A new, uneasy alliance takes shape to fight Daesh in Syria

[webfact]

A new, uneasy alliance takes shape to fight Daesh in Syria
Produced by Beatriz Beiras



PARIS: -- France is intensifying its air raids against Daesh targets in their headquarters of Raqqa in Syria. Since October Paris has been taking part as a coalition member taking the fight to the Islamic extremists, but until last Friday had only struck five times. In Iraq French pilots have been flying sorties for a whole year. The Friday 13th attacks have changed everything.

The French National Assembly gathered in Versailles for a rare joint session on Monday where President Francois Hollande told them the country was now at war, and a new coalition was needed to destroy Daesh.

“We need a regrouping of all those who can really fight against this terrorist army in one big, single coalition. It is with this in mind that I will be meeting Presidents Obama and Putin in the days to come with a proposition to unite our forces,” said Hollande.

Four days after the Paris attacks, and following a telephone call with Hollande, Vladimir Putin gave orders to his military staff to co-ordinate efforts with the French. When the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle arrives in the eastern Mediterranean at the start of December France will have 36 planes available in-theatre.

“Very soon a French navy group headed by an aircraft carrier will arrive in your zone of operation. You need to establish direct contact with the French and work with them as allies,” ordered Putin.

Since September the Russians have been waging their own air war in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad. Critics claimed most of their airstrikes were against rebel, not Daesh forces.

Now that Daesh’s bombing of a Russian airbus full of tourists in Egypt on October 31 has been confirmed, Moscow is gunning even more for the Islamic extremists.

“We should not apply any time limits, we should know them all by name. We will search for them everywhere – wherever they are hiding. We will find them in any spot on the planet and punish them,” said Putin in a speech reminiscent of the one he gave when he was Boris Yeltsin’s prime minister in 1998, and charged with hunting down Chechen terrorists.

Turkey has also been more active against Daesh since July, when its planes started carrying out airstrikes in Syria, and the coalition was allowed to use Turkish air bases.

America is leading that coalition. On Wednesday the Turks and Americans said they would be stepping up their efforts another notch.

Their priority is to expel Daesh from the 100 or so kilometres of Syria’s border with Turkey that it controls, between Azaz et Jarablus. That would cut supply lines, and export routes for Syria’s oil, which Daesh now all-but-controls, and which it sells to finance its operations.

“My firm conviction is that we need to act against ISIL in Syria,” said British Prime
Minister David Cameron on Tuesday. He is to ask parliament to approve a plan against Daesh, and to strike at it in Syria from the air. The RAF already takes part in air operations in Iraq.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-11-19

[mike324]

Ironic how the west are bombing the IS when it was the them who armed the IS in the first place to fight against Assad. Looks like Assad is the lesser of the evil now and they are trying to wipe out IS before asking for Assad to step down.

[muskoka]

Lada is an interesting author, couple videos also in this article - Doug

ISIL financed from 40 countries, including G20 members – Putin

Nov 16

Posted by Lada Ray

President Vladimir Putin says he’s shared Russian intelligence data on Islamic State financing with his G20 colleagues: the terrorists appear to be financed from 40 countries, including some G20 member states.

Putin talks anti-ISIL cooperation with the West and relations with Turkey.

https://futuristrendcast.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/isil-financed-from-40-countries-including-g20-members-putin-press-conf/

[bangon04]

"That would cut supply lines, and export routes for Syria’s oil, which Daesh now all-but-controls, and which it sells to finance its operations."

Better not ask too many questions about who is buying the oil.....

[HappyinNE]

What is surprising is that after the great collation has been bombing for over a year Russia and the French now have better targets to go after. To me it just shows how the leaders, especially Obama, have held back the military. Time to really go after them. Spend a few days dropping leaflets on their cities telling everyone to get out then reduce them to rubble. Those who did not leave have been warned.

[JemJem]

I think Obama has once again declared : 'Assad must go'.

Doesn't he realise that if Assad regime falls, there will be massacres on horrible scales by Sunni extremists (and sadly there are plenty of them) ?! Tens of thousands of Alawites, Christians and secularist Sunnis will be massacred; many more will lose their homes and will have to leave Syria.

Also, precious time is being lost, by insisting that Assad must go. ACT NOW ! Eliminate all Sunni extremists in Syria ! It is not the time at all to consider Assad's leaving.

Sadly, I won't be surprised if there are many liberal fools who think that if/when Assad regime falls, a democratic or semi-democratic regime will follow ! Fools !

[Prbkk]

Ironic how the west are bombing the IS when it was the them who armed the IS in the first place to fight against Assad. Looks like Assad is the lesser of the evil now and they are trying to wipe out IS before asking for Assad to step down.

Yes indeed and exactly the way it should have been from day one. Unfortunate that failed US policy ( and who would ever have believed that things could be more inept after Bush) decided that Assad had to go and whoever was fighting Assad must be ok.

Nothing surprising perhaps because they has done the same with ...Peron, Moussadeq, The Shah, Diem, Marcos, Sadam, And a host of others...supported ( in all their evils) until there usefulness was exhausted

[Sealbash]

Is this because Isreal is so much stronger militarily than the USA?

[pitrevie]

I think Obama has once again declared : 'Assad must go'.

Doesn't he realise that if Assad regime falls, there will be massacres on horrible scales by Sunni extremists (and sadly there are plenty of them) ?! Tens of thousands of Alawites, Christians and secularist Sunnis will be massacred; many more will lose their homes and will have to leave Syria.

Also, precious time is being lost, by insisting that Assad must go. ACT NOW ! Eliminate all Sunni extremists in Syria ! It is not the time at all to consider Assad's leaving.

Sadly, I won't be surprised if there are many liberal fools who think that if/when Assad regime falls, a democratic or semi-democratic regime will follow ! Fools !

Isn't that what those right wing fools Bush and Cheney thought would happen when Saddam Hussein was deposed. It appears there are fools on both sides.