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Syrian army weakening as rebels make gains
The Washington Post ^ | Tuesday, December 4, 2012 | Joby Warrick and Babak Dehghanpisheh

Posted on 12/04/2012 8:12:24 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

After nearly two years of fighting, Syria’s vaunted war machine is showing serious cracks as emboldened rebels snap up more bases and airfields and force army units to retrench behind defensive lines in major cities, Western officials and military analysts say.

Bolstered by a steady flow of arms from foreign backers, opposition forces have scored a series of tactical victories in the Damascus suburbs in recent days and are advancing steadily toward the city’s airport, adding to what some analysts view as a sense of momentum that has been building since late summer.

Powerful antitank and antiaircraft weapons have helped level what was once a lopsided contest, the officials say, so much so that army commanders have been unable or unwilling to challenge rebel assaults on large military bases on the capital’s outskirts.

“The regime isn’t intervening to defend its positions,” said Jeffrey White, a former Middle East military analyst with the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency. “And when it does try to counterattack, it often fails.”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: syria
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1 posted on 12/04/2012 8:12:30 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican
I wonder if the rebels, once they win, will re-institute slavery like they did in Egypt.

And I wonder if the Post will notice.

2 posted on 12/04/2012 8:18:05 PM PST by skeeter
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To: MinorityRepublican

Thank goodness the rebels are doing well! I was beginning to worry that we would never have another Christian hating, moslem brotherhood, Egypt clone.


3 posted on 12/04/2012 8:20:12 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: skeeter

Right about now the rebels are probably changing their plans about using chemical weapons on the Syrian Military - Boy that Hillary is a complex creature. And pretty soon the young Arab Spring protesters all over the Middle East will realize that the masks they wear from the movie “V is For Vendetta” are really really gay.


4 posted on 12/04/2012 8:26:59 PM PST by ExxonPatrolUs (The Ameritopian Motto: Gov The Sheeple, Buy The Sheeple, Bore The Sheeple)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Interesting dynamics in Syria.
If Assad falls then does Iran stop supplying them? Does Hezbollah unite with fellow muzzie rebel bros and get even more aggresive with Israel? Don’t forget that Russia has some skin in the Syrian game?
Just another ME muzzie mess no matter how the cards are dealt over there.


5 posted on 12/04/2012 8:36:08 PM PST by tflabo (Truth or Tyranny)
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To: MinorityRepublican

What a joke. Those rebels are dead by the thousands. This is over.This is a sovereign country killing criminals. STAY OUT OF IT!! Can’t care.


6 posted on 12/04/2012 8:39:54 PM PST by willowdean
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks MinorityRepublican.


7 posted on 12/04/2012 8:40:46 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: willowdean
This is a sovereign country killing criminals. STAY OUT OF IT!! """"........

Yep, and that's a good thing. We should never "MEDDLE" in other countries affairs. At least that's what I thought I heard from Hillary and gang way back.

8 posted on 12/04/2012 8:47:32 PM PST by annieokie
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To: MinorityRepublican

MinorityRepublican ( from the article) : “ Bolstered by a steady flow of arms from foreign backers, opposition forces have scored a series of tactical victories in the Damascus suburbs in recent days and are advancing steadily toward the city’s airport, adding to what some analysts view as a sense of momentum that has been building since late summer. “

The flow of arms since 9/11/12 at Benghazi is what should be stated in the article, along with the freighter leaving Lybia and going immediately to Turkey ( 30 miles from where rebels renewed their attack )
The flow of arms is “Fast and Furious”, Part Deux !


9 posted on 12/04/2012 9:01:46 PM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt ("You never want a crisis to go to waste..."- Rahm Emanuel)
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To: SunkenCiv; TigersEye; Marine_Uncle; onyx; Grampa Dave
Hagmann is saying the fuse is lit,...:

The Big Lie Continues: The US is reporting that Assad is mixing sarin gas

10 posted on 12/04/2012 9:09:00 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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To: MinorityRepublican

...which side are we rooting for now?


11 posted on 12/04/2012 9:16:58 PM PST by Tzimisce (What do you do when every every branch of the government is corrupt and aligned against you?)
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To: All; F15Eagle; Carry_Okie; GeronL; Fred Nerks
From the Washington Post article:

**************************************EXCERPT*****************************************

One Islamist militia with suspected ties to al-Qaeda has seized two government military bases in the past two weeks.

12 posted on 12/04/2012 9:18:34 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: F15Eagle
I've seen reports that it is estimated it will take 75000 soldiers to secure the chemical weapons after Assad falls.

Someone must have a plan....right?

14 posted on 12/04/2012 9:30:48 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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To: All
BBC Report from 18 June 2012 :

Fears grow for fate of Syria's chemical weapons

*****************************************EXCERPT******************************************

There are even persistent reports in the US that preparations are being made to secure such stocks in the event of a regime meltdown.

15 posted on 12/04/2012 9:36:19 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
He is wrong about one thing. WWIII won't start in Syria.

0bama started WWIII on Sept. 11th 2012

OBAMA'S SINISTER MOTIVE FOR ENABLING THE MIDDLE EAST UPRISINGS AT ELECTION TIME

16 posted on 12/04/2012 9:36:56 PM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
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To: justa-hairyape

see just above.


17 posted on 12/04/2012 9:37:42 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I'm taking Doug Hagmann's articles into careful scrutiny, at this point with this latest writing.
Something don't jive with this latest short article. I'll leave it go at that.
19 posted on 12/04/2012 9:47:04 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (I'm going John Galt.... But. Honor must be earned.)
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To: Marine_Uncle
Well the Washington Post will be the primary outlet for "NEWS" from the White House.
20 posted on 12/04/2012 9:54:40 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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