Timur
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they are just these green metallic illuminating poo flies.. they stick to the big daddys food chain => bok
Developments and Turkish operations in Libya
- Thread starter MKALE1
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they are just these green metallic illuminating poo flies.. they stick to the big daddys food chain => bok
TheMightyBender
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With US sidelined, Macron's hubris and hypocrisy are on full display
GETTY IMAGES
BY SASHA TOPERICH AND DEBRA CAGAN, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill
President Emmanuel Macron is facing daunting economic problems at home, and his party's recent foray into local elections has led to some stunning defeats. With German Chancellor Angela Merkel's long-time European leadership phasing out, Macron's cozying up to Vladimir Putin and embarking on foreign adventures is designed to solidify yet another bid to place France fully at the helm of Europe. The lack of strong U.S. leadership has left a glaring void on the global stage - and Macron sees this as an opportunity to join in the fray of countries eager to fill it.
His actions to date - which inevitably will impinge on U.S. interests and policy - are anything but heartening. Take Libya as prime example.
If there is a European country to be singled out for its destructive efforts in pushing Libya towards the abyss of collapse, it is France.
Instead of mobilizing the European Union to support Libya's hard won and challenging quest for freedom, France opted to align with the United Arab Emirates and Russia in support for renegade military colonel Khalifa Haftar's quest to "conquer Libya" by force and rule the country as a "new Gadhafi." Libya's post-2011 revolution brought challenging internal and external power struggles mostly fueled by the rivalry of two not very attractive political concepts in the Arab world: political Islam and autocratic rule. The Arab spring and demand of people to share in the wealth previously reserved for the political elite has proven to be a serious threat to elites in a number of Middle Eastern countries - including significant U.S. allies - who fear revolution demanding real change, transparency, and freedom of expression. Their support for a military coup in Libya is both bold and clear - but France should know better.
French policy in Libya may well damage the EU's reputation. Hypocritically named Operation IRINI,(Greek for "Peace"), the EU blockade only succeeded in helping to secure Haftar's military victory over western Libya and allowed heavy weapons to transit to Haftar's bases in the east. Not surprisingly French missiles were discovered last year on a base loyal to Haftar. While French oil giant Total has been a significant presence in Libya for over 60 years, it is a good bet that Haftar promised much greater economic rewards to France for its backing.
By the fall of 2019, Haftar (76) started to lose both on the battle ground and in the court of international public opinion, where reputable Libya experts from both sides of the Atlantic revealed the true nature of his thirst for power which has little to do with "fighting terrorism" but much to do with money and power for him, his heir-apparent sons and his backers.
In November 2019 Macron - apparently not pleased with the U.S. withdrawal from Syria and permitting Turkey a free hand - called NATO "brain dead." Macron accused Turkey of a "historic and criminal responsibility for a NATO member" and of Turkey's "obstruction of the Berlin process" for Libya. The fact is, Turkey safeguarded Idlib, preventing its fall into Assad's and Putin's hands. Moreover, if Turkey had not heeded the call for military help to the GNA (Libya's internationally recognized government), Russia's Libyan foray could well have succeeded, and the world would have witnessed more mass graves and crimes committed by Haftar's militias, such as those recently discovered in Tarhuna after Haftar's forces fled the city.
What a hypocrisy for Macron to call the Libyan crises "increasingly complex due to foreign interventions," especially since he continued to support Haftar even after he launched last year'smilitary attack on Tripoli. Add to this Macron's ill-advised dalliance with Russia, which could have endangered NATO's southern flank by giving Russia yet another base to put its forces in the region.
Macron's hubris is on full display when he blames the U.S. for "weakening" NATO while expressing "confidence" of progress in French ties with Russia following his recent video conference with Putin, dedicated to Libya.
https://thehill.com/opinion/interna...ull-display?amp#click=https://t.co/zTaxftlEyA
https://www.militaire.gr/sta-quot-s...ergasia-elladas-gallias-quot-ektos-nato-quot/
France and Greece mulling close military cooperation outside the umbrella of NATO. France to transfer Fremm class Frigates and Rafale fighters to Greece, and possibly open naval/air bases in Greece.
GETTY IMAGES
BY SASHA TOPERICH AND DEBRA CAGAN, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill
President Emmanuel Macron is facing daunting economic problems at home, and his party's recent foray into local elections has led to some stunning defeats. With German Chancellor Angela Merkel's long-time European leadership phasing out, Macron's cozying up to Vladimir Putin and embarking on foreign adventures is designed to solidify yet another bid to place France fully at the helm of Europe. The lack of strong U.S. leadership has left a glaring void on the global stage - and Macron sees this as an opportunity to join in the fray of countries eager to fill it.
His actions to date - which inevitably will impinge on U.S. interests and policy - are anything but heartening. Take Libya as prime example.
If there is a European country to be singled out for its destructive efforts in pushing Libya towards the abyss of collapse, it is France.
Instead of mobilizing the European Union to support Libya's hard won and challenging quest for freedom, France opted to align with the United Arab Emirates and Russia in support for renegade military colonel Khalifa Haftar's quest to "conquer Libya" by force and rule the country as a "new Gadhafi." Libya's post-2011 revolution brought challenging internal and external power struggles mostly fueled by the rivalry of two not very attractive political concepts in the Arab world: political Islam and autocratic rule. The Arab spring and demand of people to share in the wealth previously reserved for the political elite has proven to be a serious threat to elites in a number of Middle Eastern countries - including significant U.S. allies - who fear revolution demanding real change, transparency, and freedom of expression. Their support for a military coup in Libya is both bold and clear - but France should know better.
French policy in Libya may well damage the EU's reputation. Hypocritically named Operation IRINI,(Greek for "Peace"), the EU blockade only succeeded in helping to secure Haftar's military victory over western Libya and allowed heavy weapons to transit to Haftar's bases in the east. Not surprisingly French missiles were discovered last year on a base loyal to Haftar. While French oil giant Total has been a significant presence in Libya for over 60 years, it is a good bet that Haftar promised much greater economic rewards to France for its backing.
By the fall of 2019, Haftar (76) started to lose both on the battle ground and in the court of international public opinion, where reputable Libya experts from both sides of the Atlantic revealed the true nature of his thirst for power which has little to do with "fighting terrorism" but much to do with money and power for him, his heir-apparent sons and his backers.
In November 2019 Macron - apparently not pleased with the U.S. withdrawal from Syria and permitting Turkey a free hand - called NATO "brain dead." Macron accused Turkey of a "historic and criminal responsibility for a NATO member" and of Turkey's "obstruction of the Berlin process" for Libya. The fact is, Turkey safeguarded Idlib, preventing its fall into Assad's and Putin's hands. Moreover, if Turkey had not heeded the call for military help to the GNA (Libya's internationally recognized government), Russia's Libyan foray could well have succeeded, and the world would have witnessed more mass graves and crimes committed by Haftar's militias, such as those recently discovered in Tarhuna after Haftar's forces fled the city.
What a hypocrisy for Macron to call the Libyan crises "increasingly complex due to foreign interventions," especially since he continued to support Haftar even after he launched last year'smilitary attack on Tripoli. Add to this Macron's ill-advised dalliance with Russia, which could have endangered NATO's southern flank by giving Russia yet another base to put its forces in the region.
Macron's hubris is on full display when he blames the U.S. for "weakening" NATO while expressing "confidence" of progress in French ties with Russia following his recent video conference with Putin, dedicated to Libya.
https://thehill.com/opinion/interna...ull-display?amp#click=https://t.co/zTaxftlEyA
https://www.militaire.gr/sta-quot-s...ergasia-elladas-gallias-quot-ektos-nato-quot/
France and Greece mulling close military cooperation outside the umbrella of NATO. France to transfer Fremm class Frigates and Rafale fighters to Greece, and possibly open naval/air bases in Greece.
Bismarck
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Which Kurd and Greek?
???
This airstrikes show us the weakness-/point of TAF. They are not able to cover military units or bases. A massive first strikes by missiles and followed by airforce attack, could knock out turkish armed forced. Even they could not enter whole Turkey.
Yatağanlı
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You shouldn't determine the defensive capability of TAF based on one little raid on a base where Turkish forces and equipment are barely present.
KediKesenFare3
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We don't even know yet if the systems hit by the aircrafts were activated.
Btw, I assume that's the whole point of this attack. They carried it out as soon as possible to use it as a message because unlike what Bismark and Vegennes said, this airbase was barely covered by defense systems. Thus, they avoided any possible countermeasures/retaliation by the TAF.
They knew it would be almost impossible to attack the base once it's fully equipped and functional.
Bismarck
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Of course, you can. At least, it was not the first time (Syria).
era_shield
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Better satellite pics have just been released: no sign of an attack on air defence installations:
Neptune
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As a side note, historically France viewed Russia as a balancing power whenever it wasn't at good graces with its European allies. Interestingly this detente or "danışıklı dövüş" has been at play since perhaps Napoleon's defeat in Russia. Even during the both world wars and yet until today, France favored warmer relations with Russia to counterweight Germany in Europe both as a security concern and as a booster for European leadership. So I don't think it should come as a surprise to see Macron's entanglements with Russia, its just France being France. What's new is, their seemingly new partnership with UAE on multiple fronts to threaten our national interests in the region which for their part seems more like the product of Emirates.
Saithan
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Geopolitically it is a sound strategy for France because they don't have any issue with their borders. So they can pretty much spend all their time fucking up rest of the world.
I think it is party this mentality of theirs that makes them "brave". History has shown several times what happens. WW2 was the end of their "imperialism" but not so much "colonialism".
I think it's necessary for TN to have more corvettes and frigates. What we have is not enough IMO.
Constantinople
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Still no official statement from Turkey, this a dangerous and whoever behind it there should be a quick response. I don't know why I don't believe UAE can do something like this , there is rumors that France is behind it.
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Something has to be done.
Constantinople
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It might be Russia also , don't forget we destroyed multiple Pantsir and now they took revenge
TheMightyBender
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IDENTIFYING TARGET..........100%
TARGET SET SUCCESSFULLY!
OPERATION LOADING..........15%
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