Islamic State driven out of Syria's ancient Palmyra city

[bemildred]

Source: Reuters

Syrian government forces backed by heavy Russian air support drove Islamic State out of Palmyra on Sunday, inflicting what the army called a "mortal blow" to militants who seized the city last year and dynamited its ancient temples.

The loss of Palmyra represents one of the biggest setbacks for the ultra-hardline Islamist group since it declared a caliphate in 2014 across large parts of Syria and Iraq.

The army general command said that its forces took over the city with support from Russian and Syrian air strikes, opening up the huge expanse of desert leading east to the Islamic State strongholds of Raqqa and Deir al-Zor.

Palmyra would become "a launchpad to expand military operations" against the group in those two provinces, it said, promising to "tighten the noose on the terrorist group and cut supply routes ... ahead of their complete recapture".

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-palmyra-idUSKCN0WT04R

[bemildred]

1. Syria army vows to 'end ISIS' in Raqa, Deir Ezzor after Palmyra win

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2016/Mar-27/344285-syria-army-vows-to-end-isis-in-raqa-deir-ezzor-after-palmyra-win.ashx?

[underpants]

2. Damn, pretty soon we are going to have to find some new bad guys

So much for the "Onama isn't doing anything about ISIS"....who am I kidding, ISIS will basically be over and they will still say that.

[bemildred]

4. Yes, it's going to be over long before they get done arguing about it. nt

[Cayenne]

15. They'll come around to Assad again

Even if ISIS were cleared out Assad is still hosting the Russians, the Iranians and possibly the Chinese even. Assad is still holding up a gas pipeline that would break the Gazprom monopoly. Israel was promised land all the way to the Euphrates. Turkey has ambitions to. Assad is in the middle of some western interests.

[Wolf Frankula]

16. Don't Worry, The CIA will find some New Islamic Nutcases

to fund with our money.

Wolf

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. Don't worry, the new bad guys will find us.

If ISIS is gone from Palmyra (hopefully without too much damage to the city), then they're elsewhere. And if ISIS is destroyed, some other group will form to fill the vacuum.

We're very good at eliminating the current ruler. Not so good at replacements.

[romanic]

3. Good.

Hopefully when the dust settles and peace in the region is achieved, the ancient sites will be restored as best as they can and the citizens of Palmyra heal from being occupied by those bastards.

[bemildred]

5. Syria's al-Assad, Putin, mark major gain in ancient Palmyra

By Pól Ó Grádaigh, dpa
Cairo (dpa) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian ally Vladimir Putin Sunday chalked up a major victory with the capture of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central desert from Islamic State jihadists.

An overnight onslaught by troops and militiamen backed by Russian airstrikes finally drove the jihadists out of the oasis city after ten months, during which they destroyed some of its most famous monuments and turned others into a backdrop for gory executions.

The highly symbolic victory is the most significant advance by government forces against Islamic State since Russian airstrikes - criticized by Western countries for their impact on more mainstream rebels - were launched in September.

It brings the Syrian army and its militia allies back into the heart of the Syrian desert, a strategic position that helped the jihadists of Islamic State attack government-held territory at multiple points.

http://www.dpa-international.com/news/top_stories/syrias-al-assad-putin-mark-major-gain-in-ancient-palmyra-a-48768545.html

[bemildred]

6. Syria parties reach broad agreement in Geneva, except on Al Assad’s fate

12-point document avoids mention of Al Assad’s fate but makes reference to first round of talks calling for a transitional government

http://gulfnews.com/news/mena/syria/syria-parties-reach-broad-agreement-in-geneva-except-on-al-assad-s-fate-1.1698648

[bemildred]

7. Russian-Syrian-Iranian Coalition Seizes ISIS-Held Palmyra

Pro-regime forces seized Palmyra as well as the adjacent Palmyra Airbase in Eastern Homs Province on March 27 after ISIS withdrew from the city, completing an operation that began on March 7 with the aim of recapturing the strategic crossroads. The Syrian Arab Army and its auxiliary National Defense Forces conducted multiple offensives against ISIS in the western countryside of Palmyra in the eight months after its rapid fall to ISIS in May 2015, achieving limited tactical gains at a high cost in manpower and equipment. The latest offensive proceeded as a three-pronged frontal assault similar to previous regime-directed operations against Palmyra, displaying little-to-none of the sophisticated operational design that characterized the recent campaign in Aleppo Province. Instead, the regime relied upon large numbers of reinforcements from Russia, Iran, and other foreign backers as well as a lull in combat generated by a nationwide ‘cessation of hostilities’ that began on February 27 in order to generate sufficient combat power to overwhelm ISIS in Palmyra.

http://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-syrian-iranian-coalition-seizes-isis-held-palmyra

[bemildred]

8. Fisk: Why is David Cameron so silent on the recapture of Palmyra from the clutches of Isis?

The biggest military defeat that isis has suffered in more than two years. The recapture of Palmyra, the Roman city of the Empress Zenobia. And we are silent. Yes, folks, the bad guys won, didn't they? Otherwise, we would all be celebrating, wouldn't we?

Less than a week after the lost souls of the 'Islamic Caliphate' destroyed the lives of more than 30 innocent human beings in Brussels, we should - should we not? - have been clapping our hands at the most crushing military reverse in the history of Isis. But no. As the black masters of execution fled Palmyra this weekend, Messers Obama and Cameron were as silent as the grave to which Isis have dispatched so many of their victims. He who lowered our national flag in honour of the head-chopping king of Arabia (I'm talking about Dave, of course) said not a word.

As my long-dead colleague on the Sunday Express, John Gordon, used to say, makes you sit up a bit, doesn't it? Here are the Syrian army, backed, of course, by Vladimir Putin's Russkies, chucking the clowns of Isis out of town, and we daren't utter a single word to say well done.

When Palmyra fell last year, we predicted the fall of Bashar al-Assad. We ignored, were silent on, the Syrian army's big question: why, if the Americans hated Isis so much, didn't they bomb the suicide convoys that broke through the Syrian army's front lines? Why didn't they attack Isis?

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/why-is-david-cameron-so-silent-on-the-recapture-of-palmyra-from-the-clutches-of-isis-a6955406.html

[oberliner]

10. A little pro-Assad cheerleading from his #1 fan, Robert Fisk

Interesting how he has all sorts of epithets for Isis but nothing but praise for the Syrian army (and Hezbollah and Putin) whose atrocities somehow always manage to get swept under the rug by folks like Mr. Fisk and his ilk.

[bemildred]

11. Sweeping atrocities under the rug is popular all over.

Celebrating them loudly in public is popular too.

He does get a bit enthusiastic. You can read the institute for the Study of War piece by Kozak (#7) for something more sober.

[oberliner]

12. Syrian defectors reveal horrors of life under Bashar al-Assad's regime

Excerpt:

Dr Abed Tawab Shahrour, 50, then the university’s chief pathologist, told Bild he had witnessed and documented repeated evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime. He said he had testified for an hour to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and was amazed nothing was being done to intervene.

“I've seen bodies turned blue, people foaming at the mouth who have died in agony, choking to death,” he said. “I have seen more than 3,000 victims of cold-blooded murder. All of them died a senseless death.”

Bild also spoke to a judge who was ordered to send demonstrators – including children – to jail, and that “the accusation should always be ‘terrorism’”.

And Brigadier General Zaher al-Saket, the former head of the Chemical Weapons Research Centre of the 5th Division of the Syrian military, told the newspaper only Assad had the authority to approve chemical attacks – and that he still has half his nerve gas stockpile.

“To my knowledge, the regime continues to use chlorine gas and chloroacetophenone,” he said. “Bashar doesn’t even have to sign off on it anymore.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syrian-defectors-reveal-horrors-of-life-under-bashar-al-assads-regime-in-reminder-for-west-to-not-10458185.html

This sort of thing might help provide an answer to the question posed by Fisk (in the same newspaper).

[oberliner]

13. Ending Assad’s systematic attacks on civilians is key to any realistic strategy for containing Isis

From Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch (writing in The Guardian):

Ending Assad’s systematic attacks on civilians is key to any realistic strategy for containing Isis, rebuilding the social fabric that is essential to countering extremism and preserving a functioning Syrian state. Given the animosity that these attacks generate, curbing them is probably also a prerequisite to any successful peace talks.

Unfortunately, Russia and Iran, the principal proponents of engaging with Assad, have generated no visible pressure to stop this slaughter. On the contrary, Russia has opposed stepped-up efforts at the UN security council to curb Assad’s use of barrel bombs.

It is time to stop closing our eyes to these horrific crimes. Halting Assad’s atrocities, as well as those by other groups, should be the first item on the agenda for any negotiation.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/28/negotiate-assad-atrocities-syrian-civilians-isis

[Xolodno]

14. Assad is the monster we know.

vs. the monster we don't know that is ISIS...unless of course, you would prefer ISIS to stay in control.

[Jesus Malverde]

21. Israeli defense minister: If I had to choose between Iran and ISIS, I’d choose ISIS

Israel prefers ISIS in Syria.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/01/19/israeli-defense-minister-if-i-had-to-choose-between-iran-and-isis-id-choose-isis/

[Xolodno]

22. Crazy isn't it?

Assad was no angel, obviously. But to want a bunch of savages in charge instead of a stable government (granted authoritarian and oppressive) just because they aren't friendly and can't be knocked over with a few airstrikes.

With attitudes and thinking like that...Mid-East peace is fiction in our lifetimes.

[bemildred]

9. Bernie Sanders: ISIS "Now Militarily In A Significant Way Is In Retreat"

JONATHAN KARL, ABC NEWS: So Senator Sanders, we saw a situation this week where an ISIS leader was taken out by American ground troops, special forces on the ground in Syria. You are firmly opposed to boots on the ground. Was that something that raised concerns for you?

BERNIE SANDERS: No, what I have -- no, that’s not quite accurate. What I have said is, in general, I support what President Obama is doing. Of course I am opposed to the United States getting involved in perpetual warfare in the Middle East. I think what the president is trying to do is to destroy ISIS, putting together the kind of coalition that we need. The Muslim troops have got to do the hard work. The United States should have spechttp://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/03/27/bernie_sanders_isis_is_on_the_defensive.htmlial forces there. We should be there for air support and air attacks; we should be training the troops.

And the good news, as you know, is that ISIS now militarily in a significant way is in retreat. And they are losing some 30, 40 percent of the ground that they have controlled in Iraq over the last year. We’ve got to keep that up, and obviously we’ve got to do everything we can to pretend -- prevent a terrorist attack against us or our allies.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/03/27/bernie_sanders_isis_is_on_the_defensive.html

[Sunlei]

18. anything left standing of 'the ancient city' ?

[romanic]

19. Can't link atm

But from what I read on Yahoo and the NYT; the arch, the temples of Bel and Baalshamin (sp?), and several graves were destroyed. But the city as a whole is still intact and many artifacts were untouched. It serms like most of the destruction can be restored but of course that restoration could take years.

Also there's caution as the city may have traps. Otherwise the ancient city isn't as lost as many feared.

[bemildred]

20. The Syrian antiquities guy says it's mostly intact.

Putin says he will help demine the place.
Everybody seems pleased it's not worse.

I expect once ISIS was done with the propaganda videos it looked like too much work and they needed the explosives for other things.

[Xolodno]

23. What's left...

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/photos-left-palmyra-isis-occupation-200151280/photo-released-sunday-march-27-photo-200151294.html