The battle for Aleppo shapes up
In response to Russian and Iranian actions to help the Syrian army retake the northern region from which it withdrew recently, the US and other countries have upped their support for rebel forces there. Anti-tank weapons are coming in which will make Syrian armor and mechanized infantry movements costly. A large, costly battle is about to begin. Several coursed powers have prestige on the line. Syrians will suffer more.
The view here is that ISIL troops are superior to their opponents both in Iraq and Syria. However, they are vastly outnumbered and that disadvantage must be exploited. In recent days, Iraqi forces have used their numbers to surround Ramadi and isolate it from the rest of ISILstan. Meanwhile to the north, Iraqi forces have pressed against ISIL at Baiji. ISIL is losing territory, albeit very slowly. More importantly, they are losing troops. Whether they are losing more troops than they can replace with recruits remains to be seen. The reliability of estimates of ISIL troops strength and recruitment are not known.
Taliban move on Helmand province
The Taliban’s fighting season is still underway. It has lost Kunduz city in the north but still holds several districts in Kunduz province. It is embattling two cities connecting Kabul with the south and now pressing on Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province. ANA troops are stretched thin and we shall see how exhausted they are.
The crowd disaster at Mecca last September is becoming a problem for Saudi Arabia. Its claim of 769 deaths has been challenged by Iran, perhaps for political reasons, but an AP investigation puts the death toll at 2110. Saudi incompetence is now being complemented with deception.