Russia, Syria, Iran, Turkey, the US and other players
By Warren
A look at recent developments in the Middle East and elsewhere plus a more in-depth byplay we don't often get. It looks to me like Russia has really stuck its foot in it.
From StrategyPage:
Russia: Embarrassing Cold War Reminders
The government has an awkward situation in Syria. Immediately after the April 7 American cruise missile attack on a Syrian air base (in retaliation of earlier Syrian use of nerve gas) the Russian Internet lit up with embarrassing discussions about that happened to Russian boasts in late 2016 that the Russian air defense system in Syria was operational.
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Warren
I heard that Syria has moved all its planes to the Russian air base. We shall see.
ReplyDeleteI don't doubt it. We won't bomb the Russian base.
DeleteStill waiting for the Kremlin to replace Assad with a kinder gentler monster.
ReplyDelete) Good one...
DeleteWarren, thanks for the very informative article.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that Assad just may not be as squeaky clean as American politicians of recent memory such as Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, the Bushes and Donald Trump, but he was elected as leader of an independent country. Why is it OK to arm "the rebels" fighting against Assad when those rebels are, according to several people who know differently, more likely to be actually real terrorists of the ISIS variety. And the media pretends America is just protecting and expanding democracy against a tyrant that bombs his own people and uses chemical weapons on them?
ReplyDeleteThe various "moderate" rebels, such as the FSA are no where near the ISIS variety...but make no mistake, they hold no great affinity for the U.S.
DeleteThey love us as long as we arm and advise them.
... Or as Brian Williams would say IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING
ReplyDelete@Bunker,
ReplyDelete"I heard that Syria has moved all its planes to the Russian air base."
I believe that this has been verified. If so will Russia no longer be able to deny, with any credence, if WMD are dropped from the air? I would think NOT!
While I don't like the direction that Turkey is trending, internally, I've heard that they may be vying for supremacy in the ME. If so could they possibly present an obstacle to Iran's designs of same?
Erdogan, has said that, Democracy is a bus, when it gets to your stop you get off.
DeletePersonally, I am very disappointed in the president for allowing us to get further involved in the rotten stinking mess that is the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteMiddle Easterners do not belong in the West –– especially in the USA –– and Westerners ought to have stayed the hell OUT of the Middle East.
If it weren't for the forced implantation of the modern state of ISRAEL in the midst of brutally hostile territory, I doubt very much if we would ever have permitted ourselves to get embroiled in ancient Middle Eastern antagonisms that have NOTHING properly to do with US.
We do NOT need Middle Eastern oil. We have plenty in the Western Hemisphere to last for many hundreds of years.
Beware AIPAC –– aka The Israel Lobby. It is powerful beyond all reason, and has a firm grip on a majority of our congress creatures. How this could be, i don't kmpw, but to deny it, is utter folly.
AMERICA should be for AMERICANS first, foremost and always.
We should never have allowed ourselves to be persuaded to grant DUAL CITIZENSHIP to ANYBODY for ANY REASON.
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
~ Matthew 6:24 (KJV)
FT,
DeleteI don't see Trump as being a sycophant in the Middle East, though. His approach to foreign policy is anti globalist. So far, at least.
FT, America's involvement in the Middle East came about as repayment for an obligation going back to Woodrow Wilson. Samuel Untermyer, a New York shyster lawyer, for ably assisting Woodrow Wilson become President needed Wilson to push forward the establishing of the state of Israel, which served as repayment for getting America involved in World War I. The Balfour Declaration got this process underway since America's involvement in that war prolonged it and saved England which was facing defeat and economic disaster because of the war.
DeleteBlackmailing Woodrow Wilson
Show us on the doll where the Jews touched you....
DeleteSo, like, the omnipotent Elders of Zion sent you to false flag attack them with cornball anti-Semitic trolling on the Internet to drum up support for the only ethnic group that has combatted Islamic terrorism for 14 centuries?
DeleteAre we supposed to horde gold and freeze dried ice cream now?
Very interesting stuff....
ReplyDeleteLast week, Trump said something like "Our situation with Russia is worse today than it's EVER been" and I kept thinking "does he remember the Cold War?" Perhaps he said that to remind Americans he doesn't get along with Putin?
I don't understand quite why Putin's being so provocative, like flying so near to Alaska four nights in a row...what's the deal there? if he can't back this up, where's he going with it? Does HE believe Trump will do nothing?
Z,
DeletePutin is flexing his muscles to save face. Strong man challenging strong man. Geopolitical theater.