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"It's A Friggin' Mess": The Pentagon Sums Up Syria Fight

Tyler Durden's picture




 

On Monday, nine people were killed across Turkey in a wave of attacks that included a shooting at the US Consulate, a bombing at a police station, a gun battle at the same police station, an attack on a military helicopter by "Kurdish rebels", and a roadside bombing. 

The violence is the latest escalation in hostilities between Ankara and various "extremist" groups and for President Tayyip Erdogan, each new attack serves as still more evidence of the incipient threat posed by the PKK and other "terrorists" he says are operating within and around the country’s borders. 

Of course what Erdogan really cares about is undermining the pro-Kurdish HDP prior to snap elections which he hopes will restore his absolute majority in parliament. Lumping the PKK in with ISIS has allowed Ankara to obtain NATO’s blessing for an offensive which has so far been focused on the Kurds but which Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu swears will shift towards ISIS as soon as newly-arrived US F-16s are prepared to fly missions from Incirlik which, as noted here last week, will supposedly serve as the hub for a new comprehensive fight against Islamic State. It’s been suggested that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan may contribute to the effort. 

All of this is of course designed to provide everyone involved (the US, Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia) with an excuse to remove Bashar al-Assad from Damascus. Russia isn’t so keen on this, as removing Assad threatens to undermine Moscow’s influence in the region but more importantly, could clear the way for the long-delayed Turkey-Qatar natural gas pipeline which would be an outright disaster for Gazprom and could serve to break the Kremlin’s leverage over Europe by freeing it from its dependence on Russian energy. 

Realizing that Assad’s badly depleted forces are likely to face defeat sooner or later, either at the hands of the various militants "freedom fighters" vying for control of the country or else at the hands of the US military which we imagine could "accidentally" end up engaging Assad’s forces directly once the air campaign against ISIS picks up, Moscow has gone back and forth between suggesting that it’s willing to negotiate for an "alternative" to Assad and saying that Russia is willing to lend military support to Damascus if it means helping to eradicate "terrorists." Again we see that both sides are prepared to use ISIS as an excuse to turn what has so far been a thinly-veiled proxy war into an actual confrontation between East and West and although Russia may be willing to "go there" if all options are exhausted, the economic realities of collapsing crude and Western sanctions are all too real which is presumably why the Kremlin entertained Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss next steps for Syria. In the end, it all came down to the fate of Assad and both sides are apparently willing to stand their ground - for now. Here’s Al Jazeera:

Russia and Saudi Arabia have failed in talks held in Moscow to overcome their differences on the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a central dispute in Syria's civil war that shows no sign of abating despite renewed diplomacy.

 

Moscow has called for coordination between the Syrian government and members of an international coalition fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which controls swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq.

 

Speaking after talks in Moscow on Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir reiterated Riyadh's stance that Assad must go.

 

"A key reason behind the emergence of Islamic State was the actions of Assad who directed his arms at his nation, not Islamic State," Jubeir told a news conference after talks with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

 

"Assad is part of the problem, not part of the solution to the Syrian crisis. There is no place for Assad in the future of Syria," he said.

 

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said anti-ISIL forces united on the ground should have wide international backing. But Jubeir specifically ruled out any coalition with Assad and tension between the ministers was often visible during the conference.

Here's Lavrov (translated):

For anyone not willing to sit through the audio, here is the operative quote: "I would not want any powerful state involved in attempts to solve the Syrian crisis to believe that Assad issue may be solved militarily, because the only way of such a military solution is the seizure of power [in Syria] by Islamic State and other terrorists."

Of course Lavrov surely realizes that ISIS seizing power in Syria would likely be just fine with the US and its regional allies. After all, when it comes to "boots on the ground" excuses that will fly with the American voter, "ISIS captures entire country" has to be right near the top of the list. 

Meanwhile, the US and Turkey are pressing ahead with efforts to establish a so-called "ISIS-free zone" along what is virtually the only stretch of the latter's border with Syria not under the control of the Kurdish YPG. As we discussed at length in "Why Turkey's 'ISIS-Free Zone' Is The Most Ridiculous US Foreign Policy Outcome In History," this swath of territory would likely fall under the control of the Syrian Kurds in relatiely short order (which, at least in the context of fighting ISIS, would be a good thing), were it not for the fact that they are affiliated with the PKK which means that Turkey (and by extension, the US) will have no part of it.

Another group who won't be helping to rout ISIS in the north is al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra, which apparently thinks the effort to prevent the Kurds from capturing the remaining terriroty along the northern border with Turkey is just as absurd as we do. Here's The New York Times:

The Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda has announced its withdrawal from front-line positions against the Islamic State extremist group in northern Syria, saying that it disagrees with plans by Turkey and the United States to clear the extremists from an area along the Turkish border.

 

In a statement on Monday, the Qaeda group, the Nusra Front, said the proposed plan was intended primarily to protect "Turkish national security" and not to advance the Syrian rebel cause.

 

Syrian activists in the area reported the withdrawal of the Nusra Front in recent days, saying that other rebel groups had taken up their vacated positions to prevent an advance by Islamic State forces.

 

The Nusra Front’s withdrawal from rural positions northeast of the Syrian city of Aleppo came amid newly announced steps by Turkey and the United States to fight the Islamic State in Syria.

 

American and Turkish officials last month described plans to provide military support to Syrian rebels to clear the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, from a roughly 60-mile strip of territory along the Turkish border. Nusra said that Turkey was interested in what its officials call a "safe zone" because it was worried about Kurdish forces that have seized much of the land across its border in Syria.

As The Times goes on to note, one thing Nusra did not mention in the purported statement is whatever happened to all of the US-trained "freedom fighters" the group has captured over the past month or so, including those form Division 30 and, more recently, the commander and deputy of the newest group of Pentagon trainees. On that note, we'll close with the following bit from CBS because ... well ... because it underscores how comically absurd this has all become.

Late last month, the Nusra Front battled the U.S.-backed rebel faction known as Division 30 and killed, wounded or captured dozens of its fighters.

 

Last week, U.S. officials said five Pentagon-trained fighters had been captured, probably by the Nusra Front branch in Syria. The Pentagon has lost track of some of the fighters who apparently have scattered, reported CBS News' David Martin.

 

"It's a friggin' mess," one official said.

*  *  *

Bonus: summing up the above in four seconds

 

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Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:04 | 6416249 CaptainAmerika
CaptainAmerika's picture

look at all this fucking propaganda: http://www.philiacband.com/propaganda.html

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:08 | 6416255 JC-BI
JC-BI's picture

The war on SYria is part of the larger US Wars in the ME to benefit IsraHell

https://biblicisminstitute.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/israel-prepares-for-...

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:12 | 6416279 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

Just when you think it can't get worse, the USSA is planning to heat  things up in the Ukraine. War with  Russia, why the fuck not? What possibly could go wrong?

http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/07/09/joint-chiefs-nominee-russia-could-po...

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:29 | 6416357 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

"Moscow’s behavior is “nothing short of alarming,” the general said, adding that “Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security” and “could pose an existential threat to the United States.”

Translation: "And now a word from my Zionist sponsors: Moscow’s behavior is “nothing short of alarming,” the general said, adding that “Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security” and “could pose an existential threat to the United States.”

Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is submission..

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:59 | 6416456 strannick
strannick's picture

There's no ISIS . ISIS is a as imaginary as the Egyptian goddess.

ISIS is just the CIA boogeyman created tohe America into Syria to out Assad. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 08:21 | 6417695 Tarshatha
Tarshatha's picture

Ah, but there is an ISIS, and it's well established and recognized by the secret intell around the world for at least the last 25 years.

 

ISIS = ISRAELI SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE


https://youtu.be/WBkCIDQmppU?t=143
Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:18 | 6416504 Squid Viscous
Squid Viscous's picture

The Ziocon parasites have dragged their host into another quagmire, like Lucy holding the football except their aims are alot more sinister

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:15 | 6416283 knukles
knukles's picture

American Foreign Policy; "It's a friggin' mess"
Last week I had to put up with a guy (retired Navy captain) who was telling us that the Isicisles are taking over, they're over here, gonna take over the health care system (told him it already happened) that we gotta bomb everybody back into the stone age, I pointed out we tried this shit before an he told me that I was  ...  y'all bet the pic.
I'm having equal trouble with crap like that as well as the arch Progressive pal of mine telling me there ain't enough political correctness.

Seriously.  And you guys wonder why I used to drink.

Where's Curtis LeMay when we need him?

Don't forget!  It's all about a pipeline!

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:25 | 6416341 Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill's picture

This shitshow could drive anyone back to drink.

Its only allergy stopping me, I kept on breaking out in handcuffs towards the end of

my drinking career.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:48 | 6416416 38BWD22
38BWD22's picture

 

 

Bad things kept happening to me too.  So, I chose another career too.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:53 | 6416433 TahoeBilly2012
TahoeBilly2012's picture

I am in the ZH dry club myself. Arnold Palmers all around!

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 22:04 | 6416717 Nobody For President
Nobody For President's picture

I proudly remain a ZH wet-clubber = this kind of ME shit Requires Scotch.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:22 | 6416530 darteaus
darteaus's picture

I'm old enough to remember the Russians work their ME policies.

That didn't work out too well either.

I took one of those Great Courses on World History. One of the lessons: "The Middle East: Where Great Civilizations Go To Die."

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:34 | 6416597 Freddie
Freddie's picture

When will the US Military uphold their Constitutional oath?  They have not since the Civil War so I am dreaming.  Don't expect anything good for the American people from The Pentagram.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 22:21 | 6416776 Sanity Bear
Sanity Bear's picture

If there's one thing that Saudis love, it's Israel getting blamed for their schemes.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:24 | 6416331 Crash Overide
Crash Overide's picture

It's a friggn' mess of their own creating.

I feel bad for the average folk in the region.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:40 | 6416386 junction
junction's picture

Syria's only hope is if Larry Silverstein is indicted for his role in planning the 9/11 attack and he talks, implicating Israel and the Saudis in the attack. Then Israel and Saudi Arabia will be in so much hot water for waging war on the USA, they will forget about Syria.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:05 | 6416256 roadhazard
roadhazard's picture

Even a blind hog can find an acorn now and then.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:08 | 6416271 q99x2
q99x2's picture

On Monday, nine people were killed across Turkey. Sounds almost as bad as the 405 freeway.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:14 | 6416293 knukles
knukles's picture

Or the Celebration of Saint Black Sambo day in Compton

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:09 | 6416274 JLee2027
JLee2027's picture

All the more reason to stay out of the Middle East. Let them kill each other. 

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:11 | 6416280 blindman
blindman's picture

what did he say?
beware them living high on treason and
their complexes; how quaint.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:12 | 6416285 alexcojones
alexcojones's picture

Chaos by Intention not accident

NWO, Illuminati, Zionists, Call them whatever you want but they always bathe in the blood of others.

Next US president / congress / will do the same, inflict the same pain...

Until such time they cannot.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:15 | 6416289 rwe2late
rwe2late's picture

yes 

"a friggin mess"

aka

a MIC wet dream

 

(medals, promotions, profits, and power)

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:18 | 6416314 wisefool
wisefool's picture

If it is about money. I have none.

But if the MIC wants a challenge they will never get my blue collar 40. Dick Cheney vs. the big lebowski.

Then we create A 501c3 for lois learner to sort out.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:19 | 6416316 Z_End
Z_End's picture

So I take it the gray area on the map is the already secured pipeline corridor? ;-)

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:24 | 6416335 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

Zion and their Dancing Mossads are cooking up 9/11 2.0.

Going to make 9/11 look like a day in the park.

Wait for it.

Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is submission..

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:30 | 6416359 NubianSundance
NubianSundance's picture

Macmillan and Eisenhower cooked up the previous insurrection in Syria against Assad's Dad, that didn't work and neither will this repeat effort.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 22:55 | 6416895 Volkodav
Volkodav's picture

Eisenhower was a war criminal.

"Other Losses"  James Bacque

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:31 | 6416360 Grandad Grumps
Grandad Grumps's picture

"Speaking after talks in Moscow on Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir reiterated Riyadh's stance that Assad must go."

The minister knows that if Assad doesn't go then the Saudi monarchy does.

Tell me which is more evil?

How many people has Assad executed this year for making offensive statements about his country's leadership?

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:32 | 6416369 Normalcy Bias
Normalcy Bias's picture

Unintended consequences are a bitch, but no more so than BLOWBACK.

Thank you for CREATING this clusterfuck, assholes. Is it EVER going to end?

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:42 | 6416392 Infinite QE
Infinite QE's picture

Mission Accompished.

 

-The Elders of Zion.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:54 | 6416436 TahoeBilly2012
TahoeBilly2012's picture

"we will send them back to the stone age..."

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:48 | 6416415 rsnoble
rsnoble's picture

Aren't most wars a mess?  I guess we've evolved in that respect also.  As long as you win, it's fast, kills a few million of theirs and none of yours, it's win win for everyone.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:51 | 6416424 OutaTime43
OutaTime43's picture

What would really throw a wrench into the plans of the Saudi , Israeli, Turkish , US plans would be Putin sending in a couple divisions into Syria to support Assad.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:52 | 6416427 Infinite QE
Infinite QE's picture

Or a few hundred megatons into Tel Aviv.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 04:20 | 6417384 BruntFCA
BruntFCA's picture

Not gonna happen. There are many dual citizen type Russian nationals in Israel. Even Bibi their prime minister was born in Warsaw, real bame Milikowski I think. Lots of dodgy money in Tel Aviv too, I think the Israelies like it that way, anyone bombs Tel Aviv - say goodbye to your less than honest cash horde.

With the relevant billions you can "find" your "Jewish" ancestors and go hide in Tel Aviv if anything goes pear shaped in your criminal empire. Tel Aviv is kinda like the Port Royal of the Middle East and the world!

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 20:57 | 6416448 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

...one official said.

fuck the fuck off with that shit

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:01 | 6416462 WTFUD
WTFUD's picture

All these Banana Republics like the Twisted US, Pig Scum Saudi and Gobble on my cock Turkey deciding what's good for Syria, yeah fucking sure! No mention of IRAN sitting back and watching this play out, NOT. No mention of the Mossad directing the traffic.

Nothing Learned here, here and here.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:13 | 6416502 Fun Facts
Fun Facts's picture

Ordo ab Chao

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:16 | 6416512 darteaus
darteaus's picture

Description of Middle East politics: "It's a mess".

That's a news flash?

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:32 | 6416582 BlussMann
BlussMann's picture

Putin will pucky out, like he did in Georgia when Russia could have taken the whole area over, hung Saakashivili ( prounced "Sack of Shit") after a US type show trial characterized by Sadam Husseins Kangaroo lynching. Putin and Russian have been too overrated by the Neocon Kikes and their cucks - Russia just doesn't have the muscle to do much, other than defend against an outright attack by the USSA and its lackeys.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:46 | 6416649 Falconsixone
Falconsixone's picture

Turkey is apart of the greater israel map.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 21:46 | 6416653 Omega_Man
Omega_Man's picture

I think the solution is clear,,, destabilize the fuck out of saudi and turkey pronto... where is the anti cia?

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 23:55 | 6417076 dogismycopilot
dogismycopilot's picture

I can't imagine the Russians really went to the Saudis expecting peace. The Saudis are in it to win it.

One must realize that they (Wahabbist/Sunnis) perceive ISIS as doing nothing more than opening markets for them. in Iraq and Syria. (for those who forget, recall Iraq has 10-12% of the world's known oil reserves.) The Saudis know that when the smoke and dust have cleared, they will tell ISIS leaders "turn it down or we will turn down your families back in Saudi". Then the ISIS freedom fighters will return to their home countries from their Jihad vacations and life goes on with the Sunnis having more land, power and markets to counter the Iranian threat (now bolstered by the US).

 

In short, the White House has sacrificed unknown numbers of Christians, Kurds, Yazidis, and moderate muslims to the alter of the GREAT GAME. All paid for by Mr. and Mrs. US Tax Payer. Americans should be outraged by this.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 00:21 | 6417138 luckylogger
luckylogger's picture

Russia is a wantabe......

They can't do shit because they just suk....

Their armed forces are vintage 1980.......

Putin is trying but the fact remains that he just does not have the resources....

If the greedy fukers would have cut coruption and enacted  private property laws...

He wou.ld have had a chance....

BUT- HE DID NOT BECAUSE HE IS A GREEDY FUKING PIG JUIST LIKE THE RESTO OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 02:35 | 6417317 Dakota Kid
Dakota Kid's picture

Luckylogger:

I suggest you bring your info up to date from the 1980's to the present.

 

http://breakingdefense.com/2015/07/putin-rebuilds-russias-military-while...

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 04:59 | 6417407 theprofromdover
theprofromdover's picture

Kurdistan was always part of the plan. Once they got the pipelines through Syria, they had to get through the Kurdish homelands into mainland Turkey. Damage everywhere, that will come home to roost in a bad, bad way.

Boy, the American Empire has been run by complete idiots for 3 generations now -starting with the Dulles Brothers.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 06:30 | 6417466 Raul44
Raul44's picture

I know one Syrian refugee in Switzerland who live there ATM as he asked for asylum. He told me, on one hand he said he is sure Assad killed civilians, on the other hand he confirmed that it is well known in the region and among people that whatever fate happen with any country in the ME, its a decision of Israel. Specifically, he said that certain Israeli mafia who have its people on high positions including government decide if and where there be a war or peace. He confirmed that even though he is anti Assad and sunni. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 09:12 | 6417876 esum
esum's picture

keep in mind Obama/Jarrett goal is to establish the CALIPHATE and start ww3.

hence: recruit,train, fund and arm ISIS (thank you Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi, Bahrain, UAE0

          give Iran nukes  (tell Vlad I'll be more flex in my second term)

          abandon allies (take down Mubarak, Khadaffy- providing vital info on al queda/ lybia was largest provider of irq fighters

          support the muslim brotherhood/al queda/isis (give Morsi (the man part of Benghazi attack) $5 billion but pull it when Sisi takes over)

          diminish the USSA militarily (defund and demoralize with gays)

          promote a nuke attack in America  (open borders iwth 15-20% from other han Mex.)

          stir up racial unrest domestically  (all the black boys turing their lives around and gentle giants... aka THUGS)

          flood the country with illegals and muslims (200,000 somalis and syrians enroute)

          list and plan to exterminate domestic enemies (30 million+)

          establish a NATIONAL POLICE FORCE (nazi brownshirt equivalent)

         MILITARIZE LOCAL pd'S

          crippple the economy via electricity rates and useless alt energy schemes, epa, 

          conceed the entire middle east to terrorists and terrorist states ala chamberlin pre ww2

          sit back and watch it all crumble

          FUNDAMENTALY CHANGE AMERICA ...... HOPE AND CHANGE ala cOMMIE Muslim style

 

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