Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss Russian diplomacy being set into action in order to deescalate the march towards war between the United States and Iran.
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Russia ramps up diplomacy to provide off ramp options to Iran & USA by The Duran
PLEASE NOTE: We recorded this video hours before the Iranian missile strikes The Duran Quick Take: Episode 426. The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss Russian diplomacy being set into action in order to deescalate the march towards war between the United States and Iran.
Arriving in Turkey for the grand opening of a gas pipeline, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to discuss the recent escalation of the US-Iranian conflict in Iraq with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Putin’s visit was scheduled in advance, and involved the ceremonial opening of ‘Turk Stream,’ a natural gas pipeline running under the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey. He was also scheduled to meet with Erdogan in Istanbul and discuss the security situation in the region.
However, Iraq suddenly shot to the top of the agenda overnight, as Iran fired off two volleys of missiles at US bases in retaliation for the US drone strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Qassem Soleimani at a Baghdad airport last week.
As night fell in Washington, it looked like neither the US nor Iran wanted to escalate things beyond that, but a possible hot war between the two is certainly a cause for concern to both Moscow and Ankara.
“Our region is tired of constant clashes, from the intervention of external forces,” Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters earlier in the week, adding that Turkey urged both Iran and the US to “reduce tensions.”
Another hot topic is Erdogan’s decision to intervene in Libya. Turkey is seeking to prop up the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, the internationally recognized regime that has been reduced to control over the capital, while the Libyan National Army (LNA) of General Khalifa Haftar holds most of the rest of the country. Haftar has declared jihad in response, and vowed to drive out all foreign “invaders.”
Erdogan and Putin also don’t see entirely eye to eye on Syria. The Turkish leader has been unhappy about the Syrian Army’s drive into Idlib, the last remaining stronghold of the Turkish-backed “moderate rebels” that include Al-Qaeda affiliates. Kalin said that Turkey does not see President Bashar Assad as “the leader capable of taking the country into the future.”
Russia, on the other hand, backs the government in Damascus, where Putin stopped for a brief, surprise visit on Tuesday. After a special military briefing, Putin and Assad took a walk, visiting a historic mosque and an Orthodox cathedral.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Surprised you guys haven’t seen through this yet, but then I’ve always been a bit ahead of the pack. A lot of people are putting out the line that Trump did this to distract from the impeachment, but that is obvious nonsense, since the impeachment is obviously DOA – BUT – as they so often do, they accuse others of what they are up to. And since the deep staters driving the impeachment see that the impeachment / coup has failed, let’s go for plan B (or plan R by now I suppose) – they somehow manipulated Trump into this… Read more »
Actually \I’ve seen variations on this elsewhere. The argument is that the Neocons are in a win win situation – get Trump to attack Iran (which is what they’ve always wanted) and if he messes up, they can blame him. It will also damage his chances of re-election – even if he ‘succeeds’ by embroiling the US in another endless war for Israel (which only wants chaos in its enemies). The trouble is the war party comprises both parties, so it may not work so as Trump’s re-election is concerned. It also may well be that the Neocons now realise… Read more »
I head it long before “here”. You’ve arrived late – – very late – – to the party.
I didn’t mean I was the first in the world or anything, I have seen other places seeing this possibility, or probability – just noting I was a bit surprised that the two Alexes haven’t yet done one of their very good commentaries exploring this – they are usually near the front with good analyses of stuff like this – tongue in cheek also – cheers!
A really good analysis of Russia’s role in this crisis which will be totally under the radar so far as western audiences are concerned – and all the better for that. I liked the side comments on Britain – I fear all Brexit will achieve will be to make us even more the US’s (and Israel’s) craven poodle. The main point I would add to Alexander’s excellent interview, is to spotlight the Israeli role in this. No one should be in any doubt that Israel and its many powerful supporters in the USA is pulling the strings in Washington. Netanyahu… Read more »
This would a good time for Trump to pull all troops out of Iraq and with good reason.Syria and Afghanistan troop pull out to follow .Trump could take advantage of this and come out smelling like a rose for the US electorate. I would even be surprised if this was not all planned already. Too bad ,the best terrorist exterminator had to die in the process but I am sure that he would gladly have given his life for this happen .That is just the kind of person he was . Not a Trump supporter but I just had a… Read more »
This narrative is coming up more and more. I thought of it night before last, but rejected it as unlikely because I saw it as incredibly risky politically for Trump domestically. Its is consistent with Trumps usual “double bluff” strategy, but MAN, this could go sideways for him in a MAJOR way The scenario I settled on was a deep-state/Pompous engineered strike without Trumps ok, as a way to paving the way for the repubs to view him as a liability in Nov 2020, and swaying them to play along on impeachment. But for that strategy to be effective, they… Read more »
As shown in this article, there is a side to the Iran-United States narrative that Washington would prefer that we forget:
https://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2020/01/iran-united-states-and-operation.html
If there is one thing that history can teach us it’s that foreign nations and their leaders that try to curry “friendship” with the United States are playing a game that they are certain to lose in the long run.
Foreign nations and their leaders should realise that they are only ever “friends of convenience” to the US and that the “friendship” will be dropped as soon as they have outlived their usefulness.
As a German, I can remember vividly, as Collin Powell delivered his shamefull BS Lie of presentation to the UN, the German FM Fischer reponded to the US UN + World openly:
“I don’t believe You” – Angela Merkel on the other hand, back than opposition leader in Germany and the corrupt Traitor Collaborator + Sell-Out she and her party always was, travelled to Washington and kissed G. W. Bush’s ass, simply a disgrace and stab in the back for every German + human on the planet.
Why oh why is she STILL in the position that she’s in? All the best in getting your country back!
It’s high time Germany regained its sovereignty. The irony is that 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union, your best bet may be to invite the Russians back.
The Russians would treat them as partners not lackeys!
There was a poll a while ago, ordered/paid by Atlantic Council, the results was not what they expected. The majority of Germans don’t see the Russians as a threat at all, they are partners + friends + trusted (the USSR+Russia made the reunification of Germany possible) but want the US-Occupier gone for good, see US+NATO as a threat to Germany, Europe + international peace and have a critical stance to NATO and their constant hate/war-mongering + provocations towards Russia. The poll is/was not much mentioned in the western+German MSM – oh, surprise – And the corrupt German Elites + Oligarch… Read more »
Hullo me dears,
Gave yous a little bung this aft on PayPal. Forgot your for Christmas. Meant to add a comment but gorn:
Just to say why don’t you add Russian ciggies to your shop, with Duran logo. Very nice and delicious fags and might even get Peter off that nasty vapping thingy
The Russians and Chinese does not give a fuck about anyone else….the Russians want to sell weapons and remain with their white christian brothers in the west. The Chinese all they care about is selling their products to Tom , Dick and Sally. They will even steal a jill off a dead mans eye….
Iran, you are on your own. Get your bomb.
What a stupid comment! Do your parents allow you out on your own? At this level if stupidity you are a danger to yourself.
Do USamericans really want to avoid spending another $5.9 trillion and killing another 1.5 million people in Iran as they did in Iraq? Massive protests in the US as large as those that ended the Vietnam War could possibly help to give Trump an off-ramp. (But of course that is a naïve suggestion. They won’t get off their couches.)
i believe the real reason for the ending of the Vietnam war was fragging. The US military was losing all of its first Lieutenants as well as other junior officers to murder by line troops. Morale was abysmal and going lower. The only recruits the Army/Marines were getting was from the US courts who gave offenders a choice, jail or the military. That deadly combination of fragging and criminal recruits, IMO ended the war.
You forgot: being whupped by the Vietnamese.
The U.S. was never meant to “win” whatever the hell that means. The U.S. was meant to move drugs and weapons around for the big boys, and to be weakened in the process, in the eyes of the world and at home. A generation of able bodied men were meant to die or come home disabled, bitter and broken. The U.S. male has been under direct attack for 100 years.