Russia just accidentally admitted to its staggering troop losses in Ukraine
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I keep reading about how Russia's economy is on the brink of collapse just like how I keep reading about how Trump's voters are turning on him. I believe that both are (somewhat) true, but I don't think anything will come from either one.
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Because last I checked when the Sahel states wanted them gone they packed up and left.
Check again.
Operation Barkhane dragged on for eight years. It sparked domestic protests within the first two years. By the end, the Sahel states were in full revolt against French occupation.
France never shied away from throwing down with them, where they were reluctant is stomping Tuaregs, instead opting for endless negotiations and mediating.
The problem is with your language. You seem to think dropping 200 lb bombs on a city to wipe whole neighborhoods off the map constitutes "throwing down", like its a bar room brawl everyone will walk away from in the morning. You don't seem to want to acknowledge that they killed thousands of civilians. A 9/11s worth of people, to put it in a parlance you might appreciate.
And much like in Israel and the US occupation of Iraq/Afghanistan, the response from French allies was always "those civilians had it coming".
That is what spurred widespread opposition to Françafrique policy.
By the end, the Sahel states were in full revolt against French occupation.
There a) was no occupation and b) not even the Putschists were in "full revolt".
You seem to think dropping 200 lb bombs on a city to wipe whole neighborhoods off the map constitutes “throwing down”
You seem to be talking about the Russian main forces (which aren't in the Sahel), not France. Heck, Americans, but again, not France. France drops training ammunition instead of actual bombs on Hilluxes and when Americans make fun of them ("they ran out of ammo") the French shrug and say "Concrete slabs are perfectly sufficient for pickup trucks". It's baked into their core doctrine, they supply their troops with what is necessary, but not more, because they want them to be audacious.
Are you referring to the Bounti airstrike? Like in you strg+f "controversial" and found something? Then just assumed the 200lb and "whole neighbourhoods"? This is Bounti.
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By the end, the Sahel states were in full revolt against French occupation.
There a) was no occupation and b) not even the Putschists were in "full revolt".
You seem to think dropping 200 lb bombs on a city to wipe whole neighborhoods off the map constitutes “throwing down”
You seem to be talking about the Russian main forces (which aren't in the Sahel), not France. Heck, Americans, but again, not France. France drops training ammunition instead of actual bombs on Hilluxes and when Americans make fun of them ("they ran out of ammo") the French shrug and say "Concrete slabs are perfectly sufficient for pickup trucks". It's baked into their core doctrine, they supply their troops with what is necessary, but not more, because they want them to be audacious.
Are you referring to the Bounti airstrike? Like in you strg+f "controversial" and found something? Then just assumed the 200lb and "whole neighbourhoods"? This is Bounti.
There a) was no occupation
The French Defense Minister Florence Parly announced in February 2020 that France would send an additional 600 troops to the Sahel region, bolstering Operation Barkhanes' force to 5,100 troops.
b) not even the Putschists were in “full revolt”.
You're either deeply misinformed or deliberately lying.
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There a) was no occupation
The French Defense Minister Florence Parly announced in February 2020 that France would send an additional 600 troops to the Sahel region, bolstering Operation Barkhanes' force to 5,100 troops.
b) not even the Putschists were in “full revolt”.
You're either deeply misinformed or deliberately lying.
And... where's the revolt? Did you read your source? Did you even check the date? What it said about the opinion of the Mali military?
As said: The French left once uninvited by the government. Who are Putschists but meh that's usual down there, and not likely to change without a prolonged period of stability. I do expect another Putsch to come in soonish as they're not getting things handled either, as said Wagner is often worse than the Jihadis, and on top of that Russia is way overextended as it is. Won't take long until they can't supply their goons down there.
Did you, btw, read up on Russia's media campaign down there. The French are arrogant, no doubt, but that's different from wanting to rule the area or wishing it ill. What you can legitimately blame them for is a disinterest in building up those states, training their militaries, enable them to secure their own territory on their own. Russia saw an opening for its actually colonial ambitions and went for it.
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And... where's the revolt? Did you read your source? Did you even check the date? What it said about the opinion of the Mali military?
As said: The French left once uninvited by the government. Who are Putschists but meh that's usual down there, and not likely to change without a prolonged period of stability. I do expect another Putsch to come in soonish as they're not getting things handled either, as said Wagner is often worse than the Jihadis, and on top of that Russia is way overextended as it is. Won't take long until they can't supply their goons down there.
Did you, btw, read up on Russia's media campaign down there. The French are arrogant, no doubt, but that's different from wanting to rule the area or wishing it ill. What you can legitimately blame them for is a disinterest in building up those states, training their militaries, enable them to secure their own territory on their own. Russia saw an opening for its actually colonial ambitions and went for it.
The French are arrogant, no doubt, but that’s different from wanting to rule the area or wishing it ill.
Explain it to the 2700+ dead that the French are responsible for.
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The French are arrogant, no doubt, but that’s different from wanting to rule the area or wishing it ill.
Explain it to the 2700+ dead that the French are responsible for.
Don't be a Jihadi? Don't try to force your way onto others trying to establish a Caliphate? Are you seriously taking the side of Al fucking Qaeda here.
How do you explain Wagner's actions to the survivors of Moura. "Don't be a civilian?"
Detainees were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment during questioning, and dozens of women and girls were raped or subjected to other forms of sexual violence, the report claims. In one instance, soldiers brought bedding from a house, placed it under trees in the garden, and took turns raping women they had forced there.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg, most of the atrocities don't get investigated at all due to the fucked-up overall situation. It's all Wagner MO though.
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Don't be a Jihadi? Don't try to force your way onto others trying to establish a Caliphate? Are you seriously taking the side of Al fucking Qaeda here.
How do you explain Wagner's actions to the survivors of Moura. "Don't be a civilian?"
Detainees were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment during questioning, and dozens of women and girls were raped or subjected to other forms of sexual violence, the report claims. In one instance, soldiers brought bedding from a house, placed it under trees in the garden, and took turns raping women they had forced there.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg, most of the atrocities don't get investigated at all due to the fucked-up overall situation. It's all Wagner MO though.
Don’t be a Jihadi?
There it is. Everyone's guilty once you've flung shrapnel through their chest.
But you still can't imagine why the French-aligned government got ousted in a coup on these terms.
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Don’t be a Jihadi?
There it is. Everyone's guilty once you've flung shrapnel through their chest.
But you still can't imagine why the French-aligned government got ousted in a coup on these terms.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]What were the residents of Moura guilty of? Answer.
Jihadis came in, enforced their perverse interpretation of Islam, Sharia courts, dress codes, the lot. Then Wagner+Mali army came, first stomped the Jihadis, then Wagner moved on to rape the locals. Mali army looked on for a while, then stepped in and said "Ok Russians, that's enough, stop it", and it stopped.
That doesn't happen with French forces, you don't have to tell French forces to stop torturing and raping the local civilians, and they also won't tell you that it's a valuable strategy of war. And that's why there's going to be another putsch because as fucked-up as the Mali military is they're not inherently cruel. They just have no idea of how to achieve stability, and were dissatisfied by the progress of the French -- but seeing the Russians, yep, the French are very much preferable. Or ask Nigeria for help instead. China if you can convince them, that'd certainly be interesting. Anyone, but not Russia.
Because you know what? You don't win the hearts and minds of the people if your reputation is even worse than that of the Jihadis. Say what you want about Al Qaeda but they're not as bad as ISIS or Wagner, they do have a sense of decency. A very twisted one, but it exists.
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In Russia’s defence, who could have possibly have thought that invading Ukraine in the winter wasn’t going to be a simple 3 day weekend kind of thing?
Losing a generation in war that could have added much value to their economy can't really be smart or worth it, can it?
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A man fighting for his home is worth 100 fighting for someone else's cause. Russia was never going to win the numbers game.
I read that as a man fighting for his drone…
