Zakharova on US; ‘By their fruits ye shall know them’

Maria Zakharova: Serious differences remain between Russia and US

al Masdar news,

16 December, 2015

In a statement on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova said that Russia and the US were still in disagreement on how to deal with the situation in Syria.

“Serious differences remain between Russia and the United States over ways to resolve the Syrian crisis” Zakharova said.

Earlier, on her Facebook page, she had also talked about Secretary of State, John Kerry’s statements during his visit to Moscow. Referring to the US’ isolation of Russia, Kerry said “this was done at a specific moment of time”.

Zakharova added that she took Kerry’s comments as a public abandonment of the US policy against Russia, going on to say that Washington’s policy of isolation “failed”.

“In regards to Washington’s specific actions, we will see, because ‘by their fruits ye shall know them’”, she said citing a Bible verse.

RUSSIA: THE NEW ‘IMPORTANT PARTNER’ OF THE US?

The Russian government has always referred to the West as their partners, but rarely has this term been reciprocated.

South Front,

16 December, 2015

Washington calls Russia a ‘significant’ partner and wants to cooperate with Vladimir Putin in finding out those that represent reliable opposition in the country. Apparently, it looks like, the US government is working in strengthening its cooperation with Russia and Syria.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has acknowledged Russia as an ‘important partner’ in the fights in the Middle East for the first time at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday. This is Secretary Kerry’s second trip to Russia, where he will not only meet with Lavrov, but with President Vladimir Putin as well.

According to Russian news agencies, Lavrov called on the US to exert more pressure on the Ukrainian leadership in Kiev to put an end to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

This is probably showing deepening cooperation between Obama and Putin following the Syrian conflict. The two presidents had agreed at September’s UN General Assembly in New York to cooperate in Syria. This is probably not so fortunate news for the neocons in US who still view the Russians as a mortal enemy and would sooner send thousands of ground troops to the Middle East. Turkey and their secret service are also making trouble since they’re pursuing interests other than those of the US government.

Moscow and Washington are jointly testing political solutions to the post-Assad era in Syria. We are witnessing the giving up of the extreme positions of both sides. The US government is no longer fixated on the immediate overthrow of Assad, nor does Russia want to support the Syrian President at any and all costs. The remaining question of who will take part in the future politics of Syria is difficult to answer. Therefore, the international conference on Syria planned for this week is still uncertain. Although Russian Foreign.

On the phone Minister Sergei Lavrov and his counterpart John Kerry agreed conversation on the conditions for another round of talks, the Moscow Foreign Ministry said that both politicians say that a list of Islamist Terrorist groups must first be created, in order to combat these groups successfully. What is more the delegation of the fragmented opposition has to be negotiated. This delegation would work with representatives of the Syrian government.

US TO COOPERATE WITH THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY TO FIGHT ASSAD

The US commandos which are currently on the ground in Syria could start helping the Free Syrian Army in its fight against Syrian’s president Bashar Assad as soon as they are done fighting ISIS, political analyst Dr. George Masse from the American University of Science and Technology in Beirut told RIA Novosti.

http://southfront.org/us-to-cooperate-with-the-free-syrian-army-to-fight-assad/

According to the analyst the US Special Operations Forces, which have been deployed and are currently on the ground in Syria, could well start helping the Free Syrian Army in its fight against the country government forces as soon as they are done with IS.

“The position of the US is still unclear. They could help the Free Syrian Army though they know well it consists of Islamists. And if they start helping them, it won’t be against Daesh, but against the Syrian Army and the Russians,” added Dr. George Masse, who is also the Chairperson of the Department of International Affairs, Humanities, & Social Sciences of the University in Beirut.
The expert points out that even though US Special forces currently are fighting ISIS, this doesn’t mean that tomorrow they won’t turn against the Syrian army, adding that the US-TOW (“Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided”) anti-tank missiles, which were given to the rebels, only prove it.

According to Dr. Masse the Americans will closely follow where the Syrians and the Russians are gaining ground and then will provide more weaponry to the other side, the Islamic terrorists.
He also added that after Russia launched its airstrikes against ISIS, the US with its allies had to adjust its strategy on the ground in fear that if they do not do anything and only watch Russia gaining success, Russian could take control over everything on the ground.

The analyst, however, said that the US most likely won’t provide any help to the Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), as the US is an ally of Turkey, and Ankara is putting all their efforts in fighting the Kurds along Syria’s border with Turkey as they don’t want the Kurds to have their own land because it is dangerous for the country.

The Americans’ strategy for now will be to try to ‘play with the time’ and watch for developments. It is not in the Americans’ interest to end this conflict soon.

President Obama revealed on Monday that a small contingent of elite US commandos has begun working with allied forces inside Syria to ‘tighten the squeeze’ on ISIS. He also added while speaking at the Pentagon that about 50 US Special Operations forces would help allied groups target ISIS leadership.

INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA-IRAQ BATTLESPACE, DEC. 16, 2015

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In the past three days Russian warplanes have destroyed six illegal oil production facilities and seven truck convoys with oil and oil products in Syria. On the whole, Russian aircraft have destroyed more than 1,200 tanker trucks of militants transporting crude oil and oil products since the start of the operation in Syria.

Last few days the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Hezbollah have conducted military operations in the area of the strategic town of Al-Zorba fighting against Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Al-Nusra, Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham and Harakat Nouriddeen Al-Zinki. On Tuesday, pro-government forces made gains at the western flank of the town. Thus, the loyalists are spreading militants too thin in order to expose the most vulnerable parts of their positions. The same approach was used in the town of Al-Hadher last month.

In North Latakia, the SAA supported by the NDF, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) and Muqawama Souri took control of the Al-Nuba Mountains after week long clashes with Al-Nusra and its allies. This allows the pro-government forces to cut the terrorists-controlled areas which border Turkey.

Russia has supplied a large cargo of military and arms aid to Iraq as part of the growing anti-terrorism cooperation between Moscow and Baghdad. According to the reports, a large number of the Russian-made armored vehicles have arrived in the Iraqi port of Basra.

Turkey has withdrawn some troops from Mosul. On December 10, Turkish President Recep Erdogan refused to withdraw the Turkish troops from Mount Bashiqa. However, Ankara withdrew forces and armored vehicles from the camp on December 14, but Turkish PM Davutoglu noted some trainers would remain at Bashiqa because of a “new arrangement.”

First shots of Syrian airbase retaken by govt military from rebel groups

The Syrian military recaptured the Marj al-Sultan airbase close to Damascus from rebel groups that controlled it since November 2012. The footage shows damaged hardware, tanks and helicopters at the base area.