Russia’s Syria Strategy: An Opportunistic Pursuit of National Interests

WSJ ^ | Sept. 24, 2015 | Yaroslav Trofimov

[TigerLikesRooster]

Russia’s Syria Strategy: An Opportunistic Pursuit of National Interests

In its return the Middle East, Moscow hopes to revive its own economy and challenge U.S. influence in the region

By Yaroslav Trofimov

Updated Sept. 24, 2015 1:39 p.m. ET

45 COMMENTS

Russia’s return to the Middle East, with its lightning military deployment to Syria, has rekindled memories of the Cold War when Moscow and Washington confronted each other across the region.

Yet, Moscow’s engagement today is fundamentally different—and, because it is no longer constrained by ideology, could ultimately prove more successful in challenging American influence in the pivotal region.

An opportunistic pursuit of national interests lies at the heart of Russia’s Middle Eastern strategy. Atop them is the goal of reviving Russia’s economy, dependent on energy exports—and hit by the double whammy of cheap oil and Western economic sanctions imposed after last year’s invasion of Ukraine.

[Joe Boucher]

Tiger,
You are over in Asia.
You read the tea leaves over there.
The Japaneese nervous about the Chi-Coms military buildup?
They nervous about obammy being such a weenie?
What is the feel over there?.
Thanks

[ClearCase_guy]

Pursue national interests? What? What?

Won’t that get in the way of One World Government??

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yes, there is on-going tension between Chicom and Japan: the dispute over small islands (and outcropping of rocks) in E. China Sea, which both claim as theirs. China's military build-up continues unabated. Japanese are in the process of repealing laws which put restrictions on their military operating overseas. Obama and his band have not made any serious mistakes in this neighborhood yet, unlike Mid-East where they caused a spectacular strategic meltdown. No noticeable change in geopolitical dynamics on the surface at the moment. Except that N. Korean regime is slowly deteriorating as it has been for quite a while.

In this part of the world, we are currently in a cold war.

[PIF]

a) Eliminating hardened Chechen fighters and b) ‘guarding’ the Leviathan gas field for Israel.

[Mr. Jeeves]

An Opportunistic Pursuit of National Interests

Because we would never do that. :)

[Joe Boucher]

I worked at the command center Yong son in 1974 and tensions were crazy between n. Ans. Korea back then and i don’t think things have ever gotten good,
Nor will they as long as a kim family is around