Well, this will be certain to heat things up in the region...
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-24/turkish-f-16-shoots-down-russian-su-24-warplane-near-syria-borderhttp://news.yahoo.com/warplane-crashes-syria-near-turkish-border-haberturk-tv-074131995.htmlOK, let the stupid kick into overdrive!
1) Turkey never belonged in NATO, but long ago (Ike/JFK) we started cozying because we wanted basing rights for plane and missiles near the soft underbelly of the Soviet Empire. They are Muslim and under the crazy effer Erdogan they are getting more radicalized.
2) We don't belong in NATO any more either. Once the Soviets fell we should have told the Europeans the free ride is over, fend for your fricken selves.
3) Nobody involved in this is going to back down. Depending on the player and what time it is this is all about oil, territory, politics, power, influence, ego and wealth. This is only going to escalate, I see no evidence anybody involved in this backing down, it is like a bunch of ravenous beasts fighting over the same kill...the scent of blood is in the air and nothing but more blood is going to satisfy. There may be pauses and silly agreements trying to cool things down, but these embers are not going out and they are not going away. What is truly stupid is there can be no winners here, everybody is going to lose.
NATO is convening a meeting...
http://news.yahoo.com/nato-calls-extraordinary-meeting-turkey-downs-russian-jet-115205832.html...what should happen is they cut them loose and say goodbye, but somehow I don't see that happening.
What I do see happening is Vlad looking seriously at supporting the Kurds...something we should have done but were prevented from doing because of the shackle of being in NATO with a dipsh*t nation like Turkey.
And the air over Syria is about to get knarly. And I think a massive escalation in Russian ground offenses in Syria is about to go prime time.
ETA -
This will help advance increased kinetic activity.