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Topic: War in SyriaPosted By: Medclinician
Subject: War in Syria
Date Posted: September 14 2015 at 9:21am
Because the U.S. has consistently been weak in it's foreign policy in Syria we now face a possible military confrontation in the area. Just as we have lost ground in Egypt which we have worked on for almost 40 years to gain, this would take more than one U.S. administration to fix no matter who is elected next year.
This is no nose-to-nose skirmish in the Persian Gulf as we had several years ago. Fail to go in and do something when we had the window to do it will cost the U.S. dearly.
If Iran and Syria are allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons they eventually will be launched at Tel Aviv and before that Israel will be forced to launch a strike on Iran.
If they do - will we have our hands tied and the question arises who will we defend?
Israel or Iran?
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Replies: Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 15 2015 at 8:36am
This may be dated quite a bit - not sure - comments please
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 15 2015 at 8:58am
War in Syria - September 15, 2015
Becoming informed of the situation - Medclinician
This was one of the most comprehensive analysis of the situation in the Middle East I have ever seen. Sad to see it has been taken off the net.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 16 2015 at 9:11am
In depth analysis of the current situation as of yesterday in the
Middle East. No doubt, we are on the verge of some type of military
confrontation in Syria. Russia is back and with chilling reminders of
the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis- actions speak louder than
words - or even an absence of them. The delicate balance between the
Sunni and Shiite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia-Sunni_relations - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia-Sunni_relations holds the future of not only the future of the Middle East but Europe in the balance.
A highly volatile balance of power which now is pulling the U.S. and
world into a conflict that has gone on for thousands of years.- Medclinician CWN
Courtesy of Next News Network
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 17 2015 at 4:56am
In a day of diplomatic snafus by the Pentagon, which http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-16/dod-admits-us-specops-boots-ground-syria - first admitted it had spec ops forces in Syria (remember when it was just "advisors" and the Obama administration was blaming Russia for escalating the conflict by daring to join the fight against ISIS and sending its own troops in Damascus) then http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-16/please-ignore-freudian-slip-pentagon-backtracks-denies-us-special-forces-are-syria - promptly retracted , using the old "there was no Freudian slip" explanation, the US promptly needed another diversion to cast the blame back in Putin's court.
Which brings us to our post from Monday in which "anonymous" US officials told Reuters that "Russia has positioned about a half dozen tanks at a Syrian airfield where it has been steadily building up defenses" with Reuters adding that "one of the U.S. officials said seven Russian T-90 tanks were seen at the airfield near Latakia, a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The two U.S. officials said Russia had also positioned artillery there" adding that "the two U.S. officials said Russia had also positioned artillery, which they said appeared."
Our request was simple: "We can only hope the "anonymous" US officials will soon provide photographic evidence of their claims."
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 17 2015 at 4:59am
The Netherlands is now getting a daily influx of 700 refugees. Germany expects some 800.000 refugees this year. Good news is that Lavrov (Russia FM) and Kerry (US FM) are in contact on how to fight IS. If the wars stop in the Middle East and international aid improves the situation the need to leave those countries disappears. https://www.rt.com/usa/315590-kerry-lavrov-syria-talks/ - https://www.rt.com/usa/315590-kerry-lavrov-syria-talks/
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 18 2015 at 10:40pm
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-18/russia-says-it-may-send-troops-combat-syria-worried-netanyahu-heads-moscow - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-18/russia-says-it-may-send-troops-combat-syria-worried-netanyahu-heads-moscow and - http://www.globalresearch.ca/poll-over-80-percent-of-syrians-believe-us-created-isis/5476720"> - http://www.globalresearch.ca/poll-over-80-percent-of-syrians-believe-us-created-isis/5476720
The US/NATO claims to be fighting against Assad, IS and consider Al Nusra (=Al Quada) as a "friend"? (see also this telegram from 2006 https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/06DAMASCUS5399_a.html - https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/06DAMASCUS5399_a.html
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 21 2015 at 9:48am
Things are heating up as Russian ground troops enter Syria. This is my posting on the situation.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/CWN-Crystal-World-News/802131933203021 - CWN - Crystal World News
in brief - It is possible there could be a military conflict which
would result in an exchange of gunfire or missiles in Syria between the
U.S. and Russia. Any progress gained by the intervention of Russian
troops in the war against Isis would be a massive win in control of an
area in the middle east the U.S. won for the last 70 years. While this
has become a verbal battleground for the candidates for the presidential
race in 2016 in the U.S., the real life event are unfolding rapidly. It
is sad to see history unfold before our eyes and to lose so much so
many have died for so quickly - our credibility and respect in the free
and not free world.
comment: Russian ground troops are now in Syria
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 21 2015 at 9:55am
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 21 2015 at 10:52am
It is very difficult to take on the mainstream media. This is a serious and volatile situation. We are watching history in the making.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 22 2015 at 2:54am
Is the current refugee crisis gripping the European Union “all America’s fault”? That is how my critique of US foreign policy was characterized in a recent interview on the Fox Business Channel. I do not blame the host for making this claim, but I think it is important to clarify the point.
It has become common to discount any criticism of US foreign policy as “blaming America first.” It is a convenient way of avoiding a real discussion. If aggressive US policy in the Middle East – for example in Iraq – results in the creation of terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda in Iraq, is pointing out the unintended consequences of bad policy blaming America? Is it “blaming America” to point out that blowback – like we saw on 9/11 – can be the result of unwise US foreign policy actions like stationing US troops in Saudi Arabia?
In the Fox interview I pointed out that the current refugee crisis is largely caused by bad US foreign policy actions. The US government decides on regime change for a particular country – in this case, Syria – destabilizes the government, causes social chaos, and destroys the economy, and we are supposed to be surprised that so many people are desperate to leave? Is pointing this out blaming America, or is it blaming that part of the US government that makes such foolish policies?
Accusing those who criticize US foreign policy of “blaming America” is pretty selective, however. Such accusations are never leveled at those who criticize a US pullback. For example, most neocons argue that the current crisis in Iraq is all Obama’s fault for pulling US troops out of the country. Are they “blaming America first” for the mess? No one ever says that. Just like they never explain why the troops were removed from Iraq: the US demanded complete immunity for troops and contractors and the Iraqi government refused.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 22 2015 at 8:04am
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to assuage Israel’s
fears of potential Iranian and Syrian aggression, during talks with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that also addressed
concerns over Russia’s military buildup in Syria.
The two leaders
agreed on ways to prevent an unintended confrontation between Israel’s
military and Russian forces deployed in Syria, Netanyahu told Israeli
reporters after the talks, the Haaretz daily reported.
Netanyahu told Putin that Russia needed to know that Israel would
take action to prevent these weapons transfers and thus it was important
to make sure there were no misunderstandings between their military
forces.
During the talks, they agreed on such a mechanism, the
Haaretz report said. “It’s enough to imagine the alternative — a
dangerous confrontation with Russia, and dealing with these
misunderstandings after the fact — to understand the importance of this
visit,” the Israeli newspaper quoted Netanyahu as saying.
comment: There is a pattern here of Russia becoming the good guy in the fight against Isis as opposed to U.S. acting with indecision and complacency from when Isis was first formed to topple the government in Syria. This is a strategy gone wrong and if Russia is successful at all and starts appearing as the strong and acting nation, there will be a great loss of credibility for the U.S.
Although I have listened to tirades against the current administration foreign policy, it really isn't appropriate to launch any personal vendettas against any single person or branch of government.
A weak and less than effective response to Russia's continuing ambitions to expand its territory and influence is creating a growing threat to the Baltic States and other areas. The same general policies can be seen in dealing with China, who continues to increase its presence and control in the South China Sea. They have now set up a military base on an island they have taken, and now guard the air space over.
It is time for some of the people in power in Washington to wake up and smell the international coffee and get more involved in the Syria conflict, instead of just watching Russia gain more influence and power in the Middle East.
When the situation in the Ukraine became more serious, the contingency plan for a possible U.S. / Military conflict was reviewed and updated for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
See next post.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 22 2015 at 8:09am
By http://foreignpolicy.com/author/julia-ioffe - Julia Ioffe
For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the U.S.
Department of Defense is reviewing and updating its contingency plans
for armed conflict with Russia.
The Pentagon generates contingency plans continuously, planning for
every possible scenario — anything from armed confrontation with North
Korea to http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/05/13/exclusive-the-pentagon-has-a-plan-to-stop-the-zombie-apocalypse-seriously/ - zombie attacks .
But those plans are also ranked and worked on according to priority and
probability. After 1991, military plans to deal with Russian aggression
fell off the Pentagon’s radar. They sat on the shelf, gathering dust as
Russia became increasingly integrated into the West and came to be seen
as a potential partner on a range of issues. Now, according to several
current and former officials in the State and Defense departments, the
Pentagon is dusting off those plans and re-evaluating them, updating
them to reflect a new, post-Crimea-annexation geopolitical reality in
which Russia is no longer a potential partner, but a potential threat.
“Given the security environment, given the actions of Russia, it has
become apparent that we need to make sure to update the plans that we
have in response to any potential aggression against any NATO allies,”
says one senior defense official familiar with the updated plans.
comment: Some are taking this a lot more seriously than is being stated in the media. The potential for a conflict here is a reality. When you start putting military ground and air forces close together in a highly volatile situation - it is dangerous.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 22 2015 at 12:27pm
A Syrian news agency has published a new https://youtu.be/aTTzKwLPqFw - report that allows viewers to see the devastation of Syria's civil war in 360-degree video. As French newspaper http://www.leparisien.fr/international/syrie-plongee-en-video-a-360-dans-une-ville-devastee-15-09-2015-5090999.php - Le Parisien reports ,
the video was shot by a Syrian journalist in the northwest city of Jisr
al-Choughour, near the country's border with Turkey. The images were
captured between May and July, using a six-camera system, and were then
optimized for virtual reality (VR) headsets by Paris-based Okio Studio.
Jisr al-Choughour has been the site of ongoing bombing and fighting
in Syria, which has been engulfed in civil war for four years. As of
2011, there were about 40,000 people living in the city, though many
have since fled. In April, Syrian rebel groups http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/27/syrian-rebels-hail-fall-of-jisr-al-shughour-as-sign-of-growing-strength - seized control of the city
from the government of President Bashar al-Assad, though as the video
report shows, nearly all of it has been destroyed. Since war broke out
between Assad and opposition groups in 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/09/14/world/middleeast/syria-war-deaths.html?_r=0 - more than 200,000 people have been killed.
Medclinician
VR is a cutting edge technology we have been working on for years. Much of it has been used by the military, but it will soon be present and used by the media in reporting world news - the real news - as it happens.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: CRS, DrPH
Date Posted: September 22 2015 at 9:09pm
The damn Russians helped Assad to assemble his chemical weapons stockpile. We caught Assad with tons (yes, TONS) of VX and sarin nerve agents.
One pinhead-sized drop of VX on your skin is lethal.
If DAESH gets ahold of that material, it won't be good.
------------- CRS, DrPH
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 23 2015 at 10:27pm
On Sunday, http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-20/us-syria-strategy-officially-unravels-kerry-admits-timetable-assad-exit-completely-u - we noted that Washington’s strategy in Syria has now officially unravelled.
John Kerry, speaking from London following talks with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, essentially admitted over the weekend that Russia’s move to bolster the Assad regime at Latakia effectively means that the timing of Assad’s exit is now completely indeterminate. Here’s how we summed up the situation:
Moscow, realizing that instead of undertaking an earnest effort to fight terror in Syria, the US had simply adopted a containment strategy for ISIS while holding the group up to the public as the boogeyman par excellence, publicly invited Washington to join Russia in a once-and-for-all push to wipe Islamic State from the face of the earth. Of course The Kremlin knew the US wanted no such thing until Assad was gone, but by extending the invitation, Putin had literally called Washington’s bluff, forcing The White House to either admit that this isn’t about ISIS at all, or else join Russia in fighting them. The genius of that move is that if Washington does indeed coordinate its efforts to fight ISIS with Moscow, the US will be fighting to stabilize the very regime it sought to oust.
Revelations (which surprised no one but the Pentagon apparently) that Moscow is http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-22/pentagon-warns-russia-iran-nexus-syria-we-assume-russia-coordinating-iranians - coordinating its efforts in Syria with Tehran only serve to reinforce the contention that Assad isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and the US will either be forced to aid in the effort to destroy the very same Sunni extremists that it in some cases worked very hard to support, or else admit that countering Russia and supporting Washington’s regional allies in their efforts to remove Assad takes precedence over eliminating ISIS. Because the latter option is untenable for obvious reasons, Washington has a very real problem on its hands - and Vladimir Putin just made it worse.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 24 2015 at 5:37am
China is fighting Uyghurs in Syria, Russia is fighting Chechens in Syria. Iran and Iraq are joining the Assad regime.
Sure enough, Russian media now says that according to Russian Senator Igor Morozov, Beijing has decided to join the fight. Here’s Pravda ( http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/25-09-2015/132137-china-0/ - translated ):
According to the Russian Senator Igor Morozov, Beijing has taken decision to take part in combating IS and sent its vessels to the Syrian coast.
Igor Morozov, member of the Russian Federation Committee on International Affairs claimed about the beginning of the military operation by China against the IS terrorists. "It is known, that China has joined our military operation in Syria, the Chinese cruiser has already entered the Mediterranean, aircraft carrier follows it," Morozov said.
According to him, Iran may soon join the operation carried out by Russia against the IS terrorists, via Hezbollah. Thus, the Russian coalition in the region gains ground, and most reasonable step of the US would be to join it. Although the stance of Moscow and Washington on the ways of settlement of the Syrian conflict differs, nonetheless, low efficiency of the US coalition acts against terrorists is obvious. Islamists have just strengthened their positions.
As Leonid Krutakov told Pravda.Ru in an interview, the most serious conflict is currently taking place namely between China and the US. Moscow may support any party, the expert believes, and that is what will change the world order for many years.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 28 2015 at 12:35am
Will IS(IS) be pushed towards their "sponsors" Gulfstates and Turkey, and pushed out of Iraq and Syria ? That would give Russia a higher oil-price, the Chinese already have long-term contracts with Russia and Iran. Egypt and Jordan might join that "peace keeping" intervention. "The West" has a choice, change "partners" or be pushed out of the Middel East.
Turkey has in the north, on the other side of the Black Sea, the Ukrain. In the south-east Syria, Iraq, Iran. The Ankara government will have to reconsider its position. Gulf States are already so fragile that a large influx of refugees would mean the end of the status qua for their corrupt regimes.
The recent Mecca-pilgrimage disaster (due to an unexpected royal showing up ? http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mecca-hajj-stampede-road-closures-saudi-arabia-king-salman-blamed-eid-al-adha-catastrophe-1521183 - http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mecca-hajj-stampede-road-closures-saudi-arabia-king-salman-blamed-eid-al-adha-catastrophe-1521183 )) only makes things worse for the Saudi-kingdom. Their war in Jemen (after the KSA intervention in Bahrein in support of the Sunni-elite) is not going as planned.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 30 2015 at 12:40am
On the American side, when American Foreign Secretary Kerry made a conclusive statement in the last few days saying that President Assad has to go, but the timing of his departure is negotiable, he formally confirmed that the American green bottle has fallen off the wall. In the blink of an eye, world leaders within the Anti-Syrian Cocktail rallied to shamelessly echo those same words, clearly indicating who is their boss, and clearly presenting that they do not have minds of their own. We shall look at the Russian side later on.
Merkel, Hollande, and even Australian Foreign Minister Bishop made similar announcements, but none was more pleasing to the ears of Syrians more than the one that came out of the mouth of Erdogan himself.
A few days before any of this, and in a recent interview on “Redline” on Sputnik Radio, I was asked by the host Andrew Korybko what game is Erdogan playing now. My response was the name of the game is “game over”.
Not only has the “Anti-Syrian Cocktail” fallen apart, but in a twist of fate, all of its key players are having serious problems of their own, and thus all the green bottles are falling off the wall.
The main green bottle we need to watch out for after the USA is no doubt Turkey.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 30 2015 at 9:22am
That Russia launched its first air strikes in Syria Wednesday, Sept.
30 was confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow and
criticized by US officials. Moscow stressed that it acted in support of
Bashar Assad’s war on the Islamic State, assisted by other foreign
powers including Iran and Iraq working together from an allied command
center in Baghdad. Its targets were described as stores, ammunition
dumps and vehicles, located according to US sources around Homs and
Hama. The Russian communiqués did not indicate which organizations were
bombed.
The Russian aerial offensive marks a turning point in Middle East
affairs. Russia is emerging strongly as the number one power in the
region. The governments which hitherto coordinated their military
polices with the US, like those of Israel, Jordan and Turkey will have
to reassess their orientation and affinities in a hurry.
For Israel it is the end of years of freedom for its air force to strike
its enemies from the skies of Syria or Lebanon. It also marks the end
of any plans Turkey and Jordan may have entertained for setting up
buffer and no-fly zones in Syria to protect their borders.
Washington quickly criticized the air strikes, but said Moscow’s
moves would not change the US-led air campaign targeting the Islamic
State in Syria. That remains to be seen.
Secretary of State John Kerry told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov that the Russian air strikes are “not helpful,” and ran counter
to the effort to make sure mishaps do not happen inadvertently in the
air.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: September 30 2015 at 9:34am
If Israel invades Syria to keep Iran/Hezballah away from its borders that is a very serious escalation.
Although the Israelis held back as Saddam Hussein pelted them with Scuds and we watched on the world news as they blew up (info on this here) http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/18/newsid_4588000/4588486.stm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/18/newsid_4588000/4588486.stm , the U.S. picked the wrong people to try and topple Assad. For a quick read on Assad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashar_al-Assad - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashar_al-Assad and Syrian opposition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_opposition - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_opposition The mistake was to arm terrorists http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/updated-obama-waives-ban-on-arming-terrorists-to-allow-aid-to-syrian-opposition/article/2535885 - http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/updated-obama-waives-ban-on-arming-terrorists-to-allow-aid-to-syrian-opposition/article/2535885
This is where things went wrong. This can be expressed in a "What the H was that man thinking?" which may cover other topic areas but is certainly not appropriate to put guns in the hands of Al Queda - the group that blew up the Twin Towers and made 9-11 a reality.
Case in point as the Hezbollah and the Syrian Army enter Al-Zabadani
GAZA —A leader of Hamas spoke out against President Bashar al-Assad of
Syria on Friday, throwing its support behind the opposition and
stripping Damascus of what little credibility it may have retained with
the Arab street. It was Hamas’s first public break with its longtime
patron.
Although the word terrorist has the opposite definition as euphemism (nice word for) to be fighting on the same side as two groups in bitter opposition to the U.S. seems to be an act of serious confusion.
The United States current administration is having somewhat of an identity crisis in befriending groups that they are fighting against in other countries.
Now as Russia comes to in to play the "voice of reason" and the good guy fighting Israel's enemies is it any wonder Israel may be getting a little confused as to which side they are on?
This is becoming a public relations disaster, which seems to be the name of some game as Isis becomes very vocal and puts out a lot of videos. The media is a sword and for the moment- America's picture is no longer one of a caped crusader for truth, justice, and the American way - but in alliance with people that basically hate them.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: September 30 2015 at 3:11pm
Russia fighter jets arrive in Syria courtesy of ASAP Breaking News Some scenes may be too intense for children or young people. Be advised.
comment: The Pentagon says that Russian fighter jets have arrived in Syria. This increases the possibility of U.S. / Russian conflict. The ending to this video is very intense. There should be no biased in reporting and this in my thinking, clouds the rest of the video - but I have posted it as it was found on the net.
The Real News
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 01 2015 at 3:12am
As US President Barack Obama welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Friday, Sept. 25, and spoke of the friendship between the two countries, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning-CV-16 docked at the Syrian port of Tartus, accompanied by a guided missile cruiser. This is revealed exclusively byDEBKAfile. Beijing is not finding it hard to dance at two weddings, wooing the US for better relations, while at the same time backing Russia in its military intervention in Syria. Coupled with the warm smiles and handshakes exchanged at the lavish reception on the White House lawn, Beijing was clearly bent on showing muscle – not just in the South China Sea, but by allying itself with the Russian-Iranian political and military buildup in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 01 2015 at 8:00am
The following attack is not against Isis (or the U.S. admins persistent term Isil) It is against the rebel forces and there are no Isis troops anywhere in sight or nearby. Seeing as we are backing the rebels with air operations it is inevitable there will be an exchange of fire between U.S. fighter jets and Russians not if but when.
It is highly unlikely we can maintain any type of combat presence supporting a group the Russians are attacking. Also Iran troops have now moved in to fight beside the Russians. This is an accident waiting to happen.
Medclinician
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JOvD8yW1bQ
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 01 2015 at 8:06am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RhyJ0cn1Os
Second video uploaded by independent news source You probably will have to go to the youtube host to view this
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 01 2015 at 8:34am
Film posted on net by activists - shows that civilians were hit. Some info is stating there were no Isis units nearby. Most of the area in one video claimed as an Isil target was controlled by the Free Syrian Army. All of the casualties in one bombing were civilians - some of them children.
Medclinician
A large number of independent journalists and videos are depicting events which are the opposite of claims and formal news releases.
The Real News
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 01 2015 at 8:47am
This group represents the majority of countries who are united in trying to remove Assad from power. Some military forces have been mobilized off the coast of Syria.
comment: Despite the discussion fighter jets are moving to the areas which will likely be bombing or fighting is some of the same areas. In same ways, it may be a reality that despite the clicking of glasses and toasts - a very dangerous situation if forming for a possible conflict.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 01 2015 at 11:23am
Iran will deliver "boots on the ground" both in Syria and Iraq. Russia and China send in their airforce and "advisors".
For Russia this "intervention" is meant as a sign that they want to be taken serious (by the US/NATO and others). Also China wants to make clear that they can fight if they think that that is needed (they choose to fight over the South China Sea in the Middle East-the signal should be loud and clear).
I understand also Egypt (more or less) is on the side of Russia/China. Saudi Arabia/Gulf States only can handle if they get support from NATO/US. But Turkey is divided and on its way to new elections. Things are on the move.
The propagandawar http://wtfrly.com/2015/10/01/syria-aid-groups-use-same-photo-wounded-child-assad-russia/#.Vg17WXrtmko - http://wtfrly.com/2015/10/01/syria-aid-groups-use-same-photo-wounded-child-assad-russia/#.Vg17WXrtmko Western media have a lot of pictures they can use.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 01 2015 at 11:26am
The future of journalism and news reporting will be independent smaller news versus the literal choke hold of controlled media. Formal news releases during the Syrian Conflict Crises - are not accurate. There are a lot of intelligence "advisers" in Syria and it is likely they have been hit or will be in the near future. No one is coordinating air strikes under the rebel forces really and the odds of a bad incident loom larger. You just can't have all this military power with attacks by Russia on possible American and other nations in the area without serious problems.
We are not in a courtroom and lawyer type tactics are impotent in the face of powerful military forces and fighters. We are watching history unfold and there is reason for serious concern here. Thank you to Cips for this which did have 0 views and now has 224.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 02 2015 at 1:40am
American NATO bombs are stabilizing Syria, Russian bombs are destabilizing Syria.... Al Qaeda is "moderate opposition" that should replace Assad.... weak story, not convincing.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 02 2015 at 7:47am
Although some of the videos I am posting are being pulled or blocked, some independents still remain up. I am getting into some fierce debates with some users as to what is happening in Syria currently and the politics of the Obama - Putin Drama as per who is the most powerful or doing the right thing.
We are on the verge of a possible nuclear war. If nothing else, it is a not lose face situation with Russia attacking United States and allies in their supported positions with some attacks on areas where there are no Isis members present and groups of intelligence from CIA, Mossad, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossad - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossad and MI6 are present and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Intelligence_Service - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Intelligence_Service for years there have been not so secret operations in the Middle East and other areas of the world involving "advisers" in the absence of military forces fighting. This was also true of Russia as U.S. attacked Baghdad that fled to Syria and were fired on as they tried to escape.
The U.S. is "considering military force" in defending its positions in Syria and this could result in an exchange which could result in a declaration of war. Chinese warships are headed towards the area and China could also become involved. How could there be a "limited" declaration of war to fight only in the region which would not lead to a global conflict? To the people I continue to debate on the net ,those in the media and commentators who are releasing editorials while others are supporting my thoughts I have been posting on this since day one, this is not about Obama and Putin.
It is about a moral situation where weapons of mass destruction i.e. barrel gas bombs have been used against civilians to retake areas where other normal military methods were failing. There can be no justification for the use of weapons of mass destruction or the defense of those doing so.
This is not about the 2016 U.S. election and what candidates are saying is irrelevant in that none of them may ever make it to office. Who cares what they think when the reality is a conflict happening now they have no say in or power to do anything about? Although a nuclear exchange may not occur in Syria, it may make powerful nations more bold in other areas when forces will clash and a real possibility of the use of limited tactical nukes exists.
Not a day at a time now - we watch by the hour- and the situation grows worse. God help us all to avoid a war in which no one wins.
Medclinician Breaking News October 1 2015 Russia Iran China Invasion in Syria &
Iraq Iran Russia alliance - Chinese warship on its way to Syria http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/chinese-warship-on-its-way-to-syria/article7707301.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication - http://www.thehindu.com/news/internat... ASSAD support Chinese troops to join Russian marines in Syria to Battle ISIS ISIL DEASH http://www.ibtimes.co.in/chinese-troops-join-russian-marines-syria-soon-says-report-648246 - http://www.ibtimes.co.in/chinese-troo... Iraq Iran Russia alliance to battle Islamic State http://www.irna.ir/en/News/81774628/ - http://www.irna.ir/en/News/81774628/ Obama says
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 02 2015 at 8:07am
Although most Western journalists have never been in this area - the battle continues and has been raging. First hand reports of the use of barrel bombs and gas - weapons of mass destruction against civilians. The Real News.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 02 2015 at 7:46pm
This is a clip from President's Press statement as of 4 pm. EST 10/2/15 United States
What is positive is some efforts are being made to prevent a direct military conflict between jets as Syrian Army positions are being attacked by Russia and Iran. No matter what is being stated U.S. forces and those of several other nations are off the coast of Syria as well as battleships coming from China.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 03 2015 at 1:21am
"The terrible Russians are killing civilians in Syria with bad bombs while the US has "good bombs"that only kill bad guys". Is the western media totally idiotic ?
More intelligent questions should be how reactions on this Russian and Chinese (forgotten in western media http://www.debka.com/article/24926/Chinese-warplanes-to-join-Russian-air-strikes-in-Syria-Russia-gains-Iraqi-air-base - http://www.debka.com/article/24926/Chinese-warplanes-to-join-Russian-air-strikes-in-Syria-Russia-gains-Iraqi-air-base ) intervention will look like.
The EU can expect 1.2 million refugees from the Middle East. They would welcome stability in that Middle East to stop the influx. If Russia and China can fix "that problem" in 4 months http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-02/russia-says-syria-air-raids-last-3-4-months-moscow-releases-new-videos-strikes - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-02/russia-says-syria-air-raids-last-3-4-months-moscow-releases-new-videos-strikes I think that will be welcomed.
Israel did know what to expect from Assad, an "armed peace/cold war" co-existence. If they can talk with Russia to keep Iran and Hezbollah away from Israels borders Israel might be better of with stabilization. Jordan and Egypt want an end to the unrest.
The (royal) dictators in the Gulf States that are sponsoring IS and refuse to take any responsibility for refugees because that would destabilize their rule have a big problem. They are confronted with a two front war. In the north the wars in Iraq and Syria will move south when Iran moves in with their army, supported by Russian and Chineese Air Force. In the south Jemen Houthi-rebels are moving into Saudi Arabia (backed by Iran).
Turkey has elections within a few months. The wars in Syria and Iraq were not popular with most of the Turkish citizens. The AK-party is held responsible by a lot of Turks for escalating those wars, giving support to IS. The Alevite and Kurdish minorities demand change.
The US is losing support by claiming that Al Nusra/Al Quaeda are "moderate alternatives" for Assad. If Russia/China can stop IS(IS) in months what has the US been doing all the time. http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/02/431696/US-Russia-Syria - http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/02/431696/US-Russia-Syria Russia and China want the US/NATO to pay for the damage their "products"IS(IS) Al Qaeda/Al Nusra did.
Russia is invited by Iraq to start bombing IS from a base that is also in use by the US air force.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 03 2015 at 1:37am
@Medclinician, I do not think this crisis will escalate to World War 3. My impression is that to coalition of Russia-China and Iran is a "take over" and the US has lost this battle. Any further action by the US (without much support) will worsen the situation for the U.S.
The best thing for the U.S. to do is start talking about the future of the Middle East. It is in nobody's interest to start a war between the US and Gulf-corrupt-states and the Russian-China-Iran-Iraq-Syria (and Egypt, Jemen etc.) coalition.
If Russia/China and Iran succeed in Iraq and Syria their next step could be "invited stabilization"of Afghanistan. Maybe also west of Jemen, Somalia, might be "of their interest". If the US/NATO do not want that it is time to take action there. (Russian propaganda channel http://southfront.org/ - http://southfront.org/ on Iran groundoffensive http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-03/largest-us-foreign-policy-blunder-vietnam-complete-iran-readies-massive-syrian-groun - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-03/largest-us-foreign-policy-blunder-vietnam-complete-iran-readies-massive-syrian-groun
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 03 2015 at 1:21pm
Meanwhile - as we watch the gathering storm in the Middle East
The situation is heating up in Syria yet again. If reports coming from Almasdar News are accurate, another troop deployment will soon be about to take place – in addition to the 2,000 Russian troops who arrived earlier this week. This time, however, the troops are coming from China. Leith Fadel of Almasdar News (the Arab Source), reported that China has now decided to commit troops and military aircraft to Syria within the next six weeks. Although the reports have not been independently confirmed, the outlet cited a senior Syrian officer in the Syrian military for the claims regarding the Chinese plans. Fadel’s information has proven accurate many times in the past. On Tuesday, September 22, 2015, early morning, a Chinese naval vessel reportedly traveled through Egypt’s Suez Canal to enter the Mediterranean Sea; its destination was not confirmed.However, according to a senior officer in the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) that is stationed inside the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, Chinese military personnel and aerial assets are scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks (6 weeks) to the port-city of Tartous – he could not provide anymore detail.
Also, Russia's Defence Ministry on Thursday said it will hold naval drills in the "east Mediterranean" in September and October, as the West frets over a military buildup by Moscow in Syria.The exercises include three warships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet, including the Saratov landing ship, the Moskva guided missile cruiser and the Smetlivy destroyer, the ministry said in a statement. The drills will involve "40 combat exercises, including rocket and artillery fire at sea and airborne targets," the statement said. The Moskva cruiser, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, left its base in Crimea on Thursday September 24, 2015 and is now heading to the exercises, the Ministry added separately. Russia has made it abundantly clear that they are taking an active role in this conflict, but the news of the Chinese military to Syria provides more insight into their contingency.There is clearly a mutual threat shared between Syria and China with both countries under attack from Uyghur terrorists who are typically controlled by Turkish and Western intelligence. China’s growing Uyghur separatists movement in Xinjang, recent bombings in to Turkey’s Uyghur “Grey Wolves,” and Turkistan Islamic Party/Army of Conquest Turkish-backed terrorists at work in Syria assisting in the supplying Chinese Uyghur terrorists with fake passports and engaging in terrorist/military operations against the Syrian government, all represent a threat that exists both to the existence of the Assad government in Syria and the government in China.
comment: There is a massive - we are talking tens of thousands of posts on the net at least - of fairly inaccurate bantering rants concerning this incident. There are so many blatant untruths in recent press releases it is very difficult to sort out what is happening in Syria or has happened over the last few years. The first extraction needed is all the Obama and Putin rhetoric in terms of who is the wimp and who is the tough guy. No one cares. This international flexing of muscles is only creating a cluster-whatever in Syria. With China headed there with not just ships but troops, Russia there also with forces from Iran, and so called surgical strikes on areas occupied in part by Americans - it is a mess.
For one, no matter how honed the strike, if you only give someone 3 hours notice or else they will be vaporized, that really is not going to prevent carnage.
As Christian as I am - what is not needed at this point is blasts of Apocalyptic verses and the inability to step back and see this in a tactical perspective. Simply
1) The Assad regime was a horror story to many who were killed by barrel bombs and chlorine gas. This was done because they were losing cities and it was the only way to get the rebels out. In a civilized world there is a limit to the kinds of weapons you can use, the way POWs and civilians are treated and what is genocide or should be stopped.
2) There are no Good Guys anymore. Supporting horror story attacks against women and children or supporting terrorists who sometimes eat and behead their victims - are not good options. America had their chance to go in and mop up. With stronger leadership, they would have.
3) When and if the Apocalypse comes and the bombs fly - prophets will not get any gold stars or brownie points for being right. As was once said "All are punished." Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare
There is one truism that is understood and has been for thousands of years. Although war is terrible and fighting for freedom is life threatening, no one respects weakness. Sitting around talking and negotiating has never stopped a World War yet. At their outbreak, especially World War II they were talking peace.
What is truly amazing is that everyone in the U.S. had their chance to vote and choose. The only people they have to blame for the incredibly bad situations are themselves.
Someone needs a show stopper here - an unexpected turn of events - and the U.S. needs it the most of all. In fact it needs more than an event, it needs a miracle. If you want to pray for something - and are in the U.S. and belong to any religion or group that prays - pray for that.
Day by day - War in Syria - basically out of control.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 03 2015 at 10:35pm
Because developments go fast in the Middle East for those interested some sites that could provide information between their propaganda. A short term agenda for the coming weeks seems to be that Russia and China "deal" with Syria and Iraq. Iran will become the regional "leading state"but only because China/Russia want that.
On the longer term, based on the Asian Infrastructure Investing Bank, Shanghai Economic Treaty etc. Russia will be exporting for the coming 30 years oil/gas from Siberia to China and via China to Pakistan. Malaysia (Petro Nas(ional)) is also working on a pipeline to China. Russia will support China's claims in the South China Sea and China/Russia will support Iran in Jemen (Bahrein, Somalia, Afghanistan etc.)
http://www.globalresearch.ca/ - http://www.globalresearch.ca/ Canada, very critical of US/NATO
http://www.veteranstoday.com/ - http://www.veteranstoday.com/ US, very critical of US, NATO, Israel
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-03/russia-claims-isis-now-ropes-fighters-desert-after-60-airstrikes-72-hours - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-03/russia-claims-isis-now-ropes-fighters-desert-after-60-airstrikes-72-hours US economy and world affairs
http://www.debka.com/ - http://www.debka.com/ Israel, military
http://english.cntv.cn/ - http://english.cntv.cn/ China
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 03 2015 at 11:10pm
http://english.cntv.cn/2015/10/04/VIDE1443933480317868.shtml - http://english.cntv.cn/2015/10/04/VIDE1443933480317868.shtml New Silk Road plans for the long term and for EurAsia. The Chinese involvement military is just a small part of their long term (30 years) plan. China itself has coal in Manchuria but oil and gas can be found in the South and East China Sea. Pipelines from Russia, Malaysia, Pakistan of course also can be used to export from China to the rest of the world. Countries like Australia depended on exports to China. Also in Africa and Latin America China is a major investor (also buying real estate in Europe and North America).
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 05 2015 at 8:53am
Dutch Josh wrote:
http://english.cntv.cn/2015/10/04/VIDE1443933480317868.shtml - http://english.cntv.cn/2015/10/04/VIDE1443933480317868.shtml New Silk Road plans for the long term and for EurAsia. The Chinese involvement military is just a small part of their long term (30 years) plan. China itself has coal in Manchuria but oil and gas can be found in the South and East China Sea. Pipelines from Russia, Malaysia, Pakistan of course also can be used to export from China to the rest of the world. Countries like Australia depended on exports to China. Also in Africa and Latin America China is a major investor (also buying real estate in Europe and North America).
We are losing ground and credibility in terms of the Syrian Crisis. As other nations step forward to fight Isis (by whatever name you wish to call it) it is clear that it is not a matter of choice for them, but necessity. Isis is a clear and dangerous threat to Russia, China, and many countries in the world. This is no regional skirmish in Iraq - this is a force which is establishing a power trying to unite Iraq, Syria, and recruiting fighters successfully from all over the world.
I still think if a nuke were launched on Assad it would cause a World War. Yet, there is a real debate here as to whether the U.S. is going to take any aggressive action to stop Russia at this point or even Iran who is fighting in Iraq.
The U.S. could lose their position as the #1 super power on Earth. If I were in a position to do anything, which I will never be, I would recommend pulling our forces to the U.S., consolidating our strength and fixing our economy and to try and at least work with other countries as a partner rather than a super star. It will take time to win back trust and respect and credibility. The current administration will never have that again and we will be lucky if the next one does.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 05 2015 at 1:17pm
It would appear to me some people in the media and the governments in the world are getting seriously confused and very uninformed. For one the word ISIS means something. It isn't just a convenient term that was changed to ISIL or IS The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language - Arabic : الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English - / - ˈ - s - s/ ) or the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-ISIS_or_ISIL.3F_The_debate-29 - [29]Islamic State (IS), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-What_is_IS-30 - [30] or Daesh (داعش, Arabic pronunciation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Arabic - [ˈdaːʕiʃ] ), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-DAESH_shift-31 - [31] is a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salafi_jihadism - Salafi jihadist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_extremism - extremist militant group and self-proclaimed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_state - Islamic state and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate - caliphate , which is led by and mainly composed of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni_Islam - Sunni Arabs from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq - Iraq and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria - Syria . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-32 - [32] As of March 2015, it has control over territory occupied by ten million people https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-33 - [33] in Iraq and Syria, and has nominal control over small areas of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya - Libya , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria - Nigeria and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nangarhar_Province - Nangarhar Province in eastern https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan - Afghanistan . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-Militant_Attack_and_Support_Zones_in_Afghanistan-34 - [34] The group also operates or has affiliates in other parts of the world, including https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asia - South Asia . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-Pakistani_Taliban_pledges_allegiance_to_ISIL-35 - [35] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-ISIL_gains_supporters-36 - [36]
On 29 June 2014, the group renamed itself ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah (الدولة الإسلامية, "Islamic State" (IS)) and declared it a worldwide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate - caliphate . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-newname-37 - [37] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-newname2-62 - [62] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-businessinsider.com-63 - [63]
Accordingly, the "Iraq and Shām" was removed from all official
deliberations and communications, and the official name became the
Islamic State from the date of the declaration. The name "Islamic State"
and the claim of a caliphate have been widely criticised, with the UN,
various governments, and mainstream Muslim groups refusing to use it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-bbc-review-is-61 - [61] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-Moore-64 - [64] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-ReferenceA-65 - [65] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-Goodenough-66 - [66] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-un.org-67 - [67] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-ottawacitizen.com-68 - [68] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-ReferenceB-69 - [69] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#cite_note-Statement_by_the_President_on_ISIL-70 - [70]
Before the January offensive against ISIS, ordinary residents across
rebel areas held massive anti-ISIS protests, inspiring mainstream Syrian
rebels to form new coalitions that took the fight to the extremists.
These outgunned rebels succeeded where well-armed Iraqi troops failed
because they’re fighting for a cause widely supported by the civilians
behind them, and they’re fighting for their own land.
Had the Obama administration armed these rebels at their peak,
instead of merely declaring repeatedly that Bashar al-Assad’s fall was
inevitable, there would likely be no ISIS today. Two years ago, Syrian
rebels were making gains against the regime by the day. ISIS didn’t
exist, and Syrian al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Nusra claimed at most 1,500
combatants.
But global al Qaeda supporters gave Nusra superior weapons and
funding, a step Obama has yet to truly take on behalf of mainstream
rebels. As a consequence, Nusra grew stronger, and was later surpassed
by the even more radical ISIS.
Syrian rebels are fighting a true two-front war. As they threatened
ISIS’ main headquarters in January, Assad launched a vicious campaign of
air raids on them that virtually emptied the largest city in northern
Syria of civilians. That assault saved ISIS.
Now, after the fall of Mosul, regime bombers have finally launched
air raids on the ISIS headquarters — but air power alone can’t really
threaten it. Assad’s move is just a public-relations ploy — an effort to
get Washington to support the regime as the best hope of stopping ISIS.
More relevant are events in eastern Syria: The ISIS attack on Mosul
was launched from eastern Syria, in particular from the banks of the
Khabur River, which was in Syrian rebel hands as recently as three
months ago.
Now ISIS has returned to Syria with the US-made weapons it looted
from Mosul, and threatens the city of Deir Ezzor, the largest population
center in eastern Syria and a longtime rebel stronghold. If ISIS takes
Deir Ezzor, it could launch an ever more catastrophic assault on Baghdad
or southern Iraq without fear of attacks from its rear. Deir Ezzor City
is now under a de facto joint siege by ISIS forces in the north and
Assad forces in the south.
comment: The problem is that many of these "terrorist organizations" were created to help the U.S. fight Russia or other countries.
It is clear that there is a threat not just to the region, but to the world. Other countries are realizing that this is serious and the flooding of refugees from the war torn country is a huge threat to their national security and could bring the war inside with outbreaks in their large cities.
We are on the verge of a Holy War - but the now it is one where the fighters are not necessarily religious or even inspired to fight in the name of God in any form. They will fight a godless war against those heavily motivated and willing to commit suicide in their attacks.
The price for all these covert operations is about to be paid and the option of an open cooperation of other countries to fight may be more appealing than adviser wars from the shadows.
A Holy war without both declaring that God is on their side... that would be a first in history.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 05 2015 at 10:14pm
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-05/syria-ground-war-imminent-us-accuses-russia-launching-syrian-land-campaign - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-05/syria-ground-war-imminent-us-accuses-russia-launching-syrian-land-campaign Medclinician, I fully agree with you on the importance of the escalation of the war(s) in the middle east.
Islamic State is also active in the Sinaï, (Egypt) and in Libya. Al Nusra has 3000 fighters in the Ukrain. Jihadi's come from Chechinia and Eastern China (also somefrom southern Thailand, Philipinas, and the largest muslim-country Indonesia)
But (as always) these wars are economic based and use religion as an excuse. The sunni-shia-conflict is a conflict that is very widespread. The wars for pipelines and oil/gas are in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria. To make things worse there is also a watercrisis in the whole region.
Russia and China are in these conflicts for energy but also they do not accept the US as the "only superpower" any longer. Saudi Arabia wants to dominate the Middle East but find Iran (and Egypt-the largest population in the Arab Worl both Iran and Egypt +80 million) on its path.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 06 2015 at 3:29pm
Once in a galaxy far far away - strange how people can forget things http://www.jpost.com/Syria-Crisis/Expert-US-led-attack-on-Syria-may-lead-to-increased-Russian-cooperation-with-Iran-324368 - http://www.jpost.com/Syria-Crisis/Expert-US-led-attack-on-Syria-may-lead-to-increased-Russian-cooperation-with-Iran-324368 Russia warned Western powers on Monday against any military intervention
in Syria, saying the use of force without a United Nations mandate
would violate international law. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
Moscow had no plans to be drawn into a military conflict over the civil
war in Syria and that Washington and its allies would be repeating “past
mistakes” if they intervened in Syria.
Ariel Cohen, a senior research fellow at the US think tank the Heritage Foundation, told The Jerusalem Post
in an interview on Monday that in response to an attack on their Syrian
ally, Russia could “expand supply of dual use nuclear technology” to
Iran as its nuclear energy company, Rosatom, is anxious to sell more
reactors.
If the Syrians have the Russian P-800 supersonic
anti-ship cruise missile or the advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile
system or other sophisticated equipment deployed, “they may use them to
shoot at NATO or Western forces involved in these operations,” said
Cohen.
The worst case scenario, which Cohen emphasizes, has a low
probability, would be that an attack would lead Russia to go on a
nuclear alert for the first time since the end of the Cold War.
comment: This was posted by Ariel Ben Solomon 8/27/2013 Russia warned Western powers on Monday against any military intervention
in Syria, saying the use of force without a United Nations mandate
would violate international law
What part of this is unclear?
Currently there are Chinese warships headed for the area with troops. There are Iranian troops fighting and it is only because warships don't fly that there are not a group of more ships armed with nuclear missiles in addition to what is already there.
He believes that if it is proved that chemical weapons were used by Syria, Russia would seriously review its position on Syria.
There is indisputable evidence that chemical weapons were used by the Assad regime.
Here are some State Department talking points on Syria for cable news anchors:
1) Keep mentioning the barrel bombs. Do not mention how their use was pioneered by the Israeli Air Force in 1948, and how they were used by the US Air Force in Vietnam in Operation Inferno in 1968. Keep repeating, “barrel bombs, barrel bombs” and stating with a straight face that the Syrian regime is using them “against its own people.” Against its own people. Against its own people. Against its own people.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 07 2015 at 5:34am
Update October 7, 2015 5:15 a.m. PST http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-russia-airstrikes-syria-20151007-story.html - http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-russia-airstrikes-syria-20151007-story.html
A Syrian official says a ground offensive has been launched in
central regions of the country amid intense shelling and Russian
airstrikes.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in
line with regulations, said the operations are concentrated in the
neighboring provinces of Hama and Idlib.
Activists and rebels say Syrian troops backed by Russian airstrikes
battled insurgents in central Syria on Wednesday in the first major
ground fighting since Moscow began launching air raids on militants last
week.
The Russian airstrikes appear to have emboldened Syrian
troops to launch a ground offensive after suffering a string of setbacks
in northwestern Syria over the past few months.
The Islamic State group is not present in the areas where the fighting is underway.
comment: This is not playing out the way the U.S. had expected and it is rapidly becoming a powder keg which could explode. In layman's terms, just as Russia invaded Afghanistan and got their butt kicked by U.S. supported rebels force(who literally created the Mujahideen ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language - Arabic : المجاهدين) )
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mujahideen
it was hoped this would involve them in another Russian Vietnam.
It was thought by some advisers this would be a military quagmire in which Isis would emerge and prevail. This is not what is happening at all. It is is not like Russia has it all figured out but they are benefiting from a comedy of errors in U.S. foreign policy.
If we do not get some boots on the ground in Syria - the U.S. and the N.A.T.O coalition are going to wind up spectators to an event which may turn the tide of history.
This is played to the tune of "We are not going to do this." So far, almost every thing the Russians have said they would not do, they are doing. It is just a shot away from attacking Americans in a Syrian Army area and creating the first military casualties and/or jet shot down.
One does not need to get all biblical and apocalyptic about this. It is a truism that if at one point in Iran troops get too active near Israel there is going to be a war.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 07 2015 at 7:29am
Update 7:15 a.m. 10/7/15
Russian warships attack ISIS positions in Syria from Caspian Sea
Would like to tell the AFT readers and others coming to this thread what is happening here is far more than what I thought would happen when I started this thread. The resources we now have on the Internet for tracking and literally bypassing the mainstream media are like none we have ever had in history. There are a few ground rules I have set for myself as I continue to post on this and I would like to share those with you now.
1) no currently military footage that would compromise the national security of any nation - this includes positions of craft or troops which has not already hit the mainstream media. This is difficult in that there are independent sources now going online which I consider chilling and deeply disturbing.
2) nothing apocalyptic or last days - while I am Christian, things can get crazy fast as far as reading verses and predicting a nuclear war. It is possible. The fire power is there and yet there is really no purpose to "summoning the flock" because they really have nowhere to go. It has been said the Second Coming was imminent since 56 A.D. or sooner. We have prophecies every new millennium, eclipses, or whenever someone gets a vision. Faith is a personal thing.
3) No heavily sided propaganda. Obviously the lines read differently from the Western nations, Russia, China, and the Middle East. Israel invaded Palestine and their country nearly 3,000 years ago and they have been fighting ever since and probably will be until one or both are dead. Western Journalists lie - formal press releases from many superpowers are not accurate and the bottom line is - trying to step back and see what is really happening is hard.
So with that said - Russia is now using long range ICBMs to attack Syria. These are the big guns. They are flying more than 1,000 miles from the Caspian Sea and this is far more than bombing attacks and small troop skirmishes.
When is the last time Russia was firing ICBMS? When was the last time the U.S. was? What will happen if they both begin firing them at the same time?
comment: 4 warships 26 missiles - this was released by the Russian Defense Ministry this is pretty exclusive on the net. Not finding this on any of the main Western media networks... Rechecking date and data
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 07 2015 at 12:51pm
Published on Oct 7, 2015
Four
Russian Navy warships have fired a total of 26 missiles at the position
of the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria, Russia’s Defense
Minister Sergey Shoigu announced. The missiles were fired from the
Caspian Sea.
The Real News Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 08 2015 at 3:17am
http://www.planbeconomics.com/2015/10/under-guise-of-safety-us-orders-fighter.html - http://www.planbeconomics.com/2015/10/under-guise-of-safety-us-orders-fighter.html and http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-07/syrian-crisis-what-will-happen-next - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-07/syrian-crisis-what-will-happen-next
This is becoming a war between Russia and China on the one side and the US on the other side. It is about one "super power"the US or a "multi-polar"world in wich China, Russia are equal to the US.
Wars are only possible when banks invest in them. Always only a very small group benefits from the wars. Putin has interests in Gazprom, Joe Biden son is involved in fracking in the Ukrain. Dutch and UK "royals" are the main shareholders of "Royal Dutch"Shell.
http://thebulletin.org/timeline - http://thebulletin.org/timeline the doomsday clock might be getting closer to 12.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 08 2015 at 4:05am
Russian and Chinese weapons in Syria http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-tanks-russia-is-sending-to-syria-2015-9?r=US&IR=T - http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-tanks-russia-is-sending-to-syria-2015-9?r=US&IR=T
The Jewish community in Iran https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Jews - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Jews In Israel there is also a large group with Russian background. In World War 2 the Red Soviet Army had a Jewish armygroup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_language_in_Israel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_language_in_Israel
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-07/saudi-population-are-growing-restless-deep-look-inside-black-box-saudi-arabia - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-07/saudi-population-are-growing-restless-deep-look-inside-black-box-saudi-arabia Inside Saudi Arabia (and other corrupt Gulf States) growing unrest.
https://www.rt.com/news/317989-afghanistan-isis-train-russians/ - https://www.rt.com/news/317989-afghanistan-isis-train-russians/ Islamic State is training militants from Russia in Afghanistan as part of its efforts to expand into Central Asia, a senior Russian diplomat told a security conference in Moscow. He added that US and UK passport holders are among the instructors.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 08 2015 at 8:01am
Of course there is also a point in Russia, China, Iran willing to take a marketshare for modern weapons.
The Russian Orthodox Church is behind Putin in his attemp to save Syrian Orthodox Christians in Syria and Iraq. Proberbly also the Egyptian Christian minority was wondering what "the west" was doing.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-08/assad-launches-major-offensive-syria-russia-stations-ground-battalion-and-nato-threa - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-08/assad-launches-major-offensive-syria-russia-stations-ground-battalion-and-nato-threa For a lot of people NATO stands for North Atlantic Terrorist Organization.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 08 2015 at 9:30am
Russia’s military intervention in Syria has expanded radically in two directions. debkafile’s
military and intelligence sources report that China sent word to Moscow
Friday, Oct. 2, that J-15 fighter bombers would shortly join the
Russian air campaign that was launched Wednesday, Sept. 30. Baghdad has
moreover offered Moscow an air base for targeting the Islamic State now
occupying large swathes of Iraqi territory
Russia’s military intervention in Syria has five additional participants: China, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Hizballah.
The J-15 warplanes will take off from the Chinese Liaoning-CV-16 aircraft carrier, which reached Syrian shores on Sept. 26 (as http://www.debka.com/article/24909 - - debka - file exclusively reported at the time ).
This will be a landmark event for Beijing: its first military operation
in the Middle East as well the carrier’s first taste of action in
conditions of real combat.
Thursday night, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, made this comment
on the Syrian crisis at a UN Security Council session in New York: “The
world cannot afford to stand by and look on with folded arms, but must
also not arbitrarily interfere (in the crisis).”
comment: With Chinese warships off the coast of Syria soon and J-15 bombers in Syria, this is rapidly becoming a growing alliance of super powers. The reason is fairly clear as to why in that IS in some form has groups in both countries which are a threat.
Yet whether or not IS poses a real and immediate threat to the
population in Xinjiang, Beijing is likely to give the go-ahead soon to
use the perceived threat as justification to intensify their crackdown
on the Uighur population. Uighur exile groups already complain Beijing
overstates the threat from terrorism, falsely portraying riots as
premeditated terror attacks. However, determining the extent of any
threat, and what actually transpires on the ground, is difficult given
constraints on foreign journalists operating in Xinjiang and delays in
reporting from Chinese state media.
“The threat from ISIS is real because quite a lot of citizens from
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) are taking part in its
activities,” deputy director of Russia’s Federal Security Service told
reporters Friday after a session of the SCO’s regional anti-terror body.
General
Sergey Smirnov added that law enforcement agencies possessed
information on about 1,700 Russian citizens fighting in Iraq on the side
of Sunni extremists. “The danger of ISIS is also in their ability to
infiltrate other terrorist groups,” he added. In particular, the
terrorists have demonstrated interest in the Imarat Caucasus group and
some of its leaders have already pledged loyalty to ISIS, Smirnov said.
Officials
in Tajikistan have estimated the number of the Central Asian country’s
citizens fighting on ISIS’s side at about 300, the Russian general said.
The overall number of people from post-Soviet Central Asian republics
who are fighting for ISIS could be up to 4,000, he added, referring to
data provided by the International Research Group for Crisis Regions.
comment: No one sends out jets, ground troops or warships for no reason. IS is a clear and present threat to both Russia and China. This is not simply a political sideshow of muscle flexing and routine battle drills - they will be fighting side by side.
Medclinician
The Western journalists as well as some of the intelligence operations have greatly underestimated the ability of Russia to pull this off and also draw support from other countries. This could be a costly mistake and unless U.S. Congress gets on top of this - weakness in foreign policy may put the U.S. in a spectator seat and forbidden enter the area by naval blockage as well, as on the ground and into the airspace.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 08 2015 at 9:44am
Contrapoint - Will this turn into a fiscal and military nightmare for those who have joined to fight Isis?
For one thing right now jets are attacking, some ground troops are there, and missiles are being launched a thousand miles away. If the battleground moves to Iraq where U.S. military forces are and where Iranian troops are, then things will rapidly develop. Iraq is heavily occupied by IS who has taken oil fields and resources and is funding the operation as probably the largest bankrolled extreme religious faction in history. They are assembling not a small group of fighters, but an army, and people are defecting even from the U.S. which has not been successful in stopping its youth and those who are traitors to America from fighting against our own troops in the Middle East.
There have been multiple operations in which people have been caught trying to sell nuclear weapons to IS and terrorist groups. Despite the hype about where they have been said to be available, there were reports of open markets in Bulgaria and also U.A.E. A main source of these nuclear weapons or plutonium came from warheads and materials taken during the breakup of the Soviet Union.
The war theater is fighting a war against extremist Muslims still one of the worst group of moving targets and forces often in hiding. This is not as true in Syria where specific targets are being hit by ICBMs launched from the Caspian Sea.
The U.S. and allied forces dreaded trying to take Baghdad with almost 5 brigades of Republican Guard which eventually disappeared. The massive influx of manpower,the Republican Guard had once expanded to
over 25 brigades which were led by loyal officers drawn from the Iraqi
military. A house by house ground assault could have been bad. However skilled the special forces of Russia or China might be - you still have people who live in the North in a cold climate fighting people used to 120 degree desert. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/baghdad-iraq-hottest-city-world-temperatures-120-degrees-n401601 - http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/baghdad-iraq-hottest-city-world-temperatures-120-degrees-n401601 And it has felt as hot as 159 degrees. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/baghdad-iraq-hottest-city-world-temperatures-120-degrees-n401601 - Granted many are mercenaries, but some are still locals and used to the climate Just as Hitler perished trying to fight the Russians on their own turf, the Northern warriors on foot may have a rough time against elusive desert fighters who could have chemical weapons of their own.
This is probably the scenario the U.S. and some others hope will play out with a dismal defeat of the entire anti IS operation setting Russia back 20 years and the U.S. looking the wiser of the two.
Never mistake silence for stupidity or inaction for ignorance. At the same time we have all these voices yelling to get in there and put in troops - eventually there will be body bags, jets shot down, and casualties- that is the reality of interfering and fighting in another country - it still could turn into a real disaster for Russia.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 08 2015 at 1:20pm
Russian missiles have hit Iran. I am still trying to get footage of the missiles which are way off target and have struck Iran. Reports are coming in but still no word if there have been Iranian civilian casualties.
Also more information is coming in the targets other than IS are being hit in the new military attacks in Syria. It is difficult to conceive ICBM's could be so off target they would strike another country when these are supposed to be surgical IS strikes.
Searching the net for film footage - this is the best I have found released only hours ago.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 09 2015 at 4:11am
Russian media followed that up by quoting Igor Morozov, a member of the Russian Federation Committee on International Affairs, confirming Chinese aircraft carrier, Lianoning, and a guided missile cruiser were heading to the area, and adding Chinese military advisers were already in the region.
Mr Morozov said: "It is known that China has joined our military operation in Syria.
"The Chinese cruiser has already entered the Mediterranean, followed by its aircraft carrier."
These reports have not been verified by China and satellite images show the Syrian port of Tartus, currently empty.
However, China come under threat from ISIS in recent months increasing the theory an attack is in the pipeline.
Also the first weapons being sold by Russia http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/10/07/iraq-saudi-arabia-to-buy-1500-russian-infantry-fighting-vehicles/ - http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/10/07/iraq-saudi-arabia-to-buy-1500-russian-infantry-fighting-vehicles/
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 09 2015 at 5:40am
Although CNN has been scrambling to keep up - they remain almost a day behind on the events in Syria. This footage was released days ago and the French are actively bombing Syria. It appears that nation after nation is moving in to take part in the Syrian war without any real coordination. There is still a hope, I believe, by the Americans that these actions by the Soviets will turn bad and as they begin to try and IS will begin pouring in from Iraq and surrounding areas. The primary focus is not IS, it is the revolutionary forces against Assad and to establish a stronghold in the Middle East to control the region.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 09 2015 at 5:45am
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 09 2015 at 10:08am
Did Russian ICBMS crash in Iran? It truly amazes me how the tail wags the dog. Basically you can trust few of the major news providers for accurate news. However there is always The Real News I am trying to get this off the ground and it is certainly not easy.
Okay - what do we have?
Little noticed regional press reports on http://oyannews.com/%D8%B3%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B7-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D9%BE%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B4%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AA%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%A8/ - Wednesday mentioned an “unidentified flying object”
that had crashed near the town of Takab close to the border with Iraq. A
report in Oyan News cited the governor of Takab describing the crash of
a “drone” near the village of Qiz Qapan in the early morning hours.
Images posted by http://oyannews.com/%D8%AA%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AE%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%B4%DB%8C-%D9%BE%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B4%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B3/ - Oyan News on Thursday in several structures in the village which matched initial descriptions provided by witnesses.
Wednesday’s launch marked the first use of Russian cruise missiles in combat.
These are a new type of missile and the U.S. had some serious issues with ICBMS when it first began test new ones. Even the Patriot missile had some dismal failures in intercepting Scuds and it is not unlikely that a few of the new Russian missile which were much less powerful or deadly than others now in subs off the coast of Syria could have crashed.
One should bear in mind the denial by Russia they would be engaging in any attacks and then later putting boots on the ground in Syria and attacking not only IS targets but rebels as well kind of ruins credibility of both statements. Both are now in place, and Chinese warships and troops are moving to do the same. I just documented this morning French air missions in Syria and both CNN and Fox are really scrambling to keep up with the sheer power of independent news and youtube. Never have so many had so much Internet raw power to find data.
It is the wave of the future, an independent news carrier i.e. CWN could eventually flow in from private reporters with their smart phones with some footage that is truly exclusive as some run after troops risking their lives under fire.
Really how would one break the choke hold of filtered and controlled media which is often blatantly false and misleading?
So now we are at "the U.S. made it up to make the Russians look like they are using old inferior weapons." This could prove to be a bad miscalculation in that the Russian has new missile batteries which are going to Iran and could prove a formidable problem for U.S. jets.
There is no love lost between Russia, Iran, and its would be allies. There is already trouble brewing in a vision of what is best for Russia and Assad not being a marriage made in heaven.
Have the Russians stepped into a quagmire that they will regret? Well this is not their brand of warfare dealing with terrorists in the hot desert. Military advisers will admit this is new and when anything is new, the margin for big mistakes is there.
Glossy PR does not a reality make. Assad was a major butcher of men, women, and children with toxic chlorine gas and barrel bombs. This genocide is not easily forgotten and would likely be repeated if any progress is made by the rebels... not IS.. but rebels.
Day to day - trying to find and bring you .. the real news
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 09 2015 at 10:11pm
There are different stories about the Russian missiles from the Caspian Sea. Some claim those missiles (or at least a part of the number of missiles) ware over 30 years old. Other stories claim Russia (test)fired their newest missiles. I guess Russia/Putin is able to make things unclear by also sending missiles with the purpose to "crashland in Iran"? A smookscreen ?
On US-China relations http://en.people.cn/n/2015/1010/c98649-8959874.html - http://en.people.cn/n/2015/1010/c98649-8959874.html China is working on a railway from Bangkok (Thailand) via Laos to South China http://en.people.cn/n/2015/1010/c90000-8959856.html - http://en.people.cn/n/2015/1010/c90000-8959856.html
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 09 2015 at 10:48pm
As long as the US prefers Al Qaeda above Assad in Syria the US policy in the Middle East is bound to fail.
Russia and China have Israeli high tech in their modern weapons. The Chinese Chengdu J-10 warplane is a copy of the Israeli Lavi plane. (from wikipedia: The J-10 bears some resemblance to the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAI_Lavi - IAI Lavi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-sinodefense-12 - [12] and some news and technical articles have claimed that some of the Lavi's technology had been sold to China by the Israelis, these claims have been denied by both China and Israel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-13 - [13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-14 - [14] The general designer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Wencong - Song Wencong said that J-10 was a development of the indigenous J-9 which preceded the Lavi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-15 - [15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-16 - [16] This was echoed by a PLAAF's major Zhang Weigang in a 2012 interview. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-17 - [17] ) China might sell J-10 to Iran http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0813/c90000-8935125.html - http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0813/c90000-8935125.html
On the IS-economy http://bizshifts-trends.com/2014/09/28/isis-largest-riches-terror-organization-ever-high-growth-enterprise-2-billion-terror-based-economy/ - http://bizshifts-trends.com/2014/09/28/isis-largest-riches-terror-organization-ever-high-growth-enterprise-2-billion-terror-based-economy/
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 10 2015 at 8:30am
Dutch Josh wrote:
As long as the US prefers Al Qaeda above Assad in Syria the US policy in the Middle East is bound to fail.
Russia and China have Israeli high tech in their modern weapons. The Chinese Chengdu J-10 warplane is a copy of the Israeli Lavi plane. (from wikipedia: The J-10 bears some resemblance to the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAI_Lavi - IAI Lavi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-sinodefense-12 - [12] and some news and technical articles have claimed that some of the Lavi's technology had been sold to China by the Israelis, these claims have been denied by both China and Israel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-13 - [13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10#cite_note-14 - [14]
Dutch Josh - I think we are near to being further and further ahead in reporting as opposed to the mainstream media. I am seeing some of them trying to catch up. The film I put up on here has gone viral on the net being put up by hundreds of sites under all kinds of different names. Watch out for one called project red rash which is clearly fake and very old. Also there are some clips showing these missiles over Kurdish air space.
The U.S. Media response is very scattered with them jumping on the U.S. report of a crash in Iran of 4 ICBMS. I did get confirmation that something went down in Iran from local media there but this could have been a snoopy drone which in some cases easily show up on radar.
As for the Russia formal response - they are saying this was propaganda generated by the United States.
Tehran
has not confirmed the rumors of Russian cruise missiles that supposedly
fell on the territory of Iran after they were launched on October 8 by
the Caspian flotilla.
Iran's FARS news agency reported with
reference to source at the Ministry of Defense of Iran that there was no
information about the alleged inaccuracy in the launch of Russian
cruise missiles.
http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/07-10-2015/132269-russian_navy_attacks_syria-0/ - Video: Russian Navy launches missiles on ISIS in Syria
It was also said that the appearance of such reports in Western media was fact of psychological pressure.
Spokespeople for the Russian Defense Ministry also denied the information. Maria
Zakharova, a representative of the Foreign Ministry of Russia, said
that the reporting from CNN about Russian cruise missiles allegedly
falling on the territory of Iran was like "waste water."
To crown it all, even high-ranking US
officials condemned the US network for generating the rumors. US State
Department spokesman John Kirby said he could not confirm the
information. Pentagon officials did not know either what kind of sources
exactly CNN referred to in the report.
- See more at: http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/09-10-2015/132282-russia_missiles_iran-0/#sthash.Zf0KtVB6.dpuf
so to be fair - except for some data confirming some sort of crash in Iran I published earlier - this one is off the radar and we move on to more verified videos and reports.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 11 2015 at 8:14am
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-11/end-isis-iraq-air-force-claims-it-struck-islamic-state-leaders-convoy - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-11/end-isis-iraq-air-force-claims-it-struck-islamic-state-leaders-convoy It would be a good thing if IS is finished, that is something the international community should agree up on !
Medclinician, I think wether or not any Russian missile crashed in Iran is a "sidestory". Russia has taken the initiative. The US/NATO is put in defense.
When zerohedge is talking about the US leaving "the US backed opposition" without support it is forgetting that also Saudi Arabia, Gulf states, Turkey and Israel (maybe even the EU) is wondering what to think from US foreign policy.
Zerohedge is also talking about IS as mercenaries. Reminds me of Blackwater and other "private security firms" that were fighting in Iraq. The only thing public there was that those "fighters" were paid by the taxpayer.
In the propaganda war a choice could be that the companies that own the media (and the US government) now claim that "the co-operation of the US and Russia" is making an end to IS. (Saves their government from thinking of those fantasies).
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 11 2015 at 9:17am
Saudi king Salman hospitalized. Palace coup suspected
DEBKAfile October 11, 2015, 8:29 AM (IDT)
King Salman Bin Abdelaziz, 79, was confined to the hospital in Riyadh in intensive care and restrained under heavy sedation. Court sources say he was removed after “going crazy” and attempting to injure himself. King Salman, who acceded to the throne ten months ago, was said then to suffer from dementia and erratic behavior. Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef has stepped in to administer the kingdom. According to some reports, the king was heavily drugged and removed forcibly to hospital as part of a palace coup to remove him from power.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 11 2015 at 9:20am
According to some sources King Salman was responsible for the massive disaster near Mecca during the Hajj. He wanted to welcome visiting Gulf State ministers etc and had roads closed wich caused the "stampede" that killed over 1400 pilgrims on their way to the Qaba.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 11 2015 at 9:48am
Dutch Josh wrote:
Saudi king Salman hospitalized. Palace coup suspected
DEBKAfile October 11, 2015, 8:29 AM (IDT)
King Salman Bin Abdelaziz, 79, was confined to the hospital in Riyadh in intensive care and restrained under heavy sedation. Court sources say he was removed after “going crazy” and attempting to injure himself. King Salman, who acceded to the throne ten months ago, was said then to suffer from dementia and erratic behavior. Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef has stepped in to administer the kingdom. According to some reports, the king was heavily drugged and removed forcibly to hospital as part of a palace coup to remove him from power.
There are weapons far more dangerous than bullets.
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 11 2015 at 9:53am
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/fierce-battles-in-central-syria-amid-russian-air-strikes/%20 - http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/fierce-battles-in-central-syria-amid-russian-air-strikes/ October 12, 2015 Monday
DAMASCUS, Syria—Syrian troops backed by Russian air strikes seized a
village in central Syria on Saturday amid fierce clashes with rebels,
part of a ground offensive launched earlier this week.
That offensive marked the first major air-and-ground assault since
Moscow began its military campaign in Syria on September 30. Russian
officials say the airstrikes are targeting mainly Islamic State (IS)
militants, but most strikes are hitting areas where the extremist group
is not present.
Syrian troops have faced stiff resistance from the rebels, who have used
advanced US-made TOW missiles to attack Syrian tanks and armored
vehicles.
The Russian air strikes come as a US-led coalition wages its own air campaign against the IS group in Syria and Iraq.
US defense officials held a 90-minute secure videoconference with
their Russian counterparts on Saturday to discuss steps to “promote safe
flight operations over Syria.”
“The discussions were professional and focused narrowly on the
implementation of specific safety procedures,” Pentagon Press Secretary
Peter Cook said in a statement.
The Observatory said Russian warplanes on Saturday bombed a
headquarters of the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham rebel group in
Saraqeb, in Idlib province. There was no immediate confirmation or
details. Heavy fighting was also taking place in the al-Ghab plain in
Hama province—a natural barrier between areas controlled by Sunni
Muslims and the Alawite sect to which Assad and many of his loyalists
belong.
comment: The main confrontation will not be in Syria.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 11 2015 at 12:10pm
http://southfront.org/syrian-terrorists-argue-3-russian-helicopters-shot-down-post-apache-photos/ - http://southfront.org/syrian-terrorists-argue-3-russian-helicopters-shot-down-post-apache-photos/ There are reports that "rebels fighting Assad" are getting (more) anti-aircraft-artillery (3A/FLAK)
In the beginning of the war in Syria, "fighters" were transported by air (CIA ?) from Libya to Syria. IS is also now fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Did NATO bring them there ?
https://www.rt.com/news/318284-russia-syria-isi-airstrike/ - https://www.rt.com/news/318284-russia-syria-isi-airstrike/ Radio intercept data has revealed “growing panic” among Islamic State militants, according to Konashenkov. He added that IS field commanders have urged senior staff to expedite supply armament and military equipment, as well as to redeploy reinforcements from Raqqa province as a result of Russia’s air bombardment.
- - http://en.people.cn/n/2015/1010/c98649-8960296.html - - http://en.people.cn/n/2015/1010/c98649-8960296.html J-15 flying from Liaoning Aircraft carrier (supposed to be near Syria-will be in the news soon enough)
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 12 2015 at 3:11am
Just like the Taliban would not exist without support from (a.o.) Pakistan (I.S.I.) IS would not be there without Turkey. Turkey is using IS to fight Kurds. The claim by the AK party that IS was behind the bombing of a peace demonstration in Ankara while IS is at least 1/3 Turkish looking at the fighters is "strange". NATO is playing yet again a double game.
On Saturday, the Iraqi forces discovered US-made military hardware and ammunition from terrorists in the town of Beiji.
“The military hardware and weapons had been airdropped by the US-led warplanes and choppers for the ISIL in the nearby areas of Beiji,” military sources told FNA.
In February, an Iraqi provincial official lashed out at the western countries and their regional allies for supporting Takfiri terrorists in Iraq, revealing that the US airplanes still continue to airdrop weapons and foodstuff for the ISIL terrorists.
“The US planes have dropped weapons for the ISIL terrorists in the areas under ISIL control and even in those areas that have been recently liberated from the ISIL control to encourage the terrorists to return to those places,” Coordinator of Iraqi popular forces Jafar al-Jaberi told FNA.
He noted that eyewitnesses in Al-Havijeh of Kirkuk province had witnessed the US airplanes dropping several suspicious parcels for ISIL terrorists in the province.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 12 2015 at 2:59pm
Personally I found this to be a very disturbing video. I am a Patriot, love my country, and yet we cannot ever say what a country, or several will do. Despite our nuclear ability to vaporize most of the planet, it may not be enough. Everyone is aware of the game of pushing limits.
Despite an ad at the beginning of this - is it true that the current American foreign policy is bad. There may not be boots on the ground yet in the U.S. to invade us, but this is a move towards it. I have not yet decided for myself about this video. I do know there is a huge push to make out Assad as the evil person who used barrel bombs and chlorine gas (WMD) on his own people.
It took 40 years for the U.S. to establish bases and control in the Middle East of some kind stop what could have been the threat of Communism over the whole world. This is not the Cold War anymore - it is the Hot War - and people are fighting not beating on podiums with their shoes telling the Americans "We will bury you." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_will_bury_you - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_will_bury_you Later, on August 24, 1963, Khrushchev remarked in his speech in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia - Yugoslavia ,
"I once said, 'We will bury you,' and I got into trouble with it. Of
course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will
bury you," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_will_bury_you#cite_note-kh-explanation-6 - [6] a reference to the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist - Marxist saying, "The proletariat is the undertaker of capitalism", based on the concluding statement in Chapter 1 of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Manifesto - Communist Manifesto :
"What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own
grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally
inevitable."
This video is fairly out there - is it the truth? There is a one minute lead in ad you can skip and I suggest you do.
One of the biggest propaganda techniques was used by Hitler. It was the "Big Lie." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_lie - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_lie
Those words mean for one person or a government to tell a lie so huge that people will not dare to question it or believe it is a lie. The last 20 years of reporting by the mainstream media is filled with overt untruths - big lies - some of which have been kept hidden for decades. There is no conspiracy. Some do not care about the people enough to even consider them. It is simply politics. Getting votes, power, and staying in office.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 12 2015 at 10:38pm
@Medclinician, I think the video is proberbly correct in most aspects. But I think that both John "Jihadi" McCain and the US government did not expect that Russia and Iran would respond the way they did.
It is also not only a US story. NATO countries are involved. Gulf States, Pakistan etc are involved. They all have their own responsibility.
Talking about a "Big lie" NATO is claiming that Russia flying incedentaly on the wrong side of the Turkish border is "a form of agression". The Russian air force is in Syria and Iraq on the invitation of their governments. In legal terms you could see that it makes not much difference wether it would be a Syrian or a Russian plane on the wrong place. However NATO is NOT invited by Syria but is very active dropping supplies to "moderate rebels" that end up with IS.
NATO in fact is attacking Syria. Not only IS but also civil targets like power plants water supplies etc. (Yet that does not stp NATO and western media talking about "Russian agression").
"Divide and rule" is an old way of getting power. The Romans used it, European countries got their colonies by doing so in the 16th century and further. Also Russia, China and the US are doing it to get power over what is important for them (oil, gas, uranium, transport lines, harbours etc).
In the 80's in Central America there ware many "civil" wars in wich the US choose the side of right wing governments. The US send weapons. Those weapons were sold by individual soldiers that did not get paid, or "rebels" could get hand on it. The main supplier of weapons to left wing rebels in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatamala etc, turned out to be the US in this way.
The US has made many mistakes in who they did support; Ho Chi Min in Viet Nam to fight against the Vinchy/Japanese occupation during W.W.2, Saddam Hussein fighting Iran in the early 90's, Kadaffi was welcomed by western leaders who wanted their oil/gas companies to have "rights"in Libya. Kadaffi paid for election campains of Sarkosy in France, Berlusconi in Italy, was shareholder in FIAT when that company needed money, shook hands with Tony Blair.....
Basher Assad, former London eye doctor, is a brute dictator. But in the war against terror the US brought suspects to Syria to be interrogated , that is 10 years ago. In fact most dictators were supported by (among many others) the US.
When you mention Hitler please realize that not only German industrialist paid for his campains in the early 30's but also outside Germany there were many groups supporting him. I am sorry to say that many European Royals supported Hitler, the Bush-family did, Henry Ford did. Hitler was an answer to the Russian revolution (and the civil war that followed, with Japanese troops in Wladiwostok, western interventions, the (re)creation of Poland and Finland as an outcome).
In my opinion it is a civil duty to show care about the land you live in. Indifference would be far more wrong. I do care for human rights, I am against poverty and violence. I do not see anything wrong with that. When governments make wrong decisions it is patriotic to raise your voice. Certainly when the media is paying more attantion to "infotainment" than the important issues. Whatis important for you might be important for many others and therefor should be important for the media. Kim Kardishian is not of vital importance to the world audience, safety, peace, equal rights should be.
A democracy can not function when there is extreme inequality. When money rules the world in stead of votes our democracy is not functioning correct.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 13 2015 at 4:23am
If you bring an enemy in a country wich is not able to fight that enemy ÿou will need Uncle Sam" as a basic (but wrong) idea ? Are the Russians and Chinese right in claiming that IS is a treath for their countries ?
There have been reports of transport "fighters" from/to Lybia/Syria by "hired NATO/CIA planes". In the past the US financed "the contra's"in Nicaragua, ReNaMo in Mozambique, UCK in Kosovo.
"Moderate rebels" are alowed to accapt weapons from US/NATO as long they pay "taxes"to IS-part of the weapons directly go to the main opposition factor in Syria and Iraq. Thereby the US is making IS stronger "by arming moderate rebels".
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 13 2015 at 8:43am
Rant alert - change of pace -
There was a post on the net which said the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in one you vote first but in the end both control you without asking you what to do. The setting up of revolutions to put in their own leader has long been an American past time. "Bananas" by Woody Allen was a satire of what happened in Latin America supporting revolutions which put in people just as bad as what the oppressed were freed from. i.e. after promising to represent the people, the new dictator read a statement saying "from now on all underwear will be worn on the outside." In Air America, the now legendary Mel Gibson is flying Cocaine to generate money to support the rebels in an alleged incident based on real life.
I was once told by a friend of an instance where a man to help a homeless person went out and robbed and nearly beat to death a local business man to get the money. Does the end justify the means? No, it does not. We cannot police the planet and the creation of "just in case" wars as Vietnam was, for it always ends badly. Setting up military bases in people's countries under the pretext of helping them fight terrorism or oppression has to this point been a complete and total disaster. It doesn't work.
Saddam Hussein was crazy to bomb Kuwait. This was an act of aggression justifying a war and the invasion of Iraq. That was the first time. The lines were clearly drawn and the world united to stop a country from firing Scud missiles at its neighbors.
However IS is an entity that the U.S. created for a political agenda. It is much like the Mujaheddin which was funded and trained to chase the Russians out of Afghanistan. Later on these little groups would become Al Queda and attack us on 9/11. I put up a video of Hilary Clinton saying - well it was a bit shady but highly effective what happened in Afghanistan. It did destroy the Soviet Union.
Point here ... those in office currently in the U.S. are very bad at foreign policy. It is rather obvious that a philosophy exists of non-imperialism - or the opposite of the terrible U.K. in its "White Man's burden" to colonize the world. Like Rome, they were doomed to failure as he met the elephants in India and was spread so thin the Empire collapsed. So, we are not to invade anyone.
In the case of the Romans, the wars were fought by people for plunder and spoil and when both ran out or was not that easy to get, their kingdom or empire collapsed. Even Hitler as he trudged North to face the Russians on their own icy turf was doomed.
Now "we" (America) had our forces spread all over fighting at least 3 wars at the same time and in none of the areas - except during the invasion of Iraq- did we have enough troops or fire power to win or did we win a victory. At the last minute when they could taken Iraq and at least won the war- they hesitated.
If Russia wants to burn their dollars and put their state of the art weapons in the hands of others as well, it is going to be rough. You know, even Captain Kirk in Star Trek, who was often a bit scattered and much too bold, was a leader. John F. Kennedy was a leader. FDR was a leader. Lincoln was amazing. It has been a long time since we have even given the choice to pick a real warrior or person we can admire and respect to lead America. Do we even have, or will we have that choice in 2016?
The real situation? I was up last night thinking - even doing a bit of praying for our country. The American people have been lied to in the extreme and the media is right there pushing it. The number of whoppers over the last 4 years may set an all time record and we cannot function with a Congress that is inept, on drugs at times, and even governors of states that are on crack.
The morality of America has collapsed. For many it has reached a saying of a woman I knew in high school - "If it feels good, do it." The Executive Branch has taken off on its own without the support of Congress enacting all kinds of EOs (executive actions) which are not based on a national emergency such as a nuclear attack. These special powers were never meant to give the administration the ability to bypass congress and go to war.
Even then the illegal war in Syria wasn't executed well. With all the technology, billions of dollars were spent and only a handful of people ever taught to fight. It was a friggin' disaster.
Can the voters hope to fix the problem? Well when the congressman are run by lobbyists and special interests, rarely is the will of the people even considered in the massive law full of pork laws that are passed. Can we make it a year without some serious international damage to credibility and strategy?
In conclusion - I have found this thread a bit scary to have started. It does step on toes like setting off a cluster bomb at a picnic. The mainstream media is still heavily controlled yet it is getting braver. Yet , the intelligent reader can put things together and see it is basically trying to bring you the truth which is rare on the Internet.
The war in Syria? It is the basic lesson we have yet to learn. The Brits lost the war as in 1814 as they fought Colonel Jackson's forces. Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise
If we didn't fire our muskets 'til we looked 'em in the eye
We held our fire 'til we see'd their faces well.
Then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave 'em ... well
Now in Africa, people dressed up in women's wedding dresses running to fire machine guns and then changing clothes and later eating next to U.S. troops at the restaurant who don't even know they are the enemy. Soldiers willing to not only die - but try and take as many with them. This is the type of warfare that forever could run around the core Roman legion with shields up to stop the arrows and spears out. It doesn't work anymore.
Now there is technology. To target the bad ones, women and children are killed. Russia has not won yet. These people have been at it for 3,000 years. As long as they exist - they will continue to fight. It has been said in a Jihad - and this has not quite got to the Jihad stage- hundreds of thousands of troops could arise from the desert to fight.
The element of surprise - now that is deadly. To do what others say will fail, like the charge of the light brigade - with intelligence and yet courage- that wins wars. Is that is what happening here. Boots on the ground after all these wars fought from the sky. Can we win a boots on the ground war half way around the world? We did in World War II - but that is with many countries fighting together. Fighting.. not holding meetings and talking about it. Holding that old black fortune telling 8 ball in the air and reading it... http://www.officeplayground.com/Magic-8-Ball-P276.aspx - http://www.officeplayground.com/Magic-8-Ball-P276.aspx "My sources say no."
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 13 2015 at 10:42pm
@Medclinician, leaders become myths. JFK ended the Cuba missile crisis by pulling back US missiles from Turkey.
The present crisis is the outcome of miscommunication, not a lack of fighting but when you do not have aims, goals to fight for how you will know wether you win or loose ?
Every country has intelligent people that know how to solve problems. China and Russia feel disrespected by the US (and EU, NATO). The US wants world energy prices in US $, run its economy on (foreign) debts. On the long term that is not a sign of strength.
Sometimes it is better to concentrate on yourself and limit the care you (would love to) give to others. The US has very serious problems internaly. Every hour an Afro-American in the US is shot dead by the police. Over 2 million people in prison (that is 25% of all people in prison in the world). In the top 5 with deadpenalties (in the same list as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia). Less than 1% owning as much as 80% of the poorest people in the US. This US is not able to set an exemple only if it can go back to its roots it will be.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 14 2015 at 6:35am
The Defense Minister of Iraq told the press the United States was a long way from Baghdad as tanks rolled behind him in a broadcast during the first war in Iraq. The first step is to admit the policies failed. The next step is to try and move into a position of power by doing something else.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 19 2015 at 8:18am
Although formal statements by China speak of political solutions - they are sending in forces to fight against IS, although it would appear this would be in Iraq rather than Syria and they are still considering their options for further involvement
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 21 2015 at 12:11am
Saudi Arabia (KSA)(other Gulf States) may start fighting directly with their ally IS, Al Quaeda etc in Syria. Sudan is sending troops to Yemen to fight on the KSA side against Iran.
Turkey is using refugees as a means of pressure on the EU with november 1 elections and Erdogan (supporter of IS fighting kurdish) hopes a good deal with the EU can bring him profits.
Countries to watch:
China-Uyghur fighters are brought from western China via Turkey to northern Syria to fight with IS (supported by NATO and CIA ?) China can not stay out of the war in Syria if they want to regain access to oil fields/rights in Syria, Iraq and Iran.
Turkey-Northern front in Syria. Already indirect fighting with Russia (shooting down planes), NATO member. Turkey proberbly will try to create "buffer zones for refugees" wich in fact will be NATO protected zones for IS, and 'moderate"Al Quaeda etc. Bringing the risk of (more) direct confrontation with Russia (& co)
Pakistan, East of Iran, South of Afghanistan. The ISI (secret service Pakistan) has been supporting the Taliban for years. Pakistan is also the logistic lifeline for NATO in Afghanistan. Pakistan did make an important infrastructure deal with China and Russia (oil/gas, railways) but is also friends with Saudi Arabia. (Supposed to keep nuclear weapons not only for Pakistan use against India but also to have sold "rights" for such weapons to KSA (against Iran).
KSA - war in Yemen not going well for them. Direct borders with Syria and Iraq means that war in those countries can spill over to KSA. Shiïte minority in eastern KSA might rise up to the royal family-clan. Most gulf-states are dictatorial corrupt states in wich human rights situation might be even worse than it was under the dictators in Iraq, Syria, Libya.
NATO countries-Canada is not longer bombing in the middle east, the EU has, as a result of NATO-action-a very large, costly, refugee crisis. The EU is-as always-divided. If the US wants to go on with the (NATO) war (against Russia, China, Iran) in the middle east (and Ukrain) the EU may not be a long term ally.
Egypt-largest Arab-nation, does not want that either Turkey, Iran or KSA gets to much power but has to find the best way to play a role. Since it has also a problem with IS in Sinaï, Libya, and other parts of Africa inclined to support a Syrian-Iraq approach (both also at least Arab)
India-wants to profit from growing trade. Sees Russia-China_Iran co-operation and energy/infrastructure deals of that bloc with Pakistan and Indonesia. For them it may be needed to get some proof that there is much point in dealing with regions that are further away (US, EU) when most of the economic growth might be in Asia.
Indonesia, largest Muslim nation. China has won the rights to build high-speed railway on Jawa (Djakarta-Bandung, China is also trying to get contracts for several high speed railway connections in India. Japan did not win contract in Indonesia.) Indonesia has "problems"with muslim-extremists. Export is largely depending on oil/gas. If Russia could get oil price over a 100 US $ (but not in US $ any longer-that is what the wars are about-partly) it would be welcomed by Indonesia. Also Indonesia has not a direct involvement in the South China Sea conflict with China (that is for a.o. Viet Nam, Philipines, Malaysia)
IMPORTANT:
Zero Hedge did mark that NATO and Russia are very close of fighting each other in Syria. In my opinion that is also the case in the Ukrain. The more countries that get involved the larger the risk of further escalation. Israel has a sort of "red thelephone-line"between Russian in Latakia (Syria) and Tel Aviv that is (for the moment) usefull as a way of limiting the dangers.
Turkey and KSA/Gulf States can not afford to loose the Syria war, because that would be the end of their role/rule. I did expect China to get involved more directly, the less "support" the "freedom fighters (IS, Al Quaeda etc) gets, the shorter the war. When the Russian/China/Iran coalition "wins"this war the US has to "reconsider"its position. The EU may start doing more trade with Asia.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 21 2015 at 12:25am
The best way to start pandemics is to send large groups of people over large distances. The refugees, send away by Turkey to the EU (for economic black mail, Turkey wants money and EU membership, that would bring Erdogan victory in the election) are "not very healthy" (a.o. TB)
Bombing by the US of power plants near Aleppo in Syria (not held by IS but pro-Assad army) brings risk of cholera (because water can not be cleaned). On a regionel level it isalso a water-war.
China will send forces to the Middle East, H7N9 will come with that.
The costs of the war(s) already runs into the hundreds of billions (both in $ or in€), money that can not be spend on education, food etc. and further increasing the unbalance of incomes world-wide.
Democracy itself is under pressure. Realistic news on the situation only can be found by checking news from all sides.
"Pacification" in Syria, Iraq (Jemen) and "further unrest" in KSA, Jordan, Egypt will mean more refugees. Coming winter will proberbly make the route over the Balkan almost as deadly as the route over the sea. If Chechnia, or Afghanistan after 1979 tells something "pacification" in Iraq and Syria will mean state-terror wich might kill up to 10% of the population. Putin got in power because of the role he played in Chechnia (and his KGB-background).
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 21 2015 at 3:38pm
Breaking News - Putin meets Assad for talks in Moscow - what is happening today - the real news
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 21 2015 at 10:51pm
Basics: Putin is telling Assad under wich conditions Assad may claim that he is running Syria. Of course Assad is NOT ruling Syria any longer. Decisions will be made in Moscow, Bejing, Tehran etc. not in Damascus. Assad will not be "president" of Syria in 2020. Putin wants a deal because he can not aford a long war in the Middle East and he is defending Russian interests.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 22 2015 at 3:00am
Putins meeting with Assad is a further step in taking over the middle East; http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-21/russia-love-assad-unexpectedly-visits-putin-moscow - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-21/russia-love-assad-unexpectedly-visits-putin-moscow
Of course that visit was to be expected, part of alarger plan. Any "help" by any "superpower" always has a pricetag. That is one of the constant factors in history. From Zerohedge:
In short: Washington and its regional allies will be allowed to participate in a discussion with The Kremlin, but that’s as far as it goes. Russia will decide Syria’s political future in consultation with Iran and given the strategic importance for Tehran of ensuring that there’s a “friendly” government operating in Damascus, you can bet that whatever the solution ends up being, Washington, Riyadh, Ankara, and Doha will most assuredly not like it.
To the victor go the spoils.
For now, we'll close with one quote from Sergei Karaganov, dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, and one amusing picture which we'll leave it to readers to caption (note the ear-to-ear grins).
“The message to the world is that Russia solves problems and you don’t. If you want to solve problems, work with us.”
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 22 2015 at 5:41am
Next stop for Russia-Iran-China coalition is Afghanistan ? After 15 years of NATO "bringing peace and prosperity" (Pakistan/ISI) druglords must be very rich. The heroïn-trade was never this large, Taliban is more widespread than en few years ago with IS showing up to fight them. The Commonwealth of Independent States (=mainly former Soviet Union) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization are preparing to fight terrorism that might show up from Afghanistan. http://southfront.org/countries-of-commonwealth-of-independent-states-cis-are-rallying-around-russia/ - http://southfront.org/countries-of-commonwealth-of-independent-states-cis-are-rallying-around-russia/ . Of course that should also have some influence on Georgia thinking of becoming a NATO-member (not to mention the Ukrain).
From west to east Afghanistan borders Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan in the north, in the east a small strip borders China and then the eastern border is Pakistan.
RIC (Russia-Iran-China (a.o. in the UN etc. http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/10/18/china-weighing-military-move-in-syria-video/ - http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/10/18/china-weighing-military-move-in-syria-video/ If China wants to secure its interest it is under pressure to do so faster.)) seem to be concentrated on the New Silk Road Europe-Asia and also Africa.
Eventhough KSA (Saudi Arabia) has to deal with decreasing oil-prices/sales (Iran also exporting) and increasing costs (wars in Yemen, Syria, supporting Boko Haram, IS) and Turkey expecting unrest after any outcome of the november 1 elections (and Turkeys disrespect for Syrian, Iraqi airspace of course that is not seen by "the west"as agression) the main supporters of IS say to are willing to fight Russia in Syria. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-22/proxy-war-no-more-qatar-threatens-military-intervention-syria-alongside-saudi-turkis - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-22/proxy-war-no-more-qatar-threatens-military-intervention-syria-alongside-saudi-turkis . Putin had telephone talks with Erdogan and the KSA "king" http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/10/21/putin-informs-saudi-king-of-results-of-assads-visit-to-russia-kremlin/ - http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/10/21/putin-informs-saudi-king-of-results-of-assads-visit-to-russia-kremlin/
This is a desperate cry for western (US, NATO) support. The EU has now a refugee-crisis costing billions of euro's. Trade-interests with Russia, Iran, China (RIC) at risk. Canada not bying the F35 JSF from the US, stopping its actions in Syria and Iraq Turkey and KSA have every reason to be desperate.
The US is loosing ground in Asia high speed due to a foreign policy that has been a disaster for decades. This will also effect relations between Europe and the US.
How dangerous things might get, Zerohedge: Let's just be clear. If Saudi Arabia and Qatar start bombing Iranian forces from the airspace near Russia's base at Latakia, this will spiral out of control.
Iran simply wouldn't stand for it and if you think for a second that Moscow is going to let Saudi Arabia fly around in Western Syria and bomb the Iranians, you'll be in for a big surprise. Of course the first time a Russian jet shoots down a Saudi warplane over Syria, Washington will have no choice but to go to war.
Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out the absurdity in what's being suggested here. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are essentially saying that they may be willing to go to war with Russia and Iran on behalf of al-Qaeda if it means facilitating Assad's ouster. The Western world's conception of "good guys"/ "bad guys" has officially been turned on its head.
And http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-22/putin-gains-record-support-among-russians-over-syria-poll-shows - meanwhile :
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s public approval rating has reached a record 89.9 percent since he ordered his military to begin air strikes in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, according to a state-run polling center.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 22 2015 at 11:01pm
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-22/what-if-they-started-war-and-everyone-came - http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-22/what-if-they-started-war-and-everyone-came Worth reading retrospective, far from complete (but to be more complete you do need a large library).
What should the US (and NATO) do ?
1. The coalition of Russia-Iran-China (RIC) is not a very strong one. The only reason it can exist is the common enemy: the "west". Since "we"(=the Europeans) are as always divided it is up to the US to start talking with "RIC" not as a coalition but as three different countries with each their own interests. (Of course the goal is to split that coalition).
2. Accept Assad, for the time being, as "president of Syria" (in fact Putin is running Syria so to say Assad is running Syria might strenghten "the west") and accept the need for "democratic changes" not only in Syria but also in the KSA, Gulf states.
3. "Angel-of-peace"approach, call for an all-out cease fire in the Middle East (the "west"is losing the wars so damage control might be the best you can get.)
4. The US needs to be less dependent on fossil-fuels. The US energy consumption, and the linkage of energy with the US $ is something the US only can solve itself.
Basicly do something ! Dropping weapons in the Syrian dessert in the hope "moderate rebels will find them"is stupid. US tax payers paying for the US army repairing tanks sold to Iraq but used by militia (with Russian machine guns, Iranian amunition) fighting groups the US is also supporting is insane. The only thing "the west"can think of is doing more of the same. That might bring us all near world war 3.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 8:04am
Russia and Jordan agreed to create a coordination center in Amman, which will be used by the two countries to share information on the counter-terrorism operations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
Russia is already in touch with Iran, Iraq and Syria through a Baghdad-based center used for the same purpose.
Lavrov said Jordan would play a positive part in finding a political solution to the Syrian conflict through negotiations between Damascus and opposition forces, an outcome that Russia itself is pursuing.
http://www.debka.com/article/24972/Hizballah-is-creeping-up-on-Israel%E2%80%99s-Golan-border-relying-on-Russian-military-cover - http://www.debka.com/article/24972/Hizballah-is-creeping-up-on-Israel%E2%80%99s-Golan-border-relying-on-Russian-military-cover (Debka was wrong in her claim that a Chines Aircraft Carrier was near Latakia a few weeks ago. China's economy may not allow major military action outside the borderregions.)
Hizballah is creeping up on Israel’s Golan border, relying on Russian military cover
For two years, Hizballah, egged on intensely by Iran, has made every effort to plant its forces along the Syrian border with Israel. For Tehran, this objective remains important enough to bring Al Qods Brigades chief, Gen. Qassem Soleiman, on a visit last week to the Syrian army’s 90th Brigade Quneitra base, which is the command post of the battle waged against Syrian rebel forces.
Soleimani, who is commander-in-chief of Iran’s military operations across the Middle East, is acting as military liaison in Syria between Tehran and Moscow. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Iranian general inspected the Quneitra battle lines no more than 1.5-2 km from the Israeli Golan border.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 24 2015 at 8:49am
Russia has "lines of communication"with Israel and Jordan. Putin has telephone talks with Erdogan (Turkey till nov 1st) and the "king" of KSA (eventhough Debka reported earlier that his family had sent him to hospital). Russian special forces from Eastern Ukrain are now "coördinating" Russian airstrikes in Syria with the Syrian Arab Army.
Lets speculate about the next short term move; the next president of Syria might be a (Syrian orthodox) Christian. If Assad would hand over power what reason the west still could find to "support opposition"? Eventhough in "democratic elections" in Syria Assad would win (there is not much of an alternative). Putin is very populair in Russia.
Russia proberbly wants to end these wars as soon as possible and is willing to give "the west" a sense of influence in that proces. Without NATO/Gulf states support IS, and the other "opposition" has no future. That is why I expect Putin to pay more attention (=divide and rule) to "the west". The EU is proberbly willing to "agree" on "a roadmap towards peace". https://www.rt.com/op-edge/319514-putin-obama-valdai-syria/ - https://www.rt.com/op-edge/319514-putin-obama-valdai-syria/
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 25 2015 at 12:48am
In my speculation about the future of Syria I could argue that Putin could claim that the present Syrian government invited Russia to intervene. (Just like the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 "on invitation"). A new (Russian backed) Syrian government might even start peace negotiations with Israel. That would make it even harder for "the west" to keep supporting "the opposition".
The legal basis for US/NATO intervention in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, is "thin". Putin might use that in the future. Even in the Soviet days Warsaw pact always acted "on invitation".
One could ask is Donald Trump the "US (answer to) Putin ? Further escalation of the wars in Iraq and Syria will not find much understanding in both the region and most western countries. On the diplomatic front Russia is also playing the game in a clever way. "The west" still does not have an answer and is (in Europe) facing "much protest" against (the extreme costs of) the refugees.
Obama/Kerry are getting, slowly, the point that the US needs to change its route. That 2016 will be a year dominated by US election campaignes makes that even harder. The US can not say no to the Iran-nuclear "deal" when all other partners are saying "yes" and want complete other things than the US.
Whoever wins the US elections will find that the world has changed very much.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 26 2015 at 10:18am
On history will tell of the wisdom or foolishness of Putin and Russia
in making a publicity coup of the first order in who is the Bear of
foreign policy. In battle, win or lose, it is often the element of
surprise as well as definitive action that leads to victory.
Any
faction or group who wants to dominate the world and begins gathering
forces, money, and mercenaries from all over the world to do it, is a
global threat to all nations.
When we for financial or lack of
clear intent reasons choose to withdraw from the conflict, we will have
little effect on the results. It has been the lessons of all world wars
and large conflicts that eventually no one can ignore them forever.
America
has not truly seen the ravages of war since the Civil War and before
that the War for Independence. This generation has not had to fight in
our homeland for our freedom. Nuclear weapons are not sufficient to
protect us from internal division and the deterioration of a Democracy
that took 200 years to establish and pay for with blood, sweat, and
tears, and the lives of many of our soldiers.
Syria is only the beginning.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 28 2015 at 2:43am
President Obama’s most senior national security advisers have
recommended measures that would move U.S. troops closer to the front
lines in Iraq and Syria, officials said, a sign of mounting White House
dissatisfaction with progress against the Islamic State and a renewed
Pentagon push to expand military involvement in long-running conflicts
overseas.
The debate over the proposed steps, which would for
the first time position a limited number of Special Operations forces on
the ground in Syria and put U.S. advisers closer to the firefights in
Iraq, comes as Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter presses the military
to deliver new options for greater military involvement in Iraq, Syria
and Afghanistan.
The changes would represent a significant
escalation of the American role in Iraq and Syria. They still require
formal approval from Obama, who could make a decision as soon as this
week and could decide not to alter the current course, said U.S.
officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the
discussions are still ongoing. It’s unclear how many additional troops
would be required to implement the changes being considered by the
president, but the number for now is likely to be relatively small,
these officials said.
comment: following the decision to keep troops in Afghanistan, a decision to put more forces in Syria could pull us into another Vietnam type situation. The fact we are not out of Afghanistan, another campaign promise by the Obama administration, has opened the door for an escalation in the Middle East and especially now in Syria, put our ground troops and advisers closer to the military conflict.
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 28 2015 at 8:12am
"Alright, so let’s see if we can untangle this. Washington intends to send in the Apaches to bolster Iraqi forces both Peshmerga and otherwise. Or at least that’s what it sounds like. The Pentagon is also considering the placement of American ground troops with “moderate” rebels and with the YPG in Syria.
As we’ve detailed extensively (and this isn’t exactly a secret), Iran http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-21/who-really-controls-iraq-inside-irans-powerful-proxy-armies - effectively runs the Iraqi military via its various Shiite militia proxy armies. That’s not an exaggeration. As http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/iraq-abadi/ - Reuters reported earlier this month, “the Fifth Iraqi Army Division now reports to the militias’ chain of command, not to the military’s, according to several U.S. and coalition military officials.” So when the Apaches and their crews aren’t supporting the Kurds, they’ll be openly supporting Iran-backed fighters.
Ok, fine.
Only that isn’t at all consistent with placing US ground troops with Syria’s “moderate rebels” like the Free Syrian Army because after all, they’re fighting the very same Iran-backed Shiite militias. So the US would be bolstering the militiamen in Iraq with Apache gunship support and then firing on those exact same militiamen across the border in Syria in support of the “moderate” rebels battling to oust the Assad regime.
It’s beyond absurd.
And then of course there’s the whole Kurd/Turkey problem. The US is, i) fighting alongside the Peshmerga in Iraq and intends to support them going forward with Apache helicopters, ii) paradropping guns and ammo to the YPG in Syria (as part of a ridiculous ruse that involves the largely made-up SAC mentioned above by WSJ), and now iii) may even send in ground troops to fight with the YPG. But Turkey just bombed the YPG yesterday. Additionally, the US is flying sorties from Incirlik which sets up the insanely ridiculous possibility that if the US embeds troops with the Syrian Kurds, US jets could be taking off from the same base as Turkish warplanes only the US warplanes would be supporting the YPG while Turkish warplanes bomb them.
So, yeah. This is should all go swimmingly.
Finally, there’s the possibility that if the US puts boots on the ground in Syria in support of the “moderate” rebels, those troops will be killed by Russia and Iran (which Dunford said on Tuesday likely has "more than 1,000 [soldiers] on the ground in Iraq [and] something less than 2,000 in Syria")
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 28 2015 at 8:15am
The US Navy has been active in the Black- and Baltic Sea, the South Chinese Sea https://www.rt.com/news/319948-us-china-military-spratly/ - https://www.rt.com/news/319948-us-china-military-spratly/ . There were plans the US Air Force would also start bombing Hezbollah in Syria (that has very strong links with Iran).
In fact the US is doing everything to make the Russia-Iran-China (RIC) coalition stronger eventhough there have been talks between Kerry and the Russian foreign minister.
The way matters are going now, the plan for Iraq is for US forces to join Iraqi and Iranian units in launching an offensive to recover Ramadi, capital of the Western province of Anbar, 110 km West of Baghdad, which ISIS captured in May. In Syria, American troops plan to work with the northeastern Kurdish PYD-YPG militia for marching on Raqqa, the Islamic State’s headquarters in that country.
and: Ankara is vehemently opposed to the US partnership with the Kurds of Syria and Iraq, and puts its campaign against their separatist trends ahead of its commitment to the anti-ISIS coalition.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Satori
Date Posted: October 29 2015 at 8:06pm
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 30 2015 at 6:55am
The situation in Syria is a serious threat to world peace and as United States ground forces move towards the area, the risk of this resulting in a serious long lasting (years) quagmire become more likely. The battle continues - and gains have been made by Russia in terms of establishing a military presence which may last decades.
We see a time when independent films and other data is bypassing the control of the mainstream media and giving us behind the scenes information.
Update October 28, 2015 on Syria and the fight against Isis in the Middle East
Medclinician
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: October 31 2015 at 1:52am
The only way the wars in Syria and Iraq (and maybe also Yemen, Libya) can be stopped is by international talks. Conflicts can not be solved in a military way. The basic choice is talks or fight and then talk.
According to Debka (who has made several reports that turned out incorrect, the KSA king is still in power, the Chinese Aircraftcarrier was not near Syria) Iran/Hezbollah did loose the battle to control the main road between Aleppo and Damascus. http://www.debka.com/article/24985/Iran%E2%80%99s-elite-Rev-Guards-units-routed-by-ISIS-in-the-Al-Safira-pre-battle-for-Aleppo - http://www.debka.com/article/24985/Iran%E2%80%99s-elite-Rev-Guards-units-routed-by-ISIS-in-the-Al-Safira-pre-battle-for-Aleppo
Peace for Syria and Iraq (and the rest of the world) would be good news. A war that will last even longer is bad news.
Russia could claim that their intervention is a succes if it would end war in Syria and Iraq before the summer of 2016. If the war would go on much longer international "credit" might be lost. (If the US does think that prolonging the war so Russia's image would get damaged I think that would be a very unintelligent aproach. IS, Al Quada, are much worse than Russia.)
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Medclinician
Date Posted: October 31 2015 at 8:36am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLUjzGUYUfw - There really seems to be no apparent logic to the U.S. sending in less than 50 special forces to "advise" fighters. It really is much more simple and easily stated as to what is happening. The conflict between the Christians and the Muslims has been going on for 1,300 years. The conflict between those in Canaan and the Jewish people occurred around 1407 B.C. That means they have been fighting for 3,422 years. This conflict will never end until neither exists anymore to fight.
Basically Isis has called out the West, especially U.S. to put ground troops in. However well trained or brave they might be, it would be a disaster. Despite the promise this would not happen over and over and that is a totally illegal action without the approval of Congress, it is about to happen.
If the West enters the battle, we are the aggressors, it becomes a Holy War and the idea to pull us into what would be a slaughter and loss of life would become a reality.
Imagine a wheel (Wheel of Fortune) with each section marked with a bad idea with a few sections of good ideas and every time the U.S. is going to do something they spin the wheel and pay no attention at all to the consequences.
Personally, I think Russia going in was a bad idea and it could backfire. At the onset it may be all glorious with propaganda films of bombing the hell out of both rebel and some Isis positions, but it is unlikely they are going to end the conflict between the Shiites and the Sunni. This war cannot be won by fighting it must be ended by negotiation and political means.They can gather allies and orchestrate all the battles they can muster but just as the Republican Guard went underground when the West entered Baghdad, IS will hide if it needs to.
The U.S. economy, the World economy is not doing all that well. Unlike World War II, big arms sales and hyped up factories making bombs are not going to bring back the 50's and 60's prosperity to the U.S.
We near a time when the reality is how many bad decisions can be made in a row before it is catastrophic. We are nearing an endpoint to where in the melee of mixed nations, rockets, bombs, and jets, someone is going to hit someone else hard.
It probably was a better idea to let them fight it out and see if it spills over any further and then rally a global response and declare it a war - IMHO.
Medclinician
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLUjzGUYUfw -
------------- "not if but when" the original Medclinician
Posted By: CRS, DrPH
Date Posted: October 31 2015 at 10:41pm
Medclinician wrote:
It probably was a better idea to let them fight it out and see if it spills over any further and then rally a global response and declare it a war - IMHO.
Medclinician
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLUjzGUYUfw -
I have to agree! We arrogant Americans feel that we can insert ourselves into any situation and turn things around, and, if properly done, a handful of US special forces could create havoc with ISIL.
However, it is a losing strategy. Better to let Russia get involved in that, they don't seem to learn either.
------------- CRS, DrPH
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: November 01 2015 at 10:21pm
In an interview with Spanish newspapers that was http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2015/10/30/actualidad/1446231111_709046.html - published October 31st , U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon condemned U.S. President Barack Obama’s demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be removed from office, and Moon said: http://www.france24.com/en/20151031-uns-ban-says-syrian-talks-hostage-assads-future - “The future of Assad must be determined by the Syrian people.”
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: November 24 2015 at 1:42am
A Russian Su-24 fighter has been shot down in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding the plane hadn’t violated Turkish airspace and was flying at an altitude of 6,000 meters.
“During the flight, the aircraft was flying within the borders of Syria, which was registered by objective monitoring data,” the ministry http://eng.mil.ru/en/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12066609@egNews - said , adding that the aircraft was "supposedly shot down from the ground.”
"A war plane with unidentified nationality fell near the Turkish border in Syria's Bayirbucak region," the Anadolu Agency reported. "The moment of the plane falling into Bayirbucak region across from Hatay's Yayladagi was captured on camera. The pilot's evacuation via parachute was also captured. Heavy smoke has been seen in the area where the plane fell."
The area referred to by the news agency is in southern Turkey, close to the Syrian border.
The Turkish government is strongly opposed to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. Skirmishes between Turkish and Syrians have taken place in the past, with Turkish officials accusing the Syrian planes of violating Turkish air space.
The defense ministry in Moscow confirmed its warplane was downed by Turkish forces, but claimed it was flying sorties against rebels over Syria and was shot down by Turkish artillery. Ankara says it was shot down violating Turkish air space by Turkish F-16s after repeated warnings. The two pilots were able to eject from the plane, but their fate is unclear. Some sources report that one of the pilots was captured by a Syrian rebel group. Turkish media broadcast video footage of the plane crashing into mountains near the border with Hatay province.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: November 24 2015 at 1:51am
Russia will do all they can to bring back the pilots. If those pilots are in the hands of "rebels" proberbly in a military way, if in Turkish control by negotiations. But if Turkey starts shooting at Russian planes above Syria (maybe defending IS-forces that are attacking Kurdish fighters) it is a further serious escalation.
Putin is in Iran:
Putin, Khamenei hold talks in Tehran, with Syria front and center
DEBKAfile November 24, 2015, 12:40 AM (IDT)
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday in Tehran, with Syria dominating the agenda as their countries tighten military cooperation in support of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad. The two leaders also discussed possibilities for joint efforts in other fields following Iran's nuclear deal with Western powers, reports said. In comments released to the media, the two leaders criticized Western and other countries for pushing for Assad's removal. “No one can or should force any form of government upon the Syrian people from the outside, or decide who should rule them,” Putin said during the talks. “This should be decided only by the Syrian people.” Khamenei claimed Russia is playing an important role by countering US influence in the region, adding that Tehran will only hold bilateral talks with Washington regarding the nuclear issue, according to the Iranian media. Putin is making his first visit to Iran since 2007 to attend a meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum. The Russian president is also scheduled to meet his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. Tehran is one of Moscow's main allies in the Syrian conflict, with forces from the two sides already engaged in joint operations as seen in DEBKAfile's http://www.debka.com/article/25034 - special report .
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: November 24 2015 at 2:30am
A warplane that http://www.todayszaman.com/index/russia - Russia said was a Russian Su-24 was shot down by http://www.todayszaman.com/index/turkey - Turkey in http://www.todayszaman.com/index/syria - Syria near the Turkish border on Tuesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the downed plane was a Russian Su-24 and that it was within Syrian airspace. It said the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 6,000 meters and that it was apparently gunned down from the ground, the Sputnik news agency reported.
"For the entire duration of the flight, the aircraft was exclusively over Syrian territory. This was recorded by reliable monitoring methods," the Defense Ministry said in a statement
A CNN Türk reporter in Yayladağ said a helicopter was hovering over the scene of the crash, apparently to pick up the pilots, but that opposition fighters were preventing it. The reporter later said one of the pilots was in the hands of Turkmen opposition fighters while the second pilot was dead, citing local sources.
The Russian Defense Ministry statement said the fate of the pilots was still being determined and that according to the preliminary data, the pilots were able to eject from the plane.
Doğan news agency footage showed what appeared to be Russian military helicopters searching for the pilots.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: November 24 2015 at 2:40am
"Turkmen opposition fighters" are Turkish backed fighting Assad in Syria. Question1: How can Turkey shoot down a Russian plane above Turkey that crashes in Syria ?
2. "Turkmen"fighters should be seen as not a part of the Turkish army in Syria, but what then ? 3. There are some reports that also a SearchAndResque-helicopter was shot down over the crash area in Syria. Russia will not accept that. What military reaction is to be expected. ? (Full scale attack on Turkmen position-para-troops fighting Turkmen ? Russia/Iran to "keep away"Turkish (and US) planes ?
I hope Putin and Erdogan are having a telephone call !
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein
Posted By: Dutch Josh
Date Posted: November 24 2015 at 7:48am
Earlier today, just hours after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 warplane near the border with Syria, the FSA (more specifically Alwiya al-Ashar) released footage of fighters celebrating over the body of a dead Russian pilot.
The group would later claim to have executed both pilots after they ejected from the plane and attempted to parachute to safety.
In a second serious escalation, another FSA-aligned group claimed to have shot down a Russian search and rescue helicopter.
You can read our full coverage http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-24/russian-search-helicopter-downed-us-made-anti-tank-missile-rebels-claim - here , but just note that if the FSA's 1st Coastal Brigade did indeed use an American-made TOW to destroy a Russian aircraft, it confirms exactly what we said on Monday when we detailed the American, Turkish, and Saudi-sponsored program to supply anti-tank missiles to the Syrian opposition:
Obviously, this is the very definition of absurdity. It would be bad enough if the US were supplying TOWs to anyone in Syria. But this is Washington and Riyadh handing anti-tank missiles to forces that are firing them at the Iranians who are operating under cover of Russian airstrikes. Just to drive that home: the US is waging war against Iran and Russia with but one degree of separation.
If Putin was angry when Turkey shot down a Russian plane, which may or may not have crossed Turkish territory - reports on both sides are conflicting - he will be absolutely livid to learn that, according to Turkey's Dogan News, the Russian pilots who had parachuted in an attempt to save their lives after the plane was shot down, had been executed while parachuting down by local rebels, which considering the http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-24/us-backed-rebels-release-video-dead-russian-pilot - video released earlier belonged to the Free Syrian Army , are same "rebels" who are funded directly by the CIA.
Putin slams Ankara over 'stab in the back', vows 'significant consequences'
DEBKAfile November 24, 2015, 3:56 PM (IDT)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin denounced Turkey on Tuesday over the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish jets earlier in the day, calling it "a stab in the back, carried out by the accomplices of terrorists." Arriving in Sochi from Tehran, he vowed the incident "will have significant consequences, including for Russia-Turkish relations," without elaborating further. He rejected Ankara's claim that the Su-24 violated Turkish airspace, saying it was part of a group of warplanes in Syrian airspace that was struck by an air-to-air missile one kilometer from the Turkish border when it crashed. Putin spoke while receiving Jordan’s King Abdullah at his Black Sea residence.
------------- We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~Albert Einstein