ARmy Rumour SErvice

**Mattb** · 24-08-2012, 15:41

I have to say, if there's one argument for supporting the rebels it's to ensure that they at least maintain parity with the other rebels, those supplied by the loonier, beardier countries in the area...

**alib** · 24-08-2012, 15:52

Originally Posted by Rumpelstiltskin

Oh I know; it's just rare to see the point made with such good footage.

Nice bit of work from Chivers.

**alib** · 24-08-2012, 16:27

Originally Posted by Mattb

I have to say, if there's one argument for supporting the rebels it's to ensure that they at least maintain parity with the other rebels, those supplied by the loonier, beardier countries in the area...

Not sure that's a great argument, a lot of the useful guys in this will be of the loonier, beardier variety that can actually build truck bombs that work unlike the hapless bunch Chivers is embedded with above. The rebels are already splintered, they appear to have lost in Aleppo, if we arse about arming and supporting "moderates",which I'm not sure we even have the competence to identify, it could lead to further splits and them fighting each other.

I'm not sure what we are trying to achieve here? The only thing that makes any sense is escalating a proxy war with Iran in which we'll be playing a game that they are much better at than us. And they've effectively got two allies with land borders with Syria. If we are going to play it seriously I'd back whichever group of rebels in country that looks strongest and bugger the ideology. We shouldn't fool ourselves in seeking the regimes downfall we are possibly laying the ground for a wider regional war and potentially genocidal conditions in Syria. Neither our Kingship allies, the Turks or ourselves can confidently control what happens in the power vacum if we succeed. HA isn't likely to disappear and it seems very unlikely that a replacement regime will be as docile with the Israelis.

The Kurdish situation is also very worrying, it's an existential threat to our only useful millitary ally in the region Turkey. Where do we stand on that? What about the effect on out very expensive project in Iraq?

**Mattb** · 24-08-2012, 17:17

Originally Posted by alib

...it could lead to further splits and them fighting each other.

Exactly. Keep them busy so that they're not fighting us!

**alib** · 25-08-2012, 09:45

On SST Syrian Army captures central Daraya, rebel supporters executed.

Methodical and brutal, that's always been the Syrian Army way. I'm reminded of Chechnya.

**Kromeriz** · 28-08-2012, 11:25

Well the Olympics are half way through and the French are talking about working with their closest allies to introduce not only a no fly zone but a buffer zone inside Syria.

Royal Navy must be itching for some sunshine and the RAF will be looking forward to the foreign holiday allowance too.

France confirms it is working to establish buffer zone within Syria - Telegraph

**Pashtun_Nationalis** · 28-08-2012, 15:51

Syria is going to be the next Afghanistan, the Islamo-crats in the clinton-obama administration are aiming to install a gang of Islamofacists into power with the full blessings of Allah's gate keepers(Saudis,Wahabis,Qatar,Kuwait,Muslim brotherhood).

What irritates me are these deluded liberals in the west who think its a great idea to have a bunch of Islamists in power in Syria, not only this, I hear cool stories about Islamists fighting for democracy and civil rights.

Also, what pissed me off, was the fact, that the head of the UK sharia courts, a Mr Natham Hadad issued a fatwa declaring that it is the Islamic duty of the Syrian soldiers to disobey their officers orders. I mentioned this on a Leftist page on facebook and I got called a sell out to Muslims and a disgrace to freedom.

Obviously, the people in the west never learn their lesson, it needs to be brought to them by bombings of trains and other civilian infrastructure, DO NOT SUPPORT ISLAMISTS IN THEIR REVOLTS, because its me, progressives, moderates, in the Muslim regions who suffer the worst.

Obviously, you get to eat your five a day on a plate with a full English, but your actions and decisions affect us all as a whole. Just picture it, you dislike Anjem choundary, and his crazy lot, now why arm his kin in Syria, who are just as worse?

Wake up west, the game is over, Syria should not be over taken by criminals, bandits, village warlords and Islamists.

**Pashtun_Nationalis** · 28-08-2012, 15:56

Originally Posted by Kromeriz

Well the Olympics are have way through and the French are talking about working with their closest allies to introduce not only a no fly zone but a buffer zone inside Syria. Royal Navy must be itching for some sunshine and the RAF will be looking forward the foreign holiday allowance too.

France confirms it is working to establish buffer zone within Syria - Telegraph

What happened to those promises of bringing democracy to Libya by the French?

Plus obviously its a joking matter to you but would you feel comfortable giving assistance to the same people who cut the throats of your fellow soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan?

**Kromeriz** · 28-08-2012, 23:47

Originally Posted by Pashtun_Nationalis

What happened to those promises of bringing democracy to Libya by the French?

Plus obviously its a joking matter to you but would you feel comfortable giving assistance to the same people who cut the throats of your fellow soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Hi Afghan Kandak.

**alib** · 29-08-2012, 08:35

On The Arabist ✚ Iran Said to Send Troops to Bolster Syria

Not just the FSA's foreign fighters in Syria, according to the Wall Street Journal report from Farnaz Fassihi in Beirut:

A commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, appeared to offer Iran's first open acknowledgment of its military involvement in Syria.
Reuters Syrian Speaker Mohammed Jihad al-Laham, left, and Alaeddin Boroujerdi of the Iran parliament's national security committee Saturday in Damascus.
"Today we are involved in fighting every aspect of a war, a military one in Syria and a cultural one as well," Gen. Salar Abnoush, commander of IRGC's Saheb al-Amr unit, told volunteer trainees in a speech Monday. The comments, reported by the Daneshjoo news agency, which is run by regime-aligned students, couldn't be independently verified. Top Iranian officials had previously said the country isn't involved in the conflict.

I am slightly amazed that the WSJ has these sources:

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final word in all state matters, has appointed Qasim Solaimani, the commander of the elite Quds Forces, to spearhead military cooperation with Mr. Assad and his forces, according to an IRGC member in Tehran with knowledge about deployments to Syria.
The Quds Forces are the IRGC's operatives outside Iran, responsible for training proxy militants and exporting the revolution's ideology. The U.S. blames the Quds Forces for terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Solaimani has convinced Mr. Khamenei that Iran's borders extend beyond geographic frontiers, and fighting for Syria is an integral part of keeping the Shiite Crescent intact," said the IRGC member in Tehran. The so-called Crescent, which came together after Saddam Hussein's fall, includes Shiites from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.
Iran is now sending hundreds of rank-and-file members of the IRGC and the basij—a plainclothes volunteer militia answering to the guards—to Damascus, said two people in the IRGC familiar with the movements.
Many of the Iranian troops hail from IRGC units outside Tehran, these people say, particularly from Iran's Azerbaijan and Kurdistan regions where they have experience dealing with ethnic separatist movements. They are replacing low-ranking Syrian soldiers who have defected to the Syrian opposition, these people said, and mainly assume non-fighting roles such as guarding weapons caches and helping to run military bases.
Iran is also deploying IRGC commanders to guide Syrian forces in battle strategy and Quds commanders to help with military intelligence, Mr. Sazegara and the current IRGC members said.

My bold, only "hundreds"? It's not like Iran has a shortage of Basij.