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via Press TV.
There are reports that armored vehicles including a shipment of t-62 and t-55 tanks, which are old armored Russian tanks collected in Libya and transferred to Syria, have reached foreign-backed militants through different secret ways.Uh wait. What?
The US and its allies are geared up to disturb the military balance, prolong the clashes and change the situation into a war of attrition in Syria, Al Quds Al Arabi reported.
There have been reports of a plan for training and organizing thousands of Syrian volunteers including those who had avoided military service or civilians capable of carrying weapons and taking military training.
A comprehensive reconnaissance mission is currently underway on the borders of Syria’s neighboring countries as a preparatory measure for launching arms to the foreign-backed militants.
The mission seems to be a good reason for the presence of 8000 American, British and French forces on the borders of Syria with Turkey and Jordan to supervise the process of arming and delivering weapons to the foreign-backed militants.
There are also reports that opposition groups consisting of 650 military groups are equipped with new arms in Dara’a.
T-55's?
This is unlike any other civil war I've ever heard of. New definitions are needed when a civil war/insurgency is now involving heavy armor!
Are we trying to make this a regional war????
U.S foreign policy no longer makes sense. We start multiple un-declared wars all over the world to fight Al-queda, but assist them when we want to depose dictators.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, we have absolutely no plan to secure weapons in Syria once Assad falls(sound familiar). I think these small arms weapons shipments are a preamble to a yet another mission creep, no-fly zone.
This is how you ensure the U.S. ends up the in trash bin of history.
Question answer it already is a regional war. Hezbollah from Lebanon, Quods from Iran, and Syrian regulars vs Syrian rebels and Sunni radicals from all over sunnidom.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the issues I fully support O moves on. Don't get me wrong I see no ally here but I do see opportunity that if we keep both sides armed enough to grind but not overrun the other we will get to see two sides of future enemies grind each other into irrelevance at lest for some time. When the two sides ware eachother out we can use our weight to attempt to push the after into a more moderate nation if not who cares they will be spending the next decade rebuilding anyway. This war has been a grass cutting exercise from day one since early on no one wanted what would have been required to defeat the islamist. This is a chance to get the back yard to cut down the front yard while the front cuts down the back. win win in my eyes.
The only thing better than getting to kill your enemies is getting two enemies to kill eachother.
Looking at the open source media this is a logical progression of tactics and operations. Since the IIRG/Hezbollah are being used as shock troops or tactical advisor/support for the loyal Syrian Army via the massive leveling of city centers giving no quarter. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/06/16/Hezbollah-trains-Assad-forces-for-Aleppo-offensive-.html
ReplyDeleteOr http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/syria-conflict-lebanese-border-qusayr.html
http://syriareport.net/al-qusayr-final-push-expected/
The US has showed that armor can be used in built up areas if supported with infantry. Logistics will be the key factor and I am wondering what is being taught in Jordan?
Now a real trooper would see those T-55 tanks and say, "What, did you rob a museum?"
ReplyDeleteHaji thinks he's got some kind of death machine that is immortal.
Red on Red is the way to go.
Its most definitely too late to get involved and find a good ally, but I see a problem with the red on red as well. Sure they may just annihilate each other, which would be all well and good, but what about the training and experience that is being gained by the enemy? While the Syrian survivors may be stuck rebuilding for a decade, there are a lot of other Sunnis who are there for the fight, and presumably picking up training from the West either first or second hand, who will be free to leave whenever they feel like it. Like when the war finally ends and the clean up begins, or when they just get bored of beating on their pro-Assad/Shia/etc. coreligionists, and want to take a turn at the US/Israel/West in general. At the same time, Hezbollah and Quds get to gain valuable operational experience, test out their TTPs in a real life war, and are free to move their elements in and out of Syria however they please. Or just pull out completely if they ever decide the cost is no longer worth it. Afghanistan and Iraq have been great for the West to get their militaries some serious operational experience, and we risk letting our enemies gain the same, while largely missing out on it ourselves, if we allow their continued involvement.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I am not saying we should directly intervene by any means. I just think that the whole red on red argument is more than likely nothing more than focusing on the positive 1% of the situation, while trying desperately to ignore the 99% heaping pile of shit that is Syria.
It already is a regional conflict.
ReplyDeleteIt's a Shia vs Sunni fight. Iran, Shia Iraq, Shia/Druze/Alawite Syria, Shia Lebanon against Sunni Saudis, Jordanians, Qatari, Libyans, Syrians, Lebanese. While it may have been about the regime originally, it has turned into a jihad for the extremist Sunni jihadis who are flocking to Syria to kill Shia.
The so-called secular Baathis are starting to use rhetoric like 'takfiri' to describe the Sunni jihadis and the Sunnis just think Shia are shit who should be killed.
A brigade-equivalent from Hezbollah and a legit brigade of the IRGC are there. The Syrian National Defense Force militia are flying to Iran for training and flying them back to Syria.
I think it is just a matter of time before Shias in Iraq like the Al Sadr militia start sending recruits to Iran for training specifically for use in Syria to kill Sunni jihadis (they are already trained by the Iranians).
Unless they have air cover, the rebel armor is going to get wasted. I think this a prelude to the West trying to impose a no-fly zone to neutralize Syrian air power being used to pound the rebels. Only with air cover would rebel armor have a chance.
Even with a no-fly zone, the Syrians would receive the very best AT missiles and RPGs the Russians can produce. If Hezbollah can find a way to attack Israeli tanks, then these T-55s do not stand a chance.
Since the OODA loop is starting to speed up we should see more 9M133 Kornet and RPG-29 in the war. This is what Hezbollah did back in ’06 against the IDF.
ReplyDelete