Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.
If the Guelphs get their weapons from Russia, does that mean the Ghibellines are armed by the US?
I had to google "Ghibellines" but I still have no idea what are you asking.
It is a joke. You said that the "Guelph states" were getting weapons from Russia. The Guelphs were a political faction in medieval Italy, and they were rivals of the Ghibellines, another faction. So with the Cold War being on again you'd expect that when Russia arms one faction in the conflict, the US will arm the opposing one.
In other words: You should check your spelling next time
It is a joke. You said that the "Guelph states" were getting weapons from Russia. The Guelphs were a political faction in medieval Italy, and they were rivals of the Ghibellines, another faction. So with the Cold War being on again you'd expect that when Russia arms one faction in the conflict, the US will arm the opposing one.
In other words: You should check your spelling next time
I'd admit I was lazy when I was typing it.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/03/09 00:11:52
Did you even read your previous quote? Israelis would NEVER export anything from USSR or Russia.
What?
...?
The Israelis will never sell to Russia (damn, there goes that recent power deal), or that they've never sold Soviet/ Russian kit?
...
Dude, seriously, don't even bother trying to run off nonsense on that subject as well. There's zero point in discussing the subject if you're going to bring that brand of silliness to the subject of Israel and foreign relations. Frankly the topic was thrown up as a side note to a point of mine. I'm in no mood to beat my head against a wall with that as well.
Though seriously, its more the aim of these Russian troll posters to sidetrack legitimate discussions with arguments over minor points and established facts than actually have genuine conversations.
This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2016/03/09 00:10:06
Remember guys, just because you disagree with a poster doesn't mean you can call them a troll. If you feel that someone is trolling just hit the yellow triangle.
I wish I had time for all the game systems I own, let alone want to own...
First you say "Russia is the Walmart", then you point that it's Serbia and Czech republic who sell the actual hardware which are, most likely the locally produced export versions those countries got from USSR. I find it troublesome to believe in anything you say lately.
One, while the Serbian's M-84 is T-72 derived, it's also different from a T-72M. It's also been produced since the mid 80's. Two, the Czechs, who can actually produce T-72s, have been hammering out T-72M4 CZ, which are frankentanks made with parts from a dozen different countries. However, there are differences to the glacis plate between Russian made and Czech made T-72Ms.
If I had said they were in Poland., you'd have a point.
You are arguing armor with the wrong person.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/03/09 02:26:48
Fate is in heaven, armor is on the chest, accomplishment is in the feet. - Nagao Kagetora
U.S. special forces captured the head of the Islamic State terror group's unit trying to develop chemical weapons in a raid last month in northern Iraq, a defense official tells Fox News.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We are using information we have learned for operations,” one official said. The captured operative told U.S. interrogators ISIS had converted banned mustard gas into powdered form to launch in artillery shells, The New York Times adds.
Just yesterday, defense officials said U.S. warplanes in Syria targeted and likely killed an ISIS leader who served essentially as the terror group's secretary of defense.
The Iraq raid marks one of the first known major success of Washington's more aggressive policy of pursuing jihadis on the ground. The Obama administration launched the new strategy in December, deploying a commando force to Iraq that it said would be dedicated to capturing and killing ISIS leaders in clandestine operations, as well as generating intelligence leading to more raids.
U.S. officials said last week the Delta Force team had captured an Islamic State leader but had refused to identify him, saying only that he had been held for two or three weeks and was being questioned.
Iraqi officials identified the man as Sleiman Daoud al-Afari, who worked for Saddam Hussein's now-dissolved Military Industrialization Authority where he specialized in chemical and biological weapons. They said al-Afari, who is about 50 years old, heads the Islamic State group's recently established branch for the research and development of chemical weapons.
He was captured in a raid near the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar, the officials told The Associated Press. They would not give further details.
The weaponized mustard gas that ISIS has developed would not be concentrated enough to kill, but could badly wound its victims, a defense official told The Times.
An initial assessment of the U.S. airstrike conducted in Syria last week showed that it likely killed commander Omar al-Shishani, also known as Omar the Chechen, along with 12 additional ISIS fighters, officials added.
Beyond intelligence value, the capture in Iraq could strike a blow to what Iraqi and American officials have described as a determined effort by the Islamic State group to develop chemical weapons.
Turkish first lady praises harem as "school for women"
Emine Erdoğan makes comment after her husband caused thousands to demonstrate against his government on International Women’s Day.
The wife of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has hailed the harem of the Ottoman sultans as “a school for preparing women for life”.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: 'A woman is above all else a mother'
Read more
Emine Erdoğan’s comments were made a day after the president caused protests by saying he believed that “a woman is above all a mother” in a speech marking International Women’s Day. Critics have accused Erdoğan’s government of trying to impose strict Islamic values on Turkey and curtailing women’s civil liberties.
“The harem was a school for members of the Ottoman dynasty and an educational establishment for preparing women for life,” Emine Erdoğan said at an official event on the Ottoman sultans in Ankara, according to Turkish TV stations.
President Erdoğan has been criticised for urging Turkish women to have at least three children and railing against efforts to promote birth control as “treason”.
He and his wife regularly speak of their attachment to Islamic principles and the values of the old Ottoman empire, on the ruins of which the modern Turkish state was founded in 1923.
The term “harem” has long titillated the western imagination. In the Ottoman period it was an institution with strict and detailed rules that even the sultan had to follow, and precise guidelines on the recruitment and education of courtesans.
Each woman would receive an education in a discipline in which she showed promise – for example calligraphy, decorative arts, music or foreign languages. There was no age limit for the harem and women of 60 could live alongside young girls, while the most capable could rise to wield enormous influence over the court.
Emine Erdoğan’s remarks came under fire on social media and her husband’s comments drew thousands of women into the streets of Istanbul in protest.
Ozlem Kurumlar, a professor at an Istanbul university, tweeted: “In the time of Murad III [a 16th-century sultan], books were the only thing that never entered the harem.”
Turkish first lady praises harem as "school for women"
Emine Erdoğan makes comment after her husband caused thousands to demonstrate against his government on International Women’s Day.
The wife of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has hailed the harem of the Ottoman sultans as “a school for preparing women for life”.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: 'A woman is above all else a mother'
Read more
Emine Erdoğan’s comments were made a day after the president caused protests by saying he believed that “a woman is above all a mother” in a speech marking International Women’s Day. Critics have accused Erdoğan’s government of trying to impose strict Islamic values on Turkey and curtailing women’s civil liberties.
“The harem was a school for members of the Ottoman dynasty and an educational establishment for preparing women for life,” Emine Erdoğan said at an official event on the Ottoman sultans in Ankara, according to Turkish TV stations.
President Erdoğan has been criticised for urging Turkish women to have at least three children and railing against efforts to promote birth control as “treason”.
He and his wife regularly speak of their attachment to Islamic principles and the values of the old Ottoman empire, on the ruins of which the modern Turkish state was founded in 1923.
The term “harem” has long titillated the western imagination. In the Ottoman period it was an institution with strict and detailed rules that even the sultan had to follow, and precise guidelines on the recruitment and education of courtesans.
Each woman would receive an education in a discipline in which she showed promise – for example calligraphy, decorative arts, music or foreign languages. There was no age limit for the harem and women of 60 could live alongside young girls, while the most capable could rise to wield enormous influence over the court.
Emine Erdoğan’s remarks came under fire on social media and her husband’s comments drew thousands of women into the streets of Istanbul in protest.
Ozlem Kurumlar, a professor at an Istanbul university, tweeted: “In the time of Murad III [a 16th-century sultan], books were the only thing that never entered the harem.”
I was wondering when Turks are going to voice their support for sex slavery and trade by ISIS.
Turkey is degrading further and further... Ataturk is going the way of Lenin and Mao Zedong I fear. An empty figurehead whose actual ideas are ignored or outright reject.
Turkish first lady praises harem as "school for women"
Emine Erdoğan makes comment after her husband caused thousands to demonstrate against his government on International Women’s Day.
The wife of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has hailed the harem of the Ottoman sultans as “a school for preparing women for life”.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: 'A woman is above all else a mother'
Read more
Emine Erdoğan’s comments were made a day after the president caused protests by saying he believed that “a woman is above all a mother” in a speech marking International Women’s Day. Critics have accused Erdoğan’s government of trying to impose strict Islamic values on Turkey and curtailing women’s civil liberties.
“The harem was a school for members of the Ottoman dynasty and an educational establishment for preparing women for life,” Emine Erdoğan said at an official event on the Ottoman sultans in Ankara, according to Turkish TV stations.
President Erdoğan has been criticised for urging Turkish women to have at least three children and railing against efforts to promote birth control as “treason”.
He and his wife regularly speak of their attachment to Islamic principles and the values of the old Ottoman empire, on the ruins of which the modern Turkish state was founded in 1923.
The term “harem” has long titillated the western imagination. In the Ottoman period it was an institution with strict and detailed rules that even the sultan had to follow, and precise guidelines on the recruitment and education of courtesans.
Each woman would receive an education in a discipline in which she showed promise – for example calligraphy, decorative arts, music or foreign languages. There was no age limit for the harem and women of 60 could live alongside young girls, while the most capable could rise to wield enormous influence over the court.
Emine Erdoğan’s remarks came under fire on social media and her husband’s comments drew thousands of women into the streets of Istanbul in protest.
Ozlem Kurumlar, a professor at an Istanbul university, tweeted: “In the time of Murad III [a 16th-century sultan], books were the only thing that never entered the harem.”
I was wondering when Turks are going to voice their support for sex slavery and trade by ISIS.
Turkey is degrading further and further... Ataturk is going the way of Lenin and Mao Zedong I fear. An empty figurehead whose actual ideas are ignored or outright reject.
I think its bloody disgusting that the European Union is caving in and considering Turkey for EU membership in its current state. Didn't we agree to fast track them in exchange for this ridiculous immigration deal? As I understand it, Turkey is becoming an Islamist and authoritarian state, and its secular principles are being undermined. Thats a prospect that should terrify all Europeans - political union with an Islamist state.
Turkish court orders takeover of media group critical of government
A court in Istanbul has appointed trustees to take control of a media group critical of the Turkish government, the country's semi-official news agency has reported.
The trustees were appointed to the Feza media group, which owns Zaman, Today's Zaman and other publications.
The court on Friday accused Feza publications of spreading propaganda to destabilize the Turkish state, according to the Anadolu Agency.
The action appears to reflect an ongoing power struggle between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a former ally turned bitter critic, the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Erdogan accuses Gulen and his followers of creating a "parallel state" -- a clandestine group of people in official positions in the judiciary, law enforcement and elsewhere in government who are dedicated to the ouster of Erdogan and his allies.
On the other hand, critics accuse Erdogan of authoritarianism, including by stifling dissent and quashing free speech.
Sevgi Akarcesme, editor-in-chief of Today's Zaman, the English-language sister paper of Zaman, called the court's action a violation of the constitution and a "politically motivated ... witch hunt." She said the paper was unable to publish Sunday's edition and its Internet service was cut off.
Abdullah Bozkurt, a journalist at Today's Zaman, tweeted that staff had lost access to email accounts.
"No explanation, no notification whatsoever," he wrote. "They're pulling plugs on everything."
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu defended the action as a judicial -- not a political -- decision.
"A democratically elected government which gets its legitimacy from the people has the right to question the activities, whether they be economic or journalistic, of those who have openly acted to bring about a coup," he said. "Turkey will never go backwards from where it has come in terms of press freedom but no one has the right to become a vehicle of a parallel structure within the state."
Another Turkish state official said, "This is not about clamping down on the media or press freedom. We are in a struggle against a terrorist organization."
Move condemned by free press advocates
The action of the Istanbul court Friday drew quick condemnation.
"Today's move by the court paves the way to effectively strangle the remnants of critical journalism in Turkey," Joel Simon, executive director of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, said Friday.
In a statement, the European Union called on Turkey "to respect and promote high democratic standards and practices, including freedom of the media."
"Free, diverse and independent media constitute one of the cornerstones of a democratic society by facilitating the free flow of information and ideas, and by ensuring transparency and accountability," the statement said.
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby, in a statement, urged Turkey to "uphold the universal democratic values enshrined in their own constitution, including freedom of speech and especially freedom of the press."
U.S. Ambassador John Bass tweeted, "Judicial process must be respected, yes - but so must the importance of free press and due process."
Anti-censorship protests took place in front of Today's Zaman headquarters on Friday, and televised video showed protesters clashing outside the building with police, who fired tear gas and used a water cannon to disperse the crowd.
The Turkish state official said the protesters had "gathered without permission" and were warned multiple times before police dispersed them.
In a related development, four Turkish businessmen were detained as part of an investigation into the "parallel state," local police said.
Boydak Holding Executive Board Chairman Haci Boydak and his younger brother, CEO Memduh Boydak, were accused of being members of, and providing financial support to, the "parallel state." Two other executives -- Murat Boydak and Erol Boydak -- also were accused of being members and financial supporters of the clandestine group.
Turkey, a key U.S. ally and a member of NATO, continues to travel down a disturbingly authoritarian path. Last week, police in Istanbul stormed the offices of Zaman, the country's most widely circulated newspaper, subjecting employees and supporters to tear gas and water cannons. Earlier, a court had transferred control of the publication to a panel of trustees after a prosecutor accused the paper of spreading terrorist propaganda.
Zaman and its English-language sister publication are identified with the Cemaat movement led by the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, political rival and former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This week the Cihan news agency, also linked to Gulen, said that it too would be managed by court appointees.
The takeover of those outlets follows similar actions against other news organizations. In October, authorities ordered the seizure of Koza Ipek Group, which operated several television stations critical of the government. Meanwhile, prosecutors have pursued more than 1,800 cases of “insulting the president” since Erdogan, a former prime minister, was elected president in 2014.
Seized Turkish opposition newspaper toes government line
The Turkish daily Zaman, the country’s biggest newspaper, has published its first printed edition under new management, two days after the government seized the paper and removed its editor-in-chief.
Formerly an opposition newspaper critical of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his Justice and Development party (AKP), Sunday’s edition firmly toed the government line.
“In less than 48 hours, the new admin turned seized Zaman into a propaganda piece of the regime in Turkey,” Sevgi Akarcesme, the editor-in chief of Today’s Zaman, an English-language sister publication, tweeted.
On Friday a Turkish court ruled that the newspaper should be run by appointed trustees. A reason for the decision was not given.
“We are going through the darkest and gloomiest days in terms of freedom of the press, which is a major benchmark for democracy and the rule of law,” a statement published by Today’s Zaman read. “Intellectuals, businesspeople, celebrities, civil society organisations, media organisations and journalists are being silenced via threats and blackmail. We have entered the last phase in terms of pressure on those who persistently remain independent in their publications.”
On Sunday, former Zaman staff set up a newspaper, Yarina Bakis, meaning “look towards tomorrow”, with Zaman’s former Twitter feed automatically redirecting readers to the new account.
The paper’s website featured a message promising readers “high quality and unbiased” content “as soon as possible” on Sunday.
Only hours after the court ruling on Friday, police used teargas and rubber bullets against protesters who had gathered in front of the newspaper and later forced their way into the building to raid the offices. Officers forcefully removed protesters on Saturday, and newspaper staff arriving for work had to enter the building under tight police control.
On Monday leaders of EU member states will meet with Turkish counterparts in Brussels for a crucial summit to discuss the implementation of a contentious migration deal. Under the proposals, the EU will pledge financial aid and political concessions in return for Turkey’s promise to help decrease the flow of refugees to Europe.
The Turkish government has insisted that it was not involved in the court ruling, and the prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, has called the paper’s confiscation a “legal procedure”, adding that it was “not political”.
The newspaper is closely associated with the movement of Fethullah Gülen, a US-based Islamic cleric and a former ally of Erdoğan who has since become a fierce critic, especially over diverging views on the government’s handling of the 2013 Gezi protests and the AKP’s Syria policy.
The two men fell out over a corruption scandal that broke in December 2013 and implicated senior government officials, Erdoğan’s closest associates and his family.
Erdoğan has repeatedly accused Gülen of having established a “parallel structure” within the state by placing his followers in institutions such as the judiciary and the police, and of exerting strong influence through his media empire. Turkish authorities have labelled the movement, known as “Hizmet” among its millions of followers worldwide, a “terrorist organisation”, known in Turkey under the acronym FETÖ. Gülen has denied any plans to overthrow Erdoğan or the Turkish government.
In October last year, government trustees were appointed to manage the Koza İpek Media Group, a business with close ties to the Gülen movement. Last month, the group’s media operations, including TV channels and newspapers, were closed down. Two other opposition TV channels were taken off air two weeks ago.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have both harshly condemned the takeover of the daily Zaman.
“The Istanbul court’s decision to appoint trustees to run Zaman newspaper and other media is nothing but a veiled move by the president to eradicate opposition media and scrutiny of government policies,” said Emma Sinclair-Webb, senior Turkey researcher for Human Rights Watch, in a statement at the weekend. “This deplorable ruling, which follows the blocking of two critical TV stations, is the latest blow to free speech in Turkey.”
Earlier this week Erdoğan said he would neither “recognise nor respect” the ruling by the constitutional court to release Can Dündar, the editor-in-chief of the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet and the paper’s Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül from jail. Both have been in prison pending trial since last November on charges of espionage over articles claiming that the AKP government had shipped arms to Islamist groups in Syria. Both journalists still face terrorism charges and are banned from leaving the country.
While Erdoğan maintains that the press in Turkey is among the most free in the world, human rights organisations and media monitoring groups have warned that freedom of expression is under ever growing pressure, and has lately been in freefall. Turkey ranks 149th among 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.
I think its bloody disgusting that the European Union is caving in and considering Turkey for EU membership in its current state. Didn't we agree to fast track them in exchange for this ridiculous immigration deal? As I understand it, Turkey is becoming an Islamist and authoritarian state, and its secular principles are being undermined. Thats a prospect that should terrify all Europeans - political union with an Islamist state.
Kemal Ataturk is pulling turbine speeds in his grave in many respects, although his repressions of the Greeks and Armenians don't absolve him completely, he was a sight better than Erdogan.
I am all for Turkey getting the boot from NATO, there's no way in hell they need to be in the EU.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/03/12 03:26:42
Catachan LIX "Lords Of Destruction" - Put Away
1943-1944 Era 1250 point Großdeutchland Force - Bolt Action
"The best medicine for Wraithlords? Multilasers. The best way to kill an Avatar? Lasguns."
"Time to pour out some liquor for the pinkmisted Harlequins"
worrying thing is, one wouldn't really be all that surprised.
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
Turkish first lady praises harem as "school for women"
Emine Erdoğan makes comment after her husband caused thousands to demonstrate against his government on International Women’s Day.
The wife of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has hailed the harem of the Ottoman sultans as “a school for preparing women for life”.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: 'A woman is above all else a mother'
Read more
Emine Erdoğan’s comments were made a day after the president caused protests by saying he believed that “a woman is above all a mother” in a speech marking International Women’s Day. Critics have accused Erdoğan’s government of trying to impose strict Islamic values on Turkey and curtailing women’s civil liberties.
“The harem was a school for members of the Ottoman dynasty and an educational establishment for preparing women for life,” Emine Erdoğan said at an official event on the Ottoman sultans in Ankara, according to Turkish TV stations.
President Erdoğan has been criticised for urging Turkish women to have at least three children and railing against efforts to promote birth control as “treason”.
He and his wife regularly speak of their attachment to Islamic principles and the values of the old Ottoman empire, on the ruins of which the modern Turkish state was founded in 1923.
The term “harem” has long titillated the western imagination. In the Ottoman period it was an institution with strict and detailed rules that even the sultan had to follow, and precise guidelines on the recruitment and education of courtesans.
Each woman would receive an education in a discipline in which she showed promise – for example calligraphy, decorative arts, music or foreign languages. There was no age limit for the harem and women of 60 could live alongside young girls, while the most capable could rise to wield enormous influence over the court.
Emine Erdoğan’s remarks came under fire on social media and her husband’s comments drew thousands of women into the streets of Istanbul in protest.
Ozlem Kurumlar, a professor at an Istanbul university, tweeted: “In the time of Murad III [a 16th-century sultan], books were the only thing that never entered the harem.”
I was wondering when Turks are going to voice their support for sex slavery and trade by ISIS.
I linked that to a Turkish friend of mine. His comment, verbatim:
those who are ruling the Turkish gorvenment are only there because 60% of the turkish population is villagers that don't even know they live in a country, the main party uses "religion" card to make the villagers vote and gets the majority and rules. do not take anything said from Turkish governemtn seriously its just a bunch of construction workers in suits. they are just clowns that makes me laugh for last.. 10 years
Get the impression there's a lot of stuff going on in the background we don't hear about?
I wonder how much of it has to do with money. Is Russia setting up the frame of a paper tiger? Look at how fierce we are. Now that we've shown you we'll go away, and stop spending these millions we don't have, but you guys know we can do things now.
Get the impression there's a lot of stuff going on in the background we don't hear about?
I wonder how much of it has to do with money. Is Russia setting up the frame of a paper tiger? Look at how fierce we are. Now that we've shown you we'll go away, and stop spending these millions we don't have, but you guys know we can do things now.
Of course money has to do with it. Russian goals have been achieved, so why waste more money than neccessary? Withdrawing of Russian troops is also a strong signal to Assad that he finally needs to doing something with those negotiations.
Meanwhile as the Russian army pulls out the number of Russian soldiers going on holiday to the region skyrockets...
Though yes, the air force will stay, so functionally we're still in the same place.
Russian's involvement amounts to putting an bandage on a failing regime, which NATO would have toppled years ago had they given actual aid, or rather had the will to manage the fallout. Whilst a parody of Afghanistan for Russia, given that they didn't shoot the current leader, dealing with the aftermath or their short holiday is someone else's problem.
Wyrmalla wrote: Meanwhile as the Russian army pulls out the number of Russian soldiers going on holiday to the region skyrockets...
Though yes, the air force will stay, so functionally we're still in the same place.
Russian's involvement amounts to putting an bandage on a failing regime, which NATO would have toppled years ago had they given actual aid, or rather had the will to manage the fallout. Whilst a parody of Afghanistan for Russia, given that they didn't shoot the current leader, dealing with the aftermath or their short holiday is someone else's problem.
If we'd toppled Assad like we toppled Gaddafi, our politicians would have scrambled over each other to declare "Mission Accomplished" and wash our hands of Syria ASAP, leaving yet another clusterfeth in their wake like Libya and Iraq before it. Much better to leave strong men dictators in place and influence and pressure them over time to improve conditions (human rights and freedoms etc), than feth up every country we touch.
A pity then that Western leaders were pretty much equating the guy to Hitler a few years ago, with smug self certainty that someone else would get rid of him. I suppose that's politics for you though.
That being said, there is no one better in Syria, with the exception of the Kurds, but they aren't interested in the mess that is the rest of Syria, plus they are occasionally bombed by the Turks.
Wyrmalla wrote: A pity then that Western leaders were pretty much equating the guy to Hitler a few years ago, with smug self certainty that someone else would get rid of him. I suppose that's politics for you though.
I feel nothing but contempt whenever Western leaders start moralizing and labelling people like Assad "evil". There are MANY countries and dictators in the world that are far worse than Syria and Assad, yet our leaders never have anything to say about them. We seem to only go after "evil" dictators when its in our interests in some way, such as improving access to oil and installing friendly regimes that'll sell to us (Iraq?), or when its in our strategic interest. I suspect removing Assad has as much to do with removing a key Russian ally and weakening Russia's influence in the region as it does with his alleged war crimes. (not that I doubt the accusations).
If we're going after evil dictators for doing evil things, then what the feth are we doing about North Korea? They have NUKES for feths sake and threaten to use them annually.
When our leaders today make ridiculous comparisons to Hitler (nowadays it seems that everybody who crosses the west is labelled "Hitler" or some other insulting name, Putin, Assad...), it reminds me of George W. Bush's absurd "Axis of Evil".
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/03/15 13:06:30
Erdogan claims fighting terrorism outweighs democracy in Turkey
Combating terrorism is Turkey's highest priority, even higher than the rule of law, Turkish President Erdogan has said. Following a recent bomb attack in Ankara, he has pledged to crack down on Kurdish dissidents.
A picture of Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan.
"Democracy, freedom and the rule of law," have "absolutely no value any longer," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told local leaders in Ankara on Wednesday.
"Those who stand on our side in the fight against terrorism are our friend. Those on the opposite side, are our enemy," he said in the televised comments, according to DPA news agency.
Turkey will employ "an iron fist against terrorism" and "fight Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants," Erdogan told a televised gathering of local district leaders in Ankara Wednesday.
The president also made critical remarks about the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which has 80 seats in parliament.
It's all about Erdogan.
"Wherever you run, our soldiers, police and village guards will find you there and do what is necessary," the president said.
Turkey is also working on widening the definition of a "terror crime" to cover those who use the media "to support or praise acts of violence," a senior official from the AKP said Wednesday. Erdogan said Monday that the country's anti-terrorism laws should be widened further.
Tensions rising
The call comes as tension between the authorities and many in the Kurdish minority are growing over the military's campaign against rebels from the PKK in the southeast.
Erdogan also said Wednesday that some arms confiscated from the PKK, the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), and its armed wing, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), had come from Russia and the West, including the US.
While Washington recognizes the PKK as a terrorist group, it has strong ties with the YPG, and provides air support to the group, widely seen as one of the most effective ground forces fighting the Islamic State in Syria.
Turkey launched air strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq on Monday after a bomb attack that killed 37 people in Ankara. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said evidence "almost certainly" pointed towards the banned PKK Kurdish separatist group. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Lifting Kurdish MPs' immunity
Turkey's parliament has set up a committee to consider lifting the immunity of five members of parliament (MPs) from the HDP, including party leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag. This would make it possible to try them over their call for Kurdish autonomy.
Erdogan called on parliament to "swiftly" end immunity from prosecution for pro-Kurdish lawmakers.
"I no longer see as legitimate political actors the members of a party which is operating as a branch of the terrorist organization," Erdogan said, repeating his claim that the HDP is a front for the outlawed PKK.
Turkish media reported that a simple majority in a vote in parliament - where Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) holds over half the seats - would be enough to strip the MPs of their immunity.
A powerful Syrian Kurdish political party said Wednesday that it planned to declare a federal region in northern Syria, across the border from Turkey. Erdogan said Turkey would not support any form of Kurdish self-rule in the country.
"Democracy, freedom and the rule of law," have "absolutely no value any longer,"
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/03/19 10:26:12
In order to ensure the security and continueing stability of the Turkish state, the Republic will be reorganised into the second Ottoman Empire! For a safe and securer society! *Applause*
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/03/19 20:19:13
An interesting article about King Abdullah of Jordan talking to US Senators.
"The memo indicates that Abdullah also told US lawmakers:
• The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “believes in a radical Islamic solution to the problems in the region” and the “fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy, and Turkey keeps getting a slap on the hand, but they get off the hook”.
• Intelligence agencies want to keep terrorist websites “open so they can use them to track extremists” and Google had told the Jordanian monarch “they have 500 people working on this”.
• Israel “looks the other way” at the al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra on its border with Syria because “they regard them as an opposition to Hezbollah”.
Yaraton wrote: An interesting article about King Abdullah of Jordan talking to US Senators.
"The memo indicates that Abdullah also told US lawmakers:
• The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “believes in a radical Islamic solution to the problems in the region” and the “fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy, and Turkey keeps getting a slap on the hand, but they get off the hook”.
• Intelligence agencies want to keep terrorist websites “open so they can use them to track extremists” and Google had told the Jordanian monarch “they have 500 people working on this”.
• Israel “looks the other way” at the al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra on its border with Syria because “they regard them as an opposition to Hezbollah”.
Also that this point. Israel has had little trouble in Golan.
Terrorists have not seen it worth expanding war to Golan and the IDF
Sgt. Vanden - OOC Hey, that was your doing. I didn't choose to fly in the "Dongerprise'.
"May the odds be ever in your favour"
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:
I have no clue how Dakka's moderation work. I expect it involves throwing a lot of d100 and looking at many random tables.
FudgeDumper - It could be that you are just so uncomfortable with the idea of your chapters primarch having his way with a docile tyranid spore cyst, that you must deny they have any feelings at all.
A Russian Special Forces Operator also allegedly ordered his own position to be hit by airstrikes during the siege of the city, as he was surrounded by ISIS on all sides. Respect for him.
Catachan LIX "Lords Of Destruction" 
