Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

uhnope

(6,419 posts)
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 12:30 PM Oct 2015

A Perfect Day For Bombing: Russian TV Forecasts Favorable Weather For Syria Strikes

Source: RFE/RL

As Russia presses ahead with air strikes in Syria, the Kremlin's push for domestic support for the offensive has spread to an unlikely area: weather forecasts. On October 3, state-run television channel Rossiya-24 aired an exhaustive weather bulletin describing the current climatic conditions in Syria as "very favorable" for a bombing campaign.

"October in Syria is generally a propitious time for flights," said the weather presenter, standing against a backdrop detailing the average temperature, rainfall, wind speed, and number of cloudy days in October in the Middle Eastern country. "Rain falls only once every 10 days and the most intensive rain, up to 18 millimeters, is usually observed in the north, where the operation by Russia's air force is underway," she continued. "But this cannot seriously affect the bombings."

According to the slick, three-minute forecast -- accompanied by Defense Ministry footage showing bombs hitting the ground and sending up huge plumes of smoke -- Syria's balmy autumn temperatures are also perfect for air strikes.

"Heat above 35 degrees is considered borderline for flights, and the thermometer rarely reaches this mark in Syria in October," the presenter said. She went on to reassure viewers that the increased cloudiness brought on by the approach of winter should not derail the Russian strikes. A graphic helpfully explained that the clouds usually lie between 4 and 10 kilometers above the ground -- higher than the "optimal altitude for bombings."

Read more: http://www.rferl.org/content/russsia-syria-bombing-weather-forecast/27289046.html



17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
A Perfect Day For Bombing: Russian TV Forecasts Favorable Weather For Syria Strikes (Original Post) uhnope Oct 2015 OP
Wheeee!! TwilightGardener Oct 2015 #1
Good. Perhaps they can manage to not to bomb the hell out of 'Doctors Without Borders' hospitals. Purveyor Oct 2015 #2
Prop-O'-Ganda. We'll never hear the numbers of civilians they hit. Russia pays scarce TwilightGardener Oct 2015 #3
Oh yeah and our Pentagon releases on a regular basis civilian casualties brought about by our Purveyor Oct 2015 #12
Both sides use propaganda when it serves the greater purpose. But TwilightGardener Oct 2015 #13
No, Putin is busy bombing the moderates in Syria who want Assad out snooper2 Oct 2015 #5
What are the moderate targets hit by Russia? David__77 Oct 2015 #6
Watch this from VICE- The Battle for Syria's South (Full Length) snooper2 Oct 2015 #8
Thank you for the information. David__77 Oct 2015 #11
I love the parsimony with which the Russians are able to state their position.. truth2power Oct 2015 #17
No different than what CNN does in our wars. Elmer S. E. Dump Oct 2015 #4
Really? Link? uhnope Oct 2015 #9
Right, a link. Elmer S. E. Dump Oct 2015 #14
could you describe some more concrete examples from your memory then of something comparable? uhnope Oct 2015 #15
They has the same type of reports on visibility for air sorties. Elmer S. E. Dump Oct 2015 #16
Good I hope they slaughter workinclasszero Oct 2015 #7
I hope they do concentrate on ISIS and don't attack groups that are fighting ISIS. n/t pampango Oct 2015 #10

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)
3. Prop-O'-Ganda. We'll never hear the numbers of civilians they hit. Russia pays scarce
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 12:51 PM
Oct 2015

attention to that.

 

Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
12. Oh yeah and our Pentagon releases on a regular basis civilian casualties brought about by our
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 03:39 PM
Oct 2015

indiscriminate bombing...

Spare me the "Prop-O'-Ganda" bullshit when the US and their minions are the masters at it.

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)
13. Both sides use propaganda when it serves the greater purpose. But
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 03:55 PM
Oct 2015

Russia takes the cake. And let's not pretend Russia has a history of being careful around civilians.

 

snooper2

(30,151 posts)
5. No, Putin is busy bombing the moderates in Syria who want Assad out
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 01:34 PM
Oct 2015

good attempt to try to conflate the two wholly different situations thought!

David__77

(23,220 posts)
6. What are the moderate targets hit by Russia?
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 02:17 PM
Oct 2015

I want this information. I understand that ISIS and Nusra are officially designated as terrorist groups by the US government. I also understand that Nusra is allied with other groups functioning as part of a group called Army of Conquest (see, for instance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_Conquest). I don't think of groups working with Nusra as being moderate.

What are the moderate groups? Where, if anywhere, do these groups hold power?

 

snooper2

(30,151 posts)
8. Watch this from VICE- The Battle for Syria's South (Full Length)
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 02:43 PM
Oct 2015

Published on Sep 11, 2015
Daraa is where Syria's revolution began four years ago. Now it's the scene of a forgotten war, in which largely secular Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels — marginalized elsewhere in Syria — continue to lead the struggle against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The FSA are fighting a bitterly hard battle under a virtual media blackout to change the course of Syria's civil war. If they can take Daraa, they will stand at the beginning of the road to Damascus, the seat of Assad's government.

VICE News followed the Fallujah Horan brigade of the FSA and their charismatic commander Abu Hadi Aboud as they fight to push the regime out of Daraa's eastern suburbs.



David__77

(23,220 posts)
11. Thank you for the information.
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 03:14 PM
Oct 2015

I have the impression that ISIS/Nusra may be somewhat less strong in the south as opposed to in the north.

According to these articles, there may have been some disagreement between Nusra and other armed groups:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nasib_Border_Crossing
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/194100#.VhLKtis4jLA

The article excerpt asserts that FSA is marginalized elsewhere. That is my understanding. I think that Russian bombing has focused on areas other than in the south.

truth2power

(8,219 posts)
17. I love the parsimony with which the Russians are able to state their position..
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 04:30 PM
Oct 2015
http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/10/russia-does-not-discriminate-between.html

Russia does not discriminate between the different shades of 'crap' (terrorists)

October 3, 2015

<snip>

It is also known that Elissa Slotkin <assistant Secretary of Defense for international security> expressed in the negotiations concern that Russia is striking not only the militants of the "Islamic state" but other groups of terrorists, which the US considers "moderate opposition to Assad" and supports them.

The response of the representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry is unclear, but apparently, the general sense was that "We can not discriminate between the different shades of 'crap'. So we will hammer everyone who shoots at the soldiers of the legitimate government of Syria, at whose request we are here". (Emphasis added)


Q.E.D.

 

Elmer S. E. Dump

(5,751 posts)
14. Right, a link.
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 03:58 PM
Oct 2015

Were you alive during the first gulf war? There weren't many links to speak of back then, but I watched the entire war on CNN and they did the same kind of bullshit.

 

Elmer S. E. Dump

(5,751 posts)
16. They has the same type of reports on visibility for air sorties.
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 04:09 PM
Oct 2015

I wish I could do better, but I'm old and my memory is not that great looking back that far. I wish I could find any proof to support my assertion, but unfortunately, I do not.

Wikipedia:

Coverage of the Gulf War

The first Persian Gulf War in 1991 was a watershed event for CNN that catapulted the network past the "big three" American networks for the first time in its history, largely due to an unprecedented, historical scoop: CNN was the only news outlet with the ability to communicate from inside Iraq during the initial hours of the American bombing campaign, with live reports from the al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad by reporters Bernard Shaw, John Holliman, and Peter Arnett.

The moment when bombing began was announced on CNN by Bernard Shaw on January 16, 1991 as follows:[13]

“ This is Bernie Shaw. Something is happening outside.... Peter Arnett, join me here. Let’s describe to our viewers what we’re seeing... The skies over Baghdad have been illuminated.... We’re seeing bright flashes going off all over the sky. ”

The Gulf War experience brought CNN some much sought-after legitimacy and made household names of previously obscure, low-paid reporters. Many of these reporters now comprise CNN's "old guard." Bernard Shaw became CNN's chief anchor until his retirement in 2001. Others include then-Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer (now host of The Situation Room) and international correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Amanpour's presence in Iraq was caricatured by actress Nora Dunn in the role of the ruthless reporter Adriana Cruz in the 1999 film Three Kings. Fellow Time Warner-owned network HBO later produced a television movie, Live from Baghdad, about CNN's coverage of the first Gulf War.

CNN was criticized for excessively pushing 'human interest' stories and avoiding depictions of violent images; the result of all this being an alleged 'propagandistic' presentation of news.[14] A report by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting quotes an unnamed CNN reporter as describing "the 'sweet beautiful sight' of bombers taking off from Saudi Arabia."[15]


 

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
7. Good I hope they slaughter
Mon Oct 5, 2015, 02:34 PM
Oct 2015

as many ISIS filth as possible.

Good hunting Russians!




ISIS execute 12 Christians, including 2 boys and 2 woman raped publicy for refusing to renounce Jesus

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7232090

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»A Perfect Day For Bombing...