UN says 900 Nusra left in East Aleppo

 

"A Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (Nusra) statement sent to the BBC pointed to similar initiatives in the central city of Homs in 2014 and the Damascus suburb of Darayya in August, where evacuations took place after years of siege and bombardment by President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

It was "clear", the statement said, that Russia wanted to "cleanse" areas of Sunni Muslims - who form the majority in Syria and dominate the opposition to Mr Assad, a member of the Shia Alawite sect - and to "differentiate" between rebel factions in order to weaken them.

"We choose not to give up our people," the statement said. "We will not betray their blood and we will continue our jihad until we remove the regime and any plan against that is rejected."

The UN, which has designated Jabhat Fateh al-Sham a terrorist organisation, says there are no more than 900 fighters from the group inside Aleppo, out of a maximum of 8,000 rebels in total.

In a separate development on Wednesday, officials in the besieged Damascus suburb of Muadhamiya said hundreds of people, many of them fighters, were being evacuated to the northern province of Idlib as part of a deal struck with the government last month that would see it retaking control."  BBC 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37705129

-------------

The charge that the Syrian Government wants to "ethnically cleanse" Syria of Sunni Arabs is demonstrably false.  There are many, many Sunni Muslims fighting on the government side against the coalition of Sunni jihadis and illusory "moderate" resistors in Syria.  There are many Sunni Arab civilians living in Damascus and other government held parts of Syria.

Yes, the Syrian government, Russia and the US all agreed that Nusra (Jabhat fatah al-Sham) is a terrorist organization and that the supposed "moderates" should separate themselves from Nusra as a pre-condition for a political settlement.

Nusra has refused to allow civilians to leave East Aleppo.

900?  Good, this is a nice round number.  They have been offered a free passage to rebel held Idlib Province like other surrendedered rebel groups (including jihadis).  They have declined, All that is missing from their statements is the reply "nuts!"  given by BG McAuliffe to the German demand for the surrender of the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne.

What should follow is  a final battle of annhihilation in East Aleppo.  pl

Comments

[mike allen]

Let's hope Assad's battle of annihilation does not include the Kurds in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood.

So, Assad allows and even helps to evacuate jihadis from Muadhamiya (and offers the same deal in Aleppo). By sending jihadis to Idlib province, which neighbors the Kurdish held Afrin Canton, Assad is betting they will end up as suicide bombers against the Kurdish YPG.

Yet he and his IRGC allies use agitprop against Coalition aircraft for not bombing Daesh and their civilian shields trying to flee from Mosul.

[turcopolier]

mike allen

You know that the Sheikh Maqsood Kurds have been cooperating with the government. What are you talking about? You favor the defeat of the Syrian government? pl

[mike allen]

Colonel -

The Kurds in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria are holding their breath while cooperating with Assad. They do not trust him. And they do not trust many of his allies. There have been shooting incidents between them at checkpoints in Sheik Maqsoud. That also happened in Qamislo. Thankfully for both sides they have been contained.

No, I do not favor the defeat of the Syrian government. Hopefully the Russians will keep Assad in line after the defeat of the jihadis so that he or his other allies do not go after the Kurds.

[turcopolier]

mike allen

You expect trust? My god! IMO the only choice is between the multi-confession coalition that is the Assad government or another Islamic State. that was always the only choice in a covert war waged by the US, Saudis, Qataris in the basking glow of the "Arab Spring." We incited this war. Our former ambassador there, Robert Ford, went around the country encouraging revolt in the massive spirit of naiveté that infused our idiocy in Egypt. There was never an chance that western style liberals largely generated at AUC could take over Egypt. It was ALWAYS going to be the Salafists of one kind or another or the Egyptian Army. Now the Egyptian Army is going to re-activate their old alliance with the Bear from fear of our untrustworthiness. The ME is not your old stomping ground in east Asia, nothing like it. pl

[kgw]

Your words contradict themselves, Mr. Allen. Rather like Mr. Kerry's.

[Harry]

I have been struck by this ethnic cleansing line which has been brewing for a while among the idiocracy. The borgists I know have been muttering ethnic cleansing for a while.

Of course it makes no sense, but that's the new propaganda line. But the UN is collaborating, and its a little irritating dealing with the bleating. Doesn't matter that the a SAA is majority Sunni. They think they most people don't know these facts and they are probably right.

It's a good line. Minimizes the damage to borg reputations when Assad takes East Aleppo. And if there are no civilians no matter. Assad and Putin must have killed them all

[Degringolade]

I will kill two birds with one stone. First is congrats on 15mm. A hell of a feat. I might even go over and feed the organ grinder.

The second, you can leave this on as a comment, but I think that this:

http://dtic.mil/doctrine/concepts/joe/joe_2035_july16.pdf

Should be the subject of a stand alone thread.

[Lemur]

Here's the various dramatizations of the famous 'nuts' response:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX6oN-wCIEk

[mike allen]

Colonel -

You are right that I know little or nothing about the Middle East.

But I know a little bit about propaganda no matter whether it is by Jane Fonda or by Assad and his allies. Assad's BS on America sponsoring ISIL and al Quaeda stinks like a fish left out of the fridge for four days.

I do not disbelieve what you say re Ambassador Ford, and I do not defend his actions. But what is your opinion on the attack on him by a pro-government mob because of Assad's charges that Ford was forming death squads against Alawites and Christians? Death squads? Ford was a career diplomat, I find that charge hard to believe.

I have no beef with the Syrian people and hope they have a stable government and lasting peace for the next millenium. All of them regardless of their religion

And I have no beef with a Persian or Shia crescent reaching to Syria and Lebanon.

But this constant trash they put out about us supporting ISIS and al-Quaeda is 100% bogus. Assad's name, meaning Lion in Arabic I believe, should be changed. How do you say weasel in Arabic?

[Earthrise]

I hate having to express such a barbaric opinion as this, but annihilation is the only option. Whether the die in Aleppo, or in the reduction of the Idlib pocket to come, die they must. They have forfeited their humanity when they raped and brutalised the innocent Syrian people, for money and kicks no less. The Syrians who joined the rebels should be treated through the justice system, foreign mercenaries need to know in the future they will not get away with it. Like captured spies, or soldiers caught without their uniforms behind enemy lines, summary executions all round. I hear the Palestinians assaulting north Aleppo are doing this already, fair enough. Any rat who escapes this sinking ship will pop up in North Africa, Yemen, (insert next Zionist target here). There cannot be another Syria, it must stop here, no further.

[Babak Makkinejad]

May be you can explain why you and TTG and other Americans are so enamored of the Kurds?

There are lots and lots of minorities in the world - the Basques, for example - or the Catalans - among others.

Why Kurds?

[kooshy]

Ok, Mike as you claim, the Kurds in Syria don't' trust Assad and by extension they wouldn't trust Iranians (you say IRGC for some pointed reason?) and Russians since they are Assad allies, for sure we know they don't trust Turkey, and you claim the Jihadi Arabs, are moving closer to them so they can do suicide attacks on them so as result I think we can't put them on the trusted column, and i would think just like in Iraq they wouldn't trust the rest of syrian arabs regardless of their religion, that is because the syrian Kurds want to take a chunk of the country away. So can you explain to us who beside the US and europeans the Kurds should trust, and how good would they can do for them living beside all this people they can't trust ?
Sorry to say this but IMO if you already are not, you fit to be in Obama' planning team, what you complain about and what you wish to happen it can't happen , is as good as a policy as Assad must go.

[Seamus Padraig]

The ones 'going after the Kurds' at the moment are the Turks.

[Fred]

Col.,

Hilary stated at tonight's debate that she was for no fly zones and safe zones in Syria. That means war with Russia, and for what?

[The Twisted Genius]

Babak,

I'll speak for myself. The Rojava Kurds have been in the fight against IS from the start. They've stayed in that fight and have killed a lot of jihadis. I admire their fight. That's why I'm enamored of them. If I was a young, single man, there's a damned good chance I'd be there helping them kill jihadis. I have nothing against the Basques or Catalans, but there's nothing about them that excites me.

[mike allen]

Babak -

Yes, why not the Catalans or the Basques? Or the Standing Rock Sioux? Or the Balooch or the Montagnards? Or the Shia in eastern Arabia? I admire them all for putting up with adversity. Rooting for the underdog used to be a grand old American custom.

I can't speak for TTG. I admire the Kurdish people for their backbone and stoutheartedness in the face of their oppression - By ISIL, by Saddaam, by Erdogan, by Reza Shah and his successors, and by current day jihadis.

[Babak Makkinejad]

I very much would like to see Americans - outside of the Fraternal Order of Fire Fighters of Boston that supported IRA and thus the break-up of the United Kingdom - to kindly stop throwing stones; they themselves live in a glass house.

You guys would be more credible if you voluntarily gave back the 1/3 of Mexico that you gained in that shameful war to the United Mexican States.

And while you are it, may be you can issue an apology to CAS, and retreat back North of the Mason Dixon Line.

And if that is too much, perhaps you can try to persuade Italy to give back Tyrol of Austria and to stop culturally oppressing all those Germans.

And I am not even going to mention what you ought to do in case of the poor oppressed Hungarian minorities suffering under the yoke of those Romanians, Serbians, Ukrainians and others.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Mossadegh, Diem, and Qaddafi put their trust in foreigners; enough said.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Why not Kashmir then; Monotheists are fighting against the oppression of Polytheists?

[mike allen]

Kooshy -

I think the Syrian Kurds do have some trust in Russia. Russia has declared its support for the YPG and their political arm the PYD. This resulted in Syrian Kurds opening a representative office in Moscow. I have not heard that the Russians closed it down after their recent reconciliation with Turkey. They may have? But what do I know? I am not privy to their consultations with Russia.

I did not claim that jihadi Arabs were moving to Idlib to kill Kurds. I suggested that may have what was in the mind of President Assad when he evacuated jihadi fighters from Muadhamiya to Idlib and offered the same deal to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, AKA al-Nusra Front and al-Qaeda, in East Aleppo. Do you not read newspapers

Obama planning team? The evacuation of Muadhamiya happened and is not WH talking points. Too bad that the jihadis in east Aleppo did not take Assad up on the deal.

Why did I point out the IRGC you ask? Because they have propagated Assad's falsehoods about American support for ISIL and al Quaeda. That is vile slander.

[mike allen]

Sorry you say that Colonel. I am not passing on propaganda, only what I personally believe. Standing up against vile slander that American military men would deliberately aid ISIL and al Quaeda is not propagandism.

And I believe you feel the same way.

[b]

In April the spokesman of the U.S. Centcom op said Al-Qaeda rules Aleppo (province and east city). In September the UN envoy said al-Qaeda is the majority of fighters in east-Aleppo. In early October he says al-Qaeda is 900 out of 8,000 fighters in east-Aleppo. I wonder who put pressure on him to change the real situation to that fantasy version. Days later some "diplomatic officials" tell Reuters that there ar actually only "perhaps below 100" and "only symbolic" al-Qaeda in east-Aleppo. The question is now if those "symbolic" are actually only two or three.

The changes came after Russia offered to let al-Qaeda leave east-Aleppo. The CIA plan is now obviously to let the two or three geriatric al-Qaeda fighters leave and declare all the rest in east-Aleppo non-al-Qaeda.
(see my site for links to the sources - http://www.moonofalabama.org/2016/10/number-of-al-qaeda-fighters-in-east-aleppo-defined-down-to-three.html)

Nice try. The Syrians and Russians will not fall for it.

The CIA sponsored Zinki group in east-Aleppo (the child beheaders) offered solidarity with al-Qaeda, will not leave and will continue to fight with them. Today the CIA + Muslim Brotherhood sponsored Faylaq al-Sham in Idleb declared to join al-Qaeda. A group a day ...

All this differentiation is nonsense. The DIA already stated in 2012 that there are no "moderates", only various level of Jihadis. Assad said there are only two ways to handle them. Throw them out of Syria or kill them.

I agree with him and prefer the second model (unless they go to Saudi Arabia).

[wrathofaton]

Bombing SAA positions is not helping ISIS?
Allowing ISIS oil smuggling routes to exist for years is not supporting ISIS?

[Tigermoth]

Here is proof for you.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/turkish-artillery-airstrikes-target-kurdish-forces-afrin-canton/

Over 20 Turkish airstrikes with artillery fire have targeted Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions around Janderes and Afrin.

Note that these areas are not near the Euphrates Shield operational area.
and this:

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/turkish-military-push-idlib-prepare-assault-kurdish-afrin-province/

"According to reports by Al-Dorar, Turkish forces with bulldozers and diggers penetrated as much as 500m into Idlib province near Aqrabat.

These forces began to dig up farmland and olive trees, in which some trees can take up to ten years before they bear fruit with the minimum at three years using modern methods.

The Turkish forces supposedly entered Aqrabat to prepare for a ground invasion against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in Afrin province. This report however could not be corroborated by Al-Masdar News.

Al-Dorar reported that the Turkish forces withdrew under pressure from local farmers who were angered by the destruction of their farmland and olive trees."

The Afrin YPG has started a move to the east towards Al-Bab, and Turkey is backing their moderates with artillery support.

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/turkish-backed-rebels-kurds-battle-northern-aleppo-isis-retreats/

"Following a rebel request for Kurdish forces to conduct a complete withdrawal from Tall Rifaat yesterday, clashes have now erupted between the Kurdish YPG and Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

Heavy skirmishes and artillery bombardment erupted near and around the Shabha Reservoir on Wednesday despite neither directly conceding villages to the other. Clashes were also observed yesterday on the eastern outskirts of Harbul and Shaykh Isa.

It will be interesting to see the Russian response to this. It Turkey overstepping their "agreement"?

Does anyone know more about this incident? Belgium seems to be denying it and has called in the Russian ambassador.

"Russia to regard Belgian strikes in Aleppo as support for Nusra if no criticism follows."

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/russia-regard-belgian-strikes-aleppo-support-nusra-no-criticism-follows/

"Moscow expects the US-led coalition to provide an adequate response to the Belgian Air Force’s bombing of Aleppo, Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

"We have information on the US-led coalition’s airstrikes, particularly the Belgian Air Force’s bombing of Aleppo’s civil infrastructure, with civilian casualties having been reported," she said.

"We expect the US-led coalition and Belgium, in particular, as well as all the international institutions, who have been so deeply concerned about the Russian Aerospace Force air raids, especially about alleged strikes on civilian targets, to provide an adequate response," Zakharova said. "We believe that this fact cannot be ignored."

"If no one comments on it, then we will conclude that the real concern is not about the plight of Aleppo’s civilians," the diplomat added. "This media buzz is aimed at protecting Jabhat al-Nusra (terrorist group outlawed in Russia) and preventing the Russian Aerospace Forces from eliminating the terrorist groups in Aleppo."

"There can be no other explanation. If no direct condemnation of the US-led coalition, the Belgian Air Force actions follows, then we will have to consider it as an attempt to shield the terrorist groups active on Syria’s territory," Zakharova stressed.

On October 18, Russia’s Reconciliation Center in Syria reported the Hassadjek village had been battered by an airstrike which left six people dead and four injured. At that time, there were no Russian Aerospace Forces or Syrian Air Force aircraft in the area in question while Belgian F-16 fighter jets were detected."

[Tigermoth]

With regards to terrorists leaving Aleppo, I find this interesting:

https://southfront.org/militants-fleeing-aleppo-city-150-ahrar-al-sham-members-leave-bustan-al-qasir-neighborhood-video/

"150 Ahrar al-Sham members evacuated from Bustan Al-Qasir Neighborhood of Aleppo city under the deal with Moscow and Damascus. There are no doubts that this incident will strengthen the government forces’ positions in the area and create a precedent for further withdrawal of militants from the city.

Unconfirmed reports say that 2 facts were the reason of Ahrar al-Sham’s decision:

Complicated military situation in the area
Conflicts with Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki (October 17 interfighting reportedly resulted in 12 killed members of Ahrar al-Sham and Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki)
A major part of the evacuated militants were transfered to the province of Idlib. Nonetheless, some of them decided to lay down and use an opporutnity to back to the normal life."

The question is: How many US coalitions "assets" were on those buses?

Also, the article implies that the transfer of terrorists to Idlib hasn't made the locals happy. I disagree here is why:

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/thousands-syrians-celebrate-expulsion-militants-key-damascus-suburb/

Thousands of Syrians celebrate the expulsion of militants from key Damascus suburb

"DAMASCUS, SYRIA (10:10 P.M.) - Thousands of Syrian civilians poured into the streets of Qudsiyah on Monday to celebrate the expulsion of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham (formerly Al-Nusra Front) from this imperative Damascene suburb."

This removal of the militants was actually orchestrated by the locals.

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/qudsiyah-al-hamah-militants-reconcile-following-public-pressure/

"The agreement is to ensure that the aforementioned towns are free of weapons. Sources report that lists of insurgents who plan on taking up the amnesty offer are being made after they were forced to kneel down to unprecedented public pressure of civilians who did not want their hometowns turned into battlefields."

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/massive-protest-rebel-violence-qudsiyah-suburb-damascus/

"DAMASCUS, SYRIA (5:30 P.M.) - Several hundred civilians flooded the streets of the Qudsiyah Suburb on Friday, calling on the rebels to reconcile with the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and end the violence plaguing the area.

Qudsiyah's civilians demanded that the rebels reconcile with the Syrian government as soon as possible, or else, they will be expelled from the suburb by the people.

This massive protest was conducted on Friday in response to the huge attack launched by the rebels against the Syrian Arab Army inside Qudsiyah."

IMO this shows a willingness amongst the Syrians for dialogue and a peaceful life. Unfortunately this isn't the US coalition's agenda.