And the Rest... The rest of World politics thread.

[hatoflords]

Oct 7, 2020 8:55:25 GMT -5 Least censored on the planet! said:

What's the advantage that Azerbaijan get from this province though? Is it resources rich? Does it gives them maritime access? Or just because fuck you that's why?

It's basically the ME version of the Kosovo conflict. There's really nothing at stake but nation and ethnic spite.

[semipotentwalrus]

Not a clue, national pride I guess, and anger at getting attacked.

[Disciple of Fate]

Problem is that while both sides were roughly equal up until now. Azerbaijan has distinct geopolitical advantages and is prepping more defense wise. So this is seemingly a future ethnic cleansing waiting to happen. It really depends on Russia and Turkey as well.

[Least censored on the planet!]

Well that sucks, deaths over stupid ego and posturing...

[hatoflords]

Well, this is interesting.

There are stories making some of the less reputable but not quite 'making things up' news outlets that Putin is planning to step down from his position over fears of Parkinson's disease. Earlier today, Russia passed a law granting full immunity to former president's, which was a rather odd move but might make more sense if Putin anticipates soon stepping down.

[CommieCanUCK]

Parkinson's is a terrible, debilitating disease that slowly robs you of your physicality and dignity. Couldn't happen to a better person.

[Disciple of Fate]

I have a few good people on my list...

Curious to see what happens if its true, he hasn't really groomed a successor as he seemed confident he could have gone for another 10 years and getting one early would have undermined his position.

[easye]

I guess I will put this here?

Islamic State group almost doubled its territory in Mali in under a year, U.N. says

www.npr.org/2023/08/26/1196189708/islamic-state-mali-al-qaida-west-africa-extremist

UNITED NATIONS — Islamic State extremists have almost doubled the territory they control in Mali in less than a year, and their al-Qaida-linked rivals are capitalizing on the deadlock and perceived weakness of armed groups that signed a 2015 peace agreement, United Nations experts said in a new report.

The stalled implementation of the peace deal and sustained attacks on communities have offered the IS group and al-Qaida affiliates a chance "to re-enact the 2012 scenario," they said.

That's when a military coup took place in March and rebels in the north formed an Islamic state two months later. The extremist rebels were forced from power in the north with the help of a French-led military operation, but they moved from the arid north to more populated central Mali in 2015 and remain active.

These guys are like bad horror movie villains. You think you have squashed them, and they keep popping up again.

[easye]

France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador, Macron says

www.npr.org/2023/09/24/1201415670/france-niger-coup-troops-ambassador-macron

PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.

The announcement is a significant, if predicted, blow to France's policy in Africa, after French troops pulled out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.

France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France didn't recognize the coup leaders as legitimate.

I have not been following this story at all.

[Disciple of Fate]

It seems there are Russian efforts behind a series of coups in the region. Unfortunately these countries are also heavily at risk from terrorist groups like IS in the region.

[easye]

Speaking of Russian destabilization....

Azerbaijan and Armenian flare ups again that completely flew under my radar last week!

At least 20 dead in gas station blast as Nagorno-Karabakh residents flee to Armenia

www.npr.org/2023/09/26/1201685258/at-least-20-killed-gas-station-blast-nagorno-karabakh-residents-flee-to-armenia

The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing the separatist authorities to agree to lay down weapons and start talks on Nagorno-Karabakh's "reintegration" into Azerbaijan.

[Disciple of Fate]

Now the question is going to be if Azerbeidzjan will stop at the internationally recognized Armenian border (which they have already crossed in the last few years). The Armenian military is weak, has few direct allies and is directly in the way of connecting two parts of Azerbeidzjan and thereby a landbridge to Turkey.

[Haighus]

So it is all kicking off in Gaza.

I do not feel remotely informed enough to comment on this beyond it looks really bad.

[Disciple of Fate]

The main thing that I'm wondering: You (i.e. Israel around the Gaza strip) live next to (what they consider) a smoldering war zone controlled by what most of the world considers a terrorist group. So why hold large scale and vulnerable public events a stone throw away? Even the border posts seemed very lightly defended.

This is tragic for civilians on both sides. That this could happen on such a scale seems like incredible hubris or complacency from the Isreali government. This is the sort of stuff conspiracies are born from.

Given that Israel is cutting off Gaza from power, water and food, a lot more innocent people are going to die

[Haighus]

Yeah, it is the civilians I feel very sorry for.