The all purpose terrorism thread featuring plenty of allah akbar

[Oberon]

Rule of Acquisition number 34 (not to be mistaken with Rule 34 which is something else entirely...)

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

While the West (which in my book includes Russia)

Britian is part of Europe - but not really. Or better, it is not by mentality and geograohy, but somehow, it sometimes is. Its - complicated. So it is with Russia. In case of doubt I see Russia as a cultural sphere of its own. Russia is Russia. Left-leaning by claim, and religiously orthodox, it may be close to Greece. And by size, Russia is Russia anyway, neither Europe, nor Asia.

Maybe the Russians do not even know themselves what they are and to what cultural side they belong more. Ask somebody in St. Petersburg, and somebody in Kamchatka, and expect to get two very different answers, maybe.

The differences in mentality and culture coming from Protestantism, Catholicism and Anglicanic churches on the one side, and Orthodoxy on the other side, also are nothing marginal.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

I think that the Tu22M3 carpet bombing runs occurred over ISIS held territories only.

And I think non IS-opposition to Assad has been bombed and shelled and attacked much more than IS itself over the past months. Like Turkey did, too: the are more busy with fighting the Kurds than the IS. And accuse the US for not joining them in fighting the Kurds.

Its almost as chaotic as in one of those old screwball comedies from the 40s and 50s.

[ikalugin]

We don't carpet bomb the non ISIS people. Unless you call 2-4 FAB250s carpet bombing these days.

[mapuc]

If I only could remember every word I hear and remember every sequence I see on different news program about Syria.

I do remember some words between the host of a news program and the man in the field(Damaskus-Syria)

Man in the field. mention three Arabic countries that will deploy soldiers in Syria to fight Daesh

Then the host said something about West giving air support to these and if we are very unlucky we could face a air battle over Syria between Russia and West/NATO

Markus

[Catfish]

It's just human rationalizing at work

".. man stands with a puzzled expression on his face and a handful of things scavenged on the way from gutters, interglacial littorals, sacked settlements and broken relationships, the .. human has no use for thinking except in the service of acquisition. He stands at every gate with one hand held out and the other behind his back, inventing reasons why he should be let in. From the first bunch of bananas, his every sluggish fit or dull fleabite of mental activity has prompted more, more; and his time has been spent for thousands of years in the construction and sophistication of systems of ideas that will enable him to excuse, rationalize, and moralize the grasping hand. .."

His dreams, those priceless comic visions he has of himself as a being with concerns beyond the material, are no more than furtive cannibals stumbling round in an uncomfortable murk of emotion, trying to eat each other. Politics, religion, ideology — desperate, edgy attempts to shift the onus of responsibility for his own actions: abdications. His hands have the largest neural representation in the somesthetic cortex, his head the smallest; but he's always trying to hide the one behind the other.”

Queer, but well said.

[August]

Originally Posted by Catfish

It's just human rationalizing at work

".. man stands with a puzzled expression on his face and a handful of things scavenged on the way from gutters, interglacial littorals, sacked settlements and broken relationships, the .. human has no use for thinking except in the service of acquisition. He stands at every gate with one hand held out and the other behind his back, inventing reasons why he should be let in. From the first bunch of bananas, his every sluggish fit or dull fleabite of mental activity has prompted more, more; and his time has been spent for thousands of years in the construction and sophistication of systems of ideas that will enable him to excuse, rationalize, and moralize the grasping hand. .."

His dreams, those priceless comic visions he has of himself as a being with concerns beyond the material, are no more than furtive cannibals stumbling round in an uncomfortable murk of emotion, trying to eat each other. Politics, religion, ideology — desperate, edgy attempts to shift the onus of responsibility for his own actions: abdications. His hands have the largest neural representation in the somesthetic cortex, his head the smallest; but he's always trying to hide the one behind the other.”

Queer, but well said.

You Germans just love depressing cynicism. Here's another lovely Harrison gem:

“Happiness and beauty are the worst things you can have in a life, because you never forget them. They go on and on ambushing you, presumably until you die.”

[mapuc]

I tried to see it from the Russian side

They are being accused of mostly bombing the moderate terrorist who's on "our side" and not so much Daesh

It may be several groups that is fighting Assad, in all there is one enemy.
OK all those terrorist groups may have different agenda to what they will do with Syria, if they should win the war and they may be fighting Assad & Co-still in all there's one enemy fighting Assad-That's what I think Russia is thinking. They don't see 5, 7 or 10 different terror groups.

Right now the fighting is around Aleppo and it is around that area these moderate terrorist is and they are close to Assad and his supporting forces, so it would be natural to bomb in these areas.

Markus

[Dmitry Markov]

We have a popular joke here: a journalist is asking Russian ASF (ВКС) executive - does ASF see any difference between common terrorists and moderate terrorists in Syria? ASF guy answers that yes, we do see the difference and for engaging common terrorists we use common bombs and for engaging moderate terrorists we use moderate bombs.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by mapuc

OK all those terrorist groups may have different agenda to what they will do with Syria[..]

Indeed, this is important to keep in mind. If it was just one united rebel group against Assad, I'd give them my support, but half a dozen? That won't go well, if Assad is overthrown, just more fighting between these groups to decide who gets to be the next big boss. Add in ISIS and we're looking at several years of more conflict.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Indeed, this is important to keep in mind. If it was just one united rebel group against Assad, I'd give them my support, but half a dozen? That won't go well, if Assad is overthrown, just more fighting between these groups to decide who gets to be the next big boss. Add in ISIS and we're looking at several years of more conflict.

That's why I'm for Assad to win by now. All other alternatives are far worse for Syria.

Originally Posted by Schroeder

That's why I'm for Assad to win by now. All other alternatives are far worse for Syria.

I just figured the same... which is kinda frightening considering what Assad is.

[Skybird]

^, ^^ Same here.

Longer time ago, before the Russians started to heavily relocate forces and intervene, there was a time when I considered Assad to be already defeated. Big mistake of mine.

However, he is done anyway, maybe, for Russia has no specific interest in his person and government, only in its own interests in Syria, and denying the realisation of other sides' interests to them. They will stick to Assad, if they must. If they can do without him, he is game over.

Unfortunately Iran is part of the Russian-Syrian cooperation.

In the end, the ME with military dictators like until some years ago, was more stable, peaceful and predictable, than it is now. It was a mess back then. Now it is hell.

[eddie]

And its going to get worse Skybird, Turkey will send in ground troops to fight Daesh, and will allow Saudi Arabia to use its airbases for air strikes. Got a feeling there will be fighting between the Turks and the Kurds, have no idea how Saudi airstrikes will work at all!?!

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/...ria/ar-BBpsDKc

[eddie]

Now Russia says-

"Russia meanwhile warned against any ground intervention in Syria by countries in the US-led coalition with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev saying it would unleash another war."

So does that mean it is warning Turkey to stay out of it, and will Turkey now violate Iraqs borders and go in without being asked by the Iraqi Govt?

Going to get hotter in the ME, that's for sure!
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/...ort/ar-BBpslRU