The Turks have shot down a Russian attack jet near the Syrian border.
Some of the targets that the Russians have been striking in Syria is in an area under the control of ethnic Turks, and the Turkish government had told the Russians to stop bombing the Turkmen. So it's within the realm of the possible that the Turks thought "ehh, close enough" and shot down the Russian attack jet.
The Turks will now, no doubt, go whining to NATO that they had to defend their sovereignty and such. But the Turks threw the first punch. Putin does not seem to be the sort of national leader to let such slights go unanswered.
By the way, killing pilots who have parachuted out over enemy territory is a war crime (one for which we've executed people). Don't expect the Russians to overlook this point.
This could get very ugly very fast.
(Source of the title for this post.)
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1 hour ago
5 comments:
IIRC it's illegal to kill the pilot while he's dropping with his parachute (unlike parachute infantry), but he's fair game for hostile combatants once on the ground until he surrenders.
The Turks are using a claimed 17 second incurion into their airspace as a pretense for this shootdown. It's going to be tricky for Putin to retaliate becuase the Turks control the Bosporus and could mess up Putin's policies regarding Georgia and its secessionists.
Turkey's army could also invade Syria (an aggression) once the USA, France or UK promise to protect Turkey in the UNSC with a veto.
Prisoners don't have to be taken.
True, but then when your guys get captured, you have little to complain about them getting a perfunctory bullet in the back of their heads.
... and just think, WW One started over the assassination of one person that spiraled diplomatically out of control.
Damn skippy, Bearsense.
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