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[lemon10]

MSF refuses to share the GPS coordinate of its hospitals with Russia and Syria for fear of being targeted.

It's kind of hard to miss a hospital if you've got consistent reconnaissance over an area, which with Russian assistance they probably do. If they are, in fact, deliberately targeting hospitals all this does is make it take slightly more effort for the Russians/Government to pick their targets and gives them plausible deniability (we didn't know it was a hospital. You didn't send us the coordinates, and possibly even deliberately made it look like not a hospital! It could easily have been a command center, or barracks, or supply depot, or any number of other legitimate targets!) when they carry on blowing them up as before.

Yeah, that's a pretty darn stupid decision by Dw/oB, now they can be bombed by everyone wihout breaking Geneva convention (medics are protected, but not if they do not make themselves recognizable, and their location known).

Assuming they are deliberately targeting hospitals, every little bit helps, because lets be honest, its not like Assad cares about bad press at all at this stage, and I don't think Russia cares much about it either.
The fact that you are "protected" by international law doesn't really matter when you are getting bombed, and can hardly make people look at Assad worse then they already do.

[smjjames]

MSF refuses to share the GPS coordinate of its hospitals with Russia and Syria for fear of being targeted.

It's kind of hard to miss a hospital if you've got consistent reconnaissance over an area, which with Russian assistance they probably do. If they are, in fact, deliberately targeting hospitals all this does is make it take slightly more effort for the Russians/Government to pick their targets and gives them plausible deniability (we didn't know it was a hospital. You didn't send us the coordinates, and possibly even deliberately made it look like not a hospital! It could easily have been a command center, or barracks, or supply depot, or any number of other legitimate targets!) when they carry on blowing them up as before.

Yeah, that's a pretty darn stupid decision by Dw/oB, now they can be bombed by everyone wihout breaking Geneva convention (medics are protected, but not if they do not make themselves recognizable, and their location known).

Assuming they are deliberately targeting hospitals, every little bit helps, because lets be honest, its not like Assad cares about bad press at all at this stage, and I don't think Russia cares much about it either.
The fact that you are "protected" by international law doesn't really matter when you are getting bombed, and can hardly make people look at Assad worse then they already do.

It's pretty understandable though, what with after they got one in Afghanistan bombed by genuine accident and screwup.

Baffler does have a point.

Would painting a giant red cross (or maybe crescent) on the buildings help?

[sprinkled chariot]

Iraq begins construction on Baghdad wall
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/iraq-baghdad-wall-deepens-sectarian-division.html#

Interesting that everyone is worried about fortifications dividing their country, the Sunni fear the Bagdhad wall is for a Shiite annexation, the Shiite and Sunni fear the Kurdish trench is for a Kurdish annexation

What Kurdish trench?

Iraqi Kurds dug a 1,000 KM trench around the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq to make for safer patrols / border control / suicide bomber deterrence. When Turkmen and Bagdhad noticed the sudden appearance of a 1,000 KM trench surrounding Kurdistan they both got alarmed and suspected it is the first sign before total balkanization (it doesn't seem to be a coincidence that after the Kurds dug their trench the Bagdhadis started theirs)

How can 1000 km trench be SUDDEN in age of satellites, drones and reconaissance planes ?

[andrea]

well, it is easy if there is little overlap between people who have said satellites, drones and reconaissance and people who actually care about those fortifications.

[Strife26]

Unmarked hospitals aren't protected under most readings of international law

[miljan]

ISIS fighters take over security HQ and decapitate 12 members of staff in Libyan city used as hub by migrants heading for Europe
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3461515/IS-briefly-takes-center-strategic-Libyan-city.html

French special forces assisting anti-Isis efforts in Libya, say sources
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/24/isis-behead-11-police-officers-in-fighting-in-libya

Russia gives a gift of 10,000 automatic rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition to Afghanistan deepening involvement by Moscow
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Russia-gives-a-gift-of-10000-automatic-rifles-to-Afghanistan-445943

International Military Review - Syria, Feb. 24, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMRLggB2neE

Syria ceasefire didnt started yet but there are already problems. One of the parties that were not included in this deal is ISIS, al Nusra and several smaller part of Al-Qaeda that are considered terrorist groups by UN. The problem is that al Nusra  is fighting hand to hand with other rebels in Allepo area and generally north part of syria and is one of the important forces in that region. So some rebels want them to be included in the case fire.

This make it very problematic as this mean there needs to be a split in the rebels between this several parties (there is some info that its already happening as new rebel coalition is forming from Jabhat al-Sham, Saraya al-Haq, Ninth Brigade, Furqat 46 and Furqat 312 and is called Jaysh Al-Tahrir, but its not fully confirmed yet), but if it doesnt happen, the syrian government and russia can just continue with liberating the parts in north syria. This also means that rebels that were allies with nusra need now in a way to  betray them. And last government can just state that there are al nusra fighters anywhere and just continue the fighting.

[miljan]

The ceasefire is now in effect in Syria (and there are already reports of it breaking on several locations).

Huge anti government protests in Baghdad lead by Muqtada al-Sadr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y44B9L56xZk
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-hundreds-thousands-shiite-muqtada-al-sadr-supporters-protest-corruption-baghdad-1546243

Excellent and very long article by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr

American view
Why the Arabs don’t want us in Syria
They don’t hate ‘our freedoms.’ They hate that we’ve betrayed our ideals in their own countries — for oil.
http://www.politico.eu/article/why-the-arabs-dont-want-us-in-syria-mideast-conflict-oil-intervention/

Its a shame that all this crimes will pass unnoticed, they literally destroy millions of lives, and there is no one to stop them, even worse most people don't even know what their government is doing

[martinuzz]

The UN Security Council unanimously passed a joint resolution by the US and Russia, which calls upon all parties to uphold the cease fire.

[martinuzz]

There has been a small political earthquake in Iran's capital Teheran. After counting the votes of yesterdays elections, 30 out of 30 seats of parliament that were up for vote were assigned to the progressive reform party. Prominent conservative theocrats were voted out, and got no seat at all.

This will make it easier for president Rohani to reform the  political system. He has been trying that, but has up until now always been stonewalled by the power of the ultra conservative clerical prescence in parliament.

It also makes it likely that the next Ayatollah will be appointed by the reformists, instead of by the conservatives. The current grand ayatollah Khameini is 76 years old and suffering from health issues. He is expected to be replaced beore too long.

[Sheb]

You mean the Assembly of Expert? Because as far as I can tell, the Reformists made gain in the Majlis, but are stçill way short of a majority.

Edit: Digging in the news, what happened is that the results in Teheran were reported first, with the Reformists winning all thirty Majlis (the lower house of the Parliament) seats there. Since then, more results have come in (165 out of 290), and according to wikipedia, the reformists have won 59 seats, the conservatives ("principlists") 80 seats and independents have won 26. If rural areas report lasts, that could mean a serious convervative majority.

Also, it is not the Majlis that elect the Supreme Leader, but the Assembly of Expert (upper house, made of elected clerics). I can't find the results of that elections, but the Guardian Council generally is much more restrictive for Assembly of Experts candidates, so I don't expect something super-reformist there.

[martinuzz]

Yeah, my newspaper updated their article now. Apparently, Teheran was an exception, and in the rest of the country, conservatives did secure majority. Still, their complete defeat in Teheran does say something.

[Loud Whispers]

American view
Why the Arabs don’t want us in Syria
They don’t hate ‘our freedoms.’ They hate that we’ve betrayed our ideals in their own countries — for oil.
http://www.politico.eu/article/why-the-arabs-dont-want-us-in-syria-mideast-conflict-oil-intervention/

Its a shame that all this crimes will pass unnoticed, they literally destroy millions of lives, and there is no one to stop them, even worse most people don't even know what their government is doing

I think people know, they just have very short memories. Allies and stabilizers turn into dictators and destabilizers the very next day and no one ever learns

[Loud Whispers]

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/02/28/452890/Saudi-Arabia-Yemen-Marib-Houthi-Ansarullah

Saudis being silly1

[miljan]

A new civil war in making

"BEIRUT – A pro-Hezbollah newspaper has published a speculative article warning that foreign powers seek to “explode the Lebanese arena” after reports emerged that a cargo vessel loaded with weapons was interdicted while en-route from Turkey to Lebanon.

The report comes amid mounting political tension as Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf states continue to take punitive measures against Lebanon in anger over what they see as Hezbollah’s undue influence over the country. "

https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/NewsReports/566679-pro-hezbollah-daily-lebanon-targeted-for-explosion

[Helgoland]

I'll applaud Hezbollah being whipped any day of the week.