Crosswords1 min ago
What Is The Real Truth?
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What is actually taking place? We are told by some reports that the Russians are not attacking ISIS but the Western backed rebels, killing innocent civilians, while at the same time reports have come in that US jets have bombed a hospital also killing medical staff and patients.
What is actually taking place? We are told by some reports that the Russians are not attacking ISIS but the Western backed rebels, killing innocent civilians, while at the same time reports have come in that US jets have bombed a hospital also killing medical staff and patients.
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The hospital is in Afghanistan, not Syria.
The US have done nothing to stem the rise of IS because IS want to topple Assad, and so do the Americans.
The Russians want to protect Assad, so they are at taking the Syrian Free Army, Islamic State and anyone else on the so called rebel side.
The Russians conducting a concerted attack on IS is a good thing, and something we should have been doing since 2013, but to our shame, we haven't.
The US have done nothing to stem the rise of IS because IS want to topple Assad, and so do the Americans.
The Russians want to protect Assad, so they are at taking the Syrian Free Army, Islamic State and anyone else on the so called rebel side.
The Russians conducting a concerted attack on IS is a good thing, and something we should have been doing since 2013, but to our shame, we haven't.
Worth a view AOG, The former UK Ambassador to Syria states David Cameron's policy on Syria is wrong and that Russia's is right
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Whatever the truth is, you won;t get it from the sources quoted by the unfortunately named Mr Gutteridge :-)
So undoubtedly Russian airstrikes aren't going to avoid ISIS targets, but going by the evidence so far, neither are they targeting them uniquely either.
As for the Afghan hospital bombing, spectacularly bad timing by the US. Putin must be dancing a jig of delight.
So undoubtedly Russian airstrikes aren't going to avoid ISIS targets, but going by the evidence so far, neither are they targeting them uniquely either.
As for the Afghan hospital bombing, spectacularly bad timing by the US. Putin must be dancing a jig of delight.
The problem with Putin's intervention is that Assad's forces were more or less spent and were consequently agreeing to ceasefires in places, thus alleviating a desperate situation for civilians who've been targeted deliberately from all sides, especially the government's.
Now we have a massive ratcheting up of the situation.
As for Mr Ford's "analysis": complete bunkum, I'm afraid: he seems to think all that needs to happen is that everyone supports the Syrian government, blasts the opposition to hell, and all will be well, or else there will be "mayhem" . I'm not sure one needs to pass any further comment on that ...
Plainly there is no long term military solution in Syria. There probably was at one time, but no longer. There is now just a series of interventions by various factions, not so much to claim victory, but to stop someone else gaining ascendancy. So a bloody stalemate.
Now we have a massive ratcheting up of the situation.
As for Mr Ford's "analysis": complete bunkum, I'm afraid: he seems to think all that needs to happen is that everyone supports the Syrian government, blasts the opposition to hell, and all will be well, or else there will be "mayhem" . I'm not sure one needs to pass any further comment on that ...
Plainly there is no long term military solution in Syria. There probably was at one time, but no longer. There is now just a series of interventions by various factions, not so much to claim victory, but to stop someone else gaining ascendancy. So a bloody stalemate.
The Russians (or anyone else) are not claiming they are targeting IS uniquely. They are supporting Assad, so all Rebels are being targeted.
Meanwhile, little reported is that Iranian and Hezbollah ground troops are attacking IS and having success.
The Russians, Iranians and Hezbollah are combining to defeat Islamic State. Meanwhile, Obama and Cameron who have stood by and let IS take over the region, are moaning on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, little reported is that Iranian and Hezbollah ground troops are attacking IS and having success.
The Russians, Iranians and Hezbollah are combining to defeat Islamic State. Meanwhile, Obama and Cameron who have stood by and let IS take over the region, are moaning on the sidelines.
Ichkeria,
You are quick to blame the Government forces for most of the civilian suffering. Of course that is complete rubbish. Areas that have fallen to Islamic State are the ones where murder and torture of civilians has been the greatest.
The reason why Iraq and Libya have descended into hell holes is because the dictator was removed and bloody turf wars followed. If the Russians prevent Assad falling, then that will not happen in Syria.
You are quick to blame the Government forces for most of the civilian suffering. Of course that is complete rubbish. Areas that have fallen to Islamic State are the ones where murder and torture of civilians has been the greatest.
The reason why Iraq and Libya have descended into hell holes is because the dictator was removed and bloody turf wars followed. If the Russians prevent Assad falling, then that will not happen in Syria.
Initially, the Russians DID claim that they were targeting ISIS uniquely. Perhaps they were so used to lying about what was happening in Ukraine that they thought they could get away with doing the same in Syria. However, they were forced to admit subsequently that they were not, in fact, doing so. Actually most of their raids have been in areas where there is little or no ISIS presence.
The Russian line, and that it would seem of their new friend Mr Ford, is that Assad is the good guy and everyone else are the baddies or "terrorists". And that only by helping Assad to victory will "terrorism" and "jihadism" be defeated. The two problems with that are firstly, Assad is a million miles from being restored to control over his country: it would take more than a bombing campaign to do that, just as it would take more than a bombing campaign to defeat IS. And second, in the remote circumstance where he WAS somehow reinstated in control of his country, given he faced a massive rebellion before, how on earth could he hope to have any credibility after all that has happened since? There is no military solution and almost certainly the Russians know this far better than the idiots who think they are on some crusade to rid the region of terrorism (what a joke)
They could play a responsible role in helping to bring peace as plainly they have influence over Assad if only they would use it wisely. Maybe they will: there is no future in the tactics they are currently employing, whatever you might think of the tactics being employed by anyone else.
The Russian line, and that it would seem of their new friend Mr Ford, is that Assad is the good guy and everyone else are the baddies or "terrorists". And that only by helping Assad to victory will "terrorism" and "jihadism" be defeated. The two problems with that are firstly, Assad is a million miles from being restored to control over his country: it would take more than a bombing campaign to do that, just as it would take more than a bombing campaign to defeat IS. And second, in the remote circumstance where he WAS somehow reinstated in control of his country, given he faced a massive rebellion before, how on earth could he hope to have any credibility after all that has happened since? There is no military solution and almost certainly the Russians know this far better than the idiots who think they are on some crusade to rid the region of terrorism (what a joke)
They could play a responsible role in helping to bring peace as plainly they have influence over Assad if only they would use it wisely. Maybe they will: there is no future in the tactics they are currently employing, whatever you might think of the tactics being employed by anyone else.
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Gromit
Ichkeria,
You are quick to blame the Government forces for most of the civilian suffering. Of course that is complete rubbish. Areas that have fallen to Islamic State are the ones where murder and torture of civilians has been the greatest. "
You don't say. But I put it to you that Mr Assad falls under the definition of "terrorist" equally aptly.
Gromit
Ichkeria,
You are quick to blame the Government forces for most of the civilian suffering. Of course that is complete rubbish. Areas that have fallen to Islamic State are the ones where murder and torture of civilians has been the greatest. "
You don't say. But I put it to you that Mr Assad falls under the definition of "terrorist" equally aptly.
Ichkeria,
Assad had huge support in his country in 2010 when this all kicked off.
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Most of the so called rebels are foregners. Islamic State, who have taken much of the territory, have no Syrians in their numbers. And the Kurdish fighters are bolsted by large numbers from Turkey.
The Russians have never hidden their support for Assad, so naturally they will have to defeat all the rebels wherever they are from. The Russians never said they would stop at IS, everyone knows that ridding Syria of ALL the so called rebels is their aim. It will take more than a bombing campaign to achieve that, which is why Iranian and Hezbollah ground troops are there. And this is nothing like Ukraine so your constant comparison to it does not help your case.
Assad had huge support in his country in 2010 when this all kicked off.
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Most of the so called rebels are foregners. Islamic State, who have taken much of the territory, have no Syrians in their numbers. And the Kurdish fighters are bolsted by large numbers from Turkey.
The Russians have never hidden their support for Assad, so naturally they will have to defeat all the rebels wherever they are from. The Russians never said they would stop at IS, everyone knows that ridding Syria of ALL the so called rebels is their aim. It will take more than a bombing campaign to achieve that, which is why Iranian and Hezbollah ground troops are there. And this is nothing like Ukraine so your constant comparison to it does not help your case.
I believe gromit's synopsis is pretty accurate. Looked at from the legitimate Alawite Syrian government's (Assad's) view, everyone fighting to overthrow him by force are terrorists. The first - so laughingly called "moderates" are simply a continuation of the "Arab Spring" and seek regime change. The other faction is ISIS which has a different agenda, wanting not only regime change but the setting up of a Sunni, ever expanding caliphate, run on Sharia principles.
IMO, Putin is right, the only way is to attempt to put down all opposition by force as there seems no possibility for negotiation.
IMO, Putin is right, the only way is to attempt to put down all opposition by force as there seems no possibility for negotiation.
I heard some poor woman (Justine Greening?), on the radio yesterday, trying to put the Government position across. (I presume she drew the short straw)
Assad- barrel bomb, barrel bomb, butcher, barrel bomb.
Russians- killing good, decent, friendly 'freedom fighters', and I swear I'm not making this up, ' the very people who were going to form the democratically elected, liberal, secular government when we get rid of Assad'.
Well, I say poor woman, she's either as thick as two short planks or, more likely, she thinks we are.
Assad- barrel bomb, barrel bomb, butcher, barrel bomb.
Russians- killing good, decent, friendly 'freedom fighters', and I swear I'm not making this up, ' the very people who were going to form the democratically elected, liberal, secular government when we get rid of Assad'.
Well, I say poor woman, she's either as thick as two short planks or, more likely, she thinks we are.
The bombing of the hospital in Kundez was deliberately targeted. It was not a stray bomb, the aircraft dropped bombs directly on the hospital building, circled and returned to bomb it again. The Afghan Army admitted the hospital was the target, before Wasgton denied it
// In a strongly worded rebuke, Médecins Sans Frontières characterised the statements of some Afghan officials as disgusting.
“These statements imply that Afghan and US forces working together decided to raze to the ground a fully functioning hospital,” said Christopher Stokes, MSF’s general director. "This amounts to an admission of a war crime."
Mr Stokes also reiterated that the main building of their hospital had been precisely hit by a series of aerial bombing raids, despite MSF providing to US and Afghan officials exact coordinates of their hospital.
“The bombs hit and then we heard the plane circle around,” said Heman Nagarathnam, an MSF staffer in written testimony. “There was a pause, and then more bombs hit.”
// In a strongly worded rebuke, Médecins Sans Frontières characterised the statements of some Afghan officials as disgusting.
“These statements imply that Afghan and US forces working together decided to raze to the ground a fully functioning hospital,” said Christopher Stokes, MSF’s general director. "This amounts to an admission of a war crime."
Mr Stokes also reiterated that the main building of their hospital had been precisely hit by a series of aerial bombing raids, despite MSF providing to US and Afghan officials exact coordinates of their hospital.
“The bombs hit and then we heard the plane circle around,” said Heman Nagarathnam, an MSF staffer in written testimony. “There was a pause, and then more bombs hit.”
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