In a historic moment, ignored by much of Western media, Russian military officials have announced the complete and utter defeat of ISIS in Syria. The Russian General Staff issued a statement Wednesday declaring that all territories previously under terrorist control were liberated in a final push by the Syrian Army this week, and with the support of Russian forces.
“All terrorist units of ISIS on Syrian soil have been destroyed, and the territory is liberated,” Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov said in comments translated and published by RT. "Therefore, as of today, there’s no territory controlled by ISIS in Syria,” he added. The announcement came during an annual briefing for foreign military attaches, and incidentally on the same day President Trump gave an extremely controversial televised address wherein he gave official US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, thus it could mean that the demise of one problem could give rise to another in an increasingly volatile and explosive Middle East environment.
The rapid collapse of ISIS - which once controlled an area the size of Britain stretching from the edges of Aleppo to Mosul in Iraq, and down to Ramadi and Fallujah - began in earnest in early September when the Syrian Army breached ISIS lines around Deir Ezzor city, after which the city was fully liberated by early November. As ISIS retreated in the Deir Ezzor countryside, it lost its previous Syrian capital of Raqqa in mid-October to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which also struck a deal to allow the quick exit of ISIS terrorists to other parts of Syria and region, according to a report by the BBC.
The Syrian Army this week continued its momentum in Deir Ezzor province, liberating the villages of Jalaa, Ramadi and Buq in rapid succession, while Russian bombers reportedly carried out massive strikes on remaining ISIS positions near al-Sayyal. Other locations were liberated in quick succession according to reports, including Khutaytah, ‘Abbas, Masra’at Shamr, Qit’ah, Mujawwadah, Jabal Nusuriyah, Tal Bani, and Tal Khinzir.
Syrian army celebrates the prior liberation of key territory. Image source: NDTV
After Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed by his military staff on Wednesday, he acknowledged the end of the bulk of anti-ISIS military operations while also saying, “Naturally, there might be some spots of resistance, but the military work has been largely completed in the area and at the time. Completed with a full victory, I repeat, with a victory and defeat of the terrorists.” Putin further said that the political negotiation process over the future of Syria put in place by a Russia-Iran-Turkey agreement reached in Sochi last month must now become the focus, which may include future Syrian presidential elections. He cautioned, however, that this potential peace process will be “a very big and lengthy job."
Today's remarks followed an earlier address by Putin to a major gathering of Orthodox church leaders from around the world on Monday - an event hosted by the Russian Orthodox Church. Putin told the Christian leaders that Syria's ancient Christian heartland had been fully liberated: “The situation in this country [Syria] is gradually changing. The Syrian armed forces, supported by the Russian military, have liberated from terrorists almost the whole territory of the country, including historic Christian regions,” he said. Prior to the war, the Christian population in Syria was about 2 million, according to estimates.
Indeed as early as March of 2012 the official Vatican news agency, Agenzia Fides, published a report citing “an ongoing ethnic cleansing of Christians” by anti-government fighters in Homs based on Syrian Orthodox church sources a report which made world headlines at the time. It was further widely reported in international press that 90% of the large Christian population of central Syria had been forcibly expelled and their homes confiscated by anti-Assad fighters.
Though the West had defended the insurgency as comprised of "moderate" Free Syrian Army fighters, this pattern of religious and ethnic cleansing became familiar throughout much of the rest of Syria as jihadists made gains in the midst of the war. When ISIS initially emerged on the Syrian battlefield in 2013 it routinely fought directly under and in coordination with US-backed FSA command structures - and later, in 2014, entire FSA groups would defect en mass to the Islamic State, taking their US/UK and Gulf-supplied weapons and communications gear with them - all of which allowed for the Islamic State's shockingly rapid growth.
But when Russia militarily intervened in Syria in 2015 at the invitation of Damascus, the momentum changed dramatically in favor of the Syrian government, which painstakingly gained back territory over the following two years.
At the gathering of church leaders this week, Putin further stated that future stability in Syria was dependent on more than just military gains, but on refugees feeling secure enough to return to their homes, especially religious minorities which make up the pluralist fabric of Syrian society: “Over the past few years the Russian state alongside with the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as other religious organizations has provided humanitarian aid to Syria. It’s very important that the peaceful life is established as soon as possible, that the people can return to their homes, begin to rebuild the temples and churches,” Putin stressed.
Though Russian statements on Syria this week focused on declaring victory over ISIS, it is unclear what might be in store for al-Qaeda held Idlib in the coming months. Russia and other international powers have long weighed military options to dislodge the northwestern province from Hayat Ta?rir al-Sham (AQ in Syria) control, but with a highly concentrated civilian population, there are no easy options.
So, no more gay British ISIS dance troupe?
Well done Putin, and to the military men of Russia, Syria and others.
One more reason for Hillary Clinton backers to try to get rid of Trump, so they can "paper clip" in IS jihadists into the United States to carry out terror attacks, in concert with the FBI.
jv team
Thank God!
> they have been destroyed
> ignore these areas in pink, labeled "rebels"
Not the FBI, wrong alphabet soup agency.
@ Jumction,
The mission creep has now changed from Covert to Overt Status.
The Scripted False Narratives have not changed one bit. These Pure Evil War Criminal Psychopaths at the Deep State / CIA have Overdosed on their own "Blue Pills."
The Criminal Fraud UNITED STATES, CORP. INC's War Crimes are many & span decades.
The "Policy" of arming, funding & training Alqueda / Al CIA duh / ISIS /?I CIA SIS goes back to the days of the Mujahadeen.
This is merely a feeble attempt / Clandestine Operation of Highly Compartmentalized Criminal Levels of Intelligence used to formulate a False Narrative Script around a Psychological Operation to Gas Light the masses into illiciting a response of Anger, Divide & Hate.
Ordo Ab Chao.
Exactly what the Criminal Deep State Hq in Israel via Operation TALPIOT & The Yinon Plan expect & desire.
Activate the homegrown I CIA SIS terror cells alongside the domestic Antifa cells to distract, “divide & conquer.” Problem, reaction & solution.
All along it will be the Pure Evil War Criminal Treasonous Seditious Psychopaths at the Deep State / CIA manipulating Perception from behind the curtain as the Saviors.
Mission accomplished (R)
No, it means that Russia has completely destroyed whatever Israeli and Amerikan SOCOM forces that might remain inside Syria.
Now, all that's left is the feeble attacks by the Israeli airforce while they try to avoid the Russian S-400 missile systems.
And President Redline gave a speech to a few people sometime this week...about something...in France...lol...did anyone even notice?
I love it when a plan comes together ;-)
good move Russia...no reason for US to be there
Exactly.
We have no one to arm or fund anymore.
"Outstanding, Red Team, outstanding! Get you a case of beer for that one."
in vietnam a lot of niggas died young.........
too bad mcaine wasent one
SPARTACUS SPARTACUS SPARTACUS!!!
Thanks, Russia, but we over here forgot about ISIS a long time ago.
It's good news week.
Yee har
Uncle Sam needs new brown people to bomb.
Any Democrat contolled city in the US will do just fine.
and the territory is liberated --- Not even close.
The US has 11 and counting bases and announced they are there to stay.
The SDF has Raqqa and other areas.
The US is rebadging ISIS as "coalition forces", declaring them the new good guys and moving them into the south with full US air support.
I can't stand most of your posts but you do have a valid point.
The US troops are still there and Israel is bombing Syrian territory. WTF is that all about?
Iran vs Saudi/US
Just following orders from the holy land.
"All surviving ISIS soldiers have been granted immediate asylum, sanctuary and a Quickie Mart franchise by the city of San Francisco"
"Repeat after me class...No wheezing the juice"
If only they could move on to Washington....
Good. Now the Russian soldiers can spend more time cheering on their comrades in the olympics. Oh wait...
Was the only way for Western athletes to win...
Just like a fucking Yid when they are outmatched to simply wave the "rules" and declare victory!
Even the Russians admit they were doping. My Russian Wife's response is that everyone else dopes too. I'm sure she is correct. We are both dissapointed because we now we can't show our children blatent flag waving nationalism and force them to choose sides between Russia and the U.S.. Fuck the Olympics.
US cia and Israel need to go back to the drawing board
Putin, Bashar Al Assad, and the Iranians just delivered Obama's terrorists to the fucking gates to hell.
Well done, Mr Putin!
That's impossible Russia!...
You forgot the ringleader (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUL47TPBDKM) and his Country that made it all possible in your Country for 20 years, the Middle East and now Western Europe???!
P.S.
And the American "bitch" that salutes before "bending over" and "swallowing it's load" SUBSERVIENTLY OF COURSE... Since this (http://www.gtr5.com/)... and this (http://www.ae911truth.org/)!...
Sorry to say that it's FAR FROM OVER!.. And you have NO IDEA how sorry some of U.S. CONUS truly are that it will continue until you are ready to melt both of those player(s) including the British bitch that also takes it up the "arse", cunt and mouth from the Khazar!...
Needless to say....
No wonder you kicked the vast majority of them out of your neighborhood before and after WWII!!!
Uh Oh... Does this mean Trump and Obama's "good" ISIS troops they were supporting with weapons were offed by the Russians? Who is driving the Trump and Obama Hummers now? Teen punks from Syria?
Thank you Putin, Assad and Rouhani.
They're not destroyed, they've relocated to western Europe, putting down stakes in the UK, Sweden, etc.
This will make the USA very angry
USA hates freedom (while saying they are for freedom)
Usa has been defeated in syria!
I almost forgot about white folk.
Gonna miss those videos.
Guess Trump has to stir up the ME again with Jerusalem
If we could only get these freedom fighters to wear different colored uniforms and snappy hats, we could tell them apart, can't change sides without changing your uniform..
time for another jew war.... drive the yanks out... attack them
Thanks Russia for ridding Syria of the terrorist scum.
Well, most of it. Next up, rid the American terrorist scum occupying Syria.
See what happens when you try?
That's because Russia isn't full of little faggoty males like the U.S is. The U.S is full of little oblivious girly boys who could only join the military if they got confined to doing no more than 10 pushups in a row because 12 pushups would be hazing. You pathetic fucks.
You are thinking of Europe.
Great how the US supported the absolute worst fundmentalist ethnic cleansing scum. Guess the ends justify the means...over and over and over again.