Syria

AJ+ | – – “Five years of war has had a devastating effect on the Syrian city of Aleppo. With the constant threat of shelling and the soaring price of glass, people are now using plastic to cover up their windows.” AJ+ “Aleppo, Syria: A Windowless City”

Featured

Clash Looming? Russia-backed Syrian Army heading for ISIL’s al-Raqqa in race with US-backed Kurds

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Syrian Arab Army is advancing toward al-Raqqa city, the capital of the phony ISIS “caliphate,” with Russian air support. US Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Christopher Garver confirmed on Wednesday that the US has seen the movement of the troops of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad “to […]

Bashar al-Assad

Stymied by Syrian regime Sieges, UN planning Food Airdrops to 600K Civilians

contributors

By Lyndal Rowlands | (Inter Press Service) | – – UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – The UN has begun plans to deliver aid to besieged Syrian towns by air but says there are a number of obstacles in the way and that delivery by land remains its preferred choice. The UN had promised to plan the […]

Featured

Syrian Gov’t Troops enter ISIL-held al-Raqqa Province, racing against US Allies

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Syrian troops, aided by a Homs-based pro-government militia the ‘Falcons of the Desert’ and under the cover of Russian air support, entered al-Raqqa Province from Hama for the first time in two years on Saturday. The southern half of al-Raqqa province is one of two major […]

Free Syrian Army

Not the Onion: US asks Russia not to Bomb al-Qaeda in Syria

contributors

TeleSur | – – The Russian foreign minister said his Washington counterpart asked Moscow not to target the extremist groups out of fear of hitting moderate rebels. The United States has asked Russia not to target al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria the Nusra Front arguing that airstrikes by Moscow could also hit other rebel groups, Russian […]

Featured

As US/ Kurdish force Moves on ISIL at Manbij, Turkey goes Ballistic

contributors

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The left-leaning Beirut daily al-Safir (Ambassador) points out that less than two weeks after the Syrian Democratic Forces announced their campaign against al-Raqqa, the capital of the phony caliphate of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), the SDF instead has veered off to the west in a bid to […]

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

In Fight against ISIL, does US have to Choose between Turkey & YPG Kurds?

contributors

By James Miller | ( RFE/ RL ) The fight against extremists from the Islamic State (IS) militant group is heating up on two fronts. Since May 23, a coalition consisting of the Iraqi army and primarily Shi'ite militias, backed by U.S. air strikes, has advanced towards Fallujah, 40 kilometers west of Baghdad. There are […]

Free Syrian Army

ISIL Advance Traps 165,000 Syrians at Closed Turkish Border

contributors

By Gerry Simpson | ( Human Rights Watch ) | – – There are two walls on the Turkey-Syria border. One is manned by Turkish border guards enforcing Turkey’s 15 month-old border closure who, according to witnesses, have at times shot at and assaulted Syrian asylum seekers as they try to reach safety in Turkey […]

Featured

US Spec Ops Troops on Front Line in Syria with Leftist Kurdish Insignia: AFP

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Agence France Presse got the scoop on Thursday, with their reporters in Fatisa just 19 miles from Daesh territory in northern al-Raqqa Province, Syria saying they saw some 20 US special operations troops embedded with leftist Kurdish YPG units and wearing YPG insignia. (The latter move […]