Go on Br'er Putin, teach that ISIS tar baby a lesson.
Posted on 09/27/2015 5:16:42 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
Predictably, Russian President Vladimir Putin's intervention in Syria surprised the West. While it seems we've now figured out Putin's objectives there, how they fit into Russia's larger strategy still remains obscure. But we must begin to address that larger strategy even if the analysis remains incomplete.
Besides sustaining Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as long as possible, this intervention builds on Russia's long-term effort to project enduring naval and air power in Europe, not just the Middle East. Moscow has long sought naval bases in Cyprus and Montenegro.
Russia's military escalation in Syria confirms and extends the strategic significance for Moscow of owning virtually the entire Black Sea and using it as a base to project power, maintain strategic influence and enforce gunboat diplomacy throughout the Balkans and the Levant through a combination of arms and amphibious operations abroad.
Moscow is also trying to create a coalition—if not a bloc—of pro-Russian Shiite or anti-Sunni Alawite states with which to confront the United States and its allies. This bloc aims to force Washington to acknowledge Russia as an equal player there and give it veto power over United States and allied Middle East policies. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
This should be an interesting thread.
Go on Br'er Putin, teach that ISIS tar baby a lesson.
Took you long enough, Genius
Russia wants a pipeline from its oil fields through Ukraine to the European community, hence the take-over of Ukraine.
The Gult states want a pipeline to serve the same customers in Europe through Syria.
Syria is being propped up by Russian in return for his refusal to allow the pipeline to be built in Syria. Russia’s only naval base in the Med is in Syria.
The wars in Ukraine and Syria are to see who will build a pipeline and sell the oil more cheaply to Europe.
The Gulf States are opposed to the Syrian Government because of his refusal to build the pipeline, so they are trying to overthrow it with “rebels” including ISIS.
Russia is fighting ISIS for the same reason.
The US has defense treaties with the Gulf States and is siding with them in trying to overthrow Syria’s government, which is now a proxy for Russia.
China wants to help Russia because they are contesting the supremacy of the Gulf States in oil supply because they use the dollar for oil transaction. They want to use their own currency to buy oil, which they may be able to do, if the Gulf States lose their lead in this area.
It is all about the money.
Good points, but the elephant in Russia’s Syria adventure was unmentioned: China.
yep
That’s a keeper. Pretty close to my own usually-unspoken motto.
LOL!
Its a no-brainer, in my view
Assad is is client and ally and needs to be maintained
Russia naval bases need to be kept
The world is all against ISIS, so anything Russia does can’t really be criticized.
We have no idea what game Obama is playing in Syria, so Russia appears decisive and even a stabilizing influence.
He probably doesn’t need even to engage in direct combat - Hezbollah and Iran will provide the muscle, and he’ll supply the airpower.
Seriously the Euro-weenies are to blame for this, Germany getting rid of Nuclear and all the other lunacies in Europe, are you freakin' kidding me? Do they not see the cause and effect?
I disagree, but not entirely.
They intend to come in to Syria, fight with no mercy and send Isis running for the hills. Politically correct ROE will not be found. A war of submission is shortly at hand.
The Assad regime becomes a puppet. His corruption will be allowed to continue, for a price.
They are then strategically positioned between Iran and Israel and become the de facto arbiter of middle eastern politics.
Further, they will have effectively bypassed that Black Sea and established a Mediterranean beach head.
Then the real fun begins, they will point, in quiet tones, to their success in Syria when having ‘discussions’ with European countries, reminding them that they alone have the will to fight to win. They will paint the U.S. as soft. They will erode the confidence of europe in the ability of the US to defend them. Soon thereafter eastern europe again becomes the lamb of sacrifice for western security.
The bloc is reborn, with looser reigns, but more cash flow back to Moscow. One toe within range of the Arabian Gulf, and another fully wet in the eastern Med. The fist clenched and poised to cower eastern Europe, the Baltics, and the Slavs.
I hope to be wrong...
All Putin has been able to scrape together is a couple companies of troops and some APC’s for them and a platoon of T-90’s.
And a dozen worn out Cold War SU-24’s and Su-25’s.
This won’t end in a Russian parade.
This is complete BS, the real reason is to show everyone in the world how Russia doesn’t abandon its allies like the US and Obama.
Russia, if you haven’t noticed has been collecting significant enhancements in diplomatic and military relations around the globe.
No. Russia has long wanted any military base in the Mediterranean. Now Assad is so desparate that he will let it happen.
Who cares WHY he is doing it. ISIS is a threat and he is eliminating that threat.
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