Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

There are reports of a double-pronged assault on Raqqa having started, with one prong being made up of Syrian government forces with Russian air support, and the other made up of Western-backed forces. I find this interesting in light of comments I have made above about some kind of deal having been brokered.

[Robin Hood]

Tim Drayton:

There are reports of a double-pronged assault on Raqqa having started, with one prong being made up of Syrian government forces with Russian air support, and the other made up of Western-backed forces. I find this interesting in light of comments I have made above about some kind of deal having been brokered.

A BBC Radio Five commentator was just talking about it. Apparently there is also movement from the SAA into Aleppo as well. The Russians and Syrians have been playing it quietly and have been moderating their air strikes to attacking specific targets that are as clear of civilians as possible. Assad's troops on the ground have kept the terrorists bottled in and have just repelled their attempts to break through rather than trying to advance themselves, which they can only do with air power, as the coalition has found in Falluja. Their advance there has tailed off as they encounter urban operations.

As both the coalition and Russian gloves came off in Raqqa, so they have in Aleppo. There will no doubt be civilian casualties but at least the US/NATO are now cooperating. It remains to be seen if the US/NATO coalition will still continue to supply Assad's opponents with arms and ammunition .......... I suspect that stopping the arms supplies could well be part of this arrangement as well.

Maybe, after all this time, we will see ISIL chased out of Syria at least. The coalition can then have a Turkey Shoot as they flee across the border into Iraq?

[miltiades]

I have always believed that the coalition is colluding with the Russians, this could have been implemented when the West abandoned its demand for Assad to step down having realized that there was no viable alternative that could end the long going conflict in Syria with all the repercussions that developed, ie millions of refugees and the influx of hundreds of thousands in Europe.

Has the west finally realized that arming and supporting 100 plus revolutionaries opposing Assad and each other , would only contribute to chronic instability in Syria ?

[Robin Hood]

Miltiades:

I have always believed that the coalition is colluding with the Russians, this could have been implemented when the West abandoned its demand for Assad to step down having realized that there was no viable alternative that could end the long going conflict in Syria with all the repercussions that developed, ie millions of refugees and the influx of hundreds of thousands in Europe.

The whole conflict could have been avoided completely if the US had considered Putin's offer to cooperate in 2012 but regime change was the US's goal. It still is but is now referred to as 'transition' ..... same thing different handle! I think once the Syrian people get the chance to express their views, Syria will get the government and system they want, rather than having a solution imposed on them by others.

Has the west finally realized that arming and supporting 100 plus revolutionaries opposing Assad and each other , would only contribute to chronic instability in Syria ?

It has only succeeded in transforming a local uprising into a full blown foreign insurgency and as most oft these terrorists are now foreign fighters it cannot be considered a civil war. I think you credit the 'West' with a humility they have no comprehension of! We can but hope you are right?