Islamic State hits Ahrar al-Sham headquarters in Idlib Province in northwest Syria
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Dozens of rebels have been killed or wounded by an Islamic State bombing of a headquarters in northwest Syria.
The attack struck a base of Ahrar al-Sham, a leading rebel faction, in a village east of Saraqeb in Idlib Province. Ahrar al-Sham said a man drove a motorbike up to the building, and detonated a bomb on the bike and an explosives belt.
Unconfirmed claims said at least 20 fighters were killed.
Although it has been pushed back over the past 18 months in much of northern Syria, ISIS has continued to carry out bombings while fighting both rebels and the Assad regime. Most of the attacks have been on opposition territory, particularly in the northwest near the Turkish border.
On May 3, at least five people were killed in the border town of Azaz, and another bomb last week caused dozens of casualties.
TOP PHOTO: Aftermath of a bomb in Azaz in Idlib Province in northwest Syria, May 3, 2017
Pro-Assad Bombing and Ground Attacks in Daraa Violate “De-Escalation Zones”
Pro-Assad forces have bombed and fired rockets on areas of Daraa city in southern Syria, violating the terms of the Russian “de-escalation zones” for the second time in a week.
A pro-opposition journalist reported nine airstrikes on residential areas and nine surface-to-surface missiles, causing injuries among civilians.
The airstrikes and bombardment were in support of a ground assault, which rebels said they repelled.
Before the Russians announced the zones earlier this month, rebels had advanced inside Daraa, taking the important Manshiyah district.
#Daraa: intense Regime bombardment on Rebel-held Daraa amidst new pro-Assad assault on Al-Manshiyah district. pic.twitter.com/bNfEDhlHgs
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) May 22, 2017
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/05/21/libya-mass-executions-alleged-military-base
Mass execution of Haftar troops at Brak al shatti airbase in Libya.Some claim up to 140 killed.
The Libyan internal power struggle has now descended to which gang can get control of which oil field to feed off of it. And I bet much of the ideologies emanating from this country has to do with control of material resources. Arabs will never be ready for democracy.
https://youtu.be/XnsBNubNiLs
Jonathan Cohen seems to suggest once Kurds have fought ISIS for US,they will be left to look after themselves.
For a Kurd, “looking after oneself” translates to infighting and partisanship and suppression of dissenters.
https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/status/866305062821404674
Will be interesting to see how Liwa Al Quds performs around Palmyra as they seem to have a Russian connection now.
qatari and saudi sherpherd and big daddy yankee …only brings bloodshed and misery to the syrian mujahideen….wtf
No. What brings misery to Syrian rebels is Islam. Political Islam must be destroyed before Arabs manage to free themselves of misery.
damn arabs badui… wants to be more western..than the westerner himself..wtf
wat political u are talking about…this deen is the way of life.
Your deen is best for himars and kalbs. How many little girls did you kill last night in Manchester? Your deen was invented by a slaveowner, a bandit, a warlord, a war criminal, and a pedophile. No wonder your kind lives in the filth of a civil and a religious war. And will remain poor and a beggar of western aid for the next thousand years.
Neo-stalinists and the US both harvesting western cannon fodder. These poor devils are feed with Apo´s book “PRISON WRITINGS: The Roots of Civilisation”, a marxist fairy tale on the origin of human civilization:
“…Ocalan’s view is that the Middle East failed to undergo an equivalent change. He believes it is in desperate need of its own Renaissance or Reformation, leading to the adoption of individual rights, secularisation, women’s rights, pluralism and democracy”
Individual rights, secularisation, women’s rights, pluralism and democracy all modern western civilization values, that paragraph basically shows Apo as a staunch advocator of the FORCED westernization of the middle east. Marxism (as every other form of leftism) has always been another aspect of western cultural colonialism.
So wich is the place accorded in Apo´s westernized utopia to the middle eastern cultural traits??, probably no other than the culinary realm.
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Meet the Bob Crow Brigade: Young British Socialists Fighting ISIS and Patriarchy with the Kurds:
“In the evening we have a team meeting called a Tekmil where we practice criticism and self-criticism, and our commander lets us know what will be happening for us next.”
“Our month at the academy was amazing, a holistic revolutionary education course that starts at the beginning of human civilization, given by total characters. We have faith that the ideology is real, though the war hampers a lot of progress.”
https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/bob-crown-brigade-interview
Ideological brainwashing — which is education made for fools. “revolutionary education” — means fake narratives cornfed to young impressionable and historically illiterate minds.
What makes you think that Marxism is a western plan? Marxism was always a Soviet Union specialty and the west fought it everywhere.
Democracy may no be suited to today’s Kurdistan, but is there any question that with economic development, the Kurds need to also develop political to a form of liberal democracy capitalism?
I am not sure how you can indict western civilization in Apo’s schemes and what is the purpose of this indictment.
“What makes you think that Marxism is a western plan”
It is not, its is the lesser evil to the western world. Marxists have always been the capitalists expendable cannon fodder against the real enemies (fascism, nazism, moderate and radical islam, etc).
Marxism doesn´t represent at all a threat to worlwide western capitalist interests, it is only a threat for those who must live under its iron yoke.
Apo is a western by-product. I mean, take a look a his book, it is a hodge podge of western categories of tought. The guy is like a caricature of Big Brother.
If by capitalism you mean monopoly capitalism, then Marxists may not be such great enemies of it, as you say. Neither would fascists and Islamists be such great enemies of monopoly capitalism.
But you have to distinguish that from competitive market capitalism, where all of these forces are serious enemies of it, in particular the forces of Marxism which abhors market capitalism that empowers the individual and the rank and file. I would think at this historical moment the regerssive Left (i.e. Marxists or cultural Marxists) are the greatest threat to our civilization and liberties. They now control discourse and language and culture, and use that power to conduct a slash and burn program against liberalism – while at the same time calling themselves liberals, which they are not by any stretch of the imagination.
Apo like every budding modern ideologue is a friend and promoter of industrialization, and hence may appear to be pro-west or modern. But industrialization is not possible without a liberal society where individuals can be free to pursue their interests and where the rule of law secures their property and means of production (capital). This is where you will see Apo diverging from the liberal democratic ethos. As a Marxist/anarchist he wants to redistribute wealth and hence do away with entrepreneurial capitalism which he probably sees as the source of misery rather than a source of wealth generation and opportunity. Apo will advocate state capitalism, another form of monopoly capitalism because he does not understand the relationship between liberalism, capitalism, and democracy. And it will give him the necessary controls without the checks or balances that each ideologue craves.
So Apo continues in the tradition of authoritarian society without checks and balances. There is not much democratic (or ‘western’) about that.
Good points. Check J. L. Talmon´s “The Origins of Totalitarian Democracy”, it is never outdated.
+1
#Deraa: “#FSA started Battle “Desert Volcano” to expel pro-Regime forces from S. #Syria|n desert.” – QalaatAlMudiq
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I have the following questions – 1) Does the US not notice the threat posed by Iran’s attempt to link southern Syria up with it’s attempt to create a Damascus to Baghdad link? 2) Does the FSA in the south not realise that if this link up between Damascus/Suwayda-Baghdad does occur then what happened in Aleppo will happen to them in Deraa? 3) Have the rebels in southern Syria not realised that this regime offensive from Damascus/Suwayda across the Syrian desert towards the Iraqi border means that regime supply routes east of Suwayda is extremely vulnerable to being cut if rebels decide to over-run (like Jaish Al Islam does in Ghouta – ie quickly attack at night, destroying everything and taking all weapons/ammo found on the regime soldiers killed then leaving after IED’ing any regime re-enforcement sent to that area) the regime check-points &depots to the rear of that supply route? Rebels don’t need to hold any check-point captured just over-run it and then leave before the Russian jets arrive. The deserts of Syria are big enough for rebels to hide in whilst the Russians look for them so as long rebels camouflage and keep radio silence.
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Just take a look at the map of southern Syria and ask yourself why on earth rebels in southern Syria aren’t engaging in mobile warfare against the regime in the desert areas of southern Syria just like JaI does in Ghouta?
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DAUoy6HXUAQGoVk.jpg
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Forget heavy artillery, all that’s needed is vehicles with light-artillery mounted on them, pick-up trucks for mortars and light machine-gun as well as motorbike assault teams, attack at night quickly, then leave after over-running isolated regime check-points (manned by 50 year old Alawites) in the rear.
Isn’t the US aerial defense of Tanf indicated that the highway to Iraq will remain closed by the FSA, and the regime will not be able to link Damascus to Baghdad/Iran?
#Recommend: Although this is completely unrelated topic but anyone in UK right who has access to BBC iplayer should watch Alan Clark’s magnificent art history series called ‘Civilisation’ – it’s only available on the iplayer for another month before it’s deleted so hurry:
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b00dtjbv
This episode I’d say is one of (apart from the one on Renaissance period) the series:
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0074r55/civilisation-8-the-light-of-experience
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Definitely recommend to the likes of @dimashqee
Beware of bias and narratives (some unintentional) hidden in any video documentary. Nothing can substitute for a book, especially multiple books from different angles.
The new comment board is much more clearer and it is great to have many levels of replies. Thanks. What is most needed is a capability to edit one’s comment. Otherwise the rest is good enough, I think.
An Essential Step Toward Curbing Monopoly and Individualist Capitalism: Zanîn Cooperative for Medicine and Medical Equipment
Published: 22/05/2017 – Category: Co-ops in Rojava
This is a translation of an Arabic article by Brivan Hemi that first appeared on ronahi on the 30th of April, 2017.
A cooperative operates on the principles of self administration and participation, preserving mother nature and working on the basis of creating a democratic and ethical society. The cooperative societies are economic centres for the service of the community which also attempt to improve living conditions. Their mission is to curb monopoly and individualist capitalism. The cooperative societies coordinate work between them, exchange skills and support each other in every way in order to develop production in a communal society, where participation increases, unemployment is reduced, and living standards improve.
Through cooperatives, society develops economic activities and a communal culture. The cooperatives base their work and management on the principles of the democratisation of the communal economy, and every society works on building the mechanisms of their management democratically and directly monitors the members of the coops, dedicating a percentage of their income to the poor.
Zanîn Cooperative’s total shares are worth five hundred million SYP [Syrian Pounds]
Because of the increase in the demand for medicines and the absence of some important ones in Rojava, a decision was made to start a cooperative project to satisfy Jazira Canton‘s [Kantona Cizîrê / Cezîre] need for medicine.
Co-chair of the Chamber of Industry and Director of the Construction of Cooperatives, Samir Sadeq Aany, said: ”Zanîn is a cooperative for medical, dental and pharmaceutical supplies and equipment for hospitals and clinics. The idea for this project came from a group of doctors who work in Jazira. Zanîn is a communal cooperative, and the price of a share is 100,000 SYP. There are a total of 5,000 shares which are collectively worth five hundred million Syrian pounds. Registration will be through the people’s houses [Mala Gel] in all neighbourhoods. Every member can participate with up to 8-10 shares, but not more. 75-80% of the members are doctors and pharmacists, and that will make the coop more successful, because the objective of Zanîn is not only profit, but also to make medicines available, reduce their prices─which tend to be fluctuating in pharmacies, destroy monopoly and allow people to access medicine at affordable prices.”
https://cooperativeeconomy.info/an-essential-step-toward-curbing-monopoly-and-individualist-capitalism-zanin-cooperative-for-medicine-and-medical-equipment/ 5/22/2017
Individualist capitalism does not necessarily result in monopoly capitalism, and in fact is antagonist to that. So why does this author attack both in the same breath? He must be quite confused.
And will that communal fairy tale pay for the advanced weapons, intelligence services and supplies that they will need in order to survive in their landlocked utopia sorrounded by enemies?