Assad gives Alawites 48 hours to leave Damascus as Syrian forces crumble under rebel offensive

2015 Jisr al-Shughur offensive

The Jisr al-Shughur offensive has been described as one of the "largest and most ambitious operations of the Syrian civil war" consisting of some 40 opposition groups, with the main goal being to outflank and interdict Col. Suheil Al Hassan's Tiger forces who were sent to attempt to push back against the 2015 Idlib offensive, which followed the opposition victory at the Second Battle of Idlib.[24] According to Stratfor, the potential cutting off by opposition forces of the Idlib salient, where the 11th Armor Division and the Tiger Forces found themselves isolated, would perhaps result in "an even bigger catastrophe" for the Syrian Arab Army.

Opposition forces were widely reported to be planning to move on the government's stronghold of Latakia following the capture of Jisr al-Shughur.[106][107][108][109][110] The reopening of the Latakia front was a focus, at the time, of Saudi Arabian policy to unite opposition factions.[111] Analyst Charles Lister of the Brookings Doha Centre stated that “For the opposition as a whole, it would open up the route into Latakia from Idlib and Hama, which could significantly enhance any future offensive on Latakia ... That would be very dangerous for the regime”, adding that the seizing of Jisr al-Shughur should be seen as part of a bigger strategy.[112] An Ahrar al-Sham spokesperson stated: "Jisr al-Shughour is more important than Idlib itself, it is very close to the coastal area which is a regime area, the coast now is within our fire reach".

After recent rebel victories against the Syrian government, some people began to fear a scenario where hardline rebels would swarm Damascus in the near future, despite government reassurances.[114] AL RAI Chief International Correspondent, Elijah J. Magnier, reported that Syria was heading towards partition after recent events in Idlib.[115] Jane's Information Group stated that the offensive threatened to show president Bashar al-Assad as "incapable even of protecting the coastal mountain areas where the Alawites (his core support base) are concentrated" and speculated Iran would not see him as the primary keeper of their interests in Syria.

[link to en.wikipedia.org]

Think hell destroy the city rather than see it fall into rebel hands?

Will Assad use his remaining nuclear materials to make Damascus uninhabitable for the rebel forces in a last ditch act of revenge before the rebels eliminate the Alawite's.

We could see scorched-earth, but can he really afford to make even more enemies?

I think the Iranians may well decide to sacrifice Assad and help install a military leader from within his inner circle who can achieve reconciliation with a portion of the opposition.

Who believes this Saudi rag?

Analysis: Syria's al-Assad regime in trouble

A series of victories by Islamist rebels against the Syrian regime is raising the prospect of a sea change in the momentum of a war in which the endurance of Bashar al-Assad has for years seemed to many as a given.

Substantial territorial losses by the regime in the northern city of Jisr-el-Shugur and beyond, after the city of Idlib also fell to rebels, coupled with a relatively successful series of advances around the southwest of Damascus, are the result of new levels of cooperation among rebel groups that have spent the past years fighting each other for supremacy, to the detriment of their campaign against al-Assad. The rise of ISIS had also provided another obstacle to more moderate rebels in their fight against the Syrian regime.

This change may more broadly assist U.S. foreign policy goals by raising the likelihood of the al-Assad regime -- or those within it -- being willing to contemplate a political solution to the now four-year war. Yet it comes with a substantial downside: Many of the rebel groups seeing success now are allied with and fighting alongside the Nusra Front -- al Qaeda's franchise in Syria.

The rebel storming of Jisr-el-Shugur in late April provided many analysts with evidence the rebels' recent success in taking Idlib was part of a broader improvement in strategy. The same rebels now film themselves with heavy weapons in what appear to be the mountains between Jisr el-Shugur and the coastal city of Latakia, a port of great strategic significance for both sides which the rebels now have in their sights.

The change in territorial control does leave the rebels potentially with a larger swath of northern Syria more firmly under their control and, if sustained, will eventually pressure the parts of Syria's largest city, Aleppo, that the regime still holds. Rebels can now also project force southward down the main highway toward Hama, challenging the key roads that are the vital supply channels in this war of attrition.

[link to www.cnn.com]

48 hours ? so assad is finished..if he cant protect them in damascus.

This Is bad news. I blame the US , Turkey and SA. Terrorists in Syria are equipped with the latest tow missile systems. what an odd foreign policy the USA has. God bless the Syrian Arab army. The only entity that stands for the Syrian People.

CHECKMATE SAUDI ARABIA

Jpost??
hahaha...you are kidding me

Rami ‏@RamiAlLolah 10s11 seconds ago
Someone just told me Arab Coalition Forces will impose a NFZ over #Damascus this Tuesday; I told him someone told me the same in 2012 #Syria

How long before Saudi or Iran get sick of having these proxy wars with each other and just fucking go at it?!?!?

Iran may be tired of it... but I would think the Saudi's would be f....d in a direct conflict.

They have always operated under the assumption that the USA would come and save their butts... but Obama clearly does not care about past promises.

Seems like they just crossed Obama's 'Red Line'

Suspected chlorine gas attacks by Syrian government kills child, injures 40 people
[link to www.nydailynews.com]

Oh goodness, not another Red Line...

A Jewish wet dream, I will stick to fars news for the truth.

NikosTopouzis ‏@niktop 42s43 seconds ago
Photo: #Syria Islamist commanders meet in #Turkey SYRIA NEWS | ZAMAN ALWSL - [link to goo.gl (secure)]

Just like Assad launched a chemical weapons attack on the same day he let UN inspectors in. You people will believe anything.

so, now we have Fundamentalist Radical Islamic Jihadist Terrorist Nutjobs ruling Syria.

way'da go people. really smart...

.

you left out the fact that Iran is arming every terrorist on the planet..

especially now that they have all their troops at their rear fending of a major pincer movement..

I posted this a few days ago

Exit stage left......or is it stage right?

Ummmm...

This is fucking tragic.

I wonder what will be the next phase after Assad falls,Iran?

Get an education, kid. You don't have a clue.

Looks like the USA / Turkey / Qatar's legions of armed and funded Takfiri Terrorists are having some effect.

Is it even any wonder who created ISIS at this point? They are a monster who was created by the USA / Israeli intelligence services.

Whatever. Assad is not going to go so easily. He has the support of the PEOPLE behind him, unlike most of the western-backed opposition.