So how did Assad and Putin lose Palmyra?

The Russian garrison stationed there left 2 days before the attack, and the «300 soldiers» figure given by ISIS is very probably well below th real number. I've read estimations of 2000 ISIS.

Also, the SAA says the NDF had been bribed.

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>>32314566
This is why

All the competent soldiers went to Aleppo.
All that was left in Palmyra were incompetent, questionably loyal Shia militias and a small garrison of SAA. When a shitton of ISIS showed up, the militia ran. Russians bombed the shit out of them, and the actual SAA apparently gave them hell before holing up in T4

From a timing standpoint, propaganda-wise the recapturing of Palmyra was genius. They timed it to coincide with the fall of Aleppo.

>>32314566

Gross negligence combined with limited capabilities.

>>32314566

daily reminder that they only held onto Palmyra in the hopes that it could eventually be used to break the siege of deir-az-zor, and that other that this it holds no strategic value.

also a desert shanty town with a couple ruins is a pretty decent trade for Aleppo.

>>32314961
Russian and Syrian army and air forces focused on Aleppo and possible Turkish attack. It made perfect sense to attack palymra, not only propaganda wise, but mainly from a strategic point of few.

>>32315246

Yes. It's a reminder the Syrian regime is so weak that even with outside help, it takes a massive amount of effort just to capture a single city. So weak in fact, it had to lose territory to gain it.

The regime is badly overextended and exhausted.

>>32315641
>SAA takes major city
>opposition takes less important city
>this means the opposition is stronger
Yes the government of a thirdworld country is having trouble fighting large foreign-funded groups, what is your point here?
Are you trying to spin the taking of Aleppo and loss of Palmyra as an overall failure of the government forces?

>>32317164
No but you are
He said the government forces were obviously weak, the rebels are inherently weaker and only a dim wit like you would think he implied otherwise

>>32314566
I saw on tv that the Russian general was blaming Western airforce for not giving air support or something. Nice.

>>32314566
1) Infiltrate the local government
2) Infiltrate the national army
3) Create violent conflict
4) Create a misinformation program to world governments
5) Threaten civilians who are susceptible to intimidation
6) Use religion as a source of conflict
7) Now you can gain control of the oil reserves and that profit

>>32317164

The problem for Assad is that the regime has decayed severely. Russia and Iran can prop up Syria's military....but the Syrian state as we know it no longer exists.

http://warontherocks.com/2016/08/the-decay-of-the-syrian-regime-is-much-worse-than-you-think/

>>32317334

That's rich. Weren't the Russians the ones who pulled out of Palmyra in the first place?

Vatniks dropped the ball.

>>32319439
The only reasonable thing Assad would be able to do in the event of a regime "victory" would be the establishment of a highly oppressive secret police to take care of the remnants of the opposition while pretty much becoming an Iranian/Russian vassal state

>>32319458

>all you had to do was hold the damn position hakim!

with allies like that anyone drops the ball

>>32319471

And I can't see the nationalistic Syrians tolerating being under Russia and Iran's thumb forever. Even the regime's military resents being bossed around.