IS bombings rock Syria as world powers seek truce

"Secretary of State John Kerry said that a “provisional agreement” has been reached on a cessation of hostilities that could begin in the next few days." What Kerry should have said: "Well, we kinda-sorta agree to something, and because the US has been so weakened and in decline thanks to my boss, we have to completely rely on the goodwill of Vladimir Putin for any of this to work."

highlighting the threat posed by the extremists as the country’s warring factions fight for the northern city of Aleppo and world powers chase an elusive cease-fire.

Syria has already taken over Aleppo and the fighting is in the suburbs 25km away.

In northern Syria, meanwhile, the Syrian army captured 31 villages on Sunday that were controlled by IS, according to the pro-Syrian Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV and Hezbollah’s Al-Manar station. Both outlets often have reporters embedded with Syrian troops.

Reports originally were 18, but 31 is a good number also. = This battle is getting very close to the border of Turkey.

Someone is backing ISIS.

Yes, Turkey, US, Saudi Arabia, Israel, UK, France,...

I can't see why Syria should agree to negotiate now. Syria and Russia must now finish the job and completely rid the country of terrorists.

Oops, now what has Assad done to p1ss off ISIS?

I thought the Russians were knocking the hell out of ISIS... no wait, that's what Trump's going to do, but that can't happen until next January.

Serrano:

" I thought the Russians were knocking the hell out of ISIS... "

They are, but they are up against Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the USA.... quite a powerful group of supporters.

Bombings claimed by the Islamic State group in the Syrian cities of Damascus and Homs killed nearly 130 people on Sunday, highlighting the threat posed by the extremists

My Russian friend told me that ISIS would be taken out in a matter of days way back when Russia started the military campaign. Not sure what happened?

SuperLib:

" My Russian friend told me that ISIS would be takeen out in a matter of days way back when Russia started the military campaign. "

I don´t know anybody who claimed that. Is your Russian friend invisible and imaginary, by any chance?

" Not sure what happened? "

Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Obama happened. They just can´t let go of the idea of a Sunni islamist Syria, run by the Muslim Brotherhood and united und Shariah law. And then, of course there is Erdogans fat oil income from ISIS.

WilliBFeb. 22, 2016 - 05:20PM JST I don´t know anybody who claimed that. Is your Russian friend invisible and imaginary, by any chance?

He's a rather strange individual, but certainly not imaginary.

He even told me "Assad has won". You guys will probably hit it off in the Conspiracy Dept.

Yeees.

Well the civil war is still raging here in your hated Reality.

If one day your fantasy unfolds, the only viktor will be your employer, Don "hospital bomber" Putin. Syria has been utterly destroyed.

Beginning to think that as Syrian forces approach and threaten Raqqa, IS feel that some kind of mutual understanding has been broken, and now their outrage has been expressed in such extreme bombings.

@Madverts

Don "hospital bomber" Putin

You mean "Kunduz hospital (and a lot other else's) bomber" Obama?

My friend, you read too much of fiction masterpieces of the guy who calls himself Human observatory. Please read something about real events in the real world:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/02/aleppo-notebook-the-citys-terrorist-besiegers-will-now-be-besieged/

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/02/18/the-media-are-misleading-public-syria/8YB75otYirPzUCnlwaVtcK/story.html

I don’t see how anyone could believe there is a negotiated settlement possible in this situation. Sure, there is an opportunity for those members of the world community who have a vested interest, to make all kinds of deals. But those deals will be made from the perspective of maximizing the potential geo-political and economic benefit for each negotiating party. The US has a vested interest so does Russia, Iran and Western Europe. All the regional governments have vested interests. It’s a good idea to let everybody get involved. Who knows, they might even come up with something.

The fly in the ointment is the Islamic State. You might get Assad and the FSA to stop shooting for a while but don’t bet on IS to buy into that action. Negotiating involves compromise and compromise is not in their playbook. Islamic State is a movement to return Islam to its rightful preeminence. It is Wahabi inspired Salafism in its pure form. They believe that they are the embodiment of true Islam and they reserve the sole authority to determine what is true and what isn’t. Their expressed goal is to root out the corrupting elements within Islam and establish a world caliphate ruled by the revealed word of Allah. And that’s it, simple as that. How do you start negotiating when the other party’s opening demand it that you totally submit to them or you die. Where do you go from there?

Since its inception in the mid 1700s this movement has risen to power a number of times, every time raising all kinds of havoc. Back then limit of their mayhem was largely dictated by the logistics of moving an army of horsemen across harsh terrain. Not so today. The internet has given them a truly global reach and technology many new and effective weapons. No matter what the world powers come up with this fight will go on for a long time.