The US has informed the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) that they do not intend to intervene militarily in southwestern Syria. The Syrian government has been expected to launch an offensive against rebels in the area soon.
Though the rebel groups are fairly small in this area, they’ve long been backed by the US. US Ambassador Nikki Haley is still railing against the planned offensive, and saying everything that happens will be Russia’s fault.
But they’re also telling the FSA that their plans and decisions should not be based on any expectation of a US military intervention on their behalf. Syrian officials haven’t said when a ground offensive will begin, but have launched airstrikes, backed by Russian warplanes.
The rebels around Daraa aren’t waiting for the fight, however. On Saturday, al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front launched an attack against the Syrian 9th Tank Battalion in the south. Five soldiers were killed and 19 wounded.
Expecting a massive fight and heavier airstrikes, thousands of civilians are already on the move, fleeing the areas that look to be the early parts of such a push. Some are going deeper into the rebel territory, but many are just fleeing to the Jordanian border, hoping to wait the fighting out in relative safety.
Nikki Haley is a joke. I can’t believe she hasn’t been shown the door.
In case you have not noticed, these are the types that suceed today. There is hardly a corporation left, a financial administration, a school system ir a local government where people with her skills are not in highest positions. Towing the line — whatever it is, matters. Results do not. History of failure — no problem. Just more of the same. No acvountability in giobal elite world. They are always entitled to have correct opinion, no matter the reality. Her position just happens to be so visible.
I agree. Nikki Haley is proof that the Peter Principle is in practice everywhere.
Wow, the Peter Principle. Long time ago. I do not like her or support her ideas. Is she a neocon?
Absolutely, she is a Neocon. Her speech writer is Jonah Goldberg’s wife. She’s been through the Neocon Think Tank brainwashing mills.
As if Samantha Power had clue.
The US statement only matters if Israel doesn’t intervene also. As there is no daylight between them, that is stated policy.
I recall Israel hit Syria the day Trump quit the Iran deal, saying they were actually bombing Iran IN Syria.
Dear neocons, I cheer against al Qaeda.
Free Syrian Army? It is FSA and Syrian Army against whichever version of US backed Nusra-AlQaeda is still hugging the border. The Western stooges may still have some White Helmets movie production units to stage a provocation. But to what end? US just want to hug borders, be that with Iraq or Jordsan, snd thtough Kurds, with Turkey. When Iraw openly helped Syria defeat ISIS pocket on the border, US or Israel bombed them under excuse that there were Iranians present! I do not care if Martians are present, for as long as ISIS and their other cultish brethren are wiped out from every nook of Syrian and Iraqi territory. Too many eoe have died for this folly, for US and Britain to play games, shield militants, feed them and arm them. Time to let Syria, Iraq and Turkey clean the mess up. Just get out of the way. And Nikki Haley needs to be sent to one of those paces she is defending, to taste first hand the joys of living in her freedom fighting head choppers. When will we see the end of ridicule ee are exposed to by backing the leftover terrorists to dear end?
The fix is in. Trump and Putin – and others – have agreed that there will be no more funding of the FSA and associated jihadists.
Niki can babble on and her vitriol provides good cover for Trump as he backs out of more involvement in the area. She makes the administration look tough as it moves to a settlement. Think of her hysterical words as the equivalent of Trump’s “Rocket Man” and “Fire and Fury” remarks even as he and Pompeo were working out the first moves toward Detente on the Korean Peninsula with Kim. After that they could never accuse Trump of “appeasement.” In fact they were relieved because he and Kim scared the bejesus out of them and they feared a nuclear exchange or a major war in Korea – again. (We failed to win the first one, remember.). So the Singapore Summit was hated but also came as a relief.
Trump is very good at crying war while arranging peace. This throws the neocons and DemoPartyCons and all the other cons into high confusion.
Right now Trump is demonizing Iran – expect a settlement there also if he can neutralize the Israeli Lobby. Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem was step one in that venture one might suspect.
Someone who gets it.
I think maybe so. Trump seems to sometimes hear the anti-war people more than any president I remember.
WHY, isn’t Antiwar.com covering the the economic protest in Iran
where the people have shut down the Grand Bazzar?
Is it because the protesters are shouting “Death to Palestine”?
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iranian-protestors-swarm-streets-chanting-death-palestine/
Not a word of coverage here, so strange.