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Brother Friendship posted:A shame. I wonder what it would take to truly settle the Middle East... Global Warming will render most of it uninhabitable. Problem solved. And new ones created 
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May 6, 2017 00:09
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Conspiratiorist posted:A time machine. 64 CE never again.
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May 6, 2017 00:14
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El Disco posted:Global Warming will render most of it uninhabitable. Problem solved. Yeah, that's why I didn't say a couple centuries of non-interventionism. The whole region is hosed.
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May 6, 2017 01:28
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American planes are already getting painted by Syrian/Russian radar on a regular basis. If someone starts firing at American planes that would be a huge deal, but anyone who fires at an american plane is going to get hit by a fuckton of cruise missiles very shortly after so we'll see if anyone actually tries it.
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May 6, 2017 01:41
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Chomsky was more instrumental in my personal intellectual development than any other person. I revere the dude. But man, this takedown of his Syria stance is so right and so good. https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/Comment/2017/5/5/Chomsky-and-the-Syria-revisionists-Regime-whitewashing quote:Chomsky, however, insisted that, "actually we don't [know what happened]". To justify his claim, Chomsky deferred to the authority of Theodore Postol, whom he called "one of the most sophisticated and successful analysts of military strategic issues". Postol, he said, has gone through the White House Intelligence Report "in detail" and "just tears it to shreds". oh no quote:Ten days later, in Cambridge, Chomsky resumed. He again cited Postol, "a very serious and credible analyst… highly regarded", who has "analyzed closely" and given "a pretty devastating critique of the White House report”. no please quote:But there was nothing legitimate or principled about Chomsky's denialism. I asked him what he found persuasive about Postol's critique. After many evasions, he replied: "I said nothing about whether his report was persuasive". Why was Chomsky telling audiences to doubt Assad's responsibility, then? Because Postol is "a highly credible analyst", a fact recognised by all except "fanatics who have no concern for fact". lord jesus quote:Perhaps conscious of the spurious factual basis for his argument, in his second intervention on the sarin attack, Chomsky turned to deductive logic. "It's not so obvious why the Assad regime would have carried out a chemical warfare attack at a moment when it's pretty much winning the war", he said. If Chomsky finds this not so obvious, then it must be obvious to Chomsky why the Assad regime would bomb hospitals, napalm schools, torture children and starve entire cities. One of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century is making babby's first critiques in Syria. My shoulders sure were slumped reading this one. The only thing more embarrassing for many leftists than supporting a mass murdering dictator who gasses his own people is agreeing with the US State Department about something. Framing everything in terms of 'US imperialism' isn't necessarily wrong since the US gov does have its paws in pretty much everything, but it is incomplete and frankly ethnocentric. Sometimes I just wanna ask some people if its possible for the US gov to be correct incidentally, independent from its intentions. Even better, it would be nice to elevate the voices of Syrians or something, but everyone's gotta have their own lovely, elementary opinions. Really disheartening.
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May 6, 2017 06:40
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Conspiratiorist posted:There's no realistic scenario in which the US and Iran aren't at odds with each other. Well, as long as you acknowledge this is because the US will not tolerate anything other than complete NATO geopolitical dominance of the Middle East and will continue bombing stuff till they get that, sure
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May 6, 2017 07:14
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icantfindaname posted:Well, as long as you acknowledge this is because the US will not tolerate anything other than complete NATO geopolitical dominance of the Middle East and will continue bombing stuff till they get that, sure Even if NATO's stance on the ME magically shifted to non-interventionism, Iran would still aim to become a geopolitical rival. The only scenario in which they wouldn't be is if the US decided to get in bed with them despite being an anti-west theocratic state (like the saudis), but not only is it hard to suddenly change who your friends and enemies in a region are, there's just too much bad blood between Iran and the West. They won't have it. They hate the West. It's not some pussyass passive-aggressive hypocritical "let's fund terrorism/islam is the light" culture war hate like with the saudis, either. What Iran feels, as a nation, is a true visceral loathing for the West that would take at least two more generations to die down.
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May 6, 2017 10:12
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This would be a lot more interesting if it wasn't for the part where Iran-US rapprochement was becoming a reality until Bush gave the finger in the lead up to Afghanistan. Iran was ready to cooperate over that already and there's a lot of situations where the US basically told the Iranian leadership to gently caress off because of their own grudges over 79.
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May 6, 2017 10:21
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That's exactly the thing: the US has repeatedly hosed them worse than anyone in recent history - even when it doesn't mean to, like Flight 655. Combine that with the near schizophrenic shifts in foreign policy every 4-8 years, and Iran has absolutely no reason to trust America.
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May 6, 2017 10:34
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A Bag of Milk posted:One of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century is making babby's first critiques in Syria. My shoulders sure were slumped reading this one. The only thing more embarrassing for many leftists than supporting a mass murdering dictator who gasses his own people is agreeing with the US State Department about something. Framing everything in terms of 'US imperialism' isn't necessarily wrong since the US gov does have its paws in pretty much everything, but it is incomplete and frankly ethnocentric. Sometimes I just wanna ask some people if its possible for the US gov to be correct incidentally, independent from its intentions. Even better, it would be nice to elevate the voices of Syrians or something, but everyone's gotta have their own lovely, elementary opinions. Really disheartening. Look at this guy who doesn't want the only possible socialist state in the middle east right now- an independent rojava.
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May 6, 2017 13:04
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Conspiratiorist posted:Even if NATO's stance on the ME magically shifted to non-interventionism, Iran would still aim to become a geopolitical rival. They Hate Us For Are Freedoms (or because of the rabid, fanatical, animalistic nature of the Persian mind)
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May 6, 2017 13:19
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Panzeh posted:Look at this guy who doesn't want the only possible socialist state in the middle east right now- an independent rojava. Uh, did you even read his post? I get that you're doing the socialism gimmick, but at least pick someone that has said something mean about the PKK.
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May 6, 2017 13:39
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I am legitimately surprised that Chomsky has a worse opinion than most posters in this thread. You can't just view everything through the lens of countering US influence.
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May 6, 2017 15:34
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Brother Friendship posted:I am legitimately surprised that Chomsky has a worse opinion than most posters in this thread. You can't just view everything through the lens of countering US influence. People can and will! The Duran is making a strong showing on tankie social media.
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May 6, 2017 16:34
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Brother Friendship posted:I am legitimately surprised that Chomsky has a worse opinion than most posters in this thread. You can't just view everything through the lens of countering US influence. Don't read what he says about North Korea, again, entirely Americas fault.
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May 6, 2017 16:37
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Fade5, what do you make of this article in the Guardian? It seems to me that Hediya Yousef might have spoken a little to candidly here? I mean, I understand that a direct connection to the Mediterranean would be a game-changer for the entire Kurdish nationalist project, but to make such a bold statement at this relatively early juncture seems very careless, considering that the YPG won't be in a position to change anything about its predicament until after Raqqa is secured and definitely pacified, but the political fallout of statements like these is usually felt immediately after they are first made.
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May 6, 2017 18:55
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To Battle posted:Don't read what he says about North Korea, again, entirely Americas fault. To be fair, the US did lead the charge in systematically killing almost a quarter of the North Korean population in three years. That probably had some lasting effects.
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May 6, 2017 19:33
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Gimmick Account posted:Fade5, what do you make of this article in the Guardian? This isn't entirely out of the blue, the PYD/SDF have always had exceedingly large dreams for the north Syria area. Remember, this is a map on the wall of the PYD's office in Moscow:  What she's saying strikes me as a dual purpose narrative. One part is "aim as high as you can, far beyond your wildest dreams, and then compromise down to what you realistically think is possible", while the second part is putting out feelers to the SAA: "hey, we would be willing to work with you on Idlib in exchange for port/sea access". If the PYD starts out with "we're going all the way to the coast" and the final result is "we have signed an agreement for port access in Latakia" then they still have what they really wanted all along, access to trade via the sea. One more thing is to look at the timeline, anything with Idlib is indicated to be after Raqqa and Deir Ez-Zor: quote:“The people in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa want the SDF to come; in truth the SDF consists of people from these areas,” she said. Already it seems that the SDF is being prepared to stay in control of Raqqa. The Observer witnessed Kurdish and Arab police officers being trained in the town of Mabrouka, Syria, specifically to patrol Raqqa after its liberation. Sources also said that SDF fighters were already as close as 10km from Deir ez-Zor, the biggest Isis stronghold in Syria once Raqqa is liberated. Regarding Idlib, which lies 55km from the Mediterranean, Yousef said any offensive would “depend on events”. “If we clear all this area [north-east Syria] from terrorists, then maybe we will go to the other side to also clear that area. Idlib is occupied by Jabhat al-Nusra [Nusra Front], who are on the list of terrorists. ” https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-01-10/syrias-nusra-front-extremists-kidnap-activists-in-north quote:Syria's extremist Nusra Front group seized two prominent media activists in the country's north on Sunday, shutting down their radio station and burning rebel flags in the process. The opposition radio station, Radio Fresh, said on its social media pages that Raed Fares and Hadi Abdullah were abducted by Nusra, al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate, in an early morning raid in the town of Kafranbel. Saladin Rising posted:https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-01-10/syrias-nusra-front-extremists-kidnap-activists-in-north Saladin Rising fucked around with this message at 00:10 on May 7, 2017 |
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May 6, 2017 22:02
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Saladin Rising posted:What he's saying strikes me as a dual purpose narrative. One part is "aim as high as you can, far beyond your wildest dreams, and then compromise down to what you realistically think is possible", while the second part is putting out feelers to the SAA: "hey, we would be willing to work with you on Idlib in exchange for port/sea access". It's Assad, though. A mere 'agreement' with him wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on (See also: Various 'ceasefires'). Any such access might be cancelled overnight (with the goods in port confiscated by the regime, of course). If the Kurds were to compromise down from this big announcement to what you are describing, it would just make them look weak in return for no extra economic security. Honestly, there's probably more hope of removing the economic stranglehold on Rojava due to the Iraqi Kurds getting fed up with the Barzani mafia and finally ousting them (and I have VERY little hope of that!) than any serious development related to Mediterranean access. I'd love to be proved wrong, but I just don't see it happening.
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May 6, 2017 23:12
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Conspiratiorist posted:That's exactly the thing: the US has repeatedly hosed them worse than anyone in recent history - even when it doesn't mean to, like Flight 655. Combine that with the near schizophrenic shifts in foreign policy every 4-8 years, and Iran has absolutely no reason to trust America. Maybe not trust, but they do have reason to work together. Like Iraq, where they are effectively working together against IS, even if they're hostile to each other. Their goals can overlap in places. Plus this hatred thing is overly simplified. Much of the population (and especially urban youth) are pretty ok with the west, and certainly have adopted its culture. Even the government is surprisingly pragmatic. They worked together for Iran-Contra (lol), and more recently on the nuclear deal. If, for some reason, the US became hostile to Saudi Arabia then Iran would buddy up pretty quickly I think.
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May 6, 2017 23:12
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Saladin Rising posted:This isn't entirely out of the blue, the PYD/SDF have always had exceedingly large dreams for the north Syria area. Remember, this is a map on the wall of the PYD's office in Moscow: *she. Also relations between JaN and the YPG go back further than sheikh maqsoud. Since at least the fighting with JaN and Ghuraba al sham over the YPG not attacking regime pockets in Rojava, and probably earlier than that.
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May 6, 2017 23:19
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https://twitter.com/TheDaneChris/status/860768061955166208
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May 7, 2017 00:21
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Count Roland posted:If, for some reason, the US became hostile to Saudi Arabia then Iran would buddy up pretty quickly I think. Heh, they'd have the US embassy in Tehran opened the next day. New tactic: use your mini-bike to ride right up to ISIS fighters and then shotgun them in the face.
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May 7, 2017 00:23
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Gimmick Account posted:It's Assad, though. A mere 'agreement' with him wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on (See also: Various 'ceasefires'). Any such access might be cancelled overnight (with the goods in port confiscated by the regime, of course). If the Kurds were to compromise down from this big announcement to what you are describing, it would just make them look weak in return for no extra economic security. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_naval_facility_in_Tartus quote:The Russian naval facility in Tartus is a leased military installation of the Russian Navy located in the port of the city of Tartus, Syria. Russian official usage classifies the installation as a Material-Technical Support Point and not a "base". Tartus is the Russian Navy's only Mediterranean repair and replenishment spot, sparing Russia’s warships the trip back to their Black Sea bases through the Turkish Straits. Volkerball posted:*she. Also relations between JaN and the YPG go back further than sheikh maqsoud. Since at least the fighting with JaN and Ghuraba al sham over the YPG not attacking regime pockets in Rojava, and probably earlier than that.
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May 7, 2017 00:25
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I think my uncle worked on radio fresh's Yorkshire dales branch
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May 7, 2017 00:29
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A Bag of Milk posted:To be fair, the US did lead the charge in systematically killing almost a quarter of the North Korean population in three years. That probably had some lasting effects. That's true. It was more of the fact that America rejected a proposal that would stop nuclear tensions if America and South Korea would stop military exercises or something. Like I understand what he is saying but it's like he is living on another planet. Count Roland posted:If, for some reason, the US became hostile to Saudi Arabia then Iran would buddy up pretty quickly I think. Probably If the right wing government in Israel wasn't so retarded, Iran would be a huge asset. There a modern country compared to SA. loving paradox large oil reserves under the biggest Sunni Salafi/Shia Theocracy in existence, can't make that poo poo up if you tried. Less Claypool fucked around with this message at 01:11 on May 7, 2017 |
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May 7, 2017 00:59
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ISIS flag texture makes me think they made it out of garbage bags.
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May 7, 2017 01:49
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Middle East Thread of Despair: This is what Armenians believe
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May 7, 2017 03:35
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nice article about the a rebel Algerian soccer team from the 1950's http://africasacountry.com/2017/05/the-past-flows-into-the-future/ Man, those Algerians were superheroes for what they went through, what an incredible generation of people. I'll definitely buy that graphic novel in the article once it's translated. If only arab leftism wasnt defeated by dictatorship and Israel and the reactionary puppet governments, what a different world it couldve been. Al-Saqr fucked around with this message at 05:40 on May 7, 2017 |
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May 7, 2017 05:36
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This story is somewhat old but it happened while I was on probation and unable to talk about it at the time."Iraq considers next move after intercepting 'world's largest' ransom for kidnapped Qataris posted:Officials at Baghdad International Airport became suspicious earlier this month when their X-ray machines could not see into 23 large bags unloaded from a Qatari plane, producing only a black image because the contents were wrapped in a special material impenetrable to detecting devices. They were further amazed when they opened the bags to discover that they contained hundreds of millions of dollars and euros in cash worth a total of $500m (£389m), says an Iraqi source. I well remember when this first happened not because it was a particularly notable tragedy amidst the sea of suffering that is the Iraq/Syria conflict, but because I was mildly shocked at how many bloody minded idiots like darkman fanpage actually cheered the kidnapping, as if these poor saps deserved to stacked dead as cordwood in some Baghdad compound just by virtue of being Gulf Arabs. It is interesting their release coincided with with the evacuation of Fua and Kefraya, which suggests to me Iran was involved as they have a history of using prisoners as political chips and only they could really coordinate such negotiations. It is good they have been released at least, along with the people of Fua and Kefraya who survived the bombing attack, hopefully the Iraqi government hasn't already handed the money over to Kata'ib Hezbollah already and can manage not to lose it off the back of a truck or otherwise.
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May 7, 2017 05:56
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Squalid posted:...as if these poor saps deserved to stacked dead as cordwood in some Baghdad compound just by virtue of being Gulf Arabs. quote:the money was ransom for 24 Qataris, several of them leading members of the Qatari royal al-Thani family, and two Saudis who had been hunting with falcons with official permission in supposedly safe southern Iraq Oh those poor saps. How did they ever manage to scrape together half a billion dollars...
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May 7, 2017 06:05
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Squalid posted:This story is somewhat old but it happened while I was on probation and unable to talk about it at the time. Oh no those poor royal family members.
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May 7, 2017 06:07
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Reminder that this is the same Qatar royal family that brutally cracked down on Shiite protestors and retaliated against doctors and nurses that treated protestors injured during the crackdown. So pardon be if I find a little humor in seeing rich douchbags playing with their expensive birds getting kidnapped.
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May 7, 2017 06:15
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Darkman Fanpage posted:Oh no those poor royal family members. You know it hasn't been a week since you asked rear end Struggle "What the gently caress is your problem?" for a flippant remark about the Armenian's being at fault for the genocide and I sincerely wonder in what way you think your own celebration of bloody pseudo-justice is any different
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May 7, 2017 06:18
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The kidnapping of some rich royal idiots is not the same thing as a genocide, Squalid.
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May 7, 2017 06:22
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Darkman Fanpage posted:Reminder that this is the same Qatar royal family that brutally cracked down on Shiite protestors and retaliated against doctors and nurses that treated protestors injured during the crackdown. So pardon be if I find a little humor in seeing rich douchbags playing with their expensive birds getting kidnapped. That was Bahrain.
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May 7, 2017 06:25
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Al-Saqr posted:That was Bahrain. I realized that after I posted it. My point still stands that they're rich idiots.
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May 7, 2017 06:25
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Darkman Fanpage posted:Reminder that this is the same Qatar royal family that brutally cracked down on Shiite protestors and retaliated against doctors and nurses that treated protestors injured during the crackdown. So pardon be if I find a little humor in seeing rich douchbags playing with their expensive birds getting kidnapped. You're one of the loving idiots who'll gladly cheer on any violence no matter how inhuman so long as its inflicted on someone you disagree with, your evident ignorance of all context and circumstance notwithstanding
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May 7, 2017 06:35
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Oh no. Someone on D&D thinks I'm a bad person. lol Let's put it this way: I care more about the lives of those royal douchbags' falcons than I do for their owners. Maybe if they didn't want to get kidnapped they should have stayed out of southern Iraq.
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May 7, 2017 06:40
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Squalid posted:You're one of the loving idiots who'll gladly cheer on any violence no matter how inhuman so long as its inflicted on someone you disagree with, your evident ignorance of all context and circumstance notwithstanding Don't act so enlightened, the enlightenment is why we have global warming.
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May 7, 2017 06:57
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