Turkish troops launch offensive into northern Syria, says Erdogan

[Shadowferal]

US troops bombed their own anti-ISIS headquarters as Turkey-backed fighters closed in

The US military destroyed its own anti-ISIS headquarters in Syria, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, to prevent them from falling into the hands of fighters backed by Turkey.

[Draco-Onis]

Pfft, you sound just like MSNBC.

This letter Trump sent to Erdogan is 'so weird we had to check with the White House to make sure it's real'

That is a 100% real, I am not making it up, headline they published which is not an opinion piece.

If it's not obvious enough there's literally no one around the white house telling the president no, a 5 year old would have written a better letter than this /doublefacepalm.

[Khaza-R]

US troops bombed their own anti-ISIS headquarters as Turkey-backed fighters closed in

The US military destroyed its own anti-ISIS headquarters in Syria, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, to prevent them from falling into the hands of fighters backed by Turkey.

Well, fighters backed by Turkey are just a different brand of Islamists to Al-Nusra or ISIS. You can't really blame the US there.

More interestingly as this shit storm increases that Saudi Arabia has chimed in and blasted Turkey for causing chaos in Syria

[Edge-]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/u...mp-turkey.html

Following repeated appeals to President Trump by Turkey’s president to avoid charges against a state-owned Turkish bank, Attorney General William P. Barr oversaw an effort earlier this year to negotiate a settlement with the bank, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

The settlement push abruptly ended on Tuesday when prosecutors in New York filed bank fraud and money laundering charges against the institution, Halkbank, a move that came as Mr. Trump sought to escalate pressure on Turkey to stop its military operations in northern Syria.

But the criminal charges were filed only after more than a year of interventions by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and other senior officials of his government, as well as lawyers and lobbyists working in New York and Washington on Turkey’s behalf, to try to avoid a criminal prosecution of the bank.

[Shadowferal]

Well, I'm sure Barr is a tad red in the face...

[Breccia]

Saudi Arabia has chimed in and blasted Turkey for causing chaos in Syria

They're being cautious. Trump could always get a phone call and withdraw the troops duct taped to Saudi refineries to stop Iranian attacks.

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Once again, it's time for Guess the Speaker!

Wow. We bombed our own base on purpose, because of the impulsive decision by realDonaldTrump didn’t leave time to evacuate the right way. Is this the America you grew up believing in?

That's GOP Rep. Kinzinger (R-License-to-IL) on the WSJ report that the US bombed the US anti-ISIS base.

How long did Obama, "the man who literally created ISIS", give us? I'm willing to bet it was more than 24 hours.

[Odintdk]

https://www.activistpost.com/2018/02...l-reasons.html

This is my surprised face when hearing that the US backed, continues to arm and support yet another terrorist group, then we get the virtue signaling from their political theater now that Turkey went in to deal with that threat.

[josykay]

Even if I do despise Erdogan's actions in Syria... man that letter. That is borderline insulting, and kindergarden level of text. Does the White House not have some better diplomatic writers, writing letters, and Trump just signs them? :P

[Draco-Onis]

Even if I do despise Erdogan's actions in Syria... man that letter. That is borderline insulting, and kindergarden level of text. Does the White House not have some better diplomatic writers, writing letters, and Trump just signs them? :P

This is the problem here no one in the white house can tell this moron no even if it's the minor thing because of his fragile ego. The patient is running the asylum there are no more adults in the room only yes men who tell him how great his choices are.

Now imagine being the guy that has to translate this to Erdogan.

[JohnBrown1917]

https://www.activistpost.com/2018/02...l-reasons.html

This is my surprised face when hearing that the US backed, continues to arm and support yet another terrorist group, then we get the virtue signaling from their political theater now that Turkey went in to deal with that threat.

How does it feel to fall for Erdogan's excuse for a genocide?

[Toppy]

Why the hell isn't everyone panicking about the fucking 50 nukes?! Am I missing something here?

[Cerilis]

Why the hell isn't everyone panicking about the fucking 50 nukes?! Am I missing something here?

What 50 nukes?

[Shalcker]

Why the hell isn't everyone panicking about the fucking 50 nukes?! Am I missing something here?

They are just stored there, they don't have the codes.

If they would steal them you would see extraction op from everyone around them combined, and UN-level sanctions.

[Breccia]

Why the hell isn't everyone panicking about the fucking 50 nukes?! Am I missing something here?

Well, we should be.

Trump all but confirmed we had them.

And, when Turkish forces advanced on another base of ours, they ignored our warnings and seemed intent on attacking a US base and capturing it. So we bombed our own anti-ISIS base, because our NATO allies Turkey couldn't be trusted with it.

So naturally, there must be plans to --

Turkey holding 50 US nuclear bombs 'hostage' at air base, report says

Well thanks a lot, FOX Fucking News.

Officials are reviewing plans to evacuate up to 50 U.S. nuclear bombs that have long been stored at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey in the wake of Ankara's military offensive in northern Syria, according to a report.

The weapons are now essentially being held "hostage" by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a senior official told The New York Times on Monday.

The Cold War-era B61 nuclear bombs are said to be located 100-250 miles from the Syrian border, according to The Guardian. A former U.S. official told the outlet that Turkish diplomats responded to suggestions about moving the bombs by saying Turkey would start to develop its own.

"The potential problems have been discussed for over a decade," the former official said. "And now we’ve finally gotten to a point where this is a problem that we can’t ignore anymore."

Yeah. And Erdogan really wants those things. Plus those aren't even in Syria, Erdogan knows 100% where they are and can surround the base and block air traffic and shit.

- - - Updated - - -

This NBC News article spells out in alarming detail how Russia basically just won the Middle East, and Assad and Iran are cheering him on.

But this line in particular stands out:

the contrast of Russian staying power and Russian reliability and Russian behavior with its allies, compared to American volatility, inconsistency and weakness

[Cerilis]

Well, we should be.

Trump all but confirmed we had them.

And, when Turkish forces advanced on another base of ours, they ignored our warnings and seemed intent on attacking a US base and capturing it. So we bombed our own anti-ISIS base, because our NATO allies Turkey couldn't be trusted with it.

So naturally, there must be plans to --

Turkey holding 50 US nuclear bombs 'hostage' at air base, report says

Well thanks a lot, FOX Fucking News.



Yeah. And Erdogan really wants those things. Plus those aren't even in Syria, Erdogan knows 100% where they are and can surround the base and block air traffic and shit.

What are they gonna do if the US tries to evacuate them? Shoot down planes with nukes in them over their own country?

[Shalcker]

What are they gonna do if the US tries to evacuate them? Shoot down planes with nukes in them over their own country?

Technically, it is enough to block runway. It is their territory, after all. They can park trucks there or whatever.

But it is unlikely that if bomb removal is ever authorized that they would block it. It is pure fearmongering.

[Gaidax]

What are they gonna do if the US tries to evacuate them? Shoot down planes with nukes in them over their own country?

This whole story is overblown, exactly because of this.

Erdogan likes to play tough but he is not crazy, he does this balancing act all the time between West and East and what not for years now.

He knows his limits, so no, he won't do shit that will lead to genuine conflict with US.

[josykay]

This whole story is overblown, exactly because of this.

Erdogan likes to play tough but he is not crazy, he does this balancing act all the time between West and East and what not for years now.

He knows his limits, so no, he won't do shit that will lead to genuine conflict with US.

To be honest, he might. Trump appeared like a weak minder Idiot. Even more with that letter. He knows Trum has a to strong ego, to listen to his staff and Generals... but also can be played like a fiddle. Trump has the worst characteristics a head of could argue. Overblown Ego, arrogant... but weak minded.

Past and present politicians would have a field day. Could you imagine a meeting between Trump and the Iron Chancellor?

[Breccia]

So the House passed a resolution 354-60 opposing Trump's Syria retreat, and that means it went to McConnell, who did exactly what you'd expect.

I believe it's important that we make a strong forward-looking strategic statement. For that reason my preference would be for something even stronger than the resolution that the House passed yesterday which has some serious weaknesses

Which is exactly what you'd expect a Trump sup...wait, what?

It is curiously silent on the issue of whether to actually sustain a U.S. military presence in Syria, perhaps to spare Democrats from having to go on record on this question. So my first preference is for something stronger than the House resolution

Huh. Well McConnell did call the removal of troops a mistake, but to go so far as to suggest an even stronger resolution? Add McConnell to the list, I guess.

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Hey anyone want to see a video of Russians at an abandoned US base in Syria?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...box=1571228116

Footage circulating on social media on Tuesday appeared to depict a US base in the key town of Manbij that had been abandoned by departing soldiers. Tents and a radio mast can be seen in the video, plus an American football, cereal crates, fridges stocked with Coca Cola and a copy of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in English.

The Washington Post reported that the footage was posted to social media by Russian journalist Oleg Blokhin.

RT, the Kremlin-funded television network, also posted footage that showed similar scenes. Moscow, an ally of Syria’s government, sent its military into the disputed region to keep Turkish and Syrian military forces separated.

Colonel Myles Caggin, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, said on Twitter that “coalition forces are executing a deliberate withdrawal from northeast Syria. We are out of Manbij”.

Bolded for "well that name aged poorly".

[Edge-]

https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1184779283723620352

So apparently Erdogan just tossed Trump's 3rd grade level letter in the trash.

What stage of a successful negotiation is that, again?