Kurdish Militias Launch An Assault To Seize The Syrian Regime Stronghold At Hasaka

The Guardian: Kurdish militias fight against Syrian forces in north-east city of Hasaka

US, which backs Kurds in campaign against Isis, faces dilemma as alliances between regional players such as Turkey shift.

US-backed Kurdish forces have fought against the Syrian army and militias in the north-east of the country for a fifth consecutive day, threatening to open a new front in the five-year war.

The clashes left at least two dozen civilians dead and caused people to flee to the surrounding countryside, days after the Syrian army began using planes and artillery to attack Kurdish areas in Hasaka.

Dilan Farhad, 25, a student from the city, told the Guardian: “The Syrian army started bombing our neighbourhood and we had to flee for our lives. The cries of a woman and her child are still ringing in my ears. They were wounded by the shelling.”

Read more ....

More News On Kurdish Militias Launching An Assault To Seize The Syrian Regime Stronghold At Hasaka

Kurds make major inroads in Syria's Hasakeh -- AFP
Kurdish militia launches assault to evict Syrian army from key city of Hasaka. -- Reuters
Syria: YPG launches assault to take all of Hasaka. -- Al Jazeera
Kurdish YPG, Assad regime clash in Hasakeh. -- DW
Kurdish Militia Launches Offensive to Push Assad Regime From Hasaka City -- Newsweek

Playing Chicken With A TOW Missile Coming Right At You (Video)

Daily Mail: Playing chicken with a missile: The astonishing moment Syrian driver dodges incoming rebel missile that was locked on his pick-up truck by waiting until the last second before hitting the accelerator

* Driver moves out of the way in death-defying manoeuvre
* TOW missile locked on to white-pick up truck in what appears to be Syria
* If vehicle moved too soon the missile would have changed direction
* Drive appears to be Hezbollah fighter due to yellow flag nearby

This is the moment a driver dodged an incoming missile heading straight for his pick-up truck by waiting until the last moment before hitting the accelerator.
The motorist displayed nerves of steel as the rocket flew straight for his vehicle, which lurched out of the way as the projectile shot past and exploded in a building behind.
It is alleged to have taken place in Syria and the person in the white pick-up truck is a Hezbollah fighter, due to a yellow flag seen near the car.

WNU Editor: This is what I call a "close call".

Syria And Allies Iran, Hezbollah, And Russia To Begin A Military Offensive Against Rebels In Aleppo

Newsweek/Reuters: Russia, Assad, Iran and Hezbollah to Begin Offensive Against Rebels in Aleppo

Syria's army along with Iranian and Hezbollah allies will soon launch a ground attack supported by Russian air strikes against insurgents in the Aleppo area, two senior regional officials told Reuters on Tuesday.

Control of Aleppo city and the surrounding province in the area near the Turkish border is divided among the Syrian government, insurgent groups fighting Assad and the Islamic State group that controls some rural areas near the city.

"The big battle preparations in that area are clear," said one of the officials familiar with the plans. "There is a large mobilization of the Syrian army ... elite Hezbollah fighters, and thousands of Iranians who arrived in stages in recent days."

WNU Editor: Moderate Syrian rebels are expecting Aleppo to fall .... In Search Of New Funding And Weapons, Moderate Syrian Rebels Say Aleppo Is Falling (IBTimes).

More News On Syria And Its Allies Preparing To launch An Offensive On Syria's Largest City

Syrian Army Musters With Iranian Troops to Retake Aleppo -- Time
Syria and allies Iran and Russia prepare for Aleppo offensive -- Euronews
Iranian Troops 'In Syria' For Aleppo Offensive -- SKY News
Syrian army, Hezbollah to launch ground operation in Aleppo with Russian air support -- Al Bawaba
Syria: Iran and Hezbollah to launch ground offensive using Russian airstrikes as cover -- IBTimes
Iran, Hezbollah Forces Planning 'Major Assault on Aleppo' -- NBC
Syria crisis: Thousands of Iranian troops amass for all-out assault on Aleppo -- The Independent
Islamic State battles insurgents as Syria army prepares assault -- Reuters
Even Iranian politicians are arriving in Syria before a huge ground offensive on the country's biggest city -- Reuters

Syrian Army Releases Video Footage Of Military Operations

Form YouTube: The Syrian Army released footage of their troops during the operations in the rural areas outside of Latakia, Aleppo and Salma on Monday, against suspected Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants.

A Look At Who Is Who In The Syrian War

INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF WAR

The Guardian: Who backs whom in the Syrian conflict

Russia’s intervention has made the complex pattern of alliances and enmities in Syria still more intricate. The Assad regime and its local opponents are backed to differing degrees and in different configurations by military powers from near and far

WNU Editor: The Guardian post leaves out a few countries (i.e. France, etc.) .... but it is still a good breakdown.

A Time Line On The Syrian Civil War (Video and Photo Gallery)

CNN: Syria's war: Everything you need to know about how we got here

(CNN)It began with the arrests of a handful of children in 2011. Since then it's exploded into the biggest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War.

Syria's civil war has left more than 300,000 people dead and forced 10.6 million -- nearly half the population -- out of their homes. How did it come to this? Explore the events that have shaped the crisis since 2011.

WNU Editor: And this war-story is not even close to ending.

Gulf Arabs Step Up Arm Supplies To The Syrian Rebels

© AFP 2015/ BARAA AL-HALABI

BBC: Gulf Arabs 'stepping up' arms supplies to Syrian rebels

Saudi Arabia is responding to the recent Russian air strikes on Syrian rebels by stepping up its supplies of lethal weaponry to three different rebel groups, a Saudi government official has told the BBC.

The well-placed official, who asked not to be named, said supplies of modern, high-powered weaponry including guided anti-tank weapons would be increased to the Arab- and western-backed rebel groups fighting the forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian, Iranian and Lebanese allies.

He said those groups being supplied did not include either Islamic State (IS) or al-Nusra Front, both of which are proscribed terrorist organisations. Instead, he said the weapons would go to three rebel alliances - Jaish al-Fatah (Army of Conquest), the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Southern Front.

WNU Editor: Expect anti-armor weapons, even more anti-aircraft missiles, and everything else under the sun. The different Syrian rebels groups are also now trying to coordinate their operations against the Syrian-Iran-Russian alliance .... Disparate Syrian Rebel Groups Likely to Increase Collaboration Against Russia (VOA).

More News On The Gulf Arabs Stepping Up Arm Supplies To The Syrian Rebels

Gulf states increase arms to Syrian rebels in counter to Russia airstrikes -- Al Jazeera
Saudi Arabia increasing weapon supplies to Syrian rebels following Russian airstrikes – report -- RT
Saudi Arabia Steps Up Arms Supplies to Syrian Rebels -- Sputnik

Islamic State Launches Surprise Attack On the Syrian City Of Aleppo

ISIS have made a significant breakthrough in Aleppo province and are now less than two miles from the outskirts of the main city

Daily Mail: ISIS advances on Aleppo after Russian air strikes force other rebels to retreat… and prevent Western jets from bombing Islamic State as they cannot risk coming into contact with Putin’s warplanes

* ISIS militants have stormed several villages in Aleppo province
* Jihadis are now less than two miles from the outskirts of the main city
* Top Iranian general killed whilst working as a military adviser in Syria
* Syria Observatory for Human Rights suggest 10% of Russian airstrikes have hit ISIS targets
* Obama administration set to confirm abandoning of rebel training program

ISIS have taken advantage and launched a new offensive in Aleppo province following Russia's decision to target Free Syrian army rebels and Al-Qaeda affiliated groups.

The jihadi group released a statement confirming they had taken over the 'strategic' infantry academy close to Aleppo's northern industrial area.

US jets have reportedly been told to keep 20 miles from the Russian jets to avoid getting caught up in clashes, providing ISIS with the chance to make rapid gains without fear of coalition strikes.

More News On the Battle For The Syrian City Of Aleppo

Islamic State claims gains in Aleppo province amid chaotic fight -- Long War Journal
Islamic State group seizes string of villages north of Syria's Aleppo in surprise attack -- AP
Islamic State advances on Aleppo in Syria fighting -- Reuters
IS advances on Syria's Aleppo despite Russia air war -- AFP
Isil fighters make gains in Syria's Aleppo despite Russian airstrikes -- The telegraph
Islamic State advances over wide swaths of Aleppo, activists report -- Washington Post
Daesh takes more territory from rebels in Aleppo province: monitor -- Al Bawaba
ISIS seizes villages of Aleppo city in Syria -- Business Standard

Videos Emerges Of A 'Tank Massacre' When Syrian Rebels Engage With Syrian Army Tanks Using Anti-Tank Weapons (Videos)

NOW Lebanon: 'Tank massacre': Rebels hit Syrian forces hard after initial offensive

The Syrian government's massive offensive in northern Hama has suffered an initial setback after multiple armored vehicles were destroyed in a melee of anti-tank guided-missile fire that activist media dubbed a "tank massacre."

The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported that rebel fighters in the north Hama region had met the joint Russian-Syrian assault by targeting the attacking regime forces on the ground "with US-made TOW missiles … [and] other guided rockets, which caused the destruction … of over 15 armored cars, vehicles, and tanks."

WNU Editor: An incredible collection of videos.

Russia And Syria Continue Their Assault On Militants -- News Updates October 8, 2015

AFP: Syria army in 'vast offensive' backed by Russian strikes

Beirut (AFP) - Syria's army announced Thursday a "vast offensive" to wrest back territory from armed opposition groups, as NATO voiced alarm at escalating Russian military activity in the war-torn country.

Moscow has dramatically stepped up its nine-day-old air war against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, with heavy bombing by warplanes and cruise missile strikes from the Caspian Sea.

A Syrian general said the Russian intervention had weakened the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group and other armed opponents of Assad.

But according to Washington, more than 90 percent of Russia's strikes have targeted the moderate opposition.

Russia And Syria Continue Their Assault On Militants -- News Updates October 8, 2015

Syrian army in 'vast offensive' backed by Russian strikes as NATO raises concern about 'troubling escalation' -- ABC News (Australia)
Syria extends major offensive to retake territory in west -- Reuters
Syrian official says 'wide-scale offensive' launched -- CNN
Russia-backed Syrian troops mount major offensive -- USA Today
Syria and Russia Continue Coordinated Assault on Militants -- NYT
Syrian armed forces launch large-scale offensive against ISIS - Syrian General Staff -- RT
Russian Tanks, Iranian-trained Militias Headed to Syria -- VOA
Syrian General Says Russian Strikes Aid Ground Offensive -- NYT/AP
Russian Troops Fire Artillery and Rockets in Syria -- ABC News
Insurgents shoot down helicopter in Syria's Hama province: monitor -- Reuters
Combat report: Russian jets strike 27 terrorists' facilities in Syria overnight -- RT
Russian Aircraft Destroy 27 ISIL Facilities in Syria – Defense Ministry -- Sputnik
Russia Reportedly Uses Infrared-Guided Smart Bombs Against ISIL in Syria -- Sputnik
Russian combat planes bomb IS camp, underground hideouts in Syria — defense ministry -- TASS
For Syrians In Rebel Areas, Russian Airstrikes Add To Their Misery -- NPR
Pictured: Russia's 'proof' that ISIS are using civilians as human shields in Syria during airstrikes -- Daily Mail
U.S. aircraft diverted to avoid Russian fighter in Syria -- CNN
Russian cruise missile strikes fired without advanced notice: U.S. -- Reuters
Turkey Wants NATO to Sustain Patriot Defenses -- VOA
NATO defence chiefs meet as Russia ramps up Syria campaign -- France 24
NATO, Alarmed by Russian Actions in Syria, Shores Up Defenses -- NYT
Pentagon chief warns of Russia casualties in Syria -- AFP
Russia will pay price for Syrian airstrikes, says US defence secretary -- The Guardian
'More than 90%' of Russian airstrikes in Syria have not targeted Isis, US says -- The Guardian
Russia says it’s bombing ISIS in Syria. This map shows it’s lying. -- VOX
A look at Syria rebel groups as Russia, Iran, and Assad go on the offensive -- ISW

A Graphical Look At The Syrian Conflict

WNU Editor: These graphs are from The Daily Mail.

A graphic showing who is fighting who in the Middle East and why. The conflict has become so complex that arch enemies are finding their interests have aligned, presenting diplomatic and military conundrums

Russia finally started blitzing Islamic State targets late last night and today, killing at least 12 jihadists after facing criticism from the West for attacking moderate rebels, many of whom are by the U.S.-led coalition

Russia has been accused of only targeting areas controlled by U.S.-backed rebels and not the Islamic State on the first two days of its bombing campaign in Syria - as seen in the graphic above

Video Footage Shows The Moment That A Rocket Hits A Building While Rescue Workers Are Evacuating Children

Daily Mail: Shocking moment footage shows rocket hitting bombed building in Syria while rescue workers try to evacuate terrified children

* Footage taken by the Syrian Civil Defence Group shows the sudden blast
* Volunteers had rushed to the building after it was initially hit in the strikes
* It is not known who carried out the strikes that hit the building in Douma
* Meanwhile, Russia said at least 12 Islamic State fanatics had been killed

This is the horrifying moment humanitarian workers attempting to rescue children from a bombed building in Syria were caught up in an explosion.

Footage taken by the Syrian Civil Defence Group shows a line of male volunteers passing young girls and boys through the property in Douma in a bid to get them to safety.

The children, including one girl wearing pink polka dot trousers and a matching top, look terrified as they cling to the men, who can be heard shouting 'God is greatest' as they work.

WNU Editor: I have seen far worse videos on the Syrian conflict than this one .... but it illustrates that this conflict is nowhere near being resolved .... in fact .... it is going to get worse.

Syrian Rebels Are Now Predicting A Longer War

Bombers: Video footage emerged that claims to show Russian jets targeting areas in Hama Province in Syria which are controlled by moderate rebel groups supported by the U.S.-led coalition and not ISIS

Reuters: Syrian rebel says Russia air raids mean longer war, seeks anti-aircraft missiles

A prominent Syrian rebel leader said on Thursday that Russian air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad meant the war would go on longer, fuel extremism, and draw more foreign fighters to Syria.

Bashar al-Zoubi, who heads one of the largest rebel groups in southern Syria, called on Assad's Arab foes to meet the rebels' long-standing demand for anti-aircraft missiles so they could defend themselves from the newly arrived Russian jets.

He also said that even Russian air power could not settle the four-year-long war on Assad's terms, and said Moscow ran the risk of another Afghanistan in Syria - a reference to the Soviet Union's defeat there in the 1980s.

"These air strikes will extend the life of the war as a first step," said Zoubi, whose Yarmouk Army fights under the banner of the "Free Syrian Army" (FSA).

WNU Editor: These rebels are right .... and they are now probably going to get the anti-aircraft missiles that they have been asking for in the past year.

Reports Are Growing That A Major Syria - Hezbollah - Iran Ground Offensive Against Syrian Rebels Is About To Start

Reuters: Assad allies, including Iranians, prepare ground attack in Syria: sources

Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria in the last 10 days and will soon join government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies in a major ground offensive backed by Russian air strikes, two Lebanese sources told Reuters.

"The (Russian) air strikes will in the near future be accompanied by ground advances by the Syrian army and its allies," said one of the sources familiar with political and military developments in the conflict.

"It is possible that the coming land operations will be focused in the Idlib and Hama countryside," the source added.

WNU Editor: The momentum is shifting .... not surprising .... Syrian ground troops and their allies are going to take advantage of this. Will this be enough to make significant breakthroughs in rebel controlled territories .... I have my doubts but we shall see.

More News On Reports That Syrian - Hezbollah - Iranian Ground Troops Are About To launch A Major Ground Offensive

Iranian troops prepare to aid Russia with Syrian ground assault, officials say -- FOX News
Iranian troops and Hezbollah 'massing in Syria for ground battle against rebels' -- The Independent
'Major Assad-Iranian-Hezbollah ground offensive in Syria planned with Russian air support' -- Jerusalem Post
Report: Iran, Hezbollah to launch major offensive in Syria -- YNet News

In Syria About To Become A ‘Frozen Conflict’?

Jerusalem Post: Behind the lines: Is Syria on the way to becoming a ‘frozen conflict’?

Neither a grand ‘4+1’ (Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria plus Hezbollah) war against ‘terror’ nor a regime pullout from Damascus to an Alawi enclave in the western coastal area appears to be in the cards

The latest moves on the regime side in the Syrian war suggest an effort by its allies, including Russia, to “freeze” the conflict rather than to continue it to victory. This is because victory in the form originally conceived of – the reconquest of the entirety of the country by the Assads – is clearly no longer achievable.

To freeze a conflict in this sense does not imply that the conflict will become inert or inactive, but only that it will continue to smolder on without resolution.

The newest statements by leaders and mouthpieces of the various elements supporting the dictator, meanwhile, offer clues as to how the ongoing conflict is to be presented by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s allies – as a fight against “terrorism,” as exemplified, they claim, by both Islamic State and its rival Jabhat al-Nusra.

WNU Editor: This analysis from the Jerusalem Post makes a lot of sense to me. Assad does not have the resources to retake the country .... so the alternative .... and I am sure that this is what Russia and Iran have told him .... best keep what you have, destabilize your opponents so that they are not a serious military threat, and hope that a war of attrition will result in a compromise sometime in the future. But the outcome may be different .... because of Russia's involvement .... the Gulf states will be increasing the quantity and quality of arms to the Syrian rebels .... this conflict may be on the verge of actually exploding to a level that I has not been seen.

Al Qaeda Linked Militants Execute 56 Syrian Soldiers

New York Times: Islamic Militants Kill 56 Captive Syrian Soldiers

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Islamic militants led by an affiliate of Al Qaeda gunned down dozens of Syrian government soldiers taken prisoner during the takeover of a military air base this month, antigovernment activists said Saturday.

The execution of prisoners by all sides in the complex civil war has grown increasingly common as the conflict stretches into its fifth year.

At least 56 soldiers were killed by the Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda, known as the Nusra Front, and its Islamist allies in recent days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Update: Syria monitor: Insurgents killed 56 government troops at captured air base -- Reuters

WNU Editor: It appears that we are now entering a stage in this war where executing prisoners is the rule and not the exception.

The Syrian War Is About To Escalate Significantly

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Institute For The Study Of War: The Syrian war's trajectory could radically shift soon

The trajectory of the Syrian Civil War may fundamentally shift within the 90 day timeframe. Russia escalated its military assistance on behalf of the Syrian regime in early September 2015, deploying armored vehicles and hundreds of personnel to the Syrian Coast in preparation for the establishment of at least one forward air operations base.

Rebel factions led by Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al- Nusra (JN) continue to pressure the regime’s stronghold along the Alawite Coast following a several-month campaign to expel regime forces from Idlib Province. Turkey and the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition intend to establish an “ISIS-free” zone in northern Syria along the Turkish border with the assistance of moderate rebel forces.

Update: Putin's Syria play is a game-changer — which means the West needs to rethink everything -- ISW

WNU Editor: The key question that still needs to be answered is .... how big of a military commitment is Russia willing to take in Syria. If it is a huge commitment involving hundreds of attack jets/helicopters and coupled with tens of thousands of soldiers .... the war will shift dramatically. If it is a small presence .... air support and special ops in the same manner that the U.S. has committed itself to Afghanistan and to a lesser extent in Iraq .... it will still be a shift, but not as drastic as a full fledge commitment. Either-way .... my gut is telling me that the war is about to shift into a more intense tempo in the coming months .... and for the U.S. and its allies in the region .... they are now being forced to alter their strategies and objectives.

Former Finnish President: West Ignored Russia's 2012 Peace Plan That Would Have Removed Syrian President Assad

Martti Ahtisaari with Ali Larijani, Speaker of Iran's Parliament. Photos: Morteza Nikoubazl, The Elders

The Guardian: West 'ignored Russian offer in 2012 to have Syria's Assad step aside'

Exclusive: Senior negotiator describes rejection of alleged proposal – since which time tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced

Russia proposed more than three years ago that Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, could step down as part of a peace deal, according to a senior negotiator involved in back-channel discussions at the time.

Former Finnish president and Nobel peace prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari said western powers failed to seize on the proposal. Since it was made, in 2012, tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions uprooted, causing the world’s gravest refugee crisis since the second world war.

Update #1: Russia proposed Syria peace deal in 2012 but US, UK and France ignored it: Report -- IBTimes
Update #2: Report: West Ignored Russian Offer to Have Assad Step Down in 2012 -- Haaretz/AP

WNU Editor: This is the first time that I am hearing about this. If it was anyone else .... I would have discounted it. But former Finnish President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari does have some credibility .... through the organization "The Elders" he has been one of the back channels in finding a solution to the Syrian crisis. If true .... this is depressing in every-way. At the moment .... the White House, U.K., and France are not commenting on this story .... and I expect them to remain silent. My hope is that someone will ask Hillary Clinton on what was her position when this proposal was offered when she was US Sec. of State .... but I suspect that she will not be asked, and even if asked I doubt that she will give an answer. On a side note .... when diplomacy and politics fail the consequences could be disastrous .... and in the case of Syria .... it looks like there was an attempt by diplomats to find a solution before it "blew up" .... but the "powers that be" had a different agenda at the time that with hindsight we can now say failed spectacularly.

The Pentagon's Plan To Raise A Syrian Rebel Army Is A Complete Disaster

The Arab Source

Philip Ewing and Austin Wright, Politico: The Pentagon's Syria debacle

Top brass debate how to rescue costly effort to raise rebel army to fight Islamic State

With all the U.S.-trained fighters dead, captured or missing and their leader in the hands of Al Qaeda, top U.S. commanders are scrambling this week to determine how to revive the half-billion dollar program to create a moderate Syrian army to fight the Islamic State.

The outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, who viewed the force as a critical element of the military strategy in both Syria and Iraq, is conferring with top Pentagon officials behind closed doors to figure out what options are left for what is widely considered a policy and military failure, according to senior defense officials.

Update: Syrian Rebel Training Program Costs Millions and Counting -- DoD Buzz

WNU Editor: This sums it up (quoting from Politico) ....

.... After nearly 12 months of extensive international outreach, the program has so far yielded only 54 fighters — all of whom were killed, captured by terrorists in Syria or scattered when they came under attack this summer.

Yup .... a disaster.

After A Two Year Seige Al Qaeda In Syria Have Just Seized Tthe Last Army Base In Idlib

Voice of America: Al-Qaida-Led Rebels Seize Airport From Syrian Military

Islamist rebels have captured a major airbase from government forces in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, according to Syrian state television and a war monitoring group.

The state TV report on Wednesday announced the military retreat from Abu Duhur military airport, where the Islamist extremists had imposed a nearly two-year-long siege.

More News On Reports That Al Qaeda In Syria Have Just Seized The Last Army Base In Idlib

Syria conflict: Islamist rebels seize key Idlib airbase -- BBC
Syrian air base falls to rebels, troops exit: state TV. -- Reuters
Qaeda in Syria takes last regime base in Idlib -- AFP
Syrian rebels seize Idlib army airbase -- The Guardian/AP
Al-Qaida, Other Groups Take Last Army Base in Syria's Idlib -- NYT/AP
Syrian air base falls to rebels, Nusra fighters -- Deutsche Welle
Nusra Front in Syria take last army base in Idlib -- Al Arabiya
Syrian rebels seize government airbase in Idlib. -- Al jazeera
Syrian Army Loses Control Over Last Airbase in Idlib Province - Watchdog -- Sputnik
Al Qaeda in Syria just scored a huge victory -- Bassem Mroue, Associated Press