Posted on 06/06/2015 11:35:11 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The Syrian army is a threat that has ceased to exist for the coming decade and the regime is in "the most grave predicament" since the outbreak of war in March 2011, a senior Israeli army officer said Wednesday in a briefing.
Hezbollah, the Assad regime's ally, has lost 700 men since the start of the fighting and 100 over the past two weeks alone, he said. The officer characterized Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who has delivered four saber-rattling speeches over the past eight days, as suffering from "no small amount of embarrassment" in Lebanon, and said that Israel has seen the transfer of Hezbollah troops from the south -- the border with Israel -- to Syria... The Shiite organization, the strongest military force in Lebanon, began physically backing the flailing Bashar Assad regime in 2012. Today it has fighters in Iraq, advisers in Yemen, and 6,000-8,000 combatants in Syria. "The last thing they want is to open a front with us," the officer said...
The officer interpreted Iran's devotion to Syria as more complex. He said that one can "categorically say" that there is a Shiite-Iranian-Hezbollah hegemony in west Syria and that Iranian involvement... has increased considerably. On the other hand, there are no Iranian troops being deployed on the front lines in Syria. Tehran understands that, as opposed to in Iraq or Lebanon, there are few gains to be made in Syria, he said, and therefore the majority of the fighting force is Hezbollah...
The Golan Heights, on the Syrian side of the border, is primarily in rebel hands. The officer described the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra as sitting "on the fence" and said that the radical Sunni group has positions "100 yards" from Israel's border. The Free Syrian Army, he said, "is spread out."
(Excerpt) Read more at timesofisrael.com ...
UN observers atop Mount Bental on the Israeli side of the border with Syria, close to the city of Quneitra, on May 30, 2015. (Photo by Yossi Zamir/Flash90)
Top Israeli officer: Syrian army in worst state since start of civil war
In wake of deteriorating situation, IDF conducting exercises in north that include major air force attacks at short notice.
By Gili Cohen and Reuters | Jun. 4, 2015
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.659536
As Syria’s Assad Suffers Civil War Setbacks, What’s the Best Outcome for Israel?
http://www.christianpost.com/news/as-syrias-assad-suffers-civil-war-setbacks-whats-the-best-outcome-for-israel-139960/
Rebel advances in Syria leave Israel contemplating life without Assad
IDF deputy chief of staff says Syrian army ‘has ceased to exist’ and that Hezbollah’s casualties are significantly higher than previously believed.
By Amos Harel and Gili Cohen
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/.premium-1.659201
Israel Fears Breakup of Syria
Israeli experts are cautious about predicting events in Syria, but concede that Hezbollah might attack Israel unexpectedly from the Lebanese border
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/03/israel-fears-breakup-of-syria
[while it is always a good idea to not be complacent, the recent Hizzie threats and bombast regarding taking over the Galilee and such are just noise to keep Israel from attacking preemptively; the correct response should be, bunker busters on those missile bunkers]
I thought I read Iran has sent 15000 troops and plans to send up to 50000 altogether.
but there are so many more sunnis than shia, ISIS’ recruitment can bring large numbers.
is it possible Iran could fall in the future to ISIS?
Was it possible the WWII Germany would cross the Rhine and then take France? To answer your question.
Iran was said to be sending 15,000, but they’re reportedly a mixed bag of guerrillas from various groups.
point well taken. where is this all leading too? every country in the region at war within a year?
Anything is possible, but Iran, being fresh and away from the fight, is far stronger than ISIS at this point in time. In wars, the will to fight may increase initially for some, but it eventually only continues to decline in every faction that’s been at it for long. Iran is saving its home regular forces and rather large guerrilla forces in Iran to attack us while only training and supplying mostly guerrillas from other countries to send to the current fights.
Have a look at these satellite photos. This is Syria at night in March, 2011.
http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2015-03/16/9/enhanced/webdr04/grid-cell-5538-1426512362-17.jpg
This is Syria at night last February.
http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2015-03/16/9/enhanced/webdr04/grid-cell-5538-1426512363-20.jpg
It’s much darker now, no doubt. Millions of civilians have left, and millions more are leaving. There’s not much to do there, except for men who want to fight against whatever other fighting factions. It’s a place of war, and that’s about all.
Free Syrian Army
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Syrian_Army
Allies
Islamic Front[6]
People’s Protection Units[7]
Syriac Military Council[8]
Opponents
Syrian Armed Forces
National Defense Force
al-Nusra Front[9][10][11][12]
Jund al-Aqsa[13]
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[14]
McCain’s friends?
Looking more and more like that Obama Nobel Peace Prize was a slam-dunk....
Imagine if Israel had “listen to the west” and had given up the Golan Heights for “peace”
Come on. Saddam couldn’t do it with a large tank heavy conventional army and poison gas . Let’s not make ISIS into a boogie man.
Yeah, exactly! Israel has given up the Golan before, got nothing in return but years of shelling, and knew better than to hand it back after 1967. The fight on the Golan in 1973 was pretty hot, parts of it had to be retaken, defense before the reserves arrived got down to a couple of tanks, literally.
‘Israel Paid Syria $100 Million for Golan,’ says Sadat Aide
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2807522/posts
Putin ass-licker?
I was wrong about Assad. Two years ago I stated here on FR that I felt he had his jet idling at a nearby airport. As things were looking bad for him. I had no idea he was so pugnacious. Felt he would take to ground before he got the Kaddaffy treatment. He remains. Amidst the ever decreasing skyline of Syria’s once proud cities...
Assad leaves, that means his tribe, the Alawites get slaughtered.
Their numbers have been reduced considerably. Some say 1/3 of fighting age men. As bad as things have been in Syria, they will only get worse.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
