Turkey Shells Aleppo, Says "Massive Escalation" In Syria Imminent As Saudis Ready Airstrikes

Zerohedge ^ | 02/13/2016 | Tyler Durdin

[Rusty0604]

As you can see, Turkey has begun shelling Aleppo in what is indeed a very serious escalation that will likely prompt a Russian response.

"Shelling was reported at Menagh air base, a former Syrian Air Force facility that Kurds seized from Islamist rebels just days ago, and at three other positions between the airport and Turkish border," The Independent reports. "The air base has been a key target for several parties in the Syrian civil war since 2012, being besieged by rebels for almost a year until it was seized by a coalition including an early form of Isis and the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra in August 2013 [and] it remained in rebel hands until Thursday, when Kurdish PYD fighters capitalised on the diversion caused by Bashar al-Assad’s forces and Russian air strikes attacking rebel areas to the south to seize Menagh."

"A Kurdish official confirmed the shelling of Menagh air base in the northern Aleppo countryside, which he said had been captured by the Kurdish-allied Jaysh al-Thuwwar group rather than the Kurdish YPG militia," Reuters says, adding that "Both are part of the Syria Democratic Forces alliance." That group, you're reminded, was the subject of intense scrutiny late last year as we documented in our classic piece "Full Metal Retard: US Launches "Performance-Based" Ammo Paradrop Program For Make-Believe 'Syrian Arabs.'" It's the same group the US has been paradropping weapons to.

To sum up, Turkey is deliberately attempting to reverse gains made by the US-backed Kurds in an area that is under siege by the Russians and Iran. Or, more simply: utter chaos.

[amorphous]

Saudi's 350,000 Syrian invasion force could start World War 3

http://www.trunews.com/saudis-350000-syrian-invasion-force-could-start-world-war-3/#JqKm34iw0xuX6K1e.99

---

" Saudi Arabia said 350,000 forces from more than 20 Persian Gulf Arab nations will partake in an exercise called "North Thunder", according to Saudi media.

Egypt, Sudan and Pakistan are among the participants in the mission that could spark World War 3.

The drill will take place in the northern part of the country, and has been described as the largest military maneuver in the history of the region, according to Press TV.

It is being seen as preparation for a ground invasion of Syria."

[MinorityRepublican]

Is this a credible source?

[jimpick]

Thank god the Iran nuke deal was not as bad as this cease fire Kerry deal is.

[Eagles6]

Wouldn't doubt it.

Never let a good crisis go to waste.

[mrsmith]

Aleppo has been a lucrative market for Turkey. They’ll miss the money they made selling food and weapons at emergency prices.
Now it’s supplies will come from Syria.

[ronnie raygun]

Our little fairly douchebag and his retarded helpers are once again running around with thier finger up thier a##es

[Dr. Ursus]

The AA’s were never supposed to rule us. Total incompetence!

[PIF]

"Saudi Arabia is set to send warplanes to Incirlik."

Which airbase I believe is covered by the S400 systems at Latakia. So if the Turks and the Saudis get too aggressive we all learn just how effective the system is.

BREAKING: Turkish artillery is striking Kurdish-held Minnigh Airbase in Aleppo, Syria, according to militants.
pic.twitter.com/fZisqxCKEa
-The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) February 13, 2016

BREAKING: Turkish official says there will be a 'massive escalation' in Syria over next 24 hours.
-The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) February 13, 2016

BREAKING: Turkish officials confirm that country's military is targeting Kurdish-controlled positions across northern Syria.
-The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) February 13, 2016

[laplata]

Of all times when we need good, competent leadership, we have “The Enemy Within” in charge.

This is a very bad situation.

[cloudmountain]

We need to stay out of the way. Also Turkey needs to know we won’t pull their chestnuts out of the fire.

EXCELLENT advice.
Those folks over there have been fighting each other since LONG before Europeans built their first castle.
Those folks over there will CONTINUE to fight each other until three seconds before God ends it all. Nothing will stop them, least of all our beloved "Pollyanna" America attitude.

Let'em be.

[Rusty0604]

Well I don’t know, we could always go with this:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/04/middleeast/turkey-russia-syria-invasion-denial/index.html

Istanbul (CNN)—Turkish forces aren’t preparing to invade northern Syria — and Russia’s allegation that they are is an attempt to hide Moscow’s crimes in the war-ravaged nation, a source within the Turkish Prime Minister’s office told CNN on Thursday.

“Simply they are diverting attention from their attacks on civilians as a country already invading Syria,” the source told CNN. “Turkey has all the rights to take any measures to protect its own security.”

[mvonfr]

i have no idea where this is leading, because i’m not a military man nor can i read the minds of the leaders of countries.

Let's try looking at the options:

1. Turks/Saudis try to bomb Syria -- Russian air-defense is likely to make this prohibitively costly.

2. Turks send armor (tank brigades, being readied now) across the border -- With Russian air superiority we may see their tanks going the way of Saddam's tanks in 1993.

3. Turks limit the aggression to cross-border shelling --- not clear if Russia will respond.

4. Turkish/Saudis gambit is to suffer heavy losses in 1. and/or 2. but trigger a World War (nuclear exchange) between the US and Russia. This would be obviously to their benefit, and given the level of competence our famous golf player tends to show, cannot be excluded.

Any other options?

[skeeter]

Well I’m no expert, either. But I do know that the Turks and Russians have been going at one another for several hundred years. Add to this the involvement of the Wahhabis, a soon to be (if not already) nuclear Iran and of course the Israelis stuck in the middle & the results could be epic.

[lurk]

This is certainly a soup of 50 ingredients.

Now would be a good time for competence in the US govt. When did we actually have that?

[TTFlyer]

We can do nothing diplomatically or militarily until the current jackass occupying the White House is gone.

[Rusty0604]

Thanks, I can’t seem to be able to copy and paste tweets very well.

[mvonfr]

Egypt, Sudan and Pakistan

Egypt is supportive of Assad and unlikely to take any part in an invasions. Sudan will follow the Saudis. Pakistan -- absolutely not clear.

[soycd]

>Saudi’s 350,000 Syrian invasion force could start World War 3

One or few small nukes could eliminate that islamo threat.

[Rusty0604]

I certainly hope option 4 is off the table.

“KERRY: DO YOU WANT ME TO GO TO WAR WITH THE RUSSIANS?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05fed2cZSiI

[dp0622]

I have such a high IQ and it’s SO worthless lol.

two great answers. Thanks guys.

how anyone thinks a nuclear war on a large scale can benefit anybody is beyond me, but they do.

anyone know if 2 or 3 hundred nuke are exchanged, if that’s a planet killer, or is that just the movies?

cherynobyl wasn’t even a nuke and reached Europe

again, i know nothing of nukes, but Powerpoint and Excel, i’m you man lol