SYRIAN WAR REPORT – DECEMBER 9, 2016: ISIS ADVANCING ON PALMYRA AMID CEASEFIRE IN ALEPPO

December 8 morning ISIS terrorists launched multiple offensives against Syrian government forces near Palmyra. The terrorist group used a high number of car bombs during the attack and seized notable areas northwest of the city, including Jazal, set a full control over Qasr al-Halabat south of Palmyra. The ISIS attack in the area of Arak did not result in gains. The tactical goal of the ISIS operation was to encircle Syrian troops in Palmyra, cutting off the Homs-Palmyra highway.

On December 9, clashes continued in the area with Syrian troops were successfully repelling further ISIS attempts to deploy closer to the ancient city. Since the start of ISIS attacks, the Syrian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Force have intensified air raids in the area.

The terrorist group claim that government forces have lost up to 100 fighters since the start of the clashes. Pro-government sources deny this number of casualties and say that at least 8 technical vehicles belonging to the terrorist group have been destroyed.

On December 8, the Syrian army, supported by the country’s air force attacked ISIS forces deploying for an advance on the government-held Deir Ezzor airport. Attacks against ISIS terrorists were also made near al-Rashidiya, al-Hwaiqa, al-Hamidiyeh districts and near the Panorama checkpoint. As result the ISIS offensive force was dispersed.

Government forces liberated the key Aleppo district of Sheikh Saeed and seized from Jaish al-Fatah and Fatah Halab militants some points in Bustan al-Qaser and al-America. The gains by pro-government forces put the so-called “opposition” in a desperate situation and the militant forces leadership (mainly members of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham – formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda) requested the Syrian military for a safe passage from the city. There was no immediate answer from the Syrian military.

Nonetheless, December 8 evening, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that the Syrian army had stopped “active military activities” against militants in Aleppo, explaining that this was needed to allow civilians to withdraw from the battleground. Lavrov made the announcement following the meeting with US State Department Secretary, John Kerry on the Syrian issue. Another unilateral ceasefire by Syrian government forces in Aleppo has already caused a skeptical reaction among the expert community interested in the Syrian conflict and many said that Aleppo militants will sabotage again the withdrawal of civilians from the city even amid reports that some 8,461 civilians were evacuated at the same day.

The Aleppo decision could also be linked to the situation near Palmyra. If true, this was evidence that ISIS coordinates its efforts in Syria with the so-called “moderate opposition” and its Western puppeteers.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama ordered a waiver for restrictions on military aid for militant forces in Syria, deeming it “essential to the national security interests” of the US to allow exceptions from provisions in the Arms Export Control Act. The order includes responsibility to the US secretary of state to work with and report to Congress on weapons deliver proposals, requiring 15 days’ notice before they are authorized.

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif

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