Couperin47
What we really intend in regards to Turkey, assuming anyone with intelligence and ability to influence Trump’s whims still has any influence, will be clarified by what we do regarding the 250 devices still stored at Incirlik.
InstantKarmma
And now Russia has moved in.
Russia announced on Tuesday that its units were patrolling between the Turkish and Syrian militaries near the northern Syrian town of Manbij, in a sign that Moscow, a key ally of the Syrian government, was moving to fill a security vacuum after U.S. troops were withdrawn from the area.
Reverend
In a fit of complete craziness, the US military facilitated the transfer of the battlefield to the Russians.
They guided the Russians through a treacherous zone to get to the positions in Manbij which the US was evacuating and set them up to expedite the whole process.
There’s video going around of a Russian journalist poking around the former US base. Pretty much everyone thought it was completely surreal.
There’s also video of a US convoy and a Syrian Arab Army (Assad’s forces) passing each other going different directions on the road between Manbij and Kobane (where the US are because that was the city Turkey agreed not to attack). It’s all weird.
Reverend
So, the propaganda aimed at the situation makes ours look like a bunch of pikers.
Here’s a pro-Turkey video I found being passed around on many accounts, in this case from a Twitter account with no followers and following nobody that was established in August. I’ve found the same video on other accounts of similar disposition.
This shit is wild.
<OK IT’S UNAVAILABLE NOW>
Edit: Given the bot distribution, I have no idea who actually is putting that video out. It could easily be Russian bots putting out a video only alleging to be pro-Turkish when it’s actually intended to inflame Turkish opposition by its over the top nature. Or it is to be what it claims to be and is just over the top. There’s no good way to tell, which is sorta nuts.
It’s a fascinating watch though.
Edit 2: Here’s the wiki for the TV station emblem in the video.
Reverend
US forces in the northeast apparently called in a flyby* on some Turkish backed militia (TFSA) who were getting kinda close.
In other news, SDF/Kurdish forced apparently took back one of the cities in the northeast that they had lost to the Turks in this offensive all by themselves.
The people we abandoned may actually literally be the toughest sumbitches on the planet.
*Is is unclear if this was a Maverick style circus stunt flyby.
Reverend
US Attorney’s Office SDNY (These guys again…) charge a Turkish bank with laundering money toner around sanctions on Iran.
Keep in mind that Iran is supporting Assad against Turkey, but only because they want a “northern corridor” of influence across southern Syria to Lebanon and the sea, which makes them opposed to the rise of ISIS/al-queda in the region.
This place is a fucking mess.
norm from cheers
Trump having Senate and Congressional leaders over to Whitehouse tomorrow to discuss Syria. The gang of 8 are invited, with the exception of Schiff..Sen Reed is going so it must be more then just the 8.
glennhoffmania
What’s a money toner?
Reverend
“to get”
Apologies.
norm from cheers
Its quite a political hole Trump dug us into. Here is Eurdogan today:
“Erdogan said Turkey’s operation will end when Ankara completes its goal to form a “safe zone” from Syria’s Manbij to the border with Iraq.
“We informed the US, EU and Russia before the operation began that … we want this terrorist organisation to be removed from our borders,” he said at a weekly meeting of his ruling AK Party, referring to the YPG.
“When the zone from Manbij to Iraq [is cleared] when we could establish a safe zone, this operation will be over. But until that point, no power can stop us.”
He also said he will not meet Pompeo or Pence when they visit. He will only meet Trump
link
Average Reds
Trump is the easiest mark in the history of the United States. Why would any foreign leader ever meet with anyone other than Trump?
BroodsSexton
As I posted in the other thread, this looks like a setup for WWIII, with Turkey trying to take over Syria, though I guess the question is where the alliances are and who comes to the defense of Syria (!). I have a hard time believing that NATO is going to support Turkey, but it also seems unlikely they’ll jump in for Assad. Trump has also said he doesn’t support this offensive, but he’s a fool, and could well get dragged back in with promises by Erdogan that he will eradicate ISIS and solve the Syrian problem once and for all.
Does Russia jump in for Assad, giving Trump and Putin the opportunity to wreak maximum chaos on the world?
One of the more provocative questions at the debate last night is whether Turkey should remain in NATO. How does NATO handle this?
glennhoffmania
I just saw a blurb on one of those elevator screen things saying that Erdogan will now agree with meet with Pence and Pompeo today.
SirPsychoSquints
NBC News: Erdogan rejects Syria cease-fire call ahead of Pence meeting
this says he’ll meet them tomorrow/Thursday
TallerThanPedroia
I don’t think Turkey wants to take over Syria. They just want to drive out the Kurds from that “safe zone” and then fill it with hardline Sunni Arabs from the current Syrian refugee population in Turkey, who can keep the Kurds in check.
OilCanShotTupac
It really is like some bad sci-fi novel or D&D module with a plot of a five-sided war, that would be ordinarily be dismissed as improbable.
OilCanShotTupac
you’d figure in this day and age Trump would waive the in-hand delivery requirement and let Erdogan wire the Trump Tower Istanbul monthly take, but I guess the personal touch matters in business.
It is mind blowing that Pence and Pompeo purport to be a diplomatic mission to exert pressure on Erdogan.
Reverend
t’s notable that there is nobody for NATO to support anymore. Nor is there anyone for the US to support anymore even if we wanted to go back in.
Check it: The US had originally been supporting many of the factions fighting Assad. However, over time, many of the militias became compromised and dominated by radicals TallerThanPedroia mentioned, and ISIS/al-queda spread within the ranks.
The notable exception was the SDF/Kurds, who set up their own autonomous prototype-state called Rojava (recognized by no one despite being supported militarily by the US). The US supported them because they were actually fighting ISIS. The support was complicated by the idea that the US would support the Kurds in fighting ISIS, but not Turkey-though the Turkish backed Syrian militias were pretty much fair game for the Kurds as they have increasingly been infiltrated by ISIS.
So here’s the thing: Rojava doesn’t exist anymore.
When the US pulled out, the SDF had to cut a deal with Assad and Russia, so know the SDF/Kurdish units are reorganized under the control of Syria’s army, the SAA. The Syrian army has, for the first time in years, taken up positions on the border that the Kurds have been holding. And Russian units are patrolling between the Turkish forces and the Syrian forces to prevent conflict. The Rojava project is over.
So there is no longer an independent group espousing Western values in there to support that shares our goals, which means doesn’t also involve also supporting Assad, like there used to be.
People have talked about bluff calling… Trump didn’t just call or fold; he threw our chips away.
Reverend
OilCanShotTupac
President Trump said Wednesday that Turkey’s offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria is “not our problem,” defending his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the region amid criticism.
“If Turkey goes into Syria, it is between Turkey and Syria. It’s not our problem,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
The Hill: Trump says Turkish offensive has ‘nothing to do with us’
Why, then, are Pompeo and Pence going there? A day after tweeting that “BIG SANCTIONS” are coming against Turkey?
The incoherence is nothing new. What’s really disturbing is – how the hell does the US engage any allies at all to help with (whatever it is we’re doing) if the policy (such as it is) does a 180 every day?
YTF
Questions such as yours are the chief reason there is no longer a daily press briefing at the White House.
MiracleOfO2704
From WaPo WH reporter Josh Dawsey:
“It’s not our problem,” Trump says in Oval Office of Turkey’s invasion into Syria. He adds that the Kurds are “not angels.” Also, he says this: “They’ve got a lot of sand over there…. There’s a lot of sand they can play with.”
Reverend
Dragging the Kurds like that is particularly significant given Turkey’s bid in the international arena to have them considered a terrorist organization.
Hoya81
dhappy42
he Onion? Or The Orange?
This joke isn’t funny anymore.
Trump just told the Italian PM that the US and Italy have been friends for thousands of years.
Reverend
Pastor Bronson, named in the letter, gave the opening prayer to the Senate yesterday. And he prayed over Trump this last weekend.
That’ll show’em.
norm from cheers
During his melt down in the meeting Pelosi and other Dems left, Trump was on a roll:
carl hulse@hillhulseDems say that in angry meeting, Pres Trump called former DefSec Mattis : “the world’s most overrated general. You know why? He wasn’t tough enough. I captured ISIS. Mattis said it would take 2 yrs. I captured them in 1 month”
dhappy42
“I captured them in one month!” ???
This is worrisome. The man is not well.
Reverend
Has our policy and approach even changed since Mattis left until about a week ago?
Surely the years of warfare contributed something to the outcome
Average Reds
I’m currently watching Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) as he describes the meeting, and it sounds like it was absolutely nuts.
Trump truly is melting down under the pressure. They need to keep it up.
norm from cheers
I don’t think there would be one member of the military who would have a problem with Ret USMC General Mad Dog Mattis breaking code and spilling the beans about his time as Trump’s Sec Def. He could get his street cred back and I would love to see any of the Rep Senator’s attempt to discredit him during the impeachment trial. That’s some hooah stuff right there.
ZMart100
There’s video going around of a Russian journalist poking around the former US base. Pretty much everyone thought it was completely surreal.
I’ve seen several. Some Russians have apparently decided to troll by advertising “bad guys” right on their foreheads.
Reverend
Anyone here read Russian?
Marciano490
It’s – uh – a homophobic slur. Think the “f” word.
Reverend
That was the joke. It may have been a bit opaque.
I mean, there’s a homophobic slur in English too. 🙂
Marciano490
Ah, I couldn’t zoom in enough on some of the English to make it out.
Also, I love Trump’s letter telling Erdogan he doesn’t want to kill thousands of people. It’s always important to know what the party across the table wants.
I’m surprised nobody here laid the text over Ralph giving Lisa a Valentine’s Day card.
Reverend
“comrades like dudes” with an arrow pointing to the Russian flag.
There’s also something about their moms. Great moments in international diplomacy.
norm from cheers
It turns out the letter Trump wrote to Eurdogan was not leaked.. Trump passed them out at the infamous meeting today lol:
Jill Colvin@colvinj
Per the same source, Trump handed out copies of the letter he’d sent to Erdogan at today’s meeting in what was interpreted as an attempt to show everyone how tough he’d been.
dhappy42
Wait… our soldiers wrote that stuff?
Marciano490
Your Russian is better than mine, can you make out the word after favorite? I can’t even see if it’s Cyrillic or also in English.
Also, is that a bear on the right and a Russian flag gun or dick?
dhappy42
Looks like English, but I can’t make it out. Flag dick.
Kremlin Watcher
Yes pretty much this. “Pedik” is kind of a combination of the “f” word and pedophile.
Russian has an extraordinary obscene vocabulary.
Marciano490
Отоз or отоx seems to be the last word. I don’t know if those mean anything. The former might have some pulling out joke connotation.
CousinTonyFromPadua
Also, is that a bear on the right and a Russian flag gun or dick?
On the right is a penis cat. Above the Russian flag is another penis (colored like the Russian flag).
Marciano490
It’s a pity blue isn’t the bottom color in the Russian flag. Would’ve suited the balls better – though I’m not sure whether that expression translates directly.
CousinTonyFromPadua
голубой is another gay reference, so those airmen would’ve gone with it (if they’d thought of it).
Reverend
Maybe that’s why the arrow is pointing there?
CousinTonyFromPadua
Nah, that one’s a totally different shade of blue (синий), and if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s homophobes’ scrupulous attention to chromatic nomenclature.
Marciano490
голубой is the “normal” way to say gay in Russian, as I understand it. But, my Russian friend’s aren’t particularly enlightened on the subject, so maybe that’s not correct.
dhappy42
Someone on Twitter (it’s not important who) claims U.S. soldiers leave behind penis drawings wherever they go. Is that true? What an unusual “tradition.”
TheShynessClinic
I mean, it’s not like it’s codified or anything.
But generally speaking penis art is accepted and encouraged in the military, yes.
Gunfighter 09
We really need to ensure that we are using the best possible references to discuss important topics, Devil.
Rojava to Rock 