Russian airstrikes in Syria: Pentagon says strategy 'doomed to failure'

Russia launched its first round of air strikes in Syria, hitting eight sites that it claimed were Islamic State targets only hours after president Vladimir Putin’s request to use military force was unanimously approved by parliament.
The Pentagon disputed Russia’s claim that it targeted only jihadi groups, with secretary of defense Ash Carter saying that evidence suggested strikes “were in areas where there probably were not Isis forces”. Carter said the Kremlin’s current strategy is “doomed to failure” and American air strikes will continue “unimpeded”.
Syrian activists, civilians and rebels asserted that Russian strikes had targeted moderate forces who were opposed to the regime of president Bashar al-Assad, a Kremlin ally. The president of an opposition group said that at least 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed in strikes in Homs.
The White House and secretary of state John Kerry said the US would be open to working with Russia to resolve the Syrian crisis – but only under amenable terms. “Russia will not succeed in imposing a military solution any more than the United States was successful in imposing a military solution in Iraq,” spokesperson Josh Earnest said.
Syrians in regime strongholds celebrated as terror took hold of civilians in disputed or opposition-held regions of the country. Videos from Hama and Homs showed ruined homes and bombing victims, and locals described their panic and belief that moderate and civilian areas were deliberately targeted: “We expected this to happen but there is no place to flee.”

What isn’t mentioned here or in any postings I’ve read so far is that both the U.S. and Russia have entered into a religious war between the Sunni sect and the Shiite sect of the Islamic religion that has been ongoing now since the 7th Century AD.

Russia’s obvious motive for taking part in this Muslim religious war on the side of Syria’s Shiite President Assad and Shiite Iran is clearly to establish Russian influence and control in the Middle East. The United States’ just as obvious motive for taking sides with the Syrian Sunni rebels who are attempting to remove Syria’s Shiite President from power and install a Sunni leader can only be attributed to Sunni Saudi Arabia’s influence within our government.

The fact that the Syrian Sunni rebels are almost indistinguishable from the Sunni ISIS/ISIL Jihadists who are also actively striving to remove Syria’s Shiite President and install Sunni leadership seems to be apparent to the Russians but obtuse to the U.S.

Your guess is as good as mine as to why these facts aren’t being openly discussed by our government spokesmen and our Main Stream Media.

I don’t see the Kurds pushing much beyond where they are the majority population. As the Kurdish proverb goes...”The mountains are the Kurds only friends”.

Conversely, with Iranians (Persians) there is also a racial and religious component. Arab, literally means mixed people (racially).

AND...history Islam doesn’t like to discuss....Sunni Arabs killed Mohammed’s grandson, brought his head back to Damascus and displayed it in a nook in a wall.

Haven’t heard that?

Thought the difference between the Sunni and Shiite was about a couple books included or not included? (Popular belief.)

It’s about the blood line of the prophet himself.

Well, no!

No doubt. We should support the Kurds => unapologeticly. They want part of Iraq, part of Syria, and part of Iran! That and very friendly.

Never happen under the Sunni Che -Obama.

Irregardless, Obama doesn’t even know yet he’s been played out for Shiite interests by his second -Jarrett.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.