Huge protests against rigged election in Belarus. The military has been deployed against the protesters. No one knows how this will turn out. This is Europe’s last dictatorship. (Not including Russia)
I've been reading up on what was happening in Turkey during WWI and into the early 20s.
One of the great heroes of Turkey is Mustafa Kemal aka 'Ataturk'. I would put this figure somewhere between Hitler and Mussolini in terms of atrocities. Prior to WWI, western Turkey was about 50% Turks, and 50% other nationalities (mostly Greek and Armenian), and although there were tensions, they relatively lived in peace. The city of Smyna was so multicultural it makes Canada look like a hick backwater.
Well, before Ataturk achieved full power, the Armenian genocide took place, and afterward there was a Greek genocide followed by a Christian genocide. It was encouraged that Christian women be raped, so that their children could be raised as true Turks. These days, non-Turkish people in Turkey are a small minority. It is the greatest achievement in ethnic cleansing in modern history.
I don't know why this isn't taught in schools here, but I'm sure it's taught in Greece.
Once the Hagia Sofia was turned into a mosque, and Turkey enlisted Russia to intervene in Libya, it is easy to see what Turkey is planning to do. They are building religious fervor, eliminating the biggest rival in the area by gifting oil fields in Libya.
They are going after Armenia.
They forgot that Greece has a long memory.
I recommend (out of what I've read) a book by Giles Milton (meticulously researched) called Paradise Lost, Smyna 1922, The Destruction of Islam's City of Tolerance.
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...and Turkey enlisted Russia to intervene in Libya, it is easy to see what Turkey is planning to do. They are building religious fervor, eliminating the biggest rival in the area by gifting oil fields in Libya.
Turkey enlisted Russia to intervene in Libya? They are backing different factions. Turkey backs the Government of National Accord (GNA); Russia backs the Libyan National Army (LNA). Why would you enlist someone to fight support your ally's rival?
I don't follow the "gifting oilfields" premise. It is the GNA trying to capture the oilfields from the LNA.Turkey doesn't have any oil fields to gift. They're trying to control Libya's - through the GNA.
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Supposedly the Greek Coast Guard fired warning shots yesterday. Today, Sultan Erdogan says they were attacked by Greece and they retaliated and damaged a Greek frigate. The Greeks say minor damage from a slight rub with a Turkish ship. Who knows, but I think it's safe to say the Sultan is hyperbolic.
Regardless, the Greeks have to be careful/patient here. I believe the Turks are setting something up. IE, they are trying to force a situation.
Turkey. What can you say? The Sultan is engaged in northern Iraq, Syria, Libya, the Mediterranean and Armenia through Azerbaijan. Apparently he has a deal with Niger to stage troops there so as to enter Libya from land vice the Med. I also think he is part of a group that seeks to partition Lebanon. Thus, he likely is actively plotting against Hezbollah. Relating to Lebanon, the French presence in the Mediterranean - seemingly to counter Turkey - may in fact be staging for a strike against The Hezbs.
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Turkey enlisted Russia to intervene in Libya? They are backing different factions. Turkey backs the Government of National Accord (GNA); Russia backs the Libyan National Army (LNA). Why would you enlist someone to fight support your ally's rival?
I don't follow the "gifting oilfields" premise. It is the GNA trying to capture the oilfields from the LNA.Turkey doesn't have any oil fields to gift. They're trying to control Libya's - through the GNA.
I must have read that wrong. Russia is the power in place to keep Turkey in check on the eastern border, and I read that they were working in tandem in Libya. My mistake.
In that case, I'm not sure what advantage Turkey is hoping for in opposing Russia in Libya. Seems strange.
Edit : Just took a look at your map. Isolation of Cyprus?
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Last edited by Harry Lime; 08-13-2020 at 05:50 PM.
I must have read that wrong. Russia is the power in place to keep Turkey in check on the eastern border, and I read that they were working in tandem in Libya. My mistake.
In that case, I'm not sure what advantage Turkey is hoping for in opposing Russia in Libya. Seems strange.
Edit : Just took a look at your map. Isolation of Cyprus?
No worries. There is a lot going on in that part of the world and it is hard to keep track of the ever changing situation.
Turkey isn't in Libya to counter the Russians. The Russian support is really at arms length and that support is mainly advisors and providing intelligence to the LNA. There are definitely Russian private military contractors (PMCs) in Libya, though. The PMCs even fly surplus Russian planes that have been flown to Libya. The main military support to LNA comes from UAE.
The Turks are in Libya because the recognized government, GNA, invited them there. Now the Turks, like Russia, have a limited number of actual Turkish armed forces on the ground. The Turks are using proxies, too. They fly in Al Queda/ISIS maniacs from Idlib, Syria to do their bidding. There are upwards of 15,000 Syrian mercenaries in Libya. Turkey supplied plenty of drones, too, and they were used to great effect against LNA, forcing the LNA to withdraw from the outskirts of Tripoli iat the beginning of the summer.
Turkey certainly isn't some benevolent nation coming to the aid of another. Oh no. They have their own interests of course. The GNA is Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey has long sided with them, whether in Syria or Libya.
You hear or read things about Erdogan's desire for a neo-Ottoman Empire and you just want to roll your eyes. But I think the evidence is there to support that idea and Tripoli was a province in the Ottoman Empire. The GNA gave a concession to Turkey in order to secure Turkish intervention and that was to provide diplomatic immunity to all the mercs from Syria and any Turk actuals operating in Libya. Essentially, the Turks and their proxies are running around as occupiers now. If they can get ahold of the oil in Eastern Libya, so much the better.
There's also the idea that Erdogan is seeking revenge on the West with his adventure in Libya, which Turkey lost in 1912 in the Italo-Ottoman War. The GNA gave drilling rights to Turkey off the coast of Libya, denying the ambitions of Italy and France. This maritime agreement displeases the Greek and Cypriot governments but, to Erdogan, this agreement is necessary to provide some breathing room. That is, he feels cornered in his corner of the Mediterranean.
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Huge protests against rigged election in Belarus. The military has been deployed against the protesters. No one knows how this will turn out. This is Europe’s last dictatorship. (Not including Russia)
This has mainly been ignored by western media (although BBC and the Globe and Mail have run a few stories). Protests continue daily against the fake election results. Many protesters have been arrested and stories of torture and beatings are running rampant. However there have also been many stories of police and the military joining the protestors.
The consensus seems to be that Lukashenko realizes his time is up as people aren't buying his fraudulent election results this time, and that he may step down any time now.
Fears are that he may ask for Russian intervention and we might see a situation similar to Crimea where the little green men show up suddenly. Putin will not like giving up another country on his doorstep to a west leaning leader.
Yesterday, a US patrol fired on a Syrian checkpoint in the vicinity of Qamishli, killing one soldier and wounding several others.
Earlier today a Russian general and several others were killed in eastern Syria by IED or SVBIED. Allegedly, the culprits were ISIS.
And now, as of about 20 minutes ago, there are reports of a rocket/missile attack against a US garrison in the vicinity of Deir al-Zour. It should be noted that several days ago, the leaders of the various eastern Syrian Arab tribes met and agreed to form a common front against US occupiers and SDF/Kurds.
UPDATE:
The Conoco gas field was targeted. No casualties but four vehicles destroyed.
Map for reference:
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Last edited by Baron von Kriterium; 08-18-2020 at 04:01 PM.
Reason: Update
Today, Sultan Erdogan says they were attacked by Greece and they retaliated and damaged a Greek frigate. The Greeks say minor damage from a slight rub with a Turkish ship. Who knows, but I think it's safe to say the Sultan is hyperbolic.
UPDATE to the Greek/Turk ship incident:
The Sultan hasn't mentioned the damage to the Turk frigate TCG Kemalreis (F-247).
The Greek boat Limnos suffered minor damage to its bow and continued a joint exercise with the French.
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August 19, 1942. 78 years ago today the ill fated Dieppe Raid occurred. My father was pinned down under heavy fire for hours then taken prisoner. Please take a moment to remember the sacrifices that were made for us to continue to live in freedom. Lest We Forget!
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Daesh is a shell of its former self - in Syria and Iraq. However, they remain quite active in Africa. There was significant Daesh activity over the past ten days in Nigeria and Mozambique.
NIGERIA
The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a splinter group of Boko Haram, overran the town of Kukawa in Borno state late Tuesday afternoon and took hundreds of hostages. These hostages had just returned to their homes on 2 August, after spending two years in displacement camps.
Al Queda affiliate, Al Shabaab, attacked a Mogadishu hotel with a car bomb last Sunday. At least ten people died.
Al Shabaab claims they attacked a convoy of Ethiopian (AMISOM Somalia) soldiers today, killing 30. However, there aren't any independent sources to verify this claim and AMISOM isn't commenting.
Not relating to Al Shabaab, Somali pirates have come out of hiding and are back in business. They hijacked a Panamanian ship today, their first successful hijacking since 2017.
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Over the past few weeks there have been reports of Turkey sending 2000 Syrian mercenaries/Jihadis to Azerbaijan to fight Armenia forces in Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR) which is recognized as Azeri but which Armenia has occupied since 1993.
Earlier today, the Azerbaijan forces and the Syrian mercenaries launched an attack on Armenian lines in NKR. This is a significant escalation and not like the usual border clashes. Azerbaijan's position, however, is that Armenia attacked first and Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive.
Both sides have claimed they have inflicted casualties and both sides are no doubt correct. Both sides tend to exaggerate as well so take any reports from the MoD of the respective countries with a grain of salt.
UPDATE As of 2300 hrs Armenia/Azerbaijan time:
Armenia claims the following Azeri losses:
- 27 UAV
- 4 helicopters
- 33 armoured vehicles
- ~200 KIA/WIA
Azerbaijan claims the following Armenian losses:
- 18 UAV
- 15 OSA air defense systems
- 22 tanks/armoured vehicles
- 8 artillery guns
- 3 ammo dumps
- +500 KIA/WIA
These numbers are NOT confirmed.
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"If you do not know what you are doing, neither does your enemy."
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Last edited by Baron von Kriterium; 09-27-2020 at 04:59 PM.
Reason: Update
Belarus
