The Middle East and co (*sponsored by Mel Gibson*)

[Lewis]

Shia Twitter was bricking it last night about Damascus being flattened (Iran had supposedly evacuated its diplomats), or their entire air force being taken out, so this seems like a bit of a gimmick 'Don't do that again!' attack at the moment. As for the actual chemical attack, I don't want to get into FALSE FLAG territory, but it seems a bit convenient. The day after the Americans shift policy, and the day before a UN meeting, the government decides to drop some of the chemical stocks it had previously agreed to destroy (and had officially done so) in order to avoid an American intervention on a village of no consequence when it is winning on all fronts and just as the major opposition counter-offensives grind to a halt. Whatever you make of these people, they clearly aren't absolute idiots.

[GS]

Indeed. You have to question if it was government ordered or not. It seems rather stupid if it was.

[Lewis]

It would also be the crappest gas attack in history if it knocks off a few dozen kids. My guess would be some sort of 'incident' occurring as the place was being bombed, probably not involving the chemicals claimed, and everyone just assuming what they wanted to assume. The problem is that once you start to express a degree of scepticism you're thrown in with the 'the Clinton Foundation sold Libya's sarin to ISIS' brigade.

As an aside, I've never quite understood the revulsion that chemical attacks generate. Biological warfare is nasty business, but why are nerve agents worse than being blown to pieces? I suppose there is the slow, agonising death argument; but then why are they worse than the sort of blockade-induced starvation deaths currently being caused by Saudi Arabia?

[Disco]

People in the office looked at me funny when I said that no-one would have cared if they'd just shot those kids with bullets.

[Lewis]

It's a pretty recent thing for everybody to be appalled by it. Idiots like to claim that even Adolf Hitler thought twice about using it, but 1) only because he would have got it back ten times worse; and 2) are you sure about that mate?

[Disco]

Hitler being famously reticent about gassing people.

[Henry]

Not a lot about the chemical attack or the response makes a lot of sense.

Why would Assad bother with this now when he was already winning the war and has Russia and Trump on his side?
Why would Trump do a u-turn on this issue of all issues when he's supposedly in thrall to the Russians?

Oh wait, some fo you have already pointed this out. Bravo.

[Bartholomert]

Nothing about the attack makes sense.

This is about symbolism. There are lines you can't cross because America WILL fuck you. I don't know how I feel about it all, but I appreciate us swinging our dick around on the global stage again, I don't see German cucks coming to the rescue of any Syrians / upholding international law.

[Henry]

Are you banned from saying "cuck"?

[GS]

It's a pretty recent thing for everybody to be appalled by it. Idiots like to claim that even Adolf Hitler thought twice about using it, but 1) only because he would have got it back ten times worse; and 2) are you sure about that mate?

We were preparing to launch chemical weapons at the Germans if they'd attempted to invade in 1940, I believe. Churchill's view was that "we have the right to do what we like with our own territory".

That would have been a moment of supreme national emergency, obviously.

[Bartholomert]

Are you banned from saying "cuck"?

...yes, but this was an emergency

[Henry]

That would have been a moment of supreme national emergency, obviously.

Whether that justifies it or not, a 6 year civil war is probably seen in a similar kind of way by Assad.

[Lewis]

He floated gassing the v-weapon launch sites in January 1944, and there were plans to use it in Japan in the event of an invasion. In the end it all got mothballed until they needed it to poison millions of Vietnamese people.

[Magic]

...yes, but this was an emergency

Supreme national emergency.

[Lewis]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C80s9geXcAIHdCY.jpg

lol he even dressed like him.

[phonics]

Then went on to list every fucked up CIA op they did in Bolivia. I do like when the token Security Council country uses it to lol at the rest of them.

[Lewis]

Heroic effort. The NARRATIVE is already in place for the next one. 'What if they just do it again?' Well then they are the stupidest people alive and the entire region wants doing over.

[Henry]

Stupid people I know were praising Trump today. Shows how the common pleb thinks though. This does him good.

[Bartholomert]

Stupid people I know were praising Trump today. Shows how the common pleb thinks though. This does him good.

His base is furious. So you have that as a consolation.

[John]

375609403376144384

Fun.

[Bartholomert]

375609403376144384

Fun.

It's not 2013 and being flexible to adopt to changing conditions is the hallmark of a good leader.

But yeah.

[Spikey M]

It's not 2013 and being flexible to adopt to changing conditions is the hallmark of a good leader.

But yeah.

What's changed?

[phonics]

If anything, ISIS were stronger and Assad was weaker, it made more sense then than it does now and it didn't make any sense then.

[Spikey M]

None of this makes sense from any which way.

Assad is doing ok, why authorise a gas attack? Isis are in decline, why give them propaganda? The US and Russia had an agreement (which Russia have paid lip service to) why launch a load of missiles? I mean, at least Russia pretend.

[Bartholomert]

What's changed?

Annexation of Crimea, agitation in Ukraine, greater potential for conflict with China in South China Sea, effects of refugee crisis being felt in Europe, etc.

A lot of things.

[Bartholomert]

None of this makes sense from any which way.

Assad is doing ok, why authorise a gas attack? Isis are in decline, why give them propaganda? The US and Russia had an agreement (which Russia have paid lip service to) why launch a load of missiles? I mean, at least Russia pretend.

To test America and to terrorize the local community and deter them and other local populations from cooperating with Rebel groups. It's flimsy, but people can be stupid. I refuse to believe that there is some "Jewish/Neocon conspiracy" within the intelligence community to fabricate evidence (which it's claimed to be is very strong) or deliberately mislead the President.

[Spikey M]

Annexation of Crimea, agitation in Ukraine, greater potential for conflict with China in South China Sea, effects of refugee crisis being felt in Europe, etc.

A lot of things.

Germany won the World Cup. A Brit went in to space. The Rock returned to WWE.

[Spikey M]

To test America and to terrorize the local community and deter them and other local populations from cooperating with Rebel groups. It's flimsy, but people can be stupid. I refuse to believe that there is some "Jewish/Neocon conspiracy" within the intelligence community to fabricate evidence (which it's claimed to be is very strong) or deliberately mislead the President.

Iraq have WMD's.

[phonics]

Think I just found the best tweet

850300295032840193

[John]

You didn't.

[niko_cee]

I can only imagine the horror of what passes for average.

[phonics]

You have to respect the art form.

[Bartholomert]

Iraq have WMD's.

Fair enough. But sometimes people acting in good faith make mistakes, the best you can do is make a rational decision based on the information available.

[phonics]

Fair enough. But sometimes people acting in good faith make mistakes, the best you can do is make a rational decision based on the information available.

incredible. You couldn't make this post with a straight face in 2007 let alone a decade after it.

[Lewis]

I think rationality went out the window years ago.

[Lewis]

The Islamic State have blown the mosque in Mosul up. The one where they first announced their loser caliphate.

[i]'Going down, going down, going down...'

Which probably means more mentally ill Norwegians kicking off in Europe, but oh well.

[Henry]

Why would they blow that up?

[Lewis]

They only hold the area immediately around/near it, so they're just being wankers.

[Jimmy Floyd]

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

[phonics]

The White House last night put out a press release saying Assad is about to use chemical weapons again. CENTCOM says they haven't seen any signs of this but that hasn't stopped the UK saying that we're ready to back the US in anyway possible.

We're about to get dragged into the Worlds Dumbest War.

[Lewis]

The Syrian Army is about to completely take back Deir ez-Zor, which could potentially lead to securing the Iraqi border, so they either like making life difficult for themselves or the Americans are worried about that.

[Haystacks Horace]

Nothing about the attack makes sense.

This is about symbolism. There are lines you can't cross because America WILL fuck you. I don't know how I feel about it all, but I appreciate us swinging our dick around on the global stage again, I don't see German cucks coming to the rescue of any Syrians / upholding international law.

Why are you giving it the big 'un? You do realise a fully united and re-armed Europe would stomp the US into the ground militarily.

[Henry]

Why are you giving it the big 'un? You do realise a fully united and re-armed Europe would stomp the US into the ground militarily.

The fuck? How do you know what a fully reunited and re-armed Europe would look like?

[Bernanke]

Why are you giving it the big 'un? You do realise a fully united and re-armed Europe would stomp the US into the ground militarily.

It really wouldn't.

[GS]

It's only a matter of time until we see the Fourth Reich, so we'll find out.

[Jimmy Floyd]

A Europe v America war would be great fun. Let's get it going.

[Lewis]

It would be interesting to see which way the Muslims went.

[GS]

We can be like the Stanley forces at Bosworth. Wait it out, pile in on the winning side and sweep up at the end.

We could reclaim the Angevin Empire, or the whole of France depending on how quickly they surrendered.

[Haystacks Horace]

The fuck? How do you know what a fully reunited and re-armed Europe would look like?

The German war machine has taken most of the rest of the world to stop twice. Crank it up once more then pitch in the military might of a fully mobilised United Kingdom, the French and the burgeoning Polish army and watch the Yanks quake.

[Magic]

Imagine thinking Europe, a section of the globe full of self-entitled, self-proclaimed kingdoms, nationalists and lunatics, could ever be united in a war. :harold:

[Henry]

The German war machine has taken most of the rest of the world to stop twice. Crank it up once more then pitch in the military might of a fully mobilised United Kingdom, the French and the burgeoning Polish army and watch the Yanks quake.

This is remarkably stupid, even for you.

[Haystacks Horace]

This is remarkably stupid, even for you.

Why is that Henry?

I respect your opinion but I'd like to know what you are basing it upon.

[Bernanke]

I'd like to know what you are basing it upon.

100 years of economic and military development/divergence.

[Magic]

100 years of economic and military development/divergence.

Harold isn't 100 years old.

[Henry]

Why is that Henry?

Because it has taken decades for the US to achieve its current position, with the advantage of a relatively isolated geographic position, a single centralised polity and a conscious policy of not allowing rivals to develop.

[Bartholomert]

Why are you giving it the big 'un? You do realise a fully united and re-armed Europe would stomp the US into the ground militarily.

Lol. 2-0 undefeated in World Wars, we would make Europe our little bitch while your emasculated male population cowered and whimpered for mercy hiding behind their feminist woman leaders for protection.

And forget about any sort of amphibious assault, our good ol' boy redneck gun wackos would make the Russian winter look like a promenade down the Champs-Elyeeses.

[John Arne]

http://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/countries-that-use-the-metric-systems-vs-countries-that-lose-wars-to-vietnamese-farmers.jpg

[Bartholomert]

As a reminder: the GDP per capita of the U.K. would make it the 49th poorest state in the US, just ahead of Mississippi. You are poor nation, that would get lol wrecked by a mobilized US, not to mention the cultural deficiencies.

[Bartholomert]

http://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/countries-that-use-the-metric-systems-vs-countries-that-lose-wars-to-vietnamese-farmers.jpg

1. Not a war
2. We didn't technically lose

[John Arne]

1. Not a war
2. We didn't technically lose

1. Yeah, it was.
2. You got involved to stop the spread of communism... The North overran the South and Vietnam is still a communist country. You lost.
3. Lol.

[Lewis]

That should be 'undefeated in five years of World War'. Put another way, as many as France.

[John Arne]

Korea was a bit of a fuck up, too. Although they stopped the North's invasion of the South, the US then completely failed to advance the South into the North. Score draw.

[Disco]

They won in Grenada though, good work lads.

[GS]

I'm surprised nobody's got stuck into his use of "we" there.

[Haystacks Horace]

Lol. 2-0 undefeated in World Wars, we would make Europe our little bitch while your emasculated male population cowered and whimpered for mercy hiding behind their feminist woman leaders for protection.

And forget about any sort of amphibious assault, our good ol' boy redneck gun wackos would make the Russian winter look like a promenade down the Champs-Elyeeses.

I think youre a bit misguided son, US is a big decadent mess and the peoples think they're hard but are not a warlike race like those of Europe.you would be monced, utterly into bits.

[Bartholomert]

I think youre a bit misguided son, US is a big decadent mess and the peoples think they're hard but are not a warlike race like those of Europe.you would be monced, utterly into bits.

Get outside of the degenerate coastal areas (who dominate our (((popular culture))) as perceived by those outside our country) and it's a sea of deep red patriots. I'd take a Kansas farm boy over any nationality or culture yall could throw at us.

You're straight delusional. Have fun living in a totalitarian state without basic freedoms, and fantasizing over the sort of standard of living taken for granted by our lower middle class.

[Lewis]

Good luck camouflaging a mobility scooter.

[Disco]

I'd take a Kansas farm boy

Mert, 2017.

[Haystacks Horace]

Get outside of the degenerate coastal areas (who dominate our (((popular culture))) as perceived by those outside our country) and it's a sea of deep red patriots. I'd take a Kansas farm boy over any nationality or culture yall could throw at us.

You're straight delusional. Have fun living in a totalitarian state without basic freedoms, and fantasizing over the sort of standard of living taken for granted by our lower middle class.

Kansas farm boy might be right up your channel but here we have real men with farm strength who can pull tractors. If you genuinely believe what you're saying then I think you need a quiet sit down and reflection period. Were talking Poles, we're talking German war machine, we're talking Scotch special forces. Come on now son, US would be horaced to within an inch of its life.

[Bartholomert]

Kansas farm boy might be right up your channel but here we have real men with farm strength who can pull tractors. If you genuinely believe what you're saying then I think you need a quiet sit down and reflection period. Were talking Poles, we're talking German war machine, we're talking Scotch special forces. Come on now son, US would be horaced to within an inch of its life.

You mean the guys who got fucked by the guys we fucked? Lol. Get a grip. We are about 20-30 years ahead technologically regardless. There's no martial spirit in Europe, in America soldiers are exulted. The only thing that comes close is Turkey, and they are just terrible at everything else. Have you spoken to the average limp wristed European numale? No chance.

Deal with it. Europe is 30-years away from being full third-world status, and inhabited by a bunch of has been losers who are allowing their entire civilization to be annihilated. You are inferior in every way imaginable to the United States of America.

[ItalAussie]

Just pull them out and measure them, guys. Save us all having to read the insecurity.

[Haystacks Horace]

You mean the guys who got fucked by the guys we fucked? Lol. Get a grip. We are about 20-30 years ahead technologically regardless. There's no martial spirit in Europe, in America soldiers are exulted. The only thing that comes close is Turkey, and they are just terrible at everything else. Have you spoken to the average limp wristed European numale? No chance.

Deal with it. Europe is 30-years away from being full third-world status, and inhabited by a bunch of has been losers who are allowing their entire civilization to be annihilated. You are inferior in every way imaginable to the United States of America.

You must be trying to wind me up now with this nonsense, good try! There is a guy at my local who can carry one of those silver barrels of cider on each shoulder (not sure if full or empty) and blokes like that are rife in the countryside and would break every bone in a candy ass kansas farmboy's body.

[phonics]

Can anyone explain to me why everyone seems to be against Kurdish independence?

Whether it's Turkey, Iraq or whoever else, no-one seems to like the Kurds, they've at this point liberated half of Iraq from ISIS, they don't want to get involved in anything that isn't defending Kurdish land so you don't have to worry about them becoming a regional power like Iran.

Even 'The West' seems to be against it even though we've been plowing money to them because they're the only ones who take our bribes and actually spend it on what we ask them to.

I don't get it.

[Lewis]

Because Iraq, Iran, and Turkey don't want to lose half of their territory, the Kurdish bits of the former two have lots of oil in, what's left of Iraq would even more overwhelmingly Shia (and therefore even more decisively in the Iranian orbit), the whole concept of Syria as a nation depends on not having the different sects being overtly separate (lol), and any hard-won Kurdistan would presumably look to China and Russia for support and weapons. It's a bit of a perfect storm really. You could see them getting something out of Iraq and Syria simply because those two countries could do little about it if they established a state across the borders, but it's hard to see them getting anything out of Iran, let alone Turkey.

[mugbull]

It's honestly more surprising to me that governments like Sudan allowed separatist movements to foment and eventually referendums to be held that split their country in two. Nobody wants to lose their territory, right, so why let it happen (assuming you don't give a shit about abusing and torturing civilians)

[Boydy]

I dunno, I'd willingly let anywhere west of the Bann go.

[mikem]

I get the broader point but allow seems a bit off when there are over a million Sudanese refugees in Uganda and an estimated three million internal refugees.

[Spikey M]

Can anyone explain to me why everyone seems to be against Kurdish independence?

Whether it's Turkey, Iraq or whoever else, no-one seems to like the Kurds, they've at this point liberated half of Iraq from ISIS, they don't want to get involved in anything that isn't defending Kurdish land so you don't have to worry about them becoming a regional power like Iran.

Even 'The West' seems to be against it even though we've been plowing money to them because they're the only ones who take our bribes and actually spend it on what we ask them to.

I don't get it.

Stability, innit? They have a bigger claim for their own state than Israel do (probably) but it won’t happen because if you take land off Turkey, Syria and Iraq it will chuck further fuel on the smouldering shithole.

[Magic]

It must be quite shit to be around from 2500 years and not actually have a state.

[Spikey M]

But that’s enough about Scotland.

[bruhnaldo]

how come everyone hates Israel except us? Serious question.

Yes I could google it but you guys know I'm not smart enough to digest all of that information in the amount of time that I'm going to actually be interested in the answer. After a paragraph I'd give up.

[Spikey M]

how come everyone hates Israel except us? Serious question.

Yes I could google it but you guys know I'm not smart enough to digest all of that information in the amount of time that I'm going to actually be interested in the answer. After a paragraph I'd give up.

Well, it’s a Jewish state and people hate Jews. Why people hate Jews is the next question and I can’t answer that.

[niko_cee]

The Jews have been hated pretty much throughout the entirety of human history haven't they?

Even the fucking Pharoah's had it in for them.

Through no fault of their own, of course.

[Magic]

They wanted a place to defend and go so the holocaust couldn't happen again. So they carved land from other counties to create it and thus created pure hatred from the Arabs.

[Magic]

I like the whole HOW CAN PEOPLE BE SO CRUEL or WHY CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG. Well if you bother to do research and look in to history everything can be explained. Not agreeing with the actions but the logic is there, even if its completely ridiculous and warped.

[Lewis]

You can see why the Israelis attract so much dislike, and also why they shouldn't give a shit; but there is definitely a Jewish element to some of it in the West. There are plenty of border disputes to moan about, and yet the professional whingers just so happen to obsess over the only one involving Jews.

[Pepe]

Isn't that due to West support?

[Lewis]

Most of the serious moaning targets Israel itself, rather than our supporting it.

[McAvennie]

So they carved land from other counties


"Right guys, where do you want your new nation to be?"
"A quiet corner of Cumbria would do nicely, Jeff"

[GS]

There's certainly a distinctive tinge of anti-semitism in much of the criticism directed at the Israelis.

[Pepe]

I really know nothing about that conflict. Still take their money.

[Magic]

The 'rabs are possessive little twats at the best of times.

[mikem]

We have better hats. In Europe, part of the problem is that we never integrated. Not simply because we were not always welcome, but pre-Napoleonic bargain European Jews didn't largely view ourselves as both / and. That is the fundamental question at the heart of the Reform / Zionist movement split. And the Holocaust really ended Reform in most of Europe. All of that history and tension is large avoided in the new world. We've always been welcome here in ways we simply are not in Europe. At least in my personal experience.

[Spikey M]

There were a couple of Jews at school and they were treated as anyone else was. That said, they didn’t have the ridiculous sideburns or the weird hats. I still remember being shocked as a kid when I saw a barrage of hate chucked at some Jewish kids when I was staying with my cousin for the Summer Holidays in North London. I Just don’t get it. It usually comes from Christians and Muslims as well, which is weird because without Judaism you wouldn’t have either of them.

[mugbull]

Most of the serious moaning targets Israel itself, rather than our supporting it.

If by serious moaning you mean moaning about bygones. Unilateral support for Israel in anything their heart desires is the one political issue that simply does not exist as a 2-sided debate, and if you try to take a critical lens to it you're labelled anti-Semitic. Which makes you think to yourself, hmm, who's controlling the message...

[Lewis]

True. It's a bit like how the foreign policy/terrorism discussion gets shut down (largely by the same people), and probably due to the need to take sides in it ('The only democracy in the Middle East...').

[Magic]

There were a couple of Jews at school and they were treated as anyone else was. That said, they didn’t have the ridiculous sideburns or the weird hats. I still remember being shocked as a kid when I saw a barrage of hate chucked at some Jewish kids when I was staying with my cousin for the Summer Holidays in North London. I Just don’t get it. It usually comes from Christians and Muslims as well, which is weird because without Judaism you wouldn’t have either of them.

I wish we could round them all up and you know the rest.

[Disco]

I think we should have some evidence of Jews having the best hats, the orthodox guys maybe but the little bald spot warmers the rest of you have are rubbish.

[Spikey M]

These are the best Jew hats.

http://www.peterpalms.com/shtreimel/silk%20coat.jpg

[phonics]

Yemen is going well as ever.

The ex-president who caused the war in the first place came out and said he would ally with the Saudi's 3 days ago. He's dead now.

[Byron]

Given your track record with breaking news I'm going to assume he actually died 6 months ago.

[Disco]

I hear Gattuso is in the frame to take over.

[Kikó]

Chamberlain is back and declared peace for our time. War averted.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Mr Hitler won't be as bad as some claim. A healthy Germany is good for all of us.

[Lewis]

Them Houthis are hardcore. He must have known this was coming.

[Lewis]

President Donald J. Trump recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital (complete with embassy relocation) is going under the radar a bit. The Muslims will go ape shit.

[phonics]

Didn't he already sign the 6 month waiver?

[Kikó]

Trump just smashes the status quo. It might end up a positive thing to change the paradigm.

Wot.

[phonics]

The Christians are getting on him about it now so expect a u-turn.

edit: wrong thread

[Magic]

:drool:

[Kikó]

Recall parliament? Nah. Just bomb Syria.

[Shindig]

If anyone asks, France started this.

[Spikey M]

Well, I can’t see any way in which raining missiles down on them can fail to improve the situation.

[Shindig]

You say raining but Russia's anti-air measures are in effect.

[Magic]

You say raining but Russia's anti-air measures are in effect.

So raining then.

[Spikey M]

I don’t know who wrote Trumps speech, but it was actually a decent effort.

[Yevrah]

Just watched it myself and it's comfortably the best thing I've seen him do.

[Lewis]

It sounds like a pretty tame effort for all the big man talk through the week.

[Spikey M]

It was diplomatic, which is pretty fucking ground breaking.

[Byron]

I just don't get what one set of air strikes does. That said, we either go balls deep and fuck it up the same way as Iraq or Libya or we do nothing and convince Russia to annex Georgia next week.

[Yevrah]

I just don't get what one set of air strikes does.

Apparently these ones are different because they were targeted. Which makes one wonder what the fuck the others were doing.

[Henry]

The strikes appear to have been phony - to give the appearance of having done something. But not enough to piss off the Russians.
Still stupid and obviously unlawful of course.

Last week the Saudis killed a large number of civilians in Yemen with American weapons. And nobody gives a fuck about that.

[Mazuuurk]

Watched this recap on BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43771840

And what gets me there are the (non-Trump) Twitter quotes.

Has Trump effectively managed to turn Twitter into the International forum for Diplomatic communications now? :cab:

[Spikey M]

How does May get to give the go ahead for something like that without parliament, when she has a minority government?

[phonics]

https://i.imgur.com/Ll4wpJN.png

"Use often!" is so funny for some reason.

[Disco]

I don't think it really is a military term outside of Steven Seagal films and Call of Duty.

[Pepe]

Use often.

[Jimmy Floyd]

How does May get to give the go ahead for something like that without parliament, when she has a minority government?

Cos she's the PM innit. Before the Blair/Cameron shite years they never used to go to Parliament for any of this stuff.

There was a pretty lol poll somewhere this morning which had the British public backing Theresa May over any other recent PM for trusting to take the country into a military conflict. Only St Maggie T beat her.

[Spikey M]

I get that, but surely you can’t be running tings like Idi Amin when you have a minority government? I thought they had to hold a vote on everything and that’s why they needed that mental Northern Irish lot on side.

[Lewis]

There is a case for the government being allowed to act where necessary without talking it out, but I struggle to see how adding a token presence to a pointless bombing raid qualifies.

[Spikey M]

It was about a week after the chemical attack as well. It doesn’t exactly scream emergency action to me.

[Henry]

The PM is head of the executive branch of government which can do all sorts of things without consulting parliament. Whether killing people with bombs is one of those things is another matter.

[Spikey M]

The PM is head of the executive branch of government which can do all sorts of things without consulting parliament. Whether killing people with bombs is one of those things is another matter.

I understand that in a majority Government. I was unaware she can swan about doing whatever she likes in a minority one. If that’s the case, why is having a minority an issue anyway?

[Shindig]

The strikes appear to have been phony - to give the appearance of having done something. But not enough to piss off the Russians.
Still stupid and obviously unlawful of course.

"We shouldn't intervene!" ... "Huh, this intervention had no impact. MEANWHILE, ANOTHER THING HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ELSE!"

I'm not even sure what you want.

[Henry]

I understand that in a majority Government. I was unaware she can swan about doing whatever she likes in a minority one. If that’s the case, why is having a minority an issue anyway?

For legislation, budgets and stuff.

You do understand that the legislature is different from the executive, right? Even if in the UK the legislature (effectively) chooses the executive.

[Henry]

"We shouldn't intervene!" ... "Huh, this intervention had no impact. MEANWHILE, ANOTHER THING HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ELSE!"

I'm not even sure what you want.

Eh? I wanted them not to attack Syria. I also want a radical reorientation of policy towards the middle east. What confuses you?

[Magic]

The fact they are gassing their citizens and you don't want any action, probably.

[Henry]

The fact they are gassing their citizens and you don't want any action, probably.

Demonstrate to me that "action" achieves anything positive other than allowing leaders to posture and I'd change my mind.

[Shindig]

What alternatives do they have? Sanctions. Is force not advised in response to chemical attacks?

[Spikey M]

It depends how you define ‘works’, I guess. I mean, they wanted Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden gone, and, well, it worked. They’re gone.

[phonics]

985631027967209474

lol what's the point?

[Lewis]

It's mad how crap Theresa May is.

[phonics]

They're out in force today claiming this and Kosovo are the same thing.

If they are, why has it taken you 7 years to address this 'extreme humanitarian crisis'.

[phonics]

Nothing to see here just an official government saudi account photoshopping a canadian airliner flying into a tower. I'm sure they mean nothing by it.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dj7Eq-HVsAALDiQ.jpg:large

[Magic]

Infographic ksa is a voluntary non-profit project. It is managed by a group of Saudi youth.

Simmer down Moronics.

[bruhnaldo]

Nice of the Saudi youth to see the error in their ways and go back and repost the tweets without the airplane in them, I suppose.

[John Arne]

Phonics posting fake news shocker.

[bruhnaldo]

THey've since apologized saying the plane was meant to represent "the ambassador returning to Canada"

[Lewis]

Is that little saying why their expensive army is being donned shitless by barefooted mooks in Yemen?

[phonics]

Infographic ksa is a voluntary non-profit project. It is managed by a group of Saudi youth.

Simmer down Moronics.

Hahahaha, good one. The IRU is just a youth project as well.

[ItalAussie]

They're out in force today claiming this and Kosovo are the same thing.

A slight sidenote, but Trump's been running his mouth over Kosovo now. I don't care if he wants to run the country that voted for him into the ground, but couldn't he go all out with the isolationism and leave the rest of us alone?

[phonics]

MBS fucking up a free run to do literally whatever he wants by offing a journalist no-one had ever heard of is hilarious.

Also funny that you can commit a genocide in Yemen, kidnap dissidents from foreign countries, arrest anyone that says you smell funny and that's okay but kill one journalist and the media suddenly discovers a backbone. Weird that.

[phonics]

1051912606221561863

The Saudi Intelligence Services are famous for doing things without the crowns permission.

[niko_cee]

Is it symptomatic of the disregard they have for the consequences that these tinpot security agencies are so spectacularly useless at these operations these days? Or is it just impossible to be fully dark in the modern age unless you're a proper ninja? At least these idiots got the killing part of the plan right, even if they managed to broadcast it onto the internet.

[phonics]

Is it symptomatic of the disregard they have for the consequences that these tinpot security agencies are so spectacularly useless at these operations these days? Or is it just impossible to be fully dark in the modern age unless you're a proper ninja? At least these idiots got the killing part of the plan right, even if they managed to broadcast it onto the internet.

The entire Saudi military complex is just a place to shove your most retarded prince.

[phonics]

1 of the 15 Saudi security forces that turned up at the consulate died in a traffic accident today. Specifically the one that can be heard on the audio tape the Turks leaked. What a crazy coincidence. Nothing to see here.

[John Arne]

What leaked audio?

[phonics]

The stuff leaked to the Post. Where the ‘I reccomend listening to music’ quote while he saws the guy, still alive, into pieces comes from.

[John Arne]

It wasn't leaked to the Post. The Post are reporting it from some Turkish paper. I thought you meant that the actual audio had leaked. Where is Magic and his Liveleak connections....

[niko_cee]

It does sound absolutely savage, perhaps unsurprising for a country that routinely amputates limbs (and heads), blinds, stones and apparently crucifies people.

With so many links back to the top it'll be interesting to see how they weasel their way out of this. They really need to be erased. [/tolerance]

[Boydy]

They still crucify people? Fucking hell.

[niko_cee]

I know they sort of had to do it, but surely coming out and saying "err, yeah, he died in a fight" is only going to lead the Saudis further down the rabbit hole?

In that version of events, presumably his body is easily accessible and (reasonably) intact . . .

[Spikey M]

A swift cremation was respectfully provided.

[Kikó]

It happens though. You get into an argument and all of a sudden 18 of you are sawing him into bits and dropping him in the back of a van.

[Boydy]

A swift cremation was respectfully provided.

I don't think Muslims do cremation.

[Kikó]

So they do?

[Boydy]

Fucked up. Fixed it now.

[Spikey M]

I don't think Muslims do cremation.

To cover up state-sponsored murder I reckon they’d make an exception.

They don’t do sex outside of marriage either, but it doesn’t stop them using rape as a punishment.

[Magic]

Unless it's white kids lol.

[phonics]

https://i.imgur.com/7fy6cXz.png

This'll end well I'm sure.

[phonics]

Anyone else slightly worried we’re about to do Iraq again except this lot aren’t competent enough to do it with a straight face?

[Lewis]

1183684178170265601

Hang on...

Big up the blue checkmarks suddenly discovering that 'Turkish-backed militias' are a bunch of Islamist maniacs as well. Who knew?

[Ian]

"These will be truly wonderful sanctions, some of the most beautiful sanctions we've imposed."

[bruhnaldo]

1183684178170265601

Hang on...

Big up the blue checkmarks suddenly discovering that 'Turkish-backed militias' are a bunch of Islamist maniacs as well. Who knew?

I'm confused at what's going on in this post.

You realize the tweet isn't from a blue checkmark, surely?

[Lewis]

The blue checkmarks are all the journalists and think tank wankers who are always wrong about everything.

[bruhnaldo]

That's not Donald Trump. That's what I'm saying.

[Lewis]

lol at me. :gs:

[Byron]

Oh shit, Lewis donned by Bruh. That's it, close the website down, we're done lads.

[Shindig]

Not before we crown Bruh 'winner of the new board'.

[Disco]

End of an era.

https://i.imgur.com/jwKrX01.png

[Lewis]

I donned myself.

[phonics]

Slight name change because I can't think of a thread that it would fit.

I just remembered Kashmir is still under an information/communications blackout. It's been 8 months. One of the most famously controversial border states that has had people worried about potential nuclear war, and it never comes up?