Turkey

[Antepli Ejderha]

Which other countries have a similar amount of censorship?

Expect an increase in VPN usage which will mean the ban will only affect those who aren't technological savvy enough to get around it.

[Antepli Ejderha]

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/nor...ion-in-turkey/

An excellent article.

[Antepli Ejderha]

'It's not legal': UN stands by as Turkey deports vulnerable Syrians

https://www.theguardian.com/global-d...y_to_clipboard

A deeply troubling development.

[Satchmo Distel]

Deeply disturbing end to that article::

“People’s rights are being violated right under the nose of the UN and we’re not doing the right thing because there is a worrying amount of pressure on maintaining good relations with the Turkish government,” one UN staff member told the Guardian.

Another said: “The UN has to toe a line while operating in Turkey. If we want to run projects without government restriction then it’s best not to offend them, even if that means not publicly condemning the deportations outright – even if they contravene international humanitarian law.”

[Antepli Ejderha]

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/m/haber...u_yapildi.html

Apologies for the article being in Turkish but it appears that at least two former FMs and ex AKP heavyweights have finally set up their political party. Ahmet Davutoğlu and Ali Babacan are the two and Abdullah Gül must also be involved.

[Antepli Ejderha]

https://ahvalnews.com/ahmet-davutogl...-inches-closer

It's also mentioned in here.

[ursus arctos]

[URL="https://twitter.com/fridaghitis/status/1181055817879101440?s=21"]https://twitter.com/fridaghitis/status/1181055817879101440[/URL]

[Antepli Ejderha]

The Kurds will have to go back to Assad to seek protection. That's possible and I'm sure they've seen this coming as Trump had previously withdrawn troops and military aid.

They could also empty their IS filled camps into Turkey and the rest of the region but apart from that they've got very little else to bargain with.

[Nefertiti2]

[URL]https://twitter.com/hevallo/status/1181157316764323840?s=21[/URL]

[Satchmo Distel]

The US has become a party to genocide in yet another region. but this time the victims are its erstwhile allies who did the dirty work.

Trump is also taking sole credit for ending the IS caliphate, as you'd expect, but will refuse to own the consequences of this crime.

But also the USA's word no longer has any value anywhere. Who would stake their future on an alliance with a backstabber?

[ursus arctos]

Very valid points that Lindsey Graham (of all people) made in December

[URL="https://twitter.com/lindseygrahamsc/status/1076211646043959297?s=21"]https://twitter.com/lindseygrahamsc/status/1076211646043959297[/URL]

And to his credit, Graham called into Fox and Friends this morning to criticise the decision, knowing that it was the best way to get the president's attention.

[Nefertiti2]

https://twitter.com/Jane_Samuels/status/1181181524156338183?s=20

[Ginger Yellow]

And to his credit, Graham called into Fox and Friends this morning to criticise the decision, knowing that it was the best way to get the president's attention.

So Graham is going to get thrown under the bus too, along with Romney et al. Not sure the president can afford to burn that bridge with an impeachment around the corner.

[ursus arctos]

Well, he is simultaneously demanding that the whistleblowers testify publicly, so I'm not at all sure that we are going to see #IMPEACHGRAHAM tweets any time soon.

*BTW, members of Congress cannot be impeached (though they can be censured and/or expelled)

[ad hoc]

https://twitter.com/Jane_Samuels/status/1181181524156338183?s=20

I'm struggling a bit with "so much stability".

[Satchmo Distel]

The Senate can reverse Trump's decision but by then won't Turkey already be in the process of killing Kurds?.

[ursus arctos]

That's at best an arguable interpretation of the Senate's power in this regard.

[ursus arctos]

Though there may be issues with implementation

https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1181167620579581952

[San Bernardhinault]

This isn't even coded language from Trump - it seems to be an explicit invitation for a Turkish invasion.

What on earth persuaded him that this was a good idea? I don't see how it particularly benefits him.

[ursus arctos]

Some possibilities (a combination is likely in my view)

https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/1181173686239465474

[San Bernardhinault]

I started off assuming that this benefits Russian interests, but why is Putin interested in Turkey invading Syria? Surely Syria is the more sincere Russian ally in this situation.

[ursus arctos]

It removes the only significant non-Russian/Turkish or Syrian forces from the field.

It has been clear for a while that Putin and Assad are happy to do a deal with Erdogan.

As to other motivations, 45 has long believed that his base wants to bring troops home (especially their kids). And his baldly transactional approach ("we gave them a lot of money") serves as a message to others dependent on US military aid. Then there is his default setting of always accommodating autocrats.

[San Bernardhinault]

That makes (depressing) sense

[Antepli Ejderha]

It removes the only significant non-Russian/Turkish or Syrian forces from the field.

It has been clear for a while that Putin and Assad are happy to do a deal with Erdogan.

As to other motivations, 45 has long believed that his base wants to bring troops home (especially their kids). And his baldly transactional approach ("we gave them a lot of money") serves as a message to others dependent on US military aid. Then there is his default setting of always accommodating autocrats.

I always saw this as forcing the Kurds back into Syria rather than allowing Turkey to take more land in Syria.

[Ginger Yellow]

I hope you're all feeling silly now:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181232249821388801