Sgt.Squarehead

I do sometimes wonder if the wrong message wasn't taken from encounters like those.....It would be a bit like basing your assumptions on the Abrams' capabilities on the basis of their performance with the Saudis. PS - If you are interested I can probably re-find the discussion of the Iraqi T-72s, I've a vague inkling of where I found it.

Use an image hosting site, I've recently switched to Imgur: http://imgur.com/

Yeah, I noticed that too.....There's a hint of 'death-squad' about that bunch. Doubt it, you'd have to bring an invasion force well within the range of his potential missile umbrella and there's always the possibility that Kim would go asymmetrical and perhaps load up a diesel-sub with a nuke and use it as the ultimate in VBIEDs.

This surprised me: http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/10/28/meet-the-tank-girls-taking-on-al-shabab/

Here's Budanov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Budanov

Pretty damning stuff, it must be said. If Russia really wants to play a bigger role on the world stage it's going to have to address issues like this.....The Chechen conflicts perfectly encapsulates the concept of 'Bad-War' for me, while that doesn't in any way excuse this behaviour, it might go some way toward explaining it. Found a Guardian article dated 2000 covering the Katyr Yurt incident, how perspectives change (note the comment from British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/mar/05/russia.chechnya

Summat like that then JK?

Duly noted, do you have links to reports of the incidents you describe? I'm not putting anyone on a pedestal here as I thought my comments made clear. Conversely here in the UK we had the case of Marine A, who was recently (and rightly IMHO) released.....These things are never simple. PS - Just noted your Avatar/Name, don't suppose you are a fan of Charles Stross at all? Or is it just the tank thing?

ISIS antitank tactics in Mosul: http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/new-isis-islamic-state-amaq-news-john-cantlie-tanks-tank-battle-mosul-iraq-full-uncensored-video-mp4-download/ The British journalist in this video has recently been reported killed.

TBH I'm fairly confident wiser heads will prevail in the end and all this nonsense will go away, but it's damned irritating putting up with it right now and that's a fact.

Not sure how that would benefit them though, unless a full scale conflagration was already under way, IMHO once one 'sunshine-genie' gets out of it's bottle, they all will.

One other thing that should be considered is the sheer ridiculousness of the medias' fervent wish that the US would intervene in eastern Europe against Russia. To use a poker analogy the US has just passed every round in a head to head with North Korea, they are out of chips. North Korea is said to have around a dozen nuclear warheads, Russia has around five thousand. So the concept that the US is going all-in over Ukraine or Georgia is utterly delusional. (and if they try a weak raise, you can be quite sure that they will be massively re-raised by their opponent, who has nothing to lose).

Most of those stories are familiar to me too, but the tanks the Bradleys trashed very likely weren't even T-72M(onkeys), they were probably locally manufactured examples using the local armour plate. But hey, it makes 'Blue' look great in the game!

I don't think that was aimed at you directly fella, I'd hope we're all mature enough to 'play the ball, not the man'. I'm looking into that hospital thing.....That's a new one on me, once I've found the facts I'll form a judgement. I acknowledge that the US eventually accepted responsibility for the Kabul attack, more strength to them for doing so. I hope if the evidence in the other instance does point to Russia that they will eventually (and probably reluctantly) admit it, again much like the situation in Kabul. Don't conflate the fact that I like and admire Russia with the idea that I must hate or despise anyone else, that just isn't so (except head-choppers, Nazis & other mass murderers of course (and yes that includes Stalin, he was a monster, but he killed a bigger one)).

Meet Mosul: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/war-torn-mosul-july/?utm_term=.0f530e120e2d Believe me, when your opposition is on the upper floors of buildings that have civilians in the basement and you are using JDAMs, 155mm artillery, TOS-1 Buratino and Mi-35s, not to mention the rather less precise IRAM to kill them, then no, there is not a 'bit of a difference'.....Ask the citizens, you'll find their own words in the article and elsewhere, what they feared most was the air-strikes, just like the citizens of Aleppo. I guess random unstoppable mega-death in the night can effect you like that after a while.

I see no facts, show me the links.....I suspect if you investigate thoroughly you might find things are other than you imagine. Remember, this doesn't mean just finding the first article on Google that supports your preconceived assumption, rather it means looking at all the sources and making a judgement based on the weight of evidence and balance of probability.

And those with an alternative perspective could make an equally heartfelt and equally valid claim about countless western media including the BBC.....So with the issue of partisanship out of the way, can we just get on with dealing with the facts, whatever they actually were (the article that triggered all this was pretty thin on those IIRC, hence my problem with it in the first place).

Not 100% sure what 'it' is, if you are going to attempt to cross-examine me you will have to be a little more precise. But if you mean 'Do hospitals/schools etc. get hit in war, especially in an urban scenario?' Of course they do.....It's a sad fact of life, I've even tried to depict it in my own CM:SF scenarios. It's when we start trying to assign intent that we run into a problem, 'possibly it's deliberate' or 'possibly it isn't'. Looking at it objectively I tend to think that neither side would actually be so stupid (assuming we accept that such actions are counterproductive) and that those with an agenda are very probably using these issues to their advantage.....This cuts both ways, look at how various media groups covered the (equally tragic) bombings of hospitals in Kabul and Aleppo.

Nope, just the Russians.....That seems to be a widespread problem these days and it's utterly ridiculous. "Look at what the Russians are up to!" has become the universal method of distracting attention from one's own culpability, it's pathetic.

Have to say that's a new one on me.....In my part of the world it means being a total douchebag in a pub-fight. You do seem to have a bit of a polarity issue sid, or are you suggesting that it's only Russia that f***s up in war.....Pretty confident the population of Mosul, Falluja, Ramadi etc. etc. etc. would thoroughly disagree. They are very far from alone there.

That would be this: I assumed you meant 'gassing' as I can't really visualise the Russians taking a pint-pot into battle with them. Huh? Not sure I slipped there fella, I do actually read the posts you know.

Great article, that's more like it!

Presumably we'll be reading pieces like this about Germany fairly soon, as they've just threatened to sanction the US.....Expect to see articles in US media pointing out Angela Merkel's Stasi background before too long. Kindly provide supporting evidence for your claim that Russia launched a chemical attack on a hospital.....Optionally don't make such ridiculous statements.

Well there's a coincidence.....CM:SF & I share a Birthday (but I'm quite a bit older)!

Would you do us all a favour and keep your naïve, ill informed and terribly biased drivel to yourself, there's a good chap. PS - Nice one JK, this pointless & irrelevant thread has really helped to improve the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of the forum.....Jolly well done.