Running out of time, and desperate to gather focus and forces to fast pivot east to confront a rapidly rising Chinese superpower, America is currently arranging for its exit from the Middle East in a way that militarily secures its allies and proxies there, especially that of Israel. Naturally, it has to pick a top dog from its kennel of allies to police the region in its absence, and pick one, indeed, it has.
Turkey.
Not Israel.
This explains the wanton and brazen geostrategic moves that Turkey has been making of late in Iraq, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Yemen, in Libya, in Algeria and even in Greece: all seemingly with America’s approval.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf nations and Israel have all been side-stepped for this lauded position and the crown has been handed over to Turkey. Turkey: the global capital of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Of course, this choice and policy have not been made officially public, but all indications clearly point in this direction and to this conclusion. Many will be surprised that Israel, the US’s number one ally was not chosen to continue in its role as the US’s attack dog in the Middle East, especially after many contiguous decades of holding this powerful position. Let us therefore look at why Turkey was chosen over Israel, and there we will find many a cynical reason.
First, after Wahabism/ISIS was defeated in Lebanon, in Iraq, in Syria, and to a large extent in Yemen, it has been downgraded as incompetent and therefore disposable, and the nation allies that provided the Wahabi fodder have therefore also been downgraded and elbowed right off the pick list. Egypt has been elbowed off too as Israel, AIPAC and the US’s Deep State have a deep distrust of Cairo and would never allow it to militarily dominate the Middle East because the vast majority of the Egyptian people remain aligned with Pan Arabism, despite the Egyptian government being pro ‘normalization’ with Israel.
And Israel? Well, here lies the great deception in outwardly picking Turkey. Israel in fact will very much remain a ‘shadow enforcer’ of the region that dictates its needs to DC, and DC will subsequently dictate Israel’s wishes to Ankara, and furthermore, Ankara will therefore be operating the frontlines to enable continuing Israeli theft of Arab land and resources. Simply, Israel is currently incapable of both policing and simultaneously thieving more Arab land, all due to the Axis of Resistance holding Tel Aviv in its military crosshairs. Israel can currently only perform one task: incremental land theft WITHIN Historic Palestine, and not without. Its current military weak status cannot be stretched out across the region where military challenges to its power are on the increase by the Axis of Resistance. No longer able to go to war with its neighbors, yet absolutely needing to go to war to reverse the strategic pincer that its neighbors and their allies have forced upon its neck, Israel today is militarily checked and its very head lays in a guillotine, therefore, to assign it any further regional policing duties would be too risky for both Empire and the security of Israel itself. Israel will have to contend itself with merely operating safely from behind the Turkish back, albeit for the foreseeable future.
The advantages of picking Turkey are the following:
1- Being a member of NATO, it can call on NATO’s army to assist it in any major military challenges it may face from the Axis of Resistance and other regional upstarts, be they in Iraq, Syria or even in Egypt. After all, who better suppress the Arabs than the Arabphobic Ottomans with their 400 years experience in Arab oppression? The Turks certainly have a much larger army than Israel, and their air force is not exactly made of paper-mâché. The Turkish Deep State has no problem standing in the frontlines of battles against Arab nations (and Iran!) while a geopolitically weak Israel steals more Arab land for Greater Israel, so long as a Turkish Empire can possibly re-emerge out of this equation. Israelis are desperate to weaken their Arab and Iranian foes, and seeing that neither Wahabism nor the IDF can no longer be relied on to do this, so… enters the Turkish army, backed by NATO if need be, to do just that for them.
2- Unlike Israel, Turkey can call upon its vast cache of local and global Muslim Brotherhood militias and institutions to repress and challenge the Axis of Resistance wherever it may be needed. Turkey has no problem losing Iran and Russia as allies over this as it will be rewarded with expanded trade deals with Europe and the US instead – and here the prospect of reviving a new Ottoman Empire at the cost of Arab losses is just impossible for Erdogan and the Turkish Deep State to resist.
Israel and ISIS militaries combined have failed to successfully confront or even put a dent in the Axis of Resistance shield and military advancement, so it now falls on Turkey’s army and its Muslim Brotherhood global proxies to take on this role. Here America would be strategically foolish itself to take on the Axis of Resistance on the battlefield, as it will find itself in a quagmire deeper than Vietnam when it is needing to withdraw from the region to address the rapid rise of Chinese power.
So Turkey’s pick makes perfect geostrategic sense to Pax Americana.
Moreover, regarding Israel’s security, Turkey could come in through the north of Lebanon to rescue Israel if need be, thus sandwiching the Lebanon and Hezbollah tight between the Israeli military in the south and the unleashed post-Ottoman army in the north. This is very desirable for the Israeli military architects.
Also, importantly, the US bringing Turkey closer into its fold gives the Pentagon unfettered marine access to neighboring Russia: Turkey here being a mere marine hop away from Russian waters and its mainland.
It certainly appears to make geopolitical and military sense for the US to choose Turkey as policeman and police dog at this time, but, who guards the dog? How will the US and Israel check Turkey’s insatiable Ottomanesque expansionist ambitions in the process? Well, there are many ways to check Ankara, some are carrots and some are sticks. The carrots being offered to Ankara are preferential and enticing new trade deals with Europe and America, gas-pipe deals with Israel, and here the ultimate golden carrot that can be dangled would be Turkey’s admission to the Europe Union (or what’s left of it) – a reward that Ankara has for decades aspired to achieve but failed at.
And should Turkey do anything that upsets Israel while policing the mideast, the supremely harsh stick would be the cutting off of all existing trade deals with American and Europe, plus massive US sanctions that would quickly sink the Turkish Lira, as indeed the US had intentionally dabbled with last year. And, worst of all sticks would be the US’s public support and mass funding of Kurdish groups inside of Turkey: a color revolution designed to unseat Erdogan and his party, as well as throw the Turkish nation into a sudden tailspin of internal unrest and mass violence.
Summarized, with the choice of Turkey, you will have a trio of Arabphobes ruling and policing the middle east: the US, Israel and Turkey. Turkey taking the position of the front lines, backed by the US, and commanded by Tel Aviv.
To conclude, Turkey is the US and Israel’s new ISIS.
*Note to reader: this is a theoretical article that may prove to be right off the mark, or right on the mark – you decide. Nevertheless, right or wrong, I wanted to share my plausible theory here with y'all.
Here's a geostrategic map of the Russia-Turkey equation and how the US can massively gain from unfettered access to Turkish waters in the Black Sea:
Recently, so much of America's actions in the mideast have made no geostrategic sense. Some mideast and Empire analysts have lamented that America is confused and doesn't know what it's doing. But I think it knows perfectly well what it's doing, it just does not want to yet publicly announce it for fear of exposing its own and its allies current weaknesses. Perhaps the analysis in my above article vis-a-vis the Turkey pick will now make sense of recent US actions and indulgences of Turkey, and thus unravel the US's intentionally obscured new plans.
The pertinent question here: with israel’s IDF being recently exposed as nothing more than a “Hollywood army” who’s afraid of its own shadow, is it not a little too late to line up Turkey as a protector and fodder for tel aviv when the longevity of israel itself is now in question and evident to the whole world?
The choice of Turkey indicates a lack of powerful mideast allies that the US can today fully rely on.
Really, the US gambles much with the choice of Turkey as Turkey’s MO is to behave as rogue against master and superior.
The Turkey choice will sure turn out to be yet another plucked-turkey decision by the US.
Failure await all mideast nations who have historically aligned and continue to align with the US. The Axis of Resistance is at least ten steps ahead of the US and all of its mideast allies combined. And it’s modest enough not to bang on pots and pans about it.
Canthama posted a link to this at syrianperspective.com. I think you the are correct regarding the intentions of the globalists, but are you fully aware of what's going on in the US internally? I don't think either the US or Turkey has the strength left to pull it off.
The US is on a superhighway to I know not where, Medical totalitarianism, which is leading to economic collapse and already being resisted by many, or possibly de facto secession by several states. So far, the military has refused to take sides, nor is it unified enough to be effective internally. Saker has an interesting take and also links to a short piece by a Russian analyst who foresees a disputed election and diarchy – https://www.unz.com/tsaker/russia-and-the-next-presidential-election-in-the-usa/
If Trump wins and retains control of the military, we'll see 4 more years of the US losing allies and influence. God help us if Biden wins. He will likely empower neocon and liberal interventionists who still believe the US military is the most powerful in the world. Their arrogance is likely to precipitate a very sudden military disaster that not even Putin wants because of the danger it could escalate to a Northern Hemisphere holocaust.
Thanks Anonymous.
Yes, I am aware of the crumbling of the American Republic – I’ve been writing about it and sending alarm signals for a good two decades – my article archives on Platos and my prolific commenting on other blogs pre-Platos testify to this.
I am fully aware that any crumbling Empire will also experience a simultaneous crumbling of its Republic. And it doesn’t matter who is in the WH, it doesn’t matter if it’s Biden or Trump: it’s all the same policies that are directed towards enabling the expansion of Empire. Empire doesn’t care what protests are taking place on its own turf, it cares only about further control of the world’s resources. It cares not if you, its tax-paying citizen, live or die, it only cares that you pay your taxes even in death. You are not its enemy, you are its obedient minion. Empire’s enemy is the nation/nations that has/have the capability to compete with it over the resources of the world.
I do not support either left or right parties in the US. I hate them both equally. Because they are two sides of the same coin. The war coin. I’m so over the illusion of the 2-party system. The 2-party paradigm is a false one, a snake-oil sales partnership between the Democrats and the Republicans. You vote for them but they do not serve you. They serve only themselves, their families and their friends. And above all, they serve Empire.
Whoever wins the next election will just continue with the already forged path that Empire is on in the mideast and around the world.
I really hope you are not expecting ANY change to happen – because it wont. Even if civil war or State secession occurs, Empire will continue to hobble on its failed path to its last fetid breath.
(I've just visited Syrianperspective due to your mentioning and I must make one correction in Canthama's post. I do not actually give Elijah Magnier any information or direct confirmation of anything. He appears to be credibly well connected and well-sourced himself. He most certainly doesn't need me for anything. He and I are independent people who happen to appreciate each other's work. It's really just as simple as that. The big difference between us is that he is a professional journalist and I am but a mere humble observer of the same political arena).
Sorry for that Taxi, just wanted folks to know you are well knowledgeable on all matters in Lebanon nowadays. Folks at Syrper are well aware of Elijah for years, but really believe folks at Syrper would gain a lot through platosguns. I understand Elijah has a lot of connections and knowledge on Lebanon as well.
No worries at all, dear Canthama. I’d be honored to help out Elijah should the occasion ever arise, but as I stated earlier, he really does not need my help whatsoever.
Taxi, just added a note at Syrper referring to the above.
"Taxi just kindly remind me that Elijah has his own sources in Lebanon and she is not one of them. Sorry, my bad."
I don’t expect our State Department to announce Turkey’s promotion as new bad-cop of the middle east any time soon. Did they announce their ISIS terrorist army as such? No, they didn’t. The ISIS file was a top-secret policy file in our Deep State’s basement. The ‘Turkey bad-cop’ file will probably be treated in the same way. Therefore, you have only your smarts to discern the truth.
We must thus not rely on ‘statements’ by officials holding office. They have no credibility left by now and therefore the veracity of their statements will always be suspect. But, we MUST rely on our own unprejudiced common sense. We must be vigilant witnesses and observe all players’ ‘behaviorism’ from all possible angles. We must look for existing patterns of behavior, especially subterranean and ulterior ones, and seek answers as to why this behavior is now being played out away from the eyes of the world.
You could be right. Turkey was starting to look East to Russia and China with its Silk Roads, a trend the US definitely is trying to spike. It also helps the US control the EU where the US is losing its grip. And it is consistent with the divide and conquer (or control) strategy the US inherited from the UK (some would say US foreign policy is substantially run – manipulated – by the UK).
It could well blow up in Turkeys face. Major powers are starting to align against it. And going back to the past (Islamic State and Ottoman Empire) is not strength but shows weakness.
The US has a record of running and abetting Muslim Brotherhood networks from the end of WW2. US officials support the MB even to violating US law.
Right you are about the benefits of the US hoarding Turkey for itself and away from the power-nations of the east, dear Arius.
But, I don’t really foresee any of the nations crying foul over Turkey’s involvement in Libya posing any serious military challenges to it. And if they do, and they are US allies, then we will know for sure that Turkey’s wanton actions in Libya are not aided and approved by the CIA.
Remember, politics is pickled in deception, therefore a good half of what politicians project or say is just pure theater. Lip frigging service!
And yes, the MB have long been agents of chaos in the hands of the US (and the UK before that!). Let us never forget here how President Nasser of Egypt, when he took power in 1954, offered the Egyptian MB a political partnership and they responded by an attempted assassination on him that failed. Who does that except an agent working for the big satan?!
I would add that Muslin Brotherhood has deep ties in the DC, it did run a lot of foreign policies during Obama/Hillary time, thus the "Arab Spring" which was in fact a Muslin Brotherhood take over of MENA, since the T was already MB.
In a simplistic way…US=UK=Israel=ISIS=Muslin Brotherhood=KSA=Qatar=Turkey. These freaks are all connected, in many levels, for decades.
One issue I see is that Iran has good relationship with Turkey and Qatar, even supporting the GNA/Muslin Brotherhood freaks in Libya, so how this plays out in all TMENA MB imbroglio is still a question mark.
Then there is Russia, totally at odds against MB, and surely China due to the Uighur terrorists, so how these two will navigate on this rough waters is still unknown, judging by Syria, they are toward fully eradicate MB from Syria and apparently in Libya as well.
I still believe Egypt can play a way more important role in the the future, Egypt is a historical enemy of Turkey (like Russia in many ways), and moreover due to MB presence in Egypt, so if Egypt continues to strengthen its military and finally find a way to break up its current strategic alignment with Israel-KSA, then Egypt may indeed play a bigger role in MENA, as many people say…Egypt is the heart of MENA.
Last but not least, during many years at Syrper we pointed out the deep links between Turkey and Israel, what you wrote above shows that these links are now possibly being put to play, and Erdogan/MB is acting as Israel/US lapdog, for years folks like pennyforyourthoughts went nuts against this hypothesis…and it seems what we discussed back then was on these line all along.
Thanks for your comment, Canthama. You touch on a very complex relationship between Qatar and Iran, and also between Turkey and Iran.
To break it down simply: their long trading history aside, the political relationship between Qatar and Iran is one of mutual realpolitik, not of ideology. Both share common regional enemies: Saudi Arabia and its midget Gulf fiefdoms. They do not share anything else in common. Qatar is very friendly with both israel and the US who have both been on a relentless savage mission to destroy Iran for over four decades, and Iran squares this up with its need to use Qatar as an injurious thorn in the Saudi eyeball – just as Iran uses its (verbal) support for Turkey’s presence in Libya as a proxy attack against Hafter and his US-Saudi patrons. It is very geopolitically important for Iran to create as many wedges for the US and its Arab allies in the mideast, thus it (temporarily) befriends ‘the enemy of my enemy’. Iran needs to do this as it is outnumbered by neighboring Arab states and therefore it behooves it to keep the GCC nations divided and in emotional disarray: here Iran befriending Qatar is vital for this mission. Realpolitik is the ONLY game being played here by Iran. Mindful here that ALL relationships between nations that are based on realpolitik are temporary ones, liable to change even overnight if political equations suddenly change. For instance, the relationship between Qatar and Iran would go instantly bust if the US was to use its Qatari military base there to strike at Iran, especially if the hit Iranian target was of exceptionally high value, ie its nuclear plants.
The history of the relationship between Iran and Turkey is pretty much the same as the history between Turkey and Russia: one of much bloodshed. With this in mind, you can bet your farm that should Iran no longer have reason to do realpolitik with Turkey, both sides will turn their daggers towards each other.
Realpolitik is about making and utilizing allies, not about making reliable friendships. The reason why the Axis of Resistance is unbreakable is because the relationship between its members is one of true and affectionate friendship and not of realpolitik. This is a HUGE advantage that the Axis of Resistance enjoys over its enemies who are members of the Axis of Evil. Even the relationship between israel and the US is one of realpolitik and not of REAL friendship as the jewy media would have you believe. Israel’s relationship with the US is based on lucrative and politically exploitative blackmail ops in DC, and the US’s friendship with israel is based on maintaining Pax Americana’s hegemony in the east Mediterranean: the most important and vital geostrategic coastal strip in Empire’s catalogue.
And you are correct, there has ALWAYS been a positive security relationship between israel and Turkey, regardless of Turkey’s intermittent ‘lip-service’ support for the Palestine cause. Turkey and israel have much in common, the most important glue that binds them is their incurable Arabphobia and their declared intentions of usurping Arab land and resources. It benefits both israeli and Turkish ambitions to have a weakened Arab Umma.
If Egypt wants to both strengthen its hand in the regional geopolitcs as well as resolve the Libya war, they should lauch a massive invasion of Libya. 50,000 troops, backed with air and armour could proceed with blitzkreig speed over the mostly empty desert that separates the Egyptian-Libyan border from the GNA occupied part of Libya. They could get there within a day or two, and simply overwhelm the GNA freaks and their Turkish allies. In fact, Egypt should have invaded the moment the first Turkish soldier set foot on Libyan soil.
And just what could Erdogan do about it? He can't invade Egypt directly, as Syria, Trans-Jordan and Occupied Palestine separate Egypt from Turkey. Invade by sea? Likely a good deal of his navy would end up on the bottom of the Mediterranean.. With the advent of recent missle technology, warships seem to be becoming obsolete.
Antoinetta III
Thank you dear Antoinetta. In theory, you’re right about Egypt, but I fear it’s a little too late for their Libya invasion. They should have done this as soon as Kaddafi was sadistically murdered: when less nations with bulky militaries were involved on the ground in the Libya arena.
But really, it is useless now to rely on Egypt for any consequential military action anywhere in the mideast. Sisi, now under the umbrella of US-israel-saudi is but a flaccid soldier – his trio of masters have made sure of this by maintaining their long-held policy of keeping the ‘Egyptian belly only half-full’.
And even if Egypt’s belly was filled, then Sisi should first attack israel and aid in the liberation of Historic Palestine. This will much enhance Egyptian power projection in the mideast and worldwide. Currently, Egypt remains the chloroformed Arab giant. Note how nowadays it can’t even defend its Nile waters against the thieving, isreal-backed Ethiopia.
No one should depend on Egypt to do the right thing till after israel has been annihilated and a new mideast status quo has been established in favor of the natives.
Hi Taxi, excellent analysis although I have to agree with Anonymous that as the anglozionist empire shrinks (as all empires do) I think it’s overstretch will become unsustainable and the necessary economic and military support for Israel and Turkey will become untenable. That and the fact that both Turkey and the hegemon are equally unreliable (and non-agreement capable) suggests that if this geopolitical arrangement was fully established it would quickly (and chaotically) unravel itself. TEP.
Thanks for your important point, TEP. Allow me please to say that despite the truth and logic of your comment, Empire is still a ways from going bust and unable to afford its expensive acts of global evil. Think here of the continuing ginormous budget for our military, currently at $686.1 billion. And coincidentally, only yesterday I read this article here on the subject matter: U.S. Defense Spending During and After the Pandemic
Notice how even though the article is somewhat critical of our defense spending, it nevertheless ends with support for this spending: fear of the rise of China overtaking the fear of the mass costs of COVID.
One thing we must always bare in mind is that Empire issues are separate from the Republic’s and its needs come before the well-being of the citizenry. Empire would always choose to buy bullets instead of milk for its babies. This was always and forever thus with every past empire.
Excellent article Taxi, as usual. Plausible theory for sure. As others here have noted, the US is too mired in its own slow demise and eventual probable fracturing into regional states for it to succeed for long in foreign mischief. The US faces a sort of balkanization of north America, possibly into as many as four regions; time will tell. This too is theoretical but I think likely. Thus the US is unable to regain mastery of the middle east, even with Turkey and israel as its instruments. With the apartheid state awaiting its coming decapitation at the hands of the Resistance, Turkey will soon find it has its hands in too many pockets. Russia will tame Turkey if push comes to shove.
Thanks, Saladin. And you’re absolutely correct to note that the ME is currently slipping away from the hands of Pax America. I see its promotion of Erdo as the last move it can play in the grand mideast chess game. And you’re right when you indicate that currently, only Russia can leash up the mad dog of Ankara.
And regarding the plausible and seemingly imminent fragmentation of the US: now that the ‘America Dream’ has been exposed as nothing more than an elitist instrument to control the American masses, I remain partial to the concept that having a McDonalds on every street corner in every state is simply not glue enough to bind the corrosive identitarianism that the American society has fallen prey to. It’s ironic how all ills that Pax Americana has been doing onto the world since Perestroika have boomeranged right back at its face at home.
Final thought: R.I.P. to all the victims of the American Dream.
Meanwhile, here in the land of milk and honey, the noose tightens on Billary:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/here-are-top-highlights-ghislaine-maxwells-unsealed-court-records
Bill Clinton was allegedly on pedo island with ‘2 young girls’
Thanks Cloak. Any article about Epstein’s Lolita island or about his cohorts that doesn’t include info on israel’s mosad is but for titillation. Pure distraction from the crucial fact that it was a ‘blackmail island’ run by a pervy jewish mosad agent: to coerce powerful Americans and other high-profile international figures into doing israel’s bidding. And any released documents related to the case that don’t include the mention of the mosad is bullshit peanut shells for the cheap seats.
Yours is a well thought out thesis and Turkey appears to have a military with the size and resources to make more trouble than any other ME candidate for US policy execution.
Turkey is quickly turning into a financial basket case , so I believe the tell for your thesis will be whether and the degree to which the US/EU steps in to provide Turkey with the credit and debt relief it must have. Erdogan is the best political street fighter in the ME and he likely will play the US/EU against the threat he will turn to China for relief, as noted in the link above. His use of Chinese Uighurs in Syria will complicate his dealings with China. I believe this will queer any deal with China.
The Turkish admiral who developed Turkey's E.Med policy to pursue energy was fired recently, but this may be merely an internal battle inside the Turkish military hierarchy.
Erdogan has a reputation for pursuing his neo-Ottoman wet dreams at the expense of internal domestic financial considerations. If he can't deliver the goods for his domestic supporters, he may bring his rule down. That's why US/EU financial support will likely determine how far the US is willing to go to empower Erdogan.
Thank you for both your cogent comments and links, POGOHERE.
As you rightly point out, Turkey under Erdogan is a dirty-mean streetfighter that’s concerned ONLY AND EVER with its neo-Ottoman project of dominating the middle east and the plentifully-resourced waters of Greece and Cyprus. His internal opposition, the CHP party has taken up the motto of: “Peace at home, peace in the world”, in direct opposition to Erdo’s current actions in the region. Here, if memory serves, Erdo also had adopted this motto during his first election race, but turned a 180-degrees on it and practiced the exact opposite soon as he got into power. So, with Turkish political parties, one must rely on their actions and not on their celebrated, populist motto(s). Here’s a link to the CHP manifesto: CHP Foreign Policy Manifesto.
And you’re right to say that confirmation of my observations will become evident when the US and the EU begin to give financial aid and credit assistance to a devolving Turkish Lira. I don’t believe China will come to the financial rescue of Turkey so long as Erdogan is in power – the Chinese abhor Turkey’s behavior in Syria and especially their dangerous (to China) alliance with the Uighurs. China prefers to keep Erdo in check via Russia’s leash on Turkey – past doing limited trade deals with Turkey, China finds it unnecessary to have any ‘hands on’ dealings with Ankara in the meantime.
Erdo would prefer to start a civil war in Turkey instead of handing power over to the CHP before his Ottoman Empire ambitions have been fulfilled. He’s already massively cleansed his army ranks of anything that whiffs of CHP, therefore he will have a military upper hand should a civil war break out in Turkey.
Currently poking at Greece is a message and method of establishing Turkey’s new role as US attack dog in the Med. I don’t believe it will lead to sudden all out war between Greece and Turkey. The EU will soon enough step in and mollify Erdo’s aggression with a trade package or with low-interest loans – just as Erdo expects – and wants. With his latest Greece maneuver, he has hit two birds with one stone: establish his new status as US’s ‘strongman’ in the ME, as well as bring in much needed financial aid into Turkey.
Let’s together observe the developments and chess moves on the Turkish chessboard – I’m pretty sure Erdo will be using nothing but his Queen chesspiece to knock over everything in his way, presently and in the near future.
His recent and sudden boosted confidence can only come from a superpower backing him, I reckon. The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that my observation of Turkey now being the new sheriff in town is on the money. I can’t for the life of me think of another regional player that the US would pick as ME’s toothy dog. There’s nobody else to choose from – and israel can no longer get the job done.
great new article.
This is a new thought process to me, to regard the pecking order that follows the pentagon's commands.
Cheers from america. We may not be taxpayers to the pentagon in my area soon.
e
Amen to your area not paying further taxes. I just might move there myself if this happens
so sick of my tax dollars getting spent on mass murdering israel's enemies as well as US-manufactured enemies.
Erdogan presses onward:
War Between Greece and Turkey Is Now a Real Possibility
7-24-20
I must confess that I hesitated to write this article on Turkey because I thought I’d then be stuck with having to comment about Turkey for days on end and indefinitely, and this was certainly not appealing in the slightest to me because I find Turkish politics so frigging boring and thick-handed and heavy footed and bug-eyed, bulky and unstreamlined with no character or characteristics that inspire me. So okay I regularly take the pulse of all mideast nations, but I only truly enjoy writing about the Hezbollah and about justice for Palestine. And although I know much about what’s happening in Iraq, Yemen and in Syria, thinking about these nations makes me so sad these days that I’m thrown into locked silence and can’t bring myself to even write about their victories when they occur.
For the sake of my sanity, I hope the Hezb retaliates soon and so takes me instantly away from the freaking topic of Turkey! Aaaaaaarrrrgh help – it’s only been 24 hours and I’m already Turkeyed out!
Great article Taxi. Hard to disagree with your analysis.
The so-called disputes between Israel and Turkey are nothing but a Punch and Judy show for the masses, like two boxers before the big fight. In reality they're very closely aligned in a number of dimensions from trade to security and geopolitical ambitions
In fact, there's only one real issue that separates them and it was this issue that inadvertently helped Assad (along with Russia) get the upper hand: The Kurds
Israel is their number one supporter and Turkey is their number one enemy. If they were also politically and militarily aligned on this issue then their Syrian strategy may have been more successful
Your theory makes sense on a number of levels, including Turkey's regional neo-Ottoman ambitions and the fact that they're in deep financia trouble. This role takes care of Turkey's wants and needs, and those of USA-Israel too.
But, as you say, the AoR is at least ten steps ahead and the USA is really fucked financially, socially, militarily and lots of other 'lys! Whatever strategy they choose, it's just too late now.
Thanks Bornajoo for your comments and link. Turkey’s political arena, for several centuries has been riddled with crypto-jews. Even the much lauded Ataturk, Turkey’s father of secular nationalism was a cryptojew himself. Really, he should be renamed ‘Atajew’. There is much literature out there on the long history of jews in Turkey and their usual corrosive shenanigans and conspiracies against the native muslim Turks. Of course, there are now also recent opposing literatures written by jews in order to obscure their evil hand in Turkey, but historic records remain untouchable by the jews and one needs to nowadays dig deep into internet search engines for them. Here’s a linked example, whose contents are repeated in hundreds of other available links:
Crypto-Jews in Turkey
And of course, one must not forget that the Armenian genocide was engineered and conducted by crypto-jews in Turkey, otherwise known as the ‘Young Turks’. This is a major reason why modern israel refuses to acknowledge the Armenian genocide as such – it does not want independent investigations that would lead to exposing the jewish hand in the mass-murder and refugeedom of Christian Armenia at the turn of the 20th century.
The Armenian Genocide
Here's a good summary of Turkey's current financial woes and helps explain the geopolitical choices it's now making, which also aligns well with Taxi's theory
https://wolfstreet.com/2020/07/31/turkey-faces-second-currency-crisis-in-two-years-lira-slumps-to-record-low/
Very interesting hypothesis. You exposed the blind spot in my own thinking about Turkey's sudden and, to my eyes, rash projections of power on multiple fronts simultaneously. The failed coup in 2016 that seemed engineered by the CIA still resonated strongly in my analysis. My take on Erdogan's recent moves were that they were acts of desperation to hold on to domestic power that would isolate Turkey and result in his eventual downfall. That might still be the reality. But a secret alliance of convenience between Turkey and the U.S. would also explain why Russia seems to have backed off and appears content with a temporary stalemate in Idlib and Libya.
If your thesis is true, it is a move of desperation by both parties. Neither the U.S. or Turkey is "agreement-capable." For the U.S. to have to rely on Turkey is confirmation that they are falling fast and Israel is un an untenable position. Turkey relying on the U.S. is supreme short-sightedness and a sign that they have not learned anything from the treatment of their mortal enemy, the Kurds, at the hands of the U.S., or they are willing to ignore it.
For Russia and the Axis, it is now a waiting game to see how what the election in the U.S. brings. While I believe the apparatus of the Deep State (Empire) marches to the beat of its own drum, I also believe the Presidency is a vital part of that apparatus – if for no other reason that it personifies the Empire and that face has influence in and of itself. There is also, for the first time in my memory, the real possibility of an open military Coup.
Thank you, Activist Potato for your most eloquent contribution. Indeed, the deal between two 'agreement-challenged' thieves will eventually lead both to bust and to proverbial Sing-Sing.
Desperation marks their decision-making. And 'Desperado' will be writ on their pongy graves.
Another very well articulated article by Taxi. Touche. There is no question that Turkey is the new rabid attack dog of US and its Zionist masters. It was always NATO cannon fodder to fight Russia and now China as well. Turkey is also the training ground of anti-China Uighur terrorism with Syria as the terror incubator. The regional states, Russia and China need to unite and put Turkey in the dog house where it belongs.
Thank you, dear Sam. The project for the new US attack-dog will fail. Fail because master and dog are enchained by their own folly and blind-greed, while their opposition in the shape of the Axis of Resistance are currently enjoying sure-footed progress to achieving liberation from master and dog.
Nasser Kandil, a supremely insightful Leb geopolitical analyst has the advantage of himself having been a fighter battling against the terrorist idf during its occupation of Lebanon. His large body of work is in Arabic – he is a regular writer of articles as well as a broadcaster on his own youtube channel. I've just found an English translation of his latest article on his youtube channel. The translation is somewhat 'thick' but I think it gets the point across. And incidentally, like the other great Leb analyst and hezb/Iran insider, Anis Nakash, both men have seen and survived battle and imprisonment, and both men are also accomplished painters. All-rounded Renaissance men who have fought the terrorist jews with gun, with pen and with brush.
How weak is israel now when its own leaders warn of a jewish civil war?
Israel: Violence in protest stirs political uproar, Lapid warns of 'civil war'
May the terrorist jews of israel ALL go to Gentile hell in a handbasket!
Ya think israel with its mounting internal and external woes can physically deal with being the toothy dog of the mideast anymore?
No frigging way!
Empire knows this. Tel aviv knows this. Ankara knows this. Plato readers know this
.
It's such a yawn to keep reading in the jewy media that Hezbollah is an "Iranian proxy". I suggest every time you see the word "proxy", read it as 'moxie'
:
How Iran and Hezbollah trapped Israel into staring down 150,000 rockets on its border that it can only counter at a terrible cost
The oft repeated number of "150,000 rockets" is just the number the israelis know about – and hilariously, they have very limited intel on Hezbollah's weapon stock. Remember this when you meet all them idiot jewish supremacists talking shit about Hezbollah.
You got your carrot, you got your stick, then you got your carrotstick, as demonstrated in the article below:
Why Turkey Isn’t Going To Sell Its Russian S-400 Missiles To The United States
The contents of the above article make for a fascinating addition to my article. Adding a rich layer of geopolitical intrigue to the US/Turkey carrot-and-stick relationship.
Note the date of the article: a month ago exactly, right about the time Turkey started making heavy moves at Libya and suddenly ragging all fisty on Cyprus (before it ragged harder and louder and fistier on Greece). We know that the above article was written AFTER the to-and-fro meetings between the US and Turkey over the S-400 system. Did these meetings also include an American offer to top-dogging Turkey regionally in exchange for at least permitting American engineers to study close-up and personal the S-400 model, if Erdo adamantly refuses to sell? What would stop Erdo from doing just this and lying to Russia about it?
Nothing.
More goodies from the same writer of the above linked article:
Turkey, Israel And Iran Have Built Some Very Lethal Loitering Munitions
Hi Taxi – asking advice > are your interested readers supposed to first consider this (America's New ME Policeman') new thread as your current thread to follow and post regarding current info and RE Lebanon, instead of the former ('Annexation') thread which is now basically archive-only? thanks. Mike.
Dear Mike, you can post on any thread you like. But, just bare in mind that if you want the exchange of information between us to be read by more people, then probably the latest article comment section would be the way to go, because readers tend to gravitate to the latest article as that’s pretty much where I tend to hang out and ramble.
“Most helpful”. Say, are you writing a thesis? You certainly have a unique interest in the Leb, especially its fluid-economic-centric twists and turns. And let me take the opportunity here to thank you for all your Leb questions over the past few months – they’ve prompted me, they’ve created opportunities for me to share grass-root Leb information that I would otherwise not have shared of my own volition. I’m sure also that readers have benefited from our various exchanges. This is a good thing. Thank you.
But back to my question. Really, are you writing a thesis?
Some Turkey shmurkey headlines:
Turkey looks to boost U.S. relations during China tensions
Intel: Turkish defense minister asks Congress to halt bill sanctioning Ankara
Turkey’s expulsion from F-35 programme harder than predicted – Washington Times
What a Biden presidency could mean for Turkey-US relations
Erdogan gambles on fast recovery as Turkey burns through reserves
8-3-20
Turkish banks and corporates have up to now defied warnings that they might battle to roll over their $170bn pile of debt that comes due within the subsequent 12 months.
But they face a contemporary spike in international debt repayments in October — a hump that coincides with the countdown to US presidential elections that might spark contemporary market volatility. Brad Setser, a senior fellow on the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, says that even a small drop within the nation’s refinancing charge might carry gross reserves all the way down to “really critical levels”.
“Conceptually, there is a point when the low level of reserves themselves becomes the source of the shock,” he provides. “It starts to spook people.”
. . .
Mr Setser, who’s an professional on stability of funds crises, says that Turkey is coming “about as close as it gets” to what he calls a “classic first generation emerging market financial crisis”. He provides: “I think if Turkey continues on its current path, there will come a time when the government is forced to let the exchange rate depreciate.”
.. .
The orthodox answer could be to hike rates of interest. But Mr Erdogan — who as soon as described excessive curiosity as “the mother and father of all evil” — could also be reluctant to go down that path, as he has been prior to now.
“The end game, if Turkey wants to maintain the exchange rate, has to be an adjustment in domestic policies: a reduction in credit, a higher interest rate that stabilises demand for lira and brings the current account back into balance,” Mr Setser says.
“Whether Turkey can pull that adjustment off when it runs against the preferences of the president — and at a lower level of reserves than in the past — is an open question.”
Thanks Pogo.
The wrecking ball with Erdo riding it sure is giving the Turkish Lira the heebee-jeebees:
Turkey crisis could reverberate across global economy, ex-IMF official says
And despite all this, Erdo manages to have enough filthy lucre to spend on new mustache trimmers like this:
Turkey holds joint military drills with Azerbaijan amid Armenia conflict
Sure he's been buying some nose trimmers too, flaring his nostrils at so-and-so over here and so-and-so over there:
Libya score-settling moves closer to Turkey’s borders
Turkey extending footprint in Middle East risks lighting regional fuse
Egypt’s regional policies lead to unknown path, cooperation with Turkey might be way out
Algerian president secures return of fugitive military officer with call to Erdoğan: report
Turkey and the Future of the Eastern Mediterranean/Israel
Goodness! Where does Erdo find the time?!
Taxi – if you agree – perhaps other readers on this thread might appreciate reading your very detailed response to my question regarding Lebanon’s current economic woes. First my question on the other thread and then your most enlightening response RE inflation and its huge impact >
MIKE-FLORIDA says: Turning to your ‘south of Lebanon’ > MSM continues non-stop telling all how unlucky are the poor Lebanese people allowing Hezbollah to screw their economy – causing huge inlation RE food prices, etc. You repeatedly point out that such falls on ‘deaf’ Lebanon ears since most citizens clearly understand such as pure propaganda. They understand the Empire’s role of economic sanctions against them, and why. Of coouse, 99% of US/EU citizens have zero clue, just as MSM plans. I would appreciate hearing how really bad is local inflation for the average citizen compared to say a year ago as you yourself purchase groceries, buy gas, pay utilities, etc. – and how most are coping, and what relief-light ‘seen’ end of tunnel. Thanks. Mike.
TAXI says: Thanks dear Mike.
Yeah for several weeks now, the jewy msm as well as saudi-sponsored/owned Arab media has been frantically dumping the Leb’s economic woes on Hezbollah without providing a single piece of evidence. Of course, most Lebs know it’s a big fat lie and repeating it over and over again a-la Goebbels is not working. But nevertheless, serious economic hardships are being experienced especially in the north of Lebanon. Covid job losses, especially in the tourist sector has taken a serious hit, and food and other necessities have skyrocketed all over the Leb, but the south seems to be faring better than the north, mainly due to Hezbollah setting up temp discount supermarkets/stores and charitable organizations that pay medical bills for the sick and needy. Even though the US embassy has greatly lessened its public war with the Hezb, it continues to bite at its ankles from the shadows and it continues to block Diab’s gov from enforcing new financial policies that would ease the citizens’ burdens. Yet, these past couple of weeks, Diab has managed to lift up the Leb Lira/Pound, albeit fractionally. The US’s economic warfare against the Lebanese continues with no sign of it abating while Trump is in the WH, so no big change is expected in this equation in the near future.
To answer therefore you question: inflation in the Leb is exhausting the Leb population, especially those who are short on actual dollars. Even Lebs who have plenty of Leb currency are exhausted by the inflation. Everything is an average of 3-4 times more expensive than it used to be six months ago. Building materials and engine parts have become especially expensive to pay for with Leb currency. Suppliers are insisting to be paid only in dollars. Take for instance my case last week: my diesel motor broke down and needed a major part replacing. The supplier insisted on getting paid in dollars. It cost $1,200 – pre crisis it cost $350. I offered to pay the $1,200 equivalent in black-market Leb currency and this offer was rejected. “Only dollars, madam”, was his final word. Of course I was forced thus to pay in dollars. My financial situ here is special/unusual: I actually have plenty of actual dollars so when I change my monthly budget into local currency, I’m at least three times richer than I used to be and thus I am personally not suffering under US sanctions. Mike, this here is what I’ve been doing for years, which has legally circumvented the dollar-transfer rules, especially the ones imposed on account holders in the Leb these past six months. I have been inviting family members and cousins to come visit me here in the Leb – I’ve been paying for their airline tickets and food with the proviso that they carry dollar-cash for me: picked up by them from my US account. It’s a win-win situ for both myself and my cousins and no laws are broken: they get a free vacation and I safely get my dollars (bypassing SWIFT). Even better, a month ago, Diab made it law that anyone coming to the Leb can now bring in an unlimited amount of dollars into the country instead of the standard $10,000 limit. Taking advantage of this, I’ve invited two cousins to visit me this summer, carrying with them bigger than the usual amount of dollars for me. So I’m really benefiting at this moment. Moreover, what I’ve been doing with my dollars is spending them INSIDE the village, in village shops that are completely out of dollars, and I’m using the old per-sanctions exchange rate of $1 = 1,500LL instead of the current $1 = 7,000LL with local shopkeepers. This way the shopkeepers are able to use these dollars to re-fill their shelves from the suppliers and distributors. This way no one in the village goes without. This is my own way of countering Trump’s sanctions locally. My humble contributions coupled with local Hezb veggie shop supplies at reduced prices are keeping the local environment in good financial stead. I don’t care if 5% of my dollars don’t bring in a good exchange rate on the black market. All I care about is making sure that no one in my vicinity is needy. Plus, having an organic veggie patch myself, really, my food overheads are extremely low anyway. Utility expenses have remained more or less the same as before despite the sanctions, so I’m barely feeling taxed by my utility needs. Bread prices have remained the same under sanctions. Gas and diesel prices more or less the same too. Imported medicine has gone up a little, but generic meds have remained more or less the same. My cousin, when she first arrived several weeks ago bought a bunch of Kettle Chips bags from a big supermarket in the city of Saida but was disappointed two days ago to find non in the same supermarket. Upon inquiry, the supermarket people told her that they are no longer stocking imported foods. So imported foods are no longer available. But who gives a shit about imported food?! I made her a big bowl of delicious home-made chips myself and that was that!
Summed up: yeah it’s very rough on the Leb citizen with no dollars in hand, but probably about a third of the population has plenty of dollars in pocket and they’re doing even better during the sanctions.
Mike-Florida says > Taxi – thanks much your most excellant, detailed response RE Lebanon inflation impacts. Most helpful.
Mike, how about an answer from you to my question from the same above exchange which you did not include in your above cut-and-paste: are you writing a thesis on Leb finance?
I am curious about your unique curiosity.
Taxi – Confused, please tell me what question missed – certainly intended copy/paste from other thread was 100% same. Regarding am I writing a thesis RE Leb finances – answer is no thesis planned, just my own quest for truth to better understand ME issues, including difficult challenges of Leb citizens. Same for those in Syria, for many years via Syriaperspective together with Canthama and others. After Cantham mentioned your site I have happily been a frequent visitor, now and then asking about certain Leb issues, recognizing you are on the ground in the Leb, most knowledgable and sharing. Taxi – its all about an ongoing quest for truth in the ME – and you help a lot. Thank you.
Apologies dear Mike. Did not mean to cause you confusion. Indeed, you have a very healthy curiosity. I totally appreciate it and your rich contributions to Plato’s. Sincere thanks to you, always.
Everyone loves it when the invader gets a massive smackdown:
Wadi Al-Oyoun: Where Hezbollah Fighters Humiliated Israeli Invaders in 2006 July War
Nice sample vid at end of article.
This is an interesting read, I disagree with some connections and assumptions made by the author, but in general a very good article with plenty of info in a complex subject, it does navigate in some of the points raised by Taxi above.
Author gives too much credit on Ankara’s regime ability to move masses, when we know it uses both money (from Qatar) and radical islamists to do its foreign policies dirty tricks, and the question is when this money dries out what will happen, will the US/EU jump in for credit lines ? Or Erdogan double plays and arrogance would have blocked trust for good with its NATO allies ?Still too soon to answer, but an economic collapse in Turkey, with 85MM people with a high unemployment and young population does not look good for foreign adventures and wasting money.
Turkey’s neo-Ottoman reach could soon nettle China – Asia Times
https://asiatimes.com/2020/08/turkeys-neo-ottoman-reach-could-soon-nettle-china/
That’s a great share, thanks Canthama. It kinda confirms the direction of my article and adds an eastern angle, presenting us thus with a bigger picture of the Turkish-US game. And I agree with you, some incorrect info is also disseminated in the article too.
Fully agree. The author tends to elevate Turkey as a superpower…maybe in the 17th-19th centuries but not now…second, he basically say nothing about the cancer inside the Ankara's regime, the Muslin Brotherhood.
BREAKING:
A big motherfucking explosion occurred in Beirut just now, in the main Beirut port. It must have been freaking HUGE as we heard it loud and clear right here in the south!
The explosion happened literally 5 minutes ago – more info will be given as I learn what’s going on…
Almayadeen is saying that the explosion is not an act of terrorism, but a massive explosion caused by a port fire. No casualties are reported, which is insane cuz I've just seen a vid of the explosion taken from a boat out at sea and it is of a monstrous size!
My cousin who is in a shopping mall in the neighborhood of Verdun (in Beirut) is freaking out: everything glassy inside the mall has shattered she says. She's making her way back south now. Goodness, what a dramatic vacation this has been for her lol!
OK now Almayadeen is saying there are tens of casualties – more later…
You can check out live footage of developments here (in Arabic but footage speaks for itself):
I am following https://twitter.com/Archer83Able on almost minute by minute…casualties are confirmed…impressive explosion, many saying ti was a fully loaded container with fireworks, but honestly the secondary explosion seconds later is more likely a gas pipeline explosion…several mini explosions probably under the street. Very strange and sad event.
Thanks Canthama. There are some shocking short vids of the explosion itself and its aftermath on the twitter link you provide. Recommended viewing.
If you look at the footage taken from the boat (I'll post it when I can), you'll notice that the first fire was not the same location of the 2nd MASSIVE explosion, but near it. The big explosion looked like it had much dark-red sulfur in it. Israeli propagandist took to watsap and started spreading a rumor that israel struck a hezb arms depot at the port. Total lie. First, the hezb is not so stupid-silly to have an arms depot in a commercial port. Secondly, I've just seen footage that shows fireworks sparking off inside the building (can see it through building windows) before the big explosion bang-banged. Holy shit it was loud-loud-loud! Was heard even as far as Nabatiyeh in deep inland-south.
Normal citizens rushed to help the injured way before ambulances arrived. Unity of people. Reminded me of NY citizens helping out during 9/11.
More footage of the aftermath is now being broadcasted. Devastation everywhere
.
We're now getting confirmation from the Leb army and from internal security that the explosion was not an act of terrorism by either israel or the wahabis, but a combined explosion of depots filled with fireworks, chemicals, and petrol all stored on the same port pier.
Hundreds of casualties, 5 reported dead, and some people missing.
You can see the fireworks kicking up thru window:
I don't have any proof or info or intel but I am suspecting some kind of sabotage is involved in this massive explosion – the timing, the location etc. I will explain tomorrow what leads me to this notion. Right now, my cousin just got back from Beirut and I need to host and tend to her.
A sad goodnight to y'all.
R.I.P. to the fallen.
Holy shit the Leb internal security is saying 50 tons of nitrates were involved in the explosion!
Some analysts/explosion-experts on tv are saying that the fireworks that fired up and caused the first small explosion is not the catalyst that would have triggered the nitrate explosion.
Chem smell all over Beirut tonight.
Official casualties just in: 27 dead and over 2,500 injured. But rescue missions on land and in port waters continue and these numbers are expected to rise.
*Cargo ships docked in Beirut Port also got blasted – casualties on board – injured workers were carrying their dead off ships as they tilted over threatening to sink. Some will undoubtedly be sunk by sunrise.
The darkness of night is making it more difficult to find and rescue the injured of the explosion.
The whole country is engulfed in sorrow.
Israel immediately denied involvement – like, literally immediately.
What d'ya make of this, reader?
No, it's not a rhetorical question. It's a damn serious one.
… Right now I'm watching live reportage/analysis on the explosion on TV – the sleep-fog that slapped me a half an hour ago suddenly went poof and now I'm wide awake – taking in more information. Diab is now talking live to the nation. More later…
It's almost 11pm here in the south of Leb and we've had a lot of israeli drone action going on for a good hour now. Probably go on all night. Dull snore in the sleeping sky.
What will tomorrow bring?… Dust in eyeball? Revelations? Shudder!
I’m counting sheep and wondering what Hezbollah knows… What are all these Hezbollah dudes thinking?
How will today’s Port explosion in Beirut effect the timing of the ‘retaliation’? Nasrallah was scheduled to speak to the nation tomorrow: addressing the Hariri assassination’s highly controversial verdict that is supposed to be announced on the 7th August – Nasrallah’s TV speech was arranged two days before the explosion – I’m sure tonight Nasrallah’s doing a little re-write to include the topic of today’s explosion. I will watch the speech and share a summary of its content with you.
Hi, Taxi
I ran to your blog as soon the TV broadcasted the exposion in Beirut. Here in Portugal the news spreading the offer made by the US Governament to help Lebanon rebuild the economy. It's all I can tell.
All dangerous material stored in the same place is difficult to swallow. But I understand that, for the moment, farensic procedures are not a priority. Hopefully will came in a near future, differently from what happened in the Twin Towers attack.
Thank you dear Antonio.
Good wishes and offers of help from many nations are coming into the Capital. Lebanon suddenly finds itself plunged into a dark and wounded catastrophe. Very comforting for Lebanon to see hands extended in friendship.
Something so massive and murderous as this – it is hard to imagine it isn’t sabotage.
Sabotage like this can only mean Mossad, MI6, AIPAC/ADL/US GOVT. I just don’t see how anyone else, through incompetence or mendacity (correction, flat out EVIL) would do this, would even allow so much explosive potential to exist in one concentrated area.
Taxi, if you can direct us to actual worthy, non-Zio corrupted organizations to provide aid “dollars” to, please do.
The attacks go on and on. Yet goodness shall persevere.
I too want to know what Nasrallah sees in and of this.
Thanks for your support and comments, dear Golden Rule Please. You are correct to list the suspect list – something’s not right about the whole picture. I slept badly and little last night – foggy brain this morning – but not too foggy to report developments of what today the Leb’s are calling ‘Beirutshima’. I will y’all posted.
Last night Diab began his extremely brief live statement post the explosion with the stern “whoever is behind this will be severely punished”. Israel denying involvement coupled with Trump’s statement that his Generals think its “an attack” of sorts does not bode well for the region. I say if the neighborhood here in the mideast explodes into regional warfare, expect the US to also have same level of internal trouble. Everything that’s fucked up in the world is connected.
Thanks for wanting to give dollar support for Leb victims of the mass explosion. I can only think of the Lebanon Red Cross as an organization to donate to, here: Lebanese Red Cross
I don’t see a special section for the victims of the explosion on the Leb Red Cross site yet – perhaps they will put it up today.
Many Lebs who can’t afford to donate cash are donating blood.
The Lebanon’s wheat silo that’s housed in the Beirut Port took a hit from today’s explosion and all the grains that would feed the bellies of the nation either blew to dust or poured into the sea.
I’m smelling forced starvation of a rebel nation here. Classic tactic. If you can’t kill them, kill their food.
Unreal sudden catastrophe for the Lebanon. Heart and heartland of the resistance.
Blood on face, blood on the soul, yet the sad heart beats on.
Talmudic sabotage is far and away the simplest explanation and thus far and away the most likely.
Occam’s Razor.
Bless everyone in the path of this psychotic Religio-CULTure.
Bless everyone who names it.
Bless everyone who stands tall and faces it down in spite of the odds.
Those who acknowledge Truth and thus face down Evil, Those (the Goyim and the “self-hating” Jews) shall Prevail.
I would agree G.R. Lebanese PM Diab said whoever is responsible will pay the price, suggesting the government believes it is an act of terror. Although agents of Daesh could be involved, the trail of terror most likely leads back to the apartheid state. The timing is suspect, as Hezbollah plans its response to Israeli killing of a Hezbollah soldier. I’m hoping there are fingerprints left behind leading to the killers, if indeed this is an intentional criminal act. It looked like a nuke. And we know who has nukes. At the moment, I’m mostly just deeply sorrowful for Lebanon and those who are suffering as a result of this tragedy.
Thanks for your kind thoughts and support of the Leb, Saladin. Daesh can’t tie their own shoelace nowadays so I doubt their fingerprint in the explosion. There’s only one suspect as far as I’m concerned – and if the Leb finds timely proof of it, then expect the worse to happen to tel fucking aviv. Amen.
Taxi – A horrible event – don’t know if this 8 pm Florida time Aug 4 article sheds any light > Trump Calls Beirut Explosion “A Terrible Attack – A Bomb Of Some Kind” After Briefed By Generals. Lebanon’s health ministry has raised the death toll to over 73 killed, including 3,700 wounded.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-says-beirut-explosion-attack-bomb-some-kind-after-briefed-generals
Late last night, the Leb army declared Beirut a disaster zone and as of today, Marshal Law in the whole country will be in effect for the next two weeks, pending an extension.
Today, a day of national mourning…
Many people who were near the explosion are still missing. There are reports that the blast impact threw some people into the sea where they drowned.
Nothing but one sad story after the other today.
Hospitals in Beirut are all at full capacity. Sick people who were previously scheduled to have operations today have had their operations postponed in order to make room for the victims of the explosion.
Leb firefighters who were tackling the first port fire have completely disappeared off the face of the earth after the big nearby explosion – not even their equipment and vehicles can be found.
Trump sent his “deepest sympathies” to the Lebanon. So how about lifting the ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions on Lebanon, motherfucker?!
And for once, Trump may very well be inadvertently telling the truth here:
Trump says Beirut explosion was caused by a ‘bomb of some kind’
Israel meanwhile is caught between glee at the explosion and fear of Hezbollah’s promised ‘retaliation’. The motherfuckers have the audacity to offer help to the Lebanon. Typical ‘kill you then walk in your funeral’:
‘We Share Your Pain’: Israel Offers Aid to Lebanon After Beirut Port Blast
Of course, the jewish narrative is sticking to the lie that the explosion occurred in a Hezb weapons warehouse, and how this will make the Lebs go against Hezb weapons. Fat chance!
Beirut Blast Shockwaves Will Be Felt by Hezbollah for a Long Time
There’s a paywall on the above link. But you can get the gist of the article even from just reading a couple of lines. If any reader has access to this article, it would be nice if you would share a copy-paste of it in full. Thank you.
Hi Taxi,
This is the copy and paste of the Haaretz article you commented on earlier. I copied it with js turned off.
Home > Middle East News
Analysis Beirut Blast Shockwaves Will Be Felt by Hezbollah for a Long Time
Massive damage could reopen public debate on storing weapons in population centers as port shutdown comes at a time when Lebanon needs every dollar
Zvi Bar’el
Aug 05, 2020 8:49 AM
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Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2020.
Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2020. AP Photo/Hussein Malla
Cellphone videos of horrifying scenes from Tuesday’s explosion at the port of Beirut predictably fueled speculation about who was behind the incident and why.
Initially, the story was that a warehouse containing several tonnes of fireworks slated for use in festivities had blown up. Then official military sources said the warehouse housed flammable or explosive material, further specifying that it was ammonium nitrate, which was stored in a warehouse for six years.
But even as the Lebanese authorities were feverishly investigating, some of the public were quick to suggest that this wasn’t the result of an accident or negligence, but a terror attack reminiscent of the bombings that rocked Lebanon in the 1980s, or the huge bombing that killed Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 as he traveled in a guarded convoy. The implication was that it was a bombing perpetrated by Lebanese actors.
>> Read more: In wake of Beirut blast, Lebanon is bound to implode | Opinion
Fingers were also pointed at Israel, accompanied by the explanation that the bombing at the port was part of Israel’s campaign against Iran. Lebanese pundits cited the fire that erupted on Iranian ships in the Persian Gulf port of Bushehr a few weeks ago, an incident attributed to Israel, as well as other recent fires in Iran.
People evacuate wounded after of a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020.
People evacuate wounded after of a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
Some of the other mysteries the Lebanese security services will have to dispel relate to the ownership of the warehouse that blew up, the nature of the “flammable materials” it contained and, no less important, whether there are other concentrations of flammable materials in the port, in residential neighborhoods or in other sensitive locales.
The answer to that last question may have significant implications not only for the way Hezbollah operates in Lebanon, but also for the political battle now raging in the country over the economic and health crises created by the coronavirus. Even after it turned out that the explosion was caused by an accident rather than a deliberate attack, the enormous scope of the damage and the large number of people killed and wounded will raise pointed questions about the warehousing of ammunition, missiles, guns and explosives in populated areas.
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The Lebanese are well acquainted with the map of Hezbollah’s bases and missile stockpiles, since their location has been reported in the media and on the internet. Anyone who lives near one is aware of the threat posed by the possibility of an accident causing an explosion or a deliberate Israeli attack. The explosion at the port makes this threat even more concrete.
But dismantling and neutralizing these stockpiles, or moving them away from populated areas, is a sensitive issue politically, because it would mean disarming “the Lebanese resistance” and leaving the country devoid of any force capable of deterring Israel. Lebanon’s political leadership has refrained from demanding directly that Hezbollah disarm, even though the organization’s military character and the fact that it’s defined as a terrorist organization by the United States and some European countries undermine Beirut’s ability to obtain financial aid or loans from the International Monetary Fund to extricate the country from its severe financial crisis.
The Beirut port blast could now at least lead to some changes in the public discourse, and even possibly among some political leaders, resulting in a demand to remove Hezbollah’s weapons and ammunition warehouses from population centers, which the organization is likely to oppose, as it would expose it to Israeli military actions that for now are being prevented as Israel supposedly wouldn’t want to strike civilians.
An image grab taken from a video posted on Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV website on July 25, 2020, shows Hassan Nasrallah.
An image grab taken from a video posted on Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV website on July 25, 2020, shows Hassan Nasrallah.AFP
A higher standard of demands depends on the public reaction to the explosion and whether the country’s protest movement sees it as a national threat that the political leadership is responsible for. In such a case, even if officially the government would only be at fault for neglecting the supervision of these warehouses, it would need to examine and neutralize other storage sites, including ones used by Hezbollah.
In the coming days, both the government and Hezbollah would most likely try to prove it was a higher force, the flammable material’s wear and tear or the heat that caused the incident, and the government would commit to examining each and every potentially dangerous warehouse, without vowing to remove it, in order to avoid confrontation with Hezbollah.
Even when it was just an accident, an explosion of such magnitude at Lebanon’s main port sends a warning message to Iran, too, who only about a month ago said it would deploy ships and oil tankers to Lebanon. There were even talks of a vessel that would host a power station, which would give Beirut electricity. The question of Iranian aid has and still does stir political controversy in Lebanon over its commitment, or lack thereof, to the sanctions against Tehran.
Accepting Iranian aid ostensibly isn’t a violation of U.S. sanctions, but the international community, Israel and the United States in particular, fear these ships, if they do make it to Lebanon, would start a regular supply line not only of oil, flour and medicine, but also of weapons, ammunitions and missile parts. Thus, even if some of the Beirut port terminals can resume operations, Lebanon’s fear of an attack – Israeli or otherwise – targeting Iranian vessels becomes real even if no such intention exists at this point.
Beyond the political implications, the Lebanese government has suffered a massive blow to its most vital supply line, potentially affecting its ability to bring in basic goods and maintain regular export and import. The Beirut port, which recently underwent several phases of development, is one of the most important ones in the Middle East, transferring goods from Europe to Syria, Iraq, Jordan and the Gulf states. It is also one of Lebanon’s main sources of income. Its shutdown, at a time when Lebanon needs every dollar, would do its part in the political turmoil that is threatening the country’s stability.
A photo of Dr. Zvi Bar’el.
Zvi Bar’el
Haaretz Correspondent
Howdy Whozhear! Good to hear from you again and good of you to bring us the Haaretz article – thank you.
What a dumb Haaretz jew writer, don’t you think? Or, what a liar he is. Or both! I mean only born dumbfucks would think that the Hezbollah are so stupid that they’d actually think it’s a good idea to store their secret arms in a port warehouse that’s commercial, prone to traffic and open to all sorts of possible compromises. Why would the Hezb store their gear in any port when they have an endless string of mountains and remote hills for storage space? LOL! Seriously, I was expecting to be disappointed by the article but didn’t expect this low level of intelligence.
By next week, the evil israelis will wake up from their drunken schadenfreude over the the Leb port explosion and realize that the Hezb is STILL coming to get them and there’s sweet fuck all their coward idf can do about it.
He who laughs last laughs best.
I know upthread I wished for a distraction away from the Turkey topic, but I certainly didn’t expect this:
The massive explosion will create a huge ecological disaster for Beirut. Leb eco experts are confirming that the city will be experiencing acid rain within several weeks. Current high humidity levels in the city interacting with nitrate residue in the air will be causing this.
This is just so shocking, awful and beyond sad. And this on top of everything else Lebanon is trying to deal with right now
Really feel for the good people of Lebanon. And there's absolutely no doubt in my own mind that this was an act of deliberate sabotage to further exacerbate the maximum pressure on poor little Lebanon and somehow put the blame on Hezbollah. I don't believe in such coincidences
Explosions in public areas that cause mass civilian deaths and social carnage is a tactic that's been used many times before to 'force' something to happen when all other methods haven't worked. The terrorist Jews have a long history of such acts.
Let's hope that clear evidence can be discovered leading back to the real culprits
Right now our thoughts are with those who've lost family and friends and I hope that Lebanon can somehow recover from this tragedy as soon as possible
Thanks for all the updates dear Taxi
Thanks Bornjoo. I totally agree with you, and the next few days as well as Nasrllah’s speech later will hopefully clarify further. If not for the fog in my brain right now (caused by little sleep last night), I’d be listing up facts that lead me to point the finger at the synagogue of satan. I think I will go nap now so my brains can digest Nasrallah’s speech later with clarify. Again, thank you for your astute contributions.
I'm wondering.
1) If the large white ball one could see before the mushroom is endeed water.
2) If this ball of water was seen also from land
3) Then the second and greater explosion was done by an underwater explosive, not material in the warehouse wahtsoever.
Appreciate any comment
All your propositions are plausible. We have to wait and see how the Leb intel agencies and Hezbollah interpret all the details, known and unknown. I know some Leb people are claiming to have seen two rockets aiming and striking at the Beirut port: one hitting the shore waters of Pier 12 where the explosion happened, and the other rocket hitting the warehouse that houses the ammonia nitrate. No official statement or confirmation on this has been made. We just have to wait and see.
The claim you know about (double explosion – underwater (water ball) – and in land, make all sense. Underwater blast only would be cushioned, and the extent of the damages in land suggest the opposite. Certainly Hezbolah and the national authorities have the expertise to take into consideration all the available information before reaching to solid conclusions. As you say, I also wait and see.
Nasrallah’s speech that’s scheduled for today has been postponed to an unspecified date. Obviously the content of speech is too sensitive to pronounce on a national day of mourning. Will keep you posted on that front.
Antonio, como vai meu amigo ?
The videos I saw, I just could not pin point in slow motion a possible under water explosion, I wonder whether the water vapor in the explosion is not from the heavy and humidity air in late afternoon….the explosion was by the waterfront at the port, late afternoon after another hot summer day, there must be 100% humidity level by the shorelines.
The more I watch the videos, the more doubts I have. Have discussed in depth with a friend of mine which is a retired Brazilian Army General, and expert in explosives, he was first very doubtful on Ammonium Nitrate doing that alone, though 2 tons was used to bring down that building in Oklahoma back then…so we can only wonder what 50 tons, as the news are saying, can do when exploded it all in seconds.
When I first saw the video from the apartment, up high, we could see fireworks popping, then a red flame in the middle of it…then the big blast and then when the blast was approaching the apartment it appeared as several smaller blast, I originally thought it was a gas pipeline, but then this friend of mine said it was most likely zillions of glasses breaking up under pressure causing the sense of smaller blasts..
I am sure this investigation will be detailed as hell, last night I also listened to the Brazilian Navy Commander, he is the head of the UNIFIL Navy force in the Lebanon mentioned that the Brazilian Frigate was 15 kms away and he thought the boat was hit by a torpedo or it has crushed into another boat, saying it was extremely violent shaking and that he immediately headed back to the port to help in any possible way only to see the Bangladesh Frigate completely destroyed, it was anchored by the blast, it took 45 casualties, (wounded) many at critical conditions, so there will be UN force victims as well, thus this investigation will be really thorough.and most likely many countries will look at it and participate at it.
Canthama, que bom reencontro.
I'm having some trouble commenting in syrian perspective.
Many thanks for your thoughts. Hope most countries will pay due attention this time. Lebanon, today, any other tomorrow, unless effective dissuasion take place. Stay safe, my friend.
A montage of horror:
This is a long montage of many scenes, it captures early on fires at the warehouse with the fireworks to the late. stage at hospitals, some strong images. This material is one of the best I have seen so far.
For folks that do not know, the @r_u_vid belongs to Gene, he is from California, he is a friend of MENA and has done a terrific job for a decade translating and posting thousands of videos from the invasions, crimes against Syrian, Iraqis, Libyans and Yemenis.
This article from Veterans Today says Israel did this.
I find VT to be a strange site but I think it is the site where I first came across Gilad Atzmon. Also Jonas Alexis is there and he too is incredible at uncovering the filth and murder that the Tribe has been perpetrating for millennia now.
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2020/08/05/breaking-israel-nukes-beirut/
Ziad Fadel from Syrper wrote the following in his new article regarding Lebanon's explosions. He is going with a car-bomb triggered by the apartheid regime due to the impasse after it murdered a Hizballah soldier in Syria recently.
https://syrianperspective.com/2020/08/the-truth-behind-the-bombing-in-beirut-the-zionist-connection.html
Any triggered explosion leaves traces behind, just hope the Lebanese Gov/Army are quick to investigate before any evidences are pushed under the carpet. And I would strongly recommend Hizballah has someone in the investigation team, there are many in the Leb Army that are on US/Israel/France payroll.
Thanks Canthama. The great Ziad knows the MO and A-Z of israeli evil. His proposition is plausible because every step of his proposition is an archetype of jewish planning and methodology. Mindful here that there are also a few other plausible scenarios out on the net of how the explosion may have happened. We will all know for sure sooner than later.
What are the two objects above the comms tower?……..
i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/08/04/17/31556728-8592549-A_massive_explosion_has_rocked_Beirut_this_afternoon_destroying_-a-5_1596557912377.jpg
This image appears to have been taken just after the detonation.
For the past few weeks the juden have been operating intensive drone missions over Lebanon.
Stunning Satellite Images Of Beirut Blast Epicenter
The images confirm every building at the vital port, through which the majority of commerce and staples, including the nation's grain supply comes, has been utterly destroyed. Hundreds of thousands are reported to be essentially homeless, given entire walls were ripped off residential buildings up to a mile away, with windows shattered multiple miles away.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/huge-crater-revealed-satellite-image-close-ups-beirut-blast-epicenter
I’m completely lost for words, Taxi, so I’ve copy/pasted the entire article and two of the comments, I hope that’s ok.
From Richard Silverstein’s blog:
The two comments:
Please stay safe.
Thanks ZiojooistanSucks. I have only one thing to say about Richard Silverstein: he’s a cantankerous moron who over-relies on and never questions his israeli sources. He perpetually plays the jew-good-cop and disseminates whatever his israeli-jewish sources tell him. His articles are full of contradictions and propaganda calculated by his israeli sources. Sure he gets it right when he states that israel has a hand in Beirutshima, but to give the reason for the attack as a strike against a non-existent hezbollah weapons depot in the Beirut Port is just simply ludicrous: a lie designed to give justification for mass terrorism against the Lebanese citizenry; give succor to the petrified-of-hezbollah jews in israel; give also a fake impression of the israeli military’s muscle against Hezbollah.
I wouldn’t even waste my piss pouring on him. Stupid, stupid man!
The only thing worthy of applause in his linked article is the headline.
Thanks, Taxi. One thing seems certain, however, which is that no “tactical nukes have been used” either:
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2020/08/05/breaking-israel-nukes-beirut/
The Lebanese authorities would have access to radiation dosimeters, and would have tested for radioactive contamination after the blast, surely?
Oh my God. I'm really starting to believe Israel did this. This article is rather convincing.
https://fort-russ.com/2020/08/mossad-attack-beirut-suffers-devastating-9-11-level-terrorist-attack-who-did-it-and-why/
If Nasrallah determines that Israel did this (and I'm sure he knows already, one way or the other), then it is hard to imagine Tel Aviv being spared. But standing at this precipice now, I am dismayed by insane burden being placed on Nasrallah and Hezbollah.
As the article points out, you can bet that if Tel Aviv gets destroyed, Israel will blow up Tehran and God knows what else as only an insane, genocidal, psychopathic group of Jews could do.
I want desperately for Israel to get utterly destroyed but now I finally see the awful sacrifice that has to be made by Iran and anyone else that Israel wants to destroy. I can only imagine what false flags the Israelis have planned for western cities if the west doesn't rescue Israel? Or even if they do?
I am so sorry for the good and innocent people who will be killed by Israel as those Talmudic fuckers are destroyed, but Dear God I hope the Israelis are destroyed.
Hi Taxi,
The dock area that was excavated out by the blast, is this in fact reclaimed land? I am told that this greater area of the docks was built-out many decades ago.
If the dock is indeed reclaimed land out of the harbor, it would go a long way to explaining the size of the excavation from the blast.
The jew scum south of the border need to be dealt with. This article from 1996 is just fucking nuts:
Howdy y'all. I'm spending this morning writing a new article on the Beirut Port bombing instead of commenting on my Turkish article. I'll keep looking in at new comments on the Turkey article, but my main focus and time will be spent addressing the why's and wherefores of the horrific event of the Beirut Port explosion, otherwise known as 'Beirutshima'. And incidentally, today marks the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima. R.I.P. to all its victims. And indeed, R.I.P. to the victims of Beirutshima.
I'm trusting that Hezbollah's will to act is not blunted or delayed and they act with double ferocity, and soon. This act could only have done by the truly diabolic mind of the mossad. This is an act of war and a major escalation. It really signals the next phase of the war we knew is coming. BTW, there are major fires elsewhere in the middle east. Probably arson by the same Zio culprits.
Impressive twitter thread on the explosion in Beirute, worth checking out, some translation can be done on twitter.
https://twitter.com/BoostedWael/status/1291141832383111168
A couple of twitter posts that may be useful……..
https://twitter.com/Anon_decoder/status/1290766658525704198?cxt=HHwWjMC9lf3b3OkjAAAA
https://twitter.com/Anon_decoder/status/1290766395039457281?cxt=HHwWgoC1hdLM3OkjAAAA
It will be interesting to see what radar info the Russians pass on to who as their systems cover down to much further south of Beirut.
Also, that Trump came out and stated matter of factly that a bomb caused the explosion may well be accurate. Remember, the US Army has had a very long running issue with the juden, and are likely to undercut them in some manner.
Looking straight into the roof area of the warehouse……….
https://twitter.com/allushiii_new/status/1290672503275356161?cxt=HGwWgoC88bXzsekjAAAA
From the dockside looking straight at the warehouse and fireworks fire………
https://twitter.com/ejmalrai/status/1290976525764919297
Try watching in slow motion/frame by frame
WTF!? Is this real?
https://twitter.com/cmdrRebellion/status/1291281366022266880?s=20
Can anyone translate the Arabic?
It says ‘tweet is unavailable’.
Hello readers and friends.
Please join me at the comment section of my new article:
The US, Israel and Beirutshima
no credible analysis, due to the fact that turkey has all the interests in stopping eastmed pipeline ( of 'israel' ) to europe, since it has with russia a partnership in turkish stream pipeline that is currently under construction in the balkans.
Turkey’s relationship to europe and the usa is more important and fundamental to Ankara than its relationship with Russia. Turkey would be more than happy to create a ‘distancing’ with Russia in exchange for larger and more entangled deals with europe, the US, and therefore israel.
And in case you haven’t noticed, Erdogan can’t keep an agreement with any of his eastern and continental signatories. Yet, he still craves embrace and acceptance by the West.
It’s within the realm of plausibility that Turkey’s secret wish and aim is to gain interest from BOTH pipelines.