The Syrian Conflict Thread

[NarrowBandFtw]

I'll have to go sit in a dark room for a while, can't believe I actually agree with a story on RT...

I don't get why people are sometimes so against RT, they're pretty tame compared to other so-called government mouthpieces. I think Sputniknews is less objective than RT, hell CNN is often also less objective than RT.

 

[Xarog]

I don't get why people are sometimes so against RT, they're pretty tame compared to other so-called government mouthpieces. I think Sputniknews is less objective than RT, hell CNN is often also less objective than RT.

I think it's because if RT is right about this, then it begs the question as to what else they've been right about in the past.

 

[Unhappy438]

RT is just reporting what Russia's MOD has said, im not sure what the big deal is here. Just like CNN they are capable of printing decent news, its just rather rare.

 

[Dave]

I think it's because if RT is right about this, then it begs the question as to what else they've been right about in the past.

Even a broken clock is right twice in 24 hours .

 

[Unhappy438]

Turkey confirms special forces operation in Syria

The Turkish government has made the unusual move of confirming that its special forces entered Syria on Saturday, on what it called a "reconnaissance mission".

Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaziantep near the Turkish-Syrian border, said it was highly unusual for the Turkish government to announce a special forces operation conducted outside the country's borders.

"Perhaps they were trying to give a message by announcing something so secretive," she said.

She said the operation was probably an attempt to stop the almost daily attacks on Kilis, a Turkish border province which has been hit by rockets from areas in Syria controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/turkey-special-forces-operation-syria-160509055126949.html

 

[Unhappy438]

Here is an article on the Turkish town ISIS is targetting

http://www.ibtimes.com/turkish-town...s-struggle-under-rocket-attacks-syria-2364467

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

Turkey confirms special forces operation in Syria
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/turkey-special-forces-operation-syria-160509055126949.html

This just looks highly suspect; with evidence pointing at Turkey being an ISIS supporter what possible reason do they have to fight them?

Is it an excuse to invade Syria and position troops for something else entirely e.g. fighting the Kurds?

 

[Unhappy438]

what possible reason do they have to fight them?

Read my following post. Turkey has plenty reason to fight ISIS, they suffer the most attacks from ISIS after Syria and Iraq.

Also i dont think we should conflate greed with direct support. Otherwise Assad is also an 'ISIS supporter'.

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

Read my following post. Turkey has plenty reason to fight ISIS, they suffer the most attacks from ISIS after Syria and Iraq.

Also i dont think we should conflate greed with direct support. Otherwise Assad is also an 'ISIS supporter'.

One would think they'd start by not buying oil from ISIS or not supplying weapons or soldiers to ISIS and perhaps denying them unlimited free movement across the border? Any of those will be many factors more effective against ISIS than military action in a country that has no shortage of active forces already.

The action they're taking seems suspicious given they have much better options available, hence I'll allow myself a few seconds of donning the tinfoil hat and say it looks like just a facade so that they can enter Syria illegally.

Turkey's #1 and #2 enemies in Syria are the Kurds and the government, ISIS is in 3rd place at best and ISIS happens to be an ally against #1 and #2.

 

[Unhappy438]

One would think they'd start by not buying oil from ISIS or not supplying weapons or soldiers to ISIS and perhaps denying them unlimited free movement across the border? Any of those will be many factors more effective against ISIS than military action in a country that has no shortage of active forces already.

The action they're taking seems suspicious given they have much better options available, hence I'll allow myself a few seconds of donning the tinfoil hat and say it looks like just a facade so that they can enter Syria illegally.

Turkey's #1 and #2 enemies in Syria are the Kurds and the government, ISIS is in 3rd place at best and ISIS happens to be an ally against #1 and #2.

The way i see it is those things happen through greed and corruption. ISIS pays members of the Turkish military and they are happy to give them some weapons or pass through the borders. Kind of hard to just to stop all those things immediately, its much quicker to send in special forces. Why is Assad buying oil from ISIS whilst systematically fighting them?

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

Why is Assad buying oil from ISIS whilst systematically fighting them?

What this old chestnut? http://www.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-usa-oil-idUKKBN0TT2QP20151210

In that article at least there is nothing more than an allegation with no proof offered whatsoever, quite different from the piles of evidence Russia made available for scrutiny to prove the Turkey-ISIS-oil link.

Regardless, I can imagine stopping the flow might not be that easy, but if you want to deal a decisive blow that is far better than sending in special forces. Erdogan has an iron grip on power after all, why not use it for something good for once?

I'll continue to suspect Turkish forces will be tasked with more than just fighting ISIS.

 

[Unhappy438]

What this old chestnut? http://www.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-usa-oil-idUKKBN0TT2QP20151210

The Kurds after taking back oil fields and refineries said they found documents stating Assad is the main buyer of ISIS oil. I actually posted a video a few weeks back with all of that.

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

The Kurds after taking back oil fields and refineries said they found documents stating Assad is the main buyer of ISIS oil. I actually posted a video a few weeks back with all of that.

I'll go find it, clearly didn't watch yet. If they said it without offering proof it is still just an allegation though, did they hand those documents they found over to anyone for inspection / verification of authenticity?

 

[Unhappy438]

Here is more as well:

Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime negotiated deals with the Islamic State's oil tycoon that at one point contributed up to 72% of the militant group's profit from natural resources, The Wall Street Journal reported this past weekend.

ISIS' oil ties to governments did not begin and end with Assad, however. Last July, The Guardian's Martin Chulov reported that separate documents uncovered in the Sayyaf raid linked Turkish officials to ISIS as well.

http://www.businessinsider.com/assad-oil-isis-2016-4

 

[Unhappy438]

I'll go find it, clearly didn't watch yet. If they said it without offering proof it is still just an allegation though, did they hand those documents they found over to anyone for inspection / verification of authenticity?

Im going off memory now but i believe they gave them to French journalists.

 

[Unhappy438]

Here is the video, its rather long but a good watch. I dont remember the exact spot, if you dont want to watch it all i will look for the time stamp for you this evening.

[video=youtube;aftoBdrjm7Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aftoBdrjm7Q[/video]

 

[Unhappy438]

Nevermind, found a separate video.

[video=youtube;HvhksuJ-3hY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvhksuJ-3hY[/video]

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

Here is the video, its rather long but a good watch. I dont remember the exact spot, if you dont want to watch it all i will look for the time stamp for you this evening.

Cheers for that, it is a good watch. It states the SDF "suspects" Assad buys oil from ISIS though and the only document the journalist team specifically highlights proves some workers got salaries paid despite ISIS taking control of the refinery already.

That could be as innocent as an accounting/payroll error, or it could indeed be a smoking gun. Was there any followup, more detailed, reveal?

I was hoping more for something like this (also a long watch but every second of it accuses Turkey )
[video=youtube;hQey-FCHhb0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQey-FCHhb0[/video]

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

Source: Turkey: Border Guards Kill and Injure Asylum Seekers

MAY 10, 2016
(Istanbul) – Turkish border guards are shooting and beating Syrian asylum seekers trying to reach Turkey, resulting in deaths and serious injuries, Human Rights Watch said today. The Turkish authorities should stop pushing Syrian asylum seekers back at the border and should investigate all use of excessive force by border guards.

During March and April 2016, Turkish border guards used violence against Syrian asylum seekers and smugglers, killing five people, including a child, and seriously injuring 14 others, according to victims, witnesses, and Syrian locals interviewed by Human Rights Watch. Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry maintains the country has an “open-door policy” for Syrian refugees, despite building a new border wall.

deja vu, HRW confirming yesterday that Turkey is still at it ...

 

[OrbitalDawn]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...-screenshot-from-command-and-conquer-generals

UK Russian Embassy tweets screenshot from Command & Conquer Generals