Idlib

Comienza el tiempo de los grandes choques en lo que la Historia habrá de conocer como La Batalla de Siria. Desde comienzos de noviembre pasado, cuando Rusia decidió intervenir directamente en Siria contra el Imperio, la aviación de Putin ablandó a los terroristas al punto en que hoy cunde en ellos la desmoralización y el derrotismo. Se ha cortado la financiación del ISIS mediante el bombardeo directo a las flotas de camiones transporte de petróleo, y también los flujos de abastecimiento de las tropas irregulares sobre el terreno. Paralelamente el Ejército sirio ha venido haciendo una prolija tarea de rastrillaje de zonas previamente infiltradas por los terroristas, y comienzan a generarse “bolsones” territoriales en donde estos últimos se van concentrando, exhaustos. En esos sitios van a ocurrir las batallas fundamentales. Uno de ellos es Idlib, en el norte de Siria, al sudoeaste de Alepo y cerca de la frontera con Turquía. Leemos en el sitio web Sic Semper Tyrannis, del analista militar estadounidense Patrick Lang (turcopolier.typepad.com):

Título: The battle of encirclment for Idlib Province is impending

Texto: "The Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade of the Republican Guard has gotten off to a fast start this week, capturing several key regions from the Al-Nusra Front, the Free Syrian Army’s 'Liwaa Suqour Al-Ghaab,' and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham terrorist groups in northeast regions of Latakia province."

Syria's National Defense Forces, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and Syrian Resistance also took part in the offensives against terrorists in the northern countryside areas of Latakia.

"In a matter of four days, the Syrian Armed Forces have seized over 100 square kilometers from terrorists in Northeastern Latakia; this is likely to increase in the coming days as the pro-government forces eye the rebel stronghold of Salma," reported Fars."

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151209/1031497423/syria-lattakia-army-liberate.html#ixzz3twAiNALF

**********

"Syrian government forces backed by Iranian troops edged closer to a major rebel-controlled highway south of Aleppo on Tuesday, pushing further into insurgent-held areas supported by heavy Russian air strikes.

After seizing a series of villages including Zitan, Humaira and Qalaajiya, the army said it had thrust to the outskirts of Zirba and encircled the town of Khan Touman, an advance rebels said had left them outgunned from the air and ground.

The aim of government forces appeared to be to cut the main Aleppo-Damascus highway that fighters use to transport supplies from rebel-held Idlib province to the north."  Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-aleppo-idUSKBN0TR25I20151208#vrr1WM8XPZgWkcgD.97

--------------

You can see from this reporting that the kesselschlacht battle to be fought in Idlib is shaping up nicely.  The rebels (of various persuasions) will have to fight hard to try to hold the M5 highway open to the south from Aleppo and that will make them superb targets out in that open country.  IMO the expectation of large numbers of surrenders/defections from the rebel forces grows greater by the day.  Faced with all the Russian fire power and in the face of  a reinvigorated SAA and their allies the temptation to experience a "come to Bashar" moment will be very strong.  Pl

***

Título: "The military virtue of an army." by Carl von Clausewitz

Texto: "This spirit can only be generated from two sources, and only by these two conjointly: the first is a succession of wars and great victories; the other is, an activity of the army carried sometimes to the highest pitch. Only by these, does the soldier learn to know his powers. The more a general is in the habit of demanding from his troops, the surer he is, that his demands will be answered. The soldier is as proud of overcoming toil, as he is of surmounting danger. Therefore it is only in the soil of incessant activity and exertion that the germ will thrive, but also only in the sunshine of victory. Once it becomes a strong tree, it will stand against the fiercest storms of misfortune and defeat, and even against the indolent inactivity of peace, at least for a time. It can therefore only be created in war, and under great generals, but no doubt it may last at least for several generations, even under generals of moderate capacity, and through considerable periods of peace."  Clausewitz

------------

As FB Ali wrote, the Sunni Arab men of the Syrian Army have taken heart  from the help that has come to them and now "in the sunshine of victory" they go forward.

http://www.clausewitz.com/readings/OnWar1873/BK3ch05.html