New jihadist blitzkrieg: fell Ramadi and Palmyra
The results of the spring campaign of the “Islamic State (Caliphate)” proved to be very successful for jihadists. The bombing of the international coalition positions of militants in Syria and Iraq proved to be ineffective. Jihadists not only retained the main forces, but also organized a new blitzkrieg, inflicted a heavy defeat on the Iraqi army, capturing Ramadi, and squeezing the Syrian army, taking Palmyra. In addition, jihadists have taken strong positions in North Africa, entrenched in Libya, which, as a state, already does not exist de facto, and threaten Western Europe from a southern direction. Nigerian "Boko Haram" became a branch of the "Islamic State".
New Blitzkrieg in Iraq
Despite the support of the international coalition from the air and the active military and material assistance, the Iraqi army was not able to become a real force capable of independently resisting the Islamist formations and bringing control over the previously lost territories. Baghdad’s loud statements about its readiness to repel Mosul (the second largest city in Iraq, which was captured by jihadists in 2014), after the Shiite militias liberated Tikrit, turned out to be a great exaggeration. In reality, the regime in Baghdad is still held only by the support of Iran, the Shiite militias, large-scale military-technical assistance (including from Russia), and air strikes by the international coalition led by the United States. True, the bombing of jihadist positions once again (as in Afghanistan and Pakistan) showed that some air forces cannot stop irregular troops. In addition, there is considerable harm from them; there are several civilians per killed militant, which strengthens the social base of the Islamic Caliphate.
Jihadists counterattacked in the west and center of Iraq, in the province of Anbar. This province is inhabited by Sunnis, who either support jihadists or remain neutral, preferring to protect only their tribal territories, without entering into “big politics”. After months of confrontation, the militants have achieved significant success. The battle ended with the defeat of the defending units of the Iraqi army and the federal police. Militants have previously controlled part of Ramadi (Ramadi) and its suburbs. The main reason for their success was the refusal of the authorities to use in this Sunni province the most combat-ready Shiite militia, reinforced by Iranian military experts. The authorities did not want to intensify inter-ethnic conflict. In addition, Washington is wary of Shiite militia, fearing a sharp increase in Tehran’s influence in Iraq.
To help in the defense of the city were pro-government Sunni militia. However, the rate on "local personnel" was once again beaten. Sunnis are reluctant to fight with their co-religionists and do not feel the desire to stand to death. And the combat capability of most parts of the Iraqi army is still at an extremely low level. The new Iraqi army was created by American advisers on the patterns of the colonial, auxiliary army (a similar picture in Afghanistan), which must perform punitive and police functions, and such an “army” is not capable of a regular war, a serious anti-guerrilla campaign. Without the support of highly motivated Shiite militias, the Iraqi military cannot fight successfully, even in defense.
As a result of the new assault that began on 14 in May, the militant groups of the Islamic Caliphate broke through the front of the Iraqi army and blocked part of the military in the Anbar command headquarters and the 8 Army Brigade base. An attempt by the military to break out of the "cauldron" ended in a battle and the seizure of military base by the militants with all warehouses weapons, equipment, ammunition and ammunition. 17 May, the Iraqi army finally lost control of the city. The Iraqi army experienced a second, after Mosul, heavy defeat. From Anbar province, a new wave of escape has begun for those who do not want to live under the rule of jihadists.
Thus, the Islamists seized an important city, large stocks of weapons and ammunition, and were approximately 100 km from Baghdad, having the opportunity to threaten the Iraqi capital. And the new success of the Islamists has shown the myth of the "high efficiency" of the air strikes of the international coalition and the weak training of the new Iraqi army, which was being prepared by American instructors. The hopes that the Iraqi army regained its combat capability and, after taking Tikrit, it would repel Mosul, did not materialize. Ramadi is located in the center of the so-called. “Sunni triangle”, a territory dominated by Sunnis, and has an important religious and moral significance as the ancient capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. This strengthens the position of the IG.
After another crushing defeat in Ramadi, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi led the Shiite militias from the reserve, and they, together with Sunni militia fighters, are preparing a counteroffensive on Ramadi. Moreover, in Baghdad itself, tens of thousands of Shiite militia officers are keeping the situation under control. In turn, the Islamists are also preparing for a “battle for Anbar,” to then attack Baghdad.
USA, Iran and Russia
It should be noted that a major role in the chaos in Iraq is played by the United States and other forces, which benefit from destabilization and disintegration of the Republic of Iraq and Syria. So Washington supports the regime in Baghdad with one hand, arms it, receiving billions in profits. On May 18, the US State Department promised to assist the Iraqi army in returning the city of Ramadi. 20 May has come newsthat Washington will supply Baghdad with a thousand anti-tank complexes necessary to combat mined cars and jihadi carts. The anti-tank complexes promised to be delivered as soon as possible, without delaying the process, as with the delivery of F-16 fighters.
On the other hand, it is the United States and part of the western elite, interested in the chaos in the Middle East and wider in Eurasia, as well as their eastern customers - Saudi Arabia, Qatar, are guilty of the appearance of the “jihad army”. First, Western and Eastern intelligence agencies raised the terrorist organization Al Qaeda, and then the Islamic State. Jihadists play the role of the “collective Hitler” who unleashed the war in the Middle East and created the “Middle Eastern Front” of the global war.
Iraqi politicians have repeatedly accused the United States of delaying the fight against terrorists. The head of the defense and security committee of the Iraqi parliament, Hakim al-Zamili, believes that the American occupation of Iraq was aimed at undermining the power of the Iraqi army and creating a climate of chaos in the security sphere. And this applies not only to Iraq, but to the entire region. In addition, the United States, in the opinion of the Iraqi politician, deliberately delays the fight against terrorists, as evidenced by the insufficient accuracy of the actions of the international coalition planes in bombarding the positions of the IG and dropping military aid to jihadists allegedly by “error”.
Erbil (the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan) plays an important role in the Great Game of the USA in Iraq. The Kurds supported the US in the occupation of Iraq and gained great benefit from it. Iraqi Kurdistan has become de facto independent. The onslaught of the jihadists does not greatly hinder the Kurds, since it is directed against Baghdad. Mostly jihadists and Kurdish militia adhere to the position of armed neutrality. At the same time, the offensive of the jihadists and the fall of Mosul further strengthened Erbil’s independence, since Baghdad cannot prevent the Kurds from striving for independence, and all of his forces are linked by fighting the IS. In addition, the United States and its allies received an official reason to actively arm the Kurdish formations. Washington has almost officially formalized the partition of Iraq, when the Congress recently passed a law on the supply of weapons to Kurdistan and some new education - Sunnistan, the territory of Iraq predominantly populated by Sunnis. Weapons supply hundreds of millions of dollars. Interestingly, most of the "Sunnistan" one way or another control the militants of the IG, that is, the United States and its allies with one hand bombing the Islamists, and the other hand support them.
At the same time, the United States and Iraqi Kurdistan in every way prevent Iran from helping Baghdad in defeating the IG. Tehran is ready to help the Shiite government of Iraq in establishing tight control over the entire territory of the country. A defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq will directly support Assad in Syria. However, the United States is not profitable. The Anglo-Saxons have far-reaching plans to create a “Great Kurdistan” at the expense of the lands not only of Iraq, but also of Syria, Iran and Turkey.
This is all part of a plan to "reformat" the entire region. The old states must fall (including Saudi Arabia), and in their place there will be weak state formations, network organizations (terrorist, military-religious, "companies" specializing in plundering and selling historical artifacts, drug trafficking, sale of weapons and people, etc.), which are inscribed in the world hierarchy of "Global Babylon", which is being built by the masters of Western civilization. But the main goal today is constant chaos, turmoil and war in vast expanses from the borders of India, China, Russia and Europe to Central Africa.
Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq are already dismembered. Syria in the form in which it was previously, will not already exist. The Assad regime is already struggling to fight off a pack of gangs of various kinds. Saudi Arabia itself is actively “swinging the boat”, but also sentenced to dismemberment. Next in line are Turkey and Iran. Libya is fragmented and turned into a springboard of Islamists. Mali without the support of the French immediately collapse. Sudan is dismembered, in the south the situation is not stable. In Somalia, permanent war. The radical Nigerian Islamist organization "Boko Haram" swore allegiance to the IG in March 2015. Now the "West African Province of IG" is more active in hostilities in Nigeria, where there is a threat of disintegration of the country into the Islamic and Christian pagan parts. There is a threat of renewed unrest in Egypt, where the military regime is opposed to the "Muslim Brotherhood" and the militants in the Sinai Peninsula.
And Iran opposes these plans, being together with Syria at the forefront of the fight against the Global Babylon project (the New World Order of the Anglo-Saxons or the Eternal Reich of the German Nazis - all these are manifestations of this project). Tehran is well aware that they are in line. After the final fall of Syria and Iraq, the turn of the Islamic Republic of Iran will come. Therefore, Iran is actually the only real opponent of jihadists (except Syria). Tehran should not surrender Baghdad, which they plan to make the capital of the Islamic Caliphate. Apparently, Tehran is ready to fight for Baghdad right up to the entry of mechanized army units, and not just special forces units that are already fighting in Iraq. In addition, it is important for Iran to keep Syria, its position in Lebanon and Yemen. All these are the "fronts" of the global turmoil that gradually covers the planet. It is clear that Iran is not doing this because of “chivalry”, Tehran has its own interests everywhere. However, objectively Iran is currently fighting in the interests of Russia, since it is in our interest to preserve at least relative stability in the Middle East and fight against jihadists who are the “ram” of the Anglo-Saxons to crush the largest Eurasian states.
Supporting Iran, Syria and Iraq in the fight against ISIS is one of the most important areas of Russian policy. These countries are now the forefront of the struggle for Eurasia, for the future of all the peoples of the continent. The choice is simple and terrible: either the people of Eurasia will be drained of blood in a monstrous global slaughter that is just beginning, and in the future they will become “two-legged tools” in the hierarchy of the global neo-slave and neo-feudal system, or they will be able to withstand a chance to build a more fair and reasonable order . And the role of Russian civilization in this process is enormous.
No wonder 21 May in Russia arrived Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi. Russia has supported Baghdad in the fight against the jihadists, strengthening the Iraqi army attack aircraft Su-25, attack helicopters Mi-35M, Mi-28, anti-aircraft missile and gun complexes Carapace-S1E, heavy flamethrower system TOS-1A "Solntsepok". Next in line is the continuation of deliveries of already ordered machines and, apparently, new contracts. Only support from Iran, Russia and other interested forces can save Iraq from final disintegration. For Moscow, the support of Baghdad is beneficial not only in terms of strategic interests, but economics. Iraq is a rich country with large hydrocarbon reserves. Baghdad is able to pay for arms deliveries, and is also interesting from the point of view of trade, the development of common projects in the fields of energy, transport, construction, engineering, etc. Russia, on a mutually beneficial basis, can help in rebuilding the country.
It should be understood that Russia cannot be an outside observer of the battle that is in full swing in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other countries. The forces hostile to Russia are trying to completely destabilize the region of the Near and Middle East. And when this is done, a wave of chaos will come to the Caucasus, to Central Asia and South Russia. The leaders of the "Islamic State" have already declared their desire to "liberate the Caucasus", and the world Islamic caliphate is going to be created, including at the expense of the Russian territories. Behind the IG are the masters of the West, as they were behind Hitler, who plan to set fire to Eurasia. Moreover, one of the main directions of expansion of jihadists is the former parts of Russia-the USSR and the modern Russian Federation. Russia's strategic and national interests dictate the need to participate in the establishment of peace in the region and the destruction of terrorist forces. If Russia does not defend its national, strategic interests around the world, it will simply become a victim of geopolitical opponents, who are now called “partners”.
It is clear that this should not be done directly by military means, since such involvement of Russia in the confrontation on the “Middle Eastern Front” will be beneficial to its enemies. Landing divisions in Damascus and Baghdad can not be sent. Russia is already bound by the conflict in Ukraine and the need to strengthen the frontiers in the western (European) strategic direction. Active participation in the war in the Middle East will dramatically undermine its ability to maneuver and resource base. In the foreground should be political-diplomatic support, military-technical, material support, assistance with intelligence data and economic integration of the Eurasian space.
So, May 21 of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rightly noted that Iraq, Syria and Egypt are on the “front-line front of the fight against terrorism.” Therefore, Russia will "try to satisfy all possible requests as much as possible so that their defense capability and ability to expel IS and other terrorists from their territory is ensured." Russia will not put any conditions for the supply of arms to Iraq and Syria.
It is possible that it is worth thinking about the strategic axis Moscow-Damascus-Baghdad-Tehran, with the inclusion of India and China, who are interested in fighting jihadists and preserving Eurasia from great unrest. And also all the forces that want to save the world from falling into chaos and do not want the victory of the forces behind Western civilization.
Syrian direction
Unfortunately, jihadists have achieved significant success not only in Iraq, but also in Syria. 20-21 in May came the news that the militants forced the Syrian army to leave Palmyra, where there are unique ancient ruins, one of the best examples of ancient Eastern, ancient Roman and Byzantine architecture. Palmyra is one of the few well-preserved urban complexes of the ancient time. This city is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. As you know, one of the most important sources of income for the IG is the plundering and sale of historical objects that have great historical and material value. Shadow collectors lay out large sums of money for such items, which may be several thousand years old. In addition, one of the tasks of the masters of the West is being realized - the liquidation and concealment of historical monuments in one of the cradles of human civilization. The West has been rewriting history for more than a century, and new archaeological data can turn the whole view of humanity on world history. So history takes on the importance of geopolitics.
The Syrian army, after several days of stubborn fighting, was forced to leave Palmyra. The militants, having received reinforcements from Anbar province (between Iraq and Syria, the jihadists established good communications, carrying out maneuvers by forces and means), captured Palmyra. City with 50-thousand the population, which has greatly increased due to the influx of refugees, has completely come under the control of jihadists. Although the military and tried to evacuate people, as well as the most valuable archaeological finds. Palmyra is important for jihadists not only as a source of historical artifacts for sale, but also for its strategic location in the heart of Syria. From here go the roads to Damascus, Homs and Baghdad. Jihadists have opened their way to key areas of Syria, which still hold the Syrian troops. In addition, oil fields are located nearby, another important source of income for IG.
I must say that the position of Syria has recently deteriorated significantly. People are tired of a long war that covers all new areas. The war is already continuing for the fourth year. Many cities in ruins, the national economy is upset, it is becoming more and more difficult to exist. Millions of people fled the country or became internal refugees. The situation of the economy is catastrophic, the cost of the most important consumer goods has greatly increased. People on the verge of survival. Many of them break down due to psychological fatigue and are amenable to religious pressure.
Depression of the civilian population is reinforced by the news of the defeat of the Syrian army. Syrian troops suffered a major defeat at Idlib in the north-west of the country, where militants seized a military base. Now a new defeat at Palmyra. The Syrian army and its supporting units have long been successfully conducting combat operations against assorted bandit formations, restraining the onslaught of the militants, conducting successful operations and launching counter-offensive operations. However, its resources are limited, and gangs are supported by finances, weapons and the influx of cannon fodder by powerful external forces. Saudi Arabia and Qatar finance terrorists, Turkey provides territory for training and recreation bases, provides corridors on the border with Syria for the transfer of manpower, weapons and ammunition. The United States is supplying anti-tank systems that negate the advantage of the Syrian army in armored vehicles. On the territory of Jordan and Turkey there are large centers for training new militants of the “moderate opposition”. Devastation, mass unemployment and conflicts in many countries of the Middle East allow us to have a constant influx of almost any amount of cannon fodder. The intelligence services of the United States, Britain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Jordan were able to achieve serious success in coordinating the efforts of heterogeneous "moderate" gangs.
The Syrian army can not control the whole country, there is a shortage of weapons, ammunition and ammunition, the soldiers are psychologically tired to fight. The army focused its efforts on key strategic points and points. As a result, the population suffers greatly. Criminal groups intensified, resurrected the mass market for the sale of "live goods". Criminals and militants of all stripes terrorize people, forcibly recruit young people and sexual slaves into their ranks, rape and sell girls and children into slavery.
The archaeological sites of Palmyra
The threat to Europe from the south
In North Africa, the situation has reached the point that the European Union is planning to launch a military operation in the Mediterranean in the summer to fight the criminals who organize the transport of illegal migrants to Europe. The problem of illegal migration through the Mediterranean has been a headache for the EU for several years now, especially for the countries of Southern Europe. Waves of illegal migrants not only increase the pressure on the economy of most European countries, which is already in crisis, worsen the criminal situation (including the growth of drug trafficking), but also strengthen the social base of jihadists in Europe itself. In addition, illegal migration destabilizes the internal political situation in European countries. Nationalist sentiments are intensifying.
European countries themselves cut down the branch on which they sat when they took part in the defeat of the Libyan Jamahiriya Gaddafi. The Gaddafi regime in Libya created quite favorable living conditions (some of the best in Africa) and “mastered” quite significant masses of migrants from other African countries. In addition, Gaddafi restrained the shaft of illegal migration. Destroying the prosperous Libya, turning it into a territory of chaos and a foothold of jihadists, Western countries opened the Pandora’s box. Now Europe itself is under the impact of a wave of chaos and jihadists. Another powerful channel for the penetration of Islamists into Europe is the Balkan Peninsula, where the Europeans themselves created the criminal-militarized enclave of Kosovo. Recent events in Macedonia confirm this. Europe signed a death sentence to itself. Ahead of her waiting for the harsh and cruel changes.
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