The Syrian War

[awaremind]

Muammar Gaddafi said: "Now listen, you people of Nato. You're bombing a wall which stood in the way of African migration to Europe and in the way of al-Qaeda terrorists. This wall was Libya. You're breaking it."

 

[Mofra]

Trump's sabre rattling in the Gulf seems an indication the Yanks aren't happy with the Syrian outcome.
Now trying to cut off Hezbollah's supply lines at the source?

I wouldn't want to be a Trump aide when the first torpedo boat breaks through to cause damage to the Abraham Lincoln.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

Trump's sabre rattling in the Gulf seems an indication the Yanks aren't happy with the Syrian outcome.
Now trying to cut off Hezbollah's supply lines at the source?

I wouldn't want to be a Trump aide when the first torpedo boat breaks through to cause damage to the Abraham Lincoln.

They were never going to be happy with anything less than the removal of Russian bases from the region. They've lost doubly because Turkey's allegiance is now starting to wane. It will be decades before they have another chance.

 

[Mofra]

They were never going to be happy with anything less than the removal of Russian bases from the region. They've lost doubly because Turkey's allegiance is now starting to wane. It will be decades before they have another chance.

They're playing into the Russian hands - Iran will need to shore up their military forces, where will they get the equipment and ongoing support?

They're hardly going to the US or French in the middle of an embargo. Putin wants Russia to be seen as a superpower, his buffer state strategy is yielding results and he 'won' the strategic battle in the Balkans and in Syria. Northern Iran has had Russian links for over a century.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

They're playing into the Russian hands - Iran will need to shore up their military forces, where will they get the equipment and ongoing support?

They're hardly going to the US or French in the middle of an embargo. Putin wants Russia to be seen as a superpower, his buffer state strategy is yielding results and he 'won' the strategic battle in the Balkans and in Syria. Northern Iran has had Russian links for over a century.

I don't think the US really cares if Iran and Russia end up in leagues together, it's a foregone conclusion that applying punitive sanctions on both would inevitably draw them together like Russia and Venezuela, or Russia and North Korea, or Russia and pretty much anybody the US has ever pissed on since 2001. Suffice to say, the thought of Russian opposition has probably only encouraged US action in certain theaters of the world since they started taking Russia seriously again after the war in south ossetia. There was a 20 year hiatus but the cold war is now well and truly alive again, with three players this time.

Not sure the buffer state strategy is really yielding results either when Russia now has a land border with three NATO states and Ukraine still wants to join the EU.

 

[Mofra]

Not sure the buffer state strategy is really yielding results either when Russia now has a land border with three NATO states and Ukraine still wants to join the EU.

Half of Ukraine

Sevastopol is back in Russian hands which was a long-running aim.

 

[The Warlord]

Russia and Iran were the biggest winners of the Syrian War.

Loving the footage of White Helmets in jihadist occupied Idlib btw.

People in there starving, and these flogs are running around in fully branded uniforms and GoPros like the KPMG corporate games team.

Hilarious.

 

[awaremind]

Got to love the eulogies for the Syrian rebel slash terrorist slash former national soccer goalie.
Nyt and wapo etc reprinting the ap copy, I wonder if they knew about this poets songs rejoicing of the twin towers destruction.

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

So the Kurds are looking pretty cooked again

 

[FPPF]

I'll believe it when I see it....maybe he needs a reminder that Turkey already occupies part of another country, in violation of UN security council resolutions? Perhaps he wants to do something about enforcing those resolutions.

The circus continues, people are being slaughtered, and next week the other side in politics will come up with another "scandal" to distract you from the mass murder happening.

 

[its free real estate]

So the Kurds are looking pretty cooked again

Only way they survive long term is with a Kurdish ethnostate, but no one involved actually wants that. Certainly not most of the people currently professing to be sympathetic to the Kurdish cause. Goodbye Kurds.

 

[FPPF]

If true....

 

[Thegibbsgamble]

Isis falling apart, kurds in a position to control oil fields isis supplied oil from to Turkey.

Probably saa not far away either, those Iranians the real deal

 

[Mofra]

Only way they survive long term is with a Kurdish ethnostate, but no one involved actually wants that. Certainly not most of the people currently professing to be sympathetic to the Kurdish cause. Goodbye Kurds.

Wrong, many people advocated for such a thing in northern Iraq.
The Kurds remain the biggest displaced group of people without a homeland on the planet.

 

[its free real estate]

Wrong, many people advocated for such a thing in northern Iraq.

Who in Washington have seriously wanted it?

 

[Mofra]

Who in Washington have seriously wanted it?

You didn't say Washington, you said 'no-one'.

 

[its free real estate]

You didn't say Washington, you said 'no-one'.

“No one involved“, eg the Turks, Syrians, Iraqis, the US, etc. Self evident the former three didn’t, and the US have always been flaky towards Kurdish independence.

 

[Mofra]

“No one involved“, eg the Turks, Syrians, Iraqis, the US, etc. Self evident the former three didn’t, and the US have always been flaky towards Kurdish independence.

Yes, the US generally have been anti-independence movement (see their history with the Balkans) although there are some Americans who have called for a Kurdish state (e.g. Peter Galbraith).

This is on my reading list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Problem_from_Hell

 

[its free real estate]

Yes, the US generally have been anti-independence movement (see their history with the Balkans) although there are some Americans who have called for a Kurdish state (e.g. Peter Galbraith).

This is on my reading list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Problem_from_Hell

Without a path to independence this betrayal was inevitable. The current tears from the war establishment are hypocritical. What they are upset by is withdrawal full stop, not any relationships with the Kurds (who they would quickly return to viewing as a terrorist organisation when the situation changed again).

 

[Mofra]

Without a path to independence this betrayal was inevitable. The current tears from the war establishment are hypocritical. What they are upset by is withdrawal full stop, not any relationships with the Kurds (who they would quickly return to viewing as a terrorist organisation when the situation changed again).

Does anyone outside of the Turks view them as a terrorist organisation?

Perhaps the Wahhabists, they are generally, as a rule, nuts.

The opposition from Washington to Trump's decision would be as much about IS as it would the Kurds. The boots on the ground definitely feel a sense of affinity for people they work with (e.g. I have ex-military friends who spend a lot of time in East Timor) and top brass for all their foibles do recognise that.

 

[FPPF]

Yes, the US generally have been anti-independence movement (see their history with the Balkans)

Yugoslavia says hi

 

[The Warlord]

This edgelord "Who cares about the Kurds anyway" s**t is pathetic.

 

[its free real estate]

Does anyone outside of the Turks view them as a terrorist organisation?

The US and UK have among others designated the PKK as terrorists. I think we have too.

The opposition from Washington to Trump's decision would be as much about IS as it would the Kurds.

its no different to when Obama pulled out of Iraq. I remember GuruJane arguing for permanent Petraeus surge level forces at the time.

 

[Mofra]

Yugoslavia says hi

The US were dragged kicking and screaming to the Yugo breakup, even ignoring genocide under the nose of NATO forces. Did not support it.

 

[Mofra]

its no different to when Obama pulled out of Iraq. I remember GuruJane arguing for permanent Petraeus surge level forces at the time.

It's very different.
Iraq were not under threat of foreign invasion, and we are talking about a mere 1,000 US troops not a widespread withdrawal of 10ks.