"On Sunday, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Deir Ezzor Military Council (DMZ) announced that they reached the industrial zone in the northwestern countryside of Deir Ezzor city. However, the SDF didn’t announce that the industrial zone is under its full control.
With this advance, the SDF deployed in only 15Km away from Deir Ezzor city. Furthermore, The SDF released an official video of its forces near the industrial area. All fighters who appeared in the video were speaking Kurdish language." SF
———–
Lots of interesting things going on in Syria just now:
1. The US coalition has stopped surveilling the bus convoy. The RuAF is now operating in strength so far east that the remaining buses are well within the Russian operating area and an agreement was reached for the US led air to pull back to the east to avoid an inadvertent engagement. ISIS people had reached the buses before the withdrawal of US aircraft from the area.
2. A Syrian air defense engagement with a pair of Israeli F-15s is reported. Supposedly the Syrians fired S-200 SAMS at the jets which were conducting a reconnaissance over Lebanon. The slant range would be adequate for the missiles to have been fired from within Syria.
3. A new Syrian ground force has completed Russian led training and will deploy to somewhere in Syria. It will be interesting to learn what they call this outfit. The last one they trained was designated 5th Corps. 6th Corps maybe? Returning refugees are being recruited into the SAA and this will ease the chronic manpower shartage for the SAA. Everyone wants to join a winner and the SAG now looks like a winner.
4. The R+6 continue to consolidate their positions around Deir al-Zor City to include the military airport which had long been held by IS and the logistics highway that leads back to Sukhna and parts west. This is very important for the civilian population of the Deir al-Zor area as well as the ever strengthening R+6 force around the city.
5. The IS pocket in Homs Province grows ever smaller under constant pressure from R+6 forces.
6. The R+6 forces have brought forward a bridging train to the Deir al-Zor area. This convoy has a lot of pontons with it and the intention seem clear to bridge the Euphates so as to deny the SDF control of the east bank of the river and the Syrian territory there.
7. IS forces appear to be falling back to SE of Deir al-Zor City to somewhere they can make a last stand.
8. SDF forces have advanced to withing 15 km. of the Euphrates and are in the Deir-Al-Zor industrial area east of the river. A US general made a perhaps vacuous comment at a conference a couple of days ago that the R+6 will not be allowed to cross the Euphrates. This is extremely worrying as a battle between the SAA and SDF might result from such a policy. The two sides are heavily supported by US and Russian air. One would hope that there is some sort of accomodation between the SAG and the SDF as to limits. pl
https://southfront.org/syrian-democratic-forces-reach-deir-ezzor-industrial-zone/
Col., I know you use SouthFront so you might find this of interest:
SouthFront’s Work Is Fully Blocked on YouTube (Updated)
http://www.unz.com/forum/urgent-southfronts-work-is-fully-blocked-on-youtube-updated/
In the joint press conference with the Emir of Kuwait, in answer to a question regarding Syria, POTUS just repeated the same sentence twice, “We are there to kill ISIS.”
Syria claims an F-15 was downed off the coast of Lebanon near Sidon (southern Lebanon).
https://twitter.com/WaelHussaini/status/906906644252065794
Colonel –
1. Regarding the stranded Daesh bus convoy: There was a report by the coalition spokesman that before they had broken off surveillance they observed something that appeared to be a fistfight, or some type of serious altercation among a group of those Daeshis.
2. Regarding the F15 and the S200 engagement: Both are 50-year old designs. It will be interesting to see how that worked out.
8. Regarding the SDF at the DeZ industrial zone: Which US general made the comment that the R+6 will not be allowed to cross the Euphrates? Lieutenant General Townsend said a few days ago that there was a deconfliction zone set up with the Russians ‘generally’ along the line of the Euphrates, but more discussion on that line would continue. However, he never said that ”R+6 will not be allowed to cross”. That may have been a reporter’s interpretation?
mike
The Russians HAVE not agreed to any restrictions on the SAA. The line of de-confliction is not limiting. It is merely a line of de-confliction.
Number 6 should be at the top of the to-do list; making a bridge over the Euphrates River in order to get to the other side, the east side. This is what I have been very concerned about for a long time. Then, a drive straight east to the border of Syria and Iraq. If it can be done with an angle up northeast some, so much the better. This will create a barrier to the SDF and others who want what is south of there: the oil and gas pipelines and oil and gas fields.
After reaching the Syria and Iraq border, R+6 would make as strong an effort as possible to clear the area south of that new barrier line and east of the Euphrates, all the way to the Syrian border with Iraq, and around to where the Euphrates River intersects the border with Iraq. Then, drive west along the Syria-Iraq border a ways and then back up at an angle to Palmyra (Tadmur). This will give Syria and its army control of their border from east of Deir ez Zor (Dayr az Zawr) going south and all the way around and going west toward the border with Jordan. They will then have control of those all-important oil and gas fields and pipelines in that area, as well as the Euphrates River.
There are also oil and gas fields north-northeast of Palmyra going to the Euphrates and Raqqa. Syria should be able to gain control of that area as long as R+6 does not let the SDF/Kurds drift further south.
If a pontoon bridge is being contemplated, that seems to mean that there is not a bridge over the Euphrates at Deir ez Zor, or it has been destroyed.
The official CJTF-OIR statement says territory won by YPG/SDF military action will be turned over to local tribal leaders for administration. The statement says nothing about preventing any SAA crossing of the Euphrates. It was some members of a Raqqa civilian council who said claimed that British MG Rupert Jones, DCINC of the CJTF, said the SAA would not be allowed to cross the Euphrates. The CJTF has not confirmed this. This sound like a miscommunication or outright bullshit.
My guess is that the R+6 will be talking with those local tribal leaders to ensure Damascus has a say in what goes on east of the Euphrates. It will be an extension of the de-escalation process that seems to be working well. I strongly suspect the Rojava Kurds are already in earnest talks with Damascus over their long-term future.
The Kurds have suddenly made huge territorial strides because the ISIS periphery is crumbling. But as they engage with ISIS forces who have concentrated along the Euprhates River Valley, their progress will suddenly slow. Most of their forces are still tied down in Raqqah.
It is the SAA who now has the manpower to go all the way to the Iraqi border. Once the Hama pocket is resolved, a fresh wave of troop concentration in the east can take place.
Colonel –
Let’s hope the line of de-confliction works. There is no sense spilling the blood of those who are also fighting the headchoppers.
However I do not believe there is a deconfliction agreement that covers the entire Euphrates within Syria as the general you mentioned. The coalition commander never said that it did. He stated discussions were ongoing as to where that line would be. No US officer, general or not, who publicly says R+6 would not be allowed to cross the river should be reprimanded IMHO.
mike
Syria east of the river is still Syrian sovereign territory. Why should we try to keep the SAG from re-occupying their national territory? The de-confliction line is not a partition line. I didn’t say anything about reprimands. pl
richardstevenhack
McGovern is a grandstanding attention seeker. I refuse to talk to him. pl
Robt W –
Deir ez-Zor was at one time called the ‘city of bridges’, most famous for a 1920s French built suspension bridge that has been described as an architectural wonder. That was destroyed by the Syrian regime in 2013. In the next year they destroyed the other bridge in the city. The Russian Air Force destroyed another in 2015 but it is not clear to me if that was a different bridge or a re-strike on one that had been rebuilt. I believe all of the Euphrates River bridges within Deir ez-Zor province have been destroyed. The Coalition has taken out some others further to the southeast closer to the Iraqi border.
PS – The SDF do not want the oil and gas fields you mention, nor do they want the pipelines. What would they do with that oil and gas? The oil pipelines go to refineries and ports in regime held Syria. The gas pipelines go to regime held cities such as Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and others.
Colonel –
I never said we should keep the Syrian regime from re-occupying their national territory.
I was the one that mentioned reprimands. In my opinion any US general who stated what you claim he stated should be reprimanded.
Lemur –
The Kurds and their Arab/Syriac SDF allies made huge territorial strides long before the SAA moved into the Suknah/Deir ez-Zor axis and broke the siege of Deir ez-Zor city.
The area the SDF is taking just now in Deir ez-Zor province is an extremely small percent of what they had previously taken from Daesh in 2014/15/16 and earlier this year.
You are probably right that their progress will be slowed now. They are armed as light infantry. They have none of the heavy weapons and armor available to the SAA and affiliates.
If that was a British officer making the threat it could well be under the orders of Michael Farron, the deeply unpleasant British Defence Secretary. The do-nothing British Cabinet at the moment under Theresa May consists of a collection of zombies, clowns, and incompetents, all making signs that they would like to take over power from her. Sources close to Michael Farron have suggested that if he takes a “strong” position in a foreign policy “crisis” (preferably against Putin), this could provide him with the keys to Number 10.
pl I am quite interested in your involvement with VIPS. I noticed that you were once associated with them a decade or so ago. I,and I suspect many others, would be interested in your take one the current split in VIPS that has appeared in The Nation. I can understand if this is something you would like to avoid but this whole guccifer 2.0 story seems like a major story. I have been following it intensely but have trouble figuring out who is correct
@mike – the deconfliction agreement does not cover the whole Euphrates but just from the west to Deir Ezzor city. There is no agreement for anything east of the city. Gen Townsend and Centcom spokesperson Dillon have expressed that they hope to hav ea future agreement, i.e. they do not have one now.
@all
– The claim that SAA will not be allowed to cross the Euphrates comes from the unreliable bullcrap account @Raqqa24. It is nonsense. There is o record of any “coalition” official saying such.
– The claim of the S-200 vs. F-15 comes from one Syrian account which has had several other “exclusives” that turned out to be nonsense.
No one from Lebanon or Syria or Israel confirmed it. Such things do not happen without bystanders noticing it. It is a nice fantasy – nothing more.
– The progress of the SDF towards Deir Ezzor industrial zone is unconfirmed. If this happened at all it clearly means that there is an agreement with ISIS and that ISIS moved out. 30 kilometers progress against ISIS through several villages without firing a shot is otherwise not possible. McGurk has hired some of the DEZ tribes that had pledged allegiance to ISIS (various photos show the tribal leaders with McGurk and before that with ISIS).
– There are now reports about at least four exfiltration operations by U.S. special forces in the Euphrates area east of Deir Ezzor. Two of these reports come through SOHR/MI6, two others from Russian officials (more form Iraqi forces). These ain’t just all hot air. Those exfiltrated were said to be foreigners (Egyptians etc.) How many of these were spies? How man of these had operational/leader roles within ISIS? How much of ISIS was the CIA running through these guys?
outthere
Many of the accusations where against clerics or religious institutions, and not against the Saudi gov’t itself.
However, from the article
“Should there have been any doubt about the connection between these Wahhabi missionary groups and the Saudi government, they were dispelled by the groups themselves. In documents filed between 2002 and 2005, some formally declared themselves to be organs of the state. They could thus shelter behind the principal Saudi defensive fortification in the case: the immunity enjoyed by foreign countries against being sued in U.S. courts, granted by the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act.”
If Saudi looses the 911 cases badly, it will call into question the relationship between Wahhabism and the Saudi family. Saudi Arabia could be headed for a visit to the “dentist” to have the Wahhabi infrastructure extracted from the gov’t. This is destabilizing, to say the least. Perhaps this is why so many want to paper over the whole affaire. Instability in Saudi Arabia would destabilize everything.
Russell
You are quite right. The Saudi state is the product of the centuries old melding of the state with the Wahhabi sect. IMO the two things are inextricably linked. An attempt to separate the two could only be possible in the context of a violent revolution of some sort. pl
b
“There are now reports about at least four exfiltration operations by U.S. special forces in the Euphrates area east of Deir Ezzor. Two of these reports come through SOHR/MI6, two others from Russian officials (more form Iraqi forces). These ain’t just all hot air. Those exfiltrated were said to be foreigners (Egyptians etc.) How many of these were spies? How man of these had operational/leader roles within ISIS? How much of ISIS was the CIA running through these guys?” Aw c’mon, what you are describing is the efficient and effective functioning of HUMINT clandestine penetration operations with regard to the IS organization. I am quite pleased at the thought. You would, of course, want to exfiltrste both US case officers, some of foreign birth, and their assetss including their families. these people are of continuing value.
the bombing of SAA troops in 2016 takes on a different aspect in light of such operations because it is never possible when dealing with an asset or assets recruited from among an enemy to exclude the possibility of mis-direction. In addition to the kind of espionage personnel (controllers and assets) that we have been talking about there evidently have also been US and perhaps British SOF reconnaissance teams in the area now contested by SAA and IS. One wouldwant to withdraw them as well at this point . As for the rest of your comments tone is nasty and aggressive and they display a regrettable desire to score points. pl
Toivo
I am unfamiliar with the article in the Nation. I initially “joined” VIPS in the early stages of the Iraq War. I was urged to do so by someone within the group. Frankly, they wanted to use my name. I dis-associated myself from the group when McGovern started using the group to massage his ego. pl
mike
“what you claim he stated” I did not claim anything. I reported that there was such a story. If it were true and that was not US policy then he should be fired. pl
thanks, helpful, Russel. I was close to babble, never mind it was off topic here. But then decided to check on a maybe somewhat misleading recent comment over here on my mind fitting into the larger context. In hindsight.
In any case a Saudi institution over here in Bonn surfaced in MSM research as a result of interests in the 9/11 Hamburg Cell as one tiny part of the larger puzzle.
Apparently it hasn’t been closed down by German authorities, at least not on the surface, until 16 years later. Official context: the Saudi government itself seems to have agreed to close it down. To the extend I checked DW pretty superficially, I admit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Fahd_Academy_(Germany)#Planned_closure
The main point I noted is that Binney says they continue experiments to try to find a way to get 1.9GB of data transmitted over the Internet from the US to Russia or Eastern Europe in 87 seconds. So far they can’t do it. Binney says they’re aware of Gigabit Ethernet but it’s not clear whether they’ve tried that yet.
Binney said that it the transfer rates are not fast enough. I agree. The bottleneck is always the slowest link. You can not force it, not even with the smartest people and the best equipment. If you have a dedicated dataline it’s possible, but then it wouldn’t be a hack and a local transfer (eg to a disk/stick) is much easier. All it takes is a couple of minutes.
BTW the LaRouchePAC seem to live in a world of their own. The British empire? That only exists in the imagination of some Brits (no pun intended)
I was a bit disappointed that William Binney took part. IMO he is someone who is guided by a strong moral compass and his own status/position/fame is not important for him.
What are Salman and Bibi’s next moves? Regime change v2.0 by assassination of Assad??
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-11/breaking-news-saudi-crown-princes-secret-visit-israel-brings-embassy-scramble
Colonel –
I agree that he should be fired if such a story were true.
I like it
https://youtu.be/Wb1M1wbEj0U
Mike seems to know for certain that the SDF has no interest at all in the Omari oil/gas fields.
Since you have this sort of insider knowledge, surely you can explain to all of us what the SDF’s goal is with these advance toward Deir Ezzor? There is more than enough work to do in Raqqa, so why make a move on more non-Kurdish areas now?
Is it really necessary to crowd the R+6’s operating space? They didn’t need SDF help to reach Raqqa and they certainly don’t need it now…
Forgive me if I appear spamming, but I am not sure where else to put this, and I thought it might be of some interest to the readership here:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-11/breaking-news-saudi-crown-princes-secret-visit-israel-brings-embassy-scramble
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Did-the-Saudi-Crown-Prince-make-a-covert-visit-to-Israel-504777
BTW the LaRouchePAC seem to live in a world of their own.
I agree. Never mind they sometimes store matters that seem to disappear otherwise. …
Concerning Binney can we have transcript? More randomly? Some of his statements seem to make sense as far as earlier “fact based” observations are concerned. By now it may or may not have moved to network interferences.
The bombing of SAA in Deir Ezzor in September 2016 was not based on some intelligence from the ground. CentCom knew very well that those positions were held by the SAA (since March 2016).
It was
1. either a CentCom decision to sabotage the joint operation SecState Kerry and the Russian government had just agreed upon after several month of negotiations. CentCom was on the record that it very much disliked that agreement and had said that it would not participate.
2. or it was aimed at helping ISIS completely take over Deir Ezzor.
I believe it was a combination of both the above. Neither of these required on the ground intelligence.
Concerning the bloodless peculiarities of the SDF advance, I would posit that SDF may have peeled off some of ISIS auxillaries who believe they can get a better deal from the SDF then from the SAA (if they are from the area, and under arms, and not SAA, the SAA Deir Es Zor garrison will likely have a very very dim view of them).
Heck, if I was leading a formerly ISIS associated tribal unit, in the current conditions, then the SDF may well represent the least suicidal way to jump jihadi ship.
ISIS is currently much less capable of threatening its auxillaries into compliance, and individual tribes may well be in “do I jump ship to SDF or do I jump ship to SAA?” mode. Which way they jump will depend on specific circumstances, and their perceived “rap sheets” with the SAA and the SDF.
Particularly enterprising leaders may even try to flirt with both sides in order to get the best possible deal.
b
“Neither of these required it.” That is true, but as usual you choose to make guesses that are based on your hatred of the US. pl
B 31
In the final Sri Lanka war you had observers brown skinned non-combattant but wearing SL Army uniforms from different European Intelligence services or SF, maybe US also.
Don’t ask me for source.
Lot to learn on the field for Humint.
“you choose to make guesses that are based on your hatred of the Borg.”
Fixed it for you Colonel. Now you need to figure out that blind faith in Neocon foreign policy is a strong sign of Borg mind control.
Heros
Tthe difference between you, me and B is that I actually know what I am talking about. the Borg knows and hates me. Be gone creep. pl
Red Cloud –
“what the SDF’s goal is with these advance toward Deir Ezzor?”
I have no insider knowledge. But I do know that there are many Arab tribes in the SDF that call that part of eastern Deir ez-Zor province home and want to return there. For example many Shammar tribesmen live there who hate the Daeshis and have been fighting against them. The Shammari al-Sanadid forces are some of the best fighters in the SDF. They and the Kurdish YPG are usually at the spearhead of anti-Daesh ops. But they have no beef with Assad. They say: whoever rules in Damascus, rules Syria – unless of course it is Daeshis or other Wahabbist jihadis.
http://www.france24.com/en/20160314-focus-syria-sanadid-sunni-force-islamic-state-group
Many Arabic al-Shaitat tribesmen in the SDF also come from that area. They suffered the worst Daesh massacre in Syria in 2014. That is when 900 of their tribe were shot, beheaded, or crucified near Mayadin and other areas of eastern Deir ez-Zor province (900 known that is, hundreds of others are still missing). This tribe also has many on the other side of the river working as SAA supported militia.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/mass-grave-230-tribespeople-found-syria%E2%80%99s-deir-ezzor-monitoring-group
The al-Baggara tribe also has many that suffered Daesh repression in eastern Deir ez-Zor province.
Even some Assyrian Christian militias whose homes were in the Khabour River valley are in this SDF op. They are basically pro-Assad but fight for the SDF as the SAA left this area years ago.
All of these groups want to go home. And they want revenge against the headchoppers and liver-eaters. That is what their goals are. Regarding the oil, if they liberate the oilfields, they will probably start up some small primitive distilleries to refine a single-barrel-at-a-time into fuel oil. Why shouldn’t they? Winter is coming.
All these stealing-the-oil conspiracy themes are probably Turkish or IRGC propaganda which have been nourished and inflamed by paranoia.
A I Schmelzer –
I basically agree with your ‘which-way-to-jump-ship’ view.
However, your other statement on the “bloodless peculiarities of the DF advance” is incorrect. Daesh has fought back against that advance. SDF fighters have been hit with two or more SVBIED attacks on the Abu-hasab hiway to Deir ez-Zor. There were also fierce clashes between the SDF and Daesh at Markadah and other towns at the Deir ez-Zor/Hasakah province border a few days ago in the initial SDF advance. The coalition has conducted five strikes in eastern Deir ez-Zor province in the last two days on Daesh tactical units & fighting positions, SVBIEDs, and fighting vehicles.
Since TypePad no longer posts replies immediately beneath the comment to which they relate, it might be a good idea if those replying were to put in not only the name of the original commenter, but also the number of their comment.
It would save subsequent readers quite a bit of time. And, might even be useful to those who make lots of comments!
outthere –
Hunter’s book on grampa Kim is $100 on Amazon, and $88 on Alibris. Too pricey for me although I’d like to put it on my reading list. The local library does not cover it either.
Care to loan me your copy?
At the Iraqi side, preparations are being made to move east up the Middle Euphrates River Valley towards the Syrian border.
There are reports that the Iraqi 7th Division is staging at Haditha. 30th Brigade of the 8th Division has arrived at base west of Ramadi. They will participate with the 7th to liberate Anah, Rawa, and al-Qaim.
Hammer and anvil if they coordinate with SAA/SDF moving downriver towards al-Bukamal?
re: https://youtu.be/Wb1M1wbEj0U
Aleksandar,
Thanks! The first, very first, entry into Deir-ez-Zor. A glorious saga of infantry. Thanks again.
Ishmael Zechariah
Now this is interesting. Today, the U.S. Senate was going to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act for 2018. The skids were greased to move it on through–
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2017/09/07/senate-section/article/S5038-1
Then Senator Rand Paul moved to stop the vote by going to the Senate floor and making procedural objections, until his bill to repeal the laws that authorized the use of military force in Afghanistan (2001) and in Iraq (2002) would be allowed a vote–
http://www.targetliberty.com/2017/09/breaking-rand-paul-sits-in-senate-in.html
This has caused some type of delay the effect of which is not completely clear at this time.
IZ
Fascinating video of desert warfare. It is tough and brutal out there. Amazing how quickly seemingly from nowhere SVBIEDs appear. Kudos to R+6 for adapting to the tactics of their enemy and prevailing.
What this video has shown me is that the bond forged on the battlefield between the R+6 entities will not be that easy to break. I don’t think Bibi gets it yet. There is a sea change coming. No wonder Salman and Bibi are in panic and attempting to seduce Trump to do their dirty work. My feeling is that they’ll fail. Trump is smarter than they believe.
Richardstevenhack @12,
“Binney says they’re aware of Gigabit Ethernet but it’s not clear whether they’ve tried that yet.”
It is hopelessly laughable.
TTG and I have stated numerous times here that if you know how to do it, the transfer speed (that the “forensicator” claimed that cannot be done) can indeed be achieved.
I respect the VIPS greatly for what they have done. But they are digging a hole in their assessment about the DNC hack or leak argument.
richardstevenhabk
Hey you never told us about your US Army service record: Grade, MOS, unit, where you served in VN. pl
Makes sense, Pat, if I look up zhe emphasis around the event over here on the sites of the German Larouchians.
Once, quite a long time ago, I stumbled across them with their little leaflet display table on the way to the university library. Admittedly without ever looking back, beyond basis curiosity, nutshell assumption: they tried to find adherents on Larouche’s ‘cute’ culture ideas, for loss of a better way to put it.
There are remnants of reminiscences on the more murky layers of my mind. They seem to stick since there were other synaptic facts stored in which context they may have made sense.
richardstevenhack
OK. You were a REMF. Most of the force in VN were REMFs as a result of the way non-SF wage war in the US Army. You had some pretty comfortable jobs. What was so bad about what you learned in the Army? pl
richardstevenhack
You sound like a spoiled brat, an early model snowflake. Life is not perfect? Oh, my … pl
Don’t recall the N. Vietnamese killing JFK, RFK, MLK, or Malcom X. Don’t recall the N. Vietnamese importing and selling African slaves. Don’t recall the N. Vietnamese wiping out the American Indian tribes. Don’t recall the N. Vietnamese attacking the USA at Pearl Harbor or Fort Sumter. Don’t recall the N. Vietnamese chaining children to factory machines 12 hours a day in the great industrial fiefdoms ie ‘cities.’ Don’t recall the N. Vietnamese setting up the private prison industry in the USA. Don’t recall the N. Vietnamese poisoning USA agriculture with glyphosates. Don’t recall the N.Vietnamese dropping Agent Orange on the US National Parks.
Down_in_Front
No? I DO recall the North Vietnamese wiping out Montagnard villages with flamethrowers. I DO recall Communist agitprop cadres holding show trials in villages at night of small landholders, schoolteachers, postal officials, etc. amd then forcing the condemned to dig their own grave to be followed with the villagers being forces beat them to death with shovels. I DO remember the way the Communist government of VN has persecuted the Montagnard peoples, even unto crucifixion if this was necessary to force them to abandon Christianity. BTW, the American Indian tribes were nothing like “wiped out.” People with Indian blood are everywhere in the US as well as there being a large voluntary resident population who live on the federal dole. Ah, yes, some tribes are immensely rich from casino wealth. Did I like the war? No, but I thought it a just cause then as I do now. Several million Vietnamese left when the communists won. Were they looking for social security benefits. It is interesting how fiercely you old communist sympathizers defend your narrative of the war. you seem to have missed the fact that several hundred thousand Vietnamese fought Communists in defense of their country. Well, you should. It is all you have. BTW, American history, even your twisted version of it, has nothing to do with the Vietnam War.
My comments about history just mean to say the North Vietnamese never committed any historical wrongs upon the United States and the people/land within its borders. The American people had no beef with N. Vietnam. Agreed, the N. Vietnamese communists you describe sound as horrific as the Bolsheviks in Russia. Still though, as I understand it, the Vietnamese conflict came out of a patriotic struggle against French & Japanese colonialism. And one could list USA ‘activities’ comparable to what you describe. Don’t you think it would have been possible to integrate North and South, avoiding war & atrocities, in the 1950s when Ho Chi Minh wrote to Eisenhower?
Down_in_Front
“And one could list USA ‘activities’ comparable to what you describe.” Absolute bullshit! My Lai was an aberration. If there had been more My Lais they would have been publicized by communist sympathizers like you. I lived in a mountain village for a year deep in enemy held country and never experienced a moment of hostility except when enemy infantry were trying to take the town. Would my residence have been possible there if the Vietnamese civilians thought me an enemy? pl
Down_in_Front
I forgot to answer your second point. We could have arbitrated an end to the franco-Viet Minh War anytime from 1945 to the time LBJ decided to support RVN as part of the Cold War. It was a terrible mistake, one for which I and my comrades paid a high price. pl
So, Eisenhower did not intervene where he should have (in Vietnam) and intervened where he should not have (in Iran).
Babak
It is clear that Ho Chi Minh would have made some kind of Yugoslav deal with us if we had not sided with the French. pl
richardstevenhack
Actually, you are nothing like me. pl
Colonel –
You asked “Is there a SAG-SDF deal?”
This morning’s press briefing by Coalition Spokesman indicated that the SDF do have direct communications with the regime. It is through their own line of communication and NOT through the Russian/CJTF deconfliction hotline. Did not go into detail, did not indicate at what level either on the SDF side or on the regime side.
So at least there are talks going on even if it is not a full fledged deal.