The ISIS offensive in Iraq

[The Human Q-Tip]

Samantha Power to Assad, Russia, Iran: 'Are You Truly Incapable of Shame?

(CNSNews.com) - As diplomacy continues to fail and the human slaughter accelerates in Aleppo, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday laid the blame squarely on Syria's Assad regime, Russia, and Iran, asking them, "Are you truly incapable of shame?"

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article...sad-russia-iran-are-you-truly-incapable-shame

Well, I'm sure that tongue-lashing will stop the carnage....

 

[AZ_]

Anyone care to post some thoughts on this?

Found it pretty interesting, and unfortunate:

 

[Sebastian]

Anyone care to post some thoughts on this?

Found it pretty interesting, and unfortunate:

Been happening for a decade now. And the Obama administration has no real foreign policy doctrine in the Middle East. Prop up one ally while letting another go under. Go on YouTube and see the Houthis light up the M1s we sold to the Saudis with old Soviet wire-guided anti-tank missiles.

It is part of the proxy war we wage against Iran and vice-versa. Another Shiite vs. Sunni thing. Stupid, never ending ulcer.

Once again, the military is employed in the absence of effective diplomacy and a failure of Statecraft. Clausewitz reversed.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Posting this here because it seems the most appropriate thread:

Russian ambassador to Turkey shot dead in Ankara art gallery: Reports

....The gunman was reported to have been shot dead, according to Turkish media. A media blackout was imposed on the scene shortly after the shooting happened.

The gunman reportedly shouted that the attack was “revenge” for Aleppo. He then shouted, “You will not be allowed to get away with this.”

About 15 to 20 gunshots were reported by eyewitnesses at the scene.

A Hurriyet photojournalist at the scene told broadcaster CNN-Turk that he saw the Russian ambassador get shot. He said the assailant only targeted the ambassador and did not fire at anyone else....

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/russian-ambassador-ankara-targeted-gunmen-local-media-1223148265

 

[NorthCoastBias]

View: https://twitter.com/JesseRodriguez/status/810891983959035904


View: https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/810901783421841411

 

[Jordan]

Samantha Power to Assad, Russia, Iran: 'Are You Truly Incapable of Shame?

(CNSNews.com) - As diplomacy continues to fail and the human slaughter accelerates in Aleppo, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday laid the blame squarely on Syria's Assad regime, Russia, and Iran, asking them, "Are you truly incapable of shame?"

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article...sad-russia-iran-are-you-truly-incapable-shame

Well, I'm sure that tongue-lashing will stop the carnage....

I miss when Power stood for something. Now she's just Obama's public face. It's a shame she sold out on her morals for power.

 

[macbdog]

View: https://twitter.com/JesseRodriguez/status/810891983959035904


View: https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/810901783421841411

No way for Erdogan to blame this on the Kurds.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

No way for Erdogan to blame this on the Kurds.

I hope this doesn't turn into some kind of Franz Ferdinand mess....

 

[kosis]

I hope this doesn't turn into some kind of Franz Ferdinand mess....

This is exactly what popped in my mind. I hope I'm wrong, but it just feels like a catalyst type of event. Not good.

 

[macbdog]

I hope this doesn't turn into some kind of Franz Ferdinand mess....

This is exactly what popped in my mind. I hope I'm wrong, but it just feels like a catalyst type of event. Not good.

I don't see how it could- it was a rogue policeman. Erdogan and Putin just made up recently didn't they? It will certainly lead to issues but not sure how it leads to more war, least of all between Russia and the Turks.

Edit: oh wait he can blame this on his favorite boogeyman Gulen. He'll say this guy somehow was missed by the purges and try to use Russia to pressure the Don to get him extradited.

 

[kosis]

I don't see how it could- it was a rogue policeman. Erdogan and Putin just made up recently didn't they? It will certainly lead to issues but not sure how it leads to more war, least of all between Russia and the Turks.

Edit: oh wait he can blame this on his favorite boogeyman Gulen. He'll say this guy somehow was missed by the purges and try to use Russia to pressure the Don to get him extradited.

Well, most of these things events involve "rogue" shooters. I have yet to see a shooting take place in the last few years that wasn't blamed on a larger group, whether fair or not. Not saying this guy is necessarily on the level of Princip, but even he was rogue until he wasn't.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I don't see how it could- it was a rogue policeman. Erdogan and Putin just made up recently didn't they? It will certainly lead to issues but not sure how it leads to more war, least of all between Russia and the Turks.

My concern -- and I'd admit the risk of a FF event is small -- is that Erdogan would find his options limited due to domestic political considerations. My guess is that Putin and the Russians will howl, and perhaps try to use it as leverage to take a freer hand in Syria. Erdogan would find himself facing domestic pressure not to back down, you'd get some "accidents" happening as the two sides battle by proxy in Syria, and at some point, something big happens that can't be swept under the rug.

Again, I think Putin likely has more freedom to act than does Erdogan, because he's based much of his power on increasing the influence of Islamists.

 

[Jordan]

My concern -- and I'd admit the risk of a FF event is small -- is that Erdogan would find his options limited due to domestic political considerations. My guess is that Putin and the Russians will howl, and perhaps try to use it as leverage to take a freer hand in Syria. Erdogan would find himself facing domestic pressure not to back down, you'd get some "accidents" happening as the two sides battle by proxy in Syria, and at some point, something big happens that can't be swept under the rug.

Again, I think Putin likely has more freedom to act than does Erdogan, because he's based much of his power on increasing the influence of Islamists.

Annnndddd because he has decreased usage of the military since the coup. Now Erdogan is relying more on his separate security services, which are - surprise, surprise - blindly loyal to the AKP. So Erdogan has to rely on Islamists for support, and the group he would need to use to facilitate some sort of counter-action, has zero allegiance to him.

 

[macbdog]

Well, most of these things events involve "rogue" shooters. I have yet to see a shooting take place in the last few years that wasn't blamed on a larger group, whether fair or not. Not saying this guy is necessarily on the level of Princip, but even he was rogue until he wasn't.

The Turkish police forces were handpicked by Erdogan and his party to be his backers against a future coup- and this shooter came right from their ranks. He's either a rogue or he is endemic of a bigger problem: far more Islamist than they are Erdoganist.

Oh, and..

Edit: oh wait he can blame this on his favorite boogeyman Gulen. He'll say this guy somehow was missed by the purges and try to use Russia to pressure the Don to get him extradited.

Turkey's pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak claimed Karlov's killing was a plot by the U.S. intelligence agency that was carried out by a movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey says is behind a failed coup in July aimed at toppling Erdogan. Gulen denies the accusation.

"Great Sabotage," Yeni Safak said in its headline.

Fucking nailed it. Get that, everyone? The CIA was actually behind this, and the CIA is just another puppet of Gulen. Makes #pizzagate look like amateur-hour #fakenews.

 

[Sebastian]

The Turkish police forces were handpicked by Erdogan and his party to be his backers against a future coup- and this shooter came right from their ranks. He's either a rogue or he is endemic of a bigger problem: far more Islamist than they are Erdoganist.

Oh, and..


Fucking nailed it. Get that, everyone? The CIA was actually behind this, and the CIA is just another puppet of Gulen. Makes #pizzagate look like amateur-hour #fakenews.

NATO card revoked. No more of this frenemy shit. Give the Greeks a huge grant of cash and 2000 Abrams. Time to liberate Constantinople. That is if the Russians don't first...

If the CIA wanted Erdogan dead, which at this point they probably are considering it, he probably would be. He would have been shot down during the coup for one.