Oldies and the West

So the latest news to hit the headlines, the Brexit. It was brewing for a long time but no one thought it would come to fruition. Now it has, there’s one post which really put things into perspective. The younger generation who will be living through this new era were the ones who voted for remain. The older generation voted leave and who, undoubtedly, have a shorter life span. So what does this say, listen to your elders for one thing, but also, the older generation seems to have witnessed the UK change a bit too much for their liking. In anyase it’s a new realit which we can honestly say is a walking in to the unknown. It will take a few years to take effect, but it is the dawn of a new era which could end the era of the ‘west’ as we know it. Who knows what countries will follow suit.

World War 3

Its been a whirlwind few months in Syria. A quagmire of countries involved in the conflict, more countries pledging troops and refugees amassing at the Turkish border in the thousands. No one could have predicted the current situation of this conflict 5 years ago. Things are changing at such a rapid pace, it wouldn't be far fetched to suggest that this could ignite a World War very soon.

Russian support of Syria goes back a long way. From the Cold War, Syria was an ally of the Soviet Union and Hafiz Assad's coup in 1966 was supported by Russia. At the present day, Russia is a key weapons supplier to the Assad regime and it has expensive defensive contracts with the regime. It only logical that Russia jumped at the chance to support Assad at a crucial time. At a time when the heartland of the senior Alawite regime, Latakia, was slowly being overrun by the rebels or "terrorists", Assad bought in its last line of defence, Russia. It must have been on the table for the Assad regime for a long period of time, but only when the regime was in dire need would they call them. The reality on the ground now, it seems as though this Russian intervention, which seemed defensive at first, has now taken an overtly offensive one.  

This offensive has now started to ring alarm bells in the Arab world. The Iranians are advancing from the south via the Houthis and they are beginning to gain significant ground against the rebels in Syria. It seems like a cocktail of volatile materials have all been added and all that remains is the massive explosion.

* In recent developments, the Russians have announced a withdrawal. I'm sure they have other plans and this is only a media spin. Something which the Russians are seeming to master. 

Tracking Conflicts

Good website I stumbled on. Gives a detailed accounts of conflicts around the globe. Maps, developments and latest news. Pretty neat how all the latest reports are compiled and located on the maps, has photos and videos on occasions as well.