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U.S. troops who repelled Russian mercenaries prepare for more attacks
NBC News ^ | Mar 15 2018, 8:20 pm ET | Richard Engel and Kennett Werner

Posted on 03/16/2018 8:12:39 AM PDT by Texas Fossil

DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria — Standing on a windswept mound, Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga pointed to the spot just a mile away from where Russian mercenaries and fighters loyal to the Syrian government fired at his soldiers.

"Those artillery rounds could have landed and killed Americans, and that's why we continue to prepare our defenses," said Braga, the director of operations for the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition. U.S. troops who came under fire from Russian mercenaries prepare for more attacks

Only steps away sits a sprawling oil and gas refinery that American forces captured from ISIS last year and that is just beginning to hum with life again.

Braga's forces repelled the surprise assault from the pro-Bashar al-Assad fighters and the Russian private military contractors. The Feb. 7 clash was the first time in 50 years that Americans and Russians have engaged in direct combat.

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


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia; Syria
KEYWORDS: conflict; erdogan; hassannasrallah; hezbollah; iran; jonathanbraga; kurdistan; lebanon; mullahworshippers; putinsbuttboys; receptayyiperdogan; russia; syria; turkey; us
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To: Pining_4_TX

Blow through refinery, and go home. If Syria gets its act together they can repair the field, The Jihadi can’t build anything, they are just destruction. That refinery is only vauable to them if they can loot it.

I am sure our engineers could breach the large pressure vessels in the cracking units so they eould have to be replaced not repaired. ISIS can’t purchase and ship replacements.

Don’t spike the wells, Syria will need them if it ever stops it’s civil war.


21 posted on 03/16/2018 8:52:00 AM PDT by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: realcleanguy

Totally agree.


22 posted on 03/16/2018 8:53:26 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: Texas Fossil

NBC has started doing journalism again? Who knew?


23 posted on 03/16/2018 8:54:49 AM PDT by gr8eman (Since God has been banished from our classrooms, Satan has filled the void.)
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To: granada

No. Not like McCain.


24 posted on 03/16/2018 8:55:09 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: gr8eman

Yes, it is quite surprising.


25 posted on 03/16/2018 8:55:47 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: Texas Fossil

Somewhere along the way the US made a commitment so I guess we’re sticking to it.


26 posted on 03/16/2018 8:59:31 AM PDT by Rappini (Compromise has its place. It's called second.)
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To: pierrem15
Except ISIS is still there ( where we made a deal for them to be evacuated from Raqqa). And still raiding into western Iraq where a lot of their leaders probably originated. The Iraqis reportedly recently beat off one ISIS raid - using Russian weapons.

Anyone following the scene might perceive that Russia has steadily replaced Iran as Syria's major backer and influence.
Iran's interests in Syria via Hezbollah - having gained much battle experience - are now pulling back toward Lebanon border, some areas around Damascus ( probably for logistics), probably supporting shia tribal villages and militias, and maintaining a forward presence of Iran vs Israel.

It seems Russia is pretty much overseeing the Syrian military and have meshed themselves with the Syrians to negotiate on the ground, divide the opposition militias and negotiate with them tribe by tribe. Except al Nusra- aka Al Qaeda. Russia is as committed to their destruction as we said we were to ISIS.

Russia has an important mission to be deep,into Syrian command and control to prevent or delegitamize a future false flag chem warfare incident that will be blamed on Assad...and now Putin. This is what the US and NATO or “ other” anti- Russian operators will be attempting to set up as an excuse to escalate US military attacks on Syria - and Russia.

Its insane

27 posted on 03/16/2018 9:01:14 AM PDT by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: Texas Fossil

Nor I yours

Peace!


28 posted on 03/16/2018 9:01:57 AM PDT by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: WilliamIII

Based on the rhetoric coming from Theresa May and Nikki Haley- its no longer unthinkabke


29 posted on 03/16/2018 9:03:21 AM PDT by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: silverleaf

Its insane


What’s insane in your slavish loyalty to America hating filth like KGB Vlad. You are as self loathing as any Democrat.


30 posted on 03/16/2018 9:04:40 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: Rappini
Actually, I don't think there is any written commitment. Has been none from the beginning.

The commitment is based on many lives lost as we helped SDF (Kurds and Arabs) fight to end ISIS Terrorists.

Now we witness our NATO ally (sarcasm) Turkey attacking Kurds in N. Syria with the help of ISIS and al Qaeda. Russia has allowed this, by opening the airspace to Turkey. Otherwise, Turkey would never have succeeded like they have. And it has not been fast. This has been going on 2 months.

Turkey is leveling whole villages and intends to resettle foreign elements where they kill those who have peacefully live in Efrin avoiding the war. And Turks are bombing civilian targets with impunity.

31 posted on 03/16/2018 9:08:40 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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To: lodi90

I can see youd be a real asset at the NSC or for working up briefing papers for national security discussions

You should apply

Ya know, sometimes letting the wookie win is in your own best interests, even if you dont like wookies


32 posted on 03/16/2018 9:16:29 AM PDT by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: WilliamIII

Mission creep. And since when have ‘mercenaries’ ever been associated with having artilley? Mortars, sure, but Arty?


33 posted on 03/16/2018 9:21:24 AM PDT by Tallguy
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To: pierrem15
Keeping the oil fields out of unfriendly hands is just good strategy.

If your "strategy" is to prolong the fighting, widen the conflict and drag the US into another regional war maybe... otherwise it looks like more globalist intervention that the American people are sick and tired of.

34 posted on 03/16/2018 9:25:19 AM PDT by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
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To: Texas Fossil
In the beginning:

He may still get his war.

35 posted on 03/16/2018 9:27:05 AM PDT by McGruff (It's time to investigate the investigators)
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To: Texas Fossil

We lost a lot of trust from Turkey after using them to set up that downing of a Russian fighter over Syria. Erdogan had to do some major ass kissing with Putin over that. We created that opening. The law of unintended consequences.

And then there is that Gullen/ coup thing that Russia convinced Turkey was backed by certain political forces in the US ( cough cough)
What did we expect Turkey to do ? Or Putin?

Do you really believe like Hillary apparently that closing Syrian airspace to Turkey was ever an option? Given our own use of Turkish bases to operate into Syria and throughout the middle east. .. were gonna tell him he cant go after PKK?

Did we ever shootdown a Turkish plane or give our allies the Kurds the missiles to shoot down our other allies the Turks? Who helped obama shelter and resupply our other allies ISIS? Who brutally slaughtered our allies the Kurds?

Of all the bad things to blame on Putin, Turkeys ambitions and behavior has to be a shared problem. If instead of name calling and chest bumping vs Putin we were working on shared interests with Russia, we’d be working together vs Erdogan.

Turkey is now demanding our withdrawal from Manjib. Lets see what happens.


36 posted on 03/16/2018 9:35:37 AM PDT by silverleaf (A man who kneels for the national anthem doesn't stand for much of anything)
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To: Texas Fossil
"Break with NATO? Align with Russia? Nobody knows."

The US is winding down operations at its huge airbase in Turkey, the Germans have already pulled all their air assets out of Turkey, and the Russians are giving the air support to the Kurds the Turks are attacking although so far only bombing the ISIS/Al Q proxies the Turks lead off offensives with.

At the moment, the only possible ally Turkey has is Israel.

37 posted on 03/16/2018 9:39:39 AM PDT by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory !!)
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To: Texas Fossil

Why are US troops in Syria?

Syria is NOT a National Security Threat.

It is extremely stupid and extremely wreckless to have U.S. Troops in Syria.

U.S. TROOPS SHOULD NOT BE DYING FOR GLOBALIST U.N. GOALS


38 posted on 03/16/2018 9:39:56 AM PDT by Enlightened1
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To: Enlightened1

Syrian generals were holding meetings with Mugniyeh up until the year he took a dirt nap, which was late in the Bush admin. No doubt they still organize with his successor.

Look up Imad Mugniyeh, then tell me Syria isn’t a threat.


39 posted on 03/16/2018 9:43:29 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Enlightened1

US troops are not dying in Syria. There have been 2 deaths reported. One of them was from vehicle turnover.

There may be some unreported, but I’ve not heard of them.

Yes, we are in harms way.


40 posted on 03/16/2018 9:45:59 AM PDT by Texas Fossil ((Texas is not where you were born, but a Free State of Heart, Mind & Attitude!))
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