(jabhat al-nusra in action)
"So, who else could Russian jets be targeting? Ruth Sherlock writes:
Russia may have targeted Jaysh al-Fatah as they are the rebel group that poses the greatest threat to Latakia, the regime's heartland and location of the Russian controlled port of Tartous.
Some background on who this group are: Jaysh al-Fateh - the Army of Conquest - is a broad alliance of hardline Islamist groups, which includes both Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham.
In March this group captured Idlib, making it the second provincial capital to fall to the opposition since the start of the war.
Since then they have been effective in fighting the regime in Idlib and it looks like they may be able to push on government strongholds in central Syria and Latakia.
One interesting note - the Russians appear to have been watching this group for a long time: A year ago much of the Ahrar al-Sham leadership was wiped out by an explosion that took place where all the commanders had gathered. " Telegraph
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"Jaysh al-Fateh - the Army of Conquest - is a broad alliance of hardline Islamist groups, which includes both Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham."
What part of that sentence in bold above is difficult to understand? ALL THE JIHADIS ARE ENEMIES, not just IS. ALL OF THEM.
If Jabhat al Fath, captures Latakia, is it not as much lost to modernity as it would be if IS captured the town?
Madmen like McCain and various empty headed retired generals are busy on the media pushing the US public toward war with Russia. What is the matter with these people?
ALL JIHADIS ARE THE ENEMY, NOT JUST IS. pl
Ashton Carter yesterday --
http://www.c-span.org/video/?328456-1/defense-department-briefing-secretary-ashton-carter
Russia WILL fail unless they change their strategy to our strategy -- destroy Assad AND ISIS, etc.
Posted by: SilasMarner | 01 October 2015 at 03:49 PM
Trump is the only candidate from either party who has publicly stated that Russia should be allowed to degrade the jihadists. Contrary to Carly "I will not talk to Putin", Trump noted he would and could have friendly discussions with him.
The entire establishment including the duopoly are mired in groupthink of American Exceptionalism and big government interventions are best.
Posted by: Jack | 01 October 2015 at 04:01 PM
It will be interesting to see if they are American made.
Posted by: Origin | 01 October 2015 at 04:22 PM
Babak and All
Now that we have Iranian ground troops showing up, will the Order of Battle be rounded out by Saudi and Gulphie uniformed troops on the Jihadi side?
Question for those much better informed than I. What is the present line-up of the Order of Battle now and in the anticipated near future?
Posted by: Origin | 01 October 2015 at 04:27 PM
That article (Akira's link) has byline by Franklin Spinney. The attribution of Motherhood and Mismatch strategy to John Boyd is surely correct, as Spinney would know. Interesting. I was not familiar with the article, but it is a real treasure, as an excellent case study.
Posted by: Ken Roberts | 01 October 2015 at 05:37 PM
Akira,
"... is to build support for and attract the uncommitted to your cause by framing a “motherhood” position — i.e., a position no one can object to,... "
Like framing "gay marriage" as being about equality rather than about sanctioning immoral conduct.
Posted by: Fred | 01 October 2015 at 05:58 PM
Tyler, I agree. Some people around here prefer style over substance and, apparently, FUBAR MENA policy as along as the architects of it lie to us in a manner they deem more pleasing than Trump's demeanor. Strange for an otherwise extremely intelligent and experienced group.
Posted by: no one | 01 October 2015 at 07:33 PM
Origin,
Wouldn't that leave the Saudis unable to spare more troops for their effort in Yemen?
Posted by: different clue | 01 October 2015 at 09:34 PM
Tyler
(sigh ) ... what could possibly go wrong .
Posted by: alba etie | 01 October 2015 at 09:57 PM
This is one of the oldest stories in the world:
The degenerate ruling class of a late stage Empire, surrounded at every point by sycophants and courtiers, has chosen to live in a world built of the delusions that are the most satisfying to its vanity. Anyone who would challenge them has long since been banished from the Imperial court.
While he is clearly afflicted with this disease, this didn’t come from Obama. Those who can only respond to this crisis by emoting at the stereotypical hate figures of their chosen side can never comprehend it, and will usually fall prey to it themselves. The Republicans loudly rejected the humanitarian adventurism of Clinton the First, only to fall prey to the neocon adventurism of Bush the Second. The Democrats loudly rejected the neocon adventurism of Bush the Second only to fall prey to the humanitarian adventurism of Obama’s Amazons.
While this class is still capable of a kind of ruthless cynicism that seeks to engage in merciless power plays under the cover of moral camouflage, the mismatches between their real worldview and the reality they seek to manipulate are so profound that these maneuvers run aground almost immediately. The maneuver in Ukraine was completely cynical and utterly delusional *at the same time*. A true Machiavellian would have taken one look at that swamp and beheaded any advisors who were trying to drag him into it.
The best evidence that our policy is guided by delusions is the way that our rulers keep getting completely blindsided by the most obvious and predictable events. Dial back to the liberation of Crimea, watch the videos and listen to the podcasts, and pay very close attention to the body language, the facial expressions, and the tone of voice of the humanitarian adventurists. They were not faking their terror and disorientation. Real cynics would have seen the (unbelievably obvious) Russian move coming from a mile away, and would not have been so terrorized by it.
The bombing of “Pro-US” Syrian terrorists by the Russians is a case in point. Russia has spent the last month openly building up strike force in Syria and publicly preparing the political groundwork for the operation. The western media has of course covered this with the requisite hysteria. Then Putin goes to the UN and announces the Russian plan in a historical speech that receives international press coverage. Yet somehow the actual bombing of the terrorists who are literally threatening the Syrian state somehow catches the White House by surprise. Did they honestly think Putin was just bluffing? Did they think that he was going to ask permission first, and then only bomb the terrorists we don’t like?
Putin seems to have a very lucid understanding of his enemy’s delusions, and his strategic Judo maneuver in Syria is a brilliantly simple way to exploit them. He is going to refuse to make any distinction between “moderate” Wahhabist jihadists and the “Islamic State”, and he is going to wipe all of them out, starting with the ones supported by Israel and the NATO/GCC alliance, mainly because they are the first logical targets.
Predictably enough this has led the organs of the western foreign policy class to start loudly screaming that the Evil Putin is bombing the good “Pro-US” Jihadists, instead of the bad Islamic State. This is an open admission, from the perpetrators themselves, that they are in fact allied with the genocidal takfiris. Cynics would have the sense to shut the F up while Putin cleaned up the mess in Syria, and would be quietly helping as much as they could. Our ruling class, deprived of its “victory” in Syria, is instead proceeding to throw the loudest possible temper tantrum, and in the process show its filthy ass to the whole world.
Posted by: Akira | 01 October 2015 at 10:54 PM
https://thinkpatriot.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/previous-episodes-of-zealotry/
The ineffective way we are opposing ISIS says far more than the opposition.
And I am still waiting for US intelligence agencies to notice that ALL military empires die of military spending, and recommend a change of strategy because the US is doing so.
Posted by: lew | 02 October 2015 at 01:54 PM