Rise of Islamic state tests Syrian army strategy

mota bhai · July 25, 2014

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Rise of Islamic state tests Syrian army strategy
Reuters | Jul 25, 2014, 08.00 PM IST

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Rise of Islamic state tests Syrian army strategy
The growing power of the ultra-hardline Islamic state means the Syrian army is now having to confront a group it has until now been reluctant to attack for political reasons.
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BEIRUT: The growing power of the ultra-hardline Islamic state means the Syrian army is now having to confront a group it has until now been reluctant to attack for political reasons.

The emergence of the al-Qaida offshoot, formerly known as the Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), has so far allowed President Bashar al-Assad to present himself to the world as a bulwark against Sunni Islamist radicals.

At the same time, the group's tendency to fight more moderate rebel forces also helped to divide the opposition, making it easier for Assad's forces to recapture territory lost in earlier periods of Syria's civil war.

As a result, some analysts suspect army commanders pursued a twin-track strategy against ISIS - they have sought to reduce the group's threat to the state, while ensuring it remains strong enough to continue feuding with other rebels.

Now that Islamic state's fighters have gained momentum in Syria, boosted by equipment seized in a rapid offensive next door in Iraq, the army may need to become more confrontational with the group if it wants to avoid losing territory to it.

Last month Islamic state declared an "Islamic caliphate" in territory it controls in Iraq and Syria, and vowed to expand.

It has mainly advanced in Syria by capturing land from more moderate rebel fighters. But it is now clashing with the Syrian military more often, and the army has responded by stepping up aerial bombings on its positions.

In the short term, Damascus has not been too worried about ISIS, said a former Syrian diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"In the long-term though, it must be a matter of great concern because it makes it all the more difficult should ISIS establish itself semi-permanently, especially with its control of resources like the oil."

"There is a conflict of interests here between what is short-term and practical, and a long-term consideration," the former diplomat said.

Gas field attack

Last week, Islamic State killed 270 soldiers, guards and staff when it captured a gas field in central Syria, in the deadliest clash yet between the group and government forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group based in Britain which tracks the violence.

Syrian newspaper al-Watan, citing sources, said that around 60 members of the security forces were killed.

Syrian soldiers also fought Islamic State militants outside a government-controlled army airport in the east of the country last Friday, part of a major escalation of hostilities between the two groups.

The airport is one of the last major strategic locations in Deir al-Zor province which is not under the control of the Islamic state, and its capture would deny the Syrian army of its launch pad for air strikes on the east of the country.

If the Syrian government wants to take back control of territory in the north and east of the country, it will have to confront the Islamic State, observers say.

Made up of a few thousand fighters of various nationalities,

the Islamic State lacks the firepower of the Syrian army. But it has been among the strongest of the armed groups, despite having little presence in Syria until two years ago.

Its fighters have also used non-military methods to make gains, such as encouraging ad hoc alliances, exploiting local grievances and buying off opposition fighters.

Anti-Assad activists and Western officials say the government has allowed Islamic state forces to flourish while attacking less extreme rebels.

Assad has used the group's rise to back his argument that Syria faces a militant Islamist threat, diplomats say.

"The government wants (Islamic state) to be strong enough for its propaganda purposes and is therefore hesitant to attack it," one Western diplomat said, adding that any government offensives were launched because Assad needed to be seen as acting against the group.

Although government forces have avoided attacking the group's convoys and confronting it on the ground unless it is necessary, that does not mean it has been ignored as an enemy, the Observatory's director Rami Abdurrahman said.

"Since June 10 until now, there have been air strikes on (Islamic state) areas every day," he said, adding that before then it was once every four to five days.

"When it becomes stronger, it is a danger for the Syrian regime. Where it is a little bit weaker and fights with other rebel fighters, it is good for the Syrian regime to have a rest and control the area," he said.

Flashpoints

He said potential flashpoints between the army and Islamic State include Deir al-Zor province, areas around Raqqa city in central Syria, Aleppo in the northwest and eastern parts of the Hama province.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of contacts on the ground in Syria, estimates that Islamic State controls at least 35 percent of the country's territory.

Some insist Assad sees Islamic State purely as a foe.

Salem Zahran, a Lebanese analyst who is sympathetic to Assad and meets Syrian officials regularly, says Damascus views Islamic State as a threat like all Syria's other armed groups.

"The Syrian leadership ... does not differentiate (Islamic state) from the rest of the factions, and there is a danger from any faction that takes up arms," he said.

Islamic State is seen by Damascus as a danger on the ground even if it has helped to serve political objectives, said Jihad Makdissi, a former Syrian foreign ministry official who left the country and is now an independent political figure who backs the Geneva peace process for Syria.

"They see it absolutely as a threat to the country from a security and military stand point and they are already fighting them in many places according to the government's priorities."

But from a political perspective, Islamic state has served the Syrian government's objectives by demoralising and demonising the opposition, he added.
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Umair IK (Pune, Maharashtra)
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READ CAREFULLY - Israel has granted the Tableeghi Jamaat permission to establish propagation centres. The Tableeghi Jamaat are to oppose Hamas and destroy the spirit of Jihad amongst the Palestinians. Will the Tableeghi Jamaat really serve Islam in attempting to destroy the spirit of Jihad amongst the Palestinians? -ANS - NO , islam and tableegh never support terrorism , yes islam is a religion of peace. Tableegh preaches the same. According to the "Weekly Takbeer" , Israel has granted the Tableeghi Jamaat permission to establish propagation centres. The Jamaat has already set up offices close to government buildings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Abdul Mahdi, leader of the delegation of Palestinians and now living in Jordan, said upon arriving in Raiwind that the deputation of Tableeghi Jamaat members in Israel had not even uttered a word of protest at the Israeli brutality unleased on Palestinians. According to the "Daily Assas" , even Israel and India who are the worst enemies of Islam do not consider the Tableeghi Jamaat as a threat or harmful to them because the Tableeghi Jamaat not only abstains from any form of Jihad but also considers it an absolute prohibition. This is evident in the history of their activities. It is with these facts in mind that the Israeli authorities have allowed the Tableeghi Jamaat to establish 24 centres in Israel. Members of the Tableeghi Jamaat travelling from India to Raiwind in Pakistan were allowed special Air Charter facilities by the Indian authorities which is otherwise not available to other Muslims. muslim brothers , this is islam. even the worst so called enemy of islam "isreal" or my nation "India" shows respect here. muslims please follow tableegh jamaat for better understanding of islam to become a good human , loved by every other human on the earth ,and no other terrorists groups that will misguide you and make you a terrorist. Sorry my non muslims brothers , to be honest we muslims in a large number are misguided by such groups like "islam guidance centers ISIS HAMAS JEI LET, SIMI ,IM & many more " and yes will return back to humanity by the work of tableegh soon and many of us already in a good state. WORK IN PROGRESS.
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tanmay chakrabarti (Unknown)
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Good reporting.
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Hand of God (Unknown)
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Muslim nations should embrace democracy, rule of law and freedom of religion. For this, the Islamic religion needs to be rewritten. The source code of this religion is faulty.
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Hand of God (Unknown)
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The barbarians deserve to kill themselves.
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San (SF)
3 hrs ago
Jonah Tomb destroyed- Other Xtian landmarks in danger-------"(CNN) -- If you blink during the video, you might miss the moment an explosion destroys what is said to have been the tomb of Jonah, a key figure in Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
The first few frames show the revered shrine towering over its landscape. Then comes a sudden burst of dust, fire and smoke.
Then, nothing.
Militants with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, planted explosives around the tomb and detonated them remotely Thursday, civil defense officials there told CNN.---------------------
The holy site is said to be the burial place of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a whale or great fish in the Islamic and Judeo-Christian traditions.------------------
CNN could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video, which was posted to YouTube."----------- Does anyone believe that Muslims invaders into India did not destroy any Hindu temples?
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Abdul Rasheed (Deoband)
3 hrs ago
ISIS/IS is an outfits of Wahabis/ Salafis and Takfiris who gave been regularly raised by Wahabi regimes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Turkey Bahrain, Jordan, and other sympathetic countries and outfits such as Pakistan, Talibans, Jaish, lasshkar, etc. the outfit is supported as these Wahabi states could not make technological advances compared to Iran which as per National Science Foundation of USA, and Royal Science Society, UK is the fastest growing country in the world and the Wahabi states invested only in fundamentalism and and an ideology "Wahabism" which is completely up ante of basic tenet of Islam. According to this fundamentalist ideology all graves must be dig except the graves of their ideological masters Ibn Tamimiya and Abd Al Wahabi Najadi. Saudi Arabia the epicentre of ridiculous ideology of Wahabism can never defeat Iran in the battle field and hence retorted into terrorism through its idiot ideological followers. Terrorism will survive till the oil reserves of Wahabi states are dried up or the Saudi Arabia is obliterated. For defeating terrorism the obliteration if Pakistan and Saudi Arabia the two epicentres of terrorism is must.
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Hindu Patel (Hindustan)
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Terrorism is gift of Islam to humanity.
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Hindu Patel (Hindustan)
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Peace is impossible in Islam.
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ck (gk)
3 hrs ago
ISLAM, MUSLIM UMMA'S WORST ENEMY COLOSSAL TIME WASTING RITUALS All the salats with the required wudus and ablutions, fasting with accompanying nightly marathontaravih prayers, the all night nafil salats on special nights when sawab is much higher for each raka, daily quran recitations, Juma congregations and qutbas, Muharram majises, Islamic conferences, mehfil e milad e Nabi, recitations of duas, halaqas, darses, chillas, shabeenas, weeks long visits to karbala, Mecca ,madina, Ajmer,haj, umras, visits to pirs, visit to dargahs, tombs of saints etc etc make muslims the most time wasting people on religious rituals in the world. HATRED TOWARDS NON MUSLIMS The hateful ayas like non muslims are the worst beasts (8.55), lowest creatures(98.6), liars (16.39),evil (5.59) perverts (9.30), unclean(9.28) don't make friends with them(4.144,5.51,3.118) and over 100 such ayas make muslims the most hateful and discriminating people towards non muslims. They make mosques on every street in kuffar countries but do not allow any church or temple in their own countries The result is that they are the most disliked people in the world. HATRED TOWARDS OTHER MUSLIMS Ambiguity, confusion lack of context and chronology and contradictions in quran cause wide differences of opinions. This has resulted in over 100 sects of muslims each calling others heretics/kafirs/apostates/bad muslims resulting in hatred, enmity and bloodshed among themselves since inception of islam. Prophet himself called some muslims munafiqs and had their mosque burned down (Masjid e Zarrar ). He routinely orderered muslims to be killed just for for missing prayers. Bukhari V1:B11:N626: "The Prophet said, "burn all those who had not left their houses for the prayer, burning them alive inside their homes."" First Caliph Abu Bakar had thousands of muslims killed calling them apostates in the "Apostate war" right after the death of the Prophet. Prophet's most beloved wife Ayesha and his most beloved cousin and son in law Ali fought a bloody war (Camel War) calling each other kafirs, resulting in thousands of muslims killing each other. Prophet's most beloved grandson Hussain and 70 of his close friends and relatives were brutally killed by other muslims. Third Caluiph Usman was killed by first Caliph Abu Bakar's son calling him a heretic while Usman was reciting quran. Fourth caliph was murdered by pious muslims (kharijis) on his way to mosque, calling him a kafir. Three of the first four Islamic caliphs were murdered in cold blood by other pious muslims. Only the first Caliph died natural death within two years of his rule. Chances were that had he lived longer, he would have been killed liked the other three too by pious muslims. Is it any surprise that by far the most muslims are killed every year by other muslims even in 21st century for religious differences.
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Sudip (Tonga)
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The whole middle eastern resgion needs to thrown out of this Earth and sent to moon where they can fight and get destroyed and we can live peacefully on this earth!
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Prof Partha (Cuttack)
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ISIS is most dangerous development
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GhulamAbbas ()
4 hrs ago
This is nothing but a false propaganda. president Asad and his army backed by Hizbolla are very powerful and CONFIDENT . ISIL/ISIS are terrorist and without moral s .In Iraq also they are losing the ground and army is recapturing land and advancing. The fate of ISIS would be bad INSHAALLA.
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DILIP.. (Unknown) replies to GhulamAbbas
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The fate of Islam is jeopardized by Islamists. Obliteration by 2025.
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Amrit Bindra (Cleveland)
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OBAMA SUCCEEDED IN TURNING LIBYA INTO A TERRORIST HAVEN AND ALMOST SUCCEEDED IN EGYPT BUT PROMPT ACTION BY EGYPTIAN ARMY, IN SPITE OF REBUKES FROM OBAMA, SAVED EGYPT, FOR NOW. TIME WILL TELL IF OBAMA SUCCEEDS IN TURNING SYRIA INTO A TERRORIST HAVEN. WITH ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS HELP SO FAR, ISIS HAS ALREADY CAPTURED A GOOD PORTION OF SYRIA. AND THIS GUY WAS AWARDED WITH NOBEL PEACE PRIZE !
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OnMyWayID · July 25, 2014

You *just* complained about someone else not formatting....

mota bhai · July 25, 2014

I know.

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