Most of the Syrian military’s shelling and airstrikes against Eastern Ghouta hasn’t amounted to much in the way of military targets, simply resulting in a large number of civilian casualties. Today, however, they succeeded in killing a top Islamist rebel leader.
Zahran Alloush, the head of Jaish al-Islam, was slain in one of the attacks, with a rebel from the rival Ahrar al-Sham movement calling it a “turning point in the history of the revolution.” Jaish al-Islam has reportedly named Abu Hammam al-Buwaidani as his successor.
Jaish al-Islam has limited territory of its own outside of Eastern Ghouta, which is itself surrounded by the Syrian military and regularly attacked. Still, the group has held that territory for so long it’s become a key Islamist faction.
Alloush was the son of a top Salafist cleric based in Saudi Arabia, and founded Liwa al-Islam and Jaish al-Islam, two significant rebel factions early in the Syrian Civil War. He had sought to paint himself as a comparative moderate.
That claimed moderacy was undercut, however, by his group regularly holding Shi’ite residents of his territory in cages and using them as human shields, shipping them around to potential targets of Syrian airstrikes.
Okay, Jason, what gives with this contradiction:
"Most of the Syrian military’s shelling and airstrikes against Eastern Ghouta hasn’t amounted to much in the way of military targets, simply resulting in a large number of civilian casualties."
[. . .]
"That claimed moderacy was undercut, however, by his group regularly holding Shi’ite residents of his territory in cages and using them as human shields, shipping them around to potential targets of Syrian airstrikes."
It seems that what you are really trying to say is that the moderate opposition, so called, during its mortar attacks on Damascus uses Shi'ites as human shields, who then get killed when the Syrian air force shoots back.
Let's not allow McCain to enjoy the fantasy of seeing the Syrian government blamed for Shi'ites killed by the actions of the moderates, so called.
The most interesting point is the reference in the Reuters report to a new leader being chosen. That's why insurgencies are unbeatable: you kill one, another steps into his place.
"Most of the Syrian military’s shelling and airstrikes against Eastern Ghouta hasn’t amounted to much in the way of military targets, simply resulting in a large number of civilian casualties."
according to….ummmm…..that dude running an observatory in london?
General Wesley Clark: Wars Were Planned – Seven Countries In Five Years
"This is a memo that describes how we're going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran." I said, "Is it classified?" He said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Well, don't show it to me." And I saw him a year or so ago, and I said, "You remember that?" He said, "Sir, I didn't show you that memo! I didn't show it to you!"
https://youtu.be/9RC1Mepk_Sw
General Wesley Clark Asked About 7 Country War Plan
https://youtu.be/_pGkFMho6Co
05/14/2015 Former 'NATO' Commander, Presidential Candidate Makes Millions Pushing Penny Stocks
Plato-quoting, West Point valedictorian, Rhodes scholar, former NATO Supreme allied commander, and one-time Presidential hopeful Gen. Wesley Clark had a carefully laid, three-point plan for life after public service.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-14/former-n…
It was only a matter of time before the deaths of Iranian Gen Hassan Shateri and Hezbollah Samir Qantar
were going to be avenged.