Aleppo battle ‘reaches its end’ in devastating blow to rebels

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, dabhand said:

Interesting article by Robert Fisk in The Independent entitled: There is more than one truth to tell in the awful story of Aleppo

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/aleppo-falls-to-syrian-regime-bashar-al-assad-rebels-uk-government-more-than-one-story-robert-fisk-a7471576.html

 

He also comments on the recent events in Palmyra:

 

By their own admission, the Russians flew 64 bombing sorties against the Isis attackers outside Palmyra. But given the huge columns of dust thrown up by the Isis convoys, why didn’t the American air force join in the bombardment of their greatest enemy? But no: for some reason, the US satellites and drones and intelligence just didn’t spot them – any more than they did when Isis drove identical convoys of suicide trucks to seize Palmyra when they first took the city in May 2015.

Some great stuff in that article:

Quote

Yes, Bashar al-Assad has brutally destroyed vast tracts of his cities in his battle against those who wish to overthrow his regime. Yes, that regime has a multitude of sins to its name: torture, executions, secret prisons, the killing of civilians, and – if we include the Syrian militia thugs under nominal control of the regime – a frightening version of ethnic cleansing. 

Something a few here don't want to admit. 

 

The Coalition (not sure why many say Americans as it is an international coalition) has not been able to effectively coordinate with Russia on this.  Last thing you want is one side shooting down the other sides plane.  Why doesn't Russia open up and invite the coalition in to help?  With no strings attached.  Russia has vetoed every UN Security Council resolution on Syria recently.  Hmmmm....

[craigt3365]

8 minutes ago, manarak said:

 

here is the New York Times trying to educate you in the matter:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/world/15aid.html

 

 

Great Education.  Just what I said.

 

Quote

 

No one doubts that the Arab uprisings are home grown, rather than resulting from “foreign influence,” as alleged by some Middle Eastern leaders.

“We didn’t fund them to start protests, but we did help support their development of skills and networking,” said Stephen McInerney, executive director of the Project on Middle East Democracy, a Washington-based advocacy and research group. “That training did play a role in what ultimately happened, but it was their revolution. We didn’t start it.”

 

Best to read the entire article with an open mind.....

[onthesoi]

On 13/12/2016 at 5:42 AM, craigt3365 said:

The US provided limited support to some rebels groups...

 

& by 'limited support' you mean the CIA spunking a billion US dollars on vehicles, weapons, training, cash, and intelligence for rebel groups right?

 

 

[craigt3365]

3 minutes ago, onthesoi said:

 

& by 'limited support' you mean the CIA spunking a billion US dollars on vehicles, weapons, training, cash, and intelligence for rebel groups right?

 

 

And how many groups would that be spread across?  How was it allocated?  Which groups? How much was lost to graft?  A billion dollars doesn't go as far nowadays as it use to! LOL

[onthesoi]

Just now, craigt3365 said:

And how many groups would that be spread across?  How was it allocated?  Which groups? How much was lost to graft?  A billion dollars doesn't go as far nowadays as it use to! LOL

 

Blah Blah Blah ..I already detailed how it was allocated  you even quoted it " on vehicles, weapons, training, cash, and intelligence for rebel groups".

 

1000 times 1 million US dollars doesn't go very far in the 3rd world? Really?

 

 

[Stargeezr]

besides  ISIL  ,  Assad   started   this  whole  mess  in   his  country.

  He  is  a  war  criminal, Killing  and gassing  his own  people,  and

barrel  bombing  ,  killing more  people over  the  last  few  years.

Please  do  not  forget  these  tiny  facts,  when  you  talk or

think  about  Assad  and  his  innocent  military.

[chilli42]

On 12/13/2016 at 0:42 PM, craigt3365 said:

The US provided limited support to some rebels groups who were against Assad.  Remember at the time, Assad was using chemicals against his own people.  I've no sympathy for Assad.  Just for the innocent civilians.  It's an absolute mess.

 

WMD is off topic.

 

WMD not off topic.  The US invasion of Iraq, on the basis of WMD, is the antecedent to the mess in Syria.  It is true that things were not OK in Syria before either ... just a whole lot worse now.

[craigt3365]

20 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

 

WMD not off topic.  The US invasion of Iraq, on the basis of WMD, is the antecedent to the mess in Syria.  It is true that things were not OK in Syria before either ... just a whole lot worse now.

WMD in Iraq was a myth.  Assad killing his own people is not.

[Scott]

WMD is off-topic.   Continued deflection will result in suspensions.  

[manarak]

On 14.12.2016 at 0:15 PM, craigt3365 said:

Great Education.  Just what I said.

 

Best to read the entire article with an open mind.....

 

ahem... from the same article:

Quote

  ...as American officials and others look back at the uprisings of the Arab Spring, they are seeing that the United States’ democracy-building campaigns played a bigger role in fomenting protests than was previously known, with key leaders of the movements having been trained by the Americans in campaigning, organizing through new media tools and monitoring elections.

 

The article contains contradictory statements as it seems to have undergone some editing.

You quote the ass-covering part (that was probably added by the editor) but ignore the facts mentioned in the article.

 

And if the protests were fomented by locals paid by some foreign "organization for promoting democracy", but the agents still are of local nationality, this makes the statement that the rebellion was homegrown technically correct, right?

 

But the article certainly confirms Ahmed Bensaada's allegations:

http://www.ahmedbensaada.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136:smoking-gun-us-government-role-in-arab-spring&catid=46:qprintemps-arabeq&Itemid=119

but the article doesn't mention the scale of US-training - thousands of activists have been trained, not just some leaders.

 

clearly, these US-based organizations, which are totally independent and beyond the control of the US government (*scoff*), had their fingers in the pie and played sorcerer's apprentice in the Middle East and at least greatly contributed to if not outright caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people as well as the massive migration waves.