Meanwhile, In Syria

[AreOut]

Chimune said:

Can someone simplify it fir me??

Yes.

[grumbledoak]

Chimune said:

This new Kurdish thing has my head in bits. Can someone simplify it fir me?

USA support Kurds and rebel Syrians in this area.
Russia support the Kurds but not the rebel Syrians.
Turkey support the rebel Syrians but not the Kurds.

Russia controls the airspace.
???

The basics are not as complex as some make out; that's obfuscation. Oil and Israel are "what's going on" in the Middle East.

Everyone wants the oil fields in NE Syria and Iraq
Some want a gas pipeline through Syria to Europe; Russia don't want the competition
Israel wants all the regional powers humbled so it can feel secure

So,
the US has effectively destroyed Iraq and Libya on flimsy "he's a dictator" pretexts
the US now wants rid of Assad. It supports rebels/ISIS/Kurds/anyone to that end; Russia supports Assad
The Kurds are being used - historically nomadic, they want a homeland of their own. Preferably one including oil fields
Turkey doesn't want to lose land - between it and the oil fields - to a new Kurdistan

[Driller]

So another front kicks off

[QuantumTokoloshi]

You cannot argue Erdogan does not have a sense of humour and Irony, pot and kettle comes to mind.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-21/erdogan-...

[BlackLabel]

Wonder how Putin sells this kind of stuff at home? Do they get the whole “we’re fighting them abroad so we don’t have to fight them at home” one liners that are so often said by our politicians?



https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/am...

[Phud]

The concept that mother Russia is the reason for life is not understood in the west, it is easy to understand how this action is passed to the people in Russia if the wider view is taken.

However if one looks at Russia with western eyes, it will never be understood, if one looks at the Russian mentality and sees how passionate the Russians are for their homeland it is easy to understand.

[AreOut]

"Do they get the whole “we’re fighting them abroad so we don’t have to fight them at home” one liners that are so often said by our politicians? "

Yes. That's the russian soldiers in Syria have better morale than syrian soldiers..most Arabs are awful fighters.

[QuantumTokoloshi]

More developments in Syria, Israeli jet shot down, Turkish copter shot down, Syria AD hit heavily by Israeli SEAD strikes, Russian "mercenaries" killed by US airstrikes and US supported "allies". The place is still a complete sh*t show with no end in sight.

[Routemaster93]

Sa Calobra said:

Lunatic? He has a big army. The US wouldn't fight him. Do you think they would?

Saddam Hussein had big army 4th biggest in the world.
Saddam Hussein attacked the Kurds in 1988 and 1991

The USA established an no fly zone in Northern Iraq banning Iraqi airforces from the Kurdish region.
Maybe a no fly zone is needed in Northern Syria banning the Turks entering that airspace and attacking the Kurds?

[BlackLabel]

QuantumTokoloshi said:

More developments in Syria, Israeli jet shot down, Turkish copter shot down, Syria AD hit heavily by Israeli SEAD strikes, Russian "mercenaries" killed by US airstrikes and US supported "allies". The place is still a complete sh*t show with no end in sight.

I think Putin’s very public and loud declaration of victory, back in Dec’ is going to be a George Bush ‘mission accomplished’/USS Abraham Lincoln moment.

Meanwhile.....

“(Reuters) - Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group said the Turkish military carried out a suspected gas attack that wounded six people in Syria's Afrin region on Friday.”

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/mobile.reuters.com/ar...

Not the most reliable of sources I know but it’s undeniable that Turkey are upping the ante against the Kurds in the region so I wouldn’t put this past them.

[Driller]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43107013

I’m VERY confused!

[Pupp]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-432009...

So, UN officially impotent then...

[BlackLabel]

"A British special forces soldier killed during an anti-Islamic State operation in Syria has been described as "daring and fearless".

Sergeant Matt Tonroe, from the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, died in an improvised explosive device blast on Thursday while embedded with US forces.

His is the first death of a serving member of the British armed forces in the fight against Islamic State."

https://news.sky.com/story/british-sas-soldier-kil...

[grumbledoak]

[AndStilliRise]

grumbledoak said:

Chimune said:

This new Kurdish thing has my head in bits. Can someone simplify it fir me?

USA support Kurds and rebel Syrians in this area.
Russia support the Kurds but not the rebel Syrians.
Turkey support the rebel Syrians but not the Kurds.

Russia controls the airspace.
???

The basics are not as complex as some make out; that's obfuscation. Oil and Israel are "what's going on" in the Middle East.

Everyone wants the oil fields in NE Syria and Iraq
Some want a gas pipeline through Syria to Europe; Russia don't want the competition
Israel wants all the regional powers humbled so it can feel secure

So,
the US has effectively destroyed Iraq and Libya on flimsy "he's a dictator" pretexts
the US now wants rid of Assad. It supports rebels/ISIS/Kurds/anyone to that end; Russia supports Assad
The Kurds are being used - historically nomadic, they want a homeland of their own. Preferably one including oil fields
Turkey doesn't want to lose land - between it and the oil fields - to a new Kurdistan

Yep. I agree with this. USA want the oil, Israel wants more land. However look's as if they have had enough and are pulling out. Assad is stronger than they thought or wanted and know it will be going nowhere fast.

[anonymous-user]

Don't sound very good the news coming out of Syria.

[grumbledoak]

Do you mean the White Helmets have reported a chemical attack just as the "moderate rebels" are losing ground? Again.

That pattern is about as convincing as South Park's "It's coming right for us!" <blam>

[Pupp]

Yeah, the BBC, Reuters etc are making it up again...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-436861...

[anonymous-user]

grumbledoak said:

Do you mean the White Helmets have reported a chemical attack just as the "moderate rebels" are losing ground? Again.

That pattern is about as convincing as South Park's "It's coming right for us!" <blam>

Well I'm just going by what the BBC reported.
No one is beyond criticism, just blindly supporting one side whoever that may be makes your argument lose credence.

[Octoposse]

Raygun said:

Well I'm just going by what the BBC reported.

The actual facts buried in the report are "people whom it would suit for us to believe there to have been a chemical attack try to persuade us there has been a chemical attack." That's definitely not the spin in the article though, and especially not in the headline.