Military Events in Syria and Iraq Thread #4

[iceaura]

Of course, you can always blame Russians for communist crimes, given that communism has controlled the Russian territory for more than 70 years.

Not blame - identified participation, dominant culture, etc etc.
The Russians were communists, in the Soviet Union.

As explained many times, actually reputational systems exclude most of the people, so that only a small enough community remains. Those outside have no chance to participate.

Yep. Among other problems.

Once truly libertarian-controlled regions are not yet available, nothing remains but preference for the least evil.

Utopias are always unavailable. What the attempts to impose them make available is never the least evil.

My preference for Putin is, btw, restricted only as far as he is fighting the US-controlled globalist world government project.

So no responsibility for what he is actually doing. Unsurprising.

The Syrians will not have the luxury of ignoring what Putin is doing for a long time.

 

[Schmelzer]

Not blame - identified participation, dominant culture, etc etc.
The Russians were communists, in the Soviet Union.

Some Russians were communists, together with some Georgians, Ukrainians, and so on.

Utopias are always unavailable. What the attempts to impose them make available is never the least evil.

In this sense, libertarianism is not utopian.

So no responsibility for what he is actually doing. Unsurprising. The Syrians will not have the luxury of ignoring what Putin is doing for a long time.

Makes no sense. I evaluate what he is doing, and find he is doing most of the time quite good things. It does not follow that I have to support everything he is doing and take some responsibility for everything he is doing. For those things which he is doing which I support, I accept some moral responsibility.

As far as I can see, most of the Syrians support what Putin is doing in Syria.

 

[pjdude1219]

In this sense, libertarianism is not utopian.

any ideology that ignores reality and pulls random shit out of its ass is inherently utopian. Since all libertarian ideas generally come from someones rectum yes its an utopian fantasy

 

[iceaura]

Some Russians were communists, together with some Georgians, Ukrainians, and so on.

And the Russian ones provided the language, the capital city, the major support behind the political structure, the military and police muscle, the scientific and technical progress (those elite universities did their share), and so forth.

In this sense, libertarianism is not utopian.

Yours is. "Reputational" enforcement of contracts against the rich and powerful? Even Harry Potter carried a wand, for his magic tricks.

As far as I can see, most of the Syrians support what Putin is doing in Syria.

Your famous eyesight, again. Compared with what? Most of them probably supported Assad in the first place - consider the penalties for not supporting him. And Pinochet, once he had power. Hussein. Most Russians supported Stalin, for that matter. So?

 

[Schmelzer]

And the Russian ones provided the language, the capital city, the major support behind the political structure, the military and police muscle, the scientific and technical progress (those elite universities did their share), and so forth.

You overestimate the role of the Russians. There has been some other nationality which played a very important role in Soviet science, much higher than their part of the population. The Russians have had a lot of intelligent people too, but there has been also a lot of non-Russians in those elite universities.

"Reputational" enforcement of contracts against the rich and powerful?

Of course.

Most of them probably supported Assad in the first place - consider the penalties for not supporting him. And Pinochet, once he had power. Hussein. Most Russians supported Stalin, for that matter. So?

So you have simply made another cheap propaganda comparison of Assad with some bad guys. That means, business as usual.

 

[iceaura]

So you have simply made another cheap propaganda comparison of Assad with some bad guys.

Showing that "support" does not imply a good guy. You implied it did, which was a false implication (and a cheap propaganda schtick, of course - but you knew that).

You overestimate the role of the Russians.

The language, the capital, the centers of economic and military power and control, the centers of science and engineering, the government overthrown to gain power - all Russian.
The Bolsheviks did not gain power by overthrowing the Tsar of Ukraine.

"Reputational" enforcement of contracts against the rich and powerful?
Of course.

Why would they allow that? Utopian, as noted before.

 

[iceaura]

https://www.juancole.com/2018/10/baghdad-elections-frustrated.html

Adil Abdul Mahdi is a member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq or ISCI (formerly the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq) and is the first post-2003 prime minister not to be from the largely lay fundamentalist Shiite party, the Da`wa (The Islamic Call Party).

Iran wins another one - its influence in Syria will also solidify.

 

[iceaura]

Trump has released Russia from its treaty obligations curbing nuclear weapons distribution in the Middle East - thereby allowing such distribution.

Since Iran has been likewise released - due to Trump's abrogation of the relevant pact -

the route to a nuclear armed Iran has become almost direct. The only obstacle would be Iran's voluntary adherence to its signing of the Non-proliferation Treaty - and it is already being sanctioned as if it had reneged on that.

All three dominant religions in the area would then be represented by governments that have nuclear weapons: Israel, Pakistan, Iran.

Russian nuclear weapons are also now available as negotiating leverage in the area.

 

[Quantum Quack]

Israel, Pakistan, Iran.

As Israel and Pakistan are NOT signatories of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) and with Israel running a pro-active policy of "Counter proliferation". ( Begin doctrine - preventative strikes) and Iran in alleged non-compliance of it's signature to the NPT


The consequences of pulling out of the INF may prove very interesting, no doubt about it...

edited..

 

[sculptor]

how important is Syria's wheat production to the Syrians?

 

[iceaura]

And the general shape of things to come begins to emerge:
Background: https://www.news.com.au/world/middl...t/news-story/74efcba9554c10bd35e280b63a9afb74
Couple years ago: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-energy-summit-turkey-russia-idUSKCN12A244
And coming around: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/...e-new-strategic-TurkStream-pipeline-162718606

In September 2018, Erdogan and Putin agreed on a roadmap to clear Idlib of the former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham without the need for military intervention.
- -
The two countries have also grown closer in a bid to carve out a political solution to the Syrian issue.

In October, Turkey hosted a summit with France, Germany, and Russia to discuss the Syria situation. The summit pushed for a committee to draft Syria's post-war constitution before the end of the year.

 

[Schmelzer]

The recent weeks have been not very interesting in Syria.

One big news was the liberation of hostages - mainly women and children - which have been taken by the IS in Suweida. They were thought to have been imprisoned in the region of the Al Safa volcano in the desert. But in reality, they were held far away from this, in a region much closer to the Euphrat. It seems quite obvious that the transport of the hostages has been done through the US-controlled region around Al Tanf, simply because there is no other way.

Once the hostages were liberated, and the Syrian army no longer had to be afraid of killing hostages in attacks of IS positions in the Al Safa volcano region, it was liberated from the remaining IS fighters. Their remains run away toward the US-controlled Al Tanf region.

The other news was about regular fightings and local peace contracts in Idlib and fighting between the IS remains and the Kurds East of the Euphrates, with the IS on the winning side, and US bombings of IS held villages killing more civilians than fighters.

 

[CptBork]

You forgot to mention how much darker and thicker Putin's hair has been looking of late.

 

[Schmelzer]

Wow, Trump declares that U.S. is pulling U.S. troops and diplomats from Syria

Would be good if this really happens. We will see.

 

[CptBork]

Wow, Trump declares that U.S. is pulling U.S. troops and diplomats from Syria

Would be good if this really happens. We will see.

This is just a reminder to everyone that Schmelzer has already repeatedly declared and implied his strong desire to see the US suffer economic, military and political damage while losing its current role in global politics, and that he sees these politics as a zero-sum game, just like Putin. If he's saying that he views something involving the US as being good, that generally means he does not see it as being a good thing for the US itself, and you should ask yourselves why he'd see it that way.

To those Americans who think pulling out of Syria at this time would be a good idea, I ask where they expect to recruit allies next time a group like ISIS (or ISIS itself) arises in a distant region, if their current allies in Syria end up massacred. My personal hope is that the US will at least continue providing them with air cover and continue to strike any droopy-eyed Russian drunks who try to take advantage of their absence, when Kurdish firepower alone doesn't suffice.

 

[sculptor]

Wow, Trump declares that U.S. is pulling U.S. troops and diplomats from Syria

... .

yippee

 

[Schmelzer]

This is just a reminder to everyone that Schmelzer has already repeatedly declared and implied his strong desire to see the US suffer economic, military and political damage while losing its current role in global politics, and that he sees these politics as a zero-sum game, just like Putin.

As usual, a lie. A return to isolationism would be win-win, it would MAGA and be good for all other states too. My enemy are the globalists, not Americans.

I ask where they expect to recruit allies next time a group like ISIS (or ISIS itself) arises in a distant region, if their current allies in Syria end up massacred.

Groups like the IS are not a problem without foreign support. In the case of the IS, the support came mainly from Saudi-Arabia, but also from the US.

That former US allies will be massacred is their well-deserved fate. Often the US is doing such things itself, like with Saddam or Noriega.

My personal hope is that the US will at least continue providing them with air cover

Why would they risk to be shot by the Syrian air defenses?

Whatever, it is too early to believe that the US troops will really go. One can be sure about this only after they are really out of Syria. I would not wonder at all if after some attack against the Syrian forces in Idlib "Assad" again uses chemical weapons - the White Helmets will have nice videos to prove this. And all this will be stopped again.

 

[iceaura]

As usual, a lie. A return to isolationism would be win-win, it would MAGA and be good for all other states too

Trump is a globalist - an international "businessman" with an army, being conned, bribed, and blackmailed by countries around the globe.
He needs to mollify Turkey after the assassination, without disturbing his deals with the Saudi moneybags. If that involves throwing allies with no money or leverage under the nearest bus, he's not going to think twice.

It's always good to get the soldiers back, especially from clusterfucks like Syria - but the diplomats?

That former US allies will be massacred is their well-deserved fate.

And that Putin will support such massacres is taken for granted. The Kurds are an obstacle to Russia's pipeline plans.

Whatever, it is too early to believe that the US troops will really go. One can be sure about this only after they are really out of Syria.

Yep. Trump says a lot of things. Nothing works like he says.

 

[iceaura]

The art of the deal: Turkey responds to Trump's military policy tweet by buying US missiles, instead of Russian ones.
https://www.juancole.com/2018/12/middle-winners-withdrawal.html
And no mention of dismembered journalists in the Saudi Embassy in Turkey - everybody will pretend that never happened.

 

[Quantum Quack]

Call me cynical....
By golly... where would the USA economy be with out Russia, China and North Korea scaring nations into buying weapons from the USA?

Even Japan is.... well you know... uhm
So the USA pulls out of Syria ( can go back in pretty fast I am sure, if needed) and in the mean time military hardware sales just keep on comin' in.
It is so effective one has to wonder if Putin is getting a kick back for all the sales he is promoting