Russia Pounds ISIS With Biggest Bomber Raid in Decades

The Daily Beast ^ | November 17th, 2015 | David Axe

[Mariner]

The Russian air force just pulled off one of the biggest and most complex heavy bomber missions in modern history—sending no fewer than 25 Backfire, Bear, and Blackjack bombers on a coordinated, long-range air raid against alleged ISIS forces in Syria.

The Tuesday mission, which launched under the cover of darkness from a base in Ossetia in southern Russia, signaled a significant escalation of Moscow’s air war in Syria—and heralded the rebirth of Russian heavy bomber squadrons that once had withered from a lack of funding.

Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russia’s general staff, announced the raid on Tuesday, calling it part of “a new plan [for] the air campaign.”

[bert]

Putin has two product lines , oil and weapons. Unlike China that grew out of the decades long communist depression, mother Russia did not.

Putin’s warrior efforts in Syria are in large part a Super Bowl like array of weapons commercials designed to convince his potential customers that his store is not only open but has the best weapons available for sale.

[Bulwyf]

I’m sure an f-15 can pull that off. Air is dense there, but the f-15 pushes a lot of power out. I’m not 100% sure though, I’ve never heard about it. I just know that thing has so much power, you can stand it on end on the ground and it will accelerate straight up.

[McGruff]

I hope the Pentagon is paying attention. We are getting a real time demonstration of Russia's capabilities.

Yup, alot of free intelligence being demonstrated. But I'm sure there aren't showing all their cards.

Makes you wonder what China has and hasn't shown. Don't want to find out the hard way.

[SMARTY]

Finally...paybacks for A’stan

[MSF BU]

No doubt their troops are not hampered by restrictive rules of engagement. As a matter of fact, I’m sure ‘rules of engagement’ do not enter into their lexicon.

[MSF BU]

"waste our time doing like shopping for Chinese crap, NFL, and watching The Voice"

http://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbklet&InfoID=1329253623 (Lousy messenger but a solid message"

[upchuck]

Putin is making nobama look like the ultraweight he is.

[Awgie]

Thanks for that excellent analysis. You explained events with a highly informed knowledge base, yet made it very accessible to someone like me, who has no clue.

[taterjay]

Obama even said he did not want victory. Who wants to be on that team?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

WOW! I’m almost 70 years old and this is the first time I’ve ever seen film or video of Russian BIG bombers in action!

[ConservativeMind]

I don’t see Russia getting too close to countries that have supported terror within Russia.

I do see Russia wanting to profit from such countries, making such countries scared/respectful of Russia, and embarrassing the US, though.

[Rusty0604]

Putin says it’s God’s job to forgive the terrorists and it’s his job to send them to God.

[central_va]

Sounds like Gunny Ermey.

[Rusty0604]

At least he’s spending money bombing terrorists instead of sex change operations for his military.

[Trumpinator]

I kind of think ISIS spread because the locals either welcomed them or are indifferent but I do feel sorry for those civilians who could not flee and were left behind in ISIS held land.

It is clear to me the western powers tolerated ISIS because it was used against Assad and also tolerated and aided by the Gulf states because it weakened Shia Iraq and tolerated if not outright aided by Turkey because it weakened the Kurds.

[Rusty0604]

I just love that. I only wish it was our president that said that.

[Trumpinator]

Consider whether the participation by France with the Russians and their evident tactical coordination with the Russians suggests that the always fickle French might be the first in a series of European powers to consider forsaking the NATO alliance (and that really means forsaking America) to throw their lot in with the Russians. The same Russians who are supplying Europe with oil and gas and who are bidding fare to take over or at least interdict Mideast oil and its flow toward Europe. If so, could Germany be far behind?

There are many who think France and Western Europe's extreme position on Assad and the downplaying if the jihadi elements found in the Free Syrian Army rebels is directly related to Syria becoming a pipeline for oil and gas to western Europe bypassing Russia.

This can explain the enthusiasm France and the UK showed for the overthrow of Qaddafi (which Obama seemed reluctant to do - Clinton was more eager).

If anything, the French may have decided their gambit in Syria to oust Assad failed.

I don't totally buy this. I don't get why the pipeline can't be built from the middle east to Egypt but I have no alternative theory as to why the west was so eager to keep this war going and to arm some of the jihad scum it has been arming.

[Trumpinator]

Putin has two product lines , oil and weapons.

Not totally accurate - Putin has pushed energy exports as a "cash crop" and failed to diversify - probably because Russia's infrastructure has never fully recovered from communism but they have vast reserves of other natural resources they can exploit as a cash crop. Doing so is no as easy as oil or gas extraction and sales but it is not that hard either. Russia, has many more timber reserves than North America but it is now easier and cheaper to get American and Canadian logged wood exported to China than getting it from Siberia for example.

[4yearlurker]

Quantity has a quality all it's own-Russian General.

[JEDI4S]

The only boots on the ground Buckwheat is interested in are the boots of i-slamic “refugees” landing on our shores just like those in Europe.

He and his minions of whichever party must be stopped from putting our nation in more danger than it already is in.

As far as the bombing of all things i-slamic...LET'S GO DRESDEN ON THEIR A$$ES.

TALLY HO!