What now for Russia?

[oldcolner]

The World Cup has been a great success with many nations seeing parts of Russia few have been, likewise many Russians have now seen people from all over the world they probably never heard of. (and maybe consorted with them in line with Putins instructions.)
Putin is empowered by the success. What will he do now?
Is the cork out of the bottle? Will Russia open up or are they going to try to return to the pre WC situation?
Will Donald’s meeting mess it up or will they cuddle? The handshake will be interesting,
Interesting times with 12 Russians charged with election interference in the US and novichok two black spots.

[sinkov]

Remember the alleged Russian/Syrian chemical attack in Douma ? There was a hysterical reaction to it in the West, almost kicking off another world war with air strikes on Syria. I was very dubious about it, so was BT, so was journalist Peter Hitchens. The OPCW has produced it's report on the alleged attack, our government and media, in line with it's peculiar, self defeating ante-Russian stance has ignored it, so it's left to Hitchens to report the truth.

Back in April I was treated with something very like contempt because I refused to be rushed into supporting a Western attack on Syria.

This illegal assault was supposedly justified because of alleged gas attacks by the Syrian government in Douma.

As I said at the time, there was no independent evidence that this had actually happened, and also no good reason to rush into action.

The area affected had at that time been under the control of a savage Islamist militia, and so Western journalists and diplomats could not safely go there.

But lurid and distressing reports on the supposed atrocity were prepared by media organisations hundreds or thousands of miles away on the basis of material provided by propaganda sources. They were given great prominence.

Now, almost unreported, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has produced its first report on Douma. The OPCW is not perfect, and has sometimes got carried away, but on this occasion it has been properly cautious.

In April, a major and rather self-important Left-wing national newspaper wrote that unidentified doctors ‘said the symptoms had been consistent with exposure to an organophosphorus substance’.

Now the OPCW says: ‘No organophosphorus nerve agents or their degradation products were detected, either in the environmental samples or in plasma samples from the alleged casualties.’

Seems like Putin and Assad were telling the truth after all, whoever would have thought it ?

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Russia, Syria and Israel, Yemen and the Saudis, the French, the US and the UK all have conflicted geopolitical and financial reasons and interests in the Middle East. A bit of fake news added to a bit of s-h-i-t stirring all adds to the confusion.

Like Sinkov, Corbyn and myself all said at the time...

Attachment 10305

You are keeping better company these days sinkov!

[ClaretinBudapest]

Remember the alleged Russian/Syrian chemical attack in Douma ? There was a hysterical reaction to it in the West, almost kicking off another world war with air strikes on Syria. I was very dubious about it, so was BT, so was journalist Peter Hitchens. The OPCW has produced it's report on the alleged attack, our government and media, in line with it's peculiar, self defeating ante-Russian stance has ignored it, so it's left to Hitchens to report the truth.

Back in April I was treated with something very like contempt because I refused to be rushed into supporting a Western attack on Syria.

This illegal assault was supposedly justified because of alleged gas attacks by the Syrian government in Douma.

As I said at the time, there was no independent evidence that this had actually happened, and also no good reason to rush into action.

The area affected had at that time been under the control of a savage Islamist militia, and so Western journalists and diplomats could not safely go there.

But lurid and distressing reports on the supposed atrocity were prepared by media organisations hundreds or thousands of miles away on the basis of material provided by propaganda sources. They were given great prominence.

Now, almost unreported, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has produced its first report on Douma. The OPCW is not perfect, and has sometimes got carried away, but on this occasion it has been properly cautious.

In April, a major and rather self-important Left-wing national newspaper wrote that unidentified doctors ‘said the symptoms had been consistent with exposure to an organophosphorus substance’.

Now the OPCW says: ‘No organophosphorus nerve agents or their degradation products were detected, either in the environmental samples or in plasma samples from the alleged casualties.’

Seems like Putin and Assad were telling the truth after all, whoever would have thought it ?

I did say that at the time.The demonisation of Russia is slowly unfolding as what it is-pathetic.Moreover it is probably more to do with BRICS than anything else.

[sinkov]

I'll have to apologise to Jeremy next time I see him BT, for missing him off my list, but you're right he wasn't taken in by the FAKE NEWS either, and received a good kicking in the media for it.

What a motley coalition we've formed here, me, you, Hitchens and Corbyn. That must be a first. If only we could get 59/60 on board, but no doubt he's still in thrall to the BBC/Guardian line on this.

[sinkov]

The World Cup has been a great success with many nations seeing parts of Russia few have been, likewise many Russians have now seen people from all over the world they probably never heard of. (and maybe consorted with them in line with Putins instructions.)

That's a bit patronising don't you think OC, especially from a citizen of a country whose dysfunctional education system is turning out ill educated numpties by the thousand every year. Are you an expert on the Russian education system, is it really worse than ours ? Are Russians generally less well educated than your average Brit ?

[oldcolner]

That's a bit patronising don't you think OC, especially from a citizen of a country whose dysfunctional education system is turning out ill educated numpties by the thousand every year. Are you an expert on the Russian education system, is it really worse than ours ? Are Russians generally less well educated than your average Brit ?

Sorry Sinkov
This thread wasn’t about education systems or bombing. Can’t we discuss the thread which was about whether the WC would lead to Russia opening up and put the other stuff on the threads with those titles. There’s loads about bombing elsewhere why put them here too?

[sinkov]

Sorry Sinkov
This thread wasn’t about education systems or bombing. Can’t we discuss the thread which was about whether the WC would lead to Russia opening up and put the other stuff on the threads with those titles. There’s loads about bombing elsewhere why put them here too?

I just took my lead from you OC, you insinuated Russians were as thick as mince, living in a closed society. with an appalling lack of geographical knowledge. You also mentioned Putin and Trump. Was it thus unreasonable to assume the subjects you wanted to discuss included Russian politics and educational standards in Russia ?

Seriously if you don't want to discuss a subject, don't bring it up, I'll discuss anything anywhere, I need no encouragement.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

"Seriously if you don't want to discuss a subject, don't bring it up, I'll discuss anything anywhere, I need no encouragement."

Bob on there sinkov!

[Balanbam00]

DON'T BOMB SYRIA..... It seems Israel hits them all the time

State news agency SANA accuses 'Zionist enemy' of returning in its 'desperate attempts to support defeated terror organizations' by attacking military outpost north of Al-Nayrab military airport; IDF remains silent.

An IDF spokesman declined comment on the report. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday told Ynet that he had no knowledge of the incident but said Israel's policy towards Iran in Syria had not changed.
"We will not allow Iranian entrenchment within Syria. We will not let them to turn Syria into a kind of vanguard against the State of Israel. And we take action in accordance with our security interests," he said.
Israel, concerned that Iran's growing presence in Syria poses a threat to its security, has struck dozens of Iranian and Iran-backed positions in Syria over the course of the seven-year conflict.