Syria Masses Tanks On Border With Turkey

The Times of Israel ^ | June 29, 2012

[Strategy]

The Assad regime has massed approximately 170 tanks near the Turkish border, according to an unconfirmed report on Friday by a general in the Free Syrian Army.

General Mustafa al-Sheikh told Reuters that the tanks are now located 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border, northeast of Aleppo.

"They either want to move toward the border to confront Turkish troops stationed there, or they are planning to attack rebels in towns near the border," al-Sheikh said.

The move comes after Turkey on Thursday sent anti-aircraft guns, rocket launchers and other fortifications to the border, marking an escalation in hostilities between the two countries.

[Alter Kaker]

Does Turkey have any claim to Syrian lands?

No, they gave those up when they gave up the Ottoman Empire. Syria has had claims to an area occupied by Turkey 70 years ago, but the Syrian government formerly renounced those a few years ago.

Syria has little that Turkey wants - Turkey on the other hand has money, water, electric power, etc.

[Grampa Dave]

Any updates re the upcoming scrap metal post fire sale in Syria?

[annalex]

Bet what you want: Turkey has nothing to win from provocations with its neighbors given the history of Turkey and arbitrary character of Turkey’s borders.

Return Constantinople, Smyrna, and Mt. Ararat where they belong, and then we’ll do some betting.

[Gaffer]

Muslim au Muslim. Where is the problem here? You're thinking a Muslim Brotherhood government is worse than a traditional Muslim government? The traditional government works with America's best interests at heart? Ludicrous. Not much different...one indulges themselves with the money the US gives them and the other likes to bugger little boys... chances are the traditonal ones are just using the money the US gives them to buy boys to bugger instead of just 'conscripting' them like the Brotherhood does....regardless, our pResident approves, either way.

[Slings and Arrows]

I think you meant to reply to the person who replied to me.

[Gaffer]

No. It was you. The “you” I used was for the casual reader who might fret over a fracas between Muslims....as far as I am concerned they can butcher each other....sorry if you think I thought you cared about it - your post didn’t seem to indicate you did.

[Cyber Liberty]

Let them fight. Long and hard.

Ideally they should both lose. There was a relative calm in the Mideast when Iran and Iraq were at each others' throats.

[wtc911]

There was a relative calm in the Mideast when Iran and Iraq were at each others' throats.

----------------------------

Well, yeah, if you remove Lebanon from the equation...a Civil War, a War with Israel and the Beruit Bombing...

[wtc911]

...and an uprising in Syria that claimed 40,000 lives...and a revolt in Egypt...

yep...the 80s were a day at the beach in the ME.

[Slings and Arrows]

True. For better or worse, though, I think the Turks will pound the Syrians like cheap veal.

[Cyber Liberty]

Compared to today, as bad as you make things out to be, that’s relative calm.

But, it used to be a lot better...back when Beirut was a vacation destination. Syria deserves to be destroyed just based on what they did to Lebanon. What Syrians do to Syrians, however, is a lot lower on my scale of injustice.

[Cyber Liberty]

I do too. Which is probably why I think the tanks are not there to harass Turkey as much as to blow up their own people trying to flee to Turkey.

[BIGLOOK]

Got your little civil war going on in Syria, got our new NATO member in Turkey and then there's always Israel, Hezbola, the Muslim Brotherhood in N.Africa, the Russians and the PRC in Africa and a worthless UN. Also a worthless Dept of Defense at this time at home.

This is the perfect menagerie for a world war......lions, tigers and bears; and dragons and snakes and bloodsucking ticks thrown in.

Once we counted great wars as 100 Years, I, II, Cold and then throw in all the little skirmishes, border wars, colonial wars and of course political wars too we've a new perspective. When history is finally recorded, some lone historian will write this as the Perpetual War on Earth.

Gotta love it....keeps us in business and business is good.

Now enough of that. What's the price a gallon of gas going to be next week?

[BIGLOOK]

BTW, my money is on Turkey

[Slings and Arrows]

Sounds reasonable. I wonder if the Syrian rebels are in communication with the Turks?

[Cyber Liberty]

I think there will be a push on your bet. I just don’t see Syria and Turkey engaging.

[Eleutheria5]

Sure. Like that scene in Borat when they’re fighting over the nude pics.

[Slings and Arrows]

I think a war wound be less disturbing

[Eleutheria5]

Also more entertaining. Popcorn time. Wonder whom the MSM will wrongly choose to hero-worship.

[Bon mots]

when did the Turks ask for any help...

Turkey will ask NATO to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty...