Intercepted radio communications shared w/ @Telegraph show how Soleimani’s Iranian forces and Afghan mercenaries are directing military ops near frontlines in Idlib. “Ya Ali, Oh, Zainab,” the fighters are heard to say, “we will have victory over them” 1/ telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/2…
@Telegraph On one recording, an Afghan fighter radios from a base in Tamanah, Maarat al-Numan district, in Persian to another: “Let’s go together toward their position tonight, to see whether it is a bird or fox,” using animals as code words for targets 2/
@Telegraph Opposition delegate at peace talks in Astana & Sochi said Iran had assured Turkey it had no interest in fighting in Idlib and was keen not to jeopardise relations with Ankara. Turkey has become an important trading partner for Tehran as sanctions bite 3/ telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/2…
@Telegraph Commander of Fatemiyoun Division, an Afghan Shia militia fighting under the Quds Force umbrella, last week said that prior to his death Soleimani had given instructions for group's strategy for the next five years, and that his killing would not cause any "disruptions” 4/
@Telegraph In moment of candour, Syria's defence minister last week admitted: "I met Soleimani in 2011 & our first battle was Baba Amr". For anyone paying attention it was no surprise general had been on ground from war's earliest days. My analysis on recordings: 5/ telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/2…
@Telegraph Important leaks of Russian radio communications were shared last year with @NYT, whose team (@trbrtc @evanchill et al) managed to show how pro-government forces were deliberately targeting and bombing hospitals in Idlib 6/ nytimes.com/2019/10/13/wor…
@Telegraph @NYT @trbrtc @evanchill “Afghans commanders taught us how to use weapons, but Iranians worked on our minds,” Fatemiyon fighter tells @benfarmerDT: “We had so many religious lessons we were thirsty for martyrdom. We were counting down to go to Syria and die” 7/
telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/2…
telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/2…
@Telegraph @NYT @trbrtc @evanchill @benfarmerDT For further reading on what the death of Qassim Soleimani means for Syria and beyond, I highly recommend analysis from @hxhassan and @Dannymakkisyria 8/
mei.edu/publications/q…
nationalreview.com/2020/01/us-ira…
mei.edu/publications/q…
nationalreview.com/2020/01/us-ira…
