for the canuck readers, john helmer has some scathing info out on chrystia freeland..

Posted by: james | Jan 21 2017 18:45 utc | 3

@2 In 19th century, UK was the leading economic power, the ultra-liberal one pushing for free trade and globalization because it benefited from this. Funnily, US had a very protectionist policy with punishing tariffs. In 20th century, US was the leading economic power, the one pushing for free-trade and globalization. In both cases/centuries, the economic powerhouse relied at times on military force and coups to break countries open and to regime-change, so that more countries would go the free-trade laissez-faire market way.
I’m thinking Jinping is now pushing for China to take on the mantle of 21th century economic behemoth, therefore the one who’ll benefit the more from globalization and free-trade, meanwhile declining US economic power shifts more towards protectionism.
Also worth noting that the British economic peak came after the Napoleonic wars had wrecked most of Europe, and the US economic dominance was cemented by 2 world wars…

Posted by: CluelessJoe | Jan 21 2017 19:42 utc | 5

@6
The UK also took in 7000 Ukrainian members of the 14th Waffen SS Galicia Division.
On both sides of the Atlantic the Ukrainian nationalist diaspora have got themselves into positions of influence, and play a big part of reviving their ideology in Ukraine.
They’ve had roles in multiple administrations in the US and some of their children now work for the Kiev government, creating laws such as the glorification of Bandera and pushing for Decommunusation.
They even run scout camps in the US teaching children how to live like Bandera.
They probably got a free pass because of their opposition to the USSR. Their hosts knew they may come in useful at some point. Only took 70 years but they eventually came into use, only with today’s Russia as the mutual enemy.

Posted by: Bob | Jan 21 2017 20:03 utc | 7

re Bob 7
Whatever Ukrainian influence, I don’t have much fear. Ukraine is such a basket-case, that anyone would hesitate. NATO and EU membership are both impossible. If they’re admitted to either, I’ll be building my fallout shelter.

Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 21 2017 21:21 utc | 9

Posted by: nmb | Jan 21, 2017 1:09:42 PM | 2
No, it is “China first” China profits from globalism.

Posted by: somebody | Jan 21 2017 21:34 utc | 11

So what of the Middle East? Trump hasn’t appointed most of his team yet. Are US forces on hold, or continuing the old policy, while waiting for new instructions?

Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 21 2017 21:45 utc | 13

somebody @11 – True, but it doesn’t mean that China wants to adopt fully the neoliberal free market fundamentalism. I think the Chinese leadership tries to find a balance between free market and some kind of ‘silent’ protectionism (a hard balance indeed).

Posted by: nmb | Jan 21 2017 21:47 utc | 15

About Canada’s Freeland. There are two stories at Russia insider about her. One talks about how she wants Justin Trudeau’s job (and, btw, just how stupid people think he is) and how her family was a bunch of Nazis. I don’t want to post a link in case I get accused or promoting other sites.

Posted by: mischi | Jan 21 2017 21:57 utc | 17

Is it correct that Freeland grandparents were involved with nazis in Ukraine?

Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 21 2017 22:07 utc | 19

re anonymous 14
Of course in ancient times, no-one would dare continue a war a previous ruler had launched. You had to wait for new instructions, or be condemned.
Today, it’s a risk of career, if you do something the new commander-in-chief might disapprove of. Better play safe, and not do too much, until you have a clear signal.

Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 21 2017 22:16 utc | 21

1) re UkroNazi diaspora in Canada – good read on the topic:
When You Slow-Dance with the Devil, You Can’t See His Face
2) Some recent good developments in Europe:
Fearing New President’s Approach to Russia, Bulgarian NGOs Plot Color Revolution
‘Stop Operation Soros’ movement begins in Macedonia
EU needs independent defense, says French PM after Trump’s NATO comment
In the meantime: Britain secretly upgrading its nukes without asking MPs
Which brings to mind this: “NOW, I AM BECOME DEATH, THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS”

Posted by: ProPeace | Jan 21 2017 22:25 utc | 23

@22
i wonder how II.1 relates to china. the ttp was billed as anti-china. nmb’s link mentions tee-rex’ interest in the south china sea. maybe there will be official tee-rump bluster to justify the mic gravy train, and to cover the plutocrat to plutocrat wheeling and dealing between the plutes of the usa and the prc.

Posted by: jfl | Jan 21 2017 22:28 utc | 25

Anonymous gave a link to Trumpian foreign policy. Priority #1: war with terrorism, with ISIS mentioned by name. A good priority, ISIS seems to be on the way out anyway. Priority #2:
“Next, we will rebuild the American military. Our Navy has shrunk from more than 500 ships in 1991 to 275 in 2016. Our Air Force is roughly one third smaller than in 1991. President Trump is committed to reversing this trend, because he knows that our military dominance must be unquestioned.”
Excellent. We need 225 more ships. I guess, the money would be best spend on speed boats. Recall that the finest American military operation in recent decades was the intervention in the island nation of Grenada, so we could pencil a few targets like that, and what is better than Tonga and Tuvalu. We could find some reason, say, cooperation with terrorism by letting those low-lives use websites with suffixes .to and .tu. Since those opponents are dispersed on numerous small islands, a huge fleet of very small ships would do well. Afterwards we could take care of the rest of letter T, like Trinidad and Togo. In Togo, the ability to operate in rivers is essential, another benefit from a huge liliputian fleet. And we could also consider Gambia (a narrow country along the banks of the eponymous Gambia river, recently in unrest).

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jan 21 2017 22:32 utc | 27

RE: 2, nmb, above …
The Chinese are not appeasing neoliberalism. They are neoliberals … the OBOR is neoliberal at it’s core. If anything, the Chinese are aiming to be the neoliberal top dogs … and yes, that does mean that the US won’t be.
RE: 3, 5,6 above …
Let’s face it, the reason the US and others took in so many anti-communist fascists is simple … the US is a fascist state. Democracy, my ass! Democracy is a cover for a long ago established deep state that conflates combining government and business. The very definition of fascism. WWII was an attempt by a group of fascist states to reign in another fascist state while hoping to crush communism … thus really staying out of the war until it was obvious that Russia was winning. Only then did the US, UK, et al get serious about defeating the Germans.
RE: 7 (bob) above:
The Ukraine being a basket case may be a reason to fear ex-pat, fascist Ukrainians all the more. If they could destroy their own country so effectively, imagine what they could do to others? More to the point, why do you think so many ex-Nazis were so influential in developing atomic weapons, rockets, et al? Was it only because of their scientific expertise? Or was it because they were ‘fellow travelers’ regarding fascism?
And, it rained … not enough … but so much better than not!

Posted by: rg the lg | Jan 21 2017 22:43 utc | 29

rg the lg @29 – “The Chinese are not appeasing neoliberalism. They are neoliberals …”.
Not really. Neoliberalism is totally incompatible with state-owned enterprises. Many of the biggest Chinese companies are state-owned. China is a mix of state-controlled big companies and private local and foreign investments. The Western neoliberal capital wants to take over the Chinese state, destroy any state ownership, transform China into a total free market, loot public property, like it did in the West. Which means it has to destroy the communist party somehow.

Posted by: nmb | Jan 21 2017 23:11 utc | 31

@4, Ben

Thanks for the link. Could this be the death of the BRICS alliance?

A definite possibility, but before getting into the panic mode–it must be understood that the way real power of any nation is measured is very complex, and tri-polar global structure is emerging–PRC, USA and Russia. Other poles will emerge eventually but it has to be understood that BRICS, realistically, it is China and Russia. China is now in a precarious position since must wait for the US “offer” to Russia. It doesn’t mean that the “offer” will be accepted but now a lot, and I mean–a lot, will depend on the dynamics of US and Russian bargaining. Russia doesn’t trust US but let’s not overestimate Sino-Russian relations either–it is all work in progress. A lot depends on correct assessment of US position from the point of view of “pass the point of no return” or not.
P.S. BRICS is not “alliance” and the only real alliance possible within this structure in Sino-Russian alliance, and I am going out on a limb here, which even if it materializes will not live for too long. Then India may factor in.

Posted by: SmoothieX12 | Jan 21 2017 23:59 utc | 33

@6 and @7. Not so much their opposition to the Soviet regime as much as saving their skins for overt collaboration with the Nazis during WWII. These were the scum of the earth who the Nazis were quick to fill the ranks of prison guards in the concentration camps…..

Posted by: georgeg | Jan 22 2017 0:38 utc | 35

Piotr Berman@27 – Tonga and Tuvalu?? Those sneaky bastards must DIE! ALL of them!
Wait…. those are real places?

Posted by: PavewayIV | Jan 22 2017 1:24 utc | 37

While types like Canada’s oxymoronic ‘Freeland’ family are the epitome of asshole facism, I reckon it is a bit rough to single out all Ukrainian post ww2 emigrees as being sociopathic Nazis. I know I’ve written about this before but when I was living in North Australia I got to know a Ukrainian bloke pretty well who had just about walked all the way to Australia, When he was 14 or 15 (he was sorta unsure of his exact age) Red Army recruiters came through his village and rounded up all the males under 50 and put them in the Army. It was 1941 and the Nazis had attacked. My friend got captured in the first battle he was in which was a disorganised retreat in the face of nazi attack. He spent a few months in a huge open air prison camp slowly starving to death before SS Ukrainian recruiters came through one of whom he knew since they grew up in the same village. The guy told him if he wanted to live he better join up and grab a nice Hugo Boss uniform because if he didn’t he wouldn’t make it through the winter.
The guy joined the SS and was made a guard at a concentration camp. Was he evil? He didn’t appear to be when I knew him, although he didn’t talk about the camp the way he talked shamefully about some of the stuff he did later.
By 1944 when it was obvious the nazis were losing, his german lieutenant suggested it was time to exit stage left, to move west as fast as possible since no one was gonna be greeted kindly by the Soviet troops who hadn’t been captured and hadn’t swapped sides, so they split to the allied sector during all the chaos following the collapse of the Nazi regime ending up in Marseilles still with his german friend running guns to north africa and cigarettes back to france. Not nearly as romantic as it sounds apparently. They got caught by French Customs and told that they could either go to jail for a very long time or take advantage of their extensive military experience and join the foreign legion. They picked the latter and ny friend always maintained of all the bad choices he made as a kid, that was the worst.
The foreign legion was providing the sharp end of France’s foolish quest to keep Algeria a colony and very soon these guys found themselves betraying, torturing and killing the friends they had made among Algerian freedom fighters when they were in the ‘cigarette’ business. I guess for him that was the difference. When he was working in the concentration camp he was dealing with humans he didn’t know, he could choose to believe what he was told about them being criminals, but he had known the Algerians and knew them as decent people trying to resist oppression now he was part of that oppression.
Eventually he got rotated to IndoChina, from what I can remember his german companion had either been killed or had deserted by then, anyway he found himself in an even worse situation since the job was the same , but there were a lot less resources despite the expectations of the generals being higher as there was even more contempt for Vietnamese soldiers from the french officer class than they had for Algerians -big mistake. When that turned to shit my friend deserted and walked into Thailand heading South west into Malaya until he got to Singapore. He was almost entirely dependent on the goodwill of local people who fed him until he got across to Singapore where he managed to work for a while to get passage on a boat to North Australia where he remained an illegal immigrant working in mines and construction for decades until my flatmate who worked for Australian Immigration sorted him out with citizenship.
I’m sure this guy (who I imagine is long dead now I lost contact with him in the mid-80’s) did some really terrible stuff, but really he was just another victim of the warmongers, and I can still remember the tears he had when he told me some of the detail about Algeria. None of us are blameless but mostly when you’re just another shit kicker, what you do is what you have to do to keep breathing.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Jan 22 2017 1:34 utc | 39

For the past four days days the US have been destroying oil wells and stills (or are they refineries) around Deir Ezzor (Dayr Az Zawr). I guess they expect the Syrian government to control this area soon?
https://www.defense.gov/News
Jan. 21, 2017
Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq
Jan. 20, 2017
Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
Jan. 19, 2017
Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
Jan. 18, 2017
U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq

Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 22 2017 2:00 utc | 41

@ Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 21, 2017 9:00:47 PM | 41
That’s what’s called a ‘key indicator’.
If we can’t ever have control of it, due to new policies, re pulling out & turning against Al-Qaeda/ISIS, well, here’s some Hubris for y’all (Syria/Assad) as we depart. Nothing new there. Yet if, they foresaw any prospect of success, that previously untouched Oil infrastructure would NOT now be being destroyed, as you describe.
Hence, a ‘key indicator’ re new ‘Flash’/immediate initial policy directives, as of 20th … in all probability … and the professional (non-suborned/politicized) military would be lovin’ it.

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 2:14 utc | 43

Women’s rights and $20m political donations to the Criminal Clinton Slush Fund (now closed for donations)?
Yeah, wear pink to that!
“Hidden Camera in Saudi Arabia SHOCKING”
https://youtu.be/u-0ua23x89I
“Muslims Migrant, Saudi Prince Humiliated By USA Cop”
“Published on Jan 12, 2017
A Saudi prince, the grandson of Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Saud, returns to his car,as a New York City police officer was writing him a ticket for illegal parking of his car, he attempted to drive away and was arrested. The police officer tell him, get the **** out of the car. The car gets driven away by the prince’s American girlfriend, who is wearing hot pants that would get her stoned to death in Saudi Arabia.
A citizen of Saudi Arabia commented: I am Saudi and I say : Thank you very much to the brave Policemen who represented US and showed the power of the law no matter who you are, we miss that in Saudi Arabia, those insane princes think they own the land, the oil and the people here, but they are wrong. I am very happy today thanks.”
https://youtu.be/ZFwTI20FKcs
[ignore idiot intro etc]

Posted by: x | Jan 22 2017 2:45 utc | 45

Full text transcript:

President Trump Speaks at CIA Headquarters
By Quinta Jurecic
Saturday, January 21, 2017, 5:17 PM
The day after his inauguration, President Donald Trump addressed CIA employees at the Agency’s headquarters. Video of his remarks is available below courtesy of The Washington Post, along with a transcript courtesy of CSPAN. We have also included notable responses to Trump’s speech at the bottom of this post.
…
Although, they did treat me nicely on that speech yesterday [laughter].
I always call them “the dishonest media”, but they treated me nicely.
…
You know, the military, and the law-enforcement generally speaking, — but, all of it — but the military, gave us tremendous percentages of votes. We were unbelievably successful in the election with getting the vote of the military and probably almost everybody in this room voted for me, but I will not ask you to raise your hands if you did. [laughter]
…
We have to get rid of ISIS. We have to get rid of ISIS. We have no choice [applause]
Radical Islamic terrorism – and I said it yesterday – has to be eradicated. Just off the face of the Earth. This is evil. This is evil.
…
You’re going to go to it, and you’re going to do a phenomenal job. But we’re going to end it. It’s time. It’s time right now to end it.
…
The old expression: “to the victor belong the spoils” – you remember? You always used to say “keep the oil”. I wasn’t a fan of Iraq. I didn’t want to go into Iraq. But I will tell you. When we were in, we got out wrong.
And I always said: “In addition to that, keep the oil”.
Now I said it for economic reasons, but if you think about, Mike, if we kept the oil we would probably wouldn’t have ISIS, because that’s where they made their money in the first place. So we should have kept the oil.
But okay. [laughter] Maybe we’ll have another chance.
…
So I can only say that I am with you 1000%. And the reason you’re my first stop is that as you know, I have a running war with the media. They are among the most dishonest human beings on Earth. [laughter, applause]
And they sort of made it sound like I had a feud with the Intelligence Community. And I just want to let you know, the reason you’re the number 1 stop is exactly the opposite. Exactly. And they understand that too.
…
But this is how dishonest the media is: a big story. And the retraction was like — was it a line? Or did they even bother putting it in?
So I only like to say that because I love honesty. I like honest reporting.
…

My, take is he’s ‘playing them’, and sending a direct, polite reminder, of bared ‘teeth’ smile style, as to who is now CIC and Prez … YMMV
Also includes WH Spokesman supplemental remarks/statement, and various ‘comments’ from the ‘Globalist'(?) faction …

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 2:53 utc | 47

@ Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 21, 2017 9:52:08 PM | 46

Also chain of command at the top end in the US. Is it CIC directly to the heads of the various commands or is it CIC, defence secretary, heads of commands?

In my day it was the latter, with only extraordinary exceptions.
Starting with that alcohol addled sockpuppet, Bush the Younger, and then a complete corruption under Obama, the Prez could, if he chose to, literally issues a direct order to a theater Command, bypassing, Joint Chiefs, Secretary of Defense, Chain of Command, all of it.
Those processes exist for very valid reasons going back millenia re State & Military interaction/command/accountability/effectiveness/authority/funtionality, etc. Total corruption. It’s one of the reasons many in the professional Military (non-politicized) loathed Obama.
Do you recall the disgusting footage of ’em, especially Killary, watching the Assault on the Bin Laden compound in Pakistan, via live real-time feed, as if it was all just a F*ckin’ video game for laughs ! F*ckin’ Disgraceful. Not talking commands there, literally as low as individual assault teams and even individual ‘digitally/integrated’ SF soldiers, and their live real-time, ‘feeds’!
Bush the Younger and Obama, and Administration, thoroughly infested with neocon ‘Chichenhawk‘ warmongers, IMV.

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 3:11 utc | 49

@ Posted by: x | Jan 21, 2017 10:11:09 PM | 48
Thank you for expanding.
One regretfully often forgets to expand upon, what one considers as, obvious, ubiquitous insight/understanding, where that may well not be the case …
Re ‘get the oil’, & Saudi Arabia & the recent precedent setting legislation breaching international & Domestic Law re Sovereign Immunity in order to pursue Court cases and at the very least, sanctions against KSA, House of Al-Saud, re activities related 9/11 (another story, for another time) see:
Thread: January 04, 2017, The Enemy Du Jour Is Always Hacking, post by Noirette at 60, then at 65 and follow on discussion & links, also:
January 03, 2017, U.S./UK Paid “White Helmets” Help Blocking Water To 5 Million Thirsty Syrians post/link at 52 & 56 & follow on discussion & links/references … 😉
YMMV

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 3:56 utc | 51

@outraged and all who are following events at Deir Ezzor
“Taking off from Qamishli Military Airport in northeastern Syria, the Russian Air Force began the onslaught by launching several airstrikes over the Sheikh Yassine, Al-Rusafa, Al-Jubeileh, Al-Rashidiyah, and Al-Hussiniyah districts of Deir Ezzor.”
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-air-force-syrian-army-inflict-heavy-damage-isils-defenses-deir-ezzor/
Times are changing it seems. If this report is accurate, that airport is in SDF/Kurd/US territory

Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 22 2017 4:26 utc | 53

Last I heard, Tuvalu has pretty much sunk under the ocean. Due to global swarming, or whatever.
I keep telling you: Get rapeseed greenhouses to grow oil from conserved water. No “carbon footprint”. Rapeseed plants eat CO2. (Also cannabis.)

Posted by: blues | Jan 22 2017 4:40 utc | 55

@ Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 21, 2017 11:26:56 PM | 53
A year ago almost to the day …

21 January 2016
A Russian base at Qamishli, Syria? (SST)

Am, OUT! must have a lie down …

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 4:51 utc | 57

debsisdead #39
Your Ukrainian friend sounds like a survivor of the Galizien SS division. Your story does not seem plausible as you told it. The Galizien SS division, made up of Ukrainians, had about 12,000 troops and engaged the Red Army around the town of Brody. This division was crushed within a week with the loss of about 9000 killed or captured. 3,500 escaped and were reconfigured into anther Nazi fighting unit. The survivors were not really fit for further combat and were sent to southern France and Northern Germany for routine occupation duty. They eventually surrendered to US forces. However, the US had use for them at this point. They were redefined from Nazi SS troops into anti-communist freedom fighters. This redefinition allowed them free passage to the United States or Canada. Most settled in the Great Lakes region on both sides of the border.
That population of surviving members of the Galizien SS division who migrated to North America gave rise to politically active second and third generation US citizen-Ukrainian activists. We have read about some of them here at moon with Helmers essay and the Chaluba sisters. This is not something these guys brag about but the genesis of their movement began in Ukraine between 1941 and 1944. I wonder how many of them were involved in Babi Yar? But without doubt they came through through Galizien SS division.

Posted by: ToivoS | Jan 22 2017 5:37 utc | 59

Outraged | Jan 21, 2017 11:51:00 PM | 57 “Am, OUT! must have a lie down …”
No time for a nana nap, everything is happening 🙂

Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 22 2017 5:53 utc | 61

headline now at Russia Insider “The Blame Game Begins: Obama Administration Says Syrian Rebels Encouraged US to ‘Work with’ Al Qaeda'”

Posted by: mischi | Jan 22 2017 6:43 utc | 63

Circe | Jan 22, 2017 1:39:56 AM | 62
IS Trump Pro Zionist or Pro Jewish? The answer will be in his actions. The actions at this early date is the destruction of headchopper terrorist organisations which are no threat to Zionists. Rather those headchopper organisations are an asset to Zionists as they only attack countries that may be a threat to the Zionists. No headchopper attacks on Israel. To the contrary, Israel treat wounded headchoppers in their hospitals.
You seem to base your thinking on ideology rather than facts.
You seem to have no understanding of diplomacy, which is similar at times to guerilla warfare.
Putin, moving against or rather blocking the US establishment, Trump, moving against the US establishment. Small force against a large force. (though Russia has the ability to annihilate the US)
I doubt Trump will be perfect for everyone, myself included, but you have an agenda Circe, a mind set which blinds you to what is currently occuring.

Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 22 2017 7:26 utc | 65

I really meant he wanted to save face in his speech to CIA employees so he falsely blamed the media for
making is sound like he had a feud with them. Right. Because calling them a disgrace and behaving like Nazi Germany doesn’t sound like you’re feuding with them.
That was a low blow and cowardly. You know I don’t like the mainstream, but Trump sure is making them look good next to his own deception.
@65 You really had to go to go far for that excuse to distance Trump from Zionists? Unfortunately, Kushner will pass on Zionist strategic thinking to his father-in-law who will then get why AQ and ISIS benefit Zionism.
But before that there are all these other reasons why he’s beyond pro-Zionist; more like a rabid Zionist supporter.:
1. Promised to move U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem calling it eternal capital of the Jewish state.
2. Promised to veto 100% of all U.N. Resolutions
3. Appointment of zealot illegal settlement supporter, Friedman, Ambassador to Israel
4. Accepts $125 million contribution from uber-Zionist Sheldon Adelson
5. Tries to sabotage U.N. Resolution condemning illegal settlements by getting al-Sisi to drop it
5. Gives Adelson and wife unprecedented, prominent seating on Inaugural dais
6. Invites heads of illegal settlement movements to inauguration activities.
I think this proof is sufficient.

Posted by: Circe | Jan 22 2017 7:56 utc | 67

@ Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 22, 2017 12:53:14 AM | 61 & 65
So, what we’ve got here is confirmation the Evil Russkies did a formal infrastructure assessment of the facilities at the unused Qamishli airbase a year ago. That means they fully assessed it’s capabilities, and considered the requirements for temporary and sustained operation as well as temporary or permanent security and protection of the facilities and potential flight operations. Gets filed away in the Intelligence/Infrastructures files for Syria, for future reference, if required.
Recall the temporary airstrikes launched with such fanfare from the Iranian base some time ago ?
Operational Scenario: Deir-Ezzor. New administration. WEF 20th a ‘Flash’/Immediate message is sent to RF advising change in policy re ISIS. RF liaison advice’s theater command they will be executing a standby operation from Qamishli to assist Deir-Ezzor. Acknowledged & Confirmed.
RF flies in advance security party/force to secure/clear facilities, establish and then expands and mans an inner and outer secure perimeter at least 8Km+ radius from airfield, establishes surveillance/listening posts, checkpoints/control points on approaches to base, establishes a Ready Reaction Force.
Ultra-Heavy transport aircraft land once above completed. Unload RF AF aircrew & maintenance & support elements, HQ elements additional security force elements, heavy equipment/materiel/Aircraft ordnance/deployed force logistical supplies. TU22’s(?) land with minimal required fuel +reserve onboard, no armaments/ordnance. This means less stress/fatigue for the aircaft’s long term usable service life, less maintenance/operating cost.
Strike aircraft are loaded with only sufficient fuel for return short haul (NE Syria to targets & return) flight to perform surprise airstrikes on ISIS … loaded for ‘Bear’ … with absolute MAXIMUM possible ordnance payload onboard given meteorological conditions.
US SF, do NOT advise ISIS of incoming airstrikes. ISIS have no means to independently detect inbound airstrikes until it’s too late to make a difference. Result: Big, BadaBoom!
Strike aircraft return in short order, concurrently serviced, repaired, re-armed, partially refueled, and promptly take-off and do it again. Rinse & repeat. Swap out aircrews with ready, fresh, standby/substitute crews. Rinse & repeat.
Result: Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Big, BadaBoom! interval Big, BadaBoom! interval Big, BadaBoom! 😉
If objective is achieved or facility and deployed elements come under significant identified potential threat or unacceptable risk. Follow the process above in reverse, pack-up and Bug-out. As if it never happened … 🙂
@ Posted by: peter | Jan 22, 2017 2:02:12 AM | 64
Jeebus wept.

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 8:14 utc | 69

86 Outraged
Sounds good:)
“loaded for ‘Bear'”… or bear loaded for ISIS… 🙂
Much appreciate the finer details of the operation. I tend to look at the shapes of the pieces of the puzzle and where they fit, rather than the image on the shapes, as the images can be deceiving.

Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 22 2017 8:38 utc | 71

@ Posted by: Peter AU | Jan 22, 2017 3:38:16 AM | 71
We always say loaded for ‘Bear’, ie heavily armed and equipped. The Soviets were always and the RF even today were/are often referred to as the Bear … so it works both ways, simultaneously …
It’s always a good idea, to periodically pause, re-examine all available data/indicators, and ask, ‘So what does ALL this mean ?’. Re-assess and then move on, seeking to confirm/deny assessment made.
This is what becomes an instinctive, muscle memory, process with regard to Intelligence analysis, as well as a very similar process re Command/Operations Planning/Decisions … typically commonly referred to as the Intelligence Cycle and the (Command/Operations) Decision Cycle, respectively.

This means less stress/fatigue for the aircaft’s long term usable service life, less maintenance/operating cost.

Further to the above, the other crucial benefit is the active aircrew lands dramatically less stressed and fatigued, as a result of virtually flying on auto-pilot (cruise control) until approaching Syria airspace. This then means you can squeeze more sorties out of the original crew before having to swap ’em out with standby/hot replacements.
Another not so obvious benefit for the RF and RF AF is they maximize operational/combat experience under high intensity, though short duration activity. Hence all involved, from Spetznaz sniper, to pilot, to aircraft refueler, become dramatically more competent and experienced in a shortest possible time at least cost/risk.
Exactly what the Rf AF needs in order for them to then use said personnel as a cadre/core component to expand and extend personnel numbers as more aircraft come into production and online/commissioned. Experienced, highly proficient personnel, capable of these Force projection Operations, is one of RFs critical Strategic/Operational weaknesses.

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 9:15 utc | 73

@ToivoS#59 When I first met the guy there were elements of his story that I doubted but the foreign legion part is certainly true as I witnessed a fight (well more of a wrassle since they were pretty unfit late 50’s) between the guy and another ex-legionnaire who didn’t desert. My flatmate also checked him out as much as possible because even back then the possibility of him being a wanted war criminal was considered as much as we liked the guy the truth had to be uncovered before he was made an Australian. He had worked in a camp, although no one had any information good or bad about much beyond that, the USSR wasn’t particularly helpful but they weren’t burning up to send him to Siberia or whatever either. So his major parts were definitely true and like I said the actual shooting stuff in WW2 he was involved was when he was in the Soviet Army, I dunno why you insist he had to be in the Galizien SS division, I’m certain that not every Ukrainian who ended up with the nazis were confined to one unit who all fought in the same action.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Jan 22 2017 9:45 utc | 75

This documentary on Trump is quite a watch to understand where the World is heading. It is going to be a real fun.

Posted by: laserlurk | Jan 22 2017 10:33 utc | 77

Followup to 73
Al-Masdar had a brief vague report ~4 days ago saying Russian technicians were working at(preparing) the Al-Qamishli Military Airport. Also unsubstantiated report of RF/SAA Fighters(?) landing there recently.
The Runway is 747 capable so could certainly handle heavy transport and heavy strike aircraft.
The other issue is that the SAA & RF must be having improved relations with the Kurds because the area is under their de facto control. It’s also literally adjacent to the Syria/Turkey border.
Google maps reference: zoom in out and around.

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 10:36 utc | 79

add to 80
of course his family and friends will profit “big league” from the planned infrastructure projects.
Posted by: Kenny | Jan 22, 2017 6:07:32 AM | 81
I guess you have to start your history of the “mess” with the progroms in Tsarist Russia.
But otherwise, you are correct, choices could be very limited for young men in Second World War Ukraine, and the side you ended up on more or less accidental.
Chrystia Freeland has a right to her opinion on the Ukrainian “mess”, however for Canada to choose someone who has a family interest in the affairs of another country as foreign minister is problematic to say the least.

Posted by: somebody | Jan 22 2017 11:29 utc | 81

Hate and scaremongering goes on, now Germany barks:
RT@ “Trump taking office spells end to world order of 20th century – German FM Steinmeier ”

Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 22 2017 11:42 utc | 83

Words like fascism, imperialism, democracy, leftists, nazi, freedom, zionist, liberal and so on arte dirty words with no meaning at all.
Just use words with a meaning.
Look at the inaugural address.

Posted by: From The Hague | Jan 22 2017 12:04 utc | 85

Recent talk has reminded me. Has Trump said anything about closing overseas military bases? I think it’s logical to think that a serious non-interventionist policy would foremost imply a closure of overseas bases.

Posted by: David | Jan 22 2017 12:08 utc | 87

@ Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 22, 2017 6:42:02 AM | 84
The ‘Globalists'(?) in power in other countries, especially our first & second tier vassal States, haven’t got the memo yet ?

He just changed US foreign policy by inaugural address
We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world — but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow. We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones — and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

Predominantly the leaders of our vassal states are died in the wool, Globalist(?)/Neocons of one shade or another. Especially UK, Canada, New Zealand & Australia. Five-Eyes members all.
They’ve all also progressively adopted more and more draconian and authoritarian laws, in sympathy with our Patriot Act, Surveillance Laws and all that followed, all based on the largely, ‘mythical’, the overblown threat of Islamic Terrorism, which whilst real, has never been the imminent danger propagandized. Whilst bizarrely conspiring to do pretty much nothing about it in Syria, nor Iraq, in fact quite the opposite, supporting and enabling it, producing propaganda on behalf of ‘Moderate Head-Choppers’ … a dissonant reality we live in …
In reality citizens of the US or the above countries, including Germany have a greater statistical chance of being hit and dying of a lightning strike than any terrorist incident, no matter how the MSM distorts the reality. Maybe we should declare a new war, a Global ‘War on Lightning Strikes‘.
Again, reviewing MSM stories worldwide, it’s just ravenous rubbish, and as if most of it is produced from a single source, remarkable, that.

Trump Addresses The CIA, Guess What He Didn’t Talk About
Gizmodo
Women’s marches: More than one million protesters vow to resist President Trump
Washington Post
At CIA, Trump blames media for intel community fallout
The Peninsula Qatar
Ex-intel chief: Trump’s relationship with intel community ‘dismaying’
The Hill
Trending:Ex-CIA chief Brennan bashes Trump over speech during CIA visit
CNN
Former CIA director John Brennan blasts Donald Trump saying ‘he should be ashamed of himself’
Yahoo News UK
Former CIA chief John Brennan says Donald Trump should ‘be ashamed’
Economic Times
Trump battles media over inauguration crowd size
Radio New Zealand
Ex-CIA chief Brennan labels Trump ‘despicable’
Daily Mail UK

The other interesting thing is there were supposedly 302 articles covering the above search, yet, when one checks on all articles, with duplicates removed, there are in fact only twenty unique ‘articles’, along the lines of the above, regardless of the publisher/nation.
@ Posted by: Kenny | Jan 22, 2017 6:07:32 AM | 81
That’s all very odd, especially your last. Because, the only one calling you those list of ‘names’/’labels’, 4 of 5 of them in fact, that you proclaim, is strangely, yourself, repeatedly, within your very own posts, 4 posts in a row now … how very odd indeed … are you some form of odd digital/social media masochist to keep calling yourself such ?

Posted by: Outraged | Jan 22 2017 12:27 utc | 89

Posted by: pantaraxia | Jan 22, 2017 7:12:46 AM | 89
Pantaraxia, you are rewriting history. As far as I remember Putin blamed Lenin’s “national identity” politics for the empire’s problems. Stalinism is a different matter, but even then there was no official language of the Soviet Union.
From Wikipedia “The new Soviet Constitution adopted in 1936, however, stipulated that teaching in schools should be conducted in native languages.”
Anyway, China now is taking over Ukraine

Poroshenko told Xi that Ukraine welcomed Chinese investment and there was great potential for cooperation in areas like logistics, ports, steel and agriculture, China’s foreign ministry added.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 22, 2017 6:42:02 AM | 84
Steinmeier is stating the obvious.

Posted by: somebody | Jan 22 2017 12:43 utc | 91

somebody 93
How is he stating the obvious? Trump hasnt even taken power yet? Steinmeier is just warmongering.
Steinmeier have no idea what kind of way Trump/US will take so why this hysteria by him and other globalists? Makes no sense IMO.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 22 2017 12:51 utc | 93

re 79

The other issue is that the SAA & RF must be having improved relations with the Kurds because the area is under their de facto control. It’s also literally adjacent to the Syria/Turkey border.

It isn’t. It’s on the other side of Qamishli from the border.
There is still a Syrian garrison in part of Qamishli, I think. But of course the Syrian Kurds have to be OK with it. What is very striking is the decline of US influence there. It’s only a couple of months ago that the US was pushing the Kurds into attacking the Syrian army garrison there. That worked well, didn’t it? Now the Kurds are allying with the other side. No doubt the Kurds have worked out that it isn’t in their interests to attack Asad, and have switched sides. Is this an isolated move, or does it signify a more general change of Kurdish policy.

Posted by: Laguerre | Jan 22 2017 13:24 utc | 95

Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 22, 2017 7:51:49 AM | 95
As I understood Steinmeier all he said is the future is wide open.
Trump has stated foreign policy via inauguration. Do you suggest his administration will work against him?

Posted by: somebody | Jan 22 2017 13:44 utc | 97

@82 somebody
I guess you have to start your history of the “mess” with the progroms in Tsarist Russia.
Actually a more relevant start would be the chain of causality leading to the pogroms, as in understanding the historical context of the antipathy between slavs and jews. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in his book ‘200 Years Together’ provides a glimpse:
from:
https://archive.org/details/AleksandrSolzhenitsyn200YearsTogether
This process accelerated when a large part of Ukraine came directly under Poland in the Union of Lublin, 1569. The main population consisted of orthodox peasants, who for a long time had had special rights and were free of tolls. Now began an intensive colonization of the Ukraine by the polish Szlachta (Polish nobility) with conjoint action by the jews. “The Cossacks were forced into immobility, and obligated to perform drudgery and pay taxes… The Catholic lords burdened the orthodox peasants with various taxes and service duties, and in this exploitation the jews also partly played a sad role.” They leased from the lords the “propination,” i.e. the right to distil vodka and sell it, as well as other trades “The jewish leasers, who represented the Polish lord, received – of course only to a certain degree – the power that the landholder had over the peasants; and since the jewish leasers… strove to wring from the peasants a maximum profit, the rage of the peasants rose not only against the Catholic landlords but also against the jewish leasers…
The jews were lured in by the natural riches of the Ukraine and by polish magnates that were colonizing the land, and thus assumed an important economic role. Since they served the interests of the landlords and the regime… the jews brought on themselves the hatred of the residents.” N. I. Kostomarov adds that the jews leased not only various branches of the privileged industries but even the orthodox churches, gaining the right to levy a fee for baptisms.

Posted by: pantaraxia | Jan 22 2017 13:50 utc | 99