Posted on 08/19/2016 9:42:09 PM PDT by amorphous
Syrian regime jets pounded US-backed Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria for a second day, even after the US-led coalition scrambled jets to protect its military advisers working on the ground.
In another escalation of Syria's bloody conflict, warplanes from President Bashar al-Assad's regime were bombarding the city of Hasakeh -- targeting Kurdish forces that for months have worked closely with coalition military advisers helping local fighters combat the Islamic State group.
On Thursday, the United States sent fighter jets to head off air strikes conducted by regime planes and to protect coalition advisers, but the Syrian planes had left by the time they arrived.
It was apparently the first time the coalition had scrambled jets in response to a regime action, and possibly the closest call yet in terms of Syrian forces coming close to killing American or coalition advisers.
"This was done as a measure to protect coalition forces," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said.
"We will ensure their safety and the Syrian regime would be well-advised not to do things that place them at risk... We view instances that place the coalition at risk with the utmost seriousness and we do have the inherent right of self-defense."
But the Pentagon warning appeared to fall on deaf ears.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Or under a fanatical cult like Islam. Either way, democracy doesn't stand a chance. Democracy is wholly unsuited for any but a virtuous people. - J. Adams (Para.)
There is exactly Zero chance of Russia turning over S-400/S-300PMU2, aka SA-10E Favorit systems to Syria or any other nation.
I hope you are wrong.
If they were to turn S-300PMU2s and S-400s over to Syria, how long would it take for the Chinese, the Iranians and the US to sort them? Other than the upcoming S-500 systems, these are the crown jewels of Russian Air Defense systems.
But S-400 are not the latest, and while the Chinese are likely capable of manufacturing clones within a few years, the US is not.
Let Putin figure out the risks/benefits ratio, he does it better than we can.
S-500 Prometey is the latest, but are not operational yet. So the S-400 Triumfs, aka SA-21 Growler, are the latest. How effective the particular S-400 system is depends on which fire-control system is coupled with it.
The S-500 will significantly out class the S-400 with 6th gen radio comm and many other features.
See this Tyler Rogoway article on the S400 system (Tyler has since left the site he founded for a job at Time and the site has gone downhill since).
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/heres-russias-s-400-missile-system-in-action-and-heres-1746490022
Who gave the US permission to fly over and bomb Syrian territory?
Thanks! Good ref I did not know about. :D
And I strongly suspect that the US personnel in Syria is not protected by Geneva conventions ... meaning the legitimate authorities in the country can shoot US servicemen on sight.
That's what I understood was the working agreement that Assad and his father implemented for decades operating essentially in a secular manner, and only violently opposing Israel and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Now they've got Obama Arab Spring "Democracy" where everybody kills and rapes their neighbor, and tries to be the pawn that starts WWIII.
We need permission?
Better than anything else I suppose. :-)
Great point, and wouldn't that also make 'His Majesty the Golfer' a war criminal by the same court?
No, I mean when the Kurds helped murder 275,000 Christians, back in the last century.
Breaking this agreement by the Kurds will not do anything good for them and will endanger their enclave in Aleppo.
As for Israel -- I'd not call this "violently opposing Israel". :P Let me call this "violently verbally opposing Israel" instead. The border was almost totally quiet for 40 years. Furthermore, about 5 years ago there was a prepared peace treaty (Israel returns part of the Golans but keeps the strategically important heights); this agreement was killed by Mr. Obama.
Actually, looking back, that description is more accurate.
Assad did not respond with force to a small number of Israeli surprise preemptive military strikes on Syrian territory, facilities and citizens.
You are correct, Assad has been responding to Israel verbally.
Doesn't this mirror Assad and his father's historical policy for some other minority groups in Syria (like Christians)?
there were no separate Kurdish armed forces before the civil war and no territories administered by the Kurds.
The choice for the Kurds now is either peace (and high degree of autonomy promised by Assad already) or a war against likely Assad and Erdogan alliance.
Reminds me of "Choose wisely" from Indiana Jones III ... set in this very area.
The choice for the Kurds now is either peace (and high degree of autonomy promised by Assad already) or a war against likely Assad and Erdogan alliance.
Ah, now I get it.
I see why they should choose wisely, they risk being denied support isolated, and having the Turks turned loose on them without restraint.
seeing cartoons like this appearing makes one think that Mr. Erdogan successfully took the title of the Evil One from Assad and Putin.
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