|
V. Illych L. posted:Well, OK: I haven't heard anything about PYD fighters going south to fight government forces and I have heard about them clashing severely with the Jihadists. I guess I sort of assumed that this meant that they were mostly consolidating their own territory. I haven't actually verified this. poo poo, rereading all this, I realized I mixed up the abbreviations for the KNC and the PYD. The PYD doesn't have support from the PKK, they are the PKK, and they definitely aren't formally fighting with the FSA. So you're right.
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2013 12:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 29, 2024 12:42 |
|
|
On a sidenote, looks like the price of Heroin is going to drop as Afghanistan is about to produce a record crop. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24919056 quote:Afghanistan opium harvest at record high - UNODC
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2013 13:06
|
|
|
Shadoer posted:On a sidenote, looks like the price of Heroin is going to drop as Afghanistan is about to produce a record crop. Mission Accomplished, let's bring 'em home.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2013 14:27
|
|
|
THE AWESOME GHOST posted:North Iraq is actually more or less functioning as a separate, more prosperous country under the Kurds. Some outside businesses are moving into Iraq and only sticking to the Kurdish side. Although if this ever gets serious traction across multiple countries Turkey will start taking issue with it I imagine. Turkey has actually signed a bunch of deals with the Regional Government in Iraqi Kurdistan to boost trade. Recently they agreed to a controversial deal that would allow the KRG to pump oil directly to Turkey for export, circumventing the central government in Iraq who are meant to manage Oil exports (and give a percentage back to the KRG). Needlessly to say the Iraqi government are furious about this and also deeply worried, an economically independent Iraqi Kurdistan is another step towards an independent Kurdistan. If Iraqi Kurdistan does manage to win full independence, Turkey won't be too happy but they are counting on the continued dominance of Barzani and the KDP to offset the influence of the PKK. The energy deal ensures that an independent Iraqi Kurdistan would rely on good relations with Turkey to survive economically, a friendly Kurdish state acting as a Kurdish ethnic homeland but hostile politically to carving out more territory from Turkey would actually be a good thing for Turkey. I can even imagine them propping it up with military force if needed.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2013 16:03
|
|
|
Well, ISIS are continuing to win hearts and minds their own special way, decapitating a man who under anasthesia at a hospital said "ya Ali...ya Hussein", a Shia slogan. (or at least, allegedly said) The man was a rebel. There's yucky video of the aftermath. https://www.facebook.com/syriaohr/posts/448898098551867 In completely unrelated news though, it seems that the regime is on the up - they're rolling through the Damascus suburbs, and even making it seems a serious attempt on Aleppo. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/11/syrian-troops-make-further-gains-damascus-20131113194137435130.html
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2013 01:54
|
|
|
Today is Ashura btw, a Shia religious day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_Ashura mediadave posted:Well, ISIS are continuing to win hearts and minds their own special way, decapitating a man who under anasthesia at a hospital said "ya Ali...ya Hussein", a Shia slogan. (or at least, allegedly said) The man was a rebel. There's yucky video of the aftermath. Oh come the gently caress on. ISIS also accidentally attacked a Malaysian charity because they thought Malaysia's flag was a US flag. If Al Qaeda's leader condemns what you're doing as too violent then you're pretty far gone. There's an article making the rounds on social media about how one of the first people to organize protests against the regime in Syria now wishes the regime would win. THE AWESOME GHOST fucked around with this message at 07:33 on Nov 14, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2013 07:30
|
|
|
THE AWESOME GHOST posted:There's an article making the rounds on social media about how one of the first people to organize protests against the regime in Syria now wishes the regime would win. Sounds like it's one of those things that's probably bogus, because the people organizing those first protests would be the first up against the wall when Assad regains control of the country.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2013 09:48
|
|
|
Young Freud posted:Sounds like it's one of those things that's probably bogus, because the people organizing those first protests would be the first up against the wall when Assad regains control of the country. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's based off a single anonymous activist.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2013 14:07
|
|
|
THE AWESOME GHOST posted:Today is Ashura btw, a Shia religious day Insurgents and Jihadist groups in general seem to be willing to recruit anyone willing to pick up a bomb or gun. There is surveilance footage of at least one insurgent (in Iraq I think) testing the IED pressure trigger he just set by jumping on it. It worked. E: Does the regime even have a plausible chance of actually 'winning' at this point? Do they actually have enough manpower and and supplies for a countrywide offensive if the Aleppo push is successful? It seems like their best attainable end game is to remain standing and hold on to Damascus and the South, Latakia, and maybe Aleppo, with the rest of the country de-facto balkanized into Islamist and Kurdish chunks. Constant Hamprince fucked around with this message at 15:06 on Nov 14, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2013 14:58
|
|
|
Has anyone posted about ISIS accidentally cutting off someone's head?quote:Extrajudicial “Justice” and the Decapitation of Mohammad Marroush
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2013 15:07
|
|
|
THE AWESOME GHOST posted:You know the local GCC population is pretty well off? Based on a quick survey of the local game stores the most popular series are Call of Duty, GTA, and soccer games. It was a partial joke but still gently caress the GCC. quote:The population of the six Gulf Cooperation Countries, almost 39 million in 2008, included 23 million natives and 16 million foreigners (41 percent). The foreign share of the population ranged from a low of 30 percent in Oman and Saudi Arabia to over 80 percent in Qatar and UAE. Define 'population.' You mean citizens? I'm sure they're doing quite well. Most of them don't even need to work. Those Indonesian laborers not so much though. Again, gently caress the GCC!
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2013 15:11
|
|
|
The Tactical Technology Collective have just put out a new short film about three people (including myself) which they call 'investigators-in-the-making', that some of you might find interesting. Apart from me, there's also two people who have investigated urban land grabbing in post-conflict Beirut and how DIY aerial mapping can expose a divided city in East Jerusalem. You can watch the video here.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 12:24
|
|
|
Video footage emerges that points towards the Syrian opposition executing prisoners, something I examine in detail on the blog, along with explaining the investigation process.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 15:59
|
|
|
Speaking of executions, in this obviously  video Jabhat al Nusra executes a soldier in Aleppo in front of a big crowd, including some kids, who all seem to love it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2BTgQkmTuw What looks like the remains of a pretty huge DIY barrel bomb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXwh4lDSLbc Brown Moses fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Nov 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 16:19
|
|
|
Jesus, that soldier looked like he was like 15 years old.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 16:35
|
|
|
Big news from Libya todayquote:Libyan militiamen fire on protesters in Tripoli Current figure are at least 6 dead, with 50 injured, if not much more. Footage is all over Libyan TV at the moment from what I can tell, and people are pretty pissed off about the whole situation.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 16:49
|
|
|
Brown Moses posted:Big news from Libya today Welp. How do people not learn anything from history - history that they participated in just two years ago?
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 17:41
|
|
|
Nenonen posted:Welp. How do people not learn anything from history - history that they participated in just two years ago? One of the things that can be learned from history is "Hey, I want to be like that guy, but I'll have to get rid of him first."
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 17:48
|
|
|
More grim video from Syria, CCTV apparently capturing the moment a stray opposition munition lands in a government controlled area https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29tJ2RWg99M
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 21:43
|
|
|
Muscle Tracer posted:One of the things that can be learned from history is "Hey, I want to be like that guy, but I'll have to get rid of him first." The militias aren't government. They're just gangs of insurgents stirring poo poo up. Heading out the door right now, but I'm assuming the protests are against the militias subverting the government because they have more military force, a problem Libya has faced since the beginning.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 23:40
|
|
|
Volkerball posted:The militias aren't government. They're just gangs of insurgents stirring poo poo up. Heading out the door right now, but I'm assuming the protests are against the militias subverting the government because they have more military force, a problem Libya has faced since the beginning. The militias aren't the government, but they, I presume, played some part in the 2011 uprising after Gaddafi's troops opened fire on demonstrators? And now they refuse to give up their power, and are willing to open fire at demonstrators. As for the Libyan government, it doesn't appear to have much power over the militias.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 23:52
|
|
|
Not sure how well the militias will fare if 75% of the country comes to hate them and wants to do something about it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 23:56
|
|
|
OwlBot 2000 posted:Not sure how well the militias will fare if 75% of the country comes to hate them and wants to do something about it. The only way this mythical 75% of the country can express their views is through more militias. Libya can becomes stable in the short to medium term only by some group dominating the country by force.
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 06:57
|
|
|
Brown Moses posted:Speaking of executions, in this obviously Youtube removes violent content now? What the gently caress are they thinking?
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 08:12
|
|
|
Count Roland posted:The only way this mythical 75% of the country can express their views is through more militias. Libya can becomes stable in the short to medium term only by some group dominating the country by force. These people! You stupid pie-in-the-sky idealists thought they could actually have a shot at democracy, when the only way they know is brute force! I've always told you they could never rule themselves, and here's the proof! 
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 08:14
|
|
|
Gen. Ripper posted:These people! You stupid pie-in-the-sky idealists thought they could actually have a shot at democracy, when the only way they know is brute force! I've always told you they could never rule themselves, and here's the proof! No that is a realist approach, democracy is no magic bullet that will work easily in the short or medium term, especially if there is no national tradition in running and respecting elections and the country is full of armed factions. Military dominance are much better in doing that but then you suddenly have one strong military that rule them all, and strong militaries do not have a good track record in respecting the will of the people.
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 09:25
|
|
|
Gen. Ripper posted:These people! You stupid pie-in-the-sky idealists thought they could actually have a shot at democracy, when the only way they know is brute force! I've always told you they could never rule themselves, and here's the proof! A democracy that cannot enforce its laws is a democracy that rules only in name. You may have heard of the American Civil War?
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 16:08
|
|
|
Miltank posted:Youtube removes violent content now? What the gently caress are they thinking? I think they remove murders captured in detail, specifically. They didn't remove the video on this page of the mortar hitting the dude in the middle of the street, for instance. Tempora Mutantur fucked around with this message at 17:53 on Nov 16, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 17:38
|
|
|
There policy is rather inconsistent, so as a rule I download anything I suspect might be deleted. The thing is, if I reupload the video on my channel it probably won't get deleted as I examine human rights violations and war crimes, so I'd be considered as documenting it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 19:13
|
|
|
Count Roland posted:The only way this mythical 75% of the country can express their views is through more militias. Or, there could even be conscription into the Libyan army if things get bad enough.
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 20:13
|
|
|
Good piece in the NYT about a key aspect of the conflict that's frequently overlooked in the various debates about how to resolve the conflict, Private Donors’ Funds Add Wild Card to War in Syria.
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2013 21:32
|
|
|
The Syrian NDF has been posting videos of their assault on Barzeh, interesting footage from the other side https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuJwSIMKOTc
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 12:46
|
|
|
Subtle zoom in at the end there on that lone, crying, Syrian flag.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 14:03
|
|
|
Pimpmust posted:Subtle zoom in at the end there on that lone, crying, Syrian flag. I think the person filming that didn't realise quite how that image might be read, a lone Syrian flag in a sea of destroyed buildings. It reminds me of the victory screen for the old game, Nuclear War. I managed to get my hands on some Jabhat al-Nusra adminstrative documents captured by the YPG  More details on my blog.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 14:33
|
|
|
Brown Moses posted:The Syrian NDF has been posting videos of their assault on Barzeh, interesting footage from the other side That literally sounds like it came out of a Battlefield game.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 14:39
|
|
|
computer parts posted:That literally sounds like it came out of a Battlefield game. Battlefield has way better sound effects. Interesting how where it used to be that movies were stylized fantastic depictions of war, we now have actual war that's being dressed up like movies.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 14:45
|
|
|
While not intended that way, it strikes home that whenever you read of either side "taking" a town or village or suburb that's what's left of it. Nothing of value but propaganda.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 15:25
|
|
|
Brown Moses posted:I think the person filming that didn't realise quite how that image might be read, a lone Syrian flag in a sea of destroyed buildings. It reminds me of the victory screen for the old game, Nuclear War. Interestingly enough, they're using Gregorian dates instead of Hijri. Page 1 & 2 of the document have some interesting names. Almost none of the names are real, they all appear to be nicknames. There is this interesting person on page 6 called Abu Khaled who specializes in Inventions and Contraptions, English, and Trade and Commerce.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 16:13
|
|
|
Reports coming in that some government site in Damascus just got hit with The Big One. Looks like the Damascus offensive hasn't been successful in stamping out rebel activity, at least when it comes to bombings.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 21:02
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 29, 2024 12:42 |
|
|
Can-O-Raid posted:Reports coming in that some government site in Damascus just got hit with The Big One. Looks like the Damascus offensive hasn't been successful in stamping out rebel activity, at least when it comes to bombings. Activists are saying 4 generals are amongst the dead. If this is true, it will be one of the biggest rebel wins in a while.
|
|
#
?
Nov 17, 2013 21:09
|
|