The Russian/Syrian connection thread

[LiveFromUkraine]

'Poor' 'ol  LFU..

You DO know HM is in a branch of Waitrose ...the 'commoners' can't afford to shop there ...

Thank you for demonstrating you in depth knowledge of UK brands and lifestyle choices

Duh, I thought everyone knew THAT hence the joke.

[GQBlues]

She's getting out a little more these days and finally went to see where the commoners buy their food.

LOL! That pictures begs for a caption. She looks lost!

It looks as though she needed to pee really bad, and her subjects played a practical joke and hid. Leaving her alone to figure out where she is.

LOL! Heard from the PA system: "Mop-up on aisle 11, please!"

[Brasscasing]

LOL! That pictures begs for a caption. She looks lost!

It looks as though she needed to pee really bad, and her subjects played a practical joke and hid. Leaving her alone to figure out where she is.

LOL! Heard from the PA system: "Mop-up on aisle 11, please!"

There are a number of more complementary (although no less captionable)  images of the supermarket (apparently brought to the region by non other than Prince Charles himself)...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/28/queen-visits-waitrose-in-prince-charless-village-poundbury/



...There's a caption here somewhere.



"No, really... I'm serious. Get out of my way, let me use the washroom and you're all dubbed Knights and Dames of the realm. Now move!! "

Brass

[msmob]

LOL! Heard from the PA system: "Mop-up on aisle 11, please!"

Perhaps you think posting this might 'rile' ?

[GQBlues]

...

TURITSCDUKTCTQ*: “Oh dear now Philip, I have cautioned you plenty of time before if you cannot manage to keep your clickers fastened, never go out in public.”

Philip: “Oh come now my dear hag-gy and keep looking for it. How do you expect me to remain proper and composed while having to be dealt with your uncontrollable gaseous habit at every step? Stop making little steps, too while you're at it.”

El Charlie: “Hurry on now family. Let’s piffy-on! I am not sure how much longer need I bear breathing the stench emanating from our adoring feeble-minded minions…”

* The unelected ruler in the so-called democratic UK they call their ‘queen’

[LiveFromUkraine]

haha 


" Wait, did you say people scan and pay for their own food?"


"Excuse me, but do you have grey poupon?"





"Did anyone find Philip's bottom teeth?"


"Has anyone seen those little blue pills?"

[GQBlues]

Perhaps you think posting this might 'rile' ?

Who cares what YOU think?

You ought to take a cue from your own PM:""We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally,"

[msmob]

Who cares what YOU think?

You ought to take a cue from your own PM:""We do not believe that it is appropriate to attack the composition of the democratically-elected government of an ally,"

I'm now quite sure you are inattentive

What has your puerile and ignorant 'SOH' got to do with Russians playing Americans - which your  President Elect has played down ?

[LiveFromUkraine]

I'm now quite sure you are inattentive

What has your puerile and ignorant 'SOH' got to do with Russians playing Americans - which your  President Elect has played down ?

Russians caused Brexit as well, right?

[GQBlues]

I'm now quite sure you are inattentive

What has your puerile and ignorant 'SOH' got to do with Russians playing Americans - which your  President Elect has played down ?

Oh now you tuck your slimy tail between your legs! LMAO. I was more than *attentive* addressing your sorry-arse quip below just to put you in your miserable place. As stated, it was a one-time banger, duffy.

...Indeed more 'dense' folks voted for the other 'guy' and the 'winner's' tweet - from Nov '12 - telling us how 'undemocratic' the EC system is makes for amusing reading ...

So go back a few if you're more than a step off these days...

You, OTOH, really are slower than January molasses on the uptake.

[msmob]

I was more than *attentive* addressing your sorry-arse quip below just to put you in your miserable place.

To have done THAT- you'd have had to addressed your totally missing the delicious irony in your 'put down' viz my non proximity to the USA... while you offer up your 'wisdom' re the UK / Syria ....

You, OTOH, really are slower than January molasses on the uptake.

  Be careful to not cut yourself when addressing the face you see in your shaving mirror... if your blade is anything like as 'sharp' as your 'wit'...

In the meantime, the thread is STILL about Russia / Syria...

[GQBlues]

To have done THAT- you'd have had to addressed your totally missing the delicious irony in your 'put down' viz my non proximity to the USA... while you offer up your 'wisdom' re the UK / Syria ....


  Be careful to not cut yourself when addressing the face you see in your shaving mirror... if your blade is anything like as 'sharp' as your 'wit'...

In the meantime, the thread is STILL about Russia / Syria...

LMAO! Likely riposte from someone who didn't have a clue,..

[msmob]

LMAO! Likely riposte from someone who didn't have a clue,..

Said the guy who's never BEEN to Syria writing to the guy in Russia - who's no stranger to crossing the pond - that sort of 'clueless' ?

Russians caused Brexit as well, right?

Whist I'm sure the Kremlin would be pleased to see the EU fragment - I'm sure you you'd have heard - from our security services - if that was the case ...

Ah, you were being 'witty' - sorry

[fathertime]

Russia has worked with Assad and have squashed much of Isis, reports say.   Now, Trump has decided that US troops are required to be in Syria, without permission of he Syrian government.  Invaders is what we are called.   How is it, that the USA can be permitted to enter other countries without permission?   So is Trump going to start intervening in internal affairs of other nations?


Assad says yet to see real steps on Islamic State by Trump, U.S. forces 'invaders'


Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he had yet to see "anything concrete" from U.S. President Donald Trump over his vow to defeat Islamic State and called U.S. forces in Syria "invaders" because they were there without government permission.

Assad, in an interview with Chinese TV station Phoenix, said "in theory" he still saw scope for cooperation with Trump though practically nothing had happened in this regard.

Assad said Trump's campaign pledge to prioritize the defeat of Islamic State had been "a promising approach" but added: "We haven't seen anything concrete yet ....


http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-assad-idUSKBN16I0AU


Fathertime! 

[msmob]

FT,

IF one has been following the grey area on maps like these ...http://isis.liveuamap.com/


 Assad would see how the USA led coalition has been helping  - maintain his regime.   

He doesn't control the territory and why let Daesh fleeing from Iraq regroup ?

[msmob]

Woke up to find 'Tramp' has sent a signal to al Assad that he thinks the attacked base was the one used to bomb civilians and drop gas in Homs province.

Apparently, the Kremlin was warned of the attack.

Is this a one off or the start of a sea change in policy? 

'Tramp' seemed to accept al Assad had to stay as part of an anti Daesh operation...

And now ?!...

[Gator]

From another thread. 

Trump hits Syrian airbase with 59 Tomahawk Missiles

Obama's foreign policy failed everywhere, especially in the Middle East.  Russia and Iran took advantage of Obama's mistakes and became the major powers in the region.  Seemingly the two have a plan to destabilize eventually the Middle East, which would raise oil prices and benefit both immeasurably.   

Like you, given America's withdrawal from the Middle East,  I was content to let Arabs continue to kill each other the way they have been doing for a thousand years.   However, the humanitarian cost is unacceptably high.  Europe did little, yet it at least accepted the refugees, something I do not want America to do.

Trump met this week with the head of Jordan and Egypt.  Earlier he met with a couple of Gulf states.  I am certain these moderate nations were begging Trump to do something in the Middle East to reverse the trend started by Obama.  After the gas attack,  I believe we had to do something, especially after the UN failed to pass any resolution in the Security Council.  And Trump did exactly that. 


Was it enough?  IMO, no.  This cruise missile attack tonight was too little, and we warned Russia beforehand.  We spent a lot of money to destroy some old aircraft.    I thought we would have at least tested our new military toys against Russian toys, especially the new Russian air defense missiles.   I doubt this attack will change anything with regard to Assad's war against his people (other than he will not use chemical weapons for a while).  This attack did not frighten the chubby kid ruler of  North Korea.   However, it may have caught Putin's attention enough to destroy his opinion that America is a pussy.  And it should demonstrate to moderate Arab nations that the US did not abandon them. 

I say we need to do more of this, but no ground warfare.

[Gator]

Moby, I will answer you in the long running Syrian thread. 

 (I did answer you but somehow it vanished)

In summary: 

1.   Trump will not order another attack unless Assad/Russians escalate, something that is possible but not likely.  I say not likely because Russia decided not to intercept the Tomahawk missiles last night with its air defense missiles currently positioned in Syria.   However, I do expect Putin to make some show of strength, maybe send his coal-fired aircraft carrier to the Med. 

2.  Meanwhile Trump's policy will be to assert "Assad must go" and his actions will be the same as Obama's - do nothing significant.

3.  Europe should take the lead for two reasons:
          a.  Refugees from Syria spill over into Europe, not the US.
          b.  Russia's long term goal is to work with Shia nations to destabilize the Middle East, thereby greatly increasing oil prices (this will affect Europe more than the US because the US is energy independent).

4.  Do I expect Europe to take the lead?  No.  Do I expect the UN to do something?  No.  Somebody must stand up to heinous acts against humanity.   

[GQBlues]

...
3.  Europe should take the lead for two reasons:
          a.  Refugees from Syria spill over into Europe, not the US.
          b.  Russia's long term goal is to work with Shia nations to destabilize the Middle East, thereby greatly increasing oil prices (this will affect Europe more than the US because the US is energy independent).

4.  Do I expect Europe to take the lead?  No.  Do I expect the UN to do something?  No.  Somebody must stand up to heinous acts against humanity.

Like the driest sense of humor ever shown on this board. That should've been posted on the 'Time for some Humor' thread.

You get a nugget for wishful thinking however.

[Gator]

Like the driest sense of humor ever shown on this board. That should've been posted on the 'Time for some Humor' thread.

You get a nugget for wishful thinking however.

Surely it is not in the same league of wishful thinking as pitbull's fantasy of Trump being convicted of treason?   

I have read few accounts of Europe's response to Trump's strike on the Syrian air base.  This one suggests France is supportive yet says the world should focus on a diplomatic solution.

 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-france-idUSKBN1790MQ

Europe is not necessarily a pansy ass.  Widely reported in the 2013 redline incident is the  fact the French had jet fighters in the air ready to join an attack against Assad, only to recall them after Obama made a deal with Putin.   Slight difference then vs. now - Russia had not yet deployed in Syria its air force and its S-300 air defense missiles.   

[msmob]

Thanks for the response, Phil

I think the Syrians MIGHT have S400's ...   but as you pointed out  - there was no  action taken to defend - but possibly there were too many and it would have looked 'bad; if any had got through ? I'm guessing some of those Tomahawks had primary targets - Radar defence systems - if they went active. 

[BillyB]

How can there be ANY chemical weapons in Syria? One reason Obama didn't act when Syria crossed the red line was that Russia got Assad to agree to get rid of all chemical weapons. We all know how good Obama and Russia are to get rid of a bad thing when they team up. Iran isn't going to nukes either.....right?

I'm glad Trump took swift action. Discipline is a good thing. This attack on Syria sends out a lot of messages beyond punishing Assad. It tells China to get tough on North Korea, it tells North Korea Trump means what he says. It tells Russia they better persuade Assad to behave and play by the Geneva convention rules of warfare. Liberals may see Trump's actions as a bad thing but I see it saving lives, especially those who are innocent having nothing to do with the war.

Trump wanted to improve relations with Russia as long as they are a productive member of the world community. Trump a few days ago said he's open to having Assad as the leader of Syria. Assad took that message as if he could turn up the heat on the rebels. Assad was wrong.

Russia has stopped cooperating on notifying USA about air missions after the US strike on Syrian troops. Lack of cooperation in the air increases the chances of them or us getting shot down from each other. Maybe Trump will finally figure out Russia isn't on board the his program for a greater America and better world?

[Gator]

Thanks for the response, Phil

I think the Syrians MIGHT have S400's ...   but as you pointed out  - there was no  action taken to defend - but possibly there were too many and it would have looked 'bad; if any had got through ?

The last time Russian military equipment tangled with American military equipment occurred in the brief Persian Gulf war.   Two tank battles resulted in total annihilation of the Iraqi unit with minimal American losses.

Battle of Medina Ridge (2/27/1991)
                    American losses:  2 killed, 4 tanks destroyed
                    Iraqi losses:   186 tanks destroyed

Battle of 73 Easting (2/26/1991) (included British armored unit)

                    American/British losses:  1 killed, 0 tanks destroyed (lost one Bradley)
                    Iraqi losses:  160 tanks destroyed

You could be right - the Russians did not want to repeat that lopsided score.

I'm guessing some of those Tomahawks had primary targets - Radar defence systems - if they went active.

I am not sure how that works.  The Tomahawks fly 100 feet off the deck so they can not pick up radar easily.  There must be drones all over the place collecting data calculated by battle control.    (I admit I know little about modern ordnance). 

I recall the Yemen Houthi fired two missiles  at US Naval ships in the Red Sea.  The second time, the Navy  backtracked the missile's radar and hit the station.  The Houthi did not fire a third missile.   

[tfcrew]

I'm glad Trump took swift action.

There should have been a Tomahawk planted right on the top of Assad's roof

[BillyB]

I think the Syrians MIGHT have S400's ... 

 

The Syrians do not have S400s. The Russians have those anti aircraft missiles in Syria though. Russia isn't going to let anybody handle their best technology, a technology that might be able to detect our best stealth aircraft. I'm sure Russia used the radar of the S400 in Syria to learn if it can detect our F-22s. With air superiority over the rebels, there's no reason for those missiles to be in Syria.

I am not sure how that works.  The Tomahawks fly 100 feet off the deck so they can not pick up radar easily.  There must be drones all over the place collecting data calculated by battle control.    (I admit I know little about modern ordnance). 

America's military already know where primary targets are even if we're not involved in the conflict against the Syrian military. This intelligence is gathered prior just in case the intelligence is needed in the future. The future happened yesterday.

in the early 90's a reporter reported he watch a Tomahawk fly low around the city of Bagdad. It then targeted a building. It flew around the building to enter through it's front door. Today's Tomahawks are even better.

Sometimes we have bombers flying in the sky 24/7 waiting to be called on. Special forces on the ground point a laser at a target hundreds or thousands of feet away and soon later it blows up. Smart bombs of the 90's could fly into an air duct on a roof an explode in the center of the building for maximum effect. I could go on. Let's just say America will dominate a conventional war against anybody.

There should have been a Tomahawk planted right on the top of Assad's roof

Specifically targeting leaders of nations opens a can of worms that Trump may not like when it's his turn to be targeted. I also believe it's against international law for leaders to target other leaders for termination....but accidents do happen.