Stalingrad 2.0 - The Final Moments of 5 Years of Siege on Deir Ezzour

rvanstel (55)in #dtube • 7 years ago (edited)

I featured the same images in my post 'Confirmed: Siege of Deir Ez Zor lifted'.

Now, thanks to PartisanGirl, the video is available with English subtitles. Now that I've watched this video for a second time, it got me thinking a little more about what it must have been like to be under siege for 5 years straight. As you can see in the video, the man who records the video calls it "Stalingrad Deir Ezzor".

Imagine the horrors these soldiers have had to witness in their defense of the pockets the Syrian Arab Army still controlled. Imagine being under attack constantly for five years.

An impression of how close the Syrian soldiers were to ISIS in Deir Ezzor:

Source: wn.com

Imagine being under fire from one of these bad boys. This is an ISIS fighter at Deir Ezzor Airbase.

Source: Al Masdar News

Another ISIS fighter at Deir Ezzor Airbase, armed with an anti-tank weapon.

Source: Al Masdar News

Although I'm no fan of the state in general, I have to admit that I have some sympathy for the Syrian soldiers. Yes, they fight for a government. Yes, the government is an institution of coercion. But at least it's better than being ruled by an unorganized, barbaric group of people that doesn't comply with its own laws, and most of the group's members aren't even from the local region. Moreover, some factions of Western governments (e.g. American neocons) have been trying to get rid of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad in order to further control the Middle East. Therefore, I'm more sympathic towards the current Syrian state remaining a strong and sovereign entity in the region.

Above all, this video is just very exciting to watch. Again, imagine finally meeting your fellow countrymen after five years of being under constant threat of death.