Category Archives: Uncategorized

Russia has lately been on a pipeline binge. Obviously this involves already existing projects, but there have been recent developments, some of which are coming to a head. And energy is a long game anyway. It initially neither occurred to me nor would have interested me to go looking for this. Over time, though, I’veContinue reading “Dec 07 (2/2): Pipeline to Russia”

Recall the announcement the other day of the galaxy brain idea to build a wall along the edge of the “safe zone.” So, as discussed, I suppose it’s a good idea. I mean, another possibility would have been for everyone to order their troops to just, like, not fight or otherwise misbehave. But we knowContinue reading “Dec 07 (1/2): Ground Game: Remember Sochi?”

So, if you’ve ever had trouble keeping track of the factions in this conflict, who’s fighting who, who’s on who’s side, what their names are, and so forth, this should be helpful. Not helpful in learning them all. No way. That’s basically impossible. Helpful in understanding why it’s so damned confusing. Two things to considerContinue reading “Dec 06 (3/3): Syrian Factions & You: It’s Not Your Fault.”

So, when we last checked in with Turkey on the international scene, recall that everyone went home pretending to be mad while staying a course of business as usual. Well, except for maybe Macron who seems as distressed as Lindsey Graham has looked recently. But yes: Business as usual. Problems with Turkey could be solvedContinue reading “Dec 06 (2/3): Turkey Abroad”

Things in Turkey are going predictably, which is to say, under the conditions Erdogan has placed it, badly. Let’s start with a snap shot of the economy and then work though to where Erdogan is at. Turkey interest rates negative after inflation accelerates – columnist [Ahval News] https://t.co/d6jbfFKDXG — Ahval (@ahval_en) December 6, 2019 Ahval:Continue reading “Dec 06 (1/3): Turkey at Home”

So, for obvious reasons, there are protests about all this again. Around the world. We protested today in #Cambridge against war criminal #Erdogan. We took a dossier to the police station & demanded they arrest Turkish president 4 war crimes under international jurisdiction. The police obstructed us from carrying out our legal duties under internationalContinue reading “Dec 05 (2/2): Taking Care of Children & ISIS”

So, as I’ve alluded to in past posts, one of the reason not much goes on the ground sometimes is because the big kids aren’t telling anyone what they’re doing. So people stay low until things become clear. So what are the big kids doing? They’re driving around. Again. America Trucks That’s not a typo;Continue reading “Dec 05 (1/2): Driving Misc. Army”

So there is barely a peep coming from the ground, be it about SDF, Turkish backed militia, Syrian army, even Russian air strikes. (I think Idlib is still getting screwed, but there’s still fewer developments being reported on that.) There are skirmishes, shelling, and the occasional drone strike—one reported by a US drone in IdlibContinue reading “Dec 04 (2/2): Ground Game: Fear the Ninja”

tl;dr: One Day 2 of the NATO Summit, there was a bunch of spats, Trump stormed off, everyone went home mad or pretending to be mad, nothing was resolved, and Russia (as was expected) is attacking the legitimacy of US interventions. But otherwise things are business as usual but rather quiet. Which is a bitContinue reading “Dec 04 (1/2): Dude, Where’s My Summit?”

OK, so the NATO summit is an unholy disaster on every level and a few that I hadn’t imagined possible. But because it’s all high tea diplomacy, it looks like a couple people got their feathers ruffled and that’s about it. Meanwhile, NATO is being challenged at its most existential core of legitimacy and hasContinue reading “Dec 03: The Meaning of Terrorism & the Meaning of NATO”