I had no idea why Assad was fighting for Palmyra, especially given his admission that he lacks enough troops to fight for all of Syria.
Assad is losing more ground near Palmyra:
The Islamic State group on Thursday seized a key town in central Syria following heavy clashes with President Bashar Assad's forces, in the militants' biggest advance since capturing the historic town of Palmyra in May, Syrian activists said.
The heavily populated town of Qaryatain lies southwest of Palmyra, which is home to towering Roman ruins, and some 85 kilometers from Homs city. Its capture allows the IS group to link up areas under its control in and around Palmyra with areas in the eastern countryside of Qalamoun in Damascus province.
In time, losses like this will make Damascus a battlefield that Assad won't have the troops to hold.
Oh, and the "tank" that ISIL captured looks like a ZSU-23-4, which is a four-barreled 23mm anti-aircraft vehicle and not an actual tank.
I guess I don't understand why reporters have so little subject knowledge when it comes to war. No fashion reporter could survive without knowing fabrics and designers. But foreign affairs is open to all.
