Image is of Assad and his family.
After less than two weeks of retreating with few shots fired and little resistance, the SAA has retreated into, well, a state of non-existence. This thereby ends a conflict that has been simmering for over a decade. With the end of this conflict, another begins: the carving up of what used to be Syria between Israel and Turkey, with perhaps the odd Syrian faction getting a rump state here and there. Both Israel and Turkey have begun military operations, with Israel working on expanding their territory in Syria and bombing military bases to ensure as little resistance as possible.
Israeli success in Syria is interesting to contrast against their failures in Gaza and Lebanon. A short time ago, Israel failed to make significant territorial progress in Lebanon due to Hezbollah’s resistance despite the heavy hits they had recently taken, and was forced into a ceasefire with little to show for the manpower and equipment lost and the settlers displaced. The war with Lebanon was fast, but still slow enough to allow a degree of analysis and prediction. In contrast, the sheer speed of Syria’s collapse has made analysis near-impossible beyond obvious statements like “this is bad” and “Assad is fucking up”; by the time a major Syrian city had fallen, you barely had time to digest the implications before the next one was under threat.
There is still too much that we don’t know about the potential responses (and non-responses) of other countries in the region - Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Russia, for example. I think that this week and the next will see a lot of statements made by various parties and an elucidation of how the conflict will progress. The only thing that seems clear is that we are in the next stage of the conflict, and perhaps have been, in retrospect, since Nasrallah’s assassination. This stage has been and will be far more chaotic as the damage to Israel compounds and they are willing to take greater and greater risks to stay in power. It will also involve Israel causing destruction all throughout the region, rather than mostly localizing it in Gaza and southern Lebanon. Successful gambles like with Syria may or may not outweigh the unsuccessful ones like with Lebanon. This is a similar road to the one apartheid South Africa took, but there are also too many differences to say if the destination will be the same.
What is certain is that Assad’s time in power can be summarized as a failure, both to be an effective leader and to create positive economic conditions. His policies were actively harmful to internal stability for no real payoff and by the end, all goodwill had been fully depleted. By the end, the SAA did not fight back; not because of some wunderwaffen on the side of HST, but because there was nothing to fight for, and internal cohesion rapidly disintegrated.
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Last week’s thread is here.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
The CIRB ruling is putting Canada Post back to work tomorrow. Canada’s legalized strike-breaking record is unbroken.
This isn’t like previous back-to-work legislation though. Rather than just making striking illegal, they had the relations board kick the can down the road until May.
Anyone else feel like shit has well and truly come off the rails?
Bitcoin keeps going up.
Apparently because Trump wants an oil like strategic reserve for crypto. Public money being used directly to stabilize (and over time increase) price for such an useless commodity.
All of this implying that Bitcoin is kinda worthless without Dollars (and other fiat currencies) flowing into it.
Al Arabiya’s Washington correspondent Joseph Haboush is reporting that the USA has conducted airstrikes within Yemen tonight against Ansarallah (known as the Houthis in most western media). Details apparently will be released in the next few hours. While Al Arabiya is usually a trash source, if anyone is going to have info on US bombings, it would be those dogs of the US empire and Saudi Arabia.
Also more massacres have occurred in Gaza, with some very graphic footage currently spreading on social media, reports of 20-25 fatalities from a single bombing, genocided by Israel. Tonight has been terrible, with US-Israeli aggression across multiple countries.
Some more recent news from Syria.
This news summary states that ‘unknown gunmen’ (likely the re-organizing Tiger Forces) ambushed and killed several al-Queda “HTS” fighters in Jableh (a coastal city in Syria’s Latakia province). In addition, the summary also states that the Zionist invaders captured the southern Syrian settlements of Beit Jinn and Um Batina: https://southfront.press/military-situation-in-syria-on-december-15-2024-map-update/
The Zionist invaders are also, unsurprisingly, attempting to ethnically cleanse the indigenous population of the occupied southern Syrian settlements by cutting off power and water: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/15/739099/Israel-water-power-Syria-Quneitra
Washington’s al-Queda “HTS” puppets will not allow Palestinian resistance movements to have weapons, training camps, or headquarters in Syria: https://thecradle.co/articles/hts-officials-order-palestinian-resistance-factions-to-disarm-close-bases-in-syria-report
Yunus indicates election by late 2025 or mid 2026
Yunus also reiterated the government’s commitment to enabling Bangladeshi expatriates to vote, a promise that has been made repeatedly in the past but never implemented.
Whatever happened to election in 3 months?
Trying to keep up to date on Sahel states and their Anti-Colonial force. What are some good sources to keep updated from? Western media just refuses to acknowledge AES or anything they do unless it relates directly with ECOWAS.
Israeli airstrikes on ex SAA military installations in Syria are continuing. A massive ammunition depot in Tartus was just hit, resulting in a huge amount of secondary explosions from the ammunition cooking off, explosions that may still be ongoing at this time, and hours from now, depending on how much ammunition was stored at the facility.
Image with zero reverse search results on TinEye
Videos showing secondary explosions, twitter source
Anyone living nearby should stay indoors for their own safety for the time being, being hit by a stray artillery round or rocket that went off or is going to go off is a possibility. Some videos of similar strikes in the past have shown rocket artillery cooking off and flying in all directions.
This video shows an impact alarmingly close to the camera person
Managed to geolocate the apparent target by finding some similar looking houses to the photo, and using some preliminary earthquake data posted on twitter (3.0 on the Richter scale apparently), looks like an air defence base/site (or a military installation this air defence system was protecting nearby) visible on Google maps, co ordinates 34.847786N 35.989365E
A lot of ammunition must’ve been stored there for such a massive explosion, with secondaries, to occur. I’m guessing the air defence system protecting this site was a S-125 variant based off of the missile shape. While a Soviet era system first produced in the 1960s with a range between 15-35km depending on the variant, it is notable that the S-125 was the system that shot down a stealth F-117 Nighthawk bomber in Yugoslavia, as well as having shot down multiple F-16s during various conflicts. So still capable against modern aircraft in certain situations. With it not being operational, we can see the end result…
The Sri Lankan Left Won Big in the Elections and Is Already Capitulating to the IMF Hexbear Post
The Sri Lankan Left won unprecedented success in recent legislative elections. Against the promises of his campaign, however, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is already walking hand in hand with the IMF and preparing severe austerity measures.
On November 21, in his first speech to parliament, AKD went back immediately on his campaign promise and announced that he would “focus on maintaining economic stability and reaffirming trust with the various stakeholders in the economic world.” The day after, the IMF welcomed the discussions held with the new administration and announced the agreement of an additional $333 million as part of an economic plan implemented in 2022.
Yukon could get new Indigenous protected area the size of Vancouver Island Hexbear Post
In a statement, Chief Dylan Loblaw said, “Ross River Dena Council is pleased to be advancing efforts to finalize our IPCA Declaration within our Ross River Area. This Declaration is issued pursuant to our Indigenous laws, and will help ensure our rights, interests and values are properly respected in this important area.”
The proposed protected area is home to the at-risk Finlayson caribou herd, which are part of the northern mountain woodland caribou listed as a species of special concern under the federal Species At Risk Act. The area also encompasses ancient village sites and a group trapline built in the 1800s, and many sites that are sacred to the nation.
If established, the protected area would protect about eight per cent of Yukon’s land mass. Currently, Yukon has protected and conserved 21.1 per cent of lands. The federal government’s goal is to protect 30 per cent of lands and waters by 2030, meaning Tū Łī́dlini could bring Yukon to the cusp of meeting the 30 by 30 goal on its own terms.
Cops Are Making Their Own Crack Cocaine! - Left Voice Hexbear Post
Florida’s Broward County is poised to erase the criminal convictions of thousands of people who were arrested for purchasing drugs, particularly crack cocaine. Why, you may ask? Did the holiday season lead Broward county’s Supreme Court to suddenly grow a heart, Grinch-style, realizing punitive measures to address drug use and addiction will never help people? No, it’s because it was found that those drugs were produced by the cops themselves in the Sheriff’s office. You sure did read that right. As reported by Democracy Now, “For years, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office produced crack cocaine to be sold by undercover police to the public.” The cops in Florida produced their own crack cocaine, then sold it to the public who they then targeted for arrest.
President Maduro Welcomes Heads of State at 24th ALBA-TCP Summit in Venezuela (+Guatemala, Palestine & Haiti) – Orinoco Tribune Hexbear Post
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, welcomed the heads of state and government of the ALBA countries as well as all the delegations that will participate at the 24th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) at the Simón Bolívar Convention Center in La Carlota, Caracas, on Saturday, December 14.
Earlier on Friday, in a preparatory meeting at the Foreign Ministry headquarters, >Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said, “At the heart of the revolutionary, anti-imperialist and Bolivarian Caracas, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty, the vital nucleus of the independence, dignity and sovereignty of the Great Homeland … Two visionaries like Commanders Chávez and Fidel were able to unite their capabilities and take the bold step, full of convictions and morals, to urge Latin America and the Caribbean that we must move forward, build together and unite all the forces of a heroic continent that has achieved so many feats for centuries, for its definitive liberation.”
Some Donbass news for today.
Russian forces liberated the Donetsk People’s Republic settlements of Uspenovka and Annovka, south of Kurakhovo: https://sputnikglobe.com/20241215/russian-troops-hoist-russian-flag-in-villages-south-of-kurakhovo-1121171054.html
Russian forces encircled around 700 Kiev regime troops, south of Kurakhovo: https://en.news-front.su/2024/12/15/afu-detachment-of-700-men-with-special-forces-got-surrounded-south-of-kurakhovo-rogov/
Russian strikes destroyed four US-built “Patriot” launchers, the combat control vehicle, and an AN/MPQ-65 radar station: https://sputnikglobe.com/20241215/russian-forces-destroy-four-us-made-patriot-launchers-in-special-operation-zone-1121176366.html
Russian FPV drone destroys a Kiev regime Humvee in the DPR (combat video): https://news-pravda.com/ukraine/2024/12/15/921661.html
now that UFOs are trending what do you guys think of this footage taken in China? this incident shut down the airport https://youtu.be/VRwEkaygUHU
There’s a psychological operation going on on TikTok and probably other social media where people are portraying Syria as some time of heaven now
I haven’t seen anything this coordinated since the attempted color revolution on China via HK
“Israel” to deploy remotely operated machine guns against Palestinians in occupied West Bank | The Cradle
article
The “Israeli” army is preparing to deploy automated, remotely monitored machine guns to protect illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, “Israeli” Army Radio reported on 15 December.
The automated weapons, developed by Rafael Combat Systems, will be installed on watch towers around dozens of settlements and near their entrances. They will be controlled remotely from command centers “to prevent armed attacks and infiltration operations.”
The same system was installed on the Gaza border in 2008 and operated by spotters in bases. However, it failed to prevent fighters from the Islamic Resistance movement, Hamas, from approaching and breaching the barrier fence to attack settlements and “Israeli” military bases on 7 October 2023.
During Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Qassam Brigades fighters reportedly used attack drones to disable the automated weapons during the first hours of the operation.
The army will first deploy the weapons in locations it defines as ‘high-risk,’ and expand their deployment over time to include additional locations.
According to the report, the 636th Reconnaissance Unit of the Army’s West Bank Division will operate the systems.
“Israeli” soldiers and settlers have escalated their attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of “Israel’s” genocidal war on Gaza last year.
The “Israeli” army and settlers have killed 812 Palestinians and injured 6,500 in the West Bank since that time.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has provided over 120,000 firearms to Jewish settlers in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza War.
“Over 120,000 weapons were distributed to eligible citizens, while tens of thousands more received conditional approvals,” Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power Party, said on his X account in October.
“We intend to continue arming Israel. That’s what we did, and that’s what we’ll continue to do!”
Ben Gvir and fellow Jewish supremacist politician and minister have announced their desire to use the Jewish settlers to expel the indigenous Palestinian population from the occupied West Bank and annex it to “Israel”.
After Donald Trump’s election to the US presidency in November, Ben Gvir, himself a resident of the Kiryat Arba settlement, declared that “this is the time for sovereignty” over the West Bank.
On 9 December, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syra, Bezalel Smotrich called for increased Jewish settlement and establishing “facts on the ground” to ensure a Palestinian state would never be established.
https://xcancel.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1868177840048628167#m
Arnaud Bertrand on Syria compared to China and Xinjiang
By the way, interesting to contrast China’s response to this challenge with Assad’s. Whilst Syria broke down in a full scale civil war, China did indeed operate a “crackdown” that involved identifying all the people in Xinjiang who empathized with this ideology and sending them to what it called “vocational education and training centers” (and what the West calls “reeducation centers”), where they were basically given a choice: either re-integrate into society by learning a useful skill (hence the vocational education and training aspect) or you’ll be headed to prison next. They ran this program during approximately 2 years until December 2019.
At the same time, China spent a considerable amount of resources developing Xinjiang which saw its GDP per capita increase by 150% since 2011, whilst Syria’s own GDP per capita was divided by 5 with the civil war. They notably developed the tourism industry, transforming Xinjiang into one of the most visited Chinese provinces, with an astounding 265.44 million tourist visits in 2023 alone. Xinjiang’s GDP per capita (around US$10,469,) is now higher than countries like Brazil, Thailand or Vietnam.
The point of the post isn’t really the comparison with Syria, as it’s much smaller and more limited in options, but good analysis of the state of Xinjiang 5-6 years after the so called uyghur genocide
The decision comes after the Irish government said it would ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to broaden its definition of genocide - claiming Israel has engaged in the “collective punishment” of people in Gaza. Israel’s foreign minister has ordered the closure of the country’s embassy in Dublin, citing the Irish government’s “extreme anti-Israel policy”. Gideon Sa’ar said “Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel”.
“The actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel are rooted in the delegitimisation and demonisation of the Jewish state, along with double standards,” he said in a statement. The minister pointed to Ireland’s decision earlier this year to recognise a Palestinian state, for which Israel recalled its ambassador from Dublin.
The move also comes after the Irish government said it would ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to broaden its definition of genocide - claiming Israel has engaged in the “collective punishment” of people in Gaza. Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister) said in a statement that the decision is “deeply regrettable”, and that “keeping channels open has never been more important so that we can better understand each other’s positions, even when we disagree”.
Simon Harris added: "I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law. Israel will instead “adjust our diplomatic network of missions” to strengthen ties with countries that want to do the same with Israel, but do not yet have an embassy.
For that reason, Mr Sa’ar said Israel will open an embassy in Moldova, and has instructed officials to find a suitable building and initiate the process of appointing an ambassador.
