• NEW! LOWEST RATES EVER -- SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE VERY BEST PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE! Welcome to The Paracast+, eight years young! For a low subscription fee, you can download the ad-free version of The Paracast and the exclusive, member-only, After The Paracast bonus podcast, featuring color commentary, exclusive interviews, the continuation of interviews that began on the main episode of The Paracast. We also offer lifetime memberships! Flash! Take advantage of our lowest rates ever! Act now! It's easier than ever to susbcribe! You can sign up right here!

    Subscribe to The Paracast Newsletter!

World War Three

Forums New posts

Free episodes:

Ravensfee said:
Mike, you've probably travelled in the Middle East and North Africa more than I have, but in my limited experience I find your bikini test not to be particularly valid.

Deeply religious countries like Morocco, Tunisia, Bahrain, Dubai, Egypt will, or used to have, areas where western tourists and, occasionally, the countries well-to-do middle class will be able to indulge in behaviour which they simply couldn't do in the vast majority of the country. One of my fondest memories of my travels in the past is sitting on a flat roof riad in Marrakesh, drinking a gin and tonic in the evening sun as the call to prayer echoed out from the numerous mosques around me, huge crowds swarming towards them. A sign of secularism? A sign of a deeply religious country? As always the truth is more complicated than some would like to make out.

As for Syria itself it's strange to describe the pre-civil war state as secular: one has to remember that Assad and his cronies are Allawites, a sect of Shia Islam. This piece from Richard Spencer describes something closer to a more nuanced truth.

The situation in Syria is highly complex, if you have a simple explanation for what is happening there it's likely to be wrong.




That shouldn't be too hard as some of us actually live in Europe. As for the post you quote; it's rambling, racist nonsense.
Click to expand...

Mike is right on his summing up of Islam but to answer your statement yes some of us do live there (my brother) and have traveled and worked there a fair bit as well over the years, rambling nonsense maybe but racist no as Islam is an ideology not a race.

Remember such posts do not reflect my personal opinion but what they do reflect is a growing unease (for some voiced or not) of the introduction of an ideology that is very resistant to integration.

I will listen to all arguments even the distasteful ones because to be objective you have to even if you are disgusted by it.

Anyway let us get back to the middle east and the growing instability.
 
mike said:
True but Syria is secular place and that in and of itself is important imo.

Looking at this picture, the west has more in common with Syria than it does with say Saudi. You wont find women in bikinis bathing with men in Saudi.

Mideast-Syria-Life-Du_Horo-1.jpg


The "rebels" want to replace these freedoms with a hardline islamic ruleset. Saudi and Qatar are funding them and ISIS for that reason and also because getting rid of Assad will allow them to build a natural gas pipeline through Syria.

Once Russia got involved (it doesnt want competition in the europe gas market ) This plan went pear shaped.

Quatar wants a gas pipeline to Europe – through Syria. The Turks want the Quatar pipeline to Europe – through Turkey and Syria. Assad has blocked this pipeline. So now the Turks and Quatar both support the imported al Qaeda fighters who are trying to overthrow Assad. (Who have since morphed into ISIS)

The reason things are on a knife edge this week is they have seemingly decided to take a direct hand rather than fund proxies.
IE: they are going to send their own ground troops in.

Source: The Independent
Saudi Arabia is sending troops and fighter jets to Turkey’s Incirlik military base ahead of a possible ground invasion of Syria.
The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, confirmed the deployment in a statement to the Yeni Şafak newspaper on Saturday, days before a temporary ceasefire is due to come into force.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said on February 9 that a potential troop deployment by regional countries to Syria would be a “very dangerous” decision.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have also expressed readiness to send soldiers to Syria
Click to expand...


I've always wondered why US president who claims to be an 'enlightened liberal' supports the rebels who are anything but moderate.
 
truthseeker said:
I've always wondered why US president who claims to be an 'enlightened liberal' supports the rebels who are anything but moderate.
Click to expand...

Exactly
The rebels want to overthrow Assad, but then what ?

The reality is while the "rebels' are a mixed bag, the majority want to impose an Islamic govt in place of the democratic one, a theocracy like Saudi's


The rebels are largely made up of Sunni Muslims battling against al-Assad's minority Alawite sect, which is associated with Shia Islam. Weapons and funds from Iran's Shia rulers have helped the Syrian regime, while Sunni states like Saudi Arabia have reportedly supported Syrian rebels.

"The conflict has become increasingly sectarian, with the conduct of the parties becoming significantly more radicalized and militarized," the UN said earlier this year.

That doesn't bode well for Syria's future. Studies have said religious civil wars are longer and bloodier than other types of clashes. They're also twice as likely to recur and twice as deadly to noncombatants And analysts say al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, is generally the most effective force fighting al-Assad. The group's name means "Victory Front." It was listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in December


Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said that most of the Syrian opposition are radical Islamists. "Who are the rebel forces?" he asked Kerry. "I ask all the time in my briefings, and the answers get worse and worse."

And how strong the extremists are also depends on what part of the country you look at. Islamist militia are widely believed to have dominant control in rebel-held areas in northern and eastern Syria


After executing Druze villagers, Nusra Front is just as bad as Daesh

Nusra was created by Isis in 2012 and split from it in 2013, since when the two movements have been fierce rivals who share the same fanatical beliefs and hatreds. The US regards both as terrorist organisations and periodically bombs Nusra, though not with the same intensity as it attacks Isis. The Saudis and the others are not looking for the US to end its hostility to Nusra, but they do want Washington to continue to turn a blind eye to support for it from America’s main Sunni allies.

So if the rebels win, most likely Al Nusra, they will impose fanatical Islamic ideology on the populace.

In this context Assad looks like the much lessor of two evils
 
This is a nice way to stuff Daesh actions towards ancient artefact's .

You Can Now 3D Print the Ancient Artifacts That ISIS Destroyed

Coming WW3 already here regarding proxy insurgency wars and agree with above comments more shit storm is coming to Europe (Putin; s commies never change their allegiances are already ongoing hybrid actions across NATO allies, France, Sweden, United Kingdom (Russian bombers incursions ) Estonia, Turkey ,Ukraine (civil war) Middle East (Islamist Terror Networks, Sunni/Shia/Kurds civil wars. Africa, South America , Mexico (drug cartels, islamist terror networks) , Afghanistan ( The Taliban, Al-Qaeda, ISIS,) -Pakistan-India-Bangladesh -Thailand-Philippines Malaysia and Indonesia. China and North Korea doing the same hybrid/ economic warfare in Asia and China is pushing against Vietnam , Burma and building land base carriers platforms (missiles included) placements in the South China Sea. Lets not forget space all those objects targeting US and its allies. Still the US is highest spender in defense budget and with NATO (other non official members) do really think they take on the US directly. Don't show all your cards and the Cold /Hot war never really finished.
 
Last edited:
Turkey intends to CLOSE the Bosporus Strait to Russian Naval Vessels, sealing them in (or out) of the Black Sea, claiming Russia is aiding "Kurd Terrorists" in Syria.
"Russia strengthens and supports PYD organization of Syria, (Kurds) which Ankara considers to be terrorists, and also responsible for the recent car Bombing in the Turkish Captial which left 28 dead.
According to the pro-government Turkish daily "Sabah" Turkey complained that Russia, with its warships passing through the Straits toward the eastern Mediterranean, are carrying weapons and ammunition to supply the Kurds for "terrorist operations."
For this reason, Turkey says, it has the right to close the strait to the Russian Fleet.
In the past, Russia has publicly and specifically stated "Closing the Turkey Strait would automatically mean war."
Some are speculating that Turkish President Erdogan is simply bluffing, but others think he should be committed into a "madhouse" because his actions will destroy Turkey.

URGENT: Turkey to CLOSE THE BOSPORUS STRAIT to all Russian Military Vessels!
 
I wonder who would back Turkey if they were stupid enough to choose a conflict with Russia. NATO is basically a paper tiger. Europe gets a large portion of its oil, coal, energy etc. from Russia. Does anyone think those European countries will jeopardize their energy flow?

Besides it is well known that ISIS transports much of the oil they have through Turkey. President Erdogan's son is neck deep in dealing with ISIS. You don't believe the US and it's allies aren't aware of that fact?

Be careful when you label this side or the other with labels like 'terrorist', 'rebel', or 'freedom fighters.' Those people may be none or all of the above.
 
mike said:
Turkey intends to CLOSE the Bosporus Strait to Russian Naval Vessels, sealing them in (or out) of the Black Sea, claiming Russia is aiding "Kurd Terrorists" in Syria.
"Russia strengthens and supports PYD organization of Syria, (Kurds) which Ankara considers to be terrorists, and also responsible for the recent car Bombing in the Turkish Captial which left 28 dead.
According to the pro-government Turkish daily "Sabah" Turkey complained that Russia, with its warships passing through the Straits toward the eastern Mediterranean, are carrying weapons and ammunition to supply the Kurds for "terrorist operations."
For this reason, Turkey says, it has the right to close the strait to the Russian Fleet.
In the past, Russia has publicly and specifically stated "Closing the Turkey Strait would automatically mean war."
Some are speculating that Turkish President Erdogan is simply bluffing, but others think he should be committed into a "madhouse" because his actions will destroy Turkey.

URGENT: Turkey to CLOSE THE BOSPORUS STRAIT to all Russian Military Vessels!
Click to expand...

Oh Jesus that will start a war... Turkey for the love of all stop poking the Bear it will bite you.
 
Back
Top