Middle East Conflict Megathread (Syria, Iraq, Yemen, etc)

[The North Polish Union]

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-mohammed-bin-salman-wants-out-yemen-war-leaked-emails-reveal-135340790

MBS is starting to feel that invading Yemen was a bad idea, for some reason. The Otaiba leaks really are a goldmine. Really quite the who's who of evil dipshits all talking to each other about how to best eradicate the Shias.

Anyway, I doubt this'll change too much in the near future, as MBS is too dumb to actually figure out how to disengage, and the US doesn't seem inclined in the slightest to work with Iran at the moment. We'll see.

The war in Yemen was a terrible idea for the Saudis but it initially had some benefits for them. It was an attempt to limit Shi'ite political clout and it gave them a reason to say "we're fighting 'terrorists'!" without actually cracking down on the (more dangerous) Sunni groups SA has funded for years. Unfortunately over time Yemen has degenerated into a stalemate that costs the Saudis more than the political benefits of winning would be.

[Kennlind]

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-mohammed-bin-salman-wants-out-yemen-war-leaked-emails-reveal-135340790

MBS is starting to feel that invading Yemen was a bad idea, for some reason. The Otaiba leaks really are a goldmine. Really quite the who's who of evil dipshits all talking to each other about how to best eradicate the Shias.

Anyway, I doubt this'll change too much in the near future, as MBS is too dumb to actually figure out how to disengage, and the US doesn't seem inclined in the slightest to work with Iran at the moment. We'll see.

The war in Yemen was a terrible idea for the Saudis but it initially had some benefits for them. It was an attempt to limit Shi'ite political clout and it gave them a reason to say "we're fighting 'terrorists'!" without actually cracking down on the (more dangerous) Sunni groups SA has funded for years. Unfortunately over time Yemen has degenerated into a stalemate that costs the Saudis more than the political benefits of winning would be.

875 days ago their coalition of 12 states said the war would be over in 2 weeks. Syria and Yemen are the last two Arab states and they will not be broken!

[Improved werpland]

Conflict is brewing on the border of Turkey and Syria

Responding to the statement by the Batman governor denying that dynamite was being used for the removal of rocks, HDP MP Aslan asked “Are these then images of children popping balloons?” and protested by chaining himself to a rock in Hasankeyf, the 12,000 year-old ancient town that is under direct threat of being submerged.

[Shofercia]

Conflict is brewing on the border of Turkey and Syria

Responding to the statement by the Batman governor denying that dynamite was being used for the removal of rocks, HDP MP Aslan asked “Are these then images of children popping balloons?” and protested by chaining himself to a rock in Hasankeyf, the 12,000 year-old ancient town that is under direct threat of being submerged.

Aslan is responding to Batman...

I guess this is what happens when C.S. Lewis meets Marvel Comics in the Middle East.

[Obamaistan]

At this point the Syrian war is just a proxy war

[Rio Cana]

Found this short video which shows how the Russians are going back to using a famous Russian civil war tactic in Syria and other regions of the world with the same terrain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhcierEEjm4

Edit - Has an added bonus, a song about this Russian Civil war tactical weapon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmmQP8E1dXQ

[Shofercia]

Found this short video which shows how the Russians are going back to using a famous Russian civil war tactic in Syria and other regions of the world with the same terrain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhcierEEjm4

Edit - Has an added bonus, a song about this Russian Civil war tactical weapon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmmQP8E1dXQ

Damn, that's pretty smart, and an awesome song, good find Rio!

[The North Polish Union]

Listening to that song while drinking kwas was a special experience

[MERIZoC]

*technically not ME but bear with me*

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-expected-to-announce-small-troop-increase-in-afghanistan-in-prime-time-address/2017/08/21/eb3a513e-868a-11e7-a94f-3139abce39f5_story.html

The US is going to be escalating in Afghanistan.....again. We've been in this war a decade and a half and there's no end in sight, because we've just got keep feeding that MIC. In a couple years there will be kids fighting there that weren't even alive when 9/11 happened. Fun.

[Shofercia]

Listening to that song while drinking kwas was a special experience

Indeed

*technically not ME but bear with me*

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-expected-to-announce-small-troop-increase-in-afghanistan-in-prime-time-address/2017/08/21/eb3a513e-868a-11e7-a94f-3139abce39f5_story.html

The US is going to be escalating in Afghanistan.....again. We've been in this war a decade and a half and there's no end in sight, because we've just got keep feeding that MIC. In a couple years there will be kids fighting there that weren't even alive when 9/11 happened. Fun.

Make Afghanistan Great Again! Now you know what MAGA is really the code word for

[Kubra]

*technically not ME but bear with me*

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-expected-to-announce-small-troop-increase-in-afghanistan-in-prime-time-address/2017/08/21/eb3a513e-868a-11e7-a94f-3139abce39f5_story.html

The US is going to be escalating in Afghanistan.....again. We've been in this war a decade and a half and there's no end in sight, because we've just got keep feeding that MIC. In a couple years there will be kids fighting there that weren't even alive when 9/11 happened. Fun.

Ehh, I prefer this administration stay instead of pulling out, since this administration seems like it would be hesitant to render nonmilitary aid after a pullout.

[Shofercia]

*technically not ME but bear with me*

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-expected-to-announce-small-troop-increase-in-afghanistan-in-prime-time-address/2017/08/21/eb3a513e-868a-11e7-a94f-3139abce39f5_story.html

The US is going to be escalating in Afghanistan.....again. We've been in this war a decade and a half and there's no end in sight, because we've just got keep feeding that MIC. In a couple years there will be kids fighting there that weren't even alive when 9/11 happened. Fun.

Ehh, I prefer this administration stay instead of pulling out, since this administration seems like it would be hesitant to render nonmilitary aid after a pullout.

Going in! Pulling out! Anyone else think about George Carlin?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lMDbYZ26rg

(at 5:08)

[Shofercia]

This is a bit scary: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/h-r-mcma ... 14902.html

Before President Donald Trump unveiled his plan Monday to increase the US military presence in Afghanistan, his senior advisers employed a novel approach to help guide him to his final decision, The Washington Post reported Monday. H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser who still serves as a lieutenant general in the US Army, showed Trump a black-and-white image from 1972 of Afghan women walking through Kabul in miniskirts, according to The Post. McMaster ostensibly used the image to convince Trump that Western norms could exist in the country. Trump had reportedly been weighing several options for the US's longest war, including a leading role for military contractors. Though McMaster initially advocated sending tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 8,400 already deployed there, The Post said, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who was ousted from the role last week, opposed the idea.

"Let's increase our forces in Afghanistan!"
"Why?"
"Women wore skirts there in 1972!"
"Okay!"

So, erm, is that a legitimate reason?

[Taostic Aesthetics]

This is a bit scary: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/h-r-mcma ... 14902.html

Before President Donald Trump unveiled his plan Monday to increase the US military presence in Afghanistan, his senior advisers employed a novel approach to help guide him to his final decision, The Washington Post reported Monday. H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser who still serves as a lieutenant general in the US Army, showed Trump a black-and-white image from 1972 of Afghan women walking through Kabul in miniskirts, according to The Post. McMaster ostensibly used the image to convince Trump that Western norms could exist in the country. Trump had reportedly been weighing several options for the US's longest war, including a leading role for military contractors. Though McMaster initially advocated sending tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 8,400 already deployed there, The Post said, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who was ousted from the role last week, opposed the idea.

"Let's increase our forces in Afghanistan!"
"Why?"
"Women wore skirts there in 1972!"
"Okay!"

So, erm, is that a legitimate reason?

>We won't do nation building - the Afghans will have to decide themselves what they will do
>Miniskirts, and hence the slight possiblity of Afghan women appearing with miniskirts again, convinced Trump that A'stan is worth it

I knew it, Trump has an Afghan fetish.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

This is a bit scary: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/h-r-mcma ... 14902.html

Before President Donald Trump unveiled his plan Monday to increase the US military presence in Afghanistan, his senior advisers employed a novel approach to help guide him to his final decision, The Washington Post reported Monday. H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser who still serves as a lieutenant general in the US Army, showed Trump a black-and-white image from 1972 of Afghan women walking through Kabul in miniskirts, according to The Post. McMaster ostensibly used the image to convince Trump that Western norms could exist in the country. Trump had reportedly been weighing several options for the US's longest war, including a leading role for military contractors. Though McMaster initially advocated sending tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 8,400 already deployed there, The Post said, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who was ousted from the role last week, opposed the idea.

"Let's increase our forces in Afghanistan!"
"Why?"
"Women wore skirts there in 1972!"
"Okay!"

So, erm, is that a legitimate reason?

It's true, women had more liberties back then.

[United Muscovite Nations]

>16 years of war
>Taliban as strong as ever
>going to increase the amount of troops by a tiny amount, despite the fact that like 7 times the number we are increasing to did nothing at all
>"we're committed to winning this war"
We're never going to leave, are we? I was four when this war started, and I've been old enough to go fight there for 3 years. This is getting ridiculous.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

>16 years of war
>Taliban as strong as ever
>going to increase the amount of troops by a tiny amount, despite the fact that like 7 times the number we are increasing to did nothing at all
>"we're committed to winning this war"
We're never going to leave, are we? I was four when this war started, and I've been old enough to go fight there for 3 years. This is getting ridiculous.

It never ends.

[The East Marches II]

>16 years of war
>Taliban as strong as ever
>going to increase the amount of troops by a tiny amount, despite the fact that like 7 times the number we are increasing to did nothing at all
>"we're committed to winning this war"
We're never going to leave, are we? I was four when this war started, and I've been old enough to go fight there for 3 years. This is getting ridiculous.

>conceding the country to Iran, Pakistan, Russian and China
>lots of delicious rare minerals potentially there

Yeah nah, we're never leaving. Its a forever war.

[Uxupox]

>16 years of war
>Taliban as strong as ever
>going to increase the amount of troops by a tiny amount, despite the fact that like 7 times the number we are increasing to did nothing at all
>"we're committed to winning this war"
We're never going to leave, are we? I was four when this war started, and I've been old enough to go fight there for 3 years. This is getting ridiculous.

>conceding the country to Iran, Pakistan, Russian and China
>lots of delicious rare minerals potentially there

Yeah nah, we're never leaving. Its a forever war.

That is indubitable.

[United Muscovite Nations]

>16 years of war
>Taliban as strong as ever
>going to increase the amount of troops by a tiny amount, despite the fact that like 7 times the number we are increasing to did nothing at all
>"we're committed to winning this war"
We're never going to leave, are we? I was four when this war started, and I've been old enough to go fight there for 3 years. This is getting ridiculous.

>conceding the country to Iran, Pakistan, Russian and China
>lots of delicious rare minerals potentially there

Yeah nah, we're never leaving. Its a forever war.

DELETED

[Shofercia]

This is a bit scary: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/h-r-mcma ... 14902.html

"Let's increase our forces in Afghanistan!"
"Why?"
"Women wore skirts there in 1972!"
"Okay!"

So, erm, is that a legitimate reason?

>We won't do nation building - the Afghans will have to decide themselves what they will do
>Miniskirts, and hence the slight possiblity of Afghan women appearing with miniskirts again, convinced Trump that A'stan is worth it

I knew it, Trump has an Afghan fetish.

Ok then, let me rephrase my question: is Trump's alleged Afghan fetish a legitimate reason for, once again, trying to nation build Afghanistan?

This is a bit scary: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/h-r-mcma ... 14902.html

"Let's increase our forces in Afghanistan!"
"Why?"
"Women wore skirts there in 1972!"
"Okay!"

So, erm, is that a legitimate reason?

It's true, women had more liberties back then.

I completely agree, and when the Ba'athists ran the show, forcing women to wear burkas was a running gag. But times changed, and I'm not seeing how Trump can bring that back.

>16 years of war
>Taliban as strong as ever
>going to increase the amount of troops by a tiny amount, despite the fact that like 7 times the number we are increasing to did nothing at all
>"we're committed to winning this war"
We're never going to leave, are we? I was four when this war started, and I've been old enough to go fight there for 3 years. This is getting ridiculous.

Yep. Just another place to waste taxpayer money at this point.

[The East Marches II]

>conceding the country to Iran, Pakistan, Russian and China
>lots of delicious rare minerals potentially there

Yeah nah, we're never leaving. Its a forever war.

DELETED

The bully truce holds.

[Taostic Aesthetics]

DELETED

The bully truce holds.

Lastly

Importing fine Afghan women

I'm all in

[MERIZoC]

This is a bit scary: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/h-r-mcma ... 14902.html



"Let's increase our forces in Afghanistan!"
"Why?"
"Women wore skirts there in 1972!"
"Okay!"

So, erm, is that a legitimate reason?

It's true, women had more liberties back then.

It's a good thing we didn't fund and promote islamist groups in Afghanistan that would later go on to make the country as conservative as it is today.....

[The Empire of Pretantia]

It's true, women had more liberties back then.

It's a good thing we didn't fund and promote islamist groups in Afghanistan that would later go on to make the country as conservative as it is today.....

<.< >.>

Whodunnit?

Money's on the Soviets, those jokers are always destroying democracy.