Military coup in Turkey

[Russell]

Turkey coup attempt raises fears over safety of US nuclear stockpile

The attempted coup in Turkey on Friday and the subsequent closure of the Incirlik airbase in the south of the country have raised fresh questions about the wisdom of the US stationing the biggest stockpile of nuclear weapons in Europe at such a vulnerable site.

Even before the abortive putsch, the potential terrorist threat to the base, 68 miles from the Syrian border, led to a significant upgrade in the security perimeter around the designated Nato area, where an estimated 50 B61 nuclear bombs are stored in 21 vaults. Friday’s events have increased concerns over whether any such security enhancements can mitigate the risks of holding on to such a dangerous arsenal in such a volatile location.

The Turkish government claimed that some of the coup plotters were based at Incirlik and flew aircraft out of the shared base. It consequently closed air traffic out of the base and cut off its power supply, temporarily stopping US air operations against Islamic State extremists in Syria.

“I think the key lesson is that the benefits of storing nuclear weapons in Turkey are minimal but the risks have increased significantly over the past five years,” said Hans Kristensen, a nuclear weapons expert at the Federation of American Scientists. “I would say that the security situation in Turkey and in the base area no longer meet the safety requirements that the United States should have for storage of nuclear weapons. You only get so many warnings before something goes terribly wrong. It’s time to withdraw the weapons.”

There are thought to be a total of 180 B61 bombs in Europe, in Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as Turkey. The tactical weapons are legacies of the cold war and largely seen as militarily obsolete. However, in the absence of a Nato consensus on removing them, they remain in place as tokens of US commitment to Europe’s defence. Recently they have been earmarked for an expensive upgrade as the era of post-cold-war non-proliferation comes to a halt.

Ian Kearns, the director of the European Leadership Network thinktank, said: “If they are stationed at a place base that intelligence suggests is a target of terrorists attacks and prone to instability, it is no longer reasonable to keep them there.”

More

Latest news has it that Incirlik air base has reopened.

[kurogane]

Your British namesake? Anyway, how about Spain? Woefully underrated in my opinion and cheap as frites. Madrid and Barcelona could easily keep me busy for a month at least. And then there's the places I haven't been to yet - Seville, Granada and many more.

That was referring to Mike Ox's joke about me being Their (Cdns') Boris. Anyways, yes, Ole to that idea. Or as SJ pointed out, Vietnam.
So, is Spain actually cheap even under the iron yoke of the Euro? Last time I was there was pre-Euro, but it was certainly much more affordable than mid-90s Edinburgh. And it was enthralling, to be sure. I was in Santiago de Compostela, which is a great university town. I suppose I could pry open the purse and actually act my age, but there is something so enticing about nice places that are cheap, by which I mean affordable and offer value for the tourist peseta. Like Okinawa, or Vietnam, or, perhaps, Spain.
Great ideas, anyways, thanks.

[Mike Oxlong]

Chinese are too SCARED to come to Europe: Tourists boycott EU over terror fears
EUROPE'S tourism industry is taking a massive blow from an increasing number of terrorist attacks putting off wealthy Chinese tourists.

The continent is now bottom of the list for many Chinese who previously saw the continent as a dream destination with its fascinating mix of culture, cuisine, shopping and history.

The most recent attacks in Germany and France are only adding to the fear anyone in Europe could be the next victim.

Monday's axe attack on a train in Wuerzburg, Germany, has meant the continent is now officially a no-go area for many Chinese after four Hong Kong people were among those seriously injured by 17 year old Afghan refugee.

He has been named locally as Muhammed Riyad, and a video purporting to show the attacker was released Islamic State (ISIS).

In the clip a man with a knife said he was a "soldier of the calpihate" and pledged allegiance to the evil jihadi group.

An unnamed married couple, their 26 year old daughter, Tracy Yau Hiu-tung and her 31 year old boyfriend, Edmund Au Yeung were all injured by the teenager who was shot dead by German police as he fled the scene on Monday.

The 63 year old father and Mr Au Yeung are fighting for their lives at the University Hospital of Wuerzburg, with one of the men sustaining a severe head injury and the other serious injuries to his abdomen, Dr Georg Ertl, hospital director, said.

The two women were also injured while the older couple's 17 year old son managed to escape the attack on the train they had boarded as part of a visit to Germany following a trip to England for a wedding.

Since the incident, many Chinese people have taken to the internet to discuss whether it is safe to travel to Europe.

Qiuzouxi, a user on Weibo - China's version of Twitter - said: "Since the refugee wave arrived in Europe we have the feeling that the terrorism won't stop.

"France, Germany - in future terrorism will spread to all of Europe."

Following last week's attack in Nice, when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel killed 84 after ploughing a lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day, Chinese tourists are striking France off their holiday list as well, Xu Xiaolei, marketing manager at China CYTS Tours, said.

He said: "These unexpected events have led to increased uncertainty, which is seen as a cancer for the tourism industry."

He revealed before the Paris terror attacks in January and again in November last year, the most asked question from Chinese tourists was how to stop being pick pocketed while abroad.

Mr Xu added: "But now, everyone wants to know if they should cancel their trip to Paris, and whether it is safe to travel there."

Chinese travel companies are also giving travellers full refunds if they want to cancel their trips to Turkey after July 22, following the coup on Friday night.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/691 ... ain-attack

[Samurai_Jerk]

Chinese are too SCARED to come to Europe: Tourists boycott EU over terror fears
EUROPE'S tourism industry is taking a massive blow from an increasing number of terrorist attacks putting off wealthy Chinese tourists.

The continent is now bottom of the list for many Chinese who previously saw the continent as a dream destination with its fascinating mix of culture, cuisine, shopping and history.

The most recent attacks in Germany and France are only adding to the fear anyone in Europe could be the next victim.

Monday's axe attack on a train in Wuerzburg, Germany, has meant the continent is now officially a no-go area for many Chinese after four Hong Kong people were among those seriously injured by 17 year old Afghan refugee.

He has been named locally as Muhammed Riyad, and a video purporting to show the attacker was released Islamic State (ISIS).

In the clip a man with a knife said he was a "soldier of the calpihate" and pledged allegiance to the evil jihadi group.

An unnamed married couple, their 26 year old daughter, Tracy Yau Hiu-tung and her 31 year old boyfriend, Edmund Au Yeung were all injured by the teenager who was shot dead by German police as he fled the scene on Monday.

The 63 year old father and Mr Au Yeung are fighting for their lives at the University Hospital of Wuerzburg, with one of the men sustaining a severe head injury and the other serious injuries to his abdomen, Dr Georg Ertl, hospital director, said.

The two women were also injured while the older couple's 17 year old son managed to escape the attack on the train they had boarded as part of a visit to Germany following a trip to England for a wedding.

Since the incident, many Chinese people have taken to the internet to discuss whether it is safe to travel to Europe.

Qiuzouxi, a user on Weibo - China's version of Twitter - said: "Since the refugee wave arrived in Europe we have the feeling that the terrorism won't stop.

"France, Germany - in future terrorism will spread to all of Europe."

Following last week's attack in Nice, when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel killed 84 after ploughing a lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day, Chinese tourists are striking France off their holiday list as well, Xu Xiaolei, marketing manager at China CYTS Tours, said.

He said: "These unexpected events have led to increased uncertainty, which is seen as a cancer for the tourism industry."

He revealed before the Paris terror attacks in January and again in November last year, the most asked question from Chinese tourists was how to stop being pick pocketed while abroad.

Mr Xu added: "But now, everyone wants to know if they should cancel their trip to Paris, and whether it is safe to travel there."

Chinese travel companies are also giving travellers full refunds if they want to cancel their trips to Turkey after July 22, following the coup on Friday night.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/691 ... ain-attack

I wonder if that will bring even more of them to Japan.

[Wage Slave]

Chinese are too SCARED to come to Europe: Tourists boycott EU over terror fears
EUROPE'S tourism industry is taking a massive blow from an increasing number of terrorist attacks putting off wealthy Chinese tourists.

The continent is now bottom of the list for many Chinese who previously saw the continent as a dream destination with its fascinating mix of culture, cuisine, shopping and history.

The most recent attacks in Germany and France are only adding to the fear anyone in Europe could be the next victim.

Monday's axe attack on a train in Wuerzburg, Germany, has meant the continent is now officially a no-go area for many Chinese after four Hong Kong people were among those seriously injured by 17 year old Afghan refugee.

He has been named locally as Muhammed Riyad, and a video purporting to show the attacker was released Islamic State (ISIS).

In the clip a man with a knife said he was a "soldier of the calpihate" and pledged allegiance to the evil jihadi group.

An unnamed married couple, their 26 year old daughter, Tracy Yau Hiu-tung and her 31 year old boyfriend, Edmund Au Yeung were all injured by the teenager who was shot dead by German police as he fled the scene on Monday.

The 63 year old father and Mr Au Yeung are fighting for their lives at the University Hospital of Wuerzburg, with one of the men sustaining a severe head injury and the other serious injuries to his abdomen, Dr Georg Ertl, hospital director, said.

The two women were also injured while the older couple's 17 year old son managed to escape the attack on the train they had boarded as part of a visit to Germany following a trip to England for a wedding.

Since the incident, many Chinese people have taken to the internet to discuss whether it is safe to travel to Europe.

Qiuzouxi, a user on Weibo - China's version of Twitter - said: "Since the refugee wave arrived in Europe we have the feeling that the terrorism won't stop.

"France, Germany - in future terrorism will spread to all of Europe."

Following last week's attack in Nice, when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel killed 84 after ploughing a lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day, Chinese tourists are striking France off their holiday list as well, Xu Xiaolei, marketing manager at China CYTS Tours, said.

He said: "These unexpected events have led to increased uncertainty, which is seen as a cancer for the tourism industry."

He revealed before the Paris terror attacks in January and again in November last year, the most asked question from Chinese tourists was how to stop being pick pocketed while abroad.

Mr Xu added: "But now, everyone wants to know if they should cancel their trip to Paris, and whether it is safe to travel there."

Chinese travel companies are also giving travellers full refunds if they want to cancel their trips to Turkey after July 22, following the coup on Friday night.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/691 ... ain-attack

I wonder if that will bring even more of them to Japan.

Maybe. I wouldn't put too much weight on a report in The Express. In fact I wouldn't give it any weight at all.

[kurogane]

Gawd you're kneejerk. The Infidel is bombing Europe, and you work by publication. Feck man. Just because they're not all filth doesn't mean they aren't filth. and you are an admitted filth lover.

I once met a nice Mohammedan

[Wage Slave]

All well and good but The Express is still garbage. And the proprietor, Richard Desmond, is a complete tosser and git. And the readers are pondlife. At best.

Richard-Desmond-009.jpg

[wagyl]

It looks like a fine publication to me!

===

It is an often used expression, usually by people who don't actually know what it means but want to sound clever by using it, however, it must be said: Kuro, you are becoming a parody of yourself.

[kurogane]

Kuro, you are becoming a parody of yourself.

You're new. I always was. You, on the other hand, are as presumptuous and sophomorically pedantic as ever. What's worrying here is that others don't realise they have become the same, but aren't aware of it and don't want to admit it. The spirit of the sentiment I admire, but there comes a time to put away our childish dreams and make decisions. The reason the proper left is under attack is because people like Jeremy Corbyn hates himself and his own people more than he hates the heathens he should hate. This is a war, bitch. It's time to start bombing people that hate us. Back into the stone age. And I take no joy at all from knowing that. At the end of the Vietnam War I seem to remember hoping we'd learn.

[dimwit]

Gawd you're kneejerk. The Infidel is bombing Europe, and you work by publication. Feck man. Just because they're not all filth doesn't mean they aren't filth. and you are an admitted filth lover.

I once met a nice Mohammedan

Why did you cut off the rest of the rant. I was enjoying it.

[kurogane]

All well and good but The Express is still garbage. And the proprietor, Richard Desmond, is a complete tosser and git. And the readers are pondlife. At best.

Be that as it may, they managed to engineer a Nice Truck Attack, and all We can do is talk about how he was more mental patient than terrorist. The horror of the attack itself is horrific, obviously, but that is quite a coup given the way most North Americans read the language even Trump claims as his own. And I am being diplomatically collective here, btw. As much as I admire your principles, we're actually coming to a watershed here. Unless we want a barrage of Farage................they pulled off a Nice Terror Attack...........unless we start caring nobody will

PS Dimwit,
Seemed tangential.