Ukraine

[ArcticCrusher]

Fucking brainwashed morons.

 

 

[NaturallyAspirated]

Is that to say cities on the conflict border are not war tor and rubbled?  I thought the whole point that Russia wanted to have happen was to decimate cities so they could fund rebuilding them to curry good favor?  

Neal

[akvanden]

2 hours ago, ArcticCrusher said:

Fucking brainwashed morons.

 

 

Chuck always has “bombshells”  

 

Looks like there’s fake hole in the wall too - in this case not caused by an actual bombshell! 

[Rod]

MSM is just theatre 

[Deephaven]

5 hours ago, ArcticCrusher said:

Fucking brainwashed morons.

 

Indeed Chuck Callesto is a brainwashed moron.  Explains why you keep posting links to his idiocy.

[Jimmy Snacks]

 

[Not greg b]

The war going just as Putin wants it to go. Now that they are basically log jammed, blasting at each other and not moving he will negotiate. He will say ok I will stay right here and won’t shoot at you anymore, if you stay over there and don’t shoot at us anymore. Putin will end up with another chunk of Ukraine. Ukraine gets the choice of giving up more land or getting bombed for another year. In 5 years Russia will do the same thing and get another chunk of Ukraine. 

[Highmark]

What does Ukraine do when we run out of cluster munitions to give them?

Putin might have taken a gamble that the US and NATO may not have assisted in the manner they have but now he's smart by playing the long game.

[akvanden]

1 hour ago, Highmark said:

Putin might have taken a gamble that the US and NATO may not have assisted in the manner they have but now he's smart by playing the long game.

He has no other option. It’s was the same when this whole thing started using energy as a weapon. It comes down to inconveniences on the public  and ultimately how long will the public support.  In that arena, Russia has the upper hand. They crush dissent and jail opposition.

Edited July 27, 2023 by akvanden

[Highmark]

38 minutes ago, akvanden said:

He has no other option. It’s was the same when this whole thing started using energy as a weapon. It comes down to inconveniences on the public  and ultimately how long will the public support.  In that arena, Russia has the upper hand. They crush dissent and jail opposition.

You are right....he had no other option if Ukraine joined NATO.   NATO/Ukraine could have limited his access to the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. 

Yeah I know NATO is only a "defensive" organization but guaranteed the US wouldn't put up with a similar situation. 

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2022/02/25/what-makes-the-black-sea-so-strategically-important/

In other words, if there were ever a body of water well suited for bullying your neighbor, it would be the Black Sea.

Encircling the waterway are Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Georgia and Russia — three NATO members, two who want to join the alliance and then the nation currently invading Ukraine. 

[akvanden]

9 minutes ago, Highmark said:

You are right....he had no other option if Ukraine joined NATO.   NATO/Ukraine could have limited his access to the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. 

Yeah I know NATO is only a "defensive" organization but guaranteed the US wouldn't put up with a similar situation. 

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2022/02/25/what-makes-the-black-sea-so-strategically-important/

In other words, if there were ever a body of water well suited for bullying your neighbor, it would be the Black Sea.

Encircling the waterway are Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Georgia and Russia — three NATO members, two who want to join the alliance and then the nation currently invading Ukraine. 

Sure, that’s what I meant by ‘he has no other option.’ 
 

Now they’ll have three additional countries added to NATO when this is over. If the goal was zero, that backfired. 
 

The US hasn’t had a recent history of invading and annexing is neighbors land. If we did, then the analogy would work. 

 

[Highmark]

1 minute ago, akvanden said:

Sure, that’s what I meant by ‘he has no other option.’ 
 

Now they’ll have three additional countries added to NATO when this is over. If the goal was zero, that backfired. 
 

The US hasn’t had a recent history of invading and annexing is neighbors land. If we did, then the analogy would work. 

 

Little play on your words. 

So your stance continues that Russia should not feel threatened by NATO in any way?  

[akvanden]

3 hours ago, Highmark said:

So your stance continues that Russia should not feel threatened by NATO in any way?

Not so much my stance as 70 years of precedent. 

[spin_dry]

So this means that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine have been ineffective. Good news. 

[Highmark]

10 minutes ago, akvanden said:

Not so much my stance as 70 years of precedent. 

Its cute you think NATO just sits back and acts as a defensive only organization of its members.  

Might want to re-think that.

In the 1990s, the organization extended its activities into political and humanitarian situations that had not formerly been NATO concerns.^[32] During the Breakup of Yugoslavia, the organization conducted its first military interventions in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 and later Yugoslavia in 1999.^[33] These conflicts motivated a major post-Cold War military restructuring. NATO's military structure was cut back and reorganized, with new forces such as the Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps established.

Bosnia and Herzegovina intervention

Main article: NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina

A USAF aircraft taking off during Operation Deliberate Force after the Srebrenica massacre

The Bosnian War began in 1992, as a result of the Breakup of Yugoslavia. The deteriorating situation led to United Nations Security Council Resolution 816 on 9 October 1992, ordering a no-fly zone over central Bosnia and Herzegovina, which NATO began enforcing on 12 April 1993 with Operation Deny Flight. From June 1993 until October 1996, Operation Sharp Guard added maritime enforcement of the arms embargo and economic sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 28 February 1994, NATO took its first wartime action by shooting down four Bosnian Serb aircraft violating the no-fly zone.^[50]

On 10 and 11 April 1994, the United Nations Protection Force called in air strikes to protect the Goražde safe area, resulting in the bombing of a Bosnian Serb military command outpost near Goražde by two US F-16 jets acting under NATO direction.^[51] In retaliation, Serbs took 150 U.N. personnel hostage on 14 April.^[52][53] On 16 April a British Sea Harrier was shot down over Goražde by Serb forces.^[54]

In August 1995, a two-week NATO bombing campaign, Operation Deliberate Force, began against the Army of the Republika Srpska, after the Srebrenica genocide.^[55] Further NATO air strikes helped bring the Yugoslav Wars to an end, resulting in the Dayton Agreement in November 1995.^[55] As part of this agreement, NATO deployed a UN-mandated peacekeeping force, under Operation Joint Endeavor, named IFOR. Almost 60,000 NATO troops were joined by forces from non-NATO countries in this peacekeeping mission. This transitioned into the smaller SFOR, which started with 32,000 troops initially and ran from December 1996 until December 2004, when operations were then passed onto the European Union Force Althea.^[56] Following the lead of its member states, NATO began to award a service medal, the NATO Medal, for these operations.^[57]

Kosovo intervention

Main articles: NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and KFOR

German KFOR soldiers on patrol in southern Kosovo in 1999 KFOR-MSU Carabinieri Patrols in front of the Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica, Kosovo, 2019

In an effort to stop Slobodan Milošević's Serbian-led crackdown on KLA separatists and Albanian civilians in Kosovo, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1199 on 23 September 1998 to demand a ceasefire. Negotiations under US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke broke down on 23 March 1999, and he handed the matter to NATO,^[58] which started a 78-day bombing campaign on 24 March 1999.^[59] Operation Allied Force targeted the military capabilities of what was then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. During the crisis, NATO also deployed one of its international reaction forces, the ACE Mobile Force (Land), to Albania as the Albania Force (AFOR), to deliver humanitarian aid to refugees from Kosovo.^[60]

The campaign was criticized over whether it had legitimacy and for the civilian casualties, including the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. Milošević finally accepted the terms of an international peace plan on 3 June 1999, ending the Kosovo War. On 11 June, Milošević further accepted UN resolution 1244, under the mandate of which NATO then helped establish the KFOR peacekeeping force. Nearly one million refugees had fled Kosovo, and part of KFOR's mandate was to protect the humanitarian missions, in addition to deterring violence.^[61] In August–September 2001, the alliance also mounted Operation Essential Harvest, a mission disarming ethnic Albanian militias in the Republic of Macedonia.^[62] As of 2023, around 4,500 KFOR soldiers, representing 27 countries, continue to operate in the area.^[63]

The US, the UK, and most other NATO countries opposed efforts to require the UN Security Council to approve NATO military strikes, such as the action against Serbia in 1999, while France and some others claimed that the alliance needed UN approval.^[64] The US/UK side claimed that this would undermine the authority of the alliance, and they noted that Russia and China would have exercised their Security Council vetoes to block the strike on Yugoslavia, and could do the same in future conflicts where NATO intervention was required, thus nullifying the entire potency and purpose of the organization. Recognizing the post-Cold War military environment, NATO adopted the Alliance Strategic Concept during its Washington summit in April 1999 that emphasized conflict prevention and crisis management.^[65]

War in Afghanistan

Main articles: International Security Assistance Force and War in Afghanistan

The September 11 attacks in the United States caused NATO to invoke its collective defence article for the first time.

The September 11 attacks in the United States caused NATO to invoke Article 5 of the NATO Charter for the first time in the organization's history.^[66] The Article states that an attack on any member shall be considered to be an attack on all. The invocation was confirmed on 4 October 2001 when NATO determined that the attacks were indeed eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty.^[67] The eight official actions taken by NATO in response to the attacks included Operation Eagle Assist and Operation Active Endeavour, a naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction, and to enhance the security of shipping in general, which began on 4 October 2001.^[68]

The alliance showed unity: on 16 April 2003, NATO agreed to take command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which included troops from 42 countries. The decision came at the request of Germany and the Netherlands, the two countries leading ISAF at the time of the agreement, and all nineteen NATO ambassadors approved it unanimously. The handover of control to NATO took place on 11 August, and marked the first time in NATO's history that it took charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area.^[69]

General Austin S. Miller (right) became commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan in September 2018 and oversaw the withdrawal until July 2021. Lloyd Austin, the 28th United States Secretary of Defense, is on the left.

ISAF was initially charged with securing Kabul and surrounding areas from the Taliban, al Qaeda and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai. In October 2003, the UN Security Council authorized the expansion of the ISAF mission throughout Afghanistan,^[70] and ISAF subsequently expanded the mission in four main stages over the whole of the country.^[71]

On 31 July 2006, the ISAF additionally took over military operations in the south of Afghanistan from a US-led anti-terrorism coalition.^[72] Due to the intensity of the fighting in the south, in 2011 France allowed a squadron of Mirage 2000 fighter/attack aircraft to be moved into the area, to Kandahar, in order to reinforce the alliance's efforts.^[73] During its 2012 Chicago Summit, NATO endorsed a plan to end the Afghanistan war and to remove the NATO-led ISAF Forces by the end of December 2014.^[74] ISAF was disestablished in December 2014 and replaced by the follow-on training Resolute Support Mission.^[75]

On 14 April 2021, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had agreed to start withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by May 1.^[76] Soon after the withdrawal of NATO troops started, the Taliban launched an offensive against the Afghan government, quickly advancing in front of collapsing Afghan Armed Forces.^[77] By 15 August 2021, Taliban militants controlled the vast majority of Afghanistan and had encircled the capital city of Kabul.^[78] Some politicians in NATO member states have described the chaotic withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan and the collapse of the Afghan government as the greatest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding.^[79][80]

Iraq training mission

Main article: NATO Training Mission – Iraq

Italian Major General Giovanni Armentani, Deputy Commanding General for the NATO Training Mission, meets with a U.S. Advise and Assist Brigade.

In August 2004, during the Iraq War, NATO formed the NATO Training Mission – Iraq, a training mission to assist the Iraqi security forces in conjunction with the US-led MNF-I.^[81] The NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) was established at the request of the Iraqi Interim Government under the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1546. The aim of NTM-I was to assist in the development of Iraqi security forces training structures and institutions so that Iraq can build an effective and sustainable capability that addresses the needs of the country. NTM-I was not a combat mission but is a distinct mission, under the political control of the North Atlantic Council. Its operational emphasis was on training and mentoring. The activities of the mission were coordinated with Iraqi authorities and the US-led Deputy Commanding General Advising and Training, who was also dual-hatted as the Commander of NTM-I. The mission officially concluded on 17 December 2011.^[82]

Turkey invoked the first Article 4 meetings in 2003 at the start of the Iraq War. Turkey also invoked this article twice in 2012 during the Syrian Civil War, after the downing of an unarmed Turkish F-4 reconnaissance jet, and after a mortar was fired at Turkey from Syria,^[83] and again in 2015 after threats by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to its territorial integrity.^[84]

Gulf of Aden anti-piracy

Main article: Operation Ocean Shield

USS Farragut destroying a Somali pirate skiff in March 2010

Beginning on 17 August 2009, NATO deployed warships in an operation to protect maritime traffic in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean from Somali pirates, and help strengthen the navies and coast guards of regional states. The operation was approved by the North Atlantic Council and involved warships primarily from the United States though vessels from many other countries were also included. Operation Ocean Shield focused on protecting the ships of Operation Allied Provider which were distributing aid as part of the World Food Programme mission in Somalia. Russia, China and South Korea sent warships to participate in the activities as well.^[85][86] The operation sought to dissuade and interrupt pirate attacks, protect vessels, and to increase the general level of security in the region.^[87]

Libya intervention

Main article: 2011 military intervention in Libya

Libyan Army Palmaria howitzers destroyed by the French Air Force near Benghazi in March 2011

During the Libyan Civil War, violence between protesters and the Libyan government under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi escalated, and on 17 March 2011 led to the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which called for a ceasefire, and authorized military action to protect civilians. A coalition that included several NATO members began enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya shortly afterwards, beginning with Opération Harmattan by the French Air Force on 19 March.

On 20 March 2011, NATO states agreed on enforcing an arms embargo against Libya with Operation Unified Protector using ships from NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 and Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1,^[88] and additional ships and submarines from NATO members.^[89] They would "monitor, report and, if needed, interdict vessels suspected of carrying illegal arms or mercenaries".^[88]

On 24 March, NATO agreed to take control of the no-fly zone from the initial coalition, while command of targeting ground units remained with the coalition's forces.^[90][91] NATO began officially enforcing the UN resolution on 27 March 2011 with assistance from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.^[92] By June, reports of divisions within the alliance surfaced as only eight of the 28 member states were participating in combat operations,^[93] resulting in a confrontation between US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and countries such as Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Germany with Gates calling on the latter to contribute more and the latter believing the organization has overstepped its mandate in the conflict.^[94][95][96] In his final policy speech in Brussels on 10 June, Gates further criticized allied countries in suggesting their actions could cause the demise of NATO.^[97] The German foreign ministry pointed to "a considerable [German] contribution to NATO and NATO-led operations" and to the fact that this engagement was highly valued by President Obama.^[98]

While the mission was extended into September, Norway that day (10 June) announced it would begin scaling down contributions and complete withdrawal by 1 August.^[99] Earlier that week it was reported Danish air fighters were running out of bombs.^[100][101] The following week, the head of the Royal Navy said the country's operations in the conflict were not sustainable.^[102] By the end of the mission in October 2011, after the death of Colonel Gaddafi, NATO planes had flown about 9,500 strike sorties against pro-Gaddafi targets.^[103][104] A report from the organization Human Rights Watch in May 2012 identified at least 72 civilians killed in the campaign.^[105]

Following a coup d'état attempt in October 2013, Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan requested technical advice and trainers from NATO to assist with ongoing security issues.^[106]

 

 

 

[spin_dry]

3 minutes ago, Highmark said:

Its cute you think NATO just sits back and acts as a defensive only organization of its members.  

Might want to re-think that.

In the 1990s, the organization extended its activities into political and humanitarian situations that had not formerly been NATO concerns.^[32] During the Breakup of Yugoslavia, the organization conducted its first military interventions in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 and later Yugoslavia in 1999.^[33] These conflicts motivated a major post-Cold War military restructuring. NATO's military structure was cut back and reorganized, with new forces such as the Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps established.

Bosnia and Herzegovina intervention

Main article: NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina

A USAF aircraft taking off during Operation Deliberate Force after the Srebrenica massacre

The Bosnian War began in 1992, as a result of the Breakup of Yugoslavia. The deteriorating situation led to United Nations Security Council Resolution 816 on 9 October 1992, ordering a no-fly zone over central Bosnia and Herzegovina, which NATO began enforcing on 12 April 1993 with Operation Deny Flight. From June 1993 until October 1996, Operation Sharp Guard added maritime enforcement of the arms embargo and economic sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 28 February 1994, NATO took its first wartime action by shooting down four Bosnian Serb aircraft violating the no-fly zone.^[50]

On 10 and 11 April 1994, the United Nations Protection Force called in air strikes to protect the Goražde safe area, resulting in the bombing of a Bosnian Serb military command outpost near Goražde by two US F-16 jets acting under NATO direction.^[51] In retaliation, Serbs took 150 U.N. personnel hostage on 14 April.^[52][53] On 16 April a British Sea Harrier was shot down over Goražde by Serb forces.^[54]

In August 1995, a two-week NATO bombing campaign, Operation Deliberate Force, began against the Army of the Republika Srpska, after the Srebrenica genocide.^[55] Further NATO air strikes helped bring the Yugoslav Wars to an end, resulting in the Dayton Agreement in November 1995.^[55] As part of this agreement, NATO deployed a UN-mandated peacekeeping force, under Operation Joint Endeavor, named IFOR. Almost 60,000 NATO troops were joined by forces from non-NATO countries in this peacekeeping mission. This transitioned into the smaller SFOR, which started with 32,000 troops initially and ran from December 1996 until December 2004, when operations were then passed onto the European Union Force Althea.^[56] Following the lead of its member states, NATO began to award a service medal, the NATO Medal, for these operations.^[57]

Kosovo intervention

Main articles: NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and KFOR

German KFOR soldiers on patrol in southern Kosovo in 1999 KFOR-MSU Carabinieri Patrols in front of the Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica, Kosovo, 2019

In an effort to stop Slobodan Milošević's Serbian-led crackdown on KLA separatists and Albanian civilians in Kosovo, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1199 on 23 September 1998 to demand a ceasefire. Negotiations under US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke broke down on 23 March 1999, and he handed the matter to NATO,^[58] which started a 78-day bombing campaign on 24 March 1999.^[59] Operation Allied Force targeted the military capabilities of what was then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. During the crisis, NATO also deployed one of its international reaction forces, the ACE Mobile Force (Land), to Albania as the Albania Force (AFOR), to deliver humanitarian aid to refugees from Kosovo.^[60]

The campaign was criticized over whether it had legitimacy and for the civilian casualties, including the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. Milošević finally accepted the terms of an international peace plan on 3 June 1999, ending the Kosovo War. On 11 June, Milošević further accepted UN resolution 1244, under the mandate of which NATO then helped establish the KFOR peacekeeping force. Nearly one million refugees had fled Kosovo, and part of KFOR's mandate was to protect the humanitarian missions, in addition to deterring violence.^[61] In August–September 2001, the alliance also mounted Operation Essential Harvest, a mission disarming ethnic Albanian militias in the Republic of Macedonia.^[62] As of 2023, around 4,500 KFOR soldiers, representing 27 countries, continue to operate in the area.^[63]

The US, the UK, and most other NATO countries opposed efforts to require the UN Security Council to approve NATO military strikes, such as the action against Serbia in 1999, while France and some others claimed that the alliance needed UN approval.^[64] The US/UK side claimed that this would undermine the authority of the alliance, and they noted that Russia and China would have exercised their Security Council vetoes to block the strike on Yugoslavia, and could do the same in future conflicts where NATO intervention was required, thus nullifying the entire potency and purpose of the organization. Recognizing the post-Cold War military environment, NATO adopted the Alliance Strategic Concept during its Washington summit in April 1999 that emphasized conflict prevention and crisis management.^[65]

War in Afghanistan

Main articles: International Security Assistance Force and War in Afghanistan

The September 11 attacks in the United States caused NATO to invoke its collective defence article for the first time.

The September 11 attacks in the United States caused NATO to invoke Article 5 of the NATO Charter for the first time in the organization's history.^[66] The Article states that an attack on any member shall be considered to be an attack on all. The invocation was confirmed on 4 October 2001 when NATO determined that the attacks were indeed eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty.^[67] The eight official actions taken by NATO in response to the attacks included Operation Eagle Assist and Operation Active Endeavour, a naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction, and to enhance the security of shipping in general, which began on 4 October 2001.^[68]

The alliance showed unity: on 16 April 2003, NATO agreed to take command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which included troops from 42 countries. The decision came at the request of Germany and the Netherlands, the two countries leading ISAF at the time of the agreement, and all nineteen NATO ambassadors approved it unanimously. The handover of control to NATO took place on 11 August, and marked the first time in NATO's history that it took charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area.^[69]

General Austin S. Miller (right) became commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan in September 2018 and oversaw the withdrawal until July 2021. Lloyd Austin, the 28th United States Secretary of Defense, is on the left.

ISAF was initially charged with securing Kabul and surrounding areas from the Taliban, al Qaeda and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai. In October 2003, the UN Security Council authorized the expansion of the ISAF mission throughout Afghanistan,^[70] and ISAF subsequently expanded the mission in four main stages over the whole of the country.^[71]

On 31 July 2006, the ISAF additionally took over military operations in the south of Afghanistan from a US-led anti-terrorism coalition.^[72] Due to the intensity of the fighting in the south, in 2011 France allowed a squadron of Mirage 2000 fighter/attack aircraft to be moved into the area, to Kandahar, in order to reinforce the alliance's efforts.^[73] During its 2012 Chicago Summit, NATO endorsed a plan to end the Afghanistan war and to remove the NATO-led ISAF Forces by the end of December 2014.^[74] ISAF was disestablished in December 2014 and replaced by the follow-on training Resolute Support Mission.^[75]

On 14 April 2021, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had agreed to start withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by May 1.^[76] Soon after the withdrawal of NATO troops started, the Taliban launched an offensive against the Afghan government, quickly advancing in front of collapsing Afghan Armed Forces.^[77] By 15 August 2021, Taliban militants controlled the vast majority of Afghanistan and had encircled the capital city of Kabul.^[78] Some politicians in NATO member states have described the chaotic withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan and the collapse of the Afghan government as the greatest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding.^[79][80]

Iraq training mission

Main article: NATO Training Mission – Iraq

Italian Major General Giovanni Armentani, Deputy Commanding General for the NATO Training Mission, meets with a U.S. Advise and Assist Brigade.

In August 2004, during the Iraq War, NATO formed the NATO Training Mission – Iraq, a training mission to assist the Iraqi security forces in conjunction with the US-led MNF-I.^[81] The NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) was established at the request of the Iraqi Interim Government under the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1546. The aim of NTM-I was to assist in the development of Iraqi security forces training structures and institutions so that Iraq can build an effective and sustainable capability that addresses the needs of the country. NTM-I was not a combat mission but is a distinct mission, under the political control of the North Atlantic Council. Its operational emphasis was on training and mentoring. The activities of the mission were coordinated with Iraqi authorities and the US-led Deputy Commanding General Advising and Training, who was also dual-hatted as the Commander of NTM-I. The mission officially concluded on 17 December 2011.^[82]

Turkey invoked the first Article 4 meetings in 2003 at the start of the Iraq War. Turkey also invoked this article twice in 2012 during the Syrian Civil War, after the downing of an unarmed Turkish F-4 reconnaissance jet, and after a mortar was fired at Turkey from Syria,^[83] and again in 2015 after threats by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to its territorial integrity.^[84]

Gulf of Aden anti-piracy

Main article: Operation Ocean Shield

USS Farragut destroying a Somali pirate skiff in March 2010

Beginning on 17 August 2009, NATO deployed warships in an operation to protect maritime traffic in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean from Somali pirates, and help strengthen the navies and coast guards of regional states. The operation was approved by the North Atlantic Council and involved warships primarily from the United States though vessels from many other countries were also included. Operation Ocean Shield focused on protecting the ships of Operation Allied Provider which were distributing aid as part of the World Food Programme mission in Somalia. Russia, China and South Korea sent warships to participate in the activities as well.^[85][86] The operation sought to dissuade and interrupt pirate attacks, protect vessels, and to increase the general level of security in the region.^[87]

Libya intervention

Main article: 2011 military intervention in Libya

Libyan Army Palmaria howitzers destroyed by the French Air Force near Benghazi in March 2011

During the Libyan Civil War, violence between protesters and the Libyan government under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi escalated, and on 17 March 2011 led to the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which called for a ceasefire, and authorized military action to protect civilians. A coalition that included several NATO members began enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya shortly afterwards, beginning with Opération Harmattan by the French Air Force on 19 March.

On 20 March 2011, NATO states agreed on enforcing an arms embargo against Libya with Operation Unified Protector using ships from NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 and Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1,^[88] and additional ships and submarines from NATO members.^[89] They would "monitor, report and, if needed, interdict vessels suspected of carrying illegal arms or mercenaries".^[88]

On 24 March, NATO agreed to take control of the no-fly zone from the initial coalition, while command of targeting ground units remained with the coalition's forces.^[90][91] NATO began officially enforcing the UN resolution on 27 March 2011 with assistance from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.^[92] By June, reports of divisions within the alliance surfaced as only eight of the 28 member states were participating in combat operations,^[93] resulting in a confrontation between US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and countries such as Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Germany with Gates calling on the latter to contribute more and the latter believing the organization has overstepped its mandate in the conflict.^[94][95][96] In his final policy speech in Brussels on 10 June, Gates further criticized allied countries in suggesting their actions could cause the demise of NATO.^[97] The German foreign ministry pointed to "a considerable [German] contribution to NATO and NATO-led operations" and to the fact that this engagement was highly valued by President Obama.^[98]

While the mission was extended into September, Norway that day (10 June) announced it would begin scaling down contributions and complete withdrawal by 1 August.^[99] Earlier that week it was reported Danish air fighters were running out of bombs.^[100][101] The following week, the head of the Royal Navy said the country's operations in the conflict were not sustainable.^[102] By the end of the mission in October 2011, after the death of Colonel Gaddafi, NATO planes had flown about 9,500 strike sorties against pro-Gaddafi targets.^[103][104] A report from the organization Human Rights Watch in May 2012 identified at least 72 civilians killed in the campaign.^[105]

Following a coup d'état attempt in October 2013, Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan requested technical advice and trainers from NATO to assist with ongoing security issues.^[106]

 

 

 

NATO also helplessly sat back while Putin rolled over one country after another in his plan to put the band back together. Maybe it’s for the best. Now the rest of Europe is finally ready to join NATO.  Sweden has an absolute amazing military. They will be an excellent addition. 
 

Go NATO!!

[Highmark]

3 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

NATO also helplessly sat back while Putin rolled over one country after another in his plan to put the band back together. Maybe it’s for the best. Now the rest of Europe is finally ready to join NATO.  Sweden has an absolute amazing military. They will be an excellent addition. 
 

Go NATO!!

And with a Russia/Iran/China/NK/etc. in alliance bring on Cold War 2.   Wonderful. 

Well at least I'm not the one paranoid about shit and living in my van.    

Edited July 27, 2023 by Highmark

[spin_dry]

Just now, Highmark said:

And with a Russia/Iran/China/NK/etc. int alliance bring on Cold War 2.   Wonderful. 

So what? Humans will be humans. That clutch of nations is the armpit and asshole of the world. 

[Highmark]

3 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

So what? Humans will be humans. That clutch of nations is the armpit and asshole of the world. 

Wait I thought Iran were good guys?    At least I'm only worried about the spending and not living in a bugout vehicle paranoid about WW3 or aliens or whatever you are scared of.  

Edited July 27, 2023 by Highmark

[spin_dry]

1 minute ago, Highmark said:

Wait I thought Iran were good guys?    At least I'm only worried about the spending and not living in a bugout vehicle paranoid about WW3 or aliens or whatever you are scared of.  

Gotta keep your head on a swivel. 

Edited July 27, 2023 by spin_dry

[akvanden]

24 minutes ago, Highmark said:

Its cute you think NATO just sits back and acts as a defensive only organization of its members.  

Might want to re-think that.

No, I answered your question correctly. NATO has never attacked Russia in 70 years. Precedent.

[ArcticCrusher]

RFKjr with the truth bombs on Hannity.

Hannity is fucking clueless.

 

 

[toslow]

This is playing right into putin hands. They both China and Russia are breaking western countries. 
 

Taking away the world power of the American buck as the worlds currency 

Edited July 28, 2023 by toslow

[ArcticCrusher]

2 minutes ago, toslow said:

This is playing right into putin hands. They both China and Russia are breaking western countries. 
 

Taking away the world power of the American buck as the worlds currency 

Russia isn't America's enemy, China is but not their greatest threat.  Its the DC swamp that need to get removed.

[Rod]

16 minutes ago, toslow said:

This is playing right into putin hands. They both China and Russia are breaking western countries. 
 

Taking away the world power of the American buck as the worlds currency 

Biden caused that himself. The collapse of the petro dollar will be interesting