Regional geopolitics

[Joseph]

Re: Regional geopolitics

1,300 hotels go for sale as Turkey’s tourism takes a hit
By Paul Antonopoulos
02/02/2016 0

Turkey’s tourist industry has taken a big hit because of terrorist attacks, the aggression against its Kurdish minority and the number of Russian tourists dwindling, the Turkish Zaman newspaper reported. According to the Aegean Touristic Enterprises and Lodging Association (ETHICS) chairman Mehmet Isler, Turkey is set to lose $4.5 billion in lost revenue as the country sets to lose nearly 4.5 million Russian tourists this year. He added that that European tourists have changed their preferences back to Greece for a summer beach holiday.

He believed that it was European “propaganda” that has escalated the severity of the terrorist attacks in Turkey. In early January 10 German tourists were killed in an explosion in a central square in Istanbul’s historical city center Zaman also claimed that up to 1,300 hotels have gone up for sale suggesting the tourist industry is no longer profitable. Relations between Ankara and Moscow deteriorated after Turkey downed a Russian jet in Syria. Moscow in turn reacted by imposing economic constraints on Turkey, including the banning of packaged holiday deals to the country.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/...ism-takes-hit/ | Al-Masdar News

Not only hotels but all the cruise lines are canceling berthings in Turkey.

[Joseph]

Re: Regional geopolitics

HAHAHAHA! Una gran acogida en Sudamérica

http://www.todayszaman.com/national_chilean-activists-protest-president-erdogans-arrival-in-santiago_411291.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0onvSAlwRI

Chilean activists protested the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in front of the presidential palace in Santiago on Monday.
The protesters slammed the president, accusing him of being one with the radical terrorist group the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Protestors held signs that read “Erdoğan is ISIS [ISIL]” and “ISIS is the army of Erdoğan.”
The group also expressed solidarity with the Kurdish population in Turkey's Southeast by holding a sign that read “The Kurdish people are not alone.”
Some protesters were taken into custody during the demonstration.




Chilean activists protest President Erdoğan’s arrival in Santiago

[Joseph]

Re: Regional geopolitics

XCLUSIVE: Syrian Army Deploys Anti-TOW T-90 Tanks in Aleppo Again

Tue Feb 02, 2016 4:40

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__en.farsnews.com_newstext.aspx-3Fnn-3D13941113001193&d=CwIBAg&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=UA9RmHj2eVkKNsv65suXdVD0JrzdJZuFPcfBfR_FwGg&m=fN97kk1ySrkyTyZGXpQ6NLXqDhVRoxf6Jjs3_9QhN1Q&s=oOKnGGhYUrsEFoWw1pr1mxRXVFuHA7Bwv5nicRMmHCI&e=

TEHRAN (FNA)- The deployment of the Russian T-90 tanks in the ongoing
battles against the terrorist groups in Aleppo province in Northern
Syria has given the Arab country's army the upper-hand in the war
against the foreign-backed terrorists, the army said.

The Syrian army is using the T-90 tanks in its battles against the
terrorists in Aleppo province for a second time in less than two
months after it deployed them in Khan Touman in December.

The T-90 tank and its outstanding capability to destroy incoming TOW
and M79 missiles appears to be perfect for a theater of war like the
one in Syria.

In 4 and a half years of conflict, more than 9,000 BGM-71E3B TOW and
M79 anti-tank systems have been introduced in the country. Their
capability to easily penetrate T-55 and T-72 tanks is the main reason
why the Syrian Arab Army has had so many problems gaining ground in
Aleppo province prior to using T-90 tanks.

The great advantage of the T-90MS is its reactive armor and defense
systems. It comes equipped with reactive armor blocks like the
Kontakt-5, and a system such as the Arena-3 that detects, intercepts
and detonates missiles at a distance of 2-3 m from the target makes
this tank unique and a much needed upgrade for the Syrian army's
capacity to achieve important victories on the ground.

In December, a senior military analyst said that the Syrian army has
benefitted remarkably from the Russian manufactured tanks.

The analyst further added that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants
have received TOW anti-tank missiles, and the army could no longer use
armored vehicles without advanced explosive reactive armor (ERA).

"Using the advantage of T-90 tanks, the Syrian Armed Forces and their
allies have surrounded the important towns of Khan Touman and
Al-Qarassi near the Aleppo-Damascus Highway," he went on to say.

The Syrian army troops, the NDF, Kata'eb Hezbollah, (Iraqi
paramilitary) and Harakat al-Nujaba (Iraqi paramilitary), that
launched a joint operation in the Aleppo province's Northern
battlefield on Monday morning, have thus far captured the villages of
Hardatnin, Doweir al-Zaytoun and Tal Jabin North of Bashkoy and have
now deployed their forces only four kilometers from the entrances of
Nubl and al-Zahra.

The Syrian pro-government forces have at least advanced against the
militant groups over three kilometers and have decreased their
distance to the Nubl and al-Zahra from seven kilometers to four
kilometers.

[Artashes]

Re: Regional geopolitics

[QUOTE=Vrej1915;366552]Obama sits in back seat of Russia’s “shock and awe” drive in Syria
Debka
03/02/2016

SU-35 Russian warplane for ground targets deployed this week in Syria
Russia is determined to bomb Syrian rebels into submission by a massive aerial campaign, comparable to the American 2003 “shock and awe” offensive over Baghdad. Only this time, it is Russia which is invading Syria. Tuesday, Feb. 2, saw a wave of air strikes, for which heavy Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bombers flew in from their base in Russia. President Vladimir is not deterred by the hundreds of civilian casualties caused in these raids, or the cries rising from the Syrian town of Aleppo which was targeted Monday.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Russian air strikes are of equal intensity in northern and southern Syria. Tuesday, Feb. 3, 300 sorties were conducted against rebel forces holding the small southern town of Nawa, just 10 km from Israel’s Golan border. They were clearly audible to the members of Israel’s security cabinet, led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, when they toured the northern border that day.
This may have been meant to demonstrate to all parties concerned Moscow ruthless determination to smash the Syrian rebellion and close all its options except for two: 1) Continue to take brutal punishment from hundreds of bombing raids per day; or 2) Play ball with the political solution Moscow has presented to the Geneva conference for resolving the Syrian conflict.
The concession to Saudi Arabia and the UAE offered by Russia for letting the rebel groups they support come to Geneva was that Putin planned the political process he projected to culminate in Bashar Assad’s departure.
Lacking a specific timeline for this event, Moscow added another incentive: the removal not only of Bashar Assad from power, but also making a clean sweep of his clan members from their positions of control over the Syrian military and intelligence services.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on a visit to Abu Dhabi Tuesday, stressed that the Gulf rulers had every reason to go along with Moscow’s plan for Syria, since Assad’s ouster is built in as its end-product, an elusive goal for which they laid out billions of dollars in support for rebel groups..
The heavy bombing campaign was not Putin’s only tool of leverage. DEBKAfile’s sources in Washington and Moscow report that US President Barack Obama is behind the military and political game plan which Moscow is selling to the region.
The two powers are therefore engaged in a joint initiative for bringing the horrendous five-year Syrian war to an end, their first such partnership for a Middle East conflict. They have agreed to assign the Russian military the lead role for imposing a political solution on the various parties. Because their alliance is powerful enough to crush any resistance in its path, neither Washington nor Moscow is overly concerned by the threat by rebel delegations in Geneva to walk out unless Russian air strikes are halted.
For them, Geneva is a sideshow. The political process for ending the war is rooted in the deal between the United States and Russia. Even if some delegations do walk out of the conference, their forces will continue to face savage Russian air strikes, until they are cowed into downing arms on terms dictated by the Kremlin with Obama’s support.[/
--- lots of propaganda ---
Notice in sentence 3-4 how this article accuses Russia of "invading " Syria. Russia was asked for help by basher Assad , who happens to be the recognized (by UN) president of Syria. The Russian intervention is not an invasion and debka files knows that.
--- debka files is a propaganda organization that puts out some (only some) factual info to (1) gain credibility , and (2) to facilitate their introduction of the line of propaganda they (debka) want the public to believe.
USA and Russia are not cooperating with each other on a solution to Syria , but debka files wants the world to think so. Why would debka files want you or me to believe that ? Answer I think is ... Debka files is an Israeli propaganda organization and Israel is angry with both Russia and USA.
Also note how debka files tries to lead you and me to believe Russia is in cahoots with saudi & uae .
So that means Israel is also angry with them as well. Notice how this article clearly recognizes the saud and uae giving millions of dollars to the terrorists (BUT never mentions all the support --- Israel --- has given to the murdering TERRORIST.
Why is Israel so mad??? My guess is that conniving heartless government of Israel is not going to get to sow the seeds of chaos much longer in the area. And Israel is not going to get to participate in Syria's division.
Those angry btches at debka files are worthless.
Can you hear me debka files ? Your as angry as a jilted C. Ugly bth that you are.

[Artashes]

Re: Regional geopolitics

No editing was done by me (Artashes) in the last post and only part of what i expressed for my reason at my "attempted" editing has been shown.
To the moderator who is moderating at 4:15 am, February 3rd, I ask you to show my attempted quote of Vrej's post by clearly separating his post in blue box and clearly showing my reply as seperates.
Al's I would like to ask moderator of this time frame ... Why when I wrote my name did "republican " show up following my name forcing me to iliminate that injected nonsense. Any explanation???

[Artashes]

Re: Regional geopolitics

In post #2164, the last 5 words of post ... The 2nd word of the last 5 words should be --- btch ---
However upon reflection, I should have wrote ... Ugly "dumb" btch.

[Artashes]

Re: Regional geopolitics

I suggest to the writers of (debka) or anyone else the following ... If you need MIDOL menstraul cramp relief pills, simply go out and buy some.

[Azad]

Re: Regional geopolitics

I suggest to the writers of (debka) or anyone else the following ... If you need MIDOL menstraul cramp relief pills, simply go out and buy some.

Ignore the self centered manipulators. The whole region is being reshaped against their controlling comfort. In a year they will not be able to breathe. Even the US is ignoring them.

[Azad]

Re: Regional geopolitics

They are at it again. Hahaha

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Syrian Army ends 3 years of rebel siege on Shia towns in Aleppo – Map update
By Chris Tomson - 03/02/2016

Moments ago, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), Hezbollah and several Iraqi paramilitaries imposed full control over the village of Muarrasat al-Khan village in the countryside of northern Aleppo. While clashes are ongoing on the outskirts of the village, government troops have effectively broken an Islamist rebel siege on Nubl and al-Zahraa which had previously been upheld since the summer of 2012. Thus, more than 35.000 predominately Shiite civilians once again have land access to food from Aleppo city. The offensive was aided by hundreds of Russian airstrikes which litterally blew regional Islamist defences to smithereens. Furthermore, dozens of highly motivated Shiite pro-government fighters jointly stormed Muarrasat al-Khan from both flanks of the village while government tanks and artillery provided covering fire. Due to the loss of Muarrat al-Khan, Islamist rebels inside Aleppo city have lost their most important supply line from Turkey that runs through Azaz further north. Today’s events happen less than 3 months since government troops also broke the ISIS-imposed siege on Kuweiris Airbase in eastern Aleppo. Since October of 2015, the government has greatly expanded its territory on southern, eastern and northern countryside of Aleppo. However, the city of Aleppo – which is often reffered to as a ghost sniper city – has settled for a frontline stalemate over the past year.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/...po-map-update/ | Al-Masdar News