And now we're bombing them.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-...amid-assads-downfall

US strikes dozens of ISIS camps and operatives in Syria amid Assad's downfall
Assad fled Syria on Saturday and was granted asylum by Russia
Greg Wehner By Greg Wehner Fox News
Published December 8, 2024 4:25pm EST
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Syrian rebels' victory another 'wickedly complex challenge' to national security, expert says
Former CIA Station Chief Dan Hoffman comments on Syrian rebels toppling the Assad regime and larger implications for national security.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted dozens of airstrikes on known ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria on Sunday to prevent the terrorist organization from taking advantage of the demise of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s regime.

After Assad’s family ruled over Syria for more than 50 years, Assad was forced to flee Syria to Russia, where he was granted asylum, when a coalition of largely radical Islamist groups led a sweeping offensive across Syria and captured the country’s capital city.

CENTCOM announced on Sunday that it has conducted strikes against ISIS leaders, operatives and camps as part of an ongoing mission to "disrupt, degrade and defeat ISIS."


Specifically, CENTCOM is working to prevent the terrorist group from conducting operations to ensure ISIS does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria.

U.S. CENTCOM conducted strikes in Syria on ISIS targets and operatives amid the downfall of the Assad regime.

During the operation, CENTCOM forces struck over 75 targets using U.S. Air Force assets like B-52s, F-15s and A-10s.

Damage assessments are currently underway, CENTCOM said, and there are no indications any civilians were killed in the operations.

CENTCOM also said it, along with regional allies and partners, will continue to carry out operations to hinder ISIS’s operational capabilities during this "dynamic period in Syria."

"There should be no doubt - we will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria," General Michael Erik Kurilla said. "All organizations in Syria should know that we will hold them accountable if they partner with or support ISIS in any way."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The U.S. has to assure that only the terrorists they control will come out on top, now that the country has collapsed.

President Trump has already stated we should stay out of this mess.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wcb6092,

I read a long article today, thinking this may be some kind of breakthrough for Israel, only to be disappointed that the dudes that took over, for lack of a better term, were a different brand of the same sort of people, so I'm guessing if there are any advantages to this from Israel's pov, it would be for Israel to make any hay with it that they could, since that part of the world is such mess for so long. Seems to really understand that part of the world, you need a high IQ and a wide ranging understanding of the history and politics going way back in time. It's way to confusing for me.

JD Vance Echoes Trump’s Stance on Staying ‘Out of’ Syria: ‘Not Our Fight’

https://www.breitbart.com/poli...syria-not-our-fight/

US officials discussed merits of removing $10m bounty on HTS leader

https://www.middleeasteye.net/...-abu-mohammad-jolani

US officials have discussed the merits of removing a $10m bounty on Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, whose rebel group swept into Damascus and toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, a senior Arab official briefed by the Americans told Middle East Eye.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, commonly known as Jolani, has been designated as a terrorist by the United States since 2013, whilst his organisation, HTS, was proscribed by the Trump administration in 2018 when a $10m bounty was placed on his head.

For years, HTS lobbied to be delisted, but its pleas largely fell on deaf years with the group relegated to governing just a sliver of northwest Syria.

But the lightning blitz by the rebels, which saw Assad's iron-grip rule end in spectacular fashion on Sunday, has since forced Washington to rethink how it engages with the former al-Qaeda affiliate.

The senior Arab official, who requested anonymity due to sensitivities surrounding the talks, told MEE that the discussions had divided officials in the Biden administration. Meanwhile, when asked about the discussions, one Trump transition official disparaged the Biden administration.

Jolani, 42, gave a rousing victory speech in Damascus' iconic Umayyad Mosque on Sunday and is widely expected to play a key role in Syria's transition after 54 years of Assad family rule.

"Today, Syria is being purified," Jolani told a crowd of supporters in Damascus, adding that "this victory is born from the people who have languished in prison, and the mujahideen (fighters) broke their chains".

He said that under Assad, Syria had become a place for "Iranian ambitions, where sectarianism was rife," in reference to Assad's allies Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah.

'Saying the right things now'
Speaking several hours after the fall of Damascus, US President Joe Biden called the rebel takeover a "fundamental act of justice," but cautioned it was "a moment of risk and uncertainty" for the Middle East.

"We will remain vigilant," Biden said. "Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses," adding that the groups are "saying the right things now."

"But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions," Biden said.

Later, a senior Biden administration official, when asked about contact with HTS leaders, said Washington was in contact with Syrian groups of all kinds.

The official, who was not authorised to publicly discuss the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity, also said the US was focused on ensuring chemical weapons in Assad's military arsenal were secured.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that US intelligence agencies were in the process of evaluating Jolani, who it said had launched a "charm offensive" aimed at allaying concerns over his past affiliations.

Jolani was born to a family originally from the occupied Golan Heights and fought in the Iraq insurgency and served five years in an American-run prison in Iraq, before returning to Syria as the emissary of Islamic State founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

"A charm offensive might mean that people are turning over a new leaf and they think differently than they used to so you should hear them out. On the other hand, you should be cautious because charm offensives can sometimes be misleading," the US official said.

"We have to think about it. We have to watch their behaviour and we need to do some indirect messaging and see what comes of that," the official added.

But, US President-elect Donald Trump, who will be entering office in just five weeks, has left few doubts where he stood on the conflict, saying Washington "should have nothing to do with it [Syria]."

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump wrote that Assad “lost” because “Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success”.

Trump used Assad's fall as an opportunity to call for an end to the war in Ukraine, without mentioning the Syrian opposition or the US' Syrian allies.

Jordan lobbies for Syrian Free Army
Assad's ouster has seen Nato-ally Turkey cement its status as the main outside power in Syria at the expense of a bruised and battered Iran and Russia.

But the US holds vast amounts of territory in Syria via its allies, who joined a race to replace the Assad regime as its soldiers abandoned villages and cities en masse.

The US backs rebels operating out of the al-Tanf desert outpost on the tri-border area of Jordan, Iraq and Syria.

The Syrian Free Army (SFA) went on the offensive as Assad's regime collapsed taking control of the city of Palmyra.

The SFA works closely with the US and its financing is mainly run out of Jordan. The SFA also enjoys close ties to Jordanian intelligence.

A former Arab security official told MEE that Jordan's King Abdullah II met with senior US officials in Washington DC last week and lobbied for continued support for the Syrian Free Army.

However, maintaining stability in post-Assad Syria will be key for Jordan as it looks to send back hundreds of thousands of refugees and ensure a power vacuum does not lead to more captagon crossing its border, the former official said.

In northeastern Syria, the US has roughly 900 troops embedded with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Arab tribes linked to the SDF swept across the Euphrates River on Friday to take a wide swath of strategic towns, including Deir Ezzor and al-Bukamal. The latter is Syria’s strategic border crossing with Iraq.

The US's support for the SDF is a sore point in its ties to Turkey, which views the SDF as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The PKK has waged a decades-long guerrilla war in southern Turkey and is labelled a terrorist organisation by the US and the European Union.

Turkey's concerns about the PKK led it to launch an invasion of Syria in 2016, with the aim of depriving Kurdish fighters of a quasi-state along its border. Two more military forays followed in 2018 and 2019.

The SDF is already being squeezed in the north with Turkish backed rebels called the Syrian National Army entering the strategic city of Manbij. According to Reuters, the Turkish backed fighters already control 80 percent of the territory around the city centre.

During Syria's more than decade long war, the US slapped sanctions on Assad's government, enabled Israel to launch strikes on Iran inside Syria, and backed oppositions groups that hold sway over around one-third of the country.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
<snip>
During the operation, CENTCOM forces struck over 75 targets using U.S. Air Force assets like B-52s, F-15s and A-10s.
<snip>

Glad to know that we still have operational A-10s. I thought the AF was mothballing them.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Glad to know that we still have operational A-10s. I thought the AF was mothballing them.

They are, but that phase-out is planned to take through 2029, if not later.

So they currently are still fielding a couple hundred A-10s in over a dozen A-10 squadrons.

quote:

Originally posted by wrightd:
I read a long article today, thinking this may be some kind of breakthrough for Israel, only to be disappointed that the dudes that took over, for lack of a better term, were a different brand of the same sort of people, so I'm guessing if there are any advantages to this from Israel's pov, it would be for Israel to make any hay with it that they could, since that part of the world is such mess for so long. Seems to really understand that part of the world, you need a high IQ and a wide ranging understanding of the history and politics going way back in time. It's way to confusing for me.

As most of you probably already know, I just learned that the "leader" of the rebellion was an Al-Qaeda leader. So the new guy will soon be murdering, torturing, imprisoning, raping, and dismembering his countrymen. The new boss...

quote:

Originally posted by wrightd:
I read a long article today, thinking this may be some kind of breakthrough for Israel, only to be disappointed that the dudes that took over, for lack of a better term, were a different brand of the same sort of people,

I heard them quoted today as saying, "Today Damascus, tomorrow Jerusalem"...or words to that effect. I don't think it'll end quite as well for them.

Israeli tanks are about 20 km from Damascus

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/400490

The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported early Tuesday morning that Israeli tanks are now positioned approximately 20 kilometers from the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Reports also indicated the IDF has taken control of nine villages in the southern outskirts of Damascus, near the border with Lebanon. At the same time, there were reports of extensive strikes in the Damascus area.

Earlier, Syrian media outlets reported Israeli strikes on the Al-Shuairat military airport, east of Homs, and on Syrian army targets in the provinces of Raqqa and Al-Hasakah.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition organization based in Britain, stated earlier that Israel had struck more than 250 targets across Syria in less than 48 hours, following the collapse of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's regime.

Sources told Fox News on Monday evening that Israel and the US are taking advantage of the fact that Russian fighter jets that had been deployed to Syria are grounded.

On Sunday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted dozens of precision air strikes targeting known Islamic State (ISIS) camps and terrorists in central Syria.

“The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS, in order to prevent the terrorist group from conducting external operations and to ensure that ISIS does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria,” CENTCOM said.

It added that the operation struck over 75 targets using multiple US Air Force assets, including B-52s, F-15s, and A-10s.

The IDF took control of the Syrian Golan Heights to protect Israel from the fallout of the fighting after the Syrian rebels brought down the Assad regime.

On Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to act to take control of additional sites in the buffer zone in Syria and to maximize its achievements.

Katz also instructed that the IDF work to create a security area which is clear of heavy strategic weapons and terror infrastructure in the southern area, near the buffer area, which could threaten the State of Israel, while reaching out to the local Druze population and other populations in the area.

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
Israeli tanks are about 20 km from Damascus

And they're not done. Israel wants to control a large swath of southwestern Syria to provide a buffer zone for the Golan Heights and the rest of Israel.

quote:

The IDF took control of the Syrian Golan Heights to protect Israel from the fallout of the fighting after the Syrian rebels brought down the Assad regime.

On Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to act to take control of additional sites in the buffer zone in Syria and to maximize its achievements.

That's the crux of that headline, Israel has zero interest in getting into an urban fight in a large metro-area, they'll reinforce the Golan and make sure no fools try to hike-up the hill and take pot-shots like before.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

quote:

The IDF took control of the Syrian Golan Heights to protect Israel from the fallout of the fighting after the Syrian rebels brought down the Assad regime.

On Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to act to take control of additional sites in the buffer zone in Syria and to maximize its achievements.

That's the crux of that headline, Israel has zero interest in getting into an urban fight in a large metro-area, they'll reinforce the Golan and make sure no fools try to hike-up the hill and take pot-shots like before.

There is a faction inside the Israeli government that believes in a Greater Israel destiny: these articles are from 2023.


Why does Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich think he can bring about the Greater Israel dream?

https://allisrael.com/why-does...greater-israel-dream



The Greater Israel is a biblical concept, in Hebrew, known as Eretz Yisrael Hashlema, which refers to the actual intended borders of Israel.

According to the Bible, there are three geographical definitions of the land of Israel, the first being what was given to Abraham, including “from the brook of Egypt to the Euphrates.” The other territories are the land divided between the original 12 tribes of Israel.

While this may be shocking, it would encompass all of what are considered today’s Palestinian territories, Western Syria, Southern Turkey, part of Iraq, part of Saudi Arabia, part of Egypt and even Lebanon.

Obviously, the State of Israel, as it stands in the year 2023, is only a sliver of the enormous land mass that all of the territory mentioned above would comprise and yet, it is a much larger area than what the nation started out with when it was established in 1948. Of course, much of that was due to the spoils of war, which enlarged the land that Israel took and which today is inhabited.

But even with that tiny sliver of land, which most people would be hard-pressed to find on a map, Israel’s enemies and opponents are still loath to acknowledge the minuscule Jewish presence that sits in the center of the Middle East. Not only is it viewed by them as an unacceptable intrusion, but anti-Israel activists actually refer to the Jewish presence as “occupiers of Arab lands.”

It is within that historical backdrop that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, during a speech given in Paris just a few days ago, spoke of the Palestinian people as being “an invention of the last 100 years.”

Smotrich spoke about his own ancestors who comprise 13 generations in the land of Israel and, specifically, his grandmother who was born before statehood occurred, thus referring to her as a genuine Palestinian who lived in the area called Palestine. He went on to say that once the Jews returned to their homeland, as predicted in accordance with the biblical prophecies, that the Arabs “created a fictional nation and then worked for their fictitious rights to the Land of Israel, just to battle against the Zionist movement.” He said, “that is the truth, and there is no alternative.”

Smotrich’s speech, seen as inciteful and controversial, was, of course, met with great anger, even calling his words racist. Governments throughout the world were quick to condemn Smotrich, causing him to have to walk back his statements, explaining later that “he referred only to terrorists.”

Ironically, while his viewpoint was considered controversial and inflammatory, from a historical perspective his grandmother would definitely have been called a Palestinian, and Arabs only began to use the term, “Palestinian,” to describe themselves once the State of Israel came into existence.

The Bible does, in fact, attribute much more land to the Jewish people, promised by God, than what they say comprises Israel today. But can any one person bring about the realization of those missing areas, which are known as other sovereign countries, these days?

This is, perhaps, what makes Smotrich’s speech so provocative and incendiary, despite the fact that many Bible-believers, be they Orthodox or Evangelical Christians, would likely agree with his representation of where God intended Israel’s borders to be.

The big difference between those Bible-believers and Bezalel Smotrich, however, is that probably the vast majority of those people would claim that only a divine intervention by God, Himself could bring about Israel’s realization of her complete territory, which was bequeathed to her by the Almighty.

Even as Israel, back in 1948, was preparing to be recognized as an independent nation, she was willing to accept the very narrow borders, which had been carved up for the Jewish state, as a compromise in order to live side by side with the Arab people who also claimed the land as their home. Although Jewish claims were supported by thousands of years of history, archaeology and a constant presence, albeit small, Jews were sober and realistic about the power of the United Nations, which oversaw the vote of other nations on the question of partition (two states for two people).

Likewise, today, Israel, which encompasses far greater territory than it did back then, recognizes that they cannot just do a land grab, even if they believe that, one day, according to the Scriptures, she will fulfill her destiny and finally realize the full inheritance. That is why, up until now, Israeli political leaders have used great caution in how they refer to the land, their neighbors and those who live among us who are not part of the Jewish people.

They understand the delicate balance which must be guarded in order to maintain peace and tranquility in the region. But it is not only Israel’s Arab neighbors who would strongly object to her annexation of territory it believes is rightly theirs. It is also the nations of the world, all of whom believe that the present arrangement is how it must be, despite some of those nations not even being any too happy about the status quo.

Smotrich may have sincere biblical beliefs as it relates to Israel’s borders, but he may do well to heed those who have wisely and prudently led the Jewish nation until now. If using restraint, as it relates to living within the present borders of Israel has not garnered favor and admiration from the world’s nations, what would their reaction be to a finance minister who thinks that he can hasten divine intervention? We don’t have to guess. We’ve already seen the furor which has arisen from, yet, another misstep of this overanxious and inexperienced politician.

For those who really trust in the God of Israel, it might be worthwhile to leave it to Him to decide the timing and execution – the how and when He chooses to endow His people with the promises that He has made them! Because only He can bring about His plan, the same way He did in 1948 when He caused the nations of the world to vote in favor of the biblical prophecy of Isaiah 66:8 by birthing a nation in One Day!


Jordan condemns 'reckless incitement' by Bezalel Smotrich

Jordanian government condemns statement by Smotrich that there are no 'Palestinian people,' use of map showing Jordan as part of Israel.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/368987

The Jordanian government condemned the speech by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in Paris in which Smotrich stated that there is no such thing as a 'Palestinian people' and presented a map of 'greater Israel' which included all of modern-day Israel and the State of Jordan.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry called Smotrich's speech “reckless incitement and a violation of international norms and the Jordanian Peace Treaty.”

The statement condemned “the racist and extremist inciting statements made by the extremist Israeli minister against the brotherly Palestinian people, their right to exist, and their historical rights in their independent and sovereign state on the Palestinian national soil.”

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson demanded that the Israeli government condemn Smotrich's speech and vowed that the Jordanian government would "take all necessary political and legal measures to address such extremist, hateful actions and statements."

Smotrich spoke at an event held in Paris last night (Sunday) in memory of Likud activist Jacques Kupfer, who died of cancer two years ago, during which he stated that "the Palestinian people are an invention that is less than 100 years old."

"My grandfather, who was the 13th generation in Jerusalem, is the real Palestinian. My grandmother, who was born in Metula more than 100 years ago to a family of pioneers, is Palestinian," Smotrich said.

He noted the rules of international law and said that "the rules have five characteristics that define a nation - history, culture, language, currency and historical leadership. Who was the first Palestinian king? What language do the Palestinians have? Has there ever been a Palestinian currency? Is there a Palestinian history or culture? There isn’t any."

https://x.com/MiddleEastEye/st.../1844208779480686976

Operation Bashan Arrow: 320 targets struck, 70% of Syrian military capabilities destroyed

IDF publishes new details on the operations in Syria to prevent Assad's weapons from falling into the hands of Islamists since his regime fell.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/400537

The IDF announced on Tuesday evening that it has struck 320 “strategic targets” in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime over the weekend. The operation is meant to destroy much of Syria's arsenal to prevent it from falling into the hands of Islamist and terrorist forces.

Over 350 fighter jets took part in the operation, which has been given the name "Arrow of Bashan." As much as 70-80 percent of the Assad regime's military capabilities have been destroyed.

The IDF attacked 320 targets from Damascus to Tartus, including advanced tanks, aircraft, helicopters, air defense systems, missile ships, rockets, weapons production sites, weapons depots, Scud missiles, cruise missiles, coastal missiles, drones, and more.

Activities in Syria are still continuing on the ground, with IDF ground forces operating in the buffer zone along the Golan Heights.


Israel pounds Syrian military sites; regional sources claim ‘nothing left’ of army assets

IDF denies ground forces in Golan have advanced beyond buffer zone toward Damascus; at the same time, Israeli Navy operates to destroy toppled Assad regime’s fleet

https://www.timesofisrael.com/...left-of-army-assets/

Israel pounded Syrian army bases on Tuesday in strikes it says aim to keep weapons from falling into hostile hands, but denied its forces had advanced into Syria, toward Damascus, beyond a buffer zone at the border.

Regional security sources and officers within the now-fallen Syrian army who spoke to Reuters described Tuesday morning’s airstrikes as the heaviest yet, hitting military installations and airbases across Syria, destroying dozens of helicopters and jets, as well as Republican Guard assets in and around Damascus.

The rough tally of 200 raids overnight had left nothing of the Syrian army’s assets, said the sources.

The Israeli Air Force has carried out over 300 airstrikes in Syria since the collapse of the regime, destroying advanced weapons and other capabilities.

Strikes reportedly carried out by Israel in Damascus’s Barzeh area completely destroyed a defense ministry research center, AFP correspondents reported on Tuesday. Western countries including the United States struck the facility in 2018, saying it was related to Syria’s “chemical weapons infrastructure.”

The IDF had yet to comment broadly on the strikes, but military sources said that the Navy had carried out a large-scale operation Monday night to destroy the former regime’s naval fleet, amid a wave of operations to take out military assets lest they fall into hostile hands.



The Israeli operations in Syria came in the wake of a lightning offensive by rebel forces there, which on Sunday toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad in a dramatic two-week chapter of a civil war that began in 2011, and which had been locked in a stalemate for years.

Following the regime’s fall, Israel moved to destroy regime weapons sites before they could fall into the hands of forces hostile to Israel, amid the chaotic takeover by rebel groups, many of whom were originally associated with al-Qaeda and other jihadist groups.

Numerous Syrian navy vessels armed with sea-to-sea missiles were destroyed in strikes carried out by Israeli Navy missile boats Monday night at the Minet el-Beida bay and Latakia port on the Syrian coast, according to military sources.

At the same time, Israel denied reports that its ground forces had gone beyond a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that the IDF seized on Sunday and stressed that its control of that area was a temporary, defensive measure.

“Reports circulating in some media outlets claiming that IDF troops are advancing or approaching Damascus are completely incorrect,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, wrote on X.

“IDF troops are present inside the buffer zone and at defensive positions close to the border in order to protect the Israeli border,” he added.

The comment came after Reuters, citing two regional security sources and one Syrian security source, claimed that troops reached “Qatana.” It was unclear whether the report was referring to the Qatana district, parts of which abut the buffer zone, or the town of Qatana, which is around 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from Damascus and east of the buffer zone.

Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established in 1974 was a defensive move.

Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia condemned the incursion into the buffer zone. Saudi Arabia said the move would “ruin Syria’s chances of restoring security.”

The UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, also called on Tuesday for Israel to stop its operations in Syria.

“We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop. This is extremely important,” Pedersen told reporters in Geneva.

Israel said its airstrikes would carry on for days, but told the UN Security Council that it was not intervening in Syria’s conflict. It said it had taken “limited and temporary measures” solely to protect its security.

Israel has clearly done everyone in the region a favor by destroying Syria's naval, Air Force, and ABC weapons stocks.

Lots of good photos here.

https://www.twz.com/news-featu...syrias-missile-boats

Interesting take on Israel's bombing of Syrian targets. In line with what sjtill posted above.

https://critical.international...s-campaign-in-syria/

כֹּל שֶׁלְךָ בָּסִיס הם שייך אֶל לָנוּ

We have a Syrian girl that works at my store. Sweet girl, great worker but obviously naive. She’s giddy about Assad being overthrown and insists that Syria will be entering a golden Age of Enlightenment.