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Russian airstrikes are working in Syria — enough to put peace talks in doubt
The Washington Post ^ | January 19, 2016 | Liz Sly

Posted on 01/19/2016 6:28:46 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

Russian military intervention in Syria is finally generating gains on the ground for Syrian government forces, tilting the battlefield in favor of President Bashar al-Assad to such an extent that the Obama administration quest for a negotiated settlement to the war suddenly looks a lot less likely to succeed.

The gains are small-scale, hard-won and in terms of territory overall do not add up to much, in keeping with the incremental nature of war.

But after 3 and 1/2 months of relentless airstrikes that have mostly targeted the Western-backed opposition to Assads rule, they have proved sufficient to push beyond doubt any likelihood that Assad will be removed from power by the nearly five-year-old revolt against his rule. The gains on the ground are also calling into question whether there can be meaningful negotiations to end a conflict Assad and his allies now seem convinced they can win.

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


TOPICS: Russia; Syria
KEYWORDS: syria
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1 posted on 01/19/2016 6:28:46 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

He’s an S*B, but at least he’s Putin’s S*B.


2 posted on 01/19/2016 6:31:51 PM PST by Hieronymus ( (It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged. --G. K. Chesterton))
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To: MinorityRepublican

Overseas Headline USA Proxies defeated in Syria.
USA Headline: Russians Subdue Syrian Rebels.


3 posted on 01/19/2016 6:32:45 PM PST by Broker ( LCDR 1315)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Good news


4 posted on 01/19/2016 6:33:25 PM PST by WilliamIII
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To: MinorityRepublican

Unlike Obama, Putin will win first, then dictate peace terms.


5 posted on 01/19/2016 6:35:13 PM PST by stocksthatgoup (Trump Cruz "Can't we all just get along?" lol)
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To: Hieronymus

6 posted on 01/19/2016 6:38:09 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

So the nasty evil Putin has mostly been targeting the “ western- backed opposition to Assad”

Now isn’t that a euphemistic obama team term for IS, Al Qaeda, and thousands of assorted goat humping head choppers that no more want a peaceful democracy in SYRIA than Saudi Arabia wants to open up churches and synagogues


7 posted on 01/19/2016 6:38:22 PM PST by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Screw the peace talks. Kill as the b@astards.


8 posted on 01/19/2016 6:43:41 PM PST by Parley Baer
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To: MinorityRepublican

Imagine that - Putin wants to WIN his war.


9 posted on 01/19/2016 6:44:00 PM PST by PGR88
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To: MinorityRepublican
...after 3 and 1/2 months of relentless airstrikes that have mostly targeted the Western-backed opposition to Assads rule, they have proved sufficient to push beyond doubt any likelihood that Assad will be removed from power by the nearly five-year-old revolt against his rule.

Wise US (Western) backed Islamic terrorist opposition to Assad will quickly move their base of operations to Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK where they will be protected from Assad (and anyone else) by the local police, and they can collect welfare while installing Sharia and carrying on Jihad on those available locally.

10 posted on 01/19/2016 7:02:48 PM PST by Navy Patriot (America, a Rule of Mob nation)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Peace is almost never a solution.


11 posted on 01/19/2016 7:05:04 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everyone stands around re-loading.

Thomas Jefferson


12 posted on 01/19/2016 7:10:48 PM PST by saintgermaine (Is she somehow related)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Islam may be here to stay in the cuck Western regions, but Putin is doing a good job of eradicating most of Islam at its home location. The only thing left to do is to stage a conflict between Russia and Iran, then the Middle East issue may be winnable. The US, the UK, and France also need to have leaders which would approve of or be indifferent to a nuclear response from Putin (China would probably cooperate with Putin, since they haven’t been taking the Islamic invasion lying down).


13 posted on 01/19/2016 7:11:17 PM PST by Objective Scrutator (All liberals are criminals, and all criminals are liberals)
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To: Objective Scrutator

Gotta admit, I'm rooting for Vladimir. Our Republic has been disgraced since 2008. Russia has interests in the region, and is pursuing them.
14 posted on 01/19/2016 7:17:04 PM PST by SunLakesJeff (Life)
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To: MinorityRepublican
The gains are small-scale, hard-won and in terms of territory overall do not add up to much, in keeping with the incremental nature of war.<\blockquote>

Who thinks this crap up? "Incremental nature of war"???


15 posted on 01/19/2016 7:26:39 PM PST by Axenolith (Government blows, and that which governs least, blows least...)
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To: MinorityRepublican

We could have had the same results for any organization we chose, had Obama not limited the airstrikes to pinpricks.

We flew about 1200-1800 sorties per day in the opening days of the Desert Storm airwar. In the current campaign, the WSJ reported we were flying 7 per day.


16 posted on 01/19/2016 7:30:01 PM PST by The All Knowing All Seeing Oz (I carry a handgun because even a small police officer is too big and heavy to carry.)
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To: saintgermaine

“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everyone stands around re-loading.

Thomas Jefferson”

Funny, I was about to make a comment about Jefferson too: Apparently McCain, Linda, and Obama seem to think that there are Jeffersonian democrats in Syria - who we need to support. If so, they’re not doing so well in my book when they carry around people’s heads with them.


17 posted on 01/19/2016 7:34:12 PM PST by BobL (Who cares? He's going to build a wall and stop this invasion.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

With the support of Russian airstrikes, Kurdish forces have moved to cut off the last major supply route from Turkey (Azaz-Jarabulus corridor).

Without tons of Turkish support, the anti-Assad forces will sputter out over the coming months - no need to give away much in peace talks.

When Azaz falls to the Kurds, and they consolidate control over the Azaz-Jarabulus corridor and set up checkpoints on the roads through there, it will be the beginning of the end (unless America picks up a massive covert resupply effort through Jordan).


18 posted on 01/19/2016 8:52:15 PM PST by BeauBo
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To: saintgermaine

Please tell me you don’t actually believe Jefferson said that.


19 posted on 01/19/2016 10:48:51 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

peace-brief-glorious-moment-h...

Monticello
Quotation: “Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading.” Sources consulted: Founders Online. Thomas Jefferson: Papers and Biographies collections in Hathi Trust Digital Library.


20 posted on 01/19/2016 11:01:59 PM PST by saintgermaine (The Time Traveler)
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