russian airstrikes included cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea, a first for the Russian military involvement in Syria. From the first strikes Russia launched last week, there is particular interest in striking the area around Hama Province, so it’s unsurprising this first coordinated offensive is there.
Rebel control over parts of Hama Province, and the city itself, have been a problem for the Syrian military for awhile, particularly as al-Qaeda has expanded control in the Idlib Province and have tried to expand deeper into Hama, Aleppo, and Latakia Provinces from there.
Russia’s naval base in Syria is just south of Latakia, so it’s unsurprising to see they are keen to shore up defense of the area, and the Syrian military doubtless believes it has a better chance retaking al-Qaeda-run Idlib and the surrounding area, particularly with Russian help, in the near term than they do in retaking the vast territory held by ISIS.
Russia is doing its part of the bargain with a legitimate government, on the contrary, us and some European regimes doing and done what they have done to Middle East where the Syrian-Iraqi people never been beneficial. English government so as German-French are bound by their economic relations with Qatari and Saudis, their arm sales is part of that, the export of French and German goods to these regimes is another, for that reason they support the most barbaric, an Stone Age regimes in the world where as result they don't care how many Syrians or Iraqis or any other nationals are killed, torturod or a country ruined, their intentions when they started the Iraq war and when the Bush Sr announced the New Workd Order was for these countries to be demolished, the announcement had another meaning which still is the Neo Fascism and its uprising, militarism and its uprising, since then, USG been leading the way.
Assad inherited the presidency from his father, who seized power in a coup. Unlike the president of Ukraine, who was democratically elected. But of course! How silly of me! Proroshenko isn't "legitimate". Why? Because he isn't approved by Vladimir Putin! And Assad? Well, he's approved by Putin, so he's legitimate. And the invasion of Ukraine is, of course, a just war. Why? Because it's being waged by Vladimir Putin. Ditto for little Vlad's intervention in Syria. The US intervention on the other hand cannot be a just war. Why? Because it's not being waged by Vladimir Putin. Both authors and bloggers are producing propaganda which is too flat-footed and laid on too thick. That makes it obvious and propaganda which is obvious is ineffective. It is however amusing to read and gives a clue as to what's worrying the propagandist.
Famous last words! Every guerilla war that ever was is always just about to be ended by the next military offensive. And the next. And the next. Putin is well and truly bogging himself down. The fact of having to launch missiles from the Caspian highlights the military useless of Putin's Syrian naval base. The idea of a riverine, "brown water" navy having to come to the rescue of the serfaring "blue water" navy is highly amusing.
It seems logical that the initial Russian attacks will try to deal with vulnerabilities in the rear before a major land offensive is embarked on in the East against Raqqa. Assad would not want to commit a large chunk of its army while having a significant threat of counteroffensive by "the other enemies of his regime".