More thoughts

It did not come as a surprise, when I heard Russia is sending a few warship from their Black Sea fleet into the Mediterranean

About this Bosporus Strait

If, the worse thing should happen and a showdown between US and Russian warship take place

Will Turkey close the Strait or will they as Putin's new friend stay neutral ?

Markus

Just one or two days ago Erdoghanistan made it clear that it does not follow Russian, Iranian, American or European policies and does not line up with any of these over Syria, but does its own Turkish policy.

No small statement for a claimed NATO member.

Ex-member, I say.

Not taking it personally Skybird just making a counter argument based on something i see.

First off i don't support the gassing of Civilians it is needless and secondly both sides just need to come clean.

We were told that there were no UK boots on the ground in Syria that got blown up last Thursday if i recall with the death of a British Soldier in Syria so theres a lot that our government are hiding too.

All the air strikes i do believe are co ordinate to avoid the Loss of Russian lives and equipment and vice versa and that the blustering is for show.

Do i support the west's involvement in Syria no i don't, we are there un invited unwelcome and un wanted we have had our fingers burnt many times in the past and we still do not learn.

As for the legal standing with your favorite topic skybird international law states clearly under the UN charters " it does not support regime change" its quite funny really how we the west back doored this in Iraq, Libya and now trying to do the same in Syria.
So by technicality of law Russia by supporting the regime isn't breaking any protocols and is infact in supoort of the international law, it is we the west that by supporting the non governing or recognized rebels breaking international law.

I take Russian media with a pinch of salt i know it is state run it is there for the sole purpose to make Putin look good.

As for laying mines in the Bosporus i reiterate the fact you just open a big can of whoop ass on the world stage what matters in this day and age is public opinion could you imagine if the USA mines the straight and a cruise ship in transit hit one? the fall out would not be so good because you just handed Russia a golden key to prove to the world the west don't care who they kill.

As much as we are indifferent to Turkey right now we need them like it or not, Turkey is moving towards Russia for a reason and Russia has boots on the ground in Syria the reason we don't is because of public opinion.

I think the way forward is to stop waving our D***s around sit down with Russia and say ok we don't like Assad but he is legitimately the ruler of Syria lets work together on ISIS and get rid of them i think working together would make it happen faster and save money.

We did it in Afghanistan & Bosnia so why not do it here?

Kapitan,

I am against us messing around there, too, but I aolso point out and find it ridiculous that while we lack clearly defined own objectives we nevertheless get our hands dirty for show, then lament that we should not get our hands too dfirty, next demand another side having very clear objctives to abandon its objectives, and... well, I stop here. Its an endless chain of self-contradictions. Essentially we make idiots of ourselves down there - and by that we helped to extend the war.

All our assistance to the opposition in past years only extended the war, but did not turn the tide. The russians have their huge share of guilt, but this is ours: to extend the war while at the same time from all beginning on shying away from going all the way so that we made sure we cannot win. And what would we have had to win down there in the first? Bringing arch-fundamentalist radicals to power?

The Israelis act the most reasonable in all these years. They strike without remorse where Iran threatens their vital survival interests by bolstering Hezbollah in Syria, and they said from all beginning on they prefer Assad - for he was predictable in good and bad and they knew how to deal with him. Plus they had the military, still, to handle him.

And we in Europe had nthign ebtter to do then to criticise them, and Washington had nothing better to do to aienate them and to know it all better. And so the Donald had his firework show effect, making America great again. And doing NOTHING to the standings in Syria.

We have made complete idiots of ourselves, all of us. Germany, the EU, Britain, France, Washington. We all behave like total idiots down there. Now they say its the hour of "diplomacy" again. Muhahahahahahaha! We want it all, and have no clue how to realistically get there.

Idiots. Clueless, dumb idiots. We should have stayed out of the way. And Obama should never have painted a red line and then ignoring it when Assad overstepped it.

Its not even an opportunity to realistically conduct missile tests, sinc ehte strike conditions was negotiated with the Russians and the Russians did not unleash their ECM capabilities. These missile drills from few days ago tell us almost nothing.

What. A. Waste.

You might be right Sky :o

America’s Fling With the Kurds Could Cause Turkey and NATO to Split

Critics are alarmed by Ankara's turn toward Russia and "who lost Turkey" talk is in the air.

By MARK PERRY • April 16, 2018

http://www.theamericanconservative.c...nato-to-split/

That's why I wrote on this page
"Will Turkey close the Strait or will they as Putin's new friend stay neutral ?

I had this friendships between Russia and Turkey in my mind

Markus

I think no other Germna chancellor before has led Germany so deep into so many new vulnerabilties and dependencies, like former FdJ-propaganda expert Angela Merkel. Turkey is just one of so many. Considering that so often she has broken EU treaties, laws, the German Basic Law and international obligations, Merkel's acting oversteps the red line to high treason, in my book. Damn FdJ girlie. Most youngsters in the GDR, almost all, were in the FdJ, for pure pragmatism - but Merkel was making a voluntary career in it. If the wall would not have fallen, she now would be a big fat master cat in the SED polit bureau.

Israeli intelligence reportedly says Trump's Syria strike failed, didn't take out much of anything

^ Quelle surprise!

I would have been surprised if anybody produces substantial, undeniable evidence for that "strike" having had a real significant change, result, effect, whatever.

The Donald can perform at a Casino in Vegas with that showact: lots of bright lights and loud sounds. Play that old Top Gun hit "Into the danger zone" to it, and ready is the new hotel stage attraction! And so many lots of groupies he can grab!

Hardly surprising when you take into consideration advance notice of the strike was given.

More reports on the doubts. The plot thickens.

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,...232786,00.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/u...e=sectionfront

No deaths reported. No leakages reported. Struck targets on UN observation list since long. Carrier platforms of Syrian air forc enot hit. Even die-hard fans of the Donald must find it hard to still believe that their idol has acchieved anything here that goes beyond blinding the chicks in his VIP lounge.

Skybird, as usual, you are missing the point:

https://bdnews24.com/world/2018/04/1...n-strikes-poll

^ What has that to do with the contradiction of the Donald describing the strikes as a great success - thats what he sells them as to the population and to the world - while truth seems to be that they did not do anything damaging to Assad's regime at all? And probably never were designed to do anythign damaging at all?

They did not fail indeed. They did exactly what they were designed and planned to do: nothing. In acchieving this nothingness, they indeed were highly successful - mission accomplished! :yeah:

Only fools applaude this charade.