27 Comments

The Caucuses and Northern Iraq area was always a bone of contention between Persia and the Ottomans. I wouldn’t be surprised if an Israeli attack would be a precursor for Turkey and Azerbaijan pushing into the region.

“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

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Mark, I’m sober, but I shared your serenity prayer with my wife and she got a kick out of it.

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I hadn't had the time to read this whole article until this morning so I was not clear on your serenity prayer reference.......yes, I got a chuckle out of that too.

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Something about wives. That's where I got that. From mine, I mean.

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My wife has a placard in our kitchen that states, "I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even use it in the food."

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I think I like your wife she reminds me of mine. Nothing better than a partner with a grand sense of humor!

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I think that I like your wife, too.

I've learned to trust my wife's instincts and judgment.

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The only reason for Israel to start a war with Iran is to force the US into assisting it. Even then what would such a war accomplish? Take out their nuclear facilities? Destabilize their government? Deter them from additional attacks? Decimate their military? Obviously neither the US nor Israel would commit ground troops to the war, so bombings are the only course of action. And haven’t we learned that bombings don’t win wars?

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Israel sees Iran as an obstacle in its quest to gain the Levant. This is land that Israel believes they are entitled to: 'land given to them because they are God's chosen people'.

This is Zionism. Israel is claiming the nations as its God-decreed own by genocide and murder.

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It looks like Israel will be able to take what portion of Syria it wants without Iran challenging it.

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And will Turkey easily let Israel take the Syria pie?

Iran must be holding back for a reason we do not know.

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We are going to find out. Iran is keeping its powder dry?

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And somehow I believe that if we engaged in a bombing campaign that the mad mullahs would bring the war directly back to us here at home. How many have slipped across the open border over the last few years just waiting for their instructions and go time?

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Not sure it is pretty complicated

I think we have to see what happens in Syria

and if troops go in and the ' US ' citizen support of that - if any - first

US Matthew MILLER December 17

"We continue to assess the situation, continue to consider when might be the appropriate time for us to send personnel into Syria to engage in a number of activities, including advancing the principles that the Secretary and other countries endorsed on Saturday."

https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-december-17-2024/

Is it a chicken or egg thing will US troops go into Syria first

and if a few are killed ? Hoping NO one goes in and NO one dies.

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Biden Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder says he "recently learned" there are actually 2,000+ U.S. troops deployed in Syria — far more than the 900 they had previously announced.

https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/1869853686241128865

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Here is a really detailed breakdown of what forces we have in Syria (and surrounding countries), where they are & what their "mission" is supposed to be. Ken Klippenstein does great work on military/security state stories.

https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/assad-flees-us-stays

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Ya got your own answer Joe. Well played!

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Send more troops into Syria? For what purpose? Advancing principles? What principles are those? I see how this works. Station a small contingent of troops in a hostile country. Wait for opportunities to increase the contingent size until you have a nice war going that requires funding. Rinse and repeat until you are bankrupt and millions are dead.

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Isn't it always in the name of Democracy?

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Danny Davis just posted a video about troops in Syria....apparently we have already sent more troops. Same playbook, again and again, ad nauseum.

https://youtu.be/55RU0DutUxk?si=c0DxH4gKTrh2ZJOC

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thanks just saw your post after I had posted

brings up the point

they more than doubled the US troops

they knew it for a while but only recently - today - disclosed

says nothing about the private contractors and mercenaries

blackrock etc. nor logistics or support

I imagine you could probably triple the 2000 and be

closer to the truth probably 5x

reminder :

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Abu Mohammed al-Jolani

a US Designated Foreign Terrorist

reigning under Sharia Law

controls all of the 'major' 'important' cities in Syria

> ~ 6 million population

Latakia Homs Hama Damascus Aleppo

The population of Aleppo alone is estimated to be 2,317,650

= you cannot control anything with 10,000 troops

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Once AQ, always AQ. He can wear fancy suits and watches and drive a Mercedes, but he's still a terrorist.

Good point about the number of troops - wouldn't surprise me if you end up being 100% correct.

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Peacekeepers between the Turks and Israelis? Good luck.

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I believe their in the Kurdish zone (Kobane) area from I've read.

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Peacekeepers between the Turks and Israelis

Peacekeepers between the Turks and Kurds

Peacekeepers between the Israelis and HTS

Peacekeepers between the Turks and HTS

It's no wonder Putin got out

Russia looks the prettiest right now

Putin announced he was maintaining airstrips to supply

humanitarian aide only [ no military ]

he is the clear winner in the East

(though the west disparages his withdrawl)

-----------------------------------------------

NYT December 16, 2024

Why America’s Kurdish Allies Are Under Threat in a New Syria

"For more than a decade, the Kurdish-led soldiers have been America’s most reliable partner in Syria, liberating cities seized by the extremist group and detaining around 9,000 of its fighters.

But Turkey, which shares a border with Syria, has long considered the Kurdish group to be its enemy. The Turkish government believes the Kurdish fighters in Syria are allied with the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or P.K.K., which has fought the Turkish state for decades."

https://archive.ph/fGy5x#selection-4595.0-4595.60

So what is Biden's plan ? Protect the Kurds or Abandon them ?

Not sure anyone would be surprised by an abandonment

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Dec 19
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I am in accord with some of your thinking however, I do look at Iran, much like Turkey, pining for the glories of an empire long gone. This dream does not mean I can support Israel's imperialism and thirst for power and revenge to go along with ill gotten gains. I would like to know those places your lurk and read, in English or Farsi? I also want to believe the USA will not back an Israeli war on Iran. The political class be damned, they are all useless grifters.

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