[Mideast + Africa] Getting rid of Bongo- but at what Brice?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > [Mideast + Africa] Getting rid of Bongo- but at what Brice?

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Kurtofan: Feb 16, 2011; hon hon hon

svenkatesh posted:

https://twitter.com/MSuchkov_ALM/status/1082911647159726080

Mission accomplished

# ? Jan 11, 2019 23:50

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# ? Jun 8, 2024 11:18

Frijolero: Jan 24, 2009; by Nyc_Tattoo

I love that lil flag on a twig

# ? Jan 12, 2019 02:48

StashAugustine: Mar 24, 2013; Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

steinrokkan posted:

I won't support any grup of ME rebels that hasn't endorsed neo-Thomism.

You joke but aquinas wad basically doing Christian laundering of Muslim philosophers

# ? Jan 12, 2019 19:16

Sheng-Ji Yang: Mar 5, 2014

https://twitter.com/halaljew/status/1084332774096543745

# ? Jan 13, 2019 07:58

Flavahbeast: Jul 21, 2001

haha what the heck

quote:

n a sign of loyalty, al-Douri consented to marry his daughter to Hussein's eldest son, Uday Hussein. Al-Douri�s influence with Hussein was so substantial that he could even levy a condition, that the union would not be consummated, and later made a successful petition that his daughter be permitted to divorce Uday

# ? Jan 13, 2019 19:27

Sheng-Ji Yang: Mar 5, 2014

al-douri still being alive and free is pretty incredible

# ? Jan 13, 2019 19:30

Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

Sheng-Ji Yang posted:

al-douri still being alive and free is pretty incredible

I think a shitload of Baath leadership managed to scurry away after 2003. Baghdad Bob is probably a civilian now lol

# ? Jan 13, 2019 19:52

Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

Flavahbeast posted:

haha what the heck

lmfao that's pretty smart considering the poo poo they said about Uday

# ? Jan 13, 2019 19:53

Syncopated: Oct 21, 2010

Bagdad-Bob is still alive!?

# ? Jan 13, 2019 22:29

Spergin Morlock: Aug 8, 2009

Syncopated posted:

Bagdad-Bob is still alive!?

lol i just looked him up and he got a mining degree from the university of arizona in the 60s.

# ? Jan 14, 2019 00:55

KaptainKrunk: Feb 6, 2006

the taliban know they're winning bigly so why negotiate

# ? Jan 14, 2019 01:17

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

KaptainKrunk posted:

the taliban know they're winning bigly so why negotiate

Netflix had a pretty fun documentary on failed foreign attempts to take over Afghanistan going all the way back to the British.

# ? Jan 14, 2019 01:25

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

https://twitter.com/PhilstarNews/status/1084613366323138560

# ? Jan 14, 2019 01:55

Darkman Fanpage: Jul 4, 2012

etalian posted:

Netflix had a pretty fun documentary on failed foreign attempts to take over Afghanistan going all the way back to the British.

name?

# ? Jan 14, 2019 01:58

staticman: Sep 12, 2008; Be gay
Death to America
Suck my dick Israel
Mess with Texas
and remember to lmao

gradenko_2000 posted:

https://twitter.com/PhilstarNews/status/1084613366323138560

sedis ynam

# ? Jan 14, 2019 02:39

paul_soccer10: Mar 28, 2016; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

gradenko_2000 posted:

https://twitter.com/PhilstarNews/status/1084613366323138560

Wtf

# ? Jan 14, 2019 03:46

Darkman Fanpage: Jul 4, 2012

finally somebody is using the empire to do good things.

# ? Jan 14, 2019 06:16

Syncopated: Oct 21, 2010

The kurds shouldn't do anything provocative to Turkey, such as existing

Atrocious Joe posted:

Assad is going out of his way to stick it to the Turks
https://twitter.com/Ibra_Joudeh/status/1083413441233137664

also lol

# ? Jan 14, 2019 07:26

Huragok: Sep 14, 2011

Darkman Fanpage posted:

name?

Bitter Lake

# ? Jan 14, 2019 08:11

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

https://twitter.com/ClimateAudit/status/1084288267422334976?s=19

# ? Jan 14, 2019 11:29

Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

gradenko_2000 posted:

https://twitter.com/ClimateAudit/status/1084288267422334976?s=19

lmfao I recently found out they are getting a loving documentary at sxsw https://twitter.com/EliotHiggins/status/1085638102427844614

# ? Jan 19, 2019 00:37

THS: Sep 15, 2017

truth in a post truth world lol

# ? Jan 19, 2019 00:39

Pener Kropoopkin: Jan 30, 2013; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
(and can't post for 20 days!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0EZobdiJ4M

# ? Jan 19, 2019 01:58

etalian: Mar 20, 2006

Darkman Fanpage posted:

name?

Afghanistan the Great Game.

https://www.netflix.com/title/80095867

# ? Jan 19, 2019 02:19

paul_soccer10: Mar 28, 2016; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Plutonis posted:

lmfao I recently found out they are getting a loving documentary at sxsw https://twitter.com/EliotHiggins/status/1085638102427844614

Cant wait!

# ? Jan 21, 2019 03:40

Smirking_Serpent: Aug 27, 2009

so is turkey still gonna invade or what

# ? Jan 21, 2019 05:00

Jose: Jul 24, 2007; Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer

https://twitter.com/monaeltahawy/status/1087740050098606081

# ? Jan 22, 2019 21:20

paul_soccer10: Mar 28, 2016; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Smirking_Serpent posted:

so is turkey still gonna invade or what

i think the war has ended?

# ? Jan 24, 2019 01:48

Atrocious Joe: Sep 2, 2011

Smirking_Serpent posted:

so is turkey still gonna invade or what

I don't know if it changes anything, but Turkey and Venezuela have good relations and Erdogan isn't supporting the coup there.
https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1088182752422383616

# ? Jan 24, 2019 02:02

guidoanselmi: Feb 6, 2008; I thought my ideas were so clear. I wanted to make an honest post. No lies whatsoever.

the sweetest love letter :swoon:

quote:

The decision not to act is often the hardest one to make�and it isn�t always right. In 2007, I watched a string of vehicles pass from Iran into northern Iraq. I had been serving as the head of the U.S. military�s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) for four years, working to stem the terrorism that had devastated the region, and I had become accustomed to making tough choices. But on that January night, the choice was particularly tricky: whether or not to attack a convoy that included Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran�s elite Quds Force�an organization roughly analogous to a combination of the CIA and JSOC in the United States.

There was good reason to eliminate Suleimani. At the time, Iranian-made roadside bombs built and deployed at his command were claiming the lives of U.S. troops across Iraq. But to avoid a firefight, and the contentious politics that would follow, I decided that we should monitor the caravan, not strike immediately. By the time the convoy had reached Erbil, Suleimani had slipped away into the darkness.

These days, he still operates outside the spotlight. Suleimani has grown from a military commander into a ghostly puppet master, relying on quiet cleverness and grit to bolster Iran�s international influence. His brilliance, effectiveness, and commitment to his country have been revered by his allies and denounced by his critics in equal measure. What all seem to agree on, however, is that the humble leader�s steady hand has helped guide Iranian foreign policy for decades�and there is no denying his successes on the battlefield. Suleimani is arguably the most powerful and unconstrained actor in the Middle East today. U.S. defense officials have reported that Suleimani is running the Syrian civil war (via Iran�s local proxies) all on his own.

The prominence the soft-spoken Suleimani has achieved is especially striking given his origins. Born into poverty in the mountains of eastern Iran, he displayed remarkable tenacity at an early age. When his father was unable to pay a debt, the 13-year-old Suleimani worked to pay it off himself. He spent his free time lifting weights and attending sermons given by a prot�g� of Iran�s current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was enamored with the Iranian revolution as a young man. In 1979, at only 22, Suleimani began his ascent through the Iranian military, reportedly receiving just six weeks of tactical training before seeing combat for the first time in Iran�s West Azerbaijan province. But he is truly a child of the Iran-Iraq War, which began the next year. He emerged from the bloody conflict a hero for the missions he led across Iraq�s border�but more important, he emerged as a confident, proven leader.

Suleimani is no longer simply a soldier; he is a calculating and practical strategist. Most ruthlessly and at the cost of all else, he has forged lasting relationships to bolster Iran�s position in the region. No other individual has had comparable success in aligning and empowering Shiite allies in the Levant. His staunch defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has effectively halted any progress by the Islamic State and other rebel groups, all but ensuring that Assad remains in power and stays solidly allied to Iran. Perhaps most notably, under Suleimani�s leadership, the Quds Force has vastly expanded its capabilities. His shrewd pragmatism has transformed the unit into a major influencer in intelligence, financial, and political spheres beyond Iran�s borders.

It would be unwise, however, to study Suleimani�s success without situating him in a broader geopolitical context. He is a uniquely Iranian leader, a clear product of the country�s outlook following the 1979 revolution. His expansive assessment of Iranian interests and rights matches those common among Iranian elites. Iran�s resistance toward the United States� involvement in the Middle East is a direct result of U.S. involvement in the Iran-Iraq War, during which Suleimani�s worldview developed. Above all else, Suleimani is driven by the fervent nationalism that is the lifeblood of Iran�s citizens and leadership.

Suleimani�s accomplishments are, in large part, due to his country�s long-term approach toward foreign policy. The Quds Force commander�s extended tenure in his role�he assumed control of the unit in 1998�is another important factor. A byproduct of Iran�s complicated political environment, Suleimani enjoys freedom of action over an extended time horizon that is the envy of many U.S. military and intelligence professionals. Because a leader�s power ultimately lies in the eyes of others and is increased by the perceived likelihood of future power, Suleimani has been able to act with greater credibility than if he were viewed as a temporary player.

In that sense, then, Suleimani�s success is driven by both his talent and the continuity of his time in positions of power. Such a leader simply could not exist in the United States today. Americans do not allow commanders, military or otherwise, to remain in the highest-level positions for decades. There are reasons for this�both political and experiential. Not since J. Edgar Hoover has the federal government allowed a longtime public servant to amass such levels of shadowy influence.

Despite my initial jealousy of Suleimani�s freedom to get things done quickly, I believe such restraint is a strength of the U.S. political system. A zealous and action-oriented mindset, if unchecked, can be used as a force for good�but if harnessed to the wrong interests or values, the consequences can be dire. Suleimani is singularly dangerous. He is also singularly positioned to shape the future of the Middle East.

https://foreignpolicy.com/gt-essay/irans-deadly-puppet-master-qassem-suleimani/

STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL

# ? Jan 24, 2019 20:13

Darkman Fanpage: Jul 4, 2012

Plutonis posted:

lmfao I recently found out they are getting a loving documentary at sxsw https://twitter.com/EliotHiggins/status/1085638102427844614

*smokes a huge joint and starts coughing while laughing* assad is so hosed!!!

# ? Jan 25, 2019 00:09

Darkman Fanpage: Jul 4, 2012

turkey is pissing off the kurds in iraqi kurdistan. if you've been following what's been going on turkey has been attacking pkk in northern iraq with the kurdistan government's more or less permission. people have been getting sick of it.

https://twitter.com/yerevansaeed/status/1089143206401454080?s=21

# ? Jan 26, 2019 18:49

Jose: Jul 24, 2007; Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer

https://twitter.com/markcurtis30/status/1089232897956040705

# ? Jan 26, 2019 19:48

Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

Darkman Fanpage posted:

turkey is pissing off the kurds in iraqi kurdistan. if you've been following what's been going on turkey has been attacking pkk in northern iraq with the kurdistan government's more or less permission. people have been getting sick of it.

https://twitter.com/yerevansaeed/status/1089143206401454080?s=21

https://twitter.com/CarlZha/status/1089323839555686401

# ? Jan 27, 2019 01:52

Darkman Fanpage: Jul 4, 2012

gently caress to turkey

# ? Jan 27, 2019 08:04

Jose: Jul 24, 2007; Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer

I know Afghanistan is in Asia but im not making a new thread for it

https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff/status/1086622080253288456?s=19

# ? Jan 27, 2019 12:16

Chillgamesh: Jul 29, 2014

Jose posted:

I know Afghanistan is in Asia but im not making a new thread for it

https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff/status/1086622080253288456?s=19

that loving model of toyota truck has probably seen more combat action than most military fighting vehicles at this point, and yet the camo paintjob on it makes me laugh anyway

# ? Jan 27, 2019 12:27

paul_soccer10: Mar 28, 2016; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

They look cool, maybe I'll join the Taliban

# ? Jan 27, 2019 14:22

Pener Kropoopkin: Jan 30, 2013; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
(and can't post for 20 days!)

Jose posted:

I know Afghanistan is in Asia but im not making a new thread for it

https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff/status/1086622080253288456?s=19

All they had to do was last long enough to internalize American military training through Afghan army turncoats.

# ? Jan 27, 2019 14:32

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# ? Jun 8, 2024 11:18

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

huh. nation building does work after all

# ? Jan 27, 2019 14:44

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > [Mideast + Africa] Getting rid of Bongo- but at what Brice?

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