Allen's "balloon"

"The US special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL said on March 2 that the United States “will protect” Syrian rebel fighters trained and equipped by the United States, adding that a US-enforced no-fly zone or protected corridor is “under consideration,” as reported by Barbara Slavin for Al-Monitor.

The remarks by retired Marine Gen. John Allen suggest a military commitment beyond what is proposed by the Barack Obama administration’s draft authorization to use military force, which is presently before Congress, and may give new life to Turkey’s bid to draw the United States into military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad"  Al Monitor

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Once again, let's be clear.  A "no fly zone" necessarily implies a massive and continuing effort to destroy the Syrian Air Force and thereby win the war for the strongest among the rebels.  These are IS and Nusra.  The notion that the unicorn army of Syrian moderate guerrillas would be the beneficiaries is just laughable.  

Turkey and the US Navy would provide the most obvious basing and the UK sovereign basees on Cyprus would undoubtedly be part of the action.

There would be a lot of blood, a lot of bombing and a lot of civilian casualties.  Presumably, the Syrian government would be blamed for all of that.

One might fairly ask (rhetorically) why the Turks do not simply advance into Syria and accomplish Erdogan's heart's desire while sparing the rest of us the trouble?  pl

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/03/syria-obama-rebels-no-fly-zone.html?utm_source=Al-Monitor+Newsletter+%5BEnglish%5D&utm_campaign=9124474718-Week_in_review_March_9_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_28264b27a0-9124474718-93066749#ixzz3Ttn28SH0

Comments

[Charles I]

Here's more detailed reporting of further advances, including a sidebar noting

"the response of the local Sunni population that seems to be no less frightened of the Shia militias than they are of ISIL.
There are already reports of ransacked and burnt houses in the newly "liberated" Sunni towns near Tikrit. And some Iraqi leaders have warned against demolishing mosques and houses, or torturing and killing people in the newly liberated areas from ISIL."

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/03/iraqi-forces-enter-parts-tikrit-major-offensive-150310161937647.html

[Ishmael Zechariah]

Babak,

You are welcome to them.
http://www.truthandgrace.com/muslimwomen.htm
Ishmael Zechariah

[Babak Makkinejad]

Is that supposed to be funny or a rebuttal?

Why can't the governments leave Muslim women alone, why is what they wear so central to secular or religious governments?

When it comes to how women dress themselves in public, secular Turkish government and the religious one are not different - it is still an issue of control.

[Ishmael Zechariah]

BM,

Take a good second look at the picture. You can take it as humor or rebuttal, or both.

On a more practical side folks dressed like that cannot perform a wide range of functions (like running or being around any machinery with moving parts), are security risks (they can have more explosives on them than a UDT on active mission; they cannot evacuate fast enough in case of emergency; it is not certain if they are male, female or androgynous), etc.

Ishmael Zechariah

[Babak Makkinejad]

You cannot be serious - hiding bombs inside the chador?

I respect other peoples' personal choices.

I guess I am not a Kemalist.

[Ishmael Zechariah]

BM,

I am quite serious-a chador is an ideal cover over lots of contraband. Ask any SF you might know. Does your Iranian combat rule book say otherwise?

Respecting those not worthy of respect is no virtue. Personally,I detest"liberals".

Ishmael Zechariah

[Babak Makkinejad]

Then you have something in common with the Islamists; they also detest liberals.

[kao_hsien_chih]

First, bombs for peace. Now, genocide for human rights. It would almost be funny except for the very real horrors involved on massive scale.