World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 242

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 242

During the week ending on Sunday, April 16, 2017, TURKEY retreated from their days of aggressive sieges of CIZRE, SILOPI, DIYARBAKIR and NUSAYBIN, predominantly KURDISH, which TURKEY had converted into a suburban war zone area as TURKEY was on the defense as they were subject to an internal military “Coup D’État” that failed as gunfire and explosions erupted in which 265 people died, 161 of them civilians during July of 2016. As a result of the failed “Coup D’État”, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency, extended the period during which suspects can be detained without charge to 30 days, closed more than 1,000 private schools and closed more than 1,200 associations. A wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP finally continued to de-escalate slightly more this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on the upcoming referendum on Sunday, April 16, 2017 whereby if the majority of the TURKISH population back the referendum, TURKEY’s parliamentary system will be converted into a presidential system effectively consolidating power into one executive branch with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as its primary executor. The referendum would also allow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2014 before becoming President to stay on as President until 2029. Therefore, those opposing the vote say the proposed constitutional changes would give “Free Reign” to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has already been pushing the boundaries of his power as his governing AKP has been utilizing an increasingly authoritarian style since the failed “Coup D’État” attempt which led to an intense crackdown leading to the arrests of over 47,000 government critics, academics, journalists, military officials and civil servants. Nonetheless, TURKEY appears to be a country divided ahead of the referendum determining TURKEY’s future direction under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the governing AKP campaign banners plastered on nearly every corner, high-rise and billboard with humongous head shots of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim lining the streets.

Moving on to IRAQ, IRAQI and US-led ALLIANCE forces continued with their offensive against ISIS on MOSUL as IRAQI and ALLIED forces managed to push ISIS militants back from MOSUL, their last major stronghold in IRAQ, whereby IRAQI special forces appear to have liberated the eastern half of MOSUL from ISIS in its entirety. As a friendly reminder, MOSUL is divided by the Tigris River with both east and west sides respectively making up about half of the population of MOSUL. Elite ALLIANCE forces managed to fight through an elaborate defense system formed by ISIS over the past two years, that kept ALLIANCE forces out while contemporaneously keeping the residents of MOSUL trapped in as captives, by recapturing east MOSUL in its entirety while being at the cusp of controlling west MOSUL in the short-term. On a positive note, this week in a series of lightning fast advances, ALLIANCE forces seized further control of most of western MOSUL from ISIS with ISIS now only controlling around 7% of IRAQ while ISIS effectively controlled around 40% of IRAQ during its peak in 2014. It now appears imminent that a full recapture of MOSUL, the de facto capital of the ISIS self proclaimed caliphate nearly three years ago, would end ISIS’s dreams of a cross-border state with SYRIA. However, the price to pay in terms of human casualties for the liberation of IRAQ from ISIS control has been immense with the packed morgue in MOSUL providing a clear indication of the toll of collateral damage from the liberation of ISIS controlled territories.

Moving on to SYRIA, SYRIAN government forces have retaken full control of ALEPPO, since the uprising began, after nearly six years of bloody fighting for Syria’s most populous city and SYRIA’s economic hub that has been the most prized and fiercely contested city throughout the Syrian conflict. As a friendly reminder, since the Syrian army’s assault against rebel held ALEPPO began in late September of 2016, RUSSIAN and SYRIAN government bombardments killed more than 1,000 people, including over 250 children while injuring over 5,000. Now, a ceasefire across SYRIA appears to be broken after its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval of the plan from the UN Security Council overriding all previous failed peace proposals and finally ending the six-year conflict. Although these talks represented the most serious diplomatic efforts in months, U.S. President, Donald Trump’s authorization of the firing of 59 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles at the SYRIAN Armed Forces in response to what the U.S. believes was a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 100 people authorized by President Bashar al-Assad has derailed the entire peace process. US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said that relations with RUSSIA are at a low point, as there is a low level of trust between the two countries, after meetings held directly in RUSSIA that could not bridge a deepening diplomatic divide over the chemical attacks in SYRIA. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson could not agree on who was responsible for the chemical attacks such that it is obvious that the working level of confidence in Russian and American relations, especially at the military level under President Donald Trump, has not improved but rather has worsened. The U.S. accused RUSSIA and SYRIA of carrying out a confusion campaign over who was responsible for the chemical attacks while Russian President Vladimir Putin made comparisons between the U.S. response to these chemical attacks and the U.S. 2003 invasion of Iraq, calling it a “tedious” story. Although the 80 plus deaths from the chemical attacks have been widely blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, RUSSIA has denied the SYRIAN regime carried out the chemical attacks. RUSSIA claims that the SYRIAN regime is being unfairly blamed for the chemical attacks to the point where RUSSIAN President, Vladimir Putin stated that the chemical attacks were “simply staging” and a provocation by rebel forces within SYRIA who were plotting more chemical attacks, including near the capital of DAMASCUS, that the rebels intend to pin on the SYRIAN regime.

In my opinion, TURKEY’s participation in the military battle against ISIS is a positive addition to the ALLIANCE albeit TURKEY’s negative stance against the PKK that in my opinion is currently unwarranted and deteriorating. However, with the majority governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it appears that TURKEY’s future is heading for more war and bloodshed. Unfortunately, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have chosen the path of war with the PKK as opposed to diplomacy via the KURDISH HDP political party which secured close to 11% during the last TURKISH elections. Therefore, in my opinion, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will learn the hard way that nobody on the outside world looking in is stupid but rather everyone chooses to close their eyes and allow TURKEY to continue with its ethnic cleansing campaign of the KURDS in exchange for TURKEY signing a deal with the European Union (EU) to stem the flow of refugees arriving in GREECE. In exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY was supposed to receive Euro 3 billion in financial aid in return, the possibility of visa-free travel for its citizens, and a reopening of EU membership talks. In my opinion, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the governing AKP will learn the hard way that the failed “Coup D’État” exposes the deep discontent within the TURKISH military ranks as the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan persist with their quest to annihilate the HDP and the KURDS as the AKP is converting itself into a majority fascist regime with its house cleaning exercises whereby virtually all dissidents have been fired. In my opinion, the European parliament vote to halt TURKEY’s EU accession backed by a resolution condemning the TURKISH government’s disproportionate repressive measures after the failed “Coup D’État” in July was long overdue as TURKEY has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt, with its repressive measures over all opposition, that TURKEY does not share common values, morals, principals, ethics and views as the EU such that TURKEY does not fit into the EU mould. However, in my opinion, TURKEY still represents a major player on the European economic stage such that the EU will nonetheless have to negotiate deals with TURKEY as an independent NON-EU member country regarding the huge refugee crisis. In my opinion, in exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY should only receive Euro 1.5 billion, half of the initial proposed 3 billion, in financial aid along with visa-free travel for its citizens who do not pose any significant risks outside of TURKISH borders.

Finally, the wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP continued to de-escalate further this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on the upcoming referendum on Sunday, April 16, 2017 whereby if the majority of the TURKISH population back the referendum, TURKEY’s parliamentary system will be converted into a presidential system effectively consolidating power into one executive branch with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as its primary executor. In my opinion, this would be a very dangerous step backwards for democratic principals to be upheld in TURKEY as the governing AKP has already been ruling with an authoritarian dictatorship style ever since the failed “Coup D’État” in July of 2016. In my opinion, those planning to vote on the YES side are democratically delusional but they seem to have been effectively brainwashed to believe that voting for the YES side in the referendum would enable President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stabilize a TURKISH nation with a sluggish economy, a huge refugee crisis and a brewing resurgence of the 30 plus years conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Meanwhile, the NO side appears to be completely stressed out as they do not see a bright future for TURKEY if all power becomes even more concentrated in the hands of the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In my opinion, the magnitude of control of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already been exhibited during this referendum with the governing AKP significantly restricting the KURDISH HDP’s ability to campaign for the NO side as the song of the HDP has been forbidden and the buses used for HDP party members have not been allowed to drive near the NO campaign area in the TURKISH city center. Meanwhile, the governing AKP has used all of the possibilities of the state to propagandize for the YES side including the usage of state cars, public transport and tax funds. In my opinion, the crushing of the KURDISH HDP under the existing political system clearly demonstrates that the governing AKP already has a stranglehold on the TURKISH government such that a YES win would in essence grant President Recep Tayyip Erdogan absolute and complete control of TURKEY with virtually no opposition. Given that five thousand KURDISH HDP supporters have already been jailed, including their leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag who have been imprisoned since November 2016, based on accusations that the KURDISH HDP is supporting the PKK, which is designated by the US and the EU as a terrorist organization, I can only imagine the further decimation of any and all opposition movements assuming a win by the YES side during the upcoming referendum. However, in my opinion, it may very well be the democratic free will of the majority of the TURKISH people that desires to have an authoritarian dictatorship style of leadership in place whereby there is only one voice such that there is minimal disagreement as the majority imposes its will upon all minorities.

Moving on to IRAQ, the recent successful attacks on ISIS by IRAQI security forces in MOSUL, has clearly sent the message to ISIS that it is just a matter of time until the ISIS Empire in MOSUL dies. However, the IRAQI led troops on the ground are essentially forced to fight ISIS style, which is slow and brutal for any other type of heavy artillery attack on ISIS, will result in significant collateral damage in terms of human casualties. Therefore, the ALLIANCE forces recapture of eastern MOSUL in its entirety has triggered a lightning fast momentum as ALLIANCE forces managed to seize control of major parts of Western MOSUL although in my opinion, the last of the fighting will most probably be a lot more difficult. In my opinion, ISIS will cling on to the oldest parts of MOSUL city where streets are narrow making it hard to manoeuvre military convoys and thus increasing the risk of ambushes and civilian casualties. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that ALLIANCE forces are having a difficult time to fully retake control of central MOSUL’s OLD CITY but this struggle is unfortunately necessary to secure the entire province of MOSUL such that patience is of utmost importance as ALLIANCE forces must continue with their relentless yet prudent attacks until ALL ISIS snipers have been eliminated. In regards to recent statistics that indicate that ISIS now only controls around 7% of IRAQ while ISIS effectively controlled around 40% of IRAQ during its peak in 2014, this illustrates the success of the ALLIANCE in the war against ISIS albeit the excessive pain suffered at the hands of relentless ISIS opposition. However, in my opinion, IRAQ should not be abandoned after the imminent recapture of MOSUL but rather ALLIANCE forces should stay the course in IRAQ until the very end when ISIS is eliminated from every visible corner of IRAQ. In my opinion, ISIS is like a malignant cancer whereby if given the opportunity, ISIS will resurge and multiply exponentially to strike once again at the jugular of IRAQ such that the mission of the ALLIANCE in IRAQ needs to be to wipe the slate clean to minimize any future ISIS throat slicing bleeds. In my opinion, ISIS still represents an imminent threat that should not be taken lightly as ISIS still controls the large towns of HAWIJAH and TAL AFAR, as well as the remote areas along the border with SYRIA in western IRAQ and of course in Syria itself, ISIS still holds the city of RAQQA and other areas. In regards to the packed morgue in MOSUL providing a clear indication of the toll of collateral damage from the liberation of ISIS controlled territories, in my opinion without significant blood being spilled, IRAQ would never have been liberated from ISIS control such that the death and destruction was unfortunately unavoidable such that it should not diminish the glory of the imminent victory over ISIS. In my opinion, assuming that the KURDISH peshmerga, IRAQI army, SHIITE militia and some SUNNI militia forces continue to overlook their differences and stick together, ISIS will inevitably be decimated in IRAQ, although ISIS will likely survive as an incognito terrorist organization throughout the world. In my opinion, with ISIS inevitably nearing its downfall in IRAQ, IRAQI security forces need to be prepared for a different kind of war against ISIS, shifting away from ground offensives to intelligence work and surgical airstrikes to counter an expected move by ISIS away from holding territory and back to a more terrorist role of a dispersed underground terror organization. In my opinion, ISIS is already laying the groundwork for a new terrorist strategy of hiding in remote areas, carrying out attacks in IRAQ and abroad and resorting to organized crime to bankroll future operations.

Moving on to SYRIA, the SYRIAN government forces recapture of the entire former rebel stronghold of east ALEPPO in an offensive that left bodies in the streets and sparked global outrage managed to lead to a ceasefire across SYRIA that appears to now be broken after its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval from the UN Security Council. In my opinion, RUSSIA that invested much political time and energy in ending the fighting after bombing the opposition relentlessly for 15 months was the critical player in this ceasefire as RUSSIA managed to control the uncontrollable consisting of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, IRAN and SHIITE militias like Lebanon’s Hezbollah whereas TURKEY managed to control the Free Syrian Army (FSA) along with their affiliated rebel factions. Meanwhile, peace negotiations have stalled after TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, initially backed these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the allegations by Amnesty International that over thirteen thousand people were hanged at a SYRIAN prison in a secret crackdown on dissent by the current regime under the authority of President, Bashar al-Assad were excluded from the agenda for the fifth round of negotiations that concluded at the end of March. In my opinion, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's future should be off the agenda for now and the main focus of the talks should be governance, a new constitution and elections as the primary goal of these meetings should be to end the war in SYRIA and to implement a long-term sustainable solution for peace.

In regards to the derailed peace talks, the derailment is obviously due to U.S. President, Donald Trump’s authorization of the firing of 59 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles at the SYRIAN Armed Forces in response to what the U.S. believes was a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 80 people authorized by President Bashar al-Assad. However, in my opinion, these strikes by the U.S. were justified, at that time, on the basis that the strikes had a limited intent, which was to deter the usage of chemical weapons, and were part of President, Donald Trump’s so-called AMERICA FIRST policy. That is, the U.S. needed to send President Bashar al-Assad a clear, concise and direct message that chemical weapons attacks by the SYRIAN Armed Forces will not be tolerated and will be reciprocated accordingly. That being said, RUSSIA has now formally denied any involvement by the SYRIAN Armed Forces and RUSSIA in these chemical attacks and has gone so far as to accuse the SYRIAN rebels to be behind these chemical attacks on their own people. In regards to the formal accusations by RUSSIA that the chemical attacks were “simply staging” and a provocation by rebel forces within SYRIA to pin the SYRIAN regime, I am not surprised with this response as the situation in SYRIA resembles the cold war era whereby nobody will ever take any responsibility for evil sins, but will twist, turn and manipulate any and all underlying facts and circumstances to have their respective enemies pinned. In my opinion, the finger pointing game being played between the U.S. and RUSSIA is consistent with the new geopolitical stage set by the mass whereby politics has becomes a dirty game of try to catch me if you can, but until you find concrete evidence beyond a shadow of a doubt to nail the specific guilty parties with brass, you can kiss my candy ass.

In summary, I refer to “World Peace Lennon Ivan Style – Part 242” as the belief that MOSUL victory is critical to ISIS decimation but SYRIAN ceasefire between ASSAD and FSA also key while SYRIAN negotiations must result in peace albeit chemical weapons unleashed by ASSAD on SYRIAN civilians that were blamed by RUSSIA on rebels attacking their own mass and thus sending the U.S. a message back of catch me if you can, but until then you can kiss my candy ass.

Spirit of John Lennon – Kurdish Guerrilla Song:

April 16, 2017

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 241

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 241

During the week ending on Sunday, April 9, 2017, TURKEY retreated from their days of aggressive sieges of CIZRE, SILOPI, DIYARBAKIR and NUSAYBIN, predominantly KURDISH, which TURKEY had converted into a suburban war zone area as TURKEY was on the defense as they were subject to an internal military “Coup D’État” that failed as gunfire and explosions erupted in which 265 people died, 161 of them civilians during July of 2016. As a result of the failed “Coup D’État”, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency, extended the period during which suspects can be detained without charge to 30 days, closed more than 1,000 private schools and closed more than 1,200 associations. A wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP finally continued to de-escalate slightly more this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on SYRIA by throwing TURKEY’s support behind U.S. President, Donald Trump who authorized the firing of 59 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles at the SYRIAN Armed Forces in response to what the U.S. believes was a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 100 people authorized by President Bashar al-Assad. Ironically, an unlikely revival in TURKISH - AMERICAN relations looks to be emerging after years of tension between TURKEY and former U.S. President, Barack Obama as the U.S. missile strike ordered against SYRIA by President, Donald Trump highlighted how the two largest military powers in NATO are now beginning to see eye-to-eye on the civil war in SYRIA. President, Donald Trump’s move was applauded in TURKEY, which has for years been the world’s foremost proponent of removing President Bashar al-Assad from power while the U.S. has instead backed a war in SYRIA whose objectives were limited to the eradication of ISIS. Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, reiterated that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has killed close to one million people in seven years and has used all kinds of weapons including conventional weapons, barrel bombs and starvation such that if President Bashar al-Assad continues, the SYRIAN people will not be in any position to decide on the future of President Bashar al-Assad as was previously advocated by the U.S.

Moving on to IRAQ, IRAQI and US-led ALLIANCE forces continued with their offensive against ISIS on MOSUL as IRAQI and ALLIED forces managed to push ISIS militants back from MOSUL, their last major stronghold in IRAQ, whereby IRAQI special forces appear to have liberated the eastern half of MOSUL from ISIS in its entirety. As a friendly reminder, MOSUL is divided by the Tigris River with both east and west sides respectively making up about half of the population of MOSUL. Elite ALLIANCE forces managed to fight through an elaborate defense system formed by ISIS over the past two years, that kept ALLIANCE forces out while contemporaneously keeping the residents of MOSUL trapped in as captives, by recapturing east MOSUL in its entirety while being at the cusp of controlling west MOSUL in the short-term. On a positive note, this week in a series of lightning fast advances, ALLIANCE forces seized further control of most of western MOSUL from ISIS and Iraqi army forces took over RAYHANNA, a village near MOSUL in ANBAR while killing 30 ISIS militants in the process. However, ALLIANCE forces continued to struggle to fully retake control of central MOSUL’s OLD CITY, a densely populated and structured area which military generals view as vital for victory over ISIS in that region. However, ISIS is still holding onto a few strongholds in western ANBAR near the borders with SYRIA that IRAQI government forces also hope to retake from ISIS after clearing MOSUL from ISIS militants. Moving on to the diplomatic front in IRAQ, JARED KUSHNER, son-in-law of President Donald Trump and senior adviser to the White House, visited IRAQ after receiving an invitation from General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. JARED KUSHNER was reportedly in IRAQ to receive an update on the current status of the counter ISIS campaign in IRAQ and SYRIA although he was the subject of ridicule worldwide as everybody seemed to focus their attention on his outfit consisting of a jacket-blazer combo whereby the sports coat and military vest just did not blend well together. Unfortunately for JARED KUSHNER, although President Donald Trump has placed the 36 year old in charge of the Middle East peace process, the world seems to have had a hard time taking his sunglasses stroll with soldiers in IRAQ seriously. It seems that the world has been questioning JARED KUSHNER’s credentials regarding his visit to IRAQ on behalf of President Donald Trump in order to express the President’s support and commitment to the government of IRAQ and U.S. personnel currently engaged in the IRAQI war campaign.

Moving on to SYRIA, SYRIAN government forces have retaken full control of ALEPPO, since the uprising began, after nearly six years of bloody fighting for Syria’s most populous city and SYRIA’s economic hub that has been the most prized and fiercely contested city throughout the Syrian conflict. As a friendly reminder, since the Syrian army’s assault against rebel held ALEPPO began in late September of 2016, RUSSIAN and SYRIAN government bombardments killed more than 1,000 people, including over 250 children while injuring over 5,000. Now, a ceasefire across SYRIA appears to be holding as its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval of the plan from the UN Security Council overriding all previous failed peace proposals and finally ending the six-year conflict. Against all odds, the ceasefire largely continues to hold as peace negotiations continue with TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, backing these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the process continues to be advancing at a snails pace although these talks do represent the most serious diplomatic efforts in months. Unfortunately, U.S. President, Donald Trump’s authorization of the firing of 59 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles at the SYRIAN Armed Forces in response to what the U.S. believes was a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 100 people authorized by President Bashar al-Assad now threatens to derail the entire peace process. In response to the strike by the U.S., RUSSIA, chief backer of President Bashar al-Assad, sent a warship into the eastern Mediterranean heading straight towards the area where two U.S. Navy destroyers launched the missile strikes into SYRIA. Nonetheless, President, Donald Trump stands by his decision regarding the U.S. strike on a SYRIAN airbase in retaliation for this week’s gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians, including infants and small children. However, the American military strike against SYRIA now threatens Russian - American relations as RUSSIA denounced President, Donald Trump’s usage of force and the RUSSIAN military indicated it would suspend an agreement to share information about air operations over SYRIA that was devised to avoid accidental conflict between RUSSIA and the U.S. The U.S. missile strike demonstrated the potential dangers of RUSSIAN and AMERICAN forces operating in proximity although American military planners did act accordingly to avert a direct conflict. That is, fewer than 100 RUSSIAN troops deployed in support of the SYRIAN government of President Bashar al-Assad that were stationed at the SYRIAN air base targeted by AMERICAN forces were given just 60 to 90 minutes of advance notice that the cruise missiles were coming but were not advised whether to take shelter or flee. Nonetheless, the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said the strikes did not indicate a shift in US policy toward Syria, even though a few days’ earlier American diplomats had said President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster was no longer a priority. In addition, the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said the strikes had a limited intent, which was to deter the usage of chemical weapons, and were part of President, Donald Trump’s so-called AMERICA FIRST policy.

In my opinion, TURKEY’s participation in the military battle against ISIS is a positive addition to the ALLIANCE albeit TURKEY’s negative stance against the PKK that in my opinion is currently unwarranted and deteriorating. However, with the majority governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it appears that TURKEY’s future is heading for more war and bloodshed. Unfortunately, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have chosen the path of war with the PKK as opposed to diplomacy via the KURDISH HDP political party which secured close to 11% during the last TURKISH elections. Therefore, in my opinion, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will learn the hard way that nobody on the outside world looking in is stupid but rather everyone chooses to close their eyes and allow TURKEY to continue with its ethnic cleansing campaign of the KURDS in exchange for TURKEY signing a deal with the European Union (EU) to stem the flow of refugees arriving in GREECE. In exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY was supposed to receive Euro 3 billion in financial aid in return, the possibility of visa-free travel for its citizens, and a reopening of EU membership talks. In my opinion, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the governing AKP will learn the hard way that the failed “Coup D’État” exposes the deep discontent within the TURKISH military ranks as the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan persist with their quest to annihilate the HDP and the KURDS as the AKP is converting itself into a majority fascist regime with its house cleaning exercises whereby virtually all dissidents have been fired. In my opinion, the European parliament vote to halt TURKEY’s EU accession backed by a resolution condemning the TURKISH government’s disproportionate repressive measures after the failed “Coup D’État” in July was long overdue as TURKEY has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt, with its repressive measures over all opposition, that TURKEY does not share common values, morals, principals, ethics and views as the EU such that TURKEY does not fit into the EU mould. However, in my opinion, TURKEY still represents a major player on the European economic stage such that the EU will nonetheless have to negotiate deals with TURKEY as an independent NON-EU member country regarding the huge refugee crisis. In my opinion, in exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY should only receive Euro 1.5 billion, half of the initial proposed 3 billion, in financial aid along with visa-free travel for its citizens who do not pose any significant risks outside of TURKISH borders.

Finally, the wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP continued to de-escalate further this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on SYRIA by throwing TURKEY’s support behind U.S. President, Donald Trump who authorized the firing of 59 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles at the SYRIAN Armed Forces in response to what the U.S. believes was a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 100 people. In my opinion, the agreement by TURKEY with the U.S. air strikes on the SYRIAN Armed Forces is in conformance with TURKEY’s view that the world needs to stop pretending that it is only President Bashar al-Assad on one hand and ISIS on the other that legitimizes President Bashar al-Assad’s control over SYRIA. In my opinion, after the chemical attacks by the SYRIAN Armed Forces, TURKEY will no longer support the claim that there is no viable alternative to the existing regime under President Bashar al-Assad such that I believe TURKEY will now push for the alternative of saving the SYRIAN people from the brutal regime under President Bashar al-Assad after which the Syrian people will be easily able to find someone else to lead them. In my opinion, that is the TURKISH view that has put TURKEY into direct conflict with RUSSIA who we all very well know is President Bashar al-Assad’s main battleground backer such that until RUSSIA agrees, it will be virtually impossible for TURKEY and the U.S. to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power.

Moving on to IRAQ, the recent successful attacks on ISIS by IRAQI security forces in MOSUL, has clearly sent the message to ISIS that it is just a matter of time until the ISIS Empire in MOSUL dies. However, the IRAQI led troops on the ground are essentially forced to fight ISIS style, which is slow and brutal for any other type of heavy artillery attack on ISIS, will result in significant collateral damage in terms of human casualties. Therefore, the ALLIANCE forces recapture of eastern MOSUL in its entirety has triggered a lightning fast momentum as ALLIANCE forces managed to seize control of major parts of Western MOSUL although in my opinion, the last of the fighting will most probably be a lot more difficult. In my opinion, ISIS will cling on to the oldest parts of MOSUL city where streets are narrow making it hard to manoeuvre military convoys and thus increasing the risk of ambushes and civilian casualties. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that ALLIANCE forces are having a difficult time to fully retake control of central MOSUL’s OLD CITY but this struggle is unfortunately necessary to secure the entire province of MOSUL such that patience is of utmost importance as ALLIANCE forces must continue with their relentless yet prudent attacks until ALL ISIS snipers have been eliminated. In regards to Iraqi army forces taking over RAYHANNA, a village near MOSUL in ANBAR while killing 30 ISIS militants in the process, this is an excellent example of the strength of ALLIANCE forces when the ISIS skunks can be lured out into the open and the ALLIANCE have a clear target to strike. Therefore, it is obvious that the difficulties encountered by ALLIANCE forces in MOSUL’s OLD CITY have more to do with the landscape of narrow streets than with the capabilities of the ALLIANCE forces. In regards to JARED KUSHNER, son-in-law of President Donald Trump and senior adviser to the White House, visiting IRAQ to receive an update on the current status of the counter ISIS campaign, I must tend to agree with the buzz on social media that his outfit consisting of a jacket-blazer combo whereby the sports coat and military vest just did not blend well together was definitely a flop for the cameras. However, in my opinion, JARED KUSHNER seems to be a very intelligent 36-year-old man whom President Donald Trump has placed in charge of the Middle East peace process such that he should be given a fair opportunity to exercise his role as senior advisor. In my opinion, JARED KUSHNER definitely does not have the competence, persona or look to be a soldier but his role is not to be a fighter but just the opposite, JARED KUSHNER’s role is to be a peace negotiator such that I believe he has the necessary skills and abilities to assume this mandated role of senior advisor to the President. Nonetheless, in my opinion, assuming that the KURDISH peshmerga, IRAQI army, SHIITE militia and some SUNNI militia forces continue to overlook their differences and stick together, ISIS will inevitably be decimated in IRAQ, although ISIS will likely survive as an incognito terrorist organization throughout the world. In my opinion, with ISIS inevitably nearing its downfall in IRAQ, IRAQI security forces need to be prepared for a different kind of war against ISIS, shifting away from ground offensives to intelligence work and surgical airstrikes to counter an expected move by ISIS away from holding territory and back to a more terrorist role of a dispersed underground terror organization. In my opinion, ISIS is already laying the groundwork for a new terrorist strategy of hiding in remote areas, carrying out attacks in IRAQ and abroad and resorting to organized crime to bankroll future operations.

Moving on to SYRIA, the SYRIAN government forces recapture of the entire former rebel stronghold of east ALEPPO in an offensive that left bodies in the streets and sparked global outrage managed to lead to a ceasefire across SYRIA that appears to still be holding after its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval from the UN Security Council. In my opinion, RUSSIA that invested much political time and energy in ending the fighting after bombing the opposition relentlessly for 15 months was the critical player in this ceasefire as RUSSIA managed to control the uncontrollable consisting of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, IRAN and SHIITE militias like Lebanon’s Hezbollah whereas TURKEY managed to control the Free Syrian Army (FSA) along with their affiliated rebel factions. Meanwhile, peace negotiations continue with TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, backing these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the allegations by Amnesty International that over thirteen thousand people were hanged at a SYRIAN prison in a secret crackdown on dissent by the current regime under the authority of President, Bashar al-Assad were excluded from the agenda for the fifth round of negotiations that concluded at the end of March. In my opinion, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's future should be off the agenda for now and the main focus of the talks should be governance, a new constitution and elections as the primary goal of these meetings should be to end the war in SYRIA and to implement a long-term sustainable solution for peace.

In regards to U.S. President, Donald Trump’s authorization of the firing of 59 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles at the SYRIAN Armed Forces in response to what the U.S. believes was a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 100 people authorized by President Bashar al-Assad, it is quite obvious that these events now threaten to derail the entire peace process. However, in my opinion, these strikes by the U.S. were justified on the basis that the strikes had a limited intent, which was to deter the usage of chemical weapons, and were part of President, Donald Trump’s so-called AMERICA FIRST policy. That is, the U.S. needed to send President Bashar al-Assad a clear, concise and direct message that chemical weapons attacks by the SYRIAN Armed Forces will not be tolerated and will be reciprocated accordingly. That being said, there is no need for any further retaliatory strikes at this time as the message has been duly received by RUSSIA, chief backer of President Bashar al-Assad, who sent a warship into the eastern Mediterranean heading straight towards the area where two U.S. Navy destroyers launched the missile strikes into SYRIA. In my opinion, now that the RUSSIANS have arrived, it would obviously be unwise to further escalate this conflict, as it seems that some sort of equilibrium has been reached regarding these military exchanges. Nonetheless, I agree with the U.S. secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who said that the strikes did not indicate a shift in U.S. policy toward SYRIA that means that these U.S. strikes do not indicate that the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad is a priority. In my opinion, as long as RUSSIA is behind him, President Bashar al-Assad is essentially untouchable except for disciplinary strikes in instances of clear violations of international laws such as in this instance where the usage of chemical weapons on civilians was certain.


In summary, I refer to “World Peace Lennon Ivan Style – Part 241” as the belief that MOSUL victory is critical to ISIS decimation but SYRIAN ceasefire between ASSAD and FSA also key while SYRIAN negotiations must result in peace albeit chemical weapons unleashed by ASSAD on SYRIAN civilians that were reciprocated in kind by U.S. unleashing 59 Tomahawk missiles from the skies resulting in equilibrium resolution of isolated incident granting peace of mind that repetition will not be surmised.

Spirit of John Lennon – Kurdish Guerrilla Song:

April 9, 2017

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 239

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 239

During the week ending on Sunday, March 26, 2017, TURKEY retreated from their days of aggressive sieges of CIZRE, SILOPI, DIYARBAKIR and NUSAYBIN, predominantly KURDISH, which TURKEY had converted into a suburban war zone area as TURKEY was on the defense as they were subject to an internal military “Coup D’État” that failed as gunfire and explosions erupted in which 265 people died, 161 of them civilians during July of 2016. As a result of the failed “Coup D’État”, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency, extended the period during which suspects can be detained without charge to 30 days, closed more than 1,000 private schools and closed more than 1,200 associations. A wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP finally continued to de-escalate slightly more this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on TURKEY reviewing its political ties and refugee deal with the European Union (EU) after the April referendum on a new presidential system. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said that he would continue to use terms such as “Fascist” or “Nazi” to criticize EUROPE for as long as they continue to call him a DICTATOR.  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also described some EU members’ defense of the NETHERLANDS after it denied entry to TURKISH ministers seeking to campaign ahead of the April referendum poll on a new presidential system as unacceptable. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said TURKEY would continue to welcome foreign investors even if TURKEY reconsiders its political relations with the EU which should be interpreted by Europe as a warning rather than as threatening remarks.

Moving on to IRAQ, IRAQI and US-led ALLIANCE forces continued with their offensive against ISIS on MOSUL as IRAQI and ALLIED forces managed to push ISIS militants back from MOSUL, their last major stronghold in IRAQ, whereby IRAQI special forces appear to have liberated the eastern half of MOSUL from ISIS in its entirety. As a friendly reminder, MOSUL is divided by the Tigris River with both east and west sides respectively making up about half of the population of MOSUL. Elite ALLIANCE forces managed to fight through an elaborate defense system formed by ISIS over the past two years that kept ALLIANCE forces out while contemporaneously keeping the residents of MOSUL trapped in as captives by recapturing east MOSUL in its entirety while being at the cusp of controlling west MOSUL in the short-term. On a positive note, this week in a series of lightning fast advances, ALLIANCE forces seized further control of most of western MOSUL from ISIS as IRAQI forces battling ISIS managed to establish complete control over a command center run by ISIS by seizing the building in the Old MOSUL City. However, the UN estimates that 400,000 IRAQI civilians are trapped in the Old MOSUL City as government forces try to capture it from ISIS militants as tensions continue to remain at an all time high as IRAQI forces are closing in on the densely populated old MOSUL city and the Great Mosque of AL-NURI where ISIS leader ABU BAKR AL-BAGHDADI proclaimed the creation of a caliphate back in July of 2014. Meanwhile, ISIS attempted to extract some retribution by claiming responsibility for the attacks in LONDON, ENGLAND whereby five people were killed and over fifty others injured when a terrorist, Khalid Masood, drove through pedestrians in Westminster, on parliament hill, before launching a knife attack. Khalid Masood, 52, has been officially identified as the man shot dead by police after his killing rampage on Westminster but ironically he was born in ENGLAND on Christmas Day in 1964 and although he was known to police for several previous convictions across 20 years, he had never been convicted of any terrorism offences.

Moving on to SYRIA, SYRIAN government forces have retaken full control of ALEPPO, since the uprising began, after nearly six years of bloody fighting for Syria’s most populous city and SYRIA’s economic hub that has been the most prized and fiercely contested city throughout the Syrian conflict. As a friendly reminder, since the Syrian army’s assault against rebel held ALEPPO began in late September of 2016, RUSSIAN and SYRIAN government bombardments killed more than 1,000 people, including over 250 children while injuring over 5,000. Now, a ceasefire across SYRIA appears to be holding as its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval of the plan from the UN Security Council overriding all previous failed peace proposals and finally ending the six-year conflict. Against all odds, the ceasefire largely continues to hold as peace negotiations continue with TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, backing these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the process continues to be advancing at a snails pace although these talks do represent the most serious diplomatic efforts in months. However, Bashar al-Ja’afari, SYRIAN chief negotiator who attended another round of negotiations at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland this week clearly stated that a U.S. or Turkish backed attack on ISIS in the SYRIAN city of RAQQA would be illegitimate unless coordinated with President Bashar al-Assad's government. As per Bashar al-Ja’afari, those who are truly fighting ISIS are President Bashar al-Assad's Syrian Arab army with the help of their allies from RUSSIA and IRAN such that direct U.S. military intervention in SYRIAN territory as well as arming rebel factions in SYRIA while encouraging rebel factions to challenge the authority of President Bashar al-Assad's government does not serve the fight against terrorism. In addition, Bashar al-Ja’afari said that countries backing rebel groups in Syria such as the U.S., Britain, France, Turkey and Qatar were sponsors of terrorism and that a rebel offensive was designed to disrupt peace talks in Geneva. Nonetheless, the U.S. backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) have reached the entrance to the TABQA dam in RAQQA where they are clashing with ISIS as the battle to recapture Raqqa by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) seems to be imminent to restart within the coming days.

In my opinion, TURKEY’s participation in the military battle against ISIS is a positive addition to the ALLIANCE albeit TURKEY’s negative stance against the PKK that in my opinion is currently unwarranted and deteriorating. However, with the majority governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it appears that TURKEY’s future is heading for more war and bloodshed. Unfortunately, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have chosen the path of war with the PKK as opposed to diplomacy via the KURDISH HDP political party which secured close to 11% during the last TURKISH elections. Therefore, in my opinion, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will learn the hard way that nobody on the outside world looking in is stupid but rather everyone chooses to close their eyes and allow TURKEY to continue with its ethnic cleansing campaign of the KURDS in exchange for TURKEY signing a deal with the European Union (EU) to stem the flow of refugees arriving in GREECE. In exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY was supposed to receive Euro 3 billion in financial aid in return, the possibility of visa-free travel for its citizens, and a reopening of EU membership talks. In my opinion, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the governing AKP will learn the hard way that the failed “Coup D’État” exposes the deep discontent within the TURKISH military ranks as the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan persist with their quest to annihilate the HDP and the KURDS as the AKP is converting itself into a majority fascist regime with its house cleaning exercises whereby virtually all dissidents have been fired. In my opinion, the European parliament vote to halt TURKEY’s EU accession backed by a resolution condemning the TURKISH government’s disproportionate repressive measures after the failed “Coup D’État” in July was long overdue as TURKEY has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt, with its repressive measures over all opposition, that TURKEY does not share common values, morals, principals, ethics and views as the EU such that TURKEY does not fit into the EU mould. However, in my opinion, TURKEY still represents a major player on the European economic stage such that the EU will nonetheless have to negotiate deals with TURKEY as an independent NON-EU member country regarding the huge refugee crisis. In my opinion, in exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY should only receive Euro 1.5 billion, half of the initial proposed 3 billion, in financial aid along with visa-free travel for its citizens who do not pose any significant risks outside of TURKISH borders.


Finally, the wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP continued to de-escalate further this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on blasting EUROPE for being hypocrites for scolding him for using such terms as FASCIST or NAZI to describe EUROPE while EUROPE is allowed to call him a DICTATOR. In my opinion, what is good for the GOOSE (EUROPE) should be good for the GANDER (TURKEY) such that if name-calling is the game then both parties should be allowed to play the same. However, name-calling is usually a sign of two polar opposite views for which there does not seem to be a compromise or middle ground that can be brewed. Therefore, in my opinion, the root of the problem is significant differences in the interpretation of DEMOCRACY, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to believe that the MAJORITY AKP has the right to suppress the MINORITY KURDS. In my opinion, the governing AKP refuses to acknowledge that under EU principals, the MAJORITY has the right to govern over the MINORITY to the extent that the MINORITY civil rights and liberties are respected. Therefore, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the governing AKP can bridge this difference with the EU by changing TURKEY’s perspective as concerns MINORITIES. That is, TURKEY can implement lovely laws and regulations on paper like their EU counterparts to legally recognize ALL minority civil rights and liberties but then behind the scenes behave with biased, racist, prejudicial and discriminatory bigotry. That is, TURKEY needs to evolve with the times to a more covert application of bigotry like its EU counterparts as overt racism, prejudice and discrimination are no longer legally acceptable although the EU continues to practice bigotry subliminally day-to-day with those with little personal, financial and political interests having virtually no say. In regards to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing some EU members’ defense of the NETHERLANDS after it denied entry to TURKISH ministers seeking to campaign ahead of the April referendum poll on a new presidential system as unacceptable, I tend to agree with him as the TURKISH ministers should be allowed to express their views regardless of how absurd as freedom of speech centers around this core fundamental principal of speaking free like a bird. In regards to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stating that TURKEY would continue to welcome foreign investors even if TURKEY reconsiders its political relations with the EU, TURKEY shows its congruence with EU principals centered around the notion of money talks while all other bullshit walks. In my opinion, TURKEY is in this regards just like its EU counterparts, extremely flexible when it comes to wealth concentrated in minority ass, as it is this cash that makes the world go round and not the pebbles bartered by the poor KURDISH mass. Thus, TURKEY is actually quite similar to its EU counterparts in regards to the underlying principals of DEMOCRACY albeit significant differences in their application in practice. That is, TURKEY has not yet evolved with the times to learn to play the EU game of lovely laws, regulations and catch phrases about equality, civil rights and liberties and freedoms of speech on paper while behaving like two faced hypocrites behind the scenes with the ones who control the cash dictating the future of the poor minorities scratching their pants for spare chain to buy two plied toilet paper to wipe their ass without a scratch.

Moving on to IRAQ, the recent successful attacks on ISIS by IRAQI security forces in MOSUL, has clearly sent the message to ISIS that it is just a matter of time until the ISIS Empire in MOSUL dies. However, the IRAQI led troops on the ground are essentially forced to fight ISIS style, which is slow and brutal for any other type of heavy artillery attack on ISIS, will result in significant collateral damage in terms of human casualties. Therefore, the ALLIANCE forces recapture of eastern MOSUL in its entirety has triggered a lightning fast momentum as ALLIANCE forces managed to seize control of major parts of Western MOSUL although in my opinion, the last of the fighting will most probably be a lot more difficult. In my opinion, ISIS will cling on to the oldest parts of MOSUL city where streets are narrow making it hard to manoeuvre military convoys and thus increasing the risk of ambushes and civilian casualties. Therefore, the IRAQI forces battling ISIS that managed to establish complete control over a command center run by ISIS by seizing the building in the Old MOSUL City deserve a honourable mention as they managed to strike straight to the ISIS heart and soul in MOSUL. In regards to ISIS attempting to extract some retribution by claiming responsibility for the attacks in LONDON, ENGLAND whereby five people were killed and over fifty others injured when a terrorist, Khalid Masood, drove through pedestrians in Westminster, on parliament hill, before launching a knife attack, I would say that Khalid Masood, like other psychopaths in this world, was most probably inspired by ISIS. In my opinion, Khalid Masood was most likely responding directly to ISIS’s call relayed through social media for attacks in Europe and he was also probably inspired by earlier attacks in FRANCE and BELGIUM as the copycat effect in terrorism is an extremely powerful motivational factor for other terrorists to launch attacks. As a friendly reminder, back in 2014, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, a senior ISIS spokesman and strategist, called on sympathisers in the west to strike locally unbelievers, with whatever came to hand, rather than setting out to migrate to the ISIS caliphate. As per Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, “If you are not able to find a bomb or a bullet, then smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him.” Nonetheless, in my opinion, assuming that the KURDISH peshmerga, IRAQI army, SHIITE militia and some SUNNI militia forces continue to overlook their differences and stick together, ISIS will inevitably be decimated in IRAQ, although ISIS will likely survive as an incognito terrorist organization throughout the world. In my opinion, with ISIS inevitably nearing its downfall in IRAQ, IRAQI security forces need to be prepared for a different kind of war against ISIS, shifting away from ground offensives to intelligence work and surgical airstrikes to counter an expected move by ISIS away from holding territory and back to a more terrorist role of a dispersed underground terror organization. In my opinion, ISIS is already laying the groundwork for a new terrorist strategy of hiding in remote areas, carrying out attacks in IRAQ and abroad and resorting to organized crime to bankroll future operations.

Moving on to SYRIA, the SYRIAN government forces recapture of the entire former rebel stronghold of east ALEPPO in an offensive that left bodies in the streets and sparked global outrage managed to lead to a ceasefire across SYRIA that appears to still be holding after its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval from the UN Security Council. In my opinion, RUSSIA that invested much political time and energy in ending the fighting after bombing the opposition relentlessly for 15 months was the critical player in this ceasefire as RUSSIA managed to control the uncontrollable consisting of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, Iran and Shiite militias like Lebanon’s Hezbollah whereas TURKEY managed to control the Free Syrian Army (FSA) along with their affiliated rebel factions. Meanwhile, peace negotiations continue with TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, backing these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the allegations by Amnesty International that over thirteen thousand people were hanged at a SYRIAN prison in a secret crackdown on dissent by the current regime under the authority of President, Bashar al-Assad have been excluded from the agenda for the upcoming fifth round of negotiations set for the end of March. In my opinion, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's future should be off the agenda for now and the main focus of the talks should be governance, a new constitution and elections as the primary goal of these meetings should be to end the war in SYRIA and to implement a long-term sustainable solution for peace.


In regards to SYRIAN chief negotiator, Bashar al-Ja’afari’s, clear statement that a U.S. or Turkish backed attack on ISIS in the SYRIAN city of RAQQA would be illegitimate unless coordinated with President Bashar al-Assad's government, I tend to agree with him that given that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is still legally in control of the SYRIAN Armed Forces (SAF) and the country, he should at least be shown the respect of a formal plan of attack by the U.S. backed Free Syrian Army (FSA). In my opinion, were the U.S. to ask President Bashar al-Assad's government for approval, it would most probably be rejected out right as President Bashar al-Assad has identified the U.S. as an invading force and there seems to be no collaboration possible at this stage between the FSA and the SAF under President Bashar al-Assad’s control. However, at a minimum, the U.S. could share information with President Bashar al-Assad on the FSA proposed attacks on ISIS as ISIS does represent a common enemy albeit the impossibility at this stage for the FSA and SAF under President Bashar al-Assad’s control to launch a coordinated attack. In my opinion, after over six years of one of the bloodiest wars in world history, nobody can reasonably expect these two opposing sides to collaborate on a coordinated strike against ISIS but one could expect that when one party strikes ISIS, the other party at a minimum does not get involved. That is, although nobody can expect the FSA and SAF to fight together against ISIS, one can reasonably expect the FSA and SAF to not attack each other when one party is striking ISIS.

In summary, I refer to “World Peace Lennon Ivan Style – Part 239” as the belief that MOSUL victory is critical to ISIS decimation but SYRIAN ceasefire between ASSAD and FSA also key while SYRIAN negotiations must result in peace albeit reality that ASSAD and FSA cannot fight against ISIS as team but at a minimum can avoid each other in attacks full of steam as after LONDON obvious that ISIS poisoned minds worldwide or so it seems.

Spirit of John Lennon – Kurdish Guerrilla Song:

March 26, 2017

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 238

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 238

During the week ending on Sunday, March 19, 2017, TURKEY retreated from their days of aggressive sieges of CIZRE, SILOPI, DIYARBAKIR and NUSAYBIN, predominantly KURDISH, which TURKEY had converted into a suburban war zone area as TURKEY was on the defense as they were subject to an internal military “Coup D’État” that failed as gunfire and explosions erupted in which 265 people died, 161 of them civilians during July of 2016. As a result of the failed “Coup D’État”, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency, extended the period during which suspects can be detained without charge to 30 days, closed more than 1,000 private schools and closed more than 1,200 associations. A wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP finally continued to de-escalate slightly more this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on the EU migrant deal, signed in March of 2016, whereby TURKEY promised aid, visa-free travel for its TURKISH citizens and accelerated EU membership talks in return for TURKEY’s help in reducing the flow of migrants crossing to Europe. However, TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to tear up the key migrant deal with the EU over TURKISH allegations that the EU’s top court is leading a “crusade” against Islam. The TURKISH government has been enraged by GERMANY, the NETHERLANDS and other EU nations’ decisions to block TURKEY’s officials from holding political rallies in those countries. TURKEY wants to win the votes of large TURKISH populations living in EUROPE ahead of a key referendum that would expand President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s executive powers. The EU has criticised the referendum, saying it would concentrate too much power in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hands. As a friendly reminder, more than 1.2 million first-time asylum seekers sought protection in the EU last year with SYRIANS, IRAQIS and AFGHANS making up the largest groups with approximately 60% applying in Germany. However, TURKEY hosts more than 3 million refugees, making TURKEY the country with the largest refugee population. In an unusually strange display of complete and utter frustration, TURKEY threatened to blow Europe’s mind by sending thousands of refugees across the border every month. Suleyman Soylu, TURKEY’s interior minister made the warning as he accused the European Union of playing games to stop TURKEY from becoming more powerful. Suleyman Soylu further added that the EU should not care about TURKISH internal issues and should not get involved. Finally, the last straw seemed to break the camels back as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Germany and accused the Dutch of behaving like Nazis.

Moving on to IRAQ, IRAQI and US-led ALLIANCE forces continued with their offensive against ISIS on MOSUL as IRAQI and ALLIED forces managed to push ISIS militants back from MOSUL, their last major stronghold in IRAQ, whereby IRAQI special forces appear to have liberated the eastern half of MOSUL from ISIS in its entirety. As a friendly reminder, MOSUL that is divided by the Tigris River with both east and west sides respectively making up about half of the population of MOSUL was impressively liberated by the IRAQI and KURDISH Peshmerga forces. These elite ALLIANCE forces managed to fight through an elaborate defense system formed by ISIS over the past two years that kept ALLIANCE forces out while contemporaneously keeping the residents of MOSUL trapped in as captives. On a positive note, this week in a series of lightning fast advances, ALLIANCE forces seized further control of most of western MOSUL from ISIS as IRAQI forces battling ISIS moved into the Old MOSUL City and around the AL NURI mosque trying to seal off a main road to prevent ISIS militants from sending in additional suicide bombers to attack IRAQI positions. Not surprisingly, IRAQI troops were meeting fierce resistance as ISIS militants retreated into the Old MOSUL City where ISIS declared its caliphate nearly three years ago in that exact spot where street fighting is now taking place in the narrow alleyways and around the AL NURI mosque. An IRAQI helicopter fired rockets into the area and heavy gunfire and mortar blasts echoed as IRAQI troops made coordinated attacks on districts near the AL NURI mosque where ISIS’s black jihadist flag still hangs.

Moving on to SYRIA, SYRIAN government forces have retaken full control of ALEPPO, since the uprising began, after nearly six years of bloody fighting for Syria’s most populous city and SYRIA’s economic hub that has been the most prized and fiercely contested city throughout the Syrian conflict. As a friendly reminder, since the Syrian army’s assault against rebel held ALEPPO began in late September of 2016, RUSSIAN and SYRIAN government bombardments killed more than 1,000 people, including over 250 children while injuring over 5,000. Now, a ceasefire across SYRIA appears to be holding as its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval of the plan from the UN Security Council overriding all previous failed peace proposals and finally ending the six-year conflict. Against all odds, the ceasefire largely continues to hold as peace negotiations continue with TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, backing these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the process continues to be advancing at a snails pace although these talks do represent the most serious diplomatic efforts in months. However, President Bashar al-Assad’s SYRIAN armed forces fired antiaircraft missiles at ISRAELI warplanes that had struck targets deep in SYRIA in what appeared to be the most serious clash between the two militaries since the start of the SYRIAN civil war over six years ago. This time, however, SYRIAN missiles set off ISRAELI air raid sirens and aerial defense systems in the JORDAN VALLEY as the ISRAELI military confirmed that its ARROW air defense system had intercepted one of the missiles that appeared to be heading toward ISRAELI territory representing the first confirmed operational use of the ARROW antimissile system. While ISRAELI aircraft may have escaped unscathed, the sirens and explosions highlighted ISRAEL’s shadow war in SYRIA. That is, Israel has repeatedly declared its neutrality in the struggle between President Bashar al-Assad and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) while at the same time ISRAEL has been carrying out a covert campaign to prevent the transfer of sophisticated weapons from SYRIAN territory to HEZBOLLAH. As a friendly reminder, HEZBOLLAH is the militant Lebanese Shiite organization that is aiding President Bashar al-Assad in SYRIA but who also is ISRAEL’s arch nemesis with which ISRAEL fought a fierce month-long war in 2006. While ISRAEL has made no secret of its policy of acting to prevent such transfers of weapons to HEZBOLLAH, ISRAEL has thus far refused to confirm or deny involvement in any particular strikes preferring to maintain ambiguity in the hope of lowering the pressure on the other side to retaliate.

In my opinion, TURKEY’s participation in the military battle against ISIS is a positive addition to the ALLIANCE albeit TURKEY’s negative stance against the PKK that in my opinion is currently unwarranted and deteriorating. However, with the majority governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it appears that TURKEY’s future is heading for more war and bloodshed. Unfortunately, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have chosen the path of war with the PKK as opposed to diplomacy via the KURDISH HDP political party which secured close to 11% during the last TURKISH elections. Therefore, in my opinion, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will learn the hard way that nobody on the outside world looking in is stupid but rather everyone chooses to close their eyes and allow TURKEY to continue with its ethnic cleansing campaign of the KURDS in exchange for TURKEY signing a deal with the European Union (EU) to stem the flow of refugees arriving in GREECE. In exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY was supposed to receive Euro 3 billion in financial aid in return, the possibility of visa-free travel for its citizens, and a reopening of EU membership talks. In my opinion, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the governing AKP will learn the hard way that the failed “Coup D’État” exposes the deep discontent within the TURKISH military ranks as the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan persist with their quest to annihilate the HDP and the KURDS as the AKP is converting itself into a majority fascist regime with its house cleaning exercises whereby virtually all dissidents have been fired. In my opinion, the European parliament vote to halt TURKEY’s EU accession backed by a resolution condemning the TURKISH government’s disproportionate repressive measures after the failed “Coup D’État” in July was long overdue as TURKEY has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt, with its repressive measures over all opposition, that TURKEY does not share common values, morals, principals, ethics and views as the EU such that TURKEY does not fit into the EU mould. However, in my opinion, TURKEY still represents a major player on the European economic stage such that the EU will nonetheless have to negotiate deals with TURKEY as an independent NON-EU member country regarding the huge refugee crisis. In my opinion, in exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY should only receive Euro 1.5 billion, half of the initial proposed 3 billion, in financial aid along with visa-free travel for its citizens who do not pose any significant risks outside of TURKISH borders.

Finally, the wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP continued to de-escalate further this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on the EU migrant deal, signed in March of 2016, whereby TURKEY promised aid, visa-free travel for its TURKISH citizens and accelerated EU membership talks in return for TURKEY’s help in reducing the flow of migrants crossing to Europe. However, TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has now threatened to tear up the key migrant deal with the EU over TURKISH allegations that the EU’s top court is leading a “crusade” against ISLAM. In my opinion, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s allegations that the EU’s top court is leading a “crusade” against ISLAM is due to significant differences in opinions regarding what constitutes above board application of democratic principals. That is, the differences between the EU and TURKEY have nothing to do with ISLAM, as ISLAM does not promote repressive measures over all opposition movements, violations of basic civil rights and liberties and significant restraints on freedoms of the press. In my opinion, it is the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who feel that they are behaving in conformance with democratic principles as they have been elected by the majority who condone the destruction, forced conversion and mandatory assimilation of all minority opposition under the governing AKP’s Reich. However, this point-of-view held by the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fuels their quest to annihilate the HDP and the KURDS while making the AKP appear to the EU to be in the process of converting itself into a majority fascist regime. Thus, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan feel like the EU’s difference of opinion is an against ISLAM as they do not feel like they are doing anything wrong other than exercising the will of the mass by kicking all minority ass. In regards to the last straw that seemed to break the camels back as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Germany and accused the Dutch of behaving like NAZIS, this is a clear demonstration of two different worlds with two polar opposite views as if anyone seems to currently be behaving like NAZIS, it is the TURKISH governing AKP who ironically are calling GERMANY and DUTCH resistance to the AKP internal policies and procedures as NAZISM. In my opinion, this is a perfect example of the modern day games of personal, financial and political interests whereby parties with differing interests tend to enter the world of throwing wild accusations of terrorism as opposed to consenting to notion that dual partisan viewership is possible which ultimately cannot be resolved by bitchslappingmanship.

Moving on to IRAQ, the recent successful attacks on ISIS by IRAQI security forces in MOSUL, has clearly sent the message to ISIS that it is just a matter of time until the ISIS Empire in MOSUL dies. However, the IRAQI led troops on the ground are essentially forced to fight ISIS style, which is slow and brutal for any other type of heavy artillery attack on ISIS, will result in significant collateral damage in terms of human casualties. Therefore, the ALLIANCE forces recapture of eastern MOSUL in its entirety has triggered a lightning fast momentum as ALLIANCE forces managed to seize control of major parts of Western MOSUL although in my opinion, the last of the fighting will most probably be a lot more difficult. In my opinion, ISIS will cling on to the oldest parts of MOSUL city where streets are narrow making it hard to manoeuvre military convoys and thus increasing the risk of ambushes and civilian casualties. Therefore, the IRAQI forces strategy to isolate the Old MOSUL City area from all sides and then to start an offensive from all sides is the best way to liberate the Old MOSUL City area from ISIS. However, losing MOSUL would be a huge blow to ISIS as it has served as ISIS’s de facto capital since its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced ISIS’s self-declared caliphate spanning IRAQ and SYRIA from the AL NURI Mosque back in July of 2014. Thus, ISIS resistance has been ferocious such that it is critical for IRAQI troops to besiege the Old MOSUL City and to cut-off all streets leading out to prevent ISIS from dispatching armoured suicide car and truck bombs that have been targeting IRAQI army positions inside the Old MOSUL City. Although armoured suicide car and truck bombs are one of the ugliest forms of ISIS warfare, ISIS has been successful in slowing down ALLIANCE forces advances as it is extremely difficult to fight an enemy ready to explode like a firecracker before ALLIANCE forces can target the attackers. Therefore, in my opinion, assuming that the KURDISH peshmerga, IRAQI army, SHIITE militia and some SUNNI militia forces continue to overlook their differences and stick together, ISIS will inevitably be decimated in IRAQ, although ISIS will likely survive as an incognito terrorist organization throughout the world. In my opinion, with ISIS inevitably nearing its downfall in IRAQ, IRAQI security forces need to be prepared for a different kind of war against ISIS, shifting away from ground offensives to intelligence work and surgical airstrikes to counter an expected move by ISIS away from holding territory and back to a more terrorist role of a dispersed underground terror organization. In my opinion, ISIS is already laying the groundwork for a new terrorist strategy of hiding in remote areas, carrying out attacks in IRAQ and abroad and resorting to organized crime to bankroll future operations.

Moving on to SYRIA, the SYRIAN government forces recapture of the entire former rebel stronghold of east ALEPPO in an offensive that left bodies in the streets and sparked global outrage managed to lead to a ceasefire across SYRIA that appears to still be holding after its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval from the UN Security Council. In my opinion, RUSSIA that invested much political time and energy in ending the fighting after bombing the opposition relentlessly for 15 months was the critical player in this ceasefire as RUSSIA managed to control the uncontrollable consisting of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, Iran and Shiite militias like Lebanon’s Hezbollah whereas TURKEY managed to control the Free Syrian Army (FSA) along with their affiliated rebel factions. Meanwhile, peace negotiations continue with TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, backing these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the allegations by Amnesty International that over thirteen thousand people were hanged at a SYRIAN prison in a secret crackdown on dissent by the current regime under the authority of President, Bashar al-Assad have been excluded from the agenda for the upcoming fifth round of negotiations set for the end of March. In my opinion, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's future should be off the agenda for now and the main focus of the talks should be governance, a new constitution and elections as the primary goal of these meetings should be to end the war in SYRIA and to implement a long-term sustainable solution for peace.
In regards to ISRAELI warplanes striking HEZBOLLAH targets deep in SYRIA in what appears to be the most serious clash between the two militaries since the start of the SYRIAN civil war over six years ago, I am surprised that ISRAEL would choose to execute such a strike during these tense times whereby ceasefires seem to be just barely holding as Radical Gangster Terrorist organizations such as JABHAT FATEH AL-SHAM; HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM; AL QAEDA; NUSRA FRONT; AHRAR AL-SHAM; or some other FULL OF SHIT GANGSTER SHAM seem to be the only other organizations initiating strikes. That being said, while ISRAEL has made no secret of its policy of acting to prevent transfers of weapons to HEZBOLLAH, ISRAEL has thus far refused to confirm or deny involvement in any particular strikes preferring to maintain ambiguity in the hope of lowering the pressure on the other side to retaliate. In my opinion, HEZBOLLAH is too busy right now fighting alongside Bashar al-Assad SYRIAN armed forces to focus on retaliatory strikes on ISRAEL such that it was not demonstrated, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that HEZBOLLAH was planning to use these weapons for purposes of striking ISRAEL directly in the future. Therefore, these strikes by ISRAEL appear to be a deliberate warning to HEZBOLLAH from ISRAEL whereby every step HEZBOLLAH takes, every move HEZBOLLAH makes, ISRAEL will be watching HEZBOLLAH. The reality on the ground in SYRIA is that HEZBOLLAH was instrumental in the war to preserve Bashar al-Assad in power and has thus only grown stronger as a military force to be reckoned with on the ground. However, ISRAEL still has the intelligence and air force sophistication including missile defense systems to control the HEZBOLLAH risk in the future albeit the reality of the current situation whereby HEZBOLLAH has become a force to be reckoned with on the ground due to over six plus years of military experience obtained during this SYRIAN civil war.

In summary, I refer to “World Peace Lennon Ivan Style – Part 238” as the belief that MOSUL victory is critical to ISIS decimation but SYRIAN ceasefire between ASSAD and FSA also key while SYRIAN negotiations must result in peace albeit modern day games of personal, financial and political interests whereby parties with differing interests tend to enter the world of throwing wild accusations of terrorism, as opposed to consenting to notion that dual partisan viewership is possible, which ultimately cannot be resolved by bitchslappingmanship.

Spirit of John Lennon – Kurdish Guerrilla Song:

March 19, 2017

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 237

World Peace “Lennon Ivan Style” – Part 237

During the week ending on Sunday, March 12, 2017, TURKEY retreated from their days of aggressive sieges of CIZRE, SILOPI, DIYARBAKIR and NUSAYBIN, predominantly KURDISH, which TURKEY had converted into a suburban war zone area as TURKEY was on the defense as they were subject to an internal military “Coup D’État” that failed as gunfire and explosions erupted in which 265 people died, 161 of them civilians during July of 2016. As a result of the failed “Coup D’État”, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency, extended the period during which suspects can be detained without charge to 30 days, closed more than 1,000 private schools and closed more than 1,200 associations. A wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP finally continued to de-escalate slightly more this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on the five things which U.S. President, Donald Trump needs to do in order to reboot strained relations between the U.S. and TURKEY: (1) Drop the usage of the term Radical Islamic Terrorism; (2) Support TURKEY’s state of emergency; (3) Extradite Fethullah Gulen; (4) Collaborate on the Syrian end game; and (5) Support safe zones.

Moving on to IRAQ, IRAQI and US-led ALLIANCE forces continued with their offensive against ISIS on MOSUL as IRAQI and ALLIED forces managed to push ISIS militants back from MOSUL, their last major stronghold in IRAQ, whereby IRAQI special forces appear to have liberated the eastern half of MOSUL from ISIS in its entirety. As a friendly reminder, MOSUL that is divided by the Tigris River with both east and west sides respectively making up about half of the population of MOSUL was impressively liberated by the IRAQI and KURDISH Peshmerga forces. These elite ALLIANCE forces managed to fight through an elaborate defense system formed by ISIS over the past two years that managed to keep the ALLIANCE forces out while contemporaneously keeping the residents of MOSUL trapped in as captives. On a positive note, this week in a series of lightning fast advances, ALLIANCE forces seized control of most of western MOSUL from ISIS including MOSUL’s main government complex as well as MOSUL’s famous antiquities museum and about half of the old MOSUL city. In addition, the airport which had fallen a week or so earlier was fully taken back under control of ALLIANCE forces including all roads in and out of MOSUL in which the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared his caliphate in June of 2014.

Moving on to SYRIA, SYRIAN government forces have retaken full control of ALEPPO, since the uprising began, after nearly six years of bloody fighting for Syria’s most populous city and SYRIA’s economic hub that has been the most prized and fiercely contested city throughout the Syrian conflict. As a friendly reminder, since the Syrian army’s assault against rebel held ALEPPO began in late September of 2016, RUSSIAN and SYRIAN government bombardments killed more than 1,000 people, including over 250 children while injuring over 5,000. Now, a ceasefire across SYRIA appears to be holding as its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval of the plan from the UN Security Council overriding all previous failed peace proposals and finally ending the six-year conflict. Against all odds, the ceasefire largely continues to hold as peace negotiations continue with TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, backing these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the process continues to be advancing at a snails pace although these talks do represent the most serious diplomatic efforts in months. However, RUSSIA has registered eight violations of the ceasefire while the TURKISH side has registered 22 violations consisting of five in DAMASCUS, seven in ALEPPO, four in IDLIB, two in HOMS, one in HAMA and three in DARAA provinces. Meanwhile, the U.S. confirmed that it is sending in an additional 400 troops to SYRIA to help prepare for the looming fight for RAQQA, the capital of the self-proclaimed ISIS caliphate. The increase that includes a team of Army Rangers and Marine Artilleries that have already arrived in Syria have resulted in a nearly doubling of U.S. troops in SYRIA. The deployment marks a new escalation in the U.S. war in Syria and puts more conventional U.S. troops on the battlefield for the looming battle against ISIS for control of RAQQA. As a friendly reminder, several hundred U.S. Special Operations forces have advised local forces for months but the U.S. has mostly stayed away from using conventional military forces on the ground in SYRIA. However, the new mission comes as new U.S. President Donald Trump implements a plan to help SYRIAN rebels take back RAQQA, the de facto capital of ISIS, that now includes more Special Operations troops and attack helicopters.

In my opinion, Turkey’s participation in the military battle against ISIS is a positive addition to the ALLIANCE albeit Turkey’s negative stance against the PKK that in my opinion is currently unwarranted and deteriorating. However, with the majority governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it appears that Turkey’s future is heading for more war and bloodshed. Unfortunately, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have chosen the path of war with the PKK as opposed to diplomacy via the KURDISH HDP political party which secured close to 11% during the last Turkish elections. Therefore, in my opinion, the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will learn the hard way that nobody on the outside world looking in is stupid but rather everyone chooses to close their eyes and allow Turkey to continue with its ethnic cleansing campaign of the KURDS in exchange for Turkey signing a deal with the European Union (EU) to stem the flow of refugees arriving in Greece. In exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, Turkey was supposed to receive Euro 3 billion in financial aid in return, the possibility of visa-free travel for its citizens, and a reopening of EU membership talks. In my opinion, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the governing AKP will learn the hard way that the current failed “Coup D’État” exposes the deep discontent within the TURKISH military ranks as the governing AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan persist with their quest to annihilate the HDP and the KURDS as the AKP is converting itself into a majority fascist regime with its house cleaning exercises whereby virtually all dissidents have been fired. In my opinion, the European parliament vote to halt TURKEY’s EU accession backed by a resolution condemning the TURKISH government’s disproportionate repressive measures after the failed “Coup D’État” in July was long overdue as TURKEY has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt, with its repressive measures over all opposition, that TURKEY does not share common values, morals, principals, ethics and views as the EU such that TURKEY does not fit into the EU mould. However, in my opinion, TURKEY still represents a major player on the European economic stage such that the EU will nonetheless have to negotiate deals with TURKEY as an independent NON-EU member country regarding the huge refugee crisis. In my opinion, in exchange for reducing human trafficking and improving living conditions for 2.5 million refugees within its borders, TURKEY should only receive Euro 1.5 billion, half of the initial proposed 3 billion, in financial aid along with visa-free travel for its citizens who do not pose any significant risks outside of TURKISH borders.

Finally, the wide scale purge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing AKP continued to de-escalate further this week as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused his attention on the five things which U.S. President, Donald Trump needs to do in order to reboot strained relations between the U.S. and TURKEY. In regards to the first item of dropping the usage of the term Radical Islamic Terrorism, in my opinion this should be easily replaced with the term Radical Gangster Terrorism as from my point-of-view ISIS operates under gangster principals to the extreme whereby they have taken ISLAM hostage. That is, ISIS has hijacked the ISLAM religion as a smoke screen behind which to brainwash its fighters with a demented, distorted and psychologically disturbing version of ISLAM that suits ISIS’s goal to obtain power and control. However, President Donald Trump’s persistent usage of the term ISLAMIC terror turns on the Americans because they feel more comfortable blaming an entire religion than blaming specific individuals behind the ISIS organization because aside from the Godfather of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, little is known about the chief financiers and brains behind the ISIS organization. In regards to the second item of supporting TURKEY’s state of emergency, the attempted coup on July 15, 2016 where some of the plotters worked out of a military base shared with U.S. forces should result in the U.S. formally supporting TURKEY in its attempts to insure democratic principals are respected in the future as concerns any change in power. However, TURKEY needs to respect international laws as concerns civil rights and liberties, freedom of speech and expression and the right for democratic opposition political movements to pursue their respective political agendas. In regards to the third item of extraditing Fethullah Gulen, although TURKEY considers him the mastermind of the failed “Coup D’État” attempt, Fethullah Gulen is entitled to continue to live in a private compound in Pennsylvania until proven guilty by a court of law. Given that Fethullah Gulen has repeatedly denied any involvement in the uprising that resulted in at least 270 deaths during the failed “Coup D’État” he cannot be extradited until a U.S. court gives him a fair trial to either confirm or dispel TURKISH allegations. In my opinion, the fundamental principal behind a civil democracy is the notion of innocent until proven guilty as if the U.S. sets the precedent that one can be found guilty on mere rumours and assumptions, the entire justice system of the U.S. would likely collapse. In regards to the fourth item of collaborating on the SYRIAN end game, the U.S. has focused on fighting ISIS militants, relying mostly on KURDISH forces that the U.S. considers moderate and not prone to terrorism. However, the KURDISH forces the U.S. is working with want their own state that is contrary to TURKEY’s position whereby the borders of the existing SYRIAN state should not change. In my opinion, the SYRIAN end game should focus on establishing a democratically elected government so that the SYRIAN people can determine the ultimate fate of SYRIA whether it should be a loose federation within the existing borders or sovereign and independent states. In regards to the fifth item of supporting safe zones, in my opinion U.S. President Donald Trump has already expressed an interest in establishing territories of peace for the huge refugee population in SYRIA so this should be an exercise in defining appropriate safe zones without TURKEY looking to grab territory from the KURDS.

Moving on to IRAQ, the recent successful attacks on ISIS by IRAQI security forces in MOSUL, has clearly sent the message to ISIS that it is just a matter of time until the ISIS Empire in MOSUL dies. However, the IRAQI led troops on the ground are essentially forced to fight ISIS style, which is slow and brutal for any other type of heavy artillery attack on ISIS, will result in significant collateral damage in terms of human casualties. Unfortunately ISIS has managed to set new rules of war, with complete and utter disregard for the laws of war as promulgated by the GENEVA convention, which is essentially that there are no rules other than the dirtiest player in the game wins. Thus, the world finds itself going backwards to the days of Barbarian, Neanderthal, Self-Centered, Egotistical, Narcissistic, Masochistic, Sadistic, Idiosyncratic, Sociopathic and Psychopathic maniacs. Therefore, the ALLIANCE forces recapture of eastern MOSUL in its entirety has triggered a lightning fast momentum as ALLIANCE forces managed to seize control of major parts of Western MOSUL although in my opinion, the last of the fighting will most probably be a lot more difficult. In my opinion, ISIS will cling on to the oldest parts of MOSUL city where streets are narrow making it hard to manoeuvre military convoys and thus increasing the risk of ambushes and civilian casualties. However, tens of thousands have been able to make their way to safety such that as civilians flee the fighting, the ALLIANCE forces will have the opening needed to strike hard, strike fast and strike once and for all to put en end to the ISIS reign of terror in MOSUL. Therefore, in my opinion, assuming that the KURDISH peshmerga, IRAQI army, SHIITE militia and some SUNNI militia forces continue to overlook their differences and stick together, ISIS will inevitably be decimated in IRAQ, although ISIS will likely survive as an incognito terrorist organization throughout the world. In my opinion, with ISIS inevitably nearing its downfall in IRAQ, IRAQI security forces need to be prepared for a different kind of war against ISIS, shifting away from ground offensives to intelligence work and surgical airstrikes to counter an expected move by ISIS away from holding territory and back to a more terrorist role of a dispersed underground terror organization. In my opinion, ISIS is already laying the groundwork for a new terrorist strategy of hiding in remote areas, carrying out attacks in IRAQ and abroad and resorting to organized crime to bankroll future operations.

Moving on to SYRIA, the SYRIAN government forces recapture of the entire former rebel stronghold of east ALEPPO in an offensive that left bodies in the streets and sparked global outrage managed to lead to a ceasefire across SYRIA that appears to still be holding after its brokers, RUSSIA, TURKEY and IRAN obtained approval from the UN Security Council. In my opinion, RUSSIA that invested much political time and energy in ending the fighting after bombing the opposition relentlessly for 15 months was the critical player in this ceasefire as RUSSIA managed to control the uncontrollable consisting of President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, Iran and Shiite militias like Lebanon’s Hezbollah whereas TURKEY managed to control the Free Syrian Army (FSA) along with their affiliated rebel factions. Meanwhile, peace negotiations continue with TURKEY and ASSAD’s two main allies, RUSSIA and IRAN, backing these peace talks as guarantors of a fragile ceasefire. However, the allegations by Amnesty International that over thirteen thousand people were hanged at a SYRIAN prison in a secret crackdown on dissent by the current regime under the authority of President, Bashar al-Assad have been excluded from the agenda for the upcoming fifth round of negotiations set for the end of March. In my opinion, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's future should be off the agenda for now and the main focus of the talks should be governance, a new constitution and elections as the primary goal of these meetings should be to end the war in SYRIA and to implement a long-term sustainable solution for peace. In regards to the 22 registered ceasefire violations in SYRIA consisting of five in DAMASCUS, seven in ALEPPO, four in IDLIB, two in HOMS, one in HAMA and three in DARAA provinces, I believe that the vast majority of these violations are due to either ISIS or one of the other various Radical Gangster Terrorist groups still operating in SYRIA consisting of either JABHAT FATEH AL-SHAM; HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM; AL QAEDA; NUSRA FRONT; AHRAR AL-SHAM; or some other FULL OF SHIT GANGSTER SHAM. In my opinion, these are all organizations run old school GANGSTER style except that they all hide behind ISLAM as a smokescreen to convert their criminal organizations into religious sanctuaries. However, it is clear to me that none of these groups practice ISLAM, which translates to peace, but rather all of these groups practice their own self-created religion of capitalist opportunistic SHAM SCAM BRAINWASH RAM such that if they persist with their efforts to derail the ceasefire and peace negotiations, coordinated military strikes will be required to weaken and contain ALL Radical Gangster Terrorist groups still operating in SYRIA. In regards to the U.S. sending in an additional 400 troops to SYRIA to help prepare for the looming fight for RAQQA, the capital of the self-proclaimed ISIS caliphate, all additional ALLIANCE troops should be welcomed as ISIS will once again put up a ferocious resistance before allowing its self-proclaimed capital of RAQQA to fall.

In summary, I refer to “World Peace Lennon Ivan Style – Part 237” as the belief that MOSUL victory is critical to ISIS decimation but SYRIAN ceasefire between ASSAD and FSA also key while SYRIAN negotiations must result in peace with eventual military strikes on ISIS in RAQQA along with strikes on ALL other Radical Gangster Terrorist groups still fuming at the seams.

Spirit of John Lennon – Kurdish Guerrilla Song:

March 12, 2017