Why aren't we supporting Assad?

[Sean Renaud]

That's a good question! Why don't you look up how many government rockets blew up in the last 15 months?

How did out sourcing to a real company work by the way since we DID try that.

 

[JackLuis]

Downing of fighter jet over Turkey raises fears of conflict between NATO and Russia

NATO member Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet on its border with Syria on Tuesday, raising concerns over the potential for a further escalation in the more-than- four-year Syrian conflict.

Ankara says the plane violated Turkish airspace, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted the jet was over Syria at the time of the strike.

Why was the Russian jet there?

Russia is one of several leading powers involved in Syria, where a four-year-old civil war has developed into a proxy war between regional rivals.

Efforts to reach an international peace deal have so far stalled over whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could stay in power — with allies Iran and Russia facing off against backers of opposition groups in the West as well as in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The incident occured as Russia engages in a heavy bombing campaign in northern Syria, an operation that Turkey had complained is hurting Turkmen Syrians, an ethnic group with links to Ankara. Russia insists the strikes target Islamic State jihadists.

How did this happen?

Putin said the plane went down in Syrian territory four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the border with Turkey and “did not in any way threaten Turkey”.

This could be serious!

 

[JackLuis]

President Hollande: No French ground troops going to Syria

France will not send ground troops to Syria, French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday at the White House in the wake of deadly attacks in Paris blamed on Islamic State extremists.

“France will not intervene militarily on the ground,” Hollande said, standing alongside US President Barack Obama. “It is for the local forces to do so.”

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must step down at once in order to bring about an end to the country’s brutal civil war, Hollande said.

“I cannot give you a date, but it should be as soon as possible,” Hollande told reporters in the White House, adding that Assad “cannot be the future of Syria.”

 

[JackLuis]

Downing of Russian jet over Turkey inevitable — and may happen again

Turkey downs Russian warplane near border with Syria
Video of crash

World leaders react to Turkey's downing of Russian jet

FRANCE'S PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE

"We must prevent an escalation that would be extremely damaging.
"The only purpose is to fight against terrorism and Daesh [ISIL].
"What took place means that we must find a solution to the Syrian crisis, otherwise there are risks of escalation.
"We will not allow those who want to destroy what we have built. . . . We need a joint response."

US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
[AP]
"I do think this points to an ongoing problem with Russian operations [in Syria] ... i n the sense that they are operating very close to a Turkish border and they are going after moderate opposition.
"If Russia is directing its energies towards Daesh and ISIL, some of those conflicts or potentials for mistakes or escalation are less likely to occur.
"Turkey, like every country, has the right to defend its territory and its airspace."
He went on to say it was important for the Russians and Turks to talk to each other and take measures to "discourage escalation".

TURKEY'S PRIME MINISTER AHMET DAVUTOGLU
[Reuters]
"Everyone must know that it is our international right and national duty to take any measure against whoever violates our air or land borders.
“Turkey will not hesitate to take all steps to protect the country's security.
He stressed that the "action did not amount to an aggression against any foreign territory".
Davutoglu also called on the international community to work toward "extinguishing the fire that is burning in Syria."

RUSSIA'S PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN
[Reuters]
"Our plane was shot down over the territory of Syria by an air-to-air missile from a Turkish F-16 jet. It fell in Syrian territory four kilometres from the border with Turkey. Our pilots and our plane did not in any way threaten Turkey.
“Our military is doing heroic work against terrorism, But the loss today is a stab in the back, carried out by the accomplices of terrorists. I can’t describe it in any other way,
“Do they want to make NATO serve ISIS [ISIL]?”