Posted on 09/23/2015 6:52:40 AM PDT by TangledUpInBlue
U.S. officials have begun to reveal the kinds of military equipment Russia has been moving into Syria, leaving little doubt that they are establishing an air base in the war-ravaged country.
Moscow’s movements have been closely watched by the international community over the last few weeks, as observers debate whether the rapid buildup of weapons, troops and supplies near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia is presumably meant to aid diplomacy that will end the years-long civil war or to prop up the regime of embattled President Bahar al-Assad.
Asked if the White House has gleaned Russia’s intent with the rapid military expansion, press secretary Josh Earnest pleaded ignorance.
Earnest stressed that the Obama administration has “been engaged in conversations with the Russians to get a better sense about what their intentions and goals are. And we've made clear both in public and in private that doubling down on supporting Assad is a losing bet.”
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Looks like siding with Saudi Arabia was a winning American bet in the 20th century but a losing bet in the 21st century.
Except that it's unlikely any Israeli attack on Iran would go by way of Syria, which lies to the north of any direct route between the two countries. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq are much more likely flyover countries. The 1981 attack on Iraq's facility, for example, went over Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Because maybe the Russians still remember that the Chinese embassy was "accidentally" bombed by an American fighter bomber during NATO's Kosovo air war and don't want to be "accidentally" bombed this go around like the Chinese were.
After all this time in the middle east I am always surprised at how the Sunni/Shia rift is just not understood by foreign policy watchers.
You can’t chalk this up to stupid. I did the math on this in another thread.
Russia has just moved two armored DIVISIONS and five infantry DIVISIONS, plus an entire bomber WING. That amounts to two full army CORPS.
You don’t need all of that to beat ISIS. You need that to take over the Middle East.
In contrast, there’s a single US Tank Division in Saudi Arabia. 400 tanks. That’s a lot of tanks, and it was what it took to make the Saudis feel alright about its position in their part of the world. They just moved 2 to 1 superiority in tanks to the US, and about 1 to 1 in tanks to the Israelis.
Israel has a combined 9 brigades of tanks - four active and five reserve. They have one active corps consisting of two divisions. A division is the minimum size you need to operate independently as a military force (logistics, etc).
Putin meets with Bibi, says, “We are moving a few guys into Syria, and we don’t want to get into a shooting war with you folks, OK?” Then he moves enough hardware to move his western border from Russia all the way to Normandy, France.
The Chinese have more than enough to move us off the ground in Asia. They may not, as yet, have near enough to keep us out of their pool, but definitely enough to toss us out of Asia - the land mass.
Looks coordinated. If I were Boehner I would burn the place down to get an answer to what we are doing about this. In 1980, we’d be at Defcon 3.
I’ve asked this “Trumpinator” character over TEN times now to find a single thing negative to say about KGB Putin and/or past Russian activity, and he just can’t seem to do it. He is a lying, phony, cowardly shill for Putin and present Russian expansionism.
Russia has just moved two armored DIVISIONS and five infantry DIVISIONS, plus an entire bomber WING. That amounts to two full army CORPS. You don’t need all of that to beat ISIS. You need that to take over the Middle East.
Excellent post! Thank you.
I understand that, but wouldn’t these latest missiles still be able to reach from Syria to Iraq & Jordan?
Bingo
I can’t imagine what’s going thru the bewildered minds of our frontline military naval fleet, marines, army, and air force officers and enlisted who realize what an impossible compromised deadly situation their treasonous Commander-in-chief has put them in.
Current C-I-C orchestrated demoralizing events may pose the greatest threat to our military and national defense.
Russia, having a strong military presence and a warm port in Syria will be highly stabilizing. The Ruskies will put down ISIS first in Syria, then at its roots across the ME.
Good news - the Russian, a generally predictable and accountable force will stabilize the region.
Where’s your source for the amount of assets Russia has moved? I’d like to see it.
The maximum operational radius of the SA-22 is about two kilometers. The highest range of any Russian anti-aircraft missile is about 250 miles, easy enough to avoid while flying over Saudi Arabia. And I'm not sure the Russians would want the international headache that would result from shooting down the warplanes of a country they're not at war with, over a third country they're not at war with.
“Putin makes Obama look stupid and weak!”
Actually, 0bama makes 0bama look stupid and weak.
Actually, 0bama makes 0bama look stupid and weak.
He IS stupid and weak. BUT he is also a willing patsy for Russia and their expansionist agenda. He basically shares the same "new international order" vision with them: weaker US, stronger Russia and China. So I don't know why the FR Putinistas are so hard on him. Maybe it's because he just happens to be the US president at this time, and it's the US in general that they're really going after. We are, after all, a potential major obstacle in their quest to restore the old Soviet Union, or something not too much different from it. They are still reeling from their humiliation over the collapse of the original S.U.
“Asked if the White House has gleaned Russia’s intent with the rapid military expansion, press secretary Josh Earnest pleaded ignorance.”
Is cultural exchange. Cultural exchange.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvnJS_zkaMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwF0zhJk8s
He helps illustrate it, though. Here it is. 3 am. What will he do? Has he a clue?
This is one of those really informative threads.
That just makes my head explode. If there was such a thing as representatives in our government who stood for the people who actually like this country, this wouldn't happen. I'm starting to understand why so many people say that both parties are the same.
It is obvious the antiaircraft batteries are aimed at western type forces and Israel.
It is not like they are sending the red cross with bags of rice for Christians.
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