Incident at Al-Tanf - TTG

Yesterday a CJTFOIR spokesperson issued the following statement concerning an attack on Syrian forces thirty kilometers northwest of the Syrian-Iraqi border crossing of Al-Tanf.

“The coalition struck pro-regime forces that were advancing well inside an established de-confliction zone northwest of Al-Tanf, Syria, May 18, and that posed a threat to U.S. and partner forces at Al-Tanf.  This action was taken after apparent Russian attempts to dissuade Syrian pro-regime movement south towards Al-Tanf were unsuccessful, a coalition aircraft show of force, and the firing of warning shots.  Coalition forces have been operating in the At Tanf area for many months training and advising vetted partner forces engaged in the fight against ISIS.  The agreed upon de-confliction zone agreement remains in effect.”

Al Masdar News was told the following by the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus:

- The U.S. Coalition warplane entered Syrian airspace from the Jordanian border

- A convoy of five T-62 tanks were hit by the U.S. Coalition

- Two tanks were destroyed

- A Shilka was damaged

- Six military personnel were killed and another three were wounded

- Convoy consisted of soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), National Defense Forces (NDF), Hezbollah, and Imam Al-‘Ali Battalions   

First, let’s establish the importance of Al-Tanf. It lies along the Baghdad-Damascus highway on the Syrian-Iraqi border. Its importance to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon (the dreaded Shia Crescent) should be obvious. That is also why it is so important to the Coalition, the Saudis, Qataris and the Israelis. The Coalition is using the Al-Tanf area as a base for their new unicorn army whose real purpose is, not to fight IS, but to ensure Syria does not regain her territorial integrity. US and British special operations forces are training and equipping rebel units there including the Maghaweir Al-Thawra group. This outfit recently advanced east of Al-Tanf towards the Euphrates. If the SAA took Al-Tanf, these rebels would be cut off from their Coalition support.

The Coalition has unilaterally declared a thirty kilometer or so exclusionary zone around Al-Tanf. Even so, our new unicorns at Al-Tanf have been attacked by IS jihadis at least twice. They have also been attacked by Russian and Syrian aircraft on two occasions. Yesterday, the Coalition decided to enforce their exclusion zone. Syrian forces were denied access to Syrian territory by lethal US force.

Yesterday’s attack on the Syrian column was done with the full knowledge and direction of the CJCS and President. We deliberately risked killing Russian advisors who accompanied this SAA column. This attack exposes this administration’s true objectives in the region. Apologists cannot write this off as some mistake attributed to the fog of war or some clever three dimensional chess gambit. It is a craven embrace of the “Assad must go” policy and everything it stands for.

How will the R+6 respond? The offensive to open the Damascus-Baghdad highway will continue. The assault from the west with the SAA’s 5th and 7th armored divisions has already made good progress in the Al-Sweida Governate against the US-backed Jaysh Assoud Al-Sharqiya. Further north, the SAA’s 5th Legion along with forces from Hezbollah, NDF and the Imam Ali Battalions are poised to resume their offensive towards Al-Tanf. These forces will now, undoubtedly, be accompanied by Russian and Syrian air defense and air support. The SAA column struck by coalition aircraft today was probably just a reconnaissance in force. What’s coming? Here’s a possibility. “And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.” 

TTG

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/18/world/us-syria-airstrikes/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-syria-anger-us-airstrike-syrian-troops-bashar-assad-al-tanf/

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/pictures-syrian-army-reinforcements-pour-syrian-desert-despite-us-airstrikes/

Comments

[Babak Makkinejad]

TTG:

R+6 will ignore this clear provocation but continue the war.

[Babak Makkinejad]

It would be political suicide for the Hashemite King, himself from the Family of the Prophet (& Imam Ali) to wage war against the Party of Ali; in my opinion.

[The Twisted Genius]

Babak,

I agree. They will continue their offensive to take Al-Tanf as planned.

[DH]

Too messy. What are the odds of a de facto division of Syria and western Iraq. Everyone gets what they want, more or less.

[BraveNewWorld]

As much as I wish the Russians would push back on every one that keeps shooting up Syria with aircraft, so far there is exactly zero evidence that they ever will. If the US declared a NFZ over Syria I don't think Russia would do a thing about it. Syria is only so important to Russia. Revealing all the secrets of S300/S400 just isn't in the cards.

The SAA just doesn't have any thing that they can use against US jets using stand off weapons or dropping from high altitudes. So far the SAA has shown zero interest in going after Americans on the ground, so the US basically has carte blanche to do what ever they want in Syria.

Trump is on his way to KSA as we speak to help assemble the Sunni/Israili NATO so I expect the US is laying the groundwork for the great war in the Middle East that the KSA is paying for. With the elections over, I expect Iran to start upping it's game as they know what is coming due to the Saudis running their mouths about attacking Iran.

[visitor]

Argh, typepad seems to consider punctuation as part of the HTML link. A lesson for the next time.

Regarding that region referred to in the article: it precisely includes Al-Tanf. The map "military situation in Syria, May 10th 2017" highlights Al-Tanf as a flash point (with appropriate arrows showing the movement of opposing factions).

[English Outsider]

A "military source" is cited as claiming:-

"... one of the vehicles of the Syrian army was equipped with an anti-aircraft weapon and started to fire at the US warplanes and forced them to fly at higher altitudes. "Then the Syrian army's S-200 air defense shield deployed in al-Dhumayr region in Northeastern Damascus operated to shoo away the US aircraft.

"The US fighter jets left the region as soon as the S-200 anti-aircraft battalion fire missiles at them, the source confirmed, adding that six Syrian soldiers were killed and three more wounded in the US air raid on the Syrian convoy."

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960229000730

A credible source? Or the writer sketching out what he would have liked to have happened, or what he would like to see happen next time?

[Red Cloud]

It's unrealistic IMO to think that any force capable of overthrowing Assad could be quietly developed in some desolate corner of the country. Even if these unicorns make it to Deir Ezzor they would just be clearing the way for the SAA. The US coalition is in full desperation at this point because they can't keep bombing the SAA every few days forever...

[kooshy]

It's now obvious that US totally support and sides with Sunni muslims and Russia has set her strategy to support the Shia.
IMO the problem for US side is that the theater of force concentration Iraq and Syria is historically and traditionally has non- Sunni Arab majority, as matter of fact Sunni Kurds resent and hate Arab and Turk sunnies more than they hate Shia Iranians. Even the Ottoman Turks were not able to change the demography. I can't see what American forces can archive or for how long they will be willing to pay with blood and resources for support of sunni Arab minority in the area that they cannot control.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Castellio:

For your entertainment: an Arab urging Trump to become - in effect - the Grand Mufti of Islam.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/reflections-trumps-first-state-visit-the-middle-east-20753

[kooshy]

According to Fars News (in Persian) Jordan has announced Jordanian forces had nothing to do with US attack on SAA and allies forces.

http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13960228000950

[JerseyJeffersonian]

Kooshy,

I would imagine that Jordan probably considers the US policy of cherishing the vipers of jihadism to their breast to serve as their proxy forces to overthrow the Syrian government, and further acting as their air force to protect them from Syrian/Syrian allies trying to enforce their own territorial integrity to be a dubious example to hold up.

The universalist ambitions of these jihadis against any system other than their own model would be unlikely to be a wholesome paradigm to flaunt about from the Jordanian's perspective. Yes, they may not love the Syrians in all of their multi-confessional diversity, but once they are done down, why would the jihadis not immediately turn and direct their attention against the Jordanian government as well?

[Stumpy]

First, let’s establish the importance of Al-Tanf. It lies along the Baghdad-Damascus highway on the Syrian-Iraqi border.

Another Highway of Death?

[The Beaver]

Colonel,

I have just been listening to Sec Def Gen Mattis, CJCS Dunford and Pres Trump has accelerated the campaign

https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[b]

Ok, get it.

CJTFOR misappropriated the air deconfliction zone Russia and the U.S. had agreed upon. That then can indeed interpreted as an "exclusionary zone" CJTFOR will exclusionary accept that ...

If they want to keep that zone up CentCom better get the U.S. out of Iraq. More PMU militia will come up to Tanf and get hurt or killed by U.S. forces. Their brothers in Iraq will know how to hit back.

[b]

I don't accept the "strategic importance" tale for the Tanf crossing for Iran.

When the U.S. occupied Iraq and Israel attacked Hizbullah the Iran-Hizb connection continued to work.
When ISIS controlled the Syrian-Iraqi border the Iran-Syria connection still worked.

Physical connections between allies are not of utmost importance for these actors.

[VietnamVet]

TTG

This post confirms what I felt when I first heard this, the leadership of the American Empire is unhinged.

There is literally nothing there at Al-Tanf except the Damarcus Baghdad Road and the borders of Syria, Jordon and Iraq nearby. This is a direct attack against the armed forces of a sovereign nation within their recognized borders. The USA is at war with Syria Arab Republic even if corporate media doesn’t report it. The only reason this happened is that Israel and the Gulf Monarchies requested it. Blood is flowing onto asphalt and desert sand to assure a road stays closed to one of major Abrahamic religions. Indeed, the horsemen of the Apocalypse have been let loose.

[The Beaver]

The latest I just saw 2 hrs ago, they are less than 50 Kms from Al-Tanf

[Castellio]

Thanks for the link.

And I quote: "The Trump administration, working alongside its Arab allies, should promote moderate or quietist forms of Islam, and not remain neutral on religious matters. This means working with Islamic leaders, many of whom are state-funded imams, to challenge jihad on a religious basis and offer a form of faith shorn of violence."

As written by one Ahmed Charai: "on the board of directors of the Atlantic Council, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Center for the National Interest."

[Fred]

Stumpy,

With whose air force, the R+6 or ours?

[Lemur]

no, i don't a land link is 'critical'.

Simply because Israel occasionally hits munitions bound for Lebanon doesn't mean they have shut down supply.

[Kooshy]

As well as Afghan Shia militia Fatimon

[Massinissa]

Reminds me of pre-ww2 when Mussolini had himself declared 'The Protector of Islam' after he colonized Libya.

[turcopolier]

b

"Convoy consisted of soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), National Defense Forces (NDF), Hezbollah, and Imam Al-‘Ali Battalions" I don't see any PMU in that list of people in the column attacked yesterday. What are you talking about? Do you think the IRAQI PMU will approach the Syrian town of al-Tanf? So what re you talking about? Changing the subject slightly what do you think the future role of the IRAQI PMU will be generally? pl

[different clue]

james,

In the spirit of "applied kremlinology", the MSM is a fine place to go to try analyzing the purposes and uses of the various flavors of Borg propaganda and agitation material. It may give a clue to details of policy and strategy and even finer-grained tactics being planned in a way kind-of-reverse to how looking at particle-passage vapor trails in a bubble chamber can tell us what kind of subatomic particles passed through the chamber.