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Charles Lister @Charles_Lister
, 5 tweets, 7 min read Read on Twitter
Robert Fisk’s latest “EXCLUSIVE” reveals just how little he knows about #Syria's opposition, its foreign relations & support networks.

Gloss over inaccuracies & he’s “revealed” what we've known for yrs - #Saudi backed the multilateral MOC, arming #FSA.
independent.co.uk/voices/syria-w…
#pt: #Saudi was a principle backer of the MOC; a multilateral structure created to centrally coordinate armed support to [extensively] pre-vetted #FSA groups in northern #Syria.

120mm M75 mortars were one of many systems provided through MOC channels - inc. to units in #Aleppo.
#pt: The purchase of arms from E. European states by countries backing #MOC (& #MOM in the south) has been extensively documented - it’s not a secret.

+ #Fisk’s portrayal of #Aleppo in late-2016 is insanely inaccurate - #ISIS had *0* presence & #Nusra was about 1% of fighters.
#pts: #Fisk makes a deal of Jaish al-Mujahideen having US-made anti-tank weaponry - no s**t, it was the most active, vetted #FSA unit receiving MOC support in #Aleppo.

And guess what? It hated #Nusra & ended up fighting it weeks after #Aleppo fell.

But hey, why do facts matter?
That the @Independent continues to publish Robert #Fisk's nonsense - ranging from racism & Islamophobia, to regime apologism & praising vicious warlords & covering for #Russia’s crimes - is beyond me.

That they also don’t seem to employ a single fact checker is just astounding.
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There is a possibility of an announcement today. That’s if the collective U.S. government is unable to push back against #Trump - as it did earlier in the year after his comments in #Ohio.

More than anything, this is an extraordinary insult to the recent efforts of Amb. Jeffrey.
#pt: #Trump told #Turkey’s #Erdogan of his intentions by phone on Friday last week.

Coming in the context of Turkish threats to intervene in NE #Syria, the message to the #YPG/#SDF couldn’t be any worse. The US will abandon “the Kurds” again, if #Trump gets his way here.
#pt: Worse still, this’ll be music to the ears of #ISIS, #Assad, #Russia & #Iran.

#Trump isn’t only doing what #Obama did in leaving #Iraq prematurely, he’s doing it in an environment in which #America’s adversaries will benefit: jihadis, #Iran and #Russia.

Unbelievable hubris.
Read 10 tweets
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My goodness: here's a prime example of policy advocacy on #Syria based either on ignorance, or [hopefully not] malign intent.

This is *riddled* with inaccuracy & misinformation.

@steelejourno says the West should force an opposition surrender in #Syria:

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
@steelejourno #pt: @steelejourno says the US, UK & #France are “less honorable” in seeking to delay #Syria & #Russia’s “success” in regaining territory.

- They seek to enable a meaningful political process, in which there’s an opposition entity to sit at the table. I’d say that is honorable.
@steelejourno #pt: Here, @steelejourno says UK, US, France & "Gulf Arab monarchies” want ceasefires to protect rebels, not civilians.

In #Idlib, nothing could be further from the truth. None of those countries have *any* ties to rebel groups in #Idlib, who only equal ~0.5% of the population.
Read 10 tweets
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Absolutely extraordinary.

#Syria’s air defense systems have no way to determine “friend” from “foe.” #Russia doesn’t export that tech.

Within a complex & unpredictable environment, that raises the risk to civilian aircraft
significantly.
#Israel says #Syria’s air defense fired “dozens” of anti-aircraft missiles from several batteries across the country over the space of 40-mins… *after* #IAF planes had returned to #Israel.

One took down #Russia’s IL-20.

timesofisrael.com/syria-fired-mi…
To me, this looks like messaging more than a truly dramatic change in reality/dynamics:

- S-300s already deployed in #Syria.

- #Israel (& US) uses encrypted radar/GPS; less vulnerable to counter-measures

- #Russia has been “jamming” for 2+ yrs.

- #Israel fires most from Med.
Read 5 tweets

Related threads

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#Syria ‘s Opposition will long reflect on what went wrong. To this day, narrative has been that this was a peaceful uprising calling for freedom & democracy. In reality, only a handful pleaded & insisted on avoiding Any & All forms of an armed uprising regardless of reasons ==>
2-Coming on back of an Arab Spring fever sweeping the region, it was hard for Western capitals & media not to be intoxicated with the events. Indeed, so intoxicated & excited observers were that clear signs of radicalization & early violence by Opp were both ignored & dismissed
3-Historians will ultimately make the final determination about when the conflict turned into an armed insurgency. In the meantime & for this observer of the conflict, the events of Jisr al Shugour in early June 2011 (hardly 11 weeks post Daraa) mark an undisputed turning point
Read 11 tweets
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Had there been no #Iraq War, there would have been no U.S. occupation, no anti-American insurgency, no Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, & therefore no Islamic State

Superb piece as usual by ⁦@stephenWalt⁩ who throws cold water on current #Syria commentary foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/21/goo…
“Equally misleading to talk about the United States losing Syria, because the country was never America’s to begin with. On the contrary, it has been a Soviet or Russian client state since the mid-1950’s”
“Worth remembering that prior to the Syrian uprising (and the subsequent emergence of the Islamic State), Washington never cared very much about who ran Syria and certainly didn’t see Syria’s internal politics as a vital U.S. concern”
Read 8 tweets
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#Syria: following unexpected move, Trump ordered withdrawal of US personnel & troops (~2,000) from #Syria. Pullout should be completed within 100 days. reuters.com/article/us-usa…
#Pt. Apparently Trump took decision to withdraw US troops from #Syria after phone call with Erdogan, de facto greenlighting in short term a Turkish-led Offensive vs #SDF & #YPG.
Following US decision to withdraw troops from #Syria:
- Regime reinforcements heading to Manbij & #DeirEzzor (deal w/ SDF-YPG likely)
- Maghaweer Thawra seeks evac of ppl from Rukban Camp (Al-Tanf) to N. Aleppo
- Turkey says it is working with US & also Russia + Iran.
Read 4 tweets
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#Syria Update

1-State: Feels it won but seems lacking in credible economic solutions going forward.
2- Opposition: Still dazed, confused & seemingly delusional about its ability to gain through politics what it failed to do militarily
3-Kurds: Hit pause button. Wait & see mode
#Syria update Continued:

Foreign Actors: The U.S is going nowhere anytime soon. Keep territory given limited financial burden. Continue the balancing act between Ankara and the Kurds. Appease the pro-Israel / Anti-Iran camp. Strategy Archives multiple goals w limited investment
#Syria Update Continued:

Foreign Actors: Russia has met all originally set objectives. Damascus survived. Moscow is an important player in the region. Ability to maintain strong relationship with Ankara offers larger geopolitical opportunities
Read 8 tweets

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