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And next, Syria?


Ash Carter could probably use that title as well. Pentagon very unhappy about sharing intell with the Russkis while Kerry just wants everybody to make nice. The Obama administration airing its dirty laundry in public as usual.
 
In The Economist Why Syria’s war is concentrated in the north

Since February 95% of the fighting has occurred in the North according to the Carter centre. The Southern rising has been in decline for some time but I wonder how they define fighting as their have been very significant regime gains around Damascus and rather a lot of rebel infighting. It just has not been well reported.

The Jordanians do appear to gone very cool on toppling Assad since the Russians intervened. Amman never appeared that keen they are just very dependent on the US and Saudi aid for propping up their economy. But there are limits to renting the Hashemite Kingdom when doing stupid shit. Like their Israeli allies they now look pretty neutral on Assad just concerned that their border does not become an IRGC fiefdom. They've effectively repurposed the revolt next door to be about their own domestic security not gambling on what might come out of regime change in Damascus.

The Turks meanwhile have continued to escalate in the North. Which all rather reveals how the heavy hand of neighbouring powers shaping this war.

It was also reported recently that 50% of opposition combatants killed in this war were foreign fighters with 10% of loyalist dead also not being Syrian.

The figures are disputed but you could compare this to the Italian involvement in the shorter similarly bloody Spanish Civil War; the largest foreign actor in terms of troops. That peaked at 60K with less than 10% dying in a conflict in which the Nationalist (Franco) side lost about 100K combatants. A few thousand other foreigners died for Franco. So maybe Assad's side in this war in terms of dead foreigners compares with Franco's. On the other side the International Brigades lost about 5K out of 110K combatants fighting for the government, with some Soviet losses. Say a bit less than 5% or a 10th of the proportion of foreign dead in the Jihad for al Sham. The Syrian Civil War just isn't very Syrian and the revolt has had a remarkable call on the Sunni Ummah.
 
From The Washington Institute Judging Kerry's 'Secret' Syria Agreement with Russia
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Separating the Opposition from al-Qaeda. As per the Ratney letter, opposition fighters must begin separating themselves from JFS immediately. This process is often called "demarbling," referring to maps of opposition forces mixed with extremist groups that appear similar to veins in marble. The United States and Russia have reportedly drawn up intelligence maps of where opposition and JFS forces are currently located.

The letter states that the opposition must avoid cooperating with JFS, and that failure to do so could have consequences. It also states that opposition forces can defend themselves from attacks, but it is vague on whether that applies to attacks by just JFS, or by the regime and its allies as well (e.g., Iranian-supported Shiite militias such as Hezbollah).
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The imagery is not encouraging.

What ISW said about opposition relationships with AQ in March:
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Most Syrian opposition groups cooperate closely with Syrian al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al Nusra out of military necessity; these groups would in many cases succumb to the Syrian regime or ISIS without Jabhat al Nusra’s support. Many Syrian opposition groups also collaborate with Jabhat al Nusra on governance, providing a vehicle for Jabhat al Nusra’s agenda to transform Syrian society. Syrian opposition groups are therefore generally both unable and unwilling to challenge Jabhat al Nusra in Syria in the near term. Jabhat al Nusra is playing an increasingly prominent role in northwestern Syria, however. Its greater role is generating local tensions amidst the ongoing Geneva process to reach a negotiated settlement, which influences the perspective of some groups.
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This report predicted AQ would advance its cause within the opposition and i has. Most spectacularly by leading the partially successful attempt to break the siege on the East Aleppo pocket. It classes most groups as needing incentives to separate from AQ and the large powerful and popular Ahar al Sham as an unreconcilable AQ ally.

Unsurprisingly the rebels appear to be very unhappy with this part of the agreement. It's potentially a recipe for the revolt's implosion. This fault in the revolt has been visible almost since it militarised in 2012. It's a bit late for Kerry to declare AQ ties are unacceptable.

It may surprise some that Langley has been supplying TOW missiles to back AQ led offensives while the Pentagon provides an even older revolutionary terrorist group, the PKK, with air support in order to defeat an AQ renegade organisation, IS, that emerged out of the reconstruction of post-Saddam Iraq. Fifteen years after 9-11 that's near as strange as the prospect of President Trump.
 
On Syria Comment Syria’s Conflict: Managing Turkey’s Intervention
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Impact on Syria’s Civil War

The Turkish-FSA operation is the latest blow to Western hopes of removing President Assad, whose regime forces are conducting a resurgent campaign nationwide. Euphrates Shield further fragments the opposition, leaving Assad with strategic breathing space in northern Syria. Meanwhile, regime forces have effectively isolated the city of Aleppo, IS is losing ground on all fronts, and Russian airpower has provided the muscle Assad’s military needed to turn the tide of the war.

Furthermore, China has quietly escalated its support for the Assad regime, floating the possibility of military cooperation (see China Brief, August 22). Stronger Chinese support strengthens Assad’s international position. By reinforcing the regime’s diplomatic bulwarks, any potential Western-led intervention is further discouraged.
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Despite the upside for the regime Damascus and Teheran have been edgy about the Turkish incursion into Syria. Currently it does look to be Ankara prioritising anti-PKK objectives over those of the revolt. It's an under resourced shot across the PKK's bows but risks sucking away rebel reserves from Aleppo into what could be a draining holding commitment. However it's not clear how Euphrates Shield might develop; these things can be slippery slopes.
 
On ISW Russian Airstrikes in Syria: July 28 - August 29, 2016
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The tempo of the air campaign declined significantly following the departure of Russian warplanes from the Shahid Nojeh Air Base on August 22. This decrease in activity also corresponds with the start of a cross-border intervention by Turkey into Northern Syria on August 24. Opposition groups supported by the Turkish Armed Forces and U.S.-led coalition airstrikes seized the ISIS-held town of Jarabulus as part of an offensive entitled ‘Operation Euphrates Shield.’ The operation began roughly two weeks after Turkish President Recep Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg in the culmination of an ongoing diplomatic rapprochement between Turkey and Russia. The relative lull in airstrikes from August 24 – 29 may be a tangible result of this thawing of relations. Turkey reportedly received assurances from Russia that its forces would not be targeted during the operation. Nonetheless, Turkey’s continued support for the opposition and insistence on regime change in Syria will likely preclude deeper coordination between Turkey and Russia in the Syrian Civil War. Alternatively, the de-escalation of the air campaign during this period could reflect continuing efforts by Russia to negotiate an agreement with the U.S. for joint military action in Syria. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on August 26 that the U.S. and Russia had moved "very close" to a new deal to reestablish a nationwide ‘cessation of hostilities’ in the Syrian Civil War following discussions between the two sides in Geneva. Kerry and Lavrov previously held talks in Moscow in July 2016 to discuss a proposal for bilateral military cooperation between the U.S. and Russia against ISIS and Al Qaeda in Syria in exchange for concrete progress towards a ceasefire and political transition. Russia also signaled on August 18 its support for a weekly forty-eight-hour ceasefire in Aleppo City as called for by UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, albeit under terms and conditions favorable to the regime. The decline in strikes and support for ceasefires mark a continuation of Russia’s efforts to portray itself as a good-faith actor amidst the ongoing negotiations. The trajectory of the campaign on the ground, however, suggests that the recent decrease in the intensity of the air campaign will likely be temporary at best.
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Usual Russian shenanigans where Syria often seems to be more about Moscow's broader need to grandstand as a peer competitor with the Washington. Being rebuked by the Iranians for advertising RuAF bombers use of Shahid Nojeh suggests to me irritation with a partner getting too big for his britches.
 

Hate to judge a book by the cover but that's a lot of "moderate" looking face hair.

You don't get this sort of problem with the PKK. They are too busy plotting the downfall of capitalism.
 

I guess this on their face book page is a translation.

On the same incident The Daily Telegraph has American commandos 'forced to run away' from US-backed Syrian rebels.

It's hardly surprising a heavily chin bearded Ahar al Sham splinter is a teeny weeny bit anti-American. They do seem a bit upset with the kufr PKK as well accusing them of being lackeys of the "crusaders". The bit about not wanting Christians about the place either won't help in their next diversity awareness scores.

Sadly they lost their vetted status recently as they had problems with the Pentagon's New Syrian Army. Splitters!
 
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I guess this on their face book page is a translation.

On the same incident The Daily Telegraph has American commandos 'forced to run away' from US-backed Syrian rebels.

It's hardly surprising a heavily chin bearded Ahar al Sham splinter is a teeny weeny bit anti-American. They do seem a bit upset with the kufr PKK as well accusing them of being lackeys of the "crusaders". The bit about not wanting Christians about the place either won't help in their next diversity awareness scores.

Sadly they lost their vetted status recently as they had problems with the Pentagon's New Syrian Army. Splitters!


They only lost their vetted status recently. Meaning the US government has been arming and financing American hating, sectarian bearded jihadists for years up until very recently. While claiming they were moderates who weren't actually heavily bearded, sectarian American hating jihadists .

And just to help matters along today the yanks have repeatedly bombed besieged Syrian troops in Deir Ezzor, massacring about 100 of them in repeated air strikes . Troops who have been under a massive siege from ISIS and who bravely defended their city from them for years now, only to be massacred by the fucking yanks . Which has allowed IS to make dramatic advances . Impossible to see how this could have been done in error as these troops were positioned on a strategic mountain top overlooking the airport . This is very clearly defined territory on static front lines around a besieged city. They were bombed and strafed 4 times by US aircraft. Even the rescuers were massacred .

Seems like a very cynical move undertaken to appease the very bearded jihadists who chased their troops out . Highly doubtful the recent ceasefire will withstand this type of criminal and insane aggression. The Syrians will be absolutely fucking livid . And rightly so. IS and the Saudis will be over the moon though .
 
On TNI China Is Supporting Syria's Regime. What Changed?
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This threat from TIP in particular is one that is therefore becoming of much greater concern for Beijing. Yet it is not clear who is focused on fighting TIP on the ground in Syria. Western powers fighting in Syria are for the most part focused on ISIS and less focused on the groups fighting against the Assad regime, like TIP. Turkey’s historical proximity to the Uighur cause has raised concerns with Beijing; Uighurs are a people whose culture and language are very close to Turkey’s, and Uighur flags and symbols are regular features during AKP rallies. Erdogan himself has expressed support for the Uighur cause, and back in 2009, in the wake of rioting in Xinjiang that led to some two hundred deaths, he referred to Chinese activity on the ground as “a sort of genocide.” Since 2012, Uighurs have been found traveling on forged Turkish passports in transit countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, raising questions of Turkish complicity. Leaked ISIS documents show a consistent flow of individuals through Kuala Lumpur, as well as other Southeast Asian routes to Turkey.
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The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) linked to Chinese Uighur militants. I recall they've a big base up by Jisr al-Shughour in Idlib. I saw a report regime forces were massing for a possible assault on that area yesterday. The timing might be connected.

Part of a tilt against Salafi-Jihadis by Beijing but also a more assertively forward foreign policy militarily and diplomatically. The Chinese are an influential player for the Assad clan to have onside.
 

My God this is outrageous the Americans are bombing SAA positions. I mean who do they think they are: the Israelis?
 
Thanks to the US massacring all those beseiged Syrian troops Deash have now overrun the mountain they were based on. They attacked as soon as the air strikes on the soldiers stopped. Now Daesh have a strategic vantage point overlooking the besieged cities airport . Meaning they can directly target the few aircraft, mainly helicopters, that are able to land there. An entire cities lifeline pretty much cut thanks to the western coalition .
Just reading some of those besieged troops who were killed in this hadn't seen their families in 4 years. Now they never will.
Should that city fall to daesh the scale of the massacre will be utterly horrific . It's defence has been a meat grinder for daesh . They'll be all out for revenge. The fate of the besieged civilian population doesn't even bear thinking about.
Even more suspicious is the fact the US coalition has a long standing policy of leaving Daesh well alone if targeting them might help the government side. Something they openly admitted to after a massive daesh column travelled hundreds of miles through the open desert to attack Palmyra without being hit once . But in this instance they supposedly try and attack them in a situation were it would benefit the Syrian Army and instead hand daesh a strategic victory . Not only wiping out around 5 % of the besieged cities limited defenders , but gifting daesh a strategic vantage point overlooking its only lifeline.

Looks to me like the coalition strategy is a very cynical one. One thats about crippling the Syran Armies ability to hold territory in every corner of Syria and thereby maintaining Syrian sovereignty . Just more fucking games .
 
There's a few good talks at the London Anarchist Bookfair this year (Saturday 29th October at Park View School, West Green Road, London N15 3QR) with this one relevant here...

Syrians in Revolution and War
In 2011, many Syrians took to the streets of Damascus to demand the overthrow of the government of Bashar al-Assad. Today, much of Syria has become a war zone, under attack by the regime, foreign states and militant jihadi groups. Leila and Robin will discuss the current situation in Syria with a focus on grass-roots resistance to all forms of authoritarianism.

Robin Yassin-Kassab is a regular media commentator on Syria and the Middle East and the author of 'The Road from Damascus', contributor to 'Syria Speaks' (Saqi, 2014) and co-author of 'Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War'.

Leila Al Shami has worked with the human rights movement in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. She was a co-founder of Tahrir-ICN, a network aiming to connect anti-authoritarian struggles in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. She is a contributor to 'Khiyana: Daesh, the Left and the Unmaking of the Syrian Revolution' and co-author of 'Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War'.

Times and room TBA.
 

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This list of auxiliary forces more or less correlates with that compiled by the anti-IS and anti-regime group Deir az-Zor is Being Slaughtered Silently (DZBSS). Most notably, DZBSS correctly points out in addition the role of the Palestinian militia Quwat al-Jalil (“The Galilee Forces”), which actually claims the bulk of its ‘martyrs’ from fighting in Deir az-Zor. Despite some occasional claims that have surfaced on social media, little reliable evidence points to the presence of Iraqi Shi’i factions on the Deir az-Zor front, something denied by Abo Abod. It should also be noted that Abo Abod clarified that the Lions of the Euphrates militia has been dissolved by the Amn al-Dawla, with fighters distributed to other formations. According to him, al-Hashd al-Sha’abi has also been dissolved.

As might be expected, Liwa al-Imam Zain al-Abidain in Deir az-Zor primarily draws on local people from Deir az-Zor as recruits, though Abo Abod was keen to emphasize as wide a manpower base as possible in terms of origins, claiming fighters from Albukamal (in eastern Deir az-Zor on the border with Iraq), Raqqa, Hasakah, Qamishli Damascus and Deraa. He put the monthly salary per fighter at $200, which he said was partly used to support civilians in Deir az-Zor. Concomitant with the wide range of origins, Abo Abod was also keen to put forth a cross-sectarian image for his group. “Do you know that I have Christian youth in the brigade?” he asked rhetorically in a bid to impress me. He added that “some of them are from al-Deir [Deir az-Zor] and some have come down with me from al-Sham [Damascus].”

The photo of Abo Abod above, with the “Labbayk ya Hussein” (“At your service, oh Hussein”) insignia, may raise the question as to whether he is Shi’i himself. To this question, he gave a rather interesting response: “I belong to all sects. I wage war on all who wage war on the Shi’a. I serve [/revere] the Al Bayt [Prophet Muhammad’s family] and my lineage is Husseini.” He then elaborated: “Do you know that Deir az-Zor is Shi’i in character? The black abaya, the al-Abbas bread, Allah wa Ali, all of them are from the customs of the people of al-Deir.”

These kinds of remarks touch on an issue I raised in my previous article profiling Liwa Sayf al-Haq Assad Allah al-Ghalib, a militia affiliated with the Republican Guard and based in Sayyida Zainab in Damascus. That is, whether or not there is formal conversion to Shi’i Islam, many pro-regime militias have displayed increasing affinities with Shi’i Islam and associated slogans and symbols, undoubtedly influenced by the extensive intervention of Iran and client Shi’i militias in Syria. Indeed, as Abo Abod told me, “The youth I have- Sunni before Shi’i- have adopted Labbayk ya Hussein, out of love and desire. We in the brigade deal with each other as one family and one house. Muhammad is our Prophet, Ali is our lord, Hussein is our leader….All demanded it [the slogans/symbols]. They said: ‘Hussein, Ali, Zainab and Fatima- peace be upon them- are our lords.'”
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That's a pretty decent salary by the standards of Syrian combatants.

The adoption of Shia rhetoric by mixed formations is interesting. I've read some privately relatively Godless FSA bands dress and act like Salafi. The look and speech of a revolutionary warrior is often such a faddish thing.
 
On SST Deir al-Zor: Was it really an accident?

Col Lang doubts this as regime forces were in these positions for some time and US targeters could not plausibly have not known that.

I'm not seeing any logic in the Pentagon after all this time deliberately hitting a regime outpost that's held out against IS. Not with twitchy Russian S-400s in theatre. Accidents do do happen even with clearly indicated Iraqi forces getting hit by US air support they are used to collaborating with but this is usually because it's very close CAS. The Pentagon has also occasionally appeared to support Iraqi Hashd ops this way while both parties denied it.


Perhaps the simplest explanation.

The remarkable thing is US air strikes have killed so few regime forces in this war of tangles of indistinguishable bearded militia men often operating their enemies kit which suggests there is very active deconfliction going on.
 
In The National America's errors are aiding former Al Qaeda group
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For the first time since its rebranding on July 28, JFS’s tone and conduct seem to be changing amid a noticeable increase in solidarity among various forces in Syria, even as many doubt the group’s true disengagement from Al Qaeda.

Al Jolani highlighted issues to which many in rebel-held areas relate and which jihadist groups often neglect. One was the lack of education for thousands of children in rebel areas, which he said would cause those children to engage in crimes as they grow up. He also suggested an armed struggle would continue "until the toppling of the regime".

Another interesting aspect of his remarks was his favourable tone towards the regional order. He referred to the resistance in Syria as a cornerstone for Arab Sunnis’ opposition to Iranian hegemony in the region, referring to certain countries by their official name, in contrast to the pejorative way his former "emir", Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri, refers to them.

Recent messaging by JFS echoes that tone. The group released a letter of gratitude to rebel organisations that opposed the US-Russian plan to target it. The statement contradicted a fatwa issued only days before by Abu Muhammad Al Maqdisi, a notorious Al Qaeda ideologue who said rebels who co-operated with Turkey against ISIL in northern Syria were apostates. The way the statement was worded specifically targeted the takfiri attitude within Syria.

Whether JFS has truly split from Al Qaeda is still in question, but many in Syria now view it differently. More importantly, the American plan to target the group is pushing more people to support it, since the US-Russian deal is seen as aiding the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
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My bold, oh so important for GCC acceptance. Gone is the strong suggestion common in AQ rhetoric that the princes may be next. You do get the impression of AQ as organisation now confident in its stealthy al Sham game plan.

The mentor of IS founder Al Maqdisi last I read was (on a short leash) in Jordan; interesting but not surprising that he's calling Takfir on Turkish backed FSA fighting IS.

Article mentions the coalition paying compensation for the mishap up Deir way that wiped out a company of regime fighters. Paying blood money was SOP during the Iraqi occupation. It fits with local Arab expectations of justice. It's still a practice Baghdad follows in resolving bitter post-IS tribal disputes. A little jarring in Syria as coalition countries involved in this strike are equipping insurgents to carry out a war of attrition against the regime elsewhere that's killed over 100K loyalist fighters. Maybe Deir is regarded as exceptional as the regime has been holding out against IS there and it's rather strategic in the game for Raqqa and Mosul. If I was a Syrian rebel I'd take this as a sign of shifting US views on the usefulness of the regime.
 

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U.S.-RUSSIAN COOPERATION ON DEIR AL-ZOUR?

Given all of the above factors, the survival of the regime enclave in Deir al-Zour is fundamental to the fight against the Islamic State. If the Syrian army and PYD-SDF forces are able to create a junction there, they would effectively encircle all IS forces in Syria and pave the way for a campaign against Raqqa. If one assumes that the United States and Russia are both interested in the complete destruction of IS in Syria, they could greatly facilitate that goal by further prodding their local allies toward Deir al-Zour. This means increased U.S. air support for Kurdish forces advancing south, and robust Russian air support for Syrian army forces advancing from Palmyra. In that scenario, Deir al-Zour could become the Middle Eastern Torgau, the riverside German city where the U.S. Army met the Red Army at the end of World War II while defeating a mutual enemy.
Piece from the Spring on the potential strategic importance of Deir in the war against IS.

I think the destruction of IS in Syria is a very secondary goal for Moscow. However holding Deir is very important to Assad who at some point obviously wants all of Syria back including the East. I recall it is also a SAA Divisional HQ so its loss would be a big psychological blow to Damascus. The only one of those they've ever lost (first to the rebels who then lost it to IS) is Raqqa and that was a relatively new set up that hadn't really bedded in.
 
Well that's it, Syrian Army declaring the ceasefire will come to an end today. Talk about short lived . Over 300 violations from the wests jihadi allies. Absolutely no attempt by the western sponsored groups to unhitch themselves from Al Qaeda . Just stringing the Syrians along and doing precisely what they did last time . Using the ceasefire as an opportunity to regroup and resupply after a series of major defeats before kicking off again, just as the Syrian army had them on the back foot .

Compounded ...with absolute certainty ...by the western massacre of so many Syrian troops that very very few in Syria believe was a mistake . Well done. The perpetrators of the Deir Ezzor massacre weren't just the US but Australian and Danish aircraft. As well as a British Reaper Drone . All up to their dirty fucking necks in it . that cities defenders were heroes throughout Syria . For them to be stabbed in the back like that while holding out for so long against IS will have caused incalculable anger and put a massive last nail in the coffin of any western backed peace initiative . Which, just like the last one, is seen now as little more than a western game to save their proxies from defeat on the battlefield untill they get the opportunity to go on the offensive again.

After this I doubt any future ceasefire plans will even be contemplated. By the sounds of things at the moment this will be a fight to the finish .
 
Haven't you got cancer yet shitcunt? You'll get that quicker than you get any pussy.

Russia attacks UN aid convoy, unconfirmed killed Syrian director of Red Crescent.

 
Fuck off.
He's got a point, Assad and Russia have for months have relentlessly bombed civilians but the coalition hits a military target ( possibly, and I stress possibly by mistake) Assad and a Russia take this as an opportunity to resume hostilities and end the ceasefire, a ceasefire neither of them wanted, but they went through the motions to satisfy the usual 'useful idiots'
And in the meantime aid convoys sit on the road and innocents die by the hundreds.
The whole situation is a crock of Shyte but one thing is clear, most on the coalition/rebel side would honour a ceasefire, but Assad and Russia aren't interested, they scent total victory, and bugger the suffering.
While I wouldn't wish cancer on anyone, a .50 in the centre of Assads smug pyet would be a welcome relief to many.
Some people don't deserve to live.
 
All eloquently expressed with the words "Haven't you got cancer yet shitcunt?"

I'd just swung by to post about the aid convoy Syria: Deadly aid-convoy bombing as ceasefire ends

Just woke up to hear this one. Was this us again? Or was it the Russians/Syrians?

Whatever, the bombing of Syrian troops has made me feel ashamed of my country for the first time in my life. I'm not a massive patriot or anything, but I do like living in this country. A lot. I know we've got more blood on our hands from more centuries of foreign invasion than virtually any other country going. But this is the first time in my life when the utter horror of what our military gets up to has really hit home and made me sick to my stomach.

A bad day to be a Brit.
 
Just woke up to hear this one. Was this us again? Or was it the Russians/Syrians?

Whatever, the bombing of Syrian troops has made me feel ashamed of my country for the first time in my life. I'm not a massive patriot or anything, but I do like living in this country. A lot. I know we've got more blood on our hands from more centuries of foreign invasion than virtually any other country going. But this is the first time in my life when the utter horror of what our military gets up to has really hit home and made me sick to my stomach.

A bad day to be a Brit.

Was the russians that one i think.(the one in the link)
 
Was the russians that one i think.(the one in the link)

Ahh, thanks. Pretty shitty, either way. How the fuck do you mistake an aid convoy for Isis? Fucking amateur hour in the rusky airfarce. Not that our lot did any better with their drone killing Syrian troops. Fucking clownshoes.
 
Just woke up to hear this one. Was this us again? Or was it the Russians/Syrians?

Whatever, the bombing of Syrian troops has made me feel ashamed of my country for the first time in my life. I'm not a massive patriot or anything, but I do like living in this country. A lot. I know we've got more blood on our hands from more centuries of foreign invasion than virtually any other country going. But this is the first time in my life when the utter horror of what our military gets up to has really hit home and made me sick to my stomach.

A bad day to be a Brit.

What an odd thing to write, even odder form someone whose forum name is Joan of Arc!
 
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