LATEST: Philippines Defense Minister — UN Peacekeepers in Fight With “Militants”

SATURDAY FEATURE

Obama Hesitates — Again — on Intervention

In one of the worst weeks for President Assad in the 41-month Syrian conflict, his military faced difficulties on Friday from insurgent attacks in the northwest and resistance in Damascus.

This week the Syrian military has lost its last airbase in Raqqa Province in the north to the Islamic State; it faces an insurgent advance close to Hama Military Airport and Hama city in central Syria; and it lost the town of Quneitra, the last border crossing near Israel, and more territory in the southwest.

On Friday, insurgents renewed their threat to the regime’s last two bases in Idlib Province in the northwest. They attacked supporting positions such as the “Brick Factory” and Mastoomeh with artillery and Grad rockets, blocked regime counter-attacks in the direction of Maarat al-Nu’man, and captured and burned airdropped supplies intended for the besieged bases at Wadi ad-Deif and al-Hamadiyah.

In northeast Damascus, insurgents repelled a large regime attack on their positions in Jobar. They destroyed tanks and an armored personnel carriers, attacking troops as they left the vehicles.

The insurgents claimed the killing of at least 30 regime troops and said more were slain when a militia building was blown up by an underground explosive.

Some of the regime dead:

There was some good news for the Assad regime, however. US President Barack Obama, after intensive deliberations by his Administration, rejected intervention in cooperation with the insurgency, saying, “We don’t have a strategy” in Syria.

See Syria Analysis: Obama Hesitates — Again — on Intervention

Philippines Defense Minister: UN Peacekeepers in Fight With “Militants”

The Philippines Defense Minister, Voltaire Gazmain, has said a group of Filipino UN peacekeepers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights has clashed with “militants” on Saturday morning.

About 40 troops manning one of two camps on the Syrian side of the frontier, were attacked at around 6 a.m. He said all were safe.

Earlier this week, armed gunmen seized 44 UN peacekeepers from Fiji and surrounded 75 Filipino troops at two camps.

The troops are part of a UN force monitoring the disengagement zone between Israel and Syria since 1974.