Tuesday, June 13, 2017

The Islamic State's 'Last Stand' Will Be At Deir el-Zour

Carlo Muñoz, Washington Times: Last stand for Islamic State likely to be miles away from Raqqa

For all the focus on the battle to capture Raqqa, the climactic battle against the Islamic State in Syria may be about to take place along a relatively unknown river valley miles away from the group’s self-styled “caliphate” capital.

Military commanders in Damascus, Tehran and Moscow are setting their sights on the Syrian city of Deir el-Zour and the surrounding Middle Euphrates River Valley as the battleground for the fight against the jihadi group, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

Located 90 miles from Raqqa, where U.S.-backed militias began their assault to retake the city last week, the fertile stretch of land along the banks of the Euphrates River is home to Madan, Deir el-Zour and other Islamic State redoubts. Many of the group’s leaders, including “caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, have fled to the area.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I can see this happening at the end of this year.

6 comments:

Jay Farquharson said...

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/video-humongous-isis-convoy-allowed-escape-raqqa-fight-syrian-army-instead/

"AMASCUS, SYRIA (3:40 A.M.) – Al-Masdar News has obtained jaw-dropping footage from northern Syria suggesting the US-led coalition has allowed hundreds of ISIS vehicles to leave Raqqa city for areas controlled by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

Despite Kurdish and American drones hovering above Raqqa on all flanks, the Islamic State convoy remained completely untouched by coalition airstrikes, thus suggesting an under-the-table deal may have been struck between the warring parties:"

http://news.antiwar.com/2017/06/09/russian-commander-us-colluding-with-isis-south-of-raqqa/

"Col. Gen. Sergei Surovkin, the commander of Russian forces in Syria, has accused the US and its allies in the Kurdish YPG of having “colluded” with ISIS in recent deals on the evacuation of ISIS-held villages near Raqqa, allowing ISIS forces a corridor to flee south from the area"


Anonymous said...

Now that the SAA has made contact with Iraqi forces on the border I wonder if Iranian forces will come streaming in like everyone is predicting? US forces would find themselves on both sides of the fence, or neither side depending how you look at it. Will their Iraqi allies suddenly become their enemy once they cross the line?

Unknown said...

Sweet Deal

Now the Kurds will not bleed as much. This upsets some people that do not wish to see a Kurdistan, like Erdogan, Assad & some commenters here.

B.Poster said...

It also means the civilians may not bleed as much, at least in the short to mid term. As I recall, the Russians did something similar in allowing "corridor" when faced with a similar situation.

While there may well be no more noble cause on earth than that of the Kurds, the odds of them ever attaining statehood at any time in the foreseeable future are virtually nil. Since the odds of them making it this far were/are astronomical against them, nevertheless they have managed to survive with their aspirations in tact and, as has been stated, little victories add up so perhaps they can and will achieve statehood. As such, I can understand their desire to act in their interests and support such a situation, if it is true.

With that said and assuming the US and its "allies" really could have prevented this I don't like it. This leaves ISIS fighters to fight another day elsewhere. Furthermore with our immigration system in pretty much disarray and our borders still relatively wide open these ISIS soldiers who left may well come to America to fight another day. Additionally, if there are human shields with the ISIS convoy and it is known they are there and the US attacks, US military personnel and the leaders are risking a war crimes tribunal. Nevertheless I still don't like the prospect of ISIS fighters being able to escape assuming it could have been stopped.

Jay Farquharson said...

Royjova's now toast.

By abandoning their policy of ambiguity to the Syrian State, and their acceptance of Federalization, in favour of a Saudi/US Alliance opposed to Syria,

They have traded the gradual growth of a protostate, protected by Syria, for an alliance with the same people who have betrayed the Kurds, a dozen times, surrounded by States hostile to the existence of Royjova.

Kurdistan was always a pipe dream as long as the PUK, PPK, PDK, YPG all hated each other more than they hated Saddam, Assad and Ergodan.

Sean said...

Let a convoy go...and follow them back to whereever reinforcements are so there are more of their members to bomb... which the U.S no doubt did...makes sense to me!