I’m not sure that the Borg, as Patrick Lang calls it, really wants a hot war, rather than the cold war which is in prospect.

Posted by: Laguerre | Dec 3 2015 0:39 utc | 103

“Why is Russia allowing Israel to continue its policy of limited, and ambiguous, attacks on targets in Syria?”
There’s nothing to this, all I’ve seen are “reports” and “Syrian opposition sources” say. Even in PressTV, its just “sources say”. Google News “israel bombs syria”. Mauybe I’m wrong, people ought to look for themselves. After all, consider this source who can’t even keep a screen name for more than a day (and often far less than that).
We might ask, why someone who comes to pose “anti-Israel” is repeating stories that seem to start (and mostly end) with Israeli newspapers and the Syrian opposition? Your slight-of-hand horseshit about caring about the 1968 attack on the USS Liberty notwithstanding.
But then, we know that its ’cause you’re completely, 100%, full of shit. With you’re 8th screenname this week. And someone who can’t last a day without pro-trolling for the US Empire.

Posted by: guest77 | Dec 3 2015 0:50 utc | 105

@guest77@104
[…] We might ask, why someone who comes to pose “anti-Israel” is repeating stories that seem to start (and mostly end) with Israeli newspapers and the Syrian opposition? Your slight-of-hand horseshit about caring about the 1968 attack on the USS Liberty notwithstanding.
But then, we know that its ’cause you’re completely, 100%, full of shit. With you’re 8th screenname this week. And someone who can’t last a day without pro-trolling for the US Empire.
Bingo! He’s working overtime to insert zio-nazi misinformation that has been debunked in former threads again and again. Israelis have been left bluffing about “bombing” Syria/Lebanon/HA/SAA and they and their propaganda rags are the only ones who know when and where, besides old in-house troll WoW, and new in-house troll usurping a revolutionary nick after multiple changes.
What I don’t understand is all the hype that other posters create around the latter and his massive amount of drivel. It seems we are dealing with a fifth column of trolls, in appearance anti-zionist, in reality spreading Mossad’s misinformation, lies and deceit.

Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 3 2015 1:36 utc | 107

Posted by: Maracatu | Dec 2, 2015 11:04:54 AM | 19
Can Turkey close the Black Sea straits for Russia?
Answer: apparently, under the relevant treaty, Turkey would have to more or less declare war (state of war or imminent hostilities). This would open a can of worms. If Turkey makes such a declaration, then it cannot use NATO treaty. NATO can be activated without any legal reasons, but right now, that does not seem likely at all. So the other NATO country would either be “bound by the treaty”, and if not, that would be a huge repudiation of Erdogan. My guess is that even if he is not so inclined, his own military would request to get at least amber light from NATO.
Secondly, contrary to experts cited by Business Insider, Russia has solid means to retaliate: first, stop selling natural gas, second, be joined by Iran which share the cause of eliminating ISIS and the rebels from Syria, third, if war than war! close the pipelines from Azerbaijan and Kurdistan. Oil is cheap, but replacing fuel for most of power stations in the country is not a simple matter and the blow to the economy would be huge. And war is a war! I surmise that bookings would go down. Turkey produces a lot of electricity, so I imagine that it has a lot of industry that relies on electricity. And a war is war! PKK would get a nice selection of weapons, plus SS-400 just on the other side of Iranian border.
I am talking about drastic step that if taken on Russian initiative, would cause a huge international and even domestic opposition. And Russia needs money as well. But if it is Turkey that declares a war on very thin reason, we have Croesus scenario (check Croesus, the location of his activity AND the prophesy).
And, by the way, I would love to hear protests to the effect that it is beastly to deprive civilians of electricity over a dispute.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Dec 3 2015 2:03 utc | 109

The end of Israel’s bluffing…and Erdogan’s “safe zone”…would the trolls shut the f.o.?
S-300 in action in Damascus, Iranian Airforce sent to T4 airbase in Homs serviced by Russia

Syrian war is rolling like a snowball on the edge of the winter with additional new elements that are introduced in the conflict. The presence of new weapons and armies will impose a heavy weight on the various forces fighting on the ground and over the ongoing diplomacy in the attempt to shorten the life of the war in Syria.
A high-ranking officer within the joint operation room in Damascus (consisting of Russia, Iran, Syria and Hezbollah) said “Damascus received sets of S -300 advanced Russian missiles, ready to enter active service. Soon, Syria will announce that any country using the airspace without coordinating with Damascus will be viewed as hostile and will shoot the jet (s) without warning. Those willing to fight terrorism and coordinate with the military leadership will be granted safe corridors”.
In another development, according to the same source, “Iran is preparing two squadrons of Sukhoi to engage the war in Syria. These will be stationed at the T4 Syrian military airport in Homs, very close to Palmyra (Tadmur), previously known as Tiyas. The Iranian Air Force will join the Russian Air Force in their war against extremist terrorist Kafeeree in Syria”.
“The alliance of Russia, Iran, Syria and their allies like Hezbollah, the Iraqis and others are all directly involved in the battle. Russian armed forces, including ground troops, the Navy and the Air Force are supported by air defense system using TOR M 1 / M2 medium-range missiles, accompanied by Pantsir S- along with their most advanced S-400 missiles to create an air umbrella coverage over the Russian forces in the country. Another airport in Homs, al-Sha’ayrat, has been prepared to host newly arriving Russian Air jets.
Al-Sha’ayrat is one of the most important military airport in Syria. Ground troops are securing a wide parameter to allow a comfortable maneuver. Engineers and ground crew services are ready and began to receive inbound aircraft of the Russian Federation, led by advanced Su-34 equipped with air-to-air missiles to protect other Jets while bombing terrorists from another incident like the Su-24 downed by Turkey last week”.
The sources add “Iran sent 4000 IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) equipped with mechanisms grenades and rocket launchers with self-propelled cannons to support its offensive operations in Syria. Moreover two squadrons of the Iranian Air Force will be deployed in the T4 –Tiyas airport, located close to Al-Sha’ayrat, when the Iranian engineers will conclude their work at the site. Iran Air Force, trilled to raise the efficiency of pilots in real combat operation, will provide an air support for all ground forces from Palmyra to Raqqa. Moscow agreed to provide all maintenance and ammunition needed to the Iranian jets. ”
On the S-300, the source concuded: “Syrian air defense crew completed their training on the S -300 missile system in Russia and received the full sets agreed with the government the Syrian forces. The Russian-made S-300s, which can engage 12 targets simultaneously at distances of 200 kilometers and heights of up to 27 kilometers, will be deployed in the liberated areas to cover the full Syrian geography. Damascus is expected – said the source – to announce, soon, that every unidentified jet flying in the sky of Syria will be considered hostile and will be shot down if no previous coordination have been made with the Syrian authorities. Syria is ready to provided safe corridors for those willing to strike terrorism”.
It is unlikely that Syria would declare war in the sky on the western coalition hitting ISIS group despite the deployment of the S-300 and when it will be officially announced. Nonetheless, it is certainly a strong message to Turkey that is seeing its never lasting dream of “safe-zone” vanishing in the air now more than ever. It is also a way for Damascus to put pressure on the west, mainly France and the United Kingdom, to force a diplomatic coordination with the actual government, also in terms of security, intelligence and “war on terror”. However, sources in the Syrian capital confirm that Assad doesn’t expect a sudden return of the Blue/White/Red flag over the French Embassy and the return of an Ambassador, despite the Paris attack. But for the war on terror to be efficient, Paris needs Damascus, and not the other way around, for it’s own national security protection. There are over 1400 French Mujahedeen Takferees fighting along ISIS and al-Qaeda in Bilad al-Sham. Many of these are listed in Assad intelligence files. The DGSE, French external intelligence service, will have no access to these without a diplomatic price in exchange. It will be a challenge for France to fly its jets over Syria without any coordination with Damascus and with the risk of being shot down by the S-300, mistaken for a Turkish or unfriendly jet, like Israel.
Sha’ayrat airport:
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=34.478260&lon=37.254639&z=10&m=b&show=/23180878/Shayrat-Military-Airbase
T4 Military Air Base (known as Tiyas):
“>http://wikimapia.org/23194225/Tiyas-Airbase-T4

Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 3 2015 2:26 utc | 111

“Iran sent 4000 IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) equipped with mechanisms grenades and rocket launchers with self-propelled cannons to support its offensive operations in Syria. Moreover two squadrons of the Iranian Air Force will be deployed in the T4 –Tiyas airport, located close to Al-Sha’ayrat, when the Iranian engineers will conclude their work at the site. Iran Air Force, trilled to raise the efficiency of pilots in real combat operation, will provide an air support for all ground forces from Palmyra to Raqqa. Moscow agreed to provide all maintenance and ammunition needed to the Iranian jets. ”
The Iranians are comminnnnnngggg…Thanks, Qasem Soleimani!!!

Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 3 2015 2:43 utc | 113

From The Guardian:
At the end of a day of extraordinary rhetoric and private anguish, MPs voted by 397 to 223 in favour of sending Tornado jets to seek out Isis targets in Syria.
(….)
Opening the debate, the prime minister admitted that his case for airstrikes was complex, but said the question was whether the UK should go after “the terrorists in their heartlands, from where they are plotting to kill British people” or “sit back and wait for them to attack us”.
(…)
Cameron said Isis was already posing a threat to the UK. It had inspired the worst terrorist attack against British people since 7 July 2005 on the beaches of Tunisia and plotted atrocities on the streets of Britain, he said. “Since November last year, our security services have foiled no fewer than seven different plots against our people, so this threat is very real. Daesh has been trying to attack us for the past year.”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/02/syria-airstrikes-mps-approve-uk-action-against-isis-after-marathon-debate
They have to vote again, now they know (or should know?) that the jets will be downed.
Better: Cancel it, international law you know.

Posted by: From The Hague | Dec 3 2015 2:45 utc | 115

I know that some of you are unable to believe in the existence of secret agreements between States, and this is unfortunate because they have existed throughout history. The purpose may be to hide the betrayal of an ally or of one’s own citizens. It can even represent the best deal that is available, given geopolitical realities. I have tried, before introducing this, to make you more aware of secret agreements and of the manipulation of public opinion which goes beyond the MSM’s propaganda. However, I feel I should wait no longer because it’s relevant now..
I am going to introduce a secret agreement among Turkey’s leadership to partition Turkey, to which both Erdogan & Gul were principals. On the other side is the US through a think tank called The Atlantic Council (Soros)– more powerful than those which have become bywords. Turkey is the State for which the expression “Deep State” was invented.
The analyst who reveals all of this to us is Christof Lehmann; he is Danish, the principal behind the nearly 3-year-old NSNBC International. I don’t always agree w him in analysis, as he has always been more optimistic about the possibility of Europe’s rebellion against US hegemony. But I have never known him to be wrong about a fact, although he reports on esoterica– important esoterica that often appears nowhere else.
“Geopolitical Implications of Atlantic Council Summit in Istanbul indicate Start of Implementation Phase of Regional “Balcanization” Plans. Considering the the Atlantic Council´s previous, involvement in theaters like the former Republic of Yugoslavia, the presence of policy makers like Madeleine Albright and the known involvement of Turkey´s President, Abdullah Gül, in plans to “Balkanize” Turkey, it is neither alarmist, nor unrealistic to consider the risk, that council members discuss the creation of a Kurdish state on Syrian, Iraqi as well as on Turkish and Iranian territories.” http://nsnbc.me/2013/10/29/atlantic-council-energy-summit-in-istanbul-and-regional-balkanization/
—
“Turkey’s top-Judiciary launched a probe into the Gülen network’s moles within Turkey’s judiciary. The probe was launched after the organization led by self-proclaimed religious leader Fetullah Gülen who lives in exile in Pennsylvania, USA, was designated as a terrorist organization. Gülen and his network are notorious for their cooperation with the CIA and NATO’s Gladio network.
“The probe was launched after Turkey’s Counter-Terrorism Department, last week, finalized a draft for the indictment of seven persons, arguing that it had found concrete evidence that sympathizers of the Gülen Movement we trying to establish a parallel State. The seven stand, among others, indicted for leaking information and documents to criminal organizations.”
“Allegations that the Gülen network was establishing a parallel State, cooperated with foreign intelligence services and is part of NATO’s so-called Gladio network have circulated among well-informed Turkish analysts and intelligence insiders for decades.”
http://nsnbc.me/2015/04/15/turkeys-judiciary-launches-probe-into-gulen-networks-parallel-state/
—
“decision to launch the attack on Iraq with ISIS was made on the sidelines of the Atlantic Council’s Energy Summit in November 2013 in Turkey.”
“Lehmann noted that the long-term plan of NATO, rogue networks within Pentagon associated think tanks including the Atlantic Council, the AKP of Turkey, Israel, and other State and non-State actors aims at the establishment of a Kurdish State.
“Lehmann also noted the assessment of retired Pakistani Major Agha H. Amin, who is working as independent security consultant, that the establishment of the Kurdish State is part of a project that aims at the creation of low-intensity wars from the eastern Mediterranean, along the soft, resource-rich underbelly of Russia and China, all the way to Pakistan and beyond.”
[Important map is here at end of article, showing “Kurdistan” partitioning well into Turkey, per Pakistani Agha H. Amin]
http://nsnbc.me/2014/10/30/balkanization-iraq-syria-phase-three-iraqi-pershmerga-arrive-turkey/
—
“Turkish and international analysts, in this regard, frequently point to the fact that President Abdullah Gül signed a secret document on April 2, 2003, with the then U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. Gül admitted to the fact during a TV interview on May 24, 2004. The document reportedly pertains, among others, the establishment of the Kurdish Corridor from the Mediterranean Coast to Iraq and Iran. It is noteworthy that Turkey’s PDK-T, which is tied to Iraq’s Barzani supports the presidential candidacy of R. Tayyip Erdogan.” http://nsnbc.me/2014/07/12/western-kurdistan-plans-syria-iraq-turkey-back-track/

Posted by: Penelope | Dec 3 2015 2:55 utc | 117

105
106
108: Thanks for those posts all, it needed to be said.
Denigrating MoA is important to some.

Posted by: ben | Dec 3 2015 3:33 utc | 119

@MadMax2@116
Not check mate yet, but the game is almost over for Mr. Obama/Mr. Cameron/Monsieur Hollande/Frau Merkel, and top dog Erdogan, since the 4+1 just put them in check, and they have nothing to block the king with, their only move is backwards.
As we post, the US/UK/NATO are scrambling to their war rooms to brainstorm their response to the 4+1 masterstroke. The Western “partners” assumed they could continue to violate Syria as if it were a whore, and that their whorehouses, ehem, parliaments/congresses, could legalize the rape at whim.
Enter the 4+1, and the combination of Russians, Iranians, Syrians and Hezbollah keen strategists will put an end to the Western “partners” idea they could come and go in Syria without consequences. Now that the 4+1 has raised the stakes, the pig-fucker and friends could still enter Syria without permission, Assad will enjoy getting an S-300 up their asses. Legally, and within the framework of international law.

Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 3 2015 3:48 utc | 121

guardian is reporting that British airstrikes on Syria have commenced

Syria airstrikes: British jets launch bombing raids – rolling report
RAF jets have begun air strikes in Syria just hours after a Commons vote supporting bombing against Islamic State targets. Follow developments live

Posted by: Susan Sunflower | Dec 3 2015 4:36 utc | 123

Jayc @ 58,
” Britain just slashed 12 billion from social and infrastructure programs, supposedly as part of austerity, then announced the same 12 billion will be redirected into the military. You can only get away with that for so long, and the moment may well be over.”
Thanks, that’s quite a fact. No wonder they have to threaten people that they’ll take their kids away if they show anger at gov policies! I wonder how much interest comes out of the UK budget every year to give to the bankers?
—
Lisa @ 68, Thanks for a thorough response. I’m not sure that the “moral” trumps having a lot of hostile troops trying to partition Syria & Iraq. Though of course it’s important.
—
Harry Law @ 71, thanks for the answer. I think you are right that resolution 2249 doesn’t equate to Article 51– but in that case, 2249 seems to say almost nothing. How “eradicate” ISIS except with military force? If they meant only the interdiction of sources of income, I believe there was a previous resolution to that effect. There’s probably some good legal commentary on it, but I haven’t spent the time to look for it.
—

Posted by: Penelope | Dec 3 2015 5:16 utc | 125

@Susan Sunflower@121
Susan, I wrote a response to your post on Syrian refugees in the former thread. If you have time, take a look at it.

Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 3 2015 5:22 utc | 127

Sorry, Guest77. Obviously YOU were not posting the idiot Israeli story.
I didn’t see the quote marks & got annoyed, cuz I’m tired of debunking these
same silly stories over & over. I fell for it once myself, so I guess I should
be more forgiving anyway.

Posted by: Penelope | Dec 3 2015 5:31 utc | 129

VR
That’s hilarious that someone could even believe this might have been said by Voltaire. Sense of elapsing time in the New world is definitely much different. Or have they just dispensed with reading anything apart from the newspapers?

Posted by: Mina | Dec 3 2015 5:57 utc | 131

114 LW
France does not fly above Syria
They boasted last week (or rather 2 weeks ago, haven’t heard of any strike last week) that they were entirely avoiding Syrian airspace by flying over Turkey only (and then entered it shortly to hit Raqqa?)

Posted by: Mina | Dec 3 2015 6:17 utc | 133

@92 vintage red.. thanks..

Posted by: james | Dec 3 2015 6:26 utc | 135

Syria will announce that any country using the airspace without coordinating with Damascus will be viewed as hostile and will shoot the jet (s) without warning.

Syria can do it legally but they wont. It would rock the boat too much and have dire consequences (not talking about Turkey’s jets here). US would simply send jets to bomb ISIS and dare Syria to destroy them, if it does – NATO would go full out war against Syria. Assad cant afford that, neither could Russia.
The ONLY case in my opinion when Syria would start hitting US/France/UK jets if they would start overtly bombing SAA a la Libya, in that case Syria wouldnt have a choice but activate all air-defences it has.

Posted by: Harry | Dec 3 2015 7:00 utc | 137

he looks like a real fool on this one.

Posted by: james | Dec 3 2015 7:20 utc | 139

@134 Jack Smith
I suppose reading what i am about to write someone could say that I am anti-Jewish but I lived with one for 17 years so that won’t float.
In many of my comments I refer to the global plutocrats that own the world of private finance and most of everything else. I suspect many of those plutocratic families are Jewish. So we have had since WWII, the titular leadership of the world being connected with a social group that just experienced genocide. Their goals are not the general publics’ goals. They are in need of mental health intervention rather than leading humanity out of the dead end of sectarian wars and war based economies, radiation from Fukushima ( the ONLY issue my Congresscritters won’t respond to me about) and “rape of the world”.
Daunting enough task?

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 3 2015 7:25 utc | 141

Nice to see the trolls denying reality once again. Theyre good at that. That and “being wrong” seem to be the only thing the are good at
When you’re a lying idiot troll i guess reality denial is all ya got.
Its amazing how upset the poor deranged little dears get, babylike tantrums and spittle-filled ranting seem to be their preferred methods of communication these days.
Still, keeps em off the steeets, spitting and ranting at people irl, so theres that

Posted by: Voltaire | Dec 3 2015 7:51 utc | 143

@138 jamesl
I believe … hope … you’re right on the consequences of the vote. 66 Labor MPs voted for aggression and the first strikes were said to have been carried out wihin hours of the vote. A sad, sad day for Britain.
Interesting to see if Syria does give notice that planes bombing Syria without prior coordination will be shot down, now that Syria itself apparently has the S-300’s to do the job independently of the Russians. I don’t see that she has any other choice. The Russians won’t be in Syria forever, although Israel and Turkey/NATO, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulfies will remain a threat for the foreseeable future. Better to set them all straight now, while the Russians are still there and able to help, than later when they are on their own.

Posted by: jfl | Dec 3 2015 7:55 utc | 145

The best thing Bashar al Asad could do today is:
argue than basing himself on the history of Syria, religious conflicts have costed an awful lot to the country (intra Jewish; intra Christian; intra Muslim fights, never stopped in the last 2000 years; for the Pagans add to this the Greeks and the Persians plus the general fights between all the aforementioned), and that it is therefore necessary to modify the constitution and make Syria a 100% secular state.
I can’t wait to see the condemnations from the duplicitous West.

Posted by: Mina | Dec 3 2015 8:04 utc | 147

I am a strong critic of Israel but I recognize Israel’s right to exist, Jews have to be somewhere like any other people, as long as they respect and abide by international law, quit their monstrous apartheid, and stop oppressing the Palestinians.
Posted by: Lone Wolf | Dec 3, 2015 12:18:22 AM | 124
No youre not, stop lying
Hilarious that the selfdeclared alleged “strong critic” immediately starts pimping the Zio propaganda, “right to exist” etc bullshit bullshit.
Israel does none of the thing you listed after the words “so long as . . .
” nor will it ever do those things because to do so would be the death of the zioracist dream of racial supremacism.
So by your own unsolicited criteria it has forfeited any alleged “right to exist”.
But it is of interest that you immediately switched to AIPAC-spokeperson-mode pimping those wellworn zio-lite talking points, when discussing the racist supremacist jewish state — “5th column” indeed

Posted by: Voltaire | Dec 3 2015 8:13 utc | 149

Posted by: James lake | Dec 3, 2015 2:25:22 AM | 138
is it just PR?
Nope, can’t you envision Cameron face with saliva dripping from his mouth rubbing both hands? Finally Parliament gave the green light to kill more Syrians within hrs after the vote the bombing starts.
This is really pathetic even worst than Hitler and Bibi combines! Is this Westminister’s democracy, license to kills?

Posted by: Jack Smith | Dec 3 2015 8:26 utc | 151

In the last months we see very hostile behaviour of Turkey and Britain against Russia.
This tells something.
If you REALLY hurt ISIS,
then those who REALLY profit from ISIS will show up.
British Parliament is an example of superior western democracy that must be exported.
The People’s Council of Syria just forgot to vote on bombing Turkey and bombing Britain.
Many times.
President Assad Of Syria: Syria Has Been Suffering Terrorism On The Scale Of The Paris Attacks Every Day For The Past Five Years
http://tarpley.net/syria-has-been-suffering-terrorism-on-the-scale-of-the-paris-attacks-every-day-for-the-past-five-years/

Posted by: From The Hague | Dec 3 2015 10:16 utc | 153

@ bolasete
No Thanks
y

Posted by: Y | Dec 3 2015 12:18 utc | 155

@Voltaire Find another pseudo. You’re giving Arouet Le Jeune a bad name. Or did he see the International Jewish Conspiracy as the enemy instead of the monarchy?

Posted by: Gene Poole | Dec 3 2015 13:04 utc | 157

The real terriorists want to wage war on syria…..Russia

Posted by: Giap | Dec 3 2015 13:35 utc | 159

In order to fulfill their schemes the West need boots on the ground, a million aircraft sorties will not carve out a Caliphate, safe zone or partition Syria.The question is whose boots? US have a number of special forces in Eastern Syria. Problem for the US is the number of troops required and logistics, would not go unnoticed. What a bind they are in.

Posted by: harry law | Dec 3 2015 14:07 utc | 161

I’ll go ahead and issue a mea culpa that I didn’t realize Voltaire was trolling, even though I’m typically skeptical to the point of paranoia about that type of activity. The odd thing is, I honestly believe that political Zionism is actually behind most of those events listed in his posts, so it’s definitely an odd way to disrupt the conversation. With the clarity of hindsight I should have been a bit more alarmed about the last point he tried to make regarding Israel bombing Syrian territory with impunity and implicit Russian consent, but apparently I’ve got a bit to learn in terms of cyber-subversion.

Posted by: Bruno Marz | Dec 3 2015 14:09 utc | 163

Bruno Marz
“Political Zionism”? I don’t understand the distinction with just “zionism”.
Israel mostly gets a ‘free pass’ because others are doing their dirty work. But they are a key member of the group of nations that are using extremists as a weapon as described in Hersh’s “The Redirection” and later confirm by the cables published by wikileaks and other evidence.
KSA knew that Israel would feel threatened by extremists being used as a weapon and would pressure the US to do something about it. So they needed a pact with Israel with USA guarantees.
Israel knew that they couldn’t achieve their objectives (defeat Hezbollah, subdue Palestinians) without help – and the opportunity to support Saudi’s extremist plan was a god-send that inherently allowed for disparaging Islam and Arabs as evil.
Israel and their supporters work behind the scenes, pressuring US to step-up support for a flawed and immoral strategy. But they are no less complicit.
Israel + KSA: our fundamentalist ‘wag the dog’ allies have no qualms taking us to the brink of WWIII.

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Dec 3 2015 15:02 utc | 165

Ah, just heard the rest of the morning on WNYC will be mainly discussions of (what little) is known about the mass shooting in San Bernardino, CA. Last night, the press was saying authorities were hoping to capture at least one of the shooters alive, but, it seems, that did not happen.
So, not that much of substance will be reported about the new player in the “Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb” gang.
And, of course, even though ISIS developed in Iraq and flowed over into war-torn Syria, Cameron is saying Syria is the wellspring of all ISIS terrorism plots. Sounds like he’s dissing the Belgian plotters, eh?

Posted by: jawbone | Dec 3 2015 15:09 utc | 167

Jackrabbit, I believe that far from merely being “complicit” in the savagery and horrors visited upon not only the Middle East, but also the United States, Europe, India, Australia, and everywhere in between as they relate to “Islamic” terror, I believe Zionism (I’m okay dropping the “political” component) is the top of the proverbial pyramid, so to speak.
I think the institutionalized child abuse is every bit as real and likely orders of magnitude more vile and horrific than even the most sadistic among us is capable of imagining, and I believe it’s a tool that not only satisfies and underlying blood lust for innocent children inherent to their ranks, but also as a method of blackmail and extortion for those unlucky enough to be invited to one of Jeffrey Epstein’s parties only to be videotaped raping a child sex slave. It’s the same in the United States as it is in the UK, and when you pull back the curtain to look at the actors involved in not only the perpetuation of these crimes but also those who prevent honest enforcement of the laws designed to protect against them, a common theme becomes evident. The Catholic church has disposed of how many helpless orphans during its centuries long reign? How many children have gone missing from the “care homes” across the UK over the past century?
As it relates to the “Global War of Terror”, I am of the belief that each and every terrorist event of significance which either precipitated, justified, or perpetuates this fraud of a war is in essence a military operation conducted by clandestine elements of the corrupt deep state against soft civilian targets within the occupied territories, our supposedly “free” nations in the west chief among those. Elections mean nothing when you’re votes are not accurately counted, and in the event a rogue element does rise to a position of influence within the government, he can quickly be given the “Paul Wellstone” treatment and the controlled media will never so much as question the official explanation.
Power and control are exerted through the seamless and combined application of bribery, extortion, blackmail, intimidation, violence, assassination, terror, and outright military destruction, in that order. The enemy reads everything we say, gathers every comment we make, knows everyplace we visit, every one with whom we associate, and yet some how, some way, they’re continuously caught off guard by all of these events which always conveniently dovetail to either push damaging news out of the headlines, advance their sinister agenda, or both.
I’m as cynical as they come about our current situation, and WWIII machinations aside, we’re in a very bad way.

Posted by: Bruno Marz | Dec 3 2015 15:42 utc | 169

Why did Russia keep inviting the West in? This has always perplexed me; does anyone have a theory? Penelope asked.
For what its worth. Putin had two choices; this must have been clear from the start to Russia. He could explore them for a while, and possibly choose one option over the other and then change tack, under some conditions, though the changing tack is not a Russian habit.
1) Go it alone with allies from the Axis of Resistance. (Syria Gvmt., Iran, the Hezb..) Possibly, accepting that some others join with very firm, clear, commitments to the R position. China springs to mind (unlikely), geographically closer might be Greece (again, not on the cards.) Note that part of the real power brokers (e.g. Multinational Corps, Banksters) sit these matters out or act only far behind the scenes (e.g. protecting some assets, persons, etc. There are several reasons why oil trucks but not oil installations, wells, are bombed.)
2) Putin’s strategy from the start was two-pronged, milit. and diplomatic, and the diplomatic part was, and is essential. P has been rushing about touting a ‘grand coalition’ (helped in part by lying Gvmt. heads like in France.) He thus takes on the position of organisor / leader.. we welcome those who want to join us almost literally what he states. (Presumably with the agreement of Syria, though nothing? is said on that.) Those who hesitate or make conditions (won’t share information or what not) are shown up to be recalcitrant subordinates, with kindergarten type ‘hedges’ and conditions, or, eventually, smarmy hypocrites. Putin is doggedly pursuing this path. Presumably with some expectations of at least partial success (? how one formulates that..), which in this situation is hmm…comprehensible.
Bold: What matters now is what happens on the ground. End bold.
Not the obfuscatory statements of the likes of Cameron, Hollande, who play a double, or triple game, aka, statements to the public, behind closed doors, and secret hopey-dopey plans. They are trying to position themselves in the situation ‘when the war is over’, they want a seat at the table, and really don’t know where to turn. Despicable and idiotic.
What is clear to me is that R has chosen the Syria theatre for a **partial** show-down.
There were some other ++ answers to this question, mine is merely yet another view, low-key and tempered in this case.
E.g. Putin still badly wants to preserve that notion of normal relations with the West, tom at 69. Others, too, but post too long.

Posted by: Noirette | Dec 3 2015 16:31 utc | 171

Epstein was tied in with the big Zionist money from the start, and Lex Wexner of The Limited Brands and Victoria’s Secret, was one of his prime benefactors. In fact, Epstein’s 51,000 square foot, nine story private mansion in Manhattan – the largest private residence in the city – was given to him by Les Wexner for the completely realistic and not-at-all-suspicious price of $1. Nothing to see here, goyim, just move along.

Posted by: Bruno Marz | Dec 3 2015 16:46 utc | 173

Why does it always seem to be Sunnis blowing up stuff? Even in Iraq, it was always Sunnis blowing up Shiite mosques?
After reading Pepe E’s latest article at RT, the Saudis seem out of control [internal power struggles, etc]. What happens when we have to buy oil from our enemies? Do the think tanks controlling our neo-con foreign policies have a clue for what comes next, their second act?

Posted by: shadyl | Dec 3 2015 17:01 utc | 175