December 27 brief

[goldenequity]

Good Morning
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►The Debate - Syria Situation (26.12.2015)





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YEMEN


►Yemeni Army advances inside of Saudi Arabia as Coalition Forces struggle to maintain ground

On Saturday afternoon in Saudi Arabia’s southern countryside, the Yemeni Army’s Republican Guard and the Houthis carried out several attacks on the city of Najran, killing a number of Saudi National Guardsmen while also advancing north towards the latter’s final line of defense. If the Yemeni Army’s Republican Guard and the Houthis capture Najran from the Saudi-led Coalition Forces; this would become the 3rd Saudi city under their control and perhaps the most embarrassing defeat for the Saudi Royal Army since the loss of Al-Rabuah in October of this year.

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SYRIA


►Syria: Evangelical church in Aleppo reopened for Christmas after IS attack



►U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces capture Tishreen Dam in western Raqqa

On Saturday, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) had one of its roughest days in northern Syria in quite some time; and it all began when the U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – in coordination with the predominately Kurdish “People’s Protection Units” (YPG) – imposed full-control over the Tishreen Dam that links the Aleppo and Al-Raqqa Governorates.

Following the capture of the Tishreen Dam from the ISIS terrorists, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the YPG crossed the Euphrates River in order to enter the Aleppo Governorate, which was considered a red-line by the Turkish regime in Ankara. With the Syrian Democratic Forces now in the Aleppo Governorate’s eastern countryside, ISIS faces a serious threat at their stronghold of Menbeij, which is situated just south of the Turkish border and the Jarabulus border-crossing that is under attack by the SDF and the YPG. (the Psycho Sultan's little 'safe zone' is getting pushed into Turkey

►Russian Air Force kills prominent commander of Ahrar Al-Sham in southern Aleppo

Ahmad Abu Al-Bara’a – considered a prominent field commander who led several battles inside the Aleppo and Idlib Governorates of northern Syria. Abu Al-Bara’a was killed just 24 hours after the Jaysh Al-Islam (Army of Islam) commander and founder – Zahran Alloush – was killed by the Syrian Air Force inside the East Ghouta region of rural Damascus.

►ISIS routed at Deir Ezzor Airport while Syrian Army counters at Al-Sina’a District
(Deir Ezzor is in EASTERN Syria and has been a protected enclave by SAA against continuous ISIS assaults... in essence the city has been under siege for more than a year by the militants. All supplies are helicoptered in as all supply routes are ISIS controlled. The area awaits 'rescue' by ground force progress and receives regular defensive air strikes by the RuAF.)

SERIOUS SITUATION:
►ISIS now attacking in Deir Ezzor area in a serious way that might split and siege the area of the base itself.

►ISIS forces tying to capture Harabeesh, Deir Ezzor base area.

UNCONFIRMED:
►ISIS attempting to storm Tahtuh area in Deir Ezzor city.

►Hezbollah, Iraqi fighters prepare for Phase 3 of southern Aleppo offensive

It has been over a week since Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba (Iraqi paramilitary unit of 1500) joined & captured the strategic town of Khan Touman.

Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba are now preparing for Phase 3 of their southern Aleppo offensive, which will require them to advance south along the imperative Aleppo-Damascus Highway and enter the Idlib Governorate’s northeastern countryside.

Phase 3 of the southern Aleppo offensive will also be one of the most violent battles to come in northern Syria, as several thousand Islamist rebels await their massive assault along the Aleppo-Damascus Highway.

►U.S. Pilots Confirm: Obama Admin Blocks 75 Percent of Islamic State Strikes
‘We can’t get clearance even when we have a clear target in front of us’


►Islamist rebels flee Syria for Turkey amid Syrian Army’s recent success in northern Latakia


►Russian Air Force paralyzes the ISIS oil transport in east Homs

On Saturday morning in the Homs Governorate’s eastern countryside, the Russian Air Force’s fighter jets pulverized ISIS’ oil tankers outside of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) and the oil rich town of Al-Sukhenah, destroying a convoy of vehicles that were seen heading north towards the Turkish border. Following the airstrikes, drone footage captured several images of the aftermath from the Russian Air Force’s powerful airstrikes; this drone footage displayed a row of vehicles that were incinerated as a result of the oil catching fire from the Russian explosives that repeatedly pounded the tankers.

►Leaflets dropped on opposition controlled East Ghouta #Damascus

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CXOyHNGUkAEEmFT.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CXOyHMpUkAAM9Lp.jpg:large


►Syrian Army storms town of Sheikh Miskeen in northern Daraa (Jordan Border)



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LIBYA


►ISIS attacks Al-Qaeda in northern Libya

The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has recently flexed its muscles in Libya’s northern countryside after increasing their number of personnel on the ground to 5,000 armed combatants from all over North Africa. ISIS has become so confident in their ability that they even decided to attack their former allies from the Mujahiddeen Shurah Council inside the densely populated city of Derna, which is located along the northern coast of Libya. While the attack may not have killed many people; it becomes deeply concerning that ISIS is able to operate inside several cities in northern Libya, including the lavish city of Derna that was once Libya’s most prosperous areas. Unfortunately for the provisional government of Libya, the only opposition to ISIS in the city of Derna is a fellow hardline jihadist group: Ansar Al-Sharia. Ansar Al-Sharia is the Libyan equivalent of Al-Qaeda, who is also wrecking havoc inside the country. With most of the civilians in Derna now internally displaced, the two jihadist groups are now battling for control of this lavish city, disregarding any remaining residents caught in the crossfire.

►Libya not seeking any international intervention – Libyan FM to RT




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IRAQ


►RAMADI: Iraqi Army seizes the Al-Tash area in Ramadi



►Iraqi forces take control over last ISIS stronghold in Ramadi- military spokesman

►12,000 Oil Tanker Trucks Parked At Iraq-Turkey Border Aren't Carrying ISIS Crude, Barzani/Iraqi Kurds Swear (uh-huh)

We bring all of this up again because less than 48 hours ago, Russia said it spotted some 12,000 tankers and trucks on the Turkish-Iraqi border. Where, precisely, are the tankers you ask? Why Zakho of course.

Of course Kurdish crude is just as "undocumented" as ISIS oil given that technically, it belongs to Baghdad and not Erbil but we'll leave that aside for now. The important point here is that what the Kurds want you to believe is that none of the nearly 12,000 tankers parked at Zakho contain any ISIS crude with Zakho being unquestionably estabished as the key ISIS transit point.

Finally, it's also worth noting that there's something nefarious about the whole thing. That is, the Peshmerga are paid out of money Erbil collects from selling Kurdish crude and the Peshmerga are fighting ISIS. It's thus perverse that the Kurds apparently allow ISIS to use their transit routes on the way to securing the funding the group needs to keep fighting.

In any event, we wonder how long it will be before Baghdad green lights Russian strikes over Iraq, and how Moscow will deal with the intermingling of Kurdish crude with ISIS oil.

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GREECE


►Angry Athens Rejects Ankara's Aegean Sea Airspace Claim

Greece's civil aviation authority has rejected announcements from Ankara, which seeks to restrict flights over Greek islands in the Aegean Sea for 12 months so that Turkey can carry out military training

The area Turkey wanted to use includes the Athon peninsula in the northern Aegean and the Greek islands of Lemnos, Patmos, Tinos, Mykonos and Skyros among others.

Skyros is among the sites where Greece has a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system installed, while the northern Aegean contains valuable Greek oil and gas reserves

In response, the Greek aviation authority issued NOTAM A2642/15, A2641/15 and A2640/15, which asserted that only Greece has the right to issue an announcement that restricts Greek airspace.

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TURKEY


►Turkey Military Killed 205 Members of Kurdistan Workers' Party over 10 Days


►NATO to deploy AWACS aircraft to Turkey