VARP Charakterblogs

The flight to Gaziantep was simple enough. No issues with border control at all, and still tourists all around us, but less than before. Air gets thinner, I guess. At the airport, we got picked up by doctors without borders (MSF) contact. Let’s call him Amid. Not his real name, of course, because he could get in more trouble than he already is. Amid is a driver for MSF staff to the health facilities in north Syria, and he is a talker, too. Takes us about two hours from Gaziantep airport to the border checkpoint south of Kilis and during that time, Ida and I have almost said nothing but got a complete crash course on the Syrian war. How Assad and his father have suppressed the people for decades and how the Arab spring showed people a chance for freedom. How the demonstrations grew and part of the military deserted to support the demonstrations. How Assad pushed back and how other forces got involved, like Hisbollah and other forces from Iran, and Al-Qaeda forces financed by the Saudis, and how ISIS started to conquer eastern Syria and the demonstrations had long stopped being meaningful by that time. How some idiots used chemical weapons and how everyone thought this would mean a US invasion, and how that invasion didn’t come. How the Russian air force and Russian mercenaries then came and helped Assads government survive. And, finally, how the Kurdish militias YPG and YPJ beat ISIS and got control over northern Syria. Amid was, clearly, on the Kurdish side here, and I can see why. Is my intuition as well, to side with the ones who are freedom fighters against all bad guys, ISIS, the Kurdish government, and the Syrian government. But is also my intuition that someone who gets money from the US and training from the CIA probably did something wrong. Like me, that is.

So, story could have ended here. The Kurds in control of northern Syria and northern Iraq, ISIS beaten, some Saudi influence in the South,but Assad, Iran and Russia still in control of the center and the most important cities, and Israel bombing the Iranians sometimes. But, of course, story didn’t stop here.

In beginning of 2018, Turkey started its campaign in the north to make sure that the Kurds didn’t stay strong just south of its border and the Kurds had to retreat to the east. That campaign is still moving and situation for the civilians is even more difficult now. We have Kurds fleeing from Turks, some people fleeing from the Kurds, and everyone fleeing from Assad. So MSF has its hand full, especially around Aleppo, where the war is still in progress. So, of course, that’s precisely where we will go. Because we’re smart like that, yes?

In one hour we will board our flight to Turkey, along with a bunch of tourists who hope for warmer
weather compared to Munich, I guess. Begs the question whether we are tourists, too. Going to Syria,
with the aim to help civilians there, most of which are gonna die anyways, now or in the next weeks.
Two white people for a million of brown ones. We are good imperialists, right? Thinking that we can
help the primitives with our superior western skills …

Well, was my idea in the end, so I better don’t write it off right from the start. Also, how many
imperialists have an angel on their side, right? And even without one, its not so hard to be ‚good‘
when compared to most of the forces in Syria right now. In the news channel I have just seen a few
seconds of muted news footage of Turkish airplanes dropping bombs on the city of Afrin. So Turkey
officially is an enemy of Assad, but bombs the troops who fight Assad. Brilliant plan. Reeks like
the bullshit Putin would do in my home country. And triggers my paranoia. Is just the kind of
situation where you better have your assault rifle close. But no assault rifles in the airport.
Especially if you’re going to the Syrian border. дерево. I really need to make sure to get a weapon
when I’m there.

I’m also worried about Ida. Don’t know if she’s ready for this. But neither was I, when I first went
to Afghanistan, and I turned out fine, right? Well, I better be not only bodyguard but also cheerful
sidekick. My favorite role. Funny is my middle name. Irina Funnynowna Taimanov. Well, flight is
called. Let’s fucking roll.

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Forschungsablaufsnotizen Lt. Offz. Dr. Carand Kennz.: 36926812; Zeitabschnitt 912587-912592 (continue reading…)

Auszug aus „Der Pfad des Kriegers“ von General Amanda S. Roslyn (Systems Alliance Navy)

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Der zentrale Antrieb, eine Gesellschaft aufzubauen, ist und bleibt die Schwäche des Einzelnen und sein Bedarf nach Stärke und Schutz. Man kann sich beliebige Texte der Philosophen ansehen: Am Ende fällt es darauf zurück. (continue reading…)

„Klemmen Sie jetzt die Blutzufuhr ab.“ (continue reading…)

Es war um Mittag herum. Ein wenig zu spät, um in ein Restaurant zu besuchen, aber auch noch etwas zu früh, um bei Kaffee und Kuchen gemütlich zusammenzusitzen. Es waren diese ein bis zwei Stunden in der Mittagszeit, in denen man etwas in der Luft hing, wenn man gerade einen freien Tag hatte. Die meisten Freunde waren noch im Büro und man selbst verspürte diesen leichten nervlichen Druck, der von einem forderte, den Tag auch ja gut zu nutzen, ihn auszuschöpfen und zu genießen so gut man nur konnte. Schließlich hatte man nicht jeden Tag frei. Unter diesem Druck gelang es den wenigsten sich zu entspannen, und in dieser Hinsicht war es gut, dass Janis sich diesem Problem wenigstens an diesem Tage nicht stellen musste. Schließlich hatte er etwas zu tun: Er hatte jemanden umzubringen.

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