tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445844569294316288.post3287694014456995963..comments2024-01-28T03:56:39.351-08:00Comments on TOM CLARK: a soul of winterUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445844569294316288.post-19700989757353862162016-02-16T13:04:29.478-08:002016-02-16T13:04:29.478-08:00I see that Simon Tisdall in the Guardian today has...I see that Simon Tisdall in the Guardian today has an editorial piece that's pertinent:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/16/refugees-are-becoming-russias-weapon-of-choice-in-syria" rel="nofollow">Refugees are becoming Russia's weapon of choice in Syria: Turkey sees targeting of civilian hubs as a deliberate attempt to create mass outflow of people and vacuum for pro-Assad forces to fill: Simon Tisdall, The Guardian, Tuesday 16 February 2016</a><br /><br />Some bits:<br />__<br /><br />Russia’s flat denials of responsibility for the lethal bombing of hospitals and schools in Syria cut no ice in Ankara. Senior Turkish officials say Vladimir Putin and his Syrian allies are shamelessly using increased refugee outflows resulting from these and similar attacks as a weapon of war – one that is deliberately aimed at Turkey and Europe.<br /><br />Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, categorically rejected claims by Turkey and other countries that Russian forces, acting in support of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Syrian Kurd militias, had committed war crimes in mounting Monday’s strikes, which killed about 50 people. “Those who make such statements are not capable of backing them up with proof,” Peskov said.<br /><br />Reacting to Moscow’s denials and its decision to seek UN security council condemnation of Turkey’s cross-border shelling, Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkey’s prime minister, said Russia’s behaviour was “shameless” and “insolent”. Turkey would not allow a new influx of refugees from northern Syria, he said, and would take “every step necessary” to prevent such an eventuality.<br /><br />“If Russia continues behaving like a terrorist organisation and forcing civilians to flee, we will deliver an extremely decisive response,” Davutoğlu told parliament. “Those vile, cruel and barbaric [Russian] planes have made close to 8,000 sorties since 30 September without any discrimination between civilians and soldiers, or children and the elderly.”<br /><br />More than 50,000 people have been displaced by recent fighting around Aleppo. Turkey is increasingly concerned by territorial gains by militia fighters of the Syrian Kurd Democratic Union party (PYD), whom it regards as terrorists and mercenaries in league with Moscow. The Kurdish advances, including seizure of the important Menagh air base, were supported by Russian airstrikes. Turkey responded by shelling Syrian Kurd positions.<br /><br />Excerpts from a report by Turkey’s security services, published on Tuesday in Hurriyet newspaper, highlighted Turkish suspicions that Russia was purposefully attempting to “weaponise” the refugee crisis.<br /><br />The report warned: “Regime forces and allies are trying to create a new refugee wave by moving towards Azaz [in northern Syria] ... There are 10 refugee camps between this town and Turkey’s town of Kilis, approximately along an eight-kilometre line. The residents of these camps will likely flee and seek shelter in Turkey while these camps would be taken by the PYD or Assad forces.”<br /><br />Security officials told the paper that Russia was employing tactics previously used in the first Chechen war in the north Caucasus in the 1990s, known as the “Grozny model”. This involved forcibly emptying urban residential areas through a campaign of attrition against the local population. Once this was achieved, heavy weapons were deployed to eradicate opposing forces, entailing widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.<br /><br />Given Assad’s previous documented use of barrel bombs, chemical weapons, airstrikes and heavy artillery against civilian areas, Russia’s alleged tactics hardly seem new. What appears to be different is the deliberate creation of tactical refugee emergencies to influence outside actors who must deal with the fallout.TChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05915822857461178942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445844569294316288.post-60935985269207813702016-02-16T13:01:56.103-08:002016-02-16T13:01:56.103-08:00As to my political affiliations, as a rule I tend ...As to my political affiliations, as a rule I tend to instinctively side with the less powerful. The less impressive the armaments, the greater the suffering of the innocents, the more likely it is I'll be paying attention. <br /><br />The sacrifice of the civilian population and infrastructure of the northern tier of Syria wrought by the Russian incursion of the past six months appears from here a calculated and cynical strategic venture, designed to render unliveable the region of most stubborn and persistent opposition to the Assad regime.<br /><br />The enterprise appears to have at least the tacit consent of virtually everybody immediately concerned, except of course the Turks, who are no saints and famously have issues of their own.<br /><br />All of this seems fairly plain and quite intelligible. As does the lack of resistance.TChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05915822857461178942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445844569294316288.post-82775899269498803542016-02-16T02:52:22.824-08:002016-02-16T02:52:22.824-08:00Thank you!!!Thank you!!!billoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10716970909272480118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445844569294316288.post-32741287425933999532016-02-15T22:28:18.910-08:002016-02-15T22:28:18.910-08:00Dear Tom,
I do not know your political affiliatio...Dear Tom,<br /><br />I do not know your political affiliations but in the pictures you have put up the caption says "Indian Kashmir". Some people think of it as India-held or Indian-occupied Kashmir. As far as I know the U.N. still calls it Indian Administered Kashmir. <br /><br />Salams,<br /><br />K.billoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10716970909272480118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445844569294316288.post-72063546373505621112016-02-15T22:17:44.175-08:002016-02-15T22:17:44.175-08:00Gil Scott-Heron: Winter in America: live in Centra...<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dza75447VDc" rel="nofollow">Gil Scott-Heron: Winter in America: live in Central Park, 6-27-10</a>TChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05915822857461178942noreply@blogger.com