Posted on 05/31/2015 11:54:39 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
Russia is gradually turning its back on Syrian President Bashar Assad, evacuating some 100 expert advisers and their families from Syria and refusing to repair regime fighter jets, an Arab daily reported on Sunday.
Senior sources in the Gulf told pro-opposition London-based daily a-Sharq al-Awsat that the change in Russias position toward the Assad regime stems from diplomatic pressure exerted by Arab Gulf states. It also comes as part of Moscows efforts to shake international sanctions imposed on it following a military confrontation with Ukraine, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition sources told the newspaper that 100 of Russias top specialists have recently left the country through the Latakiya airport in northwestern Syria, and were not replaced. Russia has also downsized its embassy staff in Moscow over the past three months, manning its delegation with essential staff only.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesofisrael.com ...
Russia can just get Iran to provide the support.
Weird
The Russians follow Osama’s dictum about following the strong horse. Much as Russia wants Mediterranean access thru Syria, it can still see that Assad seems to be losing his grip.
That means two things to me:
1) Russian knows that Assad is going to lose, and
2). They have cut a deal with ISIS
This was probably the goal behind the Saudi oil glut. Once Russia leaves Syria they may cut production to raise the price. Their other goal was to hurt Iran but the glut is probably giving them as many problems as it is Iran due to not making as much money as they need.
I would say #1 for sure. I was just thinking the same thing.
They’re salvaging the equipment before it’s all lost to ISIS.
Which means they know they would lose the equipment forever.
Maybe they’re getting out of town before ISIS takes over.
Lose the people, more accurately.
The report followed a particularly bloody day for Syrian civilians on Saturday. Barrel bombs dropped by regime aircraft reportedly killed over 100 men and children in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib in northern Syria in what opposition groups in the country called the largest massacre perpetrated by the regime this year.Footage from inside regime helicopter dropping barrel bombs over villages in Idlib
A third possibility is that the report in the “daily a-Sharq al-Awsat” was not accurate.
Woohoo! Now ISIS can now take over. It looks like the will be exterminated outside of Iran by the sunni monsters. Just in time for the shites in Iran to acquire the nukes and nuke the hell out of the sunnis. Or, perhaps, the likely scenario is that the sunni Pakistan can send its nukes to the sunnies (possibly Saudis) before Iran can make its move. For Pakistan, the time is ticking. Its nukes will end up with the Saudis and, also, ISIS. Either way, both shites and sunnies will be armed to the teeth and there starts the Islamic Cold War.
But I don't see ISIS getting too friendly with Putin because of the Chechen thing.
It won’t stay cold for long.
Neither of which bodes well for the rest of the Middle East.
I would think the Russians would be very leery of helping ISIS. I am sure you are right about #1.
Next up, Iran.
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