What is the US up to with regard to Iran?

[Kyriakos]

I think it is a very bad idea of the New to go to occupy large parts of northern Syria. Obviously those have mostly kurdish people. The risk of revolt in eastern Turkey (also with large kurdish populations) is rather obvious.

Re Churchill in ww2: he obviously didn't force Greece into the war. Greece would have remained neutral if Italy didn't invade (and do other stuff prior to that, like sinking a warship to get war declared on it).
But Churchill did play a part in the ridiculously failed Dardanelles ww1 campaign, which ultimately was significant for what came afterwards.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Re Churchill in ww2: he obviously didn't force Greece into the war. Greece would have remained neutral if Italy didn't invade (and do other stuff prior to that, like sinking a warship to get war declared on it).
But Churchill did play a part in the ridiculously failed Dardanelles ww1 campaign, which ultimately was significant for what came afterwards.

You were warned repeatedly by the Entente powers to not over extend yourself trying to take back Asian Minor and the initial success was because the Entente had mostly disarmed the Turkish army
Then you tried to hold onto your conquest instead of doing the smart thing and just negotiate some kind of treaty.

 

[r16]

ı wonder what's the "normal" Greek history about Metaxas being dead after months of keeping Churchill away , from interfering in the spat with Italy . Only when Churchill comes and America forces the Serbs to join , the Germans modify their plans . They might not have invaded Greece and without the Serbians they might have kept themselves satisfied with occupying a band to the Aegean .

no treaty , except the Greeks getting out of Asia Minor entirely . And Thrace up to 1914 borders or so .

 

[Kyriakos]

ı wonder what's the "normal" Greek history about Metaxas being dead after months of keeping Churchill away , from interfering in the spat with Italy . Only when Churchill comes and America forces the Serbs to join , the Germans modify their plans . They might not have invaded Greece and without the Serbians they might have kept themselves satisfied with occupying a band to the Aegean .

no treaty , except the Greeks getting out of Asia Minor entirely . And Thrace up to 1914 borders or so .

What is the angle here. I'm sure than unlike, say, some rather infamous posters who mix up ww1 with ww2, you happen to know the difference between the two
In the case you are referring to Metaxas' view about Greece staying away from the Gallipoli fiasco (which it did), is there something more to say at all? Germany (and Bulgaria) had to invade if Italy was to get back Albania, cause it totally lost the Greek-Italian war in ww2. Virtually all of the Greek army was in the front at the Adriatic, so only the forces manning the "Metaxas line" forts in the border with Bulgaria and NotYetFormerYRM were there, but those were enough to halt an invasion without german tanks.

Here is an obviously highly accurate account of how it all played out, courtesy of Sweden:

 

[r16]

once again or something . Il Duce is jealous , attacks Greece , gets defeated . Hitler is angry Greeks can ask for British help who then might go bomb Ploesti . There's to be a little German assistance to Italians with occupying Greek lands to the Aegean to be offered to Bulgaria to make them join the attack on Turkey , because Adolf has put up so long with "loving" the "Jewish" Kemal . So far so good ? Metaxas doesn't want British aid , conveniently dies , OSS (the future CIA or something) does its first thing and threatens Serbs that they will suffer if they keep staying neutral so the Serbs go have a coup , , creating an hostile Yugoslavia , Adolf sees Jews (because he would) and the limited German attack becomes a whole thing .

 

[Ferocitus]

Virtually all of the Greek army was in the front at the Adriatic, so only the forces manning the "Metaxas line" forts in the border with Bulgaria and NotYetFormerYRM were there...

If that's true, are you implying that there were no Greek troops at Normandy?

 

[r16]

greeks , if not American-Greeks and the like , were in the British Army .

 

[Ferocitus]

greeks , if not American-Greeks and the like , were in the British Army .

Thanks, but that's an answer to a different question to the one I asked.

 

[r16]

no problem , ı don't accept the bankruptcy of the Thomas Cook Travel Agency as "satisfactory" either . As might be possible to see half solutions , especially not the ones ı was saying in the first place are no slutions at all .

 

[innonimatu]

Preliminary report and we already know that this kind of report is subject to political manipulation (see the lies on the OPCW report on Syria). But relevant to what was discussed here:

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations is “unable to independently corroborate” that missiles and drones used in attacks on Saudi oil facilities in September “are of Iranian origin,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday.
The United States, European powers and Saudi Arabia have blamed the Sept. 14 attack on Iran. Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attacks, and Iran, which supports the Houthis, has denied any involvement.
Guterres said the United Nations examined debris of weapons used in attacks on a Saudi oil facility in Afif in May, on the Abha international airport in June and August and on the Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Khurais and Abqaiq in September.
“At this time, it is unable to independently corroborate that the cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles used in these attacks are of Iranian origin,” he wrote in the report, seen by Reuters.

 

[FriendlyFire]

^ .shurgs its the Middle East ? What you going to do ?

UN says it has evidence that Iran was 'shooting to kill' protesters
The United Nations said Friday that it has video evidence appearing to show Iranian security forces "shooting to kill" protesters during Iran's latest wave of demonstrations.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/06/middleeast/iran-un-protest-deaths-intl/index.html

Analysts: Seized Weapons Show Iran's Deep Involvement in Yemen's War
The recent U.S. seizure of suspected Iranian guided missile parts headed to rebels in Yemen highlights Iran's continued far-reaching involvement in the war-torn country, experts say.
U.S. officials said earlier this month that a U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard boarding team seized a small boat in the northern Arabian Sea that was carrying sophisticated weapons to Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen.
https://www.voanews.com/extremism-w...eapons-show-irans-deep-involvement-yemens-war

Rockets land near Baghdad airport, Iran-backed militias approaching a red line US official says
The Iraqi military said two rockets landed near the Baghdad International Airport Wednesday making it the tenth attack against U.S. installations or interests in Iraq over the last several weeks.
https://www.militarytimes.com/flash...tias-approaching-a-red-line-us-official-says/

 

[tamyrlin]

Shooting to kill protestors is the story of many non middle East countries as well. So is deep involvement in wars where they have no business to be .

 

[Patine]

Shooting to kill protestors is the story of many non middle East countries as well. So is deep involvement in wars where they have no business to be .

Like this non-Middle Eastern country event.

 

[Socrates99]

The war machine needs a boogeyman to justify that $131 billion increase in military spending. Remember when everyone was wondering where Bernie was going to get the $60 billion for tuition free college?

"Who'd believe we'd spend more money shippin' drugs and guns than to educate our sons."

 

[Estebonrober]

The war machine needs a boogeyman to justify that $131 billion increase in military spending. Remember when everyone was wondering where Bernie was going to get the $60 billion for tuition free college?

"Who'd believe we'd spend more money shippin' drugs and guns than to educate our sons."

it’s a complete and total outrage. Trump “I want 738 billion for defense” Dems “No you take 741!” Also dems “we can’t afford Medicare for all of tuition free college”.

it’s pathetic.

 

[Imaus]

it’s a complete and total outrage. Trump “I want 738 billion for defense” Dems “No you take 741!” Also dems “we can’t afford Medicare for all of tuition free college”.

it’s pathetic.

The war machine needs a boogeyman to justify that $131 billion increase in military spending. Remember when everyone was wondering where Bernie was going to get the $60 billion for tuition free college?

"Who'd believe we'd spend more money shippin' drugs and guns than to educate our sons."

I have no idea why the hell the bloated military budget is seen as necessary, untouchable, something to worship. Has a generation of war really clouded people to this? Have we already forgotten the outrage of Trumps budgets since 2017? All he cares about is the Department of Defense and Homeland Security and cuts everything else. Maybe this haggle of pretenders to the throne can start outlining their ideal fiscal budgets for 2021-2022.

 

[Farm Boy]

Like this non-Middle Eastern country event.

It's true. That happened. And the public in part blamed the protesters in the moment.

A great historical, though not wonderful contemporary example. At least it's within a lifetime of reference. Dad would have been a young man, forty-nine years ago.

 

[El_Machinae]

The person who frequently jokes about dictatorship sucks up to the military??? Say it ain't so!

 

[Patine]

The war machine needs a boogeyman to justify that $131 billion increase in military spending. Remember when everyone was wondering where Bernie was going to get the $60 billion for tuition free college?

"Who'd believe we'd spend more money shippin' drugs and guns than to educate our sons."

it’s a complete and total outrage. Trump “I want 738 billion for defense” Dems “No you take 741!” Also dems “we can’t afford Medicare for all of tuition free college”.

it’s pathetic.

I have no idea why the hell the bloated military budget is seen as necessary, untouchable, something to worship. Has a generation of war really clouded people to this? Have we already forgotten the outrage of Trumps budgets since 2017? All he cares about is the Department of Defense and Homeland Security and cuts everything else. Maybe this haggle of pretenders to the throne can start outlining their ideal fiscal budgets for 2021-2022.

The person who frequently jokes about dictatorship sucks up to the military??? Say it ain't so!

Money that could - and SHOULD - be best spent on domestic programs and helping the actual American people. But the American Government stopped being a servant of the people and a tool of big corporate and moneyed special interest and a self-interested paranoid military-police engine long ago. This is why the apparatus of power - represented by the Duopoly needs to be replaced utterly. The American people will not have government accountable, responsible, or transparent to them, and that serves, as long as the Duopoly remains solidly - corruptly - entrenched in power. Shifting around Duopoly politicians through Primary and General Elections will be insufficient. Donald Trump's boast of "Making American Great Again," was dead in the water and made utterly impossible when he switched from the Reform to Republican Party labels in 2013. And Bernie Sanders has strongly compromised and hurt his vision and integrity by going from an "Independent Socialist," to running in two Democratic Presidential Primaries now. And Austin Peters sold himself down the (Missouri) River along his strong convictions and reputation for them by "pragmatically" switching from a prominent and celebrated Libertarian Party member to declaring as Republican.