UPDATING as I find info- scroll down! 1st- Short on details, but, interesting:
Damascus, SANA – Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem said Russia’s participation in fighting Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS terrorist organizations will turn the tables on those who plotted conspiracies against Syria.
“There is something new beyond (Russia) providing Syria with weapons, which is Russia engaging in fighting ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra,” said al-Moallem in an interview with the Russian RT channel that was aired on Saturday.
“This is a major issue. It is something that will turn the tables on those who conspired against Syria and will show that the US and its coalition have had no strategy for combating ISIS, and the evidence is that they have grasped the Russian message and now want to coordinate and cooperate with Russia,” al-Moallem added.
He made it clear that what Syria is doing along with its friends in Russia is open and that there is nothing going on under the table, pointing out that Russia does not hide its will to participate in fighting terrorism.
“We in Syria,” he said, “trust the Russian Federation’s leadership and its intention to participate. What we are doing is open and known to all.”
Al-Moallem explained that Russia is acting under the international law and in coordination with Syria, criticizing the US for acting otherwise as far as the international coalition it leads against ISIS is concerned.
He said the US is busy counting the number of airstrikes carried out by the coalition and not the results “because they are ineffective,” stressing that the only force fighting Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS is the Syrian Army.
The Minister renewed Syria’s welcoming of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiative for establishing a wide front of countries to cooperate with the Syrian government in facing terrorism, stressing that Syria welcomes any country that is really willing and sincere to fight terrorism.
As fas as the political solution is concerned, al-Moallem stressed that the Syrian government does not mind starting political dialogue in parallel with the efforts of fighting terrorism.
“We don’t want to walk in a dark tunnel. We want to walk in an open path,” said al-Moallem, stressing that it has become today clear that fighting terrorism is the priority, “but this doesn’t mean that we are not pursuing political dialogue.”
“What the Syrian citizen wants above everything else is security,” he added.
Asked about the situation in al-Zabadani and the ceasefire there, al-Moallem explained that there had been four attempts at establishing ceasefire and there were results, but in each time the terrorists received instructions to break it, noting that there is now a fifth attempt at a time when the Syrian army and the Lebanese Resistance are only meters from resolving the battle in al-Zabadani.
“We care for the people’s lives and we are open for considering the ceasefire,” he added
Russia is conducting a series of massive military exercises with live ammunition in the Mediterranean Sea between the Syrian port of Tartus and the island of Cyprus. Aircraft-carriers and missile units are involved in the exercise, thereby confirming Moscow’s commitment to support the Syrian regime led by President Bashar Al Assad.
Russia had announced, several days earlier, that it would supply arms and ammunition to Syria so as to enhance its military capabilities to take on Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) after it announced war against this organisation.
Readers here already know about the military exercises in the Mediterranean-Covered here: Fear Reinforcement- Lavrov “unintended incidences’ Russian Naval Exercises & Circular Narratives- The arms and munitions supplies has been a constant
At the official level, Russia described its manoeuvres as routine, but it is difficult for any political analyst to be satisfied with the excuse that these are mere routine manoeuvres in isolation from the current tensions in Syria and in Iraq and in isolation from the general instability in the whole region.
The term “warfare manoeuvre” is commonly used in military parlance to describe the movement of the military on the ground, in sea or in the air along with logistics related to the administrative, technical and intelligence aspects of the armed forces.
However, on the other hand, manoeuvres are also a media and marketing display for the performance of weapons on the ground, in line with the combat doctrine, whereby, military experts and commanders take the front seats during such manoeuvres.
Update #2: Russia and US Chiefs of Defence in Talks
Russia and the United States launched military talks on the Syrian conflict on Friday as Moscow stepped up its buildup of forces in the war-torn country.
The phone conversation between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter ended an 18-month freeze in military relations triggered by NATO anger over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine crisis.
Russia’s defense ministry said the talk marks a resumption of military-to-military cooperation between the countries and that the practise would continue, although Washington was a little more circumspect. Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the call lasted one hour and focused on "the necessity to coordinate bilateral and multilateral efforts to combat international terrorism." Washington has expressed concern over any Russian military buildup in Syria as a boost to President Bashar al-Assad, accusing Moscow of sending ships, artillery and tanks.
Named person, quoted statement
And on Friday, a US official told AFP that four Russian fighter jets had been seen on the Latakia airbase in Syria.
Anonymous US official- Jet's could be part of military exercises in Mediterranean? Update # 3: Back that train up on the claim of 4 or 5 US trained fighters.. US has trained only 'four or five' Syrian fighters against Isis, top general testifies I had my very big suspicions about this claim being made public, while all the Russia hysteria continues!Today we have many more US trained fighters entering to "fight ISIS" via the Turkish conduit Dozens of US-trained fighters enter Syria from Turkey
Seventy-five Syrian rebels trained to fight jihadists under a beleaguered US programme have crossed from Turkey into northern Syria
75 more rebels. 75 more US trained rebels.
Hassan Mustafa, spokesman for the US-backed Division 30 unit to which some of the rebels were deployed, confirmed that the group had entered Syria."Their training in Turkey lasted two months and they went directly to the front lines with Daesh.
They went to the frontlines with Daesh/ISIS? With Daesh? As in together. Alongside? Mustafa didn't say they went to confront / fight/ destroy/crush or conquer Daesh. He said "with Daesh"
According to Abdel Rahman, the group had entered in a convoy of a dozen cars with light weapons and ammunition, under air cover from the US-led coalition that has been carrying out strikes against IS in Iraq and Syria. He said the rebels crossed through the Bab al-Salama border point, the main gateway for fighters and supplies heading into Aleppo province.
Bab al Salama border crossing? Wow, that rings a bell! Hold on to your hats boys and girls!!!Bab al Salama was the VERY FIRST border crossing taken by ISIS! You know to form the caliphate and all that rubbish!2013-
Bab al-Salam is the first border crossing between Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s Islamic emirate and Turkey
The Islamic State captured the town of Soran Azaz and two nearby villages, giving it the ability to move along a road leading north to the Bab al-Salam crossing between the Syrian province of Aleppo and the Turkish province of Kilis
It's also the border crossing for US trained Daesh fighters!
Before the fresh batch of fighters, the US-led train-and-equip programme had only managed to vet and train some 60 rebels to fight ISIS jihadists on the ground.
Gee, I thought it was 4 or 5 US trained rebels- but the early number was 60 and now we have another 75.It appears the US and company are bolstering KurdIShIS with the additional fighters.Also: the claim of 4 or 5 fighter being trained, which I never believed, was promoted to push the incompetence meme- Someone, somewhere always has to be 'incompetent'