The last time I wrote about Syria (In My September 2015 Article Russia Defends Syria, Yemen Resists) Russia had only just begun to make it's presence clear to the world in Syria. This in itself was cause for celebration as it foiled US and Turkish plans to expand their bombing campaign creating a No-Fly Zone in northern Syria to protect their terrorist bridgehead there. Since then however Russia has launched an all out air offensive destroying the massive terrorist infrastructure that has been built up weapons depots and command centers exploded across Syria. However this offensive proved only the opening move and as predicted once the terrorists had been softened up the SAA (Syrian Arab Army) went on the offensive with the aid of their allies from Hezbollah, Iran and Iraq and the brave civilian militias of the NDF (National Defense Forces.) The balance has already completely shifted in Syria and this only the beginning. Russia has not only helped to turn around the situation in Syria. With this bold move they have destroyed Washington and Israel's decades long schemes to create a "new middle east". Indeed Russia has completely shattered the US plans for global hegemony which sought to prevent the emergence of any rivals to it's power. This was known first as the Wolfowitz doctrine publicly disavowed when leaked in the New York Times in the early 90's it was secretly followed being officially adopted after 9/11 as the Bush Doctrine. With the enormous economic growth of China and now Russia's demonstration of it's military capabilities which clearly rival NATO's and have sent the pentagon into an absolute panic it is clear that the age of American hyper power is at an end. There will be no "New American Century" and the wonderful thing is that Russia could never have accomplished this without america's imperialist rampage. It was the US which forced long time enemies Russia and China into an alliance. The 35 year attempt to destroy Iraq may well lead to an Iraq allied not only with Iran but now with Russia. A new power bloc is forming in the middle east what Pepe Escobar has dubbed the "p4 + 1" composed of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Russia.
The Russian Offensive exceeded all expectations instead of a repeat of subtlety of the war in Ukraine it resembled Russia's war in Georgia which managed to smash a country that NATO had armed to the teeth in a manner of days after it launched an unprovoked attack on Russian peacekeepers in the Breakaway region of South Ossetia. In other words Russia launched an all out air offensive targeted ISIS, Al Nusra, and the hundreds of other terror groups who adopt a hundred different names to create confusion but are all Al Qaeda death squads. Russia wisely choose to ignore the myth of the "moderate" rebels which is nothing more then a propaganda term meant to confuse the western public. The FSA for example are the ones who filmed themselves eating a human liver. Al Nusra carried out the chemical weapons attacks. Actually the west had a whole propaganda campaign lined up to brand Al Nusra ( Which is Al Qaeda's Syria Branch) as moderate rebels. Oh the Irony they claimed they were destroying Iraq to prevent terrorists from getting "weapons of mass destruction" now they are openly allied with terrorists who carry out chemical weapons attacks. They have even gone so far as to start praising the original Al Qaeda putting out the myth that they were horrified by the excesses of Al Qaeda in Iraq. This is nonsense all the horrors we see today in Syria were present in Afghanistan back in the 80's the torture and beheadings began then but since it was the soviets and their progressive afghan allies who were the victims no one in the corporate media bothered to report it. Wherever the CIA and special forces train their death squads you will see the same horrors from the Philippines, to Indonesia, To Vietnam to El Salvador, to Syria today. It's all part of "Psychological Operations" Thankfully this campaign to brand Al Nusra as "moderate rebels" is now rather useless. Russia intends to bomb any group that is waging war against Syria. I could only laugh as the corporate media howled in outrage about Russia bombing the wrong terrorists. Russia used the opportunity for a little diplomatic comedy first it asked for a list of who the moderates are. If the US had complied doubtless within the hour Syrian intelligence would doubtless have provided a long an embarrassing account of each "Moderates" terrorist career and war crimes. Next Russia asked the US for a list of ISIS targets in Syria. Another joke meant to expose the US phony war on terror. If they had actually provided accurate information Russia could bomb america's terrorists proxies while wondering aloud why the US had failed to do so. If they provided fake info Russia could have made a laughingstock of US intel as Syria is now under constant Russian Drone and Satellite surveillance. Next Russia requested a list of places the US didn't want it to bomb. Russia's long suffering diplomatic corps exemplified by the long suffering Lavrov is clearly enjoying their revenge for all the lies, insults, and threats they have been subjected to since the US backed coup in Ukraine. They managed to completely fool the US state department who thought all the Russian talk about diplomatic solution in Syria meant Russia was ready to sacrifice Assad when in reality Russia was building a coalition that will both save Syria and reshape the region and the world.
Thus despite the Media war and the childish tantrums of the imperialists in Washington Russia continued it's methodical air campaign. Terrorists bases and arms depots were targeted. The whole country was under their surveillance their goal was to destroy the terrorists weapon supplies while cutting off any attempts to resupply them. But this was only the first part of their plan. Once they had the terrorists softened up Russia the SAA, Iran, and Hezbollah began to plan a major ground offensive aimed at finally securing Homs, Aleppo, and Damascus. The terrorists are about to get a taste of what the Ukrainian Fascists suffered last summer and the Germany Nazi's experienced long ago. They are about to learn the meaning of the word Cauldron. They are about to be surrounded cut off from supplies and merciless shelled until they die or surrender. In fact there are rumors floating around that the Novorossians may show up. Of course it's best to wait until things actually happen before believing anything these days. Russia and it's enemies are having fun spreading all sorts of rumors. First supposedly the Chinese were coming, then the Belorussians, then the Chechens, now the Novorossians. I think Russia will send land forces as Douglas Valentine once explained from a military perspective it is highly advantageous to have ones troops always engaged so they gain combat experience becoming "battle hardened" as they say. Thus I suspect that Russia and the other CSTO (CSTO Collective Security Treaty Organization the Russian NATO) countries will send troops to Syria on a permanent basis. They are already expanding their bases to accommodate Naval, Air, and Ground Forces and both Russia and Syria have been dropping hints. First Russia said it would send troops if asked. Then Syria said it would ask if it needed to. Thus I wouldn't be surprised if one day soon the pentagon wakes up to a nasty surprise a CSTO army in Syria.
However in the Meantime it is the Heroes of the Syrian Arab Army and their allies who are fighting a slow but steady offensive on many fronts. It is the SAA who are the true heroes of the war on Syria for four years they have fought to defend their country always managing to fight on against the endless stream of foreign death squads poring into the country from Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. 75,000 of them have already given their lives. These numbers show that the myth of the Ruthless Syrian army is nonsense as Eva Bartlett explains their casualties are so high because in order to spare civilian lives they choose a more dangerous form of house to house fighting to slowly liberate towns instead of merely obliterating towns that had become terrorist strongholds.Nearly every family in Syria has lost a brother, a father, or a son in this war fighting on the front line. Of course Syria's women are equally brave many are fighting on the front lines to defend their country. If it had not been for so many people ready to bravely sacrifice their lives to save Syria the country would have been destroyed long before Russia decided to decisively intervene. Now with Russian assistance they are again on the offensive. Damascus the long suffering capital was finally free of the sound of being shelled by the terrorists. Homs is nearly pacified. Aleppo is being encircled. They are on the offensive in Latakia. Kuweires Airbase which has been surrounded and under siege for over 2 Years is about to be rescued as the SAA and NDF slowly force their way into ISIS territory opening a route towards the base which has been solely supplied by helicopter up to now. To me this base symbolizes the whole war in Syria surrounded on all sides by enemies but bravely resisting no matter what. Fighting with the SAA of course are Hezbollah who earned undying Glory for their two victories over Israel. First they forced Israel to Withdraw from most of southern Lebanon which it had been Occupying since the 1982 Israeli invasion. That took years but when Israel tried to invade again in 2006 Hezbollah forced them to withdraw in weeks. That was when the plan to destroy Syria was set into motion when it refused to cut ties with Iran or Hezbollah. However as Mahdi Nazemroaya reminds us the US actually considered invading Syria in 2003 using their chemical weapons as an excuse. Hezbollah's heroic assistance to Syria will never be forgotten. Iran is also fighting alongside Syria the bravery of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp generals is amazing. While western generals usually operate far from the front lines in almost complete safety the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp sends it's generals to the front lines to act as advisers and quite a few have died on the dangerous front lines of Syria's war. Most recent to die was Brigadier General Reza Khavaru. He died only days after General Hossen Hamedani was killed. Thus amidst all the excitement of the Russian air offensive we shouldn't forget all the brave Syrians, Iranians, and Hezbollah fighters who have given their lives and who are still giving their lives in defense of Syria.
Thanks to the coordinated Offensive by Russia, Syria and Hezbollah the tide of the war is already shifting. The terrorists and their sponsors are in a panic. One Hilarious headline claimed hundreds of jihadi's were shaving their beards and disguising themselves as women to flee. Qatar threatened to attack Russia but unless it wants to be renamed Gazprom Peninsula I'd advise them against launching an attack on Russia. As Pepe Escobar quoting Bandar Bin Sultan aka Bandar Bush explained "Qatar is 300 people and a television station." (Al Jazeera) Although Russia is usually pragmatic while it is in the middle east it may as well make the GCC monarchs worst fears come true. I say it is time for a string of revolutions in the gulf monarchies. They should start by aiding Yemen it would be the perfect opportunity to give the saudis their own little Afghanistan as revenge. Plus Yemen is of vital geostrategic importance and South Yemen was once allied to the Soviet Bloc. Then a tiny bit of help and encouragement is all the people in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the rest of the GCC need to rebel. The perfect revenge for Ukraine. It is time these corrupt monarchs got a taste of their own medicine. "Off with their heads!" Of course that would probably push the US over the edge as it would mean all the world's biggest oil producers united in one bloc under Russian protection. Still I'm glad to help give imperialist war planners sleepless nights worrying about it.
Russia's offensive is meant not only to crush the NATO death squads occupying the country. It is also meant to send a clear signal to the west not to mess with Russia. America spends more on weapons then the rest of the world combined but that is in part because the whole thing is a swindle. For example it spent a fortune developing the disastrous F-35 fighter plane. It builds huge expensive aircraft carriers that would last about 5 minutes in the event of war with Iran, Russia or China. Hence Russia's other main goal is to demonstrate to the world it's military might. Thus it hopes that whatever madman or madwoman America selects will be restrained by a now humbled pentagon. It has used the war in Syria to unveil some nasty surprises first unleashing 26 Cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea which flew over Iran and Iraq hitting targets in Syria. In response the US media made up claims that a missile had crashed in Iran but failed to produce any evidence. The important thing was that the US had no idea Russia had such long range Cruise missiles. The next nasty surprise the Russians had in store was to set up anti-air defenses effectively sealing the country off from NATO planes. Finally according to Pepe Escobar they unleashed their EM weaponry capability completely blinding NATO not just in Syria but even in Ukraine. Again the US had no idea Russia had this capability. And again their was utter panic in the Pentagon. No doubt Russia has even more nasty surprises in store for the pentagon.
History will probably see this as the Stalingrad moment of World War 4. Stalingrad was the moment the tide turned forever against the Nazis during World War 2. World War 4 is the war that immediately began with the end of the "Cold War" which I prefer to call World War 3 the war on the "Third World." While the US justified fighting this war based on their embarrassing propaganda of an "international communist conspiracy" and presented it as resisting "Soviet Aggression." However as soon as the USSR collapsed the US literally re-doubled it's war on the planet killing millions in places like Iraq and the DRCongo. This is actually statistically provable the number of wars doubled after the end of the cold war. This proved that the soviets had been right all along it was always about American Imperialism and the USSR had been a restraining influence on the american empire. This is why I see most of the various wars of the past 25 years as one single war a World War 4 for total US dominance in reality the dictatorship of a few hundred billionaires over the billions of people living on this planet. While much of the world lives on less then a dollar a day, with no access to health care or even drinkable water millions have been slaughtered to keep it that way. No doubt America's soft power has killed far more people then even it's bloody wars through the forced imposition of America's forced austerity policies that have forced hundreds of millions into poverty, and spread hunger, disease, and ignorance. Few in the "1st world" realize the sheer scale of horror that has been created around the planet. Only the wise economic planning of China and the move towards socialism of Latin America inspired by the late great Hugo Chavez have seen these trends move in the opposite direction. China has lifted 500 Million people out of poverty it should be said in their honor since few seem willing to sing their praises. To return to my point since the fall of the soviet union we have all been living though World War 4. In Most countries this war is primarily economic as the global oligarchs attempt to destroy all the gains made during the cold war by the people. A subtle war on hospitals, schools, pensions, all in the name of producing pure capitalism. However in many places it has been a much bloodier war an attempt to destroy any state that opposes them to destabilize the planet as excuse to further expand the scope of America's overstretched military power. To give a partial list Panama was the first victim of World War 4, then Iraq, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, DRCongo, Colombia, Sudan, Somalia. This was all before 9/11 when America was attacked by it's allies from Afghanistan, and Yugoslavia the infamous Al Qaeda. I don't have time to go into it here but obviously 9/11 was carried out by US allies with funding from other US allies and the co-operation of elements of the american government. This is when World War 4 quickly became all too Obvious. Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Mali, Nigeria along with dozens of unknown little dirty wars across the planet in fact many of the 90's war are still going on like DRCongo and Somalia. World War 4 is the largest ugliest war in history. The goal is not to create stable little right wing dictatorships like during the cold war(See My October 2015 Article "Operation Condor") Instead the goal is to create "Balkanization" and failed states. Yugoslavia was shattered into a bunch of tiny NATO EU colonies it's once vibrant socialist economy dismantled. Fascists(Croatia), Gangsters(Kosovo), Wahhabi terrorists(Bosnia & Kosovo) and neoliberal puppets (Serbia) were installed in newly destroyed Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was the lucky one the true goal is best revealed in places like Libya and DRCongo where Death Squads wage endless war on the populace. This is what the Empire of Chaos hoped for in Syria and still hopes for.
Sorry to repeat all this history but to truly see the importance of Putin's move into Syria we must view world war 4 in all it's scope. No one knows how many millions have died so far in this war which reaches all the way from Western Africa across Eurasia. It is being fought in the middle east and in central Asia, In Ukraine, In caucuses, southern Russia and Eastern China. The Central Front on this war is currently Syria an important Geopolitical Pivot point. Those familiar with geopolitics will know that Central Asia is the Key area for controlling eurasia which is why the US is so pleased to have an endless war to fight in Afghanistan once a vital link in the silk road which China is attempting to recreate with it's new silk road strategy. However there are other very important Geopolitical points according to Mackinder, Central Africa is another heartland for example. The Balkans are another area of vital strategic importance the original heartland. Notice the pattern all these spots were chosen for US wars (DRCongo in Central Africa and Yugoslavia in the Balkans )Finally there is what was then called Greater Syria which then included territories the french and British split off to form Lebanon and Israel/Palestine. This Area is vital for controlling the Mediterranean. Russia has a naval base there at Tartous. This is doubtless one of the reasons Syria has been targeted for destruction by the Empire Of Chaos. But it is also one of the reasons Russia has refused to abandon it's ally Syria. By intervening in Syria however Russia has not only acted to save Syria it has also disrupted the entire balance of power in the region. Iraq is already being sucked into the Russian orbit since they are no fools they know full well that ISIS is controlled by the US and it's allies. Any goodwill the nuclear deal bought the US in Iran has been completely overshadowed by this timely reminder of who their true friends are. Even the Puppet government in Afghanistan is now dreaming of Russian support and the Vice president of Afghanistan actually met with Ramzy Kadyrov the colorful leader of Chechnya. Kadyrov is someone else who doesn't get enough appreciation he is doubtless the first truly 21st Century Politician and was recently in the news with his offer to lead 20,000 Chechen troops into the war on ISIS in Syria. Next he released a video of himself catching a snake in mid air strongly resembling a movie Ninja. It's only a matter of time before he becomes a Pop culture Icon.
Last year I made a wild prediction that Iraq might one day be allied to Russia ( in my July 2014 article "Fall of Slavyansk, End of Iraq") . This was because Russia had provided vital military aid to Maliki in the aftermath of ISIS's big offensive in Iraq last Summer. Of course Maliki was quickly ousted in his place the cypher Haidar al-Abadi became the new prime minister. Yet now it is time for Maliki's revenge his old allies are calling for a vote to ask Russia to replace the US. Iraq is disgusted by America's phony war on terror and US, NATO, GCC, and Israeli support for ISIS are well known facts in the region even if the west still lives in a fantasy world. Iraq's US trained army remains a joke. the ruthless Iraqi Shia Militias veterans of the CIA terror campaign aimed at ethnicly cleansing Iraq's once diverse populace along strictly sectarian lines are the main force willing to fight ISIS but the US refuses to cooperate with them. It's a murky topic but clearly these militias originally which were created by Iran like the Badr Brigade, then controlled by the CIA and used as death squads and torturers in the so Called "Salvador" Option which was really a continuation of the phoenix program developed in Vietnam (See my April 2015 article "The Phoenix Program") These forces are now once again allied to Iran and Iraq's central government so the US has refused to work with them. Also of course the US wants to carve a Sunni state out of western Iraq and Eastern Syria and so was never serious about stopping ISIS at all. As predicted their territory in Iraq proved a base for further attacks on Syria like the one that captured the Ancient City of Palmyra. Thus Maliki's party still the largest in Iraq is now calling for a vote in Iraq's parliament on requesting Russia's aid. Even if this vote is unsuccessful as the US is threatening Iraq not to allow Russia to expand it's air campaign into Iraq it's to late to prevent a de-facto alliance. Russia Iran Iraq and Hezbollah have already set up an intelligence sharing center their first big success was to hit ISIS's figurehead leader Omar al-Baghdadi who rumor has it is now in a hospital in Turkey. Iran is already deeply involved in Iraq and with it's strengthened cooperation with Russia due to the war in Syria Russian influence is bound to grow in Iraq (a former soviet ally.) What an irony 35 years of Imperialist scheming to destroy Iraq beginning with the Iran-Iraq War, then the Gulf War, the sanctions, then the Iraq War which together killed millions of Iraqis and yet despite it all Iraq is now not only allied with Iran but now with Russia as well.
Russia's intervention in Syria is the greatest example of Internationalist solidarity since Cuba intervened in Angola, foiled a South African invasion and helped bring down apartheid in both Namibia and South Africa ending the last vestige of old style colonialism in Africa. I believe it may be the most decisive historical moment since Stalingrad. From this moment on the American empire is on the decline. World War 4 is far from over but a decisive shift has already occurred in the world balance of power. The return of a Multi Polar world long hoped for has finally and decisively arrived. This grim age of horror and Austerity that began between 1989-1991 is over. A new era has dawned in the world. The resistance of tiny Syria, against so many enemies may end in finally freeing the world from the empire of chaos.
Death to Imperialism!
Long Live the Resistance!
Sources
You Can read about war in Angola in my 4 part series of Articles First From September 2014 there is "Che Guevara in the Congo" and "Castro vs Kissinger in Angola" and from February 2015 "The CIA in Africa" and "Cuba fought to free South Africa"
Pepe Escobar Wrote some Great articles on the War in Syria Below are his in 3 depth accounts of the pentagon's 3 Nasty surprises
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article43128.htm
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/10/22/dr-strangelove-gen-philip-breedlove-is-naked/
http://sputniknews.com/columnists/20151022/1028936412/nato-pentagon-frustration.html
Eva Bartlett posted the definitive article debunking the anti-syrian propaganda spewed out nonstop book mark it so you can give it to people who still believe the transparent myths about the war on Syria
https://ingaza.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/deconstructing-the-nato-narrative-on-syria/
To follow the war in Syria day to day Syria 360 is the place to go
https://syria360.wordpress.com
At Syria 360 there is a daily compilation of reports on the war here is the most recent example
https://syria360.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/syria-in-the-last-24-hours-62/
Putin Gave a Historic speech at the Valdai meeting which I didn't have time to discuss but is well worth reading
https://syria360.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/president-vladimir-putin-truth-lies-war-peace-and-the-way-towards-a-multi-polar-world/
Follow the further adventures of Ramzan Kadyrov and other events in the Caucuses and Central Asia at Christoph Germann's New Great Game Round Up
http://www.christophgermann.blogspot.com
Thanks Hugo.
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