Posted on 03/20/2017 10:56:47 AM PDT by elhombrelibre
Key Takeaway: Russian President Vladimir Putin's primary objective in Syria is to constrain U.S. freedom of action - not fight ISIS and al Qaeda. Russia's military deployments at current levels will not enable the Iranian-penetrated Assad regime to secure Syria. Moscow's deepening footprint in Syria threatens America's ability to defend its interests across the Middle East and in the Mediterranean Sea. The next U.S. step in Syria must help regain leverage over Russia rather than further encourage Putin's expansionism.
Russia's intervention in Syria in September 2015 fundamentally altered the balance of the Syrian Civil War.Russia re-established momentum behind Syrian President Bashar al Assad and his Iranian allies at a moment when major victories by ISIS and Syrian rebels threatened to force the regime to contract into Syria's central corridor.The capabilities Russia deployed were not limited to the airframes, artillery, and personnel needed to conduct a counter-terrorism or counter-insurgency mission, however. Russia deployed advanced air defense and ballistic missile systems, naval units, air superiority aircraft, and other capabilities in a display of major Russian force projection in the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin is altering the balance of power in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean through sustained Russian military operations and additional deployments of high-end capabilities.
(Excerpt) Read more at campaign.r20.constantcontact.com ...
Good outline of the situation.
As for the US, our only energy interests in the middle east are individual commercial interests of stockholders and processors...capital stock.
We have an interest in protecting that capital stock but only against egregious violation of of normal commercial activity. As for the energy, as a nation, we don’t need it.
However, Europe has an existential, strategic interest in ACCESS to those supplies. They need that energy and most certainly don’t want to be forced to buy it from the Russians, or the US for that matter.
Our interest in middle east energy is significantly diminished and waning.
We are doing quite the opposite.
Oh look.
More fake news.
“We are doing quite the opposite.”
Actually, the abortion rate in the United States is down to its lowest level in decades and the abortion rate in Russia is twice that of the United States.
You ignore the fact that Ukraine was starved with great loss, in the millions by the Soviets, who like putin, dragged Ukraine back in to what you deem is its sacred sphere. You ignore too that Ukrainians do not agree with you, but that's apparently no big deal to you if putin wants that country. Ukrainians should give way to putin because he personally has a right to their country.
Your view of putin imperialism is more likely to lead to nuclear war than mine, which is unapologetically pro-freedom and favors independence for all nations. Presently, putin wages an undeclared war on Ukraine, which is a good sign that he's not a Christian and is a fraud. You're also using a Leftist technique that used to state that anyone who opposed the Soviets was an advocate of nuclear annihilation. It's a sign of sophistry and the emptiness of your argument that you dismiss the liberty of others by putting putin's impearial interest above others and claiming everyone not in synch with putin is a warmonger, neo-con, and advocate of nuclear war.
You see the extent of putin’s interest as only in Europe, yet he’s in Syria and Libya, or at least his military is. He’s also flown nuclear capable planes into the neutral airspace of various neutral countries in Europe and sent his submarines into the territorial waters of a neutral European nature. You’re an apologist for an aggressive militaristic nation led by a president for life and former communist KGB colonel who is among the richest men in the world due to his corruption.
putin could end abortions in Russia, the world’s greatest aborter of human life, with a ukase. Please get past putin controlled Russian propaganda. putin suppresses all Christian religions but his state owned and personally run church.
So only articles taking putin’s side are real news in your view?
You are obsessed with Putin.
Everyone who observes your rants thinks it’s very, very weird.
I’m obsessed with liberty, and I’m okay with people like you think that’s “very, very weird.”
And he'll do/did more good there than you, McCain, and Obama did by starting and supporting a 5 year deadly civil war in Syria, and installing the brotherhood in Egypt and throughout the ME.
Hopefully Trump will make good on his pledge to partner up with Putin, the only leader who seems to know what needs to be done. The EU leaders along with the UK are sellouts to the caliphate. Including you?
You are really ill informed or maliciously foolish if you think I’ve started a Civil War in Syria (try Assad) or have anything to do with the Moslem Brotherhood. I get it that you want putin to do your thinking for you and admire his treatment of Syrians and Arabs. Got it.
The article is a dishonest screed apart from anything about Russia.
There is not any “Syrian Civil War” any more than there was an “Iranian Civil War” in th late seventies. There is a coalition of Islamist Muslims from across the middle east attempting to replace the secular government of Syria with a theocratic government.
Just like with the Ayatollahs in Iran and with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
This piece of crap article starts out dishonest in its very premise.
Oh, who pushed the US out of Kyrgyzstan? Why have we done more to destroy ISIS than president for life putin even though putin has been bombing much longer and without restraints on collateral damage? Is it because nearly all of his targets are picked to assure that only Assad and ISIS are in the fight. That is, putin’s pawns target any alternative to Assad but ISIS. You just don’t know the facts on where the bombs are hitting. It will be the USA that destroys ISIS in Mosul and Raqqa along with indigenous allies, that you claim don’t exist. In your mind, only Assad and the great putin matter.
You lack either the intellect or the integrity to address my point.
There is not now and has not been a civil war in Syria. The scrèed isn’t worth addressing because it begins with a lie and goes downhill from there.
You capitalize 'Muslim Brotherhood' but not 'putin'.
Do you respect them more?
It’s not a civil war because you say it’s not? Or is it not because when the civil uprising began with peaceful protest it was violently repressed by Assad with snipers on roof tops shooting unarmed people (like in Kiev when putin’s pal there did it) and the civilians fought back it was not civil of them? Or because Assad use to send al Qaeda and other Islamist thugs to Iraq to kill Americans you believe he’s a good guy? Or because putin formed an alliance with the Taliban and Iran and that means he and Assad and Hezbollah are on the side of the angels? Or because Assad drops barrel bombs on market places and that means he’s not civil? Or because Assad’s daddy made him, like putin, president for life and the people of Syria are therefore forevermore stuck with him?
I don’t respect either, but that’s no doubt the level you operate at.
Its not a civil war because the bulk of the forces and the leadership attempting to depose Assad has come from outside of Syria from the very beginning.
Just like Iran, and just like Afghanistan.
By definition this has been an attempted invasion.
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