Merkel Voices 'Outrage' Over Syrian Offensive and Russian Airstrikes

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

February 8, 2016 — 8:17 AM EST Updated on February 8, 2016 — 11:14 AM EST
German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed outrage over Russian-backed attacks in Syria as a government offensive drives thousands of civilians to the Turkish border, exacerbating the already critical refugee crisis Merkel is struggling to resolve.

“We’re not only shocked, but also outraged, at what’s happened in terms of human suffering in the past few days for tens of thousands of people through bomb attacks, including attacks above all from Russia,” Merkel told reporters in Ankara on Monday after meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.



The broadside against Russian President Vladimir Putin comes as forces and allies of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad seek to recapture war-ravaged Aleppo in northern Syria, presenting the regime with an upper hand in the five-year-old civil war. The military offensive, supported by Russian air strikes, is triggering a fresh wave of refugees as Merkel visited Turkey in a bid to stem the influx of migrants into the European Union.

As EU member states balk at accepting more migrants, Merkel said the only way to end the flood of illegal migration across the Aegean Sea into Greece -- the main conduit by which more than 1 million refugees entered the EU last year -- was to replace it with a legal avenue to migrants. That would involve the EU resettling allotments of mostly Syrian refugees directly from Turkey in return for Turkey halting the flow of migrants, Merkel said.

‘Ethnic Massacre’

In what Merkel cited as a sign of progress, a group of officials from the EU, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Turkey will discuss how to assemble such a resettlement mechanism, according to a German government official who asked not to be identified because the talks aren’t public.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-08/merkel-expresses-outrage-over-russian-air-strikes-in-syria

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-08/merkel-expresses-outrage-over-russian-air-strikes-in-syria

[Odin2005]

1. Fuck Putin.

[red dog 1]

4. + 1

Fuck Assad too!

[bemildred]

2. PYD advances on Aleppo, creates new exodus toward Turkey

Good map in the OP.

The PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party's (PYD) armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), is reportedly continuing advances in northern Aleppo thanks to an offensive the Assad regime backed by Russian airstrikes, leading to a new exodus from northern Syria that is expected to overwhelm Turkey's capacity to handle refugees. The YPG advance in northern Aleppo will lead to the expansion of the Afrin canton. The Syrian affiliate of the PKK also targets Azaz, near the Turkish province of Kilis, to complete the establishment of their canton. The PYD reportedly benefits from an offensive by regime forces loyal to Bashar Assad, who are backed by relentless Russian airstrikes.

The next target for the PYD will be the Mennah military air base, which has been held since 2013 by the al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Nusra Front. The air base is six kilometers south of Azaz and is a crucial point for the group.

The Syrian Local Coordination Committee released a statement which claimed the U.S. sent 20 military advisors to assist the PKK-affiliated group in its offensive against Manbij, near Aleppo. The U.S. also sent two cargo loads of ammunition to the group, according to the statement.

Over the weekend, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced his dissatisfaction with the U.S., a crucial ally to Turkey in the region, for its collaboration with a PKK-affiliated group. Erdoğan urged the U.S. to decide whether it is allied with Turkey or the PYD.

http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2016/02/09/pyd-advances-on-aleppo-creates-new-exodus-toward-turkey

[red dog 1]

3. Perhaps it's time for NATO to step in and impose a "No Fly Zone"

That might be the only way to deal with that insane, lying, war-monger Putin and his murderous pal Assad.

Putin said Russia would be bombing ISIS targets; but he's a liar.
Russia is not targeting ISIS....Russia is not bombing ISIS.
Putin is bombing the rebels instead.

A NATO-imposed "No Fly Zone" could save the lives of the innocent civilians fleeing Aleppo.