Russian diplomat shot in Ankara, Turkey.

[Teebone]

Youtube seems to be completely broken, all I see is a huge empty gap in your post, as if you kept pressing return.

Not surprised. That shit was a hell of a shock to see. The guy goes from quiet bodyguard to raging lunatic in a flash.

[RobertoCarlos]

Ohhhh boy.....this is just what the world needed. Why does shit always happen at the end of the year?

This is legit pretty scary how he was working for special security at age 22. This is big.

I fear the ISIS nightmare will be a long one.

[Deleted]

Not surprised. That shit was a hell of a shock to see. The guy goes from quiet bodyguard to raging lunatic in a flash.

It's not just that specific video, it happens with all videos. As if their entire site was down.

[Mafic]

Don't watch the video if you are not ready for it...and the attacker has a certain choice of words....

[Skroe]

The textbook definition of hypocrisy.

We should also bring up the Iranian Airbus while we are at it, the removal of Mossadegh, and the unjustified sanctions against their country, especially considering they have never even invaded another country.

Hypocrisy-talk is for people who care about being consistent in that regard.

Let me save you the energy: I don't. I never have. And I never will. Sometimes the ends do justify the means. Not always. But sometimes.

Russia doesn't want anything you have. Fact is, them including the entire Soviet bloc back into their sphere would have zero effect on America and its interests, national security etc. You're just salty over the fact that they do what you always do elsewhere. Like I said, you don't want any competition, even if that competition had the purest form of democracy ever practised. Guess what, no one cares what you want or don't want.

It would have a profound effect on American security. It would require substantial reinforcement to US defenses in Europe and elsewhere, along with the commensurate spending to go with it.

And of course I don't want any competition. The world is not a democracy. It's a unipolar world with America at the top that is giving way to a bipolar competition period between China and the US for the right to define the unipolar period that follows.

This decline of Russia? It's the pregame show to the real conflict of the 21st Century.

- - - Updated - - -

No that part of my comment was directed at a discussion between myself and a poster called Skroesec (who vanished around the time I started noticing your posts so I had just assumed you were the same person and you'd just shortened your name - and if you're not him then apologies); where I called him out for being a sociopath, although the precise reasons at the time I've forgotten

Think I got infracted for it maybe its in my infraction history

I am Skroesec. I shortened my name to what everyone calls me anyway.

[AeneasBK]

I am Skroesec. I shortened my name to what everyone calls me anyway.

Aye, I even went back to look at the thread I was talking about - was the Syria "pregame" I guess I linked it further up the thread. I imagine looking back over the threads about Syria when it was 'starting' would be very interesting in light of more recent news, but I've got some vanilla WoW to enjoy; with any luck this doesn't escalate too horribly.

[Tomservo]

Eh it's just workplace violence.

[Skroe]

Aye, I even went back to look at the thread I was talking about - was the Syria "pregame" I guess I linked it further up the thread. I imagine looking back over the threads about Syria when it was 'starting' would be very interesting in light of more recent news, but I've got some vanilla WoW to enjoy; with any luck this doesn't escalate too horribly.

The take away is that Barack Obama is a foreign policy halfwit.

He had two options:

(1) Don't get involved in Syria, and let Assad Squash the rebellion and mostly maintain the regional status quo ante.

(2) Get involved in Syria deeply, and use it as an opportunity to draw in Russia, Iran and other parties we don't like, and get them to spend increasing amounts of resources on dubious ends at low cost to us, to enable us to redraw the strategic map of the Middle East and press our advantages elsewhere in the world.

Instead Obama chose option (3)... which is to start strong with (2), and then flounder and navel gaze, and not give the rebels the tools they needed to finish the job once the Russians finally went all in (basically, when they took the bait). Which is of course, the worst of all worlds, because it allowed Russia to redraw the strategic map at relatively low cost. The US basically set up all its pieces on the board, and then passed on every turn thereafter.

Either (1) or (2) was fine. If we chose (1), this would have been over years ago and little would have changed. If we chose (2) Russia would likely have had to choose between Ukraine or Syria, among other things. Instead by failing his way into (3) he opened up an golden opportunity for Russia. This isn't to advocate for (1) or (2) specifically per se, but it's an indictment of half measures. Obama, aka President Half Measure, richly deserves Aleppo being a signature part of his legacy because the mountain of well worded rhetorical bullshit he constructed mattered little in the face of Russia using force to change the facts on the ground.

He can keep telling himself "He did the right thing", as he did just two days ago. But that's bunk. He just added another chapter to the long list of American politicians who thought they could defy the gravity of geopolitics and rewrite the rules, only to see their agenda devastated by the force of that gravity. His predecessor, George W Bush, found that out when he invaded Iraq at half strength, and in a manner that alienated our allies for years to come, and found himself bereft of options for controlling a spiraling insurgency. Obama will never admit it, but his Syria policy has been every bit as cretinous.

Maybe Trump will do better. Because the lesson isn't to do or not do things. The lesson is to don't start things you aren't prepared to finish. From the Red line bullshit back in 2013 to the President day, Obama has never been able to "finish" on Syria, and it wrecked his Presidency.

[Gref]

2016 couldn't get any worse. really. THere has been protest in front of russian embassy recently in Istanbul. All of them had islamic and jihadist context. Since akp fuckers fed on them, of course there were no police resistance against it etc, (god forbid if it was any other kind of protest against goverment ) A few info from the opposition news from turkey;

1) his name was mert altintas (who gives a fuck)
2) during the coup attempt he was in diyarbakir and was given 2 days leave/rest when everybody else's (exactly everybody else's) rests/leaves etc. were cancelled.
3) The leave was given to him by the head of police department in Diyarbakir. He (head of police department) was arrested for links to Gulen after 15 July and in Prison
4) Mert altintas has been on suspected list for cheating during police exams since 2012. (Biggest connection for Gulen if you ask me. THey steal questions and distribute it to their members)
5) For the 2 days he was given, the address he stated belongs to "today's zaman" journalist. (gulen's newspaper)
6) He speaks in both Turlish and Arabic. He says "his dead body will leave this building". "we die every day in Syria". "everybody will pay the price who is responsible" "Don't forget Aleppo"
7) And AKP party member (in grand assembly) Burhan KUzu tweets the most retarded thing that can be said after such an event; We provide our own security ourselves. At the door or outside. How come there isn't a Russian security in Russian embassy, I don't get. I say this putting aside our (gevşeklik) laxness/laxity. THis guy is representative of people... fuck me.

all info taken from; http://www.sozcu.com.tr/
turkish news webpage.

Akp is destroying turkey. they were jihadists protesting in front of embassy. nothing was done. they say evacuation of people from aleppo, all of them again jihadist coming to turkey soil. turkey has shit loads of islamic morons already. we have them. you have them. everybody has them. If only our politicians would think about future and people first not their own pockets. fuck.

[Skroe]

More on exactly this point from FP.

http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/12/19/...-about-aleppo/

Political leaders across the West piously lined up last week to identify the fall of Aleppo as a stain on our collective conscience. The West, they have said, should have done more to stop the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Syria.

At a purely humanitarian level, this is obviously true. States can always do more to deliver humanitarian aid to people on the ground. But in a military sense, the notion that the West should have “done more” is fantastical and learns exactly the wrong lesson from this carnival of carnage.

If there is a lesson for the West from the post-Cold War era of liberal interventionism, it is this: Either intervene decisively and be invested for the long term — or stay out.If there is a lesson for the West from the post-Cold War era of liberal interventionism, it is this: Either intervene decisively and be invested for the long term — or stay out.

I am far from being against intervention in general. I just think the future of Western military intervention lies in supporting the governments of fragile states, not toppling them. In this respect, the successful French intervention in Mali in 2013 is a good template: in support of a government, rather than a regime change; against a clear military target; and with good knowledge of local politics (i.e., an ability to distinguish Tuareg rebels from al Qaeda, as opposed to bluntly grouping all as “terrorists”).

But not every situation is like Mali. And not all problems have military solutions, unless you are prepared to go all in.

Although the West is not responsible for the atrocities in Aleppo, we are morally responsible for giving false hope to the rebels since 2011, when we offered them rhetorical and, later, material support but did not have the will to back them with our own troops.

Act decisively. Or stay out.

[adventurer]

Russia is terrorist state. Diplomate was goverment worker so he was terrorist too.

[Independent voter]

Shooter was a cop, don't know if this was posted or not.

[Thunderball]

Russia coming down with full force in Syria would be devastating... to Russia.

It's army has stripped itself bare in Ukraine. Just like the Georgian adventure back in 2008, Russian logistics and Russian training are as deplorable as ever.

Its Air Force (with 24% mission capable rate aircraft) has sent a grand total of 32 aircraft to Syria, of which around 12-14 are fighters, and of which around 8 are modern ones. And it's maxed their ability to wage a protracted campaign. Russia burned through its stockpile of precision weapons in about two days.... last year.

Every American should absolutely hope Putin commits to his folly and quadruples down in Syria. He'll do at least as much harm to his own country's ability to project power as he will upon the Syrian population when he commits new war crimes.

As ever the US's greatest accomplice in tackling Russia, is Russia.

Please just stop. You're making a joke out of yourself. This post proves to anyone that has even the slightest knowledge of the military tech situation in the world right that you dont know a single thing about what's going on. I'm not even going to try and disprove your post, just because of it reeks of some low quality propaganda stuff.

[Tierbook]

Please just stop. You're making a joke out of yourself. This post proves to anyone that has even the slightest knowledge of the military tech situation in the world right that you dont know a single thing about what's going on. I'm not even going to try and disprove your post, just because of it reeks of some low quality propaganda stuff.

Not sure what he said that's wrong, the number of airplanes and their capability is correct, they sent quite a few helicopters though, and they've lost more than a few of them. As far as precision munitions go ya Russia isn't using those in Russia and they aren't pretending they are.

[Jun]

Please just stop. You're making a joke out of yourself. This post proves to anyone that has even the slightest knowledge of the military tech situation in the world right that you dont know a single thing about what's going on. I'm not even going to try and disprove your post, just because of it reeks of some low quality propaganda stuff.

Irony, is that you?

[Belize]

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate and argue that it isn't a terror attack, more than it is a targeted message.

There were reporters in the room, and the guy told them they could leave. If his goal was to scare the populace shitless, he could and would have killed them too. It's pretty clear that it's a message to Russia.

[Azadina]

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate and argue that it isn't a terror attack, more than it is a targeted message.

There were reporters in the room, and the guy told them they could leave. If his goal was to scare the populace shitless, he could and would have killed them too. It's pretty clear that it's a message to Russia.

I think it still qualifies as terror attack, even if specifically targeted one

[Nazerdam]

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate and argue that it isn't a terror attack, more than it is a targeted message.

There were reporters in the room, and the guy told them they could leave. If his goal was to scare the populace shitless, he could and would have killed them too. It's pretty clear that it's a message to Russia.

With isis attack in Europe, and possibly a Russian foreign ministry found dead in Russia (only one Russian tv has the news so not clear yet) it all leads back to one big white castle across the atlantic, where most believe there is a guy who seems he does want to mix things up for world before leaving the castle for good.

[Twix]

How come no blood on the ground?

[Belize]

How come no blood on the ground?

Unlike in the movies, blood doesn't gush out everywhere when you get shot, especially if you land on your back and got shot in the front like he did.

Multiple layers of clothes also contribute to absorbing blood.