Posted on 04/12/2018 9:15:52 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Is Russia negotiating missile strikes as a method of appeasing Donald Trump? The Washington Post reports that Russia has shifted gears from confrontation to mitigation with the US after assisting Bashar al-Assad’s capture of the rebel stronghold Douma. At first, Moscow threatened a military conflict if Trump followed through on his threat to punish Assad for yet another use of chemical weapons that Russia had guaranteed were destroyed:
Russian officials on Thursday sought to tamp down public fears of a looming conflict with the United States, even as Syrian government forces took control of the town where they are suspected of carrying out a chemical attack last weekend. …
Russian officials in recent days had warned of the possibility of a direct military confrontation with the United States as a result of a U.S. strike. Any missile attack that puts Russian lives at risk, Moscow has said, would result in Russia striking back at the missiles and at the planes or ships that launched them.
Today, however, they’ve changed their tune to the point of signaling that a nominal strike on targets without Russian personnel might not get a response. In fact, Russian military sources suggest that they will help coordinate the strikes to ensure no Russian casualties:
In the wake of Trumps Wednesday tweet warning Russia of a planned U.S. missile strike, however, Moscow appears to be trying to make clear it does not want a war and that a limited attack that doesnt risk Russian lives would not precipitate a military response.
I rule out a scenario in which the United States will intentionally strike a facility in Syria where Russian servicemen are located, Military Sciences Academy vice president Sergei Modestov said in Thursdays edition of the government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
The Kommersant newspaper quoted anonymous Defense Ministry sources as saying that Russias General Staff was in touch with the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and expected to receive coordinates on airstrike targets from the Pentagon in order to avoid Russian casualties.
That might explain why Trump appeared to walk back his threat to strike Syria this morning, a day after promising to rain “smart” missiles down on Assad:
Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all! In any event, the United States, under my Administration, has done a great job of ridding the region of ISIS. Where is our Thank you America?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2018
Russians apparently feared that Trump was about to go all-in on Assad:
President Trumps desire to prevent future chemical attacks in Syria has fueled speculation that the U.S. leader may authorize an attack that is more far-reaching than the one he launched a year ago.
A larger strike, possibly including stealth aircraft and strikes on multiple sites, could inflict lasting damage to military facilities and economic infrastructure that have been vital to President Bashar al-Assads ability to regain his grip on Syria seven years into a grinding war.
But a wider attack will face multiple immediate and longer-term risks, including the possibility of a dangerous escalation with Russia, Assads main military backer, in a country that Moscow has used as a testing ground for some of its most sophisticated weaponry.
It’s not just the US preparing to strike Assad, though. Theresa May has sent an attack group from the British navy to the coast of Syria to join the US in its reprisals. France affirmed its support for new attacks on Syria this morning, making it yet another diplomatic nightmare for the Russians. If they can hold down the damage while allowing some punitive action that’s limited to just Assad, Vladimir Putin might just ring that up as the cost of doing business.
Putin’s worried about another player looking to reset the battlefield entirely. He called Benjamin Netanyahu earlier to ask him to stop attacking Iranian positions in Syria. Netanyahu gave him the answer you’d expect:
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday, and the Russian leader urged Israel not to take action in Syria and to threaten its security. Israeli officials confirmed the call took place and said that Netanyahu told Putin that Israel will not permit Iran to set up a military presence in Syria.
The news of the telephone call between Netanyahu and Putin appeared as Netanyahu took the stage in Israel’s main Holocaust memorial event and issued a threat to Iran not to “test Israel’s resolve.” The Russians announced the call in statement on the website of the Kremlin, which specified that Putin insisted it is “important” to maintain Syria’s sovereignty.
Putin’s trying to head off yet another proxy war in its newly won back yard. It may already be too late for that:
The air raid that Israel is said to have mounted Monday against the Iranian airbase called T4 in Syria was apparently a watershed moment in Irans aspiration to establish a local foothold. The bombing raid had significant results compared to previous attacks, and Tehrans threats to retaliate make the collision course already marked with Israel more likely. An Iranian retribution may lead in turn to an Israeli response that could almost entirely wipe out Irans military presence in Syria. …
Its been half a year now that the leadership in Jerusalem the prime minister, defense minister, cabinet ministers and chief of staff have been openly stating that as far as theyre concerned, a new line has been drawn in the Syrian sand. Israel will do what it takes to frustrate Irans military establishment there.
Based on foreign media reports, these threats were backed by acts: first with attacks ascribed to Israel in which it reportedly reacted to fire from battles in the Golan between the Assad forces and the rebels that seeped over the border; Iranian transponders and intelligence outposts on the border were also bombed. …
The latest attack ascribed to Israel exposes Irans real intentions: Major General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and a crony of Khameneis, is building an extensive, smart system in Syria, aimed against Israel. The nature of this activity is being kept secret from Russia, which sees itself as allied with the axis supporting Assad. Its dimensions are apparently also secret from top Iranians as well: President Hassan Rohani balks at increasing investment in the Quds Force and in the wars that Soleimani is pursuing in the region.
For Russia and the Assad regime, it is a big headache. A collision between Israel and Iran would imperil the regimes ambition of regaining control and could have other prices for Assad. Soleimani, according to Israeli pundits, is in effect undermining Russian interests in Syria. Meanwhile Assad lost a lot of his antiaircraft power because of Israeli raids after the F-16 was shot down.
The US might be looking to make Syria and Russia pay a steep price for its alliance with Iran in Syrian territory. If so, then allowing the US a few targets for a one-off reprisal might be the cheapest way out of the conundrum for Putin.
PDJT gets a quadruple WIN.
The Norks, Chicoms, Putin and moonbeam Jerry bow to the master.
Spot on post Karliner.
I pray I’m wrong, and I’m not dogmatic about it, but this might be it.
We’re less than 1 month away from Israel’s 70th “rebirth” anniversary.
And the “young lions” refuse to act. What would cause that inaction?
Oh wait....
And add Saudi Arabia to the pot.
Not sure if you’ve ever read Matt Ward’s stuff?
Worth the read and your post brought this article to mind:
Our Proximity to the Tribulation :: by Matt Ward
http://www.raptureready.com/2015/06/10/proximity-tribulation-matt-ward/
I believe the Deep State, the Democrats, the GOP Establishment (excuse the redundancy) will have created a Constitutional Crisis or somehow made the USA basically a third-world nation by that time. Or at least second-world.
The sheer stupidity of people trying to destroy their own country is mind-boggling. Too stupid to figure out Obama and co.
Since WWII, Russian’s as a people are cowards. Someone please name a time when US Soldiers were attacked by Russian soldiers in a concerted effort.
The times I can name without researching are the Berlin Airlift and the Cuban Missile Crisis. They called off their actions re the Berlin Airlift and their ships turned around in the middle of the Atlantic and went home during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The leaders of Russia are NEVER EVER going to take on the US head on....................for a plethora of reasons not just that they would get annihilated.
Possibly, but I was thinking more along the lines of the last trump. 1 Corinthians 15:52
If it all happens at pretty much the same time, then sudden destruction could.....
Oh that British guy? I like him.
Alex Jones makes up nonsense though, whether it’s he’s a nutcase or just wants to get eyeballs, I couldn’t say.
The FR admins may not be aware that Watson is not in that category.
RE: Since WWII, Russians as a people are cowards.
Didn’t they defeat and stop Hitler’s advance? They dealt the Nazi’s one of their most disastrous loss in the Second World War.
“... Didnt they defeat and stop Hitlers advance? ...”
-
Yes, thanks to the U.S.A. and Studebaker trucks.
It’s not taught that way in US history books, but the reality is that the USSR did more of the actual grunt work of defeating Germany than everyone else combined. They reduced Hitler’s army by a million men over 8 months in Stalingrad alone.
Operation Barbarossa was the largest land invasion in human history, performed by a technologically cutting-edge great power, and the USSR put it down.
How high you want them to jump to earn your respect?
“the USSR did more of the actual grunt work of defeating Germany than everyone else combined...
...How high you want them to jump to earn your respect? “
They deserved every death they got in WWII. They formed an agreement to conquer and divide Poland up with the Nazis. Only because of the German betrayal did they fight on the good side. They get no respect from any self-respecting person. But if they want respect, they can give back Crimea, and get out of Georgia, Syria, stop aiding Iran and North Korea. .....They won’t so FRussia.
I’ve been considering that also. Not that we can pinpoint but it is a full generation and anything divisible by seven from the Bible mathematically amazing( read Ivan Panin’s works). Just Israel as a nation again is miraculous and fulfilled prophecy to the very day. Whenever it is I think we’ll be like the disciples and understand it after it all happens.
Similar to Chuck Missler. Transhumanism is a wild subject and I do wonder just how bad the days of Noah were. And our days are as bad, or worse!
It’s Jones site though, so I understand why they have a blanket ban on it. Sensible people should cut ties with Jones. I saw a clip of Watson trying to talk about serious stuff and he had to stand there and listen to Jones ramble about some conspiracy nonsense and he was clearly uncomfortable, I felt bad for him.
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