Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

US signals involvement in Syria could escalate
The Hill ^ | June 20th, 2017 | By Rebecca Kheel

Posted on 06/20/2017 6:41:21 AM PDT by Mariner

The United States is inching closer to involvement in the Syrian civil war after U.S. forces shot down a Syrian fighter jet on Sunday.

The incident is the fourth time in as many weeks that the United States has shot at pro-Syrian-government forces, and it carries the potential for further escalation — particularly with Russia threatening to target U.S. aircraft that fly into parts of Syria.

A statement from the U.S. military said it shot down the Syrian SU-22 in self-defense and after contacting Russian counterparts through the established deconfliction zone. The Syrian aircraft was bombing U.S.-backed forces fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) south of Tabqa.

It was the first time the United States has shot down a Syrian plane, and the first time a U.S. military jet has shot down any manned aircraft since 1999.

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia; Syria
KEYWORDS: syriawar; ussyriawar
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last
The stated US Interest of eliminating ISIS is best served by joining Russia in supporting Assad in his goal of re-taking all of Syria.

What possible US interest is served by working against that?

Beuller?

1 posted on 06/20/2017 6:41:21 AM PDT by Mariner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Mariner

We have time for this, but none for the wall. I’m really starting to dislike President McCain.


2 posted on 06/20/2017 6:44:03 AM PDT by proust (Trump / Pence 2016!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Putin has his thumb up his behind, he’s not fighting ISIS, not much.

And Assad is the biggest buyer of ISIS oil and gas, he isn’t either.

Assad is just out trying to make more refugees for Syria and people support this clown.


3 posted on 06/20/2017 6:48:12 AM PDT by BeadCounter (Trump; most pro-life president ever.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner
What possible US interest is served by working against that?

Keeping the Iranians and Hezbollah out.

4 posted on 06/20/2017 6:50:41 AM PDT by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BeadCounter

US Judge Rules Assad Helped Al-Qaeda Kill Americans

https://clarionproject.org/us-judge-rules-assad-helped-al-qaeda-kill-americans/

Russia and Syria are upset because the US and its forces are actually fighting ISIS.

http://syriadirect.org/news/confrontation-with-assad-regime-complicates-us-backed-campaign-for-raqqa/


5 posted on 06/20/2017 6:50:42 AM PDT by BeadCounter (Trump; most pro-life president ever.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Your mistake is assuming Putin wants ISIS defeated. It’s in his interest to keep Syria dysfunctional and Assad totally reliant on Russia. Putin is running the same KGB play book in Ukraine. Keep a conflict simmering and stoke it at the time of his choosing.


6 posted on 06/20/2017 7:12:48 AM PDT by lodi90
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Because our Saudi masters said so


7 posted on 06/20/2017 7:14:15 AM PDT by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

8 posted on 06/20/2017 7:18:36 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris." -- President Trump, 6/1/2017)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

agreed Russia is our natural ally


9 posted on 06/20/2017 7:23:36 AM PDT by vooch (America First)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

Let’s fritter away anything we got left. All of it.


10 posted on 06/20/2017 7:23:46 AM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (Apoplectic is where wewant them!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

We are trying to eliminate ISIS and their ilk. For some reason Assad and Putin do not see it that way. I had always thought that Assad and Putin wanted to get rid of ISIS. Makes one wonder.


11 posted on 06/20/2017 7:30:00 AM PDT by Parley Baer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

Man, what changed his mind since 2013? I wish he’d get us the heck out of there.


12 posted on 06/20/2017 7:30:04 AM PDT by VaeVictis (~Woe to the Conquered~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: BeadCounter

This is turning into Spain, 1936.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034
http://syriancivilwarmap.com/syrian-democratic-forces/

The Kurds want ISIS out and a chunk of northern Syria and a Kurdistan and the US supports them.
And the Russians support Assad in getting ISIS out and restoring the status quo ante.
Neither the Turks or the Syrians want the Kurds expanding.

The USA still seems to be locked into the Obama/Clinton `Arab Spring’ nonsense, even after candidate Trump told us we had no business in Syria.
We don’t need another endless war in the middle east trying to establish borders or more muslim refugees when we already have enough problems here at home and trouble enforcing our own southwestern border.

Paint it any way you like, we’re back in the nation-building business. That pleases Krauthammer, Kristol, McCain and the rest of the neo-cons.
And it will give us more disgruntled muslim refugees and bleed more of the American blood and treasure candidate Trump promised to staunch.

Either finish off ISIS or get the hell out and let the Russians engage their sphere of influence before the matter deteriorates into a superpower conflict.
Or do we plan to stay after ISIS is finished and keep assisting the Kurds in their fight for their own country? That’s what it looks like now.

No one knows what it’s like
To be Assad man,
To be a bad man
Behind blue eyes


13 posted on 06/20/2017 7:46:01 AM PDT by tumblindice ("Fight for your country." Hector)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: BeadCounter

I don’t care one way or the other, although Assad seems sane compared to the others in this war. Why is the US involved at all? It’s stupid. We are risking a conflict with a nuclear power by fighting for Muslims who hate us. What happened to Trump’s promise to get the US out of futile Middle East battles?

Bring the troops home and put them on our borders. Ban Islam in US, deport Muslims, and let them fight each other to the death in their own crappy countries.


14 posted on 06/20/2017 7:50:15 AM PDT by Pining_4_TX (For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. ~ Hosea 8:7)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: lodi90
It’s in his interest to keep Syria dysfunctional

Not one bit. Billions of investments in Syria and a base too.....Russia has been tight with Syria since the 50's or earlier.

15 posted on 06/20/2017 8:04:44 AM PDT by MarMema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: BeadCounter

While US back-forces have been beating back ISIS, not so much with the Russian/Iranian/Syrian coaltion. The Atlantic covers this:

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/06/russia-isis-baghdadi-syria/530649/

Russia says it hit Bagdadi and has hit ISIS recently, they may be trying to change the narrative here.

Kurds and others are apparently set to win their regions, they fought ISIS.

Now, the Russians and Syrians want in on those victories.


16 posted on 06/20/2017 8:05:29 AM PDT by BeadCounter (Trump; most pro-life president ever.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

That’s the guy I voted for.


17 posted on 06/20/2017 8:24:59 AM PDT by Rusty0604
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Mariner

If we’re going to continue invading and bombing Syria, let’s bomb them with great big heavy wads of the Congressional Declaration of War Against Syria.


18 posted on 06/20/2017 8:35:11 AM PDT by faithhopecharity ("Politicans are not born, they're excreted." -- Marcus Tillius Cicero)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alberta's Child

I agree with the 2013 Donald Trump.

Where did he go?


19 posted on 06/20/2017 9:02:16 AM PDT by cgbg (Hidden behind the social justice warrior mask is corruption and sexual deviance.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: PGR88

Precisely.


20 posted on 06/20/2017 10:24:46 AM PDT by Sam Gamgee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson