In the ongoing battles around Damascus it seems more and more clear to me that the Syrian Government is consolidating its position in its heartlands in anticipation of an armistice negotiated by the Russians, an armistice that may last for years as the government and the rebels (now mostly jihadis) gather their strength for a renewal of the conflict toward a final result that will result in annihilation of one side. The East Gouta pocket is being sliced up apace by the SAA. The western part of the pocket is a built up urban area while the eastern area is farmland and villages. The SAA chose to go into Gouta from the east and are now evacuating civilians from the remaining jihadi held urban areas in the west of the pocket. 10,000 are reported to have been evacuated thus far. They are assisted in this by the Russian military police. The evacuees are leaving by moving east through the farmland rather than west through metropolitan Damascus. There have been numerous demonstrations in favor of the government in the rebel/jihadi held areas of Gouta. This has been little reported in Western media.
The continuing US policy of regime change in Syria leaves little possibility that the government can recover Syria east and north of the Euphrates River. That land is under US government "protection." How the movement of (US) Kurds to Afrin to fight will affect that is unpredictable.
As SST forecast just after the fall of Aleppo City to the government, Idlib Province has become a cancerous wound in the side of the possibility of a fully re-united Syria. The Turks are taking advantage of their burgeoning relationship with Russia to eradicate Kurdish control of Afrin district in Aleppo Province. The Turks are making steady progress in this effort. The evolving tie to Russia is evident in the S-400 SAM deal and Russia seems complicit in the "Olive Branch" campaign. There are clearly limits to Russian protection of the SAG. The Turks have now established "observation posts" of company size all along the eastern border of Idlib Province. These are positioned to impede a renewed advance of R+6 into Idlib Province once SAA and friends are finished in the Damascus area. The latest of these posts is now being placed just NW of Aleppo so as to prevent an advance by the government to the west into northern Aleppo Province. IMO what we are seeing is a slow motion annexation of NW Syria by Turkey. Tayyip Erdogan seems to want to be remembered as Fatih Sultan Tayyip. Would the SAG be strong enough to fight Turkey in Idlib? That is an open question.
The Russian MoD says that the US is planning cruise missile attacks on Syria in response to a putative gas attack in the Gouta area. This is somewhat amusing given the recent capture of a jihadi chlorine gas factory in East Gouts, but, we will see. pl
https://southfront.org/overview-of-battle-for-afrin-on-march-17-2018-map-video-photo/
https://southfront.org/turkish-army-is-establishing-new-observation-post-north-of-aleppo-city-video/
Colonel,
Is the American attempt to bifurcate Syria an attempt to impede the OBOR initiative that China is implementing as well as an attempt to impede Russian oil and gas pipelines from avoiding US "friends" in eastern Europe?
I can understand the Turkish animosity toward the Kurds and their reciprocity, is that a separate issue.
General S. Butler wrote that war is an economic activity ( a racket he called it ).
Posted by: Charles | 17 March 2018 at 04:49 PM
Charles
Butler was a soldier in America's colonial wars, not an intellectual of any kind. War is not always or even predominately an economic activity. US policy in Syria is altogether a result of Zionist political power in the US and the Likud's obsession with Syria, Hizbullah and Ian. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 17 March 2018 at 04:54 PM
Colonel
Re the Russian assertion that the US now has "Strike groups of naval carriers with cruise missiles" in both the Med. and the Red Sea - is this credible/verifiable? One (Theodore Roosevelt) is already in the Gulf, but short of an attack being launched, how would we learn of the presence of other Naval forces in the area? Is there a recent open source for CSG locations (link below maybe)? I am assuming one cannot sail a CSG between the Pillars of Hercules without being noticed, for example.
Thanks
http://www.gonavy.jp/CVLocation.html
Posted by: Account Deleted | 17 March 2018 at 05:19 PM
Trump doesn't have any room to maneuver when negotiating with Putin right now. His latest sanctions on Russia was met with derision by the Democrats, CNN and the NYT, saying it wasn't soon enough and didn't go far enough.
I think Trump will push this confrontation with the Russians until the US public is frightened enough that they don't care what the Dems or their MSM enablers say. He needs his own Cuban Missile Crisis where people are hiding their kids in the sewer system similar to what happened recently in Hawaii.
Who knows maybe there needs to be an actual military confrontation with the Russians with dead on both sides, perhaps even a limited nuclear strike of some type, maybe on Europe or even a large Canadian city close to the US border to bring the point of MAD home.
Posted by: luke8929 | 17 March 2018 at 05:40 PM
There has been for some time a propaganda push by the US that Syria have a secret CW program in contravention to its OPCW commitment.
Now UK is doing the same with Russia. Secret programs by both Syrian Russia for Chemical weapons of mass destruction. It is known they have them but are not allowing OPCW officials to the site seems the meme.
Iraq WMD propaganda 2.0.
Posted by: Peter AU | 17 March 2018 at 06:00 PM
Barbara Ann - The Russian briefer said "sea carriers of cruise missiles", ships capable of launching Tomahawks, not aircraft carriers. The Russian word for aircraft carrier - avianosets - was not used.
Posted by: Andrey Subbotin | 17 March 2018 at 06:09 PM
Things more or less moved from the Points and in the Direction and Pivots I expected and commented under the Colonels 'time-to-clean-up-the-homs-desert-pocket' Update in February, the biggest Hurdles to advances in Ghouta remains two Fold - the prospect of brutal Urban Warfare and the search for a more diplomatic Solution.
Whilst Idlib will no doubt fall under a similar Fate to a degree (Diplomacy will be necessary whilst low hanging Turkish Fruit remain) I do however propose a different Conclusion is possible that simply acceptance of a divided Syria, at least in its current Form.
Turkish Observation Posts largely at current prevent or more, Influence R+6 Activities in Eastern Idlib and Aleppo Province, the Door is still open in the South and West - Hama and Latakiya Provinces...
Through the 'Desert Hawks' previously the Syrian Government has demonstrated capability to advance through the Mountainous Warfare that Latakia demands, Ghouta far from simply securing the Syrian Heartland may be an action designed to free up large numbers of maneuver Units which should enable them not only to squeeze the North West but more seriously threaten Jisr Al Shugur... Likewise an advance in the South could force Opposition out of Hama Province ensuring Hama Cities security.
The ultimate goal depending on Force Ratios and scale of advance could be to render many of the Turkish Positions in East Idlib and Aleppo redundant, inducing a withdrawal from current Positions, or a negotiated Settlement....
The fact that Towns such as Kafarya and Foua remain isolated forces the R+6 to mount some Operation to ensure or negotiate their Position and indeed the Mountains of Latakia would position R+6 suitably to overlook much of Idlib to support where further advances can be made.
Colonel, I would respectfully suggest that War is a Combination of Factors - Economic being one along with Ideological Factors, this all weighs heavily on the Calculations for War, In Syrias Case I suspect that those arguing for it not only included the Zionists, but also got consensus from those whom could argue its benefits in Economics and wider Geopolitics (EU relieved of Russian Energy for example)
By now I suspect the latter Advocates have ideally given up, but the Zionists are incapable of doing so, because unlike Economics they have literally made a Situation worse for the cause they serve.
Posted by: Grazhdanochka | 17 March 2018 at 06:11 PM
The cynic in my wonders if the powers that be need something, anything, to trigger the inevitable financial crash that the QE bubble of the last ten years has created. A carrier or two would be a small price to pay, to them anyways. Better to blame that and a quick bust on the Russians in the resulting hysteria than give the soon to be no longer middle class that will be robbed of their pensions and savings time to contemplate the powers that be's role in their impoverishment during a slow grind down.
That's my optimistic view. My pessimistic view is that everyone within the Washington beltway has gone mad. If that's the case then they just won't stop until there's no more fireworks left to shoot off.
Posted by: EEngineer | 17 March 2018 at 06:24 PM
Barbara Ann:
If the requirement is a "cruise missile" attack, it can be done by a couple of submarines if needed and you wouldn't know until the missiles broach the surface.
Posted by: scott s. | 17 March 2018 at 06:48 PM
scott s
Not enough volume. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 17 March 2018 at 07:09 PM
The Turkish position being set up northwest of Aleppo is a lot more than an observation post. In addition to troops and armor they are moving in bulldozers and front loaders. Lots of their FSA liver eating allies moving there also. Looks like they perhaps want to set up a strong point at Anadin on route 214 to block SAA access to Afrin and Minnagh Airbase.
Another thought is that the same road also leads to the Shia villages of Nubl and al-Zahraa that recently sent NDF troops to help the Kurds of Afrin. Turkish Air Force bombed a Shia NDF checkpoint near Nubl just a few days ago. https://syria.liveuamap.com/en/2018/14-march-8-ndf-fighters-from-nublzahraa-were-killed-in-an
So perhaps they want to keep Hezbollah out of NW Aleppo?
Posted by: JPB | 17 March 2018 at 07:16 PM
"Jonathan Allen, whose rank we do not know, has become number two in the UK permanent representation at the United Nations. He is currently leading the Security Council against Russia and Syria." http://www.voltairenet.org/article200163.html
More on Jonathan Allen: https://www.gov.uk/government/people/jonathan-allen#previous-roles
"United Kingdom Ambassador Jonathan Allen today (14 Mar) told an Emergency UN Security Council briefing that Russia has not provided “any credible explanation” for the use of “Russian produced nerve agent” in the Salisbury assassination attempt of an alleged former Russian spy and his daughter."
-- He is obviously playing a clinically retarded individual to push his favorite line: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-17/russia-did-it
More: In 1999, the United States and Uzbekistan have quietly negotiated and are expected to sign a bilateral agreement today to provide American aid in dismantling and decontaminating one of the former Soviet Union's largest chemical weapons testing facilities, according to Defense Department and Uzbek officials. Earlier this year, the Pentagon informed Congress that it intends to spend up to $6 million under its Cooperative Threat Reduction program to demilitarize the so-called Chemical Research Institute, in Nukus, Uzbekistan. … the Nukus plant was the major research and testing site for a new class of secret, highly lethal chemical weapons called ''Novichok,'' which in Russian means ''new guy.'' http://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/25/world/us-and-uzbeks-agree-on-chemical-arms-plant-cleanup.html
It seems that the United Kingdom Ambassador Jonathan Allen is of the same caliber and has the same passion as Mr. Christopher Steele. There is no info on Allen's education (if any) and on his rank in the UK security apparatus in the web.
Posted by: Anna | 17 March 2018 at 07:24 PM
on the web
Posted by: Anna | 17 March 2018 at 07:24 PM
Colonel
I want to let you know that I disagree with your opinion.
What I see is that the reds are marching on. After securing Aleppo city and the east up to the Euphrates, now they are securing the capital region of Damascus.
Regarding Afrin I see a green on yellow attack that doesn't change much for the reds.
Posted by: Bandolero | 17 March 2018 at 08:08 PM
Andrey Subbotin,
re: "The Russian briefer said "sea carriers of cruise missiles", ships capable of launching Tomahawks, not aircraft carriers"
... and that is a good point.
To explain it with more detail: The 7 April 2017 US cruise missile attack on Syria was done with two Arleigh Burke destroyers. Any US carrier group has ships of this class as escorts and protectors.
The cruise missile capability is the side effect of the flexibility of the VLS system Mk.41 and more recently Mk. 57 the US use.
A VLS Mk. 41, and likely the new Mk. 57 also, can fire anything that 'fits in' the silo - Tomahawk cruise missile, VL Asrock, SM-2, SM-3, ESSM. A single Arleigh Burke destroyer has 90 cell silos.
In the cruise missile attack 7 April 2017 the US used just two Arkleigh Burke's, fired 59 missiles and still 'had bullets left'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arleigh_Burke-class_destroyer
Posted by: confusedponderer | 17 March 2018 at 08:21 PM
Colonel,
So far as offensives to recover territory in Syria go, I’m not sure the Russians are paying attention. If the news reports are true, the Russians have solid intelligence that the USA is planning an attack on Syria.
I think this is pretty crazy: The Russians have said they will knock out whatever launches missiles into Syria. Is it a ‘damn the torpedoes’ moment? I’m not a certified Kremlinologist but I heard Putin say last week that if push comes to shove he will not hesitate to push the red button. Today I saw a news item that the Russian Navy has run nuclear subs right up to the US coast & they were not detected! I read that as Moscow is willing to consider a first strike.
I am also not an expert on nuclear warfare but I’m pretty sure that the best results of an American first strike plus missile defence might be 90% of Russian nukes disabled. I’m in no doubt that the remaining 10% would fry every major American city and London. How can that be seen as victory?
Can we play a game?
Russian air defence has been overwhelmed & Damascus is a smoking ruin. Hundreds of Russian dead.
You are an advisor to Vlad the Hammer. What is your advice?
My advice would be to nuke Warsaw.
You have to be really awful about this. You don’t want to nuke anything in core NATO & you want to do it without warning, not in the USA & as far Russians are concerned; Poles behave obnoxiously.
POTUS is presented with a horrid event but only a couple American dead.
Can there any doubt that Russia will turn north america into a blackened republic of grass & cockroaches!
I want a drink!
Posted by: Jony Kanuck | 17 March 2018 at 09:09 PM
jody kanuck
"So far as offensives to recover territory in Syria go, I’m not sure the Russians are paying attention." I would bet you a bucket full of Canadian money that they can walk and chew gum at the same time. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 17 March 2018 at 09:15 PM
Bandolero
"Reds" being the SAA? pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 17 March 2018 at 09:24 PM
What would be the Pentagon's response if only 10% of the next Tomahawk strike reach their target? 2017 success rate appears to have been 50%.
Posted by: wisedupearly Ceo | 17 March 2018 at 10:00 PM
I am also not an expert on nuclear warfare but I’m pretty sure that the best results of an American first strike plus missile defence might be 90% of Russian nukes disabled"
Perhaps in 1993, under the chaos of Yeltsin and the near-failure of the state and its institutions, but a first strike of this sort cannot go unnoticed with a real-time response.
BTW, what missile defense? The USN recently tested the latest mark of their state of the art SM-3 interceptor missile and failed to hit single-track non-maneuvering ballistic missile.
Russian ICBMs will be supersonic, maneuvering, decoyed and many...
But American civilian casualties may be entirely acceptable to the Likud Party and its proxies in the US. I don't know the calculus being used to evaluate the costs of direct action against Damascus. Maybe there isn't one, and it's simply Ivanka's whispers into daddy's ear.
Posted by: Peter in Toronto | 17 March 2018 at 10:30 PM
PL
Yes, of course. My mention of the color was not meant in an ideological way, just as the usual color seen on most maps of the situation in Syria. Red = SAA control, Green = FSA and assorted jihadis, Yellow = Kurds.
Posted by: Bandolero | 17 March 2018 at 10:38 PM
@ Anna
Ambassador Allen has Bachelors and Masters degrees in History from Cambridge University. He is married to Elizabeth, and they have two children, Lucy and Benedict (who was born in Sofia in November 2013).
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-ambassador-jonathan-allen-leaves-bulgaria-in-january-2015
Posted by: The Beaver | 17 March 2018 at 10:57 PM
Trump wants to get the U.S. out of Syria’s war, so he asked the Saudi king for $4 billion
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-wants-to-get-the-us-out-of-syrias-war-so-he-asked-the-saudi-king-for-4billion/2018/03/16/756bac90-2870-11e8-bc72-077aa4dab9ef_story.html?utm_term=.3eb9aaad2cbf
It sounds like Saudi Arabia is paying $4 billion to "develop" Syrian territory being "protected" by the US.
Posted by: Greco | 17 March 2018 at 11:13 PM
Jony Kanuck,
"Today I saw a news item that the Russian Navy has run nuclear subs right up to the US coast & they were not detected!"
They probably could. Where did you see that news item? Even little green footballs doesn't go in for that stick anymore, got a name or a link? BTW on a far more important note: Toronto hasn't won the cup since you guys put the maple leaf on the flag. Maybe you should change flag designs so as to change thier luck. Or have them hire some Russians like the Red Wings did when they won in 2002 and 2008.
Posted by: Fred | 18 March 2018 at 12:28 AM
Colonel,
Regarding whether the Russian military can 'walk & chew gum at the same time', I confess to be exaggerating for effect. Also, these days, you will need two buckets of devalued cdn dollars.
My fear, actually terror, is that the Russians are busy; swapping missile loads over to thermonuclear, moving nuclear armed subs into launch positions, recalling any technical military on leave & moving the latest movies into Putin's bunker.
I said I'm not a Kremlinologist but my reading of the last few weeks of pronouncements from the Kremlin is that Russia is ready to rock & roll; DefCon3 or deeper. It will only take one mistake or miscalculation & we are all Slim Pickens riding the nuke with our cowboy hat stretched high!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gXY3kuDvSU
Posted by: Jony Kanuck | 18 March 2018 at 01:28 AM