Syrian war thread - Page 147 - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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#14895695
Yes they are a problem since they never accepted the presence of the Jews in that region

things were bad way before 1948. it all started in the 19th century

looks like the Muslim Arabs are not so much in favor of multiculturalism but now they demand it in the western countries
By skinster
#14895721
ZN, I'm sorry but you're talking shite. Jews lived in Syria and Palestine before European colonization, along with other groups. Syria is a multi-religion state and it's your government, along with others that were in the process of destroying that co-existence, in favour of Salafi jihadists taking control.

As for multiculturalism in Palestine, let me guess, who's been destroying that in favour of privileging ONE group? :excited:
By Rich
#14895744
Atlantis wrote:I will never get why US neocons don't understand that US regime change tactics CAN NOT work. It is physically impossible.

Regime changed worked well in Germany, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Grenada, Panama and Iraq. Iraq's had huge economic growth, and democracy. Iraq has made a significant contribution to defeating the Sunni Arab terrorists in Syria. Central Iraq has seen amazing stabilisation as huge numbers of Sunni Arab terrorists and Sunni Arab terrorist supporters have chosen to leave. The great thing is that the Shia militias can talk to the Sunni Arabs in the language that they can understand.
By Atlantis
#14895871
Rich wrote:Regime changed worked well in Germany, Japan, ...


Oh please, Rich! Don't insult your intelligence. A hard-core racist like you isn't going to claim that Germany is a tribal society like Syria or that Japan is like Afghanistan. If you make up an argument, you should at least try to believe in it. Your argument is not credible and you don't believe in it yourself.

If we were writing the year of 1619 and not 2019, then yes, your argument might hold, because the US could have incited hatred of the Protestants against the Catholics, or vice-versa. Or the US could have armed Bavaria to fight Saxony, or vice versa. Yes, that would have worked, but it would not have worked 4 centuries later.

Iraq has been in constant turmoil since the US illegally removed its government together with its civil and military administration. The US is in violation of the Geneva convention because it has not taken care of the administration of occupied territory. Instead it let the country descend into chaos and permanent civil war. Since your country has destabilized the ME with its imperialistic greed, Iraqis have had no peace. There are nearly a million killed, nearly 20 million displaced in the region and many more who live in precarious conditions in constant fear and insecurity. And all of that only because of the perfidious Albion.

The region will never find any peace until Shiites together with Iran and Russia drive the Americans and Brits out.
By skinster
#14896803
US military aircraft crashes near Syrian border
A US military aircraft has crashed in western Iraq, the military has confirmed, according to Reuters. Other reports indicate that up to seven people may have perished in the crash.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed the fact of the crash and the presence of US military personnel on board the aircraft. “Rescue teams are responding to the scene of the downed aircraft at this time,” it said in a statement, adding that no more details were available at the time.

Local sources, cited by Lebanese-based TV network Al Mayadeen, report the aircraft was a Chinook transport helicopter carrying ammunition. It crashed in western Iraq near the border of Syria. Seven crew members were reportedly killed in the crash. The helicopter is believed to have caught fire after it hit the ground, due to the volatile nature of its cargo.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us ... an-border/
By skinster
#14896851
Russia says U.S. plans to strike Damascus, pledges military response
Russia said on Tuesday it had information that the United States planned to bomb the government quarter in Damascus on an invented pretext, and said it would respond militarily if it felt Russian lives were threatened by such an attack.

Valery Gerasimov, head of Russia’s General Staff, said Moscow had information that rebels in the enclave of eastern Ghouta were planning to fake a chemical weapons attack against civilians and blame it on the Syrian army.

He said the United States intended to use the fake attack as a pretext to bomb the government quarter in nearby Damascus where he said Russian military advisers, Russian military police and Russian ceasefire monitors were based.

“In the event of a threat to the lives of our servicemen, Russia’s armed forces will take retaliatory measures against the missiles and launchers used,” Gerasimov said in a statement.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mide ... y-response
By skinster
#14897183
The MSM isn't reporting it because it would implicate their moderate rebels using chemical weapons to attack civilians in Aleppo that time that happened, which they framed the SAA/govt with. The MSM doesn't report the gains by the SAA either vis-a-vis taking control of East Ghouta. The same happened in other parts of Syria when the army got territory back.

Also Shamine Narwani has done a lot of really good journalism inside and out of Syria since the beginning of this so-called conflict. 8)
By skinster
#14898231




Terrorist attack in Damascus today:
35 killed, scores injured in a terrorist rocket attack on neighborhoods in Damascus
35 citizens were killed and scores others injured on Tuesday in a terrorist attack with rocket shells on residential neighborhoods of Damascus and its surroundings.

A police source told SANA that the death toll raised to 35 persons martyred and nine others were injured, of which a woman and child, in a terrorist attack with rocket shell on Lashkoul in the outskirts of Jaramana city.

The source added that terrorists positioned in their last enclaves of Eastern Ghouta fired a rocket shell at al-Jalaa sports complex in Damascus, injuring a woman and five children, as well as causing material damage to a number of parked cars.

Another rocket shell was fired by the terrorists on al-Amara neighborhood, injuring 11 civilians and causing material damage, according to the same source.


Is the U.S. Trying to Start a Hot War with Syria?

War Is On The Horizon
By Atlantis
#14898673
For Merkel to "strongly condemn" a Nato partner shows that things aren't going well in Afrin.

Merkel strongly condemns Turkish military offensive in Afrin

Merkel strongly condemns Turkish military offensive in Afrin

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday sharply criticized Turkey’s military offensive in the northern Syrian town of Afrin and condemned ongoing attacks by Syrian forces in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus.

Speaking to lawmakers in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, Merkel said the German government was condemning the air strikes on eastern Ghouta “in the strongest terms”. She pointed to the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but also blamed Russia for “just watching” the events unfold.

Turning to the fighting in Afrin, Merkel said that Turkey’s actions were unacceptable despite its security interests. “I’m also condemning this in the strongest terms,” she added.
By foxdemon
#14898786
Has Turkey our extended already?



http://www.atimes.com/turkey-cant-leverage-us-russia-tensions-syria-forever/


THE REPORT
GEOPOLITICSSYRIA

Turkey can’t leverage US-Russia tensions in Syria forever

M.K. BhadrakumarBy M.K. BHADRAKUMAR MARCH 22, 2018 5:39 PM (UTC+8) 160
Turkey has so far played Washington and Moscow off against each other over the Syrian situation by leveraging its importance as a ‘swing state,’ its geography and its credentials as a NATO power.

These are heady days for Turkish President Recep Erdogan. Confounding most western analysts, Turkey’s military has wrapped up its operation to wrest control of Afrin in northern Syria from the Kurds in the space of 74 days. Erdogan’s domestic popularity is soaring, as he rides the wings of Turkish nationalism.

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Report

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It may seem he has outwitted both the Americans and the Russians. Washington pretended it was not party to the struggle to control Afrin (even as the Kurds fought with US-supplied weapons), while Moscow (whose past dealings with Kurds remain an open secret) chose not to impede the Turkish operation, allowing latent Turkish-American tensions to escalate. In the process, Erdogan walked away the winner.


However, a contrarian picture is slowly emerging. Erdogan may not realize that Washington and Moscow might actually have entrapped Turkey. Half-way through the Turkish operation, Washington made an overture to Erdogan, with the then US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visiting Ankara on February 15. This led to a decision to form working groups to address differences over Syria.

The group’s first meeting took place in Washington on March 8-9, but it only resulted in more acrimony. Turkey unilaterally claimed an “understanding” had been reached about the US removing Kurdish militia from Manjib (to the east of Afrin), which would obviate the need for an expanded Turkish military operation to eliminate Kurdish control all along northern Syria.

But Washington furiously denies any such “understanding” and insists that it has no intention of vacating Manjib. Meanwhile, Tillerson has been replaced and a foreign-minister level meeting slated for March 18 stands postponed. The Turks have been left in limbo.

“Turkey has not gained anything. Ultimately, if you form your policy in line with the interests of hegemonic powers like the US and Russia this is what you end up with”
Unsurprisingly, Erdogan has “tilted” towards the Russian camp. A trilateral Russian-Turkish-Iranian presidential summit is due to take place in Istanbul on April 4. The Russians will hope to pin the slippery Turkish leader down firmly on their side.

Turkey cannot afford to displease Russia at this point, since the latter has a line open to the Kurds in Afrin, who are threatening to wage a guerrilla war against “occupation” forces. Turkey is heavily dependent on air power to avoid a quagmire in Afrin, and Russia controls Syrian air space.

From the US perspective, it won’t be a bad thing if a protracted guerrilla war ensues in Afrin, one which would sap Erdogan’s appetite to mount further operations in northern Syria. Washington is playing for time on the diplomatic track.

The heart of the matter is that, new Cold War symptoms notwithstanding, Moscow still desires an enduring Syrian settlement to be the outcome of a Russian-American joint effort. Put differently, the prospect of a summit between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin in the “not too distant future” – as Trump disclosed on Tuesday – means that Turkey’s capacity to leverage US-Russia tensions is set to diminish.

If the talks with the US gain momentum, Moscow is unlikely to encourage Turkey to crack the whip with the Kurds. Turkey may then have to make an existential decision as regards its future operations in northern Syria. It will be, in effect, attacking its NATO ally in Manjib.

Again, if US-Russia talks resume regarding a Syrian settlement, Turkey may have to accept at some point the involvement of Syrian Kurds in any peace process – something that both Washington and Moscow have advocated in the past.

The leader of the main Turkish opposition Republican People’s Party, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, had a point when he said this week that Turkey has been “dragged into the swamp of the Middle East.” To quote Kilicdaroglu: “The Americans have settled around Syria’s oil and gas fields, while the Russians have expanded their military bases, and Iran and China are getting lucrative tenders from the Damascus government for the reconstruction of Syria. Turkey, meanwhile, has not gained anything. Ultimately, if you form your policy in line with the interests of hegemonic powers like the US and Russia this is what you end up with.”

In Kilicdaroglu’s opinion, Turkey should initiate a regional summit with Iran, Iraq and Syria, as these are countries with a “shared interest in defending their territorial integrity and fighting terrorism.” Indeed, all four of these states also run the risk of getting thrown under the bus at some point if the proxy war between the US and Russia morphs into a Syrian peace process.
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By roxunreal
#14899231
The entire Irbin pocket surrendered! Even with the rebels' dire situation after defeats and a shitload of infighting the past year, I'm still surprised given the anti-regime hate in these areas. Thee's not much that could have been destroyed here anyway, Irbin, Ayn Terma and Jobar have been probably the most devastated rebel urban area for a good few years now.

Image

Now all that's left is to see if Douma will follow suit. Hopefully the SAA can get more of Idlib after this before Turkey shits more of its checkpoints and bases in that area, even though there are more rumors about the SAA heading south after Ghouta.
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