A confident Assad vows to 'liberate' every inch of Syria

[webfact]

A confident Assad vows to 'liberate' every inch of Syria
By ALBERT AJI and BASSEM MROUE

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — President Bashar Assad vowed Tuesday his troops would "liberate" every inch of Syria, just like they recaptured the ancient town of Palmyra from the Islamic State group, in a speech that reflected his renewed confidence as the military pressed on toward Raqqa, the extremists' self-styled capital.

His remarks in parliament came as his opponents, backed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are struggling for survival and his troops have almost encircled rebel-held neighborhoods of Aleppo, Syria's largest city.

Saying the military situation was much better than it was months ago, Assad told the lawmakers that Aleppo will be "the graveyard where the hopes and dreams of the butcher Erdogan will be buried."

The reference was to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the staunchest supporters of the rebels fighting to topple Assad. Erdogan has allowed safe passage from his country for fighters and weapons over the border into Syria.

Assad also described Erdogan as a "thug" and a "fascist" in the speech, which was frequently interrupted by applause.

When Assad walked into the chamber to speak, the legislators had stood and chanted, "Our soul, our blood we sacrifice for you, Bashar!"

The civil war, now in its sixth year, has turned in Assad's favor ever since Russia began a bombing campaign in September, helping Syrian troops recapture wide areas from insurgents.

The biggest victory came in March, when government forces evicted the Islamic State group from Palmyra, a desert town in central Syria world famous for its majestic Roman-era ruins.

"The way we liberated Palmyra, and before that many areas, we will liberate every last bit of Syria from their hands. We have no choice but to be victorious," Assad said to a furious applause.

"Our war on terrorism will continue not because we like war. They imposed the war on us," he added, reiterating his often-used line of blaming foreign countries for the conflict. "The shedding of blood will not end until we uproot terrorism, wherever it is."

Erdogan denies he is aiding the Islamic State, although he does support other rebels fighting to oust Assad. The U.S. supports the predominantly Kurdish, U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces fighting IS.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner dismissed the speech as "vintage Assad."

"There were no surprises in what he said, unfortunately," Toner told reporters in Washington. Assad should "recognize his role in the carnage in Syria" and "pledge to step aside so that a political transition could take place," he said.

The Islamic State group also is under siege in neighboring Iraq, as government forces there surround the western city of Fallujah, which has been held by the extremists for more than two years.

The speech was Assad's first to Syria's newly elected parliament and his first public remarks since January. He also thanked China for using its veto at the U.N. Security Council months after the crisis began to prevent the imposition of sanctions on Syria as well as Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah group — three key allies who have played a critical role in boosting Assad's forces.

He blamed the opposition for the failure of three rounds of indirect peace talks in Geneva this year, blasting his opponents as "traitors for foreign countries who have become mats for the feet of their masters."

The opposition demands that Assad play no part in any transitional or future political establishment in Syria.

Assad spoke as a two-pronged advance is underway to capture key urban strongholds of the Islamic State group and its de facto capital of Raqqa. The Syrian army, backed by Russian airpower, is moving from the southwest, while the Syria Democratic Forces are pushing from the north and west. The SDF are closing in on the IS stronghold of Manbij, 72 miles to the northwest of Raqqa.

Turkey's top diplomat, meanwhile, said Kurdish rebels known as the YPG may provide logistical support in the fight against IS in Syria, but he warned that their presence would not be tolerated west of the Euphrates River.

The YPG, or People's Protection Units, is a Kurdish faction within a mixed coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups fighting against IS in northern Syria with the support of U.S. special forces in Syria. Ankara, unlike Washington, views the YPG as a terrorist organization.

"If the YPG want to provide logistical help east of the Euphrates, that's different, but after the operations end, we don't want a single YPG member west of the Euphrates," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Sherfan Darwish of the Syria Democratic Forces said that as of Tuesday, his fighters were surrounding Manbij on three sides after capturing scores of villages and farms since the offensive began.

The alliance last week launched a wide offensive, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, in a push to capture Manbij, which lies on a key supply route linking the Turkish border with Raqqa.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks and said they discussed the situation in Syria. Russia has coordinated its action with Israel to prevent any possible incidents between their forces.

"We had a long and thorough discussion of the challenge cast to the entire civilized world by the radical Islamic terrorism," Netanyahu said.

Putin praised the countries' high level of cooperation and noted Israel's key role in the Middle East.

___

Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-08

[Merylhighground]

Assad also described Erdogan as a "thug" and a "fascist" in the speech, which was frequently interrupted by applause.

He'll get into bother for that as Erdogan don't like being called names......

[NumbNut]

I'd like to see Assad 'liberated' from his arse.

There's a special place in hell for tyrants who kill and maim their own people. That this flea is still breathing is the pity!

Edited June 8, 2016 by NumbNut

[Chicog]

His idea of liberation probably involves a lot of Khmer Rouge-style mass graves.

[Rancid]

Intriguing how easily so many just follow the mainstream media script to the letter, I heard it on the nightly corporate news so it must be true. What ever happened to objective thought?

What business is it of ours whether Syria has a harsh dictator or not, isn't it a Syrian problem? We ignore it in so many other countries, but then the media hasn't been telling we need to overthrow them, as such they needn't even exist. As of today, there are 50 dictatorships in the world (21 in Africa, 19 in Asia, 8 in the Middle East, 1 in Europe and 1 in the Caribbean). When are we going to liberate all them from their <deleted>?

So after making a mess of Iraq we now go in and ferment the Arab Spring, so that Libya and Syria are now both huge disasters and breeding grounds for lunatic ISIS, something that didn't exist previously. So yeah, we really showed those bad dictators didn't we, at the cost of widespread destruction, countless lives lost, widespread sexual slavery, and massive Muslim immigration to Europe that will change its face forever. Brilliant. The amount of people that these dictators may or may not have killed is minuscule compared to what the West has inflicted. It is our leaders who should be on trial for mass murder.

[Steely Dan]

Shades of Baghdad Bob from Assad here, he is probably choosing the tiles for his swimming pool for his soon to be residence somewhere in Russia.

[ilostmypassword]

I'd like to see Assad 'liberated' from his arse.

There's a special place in hell for tyrants who kill and maim their own people. That this flea is still breathing is the pity!

You'd rather have ISIL there or some similarly lunatic Sunni band? Because, right now, that's the choice.

[coma]

"There were no surprises in what he said, unfortunately," Toner told reporters in Washington. Assad should "recognize his role in the carnage in Syria" and "pledge to step aside so that a political transition could take place," he said.

This guy, himself and those that he represents are a bunch of parasites. If he wins the war then why should Assad step aside? Obviously his military and the majority of Syrians back him or he would not be in the position he is in right now. They [uS] should just butt out and stick to their own corner of the world. Their actions have prolonged the inevitable outcome of an Assad victory in Syria. In effect costing more civilian lives in the process and creating massive migration problems and secondary terrorist activity in Europe. This civil war would have been done and dusted 5 years ago if it weren't for your stock standard US nose poking. When will they learn that their brand of democracy is not wanted, needed or suitable for Syria, or for the rest of the Middle East. BUTT OUT!!!!!

[bendejo]

"the graveyard where the hopes and dreams of the butcher Erdogan will be buried"

If he didn't mention Erdogan by name I'd have thought he was talking about himself.

[NumbNut]

I'd like to see Assad 'liberated' from his arse.

There's a special place in hell for tyrants who kill and maim their own people. That this flea is still breathing is the pity!

You'd rather have ISIL there or some similarly lunatic Sunni band? Because, right now, that's the choice.

Maybe so, but's that's the choice forced on the Syrians due to history. Unrealistic borders drew up even before WWI ended by France and the UK for their own short term gain that completely disregarded different ethnic groups, but hey, it made a nice little line between areas of influence for France and the UK's colonial exploitation and that's the main thing.

.

Sykes-Picot Agreement

What could the world have expected once the strongman keeping a lid on everything is challenged, and starts to lose control of the country? .

We are still living with the consequences of this folly to this day, and the Syrian people are fighting and dying because of it.

[ddavidovsky]

The man clearly has big support in Syria and his system at least provided stability. The 'rebels' can reasonably therefore be called terrorists. They should have struggled for political representation instead.

Problem is that the country is an artificial concoction of various tribes - many countries are - and the only hope is for time and economic development to homogenise the population - perhaps another couple of generations.

The western media's bias in wanting to see Assad ousted has been shameful - particularly Lyse Doucet of the BBC who has been emotionally manipulative throughout. They are still in denial, but surely by now the penny is beginning to drop on how to deal with dictators in order to avoid catastropic upheaval like this.

[NumbNut]

The man clearly has big support in Syria and his system at least provided stability. The 'rebels' can reasonably therefore be called terrorists. They should have struggled for political representation instead.

Problem is that the country is an artificial concoction of various tribes - many countries are - and the only hope is for time and economic development to homogenise the population - perhaps another couple of generations.

The western media's bias in wanting to see Assad ousted has been shameful - particularly Lyse Doucet of the BBC who has been emotionally manipulative throughout. They are still in denial, but surely by now the penny is beginning to drop on how to deal with dictators in order to avoid catastropic upheaval like this.

Assad is a tyrant. Do you understand what that means? You stick your head above the parapet and not only do you get your head blown off, but your family gets theirs blown off as well.

Hence there is no struggle for political representation in a tyrannical police state.

Look up '1982 Hama Rising' if you want to see what Assad's daddy (and his uncle. Tyrannies are often a family business) did when the local's 'struggled for political representation'

[ddavidovsky]

The man clearly has big support in Syria and his system at least provided stability. The 'rebels' can reasonably therefore be called terrorists. They should have struggled for political representation instead.

Problem is that the country is an artificial concoction of various tribes - many countries are - and the only hope is for time and economic development to homogenise the population - perhaps another couple of generations.

The western media's bias in wanting to see Assad ousted has been shameful - particularly Lyse Doucet of the BBC who has been emotionally manipulative throughout. They are still in denial, but surely by now the penny is beginning to drop on how to deal with dictators in order to avoid catastropic upheaval like this.

Assad is a tyrant. Do you understand what that means? You stick your head above the parapet and not only do you get your head blown off, but your family gets theirs blown off as well.

Hence there is no struggle for political representation in a tyrannical police state.

Look up '1982 Hama Rising' if you want to see what Assad's daddy (and his uncle. Tyrannies are often a family business) did when the local's 'struggled for political representation'

I didn't say it would be easy, nor immediate. I said it would be a struggle. They would have to wait until they had a strong and charismatic enough leader with an international voice. Or wait until Assad dies. In any case, being patient or cooperative would have been better for them (and their families) than what they plunged themselves into.

There simply isn't an alternative. Get rid of Assad? Then you would just be changing one persecuted section of society for another even more brutal (in all likelihood). No gain at all. It's beyond me how everyone fails to comprehend that.

[NumbNut]

The man clearly has big support in Syria and his system at least provided stability. The 'rebels' can reasonably therefore be called terrorists. They should have struggled for political representation instead.

Problem is that the country is an artificial concoction of various tribes - many countries are - and the only hope is for time and economic development to homogenise the population - perhaps another couple of generations.

The western media's bias in wanting to see Assad ousted has been shameful - particularly Lyse Doucet of the BBC who has been emotionally manipulative throughout. They are still in denial, but surely by now the penny is beginning to drop on how to deal with dictators in order to avoid catastropic upheaval like this.

Assad is a tyrant. Do you understand what that means? You stick your head above the parapet and not only do you get your head blown off, but your family gets theirs blown off as well.

Hence there is no struggle for political representation in a tyrannical police state.

Look up '1982 Hama Rising' if you want to see what Assad's daddy (and his uncle. Tyrannies are often a family business) did when the local's 'struggled for political representation'

I didn't say it would be easy, nor immediate. I said it would be a struggle. They would have to wait until they had a strong and charismatic enough leader with an international voice. Or wait until Assad dies. In any case, being patient or cooperative would have been better for them (and their families) than what they plunged themselves into.

There simply isn't an alternative. Get rid of Assad? Then you would just be changing one persecuted section of society for another even more brutal (in all likelihood). No gain at all. It's beyond me how everyone fails to comprehend that.

You sound like you think Syria can stay together within its current borders. Modern Syria is a construct, and it has been since the end of WWI. Read my earlier post. These people will NEVER come together. You speak of struggle? They've had on and off struggles since WWI. Their animosity goes back generations. Syria is similar to the situation in the Balkans after Yugoslavia broke up. And that didn't go to well did it?

Maybe Syria needs to be broken up to find peace.

Edited June 9, 2016 by NumbNut

[Galactus]

Liberation and assad...very funny.

People of syria need to liberate themselves from bloody assad regime/kingdom doing horrible actions from using chemical weapons to buying oil from isis along with russia.

Assad family is killing syrians for a century nearly.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Galactus

[ddavidovsky]

The man clearly has big support in Syria and his system at least provided stability. The 'rebels' can reasonably therefore be called terrorists. They should have struggled for political representation instead.

Problem is that the country is an artificial concoction of various tribes - many countries are - and the only hope is for time and economic development to homogenise the population - perhaps another couple of generations.

The western media's bias in wanting to see Assad ousted has been shameful - particularly Lyse Doucet of the BBC who has been emotionally manipulative throughout. They are still in denial, but surely by now the penny is beginning to drop on how to deal with dictators in order to avoid catastropic upheaval like this.

Assad is a tyrant. Do you understand what that means? You stick your head above the parapet and not only do you get your head blown off, but your family gets theirs blown off as well.

Hence there is no struggle for political representation in a tyrannical police state.

Look up '1982 Hama Rising' if you want to see what Assad's daddy (and his uncle. Tyrannies are often a family business) did when the local's 'struggled for political representation'

I didn't say it would be easy, nor immediate. I said it would be a struggle. They would have to wait until they had a strong and charismatic enough leader with an international voice. Or wait until Assad dies. In any case, being patient or cooperative would have been better for them (and their families) than what they plunged themselves into.

There simply isn't an alternative. Get rid of Assad? Then you would just be changing one persecuted section of society for another even more brutal (in all likelihood). No gain at all. It's beyond me how everyone fails to comprehend that.

You sound like you think Syria can stay together within its current borders. Modern Syria is a construct, and it has been since the end of WWI. Read my earlier post. These people will NEVER come together. You speak of struggle? They've had on and off struggles since WWI. Their animosity goes back generations. Syria is similar to the situation in the Balkans after Yugoslavia broke up. And that didn't go to well did it?

Maybe Syria needs to be broken up to find peace.

Well I agree it's an artificial nation, and if partition were feasible, then sure. Presumably you mean along Shia-Sunni lines. In effect though, isn't that exactly what has happened under IS? That hasn't gone too well. How do you imagine it would work? A detailed map and plan that addressed all the practicalities of such a partition would be interesting.

More realistically, cooperation and patience is surely the best strategy. There are many nations comprising different ethnic elements, especially at the periphery. There are always unhappy sections of the population. The 'rebels' made a big mistake here with their ragtag uprising and if they had any kind of intelligent leadership they would admit defeat. If not, this war will drag on for a couple of decades and finally end the same way as the war in Sri Lanka.

[Hammock]

Galactus: do you really think that Russians are buying ISIS's oil in Syria? And what are they doing with this oil then? Resell it to Erdogan? Or carry it on Su-37 back to Moscow?

[Galactus]

Galactus: do you really think that Russians are buying ISIS's oil in Syria? And what are they doing with this oil then? Resell it to Erdogan? Or carry it on Su-37 back to Moscow?

I really do. There are evidence that some russian businessman bought oil with the help of assad or they laundered money.

Of course some turks also bought oil from isis for profit too.

[Chicog]

"There were no surprises in what he said, unfortunately," Toner told reporters in Washington. Assad should "recognize his role in the carnage in Syria" and "pledge to step aside so that a political transition could take place," he said.

This guy, himself and those that he represents are a bunch of parasites. If he wins the war then why should Assad step aside? Obviously his military and the majority of Syrians back him or he would not be in the position he is in right now. They [uS] should just butt out and stick to their own corner of the world. Their actions have prolonged the inevitable outcome of an Assad victory in Syria. In effect costing more civilian lives in the process and creating massive migration problems and secondary terrorist activity in Europe. This civil war would have been done and dusted 5 years ago if it weren't for your stock standard US nose poking. When will they learn that their brand of democracy is not wanted, needed or suitable for Syria, or for the rest of the Middle East. BUTT OUT!!!!!

'The majority of Syrians back him'? Are you joking? Putin does and that's the only reason he's still there. Edited June 12, 2016 by Chicog

[Hammock]

Galactus: do you really think that Russians are buying ISIS's oil in Syria? And what are they doing with this oil then? Resell it to Erdogan? Or carry it on Su-37 back to Moscow?

I really do. There are evidence that some russian businessman bought oil with the help of assad or they laundered money.

Of course some turks also bought oil from isis for profit too.

"There are evidence".... as usually nobody knows what evidence, which evidence... Russia is the top world oil producer, it does not need oil from anywhere else. If even some crooked businessman of the Russian origin with a bunch of foreign passports did buy oil there for his own business purposes it does not mean that "Russia" or "Putin" is buying it from ISIS. It is very easy to blame anyone in the world without proof or evidence. Same story with that Malaysian Boeing which fell in the Ukraine. "We have evidence". "Putin shot the plane". We have evidence somewhere but we will not show them to anybody but will be blaming Russia and Putin just because this is necessary now. Will you like if I would be accusing you, Galactus to be a thief, robber, killer or raper and start shouting on every corner, that I have evidence, proofs but I will not show them to anyone... Be serious, man.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Hammock

[Galactus]

Galactus: do you really think that Russians are buying ISIS's oil in Syria? And what are they doing with this oil then? Resell it to Erdogan? Or carry it on Su-37 back to Moscow?

I really do. There are evidence that some russian businessman bought oil with the help of assad or they laundered money.

Of course some turks also bought oil from isis for profit too.

"There are evidence".... as usually nobody knows what evidence, which evidence... Russia is the top world oil producer, it does not need oil from anywhere else. If even some crooked businessman of the Russian origin with a bunch of foreign passports did buy oil there for his own business purposes it does not mean that "Russia" or "Putin" is buying it from ISIS. It is very easy to blame anyone in the world without proof or evidence. Same story with that Malaysian Boeing which fell in the Ukraine. "We have evidence". "Putin shot the plane". We have evidence somewhere but we will not show them to anybody but will be blaming Russia and Putin just because this is necessary now. Will you like if I would be accusing you, Galactus to be a thief, robber, killer or raper and start shouting on every corner, that I have evidence, proofs but I will not show them to anyone... Be serious, man.

Galactus: do you really think that Russians are buying ISIS's oil in Syria? And what are they doing with this oil then? Resell it to Erdogan? Or carry it on Su-37 back to Moscow?

Hammock your question is asking if Russian buying oil from ISIS and i said yes. Nowhere i said Putin or Russia as a state is buying oil from ISIS!

so, please read what you asked first and then come...please be serious.

and you will accuse me for what? I am not sending my armies to Syria tens of thousands km away to an unrelated area and bomb some civilians and help bloody assad regime to kill is own people.

[Hammock]

If you can't produce any evidence, your accusations mean nothing. I can say that Martians are buying oil in Syria with the same results. Syrian people have to decide themselves who will be their next president. If Assad has lost credibility, fine, run elections and let people decide. But first and foremost the Turk-Syrian border has to be shut and war has to be stopped.

[Galactus]

If you can't produce any evidence, your accusations mean nothing. I can say that Martians are buying oil in Syria with the same results. Syrian people have to decide themselves who will be their next president. If Assad has lost credibility, fine, run elections and let people decide. But first and foremost the Turk-Syrian border has to be shut and war has to be stopped.

To stop the war, all foreign powers not related with that area need to leave asap first especially russia.

And check this link for the russian finger regarding oil bought from ISIS. US Treasury ban:

https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0287.aspx

Edited June 14, 2016 by Galactus

[Hammock]

If you can't produce any evidence, your accusations mean nothing. I can say that Martians are buying oil in Syria with the same results. Syrian people have to decide themselves who will be their next president. If Assad has lost credibility, fine, run elections and let people decide. But first and foremost the Turk-Syrian border has to be shut and war has to be stopped.

To stop the war, all foreign powers not related with that area need to leave asap first especially russia.

And check this link for the russian finger regarding oil bought from ISIS. US Treasury ban:

https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0287.aspx

If I offer you some RT news or Sputnik news to read, your reaction will be quite predictable.

[Galactus]

If you can't produce any evidence, your accusations mean nothing. I can say that Martians are buying oil in Syria with the same results. Syrian people have to decide themselves who will be their next president. If Assad has lost credibility, fine, run elections and let people decide. But first and foremost the Turk-Syrian border has to be shut and war has to be stopped.

To stop the war, all foreign powers not related with that area need to leave asap first especially russia.

And check this link for the russian finger regarding oil bought from ISIS. US Treasury ban:

https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0287.aspx

If I offer you some RT news or Sputnik news to read, your reaction will be quite predictable.

you mean new Pravda outlets? dont trust them hammock, you better dont trust as well.

dont trust US Treasury too much but they are more trustable then Pravda sorry RT News.

again, hope people of Syria can libarate themselves soon from bloody assad family and their friend russia.