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Russian Ships Park Off Syrian Coast As NATO Deploys Patriot Missiles In Turkey
Several hours ago, Syrian president delivered his first public speech in months, addressing the internal military conflict that has gripped his country, and whose key excerpts can be found here. In it he called for a "full national mobilisation" to fight against rebels he described as al Qaeda terrorists. "We meet today and suffering is overwhelming Syrian land. There is no place for joy while security and stability are absent on the streets of our country," Assad said in a speech at the opera house in central Damascus. "The nation is for all and we all must protect it." Assad once again blamed the west for provoking and "facilitating" the rebellion, which even the NYT admits is being orchestrated by Al Qaeda, which naturally begs the question: just what is Al Qaeda to the US and to its intelligence agencies - foe or ally? But while providing fodder for the pundits, the speech was largely irrelevant. What does merit attention is the follow up to the story from two weeks ago the Russia sent two squadrons of ship to Syria in mid-December. It appears they have arrived, and just in time to offset the positioning of NATO Patriot missiles along the Turkish-Syria border.
From Jerusalem Post:
Russia has concentrated five landing ships in the eastern Mediterranean in a show of force meant to deter Western nations from intervening militarily in Syria, The Sunday Times quoted a Russian diplomat as saying.
According to the report, the ships are carrying military vehicles and hundreds of Russian marines, and are being accompanied by combat vessels.
Remember when the official party line was that ships are being sent to assist in the evacuation of Russian citizens? Looks like not even Russia is going with that anymore.
While officially Russia has claimed the ships have been deployed to partake in an exercise to "improve the management, maintenance and testing of the interaction of naval forces,” the Times quoted the diplomat as saying the marines were meant to deter the West from deploying ground forces in the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Meanwhile in Turkey from Al Jazeera:
NATO has begun deploying Patriot missiles in Turkey in a bid to protect the country from the threat of war from neighbouring Syria, according to the US military's European Command (EUCOM).
EUCOM said in a statement on Friday that US military personnel and equipment were sent to Incirlik Air Base in southeastern Turkey to support NATO's Patriot battery deployment at Ankara's request.
Up to 400 troops are expected to be transported to Tukey within the week to operate two Patriot batteries supporting NATO's mission there. Additional equipment is scheduled to arrive by sea this month.
"The deployment of six Patriot batteries, including two each from Germany and The Netherlands, is in response to Turkey's request to NATO," EUCOM said in the statement issued from its offices in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart.
"The forces will augment Turkey's air defence capabilities and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the Alliance's border," it added.
Yes, we too find it amusing when by de-escalation the US armed forces mean anything but.
Which then leaves the only open question: when?
“Russia should be prepared for any developments, as it believes the situation in Syria might reach its peak before Easter,” the Times quoted the diplomatic source as saying.
In other words, having been unable to convince the world that Iran is a terminal threat to "democracy" everywhere and the window of destroying its nuclear processing facilities now officially closed, and with both the Lebanon and the Gaza conflicts hibernating, the only loophole left to escalate the region is now Syria, where the event timeline now appears to culminate in 2-3 months.
Finally, let's not forget the US naval presence in the region, whose most recent update via Stratfor is shown below. Just need a few more US ships in the eastern mediterranean for things to get fun.
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Everytime a Russian ship shows up near Syria the time line is always 2-3 months. Sort of like with Greece.
"...just what is Al Qaeda to the US and to its intelligence agencies - foe or ally?"
I believe the word you're looking for is spelled "Employee." And the retirement plan is a bitch; just ask Noriega, Saddam, Shah Reza Pahlavi, or any of a number of ex-employees of the same company.
Maybe even -- gasp! -- OBL?
Now there's THE poster boy for DoD budgets, if there ever was one.
A personal friend suggested years ago to "W", that he'd make the perfect and controllable Flystrip for all those uncontrollable Flies.
I don't even give a fuck about that country.
So why do my taxdollars need to go there to bully them?
It's a muslim country for G sake!
Let em do what they do best!
Kill themselves!
They don't want freedom.
They don't want democracy!
They fight each other for the money and power.
So why the fuck do we need to "free" them?
Because when we liberate them, we'll give them more and more modern weapons which they'll use against us.
Step down. Let them clean it up amongst themselves.
Fuck this!
These people hate us!
We don't need to be there!
They fight each other to take control so they can fight us!
+ 1
Sudden Debt is right, all of it. Why the junks?
Someone aka hopey changey wants to install al qeada/mo bro hood in the whole middle east. Iraq, Egypt and Libya have been set up and it is worse now for the people in all of those places.
Assad is not great at all but the majority of Syrian people would take him over the Hope & Change "rebels."
Come on guys - try to keep up.
Maybe because we don't come here to read the simplistic racial slurs and calumny as perpetuated by neocons, which has done so much damage to our international relations? But I'll humor you both for a minute, please tell me someone that you know personally - a Syrian - that hates you. Tell me the names of ten Syrians that hate you and then explain to me why and I'll give you a prize - I'll buy you a return ticket from New York to Damascus! (Although I assume they won't let you on the plane because they all hate you so much)
SD - I am 100% with you on this!!!
Complete bullshit, when has Syria fought 'us'?
Maybe if you're a jew they fought you for stealing their land in the Golan Heights. Highly productive agricultural land the Jews refused to return.
"Russian Navy to hold biggest war games in decades" half january
Commands for the Northern, Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific fleets have been preparing for the exercises since December of last year, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced. Warships detached for the event are currently sailing to those regions.
http://rt.com/news/russian-navy-major-exercise-211/
So let's see now. The US is helping the Al qaeda insurgents in Syria and they are run by the same guys that bombed the WTC. Gee I must be stupid. What am I missing here?
Our friends, the Saudis are at it again.........no wait, Al Qaeda is the enemy. How is that? We invaded Afghanistan and Iraq to make Al Qaeda pay for 9-11 right? I'm so confused. Now we're friends with Al Qaeda, no just Saudi Arabia. Oh to hell with it.
No, Silly! Everyone knows it was Saddam Hussein wot blew up the WTC. We invaded Iraq to punish him and we only invaded Afghanistan to free all the women waring burkhas.
The TV and Hollywood Scum support all of the lies. Black racist and gun banner Jamie Foxx did a very violennt movie about US military working with the wonderful and peaceful Saudis. Just full on propaganda.
F TV and F Hollywood.
Everything's cool. The Russians are just de-escalating too. And those Israelis - de-escalating at warp speed. In fact it looks like everyone is de-escalating. Even our new best friends AQ. I can't wait until total de-escalation is finally achieved - shock and awe baby.
Hey - this is working so well that I'll bet that de-escalation is coming soon to a US city near you. I sure wouldn't mind de-escalating a few politicians and bankers.
Well, you know, escalation is soooooo 20th century ;-)
Actually, it would be smart, and I think, low risk, for Russia to embed Spetznaz units within the Syrian Army, or just have them implanted in the country. GATO (Goldman Atlantic Treaty Organization) has shown it only attacks when it has air superiority and overwhelming conventional superiority. Russia could easily negate this.
I find it hard to support a policy which arms AQ, who attacked the US, with MANPADS and other assorted weaponry snorkeled over from Libya, which was also overthrown by GATO and placed in the hands of AQ.
Now, to prevent USA Citizens from protesting these immoral actions, the obamatron is going to disarm and kill as many USA citizens as possible via NDAA, armed raids, drones, etc to maintain its hold on Absolute Power.
The Elites I am afraid, will launch an all-out war from their bunkers, killing a billion or so useless eaters, in an attempt to secure 100% control over all Resources on the planet.
I think we are in for a lot worse than the obamatron's plans to steal our arms.
they won't be any violence mate, the american people have shown the entire world how willing they were to welcome an undemocratic state ! Just like the germen in 1936 !
That is why Russia needs to load some S-300 mobile anti aircraft units onto Russian Navy landing ships and rush them to Syria. These S-300 units sport one of the world's best anti aircraft missiles and being mobile, they are not so easy to kill as static systems.
NATO will piss their pants if they start to lauch air strikes on Syrian Army formations and long range S-300 missiles begin to knock a dozen or so down and half a dozen piliots are captured in one day. NATO will call Syrians terrorists for taking innocent NATO pilots hostage and demand war crimes trials for S-300 operators who dare to carry out terror attacks on innocent NATO bombers.
NATO and the USA have grown into terminal cowards who love to bomb the helpless, but they scream like babies when someone shoots back at them. Like when NATO funded and planned Gerorgia's invasion of South Ossetia. All was going well with Georgian planes bombing civilians and Georgian tanks shooting up Ossetian houses at night. But when Russia stepped in to defend Ossetia's people from death, then the US and NATO screamed and cried like babies. Oh the terrorist Russians attacking poor innocent Georgian tanks and shooting down innocent Georgan bombers. Oh they howled when Russian Iskander missiles destroyed a Georgian tank brigade. How could the evil Russia assult the innocent georgian freedom fighters!
Same thing in Syria. NATO Al-Qaeda are killing christians and forcing them from their homes. they torture people and kill and steal. they impose Islamic law on non Muslims and NATO call them freedom fighters. Russia should send the most modern weapon to Syria like S-300, Sunburn and Iskander. Then NATO will cry again like babies.
And don't forget the attack on South Ossetia attack by Georgia began with a sustained barrage of unguided rocket artillery on towns and cities. Got to say though, the Russians had no right or business at all carving-off a piece of northern Georgia just because the population had become a majority Russian foreign enclave in another country. It's like Greece claiming Melbourne, or Israel claiming Miami. The Russians are way out of line in South Ossetia, they have no right to be claiming effective territorial annexation there.
the war for the dollar and oil is festering into a whiteheaded zit, ready to explode in pus all over the world. russia, china and iran have successfully lured the zionists into the syrian trap with assad's blessing. the only catalyst left is the election of nutandyahoo which will serve as the tipping point for megiddo, the showdown of showdowns between the zionist west and the heretics of the east. the abrahamics are about to realize jesus is really a chinese fellow, the slayer of the false god, the antichrist. (he could be russian, also but only china can put together an army big enough to overwhelm anyone dumb enough to face it. it is definitely not a woman or a jew.)
Or he could be the next king of England: King William.
Hey, just reporting on one thread DEEP in a conspiracy rabbit hole.
"Tit for Tat" looks like. Perhaps this will lead to more Nobel Peace Prizes?
Unbelievable, I have never seen all the aircraft carriers in port, except one! Is the pentagon in a deep planning operation, and if so, what the hell are they planning?
Pentagon? The biggest threat to the American people is the "american" govt. It is not Russia or China or iran. yeah they sucks but they do not engage in false flags of killing children to disarm the populace.
They are showing they intend to stand down.
Meanwhile, across the border in Iraq...
http://www.albawaba.com/news/nouri-maliki-461618
If it wasn't for Israel would we care a rat's ass about Syria?
Not only about Israel. Part of the larger geo-political strategy of surrounding Iran and dominating resrouce rich Mid East. Long term - anti-russia/china policy
um, yes
Syria the current battleground between Us/Nato/West imperialist vs Iran/Rus/China
They have been following the Libya blueprint, however, Russia (with Putin back in power) has stepped up this time.
Different factions supported by the West causing chaos in the country, killing many innocents.
Some pretty good analysis of this @ stopimperialism dot com
Wow all US carriers in home port bar the Stennis, is this normal?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA4hAx21Jcc
2-15 asteroid approaching and concern of it hitting GPS satellite, impact the moon or another comet. Could be the reason. Asteroid 2012 DA14
I assume that when the Pentagon doesn't want the world to know where some of its ships are, they simply report them being in Home Ports.
I can't find any other explanation for why only two ships are at sea for the past two weeks: CVN74 & LHA5 in the Gulf region.
If true, it implies StratFor is used as a disinformation outlet.
Or, it's for real, the US does not want to contribute to heightened tensions east of China, or in the Gulf, or in the Med. There is no way to dis-inform other countries that have their own satellites and track USN movements in real-time, 24/7/365. So why would Stratfor bother to try to do that? There's no chance it would work.
You may well be right. What's odd to me is that when you look at the US navy fleet deployments on StratFor maps for the past 6-9 months, there has never been a time (as far as I recall) when all - bar two - major ships were in Home Ports. In December, there were three carrier groups in the Gulf region (increased from two) plus several LHx support vessels. There were also ~10,000 marines on ships in the Gulf. This all gave the clear impression that military action was being planned against Iran (perhaps by Israel with US backup). Or perhaps action in Syria.
Also, other ships were located in various places around the world, notably in the Asia & Pacific etc. Now they're all back in home ports. Weird.
I'm now wondering what's changed. Has the perceived need to build up forces in that region to send a clear message to Iran gone away? Has Syria calmed down? One possible explanation is that Obama's foreign policy has changed now he's back in the Whitehouse! Imagine that ;-)
Don't know. It is an interesting situation, these things don't occur on purpose, or at least by accident. They always aim to have a certain level of ready forces on station. It may also be that they missed their opportunity to strike Iran over the summer and thought better of it and now have a lot of worn ships and jets, plus tired crews that need a long leave, refits and re-training. Plus they have been running record deployment durations against pirates for a while now.
Perhaps overstretch, budget-cutting, crowded maintenance schedule backlogs plus the 'pivot strategy' has discombobulated things. Does seem like they got caught-out or they changed their plans. One implication is that the US's mainland defenses just increased substancially though. You might do that if you were worried about something.
"...these things don't occur on purpose"
Indeed. That's the punchline. Summat's afoot perhaps...... Oh to be a fly on the wall of the Oval Office ;-)
Ground air bases are hard to defend and the rebels can relatively easliy neutralize Assads air force, but off shore carriers can cover the whole country. Any invasion would be with tanks but tanks are just slow moving targets to a modern air force. In a game of chess the call would be check.
Except the airfields are defended and held, air power does not hold territory, its effect is real only as long as jets are buzzing around you. The Carriers have bugged-out and gone home. Lavrov said the West has indicated it's entirely unwilling to directly intervene in Syria. And if the Russians bought Iskandar TELs and missiles with them, US carriers are unlikely to come close to those, or to the abundant Syrian and Russian ASMs. If the carriers can't come in closer the naval air power is ineffective. There is no 'check' of any sort there. The US and NATO can't be effective or win that without risking serious losses of ships and aircraft (remember that Turkish RF-4 Phantom getting nailed intruding Syrian airspace?), so they steamed away.
This battle is going to get a lot more intense and bloody in the near future, the gloves are coming off. Syria's military forces are almost completely intact, they are now going to fully mobilize. Very little attrition has occurred to them so far. The potential for full scale unlimited attacks on the rebels is now a given. Whole towns and suburbs will be completely leveled (some almost have been already). If the rebels are operating from across the Lebanese, Turkish or Jordanian border they will be attacked there also. If those states keep supporting the terrorists materially and offering them protection and political support or comfort, there will be serious concerted cross-border bombardments, and interdiction operations to kill them.
All of the states involved have been warned to stop their US, NATO and Gulf-state backed support of the rebels, so if its aggressive proxies they wish to be, then a protracted regional proxy-war is what it will become. It would be foolish to merely presume that other players will not likewise provide as much countering material, man-power and political and economic support as they can to Damascus to resist the Washington-backed attack using the erstwhile services of their comrades-in-arms, Al Qaeda etal.
Well done scumbags, the puppeteers will be chuffed.
What ever happened to the good ole days when Cheney and Rumsfeld under oders from the NWO used to attack the US directly? Guess they have to prep Al-Kida a little more.