This is the full text of the interview Sputnik International made with the Saker:
Sputnik: Following the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan Startfor suggested that Ankara could make concessions to Moscow and Iran on Syria. Is a Russo-Turko-Iranian alliance possible? Is it possible that Turkey will soften its tough stance on the Syrian government and Bashar al-Assad?
The Saker: It is extremely hard to predict what Erdogan will do next due to his personality and to the objectively difficult situation Turkey is in. While I fully agree that it is likely Turkey will have to make concessions to Russia and Iran, this is primarily due to the fact that Erdogan has now soured his relationship with the traditional patrons of Turkey: the NATO/US/EU. I suspect that Erdogan will be far more willing to make promises than to actually deliver on them. The Russians are acutely aware of that and there is exactly *zero* real trust towards Erdogan in the Kremlin. On one hand, most Russian analysts see Erdogan as a smart man, but also as a treacherous megalomaniac who absolutely cannot be trusted. But on the other hand, Turkey is a large and powerful country, strategically located, and a key neighbor of Russia. Thus Russia simply has to try to establish the best relationship possible with whomever is in power in Turkey, even if that means dealing with a distasteful character like Erdogan.
In sharp contrast to Turkey, the Iranians are trustworthy even if their interests are not always the same as Russia’s, and that is how it should be. I would characterize the relationship between Russia and Iran as a strategic partnership of two different but equal parties who collaborate with each other but who retain their own, sovereign, agenda. This is not a formal alliance but, in a way, this is even better as it is something much more flexible and viable in the long term. This is also similar to the kind of strategic partnership Russia has with China, even though the one with China is far deeper and really should be called a “strategic symbiosis”.
What might, God willing, emerge from the current situation in an objective community of interests in which Turkey will come to realize that collaborating in the long term with Russia and Iran is far more beneficial to Turkey than to try to play the “Russian card” against the AngloZionist Empire (or play the “Empire card” against Russia). Eventually, Turkey will have to chose between two mutually exclusive civilizational models: one in which the USA is the World Hegemon who gets to impose one single socio-economic model and one in which free sovereign countries work together towards a truly diverse and multi-polar world. Alas, I don’t think that Erdogan is willing,or even capable, of making such a choice, at least not in the foreseeable future.
Finally, while very little was revealed about the discussions between the Russians and the Turks on Syria, I notice that in his interview with the Russian TV just before traveling to Russia Erdogan again repeated his accusations that Assad was guilty for hundreds of thousands of Syrian deaths and that he must go. Will Erdogan eventually change his tune? Maybe. But right now he still sounds like a broken record.
Sputnik: Why did Erdogan decide to team up with Russia in Syria and can Moscow trust Erdogan?
The Saker: There is some pretty good indirect evidence that Russia did save Erdogan by warning him of the imminence of the coup. Erdogan denies that, of course, but his constant use of the words “my friend Vladimir” and his equally constant expressions of gratitude for the support Putin gave to the lawfully elected President indicates to me that there is more to be grateful for than just early expressions of support. Likewise, there is a lot of pretty good indirect evidence that the USA at the very least knew and did not oppose the coup attempt or even actively supported it. Thus, when Erdogan became aware of this dynamic he really had no option than to go to turn to the Russians.
Moscow can absolutely not trust Erdogan and I am confident that Moscow never will. The man is clearly a delusional megalomaniac and his neo-Ottoman Islamist ideology is toxic and dangerous for the entire region. What Moscow needs to do is to work towards a weakened but stable Turkey which would not present a threat to the region: a Turkey purged from any imperial delusions.
Sputnik: How will Tehran’s decision to share its facilities with Russia affect the Russian aerial operation against Daesh? What lies behind Moscow’s decision to use Iran’s “Hamedan” airbase to attack terrorists? Why is the West fuming over the Russo-Iranian move?
The Saker: Tehran’s decision to allow Russia to use the Hamedan airbase will greatly facilitate the operations of the Russian Aerospace Forces against Daesh. First, using Hamedan, as opposed to using airfields in southern Russia, will greatly reduce the flight time to targets in Syria, allow the Russian aircraft to use a more fuel consuming mission profiles and to carry heavier weapon loads. No less important is the fact that using Hamedan will greatly complicate the US/NATO efforts to warn their “good terrorist” allies about an incoming Russian airstrikes: it will be harder for the US to detect Russian aircraft and when they do, they will have less time to warn their proxies on the ground. Furthermore, Hamedan is located in a very safe and well protected part of Iran which would be far safer to operate from than Khmeimim in Syria (which is located 1000km from Russia but only 50km from the Turkish border). I would say that Hamedan is an *ideal* location to operate from for the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The main reason for the Russian decision to use Hamedan is not only a technical one. The fact that the Iranians have now publicly made this base available to Russia indicates a deepening of the strategic collaboration between these two countries and a stronger Russian commitment to the defense of Syria against the foreign invaders, something which Tehran had been wanting the Russians to do for a long while. The Iranians have always been dubious, to say the least, about the Russian peace plans and now that the Russians are gradually coming to admit that Daesh did use this time to regroup, rearm and reorganize, the Russian move to Hamedan indicates that the Kremlin is serious about hitting Daesh as hard as need be to protect Syria from the Takfiri invasion.
The West is clearly unhappy about the boost in Russian capabilities the move to Hamedan represents. But the West is truly horrified at the deepening of the strategic partnership between Russia and Iran. At a time when the AngloZionist Empire is greatly weakened and generally clueless, the partnership between Iran and Russia has an immense potential, something which greatly angers and frightens the Neocons. This development also clearly seals Iran’s status as the most powerful country in the Middle-East, something which horrifies the Israelis and, even more so, the Saudis. For Iran to get the Russians to commit the way they now have is a major political success.
Sputnik: The US House of Representatives Joint Task Force released their initial findings on systematic distortion and altering analytic products to paint US efforts to fight Daesh in a more positive light by CENTCOM. Furthermore, despite that the complaint was first voiced in 2015, “neither CENTCOM, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, nor the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) took any demonstrable steps to improve the analytic climate within CENTCOM.” Joint Task Force also reported that it “did not receive access to all the materials it requested.” What lies behind the distortion of information about US’ operation in Syria? Is it somehow connected with the US’ “phony” aerial campaign in Syria which left Daesh’s positions intact during the “war on terror”? What political forces in the US are interested in hiding the truth about what the Pentagon/CIA are really doing in Syria?
The Saker: The US operations in Syria are really no different from what the US did in Afghanistan over 30 years ago. The US has been using various types of Takfiri crazies in many wars (Chechnia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, etc.) as what I call “foot soldiers for the Empire”. The only thing that changes is the label these forces operate under: whether “freedom fighters” or “moderate opposition”, they are still in reality only al-Qaeda or ISIS, and at the end of the day they are all one and the same: Takfiri crazies, managed by western special forces, paid for by Wahabi (Saudi) money and engaged against all those who refuse to bow to the Empire. Political reasons have forced the US to engage in a pretend war against Daesh just because it does not look very good when the 911 false flag is blamed on al-Qaeda while at the same time the USA are using all their power to prop-up, organize, protect and manage the very same al-Qaeda. Furthermore, there are some pretty clear signs that there is more than one US foreign policy now: there is a White House foreign policy, there is a Republicans in Congress foreign policy, there is a Pentagon foreign policy and, of course, there is a CIA foreign policy. And these various actors rarely pursue the same goals. This kind of “executive chaos” is a surefire sign that the top of the Executive Branch has been tremendously weakened and that various actors are now taking major political decisions in their own hands.
In contrast, Russia now has over 30 years of fighting against the Takfiri rot and she still is, along with Iran and Hezbollah, the main defense against Wahabi terrorism worldwide.
Sputnik articles:
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160818/1044398220/russia-turkey-syria.html
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160818/1044406395/russia-iran-hamadan-military-deployment.html
Thanks for posting the full interview. I’d read both Sputnik items earlier and was hoping to read what as left on the editing room floor. My comment at Sputnik:
“And when Iran graduates from being an Observer to Full Member of the SCO, the strategic partnership will deepen and broaden further, making it imperative for Turkey to finally choose between East and West. By decade end, the SCO ought to include most of Asia’s nations–even North Korea, likely as an observer–while easing the tensions and straightening out the chaos sowed by the Outlaw US Empire’s attempt to attain Full Spectrum Domination. Japan will remain the lone holdout until the current government’s replaced by one with clearer vision of Japan’s actual national interests and frees itself from occupation.”
I’m in a hurry – cos The car is packed and ready to go in the morning..I posted this on Craig Murray’s website (where I am banned most of the time). I think they are going to a Music Festival too – in Scotland. The one we are going to is in Southern England about 500 miles away.
This is what I wrote….
The Saker, is one of the most intelligent and honest bloggers I have ever come across – and his book is well worth buying cos it is massive and highly readable. He is a former? Military Analyst of Russian descent born in Switzerland, but who lives with his wife and family in Florida. He likes to remain anonymous – for fairly obvious reasons – if you read what he writes – but when he was outed by someone a few years ago – with a crap photo of him – but his full Russian name…He posted a very good photo of himself with a pint of beer in his hand and his beautiful wife kind of slightly blurred out – and asked his blog readers – should he try to remain semi-anonymous – or go full frontal?
I have massive respect for Craig Murray – but I have never nominated him for World Journalist of The Year in any year Yet (but if he gets 9/11 as the Saker has – he may be in with a shot in the future)
(John Ward of The Slog is doing extremely well this year – and he hasn’t got 9/11 either – its O.K. – I do understand a bit of psychology and cognitive dissonance)
The Saker was interviewed today by some Russian Newspaper or Website whatever published in English – and he said this as well as a lot of other things…
“The Saker: The US operations in Syria are really no different from what the US did in Afghanistan over 30 years ago. The US has been using various types of Takfiri crazies in many wars (Chechnia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, etc.) as what I call “foot soldiers for the Empire”. The only thing that changes is the label these forces operate under: whether “freedom fighters” or “moderate opposition”, they are still in reality only al-Qaeda or ISIS, and at the end of the day they are all one and the same: Takfiri crazies, managed by western special forces, paid for by Wahabi (Saudi) money and engaged against all those who refuse to bow to the Empire. Political reasons have forced the US to engage in a pretend war against Daesh just because it does not look very good when the 911 false flag is blamed on al-Qaeda while at the same time the USA are using all their power to prop-up, organize, protect and manage the very same al-Qaeda. Furthermore, there are some pretty clear signs that there is more than one US foreign policy now: there is a White House foreign policy, there is a Republicans in Congress foreign policy, there is a Pentagon foreign policy and, of course, there is a CIA foreign policy. And these various actors rarely pursue the same goals. This kind of “executive chaos” is a surefire sign that the top of the Executive Branch has been tremendously weakened and that various actors are now taking major political decisions in their own hands.”
Personally, I give that 10/10 – and that is just part of the interview…
Can you imagine any of the braindead American Zombies Representing the US State Department – and that is the best they can find..They are The PR – Jesus …they are not very good. Even I could do better than that – except no one outside of the UK would be able to understand my broad Lancashire accent (unless they were addicted to Coronation Street)
“Sputnik International interviews the Saker”
/sputnik-international-interviews-the-saker/
Tony
Tony,
Nobody gets to a power position in the west without having a useful mental deficit.
Graig murray repeats the various zionazi propaganda against Russia as gospell fact. Or did up till around 2010 when I stopped following his phony “rebellion” or posting on his site.
VT,
What I had in mind, and from personal experience, was along the lines of Kay Briggs. Worth some attention if it’s new to you.
Basically, the west’s educational process is a method of screening personality weaknesses rather than just ability. The height of this filter is the university.
If one has some talent and an exploitable weakness – you’re in.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=A0LEVznIdbZXGJUATYZXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0MnY2MjN0BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjE4NzlfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw–?p=kate+briggs+whistleblower&fr=&fr2=piv-web#id=1&vid=d835bbf5eb9d95ab4a8ce8de52bf7679&action=view
Murray is sleeze itself. He’ll take the shilling ’till he curls up his toes.
The 911 links on this blog link to dis-information only.
Dr Judy Wood’s book ‘Where Did The Towers Go’ is the place to start for anyone with an interest in the truth of what took place in New York City on that September morning.
Frankly, I’m surprised. I wonder why the Saker has a blind spot on the facts of 911.
Nothing has changed for the beasts, the word intelligence describing brain power no longer has meaning beyond more of the same from the same old, same old, same old, same old, same old….here below appears to be US version….
http://nsnbc.me/2016/08/12/the-cfr-is-the-most-powerful-private-organization-in-the-united-states/
Congratulations, you sounded in this interview as clear, fresh, bright, and really calling a spade a spade, as the first time I read something written by you, just by casuality, some years ago.
Glad to read from you the harsh reality about Erdogan, despite the new Russian-Turkish good relations and also the harsh and sad reality about the US foreign policy and its parenting/funding of ISIS and all the takfiri terrorism phenomena.
Thanks a lot for your last sentence and not forgetting Hezbollah.
Sorry to say, but you does not sound the same since some time ago in your own blog neither in your weekly article for the Unz Reiview, as if you both were not the same person.
I wonder why.
@Fatima Madonna
Strange, I have the same feeling: “not the same person”.
I think his UNZ ‘style’ is kind of ‘detached’ – analytics for the UNZ readership done with the ‘win/lose’ mindset of American cultural psychology in mind. Putin is similar in his ‘objective’ international communications, and only on home turf – and when he’s provoked too far by the madness – does he go ‘direct.’
The ‘direct’ Saker is still alive and kicking, thankfully, as this excellent interview shows.
Great stuff!
Putin Greenlights Economic Nationalists Who Oppose Current Liberal Globalist Policies.
Further signs that Russia is planning to decouple itself from the US-centered economic-financial system.
http://journal-neo.org/2016/08/02/putin-nyet-to-neo-liberals-da-to-national-development/
Is it true?If yes what do you think about this eventual move Saker?
And would a poison pill be left behind at Incerlik.?
The Garlic festival in Botswana along the Limpopo river is about to commence .Yeah right ; I thought that you would be wondering about it .Its a taste test between Russian Red and Elephant Chinese ,mixed with some Iranian nuts that the jews cherish .There is a lot happening in the ME as we speak and what direction that this will lead to is an open question . If per chance anyone attempts to understand or invoke Mackinder’s theory then it becomes as clear as spring water where the Planet is heading . If per chance anyone understands the reason for the start of WWI then the hostilities become clearer .If per chance anyone understands the rise of the Nazi prior to the second World War ,then a lot of the pieces start to fall into place .How about a game of Monopoly and the loser has to buy my Fiat car .Their not bad little cars and the chicks love them .the French have a similar car called the Clio with an impressive choice of engines .how erotic .When little Billy is born a great gathering is invoked in order to impress upon the parents the value of the event and to insure that the lineage continues ; mind you at the expense and hardship of the Working Class .This is known as ‘Social Darwinism’. Although a lion in a true Darwinian sense would harvest the slower weaker prey .Alas we are feed the nonsense that those ‘born on third base ‘ with nobody out are the superior race .So now we are witnessing an alliance of sorts between Russia and Iran and China with the wild card being Turkey -to strike the batters out.
Real questions, unreserved answers. How it’s supposed to be done.
“This development also clearly seals Iran’s status as the most powerful country in the Middle-East, something which horrifies the Israelis and, even more so, the Saudis.”
I would be interested in more elaboration on this claim. Why does Iran’s alignment with Russia make it more powerful than Israel which is obviously extremely close to the U.S., but also has a significant relationship with Israel (as you have discussed in illuminating terms in the past)? And especially when Iran is basically treated as a pariah by the U.S.? Is it because you see Russia as so much more poweful than the U.S. in the near-to-mid-term?
I don’t think it is very good at all. It’s hardly better than Western media (about Turkey). Sputnik is a (corrupt) joke once in a while, so are many ‘Russian analysts’.
Yes, Turkey is a murky mess right now and it is difficult to see clear as to what its leadership plans to do. 40,000 lower level Gulenists thrown into prison after these prisons have been emptied of anti social elements of a more base nature?—could this be? Surely there is a better way to break the back of this organization since they are Islamists much like Erdogan and could be won over via Loyalty oaths, re education campaigns etc. It just seems to me that the social costs will prove to be prohibitive if the approach continues to be so punitive.
Also, It seems as if the Turk’s antagonism towards Syria is unabated and its genocidal thrust against its Kurdish population continues. Both these policies are ill advised and ultimately self destructive.
there was something about a “controlled release ” of the announced 28000 being “held’—not sure if how when etc this will happen-if.
Good nuanced responses. Good work Saker
most excellent.Congrats.
“Commenting on the transfer of US tactical nuclear weapons from Turkey to Romania, the project director for defense and intelligence in the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, former Chief of Staff of troops antispace and Missile Defense US Army Brigadier General Retired Kevin Ryan admitted that it violation of Washington’s commitments to the fundamental act of the NATO-Russia.
“I doubt that we move the nuclear weapon in Romania, as it would, in my view, a violation of the Russia – NATO, as well as oral commitment not to deploy nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe”, – said an American military expert, “Interfax” .
At the same time, he stressed that the mere withdrawal of weapons from Turkey “would be a reasonable solution.” “But translating it to Romania would be a violation of the United States of its obligations is mainly for this reason that I have serious doubts.” – Ryan said.”
http://www.anna-news.info/node/62903
————————————————————After a sharp reorientation of Turkey in international relations associated with the attempt of a military coup, the United States began to translate stationed in Turkey’s nuclear weapons in Romania. This was reported on Thursday the European online edition EurActiv with reference to independent sources. According to a recent report Simson Center, writes EurActiv, 50 tactical nuclear weapons of the United States have been placed since the “Cold War” at the air base, “Incirlik” in Turkey, approximately 100 km from the Syrian border.
During the failed coup in Turkey in July, the Turkish government has banned flights of American aircraft to the base of it and continue to base commander arrested for his involvement in the coup attempt. Without answering the question remains whether the United States would be able to maintain control over these weapons in the event of a prolonged civil conflict in Turkey, the report said.
US-Turkey relations are so deteriorated after the coup that Washington no longer trusts Ankara to store nuclear weapons. His, according to a source publication, move on the Romanian base “Deveselu.”
“Deveselu”, said EurActiv, is the seat of the new US missile shield, which causes great discontent in Russia.
According to one of the sources of the online edition, the operation is very complicated technically and politically. It remains open to question – whether Ankara will bring these weapons and how this will change after the relationship of Turkey and NATO.:
http://www.anna-news.info/node/62900
———————————————————
weekly in rus language MFA briefing link
http://www.anna-news.info/node/62892
not noticed recent Min Defence briefings re Syria lately….?
——————————————————————-
he hosts regime Poroshenko in Washington continue to prepare Ukrainian neo-Nazis to an escalation of the military conflict in the Donbass. In particular, the US ambassador in the country “404” Jeffrey Payette said that in Ukraine in the coming days will come another batch of military aid.
“The United States provided assistance to Ukraine at $ 600 million. And I’m very proud of what has been achieved – and our military maneuvers in Yavorov, and modern weapons, even more thousands of night vision devices. New supplies will be in the coming days, “- said Payette.
On the question of whether Ukraine will receive ever known Javelin anti-tank missile complexes, the ambassador noted that the Ukraine is able itself to provide itself with the necessary weapons.
“Ukraine has a powerful defense industry and has the ability to produce its own ammunition. I hope that thanks to the cooperation between our industries in the coming months and years, the power of the defense industry of Ukraine will be strengthened “, – said the curator of the Kiev authorities illegal.”
http://www.anna-news.info/node/62879
BTW
Former US Ambassador to Kiev Geoffrey R. Pyatt in an interview with Ukrainian edition stated that Ukraine is not in need of the next tranche of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“From a practical point of view, today Ukraine does not need IMF tranche. The exchange rate is stable, reserves enough trust still there, “- Payette said. According to him, the IMF approached with caution to suspension of payments, so as not to destroy the credibility of Kiev and at the same time stress that adheres to its own rules.
Recall, after the adoption in March 2015 a four-year credit program of assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 17.5 billion dollars and transfers the first two tranches, in July 2016 the IMF, under various pretexts, among which were lack of work in Kiev in the reforms and the outstanding technical issues in the fund has suspended the transfer of funds. Now the question of the resumption of payments to the IMF is expected to consider at the end of August or in September.”
http://www.anna-news.info/node/62890
scheming to avoid paying debt back to Russia?
——————————————————
SEVASTOPOL, August 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Crimea to hold a meeting with the members of Russia’s Security Council and attend the Tavrida youth educational forum.
At the previous meeting with the Security Council on August 11, the president discussed additional security measures for citizens and infrastructure facilities in Crimea after foiled terrorist attacks on the peninsula earlier this month. The sides considered in detail “the scenarios of measures of anti-terrorist security on the land border, in the water area and in the airspace of Crimea,” the Kremlin press service said.
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Last week, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had thwarted attempted terrorist attacks in Crimea plotted by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s main intelligence directorate. A group of saboteurs was spotted in the small hours of August 7 near the city of Armyansk, close to the border with Ukraine. Two Russian servicemen were killed in the process of detaining the terrorists. The aborted terror attempts were designed to target Crimea’s critical infrastructure and vital facilities, the FSB said.
Putin slammed the Ukrainian special services’ attempted sabotage plot in Crimea as irrational and criminal. The real purpose was to distract public attention from Ukraine’s current domestic quagmire, he added. Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko has dismissed Moscow’s accusations saying this was a provocation.
The Tavrida forum, which has been held since 2014, is attended by young composers, choreographers, architects, writers, poets, film directors and actors. This year, the forum kicked off on July 1 and will run until August 24. Some 3,000 young people aged between 18 and 30 are taking part in the event. These are young professionals from across Russia and neighboring countries. The goal of the forum is to form professional communities consisting of young cultural figures.
More:
http://tass.com/politics/895038
A great and very sincere interview by The Saker. The analysis on the situation of Turkey and the wider region is spot on.
“The Iranians have always been dubious, to say the least, about the Russian peace plans and now that the Russians are gradually coming to admit that Daesh did use this time to regroup, rearm and reorganize, the Russian move to Hamedan indicates that the Kremlin is serious about hitting Daesh as hard as need be to protect Syria from the Takfiri invasion.”
I find this to be most true, as I have also earlier said in my previous article, the entire ceasefire deal was always about Washington trying to buy time and breathing room for their proxies as they were being severely beaten on multiple front. Washington however did succeed in halting the Syrian-Iranian-Russian momentum unfortunately. Hopefully, the deepening of the Iranian-Russian cooperation may breathe new life into the Syrian Army to continue it’s advancements on the Western-backed throatcutters in Aleppo and Latakia, and ultimately in Idlib, the takfiri stronghold province.
One unintended consequence of Erdogan’s assertive, Islamist rule is that Bulgaria has started lately to remember how much they owe the Russians. I am sure the Bulgarians are very leery of the mad man and his relativity powerful and numerous army sitting across Bulgarians south east border. Add to this the unpredictable nature of this mad dog, and you know why they started to cosy up to the Russian lately. There no way on earth the Americans or any other NATO country would save them during a potential conflict with Turkey ( in which they would clearly be the underdog); hence, their more recent covert attempted to sooth Russia’s interests in the region. Why this country ( from all of them) has even jointed NATA rabid dogs, is beyond my comprehension power. They owe the filthy Americans nothing, but everything to Russia.
Bulgaria’s elite wanted to “be like the Jones’s”. And the only way to do that was join NATO and act anti-Russian. They couldn’t care less that their country only exists because Russia freed them from the Ottoman’s (oh “that’s so 19th century”). Today they “might” be “starting” to realize what a mistake they’ve made. But by now there are plenty of Russians that are thinking,”you made your bed,now lay in it”.Your “brat” can only hit you so many times,before you begin to think.Maybe he isn’t family after all.
Well put, Uncle Bob 1. My impression is that the Eastern European countries are basket cases and also quite satisfied to be precisely that. Even such an apparent “success story” as Czechoslovakia in the interwar years isn’t really any exception. By lucky accident, her industry was inherited intact right from the Habsburg Empire, and her domestic and foreign policy largely dictated by the French and British all the way to the heinous Munich accord in 1938.
The period of Soviet rule was the only exception, bringing with it modernization/social progress in general and industrialization in particular. As we can see today, Soviet magnanimity is of no concern to Eastern Europeans. Western imperialism has destroyed everything bringing about heavy de-population and soaring unemployment. But being basket cases is OK with Eastern Europeans. Their political preferences speak for themselves.
Important: “Furthermore, there are some pretty clear signs that there is more than one US foreign policy now: ….”
The question is not when and why Turkey went crawling to Russia – it had no choice.
The question is When and Why Turkey was dumped as a partner by the US.
When. This happened after the November shootdown (when the world’s press was entirely behind Turkey) but before Syrian Peace Talks in February (since when the world’s press has been highly critical of Erdogan without ever explaining their reasons.
As an example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=054JgzvqbV0
The BBC Hard talk team talk to Editor of the English language part of Zaman, the newspaper group taken over by Erdogan. Hardtalk interview a long list of people delivered straight to them by the CIA. Phillpinos complaining about Chinese islands, sons and daughters of imprisoned Khordokovsky and Tymoshenko and so on. But there have been plenty of other examples from February on in all the media.
Why? Who knows – but this is the vital question to understand anything. My hunch is that the US (the Obama part probably) has chosed to push all blame for ISIS onto Turkey.
“Furthermore, there are some pretty clear signs that there is more than one US foreign policy now: there is a White House foreign policy, there is a Republicans in Congress foreign policy, there is a Pentagon foreign policy and, of course, there is a CIA foreign policy.” Yes, all true. and this conglomeration of “foreign Policy” has been bought and paid for by a very familiar entity which has been overlooked.
Amazing progress for you Saker, from just a blog barely two years ago to a sought after geo-strategic political and military analyst by major news organisations like Sputnik..congratulations are in order!
If this news article is true, it looks like the Americans are trying to quit cold Turkey (pardon the pun).
US moves nuclear weapons from Turkey to Romania
http://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/us-moves-nuclear-weapons-from-turkey-to-romania/
I have never seen evidence that Iran had a full commitment to Syria. Using proxies like Hezbollah was the vast majority of its effort. And it failed. Russia had to come save Syria.
Iran played Syria like it played Iraq. With just enough concern and effort to not win. In fact, losing both nations to US proxy jihadis. A Caliphate was close to formed.
Now that Russia is in the war (and running it if not fighting it alone) Iran is doing a bit more.
The Kurds turned Iraq around with some Shiite militias and US air power.
The Russians and some Kurds, Syrian Army, Hezbollah, Quds force special forces have fought the vast hundreds of militias arrayed with AQ and ISIS. No sign the Iranians are there in any big way.
Iran has been a small military influence in both battle fields.
Russia is the key.
Also, I would add this. Perhaps, the Chinese would bring planes and base them in Iran and fly sorties along with the Russians. A dozen planes would be very helpful.
China has great stakes in Iraq. They could fly first in Syria and then assist Iraq later.
Assuming the mooted concept of 4 factions one might ask about the stability of such a situation, and how the situation might evolve. Given this, let us assume that one of the set of 4 attacks Russia… Would it not them dominate the other 3?
A lack of executive control, “executive chaos”, is obviously a transient situation and inherently unstable.
Many might reason that the Empire will attempt to restore internal cohesion by attacking Russia. Of course they must claim that Russia attacked the Empire, but this is a trivial detail.
Let us hope I’m wrong, or that the attack, if it occurs, is so fubar that no response is liable to take place.
Pax
Saker, as usual, very didactic and showing us the “intra-history” of relations between cuntries, which are never black/white.
One question: I have read that Khmeimim, more than an air-force base, is an srutiny center, to counter NATO moves form Incirlik. Is it truth?
It is asked “One question: I have read that Khmeimim, more than an air-force base, is an srutiny center, to counter NATO moves form Incirlik. Is it truth?”
I know nothing about the specific base.
Forward operating base, any such base in any military organisation, is going to have sigint capacity. It was said in media that Russian sigint gave the tip-off to Erdo – through proper channels of course.
Sigint personnel and equipment have to have a location that is defensible and near the combat information center. One of the things they search for are sappers. Part of their function is force protection.
Where would you put your sigint people?
That ought to make it clear…
In another matter, notice that the opsec for Crimea is pretty tight now…nothing being said.
So, now we wait for another shoe to drop….
Pax.
While I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer I/we do understand a suggestion made during a very interesting and polite conversation over a cup or five of tea after lunch in City Center a few days past.
Auslander
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I think there was something missing from the discussion of Erdogan; whatever his personal feelings and opinions, his actions will be influenced by Turkish domestic politics. A discussion of Turkish politics may be asking a lot, but I am just saying it was missing. I think political discussions can focus too much on personalities.
I have been learning who the actors in the New (since 9/11 set up) World Order militarised US Governmental obsessions are and their backgrounds. They seem to emanate from US Senator Prescott Bush, long term Senator from the State of Connecticut, then his son G.W. Bush1, his grandson, G.Bush 11. Recent researchers as to when the change in US Government to a Facist State
occurred attach it to the Bush Dynasty. For excellent reasons and common sense.
The key to being able to use a presently outdated deep respect for the USA is the fuel behind her “request of obedience to her wishes” and to achieving 100% obedience as the ‘respect’ is couched in the fear of the atomic extinction President Harry Truman carefully inspired by dropping those Atom bombs on an already defeated Japan. In the 1940s. Each year since that fear of extinction has be careful tweeted by the US Pentagon using it’s diabolically inspired Regime Change global war tool, it’s NATO World War Club.
9/11 was the prefect time to allow the US passenger planes to hit their planned targets and use the chaos to remove all US law for US regime change on itself. A perfect set up. Every law made since 9/11 is, or must become, null and void as none are based on any laws at all. Only whim.
In my limited research reading and limited access, the considerations are entirely not used in analysing the present, thereby emaciating all discussions and future plans. A lawless, Facistt, American can not stand. As all can see it is grovelling for the global control is it losing. Control that cannot be bought other than humanly. A humanity the leader US with follower EU is carefully eliminating.
Sorry, Suzanne, you’ve been had. You are barking up the wrong tree.
Newton’s third law of motion states that aluminium aeroplanes cannot disappear into steel framed buildings.
And why did all the US weather presenters forget to bring their hurricane symbol to work with them that day? Did you know there was a hurricane off the coast of NYC on the morning of 9/11?
Hurricane Erin marched directly at NYC for the ten days prior to 9/11 with never a mention on the MSM (it was mentioned on a few local coastguard radio stations) … it stopped in its track at 8am on the morning of 9/11 and sat off the coast of NYC until 5.30pm that afternoon (its nearest point to NYC) … then it took a right angle turn from its course of the previous ten days and headed out to sea.
Humm. I wonder if hurricane Erin had anything to do with the destruction of WTC1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7?
Check the facts at the scene of the crime before speculating on who dunnit. First question: What happened? Second question: How ? Third question: Who? Fourth question: Why?
Read Dr Judy Wood’s book ‘Where Did The Towers Go?’ and become familiar with the facts surrounding this spectacular demonstration of a weapon we have not previously seen in the public domain.
The world witnessed a similarly spectacular demonstration of a new weapon in August 1945 over Japan.
One curious characteristic of this latest demonstration of destructive power was the absence of heat. Stven Jones (Journal of 911 Truth) was instumental in the late 1980’s of railroading Pons and Fleischmann’s announcement of successful experiments in LENR (low energy nuclear reactions) – the popularly mis-named ‘cold fusion’.
Steven Jones and Richard Gage are paid to mis-lead and mis-direct the public.
» 9/11 was the prefect time to allow the US passenger planes to hit their planned targets … «
You’ve been had, there were no planes. And no victims either. Because the towers were empty. No people in there. The “jumpers” were dummies. Hollywood smokes and mirrors, all artificial. La société du spectacle. Television is the tool to fool and rule the sheople. Cash is the glue to solder solid conspiracies. Read Philip Jayhan and Larry McWilliams alias do2read over at LetsRollForums.com lest you persist in these 9/11 illusions.
» fear of the atomic extinction «
Time’s up on that one, too. Google: Anders Björkman Heiwaco tripod bomb. Good news. Ignore the Judy Wood disinfo nonsense recommended by Anonymous, meant to sidetrack 9/11 skeptics into nuclear hoaxland.
“Eventually, Turkey will have to chose between two mutually exclusive civilizational models…”
I think, Turkey with or without Erdogan, will try instead to make those two models chose and compete for the benevolence of Turkey. Bizantine politics. Ottoman (Osman) empire, the dream of Turkey, regarded itself as the only rightful successor of the later East Roman empire known also as Bizantium and inherited its politics (quite disastrous at the end btw), the Sultans called themselves officially Kaiser ar-Rum etc.
R
Keep the resistance going against the anglo-zionist and even better keep them guessing with the new alliance of resistance to anglo-zionist hegemony. Turkish PM who recently ,publicly stated that the RuAf can have the use of the Incirlik military base to bomb the takfiris would have gone down a treat bak in anglozionlandia.