Syrian Civil War 2011-2018


Why does the Syrian War matter?

Because all the world's top military powers - USA, Russia, Iran, Turkey, China and North Korea used this conflict as a gateway to establishing troops all around Israel. Perhaps, unknowingly, in a preparation for Armageddon.

Mar 2011: Severe 5 year drought causing skyrocketing food prices causes Syrian uprise against president Bashar al-Assad government.

Jul 2012: fighting spreads to Aleppo.

US president Obama warns Assad not to cross “red line” by using gas attacks but does nothing over several attacks.

2011-2014: Assad’s forces battle rebels and recapture several vital cities.

2014-2017: Rebels fight among themselves, ISIS being the most ruthless and fanatic.

2014: Islamic State (ISIS) takes over northwestern Iraq, declares itself a caliphate and invades Syria. Beheadings begin.

Sep 2014: USA attacks ISIS inside Syria.

2014-15: Assad uses lethal gas attacks several times and condemned by United Nations.

2015: USA airstrikes in support of Kurds. Russia airstrikes in support of Assad.

2016: USA and Russia facilitate a ceasefire. Lesser fighting continues in the background.

Feb 2017: Russia and China veto UN sanctions.

Apr 2017: Gas attacks continue by Syrian government or Russia. USA new president Trump launches missiles against their source military base.

May 2017: Trump arms Kurds to retake Raqqa from Isis. Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is infuriated.

Jul 2017: Syrian government planes bomb outer Damascus after the failed ceasefire.

Sep 2017: Russia and Syrian government Central offensive breaks ISIS three-year siege of Deir ez-Zor. , with the active participation of Russian aviation and navy.

Oct 2017: USA and Kurdish forces recapture ISIS capital Raqqa.

Nov 2017: in a pincer attack 1 against ISIS at Syrian-Iraqi border Syrian government forces capture Abu Kamal together with Iraqi government's capture of al-Qaim.

Nov 2017: China decides to deploy troops to aid President Assad.

Dec 2017: Vladimir Putin declares Syria liberated from ISIS and plans partial withdraw.

2018:

Putin already planned to leave permanent forces at Tartus naval facility and Hmeymim airbase.

China seems to have come in at the eleventh hour to place its troops in the area.

Turkey has troops and missiles in Syria.

Iran has missiles in Syria.

It doesn't seem like anyone is going home soon. Do we hear Ezekiel 38?

Syrian War Statistics 2

Syrian War Casualties: 360,000 - 470,000 killed (est. to date) 3

Syrian Government: 120,000 soldiers and militiamen killed (est)

Hezbollah: 1,700 killed (est)

Russia: 43 soldiers killed; 125 contractors killed (est)

Non-Syrian fighters: 7,481 fighters killed; 979 protesters killed

Turkey: 71 soldiers killed

Rojava: 3,834 killed

CJTF–OIR: 5 killed

SYRIAN WAR TIMELINE IN DEPTH


Student Spotlight

The Army of God

Sun Tsu’s The Art of War is a wonderful work on the basic principles of successful strategy in war. It is a strong work which many professions even outside the military, such as business executives, learn from. Nevertheless it is still based on the “Babylonian system”, which is man’s way of doing things. Deuteronomy 20-21 is God’s own war manual which is infinitely simpler and better. The instructions focus on moral issues for the success in the battlefield depended not on tactics but on faith in God.
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  1. Also "double envelopment"; maneuver where forces attack simultaneously from two sides; usually against both of enemy's flanks.
  2. Dec 2017
  3. The casualty statistics of the Syrian Civil War are sometimes presented as an approximation. Large numbers are rounded off due to several conflicting statistic sources.