A video is worth a thousand words.
Well, pilgrims, this is the Aziziya neighborhood in West Aleppo. It is a very multi-confessional district. I particularly like the brass band in Santa suits. They appear to be playing the Syrian National Anthem. Note the two comely teen aged girl scouts standing near the band. The display of flags is interesting; Syria, Russia, Hizbullah. One of our German correspondents on SST informed us the other day that there are now some Christian members of Hizbullah, the Lebanese Shia militia. This would make sense because after the 2006 war against Israel Hizbullah assigned priority of its own reconstruction money to Christians in south Lebanon. The tree has a Lebanese cedar emblem on it so I suppose it came from there. The MSM portrays Aleppo as a smoking ruin. What do you say about this, Joe? pl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYiJF5OCgFQ https://
pl
Very nice....lets hope in a year from now the east side will also be celebrating.....
Posted by: norlurking | 21 December 2016 at 10:00 AM
Make sure Morning J-- watches this clip as well. It's excellent. Eva Bartlett, Canadian journalist on a panel at UN 12/09/2016. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HTq3QtDP9Lk
Posted by: Clarence S | 21 December 2016 at 11:36 AM
I am reliably informed said Brass Band Santas in Aleppo are playing the Armenian folk song, Zartir Lao.
Posted by: Davy Lane | 21 December 2016 at 11:43 AM
This exposes the depths of the depravity these fanatics have fallen into—here we see parents sending their own young children to their deaths. The parents of two young girls fit them with suicide vests, send them into a police station in Damascus, and then press the detonator button to blow them up remotely. They are 7 and 9 years old. Our concepts of crime and punishment, rehabilitation and reconciliation, and our assumptions of innocence until proven guilty, don't seem to fit fanatics like this. We have been on the wrong side of this and will pay the price for empowering these terrorists for the last 15 years.
"A last kiss for mama: Jihadi parents bid young daughters goodbye... before one walks into a Damascus police station and is blown up by remote detonator"
"A police source told Al-Watan that the little girl had appeared lost and asked to use the bathroom before the explosives went off."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4054312/Jihadi-parents-teach-young-daughters-suicide-bombers-kiss-goodbye-startling-footage-shortly-seven-year-old-walked-Damascus-police-station-blown-remote-detonator.html
By Julian Robinson for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 04:28 EST, 21 December 2016 | UPDATED: 07:24 EST, 21 December 2016
Posted by: Sylvia Demarest | 21 December 2016 at 11:49 AM
re: "We have been on the wrong side of this and will pay the price for empowering these terrorists for the last 15 years."
I wonder if those responsible for these policies will ever pay a price. I doubt it.
BTW, from the comments I read, it seems that the readership of DailyMail are no longer buying the crap purveyed by the British Borg.
Ishmael Zechariah
Posted by: Ishmael Zechariah | 21 December 2016 at 01:09 PM
I've got a lot mails wishing me happy holidays. Are there any other holidays now apart from Christmas?
Posted by: LG | 21 December 2016 at 01:09 PM
Davy Lane,
Zartir Lao is not exactly Christmas music. It is a folk song about the need to rise up and fight the wicked and oppressive Turks.
Posted by: Eric Newhill | 21 December 2016 at 01:31 PM
Syrian Ambassador to UN Bashar al Jaafari held a press conference at the United Nations a few days ago stating the names of 14 "foreign intelligence officers" from USA, Saudia Arabia, Turkey, Israel, etc they have detained in East Aleppo. This seems significant to me. I searched "google news" and there appear to be no articles written about this press conference and this information...I just watched this press conference on uTube. I am wondering if anyone would comment about this assertion by the Syrian UN Ambassador: "Bashar Al-Ja'afari exposes foreign agents in Syria"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpIfi-1ss0U
Walter
Posted by: walter | 21 December 2016 at 01:32 PM
There was also a tree-lighting ceremony and Christmas celebration at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus. SANA has pix. It's a beautiful tree.
http://sana.sy/en/?p=96606
Re the hotel, from their website:
"The hotel location at the center of the famous Syrian Oasis, the Gouta, gives it an enchanting panoramic view of Damascus. Situated near the heart of the business & shopping district, old city and museums, Dama Rose hotel offers all the conveniences of an international five-star hotel...."
Re the tree-lighting ceremony in al-Aziziyeh Square in W. Aleppo, SANA reports: "The tree, which is the largest since the beginning of the terrorist war on the country, was lit by the Armenian New Generation Cultural Association in cooperation with the Tenth Scout Group."
http://sana.sy/en/?p=96763
Posted by: Pundita | 21 December 2016 at 01:48 PM
On a closely related topic, are we converging on a number for the Eastern Aleppo pocket regarding the civilians?
At this point, I am going with the one that says that there was a total of about 100,000 civilians before the final push.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/staged-videos-showing-russian-bombardments-syria-made-militants-russian-mod/
I believe the Russians because they are feeding them and they along with the SAA were there to count them. As I mentioned earlier, Assad's govt has more of an interest to over rather than under them so this is the best number that I have seen to date.
How many militants / civilians have taken the Green Buses out of govt held territory?
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_SYRIA_RUSSIA_TURKEY_THE_LATEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-12-20-08-39-22
If you dig through this article, at the time it was written they said that about 3,000 were waiting to leave. In the section marked, 11:45 am, a member of the Red Crescent said that 25,000 had been bused out but I am not certain if these were rebel civilians leaving govt held territory of if this includes civilians being relocated to govt held areas as well.
The SOHR threw gave a number but I don't trust them.
So taking it at face value ...
100,000 civilians were in Aleppo and about 75,000 elected to stay in govt held territory. Other references are welcome.
Posted by: Chris Chuba | 21 December 2016 at 02:45 PM
Rebels are claiming that this guy was a well known local crazy, a Druze convert who tried to kill his own mother for still being Druze, expelled by IS for declaring takfir on everybody. He joined up with nusra and did the same.
Posted by: Serge | 21 December 2016 at 03:01 PM
Attempt by the Turks to thrust into Al Bab ended in catastrophe today. Turks just announced that 13 soldiers are dead and 33 wounded from a VBIED, and they and their underlings have been pushed back way beyond the original lines they occupied before today's offensive after a mass rout caused by (2-3) mass casualty VBIED attacks occurring in quick succession
Posted by: Serge | 21 December 2016 at 03:03 PM
Most of the public isn't buying the crap the governments of the western world are selling. The only reason we didn't go into Syria the first time after BO red line was because the people actually starting calling and writing letters to their elected officials.
Posted by: eakens | 21 December 2016 at 03:52 PM
and the Syrian national anthem
Posted by: sam | 21 December 2016 at 04:04 PM
Here's a Q&A by the Saker with a Lebanese Christian on Hezbollah. Well worth a read.
http://thesaker.is/the-sakers-qa-with-lebanese-christian-about-hezbollah-christian-relations/
Posted by: Lemur | 21 December 2016 at 04:43 PM
Sylvia
This shows the depravity of these inhumans. They should be shown no mercy. As a grandparent with similar aged grandkids I am devastated and outraged at this kind of behavior. And Obama and Hillary support these kinds of monsters. That is truly deplorable!
Posted by: Jack | 21 December 2016 at 04:58 PM
Colonel,
I believe that there have been Christian members of the Hizb for several years now.
Posted by: Dubhaltach | 21 December 2016 at 05:07 PM
Photograph from Fars News Agency, purporting to show a pile of shave beards, discovered in Aleppo.
http://www.fardanews.com/fa/news/605361/%D8%B9%DA%A9%D8%B3-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%88-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7
If true, they owners would be on their way to Europe, I should imagine.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 21 December 2016 at 05:16 PM
Festivus, for the rest of us!
Posted by: BabelFish | 21 December 2016 at 05:18 PM
In what passes for a winter day in North-East Florida, the natives are scurrying around in jackets and snorkel parkas, tossing sneers and 'damn you' stares at the Mainer in their midst, still in his Salt Life shirt and shorts.
Posted by: BabelFish | 21 December 2016 at 05:24 PM
"The only reason we didn't go into Syria the first time after BO red line was because the people actually starting calling and writing letters to their elected officials."
I'd like to believe that. I got back a very civil note from my MP when I wrote in. I noticed he still voted with the Government though.
Maybe such letters helped. I hope so. It was believed at the time here that the House of Commons vote dissuaded Obama from going in. I thought, however, that the main reason was that an analysis of the Sarin showed the wrong origin.
Posted by: English Outsider | 21 December 2016 at 05:28 PM
Another vide with Eva Bartlett. I'm sorry to say RT.COM put her up against British idiot, Dilly Hussain. Judge for yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5-R_tvyMVM
Posted by: Ghostship | 21 December 2016 at 05:38 PM
I've only been there in the run-up to Christmas Day, but yes, Aleppo did an enthusiastic Christmas- and looks like it intends to keep doing so. Clearly a significant time for the Armenians and other Christian groups, but it also seemed to be welcomed by the nominally Muslim population as well, as a way of punctuating the cold months. Besides, Jesus is the second-last prophet, so marking his birth isn't really out of line unless you are an extremist.
I still have my favorite set of Christmas lights to remind me of Aleppo- a series of stars and crescent moons, purchased from an auto parts shop in the old town.
For the Hatay game players, it may be relevant that heating around Aleppo is provided by either fuel oil or mahzoot (diesel fuel). And Aleppo gets cold, although the snow doesn't usually come until January. Moving this much additional liquid fuel would be a significant logistical task that could compete with other priorities.
Posted by: Henshaw | 21 December 2016 at 07:17 PM
Colonel I don't know if Morning Joe is on the same page with CNN on who won the popular vote. but CNN is not giving up that Hillary won more than 2.5 million popular votes than president elect Trump. I hope someone will be allowed to be on air in this air rag and say ok Hillary won state of California with 2 million more votes, can we please make Hillary president of California to shut you guys up. How long they want to drag this irrelevant popular vote count.
Posted by: kooshy | 21 December 2016 at 07:41 PM
France will be in the normalize relations with Russia camp after their presidential election. Both candidates expected to reach the final round have similar position on this subject.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/21/marine-le-pens-russian-links-us-scrutiny/
We should expect to see the sanctions against Russia end next year. Obama's policy has been a failure with not much to show at best.
Posted by: Jack | 21 December 2016 at 07:41 PM