INTERESTING

This post focuses on two claims made by Eliot Higgins.

The first claim is related to Talbiseh, which was one of the first locations allegedly attacked by Russia in coordination with the Syrian military.

Here Higgins claims that Talbiseh is controlled by Jaish al-Tahwid.

@pessoptimistic @RutheniaRus because I've worked on Syria for four years, for example Talbiseh is under Jaish al-Tahwid control

— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) October 4, 2015

But here is a report that local journalists in Talbiseh had protested against Jaish al-Tahwid, and that JaT had released without charge an Islamic State commander for an unspecified reason.

“In the northern Homs countryside: Ongoing martial law, emergency rule and trumped-up charges,” reads the sign of protester Muhammad al-Rihal.

The protesters also demand the trial of accused Islamic State militants held in rebel jails, particularly in the aftermath of the release of Rafid Taha, an Islamic State commander captured in battle by Jaish al-Tawhid this past June, and whose recent release from detention for reasons unknown is one motivating factor behind recent protests.
“How can an IS commander [Rafid Taha] be released, when he caused the death of dozens of Homsi young men, while many civilians who have never lifted a weapon are detained without trial?” Abu al-Walid said, adding that it was not clear why Taha was released.

Civilian discontent with real or perceived abuses of power by governing rebel groups stretches beyond Homs. Late this past June, protests against the detention of civilians by Jaish al-Islam and FSA factions in East Ghouta prompted local brigades to make changes in the protocol for arresting civilians.

“How long will the farce continue?” reads another sign held by a Homs protester.

[source : Homs protesters criticize rebel 'abuses', Syria Direct, http://syriadirect.org/news/homs-protesters-criticize-rebel-%E2%80%98abuses%E2%80%99/, 6th August 2015]

Northern Homs countryside is Talbiseh.

So just 2 months ago there was something going on between this Jaish al-Tawhid and Islamic State for JaT to release a commander of IS.

The second claim is that video footage of Russian missile strikes are not what we are told.

Russia bombs non-ISIS Lataminah, claims it's ISIS, then bombs it again and calls it Raqqa, but SANA calls it Jisr pic.twitter.com/eGJ1r1lnU5

— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) October 3, 2015

With the videos given in this:

h/t @Charles_Lister & @JakeGodin - Videos - https://t.co/dt9Cw4KWdG https://t.co/IjfoI7YacH https://t.co/iPdrzAQuDA https://t.co/4OPgzJhfii

— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) October 3, 2015

As with the foliage on the images released by the Russian Ministry of Defence on 20th July 2014, something is not right with these videos. They all appear to be the same location filmed from different angles.

But what is more disturbing is that for several days the Violations Documentation Center for Syria has not reported any deaths in Talbiseh...until today. They now report that 16 civilians, including 3 children, died from warplane bombing of Talbiseh on 30th September 2015.

This child is named as one of those 3 children.

Ahmad Jumaa, a Syrian child killed today in Russian airstrikes on Talbiseh, Homs http://t.co/KQh40qLQON pic.twitter.com/H5s6D41BTq

— أسامة (@OSilent4) September 30, 2015

But why is all this happening?

I'll let General Wesley Clark answer that...