Russia is Attacking Latakia

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jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
No doubt it will be a long time before Syrian Latakia is exported. Russia is bombing it back to before the Stone Age. Saw this buried in an article about the Russia/Turkey imbroglio. Geo-politics and tobacco, not a good mix
"Turkey and its allies say Russia's real aim is to prop up its ally Assad and that it has been bombing moderate opposition groups in areas of Syria like Latakia, where the jet was downed, and where there is little or no Islamic State presence.

Russian forces have shown no sign of backing down, launching a heavy bombardment against insurgent-held areas in Latakia on Wednesday, near where the jet crashed.A Reuters correspondent on the Turkish side of the border saw rockets and tank shells being fired from government-controlled western Latakia eastwards into rebel-held territory, sending plumes of smoke rising from the wooded hillsides."
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/turkeys-erdogan-says-russian-response-downed-jet-emotional-130009265--business.html

 

fordm60

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2014
598
5
I ran into some Russian Airborne in Bosnia never saw a pipe but they sure do love strong filterless cigarettes. Most had brown nicotine/tar stains on their smoking fingers and they tended to light the next one off the butt of the last one. I tried one as it was offered, SOP at the time was to always accept a offered smoke so as to not offend allies, I did not smoke anything at the time and strong may be a understatement for those smokes! So at least I know they love tobacco but maybe they have a secret hate for latakia. But I thought I read on the forum Syria stopped producing latakia a long time ago, something about they could not get the wood for smoking the leaf anymore.

 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
This whole thing is distressing in its own right, but they stopped making Syrian Latakia years ago -- it had nothing to do with the recent crises. Still, it's jarring to hear about a place called "Latakia" being bombed and bombarded.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I too was under the impression that Syrian Latakia was already a thing of the past. Either way, if Russia wasn't going to blow the hell out of any chance of Syrian Latakia, the ISIS goons would have. Hell bent downward slide back into the world-wide Dark Ages, anyone?

 

fordm60

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2014
598
5
Well not the dark age surely. There have always been terrorist or assains or rebels or other labels placed on extremists. Always some paraih country to worry about. But the world always continues to spin as long as there are brave men willing to fight they are always contained or defeated. The current "crisis" will be handled no worries it will just take time and men thrown into the meat grinder. Sad but true there is always a group willing to use force to get their way and there is always a need to defend against them, the brotherhood of man.....bah!

 

fordm60

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2014
598
5
Happy Thanksgiving to you aldecaker! I used to say I am so negative I am positive lol. Happy smokes to you!

 

jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
"Guys, Syria stopped producing Latakia like 10 years ago"
I believe that everyone knows this. Many threads on this. Not the point, I just thought it was interesting/sad to see the fighting/war in "Latakia."

 

jitterbugdude

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 25, 2014
993
8
Usually news like this is accompanied by a "they are doing it for the oil..." I suspect the Russians are smarter than anyone gives them credit for. They are going to get the last of the Syrian Latakia and sell it on E-bay!

 

jvnshr

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 4, 2015
4,616
3,868
Baku, Azerbaijan
I believe that everyone knows this. Many threads on this. Not the point, I just thought it was interesting/sad to see the fighting/war in "Latakia."
Oh, my bad. Sorry for that. On the other hand, I follow the events in Syria very closely. You cannot even imagine how complicated the situation is there.

 

fnord

Lifer
Dec 28, 2011
2,746
8
Topeka, KS
"Hell bent downward slide back into the world-wide Dark Ages, anyone?"
Damn, Aldecaker, what a beautiful use of the English language!
Ford, I do so enjoy your posts, man. But you were trumped here.
Forty year ago, during the Lebanese troubles, the late, great William F. Buckley suggested throwing up a "Cordon Sanitaire" around Lebanon. Nothing in. Nothing out. Let the winner take all and then the true super powers would dictate the terms.
Two score later, why not do the same thing? For the best part, excluding Indonesia, and expanding the geopolitical scope, ISUS and ISIL could be controlled and, once contained or eradicated, the lot of us could move on to trouble spots in the PAC-RIM.
Just thinking out loud...
Fnord

 

jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
"the late, great William F. Buckley suggested throwing up a "Cordon Sanitaire" around Lebanon"
"Two score later, why not do the same thing?"
Correct me if I as wrong, but at the time, Lebanon was a cool place, a paradise of sorts in the middle-east. Now that most Jews and Christians have been "cleansed" from every area of the middle-east, sans Israel for the Jews, and Lebanon for Christians, we would just be walling off a Hezbollah controlled dump, comparatively.

 

simong

Lifer
Oct 13, 2015
2,532
15,280
UK
I've always heard Lebanon was lovely too, aside from which every Lebanese girl I've seen are absolutely stunning! They also have a pipe club I believe, might be worth a group visit?

 

deathmetal

Lifer
Jul 21, 2015
7,714
32
Lebanon and Israel are the two high-IQ, first-world-style parts of the Middle East. No wonder the rest want to destroy them. Envy is the cornerstone of human behavior.

 

jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
"...every Lebanese girl I've seen are absolutely stunning!"
Yes, but they are into girls, us guys have no chance.

 

jollyroger

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2015
105
0
I've fought in Lebanon, however it is far from how it was once depicted in the past.

Whereas older acquaintances of mine described it as the Paris of the middle east, shaped by a variety of modern and ancient cultures, heavily invested in and very picturesque, many years later I've discovered it to be completely wrecked and ruined by Hizballa and other extreme influences, effectively reducing it to just another under developed and under maintained third would country.

Mosques, billboards of religious preachers and concrete slab walls replaced the jewelry shops, the bakeries and the gardens.

Fear and prejudice replaced liberalism and progression.

Fashion and cultural events were replaced entirely by extremist protests calling for the destruction of this party or another.
I found it overwhelmingly sad that such regression could occur to such a regional forefront leader on the path to modernization.
I wouldn't willingly return.

 

jollyroger

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2015
105
0
Russia has established a forward airbase in latakia, and while that currently is receiving attention, the violence would reach that region regardless of the Russian presence. I actually believe Russian involvement might prevent that region from falling to ISIS and becoming unrecoverable.

Russia is currently in the process of deploying their heavy anti air surface to air missiles, to completely eliminate any potential advantage the Turkish have there. They recognize the crucial need for absolute air superiority to allow the ground troops to operate freely.
While I do not think Assad should remain in power (after all he is responsible for financing Hizballa and for the regression of Lebanon) , as opposed to Russian interests, I do believe ISIS should be prevented power at all costs.

Not that I'm a fan of Syrian Latakia, I do believe there is a greater chance of it being produced if the area is not controlled by insane religious zealots hell bent on the destruction of anything different.

 
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