Per Syrian state media, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani condemned a Friday Islamic State attack on a Syrian military bus (other sources claim the target consisted of two trucks), which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 government soldiers. Kanaani claimed that recent escalations in IS violence are “the result of the continuation of intelligence, security and logistical support for the terrorists that are provided by some countries with the purpose of undermining stability, calm and security in Syria.”
Claims vary as to the total casualty count. The Associated Press cites the (UK-based) Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as putting the death toll at 33, with the Islamic State claiming 40 killed and 10 wounded. The attack took place in Deir el-Zour province.
The Islamic State’s avowed caliphate lost control of its last formally claimed territory to a US-backed Kurdish offensive in 2019, but its “sleeper cells” continue to conduct attacks on both civilian and Syrian military targets including, earlier this year, massacres of truffle hunters in the Palmyra area.
The group also announced a change in leadership last week, and new “caliph” Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi may be attempting to make his mark with an increased tempo of operations.
The fourth “caliph,” Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi, supposedly died in April when, according to Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he blew himself up during a Turkish raid on his safe house. The Islamic state announced his death in early August, but said he died in combat with a Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate.
“Kanaani claimed that recent escalations in IS violence are ‘the result
of the continuation of intelligence, security and logistical support for
the terrorists that are provided by some countries with the purpose of
undermining stability, calm and security in Syria.’
He’s not pointing a finger at the US of A, is he? I would be insulted if it weren’t probably true.
This IS US diplomacy taking place after Saudia Arabia threw away its ankle bracelet, met China in an alley and started making regional moves, like allowing Syria back into the GCC. Its amazing how delusional Washington dives head first into all these conflicts like its 1991, as if there are no unintended consequences. Fuckers just don’t learn. All this to misdirect the population from the very current hot war in Ukraine to new fronts for public consumption before elections. The blowback is going to be majestic. Just you wait.
Whenever things don’t make sense, I blame our own government and media. Decades ago, my neighbors and I fought a big polluter, a real polluter burning hazardous and nuclear material–not BS CO2 plant food. All the “Environmental Protection” agencies and media organized with the polluter against US, THE CITIZENS! They got wrong and muddied up every fact TO DISCREDIT US! The polluter was happy to pay small fines as “cost of doing business.” When things are hard to understand, I blame our government and our media. I know… I’m not only dumb but also paranoid. (Sarcasm alert)
You most certainly aren’t dumb and we have a plutocratic authoritarian government. Look what they did to Donziger for winning a big settlement against Chevron for pollution.
They arranged to have a private law firm criminally prosecute him when the actual southern district of NY wouldn’t.
We have a managed democracy where corporations have captured the government.
BIG BUISINESS is always at the table. Like all other wars, “the war on the clim8” is designed to “LAUNDER MONEY.” Our mutual friend Assange didn’t only expose the corruption of the MIC, he also exposed the corruption of ACADEMIA: https://wikileaks.org/wiki/CRU_emails_reveal_a_worrying_pattern_of_bad_behaviour
In the link, Assange opened my eyes as to why they changed the label from “&lobal W@rming” to “Clim8 Chan&e.” He exposed the scam that all the ice melted in 2008 and it’s the driest, wettest, coldest, and hottest year ever recorded. This doesn’t make me popular here, but I hope we remain friends.
There is no argument that the climate has changed and that it is hotter with more catastrophic extreme weather events. Whether there is anything we can do about it is another story. And there is no will to stop the MIC, whose carbon footprint is larger than some nations, so I don’t see it as something leaders are taking seriously anyway.
When it’s a political hot potato then it’s just like anything else. One side says one thing and the other side says the polar opposite regardless of facts. I have a problem with those that dismiss it as much as I do with people that insist on it. Something is happening. There is no such thing as normal anymore. But since it can be used by BOTH political parties, we get nothing but bickering.
That is propaganda. The reality is that Syria, with Iran’s Qasem Soleimani, Hezbollah and Russia, had finally broken the US/Israel-supported Islamists in Deir ez-Zor and were advancing eastward toward the region and city. ISIS then hurried to hand over the area to their fellow Sunnis, the Kurds, moving in from the north. Only a few Islamists fought, without support, and then they simply folded. So the Kurds would take the oil before the Syrian army had time to arrive.
And how did ISIS get the oil in the first place? The U.S. bombed the city severely and ISIS moved in right after, clearly having been told the bomb raid would come so they could be ready.
Turkey and Israel are to blame, along with their twisted conspirational overlord the USA.
Who is behind this? The link provides nothing.
Are we to assume because there is a mention of “sleeper cells” (now that is a loaded descriptor;-) they are responsible and thereby the US?