Posted on 01/09/2020 11:49:43 AM PST by rintintin
Russian President Vladimir Putin called U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday to thank him for America’s help in saving Russian lives. And it’s not the first time.
In both instances, two years apart, U.S. intelligence services provided their Russian counterparts with information that thwarted holiday terror plots targeting civilians in Russia’s cultural mecca, St. Petersburg. Earlier, Russia had warned the U.S. about the danger posed by the Tsarnaevs, the Chechen brothers who perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings (though American officials didn’t act in time).
Russia is a target for the Islamic State, given its role in fighting the terrorist group in Syria and the sympathies for ISIS in the Russian republic of Chechnya. At his annual press conference just before Christmas, Putin noted that Russian natives account for the second-largest number of Islamic State fighters imprisoned in Syria.
It’s not hard to imagine what a terrorist attack in Moscow would look like. When I was Christmas-shopping in the giant Evropeyskiy Mall recently, the FSB federal security service and Russian police executed a counterterror operation in the building, rounding up five terror suspects.
(Excerpt) Read more at trib.com ...
Long term, maybe. There is no such thing as permanent in Geopolitics.
We were with them in the early 40’s. Not so much after that. :)
Might be an opening if they stop supplying Iran with modern weapons.
“Might be an opening if they stop supplying Iran with modern weapons.”
I think what Putin wants is stability in the Middle East, no more regime change wars because they’re like batting a hornet’s nest, sending jihadis and refugees into other countries.
If Iran flies into chaos, the way Iraq, Lybia and Syria did after US ‘regime change’ operations, the spillover could hit Russia with new jihadists flooding in and working with Russia’s own muslim radicals to cause havoc. I believe this is why Russia is trying to keep Iran intact.
Remember, Putin warned George W Bush that invading Iraq would lead to chaos. He was right, as Trump also says (Trump called Bush’s invasion of Iraq the stupidest foreign policy decision in US History)
Now many of Bush’s Iraq War supporters want a regime change war against Iraq, even though NOT ONE of these wars has led to peace a stability - not in Iraq, not in Afghanistan, not in Syria, not in Libya.
Thing is Russia is its own enemy providing nuclear technology to Iran, which could end up in the hands of Chechnyan terrorists.
“nuclear technology to Iran, which could end up in the hands of Chechnyan terrorists.”
Isn’t it the Saudis who are supporting the Chechnyans? That’s what Russia intelligence claims, if I recall correctly.
I always find it curious that everybody is down on Iran, supposedly over terrorism, but we have no problem doing business with the Saudis, one of the planet’s most oppressive dictatorships and a sponsor of wahhabi islamists.
The US and Russia should become partners on many things, but Putin’s apparently incurable meddling in the ME and his fooling around with Iran and China eliminate the possibilities for the foreseeable future.
Russia is far too treacherous to trust in a meaningful way.
Always have been, always will be. All the good people are dead.
But perhaps there’s a key, and that key is Russian National Interest.
“Putin’s apparently incurable meddling in the ME “
Compared to George Bush and Obama, Putin is an isolationist. Bush overthrew the Iraqi government and Obama overthrew Libya’s government. Both countries descended into chaos as a result, sending hundreds of thousands of refugees to Europe - and very possibly your own home town.
Putin’s “Meddling” has consisted of stopping a US-backed Al Quada regime change war against Syria. And trying to stabilize Iran against another regime change war there. Like us, he’s also on friendly terms with the Saudis.
On balance, US (Bush, Obama, Hillary and McCain) has done far more damage in the Middle East than Putin has.
“But perhaps there’s a key, and that key is Russian National Interest.”
Too bad W Bush didn’t listen to Putin’s warnings that invading Iraq would be a massive mistake and give an opening to jihadi terrorists.
As Trump says, there was no bigger foreign policy mistake in US history than Bush’s invasion of Iraq.
And Putin tried to warn W.
That will change some day. We'll suck the country dry of oil first though, I suspect.
Regarding the article itself, only an idiot would think that Russia and the U.S. do not help each other where their interests are in sync. Stopping terrorists is obviously one such area.
For how much and how long.
No, I can’t accept that.
Supplying Iran with nuclear technology and anti-aircraft systems, maintaining a naval base in Syria, and who knows what else well qualifies as meddling. And to what end? I don’t buy that Russia is trying to stabilize anything, more trying to carry on the appearance of a great power.
And air defense systems for Turkey? Naval exercises with Iran and China.
In the mid 90s American tourists flock to Russia..even economic aid and trade was starting to flow....then along came Putin.
When he is gone perhaps we can get an agreement.
I’m pretty confident you aren’t really opposed to “meddling” in the Middle East. I’d lay big odds that you supported Bush’s invasion of Iraq. And maybe even the McCain’s strategy for overthrowing the Syrian government. Oh, but that’s not “meddling in the Middle East”. Right/sarc/
And Putin said that the fall of the USSR was the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. I think practically his only motive is to restore Russia as some sort of world power and whatever he does, or whoever he aligns with, is to advance that goal no matter how bizarre it might seem to observers.
Naval exercises with The USA and Russia would be better.
Won't happen though. Indoctrinated hatred of the USSR won't go away soon.
Support of Israel is about the only thing I support in the Middle East. I did, more or less, support the first Gulf War and the initial invasion of Afghanistan, but not hanging around for the mostly hopeless task of nation building in Moslem nationns.
And #18 explains my view of Putin, though I had at times hoped it would be different.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.