Tag Archives: Syria

Turkey and U.S. Advance Plans to Shut Northern Syrian Border from ISIS

In a statement by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday, Turkey and the United States are working on an operation to finish securing the northern Syrian border. The area that will be the focus is controlled by radical Islamists that have used it as a smuggling route.

“The entire border of northern Syria – 75 percent of it has now been shut off. And we are entering an operation with the Turks to shut off the other remaining 98 kilometers,” Kerry said in an interview with CNN.

According to Reuters, the area where the operations would take place is now controlled by the radical Islamists. The United States and Turkey hope that by sweeping Islamic State, also frequently called Daesh, from that border zone they can deprive it of route which has seen its ranks swell with foreign fighters and its coffers boosted by illicit trade.

Kerry mentioned the operation with Turkey as he described to CNN the mounting pressure on IS in both Syria and Iraq, but wouldn’t elaborate on what it amounted to and whether the U.S. would send ground troops to take part in the operation. U.S. President Barack Obama authorized the deployment of special forces against IS in an apparent deviation from an initial pledge not to have boots on the ground in the campaign.

Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu stated to the state-run Anadolu Agency, “We will not allow Daesh to continue its presence on our border.”

The fight against ISIS has increased in fervor with intense air strikes by both Russian and French warplanes since attacks claimed by the group killed 129 people in Paris last week and a bomb downed a Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula last month, killing 224.

France, Russia strike Islamic State in Syria, EU aid invoked

By Chine Labbé and Crispian Balmer

PARIS (Reuters) – France and Russia staged air strikes on Islamic State targets in northern Syria on Tuesday, punishing the group for attacks in Paris and against a Russian airliner that together killed 353 people.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a coordinated onslaught in Paris on Friday and the downing of a Russian charter jet over Sinai on Oct. 31, saying they were in retaliation for French and Russian air raids in Iraq and Syria.

Still reeling from the Paris carnage that killed 129, most of them young people, France formally requested European Union assistance in its fight against the militants and British Prime Minister David Cameron edged closer to extending military action against Islamic State in Syria.

Police investigating the worst atrocity in France since World War Two discovered two safe houses in Paris where they believe the militants launched their assault. Underlining the widening scope of the probe, police in Germany said they arrested five suspects, including two women.

In Moscow, the Kremlin acknowledged that a bomb had destroyed a Russian airliner last month, killing 224 people. President Vladimir Putin vowed to hunt down those responsible and intensify air strikes against Islamists in Syria.

“Our air force’s military work in Syria must not simply be continued,” he said. “It must be intensified in such a way that the criminals understand that retribution is inevitable.”

Western officials said Russia launched a “significant number” of strikes in Syria on Tuesday hitting the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa. In a separate action, apparently not coordinated, French warplanes targeted Raqqa for a second day.

French President Francois Hollande has said he will see Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama in the coming days to try to convince them to join a grand coalition against Islamic State which controls swathes of Syria and Iraq.

Russia began air strikes in Syria at the end of September. It has always said its main target is Islamic State, but most of its bombs in the past have hit territory held by other groups opposed to its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

 

MANHUNT

In Brussels, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian invoked the EU’s mutual assistance clause for the first time since the 2009 Lisbon Treaty introduced the possibility, saying he expected help with French operations in Syria, Iraq and Africa.

“This is firstly a political act,” Le Drian told a news conference after a meeting of EU defense chiefs.

The 28 EU member states accepted the French request but it was not immediately clear what assistance would be forthcoming.

A manhunt was continuing in France and Belgium on Tuesday for one of the eight attackers in the Paris assault.

French police staged 128 raids overnight in the hunt for accomplices and Islamist militant networks, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. Police found a third Belgian-licensed car believed to have been used by the attackers and sealed off the area around it in Paris’ 18th district.

Cazeneuve told France Info radio police were making rapid progress in their investigation but declined to give details.

One top suspect, Frenchman Salah Abdeslam, 26, remains at large after escaping back to Belgium early on Saturday and eluding a police dragnet in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek, where he lived with his two brothers.

One of the brothers blew himself up outside a Paris cafe on Friday, seriously injuring many bystanders.

Hollande, who has declared a state of emergency, met visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday to press his call for the U.S.-led and Russian-led coalitions to join forces.

Kerry told reporters afterwards that Islamic State was losing territory in Syria and Iraq, but said increased co-ordination with Moscow would require progress in a political drive to end the war. That process is complicated by a U.S. demand that Assad steps down as president.

 

“DON’T SCAPEGOAT REFUGEES”

The U.N. refugee agency and Germany’s police chief urged European countries not to demean or reject refugees because one of Friday’s Paris bombers was believed to have slipped into Europe among migrants registered in Greece.

“We are deeply disturbed by language that demonizes refugees as a group,” U.N. spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said after government officials in Poland, Slovakia and the German state of Bavaria cited the Paris attacks as a reason to refuse refugees.

The head of Germany’s Federal Criminal Office said there was no sign that Islamist militants had entered Germany posing as an asylum seeker to commit an attack.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Paris would spare no expense to reinforce and equip its security forces and law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism, even though that was bound to involve breaching European budget deficit limits.

“We have to face up to this, and Europe ought to understand,” he told France Inter radio.

The European Commission said it would show understanding to France if additional security spending pushed up its deficit.

As France geared up for a long war, the British prime minister said he would present a “comprehensive strategy” for tackling Islamic State to parliament. British war planes have been bombing the militants in Iraq, but not Syria.

“It is in Syria, in Raqqa, that Isil has its headquarters and it is from Raqqa that some of the main threat against this country are planned and orchestrated,” Cameron said, referring to Islamic State by one of its many acronyms.

“Raqqa, if you like, is the head of the snake.”

French prosecutors have identified five of the seven dead assailants from Friday night — four Frenchmen and a foreigner fingerprinted in Greece among refugees last month.

In addition to the suspect on the run, police believe at least four other people helped organize the mayhem.

Investigators believe the attacks may have been ordered by Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian national now living in Syria where he has become an Internet propagandist for Islamic State under the nom de guerre Abu Omar al-Belgiki — the Belgian.

Belgian media have reported that Salah Abdeslam spent time in jail for robbery five years ago alongside Abaaoud.

Police in France named two of the French attackers as Ismael Omar Mostefai, 29, from Chartres, southwest of Paris, and Samy Amimour, 28, from the Paris suburb of Drancy.

France believes Mostefai, a petty criminal who never served time in jail, visited Syria in 2013-2014. His radicalization underlined the trouble police face trying to capture an elusive enemy raised in its own cities.

 

(Additional reporting by Laurence Frost, Maya Nikolaeva, Julien Ponthus, Patrick Vignal and David Brunnstrom; Writing by Paul Taylor and Crispian Balmer; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Kurdish Forces Battle to Retake Iraq’s Sinjar Town

Kurdish Iraqi fighters, backed by U.S. airstrikes, launched an assault Thursday aimed at retaking the strategic town of Sinjar. ISIS had seized Sinjar last year murdering, raping, and enslaving thousands of Yazidis.

According to Reuters, the Kurds have captured three villages and penetrated parts of Highway 47, a supply route between Raqqa in Syria and the Iraqi city of Mosul, both of them Islamic State base areas.

“The ground assault began in the early morning hours of Nov. 12, when peshmerga units successfully established blocking positions along Highway 47 and began clearing Sinjar,” said the coalition in a statement.

Some 7,500 Kurdish fighters were deployed on a three-pronged front seeking to reclaim Sinjar, Kurdish authorities said.

Another spokesman, Col. Steve Warren, told the Reuters news agency that some U.S. advisers were among the peshmerga ground forces to help with targeting airstrikes. He gave no further details. The Associated Press reported that a small American military team was seen on a hilltop, directing and confirming airstrikes

The Washington Post reported that the capture of Sinjar by Islamic State militants in August 2014 sent tens of thousands of Yazidis fleeing to Mount Sinjar, where they became trapped. Thousands of women were captured by the group and have been used as sex slaves.

Should the Kurds win a victory in Sinjar it may give government forces and Shiite militias the biggest push to increase efforts to defeat the Islamic State. ISIS still controls large areas of Iraq and Syria.

World Leaders to Meet this Weekend to Discuss an Ending for Syrian Crisis

In the most serious effort yet, world leaders are meeting this weekend in Vienna to end the nearly 5-year-old Syrian civil war as well as discuss a Russian proposal that calls for early elections.

And while top diplomats from almost 20 countries agree that it is time to end the bloodshed in Syria, there is no clear plan for how to make that dream a reality, according to the Associated Press.

However, the Washington Post reports that there is at least a determination to end the crisis as a senior administration official stated that the world leaders plan on having rapid-fire meetings until a plan is developed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be attending the meeting. There are high hopes that the peace draft the Kremlin reportedly created will at least be a start to planning the end of the civil war, especially now that Russia and the U.S. are starting to see eye-to-eye on restructuring the political system in Syria, according to the Associated Press.

Some of the other countries at the meeting include Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. Iran is a key ally to Russia and the Syrian regime while Saudi Arabia and the U.S. has backed Syrian opposition forces. Syria will not be included in the meeting.

Initial peace talks began in an official meeting between world leaders on October 30.

Syrian Opposition Rejects Russia’s Peace Plan; Syrian Forces Take Down ISIS Siege

On Wednesday, Russia drafted a peace proposal to solve the Syrian crisis, but it was rejected by Syrian opposition forces due to the fact that the draft made no reference to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stepping down – a key opposition demand.

“The Syrian people have never accepted the dictatorship of Assad and they will not accept that it is reintroduced or reformulated in another way,” Monzer Akbik, member of the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition, told Reuters.

Reuters and the Associated Press were able to receive the drafted documents that stated the Kremlin asked for Damascus and unspecified opposition groups to agree on launching a constitutional reform that would take approximately 18 months. Afterward, there would be an early presidential election. However, the document does not bar Assad from participating in the election or relieving him of his position during the 18 month reform.

Russia denied that any such document is being prepared before the Vienna meeting this week where world leaders will discuss international peace talks for a second time.

Russia began intervening in the Syrian conflict six weeks ago when rebels were getting closer to taking over government-held areas. Since then, the Kremlin has stepped up its airstrike campaign and diplomatic efforts.

A member of the coalition’s political committee, Hadi al-Bahra, stated that in order for there to be peace, any talks will have to have more assurances and guarantees. He added that there could not be any elections under the current system.

“How can the elections be fair when the citizens inside Syria are afraid of retaliation from the security services of the regime?” he said.

Meanwhile in Syria, Fox News reported that Syrian government forces were able to take down an ISIS siege that was attempting to take over a Syrian military air base. ISIS has been attempting to take over this specific base since 2013. Between the troops in the Syrian base, the new forces that launched the large-scale offensive, and the Russian airstrikes, state TV reports confirmed that dozens of ISIS fighters were killed and hundreds of extremist bodies were found around the base. The breaking of the siege marks the first major achievement by Assad’s soldiers since Russia began their airstrikes in September.

U.S. Prepared to Take More Action in Syria

Days after President Obama announced the deployment of special operations forces in Syria, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said more American soldiers could “absolutely” be sent to Syria if the U.S. can find additional local groups willing to fight ISIS.

Carter told Voice of America News that the key to victory comes from local groups who are capable of winning and keeping the peace.

“Now, those are hard to find in Iraq and Syria. That’s why it’s going to take some time because we have to help develop, enable, encourage those forces,” the defense chief said. Using an acronym for the group, he added that some forces “have shown some effectiveness in fighting ISIL and, if they grow in size, we’ll do more. If we find additional groups that are willing to fight ISIL, and they’re capable and are vetted, we’ll do more. The president has indicated a willingness to do more. I’m certainly prepared to recommend that he do more, but you need to have capable local forces.”

Carter did mention that if more American troops were to go to Syria, their main mission would be to advise and assist rebel groups. However, he did admit that there may be situations in which U.S. troops may be forced into a combat situation, according to ABC News.

Meanwhile, the Huffington Post reported yesterday that the United States has intensified their airstrikes against the Islamic State within the last few days.

U.S. military forces reported from October 30 to November 6, coalition forces carried out 56 strikes against ISIS. The strikes were focused on the towns of al Hawl, al Hasakah, Mar’a, and Dayr az Zawr. Comparatively, there were only 3 airstrikes deployed within the 8 days before October 30. On Saturday alone, the U.S. and its allies carried out a dozen strikes, according to the Huffington Post.

U.S. Officials Report that Russia’s Forces in Syria have Grown to 4,000 People

U.S. security officials told Reuters on Thursday that Russia has doubled its military personnel in Syria in its campaign to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

On September 30 when Russia began its recent wave of airstrikes in Syria, there was an estimated 2,000 personnel. Now, they have not only doubled their people, but have also approximately doubled the number of bases they are using. Security officials stated that an exact number of personnel cannot be known since the Kremlin has suffered combat casualties in Syria.

Russian officials have declined to comment regarding the size of their military forces in Syria and did not answer any questions that were sent by Reuters.

However, they did state that no Russian troops have been in combat in Syria, although there are advisers and trainers working with the Syrian military. Reuters also reports that Russian forces are guarding the bases in western Syria.

The Kremlin further states that since they have been in Syria, they have only lost one soldier who committed suicide. The parents of the serviceman have stated they doubt this claim.

The U.S. has criticized Russia over their recent involvement in the Syrian civil war. While Russia has stated numerous times that they are there to fight the Islamic State, numerous reports have indicated that Syrian rebels have been the main targets of their airstrikes in order to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The U.S. believes that Assad should step down from his leadership role in order for the Syrian civil war to end.

NATO Chief Raises Alarm over Russia’s Buildup from Baltic to Mediterranean

NATO’s secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg is shouting the alarm over Russia’s recent buildup of military forces from the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea and is wanting the U.S.-led alliance to respond.

Stoltenberg addressed the issue at a news conference in Portugal during NATO war games. He stated that he is worried that Russia’s military could limit access to those regions for the United States and its allies, according to Fox News.

“We have to be sure that we are able to overcome these capabilities, so we can reinforce, so we can move and we can deploy forces if needed,” said Stoltenberg.

Leaders and representatives of nine Eastern European NATO member nations met on Wednesday. Due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and threats from ISIS, NATO leaders called for an increased alliance presence in Europe.

In the past, NATO has refrained from deploying permanent substantial combat forces due to an agreement with Russia that dates back to 1997. However, this year NATO has been deploying small military units in and out of countries that they feel is at risk from Russia. NATO has been careful not to make it appear to the Kremlin as if they are deploying permanent reinforcements, according to the Associated Press. Although, Stoltenberg’s comments hint that NATO might be rethinking this agreement.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to build upon their current military presence in Syria. CBS News reports that Russia has recently brought in anti-aircraft missiles to Syria to protect their jets from being attacked or hijacked. Russian military officials did not specify how many missiles or what type of missiles were brought into Syria.

ISIS Declares War Against “All the Jews” and Israel in Latest Video

On Sunday, the Islamic State released a new video across social media titled “A Message to Israel.” The 40 second video shows an ISIS jihadi speaking Hebrew and stating that ISIS was declaring war on Israel and the entire Jewish people.

“My message to the [Israel Defense Force] officers and soldiers and all the Jews – we will fight you with God’s help, we will come for you from across the world and we will slaughter you like sheep, prepare for the big war, the war of stone and wood. This is be soon and not long,” the terrorist said, according to a translation by the Jerusalem Post.

The terrorist’s face was pixelated and he was shown wielding a knife while two other men stood on either side of him. He continued:

“To all the Jews, grandsons of apes and pigs, we are coming at you from all over the world. … [The war] is soon; it won’t be long, God willing, God willing,” he said in the video according to the International Business Times.

This is the second video that ISIS has recently released that has called for the annihilation of Jews. Last month, they released a similar video with a masked member of ISIS talking to a camera in Hebrew, announcing war against Israel.

“This is an important message to all Jews — the first enemy of the Muslims. The real war has not yet begun. Whatever you had previously is child’s play [in comparison]. … Do whatever you want in the meantime, until we reach you, and then we will make you pay for the crimes you have committed. … Soon, there will not be even a single Jew left in Jerusalem or the rest of the country. We will keep going until we eradicate this disease worldwide.”

Sunday’s video was released after ISIS declared they were responsible for bringing down the Russian jet that crashed into the Sinai Peninsula, killing 224 people. At this time, it is still unclear as to what brought down the plane.

The Israel Defense Force has stated that they are closely monitoring ISIS, especially along Israel’s southern border with Egypt.

On Saturday, the Democratic Forces of Syria joined forces with U.S.-backed Kurdish militia and Syrian Arab rebel groups in order to start a new offensive against ISIS. Kurdish forces will be leading airstrikes and land offensives to interrupt the Islamic State’s supply lines across the Syria-Iraq border. CNN also reports that 5,000 Yazidi fighters are gearing up for an offensive that will take back the town of Sinjar from ISIS. If they can reclaim Sinjar then ISIS would have a more difficult time resupplying their people in Mosul.

At Least 40 Killed in Syrian Attacks on Rebels While Leaders Talk in Vienna

A rebel-held town near Damascus was attacked by missiles and airstrikes sent by Syrian regime forces, resulting in the the deaths of at least 40 people.

In addition to the deaths, at least 200 people have been injured in Friday’s attack, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that government forces fired 12 missiles at the town of Douma, located 10 miles northeast of Damascus.

“Utterly heinous that while world leaders meet for peace in Vienna, attack(s) against civilians continue in Syria,” the Syrian Civil Defence said on Twitter.

Currently the numbers are still being added up as to how many people have been killed and injured due to Friday’s attack. Various news sources are reporting a variety of numbers at this time.

The attack came at the same time as 19 foreign ministers are meeting in Vienna to discuss the Syrian civil war, including the future of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The Associated Press has reported that since the civil war started in March 2011, more than 250,000 people have been killed and up to one third of the population has been displaced.