08-01-2016, 08:47 PM
*** 2-Aug-16 World View -- Russia uses the 'Grozny Model' to pursue mass slaughter in Aleppo Syria
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Italy rescues 8,000 migrants in 5 days crossing Mediterranean Sea from Libya
****
![[Image: g160801b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g160801b.jpg)
Refugee rescue operation by Marina Militaire (Italian Navy)
More than 1,500 migrants were rescued on Sunday off the coast of Libya
by Italy's coast guard. That brings to 8,000 the number that were
rescued in five days.
The EU-Turkey refugee deal has dramatically decreased the number of
migrants traveling from Turkey to Greece across the Aegean Sea, but
the flow of migrants from Libya to Italy is still continuing at full
speed. Since the beginning of this year, Italy's coast guard has
recued 94,000 migrants off the coast of Libya, while 3,000 have died
attempting the trip. RTE (Ireland)
****
**** US military in Libya launches airstrikes against ISIS
****
The US military has opened up a new front against the so-called
Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh), this time in Libya. The
US is already fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
The airstrikes come at the request of Libya's "Government of National
Accord" (GNA).
As we reported in January, Western countries felt that it was urgent
to mount a military action in Libya by the beginning of March. ( "6-Jan-16 World View -- US, Britain, France preparing new Libya military offensive early in 2016"
)
However, this military action was delayed because Italy, Libya's
former colonial power, has always insisted that Libya's government had
to approve any Western military action before it could occur. This
has been impossible, since there are two major governments in Libya,
one in Tripoli in charge of western Libya and one in Tobruk in charge
of eastern Libya. There are also nearly 2,000 militias running
different parts of Libya.
The United Nations approved Government of National Accord (GNA), which
has been meeting in Tripoli, but has received only lukewarm support
from the government in Tobruk. However, it now appears that the GNA
has resolved its internal disputes at least partially, to the extent
of permitting the US airstrikes, although there have been previous
airstrikes not approved by the GNA.
Monday's attack was the third element, Operation Odyssey Lightning of
a three-phase series of operations against ISIS, planned and
controlled by the US military's AFRICOM (Africa Command). The first
element of this three-phase plan was Operation Odyssey Resolve,
consisting of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance flights
designed to counter violent extremism in Libya. The second phase,
Operation Junction Serpent, provided targeting information. The third
phase, which began over the weekend, includes strike aircraft hitting
those targets.
Few details were given about future US military plans in Libya, and no
end date for the airstrikes was provided. The airstrikes may signal
the start of a U.S. broader mission to support the Libyan government.
Military Times and Reuters and Long War Journal
****
**** Russia uses the 'Grozny Model' to pursue mass slaughter in Aleppo Syria
****
Russia's air force is bombing hospitals and civilian neighborhoods in
Aleppo in order to drive civilians out of the city into refugee camps.
Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that people staying
behind will be treated as terrorists:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"We believe that those who remain in the positions
> occupied by ... terrorists, despite numerous months of calls to
> leave [the areas], don’t differ much from
> terrorists."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
There are hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, including women
and children, living in Aleppo, and no more than a few dozen have been
leaving. Russia wants to drive civilians out of Aleppo into refugee
camps where they'll be vulnerable to further air strikes. As we wrote
in February, Russia is following a policy used against Grozny in the
1990s war against Chechnya. ( "19-Feb-16 World View -- Russia's attacks on civilian hospitals in Aleppo follow the 'Grozny model'"
)
Under this policy, Russia bombs schools, hospitals and civilian
neighborhoods, in order to create a refugee crisis, and to empty the
urban residential areas. Once that is achieved, heavy weapons can be
deployed to eradicate the remaining population, entailing widespread
destruction of homes and infrastructure.
Flattening Aleppo, killing hundreds of thousands of people, and taking
control of the ashes of Aleppo would still be an enormous victory for
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad who began a genocidal policy of
exterminating Sunni Muslims in Syria after they began peaceful
demonstrations at the beginning of the "Arab Spring" in 2011.
Fifteen years ago, the United Nations called Grozny, Chechnya, "the
most destroyed city on earth." In the aftermath of the destruction of
Grozny, Russia rebuilt the city frenetically so that its destruction
would be forgotten. But now, Russia apparently plans to make Aleppo
the new most destroyed city on earth. Russia Today and Daily Beast and BBC (3-Mar-2007)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Libya, Italy, Turkey, Greece,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Government of National Accord, GNA,
Syria, Chechnya, Grozny, Aleppo, Sergey Lavrov, Russia
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Italy rescues 8,000 migrants in 5 days crossing Mediterranean Sea from Libya
- US military in Libya launches airstrikes against ISIS
- Russia uses the 'Grozny Model' to pursue mass slaughter in Aleppo Syria
****
**** Italy rescues 8,000 migrants in 5 days crossing Mediterranean Sea from Libya
****
Refugee rescue operation by Marina Militaire (Italian Navy)
More than 1,500 migrants were rescued on Sunday off the coast of Libya
by Italy's coast guard. That brings to 8,000 the number that were
rescued in five days.
The EU-Turkey refugee deal has dramatically decreased the number of
migrants traveling from Turkey to Greece across the Aegean Sea, but
the flow of migrants from Libya to Italy is still continuing at full
speed. Since the beginning of this year, Italy's coast guard has
recued 94,000 migrants off the coast of Libya, while 3,000 have died
attempting the trip. RTE (Ireland)
****
**** US military in Libya launches airstrikes against ISIS
****
The US military has opened up a new front against the so-called
Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh), this time in Libya. The
US is already fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
The airstrikes come at the request of Libya's "Government of National
Accord" (GNA).
As we reported in January, Western countries felt that it was urgent
to mount a military action in Libya by the beginning of March. ( "6-Jan-16 World View -- US, Britain, France preparing new Libya military offensive early in 2016"
)
However, this military action was delayed because Italy, Libya's
former colonial power, has always insisted that Libya's government had
to approve any Western military action before it could occur. This
has been impossible, since there are two major governments in Libya,
one in Tripoli in charge of western Libya and one in Tobruk in charge
of eastern Libya. There are also nearly 2,000 militias running
different parts of Libya.
The United Nations approved Government of National Accord (GNA), which
has been meeting in Tripoli, but has received only lukewarm support
from the government in Tobruk. However, it now appears that the GNA
has resolved its internal disputes at least partially, to the extent
of permitting the US airstrikes, although there have been previous
airstrikes not approved by the GNA.
Monday's attack was the third element, Operation Odyssey Lightning of
a three-phase series of operations against ISIS, planned and
controlled by the US military's AFRICOM (Africa Command). The first
element of this three-phase plan was Operation Odyssey Resolve,
consisting of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance flights
designed to counter violent extremism in Libya. The second phase,
Operation Junction Serpent, provided targeting information. The third
phase, which began over the weekend, includes strike aircraft hitting
those targets.
Few details were given about future US military plans in Libya, and no
end date for the airstrikes was provided. The airstrikes may signal
the start of a U.S. broader mission to support the Libyan government.
Military Times and Reuters and Long War Journal
****
**** Russia uses the 'Grozny Model' to pursue mass slaughter in Aleppo Syria
****
Russia's air force is bombing hospitals and civilian neighborhoods in
Aleppo in order to drive civilians out of the city into refugee camps.
Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that people staying
behind will be treated as terrorists:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"We believe that those who remain in the positions
> occupied by ... terrorists, despite numerous months of calls to
> leave [the areas], don’t differ much from
> terrorists."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
There are hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, including women
and children, living in Aleppo, and no more than a few dozen have been
leaving. Russia wants to drive civilians out of Aleppo into refugee
camps where they'll be vulnerable to further air strikes. As we wrote
in February, Russia is following a policy used against Grozny in the
1990s war against Chechnya. ( "19-Feb-16 World View -- Russia's attacks on civilian hospitals in Aleppo follow the 'Grozny model'"
)
Under this policy, Russia bombs schools, hospitals and civilian
neighborhoods, in order to create a refugee crisis, and to empty the
urban residential areas. Once that is achieved, heavy weapons can be
deployed to eradicate the remaining population, entailing widespread
destruction of homes and infrastructure.
Flattening Aleppo, killing hundreds of thousands of people, and taking
control of the ashes of Aleppo would still be an enormous victory for
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad who began a genocidal policy of
exterminating Sunni Muslims in Syria after they began peaceful
demonstrations at the beginning of the "Arab Spring" in 2011.
Fifteen years ago, the United Nations called Grozny, Chechnya, "the
most destroyed city on earth." In the aftermath of the destruction of
Grozny, Russia rebuilt the city frenetically so that its destruction
would be forgotten. But now, Russia apparently plans to make Aleppo
the new most destroyed city on earth. Russia Today and Daily Beast and BBC (3-Mar-2007)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Libya, Italy, Turkey, Greece,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Government of National Accord, GNA,
Syria, Chechnya, Grozny, Aleppo, Sergey Lavrov, Russia
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
