by Stephen Lendman

On Sunday, Fars News said US warplanes killed 27 ISIS field commanders - 26 in a bombing raid on a Raqqa, Syria command center, the sole survivor eliminated separately.

According to Fars, they “sought to break allegiance with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the…main (ISIS) ringleader, a move (looked on as) surprising (and) suspicious.”

It’s more evidence of ISIS in disarray since Russia’s Syrian air campaign began, as well as Washington unable to do anything about it. Putin’s determination to smash ISIS has been devastatingly effective. The Pentagon has no counter-strategy able to challenge it.

Syrian ground forces liberated dozens of towns and villages since September 30. They continue making impressive gains.

John Kerry’s scheme in Vienna to get Russia to halt its air campaign, focus instead on diplomacy to resolve years of war (Obama’s proxy aggression), and agree to remove Assad failed.

Moscow wanted things resolved diplomatically all along. Washington obstructed its best efforts. Putin and Sergey Lavrov remain committed to restoring peace and stability politically.

Defeating the scourge of terrorism comes first. Restoring normality and rebuilding Syria are impossible without eliminating the root cause of conflict on the ground. and getting the Obama administration to stop supporting it.

Iraqi intelligence knows Washington backs ISIS fighters. US helicopters airdrop them weapons, munitions and other supplies.

An unnamed Iraqi official told Fars: “The fighters present at the forefront of fighting against ISIL always see US helicopters flying over the (their) controlled areas and dropping weapons and urgent aids for them.”

They also transport their wounded to hospitals to ISIS controlled areas Syrian areas, Israel and other regional countries for treatment.

Iraqi parliamentary security and defense committee chief, Hakem al-Zameli, said his government has video evidence of its military downing a US and two UK aircraft carrying weapons for ISIS terrorists in Anbar province.

America is Iraq’s enemy in the battle to defeat ISIS and other takfiri terrorists. Russia is a reliable ally.

Separately, polls when taken in Syria indicate Assad is overwhelmingly popular. RT International cited a recent Le Figaro one showing at least 72% of Syrians want him remaining in office as president.

It understates his strong popular support, likely well over 80%. If a new open, free and fair election was held today, he’d win easily hands down.

It’s why Washington wants him eliminated otherwise - either stepping down voluntarily (not as long as he remains popular), or murdered like Saddam and Gaddafi, with a convenient stooge ready to step in and replace him.

In Vienna, John Kerry affirmed Washington’s position, saying “(t)here is no way (he) can unite and govern Syria.” No one can do it better. Syrians would reject a pretender, especially a foreign imposed one.

Russia opposes US regime change plans. Syrians alone must decide who’ll lead them, free from foreign interference.

A Final Comment

The first twin casualties of war are truth and journalism. Censorship and Big Lies substitute. On Monday, Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said claims about Russian air strikes killing civilians and hitting hospitals are false.

No evidence suggests otherwise. Five out of six hospitals mentioned in fabricated media reports don’t exist. “We’ve checked this information. It turned out that a hospital is only present in the village Sarmin,” Konashenkov explained.

No medical facilities or staff are present in the other villages named. An October 31 photo of Sarmin hospital showed it undamaged. Propaganda reports claimed it was totally destroyed, killing 12 people.

Russia’s devastating air campaign continues. In the last two days alone, 131 sorties were flown, striking 237 terrorist targets. They’re being systematically battered relentlessly. So are Washington’s hegemonic aims.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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