Meanwhile in Iraq & Syria

[Smitty-48]

The Turks are going to send their M60's and Leopard 2A4's against American equipped Kurds? Bad idea, pretty sure those Kurds have TOW 2 missiles, tandem shaped charge and top attack, they'll get their asses handed to them.

TOW 2 is an oldie but a goodie, if Uncle Sam is supplying the missiles, you'd better have active protection systems on all those tanks, or it's gonna be a turkey shoot pardon the pun, just as it is for the Saudis in Yemen.

[kybkh]

Russian air force Maj. Roman Filippov, managed to eject, but as he was descending, militants fired at him. Russian media reported the airman was still alive when he landed in the al-Nusra-controlled area and, probably mindful of his possible fate if captured, returned fire until he died. Several Russian outlets reported the pilot blew himself up with a grenade at the last minute and took out militants as they closed in on him.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z56LzVhRM9

[BjornP]

Russian air force Maj. Roman Filippov, managed to eject, but as he was descending, militants fired at him. Russian media reported the airman was still alive when he landed in the al-Nusra-controlled area and, probably mindful of his possible fate if captured, returned fire until he died. Several Russian outlets reported the pilot blew himself up with a grenade at the last minute and took out militants as they closed in on him.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z56LzVhRM9

Likely fake news. Initial story said he'd been shot down, and shot at the people who tried to catch him - and died in the ensuing gunfight. The grenade story came several days later. Probably because some teen with a sense of drama wanted to fake the news into something more dramatic - or maybe the fake news guy's a Muslim jihadi who romanticizes suicide bombers. In any case: Story about Russian pilot who got shot down and was killed while trying to fight off Nusra fighters - likely true, since even the Nusra fighters confirm that much. The newer story sounds like something Jerry Bruckheimer made up with an accompanying hyperbolically dramatic musical score.

[Hastur]

Russian air force Maj. Roman Filippov, managed to eject, but as he was descending, militants fired at him. Russian media reported the airman was still alive when he landed in the al-Nusra-controlled area and, probably mindful of his possible fate if captured, returned fire until he died. Several Russian outlets reported the pilot blew himself up with a grenade at the last minute and took out militants as they closed in on him.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z56LzVhRM9

Likely fake news. Initial story said he'd been shot down, and shot at the people who tried to catch him - and died in the ensuing gunfight. The grenade story came several days later. Probably because some teen with a sense of drama wanted to fake the news into something more dramatic - or maybe the fake news guy's a Muslim jihadi who romanticizes suicide bombers. In any case: Story about Russian pilot who got shot down and was killed while trying to fight off Nusra fighters - likely true, since even the Nusra fighters confirm that much. The newer story sounds like something Jerry Bruckheimer made up with an accompanying hyperbolically dramatic musical score.

He's heard in this video, as rebels approach his aircraft, shouting 'eto vam za patsanov!' ('this is for our guys!') before blowing himself up.
https://t.co/9DWfiex3OL

[TheReal_ND]

THIS IS FOR OUR PEOPLE

lol. Can you imagine a transgender pilot shouting that before landing in North Korea to give them the jet?

[kybkh]

Fighting the Russians makes zero sense.

[BjornP]

Russian air force Maj. Roman Filippov, managed to eject, but as he was descending, militants fired at him. Russian media reported the airman was still alive when he landed in the al-Nusra-controlled area and, probably mindful of his possible fate if captured, returned fire until he died. Several Russian outlets reported the pilot blew himself up with a grenade at the last minute and took out militants as they closed in on him.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z56LzVhRM9

Likely fake news. Initial story said he'd been shot down, and shot at the people who tried to catch him - and died in the ensuing gunfight. The grenade story came several days later. Probably because some teen with a sense of drama wanted to fake the news into something more dramatic - or maybe the fake news guy's a Muslim jihadi who romanticizes suicide bombers. In any case: Story about Russian pilot who got shot down and was killed while trying to fight off Nusra fighters - likely true, since even the Nusra fighters confirm that much. The newer story sounds like something Jerry Bruckheimer made up with an accompanying hyperbolically dramatic musical score.

He's heard in this video, as rebels approach his aircraft, shouting 'eto vam za patsanov!' ('this is for our guys!') before blowing himself up.
https://t.co/9DWfiex3OL

I'm seeing a video where someone mumbles something near the camera, and the video editor writing that the words were "this is for our guys" in Russian rather than Arab mumbling, and a small explosion that people are running away unscathed from.

[StCapps]

Leafs-Preds tonight. Get pumped boys, BjornP likes this thread, he's sided with the enemy, so let's talk some NHL, up in here, up in here.

[Montegriffo]

[StCapps]

I don't think your ignore list is working. Go Leafs Go, they aren't in the Central Division, so down with the Preds I say.