Syrien: Ein verdeckter Stellvertreter-Guerillakrieg der USA/UK/AL
Putin to Assad: Do svidaniya
In a surprise move that he said he hoped would bolster Syria peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he would start to withdraw most Russian military forces from Syria starting March 15. The decision to partly withdraw from Syria, which Putin said he discussed during a phone call with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad March 14, is likely to put pressure on the Assad regime to negotiate more seriously at UN-hosted peace talks with the opposition, which resumed in Geneva on March 14. The decision follows remarks from Syrias foreign minister over the weekend that any talk of Assads future was a red line at the Geneva talks. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/03/assad-putin-syria-geneva-talks-withdraw-troops.html#
Syrian moderate rebel 'spymaster' slams CIA for 'ignoring' detailed intel on Isil since 2013
The "spymaster" of a key moderate Syrian rebel group has accused the CIA of failing to act on reams of detailed intelligence his network has been supplying the US on Isil since 2013 - including GPS coordinates of its leaders and headquarters.
The Free Syrian Armys spy chief insisted proper use of the intelligence his agents provided from within Isils ranks, and often at grave risk to their life, could have critically damaged the jihadist group on several occasions.
Speaking to Le Monde in Turkey, M, as the French newspaper dubbed the man for security reasons, said: From the moment Daesh (the Arab acronym for Isil) had 20 members to when it had 20,000, we have shown everything to the Americans. When we asked them what they did with this information, they always gave evasive answers, saying it was up to their decision-makers. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/12195131/Syrian-moderate-rebel-spymaster-slams-CIA-for-ignoring-detailed-intel-on-Isil-since-2013.html
Russia breaks official silence to honor soldier killed in Syria
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday honored a Russian soldier killed in Russia's military operation in Syria, breaking four months of official silence about his death.
By paying tribute to 27-year-old Fyodor Zhuravlyov, Putin tacitly raised the death toll for Russian servicemen in the five-month Syria operation to five. Russian officials previously only acknowledged four deaths.
Putin this week ordered the withdrawal of the bulk of Russia's forces from Syria, saying they had successfully fulfilled most of their objectives. Air force pilots were welcomed back at bases in Russia to brass bands and congratulatory speeches.
The Kremlin has been able to present the mission in Syria as a success in part because Russian military casualties were low. But questions linger about whether the casualty numbers are accurate, and about other costs of the campaign.
At a ceremony in the Kremlin to award medals to servicemen returning from Syria, Putin paid tribute to those who died, and mentioned the names of their widows, who had been invited to the ceremony. http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-death-idUKKCN0WJ200
Jordan's king accuses Turkey of sending terrorists to Europe
King Abdullah of Jordan accused Turkey of exporting terrorists to Europe at a top level meeting with senior US politicians in January, the MEE can reveal.
The king said Europes biggest refugee crisis was not an accident, and neither was the presence of terrorists among them: The fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy and Turkey keeps on getting a slap on the hand, but they are let off the hook.
Asked by one of the congressmen present whether the Islamic State group was exporting oil to Turkey, Abdullah replied: Absolutely.
Abdullah made his remarks during a wide-ranging debriefing to Congress on 11 January, the day a meeting with the US president, Barack Obama, was cancelled.
The White House was forced to deny that Obama snubbed one of Americas closest allies in the Middle East, attributing the cancellation to "scheduling conflicts", although Obama and Abdullah met briefly at St Andrews Airforce base a day later.
Present at the meeting in Congress were the chairmen and members of the Senate Intelligence, Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, including Senators John McCain and Bob Corker, and Senators Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid, the Senate Majority and Minority leaders respectively.
According to a detailed account of the meeting seen by MEE, the king went on to explain what he thought was the motivation of Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Abdullah said that Erdogan believed in a radical Islamic solution to the region". http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/jordans-king-accuses-turkey-sending-terrorists-europe-1687591648
Russia, Israel navigate narrow straits in potentially turbulent waters
A lot of speculation has arisen over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus meeting in Moscow April 21 with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The last time the two leaders met was Nov. 30. Since then, both have accumulated enough issues to discuss in person, while recent regional developments added the flavor of urgency to the talks. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/04/russia-israel-putin-netanyahu-visit-intrigue.html#
Israel sees increased risks in Syria as Iranian influence grows
Israel's concerns have increased over Syria's civil war because of the growing influence wielded by Iran and its proxies in their northerly neighbour, according to a several former diplomats who spoke to Middle East Eye.
Throughout the five bloody years of Syrias civil war, in which more than 250,000 people have been killed, Israel has claimed to have had no clear strategy other than to remain neutral.
However, with regional foe Iran playing a crucial role in protecting their ally President Bashar al-Assad, Israel has become increasingly concerned about what lies beyond its northern border, which has prompted a more considered approach to the conflict, according to a senior former diplomat.
The Israeli security establishment believes that the main threat Israel is facing in Syria is in fact Iran and its local proxies like Hezbollah," said Tzvi Magen, a former diplomat and now a senior researcher at Israels Institute for National Security.
Israel is mostly concerned with the growing strength of the Iranian axis." http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/analysis-why-israel-may-be-dragged-syria-s-civil-war-1336390078
Turkey faces multiple dilemmas in Syria
Turkeys inability to produce a realistic strategy toward Syria and to coordinate its policy with its allies is coming home to roost, leaving it facing multiple dilemmas that are unlikely to be resolved soon. Ankaras war with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its related effort to prevent Kurds from gaining ground in northern Syria remains Turkeys main problems. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/05/turkey-syria-kurds-face-multiple-dilemmas.html
Israeli Deputy Minister Admits He Visited Syria
Deputy Minister Ayoub Kara, a member of the Likud faction, admitted on Saturday he visited in Syria since the beginning of the civil war there.
Kara, the deputy regional cooperation minister, was asked about his experience in Syria at a cultural event in Be'er Sheva. He said that the situation is "very hard, a very serious situation, you can't even imagine It's a whole other world. When you crossover from Israel to Lebanon or Syria, you see the difference." http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.721938
Can US, Turkey keep up appearances in Syria?
A terrorist group linked to the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in Tartus and Jableh in Syria on May 23 that killed more than 150 civilians and wounded more than 200 others. Maxim Suchkov points out that the attack in Tartus occurred deep inside government-controlled territory. Russia maintains a naval base in Tartus and an air base and reconnaissance center in Khmeimim in the Latakia region. The suicide attacks, Suchkov suggests, could be a catalyst for a Russian first strike strategy against terrorist and aligned Salafi groups http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/05/turkey-syria-isis-sur-russia-kurds-terror-pkk-ypg.html#
Why Iran still doesnt trust Russia on Syria
Iran hosted the defense ministers of Russia and Syria at its own Defense Ministry. The stated aim was to exchange views and discuss the war on terror. This time, unlike previous such gatherings, it was Iran and not Russia that formed the political axis of the discussions. During the talks in Tehran, the three defense ministers confirmed their respective governments determination to continue military operations until terrorism is rooted out, especially in Syria. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/06/iran-russia-syria-defense-ministers-tehran-meeting.html
Syrian cease-fire reflects US, Russian interests
Its a long shot and certainly not altruistic, but the effort by Russia and the United States to develop a viable plan for Syria might just work in everyones favor. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/09/us-russia-agreement-syria-political-will.html
The De Facto US/Al Qaeda Alliance
Buried deep inside Saturdays New York Times was a grudging acknowledgement that the US-armed moderate rebels in Syria are using their US firepower to back an Al Qaeda offensive, reports Robert Parry.
A curious aspect of the Syrian conflict a rebellion sponsored largely by the United States and its Gulf state allies is the disappearance in much of the American mainstream news media of references to the prominent role played by Al Qaeda in seeking to overthrow the secular Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.
Theres much said in the U.S. press about ISIS, the former Al Qaeda in Iraq which splintered off several years ago, but Al Qaedas central role in commanding Syrias moderate rebels in Aleppo and elsewhere is the almost unspoken reality of the Syrian war.Even in the U.S. presidential debates, the arguing between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton has been almost exclusively about ISIS, not Al Qaeda. Though Al Qaeda got the ball rolling on Americas revenge wars in the Middle East 15 years ago by killing several thousand Americans and others in the 9/11 attacks, the terrorist group has faded into the background of U.S. attention, most likely because it messes up the preferred good guy/bad guy narrative regarding the Syrian war. http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=79572
Turkish-backed gangs release joint declaration on Aleppo attack http://anfenglish.com/news/turkish-backed-gangs-release-joint-declaration-on-aleppo-attack
How Russia views Turkeys role in Syria
As experts on Russia and Turkey are wondering just how receptive US President-elect Donald Trump will be to their agendas in the Middle East, Moscow and Ankara have been involved in a series of talks over Syria. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/11/russia-view-turkey-role-syria.html
Battle of Aleppo: Tens of civilians killed in Syrian air strikes, say reports
The WHO has declared all hospitals in eastern Aleppo out of service after days of heavy air strikes http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/breaking-syrian-bombardment-kills-27-civilians-aleppo-monitor-902102039