Though Syrian officials had previously expressed opposition to US airstrikes on their territory, Reconciliation Minister Ali Hayder today said the government believes the strikes are going in “the right direction.”
Though there wasn’t official “coordination,” Syrian officials reported that they were given advanced notification of the US attacks, and the attacks didn’t hit any Syrian military targets, only ISIS and al-Qaeda factions.
All in all, the strikes have worked out pretty well for the Assad government, allowing them to focus their own military strikes on targets closer to Damascus while the US points rebels in the north.
Not that they’re letting the US strikes in the north go to waste. The US may not have allies on the ground to follow up on their airstrikes, but the Syrian military has reportedly hit targets in Aleppo themselves in follow-up strikes on the US attacks.
The US has tried to present the war as part of a move to eventually force regime change in Syria, creating a new, pro-US rebel force that will eventually take on Assad. Yet in the meantime, the strikes seem to be benefiting no one so much as the Assad forces themselves.
This is all nonsense, GlobalResearch hits the nail smack on the head:
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The statement of support contained in the communiqué, commits the “leading Arab states to working with the U.S. to cut off the flow of foreign fighters and funds to the Islamic State.” It also confirms that members discussed “a strategy to destroy the ISIL wherever it is, including in both Iraq and Syria.”
Saudi Arabia has come to understand the Islamic State group is a serious threat to their country as well– that it isn’t a mainstream Sunni movement.One element of Obama’s IS plan seeks to undermine the ideological and religious claims that the Islamic State militants make to Islam. The administration hopes Riyadh will use its influence among Islamic religious leaders. (Voice of America, September 11, 2014)
Recruiting “Moderate Terrorists”
As part of the agreement, the House of Saud is to “host a training facility for thousands of Syrian rebel fighters who are combating both the Islamic State and President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.” An absurd and fake proposition. Until September 9th, “officially” Saudi Arabia had been supporting the Islamic State against the government of Bashar al Assad and now it has been entrusted in recruiting jihadists to fight the Islamic State. An absurd and fake proposition. But the media has failed to connect the dots and uncover the big lie.
Oh they realized that as soon as the caliphate was announced. cos they sent 30000 troops up to the border. Up til then the FSA groups had been wonderful for clearing the kingdom of the crazies. but the ancient old members of the monarchy have woken up to the fact that Isis, wahabbi'ist to its core could easily be a spearhead to replace them. Lord knows there is enough people funding the wahabbi's now. And maybe this what blundering DC will achieve with its bombing.
The US has to realize that Assad is a rational (though of course a dictator) and secular leader in the Middle East with whom one can talk and make arrangements.
If (what many people believe) ISIS is not anyway a MOSSAD and CIA-creation (which maybe got out of control) then Israel and the US should be happy with a man who is very tolerant towards Syrias christian and other minorities. With him Israel could find a peace agreement.
But if the radicals will win then the US and Israel will face in the future an enemy which after all will not talk but will one day take on Israel itself.
Hamas and Hisbollah will be compared to that a kindergarten.
If the US really wants a stable and peaceful Middle East (what I personally doubt, I suppose Obama is nothing more than a puppet of strong lobbys in the US) it should look for "partners" which are secular and tolerant.
I was in Syrian in 2000 (besides a very beautiful country with numerous historical sites (at least it was until 2011) and found friendly people to whom religious fanatism was unknown. But since the Iraq-invasion the whole Middle East is a mess, thanks to the US-policy there.
So after years of demonizing Assad they are working with him now? is everything on the table but regular army units? Money and sense down the drain.
Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia!
Tail wagging the head — Watch out
President Assad was put into power by the rich ruling class, the 25% most wealth, which means that during a time of war he has pretty much the full support of the voting majority. So, to overthrow his government would cause unending terror and oppression until a proper pecking order is reestablished.
For excellence in management is achieved when no one is allowed to rule over those more competent and everyone is allowed to rise to their highest level of competence.