This today from Col. W. Patrick Lang (USA, ret.), former top Middle East analyst at the DIA and former instructor at West Point:
Out in the eastern desert the SAA and friends are pushing IS back from around Tiyas air base. NW of Damascus the water supply is going to be turned back on soon as the springs are liberated from the jihadis. The SAA are making noises about an offensive toward Quneitra. I don't understand why. The IS jihadis there have full Israeli support and the population is much reduced because of the nearby Israeli threat and their long ago destruction of the city of Quneitra.
TTG and I remain committed to the thought that the main threat to the long term viability of the Syrian Government is continued jihadi possession of and now consolidation in Idlib Province. We can only hope that the R+6 alliance is waiting for a visible result from the coming Astana negotiation before deciding on a decisive campaign. pl
Israel is backing ISIS?